p. 614 | WHY WILL THEY SAY SO? by Uriah Smith

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 6, 1887

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 13, No. 39.

WHY WILL THEY SAY SO?

By Uriah Smith

THE New York correspondent of the Michigan Christian Advocate recently gave an account of the funeral of Bishop Harris, in the course of which he said:—

"He is not dead. God's saints don't die; they only change their modes and forms of life."

As soon as we read that, certain texts of Scripture came to our mind, and we jot them down for the benefit of those who may have given a hasty assent to the Advocate correspondent's assertion.

"And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years; and he died." Gen. 9:29.

Noah was certainly a saint, for we read that he was "a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God" (Gen. 6:9); and that by his faith and obedience "he condemned the world." Heb. 11:7. Yet the inspired declaration is that "he died."

Of Abraham we read:—

"Then Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years." Gen. 25:8.

Of Moses, who was honored of God more than any other man that ever lived, and who was faithful in all that the Lord gave him to do (see Num. 12:6-8), the record says:—

"So Moses the servant of the Lord died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the Lord." Deut. 34:5.

Again we read of another great and good man:—

"And it came to pass after these things, that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old." Josh. 24:29.

Samuel was one who was consecrated to the service of the Lord at a very early age. While yet a small child he was employed by the Lord to perform a very delicate task, and his whole life was marked by piety and strict devotion to duty. Of him the record is:—

"And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah." 1 Sam. 25:1. And again: "Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city." 1 Sam. 28:3.

Of the prophet Elisha the simple record is:—

"And Elisha died, and they buried him." 2 Kings 13:20.

This list might be lengthened indefinitely, for of all the thousands of millions of people who have lived on this earth, there have been but two of whom it could not be said, "And he died." These are the words which close each of the biographies (with one exception) in the fifth chapter of Genesis. But we have selected only a few of whom it could not by any possibility be denied that they were saints.

Now what shall we conclude? Shall we say that the correspondent of the Advocate is correct? If we do, then we contradict the record concerning all those holy men. This we dare not do; so we shall have to conclude that the writer whom we quoted is misinformed.

But why should he be misinformed? And why should thousands of others coincide with him in his disagreement with Scripture? for there is not a doubt but that more than nine-tenths of the professed Christians of the world, including theological professors and ministers of the gospel, would never think of questioning his statement. We repeat, Why should they be misinformed? What excuse can they have for flatly contradicting the Bible? We confess that we cannot frame any excuse for them. They can read and the ability to do that is all that is required in order for one to know that both good and bad men do die. Nay, it is not even necessary to be able to read, to know this fact, for observation teaches it to everyone. "For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others." Ps. 49:10. And there is no man so powerful that he can redeem his brother "that he should still live forever, and not see corruption." Verses 6-9.

Then why will they persist in using such language? If they were blatant infidels, denying the Bible, and even in their mad blindness denying their own existence, we should not be surprised. But it is astonishing that men who profess to love the Bible as the inspired word of God, should so squarely contradict it. The only explanation that we can give is that, not heeding the warning of the apostle, they have been spoiled "through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." Col. 2:8. Can anybody give a better explanation?