Christ III: Judgment Day

Then in the midnight the great day of the Lord of might shall come with power unto mortal men, the radiant world, even as a crafty thief, a robber bold, who creepeth in the darkness, in the black night, and falleth suddenly on care-free men bound in slumber ; evilly assaileth earls all unprepared.

So on Mount Sion shall gather a mighty host, faithful unto the Lord, bright and blithe ; and unto them shall blessedness be given. Then from the four borders of the world, from the uttermost kingdom of earth, four radiant angels in accord shall blow upon the trumpet in one great blast. Then shall the earth tremble, the ground under the foot of man. They shall sound together, steadfast, glorious, unto the path of the stars ; they shall peal and send their voice south and north, east and west over all creation. They shall wake from death, out of the ancient earth, in terror, the sons of warriors, the race of man, unto the judgment. They shall bid arise out of firm slumber suddenly.

Then shall be heard a wailing folk, sorrowful in soul, bitterly disquieted, lamenting in woe the deeds of their days of life, trembling in terror. That shall be the greatest of portents, of all such as early or late have ever been revealed to man. There shall meet together the secret hosts of angels and of devils, the radiant and the dark. And both shall come, the white and black, according as a home is wrought for them, in different wise for angels and for fiends.

Then suddenly from out the south and east cometh upon Mount Sion, from the Lord, the radiance of the sun, gleaming more brightly than men may imagine it in their hearts, shining in splendour, when the Son of God, through the arching heavens, appeareth hither. Then cometh the wondrous presence of Christ, the beauteous radiance of the noble King, eastward from the skies, pleasant in spirit unto His own people, bitter unto the sinful, varied in wondrous measure, unto the blessed and unto the wretched unlike.

Unto the good shall He be gracious, winsome and fair to see unto that holy host, beautiful in joy, a gentle friend. Pleasing and blissful shall it be to well-loved men to see that radiant splendour, mild in pleasure, the coming of their Lord, the King of might, unto such as pleased Him well of old in heart, in their words and works. But unto evil men He shall be fearsome, terrible to see, unto the sinful, unto such as thither come with transgressions all undone. That may be a warning of punishment to him that hath wise thought, so that he may be no whit afraid ; for the terror of that presence he shall have no dread of heart when he beholdeth the Lord of all creation moving on with mighty wonders to judge the hosts. And round about him on either hand fly thronging angel-troops, a band of radiant beings, hosts of the holy, in ample train.

Then shall resound the vast creation, and before the Lord there shall go forth the mightiest of surging fires over the wide earth ; the hot flame shall leap. Then shall the heavens crash, the steadfast stars and radiant shall fall. The sun shall be turned dark unto the hue of blood, which gleamed so brightly over the ancient world unto the sons of men. The very moon, that in the night of old shed her light on men, shall sink from her station ; so also shall the stars fade from heaven, through the fierce air, smitten with storms.

And the Almighty with His angel-throng, the Lord of mighty kings, the glorious Prince, will come unto the assemblage. There shall be an exultant throng of thanes. Holy souls shall fare forth with their Lord, what time the Warden of peoples, with menace of terror, shall Himself seek out the tribes of earth. Then loud shall be heard throughout the spacious earth the noise of the trumpets of heaven, and on the seven sides the winds shall roar, shall blow, howling in mightiest tumult. They shall wake and wither the earth with tempest, filling the world with their breath. Then shall be heard a heavy crash, loud and measureless, deafening, violent, mightiest of thunders, terrible to men.

The weary hosts of men in multitudes shall depart into the wide flame, where a destroying fire shall come upon them still alive, some up, some down, smitten of the flame. Sure is it that then, all fulfilled of care, the race of Adam shall wail in sore affliction ; nor for little cause, these woeful tribes, but for the greatest of heavy hardships, when in one embrace the wan surge of fire, the dusky flame, far and wide shall seize on all three together, the seas with their fish, the earth and her hills, and the heaven above with all its stars. Fierce and furious the consuming flame shall burn all three. And all the world shall wail in woe in that dread hour.

So shall the greedy spirit run through earth, the destroying flame through high-built halls. The wide-known blast of fire, hot and devouring, shall fill the plain of earth, the very world with the terror of its flame. Broken city-walls shall fall together, mountains shall melt and lofty cliffs, that shielded earth of old against the sea, firm against the floods, secure and steadfast, barriers against the waves, the rolling surge. Then on every creature, on bird and beast, that fire of death shall seize, and over earth shall fare the dusky flame, a raging warrior. As of old waters flowed, the driving seas, then in that bath of fire the sea fish shall burn, sundered from the deep. All forspent each monster of the sea shall be consumed, water shall burn as wax.

