p. 4 | FRUITS OF SPIRITUALISM by W. T. Dawson

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 8, 1902

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 28, No. 41.

FRUITS OF SPIRITUALISM.

By W. T. Dawson

It is said that there are over one million Spiritualists in the United States and Canada. What a mighty host to be deceived. May the Spirit of God help us throw out a life-line that they may realize who is their real leader, and break with him ere it is too late. The Holy Scriptures, the Holy Scriptures, these are their only safe guide and safe guard.

God is love, truth, mercy, grace, and purity. He is long-suffering and forgiving. Satan is hatred, rebellion, falsehood, tyranny, impurity, unmerciful. He destroys the best, and moves upon his subjects to destroy the best. He is “a terror,” and soon will be “no more.” To which of the two masters would you prefer to give your willing obedience?

Christians are fighting not only evil in the flesh, but evil spirits in high or heavenly places. Eph. 6:12, margin. Satan occupies a field of his own, a field of deception. Here God permits His wonder-working power to beguile the unwary and fully deceive the lover of the lie. Matt. 24:24; Deut. 13:1-3. Spiritualists beware

of this terrible power with which you are toying. Yield not yourselves to this unholy embrace, this serpent-like allurement. You can break away through the power of Christ. Others have done it.

Satan tortures his own subjects. Mark 1: 23-26, Luke 9: 39-42. Satan destroys his most faithful subjects. 2 Chron. 18: 18-22; Rev. 16: 13, 14.

In a trial for murder at Pittsburg, Pa., recently, the prisoner made an extraordinary plea in defense. She was charged with having killed her own mother by shooting her with a revolver. At her trial she did not deny the shooting, but said that she did it “under orders from the spirits.” They commanded her to kill her mother, and in obedience to them she went to a drawer, took from there a loaded pistol, and went to her mother’s room. Her mother was asleep, but she awakened her and fired at her four times, each bullet taking effect. She added, her mother taught her to believe in Spiritualism.

Is this not sad fruit?

Satan caused innocent little children to be burnt alive to the gods of his own devising. Deut. 12: 29-31; 2 Chron. 33: 6.

Evil-spirit influence on mediums is weakening, enervating, and moulding. A lecture-medium after giving a long talk and many tests, was requested to indicate other spirit presences. She turned and with a wave of her hand, as if to add force to her words, said, “I can not now, I am too exhausted.”

One of the remarkable incidents in connection with the Mohawks’ [an alleged Indian spirit] influence over Mrs. Irene M. Dobson is the statement that “since he procured her as his medium, her profile has changed from the Grecian type to that of the Indian. She now has a rather prominent nose, high cheek bones, and a receding forehead.” Mrs. Boyer is one of those who have observed the change, who has never before heard of a case where the controlling spirit exercised a power sufficient to change the facial expression of the medium. In this instance, however, she says the change is most pronounced. The only solution of the transformation she is able to offer is that the spirit has exercised an almost constant control over the medium, and has infused all its characteristics into her.”—Chicago Inter-ocean, Dec. 22, 1901.

Would any sane person yield to a lowering like this? Away with such results! Many, doubtless, have become believers in Spiritualism because they were led to investigate spiritistic phenomena through ignorance of any danger to their best welfare. Desiring the truth, they thought the things they were investigating were leading to it. A perfect knowledge of the Bible would have led them away from such investigation and belief.

Man is on trial for a short period to form character. Before him is placed good and evil. A divine power of will is given him. He can choose a good Spirit control or the evil spirit control. God or Satan, one or the other will be identified with his will power. There is no neutral ground for character-building. You will turn out a saint by the power of the Spirit of Christ working in you willingly, or you will become demon-possessed by the spirit of Satan working in you willingly. Which will you choose? Before the one are trials of character-building here, overcoming evil with good with the blessed hope of carrying out the Creator’s will here and hereafter; or before the other is a careless-go-easy time here for a short space, then being ground to powder soon when the tables are turned. Let us cling to eternal truth; it is wisdom, it is our very life. God’s Word is a mine of life-preserving truth. You can have a title to the future blessedness through Christ, the only name given among men by which we may be saved.

W. T. DAWSON.