The herald., 1896-09-07
uNIvERsALlsT CHURCH
Rev. MIR. Rice's Last Discourse on "liot SUBJ
lects for fiot Sundays"

Kew Mr. kICc 5 Lo6t OtSC0ubbe on 6uOt SUOs
jects for riot Sundays''
At the Universalist church, Caledonia
hall, Rev. A. A. Rice yesterday gave the
last of the series of discourses on Hot
Subjects for Hot Sundays, the subject
being Heavenly Fire.
He said the energies of heaven or good
and hell or evil have ever been arrayed
against each other. but the fire which
has it's source in heaven is greater in
volume and more enduring than any
other, and at the last shall consume
both hades and Gehenna. The reason
that pessimistic views of the great out
come of humanity are entertained Is
that we have failed to recognize the
potency Of heavenly fire. First, due
weight has not been given to that fun
damental characteristic of heaven, the
tender solicitude of those In paradise,
for the more unfortunate looking from
infernos gloom. The words of Jona-
than Edwards and his class that 1.-The
view of the misery of the damned will
double the ardor of the love and graft
tude of the saints in heaven, and should
the fires of this eternal punishment
cease it would in a great measure OBJ
scure the light of heaven, and put an end
to a great part of the happiness and
6lOiy VI liC DleSSCQ, StdHu dS tHC CuIl
osity of the ages. A heaven without
heart is a misnomer, or inferno with an
other name.
In Jesus Christ the forces of heaven
are concentrated and the amazing fea-
ture of his life is that while he was per-
feet himself and needed hot to weep for
his own acts, he was made wretched and
distressed by the unvirtuousness of lives
of others. He lived and even died be-
cer1cei of hiS fen6er COlipitudn for q Wey-
ward world.
So also the chief characteristic of
Gods action is his concern for human
welfare. That affection which caused
him to create men is perfect guaran-
tee of their salvation.
And man himself the image Of God,
finite and imperfect as he may be, can in
no wise bind his sympathies that they
go not into the sphere of the unsaved.
The reason that the earth today suffers
from the cankerous presence of those
who choose darkness rather than light,
is that it is yet imperfect in it's concern
for the brother astray.
Inmates of the darkened sphere are
there because of the circumstances over
which they have no control and of them
selves are unable to break the chain that
binds them. They shall be distress to
themselves end to the world plague
until this fundamental characteristic
of heaven has taken possession on
earth. There is hope, ay surety for all,
as long as heaven rests on this founda-
ton. The heat from this center shall
burn all barriers away.
Men have also failed of being suff1-
GENTLY impressed by that second and
no less important law of God that right
is right and wrong is wrong" Admit
ting for the sake of argument that con-
science has little or no weight with him
who needs salvation, the fact remains
that right is right, and since no human
power can transform this law it follows
thta the transgressors' way shall ever
be way of dismay and misery. This
law is the very foundation of all life
and everywhere pervades the universe.
1t has power in itself to sift the evil from
men, to dethrone satan, the personifica-
ton Of evil and to shake the very walls
Of hell.
1t makes impossible the doctrine of
total depravity, for who, loving wrong
and acting in it, can make it's awful con-
sequences less or have life under its
downpour of fire? 1t makes Satan cast
out Satan until his throne and kingdom
are abolished.
1t reaches the domain of the damned
and with it's excessive heat consumes
the flame already there, offering the only
way Of escape, until the place exists no
more.
1t makes everlasting punishment i'm
possible, for in obedience to 1t alone do
Gods creatures find comfort and de-
light.