"SPIRITUAL RECOGNITION"

"Most tender Saviour, Beloved of our hearts, we gather together and once more ask Thee to use us for this sacred work. We give out of the little that we have and we ask Thee, because Thou art our Father and Mother God, to take that little as our gift, and to teach us how to give more.

"O God, perceiving a little Light in the darkness of the physical experience so Thy children, obeying Thy most loving command, follow this Light and trust to Thy promises that that Light shall lead them into revelation; guide our steps, strengthen our wills and purify our hearts, so that we may be fit to take of those things which are Holy, so that we may be found suitable vessels for Thy use.

"And thus, O Saviour, we commence our work tonight, certain that the power is all around, confident that Thou hast not called us in vain, but hast prepared - for those who are fit to receive - that which is of Thyself.

"...My children, I have called you together for a special purpose, and that purpose has its roots in the past, it shows leaves in the present, and in the future there shall arise the blossoms of the Spirit which shall never fade.

"Little ones, great things are pending and the call has gone forth for volunteers, for those strong in their love for Christ, who will be willing to separate themselves from the so-called pleasures of the world, who will be willing, at times, to relinquish even that rest which, it seems to some, the body demands.

"I say that the call has gone forth for the strong, for those who are willing to be used by God, and tonight I put this in plain words for all to ponder upon: That which has been built up here over the years, is sacred in very truth; and, because that power which effort sets into being will be required by many, so I appeal to those who are in earnest, who have placed this Truth first, to consider within themselves how far are they prepared to go, how much of themselves are they willing to give to God?

"To this little room there are those who come and go. They depart conscious of the blessing which has been upon them, yet after a little space, so the things of the world blot out that vivid remembrance of the peace and the concord here. These, dear children, are in the developing stages, and I would not have you think that one word of criticism could come from me. They are emerging out of childhood into maturity, they are not ready, as yet, to be used direct by God.

"But to those here and to others I speak in different tones. I tell them that they have learnt, that they have seen, and they have felt; therefore, it remains with them to make the great decision; and I must add that in the measure that any hesitation may come over the so-called pleasures of the world, over the easier path, then, so far as that hesitation influences their actions, they will suffer anon, and though the comforters may be around, no comfort will come, for when the great test came they failed - failed their stronger, purer self.

"So, dear children - and I gather in those faithful ones who would they were here with us this night - I tell you and I tell them that because they are faithful, so God has endowed them with that which is of Himself - endurance, holy endurance and that staying power which nothing shall be strong enough to wrest from them...

"My little ones, it was necessary that I spake thus, and in your hearts you echo the love I feel for you. An echo it must be at this stage, for lo, the body binds and the mind, though seeking to escape, is held by that which, in itself, because it goes so hard, shall bring your spirit's desire when that spirit is free. Though I call mine love and yours but an echo, yet God has blessed the echo, and we take that which we have, that which represents our real selves, and we lay it at the Feet of the One who loves us best.

"This evening, dear children, the subject of our conversation bears indirectly on what I have put into words this night. I would speak to you on that which I name: 'Spiritual Recognition'.

"And you shall find that I have opened a gate into that which is sweet indeed, and together, as we go on, so we shall pass into that which shall bring refreshment to the spirit, comfort to the heart, and instruction to the mind.

"Spiritual Recognition: Now, dear children, all of you who are here, unconsciously though it may be, have obeyed the law of spiritual recognition. Some seem as strangers; others, again, a little removed from that word; but you all meet as friends, and you find that very few barriers exist between you, for that which is your real self long since has been familiar with the real self within the other.

"And today, as it were, the outside packing of the treasure has been unfastened and you find within that which shall last, that which shall weather many a storm, that which has been gathered together by God Himself...

"Little ones, these spiritual recognitions are going on all over the world amongst aspiring souls. There are other recognitions, some indeed so connected with the earth that you describe it as 'like attracting like', and as you speak you realise that folly is linked up with folly, weakness with weakness, and the last state is worse than the first. Yes, it is the recognition in another of that which is in the individual concerned. Similar tastes - aye and that which you call similar vices - make a link which it is difficult for us to sever; and that link is taken with these children and carried long after the body is laid aside.

"But tonight, my little ones, it is the will of the Beloved that I speak on that recognition which, in a measure, is concerned with the Divine within. And I want you all to take a broad view; to get away as much as possible from the limited personal into the unlimited personal; for have I not told you that though you are individual yet you are all one - the children of God, bound for that Home where joy is all around and disharmony is unknown.

