AT
THE MASTER’S FEET
by Sadhu Sundar Singh
Page 2 of 2
SECTION
II
1. To pray does not imply that without prayer God would not give us
anything or that He would be unaware of our needs, but it has this great
advantage, that in the attitude of prayer the soul is best fitted to receive the
Giver of blessing as well as those blessings He desires to bestow. Thus it was
that the fullness of the Spirit was not poured out upon the Apostles on the
first day, but after ten days of special preparation.
If a blessing were conferred upon one without a special readiness for it,
he would neither value it sufficiently nor long retain it. For instance, because
Saul obtained the Holy Spirit and the kingship without seeking for them he very
soon lost them both, for he had set out from home not to obtain the Holy Spirit
but to look for his lost asses (1 Sam. ix.3; x.11; v.13-14; xxxi.4).
2. The man of prayer alone can worship God in spirit and truth. Others
are like the sensitive plant; during worship, affected by the teaching and
presence of the Holy Spirit, they shrivel up, as it were, and bowing their heads
become serious, but scarcely have they left the church before they brighten up
and go on as before.
3. If we do not take care of a tree or a shrub which bears good fruit or
flowers, it will degenerate and go back to its wild state. In the same way, if
the believer, through the neglect of prayer and the spiritual life, ceases to
abide in Me, he will, because of this carelessness, fall from that state of
blessedness, and sinking again into his old sinful ways be lost.
4. When we see a crane standing motionless on the side of a tank or lake,
we may suppose from his attitude that he is musing on the glory of God or the
excellent quality of the water. But no such thing! He stand there motionless for
hours, but the moment he catches sight of a frog or small fish he springs upon
it and gulps it down. Just such is the attitude and method of many with regard
to prayer and religious meditation. Seated by the shore of the boundless ocean
of God, they give no thought to His majesty and love, or to His divine nature
that cleanses from sin and satisfies the hungry soul, but are wrapped up in the
thought of acquiring some specially desired object, by means of which they may
more fully indulge in the delights of this fleeting world. Thus they turn away
from the fountain of true peace, and, immersing themselves in the fading joys of
this world, with them also die and pass away.
5. Water and petrol both come from the earth, and though they seem to be
alike and even the same, they are in nature and purpose exact opposites, for the
one extinguishes fire and the other adds fuel to it. So also the world and its
treasures, the heart and its thirst for God are alike His creation. Now the
result of the attempt to satisfy the heart with the wealth and pride and honours
of this world is the same as if one tried to put out a fire with petrol, for the
heart can only find ease and satisfaction in Him who created both it and the
longing desire of which it is conscious (Ps. xlii.1,2). Therefore whoever now
comes to Me I will give to him that living water so that he will never again
thirst, but it shall be in him a well of water springing up into eternal life
(John iv.14).
6. Men try in vain to find peace in the world and the things of the
world, for experience plainly shows that true peace and satisfaction are not to
be found in them. They are like the boy who found an onion and began peeling off
its skins in the hope of finding something inside it, just as one finds in a box
on taking the lid off. But his was an altogether futile expectation, since he
found nothing but the last skin, for an onion is nothing but a collection of
skins. And this world and all that belongs to it has been proved to be vanity of
vanities (Eccles. xii.8), until men discover the true fountain of peace (Isa.
lv.1; Jer. ii.13; Rev. xxii.17).
7. The world is like a mirage, and the truth seeker, hoping to find
something to satisfy his thirsty spirit, starts off in search of it but meets
with nothing but disappointment and despair. The water of life cannot be found
in man-made tanks or cracked cisterns; but those who approach Me in prayer with
a pure heart will find in Me, who am the source of the living water, that from
which they may obtain satisfaction, invigoration, and eternal life (Isa. lv.1;
Jer. ii.13; Rev. xxii.17).
A woman was traveling along a mountain track, carrying her child in her
arms, when the child, catching sight of a pretty flower, made such a spring out
of its mother’s arms that it fell headlong down the mountain side, struck its
head upon a rock, and died on the spot. Now it is perfectly clear that the
safety and sustenance of the child were to be found in its mother’s bosom, and
not in those fascinating flowers which were the cause of its death. So acts the
believer whose life is not a life of prayer. When he catches sight of the
fleeting and fascinating pleasures of the world he forgets My love and care
which are far greater than those of the mother, and, neglecting that spiritual
milk which I provide for him, leaps out of My arms and is lost.
9. The sustenance which the mother provides is so arranged that it cannot
be obtained without some effort on the part of the infant. So also My children
whom I bear in My bosom cannot obtain without seeking, the spiritual milk which
is able to save their souls. And as the child does not need to be taught, but
knows by instinct where and how to obtain its food, so those who are born of the
Spirit know by a spiritual instinct, and not from worldly philosophy or wisdom,
how to pray and to obtain from Me, their spiritual Mother, the milk of eternal
life.
10. I have infused into man’s nature hunger and thirst, that he may not
in sheer heedlessness regard himself as God, but that day by day he may be
reminded of his needs and that his life is bound up with the life and existence
of Someone who created him. Thus being made aware of his defects and
necessities, he may abide in Me and I in him, and then he will ever find in Me
his happiness and joy.
