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

spoke of the Affections of the body ev-
en- to dissolution, as being light and
momentary. The soul survives them
all, and enters the higher state scarce
ly conscious of the burden left behind
except as its participation in the atfiic-
tions of earth enhanced iks apprecia-
tion of the exceedingly abundant glory
which is eternal. And this glory ap-
pears to the eye of faith while the
burden is yet being borne and reveals
itself with greater clearness ana IN
creasing value, as the onward man
turns away from material things
which are temporal, and fixes its gaze
upon the realities of the world to
come. The things which are not seen
are eternal. And this approximation
of the soul to invisible things is not
arrested by the dissolution OF the out
ward man." The whole tendency dur
ing the bodily life is in the opposite
direction and it cannot be that the cul-
mination of the temporary Affections
will reverse the order of all previous
experiences. For 1--WE know IT this
earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved we have a building of God,
house not made with hands, eternal
in the heavens. The outward man
here becomes our earthly house, dis
tinguished from permanent home, or
building place, and giving the charac-
ter of tabernacle, so that the soul s
stay on earth is merely tent life. Its
connection with this world is veiled
and unseen, and is preparatory to a
higher life and giving it expression as
uninterrupted by death, the apostle
blends metaphors, recognizing the con-
tinual life of the soul, and yet reach
ing out in thought to everlasting habi-
tations beyond the resurrection. This
involves some obscurity and calls for
careful observance of the scope of ar
gument. We must therefore, before
becoming confused with this mingling
of metaphors, note the emphatic point
in the statement 1t is that which in
dicates the time when the soul is to
have the dwelling place which is not
the earthly house of this tabernacle. "
Whatever the building of God may
mean in its ultimate Specification, it
is to receive the soul and become the
house or dwelling place of the sin
ward man" during the time the out
ward man, the body, or tabernacle, is
lying in the dust of the earth.
The earthly house will dissolve and
then the building of God will be occu-
pied. 1t is we'll, also, to observe the
leading points of contrast in this Ian
guage. 1t is not the perishing body
with the resurrection body, but the
temporary residency of the soul on
earth with its permanent abode in
heaven.
This puts the whole future existence
in opposition to the brief life in this
world, making the contrast more strik
ing and impressive than mere anti
thetic comparison of the material ant
the spiritual. And the fact that thu
final glory of the redeemed is brought
into the account does not necessarily
imply that its fullest development will
be found in the body, for the idea of {
progressive development is by NJ
means incompatible with Scripture
thoughts and figures, and is not ex
cluded by metaphors here introduced
The great fact postulated with empha
sis is that in passing out of the dyin,
body, the conscious selfhood, the sin
ward man, enters upon career o
everlasting enjoyment which begin
ming as it does in disembodied state
continues its approach to the infnit
source of blessedness until the redemp
tion of the body itself is accomplished
The groaning il this tabernacle is eas
lily understood, but the use of tn
; words clothed and "unclothed" in
duces slight obscurity. The build
ing of God, the house, not made wit
, hands, appears to become at once til
dwelling place and the clothing of th
, soul. 1t supplies the place of the body
In the truest sense it becomes hous
of the soul, +" "The house from heay
, en-, or of heavenly nature and or
} gin. The language confessedly obscur
} may without violence imply an inve,
} titure of the soul with some spiritus
: form, and vehicle which shall ult
mately take upon itself the resurret
tion body, and make the connectin
: link between the undying nature. an
which out of corruption shall put @
t immortality. The fact is plain ths
5 the inward man, which does not pel
ish with the outward man, enters
3 once the building of God; it rises fro
earth to heaven and begins its etern
! life, but this is not all that was in I'll
a Apostles thought He saw in thi
4 house not made with hands, all neet
t full provision for the permanent hom
= and while grOaning in this earthly tai
: ernacle and contemplating the comir
: blessedness, he longed first to be di
: embodied and then to be finally esta
= lished in the home of the redee m,
: when mortality is swallowed up
life.