A CHRISTIAN was once trying to teach a number of children that the soul would live after they were dead. They listened, but evidently did not understand it—he was too abstract. Taking his watch from his pocket, he said,
"James, what is this, I hold in my hand?"
"A watch, Sir."
"A little clock," said another.
"Do you all see it?"
"Yes, Sir."
"How do you know it is a watch?" "It ticks, Sir."
"Very well, can any of you hear it tick? All listen now." After a pause. "Yes, Sir, we hear it."
He then took off the case, and held the case in one hand and the watch in the other.
"Now children, which is the watch? You see there are two which look like watches."
"The littlest one in your right hand, Sir."
"Very well, but how do you know that this is the watch?"
"Because it ticks."
"Very well, again. Now I will lay the case aside—put it away, there, down in my bed. Now let us see if you can hear the watch tick?"
"Yes Sir, we can hear it," exclaimed several voices.
"Well, the watch can tick, and go, and keep time you see, when the case is taken off and put away in my bed, So it is with you children. Your body is nothing but the case, the soul is inside. The case, the body, may be taken off and buried in the ground, and the soul will live and think, just as well as this watch will go, so you see, when the case is off."
This made it plain, and even the youngest went home and told his mother that his real would live after he was dead.
"Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:.... We are confident, I say, and willing rather to absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." 2 Cor. 5:6,86Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (2 Corinthians 5:6)
8We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Messages of God’s Love 9/16/1934