SERMON XXI – William Elbert Munsey
THE FUTURE AND ETERNAL PUNISHMENT OF THE WICKED – (DISCOURSE I)
” These shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.” — Matt. 25:46.
THERE is a state of future rewards for the righteous, therefore there is a state of future punishment for the wicked. All principles of quality, character, and state, exist in dualities — that is, exist in twos, each opposed to the other in its nature. These principles are correlative — that is, each individually, and reciprocally, is dependent for its existence upon the existence of the other. It is illustrated in rest and motion, beauty and ugliness, proportion and disproportion, order and anarchy, light and darkness, life and death, good and evil.
As abstract principles and independent of such correlations, each and every one of such principles would be incom- prehensible to the mind. To understand any one of such principles our minds must have some idea of its correlative. To have an idea of motion we must have an idea of rest. No one of these principles, without at least the abstract existence of its correlative, can be said to exist at all — i. e., if there was no order there would be no anarchy ; if there wan no life there could be no death ; if there was no good there could be no evil, and the possibility of evil in the concrete is compelled to be created in order that there might exist good.
It is not necessary, however, that both correlatives should exist in the concrete in order to exist at all, or for us to have an idea of either of them : it is sufficient that one of them has an existence in the abstract. And such an existence all principles of quality, character, and state, have had from all eternity. Both correlatives generally exist in a concrete form ; but the necessity of the existence of one of them from the correlation that the other may exist, is not found in the concrete, but in the abstract — if in the concrete, then with reference to good and evil, Manicheism, or some- thing similar, is correct. Good is eternal in the abstract and eternal in the concrete ; its correlative evil is eternal in the abstract and finite in the concrete. Evil never assumed a concrete form as far as we know till Satan became false to his obligations and rebelled against God. Both good and evil now exist in the concrete ; and like the foci in the ellipse, they are the two foci of the moral universe. To one or the other all moral natures tend. Around one or the other all moral natures revolve. Up to one or the other all moral natures grow. Under the influence of one or the other all moral natures expand, develop, and perfect their characters.
All men are either good or evil. All men are moral agents. If these two propositions be true, it follows if men are good or evil they are such as a matter of choice — voluntarily good or voluntarily evil. Indeed there is no other kind of good or evil. If this be true again, it follows, if one man be voluntarily good it gives him actual merit, if another be voluntarily evil it gives him actual demerit. If one man possesses merit he deserves a reward whether he ever receives it or not ; if another man possesses demerit he deserves punishment whether he ever receives it or not. Now simple justice requires that they both shall have their deservings. It is not disputed that merit deserves and receives* its re- ward, then in all the strength of an essential correlation de- merit does and must receive its punishment. And the very same argument which would give merit reward beyond the grave, must in virtue of a correlation give demerit punishment beyond the grave. And the very same argument which gives that fixedness and perpetuation to merit beyond this life as to insure an eternal reward, gives that fixedness and perpetuation to demerit beyond this life as to insure eternal punishment.
In fact, if there is no future punishment for the wicked, there is no future reward for the righteous. If there is no eternal future punishment for the wicked, there is no eternal future reward for the righteous. The Bible unites the two, and uses the same language to express the time when both are entered into, and their continuation. A state of future rewards is the logical result of good in the concrete, when the subject of the good is in a state of trial. If so, a state of future punishment is the logical result of evil in the concrete, when the subject of the evil is in a state of trial. A state of future rewards and a state of future punishments are not correlatives, but they are results of the correlatives of good and evil. And as the correlation between good and evil necessitates the existence only of one or the other in the abstract and not in the concrete, there might be a state of future punishments without a state of future rewards, and a state of future rewards without a state of future punishments. The necessity of the existence of both states rests only on the condition that the respective qualities of which they are the results assume a concrete form. Good and evil having assumed a concrete form, the existence of both states follows, and the admission of the existence of the one is logically the admission of the existence of both.
