I now perceived that those Brothers of Hope, who like myself had been assisting the poor wounded spirits, all belonged to the same company as myself, and they were all collecting together, the little starry lights we each carried looking indeed like emblems of hope in darkness. Faithful Friend and I joined the others and were soon interchanging greetings and congratulations, like a brigade of soldiers about to return home after a successful campaign.
I now saw that the Brothers of Hope who, like me, had been helping the injured spirits, were all part of my group. We gathered together, our small, starry lights resembling beacons of hope in the darkness. Faithful Friend and I joined the others, exchanging greetings and congratulations like soldiers returning home after a successful mission.
Before we again passed through the fiery ring that encompassed this region, the leader of our band conducted us to the top of a high pinnacle of rock from which we beheld the cities and plains and mountains of that Land of Darkness, through which each of us had passed in our pilgrimage. And standing on that mountain peak we could survey the mighty panorama of Hell stretched out at our feet. He then addressed us in grave, solemn tones:
Before we crossed the fiery boundary of this realm once more, our group's leader took us to the summit of a tall rocky spire. From there, we gazed upon the cities, plains, and mountains of the Land of Darkness, which each of us had traversed during our journey. Standing atop this peak, we could see the vast panorama of Hell spread out below us. Our leader then spoke to us in a serious and somber voice:
"This scene upon which we look is but a small, a very small, fractional portion of the great sphere which men have been wont to speak of as 'Hell.' There are dark spheres above this which may seem to many to deserve the name until they have seen this place and learned in it how low a soul can sink and how much more terrible in this sphere can be both the crimes and the sufferings. The great belt of dark matter of which is composed this, the lowest of the earth spheres, extends for many million miles around us, and has received within its borders all those multitudes of sinful souls whose material lives have been passed on earth, and whose existences date back to the remote far-off ages in which the planet Earth first began to bear its harvest of conscious immortals, destined to sin and suffer and work out each their own salvation till they should be purified from all earthly stain--all taint of their lower nature. The multitudes of such lives have been, and shall yet be, as the stars of the sky and the sands of the sea in number, and as each builds for himself his own habitation in the higher or in the lower spheres, so are the vast spheres peopled and their many dwelling places and cities formed.
"This scene we are looking on is only a small, a very small, fraction of the great sphere that men have been used to calling 'Hell.' There are dark spheres above this one that may seem to many to deserve the name. They seem so until people have seen this place and learned in it how low a soul can sink. Here they learn how much more terrible both the crimes and the sufferings can be in this sphere. This is the lowest of the earth spheres. The great belt of dark matter it is made of stretches for many millions of miles around us. Within its borders it has received all those multitudes of sinful souls whose material lives have been passed on earth. Their existences go back to the remote, far-off ages when the planet Earth first began to bear its harvest of conscious immortals. These were destined to sin and suffer and to work out, each one, their own salvation, until they should be purified from all earthly stain, all taint of their lower nature. The multitudes of such lives have been, and will yet be, as many as the stars of the sky and the sands of the sea. Each builds for himself his own dwelling, in the higher or in the lower spheres. And so the vast spheres are peopled, and their many dwelling places and cities are formed.
"Far beyond the power of any mortal to carry even his thoughts, lie the myriad dwelling places of the spheres, each spot or locality bearing upon it the individual stamp of the spirit whose life has created it, and as there are no two faces, no two minds, exactly similar in all the countless beings that have peopled the earth--so there are no two places in the spirit world exactly alike. Each place--yea, even each sphere--is the separate creation of the particular class of minds that have created it, and those whose minds are in affinity being drawn to each other in the spirit world every place will bear more or less the peculiar stamp of its inhabitants.
Far beyond human comprehension lie countless realms in the spirit world, each unique and shaped by the souls who created it. Just as no two faces or minds on Earth are identical, no two places in the spirit world are exactly alike. Every location, even entire spheres, is a distinct creation of the minds that formed it. Those with similar mindsets are drawn together in the afterlife, so each place reflects the particular character of its inhabitants.
