mind, and with all thy strength." "Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" is the second commandment. Jesus, perceiving that the man understood the commandments, he observed that the scribe was not far from the kingdom.

It would be folly to assert that there are not passages which would, at the first glance, appear to teach the Atonement doctrine. "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" (John x. 11). "This is my blood of the new testament which is shed for many " (Mark xiv. 24). "I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (John vi. 51). These are very strong passages when taken in their bare literal meaning. But we ought to reflect that the phraseology of Christ will bear a spiritual construction. "The words which I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life" (John vi. 63), Christ himself proclaims. It is to be regretted that too often the Bible phrases are understood only in a literal sense, whereas they ofttimes contain a spiritual meaning. Men forget, when reading the Bible, that Christ was a teacher of spiritual truths, and to make himself understood he had to use the best words that would convey his meaning. To those present listening to the living voice the meaning, no doubt, as a spiritual verity, would be clear enough; but after the lapse of ages, with no living presence, and the variations of the meanings of words, a too literal construction is often put upon the words, and the true meaning not obtained. Spiritual truths are abstractions; man not being able to understand abstractions without symbols, the symbols used must be representatives of physical beings. Thus the objective existences remain, the symbolical meaning becomes obscured or lost by lapse of time; later ages perceive only the literal meaning-know naught of the hidden spiritual truths. The Bible is not the only book thus misunderstood; the same may be, perhaps, of nearly all the ancient worksreligious or otherwise. Thus the phrases in the passages quoted, if they are read in the sense of being emblematical, typical of spiritual verities and not physical facts, the apparent contradictory sense of the Gospel vanishes, and Christ stands as a proclaimer of the world's redemption, by the realisation of holiness in human lives.

Christ is unique in his nobility of character: virtue shines in all its radiant glory in him-a gem of divine purity in the casket of earthly clay. No wonder he was not in harmony with the Jews, with their niggardly, cringing habits. His actions were the mirror of his thoughts, to be read of all men. Jewish character loved not openness of manner, hence antagonism arises, denunciation and threatenings of a future ruin follow, ultimating in the weaker vessel going to the wall. Christ thus died because he dared to believe, live, and proclaim Truth. It harmonised not with the Jewish condition of being. There was no fitness between Truth, Christ, and the Jews. Christ is a unique example in the history of man; that example ought to be stimulative, urging on to virtue. If the example of Christ induces anyone to abstain from sin, to follow the right, to tread in virtue's path, then is he the saviour of such a one. He has been the finger-post-a beacon,leading from the Stygian depths of Wrong to the high ethereal regions of Right. In this sense Jesus may become a saviour to all men,-not a blood-sacrifice, but a quickening, energising force, breathing new life, bestowing new joys-the giver of eternal life.

If Jesus had come to the earth as the Saviour of man by his death, one would expect that he would have gone and given himself up as a free offering unto the ruling authorities, declaring as he made the offer, "I come as an offering for human sin, as a propitiation unto God for that sin freely I sacrifice my life for the love I bear humanity!" Nowhere in the Scriptures do we find such a statement, but we do find that when tried by Pontius Pilate for blasphemy the people demanded the release of Barabbas and not Jesus, and with wild cries of "Crucify him! crucify him!" they made their choice. Nevertheless Jesus was evidently aware some time prior to his crucifixion of the approximate time and manner of his death: for we are informed that when he was about to make that last journey to Jerusalem his disciples often warned him of the dangers that beset his path. But he defied their warning, and steadily pursued his way, with an apparent consciousness that he was walking unto his death, that his work on earth was done. After the "Transfiguration" Christ seems to have had a consciousness of his doom. Its nature is portrayed when he said, "As the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness even so will the Son of Man be lifted up." He had also some idea of a quick resurrection-" Destroy this temple and in three day I will raise it up again." But there is no signification of a sacrificial offering. Crucifixion was a common method of punishment to criminals in Christ's day, his case was therefore no exceptional one. The history of Christ from his baptism to his death is one series of spiritmanifestations, a constant blending of spirit- and earth- life. The sources of his knowledge were measureless. Knowing something of the powers of the unseen beings to-day, we may form some conception as to their power in former ages, hence we are not surprised to see that Christ was inherently conscious of his death and its manner, also of a resurrection. If spirits predict accurately events to-day, they could do the same then:

thus the assertion in reference to Christ's death is but a proof of his impressional nature-his mediumistic gifts: of a blending of time and eternity, of mortality with immortality.

