The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-05-16
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Modern Spiritualism."

SuOJCSSs NAoNSA
TEXT: "Behold. there is q a1omdn that
hath q familiar spirit at En-dor. And Saul
disguised himself and put on other rdtment,
and he ,Dent, and t,ro men ,rith him, ana
said, I pray thee diuine unto me by the
familiar spirit, aud bring me him up Whom
Ishau name unto thee."-I Samuel xviii,
IS.
I have recently become Spiritualist. At
least 50 some of the journals of that belief
declare. This, together with the fact that
mediums are now being tried in the criminal
courts, setting millions OF people to make
INQUIRY in regard to communication between
this world and the next, leads me to preacn
this sermon.
Trouble to the right Of him and trouble to
the left of him, Saul knew not what 10 90.
spiritual medium, or witch, or anything
that you please to call her-at any rate,
woman who had communication with the
spirits of the eternal world. 1t was very
difficult thing to do, for Saul had either slain
all the witches or compelled them to stop
business. A servant one day said to King
Saul: II know Of a spiritual medium down y
King. Night falls. Saul, putting off his
kingly robes, and putting on the dress OF a
plain citizen, with two servants, goes out 70
hunt up this spiritual medium. 1t was no
easy thing for Saul to disguise himself, Tor
the tallest people in the country only came
up to his shoulder, and think from tne
strength Of the man and the way he
bore himself, he must have been wen Pro,
portioned. It must have been frightful
thing to see a man walking along in the
night eight or nine feet high. ! suppose,
as the people saw him pass, they said:
"Who is that! He is as tall as the king"
having no idea that in such plain
dress there really was passing the King.
Saul and his servants after awhile reach the
village, and they say: VI wonder IN Ell u inns sbs Is
hapeard, 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: ayes, this must he 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 Peer1ng OUT INTO
aWho is here?n The tall king informs her
that he has come to have his fortune told:
When she hears that, she trembles and
almost drops the light, for she knows there
is no chance for 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 1 bring up from I'll the
dead?' Saul saws: Bring up Samuel" That
was the prophet who had died little while
before I see her waving a wand, or stirring
up some poisonous herbs in caldrola. or hear
her NUT. ering over some incantat1ons, or
stamping with her foot, as she cries out TO
the realm Of the dead: samuel! Samuel!'
Lo, the freezing horror! The floor OF the
tenement opens, and the gray hairs ,i hoa5 up, up
and the forehead, the eyes, the lips, the
shoulders, the arms, the feet, the ertire body
of dead Samuel. wrapped 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:
sWhat did you bring me up for2 Why
did you break my long sleep? What do you
mean, King Saul" Saul, trying to compose
and control himself, makes this stammering
and affrighted utterance, as he says 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-
row! Come with me into the sepulcher: !
am going now. Come come with me" And
10. 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
/, diyining rods, and the bottles, and the vases,
and the poisonous herbs. Oh, that was an
I learn first from this subject that spir-
ftualism is a very old religion 1t is natural
that people should want to lnow the origin
and the history Of a doctrine which is so
cities of the civilized world, getting new
converts every day-a doctrine with which
many of you are already tinged.
Spiritualism in America was born in lS47,
fu Hydesville, Wayne County, N. Y, when
one night there was loud rap heard against
the door of Michael Weekman; rap sec
ond time, rap third time; and all three
nothing found there. the knocking having
been made seemingly by invisible knuckles
In that same house there was young woman
who had cold hand passed over her face.
and there being seemingly no arm attached
to it, ghostly suspicious were excited. After
while Mr.. Fox and his family moved into
that house, and then every night there was
banging at the door; and one night Mr. Fox
swering in the affirmative. "Are. you an
injured spirit:" Two raps. answering in the
affirmative. And so they found out, as they
say, that it was the ghost or spirit of a ped
Ter who had been murdered in that house
many years before for his $500. Whether
the ghost of the dead pedler had come
there to collect his $500, or his bones. can
not say, not being SplrlJuaIlst; pu5 there
was great racket at the door. so Mr..
Weekman declared, and Mrs. Weekmau
and Mr.. Fox and Mrs. Fox and all the
little Foxes. The excitement spread. There
was a universal rumpus. The Hon. Judge
Ednonds declared. in a book, that he had
actually seen bell start from the top shelf
e - Ioor -sy.orA Axynr "a that
were standing in the closet, then. swung by
invisible hands, it rang over the people
in the back parlor, and foated through
the folding doors to the front parlor,
rung over the people, there and then
dropped on the floor. n. P. Talmage,
Senator Of the United States; afterward
Governor Of Wisconsin,, had his head
demonstrations. A man, as he was
passing along the road, said that he was
lifted up bodily, and carried toward his
home through the air, at such great speed he
could not count the posts on the fence as he
passed; and as he had hand saw and
square in his hand, they beat, as ne passed
through the air, most delightful music. And
the tables tipped, and the stools tilted, and
the bedsteads raised, and the chairs upset,
and it seemed as if the spirits everywhere
had gone into the furniture business. We'll" !"
the people said, 1--WE have got something
new in this country: it Is new religion. !"
Oh no. nv friends Thousands Of years ago
we find in our text sp!ritualistic seance.
Nothing in the spiritualistic circles Of our
day has been more strange, mysterious and
wonderful than things which have been seen
in the past centuries OF the world. In all the
ages there have been necromancers, those
who consult with the spirits of the departed; ;
oharmers those who put their subjects in a
mesmeric state; sorcerers, those who by tax
ing poisonous drugs see everything and hear
everything and tell everything; dreamers,
,>aorla tsho In fha;r sleapinp moments can eae