CHAPTER III.

THE SECOND, OR RELATIONAL SPHERE.


The subject now to be considered is that of the second sphere of
mind, both in its perceptions and affections. Our last discourse was
upon what we denominated the first sphere, which was characterized
as being a sphere of self-love or lusting after self-gratification.
The individual in this sphere was described as being in the lowest
department of his mind, and as allied in his affinities with the lowest
pleasures of existence. It was remarked that this plane of lust could
be manifested as well in the intellectual, moral, and religious plane,
as in the animal or physical plane. The criterion by which we determine
whether it is selfishness is to inquire whether the motive prompting to
activity has for its object desire after gain. If this is the ruling
impulse, then the individual’s love is the love of self. Though the
grossness of the lust may depend upon the direction given it, yet it
is essentially the same whether exercised in the moral, intellectual,
or physical plane. An individual who sought the happiness of another
without reference to his own interests was described as belonging to
the second sphere. He would seek association by the affinity of his
moral or second-sphere nature.

We meet with individuals in society who affirm that man is essentially
selfish—that he can not conceive a wish which does not originate in a
desire for self-gain. I have no doubt that the individuals making that
affirmation are very honest in it, and speak from their own conscious
experience. There are many such to be found in society, who know no
higher love than self-love, and their highest benevolence is based
upon selfishness. I doubt not that there are those who entertain such
sentiments, but I utterly protest when such men attempt to speak for
the Race. I will allow every person to speak for himself upon this
point, and to ascertain if there are not some actions which have not
this lustful basis; and when we find that there are such actions
arising within ourselves which are not contaminated with this selfish
thought, and which go forth to seek expression out of ourselves, we may
know that they do not belong to the first, but to the second sphere of
action, I mean the sphere of relation, as separate from the individual
considered in his individual love or individual selfish impulse. I will
give a few illustrations of this kind.

Every individual coming under the divine impulses of the sphere
of relation—I mean relation in its divine order—and living in
forgetfulness of separate self, will experience some of the impulses
which belong to that sphere. When the mother comes into the maternal
relation and experiences the love of a mother for her child, she is
ready to sacrifice the comforts and interests of self for the welfare
of that object that sustains that near and dear relation to her.
I speak of the maternal love as a representative of that love for
another which is divorced from its lustful or selfish character—not
based upon considerations of self-gain. We may desire the salvation of
individuals on our own account, for our own enjoyment, and also from a
love divorced from all considerations of self, which stands out holy,
pure, and undefiled for a being outside of itself. The mother, in
loving her child, experiences happiness; and as she presses it to her
bosom, and imprints upon its delicate cheek the maternal kiss, there
is joy deep and unutterable awakened in that mother’s bosom; but she
does not kiss the child that she may have the joy. It is not her joy
and happiness that she seeks, but the comfort, happiness, and welfare
of the child; and in thus supplying that demand of her maternal nature,
she feels the influx of the divine nature, saying, “Well done, good
and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I
will make thee ruler over many things: enter into the joy of thy God.”
That is what God says to every mother who loves her babe from the true
maternal feeling. So is it in the true relation between husband and
wife. I mean now the union in heaven, and not the union fixed up by
society and its institutions—I speak of such hearts as God has joined
together. When the true husband meets the true wife and surrenders all
his manhood to the care and keeping of that wife, in full confidence
and trust that she will receive it and not abuse it; and when the wife
in return gives all her womanhood to the care and fidelity of the
trusting husband—when two such souls surrender each to each the other’s
self, loving from an interior and divine harmony, then the joys of
conjugal love are awakened, the true demands of each soul are supplied
in the experience of those joys which can be found alone in that
relation, and God speaks saying, “Well done,” and breathes his divine
blessing upon them. So it is in the fraternal relation. Where from the
natural, constitutional harmony of soul existing between brothers, each
being individualized upon a common moral plane, and loving the other
with a pure and undefiled love, their love belongs to the second sphere.

Where the individual loves his neighbor as himself, he would as soon
sacrifice his own interest as that of his neighbor, and would as soon
be unjust to himself, nay, sooner be unjust to himself, than to his
neighbor. He loves that neighbor with a pure heart, loves him as a
manifestation of his divine Father’s Love, Will, and Wisdom, and seeks
to harmonize his own being with him in all his relations. He can not
see a brother, however weak, crushed, without seeing himself crushed
in that brother. When he loves a brother with that pure, unselfish
love—when the common heart of humanity abides in his breast, he comes
into the true plane of charity; for charity is that which seeketh not
her own. The motive that prompts him is not self-gain. It is the desire
to do good unto others that actuates him. The quality of charity is
to suffer long, not to be envious, not to be easily provoked, not to
be puffed up, or behave itself unseemly; but in all things to be true
and faithful, and kind to everybody. The man or woman possessed of
this love, whose whole being and activity is directed in the sphere of
relation to man, to society, to the world, belongs to what I call the
second sphere, and gives evidence that he or she has risen above the
lustful plane which seeketh its own, and which loves to gratify its
passion, desires, and appetites, in one form or another, and that he
or she is loving in harmony with God, and wills and acts in accordance
with the divine impulses.

