without showing some marked indications of spiritual development.

The basis for this new and revolutionary thinking was found in the metaphysical interpretation of the Scriptures. These investigators went as spiritual miners into the depths of the inspired Word and brought to the surface its hidden gold. They examined its sources, not in time and form, but in spirit and life, and made the startling discovery that it was not a mere code or rule of faith, but a living, growing body of Truth, the consciousness of God in manifestation. The Bible then became more than crystallized Divine thought, a course of instruction, or an object of credulous belief. It was found to be a bubbling spring of spiritual Life, Wisdom and Power, with its source in the eternal throbbing heart of God. A new light dawned on the sacred page and a new plan of life was seen enfolded' there—a plan that laid bare the heart of man and showed with startling clearness the course of his evolution.

When the curtain of misunderstanding had been lifted and the spiritual radiance streamed forth, the exoteric or outer meaning of the Scriptures assumed new significance. Cities mentioned in the text were found to indicate planes or states of consciousness, and the meaning of the names indicated the quality of those states Men and women became the expressions of the masculine and the feminine elements in each person, as found in the objective and subjective consciousness, the positive and negative, the active and passive phases of the creative power. Historical incidents and personal experiences marked the stages of individual soul unfoldment. Heaven and hell were discovered to be states of consciousness in the individual, as Jesus had pointed out, as well as localities established by external thinking. God and Christ were understood as universal Life, Spirit, Love and Power, and not personalities, as set forth in the exoteric interpretation, and regeneration was revealed as God's will and purpose for the individual life.

The key to this inner treasury in the Temple of Truth was Jesus' saying, "My words are Spirit and they are Life,"

and "He that keepeth my sayings shall never see death." Inspired by the glory of the promise, earnest souls delved deep into the mysteries of being and by constant searching found the Kingdom within. Led by the Holy Spirit, The Interpreter, and through the regenerating power of the indwelling Christ, they are proving day by day the truth of Jesus' words, and a new age has dawned for them-the age of Peace and Love.

To make clear these principles of metaphysical interpretation of the Scriptures as applied in Practical Christianity, let us analyze a portion of the Word.

Open your Bible at the second chapter of Luke and study with me the sweetest, most wonderful story ever toldthe story of the birth of Jesus. It begins by mentioning a decree of the Roman ruler. Now, in the individual consciousness, rulership implies the joint activity of reason and will; therefore, "Cæsar Augustus" refers to the personal self ruling through reason and will both mind and body, as indicated by the "world," forcing all the faculties and powers to pay tribute in slavish carnal service. This is the natural attitude of the unspiritualized or Adam consciousness. In "Cyrenius" there is also a ruling or directing idea, indicating personal self living in intellect (Syria) and governing being from that point of view. This is the source of worldly wisdom and gives rise to materialistic thoughts and feelings and carnal conditions in general. "City" means personal consciousness, and the expression "each into his own city" shows clearly that the writer intended this account to be understood strictly in a personal sense. He does not say that each one went to the capitol city of his own province, but that each went "into his own city," that is, his own consciousness. Notice the word "into." Each went "into his own city, which still more clearly indicates the withdrawing of the attention from the outer consciousness and centering it in the inner regions of the mind.

It would be well to notice carefully the particularizations given in verse four. Joseph is described as having gone "up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into

Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem." Why the mention of all these names and in this particular order? "Joseph went up from Galilee unto Bethlehem," would have been sufficient to convey the meaning if the writer was narrating a mere historical incident, but since he specified so carefully, we are led to believe that the words were intended to convey another and a deeper meaning. In order to determine this, let us uncover the metaphysical or spiritual signification of the words themselves. represents the Spiritual, or Real Self in its masculine aspect or function, working through intuition in mind and body building processes. As a man, he was a carpenter, hence as a Principle of Being, he would represent that which constructs or builds in a mental sense.

