p. 141 | HOW IS IT? by G. W. A.

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Sep 23, 1858

HOW IS IT?

By G. W. A.

The advocates of the popular view of the state of the dead maintain that the thinking part of man, at the dissolution of the body, goes directly to heaven or hell, according as it has been good or bad, and consequently is happy or miserable. But there appear to be some objections to this idea, although popular it may be. We read in Matt. vii, 22, 23, that

"Many will say unto me (Jesus) in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? and then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me ye that work iniquity."

It appears from this that there will be a company at the judgment day who will be astonished at the idea that they are going to be consigned to outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. One would naturally think that if they had already been there for ages, writhing in the agonies of hell, the eyes of their understanding would have become enlightened, and they would not be thus startled at the just sentence of the Lord!

"But," replies one, "I don't believe the righteous or wicked are either happy or miserable, although conscious, between death and the resurrection." Well, my good sir, will you please locate and explain the case of the rich man and Lazarus. Here is comfort and torment. What will you do with this? If you apply it in the intermediate state, it is destructive to the words of the Saviour just quoted, and if you locate it after probation, it is only what we believe—but mark, it takes away your strongest proof that a dead man has greater wisdom than all the living, and is presumptive evidence that this darling doctrine is not of God. G. W. A.