Ahmadiyya Movement — Page 30
30 Man is not born with shackles which he cannot break, and God never shuts on him the gates of liberty — it is man himself who does that by his own action. Nay, when man has thus shut him- self out, God provided means whereby the gates may again be opened to him. He further explained that all men stand in a similar personal relationship towards God, and that He does not act the part of a step-father to any of them. Even the greatest of prophets and reformers are, in their relationship towards God* no more than men, and the gates of progress and advancement that are opened to them are open to all mankind. God does not permit an intermediary between Himself and His creatures. All prophets occupy the position of guides, but none of them can serve as an intermediary, for the welfare of the prophets and of those for whose guidance they are sent is equally dear to God. One may, on account of his purity and righteousness, attain nearness to God than his fellow creatures, but However near he may be and whatever eminence he may possess cannot shut the gates of advancement on others. It is open to every man at all times to attain to the highest point of spiritual advancement; the gates of Heaven are opened to all those who knock. God’s Attributes and Suspension He next removed the misconception which had become common to the whole of mankind that the manifestations of the Mercy and Grace of God had been confined to the past ages, and that gates of His bounties were now shut upon mankind. He pointed out that it was a sin and an impertinence to believe that any of God’s attributes at any time were liable to suspension. A living organism must exhibit signs of life. As it is the sign of a living creature that it must go on absorbing into its system life-giving matter, so it is the sign of a Living Creator to cast the reflection of His Life-giving attributes on His creatures. So that if there exists a Living God, we ought to be able constantly to perceive the quickening effect of His attributes in the world. To imagine,