,what ,is ,truth8 ,by ,wallace ,d4 ,wattles ,the ,nautilus ,holyoke1 ,massachusetts ,vol4 ,,xi ,nos4 #f-aa ,april-,september1 #aiji ,i4 ,,time4 ,a ,,balloon ,,goes ,,up2 ,a ,,stone ,,falls ,,to ,,earth2 ,,why8 ,,one ,,force ,,in ,,nature--,g ,r ,a ,v ,i ,t ,y4 ,the science of theology and medicine are necessarily very closely allied1 both having to do with the saving of men from the consequences of wrong living2 and it follows that in religion and medicine we are always seeking for realities2 searching the truth2 seeking the ultimate1 spiritual and physical facts upon which to base our theories1 and from which to proceed in making our demonstrations of health and wholeness4 ,and since our demonstrations must and will be complete or incomplete just in proportion to the completeness of our grasp of the realities1 the importance of the search for truth becomes apparent2 the very first thing we have to do is to penetrate through all the appearances of life1 and ascertain the differences between what is really true and what is only apparently true2 for there is often a vast difference between the appearance and the reality4 ,the sun appears to rise and set1 and to go around the earth2 but it does not4 ,a balloon goes up2 and a stone falls to the earth2 in appearance there are two forces at work1 but in reality there is only one--gravity4 ,the reality behind the going up of the balloon and the coming down of the stone is the same4 ,and to seek for the realities behind the appearances of life2 behind its goings up and comings down1 its goings out and comings in1--that is science1 and that is what we are going to try to do4 ,the first of the realities with which we will deal is ,time4 ,it is the fashion with some metaphysical writers to assert that there is no time2 but the arguments advanced in support of this claim are superficial4 ,time is not an entity having substance1 but it is an existing reality1 nevertheless4 ,time is not an idea2 a fiction by which we measure and record the motions of the heavenly bodies2 time would go on just the same and at exactly the same rate if the heavenly bodies were motionless4 ,do not misunderstand me in my use of the word 8time40 ,many people suppose that time began when man began1 and must end when man ends as a mortal and physical being1 and that the periods before and after the earth life of the human race are to be called eternities2 in other words that there can be no time except so long as there is a mortal man to measure it2 but this is erroneous4 ,days1 weeks1 months and years must have gone on before man came on earth1 just as they do now2 and if man disappeared from the earth1 they would still go on4 ,if the earth ceased to revolve around the sun1 and to turn on its axis1 the succession of the seasons and of day and night would cease2 day would be continuous on one side of the earth1 and night upon the other1 but hours and minutes would go on just the same1 and if the sun1 moon1 planets1 stars and all else were to disappear and be succeeded by black1 silent1 formless chaos1 hours and minutes would go on forever4 ,clocks do not make time2 an hour would have the same duration if there were no clocks4 ,in eternity there must still be time2 time is duration in eternity4 ,eternity is endless time4 ,time can never end4 ,if you try to think of a point at which time should end1 you can only think of it as a point beyond which there must be still more time4 ,also1 then1 time can never have had a beginning2 for if you try to think of a point at which time began1 you can only think of it as a point beyond which there must have been still more time4 ,do not say that endless time is unthinkable2 you can very easily think endless time1 if you do not try to think of the end of it4 ,you cannot comprehend endless time1 for that means to contain it in your mind1 or to go around it2 but you can know what it is1 and you can know that it is4 ,time is2 and we must use it1 whether we will or no4 ,and the use we make of present time decides the use we shall be able to make of future time2 just as the use we made of past time has fixed our place in present time4 ,the use we make of today decides the use we shall be able to make of tomorrow4 ,to be strong and wise is to be able to use time well2 and to use time well is to become continually stronger and wiser4 ,success1 growth and development are only attained by the right use of time2 and we are failures today in exact proportion as we have erred in our use of time past ,to know the right use of the present moment is therefore of immense importance2 and to have the will to make the right use of it is more important still4 ,if man can--and will--make the right use of every