"Children, often it has seemed strange to you that with some you feel you know them better when you are absent from them. Curious it may seem, but the tabernacle of flesh, in a measure, acts as an obstacle. You are conscious that somehow or somewhere you two have talked with confidence, aye, with that great bond of love which, alas, is missing when you speak together in daily life. But, dear children, can you not see which is the stronger tie? Physical attraction - the attraction which is centred on the body or the mind of the body - that tie is as nothing in comparison with that wonderful link spirit with spirit.

"And remember this: That during the hours of sleep, because the tie is of the Spirit, you are drawn together and you converse without any barrier, without any reserves; yes, and you show to each other the real love which is there. And though perhaps hidden from the mind of the body, yet something of the remembrance remains, and you are chilled when once again you meet, for each is conscious of a void which cannot be filled.

"These things, dear children, form part of the experience of many, but they are not God's will. That close link between you and others, ah, that is the will of the Father, but because you are in physical conditions, restricted by physical laws, so the shadows, the destroyers, use those limitations to bring sorrow to the heart and to thwart that perfect unity which should be there.

"I ask all to think of this, for indeed it is the work of those who are out to stem love. Love is of God, and without love, my little ones, you fail the Christ within...

"And then, dear children, there are those ties which, as you would say, seem inseverable. They are so sweet, for included in the love of the actual physical presence, there is the sympathy not only of mind but that sympathy of aspiration, which makes the link as complete as may be during this stage.

"But sometimes, dear children, this happens, and the sufferers cry aloud in their anguish when the blow falls: Separation - that division which the loss of the physical body imposes throws, as it were, a cloud over the beauty of the landscape, and the one who is left feels indeed that that which is part of its vital being has been torn from it. Yes, it must be so, for these spiritual recognitions are so wonderfully like the will of God that the test must be put, must be accepted, or the purpose and the plan would be thwarted.

"But when we met last, I told you that the barrier of conditions - that removal, so it seems to you, of the adored one out of your physical reach - that that barrier of conditions can be shattered for aye, and the real you, that which survives little today, still holds sweet converse with the one who has passed from you into the next stage...

"My little ones, the price which must be exacted for this sweetest tie of all is not so great as it appears to those bound by the earth and earthly things. The one you love so well, long ere the body was donned, was linked to you. It is only for a brief space that you are separated even by that which you call death, for during the sleep state so you commune, so you are linked together in companionship which nothing can destroy...

"And the purpose and the plan underlying that sweet tie is as this: Little ones, you find it easy to love those who are in the Spirit. Sometimes, you find it very difficult to love those who are in the body - and why? Because of the bondage within. You say, and it seems as the truth: 'I have tried to feel differently but we have nothing in common'.

"But pause, pause, for that holds within its folds a curious misrepresentation of fact as it is. 'Nothing in common'? Why, you have this in common: You are on the same long journey, you have the same Parent; and, anon, when you both lay aside that which makes barriers now, you will see for yourselves that this child and that, in turn, suffered over their inability to call out from others, love - that love which is life indeed.

"You see, dear children, I must stir the surface because spiritual recognition cannot be confined to that sweet tie which you love so well. Nay, we are missionaries of God, we are even as little tools which the Father intends to use; and so with all, and especially with the weak ones, the frail ones, I appeal to you to exert that which is strong within, and the burdened spirit which is in the other shall gain strength to arise and recognise a friend.

"And now, dear children, I take you on to the first of your experiences, when the body is no more. You will then be amazed to find cords of attraction between you and those others who you scarce considered at all, and as you look so gratitude and humility will be combined, and you will ask yourself: 'Did I deserve so much? How could they have loved me when I gave so little in return?' That comes to us all, and the more awakened you are the greater the Spirit-consciousness, and, again, the greater the realisation of the goodness of God and the sweetness of Spirit conditions...

"And then, dear children, there will be those upon the earth plane. Perhaps you thought of these at different times and then events crowded upon you and they were forgotten. And perhaps those still in the body remembered you once and then they forgot, in turn. But when you are free, when you look around with spiritual sight, you will find that independently of the physical mind or of the physical tie, spirit and spirit had linked up one with the other; and later on you, and they, will claim that treasure and delight in all it means.

"My children, I take you on another step, and I speak of those whom you call the holy ones; and in this connection I would refer to that which you name: 'Reverence', for the thought has held your minds.

"Little ones, in us all, in the real self, there is deep, deep reverence for that which is pure, that which is holy, that which, so it seems to us, is beyond our own radius at this stage - and why? Why, dear children, because we recognise in that loved one something of Christ, something of the great God who rules us all, something of the mighty Creator, of that gigantic Mind of Love.

"And the spirit, dear children, because it has knowledge - aye, that wisdom which is, again, part of the Maker and gifted to it - because the Divine within, in a degree, understands, so reverence like a beautiful cloak is folded round the individual, and by the lesser holiness cast out from within, so the greater Holiness, in a larger measure, can be received.

