The Worthington advance., 1878-10-03
Something for Every Christian to
- Read.

Something for Every Christian to
-~--~-.,~ - Read =.
The Beautiful Experiences Of an
''':~ odox*Fami|y. |y~. --
Efficacy Of Paryer and Angel
50 .:':.~. Visits. go
In your paper recently read a short
communication on the subject of
Prayer, "and feel impelled to write
you, giving some of our own remark;,-
ble experiences during the past year,
and 1T the same time some points of
our belief.
i. AS we (my husband and myself) are
Orthodox Congregationalists, with an
ancestry uM my own side of cergymen
for several generations back, it will
hardly he expected that we should cut
the nerves of moral obligation and rest
our faith OH anything less than Il per-
sonal Deity, holding immediate rela.
tions with MS us earth-dwellers, mani
testify created us subjects OF moral OBJ
i1gatlon in the universe. Our hearts
3nd souls cr3 o:. continually with the
Isaln':st sur the fountains of the living
Tod. We feel that there must be Il
power above us that takes cognizance
OF all human ACTIONS, and eithe: quick
ems Or weakens the decisions OF tie in
ward monitor; and that this same pow
er governs and controls throughout
the. spiritual as well us the material
| s.+ +<>t l,:e 1<>~l
| we must look, in al his inconceiv:,ble
perfections, for whatever of truth there
! is IN spiritual manifestations.
When we are told, therefore. that
prayer is il needless instrumentality in
this world of sin, penitence and sigh
ing; that the ear of the Divine One is
closed to this continuous cry of human
ity for the expiation of sin, the abyss
OF mans guilt opens with too wide =;
c!asm for anything but the most trag-
lc sentiment to bridge. This is our
intellectual belief. and our heart-expe-
rlence is in accordance with it.
we have unquestioning, unwavering
faith in Our blessed Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, as. the Redeemer of the
world, and in the efficacy Of prayer
constant, earnest prayer to God for
Ills sake. Every joy, every sorrow,
every want, temporal Or spiritual. we
take to Him in preyer. Prayer is to
our spirit what the pure air of heaven
which We breathe daily is to our earth
ly bodies. When we "hunger and
thirst after righteousness, "after pur-
ity, truth and love, by prayer, and by
prayer alone. are we filled. Do we
want strength to encounter the trials
and temptations Of this earth-life, we
read IN. the Book of Books, Trust in
the Lord with all thy heart, and lean
not unto thine own understanding, "
and we trust and pray. Does some
unexpected Joy brighten our pathway,
our spirits Offer i prayer of thank>giv-
ing.
Finally, do we earnestly desire to
speak to the dear guardian angels.
whom we feel assured are ever around
us; do we want their assistance or ad-
vice, we ask it of God in prayer, aud
re hare IL!
We do not call ourselves "Spirltual-
lists, and l presume, in view Of
what have written above, you would
not accord lis that designation; but re
0re and have for some time been firm
believers in spiritual manifestations of
various kinds, and we deem the power
gone to the spirit-world, and receiving
comfort and advice from them, one of
Gods best gifts to man-one of those
''good and perfect gifts which comes
from the Father of lights. y
We have for the last twenty-five
years been conversant with these "man-
ifestations.'' In the summer of 1852,
my father "a Congrcgationalis clergy
n has irif -x1.n,h \
came home from Boston, greatly inter
ested in what he had seen there, and
proposed Il - family circle, y to which
we all acceded, and | was soon devel-
oped us Il writing medium. I wrote Il
great deal then, but it was not entirely
satisfactory to myself, and presume
not so to my friends. After mymar-
riage | gradually gave it up, as my
husband thought the ' " riting" injur-
ious to my health. But we have never
doubted the constant presence of our
spirit friends, or their power to com
municate with us, although, this belief
has been kept strictly within our own
family.
About two years ago, my daughters
most intimate friend, Il young lady Of
rare loveliness OF character, passed to
the Spirit-WOrld. She knew nothing
Of our belief in these matters, and felt
great shrinking and aver sion to any
| thing of the kind while in earth-life.
| "A few weeks after she had left u.s. while
sitting together one evening co,vers
ing on various subjects. we heard some
peculiar ral's on the table lle;lr us. We
soon heard them Oh other articles of
furniture and in various parts Of the
room, and OH inquiry, found that it
was our friend lately gone. This was
our first intimation of her presence,
although we all daily mourned her loss.
She then gave us, by ral's aud the al
plilbet, some directions for her moth
er us t" the disposition OF certain arti-
cles of lers-her watch and other things.
This WIS the beginning OF 4 series of
constant communications from her and
Others, which has continued until the
present time; embracing many wonder
ful tests, and nulnberless messages of
great beauty and goodness, I'LL tending
to strengthen our faith in God aud in
our Savior Jesus Christ. Some OF these
l will try to relate. The raps began
that night continued ut intervals, un.
til they were Of daily occurrence at any
time and in various parts of the house.
They were. u source Of great pleasure
to us, and we felt more than ever that
the presence of our spirit friends was a
reality.
We had one evening some very louG
{ and unpleasant raps which annoy ed us
and upon inquiring, the name of thu
: Evil One was spelled out. We replied
D 1--WE will not have this." and m,
!. daughter and myself Immediately pray
I Ell t!at God for Christ's sake Woul(
9 "deliver us from evil, " and suffer on
u " the good and pure to come to us
This prayer for only good spirits to in
tiuence us has been Il daily one since
8 and it has been abnndantly answered
: But we have long since gone beyons
4 | rams as 4 mems of cnlnmunicatinn