Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-10-25
Readina fur the Sabbath.
CONDUCTED BY
REV, ROBERT LATH AN.
[Original.l
THE RESURRECTION.

In the 9Th chapter and 10th verse of the
gospel, as recorded by John, these words oc-
cur: "This is the will of him that sent me,
that every one which seeth the Son, and be-
lieveth on him, may have everlasting life !;
and I will raise him up at the last day."
The speaker is evidently Jesus Christ, the
Son of God. He represents himself as sent
by the Father for the purpose that every one
which seeth and believeth on him may have
everlasting life. To this there is appended
promise that he will raise every believer
on him up at the last day. In the preceding
verse, nearly the same words occur: In fact,
the fortieth verse may be regarded as rep
etition of the thirty-ninth.
The design our Saviour had in view in
making the promise contained in both these
verses seems to have been two fold. 1st, He
designed to encourage believers while pas
sing through trials. Many, if not all, of his
first disciples had, by avoWing their allegi-
ance to him, deprived themselves of every
earthly comfort, and exposed themselves to
the contempt and ridicule Of both the Jews
and the Gentiles. They deprived them
selves of their social position and placed
their lives in jeopardy. Everywhere, and
by all classes in society, they were spoken
against.
In their desponding moments, the follow
ers of Jesus might ask, "What good is to ac-
crue to US from following Jesus, if we are to
spend our lives under such trying circum-
stances?" Our Lord replies, 81 will raise
you up at the last day" AS much as to say,
will, at the consummation of all things,
and trials. Another object our Saviour had
in view in repeating the promise, 81 will
raise him up at the last day." was to impress
it indellibly on their minds that there would
be resurrection and last day.
The doctrine of a resurrection is one OF
vital importance. In fact, it is the impor-
tant doctrine of the Bible. If death is to be
the end of each member of the human FAM
lily, religion is scarcely worth embracing:
1t subserves no better purpose than kind
of regulating force which deprives men of
many pleasures, and contributes but few
1t will not be denied that religion, even in
it's lowest form, contributes something to our
enjoyment; but it is always war against
the flesh. This is specially the case with
the Christian religion. 1t demands that we
forsake all and follow Jesus. All feshly
luSts are to be given up, and we are required
to live humbly. Now if we are not to be
raised up at the last day, or if believers in
Jesus Christ are to get nothing but what
they receive in this world, or if death is to
put an end to them, there is little to be
gained by following Jesus. TO be justified
and adopted into the family of God is not
much of a privilege after all.
Any one will see that the resurrection Of
the body is of vital Importance to the Chris
tian religion. Our Saviour made his resur-
rection the test of his work. The fact that
he did rise from the dead proves conclusive
ly that God, the Father, accepted the work
which he did as perfect in all its parts
Could it be proven that Jesus Christ did not
rise from the dead, then Christianity would
be utterly worthless. Who could rely on a
dead Saviour; or if any one could rely on a
dead Saviour, what would it avail him:
The doctrine of the resurrection OF the
body being of such vital Importance, it is
important that every one protesting to be a
Christian be able to give a good and suffi-
cient reason for believing it.
may be proven in two ways. lst, from the
positive declarations of the Scriptures.
The argument from the light of nature is
by no means conclusive. 1t is only inferen-
tial, or rather in harmony with the teach
ings Of the Scriptures. BY the light of ma
ture is meant all those sources of knowledge
which we possess, except the Bible. What
we learn directly or Indirectly, mediately
or Immediately, from the Bible, is knoWl-
edge obtained not from the light Of nature,
but from supernatural revelation.
1t is claimed that man, universally con-
sidered, or all men are conscious Of the fact
that at some period their souls and bodies
will be reunited. 1t is claimed that all men
shrink back from the thought that when
they die their souls and bodies are to remain
forever disunited.
Another argument from the light Of ma
ture, in favor of the resurrection of the body,
is the desire which the human family cher
ish for it. The monuments which are erect
ed at the graves Of the dead are thought to
be the result of this desire. 1t is thought,
also, that many things in nature indicate
the resurrection of the body at some future
period. In winter the fields and forests are
destitute of vegetation. Everything is, we
say, dead. On the return of spring the grass
begins to grow, and soon the fields are COW
cred with flowers. Some insects pass through
several changes. For a long period some of
them lie in the ground, in q kind of torpid
or dead state, and then come forth arrayed
in the most gorgeous beauty. These are
thought to indicate resurrection of the hu-
man body. 1t is admitted that many things
in nature teach us that the resurrection of
the body is not an impossible thing; but
with all due Difference to those who think
that the resurrection Of the body is discOv-
cradle by the light Of nature, it is believed
that the doctrine Of the resurrection is one
of pure revelation. Take away from us the
Bible, and tits thought we would never con-
clude that after our bodies had been sepa-
rated from our souls and had crumbled
into dust, they would ever be resurrected.
Whether the resurrection of the body is dis
coverable or not by the light of nature, it
certainly is taught in the Bible. In the Old
Testament Scriptures there are many pas
sages which, either directly or Indirectly,
positively or inferentially, teach the doc
trine Of the resurrection Of the body. The
doctrine of the resurrection is prominent
feature of the New Testament.
Death, or the separation of the soul and
body, is a part of the penalty incurred by
mans first sin. Had man never sinned he
never would have died. What changes
would have taken place in his state or con-
dition, we do not know; bnt one thing is
certain, he would not have died, or his soul
and body would never have been separated.
The promise which God made to man i'm
complete remeG for all the evil which was
done 1t was promise to restore all that
sin had taken away. The remedy was as
extensive as the disease. TO be this it must
necessarily include the resurrection of the
body after death, and the reunion of the
soul and body. This is a fair and legitimate
inference, but we hear God declaring posi-
lively that he is the God of Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. Now when this declaration was
made Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were dead.
Their bodies had returned to the dust, but
God still declares that he is their God. Elk.
3:6. Our Saviour, who is the best eXpositOr
of the Old Testament scriptures, quotes this
passage to refute the notions of the Saddu-
sees, who deny the resurrection as well as
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