| |
James
Explains How Man Can Again Be Restored to
the Perfect Man, Like the First Parents
Before Their Fall.
|
|
 |
I AM HERE. James, the Apostle.
I come to write my message, as Elias told you I would. Well, I
desire to write on the subject of: “What Is the Great Truth
Respecting the Way That the Destruction of the Powers of Temptation
That Arise from the Perverted Man May Result in the Condition of
Perfection Which the First Parents Possessed Before Their Fall?”
You will understand that this does not involve any consideration of
the operation of the Divine Love upon the soul. It involves
exclusively the consideration of the method by which the soul may be
so purified by the operations of the actions and the will power in
conjunction with, or influenced by, the workings of the powers of
the spirits who have been relieved of the sins and errors that
followed the fall.
When man was created, as has been told to you, he was created
perfect. Every quality and function and attribute that was a part of
him was so created that harmony—the most exact with the Laws of God
that governed his existence—became his, and no discord of any kind
was in existence to mar that harmony. But as the spiritual nature of
man became subordinated to the appetites and passions and fleshly
desires, sin and error and inharmony appeared and increased until
man became degraded and desired only those things that would satisfy
these sinful desires.
And, so, this degeneracy continued until man reached his lowest
degradation and the turning point came in his career. And, then, he
commenced slowly and gradually to rise from this condition of
depravity until at last he arrived at the stage of his condition of
inharmony that now exists with these laws of his creation. And his
destiny is to have a complete restoration of the perfection of his
first estate.
This improvement and gradual restoration depend upon two causes:
one, man himself by his own thoughts and reformation of the animal
appetites and desires; and, the other, the influence and guidance of
spirits who have arrived at that perfection in the spirit world, or
are progressing thereto, and who are in a condition of harmony with
these laws that is superior to that of mortals to whom they lend
their influence and help.
In their degeneracy or progression, men are controlled very largely
by their thoughts. These thoughts are created by the operations of
their desires, and which, on the other hand, cause these desires to
increase. But back of the thoughts are always these appetites and
passions, existing in their abnormal conditions, and they constitute
the basic or moving cause of desire and thought and act. So, in
order for men to become relieved of their abnormal desires and
thoughts and acts, the cause thereof must be eradicated, and the
seat or function of the cause must be brought into harmony with the
laws of the creation of these functions or seats of emanation.
Strange as it may seem to you, and by a process that is contrary to
the ordinary workings of the Law of Cause and Effect, men must first
deal with the effects in order to control the cause and thereby
destroy the effects. This may seem to be an impossible operation and
contrary to the laws that govern the material world and its ordinary
functioning, but yet it is possible, and the only possible way in
which the causes may be destroyed.
Notwithstanding the fact that the animal or material part of man has
had the ascendency over the spiritual part of his nature for all
these centuries, yet, that spiritual part exists and has always
existed, and has been waiting to assert itself whenever the
opportunity should occur. And this assertion was prevented or
suppressed only by reason of the want of opportunity.
The spiritual may be said to be the natural state. I mean that, in
that state, the animal is subordinate to the spiritual and is
controlled by it, and man’s true tendency is to exist and act in
accord with that natural state. Then, such being the fact, it may be
asked why, or in what manner, did this natural spiritual condition
become (in the manifestation of what man’s dominant qualities are
supposed to be) subordinated to the control of the inordinate
exercise of this animal side of his nature, and which resulted in
the sin and unhappiness that so many of the teachers and
philosophers proclaim to be his natural condition?
Well, tonight, I will not attempt to explain the manner in which
this inversion or perversion of man’s true nature took place, but I
will write on this subject at some future time.
The question now is, “How can man obtain the restitution to his
created perfection?”
As I have said, this can only be accomplished by making the perfect
adjustment of the two apparent conflicting sides of his nature.
First, he must recognize that he has the spiritual nature as well as
the animal, and that there is such a relationship and coordination
between the two that the supremacy of the latter disturbs the
harmony of his perfection as man. The spiritual having been
subordinated, the remedy is to remove the subordination and restore
the equality. The spiritual, notwithstanding its condition, is
always fighting to regain its place in the true adjustment, and will
always answer the call of man to come to his rescue. The only thing
that has prevented that response is that man has not called for the
spiritual to assert itself.
Well, I am sorry, but we had better postpone until later. Try to get
in greater rapport. Good night.
Your brother in Christ,
JAMES.
|
