National Republican., 1880-03-23
THE LECTURE HALL.
Rev. Joseph Cook Talks OF Certain
ties in Religion.
A Reply 20 the Mau who Says " Moses Made
Mlstakes"-A A Few Religious Factsi
Which the Lecturer Considers In
disputable-Miss Edith o'Gor-
man mt Odd-Fellows'
Hall-A Recital, sc.
Roy. Jo.enh CooI.,s Leotnro.

A large aud intellectual audience filled Lin
coin Hall last evening to its utmost capacity
to hear the Rev. Joseph Cooks celebrated Ice
turo on tho "Certaintios in Religion" The
lecturer oommenc sd abruptly by saying:
little while ago we wero not here; a little
while longer aud we go honce. That we were
not here aud that we will not be here are cor.
taintiCs. Besides these, find that there ex.
lists a certainty that desire to 60 hence in
peace. With the book of Revelations closed do
not take immortality for granted, but whether
IL be q certainty or not have so many suspi-
cions that to go hence In peace becomes one
of the strongest passions of my nature.
That desire Is a part nj human nature. 1t is
characteristics Of all nations, barbarous or
civilized. II is the strongest of all
human desires the greatest factor of all
human influence. It has SIT nations on fire.
kindled prosecutions and built cathedrals
Shakespeare tells of the bourne from VIII ence
no traveller returns, which puzzles the will and
makes us rather boar The ills we have than fly
TO those we know not Of" Butler. tho fore.
most of Christian anaogists, makes the same
declaration. II Is the same with Butler
Shakespeare Socrates and Eurlpides. They
all teach that God hts no half points
Tho migratory instincts of birds and fishes
indicate tho existence of the Southern climate
which they seek. The conscience of mar like
wise points TO the future existence of rewards
and punishmcuts which 1t toreshadows. Con-
SClChCO tcllS 10 MunCu0uSen thleS, nut pro-
claims mighty truth rs faithfully rs the mi.
gratory instincts ofbirds aud fishes indicate a
d Inference of climate. As Bryant's Swan leans
her breast upon the storm sure Of the bAlmy
South in store, in the cams of Indifference the
tcmpests of trial and the hurricane Of disbelief,
he was sure that he should fad n future
reality to match his conscience. Or
gauization in life implies the power to
organize, which is Thought, and tho thought
| implies the thinker Lif, Is the cause of or.
ganizatiOn, and not organization tho cause Of
| life. Is it less diihcult to believe that the
creative power can givo to life a superior body
| in keeping with the conditions of an after.
| life than that IL should build up the body
that we inhabit here If death does not end
all, what docs? In order TO 20 hcnco in peaco
wo must harmoniZe with tho three things from
which we cannot escape. These things are
God, our record aud ourselves. We cannot
walk in peace with anything unless in bar-
mony with it. There can be no peace for
us unless we lovo the things that God
loves and hate the things that lie hates; for if
we are not iu harmony with God wo are not
in harmony with tho nature of things, for
they are the same. Herbert Spencer says that
every creature must be in harmony with its
environments, and unless We accord with
these we cannot 20 hence in peace. The soul
is made OH a plan MS well as the body, and is as
subject to law. In death we do not escape
from ourselves, although we drop our bodies
Our record in this life is something that is
fixed aud uualterablc. The murderer is al.
ways a murderer. Who can wash the
blood.stained hands of Lady Macbeth ?
Do we not then feel the uocd of q screen to
shut of the records We make in this life from
our sight in the hereafter? That screen Is
found in the atonemcnt. Christianity is the
only schome of life upon which man eau
live in perfect harmony with his environ
mcuts
| H. L. IT.
cral pointed ausions to what hn termed the
fIllacies Of the man "who believes Moses
made mistakes" and was listened to through
out with rapt attention and frequent applause