Future Retribution. By Rev. George S. Mott [pp. 532-554]

Future Retribution.
compensate for their guilty carelessness, their time had passed.
The door was shut, nor did it open. In the parable of the
Rich Man and Lazarus three verses give their history on earth,
while ten are devoted to describe their condition in the future.
And it is asserted there is no passing from the one place to
the other. You may examine those parables which set forth
the consequences of different courses of life on earth, and you
will find that with marvellous agreement they teachl the hopeless
condemnation of the finally impenitent. The house founded
on a rock stood; the one built on the sand fell, and was swallowed up in the flood. The tares were burnt up. The man
without the wedding garment was bound hand and foot, and,
thus helpless, was cast into outer darkness, and there left. And
on the other hand, there is not one parable which even hints
at the restoration of the condemned. The bold terrific languag,e of our Lord, asserting their changeless state, has not a
word of qualification. Amid the many teachings which fell
from his lips on this topic, why should so important a question
be passed in silence, if the theory of universal salvation be
correct?
There are terms and expressions of frequent occurrence in the
New Testament which are so handled by Universalists as
greatly to strengthen their position; e.g., "Behold the Lamb
of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." "This is
indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world;" and other similar
passages where the word world occurs. But surely we cannot
extend that term to cover every man, woman, and child in the
world. This would be contrary to the accepted usage of the
word world in Scripture and in all languages. We may, ins
passing, just give an example. Luke states that about the time.
of our Lord's birth a decree was issued by Augustus," that all
the world should be taxed."' This did not mean that every
kindred and tongue under the whole heaven should be taxed.
Again, such expressions as these are quoted: "God our Saviour will have all men to be saved." "And I, if I be lifted
up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." "For God
hath concluded all in unbelief, that he might have mercy on
all." Christ is said to "reconcile all things unto himself."
In Universalist writings a vast deal is made out of these and
. VOL. XLIII. —NO. IV. 45
1871.]
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