Page:Anastasis A Treatise on the Judgment of the Dead.pdf/29

 30 "bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus"; in order that "the life of Jesus might be made manifest in their mortal flesh" (2 Cor. iv. 10–11). The phrase, "the life of Jesus," is expressive of his moral example, or conduct, and the life-power of his resurrection. Paul's teaching requires that both these be manifested in our mortal flesh. The Deity has predestined that all saints who would attain to eternal life, be "conformed to the image of His Son"; both to his moral and material image. But the moral conformity must precede the corporeal. We are buried with him by baptism into death, that we should walk in newness of life—the life of Jesus—and by virtue of this come to be planted in the likeness of his resurrection (Rom. vi. 4–5: viii. 29; Phil. iii. 10). But where is the "mortal flesh" of the saints of past generations, in which the resurrection-life of Jesus maybe manifested? There is no flesh pertaining to them in existence. There is nothing of them remains, but their characters recorded in the divine register, and a little dust. Is it not evident, then, that "mortal flesh" must be created, and pre-resurrectional consciousness flashed upon it, that the saints of Rome and Corinth may experience the life of Jesus in their mortal flesh?

Again, Paul teaches, in 2 Cor. v. 4, saying, "We would not be unclothed," or reduced to dust; "but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life." The thing to be "clothed upon" is, the mortal, which is another word for mortal flesh, or mortal body, or body of death. This is the thing to be "clothed upon with the house from heaven," or, in other words, "incorruptibility and life." But where is the mortal thing to be swallowed up? The dust of sheol is not mortal, being devoid of any kind of life. The dust is incorruptible and would continue as it is, and as it has been for thousands of years, without change indefinitely. It is not the incorruptible that is to be swallowed up of life, but the mortal. It is evident, then, that the thing which comes forth from the grave must be mortal flesh, or body; and that it is this which is to be "clothed upon," or to "put on incorruptibility and life," in being quickened after judgment.

From these premisses, it may be seen whether "mortal resurrection is taught, directly or indirectly, in the Scriptures," or not. I have shown that it is; and furthermore affirm that it is in perfect harmony with all Paul's teaching as exhibited in all his writings that have come down to us. I proceed now to remark, that the second proposition of our opponents is as foundationless as their first. They say that the "righteous are not to be brought to judgment." By this they mean that the elect are not to stand at the bar of Christ's tribunal, and there to tell the story of their lives, as developed