Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/25

 is united with the truth and affectional impulses converted into wisdom, we are made temples for the in-*dwelling of the divine spirit. It becomes us, then, to make use of all means within our power to perceive this great volume that God has opened before us, and given us the means of studying, translating into our minds, and making our own. Looking at man, then, as a conscious being, one that possesses the faculty of perceiving existence in all its various modes of manifestation, and also of perceiving being itself, thus having within himself that whereon God can write not only the phenomena, but the law and science of being itself, let us become free men, lovers of the truth, determined to be honest with ourselves and the world, determined to know what can be known, and not to be deceived either by our own appetites, passions, or lusts, or by the influences that others may extend over us to turn away our minds from earnestly and truthfully investigating all subjects. The mind that is afraid to look upon the wide universe, to receive the image that God would impress upon it every day and moment of his life, is denying the birthright of his soul.

Man, as a conscious being, is the subject of three degrees of conscious perception—he can be subject to no less and no more; and being influenced by what he perceives—three degrees of affection. In other words, there is laid the foundation for three spheres of thought and three spheres of affection. He can possess no more—no less. Now I am to demonstrate this to be true in such a way that every one of you shall know its truth. I begin first to prove that