It is written that when the Nazarene, the Master-Teacher of Galilee, generally called "Jesus," asked his disciples: "Whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered him and said: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." The Nazarene replied:
"Blessed art thou, flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven." ____Matthew 16:16,17.
Flesh and blood, the material self, is not and cannot be conscious of Spiritual things. Only that which is Spirit is able to comprehend that which is of the Spirit. This Spirit is the God part hidden WITHIN every normal human being. It is almost universally unawakened. and unconscious, because VERY few are those whose desires are great enough to cause them to make the effort to awaken and bring this Spirit into manifestation.
When this awakening is accomplished, then another part of the Great Work is well under way; that of transmuting by purification into ennobling emotions all that is of the body, the physical self, the gross passions.
This brought about, the body becomes - Biblically speaking - the TEMPLE OF THE LIVING GOD, and as a result, God dwells within that temple.
Spiritual things, Godly things, can become known only to the Spiritual. It is therefore truthfully written that only God the Father, who is in his heaven, could have made known to Peter the real nature of the Nazarene.
The Spirit within man is man's unawakened or awakened Soul. It was known by the early, pre-church Christian Fathers as the Christos. These early men of God taught, even before the word "Christ" was known, that within every normal human being there existed a Spark, or part of God, in the form of Light or Fire, and that each human being, might, if he so desired, awaken and bring into manifestation this Christos or Spiritual self.
It was promised that in doing this, he would become an individual church or temple for this Christos, having by effort become the living Christ within man. This was to be accomplished not by mere belief, or faith, but by effort, and is clearly indicated by the statement: "Know ye not that ye are the Temple of the Living God."
The Nazarene, throughout his entire ministry, made
every effort to convey this knowledge to all who would listen
to him. It was this: That if man, as a result of his own constant
effort and desire did everything possible to live in harmony
with the Divine Law, in thought, desire, and felling, he
would rebuild his material self - body, spirit and mind - and
would, at the same time, be building the temple wherein God, the
Immortal self, could and would dwell.
In so doing he would also awaken the dormant or buried Christos
into Consciousness, attaining an at-one-ment with God; becoming
a Son of God - Christos transformed into a Christic state.
This Christos awakened and become conscious, would make
known unto him the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, a secret
knowable only to those who obey the Divine Law.
To know God, to become conscious of the Christos within, is possible only to those who, by their Spiritual awakening, come more or less fully into unity with the Soular selfhood conveyed to all men at birth in an unawakened or unconscious state.
During the many centuries between the ministry of the Nazarene and the present age, the true conception of the Christic mysteries has been lost to all but the few endowed with a keen desire to become that which God desired them to be, and who made, or are making, every effort to obey the Biblical command to develop all their "talents." the Nazarene was fully conscious of this, hence the statement to his disciples: "To you" (that is to the few), "it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to others: (because of their unwillingness to follow me, that is obey the law I teach), "it is not so given."
Throughout the ages only the few out of the millions have come to know the "Mysteries of the kingdom of God," and have had "all other things added thereto." This has been so only because of man's basic weakness - his selfishness - his desire for glory, temporal power, the plaudits of men. Man preferred the material things of earth that would give him ease and demand of him the least effort and self-denial. All this had the tendency to bury still more deeply the Spiritual "Talents" and the Spark of the Divine, the Christos, which he inherited in embryo (unmanifested form) at his birth into the material world.
Unfortunately, throughout the ages, mankind sought the attainment of intellectual knowledge - cold and unfeeling - and scholastic achievement, irrespective of its ultimate desirability or possible Spiritual benefit. This again had the effect of burying the Christos even more deeply within the Biblical "tomb," and gave rise to a tendency to question all things, even God, leading man toward atheism rather than toward Eternal Truths.
The greatest enigma is not in the fact that the "mysteries of the kingdom of God" may be revealed only to those who obey the Divine Law, and that this will "bring to man ALL things else," without loss of anything material or spiritual, but that most of mankind refuses to recognize the Law. By non-recognition man defies the Law, attempting to secure by self-destructive means that which might be possessed lawfully, with blessings, instead of the absolute certainty of losing all; including his Spiritual inheritance.
The Divine Spark from the Divinity Himself, the Christos, which by desire, effort and obedience to the Divine Law would become the Christ, the Son of God, is inborn in every normal individual. This Christos is not a human, material element. The Christos become the Christ is the individualization of God in man; the unity of the Christ Child and the Godly Father, the end and aim of life.
