26
~ under consideration. He says, “So is the resur-
rection of the dead. It is sown in corruption ; it
is raised in incorruption. It is sown in weakness ;
it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body ;
it is raised a spiritual body.” (vs. 42-44.) Here
the pronoun “ I,” as used in these three cases,
places the identity of the person before and after
the resurrection, beyond dispute. The “it” that
died is the same it’ that rises,—with the excep-
tion of the glorious change named, from corruption
to incorruption, from weakness to power, and. from
a natural to a spiritual body. ‘And, whatever ideas
may be entertained about the “spiritual body,” 1t
should be remembered, that it will be like Christ’s
glorious body, and that, he said, had “flesh and
bones ;” hence, the spirituality of the resurrected
body or person will not destroy its reality or identity
with the body or person in the mortal state.
Farther proof we deem unnecessary at this time,
though a very great amount more might be given :
it is found on many pages of the Sacred Volume.
Read it with care ; and believe and rejoice in the
blessed assurance that the time is not far distant,
when the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
in all his glory, and the dead in Christ will be raised
first, or awake to everlasting life and glory, and
with the living who will be changed in a moment,
be caught up to meet their descending Lord. Be-
lieve that it will be a reality, not a phantom, but
what it says it will be, and live according to your
faith, and when the glad day shall come, with the
victorious and immortal throng you will sing the
song of triumph— :
© 0 Death! where is thy sting?
O Grave! where is thy victory?”
CHANGE OF THE LIVING SAINTS.
The living righteous will be changed from mor-
tal to immortal beings.
«Behold I show you a mystery : We shall not
all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment,
in the twinkling of an eye, atthe last trump: for
the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Cor:
xv. 51, 52.
« Shall not all sleep.” ‘Though, at the time
when Christ will come, the great mass of the church
will be turned away from the truth unto fables, and
notwithstanding there will be comparatively no
genuine faith on the earth, nevertheless there will
be sometrue children of God living at the time; for
“we shall not all” die. But : ]
“ We shall all be changed.” The few who will
bo favored with the privilege. of living until the
coming of Christ, though they will not die, yet they
will undergo a change tantamount to death and res-
urrection. All pertaining to them that is mortal,
corruptible, weak, dishonorable or imperfect, will be.
changed for glory, honor and immortality. This
exchange will be necessary, to fit them for the so-
ciety of immortal beings, inthe everlasting kingdom
of God; for «flesh and blood,” i. e., men and wo-
men in their natural state, cannot inherit the King-
dom of God.” They must be changed before they
can be admitted into the Kingdom. This change
will take place