The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-01-21
THE BROAD PATH
Uneasy Speculation on the Nature
of Its Terminus.
A POSER FOR PREACHERS.
DR.. Hepworth Discusses Hell from Two
Points of View.


The subject Of Dr. Hepworth's discourse yesterday
morning was Some the Laws OF Retribution, " and
he selected mis- from Isaiah ill.,, 10, ll-"Say ye
to the righteous, that it shall be we'll with HIM Tor
they shall eat the fruit OF their doings Woe unto
the wicked II shall be i'll with him, for the reward Of
his hnnos shall DO given him." The Importance Of
tho subject suggested by these words, said Dr. Hep
worth, cannot be exaggerated. Our conception OF
the future ana tie condition OF lo necessarily Affects
our present conduct. 1t is our right to know tho
truth, and tho whole truth, SO Tar as it has been
discovered and so far It has been revealed.
1t 10 necessary that NO should approach the SUBJ
ject which we have in hand with great caro-. You
will forget brethren, that all OF Us interested
parties, and judgments arc naturally II not ire
sstbly bassed by our estimate OF ourselves, and by
the conditions vi lie by which we arc surrounded.
We occupy the position, TO large extent, OF the pris
at tho bar, the friends OF the prisoner, who
are cndeavoring to arrive ut square judgment and
estimate OF the law by which they are themselves
condemned Yet II is possible for us 10 lay aside our
projudices and our performed judgment on the mat
ter, and to stand lace face, always ought TO
do, with simple. naked, sharp-cut and welt defined
facts. Now, there are Two sources from whch we gain
Nil the information that is possible this subject.
FIRST, from Gods rcvela ions through His Woru Sec
ond, through Cots revelations through HIS works. the
Biue OF the world, or the natural history OF things.
certain words that alarm them considerably. In
our translation, at least We have attached q most
important signlcaton to the words neil" and dam
nation. - We shrink from attempting to define the
meaning OF tho words "sternal' ana "everlasGng."
Where God has spoken OF wrong and It's conse-
quenccs he has used, for some reason or other,
these words Their exact moaning is, how.
ever, not 10 DO interpreted w either you or
myself They to be lett, they always should be
lett in the hands experts scholars divided in
their opinions concerning the meaning Of tneso
words From Orgen, IN The far distant past. 10 our
III rlna nd air EufPa
our own day. the opinion has been expressed
by competent men that these words ought 10
be eliminated from translation or the Bible
because they not found IN tho original In The
Same sense IN which they are used in the Bible On
the other hand from Augustine, IN the past, to Dr.
McCosh whose critical ability whose large scholar
ship whose acumen, and whose love OF truth no one
OF US would dare 10 dispute tue OPINION mas oeen ex
which the original intended 10 express But there are
other passages Scripture which be interpreted
brightest scholars RS of the land. You Of course,
know that l refer to those passages where sharp
and anttness is made between tho rewards OF
the wicked the hand and those ofthe righteous
on the other, AS, Tor Instance, where Jesus says
These shall 20 INTO evsrsng p1os9men. ana Inc
urally think that the two classes ought 10 balance
each other. That the words everlasting punish
meut" ought TO be equivalent TO the words 'eternal
life" | tnink receive another impression from
the Scriptures, which is factor and important one
in the consideration OF this whole subject and this 10
that the persstentIy bad and the perstenty good will
1--we togesner hereafter. call your attention 10
luis mater because IN my own nina ~ mas great
weight. We have reason 10 suppose that the con-
dlton o life under which We exist will not be changed
alter death. The Scriptures emphatcay teach That
the road life which single mere, will DO divided
into tw branches hereafter.
THE RRALM OF NATURE
Now, lot ask you to step Tor little into the
oi natural law and let Us look At It Tor lew
moments aud At some OF those energies and forces
that como under the criticism OF science. Our emo
lions stand in the way Of a clear Judgment Of our
selves; but If we are wise VIC Will keep them In abey-
arce while pursuing this investigation. Stern and
terrible as are facts let look them. will do
by anticipating some Of the objections to this doc
trne oil retrbution Your first objection Is that fu-
ness. We eau only discover she attributes of Gocs
character by analogy. Our conceptions OF Gods
goodness imperfect; but imperfect as they are
they tend TO the elevation oil the SOUL We learn
the world governed, Tor our earthly government Is
founded that OF Tod. Now, Is II not true that the
sevcrest punishmcrts are consistent with oenevo-
lepce IN human government pity unrestraned
would let the viest and most persistent criminal
20 Tree; but there Is a restraining Judgment
in the which says that you must be faithful 10
the Ia ol love WELL and that II you allow the
breaking OF that you destroy one OF the fundamental
laws OF society and OF social order Beuevolence Is
the only quality in the human heart side by SIDE
with IL rs the sense OF justice. Tho next objection
that the punishment winch lasts throughout eter-
not consistent with the sense OF Gods JUSTICE
TINS objection Dr. Hepw0rth answered At some
length by referring The action OF society in refer
cnce 10 the punishment for murder, which, though
only m0mentary act, was punishable either ny
death or ny Imprisonment TOR iiie l. lac next 0bJec.
ton was the object Of all punishment Is remedial
disciplinary. That was true. Dr. Hepworth SAID,
that men got into The condition when punls ment
ceased have any discp uary effect aud Goa had TO
put The black seal OF his condemnation on vice. and
vice could not dwell In the presence OF Goo