that the proof that they shall be required to produce from the Old and New Testament Scriptures shall be in support of the doctrine. So that the amount of direct and positive testimony produced by them in support of the doctrine of the immortality of the soul shall exceed the volume of direct and positive testimony that can be produced in support of the doctrine of the resurrection of the body, just in the proportion that they hold and teach that the one is greater and of more value than the other.

In order, therefore, on our side to make a fair comparison, we will first produce a few, from among the many testimonies from the Old and New Testament Scriptures, in support of the doctrine of the resurrection of the dead, and afterwards look after the evidence in favor of the doctrine of man's natural immortality.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD

AS TAUGHT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

First. Moses taught the resurrection of Christ from the dead, and afterwards, the resurrection of his brethren, as follows; Paul in his letter to the Romans (10:6-7) interpreting the words of Moses in Deuteronomy (chapter 30, verses 11 to 14) says, "The righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above: or, Who shall descend into the deep? that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead)." In this place Moses teaches the resurrection of Christ from the dead, according to Paul's interpretation of his words. Again, Jesus said to the Sadducees in refuting their error, Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Luke 20: 37). Here then are two positive proofs from the writings of Moses, according to Jesus and Paul. Again, Job, being a prophet, said, "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though, after my skin worms shall destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God" (19:25-26).

Also King David was a prophet and taught the resurrection of the dead, as Peter showed on the day of Pentecost, as follows, "David being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; he seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ" (Ps. 16). Here the great doctrine of the resurrection of Christ again from the dead is guaranteed by the oath of the living God.

The prophet Isaiah likewise taught the doctrine, and said, "He will swallow up death in victory" (25:8). Also the prophet Hosea said, "O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction" (13:14). Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15, interprets and applies these two important oracles and says, after showing how the dead are raised up, and with what body they come (verse 54), "So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written in Isaiah, Death is swallowed up in victory, (and in Hosea) O death where is thy sting? O grave, where is

thy victory?" Daniel also says, "Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt" (12:2).

AS TAUGHT AND ILLUSTRATED BY JESUS CHRIST

In the New Testament Scriptures, we learn that God sent his son into the world to save the world, and what did he say about this matter? Note a few of his sayings in the Gospel of John on this question; "I am the resurrection, and the life" (11:25). "As the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will" (5:21). "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live" (5:25). "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and they shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (5: 28-29).

Again, after teaching the great doctrine of the resurrection of the dead in all its excellence, he furnished a practical illustration of the doctrine in his own individual person, for as Paul said to the Corinthians (15:3-6), "He died according to the Scriptures,― was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures; And was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once." Now when Christ had been raised from the dead, as Paul says (Rom. 6:4), "by the glory of the Father," he appeared again among his disciples, and to disabuse their minds from all superstitious notions about himself, he told them to handle him, to see his hands and feet, and to know that he had flesh and bones, and was a tangible, material man. He is a sample of resurrected men, and is therefore called the first fruits of them that slept, and as the first fruits are, so will the harvest be.

AS TAUGHT BY THE APOSTLES AND PAUL

Again to render this matter more certain, and the doctrine incontrovertible, twelve men were selected, who journeyed with him all the days of his ministry, who saw and conversed with him concerning the kingdom of God for a period of forty days after his resurrection from the dead; and after Jesus had ascended visibly from their presence into heaven, from the Mount of Olives, they tarried at Jerusalem, as they were commanded to do, waiting for the promise of the Father, as Jesus had said to them. And while there waiting as their numbers had been reduced to eleven by the fall of Judas -to fill up their ranks again, Peter stood up, and after rehearsing the facts in the case, said, "Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning with the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection" (Acts 1). Too much importance cannot be attached to this fact, that twelve credible men were selected by Christ the Lord to journey with himself all the days of his eventful ministry, beginning with the baptism of John, until his work was finished and he was taken up into heaven, for the express purpose of being per

sonal witnesses of his resurrection from the dead, first to Israel, and afterwards to all nations. And the bold and forcible manner that the apostles bore witness to this fact, may be seen by referring to a number of instances during their ministry.

On the day of Pentecost, after Peter showed how the prophets testified of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, he adds emphatically, “This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses." Again he said to his murderers boldly, "Ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses." Again to the chief priests, they said, "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole." And when they had further threatened them, and commanded them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus, they replied, "We cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard" (Acts 4). Again it is said, And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead" (Acts 4: 1-2). On another occasion, the priests and the Sadducees rose up, and were filled with indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, "Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life - life by resurrection from the dead.

Again, when they obeyed the voice of the angel and began to preach in the Temple," then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the counsel: and the high priest asked them, saying, Did not we straitly command you, that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Spirit, whom God hath given to them that obey him" (Acts 5: 26-32). And it is said in another place, "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all" (4:33).

To Peter were given the keys of the kingdom of God to unlock first the door of salvation to the Jews, as he did on the day of Pentecost, and afterwards to the Gentiles, as he did when he was sent of God to the house of Cornelius the Centurion and to those who had been called to his house to hear what Peter was sent of God to say to them. Then Peter said to them, touching the resurrection of Christ, "We are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree: him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; not to all

the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead (10:39-41).

Afterwards Jesus appeared in person to Paul on his way to Damascus, and when Paul was instructed, he repented and was converted, and joined himself to the other apostles, and preached the things which he destroyed, and was constituted the chief apostle to the Gentiles. And what did he say after that regarding the doctrine of the resurrection from the dead? In his speech at Antioch he said to the Jews in the synagogue, "Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from the dead: and he was seen many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus again; as it is also written in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. Wherefore he saith in another Psalm, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption " (Acts 13:26-35).

Again when Paul came to Thessalonica, "He went into the synagogue as his manner was, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, opening and alleging that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus whom I preach unto you, is Christ" (17:2-3). Again, when he stood on Mars Hill at Athens, he declared to the idolatrous and superstitious Athenians that God had “appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead" (17:31). On another occasion when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council," Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question" (23:6). Afterwards, in his defence before Felix he said, "This I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets; and have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust" (24: 14-15). In his noble defence of himself and his cause before King Agrippa he said, "Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come: that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, and should shew light to the people, and to the Gentiles" (26: 22-23).

AS WITNESSED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT

But there is another witness to the resurrection of Christ from the dead besides Moses and the prophets, and afterwards the apostles who were eye witnesses of the fact. The last commission which Jesus Christ gave to his apostles before he ascended into heaven is couched in these words, according to Mark in the last chapter of his gospel, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe: In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen."

Now let it be carefully noted here that these signs, wonders and miracles were to be performed in and through the name of a person who had been put to death, buried, and who was raised again from the dead to die no more; and therefore every miracle that was afterwards wrought by the hands of the apostles was a proof from God of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and a further guarantee of the resurrection of the dead at the last day. And let it not be supposed that this was a matter of small importance, or that it did not attract much attention in those days, for hearken to what Luke says in the fifth chapter of Acts, verse 14, and onward, " And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women, insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and on couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one." And one notable case of healing which angered the chief priests and scribes, but filled them with consternation, was in the case of a certain man who was lame from his birth, who was carried and laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, and who sought alms of the apostles as they were about to go into the temple. "And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I to thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God" (Acts 3). This created great excitement and afforded a good opportunity for Peter to speak to the people, which he did with great effect, as it is said in the fourth chapter of Acts, "And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: