Not Confusion But Peace

Paul tells us that he would rather speak a few words with understanding than many words in an unknown tongue.

"For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace."

In the early days of the church many had visions and spoke in "unknown tongues," and they often labored under psychic hallucinations.

When God speaks He uses a language which can be understood and not one of confusion. But when one is in a psychic state he is subject to the influences of many powers and confusion follows. The Bible is filled with warnings against the wrong use of this power. We should not shut our eyes to the fact that there are more things in this world than are seen with the physical eye.

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Thousands speak in "unknown tongues" to-day and many are misled thereby. We are to subject all such experiences to the test of reason, which is the "understanding." If an apparent revelation contradicts the rule of reason, then we are not speaking the truth and confusion follows. We are speaking in an "unknown tongue" and not from the inspiration of God, who is the author of peace.

The psychic life is but little understood and therefore subject to much misuse. When we enter the subjective world, letting go the objective faculties of discrimination, we are in danger of receiving impressions that are not true or healthful. It is a mistake to surrender the faculties of reason to the confusion of false suggestions.

In the subjective world we are surrounded by thought pictures and mental vibrations of various kinds, some good and some not good. The only safe way to enter this field of mind, is with the eyes open and the objective faculties on the alert. "Who breaketh through an hedge, a serpent shall bite him."

We are in an age when the subjective faculties are rapidly developing. This is necessary to the evolution of the individual or it would not be so. But few understand the subjective life and the reaction of thought to unconscious impressions. Much which is thought to be inspiration or revelation is but subjective hallucination.

We must carefully study all claims to revelation and see if they keep faith with reason. If they do not they must be false. When one is in a subjective state he might see images of thought and mistake them for realities; he might see the image of a departed soul and mistake this

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image for the person himself. This is a mistake very common to the average psychic and one which should be carefully avoided.

No mental state is normal when not under control of the conscious faculties. God is not the author of confusion.

By man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?

There are celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:

It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:

It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was a quickening spirit. Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.

As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy; and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.

And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

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Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;
Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption,
and this mortal shall have put on immortality, Then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting? 0 grave, where is thy victory?

I CORINTHIANS -- Fifteen.