May 26, 1919
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
Let me write a few lines tonight upon a subject that has recently been discussed by a spiritualist, a preacher, a philosopher and a scientist, and that is the continuity of life after death of the physical body. Each of these writers approaches the subject from a different viewpoint, but all arrive at the same conclusion based upon different means of argument and, that is, that life continues after death.
The subject is one in which mankind is vitally interested and is worthy of consideration by the greatest minds of investigation and research, and should be studied in the light of nature as well as in that of actual demonstration by the experiences of those who have by their experiences proved to mankind that the spirits of their departed friends and acquaintances and of others of more or less distinction when in the physical life, do actually live and communicate to men their existence and the possession of the mental faculties and thoughts that were theirs when mortals.
The proper study of man would demonstrate this fact, and logically doubt would cease to exist, but the difficulty is that men do not understand man or his creation and faculties and his relationship to things of life known as the material or matter. It is a common belief that matter that is now existent, or rather that what men see and know of the material is all that is knowable, and that when that which is merely physical, as commonly understood, ceases to exist, no further or other knowledge of it can be obtained or understood by the finite mind of man.
But this accepted assumption is not true, and if man would only think for a moment of what matter or the material is, they would comprehend the possibilities of its workings and functionings and, also, of what use may be made of the same by the minds of the spirits operating upon it in the spiritual world; that is in the world beyond the comprehension of the five senses of men, which are only the means of the spirits working in the ordinary purview of the physical life.
Matter is eternal, and exists in all the spheres of the spirit world just as it does on earth, although in different forms and attenuations, and in conditions that may or may not be the objects of the physical senses, or of the senses of the mind, which are superior to or exclusive of these mere physical senses. Matter is, in its essential nature, the same, notwithstanding the fact that it assumes different forms - some visible to the ordinary senses of men and some entirely outside of that view or sensation, and as to these senses wholly nonexistent, yet to these other senses of the mind just as real and tractable and subject to the influence of the workings of the mind, as the merely physical matter is to the five senses of men.
The world in which men live is composed of the material, and the world in which I live is also composed of the material, of the same nature, but of different consistencies and objective qualities. The material of the universe is always material, whether or not it be cognizable by man and subject to his thoughts and inventions and uses; and as man progresses in the study of the same - I mean the practical and experimental - he will discover that there are things of the material in nature which to him are being developed and made known, and which a few years before he had no conception of their existence. Such is the discovery and use of electricity, and the workings of the Laws of Nature which enables him to make possible the effects of wireless telegraphy. These discoveries and workings of forces of the unseen are nothing more or less than a certain kind of knowledge controlling the same as to his consciousness has become apparent. But in all these operations, matter is the thing made use of and not any spiritual power as commonly understood by men. So you see matter, whether in the grossly physical of earth or in the more attenuated and invisible of the spirit world, is that which is used to produce effects and is operated on by the mind, whether or not it be tangible and understandable or not.
The mind is an entity indivisible and united, and is not separable into the subjective and objective as men frequently teach, except in this: that in its workings, that part of the mind which controls the brain in the ordinary affairs of life may be called the objective, and that part which is suited for and used in controlling the material after it has been transformed into the purely invisible may be called the subjective. But it is all one mind and exists in man while on earth, just as it will and does when he becomes a spirit.
Man in his journey through life, and I mean when in the earth existence as well as in the eternal part of his existence, is always of the material, that is his soul has a material covering and appearance, and while this material covering changes in its appearance and quality as he progresses in the spheres, yet the gross physical of his earth life and the sublimated spiritual of the eternal part of his life, are both of the material - real, existing and tangible - and used for the purpose of their creation, namely: the protection and individualizing of the soul which they contain.
Now this being so, you can readily understand that man, when he gives up the coarser physical of the human body does not cease to be of the material but becomes an inhabitant of the finer and purer material of what is called his spirit body; and this body is subject to the laws governing the material just as was his physical body subject to these laws; and the spirit, which in this sense is the real man clothed in the material, controls and uses that material more effectually than it did when on earth, bound in the physical. All the material of the spirit world is used and formulated by the spirits according to their degree of intelligence and development as the occasions for such uses may arise, and such use or the effects of the same are or can be made known to man according as his limitations admit.
Ordinarily, man's understanding of the effects of the spirit's control of the material of the invisible world is limited by the capacity of his five senses to comprehend, and as these five senses were created for the purpose only of permitting or helping the spirit to manifest itself with reference to those things which belong to the wholly physical of earth, it rarely happens that men can perceive the invisible material or the workings of the laws controlling the same.
Now in what I have said, this spirit is merely the mind of man - the same indivisible mind that he possesses when on earth, but which because of the limitations of the physical organs, he was not able to function as regards the invisible material, so that man could understand that functioning and its results.
