534 The Spiritual Man
yet he thinks he has inexplicable reasons. Since his mind is entirely
immobile, he knows not how to examine, distinguish and judge with
reason. He uncritically swallows anything which the evil spirits
propagate in his mind, esteeming it to be most excellent. When such
an individual hears a supernatural voice he automatically accepts it
as God’s will; to him the voice already has become his law; it
therefore transcends the investigation of reason. Whatever be the
thought or voice or teaching he deems it infallible and positively
safe. He refuses to test, examine, or consider; he tenaciously holds on
to it and is unwilling to heed anything else. No amount of reasoning
and conscience of his own or the explanation and evidence of others
can move him one bit. Once he believes it to be God’s leading, his
mind is sealed against any change. And since he does not employ his
reasoning power he can be deceived readily by evil spirits. Those
who have a little understanding see the danger but he devours it all as
candy. To restore such a person as this is certainly not easy.
The Symptom of the EyesA mind which is passive and assailed by evil spirits can be
identified readily through the eyes. Man’s eyes reveal his mind more
than any other part of his body. If the mind is passive a person
reading may look at a book and yet no idea will enter his brain nor
make any impression in his memory, While he converses with people
his eyes tend to wander around, up and down, flitting in all
directions. It is surely a most impolite manner, but he cannot look
straight into another’s face. On another occasion he may act in the
opposite extreme by gazing at another’s face without so much as
blinking, as though transfixed by some unknown power.
Such gazing can be most serious because the devil uses this means
to induct the believer into the attitude of a necromancer. Frequently,
upon gazing long at the speaker’s countenance the believer begins to
listen no longer to what he is saying but is instead intent upon