Then shall be more of marvels, than any may imagine in his heart, when the whirlwind and the storm and the fierce air shall rend the broad creation. Men shall mourn, sorrowing with tears and woeful voices, downcast and sad of soul, distressed with sorrow. The dusky flame shall blaze on those undone by sin, and fire shall devour golden jewels, the olden treasure of the kings of the land. Then in the thunder of heaven there shall be tumult and woe, strife of the living, lament, loud wailing, the pitiful plaint of men. Then may not any stained with sin win peace, or ever on earth escape away from that burning. But the fire shall take all things in the world, shall burrow grimly, eagerly search out all the folds of earth within and without, till that the heat of its flame hath burned away all the stain of the sin of the world in its billowing surge.

Then shall mighty God come unto that glorious mount with the greatest of angel-bands, the King of heaven’s angels shining in holiness, resplendent above His train : the all-wielding God. And round about Him shall gleam in glory the best of noble hosts, holy armies, the blessed angel-throng. Troubled in their innermost thoughts they shall tremble in the fear of God, the Father. No marvel is it if the impure race of mortal men, sorrowing in care, have heavy dread when this holy order, white and heavenly bright, the Spirit-host, are smitten with terror before His presence, when these bright creatures await with trembling the judgment of the Lord. Direst of days shall that be in the world, when the King of Glory in majesty chasteneth every people ; biddeth mortal men dowered with speech rise up from out the graves of earth ; biddeth the nations come to judgment, all mankind. Then straight shall all the race of Adam put on flesh ; they shall be at an end of their tarrying, their rest in the earth. At the coming of Christ shall each one rise to life, put on limbs and body, grow young again. He shall have upon him all of good or evil that in days of yore upon earth he garnered into his soul as the years passed by. He shall have both together, body and soul. And then shall come to light before the King of heaven the form of his works and the memory of his words, and the musing of his heart.

Mankind shall be enlarged and renewed by the Creator ; a mighty host shall rise to judgment when the Lord of life looseth the bonds of death. Then shall the air be kindled, the heavenly stars shall fall ; widely the greedy flame shall pillage. Spirits shall turn away unto their long home. For the deeds of men shall be known on earth, nor may they at all dissemble before their Lord the hoard of their hearts, their secret thoughts. No deeds are dark to Him, but God shall know on that great day how each one of men hath deserved eternal life, and all that early or late they wrought in the world shall come to light. Nor shall any of the musings of men be secret, but that great day will reveal the hoard of the casket of the soul, all the thoughts of the heart. Wherefore he should early be mindful of his spirit’s need, whoso would bring a beauteous aspect unto God, when the hot, consuming fire testeth in the presence of the Victor-Judge how souls are held against the storms of sin.

Then the sound of the trump and the gleaming standard, the burning flame and the heavenly host, the angel-band and the menace of terror, the day of wrath and the lofty cross, lifted on high for a sign of sway, shall muster before Him all the multitudes of men, every soul of those that early or late put on limbs in the flesh. Then this mighty host shall pass before the Lord, forever living and ever young, with desire and heavy need. Named by name they shall bear the hoard of their hearts, the treasure of their souls, before the Son of God. Then will the Father know how His children bring their souls unmarred from that land wherein they dwelt. They shall be of good courage who bring a radiant beauty unto God. Their might and joy shall be exceeding full to recompense their souls, reward their works. Well is it with them that in that awful hour find grace with God.

Then shall sin-stained men with woe of heart for their lot behold the greatest of sorrows. Nor shall it bring them grace that there, present before all peoples, standeth the cross of our Lord, brightest of beacons, with the blood of the King of heaven all bedewed, drenched with His pure blood. And it shineth resplendent over the wide creation. Shadows shall be dispelled where that radiant tree casteth its light on men. Yet shall it become an affliction, a woe unto the nations, unto all such as working iniquity knew no thanks to God, for that He was hung upon that holy tree for the sins of men. There for mankind with love He purchased life. He, the Prince, on that day with the ransom — His body, which had wrought no evil, no transgression nor sin— wherewith He set us free. Yet will He sternly take recompense again for all, when the red cross shineth over all the heavens in the place of the sun.

