Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1900-03-02
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE EMINENT DIVINE'S SUNDAY
DISCOURSE.


Delusion-Its Disciples Are Doomed-'
1t Causes Insanity Among It's Victims.
copyright 1901
WASHINGTON, d. Gin this discourse
DR.. Talmage discusses theme never more
under exploration than at this time and
warns people against what he calls re.
ligion of ghosts; text, Samuel xviii, 7:
behold, there is woman that hath
familiar spirit at En-dor. Aud Saul dis
guised himself and put on other raiment,
and h. went, and two men with him, and
they came to the woman by night"
Trouble to the right of him and trouble
to the left OF him, Saul know not what to
do. AS last resort he concluded to seek
out q spiritual medium or a witch or any,
thing that you please to call her-a woman
who had communication with the spirits
of the eternal world. 1t was very diff.
cult 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 spiritual medium down
at the village of En-dor." "Do you," said
the king. Night falls. Saul, putting of
his kingly robes and putting on the dress
of plain citizen, witch two servants, goes
out to hunt up this medium.
Saul and his servants after awhile
reached tho village, and they say, 81
wonder II this is the house." and they look
in, and they see the haggard, weird and
shriyeled 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 OF
lamp above her head and peering out into
the darkness, she says, "Who Is here?"
The tall king informs her that he has ccme
to have his fortune told. When she hears
that, she trembles and almost drops the
light. for she knows there is no chance fol
o fortune teller or spiritual medium In all
the land. But Saul having sworn that nc
harm shall come to her, she says, "Well,
who shall l bring up from the dead?" Saul
saws. "Bring up Samuel" That was the
prophet who had died little while before.
/ see her waving q wand, or stirring up
some poisonous herbs In caldron, OF
hear her mutterlng over some incanta
lions, or stamping with her foot as she
cries out to tho realm OF the deadi
Samuel, Samuell' Lo, the freezing hor.
the gray hairs float up and the forehead,
the eyes, the lips, the shoulders, the arms.
The fcet-the entire body OF the dead
Samnel-wrapped in sepulchral robe, APP
pearing 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 fori
What do you mean, King Saul?" Saul,
trying TO compose and control himself,
makes this stammering and affrighted
ha ~ ho do az.
"The Lord is against me, and have come
to you for help. What shall I do?" The
dead prophet stretched forth his finger to
King Saul and said: "Die tomorrow
Come with me into the sepulcher. am
going now. Come, come with me!' And,
10, the floor again opens, and the feet oil
the dead prophet disappear and the arms
and the shoulders and the forehead! The
floor closes. Oh, that was an awful seance
To unlatch the door between the present
state and the future state all the fingers OF
superstition have been busy. We have
books entitled "Footfalls on the Boun,
diaries Of Other Worlds" "The D ebatable
Land Between This World and the Next
Researches Into the Phenomena of SpIr.
itualism" and whole libraries OF hocus
pocus, enough to deceive the very elect
/ shall not take time to rehearse the his
tory OF diylnation, Delphc oracle, sibyl OF
palmistry or the whole centuries OF Inn
posture.
Modern spiritualism proposes to oper
tho door between this world and the next
and put us into communication with the
dead. 1t has never yet offered one reason
able credentiaI.
When I find Saul In my text consulting a
familiar spirit, I learn that spiritualism IL
O very old religion.
Spirltualism in American was born In the
year 1S47, in Hydesville, Wayne County,
N. Y, when one night there was q loud
rap heard against the door Of Michael
Weekman; rap a second time, a rap a
third time, and all three times. When the
door was opened, there was nothing found
there. the knocking having been made
seemingly by invisible knuckles.
After awhile Mr.. Fox with his family
moved into that house, and then they had
bangings at the door every night. One
night Mr. Fox cried out, "Are you spirlt2"
Two raps-answer In the affirmative. "Are
you an injured spirit?" Two raps-answei
in tho affirmative. Then they knew right
away that It was the spirit OF a peddler
who had been murdered in that house
years before and who had been robbed oil
his $500. Whether the spirit Of the peddler
came back to collect his $500 or his bones
do not know.
The excitement spread. There was uni
versal rumpus. The Hon. Judge Edmonds
declared in book that he had actually
seen O bell start from the top shelf Of a
closet, heard it ring over the people that
were standing In the closet; then, swung by
invisible hands, II rang over the people in
the back parlor and hoated through the
folding doors to the front parlor, rang over
the people there and then dropped on the
floor. Senator of the United States, af-
terward Governor Of Wisconsin, had his
head quite turned with spiritualistic demon.
STATIONS. The tables tipped, and the stools
tilted, and the bedsteads raised, and the
chairs upset, and 1t seemed as II the spirits
everywhere had gone into the furniture
business! "Well," the people said, eve have
got something new in this country. 1t Is
new religion" Oh, no, my friend, thou
sands Of years ago, we find In our text, @
spiritualistic seancel
Nothing In the spiritualistic circles OF
our day has been more strange, mysterious
and wonderful than things which have
been seen in past centuries OF the world.
In all ages there have been necromancers,
those who consult with the spirits OF the
departed; charmers, those who put theif
subjects in a mesmeric state; sorcerers,
those who by taking poisonous drugs see
everything and hear everything and tell
everything; dreamers, people who in theii
sleeping moments can see the future worlo
and hold consultation with spirits. Yes,
before the time Of Christ. the Brahmans
went through all the table moving, all the
furniture excitement, which tho spirits
have exploited In our day, precisely the
same thing over and over again, under the
manipulation OF the Brahmans. Now, do
you say that spiritualism Is different from
these? answer, al these delusions have
mentioned belong to the same family,