If it be assumed as an evidence of a state of future rewards that the righteous are not sufficiently rewarded in this world and that there is no visible distinction made between them and the wicked in the administration of God’s providence, it can also be assumed with equal truth as evidence of a state of future punishment that the wicked are not sufficiently punished in this world, and that there is no visible distinction made in providence between them and the righteous. An equitable administration of justice requires both a state of future rewards and a state of future punishments — and if there is a God, He is just : and if He has a government, it is one of justice. In short, if there is no hell, there is no heaven ; and if there is neither, there are no such qualities in the universe as good and evil ; and if there are no such qualities, there is not an intelligent, free, moral agent in the universe — in fact, universal being, involving mind and matter, relations, principles, and things, is a universal falsehood.
The Scriptures contrast the future happiness of the righteous and the future punishment of the wicked, and use the same terms as to the duration of each : ” Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall wake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.” Daniel is speaking of the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked, and of their reward and punishment, after that event. The word rendered ” many ” in this text is also rendered ” multitude.” The sense of the verse is that the multitude of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, etc. The resurrection spoken of shall be a general one, for the righteous and wicked are both included, and there is no other distinction in favor of a partial resurrection. The reward and punishment spoken of are after this resurrection, there- fore they are rewards and punishments after this life — after death.
The duration of both is described by the same word, it is ” everlasting life ” and ” everlasting contempt.” The Hebrew word translated everlasting, is Olam. Let us see what is the general usage of this word in the old Bible : ” Abraham called on . . on the name of . . the everlasting God” — olam God. “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms” — olam arms. ” Lift up your heads, O ye gates ; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors ; and the King of glory shall come in ” — olam doors. “Lead me in the way everlasting” — olam. ”The righteous is an everlasting foundation” — olam foundation. ” And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads” — olam joy. “The Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King ” — olam King. ” I will give them an ever- lasting name, that shall not be cut off” — olam name. “The Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light ” — olam light. ” Everlasting joy shall be unto them ” — olam joy. Nebu- chadnezzar in his proclamation to the people, in speaking of God, says: “His kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom” — • olam kingdom. After the terrible judgment which fell on Nebuchadnezzar, he says, “And 1 blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him that liveth forever” — liveth alema. Said Darius, ” I make a decree, that in every do- minion of my kingdom, men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God and steadfast forever” • — steadfast lealemin. Speaking of the kingdom of Christ, Daniel says: “In the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed” — destroyed lealemin. “The saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom .forever”— possess the kingdom adalema. “The man clothed in linen held up his right hand and left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that liveth forever ” —liveth haolam. ” The Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting” — leolam. “The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting even to everlasting upon them that fear him ” — from everlasting even to everlasting, maolam vead olam. The good man ” shall not be moved forever” — leolam. ” Thy righteousness is an ever- lasting righteousness” — leolam. ” In a little wrath I hid my face from thee a moment; but with everlasting (olam) kind- ness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer : for this is as the waters of Noah unto me : for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth ; so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.”
I have given you enough of the Scriptures to show you from general usage the term olam means duration without end, and that this is its literal, primary meaning, in the Bible. It is so with ‘aion’ its equivalent in the Greek, and * ever- lasting? ‘ eternal? its equivalent in the English. Duration without end is the proper and usual signification of the terms, everlasting, eternal, etc. If not, we have no word to express eternal duration, except by inference. The word is never to be considered as used figuratively, unless when used with reference to things whose nature from necessity limits its meaning. If this is not a sound rule of interpretation, nothing can be relied upon when expressed in the words of any language. The subject to which the word refers must demand necessarily its limitation, or only a part of its meaning. When applied to life and death, to angels and God — to any- thing beyond time — they mean duration without end. Nc such necessity is found when applied to things in time and of time simply, the use is figurative, and they mean a longer or indefinite period. For instance, everlasting mountains; perpetual hills, everlasting Abrahamic covenant. The sub- jects demand from their nature a limitation, and the use is figurative. We talk about eternal mountains, to-day, and we deed property to our heirs forever. If olam, and the equivalent terms, do not mean duration without an end, they have no literal meaning at all — and there never was a word which had only a figurative meaning. Their very use as figures when a great length of time was required, confirms what we call their literal meaning.
