sacrifice, eat not, for his sake that showed it, and for conscience

sake:

29.

Conscience, I say, not thine own, but the other's; for why is my liberty judged by another conscience?

30. If I by grace partake, why am I evil spoken of for that for which I give thanks?

31.

Whether therefor ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

32. Give no occasion for stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God:

33. Even as I also please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of the many, that they may be saved.

GOLDEN TEXT-Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.-I. Cor. 10:12.

Every metaphysician should take two things into consideration: The Divine Law, and his relation to the realm of effects. Under the Divine Law we have the greatest liberty, and may with true logic prove that "The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof," and that we may therefore enjoy all things without stint or limit. But we find ourselves surrounded by human environment. Certain established customs and rules of conduct meet us on every side that are not in harmony with the Divine Law, but which it is not expedient to oppose. is where tact and good judgment are required. The best and safest way to settle the many questions that arise in this relation is to seek and do that which will bring the greatest good to our fellowmen.

Here

Sometimes it comes to me to stand up for Principle and strenuously oppose certain well established human customs; again I find it expedient to conform to the world's way for a season, because it is for the best interest of those I wish to help. Good judgment and tact make smooth the way of the metaphysician.

Paul was a gentleman and not a crank. He recognized the rights of those who make up the social world, and when accepting their hospitality would not outrage their standards of conduct. His policy was: while in Rome, do as the Romans do.

This chapter is often quoted as proof that Paul sanctioned meat eating, but this is not its intent.

The question to be solved was whether the Jews should eat food which had been offered to heathen idols. Paul held that it was a matter of conscience, rather than food, and must be settled from that standpoint.

If in our eating and drinking we do it to the "glory of God," we shall not go wrong. It is not to the "glory of God" that any of his creatures shall suffer in order that I be supplied with food, hence I should confine my diet to that which will "give no occasion of stumbling, either to Jews, or to Greeks, or to the church of God." The slaughter of animals for human food does cause men to stumble spiritually. In some states butchers are not allowed to sit on juries, because of the wellrecognized fact that they are cruel and blunted in their respect for life.

All those who eat meat are helping to keep up this occupation that brutalizes those who are engaged in it, hence all meat eaters are accessories to their crimes and must suffer with them. And it is a metaphysical fact that the brutality and cruelty of those who slay God's beautiful creatures does accompany every scrap of meat that passes through their hands, and it also enters into the bodies of those who eat that meat. If your stomach is outraged and rebellious, and refuses at times to do its work, it may be that here you will find the cause. If your bowels close up and refuse longer to be imposed upon, it may be that butcher's meat is responsible for a large share of the constriction. I found it so, and my stomach and bowels have given me no trouble since I quit transgressing the Mosiac commandment, "Thou shalt not kill."

Lesson 10. December 3.

NEHEMIAH REBUILDS THE WALLS OF JERUSALEM. Neh. 4:7-20.

7. But it came to pass that, when Sanballat and Tobiáh, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard

that the repairing of the walls of Jerusalem went forward, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth;

8. And they conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to cause confusion therein.

9.

But we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

10. And Judah said, The strength of the bearers of the hurdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish; so that we are not able to build the wall.

II And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come into the midst of them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.

12. And it came to pass that, when the Jews that dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times in all places, Ye must

return unto us

13. Therefore set I in the lowest parts of thespace behind the wall, in the open places. I even set the people after their families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

14. And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, who is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses.

15. And it came to pass, when our enemies heard it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wail, every one unto his work.

16. And it came to pass from that time forth, that half of my servants wrought in the work, and half of them held the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the coats of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

17. They that builded the wall and they that bare burdens laded themselves, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other held his weapon;

18. And the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

19. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another:

20. In what place soever ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us; our God shall fight for us.

GOLDEN TEXT - Watch and pray.

Matt. 26:41.

There is a tradition of a Golden Age in which the human family lived under conditions, very much superior to those now prevailing. Just what those conditions were has been wholly lost. The tradition does not carry with it a single detail-simply a vague, dreamy memory of a lost estate in which Nature provided everything for man without his having to strive as he does now. This Golden Age is symbolically described in Genesis as the Garden. of Eden. Occultists know that such an age did really exist. That it was a state in which the whole

human family were immersed in an etherial substance that produced at their command whatever they wished. The Fairy Land of Folk Lore is based upon absolute reality. It is man's natural estate— to be constantly where Nature, the All-Provident Mother, supplies instantly food, clothing, houses, warmth, in fact, everything the heart may desire or the body need.

Man lost this estate through ignoring the Divine Wisdom. He decided to "go it alone" and learn by experience (the Serpent of Genesis) instead of being constantly informed by the Omnipresent AllKnowing Mind just how to proceed. We are now returning to that Golden Age, and the scientific understanding of Divine Mind, and the identification of our minds with that Mind, is the first step in that direction.

The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem is a symbolical description of the reconstruction of the sout consciousness so that it shall keep out negative and error thoughts and conditions. In order to lay hold of this all-pervading substance which constitutes the perfect environment, we must think thoughts like God, to whom the Universal Mother Nature belongs. If our thoughts are weak and vacillating, and we lack faith in things spiritual, there is a weak spot shows at once in the aetheric substance — the wall is down and some negative condition flows in.

So we see how necessary it is that the prophet Nehemiah, that faithful, persistent one within us, that believes in this Divine Possibility for man, shall continue the work of reconstructing those true and desirable conditions.

It is found by experience that as we begin to claim our immunity from the undesirable conditions of humanity that they make silent protest - the condition itself seems to have power to impose itself upon us. This is proof that all is mind and the manifestations of mind. So when we begin our affirmations of unity with Divine Life and Substance,

the "Sanballat," enemies in secret, " "Arabians," unproductive, "Ammonites," popular opinion, "Ashdotites," all around thieves, are wroth, and conspire together to fight against Jerusalem. Then we make our prayer unto God and set a watch against them day and night. A study in detail of the balance of this chapter will reveal to each student just how he has to "watch and pray," deny and affirm, and be on the alert against these invisible thought enemies that in subtle ways destroy his faith in the AllProviding Good.

Lesson 11. December 10.

READING AND OBEYING THE LAW.-Neh. 8:8-18.

8. And they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.

9. And Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto Jehovah your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.

IO. Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto him for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye grieved; for the joy of Jehovah is your strength.

11. So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.

12.

And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

13. And on the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, the priests and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to give attention to the words of the law.

14. And they found written in the law, how that Jehovah had commanded by Moses. that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:

15. And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount and fetch olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to makes booths, as is written

16. So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim.

17. And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and dwelt in the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness. 18. Also day by day, from the first day unto the last dav, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast