OM THC RA1SIO MAP
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PALESTINE EXPLORATION FUSD
BY OEOROI ARMSTROHS ES
to the Fuod
M !?*
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
of
JESUS THE CHRIST
The Philosophic and Practical Basis of the Religion
of the Aquarian Age of the W^orld
AND OF
THE CHURCH UNIVERSAL
TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BOOK OF GOD'S REMEMBRANCES,
KNOWN AS THE AKASHIC RECORDS,
BY
LEVI
Z, fo v p
WITH
INTRODUCTION
BY
EVA S. BOWLING, A. Ph. B.
LONDON:
L. N. FOWLER ANB COMPANY
E. S. BOWLING, PUBLISHER,
Los Angeles, California
1911
FOR SALE BY
E. S. DOWLING
Los Angeles, California.
Copyright 1911,57
MRS. EVA S. BOWLING
Copyright in England, 1911
Entered at Stationers' Hall, London
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
including rights of translation
CONTENTS
SECTION I. Birth and Early Life of Mary, Mother of Jesus. Chapter 1.
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. Chap-
ters 173-180.
SECTION XXII. Establishment of the Christine Church. Chapters 181-182.
M735971
INTRODUCTION
BY
EVA S. BOWLING, 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 ques-
tions 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 revolu-
tion. 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. Be-
cause 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 opin-
ions; 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 em-
pire the sun entered the sign Pisces, the Fishes, and the Piscean Age began,
so that early in this Age Jesus of Nazareth lived.
6 INTRODUCTION
2 What is the Piscean Age? This question requires further consider-
ation. 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 Chris-
tian 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 monu-
ments, 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 cer-
tainly 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 compre-
hended 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."
INTRODUCTION
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 pro-
phetic 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 pro-
claimed by masters long ago 'the four
and twenty ancient ones/
"I heard the names of every Cheru-
bim 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 ha4 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 Cher-
ubim; 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 Wis-
dom 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 Sera-
phim, 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 Brother-
hood, 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 m^y 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 Seraphun 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."
" as the Word is Used in This Book ?
4 What is Meant by (t the Christ,
The word Christ is derived from the Greek wordKristos 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 pre-
sumed that this manuscript is a direct transcription from the Akashic
Records and its importance demands its reproduction here in full.
8
INTRODUCTION
THE CHRIST
" Before creation was the Christ
walked with the Father God and Mother
God in Akasha.
''The Christ is son, the only son be-
gotten 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 mani-
fest ; 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, be-
cause 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 un-
numbered 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 infini-
ties is locked the scroll that bears the
record of the purposes of God, the Tri-
une 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, or-
dained that they should grow, and
should return at last, by effort of un-
numbered 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 pre-
pared 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 mani-
fest in flesh at first of every age."
5 What relationship existed between Jesus of Nazareth and the Christ f
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 doc-
INTRODUCTION
9
trine 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 suffer-
ing ; for this is the only way to perfection .
His life was an example of attainment
by the way of crosses and cruel treat-
ment. 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 re-
markable 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, buffetings, temptations and suf-
ferings. 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 an-
ointed 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 Christ-
ship 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.
" 'Tkis 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 fleshy 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.
10
INTRODUCTION
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 person-
ality 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 sensi-
tiveness 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 veri-
table 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.
LEVl'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 Breach
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.
INTRODUCTION 11
"Write of his works as prophet, abused; was spit upon, was crucified,
priest and seer; write of his life of purity was buried in a tomb; but he revived
and love, and how he changed his carnal and rose a conqueror over death that he
flesh to flesh divine without descending might show the possibilities of man
through the gates of death. "A thousand times he said to men;
"And you may write the story of 'I came to show the possibilities of man;
Melchizedec, the Christ who lived when what I have done all men may do, and
Abram lived, and pointed out to men the what I am all men shall be.'
way to life through sacrifice; who gave "These stories of The Christ will be
his life a willing sacrifice for men. enough, for they contain the true philos-
"And you may write the story of the ophy of life, of death and of the resur-
Prince of 'Peace, The Christ who came as rection of the dead,
babe in Bethlehem, and traveled every "They show the spiral journey of the
way of life that man must tread. soul until the man of earth and God are
"He was despised, rejected and
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 sacred pages all the messages of Purity
of the works of Purity and Love; but and Love.
, >**<* ** -01 read
of every thought and word and deed; the words of life in the language of his
"And when the world is ready to re- native land, and men will see the light.
ceive, lo, God will send a messenger to "And man again will be at one with
open up the book and copy from its God." Aquarian Gospel 7:25-28.
Further references to the personality of Levi are, seemingly, unneces-
sary. 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 f 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, Intelli-
gence and Love, and a person may be in full accord with one of these attri-
butes 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
12 INTRODUCTION
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 recep-
tion 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 accomplish-
ment, 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
INTRODUCTION
13
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 sera-
phim, 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 per-
fect 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, un-
fold, 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 coul, 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 per-
fumes 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 be-
came a foe that man must fight, that bfl
14
INTRODUCTION
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
Clant, of beast; but he has given up his
irthright, 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 temp-
tations 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 wel 1 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 t>n 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
Afflic tions merited; the law (V. 5, 6) 138
Age, Messiah comes at first of every 73
A j ainin ; Jesus his guest 37
A j ainin in Benares to see Jesus 29
Aj ainin visits Jesus 29
Almsgiving, lesson of Jesus on 94
Almighty God, the Father; Omnis-
cient 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
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
CHAP.
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 Zachariaa 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
B
Baal, Assyrian Idol
Babylon, Jesus and Ashbina in
Babylon, its wicked kings
Balm of life, the air we breathe
Baptism instituted
43
43
43
41
15
Baptism of Jesus by the Harbinger 64
Baptism of many people by the
Harbinger 64
Baptism adopted by Jesus as dis-
ciples' pledge
Baptism by Jesus of six disciples
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
Barabas appointed scapegoat 168
Bar-Simon's feast 159
Beatitudes, formulated by Jesus 95
Belus, monument of folly
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
Bethlehem, Jesus in 76
Bethany, Jesus in 77
Bethany, home of Lazarus 77
Bethany, Jesus at Lazarus' house 137
Bethany, Christines returned to 148
Bethesd a, Jesus surrounded by the sick 91
Bethabara, Jesus in 147
Betrayal by Judas 160
Betrayal of Jesus by a kiss 164
15
16
SUBJECT INDEX
CHAP.
Birth, of Holy Breath 75
Birth, of water 75
Birthday feast of child Jesus 16
Birthd ay f east 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 to mb 171
Busybodies seek faults in others 100
Caesarea Philippi, Christines in 128
Caiphas, Jesus in palace of 165
Camel, a present to Jesus
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
CHAP.
Confession of faith, Lamaas 80
Confession of faith, Bethlehemites 77
Confession of faith, Samaritan wo-
man 81
Confession of faith, Samaritans
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
Chaldee, Jesus in 42
Charge to Mary and Elizabeth by
Elihu 7
Charge, the final to Mary and Eliz-
abeth by Elihu 12
Charge to Jesus by Brotherhood
Hierophant 48
Charge to the Apostles
Charge to the foreign Masters
Charge to the seventy 133
Charges against Jesus read 165
Child the symbol of greatness
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 dis-
ciples 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
SUBJECT INDEX
17
CHAP.
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
Cross must be borne
Cross, each must bear his own 142
Cross the sea, Christines 1 17, 124
Crippled healed tells the news
Crippled man sought healing waters 91
Crucifixion not permitted
Crucifixion, Jesus' secret lesson on 127
Cruelty of sacrifice 19
Crumbs, twelve baskets full gath-
ered 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 Oraqle 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, lam-
entation 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
Devil, man the maker 39
Diamond Rule (V. 10) 101
Disappears suddenly, Jesus
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
CHAP.
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
E
Earthquake shakes Calvary t 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 Har-
binger 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
Evil things transmuted by fire 116
Evolution explained by Jesus
Evolution of sacred scriptures 14
Exaltation, philosophy of 9
Exaltation for those who live the life 146
Exaltation of her sons, requestof Mary 146
Examination of Jesus before Pilate 167
Excuses of invited guests 141
Extremity of Peter Jesus' oppor-
tunity 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
Faith cannot be bought nor sold 107
Faithfulness of Apostles 147
Fall of man explained 32
18
SUBJECT INDEX
CHAP.
False witnesses testify; Jesus ad-
judged guilty 165
False Christs will deceive many 157
Farewell address to Pilate, Jesus' 163
Farmer, Jesus abides with one
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'
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 preeen t a t 18,19
Feast, Mary makes for Jesus
Feast of Ravanna in Nazareth 2 1
Feast of Ach at Bahar 27
Feast of Udraka
Feast, Paschal at Jerusalem 72
Fear and unbelief asses that bind
man's will
Festival at Jerusalem
Final lessons of Jesus 163
Fire, Bethany in flames 92
Fire controlled by Jesus' word 92
Fish, a multitude caught
Five thousand fed
Flesh not immortal, may be dissolved 109
Flowing spring near Persepolis 41
Fly across the sea, demand of Phar-
isees 107
Foe of John, is Jesus one?
Followers of John become disciples 66
Food does not defile the mind 126
Force, Intelligence and Love 58
Foreign plants are Scribes and
Pharisees
Forerunner of Jesus, John
Forgiveness of sins is healing 90
Forgiveness the paying of debts
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
Fruitless fig tree made to wither 105
Fulfilling the law 95
Gadara, Christines in
Garden of Siloam, Jesus* tomb 172
Garments divided by soldiers 170
Getheseme, Jesus in 163
CHAP.
Gennesaret, Christines in valley of 128
Geracines, Christines in 114
Gift of anything, Herod's offer to
Salome
Give Caesar hisown : 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
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
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
Hero, man who answers not 97
Heresy of John 85
SUBJECT INDEX
19
CHAP.
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
Jairus' daughter dies 120
Jealous brothers of Jesus 43
Jealousy unknown in Brotherhood
of Right 83
Jerico, 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
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
CHAP.
Journey to their homes, Joseph,
Mary, Jesus, Elizabeth, John 12
Journey through Sidon and Leba-
non 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 compre-
hended 40
Listening, Mary chose the better part 136
Living Oracle 45
Living people may help the dead 128
20
SUBJECT INDEX
CHAP.
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
M
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, appear-
ances 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 Per-
sopolis 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 Brother-
hood in Greece 7
To Claudas and Juliet in Rome 178
To the priests in temple Heliopo-
lis, Egypt 178
CHAP.
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
N
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
SUBJECT INDEX
CHAP.
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 1 18
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' ad-
dress 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 Har-
vest 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
21
CHAP.
161
21
113
142
182
59
35
35
Parting words of Jesus
Patron of Jesus, Ravanna
Peace, Jesus' address on
Pearl of greatest price
Pentecost
Perfect man, Jesus
Perfect age; no rites
Perfect age; all people priests
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
22
SUBJECT INDEX
CHAP.
Primer, blessed work 34
Pupils at Zoan Mary and Eliza-
beth 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 c arnal 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
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 afc 79
Salim springs 146
CHAP.
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 Christ 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 selfish-
ness 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 Aaher healed 78
Sick healed at Sychar 83
Sick woman healed by thought 84
Sick son of nobleman healed 87
Sick and obsessed healed at Caper-
naum 89
SUBJECT INDEX
23
CHAP.
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
Sins of priesthood, Jesus' lesson 72
Sinless man called to stand
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
Sonnets of the dead 117
Sorrowing rich young man 142
Soul communion
Soul not immortal
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
Stone Jesus, Jews attempt to 147
Storm on Sea of Galilee 117, 124
Strength through effort 46
Strength and wisdom fill Jesus
Striving of the apostles 160
Substitute for Holy Name
Susanna's guests, Christines 128
Swearing prohibited
Sychar, Jesus teaches in 83
Tao, God of the Orient 9
Tax paid by Jesus and Peter
Tax money in fish's mouth 131
Teacher of Jesus, Mary
Teacher of Jesus, Barachia 17
Teaches doctors and lawyers, Jesus 19
Teaches from a boat, Jesus 115
Teacher who is wise
Temple courts, Jesus teaches in 133, 130
Temple of God is the heart 81
Temple priests invite Jesus 29
Temperance lesson by John
CHAP.
62
Temperance lesson by Jesus 92
Temptations of Jesus in Egypt 48-55
First temptation Hypocrisy 48
First victory 48
First Brotherhood degree Sin-
cerity 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 Phi- 51
lanthropy
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 55
Christ
Temptations of Jesus in the Wilder-
ness 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
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
Toil should bring happiness
Tombs of Gadara 118
Tongues of fire
Transfiguration of Jesus 129
Treasures in heaven 99
Treasures, anchor of tba soul 99
Tree without fruit cut down 105
Treasure box o^ Christines 114
Tree known by its fruit
Trial hour for apostles 161
Triumphant entry into Jerusalem 151
24
SUBJECT INDEX
CHAP.
Tribute to Caesar 155
Tribulations indescribable 157
Trust in God; He will care 99
Truth, denned 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 Jestos 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 Chaldeas, Jesus in 42
Unsuccessful fishermen 88
Upbraids disciples for striving 160
Upbraids Judas for treachery 164
Upper gate of consciousness 142
Vidyapati endorses Jesus
Vidyapati states needs of India
Vigilance essential
Vine and branches
Virtue of healing waters
Virtue the salt of life
Virtueless people lost
Vision of Pilate's wife
Vision ol Jesus
Voice from heaven testifies
Vow of Secret Brotherhood
W
Wages based on intent
Walked on water, Jesus
Walked on water, Peter
Wandering musicians
87,
32
56
112
161
41
131
131
167
16
64
47
143
124
124
37
CHAP.
Washes his hands in innocence,
Pilate 168
Washed not hands before eatin,g 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-interfer-
ence 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 d escribed 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. Joa-
chim's feast. Mary is blest by
the priests. His prophecy. Mary
abides in the temple. Is betrothed
to Joseph.
AUGUSTUS Caesar 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 need-
ful 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 carpen-
ter of Nazareth.
12 And Joseph was an upright
man, and a devoted Essenes.
26
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section II
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 Eliza-
beth 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 re-
deem; 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 serv-
ice 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 Zacha-
rias 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;
Section 11
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
27
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 proph-
et of the Holy One ; and you will go
before his face, and will prepare his
way.
25 And you will give a knowl-
edge of salvation unto Israel; and
you will preach the gospel of re-
pentance 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 shadow-
land, 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 be-
fore the child and said,
7 All strength, all wisdom and
all love be yours, Immanuek
8 Now, on the hills of Bethle-
hem 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 prom-
ise 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 Im-
manuel.
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 Bethle-
hem.
17 And Zacharias and Elizabeth
took John and came to Bethlehem
with words of cheer.
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section II
18 And Mary and Elizabeth re-
counted 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 Im-
manuel! Behold the signet cross
of the Messiah on his brow!
10 And then the woman knelt
to worship him, as God with us, Im-
manuel; 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 wor-
shipped 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 pwphets
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 has-
tened to the West in search of him,
the new-born king, that they might
honor him.
3 And one took gold, the sym-
bol of nobility; another myrrh, the
symbol of dominion and of power;
gum-thus the other took, the sym-
Section 11
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
29
bol 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?
1 1 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 Bethle-
hem.
12 They said, The prophet Mi-
cah 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 ma-
gian 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 Bethle-
hem are massacred by Herod's or-
der. Elizabeth escapes with John.
Because Zacharias cannot tell
where his son is hidden, he is mur-
dered. 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 pre-
pare the people to receive the
king.
3 This angered more and more
30
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section II
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 Her-
od 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 harbin-
ger, while he was serving in the
Holy Place, to say, The king de-
mands 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 re-
turned and told the king what Zach-
arias 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 en-
gaged 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 salu-
tation 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
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
31
SECTION III.
GIMEL.
Education of Mary and Elizabeth in Zoan.
CHAPTER 7.
Archelaus reigns. Mary and Eliz-
abeth with their sons are in Zoan
and are taught by Elihu and Sa-
lome. Elihu's introductory les-
son. 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 mes-
sengers 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 gov-
erns all events.
8 From olden times it was or-
dained 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 Eliz-
abeth, 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 prepara-
tion age of soul, the kingdom of Im-
manuel, 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, Reveal-
ers 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, re-
storing 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,
32
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section HI
comes to manifest that love to men.
22 Now, love cannot be mani-
fest until its way has been prepared,
and naught can rend tke 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 mes-
senger 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 embodi-
ment 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 prom-
ises, but poor in blessedness and
peace; it offers pleasure, joy and sat-
isfying 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 bit-
terness 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, your-
selfs.
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
Section HI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
33
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 mon-
ster 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; to-
morrow 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 ; to-
morrow 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.
34
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section II
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 im-
age 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 be-
came 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 flow-
ers; 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 de-
sires 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 mani-
fests of Tao Great.
30 Thus closed the lesson of
Salome.
CHAPTER 10.
Elihu's lessons. The Brdhmic re-
ligion. Life of Abram. Jewish
sacred books. The Persian re-
ligion.
ELIHU taught; he said, In an-
cient 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 bur-
dens 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 be-
fore the world.
5 And they preserved inviolate
the wisdom of their holy Brahm,
Section III
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
35
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 Ca-
naan, 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 cradle-
land 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 sa-
cred 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 Per-
sia 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 weak-
ness 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 re-
deemed.
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
36
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section III
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 mys-
teries 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 right-
eousness.
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 con-
quers self than he who kills a thou-
sand men in war.
10 He is the noble man who is
himself what he believes that other
men should be.
1 1 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 re-
corded 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 mani-
fests the power of God who speaks
to us through sun and moon and
stars ;
3 Through mountain, hill and
Section HI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
37
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 com-
passionate.
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 ev-
ery 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 sin-
fulness of sin; to lead them from the
adoration of the lower self, and all
illusive things, and make them con-
scious 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 tempta-
tions 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 sa-
cred 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 Eliz-
abeth with Jesus and his harbinger,
set forth upon their homeward way.
They went not by Jerusalem, for
Archelaus reigned.
24 They j ourneyed by the Bitter
Sea, and when they reached Engedi
hills they rested in the home of
Joshua, a near of kin; and here Eliz-
abeth 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.
38
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section IV
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 for-
giveness.
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 les-
sons that he learned.
3 Now in the hills were many
caves. The cave of David was
a-near in which the Hermit of En-
gedi 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 wil-
derness 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 cru-
elty, 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 mes-
sage that the harbinger shall bring
to men.
18 What is forgiveness? John
inquired.
19 Matheno said, It is the pay-
ing 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 him-
self? Can man forgive himself?
22 Matheno said, The door is
wide ajar; you see the way of man's
Section IV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
39
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 ben-
efits of antagonisms. Ancient sa-
cred 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
f olden precepts they contained, and
ohn exclaimed,
2 These golden precepts are sub-
lime; 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 har-
vest 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, con-
fined 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 dan-
gerous 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 with-
out 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 ap-
peared 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.
40
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section IV
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 com-
ing day.
24 But you must keep that pur-
ity 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. Ma-
theno's lessons. The ministry of
death. The mission of John. In-
stitution of the rite of baptism.
Matheno takes John to Egypt, and
places him in the temple at Sahara,
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 Zach-
arias' 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 prob-
lems 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 concep-
tion 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 Naza-
rite. 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;
Section IV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
41
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 har-
binger, 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 re-
turned unto the wilderness.
29 Now in Engedi's hills Ma-
theno '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 hier-
ophant with joy received the har-
binger and he was called the Brother
Nazarite.
31 For eighteen years John
lived and wrought within these tem-
ple gates; and here he conquered
self, became a master mind and
learned the duties of the harbinger.
42
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section V
SECTION V.
HE.
Childhood and Early Education of Jesus.
CHAPTER 16.
The home of Joseph. Mary teaches
her son. Jesus 1 grandparents give
a feast in his honor. Jesus has a
dream. His grandmother's inter-
pretation. His birthday gift.
home of Joseph was on
J- Marmion Way in Nazareth;
here Mary taught her son the les-
sons 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, grand-
parents 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 stag-
nant ponds, and turn the most dis-
cordant notes to harmony and
praise.
15 Joachim said, My son, to-
day 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 chil-
dren 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 pleas-
ures of this day.
18 The richest gift that you can
Section V
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
43
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
ms words; he told his mission every-
where.
21 And in a little time one hun-
rred and three-score of happy, rag-
ged 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 syna-
gogue 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 be-
longs 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 win-
dows 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?
44
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section V
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 flow-
ers 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 sacri-
ficers. Appeals to Hidel, who
sympathizes with him. He re-
mains 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 butch-
ers 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 pur-
pose 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 com-
manded 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 pro-
claimed 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, \Vhy need we
go? I thought that God is every-
where. 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?
Section V
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
45
17 The master of the great San-
hedrim felt as though he was him-
self 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 par-
ents 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 Naz-
areth; 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 Jerusa-
lem 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
ball.
4 And Jesus opened up a book
of prophecy and read :
5 Woe, woe, to Ariel, the town
where David dwelt ! I will disman-
tle 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 d>-
serted me. They draw to me with
speech, and with their lips they
honor me; their hearts are far re-
moved from me; their fear for me is
that inspired by man.
11 And I will breathe an ad-
verse breath upon my people, Is-
rael; 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 my-
self?
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 re-
lieved, and they will have abundant
46
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section V
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 rever-
ence 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 offer-
ings 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 common-
wealth:
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 de-*
mands 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 Jeru-
salem, 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 jour-
ney. The missing Jesus. The
search for him. His parents find
him in the temple. He goes with
them to Nazareth. Symbolic mean-
ing 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.
Section VI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
47
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 Naza-
reth; 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 meas-
ure 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 de-
sires 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 sym-
metrical.
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 lad-
der 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, Ra-
vanna 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
48
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VI
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 prophe-
cies concerning him; about the won-
ders 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 Naz-
areth.
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 won-
dered 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.
Section VI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
49
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 re-
flexes 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 ever-
more 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 man-
ifest; 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 pow-
ers 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 un-
derstanding 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 wis-
dom what have you to say?
23 And Jesus said, It is the con-
sciousness 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 reach-
ing 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 su-
dras and visyas. In Benares.
Jesus becomes a pupil of Udraka.
The lessons of Udraka.
IOW, Jesus with his friend La-
maas went through all the re-
N
50
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VI
gions 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, main-
tains an equilibrium in all his parts,
and thus insures true harmony; and
harmony is health, while discord is
disease.
& That which produces har-
mony in all the parts of man is med-
icine, 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 ex-
panse 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 vigor-
ous 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 harp-
sichord, 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, rein-
forced by love, is God's great sov-
ereign 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 de-
Section VI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
51
mons, 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 de-
mons 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 hu-
man 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 com-
plain.
4 In the beginning days of hu-
man life Brahm spoke, and four
men stood before his face.
5 Now, from the mouth of Par-
abrahm the first man came; and he
was white, was like the Brahm him-
self; 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 Par-
abrahm 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 Par-
abra{im 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 an-
gered by the words which Jesus
spoke; they rushed upon him,
52
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VI
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 re-
frained 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 multi-
tudes 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 broth-
ers, must be servants at my feet,
6 And then he called his broth-
ers 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 noble-
man 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,
Section VI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
53
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 an-
swer not, the father took unto him-
self 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 sat-
isfy 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 mas.
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 Jagan-
nath. Jesus reveals to the people
the emptiness of Brahmic rites,
and how to see God in man.
Teaches them the divine law of sac-
rifice.
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 fren-
zied 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 Goers 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
54
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VI
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 bless-
ings can attend the one who takes
the food from hungry mouths to be
destroyed by fire.
19 When you would offer sacri-
fice 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 sac-
rificial altars into fuel for the flames.
22 Make human hearts your al-
tars, and burn your sacrifices with
the fire of love.
23 And all the people were en-
tranced, and would have wor-
shipped 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 para-
ble 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 courte-
sans. 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 him-
Section VI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
55
self for sake of reputation or of
fame.
8 These are but worthless bau-
bles 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 shal-
low 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 respect-
ability and moral worth, are work-
ing 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 ac-
cuse. 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 brok-
en down.
26 And when he sent his reap-
ers 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 har-
vesters and said to them, Where is
my grain?
30 They answered him and said,
We did according to your word; we
66
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VI
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. Criti-
cises 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 con-
cerning 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 dei-
ties, 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 liv-
ing 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 can-
not 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 wis-
dom, 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 Par-
abrahm; in Egypt he is Thoth; and
Zeus is his name in Greece; Jehovah
is his Hebrew name; but every-
where he is the causeless Cause, the
Section VI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
57
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 inter-
cede;
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 sacri-
ficial 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 them-
selves.
27 Some said, He is inspired by
Holy Brahm; and others said, He is
insane; and others said. He is ob-
sessed; 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 in-
vitation 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 BuJ) 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 mes-
sage 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 en-
raged.
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 re-
gard the laws of man.
58
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VI
13 Your presents I ret urn; you
cannot buy the knowledge of the
Lord with gold, or precious gifts.
14 These words of Jesus an-
gered 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 sub-
jects? what its laws?
19 And Jesus said, This king-
dom is not far away, but man with
mortal eyes can see it not ; it is with-
in 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 trans-
muted into spirit-self; the body
must be washed in living streams
of purity.
23 Ajainin asked, Can I be-
come 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 brother-
hood 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 tar-
ried 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 unwel-
come news.
3 Your father is no more on
earth; your mother grieves; and
none can comfort her. She won-
ders 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
Section VI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
59
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
eannot 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 your-
self; 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 unal-
loyed 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 J am with you all the way, JL>
hoshua.
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 fol-
lowed 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 oc-
cur; 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 Ja-
gannath, 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,
60
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section Vl
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 re-
sort 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 Proph-
ets; read the Vedas, the Avesta and
the wisdom of Guatama.
3 And as they read and talked
about the possibilities of man, Bar-
ata said,
4 Man is the marvel of the uni-
verse. 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 perfect-
ness. The protoplast evolved, be-
coming 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
Section VI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
61
form best suited to its growth. So
mind may manifest as worm, or
bird, or beast, or man.
8 The time will come when ev-
erything of life will be evolved unto
the state of perfect man.
9 And after man is man in per-
fectness, he will evolve to higher
forms of life.
10 And Jesus said, Barata Ara-
bo, 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 oth-
ers say; but thus he never knows.
If man would know, he must him-
self 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 them-
selves; 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 He-
brews call these seven Spirits, Elo-
him.)
21 And these are they who, in
their boundless power, created ev-
erything 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 crea-
ture is possessed of will, and, in its
measure, has the power to choose,
28 And in their native planes
all creatures are supplied with nour-
ishment from the ethers of their
planes.
29 And so it was with every liv-
ing 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 mani-
fest, which men call physical, ap-
peared.
31 And this is what is called the
62
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VI
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 con-
flict 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 proto-
plast.
36 In yonder kingdom of the
soul this carnal evolution is not
known, and the great work of mas-
ter minds is to restore the heritage
of man, to bring him back to his es-
tate that he has lost, when he again
will live upon the ethers of his na-
tive 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 ab-
sorbed, and man, and beast, and
plant, and earth and protoplast
will be redeemed.
40 Barata was amazed; the
wisdom of the Jewish sage w r as rev-
elation 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 mas-
ter sage stands here in temple Kap-
avistu.
43 This Hebrew prophet is the
rising star of wisdom, deified. He
brings to us a knowledge of the se-
cret things of God; and all the world
will hear his words, will heed his
words, and glorify his name.
44 You priests of temple Kap-
avistu, 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 para-
ble 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
Section VI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
63
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 per-
son 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 heav-
en 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.
1 1 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 pre-
cious 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.
64
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VI
CHAPTER 34.
The Jubilee in Kapavistu. Jesus
teaches in the plaza and the people
are astonished. He relates the par-
able of the unkept vineyard and the
vine dresser. The priests are an-
gered by his words.
IT was a gala day in sacred Kapa-
vistu; 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 an-
cient 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 fool-
ish man! the vineyard is despoiled.
9 Such desolation! There is
no beauty left, and when the har-
vest time shall come the gatherers
will find no fruit.
10 The pruner said, Content
yourselves with what you think, and
come again t 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 hu-
man 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 un-
clothed 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 har-
vesters 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.
Section VII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
65
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 re-
quire priests, and shrines, and sac-
rifice 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 him-
self 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 re-
quire 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 re-
quire 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 ad-
mired 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 serv-
ants of our Father-God, are kings
and priests.
11 Will not the coming age de-
mand 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 chant-
ing pious chants to advertise them-
selves 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 mas-
ter'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
66
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VII
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 mes-
sage 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 di-
vine 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,
Section VII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
67
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 boun-
ties 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 La-
hore, 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 no-
ble 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 ex-
plained 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 wil-
derness bring here to us.
11 From whence this talent and
this power? In one short life they
68
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VIII
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 expressive-
ness, and such purity of voice and
touch.
14 Ten thousand years ago these
people mastered harmony. In days
of old they trod the busy thorough-
fares of life, and caught the melody
of birds, and played on harps of per-
fect 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 com-
mon people of Lahore; he healed
their sick, and showed to them the
way to rise to better things by help-
fulness.
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 mas-
ters sit in silence seven days.
TjiOUR-AND-TWENTY years of
JF 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 re-
garded 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
Section VIII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
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 de-
clared they were transfigured ; seem-
ing 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 commun-
ion 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 mas-
ters 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 Fa-
ther-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 man-
ifest 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, pro-
duce inharmonies, discordant tones.
13 And certain things, though
70
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section VIII
good and pure, when mixed, pro-
duce discordant things, yea, poison-
ous 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, fol-
lows 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 Si-
lence 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 dis-
turbed 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 hu-
man eyes.
11 When in the. Silence, phan-
tom 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 Si-
lence 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 trou-
bled thoughts.
14 Your human will must be ab-
sorbed by the divine; then you will
Section Vlll
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
73
come into a consciousness of holi-
ness.
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 flam-
ing torch of love.
18 And when you see the can-
dles all aflame, just look, and you
will see, with eyes of soul, the wa-
ters 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 He-
brew master speak and he ex-
claimed, 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, Ife
taught and healed the sick.
CHAPTER 41.
Jesus stands by a healing fountain.
Reveals the fact that faith is the po-
tent factor in healing and many are
healed by faith. A I '.die 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 spe-
cial blessing of your God.
6 From whence do healing vir-
tues 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, disconso-
late : 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
70
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section IX
hashing 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 any-
thing? 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 peo-
ple in Ur of Chaldea. Meets Ash-
bina, with whom he visits many
towns and cities, teaching and heal-
ing 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 un-
to his home beside the Caspian Sea;
and Jesus soon was in Chaldea, cra-
dle land of Israel.
4 In Ur, where Abraham was
born, he tarried for a time; and
when he told the people who he was,
Section IX
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
73
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 broth-
erhood 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 mas-
ter 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 multi-
tude 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 home-
ward journey. Arrives in Naza-
reth. His mother gives a feast in
his honor. His brothers are dis-
pleased. Jesus tells his mother
and aunt the story of his journeys.
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 captiv-
ity.
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 de-
stroyed 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
74
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section X
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 shud-
dered 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 7 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 in-
dolent, 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 Naz-
areth 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
Section X
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
75
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 under-
standing, 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 home-
land 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 mas-
ters now.
15 But all your high accom-
plishments are but stepping stones
to worlds beyond the realm of
sense; are but illusive shadows flit-
ting 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.
1 9 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 intel-
lect 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 conscious-
ness will sleep no more, and man
will know, and God will bless.
27 When Jesus had thus said he
stepped aside. The Grecian mas-
ters were astonished at the wisdom
of his words; they answered not.
76
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section X
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.
"OOR many days the Grecian
* masters listened to the clear
incisive words that Jesus spoke, and
while they could not fully compre-
hend the things he said, they \vere
delighted and accepted his philos-
ophy.
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 accom-
pany 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 de-
crease my wisdom and my power;
from henceforth will increase the
wisdom and the power of him, Im-
manuel.
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 wis-
dom 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 Del-
phic Oracle has spoken many a help-
ful word for Greece.
16 Pray tell me what it is that
speaks. Is it an angel, man, or liv-
ing god?
17 And Jesus said, It is not an-
gel, 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.
Section X
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
77
CHAPTER 46.
A storm on the sea. Jesus rescues
many drowning men. The Athe-
nians 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, heed-
less 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 pray-
ers?
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
E rayed around these shrines, and
it men sink to death who might
have been, by your assistance, saved.
13 The God that saves dwells in
your souls, and manifests by mak-
ing 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 philoso-
phy; the height of her unselfish as-
pirations have well fitted her to be
the champion of the cause of human
liberty and right.
78
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XI
23 The fates of war have subju-
gated 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 shad-
owland 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 jour-
neys. Elihu and Salome praise
God. Jesus goes to the temple in
Heliopolis andis 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 sa-
cred 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 teach-
er 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 na-
tions 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 Heli-
opolis, and sought admission to the
temple of the sacred brotherhood.
10 The council of the brother-
hood 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
Section XI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
79
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 mastei said, Take then
the vow of secret brotherhood And
Jesus took the vow of secret broth-
erhood.
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 y
and receives his first degree, SIN-
CERITY.
THE master took down from the
wall a scroll on which was
written down the number and the
name of every attribute and charac-
ter. He said,
2 The circle is the symbol of the
perfect man, and seven is the num-
ber of the perfect man;
3 The Logos is the perfect word ;
that which creates; that which de-
stroys, 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-Cir-
cle-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 him-
self 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
80
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XI
deceit? Am I within these holy
walls to learn the wiles of vile hy-
pocrisy?
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 ap-
peared and said,
21 Well done! the Logos has
prevailed. This is the trial cham-
ber 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, SIN-
CERITY; 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 lux-
urious 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 op-
ened, 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 lib-
erty.
6 We once, like you, were in
these dens confined, and thought
that through these wierd, 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 dis-
guise. 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.
Section XI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
81
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 what-
soe'er you be, your words fall lightly
on my ears,
17 Could I prejudge these hun-
dred 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 hiero-
phant;
24 And not a word was said,
but in his hands the master placed
a scroll on which the word sugges-
tive, 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 furnish-
ings, and lighted up with gold and
silver lamps.
2 The colors of its ceilings, deco-
rations, furnishings and walls were
blue and gold.
3 Its shelves were filled with
books of master minds; the paint-
ings 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 approach-
ed 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 re-
nounce uncertain things and choose
82
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XI
the course that leads to certain fame.
12 And thus the priest, a demon
In disguise, sung syren songs of un-
belief; 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; un-
belief 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 bau-
bles 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 mark-
ings 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 cheerful-
ness.
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.
Section XI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
83
11 The giddy throng found
pleasure in abusing him; they jos-
tled him against the wall, and
laughed at his discomfiture.
12 And then a poor, frail wo-
man 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 un-
carted for and unloved ; and still the
merry dance went on.
15 And when the pleasure seek-
ers urged that Jesus join them in
their mirth, he said,
16 How could I seek for pleas-
ure 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 hu-
man 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 un-
loved, discouraged and depressed.
24 And this that you call mirth
is but a phantom of the night; but
flashes of the fire of passion, paint-
ing 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 be-
fore 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 brother-
hood test and receives the fifth de-
gree, 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?
84
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XI
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 car-
casses 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 vi-
brations 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 les-
sons 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 an-
other 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 vic-
tory.
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 re-
garded 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 en-
trancing 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.
Section XI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
85
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 him-
self, 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 kin-
dled 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 hard-
est 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 con-
tented in your love;
26 But all the world is craving
for a love that I have come to mani-
fest.
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 ap-
peared, and said, All hail! tri-
umphant Logos, hail! The con-
queror 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
86
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XI
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 mys-
teries of Egypt. In passing the
seventh test, he works in the Cham-
ber of the Dead.
THE senior course of study now
was opened up and Jesus en-
tered and became a pupil of the
hierophant.
2 He learned the secrets of the
mystic lore of Egypt land ; the mys-
teries 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 em-
balmed; the weeping mother fol-
lowed 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 happi-
ness 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 happi-
ness 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 hun-
ter'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 life-
less 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 bil-
lows of a life.
Section XI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
87
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 rev-
erence. He said,
27 For days and months and
years I've sought to learn this high-
est 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, for-
evermore.
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 Cham-
ber 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 de-
gree.
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 cap-
tives 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 tem-
ple swung ajar; the Logos jour-
neyed on his way a conqueror.
88
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XII
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 jus-
tice, 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 cen-
ter 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 As-
syria 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 coun-
cil 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 fa-
thers 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 com-
ing 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, righteous-
ness 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 fu-
neral chants.
18 The new age calls for liberty ;
the kind that makes each man a
Eriest, enables him to go alone, and
ty 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
Section XII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
89
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 Assy-
ria 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 rudder-
less, 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 in-
trigues.
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 com-
ing 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 per-
fectness.
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 emanci-
pation 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 cham-
ber door was opened and the Logos
90
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XII
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 re-
freshed 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 com-
ing years.
