— I RELIGION Helen Keller fl Copyright by Toubleday, Doran & Co. . # ..u een enjoy the sun and fl. vers and music where there is nothing except darkness and sil:nce you have proved the Mystic Sense—Helen Keller WNU Service (Conclusion.) * But Swedenborg also says that if a man with unlovely delights has the intellectual honesty to acknowledge them, and earnestly tries to lift up his heart to something worthy, he need not, he must not, despair. As fast as his old fascinations depart, pure hap- piness will rush into his soul as ir- resistibly as strong air currents which gladden a long shut-up dwell- ing, and the happier he becomes, the stronger he will be to remould out- ward circumstances to his desire. It is a mistake for him to entertain fears about the enemy finding a breach in his once broken ramparts. In place of each fear he can build a new delight and stay his mind upon it until the ordeal passes. That is what is meant by “a hobby” in mod- ern thought, and it is wonderful to read how many unfortunate men and women are being thus helped out of seemingly hopeless evil tendencies into undreamed self-development, a eaven-given psychotherapy. For- givgness for sin is nothing but the avellspring of joy from above that fills the bruised heart when one has driven out wrong desires and evil thoughts, harmony with the po ~ gr A ror 5 LEE ary he It is beyond a doubt that everyone ehould have time for some special de- Light, if only five minutes each day 15 seek out a lovely flower or cloud or 'd star, or learn a verse or brighten another's dull task. What is the use of such terrible diligence as many tire themselves out with, if they always postpone their exchange of smiles with Beauty and Joy to cling to irk- some duties and relations? Unless they admit these fair, fresh, and eter- nal presences into their lives as they can, they must needs shut themselves out of heaven, and a gray dust settles on all existence. That the sky is brighter than the earth means little unless the earth itself is appreciated ard enjoyed. Its beauty loved gives the right to aspire to the radiance of the sunrise and the stars. Few people are saints or geniuses, put there is always this much of hope in all men—every pure delight they cherish is as “focus of good-will,” and every lovely scene they dwell on, every harmony they listen to, every graceful or tender thing they touch with reverent hand starts on the wing a flock of sweet thoughts which neither care nor poverty nor pain can destroy. Joy is the voice of the love and faith that shall at last pronounce the word of eternal life—“Well done!” Joy is inseparable from the doc- trines set forth by Swedenborg. In that day his was a new branch of philosophy that seemed strange after the penances of the Middle Ages and the gloom of iron creeds. One of the surprises of his teaching is the uni- versality of delight as a minister to life. His surperb faith in man’s abil- ity to augment the happiness of mar- riage and to make the life of child- hood beautiful is still far ahead of the timid distrust, the low ideals, and the stupid methods of imparting knowledge which prevail among us. In a word, true life is the heart's capacity for joy fulfilled. We are beginning to perceive the Divine Providence as Swedenborg de- scribes it—in a circle of large, noble ideas which are consistent with its greatness. Heretofore it has been darkened by controversial dogmas, and often its meaning has degener- ated into-special provisions which im- ply special neglects. But in Sweden- borg’s teaching-it is shown to be the government of God's Love and Wis- dom and the creation of uses. Since His Life cannot be less in one being than another; or His Love manifested less fully in one thing than another, His Providence must needs be uni- versal. Qut of the neglects which used to be pointed out was the exclusion of | vast multitudes from the blessings of salvation through Jesus Christ. This idea, however, is giving way to a more generous understanding that God has “other sheep who hear His Voice and obey Him.” He has pro- vided religion of some kind every- ‘where, and it does not matter to what race or creed anyone belongs if he is faithful to his ideals of right living. The one principle to be remembered by all is that religion is to live a doc- trine, not merely to believe one, It was of the Divine Providence that Mohammed arose to overthrow idol- | temptations, This great prophet taught A world that worship. a form of religion adapted to the pe- | | | sibilitieg. .T ple abound who remain unharmed by them because théy are far from the corruption in high places. If we view the Divine Providence from the heaven in our minds, past ‘experiences yield up to us precious lessons of wisdom and helpfulness, and we feel the harmony of life; but if we look at God’s ways from a world of accident, chance, and dis- cord, we misunderstand them utterly. We regard Him as an arbitrary dis- penser of rewards and punishments, partial to favorites and vengeful to adversaries. We presume upon His immensity with our petty patriotisms and pray to Him for victory. We turn to warring sects—and where is He? It has even been said to me, “If there were a God, would He not have created man so that he could never sin?” As if anybody wished him to be an a.tomaton. Not to be able to sin could satisfy only a despot; does not the spirit shiver at such