SECTION
III
1. To pray is as it were to be on speaking terms with Me, and so by being
in communion with and abiding in Me to become like Me. There is a kind of insect
which feeds upon and lives among grass and green leaves and becomes like them in
colour. Also the polar bear dwelling among the white snows has the same snowy
whiteness, and the tiger of
2. When for but a short time I drew Peter, James, and John into communion
with Me upon the Mount, I showed them somewhat of My glory, and of all the
saints two only, Moses and Elias, appeared to them; they were so captivated with
that brief glimpse of heavenly glory that they wished to erect three tabernacles
in order to live there (Matt. xvii.1-5). How wonderful, then, will be the
happiness of those who abide in Me, and with saints and angels innumerable enter
into their longed-for heaven, and share with Me My full glory which knows no
loss nor shadow of change (John xvii.24; James i.17). The man of prayer shall
never be alone, but he shall abide with Me and My holy ones for ever (Matt.
xxviii.20; Zach. iii.7-8).
3. It is not a great thing to control and make use of wild animals,
lightning, the wind, and light, and other powers of nature, but to gain the
mastery over the world and Satan and self, with all its passions, is of a truth
a most momentous and necessary thing. Upon those only who live a life of prayer
do I bestow the power to overcome all the might of the enemy (Luke x.17,20), so
that even while they live in this world they abide with Me in the heavenly
places (Eph. ii.6), and Satan being below and they above he is never able to
reach them, but they abide for ever with Me in safety and without a tremor of
fear.
Although men have now obtained control over the powers of nature they are
not to travel beyond the bounds of the air, while the man of prayer, having
mastered Satan and self, can range at will the everlasting heavens.
4. Just as the bee collects the sweet juice of the flowers and turns it
into honey without injuring their colour or fragrance, so the man of prayer
gathers happiness and profit from all God’s creation without doing any
violence to it. As bees also gather their honey from flowers in all sorts of
different places and store it in the honeycomb, so the man of God gathers sweet
thoughts and feelings from every part of creation, and in communion with his
Creator collects in his heart the honey of truth, and in enduring peace with Him
at all times and in all places, tastes with delight the sweet honey of God.
5. Now is the time to obtain and keep in the vessels of our hearts the
oil of the Holy Spirit, as the five wise virgins did (Matt. xxv.1-13); otherwise
like the five foolish ones we shall meet with nothing but grief and despair. Now
also you must collect the manna for the true Sabbath, otherwise there will be
nothing left you but sorrow and woe (Ex. xvi.15,27). “Pray, therefore, that
your flight may not be in the winter,” that is, in time of great distress or
the last days, “or on the Sabbath day,” that is, the reign of a thousand
years of eternal rest, for such an opportunity will never occur again (Matt.
xxiv.20).
In the same way as climate produces a change in form, colour, and the
habits of growth in plants and flowers, so those who maintain communion with Me
undergo a development of their spiritual nature in habit, appearance, and
disposition; and putting off the old man they are transformed into My own
glorious and incorruptible image.
With my finger I wrote upon the ground the sinful state of each of those
who, regardless of their inner vileness, brought the woman taken in adultery for
condemnation, so that they left her one by one and went away abashed and
ashamed. With My finger, too, I point out in secret to My servants their wounds
of sin, and when they repent, with a touch of the same finger I heal them; and
in the same way as a child grasps his father’s finger and by it help walks
along with him, so I with My finger lead My children along the road from this
world to their home of rest and everlasting peace (John xiv.2,3).
7. Oftentimes men pray to the Father in My name, but do not abide in Me,
that is, they take My name into their mouths and on their lips, but not into
their hearts and lives. That is the reason why they do not obtain what they pray
for. But when I abide in them and they in Me, then whatever they ask from the
Father they receive, because they pray under the direction of the Holy Spirit in
that condition. The Holy Spirit shows them what will glorify the Father and be
best for themselves and for others. Otherwise they will get such an answer as a
bad son got from a governor whom his father had served with great courage and
honour. When the son presented a petition in his father’s name and asked for
some employment and favour, the governor pointed out to him his evil life and
habits, and said, “Do not petition me in your father’s name, but first go
and act according to his example. Let his high worth be not on your lips only,
but carry it into your life, and then your petition will be accepted.”
8. Between the prayers of those who worship and praise Me with their lips
only and of those who do so from their heart there is a very great difference.
For instance, one who was a true worshipper was constantly praying for another
that his eyes might be opened and that he might accept the truth, while the
other was a worshipper in name only often prayed in his enmity against My true
worshipper that he might be struck blind. Finally the prayers of the true
worshipper were heard by the loving will of God, and he who was formerly only a
hypocrite received spiritual sight. With his heart full of joy this man became a
true believer, and a sincere and lasting brother of My true servant.
9. Prayer makes things possible for men which they find impossible by
other means, and they experience such wonderful things in life as are not only
opposed to the rules and opinions of worldly wisdom, but are held to be
impossible altogether. Scientific men do not recognize that He who set all
created things in order and made laws for them, cannot be imprisoned behind the
bars of his own laws. The ways of the great Lawgiver are inscrutable, because
His eternal will and purpose is the blessing and prosperity of all His
creatures, and the reason the natural man cannot grasp this fact is because
spiritual things are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. ii.14).
The greatest of all miracles is the new birth in man, and to the man who
has experienced this miracle all others become possible. Now in very cold
countries a bridge of water is a common sight, because when the surface of a
river is frozen hard the water beneath still flows freely on, but men cross over
the icy bridge with ease and safety. But if one were to speak of a bridge of
water spanning a flowing river to people who are constantly perspiring in the
heat of a tropical clime, they would at once say that such a thing was
impossible and against the laws of nature. There is the same great difference
between those who have been born again and by prayer maintain their spiritual
life, and those who live worldly lives and value only material things, and so
are utterly ignorant of the life of the soul.