3 They knew the kind of laws
and precepts suited best to his es-
tate; 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 wor-
ship 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 ad-
vanced 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 him-
self ; 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 car-
nal eyes; will hear the soundless
sound; will know the Spirit-God.
12 The age we enter is the Pre-
paration 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 mul-
titude of beings are but phases of
the one great thought made mani-
fest. 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 Fa-
ther-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 cre-
ative 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 Sep-
tonate, 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
Section XII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
91
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 darksome-
ness 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 ris-
ing 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 per-
fect 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 unself-
ish 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.
1 3 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 car-
nal 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.
92
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Sectivn XII
18 Then Meng-ste said, The
Holy One has sent to us a man il-
lumined by the efforts of unnum-
bered 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 wis-
dom 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 con-
densed in these immortal postulates.
These are the seven hills on which
the holy city shall be built.
3 These are the seven sure foun-
dation stones on which the Univer-
sal Church shall stand.
4 In taking up the work as-
signed for me to do I am full con-
scious 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 ad-
vanced in sacred thought to compre-
hend 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 es-
tate 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 compre-
hend 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 postu-
lates, and will be built according
to the pattern given.
Section XIII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
93
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 Jeru-
salem ; and then he sought his home
in Galilee.
SECTION XIII.
MEM.
The Ministry of John, the Harbinger.
CHAPTER 61.
John, the harbinger, returns to He-
bron. 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 cer-
tain days.
2 And then he sought the wil-
derness and made his home in Da-
vid's cave where many years before,
he was instructed by the Egyptian
sage.
3 Some people called him Her-
mit 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
94
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XIII
not and none can enter but the pure
in heart.
17 Prepare, O Israel, prepare to
meet your king.
18 Again the hermit disappear-
ed; 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 Pales-
tine, 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 doc-
tors and the scribes were sore afraid ;
they said no more; they hid them-
selves 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 wil-
derness, 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
Section XIII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
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 awful-
ness 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 prom-
ised land.
14 And then he left the temple
court to enter it no more; but many
people followed him as far as Beth-
any, 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 vaga-
bonds 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. An-
nounces 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 multi-
tudes he said,
96
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XII J
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 wa-
ters of this stream be washed, sym-
bolic 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 Beth-
any; 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 unre-
pentant 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 man-
kind; 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 con-
tented 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, sym-
bolic 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 gar-
ner 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 un-
loose.
27 And John left Bethany and
went again unto the Jordan ford.
CHAPTER 64.
Jesus comes from Galilee, and is bap-
tized 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
Section XIV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
97
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 I
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 sym-
bol 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, sym-
bolic 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 hap
binger, 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 man-
ifest 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 bap-
tized, 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. Re-
turns to the camps of John and be-
gins teaching.
THE harbinger had paved the
way; the Logos had been in-
troduced 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 car-
nal life.
4 Have I the strength to over-
come and give my life a willing sac-
rifice for men?
5 When I shall stand before the
face of men, and they demand a
98
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XIV
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 Phar-
aohs?
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 be-
lieve that you are the Messiah sent
from God.
11 This you can surely do; for
did not David say, He gives his an-
gels 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 wilder-
ness, 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,
Section XIV
OF JESUS 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 harbin-
ger 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 can-
not miss the way.
23 Then Jesus and the six dis-
ciples sat a long, long time in silent
thought.
CHAPTER 67.
Jesus visits John at the Jordan. De-
livers 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 grat-
ify 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
100
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XIV
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 king-
dom is at hand.
20 When Jesus had thus said
he went his way, and with his six
ilisciples 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 bene-
diction of the Triune God will rest
upon them all.
9 They need not fear a messen-
ger whom God sends forth to earth.
10 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.
11 Men call me Christ, and God
has recognized the name; but Christ
is not a man. The Christ is univer-
sal love, and Love is king.
12 This Jesus is but man who
has been fitted by temptations over-
come, 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.
Section XIV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
101
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 dis-
ciples turned their faces toward
Jerusalem, and many people fol-
lowed 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:
2 5 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, Mir-
iam.
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 man-
102
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XIV
ner 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 mar-
riage 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 adul-
tery; 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 be-
lieved on him, and gladly would
have followed him.
Section XIV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
103
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 Ju-
dah's king had come, and multi-
tudes 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.
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
SECTION XV.
SAMECH.
The First Annual Epoch of the Christine Ministry of Jesus.
CHAPTER 72.
Jesus in Jerusalem. Drives the mer-
chants out of the temple. The
priests resent, and he defends him-
self 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 Sad-
ducee, whose name was Jude.
3 And when he reached the tem-
ple 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 con-
verted 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 dis-
grace; 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 tem-
ple 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.
1 9 The Jews knew not the mean-
ing 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
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
105
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, my-
self, 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 ev-
ery 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 stat-
ute 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 dis-
tressed; 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.
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
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 self-
ish gains; he stands above the car-
nal 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 Caesar's place and
be the Christ.
28 Give unto Caesar what be-
longs to him; give unto God the
treasures of your heart.
CHAPTER 74.
Jesus heals on the Sabbath, and is
censured by the Pharisees. Re-
stores a drowned child. Rescues a
wounded dog. Cares for a home-
less 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 re-
plied,
5 Disease is discord in the hu-
man form, and discords are pro-
duced in many ways.
6 The body is a harpsichord;
sometimes the strings ar<- too re-
laxed, 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 de-
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
107
signed 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 hypo-
crites ! 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 re-
turned 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 him-
self 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 be-
side 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 hun-
gry; 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 con-
fession of their faith before the high-
est 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
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
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 can-
not 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 un-
derstand; pray tell me plainly what
you mean.
15 And Jesus said, The king-
dom of the Holy One is in the soul;
men cannot see it with their carnal
eyes; with all their reasoning pow-
ers 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 king-
dom 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 Nic-
odemus 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 Jeru-
salem 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 fol-
lowed 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
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
109
heard the messenger of peace ex-
claim :
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, Be-
hold the life of innocence and peace!
9 White is the symbol of the vir-
tuous and pure! the lamb of inno-
cence; 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 Abra-
ham 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 con-
queror 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 peac e.
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 peo-
ple; 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 multi-
tudes were gone, and Jesus, Laza-
rus, 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
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
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 en-
raged 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 hus-
band is not willingly at fault; he is
devout; he prays to God, our Fa-
ther-God.
11 His zeal for his religion is in-
tense; 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 ma-
tured.
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 wis-
dom'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 prej-
udice, 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 disciple-
ship. 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 Jor-
dan 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 daugh-
ter 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
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
111
will constitute discipleship, and ev-
ery one must make a public pledge
of his discipleship.
9 John washed your bodies in
the stream, symbolic of the cleans-
ing of the soul, in preparation for
the coming of the king, the opening
of the Christine gate into the king-
dom 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 Jor-
dan 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, con-
fessed 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 mis-
sion 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 Gal-
ilee, he whom you washed and
called the Christ, become your foe?
3 They say that he is at the Jor-
dan 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 be-
cause 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 multi-
tudes 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 sub-
jected to the hardest tests of human
life, and he has conquered all the ap-
petites 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 pres-
ence of the Christ on earth.
12 Lo, love divine, which is the
Christ, abides in him, and he is pat-
tern for the race.
112
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
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 pat-
tern 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 en-
slave and kill the weak. All king-
doms rise by force of arms; for force
is king.
10 This Jesus comes to over-
throw 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 vic-
tories 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, Melchis-
edec, the priest of God, won gallant
victories in war without the shed-
ding of a drop of blood.
13 You ask where are the tem-
ples 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.
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
113
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 con-
fessed his faith in Christ, and fol-
lowed him.
CHAPTER 81.
The Christines journey toward Gali-
lee. 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 dis-
ciples and Lamaas left the Jordan
ford and turned their faces toward
Galilee.
2 Their way lay through Sama-
ria, 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 at hirst, 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 Samar-
itans 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 en-
mity 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 hus-
band means; you seem to be a
gilded butterfly that flits from
flower to flower,
114
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
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 hus-
bands 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 tem-
ple of the heart ; for God is not with-
in 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 disci-
ples 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 talk-
ing 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 pitch-
er 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 rip-
ened 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 mas-
ter 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
.Dortion of this food; you must be
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
115
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 reap-
ers 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 bless-
ings with a lavish hand, and he is
not more kind to one than to an-
other one of all the creatures of
his hand.
19 I just came up from Judah's
hills, and God's same sun was shin-
ing and his flowers were blooming,
and in the night hjs stars were just
as bright as they are here.
20 God cannot cast a child away ;
the Jew, the Greek and the Samar-
itan are equal in his sight.
21 And why should men and
women fret and quarrel, like chil-
dren 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 vio-
lence 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 do-
main; refrain from harming any-
thing, and, by and by, you will,
yourself, be free.
9 The wicked spirit left the man
116
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
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 dis-
turbed 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 high-
est law.
17 The man returned and told
the priests and ruler of the syna-
gogue 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.
28 The holy brotherhood of
right must stand united in the stir-
ring 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 dis-
cord, jealousy and hate, and demon-
strate the brotherhood of man.
25 Then to the ruler of the syna-
gogue 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 Sa-
maria, 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 bless-
edness 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
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
117
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 syna-
gogue, 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 syna-
gogue, 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 im-
ploring 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 im-
prisonment of John.
EROD ANTIPAS, the tet-
rarch of Paraca and of Galilee
H
118
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
was dissipated, selfish and tyran-
nical.
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 Spfrings 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 be-
cause 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 Ma-
chaerus that stood beside the Bitter
Sea.
7 And Herod did as she re-
quired ; 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 at-
tempt to kill him. He mysteriously
disappears, and returns to the syn-
agogue.
THE Christines were in Naz-
areth. It was the Sabbath
day, and Jesus went up to the syn-
agogue.
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 op-
pressed and bruised, and to pro-
claim, 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
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
119
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 wid-
ows 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 en-
raged; 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; un-
seen 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 teach-
ing 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 inten-
tion 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 no-
ble birth whose home was in Ca-
pernaum, 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 sev-
enth 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 yester-
day about the seventh hour the
fever left.
10 And then the father knew it
120
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
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 dis-
ciples 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 peo-
ple. Under his direction the fisher-
men secure a great catch of fish.
He selects and calls his twelve apos-
tles.
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 Nap-
thali, 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 multi-
tude 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 mul-
titude of fish.
13 And Peter called to John and
James, who were near by, for help;
and when the net was hauled to
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
121
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 Nathan-
iel 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
Caesars, 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 mas-
ter and had come from Antioch to
study in the school of Christ.
28 This man was Thomas, man
of doubt, and yet a Greek philoso-
pher 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 fol-
lowed 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 Naza-
reth.
32 And Jesus said to them, Be-
hold, 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 build-
ing 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
122
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV
demonstrate the faith of Abraham;
I go, and you may follow me. And
Simon followed him.
CHAPTER 89.
The twelve apostles are at Jesus 1
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 Sab-
bath 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 car-
nal 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 thun-
der rolled above Capernaum, and
men heard songs, as though ten
thousand angels joined in full ac-
cord.
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 Sab-
bath 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 ob-
sessed 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 syna-
gogue 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,
Section XV
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
123
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 wom-
an 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 heal-
ing. 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 disap-
peared; 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 Ham-
inoth 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 king-
dom 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 be-
lieve, and if you will but speak the
Word I will be clean.
1 1 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 every-
where he told what had been done.
124
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
14 And then the sick in throngs
pressed hard upon the healer and
the twelve, imploring to be healed.
15 And they were so importu-
nate that little could be done, and
so the Christines left the crowded
thoroughfares, and went to desert
places where they taught the mul-
titudes that followed them.
16 Now, after many days the
Christines came back to Caper-
naum. 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 com-
prehend the things they heard and
saw. They said among themselves,
This is a day we never can forget;
we have seen wondrous things to-
day.
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 Jeru-
salem, 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 re-
mained 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. Af-
firms that all men are the sons of
God.
THE feast time came and Jesus
and the twelve went to Jeru-
salem.
2 Upon the day before the Sab-
bath day they reached Mount Ol-
ives and they tarried at an inn be-
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
125
fore 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 Be-
thesda, 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 help-
less 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 an-
other 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 be-
lieve 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 re-
plied, 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 hence-
forth 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 en-
raged; 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 sun-
shine 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 Sab-
bath 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
126
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 busi-
ness 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 con-
demned 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 les-
son 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.
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
127
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 in-
fant 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 trem-
ble, 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, com-
manding 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 him-
self 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 fur-
nish you the means and help.
128
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 him-
self again.
23 And then he called for help;
not for himself, but for the home-
less 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 ev-
erybody 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 re-
form.
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 Caper-
naum. 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 fol-
lowed 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 Sab-
bath 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 j us-
tice 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.
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
129
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 Sab-
bath day would you do wrong to
take it out?
20 Or would it please your God
to let it suffer in the mire until an-
other 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 be-
gan to plot and plan how they might
bring about his death.
26 They were afraid to pub-
licly 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 re-
veals 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 commun-
ion of the soul with God;
3 So when you pray do not de-
ceive yourselves as do the hypo-
crites who love to stand upon the
streets and in the synag9gues 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 multi-
tude 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 in-
130
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
curred 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 unno-
ticed any prayer, or fast. He walks
within the silence, and his benedic-
tions 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 your-
selves 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 adver-
tise 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 beati-
tudes and the eight woes. Speaks
words of encouragement. Empha-
sizes 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 gos-
pel 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 can-
not 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 king-
dom 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 ma-
ligned 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
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
131
your name to be a hiss and by-
word 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 multi-
form.
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 relent-
less 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 proph-
ets 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 wis-
dom 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 where-
unto 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 sacri-
fice 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 re-
gard the letter of the law; they can-
not 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.
132
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 Command-
ments. The philosophy of Christ
the spirit of the Commandments.
Jesus unfolds the spiritual aspects
of the first four Commandments.
GOD gave the Ten Command-
ments unto men; upon the
mountain Moses saw the wo/ds 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 heav-
ens 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 illu-
sion, vain,
9 A shadow of the One, Jeho-
vah, 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 In-
finite 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 pro-
nounce 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 sub-
stitute 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 sev-
enth day is set apart as Sabbath
day for men. God said,
25 The seventh is the Sabbath
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
133
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 wis-
dom 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 com-
mands; 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 an-
swer 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 him-
self.
10 Now, in the higher law we
read that if your brother is ag-
grieved 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 rea-
son 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.
1 7 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 uave 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
134
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 publi-
cans 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 offi-
cer may say?
5 Is it the scroll on which the
officer or priest has written the per-
mission for the two to live in mar-
riage bonds?
6 Is it the promise of the two
that they will love each other until
death?
7 Is love a passion that is sub-
'ject 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 adul-
tery,
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.
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
135
15 Whom God has joined to-
gether 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 de-
prive the owner of the thing with-
out 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 Com-
mandment.
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 de-
ceive, 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 any-
thing; 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 mas-
ters 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 wor-
ship God and Beelzebul is foe of God,
a pious devil and a curse of men.
16 And men cannot lay treas-
ures up in heaven and earth at once.
17 Then, lo, I say, Lift up your
136
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
eyes and see the safety vaults of
heaven, and there deposit every
gem,
(n* 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 treas-
ures 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 min-
istry 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 spirit-
ual ethics.
rpHERE is a rule that carnal man
-L 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 ex-
pects to have his blessings multi-
plied 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 sensual-
ity and crime,
10 The harvest is assured and
he must reap what he has sown;
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
137
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 r 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 be-
hold 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, conclu-
ded. The concluding part of the
code of ethics. The Christines re-
turn to Capernaum.
THE fruitage of the tree of life is
all too fine to feed the carnal
mind.
2 If you would throw a dia-
mond 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 Beelze-
bul ; 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 di-
gest.
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.
138
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 there-
in. 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 blessed-
ness and peace to all the world.
22 The evil man sends thoughts
that blight and wither hope and joy
and fill the world with wretched-
ness 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 Beelze-
bul.
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 Ca-
pernaum.
CHAPTER 102.
The Christines at the home of Jesus.
Jesus unfolds to them the secret
doctrine. They go through all Gal-
ilee and teach and heal. Jesus
brings to life the son of a widow at
Nain. They return to Capernaum.
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
139
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 eld-
ers of the Jews to Jesus, and he
plead for help.
7 And Jesus recognized the cap-
tain'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 serv-
ant 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 ex-
claimed, 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 7 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 eulo-
gizes the character of John.
THE home of Jesus was a school
where in the early morning
hours the twelve apostles and the
140
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
foreign priests were taught the se-
cret things of God.
2 And there were present priests
from China, India and from Bab-
ylon; 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 con-
quer 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 Bit-
ter 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 be-
gan 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 harbin-
ger 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 Phari-
sees accepted not the teachings of
this man; were not baptized.
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
141
27 Behold, neglected opportu-
nities will never come again.
28 Behold, the people are unsta-
ble as the waters of the sea; they
seek to be excused from righteous-
ness.
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 glut-
ton, an inebriate, a friend of publi-
cans 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 ig-
norance ; 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 syna-
gogue 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. At-
tends 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 mul-
titudes 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 with-
in 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 multi-
tudes 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
142
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 re-
clined 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 mon-
ster of iniquity; it may be small; it
may be large; it may be something
done; it may be something left un-
done.
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 ob-
sessed by seven homeless spirits of
the air, which had been driven out
by the Omnific Word which Jesus
spoke;
3 Susanna, who owned vast es-
tates at Csesarea-Philippi;
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
143
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 con-
cerning 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 my-
self 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 opportu-
nity 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 them-
selves the color of the thing they
rest upon.
23 These people without an-
chorage 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 throw-
ing 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 es-
teemed 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
144
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
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 blot-
ted 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 op-
portunity is now.
40 Your tree of life is an illu-
sive 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 with-
ered 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 illu-
sive 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 car-
nal 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 fam-
ily 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 ma-
gician of the Simon Cerus type; he
works as Jannes and as Jambres did
in Moses ' day.
7 For Satan, prince of evil spir-
its, is his stay by night and day, and
in the name of Satan he casts the
demons out, and in his name he
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
145
heals the sick and raises up the
dead.
8 But Jesus knew their thoughts ;
he said to them, You men are mas-
ters, and you know the law; what-
ever is arrayed against itself must
fall; a house divided cannot stand;
9 A kingdom warring with it-
self is brought to naught.
10 If Satan casts the devil out,
how can his kingdom stand?
11 If I, by Beelzebul, cast dev-
ils 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 tovsee, 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 father-
hood, the sisterhood, the brother-
hood 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 kin-
dred 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 kin-
dred souls, and Jesus said,
26 Behold, for God has brought
to us a power men cannot compre-
hend, a power of purity and love;
27 To make more light the bur-
dens of the hour, to be a balm for
wounded souls;
28 To win the multitude to bet-
ter 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 be-
come the light.
A PHARISEE elated with him-
self stood forth among the
multitudes and said to Jesus,
146
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
2 Sir, we would have you demon-
strate. 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 ma-
gician ever lived a holy life; you
have a demonstration of the Christ-
life every day.
7 But lo, you evil and adulter-
ous scribes and Pharisees, you can-
not 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 low-
est 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 disbe-
lieve?
12 Faith is not something you
can buy with coin; it is not some-
thing you can sell for gold.
13 Once Mart, a beggar, fol-
lowed me and cried, Give me a sil-
ver 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 para-
ble 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 any-
thing.
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 dark-
ness 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 peo-
ple turned and walked in ways of
right.
27 And Jonah raised his voice
and said, In forty days shall Nin-
eveh be razed, and all her wealth
shall be destroyed.
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
147
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 de-
stroyed.
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 Gal-
ilee, 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 selfish-
ness. The Christines attend a
feast and Jesus is censured by the
Pharisee because he washed not be-
fore he eat. Jesus exposes the hy-
pocrisy of the ruling classes and
pronounces upon them many woes.
THE multitudes were wild with
selfish thought; none recog-
nized 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 to-
day; 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 en-
ters in and takes with it full seven
other spirits more unclean than is it-
self ; 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 pre-
pared a feast, and Jesus and the
twelve, together with the masters
from afar, were guests.
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
15 And Jesus did not wash his
hands according to the strictest
Pharisaic rules, before he ate ; when
this the Pharisee observed he mar-
veled 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 wick-
edness, extortions and deceit.
19 Did not the God who made
the outside of the body make the in-
side, 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 Phari-
sees! 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 re-
marked, 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 your-
selves.
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 en-
ter 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 re-
veals the fact that all thoughts and
deeds are recorded in God's Book
of Remembrance. Man's responsi-
bility and God's care.
NOW, when the feast was fin-
ished 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
Section XVI
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149
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 re-
vealed 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 everlast-
ing 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 liv-
ing thing. He numbers stars, and
suns, and moons;
22 He numbers angels, men,
and eveiy 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 with-
in 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
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 flood-
ing 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 f or Jiim ;
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 with-
in 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
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
151
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 multi-
tudes; 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 self-
ishness have formed a crust about
their sense of right that veils their
inner light, so that they cannot com-
prehend 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 bor-
rowed 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;
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Section XVI
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 dis-
ciples, "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 serv-
ants who are ready to receive their
Lord.
11 Behold, for he will gird him-
self, 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 multi-
tudes?
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 pre-
pared to meet the Lord.
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
153
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 impa-
tient and begin to long for carnal
ways again, and may begin to exer-
cise your rule;
23 To beat, and otherwise mal-
treat 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 Mas-
ter'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 pun-
ishment.
28 The man who comes and
stands before the open door of op-
portunity 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 them-
selves.
12 The five that have been
dwelling in a home of peace will be
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
divided now, and two shall war
with three;
13 The son will stand against
his sire ; the mother and the daugh-
ter 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 na-
tions 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 re-
sent. Resentment makes more
strong the wrath of evil men.
21 There is a little sense of jus-
tice and of mercy in the vilest men
of earth.
22 By taking heed to what you
do and say and trusting in the guid-
ance 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 ap-
peal 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 chil-
dren 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,
1 1 Bring forth our treasure box ;
the money is not ours now; turn
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
155
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 cer-
tain 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 sil-
ver, 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 sac-
rifice.
23 Did God bring on this slaugh-
ter 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 whatever 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 execu-
tion of this law among the sons of
men.
36 We note the weak dishon-
ored, 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, sena-
tors 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
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 ty-
rant 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 per-
fect life, and every law of God must
be fulfilled.
49 Man may escape the punish-
ment that seems but due for his mis-
doings in this life; but every deed
and word and thought has its own
metes and bounds,
50 Is cause, and has its own re-
sults, 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. Ex-
plains 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 be-
neath 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 lodg-
ment 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
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
157
may hear; they who have hearts
to understand may know.
10 Now, his disciples were be-
side him in the boat, and Thomas
asked, Why do you speak in para-
bles?
11 And Jesus said, My words,
like every master's words, are dual
in their sense.
12 To you who know the lan-
guage 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 under-
stand; 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 un-
derstand 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; discour-
agements 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, reputa-
tion, 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 pre-
cious seed;
28 But while he slept an evil
one went forth and sowed a meas-
ure 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 to-
gether 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
158
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 par-
ables: 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 king-
dom 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 confes-
sion 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 har-
vest 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 be-
cause they have not found the way
of life?
14 And Jesus said, The fire puri-
fies. 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 de-
stroyed. 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
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
159
tree and birds rest in its leafy bow-
ers 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 Sa-
lome 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 exe-
cute 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 fiend-
ish 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 har-
binger lay in their tombs;
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
19 And there they buried it;
and then they went their way.
20 Now, when the news reached
Galilee that John was dead the peo-
ple 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, fol-
low 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 mas-
ter 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 Caper-
naum.
THE morning came; the Chris-
tines 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 Ga-
dara 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 en-
tombed.
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 posses-
sion of the living, whom they tor-
ture in a hundred ways.
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
161
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 spir-
its 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 rilled
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 res-
cued 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.
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 ob-
served 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 pray-
ing 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 de-
rived 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 con-
sciences 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 con-
science 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
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
163
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 reli-
gion be introduced more success-
fully by reforming the Jewish serv-
ice? Jesus answers in the nega-
tive and gives his reasons. Jesus
heals a woman with hemorrhages.
Heals Jairus y daughter. Disap-
pears when the people would wor-
ship 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 law-
yers 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 priest-
hood 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 worn-out
garment with a piece of cloth un-
worn, 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 the)* went a woman
who had been plagued with hemor-
rhage 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.
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 under-
stand, 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. Mir-
iam sings a Christine song of
praise. Jesus teaches in the syna-
gogue. He heals a dumb man who
is obsessed. The people do not be-
lieve 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 in-
stantly 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:
1 7 Blest is the man who puts his
trust in God, respecting not the
proud nor such as turn aside to lies.
v8 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 sacri-
fice, nor offerings of blood; burnt
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
165
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 righteous-
ness within my heart; I have de-
clared 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 testi-
monies of the law; reform and turn
to God, and you shall live.
21 Let not your altars be ac-
cursed again with smoke of inno-
cence.
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 be-
lieve 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.
166
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
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 Beelze-
bul; 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 in-
structions to meet him in Caper-
naum.
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 vil-
lages 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 scat-
tered tribes.
9 And as you go proclaim, The
kingdom of the Christ has come.
10 You have abundantly re-
ceived, 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 wel-
come 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 dis-
creet, for Pharisees and scribes will
Section XVI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
167
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 test-
ify 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 per-
secuted in a place, go seek another
place.
34 And when you meet a foe
top 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 par-
ents 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 Caper-
naum.
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
168
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVI
Rachel's home. Heals an obsessed
child. Goes to Sidon and then to
the mountains of Lebanon. Visits
Mount Hermon, Ccesarea-Phil-
ippi, Decapolis, Gadara and re-
turns 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 apos-
tles 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 Phe-
necia came; her daughter was ob-
sessed. 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 wom-
an, 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 Syro-
phenicians; I come just to my peo-
ple, 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 chil-
dren'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, Ac-
cording 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
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
169
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 be-
yond, and Jesus fain would kneel
beside that mountain famed in He-
brew 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 com-
ing conquest of the cross; about the
victory over death.
30 Then Jesus journeyed on;
he went to Csesarea-Philippi, and in
Susanna's home he tarried certain
days.
31 And then he went through
all Decapolis to give encourage-
ment to those who knew him as the
Christ, and to prepare them for the
day of Calvary.
32 And then he went to Ga-
dara, 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.
to them the deeper meanings of his
mission to the world.
2 Next week the great feast of
the Jews would be observed, and
Matthew said, Shall we not girt our-
selves and go unto Jerusalem?
3 But Jesus said. We will not go
up to the feast ; the time is short and
I have many things to say to you;
come you apart into a desert place
and rest a while.
4 And then they took their boats
and crossed the sea, and came into a
desert place near Julius Bethsaida.
5 The people saw them go, and
CHAPTER 124.
The Christines cross the sea. Jesus
gives to his disciples lessons on
secret doctrines. Teaches the peo-
ple. Feeds five thousand. The
disciples start to recross the sea.
A storm arises. Jesus, walking on
the waters, comes to them. Trial
of Peter's faith. They land in
Gennesaret.
THE twelve apostles now had
reached the stage of spirit con-
sciousness, and Jesus could reveal
170
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
in vast multitudes they followed
them.
6 And Jesus had compassion on
the anxious throng, and he stood
forth and taught them all the day,
because they sought the light and
were like sheep without a fold.
7 And as the night came on the
twelve were doubting what the mul-
titudes would do, and Thomas said,
8 Lord, we are in a desert place ;
the multitudes have naught to eat
and they are faint from lack of food ;
what shall we do?
9 And Jesus said, Go to and feed
the multitudes.
10 And Judas said, Shall we go
down"and buy two hundred pennies'
worth of bread for them to eat?
11 And Jesus said, Go look into
our larder and see how many loaves
we have.
12 And Andrew said, We have
no bread, but we have found a lad
who has five barley loaves and two
small fish; but this would not be
food enough for one in ten.
13 But Jesus said, Command
these people all to sit upon the grass
in companies of twelve; and they all
sat down in companies of twelve.
14 Then Jesus took the loaves
and fish, and looking up to heaven
he spoke the sacred Word.
15 And then he broke the bread
and gave it to the twelve; he also
gave the fish unto the twelve, and
said, Go to and feed the multitudes.
16 And all the people ate and
were refreshed.
17 There were about five thou-
sand men, a company of little ones,
and women not a few.
18 And when the people all were
filled the master said,
19 Let not a crumb be lost; Go
to and gather up the pieces of the
bread and fish for others_that may
want.
20 They gathered up the frag-
ments and they filled twelve baskets
full.
21 The people were bewildered
by this wondrous act of power; they
said, And now we know that Jesus
is the prophet that our prophets
said would come; and then they
said, All hail the king!
22 When Jesus heard them say,
All hail the king! he called the
twelve and bade them take their
boats and go before him to the other
side;
23 And he went all alone into
a mountain pass to pray.
24 The twelve were on the sea
and hoped to reach Capernaum in
just a little time, when all at once a
fearful storm arose, and they were
at the mercy of the waves.
25 And in the fourth watch of
the night the wind became a whirl-
ing wind, and they were filled with
fear.
26 And in the blinding storm
they saw a form move on the waves;
it seemed to be a man, and one spoke
out and said, It is a ghost, a sign of
evil things..
27 But John discerned the form
and said, It is the Lord.
28 And then the wind blew not
so hard, and Peter, standing in the
midst, exclaimed,
29 My Lord! my Lord! If this
be truly you, bid me to come to you
upon the waves.
30 The form reached forth his
hand and said, Come on.
31 And Peter stepped upon the
waves and they were solid as a rock;
he walked upon the waves.
32 He walked until he thought
within himself, What if the waves
should break beneath my feet?
33 And then the waves did
break beneath his feet, and he be-
gan to sink, and in the fearfulness
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
171
of soul he cried, O save me, Lord, or
I am lost!
34 And Jesus took him by the
hand and said, O you of little faith!
why did you doubt? And Jesus led
the way unto the boat.
35 The storm had spent its
force; the winds were still, and they
were near the shore, and when they
landed they were in the valley of
Gennesaret.
CHAPTER 125.
The Christines are welcomed in Gen-
nesaret. Many follow Jesus for
the loaves and fish. He tells them
of the bread of life. Speaks of his
flesh and blood as symbols of the
bread and water of life. The people
are offended and many of his disci-
ples follow him no more.
THE news soon spread through
all the valley of Gennesaret
that Jesus and the twelve had come,
and many people came to see.
2 They brought their sick and
laid them at the master's feet, and
all the day he taught and healed.
3 The multitudes upon the other
side who had been fed the day be-
fore and other multitudes, went
down to see the Lord; but when they
found him not they sought him in
Capernaum.
4 And when they found him not
at home, they went on to Gennes-
aret. They found him there and
said, Rabboni, when came you to
Gennesaret?
5 And Jesus said, Why are you
come across the sea? you came not
for the bread of life;
6 You came to gratify your
selfish selves; you all were fed the
other day across the sea, and you
are after more of loaves and fish.
7 The food you ate was nour-
ishment for flesh that soon must
pass away.
8 You men of Galilee, seek not
for food that perishes, but seek for
food that feeds the soul; and, lo, I
bring you food from heaven.
9 You ate the flesh of fish, and
you were satisfied, and now I bring
the flesh of Christ for you to eat that
you may live forevermore.
10 Our fathers ate the manna
in the wilderness; and then they ate
the flesh of quail, and drank the
waters of a flowing spring that
Moses brought out from the rock;
but all of them are dead.
11 The manna and the quail
were symbols of the flesh of Christ ;
the waters of the rock were symbols
of the blood.
12 But, lo, the Christ has come;
he is the bread of life that God has
given to the world.
13 Whoever eats the flesh of
Christ and drinks his blood shall
never die; and he will hunger never-
more; and he will thirst no more.
14 And they who eat this bread
of heaven, and drink these waters
from the spring of life cannot be
lost ; these feed the soul, and purify
the life.
15 Behold, for God has said,
When man has purified himself I
will exalt him to the throne of
power.
16 Then Jesus and the twelve
went to Capernaum; and Jesus went
into the synagogue and taught.
17 And when the Jews, who
heard him in Gennesaret, were
come they said,
18 This fellow is beside himself.
We heard him say, I am the bread
of life that comes from heaven ; and
we all know that he is but a man,
the son of man, who came from Naz-
areth ; we know his mother, and his
other kin.
172
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
19 And Jesus knew their
thoughts; he said to them, Why
murmur you, and reason thus
among yourselves?
20 The Christ is everlasting life;
he came from heaven; he has the
keys of heaven, and no man enters
into heaven except he fills himself
with Christ.
21 I came in flesh to do the will
of God, and, lo, this flesh and blood
are filled with Christ; and so I am
the living bread that comes from
heaven;
22 And when you eat this flesh
and drink this blood you will have
everlasting life; and if you will,
you may become the bread of life.
23 And many of the people
were enraged; they said, How can
this man give us his flesh to eat, his
blood to drink?
24 And his disciples were ag-
grieved because he said these things,
and many turned away and fol-
lowed him* no more.
25 They said, This is a fearful
thing for him to say, If you eat not
my flesh and drink my blood, you
cannot enter into life.
26 They could not comprehend
the parable he spoke.
27 And Jesus said, You stumble
and you fall before the truth ; What
will you do when you shall see this
flesh and blood transmuted into
higher form?
28 What will you say when you
shall see the son of man ascending
on the clouds of heaven?
29 What will you say when you
shall see the son of man sit on the
throne of God?
30 The flesh is naught ; the spir-
it is the quickening power. The
words I speak are spirit; they are
life.
31 When Jesus saw the many
who had been so loud in their pro-
fessions of their faith in him, turn
back and go away, he said unto the
twelve,
32 Will you desert me in this
hour and go away?
33 But Peter said, Lord, we
have no place else to go; you have
the words of everlasting life; we
know that you are sent to us from
God.
CHAPTER 126.
Scribes and Pharisees visit Jesus.
They censure him for eating with
unwashed hands. He defends his
acts and teaches a lesson on hypoc-
risy. Privately explains to the
twelve his public teachings.
A COMPANY of scribes and
Pharisees came from Jeru-
salem to learn wherein the power
of Jesus lay.
2 But when they learned that
he and his disciples heeded not the
custom of the Jews, regarding wash-
ing of the hands before they ate,
they were amazed.
3 And Jesus said. Hypocrisy is
queen among you scribes and Phar-
isees. Of you Isaiah wrote:
4 This people honor me with
lips; their hearts are far away. In
vain they worship me; their doc-
trines are the dogmas and the creeds
of men.
5 You men who pose as men of
God, and still reject the laws of
God and teach the laws of men,
6 Stand forth and tell when
God gave unto men the ceremonial
laws that you observe; and tell these
people how the spirit life is sullied
if one washes not before he eats.
7 His critics answered not, and
then he said,
8 Hear me, you men of Israel!
Defilement is a creature of the heart.
The carnal mind lays hold of
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
173
thought, and makes a monstrous
bride; this bride is sin; sin is a crea-
ture of the mind.
9 That which defiles a man is not
the food he eats.
10 The bread and fish and other
things we eat, are simply cups to
carry to the cells of flesh material
for the building of the human
house, and when their work is done
as refuse they are cast away.
11 The life of plant and flesh
that goes to build the human house
is never food for soul. The spirit
does not feed upon the carcasses of
animal, or plant.
12 God feeds the soul direct
from heaven; the bread of life comes
from above.
13 The air we breathe is charged
with Holy Breath, and he who wills
may take this Holy Breath.
14 The soul discriminates, and
he who wants the life of Christ may
breathe it in. According to your
faith so let it be.
15 Man is not a part of his abid-
ing place; the house is not the man.
16 The lower world builds up
the house of flesh, and keeps it in
repair; the higher world provides
the bread of spirit life.
17 The loveliest lilies grow from
stagnant ponds and filthiest muck.
18 The law of flesh demands
that one should keep the body
clean.
19 The law of spirit calls for
purity in thought and word and
deed.
20 Now, when the evening came
and they were in the house, the
twelve had many things to say, and
many questions to propound.
21 Nathaniel asked, Was what
you said about the house of flesh a
parable? If so, what does it mean?
22 And Jesus said, Can you not
yet discriminate? Do you not yet
perceive that what a man takes in
his mouth defiles him not?
23 His food goes not into his
soul ; it is material for flesh and bone
and brawn.
24 To spirit everything is clean.
25 That which defiles a man
wells up from carnal thoughts;
and carnal thoughts spring from
the heart, and generate a host of
evil things.
26 From out the heart comes
murders, thefts and foolishness. All
selfish acts and sensual deeds spring
from the heart.
27 To eat with unwashed hands
does not defile the man.
28 And Peter said, Lord, What
you said today has grievously
offended scribe and Pharisee.
29 And Jesus said, These scribes
and Pharisees are not the scions of
the tree of life; they are not plants
of God; they are the plants of men,
and every foreign plant shall be
plucked up.
30 Let all these men alone; they
are blind guides; they lead a multi-
tude of people who are blind.
31 The leaders and the led to-
gether walk; together they will fall
into the yawning pits.
