The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1904-06-02
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ITO die Is gain. Phil. /, q.
One must think a long time, and
think very seriously, before he can
see any truth in that remarkable state.
ment. He must continue to think, and
do SO with much broader view Of
life and Of the hereafter than Is usual,
before he can agree with the apostle
God has implanted in us a love Of
life which is strong enough to make
us ayaricious of the very laet posi-
Bile day. If that universal dread Of
death were less strong, we should
either make away with ourselves or
criminally make away with others
under provocation. The love of life,
the sacredness Of life, the right Of
every man to enjoy his liie to Its
uttermost limit of time, is the basis
of at least one Of the Ten Command.
ments. Eliminate this clinging and
you would make it impossible for
human nature to bear its burdens;
for 1t would very quickly seek relief
from them in the peace and silence
Of sleep, While we live, this life is
more important than any other life,
But this love Of life, curiously
enough, must be modified, controlled,
disciplined, by the truths Of religion
before we can enjoy the higher kind
Of happiness. The clinging is well
enough in its way, and 1t has a d.
vine purpose to achieve, namely, to
keep us just where we are until the
One who is wiser than we thinks 1t
time for our removal; but unless we
listen to what religion has to say
about the future, the clinging Is like
a miser's grasp on his dollar; 1t be-
comes a disease, affecting disastrous.
ly that cheerful view Of both the
present and the future, which is the
popularity of the ideal man. Re.
ligion is the greatest boon that ever
fell to the lot of mankind, because
under Its benign influence we are re-
signed to the inevitable while we re-
main here, and look forward to some
thing different and better when we
shall cross the threshold of eternity.
The worth Of religion, therefore, as a
practical factor is beyond the reach
Of computation, and in so far as you
succeed in making 1t practical you
render yourself satisfactory to your.
self and to the world.
Suppose we take the statement Of
this scholarly and critical and logical
Paul and examine it with some care.
1t Is perhaps as startling an utterance
as ever fell from human lips. If he
had said, ITO live Is GAIN" and
had revealed the secret Of longe.
witty, we should follow his directions
gratefully and implicitly; but when
he tells us that at a given period in
our career it is much better to 60
elsewhere than to stay here, we won.
der what his mental and spiritual
point Of view may be, for from our
own point of view we have doubts on
that subject
Still, the present life is important
Why we were born in this lower level
and must fall or sleep before we can
reach the higher level | do not know.
1t Is a mystery and will always re-
main such. But Of this | am sure.
that for some good reason the provi-
dence of God has decreed that a Ger
tain amount of experience and discl-
pline and education is necessary be.
fore we can be prepared for the bet.
ter things to come.
Those who have gone await our
coming. Our own lesson Is not yet
learned, but theirs is; and from their
higher vantage-ground they watch
over us and guard us in ways we
cannot fathom. Some day the call
will be heard, and we shall obey 1t.
The light Of a setting sun gilds the
evening clouds with splendor, the
rainbow spans the heavens, and we
have the rich promise Of fair day
to-morrow.--Rev. George H. Hep.
worth.