ihle cJtandard.
Issued monthly by "The Bible Standard Publication Society," Lincoln.
EDITED BY
Geo. A. BROWN, Pastor of Mint Lane Baptist Church, Lincoln.
" The Wages of Sin is Death; but the gift of God is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
WHAT IS MAN? Joshua xxiii. 11. "Take good heed therefore unto your-
selves, (margin-your souls.] that ye love the Lord your God."
ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES.
See also Joshua xi. 11.
PROPOSITIONIX. 1 Chron, v.. 21. " And they took away their cattle; ....
and of men (margin-souls of men) an hundred thousand."
THE LIFE GIVEN TO THE BODY BELONGSTO IT.
Job xxxvi. 14. "They die (margin-their soul dieth) in
Gen. xxxiv. 8. "And Hamor communed with them,
youth."
saying, the soul of my son Shechem longeth for your
Jer, xxxvii. 9. "Thus saith the Lord: Deceive not your-
daughter."
sel ves (margin-souls)."
1 Sam, xxiv. 11. "Thou huntest my soul to take it." XI.
Psalm lxxxvi. 13. "Thou hast delivered my soul from' THE UNION OF BODYWITH LIFE IS so CLOSE, THATEFFECTS ARE
hell. " SAID TO BE PRODUCEDUPONTHE LIFE THAT ARE SUPPOSEDTO
Psalm xxxiv. 22. "The Lord redeemeth the soul of BE ONLYCAPABLEOF BEING PRODUCEDUPONTHE BODY.
his servants." Joshua xi. 11. "And they smote all the souls that were
Isaiah liii. 10-12. "When thou shalt make His soul an therein."
offering for sin . . because he hath poured out His soul Psalm xvi. 10. "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell."
unto death." Compare Acts ii. 27 and 31.
Matt, xxvi. 38. "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even Psalm xxx. 3 .. "0 Lord, Thou hast brought, up my soul
unto death." from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not
X.go down to the pit."
THE KNOWLEDGEOF OURPERSONALITYIS so CLOSELYCONNECTED . Psalm xlix. 15. "But God will redeem my soul from the
WITH THE UNION OF LIFE WITH THE BODY, THAT THE TERM power of the grave: for He shall receive me."
LIFE OR SOUL IS USED TO EXPRESS THE CREATURE OR THE Jer, ii. 34. Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the
PERSON. souls of the poor innocents."
Gen. xiv. 21. "And the king of Sodom said unto Abram,
Isaiah xxxviii. 17. "Thou hast in love to my soul deliv-
give me the persons, (marg'in-souls,) ann take the goods ered it from the pit of corruption."
to thyself."
Ezekiel xiii. 18. "Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and
Lev. v. 2, "Or, if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether will ye save the souls alive of them that come unto you? "
it be a carcase of an unclean beast, . . . . he also shall be Ezekiel xxii. 25. "They have devoured souls," and 27 v.
unclean, and guilty." "to destroy. souls."
Lev. vii. 18. "It shall be an abomination, and the soul See also Jonah ii. 6-7.
.that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity."
\
XII.
Lev. vii. 20. " The soul that eateth of the flesh, How THIS UIHON IS EFFECTED WE KNOWNOT.
even that soul shall be cut off from his people." Eccles. xi. 5. "As thou lmowest not what is the way of
Joshua x. 30. "And he smote it with the edge of the the spirit, nor how the bones do grow in the womb of her
sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none that is with child: even so thou knowest not the works of
remain in it." See also i::l2and 39 1J. God who maketh all."
()6 .THE BIBLE STANDARD.
John iii. 8. Jesus said, "the wind bloweth where it Psalm, xiii. 3. "Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep
listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not of death."
tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is everyone Daniel xii. 2. " And many of them that sleep in the dust
that is born of the spirit." of the earth shall awake."
XIII. Matt. ix. 24. "[Jesus said] Give place: for the maid is not
THE LIFE IS IN THE BLOOD, AND SAID TO BE THE BLOOD. dead, but sleepeth."