Man when he dies is thereafter the same being in all his faculties, desires and thoughts and in his ability to use the material as he was before his death, except that the purely physical organs of his own being are no longer his, and as to them he is dead; but strange as it may seem to you he can and often does control the physical organs of another man who is living in the flesh, if that man will submit to that control. And when you think for a moment you will realize that there is nothing remarkable in this. The mind of the spirit remains just the same as it was before his departure from the body, having all its powers and thoughts and consciousness, and if it can obtain control of that which is necessary to manifest itself to the consciousness of men, there will be no difficulty in its doing so, and nothing unusual or supernatural. Its own organs of brain and nerves and the five senses having gone, and the brain of every other mortal being subject to the control of its own mind, so long as that mind claims the exclusive use or control of these organs, the mind deprived of its own physical organs cannot control, because it is a Law of Being that no mind in its normal state can be intruded upon by another mind, and unless the mind whose seat and functioning are within the spirit body which is enclosed in the physical body possessing these organs, consents to the control of such organs by the other mind, it cannot use such organs. But the power is in the disembodied spirit or mind; only the opportunity is wanting.
When the spirit desires to control the invisible material, it is limited only by its intelligence and knowledge of the law governing such control, and its progress in the spirit spheres.
Well, I have written enough for tonight, but will come again and amplify my message. Thanking you, I will say, good night.
Your friend,
Francis Bacon
**********
Helen affirms that Francis Bacon wrote on the continuity of life after death.
I am here - your own true and loving Helen.
Well dear, I am glad that you are in condition to again receive the messages of the spirits who wish to write you in reference to things spiritual.
The spirit who wrote you was very anxious to do so, and we permitted him in order that you might gain some conception of what the material of the universe is, and the power that spirits have over such material. But this is not the nature of the messages that we wish to convey to you, and we will not permit ourselves to be interfered with very often in this particular, and until our messages are all delivered you must not think of such things.
The Master has been with you today and is well pleased at your way of thinking, and says that you will soon commence to receive the higher messages again, and we are all anxious to write. Keep up your prayers to the Father and your thoughts about the higher things of the spirit world.
As you have been drawn on a great deal tonight, I will not write further now and will only say that we all love you and will be with you to help you in your thoughts. So love us and say good night.
Your own true and loving
Helen
Showing posts with label spiritualist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spiritualist. Show all posts
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Monday, September 30, 2013
Elias Writes About a Sermon on Spiritualism
October 22, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Elias.
I come tonight to say a few words on the sermon of the preacher and also because I was an early spiritualist and all down the ages have had knowledge of the communications between spirits and mortals.
Tonight at the church there were many spirits present and as the preacher said "every particle of space in the building was occupied by spirits" - some of the higher order and others of the lower planes where conditions are dark, but there were many there and interested; for nearly every person in the audience had some spirit friend or Guardian Angel with him, and as the various members of the congregation differed in their condition of soul development or spiritual enlightenment, so they attracted considerable spirits.
But in addition to these who were attracted by their respective mortal friends or relatives, there were a number of spirits from the higher spheres who were interested in the occasion. For it is not often that an orthodox congregation has the opportunity or takes the opportunity to listen to a sermon upon the theme that the preacher dealt with tonight, and if you could have seen the difference in the workings of the minds and understandings and the effect upon the preconceived beliefs of the several members of the congregation, you would have been surprised and realized more fully the powers that belief has upon the consciousness of mortals.
I do not intend to analyze the sermon, but must say that the same was a surprise to many of the orthodox as well as to some who are spiritualists. The preacher declared many truths that were repugnant to a number of his congregation because in their blind belief in their creeds and dogmas, they had not the right that any real orthodox minister could have believed and proclaimed such doctrines as the preacher declared. He is a true spiritualist so far as the propositions of continuous life and inter-communication are concerned, but he hardly dares announce his beliefs in the language of spiritualism and he may have been wise in not doing so as the effect would not be very desirable upon many of his hearers.
He is not very well versed in the truths of spiritualism, in matters which deal with its philosophy or religion and, consequently, he does not understand the great importance of searching for and finding the truths which these means afford of learning these truths. But the seeds of truth are in his mind and conviction and he is in that condition which renders him susceptible to receiving the truths should they be presented to him in such a manner as to appeal to his beliefs and to his reason. And as he has a great deal of the soul development by reason of his possession of the Divine Love, the higher truths which have been revealed to you will appeal to him, more especially to his soul sense than to the sense of his mind conditions.
I know it would at first be a shock to him to learn that his intellectual belief in the doctrines of the trinity and the vicarious atonement and kindred portions of the creed of his church are all untrue and short of any basis in fact but nevertheless should he learn of the great truths of the plan of God for man's salvation, he would not hesitate to embrace these truths and even dare to proclaim them.
