were
possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Here, again, are wonders
foretold, wrought for the purpose of deception, so powerful that, were
it possible, even the very elect would be deceived by them.

Thus we have a series of prophecies setting forth the development, in
the last days, of a wonder-working power, manifested to a startling and
unprecedented degree, in the interests of falsehood and error. All refer
to one and the same thing. The earthly government, with which it was to
be especially connected, is that represented by the two-horned beast, or
false prophet. The agency lying back of the outward manifestations was
to be Satanic, the spirits of devils. The prophecy calls for such a work
as this in our own country at the present time. Do we behold anything
like it? Read the answer in the lamentation of the prophet: "Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto
you having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short
time." Stand aghast, O Earth! Tremble, ye people, but be not deceived.
The huge specter of evil confronts us, as the prophet declared. Satan is
loosed. From the depth of Tartarus, myriads of demons swarm over the
land. The prince of darkness manifests himself as never before, and,
stealing a word from the vocabulary of Heaven to designate his work, he
calls it--_Spiritualism_.

1. Does spiritualism, then, bear these marks of Satanic agency?

1st. The spirits which communicate claim to be the spirits of our
departed friends. But the Bible, in the most explicit terms, assures us
that the dead are wholly inactive and unconscious till the resurrection;
that the dead know not anything; Eccl. 9:5; that every operation of the
mind has ceased; Ps. 146:4; that every emotion of the heart is
suspended; Eccl. 9:6; and that there is neither work, nor device, nor
knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, where they lie. Eccl. 9:10.
Whatever intelligence, therefore, comes to us professing to be one of
our dead friends, comes claiming to be what, from the word of God, we
know he is not. But angels of God don't lie; therefore these are not the
good angels. Spirits of devils will lie; this is their work; and these
are the credentials which at the very outset they hand us.

2dly. The doctrines which they teach are from the lowest and foulest
depths of the pit of lies. They deny God. They deny Christ. They deny
the atonement. They deny the Bible. They deny the exis