The Household of God
Volume 1
The early history of mankind
- Chapter 147 -
ABEDAM TALKS WITH THE STRANGER ABEDAM (9th November 1841)
Having heard this from the mouth of the stranger, Abedam was amazed and said:
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"But my highly esteemed Abedam, this is really the story of the children of the height who are the fathers of our main line.
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'The name of the Father is Emmanuel Abba and Jehovah, God the Most High, holy, exceedingly holy.
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"Tell me, if you are willing, where you have met this holy Father, what did He look like and in what direction did He go from you?
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O do tell me, I pray. For behold, coming from the evening region I was an eyewitness of everything that happened and enjoyed the inexpressible, highest grace of walking, as the most unworthy, constantly by His side.
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O friend Abedam, the bliss I poor sinner experienced the highest angel could not describe to you with the most glowing tongue.
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"Indeed, I can only tell you that in this short period of time I experienced more of the most sublime bliss than the highest angel spirit does in an eternity."
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'Then the stranger asked him: "What was it actually that gave you so much bliss that you regard the bliss of the high, free angels as almost nothing compared to it?"
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And Abedam replied: O my beloved namesake, behold, in this respect I have always been a peculiar man, and just because of this peculiarity that which might sadden thousands makes me happiest. This peculiar trait consists in the fact that I feel happiest when I am beside someone with whom I more and more feel my absolute nothingness compared to his allness from the bottom of my heart. 'Therefore I do not want to see any person beneath me, but always as much as possible above me. And thus my motto is this: 'Blessed is the heart's lowliness, and the helpless weakness is the worm's greatest wealth!'
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"For if the worm was strong in the fullness of life, how much pain it would feel when it is trodden on. But its weakness and the constant helplessness of its life may perhaps make for it that which we regard as painful the greatest delight of its life.
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"Of course, I do not know the nature of worms as He Who created them knows it, but I feel that this is so as I myself am happiest when under pressure from all sides.
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"But now, my beloved namesake, I beg you to kindly answer my earlier three questions, if you are willing. Amen."
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And the stranger Abedam answered: "Look, my beloved Abedam, of what use can the answering of the three questions now be to you on careful consideration of this matter?
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"Behold, My principle and motto is this: 'If you cannot be of any use to your brother with some word, let your tongue rest and stir it only when you can thereby do a service to your brother!'
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"Look, in view of this My principle I would rather not answer you. Does this satisfy you?"
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And Abedam replied: "Yes, my beloved friend Abedam, on the one hand it does because I recognize that your will subjugates mine, and this pleases me; but on the other hand, since I love this to you and me well known holy Father above all, my heart is filled with the greatest yearning to be constantly with Him or at least speak of Him constantly, to love, praise and glorify Him above all, worship the Most Holy and also, as on this occasion, to have someone tell me about Him. And look, because of this very great yearning of my heart I am not satisfied that you do not want to answer my questions. As far as your principle is concerned you may do so without hesitation, for thereby you cannot possibly harm my heart, but it would be of great benefit to it. Is not every action and every word to our brothers of the greatest use to them only when we have worked for, and spoken to, their hearts?
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"Look, is this not correct and does it not correspond to your truly sublime and most wonderful principle?
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"Therefore, if you are willing, would you please answer my questions."
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And Abedam, the stranger, said to the known Abedam: "Listen, Abedam, I like your words so much that I now cannot but answer your questions and tell you something else and again something more. And so listen:
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"I met the to you so well-known Father at the exact spot where the two of us earlier met As for His appearance, you may believe Me, He looked exactly like Me, just as our names are alike. And because of that He looked very much like you, too.
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"Where He went I cannot tell you exactly, but one thing is certain, namely, that He did not walk away from His children, but on a small detour back to them again.
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"Behold, now you have all the answers to your questions. But now there is still this 'something else', and this is contained in a counter-question.
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"Since you are an awakened one and have beheld the Father for so long, I am surprised that you have not noticed this likeness between Me, you and Him at first sight.
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"And now comes the 'something more', and this again in a question. Behold, your principle is, strange to say, Mine, too, and the comparison with the worm has already long ago grown on My ground. Tell Me now whether we suit each other.
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"But bear this in mind! If someone for the sake of his own bliss wants to be the lowest, is it not secretly the same as when one for the same reason wants to be the highest among all his brothers?
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"This matter worries Me about you. If you are willing, you may as well unravel this knot for Me!"
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And the known Abedam did not know what to answer his namesake, and he said to Him:
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"Beloved friend Abedam, your truly incomprehensibly high wisdom reveals that you are a son of the morning. I would like to answer your questions if it were possible to me. However, I cannot even understand your strange answers to my questions and absorb them properly in my heart.
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"As regards your questions, you will have to do without answers because only now do I really see how disgustingly stupid I still am.
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"Yes, dear friend, you have done right to stop me and urge me to return, for if with this my only now recognized stupidity I had come to my own, oh, how one stupidity would have called forth - another and, finally, refuted it!
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"Therefore, do not call me an awakened one again, but call me a sleeping fool, for the more I now ponder on myself the more stupid I feel.
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"In truth, because thanks to my principle I had this blissful experience with the holy Father, I thought myself already awakened, and only now do I see clearly how little my heart has understood all the glorious words from the Father's mouth and planted them within it as a living and glorious seed of eternal love and, thus, everlasting life.
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"O friend Abedam, forgive me that I am therefore unable to answer you. Amen."
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And the stranger Abedam replied: "Listen, My faithful namesake, I am completely satisfied with your answer, for you have fully explained to Me every point of My question, and thus we suit each other perfectly.
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"You realize what you are still lacking and have properly humiliated yourself in your heart View your principle in the right light, - but I want to be of use to everyone with word and deed.
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"Tell Me, judge for yourself, are we not as if made for each other as if I had been there for you already from eternity and had created you only for Myself?"
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And Abedam said, full of joy: "Yes, yes, that is how I myself feel very clearly; like a father for the son and the son for the father.
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"My most beloved friend Abedam, I have also the feeling as if we could not separate in all eternity and as if I could never do without your help. And so I wish to be together with you not just temporally but also eternally."
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And the stranger Abedam said: "Behold, you have forestalled Me. Since I came to know you this has been also My only wish and will.
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"But look, I hear sounds of praise. We are close to our destination. Therefore, compose yourself and introduce Me to Adam and the others. Amen."