L E C T U H K
"This ALLbOOKY Os' CAIK AND ABhL -by-
Mr.. CHAKLr.S FILLMORE
AUD_IVGi<I_UM 915 'Jrncy Av« nuc, Kansas git;', ilisaruri SUNDAY MORNING, JA.TUAPY ?6, 1Q1.5. -------------c---
Tne subject cf cur lessen tuis nerning is "Cain ana Abel". Tiiese characters, v:t* know, represent some phase cf consciousness in every c :e of us. If we read the allegory, as given ir. the Scripture, v/e observe that the special point cf difference between Cum and Abel was the offering.
Hov;, this offering represents a certain jiving up tc the great Universal Mind cf train's ccnscicuunesa, soul, - v/e give up that we my receive. We open cm* rai.ds that there way be an influx of hi^cr unu better thou,lit.
Tr.is is a fern of prayer. Sc, it wakes quite a difference v/hat the character cf ycur offering is in year payers. Wo i^ve feunu that min should make a complete offering. he should epen
his consciousness tc the great Hina cf vhe Universe, ana thereby
receive ir. larger measure.
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Then, let us pray v/ith this understanding tiu.t there is a Principle through whicn v/e raay receive in largo aegroc, if we i.u.ke a complete offering. That is, in ycur prayers, give your whole mind and ycur whole body to the great Uplift,to the Spirit.
Sc.ic people pray to tue Lord in Spirit, but they think that their bodies are on an entirely different plane of consciousness, and they withhold the body from the Lord. Now, give, in ycur prayer, the whole can to God, and you -..ill be lifted up as the whole.
Then, let us pray vita t,.is understanding, and say unto cur higher Principle, "I give unto Thee, Tncu Almignty One, ray Bpirit, soul, bod;-. Take that attitude and you will ect t*.e inflow.
(Silence)
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Y'c have selected us the subject of cur lessen the allegory cf "Cain and Abel". Why "allegory"? Because everythin,., connected itii the story indicates that it is an allegcr} . Ycu rci-cmber tuat these tv/o wen are represented as the first offspring cf Adam and Eve. Hew, it is accepted by all thinking people tnat tr.is allegory of Adar.i and Eve is representative; tiuit it doesn't refer to any ..istcricul man or wo. an, by the name cf Adaii anu Eve, but, as given in raorc recent translations, insfcad cf "Adam", we just Lave "r.ian". It is the history of the develcpnont cf the soul of man. Sc, it is safe to assume that this is a continuation cf the allegory.
And, as a further proof o*' this, we find that time is clininated.
If this was historical, it would rive us the date; but r.c date is given. It says, "in the course cf tine these tnings cane to pass".
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Wo uaso fina that the names have an inner meaning. "Cain" means tne Possessor. \7..en he was corn, his nether said, "Nov; I nave gained a nan from the Lora"; the meaning being t::at tne thought or desire had gone cut ana possessed scr.ietiling. Abel means a vapor, breath - something that is fleeting; referring .0 a spiritual phase of consciousness. So, it's safe to assume that tnis is an allegory, and nothing else; and, »h an allegory, it is something from which we car. alw-ye gain a lessor. It is always uev; to the cue who perceives its trutli, and there is a lesson for every cne of us in the history of these two people.
Let us, then, put ourselves ir. the place of Adam and Eve, because we have v/ithin us all the characteristics cf three two individuals, or that nan, because Adam and Eve is but cne nan. Eve
cane cut cf Adam
Adam cane cut of ti.e U .iversul Hind
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Hot; , "his Ada in nan is in a process c'’ growth, development. He is in an Eden, <r realm where all things are prepared in consciousness; out he must take that which belongs to him; he must, in ct^.er v/erds, brin • forth the potentialities cf his cvm scul, and that ether phase cf consciousness called the Tody.
Fvc is the feminine, or that which controls the inner forces of the nan. Ycur life force is controlled, or unuer tne dominion cf Eve. Sc, the alle0ory tells us that Eve is the nether of all living. All Life emamtes fren the scul; and ether attributes cone from the body consciousness, or the nan.
So, these two are alv/ayc in conjunction; tney are always
working together. The masculine and feminine; tne pc stive an ci tne
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negative; the scul and the body; the Spirit and the scul. And you will find that all t! trough this great allegory of the Bible, the two work together - the ran ami the v/omn.
We have in C-iin ana Abel two phases cf consciousness, and those phases o“ consciousness are constantly at v/crk in every cne cf uo, because nan is still bringing himself forth. Ke is still in this process cf development cf the potentialities within. As the Scripture points cut, Cain means a certain selfish desire in the scul fer the things which ?/e call sense, cr substance; the things that can be seen and felt; the limited things. This brings forth a state cf consciousness called "Cain".
