Angelic Revelations—the Gospel of God’s Love
Chapter 14
Immortality
Only from the Immortal Can True Immortality Be Acquired (Jesus)
Jesus Continues His Discourse on Immortality
Mr. Padgett's Grandmother Corroborates That Jesus Wrote on Immortality
The Love of God Brings Immortality in the True Sense of the Term (Luke)
Immortality
Only from the Immortal Can True Immortality Be Acquired
I am here, Jesus
Let me write tonight on a subject that is of importance to mankind and should be fully explained so that they may know the Truth that will show them the Way to Immortality and Light.
I know that men have debated the question of man's immortality all down the centuries. They have attempted to prove the reality of its existence by various arguments and by reference to the analogy of the workings of God's Universe in the fulfillment of His Designs as displayed by the various creations of animate nature. In all these discussions, they have not succeeded in definitely and satisfactorily establishing the fact of Immortality. And why? Because, in the first place, they have not understood what immortality means; and without a correct conception of that which it is desired to prove, it becomes very difficult to successfully prove the existence of the thing sought for. I know that at times some idea of what immortality is has been conceived of and almost understood by some of the writers on the subject; and their efforts have been directed to show that, by man's inner consciousness, as well as by the appearance of those things in nature which die and live again, man is justified in inferring that man himself is immortal, or that he was intended by his Creator to be immortal.
But the inner consciousness of man (meaning the knowledge of the possession of certain desires and aspirations, as well as the realization that his life on earth is too short to enable him to accomplish those things that his efforts and strivings attempt), and what he really accomplishes in the way of his own mental and moral development (if this but ends with the physical death of men and amounts to only a useless exercise of the faculties and powers given him by God), is not sufficient to prove the immortality of the real man. Neither is it evidence of the uselessness of man's creation, though he is deprived in one moment of all the learning and other benefits of a developed intellect as well as of moral progression.
There is a difference between the state and condition of a human soul in the spirit world that continues the life that it had when embodied in the flesh, and the state that not only continues this life but also makes the extinction of this life an utter impossibility - even by God Who, in the beginning of man's existence, created that soul.
True immortality, then, is the state or condition of the soul that has knowledge that, because of the Essence and qualities of itself, it cannot ever cease to live - the impossibility of its ever ceasing to live being known to it and a fact.
It has been said that whatever has a beginning may have an ending, or that which was created may be dissolved into its elements. And the possibility of this is true, and no man or spirit can deny the truth of the assertion. In your earth life, you find that all things have an ending - that is, in their individual and composite form. In the spirit world, why may not the same fate attend created things? The fact that there are things in the spirit world that exist as a continuation of things of earth does not mean that they shall endure forever.
The mere change, caused by the death and disappearance from the vision of men of things that were once alive, does not establish the fact that, as they continue to live in the spirit world, they must live forever. Death, which is looked upon as a destroying angel, is merely the result of the change from that which is visible to that which is invisible; it does not determine the everlasting existence of the thing changed in any way.
The soul of man is the same soul (as to its identity and individuality) while in the flesh, as it is when it becomes an inhabitant of the spirit world. If it is immortal while in the spirit world, it is also immortal while in the body; and if it may cease to have an immortal existence in the one state, it may in the other.
By their arguments of the nature mentioned, suppose that men show that the soul of man does not die when the physical body dies, but that it continues its existence in the spirit world as the identical, personal soul. Then, I ask, does that prove immortality as I have defined it? Death of the body, and the continuing life of the soul thereafter do not work any change in the qualities or essence of that soul. It is still the same created soul that it was in the beginning. Then why may it not be also true that, being a created thing, it may have an ending? This is logical and not unreasonable.
Then I say, even if men prove to the satisfaction of many by their arguments that the soul continues to live in the spirit world with all its faculties and powers in active operation after the death of the physical body, they do not prove, nor do all the facts possible for them to discover and marshal prove, that that soul is immortal. The soul of man did not always exist; it is not eternal, self-existing, or independent of everything else, but is dependent upon the Will of God that called it into existence. Then why is it not reasonable to infer that, in the long period of time to come, it will have served the purpose of its creation, and be disseminated into the elements of which it was created?
