Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1843-08-16
For the Vermont Telegraph.
KEEP 1T BEFORE THE PEOPLE!::
WIImin gton, Aug. 4, I


Mr., Murray - noticed an extract
taken from Dr.. Edwards sermons few.
days since, which Think ought to be no
tIced in all the public prints, that we may
see how the doctrine Of endless misery
was preached years gone by. . . ~
"How dismal will it be when YOU are
under these racking torments, to know as
suredly that you never, never shall bede-
lIVered from .hem; to have no hope.
When you shall wish that you might be
turned into toad or a serpent but shall
have no hope o. it; when you would re-
JoIce. if you might but have any relief,
after You have endured these torments
millions of ages, but shall have no hope
OF II; when after you have worn out the
ages OF the san, moon, and stars, ia your
doIorous groans and lamentations, without
resi- day or night, or one minute ease,
yet you shall have no hope OF ever being
delivered; when afer you have worn out
a thousand more such ages, vet you shall
have no hope, but shalt know that YOU
are not one whit nearer the end Of your
iorments; out that still there are the same
groans, the same shrleks, the, same dole
tul cries necessarily to be made by you,
and that the smoke ct your torments shall
still ascend forever and ever; and that
your sou Is which have been agitated bv
The wrath Of God all this while, yet will
still exist to bear more wrath your bod
les which will have been burning and
roasting all this while, in this glowing
flames, yet shall not have been consumed,
but Will remain to roast through an elern-
lty yet, which will not have been at all
shortened by what shall have been past.
The sight OF hel-torments will exalt
the happiness Of the saints forever. It
will only make them more sensible ofthe
greatness and frceness o. the grace of God
10 their happiness; but il willreaily make
their huFPruvss the greater. us IL ~ III ma K
them more sensible of their, own happi-
ness; twill give them a more lively rel
"ish at II; 1t will make them prize it more.
When they see others, who were of the
same nature, and born under the same
circumstances, plunged In such misery,
and they SO distinguished, Q it will make
them sensible how happy they are. A
sense OF the opposite misery, in al, cases
greatly increases the relish Of any JOY or
pleasure"
The doctrine of endless misery as it is
preached, certainly leads to immortality.
The preachers of that doctrine are bold
in asserting that there is a pleasure in
shining, and pretend that the way of the
transgressor is not hard; and that he may
transgress all his days and not receive
his just reward. if he is lucky enough to
make peace with his God befjre he dies.
II was very strange to me that any one
that was so very anxious to save souls
from the pains Of an endless hell, should
advocate doctrine which was so well
calculated to plunge thea into the very
place that they were striving so hard to
save them from; but the above extract
from DR.. Edwards sermon fully explains
j. The DIR. says the sight of hell tor
ments will exalt the happiness of the saints,
and give them a better relish of it. &c,
&c. It is not at all strange then, that the
preachers of endless misery should do all
they could 10 make as many of their fell
Low beings miserable as they possibly
could, for By SO doing they would be ad-
ding 10 their future happiness, just ia pro-
portion to the amount of misery to the
damned in hell. | would ask DR. Ed
wards or any other advocate of the doc
trine OF endless misery, how much pleas.
ure i would give them TO see near and
dear friend of theirs roasting in the glow
ing flames Would il not add very
much 10 the happiness OF the mother to
see her caild wriLhing in agony, and to
hear its shrieks and cries contin uaiIp, and
TO know that its torrents were no nearer
10 an enl2 Ifit will make the mother
have a more lively relish" and add so
much 10 her happiness. | would say to
every parent preach the doctrine to your
children tina! there is pleasure in SHINING,
and that "the day you eat thereof you
shall not die; - but at last you shall be SO
lucky as 10 escape all. Yes | say if you
can make them miserable il will be the
means OF adding much to your happiness,
and it's perfectly right and natural for
every one to do all that will in any way