“So shall the opposing forces be clearly indicated. So shall each man find his own purpose clearly defined. So shall the wars within wars cease among men, and the fight be with you, as it is with us, between purposes and forces known and united, one against the other, until all purposes of destruction have been conquered and transformed, and the Great Purpose rendered free to progress to greater glories without end. “This is the twelfth lesson.” NOTES Asked to explain one phrase in the first Lesson, “the original purposes were all good,” Mary K. said: “All were balanced. There is no evil that may not be good in proper combination. Evil is the gathered force of undirected and not fully animated good, combined in a destructive purpose by the attraction I mentioned.” * * * * * An apparent contradiction of a statement in the first Lesson—“All pure purpose is fearless, whether for good or evil”—by one in the second Lesson—“The forces of disintegration are wily, but fearful. Bullies and cowards”—seemed to imply that forces of disintegration are not pure purpose. Mary K. explained: “They are pure purpose, fearless in pursuance of destruction, wily in bringing it about, brutal in consummating it, but cowards individually. Fearless of consequences when they pursue, but fearful when they fail. Like Germans.” * * * * * Early in June, I discovered a relation between the definition of Eternal Purpose in the second paragraph of the third Lesson, and the divisions of the purpose of Progress near the end. “Eternal purpose is perfect justice (Justice), perfect fearlessness (Production), perfect understanding (Light), perfect honesty (Truth), perfect sympathy (Healing), perfect unity (Building), and eternal growth (Progress), which is progress perfectly expressed.” * * * * * The end of the seventh Lesson seemed obscure, until the relation between its clauses was discovered. Written thus, its meaning is clear: “(1) No man is free who commands not himself. (2) No man is free who forgets his brother. (3) No man is free who fears to follow his purpose with all his force. (4) No man is free who fails to carry his share of the common load. He may have wealth and luxury, yet is he slave (1) _if he commands not himself_. He may be tempted by beauty (2) _to forget his brother_, yet is he slave, _if he commands not himself_. He may be frightened by calamity (3) _in following his purpose_, yet is he slave, _if he commands not himself_. He may be beaten by strangers (4) _while carrying his share of the common load_, yet is he slave _if he commands not himself_.” * * * * * _9th Lesson._