to express the uplifting thoughts which came to me, the language of earth is too weak and inadequate. The scene before me was so grandly eloquent of human experiences and possibilities. The little hills of cares and trials and perplexities frown so threatening near us, hedging us into such a narrow environment that there is seemingly nothing beyond that obscure outlook, and we lose heart and yield ourselves victims of existing circumstances. But when we take fresh courage and climb to a higher plane, how they fade into nothingness in the light of that wider vision of spiritual heights to be gained, from the summit of which are revealed still greater possibilities and ever broadening vistas of the soul's development into the perfect life. "Reach up for the higher and the higher will reach down for you, and when you two clasp hands, fate is conquered, the victory is won, the goal is reached," for the invisible forces of the universe will draw you upward to the loftiest heights to which you can possibly aspire the supreme heights where self is lost in the boundless whole. * - Last spring I had the novel experience of visiting a camp where maple syrup was being made. The day was windy and the man who tended the fire found great difficuly in keeping blaze enough under the kettles to make the sap boil. When the "boss" came up, he took in the situation at a glance and began placing back-logs" and "fore-logs" around the fire, explaining as he did so that it was necessary to prevent the scattering of the force of the heat by the wind. "The power of concentration," I thought, "practically illustrated." The cause of so many of our failures to demonstrate is diffusion of thought and purpose. Every wind of negation blows us this way and that. One moment we affirm good, and the next we express or belief in evil. Our wavering will undoes today what it did yesterday. But we must keep a particle of chrome yellow in water, and observing it under the microscope. Throughout the whole domain of nature, whether it be the towering rock, the fallen and decaying tree or particle of dust beneath the mask of seeming death, is life, energy, motion. Vibration is co-existent with existence. To cease to vibrate is to cease to beannihilation. Not only is each particle of "matter" in a constant state of vibration; but each vibrates at a definite rate, both singly and in combination. There is a vibrational rate for the unit, and one for the mass, and the law of vibration is that it shall conform to the weight, density and form of things. For every phase of existence there is a corresponding phase of vibration. One form of vibration produces a peerless rose, another a toadstool; one a man, another his simian caricature. But this world of ours were a dreary, hopeless place, had not the Divine plan included change in the order of things; and man, dissatisfied and inquisitive, peering into the mysteries of creative Mind, discovered the inter-relations which affect and connect things one with another. The fact will be appreciated, that to change the vibration of a thing, will be to change the thing itself. To bring harmony out of discord, it is but necessary to change the vibration of the discordant note, to increase or release its tension, raise or lower its pitch. Some discords in life, as in music, are not the result of the elevation or depression of an element; but are the effect of bringing together antagonistic elements. Each of the twelve chromatic notes is all right in itself. Each can be made to harmonize with any other, some immediately, and others remotely. The "remote" ones can only be made to harmonize by leading up to them through a series of intermediate harmonies. So in life, while we may well conceive that all that is, is "good," yet the goodness of some things, characters or people will not be evident except when they are placed in conjunction with others with whom (or which) they are naturally in harmony; or by harmonic processes are rendered so. A simple experiment can be tried by anyone, which will help greatly to make tangible the application of the law of vibration to metaphysics. Take two musical instruments or strings of the same pitch, have the strings in a horizontal position (i. e, one instrument or string). Bend a small piece of paper into V shape, and place it astride a string. Sound the note corresponding to that of the string upon which the piece of paper rests, using the other instrument or string to sound the note with. Upon doing so, the string with the paper upon it will vibrate sympathetically, without having been struck, as the movements of the piece of paper will show. I have herein stated that everything exists in a state of vibration. Therefore mind, thought, aspirations, desires, if they be, must necessarily be in a state and mode of vibration. Therefore, as the vibration of a musical string, communicating its impulses to the physical, atmospheric medium, is conveyed to, and reproduces itself in a sympathetically corresponding string; so metaphysical vibrations are nct void of corresponding effect upon their own plane, but act after the same manner. We have here the reason for both success and failure in metaphysical healing. Between those in whom this bond of sympathy really exists, or becomes established, healing and many other occult effects can be obtained; the metaphysical vibrations passing, by inversion, into physical expression, under the condition of sufficient intensity, serial length or depth of impulses. CHRIST THE ONLY BEGOTTEN [This is Lesson Two of the Primary Course of the Unity Correspondence School, written by Stella M. Templeman, a student.] "" 'Beloved, now are we the sons of God." Christ is" the only-begotten Son," and we would study to harmonize these two facts. Let us see if we can understand the nature of our Sonship. We believe in God, let us believe also in his Son, and let us know him, that our faith may be perfected. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one,— the religious Trinity. Mind, Idea and Expression also one,― the metaphysical synonyms of the former terms. We can better understand the unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit by substituting for them the synonymous words, Mind, Idea, Expression. In the first lesson we learn that God is Mind, that Mind has Ideas and Ideas have Expression. This is a statement of universal Law. Man also is mind and his mind creates through ideas moving into expression. Everything that appears in the visible was first conceived in mind as an idea. If we wish to write a book we first form in mind a definite, distinct idea of the subject of which we intend to write. We may not have a perfectly distinct idea at first, but we keep the subject in mind as a whole, we inform ourselves about it in every way possible, we think about it, and presently our idea becomes clearer and we can analyze and subdivide it into proper and desirable headings, or chapters. Then we take up the first chapter and write out, or express, the idea desired to be brought out in that chapter. If we find that it is not as clear as we want it to be, does not express perfectly our idea, we re-write or re-cast it until it becomes satisfactory; and so with all succeeding chapters until the book is completed and the idea first held in mind as a whole is expressed and put in tangible form. God, the One Mind, has Ideas, all of which are perfect, even as he is. "The law of the Lord is perfect." The perfect Mind conceives perfect Ideas, which in turn produce perfection in expression. One of these perfect Ideas of God is his Idea of Man, his only-begotten Son, the Christ. This only-begotten Son is the spiritual man, and is expressed as the spiritual consciousness latent in every human being born into the world, "the first-born of every creature." It is only when he becomes conscious of his true nature as a Son of God that man really begins to live. "He that hath not (consciously) the Son of God hath not life." "This is life eternal, to know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." To know the true character of the Father and Son is to recognize them not only as abstract principles, but as our own indwelling life and intelligence. It is to know that mind, soul and body are a trinity, and, as such, one and inseparable; to realize that the Christ Principle, forever omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, inheres and fills mind, soul, body; to perceive that death, the "rending shock" which separates the body from the mind and soul, is no part of God's perfect law and is not necessary in order to make "the pent spirit free." There is no such thing as pent spirit; Spirit is now supreme and forever free. There is no foreign substance; Substance is one and spiritual. God made man in his own image and man's inherent nature is God-like, a Trinity of Mind, Idea, Expression, or Spirit, soul, body. "What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.” Jesus came to demonstrate the Divine Sonship of man, to show us God's perfect Idea of Man. He came to rend the veil of ignorance from our eyes, blinded by human belief in materialism, belief in the duality of God and man, that man before he can know God, must get rid of the body. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Hosea, 4, 6. "For I have 66 |