SECTION XVII._The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ The Philosophic and Practical Basis of the Religion of the Aquarian Age of the World and of The Church Universal

[Illustration: PALESTINE FROM THE RAISED MAP constructed from the

Surveys of the PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUND BY GEORGE ARMSTRONG ESQr

Secretary to the Fund]

THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL

_of_

JESUS THE CHRIST

_The Philosophic and Practical Basis of the Religion

of the Aquarian Age of the World_

AND OF

THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL

TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BOOK OF GOD’S REMEMBRANCES,

KNOWN AS THE AKASHIC RECORDS,

LEVI

WITH

INTRODUCTION

EVA S. DOWLING, A. Ph. D.

LONDON:

L. N. FOWLER AND COMPANY

E. S. DOWLING, PUBLISHER,

Los Angeles, California

1911

FOR SALE BY

E. S. DOWLING

Los Angeles, California.

MRS. EVA S. DOWLING

Entered at Stationers’ Hall, London

including rights of translation

M. A. DONOHUE & CO.

PRINTERS AND BINDERS

CHICAGO

CONTENTS

SECTION I.--_Birth and Early Life of Mary, Mother of Jesus._--Chapter

SECTION II.--_Birth and Infancy of John the Harbinger, and of

Jesus._--Chapters 2-6.

SECTION III.--_Education of Mary and Elizabeth in Zoan._--Chapters

7-12.

SECTION IV.--_Childhood and Early Education of John the

Harbinger._--Chapters 13-15.

SECTION V.--_Childhood and Early Education of Jesus._--Chapters 16-20.

SECTION VI.--_Life and Works of Jesus in India._--Chapters 21-35.

SECTION VII.--_Life and Works of Jesus in Tibet and Western

India._--Chapters 36-37.

SECTION VIII.--_Life and Works of Jesus in Persia._--Chapters 38-41.

SECTION IX.--_Life and Works of Jesus in Assyria._--Chapters 42-43.

SECTION X.--_Life and Works of Jesus in Greece._--Chapters 44-46.

SECTION XI.--_Life and Works of Jesus in Egypt._--Chapters 47-55.

SECTION XII.--_The Council of the Seven Sages of the

World._--Chapters 56-60.

SECTION XIII.--_The Ministry of John the Harbinger._--Chapters 61-64.

SECTION XIV.--_The Christine Ministry of Jesus._--_Introductory

Epoch._--Chapters 65-71.

SECTION XV.--_The First Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of

Jesus._--Chapters 72-90.

SECTION XVI.--_The Second Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of

Jesus._--Chapters 91-123.

SECTION XVII.--_The Third Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of

Jesus._--Chapters 124-158.

SECTION XVIII.--_The Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus._--Chapters 159-164.

SECTION XIX.--_The Trial and Execution of Jesus._--Chapters 165-171.

SECTION XX.--_The Resurrection of Jesus._--Chapter 172.

SECTION XXI.--_Materialization of the Spiritual Body of

Jesus._--Chapters 173-180.

SECTION XXII.--_Establishment of the Christine Church._--Chapters

181-182.

INTRODUCTION

EVA S. DOWLING, A. Ph.D.,

SCRIBE TO THE MESSENGER.

_THE BOOK._

The full title of this book is “The Aquarian Age Gospel of Jesus,

the Christ of the Piscean Age,” and the critical reader is apt to

ask a number of pertinent questions concerning it. Among the many

anticipated questions these are perhaps the most important:

1 What is an Age?

2 What is the Piscean Age?

3 What is the Aquarian Age?

4 What is meant by the Christ as the word is used in this book?

5 What relationship existed between Jesus of Nazareth and the Christ?

6 Who is Levi, the transcriber of this book?

7 What are the Akashic Records?

1 _What is an Age?_ Astronomers tell us that our sun and his family

of planets revolve around a central sun, which is millions of miles

distant, and that it requires something less than 26,000 years to make

one revolution. His orbit is called the Zodiac, which is divided into

twelve signs, familiarly known as Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo,

Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces.

It requires our Solar System a little more than 2100 years to pass

through one of these signs, and this time is the measurement of an Age

or Dispensation. Because of what Astronomers call “the precession of

the Equinoxes” the movement of the sun through the signs of the Zodiac

is in order reverse from that given above.

_Exact Time of the Beginning of an Age._ Regarding this matter there

is a disagreement among astronomers; but in this Introduction we are

not called upon to give the reasons of the various investigators for

their opinions; there are enough well authenticated facts for our

present purposes. It is conceded by all critical students that the sun

entered the zodiacal sign Taurus in the days of our historic Adam when

the Taurian Age began; that Abraham lived not far from the beginning

of the Arian Age, when the sun entered the sign Aries. About the time

of the rise of the Roman empire the sun entered the sign Pisces, the

Fishes, and the Piscean Age began, so that early in this Age Jesus of

Nazareth lived.

2 _What is the Piscean Age?_ This question requires further

consideration. The Piscean Age is identical with the Christian

Dispensation. The word Pisces means fish. The sign is known as a water

sign, and the Piscean Age has been distinctly the age of the fish and

its element, water.

In the establishment of their great institutions John the Harbinger

and Jesus both introduced the rite of water baptism, which has been

used in some form in all the so-called Christian Churches and cults,

even to the present time. Water is the true symbol of purification.

Jesus himself said to the Harbinger before he was baptized: “All men

must be washed, symbolic of the cleansing of the soul.” (Aquarian

Gospel 64:7.)

_Fish was a Christian Symbol._ In the earlier centuries of the

Christian Dispensation the fish was everywhere used as a symbol. In

his remarkable book, “Christian Iconography,” Didron says:

“The fish, in the opinion of antiquarians generally, is the symbol

of Jesus Christ. The fish is sculptured upon a number of Christian

monuments, and more particularly upon the ancient sarcophagi. It

is also upon medals, bearing the name of our Savior and also upon

engraved stones, cameos and intaglios. The fish is also to be remarked

upon the amulets worn suspended from the necks by children, and upon

ancient glasses and sculptured lamps.

“Baptismal fonts are more particularly ornamented with the fish. The

fish is constantly exhibited placed upon a dish in the middle of the

table, at the Last Supper, among the loaves, knives and cups used at

the banquet.”

In the writings of Tertullian we find this statement: “We are little

fishes in Christ our great fish.”

The last two thousand years, comprising the Piscean Age, has certainly

been one of water and the many uses of that element have been

emphasized, and sea and lake and river navigation has been brought to

a high degree of efficiency.

3 _What is the Aquarian Age?_ The human race is today standing upon

the cusp of the Piscean-Aquarian Ages. Aquarius is an air sign and the

New Age is already noted for remarkable inventions for the use of air,

electricity, magnetism, etc. Men navigate the air as fish do the sea,

and send their thoughts spinning around the world with the speed of

lightning.

The word Aquarius is derived from the Latin word aqua, meaning water.

Aquarius is, however, the _water bearer_, and the symbol of the sign,

which is the eleventh sign of the Zodiac, is a man carrying in his

right hand a pitcher of water. Jesus referred to the beginning of the

Aquarian Age in these words:

“And then the man who bears the pitcher will walk forth across an arc

of heaven; the sign and signet of the Son of Man will stand forth in

the eastern sky. The wise will then lift up their heads and know that

the redemption of the earth is near.” (Aquarian Gospel 157:29, 30.)

The Aquarian Age is pre-eminently a spiritual age, and the spiritual

side of the great lessons that Jesus gave to the world may now be

comprehended by multitudes of people for the many are now coming into

an advanced stage of spiritual consciousness; so with much propriety

this book is called “The Aquarian (or Spiritual) Gospel of Jesus, the

Christ.”

_An Important Event._ The transfer of dominion from one Age to another

is an important event in the world of Cherubim and Seraphim. Among the

manuscripts of Levi we have found a most remarkable paper describing

the transfer of dominion from the Piscean Age to the Aquarian Age, but

it is difficult to determine whether it is a recital of facts or a

prophetic statement. We reproduce the paper in full.

THE CUSP OF THE AGES.

“In Spirit I was caught away into the realms of Akasha; I stood

alone within the circle of the sun.

“And there I found the secret spring that opens up the door to

Wisdom and an understanding heart.

“I entered in and then I knew.

“I saw the four and twenty Cherubim and Seraphim that guard

the circle of the sun, the mighty ones who were proclaimed by

masters long ago ‘the four and twenty ancient ones.’

“I heard the names of every Cherubim and Seraphim, and learned

that every sign in all the Zodiac is ruled by two--a Cherubim

and Seraphim.

“And then I stood upon the cusp where Ages meet. The Piscean

Age had passed; the Aquarian Age had just begun.

“I saw the guardian Spirits of the Piscean Age; Ramasa is the

Cherubim; Vacabiel is Seraphim.

“I saw the guardian Spirits of the Aquarian Age, and Archer is

the Cherubim; Sakmaquil is the Seraphim.

“These four great spirits of the Triune God stood close

together on the cusp, and in the presence of the sacred

Three--the God of Might, the God of Wisdom, and the God of

Love--the scepter of Domain, of Might, of Wisdom and of Love

was there transferred.

“I heard the charges of the Triune God; but these I may not now

reveal.

“I heard the history of the Piscean Age from Piscean Cherubim

and Seraphim, and when I took my pen to write Ramasa said:

“Not now, my son, not now; but you may write it down for men

when men have learned the sacred laws of Brotherhood, of Peace

on earth, good-will to every living thing.

“And then I heard the Aquarian Cherubim and Seraphim proclaim

the Gospel of the coming Age, the age of Wisdom, of the Son of

Man.

“And when the crown was lifted from the head of Ramasa and

placed upon the head of Archer of the Aquarian Age; and when

the royal scepter was transferred from Seraphim Vacabiel to

Seraphim Sakmaquil there was deep silence in the courts of

heaven.

“And then the goddess Wisdom spoke, and with her hands

outstretched she poured the benedictions of the Holy Breath

upon the rulers of Aquarius.

“I may not write the words she spoke, but I may tell the Gospel

of the coming age that Archer told when he received the crown.

“And I may breathe to men the song of praise that Seraphim

Sakmaquil sung when she received the royal scepter of the

newborn age.

“This Gospel I will tell, and I will sing this song in every

land, to all the people, tribes and tongues of earth.”

4 _What is Meant by “the Christ,” as the Word is Used in This Book?_

The word Christ is derived from the Greek word Kristos and means

anointed. It is identical with the Hebrew word Messiah. The word

Christ, per se, does not refer to any particular person; every

anointed person is christed. When the definite article “the” is placed

before the word christ a definite personality is indicated, and this

personality is none other than a member of the Trinity, the Son who

had a glory with the Father-Mother before the worlds were formed.

According to the teachings of all ancient masters this Son is Love; so

the Christ is Love, and Love is God, since God is Love.

Another remarkable manuscript found in Levi’s Akashic portfolio

gives the clearest possible ideal of the Christ, or Love of God. It

is presumed that this manuscript is a direct transcription from the

Akashic Records and its importance demands its reproduction here in

full.

THE CHRIST

“Before creation was the Christ walked with the Father God and

Mother God in Akasha.

“The Christ is son, the only son begotten by Almighty God, the

God of Force and God omniscient, God of thought; and Christ is

God, the God of Love.

“Without the Christ there was no light. Through Christ all life

was manifest; and so through him all things were done, and

naught was done in forming worlds or peopling worlds without

the Christ.

“Christ is the Logos of Infinities and through the word alone

are Thought and Force made manifest.

“The Son is called the Christ, because the Son, the Love, the

universal Love, was set apart, ordained to be creator, Lord,

preserver and redeemer of all things, of everything that is, or

evermore will be.

“Through Christ, the protoplast, the earth, the plant, the

beast, the man, the angel and the cherubim took up their

stations on their planes of life.

“Through Christ they are preserved; and if they fall it is the

Christ who lifts them up; and if they sell themselves to sin

the Christ redeems.

“Now Christ, the universal Love, pervades all spaces of

infinity, and so there is no end to love.

“From the great heart of Love unnumbered spirits were sent

forth to demonstrate the height, the depth, the width, the

boundlessness of Love.

“To every world and star and moon and sun a master spirit of

this Love divine was sent; and all were full anointed with the

oil of helpfulness, and each became a Christ.

“All glorious in his majesty is Christ, who spread the pure

white robe of Love o’er all the planes of earth--The Christ of

earth, its heaven, its graves.

“In course of time the protoplast, the earth, the plant, the

beast, the man sold out their birthrights unto sin; but Christ

was present to redeem.

“Hid in the holiest place in all infinities is locked the

scroll that bears the record of the purposes of God, the Triune

God, and there we read:

“Perfection is the ultimate of life. A seed is perfect in its

embryotic life, but it is destined to unfold, to grow.

“Into the soil of every plane these seeds, which were the

Thoughts of God, were cast--the seeds of protoplast, of earth,

of plant, of beast, of man, of angel and of cherubim, and they

who sowed the seeds, through Christ, ordained that they should

grow, and should return at last, by effort of unnumbered years,

to the great granary of thought, and each be a perfection of

its kind.

“And in the boundless blessedness of Love the man was made the

Lord of protoplast, of earth, of plant, of beast; and Christ

proclaimed: Man shall have full dominion over everything that

is upon these planes of life; and it was so.

“And he who gave the lordship unto man declared that he must

rule by Love.

“But men grew cruel and they lost their power to rule, and

protoplast, and earth, and plant and beast became at enmity

with man; he lost his heritage; but Christ was present to

redeem.

“But man had lost his consciousness of right; he could no

longer comprehend the boundlessness of Love; he could see

naught but self, and things of self; but Christ was there to

seek the lost and save.

“So that he might be close to man in all the ways of life, that

man might comprehend the mighty spirit of the Love, the Christ

of earth made manifest to human eyes and ears by taking his

abode in some pure person, well prepared by many lives to be a

fit abiding place of Love.

“Thus Christ made manifest Love’s power to save; but men forgot

so soon, and so Christ must manifest again, and then again.

“And ever since man took his place in form of flesh the Christ

has been manifest in flesh at first of every age.”

5 _What relationship existed between Jesus of Nazareth and the

Christ?_ Orthodox Christian ecclesiastics tell us that Jesus of

Nazareth and the Christ were one; that the true name of this

remarkable person was Jesus Christ. They tell us that this man of

Galilee was the very eternal God clothed in flesh of man that men

might see his glory. Of course this doctrine is wholly at variance

with the teachings of Jesus himself and of his apostles. The Aquarian

Masters in council have formulated an answer to this question that so

well covers all the information required that we give it in full:

“Jesus was an ideal Jew, born in Bethlehem of Judea. His mother

was a beautiful Jewish girl named Mary. As a child Jesus

differed but little from other children only that in past lives

he had overcome carnal propensities to such an extent that he

could be tempted like others and not yield. Paul was right when

to the Hebrews he said: ‘He was in all points tempted like as

we are, yet without sin.’--Hebrews 4:15.

“Jesus suffered as other men suffer, and was made perfect

through suffering; for this is the only way to perfection. His

life was an example of attainment by the way of crosses and

cruel treatment. Paul was right again when he said: ‘It became

him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in

bringing many sons into glory to make the captain of their

salvation perfect through suffering.’--Hebrews 2:10.

“In many respects Jesus was a remarkable child, for by ages

of strenuous preparation he was qualified to be an avatar, a

savior of the world, and from childhood he was endowed with

superior wisdom and was conscious of the fact that he was

competent to lead the race into the higher ways of spiritual

living. But he was conscious also of the fact that he must

attain the mastery by trials, bufferings, temptations and

sufferings. And all his life was spent in attaining. After his

death, burial and resurrection he appeared in materialized form

before the Silent Brothers in the temple of Heliopolis, in

Egypt, and said:

“‘My human life was wholly given to bring my will to tune with

the deific will; when this was done my earth-tasks all were

done.

“‘You know that all my life was one great drama for the sons

of men; a pattern for the sons of men. I lived to show the

possibilities of man.

“‘What I have done all men can do, and what I am all men shall

be.’”--Aquarian Gospel 178:43, 46.

“Jesus was the name of the man and it was the only appropriate

name for this kind of a man. The word means Savior and Jesus

was in more senses than one a savior.

The word Christ means “the anointed one,” and then it is an

official title. It means, The Master of Love. When we say

“Jesus the Christ” we refer to the man and to his office;

just as we do when we say Edward, the King, or Lincoln, the

President. Edward was not always King, and Lincoln was not

always President, and Jesus was not always Christ. Jesus won

his Christship by a strenuous life, and in the Aquarian Gospel,

chapter 55, we have a record of the events of his christing,

or receiving the degree Christ. Here is where he was coronated

by the highest earth authorities as the Christ-King; properly

speaking, ‘The Master of Love’; and after this was done he

entered at once upon his Judean and Galilean ministry.

“We recognize the facts that Jesus was man and that Christ was

God, so that in very truth Jesus the Christ was the God-man of

the ages.”

The Nazarene’s Testimony. Jesus himself made the matter clear.

Once when he was speaking to a congregation in Bethany the

people called him King and he stood forth and said:

“‘I am not sent to sit upon a throne to rule as Caesar rules;

and you may tell the ruler of the Jews that I am not a claimant

for his throne.

“‘Men call me Christ, and God has recognized the name; but

Christ is not a man. The Christ is universal Love, and Love is

King.

“‘This Jesus is but man who has been fitted by temptations

overcome, by trials multiform, to be the temple through which

the Christ can manifest to men.

“‘Then hear, you men of Israel, hear! Look not upon the flesh;

it is not king. Look to the Christ within who shall be formed

in every one of you, as he is formed in me.

“‘When you have purified your hearts by faith, the king will

enter in and you will see his face.’”--Aquarian Gospel 68:10-14.

Surely this question has been answered. Jesus was man; Christ was

Divine Love--the Love of God, and after thirty years of strenuous life

the man had made his body fit to be the temple of the holy breath and

Love took full possession, and John well said when he declared:

“‘And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld the

glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.’”

6 _Who was Levi, the Transcriber of this Book?_ Regarding the

personality of Levi we are permitted to write but little. Suffice it

to say that he is an American citizen, and has been a close student

of the religions of the world from childhood. When but a boy he was

impressed with the sensitiveness of the finer ethers and believed

that in some manner they were sensitized plates on which sounds,

even thoughts, were recorded. With avidity he entered into the

deeper studies of etheric vibration, determined to solve the great

mysteries of the heavens for himself. Forty years he spent in study

and silent meditation, and then he found himself in that stage of

spiritual consciousness that permitted him to enter the domain of

these superfine ethers and become familiar with their mysteries. He

then learned that the imaginings of his boyhood days were founded upon

veritable facts, and that every thought of every living thing is there

recorded.

In his manuscript entitled “The Cusp of the Ages,” a part of which we

have already reproduced in this Introduction, we find the following

copy of the Commission, which Levi received from Visel, the Goddess of

Wisdom, or the Holy Breath.

LEVI’S COMMISSION.

“And then Visel the holy one stood forth and said:

“O Levi, son of man, behold, for you are called to be the

message bearer of the coming age--the age of spirit blessedness.

“Give heed, O son of man, for men must know the Christ, the

Love of God; for Love is sovereign balm for all the wounds of

men, the remedy for every ill.

“And man must be endowed with Wisdom and with Power and with an

Understanding heart.

“Behold the Akasha! Behold the Record Galleries of Visel where

every thought and word and deed of every living thing is

written down.

“The needs of men are manifold, and men must know their needs.

“Now, Levi, hearken to my words: go forth into these mystic

Galleries and read. There you will find a message for the

world; for every man; for every living thing.

“I breathe upon you now the Holy Breath; you will discriminate,

and you will know the lessons that these Record Books of God

are keeping now for men of this new age.

“This age will be an age of splendor and of light, because

it is the home age of the Holy Breath; and Holy Breath will

testify anew for Christ, the Logos of eternal Love.

“At first of every age this Logos is made manifest in flesh so

man can see and know and comprehend a Love that is not narrow,

circumscribed.

“Twelve times in every revolution of the sun this christed Love

of God is made full manifest in flesh upon the planes of earth,

and you may read in Akasha the wondrous lessons that these

Christs have taught to men; but you shall publish not to men

the lessons of the Christs of ancient times.

“Now, Levi, message bearer of the Spirit Age, take up your pen

and write.

“Write full the story of The Christ who built upon the Solid

Rock of yonder circle of the sun--the Christ who men have known

as Enoch the Initiate.

“Write of his works as prophet, priest and seer; write of his

life of purity and love, and how he changed his carnal flesh to

flesh divine without descending through the gates of death.

“And you may write the story of Melchizedec, the Christ who

lived when Abram lived, and pointed out to men the way to life

through sacrifice; who gave his life a willing sacrifice for

men.

“And you may write the story of the Prince of Peace, The Christ

who came as babe in Bethlehem, and traveled every way of life

that man must tread.

“He was despised, rejected and abused; was spit upon, was

crucified, was buried in a tomb; but he revived and rose a

conqueror over death that he might show the possibilities of

man.

“A thousand times he said to men; ‘I came to show the

possibilities of man; what I have done all men may do, and what

I am all men shall be.’

“These stories of The Christ will be enough, for they contain

the true philosophy of life, of death and of the resurrection

of the dead.

“They show the spiral journey of the soul until the man of

earth and God are one forevermore.”

_Levi in Prophecy._ About two thousand years ago Elihu, who conducted

a school of the prophets in Zoan, Egypt, referred to Levi thus:

“This age will comprehend but little of the works of Purity

and Love; but not a word is lost, for in the Book of God’s

Remembrance a registry is made of every thought and word and

deed;

“And when the world is ready to receive, lo, God will send a

messenger to open up the book and copy from its sacred pages

all the messages of Purity and Love.

“Then every man of earth will read the words of life in the

language of his native land, and men will see the light.

“And man again will be at one with God.”--Aquarian Gospel

7:25-28.

Further references to the personality of Levi are, seemingly,

unnecessary. It matters but little who he is; his work in the

transcription of the Aquarian Gospel of Jesus, the Christ, stands

unimpeachable. The lessons of this book all bear the stamp of the

Nazarene, for no man except the world’s greatest master could have

touched the high chords of divine Love and Wisdom which characterize

the pages of this marvelous book.

7 _What are the Akashic Records?_ Akasha is a Sanskrit word, and

means “Primary substance,” that out of which all things are formed.

According to Aquarian philosophy, it is the first stage of the

crystallization of spirit. This philosophy recognizes the fact that

all primordial substance is spirit; that matter is spirit moving at

a lower rate of vibration, becoming, as one master expressed it, a

coagulum.

This Akashic, or primary substance, is of exquisite fineness and is so

sensitive that the slightest vibrations of an ether any place in the

universe registers an indelible impression upon it.

This primal substance is not relegated to any particular part of the

universe, but is everywhere present. It is in very fact the “Universal

Mind” of which our metaphysicians speak.

When the mind of man is in exact accord with the Universal Mind man

enters into a conscious recognition of these Akashic impressions, and

may collect them and translate them into any language of earth with

which he is familiar.

In the infinite One manifest we note the attributes of Force,

Intelligence and Love, and a person may be in full accord with one of

these attributes and not with the others. One may enter fully into

the spirit of the God of Force and not be imbued with the spirit of

Intelligence; or one may be wholly absorbed with the spirit of Divine

Love and be far removed from both Intelligence and Force. Furthermore,

a person may enter fully into the consciousness of Holy Breath, or

Supreme Intelligence, and be not at all in rapport with either Love or

Force. Knowledge is not gained through the spirit of either Force or

Love. It is only from Universal Mind, which is Supreme Intelligence,

called by Oriental scholars the Akashic Records, and by Hebrew

masters, the Book of God’s Remembrance, that knowledge of any kind can

be obtained.

_Consciousness_; we note three phases of it:

1 Consciousness of the omnipotence of God and man.

2 Christ consciousness, or consciousness of Divine Love.

3 Consciousness of the Holy Breath, or of Supreme Intelligence.

We must bear in mind that one of these phases of consciousness does

not necessarily imply either of the others. People are frequently

found who are completely filled with the Love of God, are far advanced

in the science of Christ consciousness, who are absolutely ignorant;

have not the slightest conception of the laws of natural things or of

spiritual things; are not in rapport with the great Teacher which is

the Holy Spirit.

_The Akashic Records._ The imperishable records of life, known as the

Akashic Records, are wholly in the domain of Supreme Intelligence, or

Universal Mind, and the Akashic Record reader must be in such close

touch with the Holy Spirit, or the Holy Breath, as the ancient masters

call this spirit of Supreme Intelligence, that every thought vibration

is instantly felt in every fibre of his being.

_Differentiation._ Since all space is charged with the vibrations of

thoughts of all kinds how may the Akashic Record reader differentiate

and gather only the thoughts and life events of a particular person or

group of persons?

Every person has his own distinct vibration and when the reader fully

understands the law of discrimination his whole being is tuned for the

reception of the one particular tone and rhythm, and it is impossible

for any other tone or rhythm to make the slightest impression upon

him. This principle is demonstrated in wireless telegraphy.

It required many years for Levi to learn the Law of Differentiation,

and to come in rapport with the tones and rhythms of Jesus of

Nazareth, Enoch and Melchizedec and their co-laborers. But under the

direction of the Spirit of Supreme Intelligence, he has attained unto

this accomplishment, and now he instantly feels in all his being the

slightest vibrations that come from any of these great centers and, of

course, all of his transcriptions are true to the letter.

MAN.

“What is man that thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that thou

visiteth him?” This was the earnest question of David, the Hebrew

Psalmist, and the 8th Psalm is given wholly to the contemplation of

man, the crowning work of manifest creation. Among the many great

lessons that Levi has been permitted to gather from the Akashic

Records, or the Universal Mind, we find one on _Man_ in which his

descent into physical matter and his final ascent into an eternal

oneness with God is so graphically described that it certainly merits

a place in this Introduction, and we give it in full:

“Time never was when man was not.

“If life of man at any time began a time would come when it

would end.

“The thoughts of God cannot be circumscribed. No finite mind

can comprehend things infinite.

“All finite things are subject unto change. All finite things

will cease to be, because there was a time when they were not.

“The bodies and the soul of men are finite things, and they

will change, yea, from the finite point of view the time will

come when they will be no more.

“But man himself is not the body, nor the soul; he is a spirit

and is part of God.

“Creative Fiat gave to man, to spirit man, a soul that he might

function on the plane of soul; gave him a body of the flesh,

that he might function on the plane of things made manifest.

“Why did creative Fiat give to spirit man a soul that he might

function on the plane of soul?

“Why did creative Fiat give to soul a body of the flesh that it

might function on the plane of things that are made manifest?

“Hear, now, ye worlds, dominions, powers and thrones!

“Hear, now, ye cherubim, ye seraphim, ye angels and ye men!

“Hear, now, O protoplast, and earth, and plant and beast!

“Hear, now, ye creeping things of earth, ye fish that swim, ye

birds that fly!

“Hear, now, ye winds that blow, ye thunders and ye lightnings

of the sky!

“Hear, now, ye spirits of the fire, of water, earth and air!

“Hear, now, O everything that is, or was, or evermore will be,

for Wisdom speaks from out the highest plane of spirit life:

“Man is a thought of God; all thoughts of God are infinite;

they are not measured up by time, for things that are concerned

with time begin and end.

“The thoughts of God are from the everlasting of the past unto

the never ending days to come--And so is man, the Spirit-man.

“But man, like every other thought of God, was but a seed, a

seed that held within itself the potencies of God, just as

the seed of any plant of earth holds deep within itself the

attributes of every part of that especial plant.

“So spirit-man, as seed of God, held deep within himself the

attributes of every part of God.

“Now, seeds are perfect, yea, as perfect as the source from

which they come; but they are not unfolded into life made

manifest.

“The child in utero is perfect as the mother is.

“So man, the seed, must be deep planted in a soil that he might

grow, unfold, as does the bud unfold to show the flower.

“The human seed that came forth from the heart of God was full

ordained to be the lord of plane of soul, and of the plane of

things made manifest.

“So God, the husbandman of every thing that is, threw forth

this human seed into the soil of soul; it grew apace, and man

became a living soul; and he became the lord of all the kingdom

of the soul.

“Hark, now, let every creature hear, The plane of soul is but

the ether of the spirit plane vibrating not so fast, and in the

slower rhythm of this plane the essences of life are manifest;

the perfumes and the odors, the true sensations and the all of

love are manifest.

“And these soul attributes become a body beautiful.

“A multitude of lessons man must learn upon the plane of soul;

and here he tarries many ages until his lessons are all learned.

“Upon the boundary of the plane of soul the ether began to

vibrate slower still, and then the essences took on a garb; the

perfumes and the odors and the true sensations and the all of

love were clothed in flesh; and man was clothed in flesh.

“Perfected man must pass through all the ways of life, and so

a carnal nature was full manifest, a nature that sprang forth

from fleshly things.

“Without a foe a soldier never knows his strength, and thought

must be developed by the exercise of strength.

“And so this carnal nature soon became a foe that man must

fight, that he might be the strength of God made manifest.

“Let every living thing stand still and hear!

“Man is the lord of all the plane of manifests; of protoplast,

of mineral, of plant, of beast; but he has given up his

birthright, just to gratify his lower self, his carnal self.

“But man will full regain his lost estate, his heritage; but he

must do it in a conflict that cannot be told in words.

“Yea, he must suffer trials and temptations manifold; but let

him know that cherubim and seraphim that rule the stations

of the sun, and spirits of the mighty God who rule the solar

stars are his protectors and his guides, and they will lead to

victory.

“Man will be fully saved, redeemed, perfected by the things he

suffers on the plane of flesh, and on the plane of soul.

“When man has conquered carnal things his garb of flesh will

then have served its purpose well and it will fall, will be no

more.

“Then he will stand untrammeled on the plane of soul where he

must full complete his victories.”

“Unnumbered foes will stand before the man upon the plane of

soul; there he must overcome, yea, overcome them every one.

“Thus hope will ever be his beacon light; there is no failure

for the human soul, for God is leading on and victory is sure.

“Man cannot die; the spirit man is one with God, and while God

lives man cannot die.

“When man has conquered every foe upon the plane of soul the

seed will have full opened out, will have unfolded in the Holy

Breath.

“The garb of soul will then have served its purpose well, and

man will need it never more, and it will pass and be no more.

“And man will then attain unto the blessedness of perfectness

and be at one with God.”

SUBJECT INDEX

A general outline of the incidents and topics of the book will be

found in the Contents which appears in the first part of the volume.

CHAP.