In a way he will prove to be a kind of pioneer in the work of spreading the true religion that must ultimately become known to and received by mankind and tonight's sermon may cause many of his hearers to regard spiritualism in a little different light, not as the creature of devils and evil spirits, but on the manifestation of the natural as I may say the reasonable workings of the laws of God upon the actual and normal relationship of spirits and mortals.
The preacher's sermon will do the cause of truth much good, because it will tend to open up the minds of many to gain a respectful hearing to any attempts that may be made to enlighten them as to the reality of the truths of spiritualism. One thing he said and that is that very few mediums can be depended upon in conjunction with the prejudice that exists in the minds of the orthodox against everything that has the flavor of spiritualism may tend to prevent the conversion of these people to its truths or even to attempt even if mere curiosity may be the moving cause.
We are pleased that the preacher took the position that he did in declaring his belief that spiritual communion is a fact and in giving the illustration of its several phases although he left the results or causes of such manifestation in a rather uncertain meaning. His hearers may infer that he meant that God, as contradistinguished from spirits was the voices or the cause of the visions or manifestations that he referred to in some mysterious or super-natural way in the exercise of His omniscience.
I merely wanted to write these few things to give you an idea of how important the teachings of the preacher may be proved to be in opening up the minds of many of his hearers. And as I close, let me say that all down the ages spiritualism has existed and been demonstrated and prophets and apostles and mediums and men have heard the voices of spirits and seen the materialized spirits and received the inspirations of spirits of good and evil.
I will not write more tonight and I hope you are not disappointed that I wrote instead of John, for we intended that you should be surprised somewhat in the writer, that is, the personality of the writer for we saw that you rather expected that John might write.
Many of your spirit friends have been with you tonight and they accompanied you to the rooms where you and your friend sat and discussed the sermon and the preacher and things connected with us and our messages. I will not write more tonight. With our love and blessings, I will say that we are
Your brother in Christ.
Elias
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Elias.
I come tonight to say a few words on the sermon of the preacher and also because I was an early spiritualist and all down the ages have had knowledge of the communications between spirits and mortals.
Tonight at the church there were many spirits present and as the preacher said "every particle of space in the building was occupied by spirits" - some of the higher order and others of the lower planes where conditions are dark, but there were many there and interested; for nearly every person in the audience had some spirit friend or Guardian Angel with him, and as the various members of the congregation differed in their condition of soul development or spiritual enlightenment, so they attracted considerable spirits.
But in addition to these who were attracted by their respective mortal friends or relatives, there were a number of spirits from the higher spheres who were interested in the occasion. For it is not often that an orthodox congregation has the opportunity or takes the opportunity to listen to a sermon upon the theme that the preacher dealt with tonight, and if you could have seen the difference in the workings of the minds and understandings and the effect upon the preconceived beliefs of the several members of the congregation, you would have been surprised and realized more fully the powers that belief has upon the consciousness of mortals.
I do not intend to analyze the sermon, but must say that the same was a surprise to many of the orthodox as well as to some who are spiritualists. The preacher declared many truths that were repugnant to a number of his congregation because in their blind belief in their creeds and dogmas, they had not the right that any real orthodox minister could have believed and proclaimed such doctrines as the preacher declared. He is a true spiritualist so far as the propositions of continuous life and inter-communication are concerned, but he hardly dares announce his beliefs in the language of spiritualism and he may have been wise in not doing so as the effect would not be very desirable upon many of his hearers.
He is not very well versed in the truths of spiritualism, in matters which deal with its philosophy or religion and, consequently, he does not understand the great importance of searching for and finding the truths which these means afford of learning these truths. But the seeds of truth are in his mind and conviction and he is in that condition which renders him susceptible to receiving the truths should they be presented to him in such a manner as to appeal to his beliefs and to his reason. And as he has a great deal of the soul development by reason of his possession of the Divine Love, the higher truths which have been revealed to you will appeal to him, more especially to his soul sense than to the sense of his mind conditions.
I know it would at first be a shock to him to learn that his intellectual belief in the doctrines of the trinity and the vicarious atonement and kindred portions of the creed of his church are all untrue and short of any basis in fact but nevertheless should he learn of the great truths of the plan of God for man's salvation, he would not hesitate to embrace these truths and even dare to proclaim them.
In a way he will prove to be a kind of pioneer in the work of spreading the true religion that must ultimately become known to and received by mankind and tonight's sermon may cause many of his hearers to regard spiritualism in a little different light, not as the creature of devils and evil spirits, but on the manifestation of the natural as I may say the reasonable workings of the laws of God upon the actual and normal relationship of spirits and mortals.
