"These speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! . . . To whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.” Jude 10-13. One falsehood compels its holder to bring up others to help it through. So when the foregoing argument is thoroughly exposed, these crafty prophets take another turn.

3. They say that the whole was simply a parable. That the rich man represented the Jews, the literal seed of Abraham. These were cast out. That Lazarus represented the Gentiles, the despised; and these entered the bosom, or family, of Abraham.

Being naturally a little inquisitive, I would like to ask the propagator of this a few questions.

1. If Lazarus represented the Gentiles, whom did the dogs which licked his sores represent? If you answer, The Samaritans, I ask you, Were not the Samaritans Gentiles, too?

2. If the rich man represented the Jews, whom did his five brethren represent?

3. What is meant by the death of the rich man? If you answer, The cutting off of the Jews from favor with God, I ask you, Did not Lazarus die also?

4. In what sense were the Gentiles "carried by the angels" into Abraham's bosom after their death?

5. Will you please explain the language of Abraham where he says to the rich man in torment, “Remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good

things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented?"

6. If Lazarus represents the Gentiles, and the rich man represents the Jews, will you please explain what Abraham meant when he said to the rich man after death, "Between us [Lazarus and Abraham] and you [the rich man] there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you can not; neither can they pass to us that would come from thence"? Especially would we like this explained since the Bible so plainly teaches that Christ has "broken down the middle wall of partition between the Jews and the Gentiles," and reconciled both in "one body," brought them into "one fold," so that in this gospel dispensation "there is neither Jew nor Greek: . . . for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Gal. 3:28. See John 10:16; Eph. 2: 14-16.

CONDITIONAL IMMORTALITY.

Among the theories extant today, and one that numbers of people believe, is conditional immortality. They say there is no immortality out of Christ, that Christians are the only ones that possess it. For several reasons this is an error. It is nowhere hinted in the Bible that when God saves us through Jesus Christ he transmits to us an immortal soul, gives us immortal existence. Salvation simply changes the

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soul from a sinful and defiled condition to a righteous state. Every sinner has a spirit, a soul, which must be saved. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" Mat. 16: 26. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.'' Jas. 1:21. "That the spirit may be saved." 1 Cor. 5:5. How clear these texts!

Man's spiritual and moral nature became defiled by sin, cut off from union with God-from divine favor. If he continues in that state, and dies unsaved, his soul is eternally lost. But if such come to Christ, their soul will be saved from eternal ruin. Again, if those in Christ alone have immortal souls, then when the child comes to the years of accountability and goes into sin, its soul is taken from it, and is given back again when converted to God. Who ever read such a doctrine in the Bible? Again, if the righteous only have an immortal existence, then they only live after the death of the body. The wicked would go into unconscious slumber. But this contradicts the words of Jesus, who taught that the wicked, as well as the righteous, exist after the death. of the body. See Luke 16: 19-31. Those who have imbibed this false doctrine err in confounding the experience of spiritual life with eternal existence. They confound a condition of the soul with its nature. This is confusion and error.

The following are some of the scriptures they use: "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Rom. 6:23. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life." John 3:36. "That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life." John 3:15. "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life." John 10:27, 28. "God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." 1 John 5:11.

While "eternal life" implies eternal conscious existence without intermission, and "God hath given to us eternal life," this utterly refutes the soul-sleeping theory. Jesus said, "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die." John 11: 26. The body will die, but the soul "shall never die." On the solid Word of God we stand and defy our enemies. But let us repeat: While the terms "eternal life," "everlasting life," etc., imply eternal existence, this is far from their true meaning. Sin separates the soul from God. Isa. 59: 1, 2. As soon as it is cut off from union with God it dies. John 15:2, 6; Rom. 7:9. This death is not a cessation of the soul's conscious existence, but an alienation from God, whose favor is the normal sphere of the soul's happiness. So every sinner is dead, and yet has a conscious existence. "Dead while they live." This is the sad state of the entire world out of Christ. See Rom.

5:12-14; Eph. 2:1; Rom. 8:6; Rom. 7:9; 1 John 3:14; 1 Tim. 5: 6.

Sinners are now commanded to awake out of sleep and arise from the dead. Eph. 5:14. When they meet the Bible requirements for salvation, they "pass from death unto life." 1 John 3:14. Jesus came to give men this life (John 10:10), this eternal life (1 John 5:11); "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." John 17:3. Thus the sinner who has been cut off from union with God, and abides in spiritual death, is quickened into life, inducted into Christ, who is our life. This eternal life through Christ is union with God, enjoyment of his presence and favor in our souls. Oh, the blessed state of the soul thus united to God! This blessed union with Christ, this eternal life, is here enjoyed by the Christian (John 3:36; 1 John 3:14; 5:11), and, if we prove faithful unto death, we have the promise of enjoying the same blessed union and eternal life in the future. Mark 10:30. So instead of eternal life simply signifying eternal existence, it rather signifies eternal union with God, a blissful enjoyment of his favor, love, grace, peace, etc., upon our souls. And all this is granted to us through Jesus Christ. "This is life eternal that ye may know him;" viz., be "no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God." "Brought nigh by the blood of Christ;" brought into close affinity and relationship with him, "our