Violence or Mercy

Been doing some thinking about reading about vengeance and violence in the Old Testament and reconciling that with grace and mercy in the New. I don't think I have a clear understanding but am beginning to see something I didn't before. In essence what I am seeing is man interpreted what was said to them and never really understood the character of God but put there own sanctions upon there own violet nature of heart all in the name of God of course. God never corrected this in the scriptures but kept the thoughts there, and because there written we think they are true. History has repeated these false understandings with examples of this violence over and over again even in the history of this land in North America. Let me explain.

For example 1 Sam 15: 1-9 It appears that God sanctioned genocide, but what really was at the heart of these verses was obedience to God. v19 ..."why did you not obey the voice of the Lord..." Did God really want Saul to slay all the people including infants and children along with all the animals? Or was the lens that Saul was looking and hearing through his own heart? I am sure if you are like me, it appears God did say to slay everyone including the animals, even as Saul thought he did achomlish the Lords commandment. The question it seems to ask is how much did Saul, or you and I really understand Gods nature from the command? It seems the rest of verse 19 reveals the heart of Saul..."Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but swooped down upon the plunder and did evil ..." The term "swooped down" in the picture language of Hebrew is a EYE AND A BASKET OR CONTAINERS meaning to see and contain like a bird of prey seeing a great distance swooping down and grabbing its prey. It was called evil by God because God was teaching about a submissive hearkening, learning to listen, but instead Saul saw it as gathering something for himself, profit, gaining something even in the killing of others. That is what Paul termed a part of the lust of the flesh.

As a side note we also find Saul's action was moved through the eyes of the heart of Saul 1Jn 2:16 " For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world." The action took place aside from the God Himself. A question to ask is would God have said to Saul to stop the slaughter if Sauls heart intentions were right? To me its perfectly fair to ask such a question. The bible does not write much of what God would have done but it does talk of God having great sorrow after this with Saul as King.

My current understanding of God in my own relationship with Him, I sense He would have held back the hand of Saul from slaying the Amalekites, just as God had stayed the hand of Abraham from slaying his son Issac. I myself asked the question then what about Sodom and Gamorah? What came to mind was something Paul wrote : " Vengeance is mine" . We know not how to avenge ourselves and never were told we are to do such. The mention of Sodom in the New Testament is always joined with aionian fire, which at this time I will not delve into seeing this also through the eyes of Gods character of mercy.

It seems Pauls conversion was one of seeing the scriptures of a violent God to one of seeing mercy revealed in the scriptures. He quotes scriptures that give us an insight from these quotes from what he leaves in and leaves out purposely. For example in Romans 15:19 He says " And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name." He quoted about the mercy of God seeing Grace and mercy instead of mans interpretation and his own violent interpretation of them. Now what violent parts did Paul leave out of the scriptures? "Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me. (v40)..."Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind: I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets. " (v41) "thou hast made me the head of the heathen: a people whom I have not known shall serve me.(v42).

Another example of mercy being seen instead of violence is, Rom 15:10 " And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. " We see he deliberately leaves out mans thought of "for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people." No longer does he recognize a violent God but always the mercy of God, which would make Paul a poor theologian because he does not use proper exegeses of the scriptures but is also no doubt rightly dividing the scripture in accordance with who God is.

What Paul has done is to re-contextualize the scriptures in accordance with bad exegesis but deliberately doing so revealing a truth long hidden making us question our old beliefs in a vengeful violent God, justifying our own actions but always reminding us there is none righteous and we all, even the elect are in the same boat in need of mercy and grace.

I would acknowledge that Derek Flood has helped in sparking some thoughts helping myself to reconcile the many seemingly violent scriptures and realizing mercy and grace was always the prevailing spirit until man tended muck things up in his own understanding reinterpreting what God said, and the Spirit allowing the misinterpretation to be written. This in no way invalidates the inspiration of the scriptures but causes one to see the hidden meaning of the Spirit dividing from mans interpretation such as Sauls of what he thought.

Talking Rocks

Doing some thinking about the talking rocks the grandfathers. They have a lot of lessons to teach and share if we can listen. Many of them around here have traveled many miles under a mile of ice and snow long ago, rolling along under tremendous pressure and weight. Did you ever wonder why you picked up a certain rock that caught your attention? Maybe it was speaking to you and you did not hear but first had to catch your eye. I think sometimes they like to to be moved and see things from another area.

Been thinking the Creator made the rocks to help us, we just don't listen. There was a group of people long ago who were guided to this large rock that became a mountain. The Great Spirit came down to the rocks and people with a great sound of thunder and lightning flashing from the thunder beings all around. The people became afraid but those rocks they just shook and danced with excitement. There was one person among the people that learned to listen to the Great Spirit and also was taught to listen to the rocks, and the Great Spirit through a bush.

The rocks wanted to tell the people about a great promise that the Great Spirit wanted to share with them that had always been the rocks instructions. This message was formed in the very heart of the fire and pressures of great desire buried deep within the earth until it could no longer be contained and erupted to spread forth through the whole earth. This was how the rocks were born and came forth. They carried the desire of a promise of how the Great Spirit would give the people his own character to learn once again to live in harmony with each other and all that the Creator had made in a good way.

Over the many years the people lost there ability to speak with the rocks but there were still a few who could. The people could not hear the rocks so the Great Spirit asked a man who could hear to come up on top of the rocks to meet Him. The rocks were sad that the people could not hear them to share there good news, and the man also was sad. But the great Spirit was very wise and told the man to get a couple of the big rocks and He would help men to see the promise formed in great desire.

The man went to ask the rocks if they would give themselves to the Great Spirit for a special way of living. Two twin rocks said they would like to to go and so the man went and presented the rocks to the Great Spirit. So the great Spirit wrote words on the rocks, and as He wrote the rocks laughed because it tickled when the Great Spirit wrote on them because the laughter and joy reflected the good news of the promise which made them laugh with joy. I think this is why rocks like to roll around in the water, and when they roll down hills they are laughing.

So the man took the rocks and the people saw what the rocks were trying to say but still could not hear them. Yet even then the people thought the rocks were trying to tell them what to do and what not to do, and so with sadness the rocks asked the Great Spirit what could be done for this great desire was locked up within them and none could hear. He told the rocks they would be misunderstood and some of them would be used by the people in a violent way by the people, which made them even sadder. But the Great Spirit said to them He would come to the people again but this time would tickle the people to make them laugh with joy as He wrote His promise instead upon the peoples heart.

Native Timing

For example of timing I find the Aztecs had set up a epoch of time as 1144 years. In this epoch of time it was broken up into 22, 52 year cycles. 13 of these 52 year cycles were called " heavens of decreasing choice" the remaining 9 "hells of increasing doom". I am very certain the word hell used by the Aztecs had nothing to do with what Western Christianity calls hell, which by the way is far removed from the meaning of this word used by the Hebrews and carried over into the Greek language we have lost its meaning and created a mythical unending torment. Which by the way the elders of Christianity never believed in if one would look into the history of this doctrine. There is nothing in all of Gods creation that reflects this thought as witness that this thought is true.

The increasing doom as seen in Indigenous eyes was never about a unending torment but one of a great change that must come . It would involve must likely suffering and changes. It is just like the medicine wheel of life starting with birth growing up and then old age and passing over into another realm. The end returning to the beginning. Yes we could say in order for new birth to come forth or new life always the way seems to be one of death a loss involved also.

According to the Aztec cycle the which an important person involved in the cycle is Quetzalcoatl who was great teacher, prophet and his story is one of deep change and also creation and dissolution. Quetzalcoatl means "Lord Of The Dawn" who battles his twin Tezxatlipoca "Dark Lord of the North". The story is that Quetzalcoatl was named according to the great calendar of the Aztecs "Ce Acatl Topilzin Quetzalcoatl " (Our Lord One Feathered Serpent) . His mother died giving birth to him, and he was then raised in the Temples of Xochicalco. It was here he learned to commune with living and spiritual beings. It is said as he grew he performed many divine deeds and taught the people divine laws, arts, building great cities and creating a context for compassionate living and relationship to the Earth.

He was tricked into drinking hikali, the milk of peyote which was used in ritual sacrifice of the followers of Tezcatlipoca, which disqualified him from being a ruler of the people. The followers of Tezcatlipoca seized control of the people in this way and this new order was one of pursuit of power glory through human sacrifice.

After this Quetzalcoatl and his followers made a pilgrimage to the "Tree of Life" in Mexico in Oaxaca. He was visited by four sages whom he told to share with there people guiding stories and rituals about the Tree and the Tree of Life. He continued on his journey to the tree and it was here that he had a vision of events to come and he wept. He spent the remaining years of his life under this great tree.

When he died he was 52 years old, or a cycle in the sacred calendar. His date a birth would have been 947 A.D and death 999A.D. His death marked the beginning of the fourth cycle of heaven, and before his death promised to return to close the 13 heavens and open the 9 hells. In 1519 Herain Cortes reached the shores of Mexico on the day one of the 52 year cycle beginning the 9 cycles of "hells of doom". This is why many believed Cortes was the return of Quetzalcoatl and great destruction did occur. Yet the fifth cycle of the the calender was to end in August 16th 1987 of which then the great cycle of 52 has already begun and we have been seeing a restoration of the Indigenous people and will continue to see great changes, as the Tree of Life, the Great Mystery Jesus Christ Himself reveals himself just a spring brings forth new life from the old.

Change

It was a time for a change this summer with a few unexpected changes at that. First had my hip replaced which now is showing a new lease on my ability to walk without pain again.

I had begun to fear change and became very comfortable with my old routine, but God helped me to break through the comfort level and experience new things. It easy to get used to a certain way of things and before you know it a person does not want to venture forth into anything that deviates from the normal routine.

This year brought the changes into my life that has helped me to get over the anxiety of change and trust Gods path for me. I will begin to share on these changes and if any one wants to read welcome but I find for me its an outlet of expression to write and think these things onto the blog.

One of the ongoing changes is the joining of the past with the present that will effect the future. The thought of living in a circle is not western thought but I find is one of our Creators own mind.

For me the past in part dealing with who I am today through the linage of the Creator, The Great Mystery, is important now more than I had thought so in my path. As I continue on with this path the direction of this blog will also change to embrace these new changes in me.

Miigwetch for listening.

The Visions of Sandu Sundar Singh

PUBLISHERS' PREFACE
The life of Sadhu Sundar Singh was most remarkable in it's Christ-likeness. He was born amidst the depths of Indian culture and religion, and into a Sikh family. During the early part of his life, Sundar's mother would take him week by week to sit at the feet of a sadhu, an ascetic holy man, who lived some distance away in the rainforest.

But with the death of his beloved mother when he was only fourteen years old, the young Sundar grew increasingly despairing and aggressive. His hatred of the local missionaries and Christians culminated in the public burning of a bible, which he tore apart page by page and threw, into the flames.

Yet before long Sundar was intent on taking his own life. Sundar had arrived at a point of desperation: he had decided to throw himself under the Ludhiana express if God did not reveal to him the true way of peace.

At three in the morning he rose from his bed and went out into the moonlit courtyard for the ceremonial bath observed by devout Hindus and Sikhs before worship. He then returned to his room and knelt down, bowed his head to the ground and pleaded that God would reveal himself. Yet, nothing happened.

He had not known what to expect: a voice, a vision, and a trance? Still nothing happened. And it was fast approaching the time for the Lothian express.

He lifted his head and opened his eyes, and was rather surprised to see a faint cloud of light in the room. It was too early for the dawn. He opened the door and peered out to the courtyard. Darkness. Turning back into the room, he saw that the light in the room was getting brighter. To his sheer amazement, he saw not the face of any of his traditional gods, but of Jesus the Christ.

Jesus Christ was there in the room, shining, radiating an inexpressible joy, peace, and love, looking at him with compassion and asking, "Why do you persecute me? I died for you..."

