Nevada County picayune., 1890-02-26

l the proposition that there Is no eter- nal or immortal life outside of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and while there are numerous other passages scattered all through the New Testa- ment, and some in the Old Testa- ment, equally as conclusive on the same line, yet those already cited are amply sufficient to establish the truth of our position. In the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established. The doctrine of the natural immortality of man re- ceives no countenance or support whatever from the Bible. On the contrary, there are numerous passa- ges in direct opposition to it, showing that all men by nature are mortal and corruptible, and that eternal life can only be obtained through the 1 Lord Jesus Christ.
 The words life and death in the Old and New Testament Scriptures have been strangely misconstrued and perverted. Perhaps this may account in part for the gross errors which prevail in the popular theology. According to the pre- vailing interpretation of these words, when predicated of man s future des- tiny, life means state of happiness. and death a state of misery, whereas these terms are literal, and mean just what they say. Life is state of conscious existence, whether happy or miserable, and death is the cessa- ton of conscious existence, or the destruction of life. Life may last forever, especially if the adjective eternal is prefxed to it, but death is a finalitv, and hence it would be ab- surd to say eternal death, or ever 1 lasting death.
 l Accordinglywe find that the pharses eternal or everlasting death are mo- where to be found in the Bible-they exist only in the imagination of those who believe in the everlasting tor ture of the wicked. So far as natu- ral and inherent immortality are con- cerned. we have no warrant for be- lieying that any finite creature IS naturally or necessarily immortal this attribute belongs to God alone. l The Apostle Paul in his lst Tim. 6 :: 16. says, in speaking of God, "who only hath immortality, who dwelleth ] in the light which no man can ap- proach unto" But while this is true, yet he graciously offers the gift of immortality or eternal life to all who will believe on the Lord Jesus Christ {; and doubtless he has bestowed this unspeakable gift already on the angelic host who have kept their first estate.
 Reader, are you making any ef- forts to secure this precious boon of 1 immortal life? Or are you content to pass by on the other side and risk your eternal interests on the un- sought mercies of Gcd: The tre- mendous issues of life and death are set before you, and you can not es- cape if you neglect so great saliva ton. What mean these longings for eternal life, this dissatisfaction with the glittering toys of earth, the re- repeated strivings of the spirit to lead you to higher life? What means the consclousness of an aching void within which the world can never fill, the fear of death which the world can not take away: They proclaim the love of God for you, and the divine solicitude for your salvation. Then be up and doing. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might, for there is no work, nor wisdom, nor knowl- edge, nor device in the grave whither thou goeth."