The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-02-09
IMMORTALITY.


Mr.. Gladstone in the February mum
Der of the North American Review con
tinues the subject he began in the Jan
uary number-"The Future Life and
I Condition of Man Therein" He opens
this second article by saying that those
who maintain the natural Immortality
Of the human soul must not be under
stood as thereby of necessity maintain
ing that the conditions of that life are
such that it is beyond the power of the
Almighty to put an end to it; and then
quotes Clark as saying that God may
have more ways of disposing of his
creatures after death than we are
let into the secret Of The idea that
the human spirit is immortal in any
such sense that God himself is, or that
a soul having been introduced into the
universe. becomes inseparable from it,
or must under all conditions continue
to form a part of It," Mr.. Gladstone
scouts as a proposition not to be sert-
ously held.
Two other views of the natural inn
mortality of the soul present them
selves to his mind: First, the soul is
framed $50 to speak, upon the lines of
immortality, as the destination alone
appropriate to its nature, and to the
consummation of that nature; and,
further. that it will continue to exist
unless it shall please God to impose
upon it a doom which will put an end to
its existence" Second, the soul is not
endowed with the gift of immortality
at birth, but derives it as a gift from
the incarnation of our Lord" by vir-
tue of renovattng powers to be put in
operation on behalf of our fallen ma
ture. AS pointed out by the philosopher
himself the difference between the two
theories is not very striking. The first
says: THE soul may die, but it will be
by the infection of a special doom.
The second says: The soul may live,
but it will be by the reception of a
special gift
How much, on this mysterious and
solemn subject. has the Almighty Wis
dom decreed it meet to reveal to u.s.
asks Mr.. Gladstone. a very grave
question and easily answered-not
much. Scarcely anything more than the
solemn fact that there is life beyond
the grave. But little as it is that rev.
citation makes known to man on this !
mysterious and solemn subject" it is |
nevertheless, infinitely mora than man
has been able to find out by his own |
and therefore should and |
doubtless does move man to profound /
gratitude for so much as is revealed. /
II revelation has given but little. hui
man philosophy has given even less.
It is marvellous how little is known of
life outside of revelation. The sublim-
sst genius, too, appears to be as
much at loss as the man of humblest
All that the mighty genius
If Shakespeare could say outside of
conjecture was that 'tLife's but walk
ng shadow. a poor player that struts
Ind frets his hour upon the stage, and
hen is heard no more; it is a tale told
oy am idiot full of sound and fury sig
lifying nothing" In that minutest and
pest picture of life that his wuderous
land drew for US, that speech of JAG
lues upon the seven ages of mantle
conclusion is not much better-'last
scene Of all. that ends this strange
,ventful history is second childness
and mere obltvionr'
Nor have philosophers since Shakes
'eare who have discarded revelation
lone better than he. One of these who
las succeeded better in getting the
public ear than others has said: Life
s marrow vale between the cold and
'arren peaks Of two eternities. We
trive in vain to look beyond the
heights. We cry aloud, and the only
answer is the echo Of our wailing cry"
Revelation may reveal to us but little
ipon the mysterious and solemn sub
ect of the Immortality of the human
oul; and still less upon the conditions
# the future life. but little as
eVelation gives, it Is wealth of lznowI-
dge compared with the absolute pow
rty of what human wisdom has given.
We are rich in knowing the fact OF i'm
nortality, the conditions of it will
be made known TO man in due
ime. 1t is for him, meantime. to walk
boldly in that light he has, there is a
land above viii guide him on.