Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-01-30
Sin and Its Punishment.
A Sermon by Rev. w. a. Bendrlcksn on
delivered i'm the Congregations az 1
Church. Wat ertNHvn. Ssfs, JAN.
2Oth, 1S7S, published by request.

Church. NatsrtNw ssfs., Jan.
20th, ISIS, published by request.
Rom. 6:23-"The Wages Of Sin is Death
Wisely or unwisPly the subject of future
punishment has been brought before the
public of late very conspicnously, to say the
least for one do notregret this although
it is humilaling to discover SO much gnor =
ance and unfairness displayed by many who
have spoken on the subject "Mr Beecher s
new departure" is by no means new. He
has said the same in substance a hundred
times from his pulpit. Seven or eigh years
ago he preached almost precisely the same
sermon When it came out the Chicago
Times printed it with the heading, "The
bottom knocked out Of hell by the Ply mouth
Pastor" D,ain the marsh, YOU destroy
malria and prevent fever. ForSake sin;
f, How after righteousness, and heaven only
remaius AR Beecher Prof. Swing and
9th RS of that class distinctly state that they
believe in and that tie scripture teach fu
ture punishment. They refuse to accepi
| the doctrine OF restoration. H5 taught by the
Unjversalist Church. while against An
Inhalation they protest with all the earnest
ness they can command The unfairnesS OF
| thus controversy may be seen in the state.
meut that future punishment is The most
prominent doc'rinc in the church, the corn
er stone of our religion | had always sup
posed that Christ was the corner stone.
! laat Christ cruc'fi-d, or Gou's love in the
| Gift Of bis Son was the central doctrine OF
| Christ ,anity.
! 1t is unfair again to state that ce clergy
| of the Protestant Church in the past have
preached this more than any her doctrine.
| There are many reasons why this could not
| be true it there were no hcts 10 the ntra-
ry. The subject is a painful one; and na
ture teaches us that while ii is We'll TO pre-
/ sem such topics occasionally, a frequent
eSentatiou " ouid do more harm than good.
The Gospel is brim'ul of love, hope, sun
| shire and comfort. These are the staples
Jesus preached them most SO should we
| There is more good than evi. in the world
Nature is all good Human nature is fol-
| lowing on to know the Lord. 1t is not
| rue a ain that Christian teachers general J
meant '.litera! burning fire" Prof. Swing
says-'.It was taught by the church that
hell was a lake of molten nre, into which
! men, women and children were TO be cast
alive sud scream forever, because Adam ate
some forbidden fruit four thousand years
ago. And over this place OF screams WAS 20
e wri,len the words, God IS love- Now
Prof Swing ought to scream with shame
every time he sees that horrible carca ure
in print. Dickens never exceeded it. Yet
| Dickens meant to caricalure what deserves
il, snivelliug hypocrisy ia he garb OF pety
| the wolf in Sleeps clothing. Swelling
witi indign alton Mr.. Beeeher says, "TelI
me God created millions of human beings
left them without light then rs they rar
th-ir race swept them into everlasting
burnings, as we would sweep dead flies IN tt
tue fire. and you make an intidel OF me-
| Shouldn't wonder But who ever saC
anything like that2 The ablest and mos
strictly orthodox commentators OF the day
aud of past days do not insist upon litera
fire. |: is senseless on the face of it, and
contrary to the e MUS of Christianity
which Is spiritual help to spiritual goo
10 save from spiritual evil. Literal fire al
punishment for soul is nonsense. You
might as we'll contend that the joys of hea
ven will consist in eating and drinking lit
orally, because the Bible speaks of the Mar
riage supper of the Lamb. May not COLDER
streets, river of lifs, trees, songs, thrones
Clowns, palms, white rament and all tha
represent something infinitely blessed. which
not ''ire that is not quenched, ''the worn
that dielh ;ot, '.tormented in these flames,
mean something terrible, FIR more terrible
than anything many are crying against.
Gather up now the writings of Augustine
Calvin, Luther, Edwards. Spurgeon-gath
er also the sermons OF Roman Catholic
preachers who have justified themselves r
the use OF coarse illustrations, real Dantear
| n ho bat bo
whom they preached could be aroused anG
led TO forsake sin only thus, gather them al
up then run your eye over their pages with
a New Testament at your side. Compare
their words with the words of Him who
spake as man never spake; Who had all the
msnlIness of man, all the tenderness of wo
men, all the insight and emotion Of God
You canno. find in all our books one SEN
tence half 50 terrible as the Son of Man ut
tered many times. Take the words alone
and Christ's are the strongest. Add now
the TACT, that Jesus knew whereof he spake
knew the awful nature aud results of sin
Add also the tact, that these most terrible
utterances, these terrific denuncations were
not against an indiscrminate mass, born
without. a privilege and left without light
But against men who had many privileges,
| "ao hoN Aoo AShAy WIZ Stoou tdCAS ia Wv
presence of the Light, and they knew it.
Men wfo were then plotting to murder the
Savior, who were covenanting with one OF
his disciples to betray him for 80 pieces OF
silver. Men who robbed widows houses and
for pretence OF piety made long pray ers on
the street corners. Who as teachers of re-
ligion laid Eeavy burdens upon the people
but themselves would not touch these with
the tips of their fingers. Men who wonld
not enter the new kingdom. nor any other
that had justice in it. RENE mber these
facts, and that Jesus knew these men per-
fec,ly, then open your New Testament and
read, Matt. 23:l3-33 -"Brood of vipers,
how can ye escape the damnation of hell.
dead flies aud Screams are weak and
senseless beside these withering words OF
Him in whose lips was no guile, from hose
mouth proceeded no unjust word Let us
stand by Christ's teachings. Let US not
attempt to impeach ''that just man." While
Jesus does not speak to all thus, He yet
says to the erring, "Go and sin no more
lest worse thing come upon thee" Take
The teachings of Christ in their relation, as
he gave them and you will not go astIay
| Remember too that the teachings of Christ