The Household of God
Volume 2
Rise and spiritual prime of the first world empire Hanoch
- Chapter 232 -
THE RIGHT LOVE FOR GOD. THE PARABLE OF THE PRINCE AND HIS CHILDREN (16th January 1843)
When Lamech had heard this from the Lord he became exceedingly glad and serene and in his heart again plucked up enough courage to turn to the Lord with a question.
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Having thus made up his mind, he went again to the Lord and addressed the following words to Him, saying:
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"O Lord, You most loving, most holy Father! It is eternally good and true that one can only please You by loving You above all and the brothers and sisters as oneself.
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"But what shall the love for You be like? How can the weak human being love You above all?
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"How shall he set about it? Can and may he love You as he loves his like, with the same heart and mind?
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"Behold, O holy, most loving Father, this is at least for me something of the utmost importance! For You are not like a man. Therefore, the love for You cannot be a human one. And since You are holy, exceedingly holy, also the love for You must be most pure and hallowed; for nothing impure and unhallowed can approach You in one or the other way.
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"O Lord and above all holy and most loving Father, if it be Your holiest will, pray tell us of what kind and nature our love for You shall be so that we may be able to love You properly!"
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And the Lord regarded Lamech with love and friendliness and said to him: "Listen you, now also a true Lamech (the man for Me or the man after My heart), truly, such a question no one has ever asked Me!
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"And I tell you, Lamech, that your question is of the utmost importance; for truly, all depends on how you love Me!
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"Nobody can and shall draw near Me with an improper love which is unworthy of Me.
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"But how can I explain to you, My Lamech, how you shall love a God?
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"Look, this is a somewhat difficult task I think you may find it easier to embrace with your far too short arms the entire earth and the entire heaven than to grasp and comprehend what the full answer to your immensely important question would entail.
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"Therefore, it will be necessary for Me to formulate such an answer somewhat more simply, - and so listen:
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"Let us presume a father of very noble standing, perhaps a prince of one of the ten cities, had several children. These children know the order in which they are allowed to approach their father, namely, properly adorned, with a formal pace, the hands crossed over their breast and the head humbly lowered to the ground.
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"When these children thus come before their royal father, he commends them and then dismisses them.
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"But one of the children, a sturdy boy, is quite forward and, not appearing with the other trained children - for this he cannot force his heart to do, which loves the exalted father too much -, comes running all alone to the father, and is also less particular in the way he dresses.
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"As soon as this boy sees his father, he spreads his arms, embraces him with the loving ardor of a child and shouts: O father, father! You my dear father, how I love you!
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"Look, my glorious, dear, good father, I love you too much for me to move before you within the prescribed rules.
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"Yes, I will rather die than suppress the love of my heart before you, o my father!'
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"1 now presume you to be the father of such a child; what would you, judging purely by your feeling as a father, do with such a child?
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"You say: 'Oh, that one I would also love beyond measure.'
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"Well answered! And I tell you, I am exactly such a Father! Hence, whoever comes to Me like this forward boy, surmounting all the countless foolish barriers of politeness, will be also for Me the most beloved son.
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"You cannot love God as Such; but the Father you can love like the forward boy, and God as the Father will then seize also you with all the might of His love and will place you on His lap as a true, most cherished child and will then for your sake be gracious to all the others waiving the empty politeness.
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"Behold, this is the proper love; do heed it. Amen."