goeth, and taketh with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Thus shall it be with this wicked generation.

Luke xi. (24) When the unclean spirit cometh out of the man, it wanders through waterless places to seek rest, and when it does not find it, it says, I will return to my house, whence I came forth. (25) And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. (26) Then it goeth and taketh with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter in and dwell there, and the last state of that man is worse than the first. (27) And it came to pass while he was saying these things, a woman raised her voice from the crowd, and said to him, "Blessed is the womb that bear thee, and the breasts which thou hast sucked. (28) But he said, Blessed rather are these who hear the word of God, and take heed of it.

§ 162. Jesus thus taught men to keep constantly on their guard against evil passions, which, though driven away at first with comparative ease, may return one day with more strength and tenacity. You may if you please personify bad passions as evil spirits, to adopt the terms of the Evangelists, and picture them as the evil spirits whose influence you have learned to fear. A weak-minded man, who yields readily to evil inspirations, because his tendencies are evil, takes a good resolution at last, and opposes a serious obstacle to the efforts made by the malevolent spirits to lead him astray. The familiar spirit who impelled him to evil, quits him, and seeks for some other easily influenced mind which he can master; but he always keeps watch on him whom he has been obliged to abandon; and as soon as he discovers any relaxation of vigilance, or faltering in his resolutions, he returns quickly to recover possession of his victim, and if he finds the resistance feeble, and that it does not arise from any sentiment of real purity, he avenges himself, and seeks aid, if needful, from the inferior spirits who surround, and second him.

But you must not interpret our words to mean that all your bad thoughts and actions result from an occult influence. It is not so, for if the germ of evil did not exist in you, it would not attract evil spirits; but it is true that your tendencies, whether good or evil, attract spirits towards you who sympathize with those tendencies. You should therefore watch vigilantly all your most secret passions; sweep your house with care, purify your soul, and guard well the door of

the sanctuary, that you may warn off all who are unworthy to approach by prayer and watchfulness.

(Matth. xii. 43; Luke xi. 24.)-The waterless places where the evil spirit wanders without finding rest, are pure men who give no heed to his suggestions. He seeks for occupation corresponding to his instincts, tendencies, and caprices, and can find none. You must remember that Jesus spoke to the Jews, who supposed that the unclean spirit "dwelt" in the subjugated man, and he allowed them to retain the belief that they might feel a greater horror of "possession." Consequently he spoke in such a manner that these men should understand him, and represented the impure spirit as seeking for rest in waterless places, and finding none—that is, wandering among strong men, and finding them deaf to his instigations. This is the spirit of the parable when freed from the letter. Seeking to penetrate into a man, being unable to enter, and being obliged to depart without finding a resting place; that was intended as a lesson for the Jews to whom Jesus spoke.

(Matth. xii. 44; Luke xi. 24, 25.)—The man who casts out his evil tendencies from his soul, though only for a very short time, gives immediate access to the good feelings which are opposed to those evil instincts; and your virtues are the ornament of your soul, so that when the evil spirit returns to the house from which he went out, he always finds it empty, swept, and garnished. Keep your soul, by a sentiment of real purity, firm and inaccessible to evil instincts, tendencies, and passions, and consequently to evil inspirations, suggestions, and instigations. Decorate your heart with virtues that the Lord may find it a dwelling worthy of him, and may delight in gradually developing your moral and intellectual progress, by granting you the assistance and inspirations of his good spirits whom you attract to yourselves.

We do not allude to the "sacrifice of the Eucharist." All the errors of the Church have sprung from false human interpretations based upon the letter, and not upon the spirit, which have misrepresented the teachings of the

