New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-08-22

boundlcss, freedom. So Infidelity and
IngersoH starts the coll of human life
down the hill of unbelief and 10! the
fragments go crashing into tnat awful
gulf. suicide. Ingersoll stands on top of
same hill and truthfully remarks: Assur-
edly if you start up here and nothing
hinders you muss roll to the bottom,
Suicide is logical, reasonable.
At the second grade of this downward
tendency it is true that positive lights
such as August Compte, George Eliot
and Mr.. Frederic Harrison cried halt and
said to individual life: Remain; be thou
q good diffused; help humanity and earn
Immortality in the everlasting rememb-
rance of the race" But alas for such
an incentive. The coarse minded ma
jority are set as rock against such diff
fused goodness. Once the sun of Chris
tian hope is blotted from their skies,
and they care little for Mr.. Harrison's
individual glow-worm or Eliots tallow
candle. They cannot imagine these to
be suns. Onward, oh race, to thy ruin.
But happily for mankind, happily for
its continuance and prosperity there is
another view of human life, view that
gives human life and human acts their
true dignity, view that makes suicide a
crime, one of the worst man may com
nit. This is the view of the believer, it
is the view which fortunately obtains
among allchristian and civilized peoples
With this class the tendency is upward.
Man is created in the image and likeness
Of his maker. His soul is immortal
His earthly life is mere]ya stepping
stone to higher things; not term but
tendency; not complete but small are
of an endless circle. Earth is not a
home but place of exile, short path
of probation. But more than this man
by redemption isachild of God. infinite
ly more dignifed than anything nature
can show us. His life is Gods gift. He
has not full power over it. He did not
make, he cannot destroy it. If he does
ST., he usurps the Creators right; he in
suits Him just as slave insulted a Rom
an Caesar by defacing in his presence a
coin on which Caesars image was
stamped A hopeful horizon stretches
before the Christian eye. He lives not
for the transient present but for bliss
full future. He considers life too sacred
to be touched by the dagger of dispair.
His creed whispers in the ear of suffering
humanity: Be of better cheer; the bleed
ing hand on Caivarys cross reaches out
in the gloom for thy support and anchor
age;over the wild waves of sorrow flash
es the hopeful ray-the light that came
into the world from heaven and revealed
the true dignity of man, the priceless
value of his soul; be firm little while
l o.
amid the storm and stress, in the sun
shine and shadow of this changeful life.
-'the reward is everlasting glory. And
so with the Christian Suicide is dread.
full mistake, acrime against the lndivldu-
al, against society, against God.
Viewed from a Christian standpoint,
the ills of life are simply discipline.
The growth of virtue requires such an en-
vironment. ssSweet are the uses of ad-
versity' says Shakespeare. cay, and
profitable too,'' adds the Christian. For
thus is strength and bravery and charac-
ter discovered. Look at the trials of a
Washington, Hermann or Tell. These
spirits were supremely great because
they were severely tried. and stood the
test. Would the German army be the
finest in Europe now if the severe disci-
rline to which it is subjected were
abandoned? The same law governs
the physical, moral. and spiritual realms
and the Christian code teaches that God
disciplines the soul for higher life by
the trials and sufferings of this one
HE loves though lie chastens." Suicide
then, is cowardice. It is diserti on Of
] the post Of duty. We owe it to our
selves and to society to bear courage
ously the burdens Of life. And this
courage, resting on immortal hopes,
springs not from the dark gulf Of unbe-
lief it is found on the sun-lit heights Of
Faith.
Mr.. Ingersoll leaves 100 much stress
on he'll, as if the christian takes Shakes
pear advice
Fly not the ills you have
To others that you know not Of.
He IS scarcely just to the Christian
position. He could just rs truly point
Il IN the iail and f.Yclaim. s.Sna w!,af unol,oo