moment of time1 he must certainly become a being of marvellous power and wholeness4 ,oh1 the wasted time6 ,the misspent time6 ,the lost time6 ,we close this chapter1 then1 by claiming the demonstration of our first fact2 that time is a reality4 ,,ii4 ,,space4 ,,can ,,space ,,have ,,boundaries8 ,bear in mind that in the first chapter we prove that time is an existent reality2 in this chapter we shall try to prove that space also exists4 ,space is the place where a thing is2 and it is also the place where no thing is4 ,space is the place where the earth is2 the earth's diameter being about #g1ibe miles1 it fills so much space2 if the earth were to disappear1 the #g1ibe miles of space would still exist1 but it would then be empty space whereas now it is filled space4 ,the sun1 also1 fills space1 and the distance between the earth and the sun is space2 beyond the sun is more space1 and beyond the earth still more2 and so on4 ,it does not matter whether space is occupied or unoccupied2 empty or filled2 it is space1 all the same4 ,space is a reality4 ,distance is a portion of space between two given points4 ,endless distance would comprise all of space in one direction4 ,space has three dimensions3 ,length1 breadth and thickness4 ,it could never have a beginning1 and can never have an ending4 ,if all created things1 and all substance should disappear1 space would still exist2 it would be merely blank1 empty space1 where now is filled space4 ,also1 space can have no boundaries4 ,if you try to think of a boundary to space1 what will you think of as lying beyond the boundary8 ,something solid8 ,then that something solid must itself occupy space1 while if there is nothing there1 that nothing must be unfilled space4 ,so1 beyond any boundary that you can set for space1 there must be still more space4 ,space is a reality2 beginningless1 endless1 boundless4 ,time is a reality2 and yet1 neither time nor space are substantial things4 ,they possess no power4 ,they do not act1 neither can they be acted upon4 ,time can be used1 and space can be occupied2 and that is what we do with them2 we occupy space and make use of time4 ,space is the field in which we must operate1 and contain the raw materials which we must use4 ,the claim has been made that space is non-existent to mind or spirit1 because it does not require appreciable time for the transference of thought2 but the validity of this deduction has not been proved4 ,the distances with which we are able to deal are very limited2 it might require a measurable time to send thought to the sun1 or to the planet ,mars1 or for a spirit to travel those distances4 ,again1 the argument is advanced that the moon 8acts0 on the earth2 and that1 as a thing cannot act where it is not1 there is no space between the moon and the earth2 but this is puerile4 ,the moon does not1 and cannot act on the earth1 because it does not touch the earth2 if it affects the earth at all1 it must act on something which is between them1 and which in turn acts on the earth4 ,and this something which is between the earth and the moon occupies space4 ,i have spoken of filled space and empty space4 ,i do not know whether empty space exists or not1 but it is quite thinkable that it should exist4 ,there may be portions of empty space1 surrounded by filled space2 or there may be endless extensions of empty space1 side by side with endless extensions of filled space2 ,i do not know4 ,i know that there is filled space1 and that there may be empty space4 ,but1 if there is filled space1 what fills it8 ,the answer to this must be in one word--,substance4 ,that which is not substance is not anything1 and that which is not anything cannot fill space4 ,space is filled by substance1 and cannot be filled by anything else2 but what is substance1 and how do we know that it exists8 ,that we leave for the next chapter1 closing this with the claim that we have demonstrated that we live in space1 and that life consists in making use of time4 ,,iii4 ,substance4 ,,real ,,nature ,,of ,,substance--,a ,,curious ,,fact ,,concerning ,,the ,,growth ,,of ,,vegetables--,,does ,,substance ,,occupy ,,all ,,of ,,space8--,,the ,,three ,,great ,,realities4 ,substance is that which occupies space4 ,in its more compact and rigid forms substance is perceptible by the senses1 and is then called matter2 but in its finer and more ethereal forms1 when it cannot be perceived by the senses1 substance is still matter1 and is essentially the same4 ,the apparently many substances of nature are in reality only varying forms of one ,substance2 the differences between them are due to varying degrees of pressure1 and to the form and rate of vibration of the atoms which compose them4 ,ice