that so far as we know, there does seem a greater probability of grace
triumphing over sin in the next life than there was antecedently in the
present life. What a door of hope is thus opened for our lost race!

I recall another passage of wonderful import in this connection. Our
Lord said: "That servant which knew his lord's will, and prepared not
himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many
stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes,
shall be beaten with few stripes."

Now it is very dear that in thousands of cases those words are not
fulfilled in this life. There are atrociously wicked men who are not
beaten with any, not to say many, stripes. That was the Psalmist's
trouble. He saw that the ungodly prospered. He said that they were not
in trouble as other men, nor plagued as other men. He said that they had
more than heart could wish. Plainly, the threatening was not executed
upon them in the present life. If the words are to come true at all,
they must be fulfilled in the next life. It is one of many passages that
require our purview to be extended into the future life to understand
them. But if the words are to be fulfilled in the next life, must not
their fulfillment be conditioned on the theory of Restoration? Suppose
there is extinction at death. How could any stripes be laid on a man who
is extinct? Does not that consideration settle the idea of extinction?

And what about endless torment? Certainly many stripes are laid on the
man in endless torment. But what about the man who is to be beaten with
few stripes? Would it be possible to conceive of endless torment as
being only a few stripes? To be sure, there might be degrees of torment;
and the man in a mild degree of suffering would not suffer so much as
the man in an intense degree. But then, the suffering is to be for ever