The Wilmingtonian., 1885-05-23

sense? Especially, as there are so many
words which express limited duration
equally we'll as "forever and ever.n Let us
take into the account also that there is
equal capacity for the wicked to suffer "for-
ever and ever" as there is for the righteous
to enjoy "forever and ever." The term,
therefore, we think, is as correctly predi-
cable of the punishment of the wicked as
it is to the rewards of the holy.
3rd. 1t is often asked by those who object
to the doctrine of the eternal punishment
of the wicked way lin Matt. XIV. 46) "these
shall 20 away into everlasting punishment,
but the righteous into life eternal)" different
words everlasting" and "eternal' are used
and they conclude as they differ in sound,
so they must differ in sense. But, as the
learned tell us, in the original Greek the
words alluded to are precisely the same in
sound and sense. When therefore the bliss
ofthe righteous terminates, so also will
terminate the torment of the wicked.
l. The BIBLE EVIDENTLY REQUIRES OF
MAN, SINCE THE FALL, SOME QUALIFICATION
BEYOND WHAT HE POSSESSES BY NATURE
BEFORE HE CAN ENJOY THE ETERNAL HAP
PINEss OF THE FUTURE STATE. Hence the
Saviour said, Z, Except man be born again,
he cannot sea the kindom of God" "Mar-
vel not that say unto thee ye must be born
again" II. that believeth not the Son shall
not see life but the wrath of God abideth on
him. "Holintss, without which no man shall
see the Lord" In view of these, and many
other similar passages, it may be asked, what
is the future condition ofhim who does not
believe on the Son God, who is not subject
of new birth, who is not in possession of that
holiness of which the apostle speaks? and if
this life alone be the season of probation,
and the unbelicver placed, forever beyond
the possibility of attaining that holiness
without which no man can see the Lord,
what to every candid mind must be the
result in that world where moral character,
good or evil, becomes permanent ard fixed?
2. That, though it be true, Jesus "by the
grace of God tasted death for every mar" it
is equally true that the benefits are only
conferred on certain conditions; and there
ious to the penalty of the law of God; and
if to derive any benefit from the atonement,
faith in it, is required of him, in what does
his condition in the eternal world differ, when
found in unbelicfin future state, from that
in which he would have been placed had
Christ never died to save him?
3. The eternal punishment of the wicked,
as doctrine of the Bible, is still further
confirmed by the fact that in the present
life alone is man probationer, and conse-
quently, the only season when meetness for
heaven can be acquired. The Bible every
where, urges immediate acceptance of the
conditions of salvation; and nowhere holds
out the hope, that if its provisions for saliva
tion are neglected in the present, that they
may be secured iu the future state. Take
the following as examples of the teaching
OF Divine authority on this point: "If the
tree fall toward The south, in the place
where the tree falloth there it shall be-
Fec. xi. 8. Whatsoever thy hand fndeth
to do, do it with thy might, for there is nc
work, nor device, nor knowlenge, nor wis
dom. in the grave whither thou goest." Eco
tx. 10. "Now is the accepted time, behold
now is the day ofSalvation. To-day, if YOU
will hear his voice harden not your hearts, .
A Heb. iii. 2, "rte night cometh wherein nc
Q wls5h Speaking or mans character after III
e final judgment: ''He that is unjust, let hir
Y be unjust still; he that is filthy, let him b
: filthy still; and he that is righteous, let hil
!, be righteous still; and he that is holy, le
d him be holy still.' Rev. xxi. IL. Til
e last passage not only confirms the fxedne,
n of moral character in the eternal state, br
1t explicitly teaches that eternal punishment
a not eternal annihilaton. For according
y Webster's definition of the term punsl
ment, the idea of "pain'' aud Suffering
constitutes the strength of its meaning; bl
), anuihilation is the reduction of an entity
! non-entity. Can non-entity possess NOR
, qualities? Can nothing be unjust filth
unholyP Man, therefore, is to exist in IL
future world in state of eternal moral Fl
"a edness. Now, all change of moral chara
), ter necessary to secure mcetness in heavt
a and immunity from legal penalty, are S
cured through the means provided by Il
nfI
/ that any of those means are found or offer,
:. in the eternal state. No Saviour to atom
e no Holy Spirit to convince, convert, or san
:, tify, and the endless wall of tile sinner
&c hell will be ''the harvest is passed, the SUI
,o mer is ended, and am not saved!' An
G. If, as the Bible seems to teach, these inf
q, ences are necessary to salvation, and tn
or they are only employed during the prese
If life, does not the conclusion appear irlesis
ed ible, that the wicked must suffer "for ey
ire and ever?"
lie A. The following passages appear to N
en- still further to confirm the views of t
If proposit ON: "f1e that shall blasphel
in against the Holy Ghost hath never forgi,
he ness, but is in danger of eternal damnation
es Matt. ill., 30. "Bnt blasphemy against {
the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven ur
!" men, but whosoevcr speake;h against t
so Holy Ghost it shall not be forgiven
er. this world, or in that which is to come
an Matt xii 81. What then is the cunditi
IS. of him who suffers eternal damnation
i'd who is without forgiveness in this world
mr.. the next? is it that he shall die in Goo
Die favor and go to heaven? Dos to ''ha
forgiveness never mean to be admitted pu
he holy and happy to the presence of God, a
te. there dwell eternally? Or is it not
to plain and unforccd meaning of these pas
to ges, that those who sin against the II,
lie. Ghost suffer "eternal punishment?"
of .. 1t was said by the Saviour, "Woe /
he to that man by whom the Son Of Man is
cts trayed; it had been good for that man if
,ur had not been born" Now, if Judas shot
to pe lh'seraole through any limited duratiC