But the Bible is the "textbook of the soul", and gives us examples of everything that could happen to any human being. It states exactly what happens, and how people learn to get out of it.

(You will notice they all get out of their difficulties in the same way: by prayer.)

To translate the Bible's message in 20th century English, we might say that this is a mental and spiritual world we live in; a mental and spiritual universe, where "thoughts are things", as William James told us.
By Divine endowment, we are creators. We can think things into existence, and by the same token we can think them out of existence.

There isn't a thing in the world that has ever been done, there is not a thing in the world that ever will be done, that first is not a thought or an idea. If an architect builds a skyscraper, he must first have the idea of the type of building, then draw the blueprint, before it can be constructed, But he had to have the idea, .and the idea is what comes into effect.

The thing that is so marvelous for all of us, and so simple, is the fact that you can always choose your ideas.

What kind of life would you have? Tell me your life, and I'll tell you what you have been thinking. That applies to each and every one of us. You can always choose your own thought, your blueprint of the life you are building for yourself. Nobody else can choose it for you.

That very simple fact - that you have free choice of thought - is really dynamite. It is the answer to your regeneration or degeneration.

Nobody else can make your choice for you. Nobody can change your thinking for you. You can listen to me, you can listen to every metaphysical teacher in the world, read every book on the subject, but you have to do it for yourself.

I could invite you to my home for dinner, cook you a wonderful meal, serve it to you most beautifully - but I couldn't eat or digest it for you!