God lies behind the mysteries of all spirit-action—the source of all that is, but between the outer court and the inner holy of holies, there exists the spirit-sphere wherein dwell the cultured spirits, messengers of the Infinite. These, by acting upon man, using the conditions that are, can accomplish wondrous things, surpassing the conception of man. The vortex of these forces upon the earth will come by degrees to be looked upon by surrounding man as something wonderful, sublime-a sort of divinity. From this point we may see how Christ has become deified, worshipped by man, and his death looked upon as an offering for human sin. In the Pantheon of the world he rests: if it were of great men instead of gods, it would be none the worse, and Christ be none the less. "PERICLES."

1

THE LOCATION AND

CONSTITUTION OF THE SPIRIT SPHERES.

TO THE EDITOR-DEAR SIR,-As Spiritualists we agree to differ, this is very good but it will not do to stay there. Unity of belief on matters of fact should be our constant aim, not that I would have anyone believe anything that did not seem to their judgment reasonable and true, but so long as we differ, your reason will tell you that either one or both of us is wrong. We would, therefore, require to be careful that we yield not our belief without reasonable grounds, and that we teach not matters of belief for matters of knowledge.

I have no authority for anything I say in this paper, or that I said in a previous one, but my own judgment and the testimony of a few spirit-friends. I would, therefore, request your readers to use their own judgment on the matter, for this is the surest way to arrive at unity of belief, free from errors on both sides. As Spiritualists we are agreed that there is a future home, where loved ones are waiting to welcome us when we 66 shuffle off this mortal coil," but we differ about its locality, some believing that our immediate future home consits of seven graduated belts of spiritualised matter surrounding the earth, the innermost being less refined than the succeeding belt, and so on throughout the seven; others believing that it consists of a series of belts surrounding the sun, while the great seer, Andrew Jackson Davis, says that "The Summerland is a belt or zone of spiritualised matter revolving within the great circle of suns, to which our sun belongs, called the milky way." Which of these positions is the true one, or are they all three true? To try to answer this question is the purpose to which this paper is devoted.

In my last paper I tried to show that the greater the velocity of a body the more dense and material that body is, and the less the velocity of a body, the more spiritual and powerful that body is, and that which moves the slowest is the most spiritual and that which moves not is spirit. If this be true, and I see no reason to doubt it, how could belts or rings of spiritualised matter surround the earth? They would, at least, require to be moving at the same velocity, and would, therefore, be as material as the earth; but ere a ring could be formed around the earth it would require to be rotating on its axis many times faster than the earth, and would, therefore, be denser than the earth. We have a good example of this in the substance of the moon; the velocity of the earth is to that of the moon as 1 to 1.0072, yet this little increase in velocity makes the moon so dense that even the sun's heat is unable to thaw it into a condition of fruitfulness. So if our future home surrounds the earth death would be no relief to our troublesto use a homely phrase it would be out of the frying pan into the fire. The same objections apply to a spirit-home around the sun, although in a lesser degree, either of their velocities being too great to produce a substance subject to our spirits, through the subtle medium of thought. So we must look for a spirit-home elsewhere, but ere we leave the sun and earth in quest of it, we would require to learn a little of the structure of the stellar universe, and its general arrangement. To this end we will restate the law that seems to us to bind the universe together, part to part.

I.-Bodies attract each other inversely to the difference of their velocities, and inversely to the sum of their bulks. II.-Bodies repel each other directly to the difference of their velocities, and directly to the sum of their bulks.

From this you may see that two bodies whose velocities were the same could only attract each other, while a body whose velocity was zero would repel every other body directly to their velocity; thus space, or spirit, has zero for its velocity, it therefore repels, or more properly propels, every other body at whatever velocity they are moving, while two bodies with different velocities would repel each other to a distance commensurate with the sum of their bulks and the difference of their velocity. At this point their repelling and attracting powers would be equal, space would then propel the quicker moving body around the slower, in a cycloidal orbit, like the moon around the earth, or the earth around the sun.

