CHAPTER X.  A VISIT TO THE CIRCLES OF EARTH.

 

Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected.

—Confucius

 

THE possibility of holding communication with departed spirits, opened wide the fields of Spirit-life for investigation. As the more earthly spirits are nearest the earth and eager to gain recognition, it is not strange that wild theories are promulgated or ludicrous facts attested. Each spirit wishes to hold communion with its friends, and hence strives to impress those friends to grant the conditions necessary for them to communicate. The awful subject, bringing on its wings so much joy, has been perverted and brought to ridicule. There prevails an almost total ignorance of spiritual laws, and a blind zeal in the infallibility of spirit communications. A dense maw of crude spiritual elements directly surround the earth. Perverted reason looks through imperfect mediums, and everything appears distorted.

 

"We will go to earth," exclaimed the Sage, "and, for a while, witness the errors and mistakes of our brothers, inform ourselves in their present ideas, and then endeavor to teach them aright." So saying, the Society departed from their bright home. It was evening when they arrived, and such a beautiful evening! The silvery-orbed moon had just arose from beneath the eastern curtain of trees, and poured its flood of mellow light over the scene. The blue sky, with its lofty arch above, was redolent with gems and glittering diamonds.

"Oh, how beautiful!" exclaimed Hero; "I am on earth again, and seem an inhabitant of the lower sphere."

 

"Yes, nature is beautiful; but man is corrupt, because he is not true to that nature;" spoke the Philosopher in sorrowful accents.

 

Near by a "circle" had convened to witness the manifestations made by those who dwelt on the other side of Jordan's terrible stream. A miscellaneous crowd had collected, with curiosity on tip-toe, and all in a fever of expectation. Two or three "mediums" were there, with minds as cloudy as a stormy night, uncultivated and not well formed by nature. Through these channels the crowd expected to receive wisdom worthy of a god.

 

Over these assembled a group of spirits, full of fun and mischief, though they had no bad intentions. Questions were asked, and answered by the moving of the table. Such questions! The ignorant group of spirits, it was supposed, knew all the secrets of heaven and earth, and were wiser than the Deity himself. To those the spirits answered as best they could, and generally, after repeated blunderings, succeeded in stumbling upon the truth. In short, they were questioned like prisoners at the bar; and oh, such questions! An idiot might well laugh at their silliness! This very much pleased the spirits. They were having a gala time. They loved fun, and could not help giving mirth-provoking answers sometimes. One of the "circle" was determined that they should tell him where his pocket-knife was. Another, how many dollars he had in his pocket And, most wonderful of all, a decrepit old man said, "If they'll tell me how many children my great-grandfather had, I'll believe?" This greatly astonished and amused the Society. A whining fellow drawled out, "If this is my father's spirit, wont you tell me who stole my oxen?"

 

"Yes," was the prompt reply, "Your brother John sold them and kept the money."

 

"D——d lie," said John.

 

This was true—the spirit reading his thoughts, though his father's spirit was far from there. John was condemned unexpectedly, and the company bad great merriment over his discomfiture, in which the communicating spirits heartily joined.

 

"Enough of this circle," said Leon; "neither wishes to receive nor impart much useful instruction."

 

"There are thousands of such circles now on earth," answered the Philosopher, "composed of excited elements, and hence gaining nothing but disgust. O earth! is this thy boasted wisdom?—is this the use of the intellect thou extollest so highly? Wretched, indeed, the taste which prompts such gatherings, such questions, such curiosity! I almost blush to think that I was once of earth."

 

The next circle they visited was composed of believers who were all strong in preconceived errors. They met, not to abandon, but strengthen their old position. They had attracted a spirit who wished to instruct, but who was passive not to desire to infringe on their feelings. A Methodist asked questions, and from the answers drew the honest inference that Methodism was all right. A Baptist, from the answers be received, concluded that his creed was the thing the world demanded. The two conclusions disagreed, and the Methodist and Baptist revolved in their minds whether they were holding communication with Satan! This grieved the spirit very much, for he was not, like the others, given to make mirth out of the ridiculous in human nature, and he took the accusation as an affront personal, as though he were living in the body.

