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The Fundamentals which our Lord says that He will pronounce upon those on His left hand in the last great day: “Depart from Me, ye cursed,, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels,” (Chapter 25:41). Turning to the Gospel according to M a r k , we find our Lord saying, in chapter 3:29: “Whosoever shall blaspheme against the Holy Spirit hath never forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin.” Whatever view may be taken of the char acter of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, the cause and con sequence are here closely linked together, eternal sin bringing eternal retribution. The words in the original undoubtedly indicate an inveterate habit rather than an isolated act, and would probably be better translated, “is held under the power of an eternal sin.” This in itself precludes the possibility of forgiveness, because it assumes the impossibility of repent ance ; besides, each repetition involving a fresh penalty, the punishment is naturally unending. Similarly, in John 8 :21, 24, our Lord’s twice repeated declaration to those Jews which believed not on Him, “Ye shall die in your sins”, indicates that unforgiven sin must rest upon the soul in condemnation and pollution; for death, so far from changing men’s char acters, only fixes them; and hence Christ speaks in chapter 5:29 of “the resurrection of damnation”. Once more, the words of the Ascended and Glorified Saviour recorded in Rev. 21 :8 may be quoted: “The fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which bumeth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death.” f “ ‘ATcareful study of the Scriptural uses of the words “life” and death will clearly show that the root ideas are respec tively union and “separation”. Physical life is union of the spirit with the body, spiritual life is the union of the spirit with God, and everlasting life is this union perfected and con-
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