Bible Standard July 1878

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TIIE

Issued monthly by "The Bible Standard Publication Society," Lincoln.

EDITED BY

Geo. A. BROWN, Pastor of Mint Lane Baptist Church, Lincoln.

THE BIBLE ST.DIDARDs devoted to the exposition of Biblical Truth, especially the doctrine of Conditional Immortality, the literal Resurrection

the Dead, the Final Destrnction of the Wicked, the ~igns of the Times, the Second Coming of Christ, and His Personal Reign on earth.

No. 10. Price Id.

" The Wages of Sin is Death; but the gift of Goel is Eternal Life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

JULY, 1878.

OUR OPPONENTS.

MR. J. PLUMTREE,of this city, has just published a pamphlet

of 42 pages, entitled, "Modern Thought Examined uponThree Important Questions, viz: Is the Soul Immortal? Is a

State of Happiness or Misery entered upon immediately after

Death? Are Rewards and Punishments Everlasting? "

We regret that Mr. Plum tree should have undertaken to

criticise what he calls error, without first having become

conversant with the position which he seems to think has

been exploded by his masterly arguments (?) We think,

however, that he has not touched the question, for he first

assumes his postulate and then reasons from it. We wish

that our opponents would take the trouble to understand our

position, before they either speak or write against us, it

would then, at all events, save them a great deal of error,and us annoyance. Logical arguments, brought to bear upon

our true position, would have some weight with us, but, as it

is, men blunder away and knock down what they themselves

set up, and then they leave the field, feeling that they have

given us our death blow, whereas th-y have only made

themselves and their theory more ridiculous than before.

Mr. Plumtree writes as if we admitted that, man was a

twin being, that he possessed a spiritual being inside the

physical, and that at death we believed that both died and

went into the grave. We believe no such thing, but, on the

contrary, we accept the record given by Moses, that" God

formed man out of the dust of the ground." There can be no

mistake in this language. Whatever the man is, he was

formed out of the dust of the ground, with all his functions

perfect; he was man before "God breathed into his nostrils

the breath of life," but lifeless; the act of breathing the

breath of life, or Spirit of life, on the part of God, into man's

nostrils, caused him to live, or to become a living creature or

soul. Mark well the grammatical sense of this passage:

that which God formed out of the dust became the" living

soul," and not what He breathed into him.

The reasoning of Mr. Plum tree and his school of th

logical thought, makes it that God first formed a ho

out of the dust, after which God breathed into this houseimmortal soul, which is the real man, who takes

departure at death to some spirit world, "beyond the boun

of time and space."

Now, we challenge the so-called orthodox world to pr

this. It is true that Mr. Plumtree says of the soul, tha

is "That spiritual, immaterial, thinking, vital, responsib

accountable, active principle or subsistence in man wh

perceives, remembers, reasons, imagines, compares, liv

hopes, fears, desires, resolves, judges, adores, and whi

from its capabilities of thought, volition, and consci

personality, is brought into some resemblance to its Div

Creator, and is, therefore,. immortal." He then quoA. Barnes, who says, "The word soul, with us, means

thinking, the immortal part of man, and is applied to

whether existing in connection with the body, or whet

separate from it."

We should at once be convinced, if Moses, or Christ,

Paul, had saic1all this of the assumed immortal soul, bu

it is, it is Mr. Plumtree who says it, and we are not prepa

just yet, to accept the statement of a man who professes

gather his information from the Bible, which says noth

at all of the kind.

When we turn to the Book, we finc1that the Hebrew w

" nephesh " of the 0lc1 Testament, from which our Engl

word soul is translated, occurs about 700 times, and

rendered soul 471 times; life and living about 150 tim

and the same word is.also rendered a man, a person,

they, me, him, anyone, breath, heart, mind, appetite,

body (dead or alive), lust, creature, and even a beast; fo

is 28 times applied to beasts anc1 to every creeping thi

The Greek word "psuchee" of the New Testament

responc1enc1s with "nephesh" of the 0lc1. It occurs

bimes, anc1 is rendered soul 59 times, and life 40 tim



74 THE BIBLE STANDARD.

The same word is also rendered mind, us, you, heart,

heartily, and is twice applied to the beasts that perish.

" Pstichikas," an adjective derived from "psuchee," occurs

6 times, and is translated natural and sensual. It may be

worthy of Mr. Plumtree's notice, after his having given us

such an elaborate description of what the soul is, that in all

the 700 times which" nephesh " occurs, and the 105 times

of "psuchee," not once is the word "immortal," or "im-

mortality," or "deathless," or "never-dying" found in

connection, as qualifying the term. How then can we

accept Mr. Plumtree's qualification of the soul?

