Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1909-08-12

we are absent from the Lord. (For we
walk by faith, not by sight We are
confident, l say, and willing rather to
be absent from the body, and to be
present with the Lord. In the
thought of the Apostle there is con-
scious selfhood, which is distinguish
able from the body which now lives in
the body but neither blends with it,
nor depends upon it, so as to be inca
pable Of another life, and which is not
destined to share all the experiences
of the physical nature. This interior
selfhood grows stronger while the
body grows weaker. 1t departs from
the body in death, but does not die,
and when the body falls into DUST it
returns to God who gave it." 1t is
then absent from the body, yet still
living, being present with the Lord. -
1t was in view of this continued life
of the proper person that our Saviour
said, IF any man keep my sayings he
shall never see death" The separate
life of the soul is thus plainly reveal
ed, and appears so positively interwov-
en- with these Scriptures that we can
not explain them with consistency or
satisfaction without taking this doc
trine as an established truth. And to
be present with the Lord means more
than to lose connection with earth.
Paul saw in it something desirable,
something far better than to live in
the body, and spoke as if anxious fer
the consummation: "For am in. a
straight betwixt two desires, having q
desire to depart and to be with Christ,
which is far better" This means
nothing less than conscious commun-
ion with Christ. Whether the selfhood
that departs from the body finds pre-
pared for it special vehicle in which
to live, or whether the soul itself
forms spiritual vestment for the con
scious self and divine life within it, or
whether the soul including all the
qualities and characteristics of the
spiritual nature remains "unclothed'
till the period of the resurrection of
the dead, we may not positively affirm,
but that the departed saints live with
Christ, and in joyful fellowship with
him, is the plain sense of this passage,
and agrees with the whole tenor of the
Apostolic writings.
Wherefore we labor, and whether
present or absent, we may be accepted
of Him.
The scene which John describes in
the Revelation wherein appeared the
company of the redeemed from earth,
consisting of the one hundred and for.
ty-four thousand of the tribes of Is
rael, and the innumerable multitude
from all nations, clad in white robes
and palms in their hands, is sufficient
of itself to settle the question in hand
and cannot be explained with any by
pothesis that denies the soul existence
separate from the body. In an Other
vision John saw the souls of them tina
were beheaded for the testimony of Je
sus, and described them as under thu
altar, waiting in hope of grand con
summation yet in the future, which
points to the resurrection of the deal
and the retribution that follows.
} Dear Editor, permit me to point ou
few discrepancies, and unfounde,
declarations as made by the gentleman
who writes in behalf of the "No-Hell
ite' doctrine.
, In his reply to my article entitle,
"Gehenna and the Second Death, h
says that he makes no claims to schol
arship, or character of large proper
tions. - l suppose he meant reputation
. of celebrity. A man who hasn't char
acter as bright as the Morning Star
certainly means to limit the efficac
: of Jesus blood, or acknowledge tina
Q he does not want such. Character j
: what man really is. If were in th
: poultry business and man would te
b me that he did not have much charaC
Q ter, am sure l would be afraid c
Q him for my chickens sake, "but l al
. pursuaded better things of the brotf
Q er. Mistakes of the head are not a
: ways of the heart. But | wish to sa
: that none but scholars versed in the o.
g iginal can discuss the question at il
i sue, with the intelligence it demand
j but with the same stroke of the pen |
: assumes the role of critic In both
! his articles he seems to want to spea
& in Gods stead. He seems to think a
d he says must be accepted. If he is n,
n a scholar l presume he is quotiI
It from Mr. Russell, or one of his discil
: les We would like to have bett,
It authority than these on such an impor
II ant subject. If this narrowmindt
II egotist does not reveal the spirit of
% boasted Pharisee, and the faith al
It doctrine of Sadducee II will take
l. pilgrimage to see one." He tells
3, that he is not a scholar. This stat
D ment l accept as correct. Then igno
g ance and brass remains to qualify hi
s. for the position he takes.
D. The self esteemed gentleman also u
ID dertakes to tell us what the wo
IF Gospel means. AS the blind is tr
ing to lead the folks will proceed