Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1913-06-25


which is expressed on every tomb
stone and heard in the hymnody OF
the church in all the centuries. A be-
lief of few men in few places ID
not sufficient ground of evidence
but belief of all men in all places
Is very different. God would seem to
be the author OF a belief like this,
and, If so, there must be a ground
for it,
In the second place, the reasonable
ness of the idea strengthens the con-
viction of it's truth. For example, the
resurrection of which the Bible
speaks is one of individuals, but in
dividuals are capable Of Identifying
themselves only as they identify 9TH
ers with whom they were associated.
II, in other words, we shall know our
selves in the resurrection, then we
must know others who have helped to
make us what we are. But the OBJ
ject of the resurrection is equally con-
vincing, siace it is to bring reward to
the rightecIs and punishment to the
wicked. These rewards and punish
ments are based upon the deeds done
In the body but to remember the
deeds, we must remember those for or
against whom rhe deeds were done.
What the Bible Says.
In the third place, while the testi-
mony Of the Eible IN this respect is
not definitely clear, 1t is inferentially
so. Certainly Christ's words to
Martha with reference to the resur-
rection of her brother Lazarus, imply
that In the resurrection they would
be known one to another. BEAD the
story in the eleventh Of John to prove
this. Furthermore, we have the
teaching Of Jesus in the parable OF
the unjust steward, recorded In Luke
13, where he says: make to your
selves friends Of the mammon OF un-
Righteousness; that when ye fail they
may receive you into everlasting
habitations." It is difficult to inter
pret this in any other way than that
In the life to come those saints of
whom we have made friends here by
our treatment of them will know and
welcome US into the joys beyond. And
PauPs words in the text are to the
same purport.
PossibI- Objections.
It is no objection to this that Jesus
teaches in another place. Matthew.
22:3O) that in the resurrection there
Is neither marrying nor giving in mar
riage, for such relationship Is not
necessary to identity nor the spiritual
Joy Of it.
Some would say that in the life to
come many friends would be missed
who have not died in the faith of
Christ, and that from such point or
view recognition and reunion would
make for sorrow instead Of Joy. But
as Bishop Mant says:
-.Fear not. the prospect of the realms of
Shall mar thy bliss. or thence sad lights
arise
To blunt thy sense of heavens ecstasies:
There, il thy heart with warm devotion
glow,
Meet for thy place. twill solace thee to
know
No friend Of thine. mid those keen
agonIes
In that dark prison-house Of torment lies:
For none Is there but fs OF God the foe,
And alien thus from thee. The ties OF
And earth's most sacred bonds. are but
q twine
OF grossamer. compared with what is
To Him. the Lord Of all! On Him re-
cline:
He shall thy heart Of every care unload.
He bid thy day with cloudless luster
shine"
The practical effect of such hope
as this is an extended one. In the
first place. 1t brings US strongly under
the power Of heavenly realities. In
the second place, it induces Us to form
only holy friendships that can be con-
tinued through eternity. In the third
place, it affords the most precious
consolation to the bereaved.
"As year by year we lose
Friends out of sight, to know
How grows in Paradise our store@
Let the fact be emphasized in clos
ing, that we are talking about Chris
tians and not the unbelieving people
of the world. True Christians are
those who have received Jesus Christ
as their Saviour by faith, and who.
regenerated by his holy spirit, are
following him as Lord and master. 1t
is these who have this hope before
them, and only these. Let US then
ask ourselves with candor, as In the
sight Of God. whether we belong to
this blessed companv.