The preacher's sermon will do the cause of truth much good, because it will tend to open up the minds of many to gain a respectful hearing to any attempts that may be made to enlighten them as to the reality of the truths of spiritualism. One thing he said and that is that very few mediums can be depended upon in conjunction with the prejudice that exists in the minds of the orthodox against everything that has the flavor of spiritualism may tend to prevent the conversion of these people to its truths or even to attempt even if mere curiosity may be the moving cause.
We are pleased that the preacher took the position that he did in declaring his belief that spiritual communion is a fact and in giving the illustration of its several phases although he left the results or causes of such manifestation in a rather uncertain meaning. His hearers may infer that he meant that God, as contradistinguished from spirits was the voices or the cause of the visions or manifestations that he referred to in some mysterious or super-natural way in the exercise of His omniscience.
I merely wanted to write these few things to give you an idea of how important the teachings of the preacher may be proved to be in opening up the minds of many of his hearers. And as I close, let me say that all down the ages spiritualism has existed and been demonstrated and prophets and apostles and mediums and men have heard the voices of spirits and seen the materialized spirits and received the inspirations of spirits of good and evil.
I will not write more tonight and I hope you are not disappointed that I wrote instead of John, for we intended that you should be surprised somewhat in the writer, that is, the personality of the writer for we saw that you rather expected that John might write.
Many of your spirit friends have been with you tonight and they accompanied you to the rooms where you and your friend sat and discussed the sermon and the preacher and things connected with us and our messages. I will not write more tonight. With our love and blessings, I will say that we are
Your brother in Christ.
Elias
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
John Writes on "Why should men learn that they are not to be left to themselves in their conception of what life means..."
July 2, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, John.
I come tonight to tell you of a truth, which is important for you to know as well as for the world of mankind. I will not write a very long message, but what I may say will be the truth and every man should understand it and make it his own. I will not write upon any subject that you have been instructed upon before, but will deal with a subject entirely new and my subject is:
"Why should men learn that they are not to be left to themselves in their conceptions of what life means, and what its importance is in the economy of man's creation and destiny."
I know that this may seem to you to be a strange subject to write on, but it is one that should be of interest to all men who know that the earth life is very short and then eternity takes them into its embrace and never again permits them to become creatures of time.
Man lives and dies and never lives again according to the materialist, and he is as the brute animal without any future. But the spiritualist, and by that I mean those who believe that there is something more to man than the mere material, believes he lives and never ceases to live, although the physical body dies never to be resurrected again as such body. Now as we take either the one or the other of these views, the meaning of man's earth life assumes a very different aspect and calls for very different thoughts and actions on his part in living his life.
Of course, if what is called "death" is the end of things that man should do, or he should think he should do, as the old saying, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you shall die," and with that death comes oblivion and forgetfulness never to be awakened again into consciousness, his mission in the universe is fulfilled, and he can no more experience the hopes or ambitions or joys or sorrows, which were his as a living man. But on the other hand, if man never ceases to live, then his thoughts and conduct should be turned towards the accomplishment of that, which will provide for him the best possible future.
Those of both opinions know that when death comes, the physical body can no longer be used, and those who believe in the continuous existence know that as the physical body perishes, man must have some other form or body in which may be lodged the consciousness of this continued existence, and that body must be as real as the one which he relinquishes. Such being the fact, the man who knows that death does not end all will naturally and necessarily seek to learn what that body of continued existence is like and what is necessary to enable him to obtain that body and thereby enjoy the living in eternity. And, thus, seeking he will not be satisfied to learn that that body is the mere spirit body, which has been his during all the years of his earth life but will desire to further learn what the relationship is between that body and the manner of living his earth life.
I know that of himself, man cannot to any degree discover this relationship, and that he must depend upon the teachings and experiences of those who have experienced the separation of the spirit from the physical in order to at all comprehend this relationship.
As one having had this experience, I wish to say that the spirit body is, of itself, a creation like as is the physical body and has its existence only for the purpose of preserving man's individuality and of containing and sheltering his soul, both while on earth and after he becomes a spirit.
Then his living means that he is placed on the earth merely to acquire an individuality, and to learn that within him is the soul, which is his real self and which he must cherish and educate and feed with the higher thoughts and goodness of his original creation and not neglect the opportunities that come to him for this development.
I know that this seems incoherent to you with no special object in view, but you are mistaken in thus thinking for the object will soon be seen. But as you are not just in condition for further writing tonight, I will postpone my writing until later. So trusting that you will not feel inclined to reject the message, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
John
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, John.
I come tonight to tell you of a truth, which is important for you to know as well as for the world of mankind. I will not write a very long message, but what I may say will be the truth and every man should understand it and make it his own. I will not write upon any subject that you have been instructed upon before, but will deal with a subject entirely new and my subject is:
"Why should men learn that they are not to be left to themselves in their conceptions of what life means, and what its importance is in the economy of man's creation and destiny."
