The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 447

and everlasting contempt (Dan. xii. 2). What a burden for men to unfold ·to their follow-men-" the terrors of the Lord "l Yet this must be done, Who can gauge the contents of these phrases? V, TBIB BlllllDKBilllG 'tO BVBBY HAN ACOOBDDIG '1'0 HU DEBDB WILL BJWIQ .Al'l'j.LL- Pi"G auFDBING. It is very common for those who wish to prejudice their hearera or readers againsi the doctrine of future punishment, to use more frequently tha.n any other phrase the words "eternal torment." This.is exceedingly unwise-,--and worse, as an enmination of the use of the word in the New Tcsta.ment will show. T.wioe is this word, however, used in the symbolic language of this book. What was ita inten- .tion? U is need to denote the tormenting process inflicted on accuaed OD.Eil, to ei:tort from them the confession of the truth. May there not be herein a deep truth indicatwJ,, that even the perishing ones will clearly see, yea, and con fe,13, .that God is righteoll)? .But if we are asked the question-In what will the sufferings of the lost consist? we reply: 1. We earnestly trust we may never know. 2. So far as Scripture teachings guide us, we cannot avoid seeing that six features will mark them, (1) There will be the unrest of spirit under the just wrath of God. (2) 'fhere will be a sense of defeat. (3) Of loss. (4) Of exclusion. (5) Of 1·emorse, (6) Of hopeless and :unavail~ regret at the thought of what might have been (of; John iii. 36; 1 Cor. xv. 25·; Jlatt. ::u:v. 28; Luke xiii. 28; Matt. xxvil. 4; x..x.v. 10; Luke xiii. 24; 2 Th8118. i. 8, 9; Matt. vii. 23 ; Heb. L 26, 27). . . VI. TIIEBB 18 A. DBBAD OONSENB1:nt OJ' CONVIOTION AMONG KV.ANGELICAL PBE.&(lUJU} AND TEACIIEBS ()N TJll!:SB STUPENDOUS THEMES. Startling 611 such an assertion may be~ when the controversies on future punishment are borne iu mind, it is one which we venturo to make, and one which we deem of in6nite .importance. We are well aware of the diff81"ent theories on this subject.1 There is·whatis called the "orthodox" theory-that the punishment of the wicked will be endleSB. ·.['here is the annihilation theory. There Is the future restoration theory. There ii the theory of tlie relatiTe- ll888 of revdatiOD with regard to time. It is no part of our purpose here to defend <il' to criticize either. Our space will not permit ofit. The books mentioned in the foot- note will furnish the needed material for this. Our aim is rather to indicate how much ~ommon ground there is for evangelical preachers and teachers to occupy in proclaiming "the terrors on.he Loni." The following statements will'show how far earnest repre- sentative men in the several leading divisions of eschatological thought travel together on similar lines. 'i'hey teach : 1. That when the Soll of. God comes as the Judge of all mankind, the time of probation for the human race will have closed. 2. That tlu1n every eye shall see him, and that all things will be in readiness for a. righteous adminis- tration of judgment.. 3. That. all men will then appear before the tribunal of the Lord l Note: For accounts of the varion11 tbeories, aee 'First Lines of Christian Theology,'• by the late Dr. J. Pye Smith, bk. iv. oh. iv. "On the Consequences of ~in;"' Future Punish- ment: an Inquiry into SoripturA Teaching,' by Joseph .Angus, D.D. ,l::[odder aud Stoughtf?n: 1871: • Life in Christ,' by Edward White, 3rd edit,; 1878. E?liot Stook; 'The Beoond Death and the Restitution of all Thiuge,' by Andrew Jukes, 5th edit. Longman: 1876. ' 1.<'uture Punishment : Some Current 'l'heories conoeming it stated and estimated,' by Clement Clemance, B.A, D.D.; 2nd edit. Snow : 1880, The student will tlnd much suggestive material in Dr. Farre.r's •Eternal Hope,' and • Mercy an.d Judgment • (although in both works the style·is too feverish and rhetorioe.l'for such a theme); also in •Facts and Theories as to a Future Stat.,,,' by F. W. Grant. Cath- cart, New York: 1879. See articles in British Quarterly Reriww, July, 1878; in the Qliaro'f- Qoorurly lltmiew, January, 1881; also 'The Spirits in Prison," by Dean Plump~ Isbister; 1884. The following words clearly indicate the crueiol difficulty in the way of. .the acceptance oC the doctrine of final restoration: "Mau.nee says .be cannot see' tl\a doctrine ef the restoration of all fallen being,i, and thinks that, if it be ao, we need a reve)a!- tion to declare it. He seems to think (if I understand him rightly) that it may be poesi.blp for a being to exercise hie own free will in resisting God, till it l,iooomes impossible for him tobe influenced by any good" {letter of Mr. Straohey to Lady Louis, in • Life of Rev. F. D. Ma.uriee,' vol. i. p. 208). This is Uie thought which holds in check many writers wh01& yea.minge a.re all in lhe dirootion of N1Btitntion. For illuetre.tion, of. • The Harvest Pa.st; or, the Dying Univcr,alist,' in Spencer's 'Pastor's Sketches' (Nelson); another edit.ion, edited by Rev. J. A. James (lla.milton); also ' AnecdDte& lllu.trative of New Testameut Tez.tl,' odi. "Rcpentllnoo." Clerical Library. Hodder: l88i. 'ffl4 TIIE IlE\"ELATION OF ST, JOHN THE DIVINE. [oo. xx. 1-15.