CONTENTS
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SECOND GROUND OF UNION.
But there is a second ground of union; this it is which secures the resurrection to immortality, eternal life. This union is by becoming "partakers of the Divine nature," { 2Pe 1:4}; having received the "Holy Spirit of promise," { Eph 1:13}, so that the Spirit which raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken their mortal bodies," { Ro 8:11}, being members of Christ's spiritual body; and hence, like their Head, they cannot die any more; { Lu 20:36}. These are raised incorruptible, immortal; { 1Co 15:52-54}.
Thus we think we have shown, that while union with Christ is essential to revival from death, this union is both human and divine; the latter only securing eternal life and immortality; while the former may secure the LIFE-GIVER. Such as have, without fault on their part, not heard Him, and never had the means of knowing Him, and hence have never severed the human union or relationship with Him, are perfectly within the resurrection power of the LIFE-GIVER; who is "Lord both of the dead and living;" and as "the Father raised up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will;" { Joh 5:21}; for, "the head of every man is Christ." - 1Co 11:3.
Well might the Apostle say, while contemplating a portion of this subject, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!... For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen." - Ro 11:33,36.
Some, in these days, appear to talk as if they knew and had "found out" that God cannot or will not fulfill his promise and oath to Abraham and his seed, to bless all the families of the earth, because so many of them are dead who never had that blessing or heard of it. Let them remember that God has promised He is able to perform. "Is any thing to hard for God?" Shall His word return to Him void, and not accomplish that whereto He sent it? Are his ways no higher than our finite ways? Are His thoughts to be confined to our thinking? Are things impossible to Him because they seem so to us? It is time to "put away childish things," { 1Co 3:11}, and see if we cannot bear a little "strong meat" which "belongeth to them that are of full age." - Heb 5:14.
Thus we think we have shown, that while union with Christ is essential to revival from death, this union is both human and divine; the latter only securing eternal life and immortality; while the former may secure the LIFE-GIVER. Such as have, without fault on their part, not heard Him, and never had the means of knowing Him, and hence have never severed the human union or relationship with Him, are perfectly within the resurrection power of the LIFE-GIVER; who is "Lord both of the dead and living;" and as "the Father raised up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom he will;" { Joh 5:21}; for, "the head of every man is Christ." - 1Co 11:3.
Well might the Apostle say, while contemplating a portion of this subject, "O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!... For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory forever. Amen." - Ro 11:33,36.
Some, in these days, appear to talk as if they knew and had "found out" that God cannot or will not fulfill his promise and oath to Abraham and his seed, to bless all the families of the earth, because so many of them are dead who never had that blessing or heard of it. Let them remember that God has promised He is able to perform. "Is any thing to hard for God?" Shall His word return to Him void, and not accomplish that whereto He sent it? Are his ways no higher than our finite ways? Are His thoughts to be confined to our thinking? Are things impossible to Him because they seem so to us? It is time to "put away childish things," { 1Co 3:11}, and see if we cannot bear a little "strong meat" which "belongeth to them that are of full age." - Heb 5:14.
THE QUESTION ABOUT CHILDREN.
The view we now take settles another "vexed question;" it secures the revival of infants, or all such as have died before personal knowledge of God's love to the world. They are revived by virtue of their union to Christ's humanity, which has never been dissolved; for when Christ returns from heaven He comes as "The Son of man:" ( Mt 25:31; and xvi. 27); "for the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels," etc. He is both the Son of man and the Son of God. As the Son of man he is united with the entire race of Adam, and is the "one" who "died for all," { 2Co 5:14}, because "all were dead:" and those who are not in the dominion of death by a rejection of the LIFE-GIVER, will have the benefit of the union of Christ's humanity, and death cannot hold them till such time as they reject the divine union which is to be preached to "every creature" for their acceptance. All raised by virtue of union with Christ's humanity will be in a probationary state, and to them continued life will be the result of the acceptance of the LIFE-GIVER, personally; and "the second death" will, to them, be the result of the rejection of Him.
THE SHADOW AND THE SUBSTANCE.
The law, given by Moses, was "the shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." - Col 2:17. The law required that a redeemer (Heb. Gouail) should be a kinsman, a man of the same race or family. "One of his brethren may redeem him." - Le 25:48. Christ, therefore, must become a kinsman of the race in order to be a Redeemer. For this end He became "the man, Christ Jesus." "Who gave himself a ransom for all --' the race, "to be testified in due time." - 1Ti 2:5,6. When that ransom is made known, or "testified" to the ransomed, if rejected, death takes its course and holds its victim in its bondage; for, as there is but "one Mediator," so there is but one Redeemer; hence, if the testimony concerning him has come to the knowledge of those for whom the benefit is intended, and they despise or reject it, there remaineth no deliverer for them.
This rejection, however, can only take place after the Redeemer's presentation to them; or, after He has been so presented to them that there can be no excuse for the unbeliever's rejection of Him. Till then, death cannot hold one of the race redeemed; they live again by virtue of the connection with "the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all" men, by the virtue and right of his kinsmanship. But, "If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." - Heb 10:26,27. Till such willful sin of the rejection of the Redeemer, his relationship remains, and life somehow will be secured till the trial of the individual is fairly and fully made. To suppose otherwise, is to suppose that the whole scheme of human redemption is a mockery and deception to the vast majority of those "for whom Christ died."
This rejection, however, can only take place after the Redeemer's presentation to them; or, after He has been so presented to them that there can be no excuse for the unbeliever's rejection of Him. Till then, death cannot hold one of the race redeemed; they live again by virtue of the connection with "the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all" men, by the virtue and right of his kinsmanship. But, "If we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries." - Heb 10:26,27. Till such willful sin of the rejection of the Redeemer, his relationship remains, and life somehow will be secured till the trial of the individual is fairly and fully made. To suppose otherwise, is to suppose that the whole scheme of human redemption is a mockery and deception to the vast majority of those "for whom Christ died."
GOD'S PLEDGE.
God has pledged himself, that "He will destroy... the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations," and "swallow up death in victory." - Isa 25:7,8. And he further said, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD: for as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts: for as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." - Isa 55:8-11.
A "MORTAL RESURRECTION."
The idea of a mortal resurrection for the purpose of inflicting torment (however short a time) and then killing again, is a baseless assumption, having no foundation in the Bible, in justice or reason. The character of such a transaction must ever be looked upon as an arbitrary act of revenge; as unlike God as the act of eternal torment, which justly shocks the reason of all thinking and unprejudiced minds. Neither of those views has any likeness of the God who "so loved the world as to give his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life," No revival into life of an man, once dead, will ever take place except as an act of grace or favor. God has given his "Son power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him." In order to attain this eternal life, "all flesh" must first "know Thee, the only True God, and Jesus Christ," etc. - Joh 17:2,3. In order to obtain such knowledge the "true God and Jesus Christ" must be made known, as proclaimed to "all flesh," or to all Adam's race: and the Father hath given Christ power over all flesh for this very purpose, and none can fail of that life except by a willful rejection of it; which they can never be guilty of doing till the Truth is made know to them.