From here on the life of Sundar Singh became most Christ-like. Being unwilling to denounce his Master, it was not long before his family had rejected him. Sundar took the saffron robes of the sadhu and began a life of spreading the simple message of love and peace and rebirth through Jesus. He carried no money or other possessions, only a New Testament.

He traveled India and Tibet, as well as the rest of the world, with the message that the modern interpretation of Jesus was sadly watered down. He visited the West twice, traveling to Britain, the United States, and Australia in 1920, and Europe again in 1922.

With the large number of "spiritual paths" and "techniques”, facing the world of today it is of special value to consider the life and insights of one who truly embraced the simplicity, love and freedom offered through devotion to Christ.

"I am not worthy to follow in the steps of my Lord," he said, "but like Him, I want no home, no possessions. Like Him I will belong to the road, sharing the suffering of my people, eating with those who will give me shelter, and telling all people of the love of God."

PREFACE by SUNDAR SINGH
The following is the preface of the original publication of 1926:

In this book, I have attempted to write about some of the visions, which God has given me. Had I considered my own inclinations I would not have published the account of these visions during my life time; but friends, whose judgment I value, have been insistent that, as a spiritual help to others, the publication of the teaching of these visions should not be delayed. In deference to the wish of these friends, this book is now presented to the public.

At Kotgarh, fourteen years ago, while I was praying, my eyes were opened to the Heavenly Vision. So vividly did I see it all that I thought I must have died, and that my soul had passed into the glory of heaven; but throughout the intervening years these visions have continued to enrich my life. I cannot call them up at will, but, usually when I am praying or meditating, sometimes as often as eight or ten times in a month, my spiritual eyes are opened to see within the heavens, and, for an hour or two, I walk in the glory of the heavenly sphere with Christ Jesus, and hold converse with angels and spirits. Their answers to my questions have provided much of the material that has already been published in my books, and the unutterable ecstasy of that spiritual communion makes me long for the time when I shall enter in permanently to the bliss and fellowship of the redeemed.

Some may consider that these visions are merely a form of spiritualism, but I would emphasize that there is one very essential difference. Spiritualism does presume to produce messages and signs from spirits out of the dark, but they are usually so fragmentary and unintelligible, if not actually deceptive, that they lead their followers away from, rather than to, the truth. In these visions, on the other hand, I see vividly and clearly every detail of the glory of the spiritual world, and I have the uplifting experience of very real fellowship with the saints, amid the inconceivably bright and beautiful world made visible. It is from these angels and saints that I have received, not vague, broken and elusive messages from the unseen, but clear and rational elucidations of many of the problems that have troubled me.

This "Communion of the Saints" was a fact so real in the experience of the early Church, that it is given a place among the necessary articles of their faith, as stated in the "Apostles' Creed." Once, in a vision, I asked the saints for a proof from the Bible of this communion of saints, and was told that it was to be found clearly given in Zechariah 3:7-8, where "those that were standing by" were not angels, but saints in glory; and God's promise, on condition of Joshua fulfilling His command, is that he will be given "a place of access to walk among them (saints) that stand by," and these are his "fellows" the spirits of men made perfect with whom he could commune. There is repeated mention of Spirits, Saints and Angels in this book. The distinction I would make between them is that spirits are good or bad, which after death exist in a state intermediate between heaven and hell. Saints are those who have passed on through this stage into the higher sphere of the spiritual world, and have had special service allotted to them. Angels are those glorious beings to whom all kinds of superior service have been allotted, and among them are included many saints from other worlds, as well as from this world of ours, who live together as one family. They serve one another in love, and, in the effulgence of God's glory, are eternally happy. The World of Spirits means that intermediary state into which spirits enter after leaving the body. By the Spiritual World is meant all spiritual beings that progress through the stages between the darkness of the bottomless pit and the throne of the Lord in light.

I wish to express my sincere thanks to Rev. T. E. Riddle of the New Zealand Presbyterian Mission, Kharar, Punjab, who has journeyed up to Subathu to translate the original book from Urdu into English. My thanks are again due to Miss E. Sanders, of Coventry, for having corrected the proofs.

SUNDAR SINGH

Subathu, July 1926.

The Visions

LIFE
There is only one source of Life--an Infinite and Almighty Life, whose creative power gave life to all living things. All creatures live in Him and in Him will they remain forever. Again, this Life created innumerable other lives, different in kind, and in the stages of their progress man is one of these, created in God's own image that he might ever remain happy in His holy presence.

DEATH
This life may change but it can never be destroyed, and though the change from one form of existence into another is called Death, this never means that death finally ends life, or even that it adds to life, or takes away from it. It merely transfers the life from one form of existence to another. A thing that disappears from our sight has not thereby ceased to exist. It reappears, but in another form and state.

MAN CAN NEVER BE DESTROYED
Nothing in this whole universe was ever destroyed, nor can it ever be, because the Creator has never created anything for destruction. If He had wished to destroy it, He would never have created it. And if nothing in creation can be destroyed, then how can man be destroyed, who is the crown of creation, and the image of his Creator? Can God Himself destroy His own image, or can any other creature do it? Never! If a man is not destroyed at death then at once the question arises, where will man exist after death, and in what state?

I shall attempt to give a brief explanation from my own visional experiences though it is not possible for me to describe all the things which I have seen in visions of the spiritual world, because the language and illustrations of this world are inadequate to express these spiritual realities; and the very attempt to reduce to ordinary language the glory of the things seen is likely to result in misunderstanding. I have, therefore, had to eliminate the account of all those subtle spiritual occurrences, for which only a spiritual language is adequate, and to take up only a few simple and instructive incidents that will prove profitable to all. And since at some time or other every one will have to enter into this unseen spiritual world it will not be without profit, if we, to some extent, become familiar with it.

WHAT HAPPENS AT DEATH?
One day when I was praying alone, I suddenly found myself surrounded by a great concourse of spirit beings, or I might say that as soon as my spiritual eyes were opened I found myself bowed in the presence of a considerable company of saints and angels. At first, I was somewhat abashed, when I saw their bright and glorious state and compared with them my own inferior quality. But I was at once put at ease by their real sympathy and love-inspired friendliness. I had already had the experience of the peace of the presence of God in my life, but the fellowship of these saints added a new and wonderful joy to me. As we conversed together, I received from them answers to my questions relating to my difficulties about many problems that puzzled me. My first inquiry was about what happens at the time of dying and about the state of the soul after death. I said, ' We know what happens to us between childhood and old age, but we know nothing of what happens at the time of death or beyond the gates of death. Correct information about it can be known only by those on the other side of death, after they have entered the spiritual world. "Can you", I asked, "Give us any information about this?"

To this one of the saints answered! "Death is like sleep. There is no pain in the passing over, except in the case of a few bodily diseases and mental conditions. As an exhausted man is overcome by deep sleep, so comes the sleep of death to man. Death comes so suddenly to many, that it is only with great difficulty that they realize that they have left the material world, and entered this world of spirits. Bewildered by the many new things that they see around them, they imagine that they are visiting some country or city of the physical world, which they have not seen before. It is only when they have been more fully instructed, and realize that their spiritual body is different from their former material body, that they allow that they have, in fact, been transferred from the material world to the realm of spirits."

Another of the saints who was present gave this further answer to my question, "Usually," he said, "at the time of death the body loses its power of feeling. It has no pain, but is simply overcome by a sense of drowsiness. Sometimes in cases of great weakness, or after accident, the spirit departs while the body is still unconscious. Then the spirits of those who have lived without thought of, or preparation for, entering the spiritual world, being thus suddenly transferred into the world of spirits, are extremely bewildered, and in a state of great distress at their fate, so, for a considerable period, they have to remain in the lower and darker planes of the intermediate state. The spirits of these lower spheres often greatly harass people in the world. But the only ones that they can injure are those who are like in mind to themselves, who of their own free will open their hearts to entertain them. These evil spirits, allying themselves with other evil spirits, would do immense harm in the world were it not that God has appointed innumerable angels everywhere for the protection of His people, and of His creation, so that His people are always safe in His keeping."

"Evil spirits can injure only those in the world who are like in nature to themselves, and then they can do it only to a limited extent. They can, indeed, trouble the righteous, but not without God's permission. God sometimes does give to Satan and his angels permission to tempt and persecute His people, that they may emerge from the trial stronger and better, as when He allowed Satan to persecute His servant Job. But from such a trial there is gain rather than loss to the believer."

Another of the saints standing by added in reply to my question, "Many whose lives have not been yielded to God, when about to die, seem to become unconscious; but what actually happens is that when they see the hideous and devilish faces of the evil spirits that have come about them, they become speechless and paralyzed by fear. On the other hand the dying of a believer is frequently the very opposite of this. He is extremely happy for he sees angels and saintly spirits coming to welcome him. Then too, his loved ones, who have died before, are permitted to attend his deathbed, and to conduct his soul to the spiritual world. On entering the world of spirits he at once feels at home for not only are his friends about him, but, while in the world he had long been preparing himself for that Home by his trust in God and fellowship with Him."

After that a fourth saint said, "To conduct the souls of men from the world is the work of angels. Usually Christ reveals Himself in the spiritual world to each one in degrees of glory differing in intensity according to the state of each soul's spiritual development. But in some cases, He Himself comes to a deathbed to welcome His servant and in love dries his tears, and leads him into Paradise. As a child born into the world finds everything provided for its wants, so does the soul, on entering the spiritual world find all its wants supplied."

THE WORLD OF SPIRITS
Once in the course of conversation, the saints gave me this information. "After death the soul of every human being will enter the world of spirits, and every one, according to the stage of his spiritual growth, will dwell with spirits like in mind and in nature to himself, either in the darkness or in the light of glory. We are assured that no one in the physical body has entered into the spiritual world, except Christ and a few saints, whose bodies were transformed into glorious bodies, yet to some it has been granted, that, while still dwelling in the world, they can see the world of spirits, and heaven itself, as in 2 Cor. 12:2, though they themselves cannot tell whether they enter Paradise in the body or in the spirit."

After this conversation, these saints conducted me around and showed me many wonderful things and places. I saw that from all sides thousands upon thousands of souls were constantly arriving in the world of spirits, and that all were attended by angels. The souls of the good had with them only angels and good spirits, who had conducted them from their deathbeds. Evil spirits were not allowed to come near to them, but stood far off and watched. I saw also that there were no good spirits with the souls of the really wicked, but about them were evil spirits, who had come with them from their death-beds, while angels, too, stood by and prevented the evil spirits from giving free play to the spite of their malicious natures in harassing them. The evil spirits almost immediately led these souls away towards the darkness, for when in the flesh, they had consistently allowed evil spirits to influence them for evil, and had willingly permitted themselves to be enticed to all kinds of wickedness.

For the angels in no way interfere with the free will of any soul. I saw there, also, many souls who had lately come into the world of spirits, who were attended by both good and evil spirits, as well as by angels. But before long, the radical difference of their lives began to assert itself, and they separated themselves--the good in character towards the good, and the evil towards the evil.

SONS OF LIGHT
When the souls of men arrive in the world of spirits the good at once separate from the evil. In the world all are mixed together, but it is not so in the spiritual world. I have many times seen that when the spirits of the good--the Sons of Light enter into the world of spirits they first of all bathe in the impalpable air-like waters of a crystal clear ocean, and in this they find an intense and exhilarating refreshment. Within these miraculous waters they move about as if in open air, neither are they drowned beneath them, nor do the waters wet them, but, wonderfully cleansed and refreshed and fully purified, they enter into the world of glory and light, where they will ever remain in the presence of their dear Lord, and in the fellowship of innumerable saints and angels.

SONS OF DARKNESS
How different from these are the souls of those whose lives have been evil. Ill at ease in the company of the Sons of Light, and tormented by the all-revealing light of Glory, they struggle to hide themselves in places where their impure and sin-stained natures will not be seen. From the lowest and darkest part of the world of spirits a black and evil-smelling smoke arises, and in their effort to hide themselves from the light, these Sons of Darkness push down, and cast themselves headlong into it, and from it their bitter wails of remorse and anguish are heard constantly to arise. But heaven is so arranged that the smoke is not seen, nor does the spirits in heaven hear the wails of anguish, unless any of them for some special reason should wish to see the evil plight of those souls in darkness.

