The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1897-07-03
ten mars nature.

item mars nature.
Heis not creature of few days nor
even of this life merely He is not therefore I
under the necessity Of learning all he may
know during this life and in the present
stage Of his being.
1t is evident from the teachings Of Gods
Weird that the time of the present life is
but the beginning Of his career. If man i,
not to live after death, and we say it with
all reverence. We can not see how God
can be other than partial God. But We
shall not entertain such a thought for
moment, for almost every figure OF speech
used to present to our minds the idea OF
death implies the fact OF life. Jesus said in
reference 10 Lazarus, after he was dead,
-our faisnd Lazarys, sleepeth." GER
tain, then, that whatever else death may
do for as, it does not terminate our existence.
Tim 1man is 10 continue 10 lie in state
of mttAegence consciousness and volition, he
is an eRl6rtai 6eiHSi And ii has pleased our
kind Heavenly Father to impress upon the
nture of man, this triat of his character.
Nearly all nations and peoples have had
some idea ofthe mortality of the soul.
How may we account for this universal
impression, if it has not been imprinted by
the finger of God? Men have not only
believed it but longed for it. They have
thirsed after t. Shakespear said: 81 have
immortal longngs in me" and iii the say
ing he expressed sentiment common to
humanity.
Think ofthe aaa expansion of which the
mind is capable. Norman can set bounds to
its operations and improvements. Look al
Newton or a Lock or a Bacon or a Glad.
stone in all of his mental ltteness and then
see him as he natures ia knowledge and
attans to such nights of mental greatnes,
and grandeur. Is it reasonable to suppose
that all these mighty powers are elected,
: under divine influences, to operate upon
things tangible for {. moment and then &c
out forever, quenched by an eternal decree
humiliation? O, no. our God i, not Of that
5 character!
t To sustain the doctrine OF Immortality is
| that of future reward and punishements.
To limited degree men arerewarded for
righteousness or punished for sins in this
life The full measure is to be melted out
in the world to come.
Then, if. as we have seen from the esti-
mate Of Goo, and the nature of his being,
man is capable of exercising dominion over
f the earth and Of meeting the Almighty,
himself, face to face for the purpose OF
reasoning on the great problems Of salvation
from sin; and if han is not mereey crea-
ture Of life that now is, but will survive
that experience we call DEATH and step
from these Mundane shores into the world
of immortal spirits and then in state OF
, intelligence, in the possession Of all that
enobles and distinguishes men in this life,
will live oNand ON and ON; if these thing.
are true of him, is he not capable OF com
, pretending and complying with the teach
: ings of this blessed old Book? If in Thu
E world he is supreme, if he is powerful il
: wisdom, mighty in strength, great in re
4 sources; if while encountered by the thing.
incident to this world he is capable Of re-
.. ceiving a revelation of God which addresse
/ itself to his faith who can estimate hi
a ability when he steps out of and above tn,
b. environments of this world? Then hi
D vision will be clear, his hearing acute, hi
Y understanding peafect; his soul will be at
e tuned to the melodies of Heaven and a
the spirit world is exposed to his enlarged
vision, and he hears the song Of redeemed
o Spirits and tastes the fruit OF eternal life
? he will begin Q appreciate the ability Go,
has given him and wonder why il was no
f employed to better advantage on the earth
Then we conclude the thought as we begai
it-Man has ability to know God.
If man has ability, if he is capable, it j