The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-03-08

loses as poNrF am Ntt AesfFt tN-F@
ia scnsibility Soon his business
faiters aud his reputation expires.
and as the temptations 70 drink
multiply his power OF successful re-
sstancc declines--now the vortex
rosrs. the struggling victim taftey,
the fiery wave with fecblr stroke
and with one despoiring cry thar
pierces the dome OF Heaven above
he sinks to hell through the gap Ct
drunkard's grave. Al. my friends.
think YOU not that sacn bell Is
more terrible than fire and hrim-
stonef The agony OF such a man
burning in the flames OF guilt so hot.
| would indeed b ereiieyed could he
but thrust his hand Ia actual fire;
to have his attention attracted from
his coul's burning 20 the burning OF
his body would DO ;or hi ma gracious
mitigation The hottest fires IN this
world are not the fires where iron
ore ia smelted. but they are fires of
sin in which prosperity. happiness
end character are consumed.
But let US further consult this
parable on the punishment OF he'll,
Notice these two words. Son, re-
member" oh, what a hell there is
In Just that WORD. REMEMBER.
What guilty, awakened accusing
conscience. forever guawing as the
devouring worm And the wrath OF
Gods Just and positive punishment
forever burning the souls Yes, God
declares ii. and the good OF Heaven
demands IT, Think of the lashing
fire of memory that viii remind you
continually of your neglected oppor-
tunities and squandered privileges.
Think OF your conscience like lap
ping flame. scorehing your reason
and inflaming your Imagination. In
this parable of our Savior. the rich
man is represented as tormented by
a flame of fire in hell, and every
thing in this record is real. The
beggar is real. the rich man is real,
he'll Is real, the parched tongue IL
real, and the torments are real.
To argue that the punishment Of
the rich man is not specific and
true is to argue against the reality
of hell itself 1t Is 70 argue. there
fore. against real suffering endured
by real human persons This would
prove too much. and therefore
nothing. 1t would divest God of all
sanction of eternal laws and of leg
Iislative and real power. because a
law without sanction is no law at all
God Invested of power TO legislate.
ia likewise Invested OF power to gov
ern. His providence is then elimi-
mated; His creative authority de-
Inied and His reality and personality
limpugned. The sad consequences OF
that error which denies the reality
OF hell. is perfectly evident where
you follow that denial with consec-
lutive thought 10 its last analysis.
Whenever man, who claims to be
a scholar, introduces subtle dis
tinetions where the law itself makes
no such distinction, then he proves
himself unworthy of being regarded
a true philosopher. Nay, 1t is
against the true and established
methods OF theology. TO deny OBJ
ectiye reality to truths enunc ated
everywhere In the gospel OF physical
and specific terms. Such practice is
Ionly worthy of Pantheists and Az
|nostics and that the whole execrable
modern sect who deny all reality
and would make this universe re-
Iceptacle of airy phantoms.
Hence. my friends, ! for one. shall
not stand in this pulpit as Uniyer-
salist, Russelite or Christian Sci
Ientist to explain away hell. to slur
lii over or even to leave the impress
sion that IL is a place of anything
less than eternal punishment. | do
not fndorse the netrodox Opinions OF
some of our preachers. and | am
glad that their number is very few.
They would quench the fires OF fu-
ture punishment and lead every sin
ner to believe that he shall at last
go free. He would have all liars.
thieves, drunkardss adulterers and
murderers TO. believe that all the
punishment they shall receive for
their sins on earth, will be to enter
hell for little while to sit around
on hard -bottomed chairs. and then
when they get tired or roughing IL.
they shall be invited to come up
higher and spend the rest of eter-
nifty lounging around on cushions OF
glory and sitting in the laps Of pa