Concerning the utter end of the wicked, the prophet said, "Affliction shall not rise up the second time. For while they be folden together as thorns, and while they are drunken as drunkards, they shall be devoured as stubble fully dry." Nahum 1:9, 10. There will need to be but one punishment for the wicked. It will not come a "second time."

And Paul speaks of the "fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." Heb. 10:27.

In speaking of the final day of destruction of the wicked, John writes, "And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them."

Rev. 20:9.

Shall Be Cut Off

from the Earth.

"I will early destroy all the wicked of the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the Lord." "They shall soon be cut down like the grass." "Evildoers shall be cut off."

"They that be cursed of Him shall be cut off." "The seed of the wicked shall be cut off." "When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it." "The end of the wicked shall be cut off." Ps. 101:8; 37:2, 9, 22, 28, 34, 38.

"As thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire."

Isa. 33:12.

"The wicked shall be cut off from the earth." Prov. 2:22.

Shall Go into Perdition.

Perdition.-"Entire loss or ruin; utter destruction."-Webster. Perdition awaits those who draw back. Paul says, "We are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." Heb. 10:39.

Of the destruction of the earth and the wicked Peter writes, "The heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:7.

Not Prepared for Man.

In the final judgment day, when the sentence is pronounced upon the wicked, the "King" shall say "unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Matt. 25:41.

The fires of the last day were prepared for Satan and his angels, and not for man. The choice of reward is with man himself. If he chooses to cast in his lot. with Satan, it is his privilege to do so; but if he does, he will share in the destruction prepared for the fallen angels. There was no need that any human being should share in the awful punishment which will be meted out upon the great author of all sin.

As Though They Had Not Been.

"For as ye have drunk upon My holy mountain, so

shall all the heathen drink continually, yea, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been." Obadiah 16.

A thousand years ago those now living had no existence. Were we to return to that condition, we should entirely cease to be. When the wicked are consumed, root and branch, soul and body, then they come to be as though they had not been. God, who forgives sin and is able to blot it out of our lives forever, is able also to reserve the unjust to the day of judgment, and to completely destroy them in that awful day.

Rebellion shall not rise up a second time. Righteousness shall win a final and eternal victory, when all rebellion, cursing, and hate shall have gone out entirely and forever. Then one universal anthem of praise and thanksgiving shall be sung by all the loyal choir, made up of all the loyal angels, the inhabitants of the worlds unfallen, and the redeemed from this sinscarred world. How blessed the justice and goodness of Him who doeth all things well!

T creation God gave to man a beautiful world. "And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very

good." Gen. 1:31. This earth was to be inhabited by a loyal, happy people, whose joy and delight would be to honor and obey the Giver of all the wonderful bounties of earth, sea, and sky.

Then entered Satan, and all was changed. Through sin, man became a rebel to the government of God. The dominion of the earth was lost to man, and Satan became the ruler. Again and again has the earth been cursed as man sank lower and lower in his service of Satan, and departed farther and farther from God.

But this condition will not always maintain. In the outcome God's purpose will be carried out. "For thus saith the Lord that created the heavens; God Himself that formed the earth and made it; He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it

to be inhabited: I am the Lord; and there is none else."

Isa. 45:18.

And although man has sinned, and the earth is cursed, yet they will be redeemed, brought back to their loyalty to God, and the first dominion will be re-established. Through Christ the blessings of Eden. will be restored. "And Thou, O Tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto Thee shall it come, even the first

dominion." Micah 4:8.

The First Advent of Christ.

The only hope of salvation for a lost race was centered in the mission of Christ to earth at the first advent. The penalty for the sins of the saved must be met, and Jesus alone had wherewith to pay the price. As one with the Father, as Creator and Lawgiver, His sacrifice could meet the requirements of a broken law, and man could be redeemed.

"In My

Father's house

are many

mansions. I go to prepare a place for you."

Christ, the desire of the faithful of all ages, could purchase back the lost dominion. He could restore man to the vantage-ground which he had lost. With longing anticipation patriarch and prophet looked forward to the coming Messiah. This was the key-note of all their hopes.

The Second Coming of Christ.

Prophets have foretold, and Christ when on earth