CHAPTER 127.
The Christines cross the sea to Decap-
olis. Jesus finds a retired place
where he privately teaches the
twelve. They remain three days,
then go into a village by the sea.
NOW, Jesus took the twelve and
with them crossed the sea at
night and came unto the borders of
Decapolis,
2 That he might find a secret
place where, all alone, he could re-
veal to them the things to come.
3 They went into a mountain
pass and spent three days in prayer.
174
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
4 Then Jesus said, Behold, the
time is near when I will walk with
you in flesh no more.
5 Lo, I have taught that he who
counts his life of so much worth
that he would give it not in willing
sacrifice to save his brother man,
is worthy not to enter into life.
6 Lo, I am come as pattern for
the sons of men, and I have not re-
frained from helpfulness.
7 When I had passed the seven
tests in Heliopolis, I consecrated
life and all I had, to save the world.
8 In the Judean wilderness I
fought the strongest foes of men,
and there I reaffirmed my consecra-
tion to the service of my fellow man.
9 In troubles and in trials I have
wavered not; when false accusers
came, I answered not.
10 God gave the saving Word to
me, and I have often spoken it and
healed the sick, drove unclean
spirits out, and raised the dead.
11 And I have shown you how
to speak the Word; and I have given
you the Word;
12 In just a little while we turn
our faces toward Jerusalem, and
one of you who hear me now will
then betray me into wicked hands.
13 The scribes and Pharisees
will bring false charges up and hale
me into court, and, by consent of
Rome, I will be crucified.
14 Then Peter said, My Lord,
it shall not be. The Roman sol-
diers will tread on twelve dead men
before they reach our Lord.
15 But Jesus said, A savior of
the world cannot resist.
16 I came to save the world and
I have taken up your names before
the highest courts of heaven, and
you have been confirmed as saviors
of the world.
17 And not a name, excepting
that of him who shall betray, will
ever be disgraced.
18 I go my way, and though
my flesh shall pass, my soul will
stand beside you all the way to
guide and bless.
19 And wicked men will seize
you in the streets, and as you kneel
in prayer; will charge you with
some legal crime, and think they
serve their God by putting you to
death.
20 But falter not; the load will
heavy be, but with the conscious-
ness of duty done, the peace of
God will lift the load, dispel the pain
and light the way.
21 And we will meet where car-
nal executioners come not; there
we will serve the cruel men, who in
their ignorance had tortured us to
death.
22 Can we prevent this outrage
and this slaughter of our lives? If
not we are but creatures of the ebb
and flow of carnal things. It would
not be a sacrifice of life.
23 But we are masters of the
things of time. Lo, we can speak,
and all the spirits of the fire, water,
earth and air will stand in our de-
fense.
24 We can command and many
legions of the angel world would
come and strike our enemies to
earth.
25 But it is best that not a
power of heaven or earth should
come to our relief. And it is best
that even God should veil his face
and seem to hear us not.
26 As I am pattern unto you,
so you are patterns for the human
race. We show by non-resistance
that we give our lives in willing
sacrifice for man.
27 But my example will not
end with death. My body will be
laid within a tomb in which no
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
175
flesh has lain, symbolic of the purity
of life in death.
28 And in the tomb I will re-
main three days in sweet communion
with the Christ, and with my
Father-God, and Mother-God.
29 And then, symbolic of the
ascent of the soul to higher life, my
flesh within the tomb will disappear;
30 Will be transmuted into
higher form, and, in the presence
of you all, I will ascend to God.
31 Then Jesus and the twelve
went to a village by the sea.
CHAPTER 128.
Jesus goes at night to a mountain to
pray. His disciples and the vil-
lagers find him and he teaches them
for three days. Feeds four thou-
sand people. The Christines go to
Ccesarea-Philippi. They consider
the personality of Christ. Peter is
chosen as apostolic leader.
NOW, in the night while the dis-
ciples slept, lo, Jesus rose and
went alone into a mountain pass,
six miles away, to pray.
2 And in the morning when the
twelve awoke they could not find
the Lord, and all the people of the
village sought, and when the sun
had passed its highest point they
found him in the mountain pass.
3 And multitudes of people
came and brought their sick, and
Jesus taught and healed.
4 And when the night came on
the people would not go ; they slept
upon the ground that they might
be a-near the Lord.
5 Three days and nights the
multitudes remained, and none had
aught to eat.
6 And Jesus had compassion
and he said, If I should send the
multitudes away they might not
reach their homes, for they are
faint, for some have journeyed
many miles.
7 And his disciples said, Where
shall we get enough of food to feed
them all? There are four thousand
men, besides the women and the
little ones.
8 And Jesus said, How many
loaves have you?
9 They answered, Seven, and
some little fish.
10 And Jesus said, Go to, and
seat the people as you seated them
the other day when all the mul-
titudes were fed, in companies of
twelve.
11 And when the people were
sat down in companies of twelve
the loaves and fish were brought.
12 And Jesus looked to heaven
and spoke the Word; and then he
broke the seven loaves in little bits,
and likewise cut the fish. k j
13 And every bit of bread be-
came a loaf, and every piece of fish
became a fish.
14 The twelve went forth and
gave to every one; the people ate
and they were filled; and all the
fragments that were left were gath-
ered up, and there were seven bas-
kets full.
15 And then the people went
their ways, and Jesus and the
twelve took boats and came to Dal-
manatha by the sea.
16 Here they remained for many
days, and Jesus told the twelve
about the inner light that cannot
fail;
17 About the kingdom of the
Christ within the soul; about the
power of faith; about the secret of
the resurrection of the dead; about
immortal life, and how the living
may go forth and help the dead.
18 And then they went into
their boats, and came unto the
northern coast of Galilee, and in
176
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
Chorazin where the kin of Thomas
lived, they left their boats and jour-
neyed on.
19 They came to Merom, where
the crystal waters seem to catch
the images of heaven and to reflect
the glory of the Lord of hosts.
20 And here they tarried cer-
tain days in silent thought.
21 And then they journeyed on,
and came into the land of Csesarea-
Philippi.
22 And as they walked and
talked among themselves, the mas-
ter said, What do the people say
about the son of man? who do they
think I am?
23 And Matthew said, Some say
that you are David come again;
some say that you are Enoch, Solo-
mon, or Seth.
24 And Andrew said, I heard a
ruler of the synagogue exclaim,
This man is Jeremiah, for he speaks
like Jeremiah wrote.
25 Nathaniel said, The foreign
masters who were with us for a time,
declared that Jesus is Gautama
come again.
26 James said, I think that most
the master Jews believe you are the
reappearence of Elijah on the earth.
27 And John spoke out and said,
When we were in Jerusalem I heard
a seer exclaim, This Jesus is none
other than Melchizedek, the king of
peace, who lived about two thou-
sand years ago, and said that he
would come again.
28 And Thomas said, The Tet-
rarch Herod thinks that you are
John arisen from the dead ;
29 But then his conscience trou-
bles him; the spirit of the murdered
John looms up before him in his
dreams, and haunts him as a specter
of the night.
30 And Jesus asked, Who do
you think I am?
31 And Peter said, You are the
Christ, the love of God made mani-
fest to men.
32 And Jesus said, Thrice blessed
are you, Simon, Jonas' son. You
have declared a truth that God has
given you.
33 You are a rock, and you shall
be a pillar in the temple of the Lord
of hosts.
34 And your confession is the
cornerstone of faith, a rock of
strength, and on this rock the
Church of Christ is built.
35 Against it all the powers of
hades and of death cannot prevail.
36 Behold, I give to you the
keys to open up the doors of safety
for the sons of men.
37 The Holy Breath will come
upon you and the ten, and in Jeru-
salem you shall stand bef ore the na-
tions of the earth, and there pro-
claim the covenant of God with
men.
38 And you shall speak the
words of Holy Breath, and whatso-
ever God requires of men as earnest
of their faith in Christ, you shall
make known.
39 Then turning to the twelve
he said, What you have heard this
day tell not to any man.
40 Then Jesus and the twelve
went up and were Susanna's guests
for many days.
CHAPTER 129.
Jesus teaches the people. He takes
Peter, James and John and goes
to a high mountain and is trans-
figured before them.
THE news soon spread that Jesus
and the twelve were come, and
many people came to see.
2 And Jesus said, Behold, you
come to see, but that means naught.
If you would have the benedictions
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
177
of the Christ, take up your cross and
follow me.
3 If you would give your life for
selfish self, then you will lose your
life.
4 If you will give your life in
service of your fellow men, then
you will save your life.
5 This life is but a span, a bau-
ble of today. There is a life that
passes not.
6 Where is your profit if you
gain the world and lose your soul?
What would you take in payment
for your soul?
7 If you would find the spirit
life, the life of man in God, then
you must walk a narrow way and
enter through a narrow gate.
8 The way is Christ, the gate is
Christ, and you must come up by
the way of Christ. No man comes
unto God but by the Christ.
9 The kingdom of the Christ
will come; yea, some of you who
hear me now will not pass through
the gates of death until you see the
kingdom come in power.
10 For seven days the master
and the twelve remained in Csesa-
rea-Philippi.
11 Then Jesus, taking Peter,
James and John, went forth unto a
mountain top to pray.
12 And as he prayed a brilliant
light appeared; his form became as
radiant as a precious stone;
13 His face shone like the sun;
his garments seemed as white as
snow; the son of man became the
son of God.
14 He was transfigured that the
men of earth might see the possi-
bilities of man.
15 When first the glory came
the three disciples were alseep; a
master touched their eyes and said,
Awake and see the glory of the
Lord.
16 And they awoke, and saw
the glory of the Lord; and more,
they saw the glory of the heavenly
world, for they beheld two men
from thence stand forth beside the
Lord.
17 And Peter asked the master
who awakened them, Who are these
men who stand beside the Lord?
18 The master said, These men
are Moses and Elijah, who are come
that you may know that heaven
and earth are one; that masters
there and masters here are one.
19 The veil that separates the
worlds is but an ether veil. For
those who purify their hearts by
faith the veil is rolled aside, and
they can see and know that death
is an illusive thing.
20 And Peter said, Praise God!
And then he called to Jesus and he
said, My master and my Lord, this
is the gate of heaven, and it is well
that we remain.
21 May we go down and bring
three tents; a tent for you, a tent
for Moses, and for Elijah one? But
Jesus answered not.
22 And Moses and Elijah talked
with Jesus on the mount. They
talked about the coming trial of the
Lord;
23 About his death, his rest
within the tomb ; about the wonders
of the resurrection morn; the trans-
mutation of his flesh, and his ascen-
sion on the clouds of light;
24 And all symbolic of the path
that every man must tread; sym-
bolic of the way the sons of men
become the sons of God.
25 The three disciples were
amazed, and suddenly the ethers
were surcharged with song, and
forms as light as air, moved all
about the mountain top.
26 And then from out the glory
178
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
of the upper world they heard a
voice that said,
27 This is the son of man, my
chosen one to manifest the Christ
to men. Let all the earth hear him.
I 28 When the disciples heard the
voice they were afraid; they fell
upon the ground and prayed.
29 And Jesus came; he touched
them and he said, Arise, fear not;
lo, I am here.
30 Then they arose, and as they
looked about they saw no one; the
men had gone. The master only
stood with them.
31 As Jesus and the three came
from the mountain top they talked
about the meaning of the scene, and
Jesus told them all; and then he
said,
32 Till I have risen from the
dead tell not to any one what you
have seen.
33 But the disciples could not
comprehend the meaning of the
words, Till I have risen from the
dead.
34 And Jesus told them once
again about his death, and rising
from the grave; about the kingdom
of the soul that was to come in
glory and in power.
35 But Peter said, The scribes
have taught that e'er the king
shall come Elijah must appear.
36 And Jesus said, Elijah has
already come ; but scribes and Phari-
sees received him not;
37 And men reviled him, bound
him, cast him in a prison cell, and
shouted with a fiend's delight to see
him die.
38 What men have done to him,
that they will do to me.
39 Then the disciples under-
stood that Jesus spoke of John
whom Herod slew.
CHAPTER 130.
Jesus and the three disciples return
to Ccesarea-Philippi. The nine
had failed to cure an epileptic child.
Jesus heals it and rebukes his dis-
ciples for their lack of trust in God.
The Christines return to Caper-
naum.
WHEN Jesus, Peter, James and
John were come unto the
city's gates a multitude of people
thronged the way.
2 The nine apostles who went
not with Jesus to the mount, had
tried to heal an epileptic child who
was obsessed, and they had failed;
the people waited for the coming of
the Lord.
3 When Jesus came the father
of the child knelt down before him
and implored his help.
4 He said, My master, I beseech
that you will look in pity on my son,
my only child; he is an epileptic
child and suffers grievously.
5 Sometimes he falls into the
fire and is burned; again he falls
into the water and is like to drown ;
and many times a day he falls, he
grinds his teeth, the foam pours
from his mouth.
6 I took my child to your dis-
ciples, and they failed to give relief.
7 And as he spoke a servant
brought the child before the Lord
(the child spoke not, for he was
dumb), and instantly he fell upon
the ground, he foamed, he writhed
in agony.
8 And Jesus said, How long has
he been troubled thus?
9 The father said, From infancy ;
and we have sought in many lands
for help, but found it not; but I be-
lieve that you can speak the Word
and heal my son.
10 And Jesus said, Faith is the
power of God. All things are pos-
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
179
sible for him who in his heart be-
lieves.
11 The father cried, in tears,
Lord, I believe; help thou mine
unbelief.
12 And Jesus spoke the Word of
power; the epileptic child lay in a
swoon; he did not breathe, and all
the people said, The child is dead.
13 But Jesus took him by the
hand and said: Arise; and he arose
and spoke.
14 The people were amazed, and
many said, This surely is a man of
God, for no such power was ever
given to man.
15 Then Jesus and the twelve
went to the house, and after they
had taken food and been refreshed,
the nine disciples said,
16 Lord, why could we not heal
this child? We spoke the Word;
but even that was powerless.
17 And Jesus said, Your great
success in all your former work has
made you careless, and you forgot
to recognize the power of God.
18 Without the spirit of the
Word, the Word is like an idle tale;
and you forgot to pray.
19 There is no faith without the
prayer of faith. Faith is the wings
of prayer; but wings alone fly not.
20 By prayer and faith you can
bring down the mountain peaks,
and cast them in the sea; the little
hills will skip about like lambs at
your command.
21 This failure may be well for
you. The greatest lessons that are
learned in life come through the
failures that are made.
22 As the disciples sat in
thoughtful meditation Jesus said,
Let these words sink into your
hearts :
23 The time has nearly come
when you must bear your load alone ;
that is, without my presence in the
flesh.
24 For I will fall into the hands
of wicked men, and they will slay
me on a mount beyond Bezetha
wall.
25 And men will lay my body
in a tomb where, by the sacred
Word, it will be guarded and pre-
served three days; then I will rise
again.
26 The twelve were sad; they
did not understand, and yet they
feared to ask him to reveal the
meaning of his word.
27 Next day the Christine mas-
ter and the twelve began their jour-
ney of return, and soon were in
Capernaum.
CHAPTER 131.
Jesus and Peter pay the half-shekel
tax. The disciples contend for the
supremacy. Jesus rebukes them.
Teaches them many practical les-
sons. The parable of the good
shepherd.
AS Jesus and the twelve were
resting in the house, the tax
collector came to Peter saying, Man,
do Jesus and yourself pay this half-
shekel tax?
2 And Peter said, We pay what-
ever is assessed.
3 And Jesus said, From whom
do publicans collect this special
tax? from strangers or from native
sons?
4 And Peter said, The strangers
only are supposed to pay this tax.
5 Then Jesus said, We all are
native sons and we are free ; but lest
we cause contention we will pay the
tax; but neither had the shekel
wherewithal to pay.
6 And Jesus said, Go to the sea ;
cast in a hook and catch a fish and
you will find within its inner parts
180
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
a shekel, which take up and pay the
tax for you and me.
7 And Peter did as Jesus said;
he found the shekel and he paid the
tax.
8 Now Jesus heard the twelve
dispute among themselves. The
spirit of the carnal self was moving
in their hearts, and they were ques-
tioning among themselves who was
the greatest in the sight of God and
man.
9 And Jesus said, You men, for
shame! the greatest is the servant
of the rest. And then he called to
him a little child; he took it in his
arms and said,
10 The greatest is the little
child, and if you would be great at
all you must become as is this child
in innocence, in truth, in purity in
life.
1 1 Great men scorn not the little
things of earth; he who regards and
honors such a child, regards and
honors me, and he who scorns a
child, scorn me.
12 If you would enter through
the kingdom gate you must be hum-
ble as this little child.
13 Hear me, you men, This
child, as every other child, has one
to plead its cause before the throne
of God.
14 You scorn it at your peril,
men, for lo, I say, its counterpart
beholds the face of God at every
moment, every day.
15 And hear me once again, He
who shall cause a little one to stum-
ble and to fall is marked, accursed;
and it were better far if he had
drowned himself.
16 Behold, offenses every where!
Men find occasions for to sin and
fall, and they grow strong by rising
when they fall ;
17 But woe to him who causes
other men to stumble and to fall.
18 Be on your guard, you men
of God, lest you constrain another
man to fall ; beware lest you fall into
sinful ways yourselves.
19 Now, if your hands cause you
to sin, you better cut them off; for
it is better far to have no hands and
not be guilty in the sight of God
and men, than to be perfect in your
form and lose your soul.
20 And if your feet should cause
offense, you better cut them off;
for it is better far to enter into life
without your feet than fall beneath
the curse.
21 And if your eyes, or ears,
cause you to sin, you better lose
them all than lose your soul.
22 Your thoughts and words
and deeds will all be tried by fire.
23 Remember that you are the
salt of earth; but if you lose the
virtues of the salt, you are but ref-
use in the sight of God.
24 Retain the virtues of the salt
of life and be at peace among your-
selves.
25 The world is full of men who
have not in themselves the salt of
life, and they are lost. I come to
seek and save the lost.
26 How think you ? if a shepherd
has a hundred sheep, and one of
them has gone astray, will he not
leave the ninety and the nine,
27 And go out in the desert
ways and mounain tops to seek the
one that went astray?
28 Yes, this you know; and if
he finds the one that went astray,
lo, he is glad, and he rejoices over it
far more than over all the ninety
and the nine that did not go astray.
29 And so there is rejoicing in
the courts of heaven when one of
human birth who has gone forth
into the ways of sin, is found and
brought back to the fold;
30 Yea, there is joy, more joy
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
181
than over all the righteous men who
never went astray.
31 And John said, Master, who
may seek and save the lost? and
who may heal the sick, and cast
the demons out of those obsessed?
32 When we were on the way
we saw a man who was not one of
us, cast demons out and heal the
sick.
33 He did it by the sacred Word
and in the name of Christ; but we
forbade him, for he did not walk
with us.
34 And Jesus said, You sons of
men, do you imagine that you own
the powers of God?
35 And do you think that all
the world must wait for you to do
the works of God?
36 God is not man that he
should have a special care for any
man, and give him special gifts.
37 Forbid not any man to do
the works of God.
38 There is no man who can
pronounce the sacred Word, and in
the name of Christ restore the sick,
and cast the unclean spirits out,
who is not child of God.
39 The man of whom you speak
is one with us. Whoever gathers
in the grain of heaven is one with
us.
40 Whoever gives a cup of water
in the name of Christ is one with
us; so God shall judge.
CHAPTER 132.
Jesus defends a man who has been
convicted of stealing bread. The
verdict is reversed. The man goes
free, and the people supply the
needs of his starving family.
A MULTITUDE of people
thronged the streets. The
officers were on the way to court
with one, a man accused of stealing
bread.
2 And in a little while the man
was brought before the judge to
answer to the charge.
3 And Jesus and the twelve were
there. The man showed in his face
and hands the hard drawn lines of
toil and want.
4 A woman richly clad, the
accuser of the man, stood forth and
said, I caught this man myself; I
know him well, for yesterday he
came to beg for bread,
5 And when I drove him from
my door, he should have known
that I would harbor not a man like
him; and then today he came and
took the bread.
6 He is a thief and I demand
that he be sent to jail.
7 The servants also testified
against the man; he was adjudged
a thief, and officers were leading
him away.
8 But Jesus standing forth ex-
claimed, You officers and judge, be
not in haste to lead this man away.
9 Is this a land of justice and
of right? can you accuse and sen-
tence men to punishment for any
crime until they testify themselves?
10 The Roman law will not per-
mit such travesty on right, and I
demand that you permit this man
to speak.
11 And then the judge recalled
the man and said, If you have any
tale to tell, say on.
12 In tears the man stood forth
and said, I have a wife and little
ones and they are perishing for
bread, and I have told my story
oft, and begged for bread ; but none
would hear.
13 This morning when I left
our cheerless hut in search of work
my children cried for bread, and I
resolved to feed them or to die.
182
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
14 I took the bread, and I ap-
peal to God, Was it a crime?
15 This woman snatched the
loaf away and threw it to the dogs,
and called the officers and I am here.
16 Good people, do with me
whatever you will, but save my wife
and little ones from death.
17 Then Jesus said, Who is the
culprit in this case?
18 I charge this woman as a
felon in the sight of God.
19 I charge this judge as crimi-
nal before the bar of human rights.
20 I charge these servants and
these officers as parties to the crime.
21 I charge the people of Caper-
naum with cruelty and theft, be-
cause they heeded not the cries of
poverty and want, and have with-
held from helpless ones that which
is theirs by every law of right ;
22 And I appeal unto these peo-
ple here, and ask, Are not my
charges based on righteousness and
truth?
23 And every man said, Yes.
24 The accusing woman blushed
for shame; the judge shrank back
in fear; the officers threw off the
shackles from the man and ran
away.
25 Then Jesus said, Give this
man what he needs and let him go
and feed his wife and little ones.
26 The people gave abundantly ;
the man went on his way.
27 And Jesus said, There is no
standard law to j udge of crime. The
facts must all be stated e'er a judg-
ment can be rendered in a case.
28 You men with hearts; go
forth and stand where stood this
man and answer me, What would
you do?
29 The thief thinks every other
man a thief and judges him accord-
ingly.
30 The man who judges harshly
is the man whose heart is full of
crime.
31 The courtesan who keeps
her wickedness concealed by what
she calls respectability, has not a
word of pity for the honest courtesan
who claims to be just what she is.
32 I tell you, men, if you would
censure not till you are free from
sin, the world would soon forget the
meaning of the word, accused. ^
CHAPTER 133.
The twelve go to the feast in Jerusa-
lem, but Jesus remains in Caper-
naum. He selects seventy disci-
ples, and sends them out to teach
and heal. He goes alone to the
feast and on his way he heals ten
lepers. He teaches in the temple.
THE harvest feast drew near;
the twelve went to Jerusalem,
but Jesus did not go with them; he
tarried in Capernaum.
2 Among the multitudes that
followed him were many who went
not up to the feast; they were not
Jews.
3 And Jesus called three-score-
and-ten of these disciples unto him
and said, The kingdom of the Christ
is not for Jews alone; it is for every
man.
4 Lo, I have chosen twelve to
preach the gospel, first unto the
Jews; and they are Jews.
5 Twelve is the number of the
Jew and seven the number of the
all, including every man.
6 God is the ten, the holy Jod.
7 When God and man are mul-
tiplied we have three-score-and-ten,
the number of the brotherhood of
man.
8 And now I send you forth by
twos and twos ; not to the Jews alone,
but unto every nation under heaven ;
to Greek and to Assyrian; to the
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
183
Samaritan; to those beyond the
seas; to every man.
9 You need not go afar, for men
of every land are here and in Sama-
ria.
10 Arise and go your way; but
go in faith; and take no gold nor
silver in your purse; no extra coat
or shoes.
11 Go in the sacred name; trust
God and you will never come to
want.
12 And let this be your saluta-
tion everywhere, Peace be to all;
good will to all.
13 And if the son of peace be in
the house, the door will open wide
and you will enter in; and then the
holy peace will rest upon that house.
14 The seventy in twos went
forth; they went into Samaria, and
as they went they said, Peace be to
all; good will to all!
15 Repent and turn from sin,
and set your house in order, for a
son of man who bears the image of
the Christ, will come, and you may
see his face.
16 They entered every village
of Samaria; they preached in Tyre
and in Sidon by the sea. Some
went to Crete, and others into
Greece, and others went to Gilead
and taught.
17 And Jesus, all alone, went
to the feast by the Samaria way;
and as he went through Sychar
on the way, the lepers saw him
and a company of ten called from
afar and said,
18 Lord Jesus, stay and speak
the Word for us that we may be
made clean.
19 And Jesus said, Go forth and
show yourselves unto the priests.
20 They went, and as they went
their leprosy was healed. One of
the ten, a native of Samaria, re-
turned to thank the master and to
praise the Lord.
21 And Jesus said to him, Lo,
ten were cleansed; where are the
nine? Arise, and go your way;
your faith has made you whole.
22 You have revealed your
heart and shown that you are
worthy of the power; behold the
nine will find again their leprous
hands and feet.
23 And Jesus went his way, and
while the feast was on he came into
Jerusalem, and went into the tem-
ple courts.
24 And he rebuked the scribes
and Pharisees, the priests and doc-
tors of the law for their hypocrisy
and selfishness.
25 The common people were
amazed; they said, From whence
has come the wisdom of this man?
he speaks as speaks a sage.
26 And Jesus said, I did not
learn the wisdom of the Holy One
withnrthe schools of men; my teach-
ing is not mine; I speak the words
of him who sent me here to do his
will.
27 If any man would know
whereof I speak, lo, he must do the
will of God. No man can know
except he enters into life and does
the will of God.
28 Now, Moses gave the law;
but none of you have kept the law;
how can you judge the worthiness
of any man?
29 Once in these courts I healed
a man upon a Sabbath day, and in
a rage you sought to take my life;
and now because I tell the truth
you seek again to take my life.
30 A scribe spoke out and said,
You foolish man, you are obsessed;
who wants to take your life?
31 The common people said,
Is this not Jesus whom the rulers
long have sought to kill? and now
184
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
he comes and teaches in the temple
courts.
32 If he is guilty of such mon-
strous crimes, why do they not take
him away in chains?
33 And Jesus said, You all
know me, and know from whence I
came; but you know not the God
who sent me here, whose words I
speak.
34 The multitudes again stood
forth in his defense; they said, If
this is not the Christ whom God has
promised to reveal to men, will he
do greater works when he shall
come than does this man?
35 The Pharisees and ruling
priests were angered and they sent
their officers to take him e'er he
went away. The officers were filled
with fear; they seized him not.
36 And Jesus said, Lo, I am
here but for a little time and then I
go my way to him who sent me
here to do his will.
37 You seek me now and you
can find me now; the time will come
when you will seek and will not find,
for where I go you cannot come.
38 The people said, Where will
he go that men can find him not?
Will he go forth to Greece and teach
the Greeks? or will he go to Egypt
or Assyria to teach?
39 But Jesus answered not ; un-
noticed by the multitudes he left
the temple courts and went his way.
CHAPTER 134.
Jesus teaches in the temple. His
words enrage the rulers. Nicode-
mus defends him. He spends the
night in prayer on Mount Olives.
Next day he again teaches in the
temple. An adultress is brought
before him for judgment.
, on the last day of the
feast when multitudes were
in the courtways, Jesus said,
2 Whoever is athirst may come
to me and drink.
3 He who believes in me and in
the Christ whom God has sent, may
drink the cup of life, and from his
inner parts shall streams of living
waters flow.
4 The Holy Breath will over-
shadow him, and he will breathe
the Breath, and speak the words,
and live the life.
5 The people were divided in
their views concerning him. Some
said, This man is prophet of the liv-
ing God.
6 And others said, He is Messiah
whom our prophets said would
come.
7 And others said, He cannot
be the Christ, for he came down
from Galilee; the Christ must come
from Bethlehem where David lived.
8 Again the priests and Phari-
sees sent officers to bring him into
court to answer for his life ; but when
the officers returned and brought
him not,
9 The rulers were enraged and
said, Why did you not arrest this
man and hale him into court?
10 The officers replied, We never
heard a man speak like this man
speaks.
11 In rage the Pharisees stood
forth and said, Have you gone mad?
Have you been led astray? Are
you disciples of this man?
12 Have any of the rulers, or
the Pharisees believed on him? The
common people! yes, they may be-
lieve; they are accursed; they know
not anything.
13 But Nicodemus came before
the rulers and he said, Can Jewish
judges judge a man and sentence
him until they hear his plea? Let
Jesus stand before this bar and tes-
tify himself.
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
185
14 The rulers said, This Jesus
is a wily man, and if we suffer him
to speak, he will rebuke us face to
face, and then the multitudes will
laugh and stand in his defense.
15 And then you know, as well
as we, that prophets do not come
from Galilee.
16 The rulers felt the force of
what the officers and Nicodemus
said, and they said nothing more.
17 And then the people went
their way, each to his home; but
Jesus went unto Mount Olives where
he spent the night in prayer.
18 But in the morning when the
sun had scarcely risen, Jesus came
again, and many people came to see
him in the temple courts, and he sat
down and taught the multitudes.
19 The Pharisees and scribes
were still alert to find a cause where-
by they might condemn him by the
words he spoke.
20 The officers had taken in the
very act of crime, a courtesan. As
Jesus taught, they brought this
woman in and set her in the midst
and said,
21 Rabboni, this vile woman
has been taken in adultery. The
law of Moses says that such as she
shall die, be stoned to death; what
do you say should be her punish-
ment?
22 And Jesus stooped and made
a figure on the ground and in it
placed the number of a soul, and
then he sat in silent thought.
23 And when the priests de-
manded that he speak, he said, Let
him who has no sin stand forth and
be the first to cast a stone at her.
24 And then he closed his eyes,
and not a word was said. When he
arose and saw the woman all alone
he said,
25 Where are the men who
brought you here? they who ac-
cused?
26 The woman said, They all
are gone ; no one was here who could
condemn.
27 And Jesus said, And I con-
demn you not; go on your way in
peace, and sin no more.
CHAPTER 135.
Jesus teaches in the temple. He re-
veals some of the deeper meanings
of the Christine ministry. The
rulers are greatly enraged and at-
tempt to stone him, but he disap-
pears.
THE feast was done and Jesus,
Peter, James and John were
sitting in the temple treasury.
2 The nine had gone back to
Capernaum.
3 The people thronged the tem-
ple courts and Jesus said,
4 I am the lamp; Christ is the
oil of life; the Holy Breath the fire.
Behold the light! and he who fol-
lows me shall not walk in the dark,
but he shall have the light of life.
5 A lawyer said, You witness
for yourself, your witness is not
true.
6 And Jesus said, If I do witness
for myself I speak that which is
true, for I know whence I came
and where I go.
7 And no one else in flesh can
testify for me, for none know
whence I came, nor where I go.
8 My works bear witness to the
truth I speak. As man I could not
speak the words I speak; they are
the words of Holy Breath ; and then
my Father testifies for me.
9 The lawyer said, Where does
your father live?
10 And Jesus said, You know
me not or you would know my
Father, and if you knew the Father
186
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XV&
you would know the son, because
the Father and the son are one.
11 I go my way and you shall
find me not; for where I go you can-
not come, because you do not know
the way.
12 You cannot find the way be-
cause your hearts are gross, your
ears are dull, your eyes are closed.
13 The light of life cannot shine
through the murky veil that you
have drawn about your hearts.
14 You do not know the Christ
and if the Christ be not within the
heart there is no light.
15 I come to manifest the Christ
to men and you receive me not, and
you will dwell in darkness and in the
shadow of the grave till you believe
the words I speak.
16 But you will vilify the son
of man, and lift him up and laugh
to see him die.
17 But then a little light will
come and you will know that I am
what I am.
18 The people did not compre-
hend the meaning of the words he
spoke.
19 And then he spoke unto the
people who believed in him and said,
If you abide in Christ, and Christ
abide in you, and if you keep my
words within your heart,
20 You are the way, you are
disciples in the way, and you shall
know what is the truth, and truth
shall make you free.
21 And still the people did not
understand; they said, We are the
seed of Abraham and are already
free; we never were the slaves of any
man; why do you say, We shall be
free?
22 And Jesus said, Do you not
know that every one committing
sin is slave of sin? abides in bond-
age unto sin?
23 If you sin not then you are
free; but if you sin in thought, or
word, or deed, then you are slaves,
and naught but truth can set you
free; if you are free through Christ,
then you are free indeed.
24 You are the seed of Abraham,
and yet you seek to kill me just be-
cause I speak the truth of Abraham.
25 You are the children of the
flesh of Abraham; but, lo, I say,
There is a spiritual Abraham whom
you know not.
26 In spirit you are children of
your father, and your father is Dia-
bolus ; you hang upon his words and
do his will.
27 He was a murderer from the
first; he cannot tell the truth, and
when he tells a lie he speaks his own;
he is himself a lie, and he is father
of himself.
28 If you were children of my
Father-God, then you could hear
the words of God ; I speak the words
of God, but you can hear them not.
29 A Pharisee stood forth and
said, This fellow is not one of us;
he is a curst Samaritan and is ob-
sessed.
30 But Jesus heeded not the
words of Pharisee or scribe ; he knew
that all the people knew he was a
Jew.
31 And then he said, Whoever
keeps my words shall never die.
32 A lawyer said, And now we
know he is obsessed. Our father
Abraham is dead; the prophets all
are dead, and yet this fellow says,
Whoever keeps my words shall never
die.
33 Is this man greater than our
father Abraham? Is he above the
prophets? and all of them are dead.
34 And Jesus said, Your father
Abraham rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.
35 The lawyer said, You sim-
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
187
pie man; you are not fifty years of
age; have you seen Abraham?
36 And Jesus said, Before the
days of Abraham I am.
37 Again the scribes and Phari-
sees were in a rage; they took up
stones to cast at him, but, like a
phantom of the night, he disap-
peared; the people knew not where
he went.
CHAPTER 136.
Jesus teaches in the temple. Relates
the parable of the good Samaritan.
Goes to Bethany. Teaches in Laza-
rus' home. Rebukes Martha for
her anxiety about the things of this
life.
AND Jesus stood again within
the temple courts and taught.
2 A master of the law was sent
to question him that he might find
a cause to censure and accuse him
of a crime.
3 He said, Lord, tell me what
to do that I may have eternal life?
4 And Jesus said, You know the
law; what does it say?
5 The lawyer answered, You
shall love the Lord your God with
all your heart, with all your soul,
with all your strength, with all your
mind, and you shall love your neigh-
bor as yourself.
6 And Jesus said, Lo, you have
answered well; this do and you shall
live.
7 The lawyer said, My neigh-
bor, who is he?
8 And Jesus said, A man was
going from Jerusalem to Jericho,
and lo, he met with robbers on the
way, who beat him, robbed him of
his goods, and left him bleeding by
the way.
9 A Pharisee was going down
that way; he saw the wounded man;
but then he had no time to lose; he
passed by on the other side.
10 A Levite came and saw the
man; but he was loath to soil his
sacerdotal robes, and he passed by.
11 A lawyer on his way to Jeri-
cho observed the dying man, and
then he said, If I could make a
shekel I might help the man ; but he
has nothing left to give, I have no
time for charity; and he passed on.
12 And then a stranger from
Samaria came that way; he saw the
wounded man; his heart was
touched with pity and he stopped,
dismounted from his horse,
13 Revived the man, and placed
him on his horse and took him to
an inn and charged the keeper of
the inn to nurse him back to
strength.
14 He gave the keeper all the
money that he had and said. Your
charges may be more than this, but
care for this unfortunate, and when
I come again I will pay all; and then
he went his way.
15 Now, master of the law,
which of these four was neighbor
unto him who fell among the
thieves?
16 The lawyer said, The man
who showed him mercy; he who
cared for him.
17 And Jesus said, Go on your
way and likewise do, and you shall
live.
18 Now, Jesus, Peter, James and
John went out to Bethany where
Lazarus lived.
19 And Mary sat at Jesus' feet
and heard him speak the words of
life while Martha served.
20 And Martha called, but Mary
would not leave the Lord to help
her serve.
21 And Martha said to Jesus,
Do you not care that Mary makes
me bear the burdens of the serving
188
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
all the day? I beg that you will
bid her help.
22 And Jesus said, You are too
anxious, Martha, for your guests;
you need not trouble so about the
things of life.
23 You grow a-weary by your
care for little things and slight the
one thing needed most of all.
24 Your sister here has chosen
far the better part, a part that none
can take away.
CHAPTER 137.
Jesus and his disciples go into a re-
tired place to pray. Jesus teaches
Lazarus how to pray. The model
prayer. The value of importunate
prayer Parable of the importunate
housewife.
NOW, in the evening Jesus, Peter,
James and John, with Laza-
rus, went out beyond the village
gates to pray. And Lazarus said,
Teach me to pray.
