XVIs Future Punishment Everlasting?
Jesus Christ plainly taught that there was to be a literal hell and that this hell would be a place of conscious suffering, suffering far beyond that experienced by any one here in this present life, but we are faced by another question of great importance, Is this future, conscious suffering of the impenitent to beendless? There are many who believe in future punishment of a very severe and awful character, and who indeed believe in a literal hell of awful, conscious suffering, but they deny, or at least doubt, that this future hell will be a place ofendless, conscious suffering. Many of them admit and teach that the suffering may go on for a long time, and perhaps for thousands of years, but they hold that it will end at last and that all men will ultimately come to repentance, accept Jesus Christ, and be saved. What is the exact truth about the matter? We cannot decide this by asking what the majority of supposedly reliable theologians believe, for majorities are often wrong and minorities are often right. Neither can we decide it by reasoning as to what such a being as God is mustdo. It is impossible for finite and foolish men such as we are, and such as the wisest philosophers and theologians are, to judge what an Infinitely wise and Infinitely holy God must do. All reasonings by finite men as to what an Infinitely wise God must do are utterly futile and an utter waste of time.All we know about the future is what God has been pleased to tell us in His Word.The Bible, as we have seen, is beyond a question the Word of God, and therefore what it has to say on this subject, or any other subject, is true and absolutely sure, and in a question of this character one ounce of God's revelation is worth more than a thousand tons of man's speculation. The whole question then is, what does the Bible teach in regard to this matter?
1. To find out exactly what the Bible teaches as to the endlessness of future punishment let us turn first of all to the words of our Lord Jesus Himself inMatt.25:46 (R. V.),"And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life."The first question that confronts us in studying this passage is what the wordaionios(aionion) which is here translated "eternal" means. The best Greek-English dictionary of the New Testament is Thayer's. In this dictionary Thayer after a careful study of theword, its derivation and its usage, gives these three definitions of the word, and these three only: (1) "Without beginning or end, that which always has been and always will be." (2) "Without beginning." (3) "Without end, never to cease, everlasting." It is frequently said that the wordaioniosaccording to its derivation meansage-lasting, and therefore may refer to a limited period. Even admitting this to be true, we should bear in mind that the meaning of words is not determined by their derivation but by their usage, and the most important question is not what the derivation of this word may be, but as to how it is used in the New Testament. It is used 72 times in the New Testament. Forty-four of these 72 times it is used in the phrase "eternal life," or as it is sometimes rendered, "everlasting life." No one questions that everlasting life is endless and that in connection with the word "life" "age lasting" (if that be its proper derivation of the word) meanslasting through all ages, never ending. Once it is used in connection with the word "habitations," referring to the habitations which the blessed are to have in the world to come, and, of course, these also are never-ending. Once it is used of the "weight of glory" that in the world to come awaits the believer in Jesus Christ who endures affliction for Christ in the life that now is. In this case again, of course, by universal consent it means endless. Once it is used of the "house not made with hands" that believers in Christ areto receive at the coming of the Lord Jesus (II Cor.5:1-8). Of course, this "house not made with hands" is everlasting. In fact the very point that is being brought forward in this passage is the contrast between our present bodies which are but for a brief time and our resurrection bodies which are to exist throughout all eternity. Once it is used of the future unseen things that never end, contrasted with the present seen things that are for a season (II Cor.4:18). Of course, these are never-ending. That is the very point that is being brought out in the contrast. Once it is used of the everlasting "comfort" (R. V.) or "consolation" (A. V.) that "our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God our Father" give us, and that is certainly never ending. Twice it is used of the "glory" that those in Christ obtain (II Tim.2:10). That, of course, by universal consent is endless. Once it is used of the "salvation" Christ brings, which is beyond question never ending. Once (Heb.9:12) it is used of the "redemption" that Jesus Christ secures for us by His blood. This redemption is never ending. In fact, the chief point of contrast in the context in this case is between the temporary redemption secured by theconstantly repeatedsacrifices of the Mosaic ritual and the never ending redemption secured by the perfect sacrifice of Christ madeonce for all. Once it is used of the "inheritance" that those who are in Christ receive (Heb.9:15). Here again beyond a question it is never ending. Once it is used ofthe "everlastingcovenant" through Christ's blood contrasted with thetemporarycovenant, based on the blood of bulls and goats, given through Moses. Here again it necessarily and emphatically means never ending. That is the very point at issue. Once it is used of the "everlasting kingdom" of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ (IIPeter 1:11), and we are told in Luke 1:33, "of His kingdom there shall be no end." Once it is used of "everlasting gospel" (or good news) and that, of course, also never ends. Once it is used of the "everlasting God" (Rom.16:26) and He certainly endures not merely through long ages, but without end. Once it is used of the Holy Spirit who is called "the eternal (or everlasting) Spirit," and He certainly endures, not merely through long ages, but throughout an absolutely endless eternity. This covers fifty-nine of the seventy-two times it is used, and in these fifty-nine instances the thought of endlessness is absolutely necessary to the sense, and in not a single one of the thirteen remaining times where it is used is it used of anything that is known to end. If usage can determine the meaning of any word then certainly the New Testament use of this word determines it to meannever ending, or, as Thayer defines it, "without end, never to cease, everlasting."