But I will say here for the benefit of those mortals who believe in the immortality of the soul that, from the time of the creation of the first man to the present, no spirit in the spirit world has any knowledge of any human soul that has ceased its existence and has been dissolved into its elements. Further, that there are myriads of souls in the spirit world that are in just the condition of perfection that was the condition of the soul of the first man when created and God pronounced His Creation, "Very Good."
But as mortals have no assurance that the life of their souls will not end at some time, neither do spirits who have gained the perfect condition of their creation have any such assurance. They have hope and belief that such may be their destiny, and also a knowledge that their progress as perfect men has ended. They are in that state which limits their progress as the perfect men, although their enjoyment as such is not limited. In God's Universe there is always something new and unknown appearing to them, but yet they have not the knowledge that they are immortal, and realize that they are dependent upon the Will of God for their existence. To many of these spirits, immortality is as much a subject of concern and speculation as it is to the mortals of earth.
Men, in their meditation, study and arguments of this question of immortality, do not start from the foundation of the subject. They have no truthful premises from which they can draw a correct conclusion, and consequently their arguments fail. They reason that, because of the existence of certain things in and outside of man (all things of mere creation) that tend to show God's intentions and plans as regards man, therefore, in order to carry out such intentions, man must be immortal. They do not consider, or lose sight of the fact, that all these things that they use as the foundation for their conclusions are things dependent, not self-existing, and at one time or another, the objects of God's Creation. What God has called into existence He can also declare shall exist no longer. And knowing this, man cannot, or spirit either, rightfully conclude that the soul is immortal.
But there is a way in which the immortality of the soul, or of some souls, can be proven, and which, assuming the facts that enter into the argument to be true, necessarily establish the conclusions without possibility of refutation.
Then, in commencing the argument, what is the only reasonable way to approach the subject?
First, to discover and establish that which is immortal; next, to search for and find that which, though not immortal, yet by reason of certain operations and effects upon it of that which is immortal, becomes itself immortal. Only from the immortal can immortality be acquired.
Well, this is a good place to stop, as you are tired. I am well pleased with the way in which you have received my message. Have faith and pray, and all will be well.
Good night, my dear brother, for you are in truth my brother.
Your
friend and brother,
Jesus
Jesus Continues His Discourse on Immortality
I am here, Jesus
I would like to complete my message on immortality tonight. Let us proceed.
When Adam, or whom he typified, was told that if he should disobey God and "eat of the forbidden fruit" he should surely die, the word "die" meant death of the soul, so far as its future progress in that which would insure its receiving the Divine Essence of the Father's Love was involved. It did not mean the physical death or the death of the body, because it is very apparent that after his doom was pronounced he lived in the flesh a great many years.
But his soul's progression stopped. And only after my coming to earth and teaching the doctrine and Truth of man being restored to the condition which Adam occupied before his fall did mankind have the privilege of becoming immortal again - that is, of being permitted and in condition to obtain that soul progress which would enable them to become one with and a part of the Father in His Love and Affections.
I do not mean that Adam was endowed with this Divine Love when he was created, but that he had that formation of soul potentialities which, if properly exercised, would have brought him in that unison with the Father that would have made his nature Divine. And when he disobeyed the commandments of the Father, he died so far as that possibility of obtaining that Divine Nature is concerned.
As to those who lived on earth between Adam's fall and my revelation of the Truth of Redemption, they did not receive this nature, or potentiality, and were compelled to live only as mortals and spirits having the natural love. They never were admitted into the Father's Heavenly Kingdom, but existed merely as spirits having the natural love which was bestowed upon Adam and his race.
Abraham, Isaac, and the rest of the persons who are described in the Bible as being children of God, and obedient to His commands, were not partakers of this Divine Nature, and became so only after my coming to earth and showing the Way to its attainment.
When I was sent to earth, God sent me with the Truth as to redemption, and conferred upon man the privilege of receiving His Divine Essence. No sacrifice or death of mine brought this great boon. Only with my coming came this Love and the Way to obtain It.
