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.