66

might show us how to overcome sin, how to make sin as though it were not.—Thus, that beholding his life, we might abhor our own imperfect life, might repent ourselves of that sinful state to which we had subjected our lives and self-hood, and so repenting, turning away, even "unto remission" or renunciation and overcoming of those sins that had degraded us (he commanded his disciples to preach repentance unto remission of sin " unto all nations-R. V. N. Testament, and see Luke iii. 3), we might enter into that self-mastered life, that Christ-like self-hood, which is that eternal life of those pyschic realms, fitted and designed for our pure spiritual selves, from which Christ had come. And he distinctly taught that he came therefrom to teach us how to fit ourselves to attain that perfect state. Thus may we comprehend how he became "the way, the truth, and the life" for us. Hence he always taught us that he came to save us from our sins.

He did not teach us

that he came to save us from the wrath and vengeance of the blessed Father of us all. But rather came to make a glorious illustration to us of the great love and yearning of the Father for all His children. Sin was that enemy to which he became a ransom for us, and he became that ransom when he subjected himself to the depraved states, temptations, weaknesses, passions, infirmities, woes and suffering of this limited, decaying, fleshly nature of this material earth. Hence we may somewhat comprehend that fearful sacrifice he made when he descended from that perfected state of spiritual joy and life to this gross travailing womb, this struggling bringing-forth, of embryonic human-character— subjecting himself to all human shame and suffering even to that material death inflicted at the hands of those sinful powers which he came to teach us deliverance from. Thus may we understand how he became a ransom for us.

So we are taught that Christ was sent not only as messenger to earth, but we behold his perfecting work, his "restitution of all things" elsewhere, for his Life-light illumines also that realm of "Plutone," or, as Peter says, that state called "Hell" into which he taught that Christ descended and preached. Did not Christ declare that he would draw all men unto him? And that every tree which his Father had not planted should be rooted up? And what other creature or thing is there in this universe which our Father has not planted except sin? Sin is distinctively and peculiarly a plant whose seed and growth are nowhere else but in the will and character of a free, self-determining being, who had done violence to that sweet law of love set over and in him by the beneficent Father-thus germinating and culturing that vile plant, which Christ declares shall be rooted up. Thus by showing to us what true life and love are, and by imparting to us the spirit, enthusiasm

and inspiration of his love and life; he makes us able at some time to follow that way into his likeness. Thus Paul says that the Father empowered Christ to subdue sin and all sinful powers unto the dominion of God, that God might be all in all (1 Cor. xv. 22, 24, 28, and Col. i. 19, 20.)

And as a refrain we hear the voice of John the Seer saying, “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire;" thus seeming to render emphatic the idea that all sin and evil and all the environments of evil shall be blotted out of the Universe.

CHAPTER XXI.

CELESTIAL VOYAGE THROUGH THE INFINITE ABODES OF LIFE.

THE celestial sphere Algol had reached the ruddy brilliance of its light, and then began to wane its glow, since the holy service in the Temple, when Clareese willed me to her side to begin our celestial voyage to her home, the sweet Pleiades, and other far-lying spheres.

I found her enrobed for our close communion with the celestial spheres. I say enrobed, for, in the psychic realms, the personality takes on its heavenly investiture of such hues and form as it wills.

Her "hair" (as we would say on earth) was a halo óf color like the golden glow of Arcturus' hue, and sat upon her head like a royal crown.

Her "robes" of light clung about her willowy embodiment, like caressing grace embracing the form of her lover. The brilliance of her investiture was mellowed by the modest loveliness of her face.

Around her perfect form was a girdle of color like the bluish cast of Vega's hue. All else about her was of the exquisite white of Sirius' flame.

Over her radiant countenance in chasing gleams played Herculis' ruddy flame.

She appeared to me as an entrancing revelation of beauty. I was so overcome with her beauty and the forcefulness of her radiant life that I impulsively thought to myself: "Thou pure being, personifying perfect Life, Form and Beauty, without one gross atom of heavy-wrought matter; and yet life-endowed; more ethereal than the ether, quicker than the light, more forceful than all gravity's mighty cables binding the grosser spheres. O! that the denizens of earth could see, thus individualized, life, mind, spirit, beauty, form, force, in their primal elements."