Individualization, despite every effort made by men collectively to prevent it, means rising above the mass, and attaining the only reality in this or any other world. The effort to attain individualization is the only means of individual Spiritual survival. It is the eternal warfare between Satan, symbol of destruction, and the Christ, symbol of Eternity.
The "Christ," or the Nazarene becoming Christic or the Christ, is not a term limited to one person, nor does it represent an experience which took place only or uniquely in the life of the Nazarene, known as Jesus of Nazareth. The Christ is the Spiritual or Conscious Individual Soul realization that may be attained in the LIFE of eVERY MAN, IF HE WILL OBEY THE LAW LAID DOWN BY THE MASTER-TEACHER of THE FIRST CENTURY.
This Law is now Reinterpreted for all peoples of the present or Manistic Age - the NEW ORDER of man. To become Christ-like, Christified, Soul Conscious, God Conscious, is to reach a STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS possible to all who willingly meet the conditions essential for its attainment. It is the Christos, Spark of God, the Divinity, awakened and brought into INDIVIDUALIZED CONSCIOUSNESS. Mankind should not forget the absoluteness of the Divinity and His Laws, a knowledge available to man throughout the ages. This knowledge has produced world teachers of Divine Law, such as: Osiris-Isis, the Master-Teachers of Greece and other Countries, the Nazarene called the Christ, and lastly, he of the New Order, Manisis; all of these representing one great achievement of attainment: Manhood glorified, God made manifest by, and in, man.
In its incarnation, or as a result of its incarnation in humanity, this Divine Spark becomes unconscious and non-individualized. Through deliberate effort on the part of the possessor, this Divine Spark is awakened and gradually brought into Consciousness as an individualized entity. Anyone or anything that interferes with man's efforts to individualize himself retards his progress toward his ultimate attainment; his material welfare and Spiritual destiny. Such a one acting in defiance of the Divine Law tends to eclipse or short-circuit man's full development of his Biblical "talents," as demanded of him by his Creator.
In its primitive or original state, this Divine Spark is an emanation or separation from the Godhead; just as the germinal seed in the acorn is an emanation from the parent oak. In the final, fully awakened and developed state, after being brought into full Consciousness, it is the manifest Son of God, a Divinity become such by its own efforts and there fore in its own right; just as the acorn, just as the acorn, self-planted or by design, in proper soil, under proper conditions and with no inimical interference, becomes the giant oak, a perfect pattern of its parent.
The teachings, examples of life, and accomplishments of the Nazarene were not, in themselves, the reason either for the fame or the defamation attending his life and ministry. The potent ideals he pronounced and frequently demonstrated, became the incentive for those who heard him, to follow in his footsteps.
His Spiritual Ideals were the secret of the influence he exercised among men, as also the fact that he would not deviate one jot or tittle from the Path laid out for him or the dictation of the Divine Law - the Father's Will.
Prophets before him had, at least in part, taught the same Arcane doctrines; had healed the sick and even raised the dead. In every generation of men, seeming miracles had been performed, but prior to the ministry of the Master-Teacher none had dared preach the Way, the Truth and the Life as openly as he did; nor dared condemn evils as fiercely and consistently as he did, and all without the slightest fear for his own safety; knowing, as he did, that death would be the penalty.
None of the prophets and teachers since Egypt's greatness and glory had dared to teach that every Soul in human form would be responsible solely to God, and not to other men, whatever their position of earthly greatness. He taught that each Soul born into the form of man, is a trust, actually a pawn, for either the payment of evils done, or a receiver of the reward for its faithful stewardship i.e.,for the "talents" placed within the Soul as a test for man's obedience to God or His Divine Law, or Defiance of the Law. These truths, these expositions of the Divine Law could be taught, revealed, exemplified, demonstrated, and personalized only by one who actually LIVED in harmony with them; had become ONE WITH THE LAW and had no regard for the safety of his own life. John in the Wilderness gave voice to only a few of the pronouncements and paid with his life, just as the Nazarene was to do later; all because he thought not of himself, but constantly had in mind the welfare of humanity. Both recognized the wondrous benefits that would accrue to man if he would obey the Divine Law, awaken the Christos WITHIN himself - the God IN MAN - the God WITHIN his inner temple into Christhood in accord with the divine dictate "Ye are," that is, may become "the temple of the Living God if you will obey the Law.
To actually know - not merely believe in - the Christ, this God-in-man, or in the temple, it is, first of all, necessary to so live and make effort as to bring the Christos into Consciousness. It is then that this Christos, or the Soul, may attain to Divine selfhood, i.e., individualization; freedom from the domination of other men who are not living in obedience to the Divine Law, as well as from their own evil and destructive tendencies.
