New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-21
THE REV. ". Il. MURRAY on LIFE AFTER
DEATH.
From his Lecture in Boston.


But il we enter into bodies how shall we
recognize our friends: tor IN many cases the new
bodies will not look at all as the old ones did.
Certainly not. The results OF sin and the mis-
chances of the earth Will not be preserved rest as
surcd. He was a dwarf here-he will be tall and
shapely there. The misshaDement OF his skull
made him an idiot here-the organ of Thought shall
be adequately accommodated there. friend
leaves our side and is brought back at noon burnt
to Disagreement and we know him through the
hidcous disguise of the explosion. If we recognize
our loved ones when they are made ugly, shall we
not recognize them when they are made beautiful !
III the ewes of love are not deceived by deformty.
think you they shall be deceived by symmetry 7
Nay! Never fear. we shall Know them Ill thelr
beauty and because of it perhaps even quicker than
we knew them here. But touching tins matter OF
recognition of people in heaven. let me suggest
great many folks talk of heaven a. II 1t were a
spot OF such limited extent that they would natut-
ally run against about everybody they ever KNEW
in "A couple of days at the most nay some seem 10
think that all their friends ard acquaintance VIII
be drawn mp in a row to receive them trust thls
will not he So in MY case at least, tOr ii some OF
nv friends should be drawn mp IN "a row I'd receive
me | should certainly run. / have seen so much
of them on the earth that should Ike 10 take a
rest OF few thousand years before meet them
again. One of the happlest points IN my conception
OF heaven s that il large enough to enable me to
dodge a great many people. That Is felicity
But though there are many do not wish
10 meet there are those We must meet, or
heaven would be less than heaven. Hands that
we must clasp; voices we must hear; faces
into which we must look once more, yea, he prYl-
legged to look forever. | have within ne the sweet
faith call it childish If you please to believe that
hy and nv the old dear faces will be seen once
more the trusty hands clasped again the loved
voices heard anew and all the sweet lost things
will come sailing hack to MS, like ships when
narted nv night and the stroke Of tempest. at
rise with sails all washed. and fairer than they
vent come hurrying back 10 anchorage. We
shall find what miss by and by.
Death. therefore, Is pehnlron, that Is AL. All
the terror there il in it put there by our own
superstitions. Otherwise 1t were no more dreadful
than going out OF \ house or crossing river
There was no superstOn terror in II to the early
Christians For three centuries they looked at IT
as we look at any event which is constantly oc
currne. and whose significance Is iuIy known
When a man died. those who loved him wrote on
his tombstone Obit,' he has gone out, or trans
tut," he has been borne across ana tliat enued
it, Those matter-Of-fact epltaphs IN thc oId ca6a~
combs at Rome show the trne faith and contradict
the theology of the modern Church. There IS not
the least evidence that death rs the serious event
the Church describes II rs being; not the least eVl-
dence that ii produces any change IN the character
or ruodihes by a tlthe ones spiritual anu mental
traits Some results will flow from 1t. The con
dition OF it viii improve, for 1t Will deliver
them out of bodies that have been their bane and
torment. The splendid fellow whose love OIL liquor
is hereditary To his eSh snail ma me cursed IeVcr
in him cooled forever when once he dips beneath
the shadowed tide. But the structure of the mind
will remain the same on the other SIDE tnat IL IL on
this side of the grave Disposition viii be UNI
changed. The unjust will be unjust still, the filthy
will be filthy still ana tho idea that death can
affect the quality OF the mnd-the luea OF passlhH
out of the house in which I now hive ard taking
possession OF some habitatiOn now invisible to me
is prcposterouS. A.,
people week by week, in the churches stands
father to this mOnstrouS error an error which mas
no sanction III the Scripture, and cannot bear
moments investigation DY anF person OF common
sense for heaven is the realm OF character, ana
Won all know that characters are formed. never
created A mans character Is the result OF MS DO
i-r of feelings persisted IN, OF activities multiplied
60 many times into each other that they tabulAte
habit. / hold that heaven rs the realm or results
results that are reached by the evolution Of slowly
unfolding processes. and not by the sudden enact
ment OF the Supreme Being
The conception that moral educaton-the mora
education OF the sinner stops IN each case at death
i an error IL must 90 on there is no reason why
il .hould not 90 on. It will go on. Man must
know the laws of his being before he can become
law INTO himself Man. rs "a whole, does not learn
those laws here in this life that everyone knows
He must therefore learn them in the hereafter
do not call ths-thIs schooling that man enjoys IN
fine next world indefnItely-a probationary state
call il an educational state IL Is not period on
trial. IL Is period OF schooling. lie Is not being
WEIGHED in the balances he Is learning how TO
weigh himself. The flower is not being pronounced
upon: it il having centred upon VI sucu solar IN
nuences il is being fed ut the root with such divine
moistures rs needed to push 1t forward To It's
blOssCming.
DO Won think men are to be lost Let some other
man saw that not |. | will not help By the pres
sure OF an Ounce TO roll the wheel OF such jug
gcrnaut doctrine over the Frustrated masses OF my
race DO you think that mems chances are 10 be
stranged at the grave. simply because they had no
change up to that pontf Do you thipk that
throned benevOlence will not utilize eternity IN
their behalfi Only one in thousand, morally, mas
had anv chance here. Are the 999 To have no
chance i'm the hereafter CHANGER Oi course they
will have chance. Life Is cOniinuous-con-
tinuous as a river that flows on forever without
finding stOppage. And opportunity to grow-to he,
come wise to refine and exalt ones SELLS, ana
must be, continuous as life.