"Most happy Clareese, I salute you, and am ready to do your bidding."

"Then, most beloved Assurance, we will tend this instant toward my home; we will meander along the far-stretching vistas where the yellow flame of Aldebaran kisses the white glow of Altair; where the ruddy red of Herculis embraces the bluish tints of Vega; where the 'sweet influences of Pleiades' clasp the holy 'bands' of Orion; where the black wall of Plutone receives the glowing shafts of Sirius. Come, we will be gone."

These thoughts so quickly communicated and we were gone.

As we willed, we rose aloft, and sped on like the wavy, scintillating motions of the light-bearing ether. So ethereal were we that upon our volition the celestial elements ever buoyed us on and up, like fleeing down before the speeding

storm.

All motion, all velocity, were subject to our will. Illimitable space seemed to be at our command, within us, as it were; and yet we could glide and meander through the beautiful and grand, celestial immensities, as we desired. Here, there and yonder were, and were not, as we willed. Sidereal zephyrs wafted us, and with refreshing caresses kissed our bounding forms.

As by our will we glided on as we desired, on every

side

from interminable space there gleamed toward us the flashing, celestial colors of radiating spheres.

Many-tinted stars blended their varied hues into spreading gardens of vast-formed and exquisitely-blended tints and colors. To describe these celestial colors I must use, of course, the terms employed in language of earth.

The red-rose tints of Mira and Pegasi blended with the yellowish vermilion of Pollux and Capella.

The pale creamy hue of Argus melted into the ruddy glow of Anteres.

The glowing white of Capella faded into the bluish shade of Altair.

The violet and green, the olive and gray, the russet and fawn, of a myriad dancing and bedecked satellites bathed their modest shades and hues in the deep blood-red sea of mighty Polaris.

And ever and anon along our gliding course each tint and color of these scintillating celestial spheres glowed into one harmonious embrace, as though in deeper blush each gave to all a kiss of love. And then they seemed to speed away like rainbows chasing rainbows, gamboling across the spacious fields of light. All these colors, softened, intensified or mellowed by the enchanting distance as we willed,blended and contrasted, battled and embraced, combined and rent asunder,-hueing o'er the abysses of the infinite with the evanescent countenance of changing beauty. And these colors, as we willed, took on every form and contour and design and perspective and tone and character that the most exquisite art could conceive or execute, depicting to us infinite Beauty in infinite variety.

"Oh! Clareese, thrice glorious, magnificent beyond the wildest stretches of the imagination; behold God embodying His glory in these divine colors! "

"Yes, Assurance, 'tis glory inexpressible! The soul can only drink.and drink, and then fall prone in silent adoration."

"But look, Clareese, behold that vast, white-glowing sphere bulging out the far-stretching firmament, and sinking sheer down as though into the abysses beneath us. What sphere is that of such untold brilliance?"

"That is the celestial Sirius, the home of Ristos."

"This is not the material Sirius that we viewed from earth, is it, Clareese, who flashed the brightest glow athwart our earthly firmament?"

66

Oh, no, Assurance, that I have never perceived and cannot. What we now behold is the celestial sphere. I heard Ariel once teach that there were the material and the celestial spheres the one of matter; the other of substance—and that they never came in conflict. That they were of different elements; that the celestial passed through and encompassed the material as though it were not. He said that as my pure substance might meander through earth's abysses, and comprehend and feel and know it not; so does the celestial realm and sphere pervade and encompass the material sphere without let or hindrance. Each to the other

is as non-entity-as though it were not."

"Clareese, how strange and weird but yet in keeping with the infinite multiformity and adaptability!"

This sphere astounded me with the immensity of its pure form, and with the indescribable white glow of its celestial effluvium. This effluvium assumed varied and almost unnumbered forms: these appearing to embody all the forms and figures of systems of pure mathematics.

Triangles of light pierced the glowing firmament; and this firmament was circumscribed by that ever-breaking, endless line, the circle; and projected upon it was the mystic Hexagram; parallelograms of pure dimension floated athwart the view, like perfect-angled, glistering clouds. Vast cones with their multiformed conic sections like gleaming, silent mountain peaks, shot upwards; the ever-receding Parabola traced its curve on the infinitude. The Infinite Right Line