And the timid, undone in transgression, swart workers of sin, shall behold it in sorrow. They shall see it as a bale, which came best of all things unto them, had they but known it as good. Ruefully they shall see the former wounds upon their Lord, and the open gashes where plotters of hatred pierced with nails the white hands and the holy feet ; yea ! from His side let blood, and water and blood come forth together in the sight of all, ran out before the eyes of men, when He was on the cross. All this then may they see, open and clear, that for the love of sinful men He suffered many sorrows. Truly may the sons of men perceive how they denied Him in their lying hearts, flouted Him with words of insolence, spat their spittle in His face, deriding Him. With their hands hell-destined men struck that blessed face with outstretched palm and fist, and round about His head they bound a bitter crown of thorns, blind in heart, strayed and erring men.

They saw the dumb creation, the radiant-green earth and upper sky, with trembling feel its Saviour’s agonies ; and though they lived not, woefully they wailed when men of evil seized upon their Maker with sinful hands. The sun was darkened, veiled in sorrow, and in Jerusalem men saw the best of goodly webs, whereon the multitude had gazed of old, the glory of that holy house, rent from above so that in two halves it lay upon the earth. The temple-veil, wrought with wondrous colour to be the beauty of that house, was cleft in twain even as though a keen sword-edge had pierced it through. Many walls and rocks throughout the world were burst asunder ; also the earth, shaken with terror, trembled in tumult. The broad sea made known the strength of its might, and from its bonds in wrath broke forth unto the lap of earth ; and from their shining stations the stars forsook their splendour sweet. In that same hour heaven clearly knew who decked it brightly with its starry gems ; wherefore it sent its herald when first was born the radiant King of all the world. Lo ! sinful men saw truly, on that very day whereon He suffered, a mighty wonder, when earth gave up all those who lay within. Quickened they rose to life whom she of old had firm constrained, the dead and buried, who held within their hearts the Lord’s behests. And Hell perceived, she who avenges sin, that the Creator, the all-wielding God, was come, when she gave that horde the hosts from out her burning bosom.

Then was blessing come to many a heart, and from their souls sorrow stole away! Yea ! the sea made known who stablished it upon the spacious earth, the mighty King of glory. Wherefore it yielded Him a way when God would walk upon the waves, nor dared the ocean-stream to cover with its floods the feet of God. And many a tree, no little number, revealed who shaped them with their blossoms, when mighty God mounted on one of them, whereon He knew affliction for the need of human kind, a baleful death to succour men. Then many a tree wept bloody tears under its bark, ruddy, abundant tears ; the sap was turned to blood. Nor may the dwellers of the World unriddle that, by craft of wisdom, how many lifeless things, that might not feel, still knew the Passion of our Lord. They that are the noblest of the tribes of earth, and eke the heaven’s high halls, for that alone grew sorrowful and smitten with fear. For though by nature they had no understanding hearts, yet wondrously they weened it when the Lord departed from the flesh.

But the tribes of men, blind of heart, harder than stones of flint, knew not to confess their God that the Prince, the Lord Almighty, delivered them from the torments of Hell, by His holy might, and that from the first beginnings of the world far-seeing men, prophets of the Lord, holy and sage of heart, with searching wisdom, full oft nor once alone spake to the sons of men anent that noble Son that, through the holy maid, the Precious Stone, the Lord of glory, Prince of bliss, would become a refuge and a comfort unto human kind.

What weeneth he who is not mindful in his heart of the gentle teachings of his Lord, and of all the sorrows that He suffered for the sons of men, since He was fain that we might have for ever a heavenly home. In the grim day of the great doom it shall go sadly with that man who, all defiled by deadly sin, gazeth on the gashes of the Lord, his wounds and woe. With weary hearts they shall behold that greatest of sorrows, how with His body, with pitying heart, the King himself redeemed them from their sin, that they might live set free from their transgressions and have the everlasting blessedness of glory. But for that gift they knew no thanks unto their Lord ; wherefore in God shall they behold the token of their woeful lot, manifest, boding ill.

