THE LORD’S DAY
In our last lesson, we considered the “Image in the Image”, Man’s idea in Himself as He, God’s Idea, is in God. Then, the second image is fundamental. It is one of the primal factors of creation, which could not be completed without it, and the Bible confirms this statement. Heaven and earth, make one grand Wholeness or, they are the two halves of one Whole. Heaven is the first half, — Earth is the second half. Heaven as the first half is whole and complete, perfect and entire, as Expression for man, the Image of God, has been “Put forth” day by day, degree by degree, until, as the spiritual Ideal Expression, he is full and complete. This Supreme Ideal Man has a composite nature which is made up of faculties, capacities, things and powers, all of which are living things, not outside of Him. Grass, herb, tree, fish, fowl, bird, beast, All are in Him, for His nature is the sum total of them all. This nature, so composed, involves a great deal. As expression, it is all there is in a sense. It is complete, Ideally; practically, it is not so, for there is more to follow. This nature is to be made manifest, or obvious to ourselves. Earth, which is manifestation, is to follow the Heaven, follow after the Image of God. Heaven is the first half of creation. Earth is the 2nd. Creation cannot have more than two halves. Thus God created MAN, — first in Expression, afterward, manifestation, first the Image, afterward the likeness. We obtain a new view of Creation by dropping a comma, — “God created man or MAN in His own Image, in the Image of God, created He him.” It is not a repetition, but a continuity. We also find that God created Man one Whole, but in him are the dual natures, — male and female, meaning the rational and the intuitional natures and faculties. So, according to this manner, God created Man, two halves in one Whole.
Both of these natures are traceable throughout the Bible, but we deal with Man as a Whole, fixed, perfect, spiritual, intelligent, substantial and sternal befause He is an expression of that God which is Spiritual Life, Love, Substance, Intelligent Mind, but more can come. Just because there is. Man involving in His nature, all. that belongs to the God-Nature there may, and must be more to follow. To stop with Man would be like stopping with the Acorn without considering what is potential in it. Further on, we read, “And ‘God Said’ let them have dominion. Is this dominion belonging to the Genus legitimate? Is it necessity or by permission? If not permission it is divine necessity. That power which is eternal, must also be made manifest. It is one thing to have power, but quite another to know and prove it. How could we know we have it, except through the exercise of it? Over what is it to be exercised? We are to use it, to subdue the earth. There is something to be dominated, and man must prove His power for to man only is it given, and not to any of the fractions in his nature. Man is the Image of God that always was, is now, and ever will be, fixed, changeless and eternal, but manifestation is yet to come. We as souls have something to do.
SIX DAYS WORK. The first chapter of Genesis closes with the six days work which is MAN, the Wholeness of Expression. The second chapter begins with “Thus”; to what does thus refer? To Heaven, Earth, and all the Host of them, and what a host! All these fractions of man’s nature, a wide variety indeed, All these “days” as faculties, capacities, natures and powers are all to be subdued, not destroyed, for they are good in themselves, and have a place in the Heaven. On the 7th day “Seventh Day” God ended His work (here again God is personified) for the work of Infinite Mind was not finished on the SIXTH DAY. It is not finished or completed or perfected until on the Seventh Day. (First the planned house, then the constructed house), correspond to “Image and Likeness.” Creation is a circle first half Heaven as Expression, — second half Earth as manifestation. Then another day is needed for the finishing. The Seventh Day is very important, although man is complete, as the Image of God, but the finishing work is yet to be done, thus how? Day by day, as they were created, as above, so below. “Let Thy will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. The Seventh Day’s work is existence. Time belongs to this Day. In the 7th Day must appear, or “come forth” all that is latent in Man’s nature. Each fraction must appear, one by one, day by day, so the 7th Day has its days. All the fractions like the Whole are eternal, and nothing can change or alter them, but when they begin to appear, we shall see one thing after another, day by day. Man the Unit always was. His beginning was God, but the appearing to view of his nature will be gradual.
TruthUnity note: The writer sees chapter 2 of Genesis as a completion (7th day) of the six days of creation described in chapter 1. In contrast, most metaphysical commentary (including Fillmore) regards the two chapters as describing two accounts of creation: the 2nd chapter as manifestation in matter (Earth) of what in chapter 1 has been expressed in spiritual form (Heaven).