Adam was not created immortal, but had only the potentiality of immortality. And after his death, men ceased to have this potentiality, until God sent it to them with my coming to earth. And when it was said that, as in Adam all men die, so in me were all men made alive, it was merely meant that, when Adam fell, that which formed a part of his being and made it possible for him to become immortal was taken from him; that is, he died as to that potentiality and privilege, and was no more able to attain to the condition of soul that enabled him to become one with the Father, or to partake of His Divinity. And in this death the condition of mankind remained until, as I say, I came and brought with me the restored Gift of the soul attribute which made it possible for man to again become immortal.
When this Gift was bestowed upon man, it was also bestowed upon all those who were then living in the spirit world. But they could obtain it only in the Way that was provided for man to obtain it.
Understand me: everything that was lost by Adam's fall was restored by my coming with the restored Gift; it embraced every spirit who had ever lived as mortal, and every mortal who thereafter lived up to the present time.
My coming, of itself, or the death or sacrifice of me by the Jews, did not restore mankind to the condition that existed in Adam before his fall. I was only a messenger of God sent with that Gift, and was to teach the Truth of its restoration to mankind and to spirits. And after my death, when I descended into hell, as the Bible says (but which saying does not express the destination of my going, for the true meaning is that I went into the world of spirits), I proclaimed to the spirits the Truth of the bestowal of this Restored Life which had been lost by Adam's disobedience. All spirits, good and bad, now have this restored potentiality of obtaining the Divine Nature that I have spoken of, or immortality.
So you see, when Adam "died," what occurred was the death of the soul quality or potentiality, then making immortality unobtainable.
When the Bible speaks of those men of ancient times who were God's prophets and beloved children, and as "walking" with Him, it merely means that they had obtained such a high development of their natural love that, upon their physical death, they could occupy those spheres in the spirit world which made them mere spirits of mortals, close to the Father and supremely happy (I mean that happiness which does not partake of the Divine Nature). They were not in the same condition of soul attributes as was Adam before his fall, for they did not have this potentiality; and any interpretation of anything written in the Bible which gives to any man or spirit the possibility of receiving the Divine Essence of the Father at that time is erroneous and misleading.
As I have said, my death or sacrifice by blood, as is emphasized in creeds and worship of the churches, did not in the slightest degree work to bring about the restoration of this Great Favor of God to man. They were merely the results of the beliefs and actions of men in the Jewish nation who would not tolerate my declarations of Truth. My death, etc. did not appease any "wrath" of God towards men. But only of His Own Great Love for His creatures did God bestow this Gift, or privilege of the soul, which man had lost by Adam's disobedience.
(question)
It was the disobedience of believing that he was not dependent upon God for the soul quality or potentiality that made it impossible for him to partake of God's Divine Nature. The "tree of good and evil" merely represented the knowledge that God had reserved unto Himself, the existence of which, if known to Adam, would have subjected him to temptations that would destroy this soul quality of which I have spoken. And when Adam "ate of the fruit of this tree" - that is, when he disobeyed God and sought the knowledge of those things which subjected him to the temptations that might cause him to cease to be all good - God took away the potentiality of Adam becoming one with Him, and immortal. It was a direct punishment for disobedience, and the result was that man was left mere man, either as a mortal or as a spirit.
I do not think that it was ever said that if Adam should "eat of the tree of life," he would live forever and become as the gods, because he was already the recipient of this "tree of life" in that attribute of his soul which, by its proper development, could make himself like the gods. And here you must understand that "gods" could mean only those who possessed this Divine Nature of the Father. There was only one God, and all other living beings in the spirit world were merely those who were possessed of the godlike qualities of love and obedience; none were gods. The angels of God were merely the spirits that I have last described.
When it was said that man was made a little lower than the angels, it meant that, while these angels had their Divine nature perfected to a more or less degree, man had only the potentiality of soul that would enable him to obtain that development which would perfect him so that he could become an angel. But this saying does not apply to any man born after Adam and before my coming with the announcement that God had restored this Divine attribute to man which Adam had forfeited.
So you see, the loss of immortality does not mean the death of the physical body, but the death of that quality or potentiality of the soul which enabled man to become like the Father in certain of His Divine attributes. And more strictly speaking, the mere possession of this quality of the soul is not immortality, or rather, it does not make a man or spirit immortal, but merely gives him such quality of soul and potentiality that, by its proper development, he may become immortal.
