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Let us remind them that back of all this disloyal propaganda is the denial of the Word of God, which was the Rock on which the fathers of this land laid its deep foundations. George Washington’s words in his farewell address form the climax of the priceless legacy he gave to his fellow countrymen. One of its many imperishable admo nitions especially applies to present conditions— “Toward the preservation of your Government and the permanency of your present happy estate, it is requisite that you not only steadily discountenance irregular opposi tion to its acknowledged authority, but also that you resist with care the spirit of innovation upon its principles, how ever specious the pretext.’’ : These words of wisdom, with over a century in the background, still point the way wherein our present course of action may be most safely assured. Hell Not A ltogether Abolished I T was said at the conclusion vof a famous ecclesiastical trial that hell had. been dismissed with costs.- The editor of Colliers, however, does not:seem to be convinced that the case is altogether dismissed. We find these words in the issue of Dec. 4, 1926: “Like so many good old-fashioned institutions, the conception of a literal hell.has gone out of style. “So much so that only a few professional pro tests were heard when the other day a famous bishop announced his disbelief in any such place. “Yet most of us now adult grew up with a lively picture of the horrors awaiting sinners beyond this vale of tears. “Most creeds provided a hell in order to square the score of justice and injustice experienced in life. Since the rain fell almost too equally on the just and the unjust, something was necessary to balance ac- , cpunts, “The preachers got very little guidance from the Bible, but they did a thorough job. The punishment arranged for sinners was too severe to be convincing. “But even though the brimstone furnace: no longer terrifies evildoers, we have gotten rid of one hell only to find another. “We have learned that conscience needs no sear ing flames to provide adequate punishment. “So far as hell is concerned, we are able, all of, us, to roll our own.” It is true, as an Edinburgh minister says : “An ef feminate sensationalism, an unconscious yielding to popu lar taste, have all but excluded the doctrine of eternal, conscious punishment from pulpit ministrations.” . Our rosewater views of modern life, and our habit of getting rid of any disagreeable features of our Lord’s teachings, have given to Modernists a message that the Lord would never recognize. It may be true that the hell of mediaeval Christianity is as .fond a creation as the purgatory that mitigated its torture, but does this do away with hell? What honest person can read the New Testament and miss the empha sis placed upon the fate of the impenitent wicked? A friend once wrote these words to Voltaire: “I have succeeded in getting rid of the idea of hell.” Voltaire replied: “Allow me to congratulate you. I am very far from that.” Did Jesus die to save us from nothing? Our concep tions of the value of His atonement depend largely on our thoughts of that which made the atonement necessary. The abolishing .of hell undoubtedly has its root in the defective modern views of sin. Without the Bible conception of the holiness of God,
men will not see sin as high-handed rebellion against the Almighty and,a thing worthy of eternal punishment. It is not for'us to say what is the exact nature of hell— whether its fires be literal or figurative—but reason should teach us that some kind of a hell there must be. Those whose eyes are open to what is going on in the world must sur.ely see that if no hell existed, sin would build one and crowd it full. A reckoning there must be. Neither sin ners nor saints get their deserts in. this life. The writer of thè editorial in Colliers may not have realized the full import of his words, but a tremendous truth was stated in the sentence, "Conscience needs no searing flames to provide adequate punishment.” Our Lord represented Abraham as saying to'the rich man in hades, “Son, remember” (Luke 16:19-31). Memory is a part of the real life which exists after death. While men-are in the flesh, memory is often poor, but when they are free from the body, memory will be intensified a million fold. Every act imprints itself upon the brain. We forget nothing. We may cease for a time to have it in our thoughts, but sometime, somewhere, all will be revealed. After death, men will have a moEè accurate knowledge. The sinner will see how his' Mns.si^rfM and grew. A con science that in life was hardened by sin will be restored to full power. Memory will be more rapid- able to take in the whole life in a flash. To go into a Christless eternity with a burden of un- ,-forgiven sin, and to go “remd'hif)¿ring”- —(if there should be no other fire)-yrwill be hell enough to terrify the boldest spirit the first second after it leaves the body. Who would not wish for literal fires to consume him away when he finds himself possessed of immortal memory? A Prodigious Failing I T is a prodigious failing, although not commonly so regarded among Christian people,: Many of us are tragically guilty. William Lavv in his “Serious Call” brings it into the light on this wise-: “Susurrus is a pious, temperate, good man, remarkable for abundance of excellent qualities. No one more con stant at the service of the Church, or whose heart is more affected with it. His charity is so great, that he almost starves himself, to be able "to give greater alms to the poor. “Yet Susurrus had a prodigious failing along' with these great virtues. “He had a mighty inclination to hear and discover all the defects and infirmities of all about him. You were welcome to tell him any thing of any body, provided that you did not do it in the style of an enemy. He never dis liked an evil-speakèr, but when his language was rough and passionate. If you would hut whisper any thing gently, though it were ever so bad in itself, Susurrus wa,s ready to receive it. “When he visits, you generally hear him relating how sorry he is for the defects and failings of such a neighbor. He is always letting you know how tender he is of the reputation of his neighbor ; how loath to say that which he is forced to say and how gladly he would conceal it, if it could be concealed. “Susurrus had such a tender, compassionate manner of relating things the most prejudicial to his neighbor that He even seemed, both to himself and others, to be exercising a Christian charity, at the same time that he was indulging a whispering, evil-speaking temper. “Susurrus once whispered tó a particular friend in great secrecy, something too bad to be spoken of publicly.
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