the origin of their existence, the experience of the centuries, the revelation given in the Bible concerning the creation of the world and the methods of its perpetuation, all unite in con. demning that which the interior and higher self justifies and demands.

This greater light has come to the world in the teaching of THE ESOTERIC, showing, as it does, the purpose of God in creation, the methods of creation, and of recreation (regeneration), and the way to return to God so that we may know him and be known of him. Therefore this first step of obtaining and maintaining a consciousness of our acceptance of God, like Abraham's possession of a consciousuess that he pleased God, can be gained only by going contrary to all the life, habits, thoughts, desires, loves, and sympathies of father, mother, wife, children, of our own life, and of the whole world, and by meeting the possbility and even the probability of losing those that love us, our social position, and, in many cases, the position guaranteeing our means of livelihood. It requires a brave soul to follow in everything the leading of the Spirit of God, and to maintain the conscious unity with the Father. Throughout the history of the world this course has always turned friendship to enmity, causing the individual to stand alone with God. The greatest decision ever made in the history of man's existence, the most momentous period of his life, is the hour in which he sees and realizes that following the guidance of the Spirit aud of his own highest ideals will separate him from the love and sympathy of every one in the world, will even rob him of moneyed interests, social position, and all hope in an earthly existence. Then will he realize the gathering force of the utterance of our Lord as it has rolled down through the ages: "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." We speak of "the gathering force of the words as they have rolled down through the ages," because the evolutionary development of the race has made life more desirable, the luxuries of civilization have added to it many attractions not known when the words were spoken. But if one is able to decide, not only from the external reason but from the interior consciousness, to cast his body and life upon the altar of God's consuming fire, then the fires of divine love will burn out all the impurities of the organism

and gradually fit the individual to live equally and at the same time in two realms of consciousness,-heaven and earth. One has said, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," and it is fearful to him who loves or clings to any person or thing belonging to this material world. A person belongs to this world through his sympathy with and love of it and its present order of life.

This brings us well into the second step, or stage of this short (to some) but narrow road,-which is the conquest of fear. Fear is an effort toward self-preservation and self-protection. If the individual has faithfully lived in accord with the leadings of the Spirit within, he will have led the regenerate life, and the decision just referred to will have brought him into the Everlasting Covenant.* When this covenant relation has been obtained, it will be realized that it matters but little whether it be the will of the Father that we remain in the body or whether divine wisdom may decide to take us home. This attitude of mind perfected will make fear an impossibility, because, when we have lived up to the fullness of this condition, we will, from our own experience, have a knowledge of God that will produce in us perfect confidence, faith, which will bring one to the third step.

With the knowledge of God, of which we have just spoken, with faith in his power, his love, and his omnipresence, and with the added mind and life qualities obtained through the regenerate life, the individual perceives and knows that there is no power in the universe but that of mind, and that the creative or mundane mind is the son or word of God; that it is not the enemy of God and the regeneration, but the friend; that its power to hold and continue the work of creation, generation, is sufficient to control the whole world, humanity included; and that it is a psychic power sent out by the word of God for the accomplishment of a definite purpose; namely, the evolutionary development of the race or a body of humanity to a state in which they will be able to perceive the wisdom of allying themselves to God the Holy Spirit, to a condition in which they realize within themselves that they came out from God by the creative word, and that they now return to God. When this state is reached, the creative word, the mundane powers and

*See "Everlasting Covenant." Sold from this office; price 15 cents.

forces (natural law), will unite to help one who thus consecrates himself to the Father.

But at this point great struggles, trials, and efforts are demanded; for unless the individual develops within himself the capacity perfectly to ally his consciousness to the mind and will of the Father (the Holy Spirit, the Spirit that is separate from, that is over and above and that controls, creation in all its forms), he will be incapable of taking and possessing the dominion. Therefore all the forces of the creative mind, those that belong to the realm of the serpent, the psychological power of creation, must be met and conquered before the kings and priests (Rev. v. 10) can be manifested on the earth. This obtained, "the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High." "The kingdom of heaven is within,” and with it will come a realization of the wonderful words of the Nazarene, before his departure from the earth, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth."

