Chapter I - Natural Science
36:1
Life and Intelligence in matter, there will be great
Life and Intelligence in matter, there will be great
tribulation such as has not been since the beginning.
36:3
When pleasures of sense perish, they are taken away
When pleasures of sense perish, they are taken away
through anguish, even the amputation of right hands,
and plucking out of right eyes. Man at ease in error,
when stricken suddenly down by death, cannot under-
stand Life. Mortal man knows nothing about Life
that is learned by relinquishing pleasure and pain of
sense; and how long the pangs necessary for error's
amputation continue, depends on the tenacity of the
belief of happiness in personal sense. When remem-
bering God is our only Life, and contemplating our
present adherence to the belief of Life in matter, we
may well tremble for the days in which we shall say,
"I have no pleasure in them." The false views enter-
tained of pardoned sin, or universal and immediate
happiness in the midst of sin, or, that we are changed
in a moment from sin to holiness, are grave mistakes.
To suddenly drop our earthly character, and become
partakers of eternal Life, without the pangs of a new
birth, is morally impossible. We know, "all will be
changed in the twinkling of an eye when the last trump
shall sound," but the last call of Wisdom is not the first
call in the growth of Christian character; while man is
selfish, unjust, hypocritical and sensual, to conclude the
last call of Wisdom has been heard that awakens him
to glorified being, is preposterous! Science forbids
such feats of imagination, and looks us in the face with
reason and revelation.
36:30
"As the tree falleth, so shall it lie;" as man goeth
"As the tree falleth, so shall it lie;" as man goeth
to sleep so shall he waken; when the belief of death
closes our eyes on this phase of the dream of Life in
37:1
matter, we shall waken, not to a final judgment or res-
matter, we shall waken, not to a final judgment or res-
urrection, not with a single change in character, but for
the same judgment of Wisdom to go on in process of
purification as before, until Truth finally destroys error.
When the final triumph of Soul over sense is achieved,
the last trump has sounded, and not until then; this
hour "no man knoweth, not the son but the Father;"
here prophecy stops and proof is wanting; but science
sees beyond the grave the certainty of immortality.
The science of Life is the only certainty of existence.
Truth is harmony and immortality. Universal salvation
holds its grounds on the basis of progression, in which
case man cannot commence too soon the severest les-
sons of science, whereby to gain happiness and immor-
tality. Heaven is not a local habitation, but the har-
mony of mind and body; and we obtain this not of
belief, but understanding, not of sense, but science.
From the sudden surprise of finding all that is mortal,
unreal, a belief only, without creation or Truth, the
question arises, who or what is it that believes. We
have before said God is the only Intelligence and can-
not believe because He understands. There is neither
substance nor Intelligence, in the mountain mirage that
seemeth what it is not, and such is mortal man; nor in
a face reflected from the mirror; but such is not immor
tal man the image of God. Intelligence is Soul and not
sense, Spirit and not matter, and God is the only Intel-
ligence, and there is but one God, hence there are no
believers! So far as this statement is understood will
it be admitted, and the true idea of God, which is the
only real man, will appear to the understanding, and
the old belief of Intelligence and Life in matter, named