Nor is this all, God Himself determines it to meannever ending: He defines it to mean never-ending by specifically using it in contrast with thatwhich does end. For example, in2 Cor.4:18 we read,"While we look not on the things which are seen, but the things which are unseen: for the things which are seen are temporal(literally, for a season);but the things which are not seen are eternal."Here the whole point is that the unseen things in distinction from the seen which arefor a seasonare for anever ending duration.
But even allowing that the word according to its usage could be used of that which, though it last throughout an age, or ages, has an end; even if that were true (which it is not), then the meaning of the word in any given instance would have to be determined by the context in which it is found. Now what is the context in the passage which we are studying? Let us read it again,"And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life."The same Greek adjective is used in connection with "punishment" and with "life." (In the Authorised Version it is differently rendered, but in the Greek and in the Revised Version it is exactly the same.) Certainly this qualifying adjective must mean the same in the one half of the sentence that it means in the other half of the sentence. We must at least admit that Jesus Christ was an honest man, and He certainly was too honest to juggle with words: He would not use a word to mean one thing in one half of a sentence and something utterly different in the other half.He evidently sought to convey the impression that the punishmentof the unsaved was of the same duration as the life of the saved.No one questions that the life is endless. It would be the destruction of all our hopes if it were not endless. Therefore, if we are to deal honestly with our Lord's words, He taught that the punishment of the unsaved was to be endless. We have exactly the same reason in God's Word for believing in endless punishment that we have for believing in endless life. If you give up the one you must give up the other, or else deal dishonestly with the words of Jesus Christ.
2. We might rest the case here and call it proven, but let us turn to another passage,Rev.14:9-11,"And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, If any man worshipeth the beast and his image and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is prepared unmixed in the cup of His anger; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment goeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the beast and his image, and whoso receiveth the mark of his name."Here we have another expression for the duration of the punishment and suffering of the impenitent, the expression renderedfor ever and ever. There are in the Greek two slightly differing forms of expression that are so translated.The one form of expression literally rendered is "unto the ages of the ages," the other form is "unto ages of ages." What thought do these expressions convey. It has been said by those who seek to escape the force of these words as referring to absolute endlessness, that the expression "is a Hebraism for the supreme one of its class," and as an illustration of the same alleged Hebraism the expressions, "Lord of Lords" and "Holy of Holies" are cited. But this is not so. In the first place, the form of neither of the two expressions is the same; and, in the second place, that is not the meaning of the expression "The Lord of Lords" or the meaning of the expression "The Holy of Holies." The expression "Lord of Lords" does not mean merelythe supremeLord, but one who is Himself Lord of all other Lords, and this expression "unto the ages of the ages" never means merely the ages which are the supreme ages in distinction from other ages (nor as another puts it, the ages whichcome out ofthe other ages, i.e., the closing ages before eternity). The expression according to its form means ages which are themselvescomposed of ages. It represents not years tumbling upon years, nor centuries tumbling upon centuries, but ages tumbling upon ages in endless procession. It is the strongest possible form of expression for absolute endlessness. Furthermore, the way to determine conclusively what the expression means is by considering its usage. Usage is always thedecisive thing in determining the meaning of words and phrases. What is the usage of these expressions in the book from which we have taken our passage? These expressions are used twelve times in this book. In eight of the twelve times they refer to the duration of the existence, or reign, or glory of God and His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Of course, in these instances it must stand not merely for the supreme ages, or any individual ages, it must refer to absolute eternity and endlessness. Once it is used of the duration of the blessed reign of the righteous, and, of course, here again it refers to an endless eternity: and in the three remaining instances it is used of the duration of the torment of the Devil, the Beast, the False Prophet, and the finally