INFORMATION WANTED

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 9, 1857

INFORMATION WANTED.

"INFORMATION WANTED. Will some one give us the titles, publishers and prices of a few of the best works written against the doctrine of the sleep, or unconscious state of the dead, and the annihilation of the wicked?"

"Yes, I will. There is an old work called the BIBLE. It contains five general divisions, viz.: Pentateuch, Historical, Poetical, Prophetical, and the last Will, or New Testament. Its Author is the Holy Ghost. Moses and the judges of Israel, the Prophets, Jesus himself, and the inspired Apostles, were the publishers (or declarers) of the great truths of revelation, which plainly show that all such doctrines as are named in the above inquiry, are of their father, the Devil, and his works they are doing on the earth. The prices are all the way from fifty cents to ten dollars, and can be had at any of the bookstores." S. March 5th, 1857."

The above is taken from the Morning Star. As we read it we felt constrained to ask, "What is written in the prophets? how readest thou?" We too have sought after books against the sleep of the dead, and the death of the wicked. We have been to this same "old work called the Bible." We have searched it through all its divisions. And what has been the result? We will present a few specimens of what we have found there.

First, in that division called the Pentateuch, we read, "In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Gen iii, 19. This language is addressed to the intelligent being. It is not Adam's body merely which is the subject of this threatening, as some have said and thereby tried to dodge the question; but it is Adam himself who is spoken to, the "living soul" which Adam "became," when God breathed into him the breath of life. It appears to us, and we cannot shake off the impression, that this text has direct bearing on the state of man in death.

Again; [Deut. xxxi, 16;] "And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers." &c. Moses is addressed and his fathers spoken of: not Moses' body and the bodies of his fathers; but the whole organized being, all that constituted the man. They were sleeping, or had lain down, (margin,) and God told Moses that he should sleep with them.

This must suffice from this portion of "the book" on the sleep or unconscious state of the dead. We next inquire, What does it teach concerning the destiny of the wicked? Ans. God told Adam that if he ate of the forbidden tree, (or sinned) he should surely die. And Moses says to the children of Israel, [Deut. xxx, 19,] "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."

This testimony is unequivocal; and it is from the Pentateuch too. It does not say, There is an inherent immortality entailed upon you whether you will or not, and there is therefore set before you unending happiness and eternal misery; no such thing; but, I have set before you life and death. Now we all understand these terms. At least upon any other subject than the final destiny of man, they are never allowed to have but one meaning; and that is well understood. Life, is living, and death is its opposite, cessation of existence; and why not let language perform its office and have its meaning in the case before us; especially since that latitude which would allow us to call life happiness, and death misery, would, shatter the whole Bible into ruins, and demolish any theory which might be built thereon?

Second, in that portion of the Bible called historical, concerning the dead we read, [2 Sam. vii, 12,] how the Lord said unto David by the mouth of Nathan, the prophet, "And when thy days be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers" &c. Now Paul tells us that in his time, David had not yet ascended to heaven; [Acts ii, 34;] and we certainly should not think of looking to hell for a person who like David was a man after God's own heart. Where then was he? We answer, in the language of the text he was sleeping with his fathers; and there he will sleep till the last trump; for Job says, that they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep till the heavens be no more. Job xiv, 12. But we are anticipating. One text on the destiny of the wicked and we pass. 2 Chron. xxv, 4. But every man shall die for his own sins.

Third. We come now to the Poetical division of the sacred book. How is man represented in death and after the final judgment, by the Poetry of the Bible? The testimony here is abundant, of which the following must serve as samples; "Consider and hear me, O Lord my God; lighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death. Ps. xiii, 3. See also Ps. lxxvi, 5. lxxxviii, 10-12. Job iii, 13; vii, 21; xiv, 12. Eccl. ix, 5, 6. And as we pursue our inquiry under this division, as to what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God, we are met by the Psalmist with this declaration: "For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be. But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs. They shall consume, into smoke shall they consume away." Ps. xxxvii.

Fourth, in the Prophetic portion of God's book to man, we are no less definitely informed on this subject. The Lord bids the prophet Ezekiel prophesy, and declare unto his people, [chap. xxxvii, 12, 13,] "Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, O my people I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves," &c. Then the Lord's people are in their graves. Are they conscious while there? If so, it must be a doleful existence. Daniel speaks of them as sleeping in the dust of the earth. Chap. xii, 2. And Hezekiah says that the living may praise God, but the dead cannot. Isa. xxxviii, 18, 19.

Touching the second point against which our friend above, wishes to find some testimony, viz., the destruction of the wicked, Ezekiel says plainly, or rather the Lord by Ezekiel; [chap. xviii, 4.] "The soul that sinneth it shall die." Jeremiah says, [chap. xxi, 8,] that the way of life and the way of death is set before them. The Lord says that he has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. "Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" Eze. xxxiii, 11. We cannot stop in this article to make even a bare reference to the texts which declare the doom of the ungodly. Suffice it to say that it is set forth in these words: that they shall be destroyed, shall perish, shall go to perdition, shall be consumed, shall come to an end, shall be rooted out and cut off, and shall be burned up. He must be an expert theological chemist who can find the smallest extract of eternal life in these declarations.

We have yet remaining before us for examination, one more division, the last Will, or New Testament. The testimony which we have already examined is not such as we should expect to find in a book which was declared to be against the sleep of the dead and destruction of the wicked. It remains to be seen what the New Testament writers and He who came to bring life and immortality to light, may say on the subject, and then we can draw our conclusions.

As we enter this department of the great temple of truth, almost upon the very threshold we hear John declaring of the Saviour, that he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into his garner and burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Matt, iii, 12. We hear the Saviour declaring that "no man hath ascended up to heaven;" [John iii, 13;] that the dead are in their graves, and the time is coming when they shall hear the voice of the Son of God. John v, 25, 28. Paul, speaking of David, says that after he had served his own generation he fell on sleep. Acts xiii, 36. He tells us that if there is no resurrection, (rising again) even those who are fallen asleep in Christ are perished; [1 Cor. xv, 18;] and that the wages of sin is death. Rom. vi, 23. Says the Saviour, "He that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him and he shall perish;" [John iii, 36;] and to perish, is to die, to be destroyed, to waste away, to come to nothing.

And such we find to be the whole tenor of the New Testament teaching on this subject. What then shall we conclude? What can we conclude? Is the word of God yea and nay? By no means.

But notwithstanding the Bible speaks out so plainly on the subjects of the unconscious state of the dead and the death of the wicked, our friend at the head of this article wishes to obtain some of the best works against these doctrines. Has he read the Bible? Does he know that these very views are the teachings of that book from beginning to end? Or does he wish to find something to disprove the plain testimony of the Bible? What does he mean? Information is wanted on this point.

And again, the person who took it upon himself to point out the book, which would answer the individual's inquiry, when he says that these views are from their father, the Devil, and his work they are doing on the earth, what does he mean? Does he mean that a great portion of the Bible is inspired by the Devil? We would advise him to bestow a thought or two more upon these things before launching forth in such assertions. But what an untimely reference did he give to his friend. Should we sincerely inquire for books against the sleep of the dead, and death of the wicked, and any one should refer us to the Bible, we must upon examination of that book consider ourselves decidedly sold. A more unfortunate reference for that object could hardly be made. We hope however the person will examine the Bible, see the light, and have no more occasion to inquire for books against the truth.