June 22

The wicked shall be turned into hell. — PSALM ix. 17.

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. — MATT. xxv. 41.

TWO characters only are to be found among all the millions of this earth. In the hour of judgment two characters only will appear before the Judge. Throughout eternity but two characters will remain. There are two and only two characters delineated in the Word of God. These characters are distinct, antagonistic, eternally separated, — the righteous and the unrighteous. The smile of God is upon them that do well, his frown upon them that do evil. The present state of the godly is happiness and prosperity; the ungodly are not so. The reward of the righteous is eternal union with God, the end of the wicked banishment from his presence. Heaven is a being with God, hell a being without him.

Our Lord depicts the final separation of the righteous and the unrighteous. To those on his left hand the King exclaims, "Depart!" Unwilling to come to him that they might have life, they are now to be deprived of the joy and glory of his face. Union with him is no longer possible, and separation brings torment. This punishment is not prepared for human souls; but sharing with the Devil and his angels here, they are sharers with them also hereafter, cursed because they refused to be blessed, lost because unwilling to be saved. Which will you be? What character are you making for yourself now?

O just Judge, to whom belongs Vengeance for all earthly wrongs, Grant forgiveness, Lord, at last, Ere the dread account be past!

DEAN STANLEY (Translation).