This difficulty, which appeals more strongly to the feelings than to the judgment, is by no means peculiar to the doctrine of _eternal_ punishment. It must be explained as well by those who say the torments of the damned will come to an end, as by those who say they will not. If the saints must grieve at the _eternal_ punishment of their friends, they must certainly grieve at the _temporal_ punishment of their friends. The latter grief will be less poignant, it is true; but it will still be inconsistent with _perfect_ happiness. Let Mr. Barlow explain how the inhabitants of Heaven will be free from _all_ sorrow, if the punishment of Hell be limited in duration, and it will be easy to show they will be equally free if the punishment be eternal. As for us, we see no necessity for any explanation. God has promised to make His saints happy. Surely He is able to do it. Mr. Barlow thinks they will be weeping for their friends. But is it not written that "God will wipe away all tears from their eyes"?[23] In what manner this will be done it is not necessary for us to explain. Yet we may be allowed to offer a conjecture, which, as it seems to us, is supported alike by reason and by revelation. We would say that, in the saints every affection that has not for its object what is good and pleasing to God, will be utterly extinguished; and therefore they will _cease to love_ those unhappy souls that have been condemned to Hell. The reason is clear. The saints in Heaven see things as they are; and hence they _cannot_ love that which is wicked and hateful in the sight of God. In Mr. Barlow's mind this severance of earthly ties must come from an increase of "heartless selfishness". To us it seems to flow from perfect love of God. Neither does it follow, as he supposes, that the saints have "sunk down lower in the moral scale". On the contrary, it is manifest they have been raised up immeasurably higher. On Earth their affections were often guided by mere human motives, and, at best, were governed by an erring human judgment; in Heaven, they are moulded with the most perfect fidelity after a Divine model.