they persecute you in this city, that is, in any one city, flee ye into another; for verily I say unto you, ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel till the Son of man be come with his Roman army to destroy that nation, and to burn up their cities." Par. on the place:

Matt. xxiv. 13, is a parallel passage, which the diligent inquirer is requested to examine. Now, in pointing out when the end would transpire, spoken of in verse 13, Jesus said; "Now learn a parable of the fig-tree; when his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; so, likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it (the end) is near, even at the doors. Verily, I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled." Matt. xxiv. 32, 33; see, also, 1 Cor. x. 11.

XI. "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." Matt. x. 28; Luke xii. 4, 5.

This passage is, confessedly, difficult of construction. Universalists are sincerely desirous, we believe, to learn what is its true sense. There are many persons who seem confident, that the passage teaches the doctrine of endless misery in hell (Gehenna). But let us look at the passage carefully.

Does it say, God will destroy both soul and body in hell? No; it says he is able to do so? It describes his ability, not his will, nor his purpose. We do not doubt God's ability to destroy the whole universe; but is it his will to do so? Should it be said, in reply to this, that Jesus would not have spoken as he did, if he had not believed there was danger that God would destroy soul and body in hell, we say this is an unjustifiable conclusion. It is often the case, that men speak of the power of God, by describing him as being able to do what they have no expectation he will do. As an illustration of this, take the following quotation from one of the hymns sung in Christian assemblies ;

"Praise to thee, thou great Creator,
Bounteous source of every joy;
He whose hand sustains all nature,
He whose nod can all destroy."

Here we are told, that God can destroy all nature. But, was it the poet's intention to assert, that God actually would destroy all nature? No; he merely referred to the extent of God's power. So in the passage before us. When it is said, God is able to destroy both soul and body in hell, there is not the slightest affirmation, that he wills to do so. Take another instance. When John the Baptist said, "God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham, did he intend to say, that God would do so? Certainly not; he merely meant to state what God had the power to do.

But again. If this passage refer to the future existence, and if the terms soul and body are to be understood as referring to the immortal spirit and the mortal body of man, and if the destruction is to be understood in the literal sense of the phrase, then how can the doctrine of endless misery be true? If we adopt such a construction of the passage, that doctrine falls to the ground at once; for if the immortal spirit and the mortal body are both destroyed, then neither can remain subject to punishment, and, of course, neither can be punished forever. To destroy both soul and body, in the sense in which these terms are generally employed, certainly cannot signify, to perpetuate the punishment of soul-and body in hell forever. That would be the very reverse of destruction.

Once more. Have we any evidence, that the term Gehenna, rendered hell in the passage before us, had ever been used in the time of our Saviour to signify endless punishment, or, in fact, any punishment in the future state? Jesus probably used the word in some sense that was common in his day. We look in vain, in the Old Testament, for proof that Gehenna was used to signify a place of punishment in the future state; nor

is there any proof that Gehenna was used in such a sense, before the time of the Saviour. Jesus would not employ the word in a sense to which the people were altogether unaccustomed ; and, therefore, it is more than probable, that he did not use the word to signify a place of punishment in the future state. At any rate, we must believe that he did not, until we see evidence to the contrary. We know that quotations are sometimes made from the Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel, to show that Gehenna had been employed in the time of Christ to signify endless misery; but these Targums are now generally referred, by the learned critics, to a much later date. If any person will produce a passage, in which Gehenna is applied to punishment in the future state, from any writer who is known to have lived before the time of Christ, or even contemporaneously with the Saviour, we will acknowledge, that there is an argument in favor of such an application of the term, which as yet we have never

seen.

