The Canton times., 1902-04-11

word, chief woru Of w ~
upder which conquerors return
victory! Word shouted at Cuiioaen
and Balaklaya and Blenheim, az Me
ciddo and .Solferino, at Maratnon'
shere the Athenians drove back tne
Mades. at, Poitiers, where Cnarles
Nj al broke the ranks OF the sara
Gems: at Salamis, where Ihemis tocie
in the great sea fight confonnaea i.ne
persians. and at the door OF the east-
arn cavern of chiseled rock, wnere
Christ came out through recess ana
throttled the king of terrors ana puI
him back in the niche from wnlcn 'ne
celestial Conqueror had just emergeu'
Aha! When the jaws OF the eas.ein
mausoleum took down the black gian,, :,
death was swallowed up in victory
T proclaim the abolition OF death.
The old antagonist is driven back
into mythology with all the lore about
stygian ferry and Charon with oar
and boat. Melrose abbey and kenll-
,yortb castle are no more in ruins than
in the sepulcher. We shall have no
more to do with death than we nave
with the cloakroom at governors OF
4 nresident's levee. We stop at such
cloakroom and leave in charge OF
servant our overcoat, our oversnoes'
orr outward apparel, that we may not
be impeded in the brilliant rounu
of the drawing room. Well, my trienas'
when we get out of this world we are
Going to a Kings banquet and to re.
cention of monarchs, and at the door OF
the tomb we leave the cloak OF nesh
and the wrappings with which we meet
| the storms of this world. At the close
of an earthly reception, under the
brush and broom of the porter, tne
coat or hat may be handed to us better
than when we resigned it, and the CLOAK
of humanity will finally be returned 10
us improved and frightened and purl-
fed and glorified. -
You and do not want our BODIES re-
| turned as they are now. We want 70
get rid of all their weaknesses ana a.,
A their susceptibilities to fatigue and an
4 their slowness of locomotion. Wewant
them put through chemistry OF soh
and heat and cold and changing sea-
sons, out of which God will econstruct
them as much better than they are now
as the body of the rosiest and healthi-
est child that bounds over the lawn ~
Central park is better than the slckest
patiens in Bellevue hospital. But
as to our soul we will cross right
over. not waiting for obsequies,nde-
! pendent of obituary, into state y es,
ery way better, with wider room ano
yelocities beyond computation, the
dullest of us into companionshlp VIII
!, the very best spirits in their very best
mood, in the very parlor OF the uni
: verse. the four walls FURNISHED ane
= : paneled and pictured and glorltled VIII
all the splendors that the INFINITE Uo'
in all the ages has been able to invent
!, Victory!
This view, of course, makes 1t OF ou
little Importance whether we are ere
= mated or sepultured. If the latter
{ dust to dust, the former is ashes 9
= u ashes. If any prefer incineratlon ie
: them have it without cavI or profess
= The world may become socrowded ina
- cremation may be universally adopte
by law as well as by generaL consen
= Many of the mightiest and best spil
- ~ it's have gone through this proces s. \
- Thousands and tens of thousands
:, Gods children have been cremated-l
=. P. Bliss and wife, the eyangellst
! singers cremated by accident at Asnt'
bula bridge; John Rodgers, cremate
:. by persecution; Latimer and Rldle
y, cremated at Oxford; Pothinus an
.. Blandina. slave, and Alexander,
physician, and their comrades or
mated at the order of Marcus Aureliu
:, at least hundred thousand of Christ
- disciples cremated, and there can
~ no doubt about the resurrection
u their bodies. If the world lasts
~ much longer as it has thus far, the
- perhaps may be no room for the acl
=; age set apart for resting places, .
- there is plenty of room yet, and t
ha race need not pass that bridge OF n
- until it comes to it, The most OF us pl
- fer the old way. But whether out
~ natural disintegration or cremati
hi we shall get that luminous, buoyal
gladsome, transcendent, magnifcei
inexplicable structure called the r
ST direction body. You will have II
nm will have it.
me 1 say to you to-day, as Paul said
ak Agrippa: "Why should it.be though
les thing incredible With you that 9
en- should raise the dead?" That far
ave cloud, higher than the hawk flies, hiI
of er than the eagle flies, what is it ma
de- of? Drops of water from river, oti
cad drops from lake, still other drt
. of from stagnant pool, but now emb
the led in a cloud and kindled by the S
falI1 If God can make such lustrous Gle
Il - Il