Page:The Last Judgement and Second Coming of the Lord Illustrated.djvu/91

 garner, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Doubtless this gathering of the wheat, and burning of the chaff, were figures of the judgment for which the Lord came, for it very closely resembles His own description of that event, namely, "In the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, gather ye together first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn." Every one knows that a general judgment is treated of in this figurative language: indeed, it is so explained by the Lord Himself. Besides, He plainly said, "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out." The prince of this world is judged:" "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world:" "I beheld Satan as lightening fall from heaven." Surely it is evident that by "the world," "the prince of this world," and " Satan," are denoted the wicked influence of infernal spirits; and, consequently, the judgment for which the Lord came did not consist merely in the formation of an opinion respecting the condition and deserts of the world, but in the actual severance of the hold which those spirits had gained upon the minds of men, and the removal of them to their final destiny. Without this, that judgment could not have had any practical results. Thus we learn that the Lord came into the world for judgment, and that then was the time of its execution. Did He accomplish this purpose? Most certainly He did! Any other conclusion would imply a failure in His designs; and this cannot be conceded. Now where was the scene of this judgment? and who were its subjects? Doubtless the world of spirits was the scene; and the souls of men were the subjects. There was no occurrence at that time in the