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116 Ghazzalfs Alchemy of Happiness. 



since every one has either children, a house, horses or ser- 

 vants, and that it results, without doubt, in causing a feel- 

 ing of dependence upon them : and hence, no person will 

 be able to escape the torments of the grave," we observe, 

 in reply, that what you say is correct, but then there are 

 persons who have no relations of dependence upon the 

 world, and who always desire death from the Lord God. 

 The prophets themselves did not pass away from the world 

 until they longed for death. You should know also, that 

 the rich who are attached to this world are of two classes. 

 One class includes those, who although they have a love 

 for the world, yet they Jove the blessed God more. An 

 illustration of the character of men of this class, may be 

 found in the man who owns a house in each of two cities ; 

 while living in one of them he has no longing to remove 

 to the other. But it happens that an office is conferred 

 upon him in that other city, and immediately he is over- 

 joyed, and is eager to go there, and makes every prepara- 

 tion to remove thither and to forsake his first house. His 

 longing for an office, leads him to move, and takes away 

 all desire of remaining where he was previously. Now 

 although men of this class have an inclination to the world, 

 yet as on the other side the love of God preponderates, 

 they prefer to go to the future world, and would not in- 

 deed, if it were possible to do otherwise, remain here a day. 

 "When persons of this class die, whose affections prepon- 

 derate towards the other world, they do not experience the 

 torments of the grave. 



The other class, beloved, includes those who are entirely 

 absorbed in the love of the world, and of pleasure. This 

 class cannot escape from the torments of the grave, as the 

 Lord in his everlasting word declares : " There are none of 

 you who will not be precipitated." 1 But some of this class 

 occasionally have a leaning towards eternal truth, especially 



1 S. 19 : 72. 



