The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-01-25
THE SPIRIT In MAN.

"What evidence have you, outside of rev.
elation,'' said a friend the other day, "that
there is spirit in man! How can you
tion of Holy Write"
Truly the question is full of difficulty,
for the spirit of man is not thing one may
chase down with scalpel and microscope
until its form, color, dimensions and prop
critics are learned with absolute certainty
Nor is it tangible to either of the five
senses of man; and hence it comes that
many men who refuse to believe the evil
dence of revelation scout the idea of the
existence of mans spirit. In this such
men are much at fault, and are put to shame
by the greater wisdom of many of the an
cients-whlch usage classes as pagans-
who without the evidence of revelation
came to the conclusion that the proofs
which they possessed pointed to such a
strong probability of the existence of a
spirit In man, part that was eternal, that
would never die-that they acted upon that
probability, and on it based their hopes.
So strongly did the evidences appeal to
the intelligence of CICERO that he accepted
the idea as truth, and in speaking of the
immortality of the soul, writes:
might add that the facility with which youth
are taught to acquire numberless very difficult
arts, IS strong presumption that the soul
possessed a considerable portion of knowledge
before it entered into the human form, and
what seems to be received from instruction is,
N fact. no other than "Reminiscences or recol-
lection of its ideas.
PLATO held similar views. These
men did not learn such ideas from
revelation, but from the evidences that ex-
ist outside and apart from ii. That evi-
| dence consisted in the souls own conscious
ness of its existence AS the eye, though
seeing all, sees not itself, so the spirit,
though so subtle as to escape the grosser
senses of man, is tangible enough to its
own consciousness. As the eye though
seeing not itself, can say in truth, 81 see y
so the SOUL conscious of It's own existence
may cry aloud 81 am" 81 liver'
1t must be so-PLATo, thou reasonest well!
Else whence this pleasing hope, this fond de-
sire,
This longing after immortality
Or whence this secret dread or inward horror,
|
Back on herself, and startles at destruction?
TITS the divinity that stirs within Us;
'TiS Heaven itself that points out hereafter,
And intimates eternity to man.
Though it is granted that this longing fol
immortality, this disposition to shrinl
from falling into nsught is but negative
argument, it is not the less strong on thai
account. 1t arises from something more
sensitive than gross flesh and blood, and il
connection with the other evidences al
ready mentioned, the spirits own con
sciousnes of its sexistence, that there il
sufficient ground for intelligent action in
reference to his eternal existence.
II men will but consult their own expert
ence, they will find that in nearly all thei
cases they have acted on probabilities. AM
II apart from revelation they find enough
evidence to establish even probability O
the existence Of an immortal spirit within
man, why not, in that event, as in so mucl
of mans experience in other things, &C
upon it, and live as if the fact were demon
strated beyond a possibility of doubt? LIE
men rest here; if there be a spirit in ma
destined to live eternally, be assured tina
virtue, honor, integrity, benevolence an
charity will exalt and glorify that existence
And in the meantime-"Help thou m
un5elief'' is grand prayer. And if wit
that prayer in their hearts men would bu
examine again the evidence furnished b
revelation they would find so much tina
was in harmony with mans own conscious
ness, and with the longings of his hear
to dawn upon his mind and in time ripe
into certainty; he would grope and CUES
no more, but see his way.