The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1875-10-28
The Third Heaven.

This may never be achieved, and we
must for the present be content to know
that science and revelation, standing on
their respective fields, both point up.
ward and inward to mysterious center
of the universe of God, whence emenate
powers that extend to the utmost limits
of space, and where dwells glory mac
cessible, which eye hath not seen. neither
hath it entered into the heart of man to
conceive. l believe, therefore,-the Scrip
tural idea of a third heaven. as a space
existing beyond the limits of the uni
verse, is one that may be said to be a
spiritual idea. although it is one that
science cannot prove by definite facts.
There is, however, a curious connection,
which it is worth while to point out to
you here, as | have few minutes remain
ing, between the revelations of geology
to us in regard to past states of the
world and the idea presented by Scrip
ture that the earth is at a subsequent
time to be included in the conditions OF
the spiritual world, and to be inhabited
perhaps by persons having spiritual bod
les, as distinguished from natural bodies,
and that is this: that, if we look back in
the worlds history as presented to us by
geology, we can see that in each particu-
lar stage OF its history we might have ab-
US with respect to its possible future.
Let us suppose, for instance--it has
been put in this way by recent Scotch
writer-that we as intelligent beings were
introduced to a world in which there was
no living thing, in which all things were
dead, Inorganic matter, aud the most
beautiful things of that world would be
of the crystalline forms that minerals can
assume; and let US suppose some higher
intelligence than ours should come and
say to US: This world, in its present
condition, shall not always remain so, 1t
is the will of God that at a future time
new power shall be introduced, and that
new power shall be the power of vegeta-
BILE life" Now. how would it be possible
to give to US any idea in terms of a min
eral OF whac would be the condition of
vegetable. He might tell US as the sun
shone upon 4 beautiful crystal and made
it sparkle before our eyes, so the sun
shining npOn this new creation would not
only make it shine and SPARKLE but grow
and increase. But how difficult it would
be ior such an intelligence to give Us
such a conception of the wonderful and
varied lite OF the vegetable kingdom, if
he had nothing but the terms of the min
eral kingdom to express himself in. But
suppose, again, we were to come to earth
at Il lateF llne, ana saw VeSetaOle llIe III
abundance, and there was no animal lie;
and suppose our teacher was to come to
US and try to explain that. at future
time there would be animal life, and
that this life would manifest strange and
different powers from the vegetable life.
de would perhaps try to explain that
these animals have the roots inside of
themselves instead of in the ground; ;and
instead of being fixed to the earth could
move about, and would try to explain to
US in terms OF the vegetable what an ani-
NAL would be. How difficult it would be
TO understand it? And then suppose we
came to a world inhabited by the root
animals, and were to be told again that
the world was to 90 into another State,
md this teacher OF ours was to try to ex-
| plain to US in the terms OF the brute ami
| mails what kind OF creature man was to
be, and what kind OF things he was to
do How could he give US an idea OF ouI