The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-01
as being buried in the earth, be able

able to assimilate them to It's own
nature. and so, according to the laws
of it's being, re-create itself, enlarge
and diffuse its life almost indefinite
ly!
These are the facts on which the
metaphor of the apostle is founded;
and the great truth taught by it is
this: AS certainly as the germ of
the wheat is quickened into life, and
larger life, by the death of the outer
envelope or body, SO certainly the
soul is lifted into life, larger and
more glorious life by the dissolu-
ton of the mortal tabernacle in
which it dwells while on earth. And
the death of the body is as necessary
to this renewal of the spirit, as the de-
composition of the external integu-
ment or shell of the wheat-grain, is to
the quickening of the germ.
And if this beautiful truth were re-
ceived into the faith of the Christian,
into the heart and life, the difference
it would make in our living and
dying, could not be expressed in
words. 1t would clothe death with a
new meaning, it would illuminate the
realm of shadow as with the glory of
the Lord, and transfgure all our
thoughts and hopes of the future
life.
This true, and Death gives thou
sand fold more than he takes away
Every earthly blessing left behind in
going, is compensated for by wealth
of gifts showered upon the spirit on
its arrival in the heavenly land. And
though there may be pain and regret
in parting with those who have loved
us here, yet we are doubly comforted
by thought of the glorious company
of angels to which we go, and by the
blessed knowledge that those we
leave will by and by come and join
us in the forward march from glory
to glory.
It is something to be thankful for
to have life on this earth, life with all
it's opportunities and gifts, with all
it's growths, and revelations of know
ledge, and births and buildings up
of character; but o how much more
must it be in the great hereafter,
when the unveiled splendors of the
Lords creation and the glories of his
presence shall dawn upon the soul
to try its newly-gotten liberty. Here
the spirit is restrained and cramped
and hindered by the encumbering
flesh, it's infrmities and wants
and lusts; there it will be free, re-
leased from all its letters, delivered
from its long-bondage to the earthly
nature, from all conflict with weak
ness and temptation-free to grow,
and unfold all its powers into new
and diviner life; free to rise higher
and higher in the scale of excellence;
free to go upward from strength to
strength, from beauty to beauty,
from beatitude to beatitude, without
limit and without hindrance.
No man can measure the life of
the soul in the coming eternity, nor
set limit to it's growth and expan-
sion. No man can prophesy of the
celestial glories which will dawn up
on it from age to age along the track
of that great future. But the spirit
comes to all this only by the path
way that leads through the dark
valley, and "over the river" Death
alone strikes off it's letters, and opens
the doors of its prison house, and
brings it the freedom of new birth
and larger growth. sit cannot be
quickened except it debut if it die,
it bringeth forth much fruit" The
old body perishes in order to give
place to the new body-"there is
natural body and there is spiritual
body; howbeit that is not first which
is spiritual, but that which is natural,
and afterward that which is spirit
ual."
The first stage of the souls exist
ence is in the natural body, clothed
upon with flesh; the second is in the
spiritual body, clothed upon with the
heavenly. The first is the infant
state, the babyhood of our spiritual
existence-is it desirable that it
should never come to an end? especi-
ally when we remember what that
little grain of wheat grew up to as
soon as the fitting conditions were
present? The babe may be very inter
esting and winning, but who would
wish always to remain babel Why
then wish the soul to continue al
ways in it's infancy, confined in this
natural body, hungering, thirsting,
weary, cramped in growth and activ-
ity9 Is it not better that the natural
-..u, ,Dlaaa 10 tho crNirif-