The Household of God
Volume 1
The early history of mankind
- Chapter 140 -
EMMANUEL REPROVES METHUSELAH FOR HIS PRETENDED THANKS (4th November 1841)
Methuselah saw how his son Lamech was received, rejoiced, went to Emmanuel and thanked him for the immense grace that had been accorded to his son.
2
But Emmanuel answered: 'Why do you thank Me for something in which you had no part? Wait until it is your turn and then come and thank Me.
3
"Did you not hold your son back by his garment when he wanted to come to Me? And you would have been glad if I had sent him away. But since I did not do that, but kept Lamech with Me, you now come and thank Me contrary to your heart.
4
"Behold, such thanks are not free, but perforce. He who wants to offer Me his thanks must be as free in his heart as is love, since thanks are blossom and fruit of love.
5
"Thanks that differ from how a person loves are like a hollow fruit devoid of a core of life.
6
"Therefore, go first and bring order into your heart and come only then to offer your gift so that I may look at it and accept it if I find it t1aw· less. Amen."
7
This made Methuselah very sad and he said to himself: "O Emmanuel, You are so very difficult to get on with, for you demand from me a purity of heart which exceeds anything the highest human wisdom could conceive."
8
And Emmanuel said to him: "Methuselah, now your heart has spoken the truth which is worth more than your untimely and worm-eaten fruit of thanks.
9
"Truly, the wise and prudent of the world will always find Me difficult and will take mighty offence at Me. But the children will play with their Father, and the Father will at all times and forever find the playthings more pleasing than all the calculated wisdom of the otherwise extremely dry wise men of the world.
10
"Do understand this and go and do as advised. Amen."
11
And Methuselah went and began to search his heart and found it so full of filth that he was shocked, and he wanted to flee and hide in some corner of the wide earth.
12
Then Emmanuel stepped into his path and said: "Methuselah, you want to flee from Me and hide from My face. But I tell you that you will not find a place in all of infinity, which would not be familiar to My eye. If you go to the end of the world, truly you will find Me.
13
"If you lowered yourself to the bottom of the sea, do you think I would not be there? Oh, you are so wrong, for also the creatures of the sea receive their food from My hand.
14
"Where then would you flee that I may not dog your steps?
15
"Behold, all this is futile, and so remain where you are and purify your heart that I may help you. Amen."
16
And Methuselah remained and wept at his folly.
17
While these discussions were taking place, which with all the children had effected a considerable change in their hearts, the sacrificial altar was completed, also the wood had been placed on it crosswise and a lamb had been prepared as an offering.
18
Then Enoch, full of the deepest love, approached Emmanuel and said: "Lord, You most loving Father of all of us, look, everything is ready. How do You wish this sacrifice to be made to You for a visible sign for the sinful flesh?"
19
And Emmanuel said: "The wood is arranged as is fit and the sacrificial lamb prepared, as is fit, but I can see that something is still missing. Therefore, dear Enoch, go and get Me what is missing because that is most important to Me. I tell you, without it the sacrifice would be worthless. So go and get it without delay! Amen."