The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1895-09-26
THE Fl TT RE.
IT HOLDS MUCH.
The Practical Value Of Immortality.
1New York III r0id.

NeW lOrE Isf"f".
And they -llaIl never Perish, neither
shall any man pluck them out .! ny
hand-John \, y.
The effect produced on a mans cur
rent life by a firm belief ii the future
is something to be wondered at and adj
mircd.
IF man had the kohinOOr In his
pocket, and was not afraid Of being
robbed, it would add "a cubit 70 hi
stature" and fiji his heart brjnful OF
good nature.
And, on the other hand, when man
has no faith in the future, not positive
y denying it, but looking to the SKY
with very faint hope, he may be ste
cesefuI IN business and envlcd OF his
neighbors he may be a right honest
creature. living in the sunshine Wher-
ever be can find 1t but III his heart
there dweIls a tenant, grim and unWe!-
come. who no!d- a life lease OF his
residence lie may make the best 81
himself which circumstance allows but
down in the depths Of that mans ma
turc, covered up by careless laugh or
otherwise concealed, Is Az intermittent
desperation which oyershadoWs his
whole outlook. However rich he may
be, he is poor indeed" There Is a
kind Of satisfaction which he can nev-
er enjoy, domain Of peace and happl-
ness whose green grass his feet never
press, whose flowers he never looks
upon, whose crops are never gathered
into his barns.
The religion which circles about
faith in the future lite as the planets
circle about the sun is the most practl-
cal thing in the world 1t is a heat
giving idea as necessary for the tructl-
flying processes az sunshine Is to a wheat
field As we'll hope for orange bios
SONS in a damp cave where ice water
oOzes through the rock and eternal
nj ght prevails as to make a soul happy
and contented or in its highest sense
productive without the radiance which
comes from a belief in Immortality.
Give a man one glimpse Of the Ce
lestial City, let him hear voices Of an
gels, and know that they are angels
and YOU work miracle in that man
whole being As the clouds at sunse
are fairly drcnchcd in beautiful colors
-cOIOrs 50 enhancing that the human
race ceases from its labor to gaze upOl
the spectaele-sO the clouds Of sorrow
which oyerhang our spiritual landscape
are rainboW-hucd to him who can see
the face OF the Father and feel The
touch IF His hand. After such an ex
perlence, literally a new birth, the IN
evitable tomorrow ceases to be dreaded
and we gladly contemplate the sloWl,
loosening bonds of mortality, becaus
death Is freedom, the Lords messenge
to summon us to q higher, rroader,
nober stage OF existence.
Il is the greatest Of all pities tina
this kind of faith 50 narrowly prevails
We pretend to be Christians, but til
grandest doctrine Of our Christianity
either rejected or imperative. W
hope, bat we also fear There are mo
ments when we feel sure, and at sue
times we arc inexprcssibly happy
there are other moments when W
doubt. and we are unspeakably misc
able.
How can man fail to see lat / he
liet III Immortality Is 4 prime ,pi.tu;
necessity \ denial OF it thWartS ever
heroi" endeavor and corrupts the DEC
tiveS which urge Us toward Il highs
life II we are to do like the beasts
the field. then why should we not liz
like them II we are 50 made that W
can't help longing for continued e
lstence, but are not to enjoy 1t, we Al
like some poor traveller who sees tt
green fields beyond the chasm and, a
preaching them with hurrying steps an
fond anticipatlons. suddenly falls ov,
the precipice and is broken by the la
ged rocks. Unless there is another Ii
this II r.. X not h1op lint , o,,rco -,