The herald., 1894-12-17
Unity Church.

Unity Church.
The pastor,D j. s. Thomson selected
for the text OF his sermon on Paradise
and Purgatory. the words from First
Peter, 4:6: "The gospel was preached
to the Dead"
Hsdes .is the name OF the place OF
spirits between earth and heaven.
Christ descended into this place after
his death to ''preach to the spirits in
prison." According to the third and
fourth chapters OF First Peter, the
spirits in hades had another opportuni-
ty offered to them to repent. to reform
their lives, and to prepare themselves
to be worthy OF heaven. Those inidels
who perished in Nosh's food, and " no
heard Christ's sermons after his death,
must have been in hadss for thousands
of years; and their imprisonment for
that long period was considered by
disobedience. Peter says (Acts, 2:3H,
that David 10 not ascended into the
heavens;" and this statement shows
that David, whom the Christian Henry
VIII. of England copied, had to expiate
his crimes in purgatory for many cen-
turies. Hades contains two depart-
mento-paradise and purgatory. The
earthly picture OF paradise is an ori>
entail park, and the crematory at Jeru-
salem for burning up offal 10 O tit symbol
of purgatory. In the parable OF Dives
and Lazarus, we see that Abraham and
Dives held a very interesting conversa-
tion across the gulf of character which
separated Lazarus from Dives. Lazarus
WAS ''comforted" in paradise but Dives
was "tornented" in purgatory. One OF
the Two thieves went to paradise, not to
heaven, after his death the other went
to purgatory. There must be alter death
an opportunity given TO intdels and
sinners. according to the third and
fourth chapters OF First Peter, to hear
the gospel and to live az its divine pre-
cepts direct for Christ after his cruel
I fixion preached to the dead. ThNy had
suffered enough and they were to have
the same chance as men in the body
that had heard the gospel. The sxper-
fence OF Dives in purgatory seems to
have had q salutary influence upon his
mind, for he shows repentance, kindly
consideration for his surviving BROTH
ers, and strong desire to prevent mis-
cry. These are surely fine traits Of char
ter, and Abraham talked to him very
kindly though plainly and called him his
Christ's influences are not limited
to this world and life. but that they ex-
tend away into the invisible world. The
old plan OF treating criminals was TO
infict pain upon mind and body, out of
a spirit of revenge. There is another
method that is fact gaining public favor.
1t assumes that society has not done all
tnat it ought to have done for its crimi-
nal members, and that the offenders
have q right to q punishment and an
education that will cause repentance
and reformation, and that will prepare
unfortunate men and women to be
trusted and useful mem beys OF society.
In Auetralia, in the British Isles, in our
eastern states, and in Whittier in our
own state. this new method OF saving
"the loet sheep of the house OF Israel''
has been tried, and has been found
worthy of all confidence on account of
the good results which it has produced.
God is surely responsible to his divine
conscience for his human children.
Chriet's mission to the lost IL proof
that God feels the sense OF response
bility. California docs not claim that
il is the most moral place on the earth
but if God sends hie bad children
to eternal misery without second
chance, then California can boaet that
it has a far finer sense OF justice and
the gospel than God has. Praying for
the dead ia neither unreasonable nor
unspiriiual, nor unscriptural. Even
Christ asked his disciples to commune
with him after his death, and commun.
ion is the highest spirit of prayer. Why
should we not wish succeas and happi-
ness to our dead friends? And what is
a spiritual wish but prayer? Profess
tantism teaches us that death kills our
spiritual concern for our dead friends; if
40. then SO much the worse for Protes-
tant spirituality. The Catholic church
may have misunderstood and abused
the doctrine in paid prayers for the
dead. but the misuse of a truth should
not cause unprejudiced people to reject
il. There is no wrong in praying that
all spirits, in the body and out Of the
body, may co-operste with God in max
ing the universe what he has deter
v,,;uad IL ahaH ma