Most people consider life a battle, but it is not a battle, it is

a game.

It is a game, however, which cannot be played successfully

without the knowledge of spiritual law, and the Old and the

New Testaments give the rules of the game with wonderful

clearness. Jesus Christ taught that it was a great game of

Giving and Receiving.

"Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap." This

means that whatever man sends out in word or deed, will

return to him; what he gives, he will receive.

If he gives hate, he will receive hate; if he gives love, he

will receive love; if he gives criticism, he will receive

criticism; if he lies he will be lied to; if he cheats he will be

cheated. We are taught also, that the imaging faculty plays

a leading part in the game of life.

"Keep thy heart (or imagination) with all diligence, for out

of it are the issues of life."

This means that what man images, sooner or later

externalizes in his affairs, I know of a man who feared a

certain disease. It was a very rare disease and difficult to

get, but he pictured it continually and read about it until it

manifested in his body, and he died, the victim of distorted

imagination.So we see, to play successfully the game of life, we must

train the imaging faculty. A person with an imaging faculty

trained to image only good, brings into his life "every

righteous desire of his heart"

- health, wealth, love, friends,

perfect self-expression, his highest ideals.

The imagination has been called,

"The Scissors of The

Mind,

" and it is ever cutting, cutting, day by day, the

pictures man sees there, and sooner or later he meets his

own creations in his outer world. To train the imagination

successfully, man must understand the workings of his

mind. The Greeks said: "Know Thyself."

There are three departments of the mind, the subconscious,

conscious and superconscious. The subconscious, is

simply power, without direction. It is like steam or

electricity, and it does what it is directed to do; it has no

power of induction.

Whatever man feels deeply or images clearly, is impressed

upon the subconscious mind, and carried out in minutest

detail.

For example: a woman I know, when a child, always "made

believe" she was a widow. She "dressed up" in black

clothes and wore a long black veil, and people thought she

was very clever and amusing. She grew up and married a

man with whom she was deeply in love. In a short time he

died and she wore black and a sweeping veil for many

years. The picture of herself as a widow was impressed

upon the subconscious mind, and in due time worked itself

out, regardless of the havoc created.The conscious mind has been called mortal or carnal mind.

It is the human mind and sees life as it appears to be. It

sees death, disaster, sickness, poverty and limitation of

every kind, and it impresses the subconscious.

The superconscious mind is the God Mind within each

man, and is the realm of perfect ideas.

In it, is the "perfect pattern" spoken of by Plato, The

Divine Design; for there is a Divine Design for each

person.

"There is a place that you are to fill and no one else can

fill, something you are to do, which no one else can do."

There is a perfect picture of this in the superconscious

mind. It usually flashes across the conscious as an

unattainable ideal - "something too good to be true."

In reality it is man's true destiny (or destination) flashed to

him from the Infinite Intelligence which is within himself.

Many people, however, are in ignorance of their true

destinies and are striving for things and situations which do

not belong to them, and would only bring failure and

dissatisfaction if attained.

For example: A woman came to me and asked me to "speak

the word" that she would marry a certain man with whom

she was very much in love. (She called him A. B.)I replied that this would be a violation of spiritual law, but

that I would speak the word for the right man, the "divine

selection,

" the man who belonged to her by divine right.

I added,

"If A. B. is the right man you can't lose him, and if

he isn't, you will receive his equivalent." She saw A. B.

frequently but no headway was made in their friendship.

One evening she called, and said,

"Do you know, for the

last week, A. B. hasn't seemed so wonderful to me." I

replied,

"Maybe he is not the divine selection - another man

my be the right one." Soon after that, she met another man

who fell in love with her at once, and who said she was his

ideal. In fact, he said all the things that she had always

wished A. B. would say to her.

She remarked,

"It was quite uncanny."

She soon returned his love, and lost all interest in A. B.

This shows the law of substitution. A right idea was

substituted for a wrong one, therefore there was no loss or

sacrifice involved.

Jesus Christ said,

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and

his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto

you,

" and he said the Kingdom was within man.

The Kingdom is the realm of right ideas, or the divine

pattern.

Jesus Christ taught that man's words played a leading part

in the game of life. "By your words ye are justified and by

your words ye are condemned."Many people have brought disaster into their lives through

idle words.

For example: A woman once asked me why her life was

now one of poverty of limitation. Formerly she had a home,

was surrounded by beautiful things and had often tired of

the management of her home, and had said repeatedly,

"I'm

sick and tired of things - I wish I lived in a trunk,

" and she

added: "Today I am living in that trunk." She had spoken

herself into a trunk. The subconscious mind has no sense of

humor and people often joke themselves into unhappy

experiences.