10. He who desires by prayer to obtain from God the blessing of a
spiritual life must believe and obey without questioning. The man who came to Me
with a withered hand, when I commanded him to stretch out his hand instantly
obeyed, and so his hand became whole as the other (Matt. xii.10-13). But suppose
instead of that instant obedience he had begun to argue and say, “How can I
stretch out my hand? If I had been able to do that, why should I have come to
Thee? First of all heal my hand, and then I shall be able to stretch it out.”
All this would have been considered very reasonable and to the point, but his
hand would never have been healed.
He who prays must believe and be obedient, and stretch out to Me in
prayer his weak and withered hands, and then it will be for Me to give him
spiritual life, and according to his need it shall be granted to him (Matt.
xxi.22).
IV. SERVICE
SECTION
I
The Disciple,—Master, what
is the real meaning of service? Is it that we serve the Creator and then His
creatures for His sake? Is the help of man, who is after all but a mere worm, of
any value to God in caring for His great family, or does God stand in need of
the help of man in protecting or preserving any of His creatures?
The Master,—1. Service means
the activity of the spiritual life and is the natural offering prompted by love.
God, who is Love, is ever active in the care of His creation, and His desire is
that His creatures and especially man, whom He formed in His own image and
likeness, should never be idle. In the care and preservation of His creatures
God needs the help of none, for He created them in such a way that without His
help they could not continue to exist, and He it is who has provided all that is
required to satisfy their desires. In true service of others there is this great
advantage that it helps him who serves—just as it happened to you in
2. Until a man brings into the service of God and man faculties and
powers with which God has endowed him, he will not receive from God the help He
alone can bestow. As soon as man does his part God will complete it. For
instance, the removal of the stone from the grave of Lazarus was man’s work,
and it was not necessary for God to put forth His power to do that; but when the
people had rolled away the stone, then God, that is Myself, did that which was
beyond the power and skill of man, for I gave life to the dead. Even after that
there was work for man to do in releasing Lazarus from the grave-clothes that he
might be perfectly free (John xi.39,41,44).
So with regard to those who are dead in sin. It is the work of My
disciples to roll away the gravestones of hindrance and difficulty, but to
bestow life is My work. Often, too, some who have received spiritual life still
remain in bondage to their old bad habits and evil associations, and it is the
duty of My children to lead them into perfect freedom; and to render this great
service they should ever be alert in heart and soul.
3. A certain king on his deathbed spoke to a faithful servant of his as
follows: “It has been my custom when setting out on a journey to send you
before me to announce me and make preparations for my reception. I am going to
the land of the dead. Go, therefore, and inform them that I am about to join
them.” At first the honest servant did not understand what his lord meant, but
as soon as he saw that his meaning was that he should die and thus precede him
to the land of the dead, the faithful fellow, without a moment’s hesitation or
doubt, plunged a sword into his heart, and thus entered the country of the dead,
there to await his lord. Thus it is the duty of those who serve Me, who am the
Lord of Life and the King of kings (Acts iii.15; Rev. xix.16), to carry the
gospel of salvation to those who are dead in sin, and to be ready even to give
their lives for Me, who came to earth for their salvation and will come yet once
more (Rev. ii.10).
4. A rebellious son once left his father’s house and joined a band of
robbers and became in time as bold and ruthless as the rest. The father called
his servants and ordered them to go to his son and tell him that if he would
repent and return home all would be forgiven, and he would receive him into his
home. But the servants, in dread of the wild country and fierce robbers, refused
to go. Then the elder brother of the young man, who loved him as his father did,
set off to carry the message of forgiveness. But soon after he had entered the
jungle a band of robbers set upon him and mortally wounded him. The younger
brother was one of the band, and when he recognized his elder brother he was
filled with grief and remorse. The elder brother managed to give the message of
forgiveness and then, saying that the purpose of his life was fulfilled and
love’s duty done, he gave up the ghost. This sacrifice of the elder brother
made so deep an impression on the rebellious youth that he went back in
penitence to his father and from that day forward lived a new life. Is it not
right, therefore, that My sons should be prepared to sacrifice their lives in
order to bring the message of mercy to those of their brethren who have gone
astray and are ruined in sin, just as I also gave My life for the salvation of
all?
5. My children are like salt in the world (Matt. v.13). If the salt
crystals are not dissolved they cannot transmit their flavour. So with My
children. If they are not melted in the fire of love and the Holy Spirit, and
made into a living sacrifice, they will not be able to bring a single soul that
spiritual and heavenly life by which they may be saved. They will be no better
than
6. A certain murderer, instead of being hanged, was sent into battle, and
there he fought for his king and country with such dauntless courage that
although he was severely wounded he came back a conqueror. After the victory he
was brought into the court again to be sentenced. The king, seeing on his body
the marks of his wounds, cancelled the sentence of death, and not only forgave
his crime, but also highly rewarded him and raised him to a post of honour. So
those who on My side fight in the Holy War against Satan with courage and
boldness that they may save their brethren and sisters, shall not only receive
from Me the forgiveness of their sins, but in the kingdom of God I will bestow
on them a crown and a kingdom (James v.20; Rev. iii.21).
7. As the pipe that is used to convey clean water is itself kept clean by
the water which passes through it, so those, who through the Holy Spirit carry
the Water of Life to others, are themselves purified and become heirs to the
8. The best way for the believer to be fitted for the reception of the
Holy Spirit and for service is to be obedient to the heavenly voice and
immediately, as far as ability goes, to begin to serve. As to become a good
swimmer it is useless to receive instruction unless one enters the water and
strikes out for oneself, and only by constantly practising, first in shallow
water and then in deep, can one become an adept in the art, so, in order to
learn how to save the souls of those who are sinking in the dark waters of sin,
the best way is to enter the only real and practical school of divinity, which
is union with Myself (Acts iv.13).
