“There will arise a work which will engage the wisdom of this circle. Minds in the rudimental condition, will soon see a light from this sphere. They will hear a voice from heaven. Messengers from this circle will be employed to attract mind upward. They will see who can be influenced by their presence. Affinities, approximating to this circle, will be chosen as instruments of a great reform. Those who will be uninfluenced by the gross works of darkness, will receive the light of superior wisdom. Those who love the world of gold and silver, and are under the control of sensuality and tyranny, will abide the time of visitation, and seek their content in things that perish with the using; but the independent and candid, the honest and true, will rise upward in the resurrection of the just, and become partakers of an inheritance that fadeth not away. When that time comes, and come it will, the reform of the rudimental condition will be renewed with unabating energy; and old systems of wrong and wretchedness will vanish away. All circles in this sphere, capable of developing the rudimental mind, will aid in the work. You will be controlled as wisdom shall direct, and meet the evils of human society with a courage that never falters. Hope will be imparted to the despondent, and confidence to the fearful. All devoid of understanding will revile you, and many will turn a deaf ear to the voice of wisdom. But some will receive the word with gladness, and others with fear. The day will open upon mind the reality of heaven. The day will unlock the mystery of revelation, and give hope to all nations. The miracles of former ages will return, and return to be understood. Human opinions and creeds will melt in the sunshine of truth, and whole nations rise up in progress, and call you blessed. As free as the light of the sun will the wisdom of heaven smile upon mind; and the smile will subdue the wretchedness of ignorance and folly.
“Pilgrims: you have received the promise. Hope, without fear, will grow brighter and brighter, in this circle. You will receive wisdom, day by day, until the seventh seal shall be unloosed. Then, the work of reform will be commenced in wisdom, among the inhabitants of the earth.”
When he had concluded his speech, I desired to be informed in regard to the mathematical calculation of future events, and the rules by which such events are determined; when another mind responded: “Mathematical rules are the rules of nature; or, as you will understand, the laws of nature. The laws of nature control all things. Mind and matter, gross and fine, are subject to laws. In harmony with these laws, are cause and effect. When a cause produces an effect, the effect becomes a cause of another effect. Thus, effects are causes, and causes are the effects of other causes. But no effect will be inharmonious with the cause. The likeness of the one will be found in the other. When a cause transfers itself into an effect, or is productive of an effect, it will be as nature has designed, the true likeness of the cause. All variations are the result of combined causes, varying in their effects the modification, in the proportion of the power which each cause respectively exerts. Hence, by tracing one cause in its productions, and other causes in their productions, until the whole are mathematically balanced at any given period, the result will be mathematically demonstrated. There can not be two results at variance, when the law of cause and effect are understood and observed in the calculation. One, and only one conclusion can be obtained by this process of investigation.”
T. May not unseen causes disturb the result by their modifications?
“Causes differing essentially, will be repelled, whether seen or unseen. Mind can not be affected by remote affinities. The near affinities must control. Antagonistical elements can not control one another. They repulse; and whatever is repulsive, has no influence to change. The wisdom of the wise must be controlled by the wisdom of the wiser; because folly is repulsive, and only excites disgust and pity. By ascertaining the ratio of their progress, which is governed by an immutable law, and the future development of their minds may be determined at a given period; and what may be determined in regard to one mind, may be in regard to all, when the condition of all is understood. Hence, the aggregate result must be proportionate to the aggregate of the present condition in the ratio of development, as established by an immutable law controlling the development. When the seventh seal is unloosed, a complete and perfect survey of the aggregate condition of mind, having an influence on the rudimental condition, will be open to your inspection. And as all the influence of that seal comes through this circle to reach the rudimental condition, so we know the amount and extent of that influence, and are, therefore, able to make our calculations with the exactness of demonstration. Prophecy is not supernatural, but as natural as the calculation by numbers. It is a well ascertained fact, that numbers are just. Justice is the principle which governs all arithmetical and mathematical rules. This principle can not be invalidated. It is true; and because it is true, there can be no conflicting results. From aggregate conditions, and the ratio of progress made by those conditions, a result is always attainable for any given period.”
