18. He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

Those who have become illuminated speak and teach the truth. They have no fear of man, because they know that the Father is with them. And who can be against them? But those who are not illuminated seek their own glory; they teach only those things which please men and which cause them to be glorified by men.

19. Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Moses, through the Illumination that he had won, received the divine laws from the Father, and taught them to his people; but his people would not obey them. Had they obeyed, they would have become illuminated, and therefore the Sons of God. It would not then have been necessary for Jesus to teach as he did, because the Jews would have been like him. They had the laws; but they disregarded them and misinterpreted them.

20. The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

When man has found his God, and dares to teach the truth, he is accused of all manner of evil: he is insane, he is a fool, and all manner of things. Nevertheless, freedom of soul, and a clear conscience are their own reward. Let no man be discouraged.

21. Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

22. Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision: (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

23. If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

24. Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

"According to thy works, so shall it be unto thee." It is not the mere appearance of a thing that counts, but that which it really is. If a man does a good work, no matter what the time or what the day, it is good. If a man does evil, no matter what the day, even if it is not the sabbath, it is still evil.

LESSON TWENTY-FIVE

The Christ does not appear to man until he has finished the work. When the transmutation has taken place, then comes the Illumination.

St. John 7:25-53.

25. Then said some of them of Jerusalem, Is not this he, whom they seek to kill?

26. But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

27. Howbeit we know this man whence he is: but when

Christ cometh, no man knoweth whence he is.

We may know the man; but, unless we ourselves have lived the life and received Divine Illumination, we cannot tell whether he has received the Christ or not. We will know that there is some strange power manifesting through him; but, being ignorant of the Christ, how can we recognize what it is? Only he who has found the Christ within himself can know the Christ.

28. Then cried Jesus in the temple as he taught, saying, Ye both know me, and ye know whence I am: and I am not come of myself, but he that sent me is true, whom ye know not.

29. But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent

me.

30. Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come.

31. And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

32. The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning him; and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take him.

33. Then said Jesus unto them, Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto him that sent me.

Jesus knew that the end of his work was nearly at hand; and, knowing this, he knew that he would return to the Father, not to be a part of God, but to be with God. For he was become a Conscious Individualized Soul—an entity, which, through its Consciousness, would remain an entity.

34. Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come.

Only those who have obeyed the Divine Law and become conscious of the Soular Individuality, can reach the plane on which dwell those who have reached this Consciousness. This is the right hand of the Father.

35. Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

The Jews, not having lived the Law, were blind to everything except that which was of the flesh. They could not understand anything that pertained to the Soul. The only place they knew was the earth, whereon dwells the body of

man.

36. What manner of saying is this that he said, Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me: and where I am, thither ye cannot come?

37. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that be

lieve on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was

not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

Glorification comes to man when he receives Divine Illumination and becomes One with God. When the Light breaks in heaven, and he sees the Father of Light therein— then, has he become glorified; for the Holy Ghost, which is Soul Consciousness, has descended upon him.

40. Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

41. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

42. Hath not the scripture said, That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

43. So there was a division among the people because of

him.

44. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

45. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

46. The officers answered, Never man spake like this man. 47. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also de

ceived?

48. Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed on him?

Those in power, no matter what the age or the time, will only believe in that which their class accepts. No matter how great a truth may be, if it does not issue from one who belongs to the favored ranks, it is considered a falsehood; and, if one who does not belong to the favored ranks dares to teach the truth to the people or dares to help them, that

one is condemned, is persecuted, and may even be driven out of his own birthplace.

If a person has the sanction of those in power, he may preach error as the truth, and it is acceptable; but, if he does not have that authority, then he may not even preach the truth, nor may he do the works which are of the Father even if they are for the good of man. Nevertheless, blessed is he who persists in living the exalted life of the Christ, in spite of misunderstanding.

49. But this people who knoweth not the law are cursed. 50. Nicodemus saith unto them, (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them,)

51. Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

52. They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

Not only will those in power condemn one not of their ranks who dares to do anything they do not sanction, but they even condemn without giving his case a fair hearing. It is enough to them that he does not bow down to their dictation; that he will not do as they do; that he will not pay tribute to them.

Woe unto him who dares to be free! All men of the flesh are but slaves. Their slavery differs only in degree; ofttimes, it is even more grievous than literal serfdom.

On the other hand, blessed is he who dares to be freefree from the entanglements and the fetters of a deceiving, carnal nature. Blessed, indeed is he; for he is free indeed whom the truth functioning in his own heart hath made free.

53. And every man went unto his own house.