The herald., 1898-12-12

sion: ''Depart from me, ye cursed, into the
eternal mot everlasting) fire, etc" The
Greek word for eternal holds meaning OF
q'mlity rather than duration.
Touching the attempted vindication of
Gods character, in case some men are per-
mitted to suffer endlessly, we have to say
that no vindication is possible. God is the
creator of man, and If he has created some,
knowing they shall endure endless hell, he
is fend incarnate, and is utterly ineXcus-
able. Add TO this Gods law OF heredity
and the environment of men, and he be
comes the sole and blamabe agent of per
petual human misery. But we have no
reason for believing that Divine love and
goodness cannot prevent men from going
into eternal separation from all that is pure
and good"
David Walk, in ths Church of Christ
on Eighth street, near Central avenue, read
Jer. 36:20-32, and an
Higher nounced as the sub
Criticism ject OF his sermon
An Ancient Proto-
type of Modern Higher Criticism"
Criticism has its place, and the true
critic is hailed by every devout student of
the Bible. Criticism is of two sorts-con-
structive and destructive. King Jehoia-
kim and his modern imitators belong to the
latter class. The method is short and easy,
whatever in the Bible does not suit YOU, de
stroy. If only the destruction of the book
would at the same time destroy the facts,
of which it is the record! But no; there
they stand to this hour as stubborn and
indestructible witnesses of the historicity
of the Bible. If the last Bible were de-
stroyed, the facts of'sin and holiness heav-
en- and hell, Christ and satan would be
with lis still.
A certain class ofjmen prate of the love
'of God and the brotherly character of
Jesus, and declare that these facts are in
consistent with the idea OF the Eatherhool
of the one or the brotherhood OF the other.
But are they so? Who first, among all the
teachers OF the world promulgated the doc
trine of hell? 1t was that same Jesus of
Nazareth who believed in hell so firmly that
lie laid down His life to,save men from it.
Who first made clear and emphasized
the doctrine of the eternal damnaton OF
the impenitent soul accessible to.the saving
power Of the gospels 1t was that same
Jesus of Nazareth. And why did He thus
teach and pray and weep over the impeni-
tent? The answer is because He loved
them. 1t was His great and unquenchable
love that made Him do and suffer and die
And it is a most significant fact that the
only time He for so much as a moment
drew aside the veil which hangs between
this world and that, it was to show us the
picture OF one man in hell and another in
heaven. And all these warnings and teach
ings and entreaties Of Jesus and the Bible
under all dispensations mean just one thing,
namely, the rescue OF souls from the inev-
liable consequences OF sin. God made
heaven Tor no man, or hell for no man.
Heaven or hell is the inevitable. legitimate
logical outcome of the life we now live.
Josiah wept and rent his clothes and
prayed over the long-lost but recently
found Bible, and was saved: his wicked son
tried to destroy the hook which caused his
father to tremble, and was lost. And that
is the difference between men today Sheer
ing, jesting, false logic will not change the
inevitable. Jesus appeals to humanity tc
help Him save it. lie is willing and lie
wants to persuade us to become willing
God is reconcled; Jesus Christ is recon
ciled; only man is not.