John Ballou Newbrough - Oahspe

12. And God and his hosts and the Lord and his ashars and asaphs were together in general reunion, praying, singing and dancing and reasoning on the endless works of Jehovih. But one book could not contain all that was said and done, and of the excursions made, and the visits over the plains and mountains, where in thousands of years hence man should live and build cities, and go to war and destroy them.

13. And the mathematicians foretold the great cities and nations that would rise up; how this one and that one would move to battle; how their great cities would fall in ruins and be covered up by falling nebulæ, and by denuding mountains washing down upon them, so that even their remembrance should be lost. And yet, further on, the mathematicians foretold the coming of kosmon when the ruined cities would be discovered and their histories deciphered by the su'is of man in Great Jehovih's hand.

14. And now when all these things were estimated, the prophets and mathematicians went before God according to the commandments of the Lord, and they spake before God, Son of Jehovih, telling all these wonders.

15. When they had finished, God said: What is our service on the earth, O Lord? A few centuries at most, and we will have risen up from the earth, taking our hosts with us to dwell in higher realms. But there shall be other Gods and Lords after us, to deal with mortals and spirits newly born. After awhile there shall be great warriors and great cities and nations; and they shall have Gods and Lords of their times who will dwell many a weary year, aye, century, in the darkness with man. After that again, even the Gods and Lords will be forgotten. And man will turn against Great Jehovih, putting to death his adherents, preferring idols of stone and metal, and spirits born of woman.

16. The Lord said: And yet further on, a brighter light adorneth the way: Great Jehovih's hand sendeth the traveling worlds into the light of kosmon, and new prophets arise gathering up the histories lost, and glorious plan of the Great Spirit over all. Yea, even thy labor and my ships will be seen by mortals of that day.

17. Thus they discoursed, reading the past and the future, and weighing the present; whilst angels less informed, gathered around to learn how worlds are peopled, and nations and cities destroyed; the far-off, and the near at hand, being as nothing in Jehovih's vast universe.

18. But the time came for God's departure, and he and his traveling host embarked, and the Lord and his angels drew around to receive God's prayer ere he left. And so after they had embraced and parted, God said:

19. Though I go away, my love abideth with you all. And now, O Jehovih, bless these my fellow-laborers, and make them strong to endure their great trials. Thine is the power and glory, O Father! Amen!

20. The ship rose up and the trumpeters gave forth: Glory to Thee, O Jehovih, forever and ever!

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1. JEHOVIH spake to God, saying: Steer thy ship to the south land, My Son, and visit thy Lord, who is God of Vohu. And God went as commanded, to the south, running close to the earth, over deserts and mountains.

2. But when they were a short way on the journey they were met by the Lord, who had been apprised of God's coming. And the ship of the Lord came also, and made fast to the vessel of God, and all the angels saluted and intermingled, having known one another hundreds of years, and some for more than a thousand years.

3. The Lord said: On our journey let us run through the valleys and the banks of rivers, for it is here that both asu and men dwell. And so they journeyed, surveying the earth as they sailed above. The country was mostly barren, not supporting man nor beast.

4. But by the river sides man dwelt, burrowing in the ground to avoid the heat by day and the cold by night. And they came to places where the angels of the Lord were dwelling with mortals, having inspired them to make villages and to hide their nakedness.

5. The Lord said: Behold, O God, only the unseen is potent over man. Could the beasts or the stones or the forest tell man to hide his nakedness, he would not; neither will he heed his brother's voice. Without experience man cannot be advised profitably to himself, for such hath Jehovih made him. Because man cannot discern angel presence, the angels alone can teach man and inspire him to new life. For they talk to him in his sleep, and show him what is for his own good. And when he waketh in the morning, he supposeth it was himself talking, and he is ambitious to obey himself. Patient and of long endurance are the angels of the Lord.

6. God said: Will man ever know he hath been raised up? Will he be believing? Or will he, too, need go to some new world and raise up the first fruits thereof and toil his hundreds of years with naked mortals? O Jehovih, how wisely hast Thou shapen the labors of the believing and the unbelieving!

7. Lo, man cometh forth out of the earth, boasting of his unbelief, saying: Except I see with my own eyes, and feel with my own hands, I will not believe. But Thou, O Jehovih, hast fitted a labor for his eyes, and for his hands, to his heart's content.

8. And yet another man cometh forth out of the earth, being believing, and quickly he mounteth to the thrones of Thy exalted heavens. Great is the work of Thy Lord, O Father.

9. The Lord said: Who knoweth thy wisdom, O Jehovih! Who cannot perceive Thee in the foundations of Thy everlasting worlds? Thou hast provided nurses for the new earth; and out of this, Thy footstool, wilt Thou bring forth many, who will, in the far future time, be laboring as Thy Lord and his angels labor here. Of what expanse is Thy wisdom, O Jehovih!

10. Thus they conversed and journeyed forth till they reached the throne and place of the Lord. And here they made fast their ships, and they descended down to the city of Ong'oo, in upper middle of the continent of Vohu. 1

11. And the Lord now sent messengers to all the ashars in his dominions, appointing ten days of rest, and time for feasting and music, and dancing and worshipping Jehovih.

12. And so it came to pass that the angels of the Lord and of God held a reunion, being the first one for over a hundred years.

13. And then God went around about over all the continent of Vohu, inspecting the work the Lord had done, and he pronounced it good before Jehovih.

14. When God had rested the full time, he and his hosts entered the ship of God, and taking leave of the Lord and his hosts, departed on the journey, saluting the Lord with a thousand trumpeters in the name of Jehovih.

Footnotes

1Africa

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1. AND now came the long journey across the ocean. God said: Great is Thy wisdom, O Jehovih, in the division of waters! Thy barriers provide nations against nations. A refuge hast Thou made beyond the waters, and the evil man cannot pursue. But greater still are Thy spirit oceans, O Father. The spirits of darkness cannot cross over, and the spirits of newborn peoples are not contaminated. Thou Far-seeing, Thou Bestower of thrift into the hands of Thy Gods and Thy Lords.

2. The master of the ship provided well for the journey; and presently the vessel of fire sped over the water, high above the clouds that cover the ocean. Onward to the west, bleak and desolate, through the spirit sea, unseen by mortals. On the far-off borders where the lands come to the waters' edge, the Lord of the land of Thouri 1stood, stationed in a ship, to welcome God to the great west lands.

3. And this was the land called by the angels in aftertime North Guatama, signifying the meeting of nations and the dawn of kosmon.

4. God came down out of the ship and stood on the land, and a light of etherean flame descended upon him, and Jehovih spoke out of the light, saying: Hear Me, O My Son! Hither have I brought thee. This land is the last of the circle, even as Whaga is the first. Behold, when the earth is circumscribed around about with such as choose Me, I will come hither with a great awakening light to the souls of men.