The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-07-29
A DAY OF JUDGMENT
FOR SiN-RIDDEN SUBJECTS.
The Reverend Josephus Stephan
Discusses Future Life and Fa-
cilities for Repentance.

Mount Auburn NJ +. Church. South, last
night took his text from Matt XIV. As:
punishment. In Substance, he said ID lasting
There are here no rhetorical pyrotech-
MICS which need to confuse US, nor ambigu-
our Lord, in his climax on the general judg-
msnt, stand out like great granite noun
tain in their clear-cut majesty and sim
plicity. The teachings. which are rather
summarized than developed, in this passage
"a sort OF eptome of them all-tell US all
We need to know in this life about our fut-
ure and final destiny.
at is utterly impossible by any human
artiice or linguistic gymnastics to set aside
the proof contained in this pas ge, that the
future punishment of the wicked will be end
less. If it can be done. then the eternal
bessedness of the saved must be also. Eter-
nal life and death stand in unalterable con-
places them here: These shall go away into
everlasting punishment, but the righteous
into life eternal The same terms are used
concordance will show. 1t is impossible to
make Amos to mean enteral in one case and
temporal in the other. as some vainly try.
acter after death Is plainly taught by Christ
IN the wonderful glimpses he gives us Of the
future in Dives and Lazarus. Here we learn
mines its destiny at death. That which Is
holy is holy still. and that which is filthy
is filthy stu. The ethical law of human
personality is forever fixed. ike the gulf
separating the two men. There is no virtue
In his present existence to make the rich
man shrivelled with his ,senslality ana
Of one drop Of water could not be granted.
for they which would pass from hence to
you cannot. neither can they pass to us
that would come from thence This gulf,
wide and fixed between the two worlds. is
a gulf. not OF space, but one Of unalterable
sa aed aRs fs 11 to @ il o0
The future life does not afford any in
creased facilities for repentance and regen-
Grafton era on, II It were probation at all. good
there must be no undue influences exerted
upon him to affect his choice. He must be
perfectly free to r choose. or goodness would
forced act, and 1t makes no difference as to
the principle. whether force exercised is
Of probation, or whether ali at once. Free Free
will lies at the bottom Of holiness. Forced
salvation would destroy free will. moral
forgive and save a sinner in future pro-
bation without Savior, from his mere pre-
rogative, he can do SO in this life: II he can
osophieal The imagery. which in the ma
1ure OF the case is necessary. has confused
quenchable fire. of the worm that dieth
not must be essentially figurative. Sin
has in It its own punishment. The hell. OF
| torment and the remorse of our own con-
seriousness; consciousness being the basis Of
INDUCED registers Itself in the Conscious.
ness automatically and infallibly and thus
becomes inseparable Of itself from our NOR
al nature. 1t is henceforth in us perma-
nent. living. destroying force. Nothing can
remove 1t; neither volition. education nor
It st ssd W am. may as fsrSs' for time
| Death cannot destroy consciousness, but
INTRODUCES us to life where 1t must be
with its record it is the indestructio1e prin.
ciple of moral life. What 1t holds at death
rem; forever. and determines the condi-
seriousness will feed the worm that never
dies and fue! the fame that never can be
9uenched. 1t Is that worm and that flame
mented by sin and sensible of its guilt and
ruin Will be infinitely worse than any con-
ceivabls results Of mere material fire. The
to the spiritual hell-fire. which earthly IAN
guage and experience have no adequate
terms to describe. Spiritual torment is as
tai torment is worse than physical torment.
| The consciousness Of a single crime COM
te here often drives men to madness
are full, Of records Of those who account
physical pain nothing II they may only free
themselves n. from mental and spiritual pain.
happiness Of heaven and Of holiness will
l &c heH. ON Will appear lnnnttoly moro
heinous and awful than It can now. Were
| We to see sin as 1t is, in this life, we would
| scarcely find moral motives sufficient to
| lead Us to repentance and hope.
What moral quilt will be, under condi-
tons OF eternal despair. can never be con-
nned IN the narrow limits Of finite concern
ton. Eternity will throw aside every palii-
| ton and covering Of sin and guilt, and we
snail see ourselves as we are. eternaiiy
separated from God and rebels of his epir
| itua! reign over US. And like Milton's
devil, the lost will say: Which way fiy is
hell. Myself am HE'LL ~ -
| Piead and argue as some will as to the
injustice of future punishment, no one can
prove 1t unjust Our great American infideI
who. with others. has gone to prove for
himself his oft-repeated jests. used to argue
!hat God tells US to love our enemies. while
ne eternally damns his own, and that the
purpose Of punishment should be correc-
ton, but God retaliates in making Il eter-
nal. sSA
IAN such arises from false conception
or God and sin, what eternal punishment
really Is and how It is incurred What We
call eternal punishment IL not SO much Il
punishment Of special sins Of commission
ana omission. as It is q logical and inevita-
Bile consequence OF not accepting Salvation.
OF not entering into harmony with the will
OF God Every statement Of the Scripture
Y that Of God loving and seeking the sim