The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-06-20
church What kind Of man would ac-
cept the Office if there were such CON-
nuIxfcu2 pr

The promise of everlasting life was
given, as we saw in our last study Of
John SPA, to all believers as a present
fact, for it is said emphaticalIy and
deliberately by the adorable Saviour
h any one who believeth on Him"
has now Everlasting life and shall not
come into condemnation" In the 18th
verse this is repeated distinctly, but In
different terms, and the declaration is
clearly made that the accomplishment
OF Everlasting life" has actually be-
gun 1T comedies with the statements
elsewhere made that the reign of the
Messiah was to be inaugurated in that
generation" and Matthew 16:27-2S, and
24:34 are cited in confirmation of this.
It's most convincing and most signal
fulfillment was beheld on the great day
Of Pentecost as recorded in the second
chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
Let US quote the 18th verse Verify,
verify, I say unto you, the our is com
ing, and now is'-mark these last two
words-"and now is, when the dead
shall heal the voice of the Son of God,
and they that near shall live" Now
remember that this is what the Lord
and Saviour said in answer to the
Jews who sought to slay Him. He ex-
~tenuates or retracts nothing he had
said. He goes on to enforce the great
primal truth that He, Jesus, was
equal with God" And to drive it home
| upon mind and conscience He assever-
ates that they that believe on Him
hath everlasting life" n that after
awhile the very dead shall hear His
| voice and hearing that voice, shall i've
What a blessed, glorious, thrilling
promise! Dc you, OH, reader, thus hear
this "voice of the Son of God"-the
voice of the one and only Redeemer?
! Have you first believed on the Father
that sent Him? This is important, for
the declaration Isle that believeth
| on Him tina sent me"-the Son of God.
| Are you a. believer? Have you felt the
power of the Divine Spirit in the soul?
| Do you feel and n that you have
| been verify born again." Have you
| indeed passed from death unto life n
! become a new creature in Christ Jesus?
| How very important all his is. I'VE
must be born again Without this
| new spiritual birth-the regeneration
of the soul, there is no heaven for any
one. Remember hat the Lord and
| Master declares that those who shall
live in glory are those that hear the
voice of the Son of God" A pious,
thoughtful English writer asks this:
do we hope also, have we a lively
hope to pass, by the same Lord, and
by faith in Him, from the death which
we must die in the flesh, to the glories
Of life eternal? Do we watch, as we
ought to do, for that hour, of which He
here assures us that it sis coming an
hour in the which all a are in the
graves shall zeal his voice. And shall
come forth! All that have died, all
shall live. All that have died, all shall
rise again. For this future life we in
herit from the second Adam, as sure
ly as we derive through the first Adam
our present existence" The promise is
-"They thu heal shall live. 'It is
limited, you see, in it's application.
They who will not hear, who reject the
Saviour, who care nothing for Him
or His glorious and perfect redemptive
| work., shall not live in glory. Who are
the dead spoken of? They are the
spiritually dead first. The sinner who
believes, repents and is saved. He
shall hear the voice of the Son Of
God; and they that hear shall live"
Then there are the corporally dead.
They are also quickened by the Son of
God, the Christ, the Redeemer. They
too are raised-"shall near the voice
of the Son of God" This is the power Of
God and Christ possesses it in full po-
tency and completeness. We shall take
up the line of thought beginning at
the 26th verse in the mex brief study.
The Messenger mentioned the death
land county. The Presbyterian Stand
ard has nearly a two column editorial
upon him which is impressive. Its
heading is-"A Southern Christian
Gentleman He is treated of as a sim
gularly pure, upright, noble specimen
Of Christian manhood as seen often in
old times in this dear southland. We
have been so much interested in this
affectionate and touching obitual that
We are prompted to Gull from it a few
disconnected excerpts. 1t is said of
him:
HE never forgot the traditions Of the
old days, and they have not been i'm
proved upon in the succeeding genera
ton. When the civil war broke out it
would have been as impossible for him
to have remained at home as it would
have been for a typical covenanter to
have trampled the blue banner under
foot. He was a friend to the
poor white and black, and it was
touching to see the grateful affection
in which he was held by those whom
his generosity had helped. : . He
was too positive in his views, too strict
in his notions of honor and integrity
not to have made some enemies. He
was absolutely fearless in his rebuke
of wrong. = Is there anything to
take the place of the dc st~ateliness
and dignity, the strict regard for all