Year: 1875

However much we may be under
the influence Of church dogmas, which
teach us that nothing can be known
of the future, or under the chilling in
f1uence of skepticisms which doubt
the very existence of a future state,
yet the momentous question is pre-
sented to every human being thou
sand times: What will become of me?
And however much we may pretend
to sneer at creeds and doctrines which
profess to reveal to mankind the
scenes beyond the cold river and the
condition of the departed, yet there is
something in these subjects that at
tract and fascinate the mind beyond
all conception. In evidence of this
we witness the crowd rushing to hear
any lecture or public demonstration
calculated to throw light upon this
subject. And notwithstanding the
churchman and scientist will
preach and lecture against it
before the public, like SAUL, they
will stealthily seek the Witch
of Endor by night and consult her
about the future. By nature there is
not much difference iii humanity, but
by the practice of a species of decep-
ton we make an apparent difference.
If we were all to follow the natural
inclinations of our own hearts, we
would all drift in the same direction
on this subject. Inasmuch, then, as
we are all endowed with this faculty
of believing in future state, and the
desire to inquire into and know what
awaits us over there, let us nationally
examine every information that comes
to us from any quarter, and if it is not
contrary to the Bible, common-sense
and reason, there can be no danger in
adopting it. We are forced to believe
something-Heaven is not a patch of
moonshine; it is a substantial reality,
a place of abode, home-a habitation
which contains everything that the
most elevated and refined nature of
man could possibly imagine, to give
pleasure and joy to the soul-aye,
more, at hath not entered into the
heart of man to conceive" These
thoughts were presented to us from
reading paragraph from the pen of
SwEDENBoRG, which appeared SO ra-
tional and the legitimate result of
principles which all acknowledge and
see in constant operation in this life,
and the idea is SO pleasant and COM
forting to class that we all venerate,
that we are constrained to quote it in
full:


Such as are prncipled in love continually
youth, and the more thousands of years, the
more nearly they attain to a joyous and de-
lightful Spring, and so on to eternity, with
fresh increments of blessedness, according to
their advancement in mutual love, charity
and faith. Those OF the female sex who de-
part this life, broken with the infrmities of
age, after living in faith towards the Lord, in
charity towards the neighbour and conjugal
love with their husbands, advance with the
succession of ages more and more towards
the bloom of youth, and acquire beauty
SURPRISING all description. For 1t is the ma
ture of goodness and charity to form and es-
tablSh their own image in such persons,
causing the delight and and loveliness of
charity to be expressed in every feature of the
face, so that such persons become forms OF
love itself. This form of exquisite beauty af-
fects with charity the inmost life of him who
beholds it, and by the beauty of that form the
truths of faith are imaged forth, and thereby
rendered perceptible. Those who have lived
in faith grounded in charity towards the Lord,
become such forms OF beauty in another life.
All the angels are such forms, with an inf
mite variety, and of these heaven is composed


1t will be remembered that SWE-
DENBoRG was no sectarian, and never
thought an organization would be es-
tablished bearing his name. What he
wrote was designed for all people. We
doubt if there is to be found para
graph on this subject, in any theologi-
cal work extant, that presents to the
human mind more pleasing thoughts
of those departed ones, who, of all
others, were most dear to our hearts.
Gloomy Reports from the Black Hills.


.s..I