Life and Death.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 340, 20 August 1889, Page 2

Life and Death.

Thebe was a good attendance at ths Wesleyan Church on Sunday morning, when Mr Scott delivered the second of the aeries of Future Life Subjects. Having given a brief synopsis of the previous lecture, be proceeded to answer the question, What is the BoniMatter or Spirit ? and from Science Scripture showed that it could not be for matter had shape which not ; again, matter is made up of conscience could not be, for there be a part of consciousness. Pointing out that “ God is light,” he drew the analogy between light and the soul of man, in that they wm mysterious, invisible, something not made up of parte, something you cannot burn, divide or add too. There are many theories es tor what light is—practically we do not know, but it would be absurd to say there was no light, and equally so to reject a belief in the spirit of man because we do not know what it is. The operations of the spirit and of light we are equally cognisant of. The lecturer then proceeded to enquire what Scripture meent by life and death. Taking the latter first hg gave the scientific definition of death as ■ cessation of correspondence, cut off air, which is a necessary correspondence and man dies, and so in the spiritual world the same definition will hold death spiritual is being out off from God. Adam, for example, in Edeq was in correspondence with God; when ha transgressed he became a rebel, eo breaking the link that united him to God, and as a consequence spiritual death followed. In tha New Testament Paul teaches the carnal mind is enmity against God, and to be carnally minded is death, which is exactly the position of Adam, and of all men born since. That il to say that the natural state ot every spirit is death, or glienation from Gad. The lecturer illustrated this by an engine and boiler, Thg engine he pictured oq his left hand as perfect in every detail, but without lite ; on bis right band he pictured a boiler, fire kindled, ard

the steam guage indicating an abundant supply of power. What was wanted to make the engine fulfil the function for which it had been made 7 A connection ot the power generated in the boiler to the piston ; make this connection, tbs wheels revolve—it lives. So man in his natural stats is not fulfilling the function for which hs *u created; hg exists but Is dead. To make this which had been broken by Adam, Christ oamj’ The work of tbs media'ion is to bring th* power of Got to men’s souls, and only when this is done does man live. Life then I* the opposite of death ; it is a linking on to God. The lecturer used many passages of Scrlptora'' to prove his position, and to show that death temporal was quite distinct front death spiritual. This he explained was shown ifi the case of the prodigal son—when fa* iw. turned to hi* father. It was said, •' This, my son, was dead and is alive again.” Spiritual death was passed when he turned homewards; life he gained when the father rsoeived him. The point was to show that life was not something ws gglned after the death of the body, not a renewal ot ezistepM, bgt a transition while we are yet |n tbs flesh, quoting as his au'hority Ohrut's words, ■■ H* that believe th on the Son hath everlasting lite;” pointing out that hath is in th* pre**Q| case. The effect of death temporal was shown to be the disunion of body and soul, and could not have any effect on the condition ot the eool, except that it rendered any change impossible. Next Sabbath morning the doetrine of thg annihilation of the soul is tn be taken up.