The Lord's Coming Part 13

Reader, let us remember all this. If Gideon had refused the earrings as well as the throne, it would have been well for him and for his brethren; but the devil laid a snare for him into which he fell and carried all his brethren with him. May we all take warning from Gideon's fall, and draw encouragement from Gideon's victories. May we remember that it is one thing to gain a victory, and another to make good use of it; it is easier to reach a position than to occupy it aright. May G.o.d grant to the reader and writer of these lines, more simple confidence in Himself, and more of the true spirit of self-surrender! May such be the result of our meditations upon Gideon and his companions.

C. H. M.

"My Beloved"

(Cant. 5:9.)

Oh what is thy Beloved?--they oft inquire of me; And what in my Beloved so pa.s.sing fair I see.

Is it the heavenly splendor in which He shines above-- His riches and dominions, that won my heart's best love?

Oh no! 'tis not His glories;--He's worthy of them all.

'Tis not the throne and sceptre, before which angels fall!

I view with heart exulting each crown His head adorns; But, oh, He looks most lovely, _wearing His crown of thorns_.

I'm glad to see His raiment, than snow more spotless white, Refulgent with its brightness, more dazzling than the light; But more surpa.s.sing lovely His form appears to me, When stripp'd, and scourged, and bleeding, _He hung upon the tree_.

With warmest adoration I see Him on the throne, And join the loud hosannas that His high virtues own; But, oh, most blessed Jesus, I must confess to Thee, More than the throne of glory _I love that sacred tree_.

I joy to see the diadems upon Thy royal brow, The state, and power, and majesty in which Thou sittest now; But 'tis _Thyself_, Lord Jesus, makes heaven seem heaven to me-- _Thyself_, as first I knew Thee, _uplifted on the tree_.

Though higher than the highest, most mighty King Thou art, Thy grace, and not Thy greatness, first touched my rebel heart.

Thy sword, it might have slain me; Thine arrows drunk my blood; But 'twas _Thy cross_ subdued me, and won my heart to G.o.d.

Thy sceptre rules creation; Thy _wounded hand_ rules me: All bow before Thy footstool; I but the _nail-prints_ see.

Aloud they sound Thy t.i.tles, Thou Lord of lords most high; One thrilling thought absorbs me--_this Lord for me did die_.

Oh, this is my Beloved! there's none so fair as He: The chief among ten thousand, He's all in all to me.

My heart, it breaks with longing to dwell with Him above, Who wooed me first, and won me _by His sweet dying love_.

J. G. DECK

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT

We have received a communication on the deeply solemn subject of eternal punishment, from a person whose initials are "C. D. S.," and who would seem to be the exponent of the feelings of a very numerous cla.s.s. Our correspondent does not, by any means, write as an objector, or a caviler, but as an honest inquirer; and we are not sorry to be called upon to bear a clear and decided testimony on a point of such grave moment. He asks us to let him know "what the Holy Ghost has taught us on the subject," and we cheerfully comply.

We believe the Word of G.o.d most clearly and fully teaches the eternity of punishment. The word which is rendered "everlasting," or "eternal,"

occurs about seventy times in the New Testament. We shall give some examples. "To be cast into _everlasting_ fire." (Matt. xviii. 8.) "That I may have _eternal_ life." (Matt. xix. 16.) "These shall go away into _everlasting_ punishment." (Matt. xxv. 46.) And in the same verse, "The righteous unto life _eternal_." "Is in danger of _eternal_ d.a.m.nation." (Mark iii. 29.) "They may receive you into everlasting habitations." (Luke xvi. 9.) "In the world to come, life _everlasting_." (Luke xviii. 30.) "He that believeth on the Son hath _everlasting_ life." (Jno. iii. 15, 16, 36; v. 24.) "The commandment of the _everlasting_ G.o.d." (Rom. xvi. 26.) "An exceeding and _eternal_ weight of glory." (2 Cor. iv. 17.) "The things which are not seen are _eternal_." (_v._ 18.) "A house not made with hands, _eternal_ in the heavens." (Chap. v. 1.) "They shall be punished with _everlasting_ destruction." (2 Thess. i. 9.) "Hath given us _everlasting_ consolation." (Chap. ii. 16.) "In Christ Jesus with _eternal_ glory."