Abram, Sketch of life 10

Account must be given 105

Accusers are the greatest sinners 132

Address of Jesus at magian feast 39

Address of Jesus to Chaldeans 42

Address of Jesus to Atheneans 44

Address of Delphic Oracle 44

Address of Jesus, final to Atheneans 46

Address of Jesus at Jordan ford 64

Address of Jesus in Bethany 68

Address of Jesus concerning John 67

Address of Jesus in Bethlehem 76

Address of John on Jesus and the Christ 80

Address of Jesus at Jacob’s well 82

Adultery defined by man 98

Adultery lies in the desire 98

Adulterer, the one who lusts 143

Adon Mashich Cumi 172

Afraid of Jesus’ power, priests 31

Afflictions partial payments on debts 138

Afflictions, lesson of Jesus 138

Afflictions merited; the law (V. 5, 6) 138

Age, Messiah comes at first of every 73

Ajainin; Jesus his guest 37

Ajainin in Benares to see Jesus 29

Ajainin visits Jesus 29

Almsgiving, lesson of Jesus on 94

Almighty God, the Father; Omniscient God, the Mother 97

Alarmed at power of Jesus, Gadarines 118

Alone on mountain, Jesus prays 128

Alertness of Pharisees to apprehend Jesus 150

Altars of Grecian gods 46

Amazed at resurrection of Lazarus 148

Amphitheater, Jesus and Apollo in 44

Angered at Jesus’ words about castes, priests 24

Anger a crime 97

Anxiety about earthly things 99

Anxious Martha 136

Anointed Jesus with perfumes, Mary 159

Ananias bribes Judas to betray Jesus 159

Ananias, leader of arresting party 164

Answering prayer: how God helps 46

Appeal of Jesus to the mob 164

Apollo opens up door of Greek lore to Jesus 44

Apollo states needs of Greece 57

Apostles are chosen 88

Apostles, all at Jesus’ home 89

Apostles and Jesus at Capernaum 123

Apostles confirmed as saviors 127

Apostles flee to avoid arrest 164

Apostolic charge of Jesus 89

Archelaus, ruler in Jerusalem 7

Ashamed of his cowardice, Peter 164

Ashbina recognizes Jesus 42

Ashbina states needs of Assyria 57

Asher’s Inn, Jesus at 78

Ask in faith; God answers 137

Assassination of Zacharias 6

Athens, Jesus meets the masters 44

Athens beach, storm on 46

Attainment possible 101

Augustus Caesar 1

Author of misfortune, is God? 114

Avesta 10

Awaiting coming of Holy Breath 181

Baal, Assyrian Idol 43

Babylon, Jesus and Ashbina in 43

Babylon, its wicked kings 43

Balm of life, the air we breathe 41

Baptism instituted 15

Baptism of Jesus by the Harbinger 64

Baptism of many people by the Harbinger 64

Baptism adopted by Jesus as disciples’ pledge 78

Baptism by Jesus of six disciples 78

Baptized, John the Harbinger 15

Barachia, Rabi, teacher of Jesus 17

Barato Arabo, friend of Jesus 32

Bartimeus, healed by Jesus 150

Barren fig tree withered 152

Barabbas appointed scapegoat 168

Bar-Simon’s feast 159

Beatitudes, formulated by Jesus 95

Belus, monument of folly 43

Benediction of Jesus on his kindred 69

Benediction of Jesus on all 180

Benediction of Jesus on the seventy 140

Benediction of Jesus on Ladak 36

Benediction of Elihu and Salome 47

Best servant, the best ruler 146

Bethlehem, Jesus born in 3

Bethlehem, Jesus in 76

Bethany, Jesus in 77

Bethany, home of Lazarus 77

Bethany, Jesus at Lazarus’ house 137

Bethany, Christines returned to 148

Bethesda, Jesus surrounded by the sick 91

Bethabara, Jesus in 147

Betrayal by Judas 160

Betrayal of Jesus by a kiss 164

Birth, of Holy Breath 75

Birth, of water 75

Birthday feast of child Jesus 16

Birthday feast of Herod 117

Blessed is the Son of Man 156

Blessedness of living the word of God 108

Blind leaders and their followers 100

Blind man healed by Jesus 138

Blind man’s story of his healing 138

Blind guides 126

Book of God’s Remembrance 7, 158

Book of Life 58, 109, 158

Brahm, Elihu’s lesson on 10

Brahmic priests seeking wisdom 21

Brahmic philosophy, Elihu’s lesson 10

Bread from heaven 82

Broad is the way of wickedness 101

Brotherhood of life 34

Brotherhood of Right 83

Buddha, Life and works of 11, 34

Buddhist temple open for Jesus 31

Building on sand cannot stand 101

Building on rock stands forever 101

Burial of the Harbinger in Hebron 117

Burial of Jesus in Joseph’s tomb 171

Busybodies seek faults in others 100

Caesarea--Philippi, Christines in 128

Caiaphas, Jesus in palace of 165

Camel, a present to Jesus 37

Capernaum, Christines in 71

Car of Jagernath at Katak 26

Carnal man’s rule of life 100

Carnal thoughts defile the mind 126

Carnal self, Jesus’ temptation 65

Care of God for every thing 109

Caring for the helpless 74

Carpenter, Jesus serves as 20

Castes, Brahmic priest explains 24

Castes, Jesus reveals injustice of 24

Cause of afflictions 138

Censures Jesus for healing, Priest 140

Ceremonial forms are symbols 35

Comforter, Holy Breath, promised 161

Coming Age, its needs 35

Coming trials of Apostles, Jesus foretold 127

Commits to John care of his Mother and Miriam, Jesus 170

Common people, Jesus abides with 24

Common people become guests 153

Common people receive Jesus 73

Courtesans and thieves, Jesus sits with 27

Conclusion of Jesus’ Galilean ministry 149

Confession of faith, Andrew 66

Confession of faith, Nathaniel 66

Confession of faith, Philip 66

Confession of faith, Peter 66

Confession of faith, the people 68

Confession of faith, Lamaas 80

Confession of faith, Bethlehemites 77

Confession of faith, Samaritan woman 81

Confession of faith, Samaritans 82

Confession of faith essential 109

Confession of faith not to be bought 107

Confession of faith, the healed blind man 139

Confession of Peter: “Thou art the Christ” 128

Chaldea, Jesus in 42

Charge to Mary and Elizabeth by Elihu 7

Charge, the final to Mary and Elizabeth by Elihu 12

Charge to Jesus by Brotherhood Hierophant 48

Charge to the Apostles 122

Charge to the foreign Masters 122

Charge to the seventy 133

Charges against Jesus read 165

Child the symbol of greatness 131

Children sing praises of Jesus 151

Christ; theme of sixth postulate, Matheno 59

Christ in Jesus eulogized 79

Christ in Jesus explained by John 79

Christ in the heart essential 79

Christ the Bread of Life 125

Christ flesh and blood 125

Christ the Rock 128

Christ recognized by voice from heaven 129

Christ a name of power 182

Christ the shepherd 136

Christine consciousness 71

Christines in Nazareth Synagogue 86

Christines in Cana 87

Christines in Capernaum 93, 118

Christines in Jesus’ house 102

Christines in Mary’s home 112

Christines in Philip’s house 116

Christines in Nazareth 121

Christine church opened 182

Christines in Jericho 149

Christines on Mount of Olives 157

Chuzas and Jesus 123

Conflicts precede peace 113

Congratulates his disciples, Jesus 140

Conqueror of carnal self 142

Consecration of Jesus 4

Consecration, Jesus’ lesson to disciples on 112

Consecration of Apostles 89

Conscience stricken Judas returns bribe money 169

Constant preparation 157

Courtesan at feast in Simon’s house 104

Courtesan shows gratitude 104

Courtesan’s sins forgiven 104

Courtesan brought before Jesus 134

Courtesan and Publicans at feast of God 153

Covetousness is theft 98

Coward, the man who fights 97

Circle; its meaning 48

Cross must be borne 129

Cross, each must bear his own 142

Cross the sea, Christines 117, 124

Crippled healed tells the news 91

Crippled man sought healing waters 91

Crucifixion not permitted 168

Crucifixion, Jesus’ secret lesson on 127

Cruelty of sacrifice 19

Crumbs, twelve baskets full gathered 124

Darkness intense on Calvary 171

David’s cave home of the Harbinger 1

Dawn of Peace, Lamaas’ question 113

Day of the Lord 157

Day Star 14, 88

Death of Jesus’ father 30

Death and burial of Elizabeth 15

Death, Matheno’s lesson on 15

Death, Jesus defines it 120

Dead should care for the dead 117

Deeds are seeds that grow 100

Defends Judas, Jesus 164

Defends Mary’s act 159

Defends a man for taking bread 132

Defends healing on the Sabbath 141

Defilement creature of the heart 129

Delphic Oracle speaks 45

Demonstration an illusion 107

Demonstration, Jesus promises one 107

Denies his Lord thrice, Peter 165

Denial of Peter, Jesus’ prophecy 161

Departure of Jesus foretold 162

Departs by night from Benares 31

Departing glory of Jerusalem, lamentation 151

Destruction of Jerusalem foretold 157

Destruction of life on Athens beach 46

Descent of man, Third Postulate 58

Desire inspires words and deeds 101

Devil the lower self of man 8

Devil, man the maker 39

Diamond Rule (V. 10) 101

Disappears suddenly, Jesus 84

Disciples deserted their Lord 125

Disease defined by Jesus 74

Divided service, Jesus’ lesson 105

Divided house cannot stand 106

Division of the prepared and the unprepared 145

Door to feast hall low 153

Dog wounded, cared for by Jesus 74

Double-hearted man 99

Doubt causes Peter to sink 124

Dove symbol of peace 76

Drunkard’s child calls on Jesus for help 92

Drunkard saved by Jesus 92

Drowned child restored by Jesus 74

Duality of the one God 97

Dues, give to Caesar his own 73

Earthquake shakes Calvary 171

Eat grain on Sabbath, Christines 93

Eating flesh of Christ 125

Education of John finished 61

Effort, not result, receives credit 143

Egotism of Pharisees 155

Egypt, Jesus goes to 46

Elder brother of the prodigal son 144

Elihu and Salome entertain Joseph, Mary and Jesus 5

Elijah reincarnates as the Harbinger 129

Embalmed body of Jesus 171

Empty tomb found by woman 173

Ensnare Jesus by his words, plan to 108

Ephraim hills, Christines in 148

Epileptic obsessed child 130

Epileptic obsessed child healed by Jesus 123

Escape from Herod, Elizabeth and John 6

Esoteric lesson from the carpenter’s tools 20

Eulogises the children 151

Euphrates, Jesus crosses the 42

Events all part of God’s plan 85

Evil, its cause 31

Evil a myth 8

Evil things transmuted by fire 116

Evolution explained by Jesus 32

Evolution of sacred scriptures 14

Exaltation, philosophy of 9

Exaltation for those who live the life 146

Exaltation of her sons, request of Mary 146

Examination of Jesus before Pilate 167

Excuses of invited guests 141

Extremity of Peter Jesus’ opportunity 124

Failure of the apostles to heal due to carelessness 130

Faith, its power demonstrated 41

Faith saved child from death 36

Faith defined 22

Faith the key to all good 101

Faith, the healing balm 102

Faith heals the nobleman’s son 87

Faith the wings of prayer 130

Faith the power of God 130

Faith cannot be bought nor sold 107

Faithfulness of Apostles 147

Fall of man explained 32

False witnesses testify; Jesus adjudged guilty 165

False Christs will deceive many 157

Farewell address to Pilate, Jesus’ 163

Farmer, Jesus abides with one 28

Fast, theme of Jesus’ address 94, 119

Fasting may do one good, another harm 119

Father gives his son to save 36

Feast in Jerusalem 124, 133

Feast of God, all people must be guests 141

Feast of Pharisee in Magdala 108

Feast for Christines, Matthew’s 119

Feast for Christines, Lazarus’ 92

Feast at home of Simon, a Pharisee 104

Feast of God 153

Feast to Magian god 39

Feast of Joachim and Anna 16

Feast in Jerusalem, Jesus present at 18, 19

Feast, Mary makes for Jesus 43

Feast of Ravanna in Nazareth 21

Feast of Ach at Bahar 27

Feast of Udraka 28

Feast, Paschal at Jerusalem 72

Fear and unbelief asses that bind man’s will 92

Festival at Jerusalem 90

Final lessons of Jesus 163

Fire, Bethany in flames 92

Fire controlled by Jesus’ word 92

Fish, a multitude caught 88

Five thousand fed 124

Flesh not immortal, may be dissolved 109

Flowing spring near Persepolis 41

Fly across the sea, demand of Pharisees 107

Foe of John, is Jesus one? 79

Followers of John become disciples 66

Food does not defile the mind 126

Force, Intelligence and Love 58

Foreign plants are Scribes and Pharisees 126

Forerunner of Jesus, John 63

Forgiveness of sins is healing 90

Forgiveness the paying of debts 94

Forgiveness, its meaning 13, 36

Found in the Temple, Jesus 20

Fountain of the temple, Jesus bathes in 47

Four thousand fed 128

Freed, all Gadara was 118

Freedom, theme of Jesus’ address 86

Friendship result of kindness 83

Fruitless fig tree made to wither 105

Fulfilling the law 95

Gadara, Christines in 118

Garden of Siloam, Jesus’ tomb 172

Garments divided by soldiers 170

Gethsemane, Jesus in 163

Gennesaret, Christines in valley of 128

Geracines, Christines in 114

Gift of anything, Herod’s offer to Salome 117

Give Caesar his own: give God his own 155

God; the One, the three, the seven 9

God’s remembrance day, Thursday 160

God is spirit 81

Golden Rule 68, 97

Good and Evil 119

Greatest master yet to come 14

Greatest in the sight of God 131

Greatest commandment 155

Greatness, Jesus’ lesson on 131

Grecian masters, Jesus teaches 45

Grecian Jews call on Jesus 156

Greece, Jesus in 44

Groves of Cyrus, Jesus in 40

Growth of man in carnal soul 58

Guards of Herod torture Jesus 167

Guardian spirit for every child 131

Guests of child Jesus at feast 16

Guest without a wedding robe 154

Hair, Mary wipes Jesus’ feet with her 159

Happiness is near for man of faith 33

Harbinger John, Matheno’s charge to 15

Harbinger paves the way 62

Haughty guests would not kneel 153

Healing art; Jesus teaches Ajainin 37

Healing fount of Persepolis 41

Healing art; Udraka’s lesson 23

Healing not paying debts 138

Healing on Sabbath defended 74, 91, 93, 140

Heals in Gennesaret 125

Heals infant in Leh, Jesus 36

Heals child by Persian fount 41

Heals a woman 140

Heals in the temple 74, 152

Heals withered hand 93

Healing virtue of Bethesda 91

Healing virtue is faith 91

Healing on Sabbath resented 74, 93

Healing methods described 74

Head of John given to Salome 117

Hebron, Jesus in 77

Heliopolis, Jesus in temple of 47

Hell, here and now 33

Herod Antipas 1, 85

Herod and the wise men 5

Herod hears charges 167

Herod sends John to Pilate 167

Herod orders Jesus crucified 168

Herod’s death 6

Herodias, immoral woman 85

Hero, man who answers not 97

Heresy of John 85

Henchman of courts 111

Helpfulness to others 100

Help for storm-wrecked sailors 114

Hierophant receives Jesus 47

History of Jesus told by Hillel 21

Historic address by Peter 182

Holy Breath as a dove 64

Holy Breath, thought of heaven 9

Holy Breath, fill this child 36

Holy Breath, mission to the world 162

Holy Breath fills the air 126

Holy Breath, the teacher 109, 128

Holy Breath will come again 105

Holy Breath, Jesus bathes in 79

Holy Breath consciousness 65

Home life, Ruth’s lesson 77

Homeless boy cared for by Jesus 74

Home of Jesus in Capernaum 87

Honor to Father and Mother 97

Hypocrisy, Jesus’ lesson on 126

Hypocrisy will blight soul 105

Hypocrisy of Pharisees 108

Hungry in wilderness 65

Identity of Jesus considered 128

Idolatry condemned 96

Ignorant learned men 104

Impartial God cares for all 99

Impartiality of God 82

Impartiality of God, child Jesus’ lesson 17

Imprisonment of the Harbinger 85

Incessant work of Jesus 105

Indignation of ten Apostles 146

Infant saved from flames by Jesus 92

Inn at Mount Olives 91

Inner light that cannot fail 128

Inner life revealed to disciples 144

Inscription above the cross 170

Jaganath, Jesus in 22

Jairus’ daughter dies 120

Jealous brothers of Jesus 43

Jealousy unknown in Brotherhood of Right 83

Jericho, John with Alpheus in 63

Jerusalem, Jesus’ prophetic address 157

Jesus, birth of 3

Jesus meets the Harbinger 64

Jesus a man, not a God 26

Jewish mob demand Jesus’ death 168

Jewish soldiers guard Jesus’ tomb 171

John, birth and childhood 2

John in the trial chamber 165

John with Massalian 164

Johavehe 138

Jonah and the fish 107

Journey to Egypt 5

Journey to their homes, Joseph, Mary, Jesus, Elizabeth, John 12

Journey through Sidon and Lebanon hills 12

Journey of Jesus through Caesarea 123

Joseph stands in Jesus’ defense 147

Joseph and Nicodemus bury Jesus 171

Jubilee in Kapavista 34

Judas censures Mary 159

Judas treasurer of Christines 159

Judas with mob that abused Jesus 169

Judas hangs himself on city walls 169

Jude, Jesus at home of in Jerusalem 72

Kashmar, Jesus in vale of 37

Kaspar, Persian Sage 38

Kaspar states needs of Persia 56

Kaspar’s home by Caspian Sea 42

Kedron, Jesus and the twelve meet at 163

Keys of safety for men given to Peter 128

King, people believe that Jesus was born to be 72

Kingdom of the soul 71, 129

Kingdom, Jesus’ address on 145

Kingdom to a new people 154

Kingdom, Jesus tells Ajainin about it 29

Kingdom; its gate is low 29

Kingdom, subjects must be pure 29

Kiss, sign of identity 159

Knowledge measure of crime 100

Ladak, Jesus in Leh 36

Lahore, Jesus in the city of 37

Lamaas meets John at Salem 80

Lamaas meets Jesus at Jordan ford 80

Lamaas friend of Jesus 22

Lamb, symbol of innocence 76

Lamps of God, the disciples 95

Last passover of Jesus and the twelve 160

Law of God recognizes desires only 95

Law, its letter forbids killing 97

Law, its spirit recognizes the desire to kill, the sin 97

Law, universal application 14

Lawyers’ injustice exposed by Jesus 108

Lawyers for gain plead against innocence 108

Lawyers argue in Jesus’ trial 166

Lazarus sick in Bethany 148

Lazarus dead, Jesus tells Apostles 148

League with Beelzebul 106

Leaven of Pharisees; Jesus’ lesson 109

Letter of Jesus to his mother 30

Liberates birds and lambs 72, 152

Light about Jesus not comprehended 40

Listening, Mary chose the better part 136

Living Oracle 45

Living people may help the dead 128

Logos as Love manifest 65

Logos, the perfect word 48

Logos in the council of the sages 57

Lost; Jesus not with kindred 20

Love manifest by Jesus 7

Love the savior of the world 8, 75

Love the balm of life 41

Love, Jesus’ Paschal address on 161

Love defined by spiritual law 98

Love fulfils the law 155

Love banishes lustful thoughts 143

Lying defined by the laws of man 99

Lying defined by spiritual law 99

Lying possible by look or act 99

Magdala, Christines in 106

Malchus; Peter wounds him 164

Man with a pitcher 160

Man of faith breathes in Christ 126

Man has powers of God 92

Man defined by Jesus 22

Manuscripts of Lassa 36

Many called; few chosen 153

Marriage feast of Pharisee 141

Marriage feast in Cana 70

Marriage defined by man 98

Marriage defined by God 98

Marriage, man’s relation to 143

Marriage, Jesus’ lesson on 70

Marriage and lust 143

Mars, a Cretan vessel 46

Mart, the beggar 107

Mary’s birth and childhood 1

Mary and Miriam at tomb 173

Massalian, Jesus with 139

Massacre of young children 6

Masters of old and Jesus 123

Master at resurrection 172

Master tells of Jesus’ return 180

Master minds; Delphic Oracle 45

Materialization of Jesus, appearances after death 173, 180

To his mother and Miriam 173

To the other women 173

To Peter, James and John 173

To disciples at Emmaus 174

To ten apostles in Simon’s house 175

To Lazarus, Mary, Martha and Ruth 175

To Ravanna and other teachers in India 176

To the Magian priests in Persepolis 176

To the priests in the temple at Jerusalem 177

To Thomas and the other apostles at Simon’s house 177

To Apollo and the Silent Brotherhood in Greece 7

To Claudas and Juliet in Rome 178

To the priests in temple Heliopolis, Egypt 178

To the apostles at Sea of Galilee 179

To multitudes of people in Galilee 179

To Peter, James and John in Galilee 179

To the apostles in Jerusalem 180

To the Marys and others on Mount Olives 180

Matheno, John’s teacher 13

Matheno states Egypt’s needs 57

Mathias chosen an apostle 181

Memorial, Mary’s act 159

Memorial Supper 160

Meng-ste with Jesus 36

Meng-ste states China’s needs 56

Men of faith control storm 117

Melzone, Persian wise man 38

Merchants driven out of temple 152

Merchants of Kashmar 37

Merom, Christines at 128

Message from John to Jesus 103

Messages of John 61, 62

Message of John at Bethany 62

Messages of Silence land 158

Messengers from John 108

Messenger, prophecy of Elihu 7

Messiah defined 73

Mighty works of wicked men 101

Mind, sin a creature of 126

Mission of Jesus to save lost 66

Mission of Jesus 135

Mission of John 103

Missionary tours 90, 102, 105, 140

Misfortune their causes 114

Miriam calls on Jesus 106

Miriam’s reincarnation 106

Miriam’s song 106, 110, 121, 140, 181

Model prayer 94, 137

Model feast 141

Mood, their philosophy 9

Monks of Leh 36

Money changers driven out 72

Mother and brothers of Jesus 106

Mother-in-law of Peter healed 89

Multitude seek Jesus 124

Multitude defends Jesus 133

Murder, Brahmic priests try 31

Mystery of marriage 155

Name of God not revealed 96

Name of Jesus in temple 48

Narrow is the perfect way 101

Narrow way to life 141

Nazarite, John the Harbinger 15

Nazareth, Jesus would not teach in 69

Nazareth, Jesus at home 43

Necessity above law 93

Neglected opportunities 103

Neighbor the one who shows mercy 136

New Age creeds 36

New wine burst old bottles 120

Nicodemus visits Jesus 75

Nicodemus sees the light 75

Nicodemus in Jesus’ defense 134

Nicodemus’ home, supper to the Lord 160

Nicodemus pleads for Jesus in trial 166

Non-resistance, law of spiritual life 97

Non-resistance, evidence of willing sacrifice 127

Not guilty; Pilate’s verdict 167

Number and name of an evil spirit 118

Number of a soul 134

Oaths change no conditions 99

Obsessed man freed by Jesus 83, 89, 106, 121

Obsessed man met Christines 118

Obsessed girl freed by Jesus 123

Omnific word heard by apostles 89

Omnipotence of faith 153

One cleansed leper thankful 133

One thing lacking 142

Offence of causing people to fall 131

Opportunities; theme of Jesus’ address 105

Outer man seen by carnal man 71

Overcoming; promise to disciples 162

Palestine under Roman rule 1

Paying debts by healing 138

Parable, Gold mine 142

Parable, Good Samaritan 136

Parable, Good Seed and Tares 116

Parable, Householder and Laborers 143

Parable, Householder and Servants 158

Parable, Importunate Housewife 137

Parable, Importunate Widow 145

Parable, King and Vast Domain 73

Parable, Laborer and Rich Field 33

Parable, Leaven 116

Parable, Lost Sheep 131

Parable, Marriage Feast 154

Parable, Nobleman and Unjust Sons 25

Parable, Pharisee and Publican 145

Parable, Prodigal Son 144

Parable, Rich man and Great Harvest 111

Parable, Rich Man’s Feast 153

Parable, Rich Man and His Feast 141

Parable, Rich Man and Lazarus 142

Parable, Righteous King and Sons 36

Parable, Seed and its Growth 140, 116

Parable, Sower 116

Parable, Ten Servants and Pounds 149

Parable, Ten Virgins 158

Parable, Treasures in Field 116

Parable, Stalks with Broken Blades 27

Parable, Unkept Vineyard 34

Parable, Wheat and Tares explained 116

Paschal Supper, preparation 160

Password of man is character 95

Patience and readiness 111

Parting words of Jesus 161

Patron of Jesus, Ravanna 21

Peace, Jesus’ address on 113

Pearl of greatest price 142

Pentecost 182

Perfect man, Jesus 59

Perfect age; no rites 35

Perfect age; all people priests 35

Perfection of man, Seventh Postulate 59

Persia, Persepolis, Jesus in 38

Peter afraid in outer court 165

Peter walks on the water 124

Pharisees censure Christines 93

Phenomena hunters carnal 107

Phenomena of Holy Breath 182

Philo states Jewish needs 57

Philo pleads for Jesus 72

Physical body not the man 126

Picture of Holy Breath 96

Pilate protects Christines 181

Pilate would save Jesus’ life 163

Pilate, Jesus taken before 166

Pillars of the Church 95

Plea for help in home affairs 111

Plea of Pilate for Jesus to flee 163

Plea of Jesus before Caiaphas 166

Platform from which Jesus speaks 154

Potter’s field bought 169

Porch of temple, great meeting in 147

Power of Jesus 31

Power defined by Jesus 22

Power of faith 130

Power of God not recognized 130

Power of God casting evil spirits out 106

Pray, Christines go apart to 94, 109

Pray, Jesus teaches Lazarus to 137

Prayed in sacred grove, Jesus 84

Prayer to idols for help 46

Prayer no sign of saintship 101

Prayer, effectual 46

Prayer of the envious not heard 153

Prayer of Jesus for disciples 140, 150, 162

Prayer, power demonstrated 89

Prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane 163

Prayer of Jesus for his murderers 170

Prayer, importunate 137

Prayer, unceasing 145

Prayer, Jesus’ address on 94

Prayer of consecration 89

Prayer, Salome’s lesson on 12

Prayer, the Samaritan’s 84

Praying alone, Jesus 90

Preaches at Jordan ford, Jesus 78

Priesthood can not be reformed 120

Priests enraged at Jesus 91

Prince of Peace will come 157

Proof of Jesus’ messiahship 69

Prophecy concerning Chaldea 42

Prophecies of Gabriel 2

Prophecy of aged widow 1

Prophet without honor 69

Protects, Jesus, Lamaas 24

Pruner, blessed work 34

Pupils at Zoan--Mary and Elizabeth 7

Purity essential 68

Purity demanded 126

Purity manifest by John 7

Purifying fires 116

Questions at Jesus’ trial 165

Raising the widow’s son 102

Ravanna with Jesus in Nazareth 21

Reads the scriptures in the temple 68

Readiness to meet the Lord 145

Rebukes wealthy Pharisee 140

Reception Robes 112

Reconciliation 97

Reform the priesthood, Nicodemus’ plea 120

Reincarnation affirmed by Jesus 37

Rejected stone becomes capstone 154

Repudiates claim to carnal kingship 72

Reputation an illusion 27

Request of Mary not granted 146

Resentment strengthens wrath 113

Resistance the sire of anger 97

Responsible for use of thought 109

Restores Jairus’ child to life 120

Rested in desert place, Christines 124

Resurrection of Lazarus 148

Resurrection of Lazarus perturbs priests 148

Resurrection of Jesus 172

Responsibility of man 14

Revealers of light--Jesus and John 7

Revolution feared by Brahmic priests 31

Rewards, God’s method of giving 143

Rich young man seeks Jesus 142

Right is king and will at last reign 113

Righteousness the Judge 158

Rock, Jesus calls Peter the 66

Rolls of Graphael 158

Roman seal on tomb of Jesus 172

Roman captain’s servant healed 102

Ruth distressed 77

Ruth and Asher at Lazarus’ feast 92

Sacrifice, giving to the needy 28

Sacrifice, serving everything 28

Sacrifice of self 35

Sacrifice, Jesus’ address on 121

Sad toilers in India 33

Safe retreat, Jesus had none 117

Sages at Philo’s home 56

Sakara, Egyptian school 15

Salim, John preaching at 79

Salim springs 146

Salome’s dance pleases Herod 117

Salvation defined 22

Samaria, Christines in 81, 84

Samaritans at Jacob’s well 82

Sanhedrim hear charges 166

Save the lost, Jesus’ mission 131

Saving sinners, Jesus’ address on 119

Saving life by giving life 129

Savior of the world, resist not 127

Scheme to apprehend Jesus 159

School, Elihu and Salome 7

School of Chris 87, 103

Schools of Egypt 11

Scroll of temple brotherhood 48

Scribes question Jesus 126

Scribes and Pharisees try to kill Jesus 135

Sea of Galilee, Christines by 88

Searching for Jesus in mountain 128

Secret lesson to apostles 128, 158

Secret sins exposed 27

Secret place for prayer, Jesus’ 39

Secret place in Decapolis 127

Seize Judas, Apostles 164

Self exaltation, Jesus’ lesson on 141, 146

Self laudation brings abasement 145

Selfs, the two 8

Selfish ones find gate locked 141

Selfishness, Jesus’ lesson on selfishness of the people 108, 125

Sense of right in every man 111

Senses sense what seems to be 71

Seven, the number of all 133

Seven hours in prayer 158

Seven days’ silence, the Sages’ 56

Seven days’ silence, the Harbinger 61

Seven postulates 58

Seven, its meaning 48

Seven days prayer, the Christines 122

Seven baskets full taken up 128

Seven, number of Holy Breath 96

Sevens of time in God’s hands 96

Seventy sent out 133

Seventy return 140

Seventy, number of God and man 133

Seventy’s missionary tour 133

Sermon on the Mount 95, 101

Service basis of Judgment 158

Service, acceptable 26

Serve God by serving man 96

Serving two masters 99

Sheep gate 91

Sheep and Goats 158

Shepherds in hills, Jesus with 76

Shepherd’s home in Bethlehem 76

Shinar, Plains of 43

Sick healed in Bethlehem 76

Sick servant of Asher healed 78

Sick healed at Sychar 83

Sick woman healed by thought 84

Sick son of nobleman healed 87

Sick and obsessed healed at Capernaum 89

Signs not seen before 157

Signs demanded of Jesus 86

Silence, Jesus’ lesson on 40

Silence in the courts of Heaven 158

Silence, Jesus and disciples sit in 66

Silent Brotherhood 38, 87, 172

Silent prayer, Christines 182

Simeon’s prophecy 4

Simon of Cyrene, cross bearer 168

Sin against Holy Breath 105

Sin and sickness synonymous 90

Sins of priesthood, Jesus’ lesson 72

Sinless man called to stand 134

Sinless man not found 134

Sin, Jesus crosses 37

Sleeping disciples 163

Sly fox, Jesus calls Herod 141

Soldiers charge Silent Brotherhood 172

Soldiers bribed by priests 172

Son of man will come 145

Sons of God, Jesus’ lesson on 91, 147

Songs on the mount 129

Sonnets of the dead 117

Sorrowing rich young man 142

Soul communion 84

Soul not immortal 109

Soul of Jesus with apostles 127

Specialists in sin 68

Spirit truth is new, must expand 120

Spirit consciousness 124

Spirit law abhorred by man 100

Spirit control, the law revealed 37

Spirit, light and purity 107

Spirit immortal 109

Spirits of wind and wave 117

Spiritual man, ethics of 100

Standard law of judging crime, no 132

Statement of Jesus before Pilate 167

Stealing bread, trial of man for 132

Stewards of God’s wealth 111

Stone Jesus, Jews attempt to 147

Storm on Sea of Galilee 117, 124

Strength through effort 46

Strength and wisdom fill Jesus 104

Striving of the apostles 160

Substitute for Holy Name 96

Susanna’s guests, Christines 128

Swearing prohibited 99

Sychar, Jesus teaches in 83

Tao, God of the Orient 9

Tax paid by Jesus and Peter 131

Tax money in fish’s mouth 131

Teacher of Jesus, Mary 16

Teacher of Jesus, Barachia 17

Teaches doctors and lawyers, Jesus 19

Teaches from a boat, Jesus 115

Teacher who is wise 101

Temple courts, Jesus teaches in 133, 130

Temple of God is the heart 81

Temple priests invite Jesus 29

Temperance lesson by John 62

Temperance lesson by Jesus 92

Temptations of Jesus in Egypt 48-55

First temptation--Hypocrisy 48

First victory 48

First Brotherhood degree--Sincerity 48

Second temptation--Prejudice 49

Second victory 49

Second Brotherhood degree 49

Third temptation--Unbelief 50

Third victory 50

Third Brotherhood degree--Faith 50

Fourth temptation--Selfishness 51

Fourth victory 51

Fourth Brotherhood degree--Philanthropy 51

Fifth temptation--Fear 52

Fifth victory 52

Fifth Brotherhood degree 52

Sixth temptation--Carnal love 53

Sixth victory 53

Sixth Brotherhood degree 53

Seventh temptation--Emotion 54

Seventh victory 54

Seventh Brotherhood degree--The Christ 55

Temptations of Jesus in the Wilderness 65

First; to demonstrate power over earth substances.

Second; to demonstrate power over the air.

Third; to demonstrate power over men through wealth.

Tempting thoughts 65

Ten Commands; is there a greatest 17

Ten Commandments 96

Ten is the number of God 133

Ten lepers cleansed 13

Testimonies must all be in 167

Thanks to God 140

Thankfulness of Jesus 194

Theft defined by man 98

Theft defined by God 98

Thirty pieces of silver 159

Thought--the First Postulate 58

Thought the greatest power on earth 84

Thought, Jesus’ lesson on 84

Three thousand baptized 182

Tibet, Jesus in 36

Tigres and Euphrates 42

Toil should bring happiness 33

Tombs of Gadara 118

Tongues of fire 182

Transfiguration of Jesus 129

Treasures in heaven 99

Treasures, anchor of the soul 99

Tree without fruit cut down 105

Treasure box of Christines 114

Tree known by its fruit 101

Trial hour for apostles 161

Triumphant entry into Jerusalem 151

Tribute to Caesar 155

Tribulations indescribable 157

Trust in God; He will care 99

Truth, defined by Jesus 22

Truth, the leavening power 10

Truth, spoken in kindness 111

Tuesday, Jesus in Jerusalem 153

Twelve is the number of the Jew 133

Tyre, Jesus in 123

Unbelief precludes great work 86

Unclean spirits afraid of Jesus 118

Unclean spirits obey Jesus 118

Unclean spirits in animals 118

Unclean animals drowned in sea 118

Unfoldment, Jesus’ lesson on 25

Unity of God and man 84

Unity of God, foundation of law 96

Universal Brotherhood 28, 81

Universal Fatherhood 28

Universal Church 60

Universal family 106

Unrest in Jerusalem 134

Ur of Chaldea, Jesus in 42

Unsuccessful fishermen 88

Upbraids disciples for striving 160

Upbraids Judas for treachery 164

Upper gate of consciousness 142

Vidyapati endorses Jesus 32

Vidyapati states needs of India 56

Vigilance essential 112

Vine and branches 87, 161

Virtue of healing waters 41

Virtue the salt of life 131

Virtueless people lost 131

Vision of Pilate’s wife 167

Vision of Jesus 16

Voice from heaven testifies 64

Vow of Secret Brotherhood 47

Wages based on intent 143

Walked on water, Jesus 124

Walked on water, Peter 124

Wandering musicians 37

Washes his hands in innocence, Pilate 168

Washed not hands before eating 108

Way to Christ, Jesus’ address on 129

Wealth of earth hinders progress 112

Wealth within the heart 33

Wealth of soul is purity 111

Wednesday, Jesus and twelve in Mount Olives 158

Wept over Jerusalem, Jesus 151

White, symbol of virtue and purity 76

Wicked spirit sent to its own place 83

Wife of Pilate urges non-interference 167

Will, faith, helpfulness and love, Fifth Postulate 59

Wilderness, place of Jesus’ self-examination 65

Wine, water changed into 70

Wise men visit Jesus 5

Wise men return home 5

Wise men meet Jesus in Persepolis 38

Wisdom defined by Jesus 22

Wisdom of Jesus attracts Ravanna 21

Withered fig tree, Jesus’ lesson on 153

Woes described by Jesus 95

Woes on cities of Galilee 103, 156

Wolves in sheep’s clothing 101

Woman with hemorrhage healed 120

Woman of Samaria at Jacob’s well 81

Words may hide a lie 99

Words of Jesus upon the cross 171

Work of seven sages 56

Worth of a soul 129

Worth of the soul, its measure 111

Wounded Malchus healed by Jesus 164

Yoke of Christ easy 104

Zacharias and Elizabeth home, near Hebron 2

Zaccheus called to entertain Jesus 149

Zaccheus tells story of own life 149

Zarathustra; philosophy and works 10

Zara, Persian wise man 38

Zoan, Jesus in 47

THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL

OF JESUS THE CHRIST.

SECTION I.

ALEPH.

_Birth and Early Life of Mary, Mother of Jesus._

CHAPTER 1.

_Palestine. Birth of Mary. Joachim’s feast. Mary is blest by

the priests. His prophecy. Mary abides in the temple. Is

betrothed to Joseph._

Augustus Cæsar reigned and Herod Antipas was ruler of Jerusalem.

2 Three provinces comprised the land of Palestine: Judea, and Samaria,

and Galilee.

3 Joachim was a master of the Jewish law, a man of wealth; he lived in

Nazareth of Galilee; and Anna, of the tribe of Judah, was his wife.

4 To them was born a child, a goodly female child, and they were glad;

and Mary was the name they gave the child.

5 Joachim made a feast in honor of the child; but he invited not the

rich, the honored and the great; he called the poor, the halt, the

lame, the blind, and to each one he gave a gift of raiment, food, or

other needful thing.

6 He said, The Lord has given me this wealth; I am his steward by his

grace, and if I give not to his children when in need, then he will

make this wealth a curse.

7 Now, when the child was three years old her parents took her to

Jerusalem, and in the temple she received the blessings of the priests.

8 The high priest was a prophet and a seer, and when he saw the child

he said,

9 Behold, this child will be the mother of an honored prophet and a

master of the law; she shall abide within this holy temple of the Lord.

10 And Mary did abide within the temple of the Lord; and Hillel, chief

of the Sanhedrim, taught her all the precepts of the Jews, and she

delighted in the law of God.

11 When Mary reached the age of womanhood she was betrothed to Joseph,

son of Jacob, and a carpenter of Nazareth.

12 And Joseph was an upright man; and a devoted Essenes.

SECTION II.

BETH.

_Birth and Infancy of John, the Harbinger, and of Jesus._

CHAPTER 2.

_Zacharias and Elizabeth. Prophetic messages of Gabriel to

Zacharias, Elizabeth and Mary. Birth of John. Prophecy of

Zacharias._

Near Hebron in the hills of Judah, Zacharias and Elizabeth abode.

2 They were devout and just, and every day they read the Law, the

Prophets and the Psalms which told of one to come, strong to redeem;

and they were waiting for the king.

3 Now, Zacharias was a priest, and in his turn he led the temple

service in Jerusalem.

4 It came to pass as Zacharias stood before the Lord and burned the

incense in the Holy Place, that Gabriel came and stood before his face.

5 And Zacharias was afraid; he thought that some great evil was about

to come upon the Jews.

6 But Gabriel said, O man of God, fear not; I bring to you, and all

the world, a message of good will, and peace on earth.

7 Behold, the Prince of Peace, the king you seek, will quickly come.

8 Your wife will bear to you a son, a holy son, of whom the prophet

wrote,

9 Behold, I send Elijah unto you again before the coming of the Lord;

and he will level down the hills and fill the valleys up, and pave the

way for him who shall redeem.

10 From the beginning of the age your son has borne the name of John,

the mercy of the Lord; his name is John.

11 He will be honored in the sight of God, and he will drink no wine,

and from his birth he will be filled with Holy Breath.

12 And Gabriel stood before Elizabeth as she was in the silence in

her home, and told her all the words that he had said to Zacharias in

Jerusalem.

13 When he had done the service of his course, the priest went home,

and with Elizabeth rejoiced.

14 Five months passed by and Gabriel came to Mary in her home in

Nazareth and said,

15 Hail Mary, hail! Once blessed in the name of God; twice blessed in

the name of Holy Breath; thrice blessed in the name of Christ; for you

are worthy, and will bear a son who shall be called Immanuel.

16 His name is Jesus, for he saves his people from their sins.

17 When Joseph’s daily task was done he came, and Mary told him all

the words that Gabriel spoke to her, and they rejoiced; for they

believed that he, the man of God, had spoken words of truth.

18 And Mary went with haste to tell Elizabeth about the promises of

Gabriel; together they rejoiced.

19 And in the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth did Mary tarry ninety

days; then she returned to Nazareth.

20 To Zacharias and Elizabeth a son was born, and Zacharias said,

21 Most blessed be the name of God, for he has opened up the fount of

blessings for his people, Israel.

22 His promises are verified; for he has brought to pass the words

which holy prophets spoke in olden times.

23 And Zacharias looked upon the infant John, and said,

24 You will be called the prophet of the Holy One; and you will go

before his face, and will prepare his way.

25 And you will give a knowledge of salvation unto Israel; and you

will preach the gospel of repentance and the blotting out of sins.

26 Behold, for soon the Day Star from on high will visit us, to light

the way for those who sit within the darkness of the shadowland, and

guide our feet unto the ways of peace.

CHAPTER 3.

_Birth of Jesus. Masters honor the child. The shepherds

rejoice. Zacharias and Elizabeth visit Mary. Jesus is

circumcised._

The time was nearly due for Jesus to be born, and Mary longed to see

Elizabeth, and she and Joseph turned their faces toward the Judean

hills.

2 And when upon their way they came to Bethlehem the day was done, and

they must tarry for the night.

3 But Bethlehem was thronged with people going to Jerusalem; the inns

and homes were filled with guests, and Joseph and his wife could find

no place to rest but in a cave where animals were kept; and there they

slept.

4 At midnight came a cry, A child is born in yonder cave among the

beasts. And lo, the promised son of man was born.

5 And strangers took the little one and wrapped him in the dainty

robes that Mary had prepared and laid him in a trough from which the

beasts of burden fed.

6 Three persons clad in snow-white robes came in and stood before the

child and said,

7 All strength, all wisdom and all love be yours, Immanuel.

8 Now, on the hills of Bethlehem were many flocks of sheep with

shepherds guarding them.

9 The shepherds were devout, were men of prayer, and they were waiting

for a strong deliverer to come.

10 And when the child of promise came a man in snow-white robe

appeared to them, and they fell back in fear. The man stood forth and

said,

11 Fear not! behold I bring you joyful news. At midnight in a cave in

Bethlehem was born the prophet and the king that you have long been

waiting for.

12 And then the shepherds all were glad; they felt that all the hills

were filled with messengers of light, who said,

13 All glory be to God on high; peace, peace on earth, good will to

men.

14 And then the shepherds came with haste to Bethlehem and to the

cave, that they might see and honor him whom men had called Immanuel.

15 Now, when the morning came, a shepherdess whose home was near,

prepared a room for Mary, Joseph and the child; and here they tarried

many days.

16 And Joseph sent a messenger in haste to Zacharias and Elizabeth to

say, The child is born in Bethlehem.

17 And Zacharias and Elizabeth took John and came to Bethlehem with

words of cheer.

18 And Mary and Elizabeth recounted all the wondrous things that had

transpired. The people joined with them in praising God.

19 According to the custom of the Jews, the child was circumcised; and

when they asked, What will you call the child? the mother said, His

name is Jesus, as the man of God declared.

CHAPTER 4.

_Consecration of Jesus. Mary offers sacrifices. Simeon and Anna

prophesy. Anna is rebuked for worshipping the child. The

family returns to Bethlehem._

Now, Mary took her son, when he was forty days of age, up to the

temple in Jerusalem, and he was consecrated by the priest.

2 And then she offered purifying sacrifices for herself, according to

the custom of the Jews; a lamb and two young turtle doves.

3 A pious Jew named Simeon was in the temple serving God.

4 From early youth he had been looking for Immanuel to come, and he

had prayed to God that he might not depart until his eyes had seen

Messiah in the flesh.

5 And when he saw the infant Jesus he rejoiced and said, I now am

ready to depart in peace, for I have seen the king.

6 And then he took the infant in his arms and said, Behold, this child

will bring a sword upon my people, Israel, and all the world; but he

will break the sword and then the nations will learn war no more.

7 The master’s cross I see upon the forehead of this child, and he

will conquer by this sign.

8 And in the temple was a widow, four and eighty years of age, and she

departed not, but night and day she worshipped God.

9 And when she saw the infant Jesus she exclaimed, Behold Immanuel!

Behold the signet cross of the Messiah on his brow!

10 And then the woman knelt to worship him, as God with us, Immanuel;

but one, a master clothed in white, appeared and said,

11 Good woman, stay; take heed to what you do; you may not worship

man; this is idolatry.

12 This child is man, the son of man, and worthy of all praise. You

shall adore and worship God; him only shall you serve.

13 The woman rose and bowed her head in thankfulness and worshipped

God.

14 And Mary took the infant Jesus and returned to Bethlehem.

CHAPTER 5.

_Three magian priests honor Jesus. Herod is alarmed. Calls a

council of the Jews. Is told that prophets had foretold the

coming of a king. Herod resolves to kill the child. Mary and

Joseph take Jesus and flee into Egypt._

Beyond the river Euphrates the magians lived; and they were wise,

could read the language of the stars and they divined that one, a

master soul, was born; they saw his star above Jerusalem.

2 And there were three among the magian priests who longed to see the

master of the coming age; and they took costly gifts and hastened to

the West in search of him, the new-born king, that they might honor

him.

3 And one took gold, the symbol of nobility; another myrrh, the symbol

of dominion and of power; gum-thus the other took, the symbol of the

wisdom of the sage.

4 Now when the magians reached Jerusalem the people were amazed, and

wondered who they were and why they came.

5 And when they asked, Where is the child that has been born a king?

the very throne of Herod seemed to shake.

6 And Herod sent a courtier forth to bring the magians to his court.

7 And when they came they asked again, Where is the new born king? And

then they said, While yet beyond the Euphrates we saw his star arise,

and we have come to honor him.

8 And Herod blanched with fear. He thought, perhaps, the priests were

plotting to restore the kingdom of the Jews, and so he said within

himself, I will know more about this child that has been born a king.

9 And so he told the magian priests to tarry in the city for a while

and he would tell them all about the king.

10 He called in council all the Jewish masters of the law and asked,

What have the Jewish prophets said concerning such a one?

11 The Jewish masters answered him and said, The prophets long ago

foretold that one would come to rule the tribes of Israel; that this

Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

12 They said, The prophet Micah wrote, O Bethlehem Judea, a little

place among the Judean hills, yet out of you will one come forth to

rule my people, Israel; yea, one who lived in olden times, in very

ancient days.

13 Then Herod called the magian priests again and told them what the

masters of the Jewish law had said; and then he sent them on the way

to Bethlehem.

14 He said, Go search, and if you find the child that has been born a

king, return and tell me all, that I may go and honor him.

15 The magians went their way and found the child with Mary in the

shepherd’s home.

16 They honored him; bestowed upon him precious gifts and gave him

gold, gum-thus and myrrh.

17 These magian priests could read the hearts of men; they read the

wickedness of Herod’s heart, and knew that he had sworn to kill the

new born king.

18 And so they told the secret to the parents of the child, and bid

them flee beyond the reach of harm.

19 And then the priests went on their homeward way; they went not

through Jerusalem.

20 And Joseph took the infant Jesus and his mother in the night and

fled to Egypt land, and with Elihu and Salome in ancient Zoan they

abode.

CHAPTER 6.

_Herod learns of the supposed mission of John. The infants of

Bethlehem are massacred by Herod’s order. Elizabeth escapes

with John. Because Zacharias cannot tell where his son is

hidden, he is murdered. Herod dies._

Now, when the magian priests did not return to tell him of the child

that had been born a king, King Herod was enraged.

2 And then his courtiers told him of another child in Bethlehem, one

born to go before and to prepare the people to receive the king.

3 This angered more and more the king; he called his guards and bid

them go to Bethlehem and slay the infant John, as well as Jesus who

was born to be a king.

4 He said, Let no mistake be made, and that you may be sure to slay

these claimants to my throne, slay all male children in the town not

yet two years of age.

5 The guards went forth and did as Herod bade them do.

6 Elizabeth knew not that Herod sought to slay her son, and she and

John were yet in Bethlehem; but when she knew, she took the infant

John and hastened to the hills.

7 The murderous guards were near; they pressed upon her hard; but then

she knew the secret caves in all the hills, and into one she ran and

hid herself and John until the guards were gone.

8 Their cruel task was done; the guards returned and told the story to

the king.

9 They said, We know that we have slain the infant king; but John, his

harbinger, we could not find.

10 The king was angry with his guards because they failed to slay the

infant John; he sent them to the tower in chains.

11 And other guards were sent to Zacharias, father of the harbinger,

while he was serving in the Holy Place, to say, The king demands that

you shall tell where is your son.

12 But Zacharias did not know, and he replied, I am a minister of God,

a servant in the Holy Place; how could I know where they have taken

him?

13 And when the guards returned and told the king what Zacharias said,

he was enraged and said,

14 My guards, go back and tell that wily priest that he is in my

hands; that if he does not tell the truth, does not reveal the hiding

place of John, his son, then he shall die.

15 The guards went back and told the priest just what the king had

said.

16 And Zacharias said, I can but give my life for truth; and if the

king does shed my blood the Lord will save my soul.

17 The guards again returned and told the king what Zacharias said.

18 Now, Zacharias stood before the altar in the Holy Place engaged in

prayer.

19 A guard approached and with a dagger thrust him through; he fell

and died before the curtain of the sanctuary of the Lord.

20 And when the hour of salutation came, for Zacharias daily blessed

the priests, he did not come.

21 And after waiting long the priests went to the Holy Place and found

the body of the dead.

22 And there was grief, deep grief, in all the land.

23 Now Herod sat upon his throne; he did not seem to move; his

courtiers came; the king was dead. His sons reigned in his stead.

SECTION III.

GIMEL.

_Education of Mary and Elizabeth in Zoan._

CHAPTER 7.

_Archelaus reigns. Mary and Elizabeth with their sons are in

Zoan and are taught by Elihu and Salome. Elihu’s introductory

lesson. Tells of an interpreter._

The son of Herod, Archelaus, reigned in Jerusalem. He was a selfish,

cruel king; he put to death all those who did not honor him.

2 He called in council all the wisest men and asked about the infant

claimant to his throne.

3 The council said that John and Jesus both were dead; then he was

satisfied.

4 Now Joseph, Mary and their son were down in Egypt in Zoan, and John

was with his mother in the Judean hills.

5 Elihu and Salome sent messengers in haste to find Elizabeth and

John. They found them and they brought them to Zoan.

6 Now, Mary and Elizabeth were marveling much because of their

deliverance.

7 Elihu said, It is not strange; there are no happenings; law governs

all events.

8 From olden times it was ordained that you should be with us, and in

this sacred school be taught.

9 Elihu and Salome took Mary and Elizabeth out to the sacred grove

near by where they were wont to teach.

10 Elihu said to Mary and Elizabeth, You may esteem yourselves thrice

blest, for you are chosen mothers of long promised sons,

11 Who are ordained to lay in solid rock a sure foundation stone on

which the temple of the perfect man shall rest--a temple that shall

never be destroyed.

12 We measure time by cycle ages, and the gate to every age we deem a

mile stone in the journey of the race.

13 An age has passed; the gate unto another age flies open at the

touch of time. This is the preparation age of soul, the kingdom of

Immanuel, of God in man;

14 And these, your sons, will be the first to tell the news, and

preach the gospel of good will to men, and peace on earth.

15 A mighty work is theirs; for carnal men want not the light; they

love the dark, and when the light shines in the dark they comprehend

it not.

16 We call these sons, Revealers of the Light; but they must have the

light before they can reveal the light.

17 And you must teach your sons, and set their souls on fire with love

and holy zeal, and make them conscious of their missions to the sons

of men.

18 Teach them that God and man were one; but that through carnal

thoughts and words and deeds, man tore himself away from God; debased

himself.

19 Teach that the Holy Breath would make them one again, restoring

harmony and peace;

20 That naught can make them one but love; that God so loved the world

that he has clothed his son in flesh that man may comprehend.

21 The only Savior of the world is love, and Jesus, son of Mary,

comes to manifest that love to men.

22 Now, love cannot be manifest until its way has been prepared, and

naught can rend the rocks and bring down lofty hills and fill the

valleys up, and thus prepare the way, but purity.

23 But purity in life men do not comprehend; and so, it, too, must

come in flesh.

24 And you, Elizabeth, are blest because your son is purity made

flesh, and he shall pave the way for love.

25 This age will comprehend but little of the works of Purity and

Love; but not a word is lost, for in the Book of God’s Remembrance a

registry is made of every thought, and word, and deed;

26 And when the world is ready to receive, lo, God will send a

messenger to open up the book and copy from its sacred pages all the

messages of Purity and Love.

27 Then every man of earth will read the words of life in language of

his native land, and men will see the light, walk in the light and be

the light.

28 And man again will be at one with God.

CHAPTER 8.

_Elihu’s lessons. The unity of life. The two selfs. The devil.

Love the savior of men. The David of the light. Goliath of

the dark._

Again Elihu met his pupils in the sacred grove and said,

2 No man lives unto himself; for every living thing is bound by cords

to every other living thing.

3 Blest are the pure in heart; for they will love and not demand love

in return.

4 They will not do to other men what they would not have other men do

unto them.

5 There are two selfs; the higher and the lower self.

6 The higher self is human spirit clothed with soul, made in the form

of God.

7 The lower self, the carnal self, the body of desires, is a reflexion

of the higher self, distorted by the murky ethers of the flesh.

8 The lower self is an illusion, and will pass away; the higher self

is God in man, and will not pass away.

9 The higher self is the embodiment of truth; the lower self is truth

reversed, and so is falsehood manifest.

10 The higher self is justice, mercy, love and right; the lower self

is what the higher self is not.

11 The lower self breeds hatred, slander, lewdness, murders, theft,

and everything that harms; the higher self is mother of the virtues

and the harmonies of life.

12 The lower self is rich in promises, but poor in blessedness and

peace; it offers pleasure, joy and satisfying gains; but gives unrest

and misery and death.

13 It gives men apples that are lovely to the eye and pleasant to the

smell; their cores are full of bitterness and gall.

14 If you would ask me what to study I would say, yourselfs; and when

you well had studied them, and then would ask me what to study next, I

would reply, yourselfs.

15 He who knows well his lower self, knows the illusions of the world,

knows of the things that pass away; and he who knows his higher self,

knows God; knows well the things that cannot pass away.

16 Thrice blessed is the man who has made purity and love his very

own; he has been ransomed from the perils of the lower self and is

himself his higher self.

17 Men seek salvation from an evil that they deem a living monster of

the nether world; and they have gods that are but demons in disguise;

all powerful, yet full of jealousy and hate and lust;

18 Whose favors must be bought with costly sacrifice of fruits, and of

the lives of birds, and animals, and human kind.

19 And yet these gods possess no ears to hear, no eyes to see, no

heart to sympathize, no power to save.

20 This evil is a myth; these gods are made of air, and clothed with

shadows of a thought.

21 The only devil from which men must be redeemed is self, the lower

self. If man would find his devil he must look within; his name is

self.

22 If man would find his savior he must look within; and when the

demon self has been dethroned the savior, Love, will be exalted to the

throne of power.

23 The David of the light is Purity, who slays the strong Goliath of

the dark, and seats the savior, Love, upon the throne.

CHAPTER 9.

_Salome’s lessons. The man and the woman. Philosophy of human

moods. The triune God. The Septonate. The God Tao._

Salome taught the lesson of the day. She said, All times are not

alike. Today the words of man may have the greatest power; tomorrow

women teaches best.

2 In all the ways of life the man and woman should walk hand in hand;

the one without the other is but half; each has a work to do.

3 But all things teach; each has a time and season for its own. The

sun, the moon have lessons of their own for men; but each one teaches

at the appointed time.

4 The lessons of the sun fall down on human hearts like withered

leaves upon a stream, if given in the season of the moon; and so with

lessons of the moon and all the stars.

5 Today one walks in gloom, downhearted and oppressed; tomorrow that

same one is filled with joy.

6 Today the heavens seem full of blessedness and hope; tomorrow hope

has fled, and every plan and purpose comes to naught.

7 Today one wants to curse the very ground on which he treads;

tomorrow he is full of love and praise.

8 Today one hates and scorns and envies and is jealous of the child he

loves; tomorrow he has risen above his carnal self, and breathes forth

gladness and good will.

9 A thousand times men wonder why these heights and depths, these

light hearts and these sad, are found in every life.

10 They do not know that there are teachers everywhere, each busy with

a God-appointed task, and driving home to human hearts the truth.

11 But this is true, and every one receives the lessons that he needs.

12 And Mary said, Today I am in exaltation great; my thoughts and all

my life seem lifted up; why am I thus inspired?

13 Salome replied, This is a day of exaltation; day of worship and of

praise; a day when, in a measure, we may comprehend our Father-God.

14 Then let us study God, the One, the Three, the Seven.

15 Before the worlds were formed all things were One; just Spirit,

Universal Breath.

16 And Spirit breathed, and that which was not manifest became the

Fire and Thought of heaven, the Father-God, the Mother-God.

17 And when the Fire and Thought of heaven in union breathed, their

son, their only son, was born. This son is Love whom men have called

the Christ.

18 Men call the Thought of heaven the Holy Breath.

19 And when the Triune God breathed forth, lo, seven Spirits stood

before the throne. These are the Elohim, creative spirits of the

universe.

20 And these are they who said, Let us make man; and in their image

man was made.

21 In early ages of the world the dwellers in the farther East said,

Tao is the name of Universal Breath; and in the ancient books we read,

22 No manifesting form has Tao Great, and yet he made and keeps the

heavens and earth.

23 No passion has our Tao Great, and yet he causes sun and moon and

all the stars to rise and set.

24 No name has Tao Great, and yet he makes all things to grow; he

brings in season both the seed time and the harvest time.

25 And Tao Great was One; the One became the Two; the Two became the

Three, the Three evolved the Seven, which filled the universe with

manifests.

26 And Tao Great gives unto all, the evil and the good, the rain, the

dew, the sunshine and the flowers; from his rich stores he feeds them

all.

27 And in the same old book we read of man: He has a spirit knit to

Tao Great; a soul which lives within the seven Breaths of Tao Great; a

body of desires that springs up from the soil of flesh.

28 Now spirit loves the pure, the good, the true; the body of desires

extols the selfish self; the soul becomes the battle ground between

the two.

29 And blessed is the man whose spirit is triumphant and whose lower

self is purified; whose soul is cleansed, becoming fit to be the

council chamber of the manifests of Tao Great.

30 Thus closed the lesson of Salome.

CHAPTER 10.

_Elihu’s lessons. The Brahmic religion. Life of Abram. Jewish

sacred books. The Persian religion._

Elihu taught; he said, In ancient times a people in the East were

worshippers of God, the One, whom they called Brahm.

2 Their laws were just; they lived in peace; they saw the light

within; they walked in wisdom’s ways.

3 But priests with carnal aims arose, who changed the laws to suit the

carnal mind; bound heavy burdens on the poor, and scorned the rules of

right; and so the Brahms became corrupt.

4 But in the darkness of the age a few great masters stood unmoved;

they loved the name of Brahm; they were great beacon lights before the

world.

5 And they preserved inviolate the wisdom of their holy Brahm, and

you may read this wisdom in their sacred books.

6 And in Chaldea, Brahm was known. A pious Brahm named Terah lived in

Ur; his son was so devoted to the Brahmic faith that he was called

A-Brahm; and he was set apart to be the father of the Hebrew race.

7 Now, Terah took his wife and sons and all his flocks and herds to

Haran in the West; here Terah died.

8 And Abram took the flocks and herds, and with his kindred journeyed

further west;

9 And when he reached the Oaks of Morah in the land of Canaan, he

pitched his tents and there abode.

10 A famine swept the land and Abram took his kindred and his flocks

and herds and came to Egypt, and in these fertile plains of Zoan

pitched his tent, and here abode.

11 And men still mark the place where Abram lived--across the plain.

12 You ask why Abram came to Egypt land? This is the cradleland of the

initiate; all secret things belong to Egypt land; and this is why the

masters come.

13 In Zoan Abram taught his science of the stars, and in that sacred

temple over there he learned the wisdom of the wise.

14 And when his lessons all were learned, he took his kindred and his

flocks and herds and journeyed back to Canaan, and in the plains of

Mamre pitched his tent, and there he lived, and there he died.

15 And records of his life and works and of his sons, and of the

tribes of Israel, are well preserved in Jewish sacred books.

16 In Persia Brahm was known, and feared. Men saw him as the One, the

causeless Cause of all that is, and he was sacred unto them, as Tao to

the dwellers of the farther East.

17 The people lived in peace, and justice ruled.

18 But, as in other lands, in Persia priests arose imbued with self

and self desires, who outraged Force, Intelligence and Love;

19 Religion grew corrupt, and birds and beasts and creeping things

were set apart as gods.

20 In course of time a lofty soul, whom men called Zarathustra, came

in flesh.

21 He saw the causeless Spirit, high and lifted up; he saw the

weakness of all man appointed gods.

22 He spoke and all of Persia heard; and when he said, One God, one

people and one shrine, the altars of the idols fell, and Persia was

redeemed.

23 But men must see their God with human eyes, and Zarathustra said,

24 The greatest of the Spirits standing near the throne is the Ahura

Mazda, who manifests in brightness of the sun.

25 And all the people saw Ahura Mazda in the sun, and they fell down

and worshipped him in temples of the sun.

26 And Persia is the magian land where live the priests who saw the

star arise to mark the place where Mary’s son was born, and were the

first to greet him as the Prince of Peace.

27 The precepts and the laws of Zarathustra are preserved in the

Avesta which you can read and make your own.

28 But you must know that words are naught till they are made alive;

until the lessons they contain become a part of head and heart.

29 Now truth is one; but no one knows the truth until he is the truth.

It is recorded in an ancient book,

30 Truth is the leavening power of God; it can transmute the all of

life into itself; and when the all of life is truth, then man is truth.

CHAPTER 11.

_Elihu’s lessons. Buddhism and the precepts of Buddha. The

mysteries of Egypt._

Again Elihu taught; he said, The Indian priests became corrupt; Brahm

was forgotten in the streets; the rights of men were trampled in the

dust.

2 And then a mighty master came, a Buddha of enlightenment, who turned

away from wealth and all the honors of the world, and found the

Silence in the quiet groves and caves; and he was blest.

3 He preached a gospel of a higher life, and taught man how to honor

man.

4 He had no doctrine of the gods to teach; he just knew man, and so

his creed was justice, love and righteousness.

5 I quote for you a few of many of the helpful words which Buddha

spoke:

6 Hate is a cruel word. If men hate you, regard it not; and you can

turn the hate of men to love and mercy and good will, and mercy is as

large as all the heavens.

7 And there is good enough for all. With good destroy the bad; with

generous deeds make avarice ashamed; with truth make straight the

crooked lines that error draws, for error is but truth distorted, gone

astray.

8 And pain will follow him who speaks or acts with evil thoughts, as

does the wheel the foot of him who draws the cart.

9 He is a greater man who conquers self than he who kills a thousand

men in war.

10 He is the noble man who is himself what he believes that other men

should be.

11 Return to him who does you wrong your purest love, and he will

cease from doing wrong; for love will purify the heart of him who is

beloved as truly as it purifies the heart of him who loves.

12 The words of Buddha are recorded in the Indian sacred books; attend

to them, for they are part of the instructions of the Holy Breath.

13 The land of Egypt is the land of secret things.

14 The mysteries of the ages lie lock-bound in our temples and our

shrines.

15 The masters of all times and climes come here to learn; and when

your sons have grown to manhood they will finish all their studies in

Egyptian schools.

16 But I have said enough. Tomorrow at the rising of the sun we meet

again.

CHAPTER 12.

_Salome’s lessons. Prayer. Elihu’s concluding lessons. Sums up

the three years’ course of study. The pupils return to their

homes._

Now, when the morning sun arose the masters and their pupils all were

in the sacred grove.

2 Salome was the first to speak; she said, Behold the sun! It

manifests the power of God who speaks to us through sun and moon and

stars;

3 Through mountain, hill and vale; through flower, and plant and tree.

4 God sings for us through bird, and harpsichord, and human voice; he

speaks to us through wind and rain and thunder roll; why should we not

bow down and worship at his feet?

5 God speaks to hearts apart; and hearts apart must speak to him; and

this is prayer.

6 It is not prayer to shout at God, to stand, or sit, or kneel and

tell him all about the sins of men.

7 It is not prayer to tell the Holy One how great he is, how good he

is, how strong and how compassionate.

8 God is not man to be bought up by praise of man.

9 Prayer is the ardent wish that every way of life be light; that

every act be crowned with good; that every living thing be prospered

by our ministry.

10 A noble deed, a helpful word is prayer; a fervent, an effectual

prayer.

11 The fount of prayer is in the heart; by thought, not words, the

heart is carried up to God, where it is blest. Then let us pray.

12 They prayed, but not a word was said; but in that holy Silence

every heart was blest.

13 And then Elihu spoke. He said to Mary and Elizabeth, Our words are

said; you need not tarry longer here; the call has come; the way is

clear, you may return unto your native land.

14 A mighty work is given you to do; you shall direct the minds that

will direct the world.

15 Your sons are set apart to lead men up to righteous thoughts, and

words, and deeds;

16 To make men know the sinfulness of sin; to lead them from the

adoration of the lower self, and all illusive things, and make them

conscious of the self that lives with Christ in God.

17 In preparation for their work your sons must walk in many thorny

paths.

18 Fierce trials and temptations they will meet, like other men; their

loads will not be light, and they will weary be, and faint.

19 And they will know the pangs of hunger and of thirst; and without

cause they will be mocked, imprisoned, scourged.

20 To many countries they will go, and at the feet of many masters

they will sit, for they must learn like other men.

21 But we have said enough. The blessings of the Three and of the

Seven, who stand before the throne, will surely rest upon you evermore.

22 Thus closed the lessons of Elihu and Salome. Three years they

taught their pupils in the sacred grove, and if their lessons all were

written in a book, lo, it would be a mighty book; of what they said we

have the sum.

23 Now, Mary, Joseph and Elizabeth with Jesus and his harbinger,

set forth upon their homeward way. They went not by Jerusalem, for

Archelaus reigned.

24 They journeyed by the Bitter Sea, and when they reached Engedi

hills they rested in the home of Joshua, a near of kin; and here

Elizabeth and John abode.

25 But Joseph, Mary and their son went by the Jordan way, and after

certain days they reached their home in Nazareth.

SECTION IV.

DALETH.

_Childhood and Early Education of John the Harbinger._

CHAPTER 13.

_Elizabeth in Engedi. Teaches her son. John becomes the pupil

of Matheno, who reveals to him the meaning of sin and the law

of forgiveness._

Elizabeth was blest; she spent her time with John, and gave to him the

lessons that Elihu and Salome had given her.

2 And John delighted in the wildness of his home and in the lessons

that he learned.

3 Now in the hills were many caves. The cave of David was a-near in

which the Hermit of Engedi lived.

4 This hermit was Matheno, priest of Egypt, master from the temple of

Sakara.

5 When John was seven years of age Matheno took him to the wilderness

and in the cave of David they abode.

6 Matheno taught, and John was thrilled with what the master said, and

day by day Matheno opened up to him the mysteries of life.

7 John loved the wilderness; he loved his master and his simple fare.

Their food was fruits, and nuts, wild honey and the carob bread.

8 Matheno was an Israelite, and he attended all the Jewish feasts.

9 When John was nine years old Matheno took him to a great feast in

Jerusalem.

10 The wicked Archelaus had been deposed and exiled to a distant land

because of selfishness and cruelty, and John was not afraid.

11 John was delighted with his visit to Jerusalem. Matheno told him

all about the service of the Jews; the meaning of their sacrifices and

their rites.

12 John could not understand how sin could be forgiven by killing

animals and birds and burning them before the Lord.

13 Matheno said, The God of heaven and earth does not require

sacrifice. This custom with its cruel rites was borrowed from the idol

worshippers of other lands.

14 No sin was ever blotted out by sacrifice of animal, of bird, or man.

15 Sin is the rushing forth of man into the fens of wickedness. If one

would get away from sin he must retrace his steps, and find his way

out of the fens of wickedness.

16 Return and purify your hearts by love and righteousness and you

shall be forgiven.

17 This is the burden of the message that the harbinger shall bring to

men.

18 What is forgiveness? John inquired.

19 Matheno said, It is the paying up of debts. A man who wrongs

another man can never be forgiven until he rights the wrong.

20 The Vedas says that none can right the wrong but him who does the

wrong.

21 John said, If this be true where is the power to forgive except the

power that rests in man himself? Can man forgive himself?

22 Matheno said, The door is wide ajar; you see the way of man’s

return to right, and the forgiveness of his sins.

CHAPTER 14.

_Matheno’s lessons. The doctrine of universal law. The power

of man to choose and to attain. The benefits of antagonisms.

Ancient sacred books. The place of John and Jesus in the

world’s history._

Matheno and his pupil, John, were talking of the sacred books of olden

times, and of the golden precepts they contained, and John exclaimed,

2 These golden precepts are sublime; what need have we of other sacred

books?

3 Matheno said, The Spirits of the Holy One cause every thing to come

and go in proper time.

4 The sun has his own time to set, the moon to rise, to wax and wane,

the stars to come and go, the rain to fall, the winds to blow;

5 The seed times and the harvest times to come; man to be born and man

to die.

6 These mighty Spirits cause the nations to be born; they rock them in

their cradles, nurture them to greatest power, and when their tasks

are done they wrap them in their winding sheets and lay them in their

tombs.

7 Events are many in a nation’s life, and in the life of man, that are

not pleasant for the time; but in the end the truth appears: whatever

comes is for the best.

8 Man was created for a noble part; but he could not be made a free

man filled with wisdom, truth and might.

9 If he were hedged about, confined in straits from which he could not

pass, then he would be a toy, a mere machine.

10 Creative spirits gave to man a will; and so he has the power to

choose.

11 He may attain the greatest heights, or sink to deepest depths; for

what he wills to gain he has the power to gain.

12 If he desires strength he has the power to gain that strength; but

he must overcome resistances to reach the goal; no strength is ever

gained in idleness.

13 So, in the whirl of many-sided conflicts man is placed where he

must strive to extricate himself.

14 In every conflict man gains strength; with every conquest he

attains to greater heights. With every day he finds new duties and new

cares.

15 Man is not carried over dangerous pits, nor helped to overcome his

foes. He is himself his army, and his sword and shield; and he is

captain of his hosts.

16 The Holy Ones just light his way. Man never has been left without a

beacon light to guide.

17 And he has ever had a lighted lamp in hand that he may see the

dangerous rocks, the turbid streams and treacherous pits.

18 And so the Holy Ones have judged; when men have needed added light

a master soul has come to earth to give that light.

19 Before the Vedic days the world had many sacred books to light the

way; and when man needed greater light the Vedas, the Avesta and the

books of Tao Great appeared to show the way to greater heights.

20 And in the proper place the Hebrew Bible, with its Law, its

Prophets and its Psalms, appeared for man’s enlightenment.

21 But years have passed and men have need of greater light.

22 And now the Day Star from on high begins to shine; and Jesus is the

flesh-made messenger to show that light to men.

23 And you, my pupil, you have been ordained to harbinger the coming

day.

24 But you must keep that purity of heart you now possess; and you

must light your lamp directly from the coals that burn upon the altar

of the Holy Ones.

25 And then your lamp will be transmuted to a boundless flame, and you

will be a living torch whose light will shine wherever man abides.

26 But in the ages yet to come, man will attain to greater heights,

and lights still more intense will come.

27 And then, at last, a mighty master soul will come to earth to light

the way up to the throne of perfect man.

