Plain Papers on Prophetic & Other Subjects

as wicked, are to stand before the great white throne? All who are dead when the throne is set will doubtless be raised to stand before it but the righteous dead will have been raised more than a thousand years before; and as to the righteous during the millennium, there is no scripture proof that they will die, but strong presumptive evidence to the contrary. In any case, to identify a passage which treats only of the judgment of the dead with another which treats as exclusively of a judgment on living nations, death and resurrection not being mentioned in it at all, is a remarkable instance of confounding things which essentially differ, and affords but little support to the doctrine sought to be based thereon-that of the simultaneous judgment of the whole human race at the coming of Christ.

With regard to the character of the judgment, the passages differ just as widely. That in Matt. xxv is not strictly speaking, so much a trial by a judge, as a calling up for sentence, and an award of punishment or reward by a KING, to rebellious or obedient subjects. It is as KING that he speaks and acts; and his very first act, after taking his seat upon "the throne of his glory," is a division of the gathered ones into classes, in a way which supposes their previous guilt or innocence. His first words are the sentence of the righteous, which, as well as that subsequently pronounced on the wicked, assumes, without any process of trial or opening of books, the obedience or rebellion of the sentenced ones. How different from the judgment of the great white throne, where the books are opened, and another book, which is the book of life; the dead being judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Could two scenes of judgment be well described in more dissimilar terms?

It has been supposed from the mention made of "the book of life" that there must be some in the judgment of the great white throne, whose names are found there. But why this necessity? Without supposing this at all, there is most important meaning in this solemn act. "We need scarcely say, that previous to all investigation God knows that the names of the wicked are not there, even as without any trial he knows the character of their works. But according to his gracious dealings with men, none are necessarily condemned for evil works, pardon being offered to the guilty. For this reason, there are two solemn stages in this judgment-first, a reference to the other books, to shew that the works of the wicked deserve death

secondly, the opening of "The Book of Life," to shew that by unbelief they have rejected life. And then, their names not being there, the execution of the sentence follows,which is the second death'."

The last verse of Matt. xxv, is sometimes urged as shewing that the judgment cannot be at the commencement of the millennium, but must be identical with that of the great white throne. But let the reader compare Is. lxvi, 24, Rev. xiv, 10, 11, and xix, 20, which all confessedly refer to pre-millennial judgments, and the difficulty will vanish at once.

Here we close. We are not aware of any other objections of even apparent weight, to the views unfolded in this volume. The Lord grant us to weigh all things in the balances of the sanctuary-to prove all things, and hold fast that which is good.

"Brethren, the time is short." "The world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." If there be one lesson more solemnly taught by prophecy than another, it is that of God's estimate and judgment of "the world." The momentary duration of its pleasures, is the lowest ground on which we can be exhorted to stand apart from it. It lies under the condemnation of having crucified, and of still rejecting, the Son of God's love. All who through grace believe on Jesus are delivered by his death from this condemnation. But is deliverance from the world's condemnation, all that results to us, as believers, from the death of Christ? No; he “ gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." The union with the world, of that which professes to be the church, is that which constitutes the very core of christendom's apostacy, and which is rapidly bringing on the judgments by which the world, both professing and profane, will be overwhelmed at the coming of the Lord. From these judgments the true church will be preserved by being caught up to meet the Lord in the air. May this hope, while it cheers and comforts us amid the desolation around, be of practical power in separating us from every thing that will not bear the light of Christ's coming glory! May Christ himself be every thing to us-every thing, not only as the foundation of our hopes-but for our life, our walk, our joy-the alone object of our hearts.

R. PICKERING, PRINTER, YORK.

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