We wonder if Mr. Plumtree believes that animals have

immortal souls? Sometimes we are led to believe

that he does, and then again we are thrown into doubt.

We are led to believe that he does from the fact that,

in his description of the soul, he makes "thought,"

,. love," "fear," "memory," "volition," "resolution,"

attributes of the immortal soul, and neither he nor

we can doubt for a moment but that many of the animalspossess these powers. Then again we are almost compelled

to think that Mr. Plumtree believes in the immortality of

animals, by his reasoning on page 16. We mean the clause

in which he is going to sweep away this "soul-sleeping

rubbish." He tells us that" when men die, their SPIRITS go

UPWARDS, in the contrary direction of the SPIRITS of beasts,

which go DOWNWARDS." By the by, Solomon was not quite

so sure about this as Mr. Plnmtree seems to be, for Solomon

puts it in the form of a question.

And further, Solomon plainly declared his view of the

matter in the previous verses, for he says :-" For that

which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one

thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other;

yea, they have all one breath (or spirit); so that a man hath

no pre-eminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go

unto one place; all are of the dust, and' all turn to dust

again."-Eccl. iii. 19-20.

It then 'seems to us that Solomon, in verse 21, turns

round upon some who evidently entertained like views with

Mr. Plumtree, and demands their evidence for such a creed.

We are plainly told by Mr. Plum tree that the spirits oj

men go upwards. By this we' are to understand that

the spirit which goeth upuiards is the real man, the ego, the

active, thinking, loving, fearing creature, which had been

imprisoned in its house of clay for a number of years, but

now had gotten its freedom.

Then if the spirit of the man is the ego, the real man

himself, what will Mr. Plumtree say about the spirit of the

beast that goeth downwards. Is this the real animal going

down to some animal spirit-land somewhere in the bowels

of the earth? We should like to know what Mr. Plumtree's

views are upon this subject.

We stated that we had doubts as to Mr. Plumtree's belief

in the immortality of animals, from other- things whi

read in his pamphlet. For instance, on page 5, when

some of the senses in which the word soul is used

Scripture,' he says :-" In a still more subordinate

beasts have a soul, a spirit, a life ascribed to them

Scriptures. Surely," he says, "because the term' s

applied in an ACCOMMODATED SENSE to irrational creature

italics are ours] that is no reason why it should not b

in its highest sense when applied to man, who was m

the image of God."

We should like to know why Mr. Plumtree says th

term" soul" is applied to the animal creation in an

inodated sense. Perhaps his theory demands this ass

but he never got it from inspired men, " who wrote a

were moved by the Holy Spirit."

It is strange that we find the original word "neph

from which our word" soul" is translated, used by

five times when speaking of the animal creation in

The fact is, that animals are called souls before ma

created, and yet Mr. Plum tree says that the word

used, in an accommodated sense. From this we

presume that Moses had no other word in his vocabul

call the animals by. Our English translators, however

managed to help Moses out of this dilemma by trans

"nephesh," in Gen. i., into' the English word creauu:

when they come in contact with the same word u

regard to man, Gen. ii. 7, they translate the word" nep

into our English word" soul."

The higher sense of which Mr. Plumtree speaks w

sume is the" soul's immortality." Therefore, at this

of his argument, we are thrown into doubt, for he do

wish us here to think that he believes in the immortal

animals at all.

But if "love," "fear,"" volition," "memory," &

attributes of immortality, how is it that animals posse

above-mentioned attributes without being immortal

does not seem unreasonable for us to ask that, if org

matter, vitalized by the breath of the Almighty, can p

love, fear, memory, &c.; in the animal, eannot that

power which gave love, fear, memory. &c., to

beasts, give those faculties, and others, in a

degree of fulness, to other organized and vitalized m

and has it not been exerted when God out o

dust formed the grandest monument of His creative e

namely, man, and then breathed into that already f

man, made capable by his organic structure to perfo

the mighty acts which he since his entrance into this

has performed after having been made alive by the inb

ing of the spirit of life from his Creator ? Can he not

he is without the importation of a spiritual, immortal

residing in the earth-formed structure? We think

and is, for we have only to look at the animal made c



THE BIBLE STANDARD.

by its, Creator to perform some things that man cannot do

with all his greatness, and yet there are few who believe in

the immortality of animals. And if they have been created

by God to use one attribute (which Mr. Plumtree believes

alone belongs to immortality) without being immortal, then

may not and is not man made capable of using, say, twenty

attributes without necessarily being immortal? and in the

absence of Scriptural testimony relating to the assumed

immortality. of man, we feel it our imperative duty to cry,

with the prophet of old, "All flesh is as grass, and all the

'glory of man as the flower of the grass." Yea, we feel

impelled, with the Gospel message in our hands, to pro-

claim to man, that in the first Adam he is but a mortal

perishing creature, but that he may become like unto the

second Adam, at the resurrection of the just, for those who

are in Christ at that day will be M;\.DEirnmortal, or put on

immortality and incorruptibility. Now Death reigns, God

taketh away man's breath (or spirit, or life); he returns tohis earth, and in that very day his thoughts perish."-

Psalm cx.lvi. 4; Psalm lxv. 17; Eccl. ix. 10.

We are sorry to say that Mr. Plumtree says nothing about

the Gospel hope of the resurrection, and the second coming

of our dear Lord and Master to raise our dead ones, but in

their stead he gives us the bare assumption of a poor mortal

man, that, at death, we are sent in some spirit form either

to heaven or hell. May the Lord of life and glory give the

Church more light, and may they see that His purpose is to

bestow upon the faithful "the gift" of immortality at the

coming of our only Life-giver, Jesus.

We hope to give our friends and opponents a complete

answer to Mr. Plumtree's pamphlet in due time.

•

OHRIST: A:\fD, THE BODY.

FORthose who have read the preceding paper, contributed

by myself to the "Bible Standard," the paper I now submit

for earnest thought, is intended, as a sequel to it, and not

otherwise.

Note well, that the New Testament Scriptures arrange

themselves into four well-defined lines. It is for us to

well consider these four clear-cut lines, and remember them

in any argument we may use, or any discourse we may have

to deliver. For, the different classes of those who heal'

require difference in their treatment. No one, thoroughly

understanding the truth, can assert that the same aspect of

the truth is suited to the babe in knowledge, as the

advanced. Alas, that the best of us have been so over-

weighted with the accumulated errors of the past, that we

sometimes wonder whether, indeed, we have found rest and

security, for ourselves and others. But this we know, that

what we do, we do in order to elicit truth for its own sak

our aim is to try to bring us all to walk in the same li

each' one according as they have won a good decree

Christ Jesus.

1.

THE FIRST LINE IS: THAT THE PORTION OF THE NE

TESTANIE:oiT SCRIPTURES, NAMED" THE GOSPELS," CONTAIN

ACCOUNT', NEARLY ENTIRELY so, OF THE SAYINGS AND DOIN

OF JESUS, THE OHRIST, AMONG THE JEWS.

Not among the Gentiles. It is remarkable that Jesus d

not, during His lifetime, nor in any after manifestation

did not manifest Himself to the Gentiles. The commenc

ment of His mission to the earth began in Jewry, and

Himself was carried to no other country. The ne

concerning Himself was left to be given by His followe

who had been commanded to do so, to others.

I l .

THE SECOND LINE IS: THAT THE PORTION OF THE NE

TESTAMENT SCRIPTURES, NAMED" THE ACTS OF THE ApOSTLES

CONTaIN AN ACCOUNT OF THE RESULT OF APOSTOLIC TEACHI

IN THE GATHERTNG OUT OF PERSONS IN VARIOUS PLACES, W

BECOME FOLLOWERS OF JESUS, THE OHRIST.

Not among the Gentiles at first. The order of proceedu

is always the same: to the Jew first, to the Gentile nex

In the Acts oj the Apostles, as soon as the Apostle Peter h

admitted the first Gentile into fellowship, any further reco

of the Apostle's work among the Gentiles ceases; it is Pa

who has to do the work among the Gentiles, and he procee

in the same manner: first to the Jew, then to the Genti

At present I do not enquire as to whether there is a

reason for this plan, b~t mark the plain fact set before us.

Ill.

THE THIRD LINE IS: THAT THE PORTION Ol!' THE NE

TESTAMENT SClUPTURES, NAMED "THE EPISTLES," A

LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THOSE WHO HAD AVOWED THEMSELV

AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS, THE CHRIST, AND TO NONE ELSE.

To none else. True, all now read who choose to do

but this will not alter the truth; the Epistles are not for a

This applies equally as well to other works written for me

some are able to master only the introduction to a wor

others go a little further; further there are fewer sti

until the number greatly diminishes who can say they ha

comprehended the end from the beginning.

