The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-10-21
A LAY SERMON.
BY A LAYMAN.

BY A LAfMAN.
e'If the immortal Is also imperishable,
then the soul VIII be Imperishable. as
we'll as immortal, but il not, some other
proof of her imperishableness will have
20 be given
mo other proof is needed he said.
FOR If the immortal being eternal. is
liable TO perish. then nothing Is imperish-
able"
Yes" replied Socrates. "aII men agree
that God and the essential form Of life
and the immortal viii never perish
Yes, all men, he said, that is true,
and what is more. Gods, II am not mis-
taken. as we'll as men. Seeing then that
the immortal is indistructible, must not
the soul. If she Is immortal. be also i'm
perishable? Most certainly, Then when
death attacks "A man the mortal portion
Of him may be supposed TO die. but the
immortal goes out of the way of death
and Is preserved safe and sound. True.
Then, Cebes, beyond question, the soul
is immortal and imperishable, and our
souls will truly exist in another world
The text is from Platos dialogues.
Pheada)
Plato, whose real name was Aristotle.
was born ass years before Christ. His
arguments for the immortality OF the soul
are regarded by many as the ablest on
that subject.
We know nothing whatever about the
next world. Those who accept the Chris
tian revelation most heartily must admit.
with St. John, that 1T doth not yet APP
pear what we shall be"
Christ taught and His disciples believed
that the soul Of man is immortal ana does
not die with the body. ST. Paul summed
up Christs teachings on the subject Of
immortality when he said that he had
abolished death" Man has always
chafed and argued over this ignorance.
Upon the dark backgrounds of the fu-
ture the religious examination, aided by
the inner light Of conscience. throws
beautiful and sometimes terrible pictures
But as the ages go on, these pictures
dissolve and change We know that no
human knowledge can pierce the darkness
Which divides this world from the next,
and as the years grow, We gain wisdom,
bat not certainty
and hell are fast fading away. The once
conventional heaven has failed TO satisfy
the hopes and aspirations of man. and all
conceptions Of the everlasting fortunes Of
the damned have faded before q new con-
sisteney Of thought which cannot recon
Gle eternal punishment with the "knowl-
edge and love of God
our forefathers looked forward to ever
lasting rest and uever-ending worship:
and some to a happy and prosperous life
tn perfect governed and healthy city.
Sometimes. inspired by a love of nature,
they dreamed Of something like the
Elysian fields, but to-day. the normal
man does not desire rest. as IL is usually
understood, Rest suggests death. and all
admire a more abundant life. To most
healthy tOdies and healthy minds effort
itself Is delightful If men do not need
TO make an effort for living they viii do
IL for mere pleasure. Successful efforts
brings more happiness than anything else
The thought of everlasting worship sat
isfies fewer and fewer people every day
IL belongs TO an age when men thought Of
God as q kind Of King. VINO took perpet-
ual pleasure in homage. These sang OF
Sweet Fields Beyond the Swelling Flood.
and found Tefreshment in the thought.
but in this age, no one desires TO live
forever wandering among the fields.
The thought Of an ideal civic life is stiH
attractive. but the heavenly Jerusalem
brings thoughts rather Of Eutopia than
Of proper conceptions Of the life here
after
Our clergymen still pray against ever
lasting damnatiOn' and the desire to get
rid Of the worm Of remOrse that dieth
not" but their prayers, however earnest.
no longer bring visions Of the everlasting
burning pit. Such visions would be called
to attention these days, rather by Dante
divine comedy than by any church serv-
ice To-day other hopes charm us, and
We are restrained by other and different
fears
Perhaps in the next generation these
may change. Conditions Of life are
always changing. and the conceptions to
which we now look for consolation are
also changing.
Yet these pioUs opinions Of the past. the
outcome as they are. OF a spiritual pre-
occupation more concentrated than any
thing Of which the present age is capable.
are not without their value.
We may smile reverently as we look
back Crowns and cities. feasts and sweet
fields all melt away Still the words OF
Christ, which can never pass away. while
human nature remains sound IN our
hearts 1t is the spirit that QUickenetn.
the flesh prohteth nothing.
That men viii cease to dream Of what
they cannot know, we do not doubt Every
age will embOdy its hopes IN a new de-
scTipuon OF heaven.