Luther, when he recognized a
personal devil, was much nearer right. We ought to enter fully, at
least, into the spiritualism of the Bible. Circles and spiritual
jugglery I regard as the lying signs and wonders, with all
deceivableness of unrighteousness; but there is a real scriptural
spiritualism which has fallen into disuse, and must be revived, and
there are, doubtless, people who, from some constitutional formation,
can more readily receive the impressions of the surrounding spiritual
world. Such were apostles, prophets, and workers of miracles.
_Sunday evening_. To-day I went down to sit with Mrs. E. in her
quiet parlor. We read in Revelation together, and talked of the saints
and spirits of the just made perfect, till it seemed, as it always
does when with her, as if Henry were close by me. Then a curious thing
happened. She has a little Florentine guitar which hangs in her
parlor, quite out of reach. She and I were talking, and her sister, a
very matter-of-fact, practical body, who attends to temporals for her,
was arranging a little lunch for us, when suddenly the bass string of
the guitar was struck loudly and distinctly.
"Who struck that guitar?" said the sister. We both looked up and saw
that no body or thing was on that side of the room. After the sister
had gone out, Mrs. E. said, "Now, that is strange! I asked last night
that if any spirit was present with us after you came to-day, that it
would try to touch that guitar.
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