Ralph Waldo Trine - The Greatest Thing Ever Known, 1898

1

PSYCH.

UBRAm

A

THE GREATEST THING EVER KNOWN

By RALPH WALDO TRINE.

'*

The Life Books:'

know of nothing

in the entire range of more calculated to inspire the young than the Life Books," and to renew the soul in young and old.

From a Reader.

I

literature

•'

—

WHAT ALL THE WORLD'S A-SEEKING. IN

TUNE WITH THE

INFINITE;

or,

Fulness of

Peace, Power, and Plenty.

The

''Life'' Booklets.

THE GREATEST THING EVER KNOWN. EVERY LIVING CREATURE. CHARACTER-BUILDING THOUGHT POWER.

THOMAS

Y.

CROWELL &

NEW YORK.

CO.,

THE GREATEST THING

KNOWN

EVER

By

RALPH WALDO TRINE

The moment we fully and vita lly realize WHO AND WHAT WE ARE,

we

then begin

to

build our own world

even as

God

builds His

OF THE

OF

NEW YORK

THOMAS

Y.

CROWELL &

PUBLISHERS

CO.

auc.

WYCH. UBfiAiOr

Copyright, 1S9S,

By Ralph Waldo Trine

CONTENTS PAGE I.

The Greatest Thing Ever Known

i

II.

Divine Energies in Every-day Life

20

III.

The Master's Great but Lost Gift

^8

IV.

The

Philosopher's

Ripest

Life

Thought V.

Sustained in

58

Peace and Safety

Forever

175160

72

OF OR'

THE GREATEST THING EVER KNOWN 'T^HE

greatest thing ever

Full

it?

surely

known

—What

is

the answer must be

one that is absolutely universal, both in its nature and in the possibilities of its applicaIt must be one that can be accepted tion. wholly and unreservedly, not only by a single individual, but even by bodies of individuals, be they the originators of any particular school of Ethics, the followers of

any particular system of Philosophy, or even the adherents of any great system of Religion.

It must be one so true in itself that it can be accepted by all men alike the world over.

And again, it must be an answer that is true for no particular period of time, but equally true for all time an answer that was true not only for yesterday, that is true for to-day, that may be true for to-morrow,

—

A

THE GREATEST THING

2

but one equally true for yesterday, to-day, In laying our foundation, forever.

and

be it must and as certain

upon something itself, and as

therefore,

laid

as true

as Life

eternal as Everlasting Life.

What

is

as true

and

as certain as Life itself?

And what do we mean by Let us give it for a moment

Life, only Life. this

answer

our most

?

careful

consideration,

for

upon

what we find here depends and rests all Let us start, then, with that is to follow. that in regard to which all can agree ; something taken not from mere tradition, from mere hearsay, but something that comes to us from no source other than our own interior consciousness, our own reason and insight.

In other words, let us make our approach, not from the theological stand-

from that which is far more and satisfactory the philosophical.

Then, and then only, will we allow pure reason to be our guide, and then by having as the earnest desire of both mind and heart, truth, truth for its own sake, and then for the sake of its influence upon every-day life, we will thus allow pure reason to be illumined point,

certain

but

—

by the Light that lighteth every

man

that

EVER KNOWN Cometh into the world.

3

In the degree that

we open ourselves to and are true to this are we on sure and safe ground, for thus are we going directly to the source and the only In the degree, source of all true revelation. that we close ourselves or become untrue to this are we on uncertain and dangerous ground, and liable to find our-

on the other hand,

selves hopelessly floundering in the

quagmire

of theological traditions and speculations and

doubts, of which the world has already seen so much.

Pure reason,

—

our guide pure Inner Light.

Again, then, Life

is

Being.

ing-point,

therefore, shall

be

reason illumined by the

What

is

Life

?

Being

Being, therefore,

is

Life.

is

our

start-

and indeed our very foundation

itself.

Each can form that in reality

we mean

it

his

own

idea of Being, so

needs no defining.

By

it

that self-existent principle of Life

and all that attends it, without beginning and without end, the Power that animates all and so that is the Life of all.

In short, we can scarcely define Being, if indeed it can be defined, without using the word Life, and indeed without identifying the two.

THE GREATEST THING

4

Being and

Life,

then,

one and the

are

same.

It

Being

is

projects

that

ex-istence.

Being, acting

intelligence,

prompted by

will,

say that

it

own

its

by

love, projected

goes out and takes form.

We

cannot

enters into form, for until

existence there

jects itself into

into

itself

through

is

it

pro-

no form^

but form comes by virtue of Being, the

self-

and Power manifesting itself in existence.

So in a sense Life, which is one with Being, is the soul, and form, of whatever nature the body.

Only as Being projects itself into existence are we able to know it. We can know existent Principle of Life

the fact that Being itself in

fests

is^ but only as it maniform are we able to know it

itself.

Being

is 07ie^

source of

and

this

Being

is

all

that

all

Eternity." is,

or,

is

the

then, only one Life, " The one the Life of all.

there

Divine Being; and Reality in

As Being

not many.

all Life,

is,

this

alone

is

the true

Existence, and so remains in

And

there

is

nothing real

indeed, that can be, outside of

it.

True, then, are the words of one of the most highly

illumined

philosophers

of

modern

EVER KNOWN

— " Thus we times

5

have these two elements

:

and in itself; and Form, which is assumed by the former in consequence of Existence. But how have Being, as

it

essentially

is

we expressed assumes a in

exists

ever in

ourselves?

form

its

:

is

it

Being,

that

as

it

any change whatinward. Essential Nature.

But without

itself,

what, then,

What

Answer

?

is

there in Existence

?

Answer

:

Nothing else than the One Eternal and Unchangeable Being, besides which there can be nothing."

This Being which is Infinite is in truth, then, the Infinite Being, and this Infinite Being is what we mean by God each using the term that appeals most to himself.

Literally, the I Am, as is signified by the name Jehovah, which is derived in the Hebrew from the word To Be. God, then,

—

•

is

the Infinite Being, the

Life

which

fills

all

Infinite Spirit of

in existence with himself

He, since He is All. If must be He, and from this fact there is no escape, and no other conclusion can be arrived at which does not do violence to all rational thought. There and to such these pages are not are those

alone, so that all

God

is

all,

—

then

is

all

THE GREATEST THING

6

limited are they in com-

addressed, for so

prehension, or so closed to truth and hence so engrossed in bigotry, that they either can or will see nothing that their present ideas

may be opposed to are those who say

— there

God is all, and immediately begin to fill up the universe with that which God is not.

Again, there are those open to and eagerly seeking for the highest truth who say But evil is not God, and how then can God be that

:

«//, for

surely there

Certainly evil

thing to result of

is

such a thing as

is

not God, nor has

do with

evil.

Evil

is

God

evil.

any-

simply the

the temporary perversion of the

good, and as such must either cease or in

time die at it

has no

its

own

hands.

As

such, then,

esse?itial reality, for that

essential reality has

which has

neither beginning nor

end.

Man

who

has to do with man, who in his thought separates himself from Divine Being, in whom alone true happiness and blessedRegarding the mere ness can be found. bodily existence as his real life, he tries to find pleasure and happiness entirely through these channels, and many times by violating

evil,

is

the only one

he alone

is

its

author

;

EVER KNOWN

7

the higher laws of his being, and thus what

we term evil enters in. But though man has perfect freedom in all his thoughts and And acts, God will suffer no such violation. so, from the pain and suffering that result from the violation of the higher laws of his being, he is pushed on in his thought and through this in his life to the Reality of his being, and finds that only in conscious union

God true God surely

with

pleasure and blessedness

as

intends.

God

not God, nor has evil; for

man

is

anything to do with

alone has to do with

and only so

long,

lie,

True, then, evil

long, as

he

it,

so

lives his life

out of a conscious union with the

life

of

God. Infinite Being,

are

have

Life.

It

life,

for

God, then,

You and

the only Life.

I in

is

the one

and

our true selves

cannot be truly said that we we are Life; Life th^t mani-

the form in existence that we denominate by the term body. And as the Infinite Being, the Infinite Life, God, is the

fests itself in

I

Am,

the

life

of

all in

existence, then

we

indeed are parts of the Infinite Being, the Infinite Life, the I Am, of the very God And thus it is that your life and himself.

— THE GREATEST THING

8

mine is one with the life of God. By this we do not mean the mere body, but the Real Self that takes to body.

It

be any that the

And in this of man and

life

are essentially

sense the

it

life

is

of

true

God

and necessarily one and the

In essence they are one and the

same.

same; they is

not one with the

real life that is

of God.

life

the form

itself

impossible that there

utterly

is

differ

not in quality, for this

impossible rationally even to conceive

There

is

a difference

—

it

is

a

it

of.

difference

simply in degree^ not in essence or kind.

own thought from the life of God, only by reason of our own thought that we live in this separation, if indeed we can use the term live where the full It

only by reason of our

is

our

that

life is

life

separate

is

not consciously realised and enjoyed.

Truly, then,

" In

Him we

and move

live

and have our being."

We

never could have been, and never can

be, other than

Divine Being.

And

I fully

agree with the thought expressed in a recent letter

he

from

says

:

when he

Prof.

" I says

Max

cannot that

Miiller

accept

in

which

Athanasius

we can become gods;

:

EVER KNOWN

9

man cannot say, become God, because he God; what else could he be, if God is

is

the only true and real being?"

How man

is

it,

then,

I

hear

it

asked,

that

has the limitations that he has, that

and forebodings, that and error, that he is the victim of disease and suffering? There is but one reason. He is not living, except in rare cases here and there, in the conscious realisation of his own true Being, and hence We must in thought of his own true Self. be conscious of who and what we are before the qualities and powers of our real being, and hence our real selves, actualise or even manifest themselves.

Says one of the most highly illumined seers of modern times "The True Life and its Blessedness consists in a union with the Unchangeable and he he

is

is

subject to fears

liable to sin

Eternal;

but the

Eternal

can

be

appre-

hended 07ily by Thought^ and is in no other way approachable by us."