Now, Cain was an agriculturalist, he lived close to the
earth. That is the meaning. And his products were of a more mater-
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ial character; that is, they didn't have the Life that Abel's did. Abel was a shepherd. He was cn a little different plane cf consciousness. He dealt with a little higher force than his brother, Cain; but tney were brothers; they were unified; the} were one; and a ri iit understanding on the part cf the parent, had they been in close unity with the spirit, everything would have gene well. All the offerings would have been received of the Lord. But it seems that the Lord made a preference for Abel's offering, and Cain was wroth.
llow, the tern "offering", and the meaning of "offering", is of a deep import, especially tc man who is desirous of developin'" the very best within him. All cf these express i ns which vie find in primitive nan have their seat in sore desire of the soul.
‘.'Viovp -n	>\a«V	r	“	n	c	fVir	t.	Vrlt	rif.	*	hilt.	VOtl don't. »1 -
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ways interpret the idea in the ri ht way. The history cf the human family shows that religious people have desired to make offerings
untc the Lera, and, net understanding themselves tc be spiritual, and that all offerings cr desires o'- the soul tc express gratitude, because that is what an offering is, should be c^ the Hind, should be cf the Snirit. But man, in his materialized concent in sense, ha3 attempted to make this offering in an outer way, sc v/e find records of alters whore nen h ve sacrificed animals and r.cn, in their attempts tc appease cr make ‘'riends with their reds.
'i..ii> subject cf c Tcring is a wide -no, and there seera tc be interweven with the whole race consciousness - we every one of us, when v/e are in receipt c1' sene good, feel the sense cf gratitude- going cut, and we desire tc give uonething in return.
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Nov;, t-,at condition is constantly going on in man, if net the conscious nine, in the subconscious - between ‘.he Creator and the created. Hew, if v/e understand the true character cf the offerin’:* and hew *o may be cix in/' to our Lord these ri ht and useful things of the soul, why, then the subject straightens itself cut, and we express in right relation, under tine lav:. Jut, if our minds are in the cuter, cr if there is a selfish attitude, ?/o make frequent mistakes. V/e materialize that which is spiritual. Ana this ia the lesson which v/e have tc-day.
«or, Cain,with that selfish state of consciousness, gives out selfishness, he gives from a selfish view-point, he is not spiritual. Well, the Lord doesn't receive that sort cf gifts, i'he Lord receives the gift cf the unselfish, '*
e P' iri tint 1 r ■*'d, the
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Abel in us. And when v/e give with that materialized Idea back of our gift, why, there is always a limitation. V/e are net reaching the Spirit.
hr-, • n> fit ,/crli ever are trying to -.ppease their Lord by giving ti.cir ricney. Xuey are building colleges; they are building institutions; they are giving tc religion; but they like tc have themselves known as the civer. It is net that <ji lng of net letting your right hand know what the left nanu aceti:; but there is always a prominent personality there. "i give sc r.iuny millions of dollars, so many hundreds of thousands, to this college, tc that church, institution", and the nan is there, v/e 11, that is the Cain making ids offering tc the Lord.
Well now, maybe sene of you are Cains here tc-day. It n.y be th..t you are -.uxkin ; ycur offering with this selfish attitude.
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If you are, it isn't received by the Lord. The Lord is partial to that unself is-: spiritual nature which gives without thought of self. If you continue tc make your offerings in the selfish attitude, in the Cain state of consciousness, why, you will find that there will he a gradual raterlalization, and the high spiritual, the spiritual understanding, will be killed out.
Now, that is the slaying of Abel by Cain. It is a gradual process. It isn't th.it you strike down at some certain time this spiritual nature, but just gradually, day by day, ycu kill rut the higher aspirations, the true spiritual understanding, the unselfish one; and Cain cones for h as the deninant characteristic in you. You beccne a Cain ruin. Ycur seal is devitalised *nd the body lives as a material tiring.
well 107*. the real spiritual life, finding no expression.
is constantly crying -ut. Ycu are net satisfied. 21c roan that lives that material life is ever satisfied, lie woman that lives in the -uter, that makes her cf feringo with cstentaticn; that expresses the mind of the flesh, there is always a cry in cut c'' this inn r
spiritual life - a restiveness - and people cf that character finally get nervous; they get unstrung, and there is a disiualifica-
ticn for the true spiritual life.
This is tlie meaning of Gain being constantly slain; ana yet, he is alive; and he 3aid "iiy punishntnt is greater than 1 cun hear." He is constantly dying, ana yet he never uios. he i^-s the "mark" upon hin cf perpetual death, rid yet the Lord uu;\j, "Ycu shall not die."
What is it that sh**.ll not die? Why, the stamp of oivin-
ity in the very body itself. Cain represents tody consciousness.
Be is he ini slain and yet he lives. The nark cr God is upon him. This is the nest important phase cf this all- ?*ory - the continued livin • of the God-image in the mortal nan, *he (Jain man.
