[A PHALANX OF YOUNG MEN.]
A GRAND phalanx of younger men, with fine education, abundant talent, and as true hearts as ever beat, are rallying to the principles, coming to the rescue, and have set their seal that “God is true,” and that “the word of God is not bound.” Ten of these for every one of the old men falling are making their appearance. They are rousing up all over the country, and new pens are coming to the rescue. God is with these young men, dwells in them and will hold them up. They are not mercenary men, but men of God—men of faith. We could name scores of them. They are found in all directions. They are reading, working, preaching the gospel and bringing sinners to the Lord. These are for the old ground—“The Bible and the Bible alone.” Many of them are now wielding master pens, and are master speakers. They are becoming masters of the situation. They will walk through the progressive elements, like Sampson carrying away the gate-posts, or pulling down the pillars of the house. While others will become “offended because of the word,” these will love the word, and all the hallowed principles involved, more and more, and stand true till the Lord comes. They will hear them ringing out the old watchwords, “It is written,” “Thus saith the Lord,” etc., etc. They will find a formidable array of these—a wall of them that can never be broken down.
They will find that the great masses of the followers of Christ have never been perverted, have never departed from their principles, and have not the least idea of ever doing so, but intend to stand by them till the last. These are the great stamina of the cause. A few city people, who read but little, have studied but little, and are governed by sound and show, do not control in these matters, nor a few rich men. The great body of the numbers who are scattered abroad, hear good gospel preaching, take the papers, read them, and read the Bible, decide the course, tell the story. These are not led away by a few glittering words, by sound, nor by clerical pretensions. You need not read to them your dreamy philosophy, metaphysical speculations, distinctions where there are no differences, prosing through your long articles of twenty to thirty pages; they will not read all this, nor will they believe without reading. They are plain and practical people, and must known what they are doing. These know the gospel and love it. They know the right way of the Lord and will not walk in any other way.
We work in faith, rest in hope, with the strong and blessed assurance that this cause will live and go on triumphantly when our part of it shall be finished. What we are concerned with, is how to do our part, that may still remain, to the best purpose.
[BODIES RESURRECTED,
NOT SPIRITS.]
THERE is nothing in the Bible about the resurrection of souls or spirits. The resurrection has to do with bodies, not souls nor spirits. It was the body of Jesus that rose from the dead. It was bodies that came forth after Jesus rose and were seen of many. Mortal bodies shall be quickened. The resurrection has nothing to do with the spirit in the way of raising it or making it alive. If man becomes extinct at death there is nothing to raise from the dead. Other beings might be created, but the words resurrection and creation are not of the same meaning. The creation of Adam was not the same as raising Lazarus from the dead. We use the two words, or find them used in the Bible, create and resurrection, to express two distinct ideas. If man becomes extinct at death there remains no man to raise from the dead. Other persons might be created, and there would be no identity to lose, for they would not be identical, but others. We need plain Bible truth; the matters of the Bible, and not theories about the pre-existence of spirits or the transmigration of souls. The plain truth of the Bible will save us; idle speculations will ruin us for this world and the world to come. Let us study and preach the clear truth of divine revelation and enforce it on our race. It is the only hope for all nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples of the earth.