CHAP. X. Some Remarks on the Sin of Fortune-telling.

The author will be pardoned, he is willing to hope, by the kind reader, if he digress in one or two paragraphs in this part of his work, purposely to expose the great wickedness of prognostication and fortune-telling; as the whole is not only unsound, foolish, absurd and false, but is most peremptorily forbidden in the Scriptures.

In the law of Moses it is commanded, that there should not be found among the people, any that used divination, or that was an observer of the times, or that was an enchanter: Deut. xiii. 10. In the prophecies of Malachi, the Lord has declared—Thou shalt have no more soothsayers: Mal. v. 12. Balaam and Balak were cursed of the Lord of Hosts; the former for using enchantments, and the latter for employing Balaam in this wicked work. Woe to them that devise iniquity: Micah, ii. 1. Those who employ unhappy Gipsy women, should think on the portion of the liar; Rev. xxi. 8: for the person who tempts another to utter falsehood by offering rewards, is equally guilty before God. A companion of fools shall be destroyed: Prov. xiii. 20. Though hand join in hand, in sin, the wicked shall not go unpunished: Prov. xvi. 5. The destruction of the transgressors and the sinners shall be together: Isai. i. 28. It may be safely affirmed that the sin of those persons, who trifle with Gipsy women in having their fortunes told by them, nearly resembles that of the first king of Israel; who, by consulting, in his trouble, a wicked woman, who pretended to supernatural power, filled up the measure of those sins, by which he lost the protection of heaven, his crown, and his life, and by which he involved his family in the most ruinous calamity.

Reader, have you encouraged any of these people in such crimes? If you have so far forgotten yourselves, the commands of God, and the curse that awaits you and those who deceive themselves the same way; reflect, before it be too late, on the evil into which you have willingly, wilfully, and without the least reasonable excuse, fallen, and on the guilt that must of necessity attach to your consciences thereby. Should you never meet those you encouraged to sin in this world, and therefore never have an opportunity of warning them of their danger, yet must you meet at the bar of Christ; and if then loaded with the weight of the sin in question, how awful will be your condition! Yourself and a fellow creature turned out for ever from God, and heaven, and hope! You may find mercy now, if you, by faith in the Redeemer, seek for it; and who can tell but if you sincerely pray for those you led into sin, but that the mercy of which you part take, may find out them! May it even be so, to your everlasting comfort!

Some have supposed that this contemptible practice was first introduced into Europe by the Gipsies: but such persons are greatly mistaken. In the dark ages of superstition, in which this wandering people came to our part of the world, prognostication and fortune-telling were carried on to an infinite extent; and so enraged were the deceivers of those days against the Gipsies, that they proclaimed they knew nothing of the art; that they were deceivers and impostors.

It were well if the Gipsies were now the only persons addicted to such wickedness; but this is not the case; for it is well known that almost every town is cursed with an astrological, magical, or slight-of-hand fortune-teller. There are two now in Southampton; and their wretched abodes are visited not only by vain and ignorant servants, but often by those who belong to the higher circles, and not unfrequently by those who drive their carriages.

To conclude this chapter, it may be safely said, that the sort of wickedness in question, is not only forbidden in the Scriptures, and will add much to the guilt of an impenitent death; but that it is calculated to give us the most airy anticipations, or oppress us with the most unreasonable despair. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof; why should we then afflict ourselves about ill-fortune in future years? If we seek, as the first great object of life, the kingdom of heaven, all [necessary] things shall be added. And why should we deceive ourselves with gay and splendid expectations? Riches make themselves wings and soon fly away.