OCR Text |
Show lousaMDHIuaTBUJ I'aS-tl.lU AVTAI! Tta multitudinous oaeegee of llf surely must oballeoge the attention ol the most Indifferent, particularly that change which Is everywhere arouaJ, and yet deferred by Individual thought, and aoopld ae more posatbls or csrtala for otbra than for ourslves. This falla lo ooon bom whaa marking that marvelous general prscessloo of human birth aad death, which haa been uninterrupted from the beginning, begin-ning, and will only cease when ill Ihoae wbo have bun destined to probation pro-bation on this earth shsll have made lhal trip from a primal oondlllon lo Ihla aether sphere. We oan even look back al our personal per-sonal observations and experleaos, oan count uunumbereil friends and aasool-alea aasool-alea who have "jumped th HI lo wins." We aee a generallea go cut luto the dark, giving no Intimation of tbalr whereabout or oooupalton; no voice of sympathy brings goad cheer from them, ami ao far as human knowlodgu or researoh gees, the deuse curtalu of Ignorance bldea both bailn-nlug bailn-nlug and and. Myriads have bad desire de-sire to know, have with tortured feelings, feel-ings, wtsplng sye and strained nay broken, hearts, Implored and agoulxsd fur lha removal of thla sesl ot Hence, for Ihe rending of tbla ourtalu, fur a glimmer of light 'mid this dsns and settled glo.im; but It has rumalusd as Impenetrable and bewildering to thought or aoleuoa In Ihelr blgheat breadtb of human oul-lure, oul-lure, aato lha moat untutored aavago or Bgea ot the past. Vet with thoaa rare exceptions which aomephllneopbers use to provethe rule, Individual life attaining maturity unJ Kazlug upon its phenomenon, feels In welling ol au Innat foroa which au. gesls tbal doath Is not Ih and. That loagtug, loving bulug which assarts Itself, becomes au all potent in lira-alatlnls lira-alatlnls srgiiinsul In favor ol ootitlnu. hub ll'w. Indued It Is douht'ul whether, ur.u.rbf understood, every I m labia. I good, progressive a.plratioo I not only a memory, bi t a prophesy also of lis gratification, In lower manifestations which are claimed ae simple Inillacts, such ae hunger, thirst, etc. Tbsie Is an Implied provision adequate thereto ao In lb higher realm of ouls dealr Ibat Itself Is a revealing aad an aaiur ane lhal final gratlncatloa must Inav. llauly coma. Tht balong to tb fundamental base of natural religion ; It la the whispering of ao nnaaan 1ml all psrvaillng eplrlt, the suggestion of furth.r reply to the crying needs ol anxious msntallty, and quorle almost a numerous aa Ibe stars ol hesven; for with Ihe Increasing complexities of li t, II responsibilities and demands, de-mands, new furnie of satisfaction anu enjoyment are upplld and tb earn law surely sperale In every department depart-ment of Ihe economy of Uid. Primitive man la Innooenoy and with a narrow earth ex-rleoce bad communion with Dally. Association was n , I debarred, and even In or alter Ibe fall Ihla memory lingered and was transmitted to Ihelr generation. Hut by the flight of lame aad negligence of law, thla became weakened aud would have been lost percbaaoe, bad not nsw reveallngs from Urn to Unas been male, which renewed In part tb fallh If not Ih light of later man who wer our progenitor In th flesh. Hardy in Ihoee almost prsblatorlo ages there wa also a clearer thought ol Immortality, or rather of a III beyond Hits, Ihau In later generations. Hence If (as Ihe orllloa aaaert) to book ol Job I Ih moat ancleutel all lha hooka In Ibe lllble, II I very easy to eeoolude Ihel his expressed Idea In regard to this afterward beceni as meagre and clouded as lha conception of Dilty, for but little mention I made In Iba after recordt, or until "life and Immortality Immor-tality was brought lo light by Ibe Uoa is l' However, If the theory Is carried, thai the Uuspsl waa before 111 law, then doublles tber wa mot or Us of aa uadsrstandlng of the Immortality Immortal-ity of lha eplrlt and the reiurreoilen of the body, though the doctrines may appsar to have bsan subordlnstsd or near unknown aav to the leading or ' spirits of that boat who ware "led oul of J-gyt t by a mighty hand and a stretched out arm;" aad II may alao ba that the seed ot Jaoob at alavee In fcgypl and Isolated from Ihelr masters, beard Utile of Ihelr widespread thought aad faith In the reeusollalloa and glorification of their oberlsked dead. Jetbro, Ihe falbsr-ln-law of Moaea, waa "a priest of Mldlen," and Abraham Abra-ham "Ihe father of lha faithful1' who knewUod and eomethlog of His pur. pees In man, waa descended from Hbem and ootempnrary wllh Mo Chile dev, and Ihui but a tew generations removed; so It la quite probable that Ihe Priesthood of Egypt bold at least torn of lb truth possessed by this mighty skslk, and Incorporated Into tbelr reunion, (even while perverting) aoma sacred truths from this authoritative