Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-09-14

ABS0lU1 U1ElY PURE
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acles wrought on men in the valley 9
the shadow Of death. Including th
penitent tbief,, there are eight recorde
cases of this class scattered over min
4 hundred years. Ofall these Paul alon
has returned to tell his experience
which was no doubt unique. as no 9th
er one had his work to do, and so n
other one needed his preparation.
He heard things unutterable, that
not lawful to be uttered by him at tn,
time he heard them, because especial
ily when discussing the high things o
God. no man should, and no pruden
man will, speak until he understand
and has his ideas we'll assorted. /
4 This experience came to Paul in thu
young manhood of his ministry, before
he had written any of his epistles, ant
furnishes the salient points that system
atize all his writings, and the key thai
unlocks all the secrets of his life. A
full explanation of this text would be ,
critical exposition of all his letters
and an analytical history Of his life.
If Paul had not heard these things
the world would never have read hil
grand description of the resurrection,
and his still grander Then cometL
tho end" If Paul had not heard these
things, the world would never have
| read that horrible lists of unparalleled
sufferings patiently, cheerfully, joyful
ly, ,triumphantly borne for Christ's sake
IfsPaul had not heard these things
the world would never have heard o.
the song of praises to God that rolled
up at midnight from the inner prison
at Phillippi; a song of praises to GOO
for sustaining grace; praises to God for
being accounted worthy to suffer for
His name; praises to God for that far
more exceeding and eternal weight OF
glory, that would be revealed to him
when the mob would stone him on to-
morrow; praises to God because the
end of his toll and sorrow was so near
1t Paul had not heard those things
the world would never have heard ,of
that song of redemption from sin, sor-
row and death. that has rolled down
the ages, making the earth quake,
opening SO many prison doors and
loosing the letters from so many pris-
oners of hope.
OF all these wonders that were un-
utterable when first seen and heard, as
Paul reasoned his way up from the
natural to the supernatural, one after
another had been elaborated into q
great, winged living truth, and thrown
it's light on Christian faith and life
until at the end of fourteen years but
one puzzle remained unsolved.
s.Whether in the body or out of the
body / cannot tell, God knoweth. !"
He did not know whether, when
he saw and heard those things,
he was in the estate OF the dead. that
Is, his soul and body actually separated,
or only in state OF suspended anima-
ton.
This same doubt hangs over all the /
other seven recorded cases OF restora-
ton from the Unseen.
This question Paul relegates to God.
Within the next four years, at least
,wo years before his death, God reveal
ID even that unto him.
In the lXth chapter and the 9th
,erse of the epistle to the Hebrews,
written A. D. 64, he gives the solutions:
And as it is appointed unto men once
o die, but after that the judgement. :"
n the light of this revelation, Paul |
aw clearly that If his soul and body /,
ad been separated, the soul would5
ave undergone at once that prelimin-
ry examination that fixes the moral ,
tatus OF the soul separated from the ,
ody and he would never have s.revis-
ed the glimpses Of the moon
Paul could see that II his soul and
ody had been separated he must die
vice instead OF only once.
II then Paul had been out of the body,
1e world would never have read that
having written am now ready to be
Lfered and the time of my departure
at hand He calmly laid aside his
en-, AMI as he walked to meet death
,ree miles outside OF the gate Of Rome,
chritt 20 clearly and earnest
|, that two Of his guards professed :
hristianity, laid their heads By his on
le block and died with him under the 8
{. u
So when Paul had seen and heard all g
Iese things that were unutterable, then
Cd sent him back to reason, and live I
Iem out, saying, Go return Take
, your burden Of life again. nv
nee Is sufficient for thee, for my
rength y made perfect IN weakness.