Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-10-24


of the Masters
words had been 80 misunderstood as
has this text, and that few had pro-
ducod 80 terrible fruitage of sin.
Absurdity Of tho Proposition.
The influence OF the text, the Pastor
declared, Is greatly increased by the
unscriptural thought that the dying
sinner passes into everlasting torture.
Those under the spell Of that false doc
frine cannot be reproved for wishing
to escape from It's terrifying influence.
As the drowning man grasps at a
straw, so those whose hopes for their
dead are being held up by this error,
grasp at the narrative Of the thief, and
hope that their departed experienced a
mOmentary repentance said Jesus,
forgive me" and straightway was car
ried To Paradise. The absurdity Of the
proposition Is crowded out by the min
Cling OF the hope with their love for
the deceased.
We'll do ! remember conducting n
funercl service which was interrupted
by the walls OF the widow. The hus-
band had been shot by an assassln's
bullet In a distant mining region, He
had died not being member Of II
church, and by no means saint. The
poor widows walls, nfterward learn
ell, were caused by the thought that,
not having had n moments warning,
the murdered man had failed to say,
''God forgive me-" and thus to gain
Paradise.
Who can blame the poor woman for
the absurdlty of her reasonlng2 Had
she not been taught 80 to think by all
the great creeds Of Christendom? Had
not her husband and herself been talk
ing that very chance Of having mo-
ment for repentance before eXplrlng2
IL ls n shame that this wrong thought
has been 80 long allowed TO keep pco-
ple bncI from making their peace with
God IN earlier life,
Repentance Always Proper, Of Course,
IEf me not be misunderstood. |
wOnld not discourage death, bed re.
penfnnce, or any other would, how
ever, have all TO recognize that there
are fixed rules Of Divine Justice which
forbid ns 20 think that there IL hell
full Of unfortunates who died sudden
iy, with no opportunity for repentance;
that tbere IL a Heaven full Of lucky
murlerers, thieves and vngabonds,
who were carried to glory without any
real change OF heart, or character, but
merely as reward for momentnry
prayer "Whntsoever man soweth,
that shall he also reap" Whoever
sows life Of ain and selr.lndulgence
will not reap glory, honor and immor-
tality. but more depraved disposition
than that with which he was born.
Tho Dying Thiofs Prayer.
The supposltion that the dying thief
asked to go TO Heaven with Jesus as n
reward for few kindly words IL Il
mistake. The supposltlon that Jesus
promised that he would go to Heaven
chat same day il also Il mistake, Jesus
did not 20 10 Heaven that day, In
Ricnh, He went to the Bible hell
Hadcs, Sheol, the tomb. lie remained
dead. St Peter tells us until the third
day, when God raised Him from the
dead by Divine Power It was after
Ills resurrection ON the third day that
lie appeared TO Mary and said, 81
have not yet nscended to My Father
and your Father, to My God aud your
God" John 20I7
The Bible tells that Paradise was
lost through Adams sin, six thousand
years ago; that II is TO be restored NJ
n result OF Jesus death; and the time
of rs restoration will be during the
tbousnnd years OF Messlah's Kingdom.
Slncs there was no Paradise when Je-
s,vs died, He could not have meant that
ahe thief would be there with Him
shaf day. The claim made by Jesus
wua that Iio was to be King. The
fhlevcs had heard Pilates question
SAN Thou a King, then| They had
heard Icsus' roply that to this end was
He D0rn. But He added, MY King.
dom Is ncf of this Age
ule ihief caught the thought that
ahr grand, iSlngly character beside him
wns probably the Messiah the King
of Lsrnel. How to explain the cir
c,nws1ances OF TINT dark hour he
Ihnrw not, but he defended Jesus,
Thsn wHth a measure OF hope he said,
'-Lnxd. when Thou comest into Thy
IzIuHdom, remember me-" In other
murIa, believe that you are King,
and that somehow you viii yet have