A good many Bible students have thought it somewhat surprising that so little is said in the Scriptures about what is generally called the future life. Even Christ Jesus has little to say about it, perhaps because his teachings deal so directly with unending life. Paul has this to say in his second epistle to Timothy: "Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light." This is in accord with the prophecy in the twenty-fifth chapter of Isaiah regarding the wonderful things which will be done by God when "the veil that is spread over all nations" is not merely lifted but destroyed. The prophecy goes on: "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces." As we read these words we need not wonder at this outburst of gladness which follows: "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: ... we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation."

Too seldom are these words of the Master remembered: "If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death." Even when confronted by the material evidence of death, Jesus denied its reality, and so should we. To God no one is ever dead, for Christian Science makes it clear that God, infinite Mind, sees always His own reflection, which can never include death. On page 427 of Science and Health Mrs. Eddy says, "If it is true that man lives, this fact can never change in Science to the opposite belief that man dies." Throughout her teachings she urges us to press on toward complete overcoming of the belief in matter, sin, disease, and death, the latter being characterized in Scripture as "the last enemy that shall be destroyed." No one could ever claim that death is any part of God's creation, as we shall see in reading the first chapter of Genesis and the two closing chapters of Revelation. In spite of this, however, belief in the inevitability and reality of death is almost universal. Such being the case, it is clear that the belief in death must be overcome either here or hereafter, until we realize the full intent of Paul's words in his first epistle to the Corinthians, "Death is swallowed up in victory."

Our dear ones who seem to pass on find themselves alive, and possibly have a clearer sense of life than ever before, for many of the dark shadows which go to make up the dream of material existence and death must yield to the fact that man lives because God is his Life, and that no phase of error can in any real sense rob man of his God-given life. Many are needlessly sorrowful because of their fear that the dear ones who have gone may not remember them or love them any longer, but if we do not forget those who have gone, or love them less than when we met them daily and hourly, why should we suppose that they have ceased to love us? A deeply religious thinker has said that "the sight of the eye is ofttimes an intrusion between the heart and its love," and certainly the belief in material sense contributes nothing to human affection, however much we may think it necessary to our happiness. All love that is pure and sincere is a reflection, however faint, of the Love that is God, the Love that is Life itself, and as we learn to love more we live more fully, in the truest sense.

In Jesus' parable of Dives and Lazarus we are told that after he died the rich man quickly recognized Abraham, whom he had never seen, and conversed with him, and also must have recognized the spiritual qualities possessed by Lazarus, the erstwhile beggar, qualities of which he was unaware when they were both on the same plane of existence, and asked that he might be helped by him. What is more to the point, however, we find that this man of the world was deeply concerned about the salvation of his brothers and desired to take measures for their awakening from the mortal dream which at one time had seemed to bring him pleasure, but finally torment. Here, too, he asked that Lazarus should be the messenger.

The main point, however, is the fact that according to this most significant teaching of the Master, there is no loss of identity, memory, or any mental quality which points toward good, nor can there be throughout the ages of eternity. How do we know that our dear ones are not taking some steps to have help for us, as did Dives, so that we may rise above all belief in sorrow because of their departure, and if this were so, we may remember the words which the Master attributed to Abraham, "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them." And so we, too, have Moses and the prophets. What is more, we have the immortal teachings of Christ Jesus; and besides all this we have the revelation of divine Science, brought to this age through our inspired Leader, Mrs. Eddy. If, then, any are tempted to be in doubt, or to be sorrowful respecting those who have gone on, we must seek the truth in the Bible and in our Leader's writings and we shall not fail to find it. Not only will the veil of material sense be destroyed for us, but we shall in the measure of our understanding help to lift that veil from the eyes of all nations and aid in bringing to them the boundless blessings of Life understood, the Life that is all.

Referring to the appearing of Truth, Mrs. Eddy says (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 165): "The daystar of this appearing is the light of Christian Science—the Science which rends the veil of the flesh from top to bottom. The light of this revelation leaves nothing that is material; neither darkness, doubt, disease, nor death. The material corporeality disappears; and individual spirituality, perfect and eternal, appears—never to disappear."

Annie M. Knott.