il'il I iiir '1 lii.U'i' rllu.'., .m ^Sl iMiiii .siiSl ¦Iili !!! IlilllllUl.. DIVINITY SCHOOL TROWBRIDGE LIBRARY SCttowing % ^mptnvtB Copyrighl, 1910, by GOSPEL PUBLISHING HOUSE New York RULES AND METHODS OF BIBLE STUDY BY ARTHUR T. PIERSON Author qf " Keys to the Word,''' "Many Infallible Proqfs,'' The Crisis qf Missions," etc. HODDER & STOUGHTON NEW YORK GEORGE H. DORAN COMPAQ Contents PAGE introduction I Bible Study; Some of its Laws and Methods 9 I. Supreme Authority of the Word of God ll 2. The High Level of the Word of God 19 3. The Identity of the Written and Living Word 27 4. The Prophetic Element in Scripture 35 5. Structural Form in Scripture 43 6. Mutual Relations of the Two Testaments 51 7. The Bible as a Book Among Books 59 8. Numerical and Mathematical Features 67 9. The Law of Grammatical Construction 75 10. Bible Versions and Translations 83 II. Biblical Names and Titles 91 12. Scripture Dialect and Self Definition 99 13. Verbal Changes and Variations 107 14. Scriptural Precision and Discrimination 115 15. Similar and Equivalent Terms 125 16. Prominent and Dominant Words and Phrases 133 17. Leading Paragraphs and Passages 141 18. Summaries of Biblical Truth 149 19. Marked Recurrence of Like Language 159 20. Refrain and Chorus in Scripture 167 21. Thoughts Which Transcend all Speech 177 22. Context or Connection 185 23. Recurrence of Thought and Idea 193 24. Topical Methods of Study 203 25. The Totality of Scripture Testimony 213 26. Analysis and Synthesis 221 27. Combination and Unification 229 28. Classification and System 239 29. Comparison and Contrast 249 30. Systematic and Progressive Teaching 257 31. Poetic Parallelism 267 32. The Scattered Proverbs of Scripture 277 33. Divine Patterns and Enconiums 287 34. Legal and Ethical Standards 297 35. Miracles and Discourses 307 36. The Place and Province of Parables 319 3y. Biblical Figures of .Speech 329 38. Typology and Symbolism 339 39. Value of Historic Sidelights 349 40. Representative Historic Scenes 359 41. Links Between the Historical and Ethical 369 42. The Illustrative Typical Element 379 43. Misunderstandings and Perversions 387 44. Dispensations, Ages and Covenants 395 45. The Mystical Element and the Mysteries 405 46. Occult References and Intimations , . . 415 47. Pictorial Helps to Impression 425 48. The Humorous Element in Scripture 435 49. Finding Hid Treasure in God's Word 443 SO. Gathering up Fragments 451 INTRODUCTION. "Thou hast magnified Thy Word above all Thy name." — Psalm cxxxviii:2. This saying of the Psalmist may primarily refer to some specific word of God, some promise, like that recorded about the future of David's own house (2 Safnuel vii:ii, 19) ; but the larger truth it contains and conveys is capable of so much wider scope and broader application that it may well be said to include the whole body of Holy Scripture. Calvin translates : "Thou hast magnified Thy name, above all things, by Thy Word;" and Luther, "Thou hast made Thy Name glorious, above ail, through Thy Word." But, with Hengstenberg, the majority of the best Bible students favor substantially the common rendering: "Above all Thy Name, thou hast made glorious Thy Word" — meaning that, beyond all works of Creation and Providence, or other means whereby God has made Himself known. He has exalted His written Word. To those to whom it is addressed, it has power to con^ vict and convert, sanctify and edify ; but it has even a higher power and province: it is the mirror of its Author; meant, first of all, to reveal, unveil, magnify and glorify Him from whom it originally went forth. This high tribute found expression when as yet there was only the Written Word. Without doubt the Living Word is a fuller unveiling of God's inmost self. In the incar nation, "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among men," as a living Presence. In the Person of His Son, the Logos, the Word Incarnate, the Father made Himself known as never before, with new clearness and fulness of revelation. Yet it still remains true that, in the Inspired Scriptures, He has glorified His own Name, or nature: revealing His mind, heart, will — His whole character — and, especially. His gracious attitude toward sinners; and, in such manner and measure, as to make all other revelations of Himself in the creation of the material universe and the control of human history comparatively dim and indistinct, on^y as the first faint flushes of the dawn in comparison with the fuller light of day. INTRODUCTION. One of the main uses of the Word of God is to supply us with a divine standard of both doctrine and duty. In his travels in the Dark Continent, Dr. Livingstone found his native guides either so ignorant or so determined to deceive and mislead, that he could do better without them than with them; and so he constantly referred to his own com pass and sextant to determine direction and location. What would he have done if, by any accident, or defect in his instruments, he had found even these scientific guides utter ly untrustworthy? For God's written Word no substitute has ever been found. Whereas other ancient civilized nations, such as Egypt, Assyria, Persia, Rome, Greece, have left monuments in law and letters, mechanic arts and fine arts, Judea, as Dr. Jamieson remarks, while leaving us no legacy of secu lar achievements, rose immeasurably above all other lands in the possession and transmission of the Living Oracles of God. In fact, the Hebrews were rather warned against some things in which other nations prided themselves. The fine arts, for instance, were so often the handmaids of poly theism and the promoters of idolatry, finding their highest sphere in glorifying image-worship, that Jehovah required His people to be, in this as in many other respects, separate from the nations (Exodus xx:25. Isaiah ii:i6). In every department of life the need for some exact and unvarying standard, as in weights and measures, time, etc., compels resort to the works of God for guidance, for here alone are found perfect forms and changeless models. Man's best watches and chronometers have to be corrected by nature's horologium — God's sidereal clock, which has not varied the one-thousandth part of a second, since He appointed sun, moon and stars for times and seasons. And, so, from all human oracles, however self-confident, we turn at last to the Inspired Word, where instead of ambiguous and untrustworthy utterances we find teachings distinct and definite, authoritative and infallible. One very conspicuous feature of the Word of God is its Self-Interpreting power. In the mastery of human books help is needful from large libraries and patient research in the realms of science and philosophy. Grammars, and glossaries, histories and biographies, copious lexicons and learned encyclopedias, often become necessary to furnish INTRODUCTION. the mere sidelights to interpret the terms and illumine the sense of human literature. But, in studying this Divine Book, confessedly the crown of all literature, other writ ings, though often helpful, are never indispensable. To a remarkable degree, God's Word explains and interprets its own contents, is its own grammar and lexicon, library and encyclopedia. Within itself may be found a philosophy which interprets its history, and a history which illustrates its philosophy. Even what in it is most obscure and mys terious is not dependent upon outside helps for its com pleter unlocking or unveiling. The humblest reader, if shut up by circumstances to this one Book, as was Bun yan, almost literally, in Bedford jail, might, without any other guide than the Bible itself, by careful, prayerful searching, come to know the Word ; exploring its contents till he became another Apollos, mighty in the scriptures. This statement has been often verified by fact, as in the experience of believers, actually imprisoned for Christ's sake but carrying their Bibles with them as companions in solitude, and coming forth enriched in the knowledge of God. The highest secret of Bible study, however, is that teachable spirit which is inseparable from obedience. Spiritual vision, like the physical, is binocular: it depends on both reason and conscience. If the intellectual faculties are beclouded, the moral sense is apt to err in its decisions ; and, if the conscience be seared, the reason is blinded. Our Lord says, "If any man will do His will he shall know of the doctrine" (John vii -.ly) ; in other words obedience is the organ of spiritual revelation. Insight into the scrip tures is never independent of the obedient frame, but is conditioned upon actual conformity to their precepts and sympathy with their spirit. True biblical learning is not so much mental as experimental. There are professed teach ers and preachers who no more grasp the truth they nominally hold than does the sparrow grasp the message that passes through the telegraph wire on which it perches — as Norman McLeod quaintly put it. It is sometimes worse than vain to read, or even to search the scriptures, with mere intellect, as though they were merely literary productions to be examined and under stood with no higher faculties than those which are asso- INTRODUCTION. ciated with an unsanctified scholarship. Many a man who has approached the Word of God without prayer for God's help, without reverent attitude, or any ultimate end beyond a critical, intellectual analysis, has been left to grope his way blindly while persuading himself that he had even exceptional insight. On the other hand, many a humble and uneducated believer has had his eyes un veiled to behold wondrous things out of God's law (Psalms cxix:i8), and become an expert in its "mys teries." Critical study is not to be discouraged; it is not only proper but helpful in its proper sphere, when conducted with a proper spirit. But there is a sort of analysis that is destructive; like the vivisection that invades the domain of life, in cutting in pieces the organic body of truth, it sacrifices vitality, and leaves only dead, disconnected frag ments of what was one living organism. The Bible is such a living organism. Its various parts are members of a common body; they have a vital connection and relation, and must be examined, not in isolation and separation, but in union as integral parts of a great whole. Then criticism, instead of being arrogant and destructive, will be reverent and constructive. The late Dr. A. J. Gordon of Boston — in that memorable visit to Scotland with the writer, in 1888 — used to relate an anecdote which the great Scotchman, Principal Cairns, declared to be the best illustration he had ever met of the mistakes of modern "critics." In a conversation with a deacon of a colored church in his neighborhood, Dr. Gor don drew out from him the fact that the people did not like the new pastor "berry much;" and, when pressed for an explanation, the deacon added that the pastor told too many "antidotes in the pulpit ;" and, when Dr. Gordon ex pressed surprise, saying that he had supposed his pastor to be a great Bible man, the deacon replied, "Well I'll tell yer how it is. He's de best man I ehher seed to tak' de Bible apart, but he dunno hovu to put it togedder agin!" Modern critics have proved adepts m pulling to pieces the blessed Word, but they are too much like those to whom Asaph referred, who in his day had broken down the carved work of the sanctuary with axes and hammers, and burned up the synagogues (Psalms lxxiv:3-8). INTRODUCTION. No student of Holy Scripture should forget that, to see the highest truth man needs the verifying faculty. "The light of the body is the eye," because the condition on which depend the perception and reception of all light is a healthy organ of vision, without which there is in effect no light. This is a thought of profound outreach. Objective testimony, or external evidence of truth, is never enough; there must be also subjective capacity, in ternal receptivity to its witness. We must not be so ab sorbed in simply gathering proofs or evidences of Chris tianity, as to overlook the need and value of an inward readiness to receive and feel the force of proof, when fur nished. The candid mind, the clean conscience, the obedi ent will, are all necessary to the open eye. Their opposites, an uncandid mind, corrupt conscience, perverse will, are in scripture compared to an eye veiled, voluntarily closed, or judicially blinded.'* To understand the importance of this verifying faculty in ourselves is very rare. A mind, candidly open to con viction, asking only to know "what is Truth?" and a will that turns to truth, when found, and yields to its sway, as the needle to the pole — how seldom these conditions are found — probably never where persistent unbelief reigns. The two veils of prejudice and self-interest are still as common and as effective hindrances as in our Lord's day. The Pharisees and Scribes were so built into the errors of that time, that to accept His teaching meant turning their little world upside down — upsetting the whole fabric of their individual, social and religious hfe; and hence their invention of every possible pretext for opposing and rejecting Him (John xi:47-48). Prejudice implies that a wrong or partial view has been formed which leads to an tagonism ; there is no longer a clear eye to see truth. Self- interest warps the whole mind, so that conviction cannot fit the demands of truth even if recognized; and, often unconsciously, men devise excuses or invent difficulties, which would at once disappear were there a fair, impartial judgment. Gregory the Great, left us a sublime maxim: "Discere *Compare i Cor. xiv:37; i John ii :27, iv:l; 2 Cor. iii:i4-i8; John iii:i9-2i; Acts xxvi:i8, ig, xxviii:26, 2y, i Tim. 1:19; Rom. viii:6, 7; 2 Cor. iv:3, 4; John vii: 17; 2 Cor. xi:3. INTRODUCTION. cor Dei in verbis Dei" — "We are to learn the mind of God from the words of God." True, but we must be both pre pared and willing to be taught. Our Lord rebuked_ even professed leaders among the Jews, because, while claiming to be exponents of the Law, they "knew not the scriptures nor the power of God." This reminds us of the necessity, if we are to have a true acquaintance with scripture teach ing, that we should feel the force of truth, not only as directly declared, but as inferentially taught. This rebuke was especially to the Sadducees, who denied both separate spiritual existence apart from the body, and the reality of the future state. And yet Jehovah had declared: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob;" referring to them, not as dead but as living; and these Sadducees might have deduced from this declara tion the doctrine of the survival of the spirit at death, and of the future state which they denied. While we are to be on our guard against those false inferences which are due to careless reasoning, we are not to forget that prejudice will blind us to true and safe deductions. This unique peculiarity which has been adverted to, the self disclosure of the Word of God, it will be the main purpose of what follows to exhibit and illustrate. This is a convincing proof of a supernatural origin, and shows the universal fitness of the Scripture for man, as man, while it both incites and inspires a reverent and searching study. As a possible help to the appreciation and interpreta tion of the Scriptures, attention will be called to some of the leading ways in which the close study of this divine book has been found to disclose its meaning, even in cases where at first there seemed to be not only obscurity but contradiction. The year of the issue of this book marks the completion of a half century since the writer entered upon the full work of the gospel ministry; and it is in tended as a sort of gathering up of some results of fifty years_ of Bible study, putting in form some of the laws principles and methods found by actual trial to yield the best fruit, and so promising to be of like service to others A rightly conducted examination of God's Word wili be found to yield not only rich results in homiletics and hermeneutics, but in apologetics. In the structure and con INTRODUCTION. tents of Holy Scripture may be found a triumphant answer to all assaults upon its inspiration and authority as a di vine Book and the standard of doctrine and duty. The Bible is its own witness; and whoever, turning from all external defences to the book itself, will seek to make himself master of its contents and to enter sympathetically into its spirit, will find himself lodged in an impregnable fortress where he laughs in derision at all who, like Vol taire, threaten to overthrow it, while he holds ih scarcely less contempt the timidity which fears such threats. The Ark of the Covenant needs no help from puny human hands to steady it, nor is the Shekinah fire in danger of being quenched by those who blow upon it to put it out. Light needs only to be let shine and it becomes its own witness. A lion has only to be let loose and he needs no defender. Give the Word of God free course and it will be victor over all assault. Let us imitate the Bereans who "searched the Scriptures daily." That word "search," is emphatic, implying a thor ough examination, a judicial investigation, reminding of the work of the civil engineer, mapping out a newly-ex plored coast line, with triangulation of every bay and inlet. Search into the Scriptures should be thorough, systematic, habitual, tarrying over peculiarities of conception and expression, emphatic words and phrases, and seeking to know the exact meaning and order of words used by the Spirit of God. It is safe to assume that nothing is pur poseless; and that to the great end of the whole every part, however minute, contributes, somewhat as, in crea tion, every whit subserves ' God's great design. Whether or not all these mutual bearings are seen, they exist; and our dimness and narrowness of vision cannot obliterate what they only obscure. Nothing like an exhaustive treatment is attempted in the pages which follow. No doubt many a devout reader might, out of his own treasure, bring forth things new and old, outranking in importance what is here found. Perhaps, however, others who have not digged so deep into this mine of celestial wealth may find somewhat here to incite to a more painstaking study. But all who, for themselves, will prayerfully search, will find the scriptures testifying to their own divine original, and will reap the reward of the INTRODUCTION. explorer who, from new paths of investigation and dis covery, brings new trophies ; or of the miner who digs up new nuggets of gold, or gems. Here are to be found ever new truths, precious stones of beauty and radiance surpassing the gold of ophir, the precious onyx and the sapphire. Arthur T. Pierson. May, 1910. BIBLE STDDT. SOME OF ITS LAWS, METHODS AND PRINCIPLES. As History teaches philosophy by examples, both exhibit ing and testing ethical principles, so practical results both manifest and prove the utility of methods. For many years certain laws and modes of scripture research have been adopted and approved in actual daily practice, and with such growing confidence in their value and helpfulness as to suggest their formal statement and illustration, in hope of aiding, in some measure, other bible students, and especially those who are either comparatively beginning such study or who, by reason of other necessary secular labors, have less leisure for systematic search into the Word of God. We are all dependent in part upon the experience of others. It is a necessity that there should be a division of labor, for we cannot all, in one short life, do everything; and so each of us is appointed of God, to some specific form of activity, both to accomplish and accumulate somewhat for ourselves, and to contribute somewhat to the common store and stock of knowledge and experience from which others may draw. It is a law both of privilege and of obligation, that we should pass on what we learn, give what we get, communicate what we receive. It is only selfishness that is content to hoard ; all noble living spends ; and so one natur ally desires to suggest what has been tried and proven to be valuable and useful in that first of all the sciences and fine arts, the accurate understanding of the inspired Word of God. The method here followed will be to indicate, first, a law, principle, or mode of scripture study, and then give some amplifications, applications, corroborations and illus trations of it. Manifestly the Word of God consists of form and sub stance, expression and conception, what is external and what is internal; and the natural and normal method in study will be from what is without to what is within. That famous sa/mg of Wordsworth, however, "Language is the incarnation of thought," suggests that the ideas and the words which embody them ^re inseparable, and cannot real ly be studied wholly apart from each other. The shell KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. of a nut is so related to the kernel, and the shell of a mollusc, to the animal that inhabits it, that each variety has its own peculiar enclosure or tenement, adapted to its na ture and uses, and could not exchange with another; and we shall find, as we examine closely the literal element in the Word of God, that we are passing, by unconscious and gradual steps, into the spiritual content. We shall, however, approach our great subject as from the outside, proceeding from what is general to what is special, and from the letter to the spirit; seeking to begin at the beginning, with what is fundamental and rudimental, and as far as practicable advancing, step by step, from vestibule and outer court to inner chambers and inmost shrine. There should be in all this advance no careless, prayerless step; the place where we stand is holy ground, and should be trodden with reverent feet; and, if such an attitude is imperative for one who ventures to act as guide, it is scarcely less needful for those who would fol low. We trust, therefore, that the reader will peruse these pages in sympathy with the spirit and motive with which they have been written, seeking only to "know the scrip tures" and "the power of God." First, then, we take a glimpse of this divine book as a vvhole; then look at its language and literary features, its words as indexes of its thought ; then at its ideas, ideals and conceptions, advancing toward what is mystic and mysteri ous. 10 SUPREME AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD. II I. SUPREME AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD. "These are the faithful and true sayings of God (Revelation xix:9; xxii:6). Its Divine authority and inspiration are primary and rudimentary, and therefore to be first of all and finally settled. In the Scriptures, God Himself is speaking to man, in many parts and ways, at different times and by various human instru ments (Heb. i:i). Any theory of inspiration or inter pretation which sacrifices or diminishes this majestic authority is fatal to the claims of the Word of God, as such, upon man's acceptance and obedience. 12 I. SUPREME AUTHORITY OF THE WORD OF GOD. IN Revelation v, is found a pictorial exhibit of the authority and majesty of Holy Scripture. A scroll, written within and on the backside, and sealed v/ith sevefl seals, is seen in the right hand of Him who is seated on the Throne, and it partakes of His own unapproachable glory. A seal stands in scripture for silence, mystery, complete ness, but especially for the sacredness connected with au thority, authenticity, inviolability. Whatever this particu lar scroll is, it represents some written word of God. We cannot escape the suggestion of divine sanction or authori ty as stamped upon Holy Scripture, and there is a hint of a sevenfold attestation which makes His Word the mirror of His attributes. It also bears seven seals : I. The seal of omnipresence, eternity, immutability, in its production, independent and irrespective of time and place, variety of matter and diversity of human writers. 2. The seal of sovereignty and majesty, in the provi dential control of historic events, and of individual and collective history. 3. The seal of omniscience, wisdom, in its forecasts of the future and its revelations of the events of a remote and unhistoried past. 4. The seal of truth, veracity, verity, infallibility, in its general accuracy, not only in the ethical and spiritual realm, but in the whole sphere and domain of truth. 5. The Seal of Righteousness and Justice in its immacu late, moral and spiritual standards of character, conduct and administration. 6. The Seal of Omnipotence, Benevolence, Love, in its moral and spiritual transformations and miracles of grace, its purpose and promise of regeneration. 13 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. 7 The Seal of Infiniteness and Holiness in the super human revelation of the absolute perfection and glory of the divine character. r /- j Such multiplied testimony puts upon the Word oi God a seven-fold sanction of supreme authority. It asserts its divine origin with an emphasis to which nothing can be added. . , ¦ ^ ,, This most notable chapter is unique, as showing Gods opinion of his own Book: for, even if the scroll, here re ferred to, be only the Apocalypse itself, what is true of a part is true of the whole. Scanning the whole chapter we further see : I. The unparalleled majesty of the Scriptures. No created intelligence, even though angelic, worthy to open the seals, take the scroll in hand, or even to look upon it. 2. The inviolable mystery of the Scriptures — sealed up with seven-fold secrecy apart from the one and only inter preting Power. 3. The inseparable unity of the Book and the Lamb^ the written Word and the living Word. He only is worthy to take the scroll or capable of unloosing the seals. 4. The complex character of the person of C/imf— Lion and Lamb in one. King and a Priest. Hence able to make us kings and priests. 5. The solvent power of the blood of Christ, which alone unlooses the seals and interprets the contents. Two thoughts pervade the Word — Priesthood and Kingship, — and the Lamb and the Lion explain both. It is necessary also to settle the question of the Inspira tion of Scripture. It is divinely declared to be "theop- neustic" — ^that is "God-in-breathed" (2 Timothy iii: 16). This language suggests a body of language, in-breathed with a spirit of divine life, somewhat as the body of the first man was when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and he became a living soul: this is a living Book. We need to distinguish between revelation, interpretation, illumination and inspiration. Revelation is the divine impartation and communication of truth to the mind of man, whatever be its mode or chan nel (Romans i:i7, xvi:25; Ephes. iii:3-5; Amos iii:7). 14 THEIR SUPREME AUTHORITY. Interpretation is the science of discovering and disclosing the true meaning of the holy oracles. It is sometimes a function of inspiration to enable a prophet or teacher to give an authoritative meaning to a divine utterance (Daniel iv:24-28; v. 17-28). Illumination refers more to the province of the Spirit in so enlightening the mind of the believer as to enable him to discern, and in a measure beyond his natural, unaided pow ers to apprehend and comprehend the beauty and glory of a divine revelation (Ephesians i:i7, 18; iii: 16-19). Inspiration is rather the method of revelation rendering its subject capable of receiving and transmitting revealed truth, communicating it to others without error, either by tongue or pen. Obviously the value of a written revelation must depend upon its inspiration. As to the method of inspiration — the modus operandi of the Holy Spirit in revealing truth — it is inscrutable, wrapped in the mystery of silence, like His other operations in re generation and miracle working (John iii:8). All we know or need to know about it is its effects; and these may be learned from the didactic statements of the Word itself, and the phenomena of its operation, as we may know the wind by its working. Inspiration rendered whomsoever it controlled an adequate medium or vehicle of God's utter ance, His mouthpiece or spokesman, so that "He spake by the mouth of His Holy prophets who have been since the World began" (Luke i:7o; Heb. i:i). We need also carefully to define the measure of authority which Inspiration carries. The Bible is, in part, a record, embracing narratives of fact which form part of the his tory it records, and the sayings and doings of fallible and fallen human beings. In such cases Inspiration assures only the essential accuracy of the narrative, not the sanction of God's approval of the utterances or conduct of the par ties. But, in all cases where God speaks directly in His own person or by His appointed agents, Inspiration covers not only the truthfulness of the record but the sanction of the statements expressed. "Verbal Inspiration" is a term much misunderstood. It does not, of course, mean that every word found in Scrip ture is God's word or represents His mind, for some words record the acts of the erring and the ungodly, or are their IS KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. sayings, and in some instances Satan is the speaker. Any theory would be absurd that clothes all words found in Scripture with equal authority or importance. But whatever is meant to convey God's thought is used with a purpose and adapted to its end, so that, as the Angel said to John, on Patmos: "These are the true sayings of God" (Revela tion xix:9). Every student must observe what in Holy Scripture car ries authority, and what only accuracy. Satan's words to Eve (Gen. iii:i-5), though accurately recorded, are false and misleading in intention and sentiment, exactly contrary to God's mind. The greater part of the book of Job, though an inspired record of events and sayings, is expressly dis owned of God as not rightly spoken (Job xlii:7). More than this, many other well meant words and deeds of men, embodied in the history, here recorded, may lack authority because due to imperfect knowledge of the mind of God or partial obedience to His will. Even prophets and apos tles, apart from their character and capacity as such, being only fallible men, were liable to mistakes (i Kings xix:4; Galatians ii:ii-i4). A very instructive instance of this principle may be found in 2 Samuel vii:2-7. David declares his purpose to build God a house, and his reasons are both devout and unselfish : he is unwilling to have his own palace outshine the dwelling place of Jehovah. Not only so but, on communicating to the prophet Nathan his purpose, he meets with entire ap proval ; the prophet bids him do all that is in his heart, as suring him that the Lord is with him. Did the narrative give no further light, we should infer this to be a God- inspired thought of David ; but the prophet is bidden to go to the King and tell him that he is not to build the house — that privilege being reserved for Solomon. Here the nar rative is inspired, but the proposed action is not. It was well meant but not in God's plan — a very conspicuous ex ample of the principle that many a good man says and does what is not authorized by God ; and that the fact that such words or deeds are recorded in Scripture carries no neces sary sanction of them as prompted of God. We must therefore discriminate and distinguish three degrees of authority in the inspired record: I. An authoritative narrative where sentiments and acts i6 THEIR SUPREME AUTHORITY. are not sanctioned and may be disowned as disapproved of God. 2. An authoritative narrative where sentiments and acts are not expressly approved or disapproved and must be judged by the general standards of Scripture teaching. 3. An authoritative narrative where the sentiments and acts are inspired and controlled by the Spirit of God, and therefore represent His mind and will (Example, 2 Samuel vii:4-i7)» Lack of proper discrimination in matters such as these has often led to much confusion and needless controversy. But, with these careful limitations, Verbal Inspiration is an absolute necessity if, in any proper sense, there be divine inspiration at all. As Dean Burgon has expressed it, what music would be without notes, a mathematical sum without figures, so would an inspired book be without words con trolled by the inspiring Spirit. We have taken pains to determine this principle at the outset, for without such foundation we have no solid bot tom for the studies which follow. The more carefully this Book of God is examined, the more exact do its choice and use of words appear, and the more precise its phrases and terms and even grammatical forms. It is a matter of great importance to scrutinize the very language God em ploys to convey His mind, and in all the details which follow part of the purpose is both to demonstrate and illustrate the significance of every atom of Scripture — what our Lord called every "jot and tittle." The following important considerations should always be borne in mind: I. It is not necessary that the man inspired shall always understand his own message, for even the "prophets in quired and searched diligently" after t?he meaning of their own predictions which were an enigma even to themselves (i Peter i:ii-i2). 2. It is not necessary to comprehend the mode of inspira tion. All we are concerned with is the result, the invest ment of the message with unique authority as from God, who was pleased thus to supply to men a final standard of doctrine and duty. 17 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. 3. Inspiration is affirmed, of course, only of the original documents, now no longer extant. Many mistakes may have been made by copyists, and some interpolations by officious scribes and translators are fallible. It is the part of reverent criticism to seek, by careful examination and comparison of all existing documents, to detect errors and restore as far as possible the Scriptures in their original purity. 4. Inspiration is not affected by minor differences in various narratives. While God used men as media of com munication, they were not mere machines, but were left to use their faculties in individual freedom. Hence arose peculiarities, not only of style, but of treatment, according as the same utterances or occurrences might impress each observer or narrator. But this, instead of impairing, rather increases, the trustworthiness of the record, as it proves that there could have been no prior agreement or con spiracy among the various writers. 5. Most so-called discrepancies or disagreements disap pear, when the various records are regarded as partial, rather than complete, as each of the four Gospel narratives may present some features not found in the rest, but capable of being combined with the others in one full statement. For example, the complete inscription over the cross was: "This is Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews." Of this inscription of ten words, Matthew records eight, Mark five, Luke seven, and John eight, and not the same in any two cases; but 1?he full inscription includes all the words found in any record. There is, therefore, no antagonism or contradiction. 6. That which is essential in inspiration is the action of the mind of God upon the mind of man, in such way and measure as to quicken and qualify the human medium for the true conveyance of the Divine message. Revelation expresses the informing process, and inspiration t'he im parting. 