The future life as described and portrayed by spirits, through Mrs. Elizabeth Sweet

406 Pages·1869·0.622 MB·English

by  Elizabeth Sweet

THE
FUTURE LIFE:
AS
Described and Portrayed by Spirits,
THROUGH
MRS. ELIZABETH SWEET.
[1827-1859]
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
JUDGE JOHN WORTH EDMONDS.
[1799-1874]
[Recorded 1852-5]
BOSTON:
1869
INTRODUCTION.
At an early period of my investigations into spiritual intercourse,
when I was but an inquirer and by no means a believer, I was
invited to join a circle which had weekly meetings at the house of
Mrs. Fish, the eldest of the Fox family. I accepted the invitation,
and met there some five or six persons, male and female, all
strangers to me.
After a few meetings, Mrs. Fish introduced two new members to
the circle, Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert Sweet, alike strangers to me. They
were very quiet and unobtrusive in their manners, and I soon
discovered that they were very earnest and honest seekers after the
truth. But I had no idea, nor had they, that there was any
mediumship about either of them.
At that time, my official duties compelled me to be absent from
the city one month out of every three. On one occasion, when I
returned from such an absence, I was informed at the next meeting
of our circle, that Mrs. Sweet had begun to be developed as a
medium. The fact itself, and the manner in which it was told to me,
interested me at once.
In the course of the evening this development began to show
itself, but in a manner that was very repulsive to me.
Our circle had been uniformly orderly and decorous, and Mrs.
Sweet was one of the most gentle, modest, and retiring among
them. But on this occasion she was influenced
2 INTRODUCTION.
to jump up from her chair and run around the room, gesticulating
vehemently, and speaking in a loud voice, entirely alien to her usual
manner. The exhibition was so repulsive to me, that I arose to leave
the room. I threw my cloak around my shoulders, and then paused
a moment, looking at the scene. While I was doing this she came up
to me, and in a loud tone said, "You don't like this?" I answered,
"No; I do not, indeed." At once the manifestation ceased, and she
resumed her seat, and all was quiet again. Then through the
rappings it was said, that they, would influence her more quietly in
future.
At the next meeting of our circle she was again influenced, and in
a similar manner, though perhaps with less vehemence. I at once
spoke, "Is this what you call influencing her more quietly?" If she
had been knocked down with a club, the manifestation could not
have ceased more suddenly. From that time we had no more of that
rudeness, but every thing that came from her had all the gentleness
and modesty that so eminently characterized her.
I was then too much of a novice to know what I afterward
learned, that this violence, which mediums at times displayed, was
owing to their own opposition and resistance to the influence, and
was necessary not only to overcome such resistance, but also to
show the mediums that it was a power out of and beyond
themselves. I have often found, in other cases as well as hers, that
it was harder for the mediums—those especially who knew
nothing of the philosophy of the subject to realize and
acknowledge the presence of the power, than it was for the
uninfluenced spectator.
In her case, it was the work of time to overcome her doubts and
her reluctance, but finally, through her own singleness and purity
of purpose, and the judicious action
INTRODUCTION. 3
of her husband, she became one of the best trance and speaking
mediums I have ever seen.
This occurred in the early part of 1852, but our circle continued
at Mrs. Fish's until after I went South for the benefit of my health,
in December of that year.
In the mean time, I was in the habit of visiting her and her
husband two or three times a week at their house, and never
without receiving a communication from the spirits through her.
Sometimes I went alone, and sometimes I had persons with me, but
we formed no regular circle, for so complete was her development
that no aid from a circle was necessary. And so far did her
development progress, that it became no longer necessary to put
her into a trance, which had been previously necessary to prevent
the operation of her own mind from interfering with the spirit's
thoughts.
Those thoughts came from her with great freedom and accuracy,
the language uniformly good and much beyond what would be
expected from her education, using at times words very pertinent
to the matter in hand, but which she hesitated to speak because she
had never heard them before, tittering sentiments from which she
strenuously dissented, and giving expression to trains of thought
far beyond the reach of any on which her mind had ever dwelt.
I was in the habit of writing down with great care what was thus
uttered, and ore long her husband adopted the same practice, and
so committed to writing many communications given when I was
not present.
In this manner was preserved a great mass of spirit teachings of
much interest and value. But it was not thus alone that such
teachings through her were received and preserved.
At almost every one of my private interviews at her
4 INTRODUCTION.
house, I would receive some communication from my wife, of
which also I preserved the record; and at the circle at Mrs. Fish's
she would be influenced, and what she would then utter was also
written down and carefully saved.
My absence at the South continued about four months, during all
which time I heard nothing from the circle; and on my return in
April, I hastened to Mrs. Sweet's to renew the spirit-intercourse of
which I had been so long deprived. When I saw her, I learned that
our circle had been for some time broken up, and that her powers
had been suspended for at least two months. I could not get a word
through her! During the ensuing three weeks I called upon her
several times, but always in vain. Not a word could I get. I went to
other mediums, but with the same result. Determined "not to give
it up so," I got five or six mediums together, desirous of forming as
strong a battery as I could; and with their aid, through Mrs. Sweet,
I received this communication from my wife: "She and I," it was
said, "had prior to this used the intercourse for the purpose of our
own selfish gratification.. Now that must stop, and henceforth we
must use the advantages awarded to us for the benefit of others." I
replied that I was ready to do so, and the answer was, "Very well,
the means will soon be provided."
Several weeks elapsed, during which I waited with what patience
I could command, until one day an entire stranger spoke to me and
told me of manifestations at his house, through himself and his
daughter, which he wished me to witness. I did so, and discovered
at once how great were his medial powers. This was Dr. Dexter,
with whom I worked in harmony for a year or more, and with
whom I formed a circle which met at my house, of which Mr. and
Mrs. Sweet became members.
At those circles she was frequently influenced, sometimes
INTRODUCTION. 5
to speak alone, and sometimes in connection with other mediums;
and of those communications also careful records were made at the
time and preserved. Thus during the most active years of my
investigation into the reality and philosophy of spiritual
intercourse, I was intimately associated with Mrs. Sweet, and came
to regard her as, to say the least, one of the most reliable of all the
mediums whom I had seen; and thus, as I have detailed, many of
the manifestations through her were preserved.
Some of them have been published, some in my volumes entitled
"Spiritualism," and some in the newspaper or periodical
publications of the day; but they have never been gathered together
into one book, and many of them have never been given to the
world.
She is now in the spirit-world. She died in August, 1859. During
her life she always shrank, and would now, were she yet with us,
shrink from the publicity which any such book would give to her
name. But her husband, always impressed with the duty of placing
within every one's reach the revelations given through her, and not
confining them within his own knowledge, has determined to send
them forth. This determination has long existed in his mind, and he
has only waited for the time to come when his circumstances
would be favorable to do so. That time having now arrived, he
makes this publication. Most cordially do I commend his action,
and sincerely do I believe that what he has now gathered together
will afford to every sincere inquirer the great satisfaction which at
an earlier day they gave to me.
I have carefully read the MSS. of the papers which he proposes
to publish, and I can vouch for their genuineness. They are no
fabrications for a sinister purpose—no inventions of a later day—
no contrivances to deceive or
6 INTRODUCTION.
mislead; but they are, to my knowledge, teachings given through
her at the times they purport to have been given.
In my, view, they have a peculiar value, not always to be found
in our spiritual publications. As I understand it, the great object of
the present movement—as distinguished from the revelations of
former days—is to reveal to us what is the nature and condition of
the life into which we pass after death, all other manifestations of
the day being merely subordinate to, and co-operative with this.
All these communications through Mrs. Sweet, look directly to
this end, and to the reflecting mind, they furnish a mass of evidence
on that topic, of infinite value.
Of their genuineness I have already spoken, so I have of her
character; but yet not enough, perhaps, to inspire others with my
own convictions of the purity of her nature. She always seemed to
me to be
Pure as the snow-flake ere it falls,
And takes the stain of earth,
Without a taint of mortal life,
Except its mortal birth.