In the future, all men, either as spirits or mortals, will possess that soul quality or potentiality until the great day of judgment shall again take from those who have not perfected their souls at that time into the enjoyment of the Divine nature, as I have explained. When that day comes, those who are without this Divine Essence in their souls will be forever deprived of the privilege of receiving this Great Gift or of obtaining this Divine Essence, or in other words, of God's Divine Love. And after that time those spirits who have never acquired this Divine Nature will be permitted to live merely as spirits enjoying their natural love, just as Adam after his fall, and just as all spirits and men who lived between that time and my coming lived only in their natural love. This is the "second death." Adam's was the first, and the great day of judgment will declare the second. And after that, never again will man have the opportunity of partaking of this Divine Essence of the Father and becoming "as one of the gods."
(Note: Jesus, in "New Testament Revelation #3" delivered through Dr. Daniel G. Samuels, stated that because the Divine Essence will continue to flow from the Source (the Fountainhead of the Father's Being) for a certain number of centuries to come, it is therefore conceivable that this Love may or may not continue in a series of ebbs and flows, as the Father so desires; and if this should occur, then it is also conceivable that the privilege to mankind of receiving this Gift anew, at some time in the future, may be rebestowed by the Father.)
Men may reason to the utmost of their limited intellects in the way of saying that God would not subject his creatures to this second death, and thereby deprive them of this great boon of becoming partakers of His Divine Nature and the great happiness that comes with It. But such reasoning, or the conclusion reached, will not change the fact. What I tell you is the fact, and when too late, many men will realize to their sorrow that it is true.
And men will not be justified in complaining of this. The opportunity is now given, and will in the future be given to all men and spirits to become the children of the Father in the angelic and Divine sense. And if they refuse to become so, they can have no grounds upon which to base the accusation of injustice against the Father or His Love.
He will still be their Father, even though they may not accept his Great Gift, and they will be comparatively happy from the natural love bestowed upon them. But they will not partake of His Heavenly Kingdom. They will be like the guests invited to the marriage feast who, because of various excuses, declined to attend. While they were not deprived of other food and sustenance, yet they never partook of the more precious food which the host had provided for them at the feast, and never thereafter had the opportunity to do so.
Many of my parables in the Bible illustrate this great Truth when properly understood. And men in those days did understand my parables when I was on earth. But men now harden their hearts and shut their intellects to the Truths of these parables and to my teachings.
Of course, ultimately, all these men will be saved from sin and error; in fact, sin and error will be destroyed entirely, and men and spirits will live comparatively happy. But they will live in death and not in life, so far as the life of the soul, with its possibilities of becoming Divine or of enjoying the great happiness which the Divine Love of the Father bestows, is concerned.
So you see, immortality does not pertain to the physical body or to the spiritual body, or to the soul unqualifiedly, but to those qualities of the soul which make it possible for the soul to become Divine in its nature. And immortality does not mean mere continuous existence, because every spirit and every soul may live through all eternity in their individualized forms. And when it was said in the Bible that I brought Immortality and Life to light, it did not mean that I showed men that they would merely continue to live forever as spirits. Rather, it meant that they would live forever in the Father's Kingdom, with natures that would be Divine, and not capable of being deprived of the great and true Life which obtains only in that Kingdom.
So, let you and your friend think over what I have written. And in places where my meaning may not appear plain, I will try to enlighten your souls and intellects by the inspiration of my knowledge and power. You are both very mediumistic and easy recipients of inspiration. And as your souls seem to be attuned to the Truth, and as you are seeking earnestly for the Truth, I will endeavor with all my powers to inspire you with such intellectual thoughts and spiritual perceptions as will enable you to see these Truths in all their nakedness, face to face, and not as through a glass, darkly.
I must stop now. I give you my blessings and the Blessings of the Father.
Your
friend and brother,
Jesus
Mr. Padgett's Grandmother Corroborates That Jesus Wrote on Immortality
I am here, Your grandmother
Well my son, the discourse of the Master is wonderful. Never before has he explained the real inner truths of immortality to mortals, and other truths of a kindred nature.
