Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1902-09-30

Wdl0C4.
Cato in his soliloquy says Plato. thou
reasonest well or hence this pleasing hope,
this fond desire. this longing after i'm
mortality" and concludes with the as
surance, the stars shall fade away, the
sun himself grow DIM with age. and ma
ture sink 10 years, but thou lthe souD shall
flourish in immortal youth, unhurt amid
the war of elements. the wreck of matter
and the crush of worlds. Does not rea-
son itself revolt at the idea Of extinction
Is it any more wonderful that we should
live again. than that the grain Of corn OF
the seed that is implanted in the earth.
though utterly destroyed in its present
body, should spring up IN new life and
body? or that the humble worm, enfold-
ing itself in its carefully prepared cell,
should appear again with wings as the
butterfly? Will you accord this groveiling
reptile more faith in his Immortality than
Gods masterpiece, man? Does it not show
its faith, when weaving about itself its
silken cone, enveloping itself in its fun
eral drapery,it lies down to death, assured
it will rise again in more beautiful
form? That shall live again. my faith
rises higher than my reason and hope
becomes knowledge. The Buddhist. the
Mahommedan and the Christian alike
t,al, t1,ic-a11 raoo1,,,cr after fba co,,, a
great truth. Errors and many have crept
into professions of faith and still more in
practice, whereat many have stumbled.
Humanity is imperfect, we have all sin
ned and sin is the necessary outgrowth
Of imperfection or the possible outgrowth
of the perfection of free agency. We
need an atonement for our transgression.
The law has been violated, the penalty
must be paid. Here the Christian religion
reaches beyond the Buddhist and the
Mahommedan, in that it provides an
atonement, sacrifice for sin, suffering
for the penalty of violated law and re-
demption for the penalty of the law
through the suffering of another. IT, you
ask yourself the question, ought there
there not be place of rewards and pun
ishments. will not your own reason re-
spond in the affirmative? The same being
that created the worlds. made laws for
their governance. Could these worlds
move in such harmony without law to
guide them? Could we move forward IN
such wonderful progression, without
some law for our guidance? Human law
is rule of conduct prescribed by some
supreme power, with us the Legislature;
do we not attach penalties to the violation
Of these laws? Do you think it wrong
that we do so7 Would you or your prop
erty be safe without these laws? Gods
laws are perfect. ours only as perfect as
human reason can make them Whena
man breaks the law and is punished,
wesay he is justly and deservedly SO. Then
If we break the law of our Supreme-Law-
Maker, is il not just that we be punish
ed? Ask yourself the question. does not
my reason teach me that have violated
the laws of my being? Have | always
done right? Convection must precede re-
demption. Are these violations of the
divine law land use the word to distin-
guish from human) invariably punished
in this life? In some instances it may
seem SO, but in my experience have
known many criminals. even murderers,
escape the penalty of the law. Thou
shalt not kill is both human and divi ne
law; human because the legislature has
declared it such and affixed a penalty;
divine because our own consciences tell
us it is wrong. If all punishment is not
meted out here must there not be here
after to meet the ends and requirements
of equal and exaSt justice2 But herein
comes free grace. Another has suffered
for US and borne the burden Of our sins
If am found guilty of some offence and
a fine imposed upon me and you gene
rously paw my fine. is not the law never
theless vindicated2 II am condemned
to be executed and you offer yourself a
victim in my stead and your offer is ac-
cepted. is not the law vindicated2 Two
things you will see are necessary in this
plan. First an offering by some one. land
secondly an acceptance OF that offering
by me. In the plan OF redemption from
sin, God offers willing victim and asks
US to accept it. Ill you reject IT ard die
in your sins. or will you accept it and be
saved. The choice is With YOU. Sothen
the Christian religion. beyond the testi
mony to its truth and value from SC
many noble witnesses. aecords fully viii
Our own reason and conscience. Many
noble men and women have died in thi:
faith. willing even to suffer martyrdon
for its hope of reward. | leave the past
to history. Our own lamented Alexander
Stephens, man whose mind seems al
most to have absorbed his body. says in
the closing hours of his eventful lite. "a
leading object with me for years. indeed
from my early youth. has been so TO live
so to conduct myself in all things--se
to discharge by the assistance Of Divine
grace all the duties Of this probationary
.erm-as to be ready to leave this sphere
of existence for another, brighter and
better one, whenever the summons FOL
departure may come" The Sage Glad
stone bears testimony. Lee and Jackson
died in this faith. I wish to follow il
their footsteps. 1t satisfies the souf'
longing and aspirations now. and fills Il
the brim the cup Of hope for hereafter.
Do NOT be misled by the mistakes o
Moses or other Christian heroes. Thee
were men. possessing fraiIties common
to mankind. Let Moses and other nebl'
characters perish, the everlasting trutl
vet remains mistaken Read the Bible
though filed with the mistakes and fraii