Earlier text: General ArticlesModern Spiritualism.
By Editor
NOTWITHSTANDING all the evidence that has from time to time been presented to the world, of the Satanic origin and evil tendency of these spirit workings, many are so deluded as to court the influence of these spirits, and desire to be developed as mediums. We would that our words of warning could reach the ears and touch the hearts of all such. But Spiritualists will claim that we magnify the danger—that we view the subject from a wrong stand-point, and with eyes of prejudice. It has been our aim throughout this work to present Spiritualism as it is,—and as it is presented to the world by its own adherents and advocates. We have not offered as evidence the testimony of their enemies, or of those not acquainted, by observation and experience, with its workings. Let this fact be marked. We now propose to examine the subject of the dangers of mediumship or spirit control, and this altogether in the light of proofs presented by themselves. The following points are presented to us by spiritualistic data:— 1. The spirits control the mediums, acting, not only independent of, but against, their wills. 2. The spirits have all the evil dispositions, propensities, and desires, of wicked, debased persons in this life. 3. These desires they had no means of gratifying until the recent discovery of mediumship. 4. Spirits do now gratify their desires by inducing such desires in the mediums, causing them to indulge in evil practices, of the gratification of which the spirits partake. As some of the testimonies now offered bear upon more than one of these points, we shall not arrange the evidence under each head respectively, as that would involve the necessity of repeating them. Of the great influence and power of spirits over the mediums, no one who has not examined the matter can have any idea. Dr. Gridley gives an account of an aged medium, of sixty years, living near him (in Southampton, Mass.), whose sufferings "in two months at the hands of evil spirits would fill a volume of 500 pages." Very little of this ever becomes known outside of the "circles." The following extract will give some idea of the above case:— "They forbade his eating, to the very point of starvation. He was a perfect skeleton; they compelled him to walk day and night, with intermissions, to be sure, as their avowed object was to torment him as much and as long as possible. They swore by everything sacred and profane, that they would knock his damned brains out, always accompanying their threat with blows on the forehead or temples, like that of a mallet in the hands of a powerful man, with this difference, however; the latter would have made him unconscious, while in full consciousness he now endured the indescribable agony of those heavy and oft-repeated blows; they declared they would skin him alive; that he must go to New York and be dissected by inches, all of which he fully believed. They declared they would bore holes into his brain, when he instantly felt the action suited to the word, as though a dozen augurs were being turned at once into his very skull: this done, they would fill his brain with bugs and worms to eat it out, when their gnawing would instantly commence. . . . These spirits would pinch and pound him, twitch him up and throw him down, yell and blaspheme, and use the most obscene language that mortal can conceive; they would declare that they were Christ in one breath and devils in the next; they would tie him head to foot for a long time together, in a most excruciating posture; declare they would wring his damned neck off because he doubted them or refused obedience."—Astounding Facts from the Spirit World, pages 253-54. In a former article Judge Edmonds is quoted as saying that entire spirit control, or the "exclusion of the medium's selfhood—a suspension of his own will," is very rare. See his "Spiritual Tracts," No. 4, p. 7. But this language proves that he believes that it does sometimes occur. An approach to it is given in his second volume on Spiritualism, Dr. Dexter being the medium. He says:— "It was altogether a very extraordinary manifestation. It was conducted throughout with unusual and, indeed, unknown violence. He took entire possession of the Doctor, not merely of his arm, as others did, and the Doctor said he felt an almost uncontrollable desire to strike me, and to commit acts of violence."—Appendix A, Vol. ii, page 512. The following case was given in the 13th No. of the Spiritual Telegraph:— "A lady who had joined the Methodist church, in Cleveland, only two weeks previous, was thrown into a magnetic or, as our Western friends call it, a spiritualized condition, and called for music; and after she had danced fifteen or twenty minutes, was suddenly released, and returned home, I presume none the worse for what she could not help." And Prof. Brittan thus speaks of Mr. Davis' mediumship:— "During the delivery of 'Nature's Divine Revelations,' Mr. Davis was profoundly entranced, and so far removed from the sphere of outward consciousness as to be temporarily absolved from the obligations of the earth-life. . . Of course in his state of waking consciousness he was no more accountable for what had been uttered during the trance than the reader is responsible for his dreams, or for unconsciously talking in his sleep."—Telegraph's Answer to Mahan, pp. 8, 9. Of mediumship, he further says:— "We may further add, in this connection, that the trance mediums for spirit intercourse, are equally irresponsible. Many of them are totally unable to resist the powers which come to them from the invisible and unknown realms."