I hope this to be my sentiments when my time to go meet Jesus comes:
"This passing life with all its affairs, once apparently so important, fades into insignificance in the face of the surpassing life beyond, and I am glad to be so nearly through with it. Its interest has gone for me; and I, who used to be so eager to see every new place, and to taste every new experience, care for them no longer. I have a most satisfactory feeling of being done with this earth. All places look alike to me, and all experiences seem tame in comparison with that which awaits me on the other side.
As to what that is, I can only have vague ideas. I am like the butterfly, just preparing to slip out of its old cocoon, panting for the life outside, but with no experience to tell it what sort of a life that outside life will be. Only I believe with all my heart that the Apostle told the truth when he declared that "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." And what more delicious prospect could the soul have! I remember vividly my perfect delight many years ago in the prospect of exploring the unknown beauties of the Yellowstone park, and of the Hoodoo Mountains in Wyoming Territory, a delight caused largely by the fact that they were unknown, and that therefore anything and everything seemed possible. But that delight was as nothing compared to my delight now, in looking forward to the things which have not even entered my mind to conceive.
The one thing I do know about it is, that then will be fulfilled the prayer of our Lord, "Father, I will that they also, whom Thou has given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory which Thou hast given me." That glory is not the glory of dazzling light and golden brightness, as some might picture it, but it is the glory of unselfish love, than which there can be no greater. I have had a few faint glimpses of this glory now and here, and it has been enough to ravish my heart. But there I shall see Him as He is, in all the glory of an infinite unselfishness which no heart of man has ever been able to conceive; and I await the moment with joy."
--Hannah Whitall Smith from The Unselfishness of God (written around 1902)
Friday, March 2, 2007
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Hi,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog with a search for HWS's book "The Unselfishness of God." I'm looking for a copy of the book which contains the missing three chapters. I'm apalled that almost all of the copies available, have had these pivotal chapters torn from them. I have the missing chapters but I'd like to get a complete book. Her writing is so rich.
Hi Mamalena,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. I LOVE this book and HWS. Good luck finding a copy published as she wrote it; I've looked for one on ebay and such and have had no luck. What I did was print out the three chapters from the tentmaker.org website, formatted to the size of the edited book I own. Then I trimmed the pages, stapled them together and inserted them in their rightful place in the book! It's nice to "meet" you and I'm sure we'll be talking in the future--it can be lonely out here away from the mainstream church!!