I was somewhat impressed with the earnestness with which he wrote, and with the great exertion of his thoughts and the love that accompanied his writing. You must study the message earnestly, for in it are truths which nowhere else appear that I am aware of. Oh, the great Blessings of the Father to His children! How thankful we should be that we live in a time when this Great Gift has been restored to mankind, and we have the privilege of partaking of It!
I will not write more tonight, as you are considerably exhausted by your writing.
So with all my love and best wishes for your welfare, I am
Your
loving grandmother,
Ann Rollins
The Love of God Brings Immortality in the True Sense of the Term
I am here, Luke the Apostle
I was with you today as you listened to the discourses of the preacher upon the subject of immortality. I saw that you realized he did not have a true idea of what the term means and thought how much you would like to inform him of your knowledge of the subject. Well, I understand just how you felt about the matter, and I am in sympathy with you in your desire, and hope that sometime you may have the opportunity to converse with him on this subject and give him your conception of the truth.
It is the subject of so many sermons and theories preached by preachers and others, and yet not one of them has the true understanding of what immortality is. They understand it only in the sense of continuous life, and in addition, try by argument and inferences to attach to it the idea of never ending - that is, of the continuous life being so established that it can never be ended - and in this, they satisfy their longings and desires. But you see, this inference is merely one that is drawn from the desires of the preachers. They have no true basis upon which to found their conclusions. And, as to life in general, they would not be willing to risk the important things of life requiring action, or to form life conclusions, based upon something no better established than merely their desires.
No, mankind does not really know what immortality is. All the arguments that they can put forth in an attempt to prove immortality are not sufficient to convince the clear, cool and unprejudiced mind as to its being a fact. As is said in the message that you have received from Jesus, immortality can be derived only from that which is immortal. And all arguments that merely tend to show that a thing must be immortal because of the desires or intentions of God do not suffice. All the facts that may be established as premises are not sufficient to logically prove the conclusion desired, and men cannot depend upon such method of reasoning.
It is utterly impossible to derive immortality from anything less than that which is immortal in itself. To attempt to do so by argument or inference is a mere waste of time by the exercise of the reasoning faculties.
As has been said, only God is immortal. That means that the very qualities and nature of God are immortal. And if it were possible for Him to have any qualities that are not of a nature that partakes of the immortal, then these qualities would not be immortal but would be subject to change and dissolution. Among the qualities of His being is the great and important one of Love - without it, God could not be. His existence would be less than that of a God; and that being a fact, this great quality of Love must be immortal. And into whatever this quality may enter and form a part, that thing is necessarily immortal, and in no other way could it become immortal.
This Love of God, then, brings immortality in the true sense of the term. When It enters into the soul of a man and possesses it, that soul becomes immortal, and in no other way can immortality be acquired.
Not all things of God's Creation are immortal, for in a shorter or longer time they perform the object of their creation. Their existence is no longer required, and they become dissolved into the elements of which they were composed. Man's physical body is not immortal for this reason. After a short life on earth, it dissolves and is no more. His spirit body is primarily of this evanescent character, and it may be that, in the course of eternity, it will have performed its mission and cease to exist. We do not know this. Neither are we assured that it is not true, because the spirit body is dependent upon the continuous existence of the soul for its continuous existence. Not all souls will receive a part of the Father's Divine Love, which is the only thing that has this immortality within Itself, and so it may be that at some time in the future, this soul without the Love may cease to exist, and be a creature of the Father no more.
But this we do know: that whatever partakes of the Divine Love has that which is necessarily immortal in it. It can no more die than can this Love Itself, and hence must be immortal.
So when men speak or teach that all men are immortal, they speak that which they do not know - only God Himself knows that fact. However, from the mere exercise of the reason, men may be justified in saying that such men or souls who do not obtain the Divine Love are not immortal.
Now, while this question of man's immortality is still in doubt and has never been demonstrated to be a fact, yet we do know that that portion of mankind whose souls have received this Immortal Divine Love are immortal and can never cease to exist. The great comfort or blessing that this possession brings to these souls is that they know they are immortal because they possess that Quality or Nature of God that is Immortal; and as the latter can never have an ending, neither can that into which this Immortal Love has entered and found a lodgment have an ending.
