The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-02-01
FROM SACRED DESKS.
Rev. DR.. Gilbert on "The Power
of Endless Life"
CHRIST AS KNOWN IN METAPHOR.
Elder Dunlap Tells the Different Names
the Bible Gives Him-Rev. G. r.
Pomeroy's Resignation.


less Life" His congregation was large
and the singing vas excellent. DR.. Gill
bert took for his text, Hebrews Wis
The Powers of the World to Come" and
said in substance:
Has immortality q practical value? In Il All
strsct, metaphysical, or does IL help and give
strength? Is il simply other-worl illness, iguo-
bic dreaming, heavenly transports uniting for
the life that now is? 1t was debated lauguidly
~ philosophers like Cicero But the apostles
thrilled their age, proclainaing Jesus and the
resurrection-the life and the immortality that
had been brought to light It was like ventila-
ton brought into stiff ng room, . connection
with ail the external atmosphere
There is power in the conception of An
endless life As q stimulus to labor We are to be
~ziways Astounding in the work of the Lord
fcrasmueh as we know, In consequences of
Christs resurrection, that our labor In not n,
vain In the Lord. II the race is mortal our work
shall ct last go ont into extinction It has been
said, I'VE shall fade like streaks of mist before
the morning SUM-" Rather we shall 60 on with
car work and our work shall go on. That work
d no little work for time but for eternity.
christ's work did not go out into the void. The
powers OF earth and he'll seemed to triumph. but
His work arose from the dead with Him.
2 There is power In the thought of an end
less life as support in the struggle after
righteousness. This future life is not mere
length OF days, not simply continuance. Eternal
life Is not equivalent to never-ending life. II
refers TO quslisy-to the kind of life in eternity.
1T something to be struggled for aud won.
Like Paul, we are to strive II by any means Ne
Essy attain unto the resurrection from the dead.
The though: OF mis-spending our days. with a
FEASIBILITY OF the loss of the soul, becomes awful
Only spirituality makes eternity desirable. Thus
he whole force OF the unseen realm Is brought
20 the help OF morality. The Great Beyond has
it, connection with each everyday action. We
Are to give an account for every idle word. for
81 has entered into character and nothing in
rival
8 There Ia power In the faith I'm the world
TO come to incite hope. The Hebrew prophets
could stand on the ruins OF Jerusalem and be.
iieve that, though the nation was gone down,
the truth would never. Thus arises hope for
the world, for the church. In the darkest times
We believe in the coming of new principles, new
institutions, new laws. new societies, new doc
trines, better than the past This leads to joyful
conception OF life. "We're marching through
Immanuel's ground to fairer worlds on high"
There 10 power IN this belief In the future
TO confer dignity on our existence here. Calico
enlarged space and Darwin extended time, but
mEn Is not overawed, lie equal to the measure
mens Al there Is q dwaring influence in lit
ne town, 30 there is q largeness produced by
contact with life In great city. We dwell with
grandeur and lose convention. 1t is an educa-
ton to be with great men, to look at great paint
inxs and buildings. The mind is widened by
beholding vast mountains, the bounless sea- By
on geologic ages, by the study of
astronomy and peering into the depths OF space
and speculation on planet and star, Imagination
noWs from @on to econ and distances do not
outrun thought or fancy. Man strives to ami
hilase space by steamear, telegraph, telephone
He IL constantly outgrowing his dwelling place
and allying himself with the universe. Man is
correlated with the Infinite. There is so much
Of divine In him that God must have been his
suthor.
Thus there IL impaired by this surrounding
'astness OF eternity . dignity and majesty to
lur conceptions OF life. Mans life is taken up
nto another order and given an endless range.
The greatness of the life 10 come affects the life
hat now is. He feels he must pitch his life TO
hat great scale, as In oratorio the strains must
'e throughout grand and the opening measures
must not be frivolous He feels he must live
y becomes mortal. "Unless above himself
nan saw erect himself, how poor thing is
man" AS Milton said: she who would write
great poem must himself make his life q
poer-" Immortality invests him with self
respect. Men In tho depth of their sinfulness
may ave spoken of themselves AZ worms of the
Gust and of their righteousness as filthy rags,
but he in whom dwells the powers of the world
70 come is more than a worm. He 10 as he sings:
"a child of a king" and his righteousness is
from Christ and like Christ
Eternity flows into time On the stormy
Atlantic OF our lives there are gulf winds and
warm tropical currents that set in from the
other shore Each man stands In the center Of
the untverse-paTt of an infinite order and plan
This vsstness gives nobility TO the movement OF
HE There is no tiusteration. without haste,
without waste" The man who thinks all IL In
this life becomes feverish lest he shall not be
able TO com Jlcte II. But the Christian feels
thsf he has all eternity before him. This
thought does not become premium on lethargy
outit gives calmness. AS great steamer does
not have the noise or business of little tug,
ous forses ahead with strong, steady stroke of
iu pistcn-rod, for IL has all the Atlantic before
IL Even IL life 10 broken of abruptly here, the
christian knows there are other dslds for labor
beyond the stars He knows transported
human worth shall bloom 70 profit otherwhere."
! his light that illumines old age, so that it
ooes not grow morose and sullen, ever looking
backward, but feels that its new youth 10 Just
on. 1t lie falsely alleged that the old have had
enough OF lffe and do not care for Immortality.
Ihere comes right comparative estimate of
'he prizes OF earth-its wealth, comfort, reputa-
non. These are not TO be held In difference
or contempt, but their glory pales from them
Wnen they are held up In the light OF the eter-
nal rewards
D There is tremendous inspiration in the
powers OF the world TO concentrating TO
arouse and call men TO higher issues. Just as
music quickens the tagging tread into quick
sFep. when Napoleons soldiers were sinking
q The SHOWS OF the Alpine passes he ordered
TIE band to play. So we listen to the angels Of
Jesus, the angels of light, singing 70 welcome
TIE pilgrims Of the night
There Is q recognised need OF stimulus. Men
seeE artificial stimulants TO their ruin; but God
mas provided II great thoughts, hopes, futures.
aessinies, rational and high stimulus or U.s.
Tbs inspiration comes because the future Is
conceived a. the field OF Gods constant aud un-
eessing activity aud revelation. The unfolding
u truths In the Bible aud the future revelation
Of doctrines not yet perceived. There is to be
vac unfolding of Gods nrpose-the progressive
s'ning OF the Kingdom Of God, the Society of
. y Blessed. the new Jerusalem out of heaven
'oe perfect condition of life wherein shall be no
Sose death. no moro sorrow nor crying nor pain.
.a' God shall wipe away all tears from all eyes.
81 Tue discord ana variance OF earth shall be
'aodued The kindly earth shall slumber
s1Arped In universal law. All men shall DO
enfsshke, and the PRINCIPLES OF Jesus shall
ssssywhere obtain. He shall save not simply
'aoiriduAis out OF the doomed mass, but soci.
~, nations. humanity, the world, even the
brute creation that grosneth and trsvaileth in
esih shall Be delivered from the bondage of
eo,tapton into the glorious liberty OF the son
ihere Is inspiration in the recognition that
VIZ Is carrying on vast purposes, taking ire
aenoous cycles OF time ana working out large
p'oo.ems Therefore He is not 20 be hastily
usgsa, bu, allowed opportunity for the ade-
2usss development Of His designs. The un-
Auished product 10 not 90 be criticized. His
'.oek beats centuries. Generations, epochS,
''Isooms, races, miileniums, ages--these are
suits IN the great problem. We see the scope OF
! IN evolution. This is not q word simply for
~ matefialist and the opponent OF the Bible.