SECTION IX.

SPIRIT-POWER-PREDICTIONS.

PREDICTIONS given by men or by women as to future events are beautiful and extraordinary evidences of angel-power and knowledge. The prophet speaks of events to come, which cannot by any possibility be charged either to chance or calculation; they must of necessity come, as knowledge comes to an inferior from his superior; and by the event is shown a law, which is laid hold of and used by a power beyond the medium or instrument. One source of knowledge was opened up in the section on MENTAL CURRENTS. The mode by which the prophet receives the news, or message, is of itself evidence of an intelligence beyond the man. The methods are as various as by man with man. Thus it is given.-By voice heard only by the prophet. By writing under his hand. By a vision of the event. By writing or reading seen on the breast, or elsewhere. By the rapid utterance of a prediction, with the voice of the prophet, without the volition of the man's mind. It is immaterial the manner, but of importance the matter. Independent of ancient history, sacred and classic, and the stray predictions which we occasionally hear of, I will give a little of my personal gatherings.

I

MISS O.-A young lady came to me when I was using stones for curing diseases. She became clairvoyant, and while in that state saw six visions as to the time and cause of death of six persons; one person was connected with royalty. took a note of the persons and times, and five of them happened at the time named; the sixth I was not able to prove till lately, when I found that by a fall and injury to the head the child is idiotic; the fall happened at the time predicted. There was, and still is, mental death.

The information was conveyed to her by visions, and on one occasion she asserted that her father and mother, deceased, appeared to her and gave her instructions.

MR. J. is a relative I have known from boyhood. I will

give two or three instances in his experience, to illustrate the principle of predictions, and to show that an off-hand scoff is no scientific or business-like method of accounting for facts.

AN INSTANCE.-He went to see his parents in July; on leaving, his father came down to the quay to see him off by the steam-boat. On looking at his father from the deck of the vessel, a vivid sensation came over him, and the words seemed wafted through his mind-" You will not see the end of April." A letter was received, dated 30th of March, written by his father, in the usual manner. About the beginning of April the son was taken ill and confined to his bed; on Sunday, the 13th, he rose in bed, and said to his wife, "It is time to hear of my father's death." That night the father died unexpectedly.

ANOTHER PREDICTION. "Perhaps, it is in place to state, that one Sabbath day some nine months ago (1858), the relatives and medical attendant of Mrs. Jones thought she was dying. On that day it was foretold, under spirit influence, that she would recover, but that the change would take place in April, 1858.

About the middle of March last it was foretold, that on the 7th of April, 1858, she would be taken for death. It was so."

ANOTHER INCIDENT.—In autumn he felt the impression of uneasiness, and the idea came vividly in his mind on seeing a friend, Something unfortunate over you for April." He told it to the brother of his friend. On the 1st of April the person broke a blood vessel, which has sorely punished his constitution and unfitted him for business.

In another case of death the prediction came several months before, by coloured words on the chest of the invalid; but in front of the words there seemed mist or fog; he at once wrote to the son-in-law the prediction and the words, so that the result might prove it was not fancy. He states that there is no volition of his own mind, no train of thoughts, but the information comes as any business message to him, and is received as such. This indicates that the message comes from some being who wishes the information to be communicated; who those beings are, the earlier sections of this work give ample proof.

DREAM OF DEATH.- -"My daughter, about ten days ago, came down to me at breakfast, and said, 'Father, unless you go up to grandfather by half-past two o'clock to-day, it will be too late.' I said, 'What do you mean?' She replied, He told me so this morning.' Now, as my father was quite well, I replied, 'O nonsense, you have been dreaming; go and do so and so.' I thought no more about it, but, about two o'clock, came down a message, that my father had been seized with paralysis, and I was to go to his house at once. I got there about three o'clock, but he had died at half-past two o'clock. How he could come, and speak to her in the night, and tell her of the time of his death, is what I cannot understand. I only tell you the fact."-Dr. M. to J. J., 1857.

PREDICTION OF DEATH.-During the visit to my mother in London, she appeared in her usual health; she said, "John, there is nothing the matter with me at present, but I will not see the month of October out"--this was in August. She died suddenly on the 14th of October.

ANOTHER incident I may name, but that was a dream. My wife dreamt that she wished to keep some rabbits, but that her father discouraged her, saying, "that there would be a death in the family within six months." The father died in five months. One of my daughters is much subject to these dream premonitions.-Dr. M. to J. J.