For example: A woman who had a great deal of money,

joked continually about "getting ready for the poorhouse."

In a few years she was almost destitute, having impressed

the subconscious mind with a picture of lack and limitation.

Fortunately the law works both ways, and a situation of

lack may be changed to one of plenty.

For example: A woman came to me one hot summer's day

for a "treatment" for prosperity. She was worn out, dejected

and discouraged. She said she possessed just eight dollars

in the world. I said,

"Good, we'll bless the eight dollars and

multiply them as Jesus Christ multiplied the loaves and

fishes,

" for He taught that every man had the power to

bless and to multiply, to heal and to prosper.

She said,

"What shall I do next?"

to be continued

I replied,

"Follow intuition. Have you a 'hunch' to do

anything, or to go anywhere?" Intuition means, intuition, or

to be taught from within. It is man's unerring guide, and I

will deal more fully with its laws in a following chapter.

The woman replied: "I don't know - I seem to have a

'hunch' to go home; I've just enough money for carfare."

Her home was in a distant city and was one of lack and

limitation, and the reasoning mind (or intellect) would have

said: "Stay in New York and get work and make some

money." I replied,

"Then go home - never violate a hunch."

I spoke the following words for her: Infinite Spirit open

the way for great abundance for --. She is an irresistible

magnet for all that belongs to her by divine right." I told

her to repeat it continually also. She left for home

immediately. In calling on a woman one day, she linked up

with an old friend of her family.

Through this friend, she received thousands of dollars in a

most miraculous way. She has said to me often,

"Tell

people about the woman who came to you with eight

dollars and a hunch."

There is always plenty on man's pathway; but it can only

be brought into manifestation through desire, faith or the

spoken word. Jesus Christ brought out clearly that man

must make the first move.

"Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find,

knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

In the scriptures we read:"Concerning the works of my hands, command ye me."

Infinite Intelligence, God, is ever ready to carry out man's

smallest or greatest demands.

Every desire, uttered or unexpressed, is a demand. We are

often startled by having a wish suddenly fulfilled.

For example: One Easter, having seen many beautiful rose-

trees in the florists' windows, I wished I would receive one,

and for an instant saw it mentally being carried in the door.

Easter came, and with it a beautiful rose-tree. I thanked my

friend the following day, and told her it was just what I had

wanted.

She replied,

"I didn't send you a rose-tree, I sent you lilies!"

"The man had mixed the order, and sent me a rose-tree

simply because I had started the law in action, and I had to

have a rose-tree.

Nothing stands between man and his highest ideals and

every desire of his heart, but doubt and fear. When man can

"wish without worrying,

" every desire will be instantly

fulfilled.

I will explain more fully in a following chapter the

scientific reason for this and fear must be erased from the

consciousness. It is man's only enemy - fear of lack, fear of

failure, fear of sickness, fear of loss and a feeling of

insecurity on some plane. Jesus Christ said: "Why are ye

fearful, oh ye of little faith?" So we can see wemust substitute faith for fear, for fear is only inverted faith;

it is faith in evil instead of good.

The object of the game of life is to see clearly one's good

and to obliterate all mental pictures of evil. This must be

done by impressing the subconscious mind with a

realization of good. A very brilliant man, who has attained

great success, told me he had suddenly erased all fear from

his consciousness by reading a sign which hung in a room.

He saw printed, in large letters this statement - Why worry,

it will probably never happen." These words were stamped

indelibly upon his subconscious mind, and he has now a

firm conviction that only good can come into his life,

therefore only good can manifest.

In the following chapter I will deal with the different

methods of impressing the subconscious mind. It is man's

faithful servant but one must be careful to give it the right

orders. Man has ever a silent listener at his side - his

subconscious mind.

Every thought, every word is impressed upon it and carried

out in amazing detail. It is like a singer making a record on

the sensitive disc of the phonographic plate. Every note and

tone of the singer's voice is registered. If he coughs or

hesitates, it is registered also. So let us break all the old bad

records in the subconscious mind, the records of our lives

which we do not wish to keep, and make new and beautiful

ones.

Speak these words aloud, with power and conviction: "I

now smash and demolish (by my spoken word) everyuntrue record in my subconscious mind. They shall return

to the dust-heap of their native nothingness, for they came

from my own vain imaginings. I now make my perfect

records through the Christ within - The records of Health,

Wealth, Love and perfect self-Expression." This is the

square of life, The Game completed.

