Page images
PDF
EPUB

To allege, that the subject requires a different meaning, in this case, to be given to the term, is to assume what will not be granted. The proof that has been offered, on this point, will be considered hereafter.

With respect to the phrases s rov diva, for ever, and is s divas tŵv diwvwv, for ever and ever, I believe you will not find a single example in all the New Testament, of their being used to convey any other than the idea of endless duration. You tell us, that is divas dswvwv, for ever and ever, in Rev. xiv. 11, should be rendered, "to the age of ages." Are you certain of this? Admitting the principle of your translation, some would have rendered it to ages of ages: but, render it how you will, the meaning of the phrase is the same. You might render it thus in other instances, wherein it is applied to the happiness of the righteous, or the glory to be ascribed to God; but this would not prove, that such happiness and such glory were of limited duration, or that the phrase in question is expressive of it.

To the above may be added,

HI. All those passages which express the duration of future punishment by implication, or by forms of speech which imply the doctrine in question.

:

" I pray for them I pray not for the world. The blasphemy against the Holy Spirit shall not be forgiven unto men, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. He hath never forgiveness; but is in danger of eternal damnation.-There is a sin unto death: I do not say that ye shall pray for it. It is impossible to renew them again unto repentance.—If we sin wilfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins; but a fearful looking for of judgment which shall devour the adversaries.-What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away ?-Woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it had been good for that man if he had not been born.-Their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.*-Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; so that they who would pass from hence to you

* Several times repeated in a few verses.

cannot, neither can they pass to us, who would come from thence. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins; whither I go ye cannot come.-Whose end is destruction.-He that showeth no mercy, shall have judgment without mercy.’

If there be some for whom Jesus did not pray, there are some who will have no share in the benefits of his mediation, without which they cannot be saved. If there be some that never will be forgiven, there are some that never will be saved; for forgiveness is an essential branch of salvation. Let there be what uncertainty there may in the word eternal, in this instance, still, the meaning of it is fixed by the other branch of the sentence,—they shall never be forgiven. It is equal to John x. 28. I give unto them eternal life! and they shall never perish. If there were any uncertainty as to the meaning of the word eternal, in this latter passage, yet the other branch of the sentence would settle it: for that must be endless life, which is opposed to their ever perishing; and, by the same rule, that must be endless damnation, which is opposed to their ever being forgiven. If there be a sin, for the pardon of which Christians are forbidden to pray; it must be on account of its being the revealed will of God, that it never should be pardoned. If repentance be absolutely necessary to forgiveness, and there be some who it is impossible should be renewed again unto repentance there are some whose salvation is impossible. If there be no more sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking for of judgment; this is the same thing as the sacrifice already offered being of no saving effect for, if it were otherwise, the language would not contain any peculiar threatening against the wilful sinner, as it would be no more than might be said to any sinner: nor would a fearful looking for of judgment be his certain doom. If the souls of some men will be lost, or cast away, they cannot all be saved; seeing these things are opposites. A man may be lost in

Mark iii. 29. 1 John v. 16.
24. Mark ix. 43-48.
James ii. 13.

*John xvi. 9. Matt. xii. 31, 32. 6. x. 26. 27. Luke ix 25. Matt. xxvi. 26. John iii. 36. viii. 21. Phil. iii. 19.

desert,

Heb. vi. Luke xvi.

and yet saved in fact; or he may suffer loss, and yet himself be saved: but he cannot be lost, so as to be cast away, and yet finally saved ; for these are perfect contraries. Whatever may be the precise idea of the fire and the worm, there can be no doubt of their expressing the punishment of the wicked; and its being declared of the one, that it dieth not, and of the other, that it is not quenched, is the same thing as their being declared to be endless. It can be said of no man, on the principle of Universal Salvation, that it were good for him not to have been born; as, whatever he may endure for a season, an eternal weight of glory will infinitely outweigh it. An impassable gulf between the blessed and the accursed, equally militates against the recovery of the one, as the relapse of the other. If some shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on them; if those who die in their sins, shall not come where Jesus is; if their end be destruction, and their portion be judgment without mercy; there must be some who will not be finally saved.

To these may be added,

IV. All those passages which intimate that a change of heart, and a preparedness for heaven, are confined to the present life.

"Seek ye the Lord while he may be found; call ye upon him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.--Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded-I also will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear cometh. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you; then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but shall not find me.-Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that shall be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying,

you,

[ocr errors]

say unto

Lord, Lord, open unto us; he shall answer and know you not whence you are-Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity-there shall be weeping, and gnashing of teeth.— While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light.-While they (the foolish virgins) went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.-We beseech you, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain-Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation.-To-day, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.--Looking diligently, lest any man fail of the grace of God-lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. For ye know how that afterwards, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears.-He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still."*

According to these scriptures, there will be no successful calling upon the Lord, after a certain period; and, consequently, no salvation. Whether there be few that shall ultimately be saved, our Lord does not inform us; but he assures us, that there are many who will not be saved; or, which is the same thing, who will not be able to enter in at the strait gate. None, it is plainly intimated, will be able to enter there, who have not agonized here. There will be no believing unto salvation, but while we have the light; nor any admission into the kingdom, unless we be ready at the coming of the Lord. The present is the accepted time, the day of salvation, or the season for sinners to be saved. If we continue to harden our hearts through life, he will swear in his wrath, that we shall not enter into his rest. If we turn away from him who speaketh from heaven, it will be equally impossible for us to obtain the blessing, as it was for Esau, after he had despised his birth

* Isa. lv. 6,7. Prov. i. 24-28. XXV. 5-13. 2 Cor. vi. 1, 2. Heb. iii. 7, 8. xii. 15-17. Rer. xxii. 11.

Luke xiii. 24-29. John xii. 36. Matt.

right. Finally: beyond a certain period, there shall be no more change of character; but every one will have received that impression which shall remain for ever, whether he be just or unjust, filthy or holy.

In this Letter, I have endeavored to state the grounds of my own persuasion: in the next, I may examine the reasonings and objections which you have advanced against it. The greater part of this evidence being taken from our Lord's discourses, who knew the truth, and was himself to be the Judge of the world, renders it peculiarly interesting. If a preacher, in these times, delivered half so much on the subject, you would denominate him “ er of damnation."

a brawl

Yours, &c.

A. F.

« PreviousContinue »