Year: 1878

lind with the current loose pewspape


discussion, and with much that pretend


to be scholarly, is that it gives no defin,


tions. 1t is very difficult to ascertain


where man stands among the man.


forms of opinion on this theme. Canol


Farrar makes these only four in number


but there are at least nine.


l. The Dantean view This is Otter


confused with the orthodox. Dante's pc


etry, his imaginary of birthstone and fire


is not infreouently spoken of as il it wer


to day the official utterance of the lates


scholarship. The Dantean view strictl.


SO called, is repudiated by scholarly or


thodoxy. Allow me to say, however


that l believe in the existence of a spir


itual body, and that l know, beyond


peradventure, that in this life, when


man is under the terrors of conscience


strange thrills of pain shoot through him


he is bowed down; there are many indi


cations that the finest fibers of his struc


ture are at war with the nature of things


We do not know but that in anothe


state of existence the spiritual body viii


be darkened and bowed down. l can no
| be sure that any one is authorized to as


sert that in the next life there may no


be pains as nearly physical as the spirit


ual body is. There is a spiritual body


and here and now it lies behind the fin


est fbers of our flesh, and here and nov


we feel some of the pains and blisses o


which the spiritual body is susceptible


do not adopt the Dantean view of the
state of the lost in another life, but
| object to any NAN saying who believes in
a spiritual body, that there are no condi
tions adapted to that body to reveal Gods
displacency there, just as similar condi
tions surely reveal the displacency oi
conscience here. Let no man whistle on
this theme until he is out Of Dante's for
est. There are more things in heaven
and earth than are dreamed of in the
pains that conscience gives US by its dis.
placency, and the blsses it imparts by its
complacency. When the cover of flesh
Is dropped, and we possess in fullness all
the powers which now exist in embryo
In this mysterious organism, who knows
but that somewhere in the next state of
existence we shall understand what the
dim but vast prophecies of our instructive
gestures in contrasted moral states mean
standing erect, and having in our faces
a light not of this world, or bowling down,
feeling chains upon our limbs, and pains
shooting through the innermost fbers.-
This quarter of the sky deserves long
gaze. We are fearfully and wonderfully
made.


2. The Romish view. This does not
teach by authority that the pains of the
next life will be physical, but yet asserts
that it is dangerous to deny that it will
be. In the North American Review late
ly (March-April, 1879, Romish writer
defends a theory of the state of the i'm
penitent almost Dantean. OF course, the
doctrine of the Romish purgatory is not
upheld by Protestant scholars


g. The Orthodox view. What is it p
l know that l venture much, but l am
asking no one here to indorse my propo-
sitions; l claim no right to speak for
Others. When | set aside all exegetical
considerations and use only the light of
ethical science, my view of future pun
ishment is summed up in these six prop
ositions:


a. Argument which proves that sin
will cease involves principles which prove
that it would never begin. 1t has begun;
and optimism must adjust itself to this
fact of experience


(2) Judicial blindness occurs under
the operation of the two natural laws
that repeated sin impairs the Judgment.
and that he whose judgment is impaired
sins repeatedly.


(3) The selfpropagating power of sin
arises from these same laws.


a The effectiveness of fne0 light IN another
state of existence to cause reform can not be
predicted face to face Nth these
laUS.


(5) Under the power of judicial blind
ness, and the self-propagating nature of
sin, man may fall into permanent, vol
moral remoteness from God and
its consequences, or final permanence of
evil character.


(6) While sin continues its punish
ment will continue.


Even after repentance sin is not cover
ed from the Divine displacency without
an Atonement, consciously or uncon-
sciously received.


AS perfect frankness concerning this
definition is important, allow me to say
that do not undertake, by mere reason,
to point out when probation will end
This is question which must be answer
ed from the Scriptures, and to which, as
| think, they give a definite reply. But
from mere reason, we are justified in af,
frming that character tends to final per-
manence and l believe that sometimes
it attains permanence in this life. | do
not know but that we should be justified
by reason in asserting that life give every
responsible, free agent tone of charac-
ter, such that when he enters the next
state of existence the first moment will
be one both of his judgment by the NOR
al law and of his final choice The judg
ment will be in the choice, and the choice
will be in the judgment. This is not
second probation. To call it such is mis-
leading But this event and the individ-
ual judgment may occur in one and the
same indiVisible instant. AS projectile
shot against the curved side of an iron
ship glances to the right hand or the left
at the instant of its impact, so the soul
which strikes on the infinite bosses of
Gods buckler will shoot to the right or
left, upward or downward, according to
the mold it has taken here from its pre-
dominant choices. Applause. Here is
the boss of the buckler, and it is not like
ly to change its shape. You go through
what God loves you form here a tone of
character in dissonance with the nature
of things, or with what ought to be; you
strike the lower side of the boss, and the
instant of impact is the instant of glanc
ing in the direction for which your free
choice has prepared you. The new light
which you see you hate; your character
is one of dissimilarity of feeling with God;
and, under fixed natural law, but with no
loss of freedom, you fall into the conse
quences of that dissimilarity.


Certainty as to the state of individual
men when they depart hence is very diff
ferent from certainty as to the conditions
of the peace of the soul. Some men go
hence with tone of character harmon
lied with God, and yet it may be that
they have many faults. Possibly they are
like this Union, after we fought Gettys-
burg and Richmond-the Union saved,
although there is many Ku Klux Klan
in the Southern States. Conversion may
have occurred, although sanctifcation be