Then Christ shall sit upon His royal throne, on His high judgment-seat ; the God of heaven's hosts, the Almighty Father, the Shining Lord, the Sovereign of the skies, shall adjudge unto every folk rightfully according to the things they have wrought. On the right hand shall be mustered the multitude of the pure, chosen unto Christ Himself for all that is choicest, for that they eagerly fulfilled His words in the days of their life. And the workers of sin shall be sundered unto a harder lot before their Lord. The true King of victory shall bid that sinful horde on the left hand depart. Then detected they shall wail and tremble in terror before God. As foul as goats, an unclean folk, they may not hope for mercy. Thus before God shall the soul’s judgment be decreed unto the generations of men according to the things that formerly they wrought.

There among the blessed, easily to be discerned, shall be three tokens that they have heeded well their Master’s will in their words and works. The first clear token is that they gleam with light before the peoples, with glory and splendour through the dwellings of the cities. And on them shine the works that formerly they wrought, on every one of them, more radiant than the sun.

And a second token shall be shown that they in glory know the grace of God, beholding with enraptured eyes that in the heavenly kingdom they may know bright joys in blessedness among the angels. And the third token shall be that the blessed hosts may see how those undone by sin suffer sorely in requital of their transgression — the raging flame and the sting of serpents with bitter jaws, a host of burning souls. And in their heart waxeth a winsome joy. When they see others suffer that evil which by God’s mercy they escaped, then the more eagerly do they give thanks to God for blessedness and bliss — they who see that He redeemed them from that evil torment and granted them eternal joy. For them is Hell fast locked and the Kingdom of Heaven yielded up. So shall recompense be given them who heeded well in love their Maker’s will.

But to those others shall unlike decree go forth. Full too many a woe must they behold upon themselves, abundant evil, suffering for transgressions done. Unto them sorrowing cleaveth sore distress, a grievous widespread evil on three sides. And of those many miseries whereon they gaze one shall be the dreadful fire of Hell before them, prepared in punishment, wherein forever they must strive and suffer curse and exile.

Likewise there shall be a second misery to the shame of guilty men that they, by sin defiled, must needs endure most deep disgrace. In them the Lord beholdeth no small toll of loathsome sins ; likewise the radiant throng of heavenly angels and the sons of men, all they that dwell on earth and the grim fiend shall know their dark craft and every deed of evil. Through the flesh may they behold the stains of vice upon the soul. The sinful flesh shall be shot through with shame as a bright glass, that men most easily may gaze it through. And in their heavy need a third sorrow, a wailing woe, shall be that they behold how guiltless men in gladsomeness rejoice in their good deeds, which they, unhappy men, disdained to do while yet their days endured. And for their deeds shall come distress and weeping, that formerly so freely they accomplished sin.

They shall see better men shining in bliss, nor shall their misery only be a torment unto them, but the blessedness of those others shall be a sorrow, that they in former days passed by so fair and winsome joy through the deceitful pleasures of the body, the idle lust of sinful flesh. Then confounded, smit with shame, they shall stray dizzily, bearing their sinful burden, their deeds of guilt which all that folk doth see. Then were it better for them had they humbled them before one man aforetime for their works of sin, every iniquity and wrongful act, and to God’s messenger confessed that to their shame they knew their deeds of evil. Neither may he that shriveth see through the flesh upon the soul whether one speaketh truth or lying words when he confesseth sin. Yet man may heal his every evil and unclean act if he but tell it to one single man. And none may hide on that grim day an evil unatoned ; but then the host shall see it. Yea ! with the body’s eyes shall we behold upon our souls hateful transgressions, the wounds of sin, impure meditations, musings of ill. Nor may any man tell it to another with what eagerness each one of us by every act is fain in striving after life, anxiously endeavouring after days of living, to purge away the rust of sin to chasten self, to heal the scars of former wounds, what little time of life remaineth, that pure and undismayed before the eyes of them that dwell on earth he may enjoy his heritage with men so long as soul and body live together.

But with the heart’s eyes should we eagerly and wisely gaze through the soul’s casing to the sins within. For with those other eyes, the jewels of the head, in no wise may we penetrate the spirit of the secret thought, whether below it evil dwell or good, that it may be pleasing unto God in that dread hour.

Then in glory He shall shine above all hosts, in radiant flame from His high seat, where before angels and all the tribes of men He first shall speak to the most blessed, with loving kindness grant them grace in holy words. The High-King of heaven shall show them gentle comfort and bring them peace. He shall bid them, free of stain, and full of blessing, depart unto the land of the joy of angels, and ever gladsomely enjoy it.

