The Communistic Societies of the United States Part 22

I will stand a firm believer in the way and work of G.o.d, Doubts and fears shall never, never in me find a safe abode.

"When temptations do surround me, floods of evil ebb and flow, Then in true humiliation I will bow exceeding low.

I will fear the G.o.d of heaven, I will keep his holy laws, Treasure up his blessings given in this pure and holy cause.

"Tho' beset by wicked spirits, men and devils all combin'd, Yet my Mother's love will save me if in faithfulness I stand: No infernal crooked creature can destroy or harm my soul, If I keep the love of Mother and obey her holy call."

Or this hymn, which is called "Parents' Blessing:

"My Father does love me, my Mother also Does send me her love, and I now feel it flow; These heavenly Parents are kind unto me, And by their directions my soul is set free.

"They fill up my vessel with power and strength-- Yea, make my cross easy, my peace of great length; My joy fall and perfect, my trouble but light, My gifts very many in which I delight.

"I truly feel thankful for what I receive, In each holy promise I surely believe; They're able and willing to do all they've said, And by my kind Parents I choose to be led.

"I love to feel simple, I love to feel low, I love to be kept in the path I should go; I love to be taught by my heavenly lead, That I may be holy and perfect indeed."

I add another, which has the lively, quick rhythm in which the Shakers delight. It is called "Wisdom's Path:

"I'll learn to walk in wisdom's ways, And in her path I'll spend my days; I'll learn to do what Mother says And follow her example.

All pride and l.u.s.t this will subdue, And every hateful pa.s.sion too; This will destroy old Satan's crew That's seated in the temple.

"Come, honest souls, let us unite And keep our conscience clear and white, For surely Mother does delight To own and bless her children.

In Father's word let us go on, And bear our cross and do no wrong, In faith and love then we'll be strong To conquer every evil.

"For love and union is our stay, We'll be strong and keep it day by day; Then we shall never go astray, We'll gain more love and union.

Obedience will still increase, And every evil work will cease, We'll gain a true and solid peace, We'll live in Mother's union."

I make no excuse for these quotations of Shaker hymns, for the books from which they are taken have been seen by very few outside of the order, and not even by all its members, as they are not now in common use.

The Shakers have always professed to have intimate intercourse with the "spirit world." Elder Frederick Evans says in his autobiography that from the beginning the exercises in Shaker meetings were "singing and dancing, shaking, turning, and shouting, _speaking with new tongues and prophesying_." Elder Frederick himself, as he remarks, "was converted to Shakerism in 1830 by spiritual manifestations," having "visions" for three weeks, which converted him, as he relates, from materialism. He adds:

"In 1837 to 1844 there was an influx from the 'spirit world,'

'confirming the faith of many disciples' who had lived among Believers for years, and extending throughout all the eighteen societies, making media by the dozen, whose various exercises, not to be suppressed even in their public meetings, rendered it imperatively necessary to close them all to the world during a period of seven years, in consequence of the then unprepared state of the people, to which the whole of the manifestations, and the meetings too, would have been as unadulterated 'foolishness,' or as inexplicable mysteries."

In a recent number of the _Shaker and Shakeress_ (1874), Elder James S. Prescott, of the North Union Society, gave a curious account of the first appearance of this phenomenon at that place, from which I quote what follows:

"It was in the year 1838, in the latter part of summer, some young sisters were walking together on the bank of the creek, not far from the hemlock grove, west of what is called the Mill Family, where they heard some beautiful singing, which seemed to be in the air just above their heads.

"They were taken by surprise, listened with admiration, and then hastened home to report the phenomenon. Some of them afterwards were chosen mediums for the 'spirits.' We had been informed, by letter, that there was a marvelous work going on in some of the Eastern societies, particularly at Mt. Lebanon, New York, and Watervliet, near Albany. And when it reached us in the West we should all know it, and we did know it; in the progress of the work, every individual, from the least to the greatest, did know that there was a heart-searching G.o.d in Israel, who ruled in the armies of heaven, and will yet rule among the inhabitants of earth.