18 IL THE HIGH LEVEL OF THE WORD OF GOD. IL THE HIGH LEVEL OF THE WORD OF GOD. Whatever has to do with God is, of necessity and in the nature of things, supernatural and superhuman, extraordinary and unique. It belongs on a level of its own, standing alone and apart, by itself, unapproach able, defying alike competition and comparison. We should therefore expect both sublimity and originality, elevation and isolation, much that transcends all the limits of human thought, involving more or less the element of the inscrutable: and the presence of such characteristics instead of an obstacle to faith is rather an argument for it. 20 IL THE HIGH LEVEL OF THE WORD OF GOD, THE workman is known by his work, and the more perfect the product the fuller the exhibition of the producer. The Bible, being God's workmanship, will, like the heavens, declare His Glory and show forth His handiwork (Psalm xix). He expressly declares: "My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways. My ways; for as the heavens are higher than the earth so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts" (Isaiah lv:8, 9). This states a pervasive principle of the entire Scripture : "thoughts" — literally, "weavings" — include the whole fabric of Scripture conceptions, contrivances, devices, imaginations (Compare Psalm xxxiii:io, xl:S, xcii:5, xciv:ii). In the last reference — "The Lord knoweth the thoughts of man that they are vanity" — there is a designed contrast between man's devices and God's, man's being compared in the same prophecy of Isaiah (lix:5, 6), to cobwebs which never be come garments. God's "thoughts" and "ways" are by no means equivalent. His ideas or ways of thinking are as far above the level of man's as the heavens are above the earth — a distance illimit able and immeasurable. And so of His ways of doing, as of Plis ways of thinking — ^the distance and difference is infinite. Human notions all fall immeasurably short of God's, as when the Jews conceived of Messiah as a temporal monarch and His kingdom as an earthly one, and had no thought of that new man to be made of twain, in the union of Jew and Gentile (Ephes. ii:i5). His way was to make the gospel a highway, for all nations, and the whole earth, even the dark places and habitations of cruelty, a fruitful field and garden of the Lord. But, even after the gospel 21 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. era had begun, how slow was Peter himself to apprehend it (Acts ix:xi). We must be ready to meet, at every point in Bible study, the evidences that we are communing with an infinite Being and, a.« Coleridge discriminatingly said, consent to appre hend much that we cannot comprehend. God has, to begin vvith. His own unique constitution of Being. He is the eternal God, and therefore independent of all time limits, as the Persians defined Him' — Zeruane Akerene — Time without bounds. He is the "I AM" — to whom past, present and future are equally to-day, who is alike without beginning and without end, without succession of days or change of conditions. Pie is the Omniscient One, to whom all things are so absolutely known that there can neither be anything hidden from Him nor any increase of knowledge or inteUigence. He is the Omnipresent One, so pervading all space and time with His presence that it is only in an accommodated sense that He can be said to be at any point of time or place any more than any other. He is the Immutable One, who changes not. His absolute perfec tion at once forbids change for the worse v/hich would be be declension and degeneration, or for the better which would be improvement and imply previous imperfection, since per fection cannot be improved. Such a unique and solitary Being must have His own ways, both of thinking and doing. We shall find evidence that He has His own lexicon, using language in a unique sense and defining His own terms; that He has His own arithmetic and mathematics, not lim ited to man's addition and multiplication tables ; His own calendar, reckoning time in His own fashion, and dividing all duration into ages and dispensations, to suit His eternal plan; that He has His own annals and chronicles, writing up history according to methods of His own, leaving great gaps of silence, chasms of obhvion, where He deems nothing worthy of record; that He has His own grammar. Using all the nice distinctions of conjugation and declension^ voice and mood, tense and person, gender and number, with dis crimination and design. In a word, everything about God and His methods shows that He lives on a different plane from man and cannot be either resti^cted to man's notions or judged by man's standards. We shall meet in the study of Scripture many original 22 THEIR HIGH LEVEL. and peculiar divine devices. Certain features appear promi nent, as connected with unique patterns, models and stand ards. These, designed to arrest attention and embodying permanent lessons, should be grouped by themselves, as both related to one another and contributing to one common, ultimate end. They are divine ideals, expressing divine ideas; concrete forms for abstract truths, making them easier of apprehension and more lasting in impression. Examples will readily recur to the Bible student. First, there are three pictorial parables of higher truths, all needing higher explanation: the Tabernacle, the one house which God planned and built, the Temple being essentially on the same model; the Ceremonial, the one order of worship and service in connection with His house, which He decreed and directed; and again the Calendar, the one series, of fasts, feasts and festivals which He arranged and ordained. These three parables He meant to be the constant study of His devout people, and to be illustrated and illuminated by the subsequent events and teachings of all history. About each of these there seems to be a sevenfold completeness. In the Tabernacle the conspicuous features were the brazen and golden altars, the lampstand and shew-bread table, the laver, ark and mercy seat. In the Ceremonial, the five offer ings — sin and trespass, meal, peace, and burnt — then the red heifer, first fruits and tithes. In the Calendar, a sacred seventh day, week, month, year, a seven times seventh year, and a seventy times seventh, or four hundred and ninetieth, with a dimly forecast final millennium or sabbatical thou sand years. Three standards of measurement are also suggested, as indexes of His divine Power, Wisdom and Love. I. The wonders connected with the Exodus from Egypt, referred to hundreds of times (Micah vii:i5). 2. The miracle promised in the Regathering of the scat tered tribes of Israel, a second time out of all lands (Jerem. xvi:i4, 15). 3. The supreme marvel, of the Raising of Christ from the Dead and exalting Him to His own Right Hand (Ephes. 1:19-23; Philip. ii:9-ii). The phrase, "according to," so often used suggests that His design is to give His people a standard by which to esti- 83 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. mate both His ability and willingness to do great things for them. To the wonders of the Exodus He perpetually appeals in the Old Testament. "I am Jehovah who brought you forth out of the Land of Egypt, out of the House of Bondage." By this He perpetually rebuked their unbelief and stimulated faith and fearlessness in the presence of foes. There are indications that the second return or restoration of scattered Israel will be attended by events so stupendous and supernatural as to more than equal those of the Ex odus, and having absolutely no parallel in ordinary human history. And as to the Resurrection and exaltation of our Lord, that went far beyond all dreams of even divine power, defying death and the devil, invading the uniformity of natural law and annulling the power of gravitation — the miracle of all ages, all wonders in one. These three Standards of Power all have to do with an Exodus : the first from Egypt as the land of Bondage ; the second from all lands of exile and dispersion ; the third our Lord's Exodus from the realms of Death and the grave — and as such referred to in the converse on the Mount of Transfiguration by Moses and Elijah. Many minor points of resemblance are suggested, par ticularly between the deliverance from Egypt and the Resur rection and ascension of the Son of God. In the former, four wonders were very conspicuous^ the passing by the blood-stained portals ; the crossing of the Red Sea ; the over whelming of the pursuing foes ; and the covenant guidance by the Pillar of Cloud. In our Lord's Exodus, how correspondent the fourfold marvel : the divine passing over of the blood-sprinkled sin ner; the emergence of Christ and with Him His believing people from the place of death and judgment; the over throw of Satanic foes by that same Resurrection and ascen sion ; and the bestowment of the new Pillar of Clojid-iff^the Pentecostal gift of the Spirit. ^-"'^ As God has thus His own scales for weight, and standards for measure, some things which to man are small, to Him are great ; what man accounts long is to Him short and con versely. To attempt to crowd divine things into human com pass is both to misapprehend God and* to belittle Him. We 24 THEIR HIGH LEVEL. must accustom ourselves to His standards, so far as possible to adopt them, or adapt ourselves to them ; or, if no more, recognize them as far above our own. We need a sense of Proportion. The Time element must be kept in its proper relations to Scripture and the plans of God. "One day is with the Lord as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day ;" that is, with the Eternal One, human time measurements count nothing — a prolonged interval is but as a moment. The High priest, on the great day of Atonement, went from the altar of sacrifice into the Holiest and shortly re turned to bless the people. These few moments which elapsed between his disappearance within the veil, and his reappearance in the court, typify the whole interval between our Lord's ascension and second advent, already protracted over nearly nineteen centuries. God's "little while" often proves man's long while, and especially when events are seen in perspective as in prophetic vision. We must not stumble over the difficulty of delay. "Long" and "short" are rela tive terms : everything depends upon the scale. At a time of political panic, due to local issues, the Earl of Salisbury counselled alarmists to quiet their fears and get a wider view of events by procuring larger maps. Students of prophecy and of Scripture, generally, need to understand God's larger maps and eternal plans — His worldwide cam paign and age-long battle — to get some glimpse of the mag nitude and magnificence of the whole scheme of Redemption which takes in two eternities. All time is but an instant in eternal movements. Delay is so far recognized in the Scripture as possible that the duty of persistent faith, per severing hope and patient waiting is based upon such defer ment (Habakkuk ii:3). Much of the mystery of Scripture is inseparable from its exalted level. What is eternal cannot be expressed or explained in terms of the temporal, and what is celestial must essentially differ from what is terrestrial. Ifall that is divine could be comprehended by what is human it would cease to be divine. Perfect understanding implies equality of intellect and intelligence : the tiny cup of a flower might as well attempt to contain the ocean as a man's mind to grasp the infinite. A man, passing a church with Daniel Webster, asked 25 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. him how he could reconcile the doctrine of the Trinity with reason; and the great statesman of giant intellect rephed by another question: "Do you expect to understand the arithmetic of Pleaven?" SucJh expressions as "God said", "the Lord spake, saying", "the Lord commanded", "the word of the Lord came unto me, saying", etc., occur in the Pentateuch alone 680 times. How strange it would be if in all these nearly seven hun dred communications from Jehovah, there was nothing too high for man to comprehend? Sin was born of presump tuous intelligence : Milton's Satan is the portrait of intellect without God, and the first temptation was an act of human revolt against the mystery of a divine command and an attempt to break through into the realm of the unknown. All rationalism is the worship of human reason and a denial of any higher level in divine truth than man can reach or any deeper abyss in divine mystery than man can sound: it is in effect a claim to man's equality with God and a virtual denial of any God at all. Francis Bacon, who was called the "wisest and brightest of mankind", said, "I do much condemn that interpretation of Scripture which ig only after the manner of men, as they use to interpret a profane book." It is because the Word of God belongs to a superhuman level that man's investigation of it never reaches its limit of new discovery. Every new study of it brings new un veiling. As a distinguished author says: "In the Divine Word, the letter is stationary; the meaning progressive." 36 IIL THE IDENTITY OF THE WRITTEN AND LIVING WORD. 2> III. THE IDENTITY OF THE WRITTEN AND LIVING WORD. "In the volume of the Beck, it is written of Me" (Psahn xl:8). The Holy Scriptures and the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ are so inseparably bound together, that whatever impairs the integrity and authority of the one correspondingly affects the other. The written Word is the Living Word enfolded: the Living Word is the Written Word unfolded. Christ is the Cornerstone of all faith, but that Cornerstone is laid in Scripture as a bed-rock, and to disturb the Scripture authority unsettles the foundation of the believer's faith and of the church itself 28 111. THE IDENTITY OF THE WRITTEN AND LIVING WORD. OUR Lord is found in the Word, in the letter; the Word is found in Him in the life. It is of the highest importance to guard the written Word from losing its firm hold upon us as God's Reve lation of Christ. There are two forms or modes of such revelation: first, to the soul in the Scriptures; second, in the soul by the Spirit, in the experience of His indwelhng; but the Scriptural precedes the experimental as its basis, so that, without the former the latter is impossible in all ordinary cases. It is therefore a delusion to suppose that, even if the Scriptures were destroyed or impaired we should still have Christ. This may in a sense be true in the case of one who has already known Christ experimentally, but two important questions arise; first, how did the believer get experimental knowledge of Him except through the Scriptures ? and, sec ondly, how are others who do not yet believe in Christ and have no inner revelation of Him, to find the way to faith if confidence in the Scriptures isjde^tr^'ed or undermined? Even if our faith in the Le-tJ-j^us survives loss of faith in the written Word, what becomes of the authoritative note in preaching? The teaching of our Lord Himself on this matter is very explicit: "Search the Scriptures; for they are they that testify of Me." "They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them; for if they believe not Moses and the prophets neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead." "Had ye believed Moses ye would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me ; but if ye believe not his writings how shall ye believe My words?"* Here is a progressive testimony. First those who hon estly search the Scriptures find in them sufficient testimony to Christ ; second, where there is faith in their witness there ?John v:39, 45, 47; Luke xvi:3l. 29 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. will be faith in His words; and, third, if men reject their testimony, even the miracle of His resurrection will fail to convince. Here, curiously enough, is an outline of the whole history of modern rationaHstic "criticism." It began by not be lieving "Moses' Writings;" then it assailed the testimony of "the prophets," then it proceeded to undermine the authority of Christ's words; and at last, the confidence in His Resurrection from the dead. Our Lord thus in a few words hinted the course of rationalistic thought nineteen centuries later. Explicitly our Lord, in His post-resurrection interview, declares that in the whole Old Testament He is revealed (Luke xxiv:27-44). His words are unmistakable and His witness is repeated: "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets. He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures, the things concerning Himself," declaring that "all things must be fulfilled which are written in the Law of Moses and in the prophets and in the Psalms concerning Me." Thus, on the way to Emmaus, He traced one progressive Messianic revelation throughout the three popular divisions in which the Old Testament workings were arranged. To under stand New Testament records of Christ, then, we must know the whole Old Testament, from Genesis to Malachi, for the two are as closely related as a medallion and its mould. The whole Scripture is the Mirror of the Messiah. This is verified from several points of view, as will appear later : I. The Prophetical. Directly and indirectly His Image is forecast and foreshadowed (Gen. iii:is, Psalm xxii, ex, Isaiah liii). 2. The Sacramental. Under the Covenant of the Law circumcision and sacrifices, both sweet savor and ill savor. Under the Covenant of Grace, Baptism and the Lord's Sup per. 3. Ceremonial. The whole Levitical System, Tabernacle and Priesthood ; with the specific provisions and ordinances, Passover, Day of Atonement, Red Heifer, Leper's cleansing, etc. 4. Historical. Events, like the Deluge, Exodus, Desert Journey, Conquest of Canaan ; persons, like Adam, Abel, Abram, Melchizedek, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Jfoshua, David, Solomon, etc. 30 THE WRITTEN AND LIVING WORD. _5. Evangelical. The four gospel narratives separately mirroring Him from as many . different points of view; and jointly projecting His figure before us in a combined and complete witness. 6. Autobiographical. His testimony concerning Himself when its scattered fragments are gathered together witness to Him as the Son of Man and Son of God, prophet, priest and King; His parables and miracles forming part of His witness, and above all the crowning miracle, Plis Resurrec tion. 7. Apostolical. The writings of the New Testament gen erally, the Epistles to the Churches, to the Hebrews, the epistles, individual and general, all center in Him and ex hibit His teaching and character — offi'cium propheticum, officium sacerdotale, officium regium. The Scriptures portray our Lord in His three great offices, as Prophet, Priest, King; each incomplete without the others — ^prophet, to instruct and inform ; priest, to atone and intercede; king, to subdue and control. As has been well said, as Shepherd, He bears the crook ; as Suffering Saviour, the Cross; as Victorious King, the Crown.* There is a strange, almost mystic, similarity between the Written and Incarnate Word, traceable even in many minor matters. For instance, the one Bible is a compound of a Hebrew and a Greek portion ; the composition of the Qld Testament covered about a thousand years, and that of the New, about one-tenth that time. The life of our Lord on earth spans about thirty-three years, in two marked divisions, the latter, the period of public ministry, about one-tenth of the former. The Old Testament dealt in types and parables, and the New in clear and direct doctrine and fact. Our Lord taught largely in parable, promising in the Paraclete a fuller, clearer revelation. Again, as the whole inspired Word con sists of body and spirit, the letter and the deeper insight that interprets it and gives it force and value, so our Lord had a body of flesh, indwelt by the living Eternal Spirit. The parallel may be further followed in many lesser particu lars, both suggestive and instructive. The Supreme Importance of Prophecy_ arises, most of all, from its being the link between the written and the living *Rev. Hubert Brooke. 31 Knowing the scriptures. word. Prophecy, in its larger sense, covers two-thirds at least of all Scripture. It is not necessarily predictive, but may be preceptive, the result of insight into truth as well as foresight of the future. A prophet was one who spoke in behalf of God. Whatever therefore represents God's mes sage to man is prophecy : even history is indirectly prophetic so far as it has an ethical or typical bearing. Special study needs therefore to be centered upon the prophetic element in Scripture, and most of all with reference to Him who was the Supreme Head of all the Prophetic succession. The Scriptures represent the Lord Jesus Christ as the Final and Supreme Prophet of God (Deut. xviii:i5-i9, Heb. i:i). Though other prophets were both called and qualified of God, they were finite" and fallible, human and necessarily imperfect. Their inferiority to Him will appear if they are contrasted with Him, in the following particulars : I. In numbers, many. He one, alone, solitary. 2. In hmitations of knowl- He without limitations. edge. 3. In scope of power. He having all power. 4. They sinful and imperfect. He sinless and perfect. 5. They inspired at times He always the divine mouth- only, piece. 6. They not always under- He omniscient and original. standing. 7. They but partially fore- He framer and controller of seeing. the ages. 8. They witnessing to the He Himself the Light of the Light. world. 9. They revealing truth in He Himself the Truth. part. 10. They giving place to He without rival or suc- others. cessor. The only v/ay to read the two testaments, intelligently and adequately, is to compare them, to set them side by side ; to remember Augustine's great motto, and be prepared to find the Lord Jesus Christ "latent" in the Old as He is "patent" in the New. The entire old Economy, including its history and prophecy, ritual and ceremony, is a parable of Christ, which finds its amplification, explanation and illustration 32 THE WRITTEN AND LIVING WORD. in the history and economy of the new. If the Bible, in its two great divisions, be thus regarded and studied, corre spondences will continually reveal themselves, sometimes so exact and varied as to remind us of the counterparts, so often found in nature, between forms and colors, vegetable and animal Hfe, causes and effects ; or of the rhythmic har mony of lines in a poem, where the words differ, but the metrical flow is the same. Not only is the Old Testament the parable, it is also the prophecy of the New ; it forecasts the future which the New reveals and records. 'A devout writer has compared the Old Testament to a dissected map which he once gave to his children for their amusement, and which, when all its parts were accurately fitted, and the map turned over, revealed on the back the figure of a man, so that his form might be the key to the true place which each fragment was to fill. Were we sufficiently familiar with the, entire structure of the Old Testament, we might find in it at every point this analogy with the New. The superficial reader overlooks the correspondence; but the close and careful searcher finds it in multiplied details, until- he wonders that he could ever have failed to detect it. This, we take to be a most valuable department of apologetics. It imparts to the whole Old Testament a prophetic character, makinp- i*- like the mystic memorials of Egypt, whose inscriptionrwaited for centuries for a Champollion to decipher and interpret them. Niebuhr reckoned these results the crowning achievement of the century ; and the Word of God is still waiting for its Cham pollion fully to read its deep meaning, and discover every where the Christ of God. The true way to know the scriptures is to regard them as what Bunyan called "The House of the Interpreter," to all whose apartments and chambers of mystery, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Magic Key. Obviously only thus can the Messianic chamber be opened and entered; the three hundred predictions, _ there stored up, are enigmas whose only adequate solution is Himself. The Symbolical Chamber, with its Tabernacle symbolism, its priestly robes and rites, its fasts and_ feasts, sacrifices and offerings are meaningless until He is seen as the Tabernacle of God with man, at once High Priest and victim, offering and offerer. The Historical_diaffiker 33 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. is a picture gallery, with scenic paintings and personal por traits, and He, the Hving guide to explain the events and characters of all ages. There is the Sacramental chamber, with its ceremonies and ordinances of separation and purifi cation; its anointings and washings, its symbols of fleshly mortification, of burial and resurrection, and perpetual feed ing on heavenly food: all these are without meaning until they serve to typify identification with Him in suffering and service, victory and glory. The Inspired Written Word and the Eternal Living Word are forever inseparable. The Bible is Christ por trayed ; Christ is the Bible fulfilled. One is the picture, the other is the person, but the features are the same and pro claim their identity. IV. THE PROPHETIC ELEMENT IN SCRIPTURE. J5 IV. THE PROPHETIC ELEMENT IN SCRIPTURE. This is one of seven elements which together consti tute the whole body of the W^ord of God, namely: His tory, Biography, Prophecy, Ethics, Devotion, Messianic Revelation and Spiritual guidance. This prophetic element pervades all the rest. It is the eye of Scripture, with supernatural vision — backsight, insight and fore sight, or power to see into the past, present and future. It is, therefore, the miracle of utterance, as other miracles are wonders of povVer, and evinces omniscience, as they do omnipotence, thus reflecting the image of the glory of God. 36 IV. THE PROPHETIC ELEMENT IN SCRIPTURE. THE words "prophet" and "prophecy," etc., occur so frequently, over four hundred times, that they suggest special study. "Prophet" is always used in one of two senses, and prophecy is regarded from two corresponding points of view. When a prophet predicts or foretells, he sees and represents the future in the Hght of the present; when he rebukes, reproves, counsels, or admonishes, as Jehovah's representative messenger — forth-telling rather than fore telling, he portrays the present in the light of the future.* Hence there are two sorts of prophetic teaching : the pre ceptive and the predictive. Elijah, Elisha, John the Baptist belong to the former; David, Daniel, Isaiah, John, to the latter; Moses, Hosea, Malachi, to both. Predictive prophecy is the foremost proof to which the Word of God appeals in its own behalf. It was the standing miracle by which God challenged faith in His inspired Word, defying all the worshippers of other gods and their sages and seers to produce any such proofs that their gods were worthy of worship or their prophets true representatives of a divine religion (Compare Isaiah xH:2i-23)._ Prophecy characterizes one of the three main divisions of Old Testament Scripture, the others being the historic and the poetic or devotional. The common Hebrew word, Nabi, from a root, meaning to boil up, or bubble as a spring, sug gests the impulse of inspiration (2 Pet. i:2i) as a mouth piece of God giving utterance to an outflow of divine thought. The divine message was communicated by dreams, visions, trance or ecstasy, or in ways not revealed.^ Prophets were known as seers — men who had supernatural insight or foresight, or both. The ecstatic state predominates in the ?Compare Edersheim. 37 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. Old Testament, and is not the highest, for neither Moses nor our Lord ever was in it. The prophetic office was mainly one of teaching, and in tensely practical, meant to rebuke and reform, rouse and incite to action ; hence the "schools of prophets" in the later days of EHjah and Elisha, associations of men, more or less endowed with the Spirit, out of whom a succession of prophets might come. Eichorn discriminatingly calls Moses' Song (Deut. xxxii) the "Magna Charta of Prophecy." For a transient inspiration, or a special occasion, men might have the prophetic gift, irrespective of character, as in Saul's and Balaam's cases: but those who had a continu ous mission as prophets were men of deep piety like Isaiah and Daniel. The main criteria of a true prophet were: I. The accordance of his messages with the Revealed Law. 2. His not promising prosperity to the rebellious and un repentant. 3. His own- conscious call and assurance of his mission (Jer. XX :8, 9; xxvi:i2). 4. His consequent power to produce in others conviction of truth. 5. His foresight of the Messiah and His career. Fulfilled predictions and miracles were only confirmatory proofs when his teaching was in harmony with previous rev elations of God's mind in Scripture (Deut. xiii:2). The promulgation of the prophetic message might be oral or written; sometimes what was first by word of mouth was afterwards committed to writing for preservation and wider dissemination. Probably all prophecies thus put in scroU form are yet extant, though some oral utterances may have been lost to us. Prebendary Home has attempted to arrange the Old Tes tament "seers" in chronological order, but even scholars dis agree as to the exact place of several of the prophets in the prophetic succession. It may help students to embody here the results of Home's investigations, specifying only the times of the Kings of Judah to promote simphcity and avoid burdening the memory. 38 THE PROPHETIC ELEMENT. Prophets. Approximate Times. "Burden," or Subject. Date, E. c. Kings of Judah : Jonah. Joash ; Nineveh. 860—784 Amaziah, or Azanah. Amos. Uzziah. Syria ; 810—785 Philistia ; Tyre ; Edom; Moab; Israel's Captivity. HOSBA. Uzziah ; The Jews ; 310—725 Jotham ; Messiah ; Ahaz ; letter days. Hezekiah. Isaiah. TJzziah ; Deliverance from Captivity ; 800—700 Jothatu ; Rejection of Israel ; Ahaz ; Calling of Gentiles ; Hezekiah ; Glories of Christ's Kingdom. Mauasseh. JOEI.. Uzziah, or Manasseh. Judah. 81Q-660 MlCAH. Jotham ; Judah and Israel ; 758-699 Ahaz; Messiah's birthplace. Hezekiah. Nahtjm. Hezekiah. Downfall of Assyria. 720-698 Zephahiah. Josiah. Captivity. 640—609 JjJREMIAH. Josiah ; Desolation of Jerusalem, Judah, etc. 628-586 ¦ Jehoahaz ; Jehoiakim ; Captivity.Messiah. Jehoiachin ; Zedekiah. HABAKKUK. Jehoiakim. Destruction of Chaldean and Babylonian Empire. 620—598 Daniel. During the Captivity. Messiah's kingdom. 606—534 Obadiah. After the siege of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Edom. 588-583 EZBKIBl.. In the Captivity. To comfort and warn the captives. 595—536 Haggai. After return from Captivity. Encouraging Jews in rebuild the temple ; Christ's coming. 520—518 Zbchariah. Ditto. Same as Haggai ; Glory of Messiah. 520—518 Malachi. Days of Nehemiah. Reproving the priesthood: announcing near approach 436—420 of Messiah. The word prophet has come from the medieval use of the Greek word (propheteia) to carry the sense oi prediction but the larger idea of interpretation should not be lost, ana Tn the lattef sense the church still has the prophetu: gift so far as eodly preachers and teachers unfold and declare to men thf Word of God. We know not how far the Holy, 39 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. * Spirit may, even now, empower believers with spiritual in sight, though foresight is very rare. God seems to have meant that something corresponding to the regal, sacerdotal, and prophetical orders should al ways exist in the church-^-in those fitted to guide and gov ern; in others, called to administer ordinances and act as media of communion with God and worship; and again in others who by clear apprehension of divine truth are pre pared to teach. But, in no proper sense are there any priests, for all believers constitute a priesthood with privi leges of immediate access to God. A peculiar and very significant fact about the whole prophetic element is that, when its fragmentary utterances are brought together, they are found to constitute one or ganic body. All predictions of the Word of God may be ar- ClRCU^^MCE 40 THE PROPHETIC ELEMENT. ranged in concentric circles — the innermost pertaining to our Lord Jesus Christ, as heart and center of all prophecy; then, next outside, the circle of predictions pertaining to the Hebrews as God's chosen people; then next, the circle of national predictions, having reference to the various peo ples located about, and having special connection with Jew ish history ; and then outside of all, the earliest forecast of the history of the race. We can best convey this idea by the two diagrams which accompany this section.* vii 'Final Victory' Last Battle last Judgment Ruin of Foes CHy of God Marmony of All The End. I FIRST ADVENT Born a babe of a Virdin at Bethlehem w'lthin 490years^ definitellnc Low Estate Worphip. VI Second Advent Epiphany Resurrection JudoementsDownfsllAiiiichrisK Restoration Jews. Saints aewert/ ^s^'^^'O" u-.li...:.....> /Hijhsst Heavens AdorationPentecostSover^i^yConNiclPast Advocate. IV RESURRECTION" Corruption Victory Third Day First Truits Testimony Eighth Day. ET PERSdN God-Man Sevenfold name^ Last Adam Three offices Traits,Human Traits Divine Anointing. TTF PASSION Oespised Betrayed Seld ror Price CondemnedCrucifiedOispositienofBoayllVoluntary Vicarious. *Frorn the "Bible and Spiritual Life," by the Author, 41 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. In predictive prophecy we have an impregnable rock for tress for rational faith, defying all successful assault. It is a double defence — it proves the divine origin, inspiration and authority of Scripture; and because at least one-half of all its forecasts converge upon the Lord Jesus Christ, it vindicates His Deity and Messiahship. The central Mes sianic prediction (Isaiah lii:i3 to liii:i2) is alone sufficient. Jewish and Christian writers agree that it is a portrait of the coming Messiah, differing only as to the historic person to whom it refers and who answers to the portrait.* The highest crown of the prophetic office was found in the fulness and clearness of Messianic revelation; hence Isaiah has been known as the "Evangelical Prophet," because in his writings are found more predictions about the coming Christ than in any one or all of the others. Hence also the master device of Satan in seeking to impugn and impair the pro phetic value of Isaiah's writings. ?Compare Edersheim. 42 STRUCTURAL FORM IN SCRIPTURE. 43 STRUCTURAL FORM IN SCRIPTURE. "God is not the Author of confusion but of order." Form is the embodiment and expression of order. It is a scientific term conveying the idea of a fixed model, a definite pattern, with certain dimensions and propor tions in accordance with a plan and purpose. Form is therefore necessarily both inclusive and exclusive, em bracing all that is essential to completeness, excluding all that is superfluous. To discover the Divine Build er's design explains both what is present and what is absent, and interprets the meaning of every part. 44 STRUCTURAL FORM IN SCRIPTURE, A— r~^ HE Unity of the Scriptures reminds us literally of a I structure with its architectural symmetry and math- I ematical proportion. As a Doric or Ionic column A had a fixed relation of circumference to height, so, in the Word of God singular correspondences are traceable, as between the five books of Moses, the five poetical and five major prophetical books, the five historical narratives that begin the New Testament ; and again the twelve minor histories, and twelve minor prophecies of the Old Testament. These correspondences can scarcely be accidental. If we look into more minute matters, we shall find these signs of a mathematical mind pervading the individual books, as 'in a perfect building, even the smallest peculiarity, like a pinnacle, or a capital, conforms to the general design and belongs to the same order and style of architecture. The great Architect and Builder had before Him the finished Temple of Truth, before the first stone was laid; and so perfect were all the details of His plan that no sound of "hammer, nor axe, nor any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was in building" — all being made ready be forehand, and needing no human agency to accommodate each part to its place, i Kings vi '."j. To conceive of the Word of God as a structure, and so to picture it before the mind's eye, the imagination is very helpful. It suggests many other thoughts which aid a fuller understanding of the character of the Scriptures as a whole. For example, every structure implies a constructor; one mind planning and designing behind the workmen who sim ply wrought upon successive parts and stages of the build ing but had no part in the plan. It suggests also the originality and sublimity and univer sality of the divine design, the incorporation of divine ideas in sensible ideals and patterns ; and the lines of proportion and harmony traceable throughout. 