2 And Jesus said, The prayer I
taught the twelve to pray while we
were up in Galilee is one acceptable
to God ; and when you pray just say,
3 Our Father-God who art in
heaven ; holy is thy name ; thy king-
dom come; thy will be done on
earth as it is done in heaven;
4 Give us this day our needed
bread;
5 Help us forget the debts
that other people owe to us, that
all our debts may be discharged;
6 And shield us from the temp-
ter's snares that are too great for
us to bear;
7 And when they come give us
the strength to overcome.
8 And Jesus said, The answer to
your prayer may not appear in
fulness in a little time.
9 Be not discouraged; pray again
and then again, for God will hear.
10 And then he spoke a parable ;
he said, A housewife was alone at
night and, lo, some guests arrived,
and they were hungry, having had
no food for all the day.
11 The housewife had no bread,
and so at midnight she went forth
and called a friend and said, Loan
me three loaves of bread, for guests
have come, and I have naught for
them to eat.
12 The friend replied, Why do
you trouble me at midnight hour?
My door is shut; my children are
with me in bed; I cannot rise to give
you bread; tomorrow you can be
supplied.
13 The housewife asked again,
and then again, and then because
she plead, and would not be re-
fused, the friend arose and gave
her bread.
14 Behold, I say to you, Ask
firmly and you shall receive; seek
trustingly and you shall find; knock
earnestly, the door will open up.
15 All things are yours, and
when you ask, not as a begging man
would ask, but as a child, you shall
be satisfied.
16 A son may ask his father for
a loaf of bread; the father will not
give to him a stone;
17 Or he may ask him for a fish ;
he will not give a crab; or he may
ask him for an egg; the father will
not give a pebble from the brook.
18 Behold, if men of flesh know
how to give abundantly to children
of the flesh, will not your heavenly
Father give abundantly to you
when you shall pray?
CHAPTER 138.
The Christines in Jerusalem. They
meet a man blind from birth. Je-
sus teaches a lesson on the cause
of disease and disasters. He heals
the blind man.
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
189
THE Lord with Peter, James and
John were in Jerusalem; it was
the Sabbath day.
2 And as they walked along the
way they saw a man who could not
see; he had been blind from birth.
3 And Peter said, Lord, if dis-
ease and imperfections all are caused
by sin, who was the sinner in this
case? the parents or the man him-
self?
4 And Jesus said, Afflictions all
are partial payments on a debt, or
debts, that have been made.
5 There is a law of recompense
that never fails, and it is summar-
ized in that true rule of life:
6 Whatsoever man shall do to
any other man some other man will
do to him.
7 In this we find the meaning
of the Jewish law, expressed con-
cisely in the words, Tooth for a
tooth; life for a life.
8 He who shall injure any one
in thought, or word, or deed, is
judged a debtor to the law, and
some one else shall, likewise, injure
him in thought, or word or deed.
9 And he who sheds the blood
of any man will come upon the time
when his blood shall be shed by man.
10 Affliction is a prison cell in
which a man must stay until he
pays his debts unless a master sets
him free that he may have a better
chance to pay his debts.
11 Affliction is a certain sign
that one has debts to pay.
12 Behold this man! Once in
another life he was a cruel man,
and in a cruel way destroyed the
eyes of one, a fellow man.
13 The parents of this man once
turned their faces on a blind and
helpless man, and drove him from
their door.
14 Then Peter asked, Do we
pay off the debts of other men when
by the Word we heal them, drive the
unclean spirits out, or rescue them
from any form of sore distress?
15 And Jesus said, We cannot
pay the debts of any man, but by
the Word we may release a man
from his afflictions and distress,
16 And make him free, that he
may pay the debts he owes, by giv-
ing up his life in willing sacrifice for
men, or other living things.
17 Behold, we may make free
this man that he may better serve
the race and pay his debts.
18 Then Jesus called the man
and said. Would you be free? would
you receive your sight?
19 The man replied, All that I
have would I most freely give if I
could see.
20 And Jesus took saliva and
a bit of clay and made a salve, and
put it on the blind man's eyes.
21 He spoke the Word and then
he said, Go to Siloam and wash, and
as you wash say, Jahhevahe. This
do for seven times and you shall see.
22 The man was led unto Si-
loam; he washed his eyes and spoke
the word, and instantly his eyes
were opened and he saw.
23 The people who had seen the
man for many years sit by the way
and beg, were much surprised to see
him see.
24 They said, Is not this man
the Job that was born blind, who
sat beside the way and begged?
25 He heard them talk among
themselves; he said. Yes, I am he.
26 The people asked, How were
you healed? who opened up your
eyes?
27 He said, A man whom men
call Jesus, made a salve of clay and
put it on my eyes, and bade me say
a word and wash in Siloam seven
times; I did as he commanded me,
and now I see.
190
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
28 A certain scribe was passing,
and he saw the man and heard him
say that Jesus, by the Word, had
opened up his eyes.
29 He therefore took the man
up to the synagogue, and told the
story to the priests, who asked the
man about the miracle.
30 The man replied, I never saw
the light until today, for I was blind
from birth.
31 This morning as I sat beside
Siloam, a man I never knew put on
my eyes a salve that people say he
made of clay ; he bade me say a word
and bathe my eyes in water seven
times; I did as he commanded and I
saw.
32 A lawyer asked the man,
Who was it opened up your eyes?
33 The man replied, Some peo-
ple say, His name is Jesus and that
he came from Galilee; but others
say, He is the son of God.
34 A Pharisee came up and said,
This is the Sabbath day; a man who
does a work like this, regarding not
the Sabbath day, is not from God.
35 Some of the priests were
much amazed and said, A wicked
man could never do a miracle like
this; he must possess the power of
God. And so they strove among
themselves.
36 They asked the man, What
do you think about this man from
Galilee?
37 He said, He is a prophet sent
from God.
38 Now, many of the Jews did
not believe the man was blind from
birth; they said, There is no power
to open up the eyes of one born
blind.
39 And then they brought the
parents of the man before the Phari-
sees that they might testify.
40 They said, This is our son
who was born blind; we do not
know how he received his sight; he
is of age and he can tell; ask him.
41 They were afraid to say what
they believed, that Jesus is the
Christ who came to manifest the
power of God, lest they offend the
priests and be cast from the syna-
gogue.
42 Again the rulers said, This
Jesus is a wicked man. The man
who had been healed stood forth
again and said,
43 This Jesus may be sinner or
be saint, I do not know; but this one
thing I know; I once was blind, but
now I see.
44 And then the scribes and
Pharisees reviled the man and said,
You are a follower of this man from
Galilee. We follow Moses, but this
man, we know him not, and know^
not whence he is.
45 The man replied, It is a mar-
vel that you know not whence he is,
and yet he opened up my eyes.
46 You know that nothing but
the power of God can do such things.
47 God hears not sinners pray,
and you must know that he is not a
wicked man who can employ the
power of God.
48 The Pharisees replied, You
wretch ! you were begotten and were
born in sin, and now you try to
teach the law to us. And then they
cast him from the synagogue.
CHAPTER 139.
Jesus meets and instructs the man
who was blind. Unfolds the mys-
teries of the kingdom. The sheep-
fold. Declares himself the shep-
herd. Goes to the home of Mas-
salian, where he abides certain
days.
WHEN Jesus heard what had
been done and how the
priests had cast the man whom he
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
191
had healed, out of the synagogue,
he found the man and said to him,
2 Do you believe in God and in
the son of God?
3 The man replied, I do believe
in God; but who is he, the son of
God, of whom you speak?
4 And Jesus said, The son of
God is he who speaks to you.
5 The man inquired then, Why
do you say, The son of God? Is
there but one?
6 And Jesus said, All men are
sons of God by birth; God is the
Father of the race; but all are not
the sons of God by faith.
7 He who attains the victory
over self is son of God by faith, and
he who speaks to you has overcome,
and he is called the son of God,
because he is the pattern for the
sons of men.
8 He who believes and does the
will of God is son of God by faith.
9 The man in joy exclaimed,
Lord, I believe in God, and in the
son of God.
10 And Jesus said, I came to
open prison doors, to make the
blind to see; but, lo, the Pharisees
are blind from birth.
11 And when I put the salve of
truth upon their eyes, and bid them
go and wash, and speak the sacred
Word they will not go; they love
the dark.
12 A multitude of people
pressed about the Lord, and he
stood forth and said,
13 You men of Israel, I say to
you, The fold of God is large; its
walls are strong, it has a gateway
in the east, and he who does not en-
ter by the gate into the fold, but
climbs into the fold some other way,
is thief and comes to rob.
14 The shepherd of the sheep
stands by the gate; he gives the se-
cret sign; he knocks; the watchman
opens up the gate.
15 And then the shepherd calls
his sheep by name; they hear his
voice and follow him; they enter
through the gate into the fold.
16 The sheep know not a
stranger's voice; they will not fol-
low him; they flee away.
17 The people did not under-
stand the parable that Jesus spoke;
and then he said,
18 Christ is the gateway of the
fold ; I am the shepherd of the sheep,
and he who follows me through
Christ shall come into the fold
where living waters flow, and where
rich pastures are.
19 False prophets come and go;
they claim to be the shepherds of
the sheep; they claim to know the
way, but they know not the word
of power; the watchman opens not
the gate; the sheep heed not their
call.
20 The shepherd of the sheep
will give his life to save the sheep.
21 A hireling flees to save his
life when wolves infest the fold;
and then the tender lambs are
snatched away, the sheep are scat-
tered everywhere.
22 I am the shepherd of the
sheep; I know the sheep of God;
they know my voice, as God knows
me and I know him.
23 The Father loves me with a
deathless love, because I lay my
life down for the sheep.
24 I lay my life down when I
will, but I may take it up again; for
every son of God by faith has power
to lay his mortal flesh aside and take
it up again. These words I have
received from God.
25 Again the people strove
among themselves; they were di-
vided in their views concerning
192
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
Christ. They could not compre-
hend the words that Jesus spoke.
26 Some said again, He is ob-
sessed, or he is mad; why listen to
his words?
27 And others said, His words
are not the words of one obsessed.
Can unclean spirits open up the
eyes of one born blind?
28 Then Jesus left Jerusalem
and with Massalian he tarried cer-
tain days.
CHAPTER 140.
Jesus and the three disciples return
to Capernaum. Jesus receives the
report of the seventy. With his
disciples he goes through all Galilee
encouraging the believers. He
heals a woman. Relates the par-
able of the little seed and the great
tree.
THE time had come for the re-
turn of the three score and ten
whom Jesus sent abroad to preach.
2 And Jesus, Peter, James and
John began their journey back to
Galilee.
3 They went up through Sa-
maria; they passed through many
villages and towns, and everywhere
the people thronged the ways to see
the man the seventy had told
about ; and Jesus taught and healed
the sick.
4 And when they reached Caper-
naum the seventy were there; and
they were filled with joy; they said,
5 The Spirit of the Lord of
hosts was with us all the way, and
we were filled.
6 The power of the sacred Word
was manifest in us; we healed the
sick; we caused the lame to walk,
the deaf to hear, the blind to see.
7 The very devils trembled
when we spoke the Word, and they
were subject unto us.
8 And Jesus said, As you were
going on your way, the heavens
were bright with light, the earth
was bright, they seemed to meet and
be at one; and I beheld, and Satan
fell as lightning from the heavens.
9 Behold, for you have power
to tread on serpents and on scor-
pions, and these are symbols of the
enemies of men. You are protected
in the way of right, and naught can
harm.
10 And as you went I heard a
master say, Well done.
11 But you may not rejoice be-
cause you have the power to heal
the sick and make the devils trem-
ble by the Word; for such rejoicing
is from carnal self.
12 You may rejoice because the
nations of the earth have ears to
hear the Word, and eyes to see the
glory of the Lord, arid hearts to feel
the inner breathing of the Holy
Breath.
13 And you may well be glad
because your names are written in
the Book of Life.
14 Then Jesus looked to heaven
and said, I thank thee, Father, Lord
of heaven and earth, because thou
hast revealed thyself to babes, and
taught them how to light the path
and lead the wise to thee.
15 What thou hast given to me,
lo, I have given to them, and
through the sacred Word I have be-
stowed on them the understanding
heart,
16 That they might know and
honor thee through Christ, who was,
and is, and evermore shall be.
17 And then he said aside, unto
the seventy and twelve, Most blessed
are your eyes because you see the
things you see;
18 And blessed are your ears
because they hear the things they
hear;
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
193
19 And blessed are your hearts
because you understand.
20 In ages that are gone the wise
of earth, the prophets, seers and
kings, desired to hear and see and
know what you have heard and seen
and known; but they had not at-
tained and could not hear, and see
and know.
21 And Jesus said again, Lo, I
have gone before you many moons,
and I have given to you the bread
of heaven and the cup of life;
22 Have been your buckler and
your stay; but now that you have
learned the way, and have the
strength to stand alone, behold, I
lay my body down and go to him
who is the All.
23 In forty days then we will
turn our faces toward Jerusalem
where I will find the altar of the
Lord and give my life in willing sac-
rifice for men.
24 Let us arise and go through
all the coasts of Galilee, and give a
salutation of good cheer to all the
sons of God by faith.
25 And they arose and went;
they entered every town and village
on the coast, and everywhere they
said, The benedictions of the Christ
abide with you f orevermore.
26 Now, in a certain town they
went up to the synagogue upon the
Sabbath day, and Jesus taught.
27 And as he spoke, two men
brought on a cot a woman bent
near double with disease; she had
not risen from her bed for eighteen
years without a helping hand.
28 And Jesus laid his hand upon
the woman, and he said, Arise, be
free from your infirmity.
29 And as he spoke the Word
the woman found that she was
straight and strong, and she arose
and walked and said, Praise God.
30 The ruler of the synagogue
was filled with wrath because the
healer healed upon the Sabbath
day.
31 He did not censure Jesus
face to face, but turning to the
multitudes he said,
32 You men of Galilee, why do
you break the laws of God? There
are six days in every week when
you may work, and then you may
bring the afflicted to be healed.
33 This is the day that God has
blessed, the Sabbath day in which
men may not work.
34 And Jesus said, You incon-
sistent scribes and Pharisees ! Upon
the Sabbath day you take your
beasts of burden from their stalls,
and lead them forth to eat and
drink; is this not work?
35 This daughter of your father
Abraham, who has been bound for
eighteen years, has come in faith
to be made free.
36 Now, tell me, men, is it a
crime to break her bonds and set
her free upon the Sabbath day?
37 The ruler said no more; the
people all rejoiced and said, Be-
hold the Christ!
38 And Jesus spoke a parable;
he said, The kingdom of the Christ
is like a little seed that one put in
the ground;
39 It grew and after many years
became a mighty tree, and many
people rested in its shade, and birds
built nests and reared their young
among its leafy boughs.
CHAPTER 141.
Jesus speaks words of encouragement.
Rebukes an officious Pharisee.
Attends a wedding feast. Heals a
dropsical man. Rebukes guests
who seek chief seats. Relates a
parable of a wedding feast.
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
AND Jesus went into another
town upon the coast and spoke
good words of cheer to those who
followed him.
2 And one stood forth and said,
Lord, are there few that enter into
life?
3 And Jesus said, The way is
rough that leads to life; the gate is
narrow and is guarded well; but
every one who seeks in faith shall
find the way, and they who know
the Word may enter in.
4 But many seek the way for
selfish gain; they pound upon the
gate of life; but it is fast.
5 The watchman from the tur-
ret says, I know you not ; your speech
is that of Ashdod, and your robes
are those of sin; depart and go your
way.
6 And they will go their way
with weeping and with gnashing
of the teeth.
7 And they will be enraged
when they see their father Abraham
with Isaac, Jacob and the prophets,
resting in the kingdom of the Christ,
and they themselves debarred.
8 And, lo, I say that men will
come from lands afar, from east,
from west, from north, from south
and sit with me in consciousness of
life.
9 Behold, I say, the last shall
be the first, the first shall be the last.
10 All men are called unto the
kingdom of the Christ ; but few are
chosen, for the pure in heart alone
can see the king.
11 And as he spoke a Pharisee
came up and said, You man of Gali-
lee, if you would save your life re-
main not here; flee instantly, for
Herod swears that he will take your
life, and even now his officers are
seeking you.
12 And Jesus said, Why is it
that the Pharisees are so concerned
about my life? And then he said
unto the man who spoke,
13 Go forth and say to that sly
fox, Behold, I heal the sick and cast
the unclean spirits out today, to-
morrow, and the days to come, and
then I will attain.
14 Go say to him, I need not
fear in Galilee, for I must meet the
cruel wrath of men within Jerusa-
lem.
15 And while they tarried in
the place a man, a Pharisee, invited
Jesus and a few of those who fol-
lowed him, to dine with him upon
the Sabbath day, to celebrate the
marriage of his son.
16 Among the guests was one
afflicted with a dropsical disease.
17 And Jesus said to those who
had been sent to get from his own
lips some words by which they
might accuse him of a crime,
18 You lawyers and you Phari-
sees, what do you say about the law-
lessness of healing on the Sabbath
day? Here is a man, one of your
own, and he is sore distressed.
19 Shall I, in God's own
strength, say out the healing Word
and heal this man?
20 The lawyers and the Phari-
sees were dumb; they answered not.
21 Then Jesus spoke the healing
Word and healed the man and he,
rejoicing, went his way.
22 Then Jesus said again unto
the lawyers and the Pharisees,
Which one of you who has a horse
or cow, if it would fall into a pit
upon the Sabbath day would not
call in his friends to help to draw
it out?
23 And not a man could answer,
Here am I.
24 As Jesus looked upon the
guests who had been bidden to the
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
195
feast and saw them crowding in
to get the highest seats, he said
to them,
25 You selfish men why do you
strive to take the highest seats
when you are but invited guests?
You do not show our host the cour-
tesies of life.
26 When men are bidden to a
marriage feast they should sit in the
lower seats until the host shall place
them where he wills.
27 You may, unbidden, take
the highest seat; but then a man
more honorable may come and when
the host shall bid you rise and take
a lower seat that he may honor his
more worthy guest, you cannot help
but blush for very shame in your
humility.
28 But if you take the lowest
seat and then are honored by your
host and asked to take a higher seat,
you are esteemed an honored
guest.
29 In this event we note a prin-
ciple in life, That he who would ex-
alt himself shall be abased, and he
who humbles low himself shall be
exalted in the sight of men.
30 Then Jesus spoke to all the
guests; he said, When any one of
you would make a feast it should
not be for friends, or kindred, or the
rich;
31 For they consider such a
courtesy loaned out, and they feel
called upon to make a greater feast
for you, just in the payment of a
debt.
32 But when you make a feast
invite the poor, the lame, the blind;
in this a blessing waits for you, for
well you know that you will get
naught in return; but in the con-
sciousness of helping those who
need, you will be recompensed.
33 And then he spoke a parable :
he said, A wealthy man prepared a
feast; he sent his servants forth to
bid his chosen ones to come; but
they desired not to go, and they
formed such excuses as they thought
would satisfy the would-be host.
34 One said, I have just bought
a piece of land, and I must go and
prove my title to the land; I pray
to be excused.
35 Another said, I must go down
and prove my ownership in sheep
that I have bought; I pray to be
excused.
36 Another said, I have been
married but a little time and so I
cannot go; I beg to be excused.
37 Now, when the servants came
and told the man who had prepared
the feast that those he had invited
would not come,
38 The man was grieved in
heart ; and then he sent his servants
forth into the streets and alleys of
the town to bring up to the feast
the poor, the lame, the blind.
39 The servants went abroad
and found the poor, the lame, the
blind, and brought them in; but
there was room for more.
40 The host then sent his men
of arms to bring by force the people
to his feast; and then the house was
full.
41 And God has made a feast
for men. Long years ago he sent
his servants forth unto the favored
sons of men. They would not hear
his call; they came not to the
feast.
42 He then sent forth his serv-
ants to the strangers and the mul-
titudes; they came, but there is
room for more.
43 Behold, for he will send his
angels forth with mighty trumpet
blast, and men will be compelled
to come up to the feast.
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THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
CHAPTER 142.
The path of discipleship, its difficul-
ties. The cross and its meaning.
The danger of wealth. The young
man who loved wealth more than
he loved Christ. Parable of the
rich man and Lazarus.
NOW, Jesus and the twelve went
to another town, and as they
entered it they said, Peace be to all;
good will to all.
2 A multitude of people fol-
lowed and the master said to them,
Behold, for you are followers for
selfish gain.
3 If you would follow me in
love, and be disciples of the Holy
Breath, and gain at last the crown
of life, you must leave all there is of
carnal life behind.
4 Be not deceived; stay, men,
and count the cost.
5 If one would build a tower, or
a home, he first sits down and
counts the cost to be assured that
he has gold enough to finish it.
6 For well he knows that if he
makes a failure of his enterprise he
may lose all his wealth, and be the
butt of ridicule.
7 And if a king desires to take
the kingdom of another king, he
calls his trusted men and they con-
sider well their strength; he will not
measure arms with one of matchless
power.
8 Count well the cost before you
start to follow me; it means the
giving up of life, and all you have.
9 If you love father, mother,
wife, or child, more than you love
the Christ, you cannot follow me.
10 If you love wealth or honor
more than you love the Christ, you
cannot follow me.
11 The paths of carnal life do
not run up the mountain side to-
wards the top; they run around the
mount of life, and if you go straight
to the upper gate of consciousness
you cross the paths of carnal life;
tread in them not.
12 And this is how men bear the
cross; no man can bear another's
cross.
13 Take up your cross and fol-
low me through Christ into the
path of true discipleship ; this is the
path that leads to life.
14 This way of life is called the
pearl of greatest price, and he who
finds it must put all he has be-
neath his feet.
15 Behold, a man found in a
certain field the croppings of a won-
drous mine of gold, and he went
forth and sold his home and all he
had and bought the field; then he
rejoiced in wealth.
16 Now, there were present,
scribes and Pharisees of wealth who
loved their money, and their bonds
and lands, and they laughed loud
to scorn what Jesus said.
17 Then Jesus spoke to them
and said, You are the men who
justify yourselves in sight of men;
God knows your wickedness of
heart;
18 And you must know, O
men, that whatsoever is revered and
is exalted by the carnal mind, is an
abomination in the sight of God.
19 And Jesus went his way, and
as he went a young man ran and
knelt down at his feet and said,
Good master, tell me what to do
that I may have eternal life.
20 And Jesus said, Why do you
call me good? No one is truly
good but God himself.
21 And God has said, If you
would enter into life, keep the
Commandments of the law.
22 The young man asked, To
which commands did he refer?
23 And Jesus said, You shall
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
197
not kill; you shall not steal; you
shall not do adulterous things; you
shall not falsely testify;
24 And you shall love your God
with all your heart, and you shall
love your neighbor as yourself.
25 The man replied, These
things I have observed from youth ;
what lack I yet?
26 And Jesus said, One thing
you lack; your heart is fixed on
things of earth; you are not free.
27 Go forth and sell all that you
have, and give your money to the
poor, and come and follow me,
and you shall have eternal life.
28 The man was grieved at
what the master said; for he was
rich; he hid his face and went in
sorrow on his way.
29 And Jesus looked upon the
sorrowing man and said, It is so
hard for men with hoarded wealth
to enter through the door into the
kingdom of the soul.
30 And his disciples were
amazed at what he said.
31 He answered them and said,
I tell you, men, that they who trust
in riches cannot trust in God and
cannot come into the kingdom of
the soul;
32 Yea, it is easier for a camel
to go through a needle's eye than
for a man with hoarded wealth to
find the way of life. And his
disciples said, Who then can find
the way? Who can be saved?
33 And Jesus said, The rich
may give his gold away; the high
may kiss the dust, and God will
save.
34 Then Jesus spoke this para-
ble to them:
35 A rich man lived in splendid
state; he wore the finest garments
men could make; his boards were
loaded with the costliest viands of
the land.
36 A beggar, blind and lame,
whose name was Lazarus, was wont
to sit beside the waste gate of this
home that he might share with
dogs the refuse from the rich man's
boards.
37 It came to pass that Lazarus
died, and angels carried him away
unto the bosom of our father
Abraham.
38 The rich man also died, and
he was buried in a costly tomb;
but in the purifying fires he opened
up his eyes dissatisfied.
39 He looked and saw the beg-
gar resting peacefully in the bosom
of his father Abraham, and in the
bitterness of his soul he cried,
40 My father Abraham, look
down in mercy on your son; I am
tormented in these flames.
41 Send Lazarus, I beseech,
that he may give me just a sup of
water to cool my parched tongue.
42 But Abraham replied, My
son, in mortal life, you had the best
things of the earth and Lazarus
had the worst, and you would not
give him a cup of water there, but
drove him from your door. fc j
43 The law must be fulfilled,
and Lazarus now is comforted, and
you are paying what you owe.
44 Besides, there is a great gulf
fixed between your zone and us,
and if I would I could not send
Lazarus to you, and you cannot
come up to us till you have paid
your debts.
45 Again the man in anguish
said, O father Abraham, I pray,
send Lazarus back to earth, and to
my father's house, that he may tell
my brothers who are yet in life,
for I have five of them, about the
horrors of this place, lest they come
down to me and not to you.
46 And Abraham replied, They
198
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
have the words of Moses and the
seers, let them hear them.
47 The man replied, They will
not hearken to the written word;
but if a man would go up from the
grave they might believe.
48 But Abraham replied, If
they hear not the words of Moses
and the seers they would not be
persuaded even though one from
the dead stood in their midst.
49 And Peter said, Lord, we
have left our all to follow you; and
what is our reward?
50 And Jesus said, Most verily
I say to you, that you who have left
all to follow me shall come into a
newness of a life hid deep with
Christ in God.
51 And you shall sit with me
upon the throne of power, and judge
with me the tribes of Israel.
52 And he who conquers carnal
self, and follows me through Christ
shall have a hundred fold of that
which is the wealth of life on earth,
and in the world to come, eternal
life.
CHAPTER 143.
Righteousness in rewards. Jesus re-
lates the parable of the husband-
man and the laborers. Makes
known the divine law of divorce.
The mystery of marriage.
THE Lord was standing by the
sea; the multitudes were there
and one stood forth and said,
2 Does God bestow rewards as
men bestow rewards, for what is
done?
3 And Jesus said, Men never
know what other men have done,
this life is such a seeming life.
4 One man may seem to do a
mighty work, and be adjudged by
men as worthy of a great reward.
5 Another man may seem to be
a failure in the harvest fields of
life, and be dishonored in the face
of men.
6 Men do not know the hearts
of men; God only knows the hearts
of men, and when the day is done
he may reward with life the man
who fell beneath the burdens of the
day, and turn away the man who
was the idol of the hearts of men.
7 And then he spoke a parable;
he said, The kingdom of the soul is
like a man who had a vast estate,
8 And in the morning time he
went down to the market place to
search for men to gather in his
grain.
9 He found three men, and he
agreed to give to each a penny for
his service for the day, and sent
them to his field.
10 Again he went down to the
market place the third hour of the
day and found five men in waiting,
and he said, Go down into my field
and serve, and I will pay you what
is right; and they went down and
served.
11 He went again; it was the
sixth hour of the day, and seven
men were waiting at the stand; he
sent them to the field to serve.
12 And at the eleventh hour
he went again; twelve men stood
there in seeming idleness; he said to
them, Why stand you here in idle-
ness all day?
13 They said, Because we have
no work to do; no man has hired us.
14 And then he sent them to his
field to serve.
15 Now, when the evening came
the man said to his steward, Call
the laborers from the field, and pay
them for his services. And all
were paid, and each received a
penny for his hire.
16 Now, when the twelve, who
served but from the eleventh hour,
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
199
received each one a penny for his
hire, the three were sore aggrieved;
they said,
17 These twelve have served
but one short hour, and now they
have an equal share with us who
have toiled through the scorching
hours of day; should we not have
at least two pennies for our hire?
18 The man replied, My friends,
I do no wrong to you. Did we
not have a fast agreement when
you went to work? have I not
paid in full?
19 What is it unto you if I
should pay these men a smaller or
a larger sum? Take that which is
your own and go your way, for I
will give unto the twelve what I
will give unto the three, the five,
the seven.
20 They did their best and you
could do no more than do your best.
21 The hire of man is based
upon the intent of the heart.
22 As Jesus taught, a Pharisee
came up and said, Lord, is it lawful
for a man to put away his wife?
23 And Jesus said, You ought
to know; what says the law?
24 The Pharisee replied, The
law provides that man may be di-
vorced, may put away his wife.
25 And Jesus said, The hardness
of the hearts of men induced the
giver of the law to make provisions
such as these; but from the first it
was not so.
26 God made a woman for a
man, and they were one; and after-
wards he said, A man shall leave his
father and his mother and shall
cleave unto his wife; they are no
more divided; they are one, one
flesh.
27 What God has j oined no man
can part,
28 Now, when they went up to
the house, a man made free to ask
again about this matter of divorce.
29 And Jesus said again what
to the Pharisee he said; and then he
gave the higher law of marriage
life:
30 Whoever puts away his wife,
except she be a courtesan, and then
shall take another wife commits
adultery.
31 The woman who shall leave
a man, unless he be a libertine and
an adulterer, and then becomes the
wife of any other man, commits
adultery.
32 And Thomas asked, What is
adultery?
33 And Jesus said, The man
who harbors lustful thoughts, who
covets any woman not his wife, is an
adulterer.
34 The wife who harbors lustful
thoughts, and covets any man who
is not wed to her, is not her hus-
band, is a courtesan.
35 Men cannot make a law to
bind two hearts.
36 When two are bound in love
they have no thought of lust. The
woman cannot leave the man; the
man has no desire to send his wife
away.
37 When men and women har-
bor lustful thoughts, and covet any
other flesh, they are not one, not
joined by God.
38 And Philip said, Lord, are
there few that God has joined in
holy marriage bonds?
39 And Jesus said, God knows
the pure in heart; the lustful men
and women are but creatures of the
lustful self; they cannot be at one;
nor can they be at one with God.
40 Nathaniel said, Is it not well
that all men should refrain from
taking on themselves the marriage
vow?
41 And Jesus said, Men are not
200
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
pure because they are unmarried
men. The man who lusts is an
adulterer if he has wife or not.
42 And then he said to all,
Some things men know by being
told, while other things they know
not till the gate of consciousness
shall open up for them.
43 I speak a mystery that now
you cannot understand; but you
shall some day understand.
44 A eunuch is a man who does
not lust; some men are eunuchs
born, some men are eunuchs by
the power of men, and some are
eunuchs by the Holy Breath, who
makes them free in God through
Christ.
45 He who is able to receive the
truth I speak, let him receive.
CHAPTER 144.
The Christines at Tiberius. Jesus
speaks on the inner life. Relates
the parable of the prodigal son.
The resentment of the elder brother.
WHEN they had journeyed
through the towns and cities
of the land of Galilee, the Lord with
his disciples came to Tiberius,
and here they met a few who loved
the name of Christ.
2 And Jesus told them many
things about the inner life; but when
the multitudes came up, he spoke
a parable; he said,
3 A certain man with great pos-
sessions had two sons. The young-
est son grew tired of life at home
and said,
4 My father, pray divide your
wealth and give the portion that is
mine to me, and I will seek my
fortune in another land.
5 The father did as he desired,
and with his wealth the young man
went into a foreign land.
6 He was a profligate and soon
had squandered all his wealth in
ways of sin.
7 When nothing else remained
for him to do he found employment
in the fields to care for swine.
8 And he was hungry and no
one gave him aught to eat, and so
he ate the carob pods that he was
feeding to the swine.
9 And after many days he found
himself and said unto himself, My
father is a man of wealth; he has a
score of servants who are bounti-
fully fed while I, his son, am starv-
ing in the fields among the swine.
10 I do not hope to be received
again as son, but I will rise and go
straight to my father's house, and
I will make confession of my way-
wardness ;
11 And I will say, My father, I
am come again; I am a profligate,
and I have lost my wealth in ways
of sin; I am not worthy to be called
your son.
12 I do not ask to be received
again as son, but let me have a
place among your servants, where
I may have a shelter from the
storms and have enough to eat.
13 And he arose and sought his
father's house, and as he came his
mother saw him while yet a great
way off.
14 (A mother's heart can feel
the first faint yearning of a wan-
dering child.)
15 The father came, and hand
in hand they walked a-down the
way to meet the boy, and there was
joy, great joy.
16 The boy tried hard to plead
for mercy and a servant's place;
but love was all too great to listen
to the plea.
17 The door was opened wide;
he found a welcome in the mother's
heart, and in the father's heart.
18 The father called the serv-
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
201
ants in, and bade them bring the
finest robe for him; the choicest
sandals for his feet ; a ring of purest
gold for him to wear.
19 And then the father said,
My servants, go and kill the fatted
calf; prepare a feast, for we are
glad;
20 Our son we thought was
dead is here alive; a treasure that
we thought was lost is found.
21 The feast was soon prepared
and all were merry, when the eldest
son who had been serving in a dis-
tant field and knew not that his
brother had returned, came home.
22 And when he learned the
cause of all the merriment he was
offended, and would not go into the
house.
23 His father and his mother
both besought him tearfully to dis-
regard the waywardness and folly
of their son; but he would not; he
said,
24 Lo, all these years I have re-
mained at home, have served you
every day, have never yet trans-
gressed your most severe com-
mands;
25 And yet you never killed for
me a kid, nor made for me a simple
feast that I might make merry with
my friends;
26 But when your son, this
profligate, who has gone forth and
squandered half your wealth in
ways of sin, comes home, because
he could do nothing else, you kill
for him the fatted calf and make a
wondrous feast.
27 His father said, My son, all
that I have is yours and you are
ever with us in our joys;
28 And it is well to show our
gladness when your brother, who
is near and dear to us, and who we
thought was dead, returns to us
alive.
29 He may have been a profli-
gate; may have consorted with gay
courtesans and thieves, yet he is
still your brother and our son.
30 Then Jesus said so all might
hear: He who has ears to hear, and
hearts to understand will compre-
hend the meaning of this parable.
31 Then Jesus and the twelve
came to Capernaum.
CHAPTER 145.
Jesus speaks on the establishment of
the Christine kingdom and the fu-
ture coming of the Lord in power.
Exhorts to faithfulness. Parable
of the unjust judge. Parable of
the Pharisee and the publican.
A COMPANY of Pharisees came
up to speak with Jesus and
they said, Rabboni, we have heard
you say, The kingdom is at hand.
2 We read in Daniel that the
God of heaven will form a kingdom,
and we ask, Is this the kingdom of
the God you speak about? If so,
when will it come?
3 And Jesus said, The prophets
all have told about this kingdom of
the God, and it is just at hand; but
men can never see it come.
4 It never can be seen with car-
nal eyes; it is* within.
5 Lo, I have said, and now I
say again, None but the pure in
heart can see the king, and all the
pure in heart are subjects of the
king.
6 Reform, and turn away from
sin; prepare you, O prepare! the
kingdom is at hand.
7 And then he spoke to his dis-
ciples and he said, The seasons of
the son of man are past.
8 The time will come when you
will wish above all else to see again
one of these days; but you can see
it not.
202
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
9 And many men will say, Lo,
here is Christ; lo, there is Christ.
Be not deceived; go not into their
ways.
10 For when the son of man will
come again no man need point the
way; for as the lightning lights the
heavens, so will the son of man
light up the heavens and earth.
11 But, lo, I say, that many
generations will have come and
gone before the son of man shall
come in power; but when he comes
no one will say, Lo, here is Christ;
lo, there.
12 But as it was before the flood
in Noah's day, so shall it be. The
people ate, they drank, were filled
with merriment and sung for joy,
13 And did not know their doom
until the ark was done and Noah
entered in; but then the flood
came on and swept them all away.
14 So, also, in the days of Lot;
the people ate and drank; they
bought, they sold, they planted
and they reaped, they went their
ways in sin, and they cared not;
15 But when the righteous Lot
went from their city's gates the
earth beneath the city shook, and
brimstone fires fell from heaven;
16 The gapping jaws of earth
flew wide, and swallowed up their
homes, their wealth, and they went
down to rise no more.
17 So shall it be when comes the
son of man in power.
18 I charge you men, as I will
charge men then, Seek not to save
your wealth, or you will lose your
lives. Go forth, and look not back
upon the crumbling walls of sin.
Do not forget Lot's wife.
19 Whoever tries to save his
life will lose his life; whoever freely
gives his life in serving life will
save his life.
20 Then comes the sifting
time. Two men will be in bed; one
will be called, the other left; two
women will be working side by side;
one will be snatched away, the
other left.
21 And his disciples said, Ex-
plain to us this parable; or is it not
a parable?
22 And Jesus said, The wise will
understand, for where the bread of
heaven is, there you will find the
pure in heart ; and where the carcass
lies will gather all the birds of prey.
23 But, lo, I say, before these
days will come, the son of man will
be betrayed by one of you into the
hands of wicked men, and he will
give his life for you and all the
world.
24 Yea, more; the Holy Breath
will come in power and fill you with
the wisdom of the just.
25 And you will tell the won-
drous story in Judea and in Samaria
and in the farther lands of earth.
