The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-24
IMMORTALITY DISCUSSED.
HOOKED AT FROM TIE POINTS OF
VIEW OF R1LI0IoH AND SoIENCE.

Question, He Thinks, Hangs on the Being
aud the Nature of God-Human Life
Never Complete-Good People Feel They
Are Sure OF Life Beyond the Grave.
To THE EDITOR OF TIE suN-Sir, The letters
which have appeared in TEE BUN on the sub
ject Of Immortality" or at least some future
life after DEATH" have been OF greet interest to
me and probably to all your readers. The dis
eussion. a. supplemented by your editorial con-
tributiops. has been very able and very useful.
II has been sinRularly interesting In that II has
been conducted largely By laymen. 1t evidencss
very general and deep interest In religion at
time when other outward signs would indi-
cate decadenos OF religion.
venture. a. clergyman. to make some
pertinent suggestions. which may help others
as they have helped me. think the whole
question OF future life hangs upon the being
and the nature o. God. II any one does not be-
lieve In personal. omnipotent and benevolent
God. the attempt TO reassure him OF future
Mfe will be hard indeed.
Granted God who 10 Q person al. ON n potent,
moral and loving Being-what must morally
follow ~ We reflect upon human llfe1 Lot us
Gee. II great author uniformly burned his
manuscripts Just as they were ready for the
printer; II . great artist uniformly destroyed
hia canvas az II was nearing completion; TIA
great sculptor made maoadam OF his marble
Just as II began to breathe and struggle; II
any man OF extraordinary powers declined to
complete anything, what would We say OF such
mani Think We would say he was CAPRI
eious. immoral or insane.
Human life at lonRest 10 never felt to be
completed and fully developed There is a
depth OF richness and power in human nature
that seems TO DO inexhaustibe. o: Moses. at
the age OF 100 years. It was said his eye was
not dim nor his natural force abated. Plato. at
the age Of 80. was still growing mentally.
DR.. James Martineau OF London wrote his
magnificent Treatise on Ethics" whom he
was 80. and. although now over 40 Is
still vigorous In mind and still growing
mentally. Bismarck and Gladstone were young
In mind whom death came. As the majority OF
the human race die young. We are confronted
with the moral inquiry. what shall be said OF
God who brings into being such a marvel
lous creature as man and never brings his
work to completion" Or again. what shall
be said OF God Who just as his handiwork is
giving promise Of maturity. dashesi down into
the dust?" Think such God. even II he were
omnipotent. would be regarded as immoral
eaprieious or insane.
Given a God who is moral as we'll 40 omnlpo-
tent. and He 10. think. under moral oompul-
sion to com plete In men Of good will the work
which He began when He called them into be-
ing. I. for one. believe in a personal. moral
and good God. 30 long as am doing the best
can. my conviction Of spiritual futurity 10 alb
solutely sure. am morally certain that death
will be for every man OF good will the door
opening to further life and development. In
deed. It cannot morally be otherwise. This
moral argument for personal futurity IL greatly
strengthened and reinforced by the prophecy
OF ideals. which. since the dawn OF creation.
have ever haunted the human mind.
Quite apart from scholastic and Biblical con-
alterations. this moral argument has brought
strengthening and comfort to many inouirlng
and anxious minds. 1t 10 here only suggested.
Any Of your thoughtful readers can readily sx-
pand II. II any man is q good man. or at least
man Of good will and doing the best he can.
and believes in good God. no may be morally
certain Of life beyond the grave. commend
these considerations to those over whom Bib
lioal. religious or philosophical arguments have
lost their power. EDWARD NJ. MCGUFTEY.
sT.JAMEs REoroRr. ELMHuRsT. MY. Sept. 20.
the Spiritual Eye Must Be Trai.sd TO Sec.
To rHn EpIToa OF THE sUN-SI, One Of
your correspondents asks. What is the Soulf'
1t ID reported that Michael Faraday. the great
English seientist, onoe said: There are peo-
pie who like to have the truth on their side
there are plenty Of them. There are others
who like to be on tho side OF truth; there are
not many Of them."
When We realize how few there are who. fol-
the sake OF spending q few hours In the search
OF spiritual truth. are willing to forego even q
few material pleasures. 10 1t strange that con.
corning any knowledge OF higher life hu.
mainly in general is exactly where It deserves
to beat the bottom Of the ladder OF being
hounderinR around in the mud?
II man wants proof OF Immortality. let him
70 TO work In a way to earn 1t. and not blindly
demand the i'm possible. like child crying fol
the moon. Belief 10 one thing and knowledge
is quite another thing. II 10 not possible K
give to persons in material world materia
scientific proof OF q spiritual world. Materia
science belongs to another domain entirely
Between the two there 10 q great gulf fixed
which cannot DO passed over save BY the devel
opment in individual consciousness Of thos,
faculties and energies which belong to spir
ttual condition. In . large majority OF mankint
these faculties have become stunted. dwarfe(
and withered up by want OF exercise: therefor
only the minority. the spiritual In mind ant
heart. those who ardently long for light from
above. and sock for 1t, will or can receive II
To each one the conviction must come through
experience. the only finished teacher. No OK
psrience OF A. B or d will suffice for another
No such so-called proofs will be accepted a
nnal authority. II accepted one day they ar
likely to be rejected the next.
IF they believe not Moses and the prorhet
neither will they believe though ono rose from
the dead"
Nearly two thousand years ago voice pro
claimed: II am the way. the truth the life.
All that was necessary for man to know va
embodied there. All the light he needs in thi
great quest shines out from that Divine Pres
once, which 10 with us to-day Just as truly q
whom Jesus walked in the flesh: 10. ar
with you Away. even unto the end OF tn
world" The way. is the way In which Il
walked the truth iS the spiritual life of whic
He was the highest expression; tho life Is tn
fullneSS OF existence OF which He was the com
plste manifestation.
Why not follow In His footstepsr Why nc
make practical use OF the hidden spiritual en-
erEies OF man which Jesus came to reveal2
ANNIE RUSSELL DYER.
WARREN. r. l.. Sept. 81
tn. RaaI 0ueation Involved.