DEATH OF A CHILD
A little child died of pneumonia, and a party of angels came to conduct his soul to the world of spirits. I wish that his mother could have seen that wonderful sight, then, instead of weeping, she would have sung with joy, for the angels take care of the little ones with a care and a love that no mother ever could show. I heard one of the angels say to another, "See how this child's mother weeps over this short and temporary separation! In a very few years she will be happy again with her child." Then the angels took the child's soul to that beautiful and light-filled part of heaven, which is set apart for children, where they care for them, and teach them in all heavenly wisdom, until gradually the little ones become like the angels.

After some time this child's mother also died, and her child, who had now become like the angels, came with other angels to welcome the soul of his mother. When he said to her, "Mother, do you not know me? I am your son Theodore," the mother's heart was flooded with joy, and when they embraced one another their tears of joy fell like flowers. It was a touching sight! Then as they walked along together he kept on pointing out, and explaining to her the things around them, and during the time appointed for her stay in the intermediate state, he remained with her, and, when the period necessary for instruction in that world was completed he took her with him to the higher sphere where he himself dwelt.

There, on all sides, were wonderful and joyous surroundings, and unnumbered souls of men were there, who in the world had borne all kinds of suffering for the sake of Christ, and in the end had been raised to this Glorious place of honor. All around were matchless and exceedingly beautiful mountains, springs & landscapes, & in the gardens was abundance of all kinds of sweet fruits & beautiful flowers. Everything the heart could desire was there. Then he said to his mother, "In the World, which is the dim reflection of this real world, our dear ones are grieving over us, but, tell me, is this death, or the real life for which every heart yearns?" The mother said, "Son. This is the true life. If I had known in the world the whole truth about heaven, I would never have grieved over your death. What a pity it is those in the world are so blind! In spite of the fact that Christ has explained quite clearly about this state of glory, and that the Gospels again and again tell of this eternal kingdom of the Father, yet, not only ignorant people, but many enlightened believers as well, still remain altogether unaware of its glory. May God grant that all may enter into the abiding joy of this place!"

DEATH OF A PHILOSOPHER
The soul of a German philosopher entered into the world of spirits and saw from afar the incomparable glory of the spiritual world, and the boundless happiness of its people. He was delighted with what he saw, but his stubborn intellectualism stood in the way of his entering into it, and enjoying its happiness. Instead of admitting that it was real, he argued thus with himself, "There is no doubt at all that I see all this, but what proof is there that it has objective existence, and is not some illusion conjured up by my mind? From end to end of all this scene I will apply the tests of logic, philosophy and science, and then only will I be convinced that it has a reality of its own, and is no illusion." Then the angels answered him, "It is evident from your speech that your intellectualism has warped your whole nature, for as spiritual, and not bodily, eyes are needed to see the spiritual world, so spiritual understanding is necessary to comprehend its reality, and not mental exercises in the fundamentals of logic and philosophy. Your science that deals with material facts has been left behind with your physical skull and brain in the World. Here, only that spiritual wisdom is of use which arises out of the fear and love of God." Then said one of the angels to another, "What a pity it is that people forget that precious word of our Lord, 'Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven' (Matt. 18:3). I asked one of the angels what the end of this man would be, and he replied "If this man's life had been altogether bad, then he would at once have joined the spirits of darkness, but he is not without a moral sense, so for a very long time he will wander blindly round in the dim light of the lower parts of the intermediate state, and keep on bumping his philosophical head, until tired of his foolishness, he repents. Then he will be ready to receive the necessary instruction from the angels appointed for that purpose, and, when instructed, will he be fit to enter into the fuller light of God in the higher sphere."

In one sense the whole of infinite space, filled as it is with the presence of God, who is Spirit, is a spiritual world. In another sense, the World also is a spiritual world, for its inhabitants are spirits clothed with human bodies. But there is yet another world of spirits after they leave the body at death. This is an intermediate state -- a state between the glory and light of the highest heavens, and the dimness and darkness of the lowest hells. In it are innumerable planes of existence, and the soul is conducted to that plane for which its progress in the World has fitted it. There, angels especially appointed to this work, instruct it for a time, that may be long or short, before it goes on to join the society of those spirits -- good spirits in the greater light, or evil spirits in the greater darkness -- that are like in nature and in mind to itself.

UNSEEN HELP
Our relatives and dear ones, and at times the saints as well often come from the unseen world to help and protect us, but the angels always do. Yet they have never been allowed to make themselves visible to us, except at a few times of very special need. By ways unrecognized by us they influence us towards holy thoughts, and incline us towards God and towards good conduct, and God's Spirit, dwelling in our hearts, completes that work for the perfecting of our spiritual life, which they have been unable to accomplish.

The greatness of any one does not depend upon his knowledge and position, nor by these alone can any one be great. A man is as great as he can be useful to others, and the usefulness of his life to others depends on his service to them. Hence, in so far as a man can serve others in love, just so far is he great. As the Lord said, "But whosoever will be great among you let him be your servant" (Matt. 20:26). The joy of all those that dwell in heaven is found in this that they serve one another in love, and thus, fulfilling the object of their lives, they remain forever in the presence of God.

THE CORRECTION OF ERROR
When people earnestly desire to live lives pleasing to God, the readjustment of their views, and the renewal of their lives, begin in this world. Not only does the Spirit of God teach them directly but in the secret chamber of their hearts they are helped by communion with the saints, who, unseen by them are ever at hand to assist them towards the good.

But, as many Christian believers, as well as non-Christian seekers after truth, die while still holding false and partial views of truth, their views are corrected in the world of spirits, provided that they are not obstinately welded to their opinions, and are willing to learn, because neither in this world, nor in the next, does God, or any servant of His, force a man to believe anything against his will.

THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST
I saw in a vision the spirit of an idolater on reaching the world of spirits begin at once to search for his god. Then the saints said to him, "There is no god here save the One True God, and Christ, who is His manifestation." At this, the man was a good deal astonished, but being a sincere seeker after truth, he frankly admitted that he had been in error. He eagerly sought to know the correct view of truth, and asked if he might see the Christ. Shortly after this Christ manifested Himself in a dim light to him, and to others who had newly arrived in the world of spirits, because at this stage they could not have endured a full exhibition of His glory, for His glory is so surpassing that even the angels look on Him with difficulty, and cover their faces with their wings (Isaiah 6:9). When He does reveal Himself to any one He takes into account the particular stage of progress to which that soul has attained, so He appears dimly, or in the fuller light of His glory, that the sight of Him may be endured. So, when these spirits saw Christ in this dim but attractive light, they were filled with a joy and peace, which is beyond our power to describe. Bathed in the rays of His life-giving light, and with the waves of His love, which constantly flow out from Him, flowing over them, all their error was washed away. Then with all their hearts, they acknowledged Him as the Truth, and found healing, and, bowing in lowly adoration before Him, thanked and praised Him. And the saints, who had been appointed for their instruction; also rejoiced over them.

A LABOURER AND A DOUBTER
Once I saw in a vision a laboring man arrive in the spirit world. He was in great distress, for in all his life he had given no thought to anything but earning his daily bread. He had been too busy to think of God, or of spiritual things. At the same time he had died another had also died, who was a doubter, obstinate in his opinions. Both were ordered to remain for a long period far down in the world of spirits in a place of darkness. In this, being in distress, they began to cry for help. Saints and angels, in love and sympathy, went to instruct them that they might understand how to become members of the Kingdom of Glory and Light. But in spite of their distress, like many other spirits, they preferred to remain on in their dark abode, for sin had so warped their whole character and nature that they doubted everything. They even looked with suspicion on the angels who had come to help them. As I watched I wondered what their end would be, but, when I asked, the only answer I got was from one of the saints, who said, "God may have mercy on them."

We can form an estimate from the depravity of man's perverted nature from this, that, if an evil report about another goes round, even if it is false, a man whose outlook is distorted by sin will at once accept it as true. If, on the other hand, a good and perfectly true report is received, for example that such and such a man is a devout man, who has done this or that work for the glory of God and for the good of his fellows, then, without hesitation, such a hearer will say, "It is all false. So-and-so must have some motive of his own at the back of it all." Should we ask such a man how he knows that the former case is true and the latter false, and what proof he can give, he will have not the slightest proof to put forward.

All that we can learn from such an attitude of mind is, that, as his mind is tainted with evil he believes evil reports because they fit in with his evil nature, and he thinks good reports are lies because they do not fit in with the evil of his heart. By nature, a good man's attitude is the opposite of this. He is naturally inclined to doubt an evil report, and to believe a good report, because this attitude best fits in with the goodness of his nature. Those who in this world pass their lives in opposition to the will of God will have rest of heart neither in this world nor in the world to come; and, on entering the world of spirits they will feel bewildered and distressed. But those who in this world are conformed to the will or the Lord will be at peace on reaching the next, and will be filled with unspeakable joy, because here is their eternal home, and the kingdom of their Father.

THE JUDGMENT OF SINNERS
Many have the idea that if they sin in secret then none will ever know about it, but it is altogether impossible that any sin should remain hidden forever. At some time or other, it will certainly be known, and the sinner will also receive the punishment he deserves. Also, goodness and truth can never be hidden. In the end they must triumph, though, for a time, they may not be recognized. The following incidents will throw light on the state of the sinner.

A GOOD MAN AND A THIEF
Once in a vision, one of the saints recounted this story to me, "Late one night a godly man had to go a distance to do some necessary work. As he went along, he came upon a thief breaking into a shop. He said to him, 'you have no right to take other people's property, and to cause them loss. It is a great sin to do so.' The thief answered, 'If you want to get out of this safely, then get out quietly. If you don't there will be trouble for you.' The good man persisted in his efforts, and, when the thief would not listen, he began to shout and raised the neighbors. They rushed out to seize the thief, but as soon as the good man began to accuse him, the thief retaliated and accused the good man. 'Oh-yes;' he said, 'you think this fellow is very religious, but I caught him in the very act of stealing.' As there were no witnesses both were arrested, and locked up together in a room, while a police officer and some of his men hid themselves to listen to their conversation. Then the thief began to laugh at his fellow prisoner.

'Look,' he said, 'haven't I caught you nicely? I told you at first to get out or it would be the worse for you. Now we'll see how your religion is going to save you.' As soon as the officer heard this, he opened the door and released the good man with honor and a reward, while he gave the thief a severe beating, and locked him in a prison cell. So, even in this world, there is a degree of judgment between good and bad men, but the full punishment and reward will be given only in the world to come."

SECRET SINS
The following was also related to me in a vision. A man in the secret of his own room was committing a sinful act, and he thought that his sin was hidden. One of the saints said, "How I wish that the spiritual eyes of this man had been open at the time, then he would never have dared to commit this sin." For in that room were a number of angels and saints, as well as some spirits of his dear ones, who had come to help him. All of them were grieved to see his shameful conducts and one of them said, "We came to help him, but now we will have to be witnesses against him at the time of his judgment. He cannot see us, but we can all see him indulging in this sin. Would that this man would repent, and be saved from the punishment to come."

WASTED OPPORTUNITIES
Once I saw in the world of spirits a spirit who, with cries of remorse was rushing about like a madman. An angel said, "In the world this man had many chances of repenting and turning towards God, but whenever his conscience began to trouble him he used to drown its prickings in drink. He wasted all his property, ruined his family, and in the end committed suicide, and now in the world of spirits he rushes frantically about like a mad dog and writhes in remorse at the thought of his lost opportunities. We are all willing to help him, but his own perverted nature prevents him from repenting, for sin has hardened his heart, though the memory of his sin is always fresh to him. In the world, he drank to make himself forget the voice of his conscience, but here there is no possible chance of covering up anything. Now his soul is so naked that he himself, and all the inhabitants of the spiritual world, can see his sinful life. For him, in his sin-hardened state, no other course is possible but that he must hide himself in the darkness with other evil spirits, and so to some extent escape the torture of the light."

