The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-01-11


everlasting destruction from the presence
OF the Lord.
Mr.. Keever said that il seemed as though
the faith once delivered to the saints was
becoming stumbling block to many in
our time, and even pastors were found
VINO were called and ordained to preach
the everlasting truth, who forgot their
duties and sang lullabys to the consciences
OF their hearers. Continuing, ne said:
The gospel of sentiment supplants the gospel
OF Revelation. Scriptural fancies and not facts
are sought Tor; reason takes the place OF Reve.a-
uon, feeling overrules judgment and so-eaiied
intuition becomes the basis OF Interpretation.
Inc immaculate garments of truth from the
looms OF heaven must be washed In the nlthy
waters OF our Sustained intuition before we
VIII assume them. such purity i'll becomes our
compilations.
The subject of endless punishment has been
presented to you before, but as sermon has
been preached lately in this city the general
meaning of which is ambiguous and the tend
eney OF which is misleading, thought 1t well
70 DID you guard against Misrepresentation ON
the subject ana 10 present the truth III the plain
light OF Scripture.
lhe doctrine of the future endless punish
ment OF tas wicked was held by both the earlier
and later Jewish church before Christ. When the
savior appeared, il is likely He would have cor
rected any false notion which the Jews might
have had On 50 important q teaching. On the
other hand, We find Him confirming the state
ments OF the prophets in terms which cannot
well be misunderstood.
The same doctrine was held universally by the
early Christian church. Polycarp, pupil OF the
apostle ST. John, believed in 1t, a. well a. all
the fathers of the first three centuries except
Origen and = few followers Orgeu. however.
a. Ii well known, 10 not always a sale guide In
the Interpretation of Scripture. Later on we
find Augustine and Chrysostom agreeing with
the early fathers The fact that the doctrine was
not early strenuously opposed probably explains
Its absence from the apostles and Nicene creeds,
although 1t is found in the Athanasian creed.
Besides being implied in the thirty-nne arti-
Giles, it Ia stated distinctly In other modern con-
fessions, As. for exemple, your own Augsburg
confession A doctrine SO universally believed
and so plainly taught cannot readily be dis
posed of by sentiment, prejudice or false inter-
probation.
Still, we find numerous objections advanced,
some OF which will be considered here.
First, the purpose OF punishment 10 correc-
ton. Future punishment If endless, can not
be corrective. Example: imprisonment for
crime by the state, and fathers Furnishing his
child. Answer: The analogy is false. All pun
ishment 10 of three kinds. /. Exemplary, l. e.,
a. an example 2. Reformatory, i. e., to reform
the offender. 8. Retributive, 1. G., paying back
OF punishment by the state is to deter Others
from crime and protect the commu-
nifty. The second object il to reform the
offender. Both presuppose that the trans
gressor deserves chastisement But both rest
on probability because of Ignorance: that is,
the state is not sure but supposes that the Of
fender will reform and not again injure any one.
If the state knows that the criminal will per-
sist in law-breaking, it has one plain duty
lock up the culprit and keep him there.
The above three points also apply to the
family. The father Furnishes his naughty boy
because he deserves ii, as q reminder never to
do 1t again, and rs q warning to the other chill
dren.
ThVame considerations apply to Gods deal
ing with men in this life Affections, trials,
temptations are allowed to beiall men In most
cases to reform them, in many striking ex-
amples, and in still others a striking retribu-
ton. The only proper reformation is that
through faith in Christ. noble exception to
the above is in the case OF believers, all of whose
sufierings are the chastenings of a Father who
would strengthen the faith OF those who trust in
Him. Rom. viii:L-'sThere il, therefore, now
no condemnation to them which are in Christ
Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit"
With future punishment, however, the case,is
different. Here is where the analogy in the OBJ
lection fails. Punishment in the future life,
reformative, but solely retributive. II you say
that future punishment is reformatory you re-
vive the old fable OF purgatory, and you teach
that the pains of hell effect what the blood of
Christ failed TO accomplish in this life. II hell
is an educational institution, the vicarious
atonement of the Saviour was a superduity.
Again, If you assert that future punishment is
exemplary you are apt to make q ridiculous
statement. The example would lose its force
because no one could see it from this world.
and in the next all would be undergoing the
same process 1t therefore remains for US to
improve the time which is given US on earth,
for ''the night eometh when no man can work"
Persistent wrong doing, unbelief and disobe di.
ence in this life only result in retribution in
the next. "He that is unjust let him be unjust
still. and he which ia filthy. let him be filthy
STILL
mother objection which is urged is Gods in
finite love and mercy would not let Him con-
denim His creatures to unendless punishment
Answer-God has no mercy, no love, no com.
passion, pity outside of Christ. All divine
love aud mercy were manifested in Him, and
through faith alone in the Saviour has way of
escape been provided. "God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten SON, that whose
ever believeth in Him should not perish, but
have everlasting Hie," John iii:16. This means
also that reiectors of Christ must perish or will
not have everlasting life. Men, by their unbe-
tence.
Again, God is god Of justice and wisdom as
well as OF mercy, and that justice must be salts
fed. This justice Christ has satisfied for ali
who come to Him. Therefore, upon those who
refuse this efer rests nothing but justice-end-
less Punishment from the presence of the Lord
What causes much apprehension In judging
of the doctrine is the fact that we do not appre.
ciate the enormity of sin. ''Sin Is the trans
gression of the law" That law is the revealed
viii OF God. Now, when one sins against the
Infinite Being he incurs penslty that never ex-
pires by Limitation. A man who sins today Is
guilty tomorrow, nor does his culpab!lity d.
minish in a week, year or a million years
He is ever after liable to punishment
The doctrine of endless punishment il so
plainly Taught in the New Testament that any
other teaching can only be derived from mis-
Interpretation. What other meaning can such
passages as the following have? Matt vii:23
al never knew you" Matt iii: IL: "Burn up
the chat with unquenehable hre." Matt. %:
destroy both body snd soul in hell" Matt
xiii:50 And cast them into furnace of fire."
Matt xxv:4l. 40: Everlasting fire." "ev.
erlastng punishment" John y:29: "Res-
direction of damnation." Mark ix:45:
sThe FIRE that never shall be
quenched; Mark ix:46, 'ths worm that dieth
not:" Jude vi, everlasting chains" Jude xiii,
''the blaekness Of darkness forever: Rev. xiv:ll,
'the smoke OF torment ascending up for ever
and ever" etc. That the above expressions are
hgursuve does not explain away their purport
Figures of speech src used 10 delineate the mis-
cries of hell in the same way that figures are
used TO paint the gloriss of heaven.
The word siuios, frequently used in the PASS
ages quoted, is clear as to meaning. According
to Lidaell aud Scott, in classic Greek, IL means:
First, BLASTING for an age, also ''perpetual;"
second, "Ake sidios-everlastlng, eternal"