Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1873-06-02

grace, if almost every one who goes out |
of the world by hanging goes straight to
glory. and would hardly Get there but
by that process. it might be we'll for us
to consider whether it would not be use
full to employ hanging as means of
grace on very many other occasions. [
do not know but it would be we'll to APP
ply it to some of our Aldermen and
members of the Board of Trade, and di-
rectors of insurance companies, and Con-
gressmen and now and then minis
ter, and merchant, and so on all the
way through, thus making their saliva
ton sure. If bad man commits a
murder the matter of his future destiny
seems to be quite sure. Oh brethren,
that is not the Gospel. Christ in His
word does not talk to the human heart
in that way. It is the old material con-
ception of things. that has come down
into the age, and still fingers among the
people. In many-of our leading church
es. or what we call orthodox, to-day.
there are taught the most excellent. val
liable spiritual doctrines. and the relig-
ion of the New Testament is interpreted
in the light of the age but among the
common people that old, material idea of
Heaven as a locality, and of hell as
locality and place of torment, and. for
aught l know, of liquid fire and brim-
stone, still fingers. Some of you re-
member that fortnight ago to-day re-
ferred to this general subject. At the
close of my sermon. there came up to
this desk young man. and he said to
me, II anu not accustomed to hearing
Universalist preaching, so | would like
to ask you question ''ralk on, my
young friend" said |, "There are only
two places spoken of in the Bible after
death into which the dead go; one is
heaven and the other is hell. Now, if
the murderer don't go to heaven, must
he not go to the other place p That
seems logical, does it not? What is the
root error? 1t is that there is no place
in the universe that deserves to be called
hell. Heaven is state and condi-
ton; hell is state and condition,
and no place at all. 1t is the old mate
rial conception of beautiful garden.
with running streams, or great city
with golden streets fixed up grandly, and
people are going up there, and they are
going to knock at the gates, and the
gates are to be opened. and they are to
walk in and live in fine houses. That
is the idea still prevailing with the less
intelligent portion of our community
The right view is, the good man is in
heaven to-day. and all the heaven there
is for him of which we have any knowl
edge. The bad man is in hell to day,
and he will be in hell so long as he re-
mains bad man. Heaven is a state.
And good men, truth seeking and God
E fearing people, are in that state. They
are known by many names, and live in
many lands, but they are united by q
common bond in their devotion to the
good and true. Put away, therefore
this idea of locality, and remember tha
heaven is conditional state, not 10
cality. as if men and women are to b,
separated from each other by sort o
4 isothernal line, as if on one side is Iii
4 nois and on the other is Minnesota a
e if kind of Mississippi River is to sep
arate heaven from hell. 1t is the ole
Jewish conception of the end of tn,
world that has worked its way down t.
0 our time, and the old pagan conception
: corrupted even by grosser, nominally
r Christian ideas. 1t is time the religion
of Christ were free of these errors.
land now. Christian friends. all tina
i remains for me to say this morning i
d that the language of our text is applica
/. BILE to US ALTO the criminal classes.
p all conditions and phases of society
! .Whither shall | go from Thy spirit
n or whittier shall [ flee from Thy pres
It ence If [ ascend up into heaven, Go
: is there if | make my bed in hell, be
i hold. God is there. If take the wing
of the morning. and dwell in the utter
most parts of the sea, even there shaI
y Thy hand lead me, and Thy right han
d shall hold me- God Is everywher
!. present. We are judged according
our deserts. Character is that which W
y all ought to strive to obtain. 1t is GU
: privilege to enjoy what l have Gale
| emotional piety but it is a great de;
y more important for us to have substar
- tial character than to put, now and thel
a religious interjection into our talk.
: commend these interjections | beliey
r in these pious, religious services. Thos
n who know me need scarcely be told this
1T but | beg you not be deceived. be
,, you not to think that man can Ii,
forty years in inquiry. and throw off HI
ie bad character as he would an old Goa
al Character is part Of the man. Whe
to ever the man goes the character goe
70 As long as man lives his identity an
e character live. Changing day by da
- :, becoming better as he rises higher, b,
ID always under the eye of God, and a
d. ways rewarding him and Furnishing hi
f. according to his deserts. Young ma
70 be not deceived by the idea that, in an
: manner or way, God can be Knocked.
y Gods verdict cannot be set aside. | tie
IN you that if you 60 into the ocean God
of there; if you go to California or EuroE
ne God is there; in the light, in the dar
q mass, wherever you are. the judgme
: seat is before you and you before it.
y And now, brethren and friends,
ry would like. in very few words, to p1
lb by the side of this representation as
as the manner in which culprits are oft,
- treated and regarded, my own idea
IL what is sound doctrine. If / were cal