A WICKED MAN PERMITTED TO ENTER HEAVEN
Once in my presence a man of evil life entered at death into the world of spirits. When the angel and saints wished to help him he at once began to curse and revile them, and say, "God is altogether unjust. He has prepared heaven for such flattering slaves as you are, and casts the rest of mankind into hell. Yet you call Him Love!" The angels replied, "God certainly is Love. He created men that they might live forever in happy fellowship with Him, but men, by their own obstinacy, and by abuse of their free will have turned their faces away from Him, and have made hell for themselves. God neither casts any one into hell, nor will He ever do so, but man himself, by being entangled in sin, creates hell for himself. God never created any hell."

Just then, the exceedingly sweet voice of one of the high angels was heard from above saying, "God gives permission that this man may be brought into heaven." Eagerly the man stepped forward accompanied by two angels, but when they reached the door of heaven, and saw the holy and light-enveloped place and the glorious and blessed inhabitants that dwell there, he began to feel uneasy. The angels said to him, "See how beautiful a world is this! Go a little farther, and look at the dear Lord sitting on His throne." From the door he looked, and then as the light of the Sun of Righteousness revealed to him the impurity of his sin-defiled life, he started back in an agony of self-loathing, and fled, with such precipitancy, that he did not even stop in the intermediate state of the world of spirits, but like a stone he passed through it, and cast himself headlong into the bottomless pit.

Then the sweet and ravishing voice of the Lord was heard saying, "Look, My dear children, none is forbidden to come here, and no one forbade this man, nor has any one asked him to leave. It was his own impure life that forced him to flee from this holy place, for, 'Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God' (John 3:3).

THE SPIRIT OF A MURDERER
A man, who some years before had killed a Christian preacher, was bitten by a snake in the jungle, and died. When he entered the world of spirits, he saw good and bad spirits all around him, and because the whole aspect of his soul showed that he was a son of darkness, the evil spirits soon had possession of him, and pushed him along with them towards the darkness. One of the saints remarked, "He killed a man of God by the poison of his anger, and now he is killed by the poison of a snake. The old Serpent, the devil, by means of this man, killed an innocent man. Now, by means of another snake, which is like him, he has killed this man, for 'he was a murderer from the beginning' " (John 8:44).

AND THE SPIRIT OF THE MAN MURDERED
As he was being taken away, one from among the good spirits, who had come to help him, said to him, "I have forgiven you with all my heart. Now can I do anything to help you?" The murderer at once recognized him as the same man whom he had killed some years before. Ashamed and smitten with fear he fell down before him, and at once the evil spirits began to clamor loudly, but the angels who were standing at a distance rebuked and silenced them. Then the murderer said to the man whom he had killed, "How I wish that, in the world, I could have seen your unselfish and loving life as I see it now! I regret that through my blindness, and because your body screened your real spiritual life, I could not then see the inner beauty of your life. Also, by killing, you I deprived many of the blessing and benefit that you would have given them. Now I am forever a sinner in God's sight, and fully deserve my punishment. I don't know what I can do except hide myself in some dark cave, because I cannot bear this light. In it, not only does my own heart make me miserable, but all can see every detail of my sinful life." To this the man who had been murdered replied, "You should truly repent, and turn to God, for if you do there is hope that the Lamb of God will wash you in His own blood, and give you new life that you may live with us in heaven, and be saved frown the torment of Hell."

The murderer said in reply, "There is no need for me to confess my sins for they are open to all. In the world, I could hide them, but not here. I want to live with saints like you in heaven, but when I cannot bear the dimness of the self-revealing light in the world of spirits, then what will be my state in the searching brightness and glory of that light-filled place? My greatest hindrance is that, through my sins, my conscience is so dull and hardened that my nature will not incline towards God and repentance. I seem to have no power to repent left in me. Now there is nothing for it, but that I shall be driven out from here forever. Alas for my unhappy state!" As he said this, fear-stricken, he fell down, and his fellow evil spirits dragged him away into the darkness. Then one of the angels said, "See! There is no need for anyone to pronounce a sentence of doom. Of itself, the life of any sinner proves him guilty. There is no need to tell him, or to put forward witnesses against him. To a certain extent, punishment begins in the heart of every sinner while in the world, but here they feel the full effect of it. And God's arrangement here is such that goats and sheep, that is, sinners and righteous, separate of their own accord.

God created man to live in light, in which his Spiritual health and joy are made permanent forever. Therefore, no man can be happy in the darkness of hell, nor, because of his sin-perverted life, can he be happy in the light. So, wherever a sinner may go he will find himself in hell. How opposite to this is the state of the righteous, who freed from sin, is in heaven everywhere!"

THE SPIRIT OF A LIAR
In the world, there was a man so addicted to lying that it had become second nature to him. When he died and entered the world of spirits, he tried to lie as usual, but was greatly ashamed because even before he could speak, his thoughts were known to all. No one can be a hypocrite there, because the thought of no heart can remain hidden. The soul as it leaves the body bears in it the imprint of all its sin, and its very members become witnesses against it. Nothing can blot out that stain of sin except the blood of Christ. When this man was in the world he regularly tried to distort right into wrong, and wrong into right, but, after his bodily death he learned that there never is, and never can be, a possibility of twisting truth into untruth. He who lies injures and deceives no one but himself, so this man by lying had killed the inner perception to truth, which he had once possessed. I watched him as, inextricably tangled in his own deceit, he turned his face away from the light from above, and hurried away far down into the darkness, where none could see his filthy love of lying, except those spirits who were like in nature to himself.

For Truth is always Truth, and it alone gave this man the sentence of his falseness, and condemned him as a liar.

THE SPIRIT OF AN ADULTERER
I saw an adulterer, who had shortly before arrived in the world of spirits. His tongue was hanging out like a man consumed by thirst, his nostrils were distended, and he beat his arms about as if a kind of fire burned within him. His appearance was so evil and loathsome that I revolted at looking at him. All the accompaniments of luxury and sensuality had been left behind in the world and now, like a mad dog, he ran frantically around, and cried, "Curse on this life! There is no death here to put an end to all this pain. And here the spirit cannot die; otherwise, I should again kill myself, as I did with a pistol in the world in order to escape from my troubles there. But this pain is far greater than the pain of the world. What shall I do?" Saying this he ran towards the darkness, where were many other like-minded spirits, and there disappeared.

One of the saints said "Not only is an evil act sin, but an evil thought, and an evil look is also sin. This sin is not confined only to trafficking with strange women, but excess and animalism in relation to one's wife is also sin. A man and his wife are truly joined together not for sensualism but for mutual help and support, that they with their children may spend their lives in the service of mankind and for the glory of God.

But he who departs from this aim in life is guilty of the adulterer's sin."

THE SOUL OF A ROBBER
A robber died and entered the world of spirits. At first he took no interest in his state, or in the spirits about him, but, as his habit was, he at once set about helping himself to the valuables of the place. But he was amazed that in the spirit world the very things seemed to be speaking and accusing him of his unworthy action. His nature was so perverted that he neither knew the true use of these things nor was he fit to use them rightly. In the World, his passions had been so unbridled, that, for the most trifling cause, he, in his anger, had killed or wounded any who had offended him. Now in the world of spirits, he began to act in the same way. He turned on the spirits, who came to instruct him, as if he would have torn them to pieces, like a savage dog will do even in the presence of its master. On this one of the angels said, "If spirits of this kind were not kept down in the darkness or the bottomless pit, then they would cause immense harm wherever they might go. This man's conscience is so dead, that even after he has reached the world of spirits, he fails to recognize that, by murdering and robbing in the world, he has wasted his own spiritual discernment and life. He killed and destroyed others, but in reality, he has destroyed himself. God alone knows if this man, and those who are like him, will remain in torment for ages or forever."

After this, the angels appointed to the duty took him, and shut him down in the darkness from which he is not permitted to come out. The state of evildoers in that place is so terrible, and so inexpressibly fierce is this torment, that those who see them tremble at the sight. Because of the limitations of our worldly speech, we can only say this, that wherever the soul of a sinner is, always and in every way, there is nothing but pain that ceases not for a moment. A kind of lightless fire burns forever and torments these souls, but neither are they altogether consumed, nor does the fire die out. A spirit who was watching what had just happened said, "Who knows but that in the end this may not be a cleansing flame?" In the dark part of the world of spirits, which is called Hell, there are many grades and planes, and the particular one in which any spirit lives in suffering is dependent on the quantity and character of his sins. In fact God made them all in His own image (Gen. 1:26, 27; Col. 1:15), yet by their connection with sin they have disfigured this image, and have made it unbeautiful and evil. They have, indeed, a kind of spiritual body, but it is exceedingly loathsome and frightful, and if they are not restored by true repentance, and the grace of God, (while on earth), then in this fearful form they must remain in torment forever.

THE STATE OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THEIR GLORIOUS END
Heaven, or the Kingdom of God, begins in the lives of all true believers in this world. Their hearts are always filled with peace and joy, no matter what persecutions and troubles they may have to endure; for God, who is the source of all peace and life, dwells in them. Death is no death for them, but a door by which they enter forever into their eternal home. Or we may say that though they have already been born again into their eternal kingdom, yet when they leave the body, it is for them, not the day of their death, but their day of birth into the spiritual world, and it is for them a time of superlative joy as the following incidents will make clear.

THE DEATH OF A RIGHTEOUS MAN
An angel related to me how a true Christian, who had wholeheartedly served his Master for thirty years, lay dying. A few minutes before he died God opened his spiritual eyes that, even before leaving the body, he might see the spiritual world and might tell what he saw to those about him. He saw that heaven had been opened for him, and a party of angels and saints was coming out to meet him, and at the door, the Savior with outstretched hand was waiting to receive him. As all this broke upon him, he gave such a shout of joy that those at his bedside were startled. "What a joy it is for me," he exclaimed, "I have long been waiting that I might see my Lord, and go to Him. Oh friends! Look at His face all lighted by love, and see that company of angels that has come for me. What a glorious place it is! Friends, I am setting out for my real home, do not grieve over my departure, but rejoice!" One of those present at his bedside said quietly, "His mind is wandering." He heard the low voice and said, "No, it is not. I am quite conscious. I wish you could see this wonderful sight. I am sorry it is hidden from your eyes. Good-bye, we will meet again in the next world." Saving this he closed his eyes, and said, "Lord I commend my soul into thy hands" and so fell asleep.

COMFORTING HIS DEAR ONES
As soon as his soul had left his body the angels took him in their arms, and were about to go off to heaven, but he asked them to delay a few minutes. He looked at his lifeless body, and at his friends, and said to the angels, "I did not know that the spirit after leaving the body could see his own body and his friends. I wish my friends could see me, as well as I can see them, then these would never count me as dead, nor mourn for me as they do." Then he examined his spiritual body and found it beautifully light and delicate, and totally different from his gross material body. On that, he began to restrain his wife and children who were weeping and kissing his cold body. He stretched out his delicate spiritual hands, and began to explain to them, and with great love to press them away from it, but they could neither see him, nor hear his voice, and, as he tried to remove his children from off his body, it seemed as if his hands passed right through their bodies, as if they were air, but they felt nothing at all. Then one of the angels said, "Come, let us take you to your everlasting home. Do not be sorry for them. The Lord Himself, and we also, will comfort them. This separation is but for a few days."

