The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-05
The Scripture. and tn. Fa.ur. Lite.

To THE EDITOR OF TIE SUn-Sir. Immor-
tally 10 an element or quality Of the divine
nature. but not OF human or angelic or any
other nature than the divine. The word
immortal signifies not mortal-death- proof,
indestructible. imperishable. Any being whose
existence 10 dependent In any manner upon
another. or upon conditions such As food, light.
air. 90. 10 not immortal. This quality inheres
In God alone. as IL is written, Tho Father hath
life In himself tJohn.v. 2bl; i.e.. His existence
10 not derived one. nor . sustained one. He
only hath INN ortality II. Tim. Viz 16) as an
innate or original quality OF being. Bus the
word mortal. however. does not signify dying.
but merely die-able-possessinR life dependent
upon God for its continuance. In Him We
live and move and have our being"
The Scriptures nowhere speak OF the imnor-
tally OF the soul. as some people seem to sup
pose neither In the translations nor in the
original text Take concordance OF the Bible
and try to ind the expression. Immortal soul"
and you will search in vain. On the contrary.
the Scriptures declare that God is able to de-
stroy both soul and body: :" and again. the soul
that sinneth. 1t shall die"
What. then. 10 the soul2 The general idea Of
the soul 10 that 1t 10 an indehnable something
In US. but what It 10 or where II 10 located. few
attempt to explain. This unknown some
thing is claimed to be the real. intelligent be-
ing. while the body 10 merely It's house or tool.
Tho body IL not the soul. as soma afirm. be-
cause the Scripture above quoted makes dis
tinetion between the two. Neitheri 10 the spirit
the soul, because Heb. w.. H. makes another
distinction.
In view OF the foregoing. II our minds be free
from prejudice. We ought to be able to learn
som ething further on this subject by examin-
ing the inspired record OF mans creation. Cen
10 H.. AID . tnT NrIn <xAf % cd Ina
OF the dust OF tho ground and breathed Hebrew.
blew into his nostrils the breath Hebrew.
wind OF life Hebrew. lives. plural lie. such as
was common to all living animals): and man
became a living soul" 1. e., living creature.
sentient being. From this account 1t appears
that the body was formed nrst. but It was not
man. soul or being until animated: 1t was an
inanimnts body. Resuscitation from drown
ing is an apt illustration. A living soul"
means nothing moro or less than the term
''sentient being" l. e.. being capable Of SEN
sation. perception. thought. The Scriptures
speak OF souls" in connection with the lower
animals they are sentisnt beings. same as man.
only OF lower orders. Any one may determine
this for himself by examining the account Of
creation in the book OF Genesis. l.. 20-30: text
and margin. As in Adam creation tho bring
ing together OF an organism and tho breath OF
life produced sentient being or soul. so the
dissolution Of these. from any cause. puts an
end to sentient being. stopping thoughts and
feelings Of every kind. The soul. animal life.
| sentient being, ceases the body returns to dust
as it was; while the spirit Hebrew. rudchl.
or breath OF life. returns to God. who impaired
, It to Adam and to his race through him
tEccl.. xii. a. 1t returns to Col. In the sense
! that 1t 10 no longer amenable to human con-
| troll. as in procreation. and can never DO re-
| covered except by divine power. Recognizing
| this fact. the Lords instructed ones commit
their hope OF future life by resurrection to God
| and to Christ. His now exalted representative
| duke. xiii. 46; Acts. vii. 59l.
| GOD has thus made provision for our living
| again and ever since He made known His gra-
| cious plan. those who speak and write intelli-
| gently upon the subject tfor instance. the in
spired Scripture wrters,. as II by common con-
| sent, speak Of the unconscious interim between
! death and the resurrection morning in which
! sentient being is suspended. as sleep"
| II the foregoing 10 true. what can Prof. Hy-
sop or any other Spiritualist md In his inves-
| legations to prove the 'imm ortality OF tho
| soul?" for there 10 no work. nor device. nor
| knowledge. nor wisdom. in the grave. whittier
thou goest." The dead know not anything -
! So says Solomon.
| In Matthew. xii. 81 80. In the Same discourse
recorded by Luke. XIX. So 80. Christ says that
God Is not God Of the dead. but OF the living
| for all live unto Him" That 10. from His point
| OF view. the dead only sleep" they live unto
| Him" because God ''duickeneth the dead and
! caleth those things which be not as though
they were" tRomans. w.. III The be nots" are
the dsad. and what God purposes to do and has
promised to do 10 a. good as done: there can be
no possibility otiailuro or refusal to perform
| on his part. SO that. although Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob sleep. or be not" yet shall
| they also live. Gods plan for resurrection is
fixed. and those whom men call dead" al
| live unto Him." But some ono will say: How
! about Moses and Elias. who appeared with
| Christ on the Mount OF Transfguration7" I re.
ply that. whatever that eventmay mean. Christ
said 1t was a vision. not an actual occurrence
| (Matthsw. xviii. o.
The absolute conviction Of Immortality can
como to each human soul only" by faith In
, God. ". II. RINEHART.
WHEELING. Oct. 2.