Page:The Philosophy of Creation.djvu/367

 affections are self-thoughtless and self-sacrificing; they regard the general welfare, and are as to their essence the love of others. Natural love frequently resembles the love of others, for animals and natural men love their young, and will surrender their lives for them and in defense of their companions; yet this is not the love of others or altruistic love, for it is the love of others for the sake of self, and is essentially self-love. The love of others is such kind of love as God has in Himself, who created men not that they should minister unto Him, but that He might minister unto them. The nature of God's love is such as to be in the endeavor to bestow itself upon others for their sake, and so man is created with faculties capable of attaining unto that love and of receiving it. Consequently the designed and true development of man is the successive unfolding of the degrees of the mind until that is opened wherein God's love is felt and becomes a constant, satisfying life-force; or, in other words, until man loves with such kind of love as God has and is revealed in Jesus Christ. Enlightened, polished, and refined self-interest does not necessarily bring man nearer the Divine goal; it may possibly bring him nearer the lowest hell.

Man is therefore not developed simply, by acquiring knowledge. Neither science, art, in-