Then in company with the angels he set out for heaven. They had gone forward only a little way when another band of angels met them with cries of "Welcome." Many friends and dear ones, who had died before him, also met him, and on seeing them, his joy was further increased. On reaching the gate of heaven, the angels and saints stood in silence on either side. He entered, and in the doorway was met by Christ. At once, he fell at His feet to worship Him, but the Lord lifted him up, embraced him, and said, “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord At that the man's joy was indescribable. From his eyes tears of joy began to flow, the Lord in great love wiped them away, and to the angels He said, "Take him to that most glorious mansion that, from the beginning, has been prepared for him." Now the spirit of this man of God still held the earthly idea, that to turn his back on the Lord as he went off with the angels would be a dishonor to Him. He hesitated to do this, but, when at last he turned his face towards the mansion, he was astonished to see that wherever he looked he could see the Lord. For Christ is present in every place, and is seen everywhere by saints and angels.

In addition to the Lord, he was delighted to see that on every side there were surroundings that filled him with joy, and that those who are lowest in rank meet without envy those who are higher, and that those whose position is more exalted count themselves fortunate to be able to serve their brethren in lower positions because this is the kingdom of God, and of love.

In every part of heaven, there are superb gardens, which all the time produces every variety of sweet and luscious fruit, and all kinds of sweet scented flowers that never fade. In them creatures of every kind, give praise to God unceasingly. Birds, beautiful in hue, raise their sweet songs of praise, and such is the sweet singing of angels and saints that on hearing their songs a wonderful sense of rapture is experienced.

Wherever one may look there is nothing but scenes of unbounded joy.

This, in truth, is the Paradise that God has prepared for those that love Him, where there is no shade of death, nor error, nor sin, nor suffering, but abiding peace and joy.

THE MANSIONS OF HEAVEN
Then I saw a man of God examining his appointed mansion from a great distance. When this man, in company with the angels, arrived at the door of his appointed mansion, he saw written on it in shining letters the word "Welcome," and from the letters themselves "Welcome, Welcome," in audible sound was repeated and repeated again. When he had entered his home, to his surprise he found the Lord there before him. At this, his joy was more than we can describe, and he exclaimed, "I left the Lord's presence and came here at His command, but I find that the Lord Himself is here to dwell with me." In the mansion was everything that his imagination could have conceived, and everyone was ready to serve him. In the near-by houses, saints, like-minded to himself, lived in happy fellowship. For this heavenly house is the kingdom, which has been prepared for the saints from the foundation of the world (Matt. 25:34), and this is the glorious future that awaits every true follower of Christ.

A PROUD MINISTER AND A HUMBLE WORKMAN
A minister who looked on himself as an exceedingly learned and religious man died at a ripe old age. And without doubt, he was a good man. When the angels came to take him to the place appointed for him by the Lord in the world of spirits, they brought him into the intermediate state, and left him there with many other good spirits, who had lately arrived, in charge of those angels who are appointed to instruct good souls, while they themselves went back to usher in another good spirit. In that intermediate heaven, there are grades upon grades right up to the higher heavens, and the grade into which any soul is admitted for instruction, is determined by the real goodness of his life on earth.

When the angels, who had put this minister in his grade, came back conducting in the other soul, for whom they had gone, they brought him up beyond the grade in which the minister was, on their way up to a higher plane. Seeing this the minister in a blustering voice called out, "What right have you to leave me half-way up to that glorious country, while You take this other man away up near to it? Neither in holiness, nor in anything else, am I in any way less than this man, or than you yourselves." The angels replied, "There is no question here of great or small, or of more or less, but a man is put into whatever grade he has merited by his life and faith. You are not quite ready yet for that upper grade, so you will have to remain here for a while, and learn some of the things that our fellow-workers are appointed to teach. Then, when the Lord commands us, we will, with great pleasure, take you with us to that higher sphere." He said, "I have been teaching people all my life about the way to reach heaven. What more have I to learn? I know all about it."

Then the instructing angels said, "They must go up now, we can't detain them, but we will answer your question. My friend, do not be offended if we speak plainly, for it is for your good. You think you are alone here, but the Lord is also here though you cannot see Him. The pride that you displayed when you said, 'I know all about it' prevents you from seeing Him, and from going up higher. Humility is the cure for this pride. Practice it and your desire will be granted." After this, one of the angels told him, "The man who has just been promoted above you, was no learned or famous man. You did not look at him very carefully. He was a member of your own congregation. People hardly knew him at all, for he was an ordinary working man, and had little leisure from his work. But in his workshop, many knew him as an industrious and honest worker. All who came in contact with him recognized his Christian character. In the war, he was called up for service in France. There, one day, as he was helping a wounded comrade, he was struck by a bullet and killed.

Though his death was sudden, he was ready for it, so he did not have to remain in the intermediate state as long as you will have to do. His promotion depends, not on favoritism, but on his spiritual worthiness. His life of prayer and humility, while he was in the world, prepared him to a great extent for the spiritual world. Now he is rejoicing at having reached his appointed place, and is thanking and praising the Lord, who, in His mercy, has saved him, and given him eternal life."

HEAVENLY LIFE
In heaven, no one can ever be a hypocrite, for all can see the lives of others as they are. The all-revealing light which flows out from the Christ in Glory makes the wicked in their remorse try to hide themselves, but it fills the righteous with the utmost joy to be in the Father's kingdom of Light. There, their goodness is evident to all, it ever increases more and more, for nothing is present that can hinder their growth, and everything that can sustain them is there to help them. The degrees of goodness reached by the soul of a righteous man is known by the brightness that radiates from his whole appearance; for character and nature show themselves in the form of various glowing rainbow-like colors of great glory. In heaven, there is no jealousy. All are glad to see the spiritual elevation and glory of others, and, without any motive of self seeking, try, at all times, truly to serve one another. All the innumerable gifts and blessings of heaven are for the common use of all. No one out of selfishness ever thinks of keeping anything for himself, and there is enough of everything for all. God, who is Love, is seen in the person of Jesus sitting on the throne in the highest heaven. From Him, who is the "Sun of Righteousness," and the "Light of the World," healing and life-giving rays and waves of light and love are seen flowing out through every saint and angel, and bringing to whatever they touch vitalizing and vivifying power. There is in heaven neither east or west, nor north nor south, but for each individual soul or angel, Christ's throne appears as the center of all things.

There also are found every kind of sweet and delicious flower and fruit, and many kinds of spiritual food. While eating them an exquisite flavor and pleasure are experienced but after the are assimilated, a delicate scent, which perfumes the air around, exudes from the pores of the body.

In short, the will and desires of all the inhabitants of heaven are fulfilled in God, because in every life God's will is made perfect, so under all conditions, and at every stage of heaven, there is for every one an unchanging experience of wonderful joy and blessedness.

THE AIM AND PURPOSE OF CREATION
A few months ago, I was lying alone in my room suffering acutely from an ulcer in my eye. The pain was so great that I could do no other work, so I spent the time in prayer and intercession. One day I had been thus engaged for only a few minutes, when the spiritual world was opened to me, and I found myself surrounded by numbers of angels. Immediately I forgot all my pain, for my whole attention was concentrated on them. I mention below a few other subjects on which we conversed together.

NAMES IN HEAVEN
I asked them, "Can you tell me by what names you are known?" One of the angels replied, "Each of us has been given a new name, which none knows except the Lord and the one who has received it (Rev. 2:17). All of us here have served the Lord in different lands and in different ages, and there is no need that any know what our names are. Nor is there any necessity that we should tell our former earthly names. It might be interesting to know them, but what would be the use of it? And then we do not want people to know our names, lest they should imagine us great and give honor to us, instead of to the Lord, who has so loved us that He has lifted us up out of our fallen state, and has brought us into our eternal home, where we will forever sing praises in His loving fellowship - - and this is the object for which He has created us."

SEEING GOD
I asked again, "Do the angels and saints who live in the highest spheres of heaven, always look on the face of God? And, if they see Him, in what form and state does He appear?" One of the saints said, "As the sea is full of water, so is the whole universe filled with God, and every inhabitant of heaven feels His presence about him on every side. When one dives under water, above and below and round about there is nothing but water, so in heaven is the presence of God felt. And just as in the water of the sea, there are uncounted living creatures, so in the Infinite Being of God His creatures exist. Because He is Infinite, His children, who are finite, can see Him only in the form of Christ. As the Lord Himself has said, "He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" (John 14:9). In this world of spirits, the spiritual progress of any one governs the degree to which he is able to know and feel God; and the Christ also reveals His glorious form to each one according to his spiritual enlightenment and capacity. If Christ were to appear in the same glorious light to-the dwellers of the darkened lower spheres of the spiritual world, as he; appears to those in the higher planes, then they would not be able to bear it. So He tempers the glory of His manifestation to the state of progress, and to the capacity, of each individual soul."

Then another saint added, "God's presence can indeed be felt and enjoyed but it cannot be expressed in words. As the sweetness of the sweet is enjoyed by tasting, and not by the most graphic descriptive phrasing, so every one in heaven experiences the joy of God's presence, and every one in the spiritual world knows that his experience of God is real, and has no need that any should attempt to help him with a verbal description of it."

DISTANCE IN HEAVEN
I asked, "How far from one another are the various heavenly spheres of existence? If one cannot go to stay in other spheres is he permitted to visit them?" Then one of the saints said, "The place of residence is appointed for each soul in that plane to which his spiritual development has fitted him, but for short periods he can go to visit other spheres. When those of the higher spheres come down to the lower, a kind of spiritual covering is given to them, that the glory of their appearance may not be disconcerting to the inhabitants of the lower and darker spheres. So when one from a lower sphere goes to a higher, he also gets a kind of spiritual covering that he may be able to bear the light and glory of that place."

In heaven distance is never felt by any one, for as soon as one forms the wish to go to a certain place he at once finds himself there.

Distances are felt only in the material world. If one wishes to see a saint in another sphere, either he himself is transported there in a moment of thought, or at once, the distant saint arrives in his presence.

THE WITHERED FIG TREE
I inquired of them, "Everything is created for some purpose, but it sometimes appears that that purpose is not fulfilled, for instance, the purpose of the fig tree was to produce fruit, but, when the Lord found it fruitless, He withered it up. Can you enlighten me as to whether its purpose was fulfilled or not?" A saint replied, "Undoubtedly its purpose was fulfilled, and was fulfilled more fully. The Lord of Life gives life to every creature for a certain specific purpose, but if that purpose is not fulfilled, He has power to take back the life in order to fulfill some higher purpose. Many thousands of God's servants have sacrificed their lives in order to teach and uplift others. By losing their lives for others, they have helped them, and thus fulfilled the higher purpose of God. And if it is lawful, and a most noble service, for man, who is higher than fig trees and all other created things, to give his life for other men, then how can it be unjust if a mere tree gives its life for the teaching and warning of an erring nation? So through this fig tree Christ taught this great lesson to the Jews, and to the whole world, that those whose lives are fruitless, and who fail in the purpose for which God created them, will be altogether withered and destroyed."

And the facts of history make it abundantly plain to us that the bigoted and narrow Jewish national life of that day was, because of its barrenness, withered away like the fig tree. And in the same way the fruitless lives of others, though outwardly they may appear fruitful, are a cause of deception to others, and will be cursed and destroyed. If any one should object that when the Lord cursed this fig tree, it was not the fruit season and figs should not have been looked for, then he should reflect that for doing good there is no fixed season, because all seasons and times are equally appointed for good works, and that he himself should make his life fruitful and thus fulfill the purpose for which he was created.

IS MAN A FREE AGENT?
Again I asked, "Would it not have been far better if God had created man and all creation perfect, for then man could neither have committed sin, nor because of sin would there have been so much sorrow and suffering in the world; but now, in a creation made subject to vanity, we have all kinds of suffering to undergo?"

An angel who had come from the highest grades of heaven, and occupied a high position there, replied, "God has not made man like a machine, which would work automatically; nor has He fixed his destiny as in the case of the stars and planets, that may not move out of their appointed course, but He has made man in His own image and likeness, a free agent, possessed of understanding, determination, and power to act independently, hence he is superior to all other created things. Had man not been created a free agent he would not have been able to enjoy God's presence, nor the joy off heaven, for he would have been a mere machine, that moves without knowing or feeling, or like the stars that swing unknowingly through infinite space. But man, being a free agent, is by the constitution of his nature, opposed to this kind of soulless perfection -- and a perfection of this kind would really have been imperfection -- for such a man would have been a mere slave whose very perfection had compelled him to certain acts, in the doing of which he could have had no enjoyment, because he had no choice of his own. To him there would be no difference between a God and a stone."

