The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1878-10-30
I Am Still Thinking.
70 the Editor of the Morristown Gazette:

In the history Of this world, doubt
less, the common bonds Of evangel-
zeal love win eventually bind togeth-
er the whole human race as the fam
ily of God. But this will not inter
fere with peculiar social regards
Why, then, should the union of the
entire family of God interfere with
particular friendships in heaven? A
change Of heart does not interfere
with particular friendships in this
life. Why should a change of worlds,
involving the exaltation Of our so
cial nature, interfere with them in
the future state On earth, man is
united by the common bonds of hui
mainly, and yet this does not inter
fere with the love of country, nor
does the love of country interfere
with particular friendship. There
are eternal ideas, and so there are
eternal feelings, and eternal friend
ships. and you can no more destroy
these feelings and friendships than
you can modify or annihilate the
substantial nature and identity Of
the Saints respectively.
In moral sense, it is true, there
will be no difference among the
Saints in heaven. From the most
exalted to the humblest saints there,
the same moral perfection will pre-
vail, that is, in all will exist perfect
holiness and perfect humility. But
these acquired projections will not
absorb and render indistinguishable
differences in intellect and sensibili-
ty; they will only render the more
distinct and admirable those differ
ences in intellect and sensibility
which now constitute the personal
identity of our friends and relations.
The brighter the light, and the
stronger the sight, and the more
discriminating the judgement, the
more distinct and complete is the
cognition of an object and so. when
the peculiarities in the mental con-
stitution of our friends and srela-
tions shall be lighted up by perfect
=. holiness and adorned with perfect
humility in heaven, they will appear
to us lovely in the highest degree.
Social affections involve peculiar
regards.
The Sadducean question, at this
point. demands particular attention,
whether the difference of the sexes
'- extends to the future state of the
saints? We maintain that it will.
The answer of Christ is sufficiently
definite. While marriage is honor
able to all +" in this life. there twill
be no marrying or giving in mar
rage" but we shall be 'as the an
gels of Godp in the life to come.
That is, the physical law of social
life will be absorbed and lost in a
retributiye state. But this does not
involve the annihiIation of the inner
social relations and affections, re
lations and affections of the soul
profoundly mysterious and inefably
s tender,-which have their own laws
q and evidence, and which nothing but
sin and the eternal curse OF God can
annihilate.@ The doctrine of men
tai identity requires the perpetual
4 ton Of the consciousness Of sex.
Whatever may be the organization
of the spiritual bod 1.-The conscious
ness OF sex must remain as perma-
nent as the spirit. The true idea
of the resurrection requires it. The
idea of man is twofold-male and
female; for thus was man created in
the image of God. It Is inconceiv
able how the spirit can lose the con
seriousness of sex. The highest state |
of sanctiication in this life does not |
affect this consciousness and it is |
certain our simple elevation into the
region of pure spirit cannot effect
5 il, unless we shalEhe essentially diff
: ferent in the future state from what
we are here, which no one can ration
ally pretend will be the case. Dis
5 tinct will be the7idea of sex in the
consciousness o.. spiritual personali-
ty in every saint in heaven. Let it
be carefully observed thatthis spirit
ual consciousness of sex lies in the
very essence of mind, and refers not
merely to the present physical con-
stitution; and hence, we agree, the
consciousness of ser can never be
obliterated from the mind.i The
present physical order, it is true, ex.
stends not beyond a.his lifeS but the
Spiritual constitution will abide for
ever. Death terminates the pres.
ent physical order, and the body in
the resurrection viii be adapted to +
a new order, and, whatever that
body may be, it. will be re-entered
by the spirit retaining the conscious
ness of its identity, that is. that it
. has still abiding correlative afec-
tions, which implies the idea Of sex.
- For example: David. the bereav-
ed .tt.ther, hoped to 60 to his sainted
So. 80 ga