The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-04-27
Gle qmteILfQetner.
InnoRrALIEY.

i
AprOpOs 10 kIder RJan's Sermon.
Extract Irtm Jewish sermon ia New York SuntA!
night.
The idea Of future life ditfers with dit
ierent ages. People in q primitive state
OF culture imagined dark region beneath
the earth called sheol or hades, orcus Of
hell, where the departed spirits lead .
shadowy life. This idea, having no ref
srence to the moral aspect Of life or jus
tiCs, led to necronAncy, witchcrsIt and all
sorts Of superstition, as the spirit was ex
ptCted 10 sometimes return and visit the
body. 1t IS interesting to compare the
pictures Of hell and heaven offered BY the
poets and preachers Of various lands and
ages. They only reflect the moral charac'
ter OF man. The Egyptian, Hindoo Of
Christian hell, or PeTsiAn or Mohamme'
dan paradise, simply express the demand
for Justice untulhlled in earthly lie and
answer mans yearning for q place where
goodness is rewarded and vice punished,
Strangely the Bible leaves Us entirely in
the dark about that great mystery OF the
hereafter. The Mosaic laws do not even
slluds to it, nor did the prophets appeal
TO the rewards and punishments ofyonder
world. The rRbbis aud writer's OF the
following centuries portrayed heaven and
hell after the fashion OF the time. Only
the Jewish philosophers Of Alexandra
and Spain had courage to express doubts
about the resurrection, emphasizing the
belief in the iudestrucubility OF the soul in
the way the Greek thinkers, particularly
Plato, did. As believers In God and hu.
mainly We cannot believe In resurrection.
NaluTes laws fJrbid 1t. They consume
man as we'll as beast. The traditional be-
lief In heaven and hell does not accord
with our advanced moral views OF lie.
Punishment is lawful only as means OF
improvement. He'll would make OF God Q
fsud. The idea Of heaven Of endless
pleasure without activity would make man
yearn for even hell as Q change. Much OF
the prevailing unbelisl Is due to the fact
that our theologlGns do not Candidly re.
gard this doctrine. The soul OF goodness
Is dlsinteFestedness and unseItishness.
Goodness must DO It's own reward, weak.
ness it's own shame,
This Is the right track to better conCep.
ton OF immortality, II does not tell US
what We shall become or where we shall
60, but what We are. is not meant 10 be
a great fear, but hope. Though 1t will
always puzzle US to know what the soul or
spirit is, as q light to explain our nature
and an inspiration 10 unfold the divine In
man 1t will ever challenge science and phi.
losophy, Is there anything in humanity
that Is not founded on or rooted In immor.
tality2 We long Tor permanence because
we are made for It. Mans heart Is too
deep to embrace merely this short LIES
treasures. Its bond OF love cannot be
broken by death, Its devotion Ia bound.
less. Hence 1t never sunendera Its dear
ones. II feels there Is love greater,
holier and stronger than It's own,
q Father 10 whose care IL com.
mtts those that are gone. AT the end Of
lie man Is still eager to attain higher
achievements. He cannot allow the small
house OF clay to Conhne his mind. Does
not the very strength Of Justice consist In
It's eternal vaIue2 What moCkery would
goodness be were It only q fine policy
suited TO men on this globe Would the
noble martyrdom Of duty, Of self denying
love, pay were It valued merely on this
planet? The wrong doing OF q brute Is
Of no consequence, for 1t has not immor.
tality for Its back ground Of life. Man
cannot stop short Of eternity. He Is as
much in need cf Heavens indnity to In
spire him with hope and courage as the
earth Is oil the countless stars TO keep tin
motion,