9. There are some who are kept back from serving by the thought of their
lack of ability, and do not remember that My strength gives power in weakness (2
Cor. xii.9). They are like invalids who, though they have recovered from their
disease and are taking nourishing food, yet remain weak because they do no work
and take no proper exercise. What such believers need is that they should put
their trust in Me and set out to save sinners from destruction.
SECTION
II
1. Love is the touchstone by which the reality of truth is perceived, and
by it shall all men know that ye are My disciples (John xiii.35). I also make
use of the sword of justice, so that at first sight some are inclined to think
that, like Solomon, I intend to finish My work without mercy (1 Kings
iii.16-28), but My object, like his, is to apply the touchstone of love which
will bring out the truth, and show that you are the children of that God of Love
who gave His life to save yours. You ought therefore to abide in that love and
serve one another, and even give your lives to serve others, as I also gave My
life for you. Then as I live ye shall live also (John xiv.19).
2. If ye are My disciples indeed your service of love will bear much
fruit (John xv.8). And if men speak evil of you and pelt you with reproaches,
pray for them, and instead of reproaching them let them taste the sweet fruit of
your love.
Mischievous boys, when they catch sight of sweet fruit on a tree, pelt it
with stones, and the tree without a murmur drops upon them, instead of stones,
its charming fruit. For the tree has no stones to throw, but what God has given
it, it gives without complaining. Be not cast down by ill treatment, for the
fact that men fling abuse at you is full proof that yours is a fruitful life.
Though they treat you thus from envy and spite, yet by that means the glory of
your heavenly Father is made manifest. Do not suppose that God hungers after
glory, or that there is anything lacking in His glory that man can supply. By no
means! The object of His love is to lift that mean creature man out of the
sinful state into which he has fallen and bear him upwards to His heaven of
glory. Thus He gives not glory to Himself but to man by cleansing and purifying
him, and in this the wonder and majesty of His love is made manifest.
3. To those who by their labours have enabled many to turn from sin and
find righteousness in Me, I will grant such glory that they shall first of all
shine like the stars, and then being made perfect shall shine like the sun in
the kingdom of their Father. The stars fade and disappear at the rising of the
Sun of Righteousness, but the wish of My Father is that His sons should be made
perfect like Himself and shine with Him in everlasting glory, rejoicing for ever
in His boundless and eternal love.
4. There are little creatures far inferior to man, like the firefly, with
its flickering light, and certain small plants among the vegetation in the
5. If they do not use these heaven-sent powers in the service of God and
His creatures they are in danger of losing for ever those heavenly gifts. This
is what has happened to certain fish that live in the deep waters of dark caves,
also to some hermits in
6. Sometimes when there is some great act of service to be done, I choose
for My purpose those who are little esteemed in the eyes of the world, for they
make no boast of their own power or wisdom, but putting their entire trust in
Me, and accounting what little ability they possess as of no great value, they
devote all they have and are to My work for men (1 Cor. i.26-30). For instance,
when I fed in the wilderness five thousand men with five loaves and two fishes,
you will remember that I did not perform this miracle by the agency of My
disciples, for they were full of doubt and perplexity and wished to send the
multitude away hungry (John vi.9). My servant on that occasion was a little lad
whom I had cured of the palsy. Filled with a desire to hear My words he
determined to follow Me. His poor mother wrapped up in his clothes some barley
cakes and dried fish, enough for two or three days journey, so when inquiry was
made for food for the multitude this faithful little lad at once brought all
that he had and laid it at the disciples feet. Though there were wealthy people
there who had with them much better food, such as wheaten cakes, they were not
prepared to give them up; so it was from the barley cakes of this boy, My
namesake, that by My blessing the multitude was fed with the choicest food.
7. There are many who are so wanting in gratitude that whatever blessings
are bestowed upon them, even to the extent of miracles being performed for their
benefit, they still remain dissatisfied and ungrateful. Such people can never be
used for the service and blessing of others, but are like the man whom I healed
after he had suffered for thirty-eight years from an incurable disease, for
instead of being grateful and believing on Me he did not even trouble to
remember My name (John v.12-13). From such people the world can hope for no
blessing; it comes only from those who, like the poor widow, are ready to give
up all they have, even all their living (Luke xxi.2-4).
8. For true service and the performance of duty My servants must be ready
to offer even life itself—like that faithful soldier who remained at his post
in the bitter cold and falling snow till he froze to death, and like a statue
still kept his place, though the others of the watch went off to warm themselves
at the fire. When the king came and saw him standing fixed and faithful still in
death, he took off his crown and placed it for a space upon his head, saying:
“Such a faithful soldier and servant is worthy of the honour and glory of my
diadem. Would that he had lived, for then I would have made him the head of my
kingdom!” Such must my faithful servants be in the service to which I have
appointed them, and to those who finish their work with like faith and courage I
will grant a fadeless crown of eternal kingship (2 Tim. iv.4, 5-8).