The Nazarene, like other men before him who had chosen a similar path, was enabled to attain the supreme Consciousness of being, or Cosmic Consciousness, in the one incarnation in which he was born as Jesus of Nazareth. The one all-important difference between him and those before him who as the sons of men had, according to the Biblical statement, become the Sons of God, was in the fact that he was willing and ready to forfeit his life to prove to all men that they had the opportunity to do as he had done. In other words, to so live that the death of the body, the material self, would have no effect upon the Soul, the Divinely-awakened Consciousness within.
It was written, presumably by his oldest disciple, but no matter who, that the Nazarene was tempted, "like as we," (all men), "and yet was without sin." So concerned was he with his mission on earth that he was obedient to the Divine Law above all else. This statement presupposes - and who is there with authority to question it - that the Nazarene was destined to meet the same temptations, and was actually subject to the same passions and the same laws, natural, moral, and ethical, as are other men.
However, his one great desire, his ideal, was so strong and so overwhelmingly predominant that it held the desires and appetites of the flesh in subjection until he succeeded in TRANSMUTING THEM IN THE DIRECTION AND FOR THE PURPOSE of HIS ONE GREAT DESIRE.
As a result of this ONE, all-predominant desire, he was able to keep himself free from the bondage which every selfish and ignoble desire imposes on all of mankind, as also from the dictation and domination of other men. As he was free from selfish desires, he could not be bribed, threatened or by any means induced to do that which would retard his progress and the full development of the "talents" with which he was born, or thwart the mission he had set out to accomplish.
The Christ - a principle in being - is synonymous with the awakened Christos, BECOME the Illuminated, Conscious Soul. It is a part of the fourfold nature of the perfected man, is in intimate relationship with every other department of man's nature and therefore active in the dictation or direction of man's every thought, desire and act.
The incarnate Spark of the Divinity breathed in at birth - at first latent in every normal human being, but capable of being awakened, developed by thought, desire and action into a state of Individualization, or Individualized Consciousness - has then become the Conscious Soul of man. Developed and Illuminated, it has BECOME Christic, hence as a Son of God. Therefore, this attainment to Consciousness or the Individualization of both the person and the Soul - this reciprocal, hand-in-hand progress constitutes the state of Christhood.
Stating it another way, the unconscious Soul is the germ of Divinity, i.e., Godhood, in an undeveloped form. It is the Spark or part from the father of humanity which is conceived in humanity through material-maternal conception; capable, by desire and effort on the part of the possessor, of being nurtured and "fanned" into a Flame or fiery state - God Himself always having appeared to man as a Light or a Fire - culminating after a time in Soul Consciousness or Christhood.
The mind of man came into being or existence at the moment when body, spirit (which is life) and the Flame that is the Soul in embryo merged into a single unit, then man became a conscious being, capable of thinking and reasoning - a reasoning being; hence a "human" being different from all other creatures - a man. This mind is the analyzer,having the ability to reason, decide and judge between right and wrong. The mind is responsible for nourishing and fanning the Soul Spark into a Flame or Light; this Light ultimately becoming the Conscious Soul.
The mind is actually the architect, as well as the builder, of the Soul. The mind must select the material, this material being thought, desire and incentive to action. To the mind, the reasoner, selector and director, is delegated the mission of developing the inner Spiritual self, the germ of Divinity, into Christhood, or Sonship. In other words, the mind is the medium for the development of the "talents" with which man is born. The mind's choice is tremendously far-reaching; a choice between selfishness and carnality, and their opposite, idealism and idealistic accomplishment affecting both the, as yet, personal self and humanity.
The body, lowly as it may be, is the foundation upon which all must be built. It is the world wherein all operations, all activity, must take place. It can be, and should be, a sacred sanctuary; made so by the marvelous alchemical processes through which the threefold operations in man - mental physical and Spiritual - become elevated, ennobled, unified and harmonized in a perfect centralization of Idealistic Individualization on the one hand, or a cesspool of evil and destructiveness on the other. the choice is the responsibility of the person not yet become an individual. The penalty or blessings are upon the Soul within, which, though as yet not conscious, must of necessity accept the burden or the blessing.
The body, in the Divine tragedy of humanity, though lowly and earth-born, the Biblical "worm of the dust," is both the battle ground and vehicle for all Spiritual operations. It furnishes the crude material and fuel, in its carnality and gross passions, for the process which makes possible the building of the Spiritual or Soul. Were this not true, then the God Father erred grossly in the creation of physical man.
