The morning call., 1890-11-17
STEPS TO HE'LL.
Rev. DR.. John Gray Talks of the
"Strange Woman.
Personal Adornment Admissible, but sue-
gestiveness Reconsideration
on Earth.

Rev.'John Gray preached at the Metropol-
itan Temple last night, taking his text from
the fifth verse of the fifth chapter Of Solo,
mons Proverbs: Her steps take hold on
hell"
Mr.. Gray said that in all religions in all
ages there is some place which is by uni
versal consent considered as a place of
darkness, a region of fearful punishment.
Under the Calvinistic Interpretation of
the Bible this was regarded as a literal
world of fire, to which were to be consigned
the bodies of the wicked after resurrection.
Other classes accept the idea that the ex-
pressions of the Bible are symbolical. Still
Others believe that all punishment is melted
out here on earth. But whatever view may
be taken ON these points, it is generally
agreed that the place of punishment of
guilty mortals is described by that word,
hell. 1t is important therefore to determine
where that spot is, for wherever the darkest
place of mans life is, here or hereafter,
there is hell.
Speaking of Solomon, the speaker said
that the darkest clouds of his life entered in
through bis imagination. An impure mag
ination leads many down the first steps to
hell. The daring to do something unusual,
something interdicted. seems 10 have a
strange fascination for some men, and In
that way their clouded imaginations lead
them to commit some dreadful act which
startles them as well as the rest of the world.
Solomon said the steps of the strange
woman" take hold on hell. In his empire
all the opportunities for righteousness were
abundant and all the luxuriosness OF out
ward appearances were demanded and sup
piled. As it was then, SO it is to-day. Sin
decks itself in gaudy array to entrap the
eye and ensnare the soul of the observer.
The dress of every man and woman should
l., q, mid In m noccib ilitv of
Doluting the Imagination. When women
walk the streets in such guise that it is APP
parent that they wish to attract the gaze OF
the passer, then they opened the imaglna-
lions of thousands TO those clouds which led
to hell Those unfortunate beings who had
fallen so far that they would no longer be
seen in the world of s0-called ordinary re-
spectability need not be considered, for the
streets are not always filled with them
others crowd them out: and besides their
well-known character deprive them OF any
great influence. The human body should be
kept bea utiful, as God made it, but it should
be so clothed that no suggest veness, no IL
centiouspess should be thrust into the mind
OF the beholder.
Elf there is any hell. here or hereafter, il
is that absolute reckless despair of man
who feels thatIlt is impossible for him to be
good Ii there is anything that will bring
this about it is the constant lmprintIDg On
the ina gination those sights which clond
the whole life and drown the soul in impure
thoughts and emotions.
Women believe men whom they kno W 10 be
unworthy OF their trust and men believe Wo-
men in whom nobody can reasonably place
confidence. They do this because they are
powerless to throw off the spell. A man who
thus finds himself enthralled comes to hate
himself and to consider himself fool He
shrinks from the pinched, haggard face of
his unhappy wife. He flees from his miSer-
able, half-cIad children, and hides himself
in the depths of his depravity. He suffers
the torments of hell.
The despair of helplessness is depicted in
the wild beast Gagged and unable to rend the
bars that bind him. or in the tiny mouse
that mutey appeals for release from its
trap. but sue h things are slight in compari
son with the net OF the strange woman that
enmeSheS the man whose mind is debauched
and who is incapable TO free himself. His
soul is forever helpless. That is the hell of
moral inability.
The remedy, Mr.. Gray said, was to resolve
not to condone the things known to be
fraught with death, and whose steps lead to
hell When love is turned to lust, and JUS
tice becomes knavery, it was the duty of
some one to stand up to help the people.
Even when the hand of the sufferer is
touched the grasp Is cold and life
less, though the look is appealing.
He hoped that every man or woman
who had started others on the road to hell
would have the torture OF an aroused con-
science to keep them company until they re-
pented and mended their ways. This should
be said, not with hatred but with righteous
indignation, and above Indignation should
burn al ineffabIe holy love that would go to
help the most abandoned woman in the uni
verse if need be.
AT one time during the sermon the rever-
end speaker was so overcome by physical
weakness that he was compelled to resume
his cnar. and in sitting posture continued
his discourse.