SPIRITUALISM.

Mataura Ensign, 19 March 1917, Page 4

SPIRITUALISM.

TO THB EDITOR. Sir, —Would you allow me space in your valuable columns to give your readers a few thoughts on tliis subject, Spiritualism. Quoting from the Bible, speaking of the dead man. Job says (chapt. 14-21): “His sons come to hon- .41 our and he perceiveth it not of them.” ; Surely if the real man is conscious and intelligent in death he would follow the history of his sons with great interest. As this passage says he does not, it follows that he has no knowledge, bor the Bible says, “For the living know that they shall die, but the dead know not anything, neither have they any more a. reward, for the memory of t them is forgotten, also their love, their i hatred, and their envy is now perished” ■ (Job 9, 5-6). This clearly shows that s man is mortal and not immortal, as " you w ill see by the I. Cor., chap. 15, Versos 51 to 55: “Behold, 1 shew you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. For the trumpet shall; sound and the dead shall be raised (that is, the righteous dead) incorruptible and we shall be changed” (that is, those i that are living when the Lord comes). 3 You will see in I. Thess., chap 5, 13 1 to 18: “For this corruptible must put i on incorrnption, and this mortal must f put on immortality; so when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption (that is v the dead body) and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that . is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.” When does thi£ take place? At the second coming of Christ, when the Lord descends from Heaven with a 3 shout with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall be raised first —, i. Thess., 4-16. And here, in Matt. 5. 28-29, Jesus says; “Marvel not at this, for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth: They that have done good; unto the v resurrection of life; and they that have . done evil unto the resurrection'of damnation.” You will notice in Rev. 20, i reading from verses 4 and on, you will . _ see there are two resurrections a thou- _ sand years apart. I think I have 1 quoted sufficient to show that Qie, raan ; ] when he dies remains unconscious until the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Before closing we will see whether it was the spirit of Samuel that Saul conversed with. Turn to I. Samuel, 2-7: “Then said Saul unto his servants seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit (. that I may go to her and inquire of f her,” etc. Now, we see in this chapter a man conversing with a medium, or in other words, getting his fortune told. Who did Saul converse with? Turn to c 1. Chron., 15, 13-14: “So Saul died for his transgression which he commit--3 ted (margin, “transgressed”) against ' the Lord, even against the word of the ’ Lord which he kept not; and also for .: 3 asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit to inquire of it.” So it was “ the familiar spirit, and not Samuel. ® The scriptures recognise the existence ( of spirits, and are full of warnings ? against communications with familiar 1 spirits, and against witchcraft of every " description. The Lord time after time ' warned His people concerning these • |- matters. “Regard not them that have j familiar spirits, neither seek after wiz- * ards to be defiled by them.” (Lev. 19, > 31). Witchcraft evidently was the ancient name of what we now know as Spiritualism. The Witch of Endor had communication with familiar spirits. The Lord lias specially warned both tho ■ ancient and the present-day Church concerning the unreasonableness ofpeeking to communicate with the dead oa behalf of the living. Read Isa. 8, ; L 9-20. Personification of the dead, and all pretended communications with 1 them by the familiar spirits are un- * doubtedly among the “lying wonders” ■ which deceive those who have “received * not the love of the truth” (11. Thess., ; 2, 9-10). They do not accord with “the law and the testimony.” Those who ‘ have received the truth could not be deceived by such misrepresentations. Now, in conclusion, I was a medium for some time myself, and found Spiritualism and all its sources to be absolutely ■ y the work of the devil to draw away people from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind. For there is no other way, neither is there salvation in any other. “For . there is none other name under Heaven given among man whereby we must be saved,” etc. (Acts 4-12). —I am, etc., ✓ „ ' , D. R. COOPER. Gore, March 16, 1917.