ld iniquity." It would
never explain the need of Christ dying on the cross to put away sin.

Whatever reconciliation we find here or hereafter it must have at
bottom God's unutterable hatred of sin but also God's unutterable love
and pain over every sinful soul which He has made. This theory of
Endless Torment and Endless Sin certainly does not appear to satisfy
this test, and it has in addition to face the stern revolt of Reason
and Conscience.

II

_The theory of Universalism, i. e., that all men shall at length be
saved_.

This opinion is based on the more hopeful side of Scripture that we
have referred to, but it ignores or explains away what contradicts it
in the darker and sterner side. If one could forget that, it would be
the most inspiring of all the guesses that have been made. As
presented by its best exponents, such men as Allen and Jukes and Cox,
it is wonderfully attractive and at first sight seems to satisfy many
of the conditions of the problem. It takes account of a just and awful
retribution for every sin, and takes account also of the mysterious
hope in the Hereafter which runs through the Bible. It believes that
the power of God has infinite resources and that the love of God has
unwearying persistence and that no soul can ultimately resist such
resources and such love. Even Hell itself it deems God's final effort
when all other means have failed.

The reader who thinks there can be no possible excuse for such a theory
should glance at a few of the passages quoted in its favour:

"God who wills that _all men_ should be saved" (1 Tim. ii. 4), and "who
wills that _all men_ should come to repentance" (2 Peter iii. 9). And
this will or determination of God is "_immutable_" (Heb. vi. 7).
Again, "Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the Prince of this
world be cast out, AND I, if I be lifted up, will draw _all men_ unto
Myself" (John xii. 31, 32). "_All flesh_ shall see the salvation of
God" (Luke iii. 6). "His grace bringing salvation to all men" (Titus
ii. 11). "We trust in the living God who is the Saviour of _all men,
especially_ of those who believe" (1 Tim. iv. 10). "He is the
propitiation _not for our sins only, but also_ for the sins of the
_whole world_" (1 John ii. 2). "He was manifested that He might
_destroy_ the works of the devil" (1 John iii. 8) [and _destroy_ the
devil (bruise the serpent's head) Gen. iii. 15]. "He shall _overcome_
the strong man armed (the