The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-14
Seed and THE HARVEST
Rev, DR.. Elliott breaches of the
Natural and Spiritual Body
His Analysis of the Meaning of the
Latter Term-When Man Is Sep
aruted From Beastly Proclivitics
and Blessed With Heavenly Kim
ship-A Serious Warning to sinners

Rev. John J. Elliott, S. T. D., occupied
the pulpit at yesterday mornings services
at the p. E. Church OF the Ascension
Massachusetts Avenue and Twelfth Street
taking for his text the gospel as contained
In the First Corinthians. xv:43. There
Is a natural body and there Is spiritual
body"
DR.. Elliott said In the course of his ser
mon: These words address themselves to
ehe reasonable wish Of man destined TO
Immortality to know something Of his end
hess future. They crafty that wish for
knowledge. They are taken from the Di-
vine volume, whose revelations are given
to lift the curtain from the future Let
US distinguish between the Divine utter
ences upon this subject, and the conclu-
eions which human reason may draw from
these utterances With regard to the first,
our language is Thus saith the Lord;
with regard to the second, with whatever
caution the pulpit may argue, our Ian
guage is. 1 speak as to wise men, Judge
ye what I say Now, whenever We meet
these words, there is a natural body, and
there is a spiritual body We are apt TO
think Of the latter as hardly body at all.
disappearing spiritual We think that
the apostle in using the word is describ-
ing the material Of which the future body
Of the saints will be composed. We Per-
pick ourselves with attempts to reconcile
almost Uncomfortable ideas. On the con-
trary, when the apostle calls the future
body spiritual body he is not describing
the substance of which II is composed; he
means a body suited to the spirit OF man,
responsive to that loftier department Of
mans being.
Man has body suited chiefly to that
principle of animal life which is common
to him and the lower animals. Passing
through the gate of death to joyful res
direction, he shall then have, through
Christ, body congenial to that spiritual
nature which divides him from the beast
and gives him kinship with heaven. For
when St. Paul calls the present body
natural body, he does not mean as the
original clearly shows body SO suited, SO
congenial to the whole constitution OF
man that any and every other kind OF
body would be unnatural. This descrip-
tive word natural is derived from noun
which signifies, not nature, but very often
that principle of animal life which is com
mon TO man and the inferior animals. This
lower side of mans composite nature is
intended chiefly in the second description
The Lord God formed man of the dust Of
the ground and breathed into his nostrils
the breath Of life, and man became a liy-
Ing soul. The loftier department of mans
being. the spirit in man which divides him
from the beast and allies him with angels
and with God, is signalized in that earlier
record
First, then, this spirit in man; second
ly his lower animal or natural life: then
his body-these three in one, this trinity.
according 10 decision common in the
apostles day, is our present humanity.
Now, by natural body the apostle seems
clearly to signify the original. links the
ideas together body adopted chiefly to
be the organ and instrument fthe lower
or animal life. AS we are at present con-
stituted, says one to whom ! am indebted
for much help in this discussion. the two
principles of which the body is the minis
ter, the higher spirit and the lower prin-
ciple OF life, are not in harmony. On the
contrary. they are at variance, often at
strife. The body as now fashioned indi-
Gates its preference but ambiguously. II
Is very much In the interest of the lower
principle, the animal soul. To that higher
spirit in man which is the inspiration of
the Almighty giving understanding, the
present body stands more distantly and
doubtfully related. When required to seek
this divine law, when mans spirit would