Gen. ix. 4. " But flesh with the life thereof, .. the blood John xi. 11-14. "[Jesus said.] Our friend Lazarus sleep-
thereof, shall ye hot eat." eth." (14.)" Lazarus is dead."
Lev. xvii. 10-11. "Fodhe life ofthe flesh is in the blood.', Acts vii. 60. [Of Stephen,] "And when he had said this,
Lev. xvii. 13-14. "He shall even pour out the blood he fell asleep."
thereof, and cover it with dust. For it is the life of all flesh, 1 These. iv. 16-17. (13.) "Concerning them which are
the blood of it is for the life thereof." asleep." (14.)" Which sleep in Jesus." (16.)" The dead
Deut. xii. 23. " Only be sure that thou eat not the blood: in Christ."
for the blood is the life; and thou mayest not eat the life 2 Peter iii. 4. ;' For since the fathers fell asleep."
with the flesh." XVI.
XIV.
DEATH A RLEEP IN THE GRAVE OR HELL, (Greek-HADES, OR
THE TAKING AWAY OF THE BREATH OF LIFE CAUSES MAN TO
THE UNSEEN.)
BECOME A DEAD SOUL OR CREATURE.
Gen. xxxvii. 35. "[J acob said] For I will go down into the
Gen. vii. 21-22. "And all flesh died, .... and every
grave unto my son mourning."
man: all in whose no-strils was the breath of life, (margin-
Gen.!. 5. "[Joseph said,] My father made me swear,
the breath of the spirit of life,) of all that was in the dry
saying, La, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me
land, died."
in the land of Canaan,there shalt thou bury me."
Job xxxiv. 14-15. " If He set His heart upon man, if He
2 Killgs xxii. 20. "[To J osiah,] Thou shalt be gathered
gather unto Himself His spirit and His breath; all flesh
into thy grave in peace."
shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust."
Psalm xxx. 3. "0 Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul
Psalm civ. 29-30. "Thou hidest Thy face, they are
from the grave."
troubled: Thou takest away their breath. they die and
Hosea xiii. 14. " I will ransom them from the power of
return to their dust. Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they
the grave; I will redeem them from death."
are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth."
John v. 28-29. " [Jesus said] The hour is coming, in the
Psalm cxlvi. 3-4. "Put not your trust in princes, nor in
which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and
the son of ,man, in whom there is no help, (margin-salvation.)
shall come forth."
His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; . in that
John xi. 43. "[Jesns said.] Lazarus come forth."
very day his thoughts perish."
Acts ii. 27. "[Of Christ.] Because Thou wilt not leave
Eccles. iii. ~9-21. "For that which befalleth the sons of
my soul in hell." And 31.
men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the
one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath XVII.
(Hebrew-mach); so that a man hath no preeminence above THE TERM DEATH IS APPLIED TO THE PERSON, OR THE SOUL,
a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; . all are of OR THE BODY.
the. dust, and all turn to dust again. Who lmoweth the Num. vi. 6. "He shall come at ho dead body (Hebrew-
spirit (Hebrew -Tuach) of man that goeth upward, and the nephesh)."
spirit (Hebrew-ruach) of the beast that goeth downward to Num, ix. 6. " Who were defiled by the dead body (Hebrew
the earth?" -nephesh) of a man."
Eccles. xii. 5-7. "Because man goeth to his long home, Compare Lev. xxiv. 17 "He that killeth any man
. . . . then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and (margin-smiteth the life [nephesh] of a man)."
the spirit unto God who gave it." .l osliua xi. 11. x.30-32-39. [Joshua] "smote all the
Isaiah ii, 22. " Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his souls."
nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? " Judges xvi. 30. Sampson said, "Let me (mm'gin-my
XV. soul, [Hebrew-n"ephesh) die with the Philistines."
MAN IN THIS STATE IS SAID TO BE DEAD OR ASLEEP. Job xxxvi. 14. " They die (margin-their souls dieth) III
Job. vii. 21. "For now shall I sleep in the dust." youth."
Psalm xc. 5. "Thou carriest them away as with a flood; Psalm xxii. 29. " None can keep alive his own soul."
they are as a sleep." Haggai ii. 13. "Unclean by a dead body (nephesh)."
THE BIBLE STANDARD. 67
XVIII. Psalm cv. 18. "He was laid in iron (margin-his soul came
THE AWAKING FROMTHE SLEEPOF DEATHIS RESURRECTION. into iron)." 1saiah xlvi, 2. "Themselves (maTgin-theu'
Job xiv. 12. "So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the souls) are gone into captivity."
heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out 5. To various conditions attached to man. Gen. xxiii. 8.
of their sleep." "If it be your mind (soul)." See also Deut, xxviii. 65.
Psalm xvii. 15. "I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Ex. xv. 9. "My lust (soul) shall be satisfied upqn them."
thy likeness." Deut, xxiii. 24. "Thou mayest eat grapes at thine own
Isaiah xxvi. 19. "Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust." pleasure (soul)." 1 Sam, xxii. 2. "Everyone that was
Dan, xii. 2. " Them that sleep in the dust of the earth discontented (margin-bitter of soul)." Pro». xxiii. 2. "If
shall awake." thou be a man given to appetite (soul)."-
Mal'le v. 39-41. "The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth, H. Briuaiu, Birminqham;
. . . . Damsel, I say unto thee, arise."
Mark xii. 26. "And as touching the dead, that they rise."
John v. 21. "For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and THE EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT.
quickeneth them." "These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous
John xi. 11. [Of Lazarus,] "I go, that I may awake him into life eternal."-lVIatt. xxv. 46.
out of sleep." THIS passage is often read as if it said-" These shall go
Rom. iv. 17. "God, who quickeneth (maketh alive) the away into everlasting miserq or torment; and one clergyman
dead." at least has affirmed that the word rendered punishment
2 Cor. i. 9. "In God which raiseth the dead." here, should be translated torment, The only reason he
Eph. v. 14. " Awake, thou that sleep est, and arise from assigns is, that "The identical word is, in 1 John iv. 18,
the dead." rendered torment," Now, any weight such a reason can have
XIX. would turn the scale equally well in the other direction; for
SOMEMENWILL NEVERBE WAKEDFROMTHIS SLEEPOFDEATH. it might, on the same grounds, be argued, that the term
Isaiah xxvi. 14. "Dead, they shall not live; deceased, rendered" torment" in 1 John iv, 18, should be translated
they shall not rise." "punishment," seeing it is so rendered in Matt. xxv. 46.
Jer, li. 57. " They shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not The question as to which of the translations of the word is
wake, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of Hosts." the correct one, must be decided by other means.
XX. Our translators have rendered the term "punishment" in
THE RESURRECTED ONESWILL BE OF TWOCLASSES. Matt. xxv. 46. Were they justified in rendering it "torment"
Luke xiv. 14. "Thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrec- in 1 John iv. 18? I respectfully submit they were not. The
tion of the just." Greek term in question (kotasin] occurs only twice in the
John v. 28-29. "All that are in the graves shall hear New Testament (Matt. xxv. 46, and 1 John iv. 18); in the
his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, one case it ts rendered "punishment," in the other
unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, "torment." The verb [Icolazii] from which the noun
unto the resurrection of damnation." (Icclasin ] comos, occurs also twice, Acts iv. 21-" So when
