The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1886-08-12
THE STATE OF THE DEAD.


Eccl. ix.5. "For the living know
that they shall die; but tho dead
know not anything, neither have
they any moro reward for the
memory of them is forgotten.
How foreign this is to the popular
theory, that as soon as an in ividual
dies, he enters upon a stage of
knowledge far superior to that ever
experienced on this earth.
The psalmist says: "Put not your
trust in princes, nor in the son of
man, in whom there is no help. His
breath goeth, he returneth to his
earth; in that very day his thoughts
PERISH He certainly does not go
on thinking, with increased vigor,
after his thoughts have persisted. 1t
certainly cannot be said that this
refers to the body only. while the
soul keeps on thinking; for what
ever thinks in life ceases TO think in
death.
When God pronounced upon man
the sentence, "Thou shalt surely
die" what is the effect of that SEN
tence? The Lord explains it in the
words, "Dust thou art and unite dust
shalt thou return" But, says the
objector, that means only the body.
Was it the body that sinned, or the
soul? Why execute the penalty
against that which is not response
BILE?
The new testament speaks of death
as a sleep. 1t represents the saints
who are in their graves as asleep in
Jesus.
The idea of going to heaven at
death is utterly opposed to the doc
trine OF the resurrection. The scrip
lures teach emphatically that there
shall be resurrection of both the
righteous and wicked, see John VS.,
lisa. XVI, etc.
Paul, in 1 Cor. XIV, demonstrates
that the whole christian faith is de-
pendent on the fact that Christ rose
from the dead, and will raise the
sleeping saints. Verse IL is very
positive on the point, as it declares
that without a resurrection "they
also which are fallen asleep in Christ
are persisted" How can this be pos
sible, if they are already in heaven?
Take the martyrs and saints of all
ages. According to the popular
view they have been in heaven for
hundreds of years, in the full enjoy
of bliss and glory. Either Paul
knew nothing of this intermediate
state of bliss, or it is monstrous
fable. Which shall we believe?
TLis doctrine also antagonizes that
Of general judgment, which the
scriptures plainly teach. What need
is there of judgment if every man
enters upon his reward or punish
ment at death? Indeed, what need
is there of IL resurrection at all?
Why call back to this body the soul
which has been in heaven for so
long? But the bible locates the re-
ward, not at death but at the resur-
rection. This view Of the subject
makes the scriptures clear and har-
moniOus; while the other brings con.
fict, confusion, and contradiction.
The view we have tried to present
is powerful antidote to error.
From the old lie told Ivy Satan in
Eden, thou shalt not surely die,
has sprung evils without number.
The truth of God is perfect anti
dote for all this.
"The dead know not anything" is
Il perfect shield against spirit COM
munication. We should be thank.
full that the truth, though unpopu-
lar, is given rs our shield for the
conflict before us. May God help us
to avail ourselves of it, and be saved
by it in the day Uf his coming.