Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/137

 *festations along a little, or to give them a little start, with the hope that they will thereafter get along without assistance. I refer to this to call attention to the influence to which mediums are at times subjected, not to condemn the mediums, nor to convey the impression that all these public manifestations are cheats. I have seen many which were not of this character. This cheating influence is attributable to the incongruous mental condition of a large circle, where no care is taken to secure harmony.

I offer these remarks as a caution not to get discouraged. You will meet with these things; and if the enemy can once catch you cheating, no matter how many good demonstrations you have given for months before, he has no hesitation in publishing to the world that it is all a cheat. He requires the medium to be very truthful, but he has no hesitation in lying himself. Being judged out of his own mouth, the enemy who takes advantage of the least deception on the part of the medium is as bad as the medium, and if he gets communications he must expect them to be marked by his character.

Permit me now to call your attention to the subject of healing mediumship. Man, as we have seen, possesses within himself the elements of all prior existence—in fact, of all existence, from dead matter to the self-living Jehovah. These elements exist in him in an individualized condition. He has composing his form individualized matter of various kinds, as electricity, magnetism, nerve-aura, which are connected with matter of a like character which is unindividualized. I need but say that all matter this side the Divine is