The Portland daily press., 1881-01-10
PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH.

PULPIT AND PLATFORM.
NEW JERUSALEM CHURCH.
The Rev. ]. K. Smyth delivered last evening
lecture ON "Hell.' Alluding to some be-
liefs which were once held in regard to hell
he proceeded to present the views of the New
Church on the following points:
l. Men do not go to hell because God will
not forgive them, but because they aoiU not ac-
cept the conditions of forgiveness, which are re-
pentance and amendment of life. God being
infinite love can retain no grudges against the
sinner, and having infinite compassion He
does not refuse to pardon. Evil, however, is
not something which word or look can re-
move from oue- nature and leave it without
scar OR blelhish. 1t is spiritual poison, which,
if we eat oft fills the soul with pain and dis
ease. 1t vitiates our spiritual powers and rem
ders the soul unfit for the Kingdom of God
The removal of evil depends upon repentance
and amendment of life for which every man is
held accountable.
q In regard to internal punishment 1.-THE
New Church holds that they are not visited
upon evil spirits by God on account of Divine
displeasure. The origin of punishment is in
the evil itself. Evil is our own tormentor.
But what is the nature of the punishments.
Evil spirits have been represented as inflicting
the most atrocious punishment upon each 9TH
or. Whilst the New Church believes in the
existence of internal punishments, still she
does not believe in any such coarse, brutal in
flictions as Fancy has designated. We may
think of the means employed by our civil gov
ernment for guarding the rights of its citizens,
as possiblea measures in the other world.
Where it becomes necessary, evil spirits are
for time deprived of all freedom until they
are brought into outward subsection. But the
purpose of all punishment in hell is not tor
ture, as species tof demoniacal delight, but
the betterment of the sufferer. 1t is to save
the wicked from greater wickedness, and thus
spare them greater misery.
3. 1t is not an uncommon belief that evil spir-
its grow continually worse and worse. They
are represented as steadily descending lower
and lower into the depths of misery and woe
until the wasted and agonized soul longs and
begs for death Ito make kindly intervention
Regarding punishment as corrective and
amendatory in its purpose the far more pleas
ing conclusion is that evil spirits may actually
improve in their external conduct, and be
brought into a condition Of behavior that is not
violent.
4. AS for the origin Of hell, man alone is
accountable because he islaccountable for the
in human nature that there is hell. Spirits
of their own desire entire hell, they are for
chilly placed there. We certainly think of
hell as dreadful, loathsome place, but it by
no means follows that evil spirits do. We
think of the condition of the savage as any
thing but an enviable one; and doubtless he
entertains the same idea in regard to our civ
ilized life. The thief does not abominate
theft; the murderer does not abhor MURDER
the incendiary does not shudder at arson. The
heart regards that as the best and happiest
place where it can be with those whose desires
and tastes are similar to its own and where
it can give them vent.
In the other world the good naturally draw
near to each other, and likewise the evil
They do this because they desire to- The evil
shun the presence and avoid the companion
ship of the angels, because such presence and
companionship yields their evil hearts no de-
violence angels and evil spirits become extri-
Gated from each other, and each class of beings
goes to its final and proper abode, the good to
heaven, the evil to hell
5: The New Church teaches that they go to
hell who have with persistent and obdurate
stubbornness resisted all influences to good
and who have chosen the love of self and of
the world rather than the love of God and the
| neighbor. Evil spirits, however, are not they
who have fallen into evil ignorantly Every
one is judged according TO his own standard Of
What is right and wrong. 1t is the deliberate
adoption Of what is known to be sinful, and
the obstinate rejection of what is known to
be right, that renders men evil spirits. Their
final condition is one Of undisguised contempt
and aversion for what is good and heavenly
and open resistance to the laws of God.
In regard to the subject of "Final Restora-
tion,' the New Church holds that life in hell
must be eternal. 1t is in the intermediate
world" into which we all first come after
death, and where We are surrounded by angel
ic influences and receive angelic instruction,
that spiritual transformations occur. All who
have not utterly closed their minds against
good influences, are led to, at length, turn to
the Lord in genuine love, and to seek heaven
as home. But if, in spite of divine help and
abundant privileges; if, in spite of solemn
warnings and entreaties, there are those who
absolutely refuse to be influenced by them, who
turn from them in disgust. who secretly yearn
for opportunities to give vent to their evil and
who come at length to hate God, angels and
men, what room is there left but for such to be
allowed to go to world where there are kindred
spirits, and what ground is there for believing
that such shall ever really change their char
acter. 1t is true that corrections and punish
ments in hell are amendatory in their oharac
! ter; but they work amendment in only the ex-
| ternal conduct. They may suppress the out
ward exercise of evil; they cannot eradicate
the evil love itself. The tiger will always re-
main tiger, however much he may be sub
dued. He can never, be characterized by the
| lambs harmless innocence. After soul has
finally developed character, which it refuses
| to change, which it has at length come to love,
which it has confirmed by thought desire,
word and act, that character, in all the essen
tial things which 60 to make it up, remains
fixed forever. Mans free will renders it posi-
BILE for him to forever reject Gods goodness
and truth. GAS the tree falls so must it lie.''
AGE OF QUEEN ANNE.
Rev. Mr.. Dalton's lecture on the cage of
Queen Anne" was we'll attended Saturday af-
| ternoon.
He showed how deep the anxiety was which
| prevailed throughout England as to whether
she would espouse the side of James II or the
Prince of Orange; the Protestant or Catholic
side. The Duchess of Marlboroughs influence.
however, induced her to renounce tho purpose
of accompanying her father into exile, to ad
here to the dominant party and secure the
British crown to herself and issue, in default of
issue to William and Mary. 1t was during her
reign occurred the splendid victories of Prince
Eugene and Marlborough. With the waning of
the popularity of Marlborough the Tories in
creased in power; the peace of Utrecht was
| signed and the Queen, in the midst of the ca
balls of het ministers, suddenly died, and her
death secured to England the Protestant sue
cession. Her reign was distinguished as the
Augustine period of literature, and adorned
with the writings of Addison, Pope, Steele.
Swift and Defoe, and the Spectator" (that
historic sheet) brought newspapers into fash
ion. The speaker hoped statue of Longfel-
low might be erected in Deering's Oaks, with
a copy OF his poem on the Oaks in his hand.
as Addison's statue was placed in Westmin-
ster Abbey with copy of the Spectator in his