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May 29th, 1916
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.
I am here, St. John, Apostle of Jesus.
I come tonight to tell you a vital truth, which
I know you will be interested in.
The question has often been asked: "What does the spirit of
man do when it leaves the physical body for eternity?"
Many spirits, I know, have written you about this matter and some
of them have described their personal experiences, yet in all the
information that you have received there are some facts that have
not been referred to, and I will in a brief way describe them.
When the spirit leaves the body, there is a breaking of the silver
cord, as it is called, and thereby all connection between the spirit
and the body is severed for all eternity - never again can that
spirit enter that body, and neither can any other spirit, although,
I know, it is claimed by some spiritualists that another spirit
may inhabit the cast-off body. But this is all wrong, for no spirit
ever enters the body which has once been the home of another spirit,
and, hence, claims made by some of the wise men of the East that
such a thing can be, have no foundation in fact.
When the silver cord is once severed, no power that is known to
the spirit world, or among spirits of the highest sphere, can again
resuscitate that body and cause the manifestation of life, and,
hence, in the miracles mentioned in the Bible, where it is said
that the dead were brought to life, it must be understood that this
tie between the spirit and the body was never broken.
In those ancient days, as now, there were persons who had the appearance
of being dead, and so far as human knowledge was concerned were
dead, but who were really in a state of what may be called suspended
animation. With no signs of life appearing, to the consciousness
of men, death was thought to have taken place. Yet in no case where
the supposed dead were raised to life, had the mortal really died.
As Lazarus has already told
you, when Jesus commanded him to come forth, he had not died,
and so of all the other supposed dead who were called to life. When
this tie has been once severed, there are certain chemical laws
affecting the physical body, and certain spiritual laws affecting
the spirit, which absolutely render it impossible for the spirit
to again enter the body; and as you have been informed, we all,
mortals and spirits and angels as well, are governed by laws which
have no exceptions, and never vary in their workings. So I say,
when once the spirit and body separate, it is for all eternity,
and the spirit then becomes of itself, a thing apart, controlled
entirely and exclusively by laws governing the spirit body.
With the spirit's entry into the spirit world, comes the soul,
still enclosed in that spirit body, and to an extent controlled
by that body, which latter is also, in certain particulars controlled
by the soul.The spirit body has not, of itself, the power to determine
its own location or destiny, as regards place, for the law of attraction
which operates in this particular, operates upon the soul, and the
condition of the soul determines the location of itself, and as
the spirit body is the covering of the soul, it must go where this
law of attraction decrees the soul shall abide.
While the mind and the mental faculties and the senses have their
seat in the spirit body, yet the law that I speak of does not operate
upon these faculties, as is apparent to every spirit which he knows
from observation, as well as from experience, that the combined
power of all these faculties cannot move a spirit body one step
in the way of progress, unless such faculties have, in their influence
upon the soul, caused its condition to change; and in the matter
of mere mental or moral advancement this can be done.
So, I repeat, the condition of the soul determines the locality
as well as the appearance of the spirit body, and this law of attraction
is so exact, that in its operations, there is no opportunity for
chance to interpose, and place the spirit body in a location which
is not its, by reason of the operation of this law. So that when
the spirit body enters the spirit world it must go to and occupy
the place which its enclosed soul determines that it shall occupy.
No interposition of spirit friends or love of parent or husband
or child can prevent this destiny, although for a time, until the
soul has really has an awakening as to its condition of severance
from the mortal life, these relations or friends may retain the
spirit body near the place of its entrance into the spirit life,
even though that place be one of more beautiful surroundings and
happiness than the one to which it is destined. But this situation
does not last long, for the law works, and as the soul comes into
full consciousness, it hears the call and must obey.
And thus you see, friends and loved ones in spirit life meet with
love and kindness and consolation, the newly arrived spirit, but
the parting must come, and every soul must find its home according
as its own qualities have determined. And yet the consolation mentioned
is a real one, for in many instances, if it were not so, the lonely
spirit would experience fear and bewilderment and all the unspeakable
sensations of being deserted.
Then there comes a time, when every soul must stand alone, and
in its weakness or strength realize that no other soul can bear
its sorrow or take from its burdens or enter into its sufferings,
And thus is realized the saying that each soul is its own keeper
and alone responsible for its own condition.
Of course in many cases the loving friends may visit that soul
in its place of existence and offer consolation and help and encouragement
and instruction, but in some cases this cannot be, for as this soul
is then laid bare to itself, all its deformities, and sins and evil
qualities come before it, and thus throws around it a wall, as it
were, that prevents the good friends and loving ones from appearing
to it.
And thus again comes into operation the great Law of Attraction
for while these more elevated friends, cannot come to that soul,
yet other spirits of like souls and qualities may become its associates,
and render such assistance as the blind can lead the blind in their
movings about. And I wish here to say, notwithstanding what some
of your spiritualistic teachers have said, that the soul has its
location as well as its condition.
The above condition that I have described is the destiny of some
souls shortly after becoming spirits, and it is a deplorable one,
and you may think that such souls are deserted by the loving influences
of God's ministering spirits, and left all alone in the dreary places
of their habitations. But such is not the case, for while they are
deprived of the presence, to them, of the higher spirits, yet the
influences of love and compassion are flowing from these spirits,
and at sometime will be felt by the lonely ones, and as these influences
are felt the poor souls commence to have an awakening which gradually
causes the wall of their seclusion to disappear until at some time,
the higher spirits find that they can manifest their presence to
these unfortunate ones.
And, besides, this, every spirit, no matter how fallen, has a work
to do, even though it may appear insignificant, and among these
spirits of similar conditions some are a little more progressed
than others, and by reason of a law which causes the more progressed
to help the lesser, the latter are frequently helped from their
low estate.
Now what I have last written applies of course to the spirits who
are wicked and vile and without any soul development in the way
of goodness, but a similar principle enters into the conditions
of all the spirits in the earth plane, although the higher they
are in that plane the greater opportunities they have for receiving
help and progressing. Of these latter, and the operation of the
mental thoughts and moral qualities upon the condition and progress
of the soul, I will write you later.
I have written enough for tonight, and leaving you my love and
blessings, I will say good night.
Your brother in Christ,
John
This message is a composite of two, being published
in Volume I on page 293 and Volume III on page 194. For more
details see this page.
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