E-text prepared by Al Haines Transcriber's Note: The Greek words in this e-book have been transliterated according to Project Gutenberg's Greek How-To. Such words are indicated with surrounding underscores. There are a couple of instances of author-transliterated Greek words. Those words are bracketed and not italicized. Underscores are also used to indicate italicization of words, but in this e-book such words are always English words. THE GOSPEL OF THE HEREAFTER by J. PATERSON-SMYTH, B.D., LL.D., LITT. D., D.C.L, _Rector of St. Georges, Montreal, Late Professor of Pastoral Theology, University of Dublin_ _Author of "How We Got Our Bible," "The Old Documents and the New Bible," etc., etc., etc._ New York ---- Chicago ---- Toronto Fleming H. Revell Company London And Edinburgh Copyright, 1910, by Fleming H. Revell Company New York: 158 Fifth Avenue Chicago: 17 North Wabash Ave. London: 21 Paternoster Square Edinburgh: 75 Princes Street _To My Wife_ Contents PART I THE NEAR HEREAFTER I. "I" II. THE THREE STAGES OF EXISTENCE III. WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT THE NEAR HEREAFTER IV. WHAT THE BIBLE AND THE CHURCH SAY ABOUT THE NEAR HEREAFTER V. THE CRISIS OF DEATH VI. "I" "MYSELF" AFTER DEATH VII. RECOGNITION VIII. THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS IX. GROWTH AND PURIFICATION X. PROBATION IN THIS LIFE XI. MINISTRY IN THE UNSEEN LIFE XII. CONCLUSION PART II THE FAR HEREAFTER I. THE JUDGMENT II. HELL III. HEAVEN Publishers' Note This tenth American (and sixteenth British) edition has been carefully revised and where necessary rewritten by the author. We call special attention to an interesting note on page 108. This year a Norwegian edition has been published, translated by Judge Hambro of the Supreme Court of Norway assisted by the Bishops of Christiania and Trondheim. Also request has been received for permission to translate the book for readers in Holland. But more interesting is a letter from a Brahmin gentleman in India asking permission to produce at his own cost an edition for his people and dedicated on the front page, "TO MY SON, SEREM ALI, WHO IS NOW IN THE NEAR HEREAFTER." Foreword The Lord is risen, but the people do not know it. There is no death, but the people do not believe it. Human life is the most exciting romantic adventure in the Universe, going on stage after stage till we are older than Methuselah and then on again through the infinite eternities--and yet men pass into the Unseen as stupidly as the caterpillar on the cabbage-leaf, without curiosity or joy or wonder or excitement at the boundless career ahead. Instead of the thrill of coming adventure we have the dull grey monotony of aged lives drawing near the close, and the horror of this war is doubled and the torture of wife or mother as the beloved one crosses the barrier.