Thought is the atmosphere, the element, in a sense the very substance, of the

Being that we

of Divine

How much

it

is

likewise

call

phase

human

that

of

life.

other

forms of Divine Being in existence, as

we

THE GREATEST THING

lo see

it

various manifestations of

in the

life

around us, we cannot be so fully certain But certain it is that through thought, of. and through thought alone, we are able to conceive of Divine Being as the Infinite Spirit and Essence of Life, and then to see clearly that

then to

it

is

the Life of our Life, and

in the realisation of our one-

live

in this way allow the become incarnate in us by being thus fully and completely manifest in us, precisely as it became manifest and hence incarnate in the Christ Jesus, as we

ness with

Divine

and

it,

Word

to

shall hereafter find.

When physical

Divine Being manifests

human

form,

its

in

itself

inward essential

nature or reality changes not, for this from its

very nature

way

to do.

fest

itself

senses,

it is

impossible for

It does,

it

in

any

however, have to mani-

through the agency of physical

and

precisely for this reason

is

it

that for a time our real inward Essential

Nature and Life this

is

concealed from

again only by reason

us,

but

of our limited

comprehension.

When we are born into the world of Nature we see and cognise through and by

EVER KNOWN means

of

the

physical

ii

senses,

and

the

natural physical world

becomes

time the real world.

By-and-by, however,

to us for a

through these very senses we are able to conceive of the

One and

Eternal

Source

and therefore our only life, and then through them to hold ourselves in this living realisation.

Hence, that first that which is natural and theii which is spiritual is necessarily as well as Happy, literally and philosophically true. of Life as our real

however,

is

the

man who

dwells not long

man, but is early transformed into the spiritual, and so in whom the Divine Word early becomes the purely natural

as

incarnate.

Blessed state indeed, says the thoughtful

and earnest seeker for the best things in life, and more to be prized than all else besides; but

if

this

state is really possible

of realisation, what can be said regarding the

method of entering

only one thing in

all

into it?

the

wide

that will enable you, as well as

all

There

is

universe the world,

do it effectually. " Be ye therefore transformed by the renewing of your minds." to

This

is

the force, the transforming power,

THE GREATEST THING

12

so far as the form of life we denominate by the term human is concerned, this and this alone.

True,

then,

and

most

welcome

the

is

of which the world

great fact of facts,

is

beginning to become so conscious to-day, that "The mind is everything; what you

you become." Mortal mind? says Yes and no. Strictly speaking, there is no such thing as mortal mind there is When in our own only Divine Mind. thought, and by reason of our limited comprehension, we shut ourselves off and look upon ourselves as individual physical think,

one.

—

beings,

we

give birth to a temporary

thought

of

mortal

mind,

mortal mind. it is

it

might

that

rather,

or,

But

it

is

at first natural,

only by using this "mortal able to be transformed,

is

newed

into the Divine Mind.

using that which

we

mode

be termed the product of

well

mind"

and that

and hence reSo by wisely

have, the

natural,

transformed from that which

we

most apparent, and consequently that which we are

think that are,

we

are,

is

the mortal, the physical, into

which from

all

eternity

and never except

in

we

our

in

reality

own minds

EVER KNOWN can

away

get

from,

— the

13 the

Spiritual,

Divine.

through this instrumentality that the

It is

Divine Life within all

Divine Life with

us, the

ever-ready-to-break-forth

its

powers,

is

and

glories

enabled to be changed from a

mere passive and hence potential actuality, and to burst forth into the full splendours of

conscious,

active

Surely,

life.

thought rightly directed and

rightly

then,

used

and and it alone are we able to make for ourselves a new heaven and a new earth, or, rather, by thus finding the kingdom of God, and has within

the

it

true

regenerating

hence redeeming power; through

it

through

conscious

able to

entering

it

realisation

of the

make

for ourselves

actualising the

the

into

heavenly

state,

are

we

a new earth by

kingdom of Heaven in our on the earth, which, when

lives while living

once

truly realised,

The is

can never be

only here and there that

even

lost.

majority of people are not awake;

partially

awake.

we

those

name

we might be

of

it

one

Practically all of us,

unworthy compared with and that lie within

as a result, are living lives that are

almost the

find

lives,

living,

THE GREATEST THING

14

While it is true that each and of Divine Being, hence always

our easy grasp. life is

in

one with bear as

it,

fruit in

in order that this great fact

may

individual lives, each one must,

we have already said, be conscious of it, know it in thought, and then live

he must

continually in this consciousness.

An

eagle

months

has

been

chained for

many

to the perch just outside his cage;

so long has he been conscious of the fact that he is bound by the little silver chain

which holds him, that he has given up efforts to escape,

all

almost forgetting, perhaps,

power of flight is longer his. One day a link of the little chain opens, but, living so long in the consciousness that he is held in captivity, he makes no effort to The freedom of the heavens is now escape. that the

were he only conscious of his power. after day he sits sullenly longing for freedom, but remaining a captive still. One morning, however, he ventures a little farther out on his perch than usual, when suddenly his,

But day

a strange consciousness

is

his

— he

sets his

and the captivity which has held him for months will perchance know him no more forever. wings,

EVER KNOWN And

so

is

it

15

On

with man.

account of

and prevailing theology have brought him he knows not himself, and not knowing himself he knows the false gods that tradition

neither his powers nor his possibilities.

human

soul

is

held

The

An opaque

captive.

is about all that he can be said truly to give evidence of. The day comes, however, when in his thought he

physical structure

moves out a a

little

little

farther than

is

usual, then

The and a little farther. now moving within, he catches

farther

Inner Light

is

at first a little glimpse of his real Essential

Being, then a

and

little

by-and-by

the

more and a fact

of

little

his

more,

essential

oneness with the Infinite Life and Power bursts in upon, illumines, and takes possesIn bewilderment, and alsion of his soul. afraid to utter it at first, he cries aloud, God, I am one with Thee!" Enraptured by this new consciousness, he holds to the thought of this oneness, and living con-

most

"O

tinually in this thought his life forever after

flows steadily

on

in

one constant

of his oneness with Divine Being.

"the

first

earthy,"

is

realisation

And

so

man, [which] is of the earth changed into "the second man,

THE GREATEST THING

i6

[which]

is

Lord from Heaven," and

the

after the Christ sits

Compared with the new

life

continually living, the old

with

there-

enthroned. that he

life

is

now

of ignorance

consequent limitations, which can

its

now know him no more forever, deserved only the name of death, for, in a sense, he was indeed dead unto life, and only he who lives in the

conscious realisation of his one-

ness with the

One and Only

be born into the world and lives truly to

Life.

Life can be said

He

born into

is

but into

in the world,

consciously real and eternal Life he has not

He

yet entered.

is

but within him the

born the Christ

Adam man,

man

has not

he has not yet awakened to the Christ within, and so the Christ

awakened,

man

is

or,

rather,

not yet born, and sitting therefore in

darkness

he knows not

yet

the

glorious

realities of life.

"I am thine own

Spirit" are the words

Father by means of the continually speaking to every

that the Infinite

Inner Voice

human

is

He who

soul.

and through

We hear

it

will hear can hear,

step out into fulness of Hfe.

much

in the prevailing

crude and

EVER KNOWN

17

irrational theology in regard to the " fall of

man "

;

but

it

is

only as

man

has departed

from the Inner Light, and gone

man-made gods, rationally

that

be termed a "

after false

anything that might fall "

has

come about.

Separating our lives in thought from their

oneness with Divine Life is what constitutes, and what alone will ever constitute, the fall

But the teaching that has come

to

us through past generations, which has as

its

of man.

dominant keynote, poor worm and miserable sinner, death and the grave, is as false as it is pernicious and therefore damnable in its influences.

These old thoughts and words have had the influence of taking heaven out of earth and populating the earth with doubt, and error, and sin, and crime. New and true thoughts and words will make literally a new heaven and a new earth.

Man

is

essentially Divine, actually part of

the Infinite God, and so, essentially good.

When

he severs his connection

in conscious-

ness with the Divine, then and then only do

doubt, and error, and their

consequent pain,

despair, enter into his

radical infidel

B

— by

sin,

and crime, with and Only a pure and

suffering, disease, life.

this

we mean one who

is

THE GREATEST THING

i8

many who

are

by many avowed

re-

in reality such, for there are

called

infidels,

who

ligionists,

even

a far truer religion than

live

they themselves live

— can

the doctrine of original

rationally hold to

sin,

with

its

conse-

worm and miserable sinner. The religious teacher who professes to believe in God as the One Divine and Supreme Being, quent poor

and

at the

doctrine,

same time holds to this irrational many times more a disciple of whom he recognises and whose

is

the Devil,

power he evidently

he is of he professes to believe.

He and he alone it is who finds a place for what he and his theology term the Devil.

The one who truly believes in God the

Infinite

God

in

respects, than

whom

and real being and the and power can indeed find no place for the Devil. He sees and recognises the evil that comes from lives that lose

as the only true

source of

all life

for a time their conscious connection with

the Supreme Source of their being, but he

can find no place

for

any other

essential

and

abiding Reality.

And

as this separation from

God

is

made

through the instrumentality of the mind, he sees that making one's conscious entirely

EVER KNOWN connection again with

God

—must

19

—the

true

and

be through BeHevthe instrumentahty of the mind. ing in the God in whom he beHeves, ay, knowing the God whom he knows^ he sees no place for an atonement in the sense of appeasing the wrath of an angry God. Knowing the God whom he knows, he only true redemption

shares not in

does

see,

those barbaric notions.

He

however, that redemption can and

come

must

also

through

living

scious at-one-ment with

He

recognises

the

Adam man

it

the

in

as the natural

be

first

con-

the

Father's

method

life.

that

born, with freedom of

thought and consequently freedom of action,

and that from him the Christ man then comes forth into consciousness. He recognises that it is God's, and consequently nature's and evolution's method, that "the first

man

man is

is

the

of the earth earthy, the second

Lord from heaven."

He

recog-

born blind, not because their parents or even their grandparents sinned, but because it is simply natural for them to be born blind, and that in process of time their eyes will open.

He also recognises that, on account of our limited nises the fact that kittens are

.r^GiTYJ

THE GREATEST THING

20

comprehension, the "natural" appears first "spiritual," but in reality the

and then the spiritual

within,

from

is

the very

and only because

first is,

it

incarnated

can

it

cess of time, either sooner or later,

in pro-

assume

the ascendency by changing from potential into active

life.

a while there comes into the world one who from the very first recognises

Once

in

no separation of his life from the Father's life, and who dwells continually in this living realisation and by bringing anew to the world this great fact, and showing forth the works that will always and inevitably follow this realisation, he becomes in a sense a ;

world's saviour, as did Jesus, who, through

the completeness of his realisation of the Father's

life

became the way pointed out

incarnate in him,

Christ Jesus.

