it would beg for tolerance to save that structure, though the doctrine that saves it is regarded as an illusion! Even materialism tried to save the ideals that have originated in another philosophy, but the poor balk at no consequences when they see the logical meaning of what they have been taught. With the economic interpretation of history in their minds and no knowledge of other ideals than food and physical luxury, they put materialism into practise and sacrifice what the intellectuals would preserve, though their philosophy has no tendency to protect it. It will devolve on a spiritual view of nature to lead the world out of the wilderness of Sinai.

There is one very important thing to be overcome by proving survival after death. It is the fear of death. I do not mean any special craven fear, for it is probable that this is rarer than we often think. The healthy man has no time to think about it and the ill man does not care. But all prefer to prolong consciousness as much as possible. In that sense the fear of death characterizes all persons, even though we have the courage to sacrifice life in behalf of a moral cause. In a materialistic age, however, there is sure to be a large number of persons who will value life above all else. This instinct was probably at the basis of pacifism in most instances. If we cannot count on continuing consciousness we shall make the most of that which we have, whether for one kind of enjoyment or another, and endeavor to prolong it to the utmost. This is the secret of the development of medicine which combines a philanthropic vocation with the exploitation of the sick and in many cases avails to save a man from the consequences of his sins, less to correct his sins. The saving of his soul was left to the priest and of his body to the physician. The priest saved his soul without charges while the physician could exploit him and his fear of death to his heart's content. With

the growth of materialism the desire not to die increased and the physician has complete command of the desires which will sacrifice all to the prolongation of consciousness. The individual physician may often live above this situation and so it is only the system or the practical outcome of the medical life that I have in mind here. It is based upon the desire to escape death and to prolong life.

Now what we require to learn is a simple law of nature. It is the equal universality of death with life, or the dissolution of all compounds, organic and inorganic, unless something interferes to prevent it. Death is as much a fixed policy of nature as life is, and if we can only assure ourselves of its place in the economy of the world as a mere transitional process to new environment, we shall have the same attitude toward it that we do toward life. We shall recognize it as a part of an ethical dispensation, a part of a scheme for helping in spiritual development, not terminating it. There is no reason why we should endeavor to prolong life except to meet the responsibilities of it and to develop spiritual ideals, and when the physical aspect of it begins to decay, we might even be glad to die and learn to rejoice at it as we do at a birth.

Indeed death is but a second birth just as birth is our first death. We know at least two stages of our life, the prenatal and the postnatal, and communication with the dead proves the post mortem life, thus giving us an idea of three stages of our development with possibilities yet to be learned. But we have reason to treat death as a benevolent event in the process of evolution, and the sooner we come to regard it so, the stress and suffering of life will be less. We shall prepare and wait for it as we would for an assured happiness. There is nothing to hinder thus looking at it, except the philosophy of materialism. That view of nature

out of the way would find us rejoicing at the prospect of a transition to new environment and death might be regarded as an equally happy event with living.

Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,
When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep
Turns again home.

For tho from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crost the bar.

Tennyson had caught in this poetic glimpse the spirit of inspiration that breaks out "from the circumambient eternity to color with its own hues man's little islet of time."

THE END

INDEX

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