I know that this may seem to you to be a strange subject to write on, but it is one that should be of interest to all men who know that the earth life is very short and then eternity takes them into its embrace and never again permits them to become creatures of time.
Man lives and dies and never lives again according to the materialist, and he is as the brute animal without any future. But the spiritualist, and by that I mean those who believe that there is something more to man than the mere material, believes he lives and never ceases to live, although the physical body dies never to be resurrected again as such body. Now as we take either the one or the other of these views, the meaning of man's earth life assumes a very different aspect and calls for very different thoughts and actions on his part in living his life.
Of course, if what is called "death" is the end of things that man should do, or he should think he should do, as the old saying, "Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow you shall die," and with that death comes oblivion and forgetfulness never to be awakened again into consciousness, his mission in the universe is fulfilled, and he can no more experience the hopes or ambitions or joys or sorrows, which were his as a living man. But on the other hand, if man never ceases to live, then his thoughts and conduct should be turned towards the accomplishment of that, which will provide for him the best possible future.
Those of both opinions know that when death comes, the physical body can no longer be used, and those who believe in the continuous existence know that as the physical body perishes, man must have some other form or body in which may be lodged the consciousness of this continued existence, and that body must be as real as the one which he relinquishes. Such being the fact, the man who knows that death does not end all will naturally and necessarily seek to learn what that body of continued existence is like and what is necessary to enable him to obtain that body and thereby enjoy the living in eternity. And, thus, seeking he will not be satisfied to learn that that body is the mere spirit body, which has been his during all the years of his earth life but will desire to further learn what the relationship is between that body and the manner of living his earth life.
I know that of himself, man cannot to any degree discover this relationship, and that he must depend upon the teachings and experiences of those who have experienced the separation of the spirit from the physical in order to at all comprehend this relationship.
As one having had this experience, I wish to say that the spirit body is, of itself, a creation like as is the physical body and has its existence only for the purpose of preserving man's individuality and of containing and sheltering his soul, both while on earth and after he becomes a spirit.
Then his living means that he is placed on the earth merely to acquire an individuality, and to learn that within him is the soul, which is his real self and which he must cherish and educate and feed with the higher thoughts and goodness of his original creation and not neglect the opportunities that come to him for this development.
I know that this seems incoherent to you with no special object in view, but you are mistaken in thus thinking for the object will soon be seen. But as you are not just in condition for further writing tonight, I will postpone my writing until later. So trusting that you will not feel inclined to reject the message, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
John
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Abraham Lincoln Writes His Testimony and is a Follower of Jesus' Teachings
January 5, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am your friend in Christ and desire to write a few lines, but it will not be about religious matters, for I heard what the Master said, and he knows what is best.
Well, I am in the Seventh Sphere and am very happy and enjoy all the delights of a soul redeemed and am in the way of progress to the higher spheres where some of your band live. How beautiful must be their homes because, when they come to the lower spheres, they have such beauty and are so filled with the Father's Love that I know they must live in homes of transcendent beauty where happiness is supreme.
I am not one who knows all that there is in the Heavens provided by the Father, but I know enough to say that, "No eye of man has seen and neither has his heart conceived of the wonderful things that the Father has prepared for those who love Him and do His will."
In our sphere, the glory of our habitations and surroundings that we have are beyond all conceptions of mortals, and beyond all the powers which we have to describe. Your language is poor, indeed, when we attempt to use it to describe our homes and our happiness. Never a sigh, nor a thought tainted with the slightest flavor of unhappiness or discontent. All our wishes are gratified, and Love reigns eternally and without stint.
Never, when on earth, did I conceive that one man could love another as one spirit here loves his brother spirit. The mine and thine are truly the ours, and no spirit is so happy as when he is doing something to make another spirit happier; and then, love between the opposite sexes is so pure and glorified.
My home is not in any of the cities but is in the country among beautiful fields and woods where the purest waters flow in silver streams of living light, and the birds of paradise in all their glorious plumage sing and make merry the echoes of the hills and rocks, for we have hills and rocks as well as plains and beautiful meadows and placid lakes and shining waterfalls, all praising God for His goodness.
So why will not every mortal try to attain to this Heavenly condition of love and happiness, when it is so easy for him to do so? The Divine Love is waiting for all and needs only the seeking and the believing in order to make the mortal an heir to all the glories of this Heavenly place.
But the mind of man, in its superimposed importance and in the conceit of the wonderful powers of his reasoning faculties, keeps the simple childlike faith from making him a child of the Kingdom.
