The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-04-18

Sav,ntS'"o, text %ss from T~, -. !
EsA5IeR sgs5ELL0 49,
"EIow say some
among you that there Is no resurrec-
ton of the dead? +% IL Christ be not
risen. then Is our preaching vain and
your faith Is also vain. ," Then they
also which are fallen asleep In Christ
are perished" He said:--
For years Gods people have had ex-
cellent Bibles, and thus have been
blessed far In advance of our brethren
who lived during the Dark Ages. But
we have read our Bibles too carelessly
and often have most of us wondered
at the great stress St. Paul laid upon
the resurrection. Rarely Is the subject
preached upon now and rarely is 1t
ever thought of except as an absurdity.
The reason for this Is not far to seek.
From childhood we have been taught
that nobody is dedd--that In dying ev-
erybody. good and bad. becomes more
aliue than ever before; that this alive
ness, to the sanity few. means splr-
itual powers and nm immediate en-
trance into heaven. death being swal-
lowed up in life. The insanity masses
also. we are told have quickened sensi-
biities after dying-they become more
alive. more able to appreciate and suf-
fer pain.
Our Catholic neighbors tell us that
the majority Immediately go to Pur-
gatory. there to be tried by various
suffe:ings and tortures. and later. en-
ter heaven. Our Protestant teachings
have been TO the effect that the un-
sanity misses, unfit for the presence
of God and the holy. will be consigned
TO an eternity OF awful torture and
made very much more alive to suffer
ing than before. Thus we have been
taught to believe that death Is a portal
or door into an intenser life--that mo-
body IL dead. Many OF III perplexed
ourselves. and were perplexed by 9th
ers. with questions respecting how
there could be resurrection Of the
dead II nobody is dead. We avoided
the question. or gave the answer. "Mys-
terry; go run and play"
Some. indeed, attempted patchwork
of the matter and told us that those
I'm heaven were happy. but not 80 hap
py as though they had bodies and that
after thousands OF years of craving for
q body (Which they had used for only
a few years.. they would get 1t back
again for all eternity Others said,
"No. our bodies have been only clog
and II hndrance and from the moment
of death we viii be better Off without
them: and we do n0t know why the
Bible should teach a resurrection OF
the dead. TO get back bodies chat We
would be glad TO be- lid Of" Respect
ing the wicked we said that after
roasting for centuries without II body,
then. to Intensity their pnin, the body
would be resurrected ana they would
have dop5e suffering. What bosh.
Wbat foolshness! ls II any wonder
that many of the bright minds of the
world learned to doubt everything con-
nected with religion aud the BlbleY
nsther the wonder IL that. seeing
thlngs so obscureiy, Wa did not all re.
.pudiate everything
Now What % We Find7
With tile clearing ~ the mists OF ig
norance aud superstition. with better
light reflected from one page to an
other of the Bible, the resurrection sub
Ject clarifies and the statements 0i
Jesus and the Apostles aud Prophets
which We thought so strange, hecom,
luminous aud soul satisfying,
WSen once we see that "the wage,
OF sin IL deaih" aud not eternal tor
ment: and thai the Bible hoH IL th'
tomb and not n derry furnace; aud tha
all mankind so 20 MeOi, TO hadeS. jus
as did our Savior; 'hen we begin L
see that what we All need Is to b,
saved from Me0i from hades. ns wa
the Savior rcSurrection-saivatiol
is tlrN The salvation hope OF tn
Chu ~, and OF the world
What n relief thls gives M as re
'spects parents. children, neighbors
died out OF Christ. unsaIntes. Wha
comfort II brings TO know that he!
are sleeping In the great prison hous
,ef denth. UNCONSCIOUS 0f the inpse o
rcnpe. waiting for the Nedeemer. Wh
ywlll as Klug set np His Kingdom II
glory. assoelnting His Bride with Him
SELF for tile blessing 1f all the famille
Of the earrh. The bringing form o
the prisoners out of the prison,hous
or death win be 10 set before ther
Yunder the glorious provisions of IN
New DIspensation uu opportnnity 70
liJe errlasting. ny obedience 70 IA
LAWS OF the Kingdom under the a'