In our last paper we arrived at the conclusion that the sun is moving at the velocity of 8 miles in one second, and since it always occupies the same position in relation to the rest of the

stars, that they were all moving together. What a thought! Those myriads of suns that gem the azure vault moving at a velocity that the mind can form no conception of, and some of them admitted by astronomers to be many times larger than our own sun! How the thought thrills our spirit that He who rules and guides their motions is our Father, and to whom it is our glorious privilege daily to approximate! Who could cheat and lie and cringe for place and power, and revel in material luxury?-not he whose soul was freighted with such truths as this.

If, then, it is accepted that the whole mass of the stellar universe is in motion, in how many ways could it move for a long period of time, and still present the same appearance to us. There is only one way it could move and present the same general appearance year out and year in. There are other two ways in which it could move directly to an ultimate, but the stars would alter their position to one another, so that their different positions could be easily noted: but we will examine the three ways in which it could move, taking the ways I think less likely first.

It might be moving in a straight line: if so, then every star would be moving at the same velocity, there would then be no repelling power to keep them asunder, there would be no force but attraction acting, so that all the suns would make for the largest, and thus become one large sun. So this won't do. It might be rotating on an axis; if so, every part would be repelled from the axis outwards without limits, and the whole mass would make for matter, and there would be no suns left to give light and heat; so this won't do either. The next partakes of the motion of both of these, and is, I think, the correct one. It is this: the stellar universe is moving through space, and rotating on its axis at the same time, so that the attracting and repelling forces are brought to a state of equilibrium. By this means it is kept from ultimating in either a great sun, or a host of whirling worlds, but partakes of the nature of both. Thus there is one great central sun slow and stately in its motions, rotating on its axis slowly, and moving in its orbit with unfaltering regularity, and surrounding this great mass at distances we would almost call infinite, are successive concentric rings of suns; the suns in each ring being smaller in bulk, greater in velocity, and more numerous the farther they are removed from the central sun. Andrew Jackson Davis says that there are six of these rings, and though the law I have stated could accommodate itself to any number of rings, more or less, I think we have no reason to doubt the revelation of the great seer. We will therefore assume that there are six rings of suns surrounding this great central sun, but to these we must add a ring of planets, and a ring of satellites, for though they are found attached to suns they are separated by a discrete degree in velocity. This, I would point out, as a beautiful evidence of design, for if the bulk of the planets had decreased in size in the same ratio as the suns, they would have formed a ring many billions of miles outside of the outermost ring of suns, and of course would have been useless for their present purpose; but the planets being in less bulk than the suns (the earth being only one millionth part of the sun's bulk), and the law of attraction acting inversely to the sum of the bulks of the bodies attracting each other, they, through being less in bulk though greater in velocity, are attracted and repelled to the same distance, as the suns that are larger in bulk and less in velocity. Thus the earth's position in space is not due, to any great extent, to the sun's influence, but both sun and earth are held to their positions by the attracting and repelling power of the great central sun, and the surrounding rings of suns; this law of bulk further shows that only in the outer ring of suns (the milky way), can planets, with a velocity equal to that of the earth, come to a state of equilibrium. Unless they were so reduced in bulk as to bear about the same relation to the size of the earth, as the earth does to the sun-and a world one millionth part of the earth in size, I think would not be of much use-from this I conclude, that only in the outer ring of suns can planets capable of sustaining human life exist. I would further point out here that the so-called "solar system" is not a system, but only a part of the one grand system-the universe.

Now all the stars that are visible, either to the unaided eye or with the telescope, are the suns of the outer ring the milky way the suns of the other rings being too slow in velocity, and consequently too spiritual to be seen with the eye of sense, but were all the suns, planets, and satellites of the milky way, and all the suns of the inner rings rolled into one great sun it would not be equal in bulk to one millionth part of the central sun. This may seem overdrawn, but the law I have stated demands it if the universe is to be of a permanent character, for if it was not able to hold its own against the strain of all the rest of the suns and planets, its motion would assimilate to theirs; repulsion would be changed to attraction, and nothing could keep them from becoming one mass, of the actual size and velocity of this great central sun. I can say nothing definite but from the reasons stated, I would say that it would take light, travelling 200,000 miles per second, a thousand years to measure its diameter, and that its greatest velocity would not exceed one mile in one minute, or the 1440th part of the earth's velocity.

But let us imagine ourselves gifted with extraordinary vision, viewing the stellar universe from one of the poles of this cen

tral sun the first thing that we notice is that all the rings are moving around the central sun in the same period of time, and the difference in their velocities is caused by their greater distance from the centre round which they are moving, and by the suns in each succeeding ring rotating on their own axis in less time than the suns in the preceding ring. While the largest suns of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th rings from the centre have lesser suns moving around them, in the same way as the earth moves around the sun; we further perceive that the southern pole of all the suns, planets, and satelites are pointing towards the central sun. So that a line through their southern pole, parallel with their axis, would meet within the central sun; this I consider the reason that the north pole attracts, and the south pole repels-the south pole repelling the slower motion of the inner suns, and the north pole attracting the quicker motion of the outward suns and planets; the poles of the central sun being both positive, and standing at right angles to the plane of the surrounding rings, showing that they both point to a slower motion than itself. But this great sun is not God. What though it holds the farthermost planet in its grasp, and says: "Thus far shalt thou go, and no farther"; what though the whirling suns around it obey its slightest nod: it is a servant of the living God as much as they. With Him there is neither beginning of days, nor end of years, neither variableness or shadow of turning, while this mighty sun, stately and grand though it be, has its times and periods which will some time work its dissolution, but the God who gave it existence lives for ever.

Here we feel "the hand of the Lord upon" us, and like the prophet's servant our eyes are opened to a still more glorious sight. Suddenly the whole universe of space bursts into a blaze of glory, like ten thousand noondays, and with unutterable awe and reverence we perceive that the whole stellar universe of suns, planets, and satellites, are whirling their joyous waltz of times and periods within a sun whose diameter is measured by infinity and its period by eternity. This is our Divine Mother, the Brile of God, Her Being tremulous with love and joy; teeming from Her prolific womb His myriad myriad sons and daughters, but where is God? Within every point of our Divine Mother, "the same yesterday, to-day and for ever,"--unmoved through Her, He moveth all.

From our point of vantage, the pole of the central sun, we see an earnest of His Fatherly care and wisdom. Six shining belts of spirit-substance (not spiritualised matter) surround the central sun, one between each ring of suns formed by their motion, as the law I have stated will show. The central sun moves, repelling the surrounding spirit-substance, towards the first ring of suns from the centre. The motion of these repel it in an opposite direction, in this way forming a ring or belt of compressed spirit-substance, which, moving around the central sun in the same time as the ring of suns, repels the spirit-substance above and below, thus leaving the space around the belt somewhat rarer than the spirit-substance of the universe when at perfect equilibrium, each belt being denser the farther it is removed from the centre. To describe the beauty of these rings is far beyond my ability, but many hundreds of years will come and go ere we pass the first of these, so we will content ourselves with a few views from the spirit-home of the immediate future.

Imagination can confer wondrous powers of locomotion. Leaving the central sun, we accomplish the distance that would take light fifty thousand years to do, and alight on the outer belt of spirit-substance, the Summerland. The scene that presents itself is beautiful beyond description, and is the abode of spirits far advanced angelwards. Looking to the sky, it is of a clear, transparent blue; not a cloud is to be seen. It is as thickly gemmed with stars as ours is on a frosty night, but far more beautiful; most of them presenting a clear, round disc from one to two-and-a-half inches in diameter, varying as much in colour as from a bright red to a clear white. Following the curve of the sky until it meets the horizon, we see that here as well as on earth objects appear to grow indistinct with distance, but this is more in seeming than a reality, for as you gaze steadily at any distant object it becomes clearly visible. Taking the scene alone as it is bounded by the horizon, it would be equal in area to many superficies as large as that of the earth. The whole of this vast area looks like a large garden intersected with straight and circular paths, forming beautiful designs; beautiful transparent houses filled with flowers like nothing earthly, and arranged to suit the beds of flowers with an eye to colour and design. While white-robed spirits with kind, benevolent faces, their eyes beaming with the light of love and wisdom, are walking and conversing, others are lying posed gracefully in the atmosphere, seeking the lowest minimum of velocity for purposes of deep thought or communion with higher beings: the whole making a scene so beautiful which to see alone would be worth dying for.

