The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-13
SERMON ON LIFE
An Eloquent Discourse at
First Methodist Church.
In Him Was Life; and the Life Was
the Light-Was the Life of Men.
Function of the Soul.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
rev. @. l.. Pearson).
..-EEiE IMMORTAL L LIE

THE IMMORTAL LIFE
Ia preaching on this subject Sunday
morning Mr.. Pearson used the text:
In Him was life and the life was the
light of men, He first spoke briefly
of the intimate and blessed relations of
the disciples and their master and the
great sorrow and disappointment His
death was to them. His resurrection
was the restoration of their joy and
specially revealed to them former
teachings of the Savior which they had
not been able to understand. Life and
immortality We're brought to light. As
we today view Christs life and it's re-
suits in the world we feel with the
apostles that the resurrection of Jesus
was implied in His life His life was
completed and his teachings were con-
firmed by it. We do not marvel that
in after years John, in memory, stand
ing again beside the cross, viewing the
empty grave, holding converse with his
Lord in the upper room, eating with
Him beside Galilee or receiving His
benediction on Olivet, should exclaim:
In Him was life" John adds land
the light was the light Of men. Jesus
was the beginning and without Him
was not anything made that was
made The light he shed upon man
is seen in the consciousness of God,
absolute right, holiness and immor-
tally, which shine forth in man. Jesus
teaching and life confirmed this con-
seriousness and gave man increased
knowledge. Jesus great theme was
life He spoke Of death, but in so do
ing He emphasized life. Life, the
function of the soul, He forced upon
the attention of all. 1t is needless to
say that mis- ideas of life differed from
those of his hearers and of many Of
today. Life is eternal. But life is not
mere existance. The material atoms,
il is said cannot be annihilated. They
NAV abide in some form forever. Souls
shall exist forever but some souls have
not the life of which Jesus speaks.
With Jesus life is not the period be-
tween birth and death. 1t is not TO be
counted by days or years. Again Jesus
said: MANS life CONSISTENT not in the
abundance of the things which he pos
sesseth," and he earnestly eXhorted
man not 20 be anxious about meat and
drink and raiment, but TO trust God
for these and live a nOblar life. With
many people life is measured by their
oil J, iY,Cr nd
human relations and ones life is said
to be pleasant or sorrowful or success
full, according TO the abundance or
these goods. But this is taking the
temporal for the real. Man and earthly
goods are soon separated, and the soul
that knows only these perishing things
is Dy the teachings of Jesus dead. she
that liveth in pleasure is dead While
she liveth."
The true life is from above. .'Ye
must be born again. - Il am the bread
of life said Jesus. This life is the
soul in its true environment. 1t is the
proper function of the soul. 1t is noted
in a certain mind the mind of the
Lord Jesus found within man, in sub
mission to the will of God in the power
of a great purpose, an upward trend OF
character, a deep passion for goodness
| in love and sacrifice. This is eternal
| life that they may know Thee and
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.
| To be united to God by faith and holy
! fellowship is to share that life which
| beginning here shall continue without
| age forever. "He that believeth in Me
hath eternal life He that believetf
| hath the witness in himself"