9. Many there are who have wasted the precious time given to them for My
service, but even now there is an opportunity for them to rouse themselves and
make the best use of the time that remains to them. They are like a hunter who,
while wandering in the jungle, picked up some pretty stones on the bank of a
stream. Unaware of their value he used them one by one in his sling to shoot at
the birds seated on the trees near the river, and so one by one they fell into
the water and were lost. With one still in his hand he returned to the city, and
as he passed along the bazaar a jeweller caught sight of it, and told the silly
fellow that it was a valuable diamond for which he could get thousands of
rupees. When he heard this he began to bewail himself and say, “Woe is me! I
didn’t know their value, and have been using many of these diamonds to shoot
at birds by the riverside, and they have fallen into the river and are lost,
otherwise I should have been a millionaire. Still I have saved this one, and
that is something gained.” Every day is like a precious diamond, and though
many priceless days have been wasted in the pursuit of fleeting pleasures, and
are for ever sunk in the depths of the past, you should awake to the value of
what remains, and bringing it into the best possible use gather for yourself
spiritual riches. Use it in My service, who have given to you life and all its
priceless blessings, and by using them to save others from sin and death you
will obtain an everlasting and heavenly reward.
V.
THE CROSS AND THE MYSTERY OF SUFFERING
SECTION
I
The Disciple,—What is the
meaning and purpose of the cross, and why do pain and suffering exist in the
world?
The Master,—1. The cross is
the key to heaven. At the moment when by My baptism I took the cross upon My
shoulders for the sake of sinners, heaven was opened, and by means of My
thirty-three years bearing of the cross and by death upon it, heaven, which by
reason of sin was closed to believers, was for ever opened to them.
Now as soon as believers take up their cross and follow Me they enter
heaven through Me (John x.9) and begin the enjoyment of that unbounded bliss
which the world cannot understand, for heaven is closed to unbelief. Hope and
experience will teach the unbeliever that joy follows pain, but that that
joy does not endure. But I give to My children ease in pain, and perfect
happiness and peace. Those who joyfully take up My cross are themselves upborne
by it, and ever supported by that cross they enter heaven at last.
2. Pain arises out of man’s perverse and rebellious nature, just as
tropical heat is irksome and painful to those who live in cold lands, and bitter
cold to those who live in tropic climes. Heat and cold depend on the relation of
the earth to the sun. So man, by the exercise of his own free will, enters into
a state of agreement or disagreement with God, and inasmuch as the laws of God
are intended for the spiritual health and happiness of man, opposition to them
brings about spiritual pain and suffering. Now God, instead of altogether
removing these states of opposition and rebellion to His will, makes use of them
to make clear to man that this world was not created to be his home, but is to
him a foreign land (2 Cor. v.1,2,6).
This world is but to prepare him for a perfect and eternal home, and the
oft-repeated blows of ill-fortune are intended to keep his spirit awake, lest he
should become careless, and falling away from the truth share in the ruin of
this unstable world. He is meant to come into communion with his Maker and,
after being freed from the suffering and misery of this fleeting life, to enter
into His heaven of eternal happiness and peace.
3. Pain and suffering are bitter as poison, but it is also well known
that sometimes the antidote of a poison is itself a poison. And thus I sometimes
employ pain and suffering as bitter medicines in order to promote the spiritual
health and vigour of My believers. As soon as their perfect health is secured
there will be an end of all suffering. Their pain is no pleasure to Me, for My
one object is their eternal well-being (Lam. iii.31,33).
4. Just as after a shock of earthquake springs of sweet water sometimes
emerge in desert places, and the arid wastes are irrigated and become fruitful,
so in certain cases the shock of suffering opens up within the heart of a man
hidden springs of living water, and in place of murmurings and complainings
there issue from him streams of gratitude and joy (Ps. cxix.67,71).
5. As soon as a child enters the world it is most necessary that it
should begin to cry and scream, so that its breath may have free play and its
lungs be brought into full use; and if for some reason it does not cry out it
must be slapped till it does so. Just so with perfect love. I sometimes cause My
children to cry out by the blows and stings of pain and suffering, that the
breath of prayer may have free course through the lungs of their spirit and they
may thus gain fresh vigour and abide in endless life.
6. The cross is like a walnut whose outer rind is bitter, but the inner
kernel is pleasant and invigorating. So the cross does not offer any charm of
outward appearance, but to the cross-bearer its true character is revealed, and
he finds in it the choicest sweets of spiritual peace.
7. When I became incarnate, I bore the cruel cross for man’s salvation,
not for the six hours of My crucifixion only, or even for the three and a half
years of My ministry, but for the whole thirty-three and a half years of My
life, in order that man might be delivered from the bitterness of death. Just as
it is painful to a cleanly man to stay for even a few minutes in a filthy and
unclean place, so those who abide in Me find it most distasteful to have to live
among vicious people; and this is the reason why some men of prayer, distressed
by the foulness of sin, have abandoned the world and gone to live as hermits in
deserts and caves. Consider this, then, when men who have been sinners
themselves feel the presence of sin so hard to bear that they cannot endure the
company of their own kind, so much that they leave them, and never wish to
return to them again, how extremely painful and hard a cross must Mine have
been, that I, the Fountain of Holiness, should have had to live for more than
thirty-three years constantly among men defiled with sin. To understand this and
rightly to appreciate it is beyond the powers of man’s mind, and even the
angels desire to look into it (1 Pet. i.12). For before the creation they knew
that God is Love, and yet it was to them a most wonderful and amazing thing that
the love of God should be such that, in order to save His creatures and to bring
to them eternal life, He should become incarnate and bear the cruel cross.
8. In this life even I share the cross of those who abide in Me, and
enter into their sufferings (Acts ix.4). Though they are creatures and I am
their Creator, yet, just as the body and the spirit, though separate entities,
are yet so intermingled that if even the smallest part of the body feels pain
the spirit immediately becomes conscious of it; so I am the life and spirit of
My children, and they are, as it were, My body and members. I share their every
pain and grief, and at the right moment give them relief.
