Let us observe, then, in the first place, that it is not true that these things never have existed. They have existed in some sense, as before observed, in the general substances of the spiritual world, and in the Deity Himself. The Infinite embraces from eternity all the finite, which are only so many variations and complications of possible existence comprehended in the Divine Essence, but not yet ultimated into nature. [See pages 70, 71.] There is, therefore, a general pre-existence to all things. And in the spiritual world, which is all from the Deity-more especially that part of it which is nearest to earth, there is a more definite, formal, and active theatre of effects, which are the causes of much that we see here in natural existence. In one sense it may be said all that we see here; for every thing exists in spirit before it takes on natural ultimates. Now it is by seeing the causes of things — which exist in substantial essences in the pre-existent world, that things in this world are sometimes foreseen with such fatal precision. These causes form an infinite network of most infallible connection, and of course, by the Deity, can be all comprehended in his Infinite Mind. But some portion of that prescience can be imparted to created beings. An angel, standing above the human plane, can see much more than we can, and predict to a much greater extent the forecoming history. He may do this by taking into his view a greater number of causes. And in proportion to the really spiritual capacity of a human being, whether by natural refinement, by culture, or by states induced by normal or abnormal processes, is he so much nearer the spiritual world, and can see so much more of the forthcoming natural. Hence it so frequently happens that the most surprising things are pre-visioned and preintimated to mortals here below, which are fulfilled with the greatest accuracy. There is no chance, no accident. All is absolute, connected, and causative existence; and to the Omniscient who can take in all, it is not so much foresight as insight; not so much foreknowledge as eternal verity. And

yet not by arbitrary predestination on His part, but by certain knowledge of the movements of created freedom.

Thus it is that we are frequently forewarned of dangers, which warnings are intended for our safety, if we would heed them; and that they are most accurately foreseen is proved sometimes from the apparently accidental nature of the occurrences so previsioned. Take for instance the following case reported by Mrs. Crowe, in her "Night Side of Nature." It is related from the best authority, as communicated to herself, and is given as an instance of the "inexorable fatality which brought about the fulfilment of the dream."

“Mrs. K————————, a lady of family and fortune in Yorkshire, said to her son one morning on descending to breakfast: Henry, what are you going to do to-day?'

"I am going to hunt,' replied the young man.

"I am very glad of it,' she answered. 'I should not like you to go shooting, for I dreamed last night that you did So, and were shot.' The son answered, gaily, that he would take care not to be shot, and the hunting party rode away; but in the middle of the day, they returned, not having found any sport. Mr. B

a visitor in the house, then proposed that they should go out with their guns, and try to find some woodcocks. I will go with you,' returned the young man, ‘but I must not shoot, to-day, myself; for my mother dreamed last night I was shot; and although it is but a dream, she would be uneasy.'

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'They went: Mr. B with his gun, and Mr. Kwithout. But shortly afterward the beloved son was brought home dead: a charge from the gun of his companion had struck him in the eye, entered his brain, and killed him on the spot."

How purely accidental seems the occurrence here related, and how many were the chances, humanly speaking, that it should not so have happened! Going back into all the connections of the generations past, or even only for a few days,

how many separate wills, and motives, and contingencies, had to concur for the production of this incident! The day might not have been fair, which would have prevented the excursion altogether. Or that particular visitor who carried the fatal gun might not have made his appearance.

How many causes

might have detained him! Or, having been present, he might have been more careful. Ten thousand things may be imagined in defeat of such an occurrence, but it was to be!—and it is a truth overwhelming to think of. Not, I say, predestinated, in the common understanding of that term, but made certain by the working of human agencies, and hence foreseen.

