Morning journal and courier., 1881-03-14
The Wicked After Death.

Fourth Lecture i'm the Course by Rev.
 M. R. Houghton at the Church or the
 TessIah-Fine Singing by the Choir.
 Last evening Rev. M. H. Houghton de-
 hvered the fourth in his course of lectures
 regarding the future punishment of the
 wicked. His subject last evening was t@The
 Condition of the Wicked After Death" and
 his remarks were based on the words found
 in Paul's first epistle to the Corinthians, 18th
 chapter and 18th verse-s.f in this life only
 ye have hope in Christ, we are of all men
 most miserable" In his opening remarks the
 speaker said that his present lecture would
 refer to the state of the wicked after death.
 The claim is put forth, said the preacher, by
 some of the orthodox ministers that the
 Scriptures teach endless misery after death,
 and I am here to give you the doctrine of
 this denomination in regard to the matter.
 shall enter into the subject somewhat care
 fully this evening, and before passing to it
 want to stop on the threshold and inquire if
 there is any ground for the teachings in many
 of the churches at present. The question
 arises in this connection as to who are the
 wicked. One theory is that there are many who are holy that will go on from step to
 
 the ladder in glory while there is another class of men and women counted by millions and billions that will go down, down, down to the lowest depths of hell. Now propose to talk little common sense tonight al-
 though I have plenty of scripture to support my theory, which will do in future lectures if need be. Now is it true, as the doc-
 Urine of orthodoxy teaches, that the
 largest majority of men and women in this world are to be lost The idea that this man is saint or that man
 sinner melts away before God like the dew before the morning sun. I don't believe that there are any on earth who are so good that they are willing at once to take wings and fly away, even though they may be forever at
 rest. The speaker here illustrated cases that had come under his own observation, where in the professor of religion had not shown so much honesty in his dealings the infdel. Continuing he said: The whole matter of future life is, to my mind one of education. You may go down little, then up Q little, until you reach the top of the mountain. Death to me does not make so great break as we may imagine. The scripture teaches that 'twhat man sows that shall he also reap' When I speak of the wicked after death believe that man begins his life in the next world precisely where he leaves off 1n this and that hlS lie 1n the future VIII be a progressive one I am not going to think that one class in the future world will be put down and another class be put up, but believe the great law of retri- button will hold true in the next world the same as in this. We are struggling here, men and women, and we should strive to make men purer and better. think that the future world is much more beautiful than this, yet we cannot tell how much the con- science will be called upon to suffer for sin in
 the great beyond. When we come down to level plane and try to be good, every soul will work out this problem for itself We shall find at last that Christi
 anity comes not to judge, but to be judged, and we should eventually turn to
 Him who came to save the world. In the days that are to come believe religion will
 teach this doctrine. I tell you that it is the
 honest man and the good man that is going to glory. It is the man who meets us on the
 plumb and the level and parts on the square that will have his reward in the future life.
 At the final day there shall be no white, no black, no bond, no free but we shall climb the mountain of Gods love together and we shall at last be crowned with unspeakable happiness forever and forever. Amen. On the conclusion of the sermon, of which we have given only 8 brief synopsis, the choir sang an anthem, which was rendered in fine
 style. Miss Allen, daughter of Deacon Allen, sang an alto solo in connection with the
 anthem very finely indeed, the splendid qual- ity and compass of her voice being admirably brought out. Mr. Samuel O. Warner and Miss Allen also sang duet in the same piece very nicely