is a solid substance2 water a partially fluid substance2 the vapor arising from water verges on the gaseous state2 and oxygen and hydrogen are gases4 ,but a piece of ice may be brought back through all these stages1 and converted into oxygen and hydrogen1 and no change is made in it except that in the fluid state the atoms are less firmly pressed together than in the solid state2 and in the gaseous state the bond of cohesion is still weaker1 and the atoms circulate or roll around each other more freely than in the fluid state4 ,it is now a well-known fact that nearly all the growth of the vegetable kingdom comes from the atmosphere2 trees1 plants and flowers are solidified air4 ,the furniture in our homes1 and the walls of the houses in which we live are merely solidified gases2 burn them1 and they return to their original state1 leaving only a handful of ashes as 8material0 evidence of their existence1 and if we learn to treat these ashes with the right agencies1 they1 too1 will vanish into the ethereal realm4 ,the earth itself1 so firm and solid under our feet1 was indisputably once a ball of flaming gases and vapors1 and in the stage before that1 must it not have been still more ethereal8 ,it is all solidified atmosphere4 ,our own bodies are compounds of gases2 in the crematory the human form vanishes4 ,all things came out from the ether1 and all things are ether1 changed to more or less solid forms by differences in atomic pressure and cohesion4 ,all this brings us to the conclusion that the many seemingly different substances--iron1 wood1 coal1 lime1 water1 etc41 are merely different forms of one thing2 that there is only one elemental substance1 from which all created things are shaped4 ,as we find that solid things are the gaseous atmosphere1 solidified by an increased atomic pressure1 so we shall no doubt find that the gases are produced from one ether1 being brought to the semi fluid state by increased pressure1 and at last we must conclude that there is one perfectly fluid substance1 of which are made all the things which do appear4 ,this ,one ,substance is the stupendous reality behind all the appearances of the material world4 ,we will now take up the study of this substance4 ,first1 we must get rid of the idea that there is anything else4 ,substance is all there is4 ,we live1 and move1 and have our being in substance2 we1 ourselves1 are substance4 ,we must conclude that substance cannot have been created1 for that it should have been formed out of nothing is unthinkable4 ,substance always was2 forms have been created1 and are being continually created1 changed1 and modified2 but the substance of which those forms are made is the same1 yesterday and today and forever4 ,when ,i speak of forms1 ,i mean the so-called 8material0 universe2 suns1 stars1 planets1 seas1 continents1 trees1 plants1 gases1 and the bodies of animals and men2 all these are varying forms of the ,one ,changeless ,substance1 which is all1 and in all4 ,and as this substance has existed through all of time past1 so it will exist through all of time future1 for it is indestructible2 we may change its forms1 but not one particle of it can we destroy4 ,does this substance occupy all of space8 ,evidently not1 for the more nearly we carry its forms to their original state the more fluid they become2 we go from solids back to gases1 and from gases to ether1 and so on2 and we conclude that the one substance must be perfectly fluid1 and if that be so1 its particles cannot be solidly pressed together2 there must be space between them1 as in all fluids4 ,furthermore1 if substance filled all space motion would be impossible2 for substance can only move when there is unoccupied space to move into4 ,and as we know that there is motion1 so we know that there must be empty space4 ,this is a matter of some importance when we come to the study of consciousness2 for if one substance completely filled all space1 it must be absolutely solid1 with its atoms pressed rigidly against each other2 and not only could there be no motion in any part1 but there could be no separate consciousness in any part2 if consciousness were possible at all in a perfectly solid substance1 it could only be the consciousness of the whole4 ,but if there is empty space1 there is not only room for motion1 but there is room for separate portions of substance1 which may be conscious within themselves4 ,if there is empty space1 there is room for man1 as a separate portion of original substance to move about and to have a consciousness of his own4 ,there may be more than one conscious intelligence1 though there is only one substance4 ,we close this chapter with the claim that we have demonstrated the existence