a concept? In fact, all denials of God are found at last to be denials of free- dom and humanity. The living value of a belief depends not on our own limited experience but on its benefit to mankind; and an overruling Ben- eficence is the only teaching that ulti- mately justifies our knowledge or gives dignity to civilization. It in- cludes many gifts, but above all the power of going out of oneself and ap- preciating whatever is noble in mar and wonderful in the universe. Swedenborg’s “Divine Providence” is a powerfully personal testimony to the truth that God created the uni- verse because of the infinite need of His nature to give life and joy. The futility and hollowness of belief in a remote, unapproachable Deity is shown in many a passage of that com- forting work. The author declares that “It is the essence of God’s Love to love others, to desire to be one with them, and from Himself to make them happy.” That is the whole of the Divine Providence, and we must let ourselves be borne along by it as by a current if we wish to accomp- lish our part in His Work of spiritual rehabilitation. TITRE Therefore in th2 vicissitudes of ous tives the Divine Providence looks, not to temporal hlessings only, but chiefly to our eternal welfare and happiness. The million little things that drop | into our hands, the small opportuni- ties each day brings He leaves us free to use or abuse and goes unchanging along His silent way; yet always He guards the right of everyone to act in freedom according to reason. For liberty and rationality are tokens of His gift of immortality to humand kind. . Since we are all too" prone to live selfishly, it is necessary that there should be something within us to off- set this tendency. The choice of a better life which we are to make in- volves some previous knowledge of such a life. What could save us from becoming more and more like animals. | if there were not present with us other fendencies of a nobler kind? We cannot freely and wisely choose the right way for ourselves unless wr know both good and evil. i - light shining round about. . The altar is holy if only it represents the altar of pur heart upon which we offer the only sacrifices ever commanded—the love that is stronger than hate and the faith that overcometh doubt. A simple, childlike faith in a Di- unto you, he that receiveth whomso- ever I send reseiveth me.” We may overcome and in the higher ideals we thus attain the whole kingdom of Love and Wisdom is present. In this way we learn that the real way to know that in every limitation we | vine: Friend solves all the problems that come to us by land or sea. Diffi- culties meet us at every turn. They are the accompaniment of life. They result from combinations of character and individual idosyncrasies. The surest way to meet them is to assume that we are immortal, and that we have a Friend who “slumbers not, nor sleeps,” and who watches over us and guides us—if we but let Him. With this thought strongly intrenched in our inmost being, we can do almost anything we wish and need not limit This is all said to explain Sweden- borg’s doctrine of “reliquiz” as a powerful factor in moulding life. That word, often translated “re- mains,” signifies the lasting impres- sions of love and truth and beauty left in us from the days of our child- | hood. At birth we are passive. Our inherited evil tendencies are as yet quiescent. That is why the little child is so near to heaven, and we so often feel that the angels are ministering to him. “Their angels do always be- hold the face of my Father which is in heaven.” in “trailing clouds of glory,” with characteristics and potentialities dif- ferent from any other human being. He receives capabilities’ of goodness and wisdom from the Lord alone, and in a very real sense heaven enspheres him like the sunshine. This is the way Swedenborg accounts for the beauti- ful innocence and trust of the little child. We never completely lost this innocence and trust. Our stored-up capabilities are the holy places where we feel our kinship with the Divine. These are the places of sacrifice, the meeting-ground of mortal and immor-. tal, the tents of trial where are waged the great spiritual combats of man’s life. Here are“the-tears and agonies and the bloody sweat of Gethsemane. Happy the man who Truly, the child comes can say to himself, “Here, too, was ° the victory!” Here is the shrine of the life we have chosen. : CHAPTER VIII Once affliction was looked upon as a punishment from God—a burden to be borne passively and piously. The only idea of helping the victims of misfortune was to shelter them and leave them to meditate and live as | contentedly as possible in the valley of the shadow. But now we under- stand that a sequestered life without aspiration enfeebles the spirit. It is exactly the same as with the body. The muscles must be used, or they lose their strength. If we do not go out of our limited experience some- how and use our memory, understand- ing, and sympathy, they become inac- tive. It is by fighting the limitations, and failures of the 9 teach our highest pos- hat is what Swedenborg culiar genius of Orientals, and that | calls renouncing the world and wor explains the mighty influence for good this faith has exerc¢ised in many em- pires and kingdoms. The history of religious thought proclaims in trum- pet tones that God has never Himself