The Impersonal Life

IN THE August Paper, entitled “Prove Me Now,” we said the Lord, “were shown you some glorious truths: one especially, that by assuming your real nature as a Son of God divine activities would naturally follow. We are hoping that many of you are beginning to know and to assume your divine powers and possibilities.

In this article we will help you to overcome of these powers—those of you who have the courage to venture beyond the realm of visible “facts” and to trust all to the “evidence of things not seen.” In other words, we are going to test and help you build up your faith.

In the 11th chapter of Hebrews to the Hebrews, in the first verse of the St. James version, Paul says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” In the Revised Version it is given, “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, a conviction of things not seen.” While in the Emphatic Diaglott, containing the original Greek text, it reads, “Faith is the basis of things hoped for, a conviction of things unseen.”

We like the first one best, as more clearly expressing what we feel faith to be, and as Paul probably meant it—if we could know his exact meaning.

First realize that there is an actual substance with which faith works. Of course that substance is not visible to the sight, but it is none the less a real and tangible substance to the mind, when once it learns consciously to work with it through faith.

Which means then that somewhere in the invisible there is a substance, that with our thought, through faith, we can mould, shape and form into conditions and things, and bring them forth into visibility. Think this over until you see that it is exactly what faith accomplishes.

Now most of you through faith a great many times in one form or another have accomplished just that; although you may not have done it consciously or purposely. But it was your faith nevertheless that brought it to pass. Surely then, if it has been accomplished thus unconsciously, it can be consciously any number of times—when the same identical use of faith is always followed.

Let us search into and examine this invisible substance that faith is said to be, and see if we can learn its nature and the secret of its power; so that we can use it consciously and can accomplish with it what evidently is intended every disciple of Christ shall accomplish. For did not Jesus say to His disciples, when they asked Him why they could not cure the epileptic, “Because of your little faith; for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”—Mat. 17:20, R.V.

There are many stories told of what has been accomplished by faith; you all know the wonderful things Paul tells in the 11th Chapter of Hebrews. Jesus credits most of the healings He performed to the faith of those healed and blessed, saying, “According to your faith, be it done unto you.” “Thy faith hath made thee whole.” “O woman, great is thy faith; be it done unto thee even as thou wilt.” “Thy faith hath saved thee,” etc.

Now all these things that were accomplished were done by sensing clearly in the invisible the thing desired (with no signs of it apparent in the outer) and believing it was so or it could be done and would manifest.

Try to realize this fully before we proceed, for you must see that the real work is done in the invisible, and that what you can clearly see in the invisible can be made to become visible in the outer—through the action of faith.

YOU have all heard or read many times what was just stated, and many of you have often tried to prove it, with only partial or most unsatisfactory results. And of course all wish to know why you failed, and the sure way always to succeed.

First know there is a definite law of faith, and that it works just as surely as any law of mathematics or of electricity, when clearly understood and correctly used.

Secondly, know that you are working just as truly with an invisible substance that is moulded and shaped by your thought, as does the potter work with clay that he moulds and shapes with his hands.

Thirdly, when something is envisioned clearly—that is, is seen as a FINISHED thing in the invisible, if it remains finished and accomplished in your mind with such distinctness that you can see that it will appear speedily in the outer,—in accordance with the law through such a faith it will so appear.

With these things fixed in your consciousness we will now examine for the right way of working with this substance. Of course by your thinking you have been unconsciously moulding and shaping this substance from the beginning—even from the cradle. Witness the results in your body, your environment and your affairs. Yes, they are what you have thought they would be. You cannot get away from it; it is the law,—what you think, you are. Which implies also that what you think, your world and all in it is.

That means of course that you, your body, your environment, your affairs, your world and all your fellowmen, are what you see with your mortal eyes and believe to be in your mortal mind. They are what you have thought are, thereby made them to be—but they are such only to your mortal understanding, or as they appear to your mortal mind.

Do you get this distinction? What they are, they are only in the outer or visible world, or as they appear to your physical senses and are believed to be by your mortal mind. But they are not so in the invisible world—in the realm of Reality.

Learning from this that your thinking only moulds this invisible substance into the form and shape of your beliefs, you can see how important it is to have only correct beliefs. For beliefs are but thoughts filled with the substance of faith, either already or about to be outmanifested in your body, world or affairs. And they may be altogether wrong beliefs, causing you untold inharmony, suffering and hardship. Witness your belief in disease, poverty, death and all of these inharmonious things.

now manifesting in your life—all of them lies and having no existence in the invisible realm of God’s Kingdom, His Consciousness.

Go back over this and study carefully every statement until you grasp clearly its meaning. Then you are ready for what follows.

