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THE KING’S BUSINESS Not Unclothed, but Clothed Upon SILAS HENN T> ED EM PT ION is n o t com p let- e d until th e resu rre c tio n ; th e
"th e resurrection. T h ey a re causing it to b e e steem ed less highly. T h ey a re placing it in th e b a ck g ro u n d w h e re a s C hrist a n d P au l k e p t it up in th e front. Now , if th e saints’ g lori fication an d h app in ess is com p le ted on th e d e a th of th e b o d y— if th e ir en jo ym en t is as p e rfe c t an d as full a t th e d e p a rtu re of th e ir spirits as it is rep re sen ted to be, m en w ho a c c ep t this th e o ry will n o t see m uch n eed fo r th e resurrection. A n d from th e fact th a t m inisters se ldom p re a ch on th e resurrection, it is n o t a n u n fair inference to conclude th a t th ey them selves c a n n o t re g a rd it as of m uch im po rtan ce. W e m ay listen to p re a ch in g in som e chapels fo r a w ho le y e a r tog e th e r, a n d n o t h e a r a serm on on th e first resurrection, o r th e resu rrection o f th e sain ts in conn e c tion w ith th e L o rd ’s second com ing. A n d this g ra n d sub ject, which w as a fruitful source o f hop e an d jo y to th e e a rly Christians, has long fallen in to neglect. D r. A . C larke, in his no tes on 1 Cor. 15 :32 , says, “T h e d o c trin e o f th e re su rre c tio n ap p e a rs to h a v e b e e n th o u g h t o f m uch m o re consequence am ong th e p rim itive C hristian s th a n it is now. T h e re is n o t a d o c trin e in th e G o spel on w hich m o re stress is la id ; a n d th e re is n o t a d o c trin e in th e p re se n t system o f-p reach ing which is tre a te d w ith m o re n eg le c t.” (From “ T he R esurrection of the D ead in Christ,’*by S. H enn.) “H is Son Jesu s C h rist o u r L ord, w hich w as m ade of th e seed of D avid a c c o rd in g to th e flesh; a n d d eclared to be th e Son of God w ith pow er, a c c o rd in g to th e spirit of holiness, by th e re su rrec tio n from th e deads W ho Was d e liv e re d fo r o u r offenses, a n d w as raised a g ain fo r o u r justification. F o r if th e dead rise n o t th en is n ot C hrist raised: an d if C h rist be n o t raised y o u r faith is v a in ; ye a re y e t in y o u r sins. But now is C h rist risen from th e dead, a n d becom e th e firstfru its’ of them th a t slept. W h erefo re com fort one a n o th e r w ith these words.**— H oly S crip tu re.
crow n ing o f th e sain ts d o e s n o t ta k e p lace until th e resu rre c tio n ; th e co v en an t m a d e w ith A b rah am , a n d ratified b y th e d e a th o f Christ, will n o t b e verified until th e re su rre c tion ; th e k in g d om w ill n o t b e estab lished a n d th e re will b e no righ teou s g o v e rnm en t in th e w o rld until w e g e t on th e o th e r side o f th e resurrection. T h o se w ho a re p re a ch in g th e p e r fected h app in ess o f th e saints a t d e a th , a re p re a ch in g an un scrip tu ral doctrine. T h a t th e saints, o r th e spirits of th e saints, w ill b e h a p p y on leav ing th e b o d y— consciously h a p p y all th e w ay along b e tw e en d e a th an d th e resu rrection— w e do n o t d o u b t; b u t in th e u n c lo th ed state, th e ir h a p piness c a n n o t b e p erfect. T h e u n clo th ed state, w h en th e e a rth ly house o f th e ir tab e rn a c le, o r b o d ily fram e, is d issolved, is n o t th e sta te th e A p o stle Pau l d e s ire d ; h e desired th e resu rrection b o d y w hich will b e from G od , which w ill h a v e a h e a v enly origin, a n d which will b e e te r nal, n ev e r sub je c t to dissolution. T h is will b e th e p e rfe c ted state. P au l knew th a t it cou ld on ly b e b y re su rrection o r tran sla tion , b y h a v ing w h a t is m o rta l sw allow ed up of life, b y b e ing c row n ed a n d glorified a t th e com ing o f Christ, th a t his happ iness cou ld b e full, o r perfect, o r com plete. Oh, how o ften a re p reciou s p rom ises to rn from th e ir connection, a n d q u o ted w ithou t re f erence to w h e re th e y belong, o r to w hom th e y belong . P rom ises b e longing. to th e re su rrection sta te a re a p p lied to th e in te rm e d ia te state, th e un clo th ed state, th e sta te bew een d e a th an d th e resurrection. A n d no t on ly a re such p re a ch e rs p reach ing co n tra ry to th e W o rd , b u t th e y are d raw ing aw ay th e a tte n tio n • o f th e C hu rch from th e g re a t d o c trin e o f
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