ADDENDA. they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding
XXI. nothing how they might punish ( kolaeoturi] them;" 2 Pet.
THI'; WORDRENDEREDSOULIX THE COlVHlON VERSIONIS ALSO ii. 9-" The Lord knoweth how to reserve the unjust unto
RENDEREDIN VARIOUS WAYS,AS FOLLOWS: the day cif judgment to be punished {kolaeiimenous ], Now,
1. Life. Gen. i. 20. "The moving creature that hath there is no reason why kolasui should be rendered differently
life (margin-soul)." Gen. ix. 4., &c., &c. in 1 John iv. 18. Fear does not always produce torment,
2. Creature. (Gen. i. 21. "Every living creature Sometimes, indeed, it does; but it also produces various
(Hebrew-soul)." (24.)" Let the earth bring forth the living degrees of emotion, from simple uneasiness to such a degree
creature (He!lT!3w~soul)." (ii. 19.) "Whatsoever Adam of mental suffering as to produce DEATH..Dur translators
called every living creature (HebTew-soul)," See also Gen. would therefore have acted far more correctly, both in a
ix. 10. and Leo, xi. 4G. philological and philosophical point of view, had they
3. The entire person. E», i. 5. "And all the souls that rendered {lcolcsin ) punishment here also. Accordingly Mr.
came out of the loins of Jacob." Gen. xiv. 21. "Give me R. Young, in his translation, translates the passage "fear
the persons (margin-souls)." Gen. xxxvi. 6. "All the hath punishment:" For these reasons, then, we hold by the
persons (mal'gin-souls) of his house." language of Mou: xxv, 46,-" These shall go away into (or
4. Man. Ex. xii. 19. "Even that soul shall be cut off." unto) everlasting punishment."
68 THE BIBLE STANDARD.
Yet many hold" everlasting punishment" to be equivalent tioned, we find it to be "death," "perishing," "burnt up
to "everlasting torment." On this point Mr. Dobney, in his like chaff in unquenchable fire," "passing into smoke like
work on "Future Punishment," has the following sensible the fat of lambs," "everlasting destruction," &c.
remarks :- But while the term "punishment," in Matt. xxv. 46,
"People are not content with the phrase 'everlasting cannot of itself express the kind. of punishment to be endured
punishment;' they must substitute another word for by those of whom it is predicted, yet the context, even apart
punishment. And what shall it be? Misery, or torment,
no matter which. And so our Lord is represented as saying, from those explicit statements just eited, goes far to show
'These shall go away into everlasting misery (or torment).' that this "everlasting punishment" is death. For be it
Whereas He says nothing of the kind. Let us reverently observed, this "everlasting punishment" is the antithesis
adhere to His own expression; He says, 'everlasting punish-
ment,' and not 'everlasting torment.' And the two things to "everlasting life."
are utterly distinct. I affirm as strongly as any man that " These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but
the wicked shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life." " LIFE" is not the
then I deem it my duty to say, as our Lord said, 'punish-
ment.' I have not the presumption to correct His phraseology, opposite of '<punishment;" unless that punishment be death.
in order to harmonize it with my notions. But orthodoxy For it is as correct to speak of a miserable life as of a happy
does this. And it is only by substituting 'misery,' or one, If" the everlasting punishment, here threatened, were
'torment,' for punishment, that this text can be made to
support the popular doctrine. But let. us not add to His everlasting misery, the parties condemned would as really go
words, lest He reprove us. away into everlasting life as would the parties approved,
" It is an indisputable fact, and terrible enough without Had the declaration been,-" These shall go away into ever-
exaggeration, that the wicked shall go away into everlasting
lasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting
punishment. But what is punishment? Is misery, or
torment, a fair and proper synonym? It will not be happiness," then, in the absence of contrary testimony, it
asserted. Johnson defines punishment 'any infliction would have been fair to infer that "everlasting misery"
imposed in vengeance of a crime.' Whatever a judge justly was the punishment threatened, because m.isery would have
awards to an offender for his crime is punishment. Stripes,
fines, deprivation, imprisonment, degradation, death, may be been the antithesis to happiness. But seeing that LIFE is the
the 'punishment' awarded in an earthly court. And reward promised to the one party-DEATH must be the
whether it be a night's confinement in a cell, awarded to a punishment threatened to the other-else both parties would
child, or a flogging awarded to a young thief, or transporta-
tion to the felon, or death to the murderer, it is with equal have everlasting life.