First-see Jesus; then-the Apostles; after-the Churc

each in place and to be accepted in true course. If anyon

understand not Jesus, how can they understand that whi

succeeds? If any accept not Jesus, what have they to

with those who followed in His steps? Let the workm

who aims to be a builder, divide the word of truth; it is n

for an opponent to do so; the Epistles to the Church

are not for the opponents of the Churches,



~E :E B IBLE S T A N D A R D .

.rv .

THE FOURTH LINI£ IS: THAT THE PORTION OF THE NEW

TESTA~1EN:r SCRIPTURES, NAMED "A REVELATION," WAS FOR

THE SERVA~TS OF JESUS ALONE.-

"A Revelation," not "The Revelation" of Jesus Christ.

To show to His servants coming things. The people of the

world are not the servants of the Lord Jesus, the Christ.

Too true it is, that this revelation has been abused in its

use; but its use, for His servants, still remains. From His

walk, amidst the seven churches of Asia to the rest in the

New Jerusalem, He remains the same. His servants hear,

see, and understand the message conveyed to them, and

walk in its light; to none else is it ofuse.

Having pointed out these four distinct lines, let us now

take the term, the body, and see how it is defined by

lexicographers, [or, as isJ;commonly said, explained in the

Dictionary.

V .

THE BODY REPRESENTS ONE, OR MORE THAN ONE.

In Ogilvie's Dictionary, Body is said to be the trunk of an

animal; the frame or material substance of an animal; the

main stem of a tree; matter; any portion of matter; a

person; main part; collective man; main army; corpora-

tion; the trunk; a system; strength; substance; reality;

any solid figure.

In Booth's Analytical Dictionary, it is observed that

"body" was used instead of "person;" many examples to

be found in Shakespeare', and in the Scottish dialect.

In Parkhurst's Greek Dictionary, Soma is defined to be:

I.~An animal body. H.-Somata: Bodies of men taken inwar and reduced to slavery. !II.-Soma denotes the Church.

I.-In respect of Christ.-Eph. i. 23., iv. 10. Col. i. 18.,

ii. 19. 2.-In respect of bolievers.-Rom. xii. 5. 1 COT.

xii. 12-13. Compare Eph. ii. 14-16. Iv.-An organ-

ized body, as of vegetable.-1 COT. xv. 37. v.-A body, a

material substance.c=I Cm'. xv. 41). VI.-A body, substance

or reality, as opposed to shadows or types.-Col. ii. 17.

Somatikos : bodily; i.e., in the body of Christ as opposed

to the Jewish temple or tabernacle; truly and really in

opposition to types and figures, not only ej)'ectually, as God

dwells in good men, but substantially or personally, by the

strictest union, as the soul dwells in the body, so that "Godand man is one Christ."-Col. ii. 9. " = . ' : ' ii. 21., xiv. 9-11.The term "the body" then, is not always applied t~ one

person, or thing alone. It not only may be, but is, applied

to a number of persons. What is true of a number of

persons forming a body, is true of anyone of the persons

helping to form a body. The many represents the one, as

the one also represents the many.

The word "body," it will be seen, always refers to some-

thing which is 'substantial, real, able to be known by the

senses. It does not apply to shadows or imaginary things.

One body m1.y vary from another as to power, kin

composition, but all have for their basis that whic

substance.

V I .

IN "THE GOSPELS," "THE BODY OF JESUS" IS MENTIO

THE BODY OF CHRIST NOT ONCE.

It is always applied to the person of Jesus, or to

which constituted His personality, namely, the v

substance which formed His person.-Matt. xxvii. 58

Compare Mark xv. 43-45, and Luke xxiii, 55., xxiv. 3

Also John xix. 31, 38, 40., xx. 12.

The statement of Matt. is,_" [Of Joseph] He wen

Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then P

commanded the body to be delivered, And when Jo

had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen c

and laid it in his own new tomb."

After reading this in connection with the other pass

given above, we find that in the accounts of the resurrec

it is Jesus who is identical with His body, The angel

Luke xxiv. 6.-"He is not here, but is risen." Mary sa

the supposed gardener, John xx. 13.-" They have t

away my Lord."

V I I .

OTHER USES IN "THE GOSPELS" OF THE TEIlM "BO

ARE VARIOUS, BUT THE TERM IS USED WHEN SPEAKIN

REAL THINGS.

It is "thy whole body," see Matt. v. 29., vi. 22

Luke xi. 34-36.

"The body," see Matt. vi. 22, Luke xi. 34, .JIatt. v

Luke xii. 20, Matt. x. 28, Ltdce xiv. 12.

