ove by any kind of mistakes. He is shown the
possibility of taking a wrong course through such errors. Through
Christ Jesus the way for attaining to the divine has been pointed out.
Perseverance is needed for advancing further in the spirit in which
the first impulse was given. It is possible to believe too soon that
one has the right spirit. This happens when the disciple lets himself
be led a short way by Christ and then leaves his leadership, giving
way to false ideas about it. The disciple thereby falls back again
into the lower self. He has left his "highest love." The knowledge
which is attached to the senses and intellect may be raised into a
higher sphere, becoming wisdom, by being spiritualised and made
divine. If it does not reach this height, it remains amongst
perishable things. Christ Jesus has pointed out the path to the
Eternal, and knowledge must with unwearied perseverance follow the
path which leads to its becoming divine. Lovingly must it trace out
the methods which transmute it into wisdom. The Nicolaitanes were a
sect who took Christianity too lightly. They saw one thing only, that
Christ is the Divine Word, the Eternal Wisdom which is born in man.
Therefore they concluded that human wisdom was the Divine Word, and
that it was enough to pursue human knowledge in order to realise the
divine in the world. But the meaning of Christian wisdom cannot be
construed thus. The knowledge which in the first instance is human
wisdom is as perishable as anything else, unless it is first
transmuted into divine wisdom. "Thou art not thus," says the "Spirit"
to the angel of Ephesus; "thou hast 'not relied' merely upon human
wisdom. Thou hast patiently trodden the Christian path. But thou must
not think that the 'highest' love is not needed to attain to the goal.
Such a love is necessary which far surpasses all love to other things.
Only such can be the 'highest' love. The path to the divine is an
infinite one, and it is to be understood that when the first step has
been gained, it can only be the preparation for ascending higher and
higher." Such is the first of these messages, as they are to be
interpreted. The meaning of the others may be found in a similar way.

St. John turned, and saw "seven golden candlesticks," and "in the
midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed
with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden
girdle. His head and his hairs were white like