Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-07-30

A AN pointments will
lPASIDR RUSSEll) detaln him abroad
until the forepart
Of September His text for today was:
"lf 20 and prepare Il place for you,
will come again and receive you unto
myself, that where ! am there We may
be also."-John xiv, O. He said in part:
The error Of supposlng that men are
aliye when they are dead lies close to
the foundation Of every theological err
ror the world over We have all erred
In taking the guess Of Plato instead Of
the Word Of God, and we can get rid
OF our difficulties and theological en-.
tanglements only by retraclng our
steps Notwithstanding all that have
said and written, calling attention to
the words Of the Scriptures. the ques.
tlon frequently arises, DO you mean to
tell us that our friends do not 80 to
Heaven Immediately when they dIe2
That is exactly what we are endeav-
orlng TO demonstrate to be the teach.
ing Of the Bible The Bible alone, of
all religious books, teaches that dead
man Is dead, and knows nothing, and
that his only hope is In the Divine ar
Tangement through Christ, by resur-
rection of the dead-"both of the just
and OF the unjust" ACTS xiv, 10.
When we remember that according
TO nearly all the religious creeds and
theories OF the world, 900 out of every
thousand pass Immediately at death
into most horrible sufferlngs, one would
think that all would be glad to prompt
ly accept the Bible testimony, that
death Is dreamless sleep until the
resurrection awakening. why anyone
should prefer to think Of his friends
and nelghbors aud the heather millions
as suffering torture, rather than TO
think Of them as being asleep, Is be-
yond our comprehension The fact
probably is that selfishness has such
hold upon the masses that they care
and think little respecting others than
their near relatives and friends; and
the same selHshness nclnes them.
with infatuatlon, to believe that they
and their relatives, though no better
than the rest Of mankind, ure special
favorites OF Heaven, and Will be grant.
ed the reward OF the saints, however
insanity their lives may have been.
Some one has suggested that the ideal
prayer for such Isl
God bless me and my wife.
My son John and his wife;
Us four, and no more"
In harmony with this We lind that
when death lnvades family circle
this selfish egotlsm assumes that tho
deceased is acceptable TO God as a
saint, and waited immediately to heav.
cnly bliss regardless OF how insanity
had been the life and how little Of the
Spirit OF Christ was ever manifested.
The deception is reinforced by the
Christian minister called to conduct
che funeral service Whatever he may
reud from the Bible to the effect that,
AZ there be no resurrection they that
have fallen asleep have perished his
sermon Is sure to give the Inference
thnt the decreased needs no resurrec-
tion, because he has not died, but has
merely been transferred from lower
plane Of life to a higher one
Proof Of this Is not given and not
nsked The proof is not given because
there is no Scrlptural proof to give.
II is not asked because the people arc
no, sufficiently Intelligent on religious
subjects TO demand reason and n proof
for what Is presented to them The
remedy for all this will come when we
become more intelligent, more reason
Ing No minister OF Christ should be
.AhNshed to be asked the reason for his
faith S. Peter exhorted that every
christian should be 30 thoroughly In.
Formed respecting the Divine Message
ns 70 be able to give reason TO who
ever would ask concerning his own
faith and his presentations TO others
Here note our text. In It the Master
says not a word about our going to
Him. but quite the contrary-that He
would come again aud receive us unto
Himself. This Is In full accord with
the teachings OF the Apostles DO they
not tell that at the second coming OF
Christ the resurrection OF the Church
will be the first item In order; that
then that which was sown In weakness
viii be raised In power; that sown In
tshonor will be raised in glory; that
sowu an animal body will be raised
snlrlt body: and that so we shall ever
be with the Lordl DO they not tell us
that this viii be an instantaneous
Is II not styled an awaken
Ing from the sleep OF dcathi
Hearken 20 81. Paul; Behold. show
ron myatery; We shall not all Sleep