March 11

Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Corinthians 15:57.

THERE is something very interesting, very poetic, in this chapter, arising partly from the principle of association. For where is the person who has not in the mansions of the dead, and when attending the funeral solemnities of some near neighbour, or esteemed friend, or bereaved relation, heard the words, “Now is Christ risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive”? And who can ever forget them? The most peculiar, and indescribable, and melancholy of all sounds, even in this vale of tears, is that made when the earth falls upon the little tenement of clay, and is followed with the declaration, “Earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust.”

The interest of this chapter arises partly also from the nature of the subject of which it treats-a subject the most important-a subject in which we are all personally and deeply concerned-the resurrection of the dead. All will rise! “All that are in the graves shall hear his voice and come forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.” But to the wicked it can hardly be considered an advantage to rise from a bad state, conscious that they will go to a worse; and therefore, because the wicked derive no benefit from the resurrection, the apostle does not consider it in reference to them at all; he views it only in connection with those who “sleep in Jesus,” and that not as a mere event, but as an inestimable privilege, arising from their union with him, and evidenced and pledged by his own resurrection from the dead. “Every man in his own order, Christ the first-fruits, afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.” “For if we believe,” says the apostle, “that Jesus died, and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.” How sublime are the words immediately preceding our motto! “Now, this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.” “Behold, I show you a mystery.”

Now, this mystery regards all the men that shall be living when he shall come. What is to become of these? They die not, and therefore they cannot be raised from the dead. But the apostle says” they experience a change which is equivalent to dying,- such a change as was experienced by Enoch and Elijah. “We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”