If you go out into a fog or mist, with the intention of running down a ship at sea, you will be very likely to be the victim of your own intention, especially if the ship has a light that is far above you, and cannot only see its own course but yours also.

The man of evil intentions is like a' pirate instead of a merchant ship, and passing into spirit life, he carries with him the mists and shadows of his own state, and he would strike blindly if he struck forth to injure others.

It is a singular law of spiritual existence that the centre of attraction for every spiritual force is the individual, and that as the individual is bright, or beautiful, or good, all spiritual force that resembles that state will be drawn toward the individual. If you send forth prayers, they return in blessings; if you send forth good thoughts, they return in beautiful images to surround you; and if you send forth shadows, they envelope you in shadows, for you surround yourself with your own thoughts and conceptions. If it were possible for the spirit to steal, think of murder, revenge, or any condition resembling those states, that same law of which we speak would send this thought back upon him or herself, and redouble the shadows around them, until by the very overwhelming weight of their own condition the spirit would strive to overcome it.

Another thought that we wish to convey is, that however distinct the individual life may seem, and however actual, the condition may depend upon the state within yourselves. Spirits are all governed by one law: as nature is governed by light, so is the realm of spirit governed by the higher power of goodness.

Though the light may call forth from the slimy pool of earth the life corresponding to that pool, still that life has not the power to leave its own slimy condition and fly in the face of the sunshine; only high forms of being that have wings can fly toward the sun. And so it is with the light of the spiritual world; it may penetrate the conditions that are illustrative of ignorance and darkness, and even quicken into being, for the purpose of throwing off that state, all these slumbering attributes.

But they cannot, any more than the tadpole in the slimy pool, shut out the light of the sun or prevent its radiance from penetrating the atmosphere.

Those who fly sunward, must, like the eagle, have lofty aspirations; or like the butterfly, must be risen from the condition of the dust, and be capable of feeding upon the dew of flowers instead of clay.

Therefore, again we would say, do not live in the habitation of fear concerning-the evil that can visit you from the other world. No spirit ever approaches any medium to reveal their condition, who does not approach under permission. None indeed, save those who will serve to illustrate the various links and conditions that point you to the spirit life; and us for injury, each individual contains within himself thoughts and feelings far more injurious than the combined spirit world could ever visit upon you, were it desirous of doing you harm.

The kingdoms of light must be more potent than the kingdoms of darkness, and down through the various ages of spiritual existence this positive power descends, reaching, moving, governing and guiding, even unconsciously, those who have entered the realm of spiritual existence. While you, here in the mortal state, partly governed by the spirit, partly by the sensuous nature around you, have perverted the positive order of existence by deeming that matter is the centre of all force, and that everything in the universe must bend to its laws. We think, notwithstanding this imperfect condition, and notwithstanding that you pervert the order of the universe, that the positive spiritual force of the universe is not only spirit but goodness; and that if this were not true there would be sublime harmony in the thought of propitiating the good graces of his Satanic Majesty, as most of the Orientals do, or as many do unconsciously, by giving him a larger place in their thoughts and devotions than the Love and Divinity above and around you.

Do not worship, therefore, from fear, this shadowy image of evil spirits, but philosophically receive that which gives you the explanation and clue to all spiritual states; since spirits disembodied, whatever the thought of their condition be here, still have the truth of this positive light.

But many say: "We have known spirits to come and swear."

Perhaps you could not recognize them unless they did; for he who passeth from the earth with an oath upon his lips might not be recognized if he came with prayers and psalms. You perhaps may have heard that General Andrew Jackson scarcely used a sentence without ornamenting it with an oath.

and a clergyman, calling him to account for this, he explained it by saying: " My dear sir, he who prays without meaning anything, and he who swears without meaning anything, are about on the same level."

An oath is not always an indication of profanity, nor a prayer of sanctity. Many spirits illustrate their condition of earthly life; as for instance, a sailor, or some one who is accustomed to rough language, by reappearing in that form or guise.

But you say: "Sometimes they threaten." The threat is not carried into execution; it is but illustrative of the state by which you can recognize their spiritual condition when they passed from earth, but we have never known of any threat or of any violence to be carried into effect, or to do injury to any medium or any individual connected with them; and this, considering the various human conditions that surround the medium, is a most remarkable fact.

Then again you say: " But our circles have often been disturbed, and falsehoods have been written; the table has rapped them out."

That may be true, but there also is a law by which some condition in the mortal life may affect these communications. All sitters, and all mediums, are not perfect, and even if the spirits tell you that which is not true, it does not necessarily follow that they intend to tell you a falsehood.