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VOL.
XXXII
BROOKLYN.
KY.,
APRIL
1,
1911
No.7
DO
YOU
BELIEVE
IN
THE
RESURRECTION
OF
THE
DEAD,
"He
preached
unto
them
Jesus
and
the
resurrection."
(Acts
17:18.)
"And
when
they
heard
of
the
resurrection
of
the
dead,
some
mocked."
(Acts
17:32.)
"If
there
be
no
resurrection
of
the
dead,
.
.
.
then
is
our
preaching
vain,
and
your
faith
is
also
vain;
.
.
.
then
is
not
Christ
raised,
and
.
.
.
ye
are
yet
in
your
sins.
Then
they
also
which
are
fallen
asleep
in
Christ
are
perished.
"-1
Cor.
15
:13-18.
When
we
remember
that
the
word
"resurrection"
is
teaching,
let
us
examine
the
proposition
of
these
ministers
use,l
no
less
than
thirty-seven
times
in
the
New
Testament,
in
the
light
of
its
own
inconsistency.
besides
various
other
words
of
similar
import;
and
when
(1)
They
tell
us
that
the
deceased
is
"far
better
off,"
we
remember
that
all
the
prominent
creeds
of
Christendom
in
that
he
has
gotten
free
from
the"
fetters
of
the
flesh,"
declare
faith
in
a
resurrection
as
an
integral
and
essential
and
that
now
"his
free
spirit
wings
its
flight
to
Gad,
no
part
of
Scriptural
doctrine
and
of
the
hope
of
eternal
life-
longer
hampered
and
hin,lered
by
the
mortal
dust."
The,'-
in
view
of
these
facts,
and
of
the
strong
language
of
the
go
into
ecstasies
in
describing
the
grandeur
and
liberty
and
texts
above
quoted,
whose
inspiration
is
conceded
by
all
ble,~sedness
of
the
one
who
has
died,
and
who,
by
reason
of
Christians,
it
may
seem
strange
that
we
should
ask
any
getting
rid
of
the
body,
has
attained
to
life
more
abundant,
Christian
the
question,
Do
you
believe
in
the
resurrection
of
knowledge
a
hundredfold,
and
blessings
indescribable.
the
deadf
(2)
In
the
same
breath
they
quote
the
Scriptures
re-
Nevertheless,
we
have
serious
reasan
to
doubt
that
a
ferring
to
the
resurrection
and
(wholly
misconstruing
tllOSd
belief
in
the
resurrection
of
the
dead
prevails
amongst
Chris-
Scriptures)
tell
us
that
by
and
by,
at
the
secoll,l
coming
tians
to
any
considerable
extent;
and
it
is
because
we
be-
of
the
Lord
Jesus
Christ,
the
same
bodies
of
flesh
that
were
lieve
the
resurrection
to
be
a
very
important
doctrine
in
its
buried
will
be
reorganized
(Dr.
Talmage,
in
his
famous
resur-
connection
with
other
doctrines
of
Scripture
(throwing
light
rection
sermon
pictured
the
resurrection
morning,
and
the
upon
other
doctrines),
that
we
desire
to
call
general
atten-
entire
sky
darkened
with
the
fragments
of
human
bodies
tiOll
to
this
subject
and
to
invite
an
examination
of
our
coming
together
from
various
parts
of
the
earth,
where
a
question
in
the
light
of
facts
ani!
of
Scripture;
our
hope
tinger,
a
foot,
or
a
hand
had
been
lost
by
accident,
disease
being
that
after
a
careful
examination
of
the
subject
many
or
amputation);
they
tell
us
that
then
the
.spirit
beings
more
of
God's
people
will
come
to
believe-consistently,
which,
they
say,
left
those
bodies
at
death,
will
then
return
logically,
Scripturally-in
a
resurrection.
to
them,
as
their
everlasting
habitations.
