Life and Death by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, Cal. · Feb 18, 1886

Life and Death.

By Editor

UNDER this head we find the following lines in a paper claiming the name of "Christian":—

"Life and Death are sisters fair; Yes, they are a lovely pair. Life is sung in joyous song; While men do her sister wrong, Calling her severe and stern, While her heart for them doth burn. Weave, then, weave a grateful wreath, For the sisters, Life and Death. "If fair Life her sister lost, On a boundless ocean tost She would rove in great unrest, Missing that warm, loving breast; Now, when scared by wild alarms, She can seek her sister's arms— To that tender bosom flee, Sink to sleep in ecstasy."

We have no comment to make on this. As the paper publishing it claims to be pre-eminently Biblical in its faith, we will let the word of the Lord speak for itself.

Gen. 2:17: "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Deut. 30:15: "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil." Prov. 8:36: "All they that hate me love death." Isa. 28:15, 18: "Because ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement," etc. "And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it." Eze. 18:4: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Also verse 20. Verse 32: "I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye." Hos. 13:14: "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be thy plagues." Rom. 5:12: "Sin entered into the world, and death by sin." Rom. 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death." 1 Cor. 15:26: "The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Verse 54: "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory." 2 Tim. 1:10: "But is now made manifest [his purpose and grace] by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." Heb. 2:14: "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." James 5:20: "He which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death."

These are a few of the great multitude of texts which show in what light God regards death. It is the penalty, the result, the wages of sin, and the devil introduced it into the world. Christ came to destroy it, and, as the last enemy, not friend, of man, it will be destroyed. Let them make "a covenant with death" who hate wisdom; but we abhor death, and seek for life and immortality through the Life Giver, the Lord Jesus Christ.