EDUCATING UNDEVELOPED SPIRITS
Some mediums, under instructions from
their "controls," are led to believe that they are doing a "great work"
in educating "low spirits," by
allowing them to re-enact the follies
of their earth lives, or by talking with
them, and reading to them.
An undeveloped spirit can gain
nothing by controlling a medium, and the medium is sure to suffer loss.
As a spirit cannot bear "reading aloud," or conversation, but is
sensitive only to the thoughts, such reading cannot be beneficial.
Thoughts are more clearly formed when spoken, and hence can be better
read by the spirit attending. It would seem to be almost axiomatic that
it is better to reform the people of this world first before mission
schemes are planned for the next.
AWAITING GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.
Spiritualism is designed for the good
of all, that individuals do for themselves, and not have things done for
them. If it should become the rule that whenever anyone becomes
possessed of great plans for the good of mankind, he should be given
unlimited means for its accomplishment, the motives for effort would
perish, and the means furnished would be worthless by its
superabundance. Until we put to the best use the means
we have in our hands, we ought not
to expect fortuitous aid.
Are we sure the great, good and
glorious things we would do are from the soul of charity and unselfish
love of others? Are we quite sure that we have no desire for the honors
and fame in the schemes we would execute?
The spirits, who read one's soul as an
open book, may know and regard one's cherished purposes in a very
different light. Before we go to them for aid, let us make clean the
sanctuary of our hearts and assure ourselves that it is not from some
concealed fibre of selfish interest we ask assistance.
If all the gold and silver in the Rocky
Mountains were given in a pure state, would the people be the richer? If
every dollar of gold and silver
were annihilated this day, would there be less food or less clothing, or
less comfortable homes?
It is the law that man work for himself
and not depend on a superior power. There are means enough to carry
forward any and all humane objects, if the people had the disposition. If
they have not that, it is a vain task to attempt to force them.
There have been instances where a
spirit, seeing the necessity, has revealed to near friends the facts in
regard to property, mines, etc., but such cases must be exceedingly rare,
for those spirits who would make a
benevolent use of wealth are the ones
whose minds are so far drawn away
from wealth that they cannot delve in
mines more than they could barter in the market.
The ones whose minds are drawn to
mineral wealth are selfish and
would be unable to make use of it were it placed in their possession.
If Spiritualism has one instruction
more emphatic than all others, it is that of individual strength of
character gained by personal effort. Man must be a power unto himself, nor
rely on a "thus saith the spirit," more than "thus saith the Lord."
The first lesson to be learned by
Spiritualists is that the information to
be sought from the spirit sphere should be spiritual.
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