—Id. page 10. This passive state of the mediums in all forms of manifestation has long been inculcated by the spirits. The following was published in 1852:— "Such is the physical and mental condition of minds that we intend to make a great change in them before we write what will be necessary. The writing will not be the commencement of our work, but will follow other manifestations as soon as will be expedient. . . . The writing will be executed with great rapidity, when mediums shall become wholly passive."—Pilgrimage of Thos. Paine, page 250. A well-known Spiritualist writes:— "I have seen a medium gently magnetized and thrown into a trance in one minute by the imperceptible influence of the spirits, in accordance with their own original proposition, reluctantly acceded to by the medium and her friends; during which, sometimes she had visions of the spirit world, and at others, became entirely non-cognizant of everything transpiring in either world. In the latter case, the spirits, as previously promised, made use of her organs of speech, unconsciously to herself."—Ballou, quoted by Dr. Hare, page 320. The following scene of the possession of a medium is described by Dr. Gridley, who offers the fullest proof of the truth of his statements:— "We have seen the medium evidently possessed by Irishmen and Dutchmen of the low-est grade—heard him repeat Joshua's drunken prayers, exactly like the original—imitate his drunkenness in word and deed—try to repeat or rather act over his most brutal deeds (from which for decency's sake, he was instantly restrained by extraordinary exertion and severe rebuke)—snap and grate his teeth most furiously, strike and swear, while his eyes flashed like the fires of an orthodox perdition. We have heard him hiss, and seen him writhe his body like the serpent when crawling, and dart out his tongue and play it exactly like that reptile. These exhibitions were intermingled with the most wrangling and horrible convulsions."—Astounding Facts, page 19. Much more to the same intent might be added, but this will not be dissented from. The power of spirits to control the mediums is very great; indeed it is unlimited, as these testimonies show. And we shall presently show how this power is used and abused. Closely connected with the foregoing are some of the following, given to show the disposition of the spirits. Says Dr. Randolph:— "Many of these denizens of the mid-regions of space are insane—in the higher sense all are so—and to them lust and its gratification, dram-drinking and mal-practice of all sorts, is a reality."—Dealings with the Dead, page 150. "Another admitted that he was drowned in consequence of getting dead-drunk. On being asked if he was happy, he answered, 'Damned happy.' Having evidently been a seaman, who had sailed under an officer who was present, he had preserved the usual fondness of sailors for tobacco and grog. This propensity he could not avoid displaying, notwithstanding his having passed death's dread portal, and the obvious inutility of expressing to mortals his craving for these pernicious stimulants. Thus it appears that in the spirit world one means of retribution for the indulgence of bad propensities in this life, is subjugation to their ungratified cravings."—Dr. Hare, Spir. Sci. Dem., page 137. In offering the testimony of Judge Edmonds, we refer to the evidence of the reality contained in the first extract. He describes a tall, vicious-looking woman, very dirty, hair gray, teeth gone, eyebrows heavy, and a snaky pair of eyes. She was beating a child of four or five years. He then says:— "I next observed a well-dressed female sitting by the wayside, apparently in great distress. She had been driven out of his dwelling by the man for whom she had sinned on earth—for whom she had retained, even in death, an insane attachment, and whose company she had sought as her only solace in the spheres."—Vol. ii. p. 186. He directed her to a mountain where she might see a better country; and taking the child, she started. In a note, page 189, he says:— "Now, in August, 1854, the spirits of the female and of that child have approached and spoken to me through a medium. She gave her name, and said she was a French woman, and lived in Paris during the reign of Louis Philippe. She spoke of her parents, her husband, and of her brothers and sisters. She gave me some little account of the progress she had made, and said she had not yet attained the base of the mountain towards which she was traveling." In the same connection he gives the following ludicrous account of the freaks of a mischievous boy and of his punishment:— "On the opposite side of the way, I observed what seemed to be a full-grown boy, had caught a dog, had split open his tail and put a stick in it, merely to enjoy the sport of seeing his sufferings. He then turned the dog loose, and stood enjoying the scene. The attention of the owner of the dog was drawn to his cries, and discovering the cause, he beat the boy, who, being as cowardly as he was cruel, fled, but was pursued, and beaten, and kicked far up the road."