26 And then to teach that men
should pray and never faint, he told
this parable:
27 There was a judge who
feared not God, nor yet regarded
man.
28 There was a widow who oft
implored the judge to right her
wrongs and to avenge her foes.
29 At first the judge would hear
her not, but after many days he
said,
30 I fear not God, and I regard
not man, yet, lest this widow wear
me out by pleading every day I
will avenge her on her foes.
31 When the disciples asked the
meaning of this parable, the Lord
replied, The wise can understand;
the foolish have no need to know.
32 And then to teach a lesson
unto certain of his followers who
trusted in themselves and thought
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
203
that they were holier than other
men, he told this parable:
33 Two men went to the syna-
gogue to pray; one was a Pharisee,
the other was a publican.
34 The Pharisee stood forth
and prayed thus with himself, O
God, I thank thee that I am not like
other men, who are extortioners,
unjust, adulterers;
35 Not even like this publican.
I fast two times a week, and I give
tithes of all I get.
36 The publican came not a-
near; he would not lift his eyes to
heaven, but smote his breast and
said,
37 O Lord, be merciful to me;
I am a sinner in thy sight ; I am un-
done.
38 And now, you men, I say to
you, The publican knew how to
pray, and he was justified.
39 The Pharisee knew how to
talk, but still he went away con-
demned.
40 Lo, every one who lauds
himself shall be abased, and he who
does not praise himself shall be ex-
alted in the sight of God.
CHAPTER 146.
Last meeting of Jesus with his disci-
ples in Galilee. Miriam sing& a
song of praise. The song. The
Christines begin their journey to
Jerusalem. They rest at Enon
Springs. The selfish request of the
mother of James and John. The
Christines reach Jerusalem.
THE work of Jesus in the land of
Galilee was done, and he sent
forth a message, and the many
came from many towns of Galilee;
came to receive a benediction from
his hand.
2 Among the multitudes who
came was Luke, a Syrian from Anti-
och, a learned physician and a just
and upright man.
3 Theophilus, a Grecian sena-
tor, a minister of Caesar's court, was
also there; and many other men of
honor and renown.
4 And Miriam sung: All hail
the Day Star from on high !
5 All hail the Christ who ever
was, and is and evermore shall be!
6 All hail the darkness of the
shadowland! All hail the dawn of
peace on earth; good will to men!
7 All hail triumphant king,
who grapples with the tyrant Death,
who conquers in the fight, and
brings to light immortal life for
men!
8 All hail the broken cross, the
mutilated spear!
9 All hail the triumph of the
soul! All hail the empty tomb!
10 All hail to him despised by
men, rejected by the multitudes;
for he is seated on the throne of
power!
1 1 All hail ! for he has called the
pure in heart of every clime to sit
with him upon the throne of power!
13 All hail, the rending veil!
The way into the highest courts of
God is open for the sons of men!
13 Rejoice, O men of earth, re-
joice, and be exceeding glad!
14 Bring forth the harp and
touch its highest strings; bring
forth the lute, and sound its sweet-
est notes!
1 5 For men who were made low,
are high exalted now, and they who
walked in darkness and in the vale
of death, are risen up and God and
man are one forevermore,
16 Allelujah! praise the Lord
forevermore. Amen.
17 And Jesus lifted up his eyes
to heaven and said,
18 My Father-God, let now the
204
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
benediction of thy love, thy mercy
and thy truth rest on these men.
19 The lamp is taken from their
midst, and if the inner light be not
aflame, lo, they must tread the
ways of darkness and of death.
20 And then he said to all,
Farewell.
21 Then Jesus and his mother,
and the twelve, and Miriam and
Mary, mother of the two disciples,
James and John,
22 And many other loyal souls
who loved the Christ, went to Jeru-
salem, that they might celebrate
the Jewish feast.
23 And as they journeyed on
their way they came to Enon
Springs, near unto Salim where
the harbinger once taught.
24 And as they rested by the
fountain, Mary, wife of Zebedee,
and mother of the two disciples,
James and John, came to the mas-
ter and she said,
25 My Lord, I know the king-
dom is about to come, and I would
ask this boon: Command that these
my sons shall sit with you upon the
throne, the one upon the right, the
other on the left.
26 And Jesus said to her, You
know not what you ask.
27 And then he turned to James
and John and said, Are you pre-
pared and are you strong enough
to drink the cup that I will drink?
28 They said, Yes, master, we
are strong enough to follow where
you go.
29 Then Jesus said, You shall
indeed drink of my cup; but I am
not the judge of who will sit upon
my right hand or my left.
30 The men who live the life
and keep the faith will sit upon the
throne of power.
31 Now, when the apostles
heard the pleadings of the mother
for her sons, and knew that James
and John were seeking special fa-
vors from the Lord, they were in-
dignant and they said,
32 We surely thought that
James and John had risen above
the selfish self. Who can we trust
among the sons of men?
33 And Jesus called the ten
apart and said to them, How hard
for men to comprehend the nature
of the kingdom of the soul!
34 These two disciples do not
seem to know that rulership in
heaven is not akin to rulership on
earth.
35 In all the kingdoms of the
world, the men of power, they who
exalt themselves, show their author-
ity, and rule with iron rule;
36 But you must know that
they who rule the sons of light are
they who seek no earthly power,
but give their lives in willing sacri-
fice for men.
37 Whoever would be great
must be the minister of all. The
highest seat in heaven is at the feet
of him who is the lowest man of
earth.
38 I had a glory with our Fa-
ther-God before the worlds were
made, and still I come to serve the
race of men; to be the minister of
men; to give my life for men.
39 And then the Christines
journeyed on and came unto Jeru-
salem.
CHAPTER 147.
Jesus speaks to the people in the tem-
ple regarding the messiahship.
Rebukes the Jews for treachery.
The Jews attempt to stone him,
but are prevented by Joseph. The
Christines go to Jericho, and later
to Bethabara.
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
205
NOW, many Jews from Galilee,
Judea and Samaria were in
Jerusalem and at the feast.
2 The porch of Solomon was
filled with scribes and Pharisees
and doctors of the law, and Jesus
walked with them.
3 A scribe approaching Jesus
said, Rabboni, why do you keep the
people waiting in suspense? If
you are the Messiah that the proph-
ets said would come, will you not
tell us now?
4 And Jesus said, Lo, I have
told you many times, but you be-
lieved me not.
5 No man can do the work that
I have done and bring to men the
truth as I have brought the truth
who did not come from God.
6 What I have done and said
are witnesses for me.
7 God calls, and they whose
ears have been attuned to hear the
heavenly voice have heard the call
and have believed in me; because
God testifies for me.
8 You cannot hear the voice of
God, because your ears are closed.
You cannot comprehend the works
of God, because your hearts are full
of self.
9 And you are busy-bodies, mis-
chief-makers, hypocrites. You
take these men whom God has
given me into your haunts and try
to poison them with sophistries and
lies, and think that you will snatch
them from the fold of God.
10 I tell you, men, these men
are tried and you can snatch not
one of them away.
11 My Father who has given
them to me is greater than you all,
and he and I are one.
12 And then the Jews took
stones to throw at him and cried,
Now we have heard enough; away
with him; let him be stoned.
13 But Joseph, member of the
great Sanhedrim of the Jews, was in
the porch and he came forth and
said,
14 You men of Israel, do noth-
ing rash; throw down those stones;
your reason is a better guide than
passion in such times as these.
15 You do not know your accu-
sations to be true, and if this man
should prove himself to be the
Christ, and you should take his
life, the wrath of God would rest
upon you evermore.
16 And Jesus said to them, Lo,
I have healed your sick, have caused
your blind to see, your deaf to hear,
your lame to walk, and cast out un-
clean spirits from your friends;
17 For which of these great
works would you desire to take my
life?
18 The Jews replied, We would
not stone you for your works of
grace, but for your vile, blasphe-
mous words. You are but man
and still you say that you are God.
19 And Jesus said, A prophet
of your own said to the sons of men,
Lo, you are gods!
20 Now, hark, you men, if he
could say that to the men who sim-
ply heard the word of God, why
should you think that I blaspheme
the name of God because I say, I
am a son of God?
21 If you believe not what I say
you must have faith in what I do,
and you should see the Father in
these works, and know that I dwell
in the Father-God, and that the Fa-
ther dwells in me.
22 And then again the Jews
took stones and would have stoned
him in the temple court; but he
withdrew himself from sight and
left the porch and court and went
his way;
23 And with the twelve he went
206
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
to Jericho, and after certain days
they crossed the Jordan and in
Bethabara abode for many days.
CHAPTER 148.
Lazarus dies and Jesus and the
twelve return to Bethany. The res-
urrection of Lazarus, which greatly
excites the rulers in Jerusalem.
The Christines go to the hills of
Ephriam, and there abide.
ONE day as Jesus and the twelve
were in the silence in a home
in Araba a messenger came and
said,
2 Lord, Jesus, hear! your friend
in Bethany is sick, nigh unto death;
his sisters urge that you arise and
come in haste.
3 Then turning to the twelve the
master said, Lo, Lazarus has gone
to sleep, and I must go and waken
him.
4 And his disciples said, What
need to go if he has gone to sleep;
he will awaken by and by?
5 Then Jesus said, It is the
sleep of death; for Lazarus is dead.
6 But Jesus did not haste to go ;
he stayed two days in Araba; and
then he said, The hour has come^and
we must go to[;Bethany.
7 But his disciples urged him
not to go; they said, The Jews are
waiting your return that they may
take your life.
8 And Jesus said, Men cannot
take my life till I have handed unto
them my life.
9 And when the time shall come
I will myself lay down my life ; that
time is near, and God knows best;
I must arise and go.
10 And Thomas said, Then we
will also go ; yes, we will offer up our
lives and die with him. And they
arose and went.
11 Now, Mary, Martha, Ruth
and many friends were weeping in
their home when one approached
and said, The Lord has come; but
Mary did not hear the words.
12 But Ruth and Martha heard,
and they arose and went to meet the
Lord ; he waited at the village gate.
13 And when they met the mas-
ter Martha said, You are too late,
for Lazarus is dead ; if you had only
been with us I know that he would
not have died.
14 But even now I know that
you have power over death; that
by the sacred Word you may cause
life to rise from death.
15 And Jesus said, Behold, for
Lazarus shall live again.
16 And Martha said, I know
that he will rise and live again when
all the dead shall rise.
17 And Jesus said, I am the
resurrection and the life; he who
has faith in me, though he be dead,
yet shall he live;
18 And he who is alive, and has
a living faith in me, shall never die.
Do you believe what I have said?
19 And Martha said, Lord, I
believe that you are come to mani-
fest the Christ of God.
20 Then Jesus said, Go back
and call aside your sister, and my
mother and the prophetess and say
that I have come; and I will stay
here by the gate till they have come
to me.
21 And Ruth and Martha did
as Jesus bade them do, and in a
little while the Marys and the pro-
phetess had met the Lord.
22 And Mary said, Why did
you tarry thus? If you had been
with us our brother, dear, would
not have died.
23 Then Jesus went up to the
house and when he saw the heavy
grief of all, he was himself stirred
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
207
up with grief, and said, Where is
the tomb in which he lies?
24 They said, Lord, come and
see. And Jesus wept.
25 The people said', Behold how
Jesus loved this man!
26 And others said, Could not
this Lord who opened up the eyes
of one born blind, have saved this
man from death?
27 But soon the mourners stood
beside the tomb, a sepulcher hewn
out of solid rock; a massive stone
closed up the door.
28 And Jesus said, Take you
away the stone.
29 But Martha said, Lord, is it
well? Behold our brother has been
dead four days; the body must be
in decay, and is it well that we
should see it now?
30 The Lord replied, Have you
forgotten, Martha, what I said
while we were at the village gate?
Did I not say that you should see
the glory of the Lord?
31 And then they rolled the
stone away; the flesh had not de-
cayed; and Jesus lifted up his eyes
to heaven and said,
32 My Father-God, thou who
hast ever heard my prayers, I thank
thee now, and that these multitudes
may know that thou hast sent me
forth, that I am thine and thou art
mine, make strong the Word of
power.
33 And then he spoke the Word,
and in a voice that souls can com-
prehend, he said, O Lazarus, awake!
34 And Lazarus arose and came
out of the tomb. The grave clothes
were about him fast, and Jesus said,
35 Loose him and let him go.
36 The people were amazed
and multitudes confessed their faith
in him.
37 And some went to Jerusalem
and told the Pharisees about this
resurrection of the dead.
38 The chief priests were con-
founded, and they said, What shall
we do? This man is doing many
mighty deeds, and if we do not stay
him in his work, all men will look
on him as king, and through the
Romans he may take the throne,
and we will lose our place and power.
39 And then the chief priests
and the Pharisees in council met
and sought a plan by which they
might put him to death.
40 Caiaphas was the high priest
then, and he came forth and said,
You men of Israel, do you not know
the law?
41 Do you not know that in
such times as these we may give up
one life to save our nation and our
laws?
42 Caiaphas did not know that
he was prophet, speaking out the
words of truth.
43 He did not know the time
had come for Jesus to be offered up
a sacrifice for every man, for Jew
and Greek, and all the world.
44 From that day forth the
Jews conferred together every day,
maturing plans to put the Lord to
death.
45 Now, Jesus and the twelve
did not remain in Bethany; but in
the hills of Ephriam, upon the bor-
ders of Samaria, they found a home,
and there abode for many days.
CHAPTER 149.
The Jews gather in Jerusalem to at-
tend the feast. The Christines go
to Jericho. Jesus dines with Zac-
cheus. He relates the parable of the
ten talents.
THE great passovcr of the Jews,
the feast of spring, was calling
every loyal Jew up to Jerusalem.
208
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
2 Ten days before the feast the
Lord and his disciples left the Eph-
riam hills and, by the Jordan way,
went down to Jericho.
3 And as they entered Jericho
a wealthy publican came out to see
the Lord; but he was small in stat-
ure and the throng was great and he
could see him not.
4 A tree, a sycamore, stood by
the way and he climbed up the tree
and found a seat among its boughs.
5 When Jesus came, he saw the
man and said, O Zaccheus, make
haste, come down; I would abide
with you today.
6 And Zaccheus came down and
joyfully received the Lord; but
many of the stricter sect called out
and said,
7 For shame! he goes to lodge
with Zaccheus, the sinner and the
publican.
8 But Jesus did not care for
what they said; he went his way
with Zaccheus, who was a man of
faith, and as they talked together
Zaccheus said,
9 Lord, I have ever tried to do
the right ; I give unto the poor half
of my goods, and if by any means I
wrong a man, I right the wrong by
paying him four fold.
10 And Jesus said to him, Your
life and faith are known to God,
and lo, the benedictions of the Lord
of hosts abide with you and all your
house.
11 Then Jesus spoke a parable
to all; he said, A vassal of an em-
peror was made a king, and he went
to the foreign land to claim his rights
and take the kingdom to himself.
12 Before he went he called ten
trusted servants and to each he gave
a pound and said,
13 Go forth and use these
pounds as you have opportunity,
that you may gain for me more
wealth. And then he went his way.
14 And after many days he
came again, and called the ten, de-
manding a report.
15 The first one came and said,
Lord, I have gained for you nine
pounds; you gave me one and here
are ten.
16 The king replied, Well done,
you faithful man; because you have
been faithful in a little thing I
judge that you will be a faithful
servant in a greater thing;
17 Behold, I make you ruler
over nine important cities of my
realm.
18 The second came and said,
Lord, I have gained for you four
pounds; you gave me one, and here
are five.
19 The king replied, and you
have proven up your faithfulness.
Behold, I make you ruler over four
important cities of my realm.
20 Another came and said, Lord,
I have doubled what you gave tome.
You gave one pound to me and here
are two.
21 The ruler said, And you have
proved your faithfulness; Behold,
I make you ruler over one important
city of my realm.
22 Another came and said, Lord,
here is what you gave to me. I
knew you were an austere man, oft
reaping where you did not sow and
I was sore afraid, and so I took the
pound you gave to me and hid it in
a secret place; and here it is.
23 The king exclaimed, You
slothful man! you knew what I re-
quired, that I expected every man
to do his best.
24 If you were timid and afraid
to trust your judgment in the marts
of trade, why did you not go forth
and put my money out for gain, that
I could have my own with interest ?
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
209
25 Then turning to the steward
of his wealth the ruler said, Take
you this pound and give it unto him
who has by diligence earned nine.
26 For lo, I say, that every one
who uses what he has and gains,
shall have abundantly; but he who
hides away his talent in the earth
shall forfeit what he has.
CHAPTER 150.
Jesus heals blind Bartimceus. With
the twelve he goes to Bethany. The
multitudes come to welcome him
and to speak with Lazarus.
THE Christines started on their
way to Bethany, and as they
went, while yet in Jericho, they
passed a beggar sitting by the way;
and he was blind Bartimseus.
2 And when the beggar heard
the multitude pass by he said,
What is it that I hear?
3 The people said to him, Jesus
of Nazareth is passing by.
4 And instantly the man cried
out, Lord Jesus, son of David, stay!
have mercy on poor blind Bar-
timseus!
5 The people said to him, Be
quiet; hold your peace.
6 But blind Bartimseus called
again, Thou son of David, hear!
have mercy on poor blind Bar-
timseus!
7 And Jesus stopped and said,
Bring him to me.
8 And then the people brought
the blind man to the Lord, and as
they brought him up they said, Be
cheerful now, Bartimseus, the Lord
is calling you.
9 And then he threw his cloak
aside, and ran to Jesus as he waited
by the way.
10 And Jesus said, What will
you have, Bartimseus?
11 The blind man said, Rab-
boni, open up mine eyes that I may
see.
12 And Jesus said, Bartimaeus,
look up; receive your sight; your
faith has made you whole.
13 And he at once received his
sight, and from the fullness of his
heart he said, Praise God.
14 And all the people said,
Praise God.
15 Then Jesus and the twelve
went on to Bethany. It was six
days before the feast.
16 And when the people knew
that Jesus was in Bethany they
came from near and far to see him
and to hear him speak.
17 And they were anxious all to
talk with Lazarus, whom Jesus had
awakened from the dead.
18 Now in Jerusalem the priests
and Pharisees were all alert; they
said, This Jesus will be at the feast,
and we must not permit that he
shall slip away again.
19 And they commanded every
man to be alert and help to appre-
hend the Lord that they might take
his life.
CHAPTER 151.
Jesus teaches in the synagogue.
Makes his triumphal entry into
Jerusalem. The multitudes, with
the children, sing his praises, and
say, Hosanna to the king! The
Christines return to Bethany.
IT was the day before the Sabbath
day, the eighth day of the Jew-
ish Nasan month, that Jesus came
to Bethany.
2 And on the Sabbath day he
went up to the synagogue and
taught.
3 And on the morning of the
first day of the week, the Sunday of
the week, he called his twelve
apostles unto him and said,
210
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
4 This day we go up to Jerusa-
lem; be not afraid; my time has not
yet come.
5 Now, two of you may go unto
the village of Bethphage, and you
will find an ass tied to a tree, and
you will see a little colt near by.
6 Untie the ass and bring her
here to me. If any one inquires
why you take the ass, just say, The
master has a need of her; and then
the owner will come on with you.
7 And the disciples went as
Jesus bade them go; they found the
ass and colt a-near an open door;
and when they would untie the ass
the owner said, Why would you
take the ass away?
8 And the disciples said, The
master has a need of her; and then
the owner said, 'Tis well.
9 And then they brought the
animal, and on her put their coats,
and Jesus sat upon the ass and rode
into Jerusalem.
10 And multitudes of people
came and filled the way, and his dis-
ciples praised the Lord and said,
11 Thrice blessed is the king
who in the name of God is come!
All glory be to God, and peace on
earth; good will to men!
12 And many spread their gar-
ments in the way, and some tore
branches from the trees, and cast
them in the way.
13 And many children came
with garlands of sweet flowers and
placed them on the Lord, or strewed
them in the way, and said, All hail
the king! Long live the king!
14 The throne of David shall be
built again. Hosanna to the Lord
of hosts!
15 Among the throng were
Pharisees, who said to Jesus as he
passed, Rebuke this noisy throng;
it is a shame for them to cry thus in
the street.
16 The Lord replied, I tell you,
men, if these should hold their peace
the very stones would cry aloud.
17 And then the Pharisees con-
ferred among themselves; they said,
Our threats are idle words. Be-
hold, for all the world is following
him.
18 As Jesus drew a-near Jeru-
salem he paused and wept, and said,
Jerusalem,' Jerusalem, the holy city
of the Jews ! yours was the glory of
the Lord; but you have cast the
Lord away.
19 Your eyes are closed, you
cannot see the king; the kingdom of
the Lord of heaven and earth has
come; you comprehend it not.
20 Behold, the day will come
when armies from afar will cast a
bank about your way; will compass
you about, and hem you in on
every side;
21 Will dash you to the ground
and slay you and your children in
the streets.
22 And of your holy temple,
and of your palaces and walls, they
will not leave a stone upon a stone,
because today you spurn the offers
of the God of heaven.
23 When Jesus and the multi-
tude had come into Jerusalem, ex-
citement reigned, and people asked,
Who is this man?
24 The multitude replied, This
is the king, the prophet, priest of
God ; this is the man from Galilee.
25 But Jesus tarried not; he
went directly to the temple porch,
and it was filled with people pressing
hard to see the king.
26 The sick, the halt, the lame,
the blind were there, and Jesus
paused, and laid his hands on them
and healed them by the sacred
Word.
27 The temple and the temple
courts were filled with children
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
211
praising God. They said, Hosanna
to the king! The son of David is
the king ! All hail the king ! Praise
God!
28 The Pharisees were filled
with anger when they heard the
children sing. They said to Jesus,
Hear you what the children say?
29 And Jesus said, I hear; but
have you never read the words of
our own bard who said,
30 Out of the mouths of babes
and sucklings thou hast perfected
praise !
31 And when the evening came
the Lord and his disciples went
again to Bethany,
CHAPTER 152.
Jesus rebukes a barren fig tree.
Drives the merchants out of the
temple. Teaches the people. Re-
turns to Bethany.
NEXT day, the Monday of the
week, the master with the
twelve, went to Jerusalem.
2 And as they passed along the
way they saw a fig tree full of leaves
without a sign of fruit.
3 And Jesus spoke unto the
tree; he said, You useless cumberer
of the ground; you fig tree fair to
look upon, but a delusive thing.
4 You take from earth and air
the food' that fruitful trees should
have.
5 Go back to earth and be your-
self the food for other trees to eat.
6 When Jesus had thus spoken
to the tree he went his way.
7 And when he reached the tem-
ple, lo, the rooms were filled with
petty merchants selling doves and
animals, and other things, for sac-
rifice; the temple was a mart of
trade.
8 And Jesus was indignant at
the sight, and said, You men of
Israel, for shame ! This is supposed
to be the house of prayer; but it is
now a den of thieves. Remove this
plunder from this holy place.
9 The merchants only laughed
and said, We are protected in our
trade by those who bear the rule;
we will not go.
10 Then Jesus made a scourge
of cords, as he did once before, and
rushed among the merchantmen,
threw all their money on the floor;
11 Threw wide the cages of the
doves, and cut the cords that held
the bleating lambs and set them
free.
12 And then he drove the mer-
chants from the place, and with a
clean, new broom he swept the
floors.
13 Chief priests and scribes were
filled with wrath, but feared to
touch or even to rebuke the Lord,
for all the people stood in his de-
fense.
14 And Jesus taught the people
all day long and healed a multitude
of those diseased,
15 And when the evening came
he went again to Bethany.
CHAPTER 153.
The Christines go to Jerusalem.
They note the withered fig tree; its
symbolic meaning. Jesus teaches
in the temple. Is censured by the
priests. Relates a parable of a
rich man's feast.
ON Tuesday, early in the day,
the master and the twelve
went to Jerusalem.
2 And as they went the twelve
observed the tree to which the Lord
had talked the day before, and lo,
the leaves were withered, just as if
they had been scorched with fire.
3 And Peter said, Lord, see the
212
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
tree! Its leaves are withered and
the tree seems dead.
4 And Jesus said, So shall it
be with those who bear no fruit.
When God shall call them up to
give account, lo, he will breathe
upon them, and their leaves, their
empty words, will wither and decay.
5 God will not let the fruitless
trees of life encumber ground, and
he will pluck them up and cast them
all away.
6 Now, you can demonstrate
the power of God. Have faith in
God, and you can bid the moun-
tains to depart, and they will crum-
ble at your feet;
7 And you may talk to wind and
wave, and they will hear, and will
obey what you command.
8 God hears the prayer of faith
and when you ask in faith you shall
receive.
9 You must not ask amiss; God
will not hear the prayer of any man
who comes to him with blood of
other men upon his hands.
10 And he who harbors envious
thoughts, and does not love his fel-
low men, may pray forever unto
God, and he will hear him not.
11 God can do nothing more for
men than they would do for other
men.
12 And Jesus walked again with-
in the temple courts.
13 The priests and scribes were
much emboldened by the council of
Caiaphas and the other men in
power, and so they came to Jesus
and they said,
14 Who gave you the authority
to do as you have done? Why did
you drive the merchants from the
temple yesterday?
15 And Jesus answered them
and said, If you will answer what I
ask, then I will answer you; Was
John, the harbinger, a man of God,
or was he a seditious man?
16 The scribes and Pharisees
were loath to answer him ; they rea-
soned thus among themselves:
17 If we shall say, John was a
prophet sent from God, then he will
say,
18 John testified for me, that I
am son of God; why do you not be-
lieve his words?
19 If we should say, John was a
bold, seditious man, the people will
be angered, for they think he was
a prophet of the living God.
20 And so they answered Jesus
and they said, We do not know; we
cannot tell.
21 Then Jesus said, If you will
tell me not, then I will tell you not
who gave me power to drive the rob-
bers from the house of God.
22 And then he spoke a parable
to them; he said, A man once made
a feast inviting all the rich and hon-
ored people of the land.
23 But when they came, they
found the door into the banquet
hall was low, and they could enter
not except they bowed their heads
and fell down on their knees.
24 These people would not bow
their heads and fall down on their
knees, and so they went away; they
went not to the feast.
25 And then the man sent forth
his messengers to bid the common
folks, and those of low estate, to
come and feast with him.
26 These people gladly came;
they bowed their heads and fell
down on their knees, and came into
the banquet hall and it was full,
and every one rejoiced.
27 And then the master said,
Behold, you priests and scribes, and
Pharisees! the Lord of heaven and
earth has spread a sumptuous feast,
and you were bidden first of all;
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
213
28 But you have found the door
into the banquet hall so low that
you must bow your heads and fall
down on your knees to enter in,
and you have scorned the king who
made the feast, refused to bow your
heads and fall down on your knees,
and you have gone your way;
29 But now God calls again;
the common folks and those of low
estate have come in multitudes,
have entered in unto the feast and
all rejoice.
30 I tell you, men, that publi-
cans and courtesans go through the
gates into the kingdom of the God
of heaven, and you are left with-
out.
31 John came to you in right-
eousness; he brought the truth, but
you believed him not.
32 But publicans and courte-
sans believed, and were baptized
and now have entered in unto the
feast.
33 I tell you now, as I have told
you many times, The many have
been called, but chosen are the few.
CHAPTER 154.
Jesus teaches in the temple court.
The parable of the householder and
wicked husbandmen. Parable of
the marriage feast and the guest
without a wedding robe.
THE multitudes would hear what
Jesus had to say, and so they
built a platform in the temple court,
and Jesus stood upon the place and
taught. He spoke in parables; he
said,
2 A man possessed a vast estate ;
he planted out a vineyard, placed a
hedge about it, built a tower, in-
stalled the press for making wine.
3 He placed his vineyard in the
hands of husbandmen and then he
journeyed to a distant land.
4 Now, in the vintage time the
man sent forth a servant to receive
and bring to him his portion of the
fruitage of the vines.
5 The husbandmen came forth
and beat the man; laid forty lashes
on his back and cast him out be-
yond the vineyard gate.
6 And then the owner sent an-
other man to bring to him his own.
The husbandmen laid hold of him
and sorely wounded him and cast
him from the vineyard, leaving him
half dead beside the way.
7 The owner sent another man
to bring to him his own. The hus-
bandmen seized hold of him and
with a javelin they pierced his heart ;
then buried him beyond the hedge.
8 The owner was aggrieved.
He thought within himself, What
shall I do? and then he said, This
will I do. My only son is here, and
I will send him to the husbandmen,
9 They surely will respect my
son and send me what is mine.
10 He sent his son ; the husband-
men took counsel with themselves;
they said, This is the only heir to all
this wealth, and if we take his life
the vast inheritance is ours.
11 They took his life and cast
him out beyond the vineyard hedge.
12 The days will come; the
owner will return to reckon with the
husbandmen, and he will seize them
every one, and cast them into
scorching fires where they shall stay
until they pay the debts they owe.
13 And he will place his vine-
yard in the care of honest men.
14 Then turning to the priests
and scribes he said, Did not your
prophets say,
15 The stone the builders cast
away became the capstone of the
arch?
16 You men who pose as men of
God, as husbandmen, lo, you have
214
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
stoned and killed the messengers of
God, his prophets and his seers, and
now you seek to slay his son.
17 I tell you men, the kingdom
shall be snatched away from you,
and shall be given unto people who
are not a people now, and to a na-
tion that is not a nation now.
18 And men whose speech you
cannot understand, will stand be-
tween the living and the dead, and
show the way to life.
19 The chief priests and the
Pharisees were deeply moved with
anger when they heard this parable,
and would have seized the Lord and
done him harm, but they were sore
afraid; they feared the multitude.
20 And Jesus spoke another par-
able; he said, The kingdom is a-like
a certain king who made a feast in
honor of the marriage of his son.
21 He sent his servants forth
to call the people who had been in-
vited to the feast.
22 The servants called ; but then
the people would not come.
23 And then the king sent other
messengers abroad to say, Behold,
my tables now are spread; my oxen
and my fatlings are prepared.
24 The choicest viands and the
richest wines are on my boards;
come to the marriage feast.
25 The people laughed and
treated with disdain his call, and
went their way, one to his farm, an-
other to his merchandise;
26 And others seized the serv-
ants of the king; abused them
shamefully; and some of them they
killed.
27 And then the king sent forth
his soldiery who slew the murderers
and burned their towns.
28 And then the king sent other
servants forth; to them he said, Go
to the corners of the streets, the
partings of the ways, and to the
marts of trade and say,
29 Whoever will may come up
to the marriage feast.
30 The servants went their way
and called; and lo, the banquet hall
was filled with guests.
31 But when the king came in
to see the guests, he saw a man who
had not on a wedding robe; he called
to him and said,
32 Friend, why are you here
without a wedding robe? Would
you dishonor thus my son?
33 The man was dumb; he an-
swered not.
34 And then the king said to his
guards, Take you this man and bind
him ^ hand and foot and cast him
out into the darkness of the night.
35 The many have been called,
but none are chosen to be guests
who have not clad themselves in
wedding robes.
CHAPTER 155.
Jesus recognizes the justice of paying
secular taxes. He teaches a lesson
on family relationships in the life
beyond. The greatest of the com-
mandments is comprised in love.
He warns his disciples against the
hypocrisy of scribes and Pharisees.
AS Jesus spoke, the Pharisees
came up to question him ; they
thought to criminate him by what
he said.
2 A strict Herodian spoke and
said, My Lord, you are a man of
truth; you show the way to God,
and you do not regard the person-
ality of men;
3 Tell us, what do you think;
should we, who are the seed of
Abraham, pay tribute unto Caesar?
or should we not?
4 And Jesus knew his wicked-
ness of heart and said, Why do you
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
215
come to tempt me thus? Show me
the tribute money that you speak
about.
5 The man brought forth a
piece of coin on which an image was
engraved.
6 And Jesus said, Whose image
and whose name is on this coin?
7 The man replied, 'Tis Caesar's
image and his name.
8 And Jesus said, Give unto
Caesar that which is Caesar's own;
but give to God the things of God.
9 And they who heard him said,
He answers well.
10 And then a Sadducee, who
thinks there is no resurrection of
the dead, came up and said, Rab-
boni, Moses wrote that if a married
man shall die, and have no child,
his widow shall become his brother's
wife.
1 1 Now, there were seven broth-
ers and the eldest had a wife; he
died and had no child; a brother
took his widow for his wife, and
then he died;
12 And every brother had this
woman for his wife ; in course of time
the woman died;
13 Now which will have this
woman for a wife in the resurrection
day?
14 And Jesus said, Here in this
plane of life men marry just to grat-
ify their selfish selfs, or to perpetu-
ate the race; but in the world to
come, and in the resurrection day,
men do not take upon themselves
the marriage vows,
15 But, like the angels and the
other sons of God, they form not
unions for the pleasure of the self,
nor to perpetuate the race.
16 Death does not mean the
end of life. The grave is not the
goal of men, no more than is the
earth the goal of seeds.
17 Life is the consequence of
death. The seed may seem to die,
but from its grave the tree arises
into life.
18 So man may seem to die,
but he lives on, and from the grave
he springs up into life.
19 If you could comprehend the
word that Moses spoke about the
burning bush that burned and still
was not consumed, then you would
know that death cannot destroy the
life.
20 And Moses said that God is
God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of
Israel.
21 God is not God of dead men's
bones, but of the living man.
22 I tell you, men, man goes
down to the grave, but he will rise
again and manifest the life;
23 For every life is hid with
Christ in God, and man shall live
while God shall live.
24 The Pharisees and scribes
who heard the Lord, exclaimed, He
speaks the truth ; and they were glad
to have the Sadducees discomfited.
25 And then an honest scribe
came forth and said to Jesus, Lord,
you speak as one whom God has
sent, and may I ask,
26 Which is the greatest and
the first of the Commandments of
the Law?
27 And Jesus said, The first is:
Hear Israel, the Lord our God is
one; and you shall love the Lord
your God with all your heart, with
all your mind, with all your soul,
with all your strength;
28 And you shall love your
neighbor as yourself.
29 These are the greatest of the
ten, and on them hang the Law,
the Prophets and the Psalms.
30 The scribe replied, My soul
gives witness that you speak the
truth, for; love fulfills the law, and
216
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
far transcends burnt offerings and
sacrifice.
31 And Jesus said to him, Lo,
you have solved a mystery; you are
within the kingdom and the king-
dom is in you.
32 To his disciples Jesus spoke,
and all the people heard; he said,
Beware you of the scribes and Phar-
isees who pride themselves in wear-
ing long and richly decorated robes,
33 And love to be saluted in the
market place, and seek the highest
seats at feasts, and take the hard-
earned wages of the poor to satisfy
their carnal selves, and pray in pub-
lic, long and loud.
34 These are the wolves who
clothe themselves to look like
sheep.
35 And then he said to all, The
scribes and Pharisees are placed by
law in Moses' seat, and by the law
they may interpret law;
36 So what they bid you do,
that do; but do not imitate their
deeds.
37 They say the things that
Moses taught ; they do the things of
Beelzebul.
38 They talk of mercy, yet they
bind on human shoulders burdens
grievous to bear.
39 They talk of helpfulness, and
yet they put not forth the slight-
est helpful efforts for their brother
man.
40 They make a show of doing
things, and yet they do not any-
thing but show their gaudy robes,
and broad phylacteries, and smile
when people call them honored mas-
ters of the law.
41 They strut about and show
their pride when people call them
father, so and so.
42 Hear, now, you men, Call no
man father here. The God of
heaven and earth, and he alone, is
Father of the race of men.
43 Christ is the hierarch, the
high, exalted master of the sons of
men.
44 If you would be exalted, sit
down at the master's feet and serve.
He is the greatest man who serves
the best.
CHAPTER 156.
The scribes and Pharisees are an-
gered. Jesus rebukes them for
their hypocrisy. He laments over
Jerusalem. The widow's mite.
Jesus delivers his farewell address
to the people in the temple.
THE scribes and Pharisees were
wild with rage; and Jesus said,
2 Woe unto you, you scribes
and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you
stand within the way; you block
the door; you will not go into the
kingdom and you turn aside the pure
in heart who are about to enter in.
3 Woe unto you, you scribes and
Pharisees, you hypocrites! you com-
pass sea and land to make one pros-
elyte, and when he has been made
he is a son, of hell, just like your-
selves.
4 Woe unto you who call your-
selves the guides of men! and you
are guides, blind guides;
5 For you pay tithes of cum-
min, mint and dill, and leave un-
done the weightier matters of the
law; of judgment, justice, faith.
6 You filter out the gnats before
you drink; but then you swallow
camels and the like.
7 Woe unto you, you scribes
and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you
clean and scour the outside of the
cup, while it is full of filth, extortion
and excess.
8 Go to and clean the inside of
the cup, and then the poisonous
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
217
fumes will not defile the outside of
the cup.
9 Woe unto you, you scribes
and Pharisees, you hypocrites ! you
are yourselves like whitewashed
sepulchres; your outer garbs are
beautiful, but you are full of dead
men's bones.
10 You seem to men to be di-
vine; but in your hearts you nourish
lust, hypocrisies and vile iniquities.
