possess, and give us free scope. Picture to yourself the delight of living in a community of friends and neighbours, each of whom loves the other, and takes every opportunity to help another from the love of the Lord and from the love of the neighbour:—everyone an embodiment of charity, seeking not his own, never failing. For, "there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of administrations, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all" (1 Cor. xii. 4-6).
What we shall do in the Spiritual World?
Heaven is a kingdom (Matt. v. 3); the Lord is the King (Psalm x. 16). The citizens of that kingdom are all who live according to its laws; they have the privileges, as well as the duties, of citizenship. Each will have work to do there, as here. Jesus said, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work" (John v. 17). While the Creator works, can His creatures be idle? "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation"? (Hebrews i. 14). If all be ministering spirits, will not each minister "according to his several ability"? (Matt, xxv, 15).
The Psalmist says, "In Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore" (Ps. xvi. 11). Then, all the innocent delights of using our various talents to give pleasure to others will be continued to us in the Spiritual World! The poet, the philosopher, the preacher, the teacher, the artist, the musician, the merchant, the farmer, the tradesman, the master, and the servant—all who have acquired useful aptitudes in this life and taken delight in them—will find their congenial occupation, though it will not take necessarily the form of their employment here. "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them" (Rev. xiv. 13).
