The Household of God
Volume 1
The early history of mankind
- Chapter 139 -
LAMECH'S EXUBERANT LOVE FOR EMMANUEL (3rd November 1841)
After Emmanuel's explanation all the children with the most contrite Adam thanked the Abba in Emmanuel. They all gazed at Emmanuel and could not take their eyes off Him although He had fully retained His former appearance as Asmahael. And every one said to himself with the greatest joy, even including Enoch: "So this is He about Whom it has so often been said that He is God the Eternal, the infinitely Mighty, the Creator of heaven and earth and everything upon it and that He alone is the true Father of all men, full of the greatest love and mercy towards them and of the highest, infinite wisdom.
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"If He only wanted it, would not all of us and all things cease to exist, as if they had never been?
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"And this almighty God is now in our midst, the infinite, eternal God! Now truly Emmanuel!"
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"Oh yes," said the young Lamech aloud to Methuselah, "it is He, for sure; I could die of love! How incomprehensibly dear, mild, gentle, good and yet so full of exalted earnest He looks!
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"O father! If only I dared I would fall down before Him and then out of sheer love press Him to my heart and never let Him go for the rest of my life; for this I could die.
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"Do you think, father, it would be a sin, or at least a gross bad behavior, if I did it?
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"Ah look, how He talks so very lovingly here with one and there with another. Oh how exceedingly lovable He is!
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"No, father Methuselah, I cannot bear it any longer, I must go to Him!
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"Look, He even is helping Enoch to beautifully arrange the stones we have brought here.
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O father, look, look: He Who once created heaven and earth and all the things on it through His mighty Word, He - Oh what a sight! - He now is helping Enoch to build this little altar!
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O God, my God, my dear Father, how exceedingly good You are; what a good Father You are!
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"Oh if only I dared! But He seems too holy to me. Yes, He is holy, exceedingly holy. But my love is too mighty that His holiness could keep me away from Him.
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"Who knows how long He will still remain with us; therefore, courage!"
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With these words Lamech wanted to rush to Emmanuel, but Methuselah held him back by grabbing his garment and said in an under· tone:
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"What are you doing, headstrong boy! Bear in mind who Emmanuel is. Also my heart is burning with love for Him, but God must not be loved as we love our equals, but with the highest reverence, by silently worshipping Him in the heart. That is how one must love God and not in such an unruly way.
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"Did you not hear what He Himself earlier said, namely, that He looks only at the heart and at nothing else? Therefore, do what is right according to His will and do not forget the exalted, holy reverence in addition to the highest innermost love all of us owe God, indeed, owe Him forever. Amen,"
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And Lamech replied to Methuselah: "Father, you may utter the Amen still a thousand times, this time it does not help at all to appease the love for Asmahael within me. Lamech, your son, has never as yet disobeyed you, but this time he will do so and will not restrain his love, but act according to his heart. For truly, I would now give a thousand fathers like you for a loving glance from Emmanuel.
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"Therefore, let me go and do not hold me back on my way to my God and your God, my Father and your Father! - And now I say Amen!"
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And Lamech broke loose and ran away to Emmanuel.
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However, when he reached Emmanuel the latter pretended not to notice him. And Lamech was seized with fear, intermingled with highest love, so that he did not dare to touch Emmanuel; and he thought to himself that he had perhaps been wrong not to obey his father Methuselah.
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But then again he thought: "Love, pure, unprejudiced, unselfish love which has grown in the heart for God and become mightily strong, is it not free and higher and holier and more, much more than all human opinions and demands resulting from them?
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"Yes, it must be more, infinitely more, because the object it has taken hold of is also infinitely more than all men and human fathers on the whole of this earth. 'Therefore - "
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At these words Emmanuel turned round and Lamech fell silent weeping for love.
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And Emmanuel asked Lamech with the greatest gentleness: "My beloved Lamech, what is wrong with you that you are now standing there and weeping?"
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And Lamech answered, surprised: "O Emmanuel Abba, how can You ask me, You, to Whom the most secret thought is already known for an eternity before it is thought by a created one.
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"O Emmanuel Abba! You Who know the pain of every blade of grass, of every mote, You surely do not fail to see the sweet pain of my heart. O Emmanuel Abba! Forgive me if my intractable love for You should displease You."
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Then Emmanuel remarked: "My beloved Lamech, behold, your father is sad because of your disobedience. Tell Me, is it right to offend the father?"
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And Lamech answered: "O Emmanuel, I would say: Cursed be the child that offends its father. As You know I have never deserved this curse. But now that You, our true, eternal, holy Father, are among us I could no longer control the mighty, free love in my heart for You and thus, out of this love for You which is to me exceedingly holy, I became for the first time disobedient to my father, and that in the most certain hope that You will not rate this my fault too highly and straighten things out with my father."
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And Emmanuel said again to Lamech: "Lamech, what would you do if I nevertheless did rate this fault very highly and therefore My love and grace rejected you?"
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Thereupon Lamech, somewhat saddened, replied in a melancholy tone: "O Emmanuel! You alone see and can justly and correctly judge the nature of my heart. I may have sinned, but I am blind and do not see the fault, - only that out of love for You, as I now absolutely clearly feel, I would leave not only my earthly father Methuselah, but, as already said, a thousand fathers with the entire world
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"You may also punish me, but my intense love for You will not pass until I myself will pass away before You, holy Father.
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"O Emmanuel, look, I do not expect anything of You except that You allow me to love You. You have made Enoch immortal because of his love. I do not expect such grace of You and I am not worthy of it either. So let me die, but so that I may still love You dying.
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"O Emmanuel, forgive me my words, for I cannot help it that my still living heart compels my tongue to utter them. Your holy will be done! Amen."
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Here Emmanuel stirred and His face became radiant like the sun and all sank down before Him. Then He gazed heavenwards and said:
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"O love, you pure, holy, eternal love, you have been victorious and will remain so forever! You heaven, you sun, you earth, you will pass away and not a trace will be left of you; yes, all majesty, magnificence and splendor will pass away, but you, holy love, will remain and never pass.
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"Rise, Lamech, you have triumphed; yes, I tell you, you have gained a great victory Behold, you have prevailed over Me. Only now have you won Me, now you may and can love Me with all your strength, for you have contended for Me with your father and with Me and were willing to die and pass away for the sake of My love. Behold, now I am your trophy; now seize hold of Me at your pleasure!"
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And Lamech clasped Emmanuel's feet and said: "O Emmanuel Abba! Now let me die - for my love has been rewarded, and that is all my heart desired. Your holy will! Amen."
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And Emmanuel lifted Lamech up and pressed him to His holy fatherly heart, saying: "Lamech, do you think you could die in such love for Me? Truly, heaven and earth will pass away, but such love not ever. For that is the eternal, imperishable life when someone loves Me as you do.
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"I now bless you so that Enoch and all may see how faithful I am in all My promises.
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"One day I will give you a son who will be a savior of the people and the animals at which he will gaze shall be protected from My wrath. And he will re-erect this altar for Me, which Enoch has now built.
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"Because you were willing to die for Me out of love, behold, this I shall do one day out of love for your descendants and all flesh so that they may all be won for life eternal.
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"O you My Lamech, you shall now remain with Me and I with you forever. Amen."