Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-02-11
After Death--Then!

No sane or sensible person refuses to
give some time or thought to the condi-
ton of those who die, after the breath
leaves the body. We see the living pass
away, their bodies become cold, and if
they remain unburied for any length of
time. then decay and qualification comes
on apace.
Therefore the living hurry to the Gem
etery with the corpse. No matter how
agonizing the parting has been, the dead
must be put away out of sight, because
the remains would soon become putrid
and dangerous to the well-being of the
survivors.
The breath of God which entered into
the body. and which has kept the per
son alive and active, has departed
somewhere.
1t vacated the body and left only a
corpse, a dead purifying mass, that even
a tender mother cannot lock upon after
"a few hours or days, within the house.
after the breath leaves.
1.-THE living know they shall die, says
IEcclesiastes, 9th chapter, 5th and 6th
verses; 1.-The dead know not anything,
their love, their hatred, their envy is now
perished-neither have they any more, a
portion, forever in anything that is done
under the sum-"
How emphatic is this declaration! How
positive the statement!
No more portion. forever" would seem
to explain that the dead have nothing
more to do with earthly things. happen
ings, pleasures. knowledge-they can love
no more, hate no more. envy no more,
forever as to earthly lives or living.
II Adam and Eve had not disobeyed
the Almighty in the Garden of Eden. we
may reasonably suppose there would have
been a difference. I'm the result. as to the
established condition or state OF living or
dying But this is a mystery that the
angels might be anxious to look into, but
mortal knowledge goes to the grave only
and no farther.
God does not hold man responsible for
this breath of living for its coming or go
ing, which was His own gift, but He does
hold him responsible for the soul, the
part that understandable, that chooseth
that can be preserved in righteousness or
debased in filth and while the body per-
isheth lis consumed by worms), ana the
spirit leaves land goes to God, the giver.
somewhere). the Good Book says, 1.-The
soul that sineth. 1t shall die"
Hear Genesis, 2:7: THE Lord GOO
formed man of the dust of the ground.
and breathed into his nostrils the breath
of life and man became latter he re-
ceived the breath of life) living soul"
Hear Romans, 6:23: 1.-The wages Of sin
is death, but he gift of God is eternal
life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
There is a large and growing number
of what we call orthodox Christians, who
believe that the soul which rejects Jesus
Christ our Lord" will perish as the stub
BILE dies and disappears forever, that eter-
nal death means eternal obliteration after
this SHINING soul has been made to I'M
derstand that the rejection of everything
that Gods love had offered and Gods
glory had manifested and Gods mercy
had begged them to accept, must culmi-
nate in eternal death. blotting out for
ever. The creature in despising its Crea-
tor had lowered its immortal part to the
level of the brute that dies and rots out
of sight forever. Where the Immortal part
rests or remains until the resurrection
day, neither you or can tell, but we do
know that there is a promise that the
dead I'm Christ shall rise and the good
people shall also inherit eternal life.