“Now with friends receive ye the Kingdom of My Father, that was prepared for you in winsomeness before all worlds, blessedness with bliss, bright beauty of home, where ye with well-loved men may see true weal of life, sweet heavenly joy. This have ye merited since joyfully ye received with gracious heart wretched men, the needy of the world ; when in My name they humbly craved your pity then did ye grant them help and shelter, unto the hungry bread, clothes to the naked, and those that lay diseased in pain, enthralled of sickness, their souls ye softly stayed with love of heart. All that ye did unto Me what time ye sought them out with kindly love, ever strengthening their souls with comfort. Wherefore in blessedness with My beloved long shall ye reap reward.”

Then shall all-wielding God in the menace of terror begin to speak unto the evil, unto those on His left hand in unlike wise. They may not look for mercy from the Lord, nor life nor pity, but there a reward shall come unto all men, unto all with speech endowed, according to their acts of word and deed. They shall suffer a righteous doom full of terror. And on that day the great mercy of the Almighty Lord shall be cut off from all the tribes of men when wrathfully He imputeth to that folk perverse their sinful deeds ; in words of anger biddeth them make accounting of their life which formerly He gave for blessedness unto so wicked men. Almighty God shall begin to speak as He were speaking to one only man, yet shall He mean all sinful folk.

“ Lo ! man ! with my hand I wrought thee first, gave thee reason, shaped thy limbs of clay, yea ! and breathed a living spirit in thee. Over all created things I honoured thee. I gave thee form and aspect like to Me ; granted thee fulness of might, weal over all wide lands. No deal of woe thou knewest for thy portion, nor of the darkness thou must now endure. Yet knewest thou no thanks that I shaped thee in beauty, wrought thee winsome, granted thee wealth of riches that thou mightest wield it over the things of the world, where I set thee on the fair earth that thou mightest enjoy the bright profusion of Paradise, radiant of hue. Thou wouldest not keep the word of life, but broke My bidding at thy Bane’s behest, hearkening rather unto scathing spoilers than to the Lord that made thee.

“ Now I pass by that ancient tale how thou in the beginning wroughtest evil, squandering in deeds of sin that I gave thee as profit. That I gave to thee abundantly of good and in it all there seemed unto thy heart too little of felicity, if thou mightest not have fulness of might of like greatness with God’s, therefore thou grewest estranged from that delight, cast out afar after the will of thy foes. The beauty of Paradise, the home of spirits, thou must needs forego, sorrowful in soul, wicked and wretched, shorn of all thy bounty and blessedness. Then wast thou driven out into the gloomy world to undergo heavy affliction all this weary while, pain and toilsome strife and darksome death, and on thy going hence must needs in Hell abjectly perish, bereft of helping hands. Then was I rueful that My handiwork should fare forth into fiends’ dominion, that the sons of men should know destruction, make trial of a dwelling all unknown, and grievous fortune.

“ Then I Myself descended as a son unto his mother ; yet was her maidenhood inviolate of man. I only was born a comfort unto men ; and with their hands men swathed Me, clad Me in weeds of the needy, and laid Me in darkness wrapped in swarthy raiment. Lo ! that have I endured for the world. Little I seemed unto the children of men. I lay on the hard stone, an infant in a manger, that I might save thee from torment, and the burning bale of Hell. That misery I suffered that thou mightest shine holy and blessed in eternal life.

“No pride it was to Me ; but I suffered in My youth misery and shameless pain of body that I might be like thee, and that thou, purged of sin, mightest grow like to My winsome beauty. And for My love of man My face and head have suffered, enduring grievous blows. Oft on My face I received the spittle of sinners, from the mouths of graceless men. Bitterly they blended unto Me an unsweet drink of vinegar and gall. There before that folk I suffered the hatred of hostile men ; they afflicted Me with outrage, shrank not from enmity, with scourges scourged Me. That misery in meekness all for thee I suffered, insult and reviling word. About My head they wreathed a wounding crown, heavily pressed it home, all wrought of thorns. Then was I hung upon the lofty rood, fastened upon the cross. And straight with spear from out My side they let My blood flow forth, My gore unto the ground, that thou thereby mightest be freed from the dominion of devils. So, unstained of sin, I suffered torment, evil affliction, till I sent forth alone from out its house of flesh My living spirit. Behold the deadly wounds they wrought of old upon My hands and feet, whereby made fast I hung in agony. Still mayest thou behold clearly in My side the bloody gash. How is the account unequal ’twixt us twain ! I bore thy suffering that in blessedness thou mightest happily enjoy My native kingdom ; for thee I purchased dearly by My death long life that thenceforth in the light, unstained of sin, thou mightest dwell in beauty. My body, which wrought no harm to any, lay enfolded in the earth, buried in the sepulchre below, that thou mightest be on high brightly exalted ’mid the host of heaven. Why didst thou forsake that shining life that with My body I kindly bought in love for thee, a succour unto wretched men ? Surely thou wast void of understanding that thou knewest not thanks to God for thy redemption. I ask nought for that bitter death I suffered for thee. Yield Me thy life ; that life for which I gave Mine own in ransom, in martyrdom, that life I now demand, which thou hast slain with evil to thy shame. The holy temple which I had hallowed in thee, a house of joy — why hast thou fouled it of thine own self-will in lust of sin and filthy deed ?

