The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1881-09-01
Funeral Sermon of Mrs. Rachel Wilson.

If Il man die shall he live again Job xiy:l
Man is small compared with the mountains the /
moon and the stars and because of his smalness
have expressed doubt as to Gods him. think
ing that in the sight cd is insect in the
sight of man. We walk the path in time
when it strewn with life. and our feet press
the clay needless of the little lives beneath
them SO, it is said God has great interests to
be moved by pain.
But God does not estimate worth by weight. Size
does not determine value, for MAN is measured by
his soul.' The little diamond may be worth more
than the mountain. The precious pearl hid in the
field constituted the value of the field which the man
of the parable bought. If the ma
terial things, then it is the most valuable of all
things. Gods estimate of the formed upon its
preciousness and its lasting life While Psalmist
looked up into the jewel-decked sky and far bevond
the blue beheId other worlds larger than on and
wondered that God could look past them all TO this
poor earth and while he amazed fact he did
not deny. but said Thou art mindful of him. and
'ThOu visitest him. God is not Indifferent to man.
but having loved His He loved them end.
But you reply that God is not Indifferent anything
He has created. but that His regard and love may
confined to while living. What shall be hereafter
is the question that presses us sorely In the
presence death stand to-day it is thrust upon
us: IF a die shall he live again - Anxious
hopes asking the question: broken hearts demand
its answer. When sit by the couch and watch the
coming of death, how earnest becomes the inquiry,
lis this all there is of lfe?'' We look the
whom we loved and the color fading from the
cheeks, and know that the heart must cease to
beat forever. how importunate becomes the demand.
''Shall we meet again?'' What a cherries hope has
that who watches the ebbing tide of life, and
when this question is asked answers Never, never
If we had no other answer would be silent to-
| day. Every word would pain you to hear it. 1t
would be casting deeper shades the already gath
gloom. 1t would be substituting the rising hope
with cheerless despair But it is because have
other answer that speak. There is no uncertainty
| or wavering. gloom despair in the answer The
Christian makes to the Interrogation of the soul. But
because it relates to land verdant, and life
ever lovely: because it makes second life the just
cation and completion of the first: it robs the
of its victory and death of its sting.
Standing between nature and Revelation t,
look upon and read BOTH each in the light of the 9th
er, examining the movements of consciousness ant
reading the solution in the Book. we give salts
factory answer to the questionings of the heart.
If there was hope desire of continued life II
dread fear of annihilation revelation of eterns
life would be aiiction; and if, the other hanC
there was conscious longing after immortality an
no revelation of future life, it would be set down
n whm or fancy of the weak. Nature does not crea
thirst without water to slake it, nor hunger withol
food to satisfy it, If consciousness and revelatio
testify to the same end it furnishes strong grour
. of hope.
Consciousness is the knowledge of ones intern
self-of the sensations and mental operations With
| If you would know what the voice of consciousne
declares, you must look within. If you would be su
n whether wish immortality, ask yourself al
watch carefully the feelings within. You will fiji
n within longing for life, and dread of deaf
and there will never come time when you will lol
# for death and dread fe that is, you will wi
o. to be blotted out of existence, but dread it.
This has been the voice mans consciousness fro
the beginning. Heather, Infdels, Christians, ha
l, one unvarying experience. Every ancient matte
knew of immortality, and had its symbols. t
II Phoenix rising from its ashes at the end of fl
hundred years is shadowy idea of the resurrectio
J. it the Greeks idea of lending life. It
heaven ascending flame the tomb showed the b
27 lief in and longing after Immortality. The riv
Styx with its spirit ferryman rowing the souls of
so pure the home of the gods the Elysan Fields
the Isles of the Bessed the oracles and temples;
priests and sacrihces-al ougrowths of the etc
nal longing of the soul for the life above. The Kor
ot of Nohammed; the Vedas and Eddas; the Book
Mormon; the wooden and copper idols of China; t
o. cathedras of Rome and England; the churches
which worship, are the concreted belief of all m
l. that there is life above.
A devoted Greek to be sacrificed to of t
Id gods He was betrothed to a maiden whose love W
pure and constant and true. She permitted
in speak to him lust before the hour of sacrice and
broken heart asked the most natural of all question
ID shall we meet again?'' The young man answere
Il have asked the dreadful question of the hills,
d. and stars that look eternal all were dumb.
when look upon thee something whispers We sh
in meet again. We shall meet againrn
This touching story from the dim sha
: ows of cetures ago. How full of pathos How it e
presses the longings of broken hearts The hill
- the moon and stars dumb but the consciousne
within is an infabe voice that soothes and heals.
-, - Abraham wandered saying: This is not my abb
:. ing home;'' but he looked for "City which ha
:; foundation.'' Moses refused kfngIy honors, havi
= an eye to the recompense at the throne of God.
every land under every sky, in the jungles of Ind
81 the brimming sands of Africa, in the ice-felds
Co,
= there is the same unconquerabe and undestroyed d
g sire for immortality. The whole of mankind stan
70 straining their to what is beyond. Can it
that this is all deluson? that there is future Iii
+s Is nature so false?
al If when all goes well men long for immortali
much more is it so in the dark hours of life. VIII
III this life failure when death robs of lov
on ones; when have where lay aching hea
er or the throbbing heart 'Then it is the Sc
or feels her wings and wrestles with the earthly
t. that holds her in contending to be born, impatient
the sky.''
Why should aspirations spring unbidden from
p soul and yet be unsatisied; why should ambitions
to study the farthest star and be disappointt
ne why should be bafled in every attempt to peep
io to the mysterious future; why do loved human
nS ings come to claim love only to depart, TAXI
~ with tkem all the joy of life? 1t is because
'h born for higher destiny than that of earth. Tht
"L is realm which is the elimination of the good
vi this. Now we are as the earth th-worm-then we sh
be the butterfly; there is deformity-tt
nc %ne there will be angelic beauty; the flowers co
vi and bloom and die-then there will be unfading flo
81 ers; friends like heavenly visitors, sta
rs Us moment and pass away-then they will be with
forever. 1t is the feeling of universal humanity.
of But appeal not to nature for the final and CO
be elusive Our repose is in the Word of G'
rt The Bible is the of trust. And coming
,o to corroborate the evidence of unbiased wor
NJ, forcing to accept the sensibilities within,
+. veang the very things the world has longed for
+ forms foundation for faith too practical, pl
re found and firm to be shaken. The immortal life
IN, certainly declared everywhere in the Book. John
Inv the Isle of Patmos produces the pictures of life IL
VS. is not this lie of world that is not this world
sea of glass and the whte-robed throng have nothi
,, in common with this world. What he saw must ha
. . been the second life. When the hosts are led to Ii
nd ing fountains of waters; where all tears are wp
tT from their eyes; where they evermore shout "HO
holy, Lord God of hosts, Heaven and earth full
e - thy gl0ry"-must be that unendng and sorrow
life. The coming of Moses and Elias on the Mount
TRANSPORTATION shows that along side of the eartf
of life there is separate existence and those once he
"a are residents there.
on But there are unequivoca declarations also. IF
a. this mortal shall put immortaiity OF Christ it
said '.IIe hath brought life and immortality to light
Jesus promised ''ercrLasting life to them who wou
forsake all and follow Him.
Now standing on the Nebo of Revelation overloo
ing the longfngs of for Immortality, and 1ndi
the answer of their aspirations in such ringing Sc
tences and such glorious pictures, testify on the a
- tbority of God and the reason of men that
'Beyond this vale of tears
of There is life aboVe,'