Page images
PDF
EPUB

will continue to be miserable. It must be acknowledged that God is not under obligation on the ground of justice, to furnish them with those favours, from which they derive the little happiness they now enjoy; and without which, they would be far more miserable than they now are. If he be, they are not sinners, and the law has no demand against them. It must also be acknowledged that God is not under obligation to convert them. If he be, their salvation cannot be of grace. If their conversion be what they have a right to demand on the footing of justice, no one who understands the meaning of the word, will contend that it is of grace, It will then unavoidably follow, that God may justly leave impenitent sinners to their own course, and may justly deprive them of the mercies of life; and what would then be wanting to make them eternally miserable?

Q. Can a finite being, in a finite period of time, incur sufficient criminality, to deserve an infinite punishment?

A. To decide that it cannot be done, is to decide as we have already seen, in direct opposition to the decision of the Almighty. Besides, we greatly deceive ourselves if we imagine that the guilt of sin, is to be measured by the capacity of the sinner, and the time in which it is committed. By what governments were punishments ever inflicted, according to the ability of the offender? To be capable of obeying a law, is all the ability that is taken into the account, in estimating the degrees of guilt. Where this is possessed, the only thing by which guilt is ever measured, is the importance of the law that is violated. Some crimes are punished with deathsome with a temporary imprisonment, and some with a trifling fine. This difference is in no case occasioned by the difference in the capacity of the offenders; but invariably by the law that is broken. The law of God is in every respect infinite. The least violation of it, if it were continued,

would produce an infinite evil. The least violation of it, involves the principle of disobedience, and this need only be extended, to ruin the Universe. Upon this principle, it is easy to understand the declaration of the Apostle James : “Whɔsoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." a If we judge then by the importance of the law, as in every other case, sin must be considered infinite.

If a

2. There is another principle in which all are agreed, which if applied to the subject before us, will bring us to a similar decision. The principle to which I refer is this :— The criminality of a man's misconduct, is not to be estimated by what he accomplishes, but by his intentions. man intend to take the life of his neighbour, and in making the attempt is defeated; he is considered by every sober man, a murderer. Perfectly according with this, is the declaration of the Saviour: "Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery with her, already in his heart." b Now what is the nature of the sinner's intentions, when he disregards the authority of God? He proclaims as far as his influence extends, that the commands of God ought not to be obeyed. If a spirit like his were to prevail, it would ruin the kingdom of God. The same scenes of discord and confusion which we witness in our world, would be witnessed in heaven, and through the whole empire of Jehovah. The sinner is not to be praised, that he is unable to give his opinions and his spirit, this extensive spread. He would do it if it were in his power. When he murmurs at divine providence, because his plans are interrupted, were he able he would unhinge the order of the whole Universe. Men, as limited in knowledge as they may be, are capable of having desires, which were they gratified, would wrest the

a James i 10. b Mat. v 28.

sceptre of universal government from the hands of the Almighty, and consign the Universe to everlasting anarchy and confusion. Now if a finite being be capable of despising the authority, the wisdom, and the benevolence of God, and if his criminality be according to the desires of his heart, without any regard to his power, as in every other case; what is there wanting to make his sin infinite ?

3. That men are capable of committing sins, which in the opinion of their Judge deserve an infinite punishment, is evident from the threatenings of the Bible. "These shall go "Who shall be punaway into everlasting punishment." a ished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord." b "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." c "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever." d "But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost, hath never forgiveness; but is in danger of eternal damnation.” e These passages are cited merely to show the character of the threatenings of God against sin. It will certainly be granted that he knows better than his creatures, what punishment sin, as committed against his law, justly deserves. How far these representations are to be understood in a figurative, and how far in a literal sense, is a question that is wholly foreign to the subject. If metaphors are used by the Spirit of inspiration, they are used to exhibit truth; but if they represent truth to be more fearful and appalling than it is, what can it be called but deception ?

Q. What evidence have we that the words everlasting, forever and ever, and eternal, are used in the Scriptures to mean endless?

A. As we have not room for many remarks upon this

a Mat xxv 46. b 2 Tuess. i. 9; c Mark ix. 44, 46, 48. d Rev. xiv, 11. e Mark iii. 29.

point here, we shall content ourselves by giving the reader the result of one of the most careful and able examinations, which the subject has ever undergone. President Edwards the younger, has been at the pains to examine the words, from which these are translated, throughout the Bible, and has come to the following result:-The word aiönos, from which everlasting, and eternal, are generally rendered, when governed by the preposition eis, is used in the New Testament sixty-one times. In six of these instances it refers to future punishment, and in the other fifty-five, it must from the nature of the subjects about which it is employed, mean a duration that is endless. The reader is left to judge how clearly impossible it is, that the word should be used to imply invariably, a duration that is endless, when employed about any other subject; and still that it should mean a limited dura tion when applied to this. A careful examination of this subject, it is believed will convince every honest mind, that when the words everlasting, forever, &c. are used in a limited sense, they are used metaphorically; and that their mean ing when it is to be understood literally, must be endless. It is often said in common conversation, that a slow man is forever doing but little-Such a man is forever talking-Such a man's fame is immortal, &c. It is not intended in cases like these, that these words should be understood literally. The same may be said of their use, in many passages of Scripture. The mountains, the priesthood of Aaron, and many other things, are said to be everlasting. What can be more evi dent than that these words are not used in this figurative manner when applied to future punishment? As the word is used to signify the duration of happiness with the righteous, as well as the duration of misery with the wicked, it would be impossible to tell, why we might not as well understand it to be used metaphorically in one case, as in the other. If these

words be so understood in both cases, we have no proof that the happiness of the saints, will be eternal.

The same words are used in many passages, to express the duration of the existence of God. Besides, the threatenings of God are exhibited in other words, the meaning of which cannot be mistaken. "But whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." a "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." b They "Shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." c These passages, together with the reasons which have been offered, must be sufficient to show that eternal punishment is threatened; and if it be threatened, it must be just.,

Another evidence that endless punishment is not unjust, may be inferred from the salvation of the righteous. No one it is believed would contend, that the demerit of sin is not to be taken into the account, in estimating the grace that is displayed in salvation. It is uniformly believed, and universally represented in the Bible, that the salvation of the righteous, will be eternal. But if it be eternal, and be wholly of grace; then so far as the demerit of sin can be inferred from the grace that is promised, so far it is evident that justice requires a punishment that is endless. A man may be eternally saved, it is true, from the punishment of a day; but it would be manifestly improper to call such a salvation eternal. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." In this passage the gift of God is to be estimated in his saving the sinner from a death, that is placed in opposition to a life, that is eternal. To conclude our remarks on this argument, we cannot conceive how we can be “Saved from wrath to come through Jesus," e if eternal death be not

a Mat. xi. 32 e 1 Thess. i 10.

b Mark ix 46. c Prov, xxix. 1.

d Rom. vi. 23,

« PreviousContinue »