The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Golden Fountain, by Lilian Staveley

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Title: The Golden Fountain
or, The Soul's Love for God. Being some Thoughts and
Confessions of One of His Lovers

Author: Lilian Staveley

Release Date: July 18, 2009 [EBook #29449]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE GOLDEN FOUNTAIN ***

Produced by Ruth Hart

THE GOLDEN FOUNTAIN
or,
The Soul's Love for God
Being some Thoughts and Confessions of One of His Lovers

By

Lilian Staveley

London
John M. Watkins
21 Cecil Court, Charing Cross Road, W.C.2
1919

How many of us inwardly feel a secret longing to find God; and this
usually accompanied by the perception that we are confronted by an
impenetrable barrier--we cannot find Him--we can neither go
through this barrier nor climb over it! We have faith. We are able to
admit that He exists, for we cannot help but perceive a Will
dominating the laws of the Universe; but something deep within us
that we cannot put a name to, something subtle, secret, and strange,
cries aloud, "But I need more than this, it is not enough; I need to
personally find and know Him. Why does He not permit me to do
so?"

We might easily answer ourselves by remembering that if, in
everyday life, we greatly desire to see a friend, our best way of
doing so is by going in the direction in which he is to be found: we
should consider this as obvious. Then let us apply this, which we say
is so obvious, to God. We waste too much time looking for Him in
impossible directions and by impossible means. He is not to be
found by merely studying lengthy arguments, brilliant explanations
of theological statements, or controversies upon the meanings of
obscure dogmas. He is not even to be found through organising
charity concerts and social reforms however useful. We shall find
Him through a self stripped bare of all other interests and
pretensions--stripped bare of everything but a humble and
passionately seeking _heart._

He says to the soul, "Long for Me, and I will show Myself. Desire
Me with a great desire, and I will be found."

* * *

Scattered all through history are