The New York herald., 1875-09-20
GRACE CHURCH.
AN INDIVIDUAL HELL-sERMoN BY BIsHo
az

AN INDIVIDUAL HELL-SERMoN BY BISHOP
BECKwITH, OF GEORGIA.
Notwithstanding the unpleasant weather yesterday
morning the services at Grace church were we'll
attended Bishop Beckwth, of Georgia preached the
sermon His text from St Paul to the Colossians t.
12-"Givng thanks unto the Father, who hath made
to be partakers of the inheritance Of the in
light" The apostle he said alludes to the personal fit,
ones character In the economy of salvation twd
things are necessary-a judicial and personal fitness
The first is the fruit of the redemption legal forgive
ness of sin; by the second made worthy
the kingdom OF heaven Although these two are in
reality Identical yet in regard TO the eebleness OF the
human mind they considered different In order
to possess personal fitness for the blessings to IL
is necessary to form characters they may be
acceptable to God The atonement has placed at our
command repentance, prayer, faith and the sacraments
Each and all Of these may be used and yet so used
as to be of no avail You may be able to
pick no flaw in PERSONS character, and yet
heaven IL is safe to say that such a man. in
such condition. cannot be saved. We apt TO think
that punishment must be for act committed. There
can be no reasoning more fatal than this There this
popularity in the law Of God that every sin shall bring
with itself its own punishment There is execu-
TONER within ever demanding vengeance So long as
mans bad character does change long will there
be an internal fire. The who carries IN his heart
evil feelings whatever be his external character has
within him the real elements out of which to make
vertable he'll He has only to die make his charac-
ter permanent and then go where he will he must be
IN torment for all eternity though he should spend
it at the foot of the throne of eternal glory Could you
invent greater torment9 The sinner carries within
him damnation that needs no external fire. 1t is the
soul which has the character There is no evidence
that that which call death affects the soul within us
View it you will, that who does love his
God, in that simple fact will find enough to make
him wretched We are apt to look upon religion as a
routine OF external duties, which, performed,
are guarantee of salvation. Should this be so,
and should the external element be consistent
with religion, we would sink into mere formality and
would be open to the charge of hypocrisy Do not be
content with observances do not sing the heart
to sleep with memoriaized prayer See that the
tves of your acts be good that they may glorfy your
Father who is In heaven Bear in mind that the nature
of sin is to contain its own punishment Remember
that be his nature unhoy, 1t matters not where you
place man. his character always remains essentially
the same and that must decide what shall consti
tute his happiness The resurrection will make
change in mans character or his disposition; IL will
simply render them immortal Were you this moment
launched into eternity would the passions and ongngs
OF your heart find sympathy in heavenS Let
member that forming characters for our immor
tai souls, characters that death shall render fixed