impenitent. It is urged by those who would deny that the expression means an absolutely endless eternity, that it is used inRev.11:15, where we are told that "the kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ: and He shall reign for ever and ever (unto the ages of the ages)," and that we are told in1 Cor.15:24 that Christ "shall deliver up the kingdom to God, even the Father"; and that therefore His kingdom must come to an end, and consequently "for ever and ever" in this passage cannot mean without end. There are two answers to this objection, either of which is sufficient. The first is that the "he" in "he shall reign for ever and ever" inRev.11:15, does not necessarily refer to the Christ, butrather to the Lord Jehovah, in which case the argument falls to the ground. The second answer is that while we are taught inI Cor.15:24, etc., that Jesus Christ will deliver up Hismediatorialkingdom to the Father, nevertheless we are distinctly taught that He shall rule with the Father, and we are told in so many words in Luke 1:33 that "of His kingdomthere shall be no end," so that even if the "he" inRev.11:15 referred to the Christ and not to the Lord Jehovah, still the statement would be exactly correct that He, the Christ, was to reign for ever and ever, i.e., without end.There is not a single passage in the whole book in which this expression is used of anything but that which is absolutely endless.So the question is answered again and answered decisively that the conscious suffering of the persistently impenitent is absolutely endless.
3. Now let us look at another passage,II Thess.1:7-9:"The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power."Here we are told that the punishment of those that know not God and obey not the gospel is "everlastingdestruction."
What does "everlasting destruction" mean? InRev.17:8, 11 we are told that the beast goeth into"destruction," so if we can find out where the beast goes, or into what he goes, we shall know what "destruction" means in the Bible usage. InRev.19:20 we are told that"the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought the signs in his sight, wherewith he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast and them that worshipped his image: they two were cast alive into the lake of fire that burneth with brimstone,"so we see that "destruction" is a portion in the lake of fire. And in the next chapter,Rev.20:10, we are told that"The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet(after having already been there for one thousand years, see context);and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."So we see that destruction means a portion in the lake of fire where its inhabitants are consciously suffering without cessationfor ever and ever. It is clear then, from a comparison ofII Thess.1:7-9 with these passages, that those who know not God and obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ shall be punished with never-ending, conscious suffering.
4. Let us look at one more passage,Matt.25:41 (these again are the words of the Lord Jesus Himself):"Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels."What I wish you tonotice here is that the punishment into which the impenitent are sent is the "eternal fire" which is "prepared for the devil and his angels." We have an exact description of just what the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels is in the passage read a few moments ago,Rev.20:10:"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever."By a comparison of these two statements we have another explicit declaration of our Lord that the punishment of the impenitent is to be a conscious agony, where they are punished without rest day and night for ever and ever.
From any one of these passages and especially from all taken together, it is clear that the Scriptures make it as plain as language can make it thatTHE FUTURE PUNISHMENT OF THE PERSISTENTLY IMPENITENT IS ABSOLUTELY ENDLESS.
There are several passages of Scripture which those who believe that all men will ultimately repent and be brought to accept Christ and thus saved, urge against what seems to be the plain teaching of the passages we have been studying.
1. The first of these is 1 Peter 3:18-20:"Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring usto God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water."It is urged that as Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison there will be another chance after men have died. But this the passage in question does not assert or imply in any way.
(1) First of all there is no proof that "the spirits in prison" refers to the departed spirits of men who once lived here on earth. In the Bible departed spirits of men are not spoken of in this way. These words are used of other spirits, but not of human spirits disembodied, and there is every reason for supposing that these "spirits in prison" were not the sinful men that were on earth when the ark was preparing, but the angels who sinned at that time, just as we are told inGen.6:1, 2 that they did sin (cf. Jude 6, 7).
