was the more prevailing opinion, in which Paul e
took occasion to express his concurrence with t lie I'har-
I tS wiv. l.i i.
But although the doctrine of the resurrection was thus prevalent among the .lews in the time of Christ, ii might si ill have been doubtful and obscure to US bad not Christ given to it the sanction of his authority, and de- clared it, a constituent pan of his religion (e. g. Matt. xxii: John v. viii, xi). He and his apostles also were can lul to correct the erroneous notions which the Jews entertained on this head, and to make the subject more j obvious and intelligible than it had ever been before. A special interest is also imparted to the subject from the manner in which the New Test, represents Christ as the person to whom we are indebted for this benefit, which, by every variety of argument and illustration, the apostles connect with him, and make to rest upon him (Acts iv, 2; xxvi, 3; 1 Cor. xv; 1 Thess. iv, 14, etc.).
II. Scripture Details. — The principal points which can be collected from the New Test, on this subject are the following: 1. The raising of the dead is everywhere ascribed to Christ, and is represented as the las; work to be undertaken by him for the salvation of man (John v. 21 ; xi. 25; 1 Cor. xv. 22 sq.; 1 Thess. iv. 15; Rev. i. 18 '. 2. All the dead will be raised, without respect to age, rank, or character in ibis world (John v. 28, 29; Acts xxiv, 15; 1 Cor. xv, 22). 8. This event is to take place not before the end of the world, or the general judgment (John v. 21; vi. 39, 40; xi, 24; 1 Cor. xv, '22-28; 1 Thess. vv,Ab\ Rev. xx. 11 ). I. The manner in which this marvellous change shall be accomplished i- necessarily beyond our present comprehension, and therefore the Scripture is content to illustrate it by fig- urative representations, or by proving the possibility and intelligibility of the leading facts. Some of the figura- tive descriptions occur in Matt, xxiv: John v; 1 Cor. xv. 52; 1 Thess. iv, 16; Phil. iii. 21. The image of a trumpet-call, which is repeated in some of the-.' texts, is derived from the Jewish custom of convening assem- blies by sound of trumpet. .r>. The possibility of a res- urrection is powerfully argued by Paul in 1 Cor. xv, 32 sij.. by comparing ii with events of common occurrence in the natural world. (See also ver. 12-1 1 : and comp. Acts iv, J.i Kitto. 6. The numerous instances of an actual raising of individuals to Life by our Lord and his apostles, nol to speak of a few similar acts by the Old- Test, prophets, and especially the crowning fact of our Lord's resurrection from the grave, afford some light on these particulars. (See below.) 7. The fact of the genera] judgment (q. v.) is conclusive as to t he literal truth of t his great doctrine.
But although this body shall be SO raised as to pre- serve its identify, it must yet undergo certain purifying changes to iii it for the kingdom of heaven, and to "ren- der it capable of immortality (1 Cor. \\. 35 Bq. I, BO that it shall become a glorified body like that of Christ (ver. 49; Rom. vi,9; Phil. iii, 21); and the bodies of those whom the las) day finds alive will undergo a similar change without tasting death (1 Cor.xv, 51, 53; 2 Cor. .. I : I ThesB. iv. 15 Bq.; Phil. iii. 21 |.
III. Theories on tfu Subject. Whether the soul, be- tween the death and the resurrection of the present body, exi-ts independent of any envelope, we know not.
Though it may be that a union of spirit with body is lb.' general law of all created spiritual lit.-, still this
view gives no countenance to the notions of those who have attempted to prove, from certain physiological
opinions respecting the renewal — every few years — of the human frame during life, and the final transmission of its decomposed elements into other forms of being, that the resurrection of the body is impossible. The apostle a-en< the fact that the "dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed; for this cor- ruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality" (1 Cor. xv. :;.'. 53). While this passage affirms tin- identity of the body before and after the resurrection, it by no means affirms the identity of the constituent particles of which the body is. at differ- ent periods. Bupposed to be made up. The particles of a man's body may change several times bet ween infancy and old age; and yet. according to our ideas of bodily identity, the man has bad all the time "the same body." So also all the particles may be changed again between the process of death and the resurrection, and the body
yet retain its identity (see the Bibliotkeca Sur/ii. ii. 613 sq.). Doubtless the future body will be incorrupti- ble, infrangible, and capable of being moved at will to any part of the universe. The highest and most length- ened exercises of thought and feeding will doubtless not occasion exhaustion or languor so as to divert in any way the intellect and the affections from the engage- ment- suited to their strength and perfection (see the Brit, awl For. Evang. tt< v. April. 1862 I. But that there is no analogy— that the new body will have no connec- tion with, ami no relation to, the old; and that, in fact, the resurrection of the body is not a doctrine of Script- ure— does not appear to us to hav.e been satisfactorily proved by the latest writer on the subject (Bush, Anas- tasis, N. Y. 1845); and we think so highly of his inge- nuity and talent as to believe that no one else is likely to succeed in an argument in which lie has tailed.