I might refer you to the numerous passages in the Bible rendered “forever and ever” — le olam v’aed — which are but more intensive ways of expressing the simple meaning of the word olam — everlasting. They all confirm and strengthen our position. I might say, however, that ” forever and ever ” is never used in a limited sense. How terrible the text be- comes, ” Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall wake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt;” and how boldly the truth stands out, if there is no eternal punishment for the wicked, there is no eternal reward for the righteous.
In the New Testament we have the final and future state of the righteous and wicked in many places in contrast, and the same terms used with reference to the duration of both. Hear a few out of a great many : ” And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.” The reference of this verse to the future state of the righteous and wicked is indisputable. It is at the end of a chapter full of such contrasts, and the retribution of the wicked in the chapter is appalling, which will be noticed in its proper place. ” Everlasting punishment ” — “life eternal”— “everlasting” and “eternal” are the different renderings of the same word. The word in both instances is aionion. Everlasting punishment, everlasting life, eternal punishment, eternal life, aionion is from aion the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew olam. It means primarily and literally duration without end. When used with reference to things temporal its use is figurative. ” He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” The damnation is as final and unending as the salvation. No probation beyond — such a thing is never intimated. in the Bible. Universalism would make the verse read, ” He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved ; but he chat believeth not shall be saved too.” With such a reading, gospel and faith are both nonsense. Other passages and the consideration of the Greek aion, I will con- sider hereafter ; suffice it to say that every word which means duration without end, and is applied to the duration of God, and the happiness and continued being of the righteous, is applied to the punishment and continued being of the wicked.
The following Scriptures are quoted, to show that there are terms which show the eternity of God, and the eternity of the happiness of the righteous, which are not used with reference to the wicked: “Uncorruptible God.” “This corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” ” After the power of an endless life.” Uncorruptible and immortal are from the same Greek word which means indissolubility. So does the word Akatalutos translated in the verse above endless. Indissolubility, indestructibility— the idea of duration is not in them. Eternal duration from these words is but an inference. And if they are ever used with reference to this idea, the use is figurative. Every word meaning duration without end is used with reference to the future punishment of the wicked, and the same words which tell us God is eternal, and the happiness of the righteous is eternal. I cannot express to-day duration with- out an end without the use of the words eternal, everlasting — aion — olam.
The eternal punishment of the wicked, the eternal happiness of the righteous, and the eternity of God, as far as Rev- elation is concerned, form the same building. The universalist has placed his shoulders against the basement pillars, and if he succeed the whole structure falls ; but he and his co- laborers may toil and sweat, and leave their bones to moulder away in the cellars, but God lives on, the righteous shout on, and the damned groan on — throughout all eternity — O Eternity !
The meaning of such a word in its connection with the future punishment of the wicked is dreadful — O Eternity ! Its significance is as high and wide and deep and grand as God is. He fills it, and it fills Him, and all the worlds, and all the men, and all the demons, and all the angels, but perform their parts in its awful shadow. I can tell you what time is, but eternity cannot be defined. Time can be measured, because it is first measured by the revolutions of the planets and the aspect of the stars ; because having a beginning and an end its past can be increased, and its future diminished. It can be defined because it has parts, these parts sustain relations to each other and the whole — any one of them can be selected out of the whole and given a name — any one of its parts can furnish an ultimate for the mind to reason about all the others. It can be defined, because having parts it can be analyzed.
