The Gospel Day Part 16

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor: yet what I shall choose I wot not.

For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ; which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you." Phil. 1:21-24.

If there is no conscious existence after death until the final resurrection from the grave, how could it be "far better" for Paul to depart? For him to depart this life is to be with Christ. "We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." 2 Cor. 5:8. How can language be plainer than this?

To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

The Place Of The Soul While The Body Lies In The Grave.

The Son of G.o.d in his beautiful narrative of the rich man and Lazarus certainly teaches a conscious existence of the departed souls of both the wicked and the righteous. The soul of the rich man was in torment in the flames of h.e.l.l. The angels carried the poor beggar to rest and bliss in Abraham's bosom.

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pa.s.s, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; and in h.e.l.l he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pa.s.s from hence to you can not; neither can they pa.s.s to us, that would come from thence.

Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." Luke 16:19-31.

Soul-Rest.

The immortal soul of man is a conscious ent.i.ty, whether in sin or in righteousness. If in righteousness, there is a blessed consciousness of peace, rest, and contentment. This internal sense of happiness man enjoyed in his primeval state. By disobedience an awful change came over him, by which the peaceful rest and full satisfaction of the soul was destroyed, and the terrible miseries of sin were experienced. In sin the soul still retains its consciousness. There is in fallen man an internal knowledge of incompleteness. There is a missing link, an awful vacancy, and a kind of intuitive knowledge that he must give answer for certain moral responsibilities unto a great Creator. There are deep longings, restless fears, dark uncertainties, and desperate strugglings for a satisfactory hope.

By the entrance of sin into the world there was implanted in the nature of man a "l.u.s.t of the flesh," which seeks the pleasures of the world. This never brings contentment to the soul. It reaches to something far beyond for rest. Jesus came to this world as the soul's Rest-giver. "Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls." Mat. 11:28, 29. The name of Jesus is sweet to the soul whose cry is not stifled by the "l.u.s.ts of the flesh." It is the disposition of the "carnal mind" to hush the pleadings of the hungry, thirsting spirit by bidding it wait until some future time when its demands will be given attention. The "flesh" gains its pleasures at the cost of the soul's rest, and when the soul gains rest it must be at the cost of the l.u.s.t of the flesh, and thus the war goes on between the flesh and the spirit. How often in the days of one's youth the soul struggles hard for freedom and pleads for rest; the "flesh" quiets its fears by promising to yield to its desires in maturer years. Old age comes on, and the flesh, unwilling yet to make a sacrifice of the world, bids the restless soul to hope for joy in heaven.

This delusive scheme often proves a success, allowing the flesh to go on reaping its carnal l.u.s.ts with the soul endeavoring to satisfy itself with the hope of rest above. It is true there are wondrous joys in heaven, but it is not all who shall get to enjoy them. It is very dangerous and delusive to encourage the heart to hope for a home in heaven when the flesh still loves this world. Bright hopes of endless glory in the world above cheer us on amid the storms of life to that precious goal, but we would not desire you to pa.s.s through this world heavy-laden, with a hope of unloading your cargo of sorrow and pain somewhere in the beyond and being happy there. As we cross the ocean of life, there is to be found a blessed port where you can discharge your load of sin and sorrow and take on joys to your vessel's full capacity. Beyond life's sail there remains no port of exchange. The soul fitted for the delights of heaven, enjoys heavenly delights in this world. In the divine economy there is a sufficiency of grace to enable the soul to be blessedly at rest amid the most trying circ.u.mstances of life. When our happy spirits, no longer holden by the house of clay, shall soar away to heavenly rest, scenes and experiences will arise of such a nature as to greatly enhance the felicity of our hearts, but the revelation of heaven upon a pardoned soul, and

"The enjoyment of heavenly bliss E'en in a world like this,"

to the humble Christian heart can never be told. Do not therefore, dear reader, permit the thoughts of great happiness in the paradise above, nor of some fancied coming age of universal peace and joy on earth, to hide from your soul the precious realization of heavenly enjoyments, sweet walks with G.o.d, and tastes of love in this present life and time. We repeat, there is wondrous peace and happiness in heaven; all is joy there, and upon the soul yielded to G.o.d's control the sweets of heaven's graces are distilled like the gentle siftings of the evening dew upon the flower, transporting the soul to wondrous joys all along the way of life. "Oh, this blessed holy rest is to be found only 'on Jesus' loving breast.' "

Trials may come, storm-clouds gather, and billows threaten, yet "in Jesus all is bright." Make him your haven of rest.

