The Use and Need of the Life of Carrie A. Nation [78]
and every letter
was surrounded with a bright light. I turned over the leaves, and I
saw the meaning on the pages at a glance. There was a new light and
meaning. I have never been able to express that experience in any other
way than to say I was "eating" the word of God. I could now understand
why we do not understand the figures and expressions used in the
Bible, because I have had several experiences, that were impossible to
explain by human language.
I told Mr. Nation that the Bible was a new book to me, tried to
explain to him; told him I now saw the meaning of everything. He
said: "Explain Lazarus and the rich man." I turned to it instantly.
The divine light gave a new meaning to me. I commented thus as I
read it: "This rich man is the Jewish nation, with its gorgeous temple
service. The poor man is the Gentile nations called dogs, no temple, no
altar, no God, no healing; like a man with an incurable loathsome disease.
These begged from the Jews the crumbs that fell to their dogs. This rich
man had much goods. He could have shared to bless, but through lack
of charity he withheld.
The beggar died, and angels took him to Abraham's bosom, the very
place the Jews thought was only for them. This is a figure of the
death to sin, and the life to righteousness. The natural must die before
the spiritual can live. The rich man died, and was buried. The Jewish
nation died as it is here predicted, and in hell, he lifted up his eyes, being
in torments. It is not said that the Gentiles, or Lazarus were buried.
The Jews as a nation are dead, never to be resurrected. They have been
scattered abroad in torments, a people without a land, a hiss and a by-
word, as God said. The Jew sees the Gentiles with the good things, he
once had. Has time and time again begged relief from them. The Jews
wish no companionship in their misery, have no missionaries. Five is
a number applied to humanity.--five senses, five fingers, five toes. The
gulf spoken of as being impassable, is the separateness of the Jews from
all others.
The rich man wants one from the dead to go to his five brethren, or
humanity. Abraham or the Gospel reminds the Jew that Moses and
the prophets were as convincing; they would not believe them. Christ
said: "If ye had believed Moses, ye would have believed me for he
wrote of me. If ye believe not him, neither will ye believe, though one
arose from the dead." Christ in this parable prophesied of his own
death and resurrection, they did not believe when he arose from the dead.
Scripture was given a meaning I had never heard of before. This
light continued for about three days. Oh! if I had devoted all my time
then to reading while I had this divine light! We never know the value
of any blessing, until it is gone. Persons almost universally say of me:
"You have studied and remember so much of the Bible," but this is a
gift from God. I know why God gave this to me. Because I have always
been a reader and a student of holy teachings, even when it was sealed,
and often to me, contradictory. "If any will do His will, they shall
know of the doctrine." Jesus said: "Search the Scriptures." Study to
show thyself a workman well approved unto God, that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly divining the word of truth." 'Tis a sweet love letter
by an independent God to a dependent people. "Oh! the depth of the
wisdom, both of the knowledge and power of God! How unsearchable
are his judgements and his ways past finding out." Yet His love can
be felt and known by all. Not one of the severe judgements of God but
they reflect this tender love of God, in destroying that which love hates,
because sin is the enemy of love, the bitter foe to the happiness of mankind;
therefore 'tis an evidence of the intensity of love to destroy sin.
Take for instance the destruction of the Amalekites. This people was a
curse to the earth and the enemy of all good. "Remember what Amalek
did unto thee, by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt."
"How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindermost
was surrounded with a bright light. I turned over the leaves, and I
saw the meaning on the pages at a glance. There was a new light and
meaning. I have never been able to express that experience in any other
way than to say I was "eating" the word of God. I could now understand
why we do not understand the figures and expressions used in the
Bible, because I have had several experiences, that were impossible to
explain by human language.
I told Mr. Nation that the Bible was a new book to me, tried to
explain to him; told him I now saw the meaning of everything. He
said: "Explain Lazarus and the rich man." I turned to it instantly.
The divine light gave a new meaning to me. I commented thus as I
read it: "This rich man is the Jewish nation, with its gorgeous temple
service. The poor man is the Gentile nations called dogs, no temple, no
altar, no God, no healing; like a man with an incurable loathsome disease.
These begged from the Jews the crumbs that fell to their dogs. This rich
man had much goods. He could have shared to bless, but through lack
of charity he withheld.
The beggar died, and angels took him to Abraham's bosom, the very
place the Jews thought was only for them. This is a figure of the
death to sin, and the life to righteousness. The natural must die before
the spiritual can live. The rich man died, and was buried. The Jewish
nation died as it is here predicted, and in hell, he lifted up his eyes, being
in torments. It is not said that the Gentiles, or Lazarus were buried.
The Jews as a nation are dead, never to be resurrected. They have been
scattered abroad in torments, a people without a land, a hiss and a by-
word, as God said. The Jew sees the Gentiles with the good things, he
once had. Has time and time again begged relief from them. The Jews
wish no companionship in their misery, have no missionaries. Five is
a number applied to humanity.--five senses, five fingers, five toes. The
gulf spoken of as being impassable, is the separateness of the Jews from
all others.
The rich man wants one from the dead to go to his five brethren, or
humanity. Abraham or the Gospel reminds the Jew that Moses and
the prophets were as convincing; they would not believe them. Christ
said: "If ye had believed Moses, ye would have believed me for he
wrote of me. If ye believe not him, neither will ye believe, though one
arose from the dead." Christ in this parable prophesied of his own
death and resurrection, they did not believe when he arose from the dead.
Scripture was given a meaning I had never heard of before. This
light continued for about three days. Oh! if I had devoted all my time
then to reading while I had this divine light! We never know the value
of any blessing, until it is gone. Persons almost universally say of me:
"You have studied and remember so much of the Bible," but this is a
gift from God. I know why God gave this to me. Because I have always
been a reader and a student of holy teachings, even when it was sealed,
and often to me, contradictory. "If any will do His will, they shall
know of the doctrine." Jesus said: "Search the Scriptures." Study to
show thyself a workman well approved unto God, that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly divining the word of truth." 'Tis a sweet love letter
by an independent God to a dependent people. "Oh! the depth of the
wisdom, both of the knowledge and power of God! How unsearchable
are his judgements and his ways past finding out." Yet His love can
be felt and known by all. Not one of the severe judgements of God but
they reflect this tender love of God, in destroying that which love hates,
because sin is the enemy of love, the bitter foe to the happiness of mankind;
therefore 'tis an evidence of the intensity of love to destroy sin.
Take for instance the destruction of the Amalekites. This people was a
curse to the earth and the enemy of all good. "Remember what Amalek
did unto thee, by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt."
"How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindermost