The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-01-29

long for some sure, solid evidence on
which your hope of meeting again may
rest.
There are three factors employed in
developing this truth-the evidence of
existence separate from the body; the
uninterrupted continuance of the soul
after death; and the recollections of the
past. Let us examine first the inferen-
tial arguments-those apart from the
facts of revelation.
l. Metaphysical. The properties of
body are material, and those of soul are
immaterial; thel efore the laws of it's ex-
istence are ditferent-it cannot die with
the body. sl U1irg .an m
2. Psychological. The soul is too
great to be fully expanded in this
sphere. Its capabilities link it to an
other. 1t hungers for knowledge, but
only learns the alphabet here, and
picks out a few crumbs of truth. This
longing for immortality, implanted by
the Creator, is His promise that it shall
be satisfied. A steam engine might be
joined to an infants carriage, but ev-
eryone would see that its mighty
strength was intended for higher pur-
poses. AS the wings of bird point to
the sky, so the aspirations and powers
of the soul point to loftier life.
3. The Moral Argument. If the soul
dies with the body, Gods wisdom and
goodness are impeached. Creation
abounds with marks of design. Means
are adapted to ends. In the moral
world life's discipline is fitted to the
development of character. There are
mysteries of Providence that are inter-
preted by no other hypothesis than that
there is another life to which they stand
related. The good suffer, the bad
prosper here, oftentimes. There are
many inequalities, but God designs to
bring the pure silver out of the furnace.
He moves mysteriously, yet from the
bitterness of the bud He will draw the
sweetness of the flower. Plato, Socra-
ties, and other heather, bore testimony
to the power of this argument.
Combine the three and we have, as ii
were, a powerful telescope glass by
which we may gaze into the Hereafter
of the soul. Yet do we see certaintyF
No, only a probability, and very rea-
sonable one. One foundation of belief
is strong, but not sufficient. Before his
voyage, Columbus demonstrated the
probability of new continent, but
when he and others had seen it he had
more convincing proof. Christ has
brought life and Immortality to light.
We know that if our earthly house--the
body-be dissolved, we have immortal
ity. God breathed into mans nostrils
the breath of life and he became liv-
ing soul--immortal. Death is but the
passing of the soul out of the body, as
the occupant of house may leave his
dwelling. We need not fear those who
can kill the body. Death cannot harm
the eternal part of man. There is a
better home prepared. Lazarus and
Abraham died but lived again, knew
each other and retained memories OF
the past. So shall we. Enoch walked
with God, and was not, for God took
him. Elijah was translated and did not
taste death. To the dying thief our
Lord said, To-day thou shall be with
mein Paradise" To be absent from
the body is, with the believer, to be
present with the Lord.
You may ask why have taken this
theme?
l. When the world asks you, ''What
do you kaow of eternal life: is it de-
fusion or notP"-you may reply, 81
have this message of God, not only prom
Using but describing the joy of the here
after"
2. This doctrine is an inspiration to
holy living. AS the boy aspires to be a
man and the clerk a partner; as the
student hopes for fame and the work.
man hopes for wealth, so we may look
upon all our battles and trials here as so
many steps of the ladder that reaches
to our Heavenly home, the topmost
round of which we cannot see. These
truths inspire and comfort. They yield
foretastes of the coming Joy, the full
fruition of which no human tongue can
tell.-HomiIetic Monthly.