Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1851-12-01
II. From the Lldy's pok FIR N,vembes.
THE SEEN AND THE UNSEEN

The seen and the unseen
Thus spoke the stranger while listened
wonderingly.
sand two forms as well as two lives, for
there can be no life withou. form of life.
Two bodies-:o one seen and the other
unseen
Two bodies?'
Yes. n the words Of Paul, there is a
natural body, ard there is spiritual body.
Many read that if aUiH be were in the place
of as, when the spiritual body is spoken of;
but Paul ment that no such construction
should be placed on his language. He
spoke Of the unseen body, without which
the seen body could have no existench-'
Your meaning is veiled, said |.
Not veled, answered the stranger; you
zee the truth obscurely, because your Wis
ion i dim Scales shut out the true light
Let me remove them. Does your eyes
seea'
III moi how do | perceive forms and
co!ors?'
THAT beautiful organ of flesh and blood
called the eye--I mean that natural orb
50 wonderful in its construction, does that
see objects around you! or is ii only kind
of window, through which the unseen or
true spiritual eye looks forth upon the
world Of nature Think! Is it possible
for mere matter to have the power of sightl'
Not unorganized matter!' replied.
'Unorganized! And what is organized
matter? 1t is material form in which is a
principle of life, and the form is determined
by the character of the animating principle.
Without the unseen the seen would be inert
and dead. Your eye is an organized form,
because there is an unseen principle of life
in Other words, an urseen eye-within,
giving i, the power of natural vision
This is as true of the ear and its uses as it
is OF The eve; Of the brain as of the ear;
as of the heart and lungs ms Of the brain; !;
and still further, as true of The whole body
as of single member Thus, there is an
unseen as well as seen body; and the form
er is equally susceptible Of impressions with
the latler-nay more susceptible because i,
is more highly organized
'Organized?' ~
Yes, spiritually organized
you starile ms: If this De true, what
wonderful things are involvedS
'Weare feorfully ano wonderfully made
returned the stranger, in solemn voice
This is divine language, and has di-
vine. and spiritual meaning. Yes; wonder
full things are involved. II we have this
spiritual body, then we have an inner as
well as outer life. And do not all admit
this vaguely?'
sThere is an inner life,' | said t
If an inner life, than an inner form of
life.' a
-sAnd that form as you say must take i'm
presslons
Yes and retain them.' +" t'..5
Not so teLaciously as this outward, phys.
ical form' 'sfi9f
eMore tenaciously,' said the stranger.
sThis do not clearly perceive. A form
so sublimated, so eternal, so unsubstantial,
must almost instantly overcome lmpres.
sions'
1t is not an unsubstaniial, but a truly
substantial FORM was answered. There
is a material substance and spiritual subs
stance; the latter is an abiding substance,
but the former is ever changing. Think!
Upon which does an impression remain
the longer-upon your body, or upon your
mind?'
Upon my mind,
If il we're not substance, could it re-
ceiye and retain impessions2'a
was silent. The words of that stran.
ger were SO full of meaning that | was op-
pressed by their signification. A window
seemed opening upon the unseen world;
but as vet, no objects were plainly visible.
Look around you, said the stranger.
There is the dull, cold, lfeless earth -
Seeds have been cast lntoit bosom. Now,
by what power does each send up, after its
kind, its leaf and stalk? From whence is
this wonderful and perfect discrimination?
1t is from the unseea and spiritual world
flowing from its infinitely variant principles
of life into forms Of matter presented in
seeds. In germs lie the points of Influx;
and each, after its kind, received life from
the unseen world. And as the law of like
producing like is an invariable law, it fol>
lows that, in order TO production Of q par
= al.