Christ He will look upon them all alike, and with a
smile of gracious pardon will reach out His almighty arm and sweep them
all together into a heaven of eternal bliss, there to reign with Him in
glory and power, world without end!

"But is this what Christ taught the world? Suppose what we have said
is true: it turns His whole life into a splendid mockery. Foolishness
and absurdity could go no further than to create a life like His and to
put into His mouth such teachings as we have received, if at the
judgment seat all souls, regardless of their acts in this world, are
received on an equal footing into eternal life. And where is there any
room in the teaching of Christ for a purgatory? Do we believe that
there is one? Is it not the plain teaching that after the judgment the
destiny of souls is fixed for ever?

"But what could man wish more? Will he not have opportunity enough to
accept the mercy of God before that time? Does he not have
opportunity? If any soul appears at the judgment and complains that he
did not have a fair chance, will that gracious Judge condemn him if his
complaint be true? We know He will not. But the facts of the judgment
are these: at that time, whenever it is, upon the souls of men will be
passed for their acts in the earthly life a verdict that will determine
their everlasting destiny; and that verdict will be both just and
merciful. For the Crucified One could not pronounce otherwise. Those
who have despised and neglected and disbelieved and refused to confess
Him, shall be separated from Him for ever; but those who have confessed
and believed and tried to live like Him, shall be in His presence
continually. There will be a division of souls. It will not be based
on wealth or position, or birth or education, or genius, but on
Christlikeness--on that divine and eternal thing we call character.
Everything else shall go away into destruction, into death, into
punishment, into banishment from God. Banishment from God will be
hell--a hell not made by God, but by man himself, who had an
opportunity--nay, a thousand opportunities--every day of his life to
accept the bliss of heaven, but of his own selfish choice rejected
every one of them and went to his own place.

"But some soul starts up and says, 'You are not preaching the Gospel;
you are preaching fear, hell, torments. Is this your boasted love of
God?' Yes; for what am I preaching, if not the love of God, when I
say, 'God