The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1912-07-26

IF go and prepare place for you.
will come again and receive you unto
myself. that where | am there We may
be also."-John xiv, g. He said in part:
The error of supposing that men are
alive 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 retracing our
steps. Notwithstanding all that I have
said and written, calling attention to
the words of the Scriptures. the ques-
ton frequently arises, Do you mean to
tell us that our friends do not go to
Heaven Immediately when they die?
That is exactly what we are endeav-
oring 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
rangement through Christ, by resur-
reetion Of the dead-"both Of the just
and of the unjust."-Ac xiv, Is.
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 sufferings. 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 neighbors and 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 inclines them.
with infatuation. to believe that they
and their relatives. though no better
than the rest of mankind. are 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 is:
God bless me and my wife, s.
My son John and his wife:
Us four. and no more" -l ~
In harmony with this we find that
when death invades family circle
this selfish egotism assumes that the
deceased is acceptable to God as a
saint. and waited Immediately to heav
emily bliss-regardless Of how INSTANTLY
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
the funeral service. Whatever he may
read from the Bible to the effect that.
If there be no resurrection. they that
have fallen asleep have persisted. his
sermon is sure to give the Inference
that the deceased needs no reSurrec-
ton. because he has not died. but has
merely been transferred from lower
plane Of life to Il higher one
Proof of this is not given and not
asked. The proof Is not given because
there is no Scriptura proof to give.
1t is not asked because the people ere
not sufficiently intelligent on religious
subjects TO demand a reason and 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
abashed to be asked the reason for his
faith st. Peter exhorted that every
Christian should be SO thoroughly in
formed respecting the Divine Message
as TO be able to give a reason to who
ever would ask concerning his own
faith and his presentations to others.
Here note our text. In ii the Master
says not Il word about our going to
Him. but quite the contrary-that He
would come again and 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
will be raised in power: that sown in
dishonor will be raised in glory: that
sown an animal body will be raised a
spirit body: and that so we shall ever
be with the Lord? Do they not tell us
that this will be an instantaneous
change? Is 1t not styled an awaken
ing from the sleep Of death?
Hearken to st. Paul: Behold. show
You q mystery: we shall NOT ali sleep
but We shall all be changed, In mo
ment, In the twinkling of an eye. al
the last trump seventh trumpet,; fol
the trumpet shall sound" land the
dead in Christ shall rise first; then we
which are alive and remain shall be
caught away together to meeting Of
the Lord in the air" Il Corinthians
Nv. 81. SO; Thessalonians iv. 16, L..
How plain. how. simple. That will bt
the first meeting OF the Church with
her Lord. All of her members dyins
before that time will Sleep" while
those dying since that time will no
need to sleep and wait for the gloriou,
change. But. says one, does not the
second coming of Christ take place
Whenever His holy ones die? Does HI
not Immediately come to receive then
unto Himself?
Surely only a very lame theory could
seek to bolster itself up by such per
version of the Scriptures. Ii Christ
were to come every time one of His
sanity ones die would 1t not NEAR
many comi,igs instead Of merely sec
md cODing? And even IL His faithful