9. As I Myself bore the cross I am able to deliver and keep in perfect
safety those who are crossbearers, even while they walk amid fires of
persecution. I was with the three young men in Nebuchadnezzar’s furnace, which
with all its raging had no power to hurt them (Dan. iii.23-5; 1 Peter iv.12-13).
So those who by the baptism of the Holy Spirit have received the new life will
never feel the fires of persecution nor any hurtful thing, for they ever abide
in Me in eternal peace and safety.
SECTION
II
1. In the bitter cold of winter the trees stand bare of leaves, and it
seems as if their life, too, had departed for ever, yet in the spring time they
put forth new leaves and beautiful flowers, and the fruit begins to show itself.
So was it with Me in My crucifixion and resurrection, and so it is with my
faithful cross-bearers (2 Cor. iv.8-11; vi.4-10). Though they seem to be crushed
and dead beneath their cross they still put forth the beautiful flowers and
glorious fruits of eternal life which abide for ever.
2. In grafting a sweet tree on to a bitter one, both feel the knife and
both are called upon to suffer in order that the bitter may bear sweet fruit.
So, too, in order to introduce good into man’s evil nature, it was necessary
that first of all I Myself and afterwards believers also should suffer the
agonies of the cross, that they might in future for ever bear good fruit, and
thus the glorious love of God be made manifest.
3. If in this world men persecute and slander you do not let this
surprise or distress you, for this is for you no place of rest, but a
battlefield. Woe to you when men of the world praise you (Luke vi.26), for this
proves that you have taken on their perverse ways and habits. It is against
their very nature and temper to praise My children, for light and darkness
cannot exist together. If for the sake of appearances evil men act contrary to
their nature and cease to persecute you, yours is the greater injury, for their
influence enters into your spiritual life, and your spiritual progress is
hindered.
Further, to put your trust in the world or in worldly men is to build
your house upon the sand, for today they will raise you aloft and tomorrow will
so cast you down that there will be no trace left of you, for they are in all
things unstable. When I went up to
4. If through some misunderstanding some, or even all, believers turn
against you and cause you pain, you must not count it a misfortune, for if in
all honesty and faithfulness under the guidance of the Holy Spirit you continue
to do your duty, remember that God Himself and all the hosts of heaven are on
your side.
Do not allow yourself to be discouraged, for the time is at hand when all
your good designs and purposes and all your unselfish love will be made known to
the whole world, and, in the presence of all, honour will be done to you for
your labours and faithful service.
I, too, for the salvation of men, had to renounce all things, and was
Myself renounced by all, yet at the last I regained all and everything. Neither
be surprised if the world desert you, for it has deserted God Himself, so that
in this you are seen to be a true son of your Father.
5. Do not suppose that those who live in luxury and seem to be always
successful in worldly affairs are all true worshippers of God, for the opposite
is often the case. It is possible for sheep to wander away from the fold and the
shepherd, and find in the jungle good pasturage, but they are all the time in
danger of being torn to pieces by wild beasts, which will indeed be their fate
in the end. But those who abide in the fold with the shepherd, though they may
appear to be sick and feeble, are certainly free from danger and in the
shepherd’s care. This is the difference between believers and unbelievers.
6. The life of the believer and that of the unbeliever show great
similarity in their beginning, but when their end comes, they are as diverse as
the snake and the silkworm. The snake, however many times he casts his skin,
remains a snake and nothing else, but the silkworm, when it casts off its
unsightly cocoon, becomes a new creature, and as a dainty pretty moth flies
about in the air. So the believer, casting aside this body, enters into a state
of spiritual glory and flies about for ever in heaven, while the sinner after
death is but a sinner still.
Though the silkworm, cramped within the cocoon, is in a state of
depression and struggle as though upon a cross, yet this very condition of
strife and difficulty gives strength to its wings, and fits it for the life that
is to be. So My children, while in the body, are in a state of spiritual
struggle and conflict, and look forward to their release with sighs and longing,
but through the bearing of the cross I give them strength, and they become fully
prepared and fitted for that state of endless life (Rom. viii.23).
In the midst of this spiritual warfare, and even while they are bearing
their cross, I give them a truly wonderful peace of heart, that their courage
may not fail. For instance, when a faithful martyr of Mine had borne witness to
Me in word and deed, his enemies took him and hung him up to a tree head
downwards. In this condition such was his peace of mind that he was utterly
unconscious of the pain and disgrace to which he was subjected, and turning to
his persecutors said, “The way you have treated me does not distress or dismay
me, for I can expect nothing else in a world where everything is upside down,
and where one can see nothing upright. In accordance with your own nature you
have turned me as you think upside down, but in reality I am right side up. Just
as when a slide is put into a magic lantern wrong way up it shows the picture
correctly, so though now in the eyes of the world I am upside down, I am for
ever right side up before God and the heavenly world, and I praise Him for this
glorious cross.”
8. For believers it would sometimes be an easy thing to become a martyr
to My Name, but I also need living witnesses who will daily offer
themselves as living sacrifices for the salvation of others (1 Cor. xv.31). For
death is easy, but it is hard to live, for a believer’s life is a daily dying.
But those who are thus ready to lay down their lives for My sake shall share My
glory and live with Me for ever in fullness of joy.
9. Should pain and suffering, sorrow, and grief, rise up like clouds and
overshadow for a time the Sun of Righteousness and hide Him from your view, do
not be dismayed, for in the end this cloud of woe will descend in showers of
blessing on your head, and the Sun of Righteousness rise upon you to set no more
for ever (John xvi.20-22).