propriety called punishment in each case. And the substitu- Here it is necessary to notice that the term translated
tion of the word 'misery,' or 'torment,' would be utterly punishment [kolaein) primarily means a cutting off. The
inadmissible. Yet the present text will not answer the
purpose of my opponents unless they make such substitution, verb (kolazo) primarily signifying to cut off, to prune, and
which in pulpit harangues I have perceived to be generally thus, when applied to persons, would signify a cutting off of
done. . . . . The question is narrowed to this, What is the life, i.e. a putting to death. Yet, while this is the primary
punishment which is ,to be everlasting? ... I of course
admit that the infliction of everlasting torment would be import of the term, the usage of it, as mentioned at the
everlasting punishment. On the other side, it must also be outset, shows that, conventionally, it is equivalent to our
allowed, that, in case God should really destroy the incorrig- word "punishment."
ible, literally destroy them, so that they for ever cease to be,
Many are so thoughtless as to affirm that death is no
this infliction of death would be punishment. And then,
surely, a complete and final and irretrievable destruction-a punishment at all, and yet it is uniformly styled Capital
destruction which is for ever, is to all intents an everlasting punishment, However it may be viewed by us, the Great
destruction. And so everlasting destruction would be Lawgiver regards it as" the highest punishment; the penal
everlasting punishment. And for the phrase everlasting
destruction we have the very highest authority, in 2 Thess, i. 7, enactments contained in the statue book He gave to Israel
-' The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven, with His bear striking testimony to this; as well as does the primal
mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them doom of man's transgression.
that know not God, and obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting The greatest boon of Heaven to our sinful race is also
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the represented in the Scriptures, to be life eternal. In this was
glory of His power.' "-pp. 206-207. manifested the love of God towards us, because, that God
These observations serve to show that the word punishment sent His only begotten ~011 into the world, that we might
cannot of itself express what is the nature of the penal live through Him, "The wages of sin is death, but the
enactment to be endured; and that the adjective " everlasting" gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord."
indicates the duration, not the kind of punishment threatened; -Wo Laing.
and that" everlasting destruction" is as really an everlasting
punishment as eternal torment would be.
DAVIDON THE DESTINYOF THEWICKED.-He says, " Man
When we refer to those scriptures where the nature of the that is in honor and understandeth not, is like the beasts
punishment to be inflicted on the finalJy impenitent is men- that perish."-- Psalm xlix. 20.
THE BIBLE STANDARD. 69
The indifference complained of is deepened in too many hended by the great mass even of those "who profess and
cases by those who fail to take the Scriptural way of call themselves Christians." People do not exactly deny that
removing it. "Another Gospel," whether it be that of there is a promise that Christ will come again, but it is
Rationalism or that of Romanism, will neither alleviate the accepted only with so many allowances, that it can hardly be
pangs of a guilty conscience, nor satisfy the yearnings of a said to be received at all as an efficacious truth.
hungry heart. Men need Christ's full ancl free salvation, Ministers and expositors have become so accustomed to
and if those who are avowedly set for the defence of the gloss, spiritualize, and accommodate to other things, the
Gospel, fail to present that to them, then the glory is passages which speak of it, and so preoccupy their rr inds
departed, and Ichabod may be written upon the temples of with figurative, providential, and imaginary comings of the
Old England.-Dr. Leark. Saviour by means of His doctrines, gospel, and spirit, that
His real coming,-which is the only one the Bible speaks of,--
and which was never meant to pass out of the view of the
CHRIST REJECTED. Church as near at hand, has well nigh lost its weight and
" There shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, place. It has become to many a mere fable. What earnest
and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? for sinc.e t~le fathers
fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the
Christian does not see and lament the wide-spread influences
creation."-2 Peter iii. 3-4. of rationalism and rationalistic philosophy, explaining away
• I learn from these words that, in the times to which the the gospel revelations, and even the most elementary view of
apostle alludes, the subject of Christ's coming and its accom- inspiration, of God, and of morality and right? But there
paniments is to be agitated and discussed; that there will are no portions of the Scripture which rationalism so much
be many who will be very unfavourably affected toward it, neglects; despises, or degrades, as the prophetic portions,
some of whom will deny it altogether, some revile it as a and no class of men whom it reviles with less mercy than
foolish dream, some agree that it is taught in the Scripture those who are so simple as to accept the prophecies in
but to be understood after a manner very different from what anything like their literal terms.