He

to the world

how

in this all

men

can enter into

the realisation of the Christ-life and

thus

be saved from all impulse to sin. And so instead of coming to appease the vengeance of an angry God difficult for one who has any adequate conception of God even to conceive of he brought to the world, by exemplifying in his own life as well as by

—

—

EVER KNOWN teaching to

all

who

will

21

hear his real message^

method whereby all of us can enter into the full and complete realisation of our oneness with the life of the tender and loving the

Infinite Father.

Redeemed from

the bondage of the senses

through which alone sin comes, and born into the heavenly state, into life eternal, is every one

who comes

into the

same

relations

with the Father, and hence into the same realisation of his oneness with the Father's It that Jesus came into. however, to see how any one

is

life,

deemed from

the bondage of sin

into the heavenly state simply that Jesus entered into

amount

be

re-

and enter

by believing

while here.

of believing that he lived the

lived will state,

it

difficult,

will

life

No he

take any one into the heavenly

but living the

take every one

who

life

lives

that Jesus lived will it

there, in

any age

and in any clime, even whether or not he knows that such a man as Jesus ever lived.

The world has less need for a perverted and hence perverting doctrine of " vicarious atonement " that bodies of men have formulated by either intentionally or ignorantly dragging the teachings, as also the

life,

of

THE GREATEST THING

22

the Master

down

pretation

less

world

—

for

to a purely material inter-

need, most perverting

this

has the

truly,

than

doctrine

it

has for the great vitalising fact of a conscious, living at-one-ment with the Father's

sense

spiritual

is

from the and teachings of the Master, if indeed

life

he

one whose

as every

life,

unfolded

at all

is

more

will inevitably get

interested in the real living truth

he taught than he is in the almost numberless man-made theological theories

that

and dogmas regarding In order that we

may

it.

ever keep our stand-

ing ground clearly in mind,

let

us

now

into a single view the substance of

have endeavoured thus

From

far to present.

everlasting to everlasting

self-existent,

gather

what we

is

Being,

without beginning and without

Depending upon nothing outside of and the essential essence, the very life of all that through it comes into existence, end.

itself

it

is

first

therefore Infinite Being. as

Being.

pure

spirit,

Literally

it

the

is

I

Existing at

therefore

Am,

the

Divine

Divine

Jehovah, the Infinite God. Then, animated by love and acting through its own volition,

EVER KNOWN it

projects itself into existence

the

various forms

about

we

23

and assumes the

see in

universe

But by the

us, including ourselves.

act of projecting itself into existence, the Infinite

Divine Being does not change in the

indeed

least its essential inner nature, as

would be impossible then, in reality

for

there in

is

it

What, existence?

Only

it

Divine Being, the Infinite

to do.

God

in

all

his

and thus it remains through all eternity, as must necessarily be from its very nature, and otherwise

manifold

it

manifestations;

God, then,

could not be.

Being,

the

Infinite

Spirit

is

the Infinite

which

is

the

which therefore fills all the universe with Himself alone, so that all is He, since He is all.

But when Divine Being incarnates itself in flesh and forms for its use a physical a human body, as we call it body it essential

essence,

the

life

of

all,

—

—

necessarily has to manifest through the in-

strumentality of physical senses, and, though

Divine Being is

limited,

and

is

infinite,

the vision of

man

for a time his true inner Life

is concealed from him, he naturally interprets everything from

(always Divine Being) for

the standpoint of the physical.

First that

24

THE GREATEST THING

which

is

and man knows himself

natural,

only as a

natural physical being, differing

not essentially from the material universe

about him. As he looks out, however, he sees that he differs from other forms in existence, in that he has a mind through which thought is engendered, a mind that grows by Then contemplating himself and using. longing

the

for

ness the fact that his that other than this in his

of

truth

it

his

upon

gradually there dawns

life

existence,

his conscious-

is

Divine Being,

has never been

own mind when

in

his

—except

thought he

mistook the mere physical form in existence as the real essential

from the

his life

life itself,

thus realises that in

and has of his

he

comes

living

being,

his

in

time

realisation

Infinite Life it

very

his

life,

true— first

thus separating

Infinite Divine Life.

life

into

of his

and Power. the

He

God he lives, moves, that God is the life

natural

itself;

and thus

the

conscious,

oneness with the

And man,

we

find

then

the

so

spiritual.

Through thought, and through thought the second man, the Lord from

alone,

Heaven,

is

gradually

evolved out

of

the

EVER KNOWN man, which

first

Through

a

out

evolution,

sense

man that

of

perception

— Divine

however,

is

is

of

perfectly

it

was not

finds that the

the

—

is

the

earth

natural first

earthy.

process

man Adam

evolved

self-realisation.

for

25

the

of

—

Christ

Impossible,

anything to be evolved

involved; and so man Lord Christ has always been

first

within and he has

known

it

not.

same to-day as it was many years ago with Jacob when he said, "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not."

This and all that followed he found simply It is the

by using the stones of the place where he was; for with the stones of the place he made for himself a pillow, and it was while sleeping on this pillow that he beheld the ladder set upon the earth and reaching to the heavens, upon which the angels were ascending and descending, and thus it was that he entered into communion with the life of the heavens.

Later, then, he transformed the pillow into a pillar that served as a guide to other men.

And so with every human soul we must use simply the stones of the place where we are.

The only stones with which human

—

THE GREATEST THING

26

can build

life

thought.

is

and

It

it

alone

—

earnest,

power sincere thought of the place where

we

this

moulding,

the

is

are,

we

make a

can

opened

us

to

aspiration

— —

is

in

we

and with which we upon which for the Through this and this of

life

and

place;

Then our

pillow,

be

ascending

—

time bring to us angels

Then

inspiration.

will cry out,

this

heavens

the

angels

for

;

will in

descending of old

rest.

the

will

are

pillow

time being to alone

creative

constitutes the stones of the

where

place

the

the

with Jacob

" Behold, the

knew

I

thought

it

that

Lord not." gives

us the knowledge that the Infinite Divine Life

is

always within, the Essential Essence

human

of the into a

to lead other

and

pillar

men

itself,

we can convert be a guide

that will

into the

same

realisation

life.

And is

soul

a

pillar,

so the entire problem of

human

wonderfully simple and easy

but true to the highest within ourselves

and

free

from the various perplexing

mystifying

dogmas,

which

promise of

us,

life

we are and keep

if

theological ordinarily

spiritual

theories

give

and

merely

a

awakening, realisation.

— EVER KNOWN and power rather

some

in

other

than actualising

it

27

form

of

here and

life,

now

in

this Hfe.

But only as man becomes conscious of becomes realises in thought that he is conscious, one with the Infinite Life and Power, does this great fact become a moving and the Lord Christ within, only as he

—

mighty force in the affairs of his daily life.

Until this is true he remains in the condition of the eagle, which, though unchained, thinking nevertheless that he was still chained, remained in captivity when the freedom of the heavens awaited simply the spreading of his wings.

Although the answer to our

title

has been

given both in Imes and between lines long before

this,

especially follow,

to

definite

known

it

in

put

form

it :

—indeed,

can be known

we

may be an

—

aid

to

us,

what is to as best we can into a

making

The

practical

greatest

thing

ever

the greatest thing that ever is

that in our real essential

one with the Infinite Life and Power, and that by coming into, and nature

are

dwelling continually realisation

in,

of this great

the conscious^ living fact,

we enable

to

28

THE GREATEST THING

be manifested unto us and actualised within us the qualities and powers of the Divine Life,

and

this

completeness part.

in

of

the exact degree of the this

realisation

on

our

EVER KNOWN

29

II

DIVINE ENERGIES IN EVERY-DAY LIFi

A ND

what,

us ask,

let

is

hence the value of

For unless

it

is

the result

this

and

realisation ?

of value in the affairs of

then a mere dead is and consequently of no real value.

Use must be the final test of everything, and if it has no actual use, or if no visible results follow its use, we had better not every-day

life,

it

theory,

spend time with it, for it is then not founded upon truth.

First, let it be said, it is not the mere intellectual recognition, merely the dead theory,

but the conscious, vital and living

makes

realisation of this great truth, that

of value, and that

the this

affairs

alone,

makes

of every-day

life.

it

show This

it

it

forth in is,

and

that gives true blessedness, for

none other than the finding of the kingdom of God, and when this is once found and lived in, all other things literally Through this the and necessarily follow. this is

THE GREATEST THING

3Q

and powers of the Divine Life are more and more realised and actualised, and through their leading we are led into the qualities

possession of

He who realisation

Life

is

all

other things.

comes

into this full

and

living

of his oneness with the Divine

brought

at

once into right relations

with himself, with his fellow-men, and with the laws of the universe about lives

now

whatever

in

in the interior

is

take form

in

the

There this

And

of

if

the

will

is

for

all

life

is

no true

life

in

law does not

God

and

life,

must necessarily

exterior,

from within out. regard to which

He

him.

the inner, the real

is

done

hold. in

the

done in things of the outward life, and the all Thus and results are always manifest. thus alone it is that men have become they have prophets, seers, and saviours become what the world calls the "elect" of God, because in their own lives they first elected God and lived their lives in His life. And thus it is that to-day men can become prophets, seers, and saviours, for the laws of the Divine Life and the inward

life,

then

is

it

necessarily

;

relations of

what we term the human

life

;

EVER KNOWN to

it

are

same

the

identically

they have been in

31 to-day as

time past and

all

will

be in all time to come. The Divine Being changes not; it is man alone who changes.

It

is

by virtue of man's leaving

solely

the inner

of the spirit and thus depart-

life

ing from God, or by virtue of his not yet finding

pain

this

and

real

fears

have crept as naturally as

that

effect

sin and error, and forebodings, and as necessarily

that

life,

disease,

follows

cause into his

only by closing his eyes to the inner

by shutting that,

his

ears

the

to

although he has eyes to

life

light,

inner

voice,

see,

yet he

sees not, and, although he has ears to hear,

yet he hears not.

ing his

life

And

it

is

only by unit-

with the Divine Life, and thus

living again the life of the spirit, that these

things will go, even as they have come.

All

want

the in the

and are the life,

either

unhappiness, misery, and world are attributable to man,

evil,

direct results of his taking his

consciously

unconsciously,

or

either directly or indirectly, out of

harmony

with the Power that works for righteousness

and consequently tion.