FROM all of the above it would appear that the only way of understanding and use this power of thinking is to get back into the invisible and to work wholly from there. We of course can do that only in consciousness; and by going back into our soul consciousness—back into the Silence where we can shut out all sense of the outer with its claims and concerns of self—we there can glimpse and may even get a clear vision of that perfect world within where are no inharmonies, no lies, no lack or limitation of any good, beautiful or needed thing.

You have had proved to you there is such a world, even if something within had not long ago convinced you there is where the I AM, the Real You lives. Therefore, there in the Silence of your soul, it should not be difficult to let the heavens of your consciousness unfold and reveal to you that world or your inner vision.

Do you perceive what we mean? In that consciousness what appears is the real—it is not mere imagination; you are then in a realm where the real and the true now appear and can be seen, for all mortal mind’s beliefs have vanished. You are now a soul in your real consciousness; free of all doubt which the mortal mind has held you captive concerning; and what you have been seeing is wrong and limiting mortal beliefs—self’s creations—and open your consciousness to what appears from within. Can you not perceive that what comes to your mind that exists there in this invisible realm of the real?

This of course implies that you have fully shut out consciousness which appears from the outer senses only. And also that your mortal mind is now dwelling in the soul, making spirit and soul one in consciousness, which consciousness is that of the soul realm of the Kingdom, the realm of perfect and ideal things and conditions.

If this is clear, you can grasp that in this consciousness is all that the Real You, naturally will bring to your attention the things He wishes you to know and to express; and as a disciple you are concerned only with the best and purest, having learned that He always knows best and always purposes manifesting the best for you, because He is the best in Himself.

AT THIS point we wish to emphasize that it is always the self that wants things—that tries to make demonstrations—for self’s use or its fancied needs; not realizing that the I AM, the Father, always knows best our needs and will always provide them, when self and its wants are non-existent. On the other hand, it is the Soul, thinking and working in conjunction with its Father within, that always wants to express the fullness of its true life as a Son of God, to manifest in the outer the abundance and perfection of all the good things everywhere present in that inner life in the Kingdom,—but its wants, because of self’s interfering by wanting all for its own personal use. Stop and realize how true this is.

Therefore, if you would learn rightly to use the power and substance of faith, always remember these two things:

(1) that whatever comes to you thus in the Silence from the innermost consciousness actually exists in this invisible realm of the soul; (2) that it is brought to your attention by your Higher Self purposely for you to know and to bring forth, if needed, under His direction, for He knows best what He wants you to do with it. This means, of course, that self can have no part in it; that you are to wait upon Him and to obey Him only in what He directs you to do.

Do you realize what this signifies? If you truly believe that has just been said, and have perfect trust in Him—that is, if your faith is as a grain of mustard seed, the same power that makes what is in the mustard seed grow quickly into a tree, will cause what you see in the invisible of the soul realm to grow and come forth quickly in the visible or outer world. For the same law that directs the growth of the idea or thought of a mustard tree hidden in the mustard seed and planted in the soil (or soul) of earth likewise directs the idea or thought planted in the invisible soul substance of your mind; and when it is nourished and watered by perfect faith and trust, it must come forth into evidence, as Paul claims.

Think for a moment of the soil as the soul substance of earth, and of everything that lives, when “planted” in the soil, grows and thrives—if the soil is fertile and there is plenty of water and sunshine. This includes man and animals, for do not they have to be “planted” in the rich soil of soul—that fitted to their nature—to be properly nourished by it to grow and thrive perfectly?

What is it in the soil that makes everything grow? Is it not this invisible soul substance—the real substance of the earth? What would the earth be with its sand and rocks without this soil of itself, this essence of life always existing beneath the surface of the visible in the invisible substance that supports, animates and gives being to the material nature? And if hidden in that soil of earth is what gives life and vitality to all appearing upon it, can you not now see how hidden in the soil or mortal consciousness of your mind, there is the invisible but very real substance of your soul-mind which gives life, form and visibility to all conditions and things appearing to your outer senses? Think this over until you see how wonderful, true it is.

NOW, of what practical use is all this to you? You are anxious to know just how to make the invisible become visible. But we are not going to tell you how, in so many words. For that anxiety is purely of the self, and it must not be gratified. But above we have given you the law, and how it works for those who work with it; and those who are truly in earnest about knowing and proving the law—under the direction of the Higher Self, will discover the true meaning back of the words and will be shown just how to apply it in all needed ways.

Therefore, if you would discover that meaning, read over carefully all that has been stated, and when something within causes you to halt and ponder over certain words, go within, in the silence of your soul, and wait and listen for all that is told and shown you there—and you will be richly rewarded.

But we said at the beginning that we would test and help you build up your faith, and we will now try to help you prove the Lord, that you may see how He pours upon those who truly love and trust Him the blessings promised.