IS THE SOUL IMMORTAL? by John Norton Loughborough

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Dec 27, 1855

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 7, No. 13.

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IS THE SOUL IMMORTAL?

By John Norton Loughborough

An Examination of the Scripture Testimony Concerning Man's Present Condition and his Future Reward or Punishment.

BY J. N. LOUGHBOROUGH.

[Concluded.]

FUTURE PUNISHMENT.

We now come to the investigation of the subject of the destiny of the finally impenitent. We have already shown that both righteous and wicked shall live again, and that in the resurrection, the wicked are to be raised as literally as the saints.—We have found no testimony to show that they are to have immortality; but we shall proceed to inquire, Are the wicked raised in a condition to suffer the punishment which it is said they are to receive; viz., eternal misery? Not if they are raised corruptible; for the eternity of their existence depends on their receiving immortality at the resurrection.

HENRY, claims in his Commentary, that "By the damnation of the wicked the justice of God will be eternally satisfying, but never satisfied."

BENSON, in his Commentary, says: "They must be perpetually swelling their enormous sum of guilt, and still running deeper, immensely deeper, in debt to divine and infinite justice. Hence, after the longest imaginable period, they will be so far from having discharged their debt—that they will find more due than when they first began to suffer."

Others tell us, that their capacity for suffering will increase, and that at the expiration of 10,000 years, one sinner will be capable of suffering more than all hell did when he came there; and thus their capacity for suffering will increase to all eternity. This is represented as the reward of a finite act of the poor frail worm of the dust, man.

The Bible represents God as a being of love and mercy, but these attributes must be cast out of sight in the minds of those who would have us believe in such an eternal state for sinners as that presented in the above testimonies.

Future punishment we shall admit; for we have found no Scripture to sustain the doctrine of punishment in this life; but we contend that the wicked are "reserved to the day of Judgment to be punished." We have shown that the testimony of the Word is, that the dead, both righteous and wicked, shall be raised to life again to receive their just due.

We are aware that many contend that the love of God will be made manifest in the eternal salvation of all men; but, when we remember that God has a law, indestructible as his own throne, and that sinners have openly trampled this law under their feet, and neglected to comply with the plan God devised through the death of his Son, for the pardon of their sins, we need no longer claim that the God of all the earth does not do right in inflicting punishment on the sinner. A law would not be a complete law unless a penalty was inflicted for disobedience. Paul says, "The wages of sin is death." Sin is defined by the apostle John to be, "transgression of the law."

This death which is here spoken of as the wages of sin, cannot be the death men die in Adam; for that death is a consequent on the sin of Adam, and not our own sins. By transgression, Adam became mortal, and has transmitted mortality to us. Men die the first death, because they are mortal. The second death is the wages of sin; and this all must suffer whose names are not found in the Lamb's book of life. But, says one, this second death has been already described in the quotations you have made. It does not destroy the sinner, but places him in eternal torments.—Who can conceive of a death that passes upon living beings and leaves them still alive. Yea, and more alive than they were when they died that death.

The fact that the transgressor of God's law is marked by his word as a victim for the second death, is sufficient of itself to show that there must be a punishment after this life. No man can die the second death, without a resurrection from the first. We cannot agree with the sentiment published in the Methodist Almanac about four years since: "They that are born but once must die twice," but shall claim, that "except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."—Why? Because his first death carried him out of this life, and with the dead is no knowledge. Stop says one, that birth is conversion. Then you would have it that men could see the kingdom unless they were christians. But to the very class Christ told they should die in their sins, he said, "Ye shall see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and ye yourselves thrust out;" they will certainly see the kingdom, if they see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in it.

Job testifies, [Chap. xxi, 30.] "The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction; they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath."

