For God is Love

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A10363

Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library

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1st John. 4.Th 8.Th

For God is LoveI John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Hymns
105
232

Few half centuries in the history of the world are more remarkable for numerous and great changes than the last; but the progress in communicating between Continents is not so important as the changes begun in thought on subjects of the deepest interest Fifty years ago the question was still being discussed whether there are three persons in the Godhead or only one, whether God had foreordained from the beginningAs Written:begining that some men should be saved and others eternally punished; and whether this punishment was material fire and horrible odorsAs Written:ordors where hope had escaped and reform could never come but black despair brooded forever over the scene clapping its dismal wings and croaking "nevermore"Editorial Note: This is a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, The Raven. First published in January 1845, the poem's narrator mourns the loss of his love, Lenore. His distress and despair are heightened by his dialogue with a talking raven that perches in his room and responds with the word "Nevermore" to a series of questions the narrator asks it. or the pangs of remorseAs Written:remose and the sense of sin that come at length to suffer their own self-inflicted tortures until finally consumed by their own fires, they yield to Love.

Upon the answer to the foregoing questions depended the decision who was a christian

(And Because of such monstrous conceptions of the All-loving, there sprung up the infidel query, not if there be three persons in one God but if there be so much as one! if there be any God, any supreme Good, with such a declarative nature? Considering how much more fundamental the question of the great first Principle of man in relation to his life & happiness than a mere speculative opinion of Deity

We are rejoiced to know "that God is Love"I John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. for if spiritual Love is found the Principle of the problem of existence we shall grow into a correct sense of Deity only upon the basis of Love. We should shrink from ascribing to the government of the All-wise human affections which involve weakness, or , a changeable passionate or partial self willAs Written:selfwill. It has ceased to be in my power to think of God as a human being infinitely magnified. The undying thrill of the affections demands a Being of Love an unfailing Good applicable to our daily needs and to know we have not a need for which there is no supply. We could not rest, nay we should agonize in the conclusion that in this measurless expanse of being there is nowhereAs Written:no where to be found a DivineAs Written:Devine effluence in which, while we bow before Him , we can repose our utmost faith and of which we can gain some clear sense, in whose intimate nearness to us we may find comfort in all sorrow, strength under every burden, deliverance from sin and the inspiration of immortal hope [*]Archival Note: Two metamarks that look like Xs appear at this point in the manuscript. See the scan of the original to view. Uncertain as the revelations of what is termed physical science are we need a spiritual science to anatomize life and bring to light immortality. [*]Archival Note: A metamark that looks like an X appears at this point in the manuscript. Some eminent men would conclude because by searching they cannot find out God through matter or take up Soul on the point of the scalpel, there is no God; or because they cannot find God in Love find little love in God. What we call physical science has extended its view ages back only to be lost in the mist of remoteness it has gone down only to make us aware of lower depths, it has gone up only to find His presence still veiled It may scrutinize the many colored curtain thread by thread that the Omnipotent weaveth and say it is self-wovenAs Written:selfwoven because no corner can it lift to look behind and behold Him -- Where then and how is seen the object of our supreme love and trust? "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God"Matt 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. to the true affection is accorded the ineffable vision. Through love Jesus explored the way from sense to soul, from matter to spirit He was the creative centerAs Written:centre of our modern life. The divine science taught by him cast out error with truth healed sickness and sin and said unto death where now is thy sting and where thy victory O! grave? For the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the lawI Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? I Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. , and I have broken the law of matter with the higher law of Mind whereby the supremacy of Spirit is seen and Omnipotence understood. In meekness and self abnegation our Master took the irrevocable step that committed him to the conversion of his pure ideal into life and by no miracle, no preternatural interposition, no act of will but by the divine science of love he found the truth of health, happiness and heaven, and was true to the highest truth. Behold then in him the way and the manifestation of Godhead, learn then from him that only from a sense of duty profund and all-absorbing comes the consciousness of Christian healing and Life as God illimitable and indestructibleAs Written:indistructable reaching higher every hour

A10363

Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library

Copied document link to clipboard.

