The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

8 Athenian masters, hear! In ages long ago, men, wise in nature’s laws, sought out and found the place on which your city stands.

9 Full well you know that there are parts of earth where its great beating heart throws heavenward etheric waves that meet the ethers from above;

10 Where spirit-light and understanding, like the stars of night, shine forth.

11 Of all the parts of earth there is no place more sensitized, more truly spirit-blest, than that where Athens stands.

12 Yea, all of Greece is blest. No other land has been the homeland of such mighty men of thought as grace your scrolls of fame.

13 A host of sturdy giants of philosophy, of poetry, of science, and of art, were born upon the soil of Greece, and rocked to manhood in your cradle of pure thought.

14 I come not here to speak of science, of philosophy, or art; of these you are the world’s best masters now.

15 But all your high accomplishments are but stepping stones to worlds beyond the realm of sense; are but illusive shadows flitting on the walls of time.

16 But I would tell you of a life beyond, within; a real life that can not pass away.

17 In science and philosophy there is no power strong enough to fit a soul to recognize itself, or to commune with God.

18 I would not stay the flow of your great streams of thought; but I would turn them to the channels of the soul.

19 Unaided by the Spirit-breath, the work of intellection tends to solve the problems of the things we see, and nothing more.

20 The senses were ordained to bring into the mind mere pictures of the things that pass away; they do not deal with real things; they do not comprehend eternal law.

21 But man has something in his soul, a something that will tear the veil apart that he may see the world of real things.

22 We call this something, spirit consciousness; it sleeps in every soul, and cannot be awakened till the Holy Breath becomes a welcome guest.

23 This Holy Breath knocks at the door of every soul, but cannot enter in until the will of man throws wide the door.

24 There is no power in intellect to turn the key; philosophy and science both have toiled to get a glimpse behind the veil; but they have failed.

25 The secret spring that throws ajar the door of soul is touched by nothing else than purity in life, by prayer and holy thought.

26 Return, O mystic stream of Grecian thought, and mingle your clear waters with the flood of Spirit-life; and then the spirit consciousness will sleep no more, and man will know, and God will bless.

27 When Jesus had thus said he stepped aside. The Grecian masters were astonished at the wisdom of his words; they answered not.

CHAPTER 45

Jesus teaches the Greek masters. Goes with Apollo to Delphi and hears the Oracle speak. It testifies for him. He abides with Apollo, and is recognized as the Living Oracle of God. Explains to Apollo the phenomenon of oracular speech.

For many days the Grecian masters listened to the clear incisive words that Jesus spoke, and while they could not fully comprehend the things he said, they were delighted and accepted his philosophy.

2 One day as Jesus and Apollo walked beside the sea, a Delphic courier came in haste and said, Apollo, master, come; the Oracle would speak with you.

3 Apollo said to Jesus, Sir, if you would see the Delphic Oracle, and hear it speak, you may accompany me. And Jesus did accompany him.

4 The masters went in haste; and when they came to Delphi, great excitement reigned.

5 And when Apollo stood before the Oracle it spoke and said:

6 Apollo, sage of Greece, the bell strikes twelve; the midnight of the ages now has come.

7 Within the womb of nature ages are conceived; they gestate and are born in glory with the rising sun, and when the agic sun goes down the age disintegrates and dies.

8 The Delphic age has been an age of glory and renown; the gods have spoken to the sons of men through oracles of wood, and gold, and precious stone.

9 The Delphic sun has set; the Oracle will go into decline; the time is near when men will hear its voice no more.

10 The gods will speak to man by man. The Living Oracle now stands within these sacred groves; the Logos from on high has come.

11 From henceforth will decrease my wisdom and my power; from henceforth will increase the wisdom and the power of him, Immanuel.

12 Let all the masters stay; let every creature hear and honor him, Immanuel.

13 And then the Oracle spoke not again for forty days, and priests and people were amazed. They came from near and far to hear the Living Oracle speak forth the wisdom of the gods.

14 And Jesus and the Grecian sage returned; and in Apollo’s home the Living Oracle spoke forth for forty days.

15 One day Apollo said to Jesus as they sat alone, This sacred Delphic Oracle has spoken many a helpful word for Greece.

16 Pray tell me what it is that speaks. Is it an angel, man, or living god?

17 And Jesus said, It is not angel, man, nor god that speaks. It is the matchless wisdom of the master minds of Greece, united in a master mind.

18 This giant mind has taken to itself the substances of soul, and thinks, and hears, and speaks.

19 It will remain a living soul while master minds feed it with thought, with wisdom and with faith and hope.

20 But when the master minds of Greece shall perish from the land, this giant master mind will cease to be, and then the Delphic Oracle will speak no more.

CHAPTER 46

A storm on the sea. Jesus rescues many drowning men. The Athenians pray to idols. Jesus rebukes their idolatry and tells how God helps. His last meeting with the Greeks. Sails on the vessel Mars.

It was a holy day and Jesus walked upon the Athens’ beach.

2 A storm was on and ships were being tossed about like toys upon the bosom of the sea.

3 The sailors and the fishermen were going down to watery graves; the shores were strewn with bodies of the dead.

4 And Jesus halted not, but with a mighty power he rescued many a helpless one, oft bringing back to life the seeming dead.

5 Now, on these shores were altars sacred to the gods supposed to rule the seas.

6 And men and women, heedless of the cries of drowning men, were crowding all about these altars, calling on their gods for help.