Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-03-01
Alefanoria 6az&tte
FRIDAY EVENING, MARCH l.
A Lost Soul.

| The question which has bcen discussed Tor
several weeks by the press of tho country as to
whether there be hell, is answered by tho late
DR.. W. f. Munsey; as delivered to one OF bis
congregations 10 East Tennessee many years
ago, and reported from memory by youu':
lady. 1t is AZ folIows:-"A lost soul, lost
soul two words of the most momeutous meal
ing, and when taken 10 connection with thos'
other two, otcrnal hell, how expressive OF thu
utmost agony and protoundest depths OF mise
nv! have tried to believe there was no hell,
and sought 10 those passageso Of the Bible where
tho idea of hell is expressed, to eliminate their
meaning from the words; but there it stands.
still burning 10 the word of God-eternal hell
/ do not know where hell is-whethcr q pIaco
or state of misery; either is bad enough.
Whether it be deep dark cavern, filled with
gloom, where serponts hiss, and creep from
crack and Granny; Of hollows deep, and gloomy
rills and rocks deep riven, where devils peep
and creep, and goblins dance on dlogy hlllsan
fiery flames oozc out from assures deep, while
dark ionds ride on dragons; or whether it bo
q sphere whirling through uncreated space, a
volcanic world whirling on its course crratic
through ethereal nothing. rocky sphere, filled
with gorges black and caverns squalid, covered
with burning lava and blackened scorla-ab
srusely cleaning through light half darkness.
half hazy light; or suppose there is no hell,
lost soul-what is it? Bring the word
lost down to natural things-s lost ship in the
midat Of the ocean, the compass overheard, the
end rudder gone, sails in shreds, sailors unabla
to make their reckoning tho time expired ut
port for their return-lost lost at last sinking
to ocean caves. whore mermaids s!rotch tho
sailor boys limbs in his W8tery bod
Or take q lost child in the woods. A child
goes out to gather berries, goes on and on, round
this hill and up that hollow-crossing and re-
crossing his path, until he is lost, and now he
wanders on. sobbing. lost lostl weeping for his
mother there, the mother at home weeping for
her darling; until at last tho wosry child, des.
pairing and tired, lies down and dies, while
birds chirp and sins above his sylvan desthbed
But lost soul! eternslly lost thrust out from
God, q spark formed for social companionship,
cast out from God compsnionlessl while as star
shines to star, and even the comet. erratic in its
course, as it crosses and recrossess orbits and
elliptic, whirling about in fiery circles round tho
sun, acknowledge one common center as IN Inc
company of the white robed saints together
with the tall of the morning, soul answers to
soul in the tapturous language OF heaven, while
they swell their r:eans to Almighty God-this
soul, lost eternally, is cast forth alone to wheel
its dismal flight forever through uncreated
space whetting its pinions on the tombstone OF
buried hope, and screaming lost lost lost! !!
There it goes there and there. and there it goos
that way, and screams. lost it comes this way,
snd screams, lost Anon, it discovers city With
battlemented towers and gates with bolts and
bars and with all the spirit energy OF Its beng
seeks to reach what looks to be a heaven, but IT
recedes and is gone. Fly on, thou squealing
illimitable space" LyMch6urg Nc'os.