INVESTIGATIONS BY MRS. JENNIE M'KEE--FIRST LETTER FROM EMANUEL SWEDENBORG,
ETC.
After Mrs. Cooper moved to Louisville I made acquaintance with Mrs. Jennie
McKee, a real lady of high moral and truthful qualities, who had wonderful
medial gifts, and permitted me to come to her residence, No. 47-1/2
Sherman avenue, Cincinnati, for a slate-writing seance weekly, every
Thursday, from 9 to 11 A. M. The spirits wrote independent, in broad
daylight, when she held the slate under the stand, which was never covered
with any thing, and with a pencil so small (about one-eighth part of a
common wheat grain) that no human fingers in the body could write with it.
I commenced with her the 4th of August, 1881, and continued until she
passed away to the higher life, the 17th of November the same year. During
that time I received many highly valuable and remarkable communications
and gifts, of which I will only mention a few. On the 8th day of September
there appeared among other communications on the slate the following:
"My friend, I come from a higher sphere of light and truth, in compliance
with your request, and I greet you this morning in God's most holy name. I
will speak to you not as I would have done when inhabited in earth form,
but with a more expanded vision, and the more profound knowledge and the
clearer understanding of the fundamental laws and governing principles of
the Great Ruler of the universe. In those days in which I wrote it would
have been a very unwise and dangerous thing to have given these spiritual
manifestations to the people, from the fact that they were not prepared to
receive the blessings, and the ultimate desire for the amelioration of
mankind would have been defeated, and the result would have been
disastrous."
I had wished a clearer understanding about our guardian spirits, and on
the slate came:
"At the time of birth there are two self-constituted guardians, one from
the light sphere and one from the dark, and as the child advances toward
maturity, the number is greatly increased; but whether good or bad,
depends entirely upon the persons themselves. Thus, for instance, if man
leads a life of depravity and vice, he naturally attracts spirits of a
like character; on the other hand, if a man leads a moral life of purity,
bearing in his heart love and good will to others, he is surrounded by
pure spirits, who are attracted by those elements. Thus, my friend, you
see how essential it is, both for happiness here and through all eternity,
that you conduct yourself so that the pure spirit of love can come and
minister to you. I must leave, but will shortly come again."
Here I said to Mrs. McKee: "If he signs his name, I would like to have the
slate, so I could show it to my wife;" and he said to her (but I could not
hear him): "Put a paper on the slate." I cut a leaf from my annotation
pocket book, and we put it on the slate loose, and Mrs. McKee held the
slate, with the paper and a short lead pencil on it, under the table, and
on the paper, now in my possession, was the following:
"Dear heart, so true to my memory, my blessing with you,
"EMANUEL SWEDENBORG."
On the 13th of October, at a seance by Mrs. McKee, from 9 to 9:30 A. M.,
the following communication appeared on the slate:
"My beloved, I am with you, and I greet you with my blessing in the name
of the Most High and Ruling Power, and not only is it I who bless you, you
have attracted to you a number of highly exalted spirits, who love you for
your singleness of purpose and purity of heart, with which you are
promulgating the teachings you receive from us; that is why you have been
selected by us, because you have been upright and moral in your life;
because those who wish to investigate would be more impressed than did the
communication come from other sources. Fear not, we will be with you, and
each word will have weight. You must expect to be criticised and doubted;
but again I say, fear not, we are with you, and will turn the thought of
the people. We shall eventually see our efforts crowned with success. We
appeal to the senses; it would be a vain and useless thing to set up a
higher authority than man's own conscience, for that is the last final
tribunal at which he is judged. The errand of life, the education,
unfolding and strengthening the combination of the mind, the exigencies of
business, the duties of citizenship, the cares of the household, all this
requires the utmost seriousness of purpose and activity; but activity is
neither in the development of manhood. It is far more essential that the
mind and moral nature should have careful cultivation. Man should not care
so much concerning the short period of natural life. From this side,
through us who live by deeds, not years, in thought and feeling, instead
of figures on the dial, by the happiness we produce, is our only gauge of
time. There is an embodiment of selfishness underlying the human family
which will first have to be eradicated through education, and it is the
desire of the spirit world that man should be a brother to his fellow-man.
I go now, but will be with you as often as I can. I leave my blessing for
you and your household.