45 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. It suggests unity, symmetry and completeness ; the variety and multiplicity of the various parts, all contributing to tlu perfection of the whole, the individual beauty of all sub ordinate features, and the structural law pervading, con trolling, unifying all, and determining their mutual rela tions. It suggests the progressive development of the building toward completion, the impossibility of either defect or ad dition when finished, and the inhabitation of the divine Spirit, as a temple, irradiating and glorifying it by the Presence of God. This thought of the Word of God in its totality and en tirety we would fix in mind before examining its parts in detail. Though a composite product of sixty-six different books, or, counting double books, and those which belong to gether, as one, of fifty-six, and by some forty human writers and prepared through fifteen centuries or more, the Bible is still one Book, as truly as though it had but one human writer as well as divine Author. This unity, of itself, is one of the strongest proofs of its superhuman origin. Like those great structures the pyramids of Egypt, or the cathe drals of Europe, that it took centuries and hundreds of thousands of workmen to erect, one original designer must have been behind all the work of the mere laborers: the building was not due to their brawn but to the architect's brain. Evidences of this pervasive structural law everywhere appear, as further study will show. For example, structural unity is seen first of all in the great ideas embodied in Scripture, somewhat as all archi tectural orders are the expression of certain conceptions — the Egyptian, of strength and massiveness, the Greek of symmetry and beauty, the Gothic, of aspiration and adora tion. God's Word is a Temple of Truth, in which supreme facts and forms of thought find the highest artistic ex pression. About a few grand ideas or concepts all Scripture as a whole, centralizes and crystallizes; for example, I. God; 2, Man, regarded as a whole— a race of humanity} 46 THEIR STRUCTURAL FORM. 3. Man, regarded as an individual, alienated by sin, both from God and his f ellowman ; 4. The God-man, uniting in one person the two natures, divihe and human; 5. Man, as reconciled to God, through the God-man and to his f ellowman ; 6. God in man, in the Holy Spirit, dwelling and working and transforming; 7. God over man, re-established in His proper sovereignty and supremacy. Here in seven simple and progressive conceptions is a complete outline both of biblical theology and of redemptive history from creation _to the new creation. Under these few heads all else may be easily embraced. The idea of God suggests His nature, attributes and activities; the idea of man, his creation, original character and condition; and his fall, the origin of sin, its consequences and condemna tion. The God-man hints the mystery of the Incarnation, Salvation by Atonement, God's manifestation to man and the righteousness which is by faith; the Holy Spirit, the mystery of regeneration and sanctification, fitness for serv ice, access to God in prayer, fellowship with Him and with saints, and the unseen spirit realm. God's ultimate rule over a regenerate race gives a glimpse of the final consummation of His redemptive plan and of man's redeemed estate. Thus, whatever variety and diversity appear in Holy Scripture, the unity is more conspicuous, and to that all else contributes as many different musical notes and chords blend in one harmony or symphony. Or, better still, we may liken it to the solar system, with its one central orb, around which all else revolves — a Holy, Infinite Eternal God — ^then subordinate facts and truths, like planets with their satellites, smaller systems with their correlated interests, but all belonging to one larger system. Or, again, to find the center of unity brings order out of confusion, and shows all roads, from whatever quarter or direction converging to ward one "golden milestone." Unity does not forbid multiplicity and diversity provided all parts combine in one and contribute to one end. "God in many parts and many ways spake in time past to the fathers by the prophets," and "in these last days, by His Son" (Heb. i :i). But it was He who spake through all, 47 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. Structure, so far from forbidding multiplicity and variety of parts, rather implies them. The word, from Struo~to build — suggests materials of different nature, size, shape and pattern, brought to one site, and arranged and combined into one harmonious whole, which we call a "building." An ideal structure therefore will have certain prominent char acteristics : first of all, it must be the embodiment and ex pression of some idea or conception ; then it must have defi nite form ; must also have a purpose or specific end, and variety of parts ; otherwise there is no structure for there is nothing with which to build; and all this implies a thinker, designer, builder. An idea, embodied, insures beauty ; form, consistency and symmetry; a purpose, serviceableness and utility ; variety of parts, adaptation to the end ; and a builder as the source of all. On some of these peculiarities of biblical structure we have already commented, but as we advance to the consider ation of the materials of which the Bible is made up, we need to understand intelligently their contribution to its unity and completeness. Let us not forget the two ideas that are implied in form, namely, inclusiveness and exclusiveness; it includes all that is essential to its perfection, and as rigidly excludes all that is superfluous and needless. If anything necessary to com pleteness be absent, there is a lack — the defect of insufficien cy ; if anything unnecessary be present, there is an excess — the defect of excrescence. To illustrate this, take the human hand, which in its per fection is one of the most remarkable of the Creator's works. Sir Charles Bell, one of the famous eight distingiiished men selected to write the celebrated "Bridgewater Treatises," chose "The Hand, its mechanism and vital endov/ments, as evincing design." He finds over eight thousand words in sufficient to describe the construction and adaptations of this one member of the human body. Consider one pecuHarity of the hand : it has four fingers of unequal lengths, and one thumb; and the thumb so placed as to be in opposition to the fingers ; and these five subordinate members so arranged that, when the ends of fingers and thumb touch, they form, within, a hollow sphere, and would just meet about a small ball. Were there one finger less or more, no thumb or two 48 THEIR STRUCTURAL FORM. thumbs ; or were the fingers of the same lengths, cr differ ently arranged on the hand, all this perfection of adapta tion and co-operation would be forfeited, and what is now a perfect structure would be imperfect and de-formed, that is, without form, in its true and technical sense. And this is but one feature out of many which evince creative design. Again, if the fingers and thumbs be outspread, it will be found that from the center of the palm, the same radius would describe a perfect arc of a circle about the ends of thumb and fingers, another evidence of a symmetry and pro portion which few ever observe. Now transfer such correspondences as these to the struc ture of the Word of God. Here all that is, is necessary, and there is nothing superfluous. We do not find here much that men might have desired, because it is not essential to the end for which the Holy Scriptures were designed. For example, there were great nations of antiquity of whose his tory we should be glad to have fuller records, such as Egypt, Persia, Phenicia, Assyria, Greece and Rome; yet in God's book they are scarcely mentioned, while one obscure peo ple, for whose annals the human historian cares but little, occupies twelve whole books, and is the nucleus of all biblical history. But the reason is that the Bible is the book of Sal vation, and because the Jew figures so largely in the redemp tion of the race, Jewish history is made conspicuous, and other nations are referred to only as in some way connected with the Hebrews. Again, mankind craves knowledge upon matters connect ed with science. Yet the Holy Scriptures touch scientific mysteries only incidentally, never disclosing the hidden laws and facts that it has taken centuries to bring to light. And all this is to be accounted for by the fact that form excludes what is superfluous. The Bible was not meant as a scien tific textbook, but a spiritual guide — to teach man what he cannot find out for himself otherwise — the way of salvation. To have made the Word of God an encyclopedia of general information would have not only obscured its greater de sign, but diverted human attention to minor issues. The perfection of Holy Scripture is found in part in its absolute ' singleness of aim. But, on the other hand, whatever contributes to this su preme purpose is found in the Scriptures, as in the hand 49 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. there is a marvellous combination of bones and joints, mus cles and tendons, blood vessels and nerves, all that is need ful or helpful to the end in view. Nothing but minute examination and careful consideration can make this apparent. We need to separate the various parts of the Bible, for individual examination, then set them side by side for comparison, and then combine them again, to understand their mutual relations, as we can best appre ciate a skeleton by taking it apart, studying all its hinge- joints and ball-and-socket joints, its cervical axis and verte brae, and then once more restoring each to its place. This is the method we propose in these Bible studies ; both the analytic and the synthetic; the examination of the individual parts, and then of the collective whole. One result may be confidently reckoned on in advance: We shall find nothing lacking and nothing excessive. As in any true structure, timbers meet and join with mortise and tenon, and stones fit each other in shape, size and angle; pillars are set on bases and crowned with appropriate capi tals; so, in the Holy Scripture, all parts contribute to each other and to the whole. Every book serves some end not answered by any other; every historic event or personage; every rite or ceremony; every action or utterance, have something to do to fill out the grand central design. Another result may be predicted: We shall discover new and unsuspected consistencies and harmonies; even where there is apparent contradiction at first, there will be found real co-ordination and co-operation, afterward. It is one of the marked characteristics of the Inspired Word that its agreements, like other deep things of God, lie beneath the surface, like the hidden watercourses that connect far sep arated springs, or the great strata of bed-rock that crop out at widely parted points. We must be content to dig deep and not trust surface appearances. Truth's harmonies are not such as are heard by the common ear, but to those whose hearing is divinely quickened, the whole word of God is a glorious anthem, in which many voices and instruments com bine in one symphony. so VL MUTUAL RELATIONS OF THE TWO TESTA MENTS. SI VI. MUTUAL RELATIONS OF THE TWO TESTA MENTS. These two main divisions resemble the dual structure of the human body, where the two eyes and ears, hands and feet correspond to and complement one another. Not only is there a general, but a special mutual fitness. They need therefore to be studied together, side by side; to be compared even in lesser details, for in nothing are they independent of each other; and the closer the inspection the minuter appears the adaptation, and the more intimate the association. 52 VI. MUTUAL RELATIONS OF THE TWO TESTAMENTS. S we have already seen, the Word of God is a unit— a symmetrical, complete structure, one organic whole. Yet it is composed of two main parts, and many subordinate and diverse members. It should, first of all, be viewed as a whole, in its essential totality and entirety; then, its consistency > and harmony being seen, any apparent discord or discrepancy will lead us to distrust the accuracy of our own vision and perception rather than its own consistency and perfection. Unity does not exclude duality. This book is in two prin cipal parts, the Old and New Testaments, not independent of each other but, like the two sides of the human body, or ganically one; the two hands and feet both by their like ness and unlikeness contribute to mutual efficiency. The two Testaments must be studied together, to secure the best results, as right and left hands and feet, eyes and ears, must be united in working and walking, seeing and hearing. The whole Bible has one central idea and controlling purpose: so has each Testament, and every subordinate part. To grasp intelligently these guiding, leading conceptions is to hold the key to the contents of the inspired Word. Broadly speaking, the Old Testament is prophetic; the New, historic ; the former teaches truth, typically ; the latter directly, doctrinally. In the one, the prominent, dominant feature is Law, as operative in God's dealing with man; in the other, Grace, in fuller exhibition and illustration. The Old Testament forecasts and foreshadows, often in enigma. what the New reveals, more clearly, in substance, and with that variety and vividness of color that so differs from the dull, dead monotonv of shadow. There is a persistent attempt in some quarters, to depre ciate the Old Testament, with a lamentable result that it is comparatively neglected. Yet the New Testament itself un mistakably teaches the organic unity of the two_ Testaments. and in vi.rious ways exhibits their mutual relations. 53 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. There are often definite statements of a practical moral and spiritual purpose and purport of Old Testament writ ings, as when Paul says, "Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope" (Romans xv :4) . Here two main purposes are hinted — warn ing and encouragement — records of evil doing with its pen alty that we may be strengthened patiently to withstand temptation; records of well doing with its rewards that we may be comforted and encouraged in doing and bearing the will of God. And again, in reciting the history of Israel, "Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples, and are written for our learning and admonition" (i Cor. x:i4). The two Testaments are like the two cherubim of the mercy seat, facing in opposite directions, yet facing each other and overshadowing with glory one mercy seat; or again, they are like the human body bound together by joints and bands and ligaments; by one brain and heart, one pair of lungs, one system of respiration, circulation, di gestion, sensor and motor nerves, where division is de struction. Observe how our Lord constantly quoted from, or re ferred to, the Old Testament, its various books, and authors ; persons and places mentioned in it; how He recognized its types — like the brazen serpent ; how He lent the sanction of His authority to its commandments in the Sermon on the Mount, etc. Its teachings and terms thread His own dis courses and sometimes are their woof and warp as well as pattern. He does not contradict but confirms it, explaining and interpreting its true meaning, and clearing away the rub bish of tradition or superstition which has covered and obscured it, as an artist washes off the dust which hides a masterpiece of painting, or the explorer unearths ancient buried treasures. There can be no doubt what our Lord thought of the Old Testament Scriptures, their inspiration, authenticity, authority, practical value, immutable truth and bearing upon the New. Westcott and Hort, in their edition of the Greek New Testament, have done a great service by indicating in capi tals, the quotations of sentences and phrases from the Old Testament in the New. They have traced more than fifteen 54 THE TWO TESTAMENTS. hundred such in the twenty-seven New Testament books. It is both a curious and significant fact that frequently these citations are in the very center of some paragraph and are a sort of turning point of the whole argument or mark the heart of the treatment, as in Paul's great portrait of charity, in I Cor. xiii, where the phrase, "thinketh no evil" — from Zechariah viii:i7, marks the central feature in the portrait. The verbiage of the septuagint translation of the Old Tes tament is so interwoven with the New, that the threads are mingled and cannot be separated. The New Testament is largely framed in the dialect of the Old, and again reminds us of the joints and bands and ligaments which make the body one. The Book of God, taken as a whole, is a seamless robe yet a coat of many colors; a grand oratorio with one musical theme, yet many orchestral performers with variety of instruments and voices. There are not only general correspondences between the two Testaments, but between individual books, and often to a very remarkable degree, so that they serve to throw light upon each other. When placed side by side and studied as companion books this complementary character and rela tion become very apparent. For example we place in oppo site columns some of the books having this close mutual relation : The Pentateuch, Genesis to The New Testament Pentateuch. Deuteronomy. The first five books — historical. Genesis— Book of Beginnings. John— Beginning of the Word. Exodus— Book of Pilgrimage. Epistles of Peter. Leviticus— Book of Priesthood. Epistle to Hebrews. Joshua— Wars of the Lord. Acts and Peaceful Conquests. Judges— Period of Anarchy. Second Timothy— Jude. Books of Wisdom— Job to Sol- Epistle of James. omon's Song. Daniel, O. T. Apocalypse. Revelation. These are a few examples of correspondence which might be carried much farther; but these suffice to show some of the ligaments which bind the two Testaments together. And the effect upon Biblical study is somewhat as in a stereoscope, companion pictures blend into one so that objects stand out in relief, exhibiting not only outlines but proportions and dimensions. Two great texts on Faith, both quoted from the Old Testament; thrice in the New, are introduced e9.ch time iq 55 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. a separate epistle, and at the turning point of the argu ment. Compare Genesis xv:6; Romans, iv:3; Gal. iii:6; Jas. ii :23 ; Habakkuk ii :4 ; Romans i :i7 ; Gal. iii :i i ; Heb. x :38 and the relation of each to the Epistle it appears in may be indicated by the emphasis on a particular word. Thus, "Abram believed and it was counted for righteousness." In Romans the emphasis is on "counted." Galatians, on "believed." James, on "righteousness." "The Just shall live by his faith." In Romans the emphasis is on "just." Galatians, on "faith." Hebrews on "live" — i. e., made alive and kept alive. The correspondence between the two Testaments ex tends to so many very minute particulars that one is a commentary upon the other. How often, for example, the Old is both interpreted and illuminated by the New. Casual references to Old Testament characters and events bathe them in a flood of light. When Melchizedek is first mentioned (Genesis xiv:i8 et seq.) there is scarce a hint of historic character, dignity, and relation to our blessed Lord — a simple narrative with no suggestion of its mystic meaning. But in the Epistle to the Hebrews the very names, "Melchizedek," or "King of Righteousness," and "King of Salem," or "King of Peace" are shown to be typical of Christ, and even in their order, "first righteousness; after that peace"- (Hebrews v:6 to vi:2o). Similarly as to Balaam. His real character and vile con spiracy are only hinted in the narrative in Numbers (xxii — xxxi). But the comments of Peter, Jude and John lend new meaning to the whole story (2 Pet. ii:is, Jude 11, Rev. ii:i4). Thus not until we turn to the last of the sixty- six books, the very close of the whole volume of Scripture, do we know how much this soothsayer of Mesopotamia had to do with that awful plunge of Jehovah's people intd the abyss of sensuahty. In Numbers the facts are registered of their sin and crime, followed by an obscure hint of Balaam's complicity with it; but the Apocalypse finally withdraws the veil and discloses his full agency as the chief 56 THE TWO TESTAMENTS. conspirator. The word "stumbling-block," in Rev. ii:i4, means, literally, that part of a trap wherein bait is laid, and which, when touched by the animal as it seizes the bait, caused the trap to spring and shut so as to catch the prey. What a darkly suggestive word to describe that human bait of female charms that made this trap so seduc tively effectual ! Here also, for the first time, we learn that Balaam set a double snare, entangling 'Israel in idolatry as well as immorality. And so, after many centuries, evil reappears in its older forms and complications. As Balak and the Moabites had literally been Balaam's followers and accomplices in en couraging idol sacrifices and sensual sins, so the Pergam- ites had in both forms followed Balaam's doctrine, and accompanied these literal sins of the flesh by spiritual idol atry and adultery, corrupting the worship of God, and en couraging infidelity to the sacred bridal vows of the church to the heavenly Bridegroom I In many like cases, the language of the New Testament finds its explanation and interpretation in the Old. In the midst of our Lord's hour of betrayal and the agonies of the passion week. He reminded the impetuous Peter that He had infinite resources of power had He chosen to draw upon them. "Thinkest thou not that I could pray to My Father, and He should presently give Me more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matthew xxvi:53). We have but to turn back to i Chron. xxvii:i-i5, to find a hint of why He referred thus to "twelve legions," and get an illuminative illustration of His meaning; for there we read how David, His kingly type, surrounded himself with twelve legions of servant-soldiers, each legion numbering 24,000, and all together, therefore, 288,000, or, including the 12,000 officers that naturally waited on the chief princes, an im mense bodyguard of 300,000! How beautifully our Lord thus taught His disciple who was eager to draw a sword to smite His foes, that David's greater Son had at com mand resources far greater than Judea's King; and if in one night one angel of the Lord had smitten with death a hundred and eighty-five thousand Assyrians, what might not twelve legions have done in that hour of distress ! Such a host could depopulate thirty-seven worlds like ours ! Psalm lxviii:i8 is an example of the illumination shed 57 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. upon an Old Testament obscurity and perplexity by New Testament quotation and application. "Thou hast ascended on high ! Thou hast led in procession a body of captives ; Thou hast received gifts among men; Yea, among the rebellious also ; That Jehovah Elohim might dwell with them." "Thou hast ascended on high": It is referred to, in Ephesians i :20-23 — and indirectly expounded in iv :8, where it is referred to the ascension of our Lord, raised far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, seated at God's own right hand in the heavenlies. In fact, the whole epistle sheds light upon it. "Thou hast received gifts" — compare Acts ii:33. "Being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He hath poured forth this." The Spirit seems to have been the great gift re ceived to be distributed among men, giving apostles, proph ets, evangelists, pastors and teachers, etc. — not only that the Body of Christ might be bailt up and perfected, but that even the rebellious might be turned into disciples and habita tions of the Spirit. The Old Testament enigma is thus solved — the mystery becomes a revelation, an apocalypse. 58 VII. THE BIBLE AS A BOOK AMONG BOOKS. 59 VII. THE BIBLE AS A BOOK AMONG BOOKS. The Word of God, notwithstanding its divine origin and authorship is also a human product, and to be studied as literature. It pleased God to use a book as the medi um- of His Self-Revelation, and human minds, tongues and pens as instruments of conception and expression. All this must qualify and modify the result, and makes needful to fix as far as may be, the reasonable limits within which to subject such joint product of God's authorship and man's agency to reverent criticism as a form of literature. 60 VII. THE BIBLE AS A BOOK AMONG BOOKS. TRUE criticism descends to what is minute, count ing nothing trivial, especially where God's Word is concerned. There are not only two Testaments but each of these, a compound of many lesser,, individ ual books, each having a purposed character of its own. Of all these scores of books no two cover the same ground; they are like the members of an organism, the least of all having its own definite place, sphere, function and work, and to find the exact end for which each is meant and fitted is to get the key to its contents and to its relations to all the rest. Then, in each book, there are subdivisions of historic event, prophetic utterance or doctrinal teaching. These must be seen, if the plan is to be perceived, and the un folding of it traced. What is true on a larger scale of the whole Bible, and each book in it, is on a smaller scale equally true of every section of each book. The historic scene may shift and so change the current of discourse ; new events, a new locality, a new personage, or a new and trifling circumstance, may determine important changes in the contents. Transitions in thought are often due to transitions in scene or circumstances and take their form accordingly. First of all, there are historical questions to settle. There is a law of period or time. The preparation of these more than sixty books occupied from fifteen to forty centuries: the exact time it is not necessary or possible to determine, as even earlier tradition, as well as later written documents, may have contributed to the result. But the exact or approximate time when each book was prepared affects two great questions: first, the form and fulness of revelation; and second the progres sive development of revealed truth. If an accurate chron ology of the books could be framed, it might throw great Hght on their logical and theological relations; and 6i KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. especially might it show how some books came to be written, and how some events, of more or less impor tance became the occasion or suggestion of utterances; as when national crises led prophets to exhort or rebuke, or individual occurrences, as in David's experience, prompted a psalm. Comp. 2 Sam. xxi:i5 to xxii:5i, where the re pulse of the Philistines, and the slaughter of four giant foes, formidable like Goliath, led to an outburst of praise to Jehovah, as a Deliverer. How new is the flood of light cast upon that psalm when it is read in the remembrance of the signal triumphs just won! There is a law of personality. We must therefore study the human media of revelation. God, at sundry times, in divers manners and portions, and by various human instruments, made known His will. These forty writers were however not mere machines ; no violence was done to their native temperaments or natural charac teristics. When God used them as Plis organs of utterance, He fitted their peculiarities to His purpose ; their individual traits, and training, their previous associations and sur roundings, employments and habits of life, all were a part of His plan in choosing them for this service. Moses' schooling in the Court of Pharaoh and at the "backside of the desert;" Ezra's education as a scribe, Luke's experience as a physician, Paul's scholarship, gathered at Gamaliel's feet and in the Greek schools of Cilicia, Peter's life as a Galilean fisherman, Matthew's as a publican; the philo sophic mind of John, the ethical conscience of James — all these tinge their writings, help to determine why certain things specially impressed them and are made by them prominent. To study these individual characteristics and clearly carry in mind the portrait of each writer with his own marked features, makes what they wrote the more in telligible, and gives to their records verisimilitude and con sistency as well as variety. There is also a Law of Locality or place. Every book was written somewhere: the writer had therefore his local surroundings. To know where he hved and wrote, and amid what scenes, through what experiences he was pass ing and whom he met ; whether he was in palace or prison, at home or in a strange land; all this throws a flood of light upon what he spoke and wrote, explains local refer- 62 THB BIBLE AS A BOOK. ences, forms of appeal, modes of illustration and figures of speech; and interprets his teachings. His writings become intelligible, take on new meaning and attraction: his pen often becomes a pencil, and his product a picture, with the lineaments of life and local coloring. Such knowledge helps even to exposition. What is true of all literature cannot but be true of sacred literature. If we read with new interest and intelligence the oration of Demosthenes' "De Corona" when we know his relations to Aeschines; or the address of Lincoln at Gettysburg when we know the story of the war which turned its crisis there, we can understand better the proph ets of the Captivity when we know that Daniel was in Babylon, Ezekiel by the river Chebar, Joel in Judea during a twofold plague of drought and locusts ; and it helps us to understand Paul's letter to Corinth when we locate the writer at Ephesus; or, to Philippi, when we imagine him in Rome, a prisoner; or to appreciate the Apocalypse when we know that John was on the isle called Patmos for the sake of his testimony to Christ ! It is believed that our Lord's discourses are often, per haps always, suggested by something appropriate at the " time. So understood, what new meaning they acquire ! A shepherd with his flock suggests His words on Himself as the good shepherd. The artificial vine, about the beautiful Temple gate, led Him to say, "I am the True Vine;" the appeal to divide property between brethren, to the dis course on Covetousness; the miracle of the feed ing of the five thousand, to the discourse following on the Bread of Life, etc. To know why He spoke on a theme may show what He meant when He _ spoke. It may do even more: it may guard us against misconstruc tion and perversion of His words. This is most conspicu ously illustrated in the case of His warning as to the one unforgivable sin — blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, which is seen to be attributing His work of love and mercy to the agency of demons (Mark ii:22-3o), a sin arguing so hard a heart and perverse a will as to reveal a hopeless state of voluntary alienation from God. We need also to study historic connection. Facts are often exegetes and expositors — ^history and biography in directly explain and interpret doctrine, serving to throw 63 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. light on truth taught, and becoming the key to occult ref erences. Thus a narrative may serve a threefold end; in terpretation, illustration, illumination. Facts and philos ophy are wedded and must not be divorced : facts are fac- tors; they are of great value in solving problems, in help ing to correct and instructive exposition, in not a few cases opening the way to the heart and meaning of Scripture lessons. A very fine illustration of this may be found in i Corinth. iii. This was written after Paul had been to Ephesus, and in fact while there (xvi:8), and should be read with Acts xviii, xix in view. Henae his plain references to the famous temple of Diana — to the diffiaulty of finding a safe "foun dation" in the swampy ground, making necessary immense substructions (verse 2) ; to the immensity, magnitude and magnificence of this wonder of the world with its "gold, silver and precious stones;" t® the dwellings of the poor round about, made of "wood, hay, stubble;" to the success ful attempt of Erostratus four hundred years before to set it afire, suggesting "the fire that shall try every man's work," etc. A building may be destroyed notwithstanding its inde structible foundation. Psalm xc, inscribed as "a Prayer of Moses," becomes most luminous if construed as his dying song, when, re viewing his hundred and twenty years of life, and especially the last forty when a whole generation was swept away in the desert like the sand in a storm. The unique circum stances of his career give form to this prayer, determine its language, its laments and its petitions, and control its whole structure. For example, compare its poetic stanzas with such promi nent features of that forty years of sorrow and of divine deahng as the following : I. The perpetual changes of that wandering, in contrast with the unchanging Eternity of Jehovah. 2. The destruction of a whole generation, as contrasted with the ever living One, whose years do not fail. 3. The open iniquities and secret sins of man, and the justice and righteous wrath of a holy God. 4. The transient, temporal, carnal experience of man, and the permanent, eternal, spiritual elements in the God head. 64 THE BIBLE AS A BOOK. 5. The beauty of the Lord our God as the crowning adornment of human character. 