The New York herald., 1872-09-22


sin and the development OF love to the Lord and
neighbor. is desirable, whereas It is evident that
whatever interferes with or retards our progress
heavenward Is Objectionable and to be stunned.
The second coming Of the Lord we read. was to
be with power and great glory; consequently many
things which In the letter OF the sacred Scriptures
were dark and obscure are beautifully Illuminated
and radiant with light In the revelations made by
the Lord to this age through His chosen messen-
ger, Emanuel Swedenb0rg In the writings OF the
latter we are told that no one is reformed by
visions and by converslng with che dead, because
such visions and such open conversation with the
dead force the mind and deprive 1t Gifts ree rational
life the reason Is that instead of being nationally
convinced and in freedom reforming his own
life, II even good spirits were to teach
him true doctrines the man would pe persuaded
and compelled to reform 1Or q short time, but "as
such tOmpusion," we read, ''deprtves man OF ra-
tOnaity and, at the same time, shuts in his evils,
the charm or internal restraint becomes dissolved,
and the enclosed evils break out with basphemy
and PROCLAMATION. This only happens, however,
when spirits induce some dogmatic principle OF re.
glon, which is never done by any good spirit, still
less by any angel Of heaven" Again. says
the Lord never say anything Which taxes away the
freedom OF reason; nor do they teach for
the Lord alone teaches man. though me.
this is the case, has been made known to me by ex
perience. have discoursed with spirits and angels
would any angel say anything to me, much less In
struct me, about anything In the Word or any doc
trinal derived from the Word; but the Lord alone,
who was revealed TO me, and afterwards continu-
ally did and does appear before my eyes as the sun,
in which he is, even as he appears to the angels,
from the above that good spirits and angels will
not attempt to teach men doctrines or those truths
which lead to heaven. for 1t would interfere with
mans freedom and his rational reception Of truth;
and evil spirits will not and cannot teach true
doctrines, unless they mix them up with that which
Ia fol fort fha aQk 20 n Load man
because they neither love nor believe them The
evil and the false in the other world are united.
Swedenb0rg informs us that speaking with spirits
Is dangerous to mans spiritual life, and bar to
his regeneration and progress toward Heaven; for
ordinarily spirits although associated with man,
do not know that they are present with man In the
natural world, and therefore they do not interfere
with his freedom or injure him. II a man hears
spirits speaking to him 1t Is not lawful for him to
reply; for ifhe does then the spirit or spirits know
that they are with man In this world, which other
wise they would not know.
But the reader reasonably inquiries more speci-
f1cally what harm can result to the man from speak
ing with spirits or communicating with themY In
and heeds them, he Is turning from the Lord and
His word for guidance. Then itis law of spiritual
IKE associate with like; therefore, mans associate
or familiar spirits, are like himself neither better
nor worse, and Sensible, open intercourse with
spirits binds the man to the state in which the
spirits are and prevents his spiritual advancement
and Thus ( the spirits
are in false principles the man himself becomes an
enthusiast in maintaining and promoting the same
false principles: nor can he possibly avoid being
is again led solely by the Lord through His word"
If man Is ambitious, avaricOus, proud asciviOus,
jealous, lustlu &c., and when In these states has
communication with spirits, he Is necessarily con-
firmed in his evil states by them If he harkens to
them, and he Is quite sure to do this, believing
them to be in superior light; and they are sure in
the very nature of the case to every effort to
confirm him in his present state OF life; for If
the man changes for the better his associate
spirits are repelled or driven away, better ones
take their place, and their chance to use authority
and dabbe in the affairs of men Is gone Mans as
sOciate spirits, then, are sure to teach him that
progression and not regeneration Is what is re-
CURED ;aa and for his good. 60 In this article have
should not, and II they are wise will not. seek oDen
intercourse with spirits. In the works of Swe-
whole subject is considered from rational point
of view. The laws of spiritual intercourse, the
secon from % the the @ e1 asr INC des9h
the relation which this life and its deeds sustain to
the future life, the correspondence between the
natural and spiritual worlds influx from the spirit
ual into the natural, and the laws which govern
the organization OF societies in the spiritual world
all described and illustrated the light OF rea
son, as they have never been by any one else. Re-
volutonary changes and whole Kingdoms in the
spiritual world are carefully described by Sweden
borg OF which spiritual mediums and their attend
ant spirits have no knowledge and can have none
In the very nature of the case, according to laws
to be true even by the facts of Spirit
Why men should be satisfied with such manires-
ana communications as are described III the
Spirtuaistic literature of the day-to the neglect
OF the nood Of light upon this whole subject
contained in the writings Of swedenborg-
Evidently they they are are feeding W upon 'ASssSs RssEs
and neglectlng the full corn In the ear. Mans
God has given us reason to correct the errors Of our
senses and why should we not use our reason9
surely the rational perception Of truth is superior
Finally, the writer will say. after having for
years carefully read the literature OF Spiritualsm
ion, all the knowledge upon spiritual subjects to
be obtained through modern Spiritualism, when
compared with what can be found in the writings of
Sswedenborg, Is scarcely as drop to bucket, and
the seeking for that drop Is forbidden by Divine
revelation and condemned by our highest reason
as neither desirable nor reliable as guide to hap
pinesS and heaven but as dangerous in the ex-
treme to our spiritual welfare. j. L.
Rev. Thomas Guards Embnrkation in
Africa for America.
From the Port Elizabeth Cape Of Good Hope)
Herald, July 30.l
The Rev. Thomas Guard, who has been so well
known here for some years as an able and efficient
minister of the Wesleyan Church, will leave by the
Royal mail steamship NOrseman to-day for South
ampton, en- route for Baltimore United States Of
America, where he is about to take up his abode
for the future. During his residence in this town
he has secured for himself large circle of friends
who deeply regret his departure, but who fer.
vently wish him godspeed In his new home.
Az pulpit orator, Mr.. Guard is without an
equal In this colony, and since his return from
America the religious services he has conducted
have been attended by large and attentive au-
diences, who hung upon his every word. There is ,
no need for us TO expatiate the soul-strrng elO
quence OF his oratons or the deep, metaphysical
and logical tone which characterizes his pulpit dis
courses. They are too well known throughout the
colony. As mark OF the respect and esteem In
which Mr.. Guard is held by his fellow townsmen
they have contributed purse of f19O, which has
been presented to him with the best wishes of the
donors for his future prosperity and success. We
shall be glad to hear OF him when he has entered
his new duties in the United states, and he may
rest assured there many In this colony who will
long bear him In remembrance and will always be
glad to hear OF his welfare.
Religious Personal.
Dr.. Schan, Of Union Theological Seminary, has re.
turned from Europe, where he went last Summer
to invite about fifty distin puished Christian uen