The Northern star, and farmers' and mechanics' advocate. [volume] (Warren, R.I.) 1830-1834, 1830-05-01
RELIGIOUS COsi;aaed.


nature and the light of reason, in favor Of
the Immortality Of the soul, and the
doctrine of future rewards and punish
ments. We shall in this paper show the
harmony which exists between that
Revelation which, as recorded in the
New Tastament, brought life and immor-
tality more to fully to light, the deduct
sions of sound reason snd the corrobora-
ting testimony ofthe Jewish Scriptures.
Any one, who, unhappily, has doubts con-
ccrning the reality Of his future destiny
and is bsnes in his objections, VIII wish
TO know how far the positions taken in
former number, can be supported by the
law and the prophets. Comparatively
speaking, Ii. e. compared with the gos-
pels) little is found in the records of the
Jewish dispensation, bearing directly on
this point but there is enough sufficient
" to prove that God did not keep his an
cicnt people in the dark concerning this
very important and interesting doctrine.
Reason would lead us TO infer that he
would not confine their views and cxcr-
tsms to tl,c hding scenes Of time And
the Apostle informs us, that Moses " en-
dured as seeing him who is invisible, for
he had respect umo the recompcnse otre-
ward.n Moses did moi enter the promised
land of Canaan-t therefore he must have
referred to arountry o,t of sight to NOR
tul eye, eternal in the heavens And Paul
says of the other pntriarchs, that they
sought a better country" am heavenly
not accepting deliverance when it was
offered them that they might obtain
better resurrection" We also hear the
roynl Psalmist exclaim-" my flesh shall
rest in hope, for thou wilt not leave my
soul in the grave" And he again ex-
claims, !" when shall / awake in thy like
ness 20 Job expresses his future
hopes in the strongest language ;"l know
that my Rcdeemer liveth, and that at the
latter day he shall stand upon the earth
and after awake, though this body be
destroyed, yet out efmy flesh shall sec
GOD" l might 60 on and enumerate
many other passages in the Old Iesta-
ment, in which the sentiment IS most
strongly implied but my limits forl''d'-
Enough has been quoted, however, ia
prove, that this doctrine was recognized
and acknowledged by the patriarchs. Je
hoyah himself, in the strongest terms de-
clared this truth in ancient time, by say
ing am the Con of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob. Now Christ says" Cop is not
the God of the dcad-but of the living
Would the Great / Am, have made this
declaration, iftheir intellectual existence
had not been continued, since it is well
known, that the mortal part had long
becn reduced to the original dust when
noses saw the burning bush, ard heard
therefrom the awful voice Of Jehovah
In the New Testament, proofs multiply
to such degree and its contents are SC
familiar to almost every one, that shal
not draw from this grand repository OF Dl'
vine truth, any substantiat'on OF the Posis'
ion previously assumed because my orig
inal intention was merely to show that mai
ural religion and the scriptures OF the Olo
Testament, went to corroboratc these I'M
portant doctrines, as they are detailed IN
tho despcnsution of Jesus Christ. And
now. seing these things arc SO PLAIN as mol
70 admit a doubt in the mind OF the sober
and candid inquirer" What manner OF
men should we be, "who- live in these lat
ter days. in the full blaze Of Divine ligh'
and knowledgc' Wewho arc constra'n-
ed to believe, that man not only possesses
an immatcrial spirit of an indcstructable
nature but that he must be finally arralgn-
ed to answer for every word-ycs, though'
and that, at bar, where no circum-
stance ofcxcuse will be admitted and
where the most secret things OF inc near
-. IL