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THE JOYS AND GLORIES

tual worlds corresponding to those several planets, and peopled from them:—as grand, did we say? ay, as much more grand and vast, as our own spiritual world, formed from the departed spirits of all the successive generations of men that have lived on this globe, is vaster and more populous than this earth with its present number of co-temporary inhabitants: and as much more beautiful and perfect must those spiritual worlds connected with the Sirian system, be than the natural worlds and planets of that system, as our own spiritual world and heaven is, by our former showing, a far more perfect state than earth,—being formed of those whose faculties and affections have been indefinitely expanded and elevated by passing the barrier of death, and throwing off the burthen of this material state. Here, then, what a sublime view opens upon us! we will speak no more of the spiritual world—we will speak henceforth of the spiritual universe—composed of as many spiritual worlds, as there are stars and planets in the material universe. And who knows but those spiritual orbs may shine to the eyes of spirits, in distant beauty, just as the innumerable stars that spangle the sky, glitter and twinkle with their sparkling light before the sight of the rapt astronomer at his midnight vigils? Is it not reasonable to think so? Truth, as before shown, is spiritual light, and therefore to spiritual eyes must shine, as natural light to natural eyes. The various heavens, therefore, constituted of those who are filled with truth and love, and who thus are truth and love, as it were, in very form, would be seen to pour forth light to the eyes of spirits and angels in other heavens, as the countless stars and planets in our sphere shine distantly to us, and we to them. And may not this be