Wesleyan Sunday School Anniversary.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4291, 2 October 1882, Page 2

Wesleyan Sunday School Anniversary.

; The anniversary services in connection with the Grahamstown JVejleyaa Sunday School wereheld yesterday. The Her. C. E. Barley preached in the morning, and the BeT. H. Bull in- the afternoon and evening. At the services the scholars were presdOti ;Bn3 §SMg isJtectionrJfirpm* thiir hymn book. The collections amounted to £14 10s. In the evening Mr BiiH^tboTcr for his subject " The state of the soul after death," and-his" text' was Luke 20c. 38v., '* For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living, for all'lire unto hinv" The preacher said that these words were ottered in adiscussion with the Saddocees, who did not believe in the existence of spirit or the immortalityof the soul. Christ showed that all lived unto God, aod,they err.cd not [knowing vtW (Setiptatekli The Sadducees were put to silence, and the Scribes were constrained to say, "Master, ' thqu hast well said." I D exposition and. argument based on Moses' books; in which they professed belief, Christ utterly con' futed them, and showed that no one ceased to exist at death—all were alive to God. In several places the* words consume, blot out, devour, &c.*pccur,W;ith reference to the impenitent sinner, ariS these by the annihUatJoniats were, pressed into meaning, • nothingness.' 8 tbey'said, " How 64h a i man be consumed and yet consciously live." la the Psalms we reed,''" Mine eyes were consumed," again Christians [■were exhorted not to derour one another, -and we rpsL&gi de.vpuring^wjdow.s' houses. | } To rtheßfe clearly such an interpretation as nothingness would not apply. J»Tert, the Bible did not contain such phrases as 'f immortal sou!," «tc. Because man's eternal,destiny is not thus expressed, it is denied' he has 'an' Immortal soul at all. Just as ; well deny that Jesus^ia divine because the terßV* 1 deity oif Christ "is not found. That there, are two^statesjs cjear: there isihehtionou the One-haniii^of GM's people, eferlasting liferrlife. which fadeth not away—and on tßed'ther eternal suffering, unforgiyen sip, &c.; the matter did not depend on more inference. Scripture clearly affirms that;therjß ? is^^isjato, between death and the resurrection for the wicked and Just, and the rlfe^w^Testa* ment is on man's- coniciousnesi after death. In Paul's, ecstacy he was caught up to the third heaVen; thus it was possible to be lifted up from the body. On.ibis'lDfeWri^Alford said, "If in the Body, the idea would be that he (Paul) was taken up bodily; if out of the body, to which the alternative manifestly inclines, that his spirit,- was rapt from the body: and J taken lip disembodied." Paul said to die is gain, but to pass into a state of unconscious would not t)e gaini He wished to depart and be with Christ V the personal, J wouldl b©^■.. wi|l i v^the Lord whilst his body was in the tomb. They

had the same teaching by Jesus Christ on the Cross. "Today," he said, " thou shalt be with me in paradise." But in opposition io both Catholics and Protettants, their opponents make out that Christ was quibbling, and would have him speak. "I say to day," (not yesterday or to-morrow). Dean Alford says this rendering destroys the force of our Lord's promise and violates the sense of the text, Christ's body did not go to heaven, but his spirit did, for he said, •■Touch me not for I have not yet ascended, &c." And on the Cross he said, " Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." In the Hebrews there isNnention of four distinct parties in heaven—the spirits of just men, the Lord, Jesus, and angels. Paul said : "We shall.not all sleep " —that is, in a spiritual state, apart from the "bbHy. Stephen repeated the words of the Saviour, "Into thy band I commend my spirit." The righteous depart at death to be with Christ and behold his glory; also, likely id take part in God's work, as Moses and Elijah on the Mount. The immediate suffering of all who die in sin is also taught. Judas went to r his own place, Ghenna and Dives, to tornient. Peter spoke of the unjust being punished, being reserved to the day of judgment, that is =they have passed into the outer darkness. He would ask why should the wicked be raised:only to vbe"'blotted out? In God's word we are told we are to receive the things done in the body. What was the teaching of the advocates ot conditional immortality with regard to little children. One of them thn Eev. Edward White teaches, their deliverence depends on incarnation through regeneration. But if something were wrought in the child whether it would nor not, then it was not unconditional immortality :and if it depended on acceptation by them of grace which they did not realise there were thousands annihilated. Tendencies of the doctrine, MrJßull argued, ■•wetreVto "^Rationalism: ; (sb-caUed), to Materialism, and to promote crime; and .he concluded by urging his hearers "not to be deceived ; God is not mocked ; for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he ■■•«180f Ere*p; Mrßnd rby rMM'tfvitatid^f6iiedept the salvation for time and eternity offered now by Christ.