The Idaho recorder. [volume] (Salmon City, Idaho) 1886-1927, 1919-10-10
HELL FIRE rs
ILLUSTRATED IN PULPIT.


tufe Wednesday evening on ..Hell.
Where Is II, and What is III" that the
teaching of modern theologians that
the wicked win writhe in agony in
lake Of fire through the endless
cycles Of eternity tends to drive men
away from God rather than toward
him.
He emphasized the fact that In no
place In all the Bible is lsuch a state
ment made that the wicked will suf-
Ter SUCH punishment. aud declared
that such a doctrine Is Inconsistent
with the express statements In the
Bible. which describe God as being
Just. merciful. long suffering, and the
while the wicked will be destroyed in
. lake Of fire. yet the punishment win
De 30 complete that they will be en-
tirely consumed
The Apostle Paul declares that "the
wages OF sin is death, but the xift Of
God II eternal life through Jesus
Christ. our Lord" Rom. 6:as. II will
be seen by this scripture that death.
the wages of sin, and eternal life. the
gift OF God. are set opposite one an
other, and truly death is the antithe.
sis OF life.
Modern theology teaches that the
wages OF sin is eternal life, In torment
TO be sure. but nevertheless life, thus
flatly contradicting the testimony OF
the apostle that the wages of sin Ia
death. Who dare assert that life In
Hell or any other place is death, for
the very definition OF death Ia to
cease 10 live?
II will be noticed that the element
used for this everlasting destruction
OF the wicked will be fire. but that the
wicked In this fire shall be destroyed
burned. uproot and branch, or ms the
same writer tells us In Verse 3. I'VE
tthe rSghteous) shall tread down the
wicked; for they shall be ashes un-
der the soies of your feet In the day
that shall do this. saith the Lord OF
Hostsr
This certainly Indicates total DIES.
truetion OF the wicked, and II consis-
tent with the character OF God ms des.
cribeds in the texts already quoted: for
the best way that God can love a man
that does not want 10 be loved. or put.
ting II In other words, the most mercl.
fui thing that God can do for man
whose heart is fully set IN him 10 do
evil. Is to destroy him quickly even
as fire burns stubbIe.
In Gods great mercy and love He
does the best thing He can for the
sinner, that is, He cuts him off or
puts him out of his misery The pun.
, ishment OF the wicked IN truly as
az hA
eous, but in the first instance IL will
be eternal death. and in the second.
eternal life. This view harmonizes
perfectly with the text In Romans that
the wages OF sin Is death: also with
the whole tenor OF scripture involved
in the question.
The texts that are most often quot,
ed TO sustain the view Of an eternal
torment for the wicked are as follows
and If thy right hand offend thee.
cut il off: II Is better for thee To en-.
ter into life manned than having two
hands to go into hell into the fire that
shall never be quenched" Mark AS,
"A: and the smoke OF their torment
ascendeth up forever and ever; and
they have no rest day nor right who
worship the beast and his image. and
whatsoever receiveth the mark of his
name. and the devil that deceived
them was cast into the lake of fire
and birthstone. where the beast and
the false prophets are, and shall be
tormenied day and night forever and
ever = :. = =
Al this point Evangelist Cook dra
maticaliy illustrated what is mention
ell in the book OF Mark by the ''un
quenchable fire or "where their fire
is not quenched. and where their
worm dieih not, by producing mini.
AZURE hell. In bonfire upon the
platform were placed stubbie. fat OF
lambs. and grass fully dried, the very
combustable materials TO which the
wicked are likened by the Bible writ
ers and then gave instruction that the
fire should not be quenched.
He then turned>io the congregation
and asked them TO note the effect Of
"unquenehable fire" declaring that.
Fl shall see TO IL that this fire is not
quenched He placed In the fire pa.
per figures of men and women from
various walks OF life. representing the
wicked He then said. Let us note
how long forever and ever means. as
the Bible uses this expression. For
ever and ever. II does imply eternal
duration. as II may be clearly seen by
the following texts: Er. 2l:6: Jonah
Isl: Sam l.23. 81. Here in this law
concerning servants 1t IL evident that
the expression forever could only ap-
ply to he period of the servants life
time. no matter how short or long
tina. might be- = I.
| Here the evangelist called the ut
itention Of his congregation TO the
/ fact that the fire OF bis miniature he'll,
though II had not been quenched tthai
/ is. artificaliy exiinguished) bad com
pleteiy died out for lack OF cornbusi-
tjble material This unquenchabie
fire in which the wicked were tor
mented forever continued for few
moments. he declared.
Thus shall It be with the unoueneh'
able fires Of the last day, into which
the wicked shall be cast; and the
same fire. as we are told BY the
APOSTLE Peter, shall melt the earth,
and out fthat molten mass. purified
from all germs OF disease and sin,
shall come forth the new earth In
in which the righteous shali dSeii