Unseen realties, or, Glimpses into the world to come

Preface

The world to come” has frequently occupied the pens of our philosophers and theologians. My inducement to write upon it, therefore, was not the hope of being able to throw any new light on a subject which has been so often and so ably illustrated. Still it had often occurred to me that while the philosopher deferred too little to the intimations of Scripture, the theologian on the other hand had not availed himself to the extent he might have done of the teachings of science and philosophy. For it is of importance to bear in mind that though there are many truths which nature is unable to discover, yet, when these are once pre¬ sented to her even in dim hints, she can at once apprehend them and amplify the scanty intimations, by following out the trains of reasoning which they have started. This I take to be specially the case with regard to the world to come ; and, therefore, in my treatment of this subject, my aim has been, while appealing throughout to Scripture as the sole source of certain information, to avail myself of what light nature, when set upon the track by revelation, has been

VI

PREFACE.

able to throw upon the subject, whether by philosophy, or science, or the common sentiments and instincts of our humanity. And, unless I deceive myself, the result of this will be found to be, that while the explicit intimations of Scripture concerning the world to come are on many points comparatively scanty, yet when these are followed out to their legitimate conclusions in the light of nature, the information which may be collected is very considerable.

Contents

I. Is there Another World?— Its Possibility:

Its Probability, .

II. Is there Another World? — Its Certainty,