Man, and with him all creation, has been subjected to vanity but not forever. By his disobedience, man has brought himself, and all other creatures, into all the ills and sufferings of this state of vanity. In this state of spiritual struggle alone can his spiritual powers be fully developed, and only in this struggle can he learn the lesson necessary to his perfection. Therefore, when man at last reaches the state of perfection of heaven, he will thank God for the sufferings and struggle of the present world, for then he will fully understand that all things work together for good to them that love God (Rom. 8:28).

THE MANIFESTATION OF GOD'S LOVE
Then another of the saints said, "All the inhabitants of heaven know that God is Love, but it had been hidden from all eternity that His love is so wonderful that He would become man to save sinners, and for their cleansing would die on the Cross. He suffered thus that He might save men, and all creation, which is in subjection to vanity. Thus God, in becoming man, has shown His heart to His children, but had any other means been used His infinite love would have remained forever hidden. "Now the whole creation, with earnest expectation, awaits the manifestation of the sons of God, when they shall be again restored and glorified. But, at present, they, and all creation, will remain groaning and travailing till this new creation comes to pass. And those also who have been born again groan within themselves, waiting for the redemption of the body; and the time approaches when the whole creation, being obedient to God in all things, will be freed from corruption, and from this vanity forever. Then will it remain eternally happy in God, and will fulfill in itself the purpose for which it was created. Then God will be all in all" (Rom. 8:18-23).

The angels also conversed with me about many other matters, but it is impossible to record them, because, not only is there in the world no language, no simile, by which I could express the meaning of those very deep spiritual truths, but also they did not wish me to attempt it, for no one without spiritual experience can understand them, so in that case, there is the fear that, instead of their being a help, they would be to many a cause of misunderstanding and error. I have, therefore, written only a few of the simplest of the matters talked over, in the hope that from them many may get direction and warning, teaching and comfort. Also, that time is not far distant when my readers will pass over into the spiritual world, and see these things with their own eyes. But before we leave this world forever, to go to our eternal home, we must with the support of God's grace, and in the Spirit of prayer, carry out with faithfulness our appointed work. Thus, shall we fulfill the purpose of our lives, and enter without any shade of regret, into the eternal joy of the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father.

The Mystery of Life

The Mystery of Life -- Charles S Price

Spirit, Soul and Body

Life is a mystery and we have yet to find the man or woman who at one time or another has not pondered with wonderment over the fact of the spirit and soul dwelling together in the body of man.

We so often say “body, soul and spirit” but the Bible records it in the proper order—“spirit, soul and body;” and true it is that which many of us know the least about is indeed the most important--the spirit of man. Often we have heard people say--and perhaps they thought they were quoting scripture—“My undying soul” but in the Book of the Beginnings--the book of Genesis--it is recorded “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.”(Death in scripture means separation, not annihilation)It was for this soul of man that Christ was offered as a sacrifice for sin; and He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Looking upon the soul as sort of medium through which, and by which, the spirit finds expression and our world consciousness via the five senses expresses itself, we see in the main functioning of the soul of man. It is entirely up to us to choose for ourselves whether or not our soul will be used as a medium to glorify God, as it yields to the operation of the Spirit, or for the glorifying of self as it is permitted to be exclusively occupied with the things of time and sense for the satisfying of our appetites and lusts. “To be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” The choice is obviously of greatest importance.

Man has been made a creature of volition. He can by his own choice occupy the throne room of his soul and hinder the operation of the Spirit-- for to whomsoever we yield our members servants to obey, his servants we are--or he can abdicate and allow the throne room of his soul to be gloriously given over to the King of Glory.

In the sovereignty of Almighty God, we have been permitted to choose for ourselves—“Choose ye this day whom ye will serve”--but many there are who have given little concern to this marvelous prerogative God has permitted mankind between the cradle and the grave.

It must have startled Peter to hear Jesus declare in no uncertain tones “Ye know not what spirit ye are of;” and again when He said “Get thee behind me, Satan.” Had any one of us been chosen by the Master Himself as a disciple, no doubt we would have felt that it was well with our souls. However, Peter found by experience that it necessitated the faithful and persistent work of the Holy Spirit to bring him into usefulness in the Master's service.

In doing for us what we could not do for ourselves, the Lord made it possible for us to choose God's choice, and in so doing we can know a life that is freed from the bondage of soulish endeavors--a life that enjoys the fellowship of a Divine Father. By willing obedience to Him, the soul can be emancipated from the thralldom of mundane trifles which otherwise render the man impotent.

Spirit, Soul and Body

Dr. Andrew Murray's explanation of what the “soul” or psuche is, and its relation to the “spirit” pneuma is very clear. Man consists of (1)spirit, (2)soul, and (3)body. “The spirit is the seat of our God-- consciousness; the soul, of our self-consciousness; and the body, of our world-consciousness. In the spirit (of the believer)God dwells; in the soul, self; in the body, sense . . .”

The soul stands between the spirit and the body, as “direct communication between spirit and flesh is impossible; their intercourse can be carried on only by means of a medium” according to Tertullian, one of the writers in the early centuries of the Christian era,--the “soul” being that medium. Dr. Andrew Murray states that the “soul was the meeting place, the point of union between body and spirit. Through the body, man--the living soul (as set forth in Gen. 2:7)--stood related to the external world of sense; through the spirit he stood related to the spiritual world.”

G. H. Pember gives added light by stating “The body we may term the sense-consciousness; the soul the self-consciousness; and the spirit the God-consciousness.” He further states that the body “gives us the use of the five senses:” the soul, the “intellect which aids us in the present state of existence, and the emotions which proceed from the senses.” The spirit, however, is that which makes us one with God and “by which alone we apprehend and worship Him,” for God is Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth.

Pember further enlightens us regarding the creation of man as a tripartite being with “god first molded the senses frame, and then breathed into it the 'breath of lives' (Gen. 2:7, R.V.) (The original is in the plural),” and this “may refer to the fact that the in breathing of God produced a two-fold life--sensual (in the meaning of, or pertaining to, the senses) and spiritual. .

. .” In a footnote he explains that possibly the use of the plural in the “breath of lives,” carried the thought that “the in breathing of God became the spirit; and at the same time, by its action upon the body, produced the soul.”

It would appear that these three writers thus define the “soul” as the seat of the personality--consisting of the will and the intellect or mind; a personal entity standing between the “spirit,” with its access to the spiritual world, and the “body,” open to the outer realm of nature and sense--having the power of choice as to which world or realm shall dominate and control the man by the determination of who shall rule--God through the Spirit or self through the senses.

When Adam walked in the Garden of Eden, the human spirit breathed into him by God was in union with God and dominated, controlled, or ruled his “soul”--i.e., intellect, mind, and will through the vessel of the “soul”--and shone out through the earthly tabernacle of clay, the body, making it luminous with light and able to fulfill perfectly the object of its creation;

But Man Fell.

The result of the fall of man--after a time-- was described by the Lord Himself in His words, “every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6:5, R.V.) It is quite apparent that the “fall” began in the intellectual factor of the soul, for it is recorded that Eve saw that “the tree was to be desired to make one wise,” (Gen. 3:6, R.V.) even as the serpent had declared to her that “in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall
be as gods knowing good and evil.” (Gen. 3:5.)

The appeal was not directed to the vessel of clay, or the outer man, for the body was then perfectly ruled by the spirit, but was directed to the intellect and understanding of man, and was based upon a lawful desire to advance in knowledge and power in the unseen realm of another world. The appeal was not “Ye shall be as the beast created by God” but “Ye shall be as God,” according to the serpent in his beguilement. The temptation was to advance in knowledge--a worthy desire in itself--but desired and grasped not only out of due season, but out of God's will.

The Tempted Soul

The tempter knew how to attract Eve--by offering to her something higher than she possessed; for though she was limited by a mortal body, she had a soul which was capable of appreciating knowledge and growth through the higher part of her tripartite being. The full effect of the “fall” we find is not seen until years afterward when the record of the condition of the race shows that the downward course from the Garden of Eden reached its ultimate in a complete sinking into “flesh,” so that the part of man's tripartite nature which he had in common with the animal creation gained the upper hand.

Looking down upon the fallen race of man, it was then that God said “My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh.” (Gen. 6:3) And so it was, and is, that not only has “death reigned” over the fallen race of Adam, but every human being born in the likeness of the first Adam is of the “earth, earthy,” and is dominated by the flesh instead of the spirit and the soul--the personality of the man “himself” (Luke 9:25)--is a slave of the flesh and the earthly life instead of being led of the human spirit divinely restored to union and communion with the spirit of God.

The unregenerate man, therefore, is not only “fallen” and alienated from God and His life (Eph. 4:18) but his human spirit-- severed from God--is incapable of fellowship with Him, is “without God” and separate from Christ (Eph. 2:12). The soul--having refused the rule of the rightly-related human spirit--is capable of choosing the reign of the darkened human spirit, or the rule of the sense-conscious body--and thus, in its God-given prerogative, rule in its own right. However, whenever choosing the reign of the darkened human spirit in its state of alienation from the Spirit of God, the only relationship with the “spirit realm” of necessity is with the spirits of darkness, in accord with the fallen spirits of Satan, and governed by the prince of the power of the air--the spirit which now worketh in the children of disobedience (Eph. 2:2, 3).

Spirit Versus Flesh

Such men may be said to be “spiritual” in the sense of possessing more “spirit” than others who are mainly “fleshly”. These are the ones who seek concourse with the spirit-world apart from the Holy Spirit of God, and who become “mediums” capable of exercising “occult powers,” such as clairvoyants, etc., bestowed upon them by Satanic means; for, unless the human spirit of man is regenerated and in union with the Holy Spirit of God, of necessity its only fellowship is with the spirits of darkness.

In the unconverted, according to Pember, “the soul--manifested sometimes in intellectuality, sometimes in sensuality, often in both--reigns over them with undisputed sway. This is what Jude wishes to set forth in his 19th verse which should be rendered, 'These be they who separate, men governed by soul, not having Spirit. . . ”

Fausset in his commentary on this passage writes, “In the three-fold division of man's being . . . the due state in God's design is that ‘the spirit” . . . should be first, and should rule the soul, which stand intermediate between body and spirit;but in the . . .natural man, the spirit is sunk into subserviency to the animal-soul, which is earthly in its motives and aims.
The ‘carnal’ sink somewhat lower, for in these the flesh, the lowest element. . . reigns paramount.”

The Spirit Breatheth

The Lord's words clearly indicate how the new life from above reaches the fallen spirit of man: “The Spirit breatheth where (He) listeth . . . so is every one that is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8, R.V.M.) John 3:14-17 reveals why the Spirit quickens the human spirit into new life, as the death of the Son of God upon the Cross in the place of the sinner provides for “whosoever believeth into (lit. Greek)Him, should not perish, but have eternal life.” Through this unspeakable provision of a loving Heavenly Father, the tripartite nature of man was and is given a way of escape from the bondage of soul and body into which it had fallen, and could be adjusted once again with the spirit--in union with the Holy Spirit--once more ruling over the soul, and the body once again acting merely as the outward or material vessel--the instrument of the spirit through the soul. While there are only two classes of men--saved and unsaved or regenerate or unregenerate--there are different classes of believers, described according to growth and knowledge, in the Life that is in God. The converted man--one who has had his spirit quickened into Life through regeneration by the Spirit of God communicating life to his darkened or fallen spirit--is truly “in Christ”; vitally quickened with His life and planted into Him by His Spirit as set forth in John 3:16,--vitally in Him by a living faith; and yet can have failed to apprehend or appropriate all that the Cross delivers and severs him from being baptized into His death on the Cross and quickened into newness of life by His Resurrection.