"Your body."-Matt. vi. 25. Luke xii. 22.

"My body."-Matt. xxvi. 12. Mark xiv. 8.

" Soul and body."-Matt. x. 28.

"Her body."-llJar1c v. 29.

"Many bodies of the saints which slept fil'ose."-Ma

xxvii. 52.

"Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagle

gathered together."-Lu7ce xvii, 57. This passage

. prophetic one. The real thing, the body, is used as ty

of some real thing or government, hereafter to exist.

Other repre sentative uses are to be found in the ex

sion: Matt. xxvi. 26. Marle xiv. 22. Luke xxii. 19 -" Teat: this is My body." If the body of Jesus was real,

that which was to be imparted in the breaking of the b

must be real also. The bread was real,-its breaking,

-it represented a real object, the body of Jesus w

suffered on the cross.

V I I .

"THE TEMPLE OF HIS BODY" ONLY USED WITH REFER

TO JESUS IN "THE GOSPELS."

"THE 'TEMPLE" N1WER USED ELSEWHERE TO ONE PE

ONLY TO THE LORD JESUS.



THE B I B L E STANDARD .

The statement in John ii. 19, is, "Jesus answered and

said·unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will

raise it up. (22.) "But He spake of the temple of His body.'

Compare passages to be found ill Matt. xxvi, 61, xxvii, 40,

Mark xiv. ss, xv. 29.

With the Temple in Jerusalem was connected the visible

manifestation of God. In Malt. xxiii. 21, it is stated,

"Whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by

him that dwelleth therein." The assertion of Jesus in John

xiv. 10, is, "the Father which dwelleth in me, He doeth the

works."

Of this same Jesus, the Apostle declares, Col. ii. 9,

"For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

The body O f Jesus became the temple 0 , £ God; or, the

dwelling place in which God, the Father, manifested His

presence.V I I I .

In the Acts of the Apostles there is only one occurrence of

the phrase "the body," namely, in Acts ix. 40-41, relating to

the death of Dorcas; it reads as follows: "But Peter put

them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning

him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her

eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up. And he

presented her alive."

Peter turned to the body, 01' to Dorcas, and said to it, or

D01'Cas, '<Tabitha, arise," and she arose. 'I'o the reality,-the

body,-the command is uttered, and a real result follows.

-H. Briuain, Birmingham. ~ )P u .e .. 9>i~vl~

~0-.

r~rVv~DS OF COl\,[~RT;/

"Whei'efore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thess. iv. 18.

THE last enemy, death, which is to be destroyed at the

judgment day is ever busy in his sphere of desolating the

happy homes of loving families, and robbing the social circle

of some of its brightest jewels, leaving kindred and friends

behind to mourn their absence, and grieve while calling to

mind reminiscences of brighter days gone by.

But to such, and to all such, we would say, "Concerning

them (the absent ones) which are asleep, that ye SOl'l'O\Vot

even as others who have no hope. For if we believe that

Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep inJesus will God bring with Him For the Lord

Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the

voice of the archangel and with the trump of God: and the

dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and

remain (so, till Christ comes) shall be caught up together

with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so

shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort. one

another with these words." (1 Thess, iv. 13-18.)

Dear beloved ones, we have no cause to grieve: for the

foregoing aesuraace has in it the greatest consolation that

ever saluted the lost race of Adam. The fact that we are

yet to behold those fair though lifeless forms, and p

them to our bosom, real and tangible, all reanimated w

life and vigour, but a thousand times brighter and lovel

hear that same familiar voice in firmer, sweeter tones t

when we last heard them, or listen to their sweeter acc

while they join in singing the song of the redeemed as

stand with palms of victory in their hands: and w

we gaze upon these lovely resurrected, immortaliz

ones who were' as near and dear to us as the ap

of our eye, that it is the same identical person that

followed to the burying ground, as literal as ever ill

world, and are again restored to us safe and sound, with

the life and beauty of a spiritual existence, far beyond

power of death and the grave, and to remain with us fore

and go no more out into the dismal night of death, to k

these things is the greatest consolation and joy.

" Comfort ye one another with these words." 0 ble

thought, to be assured of such a restoration! We sknow each other there. And the same familiar forms

faces, glorified. No shadow of immateriality that you n

saw nor ever can see, will there be presented for yo

recognize; but the same material organism that you can

with your eyes, and recognize with your understandin

This is the work of the resurrection, and is the substa

of the Christian's hope, and affords him the greatest com

This was the hope that the two bereft sisters of Laza

comforted themselves in when they mac1e known to J

the sad story of their brother's death. Said Martha, " L

if Thou hadst been here my brothel' had not died .

