Lectionary Readings for Saturday, February 22nd, 2020

Seventh-Day Sabbath

Book of Osiris Chapter 3, Chapter 4

Chapter 3

1. Osire spake from the throne, saying: Proclaim it in the east and west, and north and
south, there is a God in heaven! That which has transpired in Gau, go tell the false Gods
and false Lords in hada, adding: Osire hath come!

2. Messengers started forth for every quarter of the world, inspired by the impetuous
utterances of the commanding God. And so, half breathless, and in hastening speed,
these young Gods and young Goddesses, the messengers, dropped in upon the Lordly
defamers of holiness, and told the tale of the overturned Gau, where proud Utaya fell.
And they, in manner and custom, inspired the false rulers to imagine even a worse
calamity; and that much had been concealed out of deference to Utaya and other usurpers.

3. Osire called his Council and appointed new places, with new officers, having nothing
in common with all past administrations of the Gods of earth and heaven. So far, these
appointments were from his etherean hosts, and, moved by the fire of his own energy,
quickly assumed their most honorable duties. Some to build, some to survey and lay out
the course of streets, and places of habitations; and yet others to remove the old hospitals
and nurseries, and make way for new ones, and for factories, and all requisites for the
millions of souls now scattered and lost, or in dire confusion struggling in the outside
darkness.

4. Whence rose a constant wail of fear and torment, strangely wild, compared to the
glorious light fast spreading from the rising pillars of fire about the throne of God. Osire’s
hosts, fifty millions, attuned to harmony and precision, were proceeding fast with their
labor, not one but knew his part and played close to the text in every motion, were yet in
number as nothing compared to the thousand millions scattered in the gloomy darkness,
wailing beyond the walls.

5. Here, a road! Osire would speak; or with his hand, command: An otevan to those
hapless slaves! And, as if his hosts his thoughts had fashioned, his etherean workmen
rushed to make his will omnipotent. No loss of time or space to inquire how the matter
should be done; for heaven’s trained workmen have learned the power of knowledge
braced to a single point, by which the elements stoop to do their wills. To learn
this simple harmony, for all to be as one, what countless millions rise up from the
earth, to be hurled back, discordant and powerless, before Jehovih’s Sons and Daughters!

6. Yea, and kings and queens and potentates, high strung in unwarranted conceit, cast
down to beg, beseechingly as a child. As a furious lion is tamed, worthless his giant
power in the hands of man, whose strength by knowledge triumphs; so the ethereans from
high heaven descend to humiliate first, and then to teach the false Gods and false Lords of
hada.

7. Jehovih saith: What more, O man, have I put upon thee than to learn? And strewn
thy path with lessons rich in happiness! To learn the elements, and master them; this it
is to be a God or Goddess. And wherein one man is weak, let two or more unite; a
simple thing, by which even the stars of heaven can be turned from their course.

8. Jehovih saith: Have I not said: The weakest king is he who hath the most soldiers; and
the strongest nation, where none are required. How, then, may the false Gods, by evil
deeds, fortify their thrones? Lo, My etherean hosts come unarmed, and by a breath blow
away their mighty kingdoms.

9. And so it was in Gau; only one earth-day had come and gone since Utaya reigned over
a hundred million slaves, who daily brought tribute up from the earth, to ornament this
crown-like city; and now the dawn of another world stood supreme in the demolished
kingdom.

10. What greater pity, most pitiful sight, than to see the former slaves still loyal to their
deposed master, Utaya; coming to him in his banishment, fifty millions swearing terrible
oaths of fidelity to him forever. For of such like, the Great Spirit created man, to even
wed himself to misery, for zeal, in ignorance, to prove a most foolish love. And but for
Utaya’s guardians, his very slaves had smothered him, in desperate effort to manifest
fidelity.

11. Then spake Yesta to him, saying: Raise thy voice against this unseemly crowd, and be
commander still, at least to save thyself. Remember how Jehovih giveth this lesson to
mortals, to say to evil: Away! For lo, to suffer first one and then another to fasten upon
one’s self, is crime great as a debauched passion unchecked. Bid them begone! For love
of self, which is thy gift from Great Jehovih, be thou thyself! It will better them also!

12. Utaya, struggling, said: Alas, fair angel! These were my slaves! The hardest blow of
all is their acknowledged love. The fire of the throne of Osire was tame to this. For
hundreds of years, I gave these creatures pangs and wretchedness, and now they give me
love. Poor idiots! I cannot drive them hence!

13. And so, sobbing, bowed Utaya his head, for such sudden great truths turned all his
judgment into the darkness of his past deeds and wickedness, even whilst, crowding close
on every side, the fifty millions kept up their ceaseless assurances of endless love. Nor
was there any way open to flight from their ignorant jargon and foul breath. So, when
Yesta saw how helplessly Utaya had given up, she raised her hand, saying: What shall I
do, O Jehovih?

14. Whereat, the Light descended, and Jehovih spake through Yesta, saying: Flesh of My
flesh created I man: from Mine Own Spirit gave I man a spirit also; and unto all men
alike gave I all things in My worlds. But some men are not content with what I gave,
but ask for more, even that they may have their fellows for subjects. To these I have
given in answer to their prayers. Behold thou, then, O man, why seekest thou to put away
today even what, a day since, thou didst pray for? They are as good today as yesterday.

15. Thou hast said: Man can make himself whatsoever he will! So, thy Creator is
worthless to thee. Love is the lightest of all burdens; if thou desirest not to carry their
love, how didst thou carry their hate so long? Nevertheless, if thou desirest, thou canst put
them away: They are thine; do as thou wilt.

16. Utaya said: How can I put them away? I cannot reason with fifty millions!
Nay, before I persuaded a score, the first ones, so ignorant, would forget what I said.
Tell me, then, thou Goddess, what shall I do to free myself from this great multitude?

17. Yesta said: Call not on me, but on thy Creator; and not to be freed for thine own good,
but for wisdom to do some good unto them over whom thou hast long been a remorseless
tyrant. These are a small curse to thee, compared to thine own judgment, for from
thyself thou canst never flee. Thou shalt undo thy selfish deeds, which thou hast
practiced so long. So, turn thou at once, and make oath to Him who made thee, that
from this time forth thou wilt do good unto others with all thy wisdom and strength.

18. Utaya said: Alas, thy words are wise and holy, but I have no faith! I have not faith!

19. Yesta said: Say not this! Thy words are another bondage on thy soul. To say, I have
no faith, is to imprison thyself away from All Light. Come, haste, or lo, I leave thee; for if
thou profess not faith, why shall I longer labor with thee? Say thou: I have faith in Thee,
O Jehovih! I can, I will raise up these I have cast down. Utaya wept, and thus answered:
O that I had faith like unto thee! But for long years I taught myself that prayer to Jehovih
was not required of one so great and strong as I. Alas, I smothered out the fire. And,
amidst his sobs, Utaya fell prostrate at Yesta’s feet.

20. Quickly, now, she raised her slender hand toward high heaven, saying: O Jehovih, by
Thy power vested in me, I here encircle this, Thy prostrate child, with adamantine light!
Down from above there came phosphorescent flames of light, and Yesta drew a circle
round about, at which the multitude stood back and looked on in wonder and fear. But the
surging mass beyond pressed forward, shouting: Utaya! Utaya!

21. Little by little, Yesta extended the light, and her assistants put up a structure to
guard the place, so that in a little while it was like a miniature throne in heaven.
Yesta then assumed the power, and so took command, placing helpless Utaya by her
side. Meanwhile, her assistants sped through the multitude, making roadways, and
selecting out the most intelligent of the former slaves, and making guards of them.

22. Yesta said to Utaya: Now will I give thee a lesson in righteousness; for thou shalt
educate and develop all this host, thy former slaves, to thine own level, erst thou raise
thyself one jot or tittle. Think not it is easy to assume to be a God or a Lord, or even a
mortal king. They that make servants of others must also raise them up to be angels of
light. Heaven is just, as well as bountiful. To whom Jehovih hath given bountifully, it is
commanded he shall give bountifully. For hundreds of years thou hast had the service of
these hapless creatures; so shalt thou now serve them by making them intelligent men and
women. Yea, till the lowest of them are thine own equals, of whom thou canst be proud,
and say before the Father: Behold, my sister! behold my brother!–thou, Utaya, shall not
be free!

23. Utaya said: I perceive thy words are from the All Highest. This is justice! I perceive
now that whilst I rated myself supreme judge of right and wrong, I judged with partiality
to myself. Yea, without an All Highest, I perceive there can be no justice in heaven or
earth. O Thou All Light, how can I approach Thee! I have been feeding myself with an
endless poison; my darkness was my fortress. Teach me the way, O thou angel of Light!
Whatsoever Jehovih wills, that will I do, from this time onward, with all my wisdom and
strength.

24. So Yesta restored order, and divided the multitude into many parts, and sent officers
amongst them to select and assort them, so that as soon as Osire should decree asylums
and schools for them, they could be taken to them.

Chapter 4

1. Osire lost no time, but officered Gau and established his Council in hot haste, making
Ote as temporary God on the throne, whilst he himself went forth to other regions, to
conquer and overturn false Gods and Lords. Leaving, therefore, a sufficient guard and
council, Osire, with a host of twenty millions, went westward in atmospherea, over and
above the great central north lands, where was established Wotchak, a false God, with
another hundred millions of slaves, to do his will.

