The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-01-06

Ciples against tgnoDle weahHeyS tnu pueAn
iar,imity; IL was foreign to His nature 10
make men afraid when no fear was; His
testimony is not therefore to be suspected OF
exapgeration when he proceeds, Tear not
them which kill the body and after that nave
no more that they can do. but fear Him VINO
hath power to destroy both soul and body in |
hell" ,,,,,.o a. L.
to deprive religion of its august power. Cnrls.
tianity has not so many forces 70 g., Wlelu gnaC
any one Of them can be spared. Inc motives |
are none too many, to restrain men Ia the
wav of righteousness. Hope and fear have |
both need to be aroused, and the one with no
less activity than the other. Rewards and
Overwhelming Us possible. 1t was necessary.
Mankind are not to be converted to hate sin,
by extingushng Its penalties. Hell Is not
less o. reality than heavens not less wildly
depicted-is not less enduring. and eternal
in it's duration Revelation will not be ac-
cused Of exaggeration, in the description
which Is given Of the blessedness OF
the heavenly Jerusalem. None are willing
to believe that its streets OF gold, It's
white robes Its appsdtd rs If n.y. hyn fsicty
Of the saints in light. God does not cheat us
with empty words Of promise. We are thus
at no loss how to understand His language,
when he speaks OF the state oil lost splflts:
We cannot understand 1t to mean state OF
inanity. You can no more evacuate nell OF
It's terrors than Heaven Of it's beattitudes.
You can no more extract the pungeney from
the torments of the damned than you can 81
lence the seraphlms' song. There VIII nothing
be left for faith, If you can wrest the Scrip
ture to prove that torment does not mean
torment and everlasting does not mean ever
lasting.
You may behold q depth Of meaning not for
eign TO this subject In tho text-things which
are seen are temporal, things which
are not seen are eternal 1t Is O. law OF this
earthly scene Of existence It's pleasures and
its pains which are perceptible to the senses,
that 1t shall be of no longer or shorter dura-
ton, that it is subject to change ana decay.
Not SO in that future and unseen world, where
the first sensation of joy or grief, winch shall
possess the soul at the moment OF reSurrec-
tion, shall be an everlasting sensation. That
which is not seen is eternal" 1t con. never
die Eternity differs nothing from time, IL
capable of being measured by years or ages
or cycles And to suppose that after the
lapse of fixed period, the human
soul is released from its pains. Is to
annihiate the . meaning 10 OF oe eternity ~
Apocalyptic angel, of deception, when ne
| lifted up his hands, and swore by Him who
liveth forever, that "Time shall be no longer"
have arrived ct the close OF o painful d, de-
| monstration, which did not undertake with
out repugnance Ii it shocks your senstbili-
ties, do not think 1t subject for congratula-
ton, or any proof OF superior intelligence,
virtue or refinement. Facts do not warrant
|
times betrayed into complacency with flip
pant illusions to this august mystery. LII
may silence this railery to reflect that they
are In alliance with the most degraded OF
their race. You are not alone, ye, men OF wit
and levity, In dashing from your lips the cup
of trembling. Multitudes are convinced by
your arguments. The murderer, the spoiler
: Of innocence, the base. miscreant, sunk In ig
norance clothed with vice and infamy-
their voices are in unison with yours in dis
/. | I'M a q
Your skepticism is greeted with q glad wei
come in every retreat OF crime, ana IS only
strange and foreign to the innocent breast o.
childhood, and to the faith OF holy men and
martyrs in the Church of God You may re
fuse to believe in hell, but with such grim fol
! lowers, you have no cause to be proud O
your discernment, arching your brow con
temptlousIy upon the Ignorance ana anti crea
Until this doctrine is received and felt BY
| you as God reveals it in His word, notwlth
standing your professions, you are igno
, rant of the mystery of redemption. 1ot
, The blessings Of redemption will neye
, be yours, until you beseech Goo
to break In pieces your pride, by giving you {
profound view of your own misery, ivel,
, conviction of the hatefulness and malignity O
sin. and an implacable hatred OF yourselves
as sin has made you, SO that your words may
be true words and not words Of mockery
when you pray, g From everlasting damna
ton good Lord deliver us.
, have delivered my soul OF this testimony
in the presence of those whose duty it Is t.
defend the truth, as well as to aid In IT.
propagation My task Is not done II | dis
miss SO grave doctrine without any refer
ence to the obligation which itinvolves Ever.
church has its peculiar dangers and tempta
tions There Is no danger that the church o
which we are members will not grow and in
, crease in power with the progress OF educa
tion in this country. There Is no danger tina
/ An sf,Ht
sober morality of this land will not be wei
: represented in our Sanctuaries. But Is ther
,, not danger that the independence and fidelit
Of our priesthood may be overawed by the re
dundanee of worldly wealth, or fastdioush e
! of public taste, enfeebling the tone Of tn
3 pulpit? Our strength will die out when W
; hear no more the stern expostulation to sir
4 ners to "hee from the wrath to come,
D This church has need of iron in it's blood. J
= has need of fire in its veins-mai esty in it
j. voice to make men feel and trenble who al
q now buried in carnal sloth and security. 1t
r quite clear that the words which go forth fror
: our pupits on future punishment hay
l. not the sober reality or the vlvla mas
d No man smiles at lightning when it lear
from the clouds and shakes it's glittering spea
d above his head. 1t may not produce roper
e lance, but it is too awful for derision. Ma
a not the fault be in our preaching, rattle
d than in the revelation itself, that the torment
ii of the damned evoke words of carping crit
70 ism, instead Of solemn awe and trepidatito,
= We do not stand before the people with tt
y awe upon us Of this great mystery! Not
" few of our ministers would be surprised
4 the close Of their sermons, to see proud M.
J. tremble as Felix did, when the Apostle di
n coursed of temperance righteousness, ana
ID Judgment to come. They would be surpris
le still more if one should approach them trem
le ling and astonished, with the question, VIII
Ia shall do to be saved do not say that mi
/: listers should discourse frequently of hell, b
or it would be reformation II they would pr,e,a
u to make it clear that they believe in hell,
IN knowing the terrors Of the Lord, they. wou
r.. persuade men, adjure them with ferve
x. entreaties, and not be contented to instr
their work, in the pulpit and out of it, t
he feryor and solemnity which would extort t
se confession : that man believes what
as breaches to be true. His life 1nterprets TO
tn the text: He that converteth sinner from
ch error of his ways shall save soul from dea
ed None are left to doubt his convictions that
nj is to save men from from actual perditit
~ | CO tho AnoStleS preached and lived Cor