And when

for

wholeness and perfec-

our

life

is

lived

in

the

THE GREATEST THING

32

of God, and God's will therefore becomes our will, all is and necessarily must be well with us, for contrary to His life

impossible that anything

will

it

ever

come

who

seeks

is

And

to pass.

is

it

should that

he

kingdom of God and

the

first

thus

His righteousness shall have all other things added unto him. The soul, the real life, is Divine, and by allowing it to become translucent to Infinite Spirit by living continually in this conscious union with Divine

Being

reveals all things to us.

it

become

hidden,

certainties

mysteries

pervade

away from the inner is

all

light

and

un-

we

only as

life

Things

and

fill

life;

turn there

hidden of itself; to God things are known, and he who con-

nothing that

sciously

lives

is

his

life

in

the

life

of

God

sees with the Divine vision that reveals all

things

to

under

this

him.

He who

lives

continually

Divine guidance enters thereby

into the realm of the highest wisdom,

and

even in the most trivial things of every-day life he never finds himself in a state of doubt or perplexity, for he always knows

what to do and how to do it.

He has no regrets for the past, because

EVER KNOWN

33

before he entered into his present conscious-

ness he was in a sense dead unto

now swallowed up

'are

new of

might have

that he

all regrets

and

life,

for the past

in the joys that the

birth that has brought

him

into fulness

continually spreads before his every

life

He

step.

has neither fears nor forebodings

future, for he knows that God's will, which is now his nothing can ever come to pass.

Peace,

in regard to the

contrary to will,

therefore, a full

and abiding peace,

is

con-

tinually his.

As is

all life

is

from within out, and as

this

absolutely true in regard to the physical

body, the fountain of Divine Life that has

been opened up within him, which of itself can admit of no disease or imperfection of any kind, will allow only healthy conditions to be externalised in his body; and where unhealthy conditions have been built into it before his entrance into the that

drive

now

new

courses through

them out by

it

entirely

diseased structure with

that

life,

will

the in

replacing

which

is

life

time the

pure

and whole.

A

continually growing sense of power

he

his, for

C

is

now working

is

in conjunction

THE GREATEST THING

34

God, and with God all In material things he is not lacking, for all things are from this one Infinite Source, and, guided by the Divine Wisdom and sustained by the Divine Power that are now his, in a perfectly natural and normal way he finds that an abundance of with

the

Infinite

things are possible.

all

things

never

always in hand in sufficient

is his,

time to supply

all

there lack

is

material needs,

his

when

he simply does each day what find

Sure always of

to do.

and

the time comes, his

if

hands

this unfailing

source of supply, he does not give himself to

the

accumulation

ai

d the hoarding of

possessions, thereby robbing

great material

and enslaving the real life.

His thoughts grow more and more into the nature of their Divine Source, and as thoughts are forces^ and as in the degree that they are spiritualised do they become ever more effective in their operations, so through their instrumentality is he able to mould more and more effectively the every-day conditions of this

new

outer

life.

And

so as he enters into

Hfe he finds that

life

so always

fall

into line

and

;

all

things of the

for as is the inner^

necessarily is the outer.

EVER KNOWN

35

These truths will come as new revelations many, and again to many they will come merely as agents to strengthen and possibly to arouse to renewed life the realisations of which they are already more or less conto

In themselves, however, they are not

scious.

new, but as old as the world. real

of true

spirit

They

Christianity,

are the

not,

how-

ever, of the Christianity that the majority of

people conventionally hold, which in respects

is

many

as radically inconsistent as

it

is

void of results, but the great transcendent truths of our relations with the Father's

life

that Jesus taught.

They of

all

are likewise the real essential spirit

the great religions of the world, and as

all religions in their

source,

those

with

purity are from the

who have come

Him

to hear

and

into a sufficient union to interpret

the one universal source of tion

same

— God speaking through the minds of

and

all

true revelation,

all

— so

His voice,

true inspirafar as their

fundamental principles are concerned they are necessarily the same.

And

the great

spiritual

beginnings of which all

parts

we

of the world

awakening, the

are witnessing

to-day,

is

in

evidence

THE GREATEST THING

36 that

Divine Breath

the

stirring

is

manner such

as

it

has rarely

Men and women

before.

the

in

minds and hearts of men and women

in

a

ever stirred

if

are literally find-

ing God.

They

mere

and form of an old and too-long-

letter

are breaking through the

held ecclesiastical theorising and dogmatism into the real vital spirit of the religion

of

They

are

the living and transcendent God.

waking here and there and everywhere the realisation of their oneness

God.

living

pletely

Their

filled

lives

are

with

being

to

the

com-

with this realisation, and as

a consequence they are showing forth the works of God.

They

are leaving the old one-day-in-seven,

some-other-world religion, and they are finding the joys as well as the practicability of

an every-day, this-world

religion.

They

are

passing out of the religion of death and possible glory hereafter, into the religion of

and joy and glory here and now, to-day and every day, as well as hereafter and forWith this new religion of the evermore. living God and the spiritual power that life

through lives,

it

they

is

are

being

made

moulding

active in

in

detail

their all

of

EVER KNOWN the affairs of every-day that

rehgion

their

And any

life,

proving thereby reHgion

the

is

37

of

Hfe.

system of reHgion that does not

possessor to do this is simply not and we should no longer desecrate the word by applying it to any such hollow

enable

its

religion,

mockeries.

To who

this

old semblance of religion those

are thus

entering into

larger religion of

life

will

this

new and

never return, nor

can they, any more than the chick can enter within the confines of it

has been

found the perish

;

pearl,

the

or rather, as

to them,

it

its

shell again after

once born into shell

it is

Having them must

life.

for

of no farther value

perishes simply by the operation

Centred thus in the Infinite, of natural law. working now in conscious harmony with Divine forces, they ever after rule the world from within.

THE GREATEST THING

38

III

THE master's great BUT LOST GIFT

'T^HE

conclusions

far

we have

we have

arrived at thus

arrived at independently

own reason

of any authority outside of our

and

insight.

It is

always of interest as well

as of greater or less value to

own

compare our

conclusions with those of others whose

opinions

we

value.

It

would indeed be a

matter of exceeding great interest to com-

we have reached with those of number whose opinions come with greater

pare those a

or less authority to

all

the world.

however, and

Space

propose that we give the balance of our time to the consideration, though necessarily brief condots not permit

sideration,

of

this,

two

such

;

one

I

universally

regarded as one of the most highly illumined teachers,

if

not the most highly illumined,

the world has ever known, the Christ Jesus; the other universally rcL^arded as one of the most highly illumined philosophers the world has ever known, the philosopher Fichte.

EVER KNOWN And

39

two we have the advantage of and teachings of one who Hved and taught nearly nineteen hundred years ago, and one who lived and taught a trifle less By selecting than a hundred years ago. the

in these

life

these, let

also

it

be

vantage of two whose

said,

we have

lives fully

the ad-

manifested

the truth of that which they taught.

In considering the Jesus, let us consider

and teachings of them not as dull ex-

life

and represent them, but he himself gave them to the world.

Certainly Jesus was Divine; but he was Divine, as he himself clearly taught, in just the same sense that you and I and every human soul is Divine. He differed from us,

positors interpret

as

however, in that he had clearer

and

than we have

come

clearly indicates.

in the flesh, as

who comes

come

into a far

fuller realisation of his

into, as

Jesus

divinity

indeed his

life

so

was God manifest

indeed every one must be

into the full realisation of his

oneness with God, as Jesus himself again so clearly taught.

In the thoroughly absurd,

illogical,

and

positively demoralising doctrine of "vicarious

atonement," as given us by early ecclesi-

40

THE GREATEST THING

astical

bodies by perverting the real teach-

ings of Jesus even to the extent of calHng

interpolations in the aid,

we

New Testament to their Many do,

certainly cannot believe.

however, believe that

it

has done more harm

to the real teachings of Jesus, has

productive of scepticism and other causes combined.

all

that can

have no

who

been more

infidelity,

It is

than

a doctrine

be formulated only by those who spiritual insight themselves, and

therefore

drag

the

teachings

of

the

Master down to a purely material interpretation because of their inability to give them the spiritual interpretation that he intended they should have.

If his mission

was not that of vicarious

atonement, not for the purpose of appeasing the wrath and indignation of an angry God

and thus reconciling Him to His children, what then was it ? Clearly his mission was that of a Redeemer as he gave himself out a Redeemer to bring the children of to be men back to their Father. And how did he purpose to do this ? Clearly by having them

—

consciously unite their lives with the Father's life,

of

even as he had united

God and His

his.

The kingdom

righteousness

is

not only

EVER KNOWN

41

what he came to teach, but what he clearly and unmistakably taught.

That he plainly and unequivocally taught his disciples that this was his mission is evidenced by numerous sentences such as all through the "jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom," Luke viii. i, "He went about etc. through cities and villages, preaching and

the

following,

Matt.

gospels:

.

.

occurring iv.

23,

.

bringing the good tidings of the

God." unto them .

Luke

.

.

iv.

kingdom of "But he said

43,

I must preach the good tidings kingdom of God to other cities also, Luke ix. 2, for therefore was I sentT "And he sent them forth to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick." :

of the

.

.

.

.

Matt.

xxiv.

kingdom

"And

14,

shall

be preached

world, for a testimony unto

.

.

gospel of the

this

all

the

in

whole

nations," etc.

... In more than thirty places in the first do we find Jesus thoroughly

three gospels

explaining

mission

— to

to

his

disciples

his

especial

preach the glad tidings of the

coming of the kingdom of God and even upon his public work, we ;

before he entered

:

THE GREATEST THING

42

hear John the Baptist going before him and for the kingdom of sa) ing, " Repent ye ;

Heaven

is

at

hand."

mean by the kingdom of sometimes expressed it, the kingdom of Heaven? As an answer, and an answer better than any speculations in regard to it, let us again take his own words

What

God,

or,

did Jesus as he

" Neither shall they say, there

!

for,

behold, the

within you."

He

Lo

here

!

or,

kingdom of God

Lo is

taught only what he him-

had found, the conscious union with the life as the one and all-inclusive Witii Jesus from the very first, only thing.