"Thus in giving a description of this or any other sphere you will naturally be able to tell only what you have seen, and to describe those places to which you were attracted, while another spirit who has beheld a different portion of the same sphere may describe it so very differently that men on earth, who limit all things too much, and measure them by their own standards of probability, will say that since you differ in describing the same sphere you must both be wrong. They forget that Rome is not Genoa, Milan, or Venice, yet these are all in Italy. Lyons is not Paris, yet both are in France--and both will bear certain characteristic features, certain national traits of resemblance. Or to extend the simile still further, New York and Constantinople are both cities upon the planet Earth, yet there is between them and their population so great a difference, so wide a gulf, that it requires that we should look no longer for national characteristics but only for the broad fact that both are inhabited by the human race, differing, however widely, in manners and appearance.
In describing any realm, you can only share what you've personally experienced and the places that drew you in. Another spirit might see different parts of the same realm and describe it in a completely different way. People on Earth, who tend to oversimplify and judge everything by their own standards, might say that since your descriptions differ, you must both be wrong. They forget that Rome isn't Genoa, Milan, or Venice, yet they're all in Italy. Lyon isn't Paris, but both are in France – and they share certain features and national traits. To take the comparison further, New York and Constantinople are both cities on Earth, yet they and their populations are so different that we can only find common ground in the fact that humans inhabit both, despite vast differences in customs and appearances.
"And now I would have you each observe that in all your wanderings--in all the sad sights you have seen--all the unhappy beings you have known groveling in this sink of their own iniquities, there were yet the germs of human souls inextinguishable and undestroyable, and you have each learned, I trust, that long as may be the probation of the soul--greatly as it may retard the hour of its release by the perversion of its powers--yet to all is given the inalienable birthright of hope, and to each will come at last the hour of awakening, and those who have sunk to the lowest depths will arise even as a pendulum swung to its farthest limit will arise and swing back again as high as it has sunk low.
Now, I want you to notice that in all your travels—through all the heartbreaking scenes you've witnessed and all the troubled souls you've encountered wallowing in their own wrongdoings—there were still sparks of humanity that couldn't be snuffed out. I hope you've each learned that no matter how long a soul's journey may be, or how much it might delay its own freedom by misusing its abilities, everyone still has the undeniable right to hope. Eventually, everyone will have their moment of awakening. Even those who have fallen to rock bottom will rise again, just as a pendulum swung to its farthest point will swing back just as high as it fell.
"Bitter and awful is the reckoning the sinful soul must pay for its wild indulgence in evil, but once paid there is not again that reckoning to be met, there is no inexorable creditor whose ears are deaf to the voice of prayer or who will say to the repentant prodigal, "Begone, for your doom is sealed and the hour of your redemption past. Oh, Brethren of Hope! Can man in his littleness measure the power of the Almighty whose ways are past his finding out? Can man put a limit to his mercy and say it shall be denied to any sorrowful sinner however deep has been his sin? God alone can condemn, and he alone can pardon and his voice cries out to us in everything, in every blade of grass that grows, in every ray of light that shines: 'how great is the goodness and mercy of our God--how long-suffering and how slow to anger.' And his voice calls with trumpet tongue, through his many angels and ministering spirits, to all who repent and seek for mercy that mercy is ever given--pardon, full and free, is granted unto all who earnestly seek it and would truly labor that they may win it. Even beyond the grave, even within the gates of Hell itself, there is yet mercy and pardon, yet hope and love held out to all. Not one atom of the immortal soul essence which has been breathed into man and become a living conscious individuality is ever again truly lost, wholly doomed either to annihilation or eternal misery. They err, I had almost said they sin, who teach man otherwise, for by so doing they shut a door upon his hopes and render the erring soul yet more desperate because more hopeless, when, as he deems, Death has put the final seal of damnation upon his fate. I would when each of you returns to the earth plane that you proclaim to all this truth which you have learned in these your wanderings, and strive ever that each and all may feel the sense of hope and the need there is to take heed to their ways while there is yet time. Far easier were it for man in his earth life to undo his misdeeds than if he wait till Death has placed his barrier between him and those to whom he would atone.
