Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1900-09-28

for that property" the plea would
be of no avail We might say: "We
have warantee deed for that prop
erty;" the plea would be of no avail.
We might say: 1--WE have lien on
that storehouse;" that would do us
no good. Death is blind, and he can
not see a seal and cannot read an in
denture. So that, first and last, want
to tell you that when you propose
that give up my soul Cor the world
you cannot give me the first item of
title.
Having examined the title OF a
property, your next question is about
insurance. You would not be silly
enough to buy large warehouse that
could not possibly be insured. You
would not have anything to do with
such property. Now, l ask you
what assurance can you give me that
this world is not going to be burned
up? Absolutely none, Biologists tell
us that it is already on fire; that
the heart of the world is one great
living coal; that it is just like a ship
on fire at sea, the flames not bursting
out because the matches are kept
down. And yet you propose to palm
off on me, in return for my soul, a
world for which, in the first place,
you give no title, in the second place,
for which you can give no insurance.
"Oh," you say, "the water of the
oceans will wash over all the land and
put out the fire." Oh, no. There are
inhammable elements in the water,
hydrogen and oxygen. Call off the
hydrogen, and then the Atlantic and
Pacific oceans would blaze like heaps
of shavings. Yos want me to take
this world, for which you can give
no possible insurance.
Here Is man who has had large
estate for 40 or so years. He lies
down to die. You say: "That man is
worth millions and millions of dol
lars" Is he? You call up a survey
or, with his compass and chains, and
you say: "There is property extend
ing three miles in one direction and
three miles in another direction" Is
that the way to measure that mans
property? No! YOU do not want any
surveyor, with compass and chains.
That is not the way to measure that
mans property now. 1t is an under
taker you need, who will come and
put his finger in his vest pocket and
take out tapeline, and he will meas
ure five feet nine inches one way and
2h feet the other way. That is the
mans property. Oh, no; forgot;
not so much as that, for he does not
own even the place in which he lies
in the cemetery. The deed to that
belongs to the executors and heirs
Oh, what n property you propose to
give me for my soul! II you sell a
bill of goods you go into the counting
room and say to your partner: dc
you think that man is good for this
bill? Can he give proper security
Will he meet this payment" Now
when you are offered this world as a
possession l want you to test the mat
ter. do not want you to go into this
bargain blindly. l want you to ask
about the title, about the insurance
about whether men have ever had any
trouble with it, about whether yor
can get all or the ten-thousandth part
or one hundred-thousandth part of it
There is the world now. ! shall say
no more about it. Make up your mint
for yourself, as ] shall before Got
have to make up my mind for myself
about the value of this world. can
not afford to make mistake for my
soul, and you cannot afford to MAKE
mistake for your soul.
Now let us look at the other propert,
the soul. We cannot make a bargain
without seeing the comparative value
The soul! How shall l estimate tn
value of it? Well, by its exquisite OF
ganization. 1t is the most wonder
full piece OF mechanism ever put to
} gether. Machinery is of value in Pre-
portion as it is mighty and silent a
the same time. You look at the engin
, and the machinery in the Philadelphi
mint, and as you see it performin
; its wonderful work you will be SUI
prised to find how silently it goes. Ma
chinery that roars and tears soon de
} stroys itself; but silent machinery
often most effective. Now, so ii is wit
the soul Of man, with all its tremendou
, faculties; II moves in silence. Jude
: ment, without any racket, lifting 1t
, scales; memory, without any nois'
2 bringing down all its treasures; cor
{ science taking its judgment seat will
Y out any excitement; the understand
S ing and the will all doing their work
I velocity, majesty, might, but silence
s silence. You listen at the door Of you
s heart. You can hear no sound. Th
4 soul is quiet. 1t is so delicate an il
e strument that no human hand ca
n touch it. You break a bone, and wit
!, splinters and bandages the surgeo
e sets it; the eye becomes infamed, tf
e apothecary's wash cools it; but sol
t off the track, unbalanced, no huma
: power can readjust it. With one swee
I of it's wing it encircles the universe an
y overvaults the throne of God. VIII
Y in the hour of death the soul is s
/ mighty it throws aside the body {
y though 1t were toy. 1t drives bac
d medical skill as impotent. 1t breal
? through the circle of loved ones WI
n stand around the dying couch. Wit
t one leap it springs beyond star ar
IL moon and sun and chasms of immens
e ty. 1t is superior to all material thing
& No fire can consume it; no floods ca
r drown it; no rocks can crush it; I
# walls can impede it, no time can e
E, haust it. 1t wants no bridge on whit
II to cross chasm. 1t wants no plur
{ met with which to sound depth.
y soul so mighty, SO swift, so silent, mu