ion to it places us in antagonism with a force immeasurably
greater than ourselves.

Our Thought always continues to be creative; but in destructive use it
becomes creative for destructive forces, and, since it has its origin in
our own personality, we are certain sooner or later to feel its effects,
on the principle that every action always produces a corresponding
reaction. As we have seen, the Law knows nothing of persons, but acts
automatically in strict accord with the nature of the power which has
set it in motion. Under negative conditions the great Law of the
Universe becomes your adversary, and must continue to be so, until by
your altered mode of Thought you put yourself in line with it.

But on the other hand, if our intention be to co-operate with the Great
Law, we shall find that in it also exists a mysterious "Soul of the
Subject," which will respond to us, however imperfectly we may
understand its _modus operandi_. It is the intention that counts, not
the theoretical knowledge. The knowledge will grow by experience and
meditation, and its value is measured entirely by the intention that is
at the back of it.

CHAPTER VI

THE PROMISES

We have now, I hope, laid a sufficiently broad foundation of the
relation between the Law and the Word. The Law cannot be changed, and
the Word can. We have two factors, one variable, and the other
invariable; so that from this combination any variety of resultants may
be expected. The Law cannot be altered, but it can be specialized, just
as iron can be made to float by the same law by which it sinks. Now let
us try to figure out in our imagination an ideal of the sort of results
we should want to bring out from these two factors.

In the first place I think we should like to be free from all worry and
anxiety; for a life of continual worry is not worth living. And in the
second we should like always to have something to look forward to and
feel an interest in; for a life entirely devoid of all interest is also
not worth living. But, granted that these two conditions be fulfilled,
I think we should all be well pleased to go on living _ad infinitum_.
Now can we conceive any combination of the Law and the Word which would
produce such results? that is the question before us. The first step is
to generalize our principle as widely as possible, for the wider the
generalization, the larger becomes the scope for specialization. The
invariable factor we already know