CHAPTER 15.

_Death and burial of Elizabeth. Matheno’s lessons. The ministry

of death. The mission of John. Institution of the rite of

baptism. Matheno takes John to Egypt, and places him in the

temple at Sakara, where he remains eighteen years._

When John was twelve years old his mother died, and neighbors laid her

body in a tomb among her kindred in the Hebron burying ground, and

near to Zacharias’ tomb.

2 And John was deeply grieved; he wept. Matheno said, It is not well

to weep because of death.

3 Death is no enemy of man; it is a friend who, when the work of life

is done, just cuts the cord that binds the human boat to earth, that

it may sail on smoother seas.

4 No language can describe a mother’s worth, and yours was tried and

true. But she was not called hence until her tasks were done.

5 The calls of death are always for the best, for we are solving

problems there as well as here; and one is sure to find himself where

he can solve his problems best.

6 It is but selfishness that makes one wish to call again to earth

departed souls.

7 Then let your mother rest in peace. Just let her noble life be

strength and inspiration unto you.

8 A crisis in your life has come, and you must have a clear conception

of the work that you are called to do.

9 The sages of the ages call you harbinger. The prophets look to you

and say, He is Elijah come again.

10 Your mission here is that of harbinger; for you will go before

Messiah’s face to pave his way, and make the people ready to receive

their king.

11 This readiness is purity of heart; none but the pure in heart can

recognize the king.

12 To teach men to be pure in heart you must yourself be pure in

heart, and word, and deed.

13 In infancy the vow for you was made and you became a Nazarite. The

razor shall not touch your face nor head, and you shall taste not wine

nor fiery drinks.

14 Men need a pattern for their lives; they love to follow, not to

lead.

15 The man who stands upon the corners of the paths and points the

way, but does not go, is just a pointer; and a block of wood can do

the same.

16 The teacher treads the way; on every span of ground he leaves his

footprints clearly cut, which all can see and be assured that he,

their master, went that way.

17 Men comprehend the inner life by what they see and do. They come to

God through ceremonies and forms.

18 And so when you would make men know that sins are washed away by

purity in life, a rite symbolic may be introduced.

19 In water wash the bodies of the people who would turn away from sin

and strive for purity in life.

20 This rite of cleansing is a preparation rite and they who thus are

cleansed comprise the Church of Purity.

21 And you shall say, You men of Israel, hear; Reform and wash; become

the sons of purity, and you shall be forgiven.

22 This rite of cleansing and this church are but symbolic of the

cleansing of the soul by purity in life, and of the kingdom of the

soul, which does not come with outward show, but is the church within.

23 Now, you may never point the way and tell the multitudes to do what

you have never done; but you must go before and show the way.

24 You are to teach that men must wash; so you must lead the way, your

body must be washed, symbolic of the cleansing of the soul.

25 John said, Why need I wait? May I not go at once and wash?

26 Matheno said, ’Tis well, and then they went down to the Jordan

ford, and east of Jericho, just where the hosts of Israel crossed when

first they entered Canaan, they tarried for a time.

27 Matheno taught the harbinger, and he explained to him the inner

meaning of the cleansing rite and how to wash himself and how to wash

the multitude.

28 And in the river Jordan John was washed; then they returned unto

the wilderness.

29 Now in Engedi’s hills Matheno’s work was done and he and John went

down to Egypt. They rested not until they reached the temple of Sakara

in the valley of the Nile.

30 For many years Matheno was a master in this temple of the

Brotherhood, and when he told about the life of John and of his

mission to the sons of men, the hierophant with joy received the

harbinger and he was called the Brother Nazarite.

31 For eighteen years John lived and wrought within these temple

gates; and here he conquered self, became a master mind and learned

the duties of the harbinger.

SECTION V.

HE.

_Childhood and Early Education of Jesus._

CHAPTER 16.

_The home of Joseph. Mary teaches her son. Jesus’ grandparents

give a feast in his honor. Jesus has a dream. His

grandmother’s interpretation. His birthday gift._

The home of Joseph was on Marmion Way in Nazareth; here Mary taught

her son the lessons of Elihu and Salome.

2 And Jesus greatly loved the Vedic hymns and the Avesta; but more

than all he loved to read the Psalms of David and the pungent words of

Solomon.

3 The Jewish books of prophecy were his delight; and when he reached

his seventh year he needed not the books to read, for he had fixed in

memory every word.

4 Joachim and his wife, grandparents of child Jesus, made a feast in

honor of the child, and all their near of kin were guests.

5 And Jesus stood before the guests and said, I had a dream, and in my

dream I stood before a sea, upon a sandy beach.

6 The waves upon the sea were high; a storm was raging on the deep.

7 Some one above gave me a wand. I took the wand and touched the sand,

and every grain of sand became a living thing; the beach was all a

mass of beauty and of song.

8 I touched the waters at my feet, and they were changed to trees, and

flowers, and singing birds, and every thing was praising God.

9 And some one spoke, I did not see the one who spoke, I heard the

voice, which said, There is no death.

10 Grandmother Anna loved the child; she laid her hand on Jesus’ head

and said, I saw you stand beside the sea; I saw you touch the sand and

waves; I saw them turn to living things and then I knew the meaning of

the dream.

11 The sea of life rolls high; the storms are great. The multitude of

men are idle, listless, waiting, like dead sand upon the beach.

12 Your wand is truth. With this you touch the multitudes, and every

man becomes a messenger of holy light and life.

13 You touch the waves upon the sea of life; their turmoils cease; the

very winds become a song of praise.

14 There is no death, because the wand of truth can change the dryest

bones to living things, and bring the lovliest flowers from stagnant

ponds, and turn the most discordant notes to harmony and praise.

15 Joachim said, My son, today you pass the seventh milestone of your

way of life, for you are seven years of age, and we will give to you,

as a remembrance of this day, whatever you desire; choose that which

will afford you most delight.

16 And Jesus said, I do not want a gift, for I am satisfied. If I

could make a multitude of children glad upon this day I would be

greatly pleased.

17 Now, there are many hungry boys and girls in Nazareth who would be

pleased to eat with us this feast and share with us the pleasures of

this day.

18 The richest gift that you can give to me is your permission to go

out and find these needy ones and bring them here that they may feast

with us.

19 Joachim said, ’Tis well; go out and find the needy boys and girls

and bring them here; we will prepare enough for all.

20 And Jesus did not wait; he ran; he entered every dingy hut and

cabin of the town; he did not waste his words; he told his mission

everywhere.

21 And in a little time one hundred and three-score of happy, ragged

boys and girls were following him up Marmion Way.

22 The guests made way; the banquet hall was filled with Jesus’

guests, and Jesus and his mother helped to serve.

23 And there was food enough for all, and all were glad; and so the

birthday gift of Jesus was a crown of righteousness.

CHAPTER 17.

_Jesus talks with the rabbi of the synagogue of Nazareth. He

criticises the narrowness of Jewish thought._

Now, Rabbi Barachia of the synagogue of Nazareth, was aid to Mary in

the teaching of her son.

2 One morning after service in the synagogue the rabbi said to Jesus

as he sat in silent thought, Which is the greatest of the Ten Commands?

3 And Jesus said, I do not see a greatest of the Ten Commands. I see

a golden cord that runs through all the Ten Commands that binds them

fast and makes them one.

4 This cord is love, and it belongs to every word of all the Ten

Commands.

5 If one is full of love he can do nothing else than worship God; for

God is love.

6 If one is full of love, he cannot kill; he cannot falsely testify;

he cannot covet; can do naught but honor God and man.

7 If one is full of love he does not need commands of any kind.

8 And Rabbi Barachia said, Your words are seasoned with the salt of

wisdom that is from above. Who is the teacher who has opened up this

truth to you?

9 And Jesus said, I do not know that any teacher opens up this truth

for me. It seems to me that truth was never shut; that it was always

opened up, for truth is one and it is everywhere.

10 And if we open up the windows of our minds the truth will enter

in and make herself at home; for truth can find her way through any

crevice, any window, any open door.

11 The rabbi said, What hand is strong enough to open up the windows

and the doors of mind so truth can enter in?

12 And Jesus said, It seems to me that love, the golden cord that

binds the Ten Commands in one, is strong enough to open any human door

so that the truth can enter in and cause the heart to understand.

13 Now, in the evening Jesus and his mother sat alone, and Jesus said,

14 The rabbi seems to think that God is partial in his treatment of

the sons of men; that Jews are favored and are blest above all other

men.

15 I do not see how God can have his favorites and be just.

16 Are not Samaritans and Greeks and Romans just as much the children

of the Holy One as are the Jews?

17 I think the Jews have built a wall about themselves, and they see

nothing on the other side of it.

18 They do not know that flowers are blooming over there; that sowing

times and reaping times belong to anybody but the Jews.

19 It surely would be well if we could break these barriers down so

that the Jews might see that God has other children that are just as

greatly blest.

20 I want to go from Jewry land and meet my kin in other countries of

my Fatherland.

CHAPTER 18.

_Jesus at a feast in Jerusalem. Is grieved by the cruelties of

the sacrificers. Appeals to Hillel, who sympathizes with him.

He remains in the temple a year._

The great feast of the Jews was on, and Joseph, Mary and their son,

and many of their kin, went to Jerusalem. The child was ten years old.

2 And Jesus watched the butchers kill the lambs and birds and burn

them on the altar in the name of God.

3 His tender heart was shocked at this display of cruelty; he asked

the serving priest, What is the purpose of this slaughter of the

beasts and birds? Why do you burn their flesh before the Lord?

4 The priest replied, This is our sacrifice for sin. God has commanded

us to do these things, and said that in these sacrifices all our sins

are blotted out.

5 And Jesus said, Will you be kind enough to tell when God proclaimed

that sins are blotted out by sacrifice of any kind?

6 Did not David say that God requires not a sacrifice for sin? that it

is sin itself to bring before his face burnt offerings, as offerings

for sin? Did not Isaiah say the same?

7 The priest replied, My child, you are beside yourself. Do you know

more about the laws of God than all the priests of Israel? This is no

place for boys to show their wit.

8 But Jesus heeded not his taunts; he went to Hillel, chief of the

Sanhedrim, and he said to him,

9 Rabboni, I would like to talk with you; I am disturbed about this

service of the pascal feast. I thought the temple was the house of God

where love and kindness dwell.

10 Do you not hear the bleating of those lambs, the pleading of those

doves that men are killing over there? Do you not smell that awful

stench that comes from burning flesh?

11 Can man be kind and just, and still be filled with cruelty?

12 A God that takes delight in sacrifice, in blood and burning flesh,

is not my Father-God.

13 I want to find a God of love, and you, my master, you are wise, and

surely you can tell me where to find the God of love.

14 But Hillel could not give an answer to the child. His heart was

stirred with sympathy. He called the child to him; he laid his hand

upon his head and wept.

15 He said, There is a God of love, and you shall come with me; and

hand in hand we will go forth and find the God of love.

16 And Jesus said, Why need we go? I thought that God is everywhere.

Can we not purify our hearts and drive out cruelty, and every wicked

thought, and make within, a temple where the God of love can dwell?

17 The master of the great Sanhedrim felt as though he was himself the

child, and that before him stood Rabboni, master of the higher law.

18 He said within himself, This child is surely prophet sent from God.

19 Then Hillel sought the parents of the child, and asked that Jesus

might abide with him, and learn the precepts of the law, and all the

lessons of the temple priests.

20 His parents gave consent, and Jesus did abide within the holy

temple in Jerusalem, and Hillel taught him every day.

21 And every day the master learned from Jesus many lessons of the

higher life.

22 The child remained with Hillel in the temple for a year, and then

returned unto his home in Nazareth; and there he wrought with Joseph

as a carpenter.

CHAPTER 19.

_Jesus at the age of twelve in the temple. Disputes with the

doctors of the law. Reads from a book of prophecy. By request

of Hillel he interprets the prophecies._

Again the great feast in Jerusalem was on, and Joseph, Mary and their

son were there. The child was twelve years old.

2 And there were Jews and proselytes from many countries in Jerusalem.

3 And Jesus sat among the priests and doctors in the temple hall.

4 And Jesus opened up a book of prophecy and read:

5 Woe, woe, to Ariel, the town where David dwelt! I will dismantle

Ariel, and she shall groan and weep:

6 And I will camp against her round about with hostile posts;

7 And I will bring her low and she shall speak out of the earth; with

muffled voice like a familiar spirit shall she speak; yea, she shall

only whisper forth her speech;

8 And foes unnumbered, like the grains of dust, shall come upon her

suddenly.

9 The Lord of hosts will visit her with thunder and with tempest, and

with storm; with earthquake, and with devouring flames.

10 Lo, all these people have deserted me. They draw to me with speech,

and with their lips they honor me; their hearts are far removed from

me; their fear for me is that inspired by man.

11 And I will breathe an adverse breath upon my people, Israel; the

wisdom of their wise men shall be lost; the understanding of their

prudent men shall not be found.

12 My people seek to hide their counsel from the Lord, so that their

works may not be seen. They fain would cover up their works with

darkness of the night, and say, Who sees us now? Who knows us now?

13 Poor, foolish men! shall that which has been made say of its maker,

He is naught, I made myself?

14 Or shall the pot speak out and say to him, who made the pot, You

have no skill; you do not know?

15 But this will not forever be; the time will come when Lebanon will

be a fruitful field, and fruitful fields will be transformed to groves.

16 And on that day the deaf will hear the words of God; the blind will

read the Book of God’s Remembrance.

17 And suffering ones will be relieved, and they will have abundant

joy; and every one that needs will be supplied; and it will come to

pass that all the foolish will be wise.

18 The people will return and sanctify the Holy One, and in their

heart of hearts, lo, they will reverence him.

19 When Jesus had thus read he put aside the book and said, You

masters of the law, will you make plain for us the prophet’s words?

20 Now, Hillel sat among the masters of the law, and he stood forth

and said, Perhaps our young rabboni who has read the word will be

interpreter.

21 And Jesus said, The Ariel of the prophet is our own Jerusalem.

22 By selfishness and cruelty this people has become a stench unto the

Elohim.

23 The prophet saw these days from far, and of these times he wrote.

24 Our doctors, lawyers, priests and scribes oppress the poor, while

they themselves in luxury live.

25 The sacrifices and the offerings of Israel are but abomination unto

God. The only sacrifice that God requires is self.

26 Because of this injustice and this cruelty of man to man, the Holy

One has spoken of this commonwealth:

27 Lo, I will overturn, yes, I will overturn, it shall be overturned,

and it shall be no more until he comes whose right it is and I will

give it unto him.

28 In all the world there is one law of right, and he who breaks that

law will suffer grief; for God is just.

29 And Israel has gone far astray; has not regarded justice, nor the

rights of man, and God demands that Israel shall reform, and turn

again to ways of holiness.

30 And if our people will not hear the voice of God, lo, nations from

afar will come and sack Jerusalem, and tear our temple down, and take

our people captive into foreign lands.

31 But this will not forever be; though they be scattered far and

wide, and wander here and there among the nations of the earth, like

sheep that have no shepherd guide,

32 The time will come when God will bring again the captive hosts; for

Israel shall return and dwell in peace.

33 And after many years our temple shall be built again, and one whom

God will honor, one in whom the pure in heart delights will come and

glorify the house of God, and reign in righteousness.

34 When Jesus had thus said, he stepped aside, and all the people were

amazed and said, This surely is the Christ.

CHAPTER 20.

_After the feast. The homeward journey. The missing Jesus. The

search for him. His parents find him in the temple. He goes

with them to Nazareth. Symbolic meaning of carpenter’s tools._

The great feast of the pasch was ended and the Nazarenes were

journeying toward their homes.

2 And they were in Samaria, and Mary said, Where is my son? No one had

seen the boy.

3 And Joseph sought among their kindred who were on their way to

Galilee; but they had seen him not.

4 Then Joseph, Mary, and a son of Zebedee, returned and sought through

all Jerusalem, but they could find him not.

5 And then they went up to the temple courts and asked the guards,

Have you seen Jesus, a fair-haired boy, with deep blue eyes, twelve

years of age, about these courts?

6 The guards replied, Yes, he is in the temple now disputing with the

doctors of the law.

7 And they went in, and found him as the guards had said.

8 And Mary said, Why Jesus, why do you treat your parents thus? Lo,

we have sought two days for you. We feared that some great harm had

overtaken you.

9 And Jesus said, Do you not know that I must be about my Father’s

work?

10 But he went round and pressed the hand of every doctor of the law

and said, I trust that we may meet again.

11 And then he went forth with his parents on their way to Nazareth;

and when they reached their home he wrought with Joseph as a carpenter.

12 One day as he was bringing forth the tools for work he said,

13 These tools remind me of the ones we handle in the workshop of the

mind where things are made of thought and where we build up character.

14 We use the square to measure all our lines, to straighten out the

crooked places of the way, and make the corners of our conduct square.

15 We use the compass to draw circles round our passions and desires

to keep them in the bounds of righteousness.

16 We use the ax to cut away the knotty, useless and ungainly parts

and make the character symmetrical.

17 We use the hammer to drive home the truth, and pound it in until it

is a part of every part.

18 We use the plane to smooth the rough, uneven surfaces of joint, and

block, and board that go to build the temple for the truth.

19 The chisel, line, the plummet and the saw all have their uses in

the workshop of the mind.

20 And then this ladder with its trinity of steps, faith, hope and

love; on it we climb up to the dome of purity in life.

21 And on the twelve-step ladder we ascend until we reach the pinnacle

of that which life is spent to build--the Temple of Perfected Man.

SECTION VI.

VAU.

_Life and Works of Jesus in India._

CHAPTER 21.

_Ravanna sees Jesus in the temple and is captivated. Hillel

tells him about the boy. Ravanna finds Jesus in Nazareth and

gives a feast in his honor. Ravanna becomes patron of Jesus,

and takes him to India to study the Brahmic religion._

A royal prince of India, Ravanna of Orissa in the south, was at the

Jewish feast.

2 Ravanna was a man of wealth; and he was just, and with a band of

Brahmic priests sought wisdom in the West.

3 When Jesus stood among the Jewish priests and read and spoke,

Ravanna heard and was amazed.

4 And when he asked who Jesus was, from whence he came and what he

was, chief Hillel said,

5 We call this child the Day Star from on high, for he has come to

bring to men a light, the light of life; to lighten up the way of men

and to redeem his people, Israel.

6 And Hillel told Ravanna all about the child; about the prophecies

concerning him; about the wonders of the night when he was born; about

the visit of the magian priests;

7 About the way in which he was protected from the wrath of evil men;

about his flight to Egypt-land, and how he then was serving with his

father as a carpenter in Nazareth.

8 Ravanna was entranced, and asked to know the way to Nazareth, that

he might go and honor such a one as son of God.

9 And with his gorgeous train he journeyed on the way and came to

Nazareth of Galilee.

10 He found the object of his search engaged in building dwellings for

the sons of men.

11 And when he first saw Jesus he was climbing up a twelve-step

ladder, and he carried in his hands a compass, square and ax.

12 Ravanna said, All hail, most favored son of heaven!

13 And at the inn Ravanna made a feast for all the people of the town;

and Jesus and his parents were the honored guests.

14 For certain days Ravanna was a guest in Joseph’s home on Marmion

Way; he sought to learn the secret of the wisdom of the son; but it

was all too great for him.

15 And then he asked that he might be the patron of the child; might

take him to the East where he could learn the wisdom of the Brahms.

16 And Jesus longed to go that he might learn: and after many days his

parents gave consent.

17 Then, with proud heart, Ravanna with his train, began the journey

toward the rising sun; and after many days they crossed the Sind, and

reached the province of Orissa, and the palace of the prince.

18 The Brahmic priests were glad to welcome home the prince; with

favor they received the Jewish boy.

19 And Jesus was accepted as a pupil in the temple Jagannath; and here

he learned the Vedas and the Manic laws.

20 The Brahmic masters wondered at the clear conceptions of the child,

and often were amazed when he explained to them the meaning of the

laws.

CHAPTER 22.

_The friendship of Jesus and Lamaas. Jesus explains to Lamaas

the meaning of truth, man, power, understanding, wisdom,

salvation and faith._

Among the priests of Jagannath was one who loved the Jewish boy.

Lamaas Bramas was the name by which the priest was known.

2 One day as Jesus and Lamaas walked alone in plaza Jagannath, Lamaas

said, My Jewish master, what is truth?

3 And Jesus said, Truth is the only thing that changes not.

4 In all the world there are two things; the one is truth; the other

falsehood is; and truth is that which is, and falsehood that which

seems to be.

5 Now truth is aught, and has no cause, and yet it is the cause of

everything.

6 Falsehood is naught, and yet it is the manifest of aught.

7 Whatever has been made will be unmade; that which begins must end.

8 All things that can be seen by human eyes are manifests of aught,

are naught, and so must pass away.

9 The things we see are but reflexes just appearing, while the ethers

vibrate so and so, and when conditions change they disappear.

10 The Holy Breath is truth; is that which was, and is, and evermore

shall be; it cannot change nor pass away.

11 Lamaas said, You answer well; now, what is man?

12 And Jesus said, Man is the truth and falsehood strangely mixed.

13 Man is the Breath made flesh; so truth and falsehood are conjoined

in him; and then they strive, and naught goes down and man as truth

abides.

14 Again Lamaas asked, What do you say of power?

15 And Jesus said, It is a manifest; is the result of force; it is but

naught; it is illusion, nothing more. Force changes not, but power

changes as the ethers change.

16 Force is the will of God and is omnipotent, and power is that will

in manifest, directed by the Breath.

17 There is a power in the winds, a power in the waves, a power in the

lightning’s stroke, a power in the human arm, a power in the eye.

18 The ethers cause these powers to be, and thought of Elohim, of

angel, man, or other thinking thing, directs the force; when it has

done its work the power is no more.

19 Again Lamaas asked, Of understanding what have you to say?

20 And Jesus said, It is the rock on which man builds himself; it is

the gnosis of the aught and of the naught, of falsehood and of truth.

21 It is the knowledge of the lower self; the sensing of the powers of

man himself.

22 Again Lamaas asked, Of wisdom what have you to say?

23 And Jesus said, It is the consciousness that man is aught; that God

and man are one;

24 That naught is naught; that power is but illusion; that heaven and

earth and hell are not above, around, below, but in; which in the

light of aught becomes the naught, and God is all.

25 Lamaas asked, Pray, what is faith?

26 And Jesus said, Faith is the surety of the omnipotence of God and

man; the certainty that man will reach deific life.

27 Salvation is a ladder reaching from the heart of man to heart of

God.

28 It has three steps; Belief is first, and this is what man thinks,

perhaps, is truth.

29 And faith is next, and this is what man knows is truth.

30 Fruition is the last, and this is man himself, the truth.

31 Belief is lost in faith; and in fruition faith is lost; and man is

saved when he has reached deific life; when he and God are one.

CHAPTER 23.

_Jesus and Lamaas among the sudras and visyas. In Benares.

Jesus becomes a pupil of Udraka. The lessons of Udraka._

Now, Jesus with his friend Lamaas went through all the regions of

Orissa, and the valley of the Ganges, seeking wisdom from the sudras

and the visyas and the masters.

2 Benares of the Ganges was a city rich in culture and in learning;

here the two rabbonis tarried many days.

3 And Jesus sought to learn the Hindu art of healing, and became the

pupil of Udraka, greatest of the Hindu healers.

4 Udraka taught the uses of the waters, plants and earths; of heat and

cold; sunshine and shade; of light and dark.

5 He said, The laws of nature are the laws of health, and he who lives

according to these laws is never sick.

6 Transgression of these laws is sin, and he who sins is sick.

7 He who obeys the laws, maintains an equilibrium in all his parts,

and thus insures true harmony; and harmony is health, while discord is

disease.

8 That which produces harmony in all the parts of man is medicine,

insuring health.

9 The body is a harpsichord, and when its strings are too relaxed, or

are too tense, the instrument is out of tune, the man is sick.

10 Now, everything in nature has been made to meet the wants of man;

so everything is found in medical arcanes.

11 And when the harpsichord of man is out of tune the vast expanse of

nature may be searched for remedy; there is a cure for every ailment

of the flesh.

12 Of course the will of man is remedy supreme; and by the vigorous

exercise of will, man may make tense a chord that is relaxed, or may

relax one that is too tense, and thus may heal himself.

13 When man has reached the place where he has faith in God, in nature

and himself, he knows the Word of power; his word is balm for every

wound, is cure for all the ills of life.

14 The healer is the man who can inspire faith. The tongue may speak

to human ears, but souls are reached by souls that speak to souls.

15 He is the forceful man whose soul is large, and who can enter into

souls, inspiring hope in those who have no hope, and faith in those

who have no faith in God, in nature, nor in man.

16 There is no universal balm for those who tread the common walks of

life.

17 A thousand things produce inharmony and make men sick; a thousand

things may tune the harpsichord, and make men well.

18 That which is medicine for one is poison for another one; so one is

healed by what would kill another one.

19 An herb may heal the one; a drink of water may restore another one;

a mountain breeze may bring to life one seeming past all help;

20 A coal of fire, or bit of earth, may cure another one; and one may

wash in certain streams, or pools, and be made whole.

21 The virtue from the hand or breath may heal a thousand more; but

love is queen. Thought, reinforced by love, is God’s great sovereign

balm.

22 But many of the broken chords in life, and discords that so vex the

soul, are caused by evil spirits of the air that men see not; that

lead men on through ignorance to break the laws of nature and of God.

23 These powers act like demons, and they speak; they rend the man;

they drive him to despair.

24 But he who is a healer, true, is master of the soul, and can, by

force of will, control these evil ones.

25 Some spirits of the air are master spirits and are strong, too

strong for human power alone; but man has helpers in the higher realms

that may be importuned, and they will help to drive the demons out.

26 Of what this great physician said, this is the sum. And Jesus bowed

his head in recognition of the wisdom of this master soul, and went

his way.

CHAPTER 24.

_The Brahmic doctrine of castes. Jesus repudiates it and

teaches human equality. The priests are offended and drive

him from the temple. He abides with the sudras and teaches

them._

Four years the Jewish boy abode in temple Jagannath.

2 One day he sat among the priests and said to them, Pray, tell me all

about your views of castes; why do you say that all men are not equal

in the sight of God?

3 A master of their laws stood forth and said, The Holy One whom we

call Brahm, made men to suit himself, and men should not complain.

4 In the beginning days of human life Brahm spoke, and four men stood

before his face.

5 Now, from the mouth of Parabrahm the first man came; and he was

white, was like the Brahm himself; a brahman he was called.

6 And he was high and lifted up; above all want he stood; he had no

need of toil.

7 And he was called the priest of Brahm, the holy one to act for Brahm

in all affairs of earth.

8 The second man was red, and from the hand of Parabrahm he came; and

he was called shatriya.

9 And he was made to be the king, the ruler and the warrior, whose

highest ordained duty was, protection of the priest.

10 And from the inner parts of Parabrahm the third man came; and he

was called a visya.

11 He was a yellow man, and his it was to till the soil, and keep the

flocks and herds.

12 And from the feet of Parabrahm the fourth man came; and he was

black; and he was called the sudras, one of low estate.

13 The sudras is the servant of the race of men; he has no rights that

others need respect; he may not hear the Vedas read, and it means

death to him to look into the face of priest, or king, and naught but

death can free him from his state of servitude.

14 And Jesus said, Then Parabrahm is not a God of justice and of

right; for with his own strong hand he has exalted one and brought

another low.

15 And Jesus said no more to them, but looking up to heaven he said,

16 My Father-God, who was, and is, and ever more shall be; who holds

within thy hands the scales of justice and of right;

17 Who in the boundlessness of love has made all men to equal be. The

white, the black, the yellow and the red can look up in thy face and

say, Our Father-God.

18 Thou Father of the human race, I praise thy name.

19 And all the priests were angered by the words which Jesus spoke;

they rushed upon him, seized him, and would have done him harm.

20 But then Lamaas raised his hand and said, You priests of Brahm,

beware! you know not what you do; wait till you know the God this

youth adores.

21 I have beheld this boy at prayer when light above the light of sun

surrounded him, Beware! his God may be more powerful than Brahm.

22 If Jesus speaks the truth, if he is right, you cannot force him

to desist; if he is wrong and you are right, his words will come to

naught, for right is might, and in the end it will prevail.

23 And then the priests refrained from doing Jesus harm; but one spoke

out and said,

24 Within this holy place has not this reckless youth done violence to

Parabrahm? The law is plain; it says, He who reviles the name of Brahm

shall die.

25 Lamaas plead for Jesus’ life; and then the priests just seized a

scourge of cords and drove him from the place.

26 And Jesus went his way and found a shelter with the black and

yellow men, the servants and the tillers of the soil.

27 To them he first made known the gospel of equality; he told them of

the Brotherhood of Man, the Fatherhood of God.

28 The common people heard him with delight, and learned to pray, Our

Father-God who art in heaven.

CHAPTER 25.

_Jesus teaches the sudras and farmers. Relates a parable of a

nobleman and his unjust sons. Makes known the possibilities

of all men._

When Jesus saw the sudras and the farmers in such multitudes draw near

to hear his words, he spoke a parable to them; he said:

2 A nobleman possessed a great estate; he had four sons, and he would

have them all grow strong by standing forth and making use of all the

talents they possessed.

3 And so he gave to each a share of his great wealth, and bade them go

their way.

4 The eldest son was full of self; he was ambitious, shrewd and quick

of thought.

5 He said within himself, I am the oldest son, and these, my brothers,

must be servants at my feet,

6 And then he called his brothers forth; and one he made a puppet

king; gave him a sword and charged him to defend the whole estate.

7 To one he gave the use of lands and flowing wells, and flocks and

herds, and bade him till the soil, and tend the flocks and herds and

bring to him the choicest of his gains.

8 And to the other one he said, You are the youngest son; the broad

estate has been assigned; you have no part nor lot in anything that is.

9 And then he took a chain and bound his brother to a naked rock upon

a desert plain, and said to him,

10 You have been born a slave; you have no rights, and you must be

contented with your lot, for there is no release for you until you die

and go from hence.

11 Now, after certain years the day of reckoning came; the nobleman

called up his sons to render their accounts.

12 And when he knew that one, his eldest son, had seized the whole

estate and made his brothers slaves,

13 He seized him, tore his priestly robes away and put him in a prison

cell, where he was forced to stay until he had atoned for all the

wrongs that he had done.

14 And then, as though they were but toys, he threw in air the throne

and armor of the puppet king; he broke his sword, and put him in a

prison cell.

15 And then he called his farmer son and asked him why he had not

rescued from his galling chains his brother on the desert sands.

16 And when the son made answer not, the father took unto himself the

flocks and herds, the fields and flowing wells,

17 And sent his farmer son to live out on the desert sands, until he

had atoned for all the wrongs that he had done.

18 And then the father went and found his youngest son in cruel

chains; with his own hands he broke the chains and bade his son to go

in peace.

19 Now, when the sons had all paid up their debts they came again and

stood before the bar of right.

20 They all had learned their lessons, learned them well; and then the

father once again divided the estate.

21 He gave to each an equal share, and bade them recognize the law of

equity and right, and live in peace.

22 And one, a sudras, spoke and said, May we who are but slaves, who

are cut down like beasts to satisfy the whims of priests--may we have

hope that one will come to break our chains and set us free?

23 And Jesus said, The Holy One has said, that all his children shall

be free; and every soul is child of God.

24 The sudras shall be free as priest; the farmer shall walk hand in

hand with king; for all the world will own the brotherhood of man.

25 O men, arise! be conscious of your powers, for he who wills need

not remain a slave.

26 Just live as you would have your brother live; unfold each day as

does the flower; for earth is yours, and heaven is yours, and God will

bring you to your own.

27 And all the people cried, Show us the way that like the flower we

may unfold and come unto our own.

CHAPTER 26.

_Jesus at Katak. The car of Jagannath. Jesus reveals to the

people the emptiness of Brahmic rites, and how to see God in

man. Teaches them the divine law of sacrifice._

In all the cities of Orissa Jesus taught. At Katak, by the river side,

he taught, and thousands of the people followed him.

2 One day a car of Jagannath was hauled along by scores of frenzied

men, and Jesus said,

3 Behold, a form without a spirit passes by; a body with no soul; a

temple with no altar fires.

4 This car of Krishna is an empty thing, for Krishna is not there.

5 This car is but an idol of a people drunk on wine of carnal things.

6 God lives not in the noise of tongues; there is no way to him from

any idol shrine.

7 God’s meeting place with man is in the heart, and in a still small

voice he speaks; and he who hears is still.

8 And all the people said, Teach us to know the Holy One who speaks

within the heart, God of the still small voice.

9 And Jesus said, The Holy Breath cannot be seen with mortal eyes; nor

can men see the Spirits of the Holy One;

10 But in their image man was made, and he who looks into the face of

man, looks at the image of the God who speaks within.

11 And when man honors man he honors God, and what man does for man,

he does for God.

12 And you must bear in mind that when man harms in thought, or word

or deed another man, he does a wrong to God.

13 If you would serve the God who speaks within the heart, just serve

your near of kin, and those that are no kin, the stranger at your

gates, the foe who seeks to do you harm;

14 Assist the poor, and help the weak; do harm to none, and covet not

what is not yours;

15 Then, with your tongue the Holy One will speak; and he will smile

behind your tears, will light your countenance with joy, and fill your

hearts with peace.

16 And then the people asked, To whom shall we bring gifts? Where

shall we offer sacrifice?

17 And Jesus said, Our Father-God asks not for needless waste of

plant, of grain, of dove, of lamb.

18 That which you burn on any shrine you throw away. No blessings can

attend the one who takes the food from hungry mouths to be destroyed

by fire.

19 When you would offer sacrifice unto our God, just take your gift of

grain, or meat and lay it on the table of the poor.

20 From it an incense will arise to heaven, which will return to you

with blessedness.

21 Tear down your idols; they can hear you not; turn all your

sacrificial altars into fuel for the flames.

22 Make human hearts your altars, and burn your sacrifices with the

fire of love.

23 And all the people were entranced, and would have worshipped Jesus

as a God; but Jesus said,

24 I am your brother man just come to show the way to God; you shall

not worship man; praise God, the Holy One.

CHAPTER 27.

_Jesus attends a feast in Behar. Preaches a revolutionary

sermon on human equality. Relates the parable of the broken

blades._

The fame of Jesus as a teacher spread through all the land, and people

came from near and far to hear his words of truth.

2 At Behar, on the sacred river of the Brahms, he taught for many days.

3 And Ach, a wealthy man of Behar, made a feast in honor of his guest,

and he invited every one to come.

4 And many came; among them thieves, extortioners, and courtesans. And

Jesus sat with them and taught; but they who followed him were much

aggrieved because he sat with thieves and courtesans.

5 And they upbraided him; they said, Rabboni, master of the wise, this

day will be an evil day for you.

6 The news will spread that you consort with courtesans and thieves,

and men will shun you as they shun an asp.

7 And Jesus answered them and said, A master never screens himself

for sake of reputation or of fame.

8 These are but worthless baubles of the day; they rise and sink, like

empty bottles on a stream; they are illusions and will pass away;

9 They are the indices to what the thoughtless think; they are the

noise that people make; and shallow men judge merit by the noise.

10 God and all master men judge men by what they are and not by what

they seem to be; not by their reputation and their fame.

11 These courtesans and thieves are children of my Father-God; their

souls are just as precious in his sight as yours, or of the Brahmic

priests.

12 And they are working out the same life sums that you, who pride

yourselves on your respectability and moral worth, are working out.

13 And some of them have solved much harder sums than you have solved,

you men who look at them with scorn.

14 Yes, they are sinners, and confess their guilt, while you are

guilty, but are shrewd enough to have a polished coat to cover up your

guilt.

15 Suppose you men who scorn these courtesans, these drunkards and

these thieves, who know that you are pure in heart and life, that you

are better far than they, stand forth that men may know just who you

are.

16 The sin lies in the wish, in the desire, not in the act.

17 You covet other people’s wealth; you look at charming forms, and

deep within your hearts you lust for them.

18 Deceit you practice every day, and wish for gold, for honor and for

fame, just for your selfish selves.

19 The man who covets is a thief, and she who lusts is courtesan. You

who are none of these speak out.

20 Nobody spoke; the accusers held their peace.

21 And Jesus said, The proof this day is all against those who have

accused.

22 The pure in heart do not accuse. The vile in heart who want to

cover up their guilt with holy smoke of piety are ever loathing

drunkard, thief and courtesan.

23 This loathing and this scorn is mockery, for if the tinseled coat

of reputation could be torn away, the loud professor would be found to

revel in his lust, deceit, and many forms of secret sin.

24 The man who spends his time in pulling other people’s weeds can

have no time to pull his own, and all the choicest flowers of life

will soon be choked and die, and nothing will remain but darnel,

thistles, burs.

25 And Jesus spoke a parable: he said, Behold, a farmer had great

fields of ripened grain, and when he looked he saw that blades of many

stalks of wheat were bent and broken down.

26 And when he sent his reapers forth he said, We will not save the

stalks of wheat that have the broken blades.

27 Go forth and cut and burn the stalks with broken blades.

28 And after many days he went to measure up his grain, but not a

kernel could he find.

29 And then he called the harvesters and said to them, Where is my

grain?

30 They answered him and said, We did according to your word; we

gathered up and burned the stalks with broken blades, and not a stalk

was left to carry to the barn.

31 And Jesus said, If God saves only those who have no broken blades,

who have been perfect in his sight, who will be saved?

32 And the accusers hung their heads in shame; and Jesus went his way.

CHAPTER 28.

_Udraka gives a feast in Jesus’ honor. Jesus speaks on the

unity of God and the brotherhood of life. Criticises the

priesthood. Becomes the guest of a farmer._

Benares is the sacred city of the Brahms, and in Benares Jesus taught;

Udraka was his host.

2 Udraka made a feast in honor of his guest, and many high born Hindu

priests and scribes were there.

3 And Jesus said to them, With much delight I speak to you concerning

life--the brotherhood of life.

4 The universal God is one, yet he is more than one; all things are

God; all things are one.

5 By the sweet breaths of God all life is bound in one; so if you

touch a fiber of a living thing you send a thrill from center to the

outer bounds of life.

6 And when you crush beneath your foot the meanest worm, you shake the

throne of God, and cause the sword of right to tremble in its sheath.

7 The bird sings out its song for men, and men vibrate in unison to

help it sing.

8 The ant constructs her home, the bee its sheltering comb, the spider

weaves her web, and flowers breathe to them a spirit in their sweet

perfumes that gives them strength to toil.

9 Now, men and birds and beasts and creeping things are deities, made

flesh; and how dare men kill anything?

10 ’Tis cruelty that makes the world awry. When men have learned that

when they harm a living thing they harm themselves, they surely will

not kill, nor cause a thing that God has made to suffer pain.

11 A lawyer said, I pray you, Jesus, tell who is this God you speak

about; where are his priests, his temples and his shrines?

12 And Jesus said, The God I speak about is every where; he cannot be

compassed with walls, nor hedged about with bounds of any kind.

13 All people worship God, the One; but all the people see him not

alike.

14 This universal God is wisdom, will and love.

15 All men see not the Triune God. One sees him as the God of might;

another as the God of thought; another as the God of love.

16 A man’s ideal is his God, and so, as man unfolds, his God unfolds.

Man’s God today, tomorrow is not God.

17 The nations of the earth see God from different points of view, and

so he does not seem the same to every one.

18 Man names the part of God he sees, and this to him is all of God;

and every nation sees a part of God, and every nation has a name for

God.

19 You Brahmans call him Parabrahm; in Egypt he is Thoth; and Zeus is

his name in Greece; Jehovah is his Hebrew name; but everywhere he is

the causeless Cause, the rootless Root from which all things have

grown.

20 When men become afraid of God, and take him for a foe, they dress

up other men in fancy garbs and call them priests,

21 And charge them to restrain the wrath of God by prayers; and when

they fail to win his favor by their prayers, to buy him off with

sacrifice of animal, or bird,

22 When man sees God as one with him, as Father-God, he needs no

middle man, no priest to intercede;

23 He goes straight up to him and says, My Father-God! and then he

lays his hand in God’s own hand, and all is well.

24 And this is God. You are, each one, a priest, just for yourself;

and sacrifice of blood God does not want.

25 Just give your life in sacrificial service to the all of life, and

God is pleased.

26 When Jesus had thus said he stood aside; the people were amazed,

but strove among themselves.

27 Some said, He is inspired by Holy Brahm; and others said, He is

insane; and others said, He is obsessed; he speaks as devils speak.

28 But Jesus tarried not. Among the guests was one, a tiller of the

soil, a generous soul, a seeker after truth, who loved the words that

Jesus spoke; and Jesus went with him, and in his home abode.

CHAPTER 29.

_Ajainin, a priest from Lahore, comes to Benares to see Jesus,

and abides in the temple. Jesus refuses an invitation to

visit the temple. Ajainin visits him at night in the farmer’s

home, and accepts his philosophy._

Among Benares’ temple priests was one, a guest, Ajainin, from Lahore.

2 By merchantmen Ajainin heard about the Jewish boy, about his words

of wisdom, and he girt himself and journeyed from Lahore that he might

see the boy, and hear him speak.

3 The Brahmic priests did not accept the truth that Jesus brought, and

they were angered much by what he said at the Udraka feast.

4 But they had never seen the boy, and they desired much to hear him

speak, and they invited him to be a temple guest.

5 But Jesus said to them, The light is most abundant, and it shines

for all; if you would see the light come to the light.

6 If you would hear the message that the Holy One has given me to give

to men, come unto me.

7 Now, when the priests were told what Jesus said they were enraged.

8 Ajainin did not share their wrath, and he sent forth another

messenger with costly gifts to Jesus at the farmer’s home; he sent

this message with the gifts:

9 I pray you, master, listen to my words; The Brahmic law forbids that

any priest shall go into the home of any one of low estate; but you

can come to us;

10 And I am sure these priests will gladly hear you speak. I pray that

you will come and dine with us this day.

11 And Jesus said, The Holy One regards all men alike; the dwelling of

my host is good enough for any council of the sons of men.

12 If pride of caste keeps you away, you are not worthy of the light.

My Father-God does not regard the laws of man.

13 Your presents I return; you cannot buy the knowledge of the Lord

with gold, or precious gifts.

14 These words of Jesus angered more and more the priests, and they

began to plot and plan how they might drive him from the land.

15 Ajainin did not join with them in plot and plan; he left the temple

in the night, and sought the home where Jesus dwelt.

16 And Jesus said, There is no night where shines the sun; I have no

secret messages to give; in light all secrets are revealed.

17 Ajainin said, I came from far-away Lahore, that I might learn about

this ancient wisdom, and this kingdom of the Holy One of which you

speak.

18 Where is the kingdom? where the king? Who are the subjects? what

its laws?

19 And Jesus said, This kingdom is not far away, but man with mortal

eyes can see it not; it is within the heart.

20 You need not seek the king in earth, or sea, or sky; he is not

there, and yet is everywhere. He is the Christ of God; is universal

love.

21 The gate of this dominion is not high, and he who enters it must

fall down on his knees. It is not wide, and none can carry carnal

bundles through.

22 The lower self must be transmuted into spirit-self; the body must

be washed in living streams of purity.

23 Ajainin asked, Can I become a subject of this king?

24 And Jesus said, You are yourself a king, and you may enter through

the gate and be a subject of the King of kings.

25 But you must lay aside your priestly robes; must cease to serve the

Holy One for gold; must give your life, and all you have, in willing

service to the sons of men.

26 And Jesus said no more; Ajainin went his way; and while he could

not comprehend the truth that Jesus spoke, he saw what he had never

seen before.

27 The realm of faith he never had explored; but in his heart the

seeds of faith and universal brotherhood had found good soil.

28 And as he journeyed to his home he seemed to sleep, to pass through

darkest night, and when he woke the Sun of Righteousness had arisen;

he had found the king.

29 Now, in Benares Jesus tarried many days and taught.

CHAPTER 30.

_Jesus receives news of the death of his father. He writes a

letter to his mother. The letter. He sends it on its way by a

merchant._

One day as Jesus stood beside the Ganges busy with his work, a

caravan, returning from the West, drew near.

2 And one, approaching Jesus, said, We come to you just from your

native land and bring unwelcome news.

3 Your father is no more on earth; your mother grieves; and none can

comfort her. She wonders whether you are still alive or not; she longs

to see you once again.

4 And Jesus bowed his head in silent thought; and then he wrote. Of

what he wrote this is the sum:

5 My mother, noblest of woman kind; A man just from my native land has

brought me word that father is no more in flesh, and that you grieve,

and are disconsolate.

6 My mother, all is well; is well for father and is well for you.

7 His work in this earth-round is done, and it is nobly done.

8 In all the walks of life men cannot charge him with deceit,

dishonesty, nor wrong intent.

9 Here in this round he finished many heavy tasks, and he has gone

from hence prepared to solve the problems of the round of soul.

10 Our Father-God is with him there, as he was with him here; and

there his angel guards his footsteps lest he goes astray.

11 Why should you weep? Tears cannot conquer grief. There is no power

in grief to mend a broken heart.

12 The plane of grief is idleness; the busy soul can never grieve; it

has no time for grief.

13 When grief comes trooping through the heart, just lose yourself;

plunge deep into the ministry of love, and grief is not.

14 Yours is a ministry of love, and all the world is calling out for

love.

15 Then let the past go with the past; rise from the cares of carnal

things and give your life for those who live.

16 And if you lose your life in serving life you will be sure to find

in it the morning sun, the evening dews, in song of bird, in flowers,

and in the stars of night.

17 In just a little while your problems of this earth-round will be

solved; and when your sums are all worked out it will be pleasure

unalloyed for you to enter wider fields of usefulness, to solve the

greater problems of the soul.

18 Strive, then, to be content, and I will come to you some day and

bring you richer gifts than gold or precious stones.

19 I’m sure that John will care for you, supplying all your needs; and

I am with you all the way, Jehoshua.

20 And by the hand of one, a merchant, going to Jerusalem, he sent

this letter on its way.

CHAPTER 31.

_Brahmic priests are enraged because of Jesus’ teaching and

resolve to drive him from India. Lamaas pleads for him.

Priests employ a murderer to kill him. Lamaas warns him and

he flees to Nepel._

The words and works of Jesus caused unrest through all the land.

2 The common people were his friends, believed in him, and followed

him in throngs.

3 The priests and rulers were afraid of him; his very name sent terror

to their hearts.

4 He preached the brotherhood of life, the righteousness of equal

rights, and taught the uselessness of priests, and sacrificial rites.

5 He shook the very sand on which the Brahmic system stood; he made

the Brahmic idols seem so small, and sacrifice so fraught with sin,

that shrines and wheels of prayer were all forgot.

6 The priests declared that if this Hebrew boy should tarry longer in

the land a revolution would occur; the common people would arise and

kill the priests, and tear the temples down.

7 And so they sent a call abroad, and priests from every province

came. Benares was on fire with Brahmic zeal.

8 Lamaas from the temple Jagannath, who knew the inner life of Jesus

well, was in their midst, and heard the rantings of the priests,

9 And he stood forth and said, My brother priests, take heed, be

careful what you do; this is a record-making day.

10 The world is looking on; the very life of Brahmic thought is now on

trial.

11 If we are reason-blind; if prejudice be king today; if we resort to

beastly force, and dye our hands in blood that may, in sight of Brahm,

be innocent and pure,

12 His vengeance may fall down on us; the very rock on which we stand

may burst beneath our feet; and our beloved priesthood, and our laws

and shrines will go into decay.

13 But they would let him speak no more. The wrathful priests rushed

up and beat him, spit upon him, called him traitor, threw him,

bleeding, to the street.

14 And then confusion reigned; the priests became a mob; the sight of

human blood led on to fiendish acts, and called for more.

15 The rulers, fearing war, sought Jesus, and they found him calmly

teaching in the market-place.

16 They urged him to depart, that he might save his life; but he

refused to go.

17 And then the priests sought cause for his arrest; but he had done

no crime.

18 And then false charges were preferred; but when the soldiers went

to bring him to the judgment hall they were afraid, because the people

stood in his defense.

19 The priests were baffled, and they resolved to take his life by

stealth.

20 They found a man who was a murderer by trade, and sent him out by

night to slay the object of their wrath.

21 Lamaas heard about their plotting and their plans, and sent a

messenger to warn his friend; and Jesus hastened to depart.

22 By night he left Benares, and with haste he journeyed to the north;

and everywhere, the farmers, merchants and the sudras helped him on

his way.

23 And after many days he reached the mighty Himalayas, and in the

city Kapivastu he abode.

24 The priests of Buddha opened wide their temple doors for him.

CHAPTER 32.

_Jesus and Barata. Together they read the sacred books. Jesus

takes exception to the Buddhist doctrine of evolution and

reveals the true origin of man. Meets Vidyapati, who becomes

his co-laborer._

Among the Buddhist priests was one who saw a lofty wisdom in the words

that Jesus spoke. It was Barata Arabo.

2 Together Jesus and Barata read the Jewish Psalms and Prophets; read

the Vedas, the Avesta and the wisdom of Guatama.

3 And as they read and talked about the possibilities of man, Barata

said,

4 Man is the marvel of the universe. He is a part of everything, for

he has been a living thing on every plane of life.

5 Time was when man was not; and then he was a bit of formless

substance in the molds of time; and then a protoplast.

6 By universal law all things tend upward to a state of perfectness.

The protoplast evolved, becoming worm, then reptile, bird and beast,

and then at last it reached the form of man.

7 Now, man himself is mind, and mind is here to gain perfection by

experience; and mind is often manifest in fleshy form, and in the

form best suited to its growth. So mind may manifest as worm, or bird,

or beast, or man.

8 The time will come when everything of life will be evolved unto the

state of perfect man.

9 And after man is man in perfectness, he will evolve to higher forms

of life.

10 And Jesus said, Barata Arabo, who taught you this, that mind, which

is the man, may manifest in flesh of beast, or bird, or creeping thing?

11 Barata said, From times which man remembers not our priests have

told us so, and so we know.

12 And Jesus said, Enlightened Arabo, are you a master mind and do not

know that man knows naught by being told?

13 Man may believe what others say; but thus he never knows. If man

would know, he must himself be what he knows.

14 Do you remember, Arabo, when you was ape, or bird, or worm?

15 Now, if you have no better proving of your plea than that the

priests have told you so, you do not know; you simply guess.

16 Regard not, then, what any man has said; let us forget the flesh,

and go with mind into the land of fleshless things; mind never does

forget.

17 And backward through the ages master minds can trace themselves;

and thus they know.

18 Time never was when man was not.

19 That which begins will have an end. If man was not, the time will

come when he will not exist.

20 From God’s own Record Book we read: The Triune God breathed forth,

and seven Spirits stood before his face. (The Hebrews call these seven

Spirits, Elohim.)

21 And these are they who, in their boundless power, created

everything that is, or was.

22 These Spirits of the Triune God moved on the face of boundless

space and seven ethers were, and every ether had its form of life.

23 These forms of life were but the thoughts of God, clothed in the

substance of their ether planes.

24 (Men call these ether planes the planes of protoplast, of earth, of

plant, of beast, of man, of angel and of cherubim.)

25 These planes with all their teeming thoughts of God, are never seen

by eyes of man in flesh; they are composed of substance far too fine

for fleshly eyes to see, and still they constitute the soul of things;

26 And with the eyes of soul all creatures see these ether planes, and

all the forms of life.

