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Life Sketches of Ellen G. White
they were living in security, while the message of warning was being
given to the world.
The Immortality Question
One day I listened to a conversation between my mother and a
sister, in reference to a discourse which they had recently heard, to the
effect that the soul had not natural immortality. Some of the minister’s
proof texts were repeated. Among them I remember these impressed
me very forcibly: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
Ezekiel 18:4
.
“The living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything.”
Ecclesiastes 9:5
. “Which in His times He shall show, who is the
blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who
only hath immortality.”
1 Timothy 6:15, 16
. “To them who by patient
continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality,
eternal life.”
Romans 2:7
.
“Why,” said my mother, after quoting the foregoing passage,
“should they seek for what they already have?”
I listened to these new ideas with an intense and painful interest.
When alone with my mother, I inquired if she really believed that the
soul was not immortal. Her reply was, that she feared we had been in
error on that subject, as well as upon some others.
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“But, mother,” said I, “do you really believe that the soul sleeps in
the grave until the resurrection? Do you think that the Christian, when
he dies, does not go immediately to heaven, nor the sinner to hell?”
She answered: “The Bible gives us no proof that there is an eter-
nally burning hell. If there is such a place, it should be mentioned in
the Sacred Book.”
“Why, mother!” cried I, in astonishment, “this is strange talk for
you! If you believe this strange theory, do not let any one know of it;
for I fear that sinners would gather security from this belief, and never
desire to seek the Lord.”
“If this is sound Bible truth,” she replied, “instead of preventing
the salvation of sinners, it will be the means of winning them to Christ.
If the love of God will not induce the rebel to yield, the terrors of an
eternal hell will not drive him to repentance. Besides, it does not seem
a proper way to win souls to Jesus by appealing to one of the lowest