Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-16
THE RESURRECTION.
REV. R. R. SwoPE EXPLAINS ITS TRUE MEAN
ING AND PURPORT.
It is Not Of the Body but Of the Dead-Ths Soul
Arises and is Clothed With New Body.
Some Prevalent Opinions Concerning
This Phase Of Christianity.

There was good sized congre CATION
at st. Matthew's Episcopal Church last
evening, the occasion being another OF
those interesting Lenten discourses by
the rector, Rev. 4. r. Swope. The
topic considered last evening was that
portion of the Episcopal doctrine which
reads, 'I believe in the resurrection OF
the body" Ny object in dealing with
this subject tonight is to refute certain
statements and beliefs which have
grown so prevalent,
/ think the controversy over the mat
ter Of the resurrection has largely
grown out of the literal and material
Interpretation OF the word body.
This is all absurd, ridiculous, entire
ly out Of our mode OF thinking.
AS soon as Christianity came out into
the world there arose two PHILOSOPHERS,
one called the Agnostic and the other
Pantheism. The latter believed in one
being as controlling the universe, that
the soul came into existence from God.
Too many of us look upon it as the same
body that is laid in the grave. When
we have in mind the resurrection OF the
body we think of the material body.
Some ash II the same form of body will
be preserved; if the nails grow
out; if the hair floriShes
as before, and scores of such questions,
The problem Of the resurrection has
been the source OF many conflicting
controversies. Agnosticism denounced
everything connected with the body
and thought that IL ought not to exist.
Christianity is opposed to these two
philosophers OF religion. The light
dawned with Christianity when ii OPP
posed one by advocating the continuity
of life, and the other by eXtolling the
beauty and power OF the body. How
has this doctrine been taught? l have
from time to time seen old
pictures endeavoring to portray
the resurrection. Now, all this
is bad and impertinent. AT West
minister Abbey, in England,
there is a representation Of this subject
on one OF the tombs, showing CHASTITY
skeleton trying to push up the lid OF
the coffin, with one OF his bony arms
dangling just outside. Now, this is
wrong conception. All the anGlogles Of
nature are contrary TO this materialiStic
Interpretation of the resurrection. Ma
ture never wears her old clothes, but
comes forth in the regeneration arrayed
in her brightest habiliments. The
question is sometimes asked, whore
shall we go to find out about these
things. and know for ourselves the true
meaning OF the passage. / would say,
go to the Scriptures. It's your only
text book.
DR.. Swope then read several passages
from the Bible bearing on the resurrec-
ton as follows: Hebrews, Chap. XII,
verse 10; ST. Luke, Chap. Xxx, verse %;
Acts, Chap. xvii, verse 30; Acts, Chap.
xiii, verse 6; Acts, Chap. xiv, verse
Is: Acts, Chap. XVI, verse s. These
are all representiye passages. In not
one OF these passages is there word
said about the resurrection OF the body;
they speak of the resurrection OF the
dead. 1t is not the resurrection OF the
flesh, but that Of the soul. The life
which begins here is eternal. The
body slips away, but the soul scars
llRleT, anu OOu plONlOOo ehO hO" CONJ'
DR.. Swope closed his discourse by read
ing from the Episcopal burial lesson as
follows from l Cor. Xv.;20:
"But some man will say, How are the
dead raised up? and with what body do
they come? Thou FOOL that which thou
sowest is not quickened, except it die.
And that which thou sowest, thou SOW
est not that body that shall be, but bare
grain, it may chance of wheat, or Of
some other grain. But God giveth it
body as it hath pleased him, and to
every seed his own body. All flesh is
not the same flesh; but there is one kind
of flesh of men, another flesh Of beasts,
another of fishes, and another of birds.
There are also celestial bodies, and
bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the
celestial is one, and the glory OF the
terrestrial is another. There is one
glory Of the sun, and another glory Of
the moon, and another glory of the
stars: for one star dlfTereth from anoth-
err star in glory. So also is the resur-
rection of the dead 1t is sown in cor
ruotion; it is raised in incorruption; it
is sown in dishonour; it is raised in
glory: it is sown in weakness; ii is raised
in mower; it is sown a natural body; it