What does it mean to know God?

God in the Spirit, God in the human heart, The Almighty Ruler of the Universe, He who controls the heavens and earth stills the raging of the tempest and pours balm into the lowliest heart—from the far west, a voice arises—

Know thy God! Know him, but in a far different manner than you have ever learnt Him before.

He is not the great unknown, incomprehensible, fearful being, striking terror and despair into the hearts of those who seek after Him. He is not a God of condemnation and censure, of punishment and revenge.

He is a being to be loved and trusted in—to be looked to in our trials—to be made acquainted with our joys—to be thanked continually for blessings, not to be entreated as a stern judge to share his rod.

Punishments never come from His fatherly hand—they are the results of our own misdeeds. Everything that is for our advantage, comfort, pleasure, enjoyment in this world, for our elevation, advancement and progression towards the next is from Him.

He rules our destinies, but only for good. He could not do otherwise. His nature is All Goodness. How could evil, therefore, spring from it? 

He is the Light and Joy of All Things. If His beams are obscured by sin and sorrow, these are not of Him. He would have all happy, joyous and contented, and if we are not so, God must not be blamed for it. 

Nothing comes from Him, but what is calculated to give help and happiness. 

He is the Centre from whom All Goodness flows. Angels in the highest spheres and the smallest insects all derive from Him, the great Source, their elements of enjoyment. 

How then if such is the case can God be a God of vengeance? It is a mistake—a fatal error in the creeds of Christendom that has done more to demoralise the human family than any other. This is the great Foundation of the Doctrine of the Atonement. The innocent to suffer for a guilty world. Monstrous fallacy! How could such a doctrine obtain such prominent ascendency? Only minds warped and misdirected through fear of some invisible terror could ever have been made to believe such a false and futile creed. 

But a voice has arisen in these western lands, overthrowing with one sweep all such fallacies.

Light has penetrated the dense darkness and through the ministry of spirits, the true character of God is more clearly revealed to his suffering world. 

By their aid, we can see for ourselves the true nature of God—can judge of Him from His works and can love Him without fear or torment. 

Elevated by our contemplations of Him, we try earnestly to come nearer His standard—we throw aside what debases and degrades us to the level of the brute and essay a more pure and holy life—one more conformable to the teachings of our inmost sense of right. 

The Spirit of God in our own souls is aroused from its slumbering apathy and goes forth to mingle with God's Spirit in all creation. 

We can rejoice with the timid flower, the humblest worm—all are partakers of the same Spirit in degree more or less in accordance with the requirements of the individual entity. 

When we learn to look upon God in and through His works, we cease to fear Him. 

We see for yourselves the Love and Wisdom that has designed and perfected all things, and we feel when we commit a sin that we are wronging the pure God Spirit within us, and that we must, from the nature of your being, suffer for your crime. 

There has been much talk and argument lately as to the nature of God—whether He is a being possessed of form or a subtile essence pervading all space? 

The angels, as well as yourself, only know Him in His works. 

They feel Him around and in them, and they in a far higher degree enjoy the benefits of His providing, but no one has seen God at any time, therefore, none can describe him. 

Spirits in their more developed state can see more clearly and realise more fully His wisdom and love, but they have to look upward and around for proofs of His presence, and they conceive from these that there must be some great Centre from which they emanate. 

They are all contented here with the light and knowledge that they have. They are such constant recipients of His bounties, such joyous dwellers in the magnetism of love and wisdom He imparts to them that they do not seek to penetrate into mysteries hidden for some wise purpose. 

If God is the wise and good being, do you not see that goodness and wisdom should rule your actions if you wish to be godlike? 

The more you can live in harmony with yourself and the teachings of Nature, the more simple, childlike and unsophisticated by the trammels of earth life, the more can this true light of the world enter into you and make its abode with you. 

Call it Spirit, Angel, Intuition, what you will, it is from the same source—the great Fountain of Love and Wisdom—God.