THE GREAT FIRE by Eliza H. Morton

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 12, 1877

THE GREAT FIRE.

By Eliza H. Morton

While reading the History of Portland, not long since, I was particularly struck with the description of the great fire of July 4th, 1866, which destroyed one thousand five hundred buildings and laid the whole business part of the city in ashes. Speaking of the public buildings destroyed, the author says, “All of these passed away like shadows in that hurricane of unquenchable fire.”

As I read the above paragraph the following passage of Scripture came into my mind: “And he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” This text is often quoted to prove the eternal misery of the wicked. It seems to me that the word unquenchable is used in the same sense in both instances, and simply conveys the idea of ungovernable fire—fire that will burn as long as it can find fuel to consume. It will be thus in the great “burning day.” The fire that purifies the earth will destroy the wicked, and cause them to be as though they had never been. ELIZA H. MORTON.