Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1911-02-09
Is Life Worth
Living?
~ REV. r. N. HUBBEu
F.sssr 81 cs~sr.s.hs.ai ChareA
M~ayvlls. n. D.

EtNE@NN scGl 10 weary OF ufe.-Jo5
A. see tine Job. with a large happy
FAMILY ssa lived in comfort surround.
90 ~ socSs ant herds and great abun.
ssSce Pat calamity after calamity
e. gpoa hfl- The Sabeans carried
- as oxcn. the lightning fell upon
Is saccF the Chaldeans took away
rs ca1els. a storm buried his sons
a1&er a fallen building. he himself
Vas s-itten from head to foot with
lostAsoue sores. And Job began to
WtsA that he was dead-perhaps he
even thought Of committing suicide.
But calamity stricken Job Is o7ly
Z Of a asst multitude who. crushed
10 earth by the relentless weight OF
adversely. have eked out a miserable
existence. while perhaps the mind has
been crowded with thoughts Of self.
destruction. We are moved therefore
TO ask. with Job Of old and with the
poor wretch. the tragical ending Of
whose life is noted in last nights pa
per.
Now ones answer to this question
depends. not so much upon the expe
r%iences. painful and p~leasurable.
through which he passes. as upon the
significance which he attaches to those
experiences. This is couclusively
shown from the fact that from no
quarter are the answers uniform.
Out OF similar conditions one be-
walls existence while another rejoices
in 1t. From the fires of persecution
there back to our question. now
a positive negative. now as possible
an affirmative. and again a mere cues-
ton point Such different estimates
OF life grow out Of a mans funda-
mental beliefs-they seem often to de-
pend absolutely upon his experiences
the experiences often affect the be-
hefs; but a mans philosophy of Life
Is the determining factor.
One man declares there is no God:
another believes In the Christ reye-
lation Of God-and they reach differ
ent conclusions as ~ whether life Is
worth living.
lake the first man who denies the
existence of a personal God. Then. for
him, there's no conscious. Intelligent
volitional cause for his existence. His
own mental and heart powers are sim
ply unique products Of such materials
and forces as food, water, light air,
heat and electricity. He is but a crea.
ture OF circumstances. developed from
q material thing-call it a protoplas-
mic germ-into a sentient being that
nungers and thirsts. suffers physical
pain. writhes in mental agony.
Moral responsibility is excluded:
there's no moral source for it-no
higher moral to be held responsible to.
TLen there's no obligation resting I'd
on the strong to regard the weak the
midnight rufian IS as innocent as the
babe De murders. groyeling millions
must suffer 10 no purpose. for no di-
rectinS God means no directing pur-
pose To endure for a time Is Of no
avail. for immortality has no mean.
The soul Is but a hgment Of the mag
nation; imagination is but a bubble
oozing out Of brain tissue: human
love merely the -enervescence which
passes on from chemical reaction.
The bald pessiminism OF Won Hart
man and Schopenhauer is a widely ac-
eepted doctrine Of life today Won
Hartman finds no purpose in history:
progress simply increases mans con
seriousness OF the vanity Of life. Schop
enhauer says. To live is to desire.
to desire is to want. to want is to SUI
fer; hence. to live is . suffer.
But the average man cannot escape
the conviction that God lives and
reigns- What answer. then. Toes the
man make who knows only the stern.
relentless God d~iscoverable from IA
turef This man admits a controlling
purpose. The apparent fnvariahleness
Of natural Law seems shut out the Dos.
sibility Of special Providence. Though
biz whole ature cries out 10 God a
prayer. he has no assurarA Of being
heard And he feels the burden Of
sin with no hope OF mercy. Conscience
cries out his guilt. swift penalties fall
ing when physical Iax IS violated sus.
sest dire consequences for the viola
uon Of moral Iax.
To square himself with an angry
God he initiates his body. cousixus
hf children 70 the flames. expects 10
become an Ixyon bound 10 a revolving
wheel. a Tantalus with an Unsuitable
thirst To drown the voice Of cen
science he plunges INTO dissipation or
throws himself into the uruoiI Of
trade. and yet conscience speaks
he tries TO fulfil its hehests. but the
maH, tempted in all points ike as he.
yet without compass or rudder. he
struggles in turbulent waters to enter
= harbor Of safety.
And that harbor NAV be the ve-v
vortex Of a whirlpool for he knows
not his own destiny. To this man who
knows not Jesus Christ. il is 4 real
question whether life be worth living
Job never doubted the existence Of
God. but he knew him not as a faith
er. and in the Tour OF calamity hs
cursed the day Of his birth
To the Christian man. however
there a be only an Affirmative an
swer 20 our question God Is Christ
revealed to him: and he Is borne ire
sistibly onward through all eircun-
stances. murmuring All things work
together for good. Not 4 sparrow fall
eth. Whom the Lord I0veth he ehas-
tcEeth. Adversely yisideth the peace
able fruits Of righteousness. Surely
ae hath borne our zrfefs md carried