Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-04-17

responsible now for what did then,
and have l not the consciousness OF
identity though this total change has
taken place? The principle OF lden-
titv, that which makes me the same
person that l was seven years ago, is
not flesh, blood, or bones. These evolve
into the elements out of which they
came, and go into the composition OF
other organic beings, and come back
to me in another stage of life on earth,
and identity is not to be affirmed OF
ANYTHING that thus changes its rela-
tions, and has no fixed habitation in
the individual to be identified.
at is sown a natural body, it is rails
ed a spiritual body" In that truth is
the germ of the whole philosophy of
the resurrection. A spirit doth not
have flesh and blood. But it has a
body. 1t may, and doubt not it will,
be in the human form, such as Christ
and Moses and Elias had when they
appeared unto men. 1t may be, and l
doubt not it will be, the form that we
now wear, not necessarily the form we
put off when We die, nor the form that
we have at any one period in our life
on earth, but the form that Identifies
the spirit that is ours, that makes the
me as distinct from y0u and all others
in the wide world; that indeiinable
personality that makes each human be-
| ing in the universe, of all time past and
all time to come, one and not another,
and so diverse from all others as to be
held to his own responsibility for eve
rv thought and deed. This iswhat is
meant by identity. And when the spir-
ltual body, like unto the glorious body
of Christ, is raised in the human form
and the same form that was borne on
earth, We shall know as We are known.
All the faculties of the mind are i'm
mortal, and surely we shall not know
less than we do now. All the atfec-
tions of the soul remain, and surely we
shall love those who are dear to us now.
And thus We come naturally and scrip
turallv TO the conclusion that We shall
recognize, and love, and enjoy in heaven
lall the good whom We loved on earth.
| That the enjoyment of heaven will
be marred by the absence of any dear
to us is not possible, because the hap
piness is perfect. The highest of all
iioy is the consummation of the perfect
will of infinite wisdom and love; and
that is the consummation which con.
stitutes the blessedness of the heaven.
" state. But it is consistent with oul
higher Joy in Him who is the light and
i life of heaven, that We should rejoice
in reunion with children and friends
/ who were the delight of our lives while
here, and whose society We confidently
anticipate as part of the pleasures
!, there.
J, Thus have I given you, dear sir, my
"opinion," which is, indeed, of little
worth, but you will be more strength
. ened when | tell You that it is the opin
ion. and the confident faith Of tn,
!, Church in all the ages, that patriarch
and apostles held it, and that it is fal
| easier to tear the soul from the bod,
than to take this faith out of the hear
r of a Christian.
But there is something better ant
5 greater than this expectation of know
ing our friends in heaven. You ma,
be very unwise to spend your time il
4, thinking much about it. 1t is bette
to live for and in the present: to liv
for the living and not with the dead
! to live so that when Christ shall ap
l pear YOU may appear with Him il
E glory. IREN-EUs