The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1878-03-20
For THE CENTRAL PRESBYTERIAN.
WHAT IS THE STATE OF SEPARATE
SPIRITS?

At the request of distant friend have
recently put in writing what l believe to be
revealed on this subject, and as it has been
rather recently matter Of some interest,"
To crafty expressed desire send it for your
columns
This is subject about which there have
been different opinions, and yet as call Scrip
ture is given by inspiration of God," what
the Bible teaches must be true. Let US then
examine by the Bible the various views that
have been entertained about the question now
before US.
Some maintain that the thinking, reason
ing, willing principle in man, which we call
the soul, is just as mortal as his body, and
consequently that when body dies the soul
dies also. That there is thinking, reason
ing, willing principle in brutes, cannot be
denied. A powerful argument therefore for
the immortality of the human soul would go
to prove the same in them, if it were not for
the Bible; but when it tells US of "the spirit
of man that goeth upward, and of the "sprit
of the beast that goeth downward to the
earth," Eccles iii: 81, and of "the beasts
that PERISH" Psalm xix: II, we are not left
in doubt. Accordingly, speaking of man
when he comes to die it says. "Then shall
the dust return to earth as it was, and the
spirit shall return to God who gave it,
Eccles. xii 7. And hence the language of
the martyr Stephen when near his end,
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit" Acts xii {:
SO. And hence again the exhortation of
our Saviour, "Fear not them that destroy the
body, but cannot kill the soul" Matt. K: %.
Notwithstanding then there are those who,
in the face of revelation and of nearly all the
human family, struggle hard to think them
selves stupendous brutes, and that at death
they will go out in fume and be forgotten, l
must believe that while the spirit of the beast
is mortal, the spirit of man is immortal.
Others contend that when human being
dies, his soul not only dies, but will continue
in the sleep of death until the resurrection.
This, if l mistake not, is the view of Rev.
John Miller, of New Jersey, and has been
the view of others also. And yet our Lords
quotation of what God said to Moses on Mt.
Horeb, viz 81 am the God Of Abraham,
and the God of Isaac, and the God of jacob" :"
with his comment on it, He is not the God
of the dead but of the living" (Matt. xii {:
32, certainly does refute them.
Again, from Deut. xxxiv: 26, We learn
that Moses while on his way from Egypt to
the land of Canaan, died upon Mt. Nebo,
and yet he, long after that, met with Christ
and tbree oa his disciples, dnd talked about
the then near approaching crucifxion. Luke
tx: %, 81. He surely then was living still.
Again, our Saviour speaking of the death
of Lazarus, and of the death and burial Of
the rich man, represents the former as in
state of happiness with Abraham, and the
latter as in hell tormented. Luke xvi: l9-
a. Surely then they also we're still con
sciou8. Now, if these cases do not prove that
the soul of man survives the dissolution oi
his body, no one can tell what would. O;hei
cases will come up hereafter.
There are still others who contend thai
although the soul does neither die nor sleeE
when the body dies, it does not 60 directly
to either hell or heaven. Their idea is tina
the souls of the pious go to some intermed
ate place where they remain in happiness
until the esurreoton-that then being re
united with their bodies they will enter int,
heaven where they will be forever in ia
greater happiness and that state the op
posite of this will be the portion of the wick
ed. Such were the views of MIR. Wesley, an
of others, but not of MethOdists generally.
The Rev. DR.. McTyerie goes still further
"No one" says he, 4" has yet been saved il
heaven, no one sent to hell. These state
and conditions will not be awarded till th
Judgment, and will not take place until tn
resurrection" "Bessed are the dead VIII
die in the Lord" "The body rests i
hope while the soul is hsppy-happy as
disembodied spirit can be-" Methodist Pu
pit, vol. I. page 384 Moses tells US, on th
contrary, that " Enoch walked with God 30
years, and was not, for God took him. y
Gen. v: 22, "a And Paul says, "B
faith Eaoch was translated that he shoul
not sec death, and was not found for Go
had translated him." Heb. XII: 5. Agai
we ale told "that E jah was taken up int
t heaven in whirlwind." II Kings xi: 2:
%. That Laz rus was carried by the al
3 gels into Abraham bosom, and that the ric
8 man lifted up his eyes in hell. Surely the
D some have been saved 10 heaven" and OF
t at least was sent to hell.
t As our rj,yments and suferings con
+ through our bodies as well as through ol
4 souls. that there will be an increase of he
piness with the righteous, and of misery vii
, the wicked after the resurrection, is fro
4 that fact alone well nigh certain. On th
, point therefore there is no dispute.
DR.. McTyerie, in the discourse before u
laws down two fundamental errors, and fro
them several misapprehenaions, and cons
t quent msinterpretatiOns of the scriptur
9 naturally follow. Thus, speaking of the d
J, sign of the Almighty in appointing gen
l. eral Judgment, he says, "I' is to asoerta
- .ho orount of ouilt or innocence of ca,