Master. Do not imagine that the human body can become the dwelling (either temporary or eternal) of the Divinity, nor that the "real body and blood" of the Saviour, according to the expressions of the Roman Church, can become assimilated to human food, and subject to the laws of human digestion. Do not suppose that the tangible perispirit, resembling a corporeal human body (like a precious vase containing a still more precious essence), which Jesus temporarily assumed for the necessities of his earthly mission, could become digestible human food. At the period of his "ascension," it returned to the fluids, either of the superior regions, or of your planet, from whence it was derived. Do not suppose that the spirit of Jesus, that perfectly pure and immaculate essence, could make its dwelling in the human body. No; the communion of Christ was an emblematical repast, as we shall explain to you afterwards at the proper time. It was a last solemn appeal which he made to human fraternity, and to its practice. The communion of the disciples was a commemorative repast, as a remembrance and symbol. Christians of all sects, learn by the New Revelation which God sends you, and which we bring you in the name of Christ, that to the spirit all should be spiritual. The spirit receives "the body and blood of Jesus" emblematically; "the body" to nourish its soul; "the blood" to wash it from its stains; but matter has no participation whatever in this "sacrifice." Whether you take your food before or after this "sacrifice" matters little. The best abstinence which you can impose on yourselves before accomplishing an act which should bring your spirit symbolically nearer to him who stooped to you to raise you to himself when he appeared on your earth, is to abstain from human superfluities. Prepare yourselves for this family feast by some privations which may be useful to your brethren, in the material, moral, and intellectual order. Impose some moral mortifications on yourselves, and invite to this thrice-holy repast those who were alienated from you, or from whom you were alienated. Invite them in thought, if you cannot do so in reality, by pardoning their

injuries with all your heart, and by forming the irrevocable resolution never to harbour any evil thoughts against them.

Practice continually these spiritual repasts, in common, which the Master's disciples took, as they took them with the Master. They took them thus until passions and evil instincts made it requisite to alter their arrangements in order to maintain the apparent order and communion; for whoever approaches the Master's table with an evil feeling at heart is guilty of treason like Judas Iscariot.

Take this emblematic and commemorative repast as it was taken by the disciples of the Master; take it in common, intelligently desiring to feel and act fraternally towards all; invite and meet there all your brethren, Jews and Gentiles, whatever may be the external forms of religion which divide and separate you at present, and without reference to these differences of opinion; and you will thus arrive at the period which has been foretold, when men shall no longer worship in this mountain, nor in Jerusalem; but having become true Spiritists, and thus all brethren, will be the worshippers of the Father in spirit and in truth; the true worshippers desired by the Father, when there shall be only one fold and one shepherd; Jesus, the Christ of God, your Master, who is the protecting and ruling spirit of your planet and its humanity.

(Matth. xii. 45.)—The relapse is worse than the disease; and everything had been done to enlighten and improve the generation to which Jesus spoke. Some of them indeed were touched by the teachings of the Good Shepherd, and endeavoured to reform; but the good seed had fallen in stony places, and the evil passions, stifled for the moment, returned with renewed strength to their old dwelling, and the expiation was longer and more painful. May it not be thus with the generation to which Christ speaks to-day by the New Revelation, for he tells you, "Much will be demanded of him to whom much is given," and when those to whom the light is offered reject it, or avert or close their eyes to avoid perceiving it, they will have to render a much more severe account than those who live in ignorance and darkness.

VOL. II.

D

(Luke xi. 27, 28.)-The woman who cried out to Jesus from among the people was a speaking medium, who spoke under the momentary inspiration of a guide, and thus led Jesus to reply. Everything was foreseen, to provide for the instruction of the people. The woman spoke wisely from the human point of view which regarded Jesus as the son of Mary and Joseph; and certainly if Mary had in appearance borne and suckled Jesus, this was a sign of her elevation; but her elevation was acquired before it was given her to fulfil this mission, whereas the men who surrounded Jesus were guilty sinners, who had hitherto deserved little; but it was given them to deserve much by accepting in faith, and practising, the precious lessons which they received. Jesus could thus say, "Blessed are they who receive the word of God, and practise it," for he understood the vast progress which those who entered sincerely on this new course were enabled to make.

We also say to you, our beloved charges, Happy are those who receive the light, and enlighten themselves by it. Those who thus hear the word of God and practise it in spirit and in truth will make great progress. Spiritists, who have been initiated during your humanity into the mysteries of life, you will shorten the time of your trials in the spiritual state, and above all, you will avoid the period of expiation, by keeping on your guard against yourselves. You will therefore progress during your human life, and you will progress still more rapidly as soon as you have returned to your real existence.

MATTHEW, CHAP. XII. VERSES 46-50. MARK, CHAP. III.-VERSES 31-35. LUKE, CHAP. VIII. VERSES 19-21.

The brother, sister, and mother of Jesus.

Matth. xii. (46) And while he was yet speaking to the crowds, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, seeking to speak to him. (47) And some one said to him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, seeking to speak to thee. (48) And he answered and said to him who spoke to him, Who is my mother, and who are my