The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-22
THE PUNISHMENT OF Sin
Rev. Warren G. Partridge Says 1t
Will Be Eternal. t
REASONS Why HE THINKS so
Attacks the Fallacies Of Those Who Be-
lieve That God Is Too FOrgiving ana
Kind to Condemn Any Of His
Children to Eternal Torments.

Children to Eternal Torments.
Rev. Warren G. Partridge preached
scholarly and practical sermon TO
large audience at the Penn Avenue
Baptist church last evening from III
Peter II, 4 to 3. his theme being "Will
God Punish the Wicked Eternally?'
In replying to the question embodied in
his theme the reverend gentleman SAID:
"There are some who say that God Will
not punish the wicked eternally. They
say that God Is so good that he cannot
permit the ungodly to suffer. Their
reasoning is this, God is perfect In his
goodness. A being of perfect goodness
could not see His creatures in
misery, therefore God will not
punish the wicked Such an ar
gument is very fallacious. You
put into your major premise your
conception of a perfect Creator, and
then deduce your conclusions in har-
mony with your sentiments of good
ness, and according to any such logic
any man could prove any proposition
he desired. You might just as legiti-
mately argue thus, A benevolent and
merciful governor could not see any Of
his subjects suffer-" 49,.
The reverend gentleman then demon
strated the application of his illustra-
ton to those who relied upon their own
Judgment in arriving at the conclusion
that God was SO good and so full of
love that he would not see His crea-
lures suffer. He asked If they were
willing to risk their soul for eternity
upon a guess and quoted the words of
Christ. What shall 1t profit a man II
he gain the whole world and lose his
own soul" This proved that the soul
could be lost.
Judgement Utterly Mistaken.
To test the logic he Illustrated that
prior to the creation of the world it
could be surmised that perfect Crea-
tor could not surmise world full of
sin. misery. wretchedness and injustice.
The major premise was fallacious,
hence the whole syllogism was worth
less, and their whole judgment would
be utterly mistaken. The facts, how
ever were that God did create the
earth where there was sin, wretched-
ness, misery and injustice, so that it
proved that the problem was beyond
their comprehension. Gods ways tran
scend human reason and we must dis
trust our own judgment and unaided
reason in such profound questions.
MI Partridge then submitted three
facts deduced from the text, concern
ing the punishment of the ungodly.
The first was the remarkable case of
the fall of Satan and his associates. It
was fact of revelation that even
angels of light, who had been in heaven
for ages. who had been called the sons
of God. who had stood about his throne
and sung the anthems of heaven were
not spared, but were cast into hell and
delivered into chains of darkness to be
reserved for judgment. If they escaped
not, how could we, who neglect so great
a salvation, escape?
In reply to this it might be said that
they believed that all sin would be
punished. but that God was too good
to punished the sinner eternally; their
judgment told them that it would be
unjust in God to punish the sinner in
all eternity, as the punishment was out
OF all proportion to the offense, God
would punish the sinner for certain
length of time and would then forgive
him. and receive him into heaven. What
facts had they to substantiate such a
theory? All was built on human
opinion. They We're reasoning on things
wholly beyond their comprehension
The Scriptures said that punishment
was everlasting, And the devil that
deceived them was cast into the lake
Of fire and birthstone, where the beast
and false prophets are, and shall be
tormented day and night forever and
ever"
God Did Destroy the People.
Again, the inspired apostle gave
another instance of the past conduct
of God in punisfing the ungodly. 1t
was contended by some that God was
so good that he would never create
human beings to people the earth, and
then destroy them by a flood, but the
fact was that God did destroy the peo-
pie Of this earth by flood. If God
spared not the old world but saved
Noah, a preacher Of righteousness,
bringing in the flood upon the world
or the ungodly, how shall We who have
the added light of Christianity, escape
If we neglect so great salvation?
The last example for our warning was
in the destruction of Sodom and Gomor-
rah. But Christ said, 81 say unto you,
that it shall be more tolerable for the
land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the
day of judgment, than for thee" Here
was shown when God had punished the
wicked in the past, making them as
the Scriptures say, an example unto
those that after should live ungodly"
In conclusion the reverend gentle
| man said:
~ do not believe that there is a literal
fire and birthstone in eternity. 1t is
fgurative language describing the un-
utterable pain of soul In eternity.
Eternal punishment is an awful COM
mentary on the nature of sin. ! be-
lieve that God has done his utmost to
save the lost. He Is not willing that
any should perish, but that all should
come to repentance. He does not pun
ish the sinner in eternity as an arbi-
trary tyrant. God, in wonderful love,
will save every soul that lays hold on
eternal life through faith in the Lord
l..G..N Loo To-. to, H. f,.1l