The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-03-18
The Fear Of Death.

The Fear OF Death.
There are several elements that enter
into what Is called the fear of Death that
ought to no carefully Disseminated be.
tween. ~
1t is TO be said in the outset that the
contemplation of Death increases as men
advance in years, and grow 10 recog-
nize that the time Of tho inevitable
change draws nearer. But it is fairly
open to question whether the man who
has arrived at forty years of age has not
in aome one day experienced all the fear
of Death he will experience in one day
thereafter. How much or rather how
little, this Is, each man knows for him.
self. Men think Of Death ofiener in a
year, after they arrive at sixty than
when they were thirty. but from all we
can learn of the inner life OF such men.
the fear is not more intense than at ear.
lier periods of their lives.
The first element In the fear Of Death 10
the idea of physical pain. It is natural
that this should be connected with the
idea of Death, for In many cases intense
pain precedes death. But tho two are fer
from being invasiable accompaniments.
Intense pain may be followed by life as
we'll as by Death. We must distinguish
between the fear Of pain and the fear of
Death. Death may be painless. The
approaches 10 Death may be compara-
tively painless Pain end Death &c ::0ss
stand in the relation of cause and effect.
One is sometimes the preceding condi-
ton OF the Other. but not cause. Be-
sides this, the fact must be recognized,
that Death ia but point in time, an in
ovS l1,nk sy, 4
liminery process nor the immediate dis dis
Even at the worst, Death may be well
coined as bringirga release from suffcr-
ing. So let US thrust aside the notion Of
pain, and keep carefully y separated from
it the fear of Death.
Second Is the idea of the mystery Of the
change. Let us keep closely In mind
what Death is--it 10 an instantaneous
change. One moment was life, the next
is not life. One instant was the exercise
of tho vital energies, the next their total
stoppage. One second one was with
this wcrld, tie next he is gone from IL
forever. This mystery, unlike pain, is
inseparable from Death, and tho idea Of
Death. One can not think OF the mys.
terry of the change, and the lonesomeness
oft. Every ono has to encounter for
and by himself, and himself alone.
Third is the idea of that which is be-
yond Death. This idea also is insepa-
arabic from tho contemplation of
the change. Whether one believes in q
life beyond the grave, or in annihilation,
makes no difference. There 10 something
beyond, and the dread of that mystery
Puzzles the will,
And makes us rather bear the ills we have,
Than fly 10 others that we know not of.
All these three ideas are connected
with Death. And yet the change is ore
that is being encountered every Gay.
There are few but have seen one die, and
it is matter of general knowledge that
the number of death-bed whcss the one
who was experiencing the change has
been unnesved is very small. The dying
one is not moved by his loneliness. Hs
does not weep at tie separation. What
grief he does manifest is more for those
who are left than Tor himseIfwho Is going.
Whether weakened vitality blunls his
sensibilities, or whether he is prepared
FOR the Lass great change by unuaual
strength, matters not. There ia the fact.
When the dying man comee to die, ut the
real and very decisive moment, he has
no fear of Death. Tho fear of the living
&C DDSss.i DDt 30 10 Is0t founded ON the fear OF
Death of she dying.
Jeremy Taylor said something on Death
that has always seemed to have in it O
weight of wisdom. ''Take eway," he
says, "hut the pom2s of death, the dis
guises and solemn bugbears, and the act
ings by candle light, and proper and fan
tastics ceremonies, the minstrels and the
| noise makers, the weepsrs, the swoonings
and the Bhfiekings, the nurses and the
physicians, the dark room and the minis
ters, the kindred and the watches, and
then to die is easy, ready, and quilted
| from its troublesome circumstances. Il
is the same harmless thing that poor
shepherd suffered yesterday, or O maid
servant to-day; and at the same time In
which you die, in that very night q
thousand creatures die with you, aome
wise men, and many fools; and the wis.
dom ofthe first will not quit him, end
the folly of the latter does not make him
i unable to die"
| Ia word, reader, your fear of Death
viii not makeyou fear Death when Death
comes. It is only now when you arc liv.
| ing that you fear it, and how little time
after oil do you spend in fearing it, Gin.
cinnati Times.
n |.H-s -. = |