Here is another scene in a different locality. A large building of beautiful design and of snowy whiteness: spirits clad in white robes are passing in and out; the expression of their faces is that of patient thoughtfulness. At a short distance from the temple are groves of foliage on which birds of graceful form and beautiful coloured plumage rest, while facing the temple is a sea like burnished gold, its wavelets sparkling, glistening as they lave the clean-looking sand that

forms the shore. Away in the distance you see the hills bathed in "purple and gold,” making a scene that would satisfy either a Ruskin or a Whistler. This is the resort of a congregation of learned spirits and is called The Temple by the Sea. Here is a scene in a region not so far advanced. A large lake stretching almost as far as the horizon, its waters clear, calm, and transparent; the pebbles at the bottom can be seen clear and distinct; beautiful water-fowl float gracefully on its surface; the banks are clad with vegetation, and flower-plots neatly arranged give a pleasing aspect to the scene. Spiritssome in white robes and some in robes of different colours, are walking around the banks in groups of two or three; some are conversing, some are reading, aud all seem earnest and happy. Here the sky is coloured like a rainbow, while from the lake the sky and the surrounding scene is reflected as if from a mirror. Various kinds of birds are seen here, one kind of which strongly resembles our own starling, if it be not the same. Many of the flowers bear a strong resemblance to those of earth, only far more beautiful. But the scenes in the Summerland are as varied as the surface is large, and beautifully adapted as a training-school for the higher homes beyond.

What is the nearest point of the earth to this happy home? When I answer, the Southern Pole and a line parallel with its axis is the shortest way, I may speak but a partial truth on which there may be room enough for us to differ; still, I may tell your readers what I hope is no secret to Spiritualists, that the nearest point to the Summerland is purity of heart and unselfishness of purpose, and the shortest way is through the gate of knowledge.

I will bring this paper to a close by thanking you, Mr. Editor, for the space afforded and your valuable assistance in bringing this question of velocity as the differentiating principle of the universe before your readers, at the same time pointing out that a universe constructed on the principles laid down in this and in a previous paper, is in the main in harmony with the revelations and deductions of the great seer, Andrew Jackson Davis, and spiritual communications in general. JAMES MCDOWALL.

8, Silvergrove Street, Calton, Glaygow.

[The previous article appeared in the MEDIUM, No. 572, March 18.-ED. M.]

MEDIUMSHIP-THE SPIRIT-CIRCLE.

VERY POWERFUL SPIRIT-MANIFESTATIONS AT

LITTLEBOROUGH.

"The living are the only dead;

The dead live, never more to die,
And often when we think them fled,
They never were so nigh."

How truthful are these lines, none know but those who have been the witness to spirit-manifestation, when the dead have walked forth, clothed in the shining habiliments of glory. The dead are ever with us unseen and unfelt, yet "seeing all." What a thought; the secret acts of life are seen tabulated upon the atmosphere of life, penned by the magic potency of thought. The petty act committed so secretly is written and seen,-the horrid crime of midnight-unseen by human eyes, yet seen by the spirits. How ought we to live-Shams or real men and women; ghostly phantasms or realistic beings? Truly the eye of God is upon us, the inner secrets of the soul are made bare. Spiritualism ought to make men thinkers: Spiritualists, real not sham. The breath of the Infinite abides within us, and shall we spurn its transparent radiant glory; waste the vitality of eternity. How men aspire for happiness, fancying that it lies in political, social, commercial, and dietetic arrangements. Aids they are, essentials never. The primary force lies within all, written within the volume of every one's constitution. Every man's inner self cries "do right and thou shalt live"; lusty flesh cries "satisfy my desires," and frail man yields obedience to the transient, flitting, sensational being, obedient not to the permanent and immortal. God lives, truth lives, man has an inherent tendency to righteousness, he will probably get there some day.

OBJECTS FETCHED FROM A DISTANCE.

Some of the powers that spirits possess were manifested in a remarkable degree at Mr. Fitton's circle, Littleboro', on Wednesday evening. March 23. The seance had scarcely commenced when "Rosa," who had control of Mr. Fitton in the dark, called, "I am going to get you all drunk," and, true enough, in a few moments a gill bottle of rum was brought into the room, and handed round to the sitters by a materialised hand. This created some little merriment and quite a sensation. I need not say where she got it from, though it was made known to us. Being placed upon the table, "Rosa " again called, "Mr. Totlow." I said, "What?" Must I fetch a quack's bottle from your house?" I answered, "I should be very much pleased if you would." Off she went, and in less than ten minutes after a small bottle about 24in. long and in. broad, was placed in my hand. I placed it in my pocket. When there was sufficient light to see by, I took it out and read

the inscription thereon-"Tincture of Iron"-with chemist's name and address. This same bottle I had had in my hand only twenty four hours before. I asked her—" Where did you get it from?" The answer was, "From the looking-glass drawer" -which was perfectly correct. When I got home I went straight to the drawer, but found no bottle. I again replaced it in its former place. Those who doubt, let them inquire of the thirteen persons present.

"DR. SCOTT" AND "JOHN KING."

One of the most frequent spirit-forms seen at Mr. Fitton's circle is that known by the name of "Dr. Scott." I have seen it at every seance I have yet attended with this medium. To see him rise from the middle of the seance-room is one of the grandest, rarest, and most ecstatic sights that mortals gaze upon. From a tiny luminous, vapoury, misty existence, about the size of a walnut, it gradually ascends, absorbing the surrounding vapoury mist in its swaying movements, till the man of full stature stands before you. I need not describe him as I have already done so. Suffice it to say that he was quite at home as usual, with less power to speak than previous times. This was owing to the wet drizzly night. He did not stay long, vanishing at the spot whence he arose. A part of the time the "Doctor was out there was a light-- fair seance light-the other part he had his "spirit-lamp." About five minutes after the "Doctor" disappeared the king of materialisers, "John King," made his appearance. His stay was very short, giving us all a kindly greeting, then vanishing behind the curtains of the cabinet. A fair seance light all the time he was out. I must not describe his appearance, as all regular readers of the MEDIUM Will have seen it many times.

"The FRENCH LADY" ("MADAME VINE").

Of all the spirit forms it has been my lot to see, I have witnessed no sight equal to the "French Lady." Truly she presents a striking figure. Her command of conditions is wondrous. With a light larger than a candle light she stood in our midst, a rich display of drapery and jewellery. Her head was enswathed in white shining drapery, her whole body was covered with like material. Over her shoulders, fastened at the front by a cross about six inches long, a dark shining, glassy appearance, was a netted shawl, then over this, of finer netting still, was a loose piece of drapery. Her dress was fixed behind according to the latest "la mode Paris." Her hands alone were a rich wondrous sight, bedecked in jewels. I counted as she slowly took them off, nine gold and diamond rings. She placed them on the table, then took them up again, replacing them on her fingers. While she was going through this little performance I was taking a full view of her whole form. So strong was the light that I could see the blood veins upon the finely shaped arms. The lower part of the face partook somewhat in shape like the medium's, but the nose, about the eyes, checks and forehead, were considerably different. For a quarter of an hour she stood in our midst notwithstanding the influence of a light as I had seen no spirit form do before. Lefore retiring she kissed all the sitters. When dematerialising she threw her garment into the circle, which faded away like a self-luminous vapoury mist-visible to all.

"MARY HANNAH WHATMOUGH" AND "BETSY." The next form to make its appearance was that of "Mary Hannah Whatmough." How pleasant when sisters and parents (after the change called death has occurred) can meet and blend their souls in sympathy with each other, and for a few exquisite moments of rich delight, are visible to each other in the well-remembered forms. This was the case in the present instance. Issuing from the cabinet arrrayed in glistening whiteness with hands clasped upon the chest, she went straight to her mother, father and sister-a family reunited: a moment of solemn bliss, a delight once not dreamed of, or thought possible, now, a rich feast, a realised glory, unspeakable, deeply felt. She did not stay many moments, but was clearly seen by all in the fair seance light. The glory of her presence was in dematerialising. Gradually sinking in full view, the drapery thrown into the circle, this assumed a luminous appearance, gradually growing less bright until it vanished altogether.

She had not been gone more than five minutes, with light still burning, when my sister "Betsy " made her appearance, making straight for me, caressing me in her usual fashion. Her appearance so far as drapery was concerned, was as before, but her hair was not so long, nor so thick and full, neither so black. She could not stay as the power was getting exhausted. She faded away in a glorious luminosity.

These fadings away are a rich treat, worth all the trouble one makes to get to the seance, the loss of sleep, etc., a selfluminous appearance radiant and white, shining like a number of glow worms collected, invisible, throwing forth their highest power of luminosity, a clear proof of spirit presence. After "Betsy "vanished we had no further manifestations. There is one pleasant trait in the character of Mr. Fitton's guides: they give any spirit present an opportunity of materialising if they can gather a sufficiency of power. So it happens that at all seances there are more attempts at materialisation than successes. This night there was an attempt to materialise by the Indian guide of a sitter present. The previous week a visitor's spirit-wife failed to succeed.

59, Manchester-road, Heywood.

JAMES B. TETLOW.

HYMNS AND TUNES FOR

2 There is no death in God's wide world;
But one cternal scene of change;
The flag of life is never furled,
It only taketh wider range.

3 And when the spirit leaves its frame,
Its home in which it long hath dwelt,
Its goes, a life that's real to claim,
As if in this it had but slept.

4 Then let us speak not of "the dead,"
For none are dead-all live, all love;
Our friends have only changed-have sped,
From lower homes to homes above.

REMARKS ON THE TUNES.

The hymn, No. 80 "Spiritual Lyre," introduced this week is one of the most beautiful compositions of T. L. Harris. It has been used in the Order of Spiritual Teachers at the entrance of a new teacher into the School. For such a purpose it is well suited, also as an invitation to any visitor to unite in the exercises of a circle or spiritual meeting. Some of the glorious facts of spirit-communion are recognised in these verses.

"Vienna," or " Austria," as it is frequently named, is a tune well adapted to the theme. It is a musical composition of a superior order, and to give it true expression requires ability. It should be sung with boldness and spirit and a recognition of its well marked peculiarities.

This tune is almost universally known, but seldom is it correctly rendered by those whose musical instruction has been defective. The time is two beats to the bar-an easy measure-but the chief difficulty is experienced with the dotted notes, which are frequently misplaced, or over-looked altogether. One

of these is at the commencement, causing the first word, "Peace," to be sung to a long note, and the word, "be," very short. In the second part of the tune these dotted notes occur repeatedly, and a due observance of them gives expression to the musical idea.

The following tunes have already appeared in this department:

February 11.-Moscow-Chester-Dijon.

18.-Missionary.

25.-Melcombe.

4.-Rockingham.

. 11.-Belmont.

. 18.-Bishopthorpe.

25.-Jerusalem.

HYMN No. 120 (continued).

2 O stream of Time, on whose sweet wave,
Like flowers upon thy breast,
My thoughts thy flowing tide doth bend
Towards that sweet land of rest.

3 O land of Fruit, that hangs so rich,
Upon thy bending trees,

O when shall I beneath thy shade
Inhale the swelling breeze!

4 And with these rapturous eyes behold
The white-robe angel band,

And drink the flowing landscape in,
The sweet and dewy land!

5 And with me too, the beings loved,
Find all of sorrow o'er-

When shall these tearful partings cease
On life's retreating shore?

6 And by those living streams may pluck The amaranth and rose,

And drink the nectar from the streams
Where deathless waters flows?

HYMN No. 80 (continued).