—Edmonds, Vol. ii. page 182. If any man had tried to get up a burlesque on Spiritualism he could not have exceeded the above. Only to think of a spirit boy splitting a spirit dog's tail, and putting a stick in it for spiritual enjoyment! Surely, he needed the "gravity of a Judge" to be able to record this. However, with all its ludicrousness, it is good proof on the point in question. The following is as disgusting as the last is ridiculous:— "At the door of one of the hovels, that stood a little back from the road, I saw a female who seemed to be about twenty-six years old. She was round and full in appearance—was a dark brunette, with painted cheeks. Her whole appearance, garb, and manner, were meretricious, and she had taken up her position there to entice some one to enter her dwelling. At length a man in passing turned aside, under the influence of passions which had marked her earthly career, and with her entered the house. I saw they were both influenced by the same passions, but were incapable of gratifying them. The woman became furious. She raved wildly, and in her insatiate rage she dashed the things around her to pieces. The man enjoyed her anger, and she raged at him for laughing at her. She seized a chair, and aimed a blow at him. He evaded it, and with his left knocked her down. He struck her in the neck just below her chin, and when she fell he gnashed his teeth in his rage, and stamped with his feet on her breast. He kicked her in the side several times, and rushed from the house."—Edmonds, Vol. ii. page 182. The above are but samples, and not the most horrible, of the scenes in the spirit land, described by Judge Edmonds. Dr. Randolph records the following experience of a spirit:— "As I gazed out upon the surrounding glories of my new world, I could not forbear or repress a desire, if possible, to take one glance at those who yet dwelt in infamy, although disembodied. . . . Suffice it that I beheld scenes of lust, insanity, debauchery, and all vileness, sufficiently dreadful to appall the stoutest heart of any sane one who dwells in the same awful phantasies and evils."—Dealings with the Dead, pages 143-4. SEND kindly light amid th'encircling gloom,
And lead me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me. I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou
Should'st lead me on.
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead thou me on!
I loved day's dazzling light, and spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years! So long thy power hath blessed me, surely still
'Twill lead me on,—
Thro' dreary doubt, thro' pain and sorrow, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have longed to see, the dreary while. Do RIGHT to-day, and you will always. Self Deceived Professors.
By Flavel
THOUSANDS of hypocrites embark themselves in the profession of religion in a calm; but if the wind rises and the sea rages and they see that religion will not transport them safely to the haven of their earthly hopes and expectations, they desire to be landed again; for they never intended to ride out a storm for Christ. "He endureth for a while; but when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended." But yet it is not every trial by sufferings that separates gold from dross; and therefore my business will be to show when the fire of sufferings and persecutions is hot and vehement enough to separate them; why it must needs discover hypocrisy when it is at that height; and what advantages sincere grace has to endure that severe and sharp trial. The fire of persecution, or sufferings for religion, may be judged intense and high enough to separate gold and dross. When religion exposes to imminent hazard our deepest and dearest interests in this world: such are our liberties, estates, and lives; then it is a fierce and fiery trial indeed. Sometimes it exposes the liberties of its professors: "The devil shall cast some of you into prison." Sometimes their estates: "Ye took joyfully the spoiling of your goods." And sometimes their lives: "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they were slain with the sword." While it goes no higher than some small inconveniences of life, reputation and sense of honor will hold a false heart; but when it comes to this, few will be found able to endure it but those who expect to save no more by religion than their souls, and account themselves in good case if they can save them with the loss of all that is dear to them in this world. Here the false heart hesitates; here it usually wearies falters. The fiery trial is high when there remain no visible hopes of deliverance, or outward encouragements to sense that the scene will alter. When "we see not our signs, there is no more any prophet, neither is there among us any that knoweth how long," as the case was with the church, Psalm 74:9, then our hands hang down and our hearts faint. Nor is it to be wondered at, when the length of troubles proves so sore a temptation even to the upright, to put forth their hands even to iniquity. If such a temptation shake such men as build on the rock, it must quite overturn those whose foundation is but sand. When a false professor is engaged alone in sufferings, and is singled out from the herd, as a deer to be run down, it is a thousand to one but he quits religion to save himself. Good company will encourage a faint-hearted traveler to go on a great way; but if he is forsaken by all, as Paul was, with no man to stand by him—if left alone, as Elijah was; what can encourage him to hold out? Indeed, if false professors had the same visible supports these good men had, that the Lord was with them, that would keep them steady; but wanting that encouragement from within, and all shrinking away from without, they quickly tire.—Flavel. Never Forget Anything.
By Youth's Companion
CHARGE your mind with your duty. That is largely the true definition of faithfulness. But memory and mistakes are used as apologies a great deal oftener then necessary. A boy beginning business life will generally lose his place who pleads such an excuse more than once or twice. A successful business man says there were two things which he learned when he was eighteen, which were afterwards of great use to him, namely: " Never to lose anything, and never to forget anything." An old lawyer sent him with an important paper, with certain instructions what to do with it. "But," inquired the young man, "suppose I lose it; what shall I do then?" The answer was, with the utmost emphasis, "You must not lose it?" "I don't mean to," said the young man, "but suppose I should happen to?" "But I say you must not happen to? I shall make no provision for any such occurrence. You must not lose it!" This put a new train of thought into the young man's mind, and he found that if he was determined to do a thing he could do it. He made such provision against every contingency that he never lost anything. He found this equally true about forgetting. If a certain matter of importance was to be remembered, he pinned it down on his mind, fastened it there, and made it stay.—Youth's Companion. Do Not Overburden Your Memory
OVERBURDEN not thy memory to make so faithful a servant thy slave. Have as much reason as the camel, to rise when thou hast thy full load. A FRIEND sends a postal card with the following hints on prayer:— 2. We must abide in him, and have his word abiding in us. John 15:7. 4. While we pray we must give thanks. Col. 4:2. 5. We must seek spiritual things first. Matt. 6:33. 6. We must also pray for all saints. Eph. 6:18. 7. We must pray "in the Spirit" of God, and according to his mind. Jude 20; Eph. 6:18. 8. We must have no hard feelings toward any one. Mark 11:25. 9. We must not babble, or use vain repetitions. Matt. 6:7. 10. We must not ask for worldly purposes or fleshly desire. James 4:3. Sanctification.
By Ellen G. White
THE following is from a letter written by Sister White, Oct. 8:— Our camp-meeting at Rochester, Ind., is now ended. We came upon the ground in an exhausted condition, took cold from dampness gathered in the tent, which caused us to labor with great difficulty through the meeting. But this has been a good meeting, and very profitable for Indiana. I felt the burden of urging upon the people the necessity of obtaining an individual experience in the things of God, that their spiritual prosperity depended upon close and constant connection with him. Many were so absorbed in the cares of this life, they were neglecting their higher interests. I felt the danger of this people and the Lord gave me a special testimony for them. Sabbath there was deep feeling in the meeting; quite a number came forward for prayers, several who were making their first move on the Lord's side. After prayer was offered for these, they repaired in small companies to several tents, and a minister was chosen for each tent where they were gathered, and the work was carried forward that had begun in the large tent. These meetings were characterized by deep feeling. Several stated that they came to the meeting prejudiced, but they were going home to keep the Sabbath and unite with this people. The attendance on Sunday was good. The congregation seemed to be of the best class of society, and listened with attention. Monday at five o'clock, by the call of the bell, we assembled under the tent. During the night I had been so burdened that I could not sleep, and spent these wakeful hours in pleading with God in my own behalf, and in behalf of the ministers of the Indiana Conference. I had the assurance that God would reveal himself to us, and give us help in our time of need. The Lord strengthened me to bear the testimony he had given me, to the ministers in particular. The false theory of sanctification had threatened not only the unity and harmony of families, but the peace and prosperity of the church. Upon this subject I had a special testimony to bear. This false sanctification is most dangerous and deceptive in its influence upon all who accept it. A peculiar atmosphere surrounds them, an influence which, when brought in contact with others, if not discerned, is breathed in unconsciously by the receiver. This atmosphere is charged with poison which is death to spirituality. There are no snares of Satan more hard to be discerned and defined, and souls be rescued from, than this delusion. Those who accept this bogus sanctification do not hesitate to draw away from the body and set themselves up as criteria. They claim that the Lord is leading them, and do not seek counsel of the church, but move out independently, deceived in themselves and deceiving others. The poison of this so-called sanctification is inhaled, and the atmosphere, apparently so balmy, is intoxicating and destructive to those who are charmed with it. Each individual will have an independence of his own, claiming to be taught of God; therefore no one must get in their way or interfere with their course of action. This is as Satan would have it. The voice of the church, God's delegated power upon earth, is set aside and despised. These professedly sanctified ones are filled with vain conceit, and with presumption move on in their own wisdom, exhorting others to come up to the