The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ

12 Nathaniel lifted up his hands and said, This surely is the Christ, the king, for whom the harbinger has often testified.

13 And John went forth and found his brother James, and brought him to the Christ.

14 The six disciples went with Jesus to the place where he abode.

15 And Peter said, We long have sought for Christ. We came from Galilee to John; we thought that he was Christ, but he confessed to us that he was not;

16 That he was but the harbinger sent forth to clear the way, and make the pathway easy for the coming king; and when you came he said, Behold the Christ!

17 And we would gladly follow where you go. Lord, tell us what to do.

18 And Jesus said, The foxes of the earth have homes, the birds have nests; I have no place to lay my head.

19 He who would follow me must give up all the cravings of the self and lose his life in saving life.

20 I come to save the lost, and man is saved when he is rescued from himself. But men are slow to comprehend this doctrine of the Christ.

21 And Peter said, I cannot speak for any other man, but for myself I speak: I will leave all and follow where you lead.

22 And then the others spoke and said, You have the words of truth; you came from God, and if we follow in your footsteps we cannot miss the way.

23 Then Jesus and the six disciples sat a long, long time in silent thought.

CHAPTER 67

Jesus visits John at the Jordan. Delivers his first Christine address to the people. The address. He goes with his disciples to Bethany.

Now, on the morrow Jesus came again and stood with John beside the ford; and John prevailed on him to speak, and standing forth he said,

2 You men of Israel, hear! The kingdom is at hand.

3 Behold the great key-keeper of the age stands in your midst; and with the spirit of Elijah he has come.

4 Behold, for he has turned the key; the mighty gates fly wide and all who will may greet the king.

5 Behold these multitudes of women, children, men! they throng the avenues, they crowd the outer courts; each seems to be intent to be the first to meet the king.

6 Behold, the censor comes and calls, Whoever will may come; but he who comes must will to prune himself of every evil thought;

7 Must overcome desire to gratify the lower self; must give his life to save the lost.

8 The nearer to the kingdom gate you come, more spacious is the room; the multitudes have gone.

9 If men could come unto the kingdom with their carnal thoughts, their passions and desires, there scarcely would be room for all.

10 But when they cannot take these through the narrow gate they turn away; the few are ready to go in and see the king.

11 Behold, John is a mighty fisher, fishing for the souls of men. He throws his great net out into the sea of human life; he draws it in and it is full.

12 But what a medley catch! a catch of crabs, and lobsters, sharks and creeping things, with now and then a fish of better kind.

13 Behold, the thousands come to hear the Wild Man of the hills; they come in crowds that he may wash them in the crystal flood, and with their lips they do confess their sins.

14 But when the morrow comes we find them in their haunts of vice again, reviling John, and cursing God, and heaping insults on the king.

15 But blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see the king.

16 And blessed are the strong in heart, for they shall not be cast about by every wind that blows;

17 But while the fickle and the thoughtless have gone back to Egypt land for leeks and carnal herbs to satisfy their appetites, the pure in heart have found the king.

18 But even those whose faith is weak, and who are naught but carnal manifests, will some day come again, and enter in with joy to see the king.

19 O men of Israel, take heed to what this prophet has to say! Be strong in mind; be pure in heart; be vigilant in helpfulness; the kingdom is at hand.

20 When Jesus had thus said he went his way, and with his six disciples came to Bethany; and they abode with Lazarus many days.

CHAPTER 68

Jesus speaks to the people in Bethany. Tells them how to become pure in heart. Goes to Jerusalem and in the temple reads from a prophetic book. Goes to Nazareth.

The news soon spread abroad that Jesus, king of Israel, had come to Bethany, and all the people of the town came forth to greet the king.

2 And Jesus, standing in the midst of them exclaimed, Behold, indeed, the king has come, but Jesus is not king.

3 The kingdom truly is at hand; but men can see it not with carnal eyes; they cannot see the king upon the throne.

4 This is the kingdom of the soul; its throne is not an earthly throne; its king is not a man.

5 When human kings found kingdoms here, they conquer other kings by force of arms; one kingdom rises on the ruins of another one.

6 But when our Father-God sets up the kingdom of the soul, he pours his blessings forth, like rain, upon the thrones of earthly kings who rule in righteousness.

7 It is not rule that God would overthrow; his sword is raised against injustice, wantonness and crime.

8 Now, while the kings of Rome do justice, and love mercy and walk humbly with their God, the benediction of the Triune God will rest upon them all.

9 They need not fear a messenger whom God sends forth to earth.

10 I am not sent to sit upon a throne to rule as Cæsar rules; and you may tell the ruler of the Jews that I am not a claimant for his throne.

11 Men call me Christ, and God has recognized the name; but Christ is not a man. The Christ is universal love, and Love is king.

12 This Jesus is but man who has been fitted by temptations overcome, by trials multiform, to be the temple through which Christ can manifest to men.

13 Then hear, you men of Israel, hear! Look not upon the flesh; it is not king. Look to the Christ within, who shall be formed in every one of you, as he is formed in me.

14 When you have purified your hearts by faith, the king will enter in, and you will see his face.