of three realities3 time1 space and a substance which moves in space4 ,the next chapter will be devoted to the consideration of consciousness4 ,,iv4 ,,consciousness4 ,,explanation ,,of ,,consciousness4--,,motion ,a ,,kind ,,of ,,action4--,,what ,,effect ,,it ,,has ,,on ,,consciousness--,,brain ,,and ,,consciousness4 ,,which ,,the ,,product ,,of ,,the ,,other8--,,consciousness ,,in ,,vegetable ,,and ,,mineral ,,kingdoms ,,limited ,,while ,,in ,,man ,,almost ,,complete ,that consciousness exists does not need proof2 we know1 and we know that we know4 ,we are conscious of consciousness2 and now we have to consider the source of consciousness4 ,turning back to the realities we have considered1 we find that time cannot be the source of consciousness2 we cannot think of time as being conscious1 and the same is true of space4 ,we cannot conceive of consciousness as existing in empty space1 for there would be nothing there to be conscious2 and so we see that only substance can be conscious4 ,where there is no substance there is nothing1 and there can be no consciousness4 ,this is a proposition which you should consider well1 until you have mastered it in all its bearings2 that there can be no consciousness apart from substance2 that empty space cannot be conscious4 ,if consciousness exists--and it does--there is a ,conscious ,substance4 ,this point we need to develop very fully1 for it is vital4 ,if it is not substance which is conscious1 then consciousness must exist in the interstices between the particles of substance1 or in empty space2 and it is empty space which is conscious1 which is unthinkable4 ,but if consciousness exists in substance1 then it is the substance itself which is conscious2 for there can be nothing in substance but substance4 ,it becomes clear1 too1 that consciousness cannot be the result of functional action within an organism4 ,functional action is merely motion1 and motion is a shifting of substance from one place to another4 ,if consciousness were produced by motion1 would it not still be the substance which was conscious8 ,try to reason out how a substance could be made conscious by shifting it from one place to another4 ,if consciousness was produced by the motion1 then the substance could not have been conscious before it moved1 nor could it remain conscious after it ceased to move4 ,try to think of a substance as becoming conscious1 and endowed with reason1 memory and love while making a certain motion1 and as losing all these when ceasing to move2 try to reason out how motion could come first as a cause1 and consciousness follow as a result4 ,try to conceive of the ,original ,fluid ,substance as beginning1 unconsciously1 to move2 and as producing1 unconsciously1 all the orderly sequences of forms which appear in nature2 and at last1 and only at last1 becoming fully conscious of it all through the unconscious beginning of a certain motion in the brain of man4 ,try to think of full consciousness as having been lacking in the universe until certain vibrations were started in the brain of man2 you will find all this unthinkable4 ,consciousness is not the result of motion1 but the first cause of motion4 ,it is not motion which is conscious1 but substance4 ,the human ego is ,conscious ,substance4 ,the next question is whether consciousness is an attribute of substance only in certain forms1 or whether it inheres in original fluid substance2 and to that we now turn our attention4 ,is it the brain which is conscious8 ,those who have kept abreast of the revelations of modern psychology as set forth by ,william ,hanna ,thompson and others1 know that it is not4 ,the substance of the brain is not conscious2 or at least1 the substance of the brain is not the conscious1 thinking1 reasoning human ego4 ,we have learned that the brain is the product1 rather than the producer of consciousness2 and that the intelligent direction of consciousness in the work of brain-building may produce almost any desired change in the structure and capacity of the brain4 ,furthermore1 there are many evidences which go to show that consciousness is not localized in1 or confined to the brain1 but extends throughout the body2 and that we are conscious1 not with our brains alone1 but with our entire beings4 ,if this should be proved true1 and it is likely to be1 we will have to conclude that the 8physical0 body of man is permeated and pervaded by a conscious substance which is co-extensive with it in every part1 and which is the real man4 ,and we must also conclude that this conscious substance is ,original ,substance1 and in a condition approaching its primal state2 for it becomes apparent as we go on that complete consciousness can only exist in ,original ,substance in its primal state4 ,changes in state and form appear to limit consciousness4 ,the consciousness of the animal creation is limited by their forms1 and is little1 if any1 more than sufficient for the reproduction of those forms2 the consciousness of the tree and plant is still more limited1 but scientists now generally admit that there is consciousness in the vegetable kingdom2 and in the mineral world1 consciousness appears as directivity of atoms1 and chemical affinity4 ,when we come to man1 however1 we find a capacity for growth in consciousness which seems to be unlimited2 hence we argue that man is ,original ,substance in its primal state1 or at least1 that he may attain to the primal state4 ,time is2 space is4 ,space is occupied by conscious substance2 and there is but one substance1 from which are made all the forms of the visible creation4 ,the physical body of man is a form of substance as prepared through the processes of the visible creation2 man1 himself1 is original substance or spirit1 inhabiting this physical body4 8,in the image of ,god created ,he them40 ,it will be seen that while all is ,god1 it is also true that man is man1 an independent entity1 having a consciousness of his own1 and that1 while all is spirit1 matter exists1 being spirit on a varying plane of atomic pressure2 and that while it is true that mind is in all and through all1 perfect consciousness exists only in original substance1 in pure spirit1 or in ,god2 and that the nearest approach to complete consciousness is in man1 whose unlimited capacity for growth proves him to be at least1 a near approach to original substance2 a son of ,god4 ,we close this chapter with the assertion that time is2 that space is1 and that space is occupied by a conscious substance which moves4 ,we will next consider the fourth reality3 ,motion4 ,v4 ,,motion4 ,,motion ,,defined--,,do ,,time ,,and ,,space ,,move8--,,time1 ,,space1 ,,force ,,and ,,attraction ,,compared4--,a ,,logical ,,analysis ,,of 8,,attraction0 ,,by ,,using ,,empty ,,space ,,as ,a ,,basis4 ,i presume no one will deny that motion is a reality2 we know that we move1 and we know that motion is going on all around us4 ,the immensity of motion is staggering when we come to consider it2 the motions of stars1 suns1 planets and satellites2 of rivers1 lakes and seas2 of wind and clouds2 of the circulation of sap and blood2 of atomic vibration1 and so on4 ,motion is the cause of light and heat2 of sound1 tone1 color1 electricity1 magnetism4 ,differences in the shape and motion of atoms make bodies solid or gaseous1 and differentiate the so-called 8substances0 from each other4 ,it may be seen then that motion plays an all-important part in the work of creation2 that motion is the work of creation in progress2 and so the study of motion becomes very important indeed4 ,what is motion8 ,that which moves is neither time nor space2 it is not conceivable that either time or space should move4 ,that which moves is substance4 ,motion1 then1 is a shifting of substance from place to place2 or from one part of space to another part of space4 ,and are there different kinds of motion8 ,in a way1 there are2 and the difference depends upon the time used in making the motion1 and upon the direction in which the motion is made4 ,that is1 there are fast and slow motions2 circular and linear motions2 and those metaphysicians who contend that time and space do not exist should consider that if there is no time there is no such thing as fast and slow motion2 and if there is no space there is no motion at all1 for there is no place to move to4 ,no more preposterous absurdity has appeared in modern thought than the denial of the existence of time and space4 ,motion1 then1 is the shifting of substance in space and time4 ,and what causes motion8 ,to this you will be ready to answer 8forces02 and after a little consideration you will see that that is no answer at all unless you tell what force is4 ,what is force1 and how does it cause substance to move8 ,force is not time2 we cannot think of time as causing motion4 ,force is not space2 we cannot think of space as causing motion4 ,if force is substance and causes motion1 then substance moves itself2 and if force is not substance1 then it is nothing1 or empty space1 and empty space cannot act on substance so as to cause it to move4 ,it is all very well for scientists to write of atoms as being 8electrons0 or ultimate units of force2 but these electrons are either substance or they are not2 and if they are not substance they are nothing but empty space1 and in that case there is no substance1 no existence1 no consciousness1 no anything4 ,either force is substance1 or it is