“ Yea ! the very body that I redeemed from out the clutch of fiends, forbade it sin, working thy wickedness, thou hast stained with shames. Why didst thou hang Me on a cross of thy hand’s making in greater agony than I hung of old ? Lo ! this to Me the harder seemeth. Severer unto Me thy cross of sins whereon I am reluctant hung, than was that other cross whereon I mounted up of Mine own will, when urgently thy woe repented Me in heart, when forth from Hell I drew thee, where thenceforth thou wast fain to dwell. In the world was I poor that in heaven thou mightest have wealth ; wretched was I in thy kingdom that thou mightest have bliss in Mine. Yet for all in thy heart thou knewest no thanks unto thy Saviour-God. Lo ! I gave you bidding to cherish well My brothers in the world, with all the goods I gave you on the earth to help the poor ; ye have fulfilled it ill. Ye have denied the needy to enter in under your roof, refused them everything with stony heart, clothes unto the naked, meat unto those anhungered, though in My name weary, in sickness, they besought for water, boundless, plagued of thirst, distressed for drink. Roughly ye refused ; the sorrowful ye visited not, spake unto them no gentle word of comfort, that they might gain a better cheer. All this ye did to Me, unto the scorn of the King of heaven. Wherefore ye shall suffer grievous, endless torment, endure exile with fiends.”

Then over all the Warden of victory shall issue an awful sentence, abounding in pain, over that fated folk. He shall say to that band of sinful souls :

“ Fare ye now accursed, by your own wills bereft of angel’s joy, unto eternal fire, hot and grim, that was prepared of old for Satan and his fellows, the Fiend and his dark host. Ye shall sink therein.”

Shorn of counsel they may not scorn the sentence of the King of heaven, but swiftly they shall sink into the deep pit, into the dusky flame the host of the sinful, spirits doomed under the folds of earth, unto the dwelling of fiends the horde of the guilty, to destruction the cursed, unto the house of torment, death hall of the devil. Never again shall they seek remembrance of God, nor escape out of their sins, but stained of evil, bound in burning flame they shall suffer death. Ever vengeance for their sins shall be upon them, that is eternal torment. Nor may that flaming pit ever in the eternal night burn away sin from the sons of men, pollution from their souls forever. But ever the deep abyss feedeth those wretched souls ; bottomless it holdeth spirits in the darkness, consumeth them with ancient flame and chilling terror, with serpents dire and many a torment, with bitter jaws it scatheth all that folk.

Of that may we have heed, declaring straightway, telling truly that the warden of the soul hath lost life’s wisdom, he who regardeth not whether his soul know misery or bliss, where, after his going hence, he shall dwell forever. He feareth not to work his wickedness, rash-hearted man, nor any whit hath he of rue in heart, that the Holy Ghost depart away from him by reason of his sins in this fleeting life. Then the worker of evil, trembling before God, shall stand black-hearted at the judgment, stained with death, accursed with his sins. The faithless shall be filled with fire, unworthy of life, smitten of dread before the face of God. Dusky, devoid of beauty, he shall have the hue of the damned, a sign of the guilt of the soul. Then when there is no time the sons of men shall weep their tears and wail for their transgressions. Too late they shall do to the comfort of their souls, when the Lord of hosts will not regard how sinful men bewail in bitterness their olden treasure in that revealing hour. Nor shall any time of sorrow be vouchsafed to men, that he, who will not win his soul’s salvation, while still he dwelleth here on earth, may then find healing. On no good man shall woe be visited, nor weal on any evil, but every wight shall bear his works alone.

