Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-11-12
THE WORLD OF SPIRITS.
The SWedenbOrgiRn Idea of an
intermediate Future State.
Bottom Herald.

Smyth, IN Elliott hall. The subject
Of the lecture was Death, Resurrec.
ton and the Future Life; or, after
death, What2' The speaker said.
Man is a spiritual being dwelling in
a material body. The greatest and
best OF those who have lived in the
world have hoped for an Immortality
after the golden bond uniting the soul
to the body is severed" The speaker
quoted from the writings Of many phi
losophers, showing their ideas CON
cernipg death, and the condition Of
4 the soul after death. He quoted the
Scriptures to show the nearness Of the
spiritual world, and said he believed
the spiritual world to be very near; in
fact, everywhere about US. He said
that when death comes to our friends,
and they step out as it were into etcr>
nifty, do they not to many eyes seem
llost in the immensely which surrounds
! them? Few, perhaps, even dare to
ask into what world or state OF exist
ence the departed first come. Now,
an immediate transition into heaven
would, it seems to me, in most
cases, be as unnatural as direct
removal to hell would be cruel for we
are all, so to speak, mixed beings.
No one is so pure that he has no in
frmities, and few are so thoroughly
depraved as to have no signs OF virtue.
The majarity, perhaps, are animated
by much that is good and much that
is evil. Again, many are inwardly
evil but outwardly good, and others
hide beneath the rough exterior a
good, conscientious spirit. Now,
submit that the process Of death,
which is merely the souls departure
from its earthly tabernacle, effects no
essential change in its quality, any
more than your crossing over to Eng
land would make q complete change
in your real character. By simply
leaving the world a man does not cast
of his sel6shness, for his words do
follow with him. He cannot bury bis
worldliness in the grave. We do NOT
die sinners and wake up saints any
more than we die saints and wake up
sinners. We do not leave the world
christians and wake up Mohamme-
dams; nor can we 90 forth atheists and
find ourselves transformed into ardent
worshipers Of Christ. The plain
truth of the matter is that we pre-.
serve the same essential characters
that we form here, and the most OF
US find ourselves neither wholly good
oryet wholly bad-nei sher archangels
nor yet saints.
Where, then, do such souls-or, in
deed, humanity at large-frst 90 after
death? Where shall death land its
great net, full Of every kind, and from
which the goud and bad must be sep
arated2 The difficulty suggested By
these questions is fully answered By
the New Church doctrine Of an inter-
mediate world, called BY US the world
Of spirits" which lies, as it we're
midway between heaven and hell, and
serves as a yestibule to mans fnaI
abode. 1t is the greatest threshinI
floor wherein the grain becomes sep
arated from the chat, for it is here
that each Of US is judged. 1t is herr
that we robe ourselves 10 garment
suitable Tor the kingdom 10 which vi
are to dwell. It's this place wher,
the paths Of goodness and evil mus
be divided, and by a divergence which
grows wider and wider the farthe
they are travelled. With some it i
little more than a mere hating station
on their spiritual journey, and non,
are detained fer any longer periot
than is necessary for the full disclos
ure OF character and the imparting o
the instruction to the well disposed
1t is not house Of torment, nor, a
the sncients we're wont to believe,
place Of silence and of darkness
Rather, it is full Of unwonted activity
| being the common landing where we
! like emigrants from these shores o
time, disembark.
| If any one imagines that this kint
Of an intermediate or preparatory stat
4 In the spiritual world is new and fan
ciful, | beg to assure him that, in it
general features itis as old, aye, olde
than Christianity itself; for it wa
very prominent 10 the eschatology 0
the Egyptians, and in the long pano
rama Of the other world which may b
seen 10 their sacred rolls they draI
many pictures Of it. But, what is o
more value, this doctrine claiming tn
support OF the Scriptures, which il
many places allude TO division Of tn
spiritual world, which is manifest
neither heaven nor hell. In the Oh
Testament it is referred 10 more thai
once as the neither" or flower part
Of the earth" IL is not strange, there
fore, that Josephus should speak of i
quite emphatically, declaring it to b.
the place wherein the souls OF boil
the righteous and the unrighteous ar,
detained" The Apostle Peter refer
I to il where he declares that after tn
resurrection the Savior "preachet
unto the spirits in prison" this beinI
descriptive evidently Of a mission 0
mercy which. our risen Lord under
took 10 spirits who had been linger
ing in this intermediate world await
ing judgment. The fullest references
however, are to be found in tn
book Of Revelation. This book pur
ports TO be the record Of what Johl
saw In the spiritual world, and II re.
quires but little study to discover tina
many Of the scenes described ar,
really laid 10 the intermediate world
For frequently he describes hell as
pit below him, but at the same tim
states that heaven was above him
showing that, as to his spirit, he mus
have been between the two worlds
tie even gives On account oil a might,
angel that came down from heaven
The carly Christian fathers all be
lieved in the existence Of the world o
spirits, or intermediate state. Say
Rev. II H. Sears: However muol
the early Christian fathers were di
yided in their religious faith in othe
matters, in this they we're all agreed
that there are three conditions afte
death-heaven, hell apd a state medi
ate between them" Says anothe
scholar: mot one Of the early father
whose writings have come down to u
has called the doctrine in question.
4 The speaker then showed how man
true character was brought out in thl
intermediate world, aud he Of himsel
either went upward TO heaven o
downward to hell.
Persons recovering from wasting di.
eases, such As malaria, feyers. etc, will b
greatly benefited BY the use Of Brown
Iron Bitters, atrue tonic.
For the benefit Of those desiring /
i -. l. hi