Preface to the First Edition

The author of this little volume judges it no act of vanity to set up the following claims for his work:

1. The subject of which it treats is vastly important. Whether we have a spiritual nature, or no spiritual nature- whether dying is passing out of existence, or to another state of existence in a world of disembodied spirits-and whether sinners who reject the gospel, are to cease to exist, cease to know, and think, and feel, or to exist, and know, and think, and feel forever, are matters of too great importance to be passed by without receiving the most profound consideration.

2. In this little volume will be found all the essential features of these momentous questions, and all the important facts and arguments having an essential bearing upon them. It is believed that so much argument and truth, bearing directly on the one point of the soul's immortality, cannot be found elsewhere, in any one volume. When the author's attention was called to the subject, he expected to find it treated in some one convenient volume, but he searched in vain for that volume. Fragments of the subject he could find, scattered through various works, treating in the main on other subjects, a fragment here, and a fragment there; an incidental allusion to the subject in this volume, and a single direct argument in that, but in no one volume could he find the subject fully and clearly discussed. To supply this deficiency the present volume has been written, and is now presented to the Christian Public, who are invited to examine and judge with what ability the design has been executed. Though many of the views presented are not new, yet the author has no fear that the candid reader will be in the least inclined to deny his little work the merit of a full share of originality.

3. It is believed that the arrangement of the subjects, together with the full alphabetical and scriptural index, will much increase its value as a book of reference. Any point treated in the work, can be referred to in a moment, by means of the index to the subjects, while the scriptural index will guide to any text quoted, with the remarks that may be made thereon. At least it cannot fail to be useful to the young and less experienced Christians, in guarding them against the assaults of error on several points, and in furnishing them with weapons of defense. If its usefulness shall be in proportion to the author's honest purpose to do good, it will not have been written in vain.