The Pulpit Commentary — 1 Chronicles — Section 147

it was somewhat fashionable, in which it might even seem to be a means of grace, furnishing some proof of the existence of the soul after death to a gainsaying an<l materi&listic age. I would make two or three preliminary observations. 1. That in the nature of things one would expect a great deal of deception to be practised in con- nection with spiritualism. Even if a large substratum of fact is in it, yet there will always be a temptation to guess when the oracle provokes by its silence-a reluctance to be caught at a loss; and the tendency to eke out the oracles by guesses will be all the greater when (as usually happens) it would be impossible to convict imme<liately of error. 2. That we are at a loss in this matter from not knowing exactly how many senses we have. To the five commonly recognized, one has been added-a sense of heat and cold. But probably we have a great many more senses than six: powers of perception, too subtle to be tabulated, but, in some natures of fine sensibility, quite strong enough to perceive by direct and natural but subtle apprehension what lies outside of the know- ledge of the five homely senses that are merely the strong, rough ones, common to us all. 3. That whatever be the explanation (and probably a simple scientific one is possible), the existence and practices of clairvoyants in every age and country, and the record of undoubted wonders done by them, make it almost impossible to doubt that some persons in some circumstances can perceive more than comes within the range of ordinary perception. From .A.pollonius of 'l.'yana down to Swedenborg; from the Delphic oracle, which told what Crcesus was doing on a certain day, several hundreds of miles away, to the instances of second sight still at least supposed to exist in the Scottish Highlands,-you get strange facts, too numerous to be met by a universal denial, for which we should, if possible, find some explanation consistent with natural science. But the more of truth there is in the claim of power to reveal the distant or the future, the less, in my judgment, will any wise man have to do with such practices. I therefore urge on many grounds the dang1Jr and wrong of spiritualism. Perhaps the following heads may sum up what is material on this matter :- 1. WE DO NOT NEED ANY SUPERNATURAL HELP BEYOND THAT OF GoD. For ordinary life the ordinary senses and faculties of man suffice. For all work it is a mis- take if the tool be too fine, as well as if it is too coarse. Finer faculties than we have would be too fine for the work of life; would be a source, not of strength, but only ol pain and torment. That knowledge of the unseen and future, which we always crave for, would have been given us had it been good for UB. But God has concluded that, as regards the unknowable, faith is better than sight, and, as regards the future, hope is better than foreknowledge. For common life, common sense is requisite and is suffi- cient, especially as we all have within reach aids of grace and enlightenment, that will make our steps safe, if it do not altogether satisfy our curiosity. If we pray to God for guidance, he will answer that prayer, not in some strange and supernatural way, but by calming our over-anxiety, by fortifying our judgment, by presenting in clear light the determining considerat.ions which should weigh with us, by restraining the temptation that might mislead us, by ordering our circumstances so that the only open path is the path of wisdom and of duty. More than this no one needs, and the imagination that the knowledge of the concealed would benefit us is misleading nnd worrying. Beyond that of God we need no supernatural help or light. II. SuoH LIGHT IS USELESS AS WELL. There are some things not essential but still Boothing, comforting, and helpful. Ilut the knowledge of the concealed is not only not essential-it is useless in any shape in which it can come to us. .And that for one reason-It is never capable of being verified. You are at tho mercy of any "tricksy sprite" that likes to play with your solicitude. If ghosts are freo to report themselves, any one of them could simulate Samuel, and, instead of the sober oracle you expect, could give you something with just that shade of error in it tbat would make it fatally seductive, You cannot apply rule-and-compass argument or faculty to the verification of the message. You must" trust them all or not at all." You cannot prove the spirits in any of the matters on which you seek their light. I say therefore it is valueless. Such oracles are unsigned cheques, which you cannot treat as money. Seeking to escape from the painful necessity of relying on your own judgmcnt, yoL1 (like Roman Catholics) have still to rely on your private judgmcnt on the most momen- tous question of the whole, viz. whether they are worthy to be your guides. 'l'hcrcfuro '.' pick no locks;" be content to be in the dark where God has lelt you iu tile durk, lt  138 THE FIRST BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. [cH. x. 1-14.