Now our Lord declares that God will, as regards the lost, kill something which man cannot kill: man can kill the body; God will kill something more. We say will; because our Lord would not call on us to "fear" God on account of His power to do something which He well knew God would never do! He uses the word "destroy ;" to destroy is not to "preserve!" By the mouth of the Baptist we have the future depicted under the figures of wheat, chaff, barn, fire. The figures are symbols of realities; and just as wheat would be safely kept in a barn, and chaff thrown into an unquenchable fire would be burned up, so the saved shall be kept in the kingdom, while the unsaved will be as chaff is in a fierce fire. Chaff is not as asbestos; there will be some ash left, but no chaff. Again. These shall go away into everlasting punishment." We need not stop to discuss the meaning of awvior. Since the Son, who is to reign for ever and ever, will yet one day deliver up His kingdom, it is plain it need not always imply what we mean by never-ending. But evidently there is no hint of re-healing or restoration; it is as in the case of Sodom and Gomorrha, which have never risen from their ashes; no man even knoweth where they be; they are "suffering the vengeance of eternal fire ;""suffering," yet not in pain, "the vengeance of eternal fire, though no fire now appears: the eternal punishment does not change into glory: Judas had better not have been born! We turn, then, again to Scripture to ask the nature of this aiwvov punishment, and find God declaring, by the mouth of Paul, that the wicked shall be "punished" with everlasting "destruction," not preservation in suffering; that the wages of sin is-not everlasting life in anguish, butdeath; that whatever may go before, however many the stripes, however protracted the suffering, the wailing and gnashing of teeth, the final thing, the "end" of these things is "death." Again we turn to Scripture, and find it declaring that "God only hath immortality;" so no man has it; but our Lord declares He came that we might have Life (not bliss, though the life being Life in Christ, necessarily is a life of bliss); that He "gives life" eternal to His sheep (a gift is not a thing previously in possession); that because He lives. His people shall live also-no question of aiwútov-" because I live, ye shall live." And again; the "gift" of God is eternal life; the "gift;" not something you already possess. And again "To those who seek for "-not possess. . . "immortality"-is to be given "eternal life." "God will gather together in one, all things in Christ:" yes, when "all things that offend" have been " 'gathered out of His kingdom." "There shall be no more curse." Sin and suffering are a curse; but when sinners have been punished with everlasting destruction-cast into the lake of fire, which is--not life of any sort, but-the second death, then there will be no more curse. Few or many stripes alike imply time in inflicting, and an ending when the full number has been counted out. The never-dying worm, the unquenchable fire, which Christ apparently quotes from the closing verse of Isaiah, are there said to work upon "carcases," not upon living beings. Ah! if sinners would only realise now how awful is the doom of that everlasting destruction, that utter death of both body and soul, how great will be their horror at meeting it; so that they would rather the rocks should fall on them, if only so they might be hidden from the wrath of the Lamb, surely they would be induced, whilst yet there is time, whilst yet it is called to-day, to come unto Jesus that they may have life. Life is the opposite of death. We do not speak of a dead or dying rock, because it has never lived. We do speak of dead plants, or dead animals, when their life is gone; not whilst they are suffering or dying. GIRDLER WORRALL. LORD LYTTLETON'S TESTIMONY. N his early days Lord Lyttleton was led away by doubts respecting the authenticity In ethy diety of Holy Scripture. He applied himself to the study of the Sacred Word. The conversion and apostleship of St. Paul was the special subject of his investigation. His famous treatise on the conversion of St. Paul shows how thorough were his investigations, and how clear and conclusive his convictions. A little before his death he said to his physician, "Doctor you shall be my confessor. When I first set out in the world I had friends who endeavoured to shake my belief in the Christian religion. I saw difficulties which staggered me, but I kept my mind open to conviction. The evidence and doctrines of Christianity, studied with attention, made me a most firm believer in its truth. I have made it the rule of my life, and it is now the ground of my hope." His last hours were marked by patient resignation and Christian trust. COM METHOD IN BIBLE