Inauguration of the retreat at Cempuis.

We have already spoken of the retreat at Cempuis, near Grandvilliers, in the Department of the Oise, founded by Mr. Prévost, a member of the Spiritist Society of Paris. The construction is now finished, as are the interior installations. Adjoining the establishment, though forming an isolated building, there is a chapel in the Gothic style, of monumental appearance. The inauguration of the chapel took place on Sunday, the 19th of last July, the day of Saint Vincent de Paul, to whom it is dedicated, in a ceremony entirely consecrated to charity, that is, by a distribution of bread, wine, and meat to the poor of the parish. Mr. Prévost delivered on that occasion the following address, which we have the satisfaction of reproducing: “Gentlemen, “You know the reason for this gathering; thus, I will not dwell on useless details that would reveal nothing you do not already know. The material work is now practically accomplished, thanks to the evident protection of the Almighty, who deigned to support my efforts. We are here as a family, all of us, and I do not doubt, animated by the same sentiments toward his divine goodness. Let us unite, then, in one and the same impulse of gratitude; let us pray to him, that he may continue to assist us and to give us the lights we lack. “God of Heaven and of Earth, sovereign lord of all things, have pity on our weakness; raise our hearts toward you, so that we may learn to fulfill our duties according to your will and so that all our actions may be in consonance with your universal law. Lord, make our soul fill with your love; let it allow itself to be captivated by the sacred fire of conviction and prove its faith by acts of true charity. All words, however good they may be, if they are not followed by effects of benevolence toward your creatures, resemble a beautiful tree without fruit. “Help us, then, O Infinite Power, to overcome the obstacles that might rise before our steps and hinder the desire to make ourselves useful in the mission for which you have chosen us; give us the strength necessary to accomplish it with love and sincerity.

“The good help given to old age is pleasing to you, my God, because such acts are acts of justice; it preceded us on the path; the furrow it opened was watered with its sweat, and we gather its fruits. Today its experience is a field already reaped, but where we still have something to harvest; it is therefore just that we reward its sacrifice, assuring it repose after labor. It is a duty for us, for we would wish the same to be done for ourselves; but to accomplish it worthily we need your assistance, for we are conscious of our weakness. “It is also in your name, Lord, that here the orphan will find a new family; the abandoned child will grow up among us in the gentle warmth of the divine fire with which you favored Saint Vincent de Paul, whom we beseech to assist us, so that we may carry out this act in keeping with his example.

“Infinite Spirit, all is in you, all is through you, nothing is outside you; punishments, like rewards, come to us from your blessed hand; you know our needs, we are your children and we surrender ourselves to your divine Providence.

“The good Spirits who, under your paternal gaze, preside over the destinies of the Earth, the guardian angels of men, have merited your confidence, Lord; we hope that, through you, they will help us to keep intact the sublime moral code promulgated by the Christ, your well-beloved son. – Love God, he said to us from the height of the cross, eighteen centuries ago; love one another; love your neighbor as yourselves; practice charity toward all and in all things. Behold his law, Lord, and that law is yours; may it engrave itself in our hearts and make us see brothers in all our fellow men, who, like us, are your children. So be it.” “My friends, my brothers, let us follow this great example, and let us have a sincere faith in God; he will help us bear the consequences of the bad direction that the forgetting of duties imprinted on society, in times now distant from us. Today many things are entering into the order prescribed by the Creator; despite the egoism that still dominates a great number, fraternal love is better understood; the prejudices of castes, of sects, and of nationalities are fading little by little; tolerance, one of the daughters of evangelical charity, little by little makes the antagonisms disappear that, for so long, have divided the children of one and the same God; humanitarian sentiments infiltrate into the heart of the masses and have already accomplished great things in various points of the Earth. In France, numerous shut-down factories have recently experienced the gentle effects of this love of one's neighbor. That impulse toward suffering speaks very loudly in favor of our country; one must see in it the hand of God. It is with joy that we see the first nation of the civilized world carry to the most distant shores the fruits of that love of Humanity, which only true greatness gives and which it harvested at the radiant center of the cross, aided by the light of progress, which obliges man to be better toward his fellow man and to become better himself. “I hope, my friends, with the concourse of instructed and benevolent men, to form afterward a moral and instructive library, annexed to this establishment, where each one may draw the means of bettering himself, as much in relation to the spirit as in relation to the heart.

“I thank you with all sincerity, all of you who hastened to my appeal, coming to offer, in common, acts of grace to the Divinity, in acknowledgment of the inspiration given by it to the founding of this institution.

“As of today, the 19th of July 1863, this chapel, dedicated to Saint Vincent de Paul, whose gentle and immortal image its stained-glass windows depict, is publicly consecrated to him by its founder, who, henceforth, wishes it to be considered a holy place, a place of prayer. Here God must be adored and, before the symbol of his love for men, before that venerable and great figure of the apostle of Christian charity, we must become deeply penetrated with the conviction that love of one's neighbor must be practiced by acts and must be in the heart, and not on the lips. “Before we part, let us repeat the Lord's Prayer.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. So be it.”

On that occasion Mr. Prévost saw fit to remit to us, personally, the sum of 200 fr. for works of beneficence, the employment of which, unfortunately, is not difficult to find.

With respect to the above address, the Spiritist Society of Paris voted unanimously and by acclamation the following letter, which was addressed to him:

“Sir and very dear colleague, “The Spiritist Society of Paris, of which you are a member, heard with the keenest interest the reading of the address you delivered at the inauguration of the chapel of the retreat you founded on your property at Cempuis. Such an address is the expression of the noble sentiments that animate you; it is worthy of one who makes such good use of the fortune acquired by labor, and who does not wait, in order to make it profitable to the unfortunate, until death has rendered it useless to him, because it is in life that you impose privations on yourself in order to make your share greater. The Society feels honored to count among its members an adept who makes so Christian an application of the principles of the Spiritist Doctrine; and it decided, unanimously, to transmit to you officially the expression of its keen and fraternal sympathy for the humanitarian work you have undertaken, and for your person in particular. “Receive, etc.”

Mr. Prévost's fortune is entirely the fruit of his works, which increases his merit. After having suffered the backlash of the revolutions that made him lose money, he recovered his fortune by his courage and perseverance. Today, having reached the age of repose, when he could amply give himself over to the luxuries and pleasures of life, he contents himself with the strictly necessary and, unlike many others, does not wait until he no longer needs anything in order for his brothers in Jesus Christ to share in his surplus. Thus his reward will be beautiful and he enjoys the first fruits through the pleasure afforded by the good he does. Nevertheless, in the eyes of certain people Mr. Prévost has a great defect:

being a Spiritist and professing the doctrine of the demon. His address, however, is not that of an atheist, nor even of a deist, but of a Christian; his very moderation is a proof of charity, for he abstained from speaking ill of his neighbor and even from making allusion to those who imposed on him conditions that his conscience did not permit him to accept. [see An act of justice.]