West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1888-05-10
SPIRITUALISM.
SERMON By REV. DIR. TALsrAGE.
It Should be Sont Back TO He'll, It's
Starting Point

utSgutSed hthnSeV ana puf on other rdthnent,
and ne Uent and tioo men Uith hiHl, and
they came 20 the roman on night aud he
said, PRAY thee dirine unto me or fh
familiar spirit, and bring me him up iohom
4 shdI name unto thee. "-I Samuel xviii.
rs
have recently become Spiritualist. At
least so some of the journals OF that belief
declare. This, together with the fact that
mediums are now being tried in tho criminal
courts setting millions OF people 10 make
inquiry in regard 70 communication between
this world and the next leads me to preach
this sermon.
Trouble TO the right of him and trouble 20
the left of him, Saul knew not what 10 do.
AS a last resort, he concluded TO seek out n
spiritual medium, or n witch, or anything
that you please to call her--at any rate, n
woman who had communication with the
spirits Of the eternal world IL was a very
difficult thing TO do, for Saul had either slain
all the witches or compelled them 10 stop
business. A servant one day said 20 King
Saul: 81 know of a spiritual medium down
ut the village OF En- dor "Do your said tho
King Night falls. Saul putting Off his
kingy robes, and putting on the dress of n
plain citizen, with two servants, goes out to
hunt up this spiritual medium. IL was no
easy thing for Saul 10 disguise himself, for
che tallest people in the country only came
up to his shoulder, and 1 think from the
strength Of the man and the way he
bore himself. he must have been well pro-
portioned. 1t must have been q frightful
thing to see a man walking along in the
night eight or nine feet high. i suppose,
as the people saw him pass, they said:
"Who is thatl He Is as tall as the khign
having no idea that in such a plain
dress there really was passing the King.
Saul and his servants after awhile reach the
village, and they say: 81 wonder IL this is
the housein and they look in and see the
haggard, weird and shriveled up spiritual
medium sitting by the light, and on the table
sculptured images, and divining rods,
and poisonous herbs and bottles, and vases
They say: eyes, this must be the place.
One loud rap brings the woman to the door;
and as she stands there, holding the candle
or lamp above her head and peering out into
the darkness, she saws;
"Who is hereF' The tall king informs her
that he has come to have his fortune told
When she hears that, she tTembles and
almost drops the light, for she knows there
is no chance for a fortune teller or spiritual
medium in all the land. But Saul, having
sworn that no harm shall come TO her, she
says: "Well, who shall / bring up from the
deadf Saul SAYS: Bring up Samuel" That
was the prophet who had died little while
before. see her waving a wand, or stirring
up some poisonous herbs in a caldron or hear
her mutiering over some nominations, or
stamping with her foot, she cries out TO
the realm OF the dead: "Samuell Samuelm
10, the freezing horror The floor of the
tenement opens, and the gray hairs float up,
and the forehead, the eyes, the lips, the
shoulders, the arms, the feet, the entire body
OF dead Samuel, wraL ped in sepulchral robe
appearing to the astonished group, who
stagger back and hold fast, and catch their
breath, and shiver with terror. The dead
prophet, white and awful from the tomb,
begins TO move his ashen lips, and he glares
upon King Saul, and cries out:
What did you bring me up forl Why
did You break my long sleepl What do you
mean, King SaulF Saul, trying to compose
and control himself, makes this stammering
and afrighted utterance as he saws to the
dead prophet: The Lord is against me, and
i have come to YOU for help What shall |
dor The dead prophet stretched forth his
finger to King Saul and said: "Die to-mor-
rowl Come with me into the sepulcher. I
am going now. Come, come with meln And
lol the floor again opens, and the feet of the
dead prophet disappear and the arms, and
the shoulders. and the forehead. The floor
closes Nothing is left in the room but Saul
and the two servants and the spiritual me-
dunn. and the sculptured images, and the
divining rods, and the bottles. and the vases
and the poisonous herbs. Oh, that was an
awful seancel
learned first from this subject that spirit
uaiism Is very old religion. 1t is natural
that people should want to know the origin
ond the history of adoctrine which is 80 wide
spread in all the villages, towns and cities
OF the civilized world, getting new converts
every day-a doctrine with which many of
you are already tiuged.
Splritualism In America was born in 1917,
In Hydesville, Wayne County, N " wnen
one night there was a loud rap heart against
the door of Michael Weekman; rap a Soc
ond time, rap third time; and all three
times. when the door was opened there was
nothing found there the knocking having
Deen made seemingly by invisible knuckles
In that same house there was a young woman
who had cold hand passed over her face.
ana there being seemingly no arm attached
70 u, ghostly suspicious were excited After
while Mr. Fox and his family moved into
that house. and then every night there was n
hanging at the door; and one night Mr. Fox
SAID; You are spiritp Two raps, an
swer1ng in the affirmative "Are Won an
injured spiritf Two raps answering in TN,
Affirmative And 50 they found out. as thew
say, that Il was the ghost OF spirit If a ned.
Ter who had been murdered in that house
many years before for his 500 Whether
the ghost OF the dead peder had come
here 70 collect his $5OO or his bones, I can
not say, not being a Spiritualist but there
was great racket at the door, 50 Mr..
Weekman declared, and Mrs. Weekman
and Mr.. Fox and Mrs. Fox and all thu
little Foxes. The excitement spread There
was a universal rumpus rhe Hon Judge
Bdmonds declared. in book that he had
actually seen bel start from the top shelf
OF q closet, heard II ring over the peoule that
were standing in the closet, then. swung by
invisible hands, it rang over the people
IN the back parlor, and fiOated through
the folding doors 70 the front parlor.
Tnng over the people, there and then
Senator Of the United States, afterward
Governor Of Wisconsin, had his head
completely turned with spirituahstic
demonstrations A man, as no was
passing along the road, said that he was
lifted up bodily, and carried toward bis
home through the air, at such great speed he
could not count the posts on the fence as he
passed, and as he had a hand saw and
square IN his hand they beat, as he passed
through the air, most delightful music And
the tables tipped, and the stools tilted and
the bedsteads raised, and tho chairs upset
and Il seemed as III the spirits everywhere
bad gone into the furniture business t'YVell. 80
the people said, 1--WE have got something
new IN this country: Il IS a new religion.
On no, my friends Thousands Of wears ago
We find ia our text a spirituaistic seance
Nothing In the spritualistic circles Of our
day has been more strange, mysterious and
wonderful than things which have been seen
IN the past centuries Of the world Tn nli tie
ages there have been uecrOmaucers. Those
who consult with The .pir ts OF tho departed
chormera, those who put their subjects in n
lneGmeric state; sOrcerers, those vim by taxi
ing poisonous drugs zee everything and hear
everything and tell everything. dreamer.
people who in their sleeping moments can SEQ
the future world and hold consultation with
spirits; astrooRera who could read q Now
dispensation IN the stars experts in palm FL
Try, who can tell by tho limos fro the palm Of
your hand your origin and your history.
frUm cave on Mount Parnassue. We arc
the sheep and goats that came anvwhera
~ was thrown bv that evhalafi0u
frIfn "a rrrff~rr.~rf tr, a-t.fef, b. ,.,..r