something in substance2 and if it is something in substance which is not substance1 what is it8 ,and how can that which has no substance act on substance so as to cause motion8 ,force is not motion1 for it is the cause of motion and the effect cannot be its own cause4 ,let me now try to give you a definition of force4 ,force is pressure of substance against substance4 ,try to exert force upon anything in any other way than by pressing substance against it2 can you do it8 ,try to cause a body to move in any other way than by pressing something against it2 can you do it8 ,try to conceive of force as being exerted upon any body without pressing anything against it2 try to conceive of force as crossing a complete vacuum where is no substance of any kind4 ,force is pressure of substance2 that it can be anything else is not thinkable4 ,and this brings us to the consideration of what is loosely spoken of as 8attraction40 ,it is stated that all solid bodies 8attract0 each other1 and that every body in the universe attracts every other body2 but those who make these assertions do not tell us how the attraction is accomplished4 ,if bodies 8attract0 each other1 then they exert force upon each other2 and if they exert force upon each other they must cause pressure upon each other2 for how can a body exert force upon another except by causing pressure upon it8 ,if 8attraction0 is an unsubstantial thing1 then it cannot affect substance1 or cause motion2 if it is an unsubstantial thing1 then it is empty space2 for where there is no substance there is only empty space4 ,can you think of an 8attraction0 crossing an empty space8 ,what would it be like1 and how would it get across8 ,can you think of a 8vibration0 as crossing an empty space8 ,how would it be transmitted where there was nothing to vibrate8 ,can you think of a force as crossing an empty space8 ,what would be the shape1 size and general appearance of a force apart from substance8 ,by considering all these points we see that what we know as force is simply pressure of substance2 or1 one portion of substance pressing against another portion of substance2 and that force can be nothing else than this4 ,and we see that pressure causes motion1 and that motion1 in turn1 causes pressure2 so that force and motion are mutually convertible1 each into the other4 ,also1 we see that there is only one force1 the pressure of substance2 and that all the so-called 8forces0 of nature are merely different rates and modes of motion1 and have their origin in the ,one ,force--pressure of substance4 ,furthermore1 we see that there is no such thing as a universal attraction which bodies exert upon each other1 but that there is a universal pressure1 impelling all bodies toward each other in a definite and orderly way2 and to the study of this universal pressure we will next turn our attention4 ,time1 space1 substance and motion exist4 ,substance is conscious4 ,motion is caused by pressure of substance against substance1 and the varying forms of substance in the visible creation are caused by differences in motion4 ,,vi4 ,,the ,,beginning ,,of ,,motion4 ,,origin ,,of ,,motion--,,an ,,exposition ,,of ,,force ,,and ,,motion ,,founded ,,on ,,the ,,theory ,,of ,,space ,,being ,,occupied ,,by ,a ,,fluid ,,conscious ,,substance--,,has ,,motion ,,ever ,a ,,beginning8--,,will ,,and ,,will-,,pressure ,,on ,,motion--,,will ,,of ,,god ,,the ,,one ,,compelling ,,power ,to understand force and motion1 we must go back to a supposititious creation4 ,conceive1 first1 of space as being occupied by completely conscious substance in a perfectly fluid state2 conscious throughout1 alike throughout1 and without motion4 ,now1 can you conceive of motion as beginning in any part of this substance without an act of will8 ,can you think of your conscious self as beginning to act1 and as continuing to act in an orderly and consecutive series of motions without an effort of will8 ,if1 as we have seen1 original substance is completely conscious1 then its every motion must be a conscious motion2 and we cannot think of conscious motion without will4 ,you are aware that you can consciously originate motion yourself2 but you cannot do it without will4 ,you are conscious substance2 you can be nothing else as we have seen1 and you can move or cease to move by an exertion of your will1 and in moving or ceasing to move you cause the body you inhabit to move or cease to move4 ,we see motion beginning and ceasing all around us2 and we conclude that every motion had a beginning2 and that the beginning of the series of creative motions which have resulted in the present universe of forms could only have been in an action of the will of ,original ,conscious ,substance4 ,in the beginning1 then1 by an act of will1 parts of substance were made to press against each other2 and this pressure must pack the substance together1 making it more dense1 more rigid1 and less fluid4 ,this pressure1 also1 must originate the motions we know as light1 heat1 electricity and magnetism2 and this will-pressure1 drawing substance together and holding it in coherent masses1 is what we call gravity4 ,it is this will-pressure which brings an apple to the earth1 and which holds the earth itself in its orbit2 which tends to bring all the heavenly bodies together1 and which yet holds them apart forever1 keeping each in its own place4 ,there is no accounting for 8attraction0 on other grounds than that it is the ,creative ,will of ,original ,substance1 pressing itself together into forms4 ,every phenomenon of force or motion1 from the circling sweep of a planet to the vibration of an atom1 has its origin in the will of the great ,intelligent ,substance to which1 or to whom1 men have given the name of ,god4 ,the earth is held together solely by the pressure of the will which permeates it2 were that will relaxed1 the earth would return instantly to its original fluid condition4 ,try to think of substance as being held together by something else than will2 try to think of substance1 originally fluid1 as being pressed into solid shapes and held in solid shapes1 and going on in orderly and consecutive motions without will2 and you will find it unthinkable4 ,the earth is a part of ,conscious ,being1 holding itself in form by the exercise of the will which is in all substance2 gravity is the will exerted by substance in pressing itself into form2 so also is chemical affinity1 or the directivity of atoms4 ,all motion originates in will-pressure4 ,trace back the motion of the wheels to the engine and thence to the coal2 and you say that the latent heat-energy of the coal is causing motion4 ,but what lodged the heat-energy in the coal8 ,was it the will-pressure of gravity1 in the distant ages8 ,there is only one force1 and that is the will of the ,great ,intelligence2 the eternal creative pressure1 moving substance into the various forms in which it appears to us4 ,in the beginning was ,god1 ,spirit1 ,conscious ,substance1 occupying the calm deeps of space4 ,an act of will1 and there was sufficient pressure to produce the particles of the luminiferous ether1 whose vibrations produce light2 and there was light4 ,a further act of will1 increasing pressing of substance together1 and nebulous clouds appear2 and by the ,great ,will these were pressed into spheres with all the accompanying phenomena of the motions of heat and electricity2 and so the creation of forms went1 on until the visible universe appeared as it is2 formed of one substance1 by the ,will of ,god1 and maintained and held together by the continued exercise of that ,great ,will4 ,the question of motive comes in just here4 ,we cannot conceive of continuous1 orderly and systematic action without a motive2 and the question must come to our minds1 what is the motive of the ,great ,one in ,his work8 ,with a little reflection1 the answer must present itself4 ,he is seeking happiness4 ,we cannot conceive of a conscious being as continuously seeking pain1 inharmony or misery4 ,conscious action can have but one motive1 and that motive is ultimate harmony or happiness4 ,the purpose of ,god in the creation can be nothing else than ,his own happiness1 and since he is ,all and in ,all4 ,his happiness can only be attained in the happiness of all4 ,remember that the purpose of the creation is the happiness of all1 including yourself1 and that to be unhappy is to oppose the will of the ,great ,intelligence4 ,look now upon the immensity of the visible universe1 and contemplate the power of the ,creator2 see that in all and through all1 from the rolling on a planetary system to the rising of the sap in a blade of grass1 the one impelling power is the ,will of ,god4 ,and this ,great ,intelligence is seeking pleasure and happiness in us1 and through us4 ,shall we doubt1 then1 that ,he can and will heal our diseases1 give us every good thing that we need1 and guide us into all truth8 ,in the next chapter1 we shall consider man's relation to this ,great ,intelligence4 ,,vii4 ,,man ,,and ,,his ,,powers4 ,,what ,,makes ,,you ,,man--,,the ,,conscience ,,of ,,the ,,all-,,wise--,,health ,,the ,,highest ,,good--,,abundance ,,secondary-,,live ,,in ,,constant ,,and ,,conscious ,,contact ,,with ,,the ,,great ,,independent ,,substance ,,and ,,be ,,ideal6 ,the universe is a ,great ,being1 who is seeking happiness in and through the forms which he creates from his own substance2 and of all these forms1 