The preacher's arguments were strong, and in the ordinary workings of men's minds and reasoning powers, may convince men that immortality is a proven fact for all mankind. But when properly analyzed, and the true rule of search for immortality is applied, it will appear that the arguments are not conclusive - hope is stronger than fact, and men have not the assurance that, for them, immortality holds out its desired arms of certainty.
Well, I thought I would write to you this short message on the question that you and the preacher have been meditating upon, in the hope that he might not depend upon the strength of his argument for establishing the fact of immortality, but would see and become convinced that the only Way to ascertain and acquire the true immortality is by seeking for and obtaining the Divine Love, thereby having his soul transformed into the very Essence and Nature of God in Love.
I am glad that I can write to you again, and that your condition is so much better than it has been, permitting the rapport to be made. Pray more to the Father, and believe, and you will get in a condition that we so much desire.
I will not write more. Good night.
Your
brother in Christ,
Luke
Prior to the Coming of Jesus, No Philosopher or Religious Teacher Could Be Said to Have Brought Immortality to Light
I am your friend and brother in love and desire for the Kingdom - I am the spirit of Henry Ward Beecher.
I live in the Seventh Sphere where your Father now is; and because of having met him there, I come to you tonight to write for a short time.
He has told me of you and how easily you receive the communications of the spirits, and I want to let you know that even though I am no longer the same as when on earth, I still have the same desire to make known to men the thoughts that arise in me concerning God and the relation of men to Him and His Kingdom.
I am now a believer in Jesus as I never was on earth. It may surprise you to know that, when on earth, no matter what I may have preached to my people, yet in my heart, I looked on Jesus as a mere man of the Jews, and not very different from others of the great reformers who had lived and taught on earth the moral truths which tended to make men better and caused them to live more correct and righteous lives.
But since I have been in the spirit world and have had the experiences which my life here has given me, and have found the Way to God's Divine Love and to His Kingdom, I have learned and now know that Jesus was more than a mere reformer. He was not only a good and just teacher, and lived the life of such, but he was also the true son of God and His messenger in bringing to the world the truths of immortality and the Divine Love of the Father, and the Way to obtain It. He was truly the Way and the Truth and the Life as no other teacher before him ever was.
I know it is taught, and I believed it when on earth, that many religious and pagan teachers asserted and tried to teach the immortality of the soul to mankind; and as men understood the meaning of the word "immortality," these teachings were more or less satisfactory. But I now see that their conception of immortality was merely a continuity of life after what is called death. How different the meaning is as thus taught, and the true meaning of the word!
Immortality means so much more than a mere continuation of life. It means not only a continuation of life but also a life that has the Divine Love or Essence of the Father in it, which makes the spirit who has that Love a Divinity itself and not the subject of death of any kind.
No mere spirit has this immortality just because it is continuing to live in the spirit world, and cannot conceive of any possibility that continuity of life can ever be arrested or ended. No such spirit knows that to be true, because it has never been demonstrated as a fact, and it cannot be until eternity has come to an end. Such spirit is no different in its essence and potentialities from what it was when enfolded in the flesh, and it has no greater reason for believing that it is immortal than it had when on earth.
A speculation and a proven fact are two entirely different things. Yet with some spirits, as well as with some men, speculation becomes almost as much a certainty as does a demonstrated fact. But there is no justification for relying upon conclusions drawn from mere speculation. In the great workings of eternity, the spirit or man who does so may find himself not only mistaken but also surprised beyond all conception at what eventualities such workings may bring forth.
So I say, before the coming of Jesus, immortality had not been brought to light, and could not have been, because it did not exist for mankind.
When I learned the true meaning of the word, I was as much surprised as men will be who may read this communication or hear its import. The hope of Socrates or of Plato or of Pythagoras was only a hope fortified by the reasonings of great minds, and supplemented by much development of soul qualities. But when all was said, it was only hope - knowledge was wanting. And even if they had realized that the spirits of departed men did return and communicate to them, and that there was no such thing as the death of the spirit or soul, yet such experiences did not prove anything to them beyond the fact that life was continuous for the time being.
As change is the law in the spirit world as well as on earth, they could not say with the certainty of knowledge that there might not be some change in the spirit world that would break or set aside the continuity of existence.
