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Now this is the position of the soul which is indicated by the name
Hephzibah。 In common with all other words derived from the Semitic root
〃hafz〃 it implies the idea of guarding； just as in the East a hasfiz is one
who guards the letter of the Koran by having the whole book by heart； and
in many similar expressions。 Hephzibah may therefore be translated as 〃a
guarded one；〃 thus recalling the New Testament description of those who
are 〃guarded into salvation。〃 It is precisely this conception of being
guarded by a superior power that distinguishes the worship of Ishi from
that of Baali。 A special relation has been established between the Divine
Spirit and the individual soul； one of absolute confidence and personal
intercourse。 This does not require any departure from the general law of
the universe； but is due to that specializing of the law through the
presentation of special conditions personal to the individual； of which I
have spoken before。 But all the time there has been no change in the
Universal Spirit； the only change has been in the mental attitude of the
individualhe has come into a new thought； a clearer perception of God。
He has faced the questions； What is God？ Where is God？ How does God
work？ and he has found the answer in the apostolic statement that God is
〃over all； through all； and in all；〃 and he realises that 〃God〃 is the root of
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his （the individual's） own being； ever present IN him； ever working
THROUGH him； and universally present around him。
This realization of the true relation between the Originating Spirit and
the individual mind is what is esoterically spoken of as the Mystical
Marriage in which the two have ceased to be separate and have become
one。 As a matter of fact they always were one； but since we can apprehend
things only from the stand…point of our own consciousness； it is our
recognition of the fact that makes it a practical reality for ourselves。 But an
intelligent recognition will never make a confusion of the two parts of
which the whole consists； and will never lead the individual to suppose
that he is handling a blind force or that a blind force is handling him。 He
will neither dethrone God； nor lose himself by absorption in deity； but he
will recognize the reciprocity of the Divine and the human as the natural
and logical outcome of the essential conditions of the creative process。
And what is the Whole which is thus created？ It is our conscious
PERSONALITY； and therefore whatever we draw from the Universal
Spirit acquires in us the quality of personality。 It is that process of
differentiation of the universal into the particular of which I have so often
spoken； which； by a rude analogy； we may compare to the differentiation
of the universal electric fluid into specific sorts of power by its passage
through suitable apparatus。 It is for this reason that relatively to ourselves
the Universal Spirit must necessarily assume a personal aspect； and that
the aspect which it will assume will be in exact correspondence with our
own conception of it。 This is in accordance with mental and spiritual laws
inherent in our own being； and it is on this account that the Bible seeks to
build up our conception of God on such lines as will set us free from all
fear of evil； and thus leave us at liberty to use the creative power of our
thought affirmatively from the stand…point of a calm and untroubled mind。
This stand…point can only be reached by passing beyond the range of the
happenings of the moment； and this can only be done by the discovery of
our immediate relation to the undifferentiated source of all good。 I lay
stress on these words 〃immediate〃 and 〃undifferentiated〃 because in them
is contained the secret of the whole position。 If we could not draw
immediately from the Universal Spirit our receiving would be subject to
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the limitations of the channel through which it reached us； and if the force
which we receive were not undifferentiated in itself it could not take
appropriate form in our own minds and become to each of us just what we
require it to be。 It is this power of the human soul to differentiate
limitlessly from the Infinite that we are apt to overlook； but as we come to
realize that the soul is itself a reflection and image of the Infinite Spirit
and a clear recognition of the cosmic creative process shows that it cannot
be anything elsewe find that it must possess this power； and that…in fact it
is our possession of this power which is the whole raison d'etre of the
creative process： if the human soul did not possess an unlimited power of
differentiation from the Infinite； then the Infinite would not be reflected in
it； and consequently the Infinite Spirit would find no outlet for its
CONSCIOUS recognition of itself as the Life； Love； and Beauty which it
is。 We can never too deeply ponder the old esoteric definition of Spirit as
〃the Power which knows itself〃： the secret of all things； past； present； and
future is contained in these few words。 The self …recognition or self…
contemplation of Spirit is the primary movement out of which all creation
proceeds； and the attainment in the individual of a fresh centre for self…
recognition is what the Spirit GAINS in the processthis GAIN accruing
to the Spirit is what is referred to in the parables where the lord is
represented as receiving increase from his servants。
When the individual perceives this relation between himself and
Infinite Spirit； he finds that he has been raised from a position of slavery
to one of reciprocity。 The Spirit cannot do without him any more than he
can do without the Spirit： the two are as necessary to each other as the two
poles of an electric battery。 The Spirit is the unlimited essence of Love；
Wisdom； and Power； all three in one undifferentiated and waiting to be
differentiated by APPROPRIATION； that is； by the individual
CLAIMING to be the channel of their differentiation。 It only requires the
claim to be made with the recognition that by the Law of Being it is bound
to be answered； and the right feeling； the right seeing； and the right
working for the particular matter we have in hand will flow in quite
naturally。 Our old enemies； doubt and fear； may seek to bring us back
under bondage to Baali； but our new stand…point for the recognition of the
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All…originating Spirit as being absolutely unified with ourselves must
always be kept resolutely in mind； for； short of this； we are not working on
the creative levelwe are creating； indeed； for we can never divest
ourselves of our creative power； but we are creating in the image of the old
limiting and destructive conditions； and this is merely perpetuating the
cosmic Law of Averages； which is just what the individual has to rise
superior to。 The creative level is where new laws begin to manifest
themselves in a new order of conditions； something transcending our past
experiences and thus bringing about a real advance； for it is no advance
only to go on in the same old round even if we kept at it for centuries： it is
the steady go…ahead nature of the Spirit that has made the world of to…day
an improvement upon the world of the pterodactyl and the icthiosaurus；
and we must look for the same forward movement of the Spirit from its
new starting…point in ourselves。
Now it is this special； personal； and individual relation of the Spirit to
ourselves which is typified by the names Ishi and Hephzibah。 From this
stand…point we may say that as the individual wakes up to the oneness
wi