11 Woe unto you, you scribes
and Pharisees, you hypocrites! you
build and then adorn the tombs of
holy men of old and say,
12 If we had lived when these
men lived, we would have guarded
them, would not have acted as our
fathers did, when they maltreated
them and put them to the sword.
13 But you are sons of them
who slew the holy men, and you are
not a whit more just than they.
14 Go forth and fill the measure
of your fathers who were steeped
in crime.
15 You are the offsprings of the
vipers, and how can you be but ser-
pents of the dust?
16 God now has sent again to
you his prophets and his seers, his
wise men and his holy men, and you
will scourge them in your syna-
gogues, and stone them in the
streets, and nail them to the
cross.
17 Woe unto you! for on your
heads will come the blood of all the
holy men who have been slain upon
the earth,
18 From righteous Abel down
to Zacharias, son of Barachias, who
was slain within the Holy Place
before the altar of the Lord.
19 Behold, I say that these
things all shall come upon this na-
tion and the people of Jerusalem.
20 And Jesus looked about and
said, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou
cruel city of Jerusalem, that slays
the prophets in the streets and kills
the holy men whom God has sent to
you!
21 Lo, I would oft have gath-
ered you as children to the fold of
God; but you would not.
22 You have rejected God, and
now your house is desolate, and you
shall see me not again till you can
say,
23 Thrice blessed is the son of
man who comes as son of God.
24 Then Jesus went and sat be-
side the treasury and watched the
people as they paid their tithes.
25 The rich men came and gave
of their abundance; and then he saw
a poor but loyal widow come and
put a farthing in the treasure box.
26 And then he said to his disci-
ples who were standing by, Behold,
for this poor widow who has put a
farthing in the treasury has done
more than they all;
27 For she has given all she had ;
the rich have given just a little
share of what they have.
28 A company of Grecian Jews
were at the feast, and they met
Philip, who could talk with them,
and said, Sir, we would see the Lord,
this Jesus, who is called the Christ.
29 And Philip led the way, and
brought them to the Christ.
30 And Jesus said, The hour has
come; the son of man is ready to be
glorified, and it cannot be other-
wise.
31 Except a grain of wheat fall
into earth and die it can be noth-
ing but a grain of wheat; but if it
die it lives again, and from its grave
a hundred grains of wheat arise.
32 My soul is troubled now;
What shall I say? And then he
cast his eyes to heaven and said,
33 My Father-God, I would not
ask to be relieved of all the burdens
218
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
I must bear; I only ask for grace
and strength to bear the burdens
whatso'er they be,
34 This is the hour for which I
came to earth. O Father, glorify
thy name!
35 And then the place was
lighted with a light more brilliant
than the noonday sun; the people
stood a-back; they were afraid.
36 And then a voice that seemed
to come from heaven said,
37 I have both glorified my
name and yours, and I will honor
them again.
38 The people heard the voice,
and some exclaimed, Behold, a dis-
tant thunder! Others said, An an-
gel spoke to him.
39 But Jesus said. This voice
was not for me; it was for you, that
you might know that I am come
from God.
40 Now is the judgment of the
world at hand; the prince of dark-
ness shall be manifest and go unto
his own.
41 The son of man will now be
lifted up from earth, and he will
draw all men unto himself.
42 The people said, The law de-
clares that Christ abides forever
more. How can you say, The son
of man will now be lifted up? Who
is the son of man?
43 And Jesus said to them, The
light is shining now; walk in the
light while you still have the light.
44 The darkness comes; but he
who walks in darkness cannot find
the way.
45 Again I say, Walk in the
light while you still have the light,
that men may know that you are
sons of light.
46 And Jesus stood out in the
temple porch, and made his last ap-
peal unto the multitudes; he said,
47 He who believes in me, be-
lieves in God who sent me forth to
do his will, and he who sees me now
beholds my Father-God.
48 Behold, I came a light unto
the world; he who believes in me
shall walk in light, the light of life.
49 You men who hear me now,
If you believe me not, I judge you
not.
50 I am not come to judge the
world, but I am come to save the
world.
51 God is the only judge of men ;
but what I speak will stand against
you in the day when God will judge
the world;
52 For from myself I do not
speak; I speak the words that God
has given me to speak.
53 And then he said, Jerusa-
lem, with all your glory and your
crimes, Farewell.
CHAPTER 157.
The Christines upon Mount Olives.
Jesus prophecies the destruction of
Jerusalem, and of terrible disasters
that will mark the conclusion of the
age. He exhorts his disciples to
faithfulness.
THEN Jesus with the twelve
went forth and sat upon Mount
Olives, just beyond the city's gate.
2 And his disciples said, Behold
the wondrous city of Jerusalem!
its homes are all so beautiful! its
temples and its shrines are clothed
in such magnificence!
3 And Jesus said, The city is the
glory of my people, Israel, but, lo,
the time will come when every
stone will be cast down, and it will
be a hiss and byword for the nations
of the earth.
4 And the disciples asked, When
will this desolation come?
5 And Jesus said, This round of
human life will not be full until the
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
219
armies of the conqueror will thun-
der at her gates, and they will en-
ter in, and blood will flow like
water through the streets.
6 And all the precious furnish-
ings of temple, court and palaces
will be destroyed, or carried off to
deck the palaces and courts of
kings.
7 Behold, these days are not at
hand. Before they come, lo, you
shall be maltreated by the scribes
and Pharisees, the high priests and
the doctors of the law.
8 Without a cause you will be
haled into the courts; you will be
stoned; you will be beaten in the
synagogues; will stand condemned
before the rulers of this world, and
governors and kings will sentence
you to death.
9 But you will falter not, and
you will testify for truth and right-
eousness.
10 And in these hours be anx-
ious not about your speech; you
need not think of what to say;
11 For, lo, the Holy Breath will
overshadow you and give you
words to say.
12 But then the carnage will go
on, and men will think that they are
pleasing God by killing you, and na-
tions far and near will hate you for
the sake of Christ.
13 And men will stir up evil
thoughts among your kin, and they
will hate you and will give you up to
die.
14 And brothers will be false to
brothers; fathers will stand forth
and testify against their own, and
children will drive parents to the
funeral pile.
1 5 When you shall hear the Ro-
man eagle screaming in the air, and
see his legions streaming o ; er the
plain, then know the desolation of
Jerusalem is near.
16 Then let the wise wait not,
but flee. Let him who is upon his
house wait not to enter in the house
to gather up his wealth, but let him
flee.
17 And he who labors in the
field must not return, but leave his
all to save his life.
18 And woe to mothers with
their little children in that day;
none shall escape the sword.
19 The tribulation of these days
cannot be told in words, for such
has never been since God created
man upon the earth.
20 The conqueror will carry
many of the sons of Abraham away
as captives into foreign lands, and
they who know not Israel's God
will tread the highways of Jerusalem
until the anti-Jewish times have
been fulfilled.
21 But when the people have
been punished for their crimes, the
tribulation days will end; but lo,
the time will come when all the
world will rise, like gladiators in a
ring, and fight just for the sake of
shedding blood.
22 And men will reason not;
they will not see, nor care to see a
cause for carnage, desolation, thefts;
for they will war with friend or foe.
23 The very air will seem sur-
charged with smoke of death; and
pestilence will follow close upon the
sword.
24 And signs that men have
never seen will then appear in
heaven and earth; in sun, and moon,
and stars.
25 The seas will roar, and
sounds will come from heaven that
men can never comprehend, and
these will bring distress of nations
with perplexity.
26 Hearts of the strongest men
will faint in fear, in expectation of
220
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
the coming of more frightful things
upon the earth.
27 But while the conflicts rage
on land and sea, the Prince of Peace
will stand above the clouds of
heaven and say again:
28 Peace, peace on earth; good
will to men; and every man will
throw away his sword, and nations
will learn war no more.
29 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.
30 The wise will then lift up
their heads and know that the re-
demption of the earth is near.
31 Before these days shall come,
behold, false Christs and poor de-
luded prophets will arise in many
lands.
32 And they will show forth
signs, and do a multitude of mighty
works ; and they will lead astray the
many who are not wise; and many
of the wise will be deceived.
33 And now I tell you once
again, When men shall say, The
Christ is in the wilderness, go you
not forth.
34 And if they say, The Christ
is in the secret place, believe it not;
for when he comes the world will
know that he has come.
35 For as the morning light
comes from the east and shines unto
the west; so shall be the coming of
the age and son of man.
36 The wicked of the earth will
weep when they shall see the son of
man come down upon the clouds of
heaven, in power.
37 Take heed you, O take heed,
for you know not the hour nor the
day when comes the son of man.
38 Let not your hearts be over-
charged with sensuous things, nor
with the cares of life, lest that day
come and find you unprepared.
39 Keep watch at every season
of the year; and pray that you may
meet the Lord with joy and not with
grief.
40 Before these days shall come
our Father-God will send his mes-
sengers abroad, yea, to the corners
of the earth, and they will say,
41 Prepare you, O prepare; the
Prince of Peace shall come, and now
is coming on the clouds of heaven.
42 When Jesus had thus said,
he went with his disciples back to
Bethany.
CHAPTER 158.
Jesus and the twelve at prayer in Oli-
vet. Jesus reveals to his disciples
the deeper meanings of secret doc-
trines. He tells them what to teach
the people. Relates a number of
parables. They return to Bethany.
THE morning of the Wednesday
of the week was come, and
Jesus with the twelve went out to
Olivet to pray; and they were lost
in prayer for seven hours.
2 Then Jesus called the twelve
close to his side and said, This day
the curtain parts and we will step
beyond the veil into the secret
courts of God.
3 And Jesus opened up to them
the meaning of the hidden way, and
of the Holy Breath, and of the
light that cannot fail.
4 He told them all about the
Book of Life, the Rolls of Graphael,
the Book of God's Remembrance
where all the thoughts and words
of men are written down.
5 He did not speak aloud to
them; he told the secrets of the mas-
ters in an undertone, and when he
spoke the name of God there was
a silence in the courts of heaven foj
Section XVII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
221
half an hour, for angels spoke with
bated breath.
6 And Jesus said, These things
may not be spoken out aloud; they
never may be written down; they
are the messages of Silenceland;
they are the Breathings of the inner
heart of God.
7 And then the master taught
the twelve the lessons they should
teach to other men. He sometimes
taught in parables; he said,
8 You call to mind the words of
yesterday about the coming of the
son of man. Now, you shall teach
to other men what I have spoken
and am speaking unto you;
9 Teach them to pray and not
to faint; to be prepared at every
moment of the day, for when they
least expect him, then the Lord will
come.
10 A man went to a distant land
and left his house and all his wealth
in care of servants ; five to guard his
house and five to guard his barns
and herds.
11 The servants waited long for
his return, but he came not, and
they grew careless in their work;
some spent their time in revelings
and drunkenness, and some slept
at their posts.
12 And night by night the rob-
bers came and carried off the wealth
from house and barn, and drove
away the choicest of the herds.
13 And when they knew that
much of all the wealth that they
were left to guard had been pur-
loined, they said,
14 We cannot be to blame; if
we had known the day and hour
when our lord would come again
we would have guarded well his
wealth, and suffered not the thieves
to carry it away; he surely is at
fault because he told us not.
15 But after many days the
lord returned, and when he knew
that thieves had robbed him of his
wealth, he called his servants and
he said to them,
16 Because you have neglected
what was given you to do, have
spent your time in revelings and
sleep, behold you all are debtors
unto me.
17 What I have lost by your
neglect, you owe to me. And then
he gave them heavy tasks to do,
and bound them to their posts with
chains, where they remained till
they had paid for all the goods
their lord had lost through their
neglect.
18 Another man locked up his
wealth and went to sleep, and in the
night time robbers came, unlocked
his doors, and when they saw no
guard, they entered in and carried
off his wealth.
19 And when the man awoke
and found his doors ajar and all his
treasures gone, he said, If I had
known the hour when the thieves
would come I would have been on
guard.
20 Beware, my friends, beware!
and be prepared at every hour, and
if your Lord shall come at midnight
or at dawn, it matters not, for he
will find you ready to receive.
21 And then, behold, a marriage
was announced, and virgins, ten of
them, were set apart to meet the
bridegroom when he came.
22 The virgins clothed them-
selves in proper garbs, and took
their lamps and sat in waiting for
the watch to say, Behold, the bride-
groom comes!
23 Now, five were wise; they
filled their lamps with oil; and five
were foolish, for they carried empty
lamps.
24 The groom came not at the
222
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVII
expected time; the virgins were
a-weary with their watch and slept.
25 At midnight came the cry,
Behold, the bridegroom comes!
26 The virgins rose; the wise
ones quickly trimmed their lamps
and went forth ready to receive the
groom.
27 The foolish virgins said, We
have no oil, our lamps burn not.
28 They sought to borrow from
the wise, who said, We have no oil
to spare; Go to the merchantmen
and buy and fill your lamps and
then come forth to meet the groom.
29 But while they went to pur-
chase oil, the bridegroom came; the
virgins who were ready with their
lamps all trimmed went with him
to the marriage feast.
30 And when the foolish virgins
came the door was shut, and though
they knocked and called aloud, the
door was opened not.
31 The master of the feast ex-
claimed, I know you not ! and in dis-
grace the virgins went their way.
32 Again I say to you, and you
shall say to them who follow you,
33 Be ready every moment of
the day and night, because when
you expect him not, the Lord will
come.
34 Behold, when he will come
with all his messengers of light, the
Book of Life, and that of Records,
shall be opened up the books in
which the thoughts and words and
deeds are written down.
35 And every one can read the
records he has written for himself,
and he will know his doom before
the judge shall speak, and this will
be the sifting time.
36 According to their records
men will find their own.
37 The judge is Righteousness,
the king of all the earth, and he will
separate the multitudes as shep-
herds separate the sheep and goats.
38 The sheep will find their
places on the right, the goats upon
the left, and every man will know
his place.
39 And then the judge will say,
to those upon the right, You blessed
of the Father-God, come unto your
inheritance, which was prepared
for you from times of old.
40 You have been servants of
the race; and I was hungry and you
gave me bread ; was thirsty and you
gave me drink ; was naked and you
gave me clothes;
41 Was sick, you ministered to
me ; and was in prison and you came
to me with words of cheer; I was a
stranger and in your homes I found
a home.
42 Then will the righteous say,
When did we see you hungry,
thirsty, sick, imprisoned or a stran-
ger at our gates and ministered to
you?
43 And then the judge will say,
You served the sons of men, and
whatsoever you have done for these,
that you have done for me.
44 The judge will say to those
upon the left, Depart from me; you
have not served the sons of men.
45 I was hungry and you gave
me naught to eat; was thirsty and
you gave me naught to drink; I
was a stranger and you drove me
from your door; I was imprisoned
and was sick, you did not minis-
ter to me.
46 Then these will say, When
did we thus neglect to care for you?
When did we see you hungry,
thirsty, sick, a stranger or in prison
and did not minister to you?
47 And then the judge will say,
Your life was full of self ; you served
the self and not your fellow man,
Section XVIII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
223
and when you slighted one of these,
you slighted and neglected me.
48 Then will the righteous have
the kingdom and the power, and
they who are unrighteous shall go
forth to pay their debts, to suffer
all that men have suffered at their
hands.
49 They who have ears to hear
and hearts to understand will com-
prehend these parables.
50 When he had finished all
these parables he said, You know
that in two days the great passover
feast will come, and lo, the son of
man will be betrayed into the hands
of wicked men.
51 And he will give his life upon
the cross, and men will know that
he, the son of man, is son of God.
52 Then Jesus and the twelve
returned to Bethany.
SECTION XVIII.
TZADDI.
The Arrest and Betrayal of Jesus.
CHAPTER 159.
The Christines attend a feast in Si-
mon's house. Mary anoints the
master with a costly balm, and Ju-
das and others rebuked her for prof-
ligacy. Jesus defends her. The
rulers of the Jews employ Ananias
to arrest Jesus. Ananias bribes
Judas to aid him.
BAR-SIMON, who was once a
leper and was cleansed by
Jesus by the sacred Word, abode in
Bethany.
2 In honor of the Christine
Lord he gave a feast, and Lazarus
was among the guests, and Ruth
and Martha served.
3 And as the guests reclined
about the table, Mary took a cruse
of rich perfume and poured it out
on Jesus' head and feet.
4 And then she knelt and with
her hair she wiped his feet; the odor
of the rich perfume filled all the
room.
5 Now, Judas, always looking
at the selfish side of life, exclaimed,
For shame! why did you waste that
costly perfume thus?
6 We might have sold it for
three hundred pence, and had the
money to supply our wants and feed
the poor.
7 (Now, Judas was the treas-
urer, and carried all the money of
the Christine band.)
8 And others said, Why, Mary,
what a profligate you are! you
should not throw such wealth away.
9 But Jesus said, You men, be
still; let her alone; you know not
what you say.
10 The poor are with you con-
stantly; at any time you can ad-
minister to them; but I will not be
with you long.
1 1 And Mary knows the sadness
of the coming days ; she has anointed
me beforehand for my burial.
12 The gospel of the Christ will
everywhere be preached, and he
who tells the story of the Christ will
tell about this day; and what was
done by Mary at this hour will be a
sweet memorial to her wherever
men abide.
13 And when the feast was over
Jesus went with Lazarus to his
home.
14 Now, in Jerusalem the priests
and Pharisees were busy with their
plans to seize the Lord and take his
life.
224
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVIII
15 The high priest called in
counsel all the wisest men and said,
This deed must be accomplished in
a secret way.
16 He must be taken when the
multitudes are not a-near, else we
may cause a war; the common peo-
ple may stand forth in his defense
and thus pollute this sacred place
with human blood.
17 And what we do, that we
must do before the great day of the
feast.
18 And Ananias said, I have a
plan that will succeed. The twelve
with Jesus every day go forth alone
to pray;
19 And we will find their tryst-
ing place; then we can seize the man
and bring him here without the
knowledge of the multitudes.
20 I know one of the twelve, a
man who worships wealth, and for a
sum I think that he will lead the
way to where the man is wont to
pray.
21 And then Caiaphas said, If
you will lead the way and bribe the
man of whom you speak, to aid in
seizing Jesus in a secret place, then
we will give to you a hundred silver
pieces for your hire.
22 And Ananias said, Tis well.
23 And then he went to Beth-
any and found the twelve at Simon's
house, and calling Judas to the side
he said,
24 If you would care to make a
sum of money for yourself hear me:
25 The high priest and the other
rulers in Jerusalem would like to
talk with Jesus when alone, that
they may know about his claims;
26 And if he proves himself to
be the Christ, lo, they will stand in
his defense.
27 Now, if you will but lead the
way to where your master is to-
morrow night that they may send
a priest to talk with him alone,
there is a sum of silver, thirty pieces,
that the priests will give to you.
28 And Judas reasoned with
himself; he said, It surely may be
well to give the Lord a chance to
tell the priests about his claims
when he is all alone.
29 And if the priests would do
him harm he has the power to dis-
appear and go his way as he has
done before; and thirty pieces is a
goodly sum.
30 And so he said to Ananias, I
will lead the way, and by a kiss
make known which person is the
Lord.
CHAPTER 160.
Jesus and the twelve eat the passover
alone in Nicodemus' house.
Jesus washes the disciples' feet.
Judas leaves the table and goes
forth to betray the Lord. Jesus
teaches the eleven. He institutes
the Lord's supper.
IN Thursday morning Jesus
called to him the twelve dis-
ciples," and he said to them, This is
God's remembrance day, and we
will eat the pascal supper all alone.
2 And then he said to Peter,
James and John, Go now into Jeru-
salem and there prepare the pasch.
3 And the disciples said, Where
would you have us go to find the
place where we may have the feast
prepared?
4 And Jesus said, Go by the
fountain gate and you will see a
man who has a pitcher in his hand.
Speak unto him and say: This is the
first day of unleavened bread;
5 The Lord would have you set
apart your banquet hall where he
may eat his last passover with the
twelve.
6 Fear not to speak; the man
Section XVIII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
225
whom you will see is Nicodemus, a
ruler of the Jews, and yet a man of
God.
7 And the disciples went and
found the man as Jesus said, and
Nicodemus hastened to his home;
the banquet hall, an upper room,
was set apart, the supper was pre-
pared.
8 Now, in the afternoon the
Lord and his disciples went up to
Jerusalem and found the feast in
readiness.
9 And when the hour had come
to eat the feast, the twelve began
to strive among themselves, each
anxious to secure the honored seats.
10 And Jesus said, My friends,
would you contend for self just as
the shadows of this night of gloom
comes on?
11 There is no honored seat at
heaven's feast except for him who
humbly takes the lowest seat.
12 And then the Lord arose and
took a basin full of water and a
towel, and bowing down, he washed
the feet of all the twelve and dried
them with the towel.
13 He breathed upon them and
he said, And may these feet walk in
the ways of righteousness fo-rever-
more.
14 He came to Peter and was
about to wash his feet, and Peter
said, Lord, would you wash my
feet?
15 And Jesus said, You do not
comprehend the meaning of the
thing I do, but you will comprehend.
16 And Peter said, My master,
no, you shall not stoop to wash my
feet.
17 And Jesus said, My friend,
if I wash not your feet you have no
part with me.
18 And Peter said, Then, O
my Lord, wash both my feet, my
hands, my head.
19 And Jesus said to him, He
who has taken first his bath is
clean, and has no need to wash, ex-
cept his feet.
20 The feet are truly symbols
of the understanding of the man,
and he who would be clean must, in
the living stream of life, wash well
his understanding every day.
21 Then Jesus sat with his disci-
ples at the table of the feast and
said, Behold the lesson of the hour:
22 You call me master; such I
am. If, then, your Lord and mas-
ter kneel and wash your feet, should
you not wash each other's feet and
thus show forth your willingness to
serve?
23 You know these things, and
if you do them, blessed thrice are
you.
24 And then he said, This is an
hour when I can truly praise the
name of God, for I have greatly
wished to eat with you this feast be-
fore I pass the veil;
25 For I will eat it not again un-
til anew I eat it with you in the
kingdom of our Father-God.
26 And then they sung the He-
brew song of praise that Jews were
wont to sing before the feast.
27 And then they ate the pasch
and as they ate, the master said, Be-
hold, for one of you will turn away
this night and will betray me into
wicked hands.
28 And the disciples were
amazed at what he said; they
looked into each other's face in
wonderment; they all exclaimed,
Lord, is it I?
29 And Peter said to John, who
sat beside the Lord, To whom does
he refer?
30 And John put forth his hand
and touched the master's hand and
said, Which one of us is so depraved
as to betray his Lord?
226
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVIII
31 And Judas said, Lord, is it I?
32 And Jesus said, He is the one
who now has put his hand with
mine into the dish. They looked,
and Judas' hand was with the hand
of Jesus in the dish.
33 And Jesus said, The proph-
ets cannot fail; the son of man must
be betrayed, but woe to him who
shall betray his Lord.
34 And from the table Judas
rose at once; his hour had come.
35 And Jesus said to him, Do
quickly what you are to do. And
Judas went his way.
36 And when the pasch was
done the Lord with the eleven sat a
while in silent thought.
37 Then Jesus took a loaf of
bread that had been broken not and
said, This loaf is symbol of my body,
and the bread is symbol of the
bread of life;
38 And as I break this loaf, so
shall my flesh be broken as a pattern
for the sons of men; for men must
freely give their bodies up in willing
sacrifice for other men.
39 And as you eat this bread, so
shall you eat the bread of life, and
never die. And then he gave to
each a piece of bread to eat.
40 And then he took a cup of
wine and said, Blood is the life; this
is the life-blood of the grape; it is
the symbol of the life of him who
gives his life for men.
41 And as you drink this wine,
if you shall drink in faith, you drink
the life of Christ.
42 And then he supped and
passed the cup, and the disciples
supped; and Jesus said, This is the
feast of life, the great passover of
the son of man, the Supper of the
Lord, and you shall often eat the
bread and drink the wine.
43 From henceforth shall this
bread be called Remembrance
bread; this wine shall be Remem-
brance wine; and when you eat this
bread and drink this wine remem-
ber me.
CHAPTER 161.
Jesus teaches the eleven. Tells them
that they will all be estranged from
him, and that Peter will deny him
thrice before the morning. He
speaks final words of encourage-
ment. Promises the Comforter.
NOW, after Judas had gone forth
to meet the emissaries of the
priests and to betray his Lord,
2 The master said, The hour has
come, the son of man will now be
glorified.
3 My little children, I am with
you yet a little while ; soon you will
seek me and will find me not, for
where I go you cannot come.
4 I give to you a new command :
As I love you and give my life for
you, so shall you love the world,
and give your life to save the world.
5 Love one another as you love
yourselves, and then the world will
know that you are sons of God, dis-
ciples of the son of man whom God
has glorified.
6 And Peter said, Lord, where
you go there I will go, for I would
lay my life down for my Lord.
7 And Jesus said, Boast not of
bravery, my friend; you are not
strong enough tonight to follow me.
8 Now, Peter, hear! you will
deny me thrice before the cock shall
crow tomorrow morn.
9 And then he looked upon the
eleven and said, You all will be es-
tranged from me this night.
10 The prophet said, Lo, he will
smite the shepherd of the sheep;
the sheep will flee and hide away.
1 1 But after I am risen from the
Section XVIII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
227
dead, lo, you will come again, and I
will go before you into Galilee.
12 And Peter said, My Lord,
though every other man forsake
you I will not.
13 And Jesus said, O Simon
Peter, lo, your zeal is greater than
your fortitude! Behold, for Satan
cometh up to sift you as a pan of
wheat, but I have prayed that in
your faith you shall not fail; that
after trial you may stand a tower
of strength.
14 And the disciples all ex-
claimed, There is no power on earth
that can estrange^ or cause us to
deny our Lord.
15 And Jesus said, Let not your
hearts be sad; you all believe in
God; believe in me.
16 Behold, for there are many
mansions in my Fatherland. If
there were not I would have told
you so.
17 I go unto my Fatherland,
and will prepare a place for you
that where I am there you may be.
But now you do not know the way
unto my Fatherland.
18 And Thomas said, We do not
know where you intend to go ; how
could we know the way?
19 And Jesus said, I am the
way, the truth, the life; I manifest
the Christ of God. No man can
reach my Fatherland except he
comes with me through Christ.
20 If you had known and com-
prehended me, then you would
know my Father-God.
21 And Philip said, Show us the
Father and we will be satisfied.
22 And Jesus said, Have I been
with you all these years and still
you know me not?
23 He who has seen the son has
seen the Father, for in the son the
Father has revealed himself.
24 Lo, I have told you many
times that what I speak and what I
do are not the words and works of
man;
25 They are the words and
works of God, who lives in me and I
in him.
26 Hear me, you faithful men :
He who believes in me and in my
Father-God shall say and do what
I have said and done.
27 Yea, more, he shall do greater
works than I have ever done, be-
cause I go to him whose works we
do, and then -I can reach forth my
hand in helpfulness.
28 And in my name, through
Christ, you may petition God and
he will grant you your request.
29 Do you believe what I have
said? Yes, you believe, and if you
love the Christ and follow me then
you will keep my words.
30 I am the vine; you are the
branches of the vine; my Father is
the husbandman,
31 The branches that are worth-
less, bearing naught but leaves, the
husbandman will cut away and cast
into the fire to be burned.
32 And he will prune the
branches that bear fruit that they
may yield abundantly.
33 The branch cannot bear fruit
if separated from the vine; and you
cannot bear fruit when separate
from me.
34 Abide in me, and do the
works that God, through me, has
taught you how to do, and you will
bear much fruit, and God will honor
you as he has honored me.
35 And now I go my way, but I
will pray my Father-God and he will
send another Comforter to you, who
will abide with you.
36 Behold, this Comforter of
God, the Holy Breath, is one with
God, but she is one the world cannot
228
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVIII
receive because it sees her not; it
knows her not.
37 But you know her, and will
know her, because she will abide
within your soul.
38 I will not leave you desolate,
but in the Christ, which is the love
of God made manifest to men, I will
be with you all the way.
CHAPTER 162.
Jesus reveals more fully the mission
of the Holy Breath. Tells his dis-
ciples plainly that he is about to die,
and they are sad. He prays for
them and all the world of believers.
They leave the banquet hall.
NOW, John was deeply grieved
because the master said, I go
away, and where I go you cannot
come.
2 He wept and said, Lord, I
would go with you through every
trial and to death.
3 And Jesus said, And you
shall follow me through trials and
through death; but now you can-
not go where I will go; but you
shall come.
4 And Jesus spoke again unto
the eleven and said, Grieve not be-
cause I go away, for it is best that I
should go away. If I go not the
Comforter will not come to you.
5 These things I speak while
with you in the flesh, but when the
Holy Breath shall come in power,
lo, she will teach you more and
more, and bring to your remem-
brance all the words that I have
said to you.
6 There are a multitude of
things yet to be said; things that
this age cannot receive, because it
cannot comprehend.
7 But, lo, I say, Before the
great day of the Lord shall come,
the Holy Breath will make all mys-
teries known
8 The mysteries of the soul, of
life, of death, of immortality; the
oneness of a man with every other
man and with his God.
9 Then will the world be led to
truth, and man will be the truth.
10 When she has come, the Com-
forter, she will convince the world
of sin, and of the truth of what I
speak, and of the Tightness of the
judgment of the just; and then the
prince of carnal life will be cast out.
11 And when the Comforter
shall come I need not intercede for
you; for you will stand approved,
and God will know you then as he
knows me.
12 The hour has come when you
will weep; the wicked will rejoice,
because I go away; but I will come
again, and all your sorrows shall
be turned to joy;
13 Yea, verily, you will rejoice
as one who welcomes back a brother
from the dead.
14 And the disciples said, Our
Lord, speak not in proverbs any
more; speak plainly unto us; we
know that you are wise and know
all things.
15 What is the meaning of your
words, I go away, but I will come
again?
16 And Jesus said, The hour is
come when you will all be scattered
forth, and every man will be afraid ;
17 Will flee to save his life and
leave me all alone ; yet I will not be
all alone; my Father-God is with
me all the way.
18 And wicked men will take
me to the judgment seat of wicked
men, and in the presence of the mul-
titudes I will give up my life, a pat-
tern for the sons of men.
19 But I will rise again and
come to you.
Section XVIII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
229
20 These things I speak that
you may be established in the faith
when they shall come to pass.
21 And you shall bear the buf-
fetings of men, and follow in the
thorny path I tread.
22 Be not dismayed ; be of good
cheer. Lo, I have overcome the
world, and you shall overcome the
world.
23 Then Jesus lifted up his eyes
to heaven and said, My Father-God,
the hour has come;
24 The son of man must now be
lifted from the earth, and may he
falter not, that all the world may
know the power of sacrifice;
25 For as I give my life for men,
lo, men must give their lives for
other men.
26 I came to do thy will, God,
and in the sacred name, the Christ is
glorified, that men may see the
Christ as life, as light, as love, as
truth,
27 And through the Christ be-
come themselves the life, the light,
the love, the truth.
28 I praise thy name because of
these whom thou hast given me,
for they have honored thee and they
will honor thee;
29 And none of them are lost,
and none are gone away, except the
blinded son of carnal life, who hath
gone forth to sell his Lord.
30 O God, forgive this man, be-
cause he knows not what he does.
31 And now, O God, I come to
thee, and am no more in mortal life;
keep thou these men to whom I
have made known thy wisdom and
thy love.
32 As they believe in me, and in
the words I speak, may all the world
believe in them and in the words
they speak.
33 As thou hast sent me forth
into the world, so I have sent them
forth. I pray that thou wouldst
honor them as thou hast honored
me.
34 I do not pray that thou
wouldst take them from the world,
but that they may be guarded from
the evil of the world, and not be sub-
ject to temptations that are too
great for them to bear.
35 They once were of the world,
but now are of the world no more,
as I am of the world no more.
36 Thy word is truth, O God,
and by thy word let them be sanc-
tified.
37 I do not pray for these alone,
O God ; I also pray for all who will
believe on me, and will accept the
Christ because of what they do and
say, that they may all be one.
38 As I am one with thee, and
thou art one with me, may they be
one with us,
39 That all the world may know
that thou hast sent me forth to do
thy will, and that thou lovest them
as thou hast ever loved me.
40 When Jesus had thus said,
they sung the Jewish song of praise,
and then arose and went their way.
CHAPTER 163.
Jesus visits Pilate, who urges him to
flee from the country to save his
life. Jesus refuses to do so. He
meets his disciples in Massalian's
orchard. The scene in Gethsem-
ane. The Jewish mob led by Judas
appears.
AS Jesus and the eleven went out,
a Roman guard approached
and said, All hail! Is one of you
the man from Galilee?
2 And Peter said, We all are
men from Galilee; whom do you
seek?
3 The guard replied, I seek for
Jesus, who is called the Christ.
230
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVIII
4 And Jesus answered, Here
am I.
5 The guard spoke out and said,
I do not come in an official way; I
bear to you a message from the gov-
ernor.
6 Jerusalem is all alive with
vengeful Jews who swear that they
will take your life, and Pilate
would confer with you, and he
would have you come to him with-
out delay.
7 And Jesus said to Peter and
the rest, Go to the vale, and by the
Kidron wait for me, and I will go
alone and see the governor.
8 And Jesus went up with the
guard, and when he reached the pal-
ace, Pilate met him at the gate and
said,
9 Young man, I have a word to
say that may be well for you. I
have observed your works and
words three years and more;
10 And I have often stood in
your defense when your own coun-
trymen would fain have stoned you
as a criminal.
11 But now the priests, the
scribes and Pharisees have stirred
the common people to a stage of
frenzied wantonness and cruelty,
and they intend to take your life,
12 Because, they say, that you
have sworn to tear their temple
down ; to change the laws that Moses
gave; to exile Pharisee and priest
and seat yourself upon a throne.
13 And they aver that you are
full in league with Rome.
14 The streets of all Jerusalem
are filled this moment with a horde
of madmen all intent to shed your
blood.
15 There is no safety for you
but in flight; wait not until the
morning sun. You know the way
to reach the border of this cursed
land.
16 I have a little band of guards,
well horsed and armed, and they
will take you out beyond the reach
of harm.
17 You must not tarry here,
young man, you must arise and go.
18 And Jesus said, A noble
prince has Caesar in his Pilate Pon-
tius, and from the point of carnal
man your words are seasoned with
the wise man's salt; but from the
point of Christ your words are fool-
ishness.
19 The coward flees when dan-
ger comes; but he who comes to
seek and save the lost must give his
life in willing sacrifice for those he
comes to seek and save.
20 Before the pasch has been
consumed, lo, all this nation will be
cursed by shedding blood of inno-
cence; and even now the murderers
are at the door.
21 And Pilate said, It shall not
be; the sword of Rome will be un-
sheathed to save your life.
22 And Jesus said, Nay, Pilate,
nay; there are no armies large
enough in all the world to save my
life.
23 And Jesus bade the governor
farewell, and went his way; but
Pilate sent a double guard with him
lest he should fall into the hands of
those who were alert to take his life.
24 But in a moment Jesus dis-
appeared; the guards saw him no
more, and in a little while he
reached the brook of Kidron where
the eleven were.
25 Now, just beyond the brook
there was an orchard and a home
where one, Massalian, lived, where
Jesus oft had been.
26 Massalian was his friend,
and he believed that Jesus was the
Christ that Jewish prophets long
ago had said would come.
27 Now, in the orchard was a
Section XVIII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
231
sacred knoll; Massalian called the
place Gethsemane.
28 The night was dark, but in
the orchard it was doubly dark and
Jesus bade the eight disciples tarry
by the brook,
29 While he, with Peter, James
and John went to Gethsemane to
pray.
30 They sat beneath an olive
tree, and Jesus opened up the mys-
teries of life to Peter, James and
John. He said,
31 The Spirit of eternity is One
unmanifest; and this is God the
Father, God the Mother, God the
Son in One.
32 In life of manifests the One
became the Three, and God the
Father is the God of might ; and God
the Mother is omniscient God, and
God the Son is love.
33 And God the Father is the
power of heaven and earth; and
God the Mother is the Holy Breath,
the thought of heaven and earth;
and God the Son, the only son, is
Christ, and Christ is love.
34 I came as man to manifest
this love to men,
35 As man I have been subject
unto all the trials and temptations
of the human race; but I have over-
come the flesh, with all its passions
and its appetites.
36 What I have done all men
can do.
37 And I am now about to dem-
onstrate the power of man to con-
quer death; for every man is God
made flesh.
38 I will lay down my life, and
I will take it up again, that you may
know the mysteries of life, of death,
and of the resurrection of the dead.
39 I lay me down in flesh, but
I will rise in spirit form with power
to mauifest myself so mortal eyes
see.
40 So in a trinity of days I will
show forth the all of life, the all of
death, the meaning of the resurrec-
tion of the dead.
41 And what I do all men can
do.
42 And you, my three, who con-
stitute the inner circle of the Church
of Christ, will show to men the at-
tributes of all the Gods.
