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truth. Who is to blame? The medium wishes to be passive, but fails. The spirit
wishes to control, but fails. The failure disappoints, but who intends a failure?
Do either? The medium certainly would avoid it, because he would not be
deceived. The spirit certainly would not wish to deceive, for what has any
spirit to gain by deceiving? The spirit who deceives is not in wisdom to
control. The spirit who deceives is deceived. But is the spirit deceived in what
it knows? Can a spirit be deceived intentionally? Do not contradictions imply
an intention? Mediums suppose they do. Mediums must learn wisdom. No
spirit can deceive without a motive to wrong, unless it be deceived. What
motive to wrong can any spirit of
SPIRIT WORLD. 245
this sphere have? Will the wrong make that spirit happier? If it will, it is not a
wrong to that spirit. If it will not, what motive can induce the wrong? No
spirit can act without a motive. The motive must be either good or bad. If
good, it will do good to the extent of its ability; if bad, otherwise, to the same
extent. Has any spirit done evil to mind without a motive to injure? Who has
been injured by a spirit? Has the medium? He may say, I have been deceived
by an incorrect communication. But who is to blame? Did not the spirit do all
it could do to write correctly? If so, what evil was there in the effort? Was the
spirit responsible for the failure? Is it responsible for not doing what it could
not do? It endeavored to control conditions, but the conditions were not
submissive. They would not yield. They were above its capacity to overcome,
and because the spirit did not do what it could not, was it evil? Will the
medium allow this rule of judgment to be applied to himself? He ought not to
judge spirits by a rule, which he is unwilling to be judged by himself. Would
he be willing to be called evil, because he did not succeed in doing every
thing, he intended? Had spirits done every thing they have designed, no
complaint would arise. The errors, which have been a subject of complaint
and vexation, would not have occurred.
Mediums must learn the truth. They are not wise without it. When the truth is
revealed, they will find that what they have supposed was the work of evil
spirits, was neither more nor less than the unavoidable result of uncontrollable
circumstances. They will find that correct communications have teen made,
when the spirit could control the conditions so as to write correctly. They will
find that when the conditions are not submissive, the highest circle of spirits
can not write correctly,
246 LIGHT FROM THE
and, they will find that such spirits, being incompetent to control all
conditions, have been charged by mediums and others with writing falsehood
and deception. Nor is it an uncommon thing for persons to accuse their nearest
relatives in this sphere of a baseness they would not dare to affirm when they
were in the body. All for what? Because they have tried to write the truth, but
failed failed because the condition of the medium made it impossible. But
the medium asks, Why do spirits try to write when they can not control the
medium? Why make an effort which results in deceiving the medium or
others? We will write as we will with this medium. We will explain. We will
answer the questions.
Mediums who are not passive need to become passive. They are not what is
desirable without it, neither can a correct communication be given when the
conditions are not under the control of the communicating spirit. To gain this
control over the conditions, and make them submissive to our will, exercise in
writing is indispensably necessary. We can not control without exercise,
neither can we exercise without control. When we exercise a medium we must
move him. That is not an exercise which does not control to move. When we
move we must do something. We can not move without it. The movement is
exercise. It is one form of the exercise necessary to control the medium. By
movement we write, and we write as we can. We write, and when we write we
exercise the medium. By this exercise we gain control. He gradually becomes
passive, and the conditions yield to our power.
During the progress of disciplinary exercise, the medium will write as the
spirit can. The spirit will not write as it can not. In some exercises, it can write
correctly, and in others it has not succeeded.
SPIRIT WORLD. 247
Why then write? Ask the school boy. Ask him why he takes the pen he can
not write. He takes the pen to learn. He moves his hand, and the movement is
an exercise to gain control, and learn how to form the letters correctly. Does
he succeed? He succeeds to move his hand. But how are the letters and words
formed? Are there no errors, and is he an evil spirit because of those errors?
There is a true copy before him. Why does he not imitate the copy? Alas!
discipline must be had. Exercise must remedy defects. Instruction must
control deficiencies. But why does he write? He replies, I write to learn. I
write to remedy the defect of ignorance. Will the medium understand why
spirits write, when they are unable to write correctly? Does he need to be
informed, the they write as well as they can. Need he be told, that they imitate
the copy of truth in nature, as well as they can control the hand to form the
letters? The medium does not see the copy, but the spirit who controls, as it
can, sees it. The spirit endeavors to imitate it, to write it exactly; but the
medium complains because it is not better executed. Has he not reason to be
thankful for the aid which moves the hand? Is not the movement of a hand,
without the exercise of any volition on the part of a medium evidence of an
invisible power? Is it not evidence of the presence of spirits? And is not the
evidence of the presence of spirits of more consequence to human enjoyment
than all other things?
Mediums must learn wisdom, or not be wise. They must not write without aid
from spirits. When they receive aid, it is not from an evil spirit. Aid is not
evil. Aid to make the mind wise is not evil. And what is not evil can not be
imparted by that which is evil. Evil can not do good. Evil can only produce
evil. An evil spirit could not, and would not do good. What is good is not evil.
Good
248 LIGHT FROM THE
spirits may be unable to control all things. Good spirits may be unable to write
correctly with all who desire it. Under the circumstances, what will the
medium do? Will he wait patiently, or will he condemn those who may wisely
act, and do all they can for his benefit? Some will write as we can, others will
refuse our aid. But who suffers? Has the medium no faith in good spirits? Has
he no hope of redemption? Are evil spirits always to disturb his repose? Why
do evil spirits haunt one medium and not another? Is he more in affinity with
that class? He does not welcome their presence, and yet they write what he
rejects. What is the reason? Why are some persons more troubled with evil
spirits than others? No evil spirit comes to write with this medium, why
should they with others? We will write the explanation.
Mediums write with the aid of spirits. Spirits control as they can. Spirits do
not control what mediums write without their aid. Mediums are controlled by
other causes, which make them positive against the will of spirits. In this
condition they are only partially controlled by us. When they are only
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