Look abroad into society, look at the love of the world, and see how
many there are who love their neighbor with an unselfish love—how many
are so careful to be exactly just with their neighbor as they are
careful to have their neighbor be exactly just to them. There are many
who watch the scale to see if it preponderates in their favor; and if
the merchant gives good weight, they speak well of him; but if he does
not give good weight, they are very ready to speak ill of him. When
you come to see how much better they love to have justice done to them
than they love to do justice to others, you have an indication that
the lustful nature is somewhat alive and active in their breast. The
individual who is conscious that his desire is earnestly to be just,
will be as careful not to do an injustice to his neighbor as he would
be cautious to avoid an injury to himself—will no sooner circulate
defamatory remarks against his neighbor than he would defame himself.
When you find an individual thus acting, you may be certain that he has
risen from the first plane and is entering the second. But I am sorry
to say that in the vast majority of cases you will find lust lamentably
present. I called your attention to this in my last lecture, showing
you how it was manifested in almost every sphere of life, even in
performing the duties of a father, brother, husband, or wife. In the
majority of cases man and society are loved for their uses.

When it is desired to ascertain whether we belong to the first or the
second sphere—to the sphere of Gehenna or Paradise—we need only to
determine the quality of the affection that rules in us, to see whether
it be looking mainly to our own gain, or whether we rise above self and
go out to seek the well-being of man. We sometimes mistake, thinking
that we love a man himself, when we love his influence or society,
because by it we think we can be elevated in our social condition. We
ought, therefore, to be careful in trying ourselves to know to which
plane of affection we belong, lest some of these considerations outside
of the individual influence us, lest that we mistake for love that
which, proved by the true standard, will appear to be selfishness and
lust.

When one possesses a love for the well-being of all, he is willing to
contribute liberally and freely of his strength and talent for the
redemption of all, and has an unwillingness to be found at any time as
the representative of that idea which would tend to degrade or crush
any human being. There is no being so low in the scale of humanity as
to be beneath his efforts to raise him up; and if the tyrant should
stand upon the neck of the weak, his impulse is to push that tyrant
off and break away the captive’s chains, because he can not see his
brother fettered without feeling fettered himself—can not see the
humblest human being outlawed without seeing all humanity insulted.
The individual who has not seen enough of the dignity of the nature of
humanity to fulfill the duty he owes to universal humanity, has not
yet come to the true plane of charity, is not qualified to occupy a
high position in this second sphere.

I might illustrate in a variety of ways how it is that man apologizes
to himself for being selfish. Here is a constitution, and there a law,
and there a public sentiment demanding that a human being should be
crushed; and he turns his back to humanity and God and bows to the
Constitution. Such a man has not the love of humanity in his bosom; he
loves that which is respectable and strong, and which may be of service
to him under particular circumstances. But the individual who can be a
Judas and can sell the Lord in the shape of his brother—can betray him
with a kiss and sell him for thirty pieces of silver, whatever may be
his profession—belongs to the lowest grade of humanity. Here is a truth
that every soul must affirm. It honors the man that honors humanity,
and despises the man that despises humanity.

When a man in his lustful nature will bring his whole soul to honor
that sentiment, he is prepared to leave the first and enter the second
sphere, which is expressive of the finite character of man as he
comes into this charitable affection. This character in man is that
which determines the second sphere in the world of Spirits. Man is a
universe; and if there is a hell in the universe, it is because it is
in man; and if there is a heaven, it is because there is a heaven in
man. Those who are developed only in the sphere of outer darkness, and
who from affinity love to associate together, will be found composing
what is called the Outward Sphere. Do not now, by any means, associate
the idea of sphere with that of place. The persons in this room are
all together, so far as space is concerned, but so far as sentiment
or sphere is concerned you may be at heaven-wide distances. While one
is in _rapport_ with celestial affections, holding communion with the
Divine Father, the other may be in _rapport_ with Spiritual beings,
holding a communion with the angels; and a third may be in _rapport_
with the infernal, holding communion with the spheres of lust. It is
not a question of place, but simply a question of condition. If you and
I are in the condition of lust in our affections and perceptions, if we
associate with others in the same condition, heart thrills to heart,
just as in the moral or divine sphere heart answers to heart. Each in
his own plane seeks that which is adapted to his own nature. I say,
therefore, do not connect the idea of place with that of sphere.

