Nor days nor things diurnal;
Only the sleep eternal
In an eternal night.”
Ruth had fasted for three days. All she drank was a cup of warm milk twice a day—and drank this very slowly. The third night after saying her prayers she fell into a sound sleep. It was darkest midnight when Cresto, with many of his friends, came to protect Ruth. All were dressed in disguise—in long black robes. Ruth gradually felt her soul gently and silently carried away in space to the underworld.
“Cresto, dear, were you ever in this awful, dismal, dark, place before?”
“Yes, dear, all souls from earth are taken here at death and judged. I was here a few days until I was judged for every act I ever did. No soul can escape this court. Darling girl, when you are taken here, I will come with you. I beg you to live such a perfect Christian life that our dear judges will not keep you long. Some stay thousands of years in this one place, others, only a few days. Christ descended and remained here two days Himself. He was perfect. The third day Our Lord ascended up to Heaven. He rose in great power and glory. Dear Ruth, if you follow in His footsteps, you need not fear to go where He has been. Jesus has surveyed the narrow road that leads to the gates of Heaven. He is the one who will light the way for us. Here our Lord and His hosts of angels, judge the living and the dead. Christ and His own followers have been judged here, so that they may be just to the wicked. He obeys and keeps all laws that He commands us to keep. This is Divine justice to all. Praise His Holy name. He is most Divine! We are one universal family and every soul is treated alike. We all get our reward here, whether it is good or evil. Hades is surrounded on all sides by awful, grim, ghastly, rivers of woe. Millions upon millions of firm, silent boatmen carry the dead here to be judged. They row you safely and silently to the great wide gates of Sheol, these cold stone gates are broad and high. Justice alone holds the keys. Souls at death cannot fly—they gradually learn to later. Those living here are all earth-bound. Sin has weakened their souls to such an extent that they cannot fly, and have not life enough to try. Constant sin is slow death to the soul. Here life has death for a neighbor. The great gates of Purgatory are daily and nightly thronged with millions and millions of angel guests. Just as the earthly prison should be thronged to see that justice rules! It is our business to see that no innocent soul stays in prison on earth. No one should be cast into prison on circumstantial evidence; this is an awful crime. The prisons on earth should be as good and just as the ones are in Purgatory, but they are not. You can change the laws and make them so in time if the people of earth all work hard. To understand Heaven and Hades we must study the last two chapters in the Bible. Read Revelations 22:15. Study all of Revelations.”
They walked on deeper into the woods of lonely darkness. It was misty. The angry dark gray clouds above them would not admit a ray of sunlight. We saw great monsters among the cold gray rocks; in the wide crevices were huge, long, green serpents, with mad, fiery red eyes. These snakes were the companions of low men and women, of drunkards, gluttons, and former prostitutes. Snakes and all ugly animals have ugly thoughts. They are on a low mental plane.
“Ruth, dear, your sweet disposition, your constant prayers, have made your face beautiful. Some of these poor, ill, low, ugly, fallen women tried to console themselves with ugly dogs and cats on earth. There were no babies, or children in Hades to pet, and as these poor, half clad, half starved women would try to pet these dogs, they would growl and snarl and bite them. All animals were cross; there was no love or harmony there.”
“Cresto, why are these hungry dogs and snakes with these poor, sad, ugly men and women?”
“Dear, like seeks like; love attracts love; enemies that hate each other most, must live together. The wonderful power of gravitation draws them together. Look well, dear, and remember the result of hate. It is as strong to attract as love is. All animals have souls and thoughts the same as we have, only they are undeveloped. Men and women having the same thoughts as animals and snakes are attracted to each other; here is another lesson on the law of gravitation. It develops the soul more to adopt children instead of dogs or cats. The soul of a child is Divine. Every one must live in the soul world or live in this underworld to suffer with dangerous animals in Purgatory, until developed out of this state. It takes intelligence, strength and energy to get out of Purgatory. Science proves this. You see, dear, how easy it is to get here? How hard to get out?”