et that every day of our lives is a day of
judgment, in which Christ is searching our hearts and judging our
lives, condemning the evil and blessing the good, and seeking to
separate the one from the other. If we are able to welcome Him as our
judge and deliverer in our present day, we shall be able to do so also
on "the last day."
I conclude with these words:--
"For we must all appear before the judgment-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. Knowing therefore the terror of the
Lord, we persuade men."
"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be
the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the
Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known
and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love
made perfect, that we may have _boldness in the day of judgment_:
because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love;
but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that
feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him because he first
loved us."
"But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake
you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of
the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us
not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that
sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in
the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on
the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of
salvation. _For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain
salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ_, who died for us, that, whether
we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort
yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."
"_Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep
his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall
bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be
good, or whether it be evil_."
THOUGHTS UPON FUTURE LIFE.
It is obviously impossible to treat a subject so vast and so
profoundly interesting as this within the limits of a _Parish Paper_,
except in the most cursory and superficial manner. Yet I am induced to
make th
|