He spoke very kindly to me; I saw many spirits in heaven; they were worshipping G.o.d and obedient to G.o.d; they did not speak; they listened to G.o.d and were obedient to Him; and G.o.d was often speaking to them; and they loved Him. He was commanding them to look at evil and right things in the world, and they were very bright like clouds; thou couldst not see them, because they were invisible.
Angels are often in the world; they are always present with us, and in every place, separating the people"s hearts, good from bad. G.o.d tells them to separate the good from the bad; and they are always soaring with their wings. Their wings have not feathers; they are like the clouds.
The angels are soaring always, and standing on the air and the clouds; they never are flapping with their wings; they are never tired, nor sleepy, nor hungry, nor thirsty, nor eating, nor laughing, nor smiling; I saw some more crying a little, because the people have sin _from them_. They are very beautiful like the sun. G.o.d is more bright than an angel. They can walk on everything in heaven and in the world, and in h.e.l.l they are not burned. G.o.d was sitting on the clouds, and on the air, and on the water. He is still, quiet; He never laughs. (His gestures here were striking in an astonishing degree, and his whole mind seemed overcome, with a sense of the Divine greatness and glory.) G.o.d was very kind to the angels, more than all the world.
THE SCRIPTURES AND THE STATE OF THE DEAF AND DUMB.
"Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.
"Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy."--Prov. x.x.xi. 8, 9.
"Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
"And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man"s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?"--Exodus iv. 12, 11.
"But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."--I Cor. xiii. 10.
"But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth."--Psalm x.x.xviii. 13.
"All things are full of labour; man cannot utter it; the eye is not satisfied with seeing nor the ear filled with hearing."--Ecclesiastes i. 8.
"And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature."--Mark xvi. 15.
"And how shall they preach except they be sent? as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things."--Romans x. 15.
"And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness."--Isaiah xxix. 18.
"Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
"Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert."--Isaiah x.x.xv. 5, 6.
"But as it is written, To whom he was not spoken of, they shall see; and they that have not heard shall understand."--Romans xv. 21.
"This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief."--I Timothy i. 15.
"As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man possessed with a devil.
"And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spake; and the mult.i.tudes marvelled, saying, It was never so seen in Israel."--Matt. ix. 32, 33.
"Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
"And said unto him, Art thou he that should come or look we for another?
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
"The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
"And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me."--Matt. xi.
2-6.
"Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb; and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw."--Matt. xii. 22, 23.
"And great mult.i.tudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus feet; and he healed them; insomuch that the mult.i.tude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see; and they glorified the G.o.d of Israel."--Matt. xv.
30, 31.
"And one of the mult.i.tude answered and said, Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit:
"And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away; and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not.
"He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.
"And they brought him unto him; and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming.
"And he asked his father, How long is it ago since this came unto him?
And he said, Of a child.
"And often it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters to destroy him; but if thou canst do anything, have compa.s.sion on us, and help us.
"Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
"And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
"When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou deaf and dumb spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.
"And the spirit cried, and rent him sore, and came out of him; and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.
"But Jesus took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose."--Mark ix. 17-27.
"And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
"And he took him aside from the mult.i.tude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
"And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, be opened.
"And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
"And he charged them that they should tell no man; but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
"And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well; he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak."--Mark vii. 32-37.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
The Tenth Census Report of the U. S. of America for 1880 contains some interesting statistics of the deaf and dumb, and apparently show a considerable increase as compared with the whole population.