without a witness. : Wherever, as is the tendency of conventional worship, the dogmas of i nation turn wicked, simple good peo- shipping God. Sick or well, blind or seeing, bond or free, we are here for a purpose and however we are situated, we left | please God better with useful deeds than with many prayers or pious res- ignation, The temple or church is empty unless the good of life fills it. It is not the stone wallé that make i small oF large, hk the brave souls the things we think. We may help ourselves to all the beauty of the uni- verse that we can hold. For every hurt there is recompense of tender sympathy. Out of pain grow the vio- lets of patience and sweetness, the vision of the Holy Fire that touched the lips of Isaiah and kindled his life into spirit, and the contentment that The marvellous richness of human experi- ence would lose something of reward- ing joy if there were no limitations comes with the evening star. to overcome. The hilltop hour would not be half so wonderful if there wer no dark valley to traverse. I have never believed that my limi- tations weré in any sense punish- ments or accidents. If I had held such # view, I could never have ex- erted the strength to overcome them. It has always seemed to me that there is a very special significance in the words of “the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews”: “If we are chastened, God dealeth with us as with sons.” Swedenborg’s teachings bear me out in this view. He defines the greatly misunderstood word chastening or chastisement, not as punishment, but as training, discipline, refinement of the soul. ™wesuyt ihe The “True Christian Religion” is cull of stimuli for faith in our God- given powers and self-activity. The chapters “Faith” and “Free-will" are a powerful declaration that we should never surrender to misfortunes or cir- cumstances or even to our faults hopelessly, passively—as if we were but carved images with our hands hanging down, waiting for God's Grace to put us into motion. We should give no quarter to spiritual slavery. We should take the initia- tive, look into ourselves fearlessly, search out new ideas of what to do, and ways to develop our will-power. Then God will give us enough light and love for all our needs. Now, limitations of all kinds ar. forms of chastening to encourage self-development and true freedom. They are tools put into our hands to hew away the stone and flint which keep the higher gifts hidden away in” our being. They tear away the bandage of eyes, of a pitying heart. The example of the newly blinded man is so concrete, I wish to use it as a type for all life-training. When he first loses his sight, he thinks there is nothing left for him but heartache He feels shut out from Life to him is like the ashes on a cold hearth. The fire of ambition is quenched. The light of hope is gone out. The objects in which he once took delight seem to thrust out sharp edges at him as he gropes his way about. Even those who love him act unwittingly as an irritant to his feelings because he can no longer give them the support Then comes some wise teacher and friend and assures him he can work with his hands and to a considerable degree train his hearing to take the place of sight. Often the stricken man does not believe it, and in his despair interprets it as a mock- Like a drowning person he strikes blindly at anyone that tries to evertheless, the sufferer must be urged onward in spite of him- gelf, and when he once realizes that he can put himself again in connec- tion with the world, and fulfill tasks worthy of a man, a being he did not dream of before unfolds itself with- If he is wise, he discovers at last that happiness has very little to do with outward circumstances, and he treads his dark way with a firmer will than he ever felt in the and despair. all that is human. of his labor. ery. save him. in him. light. Likewise those who have been mentally blinded “in the gradual fur- nace of the world” can, and must, be pressed to look for .aew capabilities within themselves and work out new They may even . resent faith that expects nobler things . from them. They say in effect, “I will be content. if you take me for what I am—dull, or mean, or hard, But it is an affront to them and to the eternal dignity of man so to acquiesce. How often it comes over us that there is much in us which our nearest friends cannot know—more than we dare or care or are able to lay bare, more of feeling, more of power, more of manhood. How little we know ourselves! We need limitations and temptations to open our inner selves, dispel our ig- tear off disguises, throw down old idols, and destroy false Only .by such rude awakenings can we be led to dwell are less cramped, less hindered by the ever- ; Only then do we discover a new capacity and apprecia- tion of goodness and beauty and ways to happiness. or selfish.” norance, standards. in a place where w: insistent External. truth. From such experience we may gain a wonderful interpretation of the Lord's words; “Verily, verily, 1 say indifference from our and we behold the burdens others are carrying, and we learn to help them by yielding to the dictates wonders and glories in these phenom- ena! A child sees in the things about him only what he wants or does not the falling of the apple as the ex- Nature, he sees far beyond ordinary sight. It is the same with our