The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-08-10
THE GIFT OF LIFE.
Rev. Wallace Nutting at the Congre-
gationa1 Church.

COuRr6~
gationa1 Church.
The services of the Plymouth Congrega-
tional Society, held in the Armory, were
very largely attended yesterday. Rev.
Wallace Nutting's popularity increases
with each week Of his pastorate. His SER
mon in the morning was upon the subject
1.-THE Gift Of Life" and the text was found
in Cor, XIV 1851
The sting OF death Is not sins, said Mr. Nut
ling, but sin; not our deeds, but ourselves;
not what We have done, but what we are. The
unchaste thought, the unholy ambition, the
selfish indulgence, these blot life's whiteness--
these vitiate it-tbese have dwarfed Its growth.
There at least we deal not with human Great
ures whom we have wronged, but TO Him to
whom We return n soiled soul We are TO lie in
His hand, and in the whitening whiteness OF the
light from His cross, we are to learn
how the indifference of today, the
impotence OF yesterday, the penuriousness OF
the day before. have contributed to make US
what we are--caricatures and efiigies of the Son
OF God; yes, efiiges stuffed with straw. where
should be the full-grown form of Christlike
soul. The sting of death 10 sin Not pain Of
body, but remorse for neglected advice; not
lowliness of humanity, but lowiiness in the
presence oil Cod Is there victory over deathf
Was that classic faith, which anticipated a life
among shadows wrapped in forgetfuiness OF
what had been, and in carelessuess of what
should be-was that a victory over death? Is
that widespread faith which aspires after q
Nirvana victory over death? No; death Is its
ambition. The very word Nirvana means q
blowing out, like the extinction OF a candle
The only victory over death 10 resurrection.
The Christian gains nothing by comparison
with the savage in the boldness OF his dying.
The Mohawk Indian could bear being hayed
and air wi n
word of remonstrance or a sign OF pain.
You cannot conquer death by dying. Not on
that dark afternoon when the Son of Man gave
up the ghost 10 there to be grounded the hope of
our race. 1t IL in the light of His flashing eye
who explored the grave and tasted death and
triumphed over its powers openly, that we begin
to see clearly. Then upon the crushing utter
ance, "The sting of death is sin, aud the power
of sin is the law" We can throw back, "Thanks
be to God, which giveth us the victory, through
our Lord Jesus Christ" Contrary TO the appar-
ent belief of many, the eternal for man begins in
the temporal. All the causes of our victory we
must carry with us into our graves. IL the
chrysals in the cocoon be dead, you look for no
resurrection. To reach across the great gulf that
separates the seen from the unseen, to lay hold
on eternal life on the hither side OF the grave,
that Is TO be the victor over death. To embrace
Him who said, al am the resurrection" Is to re-
ceive the impetus of action that ceases not q
moment for death, whether IL DO an incident or
tragedy. Macdonald says for us: "I came
from God, Pm going back to God and won't
have any gaps of death in the middle OF my life"
The life that passes unscathed through the
grave must be made of more sturdy stuff than
sentimental dependence on the goodness of God.
Life Is not an idle ore,
But iron. dug from central gloom,
And heated hot with burning fears,
And dipped In baths of kissing tears,
And battered with the shocks OF doom,
To shape and use.