The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-16
"Where Will You
 Spend Eternity ?"

Dr. James E. Dillard preached a ser mon of unusual interest at the Southside Baptist church yesterday morning before a large congregation, using as his text: "Whither goest thou?'' John 16:5.
 Two heart-rending questions of the patriarch Job find their answers in the triumphant Christ: Job asks If man die shall he live again?' Christ answers, Because live ye shall live also" Again Job asks, Man dieth and wasteth away; yea man giveth up the ghost and where is he?' Christ answers, Where I am there shall my servant be also"
 There is an eternity and we shall spend it somewhere. Men in all ages have be- lieyed in a life beyond the grave The pious Jew believed in Abraham's bosom the mystic Egyptian told of the Garden of Osiris; the philosophic Greek sang O. Elysian Fields; the hardy Norsemen hoped for the Halls of Valhalla; and even the poor, untutored Indian dreamed of the Happy Hunting Grounds. It seems unreasonable that all these people should be mistaken and all mistaken about the same thing.
 The heart of man longs for a future life and his conduct here is largely in- fluenced by it's anticipation. But no or ganism responds to imaginary stimuli Living things respond 90 reality. If the heart of man feels after things beyond the grave, we have good reason to be- lieve there is reality there. If God never tells lie to the bird, the bee, the beaver we may be sure he will not put the desire for immortality in the human breast and then disappoint it.
 Modern science has taught us to be- leve in the conservation of energy. We are told that matter and energy may change their forms but can never be de- stroyed. If we must believe in the per- sistence of matter and energy, surely we are warranted in believing in the per- sistence of the force of personality.
 Materialists, quick to jump at conclu- sions, once disturbed many weak in the faith and weaker stSli in reasonable pow CTS by the assertion that mind is the result of brain activity and that as the music ceases when the music box runs down so the personality dies when the brain ceases to function. We are told that the body changes once every seven years and that the brain changes twice every year. That is to say that in my 40 years of life I had had some eight brains, and that there is not particle of the brain I had when I was 20 years old in my present head. Yet only yes- terday I took up book written Tn foreign languauge that I had not opened since I was a student in college. l read only a few lines until the story came back fresh in my mind, though I had not thought of it in years. That is to say am the same personality with the same reason and memory that I had when | had brain number forty. Now, if my personality has persisted In spite of the loss of 80 brains, it is reasonable to ex- pect it to survive the loss of another.
 The innate sense of justice demands another life. If there is no life beyond where the inequalities of this are recti- fled then we feel something is radically wrong If there is no life beyond there ought to be- For me the last word IS what Jesus says. He seems to know He is earth's religious genius. He said he came from the Father. He said, "Ye shall live"
 Where we will spend eternity Is of far more importance than where we will spend time. Where we are going Is more vital than where we came from; the first question is the concern of science. the second is the interest of religion. Common sense as we'll as religion de- clares we shall spend it in one of two places or conditions. The law of gravi- tation holds in the spiritual realm as well as in the physical. When our spirits are freed from clay they will gravitate toward Jesus or they will be repelled and go away from his presence. Business acumen suggests that while the sheep and goats may run together for time, the hour of separation will come. Common justice demands that the criminal be separated from the law abiding citizen These shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal"
 Where we shall spend eternity will de- pend on what we do with Jesus. am speaking to you who have had opportu- mites of accepting or rejecting him af- ter you have considered his claims.
 Where you will spend eternity Is not determined by who your parents were or the influences to which you have been subjected, nor even by your morality. God wants every man to have an equal chance. Whether you are very good or bad may be the result of heredity and environment God is just If you will accept Christ and follow him God will give to you a new heredity and a new environment. There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.
 Where you will spend eternity will be In this life. The Bible knows nothing of tho so-cailed larger hope or a second chance. The pursatories arc borrowed from heather sources and find no warrant either in the letter or spirit of the Book. Now Is the day of salva- tion." Today if ye will hear His voice