The Punishment of the Wicked
ease of the body, depends on the length of time intervening before physical dissolution. We are left to infer that by this spiritual death he means the subduing and conversion of the sinner, as set forth by advocates of "Eternal Hope." These may be consoling thoughts to those who do not choose to repent now; but he who advocates this theory of no "execution" against the sinner, will meet in his readings of the Scripture, many denials of his theory. One in particular, I will notice. A statement made by that holy man, Enoch, who "walked with God three hundred years," and was, therefore, more likely to know the truth of what he stated, than those in this age, who would frame their theory to human reasonings. St. Jude, when comparing the ungodly to wandering stars, "to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever," says: "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, to execute judgment upon all." Jude, verses 14:15. To this, we may be allowed to add one other testimony: "God is jealous, and the Lord revengeth; the Lord revengeth, and is furious; the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries, and he reserveth wrath for his enemies. The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked." Nahum 1:2, 3. The Vicar makes some admissions, which we must notice. On page 13, he says: "The theological literalist indeed, must admit that the condition of the lost is never represented as an existence at all. 'Destruction,' 'death,' and the like, are expressions which require to have a certain amount of force put upon them, before they will mean 'keeping alive forever in pain.' Hence, Archbishop Whateley, after showing that the letter of Scripture makes not for eternal misery, but more for the final extinction of evil souls, adds: 'On the whole, therefore, I think we are not warranted in concluding, as some so persistently have done concerning this question, as to make it a point of Christian faith to interpret figuratively, and not literally, the death and destruction spoken of in Scripture as the doom of the condemned, and to insist on the belief that they are to be kept alive forever.' Unless destruction means preservation, the rigid adherence to the letter involves the doctrine of annihilation; it certainly does not really countenance eternal existence in misery." With the exception of the use of the word annihilation in the above quotation, I think its conclusion must commend itself to every candid reader of the Scripture. Annihilation is not a Scriptural term, so I prefer not to use it. Although the wicked may become extinct as conscious beings, the matter of which they were formed is not annihilated, but changed in the form of its existence. The Scripture terms are that they shall "die," "perish," be "consumed," "be as though they had not been," etc. We think the theory of the final salvation of all, grows out of a misapprehension of the real work of Christ, and what is to be accomplished by it. They claim that Christ's work is to restore all the finally impenitent to God's favor, and thus clear the universe from sin, while we suppose the Scriptures to teach that God will bring upon the sinner the most merciful punishment that will meet their deserts. He is a God of love, but he cannot look upon sin with any allowance. Hab. 1:13. He is a God of mercy, but as he has threatened the wicked with an overthrow, may it not be death, in their case, as with Pharaoh? "But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; for his mercy endureth forever." Ps. 136:15.