Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

362 ADDITIONAL CORROBORATIVE EVIDENCE, ETC.but as an actuality, as real to the soul as itscorresponding earthly truth isto the body. As a petty illustration, "\vc will say that -where an apple iseaten, a harmonious man receives not only the nutriment contained in thefruit, but he also receives its spiritual correspondence, so as to be doublynourished by it.1761. " Men having a stronger magnetic relationship to the spiritworld, are easily exhausted, for they do not receive strengththe earth sphere to keep soul and body in harmony.enough from1762. " Persons C7i rapport with the earth are the labourers and tillersof the ground, living only in the lowest plane of mental life.1763. ^' The truly harmonious men receive equally the spiritual andphysical elements: they are electrical conductors, whose attracting pointsbend downward as well as upward, dispensing, equally, thought andstrength to their less harmonious fellows, with but littleexhaustion.1764. ^' Men originate nothing : they have merely diiferent degrees ofreceptivity; arc merely more or less in magnetic relationship with thehigher world. A principle, or truth, is not your truth, or my truth, butGod's truth ; as much as a drop of water in the ocean, or a sand-grain inthe great desert ; as little a personal possession as the cloud above yourhead. If we look at it abstractly, we perceive the absurdity of all quarrelsin relation to originality of ideas—water refreshes the thirsty traveller,whether drunk from his own cup or the cup of another; and if we canincorporate a new truth into our lives, it is unimportant whether we receiveit directly or indirectly from the great fountain.1765. ^' The intellectual struggle of the student is but an education ofthe soul, training itto become susceptible to higher influences—an attemptto enter into unalloyed magnetic relationship with the spirit world.1766. ^'Prayer is a simple and natural method of becoming en rapportwith higher beings and a higher world : yet no thinker ever believed thatprayer would move the Divine Being to alter His eternal plans.As He isthe fountain of all Love and all Wisdom, His designs must be withoutflaw—must be for eternal good : yet prayer is one of the most holy, beautiful,and useful of things ; it is the earnest asking of the soul for comfort—whateverthe words may be—and by the exaltation of feeling, werise up from the earth-life into the higher spiritual planes, and becomeharmonized by the indwelling harmonies of those spheres. Pra3Tr is aspiration.Prayer is the desire to embrace the Infinite. The form of prayeris unimportant; its power lies in the indwelling desire of good. Menshould not have forms and times of prayer, but their whole lives shouldbe long, unending acts of prayer.'^1767. It seems that the light of Spiritualism had begun to dawn in themind of the author of the preceding passage. His language respectingprayer is in strict conformity with the doctrine of Spiritualism.1768. As the author, to whom reference is thus made, was on terms of