Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-03-22
The Immortality ofthe Soul.

Now, will notice what the New
Testament has to say on tins vital
point.
Mat. 1928. These words were
spoken by Jesus H. which He te ach.
es that man in his constitution is a
compound being, having a soul
that is immortal, that cannot be
killed with physical death, as well
as body which is mortal, that can
be killed by secular death. The
word "bOth" IN this text conveys
the idea of two natures.
If the body and soil are one and
the same thing instead of Jesus
saying "bcdy and SOUL" He would
have said "Lody or SOUL" This is
too plain to be gainsayed or cenied.
2 Cor. 1872 4. Since the apostle
himself did not know whether his
soul was in his body when he
had these visions and 10,
Citations, or whether one or both
were actually in heaven, for us to
| inquire into this would be vain
curiosity and extreme folly. 1t is
of more Importance to observe what
the apostle believed his soul could
exist seperate from the body. He
believed his spirit might be carried
Into the third heaven and into par
adIse without his body and while
thus separated from the body be in
a state Of consciousness. This was
the universal belief of all the apos-
ties and martyrs. They lived and
died in this faith, which proves
conclusively that the soul is i'm
mortal. When Stephen was stoned
Acts z: beginning with the 54th.
verse, "He looked steadfastly into
heaven and saw Jesus standing ON
the right hand of God," he said,
"Lord Jesus receive my spirit 1t
is clear that Stephen was of the
opinion that mis- spirit had all the
capabilities and powers of self con
sciou-ness absent from the body.
Phil. l %. "Haviug a desire to
depart" that Is, TO have my soul
separated from my body and to es-
cape from bonds The flesh and The
world, and to be with Christ in
paradise, admin ted to the immedi~
ate, full and constant enjoyment of
him, in comparison whereof the
nearest access to him and the fullest
enjoyment of him in this world are
but absence. This plainly proves
the sepaI ate spirits of good men
are with Christ Immediately after
the death of their bodies, in such a
manner that their state Is far better
than which they continue in the
world. Which, certainly, a state
OF insensibility or the sleep of the
soul which some would have us be-
lieve. The inspired St.PauI could
not think state of insensibilitv
m uch better than "A life tending so
mu ch as his did to the glory of God,
to the propagation of the gospel
ADD the furtherance Of he ioy of
Christians. Gould he call such an
lnsensate state "a being with
Christ" in opposition to the life of
faith. Certainly it is ut least evil
dent from what the apostle here
says II there be any such middle
state of insensibility between death
and the resurrection he had no
knowledge or expectation of it, for
II he had known of any such state
he undoubtedly would have thought
1t a Thousand times better to live
and promote the cause of ChIist
aud religion on earth than by dy-
ing to fall into 1t. Besides how
could he say that be had "a desire
to be with Christ if he knew he was
not to be with him till after the
resurrection?
This, however. will prove the
doctrine which maintains that
pious persons will receive large
accession of happiness after the
resurrection, a truth declared IN
many other texts of scripture. Fur
the rmore, to show that the Bible
makes a distinction between the
body and soul, read 1 Thess. 5:23.
Here the apostle dscriminates be-
tween the body which is mortal
and the spiritual nature. comnosed