We shall proceed to investigate the Scripture testimony concerning the future destiny of the wicked. Christ says, [John iii, 36.] "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life," (but that life is hid with Christ in God,) and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. We here have a positive statement that the wicked shall not see life (everlasting.) Says the objector, the word life, in the text you have quoted, does not mean simply existence, but happiness. The righteous will have everlasting happiness, but the wicked will have "the wrath of God" abiding on them. See Isa. lvii, 16, "For I will not contend forever, neither will I be always wroth." Compare this with Ps. ciii, 9, also Jer. iii, 5. These texts plainly state that God's anger is to cease. How is it to cease with them? Says Isaiah, [Chap. x, 25.] "The indignation shall cease, and mine anger, in their destruction."

Job says, of the wicked, [Chap. iv, 9.] "By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed."

We will now notice the testimony of the Psalmist, concerning the punishment of the wicked, Ps. i, 6. "The way of the ungodly shall perish."

Ps. ii, 8, 9. "I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance; thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel;" also Ps. xxxiv, 16.

Ps. xxxvii, 1, 2, "Fret not thyself because of evil doers. . . For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."

Read verse 10, "For yet a little while, and the wicked SHALL NOT BE; yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be." Verse 20, "But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away."—Verse 36. "But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off." Ps. lix, 13. "Consume them in wrath, consume them that they may not be." Ps. civ, 35, "Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more."

Compare the three following testimonies, from the book of Proverbs: Prov. xi, 31, "Behold the righteous shall be recompensed in the earth: much more the wicked and the sinner." Prov. x, 30, "The wicked shall not inhabit the earth." Prov. ii, 22, "The wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it."

Who can harmonize the above testimony concerning the destiny of the righteous and wicked on any other principle than that the righteous are finally to receive the earth as an eternal possession, while the wicked are cut off. Prov. xxix, 1, "He that, being often reproved, hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

See Eze. xviii, 4, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Obadiah, [verse 16.] speaking of the heathen, says, "They shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been." Mal. iv, 1-3, "All that do wickedly shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet, in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts."

The doctrine of the New Testament is the same as that of the old. Matt. iii, 12, "He will thoroughly purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." Says the objector, to my mind it conveys the idea of eternal misery; they are to be burned up with unquenchable fire.

The text says, the chaff will be burned up. But the point of objection is in regard to the fire.

What is the import of this unquenchable fire? The original term is puri asbesto. To show the understanding of this term among the Greeks we will make a quotation from Eusebius, who was born A. D. 267, and became Bishop of Cesarea, A. D. 315. In his history of the Christian Church, book vi, chap. 41, he gives an account of those who were martyred at Alexandria. He spoke as follows:—

"The first of these was Julian, a man afflicted with the gout, neither able to walk nor stand, who, with two others that carried him, was arraigned. Of these, the one immediately denied, but the other, named Cronion, surnamed Eneas, and the aged Julian himself, having confessed the Lord, was carried on camels through the city,—a very large one as you know—and in this elevation were scourged, and finally consumed in an immense fire. (puri asbesto.) After these, Epimachus and Alexander, who had continued for a long time in prison, enduring innumerable sufferings from the scourges and scrapers, were also destroyed in an immense fire" (puri asbesto.)

If this expression in the Greek text of Eusebius, be rendered the same as in the Bible it would read, unquenchable fire. No one would claim that the fire that was kindled in the third century to burn those martyrs, is still burning: neither is

there proof in the text before us, that the unquenchable fire which destroys the wicked will eternally burn. If the fire was quenched, some of the wicked might perhaps escape, but as the fire is unquenchable it will burn them up.

We will now notice the substances used in Scripture to represent the wicked which are to be cast into "unquenchable fire." 1st. Chaff. Ps. i, 4; Job xxi, 18; Isa. xxix, 5, 6; Hos. xiii, 3; Matt. iii, 12. 2d. Stubble. Ps. lxxxiii, 13; Isa. v, 23, 24; xlvii, 14; Nah. i, 10; Mal. iv, 1; 1 Cor. iii, 12. 3d. Thorns. Isa. xxxiii, 12. 4th. Briers. Micah vii, 4; Isa. x, 17-19. 5th. Fat of lambs. Ps. xxxvii, 20; Eze. xxxiv, 16.

