The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-01-10
(From the London Christian World. ]
Is there an Endless Helll

Dr. Farrar. canon of Westminster, aud au-
thor OF the most popular ellie OF Christi OF
our timc-read and admired OF late years in
thousands of Christian families-has been
preaching at the Abbey on subjects relating
to the future life. Both last Sunday and
Sunday week the Minister was crowded
with people to listen to these discourses.
The throng was so great that many had to
stand throughout the services. Our short
hand writer has provided us with verbatim
reports of both sermons, but our space is so
pre-occupied to-day with other matters that
we can only give summary Of them.
In his first discourse, based upon Peter,
w., 6, DIR. Farrar discussed the subject Of
the future punishment OF the ungodly.
After the introduction, the preacher pro-
ceeded to state what, after years OF thought
on the subject, he believed, and what he
knew to be the belief of multitudes, and Of
yeariy increasing multitudes, OF the wisest
and most learned in the Church. Proceed
ing to examine the subject in detail, he first
set forth the popular notions Of hell to be
found in the early tleologians, in Dante, IN
Milton and in Shakespeare, citing some OF
the most terrific passages, descriptive Of
endless torture. Happily the thoughts and
hearts of men were often far genticr and
noblcr than their creeds, customs and tradi-
tions. 1t was only when these topics were
| treated by narrow-mindod aud loveless
hearts that they were seen in all their in-
tolerable giiastliness. He knew OF nothing
so calculated to make the whole soul revolt
| with loathing from every doctrine OF reli.
gion as the easy complacency with which
some cteerfully accept the belief that they
| are living and moving in the midst Of mill
| lions, doomed irreyersibly to everlasting
perdition. No language could be stern
enough to rcprobate the manner in which
many elder brothers OF the Prodigal had
turned Gods Gospel OF plentcous redemp-
ton into anathetnas and all but universal
perl.ition. II we were not unaffected when
the destitute perish with hunger, Or the dy-
ing agonize i'll pain, was there any human
| being worthy Of the dignity Of a human be-
| ing who did not revolt and sicken at the no.
ton OF world of worm and flame: If st.
Paul again and again flung from him, with
| q ''God Forbid the conclusions OF an APP
parently irresistible logic, we surely. who
had no irresistible logic against us in this
matter, but only in great part spiritual sci.
lishness and impenetrablc traditions, do we
not, in the high name OF outraged con-
science, OF humanity-nay in the far higher
! name of the God who loves us, of the Sa-
viour who died for us, OF the Hely Ghost
| who cnlightens us--do we not hurl from u;
| representations OF q doctrine so horrible thai
every nerve and fibre OF our intellectual
moral, and spiritual life rcvolts at it? 81
repudiate,' exclaimed the preacher, ''these
crude and CHASTITY travesties of the holy ant
awful will of God. Iarraign them as melci
lessly ignorant. / impeach them as false
hood against Christ's universal and absolute
redemption. l denounce them as q bias
| phemy against Gods exceeding and eterna
love. More acceptable, L am very sure, thar
the rigid and most Incorporating ortho
doxy of all the Pharisees who have eve
judged their brethren since time began
more acceptable by far to Him, who, or tin
cross. prayed for His murderers, and whit
died that they might live-more acceptable
say than the delight which amid a delugt
Of ruin hugs the plank ON which alone itsel
is saved, would be the noble and tremblin;
piety which made St. Paul declare himsel
to be the anathema from Christ for the SAX