WHAT
IS YOUR POSITION IN
REGARD
TO THE WORLD?
December
1859
What
is your position in regard to the world or the errors of the world?
You cannot embrace both.
If you embrace the world you embrace its
errors and become a servant to its laws, and the spirit (or truth)
departs to the God that gave it.
But if you hold on to the truth, the
world is in subjection to you, and instead of becoming a servant, you
become a teacher of truth to the world and lead other minds to the
truth.
Instead
of your happiness being in the world, the world's happiness is in
you.
Here is your true position, and this is the struggle you will
have to go through.
Shall the world lead you, or shall you lead the
world?
This is the point that is to be settled in your mind.
Now
I will give you the signs of the times.
Many shall come in the name
of the truth and say, do this, or do that - music, dancing, and all
sorts of amusements. But truth says, "Beware, be not deceived; seek
first the truth and all the above will be a pleasure to you."
To know
whether you are born of the truth, the truth shall show just your
position in the world. Then you can take the lead and the world will
listen to you. Then the kingdom of this world has become subject to
the kingdom of heaven, for error has become the subject of truth.
This
is a trying scene to go through. It seems as though you must leave
all the world's pleasure and seclude yourself from society. But this
is not the case; you will like society all the better.
For where the
carcass is there will all the eagles be gathered; so where error is,
truth will go to lead the captive free.
This will make you love
amusement for the sake of doing good. Then you will rejoice with
those that rejoice and weep with those that weep, and your happiness
is their happiness. Then you will be loved and respected for your
love (or knowledge) and you will draw around you those minds that are
in harmony with yours.
Then will the old ideas come and knock at your
door for admittance, but the truth will say, "Depart from me, ye
cursed, for when I wanted truth you gave me no answer; when ignorant
(or naked), you gave me no truth (or clothes); therefore depart ye
cursed, into everlasting darkness where ignorance and error dwell.
