1. Is there an everlasting life?

There is, according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures:

Dan. 12:2. And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Matt. 26:46. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal.

John 10:28. And I give unto them eternal life: and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.

2. What is life everlasting?

As eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Cor. 2:9), no one can adequately express, in the language of mortals, the nature of everlasting life. It is enough for us to believe that everlasting life is inexpressible bliss, with which God will eternally bless and glorify the faithful, that they with all the angels, may eternally live in him, and triumphing over the miseries of this world, may love God without weariness, worship him without satiety, and behold him without end. Of this David speaks:

Ps. 21:4. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever.

3. Do you then maintain, that the blessed will behold God as he is?

They will, in the highest degree; for this will be the principal part of our bliss, that we shall see God face to face, and that we shall not only perfectly recognize his essence, and his will, but that we shall obey with the greatest desire and willingness.

1 Cor. 13:12. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part, but then shall I know even as also I am known.

1 John 3:2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Ps. 16:11. Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

4. Will men mutually recognize each other in eternal life?

They will; for as, in life eternal, that which is in part shall cease, and we shall see God face to face; so also shall we mutually recognize each other, and all be known to each and every one.

5. Have you firm ground for this assertion?

Yes; for in that life, there will be a perfect restoration of the image of God, in which the first man was created, which among other things possessed perfect wisdom and knowledge. As Adam, therefore, by virtue of this image, immediately recognized Eve, whom he had not previously seen: thus also shall we, by virtue of this image restored in us, recognize each and every one, even though we may not have seen or known them in this life. We see an example of this in the narrative of Christ’s transfiguration, when Peter immediately recognized Moses and Elias, whom he had never before seen, although he had obtained only a small foretaste of everlasting life. Luke 9:32, 33.

Finally, if this were not so, it would follow that the knowledge of this life is superior to that of the life to come; which is absurd.

6. Will there be certain degrees of happiness in the life to come?

We must make a distinction between life everlasting, as already described, and the different degrees of glory. As regards everlasting life, there will be no difference at all, but all believers will enjoy it equally. As to glory or the brilliancy of the bodies of the blessed, there will be different degrees. For “they that be wise, shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever.” 1 Cor. 15:41, 42.

However, these grades of glory do not depend upon the merit or worth of their works, but upon the free gift and grace of God, who is wont to crown his own saints with his own gifts.

7. Will not the joy of life everlasting be disturbed by the fact that the glorified will see many of their most intimate friends tormented in hell?

It will not; for the will of the blessed, will in all things concur with that of God. Such carnal affections, which are the sign of our weakness in this life, will entirely cease in the life to come, when our love will extend only to those, who are beloved of God, and whom he has made heirs of everlasting life. But in the damned they will supremely admire and eternally praise the exalted justice of God.

SOLI DEO GLORIA.