The herald., 1896-12-21
UNITY CHURCH.
Symbols and Signs and the Develop.
ment Of Power.

The pastor, J. T. Thomson, preached
tial Beings to Mortals, from the text
There appeared a great wonder in hea-
ven," Revelations 1871.
The question is not about the reap
pearances of the dead to the living, but
about the appearance of those things
that never were in mortal bodies. The
seers of ancient times frequently saw
strange visions of creatures that we may
call celestial beings. One of them spoke
to Moses out of the flame of fire in
bush. The servant of Elisha saw a
mountain full of horses and chariots
of fire. Ezekiel and John, the author
of Revelation, saw four strange beasts,
an eagle. lion a bull and a man, with
wings, wheels, rings and a multitude of
eyes, They resemble the Masonic SYM
bols of the equinoXes and the solstices.
They have secret meanings. A flash of
light was instrumental in the conversion
of Paul. Fire and light seem to be the
usual accompaniments of the appear
ances of these strange beings. The
population of the other worlds must be
different from the inhabitants of our
planet. Some planets are large, some
are small, some are light and some are
heavy. They have different forms, col
ors, atmospheres, and conditions of life.
The inhabitants must have physical
forms suitable to these various condi-
tions. Even on our planet we see that
animals have bodies fitted for different
environments and circumstances. The
fish has a body for water The birds
body is made to fly. The worm has a
body for life in the earth. Land animals
have bodies for their lives. The body
of the old man is very different from
the body which he had as an infant. The
habitants of Russia are different from
f~.t<
The bodies we now live in are necessary
for this world: but the spirit at death
leaves them behind it, and will never
need in the spiritual world these clum-
sy, imperfect. diseased, uncomfortable
houses of flesh. Flesh and blood cannot
inhabit the kingdom of fire and light. 1t
will be great blessing to be free from
sickness and pains of this life. Paul
says that there are spiritual bodies for
the spirits in the next life. All bodies
and forms must be made Of matter of
some kind. Matter seems to be capa-
BILE of infinite refinement The matter
of the brain is very different from the
matter Of the bones. The worlds of
ether are still worlds of matter. What
forms we may have in another world we
do not yet know. but they
will be such as our life there
will need and demand. Our gar
ments will be woven out of our vir-
tues, or vices. We are now weaving the
robes which our spirits will wear in the
eternal world. In the transfigura tion of
Christ, his clothes were white beyond
description. If our lives be pure and
good our garments will be beautiful
ard white. Christ's garments were
white, because his life was pure and
sinless If we sin now, our garments
will have stains. The robes of those
who appeared as mortals. as they are
described in the Bible are WONDERFULLY
beautiful. Now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what
we shall be; but we know that, when he
shall appear, we shall be like, as we
shall see him as he is" The beauty and
glory Of the house eternal. not made