The New York herald., 1876-03-20
TRINITY CHURCH.
REV. DR. MORGAN DIX on THE ExIsTENcE OF

SPIRITS.
At Trinity church yesterday morning DR.. Dix, the
rector. preached the sermon, choosing for text Ephe
SLAMS H. part Of second verse-''The prince OF the
power OF the air, the spirit that workcth in the
children of dsobedience" The Holy Scriptures said
the Doctor OF both the Old and New Tesaments give
a history Of the human from the beginning Of tho
world and besides furnish account of events that
10 10 the end OF time. The great Hebrew
writer has collected the ancient history of the earlier
peoples and noted their traditions The apostles fur
nsh us with an account of the times in which they
hved Tho Holy Scriptures. taken with previous doc
trnes, present clear picture, that men formerly
believed, and still believe, a part OF
universal faith in the existence OF a spiritual
world and in the peoplins OF those realms
with other beings This is part OF the inith oil man.
kind IL is what is taught MS in the holy book from
the beginning until now Angels and devils appear at
are they described active beings Angels are spoken
OF all through the Bible. In the line OF witnesses ap
pears the greatest of ALLIE who neither deceive
nor he deceived Our Lord and Saviour describes
Satan as the chief OF tho powers Of darkness Tic
words OF this witness are taken up by tho Apostles,
aud have the writings OF the Others who set forth
beyond doubt the existence Of an invisible spiritual
world There are always maeralists who say that the
Bible in this regard IS unreliable Our Lord spoke
constantly of Satan If we say there no Satan, what
shall we say OF Christ? The faithful, however need
not vex their souls about this. Our actual knowledge
is not 10 serve the total OF all that may be known.
Lhat you nave not seen spirit does mol prove tnat
there are no such things What solemn view OF life
thlS conveys HOW greatly must a mans IDEAS
expand when he takes this in mind. 1t is
NOT SUPERSTITION SOBER REASON
The text says, 'The prince Of the power OF the air
This region peoped by the power OF the forces OF the
air They people who on the one hand who to
defend us on the earth, and the other nends who
go about seeking whom they can devour These last
are governed by restless being called Satan Again,
in considering about this invisible realm, must
think OF the mysterious mystery attaching 10 dreams
we nave heard OF dreams, signs and omens as they
were viewed in olden tunes. We hear too OF coin
mnnion with spirits OF departed friends warning us of
danger We have all heard OF strange signs and sounds
in vacant houses where crime has been committed
The records OF the spirituastic operations day
show too that there is subject for deep considerations
Doubtless many OF the called manifestations but
pure nonsense and transparent frauds; but
is II not wiser 10 believe that there are
things happening impossible TO explain
ccpt under the doctrine OF the supernatural?
Is not better accept the Wow that there spirits
sent by God TO this world for good purposes, and
again. that ends despatched by Satan to torment
usy We have in tho story OF our Lords temptation
plain narrative of the OF these evil spirits
The man who can sweep that would return to
system of signs and empty metaphor We bow in
ercncc before the OF the forty days The exist
ence of personal spirit OF evil explains the existence
OF some kind OF men and their acts In the sacred
mysteries OF Christianity set up perfect barriers
against the Prince OF Darkness and when hear God
say there danger let heed and turn away be-
cause some friend tells there is So shall
walk safely along the highway OF life.