IMMORTALITY AND UNIVERSALISM.
IF MAN IS IMMORTAL UNIVERSALISM IS TRUE. The case stands clearly thus. John saw a time coming when "every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them" will be heard saying, "Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb forever and ever." There is no exception made here for a great receptacle of the countless hosts of the lost, where they will be wailing in agony, and descending continually into more hideous forms of sin and intenser misery, and assailing the throne and name of God with curses and horrid blasphemy. Such has been our teaching from our youth up. But as we examine for ourselves the plan of God as revealed in his word, we find no room for such a place, of long continuance. The time is coming when every creature throughout the wide universe will be heard rendering blessing and praise to God, instead of cursing, and filled with emotions of joy instead of agony. Now if all men are absolutely immortal, and must live forever, it follows that all, irrespective of character, will eventually rise to this state of happiness; and Universalism is proved. But we are abundantly assured in the word of God that the wicked never will; and therefore when the time comes that there are no beings in the whole universe but happy beings, and no sounds heard but those of blessing and praise, where will the wicked be? The question is fairly before us. The wicked never will arrive at a state of blessedness; but the time is coming when all that are found within the limits of creation will be blessed. When that time comes, where will the wicked be? When the believer in man's natural immortality has thought sufficiently upon this question, he will find the answer in Ps. xxxvii. 10; "Thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be."