spirits. We grow as we discern more fully the possibilities of new life wrapped up in daily contacts. But when we forget or ignore this vital fact, the senses lead us astray. That is why limitations are necessary to bring be- fore us the greatness of inner life offered us in the circumstances of our lives, and show us our God-given op- portunities. The constant service of Swedenborg ies in such thoughts as these. He shows us that in every event and every limitation we have a choice, and that to choose is to create. We can decide to let our trials crush us, or we can convert them to new forces of good. We can drift along with general opinion and tradition, or we can throw ourselves upon the guid- ance of the soul within and steer courageously toward truth. We can- not tell from the outside whether our experiences are really blessings or not. They are cups of poison, or cups of healthful life, according to what we ourselves put into them. The between what we may or may not do, as between the principles from which limited. Earth is not intended to be an altogether delightful abode any wrath. Since the soil brings forth thistles, and roses have thorns, why should man’s life not have its trials? It is not strange, or cruel. It is the urge of God that impels us to en- large our lives and keep strong for that higher destiny which cannot be accomplished within the limits of earth.. Only by striving for what is beyond us do we win expansion and joy. Let us, then, take up that limi- tation which each one has, and follow the example of Him who bore upon his frail human shoulders the cross of pine world, that He might become a BATT a seal daw ia Su . * 5 up “uminous and inspiring influence, communicating life-giving thoughts and desires to the weak, the tempted. and the despondent. I do not know if it is the “mystic” sense I possess; but certainly it is perceptive. It is the faculty that brings distant objects within the cog- nizance of the blind so that even the stars seem to be at our very door. world. It surveys the limited experi- ence I gain from an imperfect touch world, and presents it to my mind for spiritualization. This sense reveals the Divine to the human in me, it forms a bond between earth and the Great Beyond, between now and eter- nity, between God and man. It is speculative, - intuitive, reminiscent. There is not only an objective physical world, but also an objective spiritual world. The spiritual nas an outside as well as an inside, just as the phy- | sical has an inside and. an outside. Each has its own phase of reality. There is no antagonism between these two planes of life, except when the material is used without regard to the spiritual which lies. within and above it. The distinction between them is explained by Swedenborg in his theory of discrete degrees. He il- lustrates this by saying that the physical world is perceived by a sen- sory apparatus that is of the same substance as the physical world, while the spiritual world is perceived by a sensory apparatus that is of the same substance as that of the spiritual vorld. My life is so complicated by a triple handicap of blindness, deafness, and imperfect speech that I cannot do the simplest thing without thought and effort to rationalize my experiences. If I employed this mystic sense con- stantly without trying to understand the outside world, my progress would be checked, and everything would fall about me in chaos. It is easy for me to mix up dreams and reality, the spiritual and the physical which I have not properly visualized, and without the inner sense I could not keep them apart. So even if I com- mit errors in forming concepts of color, sound, light, and intangible phenomena, I must always try to pre- serve equilibrium ‘between my outer and inner life. Neither can I use my sense of touch without regard to the experience of others and respect for it. I should otherwise go astray or else go round and round in a blind circle. I have always been especially helped by this sentence from Sweden- borg’s “Arcana Ceelestia”: “Jt is the interior man that sees and perceives what goes on without him, and from this interior source the sense-experience has its life; for from no other than this subjective source is there any faculty of feel- ing or sensation. But the fallacy that the sense comes from without is of such a nature and so common that the natural mind cannot rid itself of want, but when a Newton recognizes pression of a universal force in choices offered us are never so much ; we act when we are thwarted and more than it is to be a place of | This sense relates me to tke spiritual . it, nor even the rational mind, until _t can think abstractly from sense.” When the sun of consciousness first ‘ shone upon me, behold a miracle! { The stock of my young life which had perished, steeped in the waters of knowledge grew again, budded again, grow is by aspiring beyond our limi- | was sweet again with the blossoms tations, by wishing sublimely for great things and striving to achieve . ow in our. increasing consciousness of the deeper meaning of the outer life in which we have always lived. The eye grows by: learning to see more in particular objects. To man’s physical sight the earth looks flat, and the stars are the same to us that they were to the ancients. Yet science has opened up infinite new of childhood! Down in the depths of | my being I cried, “It is good to be alive!” 