Man is a little universe—a microcosm. This sphere of lust is within
him, from which the dark sphere of the Spiritual world is developed.
Those who are in the sphere of lust on the earth respond to the
inhabitants of this dark sphere of the Spiritual world. So also in the
Spiritual spheres is the development of man’s relational love. Man in
fulfilling his relational duties lays the foundation of the Spiritual
Paradise. Thus man rises and dwells in different spheres according to
the development of his affections. If we love our neighbor as such,
and seek after the redemption of man on his own account, we become
allied to that band of guardian angels whose mission it is to watch
over him and to stimulate in him impulses to resist that which is evil
and impure. We become guardian angels, and every effort we put forth
for the redemption of our fellow-man elevates our own souls. Hence the
remark of the poet:

“Heart thrills to heart
Throughout the wide domain of heavenly life;
Each angel forms a chain which in God’s throne begins,
And winds down to the lowest plane of earthly minds;
And only as each lifts his lower friend
Can each into superior joys ascend.”

We are told that we must seek our salvation. That is bad advice. He
that seeketh to save his life shall lose it. It is this very seeking
to save ourselves that damns us and the race. It is the very selfish
desire for salvation which allies us to the sphere of lust. The true
spirit is to seek to save our fellow-man; and as we can not save him
except by adapting our ideas to his needs, we must, as instruments
to his salvation, put away our lust. That effort will result in our
own salvation. There is but one way to save ourselves, and that is by
fitting ourselves as the instruments for the redemption of the world.
Laboring to redeem our outcast and down-trodden brother and sister is
the very best kind of labor to elevate ourselves, since it exercises in
us the true love for our fellow-men. Thus it appears that it is more
blessed to give than to receive.

I may go out into the streets some cold morning, and seeing a beggar,
stop and debate with myself whether he is worthy or not; or for
fear that I may refuse the right one, I may drop a sixpence in his
hand. From such an act I will not receive a blessing. But if I (in
forgetfulness of considerations of that kind, from the overflowings
of a loving heart, from a sincere desire to do good to a fellow-man
who is in need) give him alms, it is laying up treasure in heaven. I
have placed it at my Father’s disposal—have intrusted it to one of his
messengers.

We have a fashionable way of doing charities in this world. We do
not like to be troubled with charities. We are willing to be taxed
some—we are very generous to give sometimes; but then we do not want
the trouble of finding the object, and bestowing it with that love,
kindness, and sympathy of soul which carries more joy to the stricken
heart than the poor pittance. He needs it as much as he does your other
charities. But instead of taking this trouble, we raise contributions,
appoint a committee, and go and drop our gifts by machinery here and
there. If you will look up a poor sufferer some of these cold mornings,
and give but a dime, with a blessing, you will not only carry joy into
the heart of the suffering poor, but rejoicing into the Angel-spheres.
In that way you must cast your bread upon the water, and you will find
it after many days—will hear, eternally you will hear, the music of
that poor sufferer’s thankful heart. If you once in purity of soul,
in the pure affection of your heart, go and bestow a kindness from a
pure and fervent spirit, you will awaken a chord which will vibrate
harmoniously in your soul to all eternity.

As man develops in himself a love of his fellow-man irrespective of
exterior relation, but as a child of God, as possessing in his bosom
the germ of immortality, and as endowed with a facility of eternal
unfolding in the eternal future, he comes into the sphere of true
charity; and when his work is faithfully done here, he will enter upon
that reward which he has been laying up in heaven, where neither moth
nor rust corrupts, and where thieves do not break through and steal.

There is between the first and second spheres, speaking of them in the
affectional sense, another sphere, called the intellectual sphere.
Man as an intellectual being has loves or delights. The quality of
the intellect, you are aware, is to investigate, to think. Intellect
of itself has no affection, no sympathy. It can be allied with vice
or virtue. It can attend the missionary in his labor or the pirate in
his murderous work. It has of itself no conscience, no moral quality.
Hence you will find that men may be highly intellectual and vicious or
virtuous. Intellect can join upon vice or crime, and upon charity and
virtue, and that, too, without experiencing antagonism from such union.
Man may be developed intellectually without affecting particularly
his moral character. Intellect’s particular mission is to investigate
that which addresses the perception. It can join upon the sphere of
lust or the sphere of charity. Were it not for this, the selfish and
charitable natures could not unite in man, and there would be such
an antagonism in the individual, he could not be possibly developed
from the plane of his lustful nature to the plane of his moral nature.
Intellect is a sort of John Baptist that goes between the Moses and the
Christ of man’s nature. It does not partake of the lust of Moses nor of
the love of Christ. Its delights are sometimes mistaken for love, or
the joys of love. People often say of things which are beautiful that
they love them. They say that they _love_ the study of mathematics.
That expression seems to me to be improper. The heat of love is never
known to the cold intellect. The intellect can discourse eloquently
respecting justice and right; but, so far as the heart is concerned, it
may trample upon all justice. You will see men who, so far as theory
is concerned, will discourse eloquently concerning human justice and
morality, yet they utterly disregard and ignore all moral restraints
in their private character and practices. These men are babes in their
moral natures—they are less than babes. Intellect has to do with the
relations of things—pertains to dead matter. The difference between
intellect and morals is the difference between the essence and spirit
of matter and the essences or spirit of the soul. While science, which
belongs to the province of intellect, may harmoniously journey with the
moral affections, it may also journey with the sensuous affections. I
make these remarks so that you may not suppose that a man belongs to
the second sphere because of his having an intellectual character.

