In these studies I have tried ever to be mindful of my own limitations, and not to forget that a fraction of humanity can never hope to comprehend the fullness of truth. Of that side of the spiritual sphere which has been turned toward me, and of that alone, have I presumed to write. All that I claim for this book is that it is the contribution of one, anxious to know what is true, toward a better understanding of a subject which is daily receiving wider recognition and more thorough consideration.
Amory H. Bradford.
Montclair, new Jersey,
August 30, 1902.
CONTENTS Page
The Soul 1
The Awakening of the Soul 25
The First Steps 47
Hindrances 71
The Austere 97
Re-Awakening 125
The Place of Jesus Christ 151
The Inseparable Companion 181
Nurture and Culture 209
Is Death the End? 237
Prayers for the Dead 265
The Goal 289
THE SOUL
It is no spirit who from heaven
hath flown
And is descending on his embassy;
Nor traveler gone from earth
the heaven t’espy!
’Tis Hesperus—there
he stands with glittering crown,
First admonition that the
sun is down,—
For yet it is broad daylight!—clouds
pass by;
A few are near him still—and
now the sky,
He hath it to himself—’tis
all his own.
O most ambitious star! an
inquest wrought
Within me when I recognized
thy light;
A moment I was startled at
the sight;
And, while I gazed, there
came to me a thought
That even I beyond my natural
race
Might step as thou dost now:—might
one day trace
Some ground not mine; and,
strong her strength above,
My soul, an apparition in
the place,
Tread there, with steps that
no one shall reprove!
—Wordsworth.
I
THE SOUL
Subjects which a few years ago were regarded as the exclusive property of cultured thinkers, are now common themes of thought and conversation. Psychology has been popularized. Materialistic doctrines are at a discount even in this age of physical science.
It is difficult to explain the somewhat sudden appearance of intense interest in questions which have to do with the life of the spirit; but, whatever the theory of its genesis, there is no doubt of its presence. This, therefore, is a favorable time for a somewhat extended study of the stages through which we pass in our spiritual growth. I shall endeavor to use the inductive method in this inquiry, and trust that I am not presumptuous in giving to these essays the title,