 

"Care nothing for this affront, but leave them and go with us." As he spake thus, the Sage extended his hand, and all departed. He led the way to a circle composed of ten members, all having the highest aspirations for truth and a deep understanding of spiritual laws. A large concourse of the highest order of minds had been attracted, who were disposed to reveal all they possibly could. Joy sat on every countenance, and inexpressible harmony pervaded every mind. There was not even a wish to inquire after stolen goods, or earthly affairs of any kind, for the circle was sufficiently developed to understand that man's business on earth is to look after things of the earth, and exert his own faculties; and that the business of the departed is in relation to their own sphere; and that if they undertook to reveal all crimes, and give certain premonitions of all coming danger, man would resign all his affairs into their charge, and sink into indolence and idiotism; there would be a spirit pilot to every vessel and steamer—a spirit engineer, conductor, and brakeman to every train of cars! In short that the Spirit-world could do nothing else than look after this lower world. This circle understood that the spirit's mission was to teach great and lofty truths, and afterward to go to their own homes above.

 

"Brothers, rest now," exclaimed the Sage, "for here there is harmony. I would instruct this circle, that its members may depart wiser than they came." Throwing aside his robe he threw his magnetic force on the medium, and proceeded through him to speak on the coming of the spiritual age, and the means whereby its harvest of ideas and truths might be harvested for the greatest benefit of humanity. Ceasing to speak he continued to convey his thoughts by means of a vision impressed on the mind of the subject, allowing the latter to describe what he saw in his own words.

 

THE VISION.

 

Glorious and grand the prospect breaks around me as though a magician's wand had dispelled the deep darkness which before encompassed my senses. My spirit revels with the infinite hosts of heaven. In a sphere of ugliness, I see beings in a most degraded state of filth and corruption. I cannot picture its miseries, for I never before saw such misery. I stand on an elevation in the centre of a boundless plain, covered with human beings freed from earthly life, but not from its cares, strifes, miseries, and woes. They are divided into groups. There a band of robbers; here of murderers, or sensualists. All the passions, desires, propensities, appetites are represented by groups, their various colors and disgusting forms. Avaunt, bloated sensualist and gourmand! Stand not so near, you suffocate me with your loathsome breath. Your presence fills me with disgust. I cannot gaze on the bloodshot eyes and ulcerously-inflamed face without a shudder.

 

"Here are beings clothed in rags, hanging in tattered shreds around their forms. All, all as black as night! My pity is moved at the spectacle, and keeps me gazing at the scene, fascinated with its changing hues. There is no rest, no quiet, no tranquility of thought, or peace of mind here. All is animal excitement and its attendant suffering. They wander about without purpose or design. Their errors keep them from the light; so they cannot progress, nor raise themselves above the level of the surface of the earth. They group about in a loathsome atmosphere, from which it is almost impossible to rise. No, not impossible, for those superior to themselves descend into this lower abode as missionaries, to teach them the ways of goodness and truth. These messengers, endowed with exalted philanthropy, make the great self-sacrifice with hearts overflowing for their erring brothers. They teach them, the path of righteousness. I can behold many descend, and their shining robes become more brilliant by the contrast with those benighted minds. They are "king on reform. The haggard features around them become more ghastly in expression, and some approach them, scorning and cursing them in rage, as the Jews of old did Jesus the Nazarene. They cannot enter the sphere which surrounds, like an impenetrable wall, these shining ones, or approach them unless bidden. They are chained, and stand listening to the words of the angels, who paint the errors of each in turn, holding the mirror to each one's heart. By turns they are enraged and chagrined. Now the angel finishes, and, unloosed by the last sentence, that dark audience move away, shouting and cursing in their bitterness. Ah! a few have stayed. There they stand, weeping in agony; their hearts have been touched; they see their errors, and wish for the truth. They have resolved to reform, and do not wish to remain with this dark group. They now are going away with the messengers. How bright they appear! To gaze on them fills me with pleasure.