Jesus said unto her, " Thy brother shall rise again." M

the words, dear reader. Thy brother the same one,

another. Here we have strong proof that resurrection g

will bring back to us our own dear father, mother, s

brother, wife, husband, child. Martha said unto Him,

know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the

day." Jesus said unto her, " I am the resurrection and

life; he that believeth in Me though he were dead

Lazarus wasJ yet [at the resurrection] shall he live;

whosoever liveth and believeth on Me [When? At the

of the resurection, 1 Thess, iv. 15J shall never die." (

xi. 21-26.) Evidently they did not' expect to see

brother alive again until the time to which Martha refe

to, "the resurrection at the last day," which seemed to t

to be a long way off. But it is now nearer, thank God,

hasteneth greatly, and then we shall meet one ano

again, and greet each other with joy unspeakable and

of glory.

It is but a little while" and He that is to come will c

and will not tarry." So weary ones, cheer up, soon will

this dark night of sin and death of sorrow and crying,

soon will dawn the glorious morning of the resurrection

waken up all those loved ones who sleep in Jesus. Ar



7 8 rns BIBLE STAN"bARD.

ABILITY AND OPPORTUNITY.

GODgives to everyone a measure of ability and opportunity,

and there are times in human history when th:ese opportuni-

ties are great. Moses had a great opportunity, when the

leadership of Israel was offered to him; had he persisted in

declining and objecting, how different his life would have

been. The young man who came to Christ had an oppor-tunity, when he was bidden to sell all he had and follow the

Master; but he went away sorrowful, and he dropt out of

sight like a stone in mid-ocean, and is heard of no more.

What might he not have been, or done, had he embraced the

opportunity. What an opportunily was placed before the

Jewish nation, when the kingdom of God came nigh to them,

and Christ their King appeared.

But they knew not the time of their visitation; they

rejected their grandest opportunity; they dispised their

Messiah and desired a robber and a murderer in His stead.

There are people to-day before whom glorious opportunities

are set. God has granted to them a knowledge of great andimportant truths, and if they will but prove faithful to their

trust they may become a power in the world for good.

Often, instead of fulfilling their high and holy mission, they are

seduced from the path of duty, and turn aside to strive about

words to no profit, seeking to build themselves up in world-

liness and pride; following demagogues as leaders, who

misguide them to their ruin; and at last, instead of standing

forth as the exponents of grand and eternal truth, they sink

down into the narrow ruts of sectarianism, and seem to hear

the voices of other once strong and courageous as they have

been, saying: "Art thou also become weak as we ? Art

thou become like unto us ? "Let those to whom God has given grand opportunities,

and to whom He has committed important trusts strive that

to the utmost extent of their ability and their opportunity

they prove themselves faithful to their Maker. Let no con-

siderations of ambition, g~in, or worldly policy, cause them

to swerve from their steadfast devotion to God. Let them,

as they have received mercy, be faithful to the grace that is

given, and as they prize the joys and glories of immortality,

let them labour that in peace, without spot and blameless in

the day of His appearing.-H. L. Hastings.r- _

THE INFIDEL AND THE' MISSIONARY.

IT was on the steamer from New York to Amboy, in the

crowded cabin. The infidel was dressed like a New

England minister. His appearance and conversation would

give the impression, to those at a distance, that he was

doing a good work, and speaking good things to his fellow-

passengers. The Missionary saw those labours, and

reproached himself that he had not so much zeal. The

infidel spoke to companies of about a dozen at once, passing

around the cabin.

But when he drew near enough to the missionary t

heard by him, behold, he was speaking against Christian

as if it restrained men from some useful and proper in

gences. Men wanted larger liberties and fewer rules

living. The Bible stood in the way of man's greater en

ments and higher development. The infidel looked

approval towards the missionary. He shook his headdissent.

At once the infidel marched up to him, and the cr

closed around to witness the polemic war. There had b

no spice of adverse criticism so far. Now there was to

duel.

The infided opened his battery at once in the questio

"Do you call David a man after God's own heart? W

he not an adulterer? Did he not connive at the slaying

Uriah? "

The missionary calmly answered: "David was a g

man, yet he fell into sin, and wrote a very penitent c

fession of his sin. Have you, my friend, ever been moto write a confession of YOUT sin? "

Confessing he had not, but trying to parry the blow

again demanded: "But do you mean to justify Dav

cruelty in putting enemies under saws and harrows ,;,? "

The missionary answered: "David was a king, a warr

and a conqueror. As such, he punished rebels

criminals. But when his personal enemies were in af

tion, David put on sackcloth, and fasted, and prayed

them. Have yot~, my friend, ever done so towards J

foes? "

He owned he never had.

