The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-09-04
''MY FLESH ALSO SHALL REST
IN HOPE"


in Psalms xvi, 80 favors the doctrine
Of the resurrection of the body and he
the views of Univers alists on
that passage. Gam L not correct in
saying" he writes, ''that Universalists
repudiate the doctrine of the resurrec-
ton of the mortal tenement of flesh
and how then could the Psalmist say,
My flesh shall rest in hope?' +"
Perhaps the best answer we can
make to our correspondent is to quote
the words of Paul on the resurrection.
in which he passes this subject under
review in terms that seem to answer
directors in every age. He says II Cor.
XIV, 35 36).
"But some man will say-how are
the dead raised up, and with what body
do they come? Thou fool; that which
thou sowest is not quickened except it
die; and that which thou sowest, thou
sowest not that body that shall be, but
bare grain; it may chance of wheat or
some other grain. But God giveth it a
body as it hath pleased him, and to every
seed his own body. So also
is the resurrection of the dead. 1t ia
sown in corruption; it is raised in in
corruption. 1t is sown in dishonor: it
is raised in glory. 1t is sown in weak
ness; it is raised in power. 1t is sown
natural body; it is raised a spiritual
body. And so it is written: The first
man Adam was made living soul;
the last Adam was made a quickening
spirit. Howbeit, that was not first
which is spiritual, but that which is
natural and afterward that which is
spiritual"
In these luminous words the distinc-
ton is clearly set forth between the
body which we now inhabit and the
future body which shall be given to
glorified spirits. The body we now
have is a mortal tenement" as our
correspondent remarks. But observe.
that alone is immortal which cannot
die. The fact that the body dies.
crumbles away under the sway of time
into dust and ashes, is the best of evil
dence that it is not 1.-THE body that shall
be-" That, we are taught, is immor-
tal,-beyOnd the sway of death. The
present body is corruptible one: sown
in dishOnor, in weakness: a natural
body. But the spiritual body is incor-
ruptible, raised in glory, and in power,
and not subject to the changes and
limitations OF the flesh. If the earthly
body dies, and no physiological fact is
susceptible of clearer proof, it is evil
dent beyond question that it cannot be
immortal. No process of resurrection
can change dead body into an immor-
tai one. The fact that the body dies is
conclusive against it's Immortality.
The doctrine of the resurrection of the
body involves the re- creation of the flesh,
the combination anew of the particles
OF which the body is made up, and Is
in no sense resurrection, but a new
creation for special exigency. We
have no authority in Scripture for be-
lieving in any such revival of the pres
ent body. The doom of the flesh is
death and decay. ''Then shall the
dust return unto the earth as it was"
Here the universal Jaw is declared
But this does not involve the immorta,
part. On the contrary it is asserted
that 1.-THE spirit shall return to God
who gave it." (Eccl. xii, ~
We find the passage from the Psalms
mentioned in the New Testam emit. 1t
forms part of Peters sermon on the
day of Pentecost and quoted with ref
erence to Christ: For David speaketh
concerning him, Il foresaw the Lord
always before my face; for he is on my
right hand that l should not be moved.
Therefore did my heart rejoice and
my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh
also shall rest in hope. Because thou
wilt not leave my soul in hell (hadeS-
gravel, neither wilt thou suffer thy
Holy One to see corruption " 1.-The
import is" says the Rev. j. NJ. Austin
in a note on the passage, 'that the
SaviOur's body and life should not be-
come extinct, while remaining in the
tomb, between his cruc. fixion and res
direction. By the power and grace of
God he should triumph over the chains
of death, and arise to life immortal.
This confidence filled his heart with
strength and the highest joy. And
although the circumstances which at
tended the resurrection of the Son of
God, necessarily differed from those
which pertain to the resurrection of
mankind ill general, yet in the fact
that Jesus died and arose from the
dead, it is demonstrated that man can
die and live again; and it forms, too,
the solid basis of hope and faith that all
men can and will also rise from the
dead. Jesus became the first fruits of
them that slept"
And DR.. Paige, on the passage, is
equally clear: My flesh shall rest in hope.
The body is here personified and repre-
sented as lying down in the grave with
hope of a resurrection. This
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