A Universalist Text, Is It? by Dudley Marvin Canright

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Feb 15, 1877

A Universalist Text, Is It?

By Dudley Marvin Canright

I HAVE often heard the Universalists quote this text and claim it as a very triumphant argument on their side: “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever.” Ps. 136:1.

“There,” say they, “don’t you see that the mercy of the Lord endureth forever?” Now if God’s mercy endureth forever, then the time never will come that there will not be mercy for the sinner. But, unfortunately for our Universalist friend, this text is squarely against him; for the very reason given in the text itself. Why God’s mercy endureth forever, is because God punishes the wicked and destroys the enemies of the Lord. Let us read a little further, and notice that every verse of this chapter closes with this declaration, “For his mercy endureth forever.” Now look the same through, and notice the tenth verse. “To him that smote Egypt in their first-born; for his mercy endureth forever.” But why does the Psalmist say, “His mercy endureth forever”? The reason is given, “Who smote Egypt in their first-born.”

“But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; for his mercy endureth forever.” Verse 15.

“To him which smote great kings; for his mercy endureth forever; and slew famous kings; for his mercy endureth forever; Sihon king of the Amorites; for his mercy endureth forever.” Verses 17-19.

Thus it will be seen that every time the Psalmist says the Lord’s mercy endureth forever, he quotes some act of God where he overthrew the wicked and destroyed the enemies of the Lord. That is the way his mercy endures forever. The simple truth is that his mercy lasts forever towards the righteous, towards his servants, but not toward the wicked.

D. M. CANRIGHT.