2. Wotchak, having been advised by the messengers of Osire’s approach to the earth’s
heavens, supposing Osire to be from some remote star, and not knowing there were
etherean worlds in the firmament, had laid his kingdom round with new walls, and doubly
fortified his throne, and gaudily attired himself and officers, in hopes to overawe the
coming God.

3. To Wotchak came Osire, and waited not to be announced, nor halted for his sentinels,
driving his ship straight up to the throne.

4. Halt! Halt! cried the astonished Wotchak. Who dares my throne profane, and all the
rules of virtuous Gods set at defiance? Down from thy ship, and crawl on thy belly to thy
sovereign God! Know thou, I am Great Apollo! But Osire deigned only to say: By what
authority hast thou made slaves of Jehovih’s sons and daughters, to augment thine own
self-glory?

5. And, not waiting a reply alighted down before the throne, even while a thousand or
more, well drilled, with him stood, in the form of a star, whereon the Upper Light
descended in great brilliancy. Wotchak was frightened, and fled from his throne, and all
his Council with him. Then spake Osire, saying to his hosts:

6. Suffer not this false God and his Council to escape. Encircle them round, and hold
them, to know my will and the decree of Jehovih. Presently, the ethereans brought
back Wotchak, who cried out: O, let me go! Take all, but let me go! What am I to thee?

7. Osire answered him, saying: Such hath been the history of these heavens. In ages gone,
the usurping false Gods were suffered to go their way, leaving their former subjects
helpless on the hands of the etherean hosts. That day is past. I am come to make such
Gods know that their fate and responsibilities rest on the decrees of a Higher One, even
the Creator, Jehovih. Behold, thou hast cast down and blighted a hundred million of
Jehovih’s children, making slaves of them, to do thy will. As thou wert the cause of their
fallen state, from liberty to bondage, so, now, shalt thou redeem them to freedom, and
wisdom and truth.

8. Whilst Osire spake, his proper officers let fall the light from the upper regions, the like
of which Wotchak had never beholden. Presently, all things became transparent, and the
enraged Wotchak, foreseeing trouble ahead, thus answered:

9. Accuse me not, thou audacious God! These, my Council, urged me hundreds of
years ago to my course, and only for the favor they might remain my close advisors. I was
their tool, and, if thou desirest justice, make them to feel the sting of repentant labor.
Let them have my slaves. I want them not. I have been a most honest, upright God!

10. And now his counselors accused one another, and all of them heaping the blame on
Wotchak. Lighter and lighter grew the etherean flames, from which there was no
concealment; and all their former falsehoods and cruel words, and evil deeds, were
unveiled, disclosing souls dark and hideous, with long-covered-up crimes, now made bare
for the gaze of every eye.

11. The which scene brought the curious slaves, in millions, to witness it, and to reassure
the suffering false God of their love and loyalty. And when Wotchak looked and beheld
the abject wretches who claimed him as their worshipful God, he cried out: Enough!
Enough! Unfeeling God! Thou art come in pretended right and peace; but, because of thy
power, executest on me and my Council torments more terrible than I ever gave to slave
of mine. Know thou, I am Apollo!

12. To which Osire answered: What are names to me! With that, Osire, by waving
his hand, caused his hosts to cast aside the false God’s throne, and all its glittering
gems scatter abroad, relicts for the multitude. And now three pillars of light shot
up and stood beside Osire and his attendants, the which took all the strength and
courage out of Wotchak and his confederates, and they crouched down at Osire’s feet.

13. Osire called Itu, saying: Take them without, and hand them over to their slaves
awhile. And Itu and his guard gathered them from the light and bore them hence. Quickly,
now, Osire officered this newly-conquered place in heaven, and called it Autat,
signifying, foundation of perishable laws. And on a new throne, appointed Luce as
temporary God, giving him a council of one thousand ethereans. And now Osire drew the
plans for roads, and temples, and schools, and hospitals, and nurseries, and all such other
habitations as are required by spirits newborn, in heaven, leaving orders to have them
completed by a given time.

14. Next, Osire ordered the divisions and selections to be made in the now scattered hosts
of atmosphereans, and to have them all arrested and put into their proper places. These
things he left in the charge of God, Luce, to be carried out.

15. Far out on the plateau, Itu and his attendants carried Wotchak and his confederates,
followed by forty millions of his former slaves. There Itu left Wotchak and his people,
and Itu and his attendants went aside to witness whatever should transpire.

16. At this stage, Osire departed with his ship and steered southward over the land of
Shem, coming to a place in the lower heaven called Vibrahj, signifying resplendent, where
ruled the false God, Daveas, who had eight hundred millions of slaves, a thousand Lords,
and ten thousand Governors.

17. And, even as Osire rushed in headlong upon the other false Gods, so came he with
his fire-ship into the great city of Vibrahj, at this time the largest city of the lower
heaven. Daveas had been warned by his sentinels, and so came to the front of his capital,
just in time to see the fearless Osire alight on the piazza in front of the Council House.