the literal terms import; and that there will be a great lack Even the late venerable Professor Stuart, in his review of
in the minds of people generally, of susceptibility to be Driffield on "The Second Coming of Christ," jests and jeers
seriously moved by this subject, except to revile it and turn over the whole subject, and laughs at those who take it up,
it into ridicule. A scoffer is, properly, an insolent ridiculer, as believers in "putrid fables."
a scoruer, a contumelious reproacher; hence Henry (in Ioc.} When Christianity was in its virgin purity, this was
pescribes these persons who "laugh at the very mention of among the most vivifying articles of the Creed,-the incentive
Christ's second coming, and do what in them lies to put all to repentance, the motive to faith, the encouragement to
out of countenance who seriously believe and wait for it :- fidelity, the inspiration of hope, and the spring of constancy
who can not deny that there is a promise, yet laugh at it." and zeal, which divested even-martyrdom of terrors; but in
Isaiah v. 19, Jer. xvii. 15, and Ezek. xii. 22. had before these last days it has become so powerless in the consciences
prophecied of similar manifestations with reference to the and hearts of men, that a.ny serious and practical concern
same subject and the same times. about it is hooted at as unscholarly weakness, and the
Christ also says, of some of His own professed servants, attempt to set it forth according to the words of the Holy
that, as the time draws near, they will put aside the subject, Spirit, is ridiculed in high ecclesiastical positions as identical
and say, "My Lord delayeth His coming; and shall begin to with the advocacy of "patistric legends" that would "dis-
smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the honour the brain of even the Rabbis" in their wildest
drunken."-lIiatt. xxiv. 48·-5l. dreams.
Startling also is it, in this connection, to think how Let a man, constrained by his solemn convictions and
imperative and null this powerful doctrine of Christ's speedy accountabilities, lift up his voice to reassert it in its true
return has become in the religion of modern times. Scriptural vigour, and to bid his fellows be ready for its
It is remarked by a distinguished German theologian speedy realization, and pulpits and presses point at him as
(Dr. Carl August Auberlen , Professor in Brazil), that" the more than a little crazed, and laughingly put him down on
second coming of Christ, viewed in connection with the their ready Iist of lunatic saints, whose like utterances they
kingdom established by it upon earth, occupies a much more say time proved to be but dreams.
prominent position in the view of the sacred Scriptures than We look on, and wonder that some of the best and most
in that of the modern Church." The remark is unquestion- learned men that have lived should be so flippantly des-
ably true. It may safely be said that there is not another patched, and that such momentous subjects should be so
doctrine in the whole Christian Creed, of equal prominence jeeringly set aside. And yet we ought not to wonder. The
and importance, which is so coldly and indefinitely appre- Scriptures long ago said it would be so; and Peter, in
THE BIBLE STANDARD. 71
stirring us up to remembrance, would have us assured first THE PRAOTICAL EFFECT OF BELIEF IN
of all, that such things the last days would bring forth. God ETERNAL TORMENT.
has not indeed left himself without witnesses; there are AT a Meeting held sotne time since in Sion College, an
those to whom the doctrine of the "coming and kingdom" interesting paper was read by Lord Lyttleton, which.subse-
of the Lord Jesus is a living power: whose hearts are quently appeared in the Contemporary Review. The drift
kindled with the blessed" promise of his coming" who, with of his lordship'S views was decidedly against the traditional
eloquent tongues and ready pens, are valiantly contending view of future punishment.