VI.
HEAVEN AND HELL
SECTION
I
The Disciple,—Master, what
are heaven and hell, and where are they?
The Master,—1. Heaven and
hell are the two opposite states in the spiritual realm. They have their origin
in the heart of man and it is in this world that their foundations are laid.
Since man cannot see his own spirit, so neither can he see these two states of
the soul. But he has experience of them within him, just as he feels pain from a
blow and perceives sweetness from eating sweetmeats. The wound caused by the
blow may increase until it caused the greatest pain and finally ends in death
and decay, as on the other hand the sweetmeats may by digestion promote
strength. In the same way the pain of a sinful act and the happiness of a good
deed may to some extent be apparent immediately, yet the full penalty or reward
for them will be perceived only on entry into the spiritual realm.
2. In this world man is never satisfied for long with one thing, but is
ever in search of a change of circumstances or surroundings; for which it is
clear that the fleeting things of this world never can satisfy him, for he wants
something that is stable and unchanging and always agreeable to his tastes and
desires. When in his search he finds this reality in Me, the desire for all
further change comes to an end, because one does not grow wearied of perfect
society and complete happiness, for this is the one demand of both body and
spirit. In truth, to obtain a true peace is the one object of the human soul.
Sometimes there comes to the heart of man, without any thought or desire of his
own, a sudden sensation of pleasure or pain which is an emanation from the
spiritual world of heaven or hell. These come to him again and again, gradually
one or other of these prevails, according to his spiritual habit, and by
steadily appropriating one of these he makes a final choice. In this way the
foundation of heaven or hell is built up in a man’s heart while still in this
world, and after death he enters into that state which, in this life, his
desires or passions have prepared him for.
3. Some say that desire is the root of all pain and sorrow, therefore it
is not right to desire happiness in heaven or in communion with God, for
salvation consists in killing all desire. To say this is as great a folly as to
tell a thirsty man to kill his thirst instead of giving him water to drink, for
thirst or desire is part of life itself. To take away desire or thirst without
satisfying them is to destroy life, and this is not salvation but death. Just as
thirst implies water, and water is intended to remove thirst, so the existence
of desire in the soul implies the existence of true happiness and peace. When
the soul finds Him who planted within it that desire, it receives far greater
satisfaction than the thirsty man does from water, and this satisfaction of the
soul’s desire we call heaven.
4. There are many in this world who are like the man who died from thirst
although he was in the midst of the boundless waters of the ocean, for sea water
could not quench his thirst or save his life. Just so there are men who are
living in the boundless ocean of love, and yet because the fresh water of
God’s grace is bitterness to them in their disobedience and sin, they perish
with thirst. But for those who repent of their sin and turn to Me fountains of
living water gush up from that sea of love, and they find in Him who loves them
satisfaction and enduring peace. This, too, we call heaven.
5. There are many who have conceived such a love and devotion to the
world that though by the example and teaching of My children their hearts are
often lifted heavenwards, yet drawn down by the force of gravity, like stones
that have been thrown upwards, they fall back into the world and finally slip
into hell. But when man turns his heart to Me in true repentance, I cleanse the
temple of his heart with the whips of love and make it a heavenly abode for the
King of kings. This earthly life is such that the glory and pomp of kings are
seen but today, and tomorrow are mingled with the dust. But those who become
sons of the
6. Sinners in order to increase their pleasures steal the good things of
others, and that is why men, good as well as bad, lock up their houses when they
go abroad. And this locking up of goods must go on as long as men’s hearts are
locked against their Lord and Maker. When, however, the lock of the heart is
open to Him whoever stands knocking at the door (Rev. iii.20), the desires and
longings of the heart will be fulfilled. Then there will be no further need for
the locking up of houses, for instead of stealing each other’s goods and doing
each other mischief all will serve one another in love. For when men give to God
what is due to Him they will seek only what is good. Thus they enter into His
wondrous joy and peace; and this is heaven.
7. When I gave My life upon the cross for the sons of men that I might
save sinners from hell and lead them into heaven, two thieves, one on each side
of Me, met death at the same time. Although to all appearance we all three
suffered a like fate, from a spiritual point of view there was a vast
difference. One of them shut up his heart against Me and met his death
unrepentant, but the other opened his heart to Me in true repentance, and in
communion with Me found life, and that very day entered
8. The womb of Mary, where in a fleshly form I had My abode for a few
months, was not a place so blessed as the heart of the believer in which for all
time I have My home and make it a heaven (Luke ix.27,28).
9. There are many who long for heaven yet miss it altogether through
their own folly. A poor begger sat for twenty-one years on the top of a hidden
treasure chamber, and was so consumed with the desire to be rich that he horded
up all the coppers that he received. Yet he died in a miserable state of
poverty, utterly unaware of the treasure over which he had been sitting for
years. Because he sat so long on the same spot a suspicion arose that he had
something valuable buried there. So the Governor had the place dug up and
discovered a hoard of valuables, which afterwards found its way into the royal
treasury. My word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart (Deut. xxx.14).
10. Those who know nothing of the spiritual life declare that it is
impossible to experience real peace and heavenly joy in this grief-stricken
world. But those who have experience of the spiritual life know that just as one
finds here and there in the midst of the ice fields of the polar regions flowing
streams of hot water, so in the midst of this cold and sorrow-laden world there
are to be found flowing in the hearts of believers restful streams of heavenly
peace, for the hidden fire of the Holy Spirit glows within them.
