Hour 3b ICam BV 4501 . R68 1923 6 JV- 2-^ . LIBRARY OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY PRINCETON. N. J. Presented by \Al. n ."^OLAnd BV 4501 . R68 1923 Roundy, William Noble, 1861- Love is the law Notice to Librarian Every library which acknow¬ ledges the receipt of this book will receive a newer volume, en¬ titled, “The Hour Cometh,” * later in the year. W. N. Roundy, Box 21 Davenport, Iowa. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019 with funding from Princeton Theological Seminary Library https ://arc h i ve . o rg/d etai I s/I ove i s I awOO ro u n life Author of (tapel of Ifop? ✓ , r*'Qv < Saaettpart, Soma, 31. §>. A. Immhrr, 1023 Anyone may obtain a copy of this book by sending their name and address and postage to W . N. Roundy, Box 21, Davenport, Iowa, U. S. A. Jfamunrii As the Ten Commandments were given to Moses to write down, even so were the words and commands of this Book given to me. It will be well for all people in all parts of the world to read and to ponder and to obey. Together with The Gospel of Hope, this book is intended to be A New Bible. Therefor whoso hath eyes, let him open them to see. Whoso hath ears, let him hear. Who hath a heart or soul or mind, let him try to understand. When new Truth comes, receive it. When new Wisdom comes, treat it with rever¬ ence. As new wine is put into new bottles, so New Revela¬ tions are put into new Scriptures. I come to bring you the Law. Your friend and well-wisher, THE UNKNOWN. ICmit is tiff Siam CHAPTER I I who have a right to speak giveth to thee the Truth and bringeth to thee the Law. I pray you heed my words be¬ fore it is too late. To do honor unto any man, thou must hold in honor and in reverence what manner of action would be pleasing to the soul of that man. Christ does not desire men to express by material and pagan actions the spirituality He came to bring unto the world. Crucify not, I pray you, the spirit of the Christ whom ye desire to honor. God be with thee and farewell. Thy well-wisher, Written at Davenport, THE UNKNOWN. Iowa, U. S. A., Dec. 26, 1921 at 9:45 P. M. 1 CHAPTER 2 I warn ye that ye have materialized and paganized the Christmas which ye desire to hold in honor and to celebrate with worship. Good intentions must be followed by good ac¬ tions in order to result in achievements that are good. But today your Christmas celebration is mostly a merchant’s holiday and a pagan revelry. Christmas Day should be mainly a feast of Goodwill and a visiting of friends who would express Goodwill one to the other. For very small children below the age of ten, there may be childish gifts. But for those who would learn who Christ was, there should be a solemn festival of Understanding, not a pagan revel of Misunderstanding. So I who have the right to speak, pray that you will mend your ways and enlighten your minds that the Happi¬ ness and Joy and Goodfellowship of the world may be in¬ creased thereby. Every bit of money spent in presents for the rich and the strong is so much taken from the fund that is needed for the poor and the weak. The holidays of Christmas time as celebrated today are largely a pagan celebration and I who have the right to speak, giveth unto thee the Truth and bringeth unto thee the Law. I want no pine trees or juniper trees or fir trees for Christmas time. I desire merely happy thoughts and kind thoughts and thoughts of Goodwill from thee toward thy fellowmen and toward God. Unto the poor and the lowly and to very small 2 children, ye may give gifts. Unto the least, ye shall give the most. Unto the poorest, ye shall give gifts that are the richest. Unto grown-up folks, ye shall give nothing except smiles of Good Cheer, and handclasps of Joy and greetings of Goodfellowship. 3 CHAPTER 3 I am the fulfillment of the Law. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. The words of the Lord open my lips. The grace of the Lord is poured upon my heart. The power of the Lord is my inspiration. Into the sunshine of this per¬ fect day, I look forth and see the Lord. Into the blackness of the darkest night, I look forth and see the Lord. Where-so-ever I look, to the right side or to the left side; before me or behind me, there standeth the Lord in all His glory. Praise unto the Lord ! I declare His words unto ye ! I spread His healing over ye! All around thee and before thee, I am with thee, saith the Lord. As I write the Lord is with me, for I write what He commandeth. Praise unto the Lord! Not with long and solemn faces; not with tears and Ten¬ ded garments; not with sadness, grief or sorrow shall ye come before the Lord. But with songs of glad thanksgiving; with hymns of mirth and merriment; with laughter and with seemly dances shall ye worship me in purity and hum¬ bleness of Spirit, — saith the Lord ! The pure in heart shall seek me and the pure in Spirit find me! For thus saith the Lord. 4 CHAPTER 4 All thy pride of power shall vanish ! O ye Cities filled with Greed. Fierce as fires in factory furnaces I will smite ye and dumbfound ye. I will bring thy heads unto the dust. Thy hearts shall overflow with grief. Thy souls shall be¬ come parched as a desert land. No fruit of any kind shall grow near thee. No grain of any sort shall spout nigh ye, until ye render Justice to thy toiling fellowmen — to the grimy faced and horny-handed laborers. I demand of all men Justice. Thus saith the Lord ! 5 CHAPTER 5 All people are my people ! saith the Lord God. All races are mine and for the welfare and happiness of all men am I anxious and solicitous, saith the Lord. There shall be no Despoilers and no Despoiled. There shall be no favorite peoples and no outcast peoples! But every race shall be equal, every man everywhere, be his skin white or black or brown or yellow shall stand on his own merits and by his own good deeds shall he be judged. There shall be no first and no last but all men shall be equal in my sight for they are all my children, saith the Lord. Therefore listen to me, ye who are proud and heark¬ en to me, ye who are haughty. I will make the least the greatest and the last the first. For I am the God of Justice. The sin of sins and the damnation of all deep damnations is pride of Spirit and haughtiness of soul and snobbishness of heart. Ye must cease to disdain and to sneer at and to be indifferent to my Law which is the law of Kindness and of Love and of Goodfellowship. Else shall it in time come to pass that thou, O haughty white man, shall wait upon and serve the Black man. Thy pride I will bring low unto the dust. Thy cities I will level to the ground. They proud palaces will I give to bats and to owls as tenants. I am the God of Justice. I will be heard and my laws must be obeyed. Thus saith the Lord ! 6 CHAPTER 6 These are the words of the Unknown who wrote down and had printed and gave to the world the Gospel of Hope and the world received it not. Because the world forsooth was too busy. Its affairs are too important. The world has no time for the words or the teachings or the warnings of God. The world dances and plays cards and buys and sells and goes to prize fights and bull fights ; to baseball games1 and to football games; to dramas and to movie picture shows. But the world has little time for the great and deep and serious things of Life. The world is too busy — too busy for the affairs of God. 0 poor and pitiful and pitiless world! When will ye learn to take what ye need, — a little humility and the golden Silence that gives time for the Soul to think and for the Heart to gain Understanding. Without Under¬ standing, the races of men shall perish from off the face of the Earth. For unless ye have Understanding, Hatred and Suspicion and Envy shall come to blind thine eyes and to shrivel thy hearts. Ten years ago the Gospel of Hope was written and eight years ago letters of warning were sent to the Czar of Russia to the Emperor of Germany and to the King of England. Seven years ago the Great War came. Today the Czar of Russia and his son and his wife and his daughters are dead. The Emperor of Germany is an out¬ cast from the land of his birth, — derided by men and for¬ saken by God. For he was a cowardly poltroon with a haughty heart. And pride still goeth before a fall. When the Great War came, men died by millions and property was destroyed by billions and the end is not yet. 7 CHAPTER 7 Men are driven to their daily tasks like slaves, by their greed and petty ambitions and little vanities and false pride and by their fear lest they die in the poor house. There is no Freedom in their souls and no vision in their minds and no sense of Life’s greatness and glory in their hearts. Poor and rich are alike. They are all overbur¬ dened with business. They are all manacled by Cares and bowed down by Anxieties and vague Fears — they know not what. The rich man is poorer and more fearful than any peasant. The peasant hath more courage because having less to lose, he feareth so much less to lose it. Where¬ as the rich man having so much more to lose lives in the midst of constant fears and forebodings and dire prognosti¬ cations of coming Evil. The poor man waits until Evil comes. The rich man’s heart runneth forth to greet it. Though he meets it not he still finds that his fears have pulled him down and shrivelled him up. The Conscience of the rich man aboundeth in fear because he liveth in a world of daily injustice and Injustice is the parent of petty Fears and of Spiritual Poverty. Therefore, envy not the rich man, O ye who are poor ! The poor man may fear realities but the rich man fears both the Real and the Unreal. When there are no real dangers in sight, the rich man’s imagina¬ tion will create them. Fears of the Fancy are worse than Fears of Fact, — because they are more prolific. A thous¬ and devils exist in the imaginations of men to one that exists in the flesh of men. He who lives in a world of fanciful fears is a slave and the whole world is full of slaves. Freedom can come only to the heart that has thrown away its fears. 