(2 Tim. ii. 10.) "The author of _eternal_ salvation." (Heb. v. 9.) "Having obtained _eternal_ redemption." (Chap. ix. 12.) "Who through the _eternal_ Spirit offered Himself without spot to G.o.d." (v. 14.) "The promise of _eternal_ inheritance." (v. 15.) "Called us unto His _eternal_ glory." (1 Pet. v. 10.) "Into the _everlasting_ kingdom of our Lord and Saviour." (2 Pet. i. 11.) "This is the true G.o.d and _eternal_ life." (1 Jno. v. 20.) "Suffering the vengeance of _eternal_ fire." (Jude 7.)

Now, we are aware that the opposers of the doctrine of eternal punishment endeavor to prove that the word "everlasting" does not mean everlasting in the Greek; and this is one reason why we have quoted such a number of pa.s.sages in which the Greek word a?????? (_aionios_) occurs, and in which the Holy Ghost applies it in such a variety of ways. The word which is applied to the punishment of the wicked is also applied to the life which believers possess, to the salvation and redemption in which they rejoice, to the glory to which they look forward, to those mansions in which they hope to dwell, and to the inheritance which they expect to enjoy. Moreover, it is applied to G.o.d, and to the Spirit. If, therefore, it be maintained that the word "everlasting" does not mean everlasting when applied to the punishment of the wicked, what security have we that it means everlasting when applied to the life, blessedness, and glory of the redeemed? What warrant has any one, be he ever so learned, to single out seven instances from the seventy in which the Greek word a?????? is used, and say that in those seven it does not mean everlasting, but that in all the rest it does? They have none whatever. Men may reason as they will about divine benevolence and goodness--about its being inconsistent with the mercy of G.o.d to permit such a thing as eternal punishment--as to the strange want of proportion between a few years of sin and an endless eternity of punishment; a single line of holy Scripture is amply sufficient, in our judgment, to sweep away ten thousand such reasonings, even though supported by the learned dogma that "everlasting" does not mean everlasting in the Greek. "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." (Mark ix. 46.) Solemn statement! Let men beware of trifling with it, or reasoning about it. Let them believe it, and flee from the wrath to come--flee now to Jesus, who died on Calvary's cursed tree to deliver us from everlasting burnings.

But not only is the eternity of punishment clearly laid down in Scripture--as clearly as the eternity of G.o.d Himself, or of any thing pertaining to Him; we believe it also flows as a necessary truth from other truths which are generally received without a single question.

Take, for instance, the immortality of the soul. Did the fall of man touch this question? We believe not. Man was made the possessor of an immortal spirit, by the breath of the Almighty; and we have no authority whatsoever to say that his fall made any difference as to this. Immortal he was, as to his soul, immortal he is, and immortal he must be. Yes, he must live forever somewhere. Tremendous thought! Many do not like it. They would fain be able to say, "Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die." They would like to pa.s.s away as the beasts that perish; and this very desire, we doubt not, has been, in many cases, the parent of the notion that punishment is non-eternal. "The wish is father to the thought." But, ah! man must face that dreadful reality, _ETERNITY_. Saved or unsaved, there is no escaping that. He must either deny the immortality of the soul, or admit the eternity of punishment.

Again, take the doctrine of the atonement. If any thing less than eternal punishment be due to sin, what need was there of an infinite sacrifice to give deliverance from that punishment? Could nothing less than the peerless, priceless, divine sacrifice of the Son of G.o.d deliver any one from h.e.l.l fire, and that fire not be eternal? Did Jesus shed His precious blood to deliver us from the consequences of our guilt, and those consequences be only temporary? We can never admit any such proposition. Grant us the truth of an infinite sacrifice, and we argue from thence the truth of eternal punishment.

We attach no weight whatever to the argument drawn from the lack of proportion between a few years of sin and an eternity of woe. We do not believe that this is the true way to measure the matter. The cross is the only measure by which to reach a true result; and we believe the deniers of eternal punishment offer dishonor to the cross by lowering it into a means of deliverance from a doom which is not eternal in its duration.

