The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-04-28


Since the deccaso OF Il tood and
noble oiti3on, the Published account
oil his experience rs cheited from
him by his friends during the last
hour Of his illness, has revived the
controversy in this locality in regard
TO the possibility Of ono catching
GLIMPSE, or IN other words, being
let into the actualvision Of the beau.
tiesand realities of the future world
whiio yet tho mind is in tho corporal
temple,
And Withdrawing at brcvity, con-
fining ourselves to the subjectstated,
touching lightly and carefully upon
it, concoding to all the rightto crtcr-
tain their peculiar opinions, what.
ever they 90, adding nothing to, or
taking nothing from, lot us examine
the subject in the light of truth and
reason, which th1 Author of our
being in the diarensation of his wis
dom, has been pleased TO implant in
the breast Of each, for the detection
of falsehood and the correction of
error.
We shall also advert occasionally
to holy writ for confederation.
In the contemplation of this subject,
the first question presenting itself is
can the mind which is immaterial
| take cognizanco ofsubstance through
any other agency than the senses
while associated with the hodys
The mind and body though sep
aratc, and distinct with respect to
each other, are yet by the Divine
economy for the purposes of life as.
sociated together and in their proper
condition act in harmony with each
other. If this DO true it is an unqucs-
tionable fact resting on the founda-
ton OF reason, that all human views,
are drawn from objects of a material
and substantial nature, hence Mr..
Dick lays it down as fundamental
principle "That however much we
may talk about purely spiritual Ueas
it is quite evident from the nature OF
things and from the very constitu-
ton of man, that wo can have no
ideas without the intervention of
sensible Objects
| Owing to this very fact, it perhaps
is to some extent true, that the
prophet was led to cxclaim "Tho
King is eternal, immortal, and invisi-
bic dwelling in that light which no
man can approach, Whom no
man hath seen or can sec."
| In pursuing tho subject above
stated, namely, catching glimpses OF
the future world, as spirits are con-
cerncd in it, perhaps it will not be
amiss to define the word spirits in
order that We may DO the better
understood. ga spirit, says Mr..
Locke, is 4 substance in which
thinking, knowing, doubling and q
power Of moving do subsist," a
| definition not SO satisfactory MS might
now be given yet sufficient for the
purpose in hand. Now the mind
takes cognizancc of two worlds, the
present and future, the latter OF
which all men from the remotest
periods of antiquity down to the
present christian era, have rcioiced
to believe as q reality; for says
Cicero, "er rita tia decide tangaona e.r
| hosplto non tdagqam ca donao" This
latter world of which we speak
we have called the spiritual world.
The mind being spiritual in it's
! nature us we have soon, if- co long 40
it is associated with the body, it can
have no ideas ut all without the
intervention of sensible objects from
the more powerful reason, much less
can it take cognizanco of immaterial
and spiritual essences. TO hold
otherwise is ropugnant to sense and
| reason.
This being true, the inquiry then
arises how tho point under consider
alton may be effected and in it's con-
temptation, we are intuitively led to
infer, that first there must be disso-
luton of body and spirit, in order to let
the latter into the spiritual realm
and visible glory of the celestial
world.
If Immortality is true, ("and that it
is all nature speaks aloud through all
her works. } it is to say the least, a
mere truism that the soul which is
an attribute Of the Deityhimself, will
perpetually progress toward stan
dard ofperfeotion without the posi-,
bility ofeyer gaining it, but we must
not forget that u dissolution must
first take place before the soul may
enter fully and properly upon its
glorious march toward that perfec.
ton, nay more, before it can catch
gltnpSes of the spiritual, for says the
Apostle John, GOD is q spirit, no
man hath ever seen God at any
time"
Another eXclaims, mo man can
see God and live" (meaning at the
same timo)
1t is doubtless true, that tho author
of our being in the dlspensation of
his wisdom, ordained a dissolution to |
enable man to lay aside the physical
and moral impedlmonts which hang
like drapery about the mind clouding |
the chambers OF the soul, and thereby |
cutter upon that scene the glories off
which have not entered into the
mind Of man to conceive.
As by the death of the seed placed
i'll the earth terminates and springs |
into life the lovely flower in all the
beauty and perfection of its nature
so by a dissolution which is q death |
OF the body, the soul enters into
life mingling with, contem-
plating and beholding the ETHEREAL
intelligences which inbabit eternity.
Now until this mysterious consum-
nation is effected, mankind must
contine their views to the objects of
tho material world, and not seek to
extend them into the mystic future.
For at least the time must necess.i.
rliy be short, when the soul. whether
IL desire or not will take its depar-
turc and Join the innumcrablc hosts