Eternal Happiness.

Happiness forever-these words sound sweet and dear to almost every heart.

There is nothing repulsive in their tone, but, oh, what strength they give to the weary, waiting soul. The hope of never-ending happiness in a bright celestial world enables us to patiently endure the tortures and afflictions of this sin-cursed, terrestrial sphere. It is not difficult to persuade most people that somewhere in the great beyond there is a place of peace and bliss, prepared for the children of G.o.d to inhabit forever.

But few men have disposition of spirit to wrest the clear declarations of inspiration on this delightful theme. Perhaps no other subject in the Bible is so universally received. Eternal rest to the Christian is the voice of the Word forever settled in heaven. Oh, how our hearts glow with rapture and our bosoms heave with waves of love and praise to G.o.d as we by faith look into an eternity of perfect bliss prepared for us. "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world." Mat. 25:34. "Well done, thou good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." "In thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore." Psa. 16:11.

"The righteous shall go away into eternal life." Mat. 25:46. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thes. 4:17.

These few texts are sufficient to convince the reader that there is a heaven of eternal joys, but before leaving this subject we will give one text of caution. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." Mat. 7:21.

Eternal Punishment.

Misery, wretchedness and woe forever-these words have an unpleasant sound.

They form no enjoyable theme for meditation. People usually reject all thoughts of eternal unhappiness. Because of its unpleasantness many have sought to explain the doctrine away. However it is as positively declared in the sacred volume as the doctrine of eternal happiness. "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Mat. 25:46. The punishment of the wicked in duration is equal with the life of the righteous, but some, who no doubt have not been rescued from the fears of h.e.l.l, have endeavored to make the words everlasting and eternal as used in the above texts differ in meaning with respect to time.

Upon this subject we will quote from the treatise ent.i.tled, "What Is the Soul?" by D. S. Warner: "The words 'eternal life,' as the great gift of G.o.d to men, occur in the New Testament just twenty-nine times, and in every instance the word eternal is derived from the Greek word _aionios_; the same word which tells how long the punishment of the wicked shall last in Mat. 25:46, and elsewhere. The words 'everlasting life' and 'life everlasting' occur in the New Testament fourteen times, and by reference to the Greek Testament you will find the word everlasting is, without a single exception, translated from the same Greek word-_aionios_. Here then we learn the wisdom of Heaven finds and uses no stronger term in all the forty-three promises and statements of eternal and everlasting life to the righteous in the New Testament than the word _aionion_, the very same word which he uses to declare the eternal and everlasting punishment of the wicked.... The Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit have described the duration of their own existence, attributes and glory by the use of the same word which we have seen fixes the eternal punishment of the wicked.

"In Heb. 5:9 we read that Christ became the author of 'eternal [_aionion_]

salvation unto all them that obey him.' If therefore this word does not mean eternal, our salvation will finally fail and drop us back into the hands of the devil. In Heb. 9:12 we read that Christ has obtained eternal (_aionion_) redemption. If then the word only means a long period of time our eternal redemption is not yet secured. In Heb. 9:15 we are told that by means of Christ's death for our redemption, we have 'received the promise of eternal [_aionion_] inheritance.' Will the inheritance that Christ has purchased by his death come to an end?"

In speaking of h.e.l.l-fire in the ninth chapter of the gospel by Mark the eternal-_aionion_-immortal Son of G.o.d five times says it is a fire "which is not" and "never shall be quenched." If it never shall be quenched, can we possibly err in supposing that it will burn forever? "Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." Mat. 25:41. "And shall be tormented day and night forever and ever." Rev. 20:10. "And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and ever." Rev. 14:11.

