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The  Preservation  of  Essences

Martin Cecil   October 21, 1979

We have been considering the ark of restoration. There has been the ark of survival in times past. These ancient arks were designed to preserve form. During such cataclysmic events as the flood, if man was to continue on earth his form needed to be preserved, and so at different times, in various ways, provision was made for this: the preservation of form—survival. However, sooner or later something more than that would be required; for the form properly has a purpose. There is then the need to establish the purpose of the form and preserve that. This brings us to the present time, when it is not so much a matter of preserving form as of preserving essences.

In the development of this ministry a form of some kind needed to be established so that there was a basis for the preservation of essences. Because there was such a form there was a certain space provided for the essences to emerge. The human approach gives considerable weight to form. There needed to be a change of consciousness which would allow for the weight to be given to the essences rather than to the form. There has always been a tendency to emphasize the forms that have appeared over the years, while we were actually in the business of establishing and preserving essences—forms tended to become overly predominant. There are indeed certain forms; we can’t exist on earth without form. I was not suggesting the dissolution of all form but merely of transferring the emphasis from form to essence.

So the ark of restoration is to provide a facility for the preservation of essences. The original Ark of the Covenant in the tabernacle was simply a representation of what should emerge of a living form designed for the preservation of essences in the seasons of the Lord. The Ark of the Covenant, the form of it, was lost. It’s not important now anyway, any more than Noah’s ark is important now. Surely we have come to know and to understand the truth that is in the Bible without having to have a boat to tell us. It isn’t found by discovering and investigating forms.

Our concern is with essences, and this is the ark, the living ark, for which we carry responsibility as it appears on earth. This ark is not separate from ourselves. It makes available space which may be kept holy, space which is capable of holding safe the fine and beautiful substance in which the design of spirit is present. The space for this is at the level of the coarse substance of human consciousness. As there is space in this coarse substance out of which the human structures have been cast, then there is a holy place on earth, and in the midst of the holy place the Holy of Holies, and in the midst of the Holy of Holies the ark.

It is evident that the presence of the ark is dependent upon the Holy of Holies and the holy place, and these are in the midst of the tabernacle—the tabernacle of God is with men. There would be no tabernacle without the ark, or the tabernacle becomes sterile without the ark. It is the absence of the ark that has caused any attempts to build a tabernacle on earth to end in failure. The ark must be present for the tabernacle to be a reality. The ark is the place in which there is the substance that allows for the presence of the spirit of God to be available on earth. The space for this is in the coarse substance of human consciousness. It is the only way by which this fine substance in combination with the spirit may be present, the only way by which the Holy Ghost may come.

So a holy place must be established within the coarse substance of human consciousness somehow. This has been the reason for this ministry: not to make some new and better form, but to provide space for the already existent fine and beautiful substance in which spirit is now present, so that this might be on earth within human consciousness. It has been excluded for a long time. The ark has been lost. The ark permits spirit to be present in the substance in which it naturally appears, and that substance again is present in the coarse substance of human consciousness when there is space for it. So here has been our concern.

There has been much running to and fro trying to accomplish this and achieve that. Perhaps this has been necessary, but it wasn’t really the purpose for which those who came were offered the opportunity of participation. In one sense it is rather a slow business seemingly, to relinquish the coarse structures, at least the best of them. We want to hang on to the best of them. Bad ones, well we can let those go I suppose, not always all that willingly either; but the good ones, we need to preserve those. That is not our purpose at all. All the structures that are present in this human nature world need to be dissolved, every last one of them, even the best.

Well we don’t need to fuss about getting these things dissolved. There would be no point to having them dissolved if there wasn’t something present capable of assuming the authority that was needful. The human structures of consciousness and form will be dissolved in any case. Our concern is that there should be something left, not in the sense merely of survival but in the sense of what should be here on earth. At last it seems as though there are a few who exhibit a willingness to participate in this true creative process, which is not concerned to preserve the world as it is now known, but is simply concerned to preserve a holy space in which the spirit of God may be present and in action through the essential spiritual substance.

The Ark of the Covenant is relatively small when we bring into consideration the tabernacle itself, and yet there is no genuine tabernacle without the ark being on hand first. Then the tabernacle takes form around the ark. The ark is the focus of spirit relative to what it is that is taking form. So there is a tabernacle in which is a holy place, a Holy of Holies, and in the Holy of Holies is the ark. This provides an excellent symbolic representation which relates directly to our own experience.

