Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1909-05-13

manner the air itself is one vast
library, on whose pages are forever
written all that man has over thought
or whispered" Thus we are coming
to know that in. the divine economy
there is no such thing as waste. Cecil
ogists tell us that millions of years
ago, sunlight fell upon a carbonifer-
Gus period, and now in these late cen-
turtles we gather those same beams
of light to brighten the night and
warm our homes; so that In the black
lump of coal there Is packed away
and hidden from sight the light which
was first created by the fiat of God.
And dare we assign a broader destiny
to the material than the spiritual?
We are told that these forces OF ma
ture are stern, unbending and fnexor-
able. sweeping through all space,
binding all worlds and imperial over
all creation; but they cannot bind the
mind that solves the problems. de-
ciphers the hieroglyphfcs. utilities
gravitation, harnesses the trade
winds, subsidies the lightning and
interprets the literature of the stars.
Herein Is the triumph of the soul,
that 1t s~ubordinates matter, plays
upon the keys of physical power, tri-
umphs over the forces Of nature. and
becomes in a lofty though secondary
sense a creator. And must heat,
light, electricity and gravjtatiop
s0o5p Oh fcSevoi, aid the hinl, With
it's full orbed powers. its God-or-
dained attributes and boundless ca
pacity, be shrouded in eternal night?
If matter is indestructible, is not the
spirit of man of more value than
the gain of sand that defies all disin-
t~e3rating agencies? These great
principles Of science are not cited
as positive proof. for science cannot
radically teach immortality of the
soul, since it is founded upon the
discoveries Of the senses; but we do
find in these laws of nature some
striking and significant analogies.
and, studying them, we are comforted
even by their mute testimony, and
our faith is strengthened in the i'm
mortality of man. But again, this
doctrine has been assailed upon the
ground that it is contrary to the i'm
mutable laws Of nature. This argu-
ment has no standing in court, since
immortality is not under the control
OF natural, but spiritual laws. Paul
said, Thou fool, knowest thou not
that which thou soweth is not quick
ened except to die?" Here is an ap-
peal to nature, yet the Christians
faith must stand upon the Word of
God rather than the laws of nature,
Notwithstanding nature is full Of
analogies to help u minds and If
possible to strengthen the foundation
of faith in the future life. Let us
take q few glances at this question
from the standpoint of nature. The
tree, though bare, though covered
with the ice of winter, though there
is no bursting bud. to be seen, yet
when the springtime returns the bud
swells, the leaves reappear, the flow
ers crown the branches and the tree
brings forth fruit after its kind"
Here is an awakening. a resurrection
to glorious life. And Is it not an init
nation that beyond the winter of
death there is eternal spring, where
the soul will unfold in perennial
beauty. and where life shall take on
immortal glory? There Is the cater
pillar, a loathsome thing to look
upon. 1t falls asleep, weaves itself
a winding sheet, and is sepulchred
in it's chrysaIis for weeks. There Is
no sign of life, no indication Of AMI
nation, yet suddenly the chrysaIfs
bursts open, and instead Of the loath-
some wor that fell asleep, there
comes forth a butterfly, which en-
chants us with its beauty. Great is
the mystery. Who a understand
it? Is it not prophetic? Is it not
symbolic of another resurrection?
John exclaims, ut doth not yet ap-
pear what we shah be-" Paul de-
clares, "Our vile bodies shall be FASH
Toned like unto His own glorious
body" Though buried in the earth,
though no block or shaft mark the
resting place of the Christian, Gods
Word for it, he shall rise again, and
If such a transformation is possible in
the life of a worm, who shall attempt
to limit the possible Transformation
awaiting the human body, which is
the temple of the soul immortal!
Surely, it shall come forth changed
sublimated and glori1ed. Nature
does not absolutely prove this, but
her striking a%nalogies all point in
that direction, and we are justified il
accepting them as the revelations O
God. The final evidence, however
of the doctrine of Immortality no les,
than that of the resurrection, rest
upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ
Paul declares Him to be 1.-The frs
fruits of them that Sleep" and again
IF Christ be not risen from the dead
then there is no resurrection of tn
dead; but if Christ be risen from tn
dead, how say some among you tina
there be no resurrection?" He wa
u Heaven appointed prototype. H
came into the world as our fedora
representative, and therefore, sine
/, He assumed a human body and re
sumed that body changed and glor
fled after it had been buried for tire
days, is powerful argument that "
1 also shall share in His resurrection
He met death as our Representative
suffered Himself to be taken capt.,
4 that He might "lead captivity ca
tive" He met death in his own tie
ritory. plucked out his sting, robbie
4 him Of his crown, devastated his er
pire, kindled the star of immortali
: in the night Of death, and three da,
Ie hence, was seen standing upon II
verge Of the sepulchre crowned wi
victory.
i Cup from the grave He arose, 'zss
A mighty victor DER His foes;
h He arose a victor DER the dark domain