and spontaneous anticipations,—to our fondest hopes.— What could be more withering to the hopes of a dying christian, who, having passed through the sorrows and temptations of this natural life, is approaching the threshold of the world of spirits, and is thirsting for the pure joys and extended usefulness of a life in heaven,—what could be more unwelcome to such a spirit, in such an hour, than to be told of returning again to this natural world at some future time, for the purpose of reclaiming that mortal body which it is about to leave? I have witnessed many a death bed scene, and have seen the departing spirit cheered and encouraged by the hope of an eternal and happy life; but I have never seen nor heard of an instance where the most devoted advocate of the doctrine of a literal resurrection attempted to use that doctrine for the purpose of consoling or encouraging a dying man. In the halls of religious controversy, this doctrine may be magnified into a question of immense importance; but in the hour of death, and especially from the chamber where the good man dies, it withdraws and stands rebuked. There it is never named. The place is too near to that world into whose pure and heavenly light such strange and absurd doctrines can never come.
SECTION THIRD.
The subject stated—change of opinion in regard to time of creation—difficult to reason with some men—argument from Astronomy—geology—the Deluge—Theory of internal heat.
Another reason for believing that the last judgment takes place in the spiritual world, is the want of any evidence that the natural world will ever be destroyed. It is true we can see no necessary connection between the destruction of this earth and the common doctrine of a last judgment. We cannot see what tendency the burning up of
