Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-09-15
he only asks some mitigation Of Its penal

he only asks some mitigation Of It's penal
ties.
l very much fear that the obstacles to
the passage Of this gulf are quite as much
in ones own heart as In the barriers placed
over against the gulf itself. believe
that men who spend their lives in utter
disregard Of the commandments of God
who refuse to listen to the voice of His
Spirit; who curse and swear; who ridicule
religion, and resolutely close their Bibles
against entreaty, warning and promise !;
whose hands uphold, and whose lives sup.
port, the evil rather than the good are
forfeiting all claims to. and all desires for.
| q better life.
We are very apt to estimate sin by the
| sinner; the Bible way Is to estimate Sin by
Its results. Look At the picture drawn by
the Saviour In this parable and do not let
your mind be distracted by questions as to
the good heartedness and good-fellowship
of the rich man. We are too often tempt
ed to revise our estlmste of the character
able sinner but the results of sin, like
those Of most fatal diseases, are not much
influenced by the personal appearance of
the victim. A man may have small pox
and recover from IL without much disfg-
nrement, but it Is a fearful disease for all
that. Physical diseases must Of necessity
exhaust either themselves or the patient.
but moral diseases have no such limita-
tiou.
For let US not forget that the immortal
ity OF the soul means the immortality OF
its ruling desires incllnstions and appe-
tites. We shall have what we desire,
doubt not, in the next world. Neither
pain nor penalty. nor disease nor death
can separate us from ourselves. II like
the rich man 10 the parable we spend our
lives In wllful and open disregard Of the
claims OF men and of God; If we place
selhshness first of all, and make desire the
servant Of evil rather than Of good II
either In our own personal pleasure, or
10 the eradication of our sensual ap-
petites We seek our happiness, then 1t
must needs be that we are untitled for the
fellowship OF those who seek Gods spirit.
and spend their lives In doing good; and
as In this life we prefer the pleasures OF
sin so In the next world we shall have such
love for sin As 10 choose voluntarily to
suffer lis penalties rather than be separated
from 1t. That Is; We choose the evil.
our choice unrestrained Il forever renew
ed. and our desires unchanged suffice to
tx oar destiny to all eternity. The sen
tence Is pronounced against US. as against
Ephrslm, He is joined to idols, let him
alone" No fiat Of the Almighty is neces-
sary. The last judgment is only putting
our own choice into words: IS only the in
depreciation OF doom which we have
written In our own lives. moulded into our
character and woven into the very warp Of
our being. Punishment Of sin Is a conse-
quence. not penalty; 1t il an effect, not
cause.
know that what have said is not pop
ular. | know il Is dl-tasteful 10 many.
But, brethren. | am here to declare the
whole counsel Of God as revealed In His
Word; not simply to preach that TO which
we can all assent willingly. not to extol
the love and laud the mercy of God only,
but TO preach the gospel,-the doctrines
that Christ taught,-to sound the warn
ngs He gaye,-to remind you that in all
His generous offers OF mercy, all His wide
reaching invitations, all the gracious
words that fell from His lips, He never
gave the slightest hint that there was, or
is, or that there ever will be. any hope Of
passing from condemnation unto life ex-
cept in this world. Thus the apostles un-
derstood Him, and thus they preached.
| may misread the words and miscon-
strue the meaning of the Bible; but the
book itself is in your hands. Read H.
Study it. Ponder its meaning. Fill your
mind with ITS teachings, and your heart
with its precepts. ask no more. As
read sin is terrible calamity salvation is
assured Us In this world only; heaven is
prepared for those who love Christ and
are trying to serve Him; hell remains
lxed fact, real place, set apart for those
who eternally choose evil rather than
good; and between the two Is a great
gulf, over which there is no passage either
way.