1 held out two trembling hands to life, and in vain silence ‘would impose dumbness upon me henceforth! The world to which I awoke was still mysterious; but there were hope and love and God in it, and ' nothing else mattered. Is it not pos- sible that our entrance into heaven may be like this experience of mine? | Several years later my life enlarged | when I learned to speak. I can never | cease to marvel and be excited by that . event of thirty-six years ago, it stands out so isolated, miraculous, baffling. Think of transforming mute, soulless air into speech in the midst of mid- night silence. Literally, I had no con- cepts of speech, and my touch did not suffice to convey to me the thousand fine vibrations of spoken words. With- out physical hearing I had to exert the utmost thought of which I was ‘capable until I succeeded in making myself not only heard but understood! It is only by sheer force of mind even now that I keep my speech anywhere near intelligible. When I speak best, I am at a loss to fix that degree of perfection because I cannot fully sense the tones going forth from my lips. What surprises me is not that I fail, but that the subconscious part or the spirit enters so often into my clumsy speech, and my friends say earnestly, “Why can you not talk as well as that always?” If I could de- velop that phychic power more fully, I feel sure that my victory would be complete. The pain and disappoint- . ment I have endured are incalculable; but they are a price worth paying for the joy I have in being able to keep _ this living bond between the outer “world and myself. As I learned to articulate and to put feeling into what I said I sensed more and more the miracle of all time and eternity—the reality of thought! Thought, out of which are wrought books, philoso- | phies, sciences, civilizations, and the | joy and the woe of the human race! { Even if as the lonely blind man who | has traveled 11any years in midnight gloom should suddenly stumble upon . the sun and all the glories of a sun- lit world, so it was with me when the . | light of understanding flooded my mind, and I realized that words were precious’ symbols of knowledge, thought, and happiness. The normal | human being is familiar with the use | of words, and he cannot remember | when he first began to use them. I have had a different experience. I | | | It was not night—it was not day. 1 But vacancy absorbing space, 1 And fixedness, without a place: : There were no stars—no earth—no time— No check—no change—no good—no crime. It was but a step for me from the wonders of nature to the wonders of the spirit. When Swedenborg’s mes~ sage was revealed to me, it was an- other precious gift added to life. F will try to clothe my emotion in words. It was as if light came where there had been no light before, the in- tangible world became a shining cer- tainty. The horizons of my mind widened to bright destinies where the ' race would still be swift, the battle strong. Heaven, as Swedenborg portrays it, iS not a mere collection of radiant ideas, but a practical, liveable world. It should never be forgotten that death is not the end of life, but only one of its most important experiences. In the great silence of my thoughts all those whom I have loved on earth, whether near or far, living or dead, live and have their own individuality, their own dear ways and charm. At any moment I can bring them around me to cheer my loneliness. It would break my heart if any barrier could prevent them from coming to me. But I know there are two worlds—one we can measure with line and rule, and the other we can feel with our hearts and intuitions. Swedenborg makes the future life not only conceivable, but desirable. His message to the living who meet the night of death with its attendant separation and sorrow sweeps across the heart of hu- manity like some sweet breath from God’s Presence. We can now meet death as Nature does, in a blaze of glory, marching to the grave with 2 gay step, wearing our brightest | thoughts and most brilliant anticipa- was nearly seven years old when I | began to acquire language, and I re- rember distinct] perienced. I learned each word as a hand-sensation years before I learned the sound of it. Dith most people the sound and the perception of the mean-’ ings of the word are, I suppose, simul- taneous. The significance of thought- symbols came to me suddenly. { My teacher, Anne Mansfield Sulli- van, had been with me nearly a month, and she had taught me the names of a number of objects. She : put them into my hand, spelled their { names on her fingers and helped me ! to form the letters; but I had not the ! faintest idea what I was doing. I ' do not know what I thought. 