There are yet many other scriptures which positively teach everlasting punishment in an endless h.e.l.l. Whatever fears this doctrine may bring to deluded souls, and however zealously they may labor for its refutation, it stands unshaken. If you fear eternal punishment do not endeavor to calm your fears by seeking to believe there is no endless torment, but seek the Savior, who will save you from your sins and fears, and give you hope, blessed hope, of everlasting peace and rest.

Chapter XI. Spiritual Culture.

"And this is the record, that G.o.d hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." 1 John 5:11. There is eternal life in Jesus, but for man to come into possession of this life he must comply with the requirements made by the Bible. After getting into possession of this life there are certain duties which man must faithfully perform to retain and develop it. After entering the wide fields of grace development is necessary. "But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Pet. 3:18. Nutrition necessary for the development of spiritual life is contained in the Word of G.o.d. "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of G.o.d."

Mat. 4:4. "As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may prow thereby." 1 Pet. 2:2.

By proper culture-attending to Christian duties-the Christ-life in the soul will be strengthened, and daily we will become stronger in faith, richer in virtue, deeper in knowledge, more strictly temperate, exercise a greater degree of brotherly kindness and G.o.dliness, and enjoy more of heaven's pure love in our hearts. Neglect the proper Scriptural culture of the spiritual life and the Christian will degenerate into a few irksome duties of cold formality. By the writers of the New Testament we are urgently exhorted, yea, commanded, to attend to certain duties necessary to keep us in the love of G.o.d. Of these especially important are reading the Scripture, prayer, fasting, examination, meditation, etc.

Reading The Scripture.

"Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant loveth it." "I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold." "The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." Psa. 119:140, 127, 72.

The Bible, to the Christian, is a richer treasure than gold. No other book is read with such deep, amazing interest. The soul ravis.h.i.+ngly feasts upon the pure, simple truth. It is manna. It is life. "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth." Psa. 119:103. When the soul gets to taste of the honeyed sweetness of G.o.d's Word it endears it to G.o.d and the Bible so as to make death preferable to separation. "O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Psa. 119:97. Exile to Patmos would not be so lonely to the Christian did he but have his Bible.

"All scripture is given by inspiration of G.o.d, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of G.o.d may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:16, 17. The Word of G.o.d contains sufficient instructions and corrections to properly develop the Christ-life in the soul, if it is heeded. By looking into this perfect law of G.o.d and continuing in its teaching one will imbibe its spirit, its life, its power, until his own life will reveal the truly high and enn.o.bling principles of the precious volume from heaven. The true sentiment of the Bible will be so interwoven into his very existence that his decorum will be so influenced by the power of divine truth that all who read his life will but read G.o.d's Holy Book.

The Bible tells us of heaven, the eternal, happy home of the righteous. It tells us of sin and how it deprives the soul the privilege of entering that bright mansion of everlasting rest. It tells of a Savior who saves from sin, and fits and prepares man to receive from G.o.d's hands great eternal rewards. It unfolds to us the beautiful character of G.o.d and encourages our souls to imitate his perfect example. It speaks of our Heavenly Father's loving providence, how that he is ever watching over us, and guiding us with his eye; how that no harm shall ever befall us, and when we pa.s.s through the rivers they shall not overflow us; when we walk through the fire we shall not be burned; how that he will withhold no good thing from us, but will cause all things to work for our good; how that he bears our burdens and shelters us beneath his wing. The Bible is the Christian's guide to a haven of rest; to make sure he is traveling in the right course, he must study it well. He must run the way of its commandments. To be a fruitful Christian he must search it and be a doer of its precepts, ever gaining knowledge and practising what he knows. Ah, my Bible! it is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my pathway.

Precious volume, ever lie Very near my heart and eye; All the precepts of thy page Ever shall my soul engage.

Prayer.

Prayer has brought a comfort to many a sorrowing heart. It has wiped away many a tear. Prayer is the Christian's stronghold. There can be no real progress in the divine life without earnest prayer. A decline in spiritual life usually begins at the secret closet. Satan knows what a powerful weapon prayer is in the hands of a saint. As Cowper has said,

Satan trembles when he sees The weakest saint upon his knees.