Lamp

It is also upon medals, bearing the name of our Saviour 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.

Man never has been left without a beacon light to guide.17. And he has ever had a lighted lamp in hand that he may see the dangerous rocks, the turbid streams and treacherous pits.18. And so the Holy Ones have judged; when men have needed added light a master soul has come to earth to give the light.19. Before the Vedic days the world had many sacred books to light the way; and when man needed greater light the Vedas, the Avesta and the books of Tao Great appeared to show the way to greater heights.20. And in the proper place the Hebrew Bible, with its Law, its Prophets and its Psalms, appeared for man's enlightenment.21. But years have passed and men have need of greater light.22. And now the Day Star from on high begins to shine; and Jesus is the flesh-made messenger to show that light to men.23. And you, my pupil, you have been ordained to harbinger the coming day.24. But you must keep that purity of heart you now possess; and you must light your lamp directly from the coals that burn upon the altar of the Holy Ones.25. And then your lamp will be transmuted to a boundless flame, and you will be a living torch whose light will shine wherever man abides.26. But in the ages yet to come, man will attain to greater heights, and lights still more intense will come.27. And then, at last, a mighty master soul will come to earth to light the way up to the throne of perfect man.

If there are trials, let them come, for every victory over self gives added strength.3. And then the guide led on, and in a chamber, dark as night, was Jesus placed and left alone; and days were spent in this deep solitude.4. And Jesus slept, and in the dead of night a secret door was opened, and, in priest's attire, two men came in; each carried in his hand a little flickering lamp.5. Approaching Jesus, one spoke out and said, Young man, our hearts are grieved because of what you suffer in these fearful dens, and we have come as friends to bring you light, and show the way to liberty.6. We once, like you, were in these dens confined, and thought that through these weird, uncanny ways we could attain to blessedness and power;7. But in a luckful moment we were undeceived, and, making use of all our strength, we broke our chains, and then we learned that all this service is corruption in disguise.

1. The Logos waited seven days, and then was taken to the Hall of Fame, a chamber rich in furnishings, and lighted up with gold and silver lamps.2. The colours of its ceilings, decorations, furnishings and walls were blue and gold.3. Its shelves were filled with books of master minds; the paintings and the statues were the works of highest art.4. And Jesus was entranced with all this elegance and these manifests of thought.

They seek a Gob not made with hands.12. They see the beams of coming day, and yet they comprehend them not.13. The time is ripe, and we must fashion well these garments for the race.14. And let us make for men new garbs of justice, mercy, righteousness and love, that they may hide their nakedness when shines the light of coming day.15. And Vidyapati said, Our priests have all gone mad; they saw a demon in the wilds and at him cast their lamps and they are broken up, and not a gleam of light has any priest for men.16. The night is dark; the heart of India calls for light.17. The priesthood cannot be reformed; it is already dead; its greatest needs are graves and funeral chants.18. The new age calls for liberty; the kind that makes each man a priest, enables him to go alone, and lay his offerings on the shrine of God.19. And Kaspar said, In Persia people walk in fear; they do the good for fear to do the wrong.20. The devil is the greatest power in our land, and though a myth, he dandles on his knee both youth and age.21. Our land is dark, and evil prospers in the dark.22. Fear rides on every passing breeze, and lurks in every form of life.23. The fear of evil is a myth, is an illusion and a snare; but it will live until some mighty power shall come to raise the ethers to the plane of light.24. When this shall come to pass the magian land will glory in the light.

The world speaks not in praise of men who live within the Holy Breath; It speaks in praise of prophets false, and of illusions base.30. You men who walk in Holy Breath are salt, the salt of earth; but if you lose your virtue you are salt in name alone, worth nothing more than dust.31. And you are light; are called to light the world.32. A city on a hill cannot be hid; its lights are seen afar; and while you stand upon the hills of life men see your light and imitate your works and honour 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 fulfil.36. The Law, the Prophets and the Psalms were written in the wisdom of the Holy breath and cannot fail.37. The heavens and earth that are will change and pass away; the word of God is sure; it cannot pass until it shall accomplish that 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 sacrifice of life.39. But he who hearkens unto God and keeps his law and does his will on earth, shall rule with Christ.40. The scribes and Pharisees regard the letter of the law; they cannot comprehend the spirit of the law;41. And if your righteousness does not exceed the righteousness of scribe and Pharisee you cannot come into the kingdom of the soul.42. It is not what man does that gives him right to enter through the gates; his pass word is his character and desire is his character.43. The letter of the law deals with the acts of man; the spirit of the law takes note of his desires.

1. 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 faithless one.8. The time is ripe; your Master comes upon the clouds; the eastern sky is glowing with his presence now.9. Put on reception robes; gird up your loins; trim up your lamps and fill them well with oil, and be prepared to meet your Lord; when you are ready, he will come.10. Thrice blessed are the servants who are ready to receive their Lord.11. Behold, for he will gird himself, and will prepare a sumptuous feast for every one, and he himself will serve.12. It matters not when he shall come; it may be at the second watch; it may be at the third; but blessed are the servants who are ready to receive.13. You cannot leave your door ajar and go to sleep, and wait in blissful ignorance of the fleeting time;14. For thieves will surely come and take away your goods and bind and carry you away to robbers' dens.15. And if you are not carried forth, the Master when he comes will not regard a sleeping guard as friend, but as a foe.16. Beloved, these are times when every man must be awake and at his post, for none can tell the hour nor the day when man shall be revealed.17. And Peter said, Lord is this parable for us, or for the multitudes?18. And Jesus, Why need you ask?

God is not a man that he should show respect for one and cast another off.19. Whoever will may come and gird himself, and trim his lamp, and find a turret in the tower of life where he may watch, and be prepared to meet the Lord.20. But you, as children of the light, have come, and you have learned the language of the court, and may stand forth and lead the way.21. But you may wait, and think that you are ready to receive the Lord, and still he does not come.22. And you may grow impatient and begin to long for carnal ways again, and may begin to exercise your rule;23. To beat, and otherwise maltreat the servants of the house, and fill yourselves with wine and meat.24. And what will say the Lord when he shall come?25. Behold, for he will cast the faithless servant from his house; and many years will come and go before he can be cleansed, and be thought worthy to receive his Lord.26. The servant who has come into the light, who knows the Master's will and does it not; the trusted guard who goes to sleep within the turret of the tower of life,27. Shall feel the lash of justice many times, while he who does not know his Master's will and does it not, will not receive the graver punishment.28. The man who comes and stands before the open door of opportunity and does not enter in, but goes his way,29. Will come again and find the door made fast, and when he calls, the door will open not,30. The guard will say, you had the pass-word once, but you threw it away and now the Master knows you not; depart.31. And verily I say to you, To whom much has been given, much is required; to whom a little has been given, a little only is required.

1. 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 temple courts and Jesus said,4. I am the lamp; Christ is the oil of life; the Holy Breath the fire.

Amen.17. And Jesus lifted up his eyes to heaven and said,18. My Father-God, let now the 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, Farewell21. 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 Jerusalem, 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 master and she said,25. My Lord, I know the kingdom 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 prepared 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 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 favours from the Lord, they were indignant and they said,32. We surely thought that James and John had risen above the selfish self.

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 themselves in proper garbs, and took their lamps and sat in waiting for the watch to say, Behold, the bridegroom 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 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 merchant men and buy and fill your lamps and then come forth to meet the groom.29. But while they went to purchase 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 exclaimed, I know you not!