Here we see the wicked are represented by substances easily destroyed, and these are to be cast into the "devouring," "unquenchable fire." Can they exist in it? Will they dwell there to all eternity? What has the Lord said about it? Isa. xxxiii, 14, says, "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings? (The wicked? No! but) He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly;" &c. But of the wicked it is said, "It shall leave them neither root nor branch."

Matt. x, 28. "And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." On this text it is claimed that, although man, to show his persecuting spirit upon the people of God, may take the life of their bodies, yet "The soul secured in her existence, Smiles at the drawn dagger, And defies its point."

It is said the soul, in this text, is the reasoning faculties which are separated from the body at death; and, as it (the soul) is immaterial, it cannot be brought under the control of man so as to be killed. But man can kill (take the life of) the body. How is this? If the position of our opponents is true, man cannot take the life of the body, for that life is immortality. James says, "The body without the spirit is dead." From this it has been urged that death is the separation of soul and body. The marginal reading of the text in James is "breath." The body without the breath is dead.

But, what shall we understand by the text before us? We will read it like this: fear not them that can take your present life, but cannot kill the soul (take away your eternal life,) but fear him that can deprive you of both temporal and eternal life. (We have already shown in another part of this work, that life is sometimes meant by the word soul.) Compare the above idea with the testimony of Christ in Matt. xvi, 25. "For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake, shall find it;" or, as John has it, "shall keep it unto life eternal." We consider the idea Christ wished to inculcate was this: Fear not man, and through that fear seek to save your life; but fear God; and, although you may lose your life, here, he will give you eternal life.

The text before us is proof positive, that the final reward of the impenitent is utter destruction of soul and body. "Fear him who is able to DESTROY both soul and body in hell." (Gehenna—see appendix.) We may not only learn from these words, that God can destroy the soul, but, that this is the punishment that is to be inflicted on those who shall neglect to obey Christ's testimony. See Acts iii, 23. "And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people."

If the soul spoken of in Matt. x, 28, is an immortal entity, it could not be destroyed. But God can, and will deprive those who neglect to obey him, of eternal life. Read this testimony of Christ, as recorded by Luke. Chap. xii, 4, 5. "And I say unto you, my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body, but after that, have no more that they can do. (Can't touch your eternal life.) But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell (deprive you of eternal life:) yea, I say unto you, Fear him." They are not to be cast into hell for preservation, but they are there to be destroyed.

Destroy.—To ruin; to annihilate a thing by demolishing or by burning.—Webster. Some perhaps would object to applying this definition of destruction, to the wicked; for, say they, matter cannot be destroyed. We reply if you mean man cannot destroy matter, we admit it. But, that God cannot destroy matter, we should hardly dare to claim. Neither shall we claim that the wicked are to be destroyed as matter: they will be destroyed as men. In the flames of gehenna they will consume away into smoke, and the result of the decomposition will leave them "ASHES under the soles of" the saints' feet.

The Scriptures clearly teach in other portions that the soul can die; and not only that, but, "The soul that sinneth it shall die." The soul is often represented in Scripture as being delivered from death and the grave. David says of Christ, [Ps. xvi, 10.] "For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell." Peter in commenting on this text, [Acts ii, 31.] says, "He seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell." (Hades, the grave.) Why, say you, his soul never went there. Then it would be folly to say it was not left there. Read the following texts, which speak of the soul as connected with death. Job xxxiii, 18, 22, 28-30; Isa. xxxviii, 17; Ps. lvi, 13; cxvi, 8.

Says the objector, it cannot be that the punishment of the wicked is simply death; for the Bible represents their punishment as being of the same duration as the life of the righteous. Christ says, [Matt. xxv, 46.] "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." Here it is positively stated that the punishment of the wicked is everlasting. We freely admit that the punishment of the wicked has no "remedy," and is therefore everlasting. But this would not prove that it was everlasting suffering.

