Lucifer was once an honored angel, a cherub. He was perfect in beauty, full of wisdom, and was admitted to the holy mountain of God, where he walked in the midst of the stones of fire. He was in Eden, the garden of God, of which the one on earth was evidently a copy. His ways were perfect, and God gave him the work of "covering," and also anointed him.

But Lucifer was not satisfied. He was envious of God, he became lifted up because of his beauty; he corrupted his wisdom because of his brightness, and decided upon a course which he hoped would make him equal to God. He went so far that he said, "I am a God, I sit in the seat of God."

When Jesus was asked which was the great commandment in the law, He answered: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Matthew 22:37-40.

Christ in these words sets forth the law of His kingdom. We are not only to love God; we are to love our fellow men, and we are to love them as ourselves. God is no respecter of persons. His gifts are for all alike. It would not conform with His nature to favor some and neglect others. There must be absolute impartiality. This is the law, and the only law that will ensure peace and happiness.

This law of love destroys all selfishness. If all loved their neighbors, there would be no need unsupplied, for the good Lord has provided for the wants of all His creatures, and it is only when some take more than their share, and hoard it, or fail to distribute it, that want occurs.

The law of the kingdom is the law of love. Love never fails. It thinks no evil, it reports no evil. On the other hand, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise—and is a situation conceivable in which these are entirely absent—it will think of these things. Love will share. It will do more. It will. give all. This is what God did. This is what Christ did. God withheld nothing. Christ withheld nothing. And if God "spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things!" Romans 8:32. God could do no more. When He gave His Son He gave all.

Unselfishness is the law of heaven. And unselfishness means more than sharing with others for the sake of a future reward, or for the purpose of being seen of men, or even with the hope of getting recompense at some later time from the person befriended. Note the following rather hard doctrine, as some would call it: "Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee. But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind: and thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." Luke 14:12-14.

Feasts of this kind are not very popular or common. Although we understand that the gospel does not forbid the calling together of friends and neighbors for social occasions—rather we believe that Christ encouraged this and Himself attended such gatherings—we are convinced that the scripture quoted has its application. We believe that it is not enough, not a fulfillment of this command, merely to contribute a sum of money to provide a feast for the more unfortunate once or twice a year. The gospel is more personal than that. It requires individual service. Even the Old Testament demanded personal application of religion. "Is not this the fast that I have chosen! to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke! Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house! when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh!" Isaiah 58:6, 7.