In the following chapters, I will show how man can change

his conditions by changing his words. Any man who does

not know the power of the word, is behind the times. "Death and Life are in the power of the tongue."

One of the greatest messages given to the race through the

scriptures is that God is man's supply and that man can

release, through his spoken word, all that belongs to him

by divine right. He must, however, have perfect faith in his

spoken word.

Isaiah said,

"My word shall not return unto me void, but

shall accomplish that where it is sent." We know now, that

words and thoughts are a tremendous vibratory force, ever

moulding man's body and affairs.

A woman came to me in great distress and said she was to

be sued on the fifteenth of the month for three thousand

dollars. She knew no way of getting the money and was in

despair.

I told her God was her supply, and that there is a supply

for every demand.

So I spoke the word! I gave thanks that the woman would

receive three thousand dollars at the right time in the right

way. I told her she must have perfect faith, and act her

perfect faith. The fifteenth came but no money had

materialized.

She called me on the 'phone and asked what she was to do.

I replied,

"It is Saturday, so they won't sue you today, Your

part is to act rich, thereby showing perfect faith that youwill receive it by Monday." She asked me to lunch with her

to keep up her courage. When I joined her at a restaurant, I

said,

"This is no time to economize. Order an expensive

luncheon, act as if you have already received the three

thousand dollars."

"All things whatsoever ye ask in prayer, believing, ye shall

receive." "You must act as if you had already received."

The next morning she called me on the 'phone and asked

me to stay with her during the day, I said "No, you are

divinely protected and God is never too late."

In the evening she 'phoned again, greatly excited and said,

"My dear, a miracle has happened! I was sitting in my

room this morning, when the doorbell rang, I said to the

maid: 'Don't let anyone in.' The maid however, looked out

the window and said,

'It's your cousin with the long white

beard.'

So I said,

'Call him back. I would like to see him.' He was

just turning the corner, when he heard the maid's voice, and

he came back.

He talked for about an hour, and just as he was leaving he

said,

'Oh, by the way, how are finances?'

I told him I needed the money, and he said,

'Why, my dear,

I will give you three thousand dollars the first of the month.

I didn't like to tell him I was going to be sued. What shall I

do? I won't receive it till the first of the month, and I must

have it tomorrow." I said,

"I'll keep on 'treating.'"I said,

"Spirit is never too late. I give thanks she has

received the money on the invisible plane and that it

manifests on time." The next morning her cousin called her

up and said,

"Come to my office this morning and I will

give you the money." That afternoon, she had three

thousand dollars to her credit in the bank, and wrote checks

as rapidly as her excitement would permit.

If one asks for success and prepares for failure, he will get

the situation he has prepared for. For example: A man came

to me asking me to speak the word that a certain debt

would be wiped out.

I found he spent his time planning what he would say to the

man when he did not pay his bill, thereby neutralizing my

words. He should have seen himself paying the debt.

We have a wonderful illustration of this in the bible,

relating to the three kings who were in the desert, without

water for their men and horses. They consulted the prophet

Elisha, who gave them this astonishing message:

"Thus saith the Lord - Ye shall not see wind, neither shall

ye see rain, yet make this valley full of ditches."

Man must prepare for the thing he has asked for, when

there isn't the slightest sign of it in sight.

For example: A woman found it necessary to look for an

apartment during the year when there was a great shortage

of apartments in New York. It was considered almost an

impossibility, and her friends were sorry for her and said,

"Isn't it too bad, you'll have to store your furniture and livein a hotel." She replied,

"You needn't feel sorry for me,

I'm a superman, and I'll get an apartment."

She spoke the words: "Infinite Spirit, open the way for the

right apartment." She knew there was a supply for every

demand, and that she was "unconditioned,

" working on the

spiritual plane, and that "one with God is a majority."

She had contemplated buying new blankets, when the

"tempter," the adverse thought or reasoning mind,

suggested,

"Don't buy the blankets, perhaps, after all, you

won't get an apartment and you will have no use for them."

She promptly replied (to herself): "I'll dig my ditches by

buying the blankets!" So she prepared for the apartment -

acted as though she already had it.

She found one in a miraculous way, and it was given to her

although there were over two hundred other applicants.

The blankets showed active faith.

It is needless to say that the ditches dug by the three kings

in the desert were filled to over-flowing. (Read, II Kings)

Getting into the spiritual swing of things is no easy matter

for the average person. The adverse thoughts of doubt and

fear surge from the subconscious. They are the "army of the

aliens" which must be put to flight. This explains why it is

so often,

"darkest before the dawn."

A big demonstration is usually preceded by tormenting

thoughts.

to be continued