Show WHAT IS ETERNAL LIFE c ah iha great question by prof apperley AT THE PHILO MATHIO an able lecture delivered bufore boford the of odthe the brigham youa bouas college in logan lefore before proceeding proceed ing to the question I 1 I 1 am impressed to offer a few words by way of introduction As the ord progresses new questions are faling ailiff themselves for solution both to tile student and to the p philosopher amono among other questions we may mention what has been the effect of infidelity and materialism upon man what has christianity done for the progress of tile the world what is theology what is true spiritualism what is chretian Chri tian science what is tle origin and ce stirly of man what is ii li 11 1 I nil jill life the study I 1 have given to the above question and the eloquent lectures to chic i I 1 haya hava listened have so eo ft f strengthened 0 and deepened my faith in the religion of my parents and broadened my my love for humanity I 1 would sa say y to my friends be not too ready to acce accept T t new theories es that are presented and do not con damn what you have not investigated g a ted B be e not de deceived C ei V e d wit with h appearances pe arances do not take the shadow for the substance the earth with all its physical productions ale aie but transient materialized things the deeper and enduring 0 realities lie near us but beyond L the be reach olour of our senses sense nan man is related to the matter world to the the mind world und and to the world of necessary realities ile he is part of the seen been and part of the unseen tie ire should not think of hia bia body as himself As wo we are the children of god goa I 1 cannot think that we are totally bad and depraved is as was expressed by nn an eloquent divine a few days ago in in our beautiful city I 1 do not think that the mind of man can conceive conceive of the wonderful possibilities bili ties and power of the soul I 1 believe that the world is growing sweeter and purer and better A moie gioie divine light i lit is shedding itself upon the understandings of men to what fairer realms or brighter wor worlds ids we ire are tr traveling avelin 0 we know not but it is enough J for us to know that every pure thought C and lofty aspiration lifts us into a clearer atmosphere let la us now consider our question what is eternal life tho the problem of life including b its origin and essence is not known knolin to mortals valentine has bas advanced the theory that the life force was the last to appear upon our earth and that the t time ime may come ichen it may vanish from our globe lobe and leave the chomi chemical caland and the physical forces victors upon the field it appears to me that this life fo force ace aidt mist be an uncreated eternal forcer force that precedes all organization it seems reasonable to suppose however that it j nay may disappear from the earth the chemical forces might then as they do in the human body after the vital forces cease cause the earth to die or pass through a change iu in order to fit it for the abode of all the that have been born upon its surface although we ive do not know what life is we know many of its characteristics acte the life lifa force collects and arranges physical elements and evolves what aie we call 0 growth crowth this torce force uses molecules cells and tissue in hi forming organs and creating orga organisms it uses the principle of mechanism in creating organs V for its own use this life force must be superior to chemical action because it takes control of the chei chemical vical elements and directs them it is not till after the life force withdraws itself or vitality ceases cases that chemical forces can p pull ull down or destroy so long ap as aa there is growth or production ia in pl slant ant or animal the vital forces force dr supreme when the vital forces cease both growth and production cease and till the elements are arc under um V r the law of lower or oF weaker forces W this life presents itself in man many y shapes but in all its creati creation on 0 I 1 plainly manifested final cause or design fles igia may be deenin the millions of shapes that lifo life assumes assantes tes from the tiny plant up through all the Es through which life is manifested ilia afes ted till exalted man is reached ched the many kinds of life may be known by their shapes and characteristics the purpose and end of its adoption and what it ts sub ubE serves erves the nv whole hole realm of organic nature te teem crill with industries of this life force the earth is the theatre of their crowded activity they aru are omnipresent and ca cless they move forward in cout aless lines of systematic productive work they are adjusted to an intelligent order and to rational and intelli intelligent ent ends they clothe the ground with tho the green c and glory of millions of plants and flowers and useful products they manufacture food for the to io my myriads reads of sentiment senti Renti nent beings that fill the earth and tile the air in a higher range the life force pohn lates the earth with a animals possessed of organization adapted to their place and prepared for an all existence istance cx ex of enjoyment from etli N hat it has been said paid it can call be seen that the life of the plant or the animal is not the plant or the animal or the result of any physical or cher action this life force as well as each individual life is rise also somewhat different from what is meant by 7 eternal life when applied to man as an intelligent asive being the scriptures declaim lit in the account at given of the creation that god created every plant of the field before it was in the baith and every herb of the field before in grew this agreed with what we have eaid did regarding ding life proceeding grow growth th and production tile the scriptural P definition of eternal life is as follows chis is afe li e etea eternal nal that they may know thee the true god and jesus christ whom thou lia lial hast L pent fent we ave find from this definition th that at eternal life consists of ill much ch more than eternal existence were it possible for man to live forever with his present environments it would not be eternal life man ian can call not know god until lie he is placed in other environments than those of this earth life the idea of eternal existence is implied in the definition but the emp emphatic batic words the deeper meaning is is 1 expressed it the to know god man alan is unable even with the aid of religion and