exalted standard of themselves. They disregard the teachings and prayer of Christ that his disciples may be one as he was one with the Father, "that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." The unity and oneness of the church was to be the living epistle, known and read of all men. The world was to see in their harmony and love for each other the life of Christ exemplified. Individuals who will strike out upon some new light and some new truth, independent of the body, are pursuing a course directly contrary to the word of God. If they have any influence over others, it is to disaffect them and lead them away from the watchcare, counsel, and strength of the body. And the very ones who claim sanctification, have in317 their hearts insubordination, pride, envy, jealousy, and evil surmising of their brethren. They sit as judges upon the life and character of their brethren. These are the fruits generally to be found growing upon the tree of false sanctification. This class have graduated. They suppose they have come to the knowledge of the truth. If they attend camp-meetings, they will think they are so far ahead of the servants of God who labor in the meetings that they cannot learn anything, therefore the word or message of instruction God gives his servants for the people is not for them. They will generally be found drawing one or two away, holding them in conversation, imparting to them the great light they suppose they have; and thus some are deprived of hearing the message of God to the people. These self-deceived men are drawing away souls from the body, scattering from Christ, and bringing in dissension and division. Individual experience is set above the authority of the church, and their example leads others whom they deceive to regard lightly the voice of counsel and admonition of the church. This course has worked the ruin of very many souls in every age of the world. As children in the family of God we need the wisdom and experience of matured Christians to direct, to encourage, and to defend us in times of danger, and to lead on to constant growth in grace, and to seek daily attainments in the knowledge of the truth and true holiness. In the ministry of Christ and his apostles, those who were converted to the truth were brought into church relationship; and every stray, lost sheep that was found, was brought to the fold of the church, that under the direction of the Master, through the undershepherds, they might go in and out and find pasture. God has instituted his church and delegated to it his authority and power. He has given it the inspired oracles, provided it with pastors and teachers to carry forward his work on the earth when he should leave it. At a later date, when the church was weakened by its individual members being led into errors, and spiritual life was chilled and palsied by backslidings, the inspired apostle exclaimed, "I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy." "But I fear lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." Nothing is so demoralizing, so enfeebling to the church, as to have her individual members obtain a burden upon this false sanctification, which leads them away from the simplicity of the gospel of Christ. Satan always leads this class away from the church, and leads them to regard the church far behind them in spirituality and experience. The power and glory of God is revealed in his church. Here God gives the blessings of his grace. Here he reveals the mysteries of his will. There have been and always will be tares among the wheat, the foolish virgins with the wise, those who have no oil in their vessels with their lamps. There was a covetous Judas in the church Christ formed on earth, and there will be Judases in the church in every stage of her history. But because there are such, it does not do away with the fact that God has a church. There were murmurers, envious and jealous ones in the tribes of Israel, journeying to the promised Canaan; but, notwithstanding, God led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The deceitful hearts of individuals will lead them astray because they see imperfections in the church, but these very ones have defective characters that they do not discern. These very ones are capable of being useful in the church were they connected with the great Head of the church. But if they choose to be presumptuous, and in self-sufficiency draw off on some tangent, the church will move on without them. Every member of the church is bound by the most solemn vows to advance its interests, and to labor unselfishly and devotedly for its success. The prosperity of the church depends upon the faithfulness, purity, and zealous action of its individual members. Christ "loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." If all who are ambitious for distinction above their brethren could estimate to what a depth of humiliation Christ submitted for their sakes, and learn from the crown of humiliation to be subject one to another, there would exist in the church a simplicity and power which would have a telling influence on the world. Through the cross we may learn the love we should have for our fellow-men, and the value of souls for whom Christ died, and our works, in self-denial to save the perishing souls around us will correspond with our faith. Eternal life is in Christ, by Christ, from Christ, with Christ. Building Materials.
