The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-05-26
Striking Lessons Drawn From Proper He-
membrane of On. Heroic Dcad-Dr-
kerr's New Hymn on Immortality
sung The song service.

choir. led by the sweet soprano voice OF
Miss Lillian Yarhrough. was most favor
ably commented upon by those present.
DIR. KERRs NEW HYMN.
Alter the prelude came the Invocation,
"The Lords PRAYER" which was fol
lowed by the singing Of Or. Kerrs new
hymn on immortality. Land OF the
Midnight sun" The following are ;he
words
/. Wide peace on forthest sea.
One star from heaven dcsconds.
Sunset al midnight bell.
The day in glory ends.
2. Star fades in light. the sun
Ascends from crest Of wave.
The day refuses night
And Will not seek us grave.
3. Cold lips. still heart, and death,
But light comes DER the sea.
Sunset 10 sunrise turns.
There is no night 20 me.
Tho hymn IS peculiarly impressive. and
both the words and music are Dy Dr.
Kerr.
After the reading OF Che nineteenth
balm. onward. Christian Soldiers. d"
was sung then Or. Kerr read the ciev-
m IT
General Lees favOrlte hymn How firm
foundation, ye saints of Tie Lord" was
sung by tie choir and congregation.
DIR. KERRs ADDRESS.
At the conclusion Of the hymn. Dr.
Kerr delivered his sermon. II was a mas
terly, polished and ornate effort HIS
subject was Two lmmortalites." and his
text 20. grave. where Is thy victoryg'
First Corinthians. xiv. 81
lie said Your speaker has great
pleasure in being called to serve those
devoted women whose loving care is
the memory of the dead. Death is the
one future event certain to all men. We
put ourselves 10 great pains To- postpone
II. but no human power can finally set
II aside Death reigns. and his withcr-
ing sceptrc swings over all things tenn
poral. not only plants and beasts. but
men. all men, must die; and from the
peasant 10 the crowned monarch, there
Is no exception.
In the words of Lucrctius. 1--WE begin
TO die as soon as we are born. and the
end il linked 20 the beginning"
Who can express the pathos of a grave?
Within 1t lies the mortal wreck of what
once was human beautiful and strong.
Now crumblng dust What hopes lie
buried here? What love. what ambition
Standing above the hoaving sod. we
ask Is this all? is this the end. IF a
man die shall he live aCain?' Is there
any immortal spirit. any resurrection for
these silent ashes? These are the most
persistent Of all questions. and men OF
every age have tried TO answer them.
BY their unaided reason they have leapcd
TO belief in Immortality. and refused am
Inhalation.
There is man a consciousness Of
superiority 10 material things To disease
and death Cicero declares There is q
certain presage of "a future existence
most discoVcrahie in the greatest
gcniuscs and most exalted souls"
Arguments are framed from nature
20 prove that life shall follow death. The
flowers die in autumn o. bloom again i'm
spring. the sun goes down I'm darkness
TO rise again at morn The chrysalis
seems dead. but only waits us hour of
resurrection To a higher life. when IL
shall reach its goal. 10 began as a worm.
passed into period OF apparent death.
and then broke IFS little cell 10 fly al0ft
a winged creature of the air
But do these analogieS demonstrate inn
mortality We must be candid. they DO
not. They only create probability hardly
that. or does mans couciOusnoss of
spiritual being prove il? SO the wish is
father 10 the thought. and honest minds
must saw. n these are The proofs. after
an there Is 40 certainty OF existence he-
yOni the hour OF death.
Nav. the facts Of nature ana the life
of man seem rather TO disprove immor-
tality. No man living ever saw one rise
from the dead. We have no vision of a
life beyond. The flower that blooms this
spring did lot die last autumn Life is
IN the roots. the seed. and iu the torpid
chrysalis. Churrh one OF these beneath
your foot and see if y Will live again.
AnalOgies from nature give us nothing
certain after death. ST. Paul uses IN tho
nfteon'h Of Corinthians the analogy Of
nature % Illustrate the resurrection Of
'he body. but he returns thanks 10 Il
higher source shan nature FOR the victory
over death.
THE ONLY CERTAINTY.
The only certainty comes from REVEAL
ton divine word from the great he
yond. The Holy Scriptures tell US OF
The future and We believe the WORD of
God. The only certainty of ANYTHING
future 1st DE the testimony OF the
Omniscent This We have. AID on tnis
we rst.
Mt only does the Bible base all rs
Doctrine ON the facts Of Immortality and
asserts IL I'm "a hundred forms. but us
author has given visible examples OF II.
The prayer o. The som IS.
"Ah. Christ. that II were possible
For sue short hour 20 see
TIE souls we loved NAT they might tell
nc
yybat md vbcro ,hev no"
This nrover g. answered in The history of
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