"It commenced among the little girls in the children's order, who were a.s.sembled in an upper room, the doors being shut, holding a meeting by themselves, when the invisibles began to make themselves known. It was on the Sabbath-day, while engaged in our usual exercises, that a messenger came in and informed the elders in great haste that there was something uncommon going on in the girls' department. The elders brought our meeting to a close as soon as circ.u.mstances would admit, and went over to witness the singular and strange phenomena.

"When we entered the apartment, we saw that the girls were under the influence of a power not their own--they were hurried round the room, back and forth as swiftly as if driven by the wind--and no one could stop them. If any attempts were made in that direction, it was found impossible, showing conclusively that they were under a controlling influence that was irresistible. Suddenly they were prostrated upon the floor, apparently unconscious of what was going on around them. With their eyes closed, muscles strained, joints stiff, they were taken up and laid upon beds, mattresses, etc.

"They then began holding converse with their guardian spirits and others, some of whom they once knew in the form, making graceful motions with their hands--talking audibly, so that all in the room could hear and understand, and form some idea of their whereabouts in the spiritual realms they were exploring in the land of souls. This was only the beginning of a series of 'spirit manifestations,' the most remarkable we ever expected to witness on the earth. One prominent feature of these manifestations was the gift of songs, hymns, and anthems--new, heavenly, and melodious. The first inspired song we ever heard from the 'spirit world,' with words attached, was the following, sung by one of the young sisters, while in vision, with great power and demonstration of the spirit, called by the invisible.

"'THE SONG OF A HERALD.

"'Prepare, O ye faithful, To fight the good fight; Sing, O ye redeemed, Who walk in the light.

Come low, O ye haughty, Come down, and repent.

Disperse, O ye naughty, Who will not relent.

"'For Mother is coming-- Oh, hear the glad sound-- To comfort her children Wherever they're found; With jewels and robes of fine linen To clothe the afflicted withal.'

"Given by inspiration, at North Union, August, 1838, ten years prior to the Rochester Rappings.'

"The gifts continued increasing among the children. Among these were the gift of tongues, visiting the different cities in the 'spirit world,'

holding converse with the indwellers thereof, some of whom they once knew in the body. And in going to these cities they were accompanied by their guardian angels, and appeared to be flying, using their hands and arms for wings, moving with as much velocity as the wings of a bird.

"All of a sudden they stopped, and the following questions and answers were uttered through their vocal organism:

_Question_--'What city is this?'

_Answer_--'The City of Delight.'

_Question_--'Who live here?'

_Answer_--'The colored population.'

_Question_--'Can we go in and see them?'

_Answer_--'Certainly. For this purpose you were conducted here. They were admitted, their countenances changed.'

_Question_--'Who are all these?'

_Answer_--'They are those who were once slaves in the United States.'

_Question_--'Who are those behind them?'

_Answer_--'They are those who were once slaveholders.'

_Question_--'What are they doing here?'

_Answer_--'Serving the slaves, as the slaves served them while in the earth life. G.o.d is just; all wrongs have to be righted.'

_Question_--'Who are those in the corner?'

_Answer_--'They are those slaveholders who were unmerciful, and abused their slaves in the world, and are too proud to comply with the conditions.'

_Question_--'What were the conditions?'

_Answer_--'To make confession and ask forgiveness of the slaves, and right their wrongs; and this they are too proud to do.'

_Question_--'What will be done with them?'

_Answer_--'When their time expires they will be taken away and cast out, and will have to suffer until they repent; for all wrongs must be righted, either in the form or among the disembodied spirits, before souls can be happy.'

"And when the girls came out of vision, they would relate the same things, which, corresponded with what they had previously talked out.

"Now, we will leave the girls for the present and go into the boys'

department. Here we find them holding meetings by themselves, under the safe guidance of their care-takers, going in vision, some boys and some girls, for the work had progressed so as to reach adults, and all were called immediately into the work whose physical organizations would possibly admit of mediums.h.i.+p. The peculiar gift at this time was in visiting the different cities in the 'spirit world,' and in renewing acquaintances with many of their departed friends and relatives, who were the blissful and happy residents therein.

"But before we go any further we will let our mediums describe the first city they came to after crossing the river.

"_Question_--'What city is this?'

_Answer_--'The Blue City.'

_Question_--'Who lives here?'

_Answer_--'The Indians.'