The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-07-03
THE LATE PRENTICE MILFORD.

The Substance Of His Teaching Explained
by One Who Understood 1t.
Especial Correspondence
NEW YORK, June 'c.-If the late Prem
tice Milford had singled out from all his
writings one sentence that he wished to
stand as a memorial of him and his
work, 1t would have been this, Thoughts
are things There is In us and about
us, interpenetrative Of all the universe,
subtle thought ether, visible IN yelled
glimpses now and then to those whose
clairvoyant eyes have been partially
opened to inner realities. On this ether
ride the vibrant waves which carry
thought, imagination, vision, to all man.
kind. II man thinks, he forms and
throws out beyond him on the thought
ether actual images, and things that
float out beyond him are caught with
other thought waves and images, and
react to bless or curse the man himself.
Moreover, just as we throw out upon
the vibrant ether we likewise draw to
ourselves. Like attracts like. If we
send out evil, revengeful or covetous
thoughts to our neighbor, we send out
winged monsters to work harm not only
to our neighbor, but to draw around
them pack Of fends like themselves,
who sport in our atmosphere and event.
ually bring destruction down on our
heads. Reaction must equal action, and
thought, good or bad, must rebound upon
the thinker Thus if a man become
discouraged, hopeless or broken down
in his thought, exactly that kind of vi
| brations will float to him on the thought
ether, being drawn thither. The more
he thus INDUCES in discouraged,
grumbling, hopeless mood, the harder it
will become for him to rise out of this
dark atmosphere.
Indeed, there are some whose expert
ence it has been to see the veritable
image and picture of their thoughts fash
before them at times, when in pecul-
iarly quiet mental condition. In Prem
tice Mulford's view the space all around
and above us was peopled with images,
spirits and things There is nowhere in
nature a vast expanse unpeopled or where
nothing is save air, and in the hollow
sphere above us, invisible to the material
eye. dramas are enacted, battles fought
out and mighty thought movements be-
gun that are afterward wrought out
here among us in the world of matter,
but above all and before all we are still
to remember that Thoughts are things"
This, he held, is the meaning of the New
Testament saying, "As a man thinketh,
so is he." In the inner man, in the spirit
Of each, is made and built that which
afterward expresses itself in the body.
Our bodies, their beauty or deforrnity,
their sickness or health, are only the
outward expression of an inward beauty
or deformity, sickness or health. We
are what we think. Think health, joy,
prosperity, good will to all mankind, and
in time there is bound to come into our
lives the same health, joy, prosperity
and good will from those around us.
If you persist in keeping the image Of
success on your mind, never giving up,
but thinking buoyant, hopeful, happy
thoughts, you will attract to yourself
success in business or other enterprises
Associate with successful, fortunate peo-
pie; get into their atmosphere. Wear
the best clothes you can afford, no mat
ter how poor; spend money judiciously
instead of boarding it up. It will come
back to you with additions. So, putting
out the atmosphere of success, you shall
draw success to Won,
have thus emphasized and dwelt on
this phase of Mulford's doctrine because
it was what he himself constantly dwelt
on and made prominent But he taught
much besides. He was really the found
er of system Of philosophy, profound
and far reaching. He seemed to absorb
from ancient philosophy. from Chris
tianity, Buddhism and Spiritualism
what suited him and to reject the rest.
That is what everybody ought to do in
the world of thought and belief; take
what suits his case and take nothing
because he is told to; but Prentice Null
ford incorporated this independence Of
thought in his life as few have courage
to do.
He believed thoroughly in reincarna-
ton, that world old doctrine that is now
penetrating the thought of our time so
deeply In his heart am sure he be-
lieved he could trace himself back to at
least one former existence. He believed,
too, most thoroughly in evolution, not
for few centuries, but for ages. In its
spiritual and physical ascent mankind
has just now reached only the lower
rounds of the ladder. Centuries will
pass. Men will grow finer, gentler,
kindlier and more beautiful as they
more and more of the divine
spirit. Their food will become less
gross, they will become less coarse and
selfish, their bodies will grow delicate
and beautiful as the divine spirit more
and more develops. Disease, sin and
will fall away from us as a
worn out garment, and we shall stand
forth at last splendid, shining spirits, in
the full flower and glory of the divinity
that is the end and aim of our repeated
incarnations here. We are incarnated
over and again that we may obtain all
human experience.
AS the race developed its spiritual nat
lre Milford thought there would be in
It less and less of the heavy material