The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-14
THOUGHTS OF HEREAFTER.
Rev. j. ID. Jordnn's Sermon on the
Rich Man and Lazarus.

morning on Hereafter" His sermon
was based on the parable of the rich
| glutton and Lazarus the beggar.
This parable" said DR.. Jordan, lis
thought provoking. In temporal
begged. In eternal things the order
is reversed. In the same parable each
is seen both rich and poor One was
| rich towards the world and poor to-
/ wards God, while the other was poor
towards the world but rich towards
/ God. The difference was between clay
/ and character, temporal and eternal,
and not riches and poverty. Poverty is
no virtue and wealth is no crime. The
difference between riches and poverty
: can be nothing more than fortune and
misfortune. 1t is often hard to tell
which is preferable.
| The parable has been appealed to as
a proof for many doctrines, some wise
! and some otherwise. The past, the
present and the future meet in this
/ parable, but l wish to deduce from it
three propositions in regard to the fu-
/ ture.
To mankind there is a future life.
Some one says, Prove it," To a fair,
informed, and we'll inclined mind no
! further proof is necessary. To con-
| trary mind any proof would hardly be
sufficient, for wisdom is not discerned
by foolishness, nor music by deafness,
nor sight by blindness. nor love by
hatred. To the foolish there is no
Cod" and no hereafter. But to the
wise and prudent God is, and shall
ever be.
AS the telescope wanes the worlds
! decrease, as the telescope enlarges new
worlds spring into view. The worlds
were there all the while only we did
not see them. AS faith and thought
diminish life shortens. as they increase
eternity leaps into view and we see
! the endless existance.
| The goal of yesterday was only the
starting point of to-day. The goal of
this present life is only the starting
point for the future life. The loom
may stop but the thread of life does
not break, the weaver is transported
but he takes UP the same thread and
weaves on--a different fabric, but the
same thread.
AS the migratory bird instinctively
turns to a miIder climate hitherto I'M
! tried, so reason naturally turns our
thought toward that country from
! whose bourne no traveller ever returns
In this world we take only the entered
apprentice degree of life. There are no
masters here. This is a life of pri-
mary stages. Our class in the future
will depend on our proficiency here. The
| longest earthly career is only a span,
and very imperfect. Is there no time
and place for lengthening and perfect
ing life? Thought lives. Does the
! thinker die? Inventions live. improve
and are perfected. Must the inventor
1 cease to be? Is there no more growth
and perfection for him? Yes, they
rest from their labors, and their works
DO follow after them" The body is
only clay, knead in blood, the grave
clothes of mind and spirit. Dying Is
4 transformation and not annihilation.
The caterpillar must die before the
butterfly is born. So the natural body
must die before the spiritual body is
| donned. @a
Not only is reason dethroned. but
science stands aghast If man be not
Immortal. From the dark and cha
ot1c past to the present not one atom
OF matter has been destroyed-many
changes, but no destruction. II mat
ter, that neither breathes. thinks nor
loves cannot pass away how can the
spirit OF man, which is the life cease
to be?
If man be not immortal there is no
other enigma so colossal as human
life. Here tyrants live in mansions,
clothed in purple and finest linen, and
fare sumptuously every day. while
saints live in novels or within prison
| walls, in rags and are fed with crust
day of reckoning and time of
/ evening up must come, when the spoiler
4 shall be spoiled and the righteous shall
4 be rewarded. The tempter says DO
1t and time will never reveal It, but a
whisper from God to the soul says
Eternity will''-for there is nothing
hid that shall not be revealed.
The imperfections, unfinished plans,
nlNn IL
for another life. When Job spoke OF
man as cut flower or fleeing shadow,
he spoke of the flesh.
The Immortality of the soul of man
has been taught and belieevd from the
earliest times. The Old Testament
clearly indicates 1t. 'Enoch walked
with God; and he was not: for God
took him." David said of his child
He is dead. l shall go to him. but
he shall not return to me-" Again Da-
vid says, God will redeem my soul
from the power of the grave, for he
shall relieve me-" Solomon says, THE
righteous has hope in his DEATH" From
the mouth of Isaiah We have these
words, The dead shall live" and from
Daniel these, Many of them that sleer
in the dust of the earth shall awake
some to everlasting life. and some tc
shame and everlasting contempt"
The doctrine of Immortality ia
brought fully to light through Christ
and the Gospels. Paul speaks OF
Christ. who abolished death and
brought immortality to light This was
one of the many things which he made
clear. In discussing this question with
the Saddcese Jesus said, But that
the dead are raised, even Moses show
ed. at the bush. when he calls the
Lord the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. Now, he is not the God of dead
men, but of living; for all live unto
Him" We say The man is dead
God says, THE man is alive forever.
more" What we call death is only g
change, turning point in the path.
way of our endless existence
Centuries after this change came
Jesus called Moses and Elijah to
counsel with him on the Mount of
TRANSPORTATION. He declares, II an
the resurrection and the life; he thai
believeth in Me shall never die" BE
Father, l will that they also be with
Me where l am" II will come again
: and receive you unto Myself" BE
, hold. He cometh with clouds, and
every eye shall see Him, and they also
which pierced Him."
For though from out our bourne OF
time and place
The flood may bear me far,
l hope to see my pilot face TO face
When have crossed the bar"
To mankind there is rational, con-
scious future life. Here man is ra-
tional and intelligent; hereafter he