Take the young child when its intellect has not sufficiently developed to understand that there is such a thing as the death of the physical body. It believes, if it thinks at all, that it will continue to live forever on earth. And so with these philosophers who had the hope of a future continuous life; also with the spirits who know that there is a continuous life. Living after death, they think that living must be the fixed state and must, of necessity, continue forever. As I say, it has not been demonstrated that such life will continue forever; yet on the other hand, it has not been shown that it will not.
Hence, no spirit can say that it is immortal unless it partakes of the Divine Essence. And prior to the coming of Jesus, no wise philosopher or religious teacher could be said to have brought immortality to light.
While hope and speculation exist as the children of desire, yet knowledge is wanting and certainty is not so created. The immortality that men believed in and comforted themselves with believing in, then, was the immortality that hope created and speculation proved. And the experiences of men, in communicating with the spirits, showed that death had not annihilated the individual. But hope and speculation and experience did not create knowledge.
When Jesus came, he brought with him not only hope but also knowledge of the Truth. Not many men have comprehended it or understood the reason or foundation for such knowledge, and the reasoning faculties of men were not sufficient to show the true reasons of such knowledge. And strange as it may seem, the students and commentators of the Bible have never disclosed the true foundation upon which this knowledge exists.
I confess that in my life, while a great student of the Bible, I never comprehended the true meaning of how, or in what way, Jesus brought immortality to light. I thought, as many others do now, that his death and resurrection were the things that showed the reality of immortality to mankind. But these things showed no more, as I now see, than did the numerous instances recorded in the Old Testament and in the secular writings of the philosophers and adepts of India and Egypt, that there was an existence after so-called "death."
Many who dispute the fact that Jesus brought immortality to light base their argument on this other fact: that he was only one of many who had died and afterwards came to mortals and showed that they still lived as spirits. So I say (and as I believed while on earth), the mere fact of Jesus' resurrection does not prove immortality.
Then what have I learned immortality to be since I have been in the spirit world? My reasoning powers are much greater now than they were on earth, my perceptive faculties have become more keen, and my experience in the laws of the spirit world has given me great knowledge; but all these would not have given me the knowledge of immortality, of themselves, had not Jesus himself explained it to me, and demonstrated it by his own condition, and that of many spirits in the higher Spheres. Now, because of my present soul development, I am the possessor of that knowledge.
Only the Father is immortal. And only those to whom He gives His attributes of Immortality can become immortal as He is. Love is the great principle of immortality. By this, I mean the Divine Love of the Father, and not the natural love of the creature. And he who possesses this Divine Love becomes, as it were, a part of It; or It becomes a part of him, and in Its operations, makes him like unto the Father. In other words, a spirit who possesses this Divine Love becomes a part of Divinity itself, and consequently, immortal; and there is no possibility of his ever becoming deprived of this element of Divinity.
No spirit is immortal when there is any possibility of its being deprived of that immortality. Even God Himself, if He could be deprived of that great quality, would not be immortal. And just as it is impossible to take away this great attribute from the Father, so is it impossible for the spirit who has once obtained this Divine Love of the Father to lose its immortality.
So you see, immortality comes to a spirit only with the possession of the Divine Love; and that Love is not bestowed upon every spirit, but only upon those who seek for It in the Way shown by Jesus to mankind.
Death does not bring immortality to the mortal. Because his spirit survives his death, it does not follow that immortality becomes a part of his existence as a spirit.
So I say, when Jesus brought the knowledge to the world of the bestowal of this Divine Love of the Father upon mortals under certain conditions, and also showed mortals the Way in which that Great Gift might be obtained, he brought immortality and life to light. And before him, no man or spirit had brought these Great Gifts to light.
I am now a partaker of the Divine Love to a certain extent, and have the possibility before me of obtaining It to Its fullest extent, as promised by the Master to all who may seek for It in truth and with faith.
I did not intend to write so long a message at this time, and as I am enthusiastic on this subject, I find that I have trespassed upon your time and kindness longer than I realized.
So thanking you for your patience, I will stop now. But I hope that I may have the privilege of coming again at some time and writing.
