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TESTIMONY OF THE CELEBRATED OBERLIN. 117
this time, being on a visit at Strasburg, he met with the work On Heaven and Hell,
which a friend* recommended him to peruse. This work, as he informed me,
gave him a full and satisfactory explanation of the extraordinary cases occur-
ring in his valley, and which he himself was, at length, from evidences which
could not be doubted, constrained to admit. The satisfactory solution of these
extraordinary cases afforded great pleasure to his mind, and he read the * treas-
ure,’ as he called it, very attentively, and with increasing delight. He nc longer
doubted in the nearness of the spiritual world ;
yea, he believed that man, by
virtue of his better part—his immortal mind—is already an inhabitant of the
spiritual world, in which, after the death of the material body, he is to continue
his existence for ever. He plainly saw from the correspondent relation existing
between the two worlds, that -when it pleased the Lord, man might easily be
placed, by opening his spiritual senses, in open communication with the world
of spirits. This, he observed, was frequently the case with the seers mentioned
in the Old Testament ; and why might it not be so now, if the divine Providence
saw fit, in order to instruct mankind more fully in respect to their relation to a
spiritual state of existence, and to replenish their minds with more acurate and
copious views respecting heaven, the final home of the good, and hell, the final
abode of the wicked.
" This conversation of Oberlin’s seemed highly reasonable and delightful ; and
I inquired further, by what means he had arrived at convictions so solid respect-
ing the truth of Swedenborg’s statements and descriptions concerning the world
of spirits, and heaven and hell. He replied, that he himself had had ocular and
demonstrative experience respecting these important subjects, and that, strange
to say, he had come into that state of open communion with the world of spirits,
which he had formerly considered as a rank species of superstition, and which
he had endeavored to extirpate from the valley. He observed, that the inhabi-
tants of that mountainous district had always been notorious for this peculiar
kind of spiritual experience, and in this respect much resembled the highlanders
of Scotland, of whom he had heard and read similar accounts. He, therefore,
could readily understand Swedenborg’s case, w^ho, for most useful and salutary
purposes, was mercifully permitted to enjoy an open intercourse with the world
of spirits, during so many years of his life, in order to instruct mankind in respect
to subjects of the greatest moment to wisdom and happiness, and of which they
are so deplorably ignorant : with regard to himself, however, he had only had
* I think I have heard, that this friend was the celebrated T)r. Jung-Stilliiig, with
whom Oberlin was very intimate. He was also intimate with the celebrated Lavater,
of Zurich, with whom, he told me, be corresponded ; and as Lavater is known, from
his letters to Swedenborg (see below pp. 121, 122,) to have been a great admirer
of his writings, he, no doubt, often mentioned them to Oberlin. I have also- under-
stood, that these three distinguished men were fellow-students. They all felt a deep
interest in the writings of Swedenborg, and their exemplary Christian character and
intelligence have exercised very considerable influence over great parts of Germany and
Switzerland, where their names will be held in everlastin<g remembrance. In respect ta
Stilling, see above pp. 104, 105. Here I would observe in respect to Stilling, that l)e did
not adopt the theological doctrines of Swedenborg, which renders his testmiony given
above so much the more impartial. It is evident, howeverythat in bis practical writings
he infused many of Swedenborg’s sentiments into those works which have rendered Stil-
ling’s name respected and revered among the pious of Germany. See, in particular, his
" Heimweh," or Desire for Heaven ; and his *’
Scenen aui dem GeUterreiche" or Scenes
from the World of Spirits.
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