(2) Furthermore, even if "the spirits in prison" here spoken of were the spirits of men who were disobedient in the time of Noah, there is not a hint in the passage that they were saved through the preaching of Christ to them, or that they had another chance. There are two words commonly used in the New Testament for preaching, one iskerussoand the other iseuaggelizo. The first of these meansto herald, as to herald a king, or toherald the kingdom. It may, however, be used of preaching a message, the gospel message or some other message. The second wordeuaggelizo, means to preachthe gospel. In the passage that we are studying it is the first word that is used, and there is not a hint that Christ preachedthe gospelto these spirits in prison. He simply heralded the triumph of the kingdom. It was not a saving message. So there is nothing in this passage to put up even inferentially against the plain, direct statements regarding the destiny of the wicked found in the passages we have been studying.
2. The second passage that is appealed to by those who deny the endlessness of future punishment isPhil.2:9-11:"Wherefore also God highly exalted Him, and gave unto Him the name which is above every name; that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth and things under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."Here it is said, we are told, that all those "under the earth" as well as in heaven and on earth should bow the knee in the name of Jesus and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that this implies that they are saved. But it does not imply that they are saved. Every knee of lost men and of the devil and his angels too will be forced some day to bow in the name of Jesus and every tongue forced to confess that He is Lord. If anyone does that in the present life of his own free choice, he will be saved, but otherwise he will do it by compulsion in the age to come and every one has his choice between doing it now willingly and gladly and being saved, or doing it by compulsion hereafter and being lost. There is absolutely nothing in this passage to teach universal salvation or to militate even inferentially against the plain statements we have been studying.
3. The third passage that is appealed to is Acts 3:19-21:"Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there may come seasons of refreshing from the presence of the Lord; and that He may send the Christ who hath been appointed for you, even Jesus: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things whereof God spake by the mouth of His holy prophets that have been from of old."Here we are told of a coming "restorationof all things" and those who contend for the doctrine of universal salvation hold that this means the restoration to righteousness of all persons. But that is not what it says, and that is not what it refers to. We are taught in Old Testament prophecy and also in the book of Romans, that in connection with the return of our Lord Jesus there is to be arestoration of all nature, of the whole physical universe, from its fallen state. For example, inRom.8:19-21 we read:"For the earnest expectation of the creation waiteth for the revealing of the sons of God. For thecreation was subjected to vanity, not of its own will, but by reason of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the children of God."And inIsa.55:13 we read:"Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir-tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle-tree: and it shall be to Jehovah for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."And inIsa.65:25 we are told:"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox; and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith Jehovah,"and inIsa.32:15, we are told that"until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness become a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be esteemed as a forest."It is to this restoration of the physical universe, here plainly predicted inRom.8:19-21 and these Old Testament prophecies, that the "restoration of all things" spoken of in Acts 3:21 refers. There is not a hint, not the slightest suggestion, of a restoration of impenitent sinners.
4. Still another passage that is urged isEph.1:9, 10, where we read:"Having made known unto us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him unto a dispensation of the fulness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens, and the things upon the earth."Here it is urged thatthings in heaven and things in earth are to be summed up in Christ. This is true, but it should be noticed that the Holy Spirit has specifically omitted here the phrase that is found inPhil.2:10, the "things under the earth," that is the abode of the lost, so this passage, so far from suggesting that the lost ones in hell will be restored, suggests exactly the opposite thing. There is then certainly nothing in this passage to militate even inferentially against the plain statements we have been studying.
