In Both Worlds Part 27

"'My name is Legion: for we are many.'"

This led to the strange subject of demoniac possession. I told my father that the Greek philosophers and physicians, who were considered the profoundest thinkers in the world, scouted the idea of evil spirits taking possession of men. They attributed all such cases to the effect of physical disease.

"They know nothing whatever," said my guide, "of the relation between spirit and matter. Their philosophy of man, history, and nature is superficial and false. Their boasted light is darkness to our spiritual perceptions, and their scientific verbiage the merest babble.

"It is true, my son, that devils are continually aspiring to break through from h.e.l.l into the world of spirits; and by means of evil spirits in this world, especially those fresh from the earth, to possess and govern men in the natural world. If the divine hand were not put forth to arrest this influx of h.e.l.l into the world of nature, three centuries would not elapse before all mankind would be imbecile or insane, and would destroy each other like wild beasts."

"Mankind," said I, "are totally ignorant of the fearful dangers which hang over them."

"Of course they are. These dangers come from the unseen spiritual side.

They know nothing and believe nothing of the unseen."

"Can you tell me anything of the spiritual philosophy of magic?"

"A sphere inconceivably subtle and wicked! It obtained its first foothold in Egypt ages before the historic period, and has penetrated thence, under different forms and names, into all the countries of the world."

"We had some painful experiences with it soon after your departure from the natural world; but my philosophic studies at Athens led me to suppose that magic was an imposture based upon absurd superst.i.tions."

"Magic, my son, is at present a fearful reality. It is the means by which the wicked can summon around them the worst spirits, and obtain control over man and nature. By its means they can overcome physical obstacles; can see and hear at incredible distances; can produce dreams and illusions; can make one thing appear another; effect transformations which seem miraculous; call up the spirits of the dead; take absolute possession of the fancy and the will; and control their victim in all his thoughts and actions. They can give wise answers and frequently foretell future events. They can imitate good and heavenly things with such marvelous accuracy, as to impose themselves as illumined teachers and prophets upon mankind."

"How could such a fearful thing have originated? Whence is its power?"

"From the perversion and profanation of holy things; from the abuse of the knowledge of correspondence, which is the secret bond between spirit and matter, and for that reason is now concealed from mankind. When the sons of Aaron put strange fire upon the altar of the Lord, they were consumed.

When the sons of the prophet shred the wild vine into the pot, there was death in the pottage. That strange fire, that wild vine is magic. Magic is the perversion of truth-the science and the religion of h.e.l.l."

"Can you foresee the future of this terrible power?"

"Yes-so far as we can infer that certain material effects must flow in time from certain spiritual causes. The great judgment which Christ is now executing in this world of spirits, will cast all these magical powers into h.e.l.l and shut them up for ever. This is a part of the saving work of the Redeemer. He delivers men, not from the punishment but from the bondage of sin. Magic will then cease upon earth. The fragments and shadows of it may annoy mankind for ages; but its central power will have been bruised and broken, and it will become such barefaced superst.i.tion, trickery, and sleight-of-hand, that future generations will find it difficult to believe that it ever was anything else.

"Come!" he added; "I am permitted to show you one of the old Egyptians at his work."

We now descended into a dark cavern which appeared on our left, but which I had not noticed before. It sloped downward, with ragged black rocks protruding from its walls. The atmosphere was at first so stifling that I could hardly proceed. We emerged after a while into a level country under a sky of a dark gray color. A blood-red sun, never setting, stood low in the west, casting a lurid light over all things. Our path was along the bank of a large river, moving sluggishly and darkly between gigantic reeds and rushes. Huge crocodiles and monstrous beasts I had never seen before, lay here and there, half in the mud and half in the water. Away in the distance rose many colossal forms, pyramids, sphynxes, obelisks, palaces, temples-vast shadows as it were against the sky. Now and then we pa.s.sed a statue of stone or bronze, higher than the tallest trees, and so sad, stern and lifelike, it was difficult not to believe that it was the lost soul of some old Egyptian king, doomed to perpetual misery in the outward form of eternal repose.

"You must know," said my father, "that to enable us to enter these awful gateways of h.e.l.l, an invisible guard of thousands of angels is necessary."

I was relieved by this thought; for a sensation of fear had already begun to oppress me. I had learned enough of the spiritual world to know that all this wild and grotesque scenery was the outbirth of the life and memories of evil spirits, and could be dissipated in a moment, or changed into something horrible by the revealing light of heaven.

