The Minneapolis journal., 1905-11-19

'Henceforth there is laid up for me crown
judge, shall give me at that day; and not tome TO me
only, but unto all them that love ms appear
ing.''-II. Tim, w., s.
~ HERE are many cherishing the hope Of Of
Immortality who yet innocent OF
the expectation that another world will
hold in store for them the Dement'S
which they did not receive and probapiy ald NOT
merit here. The passionate yearntng of the hv-
ing to be assured Of life beyond the grave is
based on something deeper than the desire to
get something for nothing. They are seeking no
Men no longer delight in the felicities of a
fancy paradise. We are little concerned with
golden streets, with wings aud harps and all
the other uncomfortable furnishings OF the
cruder pictures of the blissful future state. We
have ceased to wonder whether we shallf be per-
fectly happy there. Men are not wont to bear
their burdens and do their work by the promise
of place where neither burdens nor fOils are
known. So. .-rs'r,ssS > lrEg% '-
Neither do men hope for heaven because they
are eaten up with the dread Of hell. Few today
are much influenced by that fear. Terror1Z1ng
men into piety Is no longer practised. We know
the effects Of love last longer than those OF fear
1t is better far to lead men to wish 10 90
right than to force them to fear TO 90 wrong.
| Why then, should men seek immortality, see
ing they think little either of a heaven to be
won or a place of torment to be summed? we
want to know whether we shall live and what
that life shall be because one Is satisfied
to lay down a piece of work unfinished The
passion for Immortality is the desire to complete
! things,
labor the crown of its own completion, its per
! fection and Righteousness.
No man ever saw his work fully rounded out
here. None ever looked over the tasks of life's
day without wishing he might attempt then
once again. So many imperfectlons, so many
things that could be done better now that the
hands have acquired the skill of experience ant
the heart its enrching wisdom. AS soon al
we have learned how to live we get ready t.
die. This is a strange school; where and whe'
shall we put all its lessons to use?
If this is the place of training, somewher
the workshop must be. What worth were al
life if its accrued wisdom never can be used
Is it strange that cherishes the hope o
time and opportunity to carry cut tn
best he has planned and dreamed. to finish al
that he has but begun or drafted out here1
| Imperfection. incompletion Is upon all thing
here. The riches of friendship, of human lov
never reach all their ripeness; it seems as tn
gone. Is it strange we long for a summer tim
long enough to ripen our friendships to perfec
ton? Strange would it be If we could let thes
joys lie where death has cast them.
Most of all is this true Of the pursuit Q
character. The good man dies full Of honor
but emDtied Of all self-satisfacton. He know
how great are the glorles yet unattained. Will
men think he has earned the crown of righ
eousness he knows he is beggar in rags
His great hope Of the future is that it ma
afford the opportunity for him to be the goot
the great, the pure. the godlike he has seen an
longed for in his best moments here.
Somewhere there must dawn a day fairer tina
this. In land where all things shall fulfil the
promise. The longing for that day and land
, not the desire for for the gross pleasure
Of the oriental paradise. 1t is the fruftae
of our passion for progress, our longing Il
right, dissatisfaction with our imperfe
selves. discomfort with any thing short of tt
royal life of righteousness. t.''t
We would live where visions shall be cleare
] where right and truth shall ever be regnan
where we shall have overcome the dragon nj
shaken off the mire, and we shall be what G.
meant to be, the sons Of the kingdom.