The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-03-11
HEAVEN NOT HELL BIBLE REVELATION
 STATES PREACHER
Dr. Edmonds Gives Exposi- tion of Modern Thought on Eternal Punishment
 at Temple Service

In his series of 'Doctrinal Sermons" Dr. II. M. Edmonds, of the Independent Presbyterian church, discussed the sub ject of External Punishment at the Temple Emanu-El yesterday morning, his discourse being splendid exposi- ton of liberated modern thought upon this question.
 "The subject of hell has occupied a foremost place in our preaching which it should not have had said Dr. Ed monds.
 Preachers have been dealers in fire insurance, in a sense, preaching God seeking to damn man, when in reality the gist of the gospel is God seeking to save; the revelation of the Bible is not hell, but heaven. setting forth ol how men may obtain to heaven. show ing them how to escape from sin. and its inevitable consequences. ''Evangelists of an earlier day used to paint word pictures of lurid hell fires, mottomless pits and kindred fear inspiring things to wake up people who seemed to require a stern, frigh.- ful preaching. It was their business to preach hell. .
 ETERNAL PUNISHMENT Men of one period concerned them- selves not at all with religious things; giving over the entire business of re- ligious living and thinking to priests and preachers and the preaching was ta in fo arrest the attention of an indifferent people, and yet there was 2 lack of proportion in the preaching of ycster- day on the subject of eternal punish ment. Of course men are damned, but not to everlasting condemnation and eternal punishment; men are con- demned for their evil deeds by con science, by good men and by God.
 Jesus found the word 'Gehenna' here and He made use of it because the peo- pie were familiar with it, as twas His custom, He spoke in terms best under stood by those He addressed. The place outside the city wall where all manner ot refuse was thrown to be burned, the dump heap, He painted His word pic ture of men being cast upon the dump leaD or the uIllNefSC WnciC ti'Nt VI VI Hess are cast; it was the most vivid pic- ture of utter ruin of life He could draw, and to my thinking 1t is the most of he'll imaginable.
 Punishment Is not a new revelation of the Bible, it is as old as time. as true as life. Everything has taught it, everyday observation has. made 1t plain. experience shows that punish rnent is not arbitrary. 1t Is the neces- sary, natural and inevitable answer "a sin. Dishonesty in men is punished in terms of dishonesty, cruelty and sell fishness in lines of the same. Shut out from the unutterable satisfaction of communion with God by the corse- auences of sin.
 CAUSE AND EFFECT
 "Breaking the laws of life reaps the inevitable, unacceptable punishment which sin carries in it's bosom. It car ries it's own sting. The law of cause and effect is eternal; laws that operate here will certainly operate there; cause precedes effect, effect follows cause here as well as in the spirit world of con scious immortality, and the trend Of mems lives must go on there as it ended here. naturally. He does not in the mos ment of dissolution become changed creature from evil to good.
 "The Bible furnished cold facts as 10 cause and effect, not as a threat. but as a warning and guide, the whole im- pact of the message is Eternal Life. z Eternal punishment we leave at the portals of the grave with God. know no better way.
 '.The Bible is a hallaluja chorus from Genesis to Revelations. a message to come out of the limitations of fear and sin and it's unacceptable, natural, conse- sequences
 ALL GLASSES OF PEOPLE
 Large congregations continue the rule at the Lyric services. pr. Edmonds in teresting themes from which he draws timely applications appeal to all classes of people.
 The music is being made feature Owen Gillespy's solo at the close of the sermon is always delightful. Mrs John Turner, violin!st. is playing a solo nun Der every Sunday night which is much enjoyed.
 .The Enemies of Jesus'' was the sub feet of the sermon last night, and proved one of the most interesting and forceful in the series of the studies in the life of Jesus, which terminate at Easter.
 The doctrinal sermons at the Temple Emanu-El on Sunday mornings are drawing enormous congresations, the subject of doctrine arousine unusual in- terest, handled in the broad. thoughtful manner by pr. Edmonds.