And
what is that life which he does give? Who can tell that? What is
life? What is it which changes the seed into a flower, the egg into
a bird? It is not the seed itself; the egg itself. What power or
will have they, over themselves? It is not in the seed, or in the
egg, as all now know from experience. You may look for it with all
the microscopes in the world, but you will not find it. There is
nothing to be found by the eyes of mortal man which can account for
the growth and life of any created thing.
And what is death? What does the live thing lose, when it loses
life? This moment the bird was alive; a tiny pellet of shot has gone
through its brain, and now its life is lost: but what is lost? It
is just the same size, shape, colour; it weighs exactly the same as
it did when alive. What is the thing not to be seen, touched,
weighed, described, or understood, which it has lost, which we call
life?
And to that deep question the Psalmist had an answer whispered to
him,--a hint only, as it were, in a parable. Life is the breath of
God. It is the Spirit of God, who is the Lord and Giver of life.
God breathes into things the breath of life. When he takes away that
breath they die, and are turned again to their dust. When he lets
his breath go forth again, they are made, and he renews the face of
the earth.
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