1st. Everlasting. “And I will give unto thee and thy seed, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession.” Gen. xvii. 8.
“And I will make of thee a multitude of people, and will give this land (Canaan) to thy seed after thee, for an everlasting possession.” Gen. xlviii. 4.
Now, was this possession to be endless? No, for it ceased long ago! But let me read still more: “Unto the utmost bounds of the everlasting hills”—“The everlasting mountains were scattered.” Hab. iii. 6. The gentleman believes that the everlasting hills and mountains will all be destroyed when the world comes to an end!
“For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood.” Exod. xl. 15. “And he (Phinehas) shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant, for an everlasting priesthood.” Num. xxv. 13. “And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel once every year.” Lev. xvi. 34. Was the priesthood to be of endless duration? or has it not long since been abolished by the priesthood of Christ? Such, my friends, is a sample of the Bible use of this word.
2d. Forever. “He (Solomon) shall build me an house, and I will establish it forever.” 1 Chron. xvii. 12. This house although established forever, was long since torn down and destroyed! “For the land which thou seest, to thee (Abram) will I give it, and to thy seed forever.” Gen. xiii. 15. “You will keep it (the passover) a feast by an ordinance forever.” Exod. xii. 14. Was the observance of the passover to be of endless duration? “They shall be your bondsmen forever.” Lev. xxv. 46. Were they to be bondsmen throughout duration? “I went to the bottom of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me forever”—that is, three days! Jonah ii. 6. “The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever.” Ps. xxxvii. 29. Are the righteous to dwell in a land endlessly? “And his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him forever,”—that is, as long as he live. Exod. xxi. 6. “And they shall dwell in the land that I have given my servant Jacob, wherein your fathers have dwelt, and they shall dwell therein, forever; and my servant David shall be their prince forever.” Ezek. xxvii. 25. This needs no comment. “But Judah shall dwell forever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation,”—from genea to genea. “For I have told him that I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity which he knoweth.” Will the Almighty be endlessly judging the house of Eli? And if to judge forever does not mean endless judgment, why should to punish forever mean endless punishment? Can any one tell? Paul, writing to Philemon, says of Onesimus,—“For perhaps he departed for a season, that thou shouldst receive him forever”—not endlessly, surely!
This noted passage, then, affords no evidence that punishment will be inflicted duration without end. Dr. Samuel Johnson, the great moralist and writer of the last century, speaking of this passage, and others of like character, says: “They may admit of a mitigated interpretation.”
The discussion continued four days—closed Saturday evening. I delivered a practical discourse on Sunday morning, made no reference to the debate, and at the close organized a society. Mr. Coon preached in the afternoon, and the discussion was his text. He misrepresented me, the good faith, and poured out volleys of abuse on all who did not subscribe to his fire and brimstone creed. I replied in the evening, and handled Calvinism without gloves, but he kept out of the way.
CHAPTER IX.
Questioned J. O’Kane in Dayton—He Beat a Retreat—He Replied in Crawfordsville—Three Resurrections, National, Moral, and Immortal—Conversation in West Lebanon—Everlasting, Forever—Kingdom of God—Sin, Error, Suffering not Endless—In Southern Indiana—Why Live a Christian Life—Bigotry in Breckenridge—Discussion with Mr. Dickerson—Calvinism—Arminianism—Universalism—debate in Chambersburg.
When in Dayton on one occasion to fill an appointment, I heard J. O’Kane preach an excellent sermon—it was all Universalism. His subjects were the Mosaic and Christian covenants. Moses was the head of the first, and Christ the head of the second covenant; the blessings of the first were temporal, and were designed only for the Jews; the blessings of the second were spiritual, including the forgiveness of sin and life everlasting, and were designed for all nations. The whole Jewish nation was blessed temporally, and all nations, families and kindred would be blessed spiritually. He dwelt long and emphatically on these points—proved and illustrated them in a very satisfactory manner. My friends evidently thought that was pretty good Universalism, as it certainly was. But I was satisfied that it was all a blind, and I resolved to quiz him a little. As soon as he was through, I asked the privilege to propound a few questions, and stated I should be much pleased if he would answer them.