XVI.

SPIRITUALISM.

SPIRITUALISM is a mixture of puerility and stolidity, a superfluous, superficial and superstitious speculation. It converts the dead into busybodies, changes the beatified into phantom tramps and spectral gossips. Spiritualists make it their proud boast that they are free from the bondage of superstition, and singularly enough greedily render their judgment captive to the gossip, garrulity and guesses of contemptible outcasts.

The main staple of spiritualism is deception. No wonder it chooses the darkness. What a silly thing it is! Picture to yourself a circle of men and women-lights out-sitting with clasped hands, singing dolorously, "John Brown's body lies mouldering in the grave, while his soul goes marching on." And for what? To bring down the glory-enthroned father, mother, husband, wife or child; crawling under the table, ringing tea-bells before supper is ready.

It is a sad sight. I do not wonder that an old Greek philosopher said, "The diviners" (that is, spiritualists) "make one think that man, instead of being the most intelligent, is the most stupid of animals."

Mediums, clairvoyants and "psychometric readers" denounce one another as frauds, and in this one particular they tell the truth. Who are your professional mediums? Would those who visit them receive them into their homes on terms of social equality? Suppose our departed dead could communicate with us, would they go to entire strangers, to people with whom when living they would not associate, and tell to such social outcasts and arrant, unmitigated humbugs the most sacred things-things which if they were living they would tell in no ears but ours?

The very thought of such a possibility is degrading and insulting to the memory of the sainted dead. Would it be consistent with the character of a holy God to give his revelation for a financial consideration through such universally acknowledged disreputable characters by sending his spirit under a table or into a cabinet to peep and mutter at men?

The messages that purport to come from the spirit world make us think our departed

friends had an attack of softening of the brain after they became spirits.

The cunningly devised and cleverly executed tricks employed in spiritualism have all been exposed and proven frauds.

Spiritualists claim that their doctrine is important to society; that it proves the future life. But if that future life is to be judged by the disclosures made of it by the representatives of spiritualism, we are forced to conclude that the inhabitants of that future life are souls in the process of losing their mental powers-souls destined soon to become extinct; and under such circumstances eternity is not attractive enough to convince a man that it is worth striving for.

The Bible teaches that men may deal with spirits and be entirely under their control, but it also tells us the character of the spirits, "lying wonders," "seducing spirits and doctrines of devils which will shipwreck our faith," "wicked," "unclean," "familiar spirits," "possessed with devils," and this is how God speaks of this delusion: "I will be a swift witness against the sorcerer." "There shall be among you a consulter of familiar spirits, or wizard, or necromancer, for they that do these things are an abomination unto the Lord."

The Bible speaks of angels appearing to men. But angels are not the spirits of dead men, they aro an entirely different order of beings. When angels appeared to men no mediums were used, no admission charged, no circles formed, no turning-down of lights, no cabinets, no planchettes. The angels came directly to the persons to whom they were sent, and never in a darkened room.

The Bible tells us all we need to know about the hereafter. It is sacrilege to pry into that which is none of our business.

XVII.

COMPANIONSHIP WITH FOOLS.

THE first step the devil takes in seeking to compass a young man's destruction is to give him a fool for a companion. It is easy to find friends—of a sort; they freely offer to take you all about town; show you any place you wish to visit; you, of course, paying the expenses. The papers tell us about the confidence tricks played upon the verdant strangers, but they say nothing about the hundreds of city-bred young men, who ought to know better, who are yearly caught in the net of a poisonous friendship and are snared to their eternal ruin.

Beware, as for your life, of all companionships like these: the loafer; the gay Lothario; the skeptic; the untruthful man; the Sabbathbreaker; the profane swearer; the boaster of his wild deeds and vile associates; avoid, in short, every man whom you would not see seated in your own home shadow, sharing