Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-06-01
For the Spirit of the Age.
Is it True, or Is it Falsea

Bro. GoRMAN Some thirty years since,
an eminent Divine advanced from the Pul-
pit the following idea, in substance, can
not give the words Uerbakim That he
believed the lost spirits in He'll would not
only continue to love sin throughout the
ceaseless ages of eternity, bat that their
love for sin would increase, and that they
would continue to love those very things
or objects which they loved whilst on earth,
be they what they may, and that portion
of their punishment in the 'prison of Help
would consist in the fact, that although
they would continue to love their besetting
sins-and Notwithstanding their thirst for
them would increase, their love for them
would never be grati6ed." This would Of
itself constitute one element, or ingredient,
in their cup of eternal and ineffable misery.
After lapse of thirty years | am not able
to call up even one reason he adduced for
this opinion. My object in writing the
above is neither to prove that the above
idea is either true or false, but merely to
give the readers of the Age the result of
my reflections on the subject hoping that
the subject may be pursued by some wiser
head, and an article be written on it by a
much abler pen.
Ifdeath produces no moral change upon
the impenitent sinner,-if the change
wrought by the dissolution of the soul and
body is only physical change, then the
moral character of the man is essentially
the same it was through life and at death,
and will consequently continue the same
throughout eternity.
Do not certain passages of the Bible
teach or hold out the idea that this is
true2 GAS the tree falls so it will lie"--
and "Let him that is filthy be filthy STILL"
and also, "That there is neither work, nor
knowledge, nor device, in the grave to
which we hasten" Do not these and ma
ny other passages favor the idea that the
sinner who lives and dies in sin, will as
suredly continue sinner forever and ever.
Now, can we either love or hate the mere
abstract idea Of SIM Must not either sin
or holiness, assume some deinite or tangi-
affections can grasp It or ss sssmin mind Or the
The miser loves his gold, but that has a
tangible form-the debauchee loves those
/ objects that minister to his qualification,
, and INDUCES those libidinous desires that
prompt him to seek unlawful and illicit
intercourse with those of the opposite sex
5 who indulge the same sinful feelings-the
!. drunkard loves his liquor, ETC., etc. Now
/ the idea is, that the sinner loves sin in
. some particular form or shape-if, there
: fore, this love for sin is not destroyed by
4 death, will it not continue? and if the love
y for sin continues, will it not continue or be
{; exercised upon the same objects which the
r. sinner loved on earths If we would rea-
Y son by analogy, would we not be likely to
It reach the same result? All will admit that
IS the saint in glory, or the redeemed in
\. Heaven will not only continue holy, but
that they will continue to bve those very
&c objects which they loved On earth. They
| loved God, and holiness, and holy people
and the holy services of the Sanctuary
II these they will continue to love while eter
nifty itself endures will not their love
le for God and holiness, ETC., increase as they
: witness new displays Of his power, Of hi
u wisdom, his mercy and benevolence, as ex
'e hibited in the scheme of redeeming mercy
II or as they make new discoveries of hi
u goodness, his unparalleled love to poo
g sinful worms of the dust, such as we are
AZ ne will they not be employed in singing tn
II song of "Moses ard the Lamb"-an
- "what wondrous love is this, o, my SOU
nc nc @, my SOUL" But must close for tn
e' present. Perhaps I may resume the sui
II ject at some future time, perhaps not.
y is rather metaphysical for au old illitera1
~ farmer r.