And in union with God was there reality. this life in the Father's life seemed nothing at all marvellous to him; it was perfecdy Hence natural, and the only life he knew. he could not say otherwise than that he and His vision was so the Father were one. clear and his already realised Divine life was so full and complete, that he knew that it was utterly impossible for his life to be without the Father's life, as we indeed shall know when our vision becomes clear and we enter into the same fully realised union self

Father's

with

it.

•

EVER KNOWN

43

This great knowledge came to Jesus not through intellectual speculation and still less through any communication from without; him through his own interior it came to consciousness

born with

;

it.

to

He

all appearances he was was born with a peculiar

aptitude for discerning things of the Spirit, just

as

among

us

some

are

born with a

and others But so great was this

peculiar aptitude for one thing for

other things.

power naturally in Jesus that in it we may he had a great advantage over most people born into the world, and for this reason was he all the more able and all the greater reason was there for him to be one of the great world Teachers and hence He was indeed Immanuel Redeemers.

justly say

—

God

with us.

Jesus, I repeat, never speaks of his

life in

any other connection than as one with the Father's

life.

In reply to a question from

Thomas

in

the fourteenth chapter of John, he says, " If

ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also from henceforth ye know :

him and have seen him." standing near, unable to

Philip,

who was

comprehend the

;

THE GREATEST THING

44

meaning of the Master's words, said " Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us."

Jesus, somewhat surprised that he had not made himself clear to them, '' Have I been so long time with replied you, and dost thou not know me, Philip? interior

unto him

:

:

He

that hath seen

how

sayest thou,

lievest

thou not that

the Father in

you

I

that I :

hath seen the Father the Father? Be-

me ?

I

am

in the Father,

The words

speak not from myself

abiding in

me

me

Show us

am

I

and

speak unto

but the Father doeth His work. Believe me in the Father and the Father in :

me

or believe

me

for the very works' sake."

But if his especial mission was to preach the good tidings of the kingdom of God, why, I hear it asked, did he claim that only through him can we come unto the kingdom, as he indeed says in his conversation with Philip and Thomas immediately preceding " I am the way, the the part just quoted truth, and the life no one cometh unto the Father but by me.'

Simply because it was the living truth that he brought, which was and evermore is to redeem men by uniting them in mind and heart with the Father.

His realised oneness with the Father's life :

;

EVER KNOWN was the way, the

truth,

45

and the

life,

and

only by going over the same path that he himself had trod can anyone be truly united

He

with the Father.

found

this great, vital

and redeeming truth nowhere else in the world ; he had to speak as one standing alone, and in this sense he spoke most truly and most literally when he said, " No one Cometh unto the Father but by me." And in order to point out his

life,

his

oneness with the Father's

life,

as the way,

realised

life, he spoke and indeed he did, even at the risk of being misunderstood and having his words taken in a purely material sense, as was the

the truth, and the

had

to speak as

tendency of the

spiritual poverty of the age,

and indeed

his very disciples

.interpreted

as

recently seen. spiritual

to

words,

his

In order to give forth the

teachin^^s

which he gave, he had

use the language and

that their material in this

so often

we have but

as

way make

the

illustrations

minds could

his teachings

grasp,

doubly

and

liable'

to a purely material interpretation.

"I am the bread of life," said he to those assembled about him ; " your fathers did eat the

manna

in the wilderness,

and they

died.

THE GREATEST THING

46 This

the bread which cometh

is

man may

heaven, that a die.

I

am

the living bread which

out of heaven

he shall which I

down out

if

:

forever

live

man

any

will give is

my

The Jews

the world."

came down

eat of this bread,

yea,

:

and the bread

flesh, for

the

life

:

"

How

can

this

of

taking his words in a

material sense argued one with another said

of

and not

eat thereof,

man

and

give us his flesh

to eat ? "

Jesus simply reaffirmed his state" Verily, verily, I say unto ment, saying :

you, except ye eat the flesh of the

man and

yourselves.

.

.

and my blood "

My

Son of

drink his blood, ye have not

For

.

is

drink indeed."

flesh is the true food,

the true drink.

He

life

in

my flesh is meat indeed, and

that eateth

my

Literally,

my blood is my flesh and me and I in

blood abideth in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me."

drinketh

And many they heard

of his disciples, even,

him speaking

when

in this way, said

among themselves, "This is a hard saying; who can hear him ? " who can understand

—

him ?

Jesus, quickly perceiving that they were

again dragging his words

down

to a material

EVER KNOWN asked them

interpretation,

them

just said caused

if

47

what he had

to stumble,

and

then^

in order that they get his real meanings he said, " It is the spirit that quickeneth ; the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I have spoken unto you are spirit and are Hfe." :

And

so

except those

all

who

are

wholly

not to say even mentally, blind,

spiritually,

can readily see that what Jesus meant to say, actually did say, was, the words that he spoke to them of his oneness with the

and what he Father's

life

were the true meat and the true

man ate and drank, he had not life in himself, but that these were able to give him life and life eternal. " He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him." Or, drink, of which, unless a

He

reversing the expression.

me and

in

my

flesh

him, he

and drinketh

words that are

in

I

spirit

I

it

my

that dwelleth is

that eateth

blood.

"The

have spoken unto you, (they)

and

(they)

living Father hath

are

life."

sent me,

and

"As

the

I live be-

cause of the Father, so he that eateth me, he also shall live because of me." In the

words of another,^ 1

Fichte in

"To

"The Way

eat his

flesh

and

towards the Blessed Life."

THE GREATEST THING

48

drink his blood means to become wholly

and

entirely

he himself; to become

alto-

gether changed into his person without reserve or limitation

of

him

;

to be a faithful repetition

be tranhe is the

in another personality; to

substantiated with

Eternal

him,

/>.,

as

Word made

become

his

flesh

follows from that,

flesh and blood, to and blood, and what and indeed is the same

become the very Eternal Word and blood itself; to think wholly and entirely like him, and so as if he himself thought and not we ; to live wholly and entirely like him, and so as if he himself lived in our life.

As surely as you do not now attempt to drag down my own words, and reduce them to the narrow meaning thing,

to

made

flesh

that

Jesus

is

only to

be imitated, as an

unattainable pattern, partially and at a distance, as far as

human weakness

will allow,

but accept them in the sense in which I have spoken them, that we must be trans-

formed into Christ himself, so surely will it become evident to you that Jesus could not well have expressed himself otherwise, and that he actually did express himself excellently well.

Jesus was very far from

EVER KNOWN himself

representing

by the

as

unattainable

that

which he was

ideal into

49

transformed

first

poverty of the after-ages;

spiritual

nor did his apostles so regard him."

To lived

in

live

by

lived,

Christ

living

in

and which he

is

the

life he which he The one great

to

the

live

truth

taught.

in

truth in which he continually lived was, as

we have with

seen, that only in conscious union

God

we can

is

there any real

readily see

Gospel writers

out, as the

life,

why he

and therefore

continually gave tell

us so

many

times he did, that his especial «nission was to preach

of God.

the glad tidings of the

Were

it

kingdom

not possible for us to live

same life that he lived, he certainly would not have taught what he taught.

the

This wonderful life

life

of fully realised Divine

Jesus claims not for himself alone, but

for all

who

actually live in the truth that

he taught.

It was not

to establish

any material

in-

made

his

stitution, as the church, that

Jesus

kingdom of God and His righteousness should become actualised and hold sway in the minds and hearts of men this was his mission, an entirely mission, but that the

—

THE GREATEST THING

50

thing

different

from

founding of a Paul and his party,

the

material organisation.

then

the

sharing

prevailing

kingdom was

material

were the

originators

We

to

of

ideas

that

a

be established, church,

the

not

word "church" mentioned in the four Gospels by Jesus only once or twice, and then only in an incidental way, while we find the kingdom mentioned Jesus.

find the

over thirty times in the

first

three Gospels

alone.

As we have been

his

already pointed out, had

purpose

establish

a

it

material

then he certainly would not

organisation,

have given

to

it

out that something else was

his especial purpose.

But when the material

organisation, the church, purely a

man-made

was established, the early church fathers bringing even interpolations of the institution,

Holy Word to their aid in establishing it and some of its various observations, as modern scholarship has already so clearly discovered, and as it is continually discover-

—

ing,

—the

had an

following ages, thinking that they

institution to

keep up, gradually

lost,

to a greater or less extent, the real spiritual

teachings of the Master in their zeal to keep

— EVER KNOWN

51

up the form of an institution with which he And those long and had nothing to do. persecutions

bitter

early

and middle

the

of

church in the

ages, as well as the long

crimes sanctioned and

committed by the church of the middle ages, show that they had not the real truth for those who live in the truth and have it uppermost in their minds and hearts never persecute only those who are on either uncertain or false ground, and whose endeavour it is to keep up the form of an institution which they feel would otherwise list

of

directly

;

—

fall

to the ground.

No, true religion has never been known

show intolerance Throughout the whole history of the churches' heresies and persecutions, either to persecute or to

of any kind.

the persecuted party has

ever occupied a

correspondingly higher and the persecuting party a lower position, the persecuting party continually fighting as

it

were for

the real truth that Jesus

life.

But

taught will not

cause nor will it even permit persecutions hence we find the latter only where there is

the lack of the former.

And

again, the real truth that Jesus taught

THE GREATEST THING

52 will

not admit of divisions,

intolerance, for all real truth

and

much is

less

of

exact truth,

it there can be no differand our modern theologians, and our churches of to-day, which get their form and life from the speculations and theories

in regard to

ences,

of the former,

certainly

have not the

real

truth that Jesus taught, for they are divided in

on

practically

every

that they seek to promulgate.

And

various

dogma

directions

may

with absurd attendant features, are not entirely unknown even yet to-day.

But in strange as

it

seem, heresy

trials,

all their

own

"A

house divided against so if the church of to-day wants to stand as a real power in the world, or if indeed it wants to stand at all, it must either get back to, or it must come Jesus' itself

words,

cannot stand."

up, as the case

may

truth that Jesus lived it

does

this

it

And

be, to the real living

and taught.

will inevitably lose

Unless hold

its

on the people even more rapidly than it is it to-day.

And certainly the younger ones whom it does not yet hold will not be drawn to it, when they can turn to that which has a thousand-fold more of truth and hence of life-giving power than it has to offer. losing

— EVER KNOWN That part

is

53

this is not a mere sentiment on our evidenced by the wonderful rapidity

New Thought " movement we could designate what we

with which the "

— would mean as

its

that

without using any term

—which

has,

underlying truth, this conscious union

with the Divine Life and the actualised powers attendant upon it as Jesus taught, hence not a new discovery, but a recovery, is growing in America, in England, to be brief, in practically every civilised country in the world.

