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DISC.
XIII.]
THE PUNISHMENTS IN HELL.
617
when
there
are valuable
ends
in
divine providence,
and
God's government
of
the world
to
be subserved,
by
suffering such wilful,
rebellious, and
impenitent crea-
tures to
become sacrifices to
their
own
iniquity and
his
justice,
and
perpetual
monuments
to
other
worlds
of
their
own
madness
and
his holiness. Such
is
the case
of
a
sinful
spirit, and therefore
a
God of
justice
may
pro-
nounce
upon
it,
and execute the
eternal
misery.
SECTION
II.
The
strongest and
most
plausible
Objections
against
the
Perpetuity
of
Hell
answered.
I
think
these reasons,
which have
been
given,
are suf-
ficient to justify
the
ministers
of
the
gospel
in
represent-
ing
the punishments
of
hell as
everlasting
`
But man,
sinful
man does
norlove
to
hear of
this
dreadful perpe
-,
tuity
of
hell
:
They
would fain
find some
period
to
these
sorrows, they
search
on
every
side
if
there
be
no way
for
escape from
this prison, no
door of
mercy,
no
cranny
of
hope left among the reasons
of
things,
or
among the
at-
tributes, or
the
transactions of
the blessed
God
:
And
they are ever proposing
some
methods to
cut
short
this
eternity, which
scripture
.ascribes
to the punishment
of
impenitent
sinners.
I
shall
endeavour therefore here
to
give
a
fair
and
plain answer to
the strongest objections
against
this
doctrine
which
I
ever yet
have met
with.
Objection
I. The
first
objection
is
raised from
a
criti-
cism
on the words
of
scripture. The
Greek
and Hebrew
words,
say they,
which
we
translate eternal
and.
everlast-
ing, where
the torments
of
hell
are mentioned, are
not
always used for
proper
and complete eternity, they some-
times signify only
a
long
duration
:
So
God
gave
Abra-
ham
and
his
seed
the
land
of Canaan
"
for an
everlast-
ing possession," Gen. xvii.
8.
but
now
the
Turks
pos-
sess
it.
"
Several
of
the
statutes of
the levitical lawwere
said to be
everlasting,"
Lev.
xvi.
34.
But they are
all
abolished
in
the
gospel.
"
The
sons
of
Aaron
had
an
everlasting priesthood conferred
upon them,"
Evod.
xl.
15.
But
this
office is
cancelled
by
the kingdom
of
the
Messiah,
and
finished
for
ever.
Besides,
let it
be
remembered,
says
the objectors,
that
the Hebrew
word
t:D
ur
Olam,
and the
Greek
Ago
and
Aiwves
signify
only the various
ages
or periods
of
time
which
belong
to
the
duration
of
creatures, or
to some