We now came to a great palace which seemed built of ebony, with foundations, doors, and cornices of bronze. The gates leading to its courtyard were of immense size, and constructed of dingy bra.s.s. A strange inscription ran across the arch, which I asked my father to interpret.

"That," said he, "is the Ten Commandments reversed, representing the laws which govern in this evil sphere. Much of it is too dim for one to read; but see!

"Thou shalt kill.

"Thou shalt steal.

"Thou shalt commit adultery."

"Hold!" said I, "what profanation! what blasphemy."

"Yes, my son! h.e.l.l is the opposite of heaven."

The courtyard was laid out in curious geometric figures, and adorned with many extraordinary plants and flowers, but mainly of yellow and purple hues.

"Flowers at the doorway of h.e.l.l! I thought that flowers were the children of heaven, the fragments of divine wisdom showered upon men in the disguise of beautiful forms, fragrances and colors."

"So they are," said my father; "and the floral kingdom here is antipodal to the floral kingdom in heaven; the concentration of all that is malignant and baleful in the thoughts and feelings of the inhabitants of that doleful place."

I shuddered as I pa.s.sed these infernal flowers; and we mounted the iron steps of the palace, walking between the statues of two great brazen bulls as we entered the hall.

A servant came forward to receive us, of such hideous form that I started back in terror. He was nearly naked, and thousands of hieroglyphic figures had been burned into his body in black and red colors. His face was the face of an embalmed person, long dead, shriveled and ghastly.

While we were speaking to this frightful personage, a hoa.r.s.e, sepulchral voice issued from a half-open door:

"Bring them in. I have felt their coming."

We pa.s.sed into a chamber of immense size,-for everything in the shadowy world seemed to me colossal. I instantly perceived that it was the counterpart of the chamber of magic in the house of Magistus, so minutely described to me by my sister Martha.

"Behold the source of inspiration to Simon Magus!" said I to myself.

I recognized all the objects mentioned by the eyewitnesses of that remarkable scene between Simon and the magicians; the marble platform; the black table with the zodiac upon it; the images on the wall. Even the leopard and serpent were there. The magician was an old man, stern-featured, cruel-eyed, worn and wasted, with some personal resemblance to Simon Magus.

"I have had violent pains about my heart and difficult breathing," said the evil spirit slowly, "ever since you entered my kingdom. I know who you are and who protects you. Your presence tortures me; so be brief with your mission. I will answer you truthfully, for the experience of ages has taught me that it is useless to resist that sphere. Be quick and release me."

"This," said my father, "is one of the magicians of Egypt, who imitated the miracles of Moses and Aaron. He is the most cunning and powerful of the species."

Addressing the magician, he continued:

"I am instructing this novitiate spirit who accompanies me, in the relation between the spiritual and the natural worlds. I have told him that all false and evil things are breathed into men by wicked spirits: that magic is the science of evil springing from the perversion of good, and a means by which you attempt to govern men."

"You speak truly," said the evil spirit, rubbing his hands with glee; "you speak truly. Our power is immense: our wisdom is incredible. We have vastly more influence over men than the angels. You have heard of the witch of Endor who brought Samuel from the dead. We can reverse that wonderful art. We can bring those living upon earth into our presence. I will show you one of my favorite slaves, a fellow of great capacity and boundless ambition; a genius worthy of the grand inspiration with which I animate his soul."

Thereupon his servant unrolled a great white curtain against the wall. The spirit went through sundry unintelligible incantations: and slowly the perfect portrait of Simon Magus appeared before our eyes.

"He seems to be in a paroxysm of rage," said I.

"Yes," answered the spirit. "He derived it from me a few moments ago. I was foaming with pa.s.sion just before you entered my palace: and now the fury is expending itself on him."

"The evil pa.s.sions of men," said my father, "have previously pa.s.sed through the dark and filthy souls of evil spirits."

"Ha! ha! ha!" laughed the magician. "My victim thinks it is original with himself. Indeed, the deluded fellow believes he controls me and a vast number of other spirits. The merest tool in our hands, the dull, slow machine through which we work our fiery wills, our stupendous plans; he conceives himself to be possessed of miraculous power! Men who think they control spirits, are always controlled by them. Ha! ha! ha!"

"Beware," said my father; "are your own inspirations original? Have you ever heard of Ja-bol-he-moth?"

"Yes-and seen him," he answered trembling.

"Alas! alas!" he added slowly and painfully. "We govern men from our stand-point: but there are deeper and more direful h.e.l.ls that govern us.

We are slaves also.