our life. But we can not linger here. As we pass down through death's valley, eternity's scenes loom up before us. The curtain is now lifted, and we take a look into the unseen world. As I grasp my pen, solemn thoughts flash through my mind. Thank God for the unerring guide of truth, a lamp to our feet, a light to our pathway. But what is death?

DEATH A SEPARATION.

"And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing (for she died), that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin." Gen. 35:18. "But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee." Luke 12:20. How plain the declarations from Heaven's truth. Death is simply the separation of soul and body. The soul departs when the body dies.

But let us glance briefly at this last text again. This man had spent all his time and talents in accumulating wealth. Probably without one thought of God or eternity intruding upon his visions of anticipated bliss, he plodded onward towards the goal of wealth. Finally he reached the summit of his worldly ambitions. He had all of earthly goods that heart could wish. He thought to himself, I have labored hard all through life to accumulate this, now I will take my ease; I have "much goods laid

up in store for many years. I will "eat, drink, and be merry." What a wretched portion for an immortal soul! God said, "Thou fool!" O foolish man! he had neglected to lay up treasures in heaven. He overlooked the one thing above all else needful. As the evening shadows gathered fast, a horror took hold upon him. The whole scene began to change. Death like a grim monster enters his palace and seizes his mortal frame. The night winds moan and howl without, while wafted upon the breezes from the eternal world comes an awful summons: "This night thy soul shall be required of thee."

"He looked all aghast at the sound of that voice,
Then gazed on his rich earthly store;

But it melted away, he had made a sad choice,
He was poverty's slave evermore.''

How awful was this saying! He had just made the necessary arrangements for the gratification of his sensual appetites; and in the very night in which he had finally settled all his plans, his soul was called into the spirit world. What a dreadful awakening for a soul long asleep in sin! He is now hurried into the presence of his Maker; none of his worldly goods can accompany him, and he has not a particle of heavenly treasure!

"Out, out from his mansion he wandered away,

To the depths of eternity's night,

To beg for relief and to long for the day
Which shall gladden-no, never—his sight.”

cause man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets." Ver. 5. "Because man las gone to his eternal home, and the mourners have gone about the market."-LXX. Here death is described in unmistakable language. Then shall the dust (our mortal flesh) return to the earth as it was. "And the spirit [the immortal man shall return unto God who gave it;" that is, man goeth to his eternal home.

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How different the teaching of the soul-sleepers! They say that the entire being of man goes down into the grave and remains in unconscious slumber until the resurrection morning. In this they squarely contradict the Bible, which says that at death the body returns to earth while the spirit returns to God-goeth to his eternal home. 'And Isaac gave up the ghost, and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days: and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him." Gen. 35:29. "And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.” Gen. 49:33. At death both Isaac and Jacob were gathered to their people. This could not apply to the laying away of the body, for it is declared that at death they were gathered to their people, while their bodies were not buried until after this. It was long after Jacob was gathered unto his people that his body was buried in the cave of Machpelah. Read Gen. 49: 33; 50: 1-13.

"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Acts 7:59. There is no possible way under heaven to successfully deny the testimony of this plain text of scripture. It is a strong and full proof of the immortality of the soul. He could not have commended his spirit to Christ, had he believed he had no spirit; or in other words, that his body and soul were one and the same thing. Allowing this most eminent saint to have had. a correct notion of theology; and that, being full of the Holy Ghost, as he was at this time, he could make no mistake in matters of such vast importance. Stephen in his dying hour believed that the soul was immortal, for he commended his departing spirit into the hand of Christ.

One Advent minister in our presence tried to escape the strong testimony of this text by saying that it was not Stephen, but the mocking Jews that uttered this language. Shame on such twisting in order to uphold a false doctrine! "And they stoned Stephen, as he was invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."-Emphatic Diaglott. "And were stoning Stephen, as he was invoking and saying: Lord Jesus! give welcome unto my spirit.". Rotherham.

It is clear to any mind not entirely befogged in the darkness of materialism that it was Stephen who said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." And has not the dying testimony of Stephen been that of thousands and millions of saints? Yes; and this fact alone

ought to have some weight upon the consciences of slumbering souls who advocate the soul-sleeping doctrine.

In his dying hour Christ addressed his Father thus: "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit." Luke 23:46. This is absolute proof of its separate existence when the body is dead. But a few moments before this the dying thief made the following request: "Lord, remember me." "And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise." Ver. 43. Paradise is a general term denoting a place of rest, delight, and happiness. It is spoken of as a heavenly realm. See 2 Cor. 12:1-4. In fact, it is the place where the righteous are comforted until the resurrection. This text most clearly teaches that the very day of their death both Christ and the penitent thief entered Paradise. "To-day shalt thou be with me in Paradise.'

So a

"But," says the disputer of God's Word, "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years. thousand years from now, or at Christ's second advent, the thief will be with Christ; but not at death." This is entirely too flimsy for intelligent people to accept. "To-day" in this text is from semeron, the same which occurs in Mat. 6:11: "Give us this day our daily bread.” So according to the foregoing argument, when we ask God to give us this day our daily bread we mean one or two thousand years in the future.