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for ever preclude the possibility of change or of cessation of existence;
and in this state they will have to undergo the punishment of ever-
lasting destruction from the presence of God, and from the glory of
His power, and to endure the torments of hell, without mitigation,
for ever.
But the resurrection is designed to advance the condition
of the saints, even to a state of unspeakable glorification: their bodies
will be changed and made like unto the glorious body of Christ; they
will then enter upon their full and final reward; their happiness will
be complete, the design of their existence will be answered, and they
will dwell in the presence of God for ever.

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CHAPTER XIV.

THE FINAL JUDGMENT.

1. THE final judgment described. 2. This event one of the most solemn articles of revelation. 3. The day appointed by God. 4. Indirect and moral proofs of a general judgment. 5. The moral agency of man demonstrates it. 6. The present administration of providence requires it. 7. Its period. S. Certain indices are given in the New Testament of it. 9. The reasons for withholding its exact time. 10. The circumstances which will attend it. 11. God will judge the world in the person of Christ. 12. The reasons for the appointment of Christ to this office. 13. The persons to be judged. 14. The rectitude of the judgment. 15. The appointed means to summon the human race to it. 16. The agents Christ will employ to carry out His decisions. 17. The secrets of all hearts will come into judgment. 18. The words of men will be judged. 19. Every work will be judged. 20. Each will be tried individually, but commended or condemned collectively.

1. "THE final judgment" is that act by which God will arraign the whole human race before His tribunal in the last day; and will examine the thoughts, words, and actions of all mankind; and will pronounce upon every one his eternal sentence either for happiness or punishment, as His works shall be.

2. This subject forms one of the most solemn articles of divine revelation. It represents the whole family of man, the dead raised and the living changed, standing before the judgment seat of Christ; and, after the process of individual trial, each one receiving his final destiny, either for heaven or hell; from which sentence there will be no appeal nor revocation for ever.

3. That God has appointed a day in which the secrets of all mankind will be made manifest, and every one of the human family will be judged according to righteousness for the deeds done in the body, and will then receive his final award, either of happiness or misery for ever, is a doctrine clearly and prominently revealed in the holy Scriptures; and so minute are the particulars declared respecting this transaction, that, unlike many predictions, it is not shadowed forth under a dark or mysterious saying, intended to be interpreted only at, or near, or after its accomplishment; but it is so minutely described, that no doubt can occur to a sincere mind respecting it. We will not, however, anticipate the subject to a very extensive degree, but confirm our observations by quoting two passages, the first minute and particular revelation of it, which was given in the Old Testament dispensation, and the last, which forms the final scene in relation to this state of things, and beyond which all is spiritual and eternal. To the beloved prophet it was exhibited in the visions of the night,

who thus records it: "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head like the pure wool: His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him: thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." (Dan. vii. 9, 10.) This view of the final judgment is confirmed and enlarged by the corresponding vision seen by the beloved disciple in the broad light of day, who thus testifies: "And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. xx. 11-15.)

4. In addition to these direct scriptural revelations of a gene and final judgment, there are several classes of proofs which might he termed indirect or moral proofs that all men will be judged = righteousness after this life, when each one will receive according that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. These min considered as indirectly scriptural, because they are based up truth or truths therein revealed; and moral, because ther of the consideration, that good actions ought in righteousnes rewarded, and evil ones to be punished. The conscien dictate this even those who are without the benefits tion are impressed with the truth and propriety of as St. Paul declares: "For when the Gentiles whic do by nature the things contained in the law law, are a law unto themselves: which show t written in their hearts, their conscience also thoughts the mean while accusing or ele e the day when God shall judge the

according to my Gospel." (Rom.

5. A considerable and unansw

judgment is based upon the
seen that man, as a rationa!
such he must be amenable
amenability implies a
can be more reasonable
judged for his actions
at the end of the
passed the ordeal,
discharged his duty

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God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." (Job xix. 25-27.) These few words are so full of signification, that they contain almost every great feature of the general resurrection. The Being by whom it should be accomplished, the period, the place, the identity of the resurrection body, although destroyed by worms, and the whole form of it consumed or wasted away, are all presented to us with undoubting confidence and hope: and the same patriarch in another place, with an explicitness scarcely less brilliant and impressive, declares his faith in this glorious event: "For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant. But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: so man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that Thou wouldest keep me secret, until Thy wrath be past, that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee: Thou wilt have a desire to the work of Thine hands." (Job xiv. 7-15.) David also with equal confidence and hope expressed his assurance of the resurrection both of his Redeemer and of himself, saying: "My flesh also shall rest in hope. For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou wilt show me the path of life in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore; " (Psalm xvi. 9-11;) and again: "As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness." (Psalm xvii. 15.) Isaiah thus breaks forth in holy triumph: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awaken and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." (Isai. xxvi. 19.) Another exclaims: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." (Daniel xii. 2.) And by another prophet, God declares: "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction." (Hosea xiii. 14.)

10. And the doctrine of the resurrection is so plainly declared in the New Testament, that we cannot fail to feel the truthfulness of the assertion, that "life and immortality are brought to light by the Gospel." Christ clearly taught it. In reply to the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection, and who thought they could refute it by presenting difficulties, our Lord convinced them of ignorance and inconsiderateness. When they had stated their objection, "Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in

marriage but they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection. Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto Him." (Luke xx. 34-38.) In another place He taught the same doctrine in direct terms: "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." (John v. 28, 29.) And it appears from the narrative of Lazarus, that the Jews were familiarly conversant with this doctrine; for when Christ said to Martha, "Thy brother shall rise again;" she replied, "I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day." This evinces that the subject of conversation was no new truth just communicated, neither a speculative doctrine of belief, but one acknowledged and unquestioned by her; nevertheless Christ immediately added to our knowledge respecting it, by saying: "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die." (John xi. 25, 26.) St. Paul declares the doctrine of the resurrection with great explicitness and confidence. At Athens he preached Jesus and the resurrection, at which some mocked. (Acts xvii. 31, 32.) In the Epistles which he addressed to the churches, he boldly maintained this great article of revealed truth. To the Corinthians he thus writes: "Behold, I show you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." (1 Cor. xv. 51-54.) And to the Thessalonians he writes to the same import: "For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thess. iv. 16, 17.) And St. John in a vision of the end of all things and of the judgment day, declares the resurrection of the dead to be one of that solemn series of events: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." (Rev. xx. 12, 13.) This closes this solemn testimony, the review of which exhibits the completeness

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