The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-03-07
March 8, 1880.
Editor The Times-News,
Hendersonville, N. c. ..

HGnQerSOnNlle, ~. W.
After reading the article OF }.
J. Fretwell in your issue o. Marcn
! 5 on the subject of the safe OF
the dead, not in the spirit Of con-
troversy, but in an effort to
Aaake clear what l feel to be the
s fSal meaning of Scripture in this
latter, 1 am writing you here
With:
b The word "sleep," as used in
both Old and New Testanents,
in relation to those who have
died in the faith of Christ, never
refers to the soul, but always to
the body. As an example, Dan
iel speaks of those who "sltep IN
the dust of the EARTH" Only the
bodies of saints remain il the
dust of the earth, for in Eccles-
tastes 1877 we read "Then shall
the dust return to the earth as 1t
was, and the spirit shall return
to God who ave it." The soul,
therefore, is not in the grave,
but with the Lord Jesus Christ,
and as we shall go on to move,
lives in full realization OF His
blessed presence until the resur-
rection, when, in a new and
glorified body, that fellowship
shall continue for ever more. A
true definition of death makes
this fact still more clear. Death
is separation: spiritual death is
the separation of the body from
God: physical death is the sep
aration of the soul from the
body: eternal death is the sep
aration of the sinner from God
cternally. We quite agree with
Mr.. Fretwell that there is to be
resurrection of the body, both
of the believer and the upbeliev-
err, the first occurring previous to
Christ's coming reign Of peace,
and the. latter at the close of the
millennium.
In Ecclesiastes 9:1O where
Solomon tells us there is, "no
work, nor device nor knowledge,
nor wisdom in the grave whittier
thou goest," the reference is to
the body but not to the soul, for
the grave is the home of the
body, but not Of the soul. The
same truth is set forth in Psalm
1857 in which we read, "the
dead praise not the Lord. neither
any that 60 down to silence
While the body sleeps, however,
the soul enjoys conscious fellow
ship with our risen and exalted
Savior. In the parable of the
Erich man, and Lazarus, orr Lord
Jesus not only sets forth the fact
that riches will avail nothing
hereafter, but in the same parable,
He gives us a vivid picture of the
retribution which the souls OF
those who enjoy selfish luxury
without regard for God or man
must suffer. We can we'll afford
tto take warning from the state
of the rich man after death, and
ut was with this in view that ou1
Savior gave utterance to the
parable.
/ Our purpose in this letter is
fnot to deal with the hereafter Of
those who reject Christ. Suffice
TT. to saw that Gods Word has
Isaid; "He that belieyeth moi
snaa not see life, but the wrath
l9t God abideth on him" We arc
dealing especially with the state
tot those who are believers In
tChrIst, and recipients Of His sal
vatlon Two or three Scripture
reference VIII suffice to make
tclear this matter, though man,
more might be added:
| First, The Lord Jesus said te
the repentant thief, @This da,
shalt thou be with me in Para
disc As someone has pit it
this day-what promptitude will
Me what companionship! II
'Paradise-what rest! Our Sayio,