the spirits of all flesh, until the resurrection of the body, that it may abide therein for ever. Now, how the soul acts independently of the body may be inferred from its motion in sleep, wherein it appears to see objects, to hear sounds, and to apprehend and enjoy certain things, either good or bad, as she is preparing herself for Heaven or Hell. The body is, indeed, the great instrument of the soul, by which she acts upon surrounding objects, and yet God, who is the Author of all life, and the varied forms thereof, by Creation, is Himself a spirit, from whom all feeling and apprehension proceed. In Him is life, and the life is the light of men, and when life ceases to act upon, or in matter, it is lost from our view and natural apprehension, but not from our faith. A man may lose an eye or a limb; his powers of vision, action, or apprehension, are injured, yet personal identity, or the living agent, is not destroyed. The occupant of the body-i.e., the ego, I myself—remains unimpaired. Such a man may dream, and in such a state of vision find himself possessed of apparently unimagined and unknown powers of perceiving objects, and of motion; and this also apparently in as strong and in as lively a manner without his external organs of vision as with them. He wakes and finds the bodily organs wanting, but all this witnesses to the need of restoration and resurrection, and leads the departed, as well as those that remain in the body, to éry day and night for the appearing of Him who is the Resurrection and the Life; for all behold in Jesus Christ manhood raised up, and taken up into God. In Him life hath swallowed up mortality; but it hath not destroyed personal identity. Hence we argue that the destruction of an instrument, limb, or organ of the human body, impairs not the powers of the will, or living agent; thus, though he cannot reproduce a limb, he seeks the help of an artificial leg, he uses a pole, or lever, to reach or raise objects within his power; all this showing a defect in the body, but not in the reasonable soul-that vital principle, or spring of action. For instance, it is the will that determines to see and to move, and the eyes of the body and the feet are the proper microscopes. and staves, perfectly adapted to the will of the living agent, actuating all his members for the fulfilment of the purposes of his being. Thus it is to be reasonably inferred, that the loss of all the instruments of the human body, or its dissolution by death, cannot include the living agent itself, which, being invisible, passes into the invisible world of spirits-yea, passes to God Himself, who is invisible and yet exists, and lives, and acts, though he has no body, is not divided into two or more parts, neither does he move from one place to another. But some man may say: Has not the brute or the beast powers similar to man, who, after all, is but a presiding animal? The answer is: Has a brute the same powers as a man, especially as regards his moral and reflective being? Certainly not. Indeed, the voice of Revelation teaches us that in the resurrection of humanity, and in the restitution of all things, the lower orders of creation will be advanced according to their measure and place in the order of God's creation; but not having a moral and reflective being like man, they exist not after death, and so need no resurrection. If one of the mightiest kings of the earth, when his soul was lifted up with pride, was suddenly humbled under the hand of God, and reduced to the level of the ox that eateth grass, and in process of time became bird-like as regards the nails of his hands and feet, and beast-like in his propensities, so that he ate grass with the beasts and inferior animals, wherefore should it seem strange and impossible that in the age to come the same God should make the lion to eat grass like an ox, since his disposition shall become peaceable and tractable as the lamb, and the hole of the asp become a harmless receptacle of its no less harmless inhabitant, whereat the innocent child shall delight to seek for its innocent playmate? In that blessed condition of all things, the wildest beasts that have hitherto ravaged and wasted the smitten creation will be wild no longer, for all ferocity will then have passed away,-all will be as peaceful gentle, and engaging as the breath of God can make them. The voice of Revelation proclaims aloud that, when the Son of Man shall leave His Father's throne and come to the throne of His glory-the throne of all the earth-then He will slay the wicked with the breath of His lips: He will bind the enemy, the disturber and destroyer of this world's peace, and hinder him in his going forth. Then, as the righteous Judge of the world, He, in righteousness and faithfulness, will hasten to fill the world with his saving knowledge. Then, also, there shall nothing be seen to hurt nor destroy, in all His holy mountain or kingdom, among the inferior orders of creation. In that day He will make the earth His footstool, He will make it altogether glorious as the place of the soles of His feet. Ezekiel xliii. 7. For as for the sin of man it was made subject to vanity, so for the righteousness of man, the man Christ Jesus, it shall be redeemed from vanity, to this end, saith the Apostle, God hath subjected the same, in hope of a blessed restitution—i.e., the restitution of all things to their |