130 THE SECOND DEATH. MARCH 20. The Second Death. "The lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."-Rev. xxi. 8. WHAT is the second death?-how does it differ from the first death?—and who shall escape it? What is the second death ?-It is something real, not imaginary. "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death." "And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." The second death means the everlasting punishment of devils and wicked men for their sins. Its misery is dreadful. "A furnace of fire there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth;" "hell fire ;""outer darkness;" "the blackness of darkness for ever;""the vengeance of eternal fire ;" "a lake of fire burning with brimstone." The second death separates from God, from all good, and shuts up the victims of sin in the dark prison of hell, which can neither be unbarred nor stormed. There shall be weeping, what sorrow! and wailing, what lamentation! and gnashing of teeth, what rage! for ever and ever. The cause of all this is sin. Sin, unpardoned sin, gives the second death its power. Sin, unpardoned sin, is the labour; the second death is the wages. Sin, and sin alone, kindles the fires, and forges the chains of hell. How does it differ from the first death ?-The first death is the end of earthly life, the dissolution of the body; but the second death is the end of happiness, and refers to both body and soul. The soul is the noblest part of our being, and if it be in Christ, the first death is not a curse to it, but a blessing; but the second death is the ruin or loss of the soul. Think of Dives in the place of woe. What a concentration of misery from divine indignation, turbulent THE SECOND DEATH. 131 passions, a guilty conscience, cursing companions, and exulting devils; a misery, the awfully bitter ingredients of which are that it was self-inflicted, and that it shall last for ever! There is nothing to alleviate its pains and sorrows. While dying the first death we may have strong consolation, the sympathy and prayers of friends, and every earthly comfort; but the second death has no consolation, no sympathy, no friends, no comfort. The pains and sorrows of the first death are soon over; but the miseries of the second death are a worm that never dies, and a fire that never shall be quenched. The victims of the second death are ever suffering, and yet no mitigation-ever dying, and yet never dead. Who shall escape it ?-O my soul, this is the allimportant question for thee! Believers shall escape it. "Whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this?" Salvation and heaven are secured to them by the death and promise of Christ. "He that overcometh" shall escape it. We have to contend against sin, Satan, the world, and death; and if we overcome through the blood of the Lamb, over us the second death can have no power. The persevering will escape. "Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life." MARCH 21. Eternal Things. "We look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."-2 Cor. iv. 18. HERE We have the things seen-the things not seen—and our duty regarding them. The things seen." The things which are seen are temporal." How wonderful are the works of God! The glorious sun, the lovely moon, the starry heavens, the lofty mountains, the green fields, and the deep blue sea proclaim his greatness. The works of man are also among the things seen, and are increasingly wonderful. Water and air, earth and stone, iron and wood, steam and lightning, minister to his pleasure and his profit. Man himself is fearfully and wonderfully made and preserved. He is a world in miniature. Now, all these things, and all sublunary things which we see, are temporary. Their existence, like earthly kingdoms, and human learning, and sensual pleasures, shall quickly pass away; and we shall pass away with them. Oh for a better inheritance than earth, and a better possession than things seen! The things not seen. "The things which are not seen are eternal." Our souls are not seen. They are spiritual substances, more valuable than the sun, and more enduring than the world. Their great value appears from their immortality, and the price paid by Jesus for their redemption. The happiness and enjoyments of heaven are among the things not seen. Its vast extent, its unrivalled grandeur, its unsullied purity, and its golden glories, may be imagined, but cannot be seen by mortal eye. The miseries of hell cannot be seen from earth. They are justly merited, painfully intense, dreadfully overwhelming, and without diminution. These things are all eternal. The soul having once come into existence, cannot get out of it. It lives for ever. The happiness of heaven is without decrease and without end. The miseries of the lost are never ending, still beginning. Eternity! thou art the lifetime of Jehovah, the duration of infinitude, and the home of the soul. Our duty regarding them.-"Look," look away from temporal things. Do not love them, for they are not worth our love; do not expect happiness from them, for you will surely be disappointed; be not distressed at the loss of them, for they might have ruined the soul; be not grieved at the want of them, for you may get something far better. Look at eternal things; believe in their existence as revealed in the Scriptures; secure all that is good in them, and shun all that is evil, by faith in Christ; and be influenced by them in your conduct, so as to prepare for another and a better life. MARCH 22. Prayer in Danger. "Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only."-Isa. xxxvii. 20. SENNACHERIB, king of Assyria, with a great army, encompasses Jerusalem, and threatens its immediate destruction, but King Hezekiah offers this prayer. Let us reflect on its object-its matter—and its plea. The object of prayer is Jehovah, whose power to save or to destroy is unlimited. He is emphatically the hearer of prayer. The object of prayer is Jehovah in covenant with Christ, propitious in him, and accessible through him. In Christ he is a just God and a Saviour. It is Jehovah in covenant with his people, " our God;" claimed by them as their portion, and engaged to be on their side. "I have entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God, and thou becamest mine." In every emergency and danger let us therefore spread out our case before him. "Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." The matter of this prayer is, "Now therefore, save us." Save us as individuals from our sins, which merit thy displeasure, and from enemies and danger which our sins have brought upon us. Save us as a nation. A great king, 134 PRAYER IN DANGER. with a numerous and powerful army, is at our gates. Other kingdoms have been subdued and destroyed by him: his successful progress has hitherto been unchecked, and now he threatens us, mocks thy holy name, and treats us with contempt. Our danger is great, our minds are anxious, our destruction seems near, all refuge fails us; 66 now therefore, save us;" save our families, save our temple and religion, save our property, save our city, and save our country from his hand. "Be merciful to me, O God, for man would swallow me up." The strong plea urged is, "That all the kingdoms of the earth may know that thou art the Lord, even thou only." The kingdoms around were either ignorant of God or worshippers of idols. They needed knowledge and they needed conversion; and Hezekiah very properly urged such a plea: "If thou wilt save us from such strong foes, our salvation will teach them, and convince them of their errors, and bring them to the knowledge of thyself; yea, it will teach them that man is nothing, that a numerous host is weakness, that idols are vanity, and that there is no God but Jehovah." This plea was good, and, as the result shewed, successful. The preservation of God's people from great danger is well fitted to teach the ungodly to seek safety where safety only can be found. It is well fitted to teach them to fear God rather than man, to throw away their idols, and worship the Lord, and the Lord only. MARCH 23. "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ?"-Rom. viii. 35. THAT believers love Christ-that they are united to the love of Christ-and that this union is inseparable, are cheering and precious truths. |