the dore lectures on mental science-第12节

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in　these　addresses　I　lay　so　much　stress　on　the　fact　that　Spirit　creates　ex　nihilo；　that　is；　out　of　no　pre…existing　forms；　but　simply　by　its　own　movement　within　itself。　If；　then；　this　idea　is　clearly　grasped；　it　logically　follows　from　it　that　the　Root　of　Life　is　not　to　be　found　in　the　comparison　of　good　and　evil；　but　in　the　simple　affirmation　of　the　Spirit　as　the　All…creating　power　of　Good。　And　since；　as　we　have　already　seen；　this　same　all…creating　Spirit　finds　a　centre　and　fresh　starting…point　of　operation　in　our　own　minds；　we　can　trust　it　to　follow　the　Law　of　its　own　being　there　as　much　as　in　the　creation　of　the　cosmos。

Only　we　must　not　forget　that　it　is　working　through　our　own　minds。　It　thinks　through　our　mind；　and　our　mind　must　be　made　a　suitable　channel　for　this　mode　of　its　operation　by　conforming　itself　to　the　broad　generic　lines　of　the　Spirit's　thinking。　The　reason　for　this　is　one　which　I　have　sought　to　impress　throughout　these　lectures；　namely；　that　the　specialization　of　a　law　is　never　the　denial　of　it；　but　on　the　contrary　the　fuller　recognition　of　its　basic　principles；　and　if　this　is　the　case　in　ordinary　physical　science　it　must　be　equally　so　when　we　come　to　specialize　the　great　Law　of　Life　itself。　The　Spirit　can　never　change　its　essential　nature　as　the　essence　of　Life；　Love；　and　Beauty；　and　if　we　adopt　these　characteristics；　which　constitute　the　Law　of　the　Spirit；　as　the　basis　of　our　own　thinking；　and　reject　all　that　is　contrary　to　them；　then　we　afford　the　broad　generic　conditions　for　the　specialized　thinking　of　the　Spirit　through　our　own　minds：　and　the　thinking　of　the　Spirit　is　that　INVOLUTION；　or　passing　of　spirit　into　form；　which　is　the　whole　being　of　the　creative　process。

The　mind　which　is　all　the　time　being　thus　formed　is　our　own。　It　is　not　a　case　of　control　by　an　external　individuality；　but　the　fuller　expression　of　the　Universal　through　an　organized　mentality　which　has　all　along　been　a　less　perfect　expression　of　the　Universal；　and　therefore　the　process　is　one　of　growth。　We　are　not　losing　our　individuality；　but　are　coming　into　fuller　possession　of　ourselves　by　the　conscious　recognition　of　our　personal　share　in　the　great　work　of　creation。　We　begin　in　some　slight　measure　to　understand　what　the　Bible　means　when　it　speaks　of　our…being　〃partakers　of　the　Divine　nature〃　（II。　Peter　i。　4）　and　we　realize　the　significance　of　the　〃unity　of　the　Spirit〃　（Ephesians　iv。　3）。　Doubtless　this　will　imply　changes　in　our　old　mode　of　thinking；　but　these　changes　are　not　forced　upon　us；　they　are　brought　about　naturally　by　the　new　stand…point　from　which　we　now　see　things。　Almost　imperceptibly　to　ourselves　we　grow　into　a　New　Order　of　Thought　which　proceeds；　not　from　a　knowledge　of　good　and　evil；　but　from　the　Principle　of　Life　itself。　That　is　what　makes　the　difference　between　our　old　thought　and　our　new　thought。　Our　old　thought　was　based　upon　a　comparison　of　limited　facts：　our　new　thought　is　based　upon　a　comprehension　of　principles。　The　difference　is　like　that　between　the　mathematics　of　the　infant；　who　cannot　count　beyond　the　number　of　apples　or　marbles　put　before　him；　and　that　of　the　senior　wrangler　who　is　not　dependent　upon　visible　objects　for　his　calculations；　but　plunges　boldly　into　the　unknown　because　he　knows　that　he　is　working　by　indubitable　principles。　In　like　manner　when　we　realize　the　infallible　Principle　of　the　Creative　Law　we　no　longer　find　we　need　to　see　everything　cut　and　dried　beforehand；　for　if　so；　we　could　never　get　beyond　the　range　of　our　old　experiences；　but　we　can　move　steadily　forward　because　we　know　the　certainty　of　the　creative　principle　by　which　we　are　working；　or　rather；　which　is　working　through　us；　and　that　our　life；　in　all　its　minutes〃　details；　is　its　harmonious　expression。　Thus　the　Spirit　thinks　through　our　thought　only　its　thought　is　greater　than　ours。　It　is　the　paradox　of　the　less　containing　the　greater。　Our　thought　will　not　be　objectless　or　unintelligible　to　ourselves。　It　will　be　quite　clear　as　far　as　it　goes。　We　shall　know　exactly　what　we　want　to　do　and　why　we　want　to　do　it；　and　so　will　act　in　a　reasonable　and　intelligent　manner。　But　what　we　do　not　know　is　the　greater　thought　that　is　all　the　time　giving　rise　to　our　smaller　thought；　and　which　will　open　out　from　it　as　our　lesser　thought　progresses　into　form。　Then　we　gradually　see　the　greater　thought　which　prompted　our　smaller　one　and　we　find　ourselves　working　along　its　lines；　guided　by　the　invisible　hand　of　the　Creative　Spirit　into　continually　increasing　degrees　of　livingness　to　which　we　need　assign　no　limits；　for　it　is　the　expansion　of　the　Infinite　within　ourselves。