But again; is it certain that the Saviour intended to refer to the principle, which is called the immortal spirit of man ? Fear not them which kill the body (σμa), but are not able to kill the soul (yzn)." Is it certain the Saviour here referred to that immortal part of man, which is to survive the ravages of death? We want proof, if we are called on to admit this. We know that the Greek term yuz does very frequently signify mere animal life. Thus, Matt. ii. 10; They are dead which sought the young child's life." Did they seek its immortal spirit, or did they seek to destroy its earthly being? Again; "Take no thought for your life, what you shall eat," &c. "Is not the life more than meat?" Matt. vi. 25. Here the term evidently does not signify any thing more than mere animal existence. What circumstance is it, then, which makes it so certain as some imagine it to be, that yuz, in Matt. x. 28, and Luke xii. 4, 5, signify the ever-living principle? We think there is room for great doubt on that point.

But, in still further, confirmation of what we have said, let it be observed, that the sacred writers make a clear distinction between wuzn, the life, and лvεμα, - πνεῦμα, the spirit. The spirit, vεvua, is never said to be destroyed in Gehenna. We challenge the world to produce an instance of the kind. Paul says, I pray God your whole spirit (лvεvua), and soul (yvzn), and body (ouu), be preserved blameless, unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Thess. v. 23. Here ψυχὴ is plainly distinguished from πνεῦμα. See also Heb. iv. 12. "For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit." Here yun and лvεuμа are plainly distinguished again. If ψυχὴ signifies the immortal spirit, what is the πνεύμα? We beg, that it may be specially remembered, that we read of casting the body into Gehenna, and of destroy-* ing the yuz, life, in Gehenna; but the word veμα is not mentioned once in connexion with Gehenna in the whole Bible. Strange! strange! if the immortal spirit is doomed to be punished in Gehenna forever! *

If the foregoing remarks have been duly considered, the reader will see, that it is by no means probable, that Jesus spoke the words in Matt. x. 28, for the purpose of teaching the doctrine of endless misery.

Various explanations of this passage have been given by Universalists. We do not think it necessary to ad

duce them here.

The reader is referred, for the opinion presented by Rev. H. Ballou, of Boston, to the

positor," Vol. II. pp. 233-241.

Universalist ExAlso to a sermon

on Luke xii. 4, 5, by Rev. S. Cobb, entitled, "The

"It

*Since writing the above we have examined 1 Cor. xv. 44. is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body, — Where natural is from ψυχικόν, and spiritual from πνευματικόν. Here the ψυχὴ is evidently put for something pertaining to the natural body, while the TVεvua is the pure spirit which shall live in the immortal world, beyond the resurrection of the dead. And remember, πνεῦμα is not mentioned once in the whole Bible in connexion with Gehenna.

Destruction of Soul and Body in Gehenna," in.which the author has advanced opinions somewhat similar to those of Rev. Mr. Balloù: An article from the pen of Rev. H. Ballou, 2d., may be found in the

66

Universalist Expositor," Vol. IV. pp. 164–169, and a reply to the same, by Rev. H. Ballou, of Boston, in the same volume, 322-326. See also a very learned article on the word Gehenna, same work, Vol. II. pp. 351-368. See also Balfour's "First Inquiry, ed. of 1832, pp. 139-151, and 187-190. Balfour's "Reply to Sabine," pp. 99-125. "Letters to Hudson," pp. 171-186. Reply to Stuart," p. 222. See also Trumpet," Vol. XI. p. 77, for an interesting article from Mr. P. Hay, Jr. Also p. 92, same volume. See also an article from Rev W. E. Manley, same volume, p. 193, and a reply thereto from H. B. 198. Mr. Manley's rejoinder appeared in the "Trumpet," Vol. XII. p. 5. See also a very interesting article from Rev. J. B. Dods, same volume, p. 73.

XII. "But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the day of judgment, than for you. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shall be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for thee." Matt. xi. 22-24.

For the explanation of this passage, so far as the phrase, "day of judgment," is concerned, we refer to our remarks on Matt. x. 15, section VIII.

not repeat the arguments here.

We need

Let it be observed, that the word hell in this passage is not translated from Gehenna, a word we have already considered, but from hades, which primarily signifies the state of the dead in general, but secondarily (as in the passage before us), it signifies a low, depressed, and debased situation. The sense of the passage we believe to be this: It shall appear, in the judgment about to come, that the punishment inflicted on Tyre and Sidon, was more tolerable, than the punishment