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we cannot spare room, to say all we wish to say on this subject, for it has an important bearing on the question before us about Gehenna. The first passage I produce in proof, that an everlasting fire or punishment, was threatened the Jews in their own scriptures, and was not in a future state, is,

Isai. xxxiii. 14. "The sinners in Zion are afraid, fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings ?" This passage, has been often quoted to prove, the endless duration of future punishment. A great mistake, for 1st, It is manifest the Jews, and the hypocritical wicked Jews, are the persons designated in the passage. They are termed sinners, sinners in Zion, and hypocrites, which agrees with our Lord's words Math. 23, "woe unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites." Notice, what is called-" sinners in Zion," in the first part of the verse, answers, according to the Jewish parallelism, to "hypocrites" in the second; and their being "afraid" in the first, answers to "fearfulness" seizing them in the second. A doubt cannot be entertained, that the prophet speaks particularly of Jews, and of them only. The question is, did the prophet refer to the Jews in our Lord's day? The very language of the passage, seems to determine that he did. This is confirmed by the context, for the days of the gospel dispensation seem to be alluded to. For example verse 18, seems to be quoted by the apostle, 1 Cor. i. 20. The Roman people seems to be spoken of verse 19, who were to come against the Jews, and destroy their city and temple. And their condition at that period, seems to be described v. 11, 12. The Messiah and his times are alluded to verses 5, 6. The condition of our Lord's disciples, seems to be referred to verses 15-17. And from verse 20, to the end of the chapter, the peace and prosperity of the Christian Church, are described,

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2d, Let us now notice the punishment of the Jews, described in this passage. It is not doubted, it speaks of punishment; for it is alleged, it teaches endless punishment. This is drawn, we presume, 1st, From the words fire and burnings, occuring in the passage. But it has been shown in a preceding passage, that fire or burning, is a common figure to describe temporal punishment. Nor are we aware, that fire is ever used as a figure to designate punishment in another world. The expression here, is" devouring fire," and the parallelism to it, is "everlasting burnings.' After examining the usage of the phrase, "devouring fire," I cannot find it is ever employed to designate punishment in hell. But it is used to express temporal calamites. See two examples, in Isai. xxix. 6; xxx. 30.

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2d, The word everlasting being here joined with burnings. But who does not know, that the word everlasting in the scriptures, often expresses a limited period of time? Yea, who does not know, that it is even applied to punishment, when it does not express the endless duration of it. That it is so applied, to the temporal punishment of the Jews in this very passage, the above observations show. But if there should be any doubt in the reader's mind about this passage, we introduce another, about which there cannot be any dispute. It is,

Jer. xxiii. 39, 40-"Therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence. And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten." On this passage, let it be noticed, 1st, the same Hebrew word oulm is here rendered everlasting and perpetual. The passage says "I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and an everlasting shame, which shall not be forgotton." It is well known oulm is rendered perpetual, everlasting, eternal, forever, and is often used to express a limited duration.

2d, Let it be noticed, the Jews are the persons of whom the prophet here speaks. He is speaking of them as a nation; and what the Lord should do towards them at some future period. It is not a narrative of what was already past, but a prediction of events, which were then future.

3d, Notice further, the passage predicts a punishment to the Jewish nation. God was utterly to forget and forsake them, and the city he gave to them and their fathers. He was also to cast them out of his presence, or out of Judea, where the Jews believed God's presence was, as could easily be shown. Moreover, he was to bring on them an everlasting reproach, and an everlasting shame, which should not be forgotten. This punishment of the Jews, could not be their seventy years captivity in Babylon. This does not answer to the strong language of the passage. Besides, the Babylonian captivity was just at hand, or, had already commenced, as the chronology shows.

The prediction, is concerning a punishment which was future, and of long duration. The language only answers in its full force, to God's punishment on the Jews at the destruction of their city and Temple, and their dispersion among all nations ever since.

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seems utterly to have forsaken them, and the city he gave them. He has cast them out of his presence, and brought upon them an everlasting reproach, and an everlasting shame, which has lasted eighteen hundred years, and is not yet forgotton.

4th, But does any man think, do the Jews think, that the punishment here mentioned, is in another world, or is of endless duration? No; not an individual, will assert either of these things. The context, all the circumstances of the case show, the punishment is a national one, and is of a temporal nature. And if any one should ask, why this punishment of the Jews is called perpetual, everlasting, the answer is easy. All

know, oulm in the Hebrew, and aion and aionion in Greek, are used to express a limited duration; and express a longer or shorter duration as the subjects to which they are applied require. See my second Inquiry, and reply to Professor Stuart's essays, where this subject is discussed. The present punishment of the Jewish nation, may well be called everlasting. It is the longest punishment they ever endured as a people. It has lasted already eighteen hundred years, and is a much longer everlasting, than some mentioned in the Bible, as could easily be shown. Their seventy years captivity in Babylon, nor no other punishment that I have observed, is ever called everlasting, like the one they are now suffering. But even their present punishment is to end, for the Lord is yet to have mercy on Israel. They, as a people, are beloved for the fathers' sake. It is then put out of all question, that the term everlasting is applied to temporal punishment, punishment which all admit is to end.

But let us suppose, the term everlasting was applied to punishment in a future state, this would not conclusively prove the punishment to be endless. Why? Because we find it applied to punishment in this world, which does end. It might be so also with its application to punishment in another world, for any thing I can find in the Bible to the contrary. But after very mature examination, I must say, I cannot find a single instance where everlasting is even applied to punishment in another world. It is chiefly, from overlooking the scripture usage of the words, rendered everlasting, etc. which leads people to conclude, that in the Bible, punishment is taught in a future world, and that it is endless in its duration. So far then from the phrase, "everlasting fire," in verse 8, being any objection to my views of Gehenna in verse 9, it strongly confirms them. Gehenna fire, and everlasting fire, in both verses, plainly refer, to the punishment which came on

the Jewish nation at the close of the Mosaic dispensation, and which is not yet ended. I think prejudice itself will allow this.

Math. xxiii. 15, "Woe unto you scribes and pharisees, hypocrites; for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte; and when he is made, ye make him two-fold more the child of hell, (Gehenna), than yourselves." This is the first place in the New Testament, where any thing is said about Gehenna to wicked men. The scribes and pharisees were the persons addressed, as the passage states. Dr. Campbell says, this is one of the places where the term Gehenna is used figuratively. And Parkhurst remarks, that-" son of Gehenna, or hell, is one deserving of or liable to, hell." He considers, and justly, the expression an Hebraism. See Professor Stuart's letters to Dr. Millar, where this is shown at length. The words, plainly imply, that our Lord considered the persons addressed children of hell or Gehenna. This, according to Parkhurst, means "deserving of, or liable to hell, or Gehenna." Their making their proselyte, two-fold more the child of hell than themselves, of course means, they made him twofold more deserving of or liable to hell, than themselves. The question then is, what hell or Gehenna were both deserving of, or liable to? If it is said, eternal misery; the sense evidently is, the Pharisees made their proselyte two-fold more deserving of or liable to eternal misery than themselves. But to assume this as the sense of Gehenna, is taking for granted the question in discussion. No proof of this is offered, no evidence of it can be given. Mr. Stuart, after quoting this passage, simply adds the following assertion. "i. e. he is doubly deserving of the punishment of hell. Surely the Savior does not mean to say, that he will suffer double the punishment literally to be inflicted on them, in the literal valley of Hinnom." But this assertion determines nothing. I might return it thus" Surely the Savior does not mean to say, that

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