"SWEDENBORG."
"My friend, I come to say how much I enjoy and sympathize with you, that
those who were blind are beginning to see, and are in better condition for
the reception and appreciation of the spiritual blessing which is being
prepared for you and yours by the loved ones who are gone before. I have
brought my dear life companion with me this morning, who is working with
me in acquiring the knowledge which will be necessary for you in the
fulfillment of the mission you have been selected for to give out the
knowledge of this glorious philosophy. It is the truth, for it is vouched
for by the testimony of every atom, every bright world you observe in the
firmament, and lastly by the spirit of the past man made perfect. You may
be called fanatic, but if spiritualism is fanaticism, it is of more value
to mankind than the whole circle of the sciences. We are called away now,
but will come this evening.
"FREDRIKA."
"Dear papa, there is much joy and rejoicing among your spirit band. I am
so happy that I can come to dear mamma, and have her receive me as you do.
Kiss her for me. The power is too far gone to write any more.
"EMIL."
On the 20th of October, 1881, between 9 and 11 A. M., at a seance with
Mrs. McKee, the following communication appeared on the slate:
"Good morning, my friend. I am here, and greet you with my love and my
blessing as the one chosen by me to help me in correcting the teachings I
have put forth, and which at that time were not clearly understood even by
myself, consequently I failed to render myself sufficiently intelligible
to be properly understood by others. Now these mistakes must be rectified,
and the erroneous impression replaced by the truth. I am preparing my
statements, and they will be given to you in proper time through the
channels we have chosen. I have chosen you as my assistant, well knowing
your loyalty, steadfastness of purpose and your fearless disposition, so
like what my own was, so it would be a matter of perfect indifference
whether you received commendation of the people or only arouse their
condemnation. It was this prominent characteristic which proved the
attractive power that has drawn me to you. I ask no one to give up his
principles; I simply desire to place truth before him, and let each
individual reason according to the light surrounding him. Surely truth can
defend itself, so we will let it speak for itself. I am happy and content
with my surroundings, but I come to bring to the children of my love, the
people of the new church, more light, if they will only receive it. I am
impressed more fully each time I revisit your earth sphere that, had I
lived at the present day, my labors would have been understood and
appreciated, and I should not have felt that my best efforts were but a
sad failure in comparison to what I expected or desired. I am now called
away, so I now leave for this time, but will be with you soon. Good bye.
God bless you and yours.
"SWEDENBORG."
On the 27th of October, 1881, at Mrs. McKee's, Swedenborg gave me a short
communication, both on slate and paper, and afterwards came:
"Good morning, my friend, Swedenborg has been called away, but he has
brought me to say a word and to assist in promulgating the truth. Many
high and elevated spirits are banding together to spread the truth.
"POLHEIM."[2]
On the 3d of November, 1881, I had a seance with Mrs. McKee, and after the
slate had been under the bare stand for about ten minutes a tap was heard,
by which sign it was taken out from under the stand, and five exceedingly
beautiful, fresh flowers, giving out a delicious perfume, were on the
slate, and little dew drops had made some wet spots under them. On the
slate was written the following:
"Good morning, my friend. I bring you some flowers. Let them convey to you
the dearest essence of the high power to produce. They are the handiwork
of God. In them we see His ever living presence.
"FREDRIKA EHRENBORG."
Afterwards the following communication appeared:
"Good morning, my beloved. I am again with you, weighty with rich
blessings for you and yours, and I come also with a heart overflowing with
love, tenderness and gratitude, that I am permitted, through the goodness
and wisdom of the most High Power, to return, and through you, my
trustworthy assistant, give my thoughts and ideas to the people. We love
our mediums, our channels and our doorway, through which we come to love
and bless. Take no heed of any unkind remarks, it is only an evidence of
ignorance. Keep straight on, turn neither to the right nor to the left,
continue to scatter seeds by the way-sides, which will furnish food for
thought, and thought will lead to investigation. Investigation must
necessarily lead in the acknowledgment of the truth. You can not expect to
convince at once--it must be the work of time--and bear in mind, no one
ever yet sought to benefit mankind who was not placed under the dark ban
of suspicion. As you say, nothing can be gained by denunciation. Keep on.
My blessing with you.
"SWEDENBORG."