Although it appears that the foregoing statements must be considered not only conclusive, but convincing, yet perhaps the reader may still object, and say, that, from aught which has yet appeared, the inspired writers had no other word by which they could convey the idea of an endless duration, and hence the doctrine of endless misery may be true, notwithstanding all that has yet been said to the contrary.

We are glad to have the above objection started, because it is so easily answered. Speaking of our great High Priest, who was made priest, by an oath, after the order of Melchisedec, and not after the order of Aaron, St. Paul saith, (Heb. vii. 16,) “who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life,” (αλλα κατα δυναμιν ζωης ακαταλυτες) but according to the power (axaraurs) of indissoluble life. Here is a word in the original, which is not connected with punishment, misery, or death, any where in the whole Bible; yet it is connected with life, to denote its durability. If this word could have been so much as once found connected with death, in the same manner as it is here connected with life, it would have given more support to the doctrine of endless misery than all that is contained in the Bible besides. Is it not strange, if St. Paul believed in this unmerciful doctrine, that he did not so much as once, in all his writings, connect this word with punishment or death? But, instead of this, he has not connected aiavior with punishment but once in all his writings, notwithstanding they form so great a part of the New Testament. And it may be observed that he connects the word with the instrument of punishment, and not with punishment itself. See 2 Thes. i. 9. "Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction," &c. This may be considered the same as suffering the vengeance of aiwviov fire; (Jude, 7;) but he does not say how long they shall be thus punished: we have reason to suppose,

or Almighty God, ver. 15; but if it be the same that is called Faithful and True, ver. 11, or the Word of God, ver. 13, then great, after all, is not infinite-unless you are prepared to say, that the infinite Jehovah was seen riding upon a white horse! ver. 11.

however, that they will be punished until the destruction intended, is complete.

It is surprising that the advocates of the doctrine of endless misery do not see that they make justice require something which it can never have; for endless misery, even admitting the doctrine true, never was yet, nor ever can be inflicted. When the sinner has suffered the torments of hell ever so long, even millions of millions of years, his sufferings are no nearer being at an end ; and of course justice, on this principle, is no nearer being satisfied. Again: According to this doctrine, two persons may live together ever so long in the world, say fifty years, equally good, or equally bad, as it respects their moral characters; both born under the same roof, and in the same hour, and both die (perhaps killed) in the same instant; yet in consequence of one's being converted and regenerated, say one hour before death, and the other not, one goes to eternal glory, and the other to never ending torments; and yet, the doctrine of endless misery would argue, that they are both rewarded according to the deeds done in the body. Now, ye advocates for the doctrine of this horrid, this abominable, this cruel and unmerciful punishment, look at this picture! Say not that the lines are drawn too straight; you must admit the possibility of the case, or else give up your system!

If the doctrine of endless misery were a truth, might we not naturally suppose that the apostles would have urged the matter in all their preaching, and have set it forth in the plainest and strongest terms? That they would have considered it, if not equal, at least, next of importance, to a belief in the Saviour, or the doctrine of the resurrection. Instead of which, it is not to be met with, even in an aionian sense, in the gospels of either Luke or John; nor in either of the three epistles of John. It no where occurs in the epistles of Peter or James. And what is still more remarkable, in all the account we have of the preaching of the apostles, in the book of Acts, there is a silence, a total silence, as it respects this matter.

We will attend to one query more, and then dismiss this article. Does not Christ mean to represent the punishment of the wicked as endless, when he sets it in contrast with eternal life? "These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal." Mat. xxv. 46.

In answer to the above, it will be only necessary to observe a very few words in this place.

First. From what has been before stated, it will be seen that we are not under the necessity of construing the life here spoken of as strictly endless; but rather the life of the Christian, in the kingdom of Christ, as a cer--· tain consequence of his faith and good works. "For I was hungry, and ye gave me meat, &c.—and in as much as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." Let it not be supposed that the fulfilment of all this must be in another world. See Mat. xvi. 27, 28. "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. Verily I say unto you, there be some standing here which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom." This undoubtedly alludes to the same time as the passage under consideration; and yet the time or age of the kingdom was to commence in the life time of some of those present. Thus the aionian life, here spoken of, may, as has been before stated, be considered in a limited sense; for the believer will pass from this aoinian life to the axaTAλUTOF (indissoluble) life and immortality given him in eternity.