 

"I have arisen to a higher plane—the sphere of the good and just. Such an exaltation fills me now that I find words inadequate to express it. Here is an Eden of delight, with gorgeous groves and fragrant flowers, beautiful trees and crystal streams. The colors are resplendently clear and vivid, the light is soft and brilliant, partaking of the ethereality I everywhere observe. Throughout the groves bright beings appear, engaged in their various pursuits, meditating or conversing, all joyous and happy. I wish to remain here forever, and mingle with these intelligences; the atmosphere exalts my soul…. But I must come back to earth; how I dislike these words! Earth looks dark, dreary and desolate."

 

The Sage then controlled the sensitive and wrote:—

 

"I came here this evening to instruct you. I have given you this vision that you might become impressed with the opposite conditions of Spirit­life. In the first part you recognize what will be your position if you indulge the baser faculties at the expense of the moral. If you are miserly—grind down the poor—speculate in blood and tears—are revengeful and cruel; if you make gourmands and drunkards of yourselves, you must expect to find a home in this dark sphere until your grossness and crudities have passed away. If you would become angels of light, and dwell in the bright abode last described, you must be good, truthful, philanthropic—not from a regard to your own happiness merely, but because it is right to be so.

 

"This is the hell so vividly impressed on the minds of the ancient seers and clairvoyants, which they supposed to be a lake of fire. You also here find heaven-happiness. The mind carries with it the capabilities of heaven or hell, and you need not look beyond the grave for these; you are all the time surrounded by them. No one should desire to leave the earth-life until its tasks are done.

 

"The most distant day will find none too well prepared. You should make the present as happy as the future. It were better to give all your attention to the perfection of mortal life, than to neglect its opportunities in expectation of greater enjoyments, in the future. Mau's birthright is to enjoy and garner the benefits of life, and he should fulfil the destiny which is his heritage. Be pure and unselfish in all things that you may enter this life prepared to participate in its joys."

 

It was queried, "How do you pass through space?"

 

"If the space between the planets was void, it would be as impossible for us to leave the surface of the earth as for you. This space is pervaded by an ether, which is slightly denser than the substance comprising our forms, highly attenuated as that may be, and thus the force of gravitation is suspended, and we can move with the rapidity of light wherever we will. The more elevated the spirit the greater the ease and rapidity with which this is performed. The lowest cannot rise into space at all, and are compelled to remain amidst the scones of earth-life. These are around you all the time, their homes are with you, and they have more power to make themselves felt, because their thoughts are in keeping with the earthly with whom they associate. They have leisure, and can await favorable opportunities. They can also control physical matter more readily than the higher classes. As the spirit advances and becomes exalted it loses the power to control physical matter, and ultimately it becomes impossible for it to do so directly. But to pass thus from earthly influences it must become so perfected that the truths it would communicate would so far transcend man's ability to receive that they would be valueless to him. Hence you receive crude answers from their ignorance and deception of this lower claw, ever ready to communicate, while the elevated have duties to perform, and cannot, or will not, come at any hour they may be called on."

 

Then one in the circle asked: "If they have such boundless love and philanthropy for us, they would delight in spending their time in instructing us."

 

"Suppose the angels you call should give their whole time for your benefit, how much would you surrender to them? What farmer would leave his plough? What mechanic his bench? What merchant his place of trade? Ah! you answer, these are our employments, and we cannot leave them. We have our employments, more essential than yours. We save a minute while you waste an hour. Every moment of time is precious to us, and if our philanthropy sends us to earth it is at great sacrifice. The spirit advances by study. The more we learn the more expansive our minds become; we have our aspirations, our hopes, and expectations. We ardently desire to become elevated into the brilliant circles above us. How we desire to sit down in the groves of the sphere above us—one day's journey nearer the omnipotent God! The visions from above arise in our expanding souls—beautiful, surpassing expression!