Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-07-22

fAA==@1@s( t1eDTeWs, Vu IA
RASIClR RUSSELL) onism in Prophe-
cy." Another was
specially 10 Bible Students. and II we
report. His text was. Where their
worm dieth not and the fire is not
quenched" Mark tx. 40. The speaker
said
There are other and much more beau
tiful topics than the one have chosen
for this occasion. Nevertheless, Hand
some is that handsome does" This
text has stood In the way of Gods
people for centuries. and still continues
In the way OF many of them To such
il proves the Almighty Creator TO be
most unkind one. Il most un-Fatherly
one. view the matter as we will. Some
say. lovelcssly and illogically, that God
provided from before the foundation
of the world n great gchennd OF IRE.
torture. suffering. and that all man
kind were doomed on account or rather
Adams transgression. but that through
Jesus death arrangement was made
by which the small number who walk
III Ills ApVtSAti> ~ thf
may escape this awful eternity.
Others say. not SO: God IL love, and
these unquenchable fires and immortal
worms are matters of necessity which
His love cannot overcome. because. by
some slip OF unwisdom In the begin
ming. or by some lack of power since.
the Almighty Is unable tn do better
than % save the mere handful and TO
allow the great mass OF mankind to
suffer endless torture in the fire that
never shall he quenched. and where
the worm will never die.
The Great Teacher Misunderstood.
These words from the lips Of our
Master. the Great Teacher, have been
grievously misunderstood. The teach
ing of our Protestant childhood was
to the effect that only the sanity elect
would 20 TO heaven and that others
would not only lose heaven, but gain
an eternal life in torment. Thus our
text was understood to portray what
practically the whole world Of man
kind would he compelled TO endure.
This hell was pictured TO our child
mood minds from outside the Bible as
heated to white heat. Ii we ex-
pressed wonder or surprise that any
creature could endure such conditions
so long the answer was that God
would exercise his omnirotent power
to make us firc-proof and pain-sensitive.
Some theologians of the Thomas
kempis school of thought went so far
as To picture the poor creatures In
their sufferings and 10 show that the
heat would form kind of an asbestos
covering which would shield them
from a measure OF its intensity. But
those dcluded theolOgians proceeded
to explain that these outer coverings
would crack and shell Off every little
while. leaving the poor victim freshly
tender that his suffering might be the
more intense.
or course. these theologians of the
past had their difficulty in dealing
with the worms, They could imagine
devils who would oversee the torture
rs being made immune To pain by the
chief torturer, the Almighty God. But
just how TO imagine the worms get
ting along in SO great heat and how
they would in any wise increase the
torture OF the poor sufferers was To
many perplexity. But patient
thoughtfulness along these cruel and
dcvilish lines enabled some to formu-
late the theory that the worms would
4. G.s~ .tntftrlk ffNrr
In iire-worms that would bore through
the demonstrations and add still fur
Their 10 the horrible sufferings Of the
world of mankind
Was This What Jesus Meant?
Did the Great Teacher intend that
such conclusions should be drawn
from His language; And Hid He stop
short OF the description from reasons
II sympathy or modesty or shamef Is
this the general teaching Of Gods
Word or has a great and terrible mis-
take been made; And have we mistak-
en- figure OF speech and treated II as
literal; We erred We misunderstood.
The Great Teacher who rebuked His
disciples, James and John. when they
desired TO call fire from heaven upon
the City OF Samaria. because the peo-
Pile thereof refused to sell them food
for the Master-the sympathetic One
who said to them. I'VE know not what
manner Of spirit yc are Of; the Son OF
man came not 10 destroy mems lives.
but 10 save them" that Son OF
man In any wise intend TO tell us that
our great Heavenly Father had less
~ the spirit of love and Righteousness
than the two impeiuGus disciples:
Dill He mean 10 intimate that while