Therein lies a great danger, for, obviously, anyone endowed with
such faculties may use them to the greatest detriment of the world at large, unless
restrained by a spirit of unselfishness and an all-embracing altruism. Therefore religion is
needed today as never before, to foster love and fellow-feeling among humanity so that it
may be prepared to use the great gifts in store for it wisely and well. This need of
religion is specially felt in a certain class where the ether is more loosely knit to the
physical atoms than in the majority, and on that account they are now beginning to sense the
Aquarian vibrations.
This class is again divided in two groups. In one the intellect
is dominant, and the people in that class therefore seek to grasp the spiritual mysteries
out of curiosity from the viewpoint of cold reason. They pursue the[pg 017]path of knowledge for the sake of knowledge, considering that an end in
itself. The idea that knowledge is of value only when put to practical constructive use does
not seem to have presented itself to them. This class we may call occultists.
The other group does not care for knowledge, but feels an inner
urge God-ward, and pursues the path of devotion to the high ideal set before them in Christ,
doing the deeds that He did as far their flesh will permit, and this in time results in an
interior illumination which brings with it all the knowledge obtained by the other class,
and much more. This class we may describe as mystics.
Certain dangers confront each of the two groups. If the occultist
obtains illumination and evolves within himself the latent spiritual faculties, he may use
them for the furtherance of his personal objects, to the great detriment of his fellow-men.
That is black magic, and the punishment which it automatically calls down upon the head of the perpetrator
is so awful that it is best to draw the veil over it. The mystic may also err because of
ignorance, and fall into the meshes of nature's law, but being actuated by love, his
mistakes will never be very serious, and as he grows in grace the[pg 018]soundless voice within his heart will speak more distinctly to teach him
the way.
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