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118 DOCUMENTS CONCERNING SWEDENBORO.
glimpses, as it were, into the spiritual world, which, continued only for short
periods, and at distant intervals ; and if he had not read Swedenborg’s work, he
could not rationally and satisfactorily have explained to himself the various
objects and phenomena he had beheld.
"From this time, he observed, he ceased to manifest his opposition against
the * superstition’ in question, and endeavored, when anything occurred, to turn
it to the instruction and edification of his people. He carefully wrote down
every occurrence, and drew from it some salutary instruction, which either
warned his flock against evil, or encouraged them in goodness and virtue. He
said that he had a large pile of papers, which he had written on this kind of
spiritual phenomena, containing the facts, with his own reflections upon them.
One of these occurrences! can here relate. In the year 1806, a tremendous con-
vulsion of nature occurred in Switzerland, which deeply moved the whole of
Europe : it was the fall of the Rossberg, a great mountain, which suddenly fell,
and buried several villages under its ruins. This catastrophe excited the greatest
consternation throughout the whole surrounding country, and deeply affected
Oberlin and the people of Steinthal. As it was customary in cases of deep -ex-
citement for some person or other in the valley to become clairvoyant, that is,
jto have their spiritual vision opened ; so in this case, several individuals became
clairvoyant, and the unfortunate people who had been destroyed by the moun-
tain, were seen in the world of spirits. They appeared, said Oberlin, in places
very similar to those they had left in the natural world, and associated together,
as they had been accustomed to do, but by degrees they separated from each
other, and were associated according to their moral worth. This account, Ober-
lin observed, was in agreement with what Swedenborg says respecting the state
of man immediately after his departure from this world ; and likewise respect-
ing what he states in regard to the manner in which spirits associate together,
or constitute societies ; for all are there arranged according • to their moral
worth,’—those who are good, and, in similar affections, constitute heavenly
societies, and those who are evil, and in similar malignant dispositions, formin*
fernal societies.
" So <5onvinced was Oberlin of the salutary importance of teaching his flock
respecting heaven and Jiell, and the correspondent relation which man sustains
to the spiritual world, that he formed a chart, or map, representing heaven,
which he hung up in his church. This celestial diagram, as it was called, was
taken from Solomon’s temple, which, in all respects corresponded to heaven.
These correspondences Oberlin had derived from Swedenborg, and he pointed
out to his flock, that according to their humility, piety, fidelity, and their love of
being useful to each other, would be their elevation in the Lord’s kingdom,
either to the first, second, or third heaven. His flock were extremely delighted
to hear his remarks concerning heaven ; and the manner in which he explained
to them how the love of the Lord above all things, and the love of our neighbor
even better than ourselves, constitutes the life and soul of the heavenly king-
dom, served, no doubt, to kindle that celestial fire of mutual love amongst his
people, which made them •
a bright and shining light’ to all around them. For
the numerous instances of remarkable self-denial, of benevolence to the orphan,
widow, and stranger ; of liberal contributions from their scanty means to pro-
cure Bibles for those in the surrounding districts, that did not possess the Word
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