2 With us all the meek-voiced angels, Reverent and adoring stand; While we hear divine evangels

From the Soul's great Father-land. Oh! though Sorrow's chain hath bound us, All our grief shall pass away; For the Father's hand hath crowned us In his glorious courts to-day.

AN ORGAN FOR SALE.-Powerful and mellow in tone, suitable for a small place of worship. It has stop, diapason, wood, 56; open, metal, 40; claribel, wood, 56; principal, metal, 56. Going at less than half builder's price-a bargain. Can be seen any evening after 8 o'clock, at 71, Camden Grove, N., Peckham, S.E.

Thirteen

0 10/1 1 6

19 0 25 6 2 18 0

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SEANCES AND MEETINGS DURING THE WEEK AT THE SPIRITUAL INSTITUTION, 15, SOUTHAMPTON ROW. THURSDAY.-School of Spiritual Teachers at 8 o'clock.

THE MEDIUM AND DAYBREAK.

FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 1881.

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

OUR pages this week are largely occupied with the contributions of Christian ministers. Mr. Ware speaks out on the first page, and the continuation of the series on Bible Spiritualism-also by an occupant of a pulpit-altogether indicates somewhat of the deep hold which Spiritualism has taken of the religious mind of the nation. We have received another spiritual sermon from Arch-deacon Colleyanother of our clerical contributors.

THERE is a beautiful moral principle involved in the chapter on the Moral Conditions of Bible Spiritualism. We can testify to the divine worth of that principle. It has guided us in our spiritual work from the first; and upon no other basis can spiritual work be possibly carried on. The spiritual weakness of the Christian Churches proceeds from a disregard of it, and the unpleasantness we have had in Spiritualism arises from a similar cause. We have been chided many times for not making our spiritual work a more worldly-wise matter, but we think all will agree that our polity has been the true one, and that which has in all ages produced spiritual fruits.

THE tale is concluded this week. Other interesting matters are on hand to occupy the " Page for Youthful Readers."

FOUR papers have come in competing for the prize for the interpretation of the spiritual allegory-"The Fair Enchantress." The result is being arrived at, and the successful paper will appear in these columns soon.

ON account of going to press a day earlier this week some correspondence is unavoidably held over.

THE Music will be found on page 231, and the Meetings and Appointments on page 238.

LOWESTOFT.-Mr. E. W. Wallis writes to say that he was glad to find a nice little company of earnest religious people who are trying to live up to the highest spirituality. They had two nice meetings on Sunday.

MR. JAMES HOLMES IN LONDON. Mr. Holmes will arrive on Saturday night and fill the following engagements during his visit. The subjects are of great interest and ought to attract large audiences : Sunday, April 17.-Ladbroke Hall, Notting Hill. Morning, at 11 o'clock, subject: "A challenge to Sceptics; the Phenomena of Spiritualism neither trickery nor delusion." Evening, at 7 o'clock, subject: "The Sceptic's Investigation into Spiritualism as tested by Science and Philosophy: Proofs of man's future life." 19.-Quebec Hall, 25, Great Quebec Street, Maryle-bone, at 8 o'clock, subject: "Spiritualism the Foundation of a nobler PRESENT and FUTURE Life than Secularism or Orthodoxy."

Tuesday

Thursday

Sunday

THE DIFFUSION OF SPIRITUALISM.

SPIRITUAL LITERATURE IN LIBRARIES. The following acknowledgement has reached our hand, we publish it as an inducement to our readers to embrace similar opportunities of placing works on Spiritualism.

GARRISON LIBRARY, GIBARALTER,

21 March, 1881. DEAR SIR,-I am desired by the Committee of the Garrison Library to convey to you, on behalf of the members of the Institution, their best thanks for the valuable addition to their collection of books which you have so kindly made by presenting the Library with "Transcendental Physics," by Professor J. C. Zöllner; and "Psychic Facts," edited by W. H. Harrison. I am, Dear Sir, Yours truly, To W. Tebb, Esq.

R. W. FRANCIS, Deputy Librarian.

On Sunday evening Mr. Duguid held a spiritual service, concluding with very interesting personal delineations.