And now, one word as to the idea of its being incompatible with the character of G.o.d to allow such a thing as eternal punishment. Many seem to attach great weight to this. They appear to think that eternal misery could never comport with divine mercy and goodness. But those who urge this plea seem to forget that there is another side of the question, which must be looked at if we would reach a sound conclusion on the point. What about divine justice, holiness, and truth? Are these things not to be taken into account? Can we base an argument on some of the divine attributes and leave others out? Surely not. We must look at them all. The cross of Christ has harmonized them all, in the view of all created intelligences. In that cross, G.o.d has set forth His perfect love to the sinner; but He also has set forth His perfect hatred of sin. Now, if a man deliberately rejects that only way of escape--that perfect remedy--that divine provision, what is to be done? G.o.d cannot let sin into His presence. He is of purer eyes than to behold evil, and cannot look on iniquity. Will the deniers of eternal punishment tell us what is to be done? How is this question to be settled? They say, by annihilation,--that is, by man's perishing like a beast. Ah, this will never do! "The Lord G.o.d breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul." (Gen. ii.

7.) Was this ever revoked? Is there a shadow of foundation in the entire book of G.o.d for the theory of annihilation? If there is, let it be produced. We look upon it as a most miserable subterfuge--a pitiable attempt to get rid of the awful thought of eternity. But it will not do. Let man but cast his eye on the page of inspiration, and there he sees that tremendous word, "ETERNITY"! "ETERNITY"!

"ETERNITY"! Let him but lend his ear to the voice that issues from the depth of his moral being, and he will hear the same soul-subduing word, "Eternity"! "Eternity"! "Eternity"! He cannot get rid of it; he cannot shake it off. He is shut up to the stern fact that he must live forever.

Well, then, what about his sin? That cannot get into G.o.d's presence.

G.o.d and sin can never be together. This is a fixed principle. G.o.d is good, no doubt, and the proof of His goodness is the gift of His Son.

But then He is holy; and between holiness and sin there must be an eternal separation; so that we are forced to the same solemn conclusion, namely, that all who die in their sins--all who die in the rejection of G.o.d's infinite provision for the forgiveness of sins, will have to endure the consequences of those sins in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone throughout the countless ages of eternity.[23]

[23] Has the reader ever pondered Jno. iii. 36? There is marvelous power in it. It completely demolishes two special heresies of the day, namely, universalism and annihilationism. It tells the universalist that "he that believeth not the Son _shall not see life_," and it tells the annihilationist that "the wrath of G.o.d _abideth_ on" the unbeliever. If he "shall not see life," he cannot be restored; and if "the wrath of G.o.d _abideth on him_," he cannot be annihilated.

We will not argue the matter further in this paper; but we would most earnestly beseech the unconverted reader to pause and seriously consider this most momentous question. Let him not be deceived by vain words; let him not hearken to a false criticism, which would fain persuade him that "eternal" does not mean eternal in the Greek; for, oh, most a.s.suredly, it does mean eternal, whether in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, or English. "Eternal" can never mean temporal, or "temporal"

eternal, in any language under heaven. And furthermore, let him not hearken to a false sentimentality, which would fain persuade him that G.o.d is too kind to consign any of His creatures to h.e.l.l fire. G.o.d was so kind as to "give His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life." But G.o.d is too holy to let sin into heaven; and hence, instead of feeding himself with the vain hope (if hope it can be called,) of annihilation, let him build upon the sure Word of G.o.d, which tells him of full, free, and everlasting salvation through the blood of the Lamb. Our G.o.d has no pleasure in the death of a sinner. His long-suffering is salvation, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. There is no reason why the reader should perish. G.o.d waits to be gracious. Mercy's door stands wide open, and the sword of judgment is in the scabbard. But the moment is rapidly approaching when all shall be changed, and then all who die in their sins will prove, by bitter experience, that, notwithstanding all the arguments founded upon a false criticism and a false sentimentality, _the punishment of sin is and must be eternal_.

C. H. M.

"_And I say unto you My friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him which after He hath killed hath power to cast into h.e.l.l;--yea, I say unto you, Fear Him._" (Luke xii. 4, 5.)

PAPERS

ON

THE LORD'S COMING

By C. H. M.

_Author of Notes on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy._

CONTENTS

PAGE

INTRODUCTORY 5

THE FACT ITSELF 13