philosophy to know god the wisest and best ofin of mortals have but it 11 faint conception i of the attributes of 1 i supreme being but is as man is ii in an eternal progressive 0 being lie is ever n nearing earing 6 that lit in his development when lie he hall shall t know god As soon is as man shall reach tills this point his eternal life will commence it may inay tike take millions of years to reach it for lie he must become like unto god before he can call know hini him earth it life fe may be consider ul as one page c in in mans mails existence on this page deeds of virtue and self may be recorded such a recording r with a life struggle L for the he good and tile tha true advances adeane es the immortal part of man far on the road of progression towards eternal life if immortal if mortal 0 lite life is pent ebent in pleasure or sin little or no pro progress lesii is made the virtue and intelligence 4 and spiritual power attained to in this life is so much capital gained with which pro progression may be made in tile the 11 life fe beyond every man is ie the architect of god is just the superior advantages es that thai some men beem to have in this lite life over others can call not be atzie result of chance the coming of spirits to mortality must be ba governed by bylaw law would not liot this law at assign sign to t the most worthy spirits better surroundings roun dings 0 lor for development and d a broader environment tornow to know in the definition of eternal life seems to include the deanin meaning of the two words correspondence pon dence and environment this is illustrated in each successive 6 tep step that nature takes the little plant that seems cems to come into existence but for a few days day has but a few tiny roots root these hese stretch buta but a short distance through h the soil and remain but a short time we ive thus see that the little plant corresponds with but little in nature and its environment arl nt are very narrow the stately oak that withstands the summers heat and the winters storm sends its roots far into our mother earth for nourishment its branches tire arc spread beut to the air air and sunlight it corresponds with more in nature than the tiny plant and it lives longer in its broader environments it knows more inore in ili passing pacing from plant life to animal life a wide gulf is crossed the the little bird lias has the power of locomotion jt can efi much df 61 earth and sky it feeds upon the seeds of many pl bant it cornea comes in con contact tact with ingre of nature talin av aay I 1 thant plant but its it corns i ce las has a limit an and d its ils eni are not continual it knows much of life but nothing eternal life tile the lowest lovet love t tap of man uye and aind subdue much I 1 nore moro of nature than any animal the barbarian bir barim ulso knows bom something ething of the llie world of thought lie ile knows little however of alth abo moral world und and lek leih of the yet lie is a human being in state of progression b advancing towards a hi hiher higher her life that may lead up to ebern et ernil al life the highest types of nian man tire are in correspondence with the physical world and his environments take in much of the universe he also knows somewhat of the inird world a little of the moral world and le he ada me t is occasional glimpses of tile the spirit world hut but if man knew all or of nature and could understand every law of thought and could claim eternal ex exis istance lauce lie he w would 0 uld still be far short of eternal life the physical world is not a hecei i iry reality for other bein beings b than elior mortals ta I 1 s so its co correspondence with pi ve man mail may cea cease e ne tl lr r a knowledge of the ini mind nil world i orli nor the t cirit world can give five man a knowledge e of god or of jesus christ whom choin he he lus has sent sen t if we N e defy law mind or matter matt erwe we are but the lawmaker must fiust be higher than the law and ami the creator must be above cheated things dolime to eternal life man mail I 1 must n usi be put iu in correspondence with what is perfect and nd enduring ilia his environments must include nature and natures god these two con editions ili lions bein being 0 reached and eternal existence sec secured ared man mail will have eternal life ve e can now understand the definition of eternal life as given given by mr herbert spencer it is as follows eternal life is ia uninterrupted correspondence with a perfect environment thib Thie definition of eternal life was 0 given iven without any reference to religion A but it exactly at agrees 0 rees with the scriptural definition henry drummond comments upon th this definition as follows it is one of the most startling ri achievements ot of recent science to tho the reli religious ious mind this is ia a contribution of eminence moment for ei eighteen heeen hundred years only ono one definition dehui tion of eternal life was beffie the world now there ate arc two it has been reserved for science at once to defend and illuminate this central truth of the christian faith this thib definition of eternal life is to be nailed as an announcement of commanding interest in knowing god we shall be like him will correspond with him then we shall hall possess all I 1 power tower and goodness we lve can t then lien organize or create systems ol of worlds froni from the eternal elements these worlds will bo be peopled with myriad shapes of breathing life C governed by law and love as our own earth is governed today our hi highest chest ideal is his son soil jesus christ to afo become like unto god we must imitate the ideal that he lias hus given us oh candidates candidate s for eternal life make the most 0 of mortal life life fife can call be filled with noble deeds and b generous thought A true life is till all that can be given to nature and god A true lite is reward the living of a true life leads to eternal lite life let us seek for the g good 0 oil and the true the lie just and the beautiful and follow our highest convictions of right in ili carrying lifes loads wo ire can call draw support from froin the higher life if we are true to ourselves and if faith in god is our anchor we ca can caa a i joyfully carry our burdens as we ire J journey 0 urne y on to 10 the bright realm that lead up tip to our home of eternal life to basl bask in the presence of our fattier father and mother and the countless millions mil lions of tile ic ie deemed and sanctified 11 W 11 II AlPE |