6. The identity of man's work and God's work as the only assurance of its permanent estabhshment. There is a subordinate law of historic interval. Narra tives are often condensed, only bold outlines being drawn, somewhat as the peaks of far distant and separated moun tains may be seen in close proximity oil a landscape or the horizon, while vast valleys stretch between. It is unsafe to infer the immediate succession of events from proximate mention of them in Scripture: while their logical connec tion may be most intimate, their historical separation may be quite as remote. We shall learn if we search closely that "the Day of the Lord" covers not twenty-four hours, but it may be twenty- four centuries; that His "judgments are a great deep" which, like the ocean, laves many shores and exhibits sus- cessive storms; that, because He is Eternal, a thousand years are in his sight like "yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night." What is to us, with our three score years and ten, as an interminable suspense, is to Him as an instant's delay. These things the Bible student must learn, and not attempt to map out immensity and measure eternity by the foot measure of time. Every thing about the Infinite One is on a grand scale. There is also a law of perspective. As in nature objects are seen in line and appear near by or far off, according to the station point or point of sight, which determines the plane of delineation and the perspective lines ; so, in the Scripture, much depends upon the supposed position of the observer. He may see events as from the head of a column of soldiery, one behind another; or, from the side of a column, where they will be discerned with the relative dis tances between rows and ranks. The point of view must be found before the relations of things can be known. There is also a law of historic objective— fhzt is, the end in view may bring near together events far apart in occur rence, or put far apart what are in close succession. If a principle is to be illustrated or a lesson enforced the sacred narrator may leap over a wide interval to bring some inci dent into his record at that point where it best serves the purpose: the logical relation may be more important than 65 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. the actual succession. The Bible student who nearest gets God's point of vision will most nearly see as He sees, and discern the hidden relations of events and truths. Beside these historic matters of person, place, time, event, all the purely literary features demand careful examina tion. Each writer has his own style. Personal traits affect the mode of his utterance, and largely determine what he will make most prominent. There are laws of grammar and logic and rhetoric which control all composition. Words have specific meanings, and are used for a reason. Even a tense of a verb or the number of a noun we shall see here after may be of much consequence. We may call this the law of literary construction which will be seen to have many important applications. But our object just at this point is to emphasize the fact that the Scriptures are in a book form, are written by human pens, that God's mes sages have flowed through human minds as channels; that all these writings have to do with persons, places, times, events, geographical and historical surroundings, and are framed in human speech and according to the laws of grammar and the usages of language; and all these things must be considered and examined if we are to know the Scriptures and the power of God in them. The brilliance of a diamond depends in part upon the delicate angles into which the many minute faces have been ground and pol ished by the lapidary, m VIII. NUMERICAL AND MATHEMATICAL FEATURES. 67 VIII. NUMERICAL AND MATHEMATICAL FEATURES. Structure reveals itself even in minor matters, for it demands in all parts orderly arrangement and succession. The more perfect the building the more does one law and plan pervade it and control every detail. Accordingly the Author of Holy Scripture has left upon all its parts the impress of His own mind. It is one part of the office of Truth to insure not only verity, but accuracy and order, so that nothing shall be out of place or out of re lationship to the whole plan, but help to carry out the main design. 68 VIII. NUMERICAL AND MATHEMATICAL FEATURES. THERE is unquestionable evidence of a numerical proportion and symmetry in this marvellous book. Numbers and mathematical proportion mark it as a whole, and appear in its individual parts, with such frequency and in such definite relations and conditions as to evince a mathematical mind. Often this numerical structure is hidden, but like the fixed proportions of an Ionic column, are disclosed after patient examination. There is a crystalline symmetry and beauty, at first unsus pected, which reminds, when unveiled, of the walls of the celestial city. It need not surprise us to find such numerical law per vading Scripture. In the works of God it is manifest ; why not in His Word? A mathematical mind is manifest in the universe, in the planetary and stellar worlds, their distances and dimensions, densities, proportions, orbits and periods of revolution. In the most minute as in the most majestic objects in nature the same laws govern. In the mineral realm, crystallization shows its squares, triangles, circles and polygons — cubes, cylinders and pyramids or cones, all with exact angles and perfection of proportion. The mil lion snowflakes have a million exquisite forms each, under the microscope, revealing indescribable complexity and beauty. In the vegetable realm, we find fixed numbers of stamens and pistils, regular proportions in leaf structure and blos som, and a strange recurrence of numbers, i, 2, 3, 5, etc., in the arrangement of leaf buds in spirals round the stems. In the animal realm, what superb variety of symmetry in the shells of the mollusca, the forms of radiata and verte- brata, the number of bones, and the relation of all the parts. Mathematics, like morals, belong to the eternal, unchange able order, not to the temporal and transient, and therefore to the Eternal, Immutable God. We might expect to trace the same mathematical mind in the Author of the Word, 69 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. as in the Creator of worlds. And such is the fact. The numerical system of nature is repeated in Scripture, and to a surprising degree; so that, if the two are placed, side by side, and compared, it will be seen that not only do mathematical laws govern both, but there is a strange correspondence in the numbers and forms which prevail in both realms, and in their significance in both. Even a superficial glance shows, in the structure of the Bible as a whole, a singular mathematical symmetry. Five books of history — the Pentateuch — succeeded by twelve of minor history — ^Joshua to Esther; then five poetic books, five of major prophecy, and then twelve minor prophecies. Again, in the New Testament, five historic books,-r-an- other Pentateuch — then three times seven Epistles, and one crowning, dome-like, apocalypse to complete the whole. This recurrence of five and twelve, three sevens, etc., can neither be accidental, nor, on the part of human writers, intentional. Not one contributor to the contents of this complex book ever saw it in its completeness, even John who wrote twenty-five years after the rest had all com pleted their work. The so-called "canon" of Scripture was not compiled and completed till all the writers were dead. Hence no one who thus wrought in the work had any conception how the finished revelation of God would appear when the capstone was laid. While the workmen were do ing, each his part, the building was like some great temple, hidden by its own scaffolding. Yet, when the scaffolding was removed, a certain definite symmetry and proportion were revealed which could not have been suspected in the course of construction. If this fact and feature are repeatedly and emphatically referred to in these studies, it is partly because of their conspicuousness in the construction of the Bible and partly because of their convincing tribute to its divine origin. In a day when there is a combined assault upon the supernatural element in the Word of God, it is of first importance to recognize its unique claims to supreme authority. There are two ways of destroying this authority: first, by letting it down to a common level, and, second, by lifting other books to its level: in both cases it ceases to be superior or supreme. Every mark of the uniqueness and solitariness of the Holy Scriptures should be noted and emphasized; 70 MATHEMATICAL FEATURES. and this is one : that they contain a system of mathematical number and order which cannot be due to any intention on the part of any human writer, or to an agreement between them all ; and hence must be attributable to a divine design. If we examine more closely we discover certain prominent numbers, such as three, five, seven, twelve, constantly re appearing in the structure of individual books, as in the five sacrifices or offerings in Leviticus, in the "Pentateuch," of Psalms, etc., the Epistles to the seven churches, both by Paul and John, etc. The correspondence reaches to matters even more minute. In nature, seven is divided into four and three, as in the octave of sounds, where the half notes as on the piano key-board separate the keys into two groups, or, in the octave of colors, with its three primary and four secon dary. Twelve, both in nature and Scripture, represents the multiple of three and four, as in the pyramid with its four sides and three dimensions, length, breadth, height, etc. All this shows that the God of the Worlds is the God of the Word, and that He works by fixed laws and methods, and nothing is accidental or imperfect, or insignificant.* We do well to search for concealed proportion, not express ed by any enumeration, but embedded in the structure, as when we find seven pregnant sentences spoken by our Lord on the cross, seven statements about Christ's relation to the church in Ephesians v :25, 32, etc., seven features of church unity in Ephesians v:4-6, seven marks of final perfection, Revelation xxii:3-S. The Book of Daniel is happily so divided as to indicate its contents: twelve chapters, the first six recording as many tests in which the worldly wisdom and policy of Babylon and its magi are seen in competition with the superior wisdom and principles of the captives of Judea: and the loyalty of the holy children enters in^o successive conflicts with idolatry, and God's servants are in each case more than conquerors ; then six more chapters, recording as many visions of God and the future which constitute this book the Old Testament apocalypse. The structure of the Book of Esther shows peculiar sym- *These matters are followed more in detail in the Authors "Exeter Hall Lectures"— "God's Living Oracles" and "The Bible and Spiritual Criticism." 71 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. metry. It towers far above the other historical narratives of the Old Testament, its composition being nearly perfect, as Prof. Schultz has remarked. The history develops scene after scene in swift succession and advancing toward the climax in a series of acts which have a fascinating interest, and reminds us of a well-planned drama and masterly novel, both in one. The first chapter is an introduction, the last a supplement. Between lie eight chapters, four of which show how the knot was tied, another plot formed ; the other four, how the knot was untied and the plot defeated and re versed, or to adopt a phrase from the book, "turned to the contrary." Two of these eight chapters regularly belong to gether in the first part because of the relation of plot to coun terplot ; in the second part, because they refer to the removal of an identical difficulty. The Pentateuch of Psalms, already referred to, is seen not only in the five books in which the whole hundred and fifty are arranged, but in the close correspondence with the Mosaic Pentateuch: I. Psalms i-xli. Correspondent to Genesis; 2. Psalms xlii-lxxii. Correspondent to Exodus ; 3. Psalms Ixxiii-lxxxix. Correspondent to Leviticus; 4. Psalms xc-cvi. Correspondent to Numbers; 5. Psalms cvii-cl. Correspondent to Deuteronomy. The resemblances are not fanciful; the studious and de vout Hebrews long ago found in Psalm i, the reference to the Tree of Life in Eden; in Psalm xlii, to the oppression of their fathers in Egypt; in Psalm Ixxiii, the despair of the alien and the privilege of drawing near to Jehovah; in Psalm xc, the disastrous story of the wilderness wandering and a generation's graves ; and in Psalm cvii, the approach to the Prdcnised Land. The fivefold structure in the great forecast of Messiah in the very heart of Isaiah's prophecy is very striking, though not at first apparent (Isaiah Iii: 13 to liii: 12). I. Lii:i3-i5. Jehovah's estimate of His Servant, however marred. 2. Liii:i"3- The despisers' and rejectors' estimate of Him. 3. Liii :4-6. The believers' estimate of Him as Saviour. 4. Liii -.y-g. His vicarious character and sufferings. 5. Liii:io-i;2. His ultimate achievement, victory and glory. 7? MATHEMATICAL FEATURES. Of numerical structure, many students, like F. W. Grant, in his "Numerical Bible," find numbers so embedded in the very structure of the Word of God that they believe it to be one method of stamping divine design upon the Scriptures ; and close investigation shows amazing numerical symmetry where a careless reader would never suspect it, as in Exodus xiv:i9, 20, 21, in each of the three verses in the Hebrew there are seventy-two letters. This seems a trifling thing, but these verses form the heart of the narrative. An English writer reckons in case of Elijah, eight mira cles, and in Elisha's ministry, a "double portion," sixteen; and he thinks Paul, as a "chosen vessel" corresponds to Eli sha, and was permitted to work exactly double the number of recorded miracles of our Lord, or of those mentioned as directly blest by his ministry. This writer curiously reckons the latter to be 153 — the number of fishes particularized as enclosed in the miraculous draught recorded in John xxi:il ; and he finds Paul's recorded instances 306 — ^just double.* Whatever may be thought of the exactness of these cal culations, this whole matters of numbers as bearing on the structure of Scripture may yet become one of the most con spicuous proofs of a divine mind. To attribute all this to a deliberate intention of the human writers taxes credulity. This numerical law lies so embedded in the very construc tion of the Word of God that it is only now beginning, after all these centuries, to be discovered by the most minute search. A striking instance of numerical structure is found in Philippians ii:5-ii, where the contrast is so vivid between the humiliation and exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ. If the words be counted from the sixth verse to the end of the eleventh, there are about one hundred and twenty in the English, divided into two almost exactly equal parts, the first half describing His descension, and the second. His ascension, as though to hint that the one must be measured by the other somewhat as the height of one of the Alpine mountains we are told, is exactly correspondent to the depth of the lake at its foot. When we know how far our Lord went up, we may know how far He came down. *"A Double Portion,'' by Lieut. Col. F. Roberts. 73 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. In the Greek the numerical proportion is even more strik ing. If the introductory phrase "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" — be placed by itself, with the companion phrase, "wherefore God also," which in troduces the second half — there remains seventy-two words — half of which refer to the descent and the other half to the ascent. Some correspondences are very unique and striking. Not only are there five historical books which begin both the Old and New Testaments, but there were twelve tribes beside Levi in Canaan, and twelve apostles beside Paul in Judea ; there were three disciples to whom our Lord was manifested on the Mount of Transfiguration, James, John and Peter; and three to whom He appeared after His ascension — Stephen the martyr, Saul the persecutor, and John the reve- lator. Put mathematics is also the science of proportion, and deals with forms like the triangle and pyramid, the square and cube, the circle and sphere. In the Tabernacle, the square and cube are prominent. It was a threefold cube thirty cubits long, ten broad and ten high, the Holiest of all being a perfect cube. The Laver seems to have been circular, and the golden lampstand suggested the inverted triangle. These proportions reappear in the Temple of Sol omon and City of God in Revelation xxi, xxii. There are many who think that the ideal structures, re ferred to in Scripture metaphors, are pyramidal. For exam ple, the spiritual Temple so sublimely outlined by Paul and Peter (Ephes. ii; i Peter ii.) of which Christ is both comer- stone and capstone — "Headstone of the corner" — (Psalm cxviii:22; Zech. iv:7). Zechariah particularly seems to have in mind a stone which when laid, completes the struc ture ; and it is a beautiful conception that this Holy Temple is one which both commences in our Lord as cornerstone and culminates in Him as capstone : for in a pyramid there can be but one crowning stone, itself a perfect pyramid and an image of the whole ; and by the lines and angles of the two— the corner and capstones, all the other lines and angles must be controlled. 74 IX. THE LAW OF GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION. 75 IX. THE LAW OF GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION. Grammar is the science of correct language. It has to do with the accuracy of individual words, and their proper usage, and their arrangement in sentences, and articulation into the body of discourse. As in any organic structure perfection depends on minute mutual adaptation of all parts, so, in all speech, the exact expression and conveyance of thought and meaning depend on the right choice and place of every word, even to the smallest particle, and the right relation of every member of a sentence to all the rest. 76 IX. THE LAW OF GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION. THE Scriptures, being a form of sacred literature, need to be interpreted, in part, by literary methods though not exclusively as if they were a merely hu man product. They need to be examined in the fol lowing ways : I. Structurally — to find out how the body of divine truth is framed and fitted together ; of what parts composed, how those parts are combined, and what is their mutual relation and bearing upon the whole result. 2. Philologically — with reference to the three or four original languages in which the Bible was written or which mould its forms of speech, the Hebrew and Chaldaic, Greek and Aramaic with the peculiarities of each. 3. Historically, with relation to the times and places, persons and events connected with its preparation, and the effect of temporal circumstances and conditions upon its character as a book and its mission to mankind. 4. Spiritually, as a book of salvation, pre-eminently, and a revelation of God in His essential character, and dealings with the human race, all else being incidental and subor dinate. With such fundamental principles kept in view, Scripture studies cannot be too minute and critical, and will only dis cover more and more the consistency of the Word of God with itself and its Divine Author. A general orderly arrangement is everywhere manifest in this inspired book. "Order is Heaven's first law," wrote the poet Pope, and this law pervades all God's handiwork. In hundreds of instances, the order is part of the inspiration, and therefore inviolable, to be reverently regarded as con veying an integral part of the lesson to be learned. The succession of thoughts, words and deeds is often also a pro gression of procession, in which there is constant advance toward a complete unfolding of some truth, even the order 11 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. being tributary to the purpose in view. The whole gram matical and rhetorical arrangement of inspired utterances is therefore to be held as sacred, keeping asunder what God has not joined, and what He has joined not putting asunder. Some of these laws and principles, in the grammatical sphere, we are now about to illustrate. Inspiration covers grammar, for it controls the exact forms of language in which God expresses Himself. In the Word of God we are taught that we must not disre gard or change anything or count it as of no consequence. This will appear if the following passages are carefully compared : Hebrews xii:27, Galatians iv:9, John viii:58, John x:34- 36, Matthew xxiii:37, Galatians iii:i6, Matthew v:i8. If these passages are examined it will be seen how important is a single phrase, for in the first quotation the argument turns on one phrase, "Yet once miore;" in the second, on the passive, rather than the active voice of a verb; in the third, on the present, rather than the past tense; and in the fourth, on the mood of a verb; in the fifth, on the inviolability of a single word; in the sixth, on the singular number rather than the plural of a noun; and in the last, on the retention of a single letter, and that the smallest in the Hebrew alphabet, and even a little stroke or mark used to distinguish one letter from another. Taken together, these Scripture utterances so guard the Word of God that they forbid the alteration or omission of a phrase or word, the change of voice, mood or tense in a verb, or the number of a noun, or even a letter or stroke of a letter. The Jews showed a jealousy for even the letter of Scripture that we. Christian believers, might well emulate and imitate. They found in every detail a significance, and copyists sought to make the Old Testament manuscripts exhibit the sense which devout scribes thought they had detected, as in the use of majascula, or larger letters at times, as in Deuteronomy vi -.4, which we shall -refer to later. The Massorites, so-called, so critically examined the text of the Old Testament, that they marked not only its divi sions, but its grammatical forms, letters, vowels, accents, etc. They counted words and even letters and recorded the numbers at the end of each book, enumerating in the ?8 GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION. Pentateuch, for example, i8 greater, and 43 smaller por tions; 1,534 verses, 63,467 words, 70,100 letters, etc. While much of their work was elaborate and minute, and led to fanciful notions and interpretations, it served two great ends : first, to_ detect most minute peculiarities in the Holy Writings, which otherwise would escape careless readers: and to preserve the original Scriptures in their purity by making alterations impossible without detection. Grammar teaches us to examine closely the exact mean ing of words. Take the word, "watch," found in the New Testament twenty-seven times as applied to spiritual vigilance, and being the equivalent of three Greek words (agrupneo, gregoreo and nepho). The first means to abstain from sleep, to keep awake; the second, to arouse oneself, and shake off lethargy, a stronger word, inplying activity as on the part of one who is fully awake; the third means to abstain from drink which produces stupor as well as sleep, and therefore conveys the additional idea of sobriety — keeping sober as well as awake. Only as all these mean ings are combined do we get the full force of the Scripture exhortations to watchfulness. We are not only to keep awake, but to keep active, and in order to both, to keep sober minded, avoiding the intoxication of this world's seductive pleasures. Plere grammatical study not only re veals the exact force of Scripture language but the moral and spiritual lesson to be conveyed. Another very important grammatical feature is emphasis. Both in the Hebrew and Greek tongues the stress upon a word is indicated by its place in the sentence and some other signs of comparative prominence. Context and cir cumstances so often guide to correct emphasis that they should be regarded as necessary to exposition, as when our Lord contrasting earlier and imperfect teachers with Him self, says: "Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time : But / say unto you." Here the obvious emphasis is on the first personal pro noun, "I." And so when contrasting the worldly spirit of Pharisees, seeking human applause, with the true worshipper doing his alms and offering prayers to the unseen God, He says; KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. "They have their reward; but He shall reward thee," it is equally plain that the emphasis lies upon the present and future tenses. Sometimes emphasis is determined by idiom, but this again demands special study of idiomatic forms of speech. Few readers have any proper conception of the import ance and significance of emphasis upon which the entire meaning often hinges. The order of words will often either obscure or reveal the sense. In the original of Mat thew xxvii:47, the words stand thus: "Elias calleth this man," but, when the cases of the nouns are examined it becomes plain that the grammar changes the order and emphasis: "This man calleth Elias." Again in Job xxix :i5, the obvious emphasis is on the merciful ministries performed by Job himself who is accus ed of wrong-doing : "Eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame, became I." In Isaiah liii :4-6, the constant stress is upon "our griefs," "sorrows," "transgressions," "iniquities." He was not suf fering for Himself but for us : the contrast is between "zve" and "Him." So important is this department of biblical study that Mr. Rotherham, the brilliant English scholar, has~ given many years to the preparation of an "emphasized" version in which he seeks to express and exhibit, by parallelism, arrangement and position of words, corresponding English idioms, and italics or capitals, the emphatic words in every sentence of both Testaments — and we must refer the reader to this colossal work of learning and painstaking care and ingenuity for further hints upon this engrossing subject. He shows in his introductory chapter, "Concerning Em phasis," how by position, repetition, formal expression, etc., the very word or words may be discovered upon which the Divine Revealer of truth would have the stress fall, and how we may thus discern the special point where the lesson is most to be found. Examples of this will frequently re cur as we proceed to examine other laws and principles of Bible study: but we have here called attention to this mat ter as inseparable from the grammatical study of the Word. A very important principle in grammatical structure is the relation of primary to secondary members of a sentence. GRAMMATICAL CONSTRUCTION. For example, the imperative and the participle. Where in any injunction, an imperative is found with participles, the former represents the main thought and the participles the subordinate one, the latter often suggesting the means or helps to the carrying out of the main injunc tion. For this reason it is to be regretted that the tenses and words of the original are not always faithfully reproduced in translation. A conspicuous example both of the principle advocated and the disregard of it in translation is found in I Peter i : 13-16. Here there are three imperatives and three participles : "Hope to the End." "Girding up the loins," &c. "Be Ye Holy" (the latter re- "Being Sober." peated). "Not fashioning yourselves," &c. Here are two injunctions "Hope to the End," arid "Be Ye Holy," and the participles indicate how the commands are to be obeyed; by disentangling the affections from worldly objects, by maintaining a holy sobriety and control over the flesh; and by keeping before us the divine model of holiness. It is more than a pity that such a homiletic and practical outline should be obscured by not adhering to the grammatic form of the original. Another instance, where however the structure is pre served, in Jude 20-21. Here the main member is : The helps to this duty are three : "Keep yourselves in the "Building up yourselves," love of God." "Praying in the Holy Ghost," "Looking for the mercy," &c. In other words, if we would be kept by God from stum bling, we must keep ourselves in His Love ; and, to keep ourselves in His Love, we need to make ourselves more and more familiar with His Word and its_ teachings ; to maintain habits of intimate prayer-fellowship; and to fix our gaze upon the great future re-appearing of the Lord. Similar instances of the relation of imperative and par ticiple may be found in Matthew xxvii:i9, 20: "Go ye;" "Baptizing," "Disciple all nations ;" "Teaching.' 81 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. Here the main thing is making disciples — ^the rest indicates how to train disciples as witnesses, and edify them as be lievers. Again in James v:i5: "Let him call for the Elders, And let them pray over him ;" "Anointing him with oil." The prayer of faith is the main thing — the anointing with oil, a subsidiary, symbolic form. How different would be the impression of this passage if it read, "Let them anoint him with oil, praying over him," etc. Thus we have found grammatical study to serve a mani fold end : first to show the construction of a sentence ; then, the exact meaning of words, and the reason for their precise form, declension, conjugation, etc. ; then their proper ar rangement and comparative prominence; and finally the re lation of the primary and secondary clauses, or the principal and subordinate members of a sentence. All this is but one more illustration of the duty and profit of searching the scriptures, which like other workmanship of God, not only bear the most microscopic scrutiny, but only so disclose their perfection, 82 X. BIBLE VERSIONS AND TRANSLATIONS. 83 X. BIBLE VERSIONS AND TRANSLATIONS. The original Scriptures were written in Hebrew, with some parts in Chaldee, and others in a peculiar dialect of Greek. Attempts were naturally made to make these originals available by translations into other vernacular tongues. But translation is necessarily imperfect. Lan guages are not uniform in vocabulary or significance, and exact equivalents are not always to be found. Hence arise difficulties of rendering which perplex the most learned linguists, and all that is practicable is to choose the best available words to reproduce the original. No inspiration can be claimed for such human reproductions, yet they are practically safe guides. S4 X. BIBLE VERSIONS AND TRANSLATIONS. WHILE only such approximate accuracy can be claimed for even the most perfect rendering, it is remarkable how faithful all the standard translations are, and most remarkable how, amid all the thousands of doubtful disputed renderings, even of the most perplexing passages, not one affects a single vital doctrine of the Word of God. There are over three hundred different expositions of Galatians iii :20 ; but, whichever be adopted, no essential truth is at risk. We cannot but believe that the God of the Bible has superintend ed the translation of the Book into more than five hundred tongues, raising up men for this stupendous task and guid ing them in it, so as to make their work practically unerring. We advise every reader if possible to study the originals ; if that is impracticable, to get the best helps to the under standing of them, in the way of literal renderings, such as that of Rotherham, Spurrell, Young, etc., and the most de vout commentators. But it behooves us to remember that, though our great standard versions are only reflections of the originals, they are, like our own image in a mirror, which, though not the man himself is for all practical pur poses his reproduction, sufficient guides in the understand ing of God's Word, so that it is only the most captious who object to them because they are only translations. There are some confessedly inexact and inadequate ren derings, and, whenever found, such should be carefully no ted, and it is well to make the margin of one's own Bible the place of such record, indicating also the best possible ren dering or paraphrase to convey the thoughts otherwise ob scured. Some inadequacies are inherent in the poverty of lang uage and are unavoidable. Sometimes a word means too much, or, again, too little; lacks definiteness and precision, or fails to express delicate shades of meaning. 85 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. For example, the English word, "World," is too compre hensive. It is used to render four or five Greek words, one of which means the earth; another, the cosmos, or created cosmic order; another, the age or indefinite time; and an other, the world as the habitation of the human race. To discriminate these is difficult, yet often very necessary, for to confuse them is often to obscure or miss the meaning. This will clearly appear if the word, aion, or eon, be uni formly rendered "age," in which case the sense becomes not only luminous where now obscure, but sometimes whol ly new. For instance, examine the following among many texts : Matthew xii:32 — "Shall not be forgiven, neither in this age nor in the age to come." xiii:3g — "Harvest in the end of the age." xxviii :20 — "Unto the end of the age." Romans xii:2 — "Be not conformed to this age." 2 Corinthians iv:4 — "The God of this age." Galatians i :4 — "That He might deliver us from that pres ent evil age." Ephesians i :2i — "Not only in this age, but in the age to come" (ii:7). 