"With regard to the future world, my faith and doctrine have always been
that the state of anyone entering the next world is tested and
determined by his relation to Christ, Whom he will then see in the
fullness of all His redeeming power and glory. If he then seek by a
touch to lay hold of Him, he is in Christ's Hand. If he should even then
turn from Christ, he will enter into a new condition, but that condition
is only an age-long condition, and he is not there fore outside the
redeeming love of God; but at the end of the new age will enter upon a
new state."

I have pointed out to him that, in my view, the condition he refers to
may not necessarily be age-long condition, but that in certain cases it
may be very brief. The case of Saul and others seem to favor this view.
In any case, he endorses my main contention--that suffering is not
endless. The same mail brought me also a letter from another notable
English divine, in which he says candidly that he does not believe in
endless suffering, and that this is common sense.

I remember well that as a child I was confused by the following problem.
My saintly old minister often prayed that the earth might be filled with
the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. That was all
very well for those who would savingly know the Lord. But what about the
uncounted millions in the past and the millions now, and the millions
yet to be born, who would go out of this world in darkness, without
knowing the Lord. The minister never said a word about that. His creed
required him to believe that they would all go into endless torment; but
he passed over the momentous question in silence.

Possibly he would say that the matter was not a proper one to be spoken
of. But why not? If there is such a fearful possibility for anyone, why