The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-04-13
Rev. Stephen F. Sherman Takes Fol: His Theme ''Resurrec- lion Confirms Belief In Fu- lure Life"


 Rev. stephen Fish sherman
 New Rector of St. Johns Epis-
 cOpaI Church
 Jesus Christ not only procIains the existence of a future life; he denon-. Estrates it', declared the Rev. stephen Fish Sherman. new rectorof St. Johns Episcopal church in his Easter day
 sermon yesterday, the first he has preached since he was schosen rector l<tChrists he said. .swelds into perfect l shape not only the doctrine of i'm mortality, but lik ewise the fact of i'm l mortality Instincts are Natures s, l prophecies foretelIing possibilities and coming events. So far as we are able. to discover they are infalaible guides | and so far as is known there exists no 1 nation kindred or tribe but what has present in it in some form the instfnc-
 tive belief in a future existence. | A congregation that filled every I seat IAeA cnuIChf STo6lede tlee new rector at the o'clock service yes l terdaya morning. The church was l beautifuIIy E decorated with flowers 1 typical Of Easter tif1le The chance1 1 rails. pulpit and baptismal font were l hidden in banks Of Easter lilies and palms. aims and lilies were used for tdecora tons in other parts of the chure Over the memorial tablet to | the late Nath Aniel Wheeler were
 two palm branches tied .sWith white. crepe.
 s Rev. Mr. sllerrnans made a very pleasing 3n1prsssion cn his congraEa | stion lag- of EaQn heard hi m prt Aclns syesterday for the first lime. F5s# is 1 forceftll convincing and e1o-s 1 duera4 His annunciatiOn was perfect land without effort he seemed to make
 himself heard and understood in all. partsSof the church.
 4 The theme of his sermon was the resurrection as confirming man sbe- l lief in a future life His argument l was deep. sound and logical yet easy Ito follow and understand.
 At the conclusion of the service many of the parishioners expressed thenseIvess as highly pleased. both with the new rector and the sermon. The celebration of Holy ComI1un | took place at T. 90 A. M. Maths, the sermon and the second celebrations | of Holy Communion were at E l-oscIock.- | The text and sermon follow l ..J esus Christ, who hath abolished 1 death, and hath bEoug life. and ir11-s mortality to light through the Gos-s
 pel.,s2 Tinnothyt1 10.
 The religion of Jesus, Christ stands | at the door of the sepulchre and sends out into the darkness blended note of vindfcatIon and triumph. It her. aids. first. the truth of CIrlst's affIr-s nation of the existence of a future life. That life, is something which is by Him, not only distinctly taught
 as a doctrine, lived out as demon stration is action, but it is likewise isomething which Is by Him always | and everywhere assumed as being .. se1f-evident truth. Says modern l writer: Jesus Christ seems always conscIous of the great over-wof1d. It l lies ever before his mind like a noble 1 landscape. familiar and seen since 1 birth and by reason of that vision splendid what comes to us by very slow processes was to Him an uncon- scioils knoxIedge' Yes but the va1I1 e us by these very slow processes is part l of the triumphant note sounded by the fact of His resurrection. It heralds the validity of mans argu rnents in favor of the belief. These have lacked 1 the weight swIic h might be given them < crete example This is the resurrec-7 l ton of Jesus Christ supplies It shows 1 that death is no real interruption Of 1 life, bue merely an incident in exis- I tence What other men fafntIy felt, 1 that which other men hoped might be 1 true,s that which poets, philosophers 1 and sages asserted must be truesits con- i firms. J esus Christ not only proc1aiIns
 the existence of future life; He deIn-a onstrates it. He welds into perfect
 shape, not only the doctrine of immor- 1 tality, but likewise the fact of irnTnor-
 tality. He proves that%in death noth-| ing is abruptly. broken off. The res- surrection does not create immortality
 for any man; it brings it to light as
 a fact in man 'ssnature.
 In-the matter of framing 2. sllitabIs 1 working doctrine of immortality, it has
 been said that mans arguments serve as approaches, but that God only can build the bridge. What, then, are l some of the human approaches to the ISbei1ef2 Consider two.
 Scientists, within the past few years l have been Interpreting anew the in-s 1 stinctss of animals, insects birds and man. and, after much careful study lsthey tell us that instincts are Natures prophecies foretelling possibilities and coming events, and that, so as far they are able to discover, instincts are in- fal1ib1e guides. They push uncon- sciols purpose to unconscious result. They work without knowledge or de- Liberation or training. with a previs- ion and precision which utterly tran scends the highest efforts of reason They are blind forces They are the batto lnn1ost thing in animate nature.