for this portion of the faith once delivered to the saints; In the course of the debate which followed, a remarkable
and who, though laughed at and reviled by men, are yet statement was made by the Rev. Rudolph Saffield, formerly
honoured and prospered by God. Nor are their words a Roman Catholic priest. He observed that no one knew so
without effect in many meek and pious hearts, who with well as a priest what was passing in other men's minds on
them wait and hope for the coming of the Lord. religious subjects; and that his own opportunities of ascer-
But the great mass of Christendom has no sympathy with taining the effect of the popular doctrine upon the minds of
them, and takes pleasure in twitting them for their credulity those who really believed it had, been very considerable. At
and want of better learning. And what is all this but the request of one who was present, he afterwards wrote aut
Peter's prophecy fulfilling-the very Church joining in the the following abstract of the testimony which he then gave
ribald cry, "Where is the promise of his chming?"- from his own experience :-
J. A. Seiss, D.D. "I am bound by honour now to observe faithfully the regu-
lations to which I was pledged when a Roman Catholic priest.
I am permitted by these, to be guided by the knowledge of
character and results obtained from the confessional, but so
ARE WE READY?
as never to point things to individuals. My extensive experi-
WE may conclude with certainty that when the day of ence for twenty years as confessor to thousands, whilst
trouble is about to dawn upon the world, everyone among Apostolic Missionary in most of the large towns of England,
God's waiting people-every sincere believer in the Lord in many portions of Ireland, in part of Scotland, and also in
Jesus, be he living on the earth or buried in the grave, France, is that, excepting instances I could count on my
shall rise to meet that Great Redeemer in .the air, and shall fingers, the dogma of hell, though firmly believed in by
be safe with Him above, until the time arrive when He, English and Irish Roman Catholics, did no moral or spirit-
with all His saints, shall come to execute His fearful ual good, but rather the reverse. It never affected the right
judgments on the earth's inhabitants. persons: it frightened, nay tortured, innocent young women,
But let us pause a moment to reflect about ourselves. and virtuous boys; it drove men and women into supersti- .
If the trumpet of the Lord should sound this day for the de- tious practices which all here would lament. It appealed
parture of the saints tf Christ, should we be ready? It is to the lowest motives and the lowest characters} not
written, "In that day, even in that night, two men shall be however to deter from vice, but to make them the willing
in the one bed; one shall be taken and the other left. Two subjects of 'sad and often puerile superstitions. It never
women shall be grinding together; one shall be taken and (excepting in the rarest cases,) deterred from the commision
the other left." Which then would it be in our case, Taken of sin. It caused increasing m sntal and moral difficulties,
or Lift? Oh, if we are putting off the things .of our lowered the idea of God, and drove devout persons from, the
eternity to a future day, we should-be Left ! If we have not God of hell to the Virgin Mary. When a Roman Catholic, I
gone as helpless sinners to the Lord Jesus Christ, that we on different occasions conferred on the subject with thought-
might obtain pardon through His blood, we should be Left. ful friends among the clergy; who agreed with me in noticing
But if we have, through grace, with all our hearts sought and deploring the same sad results. From the fear of,
the Redeemer, laid our sins on Him by faith, received Him hell we never expected virtue, or high motives,or a noble
as our Lord and Saciour in .sincerity and truth, then we life; but we practically found it useless as a deterrent. It
should be Taken-taken up to meet our King, and be with always influenced the wrong people, and in a wrong way.
Him for ever. Oh, surely this is not a time for lukewarm- "It caused' infidelity' to some, 'temptation' to others, and
ness for deferring things of everlasting moment to a future misery without virtue to most. The Roman Catholics are
day, but for the most earnest circumspection, watchfulness, very sincere and' real'; and we found it difficult to avoid
prayer, and zeal! Oh, let us see, each one for himself, that violating the conscience, when we told them to love and
we are not found wanting in the sight of the Great Judge revere a God compromised to the creation of a hell of eternal
of all !-GregoI'Y. wretchedness for His own children, a God perpetrating what
72 THE BIBLE STANDARD.