Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-05-09

parted father; come back, spirit of my de-
parted mother, of my companions, of my
little child, and toll me some things don't
know about you and about the unseen
world" If God is ever slapped square in
the face it is when spiritual medium puts
down her hand on the table, invoking
spirits departed to make arevelation. God
has told you all you ought to know, and
how dare you be prying into that which is
none of your business? Yon cannot keep
the Bible in one hand and Spiritualism in
the other. One or the other will slip out
of your grasp, depend upon it.
Spiritualism is adverse to the Bible in the
fact that it has in these last days called from
the future world Christian men to testify
against Christianity Its mediums call
back Lorenzo Dow, the celebrated evaugel-
ist, and Lorenzo Dow testifies that Christ
ians are idoaters. Spiritualism calls back
Tom Paine, and he testifes that he is stop
ping in the same house in heaven with
John Bunyan. They call back John Wes-
| ley, and he testifies against the Christian
religion which he all his life glOriously
preached. Andrew Jackson Davis, the
greatest of all the Spiritua)ists, comes to
the front and declares that the New Testa-
ment is but ''the dismal echo of barbaric
age,' and the Bible only ''one of the pen
and ink relics OF Christianity" They at
tempt to substitute the writings of Swe-
dsnborg, and Andrew Jackson Davis, and
other religious balderdash, in the place of
this old Bible. I have in my house book
which was used in this very city in the
public service of Spiritualists. 1t is well
worn with much service. 1 open that
book, and it says: "What is our baptism?
| Answer; Frequent ablutions Of water.
What is our inspiration? Plenty of fresh
air and sunlight What is our prayer?
Abundant physical exercise. What is our
love-feast? A clear conscience and sound
seep,' And 1 find from the same book
that the chief item in their public worship
is gymnastic exercise, and that whenever
they want to rouse up their souls to very
high pitch of devotion they sing page sixty
five: "The night has gathered up her moon
lit fringes"; or page sixteen: "Come to
the woods, heigho!" You say you are not
such fool as that; but you will be if you
keep on in the track you have started.
"But," says some one, wouldn't it be
of advantage to hear from the future world?
Don't you think it would strengthen Chris
tians? There are a great many Materialists
who do not believe there are souls; but If
spirits from the future world should knock
and talk over to us, they would be persuad-
u.
words of the Son Of God: ''If they believe
not Moses and the prophets, neither will
they be persuaded, though one rose from
the dead"
Now I believe, under God, that this SER
mon will save many from disease, insanity,
and perdition. I believe these are the days
of which the apostle spoke when he said:
SIN the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits"
I think my audiencs, as we'll as other audi
ences in this day, need to have reiterated
in their hearing the passages quoted some
minutes ago: "There shall not be among
you consulter of familiar spirits, or wiz
ard, or necromancer. for they that do these
things are an abomination unto the Lord;'
and s'the soul that turneth after such as
have familiar spirits l will set myself
against them. and they shall be cut off from
their people,"
But invite you this morning toe Chris
tian seance, monday seance. This con-
gregation is only one great family. Here is
the church table. Come around the
Church table, take your seats for this great
Christian seance, put your Bible on the
table, put your hands on the top of the
Bible, and then listen and hsar if there are
any voices coming from the eternal world.
think there are. Listen! fSscret things
belong nnte the Lord our God, but things
that are revealed belong unto us and to our
childreu." Surely that is voice from the
spirit world. But before you rise from this
Christian seance I want you to promise me
YOU will be satisfied with the Divine revela-
ton uati the light of the eternal throne
breaks upon your vision. Do not go after
the witch of En-dor. Do not sit down at
table-rappings, either in sport or in dead
earnest, Have your tables SO well made, and
their legs 80 even, that they will not tip and
rattle. If the table must move, let it be
under the offices ofindustrions bousewifery.
Teach your children there are no ghosts to
be seen or heard in this world save those
which walk on two feet or four, human or
bestial. Remember that Spiritualism at
the best is useless thing; for if it tells
what the Bible reveals it is a superfiuity,
and if it tells what the Bible does not re-
veal, it is a lie. Instead of going out to get
othor people to tell your fortune, tell your
own fortune by putting your trust in God
aud doing the best you can. l will tell your
fortune: "All things work together for
good to them who love God" Insult not
your departed friends by asking them to
come down and scrabble under an exten
sion table. Remember that there is only
one Spirit whose dictation you have have
right to invoke, and that is the holy. bles-
sed, and omnipotent Spirit nf God. Hark
He is rapping now, not on table or the
floor. but rspping on the door of your
heart, and every rap is an invitation to
Christ and warning of Judgment to come.
o, grieve Him not away. Quench Him
not. He has been all around you this
morning. He was all around you last
night. He has been around you all your
l:yoc Harki Thara cOupS a voice QrOD-
ping through the roof, breaking through
the window, filling all this house with
tender and overmastering intonatioD, say
inn. OMu snirit shall not alWaYS StriYa.N