eougM to be accomplished, viz.: (1) the ascertainment of destiny· and (2) a peep into the invisible realm of the departed. And not only so; but the metho<ls of a modern so-calle<l " spiritualism " are so nearly analogous to those of ancient times, that it is as needful for the preacher now to warn the people against them, as it was for Moses to warn the Hebrews. Even among them, the roothold of this superstition was so strong, thot lsoiah had to caution the men of his time against it, and to remind them of the more excellent way (see Isa. viii. 19, 20). But it is very remarkable that neither Moses nor Isaiah closes up the matter at once by saying," You may as well give up all that, for you cannot possibly hold any communication with the departed." Neither of them suggests that the invisible world is absolutely closed against all possible access. Various reasons for this may be surmised. It may be that the question of the abstract possibility or otherwise of communications with the departed, formed no part of God's revelation to Moses; or that God has not seen fit at any time to inform us thereon, deeming an education on the moral bearings of the question, of far greater moment than intelligence on its physical or metaphysical aspects. Any way, certain it is, that we are not called on to ask, Can we converse with the dead'? But we are rather forbidden to attempt it. Five reasons are suggested as we compare and unite the teachings of Isaiah and Moses. I. IT IS UNREASONABLE. "Should not a people seek unto their God ? " If they wish to commune with spirit, there is one Great Infinite Spirit with whom they can hold fellowship, who has said, "Call on me in the day of trouble." From him we may ~et at any time all needful_ light on the daily path, and all needful intercourse with the spiritual world. We may hear a voice behind us, saying, "This is the way, walk ye in it." And if we may consult the Great Supreme, why leave the highest authority, for the sake of consulting any others? II. IT 1s UNNECESSARY. For what is that we really need? Light/or the future, but not light on it; and light concerning the invisible world, but not light into it. .And these are given to us in the revelation of the Divine Word (see next Homily). The connec- tion between this paragraph and the next should not be lost sight of. Moses says, "The Lord thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet," etc. (vcr. 15), i.e. not only one Prophet in the fulness of time, but also from time to time as may be needed, prophet after prophet shall be sent you to direct you in the truth, so that you will have no excuse whatever for seeking light elsewhere, or in any forbidden ways. If that was true of Israel, how far more is it true of us I What a fulness of light and truth have we in Christ I And now that we have an unction from the Holy One to teach us the deep things of God, it is a wildly foolish and needless step to go knocking at the gates of the invisible world! III. IT 1s USELESS. It might very fairly be asked, "If you get an answer, how are you to verify its worth?" But Isaiah practically impales the "spiritualists" on the horns of a dilemma. "To the Law and to the testimony : if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them;" i.e. supposing you consult the dead, and get an answer from them, th~t answer will either accord with "the Law and the testimony," or it will not. If it does, you are no better off than you were before, for you had it in the Book before yon inquired. If it does not, still you are no better off, for "it is because there is no light in them," and if they have no light, they certainly cannot give any to you I So that either way the inquiry after the dead is utterly useless. And besides, who ever heard of anything alleged to be co=unicated by "the spirits" which contained aught that was not previously known? We have an infinitely more sure "word of prophecy," and we shall be guilty of the veriest folly if we forsake it for the random guessings of "spiritualism." Hence- IV. IT 1s SINFUL. The preacher may press this on the following grounds. 1. It is a wayward effort to force an opening into a region which God as yet sees fit to conceal from view. 2. It comes of a wish to get light on future issues rather than on present duty. Duty is ours, events are God's. 3. It involves the neglect of a rule which God has given, and a search after one which he has not. 4. It is a waste of time. 5. It puts e. prying curiosity in the place of a lowly, loyal obedience. 6. It springs out of e. guilty unbelief or from dissatisfaction with the ways of God. Why, even among the heathen who knew not God, it was regarded by him as an "abomina- tion;" how much more must he so Iegard it among a people to whom he has r~vealed 308 'l'IlE BOOK OF DEUTEHONOMY. [en. XVIII, 1-22.
himself in decpC'st, tenderest love? Have men not yet learnt that it is mercy which hi,le~ !he foture, and shrouds in Yeil the realm of the dead? Who of ns could bear to kin C'ither cnrtain drawn aside? Oh! it is no wonder that this spirit of false inquiry ~honld he forbidden by God. We should frown on it in others, sternly and constantly :l!ld il should not be so much as named among us as becomcth saints. '' y. 'Tnmu; IS ANO'rHER AND A DETTER WAY OF GETTING ALL THE LIGHT WE NEED, "The Law and the testimony . " Here are the words of God which are to direct us. Here we may "in<:1,ire of God,'' and to the lowly, childlike heart the Ilook will be full of divinest holiest teaching. It will give us light on the daily path, and guide us to a course which has " promise of the li1·e that now is, and of tlu1t which is to come." It abounds with promises that ~-ill cheer life's gloom, and chase away the darkness even from the grave. 1t opens up immortality and life. By its light we know that our departed ones in Christ, though absent from the body, are present with the Lord. Cheered by its words of hope, we can sing, "Thou shaltguide me with thy counsel, and afterwards receive me 10 1'.lory ! " \Ye are not treading uncertainly. \Ve walk not at random. We are not helplessly drif1ing down a current. \Ve are "firm on the rock." We aro surrounded with light from him who is" the Light of the world;" and with all this, cannot we ,rnit a while, and let him who is redeeming us reveal the mysteries of the spirit world t,, us in his own good time rather than our own? Hush! these lono-ino-s to know beforehand. Let us keep to the written Word. It tells us quite as m~1ch as we can bear to know while in these tabernacles of clay. Be it ours to study the Book of God : to take it not only as a. guide, but as the guide; not simply as the only guide but as the all-sufficient one, "until the day break, and the shadows flee away." ' ,