Wherefore he who would fain win life at his Creator’s hand must haste while soul and body dwell together. Let him cherish eagerly the beauty of his soul after the will of God, be heedful of his words and deeds, his bearing and his inward thoughts, so long as this world gliding in the shadow may shine for him, that in this fleeting hour he lose not the bounty of his joy, his toll of days, and comely deeds, and his reward of glory that the King of heaven in that holy hour justly granteth, as guerdon of their triumph, unto all such as hearken unto Him with eager hearts.

Then heaven and hell shall be filled with the children of heroes, the souls of men. The gulf shall swallow up God’s enemies ; the hurtling flame shall seize on wicked men, mortal transgressors, neither allow them thence to flee away with joy to any refuge. But fire shall bind the fast imprisoned horde and scourge the children of sin. Insolent to me it seemeth that men endowed with spirit will not heed in their hearts what the Ruler layeth on them in His vengeance, upon hostile men. Then life and death shall take their fill of souls ; the house of torment shall be open and revealed to faithless men. Men swift to sin shall fill it with their blackened souls. Then to avenge their guilt the wicked horde shall be sundered, the cursed from the holy, unto destroying pain. There shall thieves and spoilers and liars and adulterers have no hope of life ; and perjurers shall know the guerdon of sin, bitter and terrible. Then shall hell take in the host of the faithless and God shall give them over to destruction unto fiends. The damned shall suffer grievous mortal bale. Wretched shall be that man who willeth to work transgression so that in his sin he shall be sundered from the Lord at the day of doom to death below, among the race of hell, in that burning fire, under locks of flame. There shall they yield their limbs to be bound, to be burned, to be scourged in vengeance of sin.

Then at the word of the King, by the might of God, shall the Holy Spirit fasten the locks of hell, that greatest of torture-houses, filled with fire and the horde of fiends. Direst of deaths shall that be of devils and of men. That is a joyless house. Thence may not any ever flee away from out his icy bonds. They broke the King’s behest, the bright commandments of the Books. Wherefore they must dwell in everlasting darkness, endure an endless woe for ever, stained with sin, they who scorned on earth the glory of the heavenly kingdom.

Then the chosen shall bear before Christ bright treasure, and joy shall live upon the day of doom. They shall know the blessedness of peaceful life with God, which shall be given unto all saints within the heavenly realm. That land shall never come unto an end, but there forevermore, all free of sin, they shall know bliss, praise the Lord of hosts, dear Saviour of their life, all wreathed in light, enwrapped in peace, safe from sorrows, glorified with joy, loved of the Lord. Always in bliss forever they shall know the fellowship of angels, and radiant in grace adore the Lord of men. The Father of all hath power and upholdeth the host of the holy. There is the song of angels, the bliss of the blessed ; there is the Lord’s dear face more radiant than the sun unto all happy souls. There is life without death, a gladsome band of men ; youth without age, the glory of the hosts of heaven ; health without pangs unto the righteous ; rest without toil, the lot of the blessed ; day without darkness, bright and filled with glory ; bliss without sorrow ; love between friends forever without discord ; peace without strife for blessed souls in heaven in the company of holy men. There shall be no hunger nor thirst, neither sleep nor heavy sickness, nor burning of the sun, nor cold, nor care. But that blessed band, fairest of hosts, shall know the favour of their King forever and glory with the Lord.

SECOND ENDING OF CHRIST

That shall be the fairest of delights when first they meet, the angel and the blessed soul ; when it forsaketh the joys of earth, leaveth that fleeting rapture and from the body stealeth away. Then shall the angel speak — for he hath higher order — greet that other spirit and declare unto it God’s commands.

“ Now mayest thou fare whither long and oft thou strovest. I will lead thee. The ways are mild and the light of glory radiantly revealed. Thou art a wayfarer unto that holy home where never cometh rue and where is healing for affliction. There shall be rapture of angels, peace and holiness and rest for souls. There evermore may they take joy with God who keep his judgments here on earth. He keepeth an eternal reward for them in heaven, where the Highest, the King of all kings holdeth dominion over his cities. There are the dwellings that never shall decay, neither for misery shall life flee away from those that dwell therein ; but it shall be fairer and more enduring. They shall enjoy youth and the mercy of God. Thither after death may come the souls of the righteous who teach and keep the law of God, and sing His praise. They shall subdue accursed spirits and win the peace of heaven. Thither early or late shall rise the spirit of that man whoso hath cherished his own soul on earth that clean of sin it may pass at last into the hand of God.”