5. One more passage that is urged against the doctrine we have been studying remains to be considered, that is1 Cor.15:22. Here we read,"For as in Adam all died, so also in Christ shall all be made alive."It is urged in connection with this passage that we are distinctly told here that all who die in Adam, that is every human being, shall be made alive in Christ, and that "made alive" means "obtain eternal life," or "be saved." For years I thought that this was the true interpretation of this passage, and for that reason in part, I held and preached at that time that all men ultimately, some time, somewhere, somehow, would be brought to accept Jesus Christ and be saved; but when I came to study the passage more carefully I saw that this was a misinterpretation of the passage. Every passage in the Bible, or in any other book, must be interpreted in its context. The whole subject that Paul istalking about in this chapter is not eternal life, not the immortality of the soul, butthe resurrection of the body, and all this passage declares is that as all lose physical life in Adam, so also all will obtain a resurrection of the body in Christ. Whether that resurrection of the body is a resurrection to everlasting life or a resurrection to shame and everlasting contempt (Dan.12:2) depends entirely upon what men do with the Christ in whom they get it. There is absolutely nothing here to teach universal salvation. It only teaches a universal resurrection, resurrection of the wicked as well as of the righteous.
To sum up the teaching of all these passages that are so often urged to prove universal salvation, there is nothing in any one of the passages, nor in all of them together, to teach that all men will ultimately be saved, and there is nothing in them to in any way conflict with what we have seen to be the honest meaning of the passages studied above, namely, that the future punishment of sin is absolutely endless. There is not a passage to be found in the Bible that teaches universal salvation, or that all men will ultimately come to repentance and be saved. I wish that there were, but there is not. I have been searching diligently for such a passage for nearly forty years and I have not found it, and it cannot be found.
There remains one other important question; and that is, where are the issues of eternity settled. There are those who believe that the punishment of the persistently impenitent is everlasting, that it has no end, but they also believe that the issues of eternity are not settled in the life that now is, but that with many they are settled after death and that when men die impenitent they will have another chance. Believing in endless punishment does not necessarily involve believing that there is no chance after death. There are many who believe that there will be a chance after death, and that many will accept it, who also believe that some will not accept it and will therefore be punished for ever and ever. Now what is the teaching of the Word of God on this point? Let me call your attention to four passages, any one of which settles the question, and taken together they leave no possible room for doubt for any candid man who is willing to take the Bible as meaning what it says, any man who is really trying to find out what the Bible teaches and not merely trying to support a theory.
1. The first passage in2 Cor.5:10:"For we must all be made manifest before the judgment seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad."In this passage weare plainly told that the basis of judgment in the world to come is "the things donein the body," i.e., the things done this side the grave, the things done before we shuffle off this mortal coil, the things done before the spirit leaves the body. Of course, this particular passage has to do primarily with the judgment of the believer, but it shows what the basis of future judgment is, viz., the things done this side of the grave.
2. The second passage isHeb.9:27:"It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment."Here we are distinctly told that "after death" there is to be, not an opportunity to prepare for judgment, but "judgment," and that, therefore, our destiny is settledat death, and that there is no chance of salvation "after death."
3. The third passage is John 5:28, 29:"Marvel not at this: for the hour cometh, in which all that are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment."Here also it is clearly implied that the resurrection of good and bad is for the purpose of judgmentregarding the things done before their bodies were laid in their graves.
4. A fourth passage, if possible more decisive than any of these, gives our Lord's words, John 8:21:"He said therefore again unto them; I go away, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in yoursin, whither I go, ye cannot come."Here our Lord distinctly declares that the question whether men shall come to be with Him or not depends upon what they dobefore they die, that if they die impenitent, if they "die in their sins," that whither He goes they cannot come. To sum up the teaching of all these passages, the issues of eternity, the issues of eternal life or eternal destruction, the issues of eternal blessedness and glory, or eternal agony and shame, are settled in the life that now is.
The future state of those who reject in the life that now is the redemption offered to them in Christ Jesus is plainly declared in the Word of God to be a state of conscious, unutterable, endless torment and anguish. This conception is an appalling one, but it is the Scriptural conception. It is the unmistakable, inescapable teaching of God's own word.