Their punishment is everlasting, but what is it? Rom. vi, 23. "For the wages of sin is death." James i, 15. "Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth DEATH." Sin is to be finished: but what is to be its end? Eternal misery? No, but death. In 2 Thess. i, 9, Paul says, the wicked "shall be punished with everlasting DESTRUCTION from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." Says the objector, it is an everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. Will you tell where the sinner is when he is out of the presence of the Lord? He must be out of existence. According to Christ's testimony in parable, sinners are to be punished in the presence of the Lord. But their punishment is to be destruction from his presence. See Luke xix, 37. "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." For that destruction there is no remedy. Prov. xxix, 1.

But say you, how can the punishment be everlasting if it is simply death? We may look on punishment as deprivation, in that case, the greatest possible punishment would be to be deprived of an eternal blessing. The Scriptures, we think, hold forth the punishment of the wicked as the deprivation of the blessing the righteous are to enjoy; namely, eternal life. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see LIFE." Jno. iii, 36. This life is everlasting, and to be everlastingly deprived of it would be an everlasting punishment.

We consider the case of the wicked to be this: God has taken pains to reveal to them just how long life they can have if they obey him: eternal life. If they disobey him they will receive the opposite: death. They will be eternally deprived of life. "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life."

Says Christ, [Matt. vii, 13, 14.] "Broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat. Narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." John says of Christ, [Chap. iii, 15.] "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." Here the opposite of everlasting life is, to perish. To come to nothing.—Webster.

Paul says, [Rom. ii, 12.] "As many as have sinned without law, shall also PERISH without law." But the objector is ready to claim, without doubt, that the word perish in this text merely applies to the body, but that the soul is undying. Read James v, 20, and also: "Let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death." Peter says, speaking of the wicked, [2 Pet. ii, 12] "And shall UTTERLY PERISH in their own corruption."

See also Rom. i, 32; viii, 13. 1 Cor. i, 18; iii, 17. 2 Cor. ii, 15, 16. Phil. i, 28; iii, 19. 2 Thess. ii, 10. Heb. vi, 8; x, 26-39. 1 Jno. ii, 17. In these texts the sinner is spoken of as to pass away, to be destroyed, to perish, &c. In Rev. xx John has a view of the final destiny of the wicked. Verse 9, "And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city, and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them." Devour—To destroy; to consume with rapidity and violence.—Webster.

Paul tells us in 1 Cor. xv, 26, "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Death itself is to be destroyed, as John states, [Rev. xx, 13-15.]—Chap. xxi he says, "there was no more death." Sinners, death and the grave are all to die, and once more will spring forth a clean universe, and all heaven and earth will then raise one mighty shout of "Alleluia, for Lord God omnipotent reigneth."

OBJECTIONS ANSWERED.

a. The smoke of their torment. An objection is urged against the view that we have been advocating of utter destruction to the wicked, from Rev. xiv, 11. Speaking of those that should worship the beast, John says, "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever." There is no necessity of claiming from this text, that the wicked are to suffer eternal misery. This text speaks of torment in the presence of the Lamb, (the Lord,) but the wicked are to be punished with destruction from his presence. 2 Thess. i, 7-9. And according to Ps. xxxvii, 20, "They shall consume, into smoke shall they consume away." While the flames of the fires of hell (gehenna) are preying upon them; they will be tormented in the flame of fire and brimstone. When the torment ceases they perish, are decomposed; their ashes remain on the earth, and the smoke of their torment (of the flames that tormented them) ascendeth up for ever and ever. All that this text can be made to prove is an eternal decomposition of the wicked. The smoke of their torment ascends up for ever, showing conclusively that they are utterly consumed.

