The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-02-07
A SERMON ON HE'LL.
Rev. Father Clark's Discourse at the
Cathedral Last Night.

The mission services at the cathedral con-
tinue to be attended by throngs of people.
last night the cathedral was crowded in
every part. The service began by iustruc-
tion on purgatory, followed by the rosary,
after which Father Clark of the Paulls5
order preached on Hell He spoke from
an improvised platform about six feet from
the front. By the side of the platform was
a cross of black wood, upon which hung a
linen shroud.
"Hell is not the opposite Of heaven" said
the speaker, ''but its contradictory. 1t was
not created by God, but by the
creature lifting up his hand against
God in sin. In this world" the
reverend father said, I'VE have
punishment for those who sin against the
laws of the land and Of nature. Capital
punishment is similar to the punishment OF
hell, which is without an end. In all ages
of the world and among all races and condi-
ton of men, we fad a common belief in
hell. Every religion believes in the eter-
nifty OF punishment. In the interior Of
Africa missionaries tell of a people who
believe in satan and he'll. When mission
aries first came to this country they found
similar belief. 1t is the same in Japan
aad in China to-day as it was in Greece and
Rome in ancient times-ali agree in the
existence of hell" This belief, said the
speaker, is true one. 1t is founded on
reason. In spite of its repugnance to our
natures, men accept it de fdcto.
The speaker spoke at length of hell, as
the scriptures describe il. 1T lasts forever ::
it is frequently compared to fire, which fifty
expresses the horror Of it. There can be no
doubt" the speaker added, shat there is a
place called he'll where those who die in
mortal sin shall go for all eternity. Sin is
the lifting up of the creatures hands against
the Almighty God. With fatherly tender
ness God asks his creatures to Kaow. love,
and serve him, but the creature says, Il
viii not; | choose neither to know, love or
serve him. The fixing of the will in con-
tradiction to Gods will is hell.n
If there was no hell, the preacher said
why should Christ have come into the
worldl What avails all this striving on the
part Of man to keep out of sin? He'll is the
loss of God. He is everything to man, for
man was originally created to know, love,
and serve God, and the chief punishment of
the soul in hell is tnat it cannot do that
yet its browning desire is to know and love
God, aud to serve him. But, having re-
jected him during the state of probation on
earth, it has lost the power. The souls
in hell can never do a good
deed. Everything they do there is a sin.
OIA6 lOA III VI bICAl punishment IS budG bIb
mercy and goodness of God shines over
them, and over the place like crystal
beam. There is greater mercy and good
ness in putting wicked souls into hell
instead of heaven. and these same damned
souls realize that it is the best thing that
could be done for them who have not on
the robe of Righteousness. With them there
is no hope Of deliverauce. Time VIII never
repair their loss, for the soul that is lost to
God, where can it go to find him9
Every day aud every year comes to an
end, said the reverend father. The world
will also come to an end, but the punish
ment of hell is without an end, and in he'll
there IS a sense of pain; a sense of memory,
of imagination and of tnought-memory,
with its gnawing remorse, and imag nation,
with its vivid picture of what might have
been and what is. The soul will
then know the why and wherefore il
is in such place, and the knowledge Of the
justice of its fate will add to the measure
of the cup of bitterness. God will not put
any one there because he wants to. He
gives men every chance while on earth for
redemption, but they prefer to damn them
selves. If God had taken on the nature Of
angels instead of that Of men. do you think,
asked the speaker, that there is one of the
lost angels that would have been so foolish
as not TO have saved himself?
In conclusion Father Clark drew a
graphic picture of Christ and Antichrist
standing before man inviting him to
choose for himself. There stands a man,
he said, clothed in purple; his look is very
sorroWful, but his voice is infected with
emotion, as he says: "Come, child. walk in
the way which l have prepared for you
1t is very narrow. 1t is a long, high and
difficult mountain path, but nigh above
these rugged nights is the high table
land where sits enthroned the
New Jerusalem, and when you arrive
there will be ever with you" On the left
hand stands youth clothed in garb of
white robed radiancy. His hands are full
of good things, and well filed purse of
gold hangs by his side. Come in the way
that is broad and pleasant. Unlike the
narrow, rugged way that some walk in
here is gentle slope. 1t is all right, and
l will take good care of you at the end
(Which way will you choJseF' asked the
speaker.
At the close of the sermon there was a
service of the benediction. Father Colbert
was the calahraOt