I wish that all men would repent and accept Christ. If any one could show me one single passage in the Bible that clearly taught that all men would ultimately repent, accept Christ and be saved, it would be the happiest day of my life, but it cannot be found. I once thought it could, and I so believed and taught. These ideas so widely noised about to-day as something new, these theories of "Pastor" Russell, formerly of Pittsburg,Mr. Gelesnoff of this city, and Dr. Mabie of Long Beach, and Mr. Pridgeon of Pittsburg, and many others, are not at all new to me. I held and taught substantially the same views regarding ultimate universal salvation years before these men were heard of, indeed nearly forty years ago. I was familiar with the arguments that they now urge, and other arguments which they do not seem to know, but which were to me more decisive than those that they urge. But the time came, as I studied the Bible more carefully, when I could not reconcile my teaching with what I found to be the unmistakable teaching of God's Word. I had to do one of three things: I had to either give up my belief that the Bible was the Word of God, or else I must twist the words of Jesus (and others in the New Testament) to mean something else than what they clearly appeared to teach, or else I must give up my doctrine of ultimate universal restoration and salvation. I could not give up my faith that the Bible was the Word of God, for I had found absolutely overwhelming proof that it was God's Word. I could not twist the words of Jesus and of others to mean something else than what was clearly their intended meaning, for I was an honest man. There was only one thing left to do and that was to give up my doctrine of universal restoration and salvation. I gave it up with great reluctance, but I was compelled to give it up or be untrue to my own reason and conscience. It is the inescapable teaching of theWord of God that all who go out of this world without having accepted Jesus Christ, will spend eternity in hell, in a hell of unutterable, conscious anguish.
This Bible conception is also a reasonable one when we come to see the appalling nature of sin, and especially the appalling nature of the sin of trampling under foot God's mercy toward sinners, and rejecting God's glorious Son, Whom in His love He has provided as a Saviour.
Shallow views of sin and of God's holiness and of the glory of Jesus Christ lie at the bottom of weak theories of the doom of the impenitent. When we see Sin in all its hideousness and enormity, the Holiness of God in all its perfection, and the Glory of Jesus Christ in all its infinity, nothing but a doctrine that those who persist in the choice of sin, who love darkness rather than light, and who persist in the rejection of the Son of God, shall endure everlasting anguish, will satisfy the demands of our own moral intuitions. Nothing but the fact that we dread suffering more than we loathe sin, and more than we love the glory of Jesus Christ, makes us repudiate the thought that beings who eternally choose sin should eternally suffer, or that men who despise God's mercy and spurn His Son should be given over to endless anguish.
If, after men have sinned and God still offers them mercy, and makes the tremendous sacrifice of His Son to save them—if they still despise thatmercy and trample God's Son under foot, if then they are consigned to everlasting torment, I cannot but say, "Amen! Hallelujah! True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord!"
At all events the doctrine of conscious, eternal torment for impenitent men is clearly revealed in the Word of God, and whether we can defend it on philosophical grounds or not, it is our business to believe it; and leave it to the clearer light of eternity to explain what we cannot now understand, realising that God may have many infinitely wise reasons for doing things for which we in our ignorance can see no sufficient reason at all. It is the most ludicrous conceit for beings so limited and foolish as the wisest of men are, to attempt to dogmatise how a God of infinite wisdom must act. All we know as to how God is to act is what God has seen fit to tell us.
In conclusion, two things are certain. First, the more closely men walk with God and the more devoted they become in His service, the more likely they are to believe this doctrine. Many there are who tell us they love their fellow men too much to believe this doctrine; but the men who show their love in more practical ways than by sentimental protestations about it, the men who show their love for their fellow men as Jesus Christ showed His, by laying down their lives for them, they believe this doctrine, even as Jesus Christ Himself believed it.
As Christians become worldly and easy-goingthey grow loose in their doctrine concerning the doom of the impenitent. The fact that loose doctrines are spreading so rapidly and widely in our day is nothing for them, but against them, for worldliness is also spreading in the church (1 Tim.4:1;2 Tim.3:1; 4:2, 3). Increasing laxity of life and increasing laxity of doctrine go arm in arm.