b. Eternal Fire.—An objection is urged from the testimony of Jude 7, They "are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire." The text does not say eternally suffering the vengeance of fire. If it did we might claim it as proof of eternal misery. Sodom and Gomorrah are set forth as an example to those who shall live ungodly. Is there any testimony that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah are now suffering, or that they are to suffer eternal misery? How were they overthrown? See 2 Pet. ii, 6, "Turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes." But, says the objector, they suffered the vengeance of eternal fire. The element which is to destroy the wicked is without doubt an eternal element, like that which overthrew Sodom, but that is not proof sufficient to show that the wicked will eternally be in the fire.—God has said in positive language, [Ps. xxxvii, 10.] "Yet a little while and the wicked shall not be." If you say, shall not be on the earth it does not help the case at all, for the earth is the place where they are to be recompensed. We may learn from the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah that the wicked will be burned up. God does not require us to take them as an example of eternal misery without proof that they suffered the same.

c. Tormented day and night for ever and ever.—It is said it must be that the wicked are to suffer endless misery, according to John's testimony, Rev. xx, 10. "And the Devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." This can prove nothing in regard to the punishment of the wicked; for it is merely spoken of the Devil. Do the Scriptures teach that the Devil is to have eternal misery? Says Isaiah, [Chap. i, 31.] "And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it (margin,

his work) as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them." The strong or strong man, we have shown upon another page signifies the Devil.

Paul testifies, [Heb. ii, 14.] "Through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is the Devil." The words forever and ever in the original are eis tous aionas ton aionon. Aionas, and aionon are derived from aion on which Greenfield says, "Duration, finite or infinite: unlimited duration, eternity: a period of duration, past or future, time, age, lifetime; the world, universe." From this we may learn that the term for ever and ever, does not in all cases signify eternal duration. Dr. Adam Clarke, in commenting on the words for ever and ever, gives us a rule to be guided by in ascertaining its extent of duration when applied to objects. It is this: that it signifies only, as long as a thing, considering the surrounding circumstances, can exist. God has promised to his saints, that they shall be clothed with immortality. Of course the term for ever applied to them would cover their age, or lifetime, which is to be eternal; but it would not follow from this, that when the term was applied to wicked men and devils, they must exist to all eternity.

As we have already shown, God declares that they shall die. The circumstances which surround them are, they are raised corruptible and have the sentence of death and destruction resting upon them. So, according to the above rule, for ever when applied to them would cover the period of their existence only. So as the text in Rev. xx, 10 teaches the Devil is to be tormented in the lake of fire and brimstone while he exists; but this is to be by no means eternal; for we have already shown that the Scriptures teach that he shall cease to exist.

d. Where their worm dieth not. Mark ix, 44 "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." Here, says the objector, is something spoken of that is not to be destroyed with the destruction of the body: their worm. This scene is to be in gehenna, originally a valley south of Jerusalem in which fires were kept constantly burning. The filth of Jerusalem, and dead bodies of malefactors were cast into those fires. Whatever might escape the ravages of the flames and fell outside of the fire, was consumed by worms. Those with whom Christ was discoursing understood perfectly the meaning of the term, gehenna, and never could get the idea of eternal misery from it. Christ did not teach them that the wicked were eternally to be preserved in the valley of Hinnom; (gehenna) but as we have already quoted, [Matt. x, 28.] he says, "But rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Gehenna.) Then they are cast into gehenna for destruction. For further testimony on gehenna, see appendix.

This testimony of Christ, recorded by Mark, is in accordance with the testimony of Isa. lxvi, 24. "And they (the saints) shall go forth, and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." Says David, [Ps. xxxvii, 34.] "When the wicked are CUT OFF, thou shalt see it." As the saints can dwell in devouring fire, they may, as the prophet says, go forth and look upon those that have transgressed against God, and see the devouring fire consuming them into smoke, and the worms (not dying under the effect of the flames) devouring their bodies.