1 have only a tactual memory of my fingers | going through those motions, and | changing from one position to an- i other. One day she handed me a cup 'and spelled the word. Then she { poured some liquid into the cup and formed the letters w-a-t-e-r. She says i I looked puzzled, and persisted in con- | fusing the two words, spelling cup i for water and water for cup. Finally H became angry because Miss Sulli- , van kept repeating the words over | aud over again. In despair she led ' me out to the ivy-covered pumphouse ! and made me hold the cup under the . spout while she pumped. With her | other hand she spelled w-a-t-e-r em- phatically. I stood still, my whole | body’s attention fixed on the motions of her fingers as the cool stream | flowed over my hand. All at once there was a strange air within me— a misty consciousness, a sense of something remembered. It was as if I had come back to life after being dead! I understood that what my teacher was doing with her fingers meant that cold something that was . rushing over my hand, and that it was possible for me to communi- cate with other people by these signs. It was a wonderful day never to be forgotten! Thoughts that ran forward and backward came to me quickly—thoughts that seemed to start in my brain and spread all over me. tal awkening. I think it was an ex- perience somewhat in the nature of a revelation.” I showed immediately in many ways that. a great change had taken place in me. I wanted to learn the name of every object I touched, and before night I had mas- tered thirty words. Nothingness was blotted out! I felt joyous, strong, equal to my limitations! Delicious sensations rippled through me, and sweet, strange things that were locked up in my heart began to sing. That first revelation was worth all those years I had spent in dark, soundless imprisonment. That word “water” dropped into my mind like the sun in & frozen winter world, Be- fore that supreme event there was nothing in me except the instinct to eat drink and sleep. My days were a plank without past, present, or future, without hope or anticipation, without interest or joy. Now I see it was my men- the feelings 1 ex- | tions, as Nature arrays herself in garments of gold, emerald, and scar- let, as if defying death to rob her of immortality. The difficulty man has in believing this arises not so much from the un- provableness of it as from his own ineredulous attitude. His egoistic de- sires tend to overwhelm his spiritual strivings, or, perhaps, it is nearer the: truth to say, his inner faculties have: not yet reached the point of con- scious experience. They are still too- feeble to function effectively. He is: unable to realize the pernicious in- fluenee of acquisitiveness upon his: character. He does not understand’ the true significance of his spiritual being. He believes that only mate- rial things are real. Our civilization is a failure in the degree to which we are indifferent to the teachings of philosophers like Swedenborg and the- visions of the great thinkers of the world. With thoughts wide as the universe,. Joliberate, with wisdom in his hands, Swedenborg tells us how angels led him from realm to realm of the spirit- world, showed him the life that comes after death and the reaity of things immortal Angels were his teachers, his guides. He lodged his soul im heaven; he sensed the magnitude of the Divine Providence, the tremen- doug circumstance of life eternal. He was permitted to walk the sky and the winding course of stars. 1 am aware that some learned critics will break me on the wheel off their disdain. They will try to mend: my poor philosophy on the anvil of’ their keen mirth with the hammer of reasons culled from science. “All crea- tion crowns itself in this invisible: atom of matter. It is the beginning and the end.” Perhaps; but there is: still a dewdrop in the lily’s cup; there: is fragrance in the heart of the rose. and under a leaf a bird folds its: wings! 1 cannot understand the poor faith that fears to look into the eyes: of death. Faith that is vulnerable in: the presence of death is a frail reed! to lean upon. With steadfast thought: 1 follow sight beyond all seeing, until: my soul stands up in spiritual light: and cries, “Life and death are one.” When I review my life, it seems to me that my precious obligations are to those whom I have never seen. My dearest intimacies are those of the mind, my most loyal and helpful friends are those of the spirit. EF cannot imagine myself without re- ligion. I could as easily fancy a liv- ing boy without a heart. To one who is deaf and blind, the spiritual world offers no difficulty. Nearly every- thing in the natural world is as vague, as remote from my senses as spiritual things seem to the minds of most people. I plunge my hands deep into my large Braille volumes contain- ing Swedenborg’s teachings, and with- draw them full of the secrets of the spiritual world. The inner, or “mystic,” sense, if you like, gives me vision of the unseen. My mystic world is lovely with trees and clouds: and stars and eddying streams I have never “seen.” I am often conscious of beautiful flowers and birds and laugh- ing children where to my seeing asso- ciates there is nothing. They scepti- cally declare that I see “light that never was on sea or land.” But I know that their mystic sense is dor- mant, and that is why there are so many barren places in their lives. They prefer “facts” to vision. They want a scientific demonstration and’ they can have it. They prefer “facts” to thought-life and inner vision. They want demonstration—a scientific ex- egesis. To such people our Lord said, “Ye seek a sign, and ye shall find none.” I love life with its mysteries, its “illusions,” its invincible need of’ temples not made with hands! Swe- denborg’s books are an inexhaustible well-spring of satisfaction to those who live the life of the mind. Science meets spirit as life meeta death, and life and death are one. THE END. { is »
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