Second, men who accept a loose doctrine regarding the ultimate penalty of sin, be it Universalism, Restorationism, or Annihilationism, or that fantastic combination, or conglomeration, of them all, Millennial Dawnism, lose their power for God. I have seen this proven over and over again. These men may be and are very clever at argument, and very zealous in proselyting, but they are seldom found beseeching men to be reconciled to God. They are far more likely to be found trying to upset the faith of those already won by the efforts of those who do believe in everlasting punishment than trying to win men who have no faith at all. If you really believe the doctrine of the endless torment of the impenitent, if the doctrine really gets hold of you, you will work as you never worked before for the salvation of the lost. If you in any wise abate the doctrine, it will abate your zeal. Time and time again I have come up to this awful doctrine and tried to find some way of escape from it, but when I have failed, as I always have failed at last, when I have determined to be honest with the Bible and myself, I havereturned to my work with an increased burden for souls and an intensified determination to spend and be spent for their salvation.
Eternal, conscious suffering, suffering without the least ray of hope of relief, awaits every one of you here to-night who goes on persistently rejecting Jesus Christ, as you are rejecting Him to-night, and who shall pass out of this world having rejected Him. In that world of never ending gloom there will be no possibility of repentance. As you look out into the future there will not be one single ray of hope. "Forever and ever" will be the unceasing wail of that restless sea of fire. After you have been there ten million years and look out toward the future you will see eternity still stretching on and on and on and on, with no hope. Oh, men and women out of Christ, why will you risk such a doom for a single year, or a month, or a week, or a day? Hell is too awful to risk for five minutes the chance of going there. There is but one rational thing for you to do, that is to accept Christ and accept Himright nowas your Saviour, surrender to Him as your Lord and Master, confess Him as such before the world, and strive from this time on to please Him in everything day by day. Any other course is utter madness.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTESWhen a book of the Bible has multiple volumes, the volume is sometimes referenced with a number and sometimes with a Roman numeral. These references remain as in the original.The abbreviations "i.e." and "e.g." were both spaced and unspaced in the original. Spelling has been made consistent throughout the text.Variations in spelling and hyphenation remain as in the original.Ellipses match the original.The following corrections have been made to the original text:Page iv: By R. A.[period missing in original] TorreyPage 15: (1 Cor.12:406R. V.[original has "RV"])Page 48: make to explain it away.[period missing in original]Page 48: nations are not able to abide his indignation.[original has extraneous quotation mark]Page 51: conception of Pantheism and Buddhism[original has "Bhuddhism"]Page 69:Gal.3:28[original has "328"]Page 70: InGen.3:22[original has a period instead of a colon] we readPage 81: the thousands of Judah, yet[original has "Judah? Yet"]Page 82: shows that[original has "that that"] the Lord addressedPage 90: demand on Jesus'[apostrophe missing in original] partPage 123: He is grieved beyond[original has "beyong"] expressionPage 127: "[quotation mark missing in original]I have yet many things to sayPage 133: you ever have insomnia[original has "insomia"]Page 142: Spirit is "[original has single quote]done despite unto,"Page 180: at the point of death?[question mark missing in original]Page 188: means more than mere forgiveness.[period missing in original]Page 192: literally, "in,"Christ's blood,[original has extraneous quotation mark]Page 198: Canthatfaith save him?"[quotation mark missing in original]Page 208: "[quotation mark missing in original]He is renewed in knowledgePage 214:sin is not doing,[original has a period] because His (God's) seedPage 219:Regeneration is God's work; wrought by Him by the power of His Holy Spirit working in the mind, feelings and will of[italics ended here in the original]the one born againPage 236: sin unto God. (cf.[original has "c."] John 13:10.)Page 239: every place, their Lord and ours."[quotation mark missing in original]Page 251: "[quotation mark missing in original]But some will sayPage 264: our first text, John[original has "Jno."] 8:44Page 267: our second text, 1 John[original has "Jno."] 3:8Page 277: "New[original has extraneous quotation mark] Thought," "Theosophy," "Occultism"Page 295: judgment of the great white throne[original has "thorn"]Page 296:I Cor.15:22[original has a period instead of a colon]Page 314: 1 Peter 3:18-20[original has "3:18:20"]Pages viii and x are blank in the original.
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES
When a book of the Bible has multiple volumes, the volume is sometimes referenced with a number and sometimes with a Roman numeral. These references remain as in the original.
The abbreviations "i.e." and "e.g." were both spaced and unspaced in the original. Spelling has been made consistent throughout the text.
Variations in spelling and hyphenation remain as in the original.
Ellipses match the original.
