The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-04-06

-. Dr.. Gilbert on Future
Punishment.
q N THE PockETeook.
lnak - 1lths Gislng-Histsrical
q shs Rssarrection-0sAsr
1slleieus Services.

= . the transgression Of the law"
oa was supplementary to one de-
nuune time ago on the Problem Of
50 Punishment. The preacher
ut upon the fact Of the great con-
-. G : universe under law a. con-
~ Newton, the Duke Of Argyle and
1865 generally and defined law to be
i method Of Gods activity and
1opower in itself to create or regu-
"a then drew attention to the ex-
ess Of the domain of law, claiming
R1o1ed both spheres, spiritual a. well
~ 1oria. Men knew they could not
over aprecipice or put their hand in
= 5 without injury but imagine they
h ~ somehow escape. The speaker
ec1<ht out the great necessity of
f6fne IN the universe and showed how
$ uo1Id succeed the cosmos and bring
noureck Of matter and the crush of
= without it: so in society, anarchy,
mes would annihilate all the re-
q the toll and growth of the centur-
II the individual, without law men
beasts and even lower than the
- Who did not violate their instincts,
S SIa9s Of their beings. God himself is
- lnW--the Law Of his own being, his
- holiness. Christ was under law. He
"a Obedience. He came not to do His
70 will and spoke only the words the
s ~ ave Him.
~ doctor then defined law and liberty,
Ii z showed how society advances by re-
nlnts and new obligations. The civil
= nan vas not as "free" ~ the savage
- man - the boy. No man has right
. = he pieases. He must please to do
4 1T Though free, he is not to use his
10y . cloak Of righteousness. The
Doher then spoke Of some characteristics
j 1hese spiritual laws. First, they were
lDmatic, self-acting. The laws served
4 ~ own indictments and became prose-
61ins attorney, Judge, jury, sheriff. jaller,
s. Dcutioner. The very moment We con-
tive the malicious thought or do the law
- deed, that moment the punishment
iogins. The sin itself in its depraying
psoeencs in the heart, is part of the pun
kAment. There il shock, . destruction
u inner harmony. The melody of the soul
+ gone. Nemesis ID on our track. Before
nen do wrong they think it will be all well
With them. but how changed 10 everything
after. With Macbeth they cry, "How is it
with me when every noise affrights me 2"
Judas, Eugene ATam, the fugitives in Cam
ada, men who return conscience money!"
Ill testify to this. To depict this il the
great work Of the dramatist and fiction
writer. Dante, Shakespeare, Dickens,
Hawthorne. George Eliot bring out the
great tragedies Of the human soul. Men
t1y IN vain todivert the voice Of conscience
By absorption In business, amusement,
travel, reading or dissipation. The sin Of
drunkenness, in its effects on body and
soul. illustrated how sin wrought its own
punishment.
The speaker spoke Of asecondcharacter-
istic-that these laws were not arbitrary in
thsir action but flowed from the very
nature Of the sin. A holy act strengthens
the inner holiness. Life generates more
HI Deeds Of humility deepen humble
neos. So his own miserable, narrow self
khnsss Is the selfish mans punishment.
Not 10 be believed, not to rejoice in truth,
~ liars. Society with his own pollution,
~ impure mans. The hatred Of the suf-
hsing and the curse of malignant tempers,
~ oppressor's. Critics Of Christianity
njsssent the Deity as capricious,
uSitrary, tyrannical, venting hell
togmcnts on men, and say they
yin have nothing to do with an angry
I'D. But whether We believe in God or
{ ~, We cannot deny the existence of Law
mnnot deny that fire will burn, or water
1town, or poison kill. It is equally impos-
dble to deny the injury done by sin. He
hat sinneth wrongcth his own soul.
Whatsoever q man soweth that shall he
aloo reap. If he SOW to the flesh he shall
nap harvest of soul in flames, passions
Tat buEn, appetites that crave and tor
Isn't when the power OF enjoyment is
cone. The man reaps corruption. The
mme 10 true though he may not be prof
hgate but simply worldly-minded-seek-
ing only success and wealth and honor,
hut not spirituality. In sowing for time
be resps only the rewards Of time. Ne
Naps corruption" decay, because the
world passeth away and the lusts thereof
The preacher spoke next of the uniyer-
nifty of these spiritual laws-as universal
- the great mathematical, geometric and
cosmical laws. We cannot conceive of q
place where lying, stealing, impurity,
drunkenness, slavery, oppression, can be
innocent or admirable. 1t is neither safe
here nor anywhere else TO 60 against con-
aience. There is nowhere where truthful
ness is not right or untruthfulness wrong.
where gratitude is not excellent and in
gratitude odious. Nowhere where the
hlse, dishonest, censorious, selfish person
san be happy. Nowhere where the char
table, honest, sincere. self-sacriicing can
3 miserable. "Who will harm you if We
> followers of that which is good?" No
mch person need be afraid TO die. God
Almighty cannot, If he would. damage
him. Getting rid of the body will make
% diltere nee with us. Sin is in the soul
We character--and not in the body. five
Ne happy in conscious rectitude here we
WI be there: if unhappy here, We will be
uere: If filled with dissatisfaction and
seif-disgust here, we will be there. Men
nay change their locations or circumstan-
ces, but not themselves. Here or millions
q miles away from here, in new scenes, in
o. ont OF the body, the soul and the laws
q the soul are the same.
The next characteristic of these spiritual
AVS developed by the discourse was their
uernal nature. Just as the same physical
Avs have ruled in all geological ages. so
Ne cannot imagine time when Gods
parituai laws will not be in effect and
aessedness come from obedience and
aasery and punishment from disobedience
1ods love to the good man will be sweeter
wan sunshine and dearer than life. To
we evil it will kindle the fire of remorse.
uoos Law Of punishment is a beneficent
e Parental love without discipline is
10y love but cruel wrong. As the pains Of
eming sickness are warnings. so the pains
SIN would drive US from sin to virtue.