27 Because all forms of life on every plane are thoughts of God, all

creatures think, and every creature is possessed of will, and, in its

measure, has the power to choose,

28 And in their native planes all creatures are supplied with

nourishment from the ethers of their planes.

29 And so it was with every living thing until the will became a

sluggish will, and then the ethers of the protoplast, the earth, the

plant, the beast, the man, began to vibrate very slow.

30 The ethers all became more dense, and all the creatures of these

planes were clothed with coarser garbs, the garbs of flesh, which men

can see; and thus this coarser manifest, which men call physical,

appeared.

31 And this is what is called the fall of man; but man fell not alone

for protoplast, and earth, and plant and beast were all included in

the fall.

32 The angels and the cherubim fell not; their wills were ever strong,

and so they held the ethers of their planes in harmony with God.

33 Now, when the ethers reached the rate of atmosphere, and all the

creatures of these planes must get their food from atmosphere, the

conflict came; and then that which the finite man has called, survival

of the best, became a law,

34 The stronger ate the bodies of the weaker manifests; and here is

where the carnal law of evolution had its rise.

35 And now man, in his utter shamelessness, strikes down and eats the

beasts, the beast consumes the plant, the plant thrives on the earth,

the earth absorbs the protoplast.

36 In yonder kingdom of the soul this carnal evolution is not known,

and the great work of master minds is to restore the heritage of man,

to bring him back to his estate that he has lost, when he again will

live upon the ethers of his native plane.

37 The thoughts of God change not; the manifests of life on every

plane unfold into perfection of their kind; and as the thoughts of God

can never die, there is no death to any being of the seven ethers of

the seven Spirits of the Triune God.

38 And so an earth is never plant; a beast, or bird, or creeping thing

is never man, and man is not, and cannot be, a beast, or bird, or

creeping thing.

39 The time will come when all these seven manifests will be absorbed,

and man, and beast, and plant, and earth and protoplast will be

redeemed.

40 Barata was amazed; the wisdom of the Jewish sage was revelation

unto him.

41 Now, Vidyapati, wisest of the Indian sages, chief of temple

Kapavistu, heard Barata speak to Jesus of the origin of man, and heard

the answer of the Hebrew prophet, and he said,

42 You priests of Kapavistu, hear me speak: We stand today upon a

crest of time. Six times ago a master soul was born who gave a glory

light to man, and now a master sage stands here in temple Kapavistu.

43 This Hebrew prophet is the rising star of wisdom, deified. He

brings to us a knowledge of the secret things of God; and all the

world will hear his words, will heed his words, and glorify his name.

44 You priests of temple Kapavistu, stay! be still and listen when he

speaks; he is the Living Oracle of God.

45 And all the priests gave thanks, and praised the Buddha of

enlightenment.

CHAPTER 33.

_Jesus teaches the common people at a spring. Tells them how to

attain unto happiness. Relates the parable of the rocky field

and the hidden treasure._

In silent meditation Jesus sat beside a flowing spring. It was a holy

day, and many people of the servant caste were near the place.

2 And Jesus saw the hard drawn lines of toil on every brow, in every

hand. There was no look of joy in any face. Not one of all the group

could think of anything but toil.

3 And Jesus spoke to one and said, Why are you all so sad? Have you

no happiness in life?

4 The man replied, We scarcely know the meaning of that word. We toil

to live, and hope for nothing else but toil, and bless the day when

we can cease our toil and lay us down to rest in Buddha’s city of the

dead.

5 And Jesus’ heart was stirred with pity and with love for these poor

toilers, and he said,

6 Toil should not make a person sad; men should be happiest when they

toil. When hope and love are back of toil, then all of life is filled

with joy and peace, and this is heaven. Do you not know that such a

heaven is for you?

7 The man replied, Of heaven we have heard; but then it is so far

away, and we must live so many lives before we reach that place!

8 And Jesus said, My brother, man, your thoughts are wrong; your

heaven is not far away; and it is not a place of metes and bounds, is

not a country to be reached; it is a state of mind.

9 God never made a heaven for man; he never made a hell; we are

creators and we make our own.

10 Now, cease to seek for heaven in the sky; just open up the windows

of your hearts, and, like a flood of light, a heaven will come and

bring a boundless joy; then toil will be no cruel task.

11 The people were amazed, and gathered close to hear this strange

young master speak,

12 Imploring him to tell them more about the Father-God; about the

heaven that men can make on earth; about the boundless joy.

13 And Jesus spoke a parable; he said, A certain man possessed a

field; the soil was hard and poor.

14 By constant toil he scarcely could provide enough of food to keep

his family from want.

15 One day a miner who could see beneath the soil, in passing on his

way, saw this poor man and his unfruitful field.

16 He called the weary toiler and he said, My brother, know you not

that just below the surface of your barren field rich treasures lie

concealed?

17 You plow and sow and reap in scanty way, and day by day you tread

upon a mine of gold and precious stones.

18 This wealth lies not upon the surface of the ground; but if you

will but dig away the rocky soil, and delve down deep into the earth,

you need no longer till the soil for naught.

19 The man believed. The miner surely knows; he said, and I will find

the treasures hidden in my field.

20 And then he dug away the rocky soil, and deep down in the earth he

found a mine of gold.

21 And Jesus said, The sons of men are toiling hard on desert plains,

and burning sands and rocky soils; are doing what their fathers did,

not dreaming they can do aught else.

22 Behold, a master comes, and tells them of a hidden wealth; that

underneath the rocky soil of carnal things are treasures that no man

can count;

23 That in the heart the richest gems abound; that he who wills may

open up the door and find them all.

24 And then the people said, Make known to us the way that we may find

the wealth that lies within the heart.

25 And Jesus opened up the way; the toilers saw another side of life,

and toil became a joy.

CHAPTER 34.

_The Jubilee in Kapavistu. Jesus teaches in the plaza and the

people are astonished. He relates the parable of the unkept

vineyard and the vine dresser. The priests are angered by his

words._

It was a gala day in sacred Kapavistu; a throng of Buddhist

worshippers had met to celebrate a Jubilee.

2 And priests and masters from all parts of India were there; they

taught; but they embellished little truth with many words.

3 And Jesus went into an ancient plaza and he taught; he spoke of

Father-Mother-God; he told about the brotherhood of life.

4 The priests and all the people were astounded at his words and said,

Is this not Buddha come again in flesh? No other one could speak with

such simplicity and power.

5 And Jesus spoke a parable; he said, There was a vineyard all unkept;

the vines were high, the growth of leaves and branches great.

6 The leaves were broad and shut the sunlight from the vines; the

grapes were sour, and few, and small.

7 The pruner came; with his sharp knife he cut off every branch, and

not a leaf remained; just root and stalk, and nothing more.

8 The busy neighbors came with one accord and were amazed, and said to

him who pruned, You foolish man! the vineyard is despoiled.

9 Such desolation! There is no beauty left, and when the harvest time

shall come the gatherers will find no fruit.

10 The pruner said, Content yourselves with what you think, and come

again at harvest time and see.

11 And when the harvest time came on the busy neighbors came again;

they were surprised.

12 The naked stalks had put forth branch and leaf, and heavy clusters

of delicious grapes weighed every branch to earth.

13 The gatherers rejoiced as, day by day, they carried the rich

fruitage to the press.

14 Behold, the vineyard of the Lord! the earth is spread with human

vines.

15 The gorgeous forms and rites of men are branches, and their words

are leaves; and these have grown so great that sunlight can no longer

reach the heart; there is no fruit.

16 Behold, the pruner comes, and with a two-edged knife he cuts away

the branches and the leaves of words,

17 And naught is left but unclothed stalks of human life.

18 The priests and they of pompous show, rebuke the pruner, and would

stay him in his work.

19 They see no beauty in the stalks of human life; no promises of

fruit.

20 The harvest time will come and they who scorned the pruner will

look on again and be amazed, for they will see the human stalks that

seemed so lifeless, bending low with precious fruit.

21 And they will hear the harvesters rejoice, because the harvest is

so great.

22 The priests were not well pleased with Jesus’ words; but they

rebuked him not; they feared the multitude.

CHAPTER 35.

_Jesus and Vidyapati consider the needs of the incoming age of

the world._

The Indian sage and Jesus often met and talked about the needs of

nations and of men; about the sacred doctrines, forms and rites best

suited to the coming age.

2 One day they sat together in a mountain pass, and Jesus said, The

coming age will surely not require priests, and shrines, and sacrifice

of life.

3 There is no power in sacrifice of beast, or bird, to help a man to

holy life.

4 And Vidyapati said, All forms and rites are symbols of the things

that men must do within the temple of the soul.

5 The Holy One requires man to give his life in willing sacrifice for

men, and all the so-called offerings on altars and on shrines that

have been made since time began, were made to teach man how to give

himself to save his brother man; for man can never save himself except

he lose his life in saving other men.

6 The perfect age will not require forms and rites and carnal

sacrifice. The coming age is not the perfect age, and men will call

for object lessons and symbolic rites.

7 And in the great religion you shall introduce to men, some simple

rites of washings and remembrances will be required; but cruel

sacrifice of animals, and birds the gods require not.

8 And Jesus said, Our God must loathe the tinseled show of priests and

priestly things.

9 When men array themselves in showy garbs to indicate that they are

servants of the gods, and strut about like gaudy birds to be admired

by men, because of piety or any other thing, the Holy One must surely

turn away in sheer disgust.

10 All people are alike the servants of our Father-God, are kings and

priests.

11 Will not the coming age demand complete destruction of the priestly

caste, as well as every other caste and inequality among the sons of

men?

12 And Vidyapati said, The coming age is not the age of spirit life

and men will pride themselves in wearing priestly robes, and chanting

pious chants to advertise themselves as saints.

13 The simple rites that you will introduce will be extolled by those

who follow you, until the sacred service of the age will far outshine

in gorgeousness the priestly service of the Brahmic age.

14 This is a problem men must solve.

15 The perfect age will come when every man will be a priest and men

will not array themselves in special garb to advertise their piety.

SECTION VII.

ZAIN.

_Life and Works of Jesus in Tibet and Western India._

CHAPTER 36.

_Jesus in Lassa. He meets Meng-ste who aids him in reading the

ancient manuscripts. He goes to Ladak. Heals a child. Relates

the parable of the king’s son._

In Lassa of Tibet there was a master’s temple, rich in manuscripts of

ancient lore.

2 The Indian sage had read these manuscripts, and he revealed to Jesus

many of the secret lessons they contained; but Jesus wished to read

them for himself.

3 Now, Meng-ste, greatest sage of all the farther East, was in this

temple of Tibet.

4 The path across Emodus heights was difficult; but Jesus started on

his way, and Vidyapati sent with him a trusted guide.

5 And Vidyapati sent a message to Meng-ste, in which he told about the

Hebrew sage, and spoke for him a welcome by the temple priests.

6 Now, after many days, and perils great, the guide and Jesus reached

the Lassa temple in Tibet.

7 And Meng-ste opened wide the temple doors, and all the priests and

masters gave a welcome to the Hebrew sage.

8 And Jesus had access to all the sacred manuscripts, and, with the

help of Meng-ste, read them all.

9 And Meng-ste often talked with Jesus of the coming age, and of the

sacred service best adapted to the people of the age.

10 In Lassa Jesus did not teach. When he had finished all his studies

in the temple schools he journeyed toward the West. In many villages

he tarried for a time and taught.

11 At last he reached the pass, and in the Ladak city, Leh, he was

received with favor by the monks, the merchants, and the men of low

estate.

12 And in the monastery he abode, and taught; and then he sought the

common people in the marts of trade; and there he taught.

13 Not far away a woman lived, whose infant son was sick nigh unto

death. The doctors had declared, There is no hope; the child must die.

14 The woman heard that Jesus was a teacher sent from God, and she

believed that he had power to heal her son.

15 And so she clasped the dying infant in her arms and ran with haste

and asked to see the man of God.

16 When Jesus saw her faith he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,

17 My Father-God, let power divine o’ershadow me, and let the Holy

Breath fill full this child that it may live.

18 And in the presence of the multitude he laid his hand upon the

child and said,

19 Good woman you are blest; your faith has saved your son. And then

the child was well.

20 The people were astonished and they said, This surely is the Holy

One made flesh, for man alone cannot rebuke a fever thus and save a

child from death.

21 Then many of the people brought their sick, and Jesus spoke the

Word, and they were healed.

22 Among the Ladaks Jesus tarried many days; he taught them how to

heal; how sins are blotted out, and how to make on earth a heaven of

joy.

23 The people loved him for his words and works, and when he must

depart they grieved as children grieve when mother goes away.

24 And on the morning when he started on his way the multitudes were

there to press his hand.

25 To them he spoke a parable; he said, A certain king so loved the

people of his land that he sent forth his only son with precious gifts

for all.

26 The son went everywhere and scattered forth the gifts with lavish

hand.

27 But there were priests who ministered at shrines of foreign gods,

who were not pleased because the king did not through them bestow the

gifts.

28 And so they sought to cause the people all to hate the son. They

said, These gifts are not of any worth; they are but counterfeits.

29 And so the people threw the precious gems, and gold and silver in

the streets. They caught the son and beat him, spit upon him, drove

him from their midst.

30 The son resented not their insults and their cruelties; but thus he

prayed, My Father-God, forgive these creatures of thy hand; they are

but slaves; they know not what they do.

31 And while they yet were beating him he gave them food, and blest

them with a boundless love.

32 In certain cities was the son received with joy, and he would

gladly have remained to bless the homes; but he could tarry not, for

he must carry gifts to every one in all the king’s domain.

33 And Jesus said, My Father-God is king of all mankind, and he

has sent me forth with all the bounties of his matchless love and

boundless wealth.

34 To all the people of all lands, lo, I must bear these gifts--this

water and this bread of life.

35 I go my way, but we will meet again; for in my Fatherland is room

for all; I will prepare a place for you.

36 And Jesus raised his hand in silent benediction; then he went his

way.

CHAPTER 37.

_Jesus is presented with a camel. He goes to Lahore where he

abides with Ajainin, whom he teaches. Lesson of the wandering

musicians. Jesus resumes his journey._

A caravan of merchantmen were journeying through the Kashmar vale as

Jesus passed that way, and they were going to Lahore, a city of the

Hand, the five-stream land.

2 The merchantmen had heard the prophet speak, had seen his mighty

works in Leh, and they were glad to see him once again.

3 And when they knew that he was going to Lahore and then across the

Sind, through Persia and the farther West, and that he had no beast on

which to ride,

4 They freely gave to him a noble bactrian beast, well saddled and

equipped, and Jesus journeyed with the caravan.

5 And when he reached Lahore, Ajainin and some other Brahmic priests,

received him with delight.

6 Ajainin was the priest who came to Jesus in the night time in

Benares many months before, and heard his words of truth.

7 And Jesus was Ajainin’s guest; he taught Ajainin many things;

revealed to him the secrets of the healing art.

8 He taught him how he could control the spirits of the air, the fire,

the water and the earth; and he explained to him the secret doctrine

of forgiveness, and the blotting out of sins.

9 One day Ajainin sat with Jesus in the temple porch; a band of

wandering singers and musicians paused before the court to sing and

play.

10 Their music was most rich and delicate, and Jesus said, Among the

high-bred people of the land we hear no sweeter music than that these

uncouth children of the wilderness bring here to us.

11 From whence this talent and this power? In one short life they

surely could not gain such grace of voice, such knowledge of the laws

of harmony and tone.

12 Men call them prodigies. There are no prodigies. All things result

from natural law.

13 These people are not young. A thousand years would not suffice to

give them such divine expressiveness, and such purity of voice and

touch.

14 Ten thousand years ago these people mastered harmony. In days of

old they trod the busy thoroughfares of life, and caught the melody of

birds, and played on harps of perfect form.

15 And they have come again to learn still other lessons from the

varied notes of manifests.

16 These wandering people form a part of heaven’s orchestra, and in

the land of perfect things the very angels will delight to hear them

play and sing.

17 And Jesus taught the common people of Lahore; he healed their sick,

and showed to them the way to rise to better things by helpfulness.

18 He said, We are not rich by what we get and hold; the only things

we keep are those we give away.

19 If you would live the perfect life, give forth your life in service

for your kind, and for the forms of life that men esteem the lower

forms of life.

20 But Jesus could not tarry longer in Lahore; he bade the priests and

other friends farewell; and then he took his camel and he went his way

toward the Sind.

SECTION VIII.

CHETH.

_Life and Works of Jesus in Persia._

CHAPTER 38.

_Jesus crosses Persia. Teaches and heals in many places. Three

magian priests meet him as he nears Persepolis. Kaspar, and

two other Persian masters, meet him in Persepolis. The seven

masters sit in silence seven days._

Four-and-twenty years of age was Jesus when he entered Persia on his

homeward way.

2 In many a hamlet, town and neighborhood he paused a while and taught

and healed.

3 The priests and ruling classes did not welcome him, because he

censured them for cruelty to those of low estate.

4 The common people followed him in throngs.

5 At times the chiefs made bold to try to hinder him, forbidding him

to teach or heal the sick. But he regarded not their angry threats; he

taught, and healed the sick.

6 In time he reached Persepolis, the city where the kings of Persia

were entombed; the city of the learned magi, Hor, and Lun, and Mer,

the three wise men,

7 Who, two-and-twenty years before, had seen the star of promise

rise above Jerusalem, and who had journeyed to the West to find the

new-born king;

8 And were the first to honor Jesus as the master of the age, and gave

him gifts of gold, gum-thus and myrrh.

9 These magi knew, by ways that masters always know, when Jesus

neared Persepolis; and then they girt themselves, and went to meet him

on the way.

10 And when they met, a light much brighter than the light of day,

surrounded them, and men who saw the four stand in the way declared

they were transfigured; seeming more like gods than men.

11 Now, Hor and Lun were aged men, and Jesus placed them on his beast

to ride into Persepolis; while he and Mer led on the way.

12 And when they reached the magi’s home they all rejoiced. And Jesus

told the thrilling story of his life, and Hor and Lun and Mer spoke

not; they only looked to heaven, and in their hearts praised God.

13 Three wise men from the North were in Persepolis; and they were

Kaspar, Zara and Melzone; and Kaspar was the wisest master of the

magian land. These three were at the home of Hor and Lun and Mer when

Jesus came.

14 For seven days these seven men spoke not; they sat in silence in

the council hall in close communion with the Silent Brotherhood.

15 They sought for light, for revelation and for power. The laws and

precepts of the coming age required all the wisdom of the masters of

the world.

CHAPTER 39.

_Jesus attends a feast in Persepolis. Speaks to the people,

reviewing the magian philosophy. Explains the origin of evil.

Spends the night in prayer._

A feast in honor of the magian God was being held, and many men were

gathered in Persepolis.

2 And on the great day of the feast the ruling magian master said,

Within these sacred walls is liberty; whoever wills to speak may speak.

3 And Jesus standing in the midst of all the people, said, My

brothers, sisters, children of our Father-God:

4 Most blest are you among the sons of men today, because you have

such just conceptions of the Holy One and man.

5 Your purity in worship and in life is pleasing unto God; and to your

master, Zarathustra, praise is due.

6 Well say you all, There is one God from whose great being there came

forth the seven Spirits that created heaven and earth; and manifest

unto the sons of men are these great Spirits in the sun, and moon, and

stars.

7 But in your sacred books we read that two among these seven are of

superior strength; that one of these created all the good; the other

one created all that evil is.

8 I pray you, honored masters, tell me how that evil can be born of

that which is all good?

9 A magus rose and said, If you will answer me, your problem will be

solved.

10 We all do recognize the fact that evil is. Whatever is, must have a

cause. If God, the One, made not this evil, then, where is the God who

did?

11 And Jesus said, Whatever God, the One, has made is good, and like

the great first Cause, the seven Spirits all are good, and everything

that comes from their creative hands is good,

12 Now, all created things have colors, tones and forms their own; but

certain tones, though good and pure themselves, when mixed, produce

inharmonies, discordant tones.

13 And certain things, though good and pure, when mixed, produce

discordant things, yea, poisonous things, that men call evil things.

14 So evil is the inharmonious blending of the colors, tones, or forms

of good.

15 Now, man is not all-wise, and yet has will his own. He has the

power, and he uses it, to mix God’s good things in a multitude of

ways, and every day he makes discordant sounds, and evil things.

16 And every tone and form, be it of good, or ill, becomes a living

thing, a demon, sprite, or spirit of a good or vicious kind.

17 Man makes his devil thus; and then becomes afraid of him and flees;

his devil is emboldened, follows him away and casts him into torturing

fires.

18 The devil and the burning fires are both the works of man, and none

can put the fires out and dissipate the evil one, but man who made

them both.

19 Then Jesus stood aside, and not a magus answered him.

20 And he departed from the throng and went into a secret place to

pray.

CHAPTER 40.

_Jesus teaches the magians. Explains the Silence and how to

enter it. Kaspar extols the wisdom of Jesus. Jesus teaches in

the groves of Cyrus._

Now, in the early morning Jesus came again to teach and heal. A

light not comprehended shown about, as though some mighty spirit

overshadowed him.

2 A magus noted this and asked him privately to tell from whence his

wisdom came, and what the meaning of the light.

3 And Jesus said, There is a Silence where the soul may meet its God,

and there the fount of wisdom is, and all who enter are immersed in

light, and filled with wisdom, love and power.

4 The magus said, Tell me about this Silence and this light, that I

may go and there abide.

5 And Jesus said, The Silence is not circumscribed; is not a place

closed in with wall, or rocky steeps, nor guarded by the sword of man.

6 Men carry with them all the time the secret place where they may

meet their God.

7 It matters not where men abide, on mountain top, in deepest vale, in

marts of trade, or in the quiet home; they may at once, at any time,

fling wide the door, and find the Silence, find the house of God; it

is within the soul.

8 One may not be so much disturbed by noise of business, and the

words and thoughts of men if he goes all alone into the valley or the

mountain pass.

9 And when life’s heavy load is pressing hard, it is far better to go

out and seek a quiet place to pray and meditate.

10 The Silence is the kingdom of the soul which is not seen by human

eyes.

11 When in the Silence, phantom forms may flit before the mind; but

they are all subservient to the will; the master soul may speak and

they are gone.

12 If you would find this Silence of the soul you must yourself

prepare the way. None but the pure in heart may enter here.

13 And you must lay aside all tenseness of the mind, all business

cares, all fears, all doubts and troubled thoughts.

14 Your human will must be absorbed by the divine; then you will come

into a consciousness of holiness.

15 You are within the Holy Place, and you will see upon a living

shrine the candle of the Lord aflame.

16 And when you see it burning there, look deep within the temple of

your brain, and you will see it all aglow.

17 In every part, from head to foot, are candles all in place, just

waiting to be lighted by the flaming torch of love.

18 And when you see the candles all aflame, just look, and you will

see, with eyes of soul, the waters of the fount of wisdom rushing on;

and you may drink, and there abide.

19 And then the curtains part, and you are in the Holiest of All,

where rests the Ark of God, whose covering is the Mercy Seat.

20 Fear not to lift the sacred board; the Tables of the Law are in the

Ark concealed.

21 Take them and read them well; for they contain all precepts and

commands that men will ever need.

22 And in the Ark, the magic wand of prophecy lies waiting for your

hand; it is the key to all the hidden meanings of the present, future,

past.

23 And then, behold, the manna there, the hidden bread of life; and he

who eats shall never die.

24 The cherubim have guarded well for every soul this treasure box,

and whosoever will may enter in and find his own.

25 Now Kaspar heard the Hebrew master speak and he exclaimed, Behold,

the wisdom of the gods has come to men!

26 And Jesus went his way, and in the sacred groves of Cyrus, where

the multitudes were met, he taught and healed the sick.

CHAPTER 41.

_Jesus stands by a healing fountain. Reveals the fact that

faith is the potent factor in healing and many are healed by

faith. A little child teaches a great lesson of faith._

A flowing spring that people called the Healing Fount, was near

Persepolis.

2 And all the people thought that at a certain time of year their

deity came down and gave a virtue to the waters of the fount, and that

the sick who then would plunge into the fount and wash would be made

whole.

3 About the fount a multitude of people were in waiting for the Holy

One to come and potentize the waters of the fount.

4 The blind, the lame, the deaf, the dumb, and those obsessed were

there.

5 And Jesus, standing in the midst of them, exclaimed, Behold the

spring of life! These waters that will fail are honored as the special

blessing of your God.

6 From whence do healing virtues come? Why is your God so partial with

his gifts? Why does he bless this spring today, and then tomorrow take

his blessings all away?

7 A deity of power could fill these waters full of healing virtue

every day.

8 Hear me, you sick, disconsolate: The virtue of this fount is not a

special gift of God.

9 Faith is the healing power of every drop of all the waters of this

spring.

10 He who believes with all his heart that he will be made whole by

washing in this fount will be made whole when he has washed; and he

may wash at any time.

11 Let every one who has this faith in God and in himself plunge in

these waters now and wash.

12 And many of the people plunged into the crystal fount; and they

were healed.

13 And then there was a rush, for all the people were inspired with

faith, and each one strove to be among the first to wash, lest all the

virtue be absorbed.

14 And Jesus saw a little child, weak, faint and helpless, sitting all

alone beyond the surging crowd; and there was none to help her to the

fount.

15 And Jesus said, My little one, why do you sit and wait? Why not

arise and hasten to the fount and wash, and be made well?

16 The child replied, I need not haste; the blessings of my Father in

the sky are measured not in tiny cups; they never fail; their virtues

are the same forevermore.

17 When these whose faith is weak must haste to wash for fear their

faith will fail, have all been cured, these waters will be just as

powerful for me.

18 Then I can go and stay a long, long time within the blessed waters

of the spring.

19 And Jesus said, Behold a master soul! She came to earth to teach to

men the power of faith.

20 And then he lifted up the child and said, Why wait for anything?

The very air we breathe is filled with balm of life. Breathe in this

balm of life in faith and be made whole.

21 The child breathed in the balm of life in faith, and she was well.

22 The people marveled much at what they heard and saw; they said,

This man must surely be the god of health made flesh.

23 And Jesus said, The fount of life is not a little pool; it is as

wide as are the spaces of the heavens.

24 The waters of the fount are love; the potency is faith, and he who

plunges deep into the living springs, in living faith, may wash away

his guilt and be made whole, and freed from sin.

SECTION IX.

TETH.

_Life and Works of Jesus in Assyria._

CHAPTER 42.

_Jesus bids the magians farewell. Goes to Assyria. Teaches the

people in Ur of Chaldea. Meets Ashbina, with whom he visits

many towns and cities, teaching and healing the sick._

In Persia Jesus’ work was done and he resumed his journey towards his

native land.

2 The Persian sage went with him to the Euphrates; then with a pledge

that they would meet again in Egypt land the masters said, Farewell.

3 And Kaspar went his way unto his home beside the Caspian Sea; and

Jesus soon was in Chaldea, cradle land of Israel.

4 In Ur, where Abraham was born, he tarried for a time; and when he

told the people who he was, and why he came, they came from near and

far to speak to him.

5 He said to them, We all are kin. Two thousand years and more ago,

our Father Abraham lived here in Ur, and then he worshipped God the

One, and taught the people in these sacred groves.

6 And he was greatly blessed; becoming father of the mighty hosts of

Israel.

7 Although so many years have passed since Abraham and Sarah walked

these ways, a remnant of their kindred still abide in Ur.

8 And in their hearts the God of Abraham is still adored, and faith

and justice are the rocks on which they build.

9 Behold this land! It is no more the fruitful land that Abraham loved

so well; the rains come not as in the former times; the vine is not

productive now, and withered are the figs.

10 But this shall not forever be; the time will come when all your

deserts will rejoice; when flowers will bloom; when all your vines

will bend their heads with luscious fruit; your shepherds will again

be glad.

11 And Jesus preached to them the gospel of good will, and peace on

earth. He told them of the brotherhood of life, and of the inborn

powers of man, and of the kingdom of the soul.

12 And as he spoke, Ashbina, greatest sage of all Assyria, stood

before his face.

13 The people knew the sage, for he had often taught them in their

sacred halls and groves, and they rejoiced to see his face.

14 Ashbina said, My children of Chaldea, hear! Behold, for you are

greatly blest today, because a prophet of the living God has come to

you.

15 Take heed to what this master says, for he gives forth the words

that God has given him.

16 And Jesus and the sage went through the towns and cities of Chaldea

and of the lands between the Tigris and the Euphrates;

17 And Jesus healed a multitude of people who were sick.

CHAPTER 43.

_Jesus and Ashbina visit Babylon and remark its desolation. The

two masters remain in company seven days; then Jesus resumes

his homeward journey. Arrives in Nazareth. His mother gives a

feast in his honor. His brothers are displeased. Jesus tells

his mother and aunt the story of his journeys._

The ruined Babylon was near, and Jesus and the sage went through her

gates and walked among her fallen palaces.

2 They trod the streets where Israel once was held in base captivity.

3 They saw where Judah’s sons and daughters hung their harps upon the

willows, and refused to sing.

4 They saw where Daniel and the Hebrew children stood as living

witnesses of faith.

5 And Jesus lifted up his hands and said, Behold the grandeur of the

works of man!

6 The king of Babylon destroyed the temple of the Lord in old

Jerusalem; he burned the holy city, bound in chains my people and my

kin, and brought them here as slaves.

7 But retribution comes; for whatsoever men shall do to other men the

righteous Judge will do to them.

8 The sun of Babylon has gone down; the songs of pleasure will be

heard no more within her walls.

9 And every kind of creeping thing and unclean bird will, in these

ruins, find their homes.

10 And in the temple Belus, Jesus and Ashbina stood in silent thought.

11 Then Jesus spoke and said, Behold this monument of folly and of

shame.

12 Man tried to shake the very throne of God, and he assayed to build

a tower to reach to heaven, when, lo, his very speech was snatched

away, because in lofty words he boasted of his power.

13 And on these heights the heathen Baal stood--the god wrought out by

hands of man.

14 Upon yon altar, birds, and beasts, and men, yea children have been

burned in awful sacrifice to Baal.

15 But now the gory priests are dead; the very rocks have shuddered

and have fallen down; the place is desolate.

16 Now, in the plains of Shinar Jesus tarried yet for seven days, and,

with Ashbina, meditated long upon the needs of men, and how the sages

could best serve the coming age.

17 Then Jesus went his way, and after many days he crossed the Jordan

to his native land. At once he sought his home in Nazareth.

18 His mother’s heart was filled with joy; she made a feast for him,

inviting all her kindred and her friends.

19 But Jesus’ brothers were not pleased that such attention should be

paid to one they deemed a sheer adventurer, and they went not in to

the feast.

20 They laughed their brother’s claims to scorn; they called him

indolent, ambitious, vain; a worthless fortune hunter; searcher of the

world for fame, who, after many years returns to mother’s home with

neither gold, nor any other wealth.

21 And Jesus called aside his mother and her sister, Miriam, and told

them of his journey to the East.

22 He told them of the lessons he had learned, and of the works that

he had done. To others he told not the story of his life.

SECTION X.

JOD.

_Life and Works of Jesus in Greece._

CHAPTER 44.

_Jesus visits Greece and is welcomed by the Athenians. Meets

Apollo. Addresses the Grecian masters in the Amphitheater.

The address._

The Greek philosophy was full of pungent truth, and Jesus longed to

study with the masters in the schools of Greece.

2 And so he left his home in Nazareth and crossed the Carmel hills,

and at the port took ship, and soon was in the Grecian capital.

3 Now, the Athenians had heard of him as teacher and philosopher, and

they were glad to have him come to them that they might hear his words

of truth.

4 Among the masters of the Greeks was one, Apollo, who was called,

Defender of the Oracle, and recognized in many lands as Grecian sage.

5 Apollo opened up for Jesus all the doors of Grecian lore, and in the

Areopagus he heard the wisest masters speak.

6 But Jesus brought to them a wisdom greater far than theirs; and so

he taught.

7 Once in the Amphitheater he stood, and when Apollo bade him speak he

said,

8 Athenian masters, hear! In ages long ago, men, wise in nature’s

laws, sought out and found the place on which your city stands.

9 Full well you know that there are parts of earth where its great

beating heart throws heavenward etheric waves that meet the ethers

from above;

10 Where spirit-light and understanding, like the stars of night,

shine forth.

11 Of all the parts of earth there is no place more sensitized, more

truly spirit-blest, than that where Athens stands.

12 Yea, all of Greece is blest. No other land has been the homeland of

such mighty men of thought as grace your scrolls of fame.

13 A host of sturdy giants of philosophy, of poetry, of science, and

of art, were born upon the soil of Greece, and rocked to manhood in

your cradle of pure thought.

14 I come not here to speak of science, of philosophy, or art; of

these you are the world’s best masters now.

15 But all your high accomplishments are but stepping stones to worlds

beyond the realm of sense; are but illusive shadows flitting on the

walls of time.

16 But I would tell you of a life beyond, within; a real life that can

not pass away.

17 In science and philosophy there is no power strong enough to fit a

soul to recognize itself, or to commune with God.

18 I would not stay the flow of your great streams of thought; but I

would turn them to the channels of the soul.

19 Unaided by the Spirit-breath, the work of intellection tends to

solve the problems of the things we see, and nothing more.

20 The senses were ordained to bring into the mind mere pictures of

the things that pass away; they do not deal with real things; they do

not comprehend eternal law.

21 But man has something in his soul, a something that will tear the

veil apart that he may see the world of real things.

22 We call this something, spirit consciousness; it sleeps in every

soul, and cannot be awakened till the Holy Breath becomes a welcome

guest.

23 This Holy Breath knocks at the door of every soul, but cannot enter

in until the will of man throws wide the door.

24 There is no power in intellect to turn the key; philosophy and

science both have toiled to get a glimpse behind the veil; but they

have failed.

25 The secret spring that throws ajar the door of soul is touched by

nothing else than purity in life, by prayer and holy thought.

26 Return, O mystic stream of Grecian thought, and mingle your

clear waters with the flood of Spirit-life; and then the spirit

consciousness will sleep no more, and man will know, and God will

bless.

27 When Jesus had thus said he stepped aside. The Grecian masters were

astonished at the wisdom of his words; they answered not.

CHAPTER 45.

_Jesus teaches the Greek masters. Goes with Apollo to Delphi

and hears the Oracle speak. It testifies for him. He abides

with Apollo, and is recognized as the Living Oracle of God.

Explains to Apollo the phenomenon of oracular speech._

For many days the Grecian masters listened to the clear incisive words

that Jesus spoke, and while they could not fully comprehend the things

he said, they were delighted and accepted his philosophy.

2 One day as Jesus and Apollo walked beside the sea, a Delphic courier

came in haste and said, Apollo, master, come; the Oracle would speak

with you.

3 Apollo said to Jesus, Sir, if you would see the Delphic Oracle, and

hear it speak, you may accompany me. And Jesus did accompany him.

4 The masters went in haste; and when they came to Delphi, great

excitement reigned.

5 And when Apollo stood before the Oracle it spoke and said:

6 Apollo, sage of Greece, the bell strikes twelve; the midnight of the

ages now has come.

7 Within the womb of nature ages are conceived; they gestate and are

born in glory with the rising sun, and when the agic sun goes down the

age disintegrates and dies.

8 The Delphic age has been an age of glory and renown; the gods have

spoken to the sons of men through oracles of wood, and gold, and

precious stone.

9 The Delphic sun has set; the Oracle will go into decline; the time

is near when men will hear its voice no more.

10 The gods will speak to man by man. The Living Oracle now stands

within these sacred groves; the Logos from on high has come.

11 From henceforth will decrease my wisdom and my power; from

henceforth will increase the wisdom and the power of him, Immanuel.

12 Let all the masters stay; let every creature hear and honor him,

Immanuel.

13 And then the Oracle spoke not again for forty days, and priests and

people were amazed. They came from near and far to hear the Living

Oracle speak forth the wisdom of the gods.

14 And Jesus and the Grecian sage returned; and in Apollo’s home the

Living Oracle spoke forth for forty days.

15 One day Apollo said to Jesus as they sat alone, This sacred Delphic

Oracle has spoken many a helpful word for Greece.

16 Pray tell me what it is that speaks. Is it an angel, man, or living

god?

17 And Jesus said, It is not angel, man, nor god that speaks. It is

the matchless wisdom of the master minds of Greece, united in a master

mind.

18 This giant mind has taken to itself the substances of soul, and

thinks, and hears, and speaks.

19 It will remain a living soul while master minds feed it with

thought, with wisdom and with faith and hope.

20 But when the master minds of Greece shall perish from the land,

this giant master mind will cease to be, and then the Delphic Oracle

will speak no more.

CHAPTER 46.

_A storm on the sea. Jesus rescues many drowning men. The

Athenians pray to idols. Jesus rebukes their idolatry and

tells how God helps. His last meeting with the Greeks. Sails

on the vessel Mars._

It was a holy day and Jesus walked upon the Athens’ beach.

2 A storm was on and ships were being tossed about like toys upon the

bosom of the sea.

3 The sailors and the fishermen were going down to watery graves; the

shores were strewn with bodies of the dead.

4 And Jesus halted not, but with a mighty power he rescued many a

helpless one, oft bringing back to life the seeming dead.

5 Now, on these shores were altars sacred to the gods supposed to rule

the seas.

6 And men and women, heedless of the cries of drowning men, were

crowding all about these altars, calling on their gods for help.

7 At length the storm was done, and all the sea was calm, and men

could think again; and Jesus said,

8 You worshippers of wooden gods, how has the fury of this storm been

lessened by your frantic prayers?

9 Where is the strength of these poor, weather-beaten gods with

painted swords and crowns?

10 A god that could abide in such a little house could hardly hold a

frantic fly, and who could hope that he could hold at bay the Lords of

winds and waves?

11 The mighty powers of worlds unseen do not give forth their help

till men have done their best; they only help when man can do no more.

12 And you have agonized and prayed around these shrines, and let men

sink to death who might have been, by your assistance, saved.

13 The God that saves dwells in your souls, and manifests by making

use of your own feet, and legs, and arms, and hands.

14 Strength never comes through idleness; nor through a waiting for

another one to bear your loads, or do the work that you are called to

do.

15 But when you do your best to bear your loads, and do your work, you

offer unto God a sacrifice well-pleasing in his sight.

16 And then the Holy One breathes deep upon your glowing sacrificial

coals, and makes them blaze aloft to fill your souls with light, and

strength and helpfulness.

17 The most efficient prayer that men can offer to a god of any kind

is helpfulness to those in need of help; for what you do for other men

the Holy One will do for you.

18 And thus God helps.

19 His work in Greece was done, and Jesus must go on his way to Egypt

in the South. Apollo, with the highest masters of the land and many

people from the varied walks of life, stood on the shore to see the

Hebrew sage depart; and Jesus said,

20 The son of man has been in many lands; has stood in temples of a

multitude of foreign gods; has preached the gospel of good will and

peace on earth to many people, tribes and tongues;

21 Has been received with favor in a multitude of homes; but Greece

is, of them all, the royal host.

22 The breadth of Grecian thought; the depth of her philosophy; the

height of her unselfish aspirations have well fitted her to be the

champion of the cause of human liberty and right.

23 The fates of war have subjugated Greece, because she trusted in

the strength of flesh, and bone and intellect, forgetful of the

spirit-life that binds a nation to its source of power,

24 But Greece will not forever sit within the darkness of the

shadowland as vassal of a foreign king.

25 Lift up your heads, you men of Greece; the time will come when

Greece will breathe the ethers of the Holy Breath, and be a main

spring of the spirit power of earth.

26 But God must be your shield, your buckler, and your tower of

strength.

27 And then he said, Farewell. Apollo raised his hand in silent

benediction, and the people wept.

28 Upon the Cretan vessel, Mars, the Hebrew sage sailed from the

Grecian port.

SECTION XI.

CAPH.

_Life and Works of Jesus in Egypt._

CHAPTER 47.

_Jesus with Elihu and Salome in Egypt. Tells the story of his

journeys. Elihu and Salome praise God. Jesus goes to the

temple in Heliopolis and is received as a pupil._

And Jesus came to Egypt land, and all was well. He tarried not upon

the coast; he went at once to Zoan, home of Elihu and Salome, who five

and twenty years before had taught his mother in their sacred school.

2 And there was joy when met these three. When last the son of Mary

saw these sacred groves he was a babe;

3 And now a man grown strong by buffetings of every kind; a teacher

who had stirred the multitudes in many lands.

4 And Jesus told the aged teachers all about his life; about his

journeyings in foreign lands; about the meetings with the masters and

about his kind receptions by the multitudes.

5 Elihu and Salome heard his story with delight; they lifted up their

eyes to heaven and said,

6 Our Father-God, let now thy servants go in peace, for we have seen

the glory of the Lord;

7 And we have talked with him, the messenger of love, and of the

covenant of peace on earth, good will to men.

8 Through him shall all the nations of the earth be blest; through

him, Immanuel.

9 And Jesus staid in Zoan many days; and then went forth unto the city

of the sun, that men call Heliopolis, and sought admission to the

temple of the sacred brotherhood.

10 The council of the brotherhood convened, and Jesus stood before

the hierophant; he answered all the questions that were asked with

clearness and with power.

11 The hierophant exclaimed, Rabboni of the rabbinate, why come you

here? Your wisdom is the wisdom of the gods; why seek for wisdom in

the halls of men?

12 And Jesus said, In every way of earth-life I would walk; in every

hall of learning I would sit; the heights that any man has gained,

these I would gain;

13 What any man has suffered I would meet, that I may know the

griefs, the disappointments and the sore temptations of my brother

man; that I may know just how to succor those in need.

14 I pray you, brothers, let me go into your dismal crypts; and I

would pass the hardest of your tests.

15 The master said, Take then the vow of secret brotherhood. And Jesus

took the vow of secret brotherhood.

16 Again the master spoke; he said, The greatest heights are gained by

those who reach the greatest depths; and you shall reach the greatest

depths.

17 The guide then led the way and in the fountain Jesus bathed; and

when he had been clothed in proper garb he stood again before the

hierophant.

CHAPTER 48.

_Jesus receives from the hierophant his mystic name and number.

Passes the first brotherhood test, and receives his first

degree, SINCERITY._

The master took down from the wall a scroll on which was written down

the number and the name of every attribute and character. He said,

2 The circle is the symbol of the perfect man, and seven is the number

of the perfect man;

3 The Logos is the perfect word; that which creates; that which

destroys, and that which saves.

4 This Hebrew master is the Logos of the Holy One, the Circle of the

human race, the Seven of time.

5 And in the record book the scribe wrote down, The

Logos-Circle-Seven; and thus was Jesus known.

6 The master said, The Logos will give heed to what I say: No man can

enter into light till he has found himself. Go forth and search till

you have found your soul and then return.

7 The guide led Jesus to a room in which the light was faint and

mellow, like the light of early dawn.

8 The chamber walls were marked with mystic signs, with hieroglyphs

and sacred texts; and in this chamber Jesus found himself alone where

he remained for many days.

9 He read the sacred texts; thought out the meanings of the

hieroglyphs and sought the import of the master’s charge to find

himself.

10 A revelation came; he got acquainted with his soul; he found

himself; then he was not alone.

11 One night he slept and at the midnight hour, a door that he had not

observed, was opened, and a priest in somber garb came in and said,

12 My brother, pardon me for coming in at this unseemly hour; but I

have come to save your life.

13 You are the victim of a cruel plot. The priests of Heliopolis are

jealous of your fame, and they have said that you shall never leave

these gloomy crypts alive.

14 The higher priests do not go forth to teach the world, and you are

doomed to temple servitude.

15 Now, if you would be free, you must deceive these priests; must

tell them you are here to stay for life;

16 And then, when you have gained all that you wish to gain, I will

return, and by a secret way will lead you forth that you may go in

peace.

17 And Jesus said, My brother, man, would you come here to teach

deceit? Am I within these holy walls to learn the wiles of vile

hypocrisy?

18 Nay, man, my Father scorns deceit, and I am here to do his will.

19 Deceive these priests! Not while the sun shall shine. What I have

said, that I have said; I will be true to them, to God, and to myself.

20 And then the tempter left, and Jesus was again alone; but in a

little time a white-robed priest appeared and said,

21 Well done! the Logos has prevailed. This is the trial chamber

of hypocrisy. And then he led the way, and Jesus stood before the

judgment seat.

22 And all the brothers stood; the hierophant came forth and laid his

hand on Jesus’ head, and placed within his hands a scroll, on which

was written just one word, SINCERITY; and not a word was said.

23 The guide again appeared, and led the way, and in a spacious room

replete with everything a student craves was Jesus bade to rest and

wait.

CHAPTER 49.

_Jesus passes the second brotherhood test, and receives the

second degree, JUSTICE._

The Logos did not care to rest; he said, Why wait in this luxurious

room? I need not rest; my Father’s work upon me presses hard.

2 I would go on and learn my lessons all. If there are trials, let

them come, for every victory over self gives added strength.

3 And then the guide led on, and in a chamber, dark as night, was

Jesus placed and left alone; and days were spent in this deep solitude.

4 And Jesus slept, and in the dead of night a secret door was opened,

and, in priest’s attire, two men came in; each carried in his hand a

little flickering lamp.

5 Approaching Jesus, one spoke out and said, Young man, our hearts are

grieved because of what you suffer in these fearful dens, and we have

come as friends to bring you light, and show the way to liberty.

6 We once, like you, were in these dens confined, and thought that

through these weird, uncanny ways we could attain to blessedness and

power;

7 But in a luckful moment we were undeceived, and, making use of all

our strength, we broke our chains, and then we learned that all this

service is corruption in disguise. These priests are criminals just

hid away.

8 They boast in sacrificial rites; they offer to their gods, and burn

them while alive, poor birds, and beasts; yea, children, women, men.

9 And now they keep you here, and, at a certain time, may offer you in

sacrifice.

10 We pray you, brother, break your chains; come, go with us; accept

of freedom while you may.

11 And Jesus said, Your little tapers show the light you bring. Pray,

who are you? The words of man are worth no more than is the man

himself.

12 These temple walls are strong and high; how gained you entrance to

this place?

13 The men replied, Beneath these walls are many hidden ways, and we

who have been priests, spent months and years within these dens, know

all of them.

14 Then you are traitors, Jesus said. A traitor is a fiend; he who

betrays another man is never man to trust.

15 If one has only reached the plane of treachery, he is a lover of

deceit, and will betray a friend to serve his selfish self.

16 Behold, you men, or whatsoe’er you be, your words fall lightly on

my ears,

17 Could I prejudge these hundred priests, turn traitor to myself and

them, because of what you say when you confess your treachery?

18 No man can judge for me; and if I judge till testimony all is in I

might not judge aright.

19 Nay, men; by whatsoever way you came, return. My soul prefers the

darkness of the grave to little flickering lights like these you bring.

20 My conscience rules; what these, my brothers, have to say I’ll

hear, and when the testimony all is in I will decide. You cannot judge

for me, nor I for you,

21 Begone, you men, begone, and leave me to this charming light; for

while the sun shines not, within my soul there is a light surpassing

that of sun or moon.

22 Then, with an angry threat that they would do him harm, the wily

tempters left, and Jesus was again alone.

23 Again the white-robed priest appeared, and led the way, and Jesus

stood again before the hierophant;

24 And not a word was said, but in his hands the master placed a

scroll on which the word suggestive, JUSTICE, was inscribed.

25 And Jesus was the master of the phantom forms of prejudice and of

treachery.

CHAPTER 50.

_Jesus passes the third brotherhood test, and receives the

third degree, FAITH._

The Logos waited seven days, and then was taken to the Hall of Fame, a

chamber rich in furnishings, and lighted up with gold and silver lamps.

2 The colors of its ceilings, decorations, furnishings and walls were

blue and gold.

3 Its shelves were filled with books of master minds; the paintings

and the statues were the works of highest art.

4 And Jesus was entranced with all this elegance and these manifests

of thought. He read the sacred books, and sought the meanings of the

symbols and the hieroglyphs.

5 And when he was absorbed in deepest thought, a priest approached and

said,

6 Behold the glory of this place! my brother you are highly blest. Few

men of earth, so young, have reached such heights of fame.

7 Now, if you do not waste your life in search for hidden things that

men can never comprehend, you may be founder of a school of thought

that will insure you endless fame;

8 For your philosophy is deeper far than that of Plato, and your

teachings please the common people more than those of Socrates.

9 Why seek for mystic light within these antiquated dens? Go forth and

walk with men, and think with men, and they will honor you.

10 And, after all, these weird initiations may be myths, and your

Messiah hopes but base illusions of the hour.

11 I would advise you to renounce uncertain things and choose the

course that leads to certain fame.

12 And thus the priest, a demon in disguise, sung syren songs of

unbelief; and Jesus meditated long and well on what he said.

13 The conflict was a bitter one, for king Ambition is a sturdy foe to

fight.

14 For forty days the higher wrestled with the lower self, and then

the fight was won.

15 Faith rose triumphant; unbelief was not. Ambition covered up his

face and fled away, and Jesus said,

16 The wealth, the honor, and the fame of earth are but the baubles of

an hour.

17 When this short span of earthly life has all been measured out,

man’s bursting baubles will be buried with his bones.

18 Yea, what a man does for his selfish self will make no markings on

the credit side of life.

19 The good that men for other men shall do becomes a ladder strong on

which the soul may climb to wealth, and power and fame of God’s own

kind, that cannot pass away,

20 Give me the poverty of men, the consciousness of duty done in love,

the approbation of my God, and I will be content.

21 And then he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,

22 My Father-God, I thank thee for this hour. I ask not for the glory

of thyself; I fain would be a keeper of thy temple gates, and serve my

brother man.

23 Again was Jesus called to stand before the hierophant; again no

word was said, but in his hands the master placed a scroll on which

was written FAITH.

24 And Jesus bowed his head in humble thanks; then went his way.

CHAPTER 51.

_Jesus passes the fourth brotherhood test, and receives the

fourth degree, PHILANTHROPY._

When other certain days had passed, the guide led Jesus to the Hall of

Mirth, a hall most richly furnished, and replete with every thing a

carnal heart could wish.

2 The choicest viands and the most delicious wines were on the boards;

and maids, in gay attire, served all with grace and cheerfulness.

3 And men and women, richly clad, were there; and they were wild with

joy; they sipped from every cup of mirth.

4 And Jesus watched the happy throng in silence for a time, and then a

man in garb of sage came up and said, Most happy is the man who, like

the bee, can gather sweets from every flower.

5 The wise man is the one who seeks for pleasure, and can find it

everywhere,

6 At best man’s span of life on earth is short, and then he dies and

goes, he knows not where.

7 Then let us eat, and drink, and dance, and sing, and get the joys of

life, for death comes on apace.

8 It is but foolishness to spend a life for other men. Behold, all die

and lie together in the grave, where none can know and none can show

forth gratitude.

9 But Jesus answered not; upon the tinseled guests in all their rounds

of mirth he gazed in silent thought.

10 And then among the guests he saw a man whose clothes were coarse;

who showed in face and hands the lines of toil and want.

11 The giddy throng found pleasure in abusing him; they jostled him

against the wall, and laughed at his discomfiture.

12 And then a poor, frail woman came, who carried in her face and form

the marks of sin and shame; and without mercy she was spit upon, and

jeered, and driven from the hall.

13 And then a little child, with timid ways and hungry mien, came in

and asked for just a morsel of their food.