"Bitter and awful is the reckoning that the sinful soul must pay for its wild indulgence in evil. But once it is paid, that reckoning does not have to be met again. There is no relentless creditor whose ears are deaf to the voice of prayer. There is none who will say to the repentant prodigal, "Begone, for your doom is sealed and the hour of your redemption is past. Oh, Brethren of Hope! Can man in his littleness measure the power of the Almighty, whose ways are beyond his finding out? Can man put a limit to his mercy and say it shall be denied to any sorrowful sinner, however deep his sin has been? God alone can condemn, and he alone can pardon. His voice cries out to us in everything, in every blade of grass that grows, in every ray of light that shines: 'how great is the goodness and mercy of our God, how long-suffering and how slow to anger.' And his voice calls with trumpet tongue, through his many angels and ministering spirits, to all who repent and seek mercy. It tells them that mercy is always given. Pardon, full and free, is granted to all who earnestly seek it and would truly labor to win it. Even beyond the grave, even within the gates of Hell itself, mercy and pardon, hope and love are still held out to all. Not one atom of the immortal soul essence, which has been breathed into man and become a living, conscious individuality, is ever again truly lost. None is wholly doomed either to annihilation or to eternal misery. They err, I had almost said they sin, who teach man otherwise. By doing so they shut a door on his hopes. They make the erring soul still more desperate, because more hopeless, when he believes that Death has put the final seal of damnation on his fate. When each of you returns to the earth plane, I would have you proclaim to all this truth you have learned in your wanderings. Strive always that each and all may feel this sense of hope, and the need to take heed of their ways while there is still time. It would be far easier for a man in his earth life to undo his misdeeds than if he waits until Death has placed his barrier between him and those he would atone to.
"In those Hells which you have seen all has been the outcome of men's own evil lives--the works of their own past--either upon earth or in its spheres. There is nothing but what has been the creation of the soul itself, however horrible to you may appear its surroundings. However shocked you may have felt at the spiritual appearance of these beings, yet must you ever remember that such as they are, have they made themselves. God has not added one grain's weight to the burden of any, and equally must it be the work of each to undo what he has done, to build up again what he has destroyed, to purify what he has debased. And then will these wretched dwellings, these degraded forms--these fearful surroundings--be exchanged for brighter and happier scenes--purer bodies--more peaceful homes, and when at last in the fullness of time the good on earth and in its spheres shall overcome the bad, the evil sights and evil places will be swept away as the froth upon the sea is swept on by the advancing tide, and the pure Water of Life shall flow over these spots and purify them till these solid black mountains, this dense heavy atmosphere, and these foul dwelling-places shall melt in the strong purifying fire of repentance, even as the hard granite rock is melted in the crucible of the chemist till it is dissipated into the atmosphere and floated away to form other rocks elsewhere. Nothing is ever lost, nothing ever destroyed. All things are imperishable. Those atoms which your body has attracted to it to-day are thrown off again tomorrow, and pass on to form other bodies eternally, as these emanations of men's spiritual natures are formed into the earth spheres, and when there is no longer magnetism sufficiently gross to hold together these gross particles which form the lower spheres, these atoms will become detached from following the earth and its sphere in their rushing journey through the limitless ether of space, and will float in suspension in the ether till drawn to another planet whose spheres are congenial and whose spiritual inhabitants are on an equally gross plane. Thus these same rocks and this country have all formed in the past the lower spheres of other planets which have now grown too highly developed to attract them and they will, when this, our earth, has ceased to attract them, be drawn off and form the spheres of some other planet.
