The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 321

OUR DEATH

281

embalming never could restore life unto their dead, so can these soul-mummies with all their Egyptian arts never kindle one spark of life in their dead souls. A dead soul is not annihilated, but continues to exist, and by their

divme grace can be reanimated to a new life. It continues to exist even more powerfully than the body. The latter is divisible, but the soul IS not. Being a unit it can not be divided. Hence soul death is not followed by soul-dissolution. It is the poisonous working of the soul-elements after death that causes a terrible strain creatmg the indivisible soul a vehement

m

desire for dissolution-

and confusion of elements that cry for harmony and peace' violent excitement kindling unholy f^res; but there is no dissolution friction

Therefore the soul annihilated.

is

called immortal,

i.e., it

can not be divided nor

becomes a corpse insusceptible of dissolution which the poisonous gases will continue their pestilential work It

hell forever.

in

in

But the soul is also susceptible of new quickening and animadead in trespasses and sin, severed from the life-principle its organism motionless, incapable, and unprofitable, corrupt and untion;

done, but-still a

human

soul.

And

God,

who

is

merciful and

gracious, can reestablish the broken bond. The interrupted communion with the Holy Spirit can be restored, like the broken fellowship of body and soul.

And

We

this

quickening of the dead soul

is

regeneration.

close this section with one

more remark: The breaking of not always sudden. Death from paralysis is almost instantaneous, from consumption slow. When Adam had sinned, death came at once but so far as the body was concerned, its complete severing from the soul required more than nme hundred years. But the soul died at once, died suddenly the bond with the Holy Spirit was severed, and only its raveling threads remain active in the feelings the

bond which causes death

is

;

•

of s/iame.

When we say that than in another,

soul-death

may be

we do not mean

to

less pronounced in one case imply that while the one is

dead the other is only dying. Nay, both are dead, the soul of each a corpse but the one is embalmed as a mummy, and the other is

is

;

in the process of dissolution; or, the conflicting, poisonous, destructive workings in the soul of the one have just

while

m

and

commenced

the other they were stimulated and developed by educa-

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