Esoteric V10: July 1896 - Iapsop.com

1897.] 495
hour of trial: nothing but the hand of the Omnipotent is able
tn lift yon to the throne of JlOWt'l'. You must be tried by water
and by fire, hefore you can Mmwessfully pass over the Narrow
Way. The ills of the flesh, the burden of sin, and the mistakes
of childhood 1mrl Parly lift>, must be left hehind, or yon can
never hopt- to t'llft'r tl1e temple of divine wit~clclm, knowledge. anti
iove. Naked ancl withont guile must yun enter the holy temple
of God. N11kc•d lind alone man hegan life's jou1·ney; the
Rame conclitions muRt exist before he ('an hope to enter heavt>n,
:tnd he dnthecl in the pme white garments of immortal, spiritual
powl:'r. Tlw wc·Nit.h uf a 0111terial world will not be aclmitted
into tl1e home uf the celestial dwellers of spirit. The honors
of men a•·r hut as h11nhle11. 11nd must remain on earth as pla~· ­
t.hiugll to anmRe the c·hilclren of this world. All that earth has
tn offer you, must he renounced ; otherwise your burden will
pro\'e tm1 bl:'a,·y, aucl, moreover, bind your soul to earth an•l
hinder the free actinn of yonr 11pirit. You must tread the wine
pret~s alnne, and of the J>eOJlle there will be none with you. The
evils mn>'t he m•ercome alone; yon must grow strong throngh
stJ·uggle a1ul hy .\'onr own in•lividnal pffut·ts. Man must draw
at~ic!P for him !!elf the vc~il that hid t-Il God frum him. U ulells
Gt>(l he wi: h yon. yon wiJI fatil; with Gucl as your Power ,von
will gain a glul'inmc vic1tory.
T\te length uf tlw clat·k and narrow pa11sage through which
aJl must p11Ss depencls wholly upon the individual. If a man i:4
in earne11t, and has truly l'f'nounced the wol'ld with all ib ttt.
tending ~vils whic·h hind the soul in fett.et'S of steel, his progress
will he must rapi,i. He will escape many of the triltls
and mueh sorrow. On the contrary, if he loiters hy the way,
or wanders into the many bypaths which 110 much resemhlt! the
true road, his progress will be slow and painful. The one thing
needful is that the neophyte place complete confidem-e in God,
and follow absolutely the promptings of the Spirit. God knows
the need of his children, and will alwayR temper the wind to
the shorn lambs. Man may change, hut God cannot; his laws
and his nature are unchangeable. If man lives up to the requirements
of the law, the Spirit will be ever beside him to lead
and instrnct.
If the individual would obtain the sure guidance of the Spirit,
he must obey, without question, the prompting of the silent,
interior monitor. Before he can enter the Narrow 'Vay he
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