ing? Admit for a moment, that such an unworthy party of men does exist as the real fact developed by the Savior, and then let us enquire what it is which they can not attain. The language is, "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead." Our Savior here refers to the attainment of the resurrection from death, and the world or age which is entered by passing through the resurrection. This is the plain fact unfolded in his words. Consequently, if our Savior referred to an unworthy party, that party could not enter the future world, because they could not attain the resurrection. And if they had no resurrection, of course, they would be annihilated. This fact precludes the idea of their suffering in the future world; for the resurrection is necessary to usher a soul into misery in that world; as, without a resurrection, no person can reach that state to be either happy or miserable. The annihilation of the unworthy party, then, is the result of the interpretation which we are considering.This is the only legitimate conclusion which can be drawn from the position, that our Savior referred to two distinct parties of men. That our

Savior did not designate two classes, is evident from the fact, that to so interpret his language as to make it involve the annihilation of any portion of the race, is to contradict the doctrine of the passage taken as a whole, and the doctrine taught by the apostles, viz., the resurrection of every individual of the human family. This will appear as the subject gradually unfolds itself.

Observe one important point, which has a direct bearing upon the present examination. The other evangelists, in recording the answer of our Lord to the Sadducees, use no language which

would lead any one to suppose that two parties of men were designated. Look at the answer, as recorded by Matthew! "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God; for in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven." Mat. 22: 29, 30. Examine particularly the parallel passage in Mark! "Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven." Mark 12: 24, 25. Now in these passages, no one pretends to find language which shows that there is a class of men whom God will not consider worthy to attain the resurrection and the world into which it ushers the soul. And were it not for the sentence in Luke, it could not be supposed that our Savior taught such a notion. Yet if the interpretation, given to the language of our Lord as recorded by Luke, is true, involving, as it does, the annihilation of a portion of the race, would the other evangelists have omitted this important fact? Surely not. Their silence on the point, shows that the sentence in Luke, "they which shall be accounted worthy," means no more than the sentence in Matthew, "for in the resurrection," or the sentence in Mark, "for when they shall rise from the dead." And as Matthew and Mark did not refer to two classes of men, it follows, at least as a strong and clear presumption, that the language used by Luke, will not bear such a reference. And the presumption becomes demonstrative testimony, when we bring the declaration of Paul into the account, that "there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and un

just." Acts 24: 15. If we declare that our Savior affirmed of a class of unjust men, that they should not attain the resurrection, we make him and Paul contradict each other; for Paul affirms that they shall be raised, not indeed in the character of unjust men, but like unto the angels.

The idea that there is a class of men who will not attain the resurrection, is disproved by the fact, that our Savior taught, in the text itself, the resurrection of all men. If this position be denied, our Savior is placed partly in the error of which he convicted the Sadducees. They did not believe in the resurrection of any person. Now if our Savior taught that there were many who would not rise from the dead, then he should have told them that they were partly right in their views, and that he differed from them only in believing that a portion of the race would attain the resurrection. That he did not so teach them, is proof that he did not so believe. On the contrary, he refuted their error as a whole.Hence he said, "Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto him." The simple truth here stated is, that the Creator is not the God of dead men but of living men, and he is the God of living men, because, by the resurrection, "all live unto him."

The same truth is taught in another portion of the text, in clear and explicit terms. He shows that the dead are raised. Now, an examination of the fifteenth chapter of first Corinthians, shows that the phrase, "the dead," signifies all men, because all must die. Of these our Savior said,

"Neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.". The dead then, being raised, can not die any more; and, therefore, the annihilation of any person is impossible. It is only on this ground, that those passages of Scripture which refer to this subject, can be truly explained. Isaiah declares that God "will swallow up death in victory." Isa. 25 8. John declares that "there shall be no more death." Rev. 22: 3. Paul declares that "death, the last enemy, shall be destroyed." 1 Cor. 15: 26. And when this sublime work shall be effected, then the challenge may be truly uttered, "O Death! where is thy sting? O Grave! where is thy victory?" 1 Cor. 15: 55. Now, in view of these facts, how can the thought be entertained, that our Savior taught that there is a class of men who will not attain the resurrection? It certainly can not be entertained for a moment. What then, is the simple meaning embraced in the sentence, "But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead?" A few words will develope that meaning.

The Sadducees did not believe in any resurrection. It is, of course, to be rationally inferred, that they did not believe any person worthy to obtain a resurrection; or, in other words, they did not believe that men were of sufficient im. portance to be raised. In opposition to this idea, and not to show that there were two classes, one of whom were to obtain and the other not to obtain the resurrection, our Savior assumes the fact, that God, in his grace, did account men worthy to be raised; and then says, that in the resurrection, they neither marry nor are given

in marriage. As though he had said to the Sadducees, "You believe that men are not worthy to be raised, but God accounts them worthy; and, therefore, those thus accounted worthy, shall live, not as they live here, but as the angels.' And that, by those thus accounted worthy, our Savior referred to all men, is clearly evident from the fact, that he showed the resurrection of "the dead," of all men; "for all live unto" God; and so live, that they can not die any more.

We are now prepared to sum up the teachings of this important passage. 1. Our Savior shows that the immortal world is not subject to the social arrangements of marriage, which exist on earth. 2. He shows that the dead shall have a resurrection. 3. He shows that, having partaken of the resurrection, its subjects can not die any more, and therefore the notion of annihilation is unfounded. 4. He shows that the subjects of the resurrection shall be equal to, or shall become like unto, the angels of God, and, therefore, can not be endless sinners and endless sufferers. These conclusions seem to me to be fair and clear deductions from the language of our Savior, and, as such, are irresistible in establishing the doctrine which they involve. All men will rise from the dead. This position can not be denied by any believer in the Bible. These men, embracing all the race, must become as the angels of God in heaven. No one doubts that the angels of God in heaven are holy and happy. What then is the result? Put the facts together and see. All men will rise from the dead-all risen souls will become as the angels-the angels are holy and happy-therefore all men must be holy and happy. Can you doubt this conclusion?