The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1904-08-31

JOsepcus Stepnapf pastor or Marvin
Memorial NJ. E. Churcn, South. His
text was Job II, 4: "Skiu for skin;
yea, all that he hath will man give
for his life." He said, in part:
"We have the Scripture statement
that the devil is liar and the father
of lies; but even liar can sometimes
tell the truth, as does this arch liar
in .he words of the text. That a man
will give everything he has for his
life is self-evident truth, and corro-
borated in the experience of all man
kind. Truth is the same, it matters
not who may utter It, and hence the
devil may be taken for an authority
as to the superlative value of life.
"The love Of life is q God given,
universal instinct. The lowest saw
age possesses the law Of self-preser-
vation, and will defend his rights and
interests, but as we go up the ascend
ing scale there is q greater value and
appreciation Of The privilege Of living.
So powerful is this instinct that no
sacrifice is too grea5 to preserve our
physical life. Convince a man that
the only way to save his life is to part
with any OF all Of his limbs, and he
does not hesitate moment rather
than to be buried with them all. We
feel this passion for life before we
can appreciate it's worth, or estimate
the evil of the loss. Age does not
diminish it; misery does not extinguish
it; during all the years Of natural life
it holds us like the stem the apple on
the bough.
"But this instinct was not given
simply to preserve the mere physical,
sensuous life for its own sake. Life
has in it higher valuation than mere
ly b .eathing and sleeping and eat
ing and drinking, enjoying and suffer
ing, working and obtaining. That
would be desperate estimate of it,
and yet that is all that it means to
the great masses.
"One class adopt, consciously or
unconaciously, the materialistic view,
making life physical in its birth, ply
sicel in its sims and ambitions, and
physical in its death, while different
in degree from all other animal life,
yet in the ultimate end on the same
level. The thought Of the other class,
whose view is a logical result Of our
commercial age, is what is man
worth, not what is he? What can he
produce, not what good can he accom-
plish2LT This is shown in the aims and
ambitions Of multitudes for themselves
and their children, as they operate on
the low plane Of mere earthly and COM
meroial success.
This pre-eminent. value universal
ly placed on life is to be found in it's
relation to the eternal world. ''Tis
not all Of life to ive,3 nor all Of deeth
to de- This is proclaimed within us
all, but it was left to Christ to bring
to light life and Immortality. This
is the mere preclude to our true exist
enoe. TO conclude That this life is
ali---lifes has reference alone to the
present--would make life most con-
temptible, trifing matter.
But when We adjust him, as he
rightly belongs, 20 future world,
then we have a solution to the enigma.
His being, and It's conditions and em.
ploynents and expectations are in
telligible. AS aoon aa we see ths.
the present is only introductory to
the future, and draws after it's end
less consequences, all is tremendous
~ grand, ant !;se has omit infinite
value. AS the founGssion is impor.
tant in proportion to ihs buildings,
height and grandeur, 40 LIE is to be
estimated by. the grandeur and the
permanencs Of its effects.
HChrist's warnings Of danger are not
directed TO momsntary dangers Of
time,iwith which We wrestle, but the
peril of losing our soul. Fear not
them which are able TO kill the body,
butare not able TO kill the soul; but
rather fear him which Is able 70 de.
stroy both soul and body in hell.'
This was the basis .of his mediatorial
vofkn dying to save ps from sor-
row or ether disabilities Of life mere
". but final and eternal loss, and to
siva us the perfect bliss 81 heaven.
Godigives us his estimate of our value
In deeming him worth the infinite
sacrifice Of hiss son. ~