The daily union., 1854-07-30
For the Union
THE STATE OF THE SOUL AFTER DEATH

nnated much that their columns closed to
the subject allow say few things upon the ques
ton SO raised through the medium of your paper
The inquiry whether the soul sleeps with the body in an
unconscious in the grave is not original with the
present age Whatever philosophy aside from the teach
inc of the Scriptures may say upon the subject it is evi
dent my mind that the views of the first article alluded
TO are sustained by the Bible taken as whole The
writer of that article has quoted single class of texts
which depend for their meaning upon the just rules OF
Interpretation for the whole volume.
Suppose in imitation of his example, quote another
class of texts which their face ncuicate just the oppo
site sentiment Take the parable of the rich and Laza
rusIuke xvi 10 3lwhch can have intelligble mean
ing even us metaphor If admit the doctrine that the
soul sleeps with the body in unconscious condition.
Again Christ says to the dying hief-Luke xii, 43--
To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise The Apostle
says--phil j, 23-fa&g am in strait betwix two
having desire to ds1A and to be with Christ, which is
far be era Again. ne says2d Cor, V, S. We are con-
6den and willing rather to be absent from the body and
10 be present with the Lord Much might be quoted
IN show the ground of the doctrine received among profess
ed Christians the state Especially Of the pous dead
Rnt will at this time add but single passage 1t
4 be language of Christ in reftation of the Sadduces
Matt xii 81 32--a Have ye not read that which was
enokp unto YOU by God, saying am the God of Abra-
ha, ana Isaac and Jacob? God is not the God Of the
a I'M, Of the living Tie meant distinctly TO affirm that
tho na,rarchs were still liying which Of their
spirit.. though their bodies slept in the dust
Nv similar rule of interpretation the passage in Acts
Il "a affirming the non-ascenson of David into the heavens
mns refer to his mortal part which, indeed had not yet
een raised and gloed the body Of Christ was his
ascension This is clearly the antthess of Refer and the
no;nt Of his argument which to prove the docrine of
be resurrection and teach that the soul is uncop
scous till then The passage in John xiii 33 has no rea
ton 10 the question it directed to those who die in
her sins and will be in heaven where Christ is
c. Ia, o1ni tbpp or1s M ms an hail hi
aseended up to heaven but he that came down from
heaven by no means prove that the soul is in uncon
scos state The phrase ascending into the heavens has
several applications in the Scriptures and its proper mean
ING in each place must be determined by the connexon
See for example Eph w. 8, 10, Acts Il . ii also Corr
xii From these and many other statements OF Scrip
trc the phrase in question must be modified to suit the
nature of the subject and if there be different gradaons
properly termed the heavenly state yet each implying also
different degree of power and glory it evident that
mere man has ascended that high estate to be in cond
ton of equality with the Father and in this the
words of Christ true that hath ascended into
heaven &C. although all who have died in the faith have
gone be with Christi and in the lower of being in
conscious His manifested presence it is proper
represent that they have been removed from this world to
Paradise or Heaven. Again in the most literal ap
pcaon of the passage it does not teach the unconscious
state the SOUL for but persons regarded hav
ing been translated of of whom it is simply said that
he not God took hm and in regard to the other
that he up bodily in whirlwnd of mortal sight
and afterwards appeared, with Moses comnuning with
Christ on the Of OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES showing that
the ascension and descension precisely e exceptions
to the general rule in respect to the moral part of
which the passage cont ,mpate But whatever its mean
ing ii is evident that state OF unconsciousness for the
soul was intended to be affirmed thereby The pas
sage in the llth chapter of Iol thy brother shall rise
asanwas spoken especially Of his body and Of the mira
Gle then be performed ana teaches nothing respecting
the state condition Of the soul after death That
the consolation Christ oheredtat Iazarus should
then be restored to them; it Yves miracle prove His
power death, but not to prove that when die our
spirits may not go to meet our friends in heaven The
other passages quoted in the article referred respecting
the recompense of the righteous and the wicked in the
EARTH and also the sleep and the resurrection of the body
have remote bearing the question to need any
comment
Now, the popular creed and the dogma which
can claim higher authority than the heather phoso-
ply Of Greece and Rome and which entirely at variance
with the teachings of Christ the prophets, and apostles
have nothing to say than that not single text in
the Bible be adduced show that the soul sleeps with
the body in the grave and if be meant that the opposite
doctrine is unscriptural and heathenish deny the mputa
ton and say that the sleep Of the soul with the body has
been part of the doctrine Of the ancient and modern inf
deity beyond question Traces of the notion may be
found in the oldest forms of Paganis 1t constituted the
of Homer and Hesiod pervaded the Gnosic heresies
was chief tenet of the ancient Sadduces and their sue
cesors, in form oher-the Maerialiss the Soul
seepers the Necessarians the French nfdcls-down to
the least and latest The disappointed and bewdercd Miller
ties and Secondadvcntsts and all the agends of that de-
usion
Now Mr. Magruaer not be aware Of the pedigree Of
his sentiment on the state of the dead but when he comes
TO study ii out he will find that it owes its paternity
the rankest and baldest atheism, and that its believers
have in every been among the most determined and
malignant enemies of the principles of the Christian faith
The truth is, who broach such doctrines now-a-
days often ignorant Of the history Of human opinions
and suppose they have really found out something new
when in fact they have only uncovered old and ex-
ploded theory.
Then, to tue of the boy committing suicide be-
his mother told him he would his sister in hea-
ven it curious piece of logic indeed just though
doctrine cannot be true unless it has and can
be, perverted hy pces weak human nature On this prn-
cple the boys death did result from false but from,
defective teachug Ii true far as il went but did
not go fer enough and therefore short Of what the
Bible dictated II taught the child a reunion in heaven
but not the nature Of suicide In ignorance wulness
therefore the boy launched himself into eternity il
for the final Judge decide the character of that act un
der all the circumstances but the last of all which
logical mind knowing anything Of human nature Of the
general tenor of the Bible should make of it, is that which
sopousy and presume sincerely attempted be made
oft by the writer in question
SCRUTINY.
EXTENSIVE coSfLsSRsuoy,-The most destructive fire
bchh hnsa rr.l IN, r. s.. .1