The Newtown bee., 1901-11-01

ternoon last from the home of his
mother in Huntingtown district. The
remains were in sealed metallic cas-
ket and were brought from Bridgeport
by Hawley, Wilmot & Reynolds. The
service at the house was conducted by
Rev O. w. Barker, pastor of the Con-
gregational church, who gave beau
tiful address on Immortality" He
said in part:
There is always something about
every stage of life that points beyond.
Nothing reaches completion here.
Rightly do we place in our last resting
places of the dead broken columns and
crownless shafts, denoting that the
life was cut off here in it's prime. OF
only one great life could it be said,
when its architect came to lay it's bur-
den down, cit is finished" There
are chapters yet to be written; there
are uncut leaves to the book; the peri
cd, the full stop, has not yet come.
Now all this is in accordance with
the nature of man. He knows that he
was not born to die, but to live, and
that death is not the breaking point,
but the conductor to higher life.
Reason tells him this. The yearly re-
birth of the world of Nature tells him
this. The desires and aspirations of
his heart tells him this. Gods Word
tells him this. Oh, if all that we can
get out of this life were all, what sorry
satisfaction it would be! say it bold
ly that no man, however gifted he may
be, however high he has risen, what
wealth he has accumulated, has gotten
enough out of life to pay him for
the struggle, if this life is all. Life IS
not worth the living if this is the only
life there is to be.
Men have always felt this, and hence
they have been always asking the old
question that was put by Job: eff
man die, shall he live again?" An
answer comes to this question from
the testimony of men. One who be-
lieves in humiliation is most rare. Go
anywhere you will, where men have
bowed down to images made by their
own hand, where the darkness of their
minds was like the darkness of the
Stygian night, where base supersti-
ton had clogged their senses to the en-
trance of pure light; and yet even here
you will find this desire for immortal
ity. Cicero wished an Immortality for
his genius, that the labOrs of his mind
over which he had spent bitter days Of
unremitting toll, might not perish
with him. The Egyptians embalmed
the bodies of their dead, that the
soul might have place for it's perpet-
ual tenancy. The Indians buried with
the departed brave his arrows and his
bow, for he would need them in the
happy hunting ground. All nations
have cherished the belief in immortal
ity. 1t is as universal as the race, as
undying as the God who implanted it
deep in the heart of man.
The question of Job is also answered
by the the sense Of justice: If there is
not another life, then God is of all
beings most inhuman and severe.
Why do the righteous suffer SO in this
life? do not know; the next life will
explain it all. Why are the inequalities
of this life SO startling and strange!
do not know: the next life will eX
plain it all. The inequalities Of this
life are passing strange. This child i!
born in the slums of a great city
The very atmosphere it breatheS il
cursing and shame. From it's earlies
moment it is taught to pervert things
to call things by their wrong names
to it good is evil and evil is good. Thi
child is born with the silver spoon il
its mouth. 1t is petted in luxury, it i
coddled in ease. Every path seem
straight before it to fame and honor
Every door swings voluntarily on it.
there is not another life, cry on
bitterly against the injustice of God
If there is not another life, might a
well sink intothc mire of bestialit
and wallow with the pig in the sty.
there is not another life, let us cal
drink ana be merry; life has no highe
ambition, there is no further goal.
Jobs question again finds answer i
the Word of God, If there were nc
another life, do you think, says OF
Savior, l would not have told you?
go to prepare place for you. c
course do. could not leave 20
cOmfOrtlesS and alone. 1t is SO natur;
to think that want you to be whel
l am that | have left it till now I
speak about it, almost the moment
my leaving you. The great gift
Jesus Christ to the world is lif
abundant life. Death to the Jews
the Old Testament was IL snare
which mems feet were taken, Il n
in which they were caught, a pit in
whose dreary silence they were plunge
TO the Christian death is the note
welcome which the angels sing, t
unloosening Of the letters and Setti
the captive free, the opening of t
door and the entrance of the weatht
beaten pilgrim into his home. Behi
all our hopes of immortality, above
our dread and fears of going down in
the narrow house stands the st
pendOuS fact of the ResurrectiC
Waves of controversy cannot break t
force of that fact, pillows of grief re
ing mountain high cannot quench t
hope that eternal springs, that VIII
life's titful dream here is over and t
brief race of life has been run, we w
believe in Christ and have commit
our oil to Him shall pO.tn hr,With Hi