The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1905-04-20
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Il b again?" has been the ques-
@ o ton Of the ages, Men have
4 i = tried in vain 10 answer II.
0o9 Philosophers have reaS-
oned. poets have dreamed
great souls have hoped, but all WIZ
out any certainty. The analogies OF
nature, the requirements of justice
the sense Of artistic or scientific UNITY
have shown the probability OF lmmor-
tality, and that only to the few. But
there was no convincing proof or any
thing beyond the grave. Man was an
animal, and like an animal he must
cease to exist. The dramatist, indeed,
had visions Of 4 dreary, shadowy exist
ence in the underworld, but it was
only the life of ghosts, and was not TO
be compared even with the present life.
Most touching, indeed, were the cpl
taphs on heather graves, Farewell
Forever, o Brother" The world was
full of those who longed "for the
touch of q vanished hand and the sound
of a voice that was STILL Difficult, in
deed, is it for us to put ourselves in
the position Of those who knew Of no
future life. The gloom of limited ex-
istence was unrelieved by any back
ground of light. This world was all.
There was no hope. Some few, like
the Stoics, proudly made the best Of
1t and when life became too hard ended
it by self-destruction. Some, like the
Epicureans, adopted tie motto, "Let US
eat and drink, for tomorrow we die"
A rare few, like Plato, hoped against
hope.
The effect of his on morals was ter
rible, and degr; ling. The animus Of
idolatry was e her fear, or lust. or
both conjoined, The unknown gods
were to be pla, ated. at first by offer
ings, and at las; by iniquity.
But when at ,st, "in the fulness of
time," when the world had had time
to prove its heiplessness and the fulfill
ity of its systems, and was ready for
the truth, the light came
Beautiful as vision, sweet as
song, was the story Of the resurrection.
The glory OF the risen Christ be-
wildered the world with its unspeak-
able gladness. Men had not looked for
this. The golden light streamed all
at once through the open gates OF
Heaven. and in that light the enigmas
Of life were clearly read. Human life
was not tragedy, but poem,
drama. where the last act was an end
less life Of glory and activity. The
old faiths were but the broken tomb,
the empty grave clothes, that broken
bands that had blinded and fettered
. human life and freedom. What
wonder then that the disciples eagerly
sped into all the lands preaching the
resurrection. carrying the good news
of the victory over death into the for
ests Of Europe, the wastes of Africa,
the plains of Asia and the isles Of the
sea. What wonder tEat the new be-
lief inspired enthusiasm, extinguished
the pains of martyrdom. and converted
the empire itself. The knowledge of
future life brought rev force into
the world. Modern civilization is the
present but not the final result. Mans
horizort was enlarged until it was
bounded only by inGnitV. The expan-
sive power of the resurrection on hu-
man thought and life can hardly be
measured. Human progress dates from
the resurrection. The burdens of life
are lightened. In the perspective of
eternity, the world assumes its proper
size. Present sorrow may be endured
.1or night if joy conetb IL the morn