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bitterness, then in his sorrow he thinks of nobler things. When he is deprived of earthly joy, he aspires to the joy which is heavenly. It is when impurity turns to suf- fering that purity is sought. Truly aspira- tion rises, phoenix-like, from the dead ashes of repentance, but on its powerful pinions man can reach the heaven of heavens.

The man of aspiration has entered the way which ends in peace; and surely he will reach that end if he stays not nor turns back. If he constantly renews his mind with glimpses of the heavenly vision, he will reach the heavenly state.

Man attains in the measure that he as- pires. His longing to be is the gauge of what he can be. To fix the mind is to fore- ordain the achievement. As man can expe- rience and know all low things, so he can experience and know all high things.

As he has become human, so he can become divine. The turning of the mind in high [ ^°] jTrom pa00ion to Peace and divine directions is the sole and need- ful task. ^hat is impurity but the impure thoughts of the thinker? What is purity but the pure thoughts of the thinker?

One man does not do the thinking of another. Each man is pure or impure of himself alone. If a man thinks, "It is through others, or circumstances, or heredity that I am im- pure," how can he hope to overcome his errors? Such a thought will check all holy aspirations, and bind him to the slavery of passion.

When a man fully perceives that his er- rors and impurities are his own, that they are generated and fostered by himself, that he alone is responsible for them, then he will aspire to overcome them, the way of attainment will be opened up to him, and he will see whence and whither he is travelling.

The man of passion sees no straight path before him, and behind him all is fog and gloom. He seizes the pleasure of the mo- [ " ] JFtom Pa00ion to Peace mcnt, and does not strive for understand- ing or think of wisdom. His way is con- fused, turbulent, troubled, and his heart is far from peace.

The man of aspiration sees before him the pathway up the heavenly heights, and behind him are the circuitous routes of passion up which he has hitherto blindly groped. Striving for understanding, and his mind set on wisdom, his way is clear, and his heart already experiences a foretaste of the final peace.

Men of passion strive mightily to achieve little things, — things which speedily perish, and, in the place where they were, leave nothing to be remembered. Men of aspiration strive with equal might to achieve great things — things of virtue, of knowledge, of wisdom, which do not perish, but stand as monuments of inspi- ration for the uplifting of mankind.

As the merchant achieves worldly suc- cess by persistent exertion, so the saint [12] jFrom Passion to peace achieves spiritual success by aspiration and endeavor. One becomes a merchant, the other a saint, by the particular diredion in which his mental energy is guided.