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