The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1913-03-24
IMMORTALITY THEME
OF COSHEN'S SERMON
Congregational Pastor Deliv-
ers Easter Day Address to
Large Crowd.

All through the natural world death
precedcs life and the life that follows
death in the natural world is OF
higher type and noblcr worth. And
unless Immortality is a fact then man
is the one exception In all the realm
OF nature
Arguing for the immortality OF the
soul from the viewpoint of one who
refuses to accept revelations or be bounc
by dogma, the Rev Elmer ]. Goshen yes
terday morning preached an eloquen
Easter Day Sermon TO the largest congre'
cation ever assembled Ia the First Con
gregational church.
That the man who thinks cannot be
lieve merely because someone has tolc
him what to believe; that those to WHOM
the question does not appeal live so com
pletely on the animal plane that they arr
little more than body at best-"to tht
earthworm type OF man the argument:
for or against immortality mean very lit
ue," were thoughts with which Dr.. Gosh
en- prefaced his main argument He saiC
in part;
We know only a few things Sc, so
So very. very little. But one thing
we do know. We live in a universe
that is guided by law: law that Is
constant.
But some say: 'Yes. we all know
that law rules the universe. but how
do you know that there is any power
such as you call God back of the
law" We know IL just because
there Is law. Law isn't self exist
ent; law never was the creature OF
chance; law is the expression. more
or less perfect, OF thinking mind
And when we find perfect express
sion OF law, as we do In the universe.
then as a matter of mere Intelligence
we know that there is a lawglver
great enough to account for the law,
Either God Is good or there there Is con1S h9
govern universe that in every, part
rejects fidelity devotion and In
teerity. God is good
The speaker eloquently reviewed IN
evolutionary steps OF man through th'
ages with It's cost and struggle and con
tinued:
If you deny that all this is making
for immortality, then YOU ask US 10
think that suddenly nature has re-
Suddenly she destroys all the work OF
millions OF years John Fiske tells us
that the next logical step In the cos
mic process is physical death, prepar-
atory 10 a new flight ana q larger
growth of the soul.
Unless immortality IS a fact, then
man Is the one exception In ell the
realm OF nature. And i ask you 10
son, not one, for supposlng that this
is true II law rules everywhere IN
the lower realms; 81 higher life and
development follows death In all the
processes OF nature up TO man, then
there is every reason Tor knowing
that the law does not break down
when II touches the highest creature
OF natures handiwork.
The argument is all about us. Each
ouiyering leaf, each blade OF grass,
each tender flower that came because
the seed was willing to die. each tinY-
cell Of the life lower down that
through death IS climbing to sentient
pulsing life-all this Is saying to you
and to me:
''Thls corruptible must put on In
corruption. and this mortal must put
on Immortality
Eternity cannot be thought OF as an
outburst of spiritual splendor un-
speakable and altogether new, either.
here or elsewhere. but kind OF
dawning day experience begun paok
In the unillumined hours OF infancy
and carried on through the ever
Frightening pages of a volume that is
without finis So that we are there
now. We are in heaven today TO the
extent that heaven is In US. to the
extent that we are charmed with love
for that which is true and passion FOR
whatever is sweet and holy In truth
and in life.
This is part Of fhe Fathers house
and here are some Of the mansions.