The body is not erroneously and ignorantly to be considered as an undesirable accident; bitter experience through which the Soul must pass; but an essential in developing Divinity out of humanity; the means for the experience as a result of which the "sons of men BECOME as the Sons of God," knowing by the experience "both good and evil."
The spirit, concerning which there is such great confusion, is the link holding body, mind and the Divine principle together. This spirit is the life force or activating principle animating all living things; even the atoms of steel. It is the life equally of the tree, the vegetable, the beautiful flower and man. It is interchangeable between the animate and the inanimate. The spirit is life. It is the life and the heat of the flame. It is the warmth of the body. It is even, indirectly, the activating principle of man's deepest feelings - love.
Without the spirit there could be no warmth; without warmth, there could be no life; without life, neither affection nor love; both the earth and the heavens would be void. As spirit, it is neither felt nor seen; yet it pulsates through the fiber of everything that is.
The universal confusion relative to the word "spirit" is due to its dual usage; defining as it does, the life of all that exists; not seen, nor felt, but activating all that is material, and, at the same time applicable to all that is highest, most Divine. Spirit (capitalized) has reference to God the Creator, the Cosmic Soul and the Cosmic Consciousness, the Divinity within man, the essence that is friendship, affection and highest of all, Divine and human love. Spirit is all that is eternal and never changing.
Why should this be so? Because no other word than "Spiritual" has yet been coined by any man throughout the aeons of time that embraces and includes the universality of all that is highest, greatest and best in both Divine and human nature. The term "Spiritual" is applicable to all that is. It embraces everything that applies to all that is Divine and above, just as the word "spiritual" (not capitalized) includes and embraces everything that makes material things possible.
The solution to the problem is not difficult if those in search of the ultimate, of the Way, the Truth, and the Life, will bear in mind that the uncapitalized word "spirit" has reference to the life principle, while the capitalized word "Spiritual" has reference to all that is Holy, Divine and Eternal; including the affectionate and love nature of man; the Divinity that is hidden within himself and generally known as his "Soul," as well as the eternal self- created Creator known as God, the Father, the Christos and God in man.
These, in brief, are short descriptions of the various departments of man's being while on earth. If any of the four natures of man are out of balance there is inharmony, and where harmony is lacking peace cannot exist. Peace being a state of heaven, the lack of it constitutes the "hell" of man's earthly existence. His first duty then, is to establish harmony.
Mind is the executive of the entire corporation known as man. It is the architect responsible for the biblical "temple not built with hands," that is, to give residence to the Soul after the Divine Spark has been awakened and brought into Consciousness.
Mind is also at one and the same time, the awakener of the embryonic Soul and its gradual development into that Consciousness. It must therefore receive prominent consideration in this volume devoted to the Biblical ten "Talents."
Mind is the womb in which is born every thought and desire of which man is capable. Perhaps it might be said that physical needs give birth to desire, but desire is part of the mental process itself. It therefore is the duty of mind, by means of its reasoning ability, to analyze and judge every thought or desire at the moment of its birth and retain and direct it if good; or reject it if it will serve no useful, constructive purpose.
Every thought the mind thinks, or that comes into the mind, is a vital, living reality if retained. It is a vibratory (living, active) force possessing in itself either constructive or destructive power. Whether permitted to enter the outer ether or retained, every thought becomes a part of the inner self, either lifting upwards that inner self, or degrading (damning) it to the degree of its potency for good or evil.
If the mind of man is filled or activated with the feelings of gentleness, sympathy, affection, love, devotion or adoration, he radiates the vibrations of these feelings. He surrounds himself with them as with a brilliant light; manifests them in his every movement; in his voice and by the look in his eyes; but greater than all these, the vibrations are impressed upon the Divine Spark within himself. This Divine principle acts as a film upon which everything man deeply thinks, desires or does is irrevocably impressed.
Likewise, as certainly - if possible, even more so - the opposite feelings of ill-will, hatred, malice, of resentment, jealousy, unforgiveness, feelings of resentment of unjust treatment and the many other evil passions, create a vibratory force which manifests in man's every activity.
These impress themselves upon the "record" within, are unconsciously sent out in the manner of a radio station, and finding no resting place, return to the sender with increased force and are the cause of his weaknesses; his illnesses, his failures, his lack of peace of mind and happiness. They cause him constant discontent and mental distortions but he blames everything but himself for his many afflictions.