What an awful sight to behold, perhaps a companion or a father in those flames consuming away going out of existence for ever. Truly, as the Prophet says, "They shall be an abhorring unto all flesh." This scene described by the Prophet is to be fulfilled upon the earth. Prov. xi, 31. "The righteous shall be recompensed in the earth, much more the wicked and sinner." Can we believe consistently that the plains of the new earth are to be occupied with such an abhorring scene eternally?

Says Isaiah, speaking of the new earth [Chap xi, 9.] "The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."

The fact that the worm does not die, and that the fire is not quenched, instead of proving eternal misery to the wicked, proves that "they shall be utterly consumed."

THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS.

e. The case of the rich man and Lazarus [Luke xvi.] is brought forward in support of the doctrine of the conscious state of the dead. We now notice it in connection with the objections to the destruction of the wicked, from the fact that it is supposed to refer to the punishment of the wicked. It is claimed that this is a literal description of two individuals who lived on this earth, and their final end.

Is this a literal history? If it is, it means just as it says. Verses 19-22. "There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom." Did the angels of God literally come down from heaven and carry dead Lazarus there and place him in Abraham's bosom? Oh! no, say you, they came and carried his soul. What, angels come and carry his soul into Abraham's bosom? Why says one, Abraham's bosom is heaven. Abraham's bosom is a figure of speech.

"The rich man also died, and was buried: and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." The rich man who died lifted up his eyes in hell! Says the objector, It was his soul that went to hell. The Bible says it was the rich man.

We shall claim that this is a parable. 1st. it stands in the midst of parables. 2d. Christ was teaching the Pharisees, the most prominent sect among the Jews, and "without a parable he spake not to them." Matt. xiii, 13-15; Mark iv, 34.

Parables are not to be used as teaching doctrines, but doctrines are merely enforced by them. Parables of course could not consistently be claimed to enforce doctrines which were not taught elsewhere in Scripture. This parable of the rich man and Lazarus has been used to enforce the doctrine of conscious existence in death, and to prove that both righteous and wicked were rewarded at death. We have proved from Scripture testimony that the dead are unconscious and without reward until the resurrection.

As this is one of a chain of parables, we may learn the drift of Christ's discourse before coming to this parable, by looking at the others which precede it. Mark the three parables of Chap. xv. How well adapted to enforce the doctrine upon their minds, that God was willing to forgive the truly humble and penitent. The parable of the two sons, properly understood, would reveal to them their own ungratefulness and jealousy because God was favoring those who had been wandering away from him, but were now returning, humble and penitent, to seek a servant's place.

In the parable of the unjust steward he enforces the fact, that "the children of this world are wiser in their generation," that is, to secure the things of this world, "than the children of light" are to seek a thorough preparation for the kingdom of God. Here we see the tenor of Christ's remarks is, urging the necessity of a preparation for a future state. He was conversing with that class who claimed Abraham as their father, and rejected him. They professed to believe the testimony of Moses, and yet were constantly wishing Christ to perform some great act to convince them that he was the true Messiah.

His fifth parable is that of the rich man and Lazarus. In this parable he is enforcing a sentiment, not foreign to what he had been previously advocating. He forced upon them, 1st. The necessity of believing and obeying the testimony they then had. 2d. He showed them the awful danger that would result from trusting in riches and neglecting in this life a preparation for the future. 3d. That the means God has given are adequate to perform the work for his children, and they would not repent if more was done to convince them: "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither would they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." From the parables connected with this, and from this parable itself, (especially Christ's concluding remarks,) we conclude that the great truth to be enforced by it is, that the testimony God has given us is all-sufficient for us. Before proceeding with the exposition, we will quote an extract from Cumming's Scripture Readings.

"We need never wring from every incident in a parable distinct and specific meaning. There must be some traits or facts that are incidentally requisite to constitute the integrity of the story, and not to be interpreted each, however minute, as conveying some great moral or spiritual lesson; but, on the contrary, subsidiary to the great object of the parable, which is to set forth one given and definite truth."

