First: Jesus Christ was born of a virgin without
the generative cooperation of man, showing that the generative process in the works of God
ended in him, and that the regenerative work which is the reverse of
generation and requires perfect virgin purity, commenced in him to produce a heavenly and
new creation, forever to increase until the whole works of God with the race of man was
completed. (See Matt. 24:14.)Second: It is indisputable that Jesus Christ lived a
perfect virgin life, and according to his positive precepts no one can be his disciple
unless, "they deny themselves and take up their cross and follow him." We cannot
follow him where he never went, therefore we cannot follow him in any connection, nor work
of the flesh, for he never went into it in any manner whatever. It follows then
conclusively that all such as marry in the flesh, or live in the works of the fleshly
propensity, in any manner are not his disciples.
Third: Jesus Christ who was the beginning of the
new and spiritual creation of God among the human race, said to his followers, "ye
are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. If ye were of the world the world
would love its own." The works of the flesh are indisputably the life of the world,
and there is nothing the children of the world love so well, nor is there anything the
world hates so much as that superior life of Christ which supplants this fleshly life of
the world. Therefore said the Savior; "because ye are not of the world, for I have
chosen you out of the world, the world hateth you." Hence it is indisputable, that
none are the subjects or possessors of this heavenly kingdom, unless they are called out
from, and have utterly forsaken this beloved life of the world, even as he did! Therefore
it is evident that such as truly do this work, are those who constitute the kingdom of
heaven upon earth, and are the true heirs of the kingdom of God in the eternal world.
Fourth: Christ testifies that, "The children of
this world marry and are given in marriage: but they which shall be (or are) accounted
worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection, neither marry nor are given in marriage
— but are equal to the angels — or are as the angels of God in heaven. (See Luke 20:34-35, & Matt. 22:30.) Certainly this cannot with any propriety be
applied to any, except such as have "risen with Christ from the life of the world
into the life of his heavenly kingdom. (See Col. 1:4.) Nay,
all such "being equal to the angels of God in heaven," cannot possibly apply to
the resurrection or reanimation of dead bodies of both the righteous and wicked, according
to the orthodox idea of the resurrection.
Fifth:"I am the resurrection and the
life," said Christ. If then that divine spirit is the resurrection and the true life,
all such as come into Christ are in the resurrection and heavenly life, hence can no more
marry and be given in the marriage of the flesh than the angels in heaven. This is
verified by St Paul's words: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old
things are passed away; all things are become new. And all things are of God through
Christ." (See 2 Cor. 5:17.)
If then all old things are passed away in those
who come into Christ the resurrection; certainly the oldest of all nature's works in man,
the generative works, i.e. the works and life of the flesh must be done away. It follows
then conclusively, that all who live in the generative life in any manner, are not in
Christ.
Many other positive
precepts of the Savior, might be advanced, but it appears evident that these are
sufficient to convince any reasonable mind, that it is incontestably impossible to follow
Christ — be his disciple, or possess his kingdom, without the effect of a life of
perfect virgin purity.