|
|
November 15th, 1918.
Received by James Padgett
Washington D.C.
I am here, John Wesley.
I desire to speak to you upon a matter which is very closely associated
with your mission and the work you are now doing. I am one of those
spirits who are engaged in the carrying on of that work on this
side of the borderline, and know the importance of the work and
the necessity for its being done as rapidly as possible, so that
men may have the opportunity to learn and know and teach the truths
of God. I am with you quite frequently as you receive the messages
from the spirits who are revealing these truths, and read your mind
and soul, and know your exact condition regarding your conception
of the task that has been imposed upon you and which you have assumed
to do; and hence, can tell you with almost certainty of your attitude
towards this great undertaking, and when I say attitude, I do not
mean only that of which you are conscious, but also that which is
apparently latent but which, nevertheless, is operating, and obstructing
or assisting the progress of the work.
I am glad to say that just now you have a fuller appreciation of
your position in the matter and of the necessity for completing
the writings and the dissemination of the truths that they contain;
and if you continue in this attitude and permit your desires therein
to intensify and become manifested in actual performance, the work
will progress rapidly and the great end in view will be accomplished.
If you will consider for a moment, you will realize that there
is nothing in all your earth so important to mankind as the knowledge
of these truths, for they deal with and affect that which belongs
to the eternity of the hereafter and the future of the souls of
men, and lead to a destiny which will be a Divine existence or a
mere living of the perfect man of his original creation.
Of course, men are really more interested in their future destiny
than in any or all things of earth and the life thereon, but give
less attention to the ascertaining of the truths of the same than
to many merely human things which exist only during the short earth
life; and this is not to be wondered at, because they have no satisfactory
or convincing means of learning what this destiny is or may be.
It is natural for the desires and interests of men to be attracted
to that which has certainty and probability of realization, rather
than to that which is devoid of the elements that give assurance
and hope founded on knowledge.
As you know, many of the expectations of men as to the future are
based entirely upon what is called faith, which itself is founded
upon what the teachers of the Bible call the mysteries of God, and
which are not the subject of research or study, because God in His
wisdom retains to Himself, with a jealous care, the understanding
of these mysteries; and so men, in their lives, accepting the mysteries
and applying the faith, turn their thoughts to these things very
rarely and even then, in a perfunctory way, applying the idea that
sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Consequently men live
more for the present and in a way let the future come and find them
in a condition that surprises and injures them, and makes for them
a destiny that - were the truth known to them - need not be theirs.
When men shall be able to learn the truths that affect, or rather
create, their destinies if believed in and lived, they will not
be so indifferent to the life of the future, even though they retain
their interests in the life of earth.
And now, in this generation, when men are thinking for themselves
and not resting satisfied with the dogmatic teachings of their supposed
leaders, they are becoming incredulous and demanding more light,
and are refusing to accept the teachings of the mysteries as satisfying
to their feelings of want of those things which will give them an
assurance of the truths of living as mortals. Such faith is dying,
and men prefer its death to the living in the uncertainties. But
this preferring to thus die does not imply - nor is it really true
- that they are not in their souls interested in the eternity part
of their lives and all that it means. But, becoming hopeless because
they see no succor from their unsatisfied condition, they resort
to the moral teachings and conduct for their salvation, having the
hope that a right living in accordance therewith will result in
a future as well as a present in which there must be some happiness,
and that "all will be well."
This, I say, is the condition of many men today, and because thereof,
the ground is fallow for the planting and the nurturing of the truths
that are being revealed to you; and so you must appreciate what
the revealment and dissemination of these truths mean to the world
at this time.
I know that you must give much time and labor to the work of fulfilling
your mission, and also that you must live a large portion of your
life and thoughts with the spirits who are using you for the great
object in view; but this apparent sacrifice will soon cease to be
a sacrifice, and become to you a joy and source of never-ending
benefit to your soul and its future.
So you must work and think thoughts of the spiritual and, above
all, continue in earnest prayer to the Father for increased bestowals
of His Love; and you will not be disappointed. I felt that I should
write you as I have, and while you, I know, expected some spirit
to communicate some unknown and important vital truth, yet I believe
that what I have said may serve to facilitate the delivery of the
messages. I will not write longer tonight.
I am a possessor of this Divine Love, and from this you will understand
what my love is for you, and how earnestly I pray to the Father
to bless you and help you in the great work which is yours to do. Good night. I am
Your brother in Christ,
John Wesley
|
|
