| 488 axalted [exalted], all nature seeks a grand sublime repose and enters into rest, to change no more. Enter the sacred archives of the third heavens; hear with John the seven thunders speak, while forked lightnings flash around thy head; and trumps and voices loud proclaim the mysteries which are not lawful for man on earth to utter. And thus with knowledge stored, return to earth, and attempt to write all thou hast seen, or heard, or know of heaven and earth, of time and eternity, in a book.
You will then realize the truth of the language of poet.
Could we with ink the oceans fill,
Was the whole earth of parchment made,
And every single stick a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry,
Nor could the whole upon a scroll
Be spread from sky to sky."
In his chapter on the "Immortality and Eternal Life of the Material Body;" he reasons thus:
"If it still be argued that something can be made from nothing, we would inquire how many solid feet of nonentity it would require to make one solid foot of material substance? The very idea is the climax of absurdity.
Therefore we argue that it is a self-evident fact, clearly manifested to every reflecting mind, that elements of matter are eternal. That the earth was formed out of the eternal elements, and man's body out of the earth.-These facts are not only proven from scripture, reason, and philosophy, but are also demonstrated or confirmed by daily experience. The work of creation has been proceeding in every age up to the present time upon the same unchangable [unchangeable] principles. That is, all material organization in our world is produced from the earth, or from its own elements, as we daily witness; while there is not a single instance of a thing, or being, produced from nothing, so far as come within the sphere of man's observation.
Modern discoveries in the science of geology have had a tendency to illustrate and confirm these important facts; and to explode the systems of mysticism, which while they throw a vail [veil] over the whole subject, as if too sacred for investigation, would fain make the world believe, that a God without body or parts, whose centre [center] is everywhere and his circumference no where; originated all things from nothing, some six thousand years since, while at the same time formations are found in the bowels of the earth which indicate an existence of perhaps hundreds of thousands of years."
The following is from an article on "Intelligence and Affection."
"It is true, that, in this life the progress of the mind in intelligence, is not only gradual, but obstructed in various ways. It has to contend, not only with its own prejudices and the errors of an opposing world, but with innumerable weaknesses, temptations, cares, and troubles, with which it is continually beset.
And finally, its organs are weakened by disease, or worn with age, till it sinks into a backward tendency-looses a portion of that which it has been able to comprehend, and partakes of a kind of secondary childhood.
From this fact, some are ready to conclude, that the mind, like the body, has its limits; its point of maturity, beyond which it can never expand; and that arriving at this climax of maturity, like a full grown plant, it is incapable of a further advance. But this is a mistake. It is not the mind itself that is thus limited and confined with a circle so narrow, but it is the circumstances in which it is placed. That is, its bodily organs, once strong and vigorous, are now weakened by disease, or worn with age.-Hence, the mind, while connected with them, and dependent on them, is compelled to partake of their weaknesses. And like a strong traveller [traveler] with a weak companion, or a strong workman with a slender tool, it can only operate as they are able to bear.
What then is the means by which this formidable obstacle can be overcome, and the mind be enabled with renewed vigor, to continue its onward progress in the reception of intelligence?
We will best answer this question by a parable.
A certain child had continued the use of food until its teeth were worn, loosened, and decayed to that final degree that they were no longer able to perform their accustomed office. On this account, its food was swallowed in such a manner as not to digest properly.
This soon caused general weakness and disorder of the system. Some unthinking persons seeing this, came to the conclusion that the child had come to maturity-that it no longer needed its accustomed nourishment, but must gradually sink and die. But in process of time, nature provided its own remedy. The old teeth were shed, and a new set more strong and durable took their place. The system being thus restored in every part to a full, vigorous and healthy action, was enabled to make rapid progress toward perfection, and to receive and digest food far more strong and hard of digestion than before.
So with the organs of the mind. This temporary body, frail and mortal, is to the mind
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