In the hells you've witnessed, everything stems from people's evil deeds—their past actions on Earth or in its spiritual realms. The soul itself creates all that exists there, no matter how horrifying the surroundings may seem. Despite the shock you may feel at these beings' spiritual appearance, remember that they have made themselves this way. God hasn't added to anyone's burden; each person must undo their own actions, rebuild what they've destroyed, and purify what they've corrupted. As this happens, these miserable dwellings, degraded forms, and terrifying environments will be replaced by brighter, happier scenes, purer bodies, and more peaceful homes. Eventually, when good overcomes evil on Earth and in its spheres, these dreadful sights and places will be swept away like foam on the sea. The pure Water of Life will flow over these areas, cleansing them until the solid black mountains, dense atmosphere, and foul dwellings melt in the purifying fire of repentance. This process is similar to how granite melts in a chemist's crucible, dissipating into the air to form new rocks elsewhere. Nothing is ever truly lost or destroyed; all things are eternal. The atoms your body attracts today are released tomorrow, moving on to form other bodies endlessly. Similarly, human spiritual emanations form Earth's spheres. When there's no longer enough gross magnetism to hold together the particles forming the lower spheres, these atoms will detach from Earth and its spheres as they journey through space. They'll float suspended in the ether until drawn to another planet with compatible spheres and equally undeveloped spiritual inhabitants. Thus, these rocks and this land have previously formed the lower spheres of other planets that have since become too advanced to attract them. When our Earth no longer attracts them, they'll be drawn away to form the spheres of another planet.
"So too are our higher spheres formed of matter more etherealized, yet still matter, which has been cast off from planet spheres much in advance of ours, and in like manner these atoms will be left by us and reabsorbed in turn by our successor. Nothing is lost, nothing wasted, nothing is really new. The things called new are but new combinations of that which exists already, and is in its nature eternal. To what ultimate height of development we shall reach, I know not--none can know since there can be no limit to our knowledge or our progress. But I believe that could we foresee the ultimate destiny of our own small planet, as we can in part judge of it from seeing the more advanced ones around us, we should learn to look upon even the longest earthly life and the longest, saddest probation of these dark spheres as but stepping stones on which man shall mount to the thrones of angels at last.
"In the same way, our higher spheres are formed of matter that is more etherealized, yet still matter. It has been cast off from planet spheres far in advance of ours. In like manner these atoms will be left behind by us and absorbed in turn by the planet that succeeds ours. Nothing is lost, nothing wasted, nothing is really new. The things called new are only new combinations of what already exists and is eternal in its nature. I do not know what final height of development we shall reach. None can know, since there can be no limit to our knowledge or our progress. But I believe this. Could we foresee the final destiny of our own small planet, as we can partly judge it from the more advanced planets around us, we should learn something. We should learn to see even the longest earthly life, and the longest, saddest probation of these dark spheres, as only stepping stones. On them man shall at last mount to the thrones of angels.
"What we can see--what we do know and may grasp--is the great and ever present truth that hope is truly eternal and progression is ever possible even to the lowest and most degraded and sin-stained soul. It is this great truth we would have each of you to preach both to mortal and immortal man, when you return to the earth planes and to your work there, and as you have been helped and strengthened and taught, so do you feel bound by the obligations of gratitude and the ties of Universal Brotherhood to help others.
What we can perceive—what we truly understand—is the profound and timeless truth that hope never dies and growth is always possible, even for the most downtrodden and sinful souls. This is the powerful message we want each of you to share with both the living and the dead when you return to Earth and resume your work. Just as you have been supported, empowered, and educated, you should feel compelled by gratitude and the bonds of our shared humanity to help others.
"Let us now bid farewell to this Dark Land, not in sorrow over its sadness and its sins, but in hope and with earnest prayer for the future of all who are yet in the bonds of suffering and sin."
"Let us now say farewell to this Dark Land, not in sorrow over its sadness and its sins, but in hope, and with earnest prayer for the future of all who are still in the bonds of suffering and sin."
As our great leader concluded his speech we took our last look at the Dark Country, and, descending the mountain, we passed once more through the Ring of Fire, which, as before, was by our will power driven back on either side of us that we might pass through in safety.
As our leader finished speaking, we took a final glance at the Dark Country. Then, descending the mountain, we passed through the Ring of Fire once more. Just like before, we used our willpower to push the flames aside, allowing us to pass through safely.
Thus ended my wanderings in the Kingdoms of Hell.
So concluded my journey through the realms of Hell.