Page:A Defence of Revealed Religion.pdf/40

40 heaven? But a careful study of the Word forbids such a conclusion, and we may see many rational grounds for receiving the testimony of the Word. We are aware that a difficulty meets us at the onset from the fact that the original words translated in our version, "everlasting" and "eternal," literally mean "ages upon ages," for they had no word embodying our idea of eternity. But we must remember that if upon this ground we reject the doctrine of the eternity of hell, we must also reject that of the eternity of heaven, for the two states are spoken of in similar terms. It appears to us that the whole tenor of Bible teaching is to the effect, that by the life here man fixes his final state, and this is our security of an eternal happiness in heaven, as it is our danger of an eternal misery in hell. Thus it is written, "He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be." And our Lord also speaks of going "into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched: where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched." This fixity of the future state is also clearly represented by the saying in the parable of Dives and Lazarus, "Between us and you is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence."