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July 1st, 1917
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.
Let me say only a few words as I am anxious to write and tell you
that I was with you tonight on your last visit to the home of my
son, (Mr. Fontaine), and was hoping that the opportunity would present
itself for me to write; but, as you know, I was disappointed, and
I know that my daughter was also, for she expected that in the event
that you should call at her brother's home, she would be able to
get a communication from me.
As I could not write there, I thought I would accompany you home
in hope that I might write, as I am now doing, for I heard you say
that you had received a letter from your wife every night, and if
that should happen tonight that I might have the chance to write.
Well, I want my daughter to know that I approve of her searching
for the truth which she may find in spiritualism, if properly sought
for; and, notwithstanding that some of my family do not believe
in it and treat it with indifference or disbelief, yet, in it many
truths may be found. It is a truth itself, and is waiting for mortals
to investigate and learn that it is true, and that in it are those
truths that will lead them to much greater happiness than they now
have on earth, and infinitely more than they can possibly find should
they come to the spirit world without a knowledge of these truths.
As they, I mean my family, know that I was a strict orthodox and
believed in the teachings of the Bible as the church to which I
belonged taught, and which I, myself, taught, and died firmly established
in that belief and came into the spirit world wholly impregnated
with this belief, expecting to meet Jesus and be admitted to the
presence of God; and, according to my beliefs, I was justified in
having such expectation. But alas, how different was my experience
when I left the mortal world and how my expectations shattered in
a moment, as it were!
As my spirit left my body, I was fully conscious of the change
that was taking place, and knew that I was dying, but was perfectly
calm and without a particle of fear. I suffered no pain, or dread
of what I should meet, but rather felt a happy expectation in the
thought that my troubles of the earth life were past forever, and
that soon I would be at rest and find my home among the chosen children
of God, and have Jesus welcome me and take me in his arms of love.
All the expectations that I possessed before my passing were with
me, and much accentuated, and no doubt of my realizing the same,
for a moment, entered my mind to disturb my hopes. I also expected
to meet my loved ones who had gone before and enjoy the happiness
of their presence and purified condition of soul.
Well, I soon found myself a spirit, dissevered from my body, possessed
of joy and, as mortals say, lighter than air. Figuratively speaking,
I seemed to be walking on air, with nothing to interfere with my
ascension to the bright realm where I expected to find my beloved
ones and the Christ of my beliefs and love.
I hardly realized my separation from my body before some of my
loved ones met me and welcomed me with love and cheer, and told
me that they were so happy that I had come over, and that I must
not be afraid or doubt that I was then an inhabitant of the spirit
world. I could scarcely tell you how happy I was and how the memories
of the cares and burdens of my earth life left me, and how I seemed
to be in an atmosphere of love and heavenly joy. The meeting with
them was more than I had anticipated, and I thought how it had not
entered into my mind when on earth to conceive of the beauty and
grandeur of the spirit home1 which Jesus had said he
was in heaven preparing for all those who believed in him, and in
the great sacrifice and atonement that he had come to earth to make
for men and which he did make.
But soon, I remembered that my great expectation was to see Jesus,
and feel the influence of his love, and also, get into the heaven
where the Father was and join with the mighty hosts in singing halleluias
and songs of thanksgiving. And I then asked my angel loved ones,
where Jesus was and when I should enter into the presence of the
Father, and receive His benediction of approval as a faithful and
obedient child.
And then, in a loving way and in a manner to make my disappointment
less intense, they told me that Jesus was in the Celestial Spheres,
and the Father, they had never seen - that He was a way up in the
Spheres where no spirit had yet entered, nor had any Spirit seen
His face or heard His voice - no matter how exalted and developed
that spirit might be. That I was mistaken in my beliefs and that
it was only by the development of my soul in love, could I possibly
ascend to the Celestial Spheres where the Master was. That belief
in the blood washing or in the vicarious atonement would not fit
my soul for the Celestial Spheres, and that only the Divine Love
in my soul and the freedom from my erroneous beliefs would enable
me to become a possessor of the mansions that Jesus was preparing
for those who became in at-onement with the Father. That what they
told me was the truth, and that sometime Jesus would tell me the
same thing; and while I could not go to his home, yet he frequently
came to the earth plane and endeavored to help and comfort spirits
who had not the soul love that enable them to become children of
the higher spheres.
