born King of the Jews. Matt. ii. 8. Tyrants often commence their kingly career by some liberal magnificent acts. Fraudulent designs to a very great extent are often effected on the same principle: and frequently the worst vices of men are perpetrated by some introductory seductive influence. We must not be surprised, if we find Satan more parsimonious in his healing bestowments, if the System should be better established. But admitting that good has been done in a few instances by Mesmerism, will that counterbalance for the moral evils that may and have concealed themselves under its dark wings, in exciting the animal organs of patients, for purposes, which we hear have led to its suppression in some countries by their Civil Authorities?

'The Advocates of Mesmerism may reproach us for our want of charity and commiseration to the afflicted: but while we are favoured with so great a number of educated skilful medical Practitioners; and our Hospitals, Infirmaries, and Dispensaries; all of which may be called lawful means, for the use of the afflicted, we need not be under any obligation to Mesmerism for presumptuous means. Any who prefer the latter to the former, may find an instance of God's Judgment of their choice, in the person of Ahaziah, king of Israel, who sent to consult Baal-zebub, the God of Ekron. God, through his Prophet Elijah said to him, "Is it because there is no God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the God of Ekron? Thus saith the Lord, thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up; but shalt surely die." 2 Kings i. And, at an earlier period of the Jewish History it is declared, that one reason why God permitted Saul to fall in battle was, because he had enquired of the witch of Endor. Comp. 1 Sam. xxviii. 15, 20; and 1 Chron. x. 13.

"The Advocates of Mesmerism have made too much of their Science in asserting that it springs from natural causes.-This is partly true, and partly ill-founded.-In the same way every result in nature has been effected by natural causes; but they are often secondary causes, inasmuch as they are indebted for their operation bringing out a RESULT, to some moving prime agency that may be justly termed, a first cause; and the result is good or evil, according as the principle of agency, or moving cause is good or evil; while it sometimes happens that second causes, may innately and kept separately from each other, be harmless, possessing no qualities of good or evil. For example-Suppose a person in revenge, burnt down another man's house. In this instance revenge, in concert with the volition of the man's will, forms the first moving cause: the fire igniting the materials of the house is the second cause, which produces ashes, the result. Man is held responsible sometimes to human law, and always to God, in introducing a first cause into second causes for the result produced; and it is oftentimes as much his duty to permit some natural causes to remain quiescent, as it is his privilege to put others into action. We have a remarkable illustration, giving us a double view of what is here said, by a fact in Jewish History, while the Ark of God was at Bethshemesh :-as it lay there, many of the Inhabitants of that place had the presumptuous curiosity to look into it, and being responsible to God for that action, he punished them with death: here the moving cause was wilful presumptuous curiosity: the second cause, was the contact between the profane hands of the people, and that sacred depository of God's Law; the result, was its being opened and their looking into it; being responsible, God smote them with death. 1 Sam. vi. 19.

Again, this same holy repository of the Tabernacle, was removed to the house of Abinadab; and though it had a resting place twenty years there, he never had the wilful presumptuous curiosity to open it, to scan its sacred mysteries; that is, he forbore to put second causes into operation; and the same may be said of Obed-edom afterwards, for which God greatly blessed them. Comp. 1 Sam. vii. 1, 2. 2 Sam. vi. 12. On this head we will take the liberty to refer the Advocates of Mesmerism to another instance of the ill effects of presumptuous curiosity; it is recorded in Gen. iii. 1-7. Temptation was in this instance presented to Eve. She desired the fruit to be made wise :-desire and volition of mind were the moving cause; she put forth her hand and took and ate it, these are the second causes ; her eyes were opened, and she was as Gods, knowing good and evil; these are the results, only with this difference, God knew good and evil in their principles and essences, according to his own infinite happy knowledge of them; but the woman, by bitter experience and dreadful anguish had to learn the evil by contrasting it with the good she had fallen from; and this is always the case with sin, when it is allowed to operate, in putting into action second causes; see James i. 13–15. This explanation of natural causes is of easy application to Mesmerism, since its result is evil, in that (as it has been shewn) man, under its influence is exposed to satanic agency; then it follows that it must be evil to practise Mesmerism.

'We have now taken, we trust, without bigotry, superstition, or prejudice, a calm and impartial view of Mesmerism; and the result of our inquiry is, giving Mesmerism its full credit, (for we suppose it to be a reality) that it appears to be the active energies of one man's mind, brought to bear upon another in a passive

state; which, co-operating with some known laws in nature, produce a peculiar sleep upon the latter that completely prostrates all his faculties; and it is dis. covered in this condition, he is, unconsciously to himself, liable to be used by human and super-human agency, at the pleasure of the Agents. This conclusion is abundantly confirmed by the Writings of those who advocate Mesmerism at the present day. We will not take up your time by making any quotations from these Writings, but only simply mention, that they inform us of untaught persons, in the mesmeric trance, who have explained the causes of earthquakes and volcanoes; who have said what electricity is, and what are its causes and effects upon the Sun, the Planets, and our Globe; they have declared with presumptuous confidence, what is now taking place at the distance of many billions of miles in the Stars; and also with the same air of assurance what God did in these, and our Globe many thousands of years ago. The statements given out by those persons, we hardly need say, are in themselves, and compared with each other, absurd, ridiculous and contradictory; calculated to excite the wonderment of the simple, and the burlesque of the sceptical, but are intermingled with observations on graver subjects, that undervalue and invalidate the blessed doctrines of God's Word; and in character with these, treat lightly the future destinies of departed spirits into other worlds, all of which sufficiently determine evil supernatural agency, as well as satanic subtlety.

In a moral and religious view of Mesmerism, we regard it as one of those lying wonders referred to in 2 Thess. ii. 9, which will be palmed upon the world, in these last days, and no doubt will contribute its influence, with other things, in causing strong delusion that mankind might believe a lie.

'No one can say how far many will take licence from Mesmerism to go on in sin; while they are deluded and drawn aside to observe its fancied wonders.

'And as God is not now interfering in judgment, but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter iii. 9.—and as we know that many Scoffers, walking after their own lusts, have already appeared, taking advantage of God's gentleness and forbearance, by saying" Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were, from the beginning of the creation;" is it not probable that such Scoffers in concert with Mesmerism will tend to increase the scepticism of the age? Already we may see in the moral horizon of the world, striking indications of that not far distant, wide spread black cloud of delusion, to which we have referred. But, beloved Reader, the day of retribution is at hand. It is written, "He that shall come, will come and will not tarry." Heb. xi. 37. And again it is declared, that God has appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained: whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. Acts xvii. 31. And in conclusion, we once more add, “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be punished with everlasting destruction, from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power: when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.” 2 Thess. ii. 7, 10.