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"A flood of false doctrine has lately broken in upon us. Men are beginning to tell us that God is too merciful to punish souls forever, that there is a love of God lower even than hell, and that all mankind, however wicked and ungodly some of them may be, will sooner or later be saved."

Not a new doctrine at all and as pernicious and soul destroying as ever. Origen was condemned for this among others. This sermon like all of the ones I have read by +Ryle is quite good. But this one, more than the others, shows the influence of the Greek pagan notion of "Necessity" on Western theology. For example, "Settle it firmly in your mind that the same Bible which teaches that God in mercy and compassion sent Christ to die for sinners does also teach that God hates sin and must, from His very nature, punish all who cleave to sin or refuse the salvation He has provided."

At the same time we see the insight which the Eastern Fathers preached with this: "I read that men can be sanctified and made meet for heaven on earth; I read nothing of any sanctification in hell. Away with such baseless and unscriptural theories!" and this: "Keep in full view of your mind that all who die unpardoned and unrenewed are utterly unfit for the presence of God and must be lost forever. They are not capable of enjoying heaven; they could not be happy there."