The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1890-04-23

but some man will say, How are the dee
raised up, and with what body do they come?
list Corinthians, 20: 35.
Some years since, book reached very larg
circulation. Its subject was natural law in tn
spiritual world, and its argument. that tn
same laws operate In grace IS in nature, tina
not one way is used to develope the seed 0
plants and another the thoughts. good inten
tions, resolutions, tendencies, spiritual germ
implanted in us, and it is asserted in Iiol,
scripture that the process employed with tn
seed cast into the earth. is the same with man
body buried in hope of a glorious resurrection
AS both worlds are from the same Author, Ii
will not do otherwise IN the one, from what Ill,
does in the other. The temporal is but tn,
scadOlding of the eternal; the visible is thel
the LADDER up to the-inVisible, Jesus made tht
first statement of the similar laws in boti
worlds. He assumes that the same law which
operates in one, Will in the other, if there be
resem blance between the relations of the tWt
Things compared. Once, when the disciples die
not see the necessity of His death 10 salvation
He said. as in the seed SO in my body; except
corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, il
abldeth alone; but If 1t die, 1t brIngeth fortt
much fruit. UnsoWn, 1t perishes; sown anC
buried in suitable soil, it begins to germinate
the lnteguments, which entoId and protect the
germ, which exists IN every seed, perish anC
become the nourishment of the new plant which
springs from the dead seed, SO that it dies fol
the production OF IL far more abundant life
Tnis is an image setting forth the abundant life
in the church tnroug the Lords death.
st. Paul, many Centuries before, anticipated
the aubnOfOI natural law IN Lle spiritual world
and made thestatemehG IN the losh chapter OF
Ist Corinthians. that in the one case SO in the
other. Burial is not extinction, but a necessary
condition in Gods economy tor developement
either i'll nature or the Divine Life. here is
the argument: Compare the full grown, beauti-
full plant, as seen IN the field before tha har-
vest; it produces seed, and such is its sole
purpose; but how minute, h0mely the seed is
compared with the plant. 1t Is dlVested OF
every ythlng-leaves, stalk, flower. SO tiny and
yet soWn, 1t holds within it the power to repro
dUce itself beauty, variety, color. napnIEude
and glory. so when we die, truly We are di-
vested, not only OF all our temporal blessings,
which years OF toll had accumulated, houses.
lands. but more-the grave in one sense still
further reduces. Our bodies moulder; earth to
earth. ashes ashes, dust to dust, yet there re-
mains what only Is valuable, either for good or
or evil, character, a germi perhaps only a pos
sIbility. In the Christians love Tor God and
holy lows self denial, moderation, whatever his
marx here distin gushing him, these forever re-
main and as germs shall in Gods own time
gather form suitable to their expression anu
expan.i ion. Trims you. when Folycarp was
burned at the stake, who had served the Lord
fer St years, that though his body was turned
into d handful of ashes, his love and loyalty to
Jesus were folever destroyed, and he then
and now and alway only live in memoryI Ii
you break the bars OF d cage you set the bird
Iree Destroy this body and you -emancipate
ius loss and spiritual longings-not crush them.
How precious then is st. rauls demonstration
At death, the Life survives, the Body dies. The
seed of plant dIes-yet not the germ or life it
encloseS, that lives on in Il new, enlarged, more
beautiful form. Death in tnaG the de-
stru elton of the husk or wrapping. Its hidden
lie. something altogether distinct from its
clothing, does not tie, but terminates, breaks
through It's husky gaI b. which dISSOlVeS in the
earth. SO the human body is lost in the grave
IS not reJuyenatlon, nor testora-
tion precisely of the ola form by a restoration
we tnInK of building over tnat thrown down, ii
we have in mind mouse or structure of any
IOrm using the same ma .erIal, only putting
them in place again such a work would be
to all natural laWs-a miracle, not a
growth. Old and worn out brick, discolored
Stone, decayed wood justly represent our worn
1ut frame at death. II these bodies. many OF
hem, day by day, keenly showing the signs OF
weakness or old age, toLJerIng, 1rreSp0nsIVe to
he will, were in The end 10 be changed, not IN
substance, but appearance. the grave would be
4 IabratOry. Eacn withered, useless partIcIe,
exhausted or dead, must be strengthened or en-
1Vened, and it would prove more marvellous
)mni otence than any other that could be
imagined. Lie, even in its lowest forms, has
me power of asslmllating to itself atoms. a
grain OF wheat which being apparently destroy
I'd, rises again, and as it grows. draws all that
las affinity with lt-as air and moisture. Death
IS not a suspension of power, but the real gift of
lar gre ater power Is this d strange teaching?
