A WARNING REVELATION FROM THE SPIRIT OF A DRUNKARD

The drunkard lacketh the moral of the swine; 

He knoweth no bounds to his cravings—

But gorges or gluttons to his own discomfiture;

Injuring his friends, destroying his happiness,

His health, and constitution,

And thereby becoming a spectacle of disgust 

In the eyes of his neighbours, and

Pointed at by the finger of scorn 

By all who behold him; and lastly,

He finds himself an abomination upon the earth, 

And rebel to the Divine Wisdom of His merciful Creator.

Spiritual

A warning revelation from the spirit of a drunkard—

I am William Morley, the Drunkard, who departed from mortal life to immortality on the 24th of June, 1852, at the age of 47, and whilst living on the earth have caused myriads to suffer in various ways, for whom I am now suffering the just rewards of my past deeds, and am now commanded by the higher powers to declare unto man the things from which they must refrain to avoid the sufferings in the world to come. My whole life was spent in folly, vice, and dissipation, wasting, by wilful extravagance and gluttonous cravings, that which should have procured comforts and necessaries for numbers of my fellow creatures by whom I was surrounded who suffered the most degrading pecuniary wants. When my career was cut short and brought to a close, unlooked for or anticipated, I was lying partially besotted, and suffering the most intense burning at my brain, while my breast appeared as if it were a furnace, consuming my whole body by its unquenchable flames. My professional aid was resorted to but in vain. My sufferings increased, and, at length, I experienced the terrible sensation of knowing that death was at hand. As each convulsive struggle successively weakened my body, a deathlike faintness enwrapt my whole frame within its clammy grasp, my limbs became contracted, my eyesight left me and a noise as of many waters bubbling within my ears. My heart felt as if grasped by an iron vice, my blood became stagnant, while an explosive sensation occurred within my breast, and the same instant all was still and motionless; all pain ceased, and nothing of care or sorrow appeared to disturb me. When the ominous words, “He is dead,” fell upon my ears, they appeared to arouse me as if from a dream. As the last offices for my body were performed, my eyes appeared as if opened, and I could see in every direction. I gazed upon my body with wonder and amazement; but without having time to consider my position or make any effort, I was torn from the spot, hurried through the air, and the world below displayed itself fully to my view. At length, I found myself enveloped in the most intense darkness, where I listened with horror to the most indescribable and inharmonious sounds of yells and shrieks, which again recalled to my memory my real condition. How long I continued in this darkness, I cannot describe, but I found myself once more in the apartment with my body, as though I had awakened from a dream or vision. I wept and wondered at feeling that myself and body were separate beings. All power and control over my limbs had left me, though by my will I made an effort to raise or move them. I wept with the bitterest anguish as my past life flashed across my mind, and from what I had learned of the future, whilst living, it appeared too horrible to anticipate, yet at every moment the dread of it was present to my mind. Whilst in this state, I found myself raised by the hand by a friend whom I knew in early life, and who had died several years previously in a distant land. As he led me from the room and endeavoured to console me, he told me of his sufferings, with his dreadful apprehension of the future, and again left me to bitter reflection. I witnessed the interment of my body with awe and amazement, and remained near the spot for some time, till I again found myself whirling through the air at rapid speed, where fresh sufferings awaited me in the persons of those whom I had injured, deceived, defrauded, and deprived of health, life, or limb, through avarice, ignorance, and neglect. At every turn fresh tortures awaited me. I was at intervals permitted to visit the scenes of life, and reveal myself to, but not communicate with my friends, but again was hurried back through the darkness, where tortures, as above described, were again experienced with redoubled horror. I am now passing through the atmosphere, surrounded by every species of torment and discomfiture, without in any way being enabled to alleviate my own sufferings, except when visiting the scenes of life. and even then my imagination is haunted by the many tortures which all by whom I am surrounded are occupied in inflicting on each other without intermission. Such is the fate of the tyrant, the hypocrite, the murderer, and the drunkard. I have described all I have been commanded; therefore, let this be a warning declaration unto man that there are none good. Those who endeavour to avert the evils arising from the above-mentioned crimes will avert the sufferings to which I am exposed; though all who leave mortal life for immortality must suffer and dread the awfulness of the future, which none in this sphere are able to explain. My mission is now complete. Farewell! Remember my commands! Let all take warning by my past life and present assertions, and remember that there is an existence in everlasting immortality.

A Message from the World of Spirits, J. G. H. Brown, Holyoake & Co., London, 1807