Oh, I tell you, if mortals only knew what is here ready for them to obtain and make their own, they would not let the supposed greatness of their minds, or the cares and ambitions and desires for earthly possessions, keep them from seeking this great and glorious inheritance, which is theirs by merely claiming it in the way made known by the Master.
And he - what can I say of him - the most glorious and beautiful and loving of all the spirits in God's universe. When on earth I looked upon him and worshiped him as God, sitting on the right hand of the Father - way up in the high Heavens, a way off waiting for the coming of the great judgment day; when he would separate the sheep from the goats and send each to his eternal place of habitation - whether to Hell or Heaven - only he knew, and I did not and could not until the great judgment should be pronounced.
But now, when I see him as he is, and know that he is my friend and elder brother, a spirit such as I am, with only love for his younger brethren, be they saints or sinners, and a great longing that all may come and partake of the feast which the Father has prepared, I feel that the loving brother and friend is more to me and my happiness is greater than when I looked upon him as the God of judgment having his habitation away off beyond my vision or reach. He is so loving and so pure and so humble. Why his very humility makes us all love him almost to adoration, and if you could only see him, you would not be surprised that we love him so much.
Well, my friend, I have written a little more than I intended, but I am so filled with Love and so happy in having such a friend as the Master, that I can hardly restrain myself. I will come again sometime and write you upon some spiritual truth, which I so much want you to know.
When on earth, I was not an orthodox to the full extent, but my early belief that Jesus was a part of the Godhead I did not succeed in getting rid of, although my mind often rebelled at the thought; but the early teachings of my mother lingered with me, and maturer thoughts and development of mind could never entirely eradicate this belief in Jesus as being part of God. Some have said and thought that I was almost an infidel, but this is untrue, for I always believed firmly in the Father and, as I have told you, in Jesus.
I was also to some extent a spiritualist, that is, I believed in the communications of spirits with mortals, as on numerous occasions I have had such communications and have acted on advice that I received through them. But I never learned from any of these communications any of the higher truths, which I now know and which are so important for mortals to know and which, if men only knew and taught, would make their religion a live, virile, all pervading and satisfying religion.
We are all interested in your work and are co-workers with you in revealing these great truths. May God bless and prosper you and cause you to see the realities of the great Divine Love is the prayer of your brother in Christ.
A. Lincoln
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am your friend in Christ and desire to write a few lines, but it will not be about religious matters, for I heard what the Master said, and he knows what is best.Well, I am in the Seventh Sphere and am very happy and enjoy all the delights of a soul redeemed and am in the way of progress to the higher spheres where some of your band live. How beautiful must be their homes because, when they come to the lower spheres, they have such beauty and are so filled with the Father's Love that I know they must live in homes of transcendent beauty where happiness is supreme.
I am not one who knows all that there is in the Heavens provided by the Father, but I know enough to say that, "No eye of man has seen and neither has his heart conceived of the wonderful things that the Father has prepared for those who love Him and do His will."
In our sphere, the glory of our habitations and surroundings that we have are beyond all conceptions of mortals, and beyond all the powers which we have to describe. Your language is poor, indeed, when we attempt to use it to describe our homes and our happiness. Never a sigh, nor a thought tainted with the slightest flavor of unhappiness or discontent. All our wishes are gratified, and Love reigns eternally and without stint.
Never, when on earth, did I conceive that one man could love another as one spirit here loves his brother spirit. The mine and thine are truly the ours, and no spirit is so happy as when he is doing something to make another spirit happier; and then, love between the opposite sexes is so pure and glorified.
My home is not in any of the cities but is in the country among beautiful fields and woods where the purest waters flow in silver streams of living light, and the birds of paradise in all their glorious plumage sing and make merry the echoes of the hills and rocks, for we have hills and rocks as well as plains and beautiful meadows and placid lakes and shining waterfalls, all praising God for His goodness.
So why will not every mortal try to attain to this Heavenly condition of love and happiness, when it is so easy for him to do so? The Divine Love is waiting for all and needs only the seeking and the believing in order to make the mortal an heir to all the glories of this Heavenly place.
But the mind of man, in its superimposed importance and in the conceit of the wonderful powers of his reasoning faculties, keeps the simple childlike faith from making him a child of the Kingdom.
Oh, I tell you, if mortals only knew what is here ready for them to obtain and make their own, they would not let the supposed greatness of their minds, or the cares and ambitions and desires for earthly possessions, keep them from seeking this great and glorious inheritance, which is theirs by merely claiming it in the way made known by the Master.
And he - what can I say of him - the most glorious and beautiful and loving of all the spirits in God's universe. When on earth I looked upon him and worshiped him as God, sitting on the right hand of the Father - way up in the high Heavens, a way off waiting for the coming of the great judgment day; when he would separate the sheep from the goats and send each to his eternal place of habitation - whether to Hell or Heaven - only he knew, and I did not and could not until the great judgment should be pronounced.