The regeneration of the human spirit, which comes through the inbreathing of the Spirit of Life from God, concurrent with man’s simple faith in the atoning sacrifice of the Son of God upon the Cross in his behalf, should be quickly followed by the apprehension of his death as the sinner with the Saviour (Rom. 6:1-13), which results in his deliverance from the life after the “flesh.” Manifestly the Corinthian Christians had not yet known this according to I Cor. 3:1. The Apostle's description of these Corinthian believers as being “carnal” or fleshly and yet “babes in Christ,” shows clearly that “babes in Christ” are generally under the domination of the flesh--or “in the flesh”--at the initial stage of the spiritual life.

It may be said that there are three classes of Christians who are clearly referred to in the Scriptures as (1) The Spiritual Man--ruled and directed by the Spirit of God indwelling and energizing his regenerated human spirit--(2) The Soulish Man--dominated by the soul through he intellect or emotions--and (3) The Carnal Man--led and directed by the flesh in fleshly habits or desires, literally in “the power of the flesh.”

Flesh or Soul

In Romans 8:7 where it is recorded that the “carnal” (sarx) mind is enmity against God, it is important that we realize that it is not said that the “psuche” or soulish life is enmity to God, but the fleshly mind. It is true that the natural or “soulish” man cannot receive or understand the things of the Spirit (I Cor. 2:14) but he is not said to be at enmity simply because he is soulish! Paul wrote in effect to the Corinthians that he could notspeak unto them the deep things of God, as he would to the spiritual; but was compelled to speak to them as to the Corinthians that he could not speak unto them the deep things of god, as he would to the spiritual; but was compelled to speak to them as to men of flesh, for though truly regenerated and “in Christ”--yet they were so dominated by the flesh that he could describe them only as still “carnal” or fleshly. This was evidenced by the manifestation of the works of the flesh in jealousy, strife, envyings, divisions, etc., as further set forth in Galatians 5:19-21.

Any of these manifestations, seen in a believer, point to the workings in some degree of the “sarkikos” or fleshly life, expressed through the avenues of the soul, or personality. Such a one is not even a “soulish” man who is merely “natural,” but is a man walking “after the flesh,” even though his spirit may be revivified and quickened into life by the spirit of God. Anyone thus walking, “in the flesh,” cannot please God.

The marks of the carnal Christian--babes in Christ--the Apostle sketches very clearly. By these marks every believer of the present time can judge himself whether he, too, is “yet carnal.”

Babes in Christ

“Babes in Christ” who are “yet carnal” need a fuller apprehension of the meaning of the Cross, for in the eternal purpose of God the death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, included the crucifixion of our “old man” with Him, so that by appropriation “they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh” with all its affections and desires. The same Cross which was and is revealed to unregenerate man as the place where sin was atoned for, and his burden of sin removed by the Blood of the Lamb, is the place where the “carnal” Christian--who may be but a “babe” in Christ, even though regenerate for many years--must obtain deliverance from the domination of the
flesh, so that he may walk after the spirit and not “after the flesh” and thus in due season become "spiritual"--a full-grown man in Christ.

It is only by an appropriation of death with Christ, encompassing the putting to death of the “doings” of the body, (Rom. 8:13, R.V.M. Col. 3:5) that a believer can live, walk, and act in and by the Spirit--and thus become a spiritual man. “In the likeness of sinful flesh,” (Rom. 8:3) the pure and holy Son of God hung upon the tree, an “offering for sin,” and because He died for sin--and to sin in the place of the sinner--God thus condemned forever a life of “sin in the flesh” for all who are truly united to His Son.

The believer lives “in the flesh” (2 Cor. 10:3) it is true, in that he is still in his physical body, but once he sees God's own Son “in the likeness of sinful flesh” hanging upon the tree, and knows that in Him he died to sin-- he lives “in the flesh” only (Gal. 2:20) insofar as the physical body is concerned--and does not WALK any longer “after the flesh,” according to the demands and desires of his body--but “after the spirit”--that is, according to his renewed spirit indwelt by the Spirit of God.

Upon the finished work of the Son of God on the Cross of Calvary--in which the sinner for whom He died was identified with the Substitute who died for him--the redeemed and regenerate believer is called to “reckon” or account himself “dead unto sin,” because “our old man was crucified with Him.” The Holy Spirit of God, dwelling in his human spirit, can then carry out to its ultimate the Divine purpose--that the “body of sin”--all of sin in the whole of man--may be "destroyed or abolished, as the man on his part steadily and faithfully refuses to "let sin reign" in his mortal body.” (Rom. 6:6, 11-13).

The Babe in Christ

Jessie Penn-Lewis writes, “The ‘babe in Christ’ who apprehends this now knows the fuller meaning of being ‘Alive unto God’. Walking after the spirit, and by the Spirit, he ceases to fulfill the desires of the flesh but henceforth gives his spirit--indwelt by the Spirit of God--the domination of his entire being. It is as the ‘babe in Christ’ knows this that the ‘flesh’ ceases to dominate and have control, and he rises in spirit into real union with the Ascended Lord--alive unto God in Christ Jesus. It does not mean that he may not again lapse into the walk ‘after the flesh,’ but as long as he gives his mind to the ‘things of the Spirit,’ and reckons himself continually ‘dead indeed unto sin,’ he ‘by the Spirit,’ steadfastly ‘makes to die’ the ‘doings of the body’ and ‘walks in newness of life.” (Rom. 8:13, R.V.M.) When we realize that the natural or “soulish” man cannot receive or understand the things of the Spirit, (I Cor. 2:14) it is very important that we consider and seek enlightenment as to what so often cause or holds a born-again Christian in the realm of the “Soul” and hinders him from going on to the place where he “walks after the spirit,” for “the ‘natural’ man (‘man of soul’) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God . . . because they are spiritually discerned.”

The believer who in apprehending his death with Christ to sin has been quickened in his spirit by the Spirit and has ceased to walk habitually “after the flesh,” as the Spirit of God dwells in his spirit, faces the error of the generally prevailing conception that he has automatically become a “spiritual man” and one who is “entirely sanctified!” Though he has a miraculous revelation of the Cross--as the way to victory over the life after the flesh--and walks in newness of life, victorious over sin as manifested in the “works of the flesh,” he is faced with the question “What about the ‘soul’the man himself in his personality, his intellectual and emotional activities?” and “Which power--that of the first Adam through the lower realm of his life, or the Life-giving Spirit of the Last Adam--animates the actions or activities of his soul?”

The Whole Man Renewed

“Inordinate activity of the soul, with its power of mind and will,” according to Andrew Murray, is the greatest danger the “Church or individual has to dread.” Contrary to a superficial understanding of the matter, to be delivered from the domination of the flesh or carnal life as “babes in Christ” does not mean deliverance from “soulishness,” nor the end of our walk after the life of nature; for death to sin and crucifixion of the “flesh” is but one phase of the work of the Spirit of God to be accomplished in the redeemed man.

The unregenerate man not only has to be redeemed by the life- blood of the Son of Man, but he is admonished to be “transformed by the renewing of (his) mind,” actually renewed in every part of his being, spirit, soul and body--translated out of the power of darkness into the Kingdom of God's own Son--by deliverance from not only the power of sin but also the bondage of the “animal-soul-life.”

“If the first creation was ‘fearfully and wonderfully made,’ then in truth the re-creation of the creature so utterly sunk into the animal-soul and the animal flesh, and lifted again into the realm of spirit to have spirit-dominion over soul and body, is a wondrous work which only the Triune God could accomplish; the Father giving the Son, the Son giving His life, and the Divine Spirit giving Himself with patience and love to work out the will of the Trinity. (“Soul and Spirit” by Jessie Penn-Lewis.)

Let us consider what the possibilities and evidences are of the Christian being “soulish” when he has ceased to be “carnal” or to live “after the flesh.” The believer may be entirely freed from the manifest “works of the flesh,” as set forth in Galatians 5:19-21, and yet in his intellect and emotions still be influenced--if not governed--by his soul (psuche or animal-soul) life. That is, though his spirit has been quickened and born again of the Spirit of Life, his intellect and emotions may not yet have been “renewed” and animated by the Holy Spirit being allowed to fully work through the regenerated human spirit. The “soulish Christian” therefore is one whose emotions and intellect are still governed by the Adamic life and not by the Spirit- controlled human spirit.

Fruit of the Flesh or Spirit

“Intellectual life” is clearly set forth--both heavenly and soulish--in the Epistle of James, where it is stated that the wisdom which is “not from above” is (1) earthly, (2) soulish (psychikos, “natural” or “animal,”i.e., pertaining to the soul according to the marginal notes in the Revised Version) and (3) demoniacal; and produces jealousy, envying, strife and bitterness. However, the wisdom which is from above is from the Spirit of God and is characterized by purity, peaceableness, gentleness, mercy and good fruits and partakes of the Divine character to the extent that it is without partiality and without hypocrisy. (James 3:17) In the wisdom which comes from above the absolute absence of self-consciousness, self- opinions, and self-views--which by nature characterize thesoulish life-- brings peace instead of strife and envy.
The intellect of man--unless it be guided and governed by the Spirit of God--cannot “receive” the things of the Spirit, because spiritually only can they be discerned. For this reason, soulish
wisdom in the handling of Divine truths not only fosters division among likewise soulish followers of Christ, but actually facilitates the work of demons in the bringing of disunion and separation, as these powers work upon the soulish element in believers by emphasizing and exaggerating differences “views of truth” instead of magnifying points of union.

In brief, the soul-life--influenced by evil, supernatural powers--is the main cause of division and separation among the professing as well as the so-called “true” children of God. Men can be “governed by soul” through ignorance of spiritual laws, lack of understanding and consecration, even when they have sought and received the gift of the Holy Spirit; and these “soulish” ones always bring separations. In the plan and purpose of Almighty God, however, the law of Christ places love and the unity of the Spirit between believers as the condition of their growth into the “unity of the faith.” (Eph. 4:3-13, 15).

Knowledge of the Word

The other phase of thesoulish life is the emotions which proceed from the senses of the body; and though a Christian may be swayed by the emotions of the soul and think it all “spiritual,” knowledge of the Bible truths eradicates the idea that any wholly spiritual influence can be created by appeals to the senses. On this subject Pember graphically states “splendid buildings, gorgeous vestments and picturesque rites for the eye, with sweet odours for the scent and ravishing music for the ear--although they may bewitch one's consciousness with the most agreeable sensation--can penetrate only as far as the soul . . . (and) our spirit . . . does not receive its impressions from the senses, but only from the spirit . . . God's influence commences in the spirit, then lays hold of the emotions and intellect, and lastly begins to curb the body.” Satan's influence on the contrary enters through the senses; lays hold upon the soul; and--wherever possible--gains entrance to the human spirit.

How sad it is to see churches filled with nominal worshippers of Christ; who, by their presence, show that within their spirits there is an unconscious cry after God which has never been satisfied; for their soul-life alone is met either in its intellectual phase through the intellectual, soulish presentation of the letter of the Truth, or in the gratification of their sense-life by the soothing music and calming influence of the hour of quiet--all, however, without their being led into real worship of God in spirit and in truth which alone is acceptable to Him. While these gracious influences are not to be depreciated, they will not “save” the “soul!”

There is no doubt but that these “outer” influences may and do draw people within reach of the truth which is read from the Scriptures--even if not preached from the pulpit--and for this purpose do have their value and place; but such influences penetrate only as far as the soul and--devoid of regenerating power--do not reach the human spirit; but are deceptive for they give the person a “form of godliness without the power.”

Ineffective Presentation

The deception and consequent in effectiveness of the presentation of the so-called “religion” of Jesus Christ, as thus set forth, places it only on a par with heathen philosophies and cults. However, in the light of the true, spiritual interpretation of the plan and purpose of Almighty God, it is not a “religion” but a LIFE--the Life of the Son of God lived out by Him in and through those united to Him in Spirit and in Truth.

