The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-12-05
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)

from the DcaQ. MARX 16:l-o, MAJ
28:11-15.
(BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.)
TOday's newspaper contains a spe
cial mention of those who have soiVe'
the problem of immortality; ana
those who are deeply, Immediately an,
supremacy concerned in it. They VII
be found in the death notice column
and the first group are those VINO nav
died, and the second group are TN
families and near friends of the dead
No question is more ancient, NOR
insistent, or more profound ana I'M
portant than this one, IF man die
shall he live again?" To some degre
1t is certain at some time or other U
engage the thought of every matur
mind. With the daily dispatches iron
abroad fairly reeking with news o
bloody deaths by the myriad, the prob
lem is one that thrusts itself inexorabl!
into the consideration of even the friv
Olous minded and the needless.
Every poet, every philosopher, hal
specialized upon the theme. The human
mind has always experienced "intima
lions Of immortality" The conviction
that this supreme flower and fruit OF
the universe, the human soul, was MOI
born to fall and perish utterly, and thai
this earthly life is, by many signs
only the preparation for some hlgnel
form of existence lies deep down in the
thinking of every normal person. Aool'
son put the thought into a few lines:
eft must be so.-Plato, thou reasonest
Else whence this pleasing hope. this fond
desire,
This longing after immortality?
Or whence this secret dread ana inward
horror
OF falling into naught? Why shrinks the
Back on herself, and startles at destruc-
ton?
IT'S the divinity that stirs within us;
IT'S Heaven itself that points out an
And intimates eternity to man.
Eternity: thou pleasing, dreadful
thought
How Creed Affects Conduct.
There is surer ground for convic-
ton of immortality than any have
yet cited: and we shall consider 1T a
few paragraphs later. First, though
we need to remind ourselves of some
practical consequences of our belief
upon this subject.
Ii man dies as the dog dies, then the
greatest of all inspirations and inhib1-
lions are removed from the realm OF
morals. 1t is because man is to live
forever that he should live like an i'm
this life is all and then we must adj
nit the wisdom of the injunction, Eat.
drink and be merry, for tomorrow we
die
The chrism of earth's friendships is
the hope of the resurrection which sa-
credly anoints them for two worlds.
All our highest conceptions of love are
bound up with the expectation Of a
life beyond the grave.
Grounded in the resurrection teach
ing is the Christians hope of Christly
character and of future glory. IF We
then be risen together with Christ,
seek those things which are above
Now is Christ risen from the dead.
and become the first-fruits of them
that slept" IF Christ hath not been
raised, then is our preaching vain:
your faith also is vain.'' IF we have
only hoped in Christ in this life. we are
Of all men most miserable"
Light From the Book.
Every day, in every section of the
world. there rage arguments about
religion. Men cannot be restrained
from specializing about this supreme
theme. No aspect of these discussions
strikes an observer as more significant
than the fact that so often men debate
as If there were no authority above
their own reason to which appeal might
be made They talk as though historic
sense;'' and as if one mans opinion
were as good as another. In other
words, they leave the Bible entirely out
of their discussion. and airily put forth
their own immature opinions as if they
were the last word on the subject.
Every reader of these lines has prob
ably heard controversies on the resur-
rection. without single appeal to the
Bible as historical evidence
That makes only one Of two courses
possible. Either the Bible must be
discarded utterly, or else it must be
evidence available up to the present
upon the subject Of the resurrection.
TO reject the teaching Of the resurrec-
ton is to reject the New Testament;
FOR it is full of the fact and of the
Implications of the resurrection of Jesus
Christ And apart from this Book we
nave absolutely no other historical evil
cence OF the raising Of the dead to
life 1 take a concordance and follow
through the words raised" risen
resurrection" and find one hundred
and twenty-three separate references
given to resurrection.
When the sorrow of death enters
a circle of love, it is not to the bar
rem philosophy of the ancients that
we turn for comfort, but to this Book
OF the immortal hope. whose words
or sweet assurance are repeated
0ally over thousands of biers, impart-
ing the light of eternal sunrise to the
dark day of grief
Going the Limit for Man.
Romantic girls want lovers who
Will prove their devotion. Well, true
love will stand uttermost tests. God
commendeth His own love toward us,
In that, while we were yet sinners.
Christ died for U.S." The ultimate
proof Of the love of God for man is
His complete identification of Himself
with humanity in the person of His
only Son. From cradle to grave, and
beyond. Jesus went for loves sake.
he went the limit" to demonstrate
how great is the Fathers love. He
was in all points tempted like as we
are in order that He might sympa-
thetically touch our common human
life and experience.
AS Jesus shared our earthly life