All of the varied gradations of emotional vibrations known as affection, love, good-will, kindness, generosity, forgiveness and the many others, are constructive, ennobling, elevating and Spiritualizing and, to tell the truth, they also build health and vitality. All emotions belonging to the category of ill will, hatred, malice, resentment, avarice, unkindness and similar feelings, are degrading, debasing, destructive and depressive upon the mind itself, the body and the Spiritual self, even though that Spiritual self is still unconscious.
The Nazarene devoted much effort in teaching man to recognize the great powers inherent in the emotions of friendship, good- fellowship, compassion and gentleness combined with firmness, graciousness and sympathy. He was positive in his inculcations that kindly motives, good works, clean thoughts and lofty desires, would always yield a desirable harvest, basing this conclusion on his edict: "As ye sow, so shall ye reap." His recognition of divinity, his daily ministry, his simple life, was the most positive evidence that his own heart was filled with the feeling that is akin to love, and an understanding of truth illuminated by the clearness of his outlook on life in all its aspects.
Basically, the Soul is the fountain, the source, of every shade of that which we know as friendship, affection and love. Friendship and affection are phases of that which is most eternal in the human Soul: Love. Each of these has its own application. One fits in where the other does not.
The passions that include hatred and malice may fundamentally be phases of these destructive feelings, may be in head and heart alone, but their evil and degrading influences are, in the first place, directly upon the Soul and then upon the person to whom directed. The vibrations resulting from every thought and deed, whether good or evil, constructive or destructive, impress themselves upon the "record." That record is the Soul.
These impressing vibrations are the Biblical "Recording Angel;" they never sleep nor do they miss one jot or tittle. The good, or Godliness, manifested as love of truth, beneficence and readiness to forgive, open the inner door of the hidden Great Within to the unfoldment of the Christos hidden or buried there. Every one of these exalted feelings creates its own vibration and bears fruit of its own nature, be this sweet or bitter.
Try to sidestep as we may, the fact remains that MAN IS THE CREATOR OF HIS OWN DESTINY, hence IS THE CREATURE of HIS SELF-MADE FUTURE. Moreover, perhaps regrettably, to a lesser or greater degree, he helps in shaping the destiny of all whom he contacts and as a result, to the degree of his undesirable or evil example and influence, will be forced to pay the penalty. This is an irrevocable Law few realize.
Practically everything in our environment was drawn to ourselves by means of the attracting vibrations we created. We function, both consciously and unconsciously, in hope, a peace akin to happiness, goodness and kindliness, or their opposites. The soul itself is revealed to the degree of its progressive development; this development depending on the intensity and consistency of our desires.
If the personality, the as-yet undeveloped individuality, is evilly inclined or led astray: (1) It dwarfs, cripples and retards the Soul's progress by its feeling of envy, jealousy, hatred, malice and all of the other degrading and stultifying passions, whether man realizes this or not. (2) It has, at THE SAME TIME, a like effect upon man's physical self, mind and body, (3) as also his material or economical welfare.
The three departments are affected as a single unit. It were far better for men to finish their journey on earth halt and blind and otherwise physically imperfect, but whole of Soul, than to finish life's brief existence physically perfect, but imprisoning a Soul still in darkness.
The Biblical "temple not made with hands" must be built by thought, effort and desire. If the desires are of the right nature, then the hidden Christos will also, and at the same time, be brought to an awakening and the means toward this end are goodness of a positive nature, kindness of disposition, not merely of act; wisdom directing all efforts. All this is plainly foreshadowed in the few and simple words uttered by the Nazarene:
"Know ye not that ye are the temples of the Living God." ___Corinthians 3:16.
Yes, there is an ever-present God ready to direct man's every effort. Millions have read these words, and untold millions have heard them, but few have been impressed by their inconceivably vital importance to themselves and all humanity.
Uncounted numbers have been told that hidden within their being there is a part of their Creator, a Spark to be fanned into a consuming Fire; a flame that will consume within the self-being all that is unworthy, undesirable and retarding to their every effort. If this Christos is permitted to grow in stature as did the body, man will come into complete control of the direction of his own destiny here and hereafter.
"Know ye not"... No, mankind does not know. Men have read the words. They have heard them spoken innumerable times. But, like surface water on earth that fails to nourish vegetation, neither the meaning not its implications "sank" in, and therefore they derived no benefit. Others have listened to the words; have given thought to them, but foolishly led themselves to believe that they might have the benefits by faith; as a result of some one else doing his own work, and theirs in addition.