14 But she was driven out uncared for and unloved; and still the merry

dance went on.

15 And when the pleasure seekers urged that Jesus join them in their

mirth, he said,

16 How could I seek for pleasure for myself while others are in want?

How can you think that while the children cry for bread, while those

in haunts of sin call out for sympathy and love that I can fill myself

to full with the good things of life?

17 I tell you, nay; we all are kin, each one a part of the great human

heart.

18 I cannot see myself apart from that poor man that you so scorned,

and crowded to the wall;

19 Nor from the one in female garb who came up from the haunts of vice

to ask for sympathy and love, who was by you so ruthlessly pushed back

into her den of sin;

20 Nor from that little child that you drove from your midst to suffer

in the cold, bleak winds of night.

21 I tell you, men, what you have done to these, my kindred, you have

done to me.

22 You have insulted me in your own home; I cannot stay. I will go

forth and find that child, that woman and that man, and give them help

until my life’s blood all has ebbed away.

23 I call it pleasure when I help the helpless, feed the hungry,

clothe the naked, heal the sick, and speak good words of cheer to

those unloved, discouraged and depressed.

24 And this that you call mirth is but a phantom of the night; but

flashes of the fire of passion, painting pictures on the walls of time.

25 And while the Logos spoke the white-robed priest came in and said

to him, The council waits for you.

26 Then Jesus stood again before the bar; again no word was said;

the hierophant placed in his hands a scroll, on which was writ,

PHILANTHROPY.

27 And Jesus was a victor over selfish self.

CHAPTER 52.

_Jesus spends forty days in the temple groves. Passes the fifth

brotherhood test and receives the fifth degree, HEROISM._

The sacred temple groves were rich in statues, monuments and shrines;

here Jesus loved to walk and meditate.

2 And after he had conquered self he talked with nature in these

groves for forty days.

3 And then the guide took chains and bound him hand and foot; and then

cast him into a den of hungry beasts, of unclean birds, and creeping

things.

4 The den was dark as night; the wild beasts howled; the birds in fury

screamed; the reptiles hissed.

5 And Jesus said, Who was it that did bind me thus? Why did I meekly

sit to be bound down with chains?

6 I tell you, none has power to bind a human soul. Of what are fetters

made?

7 And in his might he rose, and what he thought were chains were only

worthless cords that parted at his touch.

8 And then he laughed and said, The chains that bind men to the

carcasses of earth are forged in fancy’s shop; are made of air, and

welded in illusion’s fires.

9 If man will stand erect, and use the power of will, his chains will

fall, like worthless rags; for will and faith are stronger than the

stoutest chains that men have ever made.

10 And Jesus stood erect among the hungry beasts, and birds, and said,

What is this darkness that envelops me?

11 ’Tis but the absence of the light. And what is light? ’Tis but the

breath of God vibrating in the rythm of rapid thought.

12 And then he said, Let there be light; and with a mighty will he

stirred the ethers up, and their vibrations reached the plane of

light; and there was light.

13 The darkness of that den of night became the brightness of a

newborn day.

14 And then he looked to see the beasts, and birds, and creeping

things; lo, they were not.

15 And Jesus said, Of what are souls afraid? Fear is the chariot in

which man rides to death;

16 And when he finds himself within the chamber of the dead, he learns

that he has been deceived; his chariot was a myth, and death a fancy

child.

17 But some day all man’s lessons will be learned, and from the den of

unclean, beasts and birds, and creeping things he will arise to walk

in light.

18 And Jesus saw a ladder made of gold, on which he climbed, and at

the top the white-robed priest awaited him.

19 Again he stood before the council bar; again no word was said;

again the hierophant reached forth his hand to bless.

20 He placed in Jesus’ hand another scroll, and on this one was

written, HEROISM.

21 The Logos had encountered fear and all his phantom host, and in the

conflict he achieved the victory.

CHAPTER 53.

_Jesus passes the sixth brotherhood test and receives the sixth

degree, LOVE DIVINE._

In all the land there was no place more grandly furnished than the

Beauty Parlors of the temple of the sun.

2 Few students ever entered these rich rooms; the priests regarded

them with awe, and called them Halls of Mysteries.

3 When Jesus had attained the victory over fear, he gained the right

to enter here.

4 The guide led on the way, and after passing many richly furnished

rooms they reached the Hall of Harmony; and here was Jesus left alone.

5 Among the instruments of music was a harpsichord, and Jesus sat in

thoughtful mood inspecting it, when, quietly, a maiden of entrancing

beauty came into the hall.

6 She did not seem to notice Jesus as he sat and mused, so busy with

his thoughts.

7 She found her place beside the harpsichord; she touched the chords

most gently, and she sung the songs of Israel.

8 And Jesus was entranced; such beauty he had never seen; such music

he had never heard.

9 The maiden sung her songs; she did not seem to know that any one was

near; she went her way

10 And Jesus, talking with himself, said out, What is the meaning of

this incident? I did not know that such entrancing beauty and such

queen-like loveliness were ever found among the sons of men.

11 I did not know that voice of angel ever graced a human form, or

that seraphic music ever came from human lips.

12 For days he sat entranced; the current of his thoughts was changed;

he thought of nothing but the singer and her songs.

13 He longed to see her once again; and after certain days she came;

she spoke and laid her hand upon his head.

14 Her touch thrilled all his soul, and for the time, forgotten was

the work that he was sent to do.

15 Few were the words the maiden said; she went her way; but then the

heart of Jesus had been touched.

16 A love-flame had been kindled in his soul, and he was brought to

face the sorest trial of his life.

17 He could not sleep nor eat. Thoughts of the maiden came; they would

not go. His carnal nature called aloud for her companionship.

18 And then he said, Lo, I have conquered every foe that I have met,

and shall I now be conquered by this carnal love?

19 My Father sent me here to show the power of love divine, that love

that reaches every living thing.

20 Shall this pure, universal love be all absorbed by carnal love?

Shall I forget all creatures else, and lose my life in this fair

maiden, though she is the highest type of beauty, purity and love?

21 Into its very depths his soul was stirred, and long he wrestled

with this angel-idol of his heart.

22 But when the day was almost lost, his higher ego rose in might; he

found himself again, and then he said,

23 Although my heart shall break I will not fail in this my hardest

task; I will be victor over carnal love.

24 And when again the maiden came, and offered him her hand and heart,

he said,

25 Fair one, your very presence thrills me with delight; your voice

is benediction to my soul; my human self would fly with you, and be

contented in your love;

26 But all the world is craving for a love that I have come to

manifest.

27 I must, then, bid you go; but we will meet again; our ways on earth

will not be cast apart.

28 I see you in the hurrying throngs of earth as minister of love; I

hear your voice in song, that wins the hearts of men to better things.

29 And then in sorrow and in tears the maiden went away, and Jesus was

again alone.

30 And instantly the great bells of the temple rang; the singers sung

a new, new song; the grotto blazed with light.

31 The hierophant himself appeared, and said, All hail! triumphant

Logos, hail! The conqueror of carnal love stands on the heights.

32 And then he placed in Jesus’ hands a scroll on which was written

LOVE DIVINE.

33 Together they passed from the grotto of the beautiful, and in the

banquet hall a feast was served, and Jesus was the honored guest.

CHAPTER 54.

_Jesus becomes a private pupil of the hierophant and is taught

the mysteries of Egypt. In passing the seventh test, he works

in the Chamber of the Dead._

The senior course of study now was opened up and Jesus entered and

became a pupil of the hierophant.

2 He learned the secrets of the mystic lore of Egypt land; the

mysteries of life and death and of the worlds beyond the circle of the

sun.

3 When he had finished all the studies of the senior course, he went

into the Chamber of the Dead, that he might learn the ancient methods

of preserving from decay the bodies of the dead; and here he wrought.

4 And carriers brought the body of a widow’s only son to be embalmed;

the weeping mother followed close; her grief was great.

5 And Jesus said, Good woman, dry your tears; you follow but an empty

house; your son is in it not.

6 You weep because your son is dead. Death is a cruel word; your son

can never die.

7 He had a task assigned to do in garb of flesh; he came; he did his

work, and then he laid the flesh aside; he did not need it more.

8 Beyond your human sight he has another work to do, and he will do it

well, and then pass on to other tasks, and, by and by, he will attain

the crown of perfect life.

9 And what your son has done, and what he yet must do, we all must do.

10 Now, if you harbor grief, and give your sorrows vent they will grow

greater every day. They will absorb your very life until at last you

will be naught but grief, wet down with bitter tears.

11 Instead of helping him you grieve your son by your deep grief. He

seeks your solace now as he has ever done; is glad when you are glad;

is saddened when you grieve.

12 Go bury deep your woes, and smile at grief, and lose yourself in

helping others dry their tears.

13 With duty done comes happiness and joy; and gladness cheers the

hearts of those who have passed on.

14 The weeping woman turned, and went her way to find a happiness in

helpfulness; to bury deep her sorrows in a ministry of joy.

15 Then other carriers came and brought the body of a mother to the

Chamber of the Dead; and just one mourner followed; she a girl of

tender years.

16 And as the cortege neared the door, the child observed a wounded

bird in sore distress; a cruel hunter’s dart had pierced its breast.

17 And she left following the dead, and went to help the living bird.

18 With tenderness and love she folded to her breast the wounded bird;

then hurried to her place.

19 And Jesus said to her, Why did you leave your dead to save a

wounded bird?

20 The maiden said, This lifeless body needs no help from me; but I

can help while yet life is; my mother taught me this.

21 My mother taught that grief and selfish love, and hopes and fears

are but reflexes from the lower self;

22 That what we sense are but small waves upon the rolling billows of

a life.

23 These all will pass away; they are unreal.

24 Tears flow from hearts of flesh; the spirit never weeps; and I am

longing for the day when I will walk in light, where tears are wiped

away.

25 My mother taught that all emotions are the sprays that rise from

human loves, and hopes, and fears; that perfect bliss cannot be ours

till we have conquered these.

26 And in the presence of that child did Jesus bow his head in

reverence. He said,

27 For days and months and years I’ve sought to learn this highest

truth that man can learn on earth, and here a child, fresh brought to

earth, has told it all in one short breath.

28 No wonder David said, O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name

in all the earth!

29 Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained

strength.

30 And then he laid his hand upon the maiden’s head, and said, I’m

sure the blessings of my Father-God will rest upon you, child,

forevermore.

CHAPTER 55.

_Jesus passes the seventh brotherhood test, and in the purple

room of the temple receives the seventh, the highest degree,

THE CHRIST. He leaves the temple a conqueror._

The work of Jesus in the Chamber of the Dead was done, and in the

temple purple room he stood before the hierophant.

2 And he was clothed in purple robes; and all the brothers stood. The

hierophant arose and said,

3 This is a royal day for all the hosts of Israel. In honor of their

chosen son we celebrate the great Passover Feast.

4 And then he said to Jesus, Brother, man, most excellent of men, in

all the temple tests you have won out.

5 Six times before the bar of right you have been judged; six times

you have received the highest honors man can give; and now you stand

prepared to take the last degree.

6 Upon your brow I place this diadem, and in the Great Lodge of the

heavens and earth you are THE CHRIST.

7 This is your great Passover rite. You are a neophyte no more; but

now a master mind.

8 Now, man can do no more; but God himself will speak, and will

confirm your title and degree.

9 Go on your way, for you must preach the gospel of good will to men

and peace on earth; must open up the prison doors and set the captives

free.

10 And while the hierophant yet spoke the temple bells rang out; a

pure white dove descended from above and sat on Jesus’ head.

11 And then a voice that shook the very temple said, THIS IS THE

CHRIST; and every living creature said, AMEN.

12 The great doors of the temple swung ajar; the Logos journeyed on

his way a conqueror.

SECTION XII.

LAMED.

_The Council of the Seven Sages of the World._

CHAPTER 56.

_The seven sages of the world meet in Alexandria. The purposes

of the meeting. The opening addresses._

In every age since time began have seven sages lived.

2 At first of every age these sages meet to note the course of

nations, peoples, tribes and tongues;

3 To note how far toward justice, love and righteousness the race has

gone;

4 To formulate the code of laws, religious postulates and plans of

rule best suited to the coming age.

5 An age had passed, and, lo, another age had come; the sages must

convene.

6 Now, Alexandria was the center of the world’s best thought, and here

in Philo’s home the sages met.

7 From China came Meng-ste; from India Vidyapati came; from Persia

Kaspar came; and from Assyria Ashbina came; from Greece Apollo came;

Matheno was the Egyptian sage, and Philo was the chief of Hebrew

thought.

8 The time was due; the council met and sat in silence seven days.

9 And then Meng-ste arose and said, The wheel of time has turned once

more; the race is on a higher plane of thought.

10 The garments that our fathers wove have given out; the cherubim

have woven a celestial cloth; have placed it in our hands and we must

make for men new garbs.

11 The sons of men are looking up for greater light. No longer do they

care for gods hewn out of wood, or made of clay. They seek a God not

made with hands.

12 They see the beams of coming day, and yet they comprehend them not.

13 The time is ripe, and we must fashion well these garments for the

race.

14 And let us make for men new garbs of justice, mercy, righteousness

and love, that they may hide their nakedness when shines the light of

coming day.

15 And Vidyapati said, Our priests have all gone mad; they saw a demon

in the wilds and at him cast their lamps and they are broken up, and

not a gleam of light has any priest for men.

16 The night is dark; the heart of India calls for light.

17 The priesthood cannot be reformed; it is already dead; its greatest

needs are graves and funeral chants.

18 The new age calls for liberty; the kind that makes each man a

priest, enables him to go alone, and lay his offerings on the shrine

of God.

19 And Kaspar said, In Persia people walk in fear; they do the good

for fear to do the wrong.

20 The devil is the greatest power in our land, and though a myth, he

dandles on his knee both youth and age.

21 Our land is dark, and evil prospers in the dark.

22 Fear rides on every passing breeze, and lurks in every form of life.

23 The fear of evil is a myth, is an illusion and a snare; but it

will live until some mighty power shall come to raise the ethers to

the plane of light.

24 When this shall come to pass the magian land will glory in the

light. The soul of Persia calls for light.

CHAPTER 57.

_Meeting of the sages, continued. Opening addresses. Jesus with

the sages. Seven days’ silence._

Ashbina said, Assyria is the land of doubt; the chariot of my people,

that in which they mostly ride, is labeled Doubt.

2 Once Faith walked forth in Babylon; and she was bright and fair; but

she was clothed in such white robes that men became afraid of her.

3 And every wheel began to turn, and Doubt made war on her, and drove

her from the land; and she came back no more.

4 In form men worship God, the One; in heart they are not sure that

God exists.

5 Faith worships at the shrine of one not seen; but Doubt must see her

God.

6 The greatest need of all Assyria is faith--a faith that seasons

every thing that is, with certainty.

7 And then Apollo said, The greatest needs of Greece are true concepts

of God.

8 Theogony in Greece is rudderless, for every thought may be a god,

and worshipped as a god.

9 The plane of thought is broad, and full of sharp antagonists; and

so the circle of the gods is filled with enmity, with wars and base

intrigues.

10 Greece needs a master mind to stand above the gods; to raise the

thoughts of men away from many gods to God the One.

11 We know that light is coming o’er the hills. God speed the light.

12 Matheno said, Behold this land of mystery! this Egypt of the dead!

13 Our temples long have been the tombs of all the hidden things of

time; our temples, crypts and caves are dark.

14 In light there are no secret things. The sun reveals all hidden

truth. There are no mysteries in God.

15 Behold the rising sun! His beams are entering every door; yea,

every crevice of the mystic crypts of Mizraim.

16 We hail the light! All Egypt craves the light.

17 And Philo said, The need of Hebrew thought and life is liberty.

18 The Hebrew prophets, seers, and givers of the law, were men of

power, men of holy thought, and they bequeathed to us a system of

philosophy that was ideal; one strong enough and good enough to lead

our people to the goal of perfectness.

19 But carnal minds repudiated holiness; a priesthood filled with

selfishness arose, and purity in heart became a myth; the people were

enslaved.

20 The priesthood is the curse of Israel; but when he comes, who is to

come, he will proclaim emancipation for the slaves; my people will be

free.

21 Behold, for God has made incarnate wisdom, love and light, which he

has called Immanuel.

22 To him is given the keys to open up the dawn; and here, as man, he

walks with us.

23 And then the council chamber door was opened and the Logos stood

among the sages of the world.

24 Again the sages sat in silence seven days.

CHAPTER 58.

_Meeting of the sages, continued. Presentation of the seven

universal postulates._

Now, when the sages were refreshed they opened up the Book of Life and

read.

2 They read the story of the life of man; of all his struggles,

losses, gains; and in the light of past events and needs, they saw

what would be best for him in coming years.

3 They knew the kind of laws and precepts suited best to his estate;

they saw the highest God-ideal that the race could comprehend.

4 Upon the seven postulates these sages were to formulate, the great

philosophy of life and worship of the coming age must rest.

5 Now Meng-ste was the oldest sage; he took the chair of chief, and

said,

6 Man is not far enough advanced to live by faith; he cannot

comprehend the things his eyes see not,

7 He yet is child, and during all the coming age he must be taught by

pictures, symbols, rites, and forms.

8 His God must be a human God; he cannot see a God by faith.

9 And then he cannot rule himself; the king must rule; the man must

serve.

10 The age that follows this will be the age of man, the age of faith.

11 In that blest age the human race will see without the aid of carnal

eyes; will hear the soundless sound; will know the Spirit-God.

12 The age we enter is the Preparation age, and all the schools, and

governments and worship rites must be designed in simple way that men

may comprehend.

13 And man cannot originate; he builds by patterns that he sees; so in

this council we must carve out pattern for the coming age.

14 And we must formulate the gnosis of the Empire of the soul, which

rests on seven postulates.

15 Each sage in turn shall form a postulate; and these shall be the

basis of the creeds of men until the perfect age shall come.

16 Then Meng-ste wrote the first:

17 All things are thought; all life is thought activity. The multitude

of beings are but phases of the one great thought made manifest. Lo,

God is Thought, and Thought is God.

18 Then Vidyapati wrote the second postulate:

19 Eternal Thought is one; in essence it is two--Intelligence and

Force; and when they breathe a child is born; this child is Love.

20 And thus the Triune God stands forth, whom men call

Father-Mother-Child.

21 This Triune God is one; but like the one of light, in essence he is

seven.

22 And when the Triune God breathes forth, lo, seven Spirits stand

before his face; these are creative attributes.

23 Men call them lesser gods, and in their image they made man.

24 And Kaspar wrote the third:

25 Man was a thought of God, formed in the image of the Septonate,

clothed in the substances of soul.

26 And his desires were strong; he sought to manifest on every plane

of life, and for himself he made a body of the ethers of the earthy

forms, and so descended to the plane of earth.

27 In this descent he lost his birthright; lost his harmony with God,

and made discordant all the notes of life.

28 Inharmony and evil are the same; so evil is the handiwork of man.

29 Ashbina wrote the fourth:

30 Seeds do not germinate in light; they do not grow until they find

the soil, and hide themselves away from light.

31 Man was evolved a seed of everlasting life; but in the ethers of

the Triune God the light was far too great for seeds to grow;

32 And so man sought the soil of carnal life, and in the darksomeness

of earth he found a place where he could germinate and grow.

33 The seed has taken root and grown full well.

34 The tree of human life is rising from the soil of earthy things,

and, under natural law, is reaching up to perfect form.

35 There are no supernatural acts of God to lift a man from carnal

life to spirit blessedness; he grows as grows the plant, and in due

time is perfected.

36 The quality of soul that makes it possible for man to rise to

spirit life is purity.

CHAPTER 59.

_Meeting of the sages, continued. The remaining postulates. The

sages bless Jesus. Seven days’ silence._

Apollo wrote the fifth:

2 The soul is drawn to perfect light by four white steeds, and these

are Will, and Faith, and Helpfulness and Love.

3 That which one wills to do, he has the power to do.

4 A knowledge of that power is faith; and when faith moves, the soul

begins its flight.

5 A selfish faith leads not to light. There is no lonely pilgrim on

the way to light. Men only gain the heights by helping others gain the

heights.

6 The steed that leads the way to spirit life is Love; is pure

unselfish Love.

7 Matheno wrote the sixth:

8 The universal Love of which Apollo speaks is child of Wisdom and of

Will divine, and God has sent it forth to earth in flesh that man may

know.

9 The universal Love of which the sages speak, is Christ.

10 The greatest mystery of all times lies in the way that Christ lives

in the heart.

11 Christ cannot live in clammy dens of carnal things. The seven

battles must be fought, the seven victories won before the carnal

things, like fear, and self, emotions and desire, are put away.

12 When this is done the Christ will take possession of the soul; the

work is done, and man and God are one.

13 And Philo wrote the seventh:

14 A perfect man! To bring before the Triune God a being such as this

was nature made.

15 This consummation is the highest revelation of the mystery of life.

16 When all the essences of carnal things have been transmuted into

soul, and all the essences of soul have been returned to Holy Breath,

and man is made a perfect God, the drama of Creation will conclude.

And this is all.

17 And all the sages said, Amen.

18 Then Meng-ste said, The Holy One has sent to us a man illumined by

the efforts of unnumbered years, to lead the thoughts of men.

19 This man, approved by all the master minds of heaven and earth,

this man from Galilee, this Jesus, chief of all the sages of the

world, we gladly recognize.

20 In recognition of this wisdom that he brings to men, we crown him

with the Lotus wreath.

21 We send him forth with all the blessing of the seven sages of the

world.

22 Then all the sages laid their hands on Jesus’ head, and said with

one accord, Praise God!

23 For wisdom, honor, glory, power, riches, blessing, strength, are

yours, O Christ, forever more.

24 And every living creature said, Amen.

25 And then the sages sat in silence seven days.

CHAPTER 60.

_Jesus addresses the seven sages. The address. Jesus goes to

Galilee._

The seven days of silence passed and Jesus, sitting with the sages

said:

2 The history of life is well condensed in these immortal postulates.

These are the seven hills on which the holy city shall be built.

3 These are the seven sure foundation stones on which the Universal

Church shall stand.

4 In taking up the work assigned for me to do I am full conscious of

the perils of the way; the cup will be a bitter one to drink and human

nature well might shrink.

5 But I have lost my will in that of Holy Breath, and so I go my way

to speak and act as I am moved to speak and act by Holy Breath.

6 The words I speak are not my own; they are the words of him whose

will I do.

7 Man is not far enough advanced in sacred thought to comprehend the

Universal Church, and so the work that God has given me to do is not

the building of that Church.

8 I am a model maker, sent to make a pattern of the Church that is to

be--a pattern that the age may comprehend.

9 My task as model builder lies within my native land, and there, upon

the postulate that Love is son of God, that I am come to manifest that

Love, the Model Church will stand.

10 And from the men of low estate I will select twelve men, who

represent the twelve immortal thoughts; and these will be the Model

Church.

11 The house of Judah, my own kindred in the flesh, will comprehend

but little of my mission to the world.

12 And they will spurn me, scorn my work, accuse me falsely, bind me,

take me to the judgment seat of carnal men who will convict and slay

me on the cross.

13 But men can never slay the truth; though banished it will come

again in greater power; for truth will subjugate the world.

14 The Model Church will live. Though carnal man will prostitute its

sacred laws, symbolic rites and forms, for selfish ends, and make it

but an outward show, the few will find through it the kingdom of the

soul.

15 And when the better age shall come the Universal Church will stand

upon the seven postulates, and will be built according to the pattern

given.

16 The time has come; I go my way unto Jerusalem, and by the power of

living faith, and by the strength that you have given,

17 And in the name of God, our Father-God, the kingdom of the soul

shall be established on the seven hills,

18 And all the peoples, tribes and tongues of earth shall enter in.

19 The Prince of Peace will take his seat upon the throne of power;

the Triune God will then be All in All.

20 And all the sages said, Amen.

21 And Jesus went his way, and after many days, he reached Jerusalem;

and then he sought his home in Galilee.

SECTION XIII.

MEM.

_The Ministry of John, the Harbinger._

CHAPTER 61.

_John, the harbinger, returns to Hebron. Lives as a hermit in

the wilds. Visits Jerusalem and speaks to the people._

It came to pass when John, the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, had

finished all his studies in the Egyptian schools that he returned to

Hebron, where he abode for certain days.

2 And then he sought the wilderness and made his home in David’s cave

where many years before, he was instructed by the Egyptian sage.

3 Some people called him Hermit of Engedi; and others said, He is the

Wild Man of the hills.

4 He clothed himself with skins of beasts; his food was carobs, honey,

nuts and fruits.

5 When John was thirty years of age he went into Jerusalem, and in the

market place he sat in silence seven days.

6 The common people and the priests, the scribes and Pharisees came

out in multitudes to see the silent hermit of the hills; but none were

bold enough to ask him who he was.

7 But when his silent fast was done he stood forth in the midst of all

and said,

8 Behold, the king has come; the prophets told of him; the wise men

long have looked for him.

9 Prepare, O Israel, prepare to meet your king.

10 And that was all he said, and then he disappeared, and no one knew

where he had gone.

11 And there was great unrest through all Jerusalem. The rulers heard

the story of the hermit of the hills,

12 And they sent couriers forth to talk with him that they might know

about the coming king; but they could find him not.

13 And after certain days he came again into the market place, and all

the city came to hear him speak; he said,

14 Be not disturbed, you rulers of the state; the coming king is no

antagonist; he seeks no place on any earthly throne.

15 He comes the Prince of Peace, the king of righteousness and love;

his kingdom is within the soul.

16 The eyes of men shall see it not and none can enter but the pure

in heart.

17 Prepare, O Israel, prepare to meet your king.

18 Again the hermit disappeared; the people strove to follow him, but

he had drawn a veil about his form and men could see him not.

19 A Jewish feast day came; Jerusalem was filled with Jews and

proselytes from every part of Palestine, and John stood in the temple

court and said,

20 Prepare, O Israel, prepare to meet your king.

21 Lo, you have lived in sin; the poor cry in your streets, and you

regard them not.

22 Your neighbors, who are they? You have defrauded friend and foe

alike.

23 You worship God with voice and lip; your hearts are far away, and

set on gold.

24 Your priests have bound upon the people burdens far too great to

bear; they live in ease upon the hard earned wages of the poor.

25 Your lawyers, doctors, scribes are useless cumberers of the ground;

they are but tumors on the body of the state;

26 They toil not neither do they spin, yet they consume the profits of

your marts of trade.

27 Your rulers are adulterers, extortioners and thieves, regarding not

the rights of any man;

28 And robbers ply their calling in the sacred halls; the holy temple

you have sold to thieves; their dens are in the sacred places set

apart for prayer.

29 Hear! hear! you people of Jerusalem! Reform; turn from your evil

ways or God will turn from you, and heathen from afar will come, and

what is left of all your honor and your fame will pass in one short

hour.

30 Prepare, Jerusalem, prepare to meet your king.

31 He said no more; he left the court and no one saw him go.

32 The priests, the doctors and the scribes were all in rage. They

sought for John intent to do him harm. They found him not.

33 The common people stood in his defense; they said, The hermit

speaks the truth.

34 And then the priests, the doctors and the scribes were sore afraid;

they said no more; they hid themselves away.

CHAPTER 62.

_John, the harbinger, again visits Jerusalem. Speaks to the

people. Promises to meet them at Gilgal in seven days. Goes

to Bethany and attends a feast._

Next day John went again into the temple courts and said,

2 Prepare, O Israel, prepare to meet your king.

3 The chief priests and the scribes would know the meaning of his

words; they said,

4 Bold man, what is the purport of this message that you bring to

Israel? If you be seer and prophet, tell us plainly who has sent you

here?

5 And John replied, I am the voice of one who cries out in the

wilderness, Prepare the way, make straight the paths, for, lo, the

Prince of Peace will come to rule in love.

6 Your prophet Malachi wrote down the words of God:

7 And I will send Elijah unto you before the retribution day shall

come, to turn again the hearts of men to God and if they will not

turn, lo, I will smite them with a curse.

8 You men of Israel; you know your sins. As I passed by I saw a

wounded bird prone in your streets, and men of every class were

beating it with clubs; and then I saw that Justice was its name.

9 I looked again and saw that its companion had been killed; the pure

white wings of Righteousness were trampled in the dust.

10 I tell you men, your awfulness of guilt has made a cesspool of

iniquity that sends a fearful stench to heaven.

11 Reform, O Israel, reform; prepare to meet your king.

12 And then John turned away and as he went he said,

13 In seven days, lo, I will stand at Gilgal, by the Jordan ford,

where Israel first crossed into the promised land.

14 And then he left the temple court to enter it no more; but many

people followed him as far as Bethany, and there he tarried at the

home of Lazarus, his kin.

15 The anxious people gathered all about the home and would not go;

then John came forth and said,

16 Reform, O Israel, reform; prepare to meet your king.

17 The sins of Israel do not all lie at the door of priest and scribe.

O think you not that all the sinners of Judea are found among the

rulers and the men of wealth.

18 It is no sign that man is good and pure because he lives in want.

19 The listless, shiftless vagabonds of earth are mostly poor and have

to beg for bread.

20 I saw the very men that cheered because I told the priests and

scribes of their injustice unto man, throw stones and beat poor

Justice in the streets.

21 I saw them trample on the poor dead bird of Righteousness;

22 And you who follow after me, you commoners, are not one whit behind

the scribes and priests in crime.

23 Reform, you men of Israel; the king has come; prepare to meet your

king.

24 With Lazarus and his sisters, John remained for certain days.

25 In honor of the Nazarite a feast was spread, and all the people

stood about the board.

26 And when the chief men of the town poured out the sparkling wine

and offered John a cup, he took it, held it high in air, and said,

27 Wine makes glad the carnal heart, and it makes sad the human soul;

it plunges deep in bitterness and gall the deathless spirit of the man.

28 I took the vow of Nazar when a child, and not a drop has ever

passed my lips.

29 And if you would make glad the coming king, then shun the cup as

you would shun a deadly thing.

30 And then he threw the sparkling wine out in the street.

CHAPTER 63.

_John, the harbinger, visits Jericho. Meets the people at

Gilgal. Announces his mission. Introduces the rite of

baptism. Baptizes many people. Returns to Bethany and

teaches. Returns to the Jordan._

And John went down to Jericho; there he abode with Alpheus.

2 And when the people heard that he was there they came in throngs to

hear him speak.

3 He spoke to none; but when the time was due he went down to the

Jordan ford, and to the multitudes he said,

4 Reform and in the fount of purity wash all your sins away; the

kingdom is at hand.

5 Come unto me and in the waters of this stream be washed, symbolic of

the inner cleansing of the soul.

6 And, lo, the multitudes came down and in the Jordan they were

washed, and every man confessed his sins.

7 For many months, in all the regions round about, John plead for

purity and righteousness; and after many days he went again to

Bethany; and there he taught.

8 At first few but the honest seekers came; but, by and by, the

selfish and the vicious came with no contrition; came because the many

came.

9 And when John saw the unrepentant Pharisees and Sadducees come unto

him, he said,

10 You children of the vipers, stay; are you disturbed by news of

coming wrath?

11 Go to, and do the things that prove repentance genuine.

12 Is it enough for you to say that you are heirs of Abraham? I tell

you, no.

13 The heirs of Abraham are just as wicked in the sight of God when

they do wrong as any heathen man.

14 Behold the ax! and every tree that bears not wholesome fruit is cut

down at the roots and cast into the fire.

15 And then the people asked, What must we do?

16 And John replied, Accept the ministry of helpfulness for all

mankind; spend not upon your selfish selves all that you have.

17 Let him who has two coats give one to him who has no coat; give

part of all the food you have to those in need.

18 And when the publicans came up and asked, What must we do? John

answered them,

19 Be honest in your work; do not increase for selfish gain the

tribute you collect; take nothing more than what your king demands.

20 And when the soldiers came and asked, What must we do? The

harbinger replied,

21 Do violence to none; exact no wrongful thing, and be contented with

the wages you receive.

22 Among the Jews were many who had been waiting for the Christ to

come, and they regarded John as Christ.

23 But to their questions John replied, In water I do cleanse,

symbolic of the cleansing of the soul; but when he comes who is to

come, lo, he will cleanse in Holy Breath and purify in fire.

24 His fan is in his hand, and he will separate the wheat and chaff;

will throw the chaff away, but garner every grain of wheat. This is

the Christ.

25 Behold he comes! and he will walk with you, and you will know him

not.

26 He is the king; the latchet of his shoes I am not worthy to unloose.

27 And John left Bethany and went again unto the Jordan ford.

CHAPTER 64.

_Jesus comes from Galilee, and is baptized by John. The Holy

Breath testifies of his messiahship._

The news reached Galilee, and Jesus with the multitude went down to

where the harbinger was preaching at the ford.

2 When Jesus saw the harbinger he said, Behold the man of God! Behold

the greatest of the seers! Behold, Elijah has returned!

3 Behold the messenger whom God has sent to open up the way! The

kingdom is at hand.

4 When John saw Jesus standing with the throng he said, Behold the

king who cometh in the name of God!

5 And Jesus said to John, I would be washed in water as a symbol of

the cleansing of the soul.

6 And John replied, You do not need to wash, for you are pure in

thought, and word, and deed. And if you need to wash I am not worthy

to perform the rite.

7 And Jesus said, I come to be a pattern for the sons of men, and what

I bid them do, that I must do; and all men must be washed, symbolic of

the cleansing of the soul.

8 This washing we establish as a rite--baptism rite we call it now,

and so it shall be called.

9 Your work, prophetic harbinger, is to prepare the way, and to reveal

the hidden things.

10 The multitudes are ready for the words of life, and I have come to

be made known by you to all the world, as prophet of the Triune God,

and as the chosen one to manifest the Christ to men.

11 Then John led Jesus down into the river at the ford and he baptized

him in the sacred name of him who sent him forth to manifest the

Christ to men.

12 And as they came out of the stream, the Holy Breath, in form of

dove, came down and sat on Jesus’ head.

13 A voice from heaven said, This is the well-beloved son of God, the

Christ, the love of God made manifest.

14 John heard the voice, and understood the message of the voice.

15 Now Jesus went his way, and John preached to the multitude.

16 As many as confessed their sins, and turned from evil ways to ways

of right, the harbinger baptized, symbolic of the blotting out of sins

by righteousness.

SECTION XIV.

NUN.

_The Christine Ministry of Jesus--Introductory Epoch._

CHAPTER 65.

_Jesus goes to the wilderness for self-examination, where he

remains forty days. Is subjected to three temptations. He

overcomes. Returns to the camps of John and begins teaching._

The harbinger had paved the way; the Logos had been introduced to men

as love made manifest, and he must now begin his Christine ministry.

2 And he went forth into the wilderness to be alone with God that he

might look into his inner heart, and note its strength and worthiness.

3 And with himself he talked; he said, My lower self is strong; by

many ties I am bound down to carnal life.

4 Have I the strength to overcome and give my life a willing sacrifice

for men?

5 When I shall stand before the face of men, and they demand a proof

of my messiahship, what will I say?

6 And then the tempter came and said, If you be son of God, command

these stones to turn to bread.

7 And Jesus said, Who is it that demands a test? It is no sign that

one is son of God because he does a miracle; the devils can do mighty

things.

8 Did not the black magicians do great things before the Pharaohs?

9 My words and deeds in all the walks of life shall be the proof of my

messiahship.

10 And then the tempter said, If you will go into Jerusalem, and from

the temple pinnacle cast down yourself to earth, the people will

believe that you are the Messiah sent from God.

11 This you can surely do; for did not David say, He gives his angels

charge concerning you, and with their hands will they uphold lest you

should fall?

12 And Jesus said, I may not tempt the Lord, my God.

13 And then the tempter said, Look forth upon the world; behold its

honors and its fame! Behold its pleasures and its wealth!

14 If you will give your life for these they shall be yours.

15 But Jesus said, Away from me all tempting thoughts. My heart is

fixed; I spurn this carnal self with all its vain ambition and its

pride.

16 For forty days did Jesus wrestle with his carnal self; his higher

self prevailed. He then was hungry, but his friends had found him and

they ministered to him.

17 Then Jesus left the wilderness, and in the consciousness of Holy

Breath, he came unto the camps of John and taught.

CHAPTER 66.

_Six of John’s disciples follow Jesus and become his disciples.

He teaches them. They sit in the Silence._

Among the followers of John were many men from Galilee. The most

devout were Andrew, Simon, James, and John, with Philip and his

brother of Bethsaida.

2 One day as Andrew, Philip and a son of Zebedee, were talking with

the harbinger, the Logos came, and John exclaimed, Behold the Christ!

3 And then the three disciples followed Jesus, and he asked, What do

you seek?

4 And the disciples asked, Where do you live? And Jesus answered, Come

and see.

5 And Andrew called his brother Simon, saying, Come with me, for I

have found the Christ.

6 When Jesus looked in Simon’s face he said, Behold a rock! and Peter

is your name.

7 And Philip found Nathaniel sitting by a tree, and said, My brother,

come with me, for I have found the Christ! In Nazareth he abides.

8 Nathaniel said, Can anything of good come out of Nazareth? And

Philip answered, Come and see.

9 When Jesus saw Nathaniel come he said, Behold an Israelite indeed in

whom there is no guile!

10 Nathaniel said, How can you speak about me thus?

11 And Jesus said, I saw you as you sat beneath the fig tree over

there, before your brother called.

12 Nathaniel lifted up his hands and said, This surely is the Christ,

the king, for whom the harbinger has often testified.

13 And John went forth and found his brother James, and brought him to

the Christ.

14 The six disciples went with Jesus to the place where he abode.

15 And Peter said, We long have sought for Christ. We came from

Galilee to John; we thought that he was Christ, but he confessed to us

that he was not;

16 That he was but the harbinger sent forth to clear the way, and

make the pathway easy for the coming king; and when you came he said,

Behold the Christ!

17 And we would gladly follow where you go. Lord, tell us what to do.

18 And Jesus said, The foxes of the earth have homes, the birds have

nests; I have no place to lay my head.

19 He who would follow me must give up all the cravings of the self

and lose his life in saving life.

20 I come to save the lost, and man is saved when he is rescued from

himself. But men are slow to comprehend this doctrine of the Christ.

21 And Peter said, I cannot speak for any other man, but for myself I

speak: I will leave all and follow where you lead.

22 And then the others spoke and said, You have the words of truth;

you came from God, and if we follow in your footsteps we cannot miss

the way.

23 Then Jesus and the six disciples sat a long, long time in silent

thought.

CHAPTER 67.

_Jesus visits John at the Jordan. Delivers his first Christine

address to the people. The address. He goes with his

disciples to Bethany._

Now, on the morrow Jesus came again and stood with John beside the

ford; and John prevailed on him to speak, and standing forth he said,

2 You men of Israel, hear! The kingdom is at hand.

3 Behold the great key-keeper of the age stands in your midst; and

with the spirit of Elijah he has come.

4 Behold, for he has turned the key; the mighty gates fly wide and all

who will may greet the king.

5 Behold these multitudes of women, children, men! they throng the

avenues, they crowd the outer courts; each seems to be intent to be

the first to meet the king.

6 Behold, the censor comes and calls, Whoever will may come; but he

who comes must will to prune himself of every evil thought;

7 Must overcome desire to gratify the lower self; must give his life

to save the lost.

8 The nearer to the kingdom gate you come, more spacious is the room;

the multitudes have gone.

9 If men could come unto the kingdom with their carnal thoughts, their

passions and desires, there scarcely would be room for all.

10 But when they cannot take these through the narrow gate they turn

away; the few are ready to go in and see the king.

11 Behold, John is a mighty fisher, fishing for the souls of men. He

throws his great net out into the sea of human life; he draws it in

and it is full.

12 But what a medley catch! a catch of crabs, and lobsters, sharks and

creeping things, with now and then a fish of better kind.

13 Behold, the thousands come to hear the Wild Man of the hills; they

come in crowds that he may wash them in the crystal flood, and with

their lips they do confess their sins.

14 But when the morrow comes we find them in their haunts of vice

again, reviling John, and cursing God, and heaping insults on the king.

15 But blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see the king.

16 And blessed are the strong in heart, for they shall not be cast

about by every wind that blows;

17 But while the fickle and the thoughtless have gone back to Egypt

land for leeks and carnal herbs to satisfy their appetites, the pure

in heart have found the king.

18 But even those whose faith is weak, and who are naught but carnal

manifests, will some day come again, and enter in with joy to see the

king.

19 O men of Israel, take heed to what this prophet has to say! Be

strong in mind; be pure in heart; be vigilant in helpfulness; the

kingdom is at hand.

20 When Jesus had thus said he went his way, and with his six

disciples came to Bethany; and they abode with Lazarus many days.

CHAPTER 68.

_Jesus speaks to the people in Bethany. Tells them how to

become pure in heart. Goes to Jerusalem and in the temple

reads from a prophetic book. Goes to Nazareth._

The news soon spread abroad that Jesus, king of Israel, had come to

Bethany, and all the people of the town came forth to greet the king.

2 And Jesus, standing in the midst of them exclaimed, Behold, indeed,

the king has come, but Jesus is not king.

3 The kingdom truly is at hand; but men can see it not with carnal

eyes; they cannot see the king upon the throne.

4 This is the kingdom of the soul; its throne is not an earthly

throne; its king is not a man.

5 When human kings found kingdoms here, they conquer other kings by

force of arms; one kingdom rises on the ruins of another one.

6 But when our Father-God sets up the kingdom of the soul, he pours

his blessings forth, like rain, upon the thrones of earthly kings who

rule in righteousness.

7 It is not rule that God would overthrow; his sword is raised against

injustice, wantonness and crime.

8 Now, while the kings of Rome do justice, and love mercy and walk

humbly with their God, the benediction of the Triune God will rest

upon them all.

9 They need not fear a messenger whom God sends forth to earth.

10 I am not sent to sit upon a throne to rule as Cæsar rules; and you

may tell the ruler of the Jews that I am not a claimant for his throne.

11 Men call me Christ, and God has recognized the name; but Christ is

not a man. The Christ is universal love, and Love is king.

12 This Jesus is but man who has been fitted by temptations overcome,

by trials multiform, to be the temple through which Christ can

manifest to men.

13 Then hear, you men of Israel, hear! Look not upon the flesh; it is

not king. Look to the Christ within, who shall be formed in every one

of you, as he is formed in me.

14 When you have purified your hearts by faith, the king will enter

in, and you will see his face.

15 And then the people asked, What must we do that we may make our

bodies fit abiding places for the king?

16 And Jesus said, Whatever tends to purity in thought, and word, and

deed will cleanse the temple of the flesh.

17 There are no rules that can apply to all, for men are specialists

in sin; each has his own besetting sin,

18 And each must study for himself how he can best transmute his

tendency to evil things to that of righteousness and love.

19 Until men reach the higher plane, and get away from selfishness,

this rule will give the best results:

20 Do unto other men what you would have them do to you.

21 And many of the people said, We know that Jesus is the Christ, the

king who was to come, and blessed be his name.

22 Now, Jesus and his six disciples turned their faces toward

Jerusalem, and many people followed them.

23 But Mathew, son of Alpheus, ran on before, and when he reached

Jerusalem, he said, Behold the Christines come! The multitudes came

forth to see the king.

24 But Jesus did not speak to any one until he reached the temple

court, and then he opened up a book and read:

25 Behold, I send my messenger, and he will pave the way, and Christ,

for whom you wait, will come unto his temple unannounced. Behold, for

he will come, says God, the Lord of hosts.

26 And then he closed the book; he said no more; he left the temple

halls, and with his six disciples, went his way to Nazareth,

27 And they abode with Mary, Jesus’ mother, and her sister, Miriam.

CHAPTER 69.

_Jesus and the ruler of the synagogue of Nazareth. Jesus

teaches not in public, and the people are amazed._

Next day as Peter walked about in Nazareth, he met the ruler of the

synagogue who asked, Who is this Jesus lately come to Nazareth?

2 And Peter said, This Jesus is the Christ of whom our prophets wrote;

he is the king of Israel. His mother, Mary, lives on Marmion Way.

3 The ruler said, Tell him to come up to the synagogue, for I would

hear his plea.

4 And Peter ran and told to Jesus what the ruler said; but Jesus

answered not; he went not to the synagogue.

5 Then in the evening time the ruler came up Marmion Way, and in the

home of Mary found he Jesus and his mother all alone.

6 And when the ruler asked for proof of his messiahship, and why he

went not to the synagogue when he was bidden, Jesus said,

7 I am not slave to any man; I am not called unto this ministry by

priest. It is not mine to answer when men call. I come the Christ of

God; I answer unto God alone.

8 Who gave you right to ask for proof of my messiahship? My proof lies

in my words and works, and so if you will follow me you will not lack

for proof.

9 And then the ruler went his way; he asked himself, What manner of a

man is this to disregard the ruler of the synagogue?

10 The people of the town came out in throngs to see the Christ, and

hear him speak; but Jesus said,

11 A prophet has no honor in his native town, among his kin.

12 I will not speak in Nazareth until the words I speak, and works I

do in other towns have won the faith of men,

13 Until men know that God has christed me to manifest eternal love.

14 Good will to you, my kin; I bless you with a boundless love, and I

bespeak for you abundant joy and happiness.

15 He said no more, and all the people marveled much because he would

not speak in Nazareth.

CHAPTER 70.

_Jesus and his disciples at a marriage feast in Cana. Jesus

speaks on marriage. He turns water into wine. The people are

amazed._

In Cana, Galilee, there was a marriage feast, and Mary and her sister

Miriam, and Jesus and his six disciples were among the guests.

2 The ruler of the feast had heard that Jesus was a master sent from

God, and he requested him to speak.

3 And Jesus said, There is no tie more sacred than the marriage tie.

4 The chain that binds two souls in love is made in heaven, and man

can never sever it in twain,

5 The lower passions of the twain may cause a union of the twain, a

union as when oil and water meet.

6 And then a priest may forge a chain, and bind the twain. This is not

marriage genuine; it is a counterfeit.

7 The twain are guilty of adultery; the priest is party to the crime.

And that was all that Jesus said.

8 As Jesus stood apart in silent thought his mother came and said to

him, The wine has failed; what shall we do?

9 And Jesus said, Pray what is wine? It is but water with the

flavoring of grapes.

10 And what are grapes? They are but certain kinds of thought made

manifest, and I can manifest that thought, and water will be wine.

11 He called the servants, and he said to them, Bring in six water

pots of stone, a pot for each of these, my followers, and fill them up

with water to the brims,

12 The servants brought the water pots, and filled them to their brims.

13 And Jesus with a mighty thought stirred up the ethers till they

reached the manifest, and, lo, the water blushed, and turned to wine.

14 The servants took the wine and gave it to the ruler of the feast

who called the bridegroom in and said to him,

15 This wine is best of all; most people when they give a feast bring

in the best wine at the first; but, lo, you have reserved the best

until the last.

16 And when the ruler and the guests were told that Jesus, by the

power of thought, had turned the water into wine, they were amazed;

17 They said, This man is more than man; he surely is the christed one

who prophets of the olden times declared would come.

18 And many of the guests believed on him, and gladly would have

followed him.

CHAPTER 71.

_Jesus, his six disciples and his mother, go to Capernaum.

Jesus teaches the people, revealing the difference between

the kings of earth and the kings of heaven._

The city of Capernaum was by the sea of Galilee, and Peter’s home was

there. The homes of Andrew, John and James were near,

2 These men were fishermen, and must return to tend their nets, and

they prevailed on Jesus and his mother to accompany them, and soon

with Philip and Nathaniel they were resting by the sea in Peter’s home.

3 The news spread through the city and along the shore that Judah’s

king had come, and multitudes drew near to press his hand.

4 And Jesus said, I cannot show the king, unless you see with eyes of

soul, because the kingdom of the king is in the soul.

5 And every soul a kingdom is. There is a king for every man.

6 This king is love, and when this love becomes the greatest power in

life, it is the Christ; so Christ is king.

7 And every one may have this Christ dwell in his soul, as Christ

dwells in my soul.

8 The body is the temple of the king, and men may call a holy man a

king.

9 He who will cleanse his mortal form and make it pure, so pure that

love and righteousness may dwell unsullied side by side within its

walls, is king.

10 The kings of earth are clothed in royal robes, and sit in state

that men may stand in awe of them.

11 A king of heaven may wear a fisher’s garb; may sit in mart of

trade; may till the soil, or be a gleaner in the field; may be a slave

in mortal chains;

12 May be adjudged a criminal by men; may languish in a prison cell;

may die upon a cross.

13 Men seldom see what others truly are. The human senses sense what

seems to be, and that which seems to be and that which is, may be

diverse in every way.

14 The carnal man beholds the outer man, which is the temple of the

king, and worships at his shrine.

15 The man of God is pure in heart; he sees the king; he sees with

eyes of soul;

16 And when he rises to the plane of Christine consciousness, he knows

that he himself is king, is love, is Christ, and so is son of God.

17 You men of Galilee, prepare to meet your king.

18 And Jesus taught the people many lessons as he walked with them

beside the sea.

SECTION XV.

SAMECH.

_The First Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of Jesus._

CHAPTER 72.

_Jesus in Jerusalem. Drives the merchants out of the temple.

The priests resent, and he defends himself from the

standpoint of a loyal Jew. He speaks to the people._

The Jewish paschal feast time came and Jesus left his mother in

Capernaum and journeyed to Jerusalem.

2 And he abode with one a Sadducee, whose name was Jude.

3 And when he reached the temple courts the multitudes were there to

see the prophet whom the people thought had come to break the yoke of

Rome, restore the kingdom of the Jews, and rule on David’s throne.

4 And when the people saw him come they said, All hail! behold the

king!

5 But Jesus answered not; he saw the money changers in the house of

God, and he was grieved.

6 The courts had been converted into marts of trade, and men were

selling lambs and doves for offerings in sacrifice.

7 And Jesus called the priests and said, Behold, for paltry gain you

have sold out the temple of the Lord.

8 This house ordained for prayer is now a den of thieves. Can good and

evil dwell together in the courts of God? I tell you, no.

9 And then he made a scourge of cords and drove the merchants out; he

overturned their boards, and threw their money on the floor.

10 He opened up the cages of the captive birds, and cut the cords that

bound the lambs, and set them free.

11 The priests and scribes rushed out, and would have done him harm,

but they were driven back; the common people stood in his defense.

12 And then the rulers said, Who is this Jesus you call king?

13 The people said, He is the Christ of whom our prophets wrote; he is

the king who will deliver Israel.

14 The rulers said to Jesus, Man, if you be king, or Christ, then show

us signs. Who gave you right to drive these merchants out?

15 And Jesus said, There is no loyal Jew who would not give his life

to save this temple from disgrace; in this I acted simply as a loyal

Jew, and you yourselves will bear me witness to this truth.

16 The signs of my messiahship will follow me in words and deeds.

17 And you may tear the temple down (and you will tear it down) and in

three days it will be built again more glorious than before.

18 Now Jesus meant that they might take his life; tear down his body,

temple of the Holy Breath, and he would rise again.

19 The Jews knew not the meaning of his words; they laughed his claims

to scorn. They said,

20 A multitude of men were forty and six years in building up this

house, and this young stranger claims that he will build it up in

three score hours; his words are idle, and his claims are naught.

21 And then they took the scourge with which he drove the merchants

out, and would have driven him away; but Philo, who had come from

Egypt to attend the feast, stood forth and said,

22 You men of Israel, hear! This man is more than man; take heed to

what you do. I have, myself, heard Jesus speak, and all the winds were

still.

