The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-12-29
Divine Judgment.


Are We 20 believe that all sin IA
merely q form Of retarded progress.
and that all will come AZ last. regard
less Of moral conduct. 10 the end u
their being? This Is not warranted:
the new Testament IL a stern book.
our Lords teaching l. stern teaching.
and on nothing does he lay such stress
as upon the ultimate responsibility OF
the human conscience. In looking over
the FIRST chapters Of the tremendous
argument for human responsibility In
the pages Of Buffers Analogy" we
ind. In the light Of our legitimate re-
actions, nothing requiring reconsider
alton. nothing which needs to be re-
written. What he there lays down
seems to me 10 be true: the reality II
responsibility. or the reality OF the Di-
vine judgment. We are living under
probation. and a God Of certainty r.
revocably rules the universe
We are continually subjected TO
temptation; opportunity Is given NJ.
and opportunity. as We know In all
life. cannot be- too long played vita.
Here Is an artist who has squandercd
his opportunity by miserable dllct-
tanteism By refusal 20 fulfil his pos
sihilities be- becomes In time a man
who can no longer be- an artist EX-
actly the same thing Is true OF a man
In his dealings with his moral nature
We know that d Is always So Good
emotions transferred into action be-
come stronger. n acts are repeated
they crystalline into habits. and habits
stereotype character We have ov-
cry reason 10 think that the same proc
oss goes on beyond lie. II death he
terrible 20 a heather. Il is because Of
the ending OF the beautiful sunshiny
lie that be- has loved Il Is terrible TO
the Christian because. stripped bare o.
an the old outward circumstances. u
leaves him alone with his character.
before a certain and righteous judg-
ment II he has moulded that charac-
ter In worldllness and self-lndulgence.
then he finds himself stripped naked
OF human accident. only TO see that his
whole life was calculated upon the ba-
sis OF a misconception. God IL immc-
table. and he cannot change his immu-
table moral nature Isaiah speaks %
the man who has lived uprightly. and
says that he shall be able to face the
everlasting Ore Of a just God and be
unconsumed. VIII he who has lived
uprightly sufier these everlasting
hurninEs'
No. lie shall see the King In his
beauty. To him who has not purged
himself Of uncleanness God Is a de-
vourlng FIRE lie Is In outer darkness
simple. as We say. "out Of H." What
Il this but the sad result OF neglected
opportunity, the fixed determination
Of men aud women 20 remain In outer
darkness Nor have We any author
lty TO say that such darkness may be
dispelled. n Il be seli-chosen Our
Lords words are strong, and they have
stood while the critical thought OF men
has played about them. There are
words about an eternal sin which can
not be forgotten. Il Is not that God
h unable 20 forgive. but that there
may be IN man destruction OF the
capacity 10 rise. Our Lord has said
that q would be- good Tor that man d
he had never been born" Presump-
tuous 20 a degree. then. would Il be
we're We 20 say that In the end every
man must come 90 the highest end
and the greatest happiness. when our
Lord has said that 20 had been bot
ter Tor that man u he had mover been
born"
My song shall he OF mercy ana judy
mont ln au axe OF science and OF law.
yet an age when the men are playing
fast and loose with The cerlaintles II
moral law Il was JAMES Martlneau
who said that % has always been su-
p,rnclgl and shallow men who have
I dsrorarltd the facts oi Gods tde,
mont. while our lord and men llke
Plato have looked them ull In ma
face Men uusi look suporlcially o.
suppose chat all men are good. mat
an. irrespective of conduct. arc comm.
20 one place To- one condition Everl
deem moral's, knows that alike on ih'
surface as they may seem. men or hoi
! ter or worse than they appear Crlsll