Gifts of Heaven · Volume 3 · Chapter 496

Civic sense of sacrifice

6th December 1850 – Afternoon

[1] Don't grumble about many a bitter phenomenon and experience, which you have now not so much gone through with your skin, but rather only with your spirit. I tell you that the hardness of mankind is the cause of all this. If men were meek, gentle and charitable, there would be no inflation, no shortage, and certainly no strife in the world; but as a usurer gives birth to ten usurers, tens of hundreds, hundreds of thousands, and thousands of tens of thousands, so also a benefactor brings forth benefactors in always tenfold measure.

[2] Why do you eat with silver spoons? The state now needs this metal. Make a sacrifice to the State, and you will do great good to the State – and in this, most to yourselves. What a man does freely, gives him joy and honor. But if he is later forced to do something, it will cause him much grief, annoyance, worry and trouble, and much cursing will happen. The curse, however, is never followed by a blessing, but always only by an even more annoying curse.

[3] You are well concerned about your children and say, "We cannot and must not restrict our children because of the state, – but how will it be afterwards, when the state will be forced to restrict you and your children by necessity? Take therefore care that several go forward with a good, praiseworthy example, and there will soon be a multitude of imitators in all countries, and you will have the honor of having done great things and good for the good of all in the State. If you will, do so; My blessing shall not be lacking. Amen.