43 And Peter shall make known
the Power of God; and James shall
show the Thought of God; and John
shall demonstrate the Love of God.
44 Be not afraid of men, for
you have been sent forth to do the
mighty works of God the Father,
God the Mother, God the Son.
45 And all the powers of carnal
life cannot destroy your life until
your work is done.
46 I leave you now, and I will
go out in the darkness all alone and
talk with God.
47 By sorrow I am overwhelmed.
I leave you here to watch with me.
48 Then Jesus went three hun-
dred cubits toward the east, and fell
upon his face and prayed; he said,
49 My God ! my God ! is there a
way by which I may escape the hor-
rors of the coming hours? My
human flesh shrinks back; my soul
is firm; so not my will, but thine, O
God, be done.
50 In agony he prayed; the
strain upon the human form was
great ; his veins were burst asunder,
and his brow was bathed in blood.
51 And then he went back to
the three, and found them all
asleep; he said,
52 O Simon, Simon, do you
sleep! Could you not watch with
me a single hour? Be vigilant, and
watch and pray that your tempta-
tions be not too great for you to
bear.
232
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XVIII
53 I know the spirit is alert and
willing; but the flesh is weak.
54 And then he went again and
prayed, O Father, God! if I must
drink this bitter cup, give me the
strength of body, as I have the
strength of soul; for not my will,
but thine be done.
55 And when he went again to
his disciples; lo, he found them still
asleep. He wakened them and
said to James,
56 Have you been sleeping while
your master has been wrestling with
the greatest foe of men? Could
you not watch with me a single
hour?
57 And then he went again and
prayed. O God, I yield to thee;
thy will be done.
58 And then again he went back
to the three, and still they slept.
He said to John,
59 With all the love you have
for me, could you not watch with
me a single hour?
60 And then he said, It is
enough; the hour has come, and my
betrayer is at hand; arise and let
us go.
61 And when they came again
to Kidron, lo, the eight disciples
were asleep, and Jesus said, You
men, awake; behold, for the be-
trayer of the son of man is come.
CHAPTER 164.
Judas betrays his Lord with a kiss.
Jesus is seized by the mob and the
disciples flee to save their lives.
Jesus is taken unto Jerusalem.
Peter and John follow the mob.
Lord with the eleven were
-L in the orchard of Massalian,
and as they talked they saw a band
of men with lanterns and with
swords and clubs approaching them.
2 And Jesus said, Behold the
emissaries of the evil one! and
Judas leads the way.
3 And the disciples said, Lord,
let us flee to save our lives.
4 But Jesus said, Why should
we flee to save our lives when this
is the fulfillment of the words of
prophets and of seers?
5 And Jesus went alone to meet
the men; and as they came he said,
Why are you here, you men?
whom do you seek?
6 And they replied, We seek the
man from Galilee. We seek for
Jesus, one who calls himself the
Christ.
7 And Jesus answered, Here
am I.
8 And then he raised his hands
and with a mighty thought he
brought the ethers to the state of
light; and all the orchard was
aglow with light.
9 The frenzied men were driven
back and many fled and tarried not
until they reached Jerusalem; and
others fell upon their faces on the
ground.
10 The bravest men, and they
with hardest hearts, remained, and
when the light had paled, the Lord
again inquired, Whom do you seek?
11 And Ananias said, We seek
the man from Galilee; we seek for
Jesus, he who calls himself the
Christ.
12 And Jesus answered him and
said, I told you once before ; but now
I tell you once again that I am he.
13 By Ananias, Judas stood;
but in a moment he had gone and
coming up behind the Lord he said,
My Lord; and then he kissed him as
a sign that he was Jesus whom
they sought.
14 And Jesus said, Do you, Is-
cariot, come and thus betray your
master with a kiss?
Section XVIII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
233
15 This thing must need be
done; but woe to him who does be-
tray his Lord.
16 Your carnal greed has seared
your conscience and you know not
what you do; but in a little time
your conscience will assert itself,
and in remorse, lo, you will close
your span and take your life.
17 Then the eleven came, laid
hold of Judas and would have done
him harm; but Jesus said,
18 You must not harm this
man; you have no right to judge
this man; his conscience is his
judge, will sentence him and he will
execute himself.
19 And then the mob led on by
Malchus, servant of Caiaphas, laid
hold of Jesus, and was binding him
with chains.
20 And Jesus said, Why do you
come in dead of night with swords
and clubs to take me in this sacred
place?
21 Have I not spoken in the
public places of Jerusalem? Have
I not healed your sick, and opened
up your blinded eyes, and made
your lame to walk, your deaf to
hear? You could have found me
any day.
22 And now you try to bind me
down with chains; what are these
chains but links of reeds? And
then he raised his hands ; the chains
were broken and they fell to earth.
23 And Malchus thought the
Lord would flee to save his life, and
with a club he fain would smite him
in the face.
24 But Peter had a sword, and
rushing up he smote the man and
wounded him.
25 But Jesus said, Stay, Peter,
stay; put up your sword; you are
not called to fight with swords and
clubs. Whoever wields the sword
shall perish by the sword.
26 I do not need protection by
the sons of men, for I could call this
moment and a legion, yea, twelve
legions of the messengers of God,
would come and stand in my de-
fense; but then it is not well.
27 And then he said to Malchus,
Man, I would not have you harmed.
And then he laid his hand upon the
wound that Peter made, and it was
healed.
28 Then Jesus said, Be not con-
cerned lest I should tear myself
away from you and flee to save my
life. I have no wish to save my
life ; do with me as you wish.
29 And then the mob rushed up
to seize the eleven to take them
back to stand for trial as the aids of
Jesus in his crimes.
30 But the disciples, every one
of them, deserted Jesus, and they
fled to save their lives.
31 Now, John was last to flee;
the mob laid hold of him and tore
his garments all to shreds; but he
escaped in nakedness.
32 Massalian saw the man, and
took him to his home and gave him
other clothes ; and then he followed
after them who led the Lord away.
33 And Peter was ashamed be-
cause of his weak cowardice, and
when he was himself again he joined
with John and followed close behind
the mob, and came into Jerusalem.
234
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XIX
SECTION XIX.
KOPH.
The Trial and Execution of Jesus.
CHAPTER 165.
Jesus before Caiaphas. Peter denies
his Lord thrice. The indictment,
signed by seven ruling Jews. A
hundred perjured witnesses testify
to the truth of the charges.
CAIAPHAS was the high priest
of the Jews ; the mob led Jesus
to his palace hall.
2 The court had been convened,
and all the galleries were packed
with scribes and Pharisees already
sworn as witnesses against the Lord.
3 The maid who kept the palace
door knew John, and this disciple
asked that he and Peter be admitted
to the hall.
4 The maid permitted them to
enter in, and John went in; but
Peter was afraid and tarried in the
outer court.
5 The woman said to Peter, as
he stood beside the door, Are you a
follower of this man from Galilee?
6 And Peter said, No, I am not.
7 The men who had brought
Jesus to the hall sat by a fire in the
outer court, because the night was
cool, and Peter sat with them.
8 Another maid who waited in
the place saw Peter and she said
to him, You surely are from Galilee;
your speech is that of Galilee; you
are a follower of this man.
9 And Peter said, I know not
what you mean ; I do not even know
this man.
10 And then a servant of Caia-
phas, one of those who seized the
Lord and brought him to the court,
saw Peter and he said to him,
11 Did I not see you in the or-
chard of Massalian with this sedi-
tious Nazarene? I'm sure I did,
and you are one of those who fol-
lowed him.
12 Then Peter rose and stamped
upon the floor, and swore by every
sacred thing, that he knew not the
criminal.
13 Now, John was standing
near and when he heard the words
and knew that Peter had denied his
Lord, he looked at him in sheer
astonishment.
14 Just then a cock crew loud
beneath the court, and Peter called
to mind the words the Lord had
said,
15 Before the cock shall crow
tomorrow morn you will deny me
thrice.
16 And Peter's conscience smote
him heavily, and he went out into
the night and wept.
17 Caiaphas sat in state; before
him stood the man from Galilee.
18 Caiaphas said, You people
of Jerusalem, who is the man that
you accuse?
19 They answered : In the name
of every loyal Jew we do accuse this
man from Galilee, this Jesus, who
assumes to be our king, as enemy
of God and man.
20 Caiaphas said to Jesus, Man,
you are permitted now to speak and
tell about your doctrines and your
claims.
21 And Jesus said, You priest
of carnal man, why do you ask about
my words and works?
22 Lo, I have taught the mul-
titudes in every public place; I have
restored your sick to health :
Section XIX
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
235
opened up your blinded eyes; have
caused your deaf to hear, your lame
to walk, and I have brought your
dead to life again.
23 My works have not been
done in secret place but in your
public halls and thoroughfares.
24 Go ask the people, who have
not been bought with gold or glit-
tering promises, to tell about my
words and works.
25 When Jesus had thus said
a Jewish guard came up and smote
him in the face and said, How dare
you speak thus unto him, the high
priest of the Jews?
26 And Jesus said, If I have
spoken falsely bear witness unto
what I say; if I have told the truth
why did you smite me thus?
27 And then Caiaphas said,
What'er you do, do in a legal way,
for we must answer to a higher
court for everything we do or say.
28 Let the accusers of this man
present their charges in a legal
form.
29 And then Caiaphas* scribe
stood forth and said, I have the ac-
cusations here in legal form; the
charges made and signed by scribes
and priests and Pharisees.
30 Caiaphas said, Be still, you
men, and hear the charges read.
The scribe took up a roll and read :
31 To the Sanhedrim of the Jews
and to Caiaphas the high priest,
most honored men:
32 The highest duty man can
render to his nation and his own is
to protect them from their foes.
33 The people of Jerusalem are
conscious that a mighty foe is in
their very midst.
34 A man named Jesus has
come forth and claims to be the heir
to David's throne.
35 As an impostor he is foe, and
in the name of every loyal Jew we
here submit these charges, which
we are competent to prove:
36 And first, he blasphemes
God ; he says he is the son of God ;
that he and God are one;
37 And he profanes our holy
days by healing, and by doing other
work upon the Sabbath days;
38 And he proclaims himself the
king, successor of our David and
our Solomon;
39 And he declares that he will
tear our temple down and build it
up again in form more glorious in
three days;
40 And he declares that he will
drive the people from Jerusalem,
as he drove out the merchants from
the temple court; and bring to oc-
cupy our sacred hills a tribe of men
that know not God;
41 And he avers that every doc-
tor, scribe and Pharisee and Sad-
ducee, shall go in exile, and shall
nevermore return;
42 And to these charges we do
set our hands and seals.
Annas. Simon.
Abinadab. Annanias.
Joash. Azaniah.
Hezekiah.
43 Now, when the scribe had
read the charges, all the people
called for blood; they said, Let such
a wretch be stoned ; let him be cru-
cified.
44 Caiaphas said, You men of
Israel, do you sustain the charges of
these men?
45 A hundred men who had
been bribed, stood forth to testify;
they swore that every charge was
true.
46 Caiaphas said to Jesus, Man,
have you a word to say? are you
the son of God?
47 And Jesus said, So you have
said ; and then he said no more.
236
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XIX
CHAPTER 166.
Jesus before the Sanhedrim. Nico-
demus pleads for justice; he shows
the incompetency of the witnesses.
The council fail to declare Jesus
guilty, but Caiaphas, the presiding
judge, declares him guilty. The
mob maltreat Jesus. He is taken
to Pilate 9 s court.
WHEN Jesus would not speak,
Caiaphas stood before the
Jewish mob and said,
2 Bind fast the prisoner, for he
must go before the great Sanhe-
drim of the Jews to answer for his
life.
3 We cannot execute a criminal
until our findings have been verified
by this, the highest council of the
Jews.
4 As soon as it was day the high-
est council of the people met; the
Lord and his accusers stood before
the bar.
5 Caiaphas was the chief; he
rose and said, Let the accusers of
this man from Galilee bring forth
their charges and their evidence.
6 Caiaphas' scribe stood forth
and read the charges and the names
of those who had accused the man
from Galilee.
7 And all the witnesses were
made to stand and testify before the
council of the Jews.
8 And then the lawyers weighed
the evidence, and Nicodemus stood
among the men who plead.
9 He raised his hands and said,
Let justice now be done, though ev-
ery scribe and Pharisee and priest
and Sadducee, as well as Jesus, the
accused, be judged a liar.
10 If we can prove this Jesus
to be foe and traitor to our laws and
land, let him be judged a criminal
and suffer for his crimes.
11 If it be proved that these
who testify are perjurers in the sight
of God and man, then let them be
adjudged as criminals, and let the
man from Galilee go free.
12 And then he brought the tes-
timonies of the witnesses before the
judges of the law; no two of them
agreed. In heat of passion, or for
gain, the men had testified.
13 The council would have glad-
ly judged that Jesus was a criminal
and sentence him to death; but in
the face of all the evidence they
were afraid.
14 And then Caiaphas said, You
man from Galilee, Before the living
God, I now command that you shall
answer me, Are you the Christ, the
son of God?
15 And Jesus said, If I would
answer, Yes, you would not hear,
nor yet believe,
16 If I would answer, No, I
would be like your witnesses, and
stand a liar in the sight of man and
God. But this I say,
17 The time will come when you
will see the son of man upon the
throne of power and coming in the
clouds of heaven.
18 And then Caiaphas rent his
clothes and said, Have you not
heard enough? Did you not hear
his vile blasphemous words ? What
further need have we of witnesses?
What shall we do with him?
19 The people said, Put him to
death. And then the mob rushed
up and spit into his face, and struck
him with their hands.
20 And then they bound a cloth
about his eyes and smote him in the
face and said, You are a prophet;
tell us who it was who smote you
in the face.
21 And Jesus answered not and
like a lamb before his shearer he,
the man from Galilee, resisted not.
22 Caiaphas said, We cannot
Section XIX
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
237
put a man to death until the Roman
ruler shall confirm the sentence of
this court;
23 So take this criminal away
and Pilate will endorse what we
have done.
24 And then was Jesus dragged
along the way up to the palace of
the Roman governor.
CHAPTER 167.
Jesus before Pilate. Is pronounced
not guilty. Jesus before Herod and
is tortured and returned to Pilate,
who again declares him innocent.
The Jews demand his death. Pi-
late's wife urges her husband to have
nothing to do with the punishment
of Jesus. Pilate weeps.
INTO the palace of the Roman
governor the Jews would enter
not lest they become defiled and be
unworthy to attend the feast; but
they led Jesus to the palace court,
and Pilate met them there.
2 And Pilate said, Why this
commotion in the early day? What
is your prayer?
3 The Jews replied, We bring
before you one, an evil and seditious
man.
4 He has been tried before the
highest council of the Jews and has
been proven traitor to our laws, our
state and to the government of
Rome.
5 We pray that you will sen-
tence him to death upon the cross.
6 And Pilate said, Why do you
bring him unto me? Go to, and
judge him for yourselves.
7 You have a law, and by the
sanction of the Roman law, you
have a right to judge and right to
execute.
8 The Jews replied, We have no
right to execute a man upon the
cross, and since this man is traitor
to Tiberius, our counsellors believe
that he should meet the most hu-
miliating death the death upon
the cross.
9 But Pilate said, No man can
be found guilty of a crime by Ro-
man law until the testimony all is
in, and the accused has been per-
mitted to defend himself;
10 So I will take your bill of
charges, with the evidence you
have, and judge by Roman law.
1 1 The Jews had made a copy of
the accusations in the language of
the Roman court, and they had
added to the bill :
12 We charge that Jesus is an
enemy of Rome; that he demands
that men shall pay no tribute to
Tiberius.
13 And Pilate took the bill; his
guards led Jesus up the steps into
the palace hall.
14 And Jesus stood before the
Roman governor, and Pilate read
to him the charges of the Jews, and
said,
15 What is your answer to this
bill? These charges, are they true
or false?
16 And Jesus said, Why should
I plead before an earthly court?
The charges have been verified by
perjured men; what need I say?
17 Yes, I am king; but carnal
men cannot behold the king, nor see
the kingdom of the God ; it is within.
18 If I had been a king as carnal
man is king, my servants would
have stood in my defense, and I
would not have willingly surren-
dered to the minions of the Jewish
law.
19 I have no testimony from
the sons of men. God is my witness,
and my words and deeds bear wit-
ness to the truth;
20 And every man who compre-
hends the truth will hearken to my
238
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XIX
words, and in his soul give witness
unto me.
21 And Pilate said, What is the
truth?
22 And Jesus said, Truth is the
God who knows. It is the change-
less one. The Holy Breath is
truth; she changes not and cannot
pass away.
23 And Pilate went again unto
the Jews and said, This man is guilty
of no crime; I cannot sentence him
to death.
24 And then the Jews grew bois-
terous; they cried aloud and said,
Our council surely knows. The
wisest men of all the land have
found him guilty of a score of
crimes.
25 He would pervert the nation
of the Jews; would overthrow the
Roman rule and make himself the
king. He is a culprit come from
Galilee ; he must be crucified.
26 And Pilate said, If Jesus is
from Galilee he is a subject of the
governor of Galilee, who should be
judge.
27 Now, Herod had come down
from Galilee and with his suite was
in Jerusalem.
28 And Pilate sent to him the
Lord in chains; he also sent a copy
of the charges, and of the testi-
monies of the Jews, and asked that
he would pass in judgment on the
case.
29 And Herod said, I have
heard much about this man and I
am pleased to see him in my court.
30 And then he asked the Lord
about his claims, about his doctrines
and his aims.
31 And Jesus answered not a
word; and Herod was enraged; he
said, Do you insult the ruler of the
land by answering not?
32 And then he called his guards
and said, Take you this man and
torture him until he answers me.
33 The guards took Jesus and
they smote him; mocked him;
wrapped him in a royal robe; they
made a crown of thorns and put it
on his head ; they put a broken reed
into his hands;
34 And then they said derid-
ingly, All hail, thou royal king!
Where are your armies and your
guards? Where are your subjects
and your -friends?
35 But Jesus answered not a
word. Then Herod sent him back
to Pilate with this note of courtesy:
36 Most worthy counsellor of
Rome, I have examined all the
charges and the testimonies that
you sent to me regarding this sedi-
tious man from Galilee, and while I
might adjudge him guilty of the
crimes as charged,
37 I yield to you my rights as
judge, because you are superior to
me in power. I will approve of any
judgment you may render in this
case.
38 Now, Pilate and the tet-
rarch had been foes, but the experi-
ence of this hour destroyed their en-
mity and they were friends in after
days.
39 When Jesus had been
brought again to Pilate's court, the
Roman governor stood forth before
the accusers of the Lord and said,
40 I cannot find this Nazarene
to be a criminal as charged ; there is
no evidence that he should suffer
death; so I will scourge him well and
let him go.
41 The Jews cried angrily, It is
not mete that such a dangerous
man should live; he must be cru-
cified.
42 Then Pilate said, I bid you
wait a little time, And then he
Section XIX
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
239
went into an inner room and sat in
silent thought.
43 And' as he mused his wife, a
godly woman, chosen from among
the Gauls, came in and said,
44 I pray you, Pilate, hearken
unto me: Beware of what you do
this hour. Touch not this man from
Galilee; he is a holy man.
45 If you should scourge this
man you scourge the son of God.
Last night I saw it all in vision far
too vivid to be set aside as idle
dream.
46 I saw this man walk on the
waters of the sea; I heard him
speak and calm an angry storm; I
saw him flying with the wings of
light;
47 I saw Jerusalem in blood; I
saw the statues of the Caesars fall;
I saw a veil before the sun, and day
was dark as night.
48 The earth on which I stood
was shaken like a reed before the
wind. I tell you, Pilate, if you
bathe your hands in this man's
blood then you may dread the
frowns of great Tiberius, and the
curses of the senators of Rome.
49 And then she left, and Pilate
wept.
CHAPTER 168.
Pilate's final effort to release Jesus
fails. He washes his hands in
feigned innocence. Delivers Jesus
to the Jews for execution. The Jew-
ish soldiers drive him to Calvary.
A SUPERSTITIOUS people are
^jL the Jews. They have a faith
that they have borrowed from the
idol worshippers of other lands,
that at the end of every year,
2 They may heap all their sins
upon the head of some man set
apart to bear their sins.
3 The man becomes a scapegoat
for the multitudes; and they believe
that when they drive him forth into
the wilds, or into foreign lands, they
are released from sin.
4 So every spring before the
feast they chose a prisoner from the
prisons of the land, and by a form
their own, they fain would make
him bear their sins away.
5 Among the Jewish prisoners
in Jerusalem were three who were
the leaders of a vile, seditious band,
who had engaged in thefts and mur-
ders and rapine, and had been sen-
tenced to be crucified.
6 Barabbas bar Jezia was
among the men who were to die;
but he was rich and he had bought
of priests the boon to be the scape-
goat for the people at the coming
feast, and he was anxiously in wait-
ing for his hour to come.
7 Now, Pilate thought to turn
this superstition to account to save
the Lord, and so he went again be-
fore the Jews and said,
8 You men of Israel, according
to my custom I will release to you
today a prisoner who shall bear
your sins away.
9 This man you drive into the
wilds or into foreign lands, and you
have asked me to release Barabbas,
who has been proven guilty of the
murder of a score of men.
10 Now, hear me men, Let Jesus
be released and let Barabbas pay his
debt upon the cross; then you can
send this Jesus to the wilds and hear
no more of him.
11 At what the ruler said the
people were enraged, and they be-
gan to plot to tear the Roman pal-
ace down and drive in exile Pilate,
and his household and his guards.
12 When Pilate was assured
that civil war would follow if he
heeded not the wishes of the mob,
he took a bowl of water and in the
240
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XIX
presence of the multitude he washed
his hands and said,
13 This man whom you accuse,
is son of the most holy Gods, and
I proclaim my innocence.
14 If you would shed his blood,
his blood is on your hands and not
on mine.
15 And then the Jews ex-
claimed, And let his blood be on
our hands and on our children's
hands.
16 And Pilate trembled like a
leaf, in fear. Barabbas he released
and as the Lord stood forth before
the mob the ruler said, Behold your
king! And would you put to death
your king?
17 The Jews replied, He is no
king; we have no king but great Ti-
berius.
18 Now, Pilate would not give
consent that Roman soldiers should
imbue their hands in blood of inno-
cence, and so the chief priests and
the Pharisees took counsel what to
do with Jesus, who was called the
Christ.
19 Caiaphas said, We cannot
crucify this man; he must be stoned
to death and nothing more.
20 And then the rabble said,
Make haste ! let him be stoned. And
then they led him forth toward the
hill beyond the city's gates, where
criminals were put to death.
21 The rabble could not wait
until they reached the place of
skulls. As soon as they had passed
the city's gate, they rushed upon
him, smote him with their hands,
they spit upon him, stoned him and
he fell upon the ground.
22 And one, a man of God, stood
forth and said, Isaiah said, He shall
be bruised for our transgressions
and by his stripes we shall be healed.
23 As Jesus lay all bruised and
mangled on the ground a Pharisee
called out, Stay, stay you men ! be-
hold, the guards of Herod come and
they will crucify this man.
24 And there beside the city's
gate they found Barabbas' cross;
and then the frenzied mob cried out,
Let him be crucified.
25 Caiaphas and the other ruling
Jews came forth and gave consent.
26 And then they lifted Jesus
from the ground, and at the point of
swords they drove him on.
27 A man named Simon, from
Cyrene, a friend of Jesus, was a-near
the scene and since the bruised and
wounded Jesus could not bear his
cross, they laid it on the shoulders
of this man and made him bear it on
to Calvary.
CHAPTER 169.
Judas is filled with remorse. Hur-
ries to the temple and throws the
thirty pieces of silver at the feet of
the priests who take it and buy a
potter's field. Judas hangs him-
self. His body is buried in the
potter's field.
NOW, Judas who betrayed his
Lord, was with the mob; but
all the time he thought that Jesus
would assert his power and demon-
strate the strength of God that he
possessed, and strike to earth the
fiendish multitudes and free him-
self;
2 But when he saw his master
on the ground and bleeding from a
score of wounds, he said,
3 O God, what have I done?
I have betrayed the son of God ; the
curse of God will rest upon my soul.
4 And then he turned and ran
with haste until he reached the
temple door; he found the priests,
who gave to him the thirty silver
pieces to betray the Lord, and said,
Section XIX
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
241
5 Take back your bribe; it is
the cost price of my soul; I have be-
trayed the son of God.
6 The priests replied, That mat-
ters not to us.
7 Then Judas threw the silver
on the floor, and, bowed with grief,
he went away, and on a ledge be-
yond the city's walls he hanged him-
self and died.
8 In time the fastenings gave
way, his body fell into the Hinnon
vale and after many days they
found it there a shapeless mass.
9 The rulers could not put the
price of blood into the treasury, and
so they took the thirty silver pieces
with which they bought a potter's
field,
10 Where they might bury those
who had no rights to lie within their
sacred burial grounds.
11 And there they put the body
of the man who sold his Lord.
CHAPTER 170.
The crucifixion. Jesus prays for his
murderers. Pilate puts an inscrip-
tion above the cross. Jesus speaks
words of encouragement to the pen-
itent thief. Commits to John the
care of his mother and Miriam.
The soldiers divide his garments
among themselves.
THE Jewish mob pushed on to-
ward Calvary and as they went
the Marys, Miriam, and other
women not a few, were close beside
the Lord.
2 They wept aloud. When Jesus
saw them weeping and lamenting
thus he said,
3 Weep not for me, for though I
go away, go through the gateway
of the cross, yet on the next day of
the sun, lift up your hearts, for I
will meet you at the sepulchre.
4 The great procession came to
Calvary. The Roman soldiers had
already bound the two state pris-
oners to the cross.
5 (They were not nailed, but
simply bound.)
6 Four soldiers of the Roman
guard that Herod brought from
Galilee were called to execute the
orders of the court.
7 These were the men who had
been set apart to torture Jesus and
secure from him confession of his
guilt.
8 These were the men who
scourged him, put a crown of thorns
upon his head, a broken reed into
his hands, and wrapped him in a
royal robe, and bowed in mockery,
before him as a king.
9 These soldiers took the Lord
and stripped him, laid him on the
cross and would have bound him
there with cords ; but this would not
suffice.
10 The cruel Jews were near
with hammer and with nails; they
cried, not cords, but nails ; drive fast
the nails and hold him to the cross.
11 And then the soldiers took
the nails and drove them through
his feet and hands.
12 They offered him a sedative
to drink, a draught of vinegar and
myrrh; but he refused to drink the
draught.
13 The soldiers had prepared a
place in which to plant Barabbas'
cross between the other criminals;
and here they raised the cross of
Jesus, who was called the Christ;
14 And then the soldiers and the
mob sat down to watch him die.
15 And Jesus said, My Father-
God, forgive these men; they know
not what they do.
16 Now, Pilate had prepared a
242
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XIX
tablet to be placed upon the cross
on which was written in the tongues
of Hebrew, Latin and the Greek
these words of truth: JESUS THE
CHRIST, KING OF THE JEWS.
17 And this was placed upon the
cross. The priests were angered
when they read these words upon
the tablet of the cross.
18 And then they prayed that
Pilate would not say, He is the
Christ, king of the Jews; but say,
He claims to be the Christ, king of
the Jews.
19 But Pilate said, What I have
written, I have written; let it stand.
20 The Jewish multitudes who
saw the Lord upon the cross were
wild with joy; they said, All hail,
fake king !
21 You who would tear the
temple down and in three days
would build it up again, why don't
you save yourself?
22 If you are Christ, the son of
God, come from the cross; then all
men will believe.
23 The priests and scribes and
Pharisees looked on the scene and
scoffed ; they said, He rescued others
from the grave; why don't he save
himself?
24 The Jewish soldiers and the
Roman guards who came from Gal-
ilee were loud in mocking and de-
riding him.
25 One of the other men upon
the cross joined in the mockery; he
said, If you are Christ, you have the
power; just speak the Word, and
save yourself and me.
26 The other man upon the
cross rebuked the man; he said, You
wretch! have you no fear of God?
27 This man is innocent of any
crime while you and I are guilty and
are paying up the debts we owe.
28 And then he said to Jesus,
Lord, I know thy kingdom comes,
the kingdom that the world can
never comprehend;
29 And when thou comest on the
clouds of heaven, remember me.
30 And Jesus said, Behold, for
I will meet you in the realm of souls
this day.
31 Now, standing near unto the
cross were many women from Judea
and from Galilee. Among them
were the mother of the Lord and
Miriam,
32 And Mary, mother of the two
apostles, James and John, and Mary
Magdalene, and Martha, Ruth and
Mary, and Salome.
33 When Jesus saw his mother
and the singer Miriam standing
close beside the cross and John a-
near, he said to John,
34 In your most tender care I
leave my mother and my sister
Miriam.
35 And John replied, While they
shall live my home shall be the
home of your thrice blessed mother
and your sister Miriam.
36 According to a custom of the
Jews, to those who were the execu-
tioners of law and took the lives of
criminals, belonged the garments of
the criminals.
37 So when the Lord was cru-
cified, the Roman guards divided
up among themselves the garments
of the Lord.
38 But when they found his coat
it was a seamless coat and highly
prized.
39 For it the guards cast lots,
and thus determined who should
have the prize.
40 And thus the scripture was
fulfilled, which said, And they di-
vided all my robes among them-
selves, and for my vesture they cast
lots.
Section XIX
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
243
CHAPTER 171.
Concluding scenes of the crucifixion.
Joseph and Nicodemus, by consent
of Pilate, take the body of Jesus
from the cross and lay it in Joseph's
tomb. A guard of one hundred
Jewish soldiers are placed about
the sepulcher.
NOW, at the sixth hour of the
day, although the sun was at
its height, the day became as dark
as night;
2 And men sought lanterns and
they builded fires upon the hills that
they might see.
3 And when the sun refused to
shine and darkness came, the Lord
exclaimed, Heloi! Heloi! lama sa-
bachthani? (Thou sun! thou sun!
why hast thou forsaken me?)
4 The people did not under-
stand the words he spoke; they
thought he spoke the name Elijah
and they said,
5 He calls upon Elijah in his
hour of need ; now we will see if he
will come.
6 And Jesus said, I thirst. A
Roman soldier dipped a sponge in
vinegar and myrrh, and placed it to
his lips.
7 Now, at the ninth hour of the
day the earth began to quake, and in
the darkness of that sunless day,
a flood of golden light appeared
above the cross;
8 And from the light a voice
was heard which said, Lo, it is done.
9 And Jesus said, My Father-
God, into thy hands I give my soul.
10 A Roman soldier in compas-
sion said, This agony is all too great ;
relief shall come. And with a spear
he pierced his heart and it was
done; the son of man was dead.
11 And then the earth was
shocked again ; the city of Jerusalem
rocked to and fro ; the hills were rent
and tombs were opened up;
12 And people thought they saw
the dead arise and walk the streets.
13 The temple quivered and the
veil between the sanctuary and the
Holy Place was rent in twain, and
consternation reigned through all
the place.
14 The Roman guard who
watched the body on the cross ex-
claimed, This surely was the son of
God who died.
15 And then the people hurried
down from Calvary. The priests,
the Pharisees and scribes were filled
with fear.
16 They sought the cover of
their synagogues and homes and
said, Behold, the wrath of God!
17 The great day of the Jewish
pasch was near, and Jews could not
by law permit a criminal to hang
upon the cross upon the Sabbath
day.
18 And so they prayed that Pi-
late would remove the bodies of the
men that had been crucified.
19 And Pilate sent his guards to
Calvary to note if all the men were
dead.
20 And when the guards were
gone, two aged Jews came to the
palace door to see the governor,
and they were members of the high-
est council of the Jews;
21 Yet they believed that Jesus
was a prophet sent from God.
22 The one was Rabbi Joseph,
the Arimathean counsellor, and he
was just and loved the law of God.
23 And Nicodemus was the
other one who came.
24 These men fell down at
Pilate's feet and prayed that they
might take the body of the Naza-
rene and lay it in a tomb.
25 And Pilate gave consent.
26 Now, Joseph_had prepared a
244
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XX
costly mixture to embalm the body
of the Lord, about a hundred
pounds of aloes and of myrrh, and
this they took and hastened out to
Calvary.
27 And when the guards re-
turned they said, The Nazarene is
dead; the malefactors are alive.
28 And Pilate told the guards
to go and smite the living men so
they would die, and then to give
their bodies to the flames ; but give
the body of the Nazarene to rabbis
who would call for it.
29 The soldiers did as Pilate
said.
30 The rabbis came and took
away the body of the Lord and
when they had prepared it with the
spices they had bought,
31 They laid it in the new-made
tomb that had been made for Joseph
in a solid rock.
32 And then they rolled a stone
up to the sepulcher.
33 The priests were fearful lest
the friends of Jesus would go forth
at night and take away the body of
the Nazarene, and then report that
he had risen from the dead, as he
had said;
34 And they requested that the
governor would send his soldiers to
the tomb to guard the body of the
dead.
35 But Pilate said, I will not
send a Roman guard ; but you have
Jewish soldiers and may send a hun-
dred men with a centurion to guard
the tomb.
36 And then they sent a hun-
dred soldiers out to guard the tomb.
SECTION XX.
RESH.
The Resurrection of Jesus.
CHAPTER 172.
Pilate places the Roman seal upon
the stone door of the tomb. At mid-
night a company of the silent
brothers march about the tomb.
The soldiers are alarmed. Jesus
preaches to the spirits in prison.
Early Sunday morning he rises
from the tomb. The soldiers are
bribed by the priests to say that the
disciples had stolen the body.
THE tomb in which they laid the
body of the Lord was in a gar-
den, rich with flowers, the garden
of Siloam, and Joseph's home was
near.
2 Before the watch began Caia-
phas sent a company of priests out
to the garden of Siloam that they
might be assured that Jesus' body
was within the tomb.
3 They rolled away the stone;
they saw the body there, and then
they placed the stone again before
the door.
4 And Pilate sent his scribe
who placed upon the stone the seal
of Rome, in such a way that he
who moved the stone would break
the seal.
5 To break this Roman seal
meant death to him who broke the
seal.
6 The Jewish soldiers all were
sworn to faithfulness; and then the
watch began.
7 At midnight all was well, but
suddenly the tomb became a blaze
of light, and down the garden walk
a troupe of white clad soldiers
marched in single file.
8 They came up to the tomb
Section XX
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
245
and marched and countermarched
before the door.
9 The Jewish soldiers were alert ;
they thought the friends had come
to steal the body of the Nazarene.
The captain of the guard cried out
to charge.
10 They charged; but not a
white clad soldier fell. They did
not even stop; they marched and
countermarched among the fright-
ened men.
11 They stood upon the Roman
seal; they did not speak; they un-
sheathed not their swords; it was
the Silent Brotherhood.
12 The Jewish soldiers fled in
fear; they fell upon the ground.
13 They stood apart until the
white clad soldiers marched away,
and then the light about the tomb
grew dim.
14 Then they returned; the
stone was in its place; the seal was
not disturbed, and they resumed
their watch.
15 Now, Jesus did not sleep
within the tomb. The body is the
manifest of soul; but soul is soul
without its manifest.
16 And in the realm of souls,
unmanifest, the Lord went forth
and taught.
17 He opened up the prison
doors and set the prisoners free;
18 He broke the chains of cap-
tive souls, and led the captives to
the light;
19 He sat in council with the
patriarchs and prophets of the olden
times;
20 The masters of all times and
climes he met, and in the great as-
semblies he stood forth and told
the story of his life on earth, and of
his death in sacrifice for man,
21 And of his promises to clothe
himself again in garb of flesh and
walk with his disciples, just to prove
the possibilities of man;
22 To give to them the key of
life, of death, and of the resurrec-
tion of the dead.
23 In council all the masters
sat and talked about the revelations
of the coming age,
24 When she, the Holy Breath,
shall fill the earth and air with holy
breath, and open up the way of man
to perfectness and endless life.
25 The garden of Siloam was
silent on the Sabbath day; the Jew-
ish soldiers watched and no one
else approached the tomb; but on
the following night the scene was
changed.
26 At midnight every Jewish
soldier heard a voice which said,
Adon Mashich Cumi, which meant,
Lord Christ arise.
27 And they supposed again
that friends of Jesus were alert,
were coming up to take the body
of their Lord away.
28 The soldiers were alert with
swords unsheathed and drawn, and
then they heard the words again.
29 It seemed as though the
voice was everywhere, and yet they
saw no man.
30 The soldiers blanched with
fear, and still to flee meant death
for cowardice, and so they stood
and watched.
31 Again, and this was just be-
fore the sun arose, the heavens
blazed with light, a distant thunder
seemed to herald forth a coming
storm;
32 And then the earth began to
quake and in the rays of light they
saw a form descend from heaven,
They said, Behold an angel comes.
33 And then they heard again,
Adon Mashich Cumi.
34 And then the white-robed
form tramped on the Roman seal,
246
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XXI
and then he tore it into shreds; he
took the mighty stone in hand as
though it were a pebble from the
brook, and cast it to the side.
