The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-07-18

| fc death ana upu1t all OF Auam > rucc
who with accept His favor back TO all
! that was lost in Adam, and redeemed
at Calvary. But the Second Death is
a friend to God and to all who love
righteousness since it will utterly and
forever destroy such as have love or
sympathy for siu and refuse to be
obedient to the Divine will after full
enlightenment.
The AntitypicaI "Gehenna."
As the earthly Jerusalem was fig
ure of the Jerusalem from above, the
heavenly Jerusalem, the Kingdom of
God that is to be established in all
the earth, so OeheRnd and its fire" and
worms" prefgured the destruction or
| the Second Death upon every wilful
sinner, during or shortly after the ter
mination of Christ's Mediatorial King
dom and reign and the delivery of the
Kingdom back to God, with righteous
ness fully established.
AS the New Jerusalem will not be
literal city, with literal streets of gold
and gates of pearls and walls of jew
els, neither the valley of Hinnom nor
the lake of fire outside the city of
Jerusalem will be literal-.both are
symbolical. The one represents har-
mony with God, the Divine blessing and
everlasting life; the other represents
separation from God, everlasting de-
struction, the Second Death.
Fire is never used as a symbol OF
preservation, far from 1t. 1t is always
symbol of destruction. The addi-
ton of birthstone intensifies the figure,
because burning birthstone is one OF
the most deadly influences known In
the world. It is not only deadly to
humanity and the larger animals but
also to insects and microbes and every
thing that has life.
An Old Testament Reference.
This same lesson of the destruction
of wilful traDsgressors, as represented
in the destructiveness Of the valley OF
Hinnom (Gchenna), is furnished by the
Prophet Isaiah Qxvi, 22-24. A famil'
lar sight in Isaiah's day was the lit
eral valley of HinnOm, used as figure
! by the Holy Spirit speaking through
him, pointing to the antitype and tell
ing Of the New Heavens and New
Earth-the new religious and secular
organizations Of mankind which will
, be accomplished by Messiah's reign
and that then evil doers shall not es
, cape but shall be completely, utterly
destroyed "They shall go forth and
look upon the carcasses of the mer
who have transe eSsed against Me, fol
their worm shall not die. neither shall
, their fire be quenched; and they shall
be an adherence untotall flesh" Moth
, ing is said about looking at living be
ings suffering torture, nor Is this the
, thought. God never approved OF tor
ture, but always condemned it. A car
cass is a dead body.
How glad we should be to realize
that Gods great Plan will not include
q great torture chamber containing
countless myriads of His creatures but
. as the Scriptures declare, every crea
ture In heaven and in earth and unde
: the earth will be heard saying, Praise
and glory and honor and dominion ant
might be unto Him that sitteth upoi
y the throne and unto the Lamb forever
, Let Honesty and Truth Prevail.
{ Having demonstrated that neithe
G the Bible nor reason offers the slight
v est support to the doctrine that eter
g nal torment is the penalty for sin, w
{ note the fact that the various churcl
t creeds, and confessions, and hymn
:, books, and theological treatlses. are 1t
l. only supports; and that under the In
:, creasing light of our day, and the cor
o sequent emancipation of reason, belle
in this horrible, fiendish doctrine of tn
s Dark Ages is fast dying out. But alas
l, this is not because Christian peopl
D generally are Jealous for the truth G
" Gods Word and for His character an
s, willing to destroy their grim creed
IS idols. All no! they still bow befor
g their admitted falsities; they sti
II pledge themselves to their defense, an
g spend time and money for their SUI
IL port though at heart ashamed of then
,r and privately denying them.
G. The general influence of all this
Id to cause the honest-hearted of I'll
rs world to despise Christianity and II
d. Bible; and to make hypocrites an
n. semi-l -lnfidels of nominal Christian
Of Because the nominal church clings
I'd this old blasphemy, and falsely pr
1t sents its own error as the teaching
n the Bible, the Word of God, thoul
IN still nominally reverenced, is beil
- practically repudiated. Thus the Bib
no the great anchor of truth and libert
- is being cut loose from by the We
ones who, IL not deceived regardil
ed It's teachings, would be held and bles
ut ed by 1t.
Ir- The general effect, not far distar
re win be, first open infldelity, then a
rs archy. For much very much of tn
to lukewarm Christians, both liz pulp
M and pews, who know better, are !
of sponsible. Many such are willing
he compromise the truth, to slander Goo
nd character, and to stultify and decei
los themselves, for the sake of peace,
is ease or present earthly advantal
ng And any minister who, by uttering