The Portland daily press., 1898-12-05

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81 oses with wonderful descriptions of the
glories thereof, and our Lord tells of the
homes prepared for us in the many man
sions of the Fathers kingdom. Sufficient
proof can be found in the Sacred Scrip
lures in the case of prophets and apostles,
to show that there is world distinct
from this. and that angels and spirits
dwell there in human form; and the Lord
tells us that he is not the God of the
dead but the living. The New Church
teaches that that world is a real world; ;
not q world of ftncy and Imagination,
but world as substantial as that on
which we now dwell, and that men live
there after death, without waiting for
some far of Judgment day. The Bible
has told us all this and more, but men
would not believe. So in order that
mankind might have sober, matter OF
fact, as well as truthful knowledge of
the other world and the life there, 1T was
SO ordered by the Lord that a man OF
scientific attachments, one trained TO
careful observation from early youth,
should for many years live openly with
angels and spirits as we'll as with men.
You may reject Swedenborg's testi-
mony, but no one can deny that it agrees
with the Sacred Scriptures, that 1t salts,
fies the reason, teaches the infinite tender
ness and mercy of the Lord, allays all
groundless fears. and gives hope aud COM
fort to the dying as well as to those who
are left behind.
Still it is true that no matter how old
the world may grow, or how wise man
may realize about the other world or how
far he may be living in the light OF the
Lords kingdom, when death comes, there
must always be the sense OF personal
loss. and with it grief and sorrow.
But our sorrow should only be such as
We would feel over the temporary depar-
ture of loved one to some new home;
of the departure of some friend to
field of wider usefulness and greater nap
piness, for which we are not yet prepared
and for which we should fit ourselves DAY
and night with utmost effort We
should not permit ourselves to be troubled
over a separation which is not real or
lasting except as we makesit SO. We may
regret that we are no longer permitted TO
lavish our affection upon that earthly
form and receive it's love in return, but
we cannot grieve for that which brings
higher happiness to the one we profess to
love. We cannot wish that the Lord had
compelled them to remain here when
ready for greater use and JOY, just TO
crafty our selfish desires The Lord
knows better than we the needs of every
plant in the nursery of His vineyard, and
He knows when it should be transplanted
to another soil. What if the transplanted
ones had just finished their education for
some chosen work, or were in the full
tide of usefulness. or had formed the
them any tho less fitted for the other lifes
Does it not make them the better fitteds
Such preparation for the life here is the
very best preparation for the life there
There is even greater use
fulness there than here. and every
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here lives there. For the change of what
we call death of what is as the mere husk
to the corn, changes nothing as to the
real man. We need not trouble about
them. If they are we'll and happy here
they are a thousand times more so there.
But do you know how you wrong
and injure those whom you love when
you grieve so for them? We should never
for get that the dear ones in the other
life, semi consciously at least, are affected
by our states of mind, and this the more
strongly as we love them the more dearly;
and for them to come into the sphere OF
our sad states is like going down from
bright Sunshine into dark and gloomy
night. Longfellow says, The grave is
but q covered bridge leading from
light to light through a brief darkness .
But to those who accept the Lords
reveaIings of the life to come, even this
darkness no longer exists, for what men
have called the dark valley" and filed
with imaginary horrors ID bright with
the smile of God. and peaceful with His
benediction. 80 death where is sthy
sting? o grave where is thy victory?''
.sAfter two days viii He revive us, in
the third day He will raise us up and
we shall live in His sight"
ST. STEPHENS CHURCH.
Special prayers suitable to the occasion
were offered at the church and cores
bonding hymns sung.
The texts of DIR. Dalton's sermon were:
Psalm 1915, "The waves are mighty
but the Lord on high is nightier, and
Lst qhessalonians Alb, Sorrow not as
they do who are without hope"
Dir. Dalton stated the two views of life,
its origin, course and destiny which are
held, always have and probably always
will be, viz: 1st That the universe is
but a fortuitous concurrence OF atoms
without design or q designer, in which
man plays an insignificant part ending
in death every step of which in ineyi-
table. and whose highest paths lead only
10 the grave where all strivings end and
I'll hopes are buried forever. This is the
Jessimistic view. The other the second
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