35 And Jesus opened up his
eyes and said, All hail the rising
sun ! the coming of the day of right-
eousness !
36 And then he folded up his
burial gown, his head bands and his
coverings and laid them all aside.
37 He rose, and for a moment
stood beside the white-robed form.
38 The weaker soldiers fell upon
the ground, and hid their faces in
their hands; the stronger stood and
watched.
39 They saw the body of the
Nazarene transmute; they saw it
change from mortal to immortal
form, and then it disappeared.
40 The soldiers heard a voice
from somewhere; yea, from every-
where, it said,
41 Peace, peace on earth; good
will to men.
42 They looked, the tomb was
empty and the Lord had risen as he
said.
43 The soldiers hastened to
Jerusalem, and to the priests, and
said,
44 Behold, the Nazarene has
risen as he said; the tomb is empty
and the body of the man is gone;
we know not where it is. And then
they told about the wonders of the
night.
45 Caiaphas called a council of
the Jews; he said, the news must
not go forth that Jesus has arisen
from the dead;
46 For if it does all men will
say, He is the son of God, and all
our testimonies will be proven false.
47 And then they called the
hundred soldiers in and said to
them,
48 You know not where the
body of the Nazarene is resting
now, so if you will go forth and say
that his disciples came and stole
the body while you slept,
49 Each one of you shall have
a silver piece, and we will make it
right with Pilate for the breaking
of the Roman seal.
50 The soldiers did as they were
paid to do.
SECTION XXI.
SCHIN.
Materialization of the Spiritual Body of Jesus.
CHAPTER 173.
Jesus appears, fully materialized, to
his mother, Miriam, Mary of Mag-
dala and to Peter , James and John.
NOW, when the rabbis took the
body of the Lord and laid it
in the tomb the mother of the Lord,
and Mary Magdalene, and Miriam
were there.
2 And when the body was en-
tombed they went to Joseph's home
and there abode.
3 They did not know that Jew-
ish soldiers had been sent to guard
the tomb, nor that the Roman seal
was placed upon the stone;
4 So in the morning of the first
day of the week they hastened to the
tomb with spices to embalm the
Lord.
5 But when they reached the
tomb they found the terror-stricken
soldiers running frantically about,
6 The women did not know the
cause; but when they found an
Section XXI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
247
empty tomb they were excited and
aggrieved.
7 The soldiers did not know
what had transpired ; they could not
tell who took the body of the Lord
away.
8 And Mary Magdalene ran with
haste toward Jerusalem to tell the
news to Peter and the rest.
9 She met, just by the gateway,
Peter, James and John; she said,
Some one has rolled away the stone
and carried off the body of the Lord.
10 And then the three disciples
ran toward the tomb; but John was
fleet of foot and was the first to
reach the tomb; he found it empty;
the body of his Lord was gone.
11 When Peter came he went
into the tomb, and found the grave
clothes neatly folded up and laid
aside.
12 Now, the disciples did not
comprehend the scene. They did
not know the meaning of their Lord
when he informed them just before
his death that he would rise from
death upon the first day of the
week.
13 The three disciples went back
to Jerusalem; the mother of the
Lord and Miriam went not away.
14 And Mary looked within the
tomb, and saw two masters sitting
there; they said, Why do you weep?
15 And Mary said, Because my
Lord is gone; some one has carried
off the body of my Lord; I know
not where it is.
16 Then she arose and looked
around; a man stood near and said,
Why do you weep? whom do you
seek?
17 And Mary thought it was the
gardener and said, If you have
borne away the body of my Lord,
O tell rne where it is that I may lay
it in a sacred tomb.
18 And then the man came near
and said, My mother! and Mary
said, My Lord!
19 The eyes of Miriam were
opened up and she beheld the Lord.
20 And Jesus said, Behold, I
told you as we walked along the way
up to the cross that I would meet
you at the sepulcher upon the first
day of the week.
21 Now, Mary Magdalene was
sitting not a great way off, and
Jesus went to her and said,
22 Why seek the living 'mong
the dead? Your Lord has risen as
he said. Now, Mary, look! behold
my face!
23 Then Mary knew it was the
Lord; that he had risen from the
dead.
24 And then Salome, and Mary,
mother of the two disciples, James
and John, Joanna, and the other
women who had come out to the
tomb, saw Jesus, and they talked
with him.
25 And Mary Magdalene was
filled with joy. She sought again
for Peter, James and John; she
found them and she said,
26 Lo, I have seen the Lord;
and Miriam has seen the Lord; the
mother of the Lord has seen the
Lord ; and many more have seen his
face; for he has risen from the dead.
27 But the disciples thought
that she had simply seen a vision of
the Lord. They did not think that
he had risen from the dead.
28 Then Mary found the other
members of the company and told
them all about the risen Lord; but
none of them believed.
29 Now, Peter, James and John
were in the garden of Siloam; were
talking with the gardener about
the happenings of the day when
John beheld a stranger coming up
the walk.
30 The stranger lifted up his
248
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XXI
hands and said, I am. Then the
disciples knew it was the Lord.
31 And Jesus said, Behold, for
human flesh can be transmuted into
higher form, and then that higher
form is master of things manifest,
and can, at will, take any form.
32 And so I come to you in
form familiar unto you.
33 Go speak to Thomas, and the
other men whom I have called to
be apostles unto men, and say to
them,
34 That he whom Jews and Ro-
mans thought was dead is walking
in the garden of Siloam;
35 Will stand again before the
priests and Pharisees within the
temple in Jerusalem;
36 And will appear unto the
sages of the world.
37 Tell them that I will go be-
fore them into Galilee.
38 Then Peter, James and John
went forth and found their brethren,
and said, Behold, the Lord is risen
from the dead, and we have seen
him face to face.
39 The brethren were amazed
at what the three disciples said ; but
still they looked upon their words
as idle talk and they believed them
not.
CHAPTER 174.
Jesus appears, fully materialized, to
Zachus and Cleophas as they
journey to Emmaus, but they
know him not. He tells them many
things about Christ. He eats the
evening meal with them, and re-
veals himself to them. They go to
Jerusalem and tell the news.
TOWARDS the evening of the
resurrection day, two friends of
Jesus, Zachus and Cleophas of Em-
maus, seven miles away, were going
to their home.
2 And as they walked and
talked about the things that had oc-
curred a stranger joined their com-
pany.
3 He said, My friends, you seem
discouraged and are sad. Has some
great grief upon you come?
4 Cleophas said, Are you a
stranger in Judea, and know not of
the thrilling things that have trans-
pired here?
5 The stranger said, What
things? To what do you refer?
6 Cleophas said, Have you not
heard about the man from Galilee
who was a prophet mighty in both
word and deed?
7 A man whom many thought
had come to found again the king-
dom of the Jews, and drive the Ro-
mans from the city of Jerusalem
and be himself the king?
8 The stranger said, Tell me
about this man.
9 Cleophas said, His name was
Jesus; he was born in Bethlehem;
his home was up in Galilee. He
loved the people as he loved him-
self.
10 He was, in truth, a master
sent from God, for he had matchless
power. He healed the sick and
made the deaf to hear, the blind to
see, the lame to walk, and even
raised the dead.
1 1 The Jewish scribes and Phar-
isees were jealous of his fame and
power, and they arrested him; by
perjured witnesses they proved him
guilty of a score of crimes,
12 And on last Friday he was
taken to the place of skulls and cru-
cified.
13 He died and he was buried in
a rich man's tomb, out in the garden
of Siloam.
14 This very morning when his
friends went to the tomb they found
Section XXI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
249
it empty; the body of the Lord was
gone.
1 5 And now the news has spread
abroad that he has risen from the
dead.
16 The stranger said, Yes, I
have heard about this man; but it
seems strange that after all the
things that Jewish prophets long
ago foretold concerning him that
when he came men knew him not.
17 This man was born to dem-
onstrate the Christ to men, and it is
just to say that Jesus is the Christ.
18 According to the Word, this
Jesus came to suffer at the hands of
men, to give his life as pattern for
the sons of men;
19 To rise from death that men
might know the way to rise from
death.
20 And then the stranger told
the two disciples all about the Law,
the Prophets and the Psalms, and
read to them a multitude of things
that had been written of this man
from Galilee.
21 And now the men had
reached their home and as the
night was near they importuned
the stranger to abide with them.
22 And he went in with them
and as they sat about the table at
the evening meal, he took a piece of
bread, and blessed it in the name of
Christ.
23 And instantly their eyes were
opened up, and they perceived that
he, the stranger, was the Lord, the
man from Galilee ; that he had risen
from the dead ; and then the form of
Jesus disappeared.
24 When he had gone, the two
disciples were amazed. They said,
Did not our hearts burn with de-
light while he was talking to us by
the way and opening up the testi-
monies of the Law, the Prophets and
the Psalms?
25 Then Zachus and Cleopas
went back to Jerusalem, and every-
where they went they said, Lo, we
have seen the Lord ;
26 He walked with us to Em-
maus; he ate with us the evening
meal, and broke for us the bread of
life.
CHAPTER 175.
Jesus appears, fully materialized, to
the ten apostles in Simon's house,
and to Lazarus and his sisters.
THE evening of the resurrection
day had come; the ten apostles
were in Simon's house in Bethany.
The lawyer, Thomas, was not there.
2 The doors were closed and
barred, because the Jews had said
that they would drive the Galile-
ans from the land.
3 And as they talked, lo, Jesus
came and stood forth in their midst,
and said, Peace! peace!
4 And the disciples shrank in
fear; they thought it was a phan-
tom that they saw.
5 And Jesus said, Why are you
troubled thus? why do you fear? I
am no phantom form. I am your
Lord, and I have risen from the
dead.
6 I often said, I will arise; but
you believed me not ; and now come
here and see. A phantom has not
flesh and bones and brawn, like I
possess.
7 Come now, and clasp my
hands, and touch my feet, and lay
your hands upon my head.
8 And every one came up and
clasped his hands, and touched his
feet, and laid his hands upon his
head.
9 And Jesus said, Have you
here anything to eat?
10 And they brought out a frag-
ment of a fish ; he ate it in the pres-
250
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XXI
ence of them all, and then the ten
believed.
11 Nathaniel said, And now we
know that he has risen from the
dead; he stands a surety of the res-
urrection of the dead. And Jesus
disappeared.
12 Now, Mary, Martha, Ruth
and Lazarus were in their home,
and they had heard the rumor that
their Lord had risen from the dead,
and Martha said,
13 It cannot be, for such a thing
has never happened since the world
began.
14 But Mary said, Did not the
Lord bring back our brother from
the dead? and he could surely bring
himself to life again.
15 And as they talked, the Lord
stood in their midst and said,
16 All hail! for I am risen from
the dead, first fruitage of the grave !
17 And Martha ran and brought
the chair in which the Lord had
ever loved to sit, and Jesus sat
down on the chair.
18 And for a long, long time
they talked about the trial, and the
scenes of Calvary and of the garden
of Siloam.
19 Then Jesus said, Fear not,
for I will be your boon companion
all the way; and then he disap-
peared.
CHAPTER 176.
Jesus appears, fully materialized, to
the eastern sages in the palace of
Prince Ravanna in India. To the
magian priests in Persia. The
three wise men speak in praise of
the personality of the Nazarene.
RAVANNA, prince of India, gave
a feast. His palace in Orissa
was the place where men of thought
from all the farther East were wont
to meet.
2 Ravanna was the prince with
whom child Jesus went to India
many years ago.
3 The feast was made in honor
of the wise men of the East.
4 Among the guests were Meng-
ste, Vidyapati and Lamaas.
5 The wise men sat about the
table talking of the needs of India
and the world.
6 The door unto the banquet
hall was in the east ; a vacant chair
was at the table to the east.
7 And as the wise men talked
a stranger entered, unannounced,
and raising up his hands in benedic-
tion said, All hail!
8 A halo rested on his head, and
light, unlike the light of sun, filled
all the room.
9 The wise men rose and bowed
their heads and said, All hail!
10 And Jesus sat down in the
vacant chair; and then the wise men
knew it was the Hebrew prophet
who had come.
11 And Jesus said, Behold, for I
am risen from the dead. Look at
my hands, my feet, my side.
12 The Roman soldiers pierced
my hands and feet with nails; and
then one pierced my heart.
13 They put me in a tomb, and
then I wrestled with the conqueror
of men. I conquered death, I
stamped upon him and arose;
14 Brought immortality to light
and painted on the walls of time a
rainbow for the sons of men; and
what I did all men shall do.
15 This gospel of the resurrec-
tion of the dead is not confined
to Jew and Greek ; it is the heritage
of every man of every time and
clime; and I am here a demonstra-
tion of the power of man.
16 Then he arose and pressed
the hand of every man and of the
royal host, and said,
Section XXI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
251
17 Behold, I am not myth made
of the fleeting winds, for I am flesh
and bone and brawn; but I can cross
the borderland at will.
18 And then they talked to-
gether there a long, long time.
Then Jesus said,
19 I go my way, but you shall
go to all the world and preach the
gospel of the omnipotence of man,
the power of truth, the resurrection
of the dead;
20 He who believes this gospel
of the son of man shall never die;
the dead shall live again.
21 Then Jesus disappeared, but
he had sown the seed. The words
of life were spoken in Orissa, and
all of India heard.
22 The magian priests were in
the silence in Persepolis, and Kas-
par, and the magian masters who
were first to greet the child of prom-
ise in the shepherd's home in Beth-
lehem, were with the priests.
23 And Jesus came and sat with
them; a crown of light was on his
head.
24 And when the silence ended
Kaspar said, A master from the
royal council of the Silent Brother-
hood is here ; let us give praise.
25 And all the priests and mas-
ters stood and said, All hail! What
message from the royal council do
you bring?
26 And Jesus said, My brothers
of the Silent Brotherhood, peace,
peace on earth; good will to men!
27 The problem of the ages has
been solved ; a son of man has risen
from the dead ; has shown that hu-
man flesh can be transmuted into
flesh divine.
28 Before the eyes of men this
flesh in which I come to you was
changed with speed of light from
human flesh. And so I am the
message that I bring to you.
29 To you I come, the first of all
the race to be transmuted to the
image of the AM.
30 What I have done, all men
will do; and what I am, all men
will be.
31 But Jesus said no more. In
one short breath he told the story
of his mission to the sons of men,
and then he disappeared.
32 The magi said, Some time
ago we read this promise, now ful-
filled, upon the dial plate of heaven.
33 And then we saw this man
who has just demonstrated unto us
the power of man to rise from carnal
flesh and blood to flesh of God, a
babe in Bethlehem.
34 And after many years he
came and sat with us in these same
groves;
35 He told the story of his hu-
man life, of trials, sore temptations,
bufferings and woes.
36 He pressed along the thorny
way of life till he had risen and o'er-
thrown the strongest foes of God
and man; and he is now the only
master of the human race whose
flesh has been transmuted into flesh
divine.
37 He is the God-man of to-
day; but every one of earth shall
overcome and be like him, a son of
God.
CHAPTER 177.
Jesus appears, fully materialized, in
the temple in Jerusalem. Rebukes
the rulers of the Jews for their hy-
pocrisy. Reveals himself to them
and they fall back in fear. He ap-
pears to the apostles in Simon's
house. Thomas is convinced.
IT was the Sabbath day and many-
priests and scribes and Phari-
sees were in the temple in Jerusa-
252
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XXI
lem. Caiaphas, Annas and some
other ruling Jews were there.
2 A stranger came in garb of
fisherman and asked, What has be-
come of Jesus who is called the
Christ? Is he not teaching in the
temple now?
3 The Jews replied, That man
from. Galilee was crucified a week
ago, because he was a dangerous
man, a vile, seditious man.
4 The stranger asked, Where
did you put the body of this man
from Galilee? where is his tomb?
5 The Jews replied, We do not
know. His followers came at night
and stole the body from the tomb
in which it lay and carried it away,
and then declared that he had risen
from the dead.
6 The stranger asked, How do
you know that his disciples stole
the body from the tomb? was any
one a witness of the theft?
7 The Jews replied, We had a
hundred soldiers at the place, and
every one of them declares that his
disciples stole the body from the
tomb.
8 The stranger asked, Will any
one of all your hundred men stand
forth and say, I saw the body stolen
from the tomb?
9 The Jews replied, We do not
know; these men are men of truth;
we cannot doubt their word.
10 The stranger said, You
priests and scribes and Pharisees
hear me : I was a witness of the facts,
was in the garden of Siloam, and
stood among your hundred men.
11 And this I know that not a
man among your hundred men, will
say, I saw the body stolen from the
tomb.
12 And I will testify before the
God of heaven and earth, The body
was not stolen from the tomb; the
man from Galilee is risen from the
dead.
13 And then the priests and
scribes and Pharisees rushed up to
seize the man and cast him out.
14 But instantly the fisherman
became a radiant form of light, and
priests and scribes and Pharisees
fell back in deadly fear; they saw
the man from Galilee.
15 And Jesus looked upon the
frightened men and said, This is the
body that you stoned beyond the
city's gates and crucified on Calvary.
16 Behold my hands, my feet,
my side and see the wounds the
soldiers made.
17 If you believe that I am
phantom made of air, come forth
and handle me; ghosts do not
carry flesh and bones.
18 I came to earth to demon-
strate the resurrection of the dead,
the transmutation of the flesh of
carnal man to flesh of man divine.
19 Then Jesus raised his hands
and said, Peace be to every one of
you; good will to all mankind. And
then he disappeared.
20 Now, Thomas had not seen
the Lord since he had risen from
the dead, and when the ten averred
that they had seen and talked with
him he said,
21 Until I see tbe nail prints in
his hands and feet, the spear wound
in his side, and talked with him as
I have talked with him before, I
cannot have a reason to believe that
he is risen from the dead.
22 At Simon's house in Bethany
the men from Galilee had met. It
was the evening of the first day of
the week, and on the morrow all
would turn their faces toward their
homes.
23 The eleven apostles all were
there; the doors were closed and
:tion XXI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
253
,rred, and Jesus came and said,
jace be to all!
24 And then he said to Thomas,
iend, you do not know that I
ive risen from the dead; the time
i ^s come for you to know.
I 25 Come here and see the nail
hits in my hands, the spear
ound in my side, and talk with
le as you have often talked with
me.
26 And Thomas came and saw,
;ind then exclaimed, My master,
rid my Lord! I do not now be-
1 eve, I know that you are risen
from the dead.
27 And Jesus said, Because you
see me you believe, and blessed are
your eyes;
28 But blessed thrice are they
who see me not and yet believe.
29 Then Jesus vanished from
their sight, but the disciples were
established in their faith.
CHAPTER 178.
Jesus appears, fully materialized,
before Apollo and the Silent Broth-
erhood in Greece. Appears to
Claudas and Juliet on the Tiber
near Rome. Appears to the priests
in the Egyptian temple at Heliop-
olis.
APOLLO, with the Silent Broth-
erhood of Greece, was sitting
in a Delphian grove. The Oracle
had spoken loud and long.
2 The priests were in the sanc-
tuary and as they looked the Ora-
cle became a blaze of light ; it seemed
to be on fire, and all consumed.
3 The priests were filled with
fear. They said, A great disaster
is to come; our gods are mad; they
have destroyed our Oracle.
4 But when the flames had spent
themselves, a man stood on the
orac pedestal and said ;
5 God speaks to man, not by an
oracle of wood and gold, but by the
voice of man.
6 The gods have spoken to the
Greeks, and kindred tongues,
through images made by man; but
God, the One, now speaks to man
through Christ the only son, who
was, and is and evermore will be.
7 This Oracle shall fail ; the Liv-
ing Oracle of God, the One, will
never fail.
8 Apollo knew the man who
spoke; he knew it was the Nazarene
who once had taught the wise men
in the Acropolis and had rebuked
the idol worshippers upon the
Athen's beach;
9 And in a moment Jesus stood
before Apollo and the Silent Broth-
erhood, and said,
10 Behold, for I have risen from
the dead with gifts for men. I
bring to you the title of your vast
estate.
11 All power in heaven and
earth is mine; to you I give all
power in heaven and earth.
12 Go forth and teach the na-
tions of the earth the gospel of the
resurrection of the dead and of
eternal life through Christ, the love
of God made manifest to men.
13 And then he clasped Apollo's
hand and said, My human flesh was
changed to higher form by love di-
vine and I can manifest in flesh ,^or
in the higher planes of life, at will.
14 What I can do all men can
do. Go preach the gospel of the
omnipotence of man.
15 Then Jesus disappeared ; but
Greece and Crete and all the nations
heard.
16 Claudas and Juliet, his wife,
lived on the Palatine in Rome and
they were servants of Tiberius; but
they had been in Galilee;
17 Had walked with Jesus by
254
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
the sea, had heard his words and
seen his power; and they believed
that he was Christ made manifest.
18 Now Claudas and his wife
were on the Tiber in a little boat; a
storm swept from the sea, the boat
was wrecked and Claudas and his
wife were sinking down to death.
19 And Jesus came and took
them by the hands and said, Clau-
das and Juliet, arise and walk with
me upon the waves.
20 And they arose and walked
with him upon the waves.
21 A thousand people saw the
three walk on the waves, and saw
them reach the land, and they were
all amazed.
22 And Jesus said, You men of
Rome, I am the resurrection and the
life. They that are dead shall live,
and many that shall live will never
die.
23 By mouth of gods and demi-
gods God spoke unto your fathers
long ago; but now he speaks to you
through perfect man.
24 He sent his son, the Christ,
in human flesh, to save the world,
and as I lifted from the watery
grave and saved these servants of
Tiberius,
25 So Christ will lift the sons
and daughters of the human race,
yea, every one of them, from dark-
ness and from graves of carnal
things, to light and everlasting life.
26 I am the manifest of love
raised from the dead; Behold my
hands, my feet, my side which car-
nal men have pierced.
27 Claudas and Juliet, whom I
have saved from death, are my am-
bassadors to Rome.
28 And they will point the way
and preach the gospel of the Holy
Breath and of the resurrection of
the
Section XXI
29 And that was all he said, but
Rome and all of Italy heard.
30 ^The priests of Heliopolis!
were in their temple met to cele-
brate the resurrection of their
brother Nazarite; they knew that he
had risen from the dead.
31 The Nazarite appeared and!
stood upon a sacred pedestal on
which no man had ever stood.
32 This was an honor that had
been reserved for him who first
would demonstrate the resurrec-
tion of the dead.
33 And Jesus was the first of all
the human race to demonstrate
the resurrection of the dead.
34 When Jesus stood upon the
sacred pedestal the masters stood
and said, All hail ! The great bells
of the temple rang and all the tem-
ple was ablaze with light.
35 And Jesus said, All honor to
the masters of this Temple of the
Sun.
36 In flesh of man there is the
essence of the resurrection of the
dead. This essence, quickened by
the Holy Breath, will raise the sub-
stance of the body to a higher tone,
37 And make it like the sub-
stance of the bodies of the planes
above, which human eyes cannot
behold.
38 There is a holy ministry in
death. The essence of the body
cannot be quickened by the Holy
Breath until the fixed is solved; the
body must disintegrate, and this is
death.
39 And then upon these pliant
substances God breathes, just as he
breathed upon the chaos of the deep
when worlds were formed,
40 And life springs forth from
death; the carnal form is changed
to form divine.
41 The will of man makes pos-
sible the action of the Holy Breath.
Section XXI
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
255
When will of man and will of God
are one, the resurrection is a fact.
42 In this we have the chemis-
try of mortal life, the ministry of
death, the mystery of deific life.
43 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.
44 And you/my brothers, know
full well the foes I had to meet; you
know about my victories in Geth-
semane; my trials in the courts of
men; my death upon the cross.
45 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 possibil-
ities of man.
46 What I have done all men
can do, and what I am all men
shall be.
47 The masters looked; the
form upon the sacred pedestal had
gone, but every temple priest, and
every living creature said, Praise
God.
CHAPTER 179.
Jesus appears, fully materialized, to
the apostles at the sea of Galilee.
Appears to a multitude of people.
Tells his apostles to go again to
Jerusalem and he would meet
them there.
NOW, the apostles were at home
in Galilee; the women tarried
in Judea until the Pentecost,
2 And Peter, James and John,
and Andrew, Philip and Nathaniel
were in Capernaum. They joined
with Jonah and with Zebedee, and
in their boats went out to fish,
3 They toiled all night and when
the morning came they had no fish.
4 And as they neared the shore
a man stood on the shore and said,
How many fish have you?
5 And Peter answered, None.
6 Again the man called out and
said, A school of fish is passing now
upon the right side of your boat;
cast out your net.
7 They cast their net, and it was
filled; and John exclaimed, It is the
Lord who stands upon the shore.
8 And Peter plunged into the
sea and swam to shore. The other
men brought in the net, and it con-
tained a hundred fifty and three fish
and yet it did not break.
9 And Jesus said, My children,
let us break our fast together here.
10 Thev found some living coals
upon the beach and Peter brought
and dressed the fish; they had some
bread.
1 1 And when the meal had been
prepared they broke their fast, and
Jesus ate of both the fish and bread.
12 Now, after breakfast all the
men were sitting on the beach, and
Jesus said to Peter, Do you love the
Lord your God with all your heart,
and do you love your neighbor as
you love yourself?
13 And Peter said, Yea, Lord,
I love the Lord my God with all my
heart ; I love my neighbor as I love
myself.
14 And Jesus said, Then feed
my sheep.
15 And then he said to James,
Do you love her, the Holy Breath,
with all your heart, and do you love
your neighbor as you love yourself?
16 And James replied, Yea,
Lord, I love the Holy Breath with
all my heart; I love my neighbor as
I love myself.
17 Then Jesus said, Protect my
sheep.
18 And then he said to John,
Do you love Christ, the love divine
made manifest, with all your heart,
and do you love your neighbor as
you love yourself?
256
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XXI
19 And John replied, Yea, Lord,
I love the Christ with all my heart ;
I love my neighbor as I love myself.
20 And Jesus said, Then feed
my lambs.
21 Then Jesus rose and said to
Peter, Follow me. And Peter fol-
lowed him.
22 When Peter saw that John
was following him he said to Jesus,
Lord, behold, John follows you!
What shall he do?
23 Now Peter did not hear the
master when he said to John, Then
feed my lambs.
24 And Jesus spoke to Peter
and he said, It matters not to you
what John shall do ; not even though
I will that he remain until I come
again.
25 Just do your duty; follow me.
26 And Jesus passed, they knew
not where he went.
27 The news soon spread
through all Capernaum that Jesus
had arisen from the dead, that he
had walked with his disciples by
the sea, and ate with them the
morning meal. The multitudes
came forth to see.
28 Now Peter, James and John,
together with the other men who
had been called to be apostles of the
Lord, went to the mountains near
Capernaum to pray,
29 And as they prayed the mas-
ter came; they saw him and they
talked with him.
30 He said to them, The Pente-
cost is near at hand; go to Jerusa-
lem and I will meet you there.
31 And as he talked, a multitude
of people came; they saw the Lord;
they said,
32 Behold, for now we know
that he, the Nazarene, has risen
from the dead for we have seen him
face to face.
CHAPTER 180.
Jesus appears, fully materialized, to
the apostles in Jerusalem. Gives
them his instructions. Promises
them a special endowment for their
work on Pentecost. Goes to Mount
Olives and in full view of many
disciples ascends to heaven. The
disciples return to Jerusalem.
THE eleven apostles of the Lord
were in Jerusalem and in a spa-
cious room that they had chosen by
the Lord's command.
2 And as they prayed the Lord
appeared to them and said,
3 Peace be to all; good will to
every living thing. And then he
talked with them a long, long time.
4 And the disciples asked, Will
you restore the kingdom unto Israel
now?
5 And Jesus said, Be not con-
cerned about the governments of
men; the masters will direct.
6 Do that which has been given
you to do, and wait and murmur
not.
7 All power in heaven and earth
is given unto me, and now I bid you
go to all the world and preach the
gospel of the Christ, the unity of
God and man, the resurrection of
the dead, and of eternal life.
8 And as you go and preach,
baptize the people in the name of
Christ.
9 They who believe and are bap-
tized shall rise up in the newness of
the life of Christ, and they who dis-
believe shall rise not in the newness
of the life of Christ.
10 And you shall give to men
the power I give to you.
11 They who believe and are
baptized shall heal the sick; shall
cause the blind to see, the deaf to
hear, the lame to walk;
12 Shall cast the unclean spirits
Section XXII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
257
out of those obsessed ; shall tread on
deadly serpents and be not harmed ;
shall pass through flames and not
be burned ; and if they drink a poi-
sonous draught it shall not kill.
13 You know the sacred Word,
which is the word of power.
14 The secret things that I have
told to you that may not now be
told to all the world, you shall make
known to faithful men who shall in
turn reveal them unto other faithful
men,
15 Until the time shall come
when all the world may hear and
comprehend the words of truth and
power.
16 And now I will ascend to
God, as you and all the world will
rise to God.
17 Behold, upon the day of Pen-
tecost you all shall be endowed with
power from on high.
18 But here you shall remain
till then in holy thought and prayer.
19 Then Jesus went to Olivet,
and his disciples followed him, and
in a place not far removed from
Bethany, he met the Marys and
Salome;
20 Met Martha, Ruth and Mir-
iam: met Lazarus and a host of
others who had come from Galilee.
21 And Jesus stood apart and
raised his hands and said,
22 The benedictions of the Holy
Ones, of the Almighty God, and of
the Holy Breath, of Christ the love
of God made manifest,
23 Will rest upon you all the
way till you shall rise and sit with
me upon the throne of power.
24 And then they saw him rise
upon the wings of light; a wreath
encircled him about ; and then they
saw his form no more.
25 But as they gazed up into
heaven two men, in robes of white,
appeared and said,
26 You men of Galilee, why
gaze you thus so anxiously upon the
ascending Lord? Lo, he will come
again from heaven as you have seen
him go to heaven.
27 Then the eleven and Lazarus,
and the other men from Galilee, to-
gether with the faithful women, not
a few, returned unto Jerusalem and
there abode.
28 And they were constantly in
prayer and holy thought. They
waited for the Holy Breath, and for
the coming of the promised power
from on high.
SECTION XXII.
TAU.
Establishment of the Christine Church.
CHAPTER 181.
The eleven apostles make choice of
Matthias to fill the place made va-
cant by the deflection of Judas.
The Christines are glad. Miriam
sings a song of praise. Apostolic
roster.
THE fact that Jesus had arisen
from the dead was not denied
by many of the rulers of the Jews.
2 And Pilate gave an order that
the followers of the Nazarene be not
molested in their worship any place
in his domain.
3 The day of Pentecost was near
at hand and every one was looking
for a manifest of Spirit power.
4 Now, in Jerusalem the eleven
had met to choose a man to fill the
lace of Judas who betrayed his
ord.
258
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XXll
5 And Peter said, The Lord
called to this ministry twelve men
as twelve foundation stones on
which the Christine temple should
be built.
6 This Judas, who betrayed his
Lord, has gone to his own place be-
yond the veil.
7 Of him the prophet wrote : His
habitation shall be desolate; no man
shall dwell therein; his office let an-
other take.
8 From those who have accom-
panied us from Gilgal, where the
harbinger baptized, until this day,
shall one be chosen to complete the
number twelve, to fill the place from
which our brother by transgression
fell.
9 And then the eleven spent a
long, long time in prayer, and when
they cast their lots, Matthias, from
the valley of the Nile, was chosen
for the place.
10 Matthias was an Israelite in-
deed; but he was learned in all the
wisdom of Egyptian schools, and he
had taught the mysteries of Miz-
raim in Jericho.
11 He was among the first to
greet the harbinger; among the first
to recognize the Nazarene as Christ,
the son of God;
12 He had been with the Chris-
tine band in all their journeys in the
land of Galilee, Judea and Samaria.
13 A messenger was sent who
found Matthias, and he came and
joined the eleven, and for a time
the twelve were lost in silent prayer.
14 The Christines who had come
from Galilee and places in Judea,
about six score, were there, and
Peter told them of Matthias, and
how, by lot, he had been chosen an
apostle of the Lord.
15 The Christines all were glad
and praised the name of God; and
Miriam sung a song of praise.
16 These are the names of the
apostles of the Lord: Peter, John
and James; Philip, Andrew and
Nathaniel;
17 Thomas, James the son of
Alpheus and Simon Zelotes; Mat-
thew, Jude, the son of Alpheus and
Matthias.
CHAPTER 182.
Events of the day of Pentecost. En-
dowment of the apostles. The
Christine Church is established.
Peter preaches the introductory ser-
mon. The sermon. Three thou-
sand people are baptized and be-
come members of the church.
NOW, when the day of Pentecost
had come Jerusalem was filled
with pious Jews and proselytes from
many lands.
2 The Christines all were met
and were in perfect harmony.
3 And as they sat in silent
prayer they heard a sound a-like
the distant murmur of a coming
storm.
4 The sound grew loud, and
louder still, until, like thunder
peals, it filled the room where the
apostles sat.
5 A brilliant light appeared, and
many thought, The building is afire.
6 Twelve balls, that seemed like
balls of fire, fell from heaven a
ball from every sign of all the circle
of the heavens, and on the head of
each apostle there appeared a flam-
ing ball of fire.
7 And every ball sent seven
tongues of fire toward heaven, and
each apostle spoke in seven dialects
of earth.
8 The ignorant rabble treated
lightly what they heard and saw;
they said, These men are drunk,
and know not what they say.
9 But men of learning were
Section XXII
OF JESUS THE CHRIST
259
amazed; they said, Are not these
men who speak all Jews? how is it
that they speak in all the languages
of earth?
10 And Peter said, You people
of Jerusalem, and you who live be-
yond the city's gates; Peace be to
you, and all mankind.
11 This is the time that holy
men of old desired to see; by faith
they saw this hour, and now they
stand with us in ecstasy.
12 The prophet Joel in the olden
times told of the things you see
and hear. The Holy Breath spoke
with his tongue and said,
13 And it shall come to pass in
latter days, that I will breathe upon
the sons of men, and fill them with
the blessedness of holiness.
14 Your sons and daughters
will stand forth and prophesy; your
young men will be seers; your old
men will dream dreams.
15 And I will show forth won-
ders in the heavens above, and mar-
velous signs in earth.
16 Sounds will proceed from
heaven and voices will be heard that
men will fail to comprehend.
17 The sun will fail to shine, the
moon will wade in blood before the
coming of the great day of the Lord.
18 And it will come to pass
that they who call upon the name
of God in faith shall be redeemed.
19 This is the day of Christine
power; the day that he, the man
from Galilee, is glorified.
20 He came as babe in Bethle-
hem and from his day of birth the
kings of earth went forth intent to
take his life.
21 God held him in the hollow
of his hand.
22 Men called him Jesus, and
they called him well, for he was sent
to seek and save the lost.
23 And Jesus grew to manhood
and was subject unto all the trials
and temptations of the sons of men,
that he might know the loads that
men must bear, and know the way
to succor them.
24 In distant lands he lived and
by the sacred Word he healed the
sick, threw prison doors ajar, and
set the prisoners free, and every-
where he was proclaimed, Immanuel.
25 But wicked men despised
him and rejected him, and by
bribed men they proved him guilty
of a score of crimes;
26 And in the presence of a mul-
titude of men who hear me now,
they nailed him to a cross;
27 They sealed him with the
seal of death; but death was all too
weak to hold him in the tomb and
when immortal masters said, Adon
mashich cumi, he burst the bands
of death, and rose again to life.
28 He showed himself alive, not
only to the rulers in Jerusalem, but
to the many in the distant parts of
earth;
29 And then, before the won-
dering eyes of many who now hear
me speak, attended by a retinue
of courtiers of the angel world, he
ascended to the throne of God.
30 And being now exalted high,
and having breathed to full the
Holy Breath, he breathes again on
us, and thus sheds forth what you
now see and hear.
31 You men of Israel, know that
God has made this man from Gali-
lee whom you abused and crucified,
both Lord and Christ.
32 And then the people said,
What shall we do?
33 And Peter said, This Chris-
tine Lord has sent us forth to open
up the gates of dawn. Through
Christ all men may enter into light
and life.
34 The Christine Church stands
260
THE AQUARIAN GOSPEL
Section XXII
on the postulates that Jesus is the
love of God made manifest; that
love is savior of the sons of men.
35 This Christine Church is but
the kingdom of the Holy One within
the soul, made manifest.
36 This day the Christine
Church is opened up, and whoso-
ever will may enter in, and, by the
boundless grace of Christ, be saved.
37 Again the people said, How
may we enter in that we may share
the boundless grace of Christ?
38 And Peter said, Reform and
be baptized, and turn away from
sin and lead the life deep hid with
Christ in God, and you shall enter in
and be redeemed.
39 Three thousand people
turned away from sin and were bap-
tized and sought to lead the life
deep hid with Christ in God.
40 And in one day the Christine
Church became a mighty power;
and Christ became a mighty word
that thrilled the multitudes in many
lands.
2 5381'
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