Nevada County picayune., 1889-06-12
LIFE AND DEATH.

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 script of the Divine mind, and are therefore perfectly holy and just and good. These laws are designed to secure the highest good of the intel ligent universc-any other theory would impeach both the wisdom and poodness of God. We have no knowledge of more than two orders of intelligent creatures, viz, angels and men-thc brute creation being governed by instinct or force. The law of God, in it's last analysis, Is love. and thus conforms to the nature of it's Maker, which is expressly sad to he lore. As this law extends its authority over the two orders named, they at once become responsible for it's faithful observance. Accounta- bility is necessary element of the nature of all who are placed under law. Law and accountability pre- supposes and imply system of re- wards and penalties-rewards for the obedient, and penalties for the diso- hedient. A law without a sanction or penalty is a nullity-it is pracu- callv imperative and void. Accord ingly we find that the Book of Reve- lations distinctly announces both the reward and punishment, which are necessary to vindicate and justify the divine government.
 It is universally conceded that the terms of the law, as well as the re- ward and penalty attached, must be plain and simple, free from amblgu- ity. and subject to the rules of an obvious common-sense interpreta- ton.
 Now, what are the rewards and penalties in the divine administration of law? We unhesitatingly answer, Life and Death, or rather, everiast- ing life, and death not everlasting life and everlasting death, but ever lasting life. in contrast with death or final destruction. The reward ot the righteous is everlasting life, with all the joy and happiness which nee essarily accompany such bhssfui state: while the punishment of the wicked is absolute death or destruc- tion. with the everlasting loss of all the glories and felicities, which such calamity involves, and with no hope or promise of its reversal throughout the ceaseless years of eternity. The wages of sin Is death. but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ onr Lord. It is remarkable that, while eternal life is represented as gift, death Is set forth as the wages, or natural result of sin; and it is worthy Of notice that no antthesiS of everlast- ing life in opposition to everlasting death is once mentioned in the Bible, but it is uniformly everlasting life in contrast with death or destruction. So we see that the reward of the good is everlasting life, and of the wicked simply death. These phrases are repeated so often in the Old and New Testaments that it is evident they are to be understood in thelr plain, obvious, common-Sense import.
 In the old Testament life and death are presented before the peo- pie, and they are urged to choose life that they may live; while in the New Testament we have the Tree of Life, the Water of Life, the Book of Life, and the explicit announcement is made by our Saviour himself, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life; he that hclieyeth not on the Son shall not see life. The very purpose for which our Saviour came into the world was, that they may have life, and have 1t more abundantly ;" and to the proud, unbelieving Jews, He said, If ye believe not that am He, ye shall die is your sins. Of course, this view of the Gospel, as alone the source Of life and immortality, necessarily in- wolves denial of mans natural immortality.
 This doctrine of the souls natural immortality was borrowed from Plato and other heathen philosophers, and, after being pruned of some of it's absurdities, such as the souls eter- nal pre-eNistence, transmgration, etc., was injected into theology by the Roman Catholic church. But not single passage in it's support can be found in the Scriptures, from Genesis to Revelations; and the nhrasr l.eNnrlnstinn death. ~ is