READING. COMPARE one Scripture with another. The Bible is like an inexhaustible mine; for, however much you take out of it, there is always much more left. So search diligently into its meaning. And to do all this, I need not say that you must be patient. Did it ever strike you that the Bible is not merely a collection of detached books, but really something like a body? You were not pitched. together anyhow-legs, arms, hands, feet, and head-but every part of your frame was so fashioned as to belong to every other part, and your limbs were constructed after a certain definite plan, and all made to hang together. So with the Bible. The books of the Bible, written though they were by so many different authors, and some of them at such wide intervals of time, really are connected with each other by a living bond of connection, and form a beautiful whole. It will be well to think of this sometimes when you are reading the Scriptures. 43 CORRESPONDENCE. а THE MAN OF SIN. DEAR SIR,-In reference to Mr. Maude's letter, it was not desire my to dogmatise. My object was simply to state the evidence which seemed to me in favour of the conclusion adopted. And, on review of the case I see no reason to withdraw my arguments. Not deeming it necessary to enter into the particulars adduced by him, I would merely refer to one or two of the arguments on which he seemed to place much reliance, but which appear to me to be incapable of filling the place he has assigned them. He says that "not a single individual, but a succession of individuals of the same class had been represented. There had not simply been a King but Kings," &c., &c. "Analogy would, therefore," he adds, "lead us to conclude that this will also be true of the seventh head; that it, in like manner, may represent not one individual, but several of the same class." But, unfortunately for this supposed erroneousness of my theory, the Word of God, which is higher authority than analogy, leads plainly to the conclusion, that "the man of sin," as therein described, will have had neither predecessor nor successor, of his class; but will stand alone, as occupant of a place never before filled by man of any class, and never subsequently to exist. Even in the days of the Apostles, there were "many Antichrists." But there shall be but one "man of sin." And, again, Mr. M. objects to my considering NAPOLEON I. as head, in any sense, of the Roman Empire. But, he was undoubtedly the last head thereof, between the date of the abdication of the then Emperor, A.D. 1806, aud his own downfall, A.D. 1815. And, besides, how came his son to be entitled, as he was, King of Rome? And, again, how could any of the other parties suggested by Mr. M. be " one of the seven ?" that is, necessarily, one of the number who had presided Let over the nation? Mr. M. answer this question. εις εκ των έπτα cannot possibly be applied to any of the other parties suggested by him. There are some other points in Mr. M.'s remarks which seem to me open to criticism; but not of so much importance as those specified. I, therefore, decline further reference to his observations on my statement. Believing it, from the reasons I have assigned, to be the will of God that even the name of the coming 66 man of sin" should be ascertainable by students of the " sure word of prophecy," I have stated my views on the subject; and, should they not be found in accordance therewith, have no desire that they should be accepted. My desire is to know for myself, and promote the knowledge of the truth on every subject of revelation, so far as in my power, and I feel thankful to God that it has pleased Him to bless some of my efforts to that end, much beyond any of my expectations, or estimate of their deserts. J. C. MCCAUSland. P.S.-For sense read scene, last par. but one, p. 492. THE PESHITO. DEAR SIR,-You remark that from among your numerous readers not a single utterance has reached you in recognition of Mr. Holding's papers on the Syriac version. But you cannot suppose we are indifferent to it. It is, on the contrary, a very fascinating study; but then, it is at the same time so difficult to grapple with, externally, so hedged about with historical doubts as to emendations and their sources, that we seem shut up to internal analysis. And here, I for one, feel compelled to wait for further light; the necessary condition, I presume, of the large class of those who are unacquainted with Syriac. I get what assistance I can from the Latin version of Martin Torstius at the foot of a Syriac Testament, of the date of 1621; the same, I suspect, on which J. W. Etheridge based his English translation; but it totally fails to satisfy the curiosity which Mr. Holding awakened by his essay in the RAINBOWw for April, 1879, on the doctrine of "Life in Christ," viewed in the light of the Syriac