The true northerner., 1878-01-18
SERMON.
HriBistORc.*
by IRVING A. sEARLEe.

God so loved the world as TO give His only
begotten son, that whosoever beieveth on Him
should not perish but have everlasting life
John, 3, 16,
There is just now considerable discussion in
the religious world as to how this declaration
Of Gods love can be harmonized with certain
statements OF the doctrine of future punish
ment. Within the last few weeks from leading
orthodox pulpts have come words that scarcely
any Of them would have dared to utter fifty
years ago.
First, Canon Farrar, OF Westminster Alb
bey, in recent sermon, repudiated the bar
barous conceptions OF hell.
Then comes Mr. Beecher. In last sundays
sermon he says: -
Mankind are thrown abroad on this conti-
nent In myriads, and we know that not only
their happiness but their morality largely de-
pends on their knowledge Of how to use their
bodies, and how to control the natural laws
that surround them; but on these subjects not
a word nor syllable ia told them. 1t is said
that there is a revelation from God but we
should expect, If God has made a revelation to
the nascent race, that he would have told them
how they are made, what connection there is
between their faculties, and what relation they
sustain to the world outside of them but they
went on propagating one thousand years, two
thousand years. three thousand years, without
receiving any such information. The sweep of
the populations that have swarmed on the
globe 10 simply inconceivabe. Not all the
waves Of the ocean that have beaten On it's
shores during all the centuries OF time con-
tanned drops enough TO equal the number of
human beings that have come into this world.
and gone through life throbbing, STRIVING,
blundering, and died, and passed out of sight.
So many have there been that all the sands of
the seashore. all the stars Of heaven and all the
figures of arithmetic would not be enough TO
measure the preface. even. Of the book of the
history of the creation Of -he race. And during
three -fourths OF its history the race was with
out an altar, or church. or an authorized
priest, revelation or ANYTHING but the light
Of nature.
IF, now, you tell me that tins great macs Of
men, because they had not the knowledge OF
God, went to heaven. I say that the inroad OF
such vast amount of mud swept into heaven
would be destructive OF its purity; and can
not accept that view. II, on the other hand.
you say that they went to hell, then you make
an infdel OF me- for do swear by the Lord
Jesus Christ, by his grosns, by his tears, and
by the wounds 10 bis hands and in his side,
that will never let 90 o. the truth that the
nature OF God is to suffer for others rather
than TO make them suffer. II I lose every
thing else, will stand on the sovereign idea
that God so loved the world that he gave bis
own Son to die for II rather than it should die.
Tell me that back OF Chris, there is God who
for unnumbered centuries has gone on creating
men and sweeping them like dead fies-nay
like living ones-into bell, Is to ask me 10 wor
ship a being as much worse than the concep-
ton Of any medieval devil az can be imagined !;
but I will not worship the devil though no
should come dressed in royal robes, and sit on
the throne OF Jehovah 1 will not worship
cruelty. I 1ciU worship Love-that sacrifices
itself for the good OF those that err, and that
Is as patient with them az q mother 10 with a
sick child. With every power OF my beng will
l worship God of love such as that.
" But has not God justice also? And is he
not of purer eyes than to behold ipiquty 4;
Yes. And TIE distinctions between right and
wrong are as eternal as God himself. The re-
ation between sin and retributon belongs not
to the mere temporal coalition OF things; Il
inheres in the divine constitution, and is For
all eternity. The prospect for any man who
goes out OF this life resolute in SIN may well
make him tremble Tor himself. and NAV well
make us tremble for bin. But it is not true
the Scripture does not teach it. and the whole
sense OF human justice revolts at lt-that for
the myriads who have been swept out Of this
life without the light and knowledge OF the di-
vine love there is reserved an eternity OF suf-
ferinG. In that mystery OF the divine will and
work OF which the apostle speaks in the far off
dispensation OF the fuIlness of times, there IS
other solution than this nightmare cf me-
dieval theology"
Prof SWING Of Chicago, in bis sermon last
Sunday. sad -
:" The new and bold words spoken in theipast
year by many Scotch Presbyterans aud re-
echoed at last by Mr.. Beecher. and by an Eng
lish clergyman of eminent learning and pietv.
are part of those inevitable words which
must come when society is cropping along to-
ward better portraitures Of God and heaven
and hell and Of self. A former era was so un.
fortunate as 70 picture its heavenly Father as
person who owned a bottomless labe OF fire,
and as being person who FOR His own good
pleasure, regardless OF SIN aforeseen. foreor.
dained millions to spend on5less years In that
lake Of fire. 1t IS not 80 much q wonder tha,
the Scotch Calvnists and an Calyinis,s ar,
rising up asaus. such an idea Of God .s that
the idea ever could have lived for week or for
a moment the human heart. But whoever
looks back Tar Will be amazed at the facility
with which even good men gave their cordial
belief to The most repugnant or frightful opip-
| ions. TO see tormonts was once a great plea
sure, Moro thousands Of ladies and men would
once assemble to see gladiators fgbt or TO see
heretics burned than would have assembled
then for observing the beautiful. A rose. a
bird eong, hill, river, was not half so sweet
as dying struggle. The dreadful has ALWAYS
II