I AM HERE. John, the Apostle.

Let me write a few lines tonight, as I have not written for a long time and am anxious to say a few words which may be of help to you.

I have been present on many evenings when you were expecting to receive communications and were disappointed because of reasons or causes that you could not understand, except that you were not in that condition which would enable the spirits to make a rapport with you.

Well, this is true, and is the immediate cause of the want of power of communicating. But it is well that you understand more than this. For, in order to remedy the difficulty, you must have some knowledge of the seat thereof.

I have explained to you the law controlling rapport and communication. And I have endeavored to make it as plain and understandable as possible so that you, at least, might grasp its meaning. But I see there are some things that you still do not understand. And, because of this, you have had the recent experience of not being able to receive the many messages that were waiting to be delivered through your brain and hand.

As I have said, the first and most important requirement is that you be in that condition of soul which, because of its qualities, will enable the spirits who may desire to write the higher messages to form a rapport or union with you. This means simply to take charge and control of your brain—a brain which, because of certain qualities and thoughts having possessed it, will be in harmony with the thoughts that these spirits desire to transmit through it (just as it is absolutely necessary that the material medium through which the electric fluid shall flow is a medium possessing such nature and qualities as will permit the fluid to flow through it). A wire or medium may be made of wood, and the electric fluid will be present, ready to flow through it, but it cannot. And why? Not because the wire or wood may not be perfect in itself, as such wire, but because the wire has not that nature and quality that will permit the electric fluid to make a union with it and thus control it. And so it is with the brain of the mortal. But the brain, when properly prepared, has the possibility of possessing those qualities that will admit of this union and control, which the wood has not. The brain, when devoid of this preparation, is just as nonreceptive to the rapport and union with, and control of, these spirits as is the wooden wire to a union with the electric fluid.

You have been told on numerous occasions that you were not in condition and that the spirits could not make the rapport, and that you must make the effort to get in condition. And this assertion and advice is all true. You were told to pray more to the Father and think of spiritual things, and then you would come into that proper condition. This is also true, and the advice is helpful. But you were not told what this praying to the Father or thinking of spiritual thoughts means. And, hence, you may do these things in a way and, yet, not get in the proper condition.

During a long period in the past, I know that you have been receiving many messages of the higher Truths, and for the delivery of which a highly prepared brain was necessary to receive the same. And the thought has come to you: Why were you able to receive these messages at the time of their delivery and not be able to receive them now, because, as you further think, your brain is in as good condition now as it was at those times. Well, in the latter thought, you are mistaken. And the fact of such mistake should be sufficient to convince you that your inability to receive the messages should not surprise you. During the period mentioned, you prayed more often for the inflowing of the Divine Love, and your longings were intense. And the desires to possess this Love, which is so vital to the preparation of your brain, were so much more active. And also your thoughts of spiritual things were so much more frequent. In other words, you were then seeking with your whole heart to learn the Truths of God and to possess His Love. And, hence, your brain was continually in that condition which enabled the spirits to make the union and control it for the purpose of their higher expressions.

Lately, you have not had the longings or prayed the prayers for the Love as frequently. And, as a consequence, the qualities and elements of thought that have possessed your brain have not been such as to put your brain in that condition which makes it receptive to those spirit thoughts of the higher Truths. Now, from this, you must not infer that this condition is a mere matter of brain condition, produced by itself, for it is not. You have had the intellectual desire to write and receive the messages as much as you ever had, and also to receive messages of the higher Truths that should be new as well as edifying to you. And your desires were real, and you were disappointed because they were not realized. And this merely demonstrates to you that there is something more than the mere mental or intellectual faculties that is necessary to prepare the brain for the reception and transmission of that which partakes of the nature of Truth, and that has its source in something other than the mere human mind. These higher Truths come from spirits whose minds, as you might say, are of the soul. And as only soul can deal with soul, it is required that the preparation of the brain should come from the exercise of soul powers upon the organs of that brain. And, hence, the necessity for your soul being in that condition that will produce in the brain the qualities that will unite and permit the Truths of the soul to be received and transmitted.

You must not only pray to the Father for the inflowing of this Divine Love but must also pray often, until you realize the possession of this Love in your soul almost constantly. Also, you must turn your thoughts (and I do not mean the merely intellectual thoughts, but the thoughts of the soul which, as you have already had, you may have again) to the spiritual Truths which have been revealed to you, and to the Spiritual Realm where you believe other spiritual Truths are waiting to be revealed. If you will thus pray and think, you will find the desires and the expectations of the fulfillment of these desires coming to you, and an enthusiasm which will come from the development of your soul by the possession of this Love, along with your soul thoughts. This is what is meant by the condition necessary to enable the spirits to make the rapport.

Of course, as to the ordinary matters of the spirit world, where no special soul condition is required, the spirits can make rapport as they desire. And, in your case, many of them could have written at the times you thought you were unable to receive any writings. But we thought it best that no spirit be permitted to write to you, as it might endanger the probability of your getting in the condition that we desire, and which is necessary in order for your brain to receive our vital and important messages. And, hence, your Indian was directed to not permit any spirit to write to you, and he did not, though many made the effort to do so.

Well, I am glad that I could write to you in this manner tonight. And I hope you will consider what I have said, and will realize the importance of your getting into the condition of which I speak. The brain must be used by a soul having the Divine Love active and, thus, prepared to receive the rapport.

I will not write more tonight, but will merely say that we have many more messages which we desire to transmit.

So, believe that I am frequently with you in my love and desire to help and protect, and to make your mission a success.

Good night.

Your brother and friend,

John.