Then,
inasmuch
RESURRECTION
RARELY
CHOSEN
NOW
AS
A
SUBJECT
FOR
as
the
resurrection
is
Scripturally
set
forth
to
be
thr
grand
SERMONS
and
glorious
result
and
consummation
of
our
salvation,
they
"Like
priest,
like
people,"
is
an
old
adage,
'which
im-
feel
compelled
to
go
into
ecstasies
over
their
erroneous
plies
that
the
views
of
the
teaching
or
clerical
class
on
presentation
of
the
resurrection,
and
to
tell
how
glorious
any
subject
may
,~afely
be
considered
an
index
to
the
and
grand
will
be
the
result.
yipws
of
their
parishioners.
It
is
not
difficult
to
ascertain
They
seem
to
overlook
entirely
the
inconsistency
of
the
views
of
the
clergy
of
all
denominations
on
the
subject
these
two
propositions;
and
they
exppet
that
their
hear-
of
the
resurrection
of
the
dead;
for,
although
that
topic
ers
will
be
similarly
inconsistent
and
illogical
(ano
ap-
is
rarely
chosen
for
discourse,
except
upon
Easter
Sunday,
parently
their
exprctations
are
fully
justifie,l,
for
the
ma-
it
is,
nrvcrtheles,s,
indissolubly
attached
to
every
funeral
jority
of
their
hearers
swallow
the
inconsistency
without
sprvice;
an,l
thesp
numerous
occasions,
we
believe,
amply
difficulty);
yea,
many
of
them
seem
to
think
that
the
more
justify
us
in
the
statement
that
hoth
the
clergy
af
all
de-
inconsistent
and
unreasonable
theu
belief
may
be,
the
more
nominations
ana
their
people
have
little
or
no
faith
in
a
reason
they
have
to
congI'atulate
themselves
that
they
have
rrsurrection
of
the
dead.
a
very
strong
faith.
However,
the
real
fact
is
that
they
True,
it
is
customary
on
e,"ery
funeral
occasion
to
reaa
have
a
very
,strong
creuulity.
But
they
will
have
no
reward
the
wor,1s
of
the
Apostle
Paul,
in
which
he
.sets
forth
the
for
believing
unreasonable
things
which
Go<l's
'VOl'll
has
l'rsurrpction
as
the
Christia.n's
hope
(1
Car.
15),
but
this
not
taught,
but
has
contradicteu.
seems
to
he
a
mere
concession
on
the
part
of
the
officiating
,Vho
cannot
see,
if
he
will,
that
the
man
who
oil'S
fifty
ministpr.
He
f,oels
it
to
be
his
duty
to
read
something
on
year.s
old,
if
in
dying
he
obtains
life
more
abunoant
an,l
the
su
bjL>ct,
but
his
remarks
following
the
reaoing
prove
knowle<lge
a
hundredfold,
ana
a
freeuam
to
"wing
his
most
conclusivrly
that,
so
far
from
believing
that
the
person
flight,"
etc.,
woula
be
sadly
,lisappointed
by
a
resurrection
whose
corpse
is
about
to
be
buried
is
oead,
he
believes,
and
-if
it
should
mean
to
him
re-impris<,nment
in
a
tenement
of
instructs
his
hearers
that
they
should
believe,
that
their
clay,
with
physical
restriction's
ana
human
limitations
~
Ana
frirn,!
and
neighbor
is
"more
alive
than
he
ever
was."
then,
if
he
had
thus
for
eenturies
he
en
a
"free
spirit,"
Frequently,
indeed,
he
plays
directly
into
the
hands
of
the
roaming
at
liberty
throughout
the
universe,
untrammele(l
by
"Spiritualists"
and
"Christian
Scientists,"
by
telling
the
a
body
and
bodily
limitations,
where
would
be
the
con-
audience
that
the
spirit
of
their
dead
friend
is
with
them
sistency
on
God's
part
of
re-imprisoning
such
an
one
in
a
in
the
room,
hovcring
over
them;
ana
that
if
permitted
to
human
body,
whose
powers
ano
uses
woulo
be
entirely
for-
speak
he
would
say
to
them,
"Dry
your
tears;
weep
not
gotten
during
those
centuries
of
liberty
~
And
jf
to
he
with-
for
me;
I
am
far
better
off
in
glory."