Then the missionary, summing up, had but to say: "Thuyou see, David was actuated by a spirit you have never f

He repented bitterly, and wrote a confession for all men

read. While, for reasons of state or war, he punish

enemies, yet when his private foes were in affiiction, he

on mourning for them, and fasted, and prayed. Da

then had a spirit to which you are a stranger. He

feelings into which you have never risen; he had a life

have not experienced. Before you say more agai

David, you had better pray for that spirit that enabled h

to be so penitent, so sympathizing, so forgiving."

The. infidel dropped his head in shame. He was not s

talking to another group on that steamboat. Repentin

sorrowing David was not the man for him. So this Goli

fell by the smooth stone from the brook of Living Truth.

,;,Putting men" undal' saws" and" harrows" is prope

rendered by critics, putting them among them, or to the-that is reducing captives to bondage, as was the customthose times, and requiring them to work with satl"S, harro

axes, and in brick-kilne. Drs. Adam Clarke, Banjam

Boothroyd, John Gill and others endors~ this .translation1 Sam, xii. 21, and existing manuscripts give the sa

reading for 1 Chron, xx. 3.



THE BIBLE STANDARD.

QUESTIONS ON IMMORTALITY.

I. What is Immortality?

Ans. Deathlessness: from im,-not; and mortal. A

state of being not mortal, deathless; that cannot die.

II. Who has inherent Immortality?

Ans. "The King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only

wise God."-l Tim. i. 17.

Ill. Are not men possessed of immortal souls?

Ans. No. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die."-

Eeek, xviii. 4-20.

IV. Is Immortality attainable by us ?

Ans. Yes; for though "the wages of sin is death; the

gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

=Hom. vi. 23.

V. How is this gift ~obtained ?

AilS. Jesus saith: "This is the will of Him that sent Me,

that everyone that seeth the Son, and believeth on Him,

may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at thelast day."-John vi. 40.

VI. Did Plato, or Socrates, or does spiritualism or

nature reveal Immortality?

Ans. No. It is only revealed "By the appearing of our

Life-giver, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and

hath brought life and immortality to light through the

gospel."-2 Tim, i. 10. .

VII. To whom will God give eternal life, or deathlessness ?

Ans. "To them who by patient continuance in well doing

seek for glory and honour and immortality."-Rom. ii. 7.

VIII. Will God bestow on such this deathlessness ?

An,~. He will give them "eternal life."-Rom. ii. 7.

IX. You say to believe in Jesus is the first step toward,

the attainment of Immortality. What more is necessary?

Ans. To" fight the good fight of faith; lay hold: on

eternal life." -1 Tim, vi. 12. "He that endureth to the end

shall have life (Syriac)."-llIatt. x. 21. t

X. When are believers put in possession of Immortality?

Is it at death, or at a subsequent period?

Ans. " At the last trump . . . . this mortal must put on

immortality."-1 Cor. xv. 52-53.

XI. Will this change be gradual or sudden ?

Am. It will be "in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye,at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead

shall be raised incorruptible, and we (who are alive and

remain) shall be changed."-l Cor. xv. 52. 1 These. iv. 15.

XII. Will the change include the whole man?

Ans. Certainly. " This corruptible must put on incorrup-

tion, and t.iis mortal must put on immortality."-l Cor.xv. 53.

XIII. What Scripture will be fulfilled when this takes

place?

A ns. Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is

written, "death is swallowed up in victory."-Isaiah xxv. 8.

1 Cor. xv. 56, and Hosea xiii. 14.-" I will ransom

from the power of the grave (sheol) ; I will redeem

from death; 0 death, I will be tllYplaguos ; 0 grave (~

I will be thy destruction."

XIV. Will the wicked, then, have Immortality,-inco

ruptibility ?

Ans. They will not"; for" these, as natural brute b

made to be taken and destroyed, . . . . shall utterly p

in their own corruption."-2 Peter ii. 12. "He that so

to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption."--Gal.

"The wages of sin is 4.e~th."-Rom. vi. 23.

"HE COMETH."

" BEHOLDHe cometh with clouds, and every eye shal

Him." "This same Jesus that ye have seen go

Heaven, shall so come again in like manner as ye have

Him go into Heaven." "If I go away I will come ag

"Surely I come quickly."