"Joseph"

"As Galilee was a despised part of Palestine, so was Nazareth a despised part of Galilee," says The Popular and Critical Bible Encyclopedia. "Galilee," then, is another name for the mortal or unregenerated human consciousness, and "Nazareth" represents a faculty or center in that consciousness. Notice that Joseph did not remain in these places he left them and went into Judea. The Hebrew meaning of "Judea" (Judah) is "praise." This means that Joseph, or Self, let loose of carnal thought and rose into a purer and more spiritual or praising attitude of mind. Observe that the text says that "he went up." This very pointedly indicates a rising from a lower to a higher plane of thinking and living in the process of soul unfoldment. The narrative continues by saying that "he went unto a city of David, which is called Bethlehem." The name "David," in Hebrew, means "beloved," and as "city" means consciousness, Joseph then went up from the mortal or carnal plane into spiritual or divine Love consciousness. It is very necessary to fix this idea firmly in mind, because it is the essence of the whole teaching.

Now, "Bethlehem," which is here used synonomously with "city of David," signifies "House of bread," and also "thanksgiving" or, in Hebrew, "Praise for sustenance." It is clear that Joseph's going up symbolizes the ascent or in

crease of the soul in love consciousness, until that point is reached where one realizes that the substance of Spirit is his source of supply, and gives thanks for the same. Note especially that he went "because he was of the house and lineage of David." Why this additional and parenthetical reference, if not to impress upon the mind more vividly, that ascent, development or attainment is possible only through the cultivation of the love nature?

"Mary, his espoused wife," is descriptive of Self in its feminine aspect or expression; in other words, the creative subconsciousness purified or made virgin through the influence of Spirit. That she was only his "espoused wife" shows that the objective, masculine (Jospeh), and the subjective, feminine (Mary), mind powers had not yet been made one in perfect understanding. The birth of the Christ Idea was required to perfect their harmonious relation. "While they were there" refers to the holding of Self in the spiritual attitude of mind until the Christ spirit, or Jesus nature, is born in the heart. "She brought forth her first born son" is indicative of the Christ Spirit, Thought or Idea taking definite shape in consciousness. The Christ Idea having been previously impressed upon the feminine subconscious mind through suggestive impregnation by the masculine element or Father Spirit-God, and having completed its prenatal subconscious development, is born into the objective mind, that is, the individual becomes aware of the new state of mind that has been formed in him. This is indicated by a great quickening of the Love nature and an ever increasing desire for purity and general spiritual attainment.

The phrase "swaddling clothes" suggests the feeble beginning of the Christ consciousness in the individual. When the light of Spirit comes like a luminous dawn revealing the realities of life, one becomes as a little child, and thus enters the Kingdom of Spirit within himself.

"Inn" symbolizes the intellect, the objective or outer phase of mind, filled with impressions from the world of sense and in which there is no room for spiritual thoughts. Before Joseph and Mary could have found room in the inn

some of the guests already there would have had to leave. Likewise, before spiritual ideas and emotions can have place in the outer consciousness, some at least of the materialistic thoughts now there must be eliminated.

The "shepherds" spoken of in verse eight describes the nature and function of certain spiritual faculties such as, Veneration, the spirit of worship; Conscientiousness, the sense of right; Benevolence, the unselfish desire to help; Intuition, the direct recognition and understanding of psychic impulses; Friendship, the associational desire; Conjugality, the love or mating, emotion. Others might be mentioned, but these are sufficient to explain the existence and identity of those mental "shepherds" constantly watching, leading and protecting their "flocks" of spiritual thoughts, ideas and feelings in the "fields" of the human consciousness, during the long "night" of error, when materialism holds sway in thought and life. "The angel of the Lord" is a definite, positive spiritual impulse direct from God to the individual, making him aware of his inherent spiritual nature and powers; and the glory of the Lord represents the illumination of soul that comes when the personal consciousness contacts I Am and is flooded with Love divine. The admonition, "Fear not," calls attention to the disturbance caused in mind by the inflow of Spirit, and "good tidings of great joy" explains exactly the effect produced when the sweet harmony of Love begins to pervade every atom of being. "For unto you is born" sets forth the cause of the rejoicing, the bringing forth in consciousness of the God Idea. "This day"—now—or just when, through surrender of personality, you feel the strengthening, cleansing, transforming power of the Truth in you. "In the city of David" that region of the mind where the love forces exist and express or, in other words, the love consciousness.

A "Savior" is one who, or that which, saves from sin and all its effects, and in this connection represents Christ the Lord. Note the peculiar use of "which" in this expression. The text does not say, "a Savior who is Christ the Lord," but which is. In English, "which" is used when reference