2 Timothy iv:io — Titus ii:i2 — "Present age." Hebrews vi :5 — "Tasted the powers of the age to come," etc. There is an easy way to discriminate these kindred words, if we render ge, "matter-world," cosmos, "created-world," aion, time-world, and oikoumene, "inhabited-world;" but in some way the reader should learn to distinguish them. If the above cited passages, and others like them be care fully exammed, and the context studied, it will be seen that the stress is upon the world-age, or period of time preced ing the second appearing of the Lord. During this whole dispensation Satan, as the God or Prince of this world, is largely in control. He is seeking by masterly strategy and plausible subtlety," to draw away disciples into error both of doctrine and practice; to Wind the eyes of men to the su preme beauty and value of what is immaterial, invisible and eternal by the transient and hollow baubles of the material, visible and temporal. He seeks also to impose upon even VERSIONS AND TRANSLATIONS. the believer by counterfeits of what is spiritual and divine. Hence the need of being perpetually on our guard against' his sophistries and subtleties; of not being conformed to the notions and patterns of this present evil age. So perilous is this age in its temptations, and so awful in its coming judg ments, that one grand object of our Lord's whole mission was to deliver us from it ; and those who live in it but are not of it, are like travelers on a mountain top, or Moses upon Pisgah, they see things in their relations; they com pare the desert with the land of promise, the present evil age with the coming age of glory, and so actually foretaste the age to come, and get a growing distaste of the age that now is. Some such new views of biblical truth are the fruit of a searching study to "know the Scriptures and the power of God" in them, by ascertaining just what the language which they employ is meant to convey. Psalms xxxvi:i reads in the authorized version: "The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes." This conveys no very clear, intelligible idea. Mrs. Spur rell translates: "The rebellion of the wicked causeth him to say within his heart : 'There is no fear!' God is not present to his sight." This is both intelligible and impressive. Dr. John DeWitt paraphrases thus: "Sin's oracle voice possesses the wicked man's heart, and his eyes have before them no God to be feared." Similarly, Psalm x:4 should be rendered: "The wicked, in the height of his scorn:— 'God will not requite! No God!' Such are all his thoughts." Here the very abruptness of the transition expresses the haughty arrogance of the blasphemer. Sin is personified, assuring him that he may sin with impunity. Falsehood, like a lying spirit, a demon, possesses him, and emboldens him to say, "There is no future judgment" — "no God to re- 87 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. quite." The short, abrupt, fragmentary, exclamatory ut terance is so far a part of the design that the supplying of extra words rather spoils the majestic brevity of the orig inal. Sin is madness and strikes quick, sharp blows at God, and it is the manner of a madman to utter short and unfin ished exclamations, like the mutterings of a wild beast. So, in Psalm xiv:i : "The fool (atheistic fool) hath said, in his heart, 'no GOD !' " i. e., "I would there were none !" This, or some thing like it, may be what is meant, as though he conspired to get God out of the way. An incomplete sentence leaves the imagination room to fill out the meaning. But the bot tom idea in any case, is that sin hardens the heart, embold ens the sinner, and ends in his being given over to a repro bate mind (Rom. i:28). In the judgment of many scholarly exegetes no italics should be used in a translation. They represent words sup phed by translators ; if the original implies such words they need not be italicised; if it does not, to supply them is un wise, perhaps irreverent, for it may obscure and even per vert the sense. In Psalm xxii, the whole of the opening verses is broken up into short ejaculations and exclamations, probably to make more vivid the dying agonies of the Suf ferer, whose strength is gone and whose breath is too short to complete a single sentence. How pathetic if read as in the orig^inal, "My God! My God! Why — forsaken me? — far from helping me! — words of my roaring!" Bishop Alexander, appreciating this singular feature of the Hebrew, calls this a Psalm of Sobs." Psalm xcix:i reads: "The Lord reigneth ; let the people tremble ! He sitteth between the cherubim ; let the earth be moved." Here, without doubt, the sense Is inverted; it should read : "Jehovah is King, let the people be never so impatient : He sitteth between the cherubim, let the earth be never so unquiet" (English Psalter). If the latter be the true rendering, the thought is, that, however men may be troubled by the course of events or tremble with fear, Jehovah is still Sovereign ; and sits firm VERSIONS AND TRANSLATIONS. on His throne, however the earth shakes and is unsteady. Not only does this rendering completely invert the whole conception, but it supplies infinite encouragement to a be liever, to look away from all earthly commotions and hu man disturbances to Him who is eternally calm and un moved — immutable, while all else changes, the controller of all men and all events, without whose permission no disas ter can occur, and who makes even the wrath of man to praise Him, and the uprisings of the people to prepare the- way to His final triumph. Nothing takes place that is not part of His plan or in some way promotes it. The Greek word in Gal. iv:i6; Eph. iv:i5, means not only to speak, but to act, live the truth — to be true. It includes all, and is used but twice; in both cases how much clearer the meaning if literally translated : "Am I become your enemy because I am true to you," or "deal truly with you," not only "speak the truth," but live it. "Truthing in love" means more than "speaking the truth in love" — it includes being true, wholly governed by what is sincere and genuine. The ideal character is one which thus combines truth and love, in which truth is always mingled with love, and love always faithful to truth. The value of an exact rendering never perhaps more ap pears than in Romans v -.g, lo, where is a turning point of the whole New Testament. "Much more being justified we shall be saved from wrath." "Much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." If reconciled and justified, we are already saved from wrath and from enmity; but the thought is that, being thus saved, we shall be kept saved, kept safe in His life, and not only so, but kept always rejoicing.* By his death we were delivered from judgment and reconciled to God. But He who died is risen no more to die, and in His undy ing Hfe the saved believer finds a sphere and atmosphere of eternal abiding and security, which assures him he shall never lapse into a condition of enmity and incur wrath anew. So important is this short sentence: "We shall be kept safe in His Life," that it first suggests that phrase ?Dr. Moule on Romans. 8^ KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. which from this point on becomes the dominant phrase of the inspired Word — recurring hundreds of times: "in Christ," or "in Christ Jesus," or its equivalents, "in Him," "in whom," etc. Comp. Eph. 1:3-13. In these ten verses we have "in Christ" or its equivalent at least nine times, cover ing all God's gracious plans from His eternal choice "in Him," to the obtaining of the inheritance "in Him." Resemblances between words, both beautiful and instruct ive, are not always easily transferred to another tongue. In I Timothy iii:ii, "not slanderers" is in the original, "not diabolic," hinting at accusation in a malignant, devilish spirit. iv :5— "Sanctified by the Word of God and prayer." Here the last word means holy converse or communion with God, a personal meeting and conference with Him. The word, prokope, "advance," how like proskope — "stumbling-block ?" The close resemblance between the orig inal words helps to hint the lesson, that a trifling difference may turn what would be progress into hindrance, both to self and others; and again, prokrima, "prejudice," how like prosklisis, "partiality — " "Without prejudice, doing noth ing by partiality" (i Tim. v!2i). May not the resemblance here hint kinship? James uses two kindred words, both rendered "gift," 1:17; one means the act of giving — giving in its initiatory stage; the other the gift, as bestowed, the boon when perfected. "Every good giving and every perfect gift" (Comp. Roth erham and Canon Fausset.) The best commentary on Scripture is Scripture itself — "comparing spiritual things with spiritual" — which yields a threefold result, interpretation, illustration, illumination. The Bible is its own lexicon, defining its terms; its own expositor, explaining its meaning; its own interpreter, unlocking its mysteries. Astonishing acquaintance with God and the things of God become possible through familiarity with this one Book, arid surprising skill in handling and wielding his sword of the spirit, is attainable through practice in its use with out recourse to outside aid. 90 XL BIBLICAL NAMES AND TITLES. 91 XI. BIBLICAL NAMES AND TITLES. There is a distinct science of nomenclature — a sys tem of names — in the Word of God. Usually the prom inent human names have a historic or symbolic signifi cance, closely related to the narrative. But uniformly divine names and titles are full of meaning, and used sparingly and significantly. Upon them as a basis a whole scheme of interpretation rests; even the order in which such names occur is not accidental but designed, as constituting part of the lesson taught. The com pound names of Jehovah have a particular interest and importance. The Name and Nature of God are uni formly used as equivalents. 92 XL BIBLICAL NAMES AND TITLES. THE leading name, Jehovah, occurs ii,6oo times, and it is a blemish, if not a blunder, that it finds its way into the English translation four times only (Exod. vi:3; Psalm lxxxiii:i8; Isaiah xii:2; xxvi:4), shutting out the common reader from the full significance of hundreds of passages, such as Psalm viii :i, which should read, "O, Jehovah, our Lord." The Jews, superstitiously fearful of needlessly pronounc ing this august name, substituted for it when reading aloud, "Adhonai," "Lord;" and, so came in the Septuagint version, the Greek equivalent, "kurios," and in the English, which followed the Septuagint, "Lord," capitals indicating that the original is "Jehovah;" but, practically, this covenant name, upon which Jehovah himself laid such stress, is eliminated from both these versions. The meaning of Jehovah is too complete to put into words. It seems a compound of the three tenses of the Hebrew verb, "to be," expanded in the familiar sentence, "Who is and was and is to come," conveying the idea of an existence to which past and future are also present, the "I AM," or the Everliving One (Exodus iii:i4; Rev. i:8). As used it suggests also the everloving One, being con nected with grace and salvation that have their origin in an eternal past, their outworking in progressive present, and their perfect goal in an eternal future. Jehovah, there fore, as the covenant name, conveys the conception of the Immutable One, Whose purpose and promise are as un changing as Himself, "the same yesterday and to-day and forever." Were this great name always reproduced in the English, and especially in New Testament quotations from the Old, it would prove that our Lord Jesus Christ is absolutely equal and identical with the Father ; for passages which, in the Old Testament contain the name, "Jehovah," are so 93 KNOWING THE ScRlPTuRES. quoted and applied to Him in the New as to demonstrate Him to be Jehovah-Jesus, one with the God of the Eternal Past, Himself God manifested in the flesh, in the present, and the coming God of the Future. This is the climax of all arguments and evidences touching our Lord's Deity, for example : Hebrews i:io: "Thou, Jehovah, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the Earth," etc. This is from Psalm cii :25-27, which whole psalm is addressed to Jehovah, whose name occurs eight times. Yet this magnificent trib ute to the eternity and immutability of Jehovah, the Creator and Covenant God, is here applied to His Son. "Prepare ye the way of Jehovah" (Matthew iii:3, from Isaiah xl:3). "Jehovah, our Righteousness" (Jeremiah xxiii:6; Ro- .nans iii; i Cor. i:3o). Most complete and conclusive is Revelation i:8, ii, 17, 18. Taken together these passages present the Son of God in four aspects, any one alone proving His Deity: He is "The Alpha and Omega;" "The Beginning and the End ing;" "The First and the Last;" "The Lord, who is and was and is to come, the Almighty" — four descriptive phrases which are not mere repetitions of one idea in dif ferent words. "Alpha and Omega," first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, suggest literature — the written Scriptures; "Be ginning and Ending," the material creation ; "First and Last," the Historic Ages, or Time- Worlds; "Who is and was and art to come," Jehovah's Eternity. Thus He is here declared, declares Himself, The Subject Matter of all Scripture; The Creator of all worlds and creatures; The Controller of all History; The Eternal, unchangeable Jehovah. Rabinowitz said: "What questioning and controversies the Jews have kept up over Zech. xii:io: 'They shall look upon Me whom they pierced.' They will not admit that it is Jehovah whom they pierced, hence the dispute about the word 'whom;' but this word is simply the first and last let ters of the Plebrew alphabet — Aleph, Tav. Filled with awe and astonishment, I open to Rev. i:7, 8, and read these 94 BIBLICAL NAMES AND TITLES. words of Zachariah, as quoted by John : 'Behold, He com eth with clouds ; and every eye shall see Him, and they also that pierced Him;' and then heard the glorified Lord say ing : * * * 'I am the Alpha and Omega.' Jesus seemed to say: 'Do you doubt who it is whom you pierced? I am the Aleph, Tav— the Alpha and Omega— Jehovah the Al mighty.' " Three representative names are applied to the Son of God— "Jesus or Saviour," "Christ" and "Lord." Jesus (Saviour) is the human name, linking Him with humanity, whom He came to save; Christ (anointed), the messianic name, with prophecy which He came ' to fulfil ; and Lord, the Jehovah name, with Deity, whom He came to represent and reveal. These three names have, when used, a definite order. The historic order is in the angelic announcement to the shepherds of Bethlehem — "a Saviour Who is Christ, the Lord" (Luke ii:ii). On the Day of Pentecost, "God hath made that same Jesus, both Lord and Christ" (Acts 11:36), Peter put last the name "Christ"— "the anointed One" — for it was on that day that, having re ceived of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He shed forth this anointing upon His people (verse 33). When Paul uses the three names (Philippians ii:ii) "Jesus, Christ is Lord," he puts "Lord" last, emphasizing the fact that every tongue is to confess His divine Lord ship. These three names hint the historic development, for up to His crucifixion. He was conspicuous as Jesus — after His resurrection and ascension, pre-eminent as Christ, the anointed and anointing One; He will come again as Lord to reign. , These three names indicate also His threefold office and work — "Jesus" suggests His career as a prophet, teaching men the truth; "Christ," His priesthood, atoning for sin; "Lord," His kingship ruling over men. The priesthood came into full exercise where the prophetic work ended, and the kingly begins where the priestly terminates. These lines of separation are not absolute, yet they indicate general facts. These three names likewise suggest man's relation and responsibility — Obedience to Him as Prophet; Faith in Him, as Priest; Surrender to Him, as King. 95 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. It is very interesting to trace the compound names of Jehovah, such as "Jehovah-Elohim," "Jehovah-Jireh," "Je- hovah-Rophi," "Jehovah-Nissi," "Jehovah-Shalom," "Je- hovah-Tsidkenu," "Jehovah-Shammah." (Compare Gen. i :4 ; xxii :i4 ; Exod. xv :26 ; xvii :i5 ; Judges vi :24 ; Jeremiah xxiii:6; Ezekiel xlviii:35.) The first of these seven compounds identifies Jehovah, God of the Covenant, with the Creator; the second, with the Provider; the third, with the Healer; the fourth, with the Victor; the fifth, with the Pacificator, or Reconciler; the sixth, with the Justifier; the last, with the Indweller, the presiding center and absorbing charm of the heavenly city. It would seem as though there were not only a marvellous completeness here, but a designed order, the thought pro gressing toward a culmination and consummation. "Jehovah" is compounded with Jah three times in Isaiah, so that, in one case, the names of God are duplicated and in another, triplicated ! The name "Jah" is probably not an abbreviation for Je hovah, but the present tense of the verb, to be, and suggests Jehovah as the Present Living God. Though found but once in our English Bible it is in the Hebrew in forty-nine cases — seven times seven. Exodus XV :2; xvii:i6; Psalms lxviii:4, i8; lxxvii:ii; Ixxxix :8 ; xciv :7, 12; cii:i8; civ:35; cv:45; cvi:i, 48; cxi:i ; cxii:i; cxiii:i, 9; cxv:i7, 18 (2) ; cxvi:i9; cxvii:2; cxviii: 5 (2), 14, I7> 18, 19; cxxii:4; cxxx:3; cxxxvri, 3, 4, 21; cxlvi:i, 10; cxlvii:i,2o;cxlviii:i, i4;cxlix:i, 9; cl:i,6 (2) ; Isaiah xii :2 ; xxvi :4 ; xxxviii :ii (2). _ Why Jah should be thus used, if only a contrac tion for Jehovah, cannot be seen. But if meant to em phasize Jehovah's present activity and oversight, the Presence of God in daily life, we can easily account for its use. In each case, there is some reason why this aspect of present, living interposition is emphasized'. Canon Cook says it was doubtless chosen by Moses in the first instance of its use to draw attention to the promise ratified by the name, "/ am." This name is first found in Exodus xv:2. "My strength and my song is Jah; He is become my Salvation." Exodus xv:2. 96 BIBLICAL NAMES AND TITLES. Here obviously, the stress is upon Jehovah's immediate interposition in appearing at the very instant of peril to overwhelm foes close on their heels, when delay would have made escapes impossible. Hence, this the first choral re frain of Miriam's triumphal hymn first uses the name Jah. The name next occurs in connection with Moses' altar, called Jehovah Nissi — after the defeat of Amalek — when again Jehovah showed Himself a present deliverer. In the first instance of Jah in the Psalms, Jah is extolled as One Who rideth upon the heavens, a father of the father less, and a judge of the widows, bending over us, as the overreaching skies, and to the destitute and desolate, an ever present Helper. Again in Isaiah xii :2, when the refrain of Miriam's song is quoted, the same exact name is combined with Jehovah: "My strength and my song is Jah Jehovah," for both present and future deliverances are celebrated. Again in xxvi :4 the Song of Salvation : "Trust ye in Jehovah forever; For in Jah Jehovah is the Rock of Ages !" He is a present and a perpetual support and security. In the last instance of the use of Jah by Isaiah (xxxviii :ii) it occurs twice, in Hezekiah's lament. Facing immediate death, he says, "I shall not in the land of the living, see Jah Jah," that is, no more in the experiences of a present daily life is he to behold this present God. The compounds of Jah are equally instructive: "Hallelujah" — "praise ye Jah" — ^first occurring in Psalm cvi:i. "Jehovah, the omnipotent God, reigneth" — a present ruler. When the names of God are interwoven with human names, it is always with a particular purpose and meaning ; including the exact name chosen in each case. The name "Abram" was enlarged to "Abraham," and "Sarai" to "Sarah," by incorporating a syllable of Jeho vah's name, as "Hoshea" was changed to "Jehoshua," or "Joshua," indicating in these parties a special property of Jehovah, a special relation to Him. "Jeconiah" and "J^" 97 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. hoiachin" differ only in the transposition of the two ele ments composing the names: both mean "Jehovah will es tablish." In Jeconiah, the sign of the future tense being cut off, the meaning becomes, "Jehovah establishes." Prob ably, originally called Jehoiachin (2 Sam. vii:i2) when he ascended the throne, and required to take a new name, he chose simply to transpose the two parts of the old one so as to keep its good omen. But Jeremiah shortened this name to "Coniah" (Jer. xxii:24, 28; xxvii, i), cutting off the notion of futurity, implying that Jehovah would not establish such a prince, as the events proved, for, after a reign of three months, he was carried captive to Babylon. Jacob's name was changed to "Israel," not "Jehovah," but "El," being incorporated with the new name, "El" hints at Almighty Power, as specially manifested to Jacob, and is in all God's transactions with him, it is "El," not "Jah" that is memorialized. In Genesis xxxv:ii, God said to him, "I am El Shaddai," the third instance in which these two names occur (Gen. xvii:i ; xxviii :3). Note the names "Beth-el," "Peni-'el," "Isra-el," "El-elohe-Israel," meaning "House of El," "Face of El," "Prince of El," etc. Jacob refers to God's revelation to him by this name. In Genesis xHii:i4, he says, as to Benjamin, "El Shaddai give you ten der mercy before the man !" In his final, prophetic blessing of Joseph (xlix:25) : "From the El of thy father there shall help be to thee. And with Shaddai there shall blessings be unto thee." "El" set forth God's might, and Shaddai His exhaustless bounty, so that together they express The All-bountiful One. Marked significance often attaches to human names such as "Adam," red earth; "Jacob," Supplanter; "Samuel," asked of El; "Micah," who is like Jah? "Malachi," my messenger. Our Lord called James and John "Boanerges," sons of thunder, because of their impetuous temper; Simon He called Peter, etc. XIL SCRIPTURE DIALECT AND SELF DEFINITION. 99 XII. SCRIPTURE DIALECT AND SELF DEFINITION. Human literature requires a lexicon and often a library of reference books, to disclose its meaning. For the most part the Word of God is its own dictionary and library of reference. Within its own compass may be found either the direct or indirect definition of its own terms, making the careful student in a large measure independent of outside help, and so enabling even the poor and simple to learn its meaning, and bringing it within universal reach. 100 XIL SCRIPTURE DIALECT AND SELF DEFINITION. SCRIPTURE DEFINITIONS form a distinct depart ment of Bible study. When the Holy Spirit gives the equivalent of His own terms there is no room for conjecture; and, in all most important cases, we are taught in what sense Scripture words are employed. Where such equivalents are given, if substituted for the words or phrases they define, the sense is made clearer, and often erroneous notions corrected. Hundreds of Scripture words are thus informed with a new significance. Though taken from terrestrial tongues they acquire a new celestial meaning by association with heavenly things; and as, in many cases, God has given us His own definitions, or equivalents, it is interesting to gather a sort of glossary of such terms, thus making a Bible lexi con. Probably no important word would be found unde fined or without material for definition; and Bible defini tions thus constructed, should be adhered to, as guides to the understanding of Scripture, for so, without outside help, the most unlettered may come to knowledge. One prominent definition is that of Faith. Hebrews xii:i — "Now, Faith is the substance of things hoped for; the evidence of things not seen." This is probably less a definition of faith itself than a description of its effects, when it controls our experience, in giving, to what is future, reahty and verity, and, to what is unseen, substantial value and visibility. Two classes of ob jects are dreamy and shadowy; the invisible and the far- distant. Being so constituted as to be most influenced by sensible and present objects, what lies behind that double veil of invisibility and futurity, is proportionately unreal and uninfluential. Faith gives vividness and presentness to what is unseen and distant. But faith has, in at least four cases, an indirect definition. Luke 1:45 — "Blessed is she that believed that there shall lOI KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord." (Marg.) Acts xxvii :25 — "I beheve God that it shall be even as it was told me." Romans iv :2i — "Being fully persuaded that what He had promised He was able also to perform." Hebrews xi:ii — "Sarah judged Him faithful who had promised." From such Scripture it is easy to frame a definition of Faith; it is belief, persuasion, judgment, that God is both able and faithful to perform what He has promised, and that there will be such performance. A kindred definition is found in John i:i2: "To as many as received Him * * * even to them that believe on His name." Here receiving is the equivalent of believing; and believing, of receiving. The importance of this defini tion is immense, since the actual possession of Eternal Life depends upon it. In John xx:3i the object of the whole gospel record is stated to be that men might believe, and believing have life ; and so, in the very beginning, it is made plain what it is to believe. In the narrative believing is referred to about fifty times ; and in every case if receiving be substituted, the sense is perfect. For example, iii:i6: God so loved * * * that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever receiveth Him might have Everlasting Life, etc. Thus no reader need lose the gift of God which is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, by not understanding how to beheve. He has only to receive him as God's gift, and receiving is so simple that it needs no defining. Love is defined: "Love is the fulfilling of the Law" (Rom. xiii:io). "This is the Love of God that we keep His commandments" (i John v:3). The former text defines Love to Man and the second. Love to God. Love to man is the principle that works no ill to one's neighbor; and Love to God, the kindred principle that yields obedience to all His commandments — benevo lence, manward and obedience, Godward. How that lifts love above any mere sentiment, caprice, emotion or even affec tion, to the level of unchanging principle of life, what James calls the "Royal Law!" 102 DIALECT AND DEFINITION. Love, in that highest sense of unselfish benevolence is also a new term in Scripture. It is more than either the complacent affection that responds to worth in others, or the selfish principle that reciprocates favors or anticipates them (compare Matthew v: 14-18). Sin is defined; "Sin is the transgression of the Law" (i John iii:4). "To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin" (James iv:i7). "Sin that dwelleth in me" (RomcUis vii:2o). Here the first definition includes all sins of commission — the second of omission; and so the Westminster divines got their definition: "Sin is any want of conformity unto, or transgression of, the Law of God." .The last suggests a further idea of sin as an inborn, inbred, indwelling pro pensity and tendency. Repentance is both defined and described in 2 Cor. vii: 9-11. In its essence it is "sorrow after a godly manner" — literally, a sorrow according to God — a phrase thrice re peated here — and contrasted with a sorrow according to the world; one working life and salvation, the other death and condemnation. True repentance looks at sin as a crime against God primarily, in contrast with mere regret for consequences or remorse of conscience which drives to despair and sometimes suicide. Among other valuable definitions note the following: "The Carnal mind is enmity against God." "To be Carnally minded is Death." "To be Spiritually minded is Life and Peace" (Romans viii:6, 7). These definitions are doubly valuable: they give us the equivalents of the "Carnal mind" and the "Spiritual mind ;" and, conversely, the equivalents of "life" and "death" in the spiritual realm. The only time death is defined in the Word of God it is made the equivalent of minding the iiesh, which, again, is the equivalent of that "enmity against God" which "is not subject to the Law of God neither in deed can be." Here then we learn that Eternal Life is equivalent to the spiritual mind — which is a supreme pref erence for God, and subjection to His Will; and spiritual death is a supreme preference for self with a correspond- 103 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. ing enmity toward His Will. This we regard as one of the most noteworthy of all the biblical definitions of its owns terms, and a light upon a mystery the wrong solu tion of which has misled many. Here the habitual, engrossing preference for Carnal things, in a word the dominance of self life, is seen not only to lead to death but to be death; and the correspond ing preference for spiritual things, the enthronement of God in place of self, as the equivalent of life and peace. No argument is so potent, as showing how baseless is the doctrine of "annihilation," so far as it rests on the state ment that "when the Bible says 'death,' it means death." Certainly, but, according to this, death is not the extinction of being — not destruction, but alienation, putting self in the place of God, while life is not existence, but the supreme preference for God that evidences our oneness with Him by participation of His nature. Hence also Life may be "more abundant," as fellowship with God becomes more intimate and constant, increasing in power, wisdom and joy (John x:io). Taken as a whole the Word of God reveals a pres ent life, and beyond that another life, beyond which is no death ; and a present death, and beyond that, a second death, and beyond that, no life. (Dean Alford.) Hardness of heart is indirectly defined by close associa tion with blindness, deafness, a conscience seared with a hot iron, a general condition of "being past feeling" (Ephes. iv:i9). It is in the moral nature what loss of sensation is in the physical, and suggests a kind of spiritual paralysis as when both sensor -and motor nerves no longer act. Changes of meaning of the same word must be traced by a careful comparison of its use and study of context. the word diatheke, translated "covenant" and "Testa ment," is found thirty-three times in the New Testa ment. It always means a divine arrangement or dis position, something ordered and established by decree; sometimes a mutual arrangement, a compact between two or more contracting parties — a covenant; and at others a disposition by one party in favor of another — a testament. The former meaning easily passes into the latter, because, man having broken all mutual covenants between himself and God, the Lord Jesus Christ be comes the contracting party in the new covenant on 104 DIALECT AND DEFINITION. behalf of man. Now note (i) He cannot fail and hence the new covenant will never be forfeited; and (2) He makes provision for man's previous failure and for feitures and by His death, as covenant Head, qualifies the body of heirs to receive the inheritance. Hence, the covenant becomes also a Testament, depending on the death of the testator. This progressive transition in meaning may be traced from Hebrews vii:-?2, through viii:6-io to ix:i5-i7. There is also a Scripture dialect and usage. This is a sort of indirect definition. Usus loquendi is a technical term for usage in language, whether in speaking or writing. Every language has its idioms, peculiar mean ings attaching to words, which undergo modifications in time, and change with periods. Individual authors also have their modes of expression so that to ascertain the sense in which words are used is often a necessary clew to style and sense. The Scriptures use words and phrases in a way of their own, and we must discern this to make interpretation accurate and authoritative. The Word of God can be truly fathomed in its deeper teaching only by those who recognize this Law of Higher Significance. Human writers have often shown marked individuality of expression as well as of thought, and use words and phrases in a characteristic way, exemplified in the case of such as Bunyan and Burke, Addison and Carlyle, Shakespeare and Bacon. One has to become familiar with their idiosyncrasies of style, to penetrate to the real inner cham bers of their mind and meaning. The Author of Scripture, having only the imperfect medium of human speech for conveyance of His thought, was compelled to invest many words with a new signi ficance. Hence arose His scriptural usus loquendi — a pecu liar and original sense, attaching to many words and phrases, due to their being vehicles for divine ideas. Phraseology became elastic, expanding to contain and convey larger conceptions than ever before. Christianity has introduced among men not only new words but new ideas likewise, so that old words have become invested with new meanings. 105 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. Humanity is a word you look in vain for in Plato and Aristotle. The idea of mankind as one family, as the children of one God, is an idea of Christian growth, and the science of mankind without Christianity, would never have sprung into existence. Take for example Humility, in the New Testament. This word, borrowed from the Greek (tapeinophrosune) — is used but four times, and literally means self-abase ment, and suggests meanness of spirit. To the Greek it suggested an outward prostration, a bemeaning of one self before another as a slave abases himself before his master. The Greek mind knew nothing of that volun tary laying aside of glory and excellency that leads even a master to become a slave, and prompted the Lord of Glory to humble Himself and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross! John xiii:4, 5, is a definition of humility by action, the Lord Jesus gird ing Himself with the slave's apron, to do for His disciples the most menial act of drudgery. Christian humility is a virtue of so high an order that it may be doubted if any other outranks it. It is a noble condescension which in its very lowliness is lofty, and in its very loveliness unconscious, for it is not merely doing what is humble, but not thinking of oneself more highly than one ought to think. It is at bottom not any form of outward demeanor but an inward habit of self abasement and self oblivion, that inner spirit, meek and quiet which is the one ornament, the hidden man of the heart which is in God's sight of great price. To know in what specific sense words and terms are employed by any writer, is to have, so far, keys to unlock his meaning. It pleases the author of Holy Scripture to provide, in the Bible itself, the helps to its understanding and interpretation. If all doors to its secret chambers are not left open, the keys are to be found; and part of the object of leaving some things obscure, instead of obvious, is to incite and invite in vestigation, to prompt us to patient and prayerful search. Its obscurities awaken curiosity and inquiry, and study is rewarded by finding the clew to what was before a maze of perplexity. 106 XIIL VERBAL CHANGES AND VARIATIONS. 107 XIIL VERBAL CHANGES AND VARIATIONS. One of the highest marks of a master hand in literary style is the care manifested in distinguishing between words, in the changes made in the use of words, and in the use of one case, number, person, voice, mood, tense, etc. Here again the author of the inspired Word reveals His skill and wisdom. It may be doubted whether in a single instance the peculiar forms of expression are accidental or undesigned. Deeper study on the reader's part always reveals intelligent purpose on the author's part. io8 XIIL VERBAL CHANGES AND VARIATIONS. IN Psalms xci, there are changes in the use of the per sonal pronoun which indicate a sort of dialogue: "He that dwelleth" (verse i). . "/ will say of the Lord" (verse 2). "Surely He shall deliver thee" (verse 3). "Because He hath set His love upon me" (verse 14). These changes of person and case divide the Psalm into four parts, and hint three separate speakers : I. The Angel of the Lord, or a prophetic teacher, in verse first, announcing a benediction upon the believer who dwells in God. 2. The Believer, responding, and declaring Jehovah to be his refuge and fortress, his God in whom he will trust. 3. Then again the first speaker, expanding upon the bless ing announced in the opening verse (verses 3-13). 