“Religious” men, who are merely “men of soul,” as a result of their soulish wisdom, evaluate and relegate the Son of God to a place of equality only with such religious leaders as Mohammed and Confucius; and lecture at length on Christianity as “one of the religions” of the world--instead of impelling men to see the Omnipotent power of God and faithfully bearing witness to the Name of the Son of God as theonly Saviour for a lost and dying world.

The appeal to the senses and emotions of the soul only may account for a large percentage of so-called converts who do not “stand,” as well as in many instances the exhaustion and eventual “breakdown” of the worker. In this regard it has been suggested that the inordinate exercise of the “soul” contributes to soulishness rather than to spiritual understanding. Would it not be better--and more effective--to walk and talk in the Spirit, to live and move and have our being in God, to the extent that the Spirit quickens the truth spiritually?

God's truth needs not human excitement to invoke His power upon the words that are spoken by Him through yielded lips of clay; but the entrance of such words into the lives of others will bring the desired enlightenment--spiritually discerned--for the Lord of Life has promised “The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.” (John 6:63)

Strong-Willed Intellectuals

These “intellectual” men, dynamic and strong-willed, exercising dominant personalities and unbroken wills over the consciences and lives of others--the outgrowth of various types of “soul” in men with spirits yet unquickened--who desire to help others to an experience of “regeneration” but who--governed by soul--know nothing of the energizing power of the Spirit of God dwelling in their human spirit and rendering them available to God as His messengers in the salvation of men.

There is still another group of people who--though knowing the Spirit of God indwelling their human spirits--are still “soulish” in a marked degree. It is they who have a mixture in their religious experience of “soul and spirit” and who are satisfied only when they feel the presence of God continually with them in the realm of their self-consciousness. Consequently, due to the fact that they do not understand the life of the spirit and its function in cooperation with God--though the Holy Spirit dwells in them--they are apt to be more often in the realm of the soulish-life than in the realm of the Spirit.

The “soul,” we realize, includes not only the intellect and the emotions but also it can be seen from a study of the Scriptures that the soul is the seat of personality in its affections--power of joy or grief, etc. “My soul doth magnify the Lord.” (Luke 1:46) “In patience possess ye your souls.” (Luke 11:19)
“My soul is exceeding sorrowful . . .” (Matt. 26:58) “Beguiling unstable souls.” (2 Peter 2:14)
“Vexed his righteous soul.” (2 Peter 2:8) The idiosyncrasies of the individual can thus be seen to exist in the soul as well as in the physical characteristics of the body.

What Is in the Vessel of Your Soul?

The soul in its capacity for love, joy, patience, grief, etc., may be filled with spiritual joy from the Spirit-life of the Second Adam--poured as it were into the vessel of the soul; or it can be filled with a soulish-- or sensuous--joy which seeps up into the vessel of the soul from the lower life of the First Adam. The believer, in the latter instance, though indwelt by the Holy Spirit, is “soulish” to the degree in which the animal-soul or sense-realm controls these many capacities of the soul. If he clings to a soulish joy and lives in the realm of his feelings--in the seat of his self-consciousness--rather than in the spirit or God-consciousness, he will be found among those believers who continually seek for “spiritual experiences” in the sense- consciousness rather then in the purity of God-conscious realm alone--the regenerated human spirit.

It would no doubt be enlightening at this point to consider in what way the spirits of evil, influence or control the soulish life in all its phases. “If in your hearts you have bitter feelings of envy and rivalry, do not speak boastingly and falsely in defiance of the truth. That is not the wisdom which comes down from above: “it belongs to earth, to theun-spiritual nature Greek, “psychical”) and to evil spirits.” (Weymouth's Translation of James 3:14, 15) The Revised Version runs: “This wisdom is not a wisdom that cometh down from above, but is earthly, sensual (i.e., natural--the literal Greek is 'pertaining to thesoul'),devilish.” ('demoniacal' according to the margin.)

This text, which does not in any way refer to the “works of the flesh,” but to the intellectual department of man's being--the soul-- rather clearly indicates that evil spirits influence the soulish part of the man just as definitely as the Scriptures state that they influence his fleshly nature. The fact that all bitter feelings of envy and rivalry in connection with the acquisition of wisdom or knowledge are instigated by evil spirit working upon the soulish life and have their inception or origin in hell is startling but little understood by many precious children of God who
do not hesitate one moment to acknowledge Satanic influence on generally accepted “gross sin” or any manifestation of the works of the flesh.” However, in the realm of what they consider the highest development of civilization today, they stand aghast in their unwillingness to accept certain statements in the Word of God concerning the “Fall” and the utter sinking of the entire Adamic creation into corruption and death to the degree that even the “imagination” and “thoughts” of man's heart (mental conceptions) were declared by God to be “evil continually,” together with the fact that behind this absolute corruption lies the poison of the serpent who obtained entrance through the avenue of the desire for wisdom.

In Union With Christ

As the believer becomes more and more “spiritual,” he is increasingly united in actual spirit-union with the Lord of Glory and consequently more and more rises above the power of evil spirits, as he becomes better equipped to recognize and resist them.It is
necessary first, however, to recognize clearly that the “Fall” was the result of believing the lie of Satan, the fallen archangel, which gave him entrance with a poison which affects every element of man's being.

Through the “Fall” Satan acquired the power of access to every phase of man's tripartite nature--(1) to his fallen spirit which is dead to God and alive and receptive only to the hellish spirits of the world of darkness who are ruled over by the Prince of Darkness; (2) to the soul--including the intellect, imagination, thoughts, will, and affections--which is governed by the nature of the first Adam and is also fallen and corrupt; and (3) to the body which is defenseless and open in every way to the onslaughts of the Evil One. No wonder John conclusively declared that the “whole world lieth in the evil one.” (I John 5:19)

It is relatively easy to accept that Satan and his emissaries resist every step of man's deliverance from slavery and thralldom; and in view of the seriousness of the situation, it is helpful to recognize clearly the avenues in the fallen creation which are most open to his power. Ephesians 2:3 unmistakably reveals that the unregenerate man is under the control of Satanic influence, for it states that the “children of wrath” fulfill the desires of the flesh and of the mind, to which, we have been shown, he has access. Too, it must be realized that though the spirit of the man be quickened into Life by the Spirit of God and his daily life have been delivered from the power of “sin,” and the soul must be liberated from its soulishness by the transformation resulting from the continuous renewing of the mind to that desired state of being where man is able to live experimentally according to the admonition of Paul the Apostle to “let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.” Then and only then in the physical body “closed” to the onslaught of the powers of darkness.

Finding Life in Christ

In connection with the “renewing of the mind” in the transformation of the man, Mathew admonishes: “He that findeth his life (psuche or soul-life) shall lose it; and he that loseth his life (psuche or soul-life) for My sake shall find it.” (Matt. 10:39, R.V.M.) From the context of this verse, its setting in the verses which precede and follow, they necessity of death to the “soul life” in its emotions as well as intellect and will, is clearly shown--if one would know the life more abundant promised by our Lord.

The dividing asunder of soul and spirit, so far as the emotions are concerned, generally and almost inevitably comes in a clash between the known will of God and the will of loved ones. An instance recorded in the life of Jesus shows that even He had to choose His Father's direction above the desire and suggestion of Mary, His earthly mother, at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. His answer to her suggestion was “Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come.” (John 2:4).

Choosing to be led by the Spirit of God--rather than family ties or affections--means to the natural or soul-affections such suffering and death that it is as a sword piercing the soul; so that in essence of ruth it can be said that the “soul” in its affections and will is “lost.” When thus transformed by crucifixion in these factors, the liberated soul becomes open or receptive to the inflow of the love of God by and through the Spirit; and enables an individual, who has thus crucified the natural affections of his soul, to love his loved ones no longer for himself--at instigation of his sense-consciousness--but for God, in and through the Spirit.The “soul” in its personality and capacity remains the same, but it is--to the extent of its natural death--no longer ruled over by the fleshly soul-life of the First Adam, for it is once again in its liberation, subject to the Spirit of God through the rule of the restored, rightly-related human spirit.

Unto the Saving of the Soul

The next step in the liberation of the soul is the crucifixion of self-love, self-pity, self-interest, and self-preservation--in fact any and all phases of self-centeredness. “Remember Lot's wife,” said Jesus, as He brought to the attention of His followers the natural tendency of the soul-life to not only save its own life, but its “goods” as well; “BUT whosoever shall seek to gain his life (soul) shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life (soul) shall save it alive.” (Luke 17:32, 33, R.V.M.)

The law of gain in the higher realm of spirit--even as in the realm of natural science--requires loss in order to gain. Any vessel while filled to overflowing with any substance can never contain or hold any other commodity--be it priceless or of no value whatsoever. The renunciation and crucifixion of the natural soul-life with its clinging to the things of earth is the price required to “gain” the Spirit-life of Christ, not only in union with the human spirit, but extending its influence, rule and reign through the liberated soul to the controlling and liberating of the body. Strange but true, man's attitude to these earthly treasures or “possessions” is a truer indication of “where he lives,” and a greater manifestation of the possession or lack of Divine grace, than the “willingness” to sacrifice his physical life.The “pearl of great price” in the book of Matthew
caused the merchant man to sell “all that he had” in order to buy it.
(Matt. 13:45, 46).

John 12:25 states “He that loveth his life (soul) shall lose it; and he that hateth his life (psuche--soul-life) in this world shall keep it unto life (zoe--the higher life) eternal.” However, glorious truth and more glorious realization--the renunciation and crucifixion of the natural, soulish-life brings with it such an assurance of abundance in God overflowing the vessel of the soul from the seat of God- consciousness--the human spirit restored and rightly related--that the treasures of earth are held so lightly they are easily forsaken in the times of testing which come to all men.

The Knife-Work of the Spirit

The Spirit of God, wielding theWord of God as a sharp, two-edged sword, thus penetrates to the inner most recesses of the entire being of man, piercing to the diving asunder of soul and spirit, as He ferrets out even the joints and marrow of the soul--mind, will and affections.The man
too, however, has his part to do, since he was brought into being by God as a creature of volition, in cooperating and consenting to this “knife-work” of Divinity.

The believer who fully desires to be restored--spirit, soul and body-- must first see the necessity of the dividing of the soul and spirit and actively consent to the work being done upon himself. At the same time the will of the believer must be steadily maintained on God's side in the experimental working out of the “dividing,” as the “circumstances” of life afford.

Even as he reckons himself “dead indeed unto sin” according to Romans 6:11, and consistently refuses to “let sin reign” in his mortal body; so now hefurther reckons himself dead indeed to the more subtle form of “sin” in his self-life--such as inordinate self-love, self-pity, self-aggrandizement, etc. Faithfully fulfilling these conditions moment by moment, he constantly and consistently seeks to be faithful to the personal direction of the Spirit of God, within his spirit, and guards against any and all intrusion of the old soul-life, as he seeks to ever be more receptive to the higher life of Christ in his spirit. Not only does he seek to “walk after the spirit” in discerning what is spirit and what is soul, but to understand the laws of the spirit in order that he might in spirit and in truth abundantly live in the Spirit--a “spiritual” man.

In Union With God

Fulfilling these conditions, as the Spirit of God leads him, he becomes in truth a new creation--more joyfully and easily walking according to the written Word, as he accepts all circumstances brought to bear upon him daily as being in the providence of God and apprehends with ever-clearer vision the reality of his death with Christ upon the Cross, in his union with the Risen Lord who is a Life- giving Spirit and with Whom he becomes “one spirit,” as his human spirit become literally a channel for the Spirit of Christ to flow out to a needy world.

Be it true experimentally that “ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3) then self-pity, self-protection and self- grasping of the goods of earth--together with the bondage of“My family, Myself and My goods”--will have been swallowed up in the victory of the Lord of Glory over the shackles of the First Adam, and your soul--redeemed once more--as an individual and as a “first fruits”--will rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of Glory in the pure Divine life of the Last Adam--the Lord from heaven.