PREFACE. xxi 



because he has a Soul, an independent incorporeal im- 

 mortal energizing intelligent Essence, which, being a 

 portion of the Soul with which God animated the 

 Universe, was created before the body, and was infused 

 into it. It is threefold Mind or Eeason, Desire, and 

 Spirit, which can receive God, and become a consort 

 of Deity, having intellect and speech immortal pro- 

 perties, that Man may contemplate and worship his 

 Creator. The greatest disease of the Soul is ungodliness 

 and ignorance of God. 



Man, being an imperfect, fallible, and composite being, 

 cannot know The God of himself; but those to whom The 

 God of His own free will imparts this faculty can do so. 

 He is ever desirous and willing to be known; and to those 

 who are pure, and who wish for this knowledge, He reveals 

 Himself by imparting to them of His Mind, which is of 

 the very essence of the Divinity, and joined to it as the 

 light is to the Sun. Not that Mind is God; but that The 

 God is the cause of Mind. This Mind in men is God. 

 Such men therefore have their humanity near to Deity, for 

 He is their very Father; when they leave the body, they 

 become this Mind. They must seek the knowledge of Him, 

 which is virtue, temperance, piety, salvation, and ascent to 

 Heaven. The God created all things perfect. Man has 

 become depraved; but has free choice of good and evil. 



To attain this state, then, men must hate and mortify 

 the flesh, its vices and excesses, reject the depravity and 

 ignorance of earth, where Truth does not exist; the 

 wickedness, darkness, and corruption of the body; they 

 must recur and look in heart to Him, Who can alone show 

 the way of salvation. 



The mode of accomplishing this, which can only be done 

 by the help of God, Who is willing to reveal Himself 

 to all, is by ridding themselves of the twelve principal 

 vices, and acquiring in their place the ten cardinal virtues. 

 When these shall be so acquired, man becomes fitted to 

 ascend to the Ogdoad, the eighth Circle, to the presence of 

 God his Father, to become immortal, part of His Essence 