But eternity cannot be defined. Beginningless and end- less it cannot be measured — its past increased, its future di- minished. It has no past, it has no future, it has no ends, it has no middle, it has no parts — an unanalyzable, tremendous unity. If all the mountains of all the worlds were pressing upon the brain, they could not weigh it down more heavily than eternity’s least conception. It is something which always was, and is, and always will be. It is coeval with God ; it began when He began, and He had no beginning ; it will end when He will end, and He will have DC ending. It is an unoriginated, beginningless, endless, measureless, imperishable, indescribable, undefinable thing. Itself f is its only definition. If asked, what is eternity ? we can only answer ” Eternity,” and in our answer confess our weakness and folly. It is older than the world, older than the sun, older than the stars, older than the angels, as old as God ; yet no older now than when worlds, suns, stars, and angels were made, and never will be any older, yet never was any younger.
It is an infinite circle. A circle itself is unending. Mount the car of thunder, drawn by steeds of lightning, and ride around the world, and find the end of the equator. Fas- ten your horses to your chariot on the top of the Andes, facing to the east. Take the reins, apply the lash, and roll over the flowers, over the trees, over the rivers, over the cities, over the sands, over the islands, over the continents, over the seas, and girdle the world, and girdle it again, and girdle it forever. Where the line begins, and where it ends, you never will find — O Eternity ! Mount Phoebus’ solar car, and seat yourself beside the driver, and search for the end of the ecliptic. Lay on the burning whip, and see the fiery-maned and foot-winged steeds dash through the constellations— admiring worlds standing out of your tracks, and space’s abysms gaping beneath you ; and drive on till the wheels of your car shall shiver, and their worn-out axles break, and the over-driven horses die. and you are lost where no angel will find your bones — and you will find no end to the ethereal circle. But these circles are finite, and while you cannot find the end, yet you, in the search for it, pass along the same track again and again. Eternity is an infinite circle, and along its line you may travel forever without reaching your starting-point — an infinite circle, and now, the portentous now, is its centre. Being infinite, its centre is anywhere and everywh re, within its circumference. With reference to us, whatever was now, is now, or will be no7u, is its centre. We were born in the centre of the circle, we will die in the centre, and remain there forever.
Eternity is an infinite line. The strongest winged angel who cleaves the illimitable ether may track it, and track it forever, yet he can no more find its end than he can find the cradle or tomb of God. The plodding and incarnated soul of man can find it just as quickly. It is a day without a morning, a day without an evening — an eternal noon. It was just noon when the world was made, it will be just noon when the world is destroyed — high noon forever. O Eternity ! The idea deepens, widens, and towers, till the human mind, confounded and crushed, shrinks into infinite littleness, and frightened flies into its temple, closes all the doors, and tries to hide its little self forever.
O Eternity ! All languages beg at thy footstool for one word to tell thy name ; and all sciences pile their symbols at thy feet, and implore thee for one illustration of thy length. But thy oracles are dumb because of the dulness of the querist — God can only be thy questioner. And thy vast pendulum beating to the birth and death of worlds, ever vibrating, goes and comes, and goes and comes forever — and all that we can do is to gaze in silent wonder. O Eternity ! Mother of cycles, and parent of ages, whose incalculable and incomprehensible value no subtraction can diminish, no addition increase, — thou only type of Deity, and day of His duration, — what must be thy significance when joined to the stern penalty of sin thou becomest to the lost Eternal death. Dreadful phrase ! It will be written with a fiery pen upon all the walls of hell, and seared into every arch by the lightning’s blaze, and sounded through every dungeon by the thunder’s horrid breath. It is the motto upon the seal of God which fastens the doors of woe. There are no farewells in heaven. Such a word never rang in chords of breaking anguish from the harps of the redeemed, or shrieked in their harmonious preludes, or danced upon their vibrating strings — also, there are no farewells in hell — O Eternity ! Eter- nity ! !
The thought has made me restless at night, ” Knowing the terror of the Lord.” May it ring through your ears. It always is the first motive to prompt a sinner to repent.