man alone has power to enter into intelligent relations with the ,creator4 ,to state it in other words1 the great intelligence is seeking happiness in you1 and you have power to co-operate intelligently with him in the search4 ,that is what makes you man2 the power to work with ,god in the search for happiness4 ,and if this ,great ,one seeks your happiness1 it must be your most permanent and perfect happiness2 that is1 your highest good2 for being conscious of all that there is to be conscious of1 and knowing all that there is to know1 he is all-wise2 and we cannot think of the all-wise as seeking anything less than the highest good1 or as being satisfied with anything less than the highest good4 ,as far as your physical body is concerned1 the highest good that can come to you is unquestionably perfect health4 ,the notion that there are circumstances under which pain and sickness are better for man than perfect health must take its place among those superstitious beliefs which have been exploded and discredited4 ,pain and sickness may be good for man if he takes them rightly1 but perfect health is always far better if he takes that rightly2 and it is a self-evident proposition that ,god can find complete delight in man only as man is completely whole4 ,the ,great ,intelligence1 then1 seeks perfect health and wholeness in you2 and the substance of the ,living ,one1 filled with life and power1 presses upon you on every side1 seeking to impart life and power to you1 but you being a portion of that great intelligence1 are supreme within your own personality1 and so you will have health or not as you receive and recognize this health of ,god1 ,if you fail to recognize and receive the ,all-health1 and if you recognize disease within yourself1 you prevent ,god from reaching you2 and you form within yourself that which you recognize as existing4 ,if you continuously recognize the perfect health of the ,intelligent ,substance1 in which you live and move and are1 and of which you are a part1 you cannot be otherwise than well4 ,it is another self-evident truth that man's highest good demands that he should have the use of all the things he is capable of using in order to live all the life he is capable of living4 ,man's highest good1 and his real happiness can be attained only when he has abundance for every physical and mental need4 ,just as it is true that ,god cannot fully delight in you if you are physically sick1 so it is true that he cannot find happiness through you if you are mentally or physically starved1 or lacking the essentials for life1 growth and enjoyment4 ,happiness consists in living fully2 and ,god can live fully in you only when you have everything to live with4 ,so1 the desire of the ,great ,one for you must be that you shall have abundance4 ,but here again you are supreme within yourself4 ,what if ,god presses abundance upon you1 and you persist in recognizing only privation and poverty8 ,if that be the case1 you will remain poor in the midst of abundance1 as millions of people are doing2 and to be poor1 or in want is to oppose the will of ,god1 who seeks happiness in all1 and for all4 ,we are parts of himself1 and what can he do when his will is opposed and his bounty rejected by a part of himself8 ,the solution of man's problems of health1 wealth1 and growth can be reached when man unifies himself with ,god1 the ,great ,intelligent ,spirit1 ,substance1 who seeks life and happiness in man2 and man can unify himself with ,god only by constantly recognizing ,god2 by considering and acknowledging ,god1 and by looking to ,god in prayer4 ,the prayer of faith is really an affirmation2 and an affirmation is the recognition of an existing fact4 ,when you live in constant and conscious contact with the great intelligent substance you can have no sickness2 and his desire for happiness in you will cause the exertion of that mighty will-pressure to bring to you all the things that make for your highest good4 ,the man who can completely unify himself with the divine substance becomes a center toward which the divine will impels every desirable thing2 and that man will not1 and cannot1 lack for anything4 ,the universe is a ,great ,being2 an intelligent substance1 occupying space and using time4 ,his desire leads ,him to create forms from ,his own substance1 and in these forms ,he seeks happiness4 ,man has but to unify himself with this ,great ,being to secure the supply of every need1 and the gratification of every desire4 ,man only needs to learn how to pray and how to work4 ,transcriber's ,notes ,perceived typographical errors have been silently corrected4 ,new original cover art included with this e,book is granted to the public domain4