"To the prepared mind so the vision comes - and with those who have seen something of Love, so the love within, of necessity, is tinged with awe, for the individual stands on the threshold of an illimitable Holiness which cannot be fathomed by anyone, however advanced.

"That, little ones, is our side, but the Father's side is as this: We are His children, so precious, so bound to Himself, that the Father's Heart longs to pour out over us that Holiness which is of Himself. And because He is All-Holy, and because He is All-Love, so His children are His children, though they may be fettered by a thousand chains; though they may deny Him in every act of their life, the spiritual recognition on the Father's side is perfect.

"And as the children grow, so that consciousness of who they are and to whom they belong increases and increases; and as the glimmering of Light gains in power, so, little ones, that which is Divine within acknowledges that which is All-Holy; and as this knowledge comes, so reverence fills our very being. Let no barriers exist between you and those (holy ones) you love so well, and I have told you that there is no barrier between you and the Father except that which you erect yourself...

"And now, little ones, I bring you back to the meaning which lies within that spiritual recognition which is so great a gift - yes, the meaning and the purpose and the plan.

"Children, it is as saviours that you must act, it is as redeemers that you must be trained, for the real self within recognises that in the weakest, in the frailest, there is a buried spirit, something of God, crushed, entombed, waiting for the deliverer; and, alas, many wait in vain, for such as these are not approachable by us except in a hidden form. You, little ones, by the mere fact that you are in a stage less developed than those you name the holy ones, you can go to such as these, and by the link of the remembrance of your past follies, show them, demonstrate to them, that it is possible to climb.

"Oh, think of this, and think of the gifts, the privilege placed within your hands. Power unlimited can you draw from us, and power unlimited is provided through a thousand channels, each as a rivulet from the great and mighty ocean of Eternal Love...

"But the call has gone out for volunteers, and only the few have found the will within to respond... My little ones, we pass out of the lesser into the greater; we pass out of the easier path into the harder path, for Christ has called us to follow Him; and the Master, the Beloved, took the hardest path of all, hacked out the steps, beat out the way, for the Saviour of the world knew that millions, of necessity, must leave the valley and follow in His steps...

"So, my little ones, I bring you back to my first words, and I ask you that you reserve the best for God, to defy those destroyers who would tell you that you cannot do this, and that that is too difficult at this stage; to arise strong in faith, determined in purpose, and to fight the enemies of the Lord God of all. Yes, the times are changing, the old casual way no longer is possible. Once again, the wheel of history is turned around, and disciples are wanted, doers of the Word, those who will pledge themselves to the service of their Master Christ.

"And now, my children, I will leave you for a space, but ere I go I address a few words to the strangers present. I speak to them in place of those they love, yes, it is by the request of such as these that I address them (Mrs. and Miss Lea):

"Children, your lives perchance have held much which the world would name sorrow; to those who are free it has held gifts and possessions which shall never be taken from you. You are being trained for service, and in the measure that you give out at this stage and during the brief years to come, so you shall pass into revelation when the body is no more.

"In the Name of Christ I pass on to you the Cross. The Cross may have rested on your heart in the days that have gone, but that was pain. The Cross which the Master gives to us all is the power to endure, the strength to construct; yet it lies with you whether in very truth you will clasp the Cross unto yourselves.

"The tests must come. Each vessel must be tried and tested again and again; but the time comes when tests no longer are necessary, for the full surrender has been made, and all that which once appeared so grey is transformed into the dawn of a glorious day.

"Thus I leave you. Ponder within yourselves, yet remember the warning, for indeed that was given by the grace of God this night. And now I go..."

"...Sweet sisters, it is one that you know well by name, yet I hesitate to give it, for it seems to me that perhaps you would wish it were another... But I am constrained to present it to you and to ask for your love. It is the one you name Mary Magdalene, and I join myself to you openly, for ever and for ever...

"In that long past, the women were, so it would seem to you, crushed by the rules and the approachment of the mind; and it was to me in that far-off time that we were almost as the dogs. Yes, and the rebellion stirred within. I looked upon those who were our controllers and I saw much in them which was weak indeed, and because there was that in my adornment and my body which appealed to some, I found that through that possession I could control my controllers. And so the damage was done...

"This night, in this quiet atmosphere, I find myself walking in the fields; the sun, as you do not understand it, is shining upon me; the world is beautiful, yet it is leprosy underneath. My heart and my mind, they wage a battle: That which is attractive to the eye, it has even like a rope captured my desires; but my heart cannot rest for I have seen One who is different, different; unlike, oh, so unlike - and thus the battle goes on...

