400 The Spiritual Man
and yet we know we must proceed. At other times we know we must
cease. There is no fixed law over spiritual matters.
The mind supporting the spirit can be likened to operating a hand
water pump. In some pumps it is essential to pour into it a cup of
water just to provide suction for the machine while pumping. The
relation of our mind to the spirit is similar to that between the cup of
water and the water pump. If you do not use this cup of water as a
starter you shall be powerless to pump up water from the well. Even
so, our spirit will not rise up unless we exercise the mind first. Not to
start praying with the mind for the sake of the spirit is like a man
who neglects to pour in that cup of water first and concludes after
pumping twice that there is not any water in the well.
How varied are the works of the spirit. Oftentimes it is like a lion
full of strength; whereas at other times it is like a babe possessing no
will of its own. When it is weak and helpless the mind must act as its
nurse. The mind is never a subsitute for the spirit; the mind merely
helps us to activate it. Should the spirit cease to assert its ruling
position, the believed must use the power of his mind in prayer to
provoke its reassertion. If the spirit has sunk through oppression he
should employ his mind to survey the situation and to pray earnestly
until it rises up and regains its freedom. A spiritual mind can
maintain the spirit in a steady position. It can restrain the spirit from
being overly active; it can also uplift the spirit from its fallen state.
Let us elaborate a bit further. As has been said, the spirit can be
replenished only with the ministration of the spiritual mind. The
principle is that all matters in which the spirit formerly took a hand
should now be done by the mind. If the Holy Spirit grants anointing
later on, He is attesting to you that you are doing this particular thing
in the spirit In the beginning there was nothing of a spiritual sensing
about it but currently the sense in the inner man assures you that this
is what it intended in the first place. The spirit was impotent to do it
then because it was too weak; now, however, through the help of the