Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1877-05-31
&eadimg fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
[Original,
THE RESURRECTION.

REV. RoB EttI LA411AINs
[origlnal.l
THE RESURRECTION.
The doctrine of the resurrection is one OF
the cardinal doctrines of the Bible. 1t is
taught obscurely y, We admit-in many
portions of the Old Testament. The follow.
ing texts may be appropriately quoted, both
to show that the doctrine is taught in the
Old Testament, and at the same time that it
is obscurely taught. "Thy dead men shall
live, together with my dead body shall they
arise" Isaiah XVI: 19. "God will redeem
my soul from the power (hand) Of the
grave" (ShoaD Psalm xix: Is. II know
that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall
stand at the latter day upon the earth. And
though after my skin avorms destroy this body,
vet in my flesh shall I see God." Job xix %,
26. "Many of them that sleep in the dust of
the earth shall awake, some to everlasting
life, and some to shame and everlasting con-
tempt" Daniel xii: The words in italics
are not found in the original.
These texts teach the doctrine of the resur-
rection, perhaps, as clearly as any that can
be selected from the Old Testament, and it
must be admitted, that with the exception of
the one quoted from the prophet Daniel, there
is some obscurty in all of them. The i'm.
mortality of the soul and the resurrection OF
the body were only, as it were, hinted at un.
til the coming of the Messiah. Both are
clearly and positively taught in the New Tes'
lament. 1t is worthy of particular notice
how much Importance is, in the New Testa"
ment, attached to the doctrine of the resur-
rection. Taking it as Bible taught doc
tripe, that the soul of man is immortal, and
that his body will, at the last day, be resur'
rected, we may pro6tably inquire what doea
the scripture teach us respecting the charac
ter of the resurrection?
In the 25th chapter of 1st Corinthians, the
Apostle Paul treats, in logical method, the
whole subject of the resurrection. In the first
part of the chapter, the fact of the resurrec.
ton is stated and argued. In the thirty-6fth
verse, these two questions are asked: First,
how shall the dead be raised and second
with what bodies shall they come from the
grave? The remaining portion of the chap
ter is consumed in answering, mainly, the last
question. This is the question about which
we propose now to write.
1t is wonderful what notions multitudes OF
professed Chr;stians entertain concerning the
characteristics of the bodies which they will
have after the resurrection. Perhaps the
greater number of those who have any opirl-
ions at all on this subject, think that, at the
resurrection, they will be just as they are
now. In other words, the common opinion
is that the very same bodies which are laid in
the grave, will be raised up. Every feature
of the face, the color of the eyes and of the
hair, the complexion of the skin, the shape of
the body and all those bodily characteristics,
by which, in this world, one member of the
human family is distinguished from another,
many think, will be restored at the resurrec.
ton. To the carnal mind and to the merely
earthly affections, such notion has something
fascinating in it; but, unfortunately, it is un.
scriptural. In this thing, as in many others,
we must follow the Bible. We cannot reason
from any facts within the range of either our
experience or observation. The moment we
leave the Bible, when we speak of the doc
founder in the ocean Of vague speculation.
Death will not deprive us of our identity.
This will be retained but in peculiar sense.
The identity which will exist between our
present bodies and our resurrected bodies,
will be such an identity as exists between a
grain of wheat and the stalk which grows from
it; or between peach seed and the tree which
springs from it. A peach seed and the peach
tree which grows from it, have an identity
but it will be admitted, that it is peculiar
identity. They do not resemble each other in
appearance; neither can they be said to be
the same in substance. Their identity consists
in the fact that they have the same individual
organism. This is Pauls argument-it is his
illustration. What a man sows is what
he reaps, it matters not what may be the kind
of grain which he sows. The grain, as The
sprout is quickened, dies. The inference
which Paul desires to impress upon our minds
(see Cor. xv 36-42) is that our resurrected
bodies will be as unlike our present bodies as
a stalk of wheat is unlike the grain from
which it sprung or the flesh of fish is TN
like the flesh of bird or the flesh of man
is unlike that of beast Still farther, he
says that our present bodies will differ from
our resurrected bodies as muc b as terrestrial
bodies-the mineral, animal and vegetable
kingdoms-difer from heavenly bodies, what
ever heavenly bodies may mean. Verse 40.
If we understand by "heavenly bodies" the
sun, moon and stars, which is probably the
correct Interpretation, then the Apostle teaches
that our present bodies and our resurrected
bodies will be as unlike each other as blade
of grass or stalk of corn is unlike the sun.
In the 50th verse, the apostle positiyel y de-.
clares that flesh and blood cannot inherit the
Kingdom of God. The expression, "Aesh
and blood" simply means our bodies as now
constituted. So far as we remember, it never
is used to denote fallen or sinful human Ia
ture. Christ is said to have taken upon him
flesh and blood" that is, become man; not
a sinner. Hebrew ii IA. The Kingdom of
God in this connection, evidently means the
king dom of glory, or the kingdom of Christ
az it shall be after the resurrection. If this
exposition be correct, and we think it is, no
human being, as he or she is now constituted,
can inherit heaven. Our bodies will undergo