Conquering Death by H. A. St. John

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 8, 1872

Conquering Death.

By H. A. St. John

“He has conquered death, he has gained the victory.”

So said a minister to-day as he pointed to the lifeless body of a fellow-mortal lying in the coffin before him. To those acquainted with the teachings of Holy Writ upon the subject of death, the above statements sounded strangely inconsistent and unscriptural. “Death is the gate to endless joy,” and, “Death is the voice that Jesus sends,” were sentiments in the hymn sung, while the speaker said that death was an enemy, and that the deceased had conquered death. It would seem, indeed, that such strange incongruity would not fail to be noted by any reflecting mind.

But let us see if the popular doctrine, that those in the embrace of death have conquered death, is susceptible of sensible illustration. A company of soldiers approach a fortress held by an enemy. There is no foe beyond this; it is their last and only enemy. In the engagement, the soldiers all retreat excepting one, who is taken captive, bound hand and foot, and carried into the fort. Now imagine the escaped soldiers rejoicing and consoling each other with words like these: “Our brother has gained a glorious victory, he has conquered the enemy. This we know, for the last we saw him, he was silent and helpless in their hands.” Reader, this but faintly represents what we have witnessed to-day.

Man has indeed sought out many inventions. Oh! how his foolish heart is darkened by error and unbelief. Words of wisdom in such a case, would have been something like these: Death is, indeed, our worst and last enemy. This enemy has come near to us to-day, and snatched from us one of our number. We can never release him from the enemy’s cruel power. The keeper of the fort, or he that hath power of death, that is the devil, is much stronger than we. But this is our consolation: There is a stronger than he, who has the keys of death and the grave, and when he comes, the strong man will be bound. Then will Christ, the mighty conqueror, loose his prisoners homeward. Then, and not before, will the saints get the victory; then, and not till then, will their last enemy be conquered.

O glorious day! ere long to dawn, When Christ our Lord will come To break the bands of death and hell, And take his children home.

H. A. ST. JOHN.