The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-07-03

crowned. made eternal by right Twin
with God. No man can nave thi
except through Christ. mo ma
cometh to the Father except by Me.
When you refuse his grace and power
you Issue out into eternal death. Man
Sins here is his first death In the othe
life. 1t Is his second death.
DR.. McFerrin then referred to tn
doctrine OF a second probation. III
said he could not believe it because
the word of God did not teach 1t.
There was only one passage In the
whole Bible where such doctrine Is
even squinted at. That was where
Christ. in speaking of the SIN against
the Holy Ghost, said there was neither
forgiveness for il either in this world
or the world to come. But it was NOT
right to take one doubtful passage of
scripture. II there is a second pro-
baton, then why not third, he asked.
Ano If third, why not fourth, and
so on, ad intinitum. Some people
speak against the design of punishment.
They say it is intended to be disclp-
linary. 1t is both disciplinary and
penal Men do not Keep laws, it there
Is no punishment provided for their
violation. If there was no penalty at
tached TO law violation, involving pain
and suffering, laws would be dead
letters. II pun Shment is only ais
ciplinary, then the logical inference is
that when a man is reformed, and
changes his life, the punishment
would cease. But that is not so.
Many a man reforms In this life, yet
his punishment has gone ON. You
take a man who has given himself to
drink. He is an habitual drunKard for
years. He reforms, but his punish
ment goes on. He has violated physi-
cal laws, and he suffers for years from
the effects of his lnebrlety. Take a
man who commits murder. He may
serve term in prison for 1t, and
again become free man. But his
punishment does not cease. His con-
science hurts him. he hears the groans
of his victim through the long years
that follow. and In the blacKness OF
the night he sees the blood he has
spilled. The penalty for trans
gressiOn continues long after the
sin is committed. One of the great
est punishments he could think of ls to
have to be ones self; to have to keep
company with ones sinful nature for all
time, and be separated and outlawed
from all that is good and great in God s
kingdom. Men are MOI al beings,he said.
And as moral beings they are good or
bad. If man is bad, it's because he
prefers to be so. Goodness always finds
merit; wickedness demerit 1t is the
law of God that what man sows; that
shall he reap. The law that gives per-
petuity to the one gives perpetuity to
the other, and il it is right to reward the
righteous for eternity, it is right to pun
ish the wicked for eternity. And if
there is no eternal punishment for the
wicked, then we are forced to the con-
clusion that there is no eternal reward
for the righteous. Some say, though.
that such words as everlasting" when
used in the Bible are used fguratively. |
But they mean just what they mean.
When the Bible speaks of everlasting
it means that the mountains
will last always.
1t behooves mankind, said DR.. Nc
Ferrin in conclusion, to live right, es-
when single step or moment
nay fling US into the wide open doors of
eternity. And everyone will be there,
said he, and that very soon. "And Just
IS sure as we have sense of responsi
ollity, we must answer for our sins.
There is no teacher like Christ. He is
he Son of God; he knew more about the
eternity than all other teachers who
lave ever lived combined; and when he
peaks. oh, be sure my friends, that he
Knows what he is talking about. What
re you going to do about the here
lfter?''