Man owes his growth and his energy chiefly to that striving of the will, that conflict with difficulty which we call effort. Every pleasant work does not make robust minds, does not give men consciousness of their own powers, does not train them to endurance, to perseverance, to steady force of will, without which all other acquisitions are nothing. Difficulties are more important to the human mind than what we call assistance. Work we must if we would bring out and perfect

our natures.—Channing.

Knowledge must be gained by ourselves. Mankind may supply us with facts, but the results, even if they agree with previous ones, must be the work of our own minds.-Earl of Beaconsfield.

Virtue does not dwell upon the tip of the tongue, but in the temple of the purified heart.-Seneca.

THF RIGHTEOUS MAN.

The student of Esoteric thought who truly desires to overcome the evils, must bear in mind that God made all things good, and that the perversion of good becomes evil: the little errors, like the tiny weeds, if left to grow unchecked will sooner or later so obscure man's perception of truth that he will be unable to distinguish right from wrong. If man's spiritual nature is subordinate to the physical, he will be unable to perceive or comprehend the need of a righteous life. The man who would be righteous, the man who would obtain true happi ness, must live in harmony with the laws of creation, must so order his life that every act, every word and thought, may add strength to his character, may build instead of destroy his power of understanding spiritual truths. It is a knowledge of truth which sets man free. No one can be free, can even understand what freedom implies, until he becomes righteous, until he has the fear of God in his heart, until he loves the good and abhors the evil. A righteous man is perfect in the sight of God; he stands exalted above the men who delight in evil; he is worthy to associate with those who have passed to their inheritance; he is a king, a prince of God, a pillar in the temple of the Most High.

The responsibility entailed upon the true Esotoric student is far greater, and the consequence of broken law far graver, than is the case with a man who has not separated himself from the world, or who is still controlled by the mind whose dominion is over the creative energies of earth. The true Esoteric student, the man (or the woman) who has dedicated his (or her) life to God, who has accepted Yahveh as his strength, should be most watchful lest he offend in the slightest degree. Remember that it has been said, "Yahveh will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." To take the name of God (Yahveh) in vain is an unpardonable sin; therefore, before you dedicate yourself to the Holy Spirit, measure well your strength.

He who has separated himself from the things of flesh; he who has entered into covenant relation with the Holy Spirit, must guard well the little acts of every-day life. He must learn to bridle his tongue, must strive with all the powers of mind and will to overcome those habits that in any way ally him to the mind currents of material man; his one thought must be to renounce the old, to search until he finds and is able to understand the new. Man who is allied to the mental currents of a material existence, is forced onward; he is ever a prey to sickness, sorrow, and death: he who is allied to the currents of Infinite Life, proudly and consciously moves forward; he moves forward because he desires to be more closely allied to his God and Father.

The righteous man is free; he has overcome the old deceiver, the arch enemy of mankind. He has risen above the power of the senses; they have become true servants and reliable advisers. No longer do they claim the mastery: the righteous man has found their true sphere of service. Through an understanding of their use he has been able to put off the mortal and to stand clothed in the immortal covering of a purified and redeemed physical nature. He is master in the house that he inhabits; he is a king upon a throne, a pillar in the temple of his God.

How easy it is to write and think righteous thoughts!—alas, how difficult to put into practice the things that we know are right! The animal man is weak; he delights in slavery; he hugs his chains and struggles against the ego who would compel intelligent service.

In the present day the poor neophyte finds it very difficult to walk the "Narrow Way" without stumbling. It is difficult because the prince of this world, his followers, and the combined mind forces of the world, oppose him. No man can travel this "Narrow Way" until he has accepted God as his strength; until he becomes righteous: until he becomes so pure, so holy, that when the prince of this world comes he will find nothing of a worldly nature to claim as his own. How utterly hopeless the task would be, if our Father had not promised to be our strength and our protector! Dark and lonesome indeed.