authorita-tive sonroe. However obscure the material fi r Just conclusions regarding tbeao Ibought-wavea of antiquity, It li ostein os-tein that graat teveallnge belonged to Ibe Masalanlo dlspenssllon, when ths Father sent forth Hie Hon "bcrn of a women," whose wbolo career aad Una of leaching, proclaimed Ih doctrine of pro-existence, of deicenl from Deity, of bumau degsneraoy, and of oreatlve Intent aa marred by cumulative violation viola-tion of law, Inoludlng the fundi-nimtel, fundi-nimtel, Irrevocaole prooeases by which restoration could avr com. IWveallng all these things, paytng lb penally thereof In His being "ualied to the cross," He "broke the bond! of death and bell;" so In His own propria person giving evidence of "Ibe power given unto Hltn" and handing down lo all generations of believers the hitherto unwitnessed, yet startling and triumphant apoltiealt, Inoludlng hla resurrection and aaccn-lion aaccn-lion Into heaveu. Ho long as this msgulflcenl triumph Wat fresh lu history and mada the basis of Christian fallh by living wit. neitee, to long was II Ibe evidence of Divine universality aad tua undoubtedly undoubt-edly unique prool of the tuperlorlty of Christianity over the myaterle of all rellglont, which uuder many guiles mlulstered to tha oravlugi of that deopeaated sentlmeut Inherited In all mankind; yet perverted by priestcraft, sursrslillon and power, until the most savage, tha moat barbaroua rile be-oameso be-oameso engrafted aud established that Ih prophets dsclared a universal wandering from Mod, which made "Ihe dark place ef lb earth full cl cruelly and abomination.'' In cur day although nominally Chriallan, and In Its creed holding lo "the resurrection of the body, and life eternal," there was aud Is In Ihe churches (to sey nothing of society) an Inclination lo doubt; Ibe literal reour-rettlon reour-rettlon bas bsan assailed squally by solonoa and Ignorance, anJ both, dta-credited dta-credited wllh th cbuiohea, Ih plain assertion of Holy Writ. Th old fact had lost It powsr, lb wllnessea had fallen aalaap, and It It ball queried In advanced elrolee of Cbilatendom whether Jesus really evea lived or dlec'l Dlvlue purpose In our dsy rs reverted this Important glorifying truth, personal ministration nf the Father aud His rlseo and exalted Hon, demonstrated again Iba historic although al-though repudiated fact; and furlhsr communication of Ihe Prophet IM f, associated brathren with " fc!' oid .o,tb.M-..IT.n,. or ;;' ; .. 0l. Placed one lr..fr.g.h..T,nthlb. ..,,., ' '! pr.-x..l.uc,.t. Involved !' ' prob.t.on, and If th. fulfillment "l T. al man from Ibe grave,!,, ,h, '""'"ion nul. .ro. " lib ...grads. of ..oryan,.,. ' Z'yT "" ,U, d" II Is because of this Ibat among ihl ! Latter-day H.lnt. ..,., ' -h ch ..., hop 1 nukaoisn . Tb.irl..d.ri ndv.i.,.tll tlw "... M .mil... ara moment.,,,, Tru" lather,. ,n out, I. .own In p. ', moth..., having f,l..d ,b. n..u(? th.lr d.y, aoc.pt, ilm, ., ' j manhood and womanhood when l.J ' , cued at.. out at the .Ign.i , . doubttd wttdom; Infancy I, .,j , k silent oily, and gray balra Walton, u,, ! whltptrof release, not wlthuut ir row perhaps, not without wisiiio, 'i might bo otherwise, owing 0 Wesknaasofthan.sb;tiul all recgu. ' Ingan overruling hand, learnlag , bear meekly and patiently the trial ainl ' ' the cross, end asking, nay Imploria,, ' lhal Infinite mtrcy would I strength equal to Ihelr day." ,' : Thle le not Ibe conclusion of ti t ; fatalist, not the hearllesmtM t, j j the Hole, not the luuifl.r.nrw of lb unlivllever, not Ih liitlut0l, j ol tradition, nut Ih cajolery ol priests' j bulll It that divine assurance which' f 1 I begotten of faith and obedient, brought homelo the beaut by lbs In! dwelling of th Holy hplrli, and Mlb. Ilahedby all eiiwrlcuo which walls patiently for tbat manifestation anil consolation which finally enables lo aay, "Th Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, bletted he the ntot of the Lord I" There Is Inolu.lsd la this fallh and confidence, Ihe guano-ty guano-ty af ra-aeaoclation. r'risndibip formed, aoutal tlee and family cllalloos created under legitimate covenant Bud sssled Ihtough Ihe Prleilbuod of Uod ly Ibe Holy Hplrit of pronlse, ara aas-quale aas-quale to ail allaollon and rlgtitenui ambition, lothaljlba darketl nieinsnti, the ttrangttt elrcumtlauces, the most unexpotd providence., and the tp. prutly moat grlavoua losses, hrcoroe eancllrled and aoe ld in Iheiplrlt of f rlghloua retlgnillou tod unliileilng j trust, aad Iba mutt itdly btreaved heart tcboei the wonli of Ihe poet.who wrote: t Tn.-.'s ae lurk Ihiae as d.aih . f.s: I liisu.i tiia la Hi. i.. ...i .f .. a, i Tl.-.uah rli.iias UI, a-.ls.lf.s s.ro utar trrst f H i.ors .r uuinlj.ol.ui. ir. ,f V Ttirneirti all III. arsed renlr.illsl d inisit I Lit. rsi.a i..:ci.dii, J:i. ai uuBd, t Laa. oul us bilBr taat.,-. troaadl I |