Some have taught that there was a nark upon the hrew that indie ted the sinful ran, and that was Cain, tthy, the only mark of Cain is the mark deception, of sin in the body. But the type,
the true spi-itual type divinity, is marked in ycur body. That is the tody of God, rnd you can never et away from that perfection
which exists as a spiritual principle in the man; and when we v/ake tc this realization that cur bodies are cf Gcd; when t: e spirit o*’ the Abel is horn in us - and Abel is but a type cf the Christ's* en tii.it Cl-rist Hind cones into expression in the rum, there is a
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new consciousness cf body. it is only the consciousness that kills the body, the consciousness cf sin, and law transgressed, and if that law is confsmcd to, then the body cones into expression. 3ut what is this confirmation? What ic this c^crir. - that is constantly ascondinr-, according to the alle-cry, tc the Lcrd? Why,it is a fact, nev;, that all things in the world arc cin • threurh a refining process.
In the cuter world, we sec the mineral pulverized until it beccT'ies a soil fer the seed, and the plant springs forth. The animal eats the nlant, and it -ces throu<rh another process of refinement, and so on and on, until we cone to a freer expression cf life, where the animal was bound tc the earth, it becomes able to traverse- through the air. It ib .reed from its limitations.
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llcw, the fact is that nan in himself, in the bed; , is co-inn thrcujrh, constantly, this refinement. Yr ur soul is thrcv:in£ off an emanation, an essence that is taken up by a higher principle -v/e call it the Spirit - and y-ur bedy is also scin,' thrcu.'h that refining process, aitf that refinement pees into the soul, and all these are taken up by the hirher, the spiritual. Sc, v/e are tela that in the end, man will be resolved back, in all of his conecioui-r.-ss, to Gcd, tc the one Mind.
Well no'.;, this is the offering; this offerin' ~5iich ycu give to ycur Lord is the refined essence cf Spirit ami scul, body. . Thege are all ascending in their natural v/rrk, their natural evolution, but it is possible for man tc divert the -jift, tc make his efferinr rut into another realm. We can out the scul essence info
i	‘>i«.	T.rrd	the	hi	P"inciy»le.	the	Sririt
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in us, is robbed to that extent. We can materialize and separate rurselves from this evolutionary law, through sene cuter expression. Well, that in exactly vrtu t Cain did. he separated himself from his spiritual "Principle, Abel, his brother, and he went off, - sc the allegory says - into the land of Hod, and there he married, and he was the father c" a great multitude of materially-ninded men.
That is, he expressed his consciousness in that way,	have,	as
a result, the men of Sedcrt and Gomorrah, and a final flood, or a cleansin’ of the whole earth, to get rid of these naterially-minded beings; and a new state of consciousness sets in.
How, these processes, these changes are cing on all the time in you and me. We arc alls vain* ourselves to think tcc much about self. That brings the idea o'* possession, the ncosesscr, and
that is Caii.
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. And v?c find ourselves getting a little teaser in appetite, in body ame ranee. There is t, rrystr.llizaticr. setting in, the rce- lt cf tcc much »itcrial thought; and material thought is always hacked up by "nine", "nine", "mine";"this is mine; that is mine" -- possession. Net knew in - th t all thin -s belor. r tn the oreat Universal; that -ran of hir;3elf can have nr real possession.
You can't even possess yrUr body. 1“ you think about this as your bed:', why you clomp down upon it; you stop the groat inflow of the Universal Force. Then, set your body free as a spiritual thing, and you will find, that tne Abel consciousness will be born in you. You will come to a fuller spiritual understanding, that you are a spiritual being as wel! as a material.
Now, the majority of the people in the world to-day only
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have a consciousness of the material Vein*;. They are the sons of Gain to that extent, hut it is possiTlc for a resurrection of Abel, hut Abel must only be resurrected throuiih the Chr at, because he is the type, he is the one to demonstrate. V.'e have lost cureelvos sc far in the Gain consciousness, so starved cut the Spirit, that ?/e must, have help. There must be a hand reached devvn tc us; and that o*ie is Christ.
Mow, if you accept Ciirist; i“ you believe Christ is the lifter-up, there is a resurrection of the Abel non. Y'U become Abel; yev become strong spiritually, and health in body. The result of carry in,; -ut these simple - lle,;cr ies - understanding them, making t'aori yours.
Then, as followers of the Truth, preaching th.e doctrine
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of nan's regeneratin', pc w-uld apply this lesson right tc everyday-life. Lot us in -11 of our prayers, make the offering cf the spiritual mn. Lot us make <ur offering in the unselfish attilude; one who is willing to give up every thin, to his Lord: "Lord, use me in Thine own way. All th>« t I h* vo Iclcn.w tc thee; all t..at I an is of Gcu. All that I h.ve I lay upon the alter cf Goa.” Take that attitude, and yen \ill find a new life will come tc ;cu; new ideas will bri ft ten your mind, and you • ill jraduall; come into tiiat state which is called a now creature in Christ.
New, this is the result cf applying simple laws; laws cf development and growth; laws that we see on every side. We simply give ourselves up to the Great Inflow and Outflow of Being itself.
It is all in consciousness, in Mind. God is the hod cf the liv-
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ins, net of the dead. God is alive in every one of us to-day. Let that life flow forth in its abundance; let it cone forth into its fullness. Let it penetrate and permeate the whole nan, - Spirit, Scul and Body.
11:3? A. M.
11:59 a. a.