"And then, dear sisters, the scene is changed. Oft did I creep amongst the crowd close to the Holy One, and, as I listened, so horror fell upon me - I am unclean, unclean. But the eyes of Love, they rested upon me, stemming the anguish yet quickening it to stem it again.

"Once more the scene is changed. It is the morn of that which you name Calvary; and through those awful hours, the women with their sufferings were crucified again and again. Oh, you can understand that this body of mine - with its horror and its beauty - how gladly would I have nailed it to the Cross instead...

"Ah, we may fall far, but beneath our folly the woman's heart remains the same. Thou canst understand - I know thou canst understand.

"Every drop of blood in my body would I have shed for the One who did all for me; and that was my punishment. Could a more terrible punishment have been conceived? Ah, the women's hearts respond to this, the mothers' hearts echo the anguish which was mine... In those awful hours of Calvary, Mary was on the Cross as well.

"Sweet sisters, it was not in my mind to speak of this as I came to greet you, yet, naught happens in this little centre against the will of the Divine. Methinks it is to make the link between us, to show you something that was in the soul of the poor foolish woman of an ancient time; to show you that the Love which could so transform her is a Love that can transform the world. For was I not as the world, and had not the earth fastened upon me in its most terrible form?

"But His Love has washed me clean; and even in that early morn when the Master greeted me - as the child of His that I longed to be - in that early morn so that was laid upon my shoulders which I should carry for ever and for ever.

"The yoke - on the one side love, and on the other understanding; and so thus equipped by the Christ who is and was our God, I have passed through strange and lonely places. Even on this little earth have I brought the Waters of Life to the parched and dying; and in those planes which you scarce can understand, so Mary with her gifts, through her follies, has been able to work for God.

"Brother (Mr. Gregory), you can understand, and God has given you the two-fold mind for a special purpose. Take through me from the Holy One this guidance: The two-fold mind not only is a sign that the spirit is released, but the two-fold mind is for that missionary work which one and all, now or in the days to come, must undertake if they love Christ... Remember, brother, the two-fold mind during the physical experience is a gift beyond all price...

"And now, though I fain would speak of many things, I must pass from you; but the other Marys are here this night and they ask me to speak for them as woman to woman. They entreat you not to forbid their presence, for they long to tell you something of that which is in their hearts.

"The Cross which was the spiritual recognition between us in that far-off day - I mark you with the Cross, and henceforth we are as one. Farewell..."

"...Well, my little ones, although around you there are those linked to you by the closest spiritual bonds, those who long to speak to you, to call out that spiritual recognition from yourselves - it is God's will that my children should not be overstrained this night, and so they wait for another occasion.

"Yet, remember this, for it is of great importance: That those who gather into this little room, they are providing a point of concentration for countless numbers who have never entered the physical mind of any present. Thus, dear children, do we seek to widen the borders of your thoughts, and, again, to extend the circumference of your interests.

"The disciples of Christ learn that great lesson which is that of universal Love. Each one of you here is conscious that those you love can be reached, can be spoken to, can be listened to, although the body has been cast aside. The next step is that emerging out of the self-personal into the Christ-personal, when, dear children, the purity of your desire is tested in that way which is essential for the missionaries of God...

"Again, I ask you to ponder on this: When you have passed from this little room, you have your gift - you know that your dear ones are fighting for you, praying for you, lending you strength. Then, as you think, so the way in front opens and opens; you take into your love those who once were strangers to you; and again you open your minds and you take in those who, as yet, know little of love in any form; and once again you stretch out your hands to those who are as dead, bound in their weakness, fettered by the past; and as brother to brother, sister to sister, you claim them in the Name of Christ...

"Yes, dear children, and in so doing, the spirit within has recognised its Great Example; the spirit within has linked itself with the One who redeemed it in the little yesterday. And thus we go on, passing out of the wood which represents self in its many tangled forms, out of the wood, on to that great wide plane of endeavour, and there we find countless thousands, some needing help so sorely that we pause on our way to give that which is of our self. And they, remembering the friend in need, in gratitude, out of recognition of the Christ who directed the action, they, in turn, look for another to treat in a like wise, for Love's sweet sake.

"And so, dear children, I pass on to you that great, great blessing of comprehending something of the purpose and the plan, that great blessing which brings conviction that the Holy Spirit without has at last linked up with the Divine within, and in that unity so the Father's will once more on earth is done...

"In the Name of the All-Holy One I bless you with comprehension. Let your real selves stretch out and take that which is rightly your own, for the blessing has much work to do in the days which are in front...

"Goodnight, my children, and remember oh, remember how great a privilege it is to work for God."

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