expressions have no respect to punishment beyond this life. But, again, if eternal life refers to the happiness of heaven in a future state, how happens it that it is so often spoken of as enjoyed in this life, and dwelling in those who believe in Jesus? It is defined to consist in knowing God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. It could not only be enjoyed here, but people could enter into this life, which is the same as entering into the kingdom of God. Further, though eternal life is sometimes spoken of as future, and an object of hope, yet I do not find it spoken of as an object expected after the resurrection of the dead, or once mentioned as equivalent to the happiness to be enjoyed in the resurrection state. It is rather spoken of as something expected after the end of the Jewish age, during the age of the Messiah, or the "world to come. "The promise of eternal life, in this age to come, was made to Christ's disciples; for when our Lord spoke, the old dispensation had not then vanished away, and it was not until it ended that our Lord's kingdom came in its glory and power. It was a matter of hope to his disciples, for then they were to enter into life, or into the joy of their Lord. But, again, the term life is used both in the Old and New Testaments to express happiness or enjoyment. We have seen that it is used very often to designate the spiritual or moral life of believers. Those who believed were not condemned, did not perish, but were saved. Those who did not believe, of the Jewish nation, and those believers who did not endure to the end, did perish. The wrath of God abode on them, and his wrath came on them to the uttermost at the destruction of Jerusalem. The Jews, by putting the word of God from them, judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life. The apostles turned to the Gentiles, and thus the kingdom of God was taken from the Jews and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. I would only add that this eternal life is expressly said to be enjoyed in the world to come. This world or age to come, we are told by orthodox

authors above, began at our Lord's first advent, and shall be completed at his second coming. How, then, is eternal life to be enjoyed if the world to come ends, according to their own explanation of this expression?

In regard to the word everlasting being associated with the term life, it can occasion no serious difficulty. The term everlasting is also applied to the kingdom of Christ, and the gospel of this kingdom is called "the everlasting gospel." But, surely, no one ever thought that the gospel is to be preached to the endless ages of eternity. Is it said, How could the apostles enjoy everlasting life in the kingdom of God here, seeing a few years terminates the existence of every man in the world? I answer this by asking, How could Samuel abide before the Lord forever? or how could the slave serve his master forever? In short, how could the priesthood be enjoyed by Aaron and his sons forever? or the land of Canaan be an inheritance to Israel forever? But these remarks I have merely suggested for consideration. Allowing they have no weight, the grand subject of our investigation stands unaffected; for all must admit the remarkable fact, that frequent as eternal life is mentioned, yet no sacred writer ever ventured to speak of eternal death; and it is with the application of this word to future punishment we are at present chiefly concerned.

In Luke 20: 34-36, we have this world, and that world mentioned, or this age and that age or state. But, as it requires no particular consideration, it is unnecessary to transcribe it. I would only remark, that aionos here cannot mean endless duration or forever. It would not do to say the children of this forever marry, and the children of that forever do not marry.

SECTION VII.

ALL THE PLACES WHERE AION AND AIONIOS ARE USED TO EXPRESS THE DURATION OF PUNISHMENT, PARTICULARLY CONSIDERED, IN WHATEVER WAY RENDERED IN THE COMMON VERSION.

Matt. 25: 46, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." See, also, verse 41, which refers to the same persons, and the same punishment. Before we proceed to consider these words, we beg leave to make some general remarks on chapters 24 and 25, together.

1st. What is contained in these two chapters is one continued discourse of our Lord's, addressed to his disciples. The word "then," in verse 1 of chapter 25, shows this. "Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins." When was the kingdom of heaven to be likened to this? The answer is found in chapter 24, which is at the coming of Christ to destroy Jerusalem. It is further manifest from chapter 26: 1, "And it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings." And what sayings could these be but all the sayings contained in the two chapters? For it will be difficult to point out any change of subject from verse 4, of chapter 24, to the end of chapter 25. That this discourse was delivered to the disciples alone, is plain from comparing chapter 24: 1-4, with chapter 26: 1, 2.

2d. The whole of this discourse is in answer to the questions put by the disciples, verse 3, of chapter 24, Tell us when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world,” or age? This supposes he had said something about his coming, which we find was the case from the last verse of chapter 23. The questions put were to obtain information about his coming, and the signs whereby they might know its approach. All allow the coming, in

chapter 24, refers to our Lord's coming at the end of the Jewish dispensation; but many contend that the coming, in chapter 25, refers to his coming at the end of this world. But the word "then" so clearly marks the connection of these two chapters as to forbid such a supposition. Nor can any man point out where our Lord left off speaking of the one coming, and began to speak of the other. He mentions his coming, chapter 24: 3, 27, 30, 37, 39, 42, 44, 46, 48, 50, and in chapter 25: 6, 10, 13, 19, 27, 31, as one; nor can any one doubt that the same coming, chapter 25: 31, is the same as that, chapter 24: 30-35, from the language used and the circumstances mentioned. See, also, Matt. 16: 27, 28; Luke 9: 26, 27; Mark 8: 38, and 9: 1. From verse 4 of chapter 24, our Lord proceeds to answer the disciples' questions, and points out particularly the signs whereby they might know that his coming was at hand. These I need not particularize.

3d. What has led many to conclude that chapter 25 refers to a day of general judgment, is overlooking the connection between the two chapters marked by the word "then," in verse 1 of chapter 25, and not noticing how exactly the three parts of chapter 25 correspond to and illustrate three things inculcated on the disciples, from verse 42 to the end of chapter 24. These I shall briefly notice, hoping the reader will compare the passages I refer to. Notice, then,

1st. That our Lord inculcates on his disciples the duty of watchfulness, in view of his coming. See chap. 24: 42-44. Let the reader, then, compare these three verses with chapter 25: 1-13, and we think he must be convinced that the parable of the ten virgins was spoken to illustrate and enforce on his disciples this very duty. Hence the parable ends with these words, expressive of its object, "Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh ; which are almost the very words in which he stated the duty of watchfulness in chapter 24: 43, 44. Who can

dispute this? But admit it, and Matt. 25 must be given up as referring to a day of general judgment at the end of this world.

2d. In chapter 24: 45, our Lord also inculcates on his disciples the duty of faithfulness, in view of his coming. Let the reader compare the second division of chapter 25, from verse 14-31, and we think he must also be convinced that the parable of the talents was spoken by our Lord to illustrate and enforce the duty of faithfulness upon them. Here I ask every candid reader to say, Is it not the same Son of man which is mentioned in both chapters? Are not the servants to whom the goods were delivered the same as in chapter 24: 45? Is not the faithfulness and unfaithfulness of the servants the same in both? And is not the coming of our Lord to reckon with them the same coming in both? Who can, with any show of reason, deny these things? But who can admit them, and yet contend that this second part of chapter 25 has any relation to a day of general judgment?

3d. In verse 46, and to the end of chapter 24, our Lord states the consequences which would result, according as they were found watchful and faithful, or the contrary. Now, compare this with the third division of chapter 25, from verse 31-46, and all must see how exactly the one corresponds to the other. In the one, he states what rewards and punishments would be awarded, at his coming, to his servants; and in the other, he goes on to illustrate this by what may as justly be called the parable of the rewards and punishments, as the two former are called the parables of the ten virgins and talents. This agreement of chapters 24, 25, is not an accidental thing, but the effect of design, and clearly marked by the word "then," with which chapter 25 begins; but it is not noticed by most readers from the improper division of our Lord's discourse into chapters and verses. Our Lord no more ends his discourse, chapter 24, than Paul ends his Epistle to the Romans, chapter 4. If the