version. On this point, therefore, as well as many others raised by eminent critics during the closing year, we are all, I think, ready to lend a listening ear to anything Mr. Holding may have to offer in the way of clearing the ground of its impedimenta. No one that has given the New Revision much consideration, will ever believe that the English-speaking races will accept it as final. So there is no fear of exhausting the subject. J. WAYLEN. LITERATURE. Contributions to a New Revision; or, a Critical Companion to the New Testament. Being a Series of Notes on the Original Text, with the view of securing greater Uniformity in its English rendering, Including the Chief Alterations of the "Revision" of 1881, and of the American Committee. By Robert Young, LL.D. Edinburgh: G. A. Young and Co. DR. YOUNG'S Biblical labours are unwearied. This Companion to the New Testament gives the literal sense of thousands of passages, and will be found exceedingly useful to the student. But we shall let the learned writer himself describe the work : PREFATORY NOTE TO THE 66 CONTRIBUTIONS." "Though the title of this work is, we trust, sufficiently explicit to explain its object, a few remarks regarding its origin and progress may not be unacceptable to the reader. 6 "For many years past we have been deeply impressed by the fact so broadly stated by the REVISERS of 1881, that the studied variety (in the rendering of words) adopted by the Translators of 1611 has produced a degree of inconsistency that CANNOT be reconciled with the principle of faithfulness.' "With the view of lessening this inconsistency we sat down, several years ago, to the task of trying to reduce it to a minimum; and, with a Greek Concordance and an English Testament before us, we began our work by fixing on one or two of the more exact renderings of the English Version under each original word, and then substituting these in all places where they would fit in with any degree of propriety. Though this involved 100,000 references, it was in due time accomplished. "As, however, there was a 'Revised Version' in progress, it was thought advisable to wait its appearance before going farther; but now that that Version has been issued, there does not appear any reason for further delay, and we therefore feel ourselves free to issue our Notes with a view of supplying a practical Vade Mecum to the student of the NEW TESTAMENT,-and what professing Christian, male or female, ought not to be such? To make it more interesting, we have included the chief renderings of the 'Revised Version,' and of the suggested emendations of the American Committee, and have given them the credit of such, by prefixing the letters E and A, even though we had, in the vast majority of cases, already anticipated them; as, indeed, could not fail to be done by any intelligent scholar, as they lie on the very surface. "But we have not contented ourselves with simply attempting to secure a greater amount of uniformity in the rendering of the various Greek words as to their meaning, we have also attempted to secure the uniformity of the rendering of the principal Greek tenses, particles, &c, which the Revised Version has also failed to do in numberless cases. Suffice it to say, at present, that we have noted down upwards of 500 cases where (e.g.) the Imperfect Tense' in Greek has been neglected by the 'Revisers' of 1881. "Such is the simple history of the origin and progress of the present work, which we venture to commend to the careful study of the children of God scattered abroad, in their researches into the 'oracles of truth,' as a help to a FUTURE REVISION. "R. Y. "14, Grange Terrace, Edinburgh." The God-Man. An Inquiry into the Character and Evidences of the Christian Incarnation. London Elliot Stock. As an intellectual exercise along the lines of logic, always assuming the soundness of the premiss, this book is interesting. In the strictly literary sense, it is able; frequently there are profound thoughts; and often it is cloudy in expression. It consists of two parts, "The Apotheosis," and "The Theophany," each of which is developed in several chapters, on the avowed ground that "its method is speculative, not dogmatic." This is all we need say, for such books, according to our view, are of little value in relation to the great themes of revelation. To talk about our Lord in relation to "art" and "politics" is to degrade Him. There are things in the volume which border on serious error, and statements which are palpably unscriptural, e.g., "Christ is to reign by the submission of the spirit to His law, and in no other sense (217). Alas! for the world, if this be true; but, happily it is not true. It is quite in harmony with much modern theology; but much modern theology would be labeled by Paul, if he were among us "Another gospel." |