The Spiritualist newspaper > No.413, July 23rd 1880

THE SPIRITUALIST.
45
July 23, 1880
your own work. You are here on earth to b
prepare for the life hereafter, and if we were K
to do all the thinking and acting for you, you K
would not he responsible and would never k
become fit to rise in the world to come, j?
Although we should be desirous of helping |>
you, we cannot do more than advise you, you Is
see. We should also like to help the orthodox k
priest, but how can we ? If he will not accept !)
our teaching but will insist upon his own h
erroneous idea of heaven and hell, how can we ]<
help him ? And as he must go to that hell he k
prepares for himself by his own erroneous ideas 6
of the spiritual world, so you must also go to |s
that sphere for which you prepare through K
your own life in the flesh. Every progressive k
step we take is the result of our own desires |)
and knowledge. We progress according to our I)
inward conceptions of the nature of our Father, K
the source of all love, knowledge and goodness, k
and according to our yearnings we approach |>
nearer to him. It is in our world as it is in jS
yours. If you did not think the water to be [<
purer than you are, you would not plunge into |<
it. It is your desire to be immersed in a jj
medium of greater purity which makes you j<
dive into it. Thus it is with the spirit; after k
having fully realised within himself the greater j<
purity of the sphere above him, he is prepared j<
to rise into it and live and have his being: i>
therein. Like attracts like, and the nature of K
the things we approach affects our own nature, j?
But you say, if by approaching such as are |;
impure, spirits become tainted with impurity, js
how is it that purer spirits descend from the |(
spheres and communicate with those who are u
on the earth and full of impurity ?
Well, I will tell you. My communion with js
you does not originate within my own self, you k
see ; my coming to you is not being prompted j?
by any impure propensity which might blend j>
with your impurity. But we are all minister- Is
ing spirits doing our Father’s will. We are K
all fed by our Heavenly Father, the bountiful k
source of life and knowledge, and our food is
knowledge. Whatsoever I tell you and teach K
you, I am told and taught myself and receive k
from those above me, from God’s angels. But I)
they give it to me to be communicated to you, js
and as it passes through me, I myself gain that js
same knowledge, and thus, while I am teach- j(
ing you and helping you, I am myself taught k
and advanced a step upon the ladder of pro- jS
gress. Your impurity does not affect me, jsj.
because the purifying influence from above is kj
more powerful.
“ Then again some of you will say ; A spirit! jjj
Oh, a spirit J How can a spirit do such paltry
tricks as moving a table, lifting a chair, and
such like pranks ? But if you see such things
done, if you see a chair moving without any
visible agency, does not that compel you to
acknowledge the existence of an ueseen power ?
That is why certain spirits come to you and
produce physical manifestations. I cannot
easily come and talk to you, as I do to-night,
in such promiscuous circles as you have had of
late. I am full of love. I love you all, and
I can only come where there is love around me
as there is now in this harmonious company.
Yes, my dear friends, I love you, and I rejoice
to come among you in a circle like this, full of
love and sympathy, to talk to you of the
spiritual knowledge I have gained. True, you
have knowledge of your own. There are
among you learned and wise men. But what
is your earthly knowledge compared with our
spiritual knowledge ? Why, earthly knowledge
availeth you nothing when you enter the spirit-
world. Our knowledge is different in kind
from your knowledge. I cannot explain that
to you. I cannot demonstrate it, because there
is nothing here I could compare to our
spiritual things. Progress with us does not
depend upon earthly material knowledge, but
only upon doing good. The one grand
principle which ought to be your guide to and
preparation for spiritual life is this: Do unto
others as you would be done unto. Everything
yon do will cling to you for ever. You are
like a living tree; if a leaf is withered, that
leaf will continue withered though the tree
may produce new leaves, fresh and green all
around the withered leaf. A bad deed is such
a withered leaf sticking to you. You may live
on and do good and produce green leaves above
and around the withered leaf your good deeds
and thoughts may encircle, and envelope, and
hide the withered leaf, but there it is, it will
not fall otf. Do whatsoever you will, you
cannot remove it. Hide it from the superficial
observer by ever so thick a covering of green,
you will never get rid of it. And oh ! what
pangs of conscience such a withered leaf will
call forth!
“ I am very happy. I have no such
withered leaves upon me. It is about fifty
years since I passed away, and I was a mere
child when I left earthly life, having never had
a chance of doing an evil deed and being as yet
a young sapling, green all over from top to
bottom. That is why I progressed quickly,
and rapidly rose to higher spheres. I am happy
to come among you and talk to you to-night,