Verse 22. "The beggar died, and was carried by the angels." Let the beggar represent the saints. The saints are not carried by angels at death, but at the resurrection. Matt. xxiv, 31. "And he shall send his angels . . . and they shall gather together his elect."

But, it may be claimed, that the parable represents the saints as being carried at death. Then they must be carried while dead. For it is the beggar that died who is carried. While the beggar is dead he is unconscious. The next that is known of him is in the resurrection state. Then, the angels will carry the saints.

"Carried . . . to Abraham's bosom." What is meant by Abraham's bosom? It doubtless figures forth the kingdom of God. His affections were placed on that inheritance God had promised him. As the bosom is the seat of the affections, it may be used in this text to figure forth that kingdom on which the affections of Abraham were placed.

"The rich man also died, and was buried: and in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom." In death the wicked are unconscious, and have no more being until their resurrection at the end of the thousand years. Then they will come around the camp of the saints, fire comes down from God out of heaven upon them. The Scriptures testify that the wicked shall see the saints in the kingdom. Luke xiii, 28. Then the rich man (the wicked) will be in torments, and lift up their eyes and see Lazarus (all the saints) in the kingdom of God. (Abraham's bosom.) The New Jerusalem with all its dazzling glories will be spread out before them, and they will behold the saints immortal and glorious in it, and realize that they themselves are cast out forever.

The rich man requests of Abraham, Send Lazarus to cool my tongue. Says Abraham, [Verse 26.] "Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed."

We do not understand that at the time the wicked come around the camp of the saints and the beloved city, that they will hold converse with the righteous, but their destinies will be sealed: one company will be immortal and happy; the other corruptible, and in the very jaws of death—the second death. Of one class it will have been said, "He that is holy, let him be holy still;" and of the other, "He that is filthy, let him be filthy still." A great gulf will be fixed between them. That gulf will be as great as the difference in the destinies of the two, and their condition at that time.

The rich man next requests for his friends. Send Lazarus to teach them. Abraham is represented as saying, [verse 31.] "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither would they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." From this testimony we learn that before any one could be sent, it was necessary that there should be a resurrection from the dead. But says the objector, Who is there to preach to after the saints of God are all in the kingdom, and the wicked are receiving their punishment? Not any one. Then, say you, you have made a wrong application of the testimony before us.

This is a parable, and is merely used to enforce some great leading idea, and not to teach a new doctrine. Now we have clearly shown by the testimony of Scripture that this torment of the wicked when they behold the saints, is at the end of the 1000 years of Rev. xx. The Scriptures do not teach that there is to be any one to receive pardon after that time; and of course there will be none to preach to. "Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." But in this parable, Christ, for the sake of enforcing the great idea of

the parable on their minds, speaks of things as already in existence, that would not exist until after the 1000 years of Rev. xx. The resurrection of the dead spoken of, we understand to be a coming back from viewing the second death. That is, if it were possible for one of the saints of God to pass through the state of the dead, have a resurrection, and pass into the New Jerusalem, and there witness testimonies concerning the second death, come back and preach to the inhabitants of this earth, their testimony would be no sooner believed than that of Moses and the prophets.

Christ by this parable put a lasting rebuke on that class of people who were always seeking signs, and in the end, wished him to come down from the cross, and then they would believe. Were they ready to believe when one was raised from the dead? Nay, they sought to put Lazarus to death. Thus we have endeavored to explain this parable, as Cumming states. We have explained "the facts that are incidentally requisite to constitute the integrity of the story," "not as conveying each some great moral or spiritual lesson," but "subsidiary to the great object of the parable, which is to set forth one given and definite truth;" that, if men will not believe, with the testimony God has given them, "neither would they be persuaded though one rose from the dead."

We see by the investigation of this parable, that there is nothing connected with it to favor the idea of consciousness in death; and consequently, that rewards and punishments are bestowed on the dead prior to the resurrection. But on the contrary, before any one could be sent to the living, it was necessary that one should "rise from the dead."