The second sphere is a finite one, and depends entirely upon relation
for its development, so that you can see at once that man could not
love in the second sphere of his being without some object to call
that love forth. The relational love, in this respect, is not like
the divine love which goes forth independent of any object. The
first sphere is objective in self; the second sphere is objective in
neighbor; and the third sphere is subjective in God.

The difference between this second sphere or love of the neighbor and
the third sphere or the love of the absolute in this: The second
sphere of love is objective, is not self-existent and self-sufficient;
it depends upon having an object to call it forth. The constitution
of mind is such that, in its consciousness, it can not love an object
without having perceived it, the perception being either an ideal
one or a real one. The love in point of quality depends, for its
perfectness, upon the perfectness of the object. Not so with the
infinite and divine love which is self-existent and self-sufficient.
Wherever it acts, it acts subjectively, not objectively, though it
is objective in its manifestation. Said Jesus of Nazareth, who was
deeply learned in this love, in speaking to the Jew who was to become
his disciple: “Ye have heard it said by those of old time, Thou shalt
love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy; but I say unto you, Love your
enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and
pray for them that despitefully use you; that you may be the children
of your Father which is in heaven; for he causeth his sun to shine
upon the evil and the good, and he sendeth his rain upon the just and
unjust.” Notice the figure. The sun shines not objectively. It shines
of its own nature. If the earth were to be blotted out of existence,
the sun would shine on still; and if every other planet in the solar
system should refuse to receive its light, the sun would continue to
shine. Its light and heat go forth in their own plenitude. Therefore if
you and I wish the sunlight, we have but to stand forth; but the sun
does not shine or send forth his heat because we are here. It does not
shine objectively but subjectively upon us. The sun, as a type of the
divine wisdom, continuously gives forth its light; and as a type of
divine love it constantly gives forth heat to build up finite forms.

The Divine Father does not stop to inquire, whether men love him or
not. His love is self-existent, self-sufficient, and goes forth of
its own divine plenitude, of its own infinite fulness, blessing every
being in every plane, according as he comes into the condition to
receive that blessing. God’s sun shines upon the field of the wicked
man as quick as upon the field of the righteous. This is bestowing
blessing upon a common plane. Man loves friend and curses foe, but
Christ says you must not make any difference. You must become like your
Father. You claim to be his children; therefore love your enemies,
seek good for all, whatever may be their affection for you. Christ’s
doctrine differed very much from what the world had heard before. It
had generally been supposed that God loved objectively. Christ taught
that God blessed every man according to the plane he occupied. God of
his infinite fulness will pour out all the blessings you are capable
of receiving. If you want all the joys of the third heaven, which are
inexpressible, bring your mind to love subjectively. Love God, not for
his use, not because he is going to bless you, but because there is
interior harmony and oneness between your soul and his—because your
heart thrills and throbs to his divine heart. Then you will reap the
blessings belonging to the divine plane. Man can only love an object by
having an object to love; but God is love; it is his nature to love and
bless; and whatever comes within the divine influence will be blessed
according to its capacity to receive the blessing; and every action,
every impulse, and every going forth of the divine in every plane is
but a manifestation of that divine love; so that when you and I have
perfected ourselves in loving our neighbor, have fulfilled the entire
law of charity to all mankind, we are yet to go into a higher and
holier love than that. We are to arise above this discrimination—we are
to come into a plane where, having received the divine life and love,
they shall go forth by their own plentitude to bless all around us, as
our Father blesses all. In other words, he is to sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver, and he is to purify us from all this dross, until
he sees his own image perfectly reflected in us. When we shall reflect
the divine image, there will be an indication that all dross is burned
away, and we shall be swallowed up in the divine will, though still
retaining our divine personality, our hearts beating with the great
heart that beats throughout the universe.