The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-01-08
DOCTRINE OF IMMORTALITY.
Rev. DIR. Sims Dfscourses Upon 1t Mt
Meridinn-Street NJ. Z. Church.

The text Of the evening sermon Of Rev.
Dr. Sims at the Meridian-street NJ. L.
Church last night was taken from Job
xiv, II: IF a man die, shall he live again?"
The sermon was in substance as follows:
1T matters rot whether Job was a great
historical person or the hero Of the grand
est drama ever written, nor where and
when he lived. He was human, and in the
question OF the text centers the question
of all humanity. 1t rises in dignity and in
creases in intensity as humanity grows
nobler and better. The savage, whose life
is a struggle against danger and want, to
whom no great aspirations come, thinks
little of a continued existence. But, as
our plans rise I'm dignity. and our affections
Irvine about us, the love of life becomes,
joy that is almost akin to pain. and the
thought of losing it is the saddeSt that ever
shadows the human soul. 1t is my purpose
to seek for the confederation of the doc
trire of Immortality, with which God filled
the world about and whose fullness is
found in the world of revelation. Questions
of the continuance of animal life and hui
man life wholly unlike. If in your fruit
orchard tree has once come to bearing
fruit. you know the character and the fla
vor of the fruit as it will be, whether the
for thousand years. But If there be one
tree whose first strange crop should be an
abundance OF toys, the next instruments
of amusementS. and the next Inventions
and then the tree should die, you would
wonder what Ii would nave given you had
it's life been longer. This tree OF ever vary
ing fraitage is humanity. Nature givs to
the most ignorant suggestions which be-
come faint whispers of life be-
ftnle who OF us would nope to
see the next morning; or If we had known
no spring who would not despair at the
quainted with sleep who would not be
startled at It's first observation? But we
have seen morning follow night, spring
winter, and reinvigOratiOn awakening from
sleep, and we lie down and surrender our
selves quietly to Inconsistencies, with as
surances OF a coming day The most say
age tribes have gathered hints of immor-
tally from night winter and sleep. 1t
is only a hint. but the whole world has
received it. the utterances of science are
more positive and assuring y grain of
sand exists and it detieS the destructive
forces OF the universe to annihilate il.
Science teaches us that energy is equally
understandable. The sunlight which fell
upon the world in the carboniferous period
lay in the graves of the coal mines for
million years and CLEANS here in the gas
light. the same in character and kind.
THE suggestion that soul life is equally
indesuuctible forces itself upon us. In
universal instructive desire is a sure proph-
ct of its own satisfaction. The restless
ness of migratory birds is a promise OF
the summer land to which they are TO go.
The fish in dark, underground rivers are
ey eless. because God would not tantalize
fish with eyes to see and then leave them
in darkness. Shall God satisfy the bird
and the fish and dsappoint the longings Of
the human soul after Immortality? Our
own consciousness assures us the soul is
not material nor subject TO the changes Of
the law of matter. As the electricity does
not perish when the wire along which it
travels is cut. so the soul does not perish
when its material companion is broken.
Reason, memory, hope, love are not ma
teri2i. Conscience will not report TO
any human tribunal. 1t is Gods
suggestion that IL must answer TO
him. ii is easonable that
God should carefully preserve a grain of
sand anu permit a human soul. his crown
ing work, 10 perish The highest aSpira-
tions ana noblest accomplishments of hui
mainly have been under the inspiration of
the hope OF Immortality. Are these best
aspirations falsehoods? Has God made Il
lie better than the truth? 1t cannot be.
All our nObiest hopes are His inspirations.
which He means 10 satisfy with a glorious
Immortality. His word is the full express
sion of the hope which nature hints and
science approves and the moral necessities
of our being demand. We shall live after
death. Noble life shall be nobler hereafter.
Death shall be swallowed up in victory"