would make this bargain with them? Th6 answer is plain enough; they would say: "Keep Thy heaven for Thyself as far as we are concerned, if only we may remain always young, and live forever upon earth in the gratification of all our senses and natural inclinations." Listen to this bit of wisdom from that smart journalist, to whom I referred in the preceding chapter. He writes: "The earth was assigned to us as our abode in order that we might enjoy it to our heart's content, seek for pleasure, and find our satisfaction in it. Those who in exchange for our tears and lamentations offer us nothing but the sight of a dim and distant heaven, only point to a future life, are either not the true friends of the poor man and of the human race in general, or they are the victims of a morbid self-delusion."
A self-delusion! Pray, where did this scribbler discover this? Certainly not in the pages of Holy Scripture, but in his own brain, and he himself is undoubtedly the victim of a delusion.
One who is certainly far above this newspaper editor has spoken in a very different strain, in that He said: "In my Father's house there are many mansions: I go to prepare a place for you" (John xiv. 2).
And the great apostle St. Paul tells us: "We have not here a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come" (Heb. xiii. 14).
"Therefore, if you be risen with Christ,