But now, when I see him as he is, and know that he is my friend and elder brother, a spirit such as I am, with only love for his younger brethren, be they saints or sinners, and a great longing that all may come and partake of the feast which the Father has prepared, I feel that the loving brother and friend is more to me and my happiness is greater than when I looked upon him as the God of judgment having his habitation away off beyond my vision or reach. He is so loving and so pure and so humble. Why his very humility makes us all love him almost to adoration, and if you could only see him, you would not be surprised that we love him so much.
Well, my friend, I have written a little more than I intended, but I am so filled with Love and so happy in having such a friend as the Master, that I can hardly restrain myself. I will come again sometime and write you upon some spiritual truth, which I so much want you to know.
When on earth, I was not an orthodox to the full extent, but my early belief that Jesus was a part of the Godhead I did not succeed in getting rid of, although my mind often rebelled at the thought; but the early teachings of my mother lingered with me, and maturer thoughts and development of mind could never entirely eradicate this belief in Jesus as being part of God. Some have said and thought that I was almost an infidel, but this is untrue, for I always believed firmly in the Father and, as I have told you, in Jesus.
I was also to some extent a spiritualist, that is, I believed in the communications of spirits with mortals, as on numerous occasions I have had such communications and have acted on advice that I received through them. But I never learned from any of these communications any of the higher truths, which I now know and which are so important for mortals to know and which, if men only knew and taught, would make their religion a live, virile, all pervading and satisfying religion.
We are all interested in your work and are co-workers with you in revealing these great truths. May God bless and prosper you and cause you to see the realities of the great Divine Love is the prayer of your brother in Christ.
A. Lincoln
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Jesus Writes About the Spiritualist Church Attended By James E. Padgett
October 3, 1915
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Jesus.
I was with you tonight and you were not very much impressed with the thoughts expressed by the speaker, because he did not dwell very much on the qualities of the soul or the manner in which are perceived the great truths of the Father. He spoke of the love of man to man and of the duties that men owed to one another and of the wonderful possibilities of the intellect in guiding man along lines of living that will bring them happiness and harmony in their earth life, but he did not show them that the mere intellect is not sufficient to bring them in that condition of soul development, which is necessary for their highest happiness in the life to come.
When he spoke of the immortality of the soul, he did not intend to express more than that the spirits of men continue to live after the body dies. He, in fact, does not know what immortality means as we have taught you, and he will some day be surprised when he learns that mere continuity of life is not immortality, or that continuance of existence, which when once possessed cannot be taken away from the spirit.
Yet, notwithstanding all this want of knowledge on his part, he is an earnest spiritualist and is doing much good to mortals for he is showing them the fact that the spirit of man is a mere extension of form of what man now possesses, and that there is no such thing as the death of the spirit when the body dies, or that the spirit lies with the body in a state of obscurity or nothingness, or rather of oblivion, until what the orthodox call the great judgment day.
I am interested in the efforts that these people are now making to build a temple in which to worship and gather in their cause, and I favor the building of the same, because while they do not preach or know the great and necessary truths, yet, they preach those things which free men from the beliefs that hold them in thralldom and error and set them free to receive the greater truths when the time shall come that they shall be known to humanity. So that I would advise you to help their project to the extent that you feel yourself able.
Many people will find that the things, which they may hear at these meetings will cause them to arouse from their slumbers and ignorance and cause them to investigate for themselves the truths of spiritualism, and when once they start and become convinced of one truth, they will continue to seek and in the end - if they are sincere seekers - find the truths, because when their minds shall be convinced of the truths of spirit existence and spirit control, they will then realize that over and beyond this, there is something that their souls long for and is never satisfied; and the result will be that they will be in condition to readily believe what may be told them, which leads to that which will satisfy their souls in their longings.
This is the great good that the spiritualists are doing in their efforts to extend their spiritualistic doctrines, and when they are earnest true believers and teachers in what they know of these things, they will bring about that which will cause the increase in the number of mortals who will accept the higher truths of the Divine Love and the immortality of the soul and the way to obtain it.
So you see, that while you may not be much benefited in your soul's aspirations in attending these meetings or affiliating with these people, yet, I would advise that you do everything in your power to help the movement to establish firmly that church in this city for it will be a great influence in attracting people in all parts of the country to the truths of spiritualism. Let not the thought that this church may not teach the real truths of the soul development, or those things which will bring men in attunement with the Father, cause you to in any way discredit the movement that they may endeavor to start in the way of a revival as one of their preachers said.
A little of the truth is better than none at all, especially when it leads to free men from a bondage that has caused them to blindly follow the teachings of those who are in darkness and error.