23 And I have seen him touch the sick, and they were healed. He stands

a sage above the sages of the world;

24 And you will see his star arise, and it will grow until it is the

full-orbed Sun of Righteousness.

25 Do not be hasty, men; just wait and you will have the proofs of his

messiahship.

26 And then the priests laid down the scourge, and Jesus said,

27 Prepare, O Israel, prepare to meet your king! But you can never see

the king while you press sin as such a precious idol to your hearts.

28 The king is God; the pure in heart alone can see the face of God

and live.

29 And then the priests cried out, This fellow claims to be the God.

Is not this sacrilege! away with him!

30 But Jesus said, No man has ever heard me say, I am a king. Our

Father-God is king. With every loyal Jew I worship God.

31 I am the candle of the Lord aflame to light the way; and while you

have the light walk in the light.

CHAPTER 73.

_Jesus again visits the temple, and is favorably received by

the people. Tells the parable of a king and his sons. Defines

messiahship._

Next day the multitudes were surging through the temple courts, intent

on hearing Jesus speak.

2 And when he came the people said, All hail! behold the king!

3 And Jesus spoke a parable; he said, A king had vast domains; his

people all were kin, and lived in peace.

4 Now, after many years the king said to his people, Take these lands

and all I have; enhance their values; rule yourselves, and live in

peace.

5 And then the people formed their states; selected governors and

petty kings.

6 But pride, ambition, selfish greed, and base ingratitude grew fast,

and kings began to war.

7 They wrote in all their statute books that might is right; and then

the strong destroyed the weak, and chaos reigned through all the vast

domain.

8 A long time passed, and then the king looked out on his domain.

He saw his people in their cruel wars; he saw them sick and sore

distressed; he saw the strong enslave the weak,

9 And then he said, What shall I do? Shall I send forth a scourge?

shall I destroy my people all?

10 And then his heart was stirred with pity and he said, I will not

send a scourge; I will send forth my only son, heir to the throne, to

teach the people love, and peace, and righteousness.

11 He sent his son; the people scorned him and maltreated him, and

nailed him to a cross.

12 He was entombed; but death was far too weak to hold the prince, and

he arose.

13 He took a form man could not kill; and then he went again to teach

the people love, and peace and righteousness.

14 And thus God deals with men.

15 A lawyer came and asked, What does messiah mean? and who has right

to make messiah of a man?

16 And Jesus said, Messiah is one sent from God to seek and save the

lost. Messiahs are not made by men.

17 In first of every age Messiah comes to light the way; to heal up

broken hearts; to set the prisoners free. Messiah and the Christ are

one.

18 Because a man claims to be Christ is not a sign that he is Christ.

19 A man may cause the streams to flow from flinty rocks; may bring

on storms at will; may stay tempestuous winds; may heal the sick and

raise the dead, and not be sent from God.

20 All nature is subservient to the will of man, and evil men, as well

as good, have all the powers of mind, and may control the elements.

21 The head gives not the proof of true messiahship, for man by means

of intellect, can never know of God, nor bring himself to walk in

light.

22 Messiah lives not in the head, but in the heart, the seat of mercy

and of love.

23 Messiah never works for selfish gains; he stands above the carnal

self; his words and deeds are for the universal good.

24 Messiah never tries to be a king, to wear a crown and sit upon an

earthly throne.

25 The king is earthy, of the earth; Messiah is the man from heaven.

26 And then the lawyer asked, Why do you pose as king?

27 And Jesus said, No man has ever heard me say that I am king. I

could not sit in Cæsar’s place and be the Christ.

28 Give unto Cæsar what belongs to him; give unto God the treasures of

your heart.

CHAPTER 74.

_Jesus heals on the Sabbath, and is censured by the Pharisees.

Restores a drowned child. Rescues a wounded dog. Cares for a

homeless child. Speaks on the law of kindness._

It was the Sabbath day, and Jesus stood among the surging masses of

the people in the temple courts and sacred halls.

2 The blind, the deaf, the dumb, and those obsessed were there, and

Jesus spoke the Word, and they were healed.

3 On some he laid his hands, and they were healed; to others he just

spoke the Word, and they were full restored to health; but others had

to go and wash in certain pools; and others he anointed with a holy

oil.

4 A doctor asked him why he healed in divers ways, and he replied,

5 Disease is discord in the human form, and discords are produced in

many ways.

6 The body is a harpsichord; sometimes the strings are too relaxed,

and then inharmony results.

7 Sometimes we find the strings too tense, and then another form of

discord is induced.

8 Disease is many-formed, and there are many ways to cure, to tune

anew the mystic harpsichord.

9 Now when the Pharisees were told that Jesus healed the people on

the Sabbath day they were enraged, and they commanded him to quit the

place.

10 But Jesus said, Was man designed to fit the Sabbath day, or was

the Sabbath day designed to fit the man?

11 If you had fallen in a pit and, lo, the Sabbath day had come, and I

should pass your way, would you cry out,

12 Let me alone; it is a sin to help me on the Sabbath day; I’ll

swelter in this filth until another day?

13 You Pharisees, you hypocrites! you know you would be glad to have

my help upon the Sabbath day, or any other day.

14 These people all have fallen into pits, and they are calling loud

for me to help them out, and man and God would curse me should I pass

along and heed them not.

15 And then the Pharisees returned to say their prayers, and curse the

man of God because he heeded not their words.

16 Now, in the evening Jesus stood beside a pool; a playful child had

fallen in, and it was drowned, and friends were bearing it away.

17 But Jesus called the carriers to stop; and then he stretched

himself upon the lifeless form, and breathed into its mouth the breath

of life.

18 And then he called aloud unto the soul that had gone out, and it

returned; the child revived and lived.

19 And Jesus saw a wounded dog; it could not move; it lay beside the

way and groaned with pain. He took it in his arms and bore it to the

home where he abode.

20 He poured the healing oil into the wounds; he cared for it as

though it were a child till it was strong and well.

21 And Jesus saw a little boy who had no home, and he was hungry; when

he called for bread the people turned away.

22 And Jesus took the child and gave him bread; he wrapped him in his

own warm coat, and found for him a home.

23 To those who followed him the master said, If man would gain again

his lost estate he must respect the brotherhood of life.

24 Whoever is not kind to every form of life--to man, to beast, to

bird, and creeping thing--cannot expect the blessings of the Holy One;

for as we give, so God will give to us.

CHAPTER 75.

_Nicodemus visits Jesus in the night. Jesus reveals to him the

meaning of the new birth and the kingdom of heaven._

Nicodemus was a ruler of the Jews, and he was earnest, learned and

devout.

2 He saw the master’s signet in the face of Jesus as he talked, but

was not brave enough to publicly confess his faith in him;

3 So in the night he went to talk with Jesus at the home of Jude.

4 When Jesus saw him come he said, Full blessed are the pure in heart;

5 Twice blessed are the fearless, pure in heart;

6 Thrice blessed are the fearless, pure in heart who dare to make

confession of their faith before the highest courts.

7 And Nicodemus said, Hail, master, hail! I know you are a teacher

come from God, for man alone could never teach as you have taught;

could never do the works that you have done.

8 And Jesus said, Except a man be born again he cannot see the king;

he cannot comprehend the words I speak.

9 And Nicodemus said, How can a man be born again? Can he go back into

the womb and come again to life?

10 And Jesus said, The birth of which I speak is not the birth of

flesh.

11 Except a man be born of water and the Holy Breath, he cannot come

into the kingdom of the Holy One.

12 That which is born of flesh is child of man; that which is born of

Holy Breath is child of God.

13 The winds blow where they please; men hear their voices, and may

note results; but they know not from whence they come, nor where they

go; and so is every one that is born of Holy Breath.

14 The ruler said, I do not understand; pray tell me plainly what you

mean.

15 And Jesus said, The kingdom of the Holy One is in the soul; men

cannot see it with their carnal eyes; with all their reasoning powers

they comprehend it not.

16 It is a life deep hid in God; its recognition is the work of inner

consciousness.

17 The kingdoms of the world are kingdoms of the sight; the kingdom of

the Holy One is that of faith; its king is love.

18 Men cannot see the love of God unmanifest, and so our Father-God

has clothed this love with flesh--flesh of a son of man.

19 And that the world may see and know this love made manifest, the

son of man must needs be lifted up.

20 As Moses in the wilderness raised up the serpent for the healing of

the flesh, the son of man must be raised up.

21 That all men bitten by the serpent of the dust, the serpent of this

carnal life, may live.

22 He who believes in him shall have eternal life.

23 For God so loved the world that he sent forth his only son to be

raised up that men may see the love of God.

24 God did not send his son to judge the world; he sent him forth to

save the world; to bring men to the light.

25 But men love not the light, for light reveals their wickedness; men

love the dark.

26 Now, every one who loves the truth comes to the light; he does not

fear to have his works made manifest.

27 The light had come, and Nicodemus went his way; he knew the meaning

of the birth of Holy Breath; he felt the presence of the Spirit in his

soul.

28 And Jesus tarried in Jerusalem for many days and taught and healed

the sick.

29 The common people gladly listened to his words, and many left their

all of carnal things and followed him.

CHAPTER 76.

_Jesus in Bethlehem. Explains the Empire of Peace to the

shepherds. An unusual light appears. The shepherds recognize

Jesus as the Christ._

The Logos went to Bethlehem, and many people followed him.

2 He found the shepherd’s home where he was cradled when a babe; here

he abode.

3 He went up to the hills where more than thirty years before the

shepherds watch their flocks and heard the messenger of peace exclaim:

4 At midnight in a cave in Bethlehem the Prince of Peace is born.

5 And shepherds still were there, and sheep still fed upon the hills.

6 And in the valley near great flocks of snow-white doves were flying

to and fro.

7 And when the shepherds knew that Jesus, whom the people called the

king, had come, they came from near and far to speak to him.

8 And Jesus said to them, Behold the life of innocence and peace!

9 White is the symbol of the virtuous and pure! the lamb of innocence;

the dove of peace;

10 And it was meet that love should come in human form amid such

scenes as these.

11 Our father Abraham walked through these vales, and on these very

hills he watched his flocks and herds.

12 And here it was that one, the Prince of Peace, the king of Salim,

came; the Christ in human form; a greater far than Abraham was he.

13 And here it was that Abraham gave to this king of Salim, tithes of

all he had.

14 This Prince of Peace went forth in battle everywhere. He had no

sword; no armor of defence; no weapons of offence;

15 And yet he conquered men, and nations trembled at his feet.

16 The hosts of Egypt quailed before this sturdy king of right; the

kings of Egypt placed their crowns upon his head,

17 And gave into his hands the scepter of all Egypt land, and not a

drop of blood was shed, and not a captive placed in chains;

18 But everywhere the conqueror threw wide the prison doors and set

the captives free.

19 And, once again, the Prince of Peace has come, and from these

blessed hills he goes again to fight.

20 And he is clothed in white; his sword is truth; his shield is

faith; his helmet innocence; his breath is love; his watchword peace.

21 But this is not a carnal war; it is not man at war with man; but it

is right against the wrong.

22 And love is captain, love is warrior, love is armor, love is all,

and love shall win.

23 And then again the hills of Bethlehem were clothed with light;

again the messenger exclaimed,

24 Peace, peace on earth, good will to men.

25 And Jesus taught the people; healed the sick; revealed the

mysteries of the kingdom of the Holy One.

26 And many said, He is the Christ; the king who was to come has come;

Praise God.

CHAPTER 77.

_Jesus in Hebron. Goes to Bethany. Advises Ruth regarding

certain family troubles._

With three disciples Jesus went to Hebron where he tarried seven days

and taught.

2 And then he went to Bethany and in the home of Lazarus he taught.

3 The evening came; the multitudes were gone, and Jesus, Lazarus, and

his sisters, Martha, Ruth and Mary, were alone.

4 And Ruth was sore distressed. Her home was down in Jericho; her

husband was the keeper of an inn; his name was Asher-ben.

5 Now, Asher was a Pharisee of strictest mien and thought, and he

regarded Jesus with disdain.

6 And when his wife confessed her faith in Christ, he drove her from

his home.

7 But Ruth resisted not; she said, If Jesus is the Christ he knows the

way, and I am sure he is the Christ,

8 My husband may become enraged and slay my human form; he cannot

kill the soul, and in the many mansions of my Fatherland I have a

dwelling-place.

9 And Ruth told Jesus all; and then she said, What shall I do?

10 And Jesus said, Your husband is not willingly at fault; he is

devout; he prays to God, our Father-God.

11 His zeal for his religion is intense; in this he is sincere; but

it has driven him insane, and he believes it right to keep his home

unsullied by the heresy of Christ.

12 He feels assured that he has done the will of God in driving you

away.

13 Intolerance is ignorance matured.

14 The light will come to him some day, and then he will repay for all

your heartaches, griefs and tears.

15 And Ruth, you must not think that you are free from blame.

16 If you had walked in wisdom’s ways, and been content to hold your

peace, this grief would not have come to you.

17 It takes a long, long time for light to break into the shell of

prejudice, and patience is the lesson you have need to learn.

18 The constant dropping of the water wears away the hardest stone.

19 The sweet and holy incense of a godly life will melt intolerance

much quicker than the hottest flame, or hardest blow.

20 Just wait a little time, and then go home with sympathy and love.

Talk not of Christ, nor of the kingdom of the Holy One.

21 Just live a godly life; refrain from harshness in your speech, and

you will lead your husband to the light.

22 And it was so.

CHAPTER 78.

_Jesus in Jericho. Heals a servant of Asher. Goes to the Jordan

and speaks to the people. Establishes baptism as a pledge of

discipleship. Baptizes six disciples, who in turn baptize

many people._

And Jesus went to Jericho, and at the inn of Asher he abode.

2 A servant at the inn was sick, nigh unto death; the healers could

not cure.

3 And Jesus came and touched the dying girl, and said, Malone, arise!

and in a moment pain was gone; the fever ceased; the maid was well.

4 And then the people brought their sick, and they were healed.

5 But Jesus did not tarry long in Jericho; he went down to the Jordan

ford where John was wont to teach.

6 The multitudes were there and Jesus said to them, Behold, the time

has come; the kingdom is at hand.

7 None but the pure in heart can come into the kingdom of the Holy

One; but every son and daughter of the human race is called upon to

turn from evil and become the pure in heart.

8 The resolution to attain and enter through the Christine gate into

the kingdom of the Holy One will constitute discipleship, and every

one must make a public pledge of his discipleship.

9 John washed your bodies in the stream, symbolic of the cleansing of

the soul, in preparation for the coming of the king, the opening of

the Christine gate into the kingdom of the Holy One.

10 John did a mighty work; but now the Christine gate is opened up,

and washing is established as the pledge of your discipleship.

11 Until this age shall close this pledge shall be a rite, and shall

be called, Baptism rite; and it shall be a sign to men, and seal to

God of men’s discipleship.

12 You men of every nation, hear! Come unto me; the Christine gate is

opened up; turn from your sins and be baptized, and you shall enter

through the gate and see the king.

13 The six disciples who had followed Jesus stood a-near, and Jesus

led them forth and in the Jordan he baptized them in the name of

Christ; and then he said to them,

14 My friends, you are the first to enter through the Christine gate

into the kingdom of the Holy One.

15 As I baptized you in the name of Christ, so you shall, in that

sacred name, baptize all men and women who will confess their faith in

Christ, and shall renounce their sins.

16 And, lo, the multitudes came down, renounced their sins, confessed

their faith in Christ, and were baptized.

CHAPTER 79.

_John, the harbinger, at Salim. A lawyer inquires about Jesus.

John explains to the multitude the mission of Jesus._

Now, John the harbinger, was at the Salim Springs where water was

abundant, and there he preached and washed the bodies of the people

who confessed their sins.

2 A Jewish lawyer went to John and said, Has not this man from

Galilee, he whom you washed and called the Christ, become your foe?

3 They say that he is at the Jordan ford; that he is building up a

church, or something else, and that he washes people, just as you have

done.

4 And John replied, This Jesus is indeed the Christ whose way I came

to pave. He is not foe of mine.

5 The bridegroom hath the bride; his friends are near, and when they

hear his voice they all rejoice.

6 The kingdom of the Holy One is bride, and Christ the groom; and I,

the harbinger, am full of joy because they prosper so abundantly.

7 I have performed the work that I was sent to do; the work of Jesus

just begins.

8 Then turning to the multitudes he said, Christ is the king of

righteousness; Christ is the love of God; yea, he is God; one of the

holy persons of the Triune God.

9 Christ lives in every heart of purity.

10 Now, Jesus who is preaching at the Jordan ford, has been subjected

to the hardest tests of human life, and he has conquered all the

appetites and passions of the carnal man.

11 And by the highest court of heaven, has been declared a man of such

superior purity and holiness that he can demonstrate the presence of

the Christ on earth.

12 Lo, love divine, which is the Christ, abides in him, and he is

pattern for the race.

13 And every man can see in him what every man will be when he has

conquered all the passions of the selfish self.

14 In water I have washed the bodies of the people who have turned

from sin, symbolic of the cleansing of the soul;

15 But Jesus bathes forever in the living waters of the Holy Breath.

16 And Jesus comes to bring the savior of the world to men; Love is

the savior of the world.

17 And all who put their trust in Christ, and follow Jesus as a

pattern and a guide, have everlasting life.

18 But they who do not trust the Christ, and will not purify their

hearts so that the Christ can dwell within, can never enter life.

CHAPTER 80.

_Lamaas comes from India to see Jesus. He listens to the

teachings of John at Salim. John tells him of the divine

mission of Jesus. Lamaas finds Jesus at the Jordan. The

masters recognize each other._

Lamaas, priest of Brahm, who was a friend of Jesus when he was in the

temple Jagannath, had heard of Jesus and his mighty works in many

lands; and he had left his home and come to Palestine in search of him.

2 And as he journeyed towards Jerusalem he heard of John, the

harbinger, who was esteemed a prophet of the living God.

3 Lamaas found the harbinger at Salim Springs; for many days he was a

silent listener to the pungent truths he taught.

4 And he was present when the Pharisee told John of Jesus and his

mighty works.

5 He heard the answer of the harbinger; he heard him bless the name of

Jesus, whom he called the Christ.

6 And then he spoke to John; he said, Pray, tell me more about this

Jesus whom you call the Christ.

7 And John replied, this Jesus is the love of God made manifest.

8 Lo, men are living on the lower planes--the planes of greed and

selfishness; for self they fight; they conquer with the sword.

9 In every land the strong enslave and kill the weak. All kingdoms

rise by force of arms; for force is king.

10 This Jesus comes to overthrow this iron rule of force, and seat

Love on the throne of power.

11 And Jesus fears no man. He preaches boldly in the courts of kings,

and everywhere, that victories won by force of arms are crimes;

12 That every worthy end may be attained by gentleness and love, just

as the Prince of Peace, Melchisedec, the priest of God, won gallant

victories in war without the shedding of a drop of blood.

13 You ask where are the temples of the Christ? He ministers at

shrines not made with hands; his temples are the hearts of holy men

who are prepared to see the king.

14 The groves of nature are his synagogues; his forum is the world.

15 He has no priests dressed up in puppet style to be admired by men;

for every son of man is priest of Love.

16 When man has purified his heart by faith, he needs no middle man to

intercede.

17 He is on friendly terms with God; is not afraid of him, and he is

able, and is bold enough, to lay his body on the altar of the Lord.

18 Thus every man is priest, and is himself a living sacrifice.

19 You need not seek the Christ, for when your heart is purified the

Christ will come, and will abide with you forevermore.

20 And then Lamaas journeyed on; he came to Jesus as he taught beside

the ford.

21 And Jesus said, Behold the Star of India!

22 Lamaas said, Behold the Sun of Righteousness! And he confessed his

faith in Christ, and followed him.

CHAPTER 81.

_The Christines journey toward Galilee. They tarry for a time

at Jacob’s well and Jesus teaches a woman of Samaria._

The Christine gate into the kingdom of the Holy One was opened up, and

Jesus and the six disciples and Lamaas left the Jordan ford and turned

their faces toward Galilee.

2 Their way lay through Samaria, and as they journeyed on they came to

Sychar, which was near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to Joseph

when a youth.

3 And Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus sat beside the well in silent

thought, and his disciples went into the town to purchase bread.

4 A woman of the town came out to fill her pitcher from the well; and

Jesus was athirst, and when he asked the woman for a drink she said,

5 I am a woman of Samaria, and you a Jew; do you not know that there

is enmity between Samaritans and Jews? They traffic not; then why ask

me the favor of a drink?

6 And Jesus said Samaritans and Jews are all the children of one God,

our Father-God, and they are kin.

7 It is but prejudice born of the carnal mind that breeds this enmity

and hate.

8 While I was born a Jew I recognize the brotherhood of life.

Samaritans are just as dear to me as Jew or Greek.

9 And then had you but known the blessings that our Father-God has

sent to men by me, you would have asked me for a drink,

10 And I would glad have given you a cup of water from the Fount of

Life, and you would never thirst again.

11 The woman said, This well is deep, and you have naught with which

to draw; how could you get the water that you speak about?

12 And Jesus said, The water that I speak about comes not from Jacob’s

well; it flows from springs that never fail.

13 Lo, every one who drinks from Jacob’s well will thirst again; but

they who drink the water that I give will never thirst again;

14 For they themselves become a well, and from their inner parts the

sparkling waters bubble up into eternal life.

15 The woman said, Sir, I would drink from that rich well of life.

Give me to drink, that I may thirst no more.

16 And Jesus said, Go call your husband from the town that he may

share with you this living cup.

17 The woman said, I have no husband, sir.

18 And Jesus answered her and said, You scarcely know what husband

means; you seem to be a gilded butterfly that flits from flower to

flower,

19 To you there is no sacredness in marriage ties, and you affinitize

with any man.

20 And you have lived with five of them who were esteemed as husbands

by your friends.

21 The woman said, Do I not speak unto a prophet and a seer? Will you

not condescend to tell me who you are?

22 And Jesus said, I need not tell you who I am for you have read the

Law, the Prophets and the Psalms that tell of me,

23 I am one come to break away the wall that separates the sons of

men. In Holy Breath there is no Greek, nor Jew, and no Samaritan; no

bond, nor free; for all are one.

24 The woman asked, Why do you say that only in Jerusalem men ought to

pray, and that they should not worship in our holy mount?

25 And Jesus said, What you have said, I do not say. One place is just

as sacred as another place.

26 The hour has come when men must worship God within the temple of

the heart; for God is not within Jerusalem, nor in your holy mount in

any way that he is not in every heart.

27 Our God is Spirit; they who worship him must worship him in spirit

and in truth.

28 The woman said, We know that when Messiah comes that he will lead

us in the ways of truth.

29 And Jesus said, Behold the Christ has come; Messiah speaks to you.

CHAPTER 82.

_While Jesus is teaching, his disciples come and marvel because

he speaks with a Samaritan. Many people from Sychar come to

see Jesus. He speaks to them. With his disciples he goes to

Sychar and remains for certain days._

While Jesus yet was talking to the woman at the well, the six

disciples came from Sychar with the food.

2 And when they saw him talking to a woman of Samaria, and one they

thought a courtesan, they were amazed; yet no one asked him why he

spoke with her.

3 The woman was so lost in thought and so intent on what the master

said, that she forgot her errand to the well; she left her pitcher and

ran quickly to the town.

4 She told the people all about the prophet she had met at Jacob’s

well; she said, He told me every thing I ever did.

5 And when the people would know more about the man, the woman said,

Come out and see. And multitudes went out to Jacob’s well.

6 When Jesus saw them come he said to those who followed him, You need

not say, It is four months before the harvest time;

7 Behold, the harvest time is now. Lift up your eyes and look; the

fields are golden with the ripened grain.

8 Lo, many sowers have gone forth to sow the seeds of life; the seed

has grown; the plants have strengthened in the summer sun; the grain

has ripened, and the master calls for men to reap.

9 And you shall go out in the fields and reap what other men have

sown; but when the reckoning day shall come the sowers and the reapers

all together will rejoice.

10 And Philip said to Jesus, Stay now your work a time and sit beneath

this olive tree and eat a portion of this food; you must be faint for

you have eaten naught since early day.

11 But Jesus said, I am not faint, for I have food to eat you know not

of.

12 Then the disciples said among themselves, Who could have brought

him aught to eat?

13 They did not know that he had power to turn the very ethers into

bread.

14 And Jesus said, The master of the harvest never sends his reapers

forth and feeds them not.

15 My Father who has sent me forth into the harvest field of human

life will never suffer me to want; and when he calls for you to serve,

lo, he will give you food, will clothe and shelter you.

16 Then turning to the people of Samaria, he said, Think not it

strange that I, a Jew, should speak to you, for I am one with you.

17 The universal Christ who was, and is, and evermore shall be, is

manifest in me; but Christ belongs to every man.

18 God scatters forth his blessings with a lavish hand, and he is not

more kind to one than to another one of all the creatures of his hand.

19 I just came up from Judah’s hills, and God’s same sun was shining

and his flowers were blooming, and in the night his stars were just as

bright as they are here.

20 God cannot cast a child away; the Jew, the Greek and the Samaritan

are equal in his sight.

21 And why should men and women fret and quarrel, like children in

their plays?

22 The lines that separate the sons of men are made of straw, and just

a single breath of love would blow them all away.

23 The people were amazed at what the stranger said, and many said,

The Christ that was to come has surely come.

24 And Jesus went with them into the town, and tarried certain days.

CHAPTER 83.

_Jesus teaches the people of Sychar. Casts a wicked spirit out

of one obsessed. Sends the spirit to its own place. Heals

many people. The priests are disturbed by the presence of

Jesus in Sychar, but he speaks to them and wins their favor._

In Sychar Jesus taught the people in the market place.

2 A man obsessed was brought to him. The wicked spirit that possessed

the man was full of violence and lust, and often threw his victim to

the ground.

3 And Jesus spoke aloud and said, Base spirit, loose your hold upon

the vitals of this man, and go back to your own.

4 And then the spirit begged that he might go into the body of a dog

that stood near by.

5 But Jesus said, Why harm the helpless dog? Its life is just as dear

to it as mine to me.

6 It is not yours to throw the burden of your sin on any living thing.

7 By your own deeds and evil thoughts you have brought all these

perils on yourself. You have hard problems to be solved; but you must

solve them for yourself.

8 By thus obsessing man you make your own conditions doubly sad. Go

back into your own domain; refrain from harming anything, and, by and

by, you will, yourself, be free.

9 The wicked spirit left the man and went unto his own. The man

looked up in thankfulness and said, Praise God.

10 And many of the people brought their sick, and Jesus spoke the

Word, and they were healed.

11 The ruler of the synagogue, and all the priests were much disturbed

when told that Jesus from Jerusalem was preaching in the town.

12 They thought that he had come to proselyte and stir up strife among

Samaritans.

13 And so they sent an officer to bring him to the synagogue that he

might give a reason for his presence in the town.

14 But Jesus said to him who came, Go back and tell the priests and

ruler of the synagogue that I am not engaged in crime.

15 I come to bind up broken hearts, to heal the sick, and cast the

evil spirits out of those obsessed.

16 Tell them, their prophets spoke of me; that I am come to break no

law, but to fulfil the highest law.

17 The man returned and told the priests and ruler of the synagogue

what Jesus said,

18 The ruler was amazed, and with the priests went to the market place

where Jesus was.

19 And when he saw them, Jesus said, Behold the honored men of all

Samaria! the men ordained to lead the people in the way of right.

20 And I am come to help, and not to hinder in their work.

21 There are two classes of the sons of men; they who would build the

human race upon the sure foundation stones of justice, truth, equality

and right,

22 And they who would destroy the holy temple where the Spirit dwells

and bring their fellows down to beggary and crime.

23 The holy brotherhood of right must stand united in the stirring

conflicts of the hour.

24 No matter whether they be Jews, Samaritans, Assyrians or Greeks,

they must tramp down beneath their feet all strife, all discord,

jealousy and hate, and demonstrate the brotherhood of man.

25 Then to the ruler of the synagogue he spoke: he said, United in the

cause of right we stand; divided we will fall.

26 And then he took the ruler by the hand; a love light filled their

souls; and all the people were amazed.

CHAPTER 84.

_The Christines resume their journey. They tarry a while in the

city of Samaria. Jesus speaks in the synagogue. Heals a woman

by mental power. He disappears, but later joins his disciples

as they journey toward Nazareth._

The Christines turned their faces toward the land of Galilee; but when

they reached the city of Samaria, the multitudes pressed hard about

them, begging them to tarry in their city for a while.

2 And then they went up to the synagogue, and Jesus opened up the book

of Moses, and he read:

3 In thee and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blest.

4 And then he closed the book and said, These words were spoken by the

Lord of hosts unto our father Abraham, and Israel has been blessedness

to all the world.

5 We are his seed; but not a tithe of the great work that we were

called to do has yet been done.

6 The Lord of hosts has set apart the Israelites to teach the unity

of God and man; but one can never teach that which he does not

demonstrate in life.

7 Our God is Spirit, and in him all wisdom, love and strength abide.

8 In every man these sacred attributes are budding forth, and in due

time they will unfold; the demonstration will completed be, and man

will comprehend the fact of unity.

9 And you, the ruler of the synagogue, and you, these priests, are

honored servants of the Lord of hosts.

10 All men are looking unto you for guidance in the ways of life;

example is another name for priest; so what you would that people be,

that you must be.

11 A simple godly life may win ten thousand souls to purity and right.

12 And all the people said, Amen.

13 Then Jesus left the synagogue, and at the hour of evening prayer

he went up to the sacred grove, and all the people turned their faces

toward their holy mount and prayed.

14 And Jesus prayed.

15 And as he sat in silent mood a voice of soul spoke to his soul

imploring help.

16 And Jesus saw a woman on a couch in sore distress; for she was sick

nigh unto death.

17 She could not speak, but she had heard that Jesus was a man of God,

and in her heart she called on him for help.

18 And Jesus helped; he did not speak; but like a flash of light, a

mighty virtue from his soul filled full the body of the dying one, and

she arose, and joined her kindred while they prayed.

19 Her kindred were astonished and they said to her, How were you

healed? And she replied,

20 I do not know; I simply asked the man of God in thought for healing

power, and in a moment I was well.

21 The people said, The gods have surely come to earth; for man has

not the power to heal by thought.

22 But Jesus said, The greatest power in heaven and earth is thought.

23 God made the universe by thought; he paints the lily and the rose

with thought.

24 Why think it strange that I should send a healing thought and

change the ethers of disease and death to those of health and life?

25 Lo, you shall see far greater things than this, for by the power

of holy thought, my body will be changed from carnal flesh to spirit

form; and so will yours.

26 When Jesus had thus said he disappeared, and no one saw him go.

27 His own disciples did not comprehend the change; they knew not

where their master went, and they went on their way.

28 But as they walked and talked about the strange event, lo, Jesus

came and walked with them to Nazareth of Galilee.

CHAPTER 85.

_John, the harbinger, censures Herod for his wickedness.

Herod sends him to prison in Machaerus. Jesus tells why God

permitted the imprisonment of John._

Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Paraca and of Galilee was dissipated,

selfish and tyrannical.

2 He drove his wife away from home that he might take as wife

Herodias, the wife of one, a near of kin, a woman, like himself,

immoral and unjust.

3 The city of Tiberius, upon the shores of Galilee, was Herod’s home.

4 Now John, the harbinger, had left the Salim Springs to teach the

people by the sea of Galilee; and he rebuked the wicked ruler and his

stolen wife for all their sins.

5 Herodias was enraged because the preacher dared accuse her and her

husband of their crimes;

6 And she prevailed on Herod to arrest the harbinger and cast him in a

dungeon in the castle of Machaerus that stood beside the Bitter Sea.

7 And Herod did as she required; then she lived in peace in all her

sins, for none were bold enough to censure her again.

8 The followers of John were warned to speak not of the trial and

imprisonment of John.

9 By order of the court, they were restrained from teaching in the

public halls.

10 They could not talk about this better life that Herod called, the

Heresy of John.

11 When it was known that John had been imprisoned by the tetrarch

court, the friends of Jesus thought it best that he should not remain

in Galilee.

12 But Jesus said, I have no need of fear; my time has not yet come;

no man can stay me till my work is done.

13 And when they asked why God permitted Herod to imprison John, he

said,

14 Behold yon stalk of wheat! When it has brought the grain to

perfectness, it is of no more worth; it falls, becoming part of earth

again from which it came.

15 John is a stalk of golden wheat; he brought unto maturity the

richest grain of all the earth; his work is done.

16 If he had said another word it might have marred the symmetry of

what is now a noble life.

17 And when my work is done the rulers will do unto me what they have

done to John, and more.

18 All these events are part of God’s own plan. The innocent will

suffer while the wicked are in power; but woe to them who cause the

suffering of the innocents.

CHAPTER 86.

_The Christines are in Nazareth. Jesus speaks in the synagogue.

He offends the people and they attempt to kill him. He

mysteriously disappears, and returns to the synagogue._

The Christines were in Nazareth. It was the Sabbath day, and Jesus

went up to the synagogue.

2 The keeper of the books gave one to Jesus and he opened it and read:

3 The Spirit of the Lord has overshadowed me; he has anointed me to

preach the gospel to the poor; to set the captives free; to open

sightless eyes;

4 To bring relief to those oppressed and bruised, and to proclaim, The

year of jubilee has come.

5 When he had read these words he closed the book and said, This

scripture is fulfilled before your eyes this day. The year of jubilee

has come; the time when Israel shall bless the world.

6 And then he told them many things about the kingdom of the Holy

One; about the hidden way of life; about forgiveness of sins.

7 Now, many people knew not who the speaker was: And others said, Is

not this Joseph’s son? Does not his mother live on Marmion Way?

8 And one spoke out and said, This is the man who did such mighty

works in Cana, in Capernaum and in Jerusalem.

9 And then the people said, Physician heal yourself. Do here among

your kindred all the mighty works that you have done in other towns.

10 And Jesus said, No prophet is received with honor by the people of

his native land; and prophets are not sent to every one.

11 Elijah was a man of God; he had the power and he closed the gates

of heaven, and it did not rain for forty months; and when he spoke the

Word, the rain came on, the earth brought forth again.

12 And there were many widows in the land; but this Elijah went to

none but Zarephath, and she was blessed.

13 And when Elisha lived, lo, many lepers were in Israel, but none

were cleansed save one--the Syrian who had faith.

14 You have no faith; you seek for signs to satisfy your curious

whims; but you shall see not till you open up your eyes of faith.

15 And then the people were enraged; they rushed upon him, bound him

down with cords, and took him to a precipice not far away, intent to

cast him down to death;

16 But when they thought they held him fast, he disappeared; unseen he

passed among the angry men, and went his way.

17 The people were confounded and they said, What manner of a man is

this?

18 And when they came again to Nazareth, they found him teaching in

the synagogue.

19 They troubled him no more for they were sore afraid.

CHAPTER 87.

_The Christines go to Cana. Jesus heals a nobleman’s child. The

Christines go to Capernaum. Jesus provides a spacious home

for his mother. He announces his intention to choose twelve

apostles._

In Nazareth Jesus taught no more; he went with his disciples up to

Cana, where, at a marriage feast, he once turned water into wine.

2 And here he met a man of noble birth whose home was in Capernaum,

whose son was sick.

3 The man had faith in Jesus’ power to heal, and when he learned that

he had come to Galilee he went in haste to meet him on the way.

4 The man met Jesus at the seventh hour, and he entreated him to

hasten to Capernaum to save his son.

5 But Jesus did not go; he stood aside in silence for a time, and then

he said, Your faith has proved a healing balm; your son is well.

6 The man believed and went his way toward Capernaum and as he went he

met a servant from his home who said,

7 My lord, You need not haste; your son is well.

8 The father asked, When did my son begin to mend?

9 The servant said, On yesterday about the seventh hour the fever left.

10 And then the father knew it was the healing balm that Jesus sent

that saved his son.

11 In Cana Jesus tarried not; he went his way with his disciples to

Capernaum, where he secured a spacious house where, with his mother,

he could live; where his disciples might repair to hear the Word.

12 He called the men who had confessed their faith in him to meet him

in his home, which his disciples called, The school of Christ; and

when they came he said to them,

13 This gospel of the Christ must be proclaimed in all the world.

14 This Christine vine will be a mighty vine whose branches will

comprise the peoples, tribes and tongues of all the earth.

15 I am the vine; twelve men shall be the branches of the stock, and

these shall send forth branches everywhere;

16 And from among the people who have followed me, the Holy Breath

will call the twelve.

17 Go now and do your work as you have done your work; but listen for

the call.

18 Then the disciples went unto their daily tasks, to do their work as

they had done, and Jesus went alone into the Hammoth hills to pray.

19 Three days and nights he spent communing with the Silent

Brotherhood; then, in the power of Holy Breath he came to call the

twelve.

CHAPTER 88.

_Jesus walks by the sea. Stands in a fishing boat and speaks to

the people. Under his direction the fishermen secure a great

catch of fish. He selects and calls his twelve apostles._

Beside the sea of Galilee the Christine master walked, and multitudes

of people followed him.

2 The fishing boats had just come in, and Peter and his brother waited

in their boats; their helpers were ashore repairing broken nets.

3 And Jesus went into a boat and Peter pushed it out a little ways

from shore; and Jesus standing in the boat spoke to the multitude. He

said,

4 Isaiah, prophet of the Lord of hosts, looked forward and he saw this

day; he saw the people standing by the sea, and he exclaimed,

5 The land of Zebulon and Napthali, land beyond the Jordan and toward

the sea, the Gentile Galilee,

6 The people were in darkness, knowing not the way; but, lo, they saw

the Day Star rise; a light streamed forth; they saw the way of life;

they walked therein.

7 And you are blest beyond all people of the earth today, because you

first may see the light, and may become the children of the light.

8 Then Jesus said to Peter, Bring your nets aboard, and put out in the

deep,

9 And Peter did as Jesus bade him do; but in a faithless way he said,

This is a useless trip; there are no fish upon this shore of Galilee

today; with Andrew I have toiled all night, and taken naught.

10 But Jesus saw beneath the surface of the sea; he saw a multitude of

fish. He said to Peter,

11 Cast out your net upon the right side of the boat.

12 And Peter did as Jesus said, and, lo, the net was filled; it scarce

was strong enough to hold the multitude of fish.

13 And Peter called to John and James, who were near by, for help; and

when the net was hauled to boat, both boats were well nigh filled

with fish.

14 When Peter saw the heavy catch, he was ashamed of what he said;

ashamed because he had no faith, and he fell down at Jesus’ feet and

said, Lord, I believe!

15 And Jesus said, Behold the catch! from henceforth you shall fish no

more for fish;

16 You shall cast forth the Christine net into the sea of human life,

upon the right side of the boat; you shall ensnare the multitudes to

holiness and blessedness and peace.

17 Now, when they reached the shore the Christine master called to

Peter, Andrew, James and John and said,

18 You fishermen of Galilee, the masters have a mighty work for us to

do; I go, and you may follow me. And they left all and followed him.

19 And Jesus walked along the shore, and seeing Philip and Nathaniel

walking on the beach he said to them,

20 You teachers of Bethsaida, who long have taught the people Greek

philosophy, the masters have a higher work for you and me to do; I go

and you may follow me; and then they followed him.

21 A little farther on there stood a Roman tribute house, and Jesus

saw the officer in charge; his name was Matthew, who once abode in

Jericho;

22 The youth who once ran on before the Lord into Jerusalem and said,

Behold the Christines come.

23 And Matthew was a man of wealth, and learned in wisdom of the Jews,

the Syrians and the Greeks.

24 And Jesus said to him, Hail, Matthew, trusted servant of the

Cæsars, hail! the masters call us to the tribute house of souls; I go

and you may follow me. And Matthew followed him.

25 Ischariot and his son, whose name was Judas, were employed by

Matthew and were at the tribute house.

26 And Jesus said to Judas, Stay your work; the masters call us to a

duty in the savings bank of souls; I go and you may follow me. And

Judas followed him.

27 And Jesus met a lawyer who had heard about the Christine master and

had come from Antioch to study in the school of Christ.

28 This man was Thomas, man of doubt, and yet a Greek philosopher of

culture and of power.

29 But Jesus saw in him the lines of faith, and said to him, The

masters have a need of men who can interpret law; I go, and you may

follow me. And Thomas followed him.

30 And when the evening came and Jesus was at home, behold, there came

his kindred, James and Jude, the sons of Alpheus and Miriam.

31 And these were men of faith, and they were carpenters of Nazareth.

32 And Jesus said to them, Behold, for you have toiled with me, and

with my father Joseph, building houses for the homes of men. The

masters call us now to aid in building homes for souls; homes built

without the sound of hammer, ax, or saw;

33 I go, and you may follow me. And James and Jude exclaimed, Lord, we

will follow you.

34 And on the morrow Jesus sent a message unto Simon, leader of the

Zelotes, a strict exponent of the Jewish law.

35 And in the message Jesus said, The masters call for men to

demonstrate the faith of Abraham; I go, and you may follow me. And

Simon followed him.

CHAPTER 89.

_The twelve apostles are at Jesus’ home and are consecrated to

their work. Jesus instructs them. He goes to the synagogue on

the Sabbath and teaches. He casts an unclean spirit out of

one obsessed. He heals Peter’s mother-in-law._

Now, on the day before the Sabbath day, the twelve disciples who had

received the call were met with one accord in Jesus’ home.

2 And Jesus said to them, This is the day to consecrate yourselves

unto the work of God; so let us pray.

3 Turn from the outer to the inner self; close all the doors of carnal

self and wait.

4 The Holy Breath will fill this place, and you will be baptized in

Holy Breath.

5 And then they prayed; a light more brilliant than the noonday sun

filled all the room, and tongues of flame from every head rose high in

air.

6 The atmosphere of Galilee was set astir; a sound like distant

thunder rolled above Capernaum, and men heard songs, as though ten

thousand angels joined in full accord.

7 And then the twelve disciples heard a voice, a still, small voice,

and just one word was said, a word they dared not speak; it was the

sacred name of God.

8 And Jesus said to them, By this omnific Word you may control the

elements, and all the powers of air.

9 And when within your souls you speak this Word, you have the keys

of life and death; of things that are; of things that were; of things

that are to be.

10 Behold you are the twelve great branches of the Christine vine; the

twelve foundation stones; the twelve apostles of the Christ.

11 As lambs I send you forth among wild beasts; but the omnific Word

will be your buckler and your shield.

12 And then again the air was filled with song, and every living

creature seemed to say, Praise God! Amen!

13 The next day was the Sabbath day; and Jesus went with his disciples

to the synagogue, and there he taught.

14 The people said, He teaches not as do the scribes and Pharisees;

but as a man who knows, and has authority to speak.

15 As Jesus spoke, a man obsessed came in; the evil spirits that

obsessed the man were of the baser sort; they often threw their victim

to the ground, or in the fire.

16 And when the spirits saw the Christine master in the synagogue they

knew him, and they said,

17 You son of God, why are you here? would you destroy us by the Word

before our time? we would have naught to do with you; let us alone.

18 But Jesus said to them, By the omnific Word I speak; Come out;

torment this man no more; go to your place.

19 And then the unclean spirits threw the man upon the floor, and,

with a fiendish cry, they went away.

20 And Jesus lifted up the man and said to him, If you will keep your

mind full occupied with good, the evil spirits cannot find a place to

stay;

21 They only come to empty heads and hearts. Go on your way and sin no

more.

22 The people were astonished at the words that Jesus spoke, the work

he did. They asked among themselves,

23 Who is this man? From whence comes all this power that even unclean

spirits fear, and flee away?

24 The Christine master left the synagogue; with Peter, Andrew, James

and John, he went to Peter’s house where one, a near of kin, was sick.

25 And Peter’s wife came in; it was her mother who was sick.

26 And Jesus touched the woman as she lay upon her couch; he spoke the

Word; the fever ceased and she arose and ministered to them.

27 The neighbors heard what had occurred, and then they brought their

sick, and those obsessed, and Jesus laid his hands on them, and they

were healed.

CHAPTER 90.

_Jesus goes alone to a mountain to pray. His disciples find

him. He calls the twelve and they journey through Galilee

teaching and healing. At Tiberius Jesus heals a leper. The

Christines return to Capernaum. In his own home Jesus heals a

palsied man and makes known the philosophy of healing and the

forgiveness of sins._

The Christine master disappeared; no one saw him go, and Peter,

James and John set forth to search for him; they found him at his

trysting-place out on the Hammoth hills.

2 And Peter said, The city of Capernaum is wild; the people crowd the

streets and every public place is filled.

3 The men, the women and the children everywhere are asking for the

man who heals by will.

4 Your home and our homes are filled with people who are sick; they

call for Jesus who is called the Christ. What will we say to them?

5 And Jesus said, A score of other cities call, and we must take the

bread of life to them. Go call the other men and let us go.

6 And Jesus and the twelve went to Bethsaida where Philip and

Nathaniel dwelt; and there they taught.

7 The multitudes believed on Christ, confessed their sins and were

baptized, and came into the kingdom of the Holy One.

8 The Christine master and the twelve went everywhere through all the

towns of Galilee, and taught, baptizing all who came in faith, and who

confessed their sins.

9 They opened blinded eyes, unstopped deaf ears, drove forth the evil

ones from those obsessed, and healed disease of every kind.

10 And they were in Tiberius by the sea, and as they taught a leper

came a-near and said, Lord, I believe, and if you will but speak the

Word I will be clean.

11 And Jesus said to him, I will; be clean. And soon the leprosy was

gone; the man was clean.

12 And Jesus charged the man, Say naught to any one, but go and show

yourself unto the priests and offer for your cleansing what the law

demands.

13 The man was wild with joy; but then he went not to the priests, but

in the marts of trade, and everywhere he told what had been done.

14 And then the sick in throngs pressed hard upon the healer and the

twelve, imploring to be healed.

15 And they were so importunate that little could be done, and so the

Christines left the crowded thoroughfares, and went to desert places

where they taught the multitudes that followed them.

16 Now, after many days the Christines came back to Capernaum. When it

was noised around that Jesus was at home, the people came; they filled

the house till there was no more room, not even at the door.

17 And there were present scribes and Pharisees and doctors of the law

from every part of Galilee, and from Jerusalem, and Jesus opened up

for them the way of life.

18 Four men brought one, a palsied man upon a cot, and when they could

not pass the door they took the sick man to the roof, and opened up a

way, then let him down before the healer’s face.

19 When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the palsied man, My son,

be of good cheer; your sins are all forgiven.

20 And when the scribes and Pharisees heard what he said, they said,

Why does this man speak thus? who can forgive the sins of men but God?

21 And Jesus caught their thought; he knew they questioned thus among

themselves; he said to them,

22 Why reason thus among yourselves? What matters it if I should say,

Your sins are blotted out; or say, Arise, take up your bed and walk?

23 But just to prove that men may here forgive the sins of men, I say,

(and then he spoke unto the palsied man),

24 Arise, take up your bed, and go your way.

25 And in the presence of them all the man arose, took up his bed, and

went his way.

26 The people could not comprehend the things they heard and saw. They

said among themselves, This is a day we never can forget; we have seen

wondrous things today.

27 And when the multitudes had gone the twelve remained, and Jesus

said to them,

28 The Jewish festival draws near; next week we will go to Jerusalem,

that we may meet our brethren from afar, and open up to them the way

that they may see the king.

29 The Christines sought the quiet of their homes, where they remained

in prayer for certain days.

SECTION XVI.

AIN.

_The Second Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of Jesus._

CHAPTER 91.

_Jesus at the feast in Jerusalem. Heals an impotent man. Gives

a practical lesson in healing. Affirms that all men are the

sons of God._

The feast time came and Jesus and the twelve went to Jerusalem.

2 Upon the day before the Sabbath day they reached Mount Olives and

they tarried at an inn before Mount Olives on the north.

3 And in the early morning of the Sabbath day they went in through the

sheep gate to Jerusalem.

4 The healing fountain of Bethesda, near the gate, was thronged about

with people who were sick;

5 For they believed that at a certain time an angel came and poured a

healing virtue in the pool, and those who entered first and bathed,

would be made whole.

6 And Jesus and the twelve were standing near the pool.

7 And Jesus saw a man near by who had been stricken eight and thirty

years; without a hand to help he could not move.

8 And Jesus said to him, My brother, man, would you be healed?

9 The man replied, I earnestly desire to be healed; but I am helpless

and when the angel comes and pours the healing virtues in the pool,

10 Another who can walk, steps in the fountain first and I am left

unhealed.

11 And Jesus said, Who sends an angel here to potentize this pool for

just a favored few?

12 I know it is not God, for he deals just the same with every one.

13 One has no better chance in heaven’s healing fountain than another

one.

14 The fount of health is in your soul; it has a door locked fast; the

key is faith;

15 And every one can have this key and may unlock the door and plunge

into the healing fount and be made whole.

16 And then the man looked up in hopeful mood and said, Give me this

key of faith.

17 And Jesus said, Do you believe what I have said? According to your

faith it shall be done. Arise, take up your bed and walk.

18 The man at once arose and walked away; he only said, Praise God.

19 And when the people asked, Who made you whole? the man replied, I

do not know. A stranger at the pool just spoke a word and I was well.

20 The many did not see when Jesus healed the man, and with the twelve

he went his way up to the temple courts.

21 And in the temple Jesus saw the man and said to him, Behold you are

made whole; from henceforth guard your life aright;

22 Go on your way and sin no more, or something worse may fall on you.

23 And now the man knew who it was who made him whole.

24 He told the story to the priests and they were much enraged; they

said, The law forbids a man to heal upon the Sabbath day.

25 But Jesus said, My Father works on Sabbath days and may not I?

26 He sends his rain, his sunshine and his dew; he makes his grass to

grow, his flowers to bloom; he speeds the harvests just the same on

Sabbath days as on the other days.

27 If it is lawful for the grass to grow and flowers to bloom on

Sabbath days it surely is not wrong to succor stricken men.

28 And then the priests were angered more and more because he claimed

to be a son of God.

29 A leading priest, Abihu, said, This fellow is a menace to our

nation and our laws; he makes himself to be a son of God; it is not

meet that he should live.

30 But Jesus said, Abihu, Sir, you are a learned man; you surely know

the law of life. Pray tell who were the sons of God we read about in

Genesis, who took to wife the daughters of the sons of men?

31 Our father Adam; who was he? From whence came he? Had he a father?

or did he fall from heaven as a star?

32 We read that Moses said, He came from God. If Adam came from God,

pray, was he offspring, was he son?

33 We are the children of this son of God; then tell me, learned

priest, Who are we if not sons of God?

34 The priest had urgent business and he went his away.

35 And Jesus said, All men are sons of God and if they live a holy

life they always are at home with God.

36 They see and understand the works of God, and in his sacred name

they can perform these works.

37 The lightnings and the storms are messengers of God as well as are

the sunshine, rain and dew.

38 The virtues of the heavens are in God’s hands, and every loyal son

may use these virtues and these powers.

39 Man is the delegate of God to do his will on earth, and man can

heal the sick, control the spirits of the air, and raise the dead.

40 Because I have the power to do these things is nothing strange. All

men may gain the power to do these things; but they must conquer all

the passions of the lower self; and they can conquer if they will.

41 So man is God on earth, and he who honors God must honor man; for

God and man are one, as father and the child are one.

42 Behold, I say, The hour has come; the dead will hear the voice of

man, and live, because the son of man is son of God.

