living a life in harmony with Divine Law. [5] At this point it is
necessary to point out that most of man's troubles are not caused
by fate at all, but are due to his fighting against or trying to
resist the great plan. If the experiences of life are resisted, or
an attempt is made to evade its discipline, troubles and difficulties
will repeat, becoming more painful and insistent until their lesson
is learnt and the life changed accordingly. Therefore man has it in
his power greatly to improve his present life, as well as to create
a far better future, simply by living his life to-day in harmony with
Divine Law. Further, it is necessary to point out that all thought
and action have an _immediate_ as well as a far reaching effect. It
is true that the full effect of life here is not reaped until after
our little course on this plane has been run, but great differences
are effected in the present life nevertheless. The way a youth makes
use of, or throws away his opportunities, either makes or mars, to
a very large extent, his adult career. Opportunities, once allowed
to pass, can never be recalled. Sins committed and wrongs done to
our fellow men have an unpleasant habit of repeating themselves in
a reversed way later in life. For instance, a man may get on in life,
and, in his selfish climb, may trample on one weaker than himself,
ruining him and driving him to despair. Years afterwards, he will
probably be treated in exactly the same way by someone stronger and
more favourably situated than himself. Therefore, there is an
immediate sowing and reaping that finds fruition in this life. By
"immediate" is meant, within the compass of this life. The reaping
may be delayed ten or twenty years, but in the writer's experience,
it not infrequently comes. "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he
also reap." Those, therefore, who think that life is not just, and
who whine and complain about the way they are treated, are simply
increasing their own troubles. Until man realizes that the cause of
all his troubles is within himself he can never do anything to remedy