The New York herald., 1877-12-24
CHRISTMAS ANTICIPAT1ONS.
The Story Of the Babe Of Beth
lehem Retold.
BELIEF IN IMMORTALITY.
Prayer and Practice-Advent Or
dination Ceremonies.
CHURCH OF THE DISCIPLES.


IMMORTALITY OF THE souL-sERMoN By DIR.
HEPwoRTH.
Tho subject OF Or. Hcpworth's discourse yesterday
morning was the Immortality of the soul. inc text
selected was St John, xL. "a, 25-"Martha said
.to hrY We know that he will rise again, in the re-
surrecion at the last day. Jesus saith unto her,
am the resurrection and the e he that beiieveth IN
me- though he die, yet shall he live, and wbosoever
Iveth and bciievetn IN shall never die" Mr.
Hcpworth commenced his discourse by saying-i
want be able to provo to this morning. my dear
friends, that Martha bad right divine right,
10 that strong language, IL know" IN respect 10
the resurrection Of her brother Lazarus want
brethren to show you that the important conversa-
lion OF our Lord Jesus Christ was to dssipate the
clouds OF doubt thai have settled over this subject
and that have faith In Him death IS robbed OF its
sting and the grave knows victory This is matter
which has claimed the attention Of the world In all
ages. We are ready to admit that belief In a con-
tnued existence after death is important 10 thorough
and complete education OF tho soul. The soul Is better
fitted hero II 1t persuaded that there Is
hereafter. On Wednesday afternoon was present
at tue obsequies OF ono who had lived to ripe
od uy' sny was ae sun proSe
through the misty billows, as though for a single
instant tho gates OF tho upper church had oeen
opened aud flash or tho eternal glory had been sent
to the earth. went into the room where the body
lay in IT'S narrow house; he had lived far into tho
winter of lie. l asked my sell is there any spring
time, this a2 Is the whole story here told. or
this the rst chapter and Is there moro TO DO heard
an the sweet by and by" l looked at tho long,
white hair streaming down the shouldcrs at the loug
white beard, which gave him the look OF prophet; !;
yes OF an apostle Then saa' sgain' , %nas IS ~, ~
tween yesterday when his eyes looked through love.
ana to-day, when The cold eyeiids % are shut
pcncd TO him happens to others We gathered
around his bier Some time know not when, 60
bier and about yours What happened to him will,
sooner or later happen to you and to me- The prob
lem, .hon which is presented Is OF the utmost ni-
portancc, and YOU and lnust solve Ii.
THE STANDPOINT OF SCIENCE.
want. this morning, to claim your careful atten.
tion while speak TO you iron the STANDPOINT OF
science concerning this great enigma. want to ask
II there is nothing In the constitution OF man in
which to predict u mans inimortaty2 II il bc true
that Il mans is the breath Of God chilled by
cold atmosphere Of this lower world, then upon the
soul we ought to be able TO hear tho
voice OF that Creator which nothing can rosist
ln the first place, science tells us that there
tain organic instincts IN man. You ask me what I'm
organic instinct Is. II s the action OF the mind inde
pendent OF Instruction and OF experience That in-
Stinc Is rooted nature, and It Is mex pcabie that
pieces 1t Is what color s the rainbow; what per-
!ume is to the flower You SEQ this organic instinct
In the lower ANIMALS Of creation. Samon when about
odepost It's spawn, always fees to tue security OF fresh
water, overcoming tho obstacle OF q WATERFALL and
nnds It's cosey nook, aud there deposits It's spawn II
Is instructive OF the animals to take of their
young. Il is not the result Of education of
perience. II Is Embedded tho OF the animal
anu IL acts in accordance with that instinct, without
any process OF reasoning whatever 1t Is instructive
that men form themselves INTO Iailios, and that tho
iather becomes the natural protector OF his children.
Love Is nstinct II is not the result OF reason.
Now let take the next step. Science tells that
every instinct has It's corrcate. 1t is in the very
ture OF things that there Ia fundamental exposition
o. the soul that has not its iuhlment God makes
blnndcrs. What He has done He has done perfectly.
Look INTO your own hearts and see how you stand IN
relation 10 your immortality Stand by the side OF
oIc whom you nave loved better than you have loved
your own litc. What says your hearth Am wrong
when that belief In immortality Is, or that VIC
look or immortality, In obedience 10 tho organic IN
sncts of nature. and mat cannot rub II out
II the instinct IS there, aud put there by God himself
by tho power and the wisdom OF the iovo Of God.
then you not sure that that organic instinct
OF our nature has Its correlatc, and that
immortality iact Is sure there
must DO water somewhere because you arc thirsty,
nnd bread somewhere because you hungry Coo
would cruel beyond all expression II ho had given
you this Instinct OF longnga longing SO intense that
II shakes your nature ti you culver with agonyand
then refuse tho satisfaction.
Mr. Hepworth then dwelt at length upon tho revc1a-
ton o science, OF adaptation to ends, illustrating this
position by the watch and its mechanism; tho eye
thnt Is made ior the purpose OF seeing He then
showed that the doctrine O Immortality gives forco to
the whole moral law, and that the idea OF rewards and
punshmcnis IN the future hic greatly controlled our
conduct He explained that thus doctrine of mmor-
taiity necessary TO spiritual progress, and
c1dcd his sermon by IN earnest and practical appca
tlon tho truth.