e confined to this world or do they extend on and on to another
existence? Will its influence affect our existence here only or will it
extend to the life everlasting? When we look upon the human kingdom we
readily observe that it is superior to all others. In the differentiation
of life in the world of existence, there are four degrees or kingdoms,--the
mineral, vegetable, animal, and human. The mineral kingdom is possessed of
a certain virtue which we term cohesion. The vegetable kingdom possesses
cohesive properties plus the power of growth or power augmentative. The
animal kingdom is possessed of the virtues of the mineral and vegetable
plus the powers of the senses. But the animal although gifted with
sensibilities is utterly bereft of consciousness, absolutely out of touch
with the world of consciousness and spirit. The animal possesses no powers
by which it can make discoveries which lie beyond the realm of the senses.
It has no power of intellectual origination. For example, an animal
located in Europe is not capable of discovering the continent of America.
It understands only phenomena which come within the range of its senses
and instinct. It cannot abstractly reason out anything. The animal cannot
conceive of the earth being spherical or revolving upon its axis. It
cannot apprehend that the little stars in the heavens are tremendous
worlds vastly greater than the earth. The animal cannot abstractly
conceive of intellect. Of these powers it is bereft. Therefore these
powers are peculiar to man and it is made evident that in the human
kingdom there is a reality of which the animal is minus. What is that
reality? It is the spirit of man. By it man is distinguished above all the
other phenomenal kingdoms. Although he possesses all the virtues of the
lower kingdoms he is further endowed with the spiritual faculty, the
heavenly gift of consciousness.

All material phenomena are subject to nature. All material organisms are
captives of nature. None of them can deviate in the slightest from the law
of nature. This earth, these great mountains, the animals with their
wonderful powers and instincts cannot go beyond natural limitations. All
things are captives of nature except man. Man is the sovereign of nature;
he breaks nature's laws. Though an animal fitted by nature to live upon
the surface of the earth he flies in the air like a bird, sails upon the
ocean and dives deep beneath its waves in submarines. Man is gifted