The immaterIaI and unseen now c.othes itself
N a manifest garD. The speaker clothes his
thoughts in words; the poet gives form to his
ancIeS; the painter to his conceptions OF beauty
so the life in the seed forms its own body with
item, leaYes, fruit, and yet all the While we
know it is not new corn. we say. Judge man
1y the company he keeps. Is not ills company,
he form, life, motive. action take and so
gathering that whicn has affinity? Two germs
IN man Tor the mastery; One natural
tnImal, worldly; the GGner, SPIRITUAL The
natural belongs essentially to the present order
If things, in Christ we are born again, here
nto newt spiritual Kingdom. How true this
5! When one changes his manner of lIfe, he
ioes it from inward conviction that his former
.ouise was wrong, perhaps hurtfal. The change
S from within, without. God has been work
ng within, through His word, conscience. our
eason, or love, perhaps by awakening grateful
less, or arousing responsibility and the change
5 so great through Time, that the person truly
: hrOu0nG into w, spiritual state OF
ltence. At death the earthly man, made out of
he earth, is the husk of the new, interior,
heavenly man, and therefore weak. futile. per-
shaDle, but the seed OF God. hidden under this
lusk, remains, ana shall through time, assiml-
ate to itself as germ, the elements which
hall enable it to rise with anew spiritual body.
t is sown d natural body; it is raised spiritual
,ody; not an ETHEREAL, airy, heecy phan,0m, but
body in which spiritual Ilie all TIM Divine
traces shall manifest themselves. II shall be an
artnly body as OF old; to think otherwise were
o hold God weak. once tie made us as now
ye are, 1t our creation was an experiment, II
It the new creation and IN the new world de
houId enWrap us in d new III aGerIal. would it
lot be confession that the first experiment had
ailedl The bodies of SAINTS are seed sown in
he grave, and hence every cemetery is most
.ptly termed Gods acre. what grand mis-
axe is made by religious teachers! Ioo often.
rom mlscOncept1on or unlntentlonal mlsstate-
nent, cod's way made to seem unreasonable,
very harsh indeed. God Is SAID to be
worse than man, because OF eternal punishment.
Jur future is not question OF what God can or
will do but of what we are doing now. II d
eed of weed only produces weeds, then When
nyone persists In giving scope to his passions
iii they sway him completely, and dies In such
state when he is raised again his passions
will still be hIm-Very unIIkely and unI0Veiy
eed Ii good seed prOuuceS its nourISh1ng grain
or our sustenance, surely GODS lite implanted
will, ii the analogy OF the Apostle holds good.
eproduce itself in likeness, nature. and more,
n condition to grow apace IN the fair held OF
PARADISE. L want to say that the resurrection
,ody while in some respects unlike our buried
me- will have an organic connection with 1t.
The OAK, though 1t has not particle OF the old
corn i'll it. still has an organic connection with
T. The bulky, stalwart man, though he has
lot in his body one particle of that matter
which he had when an infant on his mothers
IA be today. Though the esurrec ion body may
lave nothing in IL OF the old material, II Will
AVE an organic connection with It, W hat IS
hat mystic thing which connects the acorn
With the OAK and the man with the infant? Tell
ne and may perhaps tell you that which con-
lects the resurrection body win that winch
vas buried. The Apostle teaches a vital con-
lection with the Old body and the new. How
ar this new form may resemble the Old, so as to
nabIe it to identity acqualntances and friends,
S matter on Which scripture gives us some
aint hints. At our Loru's TRANSPORTATION,
doses and Elias were recognized, and alter the
esurrecGIon the Disciples knew Jesus. And
here is nothing unreasona ole in supposing tnat
he resemblance between our present ana glOr-
lied bouies will be sufficiently strong to enable
IS to know old friends and SO keep up a contin-
lity between our earthly and heavenly state.
\ m an continues the same, both in the present
md future ages, so long as he has The same
memory and powers. observe.
he apostle does not say the outward form will
,e changed. He speaks rather of an inward
,ower as the germ working d change in the
whole being of the man. Perhaps then, as now
t will be. You may say all buildings are alike;
urely they are made of the same materials,
7ery true-and yet are they? say that brick
md mortar are spiritualized. You pass by a
building of peculiar form, with tower and
pi1e-a church. Entering, Immediately you
emove your hat, cease your conversation
worldly matters and resent levity, i'll conduct,
lnything savourIng of dissertation profanity;
.nd speak OF such conduct with reprobatton.
If holiness, cannot God end0W man with
md moreover, that we shall feel it in his
IN the company of some holy woman or sincere
christian, it is then impossible to harbor them
mother and more powerful influence compels
rs to confess goodness. L have dWelt on this
fact of future recognition because of a deep
onging. We do desire to meet our dear ones.
The mother would clasp her babe. the husband
renew the old intimacy with his wife, the faith
ful helper, whose absence robbed his life Of
light and happiness. l am not afraid-Jesus
)n earth a sy sympathetic friend. is ever loving
Savior, tender to his people. seeking once the
arring Peter, remembering Bethany. He will
not forget us then. Heaven is not to be mon
asterv but a sweet enduring home.
This Easter morning, the first one sought was
Mary Magdalene. lie called her Mary, and
she cried, RabboDiI Because our bodies will
be temples then. not market places as now, we
have fear we will not know each other. Look