In the darkness of the night-time,
    In the starless gloom of midnight;
    Shining Herald of the coming
    Of the kingdom of the righteous;
    Teller of the Mystic story
    Of the lowly birth of Godhead
    In the stable of the passions,
    In the manger of the mind-soul;
    Silent singer of the secret
    Of compassion deep and holy
    To the heart with sorrow burdened,
    To the soul with waiting weary:—­
    Star of all-surpassing brightness,
    Thou again dost deck the midnight;
    Thou again dost cheer the wise ones
    Watching in the creedal darkness,
    Weary of the endless battle
    With the grinding blades of error;
    Tired of lifeless, useless idols,
    Of the dead forms of religions;
    Spent with watching for thy shining;
    Thou hast ended their despairing;
    Thou hast lighted up their pathway;
    Thou hast brought again the old Truths
    To the hearts of all thy Watchers;
    To the souls of them that love thee
    Thou dost speak of Joy and Gladness,
    Of the peace that comes of Sorrow. 
    Blessed are they that can see thee,
    Weary wanderers in the Night-time;
    Blessed they who feel the throbbing,
    In their bosoms feel the pulsing
    Of a deep Love stirred within them
    By the great power of thy shining. 
    Let us learn thy lesson truly;
    Learn it faithfully and humbly;
    Learn it meekly, wisely, gladly,
    Ancient Star of holy Vishnu,
    Light of Krishna, Buddha, Jesus.

THE TWO MASTERS, SELF AND TRUTH

Upon the battlefield of the human soul two masters are ever contending for the crown of supremacy, for the kingship and dominion of the heart; the master of self, called also the “Prince of this world,” and the master of Truth, called also the Father God.  The master self is that rebellious one whose weapons are passion, pride, avarice, vanity, self-will, implements of darkness; the master Truth is that meek and lowly one whose weapons are gentleness, patience, purity, sacrifice, humility, love, instruments of Light.

In every soul the battle is waged, and as a soldier cannot engage at once in two opposing armies, so every heart is enlisted either in the ranks of self or of Truth.  There is no half-and-half course; “There is self and there is Truth; where self is, Truth is not, where Truth is, self is not.”  Thus spake Buddha, the teacher of Truth, and Jesus, the manifested Christ, declared that “No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and Mammon.”

Truth is so simple, so absolutely undeviating and uncompromising that it admits of no complexity, no turning, no qualification.  Self is ingenious, crooked, and, governed by subtle and snaky desire, admits of endless turnings and qualifications, and the deluded worshipers of self vainly imagine that they can gratify every worldly desire, and at the same time possess the Truth.  But the lovers of Truth worship Truth with the sacrifice of self, and ceaselessly guard themselves against worldliness and self-seeking.