his confinement for that time in the bottomless pit, and subsequent release for a season, the first resurrection, and the second death. The work of the enemy upon the nations inciting and prompting them in their persecution of the saints, as well as his final and complete limitation and degradation in the lake of fire, were seen by John in his vision of things that would and did occur in the spiritual world, and should not be classified with those things which would happen in the visible world, and soon be observed by mortal eyes. 35 The great white throne and Him that sat on it, the appearance of the dead, small and great, the opening of the books, the judgment, the appearance of those who had perished in the sea, or had been reserved in the spiritual states for examination, are figurative representations of what occurred in the other world, and will occur again, varying with the circumstances and conditions of the times, for our characters will be tested, and our lives reviewed and examined, and our destiny determined. The new heavens and earth will appear and will correspond with the glowing descriptions of St. John as in vision he saw them and recorded his impressions concerning them in the last two chapters of the Apocalypse; but they are spiritual and very difficult for us to understand now. Nevertheless their value and permanence are profusely illustrated.36 In this new and blessed state which is called the "Holy Jerusalem” or “a better country that is a heavenly" there will be "no more sea,” inasmuch as all parts of the visible world will be, and are now, accessible to the inhabitants of heaven, without loss of time or danger. They will not need the light of the sun, for terrestrial darkness cannot interfere with vision when spiritual perception is perfected. To them it is, and to the living who are wortky, it will be, a "heavens and earth wherein dwelleth righteousness"; because all that is evil is excluded. But the physical world will continue to be the never-failing source of supply for the celestial, which will constantly receive new people as the gen. erations come and go.37 Therefore, heaven can never grow old. It is emphatically a "new" realm, and is represented as such in divine revelation. Its inhabitants are very 30 Rev. xxi. 37 Ch. i., p. 3 and 15. progressive, and do not decline with age. All is fresh and bright and interesting. The oldest people are very mature in wisdom, but they are adolescent in their tastes, sympathies, and emotions. They combine the rich and attractive characteristics of maturity with the exuberance of perpetual youth. The administration of the divine government is not without great advantages in the spiritual world; for there is among all classes, including the worst and most ignorant, ability to understand easily and quickly that which is bewildering and unintelligible here, because the veil is drawn aside and immortality demonstrated. And as everything is open the adjustment of difficulties, and settlement of affairs, is accomplished with celerity and promptness. Here we often wait for a better understanding; there it comes quickly. Here we look for light; but are troubled with mysteries concerning ourselves and the life beyond. Here we arrange for a limited time and see that the end will come soon; there we may suddenly notice that the end of life and the end of our world is passed. And still we live and cannot die, and the vast, the unbounded future, like a shoreless ocean transcends imagination, stretching on into infinity. Tur origin of mal evils has perplexed pith Ingjer ut modes for thousands of years. As we study nature we are delighted with revelations of wisdom and goodness; but we are obliged to admit that some things are distressing and objectionable to every one, and seem to be inflictions, or necessary troubles. Agriculture is the foundation of our resources; for without the products of the soil the world would soon starve, but the results of labor in the field are uncertain. Much depends upon the season. And then insect pests, destructive animals, tornadoes and floods may interfere with success. It is hard for the farmer to see why noxious weeds are so abundant, and persistent in their growth, and why diseases should cut off his flocks and herds. If we could pass out of the present life without |