The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-01-28

Sermons on the subject fester-
day by Bishop Kahn and Rev
!. 4. Mcclure.
The subject that is now being discussed
throughout the land, by the clergy Of
every denomination, was discussed In
this city yesterday by Right Rev. Bishop
Kahn at the Cathedral, and by Rev. 1T
Mcclure at the United Presbyterian
Church.,
The Bishop took his text from the Cos:
pei Of the day, viz: "But the children o.
the kingdom shall be cast out into the
exterior darkness there shall be weep
Ing and gnashipg Of teeth" Matt. Viii''
Having remarked that these words
toTetell the fate Of the unrepenting ain
ner, even though he has been a member
Of Christi church or kingdom on earth,
Tie Bisbop stated that he selected the
subject Of eternal punishment for his dis
conT,e NOT because Il was one Of the sem
sational topics Of the day, but because
Il IA suggested by the Gospel
lesson Of the Sunday. He attrlou-
led the unsettled opinions oil men
ontsije the Catholic Church, upon q kin
dred doctrines, TO the absence Of any COM
petent teaching authority among them
6nly n class Of Catholics were in dan
eer Of being seduced by the cunning ar
Suments Of those who impiously deny the
the dogma Of an eternal hell; t,ose,
namely who refuse 10 square their daily
lives by the law OF the Gospel and the re-
Gnirements Of the Church. These are
unwilling to have their soft repose Of
mind disturbed by the terms oil eternal
punishmenu. ~ :,
Constantinople A. D. Dos, the Cnurch
pronounced her anathema against all who
deny the doctrine Of hell and is eternal
puni.hments. II the doctrine Is false,
then i the church no divine institution;
for Gods Church cannot teach error In
the place Of truth. ..
II there is no hell, then has Christ
himself deceived us, for he teaches the
doctrine in language 80 plain that the
Christian world has ever accepted It on
this authority, and the authority oil his
church, which lie has guaranteed against
the danger Of error. Nay, the dental Of
hell ia equivalent to the denial OF an all
holy and adjust God. Sin, $50 lar as II
Is an offence against an Infinite Beng
has in it an infinite malice, and deserves
an Infinite punishment. A finite creature
cannot offer an atonement infinite In any
respect save in its duration. The atone
ment made on the Cross was infinite, be-
Gauss the person who offered it was God
but the merits Of that atonement shall
never be applied TO the r%eprobate IN nell
The Bishop then discoursed on the
three features in the punishment OF the
damned, as expressed in the sentence OIL
their condemnation. depart from Me
We cursed, into everlasting fire"
1. Their separation from God: "Depart
from Me-" With u cold natures, we
can hardly conceive that the loss oil sod
and Of heaven shall form the sinner'a
greatest sufiering-his greatest hell. Yet
10 true is it that all other fortunes are
but accessions-Ndded less 10 increase
the snfIerings OF the damned than tosnr'
prise the living with salutnry fear. The
Bishop drew a vivid picture OF the soul
banished from Gods presence, in order
10 convey some idea OF that most awful
p~uuishment Of the wicked.
2. "Depart from Ne INTO fire" Though
the church has not expressly defined thC
nature Of that IRE Of which the Holy
Scriptures go frequently speak, it would
be presumptuous to depart from the al
most universally received opinion o.
Catholic theologiaus, who teach that The
Ere Of hell is real, material tire. AS The
material body ia the medium here OF the
sensations OF pleasure and paiR TO the
soul. why may not God use a like instru'
mentality in the next world?
The Bishopdw some length upon the
intensity ofthis suffering; and then passed
10 the third, most awful feature in the
punishment Of the damned-ib eternity.
5. aDepart from Me, ye cursed, into
FIRE everlasting" The pains Of hell, he
continued, will last forever; men will moi
ain in hell; they illthen be incapable Of
merit or deIlerlt. Dut thes VIII huhsi
for all eternity for the sins committed on
Garth, and uurepented Of and unforeiven.
Christ tells us: ale that shall bias.
pheme against the Holy Ghost shall
never have forgiveness, but shall be guilty
Of an everlasting ain" Mark III: 90
Vul. ed. II men, when summoned here
by The gracious iavors Of God, refuse to
love Him, il is not likely they will turn
10 love Him, when crushed by the weight
OF His ayenging arm. Yet all repentance
supposes at least the beginning Of the love
O 'God. To portray the awfuIness Of thi.
.pain Of hell, the Bishop used several
striking illustrations, calculated 10 in
spire a fear Of mourning this reverend.
ing punishment.
The conclusion Of his discourse was an
e~xhortation to think often and seriously
on this awful truth; aud also on that 9th
er terrifying truth Of Holy Writ, that Of
the many who are called to possess the
lows Of heaven, lew will sccure them.
The effect Of these reflections will be to
inspire us with a correct notion OF the
righteousness Of sin, and OF tho sovereign
Justice Of God "who will not be mocked.n