8 CHAPTER 8 It has been written in the oldest writings of the Jews that God is a God of wrath and fierce anger, — one to be feared. But I say unto you that God is a God of pity and of mercy and of love. Furthermore I say unto you that so long as these ancient histories continue to be called holy and to be read with reverence, filled as they are with stories of cruelty and bloodshed and egotistic falsehoods concerning the Holy One of Israel who led men forth to battle, so long as these ancient lies live, there shall be no Peace on Earth and no joy in the hearts of men. For I say unto you that the Past is dead and ye must bury it. Old books and ancient prejudices and antique lies must be thrown away. A New Day is at hand ! saith the Lord. All peoples are my people. Greater years than ye have known; higher Knowledge than ye have yet attained; more wonderful in¬ ventions that the telephone and telegraph or airship or automobile; nobler ideals than those contained in the finest dreams of the greatest poets, — such things are before thee; such things shall be revealed unto all who believe. For I am the Lord who loveth thee, saith the Lord God. I call upon the people of every race in every land under the Sun, I am thy Lord and God. I will keep thee and help thee and lead thee on thy way upward to the mountain heights where-on the light shines and the glory of the morning abides. But ye must believe! Ye must believe, O my children, upon me. Leave thy idols and thy fears and thy superstitions and thy snake-like fortune tellings. Believe! and I will bring to thy mind, Light. Believe! and I will bring to thy heart, Joy. Believe! and I will give to thy arm strength and to thy body health. For I am the Lord — thy Father, thy Leader, thy 9 Friend and thy Comrade. I will forsake thee not! saith the Lord. Look not backward to the Past, for the Present is here. Ponder not over olden creeds for a New Creed is here. Seek not for thy salvation amid the bloody records of the Past. For I bring ye here and now and today new ideals and fresh hopes and higher rules of conduct than were ever known in the world. For ye shall no longer be beasts who fight but men who live and hope and toil for the joys of Peace and Goodfellow- ship and Love. For Love is the Law. And Love that is real is mostly of the Spirit that soars upward and of the Heart that looks outward even as the stars in heaven look forth in shining splendor upon the Earth. CHAPTER 9 In days of old there was War and Discord and Envy and Jealousy, — one nation against another ; one man against an¬ other; one woman against another. Today there is again War and Discord and Envy and Jealousy. But Peace is on the way. The sunshine of Peace is wait¬ ing like the sunshine of morning to come forth and flood the world with Joy and Concord and all Fruitfulness. But first there must be unity of Spirit and Harmony of mind and Generosity of heart. There must be Peace within before there can be Peace without. From the East to the West; from the North to the South; all men must be brothers and neighbors and friends and comrades. For thus saith the Law. Material prosperity follows spiritual Righteousness. Destruction follows wherever Hate and Suspicion and Envy abide. Therefore cleanse thy hearts, O men of the North and men of the South and men of the East and men of the West! Before ye can prosper, ye must put away race pride and in¬ dividual pride and be at one, each with the other. There is no first and no last but all men are the children of one God and all shall have their proper share of the good things of the Earth whenever their hearts and souls and minds are right. Injustice may seem to flourish for a time but the end of all Injustice is dire and the humiliations there-of are grievous. The proud shall be humbled. The mighty shall be cast down. The shrewd and scheming; the tyrannous and cruel and greedy shall all come to the deep pit of ruin. The Day of Judgment may seem long but its coming is sure. The Day of Reckoning may seem far away but it shall 11 descend like the lightning flash out of the near sky. For thus saith the Law. Freedom and Joy and Hope and Prosperity shall come to all whose hearts are clean and whose souls are pure and whose minds love their fellowmen. The Law is slow but the Law is sure. CHAPTER 10 ) I am come to sweep away the Past ! Old books that hold 1 ies and falsehoods; old customs that conceal tyrannies and egradations; old habits that befit slaves, not freemen, — all hese abominations shall go. Whatsoever dwarfs and ramps and belittles and degrades the soul of man or of roman must go. I bring ye freedom of the soul as well as iberty of the body. Yet remember that the Law must be ibeyed. Discipline of Body and discipline of Soul and disci- iline of Spirit can alone make a true man or a true woman. Jut the days of Bugaboos and petty Superstitions and a housand Idolatries must go. In order that thou shouldst ightly honor thy leaders and thy wise men, thou must thy- elf possess Knowledge. But reading the daily newspaper tnd skimming through the latest magazine articles is not he road to real Knowledge. The road to Knowledge is •ough. The way to wisdom is never easy. Labor of brain ind of body is the only right preparation there-of . To win freedom and to conserve Liberty, thou must use thy brain. There is no easy way. If thou thinkest that by sitting ip ;omfortable homes or in beautiful Club-houses, thou canst teep the torch of Freedom burning or the light of Liberty iright, thou art as careless cattle that wallow in their own folly or as fat swine that bury their noses in the trough at ;he pigsty. Awake! arouse ye! for the moment thou sleepest, that moment the enemy is at the gates and the foe shall place his feet upon thy neck. Yet not the enemies without but the traitors within, thou art to fear. Awake! I say. For the Lord has sent to me a Vision. Awake! and know thyself be¬ fore it is too late. 13 CHAPTER 11 Be at peace with thyself ! Listen to thy Heart. Counsel with thy soul. Let thy Spirit calm thee and quiet thee and it shall in time lull all the tumults of Life to sleep. For the Lord is thy friend and comrade who loves thee still. Be quiet and listen and the Future shall grow clear and the wings of thy Spirit shall again be free. 14 CHAPTER 12 Lo! the Years shall cry out to thee and beckon to thee and show thee the way. The coming days shall answer all thy questions. The Future shall fulfill all the prophesies. I uttered a warning to the great rulers of Europe, to the Czar and the Emperor and the King and they heeded it not. Now is Russia mourning for the things that were. Famine and woe is upon her. Germany is eating her heart away. For her pride has brought her to ruin and her ambition has brought her unto Desolation. The people trusted unto their rulers and the rulers obeyed the evil wishes of their own hearts and the brazen ambitions of their own souls. Woe is me ! Woe is me ! Such is the lamentation that is heard over all the fields of Europe. Men cannot and shall not live by Hate! saith the Lord. Who-so lives by the sword, by the sword shall he perish. Even the land of England has not learned her lesson. Ancient wrongs must be expiated and bloody deeds must be paid for. India and Egypt have bided their time in patience and the hour of their deliverance is at hand. Vengeance is Mine ! saith the Lord and I will repay. Be¬ ware, 0 Land of England, lest the words ye preach and the laws by which ye live shall descend upon thy own head. In¬ dia shall be free and Egypt shall be free. China shall cease to be spoiled by friends and enemies and the heavy hand of the alien shall rest upon her no more. For Justice is the Law and the Law will be fulfilled. Unto the people of the East shall be left the devising of their own problems and the living of their own lives. Peace and Goodwill be with them ! But the sword must be left behind and the armed ship must no longer threaten. For the Lord ruleth and the Law of the 15 Lord shall be fulfilled. I tell thee! I warn thee! Mend thy ways before it is too late, O ye Nations of the West ! Watch thy steps and guard thy ways while there is yet time or Doom and Desolation and Defeat shall come upon thee and the ruin thou has provoked shall descend like strokes of lightning on thy unprotected heads. I tell ye! I warn ye! Be just and repair the wrongs of the Past before it is too late. For thus saith the Lord: Vengeance is Mine and I will repay. O Lord ! have pity upon them that hear not and heed not thy Law. 16 CHAPTER 13 Thus saith the Lord : Examine thy Hearts and Souls and Minds, O my people. Look down into thy deep consciousness and ask thyself: — What have I done that was Evil and what have I thought that was Evil? For every evil thought is the parent of an evil deed. Examine thyself carefully. Look into thy heart and answer this question: Have I never belittled the stranger who passed my door or the friend who has eaten at my table? ..Who so thinks evil does evil. For evil thoughts are like a flock of carrion crows that fly over the earth, darkening the sun and de¬ stroying the peace and quiet of the landscape by their harsh cries and their foreboding bodies. Where evil thoughts breed there comes destruction and ruin. Beware then, I say, not only of wrong deeds but of wrong thoughts which breed and hatch out evil doings. It has been writ¬ ten : Cease to do Evil and learn to do Good. But I say : Cease to think Evil and the Good thou seekest shall stand beside thee. It has been written : Thou shalt not steal. But I say un¬ to you: Be not greedy of Heart or of Soul. Then thou will not desire to possess a thing not thine own, much less hav¬ ing the wish to steal it. It has been written: Thou shalt not Kill: But I say, Have reverence for all of God’s creations and all living things shall become sacred in thy sight. It has been written: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. But I say: Love thy neighbor as thyself. Then Truth shall abide with thee and all Falsehood shall fly afar off. Where Love comes, Truth comes and where Truth comes all is well between man and man. For 17 thus saith the Law. The Lord said unto Moses : “An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me. If thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone.” I repeat those words for they are the Law. Thou shalt worship the Lord in purity of heart and in simplicity of Spirit. Thou shalt not try to bring to God great sacrifices or to build gilded altars or to erect splendid churches. The sacrifice which God desires is a clean Thought. The altar He wishes is thine own soul. The church in which thou art to worship is the open field or the wooded grove in Summer and the peace of a happy home in winter. An open fire in a happy home surrounded by loving friends is a temple fit for the service of the Lord. The Father and Mother should be the priests and ministers of God’s word. Peace on earth should begin at home. Goodwill to men should be first goodwill to all within thy house. I bring ye the Law. There can be no religion without reverence for the rights of others; respect for the personality of others and love for the divine spark that lies deep within the souls of all thy fellowmen. Without worship there can be no peace. Without reverence for the Law, there can be only tumult and trouble in the world. And Love is the Law. There is, there has been and there shall be no other Law. 18 CHAPTER 14 Again I repeat : I am come to sweep away the Past. The : New Day is here. Then greet it with open smiles and hearts. Ye