By Editor
A BROTHER writes as follows:— "I heard a Lutheran minister discourse on 1 Cor. 3, and on verse 12 he said that gold represented true faith, silver, true charity, and precious stones, true Christian graces. While wood, hay, and stubble represented false faith, false charity, and false graces. He tried to explain verse 15, but not to his own satisfaction, judging from what he said, and much less to that of his attentive hearers. "1. What do these terms, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, &c., represent? "2. How can a man himself be saved if his work is lost, and what loss does he suffer if he is saved?" It is not surprising that the minister could not satisfy himself on 1 Cor. 3:15, with such a fanciful exposition of verse 12. Yet he has noted commentators with him in this exposition. But with such an interpretation of the terms we see no way to evade the conclusion of Universalists; for if they who have false faith and false graces, or who live wrong lives, may yet be saved while their work, that is, their faith and actions, are burned, who will be lost? The whole difficulty lies in giving wrong meanings to the terms used in verse 12. The builders are ministers of the gospel of Christ, and no others. See verses 5-10. The materials are the converts made to their preaching; the building is the church. "Ye are God's building." See also verses 16, 17; Eph. 2:20-22; Heb. 3:3, 4; 1 Peter 2:5. It is not true that a man may live an immoral life, and himself be saved while only his immoralities are burned. And it is not true that even a minister will be saved if he builds upon any other foundation than Jesus Christ. Some have self, the world, a name, or a salary, for their foundation, using the name of Christ and his cause as the means to accomplish their selfish and ambitious purposes. We have no idea that they will be saved, even so as by fire. "They have their reward." The apostle gives a salutary warning. "Let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon." All know that it is truth that there is a marked difference between the converts of different preachers, even if the preachers are truly honest and sincere in their devotion to the cause of Christ. The converts of some are noted for strength and steadfastness, while those of others are more apt to be unstable, and in greater proportion will apostatise. It is not our purpose to inquire particularly into the reason of this, or to point out the difference of methods or of the zeal of the individuals. But the fact is beyond dispute. A zealous preacher is more apt to have zealous converts than a lukewarm one. An intelligent, earnest, persuasive minister will build up a church of better materials than will the mere declaimer, however great his zeal. The one who declares the whole truth in faithfulness, and instructs the believers in all Christian duties as well as doctrines, will build up a stronger church than the one who shuns unpopular points, or attempts to lighten the cross. We know of nothing more profitable for the minister to study than 1 Cor. 3. It is easy to understand that the minister of the gospel, however sincere in his efforts, may not be so highly rewarded if he gathers comparatively unworthy materials for the "spiritual temple," as if he labored more prudently, more in harmony with the design of the divine plan, and so had materials better prepared for the building. Not long since we remarked that there is no rivalry between the SIGNS OF THE TIMES and the Advent Review. We say further, there is not even a feeling of indifference between them. They are engaged in the same work, and supported by the same people. No separate interest is found in either establishment. They mutually rejoice in each other's welfare. We dared not even hope during the present volume, to meet the expectations of the patrons of this paper. We have not, by any means, reached to our idea of what it should be, nor can we expect to while our duties are so many and so varied, and while so little aid is received from others, every one connected with the Office being so heavily taxed with cares and labors. Those who have charge of the various branches of the work here, are striving to the utmost of their powers to make it successful. In the midst of financial pressure which has sometimes been felt very severely. The outlay has been necessarily large, and the past year has been one of the greatest stringency in money matters that California has ever experienced. Yet the blessing of the Lord has been with us, and we cannot complain of the patronage we have received. The tract societies promised, last Fall, that if the SIGNS were put down to a low rate to clubs, they would raise the list to 10,000. This number has not been reached, but we have reason to be truly thankful for what has been done. During the last quarter of the last volume the list was increased about 200. We started in the present volume with an increase of over 800. Our increase at present, for this volume, is about 1,200. The advance system has been rigidly carried out; every name has been erased at the expiration of the time for which payment was made. But we commenced this article to speak more particularly of the Review. Some time since we read in that paper some remarks made by a minister, in which he expressed the grief he felt