The Apostle Paul says, "I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins." Rom. xi. 25-27. The following facts are established by these two passages of Scripture: first, the children of Israel return to the Lord; secondly, they seek him, and David their King, or the Messiah; thirdly, they fear the Lord and his goodness; fourthly, this happens in the latter days; fifthly, their Deliverer comes from mount Zion, which means the Christian church; sixthly, he turns away ungodliness from Jacob, and takes away their sin; and, seventhly, then all Israel shall be saved. The fulness of the Gentiles implies, a vast harvest of true converts to the religion of Christ, in those lands where idolatry has reigned for many ages. It is probable that many millions. of those deluded idolaters will cast away their idols to the moles and to the bats, and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. This will have a surprising effect on the Jews: they will see the saving power of Jesus; and acknowledge that he is the Lord, to the glory of the Father. Then the Redeemer and Saviour of men, who is worthy to be praised and adored, will be honoured by all the nations; and the earth, or the whole habitable world, shall be filled with rich displays of his majesty and glory. "His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen." Ps. lxxii. 17-19. 290 CHAPTER XVI. THE DEATH OF MAN. Erroneous views of this subject-Scripture views of deathEvery man must die-The time of death is uncertainThe place where we may die is unknown-The circumstances of death are hidden-Death is awful to good men—It is terrible to bad men-Death has been conquered by the Redeemer-And may be conquered by the redeemedBut die we must-General inferences. Ir is necessary for every man to study death, with all its awful solemnities; because all have to pass through that gloomy vale: nor is the hour distant when we must quit the present world, and enter on a new and unknown state. I. If death be an extinction of being, as some persons have imagined, we were created in vain; and if it be a suspension of being, as others suppose, we may not revive again. It has been maintained, that the death of man is a complete extinction of conscious existence; but if that be true, surely those vast intellectual powers by which he is distinguished from the brutes, were created in vain; and if death be a total suspension of life, for any given period, it is possible that we may never revive again. But both views are at variance with the inspired volume; and contrary to the dictates of right reason. The first places man on a level with the brute creation; and the second is the visionary scheme of a materialist. Many infidels do not believe in a life to come; and the materialists do not believe that man has a soul which survives the body. But we turn from both to the oracles of God, for correct views of this important subject; assured that infinite wisdom will direct our inquiries, as far as may be necessary in the present state of things; and that what we know not now, we shall know hereafter: for then death will be swallowed up in victory. II. All those passages of Scripture that represent the death of man as an extinction of life, and a returning to the dust from whence he was taken, refer entirely to the body; for the spirit was not taken from the dust, nor can it return to dust, being of a pure celestial origin. This is clearly proved by the sacred account of man's creation. That account informs us, that "the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Gen. ii. 7. Thus our first parent, when God created him, had a material body, and an immaterial spirit; but these, though widely different, and of distinct qualities, were marvellously united. Agreeably to this view, death is represented as a dissolution of these parts; the body returning to dust, and the spirit to God who gave it. Abraham gave up the ghost, or spirit, to God; but his body, which was to return to dust, was buried in the cave of Machpelah. Gen. xxv. 8, 9. And Jacob yielded up the ghost. And man, including all the human race, giveth up the ghost. Job. xiv. 10. When Jesus was on the cross, "he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. having said thus, he gave up the ghost." Luke xxiii. 46. All these facts agree with the statement of Solomon: "Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it." Eccles. xii. 7. It is not hinted that the ghost, or spirit, goes to the earth; but that it is given up, or yielded up, and returns to God. The Apostle Paul calls death a departure; "the time of my departure is at hand." His body was committed to the ground; but his in the invisible world. body slept in the grave; in the tomb? How, then, could he pray, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit?" Acts vii. 59. We repeat, that death is a separation of soul and body; that the body returns to dust; and that the spirit returns to God. But in this point of view, and leaving out all other circumstances, "sure, 'tis a serious thing to die!" spirit departed to God Stephen fell asleep : his but did his spirit sleep III. Every man on earth, whatever rank or station he holds in life, must pass through the shades of death. This has been appointed, by the Author of life, as a punishment of sin; and the appoint |