Preceded by his prayer and how to heal those who suffer.
[1]Quotes are the best way to convey the spirit of a book. We first borrow from the editor's opinion and preface the following passages from the book just published by Mr. Jacob. The facts that justify its notoriety are much well known, making it unnecessary to recall them; we have, moreover, exposed them sufficiently in the Spiritist Review, October, and November 1866, after the
Camp Châlons, and in the issues of October and November 1867.
“
Henri Jacob, today a musician in the Zouave regiment of the imperial guard, was born on March 6th, 1828, in Saint-Martin-des-Champs (Saône-et-Loire). All his education consists of one year of class attendance at the municipal school; he therefore received no other education than that his father was able to give him; it doesn’t go beyond simple reading and writing, and yet it is he who, without the help of anyone, wrote this text that we are releasing for publication.Jacob is not a professional writer; he is a man of religious aspirations, who decided to deliver this volume to publicity only on very urgent demands. For him, this work is his profession of faith in the Creator God; a prayer, a hymn, so to speak, that he addresses to the Almighty. It is written in a good spirit, without passion, and it does not allude to any cult or to any spirit of political party.Jacob is a creature of some imagination, nothing else. The reader would be greatly mistaken by seeing in his feelings anything other than God and humanity; his whole ambition is to bring some relief to the latter.In these pages we see a kind of heroism and greatness, reflected in the acts of philanthropy so wonderfully performed by Jacob, a firm believer, who knows he can do much, because God comes to his aid in his much difficult work, and that God alone will see it through.”Mr. Jacob first gives an account, in simple terms and without emphasis, of a dream or vision that contributed to the elevation of his thoughts towards God, and to focus his thoughts in the future.
Then comes a profession of faith, in the form of an epistle, entitled: "
To my brothers in Spiritism", and from which we extract the following passages:
“Before my initiation into the Spiritist science, I lived in darkness; my heart had never felt the sweetness of peace! My soul had never known joy; I lived attached to Earth with the torments it arouses in materialistic men, without thinking that there are better worlds, that God, the father of us all, created those who practice good here on Earth to enjoy ineffable happiness.Through my initiation into the Spiritist doctrine, I have acquired the conviction that God, in his mercy, sends us good Spirits to advise us and encourage us in the practice of good, and has given us the power to communicate with them and with those who left this Earth and who are dear to our hearts. That conviction has enlightened my soul! I saw the light. Little by little I grew stronger in my conviction, and through that I reached the faculty of writing medium.My conversations with the Spirits and their good advice filled me with a lively faith, confirming to me the truths of the Spiritist science, that strengthened my faith, and by faith the faculty of healing was given to me.So, my dear friends, may a living faith always be in you, through the practice of the Spiritist maxims which are: the love of God, fraternity, and charity. Let us love one another, and we will all be able to relieve each other, and many will be able to heal, I am convinced.So let us always be charitable and generous, and we will always be assisted by the good Spirits. All of you who are initiated into the Spiritist doctrine, teach it to those who are still in the darkness of matter; open their souls to the light and they will enjoy, in anticipation, the happiness that awaits those who practice good among us, in the superior worlds.Be firm in your good resolutions; always live in a great purity of soul, and God will give you the power to heal your fellow men. Here is my prayer:“My God, grant me the grace to allow the good and benevolent Spirits to come to assist me, intentionally and in fact, in the work of charity that I wish to accomplish by relieving the unfortunate ones that are suffering. It is in your name and in your praise, my God, that these blessings are spread on us."Believe, have faith! And when you want to relieve a sick person, after your prayer, put your hand on your heart, and warmly ask God for the help you need, and I am convinced, the divine emanation will infiltrate you to relieve or cure your brother who is in pain. My first conscious cure was to get a cholera patient out of his bed of pain, by operating in this way; why would you want me to be more privileged than you, by God, who is wisdom and justice?Through your letters, you ask me to correspond with you and to help you with my advice. I am going to share with you those that the Spirits have inspired in me, and answer your call, full of good will to be useful to your happiness. Mine would be great if I could cooperate with the success of the degree of perfection that I desire to see you achieve.” There follows a series of 217 letters that constitute, strictly speaking, the body of the volume. These are communications obtained by Mr. Jacob, as a writing medium, in various groups or Spiritist meetings. These are excellent moral advice, in a somewhat correct style; encouragement to the practice of charity, fraternity, humility, gentleness, benevolence, devotion to the Spiritist doctrine, moral and material selflessness; exhortations to reform oneself. The severest moralist will find nothing to complain about, and it would be desirable that all mediums, healers, and others, and all Spiritists in general, put those wise advice into practice. One can only congratulate Mr. Jacob on the feelings he expresses, and by reading this book, it will not occur to anyone that it is the work of a charlatan; it is, therefore, a denial given to the accusations that the interested maliciousness has taken pleasure in throwing at him; to those who, in derision, presented him as a thaumaturge or miracle worker
.Although these numerous communications are all conceived in an excellent spirit, it regrettable that the uniformity of the subjects that they cover throws a little monotony on this reading. They do not contain any explanations or special instructions on the healing mediumship, that is only the accessory part of the book. The account of some authentic facts of cures, and of the circumstances that accompanied them, would have added to the interest and practical utility of this book.
In fact, here is how Mr. Jacob describes what takes place in the sessions in which the patients are gathered:
“
At the time of the session, after having addressed my short but fervent prayer to God, I feel my fingers contract, and, touching the patient, I then recognize the force of the fluid in the wetness of their hands; sometimes they are inundated with perspiration; and the heat that gains the lower parts is also an additional indication of the almost instantaneous relief that they experience.However, it is not at my own inspiration that the sick should see the illnesses that overwhelm them disappear, but rather at the will of God; I also see wandering around me, amidst a brilliant light, a great number of benevolent Spirits that seem to associate themselves with my painful mission. There is especially one that lets me see very clearly the halo that surrounds his venerable head. By his side there are two radiant persons, surrounded by innumerable Spirits. The first seems to guide and inspire me in my operations, if I may say so; finally, the room where I give my consultations is always filled with a bright light that I see continually reflected on the sick.After the session I have no memory of what happened; that is why I urge those present to pay the greatest attention to the words I address to the sick who offer themselves to me to be examined and healed, if possible.”The book ends with some advice on the hygienic regime that the patients he treats must follow.
[1] One volume. in-12 of 220 pages, price: 2.5 francs, at the publisher's, rue Bonaparte, 70.