There are many who have accepted the responsibility of moving in the current of the spirit at the level where they are, in the creative field that has been brought to them. Many of these have exhibited a dedication and a consistency which is truly remarkable. Such dedication and consistency was exhibited in times past by some of those who were called the prophets of old, for instance, when there was no evidence of anything being achieved by what they were doing. We live in a day when there begins to be considerable evidence in this regard. We see a culmination on the horizon, which to all who went before was a long, long way off. We really have far more encouragement than anyone had in all the ages past. In a sense those who went before were under the necessity of having a certain blind faith that somewhere, sometime, sooner or later, probably much later, something would come to fulfilment. We find it at the doors, and that in itself is a tremendous blessing. If it is at the doors it is because there begins to be the evidence of this living ark of restoration, the ark which preserves the reality of spirit in expression on earth. There is space for this.

Individually it is necessary that those who participate in the living formation of this ark should have this space present within themselves where no human nature structures of control may trespass. This is kept safe individually speaking. Only when it is kept safe individually speaking does it become possible to keep a larger space sacred collectively speaking. There is the need for this larger space. So, as individuals, we may recognize our primary responsibility in this regard. No one can keep sacred this space in you except you. It is impossible for anyone else to do it. We all have equal responsibility in this regard. If there is a sacred place in us as individuals it is because we have preserved it. Now you can look into your own hearts and see how big a space there is. As there begins to be this space—which isn’t over there somewhere; it’s right where one is—as there begins to be this space, then the ark may begin to take form. And there is a form involved, our own physical forms. But the form of the ark is entirely secondary to the essence of the ark, and that essence is kept safe within ourselves as individuals or there is no ark.

This relates not only to hearing the voice but doing. The word doing may be misconstrued, because doing usually, in human nature consciousness, means being very busy about something, a good deal of physical activity probably—let us demonstrate our spiritual expression by the amount we do physically. There’s nothing wrong with doing something physically; laziness is not being suggested; but everything that’s done physically is worthless unless something is happening spiritually, unless the essences are on hand. Doing relates to quality rather than to quantity of work—to quality of character, quality of one’s expression.

There will be no expression of the spirit of God unless the spirit of God has a resting place in you. When the Master was on earth He said He had no place—the Son of man had no place—to lay His head, because there was no sacred space anywhere on the face of the earth. That seems to be something of an indictment upon the human race, but it has been the fact of the matter. He sought to draw together those who would allow a sacred space to be established in themselves so that there might be a collective one, so that He had someplace to lay His head, so that He had some means of action on earth. In other words He was building an ark. The material of which the ark was to be built was certainly rather reluctant, rather dense, and so the ark was never built. He did establish the Holy of Holies within Himself of course; so this much was done within the range of the consciousness of mankind, because He Himself was not separate from the consciousness of mankind. And that has provided the starting point for what is happening now.

Build ye an ark. I suppose it could be said that Uranda heard those words way back somewhere, perhaps not those exact words but the sense of them anyway. I heard them too, and others have heard them, that there might be a safe place for essences within the range of the human consciousness. To establish this requires that there be people on earth, with human consciousness. It can’t be done any other way—it can’t somehow be projected in from some other realm. It requires those in whom there is human consciousness to let it happen. Because there was One long ago who let it happen, in the person of Jesus, it has certainly been proven that it is capable of happening. We have the privilege of knowing this much truth and we have the responsibility that goes with it; whether we like it or not it’s the fact of the matter. So we’re here to accept the fact, both of the privilege and of the responsibility, that this ark of preservation and of restoration may be a reality on earth.

Where there is the ark, then the tabernacle, which is already present, becomes meaningful. As we have noted, there are many, many people who are living in the expression of the spirit of God in the particular fields of their activity the world around. They’re already there, doing what they can do, and maybe doing it better than we have handled our responsibilities. But whatever they are doing, it all goes for nothing unless the ark is present, unless the facility which focalizes essences is present. Then it all comes together—it’s found to be one thing. Woe unto us if we have an exclusive attitude, imagining that we are high and mighty in some way and everyone else is beyond the pale. It isn’t so; it has never been so.

When there is the experience of the true expression of spirit we become keenly aware of the state of factual oneness. From the standpoint of the spirit of God there is oneness, there is wholeness. It is only in the darkened state of human nature consciousness that separation and isolation seem to be a fact. It isn’t a fact; it’s a human fancy. Sharing in the expression of the spirit of God we see the fancy for what it is and we become aware of the fact—which is wholeness, oneness. The peripheral state in which human beings exist, because it relates primarily to disintegration, is seen in terms of a scattering abroad: every man for himself.