shall no longer be weighed down by old rules. Thou shalt no longer be strangled by ancient ceremonies. Thou shalt bathe the world in Love. Hatred and Envy shall flee before thee. Suspicion and Pride and V anity shall slink away. Like the sunlight of a clear day, Goodwill and Good- fellowship and Comradeship shall abide with thee. The air shall grow warm and balmy. The earth shall bloom with flowers and rejoice with the singing of birds. Strength shall surge like a spring torrent through thy veins. Gladness shall overflow thy heart like a bountiful April rain. Joy shall lift up thy soul and give wings unto thy Spirit. Then all shall be well with thee forevermore. Harmony of soul bringeth forth the music out of Life. Where Harmony comes, Strength abides. Therefore, obey ye the Law. 19 CHAPTER 15 Throned in the heavens afar, the Lord hears thy bicker¬ ings and wars and tumults and petty jealousies, O men and women. But what hath He to do with them? Open thy hearts to mercy and thou shalt see God. Open thy souls to pity and thou shalt know God. Open thy Spirits to love and the graces of the Lord shall enter there-in. Broad as the horizons is the vision of the Lord. He knows and hears and sees and feels and understands. But the Law must be obeyed and the Law must be followed. Then the Law will be fulfilled. And the Law of Life is Love. It is Love alone that can build a bridge from the Present to the Future; from the Here to the Here-after. When Love’s faith is strong enough, it will build the bridge easily and go to meet its own, not with tears of Woe but with smiles of Gladness. For Death is a beautiful thing, not a thing of horror. Death is a gracious thing, not a thing to fear. Death is a loving thing, not a thing from which to shrink. When the laws of life are known and understood, men and women will go forth to meet Death as a happy bride goeth to meet the bridegroom ; as a loving child goeth to meet and to greet its Father or its mother. Who seeth God shall see and believe in Death as in a gracious and winsome and lovely unseen Messenger who waits to conduct him to fairer scenes and to a happier home. For Death is not the end but the begin¬ ning of real life. Therefore who-so desireth life in abun¬ dance, let him prepare Today for the things of Tomorrow. Who-so would meet the Future with Gladness must sow the Past with seeds of Joy. What thou sowest, thou shalt reap. Therefore sow Today what thou desirest to reap Tomorrow. Life will be endured with Patience and pursued with Dili- 20 gence when it is known and understood that Death brings reward for all striving ; healing for all suffering ; soothing for all pain and food and drink for all those whose Spirits hunger and thirst. Go then to meet Death gladly. For he may prove to be thy dearest long-sought friend. Behind the curtain that looks dark and back of the gloom that seems forbidding, Light and Joy and Gladness await thee! Be of good cheer ! I bring to thy heart comfort and to thy soul tidings of great Joy. For though thou pass through the valley of the Shadow, thou shalt not be alone for the Lord will be with thee to guide and to direct thee. The long and hard journey is drawing to an end. Peace be with thee! Comfort be around thee! Joy go with thee! for thus saith the Lord who loves thee and will forsake thee not. The lights grow dim as the Night comes on. The Shadows deep¬ en and out of the Dark, the Silence falls. Peace be with thee ! But tomorrow morning beyond the dusky curtains of the Night, Joy and Peace and Gladness and surcease of Pain — all these await thee. Then sleep, Beloved one, sleep thou in peace. Angels guard thee ! God loves thee! Sleep in peace, 0 tired Heart, sleep thou in peace. 21 CHAPTER 16 The hearts of men are corrupted by their desire for praise and applause and distinction. They wish to be ex¬ alted in the eyes of their fellowmen. But thou, my friends, must know the truth and the truth is this : To be at one with God is the greatest distinction and the highest good to which any man can attain. For this is to possess Health, to feel Joy, to revel in Gladness and to perceive Reality. Why then will ye run after Fictions when Facts are before thee? The wise man perceiveth the thing that is good at heart. But the fool is deceived by tinsel wrappings. Where the heart is right all is right. But the heart of man cannot be right until it is grateful. Gratitude for what thou hast is the beginning of wisdom. Folly is the handmaiden of Greed and Greed shall lead thee to ruin. Greed is blindness and destruction. If thou desirest rare possessions, wish first for a heart that is cleansed from Fear and that knows Joy. Who that owns diamonds and rubies and sapphires shall wish for common pebbles? A clean heart is more to be de¬ sired than precious jewels, — than all the gold of Alaska. Gold can corrupt thee but a good heart shall fill thy days with Joy and thy nights with Peace and thy old age with Kindness and Sympathy. I look in wonder at the world when I think of how men have misconceived it and mispor- trayed it. What saves earth from destruction are the hearts of good men and of noble women. Better than writ¬ ten laws for the world’s guidance are the hearts that grow better and wiser with time. The laws of men stand still but the hearts of men progress in wisdom and in grace. 22 CHAPTER 17 Thou art a creature of Free Will. Beside thee lie many things, some real, some unreal, some good, some bad, some wholesome, some unwholesome, some sound, some rotten. Thou art to choose. Thy choice lies with thyself. In choos¬ ing, thou shalt learn. By selecting, thou shalt come to know. When a wise man chooseth a bad thing, he spits it out of his mouth. When a Fool makes a blunder, he cbngs to his mistake saying, It is mine and I can do no wrong. Egotism is the allurement of fools and the danger signal ot wise men. By it, they are warned what to avoid. Men are all scholars and the world is only a great school. Who-so is modest, he shall acquire Knowledge and gain wisdom. Who-so abaseth himself shall be exalted and who-so exalt- eth himself shall be abased. For such is the Law. Patience and Perseverance shall lead thee unto the Light and the Light of Life is learning. „ Learning shall lead thee to the Truth and the Truth shall lead thee to Wisdom and Wisdom shall bring thee to Joy. For Joy is the Keynote of whatever is real. Joy attunes the world to clean thought and to wholesome actions. Joy shall keep thee sane. Joy shall teach thee moderation. Joy shall protect thee from Passion and from the excesses there-ol. Joy shall lift thy mind and exalt thy soul and expand thy heart. Joy shall give thee Vision and Sympathy and through these things shall Joy wrap thee round with Love. For all Love that is true dances and sings and laughs and carols its tripping way along the flower-embroidered paths When Joy comes, Life and all Life’s problems shall be clear. Joy is simple hearted as a little child and as wise hearted as an old man. Therefore give praise and honor unto Joy. 23 CHAPTER 18 Where Hatred lives, Death shall come. Where Envy and Suspicion flourish, there shall Ruin and Destruction sweep like a mountain flood that carries all before it. For Love is the Law. And Love means Unity and Goodwill and Good- fellowship and Sympathy and Charity. All men are thy brothers. All mankind are the children of one Father. There is no first and no last. But all men are to have equal opportunities to grow and to develop and to live their own lives. I tell thee! I warn thee! There shall be only one Religion — the Religion of the Brotherhood of Man. Petty prejudices and little theolog¬ ical rules and narrow interpretations of scripture must cease. I bring ye a Vision as large as the Heavens and as wide as all the world. Success and Prosperity shall lie in thy minds when thy minds and souls expand so that thou canst know what real success and true prosperity mean. The only way for a Race to be great or a Man to be great is to have a great soul. When a race or a man attains unto true greatness, they desire all other men and all other races to possess what they possess. But there is no greatness without generosity. To be generous is merely the proof that thou hast attained unto the vision of the realities of life. 24 CHAPTER 19 It has been written and I repeat it here. The last shall be the first and the first shall be last. The great countries of the future shall be Canada and Siberia and Alaska and Aus¬ tralia and Brazil and the Argentine Republic. Europe has gone the way of Sodom and Gomorrah; of Babylon and As¬ syria; of Persia and Egypt and Palestine. For Hatred and Strife and Envy and Jealousy are the things that serve as paving stones to the broad highway of Death and Destruc¬ tion. Europe is dead ! Ye may weep and lift up thy voices in lamentation. Ye may cast lilies and roses and violets above her grave. Europe is dead ! For her soul is gone and her heart is shrivelled. Fear and Sorrow have killed her. Europe is dead ! Her funeral procession may be deferred until her corpse is rot¬ ten and until the corruption and stench there-of vitiates the air and pollutes the earth. But know that Europe is dead and gone. Only the ghost of her dead Past still stalks amid the hopeless ruins of her living Present. Not in an hour or in a day or in a year shall nations die. But though the death pangs be prolonged, the pangs of Death are sure. Woe unto Races and Nations that by their hatreds and fears are no more; Out of the charnal-houses of the Past, all ye who would live must escape while there is yet time. For a dead tomb is no place for a living body or for an aspiring mind. Come ye forth from the chambers of Death while there is still a chance. Go forth into the air where the sun shines and the breezes blow and where fountains of living waters bubble. 