Thousands every year in our

—

own and it

in

other countries are finding in

the joys of the realised Divine Life,

are turning to

feeds

them

;

it

and

and

from that which but poorly that this also

sentiment on our part

is

is

no mere

evidenced by the

contents of a letter recently sent by a noted divine in high official standing in the church

England to a noted American preacher, which he said, in substance, that the church in England is literally honeycombed by the " New Thought " movement, and asked that he might have sent a list of the best books that had already appeared in America along the lines indicated.

And so what we need tg-day is the same in

in

THE GREATEST THING

54

what the word is eagerly calling for, the power of the great central truth that the Master taught, and not the various theories and speculations in regard to his origin, his birth, his life, and the meaning of as

life-giving

his teachings.

And

still less,

the fabrications

of the early fathers in regard to inherited

sin,

and their belie ve-and-be-saved doctrine, and the alternative doctrine, fail to believe that which is opposed to all reason, all common-sense, all real mercy, as well as all true justice, and be damned, be forever and eternally lost. original sin, vicarious atonement,

Jesus is indeed a lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world, but he takes tlicm away by bringing to the world the truth that

make men

Hence

it is through he lived and taught, not through his death and the observance of the various ceremonies and forms that have grown up around it. Those who are aided by symbols and I am aware of the fact that for some, many hallowed may associations are connected with them

shall

his life

free.

and the truth

that

—

—

do

well

to

make use

outgrow the need

for

them until they them. But symbols of

EVER KNOWN

55

are of value only where the real thing

is

not,

and those who have the real thing no longer have need for symbols.

"But the hour Cometh," said Jesus, "and now is "(since I have brought you the real spirit of truth),

"when

the

true

worshippers shall worship

the Father in spirit

Father seek

the

God

a

is

Spirit,

must worship

and

for such doth His worshippers. and they that worship Him

to

in spirit

Jesus, according

truth

;

be

and

truth."

own

words, did not propose to rest satisfied with the mere historical belief \\\dX he was the Eternal Word

made

flesh,

to

and much

of theology

teach,

that

his

less,

as

some phases

reconciliation

with

the Father, as ordinarily understood, was his

God would adopt no methods

purpose.

in

connection with His children that are opposed to ftieir own reason. Nor would He

adopt any

And

if,

partial, limited, or tribal

as various theologians

methods.

would have

us believe, that reconciliation with the Father

can come about only by a belief in the shedding of the material, physical blood of Jesus, that through it the Father may receive satisfaction for to

His favour, how

the great

is

it

in regard

company of those who cannot

THE GREATEST THING

56

accept a theory so absurd, so

and

illogical,

so opposed to the nature of the living

God

whom

they

they knoiv,

no longer have

to

and about

to say nothing of the millions

of those millions

whom

speculate and theorise,

upon

millions

who never have heard, and other who never can hear, of the man

Jesus and the story of his blood "shed for the sins of the world," nine-tenths of whom, for

good reasons, would not believe it if they No, these fabrications cannot

did hear it?

true, for " in every nation,

be

he that feareth

God and worketh righteousness is accepted And so one may be without conof Him." nection with any church, and even without

connection with any established religion, and yet

be in

truer

spirit,

Christian

hence than

in reality, a

hosts

of those

much who

profess to be his most ardent followers, as

indeed Jesus himself so many times says.

"By Xheir fruits ye shall know them," said "Not every one that saith unto me. he.

Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven

;

but he that doeth the will of

Father which

is

my

in heaven."

That which calls itself Christianity must itself, and only that which shows forth

prove

— EVER KNOWN in

its life

57

the works, the power, the influence

— the truth that Jesus' showed forth— " He that believeth on me," said the by living my Jesus, — and shows life

is

real.

life,

it

" the works that I

he do also ; and greater works than these shall he do because And he who would I go unto the Father."

know by what

can

it

he lived and he

be known.

life

will

him then

Thus and thus only speculate and

of the doctrine.

We may

theorise in regard to

the

shall

authority Jesus spoke, let

live the life that

know

do

can we k7ww

it,

it.

but only by living

THE GREATEST THING

58

IV THE philosopher's RIPEST LIFE THOUGHT

T

ET

US

now

how

see

the truths

we have

already set forth stand in reference to

the

thought

of

the

philosopher

Fichte.

Truth, the highest truth, and truth for

own

its

was the one supreme object of his life.

And in order to discern this clearly himself, that he in turn might point it out clearly to others, he stood erect and alone, free from connection with any institution, organisation, or system of thought that would distort or limit his vision and induce him either intensake,

tionally or unintentionally to interpret truth

by bending

it

to suit the tenets of the system

of thought or the institution to which he

might be, even though inadvertently, bound.

It was of Fichte that an eminent English scholar once said ^' Far above the dark vortex of theological strife in which punier intellects chafe and vex themselves in vain, :

Fichte struggles forward in the sunshine of

pure thought which sectarianism cannot

see,

;

EVER KNOWN because

its

weakened

vision

is

59 already

with a borrowed and imperfect light."

It

how

moreover, always of value to

is,

filled

— know

and endeavours to give to others finds embodiment in his own life, for this is the sure and unfailing test

A

the truth that one finds

of

its vitality, if

word or two,

life

of Fichte

a word or

not indeed of

its reality.

therefore, in reference to the

may

not be inappropriate here, from the same eminent

two

English scholar quoted

above,

the

trans-

works from the German to the English, for he knew well his life as he_

lator of his

knew

also his philosophy.

"We

philosophy deeply," says he;

prize

"it

is

his'^

to us

an invaluable possession, for it seems the noblest exposition to which we have yet Hstened of human nature and divine truth but with reverent thankfulness we acknowledge a still higher debt, for he has left behind him the best gift which man can bequeath to man a brave, heroic human " ^ "' life."

—

" In the strong reality of his intense love for

—

all

in his incorruptible

devotion to the

>

life,

—

in his

and true, and heroic

things beautiful

right,

integrity

we

OF THE

see a living mani-

THE GREATEST THING

6o

festation of his

principles.

His

true counterpart of his philosophy

life

—

is

it is

the that

of a strong, free, incorruptible man."

And now to a few paragraphs of Fichte's thought bearing more or less directly upon the

theme immediately

in hand.

After set-

ting forth in a very comprehensive

regard

the truth in

with

Life

manner

as

identifies

general

deavoured

making

be

it

Being,

manner

which he the same

much in we have already

en-

and then after

by God he means this forth,

Being, this Spirit of Infinite Life, :

"God

—a

set

clear that

it

Infinite

he says

to

to

and nothing besides him, it seems to me, may comprehended, and which is the

alone

is,

principle which, easily

indispensable condition of

all

religious in-

sight."

"But

beyond

imaginary

this

conception,

carefully set

forth

enters

us

into

immediate strictly,

we

life,

this

in

—

or,

his

to

mere and

empty and we have

as

matter above, actual,

express

true, it

God and more

ourselves are this his immediate

—

: ;

EVER KNOWN

6i

But we are not conscious of this Life. immediate Divine Life and since, as we have also already seen, our own Existence that which properly belongs to us is that only which we can embrace in consciousness, so our Being in God, notwithstanding that at bottom it is indeed ours, remains never;

—

—

theless forever

deed and

foreign

to

and

us,

thus, in

not our Being

truth, to ourselves is

we are in no respect the better of this insight, and remain as far removed as ever from God.

We know

nothing of this immediate Divine

even at the first touch of is changed into a dead World.

The form forever veils the substance from us ; our vision itself conceals Life,

I

said

for

;

consciousness .

its

.

it

.

object; our eye stands

I

say

'

Raise

unto

thee

thyself

Religion,

and

to all

who

in its

thus

light.

standing-point

the these

aside; the World, with

own

complainest

veils

its

dead

are

of

drawn

principle,

disappears from before thee, and the God-

head once more resumes its place within thee, in its first and original form, as Life, as thine own Life, which thou oughtest to live and shalt live.'"

In setting forth

how

universally

Divine

THE GREATEST THING

62

Being incarnates says

Eternal personal,

sensible,

human

in

itself

From the first Word becomes

"

:

and

assumes

flesh,

human

in every individual

into

insight

actually life

in

man who

truth gives

up

all

same way

as

it

times,

and who

his personal

to the Divine Life within him,

in the

a

has a living

unity with God,

his

and

he

existence,

without obstruction or reserve, in

and

Life,

standing-point the

— precisely

became incarnate

in

Jesus Christ."

Speaking, then, of the great fundamental fact

that

the

truth

that

himself

Jesus

perceived and gave to the world, and also of the manner whereby he came into the it, he says "Jesus of Nazareth undoubtedly possessed the highest perception

perception of

:

containing the foundation of

all

of the absolute identity of

Humanity with

the Godhead, as regards what

other Truth,

is

essentially

real in the former."

"His self-consciousness was

at

once the

pure and absolute Truth of Reason self-existent

and independent,

the

itself,

simple

••»• *••

fact of consciousness."

•

Then

in

showing that Jesus as he

is

pre-

:

EVER KNOWN

63

sented to us by the apostle John never conHfe in any other Hght than one with the Father's Life, he says " But it is precisely the most prominent and striking trait in the character of the Johannean

ceived of his

as

Jesus, ever recurring in the

he

will

know nothing

same shape,

that

of such a separation

of his personality from his Father, and that he earnestly rebukes others who attempt while he conto make such a distinction stantly assumes that he who sees him sees the Father, that he who hears him hears the Father, and that he and the Father are wholly one and he unconditionally denies and rejects the notion of an independent being in himself, such an unbecoming elevation of himself having been made an objection against him by misunderstanding.

To him Jesus was not God, for to him there was no independent Jesus whatever; but God was Jesus, and manifested himself as ;

;

Jesus."

To truth,

show, then,

brought in

that

its

this

fulness,

is

a universal

and with a

liv-

by by no means applicable to him alone, he says " An insight into the absolute ing exemplified vitality,

Jesus, but

:

first

to the world

64

THE GREATEST THING Human

Existence with

unity of

the

Divine

certainly the profoundest

is

ledge that

man

can

attain.

the

Know-

Before Jesus

Knowledge had nowhere existed and since his time, we may say, even down to the present day, it has been again as good as rooted out and lost, at least in profane this

;

literature."