Time belongs to manifestation or to the appearing of His composite nature. The text goes on to say “God rested on the 7th day”, but God did not cease working. But if God rests, there must be someone else that works. Where shall we find the other worker? The created is done, but not finished, until the making appears, and for the Making, there must be a co-worker with God. And God blessed the 7th day. Then whatever belongs to it is good. All is in logical agreement throughout Creation, and all that is good bears the impress of God. These are the generation of the Heaven, and the Earth; when they were created, “In the Day that the Lord God made.” Here, the term God is qualified. God and the Lord God are not the same. These two chapters are not differing accounts of creation, but consecutive statements, — one being a logical sequence of the other. The distinction between them and their work is clearly stated. The first chapter is Expression, — God’s work. The second chapter is manifestation, or Man’s work. The “Lord God” is the “Image of God”; As such, He is active because God is, and in His Day, must do something. Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it wholly or holy. The 7th day is the sabbath of the Lord. He is the active worker to the finishing of Creation. Those who hear it stated for the first time that Man is the Image of God, are somewhat startled, because they jump at the conclusion that we mean a personality as we know man to be in his undeveloped state. When the explanation follows, they are more reconciled to the statement. Then, we have a work to do. As Jesus said: “Why stand ye here idle all the day long?” Well knowing the work given every individualizing soul to do. (We return to the 4th & 5th verses of the 2nd chapter).
TruthUnity note: The writer distinguishes the creator (God) who expresses the cosmos (Heaven) from the co-worker (Lord God) who manifests material world (Earth).
These are the generations of the Heaven and the Earth in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the Heaven. (Note reverse order). And every plant of the field, before it was in the earth and every herb of the field before it grew in germ, — grass, herb, tree, all that host of them are spiritual expressions of Life, Love, Substance, Intelligent Mind, — Spiritual verities in Being, before they appear. Man, the Image of God, is spiritual, and not material, and the things within Him are also spiritual. These too, always were, and ever will be. God’s work is done. All is perfect, but is to appear. That which is eternal in Itself must come into manifestation, and it will in the great Seventh Day!
As we say in the Basic lessons, “Because of what I am in my real Being, I am one with my Cause, entire, whole and complete now? having expressed in me all that God is, involving in my nature all that belongs to the God nature. I am not matter, nor dust, but of Spirit, like Mind, and back to God I am to go. But before I do so, all that I am in Being must be “brought forth.” Then I must become co-worker with God to that end. Shape is not my real Being. When I say I am not material, but spiritual, I speak the Truth of Being which is now, whether I have manifested or not. Then, I am not claiming too much when I makB the statement of true Being.”
We voice an untruth when we say, “I am ill, poor, weak, etc.” To speak the ruth helps it to appear, although we may not be conscious of it, at the time. We affirm it, to make it so. Whosoever sees only the flesh, is not conscious of this real Being, which is the True Man. When-we speak of Man, we mean the Real being that God has created in Its image and likeness. We must say as “God said” and thus work with Principle. We must speak true words, and then endeavor to stand by them until manifested. (5th Verse). Every plant was, before it grew but the Lord God had not caused it to rain, so the Lord God causes something. He becomes a “Cause” in His turn. He is active and acts on the 7th Day. Hence there must be the “Effect of Effect.” Manifestation is to grow. We cannot get this growth without action. This means that Man’s power to act must act in order that product may produce. If there is action with God, there must be action with Man. God’s action works on, through Man’s action, and also gives us product, and this product is shape. But man cannot only do, but does. Then, from this point, (image on the circle) there is a dual product. And now we have a three-fold activity. Thought the Creative Power. The Power to Think, the forming power, and the thinking Power, the Making Power. From God we have Man, and from Man we have shape. From God tnrough Man, we have soul. Shape and soul together give us personality, or “A Man” a species. In the 1st chapter of Genesis, we have God’s man and in the 2nd chapter we find Man’s man. First chapter gives us that which is eternal, the second chapter gives us that which belongs to time. (From this point on the circle (the Image) we have two lines, to the lower half of the circle the inner line is shape. The outer line, as soul, is the continuation of God’s mark through man. Shape is as good as anything in Creation for what it is. But it is not a living thing. Soul is living because it is from God. All the living is from God, as Life. Shape is from Man, and His products are not living, but the living appears through shape, even to the Son of God. Jesus said “Eyes have you, but ye see not.” How many saw the living Christ, through the human Jesus? Then what is the world? The Macrocosm or all visible shapes out here. Where is the world? In the soul. It is the veil, that hangs between “God’s Man” and the soul between the Heaven and the earth.
