The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-09-24
A NEW THEORY OF HE'LL.
Only Those Damned Who Damn TIL en.eives

From the Independent (orthodor tongregdtiondttsp.
We submit few Of Professor Franz Del
itszch's positions:
same sense a. the body. Such q death is in
consistent en- with ITS nature ana Its Origin IT
be Us
be annihilated for 1t is Of direct divine source.
1t is conceivable that God might. without act
uay destroying 1t. reduce II to state of un-
consciousness: but that he does not do this.
even when the soul is past all hope of redemp-
ton. is evident from his not doing it in the
of the lost angels
The sin Of Satan was direct. and effected
total obduration. an entire extinction of the
of the divine image. And so long as the human
of sin as entirely to have obliterated the image
of God 1t is still rsdeemable.
The words Of the creed: He descended into
into Hades. the intermediate state, and pre-,
scented hlmseif TO- the eoieftye BODY OF departsd
saw him as their Redeemer. the hardened sin
ners as their Judge, and TO that vast multitude
diction to sin he preached tho Gospel and
offered redemption.
be pneumatic. bu. only psychic and heshly.
They will bs devoid of all those qualities which
could serve to hide the inner hatred and dis
But does not the .perpetuity Of world of evil
spirits conflict with the Christian doctrine OF
he SO; but as it consists of an ininity of per
sona individuals. 1t sufices to vindicate Gods
sovereignty. that all those who have realized
their ideal be gathered into the kingdom Of
love, while such as have deRnitiyely resisted
destroyed themselves are, relegated to the
realm OF niGht where TS they can = no longer ,
shut up within bounds, There is no need that
evil should be annihilated in order that. MS
with the six days of creation. so the six days of
human history may also be pronounced "a conf
pletc success. On the contrary, both anthro-
lions call for the possibility of an eternal dam
mus, be possible for the will to hold dcnnitivcy
aS any Nor AE does Iris lser posSy y" Of gam
Of imply Gsna
shows clearly that evil. when persisted
i II 6 o9yoad an s5an p9,n
Within definite limits turning point, con-
version is, yet possible, provided that gracious
of the sin bound soul; but in the nature Of the
case. there must occur point in the growth in
evil eey9nad ,h wheh M SsGIy Of G9nnse
this point at any stage within time te. a.. nj tho
hour of bodily DEATH yetwo are forced to place
worlds history. SO long AS time is not rs yet
swallowed up in eternity the conversion
OF sinners must be possible: for the
it is condition Of probation and of grace
SO long. therefore. as the sinner is within
the limits Of time he is under the mercitu for
bearance of God; But when not simply this or
that portion OF time, but time IN general has
ccas"d-that is when both the earthly lifetime
i over and also the whole period of the intcr-
mediate state has terminatcd-and when thu
general resurrection and the transfornlatiun
OF physical creation shall be complete. then il
Is impossible to conceive any remuining posi-
hility of conversion in those who have resist ed
all previous influences Of grace. Surely. by
impenltent will have become so ohdurate that
no possible advances Of grace would wakcn in
them any response Hence. any such truitlcss
advance Of grace will not be made and the sin
ner will remain under the doom which he has
definitely chosen.
This poss ibe eternal continuance Of evil H. Il
great stumbling block to human reason. We
arc constantly tempted to imagine this or that
reason do this rs 1t may see n, but le, it not
pervert the Scriptures. The Bible teaches the
eternal personal existence OF all personal
creatures.
But how are we TO conceive Of the eternal
existence Of the saved and the ln"t II will
not DE II monutonous staudstill. The blessed
are rooted in the eNer-rhdurlnG life ot God.
This divine life is to them an eternal present
which they will wish back. and no future which
they would prefer to their present Their
present is tho presence of God; To be without
this. presence and 10 endure this lack forever
All who are not clothed IN the glorious light
forms of the resurrection to lie are sunknn
away under the wrath forms OF nights and IN
self-consuming life a lie which is a. il il were
/ not tenl me nlctSePn DIES Lebenj,
DR.. Deit2sch agrees with Fothe in regarding
the pains OF he'll a. the Inherent effects of sin
He damns only those who damn themselves
an outrageous, deliberate. dehnitivo rejection
of every conceivable approach OF Divine grace