25 Come from the charnal-house of the Past, all ye who would live. I call to thee! I warn thee! I beseech thee! There can be no compromise with the dead Past. Bury it with tears and with lamentations and with songs if ye will. But bury the Past deep. For the living Present awaits thee. Today is thy hour of action. Tomorrow is thy day of Vision. Therefore awake and arise and do thy task, for the night cometh. Work while the sun shines and the breezes blow and the flowers bloom. Unto each comes his hour of for¬ tune. Thy hour is here. Then take it ! Thy chance is near. Then grasp it ! Thy fortune beckons to thee. Then go forth to meet it. When the Future speaketh to thee, go forth like a strong man that knows not fear. For Strength cometh to and abideth with whomsoever dares to act and to live ac¬ cording to the Law. 26 CHAPTER 20 Out of churches and synagogues and associations I bid ye come forth, all ye that love the Lord. For the shadows of the churches cramp the souls and the materialisms of the organizations chill the hearts and dwarf the imaginations and drag down the exalting and soaring spirits of men. I know ! I feel ! I hear ! When ye lifted thy prayers in agony of spirit to God, I promised to bring ye Freedom. But thou must have the courage to do thy work. Come unto me, all ye that are heavy-laden and I will give ye rest. What I speak unto you, I have the right to speak. What I promise to thee, I shall fulfill. Therefore come unto me, all ye that love the Lord. I will open thine eyes, I will uplift thy hearts, I will expand thy souls. Only ye must believe! Ye must believe upon me. Without Faith, deeds are dead and there is no life in the heart or soul or mind of man. Therefore ye must believe. CHAPTER 21 Hell begins the minute you do a wrong. There is no hell here-after. Hell is here and now, — to everyone who sins. Today is part of Eternity. What you miss or mis-do today, you must make up Tomorrow. Whatever lessons of Life you avoid learning or refuse to learn here, you must learn here-after. There is no escape. The greatest lessons of Life come through suffering. Therefore they who suffer most Here will be nearest to the high goal in the Here-after. God is merciful and just. Only man is cruel and unjust and merciless both to his fellows and to himself. Underneath the countenance of every Wrong-doer lies a seething fur¬ nace of Discontent and Care and Worry and Fear. That is Hell. You carry Hell with you every day, every hour and every minute so long as you continue to do wrong. Thy only escape is through the repentance of right deeds. Good¬ ness means Justice and Right Living and Fair Dealing. Thy Conscience will awake and torture thee the moment thou doest wrong. To undo a wrong, seek forgiveness of the man whom thou hast injured and of thy God. Remember what I say: Hell begins the minute thou doest a wrong. Not Here-after and not Tomorrow but Here and Now lies the path of Life and the way of Righteousness or Unright¬ eousness. God sees thee. Thy Conscience knows thee. Both of them shall warn thee and pity thee until thou undoest thy wrong deeds by doing deeds that are right. Be warned in time! If thou wouldst know Joy and feel Contentment and exult in the love of Life, then see that thou doest right. Or if thou hast done wrong, repent at thy ear¬ liest opportunity. There is no statute of limitations that will wipe out a wrong. Not until a wrong is expiated and a 28 wrong deed be righted both by payment and by prayer shall thy Conscience be clear and at peace. I tell thee! I warn thee ! The Law may be slow but the Law is sure. The Law is just and the Law will be fulfilled. Be not therefore so foolish as to think thou canst escape either the eyes of God or the judgment of thy own Conscience. The wise man seeks to know and to live by the Law. But the Fool thinks he can make and live by his own laws. But the Egoist and Smart-Aleck shall both destroy themselves. Folly is the child of Ignorance. But Ignorance shall die where-so-ever the light of Knowledge shines. For thus saith the Law. 29 CHAPTER 22 When the Truth cometh, thou must open thine ears to hear. When the Lord cometh, thou must open thine eyes to see. To the blind, what is Light? To the deaf, what is the sound of Music? The blind man crieth: All is darkness around me. I see nothing. The deaf man crieth: All around me is Silence. I hear nothing. Yet the Light shin- eth on the blind man. Music playeth to the deaf man. But the blind man seeth nothing and the deaf man heareth nothing. Even so when the word of the Lord is revealed to thee if thy pride of learning blindeth thine eyes, thou shalt not see it. If Prejudice or Envy or Vanity or Dullness of soul shuts the ears of thy Understanding, thou shalt not hear it. Therefore open thine eyes that ye may see. Open thy souls that ye may hear. I come to bring ye the Truth and the Truth shall make ye free, — free from intellectual pride; free from religious prejudice; free from moral envy. This is the freedom that all men need. Until ye have such free¬ dom as this, know that ye are still mental slaves. Without freedom of soul, ye shall still wallow in the blindness of spiritual Ignorance and ye shall still grope amid the deep and lonely Silences of spiritual Deafness. Therefore open the eyes of thy minds and the ears of thy souls that ye may see and know the Truth. How shall I know what is true? I hear you cry. This is my answer : By the sincerity of thine own heart shall thou know what is sincere. By the truth of thy own soul shall thou know what is true. But if thy heart is conventional and filled with ancient falsehoods and conventions and de¬ lusions, then shall thou continue to live amid delusions and 30 falsehoods and conventions — But when thy Heart and Soul and Mind are true and open to the light, then thou will go straight to the Truth. Thou canst not be deceived. Even as a flower growing up into the sunshine feels that light and warmth are there, so the desire for Truth shall bring thee to the warmth and light of Life which is Love. And Love shall bring to thee all glad things — Joy and Merriment and Laughter and Song and Goodfellowship. Mistake not love, I pray thee. Physical emotion is not love. Keep thy mind open, if thou wouldst find the Truth. All prejudice shuts the Truth out of the mind. Ancient creeds and teachings absorbed without thinking and accept¬ ed upon authority, — all these blind the eyes of the Soul to Truth. Theology which believes in rules and creeds and ordi¬ nances and regulations which are mostly negative tends to kill Religion which is always positive, Religion is an open and free and firm faith in the Living God. Theology is spiritual Death. Religion is spiritual Life. Theology tends to make an Idol of a Book or of a Creed. Religion sees God in everything. Theology tends to be narrow and dogmatic and unbending and hard and stern and unyielding. Reli¬ gion is as broad as the Universe and as full of pity as the Sunshine. For Religion is the belief in a Living God and he who believes in God has no place in his heart for a nar- now creed or for rigid rules or for dogmatic regulationsJ For God is all greatness and all kindness and all pity and all tenderness and all loving mercy without limit and with¬ out end. 31 CHAPTER 23. It has been written: “Vengeance is Mine! saith the Lord.” And the Vengeance will be the opening of thine eyes to see and to understand the meaning of thy own sins and the burden of thy own mistakes. The day of the paid priest and the upholstered church and the tithe-collecting ministry is over. No more shall the people be kept terror stricken and borne down by fear through thundrous creeds. For the olden days of priest¬ craft shall go the way that king-craft has gone — into the ash-heaps of Oblivion. But the days of real leadership and of reverence for Truth and Love of Goodness and adoration of Virtue and Self-Sacrifice and of Heroism — these days are only about to come. When false greatness goes, real Greatness comes. When false Religion goes, real Religion comes. When narrow thoughts and petty prejudices and childish envies and enmities go, then breadth of mind and generosity of soul and largeness of heart and beauty of character shall blossom and flourish over the length and breadth of the whole world. I am come to bring you free¬ dom of heart and vision of mind and largeness of soul. The New Day dawneth ! The Light of a new hour cometh. The hope of a new and better Earth is on the way. All good things shall come to all who believe. When theologies die and church creeds perish, then shall come a greater Day when people shall gather out of doors under the wide heavens and sing their hymns of praise to the Lord their God. There is only one God and all the people of all the Earth are His children. I see this vision of the days to come and I know that my Vision will come true. For the human heart 32 feeleth and the human soul perceiveth the Truth long be¬ fore the mortal eye can see it. Such is the power of Faith. Out of the Darkness, Faith brings Light. Out of Discord, Faith brings Harmony. Out of Chaos, Faith brings Unity. Out of War, Faith brings Peace. For such is the Law and the Law will be fulfilled. Unto my heart come visions of great Joy and Prosperity and Peace. When my earthly career is over, still shall the vis¬ ions be realized. Still shall my fellowmen rejoice. Thus saith the Law and the Law of Life is Love. 33 CHAPTER 24 I bring to ye the Law. The real wealth of Nations con¬ sists of men and women with active brains and strong bodies and trained hands. Not Wealth but Health should be most carefully and zealously cared for. When ye talk to me about the power of money, I answer this: Ye know not the Law. Sweep all the money on Earth into the ocean Today and Tomorrow the strong and alert and active men and women of the world shall begin to create new wealth. Only the clippers of coupons and those who live on the in¬ terest of their money will sit upon the sands of Time wail¬ ing and making a loud lamentation. The creation of wealth proceeds as fast and no faster than in the minds of men and women springs up New Hope and High Desire and wide Vision. Therefore be careful of the health of the workers of the world. Increase the health of men and ye increase the wealth of men. But the first care must be giv¬ en to the Heart and Soul and Mind. Raise the hopes of men and ye increase the industrial productivity of men. When you destroy or limit human hope, you destroy or limit human wealth. Where ever ye render Injustice, you destroy or paralize human effort. Where-ever ye exhaust or maim men, ye exhaust or maim Wealth. When ye ex¬ pect working men or women to live under cramped or un¬ wholesome or ugly conditions, ye are sowing the seed of industrial waste and destruction. Beauty is a necessity of Life and to be deprived of beauty is cruelty and a dwarfing of mind and power. Ruin shall follow all cruelty. Paraly¬ sis shall follow all overwork and over toil on the part of those who create wealth. The first and foremost business of the manager of a Factory or a Department Store is to 34 see that all employees are in fit condition to work with joy¬ ous hearts and with singing souls. No work is really well done until it be done with gladness. No effort is thy best effort until Joy goes with it. No condition of labor is a fit condition until Health and Joy and Gladness and Fresh Air and Sunshine are a part of it. The world will never be as rich as it should be and life will never be as great as it might be until every man and woman and child in the world are trained up to their highest condition of health and strength both physical and mental and moral. For the maximum of human strength means the maximum of men¬ tal and physical and moral strength. They all go together. They cannot be separated except each suffers a loss. I am my Brother’s Keeper! Remember that such is the Law. For thy own sake and for thy own prosperity, success and safety thou must learn to obey the Law. For nothing lives to itself alone but all things live to the glory of God and that of the great world which He has created. Therefore be wise in thy day and generation that thou mayest attain vision. For Vision shall bring thee to a knowledge of the Law and a knowledge of the Law shall open thine eyes to see and thy heart to understand. The Greedy man is the blind and foolish man who feels the penny in his hand but does not see the dollars above and around him. To know that Good will and Sympathy and Kindness are the basis of all real life is the beginning of Wisdom. A little wisdom often leadeth to much success even as a little acorn often! grows into a sturdy tree. Be thy seeds well sown and thy crops shall be well grown! For such is the Law. 35 CHAPTER 25. From the ends of the Earth will I gather ye in! saith the Lord God. To the land of the free will I transport thee and to the open spaces of the west will I transplant thee. Under the blue skies and amid the wide prairies shall thou make thy homes. Here shall thou worship and plant and sow and reap. Thy children shall grow strong and alert as in the days of old. Thy mothers shall be large and fruit- full as in the ancient times. Friendliness and Goodwill shall be spread around thee and the smiles of helpful neigh¬ bors shall greet thee. Where thou goest Prosperity shall go with thee. Where thou abidest, Success shall come unto thee. Remember I am the Lord thy God who lovest and carest for His own. Night shall fill the heavens with stars for thy adoration. Day shall fill the land with sunshine for thy comfort. The rain shall descend and the southwind shall blow and both shall be messengers to thee of Joy. Let thy hearts sing and thy souls rejoice. The Lord liveth. Let thy minds be glad and thine eyes look aloft. For the Lord reigneth. Strong shall be thy muscles and sturdy shall be the hearts and pleasant shall be the manners of all who are grateful to the Lord. Therefore sing songs and hymns and praises of thanks¬ giving. Beyond the Darkness lies the Light. Patience be unto thee! The music of the falling rain shall bring glad¬ ness to thy hearts and fertility to thy fields. Praise ye the Lord! 36 CHAPTER 26. Thus saith the Lord : The days of old are gone. Bury them deep. The hatreds of old are gone. Bury them deep. The Jealousies and Suspicions and Envies of ancient days are gone. Bury them deep. Then arise and sing aloud to all the Earth: Freedom is here! Joy is here! Gladness is with us and Friendship. We are freemen at last. Glory be to the Lord ! Our souls and hearts and minds are free. From the mountains to the valleys ; from the valleys to the seas; from the seas unto the islands come the New Tidings filled with joy for all the Sons of Men. Peace shall some when Hatreds go ! Peace shall come when Envy dies ! One land, one Brotherhood of Men, one God! One universal song of praise that spreadeth over all the Earth like sun¬ light and moonlight and starlight. Praise and Glory to God! Peace to all the Earth and to all Mankind thereon. We are one People! There is no first and no last. All are children of one God! Love and Goodwill shall bind us all together forevermore. If thy brother moveth slowly, be patient with him. If thy neighbor thinketh slowly, be pa¬ tient with him. Charity shall guide thy tongue and soothe thy speech and give grace and gentleness to thy conduct. Therefore be patient and be charitable to all men at all times everywhere. Thus shall Peace abide beside thy door and fruitfulness descend upon thy gardens and thy fields ; upon thy cities and all that dwell therein. No more shalt thou study thy own virtues and the virtues of thy own race. Thou shalt study the virtues of thy neighbors and the vir¬ tues of other races. No longer shall school books contain! maps of thy own country printed large and the maps of other countries printed small. Thus are Egotists made and 37 manufactured and turned out by millions to ravish and de¬ vastate and exploit the world. All maps must be made to the same scale so that thou see truly thy own relation to the world. When a man of any race perceives how vast the Universe is and how small a part of the world his own country is, he will learn to know the Truth and the Truth shall make him humble. If thou wouldst conquer the world conquer it with a School-book. If thou wouldst gain true power and real glory, spread the light of wisdom and of knowledge and they shall return to thee after many days. The only real conquest is to conquer the hearts and souls and minds of men by courtesy and generosity and gentle¬ ness and goodwill. Then shall thy power be real and thy conquests be permanent. But thou must be just and fair and courteous and kind. A smile is more potent than a sword. A warm handclasp is stronger to win friendship) than a cannon. One deed of kindness is of more influence than a hundred rifles. Sunlight is the same and moonlight is the same and starlight is the same over all the circles of the Earth. Even so, Joy and Gladness and Goodwill and Friendship are the same with all men everywhere. Glad eyes always speak the same language. A heart full of Goodwill speak- eth ever with the same tongue. Generosity is always understood and kindness though it travel ever so far shall never have need of an interpreter. For thus saith the Lord. 38 CHAPTER 27. I sat in the Public Library reading a book about the an¬ cient historical cities of Palestine and the tombs of the Jews. And the Spirit of the Lord came upon me and the Spirit of the Lord said unto me: The Past is dead! Bury it. But Today is here and Tomorrow is coming. Look not unto the Past. Live unto the Present and for the sake of the Future — Go out into the sunshine and walk up the hill to thy home and I will give thee things to write, more im¬ portant than those contained in any book about the ancient times. So I gave back the book about Palestine to the girl at the desk in the Library and I went out into the sunshine and I walked up the hill through the crisp air of a buoyant winter day. As soon as I came to my room I sat down and wrote what the Spirit of the Lord gave me to write. Only so much and no more. When I had ceased writing the fol¬ lowing words : Generosity is always understood and Kind¬ ness, though it travel ever so far shall never have need of an interpreter, For thus saith the Lord ! I put away my paper and pencil and started to read the biography of a great scientist, Sir Isaac Newton. But I had scarcely start¬ ed to read, when again the Spirit of the Lord came upon me and said : Put down thy book. I have more important work for thee to do. So I put down my book and took up my pencil and paper and I said unto the Lord : What will ye have me say? Then the Lord said unto me: The eyes of the people are blinded. They must be opened. The pre¬ judices of the people bind and hold them fast like steel man¬ acles. They must be rent asunder. The Greed of the peo¬ ple is smothering their souls. Greed must be quenched. Greed is like a ravenous lion and a devouring flame. Peo- 39 pie must believe! I will make the hearts and minds of peo¬ ple to see the Truth and to have belief. Ye shall prophesy and men shall believe. Ye shall speak and the Nations shall hear. Ye shall utter my words and the souls of men shall rejoice. For I am the Lord. Men wander in the darkness of their own unlit ways. They see not, they believe not, they trust not. Wrapped round with dead Ideas and an¬ tique Creeds, they forget that I live and that Faith consists not so much in the belief of what I have done as in what I can do Today and will do Tomorrow. Greater than the Past shall be the Future. Mightier than Moses will be the Messiah I send. Greater miracles than I wrought five thousand years ago are the miracles I will reveal to men; when their minds are open and their hearts are ready to receive. But a locked door is not so tight shut as a closed mind. A stone wall can be broken down by the head of an ordinary man more easily than a rooted prejudice can be removed from a narrow mind. When I send thee Starlight, listen to me! When I send thee Moonlight, listen to me! When I send ye Storms and Tumults, fear not. For the Wisdom which thy mind needeth and the Comfort which thy soul seeketh and the Joy which thy heart is longing for, — these are the things ye shall receive. Remember that I am thy God who loveth thee. 40 CHAPTER 28. Read with your eyes, not with your prejudices. When reverence for the dead Past shuts thy heart and soul and mind from the truth of the living Present, then thy rever¬ ence is an evil thing. Goodness is moderation and reason and vision and common sense. If thou concentrate thy mind on one Creed or on one Thought or on one series of Ideas; out of all the vast realm of Thoughts and Creeds and Ideas, then thy concentration shall limit thy vision and narrow thy understanding and dwarf thy soul. Open thy mind ! Open thy heart ! Free thy soul ! For the Lord lives. Look around thee and above thee. Take in the far horizons that beckon to thee. Narrow not thy heart! Cramp not thy vision ! Make not an Idol of the Past. The Present is here and the Future is on the way. Arise ! Awake ! Be of open mind and sympathetic heart and receptive soul! Saith the Lord. What shall I do with those who insist on sitting be¬ side a dead corpse and will not bury it? The Past is a dead corpse. Then bury it. It was alive but it is dead. It was vibrant with energy and alert with activity and beautiful with the glow of youth. But its day is over and its deeds are done. Bury it gently. Bury it carefully and reverent¬ ly. But bury it deep. For all is well with the dead and the Past is dead. Go forth unto the living Present and the glowing Future. Learn from the Past how to act unto the Present and how to aspire unto the Future. But let not the virility of the Present nor the glowing aspirations of the Future be clouded or hindered or made fearful by the ghosts or customs or rules or regulations of a Past that is dead. 41 CHAPTER 29. Be patient with those who err unknowingly and with all who are sincere although mistaken. Hark ye, 0 young Man and young Woman. The Past is dead. But over its grave the Elders still must shed their tears and greyhaired men and women must still sigh for what was once near and dear to them. Be respectful ; be tender; be considerate- with the old. For thou shalt in time be old also. Thou too in days to come will wish to cling to old customs and an¬ cient ceremonies and early habits that have no meaning for the young. As ye would be done by in days to come, do ye even so in the days that are here. By the grave of the Past, thou who art aglow with the strength of the Present and radiant with the promise of the Future toward which thy face is turned, thou canst afford to be silent and gra¬ cious and courteous. The Past has left thee a heritage from which thou canst learn. The Past has bequeathed to thee valuable things where-by Life may be made greater and stronger and better and higher and purer. Out of the grave of the Past accept what thou canst use and be grate¬ ful therefor. Forget not to be grateful, I pray thee. The ingrate shall live in folly and advance unto destruction. Whatsoever is good, hold the same in honor. Whatsoever is useful, hold the same in respect. Whatsoever is health¬ ful and beautiful and joyful and serene, give gratitude for the same. Life shall furnish thee with noise and activity and tumult in plenty. Therefor be glad for the serenity of ....Age and the soberness of Wisdom and for the counsels of Experience. For in good time thou shalt find that Quiet¬ ness means reserve power ; Serenity means wisdom attain¬ ed ; Good Counsels mean the conservation of thine energy. 