in finding so many families of Sabbath-keepers without the Review, and some without even any of our periodicals. More recently we were informed by the editor of the Review that the increase of subscribers does not nearly correspond to the increase of believers as reported by the ministers. Some allowance may be made for this. Sometimes several converts are reported in the same family. And the increased number of our periodicals has, no doubt, some bearing on the case. Some take one paper, and some another, and they let that suffice. There are some, even in our churches, who avail themselves of the club rates of the SIGNS, and thus get a paper cheaper than the Review. This ought not to be. The club system was not adopted for such purpose; it is solely for missionary work. We hope the number is not large, but we are convinced there are some such cases. And we expect it will be so. Some will always take the cheapest paper, and deprive themselves and their families of the benefits of the weekly visits of our church paper, to save a dollar, or the fraction of a dollar, for the year. But the fact that there are families among our people who do not take any of our papers is one not pleasant to contemplate. We "call to mind the former days." We look back twenty years or more, when not a family of Adventist Sabbath-keepers in the United States was without the Review. Then if any one professed the Sabbath and did not subscribe for that paper we did not consider him more than half converted to the present truth. We did not count upon him as a reliable member until this point was reached. We recommend to our ministers to again make this a specialty, wherever they introduce the truth; to make it an object, and work toward it, to have the paper taken into every household where a profession of faith in the third angel's message is made. We are confident that the churches will grow into the spirit of the message, and come to the unity of the faith, much more readily where this is accomplished. A READER of our paper requests us to harmonize 2 Cor. 5:1-8, with the views taught by Eld. Canright in his articles on the soul of man. We give the following, written by Eld. J. N. Andrews, as a sufficient answer. We consider it an excellent exposition of this text. 2 Cor. 5:1-10: "For we know that, if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven; if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened; not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord (for we walk by faith, not by sight:) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 1. The apostle represents the Christian as having two houses, one a temporary structure, called a tabernacle because liable at any time to be taken down; the other an eternal house, because incapable of dissolution. 2. The tabernacle or temporary house is our mortal body, or the present state of mortality. 3. The eternal house is our immortal body, or immortality itself. 4. The dissolution of the tabernacle or temporary house, is the unbuilding of the mortal body by death. 5. At death we have the eternal house, not in actual possession, but by God's promise, which is then ours without condition. 6. For the eternal house, or house from Heaven, is the immortal body, or more properly it is immortality itself. And this is not given till mortality is swallowed up of life. 7. But mortality is swallowed up of life, not at the death of the body, but when it is raised from the dead. 8. The unclothed or naked state is that of death, for the tabernacle is dissolved, and the eternal house exists only in God's promise. The man has laid down the mortal life, and has not yet laid hold on the immortal life. He is asleep in death. 9. Paul did not desire this state of death, but did desire the state of immortality in the resurrection. 10. This immortal state is that for which God hath wrought man. 11. The indwelling of the Spirit of God is the earnest or pledge, not of death, but of the resurrection or immortal state. 12. Paul speaks of the first of these houses in which we have always lived as our home, and so long as we continue in this home we are absent from the Lord. 13. He was "willing rather," that is, he chose to be absent from the mortal body and present with the Lord. But this cannot mean that he chose death, for he expressly declares in the previous verses that he did not. 14. But as he has used the figure of two houses, one a temporary structure in which we have always lived, and which for that reason he calls home, and the other an eternal house, so now he speaks of moving from our home, when we are absent from our mortal body, and present with the Lord in immortality. Until the resurrection, Paul did not expect to be with Christ. 1 Cor. 15:32. 15. Let it be observed that there is but one house at a time, for the two houses are simply the body in its mortal and in its immortal state. The figure is like that used with respect to conversion, when it is said that we put off the old man and put on the new, and yet these are simply two conditions of the same mind. 16. And the apostle fixes the time when we shall appear in the presence of Christ to receive our reward, and that time is the Judgment. It is manifest that Paul looked not to death, but beyond it to the immortal glory of the resurrected saints in the presence of Christ.