Well, you can imagine my astonishment and disappointment, and how
the nakedness of my beliefs appeared to me. And as I thought of
the long life that I had given to the cultivation and establishment
of these beliefs and expectations in my own mind, and that I had
no other knowledge or hope of salvation, I become doubtful of everything
that was told me; and my God became no God, and Jesus, as my saviour,
became no longer my saviour, but a man who had deceived me during
all the long years of my life; and I became resentful and hardened,
and refused to believe in anything. For I thought that while on
earth I was honest with myself and honest with God, and that when
the Bible had been certified to me as God's true revelation, with
the certain and only plan of man's salvation, and I had devoutly
believed in its plan and endeavored to live the life that entitled
me to salvation, thus, as I say, I thought of these things and the
realization of my deception made me rebellious, and I almost hated
spirits and God.
For a while, I was permitted to indulge in these thoughts without
interruption, and then my friends told me that these thoughts were
very harmful, and would prevent me from learning the true way to
salvation and happiness, and that the longer I indulged in my feelings
of resentment and thoughts of having been deceived, the greater
would be my stagnation in my progress, and the darker would become
my surroundings.
Very soon they told me that all things in the spirit world were
controlled by the unchangeable laws of God, and that these laws
required that I should go to the place that my soul's condition
fitted me for, and that they would have to leave me for the time
being. And they said further, that all the beliefs in all the world
will not determine the place in which a newly arrived spirit will
have to find its home, unless those beliefs be true; and that the
beliefs that I had and on which I depended for my salvation were
not true.
Well, I found my place, and with it darkness, in which I remained
for a long time, refusing to believe what was told me as to the
true way to light and happiness, and, just here, I want to say,
that it is not an easy thing to lay aside or get rid of the beliefs
of a life time on earth, even though the surroundings and disappointment
of the spirit show that such beliefs must be false; and that belief
- a merely intellectual belief - is a very important factor in determining
the temporary destiny of the soul.
I have written a long time and I will not relate in detail how
I learned the truth and found the light, and was started on my progress
to the higher spheres or how Jesus came to me and showered on me
his love, and told me of the things that would be mine, if I would
only follow his advice. He said that the great stumbling block to
the progress of a spirit in its search for the truth and the mansions
in the higher spheres is this erroneous and damning belief in his
vicarious atonement etc., and which so many spirits who come to
the spirit world, bring with them.
I am now very happy, and am in the fifth sphere, where there are
beauty and happiness beyond all conception; and if the opportunity
was mine tonight, I would endeavor to give you some faint idea of
my home and its surroundings, and of the beautiful spirits who are
my associates.
Some day, I know this home will be hers, for she will not have
the burdens of the beliefs that I had to overcome. And just here,
I must say, that as she knows how very dear she is to me, and how
much I, who have so much of this great love of the Father in my
soul, must love her, she must also know that I would not deceive
her for all the world; and knowing this must take my advice and
seek for this Great Love of God, which made such a happy spirit
of her father. Let these old orthodox beliefs as to the plan of
salvation leave her, and pray direct to the Father for His Love,
and she will receive all that is necessary for a great earthly happiness
and for a joy unspeakable in the spirit world.
I am with her very often in her earthly troubles, and try to help
and console her, and sometimes I do succeed a little. She must remember
that these trials are only for a moment, and then will leave her
forever, and that the love and influence which her father is throwing
around her will never leave her; and that in that moment which mortals
dread the most - I mean of death - her father and other loved ones
will be with her and take her in their arms of love, and she will
have never a fear or dread as to where she is, for love will be
so great that her soul will respond in such a way that all else
will be forgotten. So tell my daughter to try to not let her troubles
and cares worry her so that she will neglect the presence of the
consolation which we try to bring to her.
Well, I have written as much as I feel that I am justified in doing
as your time is needed for others as well, but your wife, who is
so good, says that I must not fear that I have consumed too much,
for she is always interested in the making known to mortals those
things that will make them happy on earth and certain of heaven.
I should like to say something to my wife, but I see that she is
not in condition to receive my message, for she is suffering as
I suffered, unconsciously, in the dogmatic beliefs of her church.
Oh, if I could only come to her in my appearance of earth and tell
her of the errors of her beliefs, and of the truths that have made
me free and a true child of the Father, I would do so with the rapidity
of light, and with the hope that my love for her would give me.
I never loved her on earth as I do now, and when she comes to the
spirit world she will not come a stranger, for a greater love than
she has ever conceived of will meet her, and she will know the lover.
Tell my daughter to read what I have written to her mother, and
even though her mother will not believe, yet some of the things
that I have said will find a lodgment in her memory, which will
come with her to the spirit world, and help her in her disappointment
in not having her expectations realized.
And what I have said to you, my daughter, I say to my sons, and
urge them to think of these things that are so vital to them as
mortals as well as when they become spirits. Sometime, with your
permission, I will come again and write to my folks. So thanking
you and with my love to all my dear ones, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
Fontaine
1 This is a temporary place before
the spirit goes to the plane the soul condition determines.
Note. This spirit would appear to be Rev
Fontaine.
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