Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1907-09-19
Subject: Death.

Brooklyn. N. Y.-Preaching at the
Irvlng Square Presbyterian Church.
hamburg avenue and Weirfe1d
street. on the theme, Death" the
Rev. Ira Wemmell Henderson mas
! tor. took as his text those wnrds
which are found so frequently In tha
earlier part of the Old Testament
scriptures, "And he died" He said
Death is subject of which we do
not like to speak. 1t is a subject we
avoid. The most of us endeayor to
forget that there is such a fact for
US. Many Of us live as though we
nao eliminated it from our lives.
II Is the fashion in the church
nowadays not to preach about death
Win any frequency. For the people
quite largely do not desire sermons
on tnat theme. Ministers forbear to
press nome its consideration. Thew
uo not care to urge men to come to
Cnr1st by playing on the element Of
iear IN their characters. And strange
~ enough death and fear have been
correiatiye terms for generations.
Death used to be a forceful and
popular subject for pulpit presenta
tlon. The divines of a century and
more ago made their lasting reputa-
lions because of their mastery expo-
slt1ons OF the scriptures about death.
Many soul was swung into obedi-
ence 10 God by the impulse of an in
tense and vivid sermon on death.
however unwise it may be to lead
men 70 God and to Christ through
fear OF death, it is much more nm
wise never to bring this fact to their
attention. For the life after death
ort ~
The days that God allots to US here
are but minute fraction of the ages
we shall live, If we be righteous
within Him forever. This life is not
all or life. Nor does death end all.
However difficult and distasteful a
subject death may be to discuss. it
repays investigation and considera-
tlon. We may not care to study #.
10 race 1t. to analyze it. But we
ought.
For death is inevitable. It is GER
tain that as we have come into this
world we shall, In all human proba-
b1l1ty, go out of it. We cannot es-
cape death. We cannot avoid it. We
ought not to hasten it. We must
give 1t consideration. For it is sure
TO come. We do not know the day
or the hour. We cannot forecast the
time: No man can tell the order in
which we shall go hence, you and I.
But the last day will dawn upon earth
Tor each OF us. Rhe chimes will ring
last farewell upon our ears. The
call OF relentless death will ring
through every soul. We NAV not he
able to forecast deaths coming. but
ne will arrive. We may not be abla
to enumerate the order Of ouEgoinr
put we shall go. For death is in
evltable. His coming is inescapable
He stands waiting at the terminus of
every life. And we should not fea,
IT we fear God.
ror death is natural. It is as nat
ural as It is inevitable. It Is as nat
ural as birth There is nothing un-
usual about it however mysterious its
processes may be. It is as natural |
TO Ole as it is to be born. Mon talk |
or death as though it were hiatus, |
Death is not break. It is a method |
OF procession. They speak of death |
as something that ought not to be. |
we shall not discuss that to-day. |
5ut we shall assert without fear of |
contradiction that In the world as it |
Is at present constituted death is a
VaIuable asset to humanity.
For death is not final but tran
s1tlonai It is not a goal. It is. but
an incident in the life OF the soul
as It flies through life into eternity.
Death is not ultimate II is not ter
mlnaE Death is not an end itself.
II 1s not. the last OF life though it
comes at the end of this life. For II
death is final it is at least question
anIe whether 1t were any use to live
at all. If death is absolute and ulti-
mate. It It writes f1nis to the close of
every mans life, then In the words
OF Paul, eof all men most miserable"
There may be use and there may be
wisdom in living simply for the sake
OF living and then dying, with mo
hope Of eternity, with no expectation
OF life beyond, with no promise Of
But. such philosophy,
however sound It may be for some
minds, does not appeal to me- For
am persuaded that we live to some
ereater purpose than Just to die. ana J
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