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escape. "For we must all appear before the judg ment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5:10. In view of this solemn fact, and "knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.” Ver. 11.

The day of judgment will be the day of final retribution, when eternal rewards and punishments will be meted out to all men. This will be the greatest of all days. There have been days of awful visitations of God's wrath during the history of the world: the flood, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the slaying of the first-born of Egypt, the awful destruction of Jerusalem, etc.; but no day exceeds this one. It will be the day when God will come down to take vengeance on the wicked of all ages, and pent up fires will envelope this globe in a general conflagration. Nor is this day of judgment deferred till after a thousand years' millennial reign, but Christ "shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and kingdom." 2 Tim. 4: 1. First in order, the resurrection of the dead will take place, and immediately following this will be the general judgment.

"For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Mat. 16:27.

"And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the

gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." 2 Thes. 1:7-10.

These texts declare in the clearest language that the reward of the righteous and the punishment of the wicked will be given "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven," when the Son of man shall come. In Mat. 25 a clear description of the final judgment is given.

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Ver. 31-34, 41.

Here again it is declared that the final separation between the righteous and wicked, their reward and punishment, will take place and be given "when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the

holy angels with him." Yes, dear reader, "God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil." "And every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give an account thereof in the day of judgment." Nothing will escape that searching hour. "Every one of us shall give an account of himself to God." Oh, how solemnly the injunction of Peter should fall upon every heart, in view of that day, when all must stand or fall eternally in the presence of his majesty and awful glory.

'Seeing then that all these things shall be dis· solved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot and blameless. 2 Pet. 3: 11-14.

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Next we will consider what the reward of the righteous, and the punishment of the wicked will be; what their eternal portion is beyond the judgment of the great day.

THE ETERNAL HOME OF THE REDEEMED.

The church of God is from above. It is the holy Jerusalem which "came down from God out of heaven." Ages before it appeared upon earth, it was prepared in the plan of God, and hid in his infinite wisdom and knowledge. It cast its shadow upon earth in the form of the Jewish sanctuary. As there must be a substance to produce a shadow, the church already existed. But when the fulness of time came, it came down to earth. Its builder, head, door, foundation, and governor came from heaven. Its law, the truth, "came by Jesus Christ." Its garments of salvation are from God. Its members are all born "from above." It is animated with "the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. The conversation of all its members "is in heaven." Their names are written in heaven." Their affections are "fixed on things above, not on things on the earth." This is the heavenly Jerusalem. Being a spiritual, divine, and heavenly church, denominated the kingdom of heaven, its affinities and attractions are all heavenward. "Set your affections on things above, not on things on the earth."

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The mind and heart of the Christian is naturally reaching out into the eternal world. Earth loses its

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attraction. Its jewels and diamonds, its silver and gold, lose their luster and brilliancy, as the Christian, with an eye of faith, sees his riches in heaven. He beholds the sparkling diamonds, the unsearchable riches of Christ that await him over there. As he presses forward toward the joy set before him, earth's attractions fade away. None but the earthly minded desire to remain here. None but those who are void of spiritual life, desire to make this their eternal home. Man is born for a higher destiny than that of earth. There is a realm where the rainbow never fades; where the stars will be spread out before us like islands that slumber upon the ocean; and where the beautiful beings which here pass before us like visions, will stay in our presence forever.

The patriarchs and saints of old "confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth." Heb. 11:13. They understood that this was not their final destiny, their final abode. David, who reigned over Israel, who inherited the promised land, says, "I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were." Psa. 39:12. A stranger in the earth, in the land which they received for an inheritance; only pilgrims sojourning here for a time. Paul says they were seeking a country, "a better country, that is, a heavenly." Heb. 11: 14, 16.

This was not only true of the Old Testament saints, but Peter denominates the New Testament church 'as strangers and pilgrims," who are "sojourning here." 1 Pet. 2:11; 1:17. "For here have we no

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