transgression。
  In　the　midst　of　Eden　grew　the　tree　of　life；　whose　fruit　had　the　power　of
  perpetuating　life。　Had　Adam　remained
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  obedient　to　God；　he　would　have　continued　to　enjoy　free　access　to　this　tree
  and　would　have　lived　forever。　But　when　he　sinned　he　was　cut　off　from
  partaking　of　the　tree　of　life；　and　he　became　subject　to　death。　The　divine
  sentence；　〃Dust　thou　art；　and　unto　dust　shalt　thou　return；〃　points　to　the
  utter　extinction　of　life。
  Immortality；　promised　to　man　on　condition　of　obedience；　had　been　forfeited
  by　transgression。　Adam　could　not　transmit　to　his　posterity　that　which　he　did
  not　possess；　and　there　could　have　been　no　hope　for　the　fallen　race　had　not
  God；　by　the　sacrifice　of　His　Son；　brought　immortality　within　their　reach。
  While　〃death　passed　upon　all　men；　for　that　all　have　sinned；〃　Christ　〃hath
  brought　life　and　immortality　to　light　through　the　gospel。〃　Romans　5：12；　2
  Timothy　1：10。　And　only　through　Christ　can　immortality　be　obtained。　Said
  Jesus：　〃He　that　believeth　on　the　Son　hath　everlasting　life：　and　he　that
  believeth　not　the　Son　shall　not　see　life。〃　John　3：36。　Every　man　may　come
  into　possession　of　this　priceless　blessing　if　he　will　comply　with　the
  conditions。　All　〃who　by　patient　continuance　in　well…doing　seek　for　glory　and
  honor　and　immortality；〃　will　receive　〃eternal　life。〃　Romans　2：7。
  The　only　one　who　promised　Adam　life　in　disobedience　was　the　great　deceiver。
  And　the　declaration　of　the　serpent　to　Eve　in　Eden〃Ye　shall　not　surely
  die〃was　the　first　sermon　ever　preached　upon　the　immortality　of　the　soul。
  Yet　this　declaration；　resting　solely　upon　the　authority　of　Satan；　is　echoed
  from　the　pulpits　of　Christendom　and　is　received　by　the　majority　of　mankind
  as　readily　as　it　was　received　by　our　first　parents。　The　divine　sentence；
  〃The　soul　that　sinneth；　it　shall　die〃　（Ezekiel　18：20）；　is　made　to　mean：　The
  soul　that　sinneth；　it　shall　not　die；　but　live　eternally。　We　cannot　but
  wonder　at　the　strange　infatuation　which　renders　men　so　credulous　concerning
  the　words　of　Satan　and　so　unbelieving　in　regard　to　the　words　of　God。
  Had　man　after　his　fall　been　allowed　free　access　to　the　tree
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  of　life；　he　would　have　lived　forever；　and　thus　sin　would　have　been
  immortalized。　But　cherubim　and　a　flaming　sword　kept　〃the　way　of　the　tree　of
  life〃　（Genesis　3：24）；　and　not　one　of　the　family　of　Adam　has　been　permitted
  to　pass　that　barrier　and　partake　of　the　life…giving　fruit。　Therefore　there
  is　not　an　immortal　sinner。
  But　after　the　Fall；　Satan　bade　his　angels　make　a　special　effort　to　inculcate
  the　belief　in　man's　natural　immortality；　and　having　induced　the　people　to
  receive　this　error；　they　were　to　lead　them　on　to　conclude　that　the　sinner
  would　live　in　eternal　misery。　Now　the　prince　of　darkness；　working　through
  his　agents；　represents　God　as　a　revengeful　tyrant；　declaring　that　He　plunges
  into　hell　all　those　who　do　not　please　Him；　and　causes　them　ever　to　feel　His
  wrath；　and　that　while　they　suffer　unutterable　anguish　and　writhe　in　the
  eternal　flames；　their　Creator　looks　down　upon　them　with　satisfaction。
  Thus　the　archfiend　clothes　with　his　own　attributes　the　Creator　and
  Benefactor　of　mankind。　Cruelty　is　satanic。　God　is　love；　and　all　that　He
  created　was　pure；　holy；　and　lovely；　until　sin　was　brought　in　by　the　first
  great　rebel。　Satan　himself　is　the　enemy　who　tempts　man　to　sin；　and　then
  destroys　him　if　he　can；　and　when　he　has　made　sure　of　his　victim；　then　he
  exults　in　the　ruin　he　has　wrought。　If　permitted；　he　would　sweep　the　entire
  race　into　his　net。　Were　it　not　for　the　interposition　of　divine　power；　not
  one　son　or　daughter　of　Adam　would　escape。
  Satan　is　seeking　to　overcome　men　today；　as　he　overcame　our　first　parents；　by
  shaking　their　confidence　in　their　Creator　and　leading　them　to　doubt　the
  wisdom　of　His　government　and　the　justice　of　His　laws。　Satan　and　his
  emissaries　represent　God　as　even　worse　than　themselves；　in　order　to　justify
  their　own　malignity　and　rebellion。　The　great　deceiver　endeavors　to　shift　his
  own　horrible　cruelty　of　character　upon　our　heavenly　Father；　that　he　may
  cause　himself　to　appear　as　one　greatly　wronged　by　his　expulsion　from　heaven
  because　he　would　not　submit　to　so　unjust　a　governor。　He　presents　before
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  the　world　the　liberty　which　they　may　enjoy　under　his　mild　sway；　in　contrast
  with　the　bondage　imposed　by　the　stern　decrees　of　Jehovah。　Thus　he　succeeds
  in　luring　souls　away　from　their　allegiance　to　God。
  How　repugnant　to　every　emotion　of　love　and　mercy；　and　even　to　our　sense　of