This；　as　it　appears　to　me；　is　the　hidden　meaning　of　the　two　trees　in　Eden；　the　Garden　of　the　Soul。　It　is　the　distinction　between　a　knowledge　which　is　merely　that　of　comparisons　between　different　sorts　of　conditions；　and　a　knowledge　which　is　that　of　the　Life　which　gives　rise　to　and　therefore　controls　conditions。　Only　we　must　remember　that　the　control　of　conditions　is　not　to　be　attained　by　violent　self…assertion　which　is　only　recognizing　them　as　substantive　entities　to　be　battled　with；　but　by　conscious　unity　with　that　All…creating　Spirit　which　works　silently；　but　surely；　on　its　own　lines　of　Life；　Love；　and　Beauty。

〃Not　by　might；　nor　by　power；　but　by　My　Spirit；　saith　the　Lord　of　Hosts。〃



THE　WORSHIP　OF　ISHI。

In　Hosea　ii。　16　we　find　this　remarkable　statement：〃And　it　shall　be　at　that　day；　saith　the　Lord；　that　thou　shalt　call　Me　Ishi；　and　shalt　no　more　call　Me　Baali〃；　and　with　this　we　may　couple　the　statement　in　Isaiah　lxii。　4：〃Thou　shalt　be　called　Hephzibah；　and　thy　land　Beulah；　for　the　Lord　delighteth　in　thee；　and　thy　land　shall　be　married。〃

In　both　these　passages　we　find　a　change　of　name；　and　since　a　name　stands　for　something　which　corresponds　to　it；　and　in　truth　only　amounts　to　a　succinct　description；　the　fact　indicated　in　these　texts　is　a　change　of　condition　answering　to　the　change　of　name。

Now　the　change　from　Baali　to　Ishi　indicates　an　important　alteration　in　the　relation　between　the　Divine　Being　and　the　worshipper；　but　since　the　Divine　Being　cannot　change；　the　altered　relation　must　result　from　a　change　in　the　stand…point　of　the　worshipper：　and　this　can　only　come　from　a　new　mode　of　looking　at　the　Divine；　that　is；　from　a　new　order　of　thought　regarding　it。　Baali　means　Lord；　and　Ishi　means　husband；　and　so　the　change　in　relation　is　that　of　a　female　slave　who　is　liberated　and　married　to　her　former　master。　We　could　not　have　a　more　perfect　analogy。　Relatively　to　the　Universal　Spirit　the　individual　soul　is　esoterically　feminine；　as　I　have　pointed　out　in　〃Bible　Mystery　and　Bible　Meaning；〃　because　its　function　is　that　of　the　receptive　and　formative。　This　is　necessarily　inherent　in　the　nature　of　the　creative　process。　But　the　individual's　development　as　the　specializing　medium　of　the　Universal　Spirit　will　depend　entirely　upon　his　own　conception　of　his　relation　to　it。　So　long　as　he　only　regards　it　as　an　arbitrary　power；　a　sort　of　slave　owner；　he　will　find　himself　in　the　position　of　a　slave　driven　by　an　inscrutable　force；　he　knows　not　whither　or　for　what　purpose。　He　may　worship　such　a　God；　but　his　worship　is　only　the　worship　of　fear　and　ignorance；　and　there　is　no　personal　interest　in　the　matter　except　to　escape　some　dreaded　punishment。　Such　a　worshipper　would　gladly　escape　from　his　divinity；　and　his　worship；　when　analyzed；　will　be　found　to　be　little　else　than　disguised　hatred。　This　is　the　natural　result　of　a　worship　based　upon　UNEXPLAINED　traditions　instead　of　intelligible　principles；　and　is　the　very　opposite　of　that　worship　in　Spirit　and　in　truth　which　Jesus　speaks　of　as　the　true　worship。

But　when　the　light　begins　to　break　in　upon　us；　all　this　becomes　changed。　We　see　that　a　system　of　terrorism　cannot　give　expression　to　the　Divine　Spirit；　and　we　realize　the　truth　of　St。　Paul's　words；　〃He　hath　not　given　us　the　spirit　of　fear；　but　of　power；　and　of　love；　and　of　a　sound　mind。〃　As　the　true　nature　of　the　relation　between　the　individual　mind　and　the　Universal　Mind　becomes　clearer；　we　find　it　to　be　one　of　mutual　action　and　re…action；　a　perfect　reciprocity　which　cannot　be　better　symbolized　than　by　the　relation　between　an　affectionate　husband　and　wife。　Everything　is　done　from　love　and　nothing　from　compulsion；　there　is　perfect　confidence　on　both　sides；　and　both　are　equally　indispensable　to　each　other。　It　is　simply　the　carrying　out　of　the　fundamental　maxim　that　the　Universal　cannot　act　on　the　plane　of　the　Particular　except　through　the　Particular；　only　this　philosophical　axiom　develops　into　a　warm　living　intercourse。

Now　this　is　the　position　of　the　soul　which　is　indicated　by　the　name　Hephzibah。　In　common　with　all　other　words　derived　from　the　Semitic　root　〃hafz〃　it　implies　the　idea　of　guarding；　just　as　in　the　East　a　hasfiz　is　one　who　guards　the　letter　of　the　Koran　by　having　the　whole　book　by　heart；　and　in　many　similar　expressions。　Hephzibah　may　therefore　be　translated　as　〃a　guarded　one；〃　thus　recalling　the　New　Testament　description　of　those　who　are　〃guarded　into　salvation。〃　It　is　precisely　this　conception　of　being　guarded　by　a　superior　power　that　distinguishes　the　worship　of　Ishi　from　that　of　Baali。　A　special　relation　has　been　established　between　the　Divine　Spirit　and　the　individual　soul；　one　of　absolute　c