Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-09-09
&eadiua far the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV. ROBERT LATHAM.
[Orlginal.]
THE RESURRECTION.

than others. All truth is important, but all
truths are not equally important 1t is our
duty to study the whole Bible, but there are
some things revealed in the Scriptures which
our finite minds cannot clearly understand
These truths are not essential to salvation
Other truths are plainly revealed, and clear
and correct knowledge of them is absolutely
essential to salvation. 1t is not necessary that
we know everything that God has revealed in
his word but there are some things that he
has revealed, which, in order to be saved, we
must know. There are many subjects about
which it possible for true Christians to differ
but there are other subjects about which a diff
ference of opinion is inadmissible. These
truths form the basis of every orthodox creed
Among the important doctrines revealed in
the Bible, none is more important than that OF
the resurrection. Notwithstanding this, it
would, perhaps, be true to say that it is doc
trine about which most persons think but very
little. In the Bible, especially in the New
Testament, great prominence is given to the
doctrine of the resurrection. Concerning the
resurrection, ecan know nothing except what
is revealed in the Scriptures. 1t is a doctrine
of pure revelation. So far as can be discerned
by our senses, there is nothing, either in the
works of creation or providence, analogous to
the resurrection. Nothing ever comes under
our observation which even family resembles
the resurrection of body after it has been
long dead and crumbled into dust. Some sup
pose that the reviving Of the vegetable king
dom on the return of spring, typifes the resur-
rection of the human body from the grave.
A moments reflection will convince any one
that the two things are as totally unlike, as
any two things can be. In the resurrection OF
the human body, it is dead matter that is reor-
ganized and endowed with life In spring, the
living seeds germinate.
All that we know concerning this resurrec-
ton is learned from the Bible. 1t is true
that some of the ancient heathen philosophers
seem to have had some indistinct notions of
the resurrection Of the body. Thus, Phocyl-
ides says ''It is not good that the admirable
harmony which seems to be in the constitution
of men should be entirely dissolved. We hope,
therefore, that the remains of the dead will
come forth from the earth, and return to the
light.'' From this sentence, it would seem
that Phocylides believed in the Immortality
of the human soul and in the resurrection OF
the human body. Where or how he learned
this, we do not know. Most probably, If he
actually used the language quoted above, he
had in some way or other learned the ideas the
words convey to our minds from the Scrip
lures. 1t is simply impossible for any man,
unaided by inspiration, to arrive at the con-
clusien either that the soul of man is immor-
| tai, or that the body of man will be resurrect-
ed after death.
We think it may be safely asserted that
the doctrine of the resurrection is taught
neither by the works of the creation nor by
providence. At least man, in his present
condition, blinded as he is by sin, cannot in
fer from anything that is recognizable by the
senses, that mans body after death will be re-
stored to life. This being the case, we have
to depend wholly upon revelation for all our
knowledge on this subject.
The Bible reader need not be told that, both
in the Old Testament and in the New Testa-
ment, the doctrine of the resurrection is plain
ly and repeatedly taught. 1t is readily ad-
mitted that it is less frequently and less
clearly taught in the Old Testament than in
the New but still it is taught. God promises
his people that he will ransom them from the
power of the grave"-Hos. 13: 14-and the
pious and inspired Job rejoices that after his
body has been devoured by worms, yet in his
flesh he again should see God. Job 10: B.
Other passages from the Old Testament Scrip
lures might be quoted to prove that the doc.
trine of the resurrection of the body, after
death, was fundamental part of the belief OF
the Old Testament Church. In the New Tes-
lament it is frequently, plainly and positively
taught 1t is taught in regularly formmal
way in which no other doctrine, except justi-
fication by faith, is taught in the whole Scrip
lures. The fact is stated, and many attendant
circumstances are also stated The resurrec-
tion of the dead, as described by Paul, is only
surpassed in sublime grandeur by the general
judgment.
The Importance of the resurrection will be
readily seen, if it is considered that the sue
cess of Jesus Christ, as the redeemer, was
made by himself, to hinge upon his rising again
from the dead. "Destroy this temple" said
he, ''and in three days I will raise it up"
That is, put me to death, and in three days
this body of mine WILL by my divine power, be
raised up again from the dead. This was the
test of his divinity Had he failed in this, he
would, by his own covenanted arrangement,
have failed in every thing. If there is no such
thinga as resurrection of the dead-if it is, as
some have pronounced it, ''aniles fabulas''-
old acires' fableS-then Jesus Christ did not rise
from the dead, and according to his own agree
ment, his life of obedience and agOnizing death
was a grand failure. 1t is very remarkable
that no event was ever better attested than
the resurrection of Jesus Christ. If it be ad-
mitted that the New Testament is the word of
God; nay, if it is only admitted that the New
Testament is truthful history-then more
than five hundred persons can be put on the
stand, all of whom will testify, most positive
ly, that they saw Jesus after he arose from the
grave. Some of these were Sadducees, who
before denied that there was such a thing as
the resurrection of the dead.
The fact that Jesus Christ rose from the
dead is designed to be firmly fixed in the minds
of all men, and especially in the minds of
Christians, by the institution of the Christian
Sabbath. Previous to the resurrection of Je-
sus, the Sabbath was designed by God to COM
memorate finished creation. In six days all
things were created and on the seventh God
rested, or ceased to create, and that day was
set apart as commemorative day of that fact.
On the first day of the week, Jesus rose from
the dead, and that day was, by God, set apart
as a commemorative day of a once dead and
buried, but now risen and exalted Saviour.
BY the command of God, one seventh of the