That we must come

into the

same

living

realisation of this great transcendent truth

that Jesus

came

either

into,

through his

teaching and exemplified realisation of clearly

indicates

living possession set forth

— not

or

it

:

the dry,

knowledge of

historical

it,

may come, he " The by the following of the theory we have now

through whatever channel

dead, it

—

is,

and merely according to

our doctrine, the highest, and indeed the only possible, Blessedness."

"The

Metaphysical only, and

Historical,

can give

us

not the

Blessedness;

the

can only give us understanding. If iany man be truly united with God, and dwell in him, it is altogether an indifferent thing latter

how he may have reached

this state and it would be a most useless and perverse em;

ployment, instead of living in the thing, to

EVER KNOWN

65

be continually repeating over our recollecCould Jesus return into the world, we might expect him to be thoroughly satisfied, if he found Christianity actually reigning in the minds of men, whether his merit in the work were recognised or overlooked and this is, in fact, the very least that might be expected from a man who, while he lived on earth, sought tions of the way.

;

not his

own

but the glory of him

glory,

who

sent him."

And what results

in the eyes

that follow

of Fichte are the

and hence the

tests

of

the genuineness of this higher realisation, this it ?

True Religion, as he sometimes terms His words in this connection are " True :

Religion, notwithstanding that

view of those

who

are inspired by

raises

it

it

to

its

the

own

region, nevertheless retains their Life firmly

domain of

and of right moral and real Religious Life is not alone percipient and contemplative, does not merely brood over devout thoughts, but It consists, as we have is essentially active. in the

action.

The

action,

true

seen, in the intimate consciousness that

actually lives, moves, in us.

and

If therefore there

perfects his is

in

God work

us no real

THE GREATEST THING

66

Life, if

no

activity

ceed forth from

us,

and no then

Our consciousness

us.

is

visible

God

work pro-

not active in

of union with

God

then deceptive and vain, and the empty

is

shadow of a condition perhaps the general, but

such a condition

may be

is

that

we

insight that

and

possible,

actual, but that

ours;

not

is

lifeless,

in others

ourselves have,

nevertheless, not the least portion in

it."

" Religion does not consist in mere devout

dreams, I said

by and

apart from

on

:

Religion

for itself,

which a

is

not a business

man may

his other occupations,

certain fixed days

practise

perhaps

and hours; but

it

is

the inmost spirit that penetrates, inspires,

and pervades

all

which in other

our Thought and Action, respects

pursue their ap-

pointed course without change or interrup-

That the Divine Life and Energy

tion.

actually

lives

us

in

is

inseparable

from

Religion, I said."

To

how

show, then,

completely at one in

his or her consciousness this truly religious

man own

or

woman becomes, how

personal will

muted

into,

the

is

lost in,

his

or her

and so

trans-

Divine Will, as also the

calmness and tranquillity with which his or

EVER KNOWN her

life

says

:

forever

"

The

flows

thereafter

along,

the

of

expression

67

he

constant

Moral and Religious let but thy Lord will be done, then is mine also done; for that thy I have no other will than this will be done."

"This Divine Life now continually de-

mind of the

man

truly

prayer

this

is

'

:

!

—

velops

itself

within him, without hindrance

or obstruction, as itself

this

alone

it

is

will is therefore is

it

can and must develop

him and

only in

that

his

individuality;

he properly

wills; his

always accomplished, and

it

absolutely impossible that anything con-

trary to

it

should ever come to pass."

"Whatever comes nothing

accountable

—

pass

to

around him,

him strange or unhe knows assuredly, whether

appears

to

he understand it or not, that it is in God's World, and that there nothing can be that does not directly tend to Good. In him there

the

is

no

absolute

eternally

fear

bears

him

the

for

fountain

of

on

all

Future,

for

Blessedness

towards

it;

no

sorrow for the Past, for in so far as he was not in God he was nothing, and this is

now

at

an end, and since he has dwelt

; :

THE GREATEST THING

68

been bom into Light; he was in God, that which he has done is assuredly right and good. He has never aught to deny himself, nor aught to long for; for he is at

God he

in

while

in

has

so

as

far

times in eternal possession of the

all

ful-

he is capable of enjoying.

For him all labour and effort have vanished his whole Outward Existence flows forth, softly and gently, from his Inward Being, ness of

and

that

all

issues out into Reality without difficulty

or hindrance."

how we may

Speaking, then, of enter into

and

of this real instead of

expecting

and

life,

and to

once

of those who, the

finding

and

here

joy

after the transition

at

realisation

full

also

thus

find

the

immediately into

entering

Kingdom and happiness

in

live

now,

in

we

call death,

"Full surely indeed there it

here,

he says

a Blessed-

lies

ness beyond the grave for those already entered upon

are

completeness

it

its

the

highest

who have

and

in

no

other form or way than that by which they

can already enter upon it here in this moment; but by mere burial man cannot arrive

at

Blessedness

—and

in

the

future

EVER KNOWN and

life,

throughout

range of

future

all

the

life,

whole

here,

it

if

infinite

they would seek

for happiness as vainly as they

sought

69

have already

they were to seek

it

in

aught else than in that which already surrounds them so closely here below that throughout Eternity nearer to them

—

it

can never be brought

in the Infinite.

And

thus

does the poor child of Eternity, cast forth from his native home, and surrounded on all

sides

yet

his

by his heavenly inheritance which trembling

wander with

hand fears to grasp, and uncertain step

fugitive

throughout the waste, everywhere labouring to

establish

for

himself a dwelling place,

but happily ever reminded, by the speedy downfall of each of his successive habita-

he can find peace nowhere but

tions, that

in his Father's house."

Finally, speaking of

how completely doubt

and uncertainty are eliminated from the life of him who through the realisation of the truth we have set forth becomes thereby centred

in

Religious possibility

every

the

man

is

Infinite,

he says:

"The

forever secured from

of doubt and

moment he knows

uncertainty. distinctly

the

In

what he

THE GREATEST THING

70

and ought

wills,

root of his

life

to will;

—

his will

for the

innermost

—forever flows

forth

from the Divinity, immediately and without the possibility of error

and

fallible,

that

for

infallible perception.

knows

that in

what he

all

shall will,

its

;

indication

is

in-

indication he has an

In every moment he he shall know

Eternity

and ought

to will

in all Eternity the fountain of Divine

;

that

Love

which has burst forth in him shall never be dried up, but shall uphold him securely and bear him on forever."

Such, then, in general, are fragments of the thought, and, thought, of one

be added, the ripest exerted perhaps as

let it

who has

upon the

great a direct influence

life

of his

own immediate as well as succeeding ages as any man who has ever lived. It is to Fichte that, to a very great extent, the German Empire it

its

owes the splendid educational system His thought began to exert

has to-day.

influence at the time

system was

falling into

even the Empire losses

was

condition.

in

itself

a

when

its

educational

a state of chaos, and

by virtue of

more

or less

its

recent

uncertain

And, acting to a greater or less minds of Froebel and

extent through the

EVER KNOWN

71

Pestalozzi, his thought has aided in giving

the world the truest

to it

type

has yet seen, that that

the

name

of education

we know under

kindergarten, which

is

slowly but

surely working to revolutionise our present

educational methods, which stand so sadly

need of a change even so radical. and vitality of a man's thought are to be judged by its permanent as well as its immediate influence, surely the thought of Fichte found its life in the realms of the highest truth, through which alone real vitality comes, for it has exerted and is still exerting a most powerful life-giving influence, an influence, indeed, that will never end. in

If the truth

THE GREATEST THING

72

SUSTAINED IN PEACE AND SAFETY FOREVER

AT

what now have we has been the

own

reason and insight,

outside

all

great

of the

fact life

that

From our

independently of

we have found

authority,

truth

and what

arrived,

process?

a living insight

essential

unity

with the Divine Life

is

into

of the

the

the

human

the profoundest

knowledge that man can attain to. This as a mere intellectual perception, however, as a mere dead theory, amounts to but little, if

indeed, to anything at

bearing

fruit in

It

is

the

vital,

every-day living

life

all,

is

as far as

concerned.

realisation

great transcendent truth in the

life

of

this

of each

one that makes it a mighty moving and moulding force in his life.

Then we have also found that this same great truth was the great central fact of both the life and the teachings of one who comes as authority to practically all That this was the world, the Christ Jesus.

EVER KNOWN

^i

the one great truth in which he continually lived, that

was the secret of

it

unusual

his

and power, and that it was also the great truth that he came to bring to the That it was world, he distinctly tells us. not only what he proclaimed that he came insight

to teach, but also

we have

We

what he

distinctly taught,

likewise found.

have found also that the ripest

thought of the philosopher Fichte spiritual

vision

him

to enable

was to

so

give

fully

to

life

—whose

unfolded

as

the world such

a remarkable blending of the intellectual

— was

and the

spiritual

almost

not identically the same in refer-

if

in

his

philosophy

ence to this great truth, as was also his thought in regard to the

life

and the power

as well as the mission of Jesus.

And when ful

I

see day after day the wonder-

results that follow in the lives of those

who have entered into this living realisation, then I know that Jesus knew whereof he spoke when he gave the injunction, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,

and

unto you."

all

these things shall be

Moreover,

I

do not

added

believe, but

THE GREATEST THING

74

/

know^ that whoever through the

tion thus finds

will

that all else will follow words literally and absolutely as well as neces-

find

—

—

this realisa-

kingdom of God

sarily

his

All will follow in a perfectly

true.

natural

and normal manner,

ance with natural

He who

in full

accord-

spiritual law.

goes thus directly to the mountain

top will find

things

all

spread out before

him in the valley below.

He who thus becomes centred in the Infinite will find that to the same centre whence his inner things pertaining to his outer

life issues, all

material

life

beauty of holiness to

live

in

is

To know

of wholeness. is

be drawn. The one with the beauty

in turn

will

but the

One

Life

the fact and the beauty of

wholeness; and where wholeness is, there no lack of anything will be found.

If

what we ordinarily term our Christian

churches, and

if

in their pulpits,

give

the preachers

would

fully

who

stand

and universally

themselves to the real message that

then we would "the common people" would go to them and hear them gladly ; there would then be no hard pressing social situation to

Jesus gave to the world, find that

EVER KNOWN

75

face, for the people would then have a living knowledge of the one great truth through which all other things would come.