They should have been impressed by some potent means that: "...Ye are the Temples of the living God," but that entrance to the temple is impossible until that temple is made clean and prepared for its Glorification by means of pure thought, lofty desires and deliberate and consistent efforts.
This preparation or building of the temple includes within its category the command: "Judge ye not." A man's behavior, his efforts, his habits bespeak the man. A man judged by his actions may be indifferent to all refinement and all honor. Such actions are to be condemned, as within him there may be awakening desires not yet strong enough to direct his actions. This no man may know because only "God and he" can know what is in his heart. Moreover, we who cannot see within him, cannot know what the inner directing forces may be; nor the reason for his actions; therefore, we may not judge the man, though we condemn unworthy acts; nor may we excuse ourselves from equally great evils because he, our neighbor, is guilty of them.
God is no respecter of persons; nor can he be deceived. Both your neighbor and you will be judged for what you really are, not for what you appear to be or try to make others believe yourselves to be, but for the thoughts, desires and feelings harbored within and your acts in the world of action. God created man in His own image; His creation was perfect. But man, having been given free Will so that in his activities he might be like God, saw fit to abuse this privilege, debasing all that is good and noble, and seldom thinking or acting in a wholly noble and constructive manner.
In this betrayal of so great a trust, man, following in the footsteps of his fellow man, instead of God or the Law, and nations following in the lawless footsteps of other nations have "sold" themselves into slavery. Their own free Will has become the evil Will of their dictators and thus must continue until the "man who sleeps within" awakens and commands obedience to the Law operating for the good of all men, to the degree of the Willingness and Readiness of the individual to obey Divine Law.
Men, all men, including ourselves, "see as through a glass darkly," and terribly dark it is! Seldom, if ever, are we actually aware of what manner of spirit (self-being) dwells within us, until we begin to awaken from our long sleep in darkness and vaguely sense the actualities of what life was intended to be by Him who called us into being. It is not until the inner, better self has partly awakened and we see a glimmering of truth in the distance, that we begin to be conscious also of the Spiritual self hidden within us. It is then that we hear His "voice," not in words, but by promptings, and there is an inner incentive to mend our ways and to learn of life as it may be for us if we are willing to fulfill the contract of our destiny.
Within each and every one there is awaiting, patiently, but expectantly, that which is greater than all else in the world; greater than possessions, honors, powers; because with the awakening of the Christos, as a result of our desires and obedience to the Law, we will become, by degrees, one of those of whom the Nazarene said:
"Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but others are taught in parables, that seeing they might not see, and hearing, they might not understand." __Luke 8:10.
"Seek ye first the kingdom of God [build that Temple within so that God may dwell in it} and all [other] things will be added unto you." __Matthew 6:33.
Never did He say: "If you would have honors, power, possessions, be great among men AND IN THE SIGHT OF GOD, cheat your fellow men, enslave them, defraud them and take possession even of their loved ones, and you shall be great in the land of thy God." Nevertheless, men by their actions, almost universally have translated the command of the Nazarene to mean just this and nothing more.
Within every man, ever present, is a watchman that
no power, no force, no man, no temptation can lead astray or cause
to betray his duty. This watchman, the "Recording Angel,"
transcribes into the "Book of Life" of every man his
every transgression, and is just as faithful in entering therein
man's every goodness, be this of feeling, desire or effort. This
is the "book" of accounts, and each Soul must answer
for every act during its pilgrimage here on earth.
This is not as grim as it would at first appear. Nor is it as
difficult as it seems to refuse to bear ill-will toward one's
fellow man. It is not too difficult to prevent one's self from
taking possession of that to which one has not earned the right.
It is not too difficult to "bethink" one's self, instead
of seeing only the evil in man, to see the good; weigh the good
against the evil, and act accordingly.
Feelings become habits. With each better feeling another is born until we look for something to be bitter about. With every smile we see on a trusting child's face, we will see another, perhaps on the face of the woman we meet around the corner.
Evil gives birth to evil, goodness and kindliness to goodness and kindliness. The common saying: "Birds of a feather flock together," is based on an eternal truth and can readily and correctly be applied to our every thought, desire and act.
Love, not the passion generally so called, but the actual
Spiritual feeling of love toward all - called "goodness"
for want of a better word, is the key to the eternity of existence.
It is to every stumbling, struggling creature as a beacon light
from both above and within that will dispel the dark valleys of
life with its rays and bring the Soul into greater Light.
In time and orderly progress it becomes the Soul's Consciousness;
God Glorified.
|Top|