I will not write more tonight, but will say this, that you and your friend must believe what has been told you and continue to pray to the Father and seek more of the Divine Love. When the time comes I will inform him of the work, which he shall do and it will be an important one and one which will bring him in close contact with me and the higher forces of the Celestial Spheres.
He is now in a condition to receive this soul development, and he must let his mind and soul expand to their fullest extent so that when it comes, I mean the Divine Love, with the great and wonderful power which will accompany it, he will be in a condition to receive it.
I am your friend and brother and his, also, and you must both believe that I am writing this to you for I am that Jesus that all the spirits have told you about and if it were profitable, I would come to you, as I came a few nights ago, and show my glory and power. But this is not necessary for you will believe without this and so much the stronger will be your belief.
I must stop now. So with my love and blessings for you both and my peace, which the world cannot give you, I will say goodnight.
Your brother and friend,
Jesus
Received by James Padgett
Washington, D.C.
I am here, Jesus.
I was with you tonight and you were not very much impressed with the thoughts expressed by the speaker, because he did not dwell very much on the qualities of the soul or the manner in which are perceived the great truths of the Father. He spoke of the love of man to man and of the duties that men owed to one another and of the wonderful possibilities of the intellect in guiding man along lines of living that will bring them happiness and harmony in their earth life, but he did not show them that the mere intellect is not sufficient to bring them in that condition of soul development, which is necessary for their highest happiness in the life to come.
When he spoke of the immortality of the soul, he did not intend to express more than that the spirits of men continue to live after the body dies. He, in fact, does not know what immortality means as we have taught you, and he will some day be surprised when he learns that mere continuity of life is not immortality, or that continuance of existence, which when once possessed cannot be taken away from the spirit.
Yet, notwithstanding all this want of knowledge on his part, he is an earnest spiritualist and is doing much good to mortals for he is showing them the fact that the spirit of man is a mere extension of form of what man now possesses, and that there is no such thing as the death of the spirit when the body dies, or that the spirit lies with the body in a state of obscurity or nothingness, or rather of oblivion, until what the orthodox call the great judgment day.
I am interested in the efforts that these people are now making to build a temple in which to worship and gather in their cause, and I favor the building of the same, because while they do not preach or know the great and necessary truths, yet, they preach those things which free men from the beliefs that hold them in thralldom and error and set them free to receive the greater truths when the time shall come that they shall be known to humanity. So that I would advise you to help their project to the extent that you feel yourself able.
Many people will find that the things, which they may hear at these meetings will cause them to arouse from their slumbers and ignorance and cause them to investigate for themselves the truths of spiritualism, and when once they start and become convinced of one truth, they will continue to seek and in the end - if they are sincere seekers - find the truths, because when their minds shall be convinced of the truths of spirit existence and spirit control, they will then realize that over and beyond this, there is something that their souls long for and is never satisfied; and the result will be that they will be in condition to readily believe what may be told them, which leads to that which will satisfy their souls in their longings.
This is the great good that the spiritualists are doing in their efforts to extend their spiritualistic doctrines, and when they are earnest true believers and teachers in what they know of these things, they will bring about that which will cause the increase in the number of mortals who will accept the higher truths of the Divine Love and the immortality of the soul and the way to obtain it.
So you see, that while you may not be much benefited in your soul's aspirations in attending these meetings or affiliating with these people, yet, I would advise that you do everything in your power to help the movement to establish firmly that church in this city for it will be a great influence in attracting people in all parts of the country to the truths of spiritualism. Let not the thought that this church may not teach the real truths of the soul development, or those things which will bring men in attunement with the Father, cause you to in any way discredit the movement that they may endeavor to start in the way of a revival as one of their preachers said.
A little of the truth is better than none at all, especially when it leads to free men from a bondage that has caused them to blindly follow the teachings of those who are in darkness and error.
I will not write more tonight, but will say this, that you and your friend must believe what has been told you and continue to pray to the Father and seek more of the Divine Love. When the time comes I will inform him of the work, which he shall do and it will be an important one and one which will bring him in close contact with me and the higher forces of the Celestial Spheres.
He is now in a condition to receive this soul development, and he must let his mind and soul expand to their fullest extent so that when it comes, I mean the Divine Love, with the great and wonderful power which will accompany it, he will be in a condition to receive it.
I am your friend and brother and his, also, and you must both believe that I am writing this to you for I am that Jesus that all the spirits have told you about and if it were profitable, I would come to you, as I came a few nights ago, and show my glory and power. But this is not necessary for you will believe without this and so much the stronger will be your belief.
I must stop now. So with my love and blessings for you both and my peace, which the world cannot give you, I will say goodnight.
Your brother and friend,
Jesus
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