out
a
body
is
"perfect
hliss,"
as
the
funeral
orators
tell,
TO
MANY
DEATH
HAS
BECOME
A
DELUSION
AND
NOT
A
how
could
there
be
anything
addecl
to
perfect
bliss
by
a
REALITY
resurrection
of
the
body,
and
a
re-in('arceration
therein
f
~n~eed,
it
has
come
to.
be
the
,general
belief
am~mg
THE
SCRIPTURES
HOLD
OUT
THE
ONLY
HOPE,
THE
BLESSED
f'hnsban
people
that
(leath
IS
a
deluslOn,
/lnd
not
a
realIty;
HOPE
THE
CONSISTENT
HOPE
that
people
n:erely
seem
to
die,
and
.00
not
die;
that
~hey
From
the
foregoing
consi,leration.s,
we
feel
tha.t
we
are
merely
e.xpene,~c~
~
:han~e.
to,
a
f/
gher
fo,rm
of.
be1l1~;
j?stified
in
our
assumpt~on
th.at
the
vast
m~jority
.of
Chris-
that
so-c,111eu
Chnstlan
SCIentIsts
are
qmte
coneet
111
t1au
people
do
nat
belIeve
111
a.
resurrectIon-neIther
the
s:lyin,g,
"There
is
no
deat~."
.
f-;eriptural
kind
("
a
resurreetion
of
the
clea,l'
'),
nor
in
the
\\
haeyrr
hol,ls
such
VIews
do('~
uot,
canuot
conSIstently
kin,l
thev
themsrlves
teach
uamelv
a
resurrection
of
the
beli"."e
in
"the
resurrprtion
of
the
oea,l':;
bpcause
if
no
bo,ly.
With
this
preface
to
'our
sUh~i~'et,
we
go
to
the
Scrip-
one
IS.
,lead,
how
can
there
b~
a
l'esu:rectIon
of
the
de~d
f
tures
to
learn
from
them
what
is
meant
by
"the
resurrec-
Wherem
would
~e
th.p
sense
m
speakmg
o~
a
resurrectlOn
tion
of
the
drad,"
and
in
what
mauner
and
why
the
Scrip-
of
the
oea,l
to
lIfe,
If
th~'y
alrpady
have
hf~
more
,abun<l-
tures
speak
of
the
resurrection
as
the
hope,
the
only
hopr,
antly
than
they
possess(',~
1.t
hefore
they
seenungly
(hed
f,
the
blesseo
hope,
not
only
of
th8
Lor(l's
people,
who
are
to
But
thousanas
of
mllllsters
woul,l
answer
us,
saymg,
have
part
in
the"
first
resurn'ction
"
but
of
the
worl,l
in
"'Vhen
.speaking
of
the
resurrect~an,
w~
merely
mean
a
general,
who
are
to
have
an
oppo;tunity
to
share
in
the
resurrectlOn
of
the
bo~ly-the
hodies
wInch
we
bury,
3:
re
rpsurrectian
of
jn<lgment,
improperly
translate<l,
"the
resur"
all
to
comr
forth
agalll
from
the
grave,
anu
the
.spUItS
red
ion
of
damnation.
"-,J
ohn
5:
~g,
which
pa~te<l.
from
them
i.n
~eath
ar~
t?
be
rehabilitated
in
'Vhoever
woul,!
helieve
the
Scriptnral
,lodrinp
of
the
those
bo,hes
III
the
resnl'rectlOn.
ThIS
IS
what
we
mean
hy
rpsnrrection,
must
also
belirve
the
f-;criptnral
,lortrinp
rp-
resurrection,"
~ppcting
death-that
,lpath
is
,lpath,
the
cp~sa.tion
of
lifp.
"CONSISTENCY,
THOU
ART
A
JEWEL"
Tltpn,
an,l
not
until
then,
will
he
he
able
to
ull,lprstan,l
the
\Vpll,
w"l1!
