making them an example unto those that after should live ungodly." 2
Pet. 2:6. Peter thus shows that the fire did its proper office upon the men of
Sodom, and that they were not in his day alive in its flames. Their case is an
example of what God will do to all the wicked after the resurrection to damnation,
when fire shall descend out of heaven upon them, and the whole earth become a
lake of fire. Rev. 20; 2 Pet. 3; Mal. 4.
The testimony of Jeremiah, which represents the punishment of Sodom as
comparatively brief, must complete this evidence: "For the punishment of the
iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of
Sodom, that was overthrown
4
as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her." Lam. 4:6.
4. The language of Jude concerning the Sodomites has, therefore, no relation
to their condition in death, and cannot be made to furnish evidence that the
wicked dead are now in a state of torment. There remains, therefore, the case of
a single individual - the rich man - out of which to deduce the doctrine that the
wicked dead are now in the lake of fire. This is certainly a fact worthy of note.
5. The account of the rich man stands at the conclusion of a discourse made
up of parables. Thus Luke 15 presents us with the parable of the lost sheep, the
ten pieces of silver, and the prodigal son. The sixteenth chapter is made up of
two parables; the unjust steward and the rich man and Lazarus. It is true that the
account of the rich man and Lazarus is not called a parable by the sacred
penman; but the fact is the same with respect to the two cases which precede
this; and the three are introduced in the same manner: "A certain man had two
sons;" "There was a certain rich man which had a steward;" "There was a certain
rich man which was clothed in purple and fine linen."
6. It is generally admitted that a parable cannot be made the foundation of
any doctrine, or be used to disprove doctrines established by plain and literal
testimony. But the doctrine of the present punishment of the wicked dead rests
upon a single parable, and that parable the case of a single individual.
7. The proper interpretation of any portion of the Sacred Re
