Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-04

Gods he'll, the hell Of the bible, was
the subject Of Rev. Mr.. Sundays first
and only sermon devoted exclusively
to perdition Of the campaign, which he
delivered Thursday night. In spite of
the circus and the rain 1900 were suf-
fciently interested In the hereafter and
what It held for the sinners, to attend
the tabernacle meeting. What they
heard was the bible doctrine Of he'll,
delivered straight from the shoulder
without any sidestepping or duclking
or breaking away to dodge It as 1t is
described in holy writ.
In addition to the rain Interfering
with the attendance, 1t interrupted the
meeting TOR a time about 9 o'clock. The
downpour shook from the roof such a
Glamour that 1t drowned the evangel-
lists voice and forced him to stop
speaking for five or ten minutes. We
ter seeped thru the roof and while the
rain continued to fall, umbrellas went
up here and there thru the audience.
The He'll Of the Bible.
Taking care to explain In the be-
ginning that the hell of which he
would speak was not his doctrine nor
the doctrine Of other men, but the
place Of punishment as told Of in the
bible, Rev. Mr. Sunday cut loose from
all and every other theory except the
words Of the holy book.
There was no whitewashing the
~ -
issue or to cool with words the ever
lasting fires Of perdition It was hell
hot and burning, OF fire and birthstone
that was described with all the pow
er, plainness and earnestness which
Sunday could muster. It is a safe ven
ture that no such a sermon, dealing
with the bibles alnvarnished truths on
the subject. has ever been delivered in
a church in this city in years.
"A Place of Torment.
TO the Older ones of his audience It
carried them back to the days Of the
earlier preachers and the circuit rid
ers. before the new thought, and new
theology came into vogue.
Taking 1t from the bible "hell is de-
scrtbed as q lake Of fire and brim-
stone," declared the evangelist. "Its a
place Of bodily suffering. It's place of
bodily suffering. It's place Of endless
remorse. It's place of tormenting de-
sires that can not be gratified. It's a
place Of torment forever and ever. It's
place OF vile companions. It's the
mad house Of the universe. That's Gods
doctrine OF hell. The bibles language
may be figurative, but 1t expresses
truths. I am giving you Gods word.
The only doctrines advanced that there
ts no hell are expounded by some
preachers, some poets, and some liter
ary people. I'll take Gods word for
Argues JIstice Of HeIl.
Mr. Sunday argued the Justice Of hell
as . place of confinement and punish
ment Of sinners in the same manner
that he argued the Justice Of jaifs and
penitentiaries in which to confine
criminals. While he described hell in
all the plainness warranted by the
bible. he, before he closed, pleaded the
love Of God for sinners. and because
of that love hell was created that it
might be- avoided by men turning from
their sins and doing as God wanted
them TO. His plea resulted in twenty
avs being Tonvsrted.
2 Mr. Sundays eermon was In part as
follows IL i were to choose a sub-
1ect would not choose this one al
ways preach this sermon with reiuc-
tance. I wish could believe there was
no hell. i wish I could see all man
repent SO that hell would not be neces-
sary.
a He'll 10 Needed.
But Il men choose to be In sin In
stead Of salvation. there should be 4
hell in which to confine them. It isi
perfectly right for us to have iails ana
Dsntentiertes. II men will not keep
ehs laws then they ought to be con-;;