In submitting this third volume of the series begun with "Special Teachings from the Arcane Science," the author is aware that the times are not yet ready for much of its contents. Still the rapidly widening outlook of multitudes encourages the venture, and gives promise that, ere the coming of a great event - one for which in humble way this book is a preparation - certain of its chapters will be accepted, and even assimilated, by those whose eyes are toward the New Age now almost with us, and whose hearts are preparing for that large and complete message of which these pages contain only hints and fragments.

Should our explanations leave many matters more or less dark, it is because we ourselves have not yet come into the day, or else that the full light of explanation must await the word of mouth from the World Teacher himself.

From the title of the preceding volume, "The Heart of Things," it might be inferred that in its probings and soundings we thought to reach the central mysteries; but, like the human heart, the heart of things is seven-fold. So, despite our previous attempt, and notwithstanding our present effort, the deepest deep remains unknown.

Far from subscribing to the theory that matter is but the three-dimensional aspect of spirit, the author holds that both spirit and matter, each in some crude condition, existed as positive and negative before time began, and, because naturally the more active, spirit has progressed enormously, though not necessarily to perfection, during unnumbered aeons. On the other hand, matter, that form of electrical energy with which, on this lowly planet, man is most familiar, has reached only the condition now obtaining in our solar system and beyond it.

Furthermore, the author holds that matter shall be refined to a state of permanency as such. No doubt this matter will be quite unlike any substance which man at present has knowledge of, and perhaps its permanence will not be attained until the Universe in toto has evolved to a definite degree, or even to the utmost.

The resurrected body of Jesus was the first recorded hint of the possibilities inherent in matter; but, we contend, that body was only the notable beginning of a condition both of mankind and the World itself, - a condition depicted by the Revelator who saw: "the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven." To John, this condition was an earthly one wherein "there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away."

Would that it were our privilege to amplify the few hints touching the possibilities of matter which we have dropped like seeds on the pages of this final volume of our series. Such an explanation would indeed be the culmination of the entire teachings. As it is, we cherish the belief that to some more worthy and capable pupil will be given much that for sufficient reasons has been withheld from us.

Yielding to the request of many readers of "Arcane Science" and "The Heart of Things," we have in "The Deeper Mysteries" often affixed the initials of certain Masters to the teachings received from them.

Edward Clarence Farnsworth.