So we’re not here to do some great works according to the concepts of men but to provide something very simple, really, while we go about our daily affairs, not imagining that our daily affairs are the important thing—but the preservation of this sacred space is. This is primary. And we are delighted to participate in the formation of a living ark within which there is this sacred space consistently preserved. Out of the ark, through the Holy of Holies into the holy place, the glory of the Lord shines forth. The creative action of spirit is a reality within the consciousness of mankind, but first of all it’s within the consciousness of those who are already participating in the formation of the tabernacle. They may not see consciously what it is that’s happening, at the moment at least, but there comes a surge of wonder. Something of glory begins to be experienced, attributed no doubt to the spirit of God. Yes, it is attributable to the spirit of God—but it didn’t just happen by chance. It happened because there was an ark; and it happens because there are those who have accepted the responsibility of composing that ark where essences are kept safe.

The coarseness of human structures and human existence has made it impossible for the fine substance of the spirit of God to be present on earth except for very brief intervals—thirty‑three years in the case of the Master, and it was only on earth because He preserved it Himself. If there isn’t someone who has taken that responsibility it isn’t preserved, and the world is filled with violence and in the process of destroying itself. But on earth there is a safe place finally, of small dimensions thus far, in which this spiritual substance is preserved. Each one may ask the question: How trustworthy am I in preserving this sacred space within myself, never, never letting it be violated? When this is so, what we are here to do gets done.

We do not imagine that it is by reason of what we happen to be doing in the external sense that anything of real value is being accomplished. Human beings do things for their own glory—make sure that everybody knows what they’ve been doing and how worthwhile it was. When you examine things and consider what should be happening in your own experience, what is the stance you take? What is the perspective you view things from? Most people have personal viewpoints: “Well I have this talent, I have that ability; I should be developing this and it’ll be very valuable to the Lord.” Forget it! See the whole. What is happening in the state of wholeness? What is it that’s unfolding? What is it that’s working out? Then you will know what it is you should be doing in relationship to that. But as long as you are looking at it from a personal standpoint you’re boosting your own ego, and denying the Lord incidentally.

Our perspective relates to the whole or it is no perspective at all. We see what is happening in the world. If we participate in the composition of this living ark, then our outlook is from that point of focus which encompasses everything; and while we may not see everything in all its details—we certainly won’t; nobody does—we will see what we do see in its perspective relative to the whole, and we’ll never pick anything out as being some personal thing. The words “I of myself can do nothing” are exactly true if the one who speaks those words is human consciousness. Human consciousness can do nothing except wreak havoc trying to do something. It is the action of spirit that alone does anything, and who is going to lay personal claim to that? No, we stay humble; and we’re not looking for personal pats on the back.

Does it trouble you to live, serve, labor without any recognition? I have a certain amount of recognition, and I rejoice in that to the extent that it reveals that those who have an awareness of recognition are sharing the expression of spirit. But do you think that what I say and what I do is dependent upon your recognition, or somebody else’s recognition? Of course not! I do what I have to do. You do what you have to do, and you don’t need anyone to pat you on the back for it. As long as human nature hangs around it may be necessary to use a little soft soap on occasion, but let the suds be rinsed away so that we simply do what we have to do because we couldn’t do anything else. Therefore why should we require anyone to tell us how wonderful we are for doing what we naturally would do? That disposes of one aspect of unholiness that might attempt to infiltrate the sacred place. But the attitude of thankfulness is a beautiful one. It takes care of everything pretty well, you know. If you are thankful, nothing can get into your sacred place except the spirit of God.

It’s good to share these things this evening in an awareness of the part we rightly play. My attitude always is that those to whom I speak should be participating in the living formation of the ark. It may not always be so, but I have that attitude. Things will prove themselves out anyway, but insofar as I am concerned everybody is encompassed in that and all are welcome. But of course there is a flaming sword which turns every way, past which one necessarily has to move to participate in this living formation—that we may provide that flaming sword, keeping safe the sacred place within ourselves individually and within the whole living ark collectively. Then the Lord has a place to lay His head and what needs to be done is done. This is the way it is. Let us not try to make it some other way, because we won’t succeed.

How beautiful to accept the facts the way they are and to relinquish the human self and all of its ridiculous endeavors. We are here to glorify God, to let His glory shine forth out of the Holy of Holies, through the holy place, through the whole tabernacle into the world beyond, that it may be apparent what the real nature of human choice is, what the real nature of that freedom of choice is. Choose God, or choose the absence of God. Choose the truth, or choose a lie. When the evidence of the glory of God is present on earth it becomes obvious what the factual choice really is.

© Emissaries of Divine Light