Who
wonld
ha,'p
suppose,!
such
in
consist-
.'J
postle's
worus
in
our
trxt,
"If
there
be
no
rpsu]'J'pction
of
pncy
on
the
part
of
so
many
learneo
an<l
well-meaning
men!
the
<leaa,
...
then
they
which
are
fallen
aslpep
in
Christ
Bpfore
taking
up
the
SCI'iptural
sioe
of
the
question,
to
show
are
peI':ishe<1."
Nor
is
this
statement
by
the
Apostle
an
ex-
that
such
expectations
are
at
variance
with
the
Scripture
ception
to
or
different
from
the
teaching
of
the
Scriptures
[4791]
(99-
1
00)
Vou. XXXIT BROOKLYN. N. Y., APRIL 1, 1911 No. 7 DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD? (Acts 17:18.) ‘‘And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, ‘“‘Tf there be no resurrection of the dead, then is not Christ raised, and . also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.’’—1 Cor. 15:13-18. “‘He preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.’?’ some mocked.’’ (Acts 17:32.) your faith is also vain; When we remember that the word ‘‘resurrection’’ is used no less than thirty-seven times in the New Testament, besides various other words of similar import; and when we remember that all the prominent creeds of Christendom declare faith in a resurrection as an integral and essential part of Scriptural doctrine and of the hope of eternal life— in view of these facts, and of the strong language of the texts above quoted, whose inspiration is conceded by all Christians, it may seem strange that we should ask any Christian the question, Do you believe in the resurrection of the dead? Nevertheless, we have serious reason to doubt that a belief in the resurrection of the dead prevails amongst Christians to any considerable extent; and it is because we helieve the resurrection to be a very important doctrine in its connection with other doctrines of Seripture (throwing light upon other doctrines), that we desire to call general attention to this subject and to invite an examination of our question in the light of facts and of Scripture; our hope being that after a careful examination of the subject many more of God’s people will come to believe—consistently, logically, Seripturally—in a resurrection. RESURRECTION RARELY CHOSEN NOW AS A SUBJECT FOR SERMONS ‘Like priest, like people,’’ is an old adage, which implies that the views of the teaching or elerical class on any subject may safely be considered an index to the views of their parishioners. It is not difficult to ascertain the views of the clergy of all denominations on the subject of the resurrection of the dead; for, although that topic is rarely chosen for discourse, except upon Easter Sunday, it is, nevertheless, indissolubly attached to every funeral service; and these numerous occasions, we believe, amply justify us in the statement that both the clergy of all denominations and their people have little or no faith in a resurrection of the dead. True, it is customary on every funeral occasion to read the words of the Apostle Paul, in which he sets forth the resurrection as the Christian’s hope (1 Cor. 15), but this seems to he a mere concession on the part of the officiating minister. He fecls it to be his duty to read something on the subject, but his remarks following the reading prove most conclusively that, so far from believing that the person whose eorpse is about to be buried is dead, he believes, and instructs his hearers that they should believe, that their friend and neighbor is ‘‘more alive than he ever was.’’ Frequently, indeed, he plays directly into the hands of the ‘*Spiritualists’’? and ‘‘Christian Scientists,’’ by telling the audience that the spirit of their dead friend is with them in the room, hovering over them; and that if permitted to speak he would say to them, ‘‘Dry your tears; weep not for me; I am far better off in glory.’’ TO MANY DEATH HAS BECOME A DELUSION AND NOT A REALITY Indeed, it has come to be the general belief among Christian people that death is a delusion, and uot a reality; that people merely seem to die, and do not die; that they merely experience a change to a higher form of being; that so-called ‘‘Christian Seientists’’ are quite correct in saying, ‘There is no death.’’ Whoever holds such views does not, cannot consistently believe in ‘‘the resurrection of the dead’’; because if no one is dead, how can there be a resurrection of the dead? Wherein would be the sense in speaking of a resurrection of the dead to life, if they already have life more abundantly than they possessed it before they seemingly died? But thousands of ministers would answer us, saying, ‘‘When speaking of the resurrection, we merely mean a resurrection of the body—the bodies which we bury are all to eome forth again from the grave, and the spirits which parted from them in death are to be rehabilitated in those bodies in the resurrection. This is what we mean by resurrection. ’? “CONSISTENCY, THOU ART A JEWEL’’ Well, welll Who would have supposed sueh inecunsisteney on the part of so many learned and well-meaning men! Before taking up the Scriptural side of the question, to show that such expectations are at variance with the Scripture [4791} then is our preaching vain, and ye are yet in your sins. Then they teaching, let us examine the proposition of these ministers in the light of its own inconsistency. (1) They tell us that the deceased is ‘‘far better off,’’ in that he has gotten free from the ‘‘fetters of the flesh,’’ and that now ‘‘his free spirit wings its flight to God, no longer hampered and hindered by the mortal dust.’’ They go into eestasies in describing the grandeur and liberty and blessedness of the one who has died, and who, by reason of getting rid of the body, has attained to life more abundant, knowledge a hundredfold, and blessings indescribable. (2) In the same breath they quote the Scriptures referring to the resurrection and (wholly misconstruing those Seriptures) tell us that by and by, at the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the same bodies of flesh that were buried will be reorganized (Dr. Talmage, in his famous resurrection sermon pictured the resurrection morning, and the entire sky darkened with the fragments of human bodies coming together from various parts of the earth, where a finger, a foot, or a hand had been lost by accident, discase or amputation); they tell us that then the spirit beings which, they say, left those bodies at death, will then return to them, as their everlasting habitations. Then, inasmuch as the resurrection is Seripturally sect forth to be the grand and glorious result and consummation of our salvation, they feel compelled to go into ecstasies over their erroneous presentation of the resurrection, and to tell how glorious and grand will be the result. They scem to overlook entirely the inconsistency of these two propositions; and they expect that their hearers will be similarly inconsistent and illogical (and apparently their expectations are fully justified, for the majority of their hearers swallow the inconsisteney without difficulty); yea, many of them seem to think that the more inconsistent and unreasonable their belief may be, the more reason they have to congratulate themselves that they have a very strong faith. However, the real fact is that they have a very strong credulity. But they will have no reward for believing unreasonable things which God’s Word has not taught, but has contradicted. Who cannot see, if he will, that the man who dics fifty years old, if in dying he obtains life more abundant and knowledge a hundredfold, and a freedom to ‘‘wing his flight,’’ etc., would be sadly disappointed by a resurrection —if it should mean to him re-imprisenment in a tenement of clay, with physical restrictions and human limitations? And then, if he had thus for centuries been a ‘‘free spirit,’’ roaming at liberty throughout the universe, untrammeled by a body and bodily limitations, where would be the consistency on God’s part of re-imprisoning such an one in a human body, whose powers and uses would be entirely forgotten during those centuries of liberty? And if to he without a body is ‘‘perfect bliss,’’ as the funeral orators tell, how could there be anything added to perfect bliss by a resurrection of the body, and a re-incarceration therein? THE SCRIPTURES HOLD OUT THE ONLY HOPE, THE BLESSED HOPE, THE CONSISTENT HOPE From the foregoing considerations, we feel that we are justified in our assumption that the vast majority of Christian people do not believe in a resurrection—uneither the Seriptural kind (‘‘a resurrection of the dead’’), nor in the kind they themselves teach, namely, a resurrection of the body. With this preface to our subject, we go to the Scriptures to learn from them what is meant by ‘‘the resurrceetion of the dead,’’ and in what manner and why the Seriptures speak of the resurrection as the hope, the only hope, the blessed hope, not only of the Lord’s people, who are to have part in the ‘‘first resurrection,’’ but of the world in general, who are to have an opportunity to share in the resurrection of judgment, improperly translated, ‘‘the resurrection of damnation.’’—John 5:29. Whoever would believe the Seriptural doctrine of the resurrection, must also believe the Scriptural doctrine respecting death—that death is death, the cessation of life. Then, and not until then, will he be able to understand the Apostle’s words in our text, ‘‘If there be no resurrection of the dead, ... then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.’’ Nor is this statement by the Apostle an exception to or different from the teaching of the Seriptures (99-100)
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