Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations: Demonstrating the existence of spirits and their communion with mortals. Doctrine of the spirit world respecting heaven, hell, morality, and God. Also, the influence of Scripture on the morals of Christians.Hare, Robert
Religion
Experimental Investigation of the Spirit Manifestations: Demonstrating the existence of spirits and their communion with mortals. Doctrine of the spirit world respecting heaven, hell, morality, and God. Also, the influence of Scripture on the morals of Christians.
Hare, Robert
Bible and spiritualism; Spiritualism
in comparison with that eternity of ineffable happiness enjoyed by the
immortal spirits of the higher spheres? Yet Mr. Harbaugh, with the
simplicity of blind faith, quotes this without perceiving how meagre is
the gospel evidence thus afforded of the joys awaiting the faithful as
a reward for their good conduct in this life.
744. The following remarks, made by Mr. Harbaugh, demonstrate how
partial sectarians are in reading Scripture: “_What shall we have
therefor? This is a question that frequently arises in the Christian’s
mind, as he endeavours to cheer his ofttimes drooping spirits with
a look toward the recompense of reward. What shall we have? We have
left all for thee, and by following thee we have confessed that we
are pilgrims and strangers upon earth. In this world we shall have
tribulation; but thou didst overcome the world; what shall those have
who overcame with thee?_” Harbaugh remarks: “_Here then is curiosity
which the Saviour himself approves, because he satisfies it. The same
pious curiosity still manifests itself in the minds of God’s people in
their holiest hours, and shall there be nothing revealed to satisfy
them? Yes, God will approve of such inquiries, and will grant the
influence of that Spirit, who leads unto all truth to all those who
search the Scripture for an answer._” Drawing an eloquent picture of
the aspirations of the soul for some realization of the vague ideas of
the rewards of the faithful in a future state of existence, he exults
that this _curiosity_, as he calls it, should be sanctioned by Christ,
“who approves this curiosity because he satisfies it.” How does he
satisfy it? Is it by holding up the hope of a judgeship for each? It
seems it was not then foreseen that instead of performing the part of
the Jewish Messiah, with which he thus identified himself, that of
gathering together the _chosen_ people of God, he was to put forth
opinions which were to scatter them through the world. “Wo unto you,
Chorazin,” &c., for the heinous offence of not admitting him to be
both the Messiah and the Son of God. The promise of the judgeships was
quite consistent with the former character, and strengthens the idea
that he never pretended to any higher mission. With this the promise
in question is consistent, but is wholly irreconcilable with his
divinity, which would make these judgeships worse than giving a stone
for bread or a serpent for a fish. In order to have bestowed these
judgeships, the Roman empire must have been subverted. It seems that if
(as stated by the worthy Mr. Harbaugh) _the curiosity of the disciples
was truly and correctly satisfied_, that this satisfaction was the sum
total of the heaven with which they were remunerated; since not the
slightest hint is given that they were, like the penitent thief, to
be with their object of devotion in paradise. It would seem, on the
whole, that the rewards of the thief and the beggar Lazarus were of a
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