And I commend this publication to the earnest consideration of
all those, who, struggling through the mist which false teaching has
thrown around the grave, are striving to learn what is the actual
reality beyond it.
NEW YORK, January 20, 1869.J. W. EDMONDS.
CONTENTS.
CHAP. PAGE
I.—THE HOLY CITY 9
II.—SPIRITUAL MESSAGE 19
III.—THE SPIRIT ECHO 23
IV.—POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF MIND 28
V.—COMMUNICATION FROM A SPIRIT 33
VI.—SPIRIT LIFE 37
VII.—A PICTURE OF THE FUTURE 40
VIII.—MARGARET FULLER 44
IX—REASONABLE WORDS 50
X.—INTERVIEW WITH POLLOCK 59
XI.—NEW DESIRES 64
XII.—JOHN O. CALHOUN 68
XIII.—INTERVIEW WITH WEBSTER 74
XIV.—A SECOND VISIT 81
XV.—ANOTHER INTERVIEW 85
XVI.—REFORMATION 92
XVII.—THE PATH OF PROGRESSION 97
XVIII.—VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH 109
XIX.—A MIRROR 113
XX.—THE BOOK OF LIFE 118
XXI.—A BEAUTIFUL LESSON 122
CONTENTS.
CHAP. PAGE
XXII.—RETROSPECTION 126
XXIII.—THE MECHANIC 129
XXIV.—THE PREACHER 132
XXV.—THE RECEPTION OF SPIRITUALISM 135
XXVI.—THE DRUNKARD 139
XXVII.—THE ORGAN-BOY 146
XXVIII.—THE MAN OF EASE AND FASHION 150
XXIX.—THE SELF-SATISFIED 159
XXX.—NATURAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUL 167
XXXI.—VOLTAIRE AND WOLSEY 173
XXXII.—THE CYNIC 183
XXXIII.—THE SECOND-BIRTH 192
XXXIV.—THE SLAVE 196
XXXV.—THE QUEEN 203
XXXVI.—A SCENE IN SPIRIT-LAND 213
XXXVII.—THE MISER 228
XXXVIII.—SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE 235
XXXIX.—THE NEW CITY 238
XL.—THE ERRING ONE 241
XLI.—THE IDLER 255
XLII.—THE BEGGAR 262
XLIII.—INSIGNIFICANCE OF MAN 265
XLIV.—CAPABILITIES OF THE SOUL 268
XLV.—THE SKEPTIC 214
XLVI.—REALITIES OF SPIRIT-LIFE 286
XLVII.—THE CONVICT 290
XLVIII.—THE SOUL'S ASPIRATION 296
XLIX.—THE DYING GIRL 299
L.—THE INNER TEMPLE 307
LI.—THE FOOLISH MOTHER 309
LII—THE DISOBEDIENT SON 312
LIII.—CARDINAL RICHELIEU 319
LIV.—PRACTICAL NATURE OF SPIRIT-LIFE 323
LV.—GLIMPSE OF AHIGHER LIFE 328
LVI.—COMMUNICATION 337
LVII.—A WORD FROM VOLTAIRE 341
LVIII.—HOME OF UNHAPPY SPIRITS 348
LIX.—EXPERIENCE OF VOLTAIRE 359
APPENDIX 399
THE FUTURE LIFE.
CHAPTER I.
THE HOLY CITY.
Given by Mrs. Hemans, September, 1852.
I SAW a beautiful city afar off, and the name of that city was
"Holy." The entrance therein was through a massive gate, and on
either side stood an angel, around whose head was a soft halo of
radiance, like unto the sun when fleecy clouds have softened the
brilliancy of his ray; and their countenances were fair and
beautifully serene with a pure and holy love, and they ever sang
the hymn, "Holiness to the Lord."
The angels who guarded that gate were called Constance and
Truth, and many people were passing in and out. Some were clad
in bright raiments and had radiant faces. Some had a lowly and
downcast mien, and before they entered the gate were casting
imploring looks, with this expression on their faces, "May I
enter?" Some strode along tall and majestically, their heads erect
and their faces earnest, as if in pursuit of some great treasure to be
obtained when they should