4. Jehovah Himself speaks, confirming all that the angel or prophet has said (verses 14-16). Some think this "Psalm of Life," like the previous "Psalm of Death," is by Moses, and may have been written to commemorate the deliverance at the time of the Passover to which it is so appropriate. In Psalm cix, there is a most noticeable change of num ber and person. In verses 1-5 the plural "they" is promi nent; and again, after verse 20. But from verse 6 to 19, the singular "he" and "his" and "him" i found thirty times. Here again this divides the psalm into three parts, and if the word "saying' be understood, at the close of verse 5, the whole imprecation that follows, down to verse 19, becomes not the psalmist's prayer for vengeance on his adversaries but their imprecation of curses upon him, and renders the whole psalm luminous. We then see a persecuted man of God, cursed by enemies, but giving himself unto prayer, and finally conanitting their whole judgment to Jehovah: "Let xog KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. them curse, but do thou bless," etc. This relieves what is otherwise one of the bitterest of the imprecatory psalms of its character as such ; and, instead of the psalmist dealing in cursing, and indulging a vindictive spirit, he is seen as a patient sufferer under reproach, who answers not back; who, "when reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not, but committed himself to Him that judgeth righteously," like His Master after Him ( i Peter ii :23) . In Isaiah vi :8, the voice of Jehovah asks, "Whom shall / send ? and who will go for us?" a possible hint of the Trini ty, as though Jehovah had inquired whom shall I, as God, commission, and who will accept the errand and offer to represent Father, Son and Spirit in the discharge of duty. This question, read in the light of the New Testament, is made most suggestive; for, after our Lord taught men more plainly of this commission, it began to be seen that we are not only witnesses to God the Father, but to God the Son, as the world's Redeemer, and co-witnesses with the Holy Spirit. (Compare Isa. xHii:io; Acts i:8; John xv:26, 27.) It is as though, in a human firm, one of three part ners acting in behalf of the other partners, calls for volun teers, who nevertheless represent the whole firm; or, as when a soldier accepting some special mission at the call of his general, serves the whole government that he represents. In our Lord's primary lesson on alms-giving, prayer and fasting (Matt, vi :i8) He uses very conspicuously the second personal pronoun, "thou," "thy," "thee." Although He be gins with the plural, "Take heed that ye do not your right- iousness before men to be seen of them," immediately after as He proceeds to details. He changes to the singular, "Therefore, when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee." And in these three verses about alms giving (2-4) this singular number occurs eight times. Again in the two verses following about closet prayer, the singular is found expressed ten times ; and again in the directions as to fasting (verses 17, 18) eight times. Surely there is some great lesson here, for beside the express use of the singular, "thou" is implied in the verbs used also. -Our Lord is im pressing the need of privacy as in contrast with publicity. There is danger in display of giving, praying, fasting; the foremost necessity is to do all these as unto God — in His presence, with regard to His recognition, and solely for His HO VERBAL VARIATIONS. glory. In almsgiving the great peril is the love of human approbation; in prayer, undue attention to human hearers and observers ; in fasting, desire to be conspicuous as humble and. devoted to a religious life. The great Teacher impresses the need of what Jeremy Taylor calls, "the practise of the presence of God ;" and insists upon the suppliant soul learn ing the great lesson of secret prayer, shut in with God alone The presence of any third party prevents the highest success in the practice of the presence of God, because it diverts the mind and divides the attention of the suppliant. And so, in other religious duties : to get sight of man is often to lose sight of God, and to seek human observation and ap probation is absolutely fatal to all true acceptance, and for feits God's observation and approbation altogether. Nota bly also our Lord returns to the plural "ye," in verses 7, 8, because He is probably referring to collective prayer in pub lic assemblies and not to private closet supplication. In Luke xxii:3i, 32, our Lord first warns all the disciples of an evil design and device of the Devil — "Behold Satan hath desired to have you" — you all — "that he may sift you as wheat;" then, foreseeing that Peter, especially, would fall into his snare, and thrice deny Him, added, "But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith 'fail not," &c. In Hosea x:9, "O Israel, thou hast sinned from the days of Gibeah! There they stood," etc. The change to the third person and plural number re moves them as to a greater distance. The singular "thou" is much more expressive of endearment and intimacy and harmony. A long course of sin has resulted in alienation. It reminds of the pathetic plea, "Only call me 'thou' again !" In Isaiah iii:i, Stay and Staff are respectively masculine and feminine forms of the same word, an Arabic idiom for including everything of the nature of a support, as the succeeding verses show — whatever was their dependence — mighty man, warrior, judge or prophet— counsellor, cap tain, artificer, orator— all, even Jehovah Himself, their only real stay or staff. Hengstenberg calls' attention to Ecclesiastes vii:23-29, where the whole passage turns upon a feminine verb, "Koheleth"— the "preacher," or "convener" or assembling in KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. one is conceived here as an ideal female and hence here only in the book is Koheleth connected with the feminine verb. (Verse 27.) Solomon found no snare so ruinous as that of strange women — idolatrous women. And here earthly, sensual, devilish wisdom is contrasted (as with James iii : 15, 17) with the wisdom from above, answering to an ideal woman. Everywhere in this book, until now, Koheleth is masculine, but here the gender is changed. And here is the conclusion — "counting one by one," com paring or contrasting one with the other — among the thousand wives and concubines Solomon had not found one who was not a snare, certainly not one who could represent to him the Heavenly Wisdom. In the book of Revelation two women are again strongly in contrast — ¦ the harlot — an apostate church, — and the Bride — the church of the Redeemed. A remarkable transition takes place at Isaiah liii:ii. The word "servant" has always hitherto been in the sin gular; but from that point on is in the plural. Here it is "My righteous Servant;" but, in chapter liv:i7, "This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord," plural, and in chapter Ixv, seven times, "my servants ;" always in the plural. (Compare verses 8, 9, 13, 15.) Some find a hint in this "new name," the forecast that, in the latter days, disciples were to be called "Christians." The point ¦ of transition from singular to plural is this : "He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied." By his travail He is to become the parent of innumerable off spring, and the "Righteous Servant" of Jehovah is so identified with His spiritual seed that henceforth we read only of "the servants of Jehovah." Mark the change of pronoun in Psa. Ixxxi:i5, "He should have fed them also with the finest of wheat ; And with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee," as though Jehovah yearned to speak, not as a narrator, but as a covenant God, directly to them, one last word — "/ would have satisfied thee." One of the most noticeable changes of gender is found in John vi:37-4o: 112 VERBAL VARIATIONS. All that the Father giveth Me, shall come to Me; and him that cometh to Me, I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have ever lasting life : and I will raise him up at the last day. Notice the changes: "All that the Father giveth "Him that cometh to Me." Me." "All which He hath given "That every one." Me." "I should raise it up." "I will raise him up," etc. A designed change of gender here runs throughout; and alongside of it, the conception of a sort of collective neuter mass — "all," "it" — resolved into masculine individuality — "every one," "him." There is at first a general, abstract statement of a gift of the Father; then a concrete, individual statement of the effect and realization of it; first, an unredeemed body of humanity, like a dead mass of matter, without indi vidual life or character — "As for all that which He hath given me I should not lose of it." Then this same dead mass of humanity, after the Son has vivified it, alive; it has developed individuality in developing vitahty. Some what as a dead mass of matter takes form in living foli age, a million separated stalks and stems with endless variety of leaf, bloom fruit, so this mass of humanity is filled and thrilled with a new divine life, transformed, transfigured, glorified. "O, the happiness of the man who walketh not," etc. Psa. i:i. "Happiness" is found in the Hebrew, only in the plural, as though to indicate its manifold sides and aspects, or, better still, that God's blessings never come singly or alone, but always in multitudes or companies. "Goodness and mercy shall follow me." (Psa. xxiii.) "3 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. In Galatians v: 19-22, the works of the flesh are con trasted with the fruit of the Spirit. All these fleshly works may not and do not always appear in the same unregenerate man, but in every true child of God the fruit of the Spirit may be looked for, though not all in equal development, for these nine gracious characteristics all belong, like grapes, upon one cluster: the first three, "love, joy, peace," pertain especially to God; the next three, "long suffering, gentleness, goodness," to man; the last three, "fidelity, meekness, self-control," to self. In I John i:8. 9, "Sin" represents the depraved nature or tendency. "Sins," violations of law, outbreakings of sin. 114 XIV. SCRIPTURAL PRECISION AND DISCRIMINA TION. ns XIV. SCRIPTURAL PRECISION AND DISCRIMINA TION. The Spirit of God uses language with divine discrim ination, not only when erecting bold landmarks and lim itations, but in drawing lesser lines of demarkation and distinction. Matters which seem minute may not safely be overlooked or disregarded, for minor particulars often help to define and explain major statements. Only by tracing these lesser features, both of thought and lan guage, do we avoid confusing things that differ, or missing delicate shades of meaning which evince the work of a divine artist. ii6 XIV. SCRIPTURAL PRECISION AND DISCRIMINATION. THE law of critical thoroughness should govera all biblical study. Nothing should be deemed un important in the sacred narrative. To know the parties in a transaction, the place, time and cir cumstances, the causes and consequences of an occurrence — all are needful. "The historical what, its chronological when, and its geographical where, make history, chrono logy and geography substantiate the truth of a statement." (Rev. G. L. Wilson.) Dr. Howard Osgood, a most thorough student, who searches the scriptures with microscopic eyes, in the follow ing summary gives an example of minute investigation: Exclusive of proper nameS; the Hebrew Old Testament contains 6,413 different words; of these 1,798 are used but once; 724, twice; 448, thrice; 3,443, more than thrice. In the New Testament, Greek, there are 4,867 different words ; of these, 1,654, used but once; 654, twice; 383 thrice; 2,176, more than thrice. Thus the Bible contains in its vocabulary only 11,280 different words. Isaiah uses altogether but 2,186 of which 1,924 are common, and only 262 unique — so brief is the scripture vocabulary, and so simple its dialect. Mr. Newberry reckons the names of God as found in the Old Testament, taken together, 10,900 times; Adhonai, 290; El, and Elohim, 2,833; Jehovah, 7,000, etc. What an «xtraordinary book that must be that makes even such masters in literature feel compensated for such painstaking precision in examining into details ! It is superficial acquaintance with the Holy Scripture that makes erroneous interpretations so easy and perilous. It is the aggregation of the littles that makes the whole. "Trifles make perfection, and perfection is no trifle," as said a great artist. As a great door swings on small hinges, a single adverb or preposition, article or even particle, may help to give definition or direction to a thought of God, "7 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. or, like a delicate stroke of a pencil, assist in the delinea tion of a portrait. We are not competent to judge what is of little importance in the inspired Word of God, and nothing should be so deemed in such a study; we should mark minutely the force of particular words or phrases, believing that the Spirit of God selects words with full understanding of their meaning and chooses unerringly and with a reason. Those expressions should be specially noted which He uses to convey great leading thoughts and so lifts to a high level of importance. Critical thoroughness is the only worthy way of study ing the Word of God. The exact language of Scripture often proves a comment, if not a commentary, on the truth taught; indeed divine discrimination is the more needful because of the fixed ideas and associations connected with human speech, that men may not be misled into trans ferring to divine things the imperfection and infirmity in separable from the human. Some examples of scriptural precision may help to ex hibit this exactness and illustrate its moral uses. For instance, our Lord never addressed disciples as "brethren" — adelphoi — until after He had risen from the dead, who was Himself "the first born from the dead," "the first fruits of them that slept." Not till then were behevers made "sons" and "heirs of God through Christ," and so prepared to claim full privileges of such sonship. Hence also the marked change of language from "children" to "sons," as in Galatians iv:5-7. In Psalm xxii:22, — which Psalm He appropriates to Himself, — after He had been delivered from His sufferings, He claims the "great congregation" — the "many sons" of Heb. ii:io as His "brethren ;" and, on that first Easter morning, for the first time, He says, "Go tell My brethren" — "go to My brethren, and say unto them, 'I ascend unto My Father and your Father'" (Matt, xxviii :io; John xx:i7). In I Cor. ix:2i, Paul describes himself as "not being without law to God, but under the law to Christ." Here the original words are anomos and ennomos — a delicate and designed contrast— literally, "not an outlaw but an in law." The two words convey the contrasted ideas of being outside of all legal restraints on the one hand, and volun tarily within them on the other. ii8 PRECISION AND DISCRIMINATION. Discrimination in terms is often very significant and important. Lazarus, "the beggar, died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom." "The rich man also died and was buried" (Luke xvi:22). No "burial" for the beggar, but a stately burial for the rich man — the pauper's body hustled into a hole without ceremony; the rich man's corpse attended to its costly sepulchre, by a funeral cortege and worldly display. But, beyond the earthly — what a contrast again — a convoy of angels for the beggar — but what of the other! Had our Lord no intention to suggest all the contrasts here so sin gularly exhibited? The word in John xx:7, "Wrapped together," fails to convey the true significance. The original means rolled up, and suggests that these cloths were lying there in their original convolutions, as they had been tightly rolled up around our Lord's dead body. In chapter xix:40, it is re corded how they tightly wound — bound about — that body in the linen cloths — how tightly and rigidly may be in ferred from the necessity of loosing Lazarus, even after miraculous power had raised up the dead body and given it hfe (xi:44). This explains verse 8, "And he, John, saw and believed." There was nothing in the mere fact of an empty tomb to compel belief in a miraculous resurrection; but, when John saw, on the floor of the sepulchre, the long linen wrappings that had been so tightly wound about the body and the head, lying there undisturbed, in those original convolu tions, he knew nothing but a miracle could have made it possible. Is there not an important moral and spiritual lesson here? Is not the believer to see here a type of his own deliverance in Christ, from the previous habits of sin which have so tightly wrapped their restraints about him that he is powerless to walk with God? They are to be regarded and treated as cerements of the sepulchre, what pertains to the old man, and left behind in the place of death — put off by divine power that the new man may put on the new garments of a resurrection life. Delicate shades of meaning, often disclosed only by "9 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. careful study, in many cases convey salutary suggestions in holy living. In James i:6, a wavering disciple is likened to "the surge of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed." The sea, when agitated by the wind has two marked motions: one, to and fro, which is called "fluctuation;" and another, up and down, which is called "undulation." To both of these the writer refers. A sea wave cannot stay anywhere — if it is propelled forward, it recedes backward; if hfted upward, it sinks downward. And so a half-believing soul; whatever onward or upward impulse he gets he cannot retain. He relapses and returns to his former position and condition. He has no staying qualities. And it is the surge of the sea that is here referred to, the most frothy, the least substantial and stable, of anything about a wave. It is light, swept hither and thither by the wind, and forms and disappears again rapidly. What a simile to represent inconsistency and inconstancy in a praying soul, that can neither hold fast God's promise and faithfulness, nor main tain any advanced position of faith when once it is secured ? Words that seem unimportant, and even particles that ap pear insignificant, have their place and use. It is another disadvantage of not being familiar with the original that the force of many of these "jots and tittles" is not easily transferred to another tongue. For instance, in Philippians iii:8, five small particles oc cur in succession — "but, indeed, therefore, even also do I." How hard to convey the significance of all these little words ! Specially emphatic are two, "en de," in verse 13, translated "but this one thing I do;" what Paul says is, "but one." The very brevity of the phrase leaves no more room for the imagination to invest it with meaning: it suggests not only what he does, but what he desires, aims at, sets before him, as the all engrossing object and goal. In Mark xiii:4-32, two words continually recur (tauta and ekeinos), translated, "these," "those," "that." They indicate, however, two classes of events, one nearer at hand the other more remote, the former preparing for the latter. When we read how "The Lord commended the unjust steward because he 120 PRECISION AND DISCRIMINATION. done sagaciously" (Luke xvi:8)^it is not the Lord Jesus, but the lord of the steward — his master, that is meant. "Shall He find the faith on the earth?" (Luke xx:8). The definite article here must indicate definite faith — some think, the faith in a prayer hearing God; others, the faith in a divine avenger and retribution ; others, the faith in the second advent. To make the faith specific and definite, not general, vague and indefinite, gives point to the parable. Some scholarly student might do great service by a treatise on the use and force of such words as "wherefore" and "therefore," especially in Paul's epistles. They are the connecting links in argument; one connects it with some thing already stated or demonstrated; the other with what is to follow. The "Wherefore" in Hebrews xii:i links the lesson on affiiction with the whole preceding history of triumphant faith: and in Romans xii:i, the "Therefore" sums up the whole argument of the eleven chapters that go before. "The preposition, 'en,' is appUed to the Holy Spirit when it is about the disciples that the statement is made; but 'dia,' when it is about Christ." Individual words bear very close study. For example, in Hebrews iv:2, the word rendered "mixed," refers primar ily to the process whereby, in the animal system, food taken into the body for nutritive purposes, is mixed with those secretions intended by nature for assimilation and appropriation to bodily wants, which is a threefold pro cess: I. Mastication, whereby food is mixed with saliva; 2. Digestion proper, whereby in the stomach it is mixed with bile and transformed into chyle; and 3, Absorption, whereby in its passage through the alimentary canals, it is taken up by the lacteal vessels and actually mixed with the blood, becoming a part of the body, displacing waste tissue by new material. Upon this threefold process everything depends, strength and health, vigor and even vitality. And, in fact, if the ali ment be not so mixed with ptyaline, bile, pancreatic juice, etc., it is harmful instead of profitable, a source of disease and death. How striking the lesson as to the need of mixing the word heard with meditation and prayer and holy examination of self, that it may be incorporated into practice, and affect our whole habit and frame of mind 121 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. and heart and conscience and will, and reappear in our speech, conduct, frame of spirit, and whole life, becoming an integral part of ourselves! (Comp. Psalms.) Another example of the need of observing the exact language of the inspired Word is found in the threefold parable of Luke xv. Usually even commentators fall into the error of reckoning here three parables, instead of one in three parts. But the record is exphcit: "He spake this parable unto them." (3.) The whole chapter is one parable: subject, "The Lost, found." There are three divisions, closely interrelated; the lost sheep, found by the shepherd; the lost silver-piece, found by the woman; the lost son, found by the father. The point of unity is thus easily seen. But why the parable is threefold will appear on further examination. ___ In the finding of the lost there are tzvo great aspects: first, the divine side, and second the human. The first and second parts show God seeking man, man being passive. The sheep is found and carried back by the shepherd; the silver-piece is found and replaced on the woman's neck lace. Did the parable end here, man might infer that he had nothing to do but wait for God to seek and find him. Hence a third part of the threefold parable in which man's part in his recovery is seen. It is now God who is com paratively passive and man who is active — ^he who wanders from God, finds himself and goes back to the father. It is only aS both sides are seen that the whole truth is ap prehended. Possibly there is another reason for this threefold ar rangement: the shepherd seeking the lost sheep may repre sent the Son of man seeking the lost sheep of the House of Israel; the woman, seeking her silver, the Spirit, in the church, recovering backslidden members; and the Father and son may represent the wider relation of God the Father to his universal human family. The exact order of words often contains in itself a val uable lesson. It may seem unimportant whether we read i Thessalo- nians v :23 — "Your whole spirit, soul and body," or body, soul and spirit. But there is a reason — there may be many —for the inspired order. Not only is the spirit the highest part in man's complex being, but it is here that the God of 122 PRECISION AND DISCRIMINATION. Peace begins when He would sanctify us wholly. He il lumines man's spiritual being with His Light of Truth, quickens it into new energy and vitality by His Eternal Life, and renews it by His Love. Then through the trans formed spirit. He reaches the soul with it§ emotions, de sires and propensities; and through that, reaches down ward and outward to the body with its appetites and lusts. Man's mistaken method is too often the reverse. He be gins with the body, and hopes by improving the physical conditions and material surroundings to prepare the way for mental improvement and culture and so finally uplift and enlarge the spiritual being. God's way is to begin with the highest and work toward the lowest. A Hebrew scholar, a Jewish Rabbi, has said that curi ously enough, the names of the ten representative patri archs of the first ten generations suggest a sort of redemp tive sentence, scarce any word needing to be supplied to complete the sense, thus: "Adam— 'Red Earth,' Seth— 'Hath appointed,' Enosh— (unto) 'mortal man,' Canaan — 'Wailing-for-the-IDead,' Ma- halaleel — 'Why Praise God'? Jared — 'He shall descend,' Enoch — A 'mortal man,' Methusaleh — 'Dismissing Death,' Lamech — (bringing to) 'the Weary,' Noah — 'Rest.' An other similar sentence is suggested by the root significance of these words: "Man, placed in a fallen condition, the Ransomer, Light of God, descended, teaching his death brings the stricken, rest." Here both the meaning of individual words and their order are essential to make this continuous redemptive sen tence. 123 XV. SIMILAR AND EQUIVALENT TERMS. I2S XV. SIMILAR AND EQUIVALENT TERMS. Though there are no true synonyms in any language, there are words so close of kin and revealing such marked resemblance, as to seem mutual equivalents. Yet, even in such cases, differences are traceable which may be as important and instructive as the resemblances. Not only rhetorical significance, but ethical and spiritual teaching, may attach to the slight variations of mean ing which thus separate similar and almost equivalent words and phrases. The Author of Scripture, like the Creator in Nature, shows His perfection in little things, and the student of His vsrord, as of His work, needs the microscopic eye. 126 XV. SIMILAR AND EQUIVALENT TERMS. SOUL" and "Spirit" are carefully distinguished in both Testaments. Nephesh and ruach in Hebrew, psyche and pneuma in Greek, (i Thess. v:23; _ Heb. iv:i2.) "Soul" is properly the animating principle of the body, and therefore common to the animal creation ; it includes the appetites and desires both of flesh and mind, and the inclination and determination. The other words, properly meaning "spirit," originally sig nify breath or wind; but, in its higher application, a breath from God (Genesis ii) ; hence a mode of existence which is like His own and shares His nature. God is never set forth in Scripture as soul, center of bodily hfe, animator of a physical organism and inspirer of its appetites; but as Spirit, independent of material conditions and limitations and having affections and emotions of His own. Spirit in man therefore represents that which no mere animal, as such, shares with him. While soul links him to the whole animal creation, spirit binds him to God, and makes pos sible a divine nature and life and participation in the holi ness, happiness and glory of God. Paul, in I Corinthians ii, iii, uses two words, both of which are rendered "carnal." Meyer, the commentator, sharply distinguishes sarkinos (iii:i) as designating the unspiritual state of nature which the Corinthians still had in their early Christian minority, the Spirit having as yet so partially changed their character that they appeared still as fleshly; but sarkikos (verse 3) expresses a later ascend ancy over the divine principle of which they had been made partakers by progressive instruction; and this latter is here the main ground of reproach and rebuke. Some would distinguish by the terms "fleshy" and "fleshly;" the former denoting the carnality of the babe in whom the flesh as yet naturally predominates and preponderates, the mind being immature and undeveloped; the latter, denot- 127 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. ing the carnality of the adult, full grown yet allowing the flesh to retain the ascendancy. The former word therefore carries rather the notion of tender pity for immaturity, while the latter is a term of reproach for inconsistency. This is a case in which not to grasp the delicate differences between words is to lose the point of a whole paragraph, and confound ideas which essentially differ. In Galatians vi :2, 5, "burden" and "load" should be dis tinguished. We are to "bear one another's burdens," yet every "one should bear his own proper load." When his load is too heavy for him to bear alone, others are to put their shoulders beneath it, not to release him altogether, but to reheve him, not to shift it from his shoulders to their own, but to accept as a common burden for both. God would not have any one seek to be rid of his own responsibility or liability, nor have others encourage his idleness and selfishness, but we are all to do what we can to make others' loads tolerable and bearable by sympathetic help and support. What a valuable ethical lesson is lost if these kindred words are confused. Four words are used to describe the relations of men to God as source of life and being. They are alike but by no means identical, and respectively rendered "off spring," "child," "son," etc. Compare John xiii:33; Acts xvii:28, 29; Romans viii:i6, 17; Galatians iv:3, 5, etc. That they are not used indiscriminately will be plain from the passage in Galatians, already cited, where the argu ment turns upon the difference between a child — a minor, and a son, a child that has reached his majority. The word "offspring" — genos — means literally one who has come to be — ^to exist, as a product of creative power, a human creature of God. "Child," teknon, teknion, sug gests one born, brought forth, properly referring rather to the mother, suggesting the maternal relation, hinting paren tal love and care; or little child, as a term of endearment, fondly used by the Apostle John. Nepios means literally one who does not yet talk — a mere babe, infant, hence one simple and unlearned. (Matthew xi:25, xxi: 16.) But huios, strongest of all, expresses the higher filial relation ship and fellowship — a word worthy to be applied to the Son of God Himself. How even so-called "synonyms" differ will be seen by SIMILAR AND EQUIVALENT TERMS. comparing such Enghsh words as "enough" and "suffi cient," "paternal" and "fatherly," "reputation" and "noto riety," or such kindred adjectives as "efficient," "effective," ''effectual" and "efficacious," where the diversity of mean ing behind the most similar terms is both instructive and suggestive. The Old and New Testament synonyms have found volumes of treatment from such pens as those of Girdle- stone and Trench. The various terms used to express for giveness, salvation, punishment, vengeance ; the four words that convey the idea of time — aion, time indefinite ; chronos, time in actuality, making succession ; hora, a definite meas ure of time ; kairos, a fit or appropriate time — ^how helpful to catch such distinctions and how hindering to overlook them. Where one Enghsh word is used as the equivalent of two or more in the original, both beauty and force are sometimes sacrificed. In our Lord's last discourse (John xiv, XV, xvi), one root word is very prominent, and con stantly recurs — it is mend — which means to stay, remain, abide or continue. Its central sense is thus connected with something enduring and permanent as opposed to what is evanescent and transient, and hence unsatisfying because unenduring. If this word and its derivatives are followed in that matchless discourse, the whole of it is lit up as with a celestial light. Our Lord is about to leave them: even His presence is to prove, like all else only for "a little while," and their hearts are "troubled." Hence He calls their thought away to what is to last. The "mansions" are monai, abiding places (2) ; the Father abides in Him (10), the Holy Spirit is the abiding Spirit in them (17), the Godhead will come and in the believer make His abode (23). The very key to the great last parable, the Vine and Branches, is this word abide — "Abide in Me, and I in you." And though translated "continue" (verse 9) and "remain" (verse 16) it is the same word throughout and should be uniformly rendered. When believers are called "the temple of God" a peculiar word is used, one of two, both meaning temple, (i Cor. iii:i6, 17, etc.) One, ieron, embraces the whole structure and its precincts, sometimes used for the courts alone ; but 129 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. the other, naos, of the fane itself, with its Holy of Holies and shekinah flame of God's presence; and it is this latter which is used to describe a believer in whom dwells the Spirit, of God. How marvellous this selection of the stronger and more hallowed term ! The sacrifice was of fered in the larger ieron, but the naos proper was the place where the blood was applied, where stood the furniture that represented the forms of communion and service, and the ideal of fellowship with God. The very word therefore hints that, while the believer has no part in the atoning work, with the blood from the altar he comes "to God's very mercy seat, and himself becomes His Shrine!" Here spiritual truth is illuminated when the exact sig nificance of one word is caught. The body of a believei^ becomes a shrine and the Spirit of God its inhabitant. While he has no share in the atoning work of the Lamb of God, he has a full enjoyment both of the access to God it secures, and the fellowship with God it makes possible. He learns also how precious in God's sight must be even the body of a disciple which is held sacred as His temple. Canon Girdlestone calls attention to four principal words used as names of men, and which represent him in four apparently inconsistent aspects: as Adam, of the earth, earthy ; as Ish, endowed with immaterial personal existence ; as Enosh, weak and incurable; as Gever, mighty and noble. (Comp. Gen. i:26, ii:23, vi:4; Exod. x:ii.) How useful such distinctions are only investigation will show. For example, Ish first occurs in Genesis ii:23 — "She shall be called Ishah because she is taken out of Ish." Here ish is first used when the man finds a second human being of his own kind and springing from him: hence it marks the man when first he sees himself as one of a kind and having his first fellow-feeling with another human being. Ish is therefore a human being, a husband as contrasted with a wife, and hints at a higher manhood connected with race origin, mastery and supremacy. This suffices to illustrate the importance of Old Testament synonymns. The Vulgate singularly keeps up the kinship of Ish and Ishah by rendering vir and virago. Ten similar words occur as in Psalms xix, cxix, etc., such as "Law," "Testimonies," "Ways," "precepts," "sta tutes," "commandments," "judgments," "Word," "coun- SIMILAR AND EQUIVALENT TERMS. sellors," "fear." All of these apply to the Scriptures as containing the Divine Code ; but they present that code in ten different aspects, which together give a complete view point. First of all it is a Law — ^that is, the expression of the mind of the Lord. Again, it is a Testimony, bearing wit ness to His character and will. Again, it is a Way, mark ing out a distinct path for man to walk in. Yet again, pre cepts, or definitely prescribed rules of duty. Again, sta tutes, which express permanent, unchangeable principles. Again Commandments, having the authority of a legislator. Again, judgments, or laws having sanctions of reward and penalty. Aga.in, they are the Word of God, or His ex pressed will in language. Again, they are counsellors, or "men of counsel" advising in crises. And once more the Law of God is "fear" — i. e., fear producing — calculated to produce reverential awe. Thus taking the ten words together, the Divine Code is seen at so many separate angles and aspects, all of which help to develop and exhibit its perfection. A good concordance, in which the exact force of similar words is presented and the shades of meaning indicated, is of immense help to the studious reader. Such men as Cruden, Strong, Eadie, etc., have taken great pains to trace these exact differences of significance, and an ex amination of their work is often a most helpful commen tary. Thus what variety of truth is suggested by such kindred words as "sin," "iniquity," "transgression," in Psalms xxxii, as also "forgiven," "not imputed,'' "covered," and "acknowledge," "confess" and "not hid," in the same psalm! Three aspects of evil doing, as transgression of law, sin against God, and essential iniquity; three aspects of divine grace, in forgiving, covering, not imputing; and three more, of man's acts, not hiding, confessing (to God), acknowledging (to man). The changes of words, where at first no sufficient reason is apparent, are often due to the nice and delicate dis crimination of the Spirit. A noticeable example is Micah. vii:20: "Thou wilt per form the truth to Jacob, the mercy to Abraham which Thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old." Jehovah was under no obligation to enter into Covenant I3X KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. with Abraham and promise blessings to his seed which He confirmed with an oath: but, having once made such covenant promise. He was under a self imposed obligation to keep it; hence what had originally been mercy to Abra ham became truth to Jacob. Precisely similar is the use of language in John i:9. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins," etc. What have faithfulness and justice to do with forgiveness? It is rather the part of a faithful and just Judge and Ruler to punish and condemn, for loose clemency puts a premium on crime. But God had promised that "whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy" (Prov. xxviii :i3) ; and that if we "look up to Him" whom He hath lifted up on the cross, we shall "be saved." Therefore what was originally merciful and gracious is now faithful and just — namely, to forgive and cleanse a penitent and believing sinner. For, having prom ised to forgive. His faithfulness is at stake; and having laid the load of guilt upon Another, justice forbids a sec ond exaction of penalty. So the change from "propitiation" to "Paraclete" (i John ii:2) is necessary; for while He is the propitiation for, the whole world, He is the advocate, or Paraclete, only for those who are believers and whom as clients He repre sents in Court. The word "fool" is used mainly in two senses — ^first of intellectual folly, or one destitute of understanding, per ception or wisdom, as in Prov. xv:2i; xvii:25; Eccles. i:i7; x:i; 2 Cor. xi:i. And second, of moral folly, per- verseness of heart, enmity against truth and God, as in Psalms xiv:i; Prov. xxvi: 10; Josh, vii: 15. The two senses are not dissimilar but closely related : for nothing shows greater want of understanding than the commission of wickedness. The greater the value of virtue and the reward of piety, the greater the folly of vice and impiety: and the larger the endowments the more consum mate the foolishness of misusing or abusing God's gifts in the service of sin. 13a XVI. PROMINENT AND DOMINANT WORDS AND PHRASES. 133 XVI. PROMINENT AND DOMINANT WORDS AND PHRASES. In all great books certain words, terms, or phrases are found, which must be understood if the whole volume is to be interpreted, expressions sometimes peculiar to the Author. Like a dominant note or chord in music, they lead the way, or, like the thread on which beads are strung, serve to give unity to the whole. These are key words unlocking the chambers of scripture thought, and one of the most needful preparations for thorough Bible search is to collate them and learn their true meaning. 134 XVI. PROMINENT AND DOMINANT WORDS AND PHRASES. OF such prominent words, there are about one hundred, or more, which are so far essential to the substance of all biblical teaching that to understand them thoroughly and grasp their meaning and relation of the whole Word is to hold the secrets of its locked chambers. Their Scriptural usage being often peculiar, must be apprehended, for it rarely if ever varies throughout; and, once mastered, goes far to unfold the entire ethical and spiritual contents of the Book. Some times a single word or phrase serves to illumine a whole chapter or even an epistle ; and the leading words taken to gether help to interpret all Scripture. Aside from the names and titles of the Deity, the follow ing words bears this relation to the word of God: Righteousness, Justification, Salvation; Sanctification, Separation, Holiness; Sin, Condemnation, Judgment; Re pentance, Believing, Faith, Obedience, Hope, Love, Works; World, Flesh, Devil, Self; Tongue, Walk, Life, Warfare, Witness; Pardon, Forgiveness, Reconciliation, Redemption; Temptation, Trial, Suffering; Blessedness, Victory, Glory; Light, Knowledge, Wisdom, Understanding; Law, Com mandment; Word of God; Testimony; Revelation; Blood, Sacrifice, Offering, Worship, etc. At some of these words we may well glance in passing. The word truth itself indicates stability. From the same root as a tree, it suggests the image of a huge oak deeply rooted in the soil — with its massive trunk and wide-spread ing branches defying all the storms of heaven. The He brew word for truth is Emet — the first and the last and the middlemost of the Hebrew letters of the alphabet, implying that truth is first and will be last, and combines all ex tremes and unites all ends. The Jews have often remarked that the quadrate, solid shape of the Hebrew letters of the 135 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. word is significant of the firmness and steadfastness of truth. It is allied to the immortahty of God, so that it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the truth to fail. (Hugh McMillan, D.D.) The "Blood" is very conspicuous First mentioned in connection with Abel's murder, it is represented as crying from the ground to heaven for vengeance. Next, it appears as the life, and not to be eaten. Dr. Harvey, who dis covered its "circulation," said, "The blood is the fountain of life, the first to live, the last to die, and the primary seat of the animal soul." What a comment of science upon Scripture! Then it appears as a token of salvation (Exod. xii:i3). These three uses of the word interpret all Scrip ture. Blood stands for guilt and death; for life and for salvation. "Wisdom" is very prominent and significant, and, though comparatively rare until Solomon's era, it then be comes one of the conspicuous words, occurring at least three hundred times and in emphatic connections and rela tions. It marks the Solomonic Epoch, when a new class of men, known as "The Wise," as distinct from prophets and priests, suddenly seem to have appeared on the stage of action, henceforth constituting a class by themselves. What there was in the conditions then prevailing we imperfectly know — but there was a school of wisdom, headed by the King himself, specially given to studies, not of history only, but of philosophy and science, and ethical questions such as the relations of man to God, to himself and his fellow man and the world in which he lived ; and the results of such reflections were embodied in proverbs or "wise sayings," framed in poetic parallelism. Some of these proverbial ut terances are very deep and concern the laws of nature and of human nature. Divine Truth and order, virtue and duty. The mysteries of Providence occupied much thought. The Books of Wisdom form a separate section of the Old Testament — and embrace Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ec clesiastes, Solomon's Song, Lamentations. Not only was Hebrew wisdom far superior to that of other nations but wisdom is often personified, and, thus presented, is very nearly in the Old Testament what the Logos or Word In carnate is, in the New. 136 PROMINENT WORDS AND PHRASES. To form an accurate conception of Wisdom, as presented, both in the Old Testament and in the New, where it is pecu liarly the theme of the Epistle of James, — is very needful. It represents Laws of Heaven for Life on Earth. It ap pears, first, as a principle. Hebrew wisdom is contrasted with the philosophy of all heathen peoples, in the point of its departure, not aiming at the discovery of an unknown god, but recognizing in all things a Known God, a God of Providence, whose ways it seeks to justify and vindicate. Its fundamental idea is that of a divinely constituted moral order, under the phenomena of which, and within all hu man history, is the Living God, fulfilhng Himself, His thoughts and will. The various ranks of society are the ordinance of God, to be observed with reverent feeling. Wisdom inculcates humility before God, gentleness and con sideration toward men, gravity of deportment, thoughtful reflection, and slowness of speech. The mind of God is re flected in all things created and in the social order and moral career of man. Wisdom appears also as a person, a principle personified, as in Proverbs 1:1-9, viii, ix, etc., at once projected out of the mind and being of God, and existing beside Him; (viii:22-3i) ; and, finally, as God's Artificer in the creation and regulation of all things. This whole conception is con nected with the Word of Wisdom — the inspired Scriptures ; with the Living Word — Him who is called the "Wisdom from God," the Lord Jesus Christ ; and with the "Spirit of Wisdom" — ^the Holy Ghost. The Son of God and Spirit of God are therefore the fullest impersonation and realization of all that is meant by "Wisdom." Many aspects of salvation are found continuously in Matthew. I. Preparation for salvation (Chaps, ii-iii). 2. Person of the Saviour; His obedience to the will of God, His words and works (iv-vii). 3. Types of salvation as found in miracles (viii-lx). 4. Salvation, leading to service (ix:35; xi:24). 5. Salvation revealed, received, rejected (xi:25; xvi:i3). 6. Salvation from self (xvi:i4; xx:28). 7. Salyation as connected with faith, obedience, and love (xx:29; xxii:46). 8. Salvation and its consummation — duty of watchful ness (xxiii-xxv). 137 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. g. Salvation as connected with -the death and resurrec tion of Christ (xxvi:xxviii), etc. The leading words of the first Epistle of John are three : Life, Light, Love; and are singularly comprehensive: Life expresses the sum of all Being; Light, the sum of all intellectual excellence; and Love, the sum of all moral excellence. To this brief category of the Divine Perfec tions nothing can be added. He is the Fountain of Life; He is Light; He is Love. These Scriptural definitions of God leave nothing to be desired. They suggest not only completeness but a unity, which finds its finest natural illus tration in the sunbeam, which at once contains and conveys Light, Heat and actinic Life. These three words also beautifully express the threefold character and activity of the Holy Spirit. He is, at once. The Spirit of Light or Truth (John xiv:i7). The Spirit of Life (Romans viii:2). The Spirit of Love (Romans v:5). Curiously, also, the three great warnings as to our atti tude toward the Spirit correspond to this threefold aspect of His character and work. Resist not. Grieve not. Quench not. Comparison of various passages, in the Epistles, referring to the "Body of Christ," reveals a symmetric system of teaching (Romans xii; i Cor. xii; Eph. ii, iv, etc.). I. Unity and community of Life in its structure and in terests. 2. Harmony of peace and love — ^Jew and Gentile, one new man. 3. Vitality and Energy through One indwelling Spirit. 4. Variety of Activity and Service. 5. Common responsibilty, shared by all members. 6. Sanctity in the eyes both of disciples and of God. 7. Authority, through association with the Head. .Such strikingly similar phrases as those used by Paul in Romans vii: 17-20 and Galatians ii:20, cannot be without meaning. "It is no more I, but sin that dwelleth in me;" "Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ;" In both cases two selves are contrasted — ^the carnal self and the spiritual self in the former ; the human self and the divine self in the latter. On one hand his higher personal- 138 PROMINENT WORDS AND PHRASES. ity is not absorbed and identified with sin, but with the will of God; on the other hand, even his better self is not his true life, but the Christ nature that is of God, and is His new creation. When the old sinful habits and tendencies reassert themselves, and claim indulgence, he disowns them as not the voices and appeals of his truest self; but even when he feels the moving of his best spiritual life, he remembers that this is the voice of the Divine Christ who by the Holy Spirit dwells in him. In a sense therefore every disciple recognizing in himself a threefold person- ahty, renounces the ego of his past unregenerate self; rejoices in the new ego that delights in the law of God after the inner man; but humbly remembers that even in this renewed inner man he cannot glory; for whatever in him responds to the Love of God he owes to the grace of Christ, and the power of the Spirit. Key-words may be found, unlocking the different books, such as : Genesis : "Beginning ;" Exodus : "Depart ure," "Passover;" Leviticus: "Sacrifice," "Priest hood," "Atonement;" Numbers: "Pilgrimage," "So journ;" Deuteronomy: "Law," "Obedience;" Joshua: "Possession," "Occupation;" Judges: "Captivity," "An archy;" Ruth: "Return," "Redeemer;" Samuel: "King dom ;" Kings : "Royalty," "Division ;" Chronicles : "Theo cracy;" Ezra: "Temple," "Restoration;" Nehemiah: "City- Rebuilding;" Esther: "Providence," "Turned to the Con trary;" Job: "Trial," "Discipline;" Psalms: "Worship," "Devotion;" Proverbs: "Wisdom;" Ecclesiastes: "Vanity," "Vexation;" Canticles: "Love," "Fidelity;" Isaiah: "Sal vation;" Jeremiah: "Warning;" Lamentations: "Destruc tion," "Sorrow;" Ezekiel: "Visions;" Daniel: "Revela tion," "Secret;" Hosea: "Return;" Joel: "Judgment;" Amos: "Punishment;" Obadiah: "Edom;" Jonah: "Over throw;" Micah: "Controversy;" Nahum: "Full-End;" Habakkuk: "Faith;" Zephaniah: "Remnant;" Haggai: "Build;" Zechariah: "Jealous;" Malachi: "Robbery;" Mat thew: "Kingdom;" Mark: "Service;" Luke: "Son of Man," "Humanity;" John: "Son of God," "Eternal Life;" Acts: "Witness," "Power;" Romans: "Righteousness;" I Corinthians : "Wisdom," "Temple ;" 2 Corinthians : "Com fort;" Galatians: "Walk;" Ephesians: "Heavenlies;" Philippians: "Gain," "Peace;" Colossians: "Complete," 139 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. "Filled;" i Thessalonians : "Waiting," "Coming;" 2 Thes- salonians: "Man of Sin;" Timothy: "Doctrine;" "Sound Words;" Titus: "Profitable;" Philemon: "Receive;" He brews : "Better," "Greater ;" James : "Good Works ;" Peter : "Precious;" John: "Fellowship;" Jude: "Kept," "Pre served," "Presented;" Revelation: "Mystery." Ordinarily in each book itself, the word is suggested which is here given as a helpful key. How significant the emphasis, in Mark xiii:33, on that word — "watch" — which, with its Hebrew equivalents, is one of the emphatic words of all Scripture, the thought often recurring whefe the word does not (Prov. iv:23, Psalm cli:3). Out of the heart, primarily, and out of the mouth, secondarily, flow all life's issues and activities, never to be recalled, save for judgment; hence the duty of vigilance here. To trace this emphatic word will show various motives and directions of watchfulness: forbidden and dangerous ground, as in Matt, xxvi :4i ; foes, many and mighty, as in I Peter v:8, 9; thieves, as in Matt. xxiv:42-44; Luke xxi:34-36; i Thess. v:4-8; crises, as in i Peter iv:7; Mark xiii:33-37; Matt. xxv:i3. About three short and simple words, "Stand," "Walk," "Sit," all the practical truths of redemption. Christian priv ilege and duty cluster. "Stand" expresses a safe and sure position in contrast to an unsafe and unsound one, a judicial standing before God in Christ. "Walk" expresses conduct, the changing experience of passing from one duty, tempta tion and experience to another, but always in divine com panionship. "Sit" is expressive of a permanent cessation from effort and the quest of good, in an abiding rest and satisfaction in God. Comp,, Rom. v:i, 2; Gal. v:i6, 25; Colos. iii:i, 2. 140 XVII. LEADING PARAGRAPHS AND PASSAGES. X4I XVII. LEADING PARAGRAPHS AND PASSAGES. Beside prominent words and phrases, there are also more extended sayings and sentences, sometimes includ ing a whole paragraph, which are turning points in argu ment or the text of which what follows is the exposition and illustration. To become familiar with these invests all scripture with new meaning. These should be lodged in the memory for they have to do with the vvhole philoso phy of redemption, and always occur in circumstances that make them conspicuous. 143 XVII. LEADING PARAGRAPHS AND PASSAGES. THIS designed prominence is variously hinted, sometimes by the conspicuous place or position of a scripture passage at the head of a discourse, or of a whole section. In Exodus XX : I, 2, the authority of the whole Decalogue is made to rest upon one declaration: "And God spake all these words, saying:" And, further, that He who thus spake was the Jehovah of the Exodus, whose great deliverance of His people en titled Him to command, and obligated them to obey. Psalm Ixxxi ig, 10 is very nearly the literal center of the whole inspired word; in Bagster's Teacher's Bible it holds the middle place. It certainly is one of the great leading passages of scripture: Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee; O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange gods be in thee; Neither shalt thou worship any strange god. I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it. Here is another double shema — "Hear, O Israel !" Then follow two important double stanzas: the former an in junction against all idolatry; the latter an invitation to ap propriate large blessing. The metaphor is drawn from the young fledglings that in the nest stretch their beaks to the utmost capacity to take in the dainty morsel brought by the parent bird. Jehovah invites His people, shunning all wor ship of strange gods and compromise with them, to test to the utmost His power, wisdom and love. God's mercy is like water in a spring: man's supply is like the same water in a cup. How much each gets and drinks depends on the capacity of his vessel. To bring a large pitcher to be filled 143 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. assumes both a large abundance in the spring, and a large confidence in the heart of him who brings the vessel. Matthew vi :33 is one of the dominant texts, expounding a great law of life: Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, And all these things shall be added unto you. The substance of this is: Put first things in the first place; aim first of all to be like God and make others like Him, and He will take care of all lesser interests. The two great principles of God in His dealings with man are here indicated : I. Whenever the primary things are put in the primary place. He adds the secondary things without their being sought at all ; 2. Whenever the secondary things are put in the primary place, the primary are forfeited altogether and even the secondary may be. It is notable that "add" is a mathemati cal term, and implies something, already possessed — ^to be added to — and this implies that to seek the first things is to secure them, and it is to these that the secondary are added. The whole context is dominated by this thought of put ting first things in the first place — thought, affection, choice, being supremely fixed on the highest good, we shall not lay up treasures upon earth, nor lose singleness of aim, nor try to serve two masters, nor indulge anxious thought for the morrow. Another dominant passage of scripture is Matthew xvij 13-28, and its two most important suggestions may be con nected with two short leading words, "Rock" and "Re buke" : the rock is Peter's sublime confession of Christ ; the rebuke is that evoked by his concession to Satan. As to the rock, it is not the man but his message that is emphasized as the foundation upon which our Lord will build His church. Petros and Petra differ as a stone or piece of rock from the bedrock mass itself which alone fur nishes a foundation. This interpretation is confirmed by the historic fact that upon the very confession of the divine character and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ, the church actually was built, and has ever since stood firm only upon that basis. (Acts viii;37; Rom. x; i Cor. xii:3; i John iv:i5.) 144 LEADING PASSAGES'. After the council at Jerusalem (Acts xv) Peter disap pears from the church-horizon and Paul becomes the prom inent personage ; and it is quite as true that the church was founded on Paul as on Peter. But, frohi Pentecost on, Peter's confession continued to be the church symbol, the heart of its creed, and the standard of discipleship and cri terion of church membership. As to our Lord's rebuke, the substance of the lesson is contained in the two short mottoes — "Spare thyself" and . "Deny thyself" — ^the first was Peter's counsel to our Lord — the Devil's advice — and the second our Lord's counsel to Peter — ^the Saviour's own motto. Two texts, set side by side, are of paramount importance, John vi:28, 29, and xvi:9. iThe former shows the one sav ing work is believing on Jesus : the latter, the one damning sin is not believing. These brief sayings are meant to be dominant — and from them all may learn what is the one sin which incurs damnation, and what is the one and only good work which God either requires or accepts in order to salvation: "this is the work of God that ye believe on Him whom God hath sent." Seven words of our Lord — six in the original — are per haps as significant in their bearing upon holy living, as any other equal number ever spoken: "ye in me and I IN YOU." John xiv:20. This expression of mystic, corporate, double union be tween the disciple and his Lord was left to His last dis course before His crucifixion as the climax of all His teaching. What a paradox is here — a mutual abiding! for how can anything be at once in and out, contained and con taining? His parable is His explanation. Botanically it is true, for the vine and branch grow into each other, their fibres interpenetrating and interlocking. Such language suggests an element, like air, fire, water, earth, of all which it is true that they are in what is in them, as the fire is in the iron when the iron is in the fire. The order here is fixed: for He must be in us that we may be in Him, as the iron must first be in the fire if the fire is to be in the iron, or the bird in the air if the air is to be in the bird. How comprehensive these few words ! Here are the two sides or aspects of spiritual life: one concerns our being in 145 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. Christ, accepted, forgiven, justified, reconciled — our stand ing; the other concerns His being in us, the power and secret of holy hving — our state, and the standing in order to the state. So important are these few words that they are the index to the contents of all the twenty-one Epistles, which may be classified according to their relations to this in spired motto, setting forth one or both sides of this double truth. The sublime teachings of our Lord in His last discourse and prayer fall under one of these two heads : for example, "ye in me." "i in you." Access or approach to God. Abiding Life of God. xvii: xiv:6. 2, 3. Acquaintance with God. Manifestation of God. xiv:7-9. xiv:23. Acceptance in Prayer. "In Fruitfulness unto God. my name." xv:4, 8, 16. Apply the same analysis to the Epistles: Righteousness before God. Sanctification by the Holy Romans. Spirit. Corinthians. Exaltation to heavenly lev- Energy of transforming el. Ephesians. power. Galatians. Completeness — filled with Satisfaction in God. God. Colossians. Philippians. Victory over Death and the Preservation or Presenta- Devil. Thessalonians. tion. Jude. I Cor. iii: 14, 15 is a leading scripture. Nowhere else are we so plainly taught the difference between the salva tion of the man, and the salvation of his work. "Every be liever is a builder, and he cannot help it — and the great question is what sort of structure is he building. Even upon the one foundation which cannot be destroyed one may build worthless material — ^wood, hay, stubble, instead of gold, silver, precious stones. And when the fire tries every man's work, his work may be utterly burned while he himself escapes, so as by fire. I Cor. vi:i7. "He that is joined to the Lord is one spirit" is a short sentence of ten English words. Yet it suggests to us the highest possible unity between the dis ciple and his Lord. Many other forms are used to express 146 LEADING PASSAGES. this identification, but none approach this in the concep tion of inseparable oneness. The sheep may wander from the shepherd, the branch be cut off from the vine; the member be severed from the body, the child alienated from the father, and even the wife from the husband; but when two spirits blend in one, what shall part them? No out ward connection or union, even of wedlock, is so emphati cally expressive of perfect merging of two lives in one. 2 Cor. v.y. "We walk by faith, not by sight," though printed as a parenthesis, in our Enghsh version, is one of the leading passages of the scripture. It closes one para graph and begins another, and interprets both. From chapter iv:7, there has been a constant contrast presented between the seen and the unseen — the outward trials and the inward triumphs; the dying of the flesh and the life of the spirit; the affliction without, the compensation with in; the dissolution of the body and the introduction to the presence of the Lord. The always confidence is due to the fact that the walk is by faith, not sight; looking at the un seen and eternal rather than the seen and temporal. To get a thorough conception of the meaning of those seven words is to comprehend all that precedes. And so as to what follows. It has to do with the min istry of reconciliation, its motives, its dignity and its re ward. To walk by faith is to "practice the presence of God," and to do everything as His ambassadors, under His instructions, in His stead, for His approval. It is to keep in mind not the superficial and indecisive judgment of men but the judgment seat of Christ; not the temporal success but the eternal reward. Thus this simple saying reflects light both ways, backward and forward, upon the context. I Peter 1:10-12 is the leading scripture upon the purpose, character and limitations of prophecy. From it we learn : I. The prophets testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow. 2. They searched to find the meaning of their own pre dictions, uttering what was a mystery to themselves. 3. They were taught that it was mainly for future ages that they bore their testimony. Here three great questions are settled: first, the old 147 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. Testament predictions are messianic; whatever their sec ondary reference, their primary application is to Jesus of Nazareth ; second, so far were these predictions from being shrewd human conjectures that they were mysteries to those who spoke them; and, third, they could neither be understood nor fulfilled until after ages. What a number of mooted questions this one authoritative statement settles ! Whenever a circumstance or occurrence has a marked prominence in scripture, and especially where it gives occa sion for a new ordinance or signalizes a new departure it is to be very carefully noted. "As his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike. And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day." i Sam. xxx •.24-25. Comp. Numb, xxxi :i 1-27; Joshua xxii:8. When the unexpected spoil nearly proved the pretext for a serious quarrel, the selfishness and sordidness of the children of BeliaJ •laiming it all for the actual warriors vt-ho had been in the battle, David decreed that the two hundred whose faintness compelled them to tarry at the brook, Besor, should have a share of the booty. And this principle henceforth became "a statute and an ordinance for Israel," for all time to come. It had been already done on previous occasions by Moses and Joshua; but it did not pass into the form of a stated and fixed decree until now. Its bearing is universal, and affects the whole work of the church of God. All cannot engage in the actual battle at the front, as in the great contests on the home mission borders and the foreign mission field; but those who at home tarry with the stuff and guard the base of supplies shall share alike. 148 XVIII. SUMMARIES OF BIBLICAL TRUTH. 149 XVIII. SUMMARIES OF BIBLICAL TRUTH. From time to time inspired utterances rise above the common level even of leading passages of scripture like prominent peaks in a landscape; sometimes they com mand the cardinal points in the entire horizon of scrip ture. Some of these scripture summaries seem intended to supply a sort of compendium of divine teaching, brief, comprehensive, easily remembered and suited to the hum blest capacity. When found these should be carefully noted and it is well to commit them to memory. 150 XVIII. SUMMARIES OF BIBLICAL TRUTH. THE first conspicuous summary is Deut. vi:4, al ready referred to, as one of the leading pas sages of scripture. It is not easy to translate so as to preserve the full 'force of the ' original. These words form the beginning of what in the Jewish services is termed the shema ("Hear") and belong to the daily morning and evening services. They constitute the substance of the Jewish creed : "Jehovah, our Elohim — Jehovah one," Here the brevity and terseness rather impart emphasis and suggest a broad, deep meaning, because capable of so many different constructions. The stress mainly falls upon the word "one" which carries the idea of uniqueness as well as unity. Jehovah our God is the alone God — solitary, incomparable, inapproachable. This is not a statement of divine unity as against polytheism, nor of His revelation to Israel as contrasted with other manifestations of Him self ; but it means that Jehovah is the one self-existent, in dependent God, the one Being that is the cause of all and the effect of none. ^ The last letters of the first and last words in this He brew sentence are "majascula" — that is written larger than the rest, and together spelling the word ed, or "witness," and construed by the Jewish commentator as very signifi cant, implying that this is in substance the witness borne by the faithful, and a challenge to Jehovah to, bear His witness to them in turn. To convey some idea of the form in which the scribes wrote this brief credal declaration, a sort of paraphase may be given : "GivE heed, O Israel ! Jehovah one, our GoD." Hence not only the obligation to love such a God with the whole being, but to teach these words unto their child ren, to bind them for a sign upon the hand and as front lets between the eyes; to write them upon the door posts and gate posts, to be kept in sight and in mind. KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. The Jews literally kept this command. A small square of parchment inscribed with Deut. vi 14-9, and xi:i3-2i, was rolled up, enclosed in a small cylinder of wood or metal, and affixed to the right-hand post of every door in a Jewish house, a small hole being left in the enclosing cylinder, so that as the pious believer passes, he may touch the mesusah, with his finger or kiss it with his lips, and say, "The Lord shall preserve thy going out And thy coming in." Psalm cxxi :8. *These half-tones are kindly loaned by Funk & Wagnails puh- lishera of the "Jewish Encvclopedia." 152 SUMMARIES OF TRUTH. ^0;'7;j||;ffij Biblical summaries sometimes give the substance of a whole book in one sentence: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter." Eccles. xii: 14. Here the writer sums up his whole argu ment. "To fear God and keep His commandments," liter ally, "is the whole man," that is, here is the secret of a complete, well-rounded, symmetrical character. In the previous chapters, the author records five successive experi ments in the search of the highest good. All have been failures. He has been looking "under the sun," and all that is earthly is temporal and human and partial and im perfect. Only when he looked beyond the sun, at that which is eternal, divine, perfect, did he find the missing hemisphere which makes life, being, happiness, complete. Heaven is the complement of earth, the future, of the pres ent; God, of man; the final judgment, the corrective of all present inequalities and iniquities. In the beginning of the book of Proverbs we read that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge." Here we have the complementary truth, at the ending of Eccle siastes — that this fear of the Lord is the formative prin ciple giving perfection to character. Man, as "a religious animal," demands God as his correlative, and without faith toward God and holy obedience is forever incom plete. Micah vii : 18-20 is the grand summary of Divine Grace in the dealing with iniquity. It is at the conclusion of his prophecy, introduced by that august question which we have seen to be a sort of scripture landmark, and an echo of the prophet's own name "Micah" — "who is Jah !" This summary of Forgiving Grace is in three parts: I. The grace that Pardons Iniquity; (18) 2. The grace that subdues Iniquity; (19) 3. The grace that performs what it promises. (20) The comprehensiveness of this is apparent: the first is the assurance of mercy to the guilty instead of judgment; the second, of deliverance to the tempted when sins of the IS3 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. past pursue like malignant foes; and the third, of inheri tance of covenant promise, when discouragements and dif ficulties suggest despair. And there is evidently a reference to the three typical stages of Hebrew history: the Passing by the Blood-stained doors; the Passing through the Red Sea; and the Passing over the Jordan. Isaiah xlv:22. Look unto me. And be ye Saved! All the ends of the Earth ! For I am God: And there is none else. This is one of the great Scripture landmarks, one of perhaps a score of texts that, Hke John iii:i6, contain the essence of the gospel message in a few words. Here are only about twenty words, and yet they tell us all we need. to know about God's Salvation. For example: I. It is simplicity: "Look." 2. Its Sufficiency : "Look unto Me." 3. Its Sublimity : "And be ye Saved." 4. Its Universality: "All the ends of the Earth." 5. Its Security: "For I am God." 6. Its Singularity: "And there is none Else." 7. Its Perpetuity : "An everlasting Salvation." Verse 17. Or it may be put in another form: I. The Greatest Good, "Salvation." 2. The Largest Number, "All." 3. The Surest Warrant, "I am God." 4. The Simplest Terms, "Look unto me." 5. The Farthest Reach, "Ends of earth." 6. The Narrowest Range, "There is none Else." 7. The Quickest Result, "Look and Live." God offers Man Salvation; but He only can Save; and We need only to Look. This text is linked with the conversion of C. H. Spur- geOn. In the little primitive Methodist chapel at Colchester 154 SUMMARIES OF TRUTH. he heard from an unknown and unlettered man this very message, and that morning he looked and lived. John iii:i6 is another similar summary, "the Gospel in miniature." Here are at least seven great truths, almost identical with those of Isaiah xlv:22. I. The greatest of gifts: God gave His only begotten Son. 2. The greatest of numbers: "The world." Whosoever. 3. The greatest of blessings : "Everlasting life." 4. The greatest of deliverances: "Might not perish." 5. The greatest motive: "God so loved." 6. The greatest security: "God." 7. The greatest simplicity: Whosoever believeth. Romans v:i-5. Justification: its privileges and results. I. Peace with God — ^the peace of reconciled relations. 2. A new standing before God — permanent acceptance. 3. A new access to God, by faith with freedom. 4. A new joy in God — rejoicing in hope. 5. A new glory — even in tribulation. 6. A new process of sanctification begun. 