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The Divine Manifestations |
All things manifest the bounty of God with greater or less
clearness, as all material objects exposed to the sun reflect its
light in greater or less degree. A heap of soot reflects a little,
a stone reflects more, a piece of chalk more still, but in none
of these reflections can we trace the form and color of the
glorious orb. A perfect mirror, however, reflects the sun’s very
form and color, so that looking into it is like looking at the sun
itself. So it is with the way in which things speak to us of God.
The stone can tell us something of the Divine attributes, the
flower can tell us more, the animal with its marvelous senses,
instincts and power of movement, more still. In the lowest of
our fellowmen we can trace wonderful faculties which tell of
a wonderful Creator. In the poet, the saint, the genius, we find
a higher revelation still, but the great Prophets and Founders of
religions are the perfect mirrors by which the love and wisdom
of God are reflected to the rest of mankind. Other men’s mirrors
are dulled by the stains and the dust of selfishness and
prejudice, but these are pure and without blemish—wholly devoted
to the Will of God. Thus They become the greatest educators
of mankind. The Divine teachings and the Power of the
Holy Spirit proceeding through Them have been and are the
cause of the progress of humanity, for God helps men through
other men. Each man who is higher in the ascent of life is the
means of helping those who are lower, and those who are the
highest of all are the helpers of all mankind. It is as if all men
were connected together by elastic cords. If a man rises a little
above the general level of his fellows, the cords tighten. His
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former companions tend to draw him back, but with an equal
force he draws them upwards. The higher he gets, the more he
feels the weight of the whole world pulling him back, and the
more dependent he is on the divine support, which reaches
him through the few who are still above him. Highest of all are
the great Prophets and Saviors, the Divine “Manifestations”—those perfect men Who were each, in Their day, without peer
or companion, and bore the burden of the whole world, supported
by God alone. “The burden of our sins was upon Him:
was true of each of Them. Each was the “Way, the Truth and
the Life” to His followers. Each was the channel of God’s
bounty to every heart that would receive it. Each had His part
to play in the great divine plan for the upliftment of humanity.
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