Page 72 - 102717-James Allen-Byways to Blessedness-flipbookversion_Neat

68 BYWAYS TO BLESSEDNESS

immaterial substance for a spiritual thing. You must yield up some passion or lust or vanity or
indulgence before the spiritual possession can be yours. The miser who clings to his money and
will not give up any of it because of the pleasure which its possession affords him cannot have any
of the material comforts of life. He lives in continual want and discomfort in spite of all his wealth.
The man who will not give up his passions, who clings to anger, unkindness, sensuality, pride,
vanity, self-indulgence, for the momentary pleasure which their gratification affords him is a
spiritual miser; he cannot have any spiritual comforts, and suffers continual spiritual want and
uneasiness in spite of the wealth of worldly pleasures which he fondly hugs and refuses to give up.
The man who is wise in worldly things neither begs nor steals, but labours and purchases, and
the world honours him for his uprightness. The man who is wise in spiritual things neither begs
nor steals, but labours in his own inner world, and purchases his spiritual possessions. Him the

whole universe honours for his righteousness.
It is another law in worldly things that a man who engages himself to another in any form of
employment shall be content with the wages upon which he agreed. If at the end of his week’s
work, and on receiving his wages, he were to ask his employer for a larger sum, pleading that,
though he could not justly claim it and did not really deserve it, yet he expected it, he would not
only not receive the larger sum but would, doubtless, be discharged from his post. Yet in spiritual
things men do not think it to be either foolish or selfish to ask for those blessings — spiritual
wages — upon which they never agreed, for which they never laboured, and which they do not
deserve. Every man gets from the law of the universe that upon which he agrees and for which he
works — no more, no less; and he is continually entering into agreements with the Supreme Law
— the Master of the universe. For every thought and act which he gives he receives its just
equivalent; for all work done in the form of deeds he receives the wages due to him. Knowing this,
the enlightened man is always content, always satisfied, and in perfect peace, knowing that
whatever he receives (be it that men call misfortune or good fortune) he has earned. The Great
Law never cheats any man of his just due, but it says to the railer and the complainer “Friend didst
thou not agree with me for a penny a day?”
Again, if a man would grow rich in worldly goods he must economise, and husband his
financial resources until he has accumulated sufficient capital to invest in some branch of
industry; then he must judiciously invest his little store of capital, neither holding it too tightly nor
letting it go carelessly. He thus increases both in worldly wisdom and worldly riches. The idle
spendthrift cannot grow rich; he is wasteful and riotous. He who would grow rich in spiritual
things must also economise, and husband his mental resources. He must curb his tongue and his
impulses, not wasting his energy in idle gossip, vain argument, or excesses of temper. In this way
he will accumulate a little store of wisdom which is his spiritual capital, and this he must send out
into the world for the good of others, and the more he uses it the richer will he become. Thus does
a man increase in both heavenly wisdom and heavenly riches. The man who follows his blind
impulses and desires and does not control and govern his mind is a spiritual spendthrift. He can
never become rich in divine things.
It is a physical law that if we would reach the summit of a mountain we must climb thither. The
path must be sought and then carefully followed, and the climber must not give up and go back