1st John. 4.Th 8.Th

For God is LoveI John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Hymns
105
232

Few half centuries in the history of the world are more remarkable for numerous and great changes than the last; but the progress in communicating between Continents is not so important as the changes begun in thought on subjects of the deepest interest Fifty years ago the question was still being discussed whether there are three persons in the Godhead or only one, whether God had foreordained from the beginingCorrected:beginning that some men should be saved and others eternally punished; and whether this punishment was material fire and horrible ordorsCorrected:odors where hope had escaped and reform could never come but black despair brooded forever over the scene clapping its dismal wings and croaking "nevermore"Editorial Note: This is a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, The Raven. First published in January 1845, the poem's narrator mourns the loss of his love, Lenore. His distress and despair are heightened by his dialogue with a talking raven that perches in his room and responds with the word "Nevermore" to a series of questions the narrator asks it. or the pangs of remoseCorrected:remorse and the sense of sin that come at length to suffer their own self-inflicted tortures until finally consumed by their own fires, they yield to Love.

Upon The forgoing

Such were the questions upon the answer to which it

Upon the answer to the foregoing questions depended to say the decision who was thought to be a christian

(And Because of such monstrous conceptions of the All-loving, there next sprung up the infidel query, not if there be three persons in one God but if there be so much as one! if there be any God, any supreme Good, with such a declarative nature? Considering how much more fundamental the question of the great of man' first Principle of man in its relation to his life & happiness is than the man-made theories and our than a mere speculative opinion of Deity

We are rejoiced glad to know "that God is Love"I John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. for if spiritual Love is found this being the Principle of the problem of existence can we shall grow into a correct sense of Deity only upon the basis of Love. We should shrink from ascribing to the government of the All-wise human affections which involve a la weakness, or a lack of love, in a changeable passionate or partial nature selfwillCorrected:self will. It It has ceased to be in my power to think of God Him as a human being infinitely magnified. The undying thrill of the affections demands a Being God of Love an unfailing Good applicable to our daily needs and to know we have not a single need for which there is no supply. We could not rest, nay we should agonize in the conclusion that in this measurless expanse of being there is no whereCorrected:nowhere to be found something a DevineCorrected:Divine effluence in which, while we bow before Him it, we can repose our utmost faith and of which they we can gain some clear sense, in whose intimate nearness to us we may find comfort in all sorrow, strength under every burden, deliverance from sin and the inspiration of immortal hope [*]Archival Note: Two metamarks that look like Xs appear at this point in the manuscript. See the scan of the original to view. Uncertain as the revelations of what is termed physical science are we need a spiritual science to anatomize life and bring to light immortality. [*]Archival Note: A metamark that looks like an X appears at this point in the manuscript. Some eminent men would conclude because by searching they cannot find out God through matter nor take up Soul on the point of the scalpel, there is no God; other some or because they cannot find God in Love would to no find little love in God. What we call physical science has extended its view ages back only to be lost in the mist of remoteness but it has gone down only to make us aware of lower depths, it has gone up only to find His presence still veiled It may scrutinize the many colored curtain thread by thread that the Omnipotent weaveth and say it is selfwovenCorrected:self-woven because no corner can it lift to look behind it and behold Him -- Where then and how is seen the object of our supreme love and trust? "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God"Matt 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. to the true affection is accorded the ineffable vision. "I am the way the Truth and the Life"John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Through love Jesus explored the way from sense to soul, from matter to spirit He was the creative centreCorrected:center of our modern life. The divine science that he taught by him that cast out error with truth that healed the sickness and sin therefore it triumphed and sin and said saying unto death where now is thy sting and where thy victory O! grave? For the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the lawI Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? I Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. , and I have broken the law of matter with the higher law of Mind whereby the supremacy of Spirit is see seen and Omnipotence understood. In meekness and self abnegation our Master took the irrevocable step that committed him to the conversion of his pure ideal into life our experience and by no miracle, no preternatural interposition, no act of will but by the divine science of love he found the truth of health, hapExpanded:happiness harmonExpanded:harmony happiness and heaven, and was true to the highest truth. Behold then in him the way and the manifestation of the Godhead, learn then from of him that only from a sense of duty so profund and all-absorbing comes the consciousness of Christian healing and Life as God illimitable and indistructableCorrected:indestructible reaching higher every hour

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This is a reference to Edgar Allan Poe's famous poem, The Raven. First published in January 1845, the poem's narrator mourns the loss of his love, Lenore. His distress and despair are heightened by his dialogue with a talking raven that perches in his room and responds with the word "Nevermore" to a series of questions the narrator asks it. Two metamarks that look like Xs appear at this point in the manuscript. See the scan of the original to view. A metamark that looks like an X appears at this point in the manuscript.