Death is eternal in its nature. The fact, therefore, that this figure is used to express the future punishment of the wicked affords a plain inference that it is endless. The tendency of sin to perpetuate and aggravate itself, affords another strong inference that the sinfulness and misery of the wicked will be eternal. The fact that punishment has no tendency to beget disinterested love in a selfish mind towards him who inflicts the punishment, also affords a strong presumption that future punishment will be eternal. The law makes no provision for terminating future punishment.
Sin deserves endless punishment just as fully as it deserves any punishment at all.
If, therefore, it is not forgiven, if it be punished at all with penal suffering, the punishment must be endless. To deny the justice of eternal punishments, involves the same principle as a denial of the justice of any degree of punishment. 15 To deny the justice of endless punishment, is virtually to deny the fact of moral evil. But to deny this is to deny moral obligation. To deny moral obligation we must deny moral agency.