Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-07-29
What Is 1t to Die?
To die is gain.-Philippia i q.

One must think long time, and
think very seriously, before he can see
any truth in that remarka BILE state
ment. He must continue to think,
and do SO with much broader view
of life and of the hereafter than is
usual before he can agree with the
Apostle.
We all believe in general and vague
sort of way that it is better to die than
to live under certain distressful cir
cumstances, but whether we, under
like circumstances, should think so for
ourselves is a problem about which
there is considerable doubt.
God has implanted in us a love of
life which is strong enough to make US
avaricious of the very last possible
day. Ii that universal dread of death
were less strong we should either make
way with ourselves or crilniually make
way with others under provocation.
The love of life, the sacredness of life,
the right of every man to enjoy his
life to its uttermost limit of time is the
basis of at least one of tho Ten Com
mandments. Eliminate this clinging
and you would make it impossible for
human nature to bear it's burdens. for
it would very quickly seek relief from
them in the peace and silence of sleep.
While we live this life is more impor-
tant than any other life.
But this love of life, curiously
enough. must be modified, controlled.
disciplined by the truths of religion
before we can enjoy the higher kind of
happiness. The clinging is we'll
enough in its way, and it has divine
purpose to achieve -namely, to keep
is just where we are unit! the One who
uswiser than we thinks it time for our
removal; but unless we listen to what
religion has to say about the future
the clinging is like a miser's grasp on
his dollars-it becomes disease, affect
ing disastrously that cheerful view of
both the present and the future which
is the popularity of the ideal man.
Religion is the greatest boon that ever
fell to the lot of mankind, because
under its benign influence we are re
signed to the inevitable while we
remain here and look forward to some
thing different and better when we
shall cross the threshold of eternity.
The worth of religion, therefore, as a
practical factor is beyond the reach of
computation, and in so far as you sue
ceed in making it practical you render
yourself satisfactory to yourself and to
the world.
Suppose we take the statement of
this scholarly and critical and logical
Paul and examine it with some care.
1t Is perhaps as startling an utterance
as ever fell from human lips. If he
had said ''To live is gain,n and had
revealed the secret OF longevity, we
should follow his directions gratefully
and implicitly; but when he tells us
that at a given period in our career it
is much better to go elsewhere than to
stay here we wonder what his mental
and spiritual point of view may be.
for from our own point OF view we have
doubts on that subject.
If there is any truth in what we
think we believe about the future,
then to die would be gain just as it
would be gain to leave an incOnveni
ent residence and move into one that
is more roomy and better suited to our
needs. With heaven a glorious reali-
ty, we could hardly help being glad
when the time came to go there. Ii it
is a place where we shall not be forced
to struggle for the necessaries OF life,
where the limitations from which we
now suffer will be removed, where we
shall have more opportunities and more
encouragement to develop the best
that is in us than the present can posi-
bly afford, then it becomes clear that
when our friends carry our bodies to
the churchyard they do us service, and
the bells ought not to toll, but to chime.
Paul evidently had this faith, for he
declared that he had longing to go
hence which at times was beyond his
power to control. He saw plainly what
we see only dimly-that the most pre-
cious thought that comes in our to day
is the thought of our to morrow, and
he more than once told us that he would
be glad to rejoin in that other sphere
the fellow workers in whose company
he walked on the earth, but who had
said their farewells and taken their de.
parture.
Still. the present life is important.
Whv we were born in this lower level
and must fall on sleep before we can
reach the higher level do not know.
It is a mystery, and will always remain
such. But of this am sure that for
some good reason the providence OF
God has decreed that certain amount
of experience and discipline and educa-
ton is necessary before we can De pre-
pared for the better things to come.
We get acquainted with ourselves mere,
and then, when we Lave louno OuS
who we are and what we are and what
our destiny is. the curtain is drawn
aside and we cross the threshold OF tne
temple.
Those who have gone await our com
ing. Our own lesson is not yet learned,
but theirs is. And from their higher
vantage ground they watch over US and n,
guard us in ways we cannot fathom;
Some day the call will lie heard. ana 40
we shall obey it. The light OF setting
sun gilds the evening clouds WIN
splendor, the rainbow spans the neas,
ems, and we have the rich promise VI q
fair day to morrow.
GEORGE Fl. HEPwoRTH.
G. p. Dorr was nominated for Con-
gress by the republicans OF the tnlro
district Of West Virginia.