The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1913-04-04


the church in all the centuries. A De-
lief Of few men in few places Is
not a 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 B1ble
speaks is one of individuals, but in
dividuals are capable Of identifying
themselves only as they identify 9TH
ers with whom they were associated
If, 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 .ob-
ject of the resurrection Is equally con-
vincing, since it is to bring reward to
the righteous 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 the deeds were done.
What the Bible Says.
In the third place, while the testi-
mony of the Bible in this respect is
not definitely clear, it 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. Read 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
49, where he says: Make to your
selves friends of the mammon OF ur-
righteousness; that when ye fail they
may receive you into everlasting
habitations" It is difficult to inter-
pref tbs 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
PauFs words in the text are to the
same purport. He expected to meet
those young Christians of Thessa-
lonica when the Lord Jesus Christ
should come in his glory. and evident
" he expected to know them for they
we're to be his joy and crown of re-
joicing in that day.
Possible Objections.
It is no objection to this that Jesus
teaches in another place, (Matthew.
22:S0) that in the resurrection there
is neither marrying nor giving in mar
rage, 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 Of
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 thsnce sad lights
arise
To blunt thy sense OF heaven = ecetaSles'
There. IL thy heart with warm devotion
glow,
Meet for thy place, Twill solace thee 10
know
No friend of thine. mid those keen
agonies
In that dark prison-house Oh torment lies:
For none is there but is Of God the foe.
And alien thus from thee. The ties Of
And eartt's most sacred ,onds are but
Irvine
OF grossamer. compared with what Is
owed
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 a hope
as this is an extended one. In the
first place. it 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.
las 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 unfrelieving 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. IL
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 company
Gods Reminder.
Ererv imnulSe of beauty, of hero