The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-13
THE LAW OF LIFE

Through two thousands years of Chris tian teaching we have become accustomed to the truth that those whom we call dead are yet alive. This is the burden of our prayers and hymns; our whole religious life is based upon this precious fact. As we pass along this vale of tears we rejoice that the end of it will be beautiful gate which opens out into life-joyous and intending. To! the dead are living! And of courss this is true.
 But it is not the whole truth. We have the habit of dwelling upon those things which are pleasant and of forgetting others, which while more or less unpleasant, are equally true, and therefore should be equally considered. It is fact that those whom call dead are yet alive, but it is likewise a fact that many whom we call living, are dead.
 few years ago the world was aroused by the death of the mayor of Cork. lie committed suicide by the long and painful method of starvation. It was only his body that died. What shall we say of men who starve with equal deliberation their immor- tai souls? It happens continually. The
  laughs and passes on. How can man starve his soul?' it asks. "The soul is im- mortal, a gift from God. You preachers assure us that it never dies"
 But we do not We tell you what God has told us-that it lives when nourished; when it is fed on the spiritual food which God has provided for it's continued life. The other part of our message to which the world has been unwilling to listen is this, 'the soul that sinneth, it shall die." And sin is starvation of the soul.
 Whatever lives, knows law of life. We assume thaat God ordained those laws, since we know of no other source whence they could come. It does no good to quarrel with those laws. Whatever lives must ob- serve them or die. And so it is with souls. The law of life with them is love. They must sometimes drink of tears and be fed with the bread of self-forgetful sacrifice. They are like some plants, which cannot live in isolation, but only in garden where they are surrounded by their fellows. Tt is not good that man should live alone" This primal law applied to soul as we'll as body, and in isolation, I believe the soul dies first.
 There are men who retire from life while yet surrounded by their fellowmen. There are men who say within their hearts that personal friendships and royalties are noth- ing to them; to whom we plead in vain in behalf of the great and noble causes in life. These men still live in luxury at home. They will be deaf to the calls for help that come from a needy and a Goddess world. Why should they make slaves of themselves or the sake of others, or deny themselves that others may have chance for life or happiness? "Oh, thou fool!" says God; ''this night shall thy soul be required of thee!" Not their bodies necessarily; these may continue to live, but their souls. They find the fresh fountains of life running dry within their hearts. The landscape of their lives becomes a scar and withered thing. If ve find for ourselves the life of soul which alone can bring us peace, it must be through love and spiritual helpfuness, for these are he conditions of life which God has wrought nto the texture of the souls of His children.
 MIDDLETON S. FAREWELL.