Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-04-23
IN sHE CHURCHES.
Rev. F.r. Dunn's Idea of Eell-Rev. Dr.
Dwineu on Judgment for Sin.

Regular services were held in all the
churches yesterday. Rev. B. Wise oficiated
at Pioneer Hall for Chebrah Kidusha Con-
eregs.ion. At the Sixth-strees VI. E. Church
last evening Rsv. I. S. Dunn preached from
the text, What is your lifs?" (Jas. iv,
14. The subject of his discourse was sng.
esstsd by the awful calamity of Thursday
night that hurried 80 many TO an untimeiy
grave. Lessons are to be drawn from the acct.
dent relative to the construction and inspection
of buildings. But the secular press was saying,
and undoubtedly would say, ell that is needed
on that point. We have no right to judge
that when calamity overtakes man, it has
any relation whatever to his moral character.
The Savior rebuked that spirit when be
asked his followers il they thought the men
on whom the tower fell were sinners above
oil men, and himself answered, say nay"
What is cur life? None can tell. Philoso-
phy cannot answer. We are conscious of ex-
istencs, but what is it? Earthly life is a
short space of time. Time Is duration, and
SO is eternity; but the former is measured
duration, the lstter unreasonable duration.
1t is eternity broken off at both ends. Our
life is little piece between the eternity of
J06 pAeb anu buS CicIuikJ VI bLo iubuiSs l. AS
shortness of life il, as the poet says, as a
dream. How striking are the hundreds of
symbols of the brsvity of life. But none
are so comprehensive and grand as those
found in the Bible. It tells us
life sis vapor that passeth away" Who
has not seen the mists of the valley vanish be-
fore the rays of the sun ? "It is as weaver e
shuttle" Yes, as a shuttle, flying swiftly
back and forth through the warp; shuttle
carrying the thread of life, and weaving pat
terms never to fade. It is ga shadow that
passeth away" How the shadows, clear de-
fined, Of rock and tree and form, vanish when
dark cloud sweeps across the fscs of the
sun. It is as /" an eagle that hasteth TO its
prey" TIE eagle hovers above the ocean,
and suddenly darts liks an arrow TO the wave
and seizes its victim It is "as swift sail
ing ship" The swift ship of life leaves the
port Of youth. passes the table-lauds of man
hood, and enters all too quickly the dark wa
tiers in the harbor of death.
Our life is uncertain. We know not that
we shall live to the morrow. It seems at
first that we ought to know, since it
is SO short, what its length ia to be.
But it is best, and reason tells US so, that we
do not live in that knowledge. If we are to
BE- crushed beneath falling roof and wall,
now much better that we dwell not liz the
agony of its contemplation, shudderingly ex.
pecting its consummstion. Men say: /" If
we knew, we would prepare" Christ said /:
"Wstch for We know not the hour" Be
ready, then, at all times. Our life is short,
our end uncertain-close the Bible and that
ia all there is of it, all we know or can know.
1t is shallow answer TO the question of the
text, but with the Bible closed it is all that
can be given by priest, philosopher or reason.
But open the Bible end it tells me 81 life is
short :" yes, but short here only :" the end is
uncertain )" yes, but that end is the beginning
Of an endless existence beyond. You look upon
your child ah the sweet consolation, 1t will
live forever. Is life a shadow but it will
become reality; is it dew-drop before the
sun ? yer, but it will become a sparkling
diamond of light never to b, dimmed.
Ia it a swift-sailing ship? Yes, but it will
pass upon boundless ocsap, eternally pa
ci6c, and where gentle gales shall forever
swell its sails, beyond the narrow strait of
death. Then let the end be uncertain. Let
the worm die. I know the chrysalis bears
life. Let it spin about it its silken coffin /;
from it shall spring new life. Life ia state
of probation in which to improve the moral
nature and prepare for better life. So, if
we are not preparing and prepared, the result
must be one of dire consequences. All things
begin 10 probationary state. We have light
and knowledge just as we study ard enlarge
the capacity for them. Childhood is the pro-
baton for youth, and youth for manhood,
and manhood for old age, and old age for the
new life beyond. We are driven to it by
reason and example that life here is proba.
tionary for one hereafter. The Bible teaches
it, and it accords with reason and human de.
sire and aspiration. It teaches that we may
SO live here as to regret it hereafter.
So l see men SO living one day
as to regret it the next. Is there a future pro-
stationary state? / do not know. I do not
believe there is. | believe there is great
impossible gulf. and they who go beyond
cannot return to us; no, we go to them save
through death. l see men beyond the intel
lectual gulf between ignorance and knowl-
edge. They thirst to pass over to light, bat
have go lived that they may not. You say it
is not benevolent TO hold that but one proba-
tionary state is allotted If another were
given, why may we think man neglecting
the first will improve the second? He entered
on the first free from bond of habit, with
keen sensibilities, his moral perceptions not
blunted. If he ends it hardened and cold
and sinful, Why shall we believe he will pass
from that state into a second probationary
period prepared to do better therein Repeti-
tion Of acts tend to fxedness of character. If
one enter on second probation bound by the
cables of habit, shall he more easily shake
them off. The law of life is, that as we walk
in the light given, so shall moro light open to
us. Every step in advance makes the next
easier; every retrogression makes recovery
more difficult. l believe in no material fires
of hell. The scorching fires that We feel here
are of those we shall endure hereafter. If a
second probation were preached how many
would be saved by improving the first? Very
few. How many Christians started saying,
" God is good, am vile will sin no more
because of these things? % Very few, think.
But most started because they feared perdi.
ton. 1t is not pleasant to say, but it is true.
So fear has place in religion, and with PEN
itence and peace, fear gives place to love.
Let US so live as to attain to that state of
love and that hope, peace and light hereafter.
It makes no difference how we die, but all the
difference in the world how we live. Are we
living for Christ? Can we say, live, " yet
not /, " as Paul said, but Christ in me %
JUDGMENT FOR SIN NERos EXAMPLE.
DIR. Dwinell, at the Congregational Church,
preached in the morning upon the subject OF
judgment for sin, dividing the topic in its
crimes, some of which in their extreme re.
pugnances and atrocity even nature discloses
the hiding of the culprits. and retribution is
not delayed; and the other class, those which
are hidden and known only perhaps to the
stricken conscience Of the offender, until he
has passed the bounds of the present life.
After enlargipg upon these two phases of hui
man action, calling for and receiving each its
retributive reward of punishment, the way OF
escape through tie terms of the Gospel were
pointed out and applied. During the speak
er's treatment of thst portion of his subject
referring to the open and great sins, the fol.
lowing allusion was made to the bloody EN-
peror of Rome:
Nero, said the speaker, twas o remark.
able instance of one whose sins were open be-
forehand, going before to Judgment. His
sins covered all the characteristics which
have been mentioned. They were I'm.
concealed, and invited personal repri-
sails, and they were atrocious. Ven
geance could not long delay. Nero is
generally thought of as cruel, but he
was more than that, he was cowardly and he
was an esthetic and these traits not only
colored his cruelty but led to it. His want
Of courage led him, when he was afraid of
any person or felt any one was in hic way. to
resort to murder OF assassination to put him
out of the way, rather than meet the trouble
in bold, manly manner. Thus his own
mother, step.mother, two wives and early
friends, successful Generals, and a multitude
of persons who crossed his whims. persisted
by bis hand or order, by assassination or open
murder. It was the etealthy resort Of a
coward at the head of the Empire. His
estheticism was of the realistic school, ard
delighted in the actual sights Of blood, and
the writings and agonies of the dying.
He made verses, played on the Tyre,
&hA nta rs1k ii A,