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I feel that many social and economic changes are coming to the race, the advance movement of which has even now begun. But I believe that the real change will come not alone by reason of the dissatisfaction of the masses, and the increasing burden of living under the present economic conditions, but also by reason of the dawning “social conscience” of the race. I believe that this “social conscience” is a forerunner of the cosmic consciousness of which I have spoken. I believe that the evolving sense of the oneness of all life—the dawning awareness that life is one at the last, and that each is a part of that One, and closely related to every other part—will bring about a new sense of the brotherhood of man. Already we may see signs of this dawning consciousness of the race. Men are beginning to feel the “world pain.” When we feel the pain of our brother, then we will be impelled to relieve his pain. The sympathy which comes from the growing and extending consciousness of the individual, must eventually cause the pain of one to be the pain of all—the joy of one to become the joy of all. With this enlarged consciousness must necessarily come the tearing down of the present cruel conditions which afflict so many of our brothers and sisters, and the building up of a new social and economic structure in which the human family will be felt to include every individual, even the lowest and most unworthy; and with this feeling must come the exertion of every power of the race to raise up the downtrodden and depraved, and to unite all once more at the table of the Father. I predict that in this way will come the “social revolution” that so many have looked for in some other form.

I predict that these and other great and wonderful changes shall and will come to the human thought of to-morrow, and that the active principle operating under and in all these changes will be seen to be that most marvelous of all forces known to man—the Law of Love. Just as the original self-love of the primitive man developed so as to include his mate, and then his offspring; then his family; then his tribe; then his confederation of tribes; then his nation; then all of kindred speech and beliefs; then in constantly broadening circles according to his development—so will the man of to-morrow, feeling the dawning Cosmic Consciousness, learn to love every living thing , reaching out extend understanding, sympathy and love to the all in All. For at the last, Love not only “makes the world go round,” but is also the cause of every uplift and improvement that the world has ever experienced. Indeed, many careful thinkers believe that in Love we have the explanation of Evolution itself.

William Marion Reedy says:

“Man has always felt that there was nothing inanimate, from the beginning of time. His intuition has always been in advance of his reason. His poetry has led his science everywhere. The Oneness of things is being demonstrated in these days; that is all.…God, in every language was both masculine and feminine. Life is but force. Matter holds together by force. Matter therefore has life.…The star is brother to the clod; the moth is kin to the mastodon. Worlds are made to blossom in space as flowers are fructified by floating pollen. Mingling atoms make suns. Cell seeks affinity with cell. Dust blown from the unimaginable outer rim of silence finds its fellow dust and a nebula is formed, and from that nebula suns and systems of suns. Worlds in contact give birth to worlds. The crystals meet and kiss and mingle and produce other crystals.…Love is the only law. Love is spirit, and matter the child of spirit. All this any man who reads may know.…But where does it end—this intelligent Love? There is a limit to the finite. But the finite is part of the Infinite. It would seem that the pursuit of the law of love would bring one only to the unknowable, pushing it only a little further back. Love may follow where love leads—unto the essence of God even—for God is Love. The material aspect of love, dwelt on so far, need not deter us from pushing ‘farther North.’ To those who believe in the Oneness of Matter and Spirit, there is no unknowable. The end of the law of Love, and of the spiritual faculties for its perception, can be the knowing of this unknowable—union with the Infinite. Let us make a flight.”

And this then is my feeble conception of what to-morrow may bring forth. I may have erred in the details, but I feel certain that I have seen and mentioned the general trend of the coming thought. The urge of Evolution, material, mental and spiritual, is still under way. The womb of the future contains unborn good beyond the wildest dreams, hopes and anticipations of man. The very hopes and aspirations of the highest of the race are but prophecies of their ultimate fulfillment and realization. But, after all, the mere intellectual conception of philosophies, metaphysics, theologies, theories of all sorts and kinds are of the mind alone—the only satisfying realization is that which comes from the soul itself , the message of the spirit. The realization indwelling in the soul of each brings to the troubled mind “that peace which passeth all understanding,” and stills the tempest raging within the thought of each individual who dares ask himself “why?” and “how?” After traveling round and round the endless circle of thought—after running up all the blind-alleys of speculation—rest and peace come only when one regains the Holy of Holies within his soul.

For at the end of our philosophical speculations, how many of us but echo the words of Emerson:

“I laugh at the love and the pride of man,

At the sophist schools and the learned clan,

For what are they all, in their high conceit,

When man in the bush with God may meet?”

How many a soul perplexed by circular reasoning; fatigued by running around the speculative wheel of the squirrel-cage of thought; or bruised by having dashed its wings against the bars of the cage of Experience, in which it has been confined, finds comfort and peace in the words of good old Newman:

“Lead kindly Light, amid the encircling gloom;

Lead thou me on,

The night is dark, and I am far from home;

Lead thou me on,

Keep thou my feet; I do not ask to see

The distant scene; one step enough for me,

Lead thou me on.”

Finis.

Table of Content

CHAPTER I. "IN THE BEGINNING"

CHAPTER II. THINGS AS THEY ARE

CHAPTER III. THE UNIVERSALITY OF LIFE AND MIND

CHAPTER IV. LIFE AND MIND AMONG THE ATOMS

CHAPTER V. THE STORY OF SUBSTANCE

CHAPTER VI. SUBSTANCE AND BEYOND

CHAPTER VII. THE PARADOX OF SCIENCE

CHAPTER VIII. THE FORCES OF NATURE

CHAPTER IX. RADIANT ENERGY

CHAPTER X. THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

CHAPTER XI. THE THEORY OF DYNAMIC THOUGHT

CHAPTER XII. THE LAW OF VIBRANT ENERGY

CHAPTER XIII. THE RIDDLE OF THE SPHINX

CHAPTER XIV. THE MYSTERY OF MIND

CHAPTER XV. THE FINER FORCES OF THE MIND

CHAPTER XVI. THOUGHT IN ACTION

Table of Content

THIS book will deal with Life. It holds that Life is Universal—that it is inherent in, and manifests (in different degrees) in every part, particle, phase, aspect, condition, place, or relationship, in the World of Things that we call the Universe.

It holds that Life manifests in two aspects or forms, which are generally found by us in connection and co-operation with each other, but which are both, probably, an expression of some One Thing higher than either. These two aspects or forms, which together go to make up or produce that which we know as "Life," are known as (1) Substance or Matter; and (2) Mind. In this book the term "Substance" is used in preference to "Matter," owing to the fact that the term "Matter" has become closely identified with certain ideas of the Materialistic school of thought, and has generally been regarded by the public in the light of "dead matter," whereas this book holds that all Substance is Alive. The term "Mind" is used in the sense of "Mind, as we know it ," rather than as "Mind, as it is "—or, as "The Cosmic Mind." In some places the term "Mind-principle" is used to convey the idea of "a portion of the Great Principle of Mind, of which that which we call 'Mind' is but a small and but partially expressed portion." These terms are explained and illustrated as we proceed. The aspect of "Energy or Force" is not treated as a separate aspect or form of Life, in this book, for the reason that it is regarded as merely a manifestation of Mind, as will appear as we proceed. We have much to say regarding Motion, but the writer has tried to explain and prove that, at the last, all Motion results from Mental Action, and that all Force and Energy is Vital-Mental Force and Energy.