The Washington herald., 1909-05-10

Kit Carson Post, No. ,. Grand Army
Of the Republic. held annual memorial
services in the Metropolitan Memorial ii
e Church last evening. Veterans filed
TIE edifce 70 pay tribute 10 their hOnored
dead, and the younger generation also
Joined IN the ceremony.
Post Commander John Middleton read
the Scripture lesson at the opening OF
the service. Chaplain Thomas Il. Mckee
made the opening prayer and delivered
brief eulogy upon tEe dead soldiers
God VIII Reward These Dead Heroes oE
Ours" ard The Veterans Last Song"
were sung b. the church quartet in
recognition OF the service
IN this sermon, which was written for
the memorial service. Rev Dr- Shannon
described man as an unfolding creature
as a progressive being. having life
wrapped within life as leaves in q bud
He said.
Man passes through three distinct
births He rises from one sphere into
another, each successive sphere charging
his horizon and amazing him b. the de-
velopment Of q new order of faculties
folded Up within him.
First n Birth of the Flesh.
Mans first birth Is q birth Of the flesh.
which starts him as an earth-born ami
nal creature upon the plane OF physical
life. The second birth Is a birth from
above-the birth OF which Christ speaks
when He says. 'Ye must be born again
This birth brings man into conscious re-
7 latious with God. into the experiences OF
that divine life which is the end OF mans
f being in this world. as fruit is the end
I Of the tree.
Mans third birth is what We cali
death Death is as much a part Of Cod s
economy as is our being born into this
world Death is not an accidental after
+ clap fo.sJe6 upon the order OF things upon
! this earth II is an original constituent
/ OF the creative plan Of our Heavenly
/ Father. Death Is an orderly step in our
/ evolution
How much false teaching has there
/ been about death9 L has been taught
I that death IS TO part Of Gods origina'
plan. that death came into this world as
7 the result Of sin, as the result Of the
/ trazsgressioD Of a man called Adam as
I the result Of the invasion OF our earJa
/ by an evt force from the outside Al
such teaching is utterly baseleSs- L mas
/ not the shadow OF a foundation in truth
I II IS the sheerest superstition"
Death Has No TerrorS.
/ Dr.. Shannon declared IL was supremely
unfortunate jsat death had been pictured
under the aspects Of horror. as under fE
ures Of skulls and cross bones. OF skeIe
tons with scythe and hour glass, Of hid
eoUs monsters braadishing awful darts
All such pictures are absolutely false
Thousands Of worlds turned into solii
sold" he continued. would not temp
me 10 accept the gift Of physIcal immor
tality upon this earth When We hav,
learned Efe's lessons. why then shoulC
We want 10 stay here as a prisoner. wkeI
everlasting heavens are beckoning 20 Z.
10 come. that we may know what they
mean and how they are inhabited2
/ When We learn 20 look upon death a.
We should look upon IL. as part OF oui
Heavenly Fathers original plan, as birtl
in our evolution toward our great des
tiny. then instead OF shrinking back from
death as from 2 horrible abyss int,
whose fmpenetrable darkness We ar
forced % leap, We can move towsr,
death with the light OF glorious hope il
our face
The caterpillars gather round chrys
ais. a worm-fOrm from which the but
teriy has emerged. They weep as the.
say. Our companion Is dead. here IS IN
IfeIess form But their companion 1
born into higher existence. where. a
a soaring, radiartly hGed butterfly, ]
lives IN a realm of sunshine slipping N
nectar Of flowers Oh. that we nigh
know, when in tears we gather aroun
the Hfeless form Of a loved one and sa.
He is dead. that what We call death !
in The beautiful order OF God birth int
higher realms OF light and beauty. OF nu
sic and victory"