  justice；　is　the　doctrine　that　the　wicked　dead　are　tormented　with　fire　and
  brimstone　in　an　eternally　burning　hell；　that　for　the　sins　of　a　brief　earthly
  life　they　are　to　suffer　torture　as　long　as　God　shall　live。　Yet　this　doctrine
  has　been　widely　taught　and　is　still　embodied　in　many　of　the　creeds　of
  Christendom。　Said　a　learned　doctor　of　divinity：　〃The　sight　of　hell　torments
  will　exalt　the　happiness　of　the　saints　forever。　When　they　see　others　who　are
  of　the　same　nature　and　born　under　the　same　circumstances；　plunged　in　such
  misery；　and　they　so　distinguished；　it　will　make　them　sensible　of　how　happy
  they　are。〃　Another　used　these　words：　〃While　the　decree　of　reprobation　is
  eternally　executing　on　the　vessels　of　wrath；　the　smoke　of　their　torment　will
  be　eternally　ascending　in　view　of　the　vessels　of　mercy；　who；　instead　of
  taking　the　part　of　these　miserable　objects；　will　say；　Amen；　Alleluia！　praise
  ye　the　Lord！〃
  Where；　in　the　pages　of　God's　word；　is　such　teaching　to　be　found？　Will　the
  redeemed　in　heaven　be　lost　to　all　emotions　of　pity　and　compassion；　and　even
  to　feelings　of　common　humanity？　Are　these　to　be　exchanged　for　the
  indifference　of　the　stoic　or　the　cruelty　of　the　savage？　No；　no；　such　is　not
  the　teaching　of　the　Book　of　God。　Those　who　present　the　views　expressed　in
  the　quotations　given　above　may　be　learned　and　even　honest　men；　but　they　are
  deluded　by　the　sophistry　of　Satan。　He　leads　them　to　misconstrue　strong
  expressions　of　Scripture；　giving　to　the　language　the　coloring　of　bitterness
  and　malignity　which　pertains　to　himself；　but　not　to　our　Creator。　〃As　I　live；
  saith　the　Lord　God；　I　have　no　pleasure　in　the　death　of　the　wicked；　but　that
  the　wicked　turn　from　his　way　and　live：　turn　ye；　turn　ye　from　your　evil　ways；
  for　why　will　ye　die？〃　Ezekiel　33：11。
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  What　would　be　gained　to　God　should　we　admit　that　He　delights　in　witnessing
  unceasing　tortures；　that　He　is　regaled　with　the　groans　and　shrieks　and
  imprecations　of　the　suffering　creatures　whom　He　holds　in　the　flames　of　hell？
  Can　these　horrid　sounds　be　music　in　the　ear　of　Infinite　Love？　It　is　urged
  that　the　infliction　of　endless　misery　upon　the　wicked　would　show　God's
  hatred　of　sin　as　an　evil　which　is　ruinous　to　the　peace　and　order　of　the
  universe。　Oh；　dreadful　blasphemy！　As　if　God's　hatred　of　sin　is　the　reason
  why　it　is　perpetuated。　For；　according　to　the　teachings　of　these　theologians；
  continued　torture　without　hope　of　mercy　maddens　its　wretched　victims；　and　as
  they　pour　out　their　rage　in　curses　and　blasphemy；　they　are　forever
  augmenting　their　load　of　guilt。　God's　glory　is　not　enhanced　by　thus
  perpetuating　continually　increasing　sin　through　ceaseless　ages。
  It　is　beyond　the　power　of　the　human　mind　to　estimate　the　evil　which　has　been
  wrought　by　the　heresy　of　eternal　torment。　The　religion　of　the　Bible；　full　of
  love　and　goodness；　and　abounding　in　compassion；　is　darkened　by　superstition
  and　clothed　with　terror。　When　we　consider　in　what　false　colors　Satan　has
  painted　the　character　of　God；　can　we　wonder　that　our　merciful　Creator　is
  feared；　dreaded；　and　even　hated？　The　appalling　views　of　God　which　have
  spread　over　the　world　from　the　teachings　of　the　pulpit　have　made　thousands；
  yes；　millions；　of　skeptics　and　infidels。
  The　theory　of　eternal　torment　is　one　of　the　false　doctrines　that　constitute
  the　wine　of　the　abomination　of　Babylon；　of　which　she　makes　all　nations
  drink。　Revelation　14：8；　17：2。　That　ministers　of　Christ　should　have　accepted
  this　heresy　and　proclaimed　it　from　the　sacred　desk　is　indeed　a　mystery。　They
  received　it　from　Rome；　as　they　received　the　false　sabbath。　True；　it　has　been
  taught　by　great　and　good　men；　but　the　light　on　this　subject　had　not　come　to
  them　as　it　has　come　to　us。　They　were　responsible　only　for　the　light　which
  shone　in　their　time；　we　are　accountable　for　that　which　shines　in　our　day。　If
  we　turn　from　the　testimony　of　God's　word；　and　accept
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  false　doctrines　because　our　fathers　taught　them；　we　fall　under　the
  condemnation　pronounced　upon　Babylon；　we　are　drinking　of　the　wine　of　her
  abomination。
  A　large　class　to　whom　the　doctrine　of　eternal　torment　is　revolting　are
  driven　to　the　opposite　error。　They　see　that　the　Scriptures　represent　God　as
  a　being　of　love　and　compassion；　and　they　cannot　believe　that　He　will　consign
  His　creatures　to　the　fires　of　an　eternally　burning　hell。　But　holding　that
  the　soul　is　naturally　immortal；　they　see　no　alternative　but　to　conclude　that
  all　mankind　will　finally　be　saved。　Many　regard　the　threatenings　of　the　Bible