The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-08-17

resent the temporal judgments OF that
city, as is found in our text. The rivers
were to be turned to pitch, and the dust
of earth into brimstone-it was to burn
and consume them. II such there were
the figures used to represent the calam-
tiles or judgment sent upon that ancient
city, is it going farther than we are JUS
titled by Scripture to affirm that the
lake of fire which was the second death,
referred to by the Revelator, was none
other than those days Of trouble or the
awful judgment which came upon the
Jews at the time Jerusalem was des-
troyed?
In reference to the destruction of Je-
rusalem Christ said: "There shall be
great tribulation, such as was not since
the beginning of the world TO this time;
no. nor ever shall be- which could not
be true If the common idea of the doc
trine Of endless misery be true.
1t now devolves upon me to notice
some of the particulars mentioned in the
text, in order to understand their bear
ing upon the death which came upon
the Jewish nation at the time of it's
overthrow, and which is by the Revea-
tor termed "the second death"
"The Dead, Small and Great"
And first what are we to understand
by "the dead, small and great, standing
before God?" By the. dead, small and
great the Revelator designated the Jews.
They were dead in tresspasses and
sins-they had put the Lord of life to
death, and the measure of their iniquity
was fast filling up, when the just judg-
ments of heaven would be poured upon
their heads.
Again, what shall we understand by
the language which says that the sea
and death and hell. delivered up the
dead who we're in them. By this l un-
derstand it was impossible for any one
to escape the just punishment of their
sins. Though they might endeavor to
secrete themselves, yet God would surely
bring them to judgment In proof that
this was the meaning of the Revelator,
l refer you to the language of the Most
High by his prophet Amos, in reference
to the same judgment upon the Jews
which we are now considering. He says:
"And I will STAY the last of them with
the sword. and he that fleetb of them
shall not flee away, and he that escapeth
of them shall not be delivered though
they dig into hell thence shall my hard
take them-though they climb up to
heaven thence will bring them down.
And though they hide themselves in the
top of Carmel l will search and bring
them out thence, and though they be
hid from my sight at the bottom of the
sea, thence will command the serpent
and he shall bite them amos tx, 81.
Expressions used to represent the
hiding places of the wicked, and the as
surance that they should be brought
forth to punishment, are as strong. and
in fact very similar to that part of our
text which says that "the sea and death
and hell delivered up the dead that were
in them" and by it we understand that
it was and should be impossible for the
wicked and idolatrous Jews to escape
the just punishment of their sins
Though they might call upon the rocks
and the mountains to fall upon them
though they might, as it is figuratively
expressed by the prophet to whom we
have referred. be in the bottom of the
sea, or dig down to hell (hades) or the
grave. yet they should be brought forth
from their hiding places and just pun
ishment be executed upon them.
The Book Opened.
Lastly, what shall we understand by
the books which we're opened? No per-
son will deny that the books here re-
ferred to or spoken of are figures-no
one believes that they were literal books
What, then. inquire, do they represent?
You will bear in mind that the text de-
clares first. that the books were opened,
and then in distinction from those, there
was another book opened. which was
"the book of life." The dead or idola.
trous Jews were judged out of those
opened first, and which we believe to
be figures of the book of Gods remem-
brance, or his eternal purpose to mark
iniquity against the transgressor. By
the book of life / understand is meant
the Gospel. The Gospel is, by the Rev.
elator a number of times represented
under the figure of the book of life."
Paul, in his epistle to the PHILIPPIANS.
calls the Gospel the "book of life." Their
having their names written in the "book
of life" simply means that they were
Christians; that they had through faith
and corresponding good works entered
into the peaceful kingdom of the Mes
siah, or into the Gospel dispensation.
All whose names were not found written
in the book of life we're cast into the
"lake Of fire." This was true in relation
to the Jews, to the very letter; for all
who rejected the Messiah were taken by
the Roman army. their temple and their
city destroyed, and they made to pass
through series of awful sufferings,
represented by the lake of fire in the
text.
Those Christians who remained faith.