What if this were the coming of a friend who has

from us to a distant land, whose hands we clasped in par

expecting to meet no more upon the shores of time?

if it were the coming of the whole multitude of those

love our coming Lord, and who share with us the hope

joys and fellowships of all the saints?

What if it were the coming of those loved ones, d

still to memory though lost from mortal sight, those s

of God whose heads are buried in the dust; those mem

of our families who calmly sleep beneath the silent s

those sharers of our tenderest love, over whose sepulc

unmarked by marble monuments, the rolling waves

their perpetual requiem?

What if it were the coming of the blessed of allclimes, and lands, in all the splendours of the firmame

the city of the Lord of Hosts? What if it were the co

of the angel choirs to shine and sing as once they did

Bethlehem's plain? What if it were the coming o

Heaven's hosts, the countless angels with Cherubim

Seraphim, with all the glory of the eternal God poured

to fill with its radiant outflow the universe which H

made? What if it were the coming of Him who sle

Bethlehem's manger, who bowed in Jordan's wave,

hung on Calvary's cross, who burst from Joseph's tomb

rose to Heaven, and sits at God's right hand?

It is all this, it is all these. He shall come, and

shall all comewith Him: tlie Glory of God; the manifest

of the Deity; the revelation of the Angelic myriads;'redemption of the universal Church; the gathering ho

the elect people of God; the bringing back of the ab

the scattered, and those that sleep in silence in the grav

all these things are wrapped up in these words, "He com

The world may despise Him, forget Him, and put far

that day, but the Church, whose heart is bound with

\whose hope is anchored with His, whose very life is th

of Christ made manifest in mortal flesh,-can she fail

" looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appe

of the great God and our Saviour?" Can she forget to

His appearing? Can she ever cease to raise to He

the loving, joyful, earnest cry, "Even so, come Lord Jes

-H. L. Hastings .



80 THE BIBLE STANDARD.

THE SAINTS' INHERITANCE. PUBLIOATIONSTHE Apostle says, "Eye ~ath not seen, nor ear heard,

neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things God

hath prepared for them that love Him: but God hath

revealed them unto us by His spirit." The things so

mysteriously hidden from the natural mind, are, neverthe-

less, "revealed" by the "spirit" in the prophecies of the

Scripture; still, our minds, as believers, are not always in

that advanced state that enables us to receive the indwelling

spirit, so as through its teachings to receive and accept the

teachings of Divine revelation, on questions of muchinterest.

Jesus said to His disciples, just before He went away, "I

have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear

them now." Moses wished to see God's glory, but he was

answered, ., Thou canst not see My face: for there shall no

man see Me and live."

In our present state, faith is the test of our love to God,

and is that by which we are and shall be justified, and for

unbelief be condemned. The promises and oath of God are

the basis on which faith is built. Faith trusts God to do all

He has said, and embraces the idea that "He is able to do

exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think."

True, "we now see throurh a glass darkly," but in due time,

after we have walked by fu.itli, we shall see all things

clearly. If we could now see all that we wish to know, it is

doubtful if we could "live" any more than Moses could, had

his prayer to see God's glory been answered.

The beloved disciple, John, had such a sight of his glorified

Redeemer, on the Isle of Patmos, that he "fell at His feet

as one dead."

While the Scriptures give us sufficient light to show us

there are inexhaustible treasures of joy in reserve for those

who love God, and embrace His Son as their Life-giver, the

far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory is kept

under a veil, till we are matured and ripe to enter into it.

That the earth is the inheritance of the saints is clearly

revealed to faith, "Blessed are the meek, for they shull

inherit the earth."-Matt. v 5. and Psalm xxxvii, 11. It is

to be their eternal possession: "The righteous shall never

be removed: but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth."-

Pro». x. 30. The kingdom of God is to succeed the "wild

beast" governments of men, and supersede them all, and

"shall never be destroyed." -Dan. vii. 14-18. "It shallstand for ever." =Dan. ii. 44. The saints, Christ's tried and

faithful servants, are" to pOSSeSS" it "for ever and ever."-

Dan. vii. 18. Christ's" dominion shall be from sea to sea,

and from the rivers to the ends of the earth." - Psalm. lxxii. 8.

"The Lord God shall give unto Him the'hrone of His

father David : and He shall reign over the house of JacoL for

ever: and of His kingdom there shall be no end."

-Luke i. 32-33.

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Bible Standard July 1878

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Transcript of Bible Standard July 1878