driven to this point in order to support their no-soul animalism; for if man were only a material being he could die only a natural death, and could enjoy and possess only natural life. Mark this point.

But the Bible teaches both spiritual death and spiritual life. God said to our foreparents in the garden of Eden, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen. 2:17. The serpent told the woman, "Ye shall not surely die." Gen. 3: 4.

Here the issue is clearly drawn. All materialists take their stand in this controversy on the side of the serpent. God said, in unmistakable words, “In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." The Septuagint version, which is the oldest we have of the Old Testament Scriptures, renders this text as follows: "In whatsoever day ye eat of it, ye shall surely die."

Materialists say that man did not die that day, but only the seed of death was implanted in his being. So did the serpent say, "Ye shall not surely die." But God said [and his Word can not be broken], “In the day" that man would eat, "he shall surely die." He did not say the seed of death will merely be planted in your nature, but "ye shall die" in that very day. In this controversy we take our stand with God on the side of truth and boldly declare that man did die the very day he transgressed God's command. He died a spiritual death. Sin separates the soul

from union with God. "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Isa. 59: 2. As soon as the soul is cut off from God it is dead.

But this death is not a cessation of its conscious existence, but an alienation from God, whose favor is the normal sphere of the soul's happiness. So when Adam and Eve transgressed the command of God they still had a conscious existence, but were alienated from God-cut off from divine favor; hence in a state of spiritual death. They transgressed, and death— spiritual death- was the immediate result. But this did not stop with Adam.

The effects of the fall were far-reaching. "By one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." Rom. 5:12. Again we read that "death reigned from Adam to Moses." Ver. 14. The word death in these texts clearly refers to spiritual death in trespasses and sins, because it is used interchangeably with the word sin. See Rom. 5:12-21.

So every sinner is now actually dead - spiritually dead, and yet he has a conscious existence. This fact stands in square opposition to the doctrine of materialism. Every unregenerate man is now "dead in trespasses and sins." Eph. 2:1. Before our conversion "we were dead in sins." Eph. 2:5. "You, being dead in your sins." Col. 2:13. "To be carnally minded is death." Rom. 8:6. Paul says that when

he came to the years of accountability and got a knowledge of God's law, "Sin revived and I died." Rom. 7:9.

Paul did not die a physical death when he sinned against God's law. So Paul was more than a mere physical being. Neither did he simply pass under the sentence of death. But he actually declares, "I died."

But it may be asked, What part of Paul's being suffered death? We answer, That part which sinned against God. "Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? Micah 6: 7. "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezek. 18: 4. It was the spiritual part of Paul's being that died. "She that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." 1 Tim. 5: 6.

These scriptures plainly show that the death of the soul incurred by sin is not the destruction of its conscious being, but the forfeiture of the bliss of divine favor. "Dead while she liveth;" that is, the carnally minded are dead, yet desire, hope, and fear; in fact, they are still conscious of a moral and spiritual existence, but are also conscious of the fact that their soul is not in its proper attitude toward God, nor in its normal state of righteousness. "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death." I John 3:14.

Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life." John 10: 10. This could not be natural, physical life, for sinners do have that.

"Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light." Eph. 5:14. This can not refer to the natural sleep of the body, nor to men in the grave; but the apostle was addressing people in this world who were dead in sin. This is an experience of the soul, not of the body.

"Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live." Isa. 55: 3. But is this quickening of the soul into life a present experience? Do men now actually possess eternal life in Christ? Yes, thank God! "We know that we have passed from death unto life." 1 John 3:14. "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." John 5:24. "And you hath he quickened [made alive], who were dead." Eph. 2:1. This was the present experience of the Ephesian brethren.

This life is received by faith, for, says Jesus, "He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." John 6: 47. The apostles and early Christians actually possessed this spiritual, eternal life, as John testifies: "God hath given to us eternal life. . . He that hath the Son hath life." 1 John 5:11, 12. Neither was this mere conjecture or speculation, but the apostle confirms them in this truth by saying, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God: that ye may know that ye have eternal life." Ver. 13.

Strange that men in these last days have become so wise in their own craftiness that they have discovered that the mission of Christ was not accomplished, and the apostles and early Christians were badly mistaken when they believed the testimony of the Spirit in their hearts, and then by divine inspiration testified that they were made alive in Christ and possessed eternal life as a present experience of the soul. But if the Bible is of any weight, eternal, spiritual life is a present experience. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true. God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.' John 17:3.

Comment is not necessary. Materialism must fall in the light of these scriptures. Spiritual life and spiritual death being present conditions of the human family prove that man possesses a spiritual, conscious entity, separate and distinct in substance from the body.

Sixth. The doctrine of materialism is wrong, because it makes scripture meaningless. It is impossible to harmonize the Bible with this doctrine. Many plain texts of Scripture would be nonsensical. For example:

"The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide." Psa. 37:31.

"I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts." Heb. S:10.

"Written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables. of the heart." 2 Cor. 3:3.