take truth with you, you will also take falsehood—if you carry purity with you, so you will impurity—if justice goes with you to that sphere, so will injustice. Now think of society in its individual action, social, governmental, and religious action, and tell me whether the world, or the individuals of the world, are governed by the true, divine impulse? Are they searching after the true needs of the body and mind, or after pleasure and self-gratification? And in your activity, which controls?—a sense of need, or a desire after gratification? You settle this question for yourselves, and I will settle it for myself. If you are under the rule, and in the sphere, of lust you belong to the sphere of outer darkness; and if you are under the rule of charity, you belong to the second sphere or Spiritual Paradise. His servants you are to whom you yield yourselves servants to obey. It is for you to say whom you will obey.
Now this earthly sphere is the lowest and darkest sphere. Its influences are dark and defiling. In this sphere men are swallowed up in worldly matters, and striving to gratify self.
But when a separation takes place between the mind and the body, we shall come into new relations, although we shall not at once change our thoughts, feelings, and affections, and shall recognize ourselves. Our lusts and self-love will follow us to the Spirit-world. There is not, as many seem to suppose, a miraculous process, by which man is changed while passing through the dark valley of shadows. If a change takes place in him in the Spirit-world, it must be in accordance with the same divine law which governs him in this sphere of existence. If you will but
