WILL PUNISHMENT BE EVERLASTING.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 19 April 1913, Page 6

WILL PUNISHMENT BE EVERLASTING.

SIX.S 0 FIGNORANCE WILL BE FORGIVEN, BUT ALL WILFUL SINS SHALL BE PUNISHED. ' KXI.IG HTEXKD STUDY MAKES GOD'S WORD MORE REASON-1 AltUfi AND MORE PRECIOUS DAILY. . Pastor Russell, of the London Tab-' cniiicln, took for Jiis subject last Simklmv Everlasting Punishment. We ivport liis discourse from the text: s'lusll go away into everlasting punishment; but righteous into Jif»! cnterna!" (Matthew xxv. 46). The speaker approached his subject ! cverently, declaring that all mankind recognise two great facts: (1) That all are sinners, imperfect; and (2) that a just penalty for siims is proper, knowledge being a prime factor. This can be admitted even by those who deny that the Bible is an inspired message, telling the origin or sin, its penalty and the conditions governin;/, Divino judgment. The Pastor would not indulge in speculation, but would stand by the Word of God. He believed that our forefathers had added to the Scriptures, without realising it. Our Baptist friends, in bringing forward a new translation of the Bible, use the term "underworld," in,st.-'ad of hell, in translating the Hebrew word Shoo! and the correspondering (Jreek word Hades. This is n step in the right direction. All educated people know Sheol and Hades signify the death condition. They are translated hell. .Why should Christian ministers spend years in seminaries to learn these things, and then fear to tell the people the facts? Do they not realise that the misunderstanding of this subject of Hell is emptying the churches and stumbling thinking peo* pie into Higher-Criticism-Infidelity, etc., aind leadng on to atheism and anarchy ?

WHAT THE BIBLE DOES TEACH. The Bible declares death to be the extreme penalty of Divine Law—just as of human law. The world is dying because of sin. Adam's execution was a tragedy—93o years of dying. His descendants share his condemnation to death.. This death sentence would have* ended our race, had not Divine mercy provided Jesus as our Redeemer. He is to deliver the race from the bondage of sin and death during the Millennium. Meantime, this (gospel Age has been introduced for the purpose of gathering, an elect-class. When this is completed, the Divine kingdom for the blessing of all- manikind will be inauguiated. Then whoever avails himself of its' Messed help may to full harmony with God and attain life everlasting and human perfection." Some contend that no mercy can be extended beyond the present life. God has fixed ino such limitations. Those who 5 learn of Divine grace now enjoy the blessing bv reason of haying the eyes of their understanding opened. If they do not make their calling and election sure to membership in the Body of Christ, they will miss that glory and honour altogether; for it will surely end with this Age. Is it not time to tell the world that in refusing the offer they will miss the greatest, grandest gift that God has to bestow? that if they wilfully indulge in sin in the present life, they will in the future have the greater difficulty in retracing their steps P The simple story of God's loving provision for all mankiind has helped many who would not be influenced by hobgoblin stories which misrepresent our Heavenly Father as man's worst foe. - APPLICATION OF OUR TEXT. Our text is the 'conclusion of the parable of the Sheep and the Goats. ' That parable we now see belongs to the Messianic Age. believes that Christ has already come in, his glory might, of course, claim that this parable has begun to be fulfilled. Remembering the Scriptural promises that " when Jesus shall appear in glory his Church will appear with him,; then we know the parable is not yet fulfilled. After the completion of the Church, Messiah will establish his ! kingdom in glory and power, to bless the world. | Mankind will then be on trial to determine who, with full knowledge aind opportunity, will desire to be the Loi'd'g sheep, and who will manifest the wayward goat-like disposition. A thousand years have been apportion-j ed to separate the sheep from the goats. At its close, all having the j slTeep disposition of meekness will be at the Mediator's right hand, but all; having the goat disposition, will be at 1 his left—or place of disfavour. | Th? sheep class will . receive the earthly kingdom originally given to Adam.' Then the goat class will be sentenced to "everlasting fire," sym- j bolising everlasting destruction. Else-1 where , they are said to go into the "la,ke of fire," symbolically represent-1 ing the second death (Rev. xx. 14). | iFire is uniformly -used throughout t the Scriptures to symbolise destrucation. St. Peter speaks of "fierytrials" that shall come to the Lord's people. St. Paul uses fire symbolically, saying, "The fire of that day shall try every man's work, of what sort it is" (I. Cor. iii. 13-14). iGehenna is the Greek name for the valley outside Jerusalem, where the offal of the city was destroyed. Fires were burnt in it to kill the germs of putrefaction. Everything cast into

that valley was considered vile refuse —dead dogs, cats, etc. ; and no one attempted to hinder the worms from feeding upon them. This it» the picture which Jesus holds up as respects Divine government in the end of his raign. All wilful evil-doers will perish iiu the antitypioal Gehenna—the second death. Another suggestion made by the Master was that feet, hands, and oyes had better be destroyed than that the individual should go into the second death. No one thinks theLord meant that we shall literally cut off our hands and feet; nor should anyone think that he referred to literal tire. Tlie lesson taught is that everlasting life, is worth any sacrifice. If a sin s;'om as precious to us as a hand or an eye, we should separate from it at any cost, to attain everlasting life.

"INTO ICY KKLA ST OS" G PUNISHMENT."

Our text declares that the goat claps will go into everlasting punishment. There is no question as to the meaning of the word "everlasting." The controversy is, ..What is the "nature" of the punishment ? The Scriptures nowhere say that the wages of sin is eternal torment. They sav that "the wages of sin is 'death.' " So thrn the Master really said, according to our English Bible, that the goat class will go into the second death. None will be rescued from it by redemption, by resurrection', nor in any other manner. The decision of the Messianic Age will be final. Th? word punishment in our text comes from the-Greek word kolasin. In classical Greek kolasin is used to refer to pruning, as the cutting out of dead branches from a tree or a vim. So Jesus really said that the goat class will go away into everlasting cutting off—-from life—into everlasting death, from which there shall be no redemption, no resurrection. Another definition of kolasin is to restrain, as when we read, "The charioteer re&trains [kolasin] his fiery steed." Sp from this standpoint the Master said that all of the goat class would -go away into everlasting restraint. What restraint is so great and so everlasting as the second death ? Space will not permit me to go into the subject further; but I have a pamphlet which I shall be glad to send free to any making a postcard request. Address: London. Tabernacie, Lancaster Gate, W. This pamphlet explains the parable of 'Hie Rich Man and Lazarus, and other difficulties along this liiie. It is yours for the asking.