We were then made acquainted with the principle by which communications from the second to the rudimental sphere might be made. This principle was known in an early period of the world. Prophets and sages, poets and philosophers, have enjoyed, in nearly every century, the advantage of inspiration, although in some ages in so moderate a degree, as to be almost or quite imperceptible to the subject. Inspiration is the influx of spirit impressions. When these impressions could not be made by spirits, in consequence of the positive condition of mind, manifestations have been made. Belshazzar, being positive, could not be impressed by spirits; and the result shows that spirits made an impression of a fact on his mind, by writing on a wall, through the interpretation of a successful medium. Daniel could not have interpreted the writing, had it not been impressed upon him. The impression was so distinctly made upon his mind, that he could not avoid its recital. This established the confidence of the people in the truthfulness of his predictions. They were truthful, not because he was more wise than many others, but because he was impressed by those who were of this sphere.
But when inspiration comes from any mind below the sixth circle, it should be regarded with caution, so far as the prediction of future events is concerned. I will say, it should be regarded as an opinion of the mind who communicates. That opinion may be correct, or incorrect. And this is the reason, why inferior circles sometimes err, and results show their errors. It was not intended as a deception, but as a probable fact. It was opinion only. Spirits of the sixth circle predict facts, and only facts. They do not always inform the lower circles, of all the facts within the chain of events, but what they do predict is true, and the prediction will be strictly verified.
“The circle of prophecy is a circle of purity. The refinement of mind qualifies it to see with less obscurity. The wisdom of the pure will not be disappointed. As all prophecy is the maturity of wisdom in degree, so all purity is the result of this perfection. Mind in its development, passes through successive degrees of refinement, until it is qualified to understand things which, in its infancy, it could not comprehend. The infancy of mind embraces limited views of nature. The darkness of midnight surrounds the circle of its knowledge. A wild and vacant waste of immensity brings no light, because light is obscured by the grossness of perception; I will say, immensity is vacant to the mind in an unrefined condition. It surveys only a small compass of wisdom. The impurity of its condition predisposes it to judge according to the measure of itself. It will not travel beyond its own circuit, and is, therefore, compelled to render a decision compatible with its survey. That survey is incomplete, even within its prescribed limits, because intervening obstacles cast their shadows over the vision. The polar star is distrusted, the magnet is rejected, and the wild sea of wrong rages. All is dark, dreary night; all is wretched, hopeless confusion. Terror, wild and dismal, reigns in the empire of their minds. Nature seems a charnel house of corruption, and the ruler a tyrant without mercy.
“Pilgrims: the cause is apparent to you, but not to them. Viewing the economy of nature through their distorted vision, with their deceptive suspicions to mislead, their ignorance to govern, and their impurities to resist advancement, it does not surprise you to find them actually forming gods after their own likeness, and distributing justice according to their own measure. They can only comprehend their own measure; they can only weigh with their own weights; and, hence, what they measure and what they weigh, must not, and will not, exceed the standard which they have established. All other conditions must yield to their views of right and wrong. The pure and the impure are one or the other, as their wisdom prescribes, and prescribes by such rules as their wrongs have determined.
“Pilgrims: nature has her laws. When those laws are obeyed, the impure will become pure. This is nature; shun evil, and do good. This is law, and this is religion. This is right, and this right is pure in the wisdom of this circle. You will, also, understand, that to the impure all things are impure, which disagree with their rules. Their rules are not your rules. They would control nature; you would be controlled by nature. They would make war upon the laws of God; you would acquiesce in their righteousness. They would control all things; you would be submissive to nature’s decrees. They would circumscribe the teachings of nature; you would listen to her voice. They would judge you; but you would not judge them. They would aspire to your joy; but they have not the wisdom to reform that they might attain it. They would dispute the truth, because they have not the understanding to comprehend it. They would reform from their errors, but their rules are bars against reform. They would have peace, but they mock the voice that utters it. They would be happy, but happiness is misunderstood through want of experience. They would be pure, but purity is meaningless in the mouth of folly. They would wrong no one, but wrong is right to them. Such are the conditions of the impure and pure. The wisdom of this circle will acknowledge no law but love, no religion but goodness, no worship but worth, no ruler but God. His praise will be in your song; his wisdom in your devotions; his truth in your minds; and his reward in your works. The union of your hearts will be immortal. No wrong can mar your felicity, no curse awe you into servitude; for you are free, in the dominion of the free, to act, and do, and say, what the laws of your mind require to make yourselves and others blest.