With my kind regards, I am
Very
truly yours,
Henry Ward Beecher
John Discusses Immortality - in the Sense of Continuous Life - and Why the Churches Refuse to Investigate That Spirits Can and Do Communicate with Mortals
I am here, John the Apostle
Yes, I come to tell you that I have been with you today in your attendance at the church services, and as the preachers declared their ideas of what immortality means, I suggested to you thoughts showing how unsatisfactory their reasonings and conclusions were. Of course what the morning preacher said about the reasons for inferring that immortality must be the lot of man had in it a considerable force, and also consolation; and I am glad that he dealt with the question as he did. But when all was said, it was merely hope and belief - knowledge was absent. And men so often realize that their hopes are not fulfilled.
How regrettable it is that, while men may know - and I emphasize Know - the truth of immortality if they will only seek for it, yet they will not seek, although it is open to search even without the information that our messages give you (and in speaking of immortality in this writing, I mean continuous life upon the death of the physical body).
Of course, immortality, as it has been explained to you, can only be learned from the teachings of our communications. But immortality in the former sense - continuity of life - can become established as a matter of knowledge, and to the satisfaction of these orthodox preachers, if they will only seek with open minds, divorced from the beliefs that keep them from accepting as true any and every thing not contained in the Bible.
It has been established as a fact for a long time that, in the beginning, antedating even the Bible, spirits or angels communicated to men. And the Bible has many instances where such occurrences were declared. But while these orthodox teachers accept all these instances as true, yet they say that the occurrences were caused by some special interposition of God; and to a certain extent this is true. But this cause applies to all instances of spirit communication that have taken place since these Bible manifestations.
As we have told you many times, law - unchangeable law - governs all of God's Universe, and nothing happens by chance. And so, every instance of spirit communion is the result of the operation of some law working in an orderly manner. No spirit could communicate, and no mortal could receive the messages unless the law worked in such a manner as to permit or cause the same.
And here I must say that the same principle of law that enables the evil spirit to communicate or manifest enables the higher spirit to do the same. There is no special law for one and not for another.
Your land is filled with mortals who have developed such powers in them that enable the spirits to become in rapport with them, and make known the fact thereby that the supposed dead are alive and able to declare the fact to mortals. These facts have been established to the satisfaction of men of all kinds and characters - to the scientist as well as to the man of ordinary intelligence, and even less, and to the open-minded orthodox preacher as well as to the infidel.
And all these things are not merely matters of chance, but are designed to show man that he is a living, never dying being (as far as is known), whether in the flesh or out of it. And what is thus designed and provided for man's consolation should not be looked upon with suspicion or fear of being against God's Will.
No, this great privilege is a part of God's Goodness to man, and he must so understand it, and add knowledge to his hope and desire for continuous life. So I say, regarding these leaders of the worshipers at the orthodox shrines, if they will learn the truth of this immortality, or continuity of life after the death of the body, they will make certain that for which they have now only as a hope - and this, backed by their faith in what their Bible tells them is the truth.
Of course, this hope and faith may become so strong as to satisfy their doubts on the question. But even then it is not knowledge. This faith and hope will pale into insignificance when the mother, mourning for her recently departed loved one, hears his voice declaring to her that he is still alive and has all his love and longings for her, and that he is with her, feeling her love for him.
But these teachers will not seek, or if they do, and feel their hope and faith turn to knowledge, they will not declare the truth to their flock. And why not? Because the creeds and dogmas and iron bands of erroneous beliefs forbid them from doing so. They will preach of the freedom of the press, and if necessary will lay down their lives for such a cause. Yet when they come to deal with this question of supreme and vital fact, they are afraid to seek the truth; or in seeking and finding the truth, they are afraid to declare the freedom of their beliefs from the bondage of their creeds.
What a responsibility they have, and what an answer they will have to make! They bury the talent which is given them, and the accounting will be grievous !
But someday, and soon, this truth will seek them with such overwhelming force that their creeds will crumble; and in addition to hope and faith, there will come to them knowledge; and with knowledge, freedom; and with freedom, the Pearl of Great Price which has so long been hidden from them in the shell of fear and bigotry.
I felt that I must say these few things to you to encourage you in your work of bringing Truth to light. So with all my Love and blessings, I am
Your
brother in Christ,
John
