The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1895-10-04
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT
THE FUTURE.
New York Herald.


Glory.-l. Corinthians, XIV, Al.
st. Paul was engaged in proving
that immortality has for it's basis the
common sense of mankind. lie did
not declare with apostolic authority
that at death we merely changed our
mode of existence, but he argued the
subject as a logician and scholar, and
his training of thought is very inter-
esting.
The agnostic statement OF those
days were the prototype of statements
made'in our own time, and Paul's re-
futation is just as cogent now as it
was when he uttered it. or all the
subjects which have ever been discuss
ed the philosophic treatment of i'm
mortality has changed the least.
There is only this popularity about
it-namoly, that, while the. arguments
against it have not been cumul ative,
those in its favor have been. Modern
sceptics have very little more to say
than what was said in ancient Rome
or Athens or Jerusalem, but modern
faith has a great deal more to say than
even Paul was aware Of.
The science of our century, the most
critical and relentless and at the same
time the most honest that has ever
blessed mankind, does present some
serious puzzles in regard to this mat
ter, but it may be asserted, without
fear Of contradiction that science, in
the person of large majority of It's
strongest thinkers, has declared that
Immortality is not only possibility,
but also probability so clear and rea-
s0nable that you can rest your faith on
it without fear or trembling. That is
to say, science and Immortality are
not in opposition but, on the other
hand, the knightliest defenders Of i'm
mortality are to be found among the
men who have made the profoundcst
and most careful research and who
would not deceive themselves on any
subject, mnch less on this.
That part of st. Paul's argument
which is suggested by our text has a
special value just now. There Is a
general concenSus of belief in contin.
ued existence, and we are beginning
to wonder what kind of a life the
other life will be, how we shall get
on without these physical bodies and
without the elements Of character
which originate with the body, and
what pursuits or pleasures or work
will engage our attention! While it
is not easy to decide these matters,
and while large differences of opinion
must be admitted, we may at least
congratulate ourselves that we have
outgrown some of the notions inheri-
ted from the past, and have faith
far more reasonable than that Of our
fathers. For this faith we are largely
indebted to science. 1t has proven
beyond peradventure that the change
in our mental and moral condition
at death will be very slight indeed,
and that our conception of the next
world must be the logical result of our
present enjoyments or, to state it in
other words, that the change which
Paul tells US will take place sin the
twinkling of an eye" is our exit from
the material body and our occupation
OF the spiritual body. That change
must needs be sharp and sudden, and
possibly somewhat startling-as sharp
as it would be for a cave dweler to
walk into a modern house, with all its
comforts and conveniences, and be
toll that thereafter he was to live in
it. On the instant he would be a man
with totally different outlook, sur
rounded by new opportunities, and it
would not be strange II he recognized
with almost painful suddenness, min
gled with unutterable gladness the
superiority of the new over the
old.
But zone star differeth from another
star-in glory" All are stars, but
even stars shine with unequal light
and give forth unequal heat. We
shall not be all alike in the next
world any more than we are in this.
The laws OF development and progress
hold good there rs here. The old pic
ture drawn by our fathers, the picture
In which souls are winged and dnd
felicity In harps and everlasting song,
has been turned to the wall. Our In
formation is wider than theirs and is
based on certain facts which they did
not fully apprehend. Heaven is the
college of which earth Is the prepara-
tory school. Our minds are compo-
ncnt part OF our souls, and many Of the
things which interest US then. The
man OF science will not forget his at
tainments any more than the mother
will forget her love for her children.
knowledge will be important and at
tractive, and Gods universe will fur.
nIsh abundant material for our re.
search. Eternity IL none too long to
fnd out the Almighty, and one Of the
supremest pleasures Of the other life
will be found In discoveries Of facts
hitherto unknown.
But why should there not be differ
ences Of intelligence there9 And VIII
should not dinerent souls nnd . differ