Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-01-22
No JOY IN HE'LL.
REV. AFFORD SAYS IT IS PLACE OF ETERNAL
TORMENT.
No Fire and Birthstone Thsrs-A Place Where
Happiness is Unknown-Ssrvie.s De-
livsred Las. Evening.

last evening the pastor, Rev. c. NJ.
Afford, delivered special sermon upon
the subject "Happiness or Misery in
He'll. Which2" He took his text from
Mark o: % and as: "And II thy hand
offend thee cut 1t of: it is better for
thee to enter into life manned than
having two hands to 20 into hell, into
the fire that never shall be quenched;
whore their worm deth not, and the
fire is not quenched." etc.
The pulpit has been very silent for
years on the subject OF future punish
ment. Either the minister has vague,
indefinite opinions and when he speaks
leaves the subject very hazy, or he is
aware OF the fact that his people are
opposed to his expressing any clear
sentiment on subject so dlstasteful TO
them. There was a time when IL was
considered very improper for n minister
TO preach, before an intelligent audi
ence, on the subject OF inspiration and
! infallibity Of the Bible. But when tho
enemy opened fire upon the church and
began TO denounce the sacred scriptures
as book OF errors, lies and decisions,
and attem pied TO sweep this foundation
from under us, then words became
golden, and ministers everywhere were
glad TO testify that the Bible is the
! only infallible rule of faith and prac-
tice." The attack has been made in a
new form npOn the orthodox views Of
eternal punishment ;
In the city of London there has APP
| peared n most remarkable book from
the pen OF st. George Mivart, the fam
Gus scientist, entitled Happiness in
Hell" His argument is TO prove that
/ sinners after death enjoy themselves In
| hell just as sinners enjoy sin i'm this
! life.
While he Acknowledges that there is
a hell, yet by making il a place of hap
! piness for criminal classes, he removes
entirely the idea Of punishment, and It's
! iniiuehce for good ceases.
Gods punishment OF sinners in the
/ place of woe, like the punishment OF
murderers by death, is TO have a moral
effect upon men. 1t is to warn men to
| flee from the wrath to come, and into
! the haven of rest. This book has at
| tracted much attention among thought
/ ful men, and has lOosed the tongues OF
SUCH men as Drs. McCosh and Patton,
| OF Princeton, Drs. Collyer aud Mac
! Arthur, OF New York, Drs. Storrs and
! Abbott, OF Brooklyn, and Joseph Cook.
OF Boston, and brought them TO their
feet to defend the Bible teachings OF
! hell--as place OF sorrow and punish
ment Tor sin. With the exception OF
! Or. Robert Collyer, all repudiate the
/ idea OF any true happiness being
! found in he'll. The ice having been
| broken on this subject, ministers in
general will be ready to defend the
truth In this matter. 1t is right that
the love of God through his son Jesus
Christ is, and should be, the great
theme or the Gospel ministry; yet, $50
! long as IT Is true that they who are
whole need not a physician, but they
that are SICK; just so long Will IL be
true that sinful mtn will not feel the
need OF Savior unless they are con-
WINGED that sin" deserves and will re-
ceive 1.-THE wrath and curse of God.
both n THIS life and that which is TO
come"
1t is injustice to keep the public in
doubt on a subject of such vital import
ance TO everyone. II there is place
OF woe and sorrow-a place of everlast-
ing punishment, men everywhere ought
TO know IL and to be made TO feel their
certainty OF entering IL as long as they
remain impenitent and reject the
Savior who is their only means of
escape. II he'll is merely a future
abode OF happiness, where evil men and
women can enjoy the pleasures of sin
Tor eternity, then the world ought To
know it so that respectable Christian
people would not need TO spend so much
sympathy and anxiety about the wicked.
We are all anxious to know II
we are afflicted with any deadly
disease so that we can apply
the remedies aud avoid any fatal
results. We are all diseased with
sin aud all should know what the
Punishment will be 80 that we can avoid
1t by being cleansed from sin.
Can one be happy In help
First-Ihe Bible describes hell as
place OF woe and misery.
No where does the Bible give express
sion Of happiness in hell Here are
some OF its terms used to designate the
character Of the place: 1.-The lake
which Ourneth with fire and birthstone"
Everlasting fire prepared for the devil
and his angels" THE hell OF fire
where the worm dieth not aud the fire
lS not quenched.' ''BottOmless pit"
"Outer darkness" The place "wbere
there is weeping and wailing and gnasb.
ing Of teeth. The place where Dives
said 81 am t0rmented In this flame"
where "the smoke Of their torment
ascendeth forever and ever. and they
nave no rest day nor night" Gun
quenchabie fire. Furnace OF Fire"
and "EyerIastiug Punishment"
These expressions are not placed I'm
the Bible merely as rhetorical embel-
lishments, but they indicate the woe
and Intense suffering which the ipbab.
itants OF hell will have 20 externally
endure
True, this is fgurative Language.
There will De no literal fire aud brim
stone, no more than Will there be- walls
OF precious stones, gates OF pearls and
streets of gold Iu heaven. Batas these
h2ures used DOB pOrtrayinR the grandeur
OF the New Jerusalem fall far short M
expressing tho true beauty and splep.
dor on lts gI0ries, sO tho figures used 90
describe tue tOrmeuts 9f hell do not ey-
prcss 1.-THE of the misery OF that place
or woe. 10 does not mitigate the suf.
ferinRs of The lost 10 tell man that bE
suterings wi. not be physical bot men.
taI Any man who has suffered both i'm
uody and mind will say, "Give me pbvs-
loaI suffering always boo preference to
mental suffering ! would thousand
fold have mY body a total wreck than
have my m.rd in tho least derauqed.
BGt soul suffering will be- the rroet fo