1857.] Theology of Dr. Gill. 387
millennium,
and the wicked at its close.' To the objection that, according to this
view, there will be two days of judgment, our author replies : " not
at all; there will be but one day of judgment, but it will be a long
one ; not a natural day, consisting of twenty-four hours." " This day
of the Lord will be a thousand years, for which reason it is called a great day."
" The judgment of the righteous will proceed at the beginning of the
thousand years, and continue in them; and during this time, things will
be preparing for the judgment of the wicked, at the close of them, and
so things will go on successively, till the whole is finished ; as the
resurrection of the just will be on the morning of this day, so will
their judgment begin then; and as the resurrection of the wicked will
be at the evening of this day, so likewise their judgment; and as the
evening and the morning make but one day, so it will be in this case ;
there will be but one day of judgment."2
The place of
judgment is uncertain. " Some think it will be in the air, because the
Judge will come in the clouds of heaven." " But I rather think it will
be on the earth." 3
The eternal punishment of the wicked. This
doctrine is not only taught in the Bible, but it may be proved from the
justice of God. (a) Though sin is a finite action, " yet it is
objectively infinite, as committed against an infinite Being," and
therefore it deserves an infinite punishment; " and since infinite
punishment cannot be inflicted intensively on a finite creature, it must be inflicted extensively, or continued ad infinitum."4
(b) " The wicked, in the future state, will always continue sinning;
and therefore, as they will sin continually, it will be just that they
be punished continually." 5
The happiness of saints in heaven. Will
there be a difference in the degree of it, or will all be equally
happy ? Dr. Gill thinks that " the arguments against degrees in glory
preponderate," and that all will be upon a level. He also argues
against the theory of progress or advancement in glory and happiness. "
If any addition is gradually made
l Bod. Dir. p. 1058. 2 ibid. p. 1059. 3 Ibid. p. 1063.
8 Ibid. p. 1078. i ibid. p. 547.
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