42 On the road of Life, step softly; go quietly; tread meekly; and the long way will grow shorter and the hard road will grow smoother and the rough path will become easier. Therefore heed the signs beside the way of Life. When Age would counsel thee and Experience would teach thee and Wisdom would save thee, open thy hearts and minds to hear and to observe and to heed. Honor thy father and thy mother and all those who possess Wisdom. There is no adornment of Youth so becoming as Modesty. Meekness shall lead thee to Wisdom. But the Scoffer shall bark his own shins and none shall give him sympathy. Who thinks he knows it all shall find that what he knows is as nothing. The abiding things of human Life are Modesty and Wis¬ dom; Charity and Generosity; Kindness and Sympathy and these shall ever be becoming both to Youth and to Age. 43 CHAPTER 30. This is the word I bring ye ! By your deeds alone can ye be saved. God is concerned not over what thy tongue says but over what thy hands do. Christ wants not words but deeds. Only by thy deeds can the belief of thy heart be made manifest. Not a Sabbath Day Religion but a religion good for all the seven days of the week, — that is the kind of religion which God seeks and Christ demands. No more shall the sinner cry, Lord! Lord! forgive mine iniquities and then keep flooding himself with self pity. But here¬ after the sinner shall shut his mouth and grit his teeth and go to work and prove the sincerity of his repentance by the zealousness of his deeds. All Idleness must go, — even the idleness of priests and ministers. For no minister wants to be idle and all priests love work when their hearts are right and their souls are clean. In days to come there shall be no salaried ministers or priests. But even as the Lord giveth freely of his wisdom and his Knowledge to his children who believe, so His children who receive must give as freely to their fellowmen. Ye cannot buy inspiration nor bargain for the light of real Knowledge. For these things cometh from the Lord. Love is not love that is given for a price. So Religion is not religion that is preached for a salary. The New Day is coming! I bring ye tidings of great mo¬ ment. Listen! all ye who can hear. Hark to me, all ye that are spiritually awake. The costly temples and churches and the expensive organs there-of must be cast away, — even as Christ drove the money-changers from the temple. The pride of dress and the richness of thy church furnishings are an offense to the Lord. I tell thee ! I warn thee ! Why are the churches becoming empty and why are the admoni- 44 tions of the pastor and priests addressed to deaf ears? Be¬ cause ye have adopted Pagan ways and manners though ye knew it not. The people hunger and thirst after the waters of the living Truth and who-so is the bearer there-of shall be well — nay! shall be royally received. For men love to testify to the power of the Truth that makes them free. Re¬ ligion that is real frees the souls of men. It does so by in¬ sight, not by hindsight. It does so by revelation, not by de¬ nunciation. But muttering ancient warnings and preach¬ ing outworn creeds is not the way in which to give men a Knowledge of the Living God. The sunlight that warms the day and the moonlight that makes beautiful the night are not more wondrous and acceptable to men than the truth which opens their hearts and exalts their souls. All men are waiting hungrily to have their hearts opened and their souls exalted and uplifted. Ye who would preach to men must know the hearts of men and in the hearts of all men( lies a spark of divine fire which waiteth only for a breath of the living Truth to kindle into a flame. Who-so would teach must first learn. Who-so would preach must first un¬ derstand. Without the light of Knowledge and of Wisdom and of Understanding ye shall be merely blind leaders of the Blind. 45 CHAPTER 31 Unto the meek shall come Mercy. Unto the Patient shall come Power. Unto the open minded and humble heart¬ ed shall come Vision. For thus saith the Lord. A new Reli¬ gion I send unto thee. A greater insight and foresight I bring unto thee. Greater Reverence and Gratitude I grant thee. Thine eyes shall be set upon the future and thy heart upon the hills. Deep Peace shall abide with thee. Great Joy shall come unto thee. Finer music shall enter into thee. Songs and hymns and dances shall lift thy soul and exalt thy heart and invigorate thy limbs. And thou shalt know that I am the Lord. I will bring Peace and Calm and Quiet unto thee. I will spread Joy and Gladness and Contentment around thee. I will fill thee full of gratitude for the sun¬ light of Day and for the moonlight and starlight of Night. And ye shall know that I am the Lord. In the hours of Si¬ lence I will speak to thee. Through the days of blackest Darkness, I will come to thee. I will thrill thy soul with Beauty and I will lift thy heart to Joy. And ye shall know and feel and understand that I am the Lord. Straight from heaven falls the sunlight and the moonlight and the star¬ light. So straight into thy heart shall fall the message of the Lord. With its coming shall come quiet. With its fall¬ ing shall fall Contentment. With its entrance thy heart and soul shall be filled with a calmness all divine. I am Health and Peace and Joy and Quiet and Strength ! Thus saith the Lord. 46 CHAPTER 32 The poor man must learn to have sympathy with the rich man and the rich man must learn to render justice to the poor. Envy gnaweth at the hearts of the Poor and Ar¬ rogance devoureth the souls of the rich. To be greedy of praise is often as bad as to be greedy for money. Exalt not thy own way and manner of life. The man who works with his brain thinks he is smart and the man who works with his muscle thinks he is smarter. Both of these need the Modesty that leads to wisdom. Without Modesty no man can rise unto a vision of the Truth. No man will be proud of himself who is wise. For the wise man knoweth how lit¬ tle he knows and how much he has to learn. Therefore is he humble. Blessed be the humble for they shall find Joy and know Gladness and attain unto Happiness. Without Hap¬ piness what is Life save a barren desert land that needeth rain? Little drops of wisdom are the fertilizers of the mind. Blessed are they who seek wisdom for the light of wisdom is the illumination of the world. Peace and Pros¬ perity and Joy and Health flourish where-ever wisdom abides. Therefore seek wisdom if ye would know Joy and find Happiness. 47 CHAPTER 33 Flowers are the messengers of God. Birds are the her¬ alds of the Lord. But men and women with kind hearts are the pillars of the world. Beware of greed for money and greed for praise and greed for social honors. For greed shall squeeze the heart dry and make the mind cold. Today let thy soul exult and thy lips rejoice. For Today is the day of the Lord. Sing thy songs of praise! Repeat thy thanks¬ giving carols! Lift up thy hymns in gratitude. For the Day of the Lord is here! Rejoice, O ye Nations! Be glad, O ye Peoples of the Earth! for the Day of the Lord is here. Open the doors of thy minds. Let the windows cf thy souls admit the light. Let thy hearts cry out in gladness ; the Day of the Lord is here! Freedom to every heart! Peace to every soul! Strength and Vision and Understanding unto every mind! The Day of the Lord is here! Usher in with songs the glory of the morning. Bedeck with splendor the coming of the noontide! Be glad for the calm and quiet of the evening ! As messengers who bear great tidings and as heralds who bring the news of great Joy, so let thy voice be lifted up and let the tidings ring forth to the end of all the Earth; the Day of the Lord is here! The ocean shall bear the tidings on ! The hills shall repeat the music of the Mes¬ sage. The mighty rivers shall sweep this anthem to the sea ; The Day of the Lord is here ! 0 the Day of the Lord is here! 48 CHAPTER 34 Thus saith the Lord : When a Jew shall look with hatred upon a Gentile. When a Gentile shall treat with aversion a Jew. When a Catholic shall feel superior to a Protestant. When a Protestant shall retaliate upon a Catholic. When Baptists and Metho¬ dists and Episcopalians and Mohammedans and Buddhists and Christian Scientists and Theosophists shall say: Our church and our teachings are the only true church and the only right teachings, then I say to all such: Ye are Pagans and Idolators and the light of Truth is not yet in you. Kind¬ ness and Charity and Brotherly Love and Sympathy and open-mindedness — these are the foundations of all Reli¬ gion. Until ye love your fellowmen, ye cannot love God. Un¬ til ye are Kind and Forebearing and Sympathetic with thy fellowmen, thou canst have no idea of the qualities of God or of any of the great religious leaders of the world. Go then ! Open thy hearts and widen the windows of thy souls and let the light and wisdom and Knowledge of the Truth enter there-in. So long as there are religious sects, there will be little religion. Where-ever there is Self-Righteous¬ ness, there is little religion. While any man or any priest or any minister disdains or treats with disrespect any other man or priest or minister who is sincere, let such man or priest or minister know that the face of God shall be turned away from him. There is one God, — and He is nigh unto you ! He abides with you always. There is only one Reli¬ gion and it is open unto all of you — the Religion of kind deeds and of brotherly love and of sympathetic feelings and of hope for and faith in all thy fellowmen. 