CHAPTER XVI. THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL, THE MORAL LAW, AND NECESSARY LIMITS TO THE EXERCISE OF BELIEVING PRAYER. PEAKING of the Jewish expectation of the Mes siah, and of a strong desire entertained in connection therewith for "a revolution which should shake the world to its very foundation," as "being necessary in order to satisfy the enormous thirst for vengeance excited in the Jewish nation by the sense of its superiority, and by the sight of its humiliation," Renan says: "If Israel had possessed the spiritualistic doctrine which divides man into two parts the body and the soul—and finds it quite natural that while the body decays, the soul should survive, this paroxysm of rage and energetic protestation would have. had no existence. But such a doctrine, proceeding from the Grecian philosophy, was not in the traditions of the Jewish mind."1 And on the next page but one, he adds: "The resurrection is an idea totally different from that of the immortality of the soul. The Sadducee, who did not believe in it, was, in reality, faithful to the old Jewish doctrine; it was the Pharisee, the believer in the resurrection, who was the innovator." Now, allow me to say that M. Renan's sources of information on this point must have been unreliable; for these statements are not true-no more 1 Page 66. true, indeed, than are the two contradictory statements which he makes in different parts of his work relative to who were the "true Jews." On page 242, in speaking of the Sadducees, he says: "It was these unbelievers who, denying the resurrection, were the true Jews." And on page 231 he flatly contradicts himself by saying: "Now, the Pharisees were the true Jews—the nerve and sinew of Judaism." The reader will observe that we merely expose such of the flagrant inconsistencies and contradictions of M. Renan's work as are directly connected with the discussion of such points as we have deemed sufficiently important to notice. And, perhaps, we should have passed even these silently over, had not M. Renan been pleased to publish to the world the gratuitous assertion, that, in his judgment—that is to say, according to the dusky light in which he is enabled to view them-" the Gospels contain contradictions." But to return to the consideration of the soul's immortality and the resurrection, we would remark, with all due deference to the learned gentleman who has entertained a contrary opinion, that by the entire body of the Jewish nation, the Sadducees excepted, these doctrines were received as leading articles of their religion. If they neither believed in the resurrection nor in the immortality of the soul, if they were not taught these doctrines by the Jewish writings and traditions, whence came the account given in the Bible of the appearance to Saul of the spirit of Samuel? And whence originated the ground for the Apostle's declaration : "Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself. . . . But 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 ? ” 1 Whence, moreover, among many others of similar doctrinal import, came such passages as the following: 2 "There is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth it understanding. For what is the hope of the hypocrite, though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul? If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? So man lieth down and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep. For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand in the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: Whom I shall see for myself, and 4 mine eyes shall behold." Psalms:- "But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency. If I say, I will speak thus; behold, I should offend against the generation of thy children. When I thought to know this, it was too painful for me; until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. The ungodly shall not stand in the judgment." The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. I 1 Acts xxiv. 10-14. 2 Job xxxii. 8. had rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness. For the Lord God is a sun and shield the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.1 As for me I will behold Thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.2 Thou wilt shew me the path of life in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.3 The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him for He seeth that his day is coming. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of that man is peace. Precious in the sight of God is the death of His saints." Into Thine hand I commit my spirit: Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth." Whom have I in heaven but Thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee. Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterwards receive me to glory. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever." Proverbs:"The wicked is driven away in his wickedness; but the righteous hath hope in his death.8 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He pondereth all his goings.9 How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Turn you at My reproof. Because I have called, and ye refused; but ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.10 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth 1 Psalm lxxxiv. 10, II. 2 xvii. 15. 3 xvi. II. 4 xxxvii. 12, 13, 37. 5 cxvi. 15. 6 xxxi. 5. 7 lxxiii. 24-26. 8 Prov. xiv. 32. 9 v. 21. 10 i. 22-27. 1 Fear God, and keep not He that pondereth the heart consider it? and He that keepeth thy soul, doth not He know it? and shall not He render to every man according to his works?" Ecclesiastes::"There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the spirit. Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and his day be prolonged, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God. Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Then shall the dust return to earth as it was; and the spirit shall return unto God Who gave it. His commandments: for God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil."4 Isaiah :-"Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but My salvation shall be for ever. The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?" Jeremiah:-"I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." Ezekiel :-" Why will ye die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith i Prov. xxiv. 12. 5 Isa. lv. 6. 6 5 |