ly exciting interest, to his departure from the
world, to conceive him hovering on the verge of the same mystery
which has enveloped every passing mortal, hovering there with
chastened wonder and curiosity, inspired with an absolute trust
that in that fathomless obscurity the Father would be with him,
and would unveil new realms of life, and would enable him to come
back and assure his disciples. He certainly did not reveal the
details of the future state: whether he was acquainted with them
himself or not we cannot tell.

We next advance to the most important portion of the words of
Christ regarding the life and destiny of the soul, those parts of
his doctrine which are most of a personal, experimental character,
sounding the fountains of consciousness, piercing to the dividing
asunder of our being. It is often said that Jesus everywhere takes
for granted the fact of immortality, that it underlies and
permeates all he does and says. We should know at once that such a
being must be immortal; such a life could never be lived by an
ephemeral creature; of all possible proofs of immortality he is
himself the sublimest. This is true, but not the whole truth. The
resistless assurance, the Divine inspiration, the sublime repose,
with which he enunciates the various thoughts connected with the
theme of endless existence, are indeed marvellous. But he not only
authoritatively assumes the truth of a future life: he speaks
directly of it in many ways, often returns to it, continually
hovers about it, reasons for it, exhorts upon it, makes most of
his instructions hinge upon it, shows that it is a favorite
subject of his communion. We may put the justice of these
statements in a clear light by bringing together and explaining
some of his scattered utterances.

His express language teaches that man in this world is a twofold
being, leading a twofold life, physical and spiritual, the one
temporal, the other eternal, the one apt unduly to absorb his
affections, the other really deserving his profoundest care. This
separation of the body and the soul, and survival of the latter,
is brought to light in various striking forms and with various
piercing applications. In view of the dangers that beset his
disciples on their mission, he exhorted and warned them thus:
"Fear not them which have power to kill the body and afterwards
have no more that they can do; but rather fear Him who can kill
both soul and body;" "Whosoever will save hi