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Placed in the garden of Eden Adam was made acquainted with the nature of his tenure and taught with the worship of his Maker that science which is now termed Masonry. This constituted his chief happiness in Paradise and was his only consolation after his unhappy fall.

But there existed in infinite space numberless worlds, before our earth was formed out of chaos; for it would derogate from the attributes of an eternal and self-existent God, to conceive that this great and glorious Being had remained inanimate, and in an useless and dormant state, until the commencement of our history, about 5,800 years ago. Now though we cannot comprehend the nature of that eternity which existed prior to the creation of this globe, yet we are certain that our system does not comprehend the whole of God's created works. With him a thousand years are but as one day what then is the short and contracted period which forms the bound of our insignificant ball? If we open our capacities, and take an enlarged view of space, beyond the reach of our actual investigation, can we be so blind and faithless as to admit that it is all vacant and unemployed, when almost every optical improvement demonstrates, by new discoveries, the existence of worlds piled on worlds, too far remote for human art to measure?

These orbs were surely not made for ornament alone, but for use; and as they possess every requisite for the support of animal life, there can be no doubt but they have been created for the residence of intelligent beings, of the same capacities perhaps as ourselves; probably of the same nature, and certainly intended for the same immortal destination. On these, or some of them, the Creator has bestowed his blessings from all eternity. They have been possessed of all the privileges we enjoy, millions of ages before this globe which we inhabit was reduced from nothing into its solid form: privileges perhaps superior to any we can boast, for who can limit the power of God to confer gifts upon his creatures?

George Miller wrote:I know the answer. ;-)

I want to play too!!!

But there existed in infinite space numberless worlds, before our earth was formed out of chaos; for it would derogate from the attributes of an eternal and self-existent God, to conceive that this great and glorious Being had remained inanimate, and in an useless and dormant state, until the commencement of our history, about 5,800 years ago. Now though we cannot comprehend the nature of that eternity which existed prior to the creation of this globe, yet we are certain that our system does not comprehend the whole of God's created works. With him a thousand years are but as one day what then is the short and contracted period which forms the bound of our insignificant ball? If we open our capacities, and take an enlarged view of space, beyond the reach of our actual investigation, can we be so blind and faithless as to admit that it is all vacant and unemployed, when almost every optical improvement demonstrates, by new discoveries, the existence of worlds piled on worlds, too far remote for human art to measure?

These orbs were surely not made for ornament alone, but for use; and as they possess every requisite for the support of animal life, there can be no doubt but they have been created for the residence of intelligent beings, of the same capacities perhaps as ourselves; probably of the same nature, and certainly intended for the same immortal destination. On these, or some of them, the Creator has bestowed his blessings from all eternity. They have been possessed of all the privileges we enjoy, millions of ages before this globe which we inhabit was reduced from nothing into its solid form: privileges perhaps superior to any we can boast, for who can limit the power of God to confer gifts upon his creatures?

Name that author :-)

Buffalo wrote:I'm going to guess, Thomas Dick’s Philosophy of a Future State? I don't know, though.

Buffalo wrote:Great podcast, by the way. That's the source of this thread. :)

George Miller wrote:

Buffalo wrote:I'm going to guess, Thomas Dick’s Philosophy of a Future State? I don't know, though.

Now that you have guessed, go ahead an cheat and look it up in Google Books. :-)

Buffalo wrote:Great podcast, by the way. That's the source of this thread. :)

Glad to hear that you enjoyed the podcast. It has been fun making them. Sadly, this last edition was my least favorite. We are winding down though and I think we only have one left.