tion. The eternal fire just as surely consumes the body mouldering in the grave as if it were burnt to ashes in a crematory.

But there is a great promise and hope in the added words that the everlasting fire is preparednot for the human race but "for the devil and his angels." All the malign forces that have imposed upon the cosmos this "bondage to corruption" are finally to be destroyed out of it. "Death and hell are to be cast into the lake of fire." shall be destroyed and God shall be Respectfully submitted,

The last enemy all in all.

- L. C. B.

Did you never stop to gather a flower, when a something from within, that seemed like an overwhelming tide of love, swept through your entire consciousness, and your whole heart went out like a mighty current of water, breaking loose from its pentup walls, and all in love for this tiny blossom, as its sweet face was raised to yours? Did you never query, at such a moment, "Am I bringing you pain, my sweet flower?" Did you not feel the great heartthrob of God within, as you caressingly held it in your hands, and pressed it slyly to your lips, that you might not be seen of men to be so tender-hearted?

And, after enjoying its fragrance, its sweetness, have you not, oh, so often, close pressed its faded. beauty in your hands, and felt a touch, yes, a real pang of sorrow, as you thrust it from you, casting it aside for fresher and brighter blossoms?

This is genuine love, that is calling you to recognize the oneness of all life. No wonder it costs you such a pang of reget; for the love given to you from the tender blossom was its sweetest fragrance, its rarest beauty, all enveloped in the One Great Life, which is but a part of your very own.

If, at times, there floats across thy horizon a cloud, heed it not, save to perceive its loveliness; but let Love, the motive power, guide thee safely home.

Not striving to love, but loving;
Not striving to live, but living;
Not striving to be, but being;

This is the teaching of Christ.

"DELIVER US FROM EVIL."

BY MRS. E. A. ALLEN.

Let evil be understood as wholly negative, a condition in which good is not, and hence in which nothing is, a wide emptiness into which God can flow to manifestation. There are two starting forces that urge to being the positive and negative poles; or, rather, there are two phases of one force which dovetail together and act in absolute poise and counterpoise - the one the pressure of the overflowing fountain which must find expression, the other the irresistible suction and drawing power of the

vacuum.

Wherever we discern that which we call evil, it may be taken as an unfailing promise of expansion, growth and completion unto perfection. Thus the fierce storms and bitter cold of winter constitute the womb from which summer is born. Nature cannot endure the emptiness, which is the cold, and hastens to hurl herself in all her lavish waste of glory and beauty into the chasm. Thus, on the ethical plane, the most revolting crime possible to conception the malicious, wanton murder of the Son of God – becomes the essence of the world's redemption.

It

Evil is the circumference of God. The circumference is, of course, no part of the sphere. merely defines it—is its boundary- and the illimitable glory of the Infinite is forever causing it to recede, to dissolve, to be swallowed up in Him.

This boundary, this confine of the universe, is that which manifests itself through the senses; it is the visible, tangible, so-called creation. And we, the Sons of God, in the journey of our consciousness to the heart of the Father, are caught, entangled, in its meshes. We have believed ourselves to be a part of it. We are ensnared in materiality through a belief in our own materiality. Hence the scope

and vitality of this seventh and greatest petition of the Lord's Prayer, "Deliver us from evil."

But how can this deliverance, this second birth, be brought about? If all that we see and hear and touch is evil is the matrix of the gem, the mould or external shape of the reality, the door of the truth-how shall we get through and be delivered into the glorious liberty of the Sons of God? We are caught by our materiality on the confines of God-how shall we escape?

There is but one way: we must let go of ourselves. Of course the deliverance must be effected by the power of God. It is not the province of the objective to bring it about, else we should not be taught that prayer. We, in our objective selves, have but one thing to do, and that is, to cease doing; to resist not evil; to lose our lives; to leave the shell, the external, so far as our consciousness is concerned, out there on the edge of things, and so slip through into God, our dwelling place, our life and light and true being.

THEY PERISH.

Can you tell me anything that is going to last? Many things Paul did not condescend to name. He did not mention money, fortune, fame; but he picked out the great things of his time, the things the best men thought had something in them, and brushed them peremptorily aside. Paul had no charge against these things in themselves. All he said about them was that they would not last. They were great things, but not supreme things. There were things beyond them. What we are, stretches past what we do, beyond what we possess. Many things that men denounce as sins are not sins; but they are temporary. And that is a favorite argument of the New Testament. John says of the world, not that it is wrong, but simply that it "passeth away." There is a great deal in the world that is

delightful and beautiful; there is a great deal in it that is great and engrossing; but it will not last. All that is in the world, the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life, are but for a little while. Love not the world, therefore. Nothing that it contains is worth the life and consecration of an immortal soul. The immortal soul must give itself to something that is immortal. And the only immortal things are these: "Now abideth faith, hope, love, but the greatest of these is love."

Some think the time may come when two of these three things will also pass away-faith into sight, hope into fruition. Paul does not say so. We know but little now about the conditions of the life that is to come. But what is certain is that Love must last. God, the eternal God, is Love. Covet therefore that everlasting gift, that one thing which it is certain is going to stand, that one coinage which will be current in the Universe when all the other coinages of all the nations of the world shall be useless and unhonored. You will give yourselves to many things; give yourselves first to Love. Hold things in their proportion. Hold things in their proportion. Let at least the first great object of our lives be to achieve the character defended in these words, the character-and it is the character of Christ which is built round Love.-DRUMMOND.

A GOOD AFFIRMATION.

I do not believe in lack. I mentally see, and persistently proclaim everybody rich and prosperous in every way.

God's Love and Life in me abiding,,`

All strength and power possess.
I go forth in their strength power,
To quicken, heal and bless.

DESIRE.

BY NELLE EBERHART.

There is much more embraced in the thought of desire than we realize-pitfalls as well as possibilities. Every old orthodox statement is the petrified symbol of a living truth. So when we used to pray, and ended our petitions with "Nevertheless, not my will, but Thine be done," we voiced unconsciously scientific surrender to an intelligence higher than our own.

How often have our granted desires come to mock, yea, to scourge us; and all because we take an absolute truth and apply it relatively.

The only legitimate desire is the hunger and thirst after righteousness; the deep yearning of the soul for perfection, which we vainly strive to satisfy by material things.

Are we in poverty? To desire wealth is not the remedy. Our condition has been brought about by thoughts and actions long past, and the only course. open to us is to build now for the future.

Are we in distressing environments? If circumstances really hold us there, we may be sure we are where we belong for the present, and our only hope is to exhaust its possibilities as soon as possible. We must learn thoroughly the lesson presented in the unpleasantness which afflicts us. We may be able to make over the environment, to teach the ignorant, to be a pattern. It is certain that in uncongenial surroundings we may so train our souls in serenity that the environment ceases to offend, and when an experience ceases to be necessary to our progression something different is provided.

Material blessings are not to be despised; they may be greatly appreciated when present, but should not be ardently desired when absent. Each progressing soul must learn, either here or elsewhere, the insufficiency of mere clothes, furniture, position,