Christ is referred to by the writer of the epistle to the Colossians, as the "first born of every creature" (i:15); and the Revelator speaks of him as "the beginning of the creation of God" (Rev. 3:14); and in the revelation already quoted so often (Doc. & Cov. Sec. xciii) Jesus represents himself as being in the "beginning with the Father;" and as "the first born."

The reference to Jesus as the "first born of every creature" cannot refer to his birth into earth-life, for he was not the first-born into this world; therefore, his birth here referred to must have reference to the birth of his spirit before his earth life.

The reference to Jesus as the "beginning of the creation of God," cannot refer to his creation or generation in earth-life; for manifestly he was not the beginning of the creations of God in this world; therefore, he must have been the "beginning" of God's creation elsewhere, viz., in the spirit world, where he was begotten a spiritual personage; a son of God.

The reference to Jesus as the "first born"—and hence the justification for our calling him "our Elder Brother" cannot refer to any relationship that he established in his earth-life, since as to the flesh he is not our "elder brother" any more than he is the "first born" in the flesh; there were many born in the flesh before he was, and older brothers to us, in the flesh, than he was. The relationship of "elder brother" cannot have reference to that estate where all were self-existent, uncreated and unbegotten, eternal Intelligences; for that estate admits of no such relation as "elder," or "younger;" for as to succession in time, the fact on which "younger" or "elder" depend, the Intelligences are equal, that is,—equal as to their eternity. Therefore, since the relationship of "elder brother" was not established by any circumstance in the earth-life of Jesus, and could not be established by any possible fact in that estate where all were self-existing Intelligences, it must have been established in the spirit life, where Jesus, with reference to the hosts of Intelligences designed to our earth, was the "first born spirit," and by that fact became our "Elder Brother," the "first born of every creature," "the beginning of the creations of God,".as pertaining to our order of existence.

4. Views of Sir Oliver Lodge on the Eternity of Mind: Some scientists also bear testimony to the truth of the principle here contended for. Sir Oliver Lodge, when arguing for the reality of that mysterious, vital "something" which builds up from earth elements an oak, an eagle or a man, closes with the question, "Is it something which is really nothing, and soon shall it be manifestly nothing?" "Not so," he answers, "nor is it so with intellect and consciousness and will, nor with memory and love and adoration, nor all the manifold activities which at present strangely interact with matter and appeal to our bodily senses and terrestrial knowledge; they are not nothing, nor shall they ever vanish into nothingness or cease to be. They did not arise with us; they never did spring into being; they are as eternal as the Godhead itself, and in the eternal Being they shall endure for ever. * * * And surely in this respect there is a unity running through the universe, and a kinship between the human and the Divine; witness the eloquent ejaculation of Carlyle:[A]

[Footnote A: Of Paul, too, and of David before him. See Hebrews ii:6, and Psalms viii:4.]

'What then, is man! What, then, is man!

'He endures but for an hour, and is crushed before the moth. Yet in the being and in the working of a faithful man is there already (as all faith from the beginning, gives assurance) a something that pertains not to this wild death-element of Time; that triumphs over Time, and is, and will be, when Time shall be no more."—"Science and Immortality," pp. 160, 161.

LESSON IV.

(Scripture Reading Exercise.)