“Not so fast, my friend. True, the primary meaning of those words is duration, indefinite duration, but how long cannot be determined by the words, but by the subjects of discourse. When the Bible speaks of the ‘everlasting hills,’ ‘everlasting priesthood of Aaron,’ ‘the everlasting possession’ of Judea by the Jews, ‘the everlasting doors’ of the temple, ‘the servant serving his master forever,’ you readily admit that those words in those places mean limited time. You admit this, because the subjects of discourse are limited in their duration. But when those words are applied to God, and man’s immortal inheritance, they signify unlimited duration, because of the subjects to which they are applied. But why should everlasting and forever, when applied to punishment, bear the meaning they do when related to God and immortal life, rather than the signification they bear when applied to the priesthood, the hills, or the temple?”

“I admit, that when those words are applied to man in this world, they signify limited time, but when the Bible speaks of man being punished forever, and suffering everlasting punishment in the immortal world, they must mean the same they do when it speaks of the everlasting blessedness of the saints in heaven, and joys forevermore at God’s right hand. Take, for instance, the words of Christ, ‘These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.’ Now this life and this punishment pertain to the immortal world, and one will continue as long as the other.”

“But it is by no means certain, that Jesus refers to heaven or hell beyond the grave. The connection clearly shows, that Christ had reference to the blessedness of the subjects of the gospel kingdom, and the wretchedness of those out of that kingdom, out of the ark of safety. In the connection of the passage, he says, ‘Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ The life spoken of in your text is the life, the blessedness of this kingdom, and the New Testament certainly teaches, that the kingdom is established in this world. When John commenced his ministry he said, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.’ When Jesus began his work, he repeated what John had said before him, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand.’ Soon after this Jesus said, ‘If I cast out devils by the spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.’ Again said Jesus, ‘The law and the prophets were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.’ Near the close of our Lord’s ministry the Pharisees inquired of him when the kingdom would come, which he and John sometime before said was at hand. Now, observe his reply: ‘Neither shall ye say, lo here, or lo there, for behold the kingdom of God is within you,’ or about, or among you, as some, and very correctly, translate the passage. The apostle Paul defines this kingdom thus: ‘The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, joy and peace in the holy spirit.’ These citations inform us where and what this kingdom is. It is the kingdom of truth and righteousness, that Jesus built up in this world eighteen hundred years ago. It is called the kingdom of God because its principles are all divine; because the Son of God is its king, and to distinguish it from the political kingdoms of earth. In this world there are three kingdoms, and three lifes corresponding with those kingdoms: 1st, The kingdom of nature; and the life corresponding with it is physical life; 2d, The civil kingdom; and the life corresponding with it is political, or civil life; 3d, The kingdom of God, and its life is spiritual life. You perceive, then, that in the passage you cite, Jesus refers not to heaven or hell beyond the grave, but to the blessedness of that kingdom he labored to build up in this world. When the New Testament speaks of the immortal world, and heavenly blessedness, it employs different terms. When Jesus speaks on those sublime themes, he says, ‘In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven;’ and the apostle Peter calls immortality ‘An inheritance, undefiled, and fadeth not away;’ and the apostle Paul says, ‘This mortal shall put on immortality, and as we bear the image of the earthy we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.’ Remember then, that a future state of joy or sorrow was not the theme of Jesus on this occasion.”

“But, sin, according to the Bible, will continue as long as virtue, misery as long as happiness, death as long as life, and therefore forever and everlasting when applied to one class must mean as long as when applied to the other class.”

But my friend, are you sure, that sin, error, misery, and death, will continue as long as virtue, truth, happiness, and life? I take it, that nothing is immortal save what harmonizes with the divine character. For a wise purpose, things may have a temporary existence, that are antagonistic to God’s character. They may answer some useful end in the economy of the universe; but when that end shall be gained, they will disappear. The earthquake rends the earth, the lightnings flash, the storm howls, the rain falls, for useful purposes, and those attained, they cease; and their temporary existence, as they result in immense good, is reconcilable with infinite goodness. But an everlasting earthquake from pole to pole, eternal lightning, blowing and raining, would be antagonistic to infinite wisdom and goodness. So, moral storms and earthquakes answer a useful purpose in this world, and when that end shall be realized, they will cease. But the existence of sin and wrong eternally would conflict more with the wisdom and goodness of God, than everlasting temporal evils, as the former blast the soul, while the latter only blast the body. As earthquakes are less frequent than they were in the past ages, and now seldom do much harm, and will probably continue to diminish, and finally cease to rend the earth, so moral evil is slowly losing its sway, and its strength will doubtless continue to grow less and less, till righteousness shall cover the earth as the waters cover the deep. By beautiful analogies we are taught in the Bible, that all sin and wrong will end. “And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defense.” Isa. iv. 3-5. “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” Isa. xi. 6-9. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth; it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the briar shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Isa. lv. 8-13. These are elegant passages, perfect word-painting, and you see they teach the end of all wrong, and the universal reign of truth and all righteousness.

About this time I made a long journey south—down the Wabash river to Terre Haute, thence to Indianapolis, Richmond, Madison, and the Green River region, in Kentucky. The distance to and from was nine hundred miles, was absent three months, and delivered seventy-three sermons. The whole journey was performed by my favorite mode of locomotion—on horseback. I spoke in many places where the faith I advocated had not before been publicly defended, and, of course, met with much opposition. In Portland, a preacher in the midst of my sermon said, “That is a lie!” and left the house in a great rage. “Stop!” said I, “my friend, and sustain, if you can, your charge. I will yield the floor.” “I will have nothing to do with you; and I warn you to flee from the wrath to come.” In Boston, near Richmond, an old lady called aloud for eggs with which to shower me. But none were furnished. In Perrysville, an old toper went staggering out of the house, muttering, “It’s good to live by, but it’s not good to die by.”

In Shelbyville, a man at the close of a discourse remarked, that he could see no good reason for living a christian life if Universalism is true.

“My friend,” I replied, “will you answer me a few questions? If you were sure of heaven would you put out your eyes? run hot lead into your ears? Would you not rather wish to see and hear in this world?”

“Yes.”

“If you were sure of being saved, would you not eat when hungry, and drink when thirsty?”