diseased hand, and thus let nothing prevent us from entering the gospel kingdom. This was peculiarly applicable to the disciples. There was a tribulation coming on the Jewish nation, "such as was never known from the beginning of the world." It was better, therefore, that the disciples should part with friends, and deny themselves even temporal things, rather than to perish with their enemies in the overthrow of the Jewish nation. The Prophet Jeremiah had predicted that their city should become as Tophet-and as the bodies of criminals were burned alive in the valley of Hinnom, so in case of the apostacy of the disciples, they would be involved in calamities coming on the Jews, similar to those punishments inflicted on criminals in the vale of Hinnom. This meaning appears evident from the language in which the above verse is couched. Says Christ, "It is better to enter into life, or the kingdom of God, maimed, halt with one eye, one foot, &c., than that our whole body should be cast into hell." (Gehenna) Understanding these expressions literally, it would prove that men would go to heaven bodily, maimed and halt, and also that the whole body should be cast into hell. This we know to be contrary to facts; for "the body returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit to God who gave it." But understand the expression "kingdom of God," to mean the visible church established on the earth-and the word hell, (Gehenna) to be typical of the destruction of Jerusalem, and the passage is plain and consistent. For in Jerusalem, which Jeremiah predicted should become as Tophet, there were six hundred thousand dead bodies suffered to lie unburied in the streets of the city. "Where their worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched." Mark 9: 48.

The learned Parkhurst says on this passage, "Our Lord seems to allude to the worms which preyed on the dead carcasses that were cast into the valley of Hinnom, and to the perpetual fire kept up to consume them." "Where the worm

dieth not and the fire is not quenched." The adverb where points to the place, viz: the valley of Hinnom, where the worm did not die, and the fire was not quenched. Dr. Whitby says, "These words seem plainly taken from Isaiah 66: 24, which reads thus: "And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the Lord. And they shall go forth, (from Jerusalem) and look upon the carcasses of the men (in the valley of Hinnom) that have transgressed against me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched." This shows the origin of the expression, "where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."

The next passage in which the word Gehenna occurs is the following:

"And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Mat 10: 28.

This text is relied upon in support of endless punishment; but view it in any light, it fails to prove this system, as the following considerations show:

1. The passage says, "God is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Well, who questions God's ability to blot the universe out of being, or strike the soul out of existence? But does it prove because God is able to perform a thing that he will? No; because John said to the Jews that God "was able of the stones in the streets to raise up children unto Abraham." And Christ said, "God could send him more than twelve legions of angels." God was able to send these angels, yet he did not do it! The mere fact then that God is able to destroy the soul and body in hell, is not positive proof that it will be done. But

2. Suppose God will do the thing that He is able to do, viz.: "destroy both soul and body," it will prove annihilation.

This is preferable to endless misery! Who would not prefer to have the soul destroyed with the body, than to have its existence protracted through boundless ages in a state of unending suffering! Taking either of these grounds, the text does not support the system of endless punishment. But,

3. The passage says, "God is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Gehenna). This destruction, then, was to take place while the soul and body were connected — before their separation took place-hence the hell must be in this life; for it would not be proper to say God will destroy the body after it has returned to the dust, and the soul to God who gave it. We conclude, therefore, the destruction must take place while the soul and body were connected. Consequently, the hell in which the destruction of the soul and body are to take place, must be in this world. I propose the following paraphrase of this passage: "Fear not them your enemies, who can only destroy life; but rather fear God, who is able to bring upon them a tribulation such as was never known since the world began, even worse than the burning alive of their bodies in the valley of Hinnom." The expression “destroy both soul and body," means an entire destruction of the Jewish nation. For an example, see Isa. 10: 18. And shall consume the glory of his forest, both soul and body." Here the expression "soul and body" means the same as “root and branch," denoting a complete overthrow. Accordingly, when the judgments burst upon the Jewish nation, the "soul and body" of that corrupt people, the "soul and body" of their religion, the "soul and body" of their government was destroyed, "root and branch." Such we conceive to be the correct interpretation of this text.

66

Having examined some of the principal passages in which the word Gehenna occurs, we invite attention to sundry phrases relied upon in support of endless Punishment, among which we note the following:

WRATH TO COME.

This phrase is thought to refer to unending misery after death; but Christ says, "There shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people," viz.: the Jews. Bp. Pearce says, "the wrath to come, was the punishment to come in the destruction of the Jewish state." Dr. Clarke-" The wrath to come was the desolation which was about to fall upon the Jewish nation for their wickedness, and threatened them in the last words of their scriptures; let him that readeth understand." Wetstein. "By the wrath to come I understand the overthrow of the Jewish republic, which is called wrath upon this people." Luke 21: 23. Thus we see this phrase has no allusion to a future state.

UNQUENCHABLE FIRE.

He says,

"Whose

That this phrase typifies the destruction of Jerusalem, is evident from reading the verse in which it occurs. fan is in his hand, and he will purge his floor and gather his wheat into the garner, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." On this passage I concur in the opinion of Dr. Clarke. "the Romans are here termed God's fan, as in verse 10 they are termed his axe," &c. "His floor"— does not this mean the land of Judea, which has long been the threshing floor of the Lord? God says he will now, by the winnowing fan, (viz.: the Romans,) thoroughly cleanse this floor :—the wheat, those who believe in the Lord Jesus, he will gather into his garner,—put them in a place of safety, as he did the Christians by sending them to Pella, previously to the destruction of Jerusalem. But he will burn up the chaff-the disobedient and rebellious Jews." As the threshing floor is not in eternity, but in this world, and likewise the separation of the chaff from the wheat, so the burning of the chaff in unquenchable fire must be in this life. Bishop Pearce says, "In this whole verse the destruction of the Jewish state is expressed in the terms of husbandmen ;

and by the wheat's being gathered into the garner seems meant that the believers in Jesus should not be involved in that calamity."

On the phrase unquenchable fire, LeClerc remarks, "By these words is signified the utter destruction of the Jews, which commenced under Vespasian, and was completed at last under Adrian."

FIRE THAT SHALL NOT BE QUENCHED.

There is no figure more commonly employed by the inspired penman to set forth the overthrow of nations than that of fire. Its continuance depends altogether upon combustible materials of which it is made. When the fuel is consumed, the fire will go out. From its very nature it cannot be endless. An unquenchable fire, is one that cannot be quenched for the time being. Saturate a piece of linen in spirits of turpentine, set fire to it, and it is unquenchable. So the inspired penman speaks of a fire that shall not be quenched, when all that is meant by the phrase, is, it shall not be quenched for a period of time. As an example, take the following passages: "I will kindle a fire in the gates of Jerusalem, and it shall devour her palaces, and it shall not be quenched." Jer. 17: 27. Again: "I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree; the flaming flame shall not be quenched.” Ezek. 20: 47. But look at the following passage: "And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof into burning pitch. It shall not be quenched night nor day- the smoke thereof shall go up forever." Isa. 34: 9, 10. And yet the fires spoken of in these passages have long since been extinguished.

66 FIRE THAT SHALL NEVER BE QUENCHED." Dr. Clarke says,

"These words are not to be found in sixteen or seventeen of the ancient copies of the New Testa