The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-11-18
WEST END oHuRoH.
Sermon on the Question "Is Future
Punishment Remedial

Rev. T. A. Leitoh preached a~ssrmon
at West End Methodist church last eve.
Mug taking for his text Luke XIV. "Be-
tween us and You there is great gulf
fixed.' The speaker said:
Leaving the introduction with reoard
to Dives and Lazarus we strike the
central thought and teaching of the
SCRIPTURES The doctrine al etarnal
punishment is a truth in the intelleot Of
man, not yet fact in his experience, If
it exceeds our comprehension, we must
not reject it. We may not be able to
perceiye single reason for the per-
mission of evil, yet stern fact proves it
true. Similarly, surprising mortal man
unable to conceive the rational of an I'M
oeasing penalty, that. would accord no
ground for rejecting it in the face of
nositiye divine testimony. Neither have
we a right to reject doctrine because it
is onnosed to our inclInations. Sin and
imnenitence widens the breach between
the siner and God. Impenftence is part OF
the HGreat Gulf" gulf of character,
nassable by the grace Of God in this
world but impossible, eternal and un-
changeable in the next. Christ also
makes TIE distinction: "Sheep and
Goats. The wicked and the just. The
Quality and essence of sin is open
rehellion against God and conscience. A
self separation from the spirits center, its
life and it's hope; the finite will tearing
itealf from the infinite, while the voice of
love i.nploringly cries: Why will We die?
No scEi pture speaks of God as passing
over thatgulf as mediator. To be with
ont God in the eternal possession of self
unredeemed, is He'll. God would part
with His son; could see Hlm hang as a
victim of mans sin; but God cannot part
with His birth: s'The soul that sinneth
it shall die.
some seek to honor God with indis-
oriminate mercy embracing the world in
His arms, hating sinner and penitent
saint lsYe shall live. -
This is the teaching that damned this
world. The serpent said Thou shalt
moi die. y Blind subterfuge, "Ye shall
be as Gods!'
That was the rock upon which the frail
baroue struck; the finite seeing super
natural eminence, Satan himself fell be-
meath the store of ambitious maze. Man
through the ages cries, shall not die
I shall live l am as God, self wor-
ship; give me self; let me bow to m y
idols and serve my lusts.
Conscience is the voice Of God speaking
to the spirit man. 1t applies the abstract
ouestionably know whether he means to
do wrong and he invariably known that
he has done wrong. When conscience Is
thus violated, it cries out treason to God,
demands redress, shows man his fatal
mistake and under thetlight of revelation
shows him his lost condition. Better to
have never been born than pass into
eternity with an offended conscience, an
unforgiyen heart. "The worm dieth
not aThere is a great gulf fixed. :
Men in their integrity come men in their
integrity depart. Man is the author
of his own character, and responsible for
his own ruin. In the integrity of his
body and soul he reaps the fruits Of his
own devices. Whatsoever man sows
that shall he also reap. In the reunion
of body and soul man suffers the eternal
result. The harvest is the character
formed by the seed time. Sin is taken
confirmed into eternity. His very nature
is turned away from God. He sins still.
A double death: ''Ye shall die in your
sins. An eternal wedlock to the essence
of those things which conscience SO loud
~ protested against. "They which would
pass from hence to you cannot neither
can they pass to us that would come from
thence.
Conscience outraged, degraded sees no
possible hope, cries out in maddened de-
spair. Lost Lost eternal anguish is felt
at being forced to forgoe the bliss of
heaven, Its natural home the bosom OF
God by union with that which it al
ways protested against-sin. "The I'M
ouenchable fire. Can sin compromise
with the offended conscienoe9 Never
What water is cold enough to cool the
heat of that fame?
"Shame All everlasting contempt"
Shame at being TINS united with a
thing so unholy. Contempt for the loath-
some creature, sin.
Here then even in the lost themselves
there is another impossible gulf. There
are thus three things from which an i'm
penitent sinner cannot escape. His con-
science his record Of sin in an
presence in pit of despair. Unless sin is
to be awfully punished the language Of
scripture is extravaganza
When Paul thought on his theme and
SAW Gods love in redemption he wept.
Davil's greetings were touched when he
contemplated the sins and the fate of the
wicked. tHonor has taken hold on me
because of the wicked that forsake thy
law"
Rivers of water run down my eyes, be-
cause they keep not thy laws of God.
God is not willing that any should
cross that gulf unsaved: God wills that
ali men should be- saved. In Gods word
as well as in His works we find abundant
evidences of love, but there are6 also
powers which make for destruction,
proofs are ABUNDANT, both in the realm Of
the material and Spiritual. The love of
God requires that this ''gulf should be
fixed. ~ Love requires punishment.
Punishment involves separation.
A crime has been committed pale horror
sits on all faces, doors are barred, Justice
let's loose her officers, the criminal is
caught, tried, executed. By what motive
is the judges hand impelled to sign the
warrant for execution? Is it want of
pity? No. The love of the innocent and
regard for their peace, purity and honor
brings pressure upon his hand. The
magistrate who would reward obedience,
must punish rebellion.
Love herself, bleeding dying, redeem
ing love with her own hands will bar the
door OF Heaven. When love puts on her
armor, what hope for the man who has
compelled her to be his enemy. Here
then is another impossible guilt.
Observation-Disclosures