Secondly, But if we are to understand eternal life here to be strictly endless; yet there is no necessity, from the word, of understanding the punishment to be so too. For there are two other passages in the New Testament, in each of which aionian is twice used, but both of them cannot, by any one, be understood strictly endless; and therefore one of them, in each sentence, is rendered in the common translation, world. Rom. xvi. 25, 26. “ According to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the aionian began, but now is made manifest,

But

and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the aionian God.” See also Tit. i. 2. "In hope of aionian life, which God that cannot lie promised before the aionian began." Compare the above passages with the same passages in our common Bible, and it will be obvious, even to the smallest capacity, that the word aionian must be differently construed; and has been so construed, even in the same sentence. the objector may still say, that, in the two passages above, the form of the sentence limits one aionian; that is, the words since and before, limiting it as to a beginning, but this does not show that it will have an end, any more than aionian life, or the aionian God. Be it so. But we have before proved that these indefinite periods of duration not only may, but many of them certainly have had, and we have good reason to suppose, that all of them will have, an end. Life, indeed, will continue, not because it is aionian, but because it is "hid with Christ in God." (Col. iii. 3.) Sinners having passed from death unto life," shall not die any more; death shall have no more power upon them," &c. Whereas, on the other hand, death shall be abolished; transgression shall be finished; and an end made to sins; and death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed. Luke, xx. 36. Rev. xx. 6. 2 Tim. i. 10. Dan. ix. 24. 1 Cor. xv. 26.*

Thus falls the third and main pillar of the strangely popular, yet cruel and unmerciful, doctrine of endless misery; and the whole fabric must now crumble into the dust.

4. The fourth and last pillar to this cruel antichristian doctrine, is the anger, wrath, and even supposed hatred of God towards his children, or creatures, the workmanship of his own hands. But having framed the awful scheme, it was necessary to find some principle in the

*" Alwv, always being. It denotes duration, or continuance of time, but with great variety-1. Eternity; (this is doubted)-2. The duration of the world-3. The ages of the world-4. This present life-5. The world to come; the next life-6. An age, period, or periodical dispensation of divine providence." See Parkhurst's Greek Lex. under this word.

Deity that would carry it into effect. Hence the doctrine of antichrist has set God at war against his own offspring, and represents him as pursuing a great part of them, like a merciless tyrant, with implacable hatred; determined to wreak his vengeance upon them, without the least show of pity or compassion; but will ultimately make them indescribably miserable, through the endless ages of eternity.

It is not at all surprising, that the doctrine of Antichrist should associate all the character of the ferocious "beast" with that of the God who is to be worshipped by its votaries. For unless the "beast" bore the appellation of God, among his worshippers, and Antichrist also was considered as the true Christ, neither the one nor the other would be worshipped at all. Therefore, let no one suppose that we have aught against these deceivedworshippers. No, we feel for them both pity and compassion; and consider that we shall be doing them the greatest possible kindness, by pointing out to them the cruelty of their God, and the abomination of all such worship. In the fear of that GOD who created the heavens and the earth, let it be spoken; and in the love of all men, as the offspring of God, let it be recorded-that, (in the opinion of the writer, which opinion is founded on the evidence herein adduced,) all the doctrines of men, (embracing every sentiment, tenet, or denomination,) which limit the grace of God to a part of the sinful race of man, are but the unchaste children of her who sitteth upon ascarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns; and upon her forehead is a name written, mystery, Babylon the great, the mother of harlots, and abominations of the earth!" Before the anger shall rise so high in the breast of the reader, as to induce him to break off and read no further, he is requested to take his Bible and read attentively the Revelation, from the 16th to the 20th chapters, inclusive; and consider well who is there pointed out by the "beast," and also by the "great whore that sitteth upon many waters; with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication." Consider, also, at the same time, how natural