"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto myself. But this he said signifying by what manner of death he should die." This clearly indicates that this lifting up of the I from the earth is not death at all, but after another "manner" entirely; it is glorification. It seems to sense consciousness to be death, but to the inner current of life and intelligence it is the fulfillment of that promise of the Father, "I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again."

Lesson 4. January 27,

Jesus Silences the Pharisees. Matt. 22:34-46.

The Sadducees and the Pharisees represent the religious concepts of the intellect. The Sadducees were a religious sect with strong materalistic beliefs, and the Pharisees were formalists, without spiritual understanding. The fact is that the intellect cannot comprehend absolute truth. Its religious beliefs are all built up from conclusions, based in relative conditions, and are therefore of time and place. In preceding verses of this chapter the Sadducees, who did not believe in a theory of resurrection after physical death, sought to entrap Jesus by asking him who should have for wife in the resurrection the woman who had seven husbands? Jesus told them plainly that they did not understand the situation, either from Scripture or divine law-that in the true resurrection there is no marriage. Then he further elucidates the Truth by telling them that this resurrection is not a matter that has to do with physical death, that God does not recognize death-"God is not the God of the dead, but of the living." Physical death does not change the mind that is in error. The true resurrection is a coming forth into right underSstanding of and right relation to the One Omnipres

at Mind, and it begins and ends right where you

are, regardless of time or geographical location. But the intellectual man seems never to be silenced. At nearly every step in our spiritual unfoldment we find him questioning the I AM, as exemplified in the life of Jesus. He first wants to know how certain human entanglements will be straightened out in the resurrection, and when informed that the resurrection is not based upon human relations, then he wants the "commandment," or letter of the law, that is most important. The reply will answer for all time, and if followed, forever silence all the clamorings of the intellect:

“And he said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

"This is the great and first commandent.

"And a second like unto it is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

"On these two commandments hangeth the whole law, and the prophets."

It is found by metaphysicians that every question is sooner or later answered when we resolutely practice this development of Divine Love. Think love toward God with all you heart daily. Your heart is the symbol of all the vital issues that enter your life. Your soul is the realm of secret thought, and your mind is the outer consciousness. These are all to be permeated with the thought of love to God. When this is done the love of the neighbor will follow easily.

But the intellect does not ask all the questions. Whence this manifestation of a higher intelligence that answers and silences the intellect? The I, the center of consciousness in each of us, and around which all states of consciousness revolve, cannot help but meditate upon and consider its own inner experiences, and it says, "What think ye of the Christ? whose son is he?" The intellect, because of its limited range of perception, cannot conceive the formless, and it says this superior knowledge must have

originated in some man, hence the Pharisees reply, "The son of David."

"If David then calleth him Lord, how is he his son?" is the rejoinder of Jesus. It is not the personal Jesus who was Christ, but that Lord of us all within him whom, he called Father. That Christ is not of time, nor place, nor condition, but the superconscious mind into which we all may enter, and be with it in heaven here and now.

Lesson 5. February 3.

Parable of the Ten Virgins. Matt. 25:1-13.

GOLDEN TEXT-- Watch therefore; for you know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.- Matt. 25: 13.

The disciples had asked Jesus when the kingdom of heaven was coming, and in the two preceding chapters he illustrated some of the conditions which would indicate its approach. To those who were looking for a temporal kingdom it was difficult to describe the true and permanent kingdom, which is a state of mind and body in harmony with Divine Law. He "likened" it unto this and unto that, but never located it as a place.

When the illustrations of the kingdom which he gave are studied in their symbology it is found that each of them describes a step in soul development and that they refer specifically to the bringing forth of some faculty or set of faculties in man that are necessary to his full-orbed being.

God is Spirit, and His kingdom is in every complete man. God depends upon the mind and body of man for His manifestation and establishment of His kingdom in the earth, or body. All the possibilities of God are concentrated in His Idea, which is Christ, the Bridegroom of this lesson. This Divine Idea, with all its possibilities, descends into human consciousness, when a place is made for it and not before.

The ten virgins are the ten undeveloped avenues

In

of expression from the within to the without. their most external aspect they are the five senses, the "foolish" ones; in their inner aspect they are the "wise" five, who took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Each sense has an inner counterpart, which is of the character of thought, and this inner is connected with the One Life, from which it draws its oil, or life current. There is a soul eye and a soul ear, etc., and these on their inner side are in direct contact with Spirit. But their outer side is in touch with the intellect and through the intellect with the formed organ of sense in the body. It is in this intellectual plane that "mortal mind" has its citadel and causes so much trouble with the outer organs.

The "wise" ones cultivate these inner founts of spiritual life and keep their lamps filled with oil. The "foolish" ones think their life depends upon material sources, and they lose the inner connection. Then when the "bridegroom cometh," or a wave of spiritual life sweeps through the race consciousness, or is quickened in individual thought, they do not get the outer quickening of the senses as they should. When the call, "Behold, the bridegroom!" is heard these outer avenues are asleep and do not know how to draw the necessary life vibrations from within in order to feel the Divine Presence.

The remedy is: Declare in thought and word daily that all your senses are spiritual; that they are in unity with the Christ of God, and there can be no materalization of their true spiritual character. This persisted in, with the silent sitting every day, will open the inner life, and you will find that you are fulfilling the command, "Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour."

Lesson 6. February 10.

Parable of the Talents. Matt 25:14-30.

GOLDEN TEXT

So then every one of us shall give

account of himself to God.- Rom. 14:12.

To attain that state of consciousness termed the

Kingdom of Heaven" requires not only watchfulness but industry and courage. In the preceding lesson was shown the necessity of watching lest the spiritual life be starved out through neglect and indifference. The virgins fell asleep and when the bridegroom came they had no oil in their lamps and could not see him. We cannot be indifferent to the One Life Omnipresent, from which we draw all vitality, and expect to realize the glow of the spirit in the same fullness as those who have practiced its presence. God does not give us life in the sense of pressing it upon us whether we will or not. The God-Life is an omnipresent principle which must be appropriated by the ego and made a part of its consciousness. We must practice daily the mental acknowledgment of this Omnipresent Life and joyously claim it in word and act. A letter received just today from a young lady says, "Nothing has helped me so much to regain my health as the statement you gave me to hold, I am filled and thrilled with thy Infinite Life.""

In today's lesson is illustrated the necessity of increasing, through fearless use, the talents given us by the Lord. These talents" are spiritual gifts. (I. Cor. 12:4-8)-life, love, truth, substance, intelligence, faith, power, judgment, will; in fact, every inherent attribute of man's being has its root in God. All the gifts of the Spirit are to be used to our fullest capacity. The confident ones use that which is given them and meet with the commendation of the Law, or Lord, and are let into greater possibilities, "Enter thou into the joy of thy lord." The "joy of thy lord" is the consciousness of having done the very best we know how.

The too cautious one burys his talent through fear that he will not meet the requirements of the law, which he discerns is very exact. In his caution he does nothing, and meets with condemnation in consequence. The world is full of people who have the