49 All the men and women in all the races of all the Earth are the children of God. When ye have sought to do thy duty by thy fellowmen; when thy hearts have tried to love thy fellowmen; when thy souls have learned to have sym¬ pathy with and pity for thy fellowmen, then ye can lift up thy hymns of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord. Thy first religious duty is thy human duty. By your deeds will I know ye! By the emotions of thy hearts and souls and minds will I judge ye. Until ye have done well, ye need not try to preach or to sing well. For the hymns of hypocrites are a harsh and discordant music unto mine ears. Seek to cleanse thy hearts and to let the light of Wisdom and ofj Understanding and of Sympathy enter into thy souls. Then shall I know thee for mine own ! Saith the Lord. Open thine eyes unto Vision and thy hearts unto Sym¬ pathy. Wide must be thy foresight and deep must be thy insight if ye would find the Truth. No petty wrangles and little differences over particular points in narrow creeds shall ever bring thee to a knowledge of God. Wide is the span of the Heavens and wider must be the hearts of men. Deep are the waters of the ocean and deeper must be the hearts of men. Beautiful are the colors of the arching skies and more beautiful must be the emotions of men who would gain Wisdom and attain unto the light of Under-; standing. The world is large and fine and beautiful and open. Even so must be the hearts and souls and minds of all those who would know God. For thus saith the Lord. 50 CHAPTER 35. In writings that are religious, I command ye to make them fit for the ears of children to hear and for the lips of young people to repeat. The sunlight is clear and the star¬ light is pure and the moonlight is without blemish, even so shall be the words that tell of the commandments of the Lord. Ye shall cease to publish those blasphemous ancient lies that declare that Nations were spoiled and peoples were exterminated at the commandment of the Lord. No longer shall men seek to cover up their evil deeds and no more shall Nations attempt to uphold their greedy attacks upon their weaker fellows by invoking the name of God. I tell thee ! I warn thee ! Ye are hypocrites if ye think the Lord will aid thy cruelties and thy racial egotisms and thy vi¬ cious warlike celebrations. Ye are sleeping children. Awake! Ye are stupid criminals. Repent! War and all that war stands for is the work of mankind’s evil hearts and jealous natures and envious souls. Away with it! I will not hear, — I will not heed — I will not condone the songs and prayers and supplications of hypocrites. I send ye the Law. And the Law of Life is Love and Friendship and Goodfellowship and Sympathy and Kindness and Charity. Cruelty in whatsoever form and in whatsoever Cause or under whatsoever Pretense is of the Devil. I tell thee! I warn thee! Peace and Quiet and Contentment and Good¬ will are the marks on the hearts and souls of all religious men and women where-so-ever they abide. When Religion comes to thee, Peace comes. When the right vision of God enters thee, Goodwill and Quiet shall abide with thee. There is no mystical way or wonderful way or supernatural way for the coming of the Spirit of God. It falls as straight as 51 sunlight and as simply as moonlight and starlight. When it comes, thou shalt know and it will come whenever thy heart is pure and thy soul is clean. Thus saith the Lord ! 52 CHAPTER 36. These are the Laws and Ordinances concerning Food. But remember that they will need to be modified in the Arc¬ tics and in Tropical climates. After the age of twenty-five years, thou must eat as many green vegetables and as much fresh fruit as possible. Be careful to drink water that is pure and milk that is clean. Let the mother nurse her baby whenever possible. For children who suckle are stronger than children brought up on the bottle. To growing child¬ ren give no spiced foods or drinks. To all children give plenty of food and of great variety. But simplicity in eat¬ ing is like simplicity in life. It is a good thing to learn. Be careful to eat fish only when they are fresh and ham when it is well cured and pork in moderation. The flesh of lambs and sheep is best. Geese and ducks and chickens are better than beef. Milk in plenty is good both for the young and old. All manner of canned fruit is wholesome but not so nutritious as fresh fruit. Eat potatoes boiled or baked with their skins on. Eat apples, pears, plums and peaches without peeling them when they are clean. Eat all the ripe grapes thou canst and drink all the grape juice possible. Figs and dates are most wholesome and of great nutritive value. Fried food is hard to digest. Therefore use the fry¬ ing pan as little as possible. Fresh air and exercise are the best appetizers. Make not a God out of thy stomach nor eat for mere pleasure. For gluttony and all over eating' are sins and the source of many moral, mental and physical' evils. Use commonsense and moderation in thy eating and drinking and thou wilt grow strong. The right and moder¬ ate use of all good things is wise. But beware of excess. Wine and tobacco are both bad for the young. Beware of 53 them. Let them be used with great moderation even by the adult and aged. To athletes and to the strong and healthy neither stimulants nor narcotics are needed. The taking of what thou dost not need will often interfere with the as- simulation of what thou dost need. Most drugs are not needed at all. Wisdom in the matter of eating and drinking is the basis of all mental and moral and physical strength, Fat tends to weaken the will-power by fostering physical and mental sluggishness. Only those alert and sinewy tend to be people of prompt and virile and vigorous action. The mind that is best trained and most efficient will be found in the body that has been most wisely nurtured. Be active in mind if thou wouldst be strong of body. But Mind and Soul and Body should work together as one. Unity and Har¬ mony are the conditions of the highest mental and physical strength. Discord breeds weakness. Lack of harmony tends to destroy. The foremost condition of all strong phy¬ sical life is the harmony that denotes and promotes strong spiritual life. Only by a proper mental and spiritual de¬ velopment canst thou attain unto the best physical develop¬ ment. For such is the Law. 54 CHAPTER 37. Study a few things and study them thoroughly. Learn a few laws and learn them well. Let thy mind and heart and soul be ever open to receive new truth. Prompt action depends upon clear thinking and clear thinking depends upon the mastery of whatever thy mind devotes itself unto. Beware of Mysticism lest it lead thee into mental fogs. Good mental digestion is the beginning of Wisdom. Litter not thy mind up with intellectual lumber. Confuse not thy soul with moral and spiritual puzzles. Look forth unto the sunshine and try to be as clear and open minded as the sunbeams are. Be not impatient to master many facts. For a little real knowledge will lead thee to Wisdom and a little Wisdom is the beginning of Salvation. If thou art chosen by God to be a scholar and a teacher, let nothing on the earth or in the heavens be a thing of indifference to thee.: Love all things; test all things; investigate all things and cling to those that are best. Faith will help thee to find an anchor and will teach thee how to use it. Beware of anchor¬ ing thy boat in the soft and oozy mud of decayed doctrines and ancient falsehoods. Life is a great open sea where-on the sun shines and the breezes blow and where-to the perils and adventures of coming days invite thee. Therefore sail boldly forth when thou hast learned how to sail. With thine eyes upon the guiding star of everlasting Truth, thou shalt in good time arrive at thy port and complete thy voy¬ age in safety. But beware of those who would keep thee moored beside rotting docks and ancient roadways and stagnant inlets. There is no life for the Truth-seeker in quiet coves beside ancient moorings. The open sea and the running waves and the racing clouds and the rumbling 55 thunder and the streaked lightning — these are the things that help to teach a real sailor how to guide his boat and the mariner how to preserve his craft. Therefore face Life as a mariner faces the great open sea. Do thy best and God will be with thee. Heed not the cries of timid folk on the shore. For courage is the main-mast of the soul. No mar¬ iner ever learned how to sail his boat or found out what Life is or what Faith meant until he faced the perils and the tumults and the high glory of the open sea. If thou wouldst learn how to steer thy boat, watch the helmsman at the wheel. Many things must he know — not only the wheel un¬ der his hand but the clouds above his head and the ocean under his feet. Most of all must he learn to have Faith in the protecting hand of the great pilot of all Life who will guide him through all the storms and perils and dangers of the wildest seas. Such a pilot is God. With faith in God, thou canst not fail. But be careful as He is careful. Be hopeful as He is hopeful. Be courageous as He is courage¬ ous and thou shalt in good time reach a safe harbor on a, quiet shore. Then storms shall be behind thee and peace shall be before thee and around thee. “Well done! Good and faithful Servant!” — those are the words that shah come into thy ears. For the Lord is with thee and the Lord watches over thee and the Lord shall strengthen thee. Therefore trust in the Lord and be of a brave heart. For all will be well with the Heart that has courage and with the Soul that has faith. 