The following corrections have been made to the original text:
Page iv: By R. A.[period missing in original] TorreyPage 15: (1 Cor.12:406R. V.[original has "RV"])Page 48: make to explain it away.[period missing in original]Page 48: nations are not able to abide his indignation.[original has extraneous quotation mark]Page 51: conception of Pantheism and Buddhism[original has "Bhuddhism"]Page 69:Gal.3:28[original has "328"]Page 70: InGen.3:22[original has a period instead of a colon] we readPage 81: the thousands of Judah, yet[original has "Judah? Yet"]Page 82: shows that[original has "that that"] the Lord addressedPage 90: demand on Jesus'[apostrophe missing in original] partPage 123: He is grieved beyond[original has "beyong"] expressionPage 127: "[quotation mark missing in original]I have yet many things to sayPage 133: you ever have insomnia[original has "insomia"]Page 142: Spirit is "[original has single quote]done despite unto,"Page 180: at the point of death?[question mark missing in original]Page 188: means more than mere forgiveness.[period missing in original]Page 192: literally, "in,"Christ's blood,[original has extraneous quotation mark]Page 198: Canthatfaith save him?"[quotation mark missing in original]Page 208: "[quotation mark missing in original]He is renewed in knowledgePage 214:sin is not doing,[original has a period] because His (God's) seedPage 219:Regeneration is God's work; wrought by Him by the power of His Holy Spirit working in the mind, feelings and will of[italics ended here in the original]the one born againPage 236: sin unto God. (cf.[original has "c."] John 13:10.)Page 239: every place, their Lord and ours."[quotation mark missing in original]Page 251: "[quotation mark missing in original]But some will sayPage 264: our first text, John[original has "Jno."] 8:44Page 267: our second text, 1 John[original has "Jno."] 3:8Page 277: "New[original has extraneous quotation mark] Thought," "Theosophy," "Occultism"Page 295: judgment of the great white throne[original has "thorn"]Page 296:I Cor.15:22[original has a period instead of a colon]Page 314: 1 Peter 3:18-20[original has "3:18:20"]
Page iv: By R. A.[period missing in original] Torrey
Page 15: (1 Cor.12:406R. V.[original has "RV"])
Page 48: make to explain it away.[period missing in original]
Page 48: nations are not able to abide his indignation.[original has extraneous quotation mark]
Page 51: conception of Pantheism and Buddhism[original has "Bhuddhism"]
Page 69:Gal.3:28[original has "328"]
Page 70: InGen.3:22[original has a period instead of a colon] we read
Page 81: the thousands of Judah, yet[original has "Judah? Yet"]
Page 82: shows that[original has "that that"] the Lord addressed
Page 90: demand on Jesus'[apostrophe missing in original] part
Page 123: He is grieved beyond[original has "beyong"] expression
Page 127: "[quotation mark missing in original]I have yet many things to say
Page 133: you ever have insomnia[original has "insomia"]
Page 142: Spirit is "[original has single quote]done despite unto,"
Page 180: at the point of death?[question mark missing in original]
Page 188: means more than mere forgiveness.[period missing in original]
Page 192: literally, "in,"Christ's blood,[original has extraneous quotation mark]
Page 198: Canthatfaith save him?"[quotation mark missing in original]
Page 208: "[quotation mark missing in original]He is renewed in knowledge
Page 214:sin is not doing,[original has a period] because His (God's) seed
Page 219:Regeneration is God's work; wrought by Him by the power of His Holy Spirit working in the mind, feelings and will of[italics ended here in the original]the one born again
Page 236: sin unto God. (cf.[original has "c."] John 13:10.)
Page 239: every place, their Lord and ours."[quotation mark missing in original]
Page 251: "[quotation mark missing in original]But some will say
Page 264: our first text, John[original has "Jno."] 8:44
Page 267: our second text, 1 John[original has "Jno."] 3:8
Page 277: "New[original has extraneous quotation mark] Thought," "Theosophy," "Occultism"
Page 295: judgment of the great white throne[original has "thorn"]
Page 296:I Cor.15:22[original has a period instead of a colon]
Page 314: 1 Peter 3:18-20[original has "3:18:20"]
Pages viii and x are blank in the original.