11. Although God made all men of one blood and created all in His own
form and likeness, He has made them to differ in character, temperament, and
powers. For if all the flowers in the world were of the same colour and scent,
then the very face of the earth would lose its charm. The sun’s rays as they
pass through coloured glass do not change the colours, but only bring out their
varied beauty and charm. In the same way the Sun of Righteousness, both in this
world and in heaven, through the God-given virtues of believers and saints
continually makes manifest His unbounded glory and love. Thus I abide in them
and they in Me, and they will have joy for evermore.
SECTION
II
The Disciple,—Master, some
people say that the comfort and joy that believers experience are simply the
outcome of their own thoughts and ideas. Is this true?
The Master,—1. That comfort
and abiding peace which believers have within themselves is due to My presence
in their hearts, and to the life-giving influence of the fullness of the Holy
Spirit. As for those who say that this spiritual joy is the result only of the
thoughts of the heart, they are like a foolish man who was blind from his birth,
and who in the winter time used to sit out in the sunshine to warm himself. When
they asked him what he thought of the sun’s heat he stoutly denied that there
was such a thing as the sun, and said, “This warmth which I am now feeling on
the outside comes from within my own body, and is nothing more than the powerful
effort of my own thoughts. This is utter nonsense that people tell me about
something like a big ball of fire hanging up in the sky.” Take heed,
therefore, lest anyone captures you “with philosophy and vain deceit, after
the traditions of men and after the rudiments of the world.” (Col. ii.8).
2. If true happiness depended on the thoughts of man, then all
philosophers and deep thinkers would be filled to overflowing with it. But with
the exception of such of them as believe in Me, those who are wise in the
philosophy of this world are altogether devoid of happiness, except for a kind
of fleeting pleasure which they derive from following out certain rules of their
own.
But I have so created man that he has a natural fitness for the reception
of the Holy Spirit by means of which alone is he able to receive this heavenly
life and joy. As in charcoal there is a natural fitness to receive fire, but
without oxygen the fire cannot enter it, so unless the oxygen of the Holy Spirit
finds an entrance into a man’s soul he will remain in darkness and will never
enjoy this true and lasting peace (John iii.8).
3. This fitness of heart and thoughts of man is like that of the strings
of a guitar or violin. When these are tightened and made to harmonize, then by
the touch of the plectrum or the bow the most charming music is produced; but if
that is not done the touch of the bow only produces discords. And the production
of sweet sounds when the strings all harmonize is again dependent on the air, by
the force and motion of which sound is carried into the ear. In the same way, to
harmonize the thoughts and imaginations of men the presence of the stimulating
breath of the Holy Spirit is necessary. When that is present there will be
produced heavenly airs and joyous harmonies in men’s hearts, both in this life
and in heaven.
The Disciple,—Master,
sometimes I am conscious that my peace and happiness have departed. Is this
because of some hidden sin of mine, or is there some other reason unknown to me?
The Master,—1. Yes, this is
sometimes due to disobedience, but occasionally I appear to leave My children
for a short time and then they become lonely and restless. Then while they are
in that condition I am able to reveal to them their actual selves and their
utter weakness, and teach them that apart from Me they are nothing but dry bones
(Ezek. xxxvii.1-14); so that they may not in a constant state of rest and peace
forget their essential condition, and, deeming themselves to be God, fall
through pride into the punishment of hell (1 Tim. iii.6; Jude 6; Isa.
xiv.12-17). In this way they are trained and educated; and when they humbly and
meekly abide in Me, who created them, they will enjoy eternal happiness in
heaven.
2. Sometimes it happens that when I enter into My children and fill them
with the fullness of the Spirit, they overflow with such divine happiness and
joy that they are not able to endure the glory and blessing that is theirs, and
so fall into a state of faintness or even unconsciousness. For flesh and blood
cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor temporal things those which are eternal,
until men are set free from the power of vain mortality and raised into glory (1
Cor. xv.50,53; Rom. viii.19-22). Then shall My will be done on earth in every
creature, even as it is done in heaven. Then shall pain and suffering, sorrow
and sighing, woe and death be for ever done away, and all My children shall
enter into the kingdom of My Father, which is joy in the Holy Ghost, and they
shall reign for ever and ever (Rom. xiv.17; Rev. xxi.4; xxii.5).
A
PRAYER
Dear Master, Thy varied blessings and gifts have filled my heart to
overflowing with gratitude and praise. But the praise of heart and tongue do not
suffice me until I prove by my deeds that my life is devoted to Thy service.
Thanks and praise be to Thee that Thou hast brought me, unworthy though I am,
out of death into life and made me to rejoice in Thy fellowship and love. I know
not as I ought either myself or my sore need, but Thou, O Father, knowest full
well Thy creatures and their necessities. Nor can I love myself as Thou lovest
me. To love myself truly is to love with heart and soul that boundless love
which gave me being, and that love Thou art. Thou hast therefore given me but
one heart, that it might be fixed on one only, on Thee, who didst create it.
Master, to be seated at Thy feet is better far than to sit upon the
lordiest throne of earth, for it means to be enthroned for ever in the eternal
kingdom. And now, on the altar of these sacred feet I offer myself as a burnt
sacrifice. Graciously accept me, and wheresoever and howsoever Thou wilt, use me
for Thy service. For Thou art mine, and I belong to Thee, who didst take this
handful of dust and make me in Thine own image and didst grant me the right to
become Thy son.
All honour and glory and praise and thanksgiving be unto Thee for ever and ever. Amen.
-
Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25
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