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THE K I NG ' S B U S I N E S S
1. Because it belongs to the group of Satanic Sciences which are used to lead men away from God, and which are so fearfully denounced in Deut. 18:9-14, where all who practice such things are declared to be “ an abomination to the Lord.” 2. Because it is based upon Astrol ogy which is an attempt to get infor mation from other quarters and not from Him who alone could give it, but, as a rule, will not. For-He would have us meet the future with a firm faith in Himself and forbids us to rest upon oracles which are quite uncertain and will soon fill our hearts with fatalism in stead of a humble faith in God. There is one other matter in connec tion with Palmistry, Chiromancy, and Astrology, which it will, perhaps, be well to mention; namely, the worship of the Host of Heaven; that is, of the stars, against which the Lord so often threat ens judgment. Sometimes, too, we read of Baal, Astarte and all of the Host of Heaven; that is, the sun, moon, and stars. This cult no doubt originated in the idea that the stars exercised a powerful influence upon human life and destiny. It was first heard of in Babylon, the cradle of all Satanic systems, for there, in the very earliest times, the stars were worshipped as Divine beings, and Sayce tells of an instance in which he has found them placed even before Asshur and Merodach, the great gods of Assyria and Babylon. Their worship was, however, forbidden in Deut. 4:19; yet, in later times, it had become a snare to Israel, and even to Judah. (2 Kings 17:16, 17: 21:3-5 23:5.) In Jer. 19:13, we are told that the Kings of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were wont to burn incense upon their housetops to all the Host of Heaven; upon which practice Keil re marks: “ This burning of incense took place not merely to the sun and moon, but also to the signs of the Zodiac, ana to alb the Host of Heaven; that is, to
Satanic “ sciences,” he will find them so. skilfully arranged to excite his human curiosity by their mystery and apparent profundity, that they will draw him on ever further into the darkness. Some modern Palmists are, however, very anxious to assure us that Palmis try and Chiromancy have no connection with Astrology, because they are well aware of the evil repute of the latter; but their statements are absolutely un true. Both in ancient and modern times, those arts have been admitted, and could not but be admitted, to be wholly based upon astrology. And on this point .1 will quote for you a para graph from a. well-known authority: “ Chiromancy is nearly as ancient as Astrology, with which it is indissolubly connected; for the hand represents a natural horoscope which is traced upon it, at the time both of the conception and the birth, by the influence of the stars. The seven planets are all repre sented in the hand, and also the twelve signs of the zodiac; so- that the casting of a nativity is needless, since by sim ply examining a hand by the light of Chiromancy we can indicate what planets have been powerful at the time of birth, and what, therefore, will be their effect, for good or evil, over the existence; and we can also find the dates of the principal events of the life.” In this paragraph the underlining of “ indissolubly” is the author’s act, not mine. The assertion that the seven Planets and Twelve Zodiacal signs are repre sented on the hand, means that the names of all these occur in the terms wliich are applied to the different marks, etc., each particular name of a star or sign being- given to that mark which it is understood to have caused as an expression of its influence, for good or for evil, upon the person. From what I have said, you will see that Palmistry is objectionable for two reasons:
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