EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT.
By Editor
Some of our religious exchanges are making a great show of proofs, citing many passages of Scripture, affirmative of the proposition that the punishment of the wicked is everlasting. And then, having fairly proved their point, they raise a shout of triumph at their supposed successful overthrow of the materialism of the Adventists! But their labor is all a gratuity not called for by the circumstances. He must indeed be ignorant of the Scriptures who would deny that the punishment of the wicked is everlasting; and he also is ignorant of the issue involved in this discussion who thinks he has gained anything in favor of the serpent's first and constant assurance to sinners—"ye shall not surely die,"—by proving that punishment is everlasting. The question does not at all turn on the duration of punishment, but on the nature of punishment. The Lord denounces him as teaching lies, who promises "life" to the sinner. Eze. 13 : 22. "The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6 : 23. The life of the righteous will be eternal, and the death of the wicked will be eternal. Both eternal, but not both life. Unless the advocates of inherent immortality,—the teachers of the doctrine of eternal life for the unrighteous—examine this point and meet this issue, and cease to raise a dust by arguing a point not in dispute, we shall be compelled to think they are deliberately turning away from the teachings of the word of God. Now as a good starting-point for their further investigations we will quote for them two more passages of Scripture; passages dear to the heart of every believer, the first in the text, and the second more especially in the context. "God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3 : 16. "And to you who are troubled [he will recompense] rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction." 2 Thess. 1 : 7-9. When it is proved that these texts, and scores of others of like import, show that the wicked shall have everlasting life, and that destruction is not their doom, then we shall stand corrected, and we promise then to make open retraction of our error. The truth is that punishment is not a determinate word. In our courts it covers fines, imprisonment, and death. When it is said that a man shall be punished, that does not determine how he shall be punished. He may be fined; he may be incarcerated in a county jail; he may be both fined and imprisoned; he may be sent to the penitentiary; or he may be hanged. Each of these is punishment, but they are not the same. The wicked shall be punished with death—with destruction, "everlasting destruction." A dreadful fate! loss of eternal life with all its possibilities of happiness and glory! In the Lord's own words we would entreat the wicked: "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?"