p. 28 | Look out for Traps by J. CLARKE.

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jun 27, 1865

Look out for Traps.

By J. CLARKE.

Spiritualists claim to perform miracles, heal the sick, the lame, the blind; and in some cases they do succeed in restoring the diseased frame, by the power which animates the great body of Spiritualists.

No doubt is entertained by most of the Seventh-day Adventists that Spiritualism is a revival on a large scale, of the ancient witchcraft, and that modern Spiritualism is a work of the Devil.

The Arch-apostate is now endeavoring by every means to get a controlling influence over the affairs of men, so that he may be able to deceive them in regard to the second coming of Christ, and prevent them from listening candidly to the last warning call of God to man.

During the present month of May, 1865, a physician claiming to do cures by divine power, hired rooms at the Oliver House, Toledo, and crowds daily went and came. Some came from a great distance to be healed, and some remarkable cures were performed, and a good deal of imposition and humbuggery was practiced.

This physician practices on the principle of making the rich pay the bill, while the poor are operated upon gratis.

Some ask, How can the Devil assist men in performing good works? For an illustration, we will suppose a case: B. has ten thousand dollars in U. S. bonds. A wants to get that money; so he calls upon B., borrows one hundred dollars for a short time, pays it punctually, with liberal interest, afterward borrows again, does the same as before, professes much honesty and gratitude, &c., gets into the good graces of B., borrows finally nearly all B. has, and runs away. Now A. had this in view all the time from the first, and there was not a particle of real honesty in returning those small sums, with liberal interest, and many thanks; for his object had all along been to obtain all

of B.'s money. So with Satan. He is now dispensing benefits to the extent of his power, that he may finally ruin the soul.

But is it any harm to go and be healed? Again we will illustrate. Suppose that Gen. Lee, commander of the forces of the Southern Confederacy, had during the rebellion made presents to Northern men irrespective of pledges on their part; would not every good soldier have spurned his money? Suppose that C. had got a thousand dollars of him, and D., and E., and F., had each of them become enriched by him, would they not all of them have been despised and suspected by every good patriot?

No: had I to walk upon crutches, I would hobble about a lifetime, if it was so long as Methuselah's, rather than receive a farthing's worth from the enemy of all good.

Recollect this, ye who gape and yawn to see every strolling sight, that God's Spirit does no miracles to satisfy curiosity, or to excite admiration, or for a fee; and curiosity-seekers, and sight-seekers, do often lose at least their time, and fritter away their means, and sometimes the soul goes with lost time and means, down to oblivion.

J. CLARKE.