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excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Phil. 4:8).

Every man 2 believes himself to be in bondage to the flesh and to the things of the flesh. All suffering is the result of this belief. The history of the Children of Israel coming out of their long bondage in Egypt is descriptive of the human soul, or consciousness, growing up out of the animal or sense part of man and into the spiritual part.

"Then the Lord said [speaking to Moses], 'I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey' " (Ex. 3:7-8).

These words express exactly the attitude of the Creator toward His highest creation, man.

Today, and all the days, He has been saying to us, His children: "I have surely seen the affliction of you who are in Egypt (darkness of ignorance), and have heard your cry by reason of your taskmasters (sickness, sorrow, and poverty); and I am (not I will, but I am now) come down to deliver you out of all this suffering, and to bring you up unto a

2. Throughout this book, out of respect for the author and the historical nature of the writing, we have kept her use of the male noun or pronoun when referring to both women and men.