Esoteric V10: July 1896 - Iapsop.com

1897.] REW AHDS AND PUNII'IU!Jo;NTS. 407
all the life he possesses, he has the power to be what he wilJs
to he ; and, on the other hand, if, by his mental states, he givt-s
that life an impulse contrary to the divine purpose, he is not
per·mitted to retain it. Such life is condemned by the divine
ju!lgment; for God is jealmt!l of the divine life: by his
prophets lie repeatedly says, "1 am a jealous God," and "I
will judge you in fury and in jealousy."
And yet Gocl i!l only jealous and angry with his children in
a figurative sense. lie hlls crt>atecl them with the inte11t that
they become like him, and when they do those things which
retard the consnnam:\tiun of th~ible that the cr·eatnre can do
aught contr·ary to God's pm·pose ; hut men ar·e permitted to
make much t1·onble for tlunnselves, in order that they may c.onlli,ler·
and learn the lm1sou of life. Gocl who made man knows
what i11 in their hearts: he is not surprised at the work of his
hancls, ''he knoweth them altngether."
If man falls, and fails in the ascent of life's spiral, throngh
loRing the flnid11 that eontain the life in its period of transition
from animal energy to 111ental ener·gy. or mind, it is evident
that he must apply tho11e methods whereby the foundation within
himseJf 111ay be more firmly )aid, that thu11 he may rise by
holding fast ancl incorporating within him11elf the life which he
obtains; for we mulerstancl that the Spidt is life, and hence
to become more like Gocl the Spirit is to have more life. This
i11 but one step, hut it i.;; the fundamental and essential one.
Th~ thought that man may be suffe1·ing the torments of the
damned (condemned). m· the fires of heJI, the result of God's
condemnation, and yet be ignm·ant of the fact, may seem a
11trange one, and implies that a large part of the human family
are even now in the condition