This great transcendent truth, however, that was the very essence of the life and the teachings of Jesus, has been even in our churches as good as rooted out and lost.

And shall we conclude that because it is practically lost the greater part of the time and at-

tention of the preacher in the large majority

them

of

given to the empty, barren, incon-

is

sequential themes

because so

much

it

to the latter that there

former?

given to?

is

time and attention

However

this

is

no time

may

be,

it

Or is

is

it

given

left for

the

certainly

is

true that that to a greater or less extent to-day

we

find identically the

same conditions

that

Jesus found, and that he continually tried so hard to do away with. " Full well," said he, reject the commandment of God, may keep your own tradition."

"ye ye

Many a

that

student comes from our theologi-

cal schools so steeped in theological specu-

and in denominational dogmas that he hasn't the slightest conception of what lations

What the real mission of Jesus was. wonder, then, that the church to which he

THE GREATEST THING

76

goes soon becomes a dead shell from which the

with

life

has gone, into which those in love

life will

no longer

enter, a

chief concern very soon

church whose

how

is,

But once

to raise the

these minor and inconsequential, not to say at times petty, foolish, and absurd, things be dropped, and let all time and attention be given to the minister's stipend?

let

great central truth that Jesus brought to the

and we shall find that during the next one hundred years, ay, during the next fifty years, what will then be real Christianity will make more progress than what is now termed Christianity has made during all the nineteen hundred years it has been in the

world,

world.

The

more than

it

it

has

is

all

these

has not accomplished quite

that something essential

The

during

that

fact

hundreds of years

is

good evidence lacking in

it.

Christendom to-day is the same as the injunction given by the native ministers of Japan to a noted representative of the Christian religion as he " Send us was leaving there not long ago doctrines are tired of them. we no more Send us Christ." And the only way that Christ can be sent is by sending the great even of

real soul-cry

all

:

:

EVER KNOWN he brought

central truth that

77

to the world, a

truth so world-wide^ so universal^ that, so far

even as the so-called various great religions it there can be

are concerned, in regard to

no

from

differences, for

very nature

its

it

is

at the very foundation, indeed, the very life

essence, of

them

sense that there

And

all.

is

so

it is

true in this

one religion, God. For to live

essentially but

the religion of the living

in the conscious realisation of the fact that

God

lives in us, is

indeed the

that in ourselves

life,

and hence no power,

fact of all true religion,

human

great fact of

of our

life

life,

we have no independent

and

life.

is

the one great

even as

it is

the one

Religion, therefore,

and life at its truest, are essentiand necessarily one and the same.

at its purest, ally

It is

only through this living realisation of

the essential unity of our

life

with the Father's

and even true peace and happiness, can be found.

The that

life

true

blessedness,

sooner, then, that live

the

life

we come

of the

into

spirit,

it,

and thus

the better,

for

come nor can they be found There is, moreover, no way.

neither will they in

any other

time either in this form of other form,

life,

or in any

when we can any more

readily

THE GREATEST THING

78

come

into

It,

and thereby into

all that follows,

than we can at this very moment.

And

when

once

this fountain

of Divine Life

is

fully opened within us, it can never again be dried up, and we can rest assured that it will at all times uphold us in peace and bear us on in safety. And however strange or unaccountable at times occurrences may appear, we can rest in a triumphant security, knowing that only good can come, for in God's life there is only good, and in God's life

we

are

now

live forever.

living,

and there we

shall

EVER KNOWN

79

A Method There

is

a simple method which will aid

us greatly in coming into the realisation

we

have been considering.

So simple is it that thousands and indeed millions have passed it by, looking, as is so generally our custom, for agencies of at

least apparently greater

power; we so frequently and so universally forget

that

the greatest things

in life

are

the most simple.

The method is this wherever you are, whatever doing, walking along the street or :

fields, at work of any kind, falling awaking from sleep, setting about any undertaking, in doubt as to what course to pursue at any particular time, in brief, whatever it may be, carry with you this thought: It is the Father that worketh in me, my Father works and I work.

This is the thought so continually used by Jesus, who came into probably the fullest realisation of the oneness of his life with the God-life that any one who has lived in the world

through the

off to or

thus far has

come

into,

and

it

is

given

THE GREATEST THING

8o

because

From

so simple.

is

it

own

make

his

"the

Father."

formula.

Many

it

Jesus'

each can term was

likewise

will

find

themselves naturally using the same term

and

will find

them.

becoming very precious to

it

Others will

find

other terms for the

thought

me,

my

:

It

Power

is

using

the Father that worketh in

is

Father works and

words, It

themselves

same conception and I

work.

In other

the spirit of Infinite Life

and

working in and through all, the life and animating power of all, God, that worketh in me, and I do as I am directed and empowered by It. In this way we open ourselves, and become that

—

behind

is

all,

—

consciously awake to the Infinite Life and

Power

and ready to we will merely put ourselves into the attitude whereby It can work in them. In this way we open ourselves so that It can speak and manifest to and through us.

This It is ever ready to do if we will but make for It the right direct

that

ever waiting

is

and work

conditions.

in our lives, if

By

carrying

with

us

this

thought, by holding ourselves in this attitude

of it

mind consciously even in so

for a while,

by repeating

many words now and then

at

— EVER KNOWN we

will find

it

habitual

thought,

and

first,

in

8i

time becoming our ourselves

find

will

without the conscious effort that

living in

it

we have

to

make

at

first,

and we

time

will in

find ourselves almost unconsciously living in it

Thus God

continually.

as a living pres-

becomes

ence, as a guiding, animating power,

an actuality

in

presence of

God

our in

lives.

The

our

lives,

the essence, indeed the

wisdom and

we

all

power

will

are able to appropriate

wisely;

if

for

merely

they will be withheld

and

selfish, ;

if

which

is

sum and substance

of all religion, then becomes a all

conscious

reality,

and

be given us as

and use them personal ends,

for the greatest aid

service for the world,

we

will find

them

continually increasing.

With this higher realisation comes more and more the simple, child-like spirit. With Of myself I can do nothing, Jesus we realise it is the Father within me that doeth His work.

In ourselves we are and can do nothmg in God we can do all things. We never can be in the condition in God

—

;

—

until

through

becomes a lives.

this

higher realisation

conscious^

living reality

in

God our

THE GREATEST THING

82

Faithfulness

bring about

to this

simple method will

complete change in great numbers of lives. Each one for himself can test its efficacy in a very short time.

It is the highway upon which many will enter and which will take them by easy stages into a

the realisation of the highest attained

to.

direction,

To

life

that can

be

set one's face in the right

and then simply

to travel on, will

time bring him into the realisation of

in

the highest

—

of

it

is

life

that can be even conceived

the secret of

all

attainment.

For further suggestions as to the method of entering into a much fuller portrayal of results in every-day life, the reader is directed to the volume by the same author entitled, "In Tune with the Infinite; or, Fullness of Peace, Power, and Plenty." this higher realisation, as also for its

WALDO

By RALPH "The

What Its

All

purpose

is

Life

TRINE.

Books."

the World's A-Seeking. distinctly practical. It is most

fas-

cinatingly written, and deserves the remarkable success it has achieved.

The Review of Reviews.

—

The volume abounds in passages of great beauty and strength; but the striking feature of the book after all, the solid, sensible, healthy exposition of the one theme it is written to enforce.

New York Independent. is,

—

This is a book among a thousand for its inspiring message, and is eminently worthy of a vast audience. will miss much if you miss reading its truthladen pages.

Cumberland Presbyterian.

You

—

In

Tune With

the Infinite.

It is one of the simplest, clearest ^vorks ever written, dealing with the power of the interior forces in

—

moulding the every-day conditions of life.

San Francisco Bulletin. ... It immediately suggests the works of Drummond, but shows a decided advance upon the ground Avhich he made familiar to mankind it not only reveals the author's recognition of spiritual law, but in certain instances shows his rare and remarkable understanding of the nature and action of such law; the preface alone shows his high intuition, and the book proves his ability to achieve his purpose in a marvellous degree.

Boston Daily Evening Tran;

—

script.

Mr. Trine can write well upon such

He

topics as this.

is alive, vigorous, cheery, confident.

The work has distinctiveness in its style and method.

The Literary Worlds Londoii.

—

The above books are beautifully and durably bound in gray-green raised cloth, statnfed in deep old-green and gold with gilt top.

Price, $/.25 per volume. y

THOMAS

Y.

CROWELL &

NEW YORK.

CO..

—

By RALPH

WALDO

The " Life"

The

TRINE.

Booklets.

Greatest Thing Ever Known.

The moment we fully and vitally realize -who and what we are Ave then begin to build our own world even as God builds His. — From Title-page.

...

It unfolds

strength, and

the

secret

of our underlying-

shows what it is that gives us power and living purooses of our being.

to fulfil the real

— The New Christianity.

Every Living Creature. passion in the human is too precious a quality to allow it to be hardened or effaced by practices such as we so often

The tender and humane

heart

—

indulge in.

From Title-page.

An eloquent appeal and an able argument for and mercy to our dumb fellow-creatures. good book for those whose characters are being formed, and for all who love justice and right.

Religio-Philosophical journal.

A

justice

Character-Building Thought Power.

A thought, good or

evil, an act, in time a habit, so runs life's law; what you live in your thoughtworld, that, sooner or later, you w'll find objectified

—

From Title-page. your life.

In " Character-Building Thought Power" Mr. Trine demonstrates the power of mental habits, in

and shows how by daily

effort

we may

train our-

selves into right ways of thinking ar i acting. His teachings are sound, practical, and of priceless worth.

Albany Press.

—

in an exceedingly attractive and handy form. Price, S5 cents per volume.

Bound

THOMAS

Y.

CROWELL &

NEW YORK.

CO.,

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EDUCATION-PSYCHOLOGY LIBRARY due on the last date stamped below, or on the date to which renewed.

Renewed books are subject to immediate recall.

This book

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is

REC'D-

Wii

MOV 28

1972

DEC 88

1972

DEC 1 g REC'D -9

SEP 1

/

M-

Q 1974

8ECD ORC C^T

SEPi feV*

SEP 1 8 REC'D -9 A!y

OU

r

2

1992

SUBJECT TO RECALL

LD

21A-30m-6.'67

(H2472sl0)476

General Library University of California Berkeley

CD5TMTi2c,(^

L