43 You men of Israel, hear! you live in death; you are locked up

within the tomb.

44 (There is no deeper death than ignorance and unbelief.)

45 But all will some day hear the voice of God, made plain by voice of

man, and live. You all will know that you are sons of God, and by the

sacred Word, may do the works of God.

46 When you have come to life, that is, have come to realize that you

are sons of God, you who have lived the life of right, will open up

your eyes on fields of life.

47 But you who love the ways of sin will, in this resurrection, stand

before a judgment bar, and be condemned to pay the debts you owe to

men and to yourselves.

48 For whatsoever you have done amiss must be performed again, and yet

again, until you reach the stature of the perfect man.

49 But in due time the lowest and the highest will arise to walk in

light.

50 Shall I accuse you unto God? No, for your prophet, Moses, has done

that; and if you hear not Moses’ words you will not hearken unto me,

for Moses wrote of me.

CHAPTER 92.

_The Christines at a feast in Lazarus’ home. A fire rages in

the town. Jesus rescues a child from the flames and stays

the fire by the Word. He gives a practical lesson on how to

redeem a drunken man._

Now, Lazarus was at the feast and Jesus and the twelve went with him

to his home in Bethany.

2 And Lazarus and his sisters made a feast for Jesus and the twelve;

and Ruth and Asher came from Jericho; for Asher was no longer hostile

to the Christ.

3 And while the guests sat at the board behold a cry, The village is

a-fire! and all rushed out into the streets, and, lo, the homes of

many neighbors were in flames.

4 And in an upper room an infant lay asleep, and none could pass the

flames to save. The mother, wild with grief, was calling on the men to

save her child.

5 Then, with a voice that made the spirits of the fire pale and

tremble, Jesus said, Peace, peace, be still!

6 And then he walked through smoke and flame, climbed up the falling

stair, and in a moment came again, and in his arms he brought the

child. And not a trace of fire was on himself, his raiment, or the

child.

7 Then Jesus raised his hand, rebuked the spirits of the fire,

commanding them to cease their awful work, and be at rest.

8 And then, as though the waters of the sea were all at once poured on

the flames, the fire ceased to burn.

9 And when the fury of the fire was spent the multitudes were wild to

see the man who could control the fire, and Jesus said,

10 Man was not made for fire, but fire was made for man.

11 When man comes to himself and comprehends the fact that he is son

of God, and knows that in himself lies all the powers of God, he is a

master mind and all the elements will hear his voice and gladly do his

will.

12 Two sturdy asses bind the will of man; their names are Fear and

Unbelief. When these are caught and turned aside, the will of man will

know no bounds; then man has but to speak and it is done.

13 And then the guests returned and sat about the board. A little

child came in and stood by Jesus’ side.

14 She laid her hand on Jesus’ arm and said, Please, Master Jesus,

hear! my father is a drunken man; my mother toils from morn till night

and when she brings her wages home my father snatches them away and

squanders every cent for drink, and mother and us little ones are

hungry all the night.

15 Please, Master Jesus, come with me and touch my father’s heart. He

is so good and kind when he is just himself; I know it is the wine

that makes another man of him.

16 And Jesus went out with the child; he found the wretched home; he

spoke in kindness to the mother and the little ones, and then upon a

bed of straw he found the drunken man.

17 He took him by the hand and raised him up and said, My brother,

man, made in the image of our Father-God, will you arise and come with

me?

18 Your neighbors are in sore distress; they have lost all they had in

this fierce fire, and men must build their homes again and you and I

must lead the way.

19 And then the man arose; the two went arm in arm to view the wrecks.

20 They heard the mothers and the children crying in the streets; they

saw their wretchedness.

21 And Jesus said, My friend, here is a work for you to do. Just lead

the way in helpfulness; I’m sure the men of Bethany will furnish you

the means and help.

22 The spark of hope that had so long been smouldering in the man was

fanned into a flame. He threw his ragged coat aside; he was himself

again.

23 And then he called for help; not for himself, but for the homeless

ones; and everybody helped. The ruined homes were built again.

24 And then he saw his own poor den; his heart was stirred into its

depths.

25 The pride of manhood filled his soul; he said, This wretched

den shall be a home. He worked as he had never wrought before, and

everybody helped.

26 And in a little while the den became a home indeed; the flowers of

love bloomed everywhere.

27 The mother and the little ones were filled with joy; the father

never drank again.

28 A man was saved, and no one ever said a word about neglect or

drunkenness, nor urged him to reform.

CHAPTER 93.

_The Christines go through a field of ripe wheat, and the

disciples eat of the wheat. Jesus exonerates them. The

Christines return to Capernaum. Jesus heals a withered hand

on the Sabbath, and defends his deed._

Another Sabbath day had come and Jesus and the twelve walked through a

field of ripened wheat.

2 And they were hungry and they took the heads of wheat and in their

hands threshed out the grain and ate.

3 Among the men who followed them were Pharisees of strictest sect,

and when they saw the twelve thresh out the wheat and eat, they said

to Jesus,

4 Sir, why do the twelve do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath

day?

5 And Jesus said, Have you not heard what David did when he and those

who followed him had need of food?

6 How he went to the house of God and from the table in the Holy Place

took of the presence bread and ate, and gave to those who followed him?

7 I tell you, men, the needs of man are higher than the law of rites.

8 And in our sacred books we read how priests profane the Sabbath day

in many ways while they are serving in the Holy Place, and still are

free from guilt.

9 The Sabbath day was made for man; man was not made to fit the

Sabbath day.

10 The man is son of God and under the eternal law of right, which is

the highest law, he may annul the statute laws.

11 The law of sacrifice is but the law of man, and in our law we read

that God desires mercy first; and mercy stands above all statute laws.

12 The son of man is Lord of every law. Did not a prophet sum the

duties of the man when in the book he wrote: In mercy follow justice

and walk humbly with your God?

13 Then Jesus and the twelve returned to Galilee, and on the day

before the Sabbath day they reached the home of Jesus in Capernaum.

14 And on the Sabbath day they went up to the synagogue. The

multitudes were there and Jesus taught.

15 Among the worshippers was one, a man who had a withered hand. The

scribes and Pharisees observed that Jesus saw the man, and then they

said,

16 What will he do? Will he attempt to heal upon the Sabbath day?

17 And Jesus knew their thoughts and he called to the man who had the

withered hand and said, Arise, stand forth before these men.

18 And Jesus said, You scribes and Pharisees, speak out and answer me:

Is it a crime to save a life upon the Sabbath day?

19 If you had sheep and one of them fell in a pit upon the Sabbath day

would you do wrong to take it out?

20 Or would it please your God to let it suffer in the mire until

another day?

21 But his accusers held their peace.

22 And then he said to them, Are sheep of greater value than a man?

23 The law of God is written on the rock of Right; and Justice wrote

the law, and Mercy was the pen.

24 And then he said, Man, raise your hand and stretch it forth. He

raised his hand; it was restored.

25 The Pharisees were filled with rage. They called in secret council

the Herodians, and they began to plot and plan how they might bring

about his death.

26 They were afraid to publicly accuse, because the multitudes stood

forth in his defense.

27 And Jesus and the twelve went down and walked beside the sea, and

many people followed them.

CHAPTER 94.

_The Sermon on the Mount. Jesus reveals to the twelve the

secret of prayer. The model prayer. The law of forgiveness.

The holy fast. The evil of deceit. Almsgiving._

Next morning e’er the sun had risen Jesus and the twelve went to a

mountain near the sea to pray; and Jesus taught the twelve disciples

how to pray. He said,

2 Prayer is the deep communion of the soul with God;

3 So when you pray do not deceive yourselves as do the hypocrites who

love to stand upon the streets and in the synagogues and pour out many

words to please the ears of men.

4 And they adorn themselves with pious airs that they may have the

praise of men. They seek the praise of men and their reward is sure.

5 But when you pray, go to the closet of your soul; close all the

doors, and in the holy silence, pray.

6 You need not speak a multitude of words, nor yet repeat the words

again and then again, as heathen do. Just say,

7 Our Father-God who art in heaven; holy is thy name. Thy kingdom

come; thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven.

8 Give us this day our needed bread;

9 Help us forget the debts that other people owe to us, that all our

debts may be discharged.

10 And shield us from the tempter’s snares that are too great for us

to bear;

11 And when they come give us the strength to overcome.

12 If you would be discharged from all the debts you owe to God and

man, the debts you have incurred by wilfully transgressing law,

13 You must pass by the debts of every man; for as you deal with other

men your God will deal with you.

14 And when you fast you may not advertise the deed.

15 When fast the hypocrites they paint their faces, look demure,

assume a pious pose, that they may seem to men to fast.

16 A fast is deed of soul, and like a prayer, it is a function of the

silence of the soul.

17 God never passes by unnoticed any prayer, or fast. He walks within

the silence, and his benedictions rest on every effort of the soul.

18 Deception is hypocrisy, and you shall not assume to be what you are

not.

19 You may not clothe yourselves in special garb to advertise your

piety, nor yet assume the tone of voice that men conceive to be a holy

voice.

20 And when you give to aid the needy ones, blow not a trumpet in the

street, nor synagogue to advertise your gift.

21 He who does alms for praise of men has his reward from men; but God

regardeth not.

22 In giving alms do not let the right hand know the secret of the

left.

CHAPTER 95.

_The Sermon on the Mount, continued. Jesus pronounces the eight

beatitudes and the eight woes. Speaks words of encouragement.

Emphasizes the exalted character of the apostolic work._

And Jesus and the twelve went to the mountain top, and Jesus said,

2 Twelve pillars of the church, apostles of the Christ; light-bearers

of the sun of life and ministers of God to men:

3 In just a little while you must go forth alone, and preach the

gospel of the king, first to the Jews and then to all the world.

4 And you shall go, not with a scourge of cords to drive; you cannot

drive men to the king;

5 But you shall go in love and helpfulness and lead the way to right

and light.

6 Go forth and say, The kingdom is at hand.

7 Worthy are the strong in spirit; theirs the kingdom is.

8 Worthy are the meek; they shall possess the land.

9 Worthy they who hunger and who thirst for right; they shall be

satisfied.

10 Worthy are the merciful; and mercy shall be shown to them.

11 Worthy they who gain the mastery of self; they have the key of

power.

12 Worthy are the pure in heart; and they shall see the king.

13 Worthy they who are maligned and wronged because they do the right;

their persecutors they shall bless.

14 Worthy is the trustful child of faith; he shall sit in the throne

of power.

15 Be not discouraged when the world shall persecute and call you

curst; but rather be exceeding glad.

16 The prophets and the seers, and all the good of earth, have been

maligned.

17 If you are worthy of the crown of life you will be slandered,

vilified and curst on earth.

18 Rejoice when evil men shall drive you from their ways and cause

your name to be a hiss and byword in the street.

19 I say, rejoice; but deal in mercy with the doers of the wrong; they

are but children at their play; they know not what they do.

20 Rejoice not over fallen foes. As you help men rise from the depth

of sin, so God will help you on to greater heights.

21 Woe to the rich is gold and lands; they have temptations multiform.

22 Woe unto men who walk at will in pleasure’s paths; their ways are

full of snares and dangerous pits.

23 Woe to the proud; they stand upon a precipice; destruction waits

for them.

24 Woe to the man of greed; for what he has is not his own; and, lo,

another comes; his wealth is gone.

25 Woe to the hypocrite; his form is fair to look upon; his heart is

filled with carcasses and dead men’s bones.

26 Woe to the cruel and relentless man; he is himself the victim of

his deeds.

27 The evil he would do to other men rebounds; the scourger is the

scourged.

28 Woe to the libertine who preys upon the virtues of the weak. The

hour comes when he will be the weak, the victim of a libertine of

greater power.

29 Woe unto you when all the world shall speak in praise of you. The

world speaks not in praise of men who live within the Holy Breath; it

speaks in praise of prophets false, and of illusions base.

30 You men who walk in Holy Breath are salt, the salt of earth; but if

you lose your virtue you are salt in name alone, worth nothing more

than dust.

31 And you are light; are called to light the world.

32 A city on a hill cannot be hid; its lights are seen afar; and while

you stand upon the hills of life men see your light and imitate your

works and honor God.

33 Men do not light a lamp and hide it in a cask; they put it on a

stand that it may light the house.

34 You are the lamps of God; must not stand in the shade of earth

illusions, but in the open, high upon the stand.

35 I am not come to nullify the law, nor to destroy; but to fulfill.

36 The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms were written in the wisdom of

the Holy Breath and cannot fail.

37 The heavens and earth that are will change and pass away; the

word of God is sure; it cannot pass until it shall accomplish that

whereunto it hath been sent.

38 Whoever disregards the law of God and teaches men to do the same,

becomes a debtor unto God and cannot see his face until he has

returned and paid his debt by sacrifice of life.

39 But he who hearkens unto God and keeps his law and does his will on

earth, shall rule with Christ.

40 The scribes and Pharisees regard the letter of the law; they cannot

comprehend the spirit of the law;

41 And if your righteousness does not exceed the righteousness of

scribe and Pharisee you cannot come into the kingdom of the soul.

42 It is not what man does that gives him right to enter through the

gates; his pass word is his character and his desire is his character.

43 The letter of the law deals with the acts of man; the spirit of the

law takes note of his desires.

CHAPTER 96.

_The Sermon on the Mount, continued. Jesus considers the Ten

Commandments. The philosophy of Christ the spirit of the

Commandments. Jesus unfolds the spiritual aspects of the

first four Commandments._

God gave the Ten Commandments unto men; upon the mountain Moses saw

the words of God; he wrote them down on solid rock; they cannot be

destroyed.

2 These Ten Commandments show the justice side of God; but now the

love of God made manifest brings mercy on the wings of Holy Breath.

3 Upon the unity of God the law was built. In all the world there is

one force; Jehovah is Almighty God.

4 Jehovah wrote upon the heavens and Moses read,

5 I am Almighty God and you shall have no God but me.

6 There is one force, but many phases of that force; these phases men

call powers.

7 All powers are of God; and they are manifests of God; they are the

Spirits of the God.

8 If men could seem to find another force and worship at its shrine,

they would but court illusion, vain,

9 A shadow of the One, Jehovah, God, and they who worship shadows are

but shadows on the wall; for men are what they court.

10 And God would have all men to be the substance, and in mercy he

commanded, You shall seek no God but me.

11 And finite man can never comprehend infinite things. Man cannot

make an image of the Infinite in force.

12 And when men make a God of stone or wood or clay they make an image

of a shade; and they who worship at the shrine of shades are shades.

13 So God in mercy said, You shall not carve out images of wood, or

clay, or stone.

14 Such idols are ideals, abased ideals, and men can gain no higher

plane than their ideals.

15 The God is Spirit, and in spirit men must worship if they would

attain a consciousness of God.

16 But man can never make a picture or an image of the Holy Breath.

17 The name of God man may not speak with carnal lips; with Holy

Breath alone can man pronounce the name.

18 In vanity men think they know the name of God; they speak it

lightly and irreverently, and thus they are accursed.

19 If men did know the sacred name and spoke it with unholy lips, they

would not live to speak it once again.

20 But God in mercy has not yet unveiled his name to those who cannot

speak with Holy Breath.

21 But they who speak the substitute in idle way are guilty in the

sight of God, who said,

22 You shall not take the name of God in vain.

23 The number of the Holy Breath is seven, and God holds in his hands

the sevens of time.

24 In forming worlds he rested on the seventh day, and every seventh

day is set apart as Sabbath day for men. God said,

25 The seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; remember it and

keep it wholly set apart for works of holiness; that is, for works not

for the selfish self, but for the universal self.

26 Men may do work for self upon the six days of the week; but on the

Sabbath of the Lord they must do naught for self.

27 This day is consecrated unto God; but man serves God by serving man.

CHAPTER 97.

_The Sermon on the Mount, continued. Jesus unfolds to the

twelve the spiritual aspects of the fifth and sixth

Commandments._

God is not force alone; for wisdom is his counterpart.

2 When cherubim instructed man in wisdom’s ways they said that wisdom

is the Mother of the race, as force is Father of the race.

3 The man who honors the almighty and omniscient God is blessed, and

in the tables of the law we read,

4 Pay homage to your Father and your Mother of the race, that your

days may be prolonged upon the land that they have given you.

5 The letter of the law commands; You shall not kill; and he who kills

must stand before the judgment seat,

6 A person may desire to kill, yet if he does not kill he is not

judged by law.

7 The spirit of the law avers that he who shall desire to kill, or

seeks revenge, is angry with a man without sufficient cause, must

answer to the judge;

8 And he who calls his brother soulless vagabond shall answer to the

council of the just;

9 And he who calls his brother a degenerate, a dog, fans into life the

burning fires of hell within himself.

10 Now, in the higher law we read that if your brother is aggrieved

by something you have done, before you offer unto God your gifts, go

forth and find your brother and be reconciled to him.

11 It is not well to let the sun go down upon your wrath.

12 If he will not be reconciled when you have laid aside all selfish

pleas, have waived all selfish rights, you will be guiltless in the

sight of God; then go and offer unto God your gifts.

13 If you owe aught to any man and cannot pay; or if a man shall claim

a greater sum than is his due, it is not well that you dispute his

claims.

14 Resistance is the sire of anger; there is no mercy and no reason in

a wrathful man.

15 I tell you it is better far to suffer loss than go to law, or call

upon the courts of men to judge of right and wrong.

16 The law of carnal man would say, Eye for eye and tooth for tooth;

resist encroachment on your rights.

17 But this is not the law of God. The Holy Breath would say, Resist

not him who would deprive you of your goods.

18 He who would take your coat by force is still a brother man and you

should gain his heart, which by resistance cannot be done;

19 Give him your coat and offer him still more and more; in time the

man will rise above the brute; you will have saved him from himself.

20 Refuse not him who calls for help and give to him who asks to

borrow aught.

21 And if a man shall strike you in a fitful, or an angry way, it is

not well to smite him in return.

22 Men call him coward who will not fight and thus defend his rights;

but he is much the greater man who is assailed, is smitten and does

not smite;

23 Who is maligned and answers not, than he who smites the smiter and

reviles the one who slanders him.

24 It has been said in olden times that man shall love his friend and

hate his foe; but, lo, I say,

25 Be merciful unto your foes; bless those who slander you; do good to

those who do you harm and pray for those who trample on your rights.

26 Remember, you are children of the God who makes his sun to rise

alike upon the evil and the good, who sends his rain upon the unjust

and the just.

27 If you do unto other men as they do unto you, you are but slaves,

but followers in the way to death.

28 But you, as children of the light, must lead the way.

29 Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

30 When you do good to those who have done good to you, you do no more

than other men; the publicans do that.

31 If you salute your friends and not your foes, you are like other

men; the publicans have set the pace.

32 Be perfect as your Father-God in heaven is.

CHAPTER 98.

_The Sermon on the Mount, continued. Jesus reveals to the

twelve the spiritual aspects of the seventh, eighth and tenth

Commandments._

The law forbids adultery; but in the eyes of law adultery is an overt

act, the satisfaction of the sensuous self outside the marriage bonds.

2 Now, marriage in the sight of law is but a promise made by man and

woman, by the sanction of a priest, to live for aye in harmony and

love.

3 No priest nor officer has power from God to bind two souls in wedded

love.

4 What is the marriage tie? Is it comprised in what a priest or

officer may say?

5 Is it the scroll on which the officer or priest has written the

permission for the two to live in marriage bonds?

6 Is it the promise of the two that they will love each other until

death?

7 Is love a passion that is subject to the will of man?

8 Can man pick up his love, as he would pick up precious gems, and lay

it down, or give it out to any one?

9 Can love be bought and sold like sheep?

10 Love is the power of God that binds two souls and makes them one;

there is no power on earth that can dissolve the bond.

11 The bodies may be forced apart by man or death for just a little

time; but they will meet again.

12 Now, in this bond of God we find the marriage tie; all other unions

are but bonds of straw, and they who live in them commit adultery,

13 The same as they who satisfy their lust without the sanction of an

officer or priest.

14 But more than this; the man or woman who indulges lustful thoughts

commits adultery.

15 Whom God has joined together man cannot part; whom man has joined

together live in sin.

16 Upon a table of the law, the great lawgiver wrote, Thou shalt not

steal.

17 Before the eyes of law a man to steal must take a thing that can be

seen with eyes of flesh, without the knowledge or consent of him to

whom the thing belongs.

18 But, lo, I say that he who in his heart desires to possess that

which is not his own, and would deprive the owner of the thing without

his knowledge or consent, is in the sight of God, a thief.

19 The things that men see not with eyes of flesh are of more worth

than are the things that man can see.

20 A man’s good name is worth a thousand mines of gold, and he who

says a word or does a deed that injures or defames that name has taken

what is not his own, and is a thief.

21 Upon a table of the law we also read; Thou shalt not covet anything.

22 To covet is an all-consuming wish to have what is not right for one

to have.

23 And such a wish, within the spirit of the law, is theft.

CHAPTER 99.

_The Sermon on the Mount, continued. Jesus unfolds to the

twelve the spiritual aspects of the ninth Commandment._

The law has said: Thou shalt not lie; but in the eyes of law a man to

lie must tell in words what is not true.

2 Now, in the light of spirit law, deceit in any form is nothing but a

lie.

3 A man may lie by look or act; yea, even by his silence may deceive,

and thus be guilty in the eyes of Holy Breath.

4 It has been said in olden times: Thou shalt not swear by thine own

life.

5 But, lo, I say, Swear not at all; not by the head, the heart, the

eye, nor hand; not by the sun, the moon, nor stars;

6 Not by the name of God, nor by the name of any spirit, good or bad.

7 You shall not swear by anything; for in an oath there is no gain.

8 A man whose word must be propped up by oath of any kind is not

trustworthy in the sight of God or man.

9 By oath you cannot make a leaf to fall, nor turn the color of a hair.

10 The man of worth just speaks, and men know that he speaks the truth.

11 The man who pours out many words to make men think he speaks the

truth, is simply making smoke to hide a lie.

12 And there are many men with seeming double hearts; men who would

serve two masters at a time--two masters quite adverse.

13 Men feign to worship God upon the Sabbath day and then pay court to

Beelzebul on every other day.

14 No man can serve two masters at a time no more than he can ride two

asses at a time that go in different ways.

15 The man who feigns to worship God and Beelzebul is foe of God, a

pious devil and a curse of men.

16 And men cannot lay treasures up in heaven and earth at once.

17 Then, lo, I say, Lift up your eyes and see the safety vaults of

heaven, and there deposit every gem,

18 Where moth and rust cannot corrupt; where thieves cannot break in

and steal.

19 There are no safety vaults on earth; no place secure from moth, and

rust and thieves.

20 The treasures of the earth are but illusive things that pass away.

21 Be not deceived; your treasures are the anchor of the soul, and

where your treasures are your heart will be.

22 Fix not your heart upon the things of earth; be anxious not about

the things to eat, or drink, or wear.

23 God cares for those who trust in him and serve the race.

24 Behold the birds! They praise God in their songs; the earth is made

more glorious by their ministry of joy; God keeps them in the hollow

of his hand,

25 And not a sparrow falls to earth without his care; and every one

that falls shall rise again.

26 Behold the flowers of earth! they trust in God and grow; they make

the earth resplendent with their beauty and perfume.

27 Look at the lilies of the field, the messengers of holy love. No

son of man, not even Solomon in all his excellence, was ever clothed

like one of these.

28 And yet they simply trust in God; they feed from out his hand; they

lay their heads to rest upon his breast.

29 If God so clothes and feeds the flowers and birds that do his will,

will he not feed and clothe his children when they trust in him?

30 Seek first the kingdom of the soul, the righteousness of God, the

good of men, and murmur not; God will protect, and feed, and clothe.

CHAPTER 100.

_The Sermon on the Mount, continued. Jesus formulates and

presents to the twelve a practical code of spiritual ethics._

There is a rule that carnal man has made, and which he rigidly

observes:

2 Do unto other men as they do unto you. As others judge, they judge;

as others give, they give.

3 Now, while you walk with men as men, judge not, and you shall not be

judged.

4 For as you judge you shall be judged, and as you give it shall be

given to you. If you condemn, you are condemned.

5 When you show mercy, men are merciful to you, and if you love in

such a way that carnal man can comprehend your love, you will be well

beloved.

6 And so the wise man of this world does unto other men as he would

have them do to him.

7 The carnal man does good to other men for selfish gain, for he

expects to have his blessings multiplied and then returned; he does

not stop to note the end.

8 Man is himself the field; his deeds are seeds, and what he does to

others grows apace; the harvest time is sure.

9 Behold the yield! If he has sown the wind, he reaps the wind; if he

has sown the noxious seeds of scandal, theft and hate; of sensuality

and crime,

10 The harvest is assured and he must reap what he has sown; yea,

more; the seeds produce an hundred fold.

11 The fruit of righteousness and peace and love and joy can never

spring from noxious seeds; the fruit is like the seed.

12 And when you sow, sow seeds of right, because it is the right, and

not in way of trade, expecting rich rewards.

13 The carnal man abhors the spirit law, because it takes away his

liberty to live in sin; beneath its light he cannot satisfy his

passions and desires.

14 He is at enmity with him who walks in Holy Breath. The carnal man

has killed the holy men of old, the prophets and the seers.

15 And he will buffet you; will charge you falsely, scourge you and

imprison you, and think he does the will of God to slay you in the

streets.

16 But you may not prejudge nor censure him who does you wrong.

17 Each one has problems to be solved, and he must solve them for

himself.

18 The man who scourges you may have a load of sin to bear; but how

about your own?

19 A little sin in one who walks in Holy Breath is greater in the

sight of God than monster sins in him who never knew the way.

20 How can you see the splinter in your brother’s eye while you have

chunks within your own?

21 First take the chunks from out your eye and then you may behold the

splinter in your brother’s eye and help him take it out,

22 And while your eyes are full of foreign things you cannot see the

way, for you are blind,

23 And when the blind lead forth the blind, both lose the way and fall

into the slough.

24 If you would lead the way to God you must be clear in sight, as

well as pure in heart.

CHAPTER 101.

_The Sermon on the Mount, concluded. The concluding part of the

code of ethics. The Christines return to Capernaum._

The fruitage of the tree of life is all too fine to feed the carnal

mind.

2 If you would throw a diamond to a hungry dog, lo, he would turn

away, or else attack you in a rage.

3 The incense that is sweet to God is quite offensive unto Beelzebul;

the bread of heaven is but chaff to men who cannot comprehend the

spirit life.

4 The master must be wise and feed the soul with what it can digest.

5 If you have not the food for every man, just ask and you shall have;

seek earnestly and you shall find.

6 Just speak the Word and knock; the door will fly ajar.

7 No one has ever asked in faith and did not have; none ever sought in

vain; no one who ever knocked aright has failed to find an open door.

8 When men shall ask you for the bread of heaven, turn not away, nor

give to them the fruit of carnal trees.

9 If one, a son, would ask you for a loaf, would you give him a stone?

If he would ask you for a fish, would you give him a serpent of the

dust?

10 What you would have your God give unto you, give unto men. The

measure of your worth lies in your service unto men.

11 There is a way that leads unto the perfect life; few find it at a

time.

12 It is a narrow way; it lies among the rocks and pitfalls of the

carnal life; but in the way there are no pitfalls and no rocks.

13 There is a way that leads to wretchedness and want. It is a

spacious way and many walk therein. It lies among the pleasure groves

of carnal life.

14 Beware, for many claim to walk the way of life who walk the way of

death.

15 But they are false in word and deed; false prophets they. They

clothe themselves in skins of sheep, while they are vicious wolves.

16 They cannot long conceal themselves; men know them by their fruits;

17 You cannot gather grapes from thorns, nor from the thistles, figs.

18 The fruit is daughter of the tree and, like the parent, so the

child; and every tree that bears not wholesome fruit is plucked up by

the roots and cast away,

19 Because a man prays long and loud is not a sign that he is saint.

The praying men are not all in the kingdom of the soul.

20 The man who lives the holy life, who does the will of God, abides

within the kingdom of the soul.

21 The good man from the treasures of his heart sends blessedness and

peace to all the world.

22 The evil man sends thoughts that blight and wither hope and joy and

fill the world with wretchedness and woe.

23 Men think and act and speak out of the abundance of the heart.

24 And when the judgment hour shall come a host of men will enter

pleadings for themselves and think to buy the favor of the judge with

words.

25 And they will say, Lo, we have wrought a multitude of works in the

Omnific name,

26 Have we not prophesied? Have we not cured all manner of disease?

Have we not cast the evil spirits out of those obsessed?

27 And then the judge will say, I know you not. You rendered service

unto God in words when in your heart you worshipped Beelzebul.

28 The evil one may use the powers of life, and do a multitude of

mighty works. Depart from me, you workers of iniquity.

29 The man who hears the words of life and does them not is like the

man who builds his house upon the sand, which when the floods come on,

is washed away and all is lost.

30 But he who hears the words of life and in an honest, sincere heart

receives and treasures them and lives the holy life,

31 Is like the man who builds his house upon the rock; the floods may

come, the winds may blow, the storms may beat upon his house; it is

not moved.

32 Go forth and build your life upon the solid rock of truth, and all

the powers of the evil one will shake it not.

33 And Jesus finished all his sayings on the mount and then he, with

the twelve, returned unto Capernaum.

CHAPTER 102.

_The Christines at the home of Jesus. Jesus unfolds to them the

secret doctrine. They go through all Galilee and teach and

heal. Jesus brings to life the son of a widow at Nain. They

return to Capernaum._

The twelve apostles went with Jesus to his home, and there abode for

certain days.

2 And Jesus told them many things about the inner life that may not

now be written in a book.

3 Now, in Capernaum there lived a man of wealth, a Roman captain of a

hundred men, who loved the Jews and who had built for them a synagogue.

4 A servant of this man was paralyzed, and he was sick nigh unto death.

5 The captain knew of Jesus and had heard that by the sacred Word he

healed the sick, and he had faith in him.

6 He sent a message by the elders of the Jews to Jesus, and he plead

for help.

7 And Jesus recognized the captain’s faith and went at once to heal

the sick; the captain met him on the way and said to him,

8 Lo, Lord, it is not well that you should come into my house; I am

not worthy of the presence of a man of God.

9 I am a man of war; my life is spent with those who ofttimes take the

lives of fellow men,

10 And surely he who comes to save would be dishonored if he came

beneath my roof.

11 If you will speak the Word I know my servant will be well.

12 And Jesus turned and said to those who followed him,

13 Behold the captain’s faith; I have not seen such faith, no, not in

Israel.

14 Behold, the feast is spread for you; but while you doubt and wait,

the alien comes in faith and takes the bread of life.

15 Then turning to the man he said, Go on your way; according to your

faith so shall it be; your servant lives.

16 It came to pass that at the time that Jesus spoke the Word the

palsied man arose, and he was well.

17 And then the Christines went abroad to teach. And as they came to

Nain, a city on the Hermon way, they saw a multitude about the gates.

18 It was a funeral train; a widow’s son was dead, and friends were

bearing out the body to the tomb.

19 It was the widow’s only son, and she was wild with grief. And Jesus

said to her, Weep not, I am the life; your son shall live.

20 And Jesus raised his hand; the bearers of the dead stood still.

21 And Jesus touched the bier and said, Young man, return.

22 The soul returned; the body of the dead was filled with life; the

man sat up and spoke.

23 The people were astonished at the scene, and every one exclaimed,

Praise God.

24 A Jewish priest stood forth and said, Behold, a mighty prophet has

appeared; and all the people said, Amen.

25 The Christines journeyed on; they taught, and healed the sick in

many towns of Galilee, and then they came again unto Capernaum.

CHAPTER 103.

_The Christines in Jesus’ home. Jesus teaches the twelve

and the foreign masters every morning. Jesus receives

messengers from John, the harbinger, and sends him words of

encouragement. He eulogizes the character of John._

The home of Jesus was a school where in the early morning hours the

twelve apostles and the foreign priests were taught the secret things

of God.

2 And there were present priests from China, India and from Babylon;

from Persia, Egypt and from Greece,

3 Who came to sit at Jesus’ feet to learn the wisdom that he brought

to men, that they might teach their people how to live the holy life.

4 And Jesus taught them how to teach; he told them of the trials of

the way, and how to make these trials serve the race.

5 He taught them how to live the holy life that they might conquer

death;

6 He taught them what the end of mortal life will be, when man has

reached the consciousness that he and God are one.

7 The after midday hours were given to the multitudes who came to

learn the way of life and to be healed; and many did believe and were

baptized.

8 Now, in his prison by the Bitter Sea the harbinger had heard of all

the mighty works that Jesus did.

9 His prison life was hard, and he was sore distressed, and he began

to doubt.

10 And to himself he said, I wonder if this Jesus is the Christ of

whom the prophets wrote!

11 Was I mistaken in my work? Was I, indeed, one sent from God to pave

the way for him who shall redeem our people, Israel?

12 And then he sent some of his friends, who came to see him in his

prison cell, up to Capernaum that they might learn about this man, and

bring him word.

13 The men found Jesus in his home, and said, Behold the harbinger

sent us to ask, Are you the Christ? or is he yet to come?

14 But Jesus answered not; he simply bade the men to tarry certain

days that they might see and hear.

15 They saw him heal the sick, and cause the lame to walk, the deaf to

hear, the blind to see;

16 They saw him cast the evil spirits out of those obsessed; they saw

him raise the dead.

17 They heard him preach the gospel to the poor.

18 Then Jesus said to them, Go on your way; return to John and tell

him all that you have seen and heard; then he will know. They went

their way.

19 The multitudes were there, and Jesus said to them, Once you were

crowding Jordan’s fords; you filled the wilderness.

20 What did you go to see? The trees of Juda, and the flowers of Heth?

Or did you go to see a man in kingly garb? Or did you go to see a

prophet and a seer?

21 I tell you, men, you know not whom you saw. A prophet? Yea, and

more; a messenger whom God had sent to pave the way for what you see

and hear this day.

22 Among the men of earth a greater man has never lived than John.

23 Behold I say, This man whom Herod bound in chains and cast into a

prison cell, is God’s Elijah come again to earth.

24 Elijah, who did not pass the gates of death, whose body of this

flesh was changed, and he awoke in Paradise.

25 When John came forth and preached the gospel of repentance for the

cleansing of the soul, the common folks believed and were baptized.

26 The lawyers and the Pharisees accepted not the teachings of this

man; were not baptized.

27 Behold, neglected opportunities will never come again.

28 Behold, the people are unstable as the waters of the sea; they seek

to be excused from righteousness.

29 John came and ate no bread, and drank no wine. He lived the

simplest life apart from men, and people said, He is obsessed.

30 Another comes who eats and drinks and lives in homes like other

men, and people say, He is a glutton, an inebriate, a friend of

publicans and those who sin.

31 Woe unto you, you cities of the vale of Galilee, where all the

mighty works of God are done! Woe to Chorazan and Bethsaida!

32 If half the mighty works that have been done in you were done in

Tyre and in Sidon they would have long ago repented of their sins, and

sought the way of right.

33 And when the judgment day shall come, lo, Tyre and Sidon will be

called more worthy than will you,

34 Because they slighted not their gifts, while you have thrown away

the pearl of greatest price.

35 Woe unto you Capernaum! Behold, you are exalted now, but you shall

be abased;

36 For if the mighty works that have been done in you had but been

done within the cities of the plain--of Sodom and Zeboim--they would

have heard and turned to God; would not have been destroyed.

37 They perished in their ignorance; they had no light; but you have

heard; you have the evidence.

38 The light of life has shown above your hills and all the shores of

Galilee have been ablaze with light;

39 The glory of the Lord has shown in every street and synagogue and

home; but you have spurned the light.

40 And, lo, I say, The judgment day will come and God will deal in

greater mercy with the cities of the plains than he will deal with you.

CHAPTER 104.

_Jesus teaches the multitudes. Attends a feast in Simon’s

house. A wealthy courtesan anoints him with precious

balm. Simon rebukes him and he preaches a sermon on false

respectability._

And Jesus looked upon the multitudes who pressed about for selfish

gain.

2 The men of learning and of wealth, of reputation and of power, were

there; but they knew not the Christ.

3 Their eyes were blinded by the tinseled glitter of their selfish

selves; they could not see the king.

4 And though they walked within the light, they groped about in

dark--a darkness like the night of death.

5 And Jesus cast his eyes to heaven and said,

6 I thank thee, Holy One of heaven and earth, that while the light is

hidden from the wise and great, it is revealed to babes.

7 Then turning to the multitudes he said, I come to you not in the

name of man, nor in a strength my own;

8 The wisdom and the virtue that I bring to you are from above; they

are the wisdom and the virtue of the God whom we adore.

9 The words I speak are not my words; I give to you what I receive.

10 Come unto me all you who labor and pull heavy loads and I will give

you aid.

11 Put on the yoke of Christ with me; it does not chafe; it is an

easy yoke.

12 Together we will pull the load of life with ease; and so rejoice.

13 A Pharisee, whose name was Simon, made a feast, and Jesus was the

honored guest.

14 And as they sat about the board, a courtesan who had been cured

of her desire to sin by what she had received and seen in Jesus’

ministry, came uninvited to the feast.

15 She brought an alabaster box of costly balm and as the guests

reclined she came to Jesus in her joy, because she had been freed from

sin,

16 Her tears fell fast, she kissed his feet, and dried them with her

hair, and she anointed them with balm.

17 And Simon thought, he did not speak aloud, This man is not a

prophet or he would know the kind of woman that approaches him, and

would drive her away.

18 But Jesus knew his thoughts, and said to him, My host, I have a

word to say to you.

19 And Simon said, Say on.

20 And Jesus said, Sin is a monster of iniquity; it may be small;

it may be large; it may be something done; it may be something left

undone.

21 Behold, one person leads a life of sin and is at last redeemed;

another, in a careless mood, forgets to do the things he ought to do;

but he reforms and is forgiven. Now, which of these has merited the

higher praise?

22 And Simon said, The one who overcame the errors of a life.

23 And Jesus said, You speak the truth.

24 Behold, this woman who has bathed my feet with tears and dried them

with her hair and covered them with balm!

25 For years she led a life of sin, but when she heard the words of

life she sought forgiveness and she found.

26 But when I came into your house as guest you gave me not a bowl of

water that I might wash my hands and feet, which every loyal Jew must

do before he feasts.

27 Now, tell me, Simon, which of these, this woman or yourself, is

worthy of most praise?

28 But Simon answered not.

29 Then to the woman Jesus said, Your sins are all forgiven; your

faith has saved you; go in peace.

30 And then the guests who sat around the board, began to say within

themselves, What manner of a man is this who says, Thy sins are all

forgiven?

CHAPTER 105.

_Under the patronage of a number of wealthy women, the

Christines make a grand missionary tour. In his teaching

Jesus lauds sincerity and rebukes hypocrisy. He speaks

concerning the sin against the Holy Breath._

Now, many women who possessed much wealth, and who abode in other

towns of Galilee, implored that Jesus and the twelve, together with

the masters from the foreign lands, would thither go and preach and

heal.

2 Among these anxious ones were Mary Magdalene, who was obsessed by

seven homeless spirits of the air, which had been driven out by the

Omnific Word which Jesus spoke;

3 Susanna, who owned vast estates at Cæsarea-Philippi;

4 Johanna, wife of Chuza, one of Herod’s court;

5 And Rachel from the coast of Tyre;

6 And others from beyond the Jordan and the sea of Galilee.

7 And they provided ample means and three times seven men went forth.

8 They preached the gospel of the Christ, and they baptized the

multitudes who made confession of their faith; they healed the sick

and raised the dead.

9 And Jesus wrought and taught from early morn until the day had gone,

and then into the night; he did not stop to eat.

10 His friends became alarmed lest he should fail from loss of

strength, and they laid hold of him and would, by force, have taken

him away to place of rest.

11 But he rebuked them not; he said, Have you not read that God will

give his angels charge concerning me?

12 That they would hold me fast and suffer not that I should come to

want?

13 I tell you, men, while I am giving out my strength unto these

anxious, waiting throngs I find myself at rest within the arms of God,

14 Whose blessed messengers bring down to me the bread of life.

15 There is a tide just once in human life.

16 These people now are willing to receive the truth; their

opportunity is now: our opportunity is now.

17 And if we do not teach them while we may, the tide will ebb;

18 They may not care again to hear the truth; then tell me, Who will

bear the guilt?

19 And so he taught and healed.

20 Among the multitudes were men of every shade of thought. They were

divided in their views concerning everything that Jesus said.

21 Some saw in him a God, and would have worshipped him; and others

saw in him a devil of the nether world and would have cast him in a

pit.

22 And some were trying hard to lead a double life; like little lions

of the ground that take upon themselves the color of the thing they

rest upon.

23 These people without anchorage of any sort, are friends or foes as

seemed to serve them best.

24 And Jesus said, No man can serve two masters at a time. No man can

be a friend and foe at once.

25 All men are rising up, or sinking down; are building up, or tearing

down.

26 If you are gathering not the precious grain, then you are throwing

it away.

27 He is a coward who would feign to be a friend, or foe, to please

another man.

28 You men, do not deceive yourselves in thought; your hearts are

known;

29 Hypocrisy will blight a soul as surely as the breath of Beelzebul.

An honest evil man is more esteemed by guardians of the soul than a

dishonest pious man.

30 If you would curse the son of man, just curse him out aloud.

31 A curse is poison to the inner man, and if you hold and swallow

down a curse it never will digest; lo, it will poison every atom of

your soul.

32 And if you sin against a son of man, you may be pardoned and your

guilt be cleansed by acts of kindness and of love;

33 But if you sin against the Holy Breath by disregarding her when

she would open up the doors of life for you;

34 By closing up the windows of the soul when she would pour the light

of love into your hearts, and cleanse them with the fires of God;

35 Your guilt shall not be blotted out in this, nor in the life to

come.

36 An opportunity has gone to come no more, and you must wait until

the ages roll again.

37 Then will the Holy Breath again breathe on your fires of life, and

fan them to a living flame.

38 Then she will open up the doors again, and you may let her in to

sup with you forevermore, or you may slight her once again, and then

again.

39 You men of Israel, your opportunity is now.

40 Your tree of life is an illusive tree; it has a generous crop of

leaves; its boughs hang low with fruit.

41 Behold, your words are leaves; your deeds the fruit.

42 Behold, for men have plucked the apples of your tree of life, and

found them full of bitterness; and worms have eaten to the core.

43 Behold that fig tree by the way so full of leaves and worthless

fruit!

44 Then Jesus spoke a word that nature spirits know, and lo, the fig

tree stood a mass of withered leaves.

45 And then he spoke again, Behold, for God will speak the Word, and

you will stand a withered fig tree in the setting sun.

46 You men of Galilee, send forth and call the pruner in before it is

too late, and let him prune away your worthless branches and illusive

leaves, and let the sunshine in.

47 The sun is life, and it can change your worthlessness to worth.

48 Your tree of life is good; but you have nurtured it so long with

dews of self, and mists of carnal things that you have shut the

sunshine out.

49 I tell you, men, that you must give account to God for every idle

word you speak and every evil deed you do.

CHAPTER 106.

_The Christines are in Magdala. Jesus heals a man who was

blind, dumb and obsessed. He teaches the people. While he

speaks his mother, brothers and Miriam come to him. He

teaches a lesson on family relationship. He introduces Miriam

to the people and she sings her songs of victory._

Magdala is beside the sea, and here the teachers taught.

2 A man obsessed, and who was blind and dumb was brought, and Jesus

spoke the Word, and lo, the evil spirits went away; the man spoke out,

his eyes were opened and he saw.

3 This was the greatest work that men had seen the master do, and they

were all amazed.

4 The Pharisees were there, and they were full of jealous rage; they

sought a cause whereby they might condemn.

5 They said, Yes, it is true that Jesus does a multitude of mighty

works; but men should know that he is leagued with Beelzebul.

6 He is a sorcerer, a black magician of the Simon Cerus type; he works

as Jannes and as Jambres did in Moses’ day.

7 For Satan, prince of evil spirits, is his stay by night and day,

and in the name of Satan he casts the demons out, and in his name he

heals the sick and raises up the dead.

8 But Jesus knew their thoughts; he said to them, You men are masters,

and you know the law; whatever is arrayed against itself must fall; a

house divided cannot stand;

9 A kingdom warring with itself is brought to naught.

10 If Satan casts the devil out, how can his kingdom stand?

11 If I, by Beelzebul, cast devils out, by whom do you cast devils out?

12 But if I, in the holy name of God, cast devils out, and make the

lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the blind to see, the dumb to speak,

has not God’s kingdom come to you?

13 The Pharisees were dumb; they answered not.

14 As Jesus spoke a messenger approached and said to him, Your mother

and your brothers wish to speak with you.

15 And Jesus said, Who is my mother? and my brothers, who are they?

16 And then he spoke a word aside unto the foreign masters and the

twelve; he said,

17 Behold, men recognize their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers

here in flesh; but when the veil is rent and men walk in the realms of

soul,

18 The tender lines of love that bind the groups of fleshy kin in

families will fade away.

19 Not that the love for anyone will be the less; but men will see in

all the motherhood, the fatherhood, the sisterhood, the brotherhood of

man.

20 The family groups of earth will all be lost in universal love and

fellowship divine.

21 Then to the multitudes he said, Whoever lives the life and does the

will of God is child of God and is my mother, father, sister, friend.

22 And then he went aside to speak to mother and his other kindred in

the flesh.

23 But he saw more than these. The maiden who once thrilled his very

soul with love, a love beyond the love of any fleshly kin;

24 Who was the sorest tempter in the temple Heliopolis beside the

Nile, who sung for him the sacred songs, was there.

25 The recognition was of kindred souls, and Jesus said,

26 Behold, for God has brought to us a power men cannot comprehend, a

power of purity and love;

27 To make more light the burdens of the hour, to be a balm for

wounded souls;

28 To win the multitude to better ways by sacred song and holy life.

29 Behold, for Miriam who stood beside the sea and sung the song of

victory when Moses led the way, will sing again.

30 And all the choirs of heaven will join and sing the glad refrain:

31 Peace, peace on earth; good will to men!

32 And Miriam stood before the waiting throngs and sung again the

songs of victory, and all the people said, Amen.

CHAPTER 107.

_A Pharisee demands of Jesus signs of his messiahship. Jesus

rebukes him, because he does not recognize the signs that are

being continually given. Jesus exhorts the people to receive

the light that they may become the light._

A Pharisee elated with himself stood forth among the multitudes and

said to Jesus,

2 Sir, we would have you demonstrate. If you are truly Christ who was

to come, then you can surely do what black magicians cannot do.

3 Lo, they can talk, and hold the multitudes with words of power; and

they can heal the sick and drive the demons out of those obsessed;

4 They can control the storms; and fire and earth and air will hear

and answer when they speak.

5 Now, if you will ascend and from that tower fly across the sea, we

will believe that you are sent from God.

6 And Jesus said, No black magician ever lived a holy life; you have a

demonstration of the Christ-life every day.

7 But lo, you evil and adulterous scribes and Pharisees, you cannot

see a spirit-sign, because your spirit eyes are full of carnal self.

8 You seek a sign to please your curiosity. You walk the very lowest

planes of carnal life and cry, Phenomena! show us a sign and then we

will believe.

9 I was not sent to earth to buy up faith as men buy fish and fruit

and rubbish in the streets.

10 Men seem to think it quite a favor done to me when they confess

their faith in me and in the holy Christ.

11 What does it matter unto me as man if you believe or disbelieve?

12 Faith is not something you can buy with coin; it is not something

you can sell for gold.

13 Once Mart, a beggar, followed me and cried, Give me a silver piece;

then I will believe in you.

14 And you are like this beggar man; you offer to exchange your faith

for signs.

15 But I will give to all the world one sign as surety that the Christ

abides with me.

16 You all have read the parable of Jonah and the fish, wherein it

is recorded that the prophet spent three days and nights within the

stomach of the mighty fish, and then came forth.

17 The son of man will spend three days and nights within the heart of

earth and then come forth again, and men will see and know.

18 Behold, the light may be so bright that men cannot see anything.

19 The Spirit light has shown so brightly over Galilee that you who

hear me now are blind.

20 You may have read the words of prophet Azrael; he said, The light

shall shine out brightly in the darkness of the night, and men shall

comprehend it not.

21 That time has come; the light shines forth; you see it not.

22 The Queen of Sheba sat in darkest night and still she yearned for

light.

23 She came to hear the words of wisdom from the lips of Solomon, and

she believed;

24 And she became a living torch, and when she reached her home, lo,

all Arabia was filled with light.

25 A greater far than Solomon is here; the Christ is here; the Day

Star has arisen, and you reject the light.

26 And you remember Nineveh, the wicked city of Assyria, which God had

marked to be destroyed by shock and flame unless the people turned and

walked in ways of right.

27 And Jonah raised his voice and said, In forty days shall Nineveh be

razed, and all her wealth shall be destroyed.

28 The people heard and they believed; and they reformed and turned to

ways of right, and lo, their city was not razed; was not destroyed.

29 You men of Galilee, I tell you that Arabia and Nineveh will testify

against you in the judgment day.

30 Behold, for every one to whom I speak has in him all the fires of

God; but they are lying dead.

31 The will is bridled by the flesh desires, and it brings not the

ethers of the fires to vibrate into light.

32 Look, therefore, to your soul and note, Is not the light within you

dark as night?

33 There is no breath but Holy Breath that e’er can fan your fires of

life into a living flame and make them light.

34 And Holy Breath can raise the ethers of the fires to light in none

but hearts of purity and love.

35 Hear, then, you men of Galilee, Make pure the heart, admit the Holy

Breath, and then your bodies will be full of light,

36 And like a city on a hill, your light will shine afar, and thus

your light may light the way for other men.

CHAPTER 108.

_Jesus rebukes the people for selfishness. The Christines

attend a feast and Jesus is censured by the Pharisee because

he washed not before he eat. Jesus exposes the hypocrisy of

the ruling classes and pronounces upon them many woes._

The multitudes were wild with selfish thought; none recognized the

rights and needs of any other one.

2 The stronger pushed the weak aside, and trampled on them in their

haste to be the first to get a blessing for himself.

3 And Jesus said, Behold the cage of beasts untamed; a den of stinging

vipers, maddened by their fiendish greed of selfish gain!

4 I tell you, men, the benefits that come to men who see no further

than themselves are baubles in the morning light;

5 They are unreal; they pass away. The selfish soul is fed today; the

food does not assimilate; the soul grows not, and then it must be fed

again, and then again.

6 Behold, a selfish man obsessed by just one spirit of the air; by the

Omnific Word the spirit is cast out;

7 It wanders through dry places, seeking rest and finding none.

8 And then it comes again; the selfish man has failed to close and

lock the door;

9 The unclean spirit finds the house all swept and cleaned; it enters

in and takes with it full seven other spirits more unclean than is

itself; and there they dwell.

10 The last state of the man is more than sevenfold more wretched than

the first.

11 And so it is with you who snatch the blessings that belong to other

men.

12 While Jesus spoke a certain woman who stood near exclaimed, Most

blessed is the mother of this man of God!

13 And Jesus said, Yes, blest is she; but doubly blest are they who

hear, receive and live the word of God.

14 A Pharisee of wealth prepared a feast, and Jesus and the twelve,

together with the masters from afar, were guests.

15 And Jesus did not wash his hands according to the strictest

Pharisaic rules, before he ate; when this the Pharisee observed he

marveled much.

16 And Jesus said, My host, why do you marvel that I did not wash my

hands?

17 The Pharisees wash well their hands and feet; they cleanse the body

every day when, lo, within is every form of filth.

18 Their hearts are full of wickedness, extortions and deceit.

19 Did not the God who made the outside of the body make the inside,

too?

20 And then he said, Woe unto you, you Pharisees! for you tithe mint

and rue, and every herb, and pass by judgment and the love of God.

21 Woe unto you, you Pharisees! you love the highest seats in

synagogues and courts, and bid for salutations in the market place.

22 Woe unto you, you tinseled gentry of the land! no man would ever

think you servants of the Lord of hosts by what you do.

23 A lawyer sitting near remarked, Rabboni, your words are harsh, and

then in what you say you censure us; and why?

24 And Jesus said, Woe unto you, you masters of the law! you heap

great burdens on the sons of men, yea, loads by far too great for them

to bear, and you will never help to bear a feather’s weight yourselves.

25 Woe unto you! you build the tombs of prophets and of seers; they

whom your fathers killed; and you are parties to the crimes.

26 And now behold, for God has sent again to you his holy

men-apostles, prophets, seers; and you are persecuting them.

27 The time is near when you will plead against them in the courts;

will spurn them on the streets; will cast them into prison cells, and

kill them with a fiend’s delight.

28 I tell you, men, the blood of all the holy men of God that has been

shed from righteous Abel down to that of Zacharias, father of the holy

John,

29 Who was struck down beside the altar in the Holy Place--

30 The blood of all these holy men has made more red the hands of this

ungodly generation.

31 Woe unto you, you masters of the law! you snatch the keys of

knowledge from the hands of men;

32 You close the doors; you enter not yourselves, and suffer not the

willing ones to enter in.

33 His words provoked the Pharisees, the lawyers and the scribes, and

they, resenting, poured upon him torrents of abuse.

34 The truths he spoke came like a thunderbolt from heaven; the rulers

counseled how they might ensnare him by his words; they sought a legal

way to shed his blood.

CHAPTER 109.

_The Christines go to a place apart to pray. Jesus warns them

against the leaven of the Pharisees and reveals the fact

that all thoughts and deeds are recorded in God’s Book of

Remembrance. Man’s responsibility and God’s care._

Now, when the feast was finished Jesus with the foreign masters and

the twelve, with Mary, Miriam and a band of loyal women who believed

in Christ, went to a place apart to pray.

2 And when their silence ended Jesus said, Be on your guard; the

leaven of the Pharisees is being thrown in every measure of the meal

of life.

3 It is a poison that will taint whatever it may touch; and it will

blight the soul as sure as fumes of the Diabolos; it is hypocrisy.

4 The Pharisees seem fair in speech, but they are diabolical in heart.

5 And then they seem to think that thought is something they can lock

within themselves.

6 They do not seem to know that every thought and wish is photographed

and then preserved within the Book of Life to be revealed at any time

the masters will.

7 That which is thought, or wished, or done in darkest night shall be

proclaimed in brightest day;

8 That which is whispered in the ear within the secret place shall be

made known upon the streets.

9 And in the judgment day when all the books are opened up, these men,

and every other man, shall be a-judged, not by what they’ve said or

done,

10 But by the way in which they used the thoughts of God, and how the

ethers of eternal love were made to serve;

11 For men may make these ethers serve the carnal self, or serve the

holy self within.

12 Behold, these men may kill the body of this flesh; but what of

that? the flesh is but a transitory thing, and soon, by natural law,

will pass;

13 Their slaughter only hastens nature’s work a little time.

14 And when they kill the flesh they reach their bounds of power; they

cannot kill the soul.

15 But nature is the keeper of the soul as of the flesh, and in the

harvest time of soul, the trees of life are all inspected by the judge;

16 And every tree that bears no fruit of good is plucked up by the

roots and cast into the flames.

17 Who then shall you regard? Not him who has the power to kill the

flesh, and nothing more.

18 Regard the mighty one who has the power to dissolve both soul and

body in the flames of nature’s fire.

19 But man is king; he may direct his thoughts, his loves, his life,

and gain the prize of everlasting life.

20 And you are not abandoned in your struggle for the crown of life.

Your Father lives, and you shall live.

21 God has a care for every living thing. He numbers stars, and suns,

and moons;

22 He numbers angels, men, and every thing below; the birds, the

flowers, the trees;

23 The very petals of the rose he knows by name, and every one is

numbered in his Book of Life;

24 And every hair upon your head, and every drop of blood within your

veins, he knows by number and by rythm.

25 He hears the birdling’s call, the cricket’s chirp, the glow worm’s

song; and not a sparrow falls to earth without his knowledge and

consent.

26 A sparrow seems a thing of little worth; yea, five of them are

worth two farthings in the market place, and yet God cares for every

one of them.

27 Will he not care much more for you who bear his image in your soul?

28 Fear not to make confession of the Christ before the sons of men,

and God will own you as his sons and daughters in the presence of the

host of heaven.

29 If you deny the Christ before the sons of men, then God will not

receive you as his own before the hosts of heaven.

30 And more I say, Fear not when men shall bring you up before the

rulers of the land to answer for your faith.

31 Behold, the Holy Breath shall teach you in your hour of need what

you should say, and what is best to leave unsaid.

32 And then the Christines went again to teach the multitudes.

CHAPTER 110.

_Miriam sings a song of victory. The song. Jesus reveals the

symbolic character of the journey of Israel from Egypt to

Canaan._

And Miriam stood before the surging crowd, and casting up her eyes to

heaven she sung anew the song of victory:

2 Bring forth the harp, the vina and the lyre; bring forth the highest

sounding cymbal, all ye choirs of heaven. Join in the song, the new,

new song.

3 The Lord of hosts has stooped to hear the cries of men, and lo, the

citadel of Beelzebul is shaking as a leaf before the wind.

4 The sword of Gideon is again unsheathed.

5 The Lord, with his own hand has pulled far back the curtains of the

night; the sun of truth is flooding heaven and earth;

6 The demons of the dark, of ignorance and death, are fleeing fast;

are disappearing as the dew beneath the morning sun.

7 God is our strength and song; is our salvation and our hope, and we

will build anew a house for him;

8 Will cleanse our hearts, and purify their chambers, every one. We

are the temple of the Holy Breath.

9 We need no more a tent within the wilderness; no more a temple built

with hands.

10 We do not seek the Holy Land, nor yet Jerusalem.

11 We are the tent of God; we are his temple built without the sound

of edged tools.

12 We are the Holy Land; we are the New Jerusalem; Allelujah, praise

the Lord!

13 And when the song was done the multitudes exclaimed, Praise God.

14 And Jesus said, Behold the way!

15 The sons of men have groped for ages in the darkness of Egyptian

night.

16 The Pharaohs of sense have bound them with their chains.

17 But God has whispered through the mists of time and told them of a

land of liberty and love.

18 And he has sent his Logos forth to light the way.

19 The Red Sea rolls between the promised land and Egypt’s sands.

20 The Red Sea is the carnal mind.

21 Behold, the Logos reaches out his hand; the sea divides; the carnal

mind is reft in twain; the sons of men walk through dry shod.

22 The Pharaohs of sense would stay them in their flight; the waters

of the sea return; the Pharaohs of sense are lost and men are free.

23 For just a little while men tread the wilderness of Sin; the Logos

leads the way;

24 And when at last men stand upon the Jordan’s brink, these waters

stay, and men step forth into their own.

CHAPTER 111.

_Jesus teaches. A man requests him to compel his brother to

deal justly. Jesus reveals the divine law, the power of truth

and the universality of possessions. Relates the parable of

the rich man and his abundant harvest._

And Jesus taught the multitudes; and while he spoke a man stood forth

and said,

2 Rabboni, hear my plea: My father died and left a large estate; my

brother seized it all, and now refuses me my share.

3 I pray that you will bid him do the right, and give me what is mine.

4 And Jesus said, I am not come to be a judge in such affairs; I am no

henchman of the court.

5 God sent me not to force a man to do the right.

6 In every man there is a sense of right; but many men regard it not.

7 The fumes that rise from selfishness have formed a crust about their

sense of right that veils their inner light, so that they cannot

comprehend nor recognize the rights of other men.

8 This veil you cannot tear away by force of arms, and there is naught

that can dissolve this crust but knowledge and the love of God.

9 While men are in the mire, the skies seem far away; when men are on

the mountain top, the skies are near, and they can almost touch the

stars.

10 Then Jesus turned and to the twelve he said, Behold the many in the

mire of carnal life!

11 The leaven of truth will change the miry clay to solid rock, and

men can walk and find the path that leads up to the mountain top.

12 You cannot haste; but you can scatter forth this leaven with a

generous hand.

13 When men have learned the truth that bears upon its face the law of

right, then they will haste to give to every man his dues.

14 Then to the people Jesus said, Take heed, and covet not. The wealth

of men does not consist in what they seem to have--in lands, in silver

and in gold.

15 These things are only borrowed wealth. No man can corner up the

gifts of God.

16 The things of nature are the things of God, and what is God’s

belongs to every man alike.

17 The wealth of soul lies in the purity of life, and in the wisdom

that descends from heaven.

18 Behold, a rich man’s ground brought forth abundantly; his barns

were far too small to hold his grain, and to himself he said,

19 What shall I do? I must not give my grain away; I must not let it

go to waste; and then he said,

20 This will I do; I will tear down these little barns and build up

larger ones; there I will store away my grain and I will say,

21 My soul take now your ease; you have enough for many years; eat,

drink and fill yourself and be content.

22 But God looked down and saw the man; he saw his selfish heart and

said,

23 You foolish man, this night your soul will quit its house of flesh;

then who will have your garnered wealth?

24 You men of Galilee, lay not up treasures in the vaults of earth;

accumulated wealth will blight your soul.

25 God does not give men wealth to hoard away in secret vaults. Men

are but stewards of God’s wealth, and they must use it for the common

good.

26 To every steward who is true to self, to other men, to every thing

that is, the Lord will say, Well done.

CHAPTER 112.

_The Christines in the home of Mary of Magdala. Jesus calls his

disciples, “Little Flock,” and charges them to place their

affections on divine things. He teaches them regarding the

inner life._

And Jesus left the multitudes and went with his disciples up to Mary’s

home; and as they sat about the board to dine he said,

2 My little flock, fear not; it is your Father’s will that you shall

rule the kingdom of the soul.

3 A ruler in the house of God is servant of the Lord of hosts, and man

cannot serve God except by serving men.

4 A servant in the house of God cannot be servant in the house of

wealth; nor in the synagogue of sense.

5 If you are tied to lands, or bonds, or wealth of earth, your hearts

are knit to things of earth; for where your treasures are there are

your hearts.

6 Dispose of all your wealth, distribute it among the poor, and put

your trust in God, and you nor yours will ever come to want.

7 This is a test of faith, and God will not accept the service of the

faithless one.

8 The time is ripe; your Master comes upon the clouds; the eastern sky

is glowing with his presence now.

9 Put on reception robes; gird up your loins; trim up your lamps and

fill them well with oil, and be prepared to meet your Lord; when you

are ready, he will come.

10 Thrice blessed are the servants who are ready to receive their Lord.

11 Behold, for he will gird himself, and will prepare a sumptuous

feast for every one, and he himself will serve.

12 It matters not when he shall come; it may be at the second watch;

it may be at the third; but blessed are the servants who are ready to

receive.

13 You cannot leave your door ajar and go to sleep, and wait in

blissful ignorance of the fleeting time;

14 For thieves will surely come and take away your goods and bind and

carry you away to robbers’ dens.

15 And if you are not carried forth, the Master when he comes will not

regard a sleeping guard as friend, but as a foe.

16 Beloved, these are times when every man must be awake and at

his post, for none can tell the hour nor the day when man shall be

revealed.

17 And Peter said, Lord is this parable for us, or for the multitudes?

18 And Jesus said, Why need you ask? God is not man that he should

show respect for one and cast another off.

19 Whoever will may come and gird himself, and trim his lamp, and find

a turret in the tower of life where he may watch, and be prepared to

meet the Lord.

20 But you, as children of the light, have come, and you have learned

the language of the court, and may stand forth and lead the way.

21 But you may wait, and think that you are ready to receive the Lord,

and still he does not come.

22 And you may grow impatient and begin to long for carnal ways again,

and may begin to exercise your rule;

23 To beat, and otherwise maltreat the servants of the house, and fill

yourselves with wine and meat.

24 And what will say the Lord when he shall come?

25 Behold, for he will cast the faithless servant from his house; and

many years will come and go before he can be cleansed, and be thought

worthy to receive his Lord.

26 The servant who has come into the light, who knows the Master’s

will and does it not; the trusted guard who goes to sleep within the

turret of the tower of life,

27 Shall feel the lash of justice many times, while he who does not

know his Master’s will and does it not, will not receive the graver

punishment.

28 The man who comes and stands before the open door of opportunity

and does not enter in, but goes his way,

29 Will come again and find the door made fast, and when he calls, the

door will open not,

30 The guard will say, you had the pass-word once, but you threw it

away and now the Master knows you not; depart.

31 And verily I say to you, To whom much has been given, much is

required; to whom a little has been given, a little only is required.

CHAPTER 113.

_In answer to a question of Lamaas Jesus teaches a lesson on

the reign of peace and the way to it through antagonisms.

The signs of the times. Guidance of the Holy Breath. The

Christines go to Bethsaida._

Now, after they had dined, the guests and Jesus all were in a spacious

hall in Mary’s home.

2 And then Lamaas said, Pray, tell us Lord, is this the dawn of peace?

3 Have we come forth unto the time when men will war no more?

4 Are you, indeed, the Prince of Peace that holy men have said would

come?

5 And Jesus said, Peace reigns today; it is the peace of death.

6 A stagnant pool abides in peace. When waters cease to move they soon

are ladened with the seeds of death; corruption dwells in every drop.

7 The living waters always leap and skip about like lambs in spring.

8 The nations are corrupt; they sleep within the arms of death and

they must be aroused before it is too late.

9 In life we find antagonists at work. God sent me here to stir unto

its depths the waters of the sea of life.

10 Peace follows strife; I come to slay this peace of death. The

prince of peace must first be prince of strife.

11 This leaven of truth which I have brought to men will stir the

demons up, and nations, cities, families will be at war within

themselves.

12 The five that have been dwelling in a home of peace will be

divided now, and two shall war with three;

13 The son will stand against his sire; the mother and the daughter

will contend; yea, strife will reign in every home.

14 The self and greed and doubt will rage into a fever heat, and then,

because of me, the earth will be baptized in human blood.

15 But right is king; and when the smoke is cleared away the nations

will learn war no more; the Prince of Peace will come to reign.

16 Behold, the signs of what I say are in the sky; but men can see

them not.

17 When men behold a cloud rise in the west they say, A shower of rain

will come and so it does; and when the wind blows from the south they

say, The weather will be hot; and it is so.

18 Lo, men can read the signs of earth and sky, but they cannot

discern the signs of Holy Breath; but you shall know.

19 The storm of wrath comes on; the carnal man will seek a cause to

hale you into court, and cast you into prison cells.

20 And when these times shall come let wisdom guide; do not resent.

Resentment makes more strong the wrath of evil men.

21 There is a little sense of justice and of mercy in the vilest men

of earth.

22 By taking heed to what you do and say and trusting in the guidance

of the Holy Breath, you may inspire this sense to grow.

23 You thus may make the wrath of men to praise the Lord.

24 The Christines went their way, and came unto Bethsaida and taught.

CHAPTER 114.

_A great storm on the sea destroys many lives. Jesus makes an

appeal for aid, and the people give with a generous hand. In

answer to a lawyer’s question, Jesus gives the philosophy of

disasters._

As Jesus taught, a man stood forth and said, Rabboni, may I speak?

2 And Jesus said, Say on. And then the man spoke out and said,

3 A storm upon the sea last night wrecked many fishing boats, and

scores of men went down to death, and, lo, their wives and children

are in need;

4 What can be done to help them in their sore distress?

5 And Jesus said, A worthy plea. You men of Galilee, take heed. We may

not bring again to live these men, but we can succor those who looked

to them for daily bread.

6 You stewards of the wealth of God, an opportunity has come; unlock

your vaults; bring forth your hoarded gold; bestow it with a lavish

hand.

7 This wealth was laid aside for just such times as these; when it was

needed not, lo, it was yours to guard;

8 But now it is not yours, for it belongs to those who are in want,

and if you give it not you simply bring upon your heads the wrath of

God.

9 It is not charity to give to those who need; it is but honesty; it

is but giving men their own.

10 Then Jesus turned to Judas, one of the twelve, who was the

treasurer of the band, and said,

11 Bring forth our treasure box; the money is not ours now; turn

every farthing to the help of those in such distress.

12 Now, Judas did not wish to give the money all to those in want, and

so he talked with Peter, James and John.

13 He said, Lo, I will save a certain part and give the rest; that

surely is enough for us, for we are strangers to the ones in want; we

do not even know their names.

14 But Peter said, Why, Judas, man, how do you dare to think to trifle

with the strength of right.

15 The Lord has spoken true; this wealth does not belong to us in face

of this distress, and to refuse to give it is to steal.

16 You need not fear; we will not come to want.

17 Then Judas opened up the treasure box and gave the money all.

18 And there was gold and silver, food, and raiment in abundance for

the needs of the bereaved.

19 A lawyer said, Rabboni, if God rules the worlds and all that in

them is, did he not bring about this storm? did he not slay these men?

20 Has he not brought this sore distress upon these people here? and

was it done to punish them for crimes?

21 And we remember well when once a band of earnest Jews from Galilee

were in Jerusalem, and at a feast and were, for fancied crimes against

the Roman law,

22 Cut down within the very temple court by Pontius Pilate; and their

blood became their sacrifice.

23 Did God bring on this slaughter all because these men were doubly

vile?

24 And then we bring to mind that once a tower called Siloam, graced

the defences of Jerusalem, and, seemingly, without a cause it tottered

and it fell to earth and eighteen men were killed.

25 Were these men vile? and were they slain as punishment for some

great crime?

26 And Jesus said, We cannot look upon a single span of life and judge

of anything.

27 There is a law that men must recognize: Result depends on cause.

28 Men are not motes to float about within the air of one short life,

and then be lost in nothingness.

29 They are undying parts of the eternal whole that come and go, lo,

many times into the air of earth and of the great beyond, just to

unfold the God-like self.

30 A cause may be a part of one brief life; results may not be noted

till another life.

31 The cause of your results cannot be found within my life, nor can

the cause of my results be found in yours.

32 I cannot reap except I sow and I must reap what e’er I sow,

33 The law of all eternities is known to master minds:

34 Whatever men do unto other men the judge and executioner will do to

them.

35 We do not note the execution of this law among the sons of men.

36 We note the weak dishonored, trampled on and slain by those men

call the strong.

37 We note that men with wood-like heads are seated in the chairs of

state;

38 Are kings and judges, senators and priests, while men with giant

intellects are scavengers about the streets.

39 We note that women with a moiety of common sense, and not a whit

of any other kind, are painted up and dressed as queens,

40 Becoming ladies of the courts of puppet kings, because they have

the form of something beautiful; while God’s own daughters are their

slaves, or serve as common laborers in the field.

41 The sense of justice cries aloud: This is a travesty on right.

42 So when men see no further than one little span of life it is no

wonder that they say, There is no God, or if there is a God he is a

tyrant and should die.

43 If you would judge aright of human life, you must arise and stand

upon the crest of time and note the thoughts and deeds of men as they

have come up through the ages past;

44 For we must know that man is not a creature made of clay to turn

again to clay and disappear.

45 He is a part of the eternal whole. There never was a time when he

was not; a time will never come when he will not exist.

46 And now we look; the men who now are slaves were tyrants once; the

men who now are tyrants have been slaves.

47 The men who suffer now, once stood aloft and shouted with a fiend’s

delight while others suffered at their hands.

48 And men are sick, and halt, and lame, and blind because they once

transgressed the laws of perfect life, and every law of God must be

fulfilled.

49 Man may escape the punishment that seems but due for his misdoings

in this life; but every deed and word and thought has its own metes

and bounds,

50 Is cause, and has its own results, and if a wrong be done, the doer

of the wrong must make it right.

51 And when the wrongs have all been righted then will man arise and

be at one with God.

CHAPTER 115.

_Jesus teaches by the sea. He relates the parable of the sower.

Tells why he teaches in parables. Explains the parable of the

sower. Relates the parable of the wheat and tares._

And Jesus stood beside the sea and taught; the multitudes pressed

close upon him and he went into a boat that was near by and put a

little ways from shore, and then he spoke in parables; he said,

2 Behold, a sower took his seed and went into his field to sow.

3 With lavish hand he scattered forth the seed and some fell in the

hardened paths that men had made,

4 And soon were crushed beneath the feet of other men; and birds came

down and carried all the seed away.

5 Some seed fell on rocky ground where there was little soil; they

grew and soon the blades appeared and promised much;

6 But then there was no depth of soil, no chance for nourishment, and

in the heat of noonday sun they withered up and died.

7 Some seed fell where thistles grew, and found no earth in which to

grow and they were lost;

8 But other seed found lodgment in the rich and tender soil and grew

apace, and in the harvest it was found that some brought forth a

hundred fold, some sixty fold, some thirty fold.

9 They who have ears to hear may hear; they who have hearts to

understand may know.

10 Now, his disciples were beside him in the boat, and Thomas asked,

Why do you speak in parables?

11 And Jesus said, My words, like every master’s words, are dual in

their sense.

12 To you who know the language of the soul, my words have meanings

far too deep for other men to comprehend.

13 The other sense of what I say is all the multitude can understand;

these words are food for them; the inner thoughts are food for you.

14 Let every one reach forth and take the food that he is ready to

receive.

15 And then he spoke that all might hear; he said, Hear you the

meaning of the parable:

16 Men hear my words and understand them not, and then the carnal self

purloins the seed, and not a sign of spirit life appears.

17 This is the seed that fell within the beaten paths of men.

18 And others hear the words of life, and with a fiery zeal receive

them all; they seem to comprehend the truth and promise well;

19 But troubles come; discouragements arise; there is no depth of

thought; their good intentions wither up and die.

20 These are the seeds that fell in stony ground.

21 And others hear the words of truth and seem to know their worth;

but love of pleasure, reputation, wealth and fame fill all the soil;

the seeds are nourished not and they are lost.

22 These are the seeds that fell among the thistles and the thorns.

23 But others hear the words of truth and comprehend them well; they

sink down deep into their souls; they live the holy life and all the

world is blest.

24 These are the seeds that fell in fertile soil, that brought forth

fruit abundantly.

25 You men of Galilee, take heed to how you hear and how you cultivate

your fields; for if you slight the offers of this day, the sower may

not come to you again in this or in the age to come.

26 Then Jesus spoke another parable; he said:

27 The kingdom I may liken to a field in which a man sowed precious

seed;

28 But while he slept an evil one went forth and sowed a measure full

of darnel seed; then went his way.

29 The soil was good, and so the wheat and darnel grew; and when the

servants saw the tares among the wheat, they found the owner of the

field and said,

30 You surely sowed good seed; from whence these tares?

31 The owner said, Some evil one has sown the seed of tares.

32 The servants said, Shall we go out and pull up by the roots the

tares and burn them in the fire?

33 The owner said, No, that would not be well. The wheat and tares

grow close together in the soil, and while you pull the tares you

would destroy the wheat.

34 So we will let them grow together till the harvest time. Then to

the reapers I will say,

35 Go forth and gather up the tares and bind them up and burn them in

the fire, and gather all the wheat into my barns.

36 When he had spoken thus, he left the boat and went up to the

house, and his disciples followed him.

CHAPTER 116.

_The Christines are in Philip’s home. Jesus interprets the

parable of the wheat and tares. He explains the unfoldment

of the kingdom by parables: the good seed; the growth of the

tree; the leaven; the hidden treasure. He goes to a mountain

to pray._

The Christines were in Philip’s home and Peter said to Jesus, Lord,

will you explain to us the meaning of the parables you spoke today?

The one about the wheat and tares, especially?

2 And Jesus said, God’s kingdom is a dualty; it has an outer and an

inner form.

3 As seen by man it is composed of men, of those who make confession

of the name of Christ.

4 For various reasons various people crowd this outer kingdom of our

God.

5 The inner kingdom is the kingdom of the soul, the kingdom of the

pure in heart.

6 The outer kingdom I may well explain in parables. Behold, for I have

seen you cast a great net out into the sea,

7 And when you hauled it in, lo, it was full of every kind of fish,

some good, some bad, some great, some small; and I have seen you save

the good and throw the bad away.

8 This outer kingdom is the net, and every kind of man is caught; but

in the sorting day the bad will all be cast away, the good reserved.

9 Hear, then, the meaning of the parable of wheat and tares:

10 The sower is the son of man; the field, the world; the good seed

are the children of the light; the tares, the children of the dark;

the enemy, the carnal self; the harvest day, the closing of the age;

the reapers are the messengers of God.

11 The reckoning day will come to every man; then will the tares be

gathered up, and cast into the fire and be burned.

12 Then will the good shine forth as suns in the kingdom of the soul.

13 And Philip said, Must men and women suffer in the flames because

they have not found the way of life?

14 And Jesus said, The fire purifies. The chemist throws into the fire

the ores that hold all kinds of dross.

15 The useless metal seems to be consumed; but not a grain of gold is

lost.

16 There is no man that has not in him gold that cannot be destroyed.

The evil things of men are all consumed in fire; the gold survives.

17 The inner kingdom of the soul I may explain in parables:

18 The son of man goes forth and scatters seeds of truth; God waters

well the soil; the seeds show life and grow; first comes the blade,

and then the stalk, and then the ear, and then the full wheat in the

ear.

19 The harvest comes and, lo, the reapers bear the ripened sheaves

into the garner of the Lord.

20 Again, this kingdom of the soul is like a little seed that men may

plant in fertile soil.

21 (A thousand of these seeds would scarcely be a shekel’s weight.)

22 The tiny seed begins to grow; it pushes through the earth, and

after years of growth it is a mighty tree and birds rest in its leafy

bowers and men find refuge ’neath its sheltering boughs from sun and

storm.

23 Again, the truth, the spirit of the kingdom of the soul, is like a

ball of leaven that a woman hid in measures, three, of flour and in a

little time the whole was leavened.

24 Again, the kingdom of the soul is like a treasure hidden in a field

which one has found, and straitway goes his way and sells all that he

has and buys the field.

25 When Jesus had thus said he went alone into a mountain pass near by

to pray.

CHAPTER 117.

_A royal feast is held in Machaerus. John, the harbinger, is

beheaded. His body is buried in Hebron. His disciples mourn.

The Christines cross the sea in the night. Jesus calms a

raging storm._

A royal feast was held in honor of the birthday of the tetrarch in

fortified Machaerus, east of the Bitter Sea.

2 The tetrarch, Herod, and his wife, Herodias, together with Salome

were there; and all the men and women of the royal court were there.

3 And when the feast was done, lo, all the guests and courtiers were

drunk with wine; they danced and leaped about like children in their

play.

4 Salome, daughter of Herodias, came in and danced before the king.

The beauty of her form, her grace and winning ways entranced the silly

Herod, then half drunk with wine.

5 He called the maiden to his side and said, Salome, you have won my

heart, and you may ask and I will give you anything you wish.

6 The maiden ran in childish glee and told her mother what the ruler

said.

7 Her mother said, Go back and say, Give me the head of John, the

harbinger.

8 The maiden ran and told the ruler what she wished.

9 And Herod called his trusty executioner and said to him, Go to the

tower and tell the keeper that by my authority you come to execute the

prisoner known as John.

10 The man went forth and in a little while returned and on a platter

bore the lifeless head of John, and Herod offered it unto the maiden

in the presence of the guests.

11 The maiden stood aloof; her innocence was outraged when she saw the

bloody gift, and she would touch it not.

12 Her mother, steeped and hardened well in crime, came up and took

the head and held it up before the guests and said,

13 This is the fate of every man who dares to scorn, or criticize, the

acts of him who reigns.

14 The drunken rabble gazed upon the grewsome sight with fiendish joy.

15 The head was taken back unto the tower. The body had been given

unto holy men who had been friends of John; they placed it in a burial

case and carried it away.

16 They bore it to the Jordan, which they crossed just at the ford

where John first preached the word;

17 And through the passes of the Judean hills they carried it.

18 They reached the sacred grounds near Hebron, where the bodies of

the parents of the harbinger lay in their tombs;

19 And there they buried it; and then they went their way.

20 Now, when the news reached Galilee that John was dead the people

met to sing the sonnets of the dead.

21 And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve took ship to cross

the sea of Galilee.

22 A scribe, a faithful friend of John, stood by the sea; he called to

Jesus and he said, Rabboni, let me follow where you go.

23 And Jesus said, You seek a safe retreat from evil men. There is no

safety for your life with me;

24 For evil men will take my life as they have taken John’s.

25 The foxes of the earth have safe retreats; the birds have nests

secure among the hidden rocks, but I have not a place where I may lay

my head and rest secure.

26 Then an apostle said, Lord, suffer me to tarry here a while, that I

may take my father, who is dead, and lay him in the tomb.

27 But Jesus said, The dead can care for those who die; the living

wait for those who live; come, follow me.

28 The evening came; three boats put out to sea and Jesus rested in

the foremost boat; he slept.

29 A storm came on; the boats were tossed about like toys upon the sea.

30 The waters swept the decks; the hardy boatmen were afraid lest all

be lost.

31 And Thomas found the master fast asleep; he called, and Jesus woke.

32 And Thomas said, Behold the storm! have you no care for us? The

boats are going down.

33 And Jesus stood; he raised his hand; he talked unto the spirits of

the winds and waves as men would talk with men.

34 And, lo, the winds blew not; the waves came tremblingly and kissed

his feet; the sea was calm.

35 And then he said, You men of faith, where is your faith? for you

can speak and winds and waves will hear and will obey.

36 And the disciples were amazed. They said, Who is this man that even

winds and waves obey his voice?

CHAPTER 118.

_The Christines are in Gadara. Jesus casts a legion of unclean

spirits out of a man. The spirits go into vicious animals

which run into the sea, and are drowned. The people are

in fear and request Jesus to leave their coast. With his

disciples, he returns to Capernaum._

The morning came; the Christines landed in the country of the

Geracenes.

2 They went to Gadara, chief city of the Peracans, and here for

certain days they tarried and they taught.

3 Now, legends hold that Gadara is sacred to the dead, and all the

hills about are known as holy ground.

4 These are the burial grounds of all the regions round about; the

hills are full of tombs; and many dead from Galilee are here entombed.

5 Now, spirits of the lately dead that cannot rise to higher planes,

remain about the tombs that hold the flesh and bones of what was once

their mortal homes.

6 They sometimes take possession of the living, whom they torture in a

hundred ways.

7 And all through Gadara were men obsessed, and there was no one

strong enough to bring relief.

8 That they might meet these hidden foes and learn the way to

dispossess the evil ones the master took the foreign masters and the

twelve into the tombs.

9 And as they neared the gates they met a man obsessed. A legion of

the unclean ones were in this man, and they had made him strong;

10 And none could bind him down, no, not with chains; for he could

break the stoutest chains, and go his way.

11 Now, unclean spirits cannot live in light; they revel in the dark.

12 When Jesus came he brought the light of life, and all the evil

spirits were disturbed.

13 The leader of the legion in the man called out, Thou Jesus, thou

Immanuel, we beg that thou wilt not consign it to the depths. Torment

us not before our time.

14 And Jesus said, What is your number and your name?

15 The evil spirit said, Our name is legion, and our number is the

number of the beast.

16 And Jesus spoke; and with a voice that shook the very hills, he

said, Come forth; possess this man no more.

17 Now, all the hills were filled with unclean animals that fed, and

carried forth and spread the plague among the people of the land.

18 And when the evil spirits begged that they might not be driven

forth without a home, the master said,

19 Go forth and take possession of the unclean quadrupeds.

20 And they, and all the evil spirits of the tombs went forth and took

possession of the breeders of the plague,

21 Which, wild with rage, ran down the steeps into the sea, and all

were drowned.

22 And all the land was freed of the contagion, and the unclean

spirits came no more.

23 But when the people saw the mighty works that Jesus did they were

alarmed. They said,

24 If he can free the country of the plague, and drive the unclean

spirits out, he is a man of such transcendent power that he can

devastate our land at will.

25 And then they came and prayed that he would not remain in Gadara.

26 And Jesus did not tarry longer there, and with the other masters

and the twelve, he went aboard the boats to go away.

27 The man who had been rescued from the unclean legion stood upon the

shore and said, Lord, let me go with you.

28 But Jesus said, It is not well; go forth unto your home and tell

the news that men may know what man can do when he is tuned with God.

29 And then the man went forth through all Decapolis and told the news.

30 The Christines sailed away, re-crossed the sea and came again into

Capernaum.

CHAPTER 119.

_The people of Capernaum welcome Jesus. Matthew gives a feast.

The Pharisees rebuke Jesus for eating with sinners. He tells

them that he is sent to save sinners. He gives lessons on

fasting and on the philosophy of good and evil._

The news soon spread through all the land that Jesus was at home and

then the people came in throngs to welcome him.

2 And Matthew, one of the twelve, a man of wealth, whose home was in

Capernaum, spread forth a sumptuous feast, and Jesus and the foreign

masters and the twelve, and people of all shades of thought, were

guests.

3 And when the Pharisees observed that Jesus sat and ate with

publicans and those of ill repute they said,

4 For shame! This man who claims to be a man of God, consorts with

publicans and courtesans and with the common herd of men, For shame!

5 When Jesus knew their thoughts he said, They who are well cannot be

healed; the pure need not be saved.

6 They who are well are whole; they who are pure are saved.

7 They who love justice and do right need not repent; I came not unto

them, but to the sinner I am come.

8 A band of John’s disciples who had heard that John was dead were

wearing badges for their dead;

9 Were fasting and were praying in their hearts, which when the

Pharisees observed they came to Jesus and they said,

10 Why fast the followers of John and your disciples do not fast?

11 And Jesus said, Lo, you are masters of the law; you ought to know;

perhaps you will make known your knowledge to these men.

12 What are the benefits derived from fasts? The Pharisees were mute;

they answered not.

13 Then Jesus said, The vital force of men depends on what they eat

and drink.

14 Is spirit-life the stronger when the vital force is weak? Is

sainthood reached by starving, self imposed?

15 A glutton is a sinner in the sight of God, and he is not a saint

who makes himself a weakling and unfitted for the heavy tasks of life

by scorning to make use of God’s own means of strength.

16 Lo, John is dead, and his devoted followers are fasting in their

grief.

17 Their love for him impels them on to show respect, for they have

thought, and have been taught that it is sin to lightly treat the

memory of the dead.

18 To them it is a sin, and it is well that they should fast.

19 When men defy their consciences and listen not to what they say,

the heart is grieved and they become unfitted for the work of life;

and thus they sin.

20 The conscience may be taught. One man may do in conscience what

another cannot do.

21 What is a sin for me to do may not be sin for you to do. The place

you occupy upon the way of life determines what is sin.

22 There is no changeless law of good; for good and evil both are

judged by other things.

23 One man may fast and in his deep sincerity of heart is blest.

24 Another man may fast and in the faithlessness of such a task

imposed is cursed.

25 You cannot make a bed to fit the form of every man. If you can make

a bed to fit yourself you have done well.

26 Why should these men who follow me resort to fasting, or to

anything that would impair their strength? They need it all to serve

the race.

27 The time will come when God will let you have your way, and you

will do to me what Herod did to John;

28 And in the awfulness of that sad hour these men will fast.

29 They who have ears to hear may hear; they who have hearts to feel

may understand.

CHAPTER 120.

_Nicodemus is at the feast. He asks Jesus, Cannot the Christine

religion be introduced more successfully by reforming the

Jewish service? Jesus answers in the negative and gives his

reasons. Jesus heals a woman with hemorrhages. Heals Jairus’

daughter. Disappears when the people would worship him._

Now, Nicodemus, who once came to Jesus in the night to learn the way

of life, was one among the guests.

2 And standing forth he said, Rabboni, it is true that Jewish laws and

Jewish practices do not agree.

3 The priesthood needs to be reformed; the rulers should become more

merciful and kind; the lawyers should become more just; the common

people should not bear such loads.

4 But could we not gain these reforms and not destroy the service of

the Jews?

5 Could you not harmonize your mighty work with that of Pharisee

and scribe? Might not the priesthood be a benefit to your divine

philosophy?

6 But Jesus said, You cannot put new wine in ancient skins, for when

it purifies itself, lo, it expands; the ancient bottles cannot bear

the strain; they burst, and all the wine is lost.

7 Men do not mend a wornout garment with a piece of cloth unworn,

which cannot yield to suit the fabric, weak with age, and then a

greater rent appears.

8 Old wine may be preserved in ancient skins; but new wine calls for

bottles new.

9 This spirit-truth I bring is to this generation new, and if we put

it in the ancient skins of Jewish forms, lo, it will all be lost.

10 It must expand; the ancient bottles cannot yield and they would

burst.

11 Behold the kingdom of the Christ! it is as old as God himself, and

yet it is as new as morning sun; it only can contain the truth of God.

12 And as he spoke a ruler of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came in

and bowed at Jesus’ feet and said,

13 My master, hear my prayer! My child is very sick, I fear that she

will die; but this I know that if you will but come and speak the Word

my child will live.

14 (She was an only child, a girl twelve years of age.)

15 And Jesus tarried not; he went out with the man, and many people

followed them.

16 And as they went a woman who had been plagued with hemorrhage for

many years, had been a subject of experiment of doctors near and far,

and all had said, She cannot live, rose from her bed and rushed out in

the way as Jesus passed.

17 She said within herself, If I can touch his garment, then I know I

will be well.

18 She touched him, and at once the bleeding ceased and she was well.

19 And Jesus felt that healing power had gone from him, and speaking

to the multitude, he said,

20 Who was it touched my coat?

21 And Peter said, No one can tell; the multitudes are pressing you; a

score of people may have touched your coat.

22 But Jesus said, Some one in faith, with healing thought, did touch

my coat, for healing virtues have gone forth from me.

23 And when the woman knew that what she did was known, she came and

knelt at Jesus’ feet and told it all.

24 And Jesus said, Your faith has made you whole, go on your way in

peace.

25 Now, as he spoke, a servant from the home of Jairus came and said,

My master, Jairus, trouble not the Lord to come; your child is dead.

26 But Jesus said, Jairus, man of faith, do not permit your faith to

waver in this trying hour.

27 What is it that the servant said? The child is dead? Lo, what is

death?

28 It is the passing of the soul out of the house of flesh.

29 Man is the master of the soul and of its house. When man has risen

up from doubt and fear, lo, he can cleanse the empty house and bring

the tenant back again.

30 Then taking with him Peter, James and John, Jairus and the mother

of the child, he went into the chamber of the dead.

31 And when the doors were closed against the multitude, he spoke a

word that souls can understand, and then he took the maiden by the

hand and said,

32 Talitha cumi, child, arise! The maiden’s soul returned and she

arose and asked for food.

33 And all the people of the city were amazed, and many would have

worshipped Jesus as a God,

34 But, like a phantom of the night, he disappeared and went his way.

CHAPTER 121.

_The Christines are in Nazareth. Miriam sings a Christine song

of praise. Jesus teaches in the synagogue. He heals a dumb

man who is obsessed. The people do not believe in him. The

Pharisees call him a tool of Beelzebul. The Christines go to

Cana._

It was a gala day in Nazareth. The people there had met with one

accord to celebrate some great event.

2 And Jesus and the foreign masters and the twelve, and Mary, mother

of the Lord, and Miriam were there.

3 And when the people were assembled in the great hall of the town,

the graceful singer, Miriam, stood forth and sung a song of praise.

4 But few of all the multitude knew who the singer was; but instantly

she won all hearts.

5 For many days she sung the songs of Israel, and then she went her

way.

6 The Sabbath came and Jesus went into the synagogue. He took the book

of Psalms and read:

7 Blest is the man who puts his trust in God, respecting not the proud

nor such as turn aside to lies.

8 O Lord, my God, the works that thou hast done for us are wonderful;

and many are thy thoughts for us; we cannot count them all,

9 Thou dost not call for sacrifice, nor offerings of blood; burnt

offerings and offerings for sin thou dost not want;

10 And lo, I come to do thy will, O God; thy law is in my heart,

11 And I have preached the word of righteousness and peace unto the

thronging multitudes; I have declared the counsel of my God in full.

12 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared

thy faithfulness and grace.

13 I have not kept thy loving-kindness and thy truth away from men; I

have declared them to the multitudes.

14 O Lord, make wide my lips that I may tell thy praise; I do not

bring the sacrifice of blood, nor yet burnt offerings for sin.

15 The sacrifices I would bring to thee, O God, are purity in life, a

contrite heart, a spirit full of faith and love; and these thou wilt

receive.

16 And when he had thus read, he gave the book back to the keeper of

the books, and then he said,

17 Upon these ends of earth these messages of God have come.

18 Our people have exalted sacrificial rites and have neglected mercy,

justice and the rights of men.

19 You Pharisees, you priests, you scribes, your God is surfeited with

blood; God does not heed your prayers; you stand before your burning

victims; but you stand in vain.

20 Turn you unto the testimonies of the law; reform and turn to God,

and you shall live.

21 Let not your altars be accursed again with smoke of innocence.

22 Bring unto God as sacrifice a broken and a contrite heart.

23 Lift from your fellow men the burdens that you have imposed.

24 And if you hearken not, and if you turn not from your evil ways,

lo, God will smite this nation with a curse.

25 And when he had thus said he stood aside, and all the people were

astonished, and they said,

26 Where did this man get all his knowledge and his power? From whence

did all this wisdom come?

27 Is not this Mary’s son, whose home is out on Marmion Way?

28 Are not his brothers, Jude and James and Simon, known among our

honored men? Are not his sisters with us here?

29 But they were all offended by the words he spoke.

30 And Jesus said, A prophet has no honor in his native land; he is

not well received among his kin; his foes are in his home.

31 And Jesus wrought not many mighty works in Nazareth, because the

people had no faith in him. He did not tarry long.

32 But as he passed from thence two blind men followed him and cried,

Thou son of David, hear! Have mercy, Lord, and open up our eyes that

we may see.

33 And Jesus said, Do you believe that I can open up your eyes and

make you see?

34 They said, Yea, Lord, we know that if you speak the Word then we

can see.

35 And Jesus touched their eyes and spoke the Word; he said, According

to your faith so will it be.

36 And they were blest; they opened up their eyes and saw.

37 And Jesus said, Tell not this thing to any one.

38 But they went forth and told the news through all the land.

39 As Jesus walked along the way a man who was obsessed, and who was

dumb, was brought to him.

40 And Jesus spoke the Word; the unclean spirit came out of the man;

his tongue was loosed; he spoke; he said, Praise God.

41 The people were amazed; They said, This is a mighty deed; we never

saw that done before.

42 The Pharisees were also much amazed; but they cried out and said,

43 You men of Israel, take heed; this Jesus is a tool of Beelzebul; he

heals the sick and casts the spirits out in Satan’s name.

44 But Jesus answered not; he went his way.

45 And with the foreign masters and the twelve he went up to the town

where he once turned the water into wine and tarried certain days.

CHAPTER 122.

_The Christines spend seven days in prayer. Jesus gives his

charge to the twelve and sends them forth on their apostolic

ministry, with instructions to meet him in Capernaum._

The Christines prayed in silence seven days; then Jesus called the

twelve aside and said,

2 Behold, the multitudes have thronged about us everywhere; the people

are bewildered; they wander here and there like sheep without a fold.

3 They need a shepherd’s care; they want a loving hand to lead them to

the light.

4 The grain is ripe; the harvest is abundant, but the harvesters are

few.

5 The time is also ripe, and you must go alone through all the

villages and towns of Galilee and teach and heal.

6 And then he breathed upon the twelve and said, Receive the Holy

Breath.

7 And then he gave them each the Word of power, and said, By this

Omnific Word you shall cast spirits out, shall heal the sick and bring

the dead to life again.

8 And you shall go not in the way of the Assyrians, nor Greek; you

shall not go into Samaria; go only to your brethren of the scattered

tribes.

9 And as you go proclaim, The kingdom of the Christ has come.

10 You have abundantly received, and freely you shall give.

11 But you must go in faith; provide yourselves no crutch to lean upon.

12 Give all your gold and silver to the poor; take not two coats, nor

extra shoes; just take your wands.

13 You are God’s husbandmen and he will never suffer you to want.

14 In every place you go search out the men of faith; with them abide

until you go from hence.

15 You go for me; you act for me. They who receive and welcome you,

receive and welcome me;

16 And they who shut their doors against your face, refuse to welcome

me.

17 If you are not received in kindness in a town, bear not away an

evil thought; do not resist.

18 An evil thought of any kind will do you harm; will dissipate your

power.

19 When you are not received with favor, go your way, for there are

multitudes of men who want the light.

20 Behold, I send you forth as sheep among a pack of wolves; and you

must be as wise as serpents and as harmless as the doves.

21 In all your language be discreet, for Pharisees and scribes will

seek a cause for your arrest in what you say.

22 And they will surely find a way by charges false to bring you into

court.

23 And judges will declare that you are guilty of some crime, and

sentence you to scourgings and to prison cells.

24 But when you come to stand before the judge, be not afraid; be not

disturbed about the way to act, the words to speak.

25 The Holy Breath will guide you in that hour, and give the words

that you shall speak.

26 Of this be full assured; It is not you who speaks; it is the Holy

Breath who gives the words and moves the lips.

27 The gospel that you preach will not bring peace, but it will stir

the multitudes to wrath.

28 The carnal man abhors the truth, and he would give his life to

crush the tender plant before the harvest time.

29 And this will bring confusion in the homes that were the homes of

stagnant peace.

30 And brother will give brother up to death; the father will stand

by and see men execute his child; and in the courts the child will

testify against the sire, and gladly see its mother put to death.

31 And men will hate you just because you speak the name of Christ.

32 Thrice blessed is the man who shall be faithful in this coming day

of wrath!

33 Go now; when you are persecuted in a place, go seek another place.

34 And when you meet a foe too great for you, behold, the son of man

is at your door, and he can speak, and all the hosts of heaven will

stand in your defense.

35 But do not hold your present life in great esteem.

36 The time will come when men will take my life; you need not hope to

be immune, for they will slay you in the name of God.

37 Men call me Beelzebul and they will call you imps.

38 Be not afraid of what men say and do; they have no power over soul;

they may abuse and may destroy the body of the flesh; but that is all.

39 They do not know the God who holds the issues of the soul within

his hands, who can destroy the soul.

40 The Christ is king today, and men must recognize his power.

41 He who loves not the Christ, which is the love of God, before all

else, can never gain the prize of spirit consciousness.

42 And they who love their parents or their children more than they

love the Christ can never wear the name of Christ.

43 And he who loves his life more than he loves the Christ cannot

please God.

44 And he who clings to life shall lose his life, while he who gives

his life for Christ will save his life.

45 When Jesus had thus said he sent the twelve away by twos, and bade

them meet him in Capernaum.

46 And they went out through all the towns of Galilee and taught and

healed in spirit and in power.

CHAPTER 123.

_Jesus gives his final charge to the foreign masters and sends

them forth as apostles to the world. He goes alone to Tyre

and abides in Rachel’s home. Heals an obsessed child. Goes

to Sidon and then to the mountains of Lebanon. Visits Mount

Hermon, Cæsarea-Philippi, Decapolis, Gadara and returns to

Capernaum. Receives the twelve, who give an account of their

work._

The Christine master spent a time in prayer and then he called the

foreign masters, and he said to them,

2 Behold, I sent the twelve apostles unto Israel, but you are sent to

all the world.

3 Our God is one, is Spirit and is truth, and every man is dear to him.

4 He is the God of every child of India, and the farther east; of

Persia, and the farther north; of Greece and Rome and of the farther

west; of Egypt and the farther south, and of the mighty lands across

the seas, and of the islands of the seas.

5 If God would send the bread of life to one and not to all who have

arisen to the consciousness of life and can receive the bread of life,

then he would be unjust and that would shake the very throne of heaven.

6 So he has called you from the seven centers of the world, and he has

breathed the breath of wisdom and of power into your souls, and now he

sends you forth as bearers of the light of life, apostles of the human

race.

7 Go on your way, and as you go proclaim the gospel of the Christ.

8 And then he breathed upon the masters and he said, Receive the Holy

Breath; and then he gave to each the Word of power.

9 And each went on his way, and every land was blest.

10 Then Jesus went alone across the hills of Galilee and after certain

days he reached the coast of Tyre, and in the home of Rachel he abode.

11 He did not advertise his coming, for he did not come to teach; he

would commune with God where he could see the waters of the Mighty Sea.

12 But Rachel told the news and multitudes of people thronged her home

to see the Lord.

13 A Grecian woman of Phenecia came; her daughter was obsessed. She

said,

14 O Lord, have mercy on my home! My daughter is obsessed; but this I

know, if you will speak the Word she will be free. Thou son of David,

hear my prayer!

15 But Rachel said, Good woman, trouble not the Lord. He did not come

to Tyre to heal; he came to talk with God beside the sea.

16 And Jesus said, Lo, I was sent not to the Greek, nor to

Syrophenicians; I come just to my people, Israel.

17 And then the woman fell down at his feet and said, Lord, Jesus, I

implore that you will save my child.

18 And Jesus said, You know the common proverb well: It is not meet

that one should give the children’s bread to dogs.

19 And then the woman said, Yea, Jesus, this I know, but dogs may eat

the crumbs that fall down from their master’s board.

20 And Jesus said, Such faith I have not seen, no not among the Jews;

she is not serf, nor dog.

21 And then he said to her, According to your faith so let it be.

22 The woman went her way and when she came unto her child, lo, she

was healed.

23 And Jesus tarried many days in Tyre; and then he went his way and

dwelt a time in Sidon by the sea.

24 And then he journeyed on. In Lebanon hills and vales, and in its

groves he walked in silent thought.

25 His earthly mission fast was drawing to a close; he sought for

strength, and what he sought he found.

26 Mount Hermon stood beyond, and Jesus fain would kneel beside that

mountain famed in Hebrew song.

27 And then he stood upon Mount Hermon’s lofty peaks, and lifting up

his eyes to heaven he talked with God.

28 And masters of the olden times revealed themselves and long they

talked about the kingdom of the Christ;

29 About the mighty works that had been done; about the coming

conquest of the cross; about the victory over death.

30 Then Jesus journeyed on; he went to Cæsarea-Philippi, and in

Susanna’s home he tarried certain days.

31 And then he went through all Decapolis to give encouragement to

those who knew him as the Christ, and to prepare them for the day of

Calvary.

32 And then he went to Gadara, and many friends were there, to welcome

him.

33 And Chuzas, steward of the house of Herod Antipas, was there, and

Jesus went aboard the royal ship with him and crossed the sea, and

came unto Capernaum.

34 And when the people knew that Jesus was at home they came to

welcome him.

35 In just a little while the twelve apostles came and told the master

all about their journey over Galilee.

36 They said that by the sacred Word they had done many mighty works;

and Jesus said to them, Well done.

SECTION XVII.

PE.

_The Third Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of Jesus._

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ The Philosophic and Practical Basis of the Religion of the Aquarian Age of the World and of The Church Universal · 第 1 / 36 章