The Savannah morning news., 1903-01-12
IF THE DAY OF JUDGMENT
is PAST, WHAT THEN?

Rev. Alex. Henry's Sermon the
World in n New Age.
IF the judgment is past and the
world in a new age. what them" was
the subject of a sermon by Rev. Alex.
Henry at the Park New-Church last
night. Rev. Mr.. Henry's sermon last
week, in which he declared the belief
of Swedenborgianism that the day of
Judgment took place in 1857, excited
considerable interest among people not
familiar with the doctrines of the
New-Church and many people heard
last nights sermon. Rev. Mr.. Henry
dwelt largely upon the new age.
II invite you as members with me
of the common brotherhood of man."
he said, ito ponder well the momen-
tous truths that were the very means
by which the Lord executed a general
judgment in the world of spirits near
~ $50 years ago. Although that great
judgment Is past this fact will not
profit you or me one whit, unless we
allow ourselVes-the little world that
is within us-to be judged by these
same truths. The effect Of the last
Judgment upon the coming generations
of men has not been to save them
whether they would or not. 1t has
only put the race in a state of greater
freedom to he saved. The same causes
that operated then to the elevation of
the good to heaven and to the sending
of the evil to hell are operating to-
day to the salvation of some and to
the damnation of others, on the one
hand the willingness to re-
ceive and love and live heaven,
revealed truth, and on the other
hand the willful rejection in
mind, heart and life of this same life
giving truth. This truth as 1t is given
to us in the Bible is apparent and real;
apparent to a large extent in the
literal sense, but real in the spiritual
For instance sta me!', said Mr. Henry. Ssne
Bible appears to teach in some places
that GSd tempts, that He becomes an
CRY, that He does evil, that He casts
into hell. that at the day of the last
Judgment the Lord will come in the
material clouds of heaven, that the
natural sun and moon will then with
draw their light, and the stars fall
from heaven; also that this materia!
universe will perish and new crea-
ton of all things take place These we
call truths of the literal sense of the
Word, and they are accommodated to
our understandings while We are
young, or in simple, or in sensual
states of mind and heart. But the
Bible has a deeper meaning than that
which appears in the letter meaning
that serves the purpose of regenerat-
ing human minds and hearts. that sat
isles the soul which hungers and
thirsts for Righteousness, the sours
meat and drink, its very life. This
we call the spiritual sense of the
Word and is in the Bible from Genesis
through Revelation, and, If we grow
in grace and in the knowledge of the
Lord, we cannot but re-echo the
apostles statement that "the letter
killeth, but the spirit giveth life" As
revealed to us in the spiritual sense
of Holy Scripture God cannot tempt
He is never angry. He cannot do evil
He casts no one into hell (the wicked
He permits to go there). at the last
judgment He came not in material
clouds, but in the clouds of the literal
sense of the Word at a time when His
love and its reflected truth, sun, moon
and stars, were growing dim in human
hearts and minds The last general
judgment has not abolished, but rath-
er established and facilitated the in
dividual Judgment of each and every
soul that passes from this to the other
life"