56 CHAPTER 38. If thou wouldst be a human and humane being, study the Gospel according to Matthew where-in Christ’s teach¬ ings are set forth. Read them, digest them, make them thine own. Christ was not the only great religious teacher of the world, but he was the greatest teacher of religion who ever came to Earth. His words are the briefest; his: parables are the shortest and his admonitions are the wisest that have ever been uttered for the guidance of men. If thou canst find any better teachings in any book in all the world, take them. But the more the words and, teachings of Christ are compared with the teachings of any other man, the greater will they appear when brevity and clarity and straight forward vividness of speech are con¬ sidered. Not what is said but the way in which it is said is what makes a lesson penetrate the mind of the learner. Words must be used like arrows. They must be strong, clear, direct. When the bull’s eye is struck, stop. When the point of the lesson is reached, Silence! Not what is said but what is left unspoken is the secret of Wisdom. Yet all the Wisdom of life was not given even to Christ to speak. For God inspires many men and the Lord sendeth down to Earth many commands and God reveals to men many truths. The great value of Christ’s teachings consists ini the fact that they contain the essence of all Wisdom. They give in a few words all that is necessary for the guidance of men in their daily lives. If the teachings of Christ were rightly appreciated priests and ministers would stop and try to understand them and when they once understood them, they would live by them. When teachings that are adequate are given to thee, stay by them and live by them. 57 That is what Wisdom is for — to furnish a clear and prompt guide to action. Out of all the mass of teachings, ye are to select the best. Yet only what the mind is ready to receive can it take and digest. Only what the Soul is open to per¬ ceive can it make use of. Thus it is only Today after almost two thousand years that the mind of the world is getting ready to receive the real message of Christ. In Christ’s name, men have waged war. In Christ’s name men havel preached bigotry and acted uncharity! In Christ’s name, men have shut their minds up and strangled their souls with narrow creeds. If ye would honor Christ keep clearly ini mind what Christ came on earth to do. Christ’s mission! was to remind men that God is a living God and not a dead memory or an ancient tradition. Christ came to open the hearts and minds and souls of men. Christ came to liberal¬ ize and humanize and broaden the minds of all mankind. Therefore be open minded and zealous hearted and sym¬ pathetic of soul, if ye would know the way and the light and the knowledge that leads to an understanding of God. But remember that every petty Prejudice and every little Envy and every small Jealousy are things that tend to shut the windows of the soul away from understanding and to shut out from the heart the sunlight of Love. Be not discour¬ aged. If thou stumblest, pick thyself up and go on. If thou makest a mistake, correct it and do better. If thou stray from the path, repent and return. Even as the Lord thy God is merciful, be thou merciful to thy own soul. Never is it too late to repent. Never is it too late to let the light in Never is it too late to lift thy head up and say, — I will do right. The hour of thy sincere repentance is the beginning of a new life. Therefore despair not! Hope and Faith and Love shall bring any man who sincerely tries to do well to 58 the knowledge of how and what to do. Good deeds will fol¬ low good resolutions when sincerity is joined to decision. But patience to persevere must be back of all good resolu¬ tions. A weak will is the last refuge of Sin. Weaklings can do little for themselves and God can do little for them until they develop strength by developing strength of Will. Thou must be strong in thy love and strong in thy Faith, before thou canst be strong in thy action. 59 CHAPTER 39 Patience and Perseverance are the parents of all Strength. Therefore be patient and persevere and thou shalt climb the mountains that are high and overcome the obstacles that are difficult. Having Patience and Persever¬ ance thou shalt tread roads that are rough and thou shalt face winds that are cold and storms that are bitter. Thus thou shalt come to know Life and to reverence Virtue and to realize the meaning of Goodness which is merely the abil¬ ity won by self-sacrifice to help and to assist and to be of service to thy fellowmen. As the Strong man rejoiceth in the race to be run, so the Soul that is strong exults in the difficulties to be overcome and in the hardships to be faced. Bitter winter winds shall become as summer breezes and roughest roads shall be smooth as city pavements and things that seemed hard shall be softer than downy pillows and sweeter than the breath of June roses to the heart and soul and mind that is filled with Faith and Hope and Cour¬ age and Love. For thus saith the Lord ! 60 CHAPTER 40 I ask of you, 0 men and women, no impossible virtues, no unattainable talents, no divine ambitions or qualities. I ask you to be first of all merely human beings, — kind, char¬ itable, open-minded, free hearted and sympathetic. Divine things and unseen things are my domain. The Earth is thy domain. Attend unto thy own. Before thou art great scholars or poets or musicians or artists or singers or dan¬ cers or merchants, farmers, mechanics or inventors, see first of all that thou act like human beings. A real human being is a humane being and to be humane means to be on the road to eternal life. But remember to walk before you try to run. Learn thy spiritual A B C’s before you try to penetrate the mysteries of the divine Present or the glory of the wondrous Future. Learn to creep before you try to leap. He who moves slowly moves surely. Impatience is the vice of the foolish and the hindrance of the unwise. One step at a time is enough. Plant thy feet carefully, learn to walk firmly and go forward humbly to the destiny that awaits thee. The way of Eternity is a long road. Many, start out briskly in the morning. Few endure patiently and cheerfully unto the evening. The sin of impatience is grievous and it trippeth many feet. The ways of vanity are many and they waste the time of many souls. The baubles of Pride are countless and they lure to destruction hearts by the thousand. The Illusions and Delusions of Pleasure are infinite and they blind the eyes of millions. Yet Religion that is real and Life that is true is a joyful thing. True Life should be filled with happy songs and wholesome dances and with merriment of many kinds. Every good thing the heart longs for, every beautiful thing the mind craves for, 61 every high and noble and splendid thing the soul seeketh shall all come to earth for the comfort and instruction and amusement of mankind. After all worthy toil shall come the hours of worthy recreation. For thus saith the Law. 62 CHAPTER 41 Bear always in mind that Heart and Soul and Body all need recreation. Starve not any one of these in ministering unto the others. For Immorality is a wrong balance of thy faculties. I gave thee a Body. Work with it. I gave thee a mind. Develop it. I gave thee a Heart. Let it grow and expand. I gave thee a Soul. Let it exult in adoration for what is high and fine and true. Thus will the needs of each be met by the activities of all. Let not thy Heart and Soul slumber within thee. Else shall thy happiness be endan¬ gered and thy body be impaired. If thou hast hatred in thy heart for any fellowman, know that as yet ye have no right sense of Religion. If thou dost a cruel deed to man or beast, know that thou art still a sinner. If thy heart holds an atom of Envy or Jealousy or Suspicion or Disdain toward any human being, know that as yet thou art not humane and just; that the lessons of the Law have not been learned by thee. Ironclad creeds and rigid rules and unbending com¬ mandments are not and never have been the teachings of God. For always God tempers his judgments with Mercy and always God takes into full account the mitigating cir¬ cumstances that precede a crime or a wrong or a mistake. 63 CHAPTER 42 Rigid and wrathful writings were mostly the work of priests and rabbis who wished to maintain their power and authority over the people. Cruel commands were never the commands of God for God desireth foremost and always to free the souls and uplift the hearts and comfort the minds of his children. And the children of God include all the peo¬ ples of every color in every climate in the whole world. Yet the people of almost every race have at different times al¬ lowed cruel leaders to lead them and cruel teachers to teach them. Hence cruel deeds done by some men to other men have been a considerable part of the history of mankind. Cruel teachings perpetuate cruelty and wrong teachings help forward falsehoods and lies and all abominations. But the Day of thy Deliverance is at hand ! 0 my People and my Children. Fling away thy fears, for God loves thee. Put away thy Doubt and Despair and Anguish. For God will, as soon as thou fillest thy heart with Goodwill and Brotherly Love, reveal unto thee the Law. Learn to be Kind and thou shalt know. Try to be just and thou shalt see. Open thy heart to Mercy and thou shalt understand. 64 CHAPTER 43 Love thy neighbor as thyself and thou shalt be blessed. Do thy daily tasks with cheerfulness and thou shalt be com¬ forted. Be honest and faithful and true and thou shalt find that virtue is its own reward and that the Kingdom of Heaven is within thee. Heaven and Hell begin Here, not Here-after. As thou doest, so shall thou be done by. As thou sowest, so shalt thou reap. There is no short cut to Heaven and there are no sudden plunges to Hell. But the way is long and the path is straight unto them both. The great sin of sins is to shut thy soul out into the Darkness and Loneliness and Ugliness and Discord of thy own Sel¬ fishness. Love the world without and thou shalt find and free thy Soul within. The Heaven thou seekest and the Hell thou fearest, thou shalt find within thy own soul. There¬ fore learn to do right and thou shalt fear nothing. As thou doest Here, so shall be thy Here-after. As thou livest To¬ day, so shalt thou determine thy life Tomorrow. If thou enviest, Envies shall overshadow thee. If thou hast van¬ ity, Folly shall smother thee. But if thou has an open heart, Freedom shall be with thee. If thou hast a kind soul, Joy shall sleep beside thee. If thou hast a pure mind, thou shalt see God. Have Love and Respect and Consideration for all thy fellowmen and God will be with thee forevermore. Peace shall spread her wings over all the Earth. Joy shall blow her bugles from every mountain peak. Health and Gladness shall lighten up the skies of the whole world 65 CHAPTER 44 Who-so-ever shall prove to be human, him will I make divine. Who-so-ever shall be Kind, him will I make free. Who-so-ever shall be humble, him will I exalt in Strength and Joy. Purity of heart and Sympathy of Soul and Mercy of Mind, — these are the things where-of the Kingdom of Heaven is builded. Whenever in good time any human be¬ ing shall have cleansed his heart and purified his mind, the gates of the Kingdom of Heaven shall open unto him. I give hope unto all my children, — the lowest and the highest; the mightiest and the least. Therefore be of good cheer, all ye who suffer and are heavy-laden. For the end of all shall be Peace and Joy and Rest. Thus saith the Lord. The End Davenport, Iowa, January 12, 1922. 66 A FAREWELL WORD We are all travellers thru this world. What we need is the sight of the Beauty that will lift and inspire and cleanse the Soul; a word of Sympathy that will sweeten the Heart; a word of Hope that will cheer the Spirit. Friend, I would give you these while here you bide. When you go hence, remember that my blessing goes with you. 67 Princeton heo ogical Seminary Libraries 012 01207 5505