Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1900-05-08

much grander and sweeter and endur'
Ing than time that we might n well
take II easy here and not pay much at
tention to the message, God 30 loved
the world'-that 10. II we are going to
be saved anyway.
"Why should we care very much II II
dos say In the revelation Of Gods
word that the wicked shall 60 away
into everlasting punishment II We
don't believe III Why. the wicked will
stand just az good q chance Of eternal
glory as the good II the judgment seat
Of Christ does not mean 9 separation
Of the good from the bad. Let US close
our churches and 60 home. Let u eat
and drink and dance and bs merry, for
tomorrow we may die; and after death
the judgment, and after the judgment
glory and Joy and power and peace and
life eternal In the presence Of God.
"It 10 true we scornsd him on earth.
but that won't make any difference;
he will receive 10 Just the same. II ls
true we refused to believe In his only
begotten Son after all be suffered Of
shame and agony for US, but that
makes no difference: he will say. Enter
into the Joy Of thy Lord II Is true We
made fun Of Christians and mocked at
prayer and sneered at faith. but that In
not much to be afraid Of. II Is true we
hated our ueighbor and would not for.
give an insult. but that is little thing.
II is true when the Holy Spirit pleaded
with us Q year or six months ago 10
confess Christ In public We told him TO
leave us: we were ashamed to do II In
the presence Of men. to confess him
who spread out bis arms on cross Of
bitterest agony for %, but for all that
We feel sure that when we march up to
the judgment seat Of Christ he will
treat % just the same a. be treats the
disciples who have laid down their
lives for the Mastss.
"Then let US tear out Of the Bible
every line that speaks Of retribution or
punishment or judgment-for We don't
like those passages; they hurt our feel
ings-and let us leave only those words
that speak Of love and mercy and for
giyeness, for those words are the only
ones that can be true. fer those words
don't make us feel uncomfortable.
away with everything that hurts
our feelings, that makes US anxious,
that sends us to our knees In prayer,
that makes us confess Christ and live
a life Of self denial and service. for
when the judgment seat Ii prepared
and Christ sits down there and we ap-
pear before him he will receive US as
we come before him--the pure and the
Impure. the selfish and the proud and
the humble and the believer and the
disbeliever and infidels and scoffers
and towards and despisers Of Gods
love on the earth, all the class Of men
who fell back on weak and imperfect
Christians as an excuse for their own
weak lives. and the drunkards and the
liars and the oppressors Of the poor,
and everybody who heard thousand
sermons full Of gospel and despised
them because Of some imperfection In
the delivery or elOcution. and all those
men who went through the earth be-
trayers Of the home. and the selfish
politicians who betrayed their country,
and all the men who read the Bible
and believe only the parts that didn't
hurt their sensitive feelings. and the
young men who lived fast lives and
sowed wild oats because q wicked and
false public sentiment made them
think II was excusable and perhaps
necessary, and all the other men and
women who lived as they pleased. re-
gardless Of God and eternity. When
all these shall appear before the judg-
ment seat Of Christ, he will behold
them all as one soul and with q smile
Of gracious pardon viii reach out bis
almighty arm and sweep them all
alike into a heaven Of eternal bliss,
there to reign with him In glory and
power. world without endi
"But Ii this what Christ taught the
world1 Suppose what we have said is
true. It turns his whole life into q
splendid mockery. Foolishness and
absurdity could 20 no further than to
create life like his and to put into bis
mouth such teachings as we have re-
ceived n at the judgment seat all souls,
regardless Of their acts In this world.
are received on an equal footing and all
received into eternal life. And where
ID there any room in the teachings Of
Christ for purgatory1 Do we believe
thati Is Il not the plain teaching that
after the judgment the destiny Of souls
Is fixed forever2
"But what could man wish morei
Will he not have opportunity enough to
accept the mercy Of God before that
time7 Does he not have opportunity
| n any soul appears ut last and at the
| Judgment complains that he did moi
have q fair chance. will that gracioul
| Judge condemn him II bis complaint b<
truei We know he win not But the
| facts Of the judgment are these: Al
that time. whenever It II, the souls oi
men win be passed for their acts In thu
earthly life. q verdict that win deter
mine their everlasting destiny. and
that verdict win be Just and It viii b
merclful. For the crucined one coult
not do otherwise. But the men VIII
have despised and neglected and disbe
lIeyed and confessed shall be separated