: In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die : and their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction; but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men; yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: For God proved them, and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign forever. They that put their trust in him, shall understand the truth and such as be faithful in love, shall abide with him: for grace and mercy is to his saints, and he hath care for his elect. r Then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labors. When they see it, they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for. And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit, shall say within themselves, This was he whom we had sometimes in derision, and a proverb of re proach. We fools accounted his life madness and his end to be without honor. How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the saints!s And they that be wis shall shine as the brightness of the firmament r Wisdom iii. 19: • Wisdom v. 1 -5. and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars forever and ever. t There is one glo ry of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. u And as we have borne the image of the earthly, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first born among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them he also called; and whom he called, them he also justified; and whom he justified, them he also glorified. w They that feared Jehovah spake often one to another, and Jehovah hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared Jehovah, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith Jehovah of hosts, in that day when I make up my jew els; and I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. x Let not your heart be troubled: Ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. y Verily I say unto you, That ye who have followed me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit in I Dan, xii. 3. u 1 Cor. xv, 41, 42. 1 Cor. xv. 49. w Rom viii. 29, 30. x Mal iii. 16, 17. y John xiv. 1, 2, 3. the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred fold, and shall inherit eternal life. But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first, z Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. a And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servant, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen. b Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundred fold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children and lands, with persecutions; & in the world to come eternal life. But a Matt. x. 32 33. See also Mark viii. z Matt. xix. 28-30. 38. Luke ix. 26. and xii. 8, 9. 1-14. Rom. x. 9, 10. Matt. xxii. many that are first shall be last and the last first. c The King's daughter is glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework the virgins her companions that follow her shall be brought unto thee. With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought they shall enter into the king's palace. d Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteosness of saints. e And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. f And there came unto me one of the seven angels who had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride the Lamb's wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper-stone, clear as crystal. g And I saw no temple therein for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple of it: And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it for the glory of God did c Mark x. 29, 30, 31. Luke xviii. 29. 30. d Psalm xlv. 13, 14, 15. e Rey. xix. 7, 8. ƒ Rev. xxi, 2. g Rev. xxi. 9, 10, 11. lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them who are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory & honor into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day : for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie but they who are written in the Lamb's book of life. h And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. : And there shall be no more curse but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and his servants shall serve him; and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign forever and ever. i And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. j Rey. xxi, 22 - -27. Rev. xxii. 1-5, j Rev. xxi. 6, |