I have conversed with many persons who are subject to these prediction influences. With those whose susceptibility is great, the predictions come out clear and vivid; others, who are less susceptible, have warnings or indefinable feelings, which make them conscious of "something" going to happen. Occasionally, with such weak mediums there are misapprehensions as to the exact meaning or extent of the warning, arising from the active mind of the receiver, as we often find in business; a clerk may have his mind engaged on his own affairs, the principal gives instruction. "Yes, sir," when "No, sir," is practically the truth; his mind only takes in a part of the instructions, and when the principal is annoyed; out comes the excuse, "I thought you said so." So

it is with mediums.

Sometimes the predictions are purposely given in ambiguous terms, so that no human efforts may be made to disturb the course of events.

Look at the East Indian prophecy, that the dominion of the East Indian Company would be destroyed in a hundred years. The natives believed in it, but they thought it meant the British power;--all India was moved. The convulsion destroyed the Company, but there was erected the Regal power, which, by introducing vital changes in legislation and administration, has commenced a new era for India. I have in my remembrance an incident of the same kind of a private kind. One man grievously wronged another, who was subject to these premonitions. "In three years he will be punished," was impressed on his mind. In three years a severe illness came, so violent was the affliction, that the person believed himself dying; and the terror and struggle to overcome it was great. During the struggle the medium remembered his three years' warning, and thought it meant death, but the person recovered. The original prediction was the truth.

BRAHMIN PREDICTIONS.-Jones Forbes says, 1813, "Ghosts, seers, and astrologers are innumerable in India, and millions believe in their supernatural powers; many wander about like gipsies, but only a few Brahmins use the prophetic power with a certain dignity and modesty. I will give a short account of one of these Brahmins as an example. To understand the following narrative, we must here remark that at Forbes's arrival in Bombay in 1766, there were three parties; at the head of one stood Spencer, at the other Cromolin, the third was under the leadership of Mr. Hodges, who, it was said, had been deprived of the governorship in an unjust and improper manner. Hodges had on this account written a violent letter to the governor and the council of the Company, and was, as he refused to retract what he had written, removed from his governorship of Surat, recalled to Bombay, and dismissed from the Company's service. The Government of Bombay had sent a report of these proceedings to England."

Forbes continues as follows:-"This Brahmin was a young man when Hodges made his acquaintance. He was but little known to the English, but was much celebrated among the

Hindoos, at least on the west coast of India. I believe that Hodges had become acquainted with him when he was English resident in Bombay. Both became as intimate friends as the difference in religion and caste would permit. The Brahmin, an upright man, often admonished his friend never to depart from the path of virtue, which would lead him to success and honour, and to eternal happiness. To impress this exhortation upon his mind, he assured him he would rise from the situation he filled in Bombay to higher posts in the Company's service, after that, he would be Collector of Tellecherry and Surat, and lastly Governor of Bombay. Mr. Hodges often mentioned these prophecies to his friends, but himself paid little attention to them. It was only when he gradually rose to these posts of honour that he placed more confidence in the Brahmin, particularly when he was named Collector of Surat. When, however, in course of time Spencer was named Governor, and Hodges was dismissed from the service of the Company, he sent to the prophet, who at that time was living at Bulpara, a sacred village on the banks of the Toppy. He went to Hodges, and listened to the disagreeable end of his hopes and endeavours. Hodges finished by saying that he should sail for Europe, and therefore did not expect the bril liant fulfilment of the Brahmin's promises. It is even said that he let fall some reproaches during the conversation, on account of these deceitful prophecies. The Brahmin listened to all with the greatest composure, did not move a muscle, and said, 'You see this ante-chamber, and that room to which it leads; Mr. Spencer has reached the portico, but will not enter the palace; he has placed his foot on the threshold, but will never enter the house. Notwithstanding every appearance to the contrary, you will reach the honours and fill the elevated post I have foretold, and to which he has been appointed. A black cloud hangs before him.'

and

"This surprising prophecy was soon known in Surat and Bombay; it was the topic of conversation in every society. Hodges had, however, so little confidence in it, that he prepared to commence his voyage home. In the meantime, however, the despatches had been received from Bombay, an answer was returned with unusual rapidity. The Court of Directors condemned Spencer's proceedings as Governor of Bengal, reversed his appointment to the Governorship of Bombay, dismissed him from the Company's service, and Hodges became Governor.

"From this time the Brahmin gained the greatest influence