do the work of the Son; and, when we do the work of the Son, then do we become the Son.

Faith alone, no matter how sublime it may be, is not sufficient. But, when we do, and act, and live according to our faith; when we obey the Divine Law; when we work in harmony with it; then will we accomplish the works of faith, and become the Sons of God.

In God there is no wrath, nor does He curse us; but the Law is absolute. And he who does not obey the Law will not reap the benefits of the Law. Disobedience ends in spiritual death; and death is a curse, it is the punishment of disobedience.

LESSON THIRTEEN

When we find the Christ within, then have we found the living waters; for they give us Immortality.

St. John 4:1-14.

1. When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John,

2. (though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 3. He left Judaea, and departed again into Galilee. 4. And he must needs go through Samaria.

Samaria means "that which holds or binds." In order to reach Illumination, man must "go through" Samaria, or the flesh; or, in other words, he must free himself from the desires of the flesh-those things which bind the Soul to that which is of the earth, those things which will not give rest to the Soul until the Soul has freed itself from them. This freedom from the bondage and limitations of the limited personal self, the Soul secures through processes of transmutation. This was known to the ancients as the science of Alchemy, or transmutation of the base metals of character into the pure gold of spirituality.

5. Then cometh he to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

6. Now Jacob's well was there.

Jesus therefore, being

wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.

7. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus

saith unto her, Give me to drink.

The woman of Samaria was one who was still bound by the flesh, one who had not yet been awakened to the truth, one who still drank only the waters of Jacob's well-the waters that give life to the physical being only.

8. (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

9. Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am

a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

10. Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

In order to receive, we must give. There is a divine principle that necessitates our giving before we can receive; but this principle also makes sure provision, conversely, that, when we do give, we will be sure of receiving in return, and that, furthermore, we will receive that which is worth more to us than what we part with.

Jesus asked for the physical waters to find out whether the woman of Samaria was willing to give to one not of her people. And, in exchange for this, he was willing to give her of those other waters-the waters of Truth-which would help her to become immortal.

The Law of reciprocity manifests itself in nature as the principle of equal exchange, which means balance. This principle was clearly understood by Jesus because he had received instruction and training in the Orient, where

people would not even accept a present without giving something of equal, or greater, value in return.

The things of the Spirit, or of the Soul, cannot be sold for money; but an exchange must be made for all things. And, whether we will or no, we are forced to honor the Law; for, if we do not give freely, the Law itself, through the reactionary compulsion of circumstances, will exact payment in some other way. "As thou sowest, so shalt thou reap," is the divine decree in all things. The principle of reciprocity and the Law of Justice are absolute, and hold good in all departments of nature, and on all planes of being.

11. The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?

12. Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle?

13. Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:

14. But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give

him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

This water within is the water of Immortality. It is the water that has been turned into wine.

The water of Jacob's well is that which gives strength to the physical being. It is the water that may give understanding; it is the mind that has been awakened.

The mind that has awakened understands that everything of the flesh-the desires, the thoughts, and the acts that spring from the flesh-can only end in death. When the mind understands this, it begins to search for "the way, the truth, and the life," whereby it may free itself from the desires of the flesh, which give not life, but death; desires which, though gratified once, call again and again, and become thirsty continually for the same thing, and must be gratified again and again, but are never truly satisfied.

As man searches for the way whereby he may free himself from the ever recurring demands of his carnal nature— his limited, petty, personal self-he finds the way; for he who seeks shall find. He learns the principle whereby he may change, or transmute, the desires of his lower nature into pure and holy desires of heart. He accepts the truth, he follows the path, he lives the positive constructive life. He begins to drink of the waters offered by Jesus-waters which spring from the fountain within, from the divine, the immortal, part of man's being.

Gradually these waters become stronger and stronger; while the waters of Jacob's well, the waters of the mind, are becoming changed into the spiritual wine of the true wedding; and, as this change takes place, the Son of man is growing into the Son of God. The waters which satisfied the physical being for only a short time, are being transmuted into the best wine which, when drunk once, is always present, and man does not thirst again.

No longer does such an one need to go to the well, no longer does he need to seek for theories and strange doctrines; for he has found the Truth, and the Truth has made him free. His Soul has become conscious of the Infinite, he has drunk of the waters of Eternal Life.

LESSON FOURTEEN

Only he truly worships the Father, who does the will of the Father.

St. John 4:15-24.

15. The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

She was willing to receive the truth and to follow the truth after it was presented to her.

The vast majority of mankind is seeking for they know not what. They seem to want the truth, they do want it;

but they are not yet willing to give up those things which are of the flesh. They would accept the truth if they were allowed, or if it was possible for them to worship both mammon and the Father.

Blessed is he who is willing to accept the truth, the living waters, when presented to him, and to live the truth.

16. Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

17. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

18. For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

Although the woman of Samaria was an outcast from society, Jesus perceived that there was much good in her, and that she would recognize and acknowledge the truth when placed before her.

There is far more hope for him who sins and knows that he sins than for him who commits wrong and is blinded to his wrong doing by self-righteousness. It is far easier for the woman, though ostracized from society, to become the child of the Father, if she is willing to obey the Divine Law, than it is for those, who, though not committing grievous wrong, are too self-righteous to make conscious, deliberate effort to find the Christ. They know the letter of the Law, and believe that faith in the letter will bring salvation.

Jesus came not to teach those who knew the truth and followed the truth, but to teach those who were committing all manner of evil because they were ignorant of the truth.

19. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

20. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.