THE FAMILY ALTAR

June 23.

"It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the

judgment". Heb. 9:27.

Does this solemn truth frighten us? It ought not, and will

not, if we are Christ's by faith. For Christ has given His be-

lieving followers the sure and blessed promise: "Verily, verily,

I say unto you, He that heareth My word and believeth on Him

that sent Me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into con-

demnation, but is passed from death unto life. (John 5, 24.) In

Christ, our blessed Savior, we have forgiveness of sins and so

shall not come into judgment, but shall be declared free from

all guilt and punishment by the righteous Judge of the living

and the dead. For the unbelieving and unrepentant sinner, how-

ever, this is a most terrible truth, that death does not end his

existence, as he vainly tries to believe, but that after death judg-

ment awaits him, where he must give an account of all things he

has done in his body, whether they be good or bad. (2 Cor. 5, 10.)

Oh, the terrible awakening that awaits him now ! For, as Paul

declares, Eom. 2, 6 — 9 : "God will render to every man according

to his deeds. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing

seek for glory, and honor, and immortality — eternal life ; but

unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but

obey unrighteousness — indignation and wrath. Tribulation and

anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil." Said Anne

of Austria, the Queen of France, to the wicked Cardinal Eichelieu

who delighted in persecuting her: "My lord cardinal, there is

one fact which you seem to have entirely forgotten : God is a sure

paymaster. He may not pay at the end of every week, or month,

or year; but I charge you, remember that He pays in the end."

Yes, though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind ex-

ceeding small; though with patience He stands waiting, with ex-

actness grinds He all. Death decides the eternal fate of every

human being. We are in danger of death every day. Let us

daily live in true repentance and faith and ever walk with Jesus.

Then we need not fear death or judgment.