The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1899-12-22

did not first come into the world as the
consequence of sin. This physical creed
declares. and proves with abundant proof,
that long before there was any sin or any
sinner in the world, death was In the
world. And as far as we can see and go,
in the history of the worlds formation,
from the very beginning, whenever that
beginning was, death has always been IN
the world, as the handmade of fe, minis
tering unto life; not cursing life, but
blessing life;
NOT HURTING LIFE, But HELPING LIFE,
causing life to grow, by taking out of its
| way whatever stunted Its growth, what
ever hindered it's growth, until at last,
through death, this growing life was
made TO grow into our human life.
so the creed of Nature declares. With
out the previous working in the world OF
death, there would have been, there
could have been, no human life at all.
That ia what the book of Nature lie
| teaching us to-day concerning death
and that, my brethren, is precisely what
| the Christian Scriptures are teaching. land
have long taught, that the greatest friend
of the human race is Death, giving TO II
larger life, higher life, more abundant
life. That is why In the Scriptures we
read so much about the cross, aa the sign
or the symbol Of death and are so often
urged to take and bear the cross, and
thus through death to live. Some OF us
perhaps have not learned that creed yet
We cannot say tive cannot recite it
We stumble at it, we are offended by IL
1t seems so harsh and gloomy. We can
not believe it, and do not want to belleVt
lit. Therefore when religion comes, anc
has SO much to say about bearing the
cross, and making sacrifices, and practlc
ing self-deuial, and abstaining from this
refraining from that, and surrenderine
and giving up something else: 1t al
seems sc very unattractiVe, we think, sc
sad, so gloomy, so melancholy, Ike
death and we do not want death, VIZ
want life. OF course we do.
EVERYBODY WANTS LIFE.
But iG is not everybody who has learned
that that Is the way to get it, snt
the only way to get it-tha
he has to die to get 1t
And vet, brethren, sooner or later, ev
iervbOdv from his own experience doe
learn it. And the life which tries to liv
without dying, dies. l do not mear
merely that it comes by and by to tn
lend of it's earthly existence, and dies
but that during Its earthly existence,
dies, fades, Withers, dies out. Its pleas
ures cease TO please so much. By and b.
they cease to please at all: there Is NJ
pleasure in them; it dies out. Oontinu
Gus Indulgence has killed it. 1t is ma
ture's law OF reprisal. Or it is Gods Law
of reprisal, and beneficent reprisal; max
ing the life that tries to live without. dy
ing, die; that SO perhaps at last, havin!
} tasted in Aits own experience death,
J may try to begin to live.
know of course what possibly ha
been IN the minds of some of you, tina
the Bible speaks of Death as an enemy
and that we have been in the habit o
: calling it an enemy. st Paul SO speak
of and calls it an enemy. 1.-The last enc
nv that shall be destroyed is death.
But how 10 an enemy to be destroyed
How is your enemy to be destroyedFt b
! always fighting and contending Wit
him, and trying in that way to get tn
victory over him? Well, that is on
wayP But it Ia not the only way, no
, the most effectual. There is another way
There Is such thing as arbitration
some one coming between you and you
enemy, settling claims, adjusting dlftel
ences, righting MISUNDERSTANDING, thu
: destroying your enemy by destroying hi
enmity toward you, or your enmity tow
ard him thus
MAKING YOUR ENEMY YOUR FRIEND
\ Have you not sometimes found it 80