The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-06-13


All through the Scriptures natural
sleep is used as figure for death, as
the present time Of the reign of sin Is
represented as night time, and the
coming reign of Messiah is prophed-
cally described as the morning of
New Day, New Epoch. weeping
may endure for a night, but joy COM
eth in the morning." wrote David. The
night has lasted for six thousand
years; the New Day is the seventh
thousand, the Sabbath of the great
week 1t will be the awakening time,
as the six thousand years of the reign
Of sin and sorrow are the time In
which our race has been going down
into death-into the deep sleep from
which none will come forth except by
the call of Messiah.
The penalty of death upon our race
would have blotted us out Of existence.
like the brute beasts had not Gods
mercy from the beginning made pro-
vision for a Redeemer and for His
Church and joint-helr; and for the
Messianic Kingdom; and for the resur-
rection, the awakening of all mankind,
through this Kingdom 1t was in view
of that hope OF resurrection OF the
dead that believers spoke of their
deceased friends as failing asleep.
This expression is used frequently In
the New Testament. st. Stephen fell
asleep In death; st. Paul, having in
mind the great work of Christ on be-
half of the world and the eventual
awakening of all, declared that be-
levers need not sorrow as others over
the death of their friends and neigh
bors. but might realize that all 'sleep
In Jesus" and that eventually God,
through Him, will bring to pass the
general awakening of the dead, all Of
whom are yet to be brought to n
knowledge of the truth that they may
be saved from sin and death and OBJ
tain Restitution (Acts i'll, 1929.
Pastor Russell quoted the Scripture,
abraham slept with his fathers
and declared that Abraham's fathers
were heather men. lie called atten-
tion to the fact that good and bad,
kings and princes and others, are, in
the Scriptures, declared to have fallen
asleep. SO 1t was with David. These
all slept In the Bible helm the tomb.
They are all unconscious; as the Scrip
lures declare. ",rhe dead know not
anything. their sons come to honor
and they know It not; they come to
dishonor and they perceive 1t not OF
them; "There Ia neither wisdom nor
knowledge nor device In Shcol HELL
the gravel, whittier thou goest"-
whittier all go dob xiv, 81; Eccleslas-
tes TX, 10).
"Thou Wilt Not Leave My Soul In
Shool."
The Prophet David declared his faith
in n resurrection of the dead when he
wrote, "Thou wilt not leave My Sou
In hell (sheol, the grave), nor suffel
Thine Holy One to see corruption
psalm xvi, 10) st. Peter acts IL
25-31) calls our attention to the fac
that the Prophet David did see corrup
ton, and hence that this statement
was not In regard to himself but Jesus
that the soul of Jesus was not lef
in she0I Greek, hades); and, additional
ly, the flesh of Jesus was not allowed
to corrupt.
st. Peter was pointing out the ful
filment of this prophecy of the resur
rectiOn of Jesus from the dead on tn,
third day, when he made use of on
text, David liz not ascended into tn
heavens; his sepulchre Is witt
us unto this day" st. Peters argu
ment is that David was In his sep
ulchre and was still dead, but tha
: his words were prophetic referenc
to Jesus resurrection.
Many Christian people repeat ever
Sunday what Is styled the Apostles
Creed which declares the crucifixio
and death of Jesus and His descer
into hell.-lnto hadss-and that go
raised Him from tho dead on the thir
day" All Intelligent Christians unde
, stand that the hell to which Jesus wer
/ was not Purgatory nor place OF etc
nal suffering, but the grave, Shc0l tn
a tomb the state Of death This
, proved to be the Apostles thought
/, tho words, "God raised Him from I'll
!. doad, for 1t was not possible that II
u should be holden" Of death.
Y David viii Not Go to Heaven.
o King David will not so to heave
It said Pastor Russell, and he will M
Il desire TO go to heaven, for the san
i reason that n Ash has no desire
o perch upon the limb of "A tree nor
% bird to make its home under the waite
II AS these animals have natures dlstin
" and are adapted to the conditions whit
God has provided, 10 the nature
lt man, even when brought to human pc
,e fection, viii enjoy and appreciate mo
- the earthly blessings which God h,
70 provided for him than he would enj'
~ the heavenly blessings which God IN
81 provided for the Elect "llttle flock"
O. the Church Of the First-Borns" (l
IN brews xii, 23).
is The reason for this IL plain when ,
ly remember the Apostles words,
ah declares, "'rhc natural man receive
lie not the things of the Spirit of &C