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s over all existing conditions； however apparently adverse； and go straight to the Spirit as the originator of new forms and new conditions。 This is real New Thought； for it does not trouble about the old things； but is going straight ahead from where we are now。 When we do this； just trusting the Spirit； and not laying down the particular details of its actionjust telling it what we want without dictating HOW we are to get it we shall find that things will open out more and more clearly day by day both on the inner and the outer plane。 Remember that the Spirit is alive and working here and now； for if ever the Spirit is to get from the past into the future it must be by passing through the present； therefore what you have to do is to acquire the habit of living direct …from the Spirit here and now。 You will soon find that this is a matter of personal intercourse； perfectly natural and not requiring any abnormal conditions for its production。 You just treat the Spirit as you would any other kind…hearted sensible person； remembering that it is always there〃closer than hands and feet；〃 as Tennyson saysand you will gradually begin to appreciate its reciprocity as a very practical fact indeed。
This is the relation of Hephzibah to Ishi； and is that worship in Spirit and in truth which needs neither the temple in Jerusalem nor yet in Samaria for its acceptance； for the whole world is the temple of the Spirit and you yourself its sanctuary。 Bear this in mind； and remember that nothing is too great or too small； too interior or too external； for the Spirit's recognition and operation； for the Spirit is itself both the Life and the Substance of all things and it is also Self…recognition from the stand…point of your own individuality； and therefore； because the Self…recognition of Spirit is the Life of the creative process； you will； by simply trusting the Spirit to work according to its own nature； pass more and more completely into that New Order which proceeds from the thought of Him who says； 〃Behold I make all things new。〃
THE SHEPHERD AND THE STONE。
The metaphor of the Shepherd and the Sheep is of constant occurrence throughout the Bible and naturally suggests the idea of the guiding； guarding； and feeding both of the individual sheep and of the whole flock and it is not difficult to see the spiritual correspondence of these things in a general sort of way。 But we find that the Bible combines the metaphor of the Shepherd with another metaphor that of 〃the Stone；〃 and at first sight the two seem rather incongruous。
〃From thence is the Shepherd the Stone of Israel；〃 says the Old Testament （Genesis xlix。 24）； and Jesus calls himself both 〃The Good Shepherd〃 and 〃The Stone which the builders rejected。〃 The Shepherd and the Stone are thus identified and we must therefore seek the interpretation in some conception which combines the two。 A shepherd suggests Personal care for the welfare of the sheep； and an intelligence greater than theirs。 A stone suggests the idea of Building； and consequently of measurement； adaptation of parts to whole； and progressive construction according to plan。 Combining these two conceptions we get the idea of the building of an edifice whose stones are persons； each taking their more or less conscious part in the constructionthus a building； not constructed from without； but self…forming by a principle of growth from within under the guidance of a Supreme Wisdom permeating the whole and conducting it stage by stage to ultimate completeness。 This points to a Divine Order in human affairs with which we may more or less consciously co…operate： both to our personal advantage and also to the furtherance of the great scheme of human evolution as a whole； the ultimate purpose being to establish in ALL men that principle of 〃The Octave〃 to which I have already alluded； and in proportion as some adumbration of this principle is realized by individuals and by groups of individuals they specialize the law of race…development； even though they may not be aware of the fact； and so come under a SPECIALIZED working of the fundamental Law； which thus differentiates them from other individuals and nationalities； as by a peculiar guidance； producing higher developments which the merely generic operation of the Law could not。
Now if we keep steadily in mind that； though the purpose； or Law of Tendency； or the Originating Spirit must always be universal in its nature； it must necessarily be individual in its operation； we shall see that this universal purpose can only be accomplished through the instrumentality of specific means。 This results from the fundamental proposition that the Universal can only work on the plane of the Particular by becoming the individual and particular； and when we grasp the conception that the merely generic operation of the Creative Law has now brought the human race as far as it can； that is to say it has completely evolved the merely natural GENUS home； it follows that if any further development is to take place it can only be by the co…operation of the individual himself。 Now it is the spread of this individual co…operation that the forward movement of the Spirit is leading us to； and it is the gradual extension of this universal principle that is alluded to in the prophecy of Daniel regarding the Stone cut out without hands that spreads until it fills the whole earth （Daniel ii。 34 and 44）。 According to the interpretation given by Daniel； this Stone is the emblem of a spiritual Kingdom； and the identity of the Stone and the Shepherd indicates that the Kingdom of the Stone must be also the Kingdom of the Shepherd； and the Master； who identified himself with both the Stone and the Shepherd； emphatically declared that this Kingdom was； in its essence； an interior Kingdom〃the Kingdom of Heaven is within you。〃 We must look for its foundation therefore； in a spiritual principle or mental law inherent in the constitution of all men but waiting to be brought into fuller development by more accurate compliance with its essential requirements； which is precisely the method by which science has evoked powers from the laws of nature which were undreamt of in former ages； and in like manner the recognition of our true relation to the Universal Spirit； which is the source of all individual being； must lead to an advance both for the race and for the individual such as we can at present scarcely form the faintest idea of； but which we dimly apprehend through the intuition and speak of as the New Order。 The approach of this New Order is everywhere making itself vaguely felt； it is； as the French say； in the air； and the very vagueness and mystery attending it is causing a feeling of unrest as to what form it may assume。 But to the student of Spiritual Law this should not be the case。 He knows that the Form is always the expression of the Spirit； and therefore； since he is in touch with the forward movement of the Spirit； he knows that he himself will always be harmoniously included in any form of development which the Great Forward Movement may take。 This is the practical and personal benefit arising from the realization of the Principle which is symbolized under the two…fold metaphor of the Shepherd and the Stone。 and in all those new developments which are perhaps even now within measurable distance； we can rest on the knowledge that we are under the care of a kind Shepherd； and under the formation of a wise Master Builder。
But the principle of the Shepherd and the Stone is not something hitherto unheard of which is only to conne into existence in the future。 If there were no manifestations of this principle in the past； we might question whether there were any such principle at all； but a careful study of the subject will show us that it has been at work all through the ages； sometimes in modes more immediately bearing the aspect of the Shepherd； and sometimes in modes more immediately bearing the aspect of the Stone； though the one always implies the other； for they are the same thing seen from different points of view。 The subject is one of immense interest； but covering such a wide range of study that all I can do here is to point out that such a field of investigation exists and is worth exploration； and the exploration brings its reward with it； not only by putting us in possession of the key to the history of the past； but by showing us that it is the key to the history of the future also； and furthermore by making evident on a large scale the working of the same principle of Spiritual Law by cooperation with which we may facilitate the process of our own individual evolution。 It thus adds a vivid interest to life； giving us something worth looking forward to and introducing us to a personal future which is not limited by the proverbial three…score years and ten。
Now； we have seen that the first stage in the Creative Process is always that of Feelinga reaching…out by the Spirit in a particular direction； and therefore we may look for something of the same kind in the development of the great principle which we are now considering。 And we find this first vague movement of this great principle in the intuitions of a particular race which appears from time immemorial to have combined the two