But on the other hand, when such warnings are obeyed and the casualty prevented, it alike proves the fore-knowledge, not of the event, but of the impending danger or nearness of it, which is equally out of ordinary human sight, and in the preexistent future. Many instances might be related, but our limits forbid. The life of the great Harvey, the discoverer of the circulation of the blood, "was saved by the governor of Dover refusing to allow him to embark for the continent with his friends. The vessel was lost, with all on board; and the governor confessed to him, that he had detained him in consequence of an injunction he had received in a dream to do

"Seeing in dreams," says Ennemoser," is a self-illumining of things, places, and times;" "for relations of time and space form no obstructions to the dreamer; things near and far are alike seen in the mirror of the soul, according to the connection in which they stand to each other; and as the future is but an unfolding of the present, as the present is of the past, one being necessarily involved in the other, it is no more difficult for the untrammelled spirit to see what is to happen, than what has already happened.†"

"Sir Humphrey Davy dreamed one night that he was in

* Night Side of Nature, p. 79.

† P. 49.

Italy, where he had fallen ill. The room in which he seemed to lie struck him in a very peculiar manner, and he particularly noticed all the details of the furniture, etc., remarking in his dream how unlike any thing English they were. In his dream he appeared to be carefully nursed by a young girl, whose fair and delicate features were imprinted upon his memory. After some years Davy travelled in Italy, and being taken ill there, actually found himself in the very room of which he had dreamed, attended by the very same young woman whose features had made such a deep impression upon his mind.”

A most remarkable instance of this foreseeing power was related to me by a personal friend but a short time since. An acquaintance of his, a few years ago, dreamed one night of being in a very difficult position, in a street in New York, with a coach, and in the rain, when he came to a certain locality, and found himself, in the midst of other troubles, in great pecuniary need. He was relieved by the presentation of some silver money, among which was noticed a number of pieces of very singular coin, the like of which he had never seen before, supposed to be foreign, and the value of which he could not tell. But what should be his surprise to find himself, several years after, in the very same difficulty, in the same locality, and actually relieved by money containing a number of the new three-cent pieces, which had just made their appearance, and which were an exact fac simile of the coin he saw in his dream! Then, too, for the first time since its occurrence, flashed the whole dream into his mind. The dream occurred before any such coin had been struck or ordered in the country, and before any one, so far as he knew, had conceived of the device.

Such facts seem almost to show that our whole experience in this world, and indeed, upon the same principle, forever, is woven into a fatal pre-existence. It is, so far as certainty is concerned, but in perfect consistency with the utmost practical freedom.

But the most singular instance, I think, that I have ever heard of, of such pre-vision, or pre-intimation of the future, is related in the Memoir of the celebrated Lavater, prefixed to his work on Physiognomy. Professor Sulzer, a young man of his aquaintance, had one day fallen into unusual gloom and depression, which he could in nowise account for, and which was continued for several hours with the most dismal apprehensions. All his affairs, so far as he knew, were going on as well as usual, and what the cause of the forebodings was, could not possibly be divined. Yet the distinct impression was, that his future wife was in danger of some terrible accident. The doctor was but twenty-two years old, and had as yet formed no alliance with any one who most distantly promised to come into that relationship. He had not even seen the lady whom he had been encouraged to think of in that connection. And it was ten years from that time before he entered into the marriage relation. The circumstance had almost become obliterated from his mind. Yet one day it came to his recollection, and was made the subject of conversation between him and his wife. And by referring to dates, it was found that precisely the day which had overshadowed the doctor with such fearful apprehensions, his beloved companion, then a little girl but ten years of age, experienced a violent fall which came very near causing her death.

Innumerable such

Wonderful-wonderful such truth is! facts might be adduced. The connection in the latter case was undoubtedly from a very near spiritual relationship, and perhaps effected or aided by the angels who were the mutual guardians of both the parties.

And now is it any more wonderful that God the Infinite should see all occurrences, or have in some way a knowledge of them, before they transpire in the natural or spiritual world? Whence all the rills of foresight but from the infinite Fountain? And if one thread of the infinite warp and woof of destiny can be foreseen by men, surely He who filleth im