The Useof Evil. 199
retardation; who realises hisplace inthe uni-
verse,whorealises the true workingof nature,
andwhomaydeliberatelyset himself eitheron
thesideoftheevolvinglife,oruponthesideof
theforceswhich are retardingevolution,which
areholdingitback,which are against progress,
which are not in harmony with it. Such a
man has to choose with which side he shall
identify himself. He may choose to identify
himselfwiththe sidewhichisprogressingonto
the godsor hemay choose toidentify himself
withthesidewhich isretarding that evolution.
His choice is in his own hands. He must
realisethatif hechoosesthesidewhichretards
evolutionhehaschosendestruction,byidentify-
ing himself with the disintegrating agency;whereas if he chooses harmony with evolving
life,hehaschosencontinuation,becausehehasidentifiedhimselfwith thatwhich is thelawof
progress,and the fact of his identificationwith
thatlawwill givetohimthepermanencewhich
results from harmony. You may say, why
should identification with the retarding forceslead to destruction? The answer is this:
because the Divine Life goingon and causing
evolutionreturnstounity,andeverythingwhich
harmonises with its mighty course is carried