The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1878-03-16

N"eS hot tutn COnlelull TlCneS, per ~, NOl
reward poverty per Sc, but everywhere
"njoinS on us not to set our heart on riches,
and says Blessed are tn, poor in spirit.
But let us pry deeper into this text and
see if there is not an awful fact therein
which W" have not yet fully drveloped.-
We are here informed that there is a
! Urnrrn and that there is a Hell; we are
: ah"1t to tread on tender ground, for you
are open to conviction as the beauties and
|Tandrnr> Of Heaven. You are thankful
there is >'l,'h a place. ynu believe there is
such j. place. You never saw il. or heard
! it's songs. or Sm"llr,l i1s sweet O,lOrs, EnI
t." Bible says so, that is yonr only info .
nation on the subject and YOU believe
that. BIT when We announce that there
Is Il He'll, yon want (" get ont Of revealed
| truth. and talk about >rrncc and reason .
But we are here to examine this ttlt atone,
let rs keep to the subject and speak, hear
and decide for time and eternity.
lon eagerly ask me. what 'lo yon think
of HE'LL What sort of a place is it l
answer that these are questions that ev
cry man must decide for himself, and at
lis own peril, this decision to be pre,lica-
ted on the word of GOd-anl we see at
once the great difficulty in giving a fair
opinion, because we are tho accused par
ty, and if there is a He'll it is made for
the punishment Of the wicked; but we
must remember at this point that our
opinion amounts to nothing if there is
He'll the opinion of every human being
to the contrary would not obliteratc it,
may believe that there is no such range
of mountains as the Alps, but my opiu-
ion does not effect the mountains Mel
Their does our opinion of He'll change that
place. And. yet, it is all important that
we should have correct ideas, as a mis-.
take here may prove fatal.
| take it for granted that You all be-
lieve in tho Bible, that it is the word of
God, that its contents are true, that it is
of Divine origin, is Of inspiration you
are convinced that while the creeds and
opinions OF men are liable to change that
"God is the same yesterday, to-day and
forever and you would rather know
what God says about future punishment
its nature and it's character, than to have
my individual opinion; we'll listen to the
voice of the Deity.
Matthew, l3.50-"And shall cast them
into furnace of fire.
Rev. 14-l0-'He shall he tormented
with fire and brimstone."
Rev. l9-20-"These men were cast into
lake of fire burning with birthstone"
Isaioh 1924 -"Neither shall their fire
be quenched."
Matthew, l5-4l-"Depart from me ye
cursed into everlasting fire.
Rev. 21-16-"All liars shall have their
part in the lake that burneth with fire
and brimstone.'
Mark, 9-45-"Better than having two
feet, to be cast into He'll, into the fire
that never shall be Quenched.'
Our Text am tormented in this
fame"
Time would not permit me to quote one
fourth of similar passages; the Sacred
volume is crowded with them from Gene
sis to Revelations.
Some say do not believe in material
FIRE. we'll there is no such thing as imma-
terial tre-but you say the torture is
mental and not physical, we'll you do not
bett'r the case, for every one knows that
mental torture is worse than physical;
but why discuss the question, it is "thus
saith the Lord" land what is man that
he should contend against his Maker"
If these Bible statements are false then
all may with equal reason lie said to be
false. As for myself l dare not dispute
the Bible. especially when l remember
the closing language Of this great gift OF
God to man read it. "For l testify unto
every man, that heareth the words of tho
prophesy Of this book, if any man shall
add unto these things, God shall add un-
to him the plaques that are written in
this Book and if any man shall take
away from the words of the Book of this
prophesy, God shall take away his part
of the Book Of life, and out of the Holy
City, and from the things which are
written i'll this Book" Be careful there
fore ia your criticism of the Bible lest all
the curses therein contained crush yon
forever, and lest you may never enjoy the
blessings here promised to those who do
believe.
Oh how careful We should all be to es-
cape the wrath Of God ourselves, and re-
membering too that orr best friends are
lost forever, there is no shadow of hope
for them, "there is no repentance in the
grave"-when the iron gates of He'll are
closed on them, they shall never again be
unbarred to give them exit when once
shut up within those walls of sweltering
flames which girdlo tho fiery gulf, there
is no possibility Of flight--they have for
ever" stamped upon their chairs; forever
engraven on the doors and walls forever
carved in deep lines of despair on their
hearts. Remember there is no death in
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