We also maintain, that no matter what may be the circumstances of
a man's death, it is not accidental; it has either been brought about by his own neglect to
embrace opportunities of growth, or else life has been lived to the ultimate possible. There
is one exception to that rule, and that is due to man's exercise of his divine prerogative
of interference. If we lived according to schedule, if we all assimilated the experiences
designed for our growth by the Creative Powers, we should live to the ultimate length,
butwe ourselves
usually shorten our lives by not taking advantage of opportunities, and it also happens that
other men may shorten
our lives and cut them off as suddenly as the so-called accident whereby the divine rulers
terminate our life here. In other words, murder, or fatal accidents brought about
by human[pg 147]carelessness, are in reality the
only termination to life not planned by invisible leaders of humanity. No one is ever
compelled to do murder or other evil, or there could not come to them a just retribution for
their acts. The Christ said that evil must come but woe unto him by whom it cometh, and to harmonize that
with the law of divine justice:“as a man soweth, so shall he also
reap,”there must at least
be absolute free will in respect to evil acts.
There are also cases where a person lives such a full and good
life of such vast benefit to humanity and to himself, that his days are lengthened beyond
the ultimate, as they are shortened by neglect, but such cases are of course too few to
allow of their being dwelt upon at length.
Where death is not sudden as in the case of accidents, but occurs
at home after an illness, quietly and peacefully, dying persons usually experience a falling
upon them as of a pall of great darkness shortly before termination of life. Many pass out
from the body under that condition, and do not see the light again until they have entered
the super-physical realms. There are many other cases however, where the darkness lifts
before the[pg 148]final release from the body. Then the dying person views both worlds at
once, and is cognizant of the presence of both dead and living friends. Under such
circumstances it very often happens that a mother sees some of her children who have gone
before, and she will exclaim joyously: Oh, there is Johnny standing at the foot of my bed;
my but hasn't he grown! The living relatives may feel shocked and uneasy, thinking the
mother suffering from hallucinations, while in reality she is more clear-sighted than they;
she perceives those who have passed beyond the veil who have come to greet and help her to
make herself at home in the new world she is entering.
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