In a previous article we sought to exhibit the meaning of the words commonly

translated "for ever" and "eternal" in our A.V., and this naturally leads us on to a

consideration of the nature of the punishment of the unsaved. It is held by many that

"eternal conscious suffering" is a fundamental, and many have been put out of meetings

for being what is called "non-eternity" men. A most important reason why we should be

convinced of this matter is the awful libel it must be on the name of God should it turn

out to be untrue.

If we have taught that God will punish the unsaved throughout the never-ending ages

of eternity, that after millions of years spent in writhing and cursing, the God of righteous

judgment has only just commenced the dreadful work of punishment on these unhappy

creatures, and finally it should prove to be but the tradition of men, what a shameful

calumny will be found in our mouths against the God of all grace! If eternal conscious

suffering is God's truth, we can never hold our peace, but must use every possible means

to bring before our hearers the horrible doom that awaits the impenitent.

Our minds cannot conceive what eternal torment can mean. Orthodoxy has no room in

its dreadful creed for the exercise of the slightest pity. The foul murderer and the simplest

child, the ignorant and the debased, all alike are heaped into its horrid "Hell"; all alike are

to be placed upon the rack forever. We shudder when we gaze upon the instruments of

cruelty of bygone days, but they are nothing, absolutely nothing, when compared to the

exquisite tortures reserved by the orthodox believers' God for all the unsaved. It makes

one sicken to think of these things; its effect upon those who really believe it may be

gathered from such a statement made by Queen Mary years ago:--

Of course, she ignored the words, "vengeance is Mine, saith the Lord," but

nevertheless her creed compelled her deed. Dr. Pettingell quotes from Hopkins' Works,

Vol. 2:, and gives the following comment upon the "smoke of their torment":--

Of course, if this is what God will do, His saints must of necessity rejoice therein. He

further says that should this fearful scene of torment and unutterable agony