The Irish standard., 1896-02-15
ABOUT FUTURIrY.

When school is out, the children in
st:nctiveiy turn towards home. So when
the close of life approaches, most men
turn thoughtfully 10 the consideration Of
roundings-w wealth, position, fame-lose
their value when the soul stands near
deaths door, and believes it is soon to
be brought face to face with an amending
have clouded the future and appalled, the
stoutest hearts.
There has recently been published a
series of papers on the Immortality of the
soul, written by nine persons, who by
their training and eminence are as we'll
qualified as any in the world to speak
on this subject
This series of papers was published by
the daily press of the country In July,
that month of all the year when people
are supposed to be least given to ser
ious thoughts. Newspapers are keen
judges OF public taste, and this discussion
of religious feeling and inquiry among
the mass Of the people, than is generally
supposed.
The fact that there have been published
4,G77 catalogued books, and probably
good many more on the subject of future
life, show how eagerly and continuously
men have grouped after light. A d:stin-
guisbed publisher once said that if the
word heaven were put into the title of a
book, it was almost sure to SELL What
ever people may profess. the fact remains,
that to the majority Of us, in certain
moods Of mind, or when the frail body
loses vigor and health; the most interest
ing and important subject in the world
is the character of the next.
In this symposium on Immortality to
which we have alluded, enc of the most
eminent thinkers, perhaps the most emil
nent in the Presbyterian church, after
closely following the Biblical argument
wonders why people try to persuade them
selves that they cease to exist. He goes
on to say: -.
t*Men may be deceived by illusions and
delusioms as to the future: but 1t is ex-
tremely probable that mankind has been
deceived in that universal faith in life
after death which is expressed in all
religions.
Anothr writer, whose name has stood
for years az an interpreter Of the next
world. writes from the human standpoint
and says.
Life is an unfinished story. II
the Creator has made planet full of
suffering never to be relieved: Of mourn
ers never to be comforted of love never to
to be satisfied; of noble power never to
be exercised; aspiration never to be real
lied: evil never to be conquered; and
doors of evil never to be either punished
or puritied-if, in a word, if this whole
scheme of things is the freak Of a malevol
emit fancy, or the accident Of blind force,
then we are face to face with difficulties
as much greater than the difficulty in
volved in the doctrine of immortality, as
madness is sadder than sanity and des-
pair blacker than blessetlness.
The foremost scholar In the world in
Eastern languages and religions add this
striking thought: "a man speaks OF his
soul, but who or what the possess0r Of a
soul may be, we ask in VAIN He goes
ON to say that the soul may be said to
possess us-not we the soul. If the soul
possesses the house Of flesh, how can
the mind or the body dare to limit the life
Of its possessor? 1t is as if a pet poodle
should argue that, as the limit of its life
is ten years, the limit Of it's masters life
must be the same.
To those who believe in Christ the
whole matter IS summed up in what He
said ON the subject to his disciples. II
any one ever lived who knew the myster-
les Of life, death and Immortality, He
knew them. His testimony is that He
came to bring Immortality to light, y
eff it were not So He declared, Il would
have told you. Let not your hearts be
troubled.
Mr.. Whittier was once accosted by an
acquaintance who was without religious
belief and who Piled him with the usual
arg unents against Christianity, and
ended by saying, At any rate, I know
that / have no soul =
| Frfend, replied the sage poet gently.
speak for thyself. @ Perhaps thou art
right. AS for mel know that : have.
at as e .on we're iiinraurta and By 8.
{ sIEdi HUNS 4 mind