7. A new experience — patience, love, etc. Another of these "little gospels" illustrates the summaries of truth. Romans x :8-io. Paul calls it "the word of faith which we preach," that is its whole substance, and it in cludes two things : a heart belief and a mouth confession. The belief centers on the resurrection, not the crucifix ion, for a dead Christ could not save, and the stress of the New Testament is on the risen one. Rom. iv:25; I Cor. XV., etc. Note also that faith is unto righteousness, but confes sion is unto salvation, which includes more than justifica tion. When we add testimony to belief, we rise to a higher plane: a faith that constrains to no witness finds no de velopment. To suppress testimony by silence is to stifle the new life. Observe also how the simple secret of world-wide mis sions is here hinted: the hearing ear prepares for the be- 155 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. lieving heart and the believing heart for the confessing mouth; and the confessing mouth prepares for another hearing ear, believing heart and confessing mouth. Here is the hint of a true and endless "apostolic succession" of hearing, faith and testimony; and he who hears and be lieves not, or who believing, witnesses not, drops out of the succession and knows not the higher "Salvation." Paul sums up the work of Christ in one brief sentence: "Who of God is made unto us Wisdom and Righteousness and Sanctification and Redemption." i Cor. 1:30. Here at a glance we take in the fourfold work of our Lord for us. He is judicially "made," or constituted all that these words imply and in the order here given. I. Wisdom from God — which is the preferable render ing. Paul writing to the Greeks who boasted of their wis dom, declares that Christ is wisdom from God, in com parison v/ith whom the wisdom of this world is foolishness and tTie princes of this world, nought. He imparts to us knowledge of God and of self and is Himself the truth. 2. Righteousness. He becomes . to us an all-sufficient righteousness, justification, giving us a new standing be fore God, and an imputed righteousness, which gives peace with Him, access to Him, and assurance of glory with Him. 3. Sanctification. In Christ we are assured of a holy state as well as a righteous standing. By the indwelling Spirit, every believer is constituted a temple of God and transformed from one degree of grace and glory to an other. 4. Redemption. This expresses the final goal — a resur rection of the body, a complete deliverance of soul and spirit from all the power and presence of sin, and introduc tion of body and spirit, united, into the perfected home above. The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews writes: "Now of the things we have spoken, this is the sum" — "chief point," or "crowning point." He then proceeds to give in forty words the substance of all his argument. "We have a divine High Priest, now throned in Heaven, and ministering iti our behalf in the true and Heavenly IS6 SUMMARIES OF TRUTH. Tabernacle." The old priesthood was on earth, and the old tabernacle was for a season, but now the type is swal lowed up in the antitype and prototype. And this sum mary comes about the middle of the Epistle, like the cap stone of a pyramid with the lines slanting in both direc tions, toward the beginning and end. 2 Peter i:i6-2i is the grand summary of the evidences of Christianity, which prove to a believer that he has not "followed cunningly devised fables." I. The testimony of the Transfiguration. 2. The witness of Prophetic Prediction. 3. The experimental proof, the day dawn in the heart. These bear indefinite expansion and are all-comprehen sive. The Old Testament portrait of our Lord Jesus Christ leaves no room for candid doubt, the word of prophecy, given as a light in the darkness. The New Tes tament manifestation of the Deity and glory of the Son of God culminates in the Transfiguration when for the first and only time Christ's glory was unveiled. Then when the day dawns in a conscious experience of Redemption in the heart, the Day Star rises, the last of the night, and the first of the morning, the darkness being past and the true light now shining. These three forms of proof are closely related: the first is God's witness to His Son; the second, the actual combined testimony of the Son to Himself and the Father to Him; and the last, the testimony of the be liever's own personal life. Such summaries have been called "little bibles," or "lit tle gospels." And it is recommended to every reader to make his own selection and collection. A few more, be side those already mentioned, may be indicated as a guide. Genesis xv:6. Believing, and Imputation of Righteous ness. Habakkuk ii -.4. Faith and Justification. Isaiah liii:6-7. The Sole Source of Salvation. John 111:36. Believing and Everlasting Life. xiv:23. Love, obedience and manifestation of God. XV :7. Abiding in Christ and Power in Prayer. Acts ii:38. The Pentecostal Gospel. 157 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. Romans viii:i-2. In Christ Jesus justified and made free. xii :i-2. The Self Presentation and Separation of the Believer. 2 Corinth. vii:i. The self-cleansing of flesh and spirit. Galatians ii:2o. Crucifixion with Christ and Life in Him. Philippians iv:6-7. The Refuge from care in prayer. Titus ii:ii-i4. The grace that bringeth Salvation. Hebrews xii :i-2. The attitude of the Christian Racer. I John iii -.2, 3. The now and hereafter of saints. v:20. The Knowledge of God and Life Eternal. is8 XIX. MARKED RECURRENCE OF LIKE LANGUAGE. IS9 XIX. MARKED RECURRENCE OF LIKE LANGUAGE. Certain prominent words, phrases and sentences, meant to be emphatic, recur conspicuously, never without a purpose. In cases where such v^ords or phrases are found but twice, it is usually, if not uniformly, either for con firmation, completion or contrast; where thrice or more, for progress of thought by successive additions, as also in recurrence of ideas where language may vary. Prob ably not a single case of such verbal recurrence can be found which does not illustrate this rule. i6o XIX. MARKED RECURRENCE OF LIKE LANGUAGE. WE should not only note what special words and terms the Spirit chooses and uses, but with what comparative frequency, whether once, twice, thrice or oftener. Especial meaning usually attaches to what is rare or exceptional, found but seldom and then in some conspicuous relation, or recurring at stated intervals like a refrain in a poem or a musical composition. The recurrence of the noun "passover," or kindred verb, "pass over," is very significant. Compare Exodus xii:ii, 12, 23, 27; xiii: 16, 22; xv:i6. Hebrews xi:29, etc. The word, passover, first occurs in connection with Jacob's passing over the river Euphrates, in fleeing from Laban (Gen. xxxi:2i), and recurs when he passed over Jordan; but its first highly significant use is when the Hebrews were exempted from death, in the last of the Egyptian plagues. As the two previous instances suggest a passing over from one place to another, this is also the thought in Ex odus xii: 13: Jehovah, seeing the blood, passing over the threshold into the house, taking possession, becoming, as it were, the household Head, and a fellow pilgrim, stranger and sojourner with His people (Psalm xxxix:i2). Hence His claim upon the first born as special heritage of the new Head of the house. It was more than passing through the land or passing by the blood sprinkled door posts, when Jehovah passed over the threshold into the house, in token of covenant relations and fellowship. We have other significant passings over; as at the Red Sea. where Jehovah opened a path through the place of Death and Judgment, and Israel passed over from one side to the other, a type of passing over through Death into Resurrection — which the "Egyptians assaying to do were drowned" (Hebrews xi:29), another very significant fact, 161 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. for the unbeliever, passing indeed into death, passes not through and over into resurrection life, but is drowned in death. At the Jordan again Israel passes over from the Eastern and wilderness side into the Western or Canaan side — a type of consecration and separation in, and appro priation of the promises. Thus the three Passovers stand respectively as types of emancipation and deliverance from Judgment penalty, identification with Christ in Death and Resurrection, and appropriation of the Promises of Grace ; and, taken together, embrace the whole experience of the believer. Thus the first passover of the Exodus stands for Pro tection from the Destroyer, Jehovah's Proprietorship of the Redeemed, and their Fellowship with Him in Pilgrim age; the Passover at the Red Sea, for conquest over sin ful habit and every foe. Death included ; and the Passover at the Jordan, for full present Rest, and Possession of the Promises and privileges of the Believer. There are three conspicuous references to the vine (Isaiah v:i-7; Psalm lxxx:8-i9; John xv:i-i6). The first empha sises God's care for His vine and His disappointment at its wild grapes; the second, its desolation under the rav ages of foes; the third, the secrets of growth and fertility in union with Christ. Mortify is found but twice (Rom. viii:i3; Colos. iii:i5). It means to make a corpse of, implying that, having judicially died with Christ, all that pertains to the "old man" — the former sinful self and life — should be given over to death, actually and practically (Rom. vi:i9; vii:5. Gal. v:24, 25). When the "members," so to be mortified, are specified, the first four of the five refer to various forms of sensual appetite, showing how hostile this is to spiritual hfe: im purity, with covetousness, thus cover nearly the whole array of carnal foes. And, if these members are not killed, they kill — if not put to death, they spread death ; practical ly, therefore, it is a choice between living and dying unto God and holiness — death to the flesh or death to the spirit. The word "panoply," translated "whole armor," or "all his armor," is found but twice (Ephesians vi:ii-i3; Luke xi:22). Further search shows a designed contrast in this case ; in 162 RECURRENCE OF LANGUAGE. one case the panoply is that with which God clothes Saints, to resist the Devil ; in the other it is panoply with which the Devil clothes the sinner, that he may fight against God; and further meditation will suggest something in each of the sinner's various pieces of armor that corresponds to those of the Saint : The Helmet of Salvation is contrasted with a Delusive Hope. The Breastplate of Righteousness is contrasted with a proud Self-righteousness. The Girdle of Truth is contrasted with Lies, Deception. The Sandals of Alacrity are contrasted with Procrastina tion. The Shield of Faith is contrasted with Unbelief. The Sword of the Spirit — the Word of God — is con trasted with the word of Man. The word, "centurion," in the New Testament, occurs twenty-four times, and always, save in one case (Acts xxvii:ii), favorably. Four centurions are conspicuous. He, whose faith the Lord so commended; he who, at the crucifixion, confessed to Christ's Deity ; he, at whose palace occurred the Pentecostal outpouring; and he who was con nected with the shipwreck, in the Mediterranean, and whose mediation saved Paul (Comp. Matt. viii:5-i3, xxvii :54; Acts x:27). Is there no practical lesson in all this? The Jews being under the Roman yoke, were tempted to despise and hate whatever was Roman. Yet, here were Rome's representa tives, having authority over large bands of soldiers, to keep the Jews in subjection, yet showing real nobility, and sham ing them by their treatment of the Messiah whom the Jews rejected and of the disciples whom they persecuted ! One of them shov/ed a great faith not found even in Israel; the alms and prayers of another went up for a memorial before God ; the confession of another was boldly made to the fact that Christ was truly the Son of God, when even disciples forsook Him and fled and He hung upon a cross between thieves ; and other centurions interposed to save Paul from the scourge, from conspiracies against his life and from death as a prisoner. How delicate the indirect rebuke of bigotry and racial hatred, and the lesson of tolerance and impartiality of judgment. 163 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. There is frequent and gracious mention of the Samaritans. Instance the good Samaritan, whose merciful ministry is contrasted with the apathy of priest and Levite; the Samari tan among the ten lepers, the only one who returned to give thanks; the Samaritan woman who found the Saviour at the well and forgot her water pot in her zeal to save souls ; the Samaritans who, in such throngs, welcomed the ministry and message of Philip (Luke x:33, xvii:i6; John iv; Acts viii). Surely deep wells are here if one has something to draw with, a long enough rope of research, and a large enough vessel of charity! Five times, in the Epistles of Peter, the word "End" re curs. I Peter i -.g. "Receiving the end of your faith, the salva tion of your souls." I Peter i:i3. "Hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought," etc. I Peter iv -.y. "The end of all things is at hand." I Peter iv:i7. "What shall the end be of them that obey not the Gospel?" 2 Peter ii:20. "The latter end is worse with them than the beginning." Around these uses of this one word, END, much of the teaching of these epistles gathers ! Toward one universal end moves the whole creation, phys ical and moral. Evil moves on toward its consummation in anti-christ, and good likewise to its consummation in Christ. The evil development includes some, from the nominal church of Christ, as well as the whole world of the ungodly that lieth in the wicked one, and all evil angels who are re served unto the same final judgment of perdition. The good development includes all true believers, good angels, and "the whole creation;" only that, while sinners among men and fallen angels are involved in the same condemna tion, saints and angels do not share the same salvation or exaltation ; for the saints, now "a little lower than angels," atthe end rise higher than they, through their identification with the Lord Jesus Christ as Redeemer. The phrase "Dead Works" occurs only twice, in both cases in the same Epistle (Hebrews vi:i and ix:i4) 1 '^^ the 164 RECURRENCE OF LANGUAGE. first instance, used of the unregenerate, in the second of the regenerate. "Dead vvorks " differ from either wicked works or good works, as "wild fruit " does from good fruit or bad fruit ; as the wild fruit has the form and appearance of the good, without its flavor and savor, so dead works, while having more or less of the appearance of good works, lack life. Therefore even doling out goods to feed poverty and giving the body to the flames are pronounced unprofitable, because not prompted by that love which is the life of all true service (i Cor. xiii: 1-3). Dead works should be studied in connection with Num bers xix, where the ordinance of the red heifer is found, to which Hebrews iv:i3 refers. The red heifer was the ap pointed remedy for contact with the dead or death, in every form. He that would serve the living God must not bring to Him dead works. "The body without the spirit is dead" (Jas. ii:26). God cannot be imposed upon by externals. The word, kataphileo, translated "kissed," — ^meaning to kiss repeatedly and caressingly— is found but four times in the New Testament (Matt. xxvi:49; Luke vii:38; xv:2o; Acts yiyi:2i7), and these instances are representative and ex haustive, the father's kiss of welcome, the penitent's kiss of gratitude, the friend's kiss of farewell, and the traitor's kiss of betrayal ; in three cases Love's sign, and, in the fourth, its damnable prostitution. Note the phrase "stand still." The earliest lesson on this subject: "Stand still and see the Salvation of the Lord," is in Exodus xiv:i3. For the first time men were taught the virtue of standing still in a great crisis of danger to witness the Lord's deliverance. But here a permanent • lesson is taught, of which other representative and illus trative instances are found in subsequent times; indeed, at every great emergency, this policy is again inculcated, as for example, at Kadesh Barnea (Numb. xiv:9), and on the verge of entrance into Canaan (Deut. xx:i-4) ; and when the Syrians encompassed Elisha (2 Kings vi:i6). To Je- hoshaphat Jahaziel repeated these very words, when the Ammonites and Moabites massed their forces to drive the Jews out of their inheritance (2 Chron. xx:i5-i7), and when the Assyrians came against Hezekiah the lesson was i6s KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. repeated. (2 Chron. xxxii :20, 21 ; Isa. xxxvii :i4-37). The numerous instances in the apostolic age find their key here. The lesson is that in all such cases the Battle is not ours but God's. We are not to depend upon ourselves nor on our fellow man, but "let God fight for us." "Our strength is to sit still" (Isa. xxx:y). One of the foremost lessons of the New Testament, es pecially after the Day of Pentecost revealed man's com plete dependence upon the Holy Spirit, is that in all matters pertaining to our witness, work and the warfare for God, we are to renounce all our own wisdom, strength and energy, and simply let God have His way. Our Lord's last injunction was, "Tarry ye, until ye be endued with power from on high ;" and ten days were spent in quietly waiting for God to work. At every succeeding crisis in the apostolic church, there was the same simple dependence upon Him. When the Sanhedrim forbade the disciples to speak at all or teach in the name of Jesus, under threat of persecution, they went to their own company, and with one accord committed to God the whole matter: "And now. Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word by stretching forth Thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of Jesus." And when they had prayed the very place of assembly was shaken (Acts iv:29, 30). And so in all that follows. The angel of the Lord opened prison doors, the Philippian jail was shak en by an earthquake; Herod, the persecutor, smitten with death, as Elymas, the Sorcerer, was with blindness ; and in face of every danger and difficulty the infant church, stand ing still, saw God work in His might. There are four or five special forms or phases of truth as to which men would crave and need instruction: Faith, Love, Hope, Good Works, and the danger of spiritual de clension. Each of these has a prominent human exponent. Paul is especially the Apostle of Faith, Peter of Hope, John of Love, James of good works; and Jude warns against apostasy. Thus each follows his own natural bent, and in so doing fills out the design of the Holy Spirit, that each aspect of truth and duty shall have its presentation. 166 3CX. THE REFRAIN AND CHORUS IN SCRIPTURE. 167 XX. THE REFRAIN AND CHORUS IN SCRIPTURE. Special importance attaches to recurrence of the same sentences, when repeated at intervals, and marking the close of a stanza or strophe in a song or poem, or a section or division, in an argument or discourse. Such phrases or strains, which are called refrains, are to be carefully studied, whenever and wherever found, for they will prove to have some close relation to the truth set forth, either as summaries of what precedes or as indicat ing the conclusion of a paragraph, or a department of the treatment of a subject. i68 XX. THE REFRAIN AND CHORUS IN SCRIPTURE. REFRAINS may be divided into four main classes, of which a few examples follow : I. Choral, dividing a poem into successive stanzas ; 2. Terminal, indicating the divisions in a book; 3. Ethical, gathering up and repeating some moral lesson ; 4. Musical, occurring at pauses in a sacred chant or song. Sometimes a refrain serves more than one purpose at the same time, and there are some cases in which they rise to the level of the sublime. In a few instances, they form an introduction and conclusion to a section: at the beginning forecasting the object of what follows ; then at the end re affirming the principle or law stated, in view of the consid erations presented. In Exodus viii: 10, Moses says to Pharoah: "There is none Hke unto Jehovah, our God." This grand, sententious declaration, here first made, is perhaps the leading refrain of all Scripture, and most fre quently recurs in almost the same exact form. For instance it superbly reappears in that poem of vic tory, the triumphant chant of Miriam at the Red Sea: "Who, O Jehovah, is like unto Thee among the gods ! Who is like unto Thee ! Glorious in holiness. Fearful in praises. Doing wonders!" (Exodus xv:ii.) Here the august saying of Moses is repeated as an ex clamation by Miriam, and its meaning expanded. There is none like Jehovah, in the Majesty of His Holiness, none so worthy of reverent worship and praise, none capable of such wonder working displays of power. 169 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. From time to time that refrain recurs, and it is a lesson in grace to observe the great occasions when it is again heard, to study the connection, and to note the special di vine attributes and aspects of the divine glory successively set forth. For instance, in Psalm xxxv:io: "All my bones shall say, "Lord, who is like unto Thee!" Here Jehovah is praised as the Deliverer of the poor and afflicted. Again, in Psalm lxxi:i9: "O, God! Who is like unto Thee!" Here the special reference is to His righteousness and greatness. Again, in Psalm cxiii:s, 6: "Who is like unto the Lord, our God !" In this case it is a tribute to His condescension in mercy and grace. In Isaiah xl:i8, 25: "To whom, then, will ye liken God !" Here is a divine challenge to the heathen to produce any rival object of worship, or any thing worthy of comparison with Him, a rebuke of all idolatry and polytheism. In Micah vii:i8: "Who is a god Hke unto Thee !" In this, the last recurrence of this exclamation, we may find its highest application. The question, "Who is like Jah?" is a play on the name Micah, which means this, as Malachi means "My Messenger." Micah's interrogation plainly refers back to the wonders of the Exodus. He is exalting and extolling the wonders of Grace in forgiveness, in subduing the power of sin, and in keeping covenant (see verses 18-20). Here are plain references to the passing over of the blood-sprinkled houses; then, the turning again of God, like a master general fling ing his columns backward upon pursuing foes to overwhelm them with destruction at the Red Sea, and finally, to the covenant promises, sworn to Abraham and confirmed to 170 REFRAIN AND CHORUS. Jacob, which explain Jehovah's subsequent dealings with His people. If to these instances of the Interrogation, we add the nu merous recurrences of the original affirmation, "There is none like unto Jehovah," we shall see, still more clearly, how important is that saying or the truth it embodies. Compare Deut. iii :24 ; xxxiii :26 ; i Samuel ii :2 ; 2 Sam. vii :22 ; 1 Kings viii :23 ; Psalm Ixxxvi :6-8 ; Isaiah xlvi :8, 9 ; Jeremiah x:6-i6; xlix:i9, etc.) Thus an exclamation twice found in the earliest of all Biblical Psalms — ^the Song of Moses at the Red Sea- echoes like a thunder peal among the mountains, at critical* points in Old Testament history, only with this difference that, while echoes in nature become fainter with each new reverberation or repetition, the echoes in Scripture grow louder and clearer as they recur. And as we stand and listen to echo after echo, we feel more and more the incom parable majesty, infinity, holiness of Jehovah and are in spired with awe and adoration. Another example of refrain is found first in Exodus xx :2 : "I am Jehovah, thy God, Which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, Out of the house of bondage." This connects the name of Jehovah with this signal act of deliverance which was the beginning of the national history as a redeemed and separate people. It conspicuously reap pears in Leviticus xix :36 ; Numbers xv :4i ; Deut. v :6 ; Psalms Ixxxi :io, etc. In fact, it is the most frequently re peated of all Scripture sentences. It suggests what may be called the Old Testament standard of measurement. When ever, in any emergency, the Lord would remind His people both of His power and love. He referred them back to the Exodus, so that this became a sort of secondary name of Je hovah, a historic designation, identifying the great Deliverer with the covenant God. This association of the name of Jehovah with the fame of the Exodus is found hundreds of times between the event and the end of the prophetic Scrip tures ; and at each new repetition serves some new purpose, to add sanction to God's law, majesty to His authority, ter ror to His judgments, grandeur to His covenant condescen sion, or glory to His gracious promises and invitations. 171 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. In the Psalms, each of the five books closes with a sort of terminal refrain. "Blessed be Jehovah, God of Israel, From everlasting and to everlasting! Amen and amen!" (xh:i3). "Blessed be Jehovah, God, the God of Israel! Amen and amen!" (Ixxii:i8, 19). "Blessed be Jehovah, for evermore ! Amen and amen!" (xc:52). "Blessed be Jehovah, God of Israel From everlasting to everlasting ! And let all the people say Amen ! Praise ye Jehovah!" (cvi:48). "Let every thing that hath breath Praise Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah!" (cl:6). Beside the recurrence of the refrain, there is a steady ad vance in thought, as seen in the changes and modifications in the refrain, and the expansion of its meaning and appli cation. From time to time special local refrains occur, as in those companion psalms, xlii, xliii, which open Book II. "Why art thou cast down, O my soul ?" etc. This occurs thrice, at almost equal intervals (xlii:5, 11; xliii :5). And, when repeated, made more emphatic by considera tions presented in the interval, and in the second and third cases adding "and my God." Psalms xlv has its own refrain : "Jehovah of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah." (Verses 7, 11.) Isaiah is rich in refrains : "Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. For all this His anger is not turned away : But His hand is stretched out still." (Isaiah v:25; ix:i2, 17, 21; x:4.) These five repetitions indicate links of connection in his 172 REFRAIN AND CHORUS. utterances. Each recurrence seems to hint that, notwith standing all that has taken place, something more and great er is coming. But Isaiah's most conspicuous refrain is that which oc curs at the close of chapter xlviii. "There is no peace, saith Jehovah to the wicked !" This recurs at the close of chapter Ivii, "My God" being substituted for "Jehovah." Then, in the closing chapter (lxvi:24) : "Their worm shall not die. Neither shall their fire be quenched," which expands and explains with awful emphasis the re frain. There is no peace to the wicked, for God's retribu tive fire is without and the undying worm of an accusing conscience within. But further than this, these last twenty-seven chapters — the great Messianic poem of the Old Testament, are divided into three equal sections, of nine chapters each, by this re frain — one of the most remarkable instances in Scripture, where such a refrain serves all purposes at once, choral, musical, ethical and terminal. In Matthew xix:30, and xx:i6 occurs a repetition of the same sentiment in almost the same words: "Many shall be last that are first, and first that are last." "So the last shall be first and the first last." The latter saying is exactly the former, only the order of words is inverted. This is one of the cases in which the refrain serves to show the proper bounds of the paragraph. There should be here no chapter division, for this proverbial utterance, immediately preced ing and following the parable of the laborers in the vine yard, enunciates the principle of which that parable is the illustration, and, to make it the more emphatic, it both pre faces and concludes the parable. The connection is very striking. After the rich young man, unwilling to leave all to follow Christ, turned away sorrowful, Peter, no doubt, in a self- complacent and somewhat boastful spirit, said, "Lo, we have left all and followed Thee ; what shall we have therefore ?" If we mistake not there was a little disposition both to brag and grab. And our Lord uses this parable as a gentle re- 173 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. buke, reminding the disciples that some who are first in their own eyes may be last in His, and those who are last in expectation and conscious merit, may prove first in reali zation and reward. The consciousness of self-denial and the spirit that glories in it seriously impair its value. When we are absorbed in Him, years of toil and trial for His sake seem as but a few days for the love we bear Him, as it was with Jacob when he served for Rachel. Self-surrender is close akin to self-oblivion, and a passion for God and souls leads us to a heroism that takes no count of its sacrifices. To impress this thought our Lord therefore first utters the proverb, then enforces it by a parable and then repeats it that the principle may get emphasis, and its setting may lend it impressiveness. In John xiv: I, 27, is perhaps the most significant illustra tion of the relation of these repetitions of language to the discourse which lies between. Our Lord, observing how at the hint of His withdrawal, sorrow has filled their heart, says to His disciples, "Let not your heart be troubled." At the close of this section of His farewell address, exact ly the same words are repeated. "Let not your heart be troubled," and in this case He adds, "neither let it be afraid." Between these two similar sayings, lie the reasons why they should not be thus troubled. If the intermediate teaching be carefully followed, it will be seen that He hints •at four classes of troubles and their remedies : I. Problems of Creation and Providence. "Believe in God." 2. Problems of Sin and Salvation. "Believe in Me." 3. Problems of Death and the Hereafter. "Believe in the father's House." 4. Problems of Present Daily Need. "Believe in the Holy Ghost." Thus, having shown that faith has a solution and solace ready for every form of perplexity and anxiety. He not only repeats the words with which He began, but adds, "neither let your heart be apprehensive." As the two verbs in the first verse are exactly the same IQ 174 REFRAIN AND CHORUS. the original, no reason is apparent why in one case they" should be translated by an indicative and in the other by an imperative ; in both cases the imperative seems most natur al. "Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; be lieve also in Me." To some heart anxieties, the Fatherhood of God is the answer; to others the mediation of the Son; to others, the fact that the whole universe is the Father's House, and that we are never out from under His roof; even death being only moving from a lower to a higher man sion or abiding place in the same universal House. And, when to all other perplexities is added the anxiety as to our daily strength for duty and trial, our Lord reminds us that in the Indwelling Spirit we are to have Heaven brought down to earth, and earth brought in constant con tact and communion with heaven — communion with both Father and Son, and supplies of all needed Grace, strength and consolation, while as yet sojourning here and awaiting His return to claim His own. m XXL THOUGHTS WHICH TRANSCEND ALL SPEECH. 177 XXI. THOUGHTS WHICH TRANSCEND ALL SPEECH. God could speak to men without finite speech proving at times too poor and narrow for infinite thought. At times the words, drawn from human experience, will be found too circumscribed for divine uses, and resort will be had to figures of speech, seeming exaggeration, superla tives and double superlatives, and words piled on words, in a vain attempt to convey what is too vast for its vehicle. We must therefore learn to think of terrestrial tongues as inadequate to express celestial conceptions. 178 XXI. THOUGHTS WHICH TRANSCEND ALL SPEECH. A FEW forms may be cited, in which these things, hard to be uttered, or understood, appear in Scripture: I. Attempts to define or describe the Infinite God. 2. The use of words which are untranslatable. 3. The compound verbs, used of Christ's union with be lievers. 4. The superlatives and hyperboles employed. 5. The sublime climaxes which suggest the unspeakable. 6. The multiplication of figurative forms of speech. There are six definitions of God, Who is so complex that no one definition can suffice. Psalms xxxvi -.g — "With Thee, O God, is the fountain of Life." James i iiy — "The Father of Lights." I John i:5— "God is Light." I John iv:8-i6 — "God is love." John iv — "God is a Spirit." Hebrews xii :g — "Father of Spirits." Taking these passages together, He is Life, Light and Love= — all in one — somewhat as the sun sends forth life in the blue ray, light in the yellow, heat in the red, but all united in the one sunbeam of glory. He is essentially a spirit, invisible and disembodied, and the Father of all spir itual Being, Some words are untranslatable and we have to resort to transliteration, which is transferring the word as nearly as possible into another tongue, letter for letter, as for in stance, "Abba," "Jehovah," "Hallelujah," "Selah," etc. Sab- batismos is one of these untranslatable words. It occurs 179 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. but once (Hebrews iv:9), and is translated "rest," and usu ally taken to mean an eternal rest, or Sabbath keeping with God, which is no doubt its highest sense. But, as used in this connection, it has a specific meaning. It occurs in the midst of an argument proving a present rest, not in heaven, but on earth, into which God would have all behevers enter now by faith and of which Canaan, the earthly inheritance of His people, was a type and forecast. Into this rest be lievers enter by ceasing from their own works as God did from His. Probably to render this word Sabbatism would be a great advance, transliterating instead of translating. There was among the Hebrews a most elaborate Sabbatic system, as may be seen by comparing Genesis ii. Numbers xxv, Deut. XV, Daniel ix. Rev. xx, etc. It was built up in a sevenfold structure, which is em bodied in the very framework of the Old Testament. There was first a seventh day of rest, then a rest of the seventh week, month, year, seven-times-seventh year, seventy-times- seventh, or four hundred and ninetieth year ; and a dim fore cast of a final Sabbatic thousand years — the Millennium. The "Sabbatism," here for the first and only time mentioned and represented by one word, probably included all these and what they separately and together signify and typify. Each seems to stand for some form of rest, from labor, care, selfish and sordid dispositions, exacting and vindictive tem pers, and works of legalism, and together constitute the Sabbatism of God, the rest of subdued sin, banished anxiety, reconciled relations, peace with Him and fellowship with man, justification, sanctification, service, self-oblivious love; and in a word, the days of Heaven on earth. Compound verbs, of uncommon force, are used to ex press the believer's identity with his Lord. The plain design is to represent all His leading human experiences as involving the disciple in a joint relation and kindred experience. To convey this most vividly, some twenty-five different compounds are selected, most of which have no equivalents in single English words, so that we lose the close identity so expressed by these compounds. For instance, there are eiarht words that convey the fact of this identity — translated, "Crucified with Him," "Die with i8o THOUGHTS TRANSCENDING LANGUAGE. Him," "Buried with Him," "Planted together," "Raised up together," "Sit together," "Reign with Him," "Glorified to gether," etc. (Gal. ii:2o; 2 Tim. ii:ii, 12; Rom. vi:4, 5; Eph. ii:6; Rom. viii: 17). There are other words referring to common intercourse, translated, "come together," "gather together," "assemble together," "sit together," "talk together", etc., and yet others referring to results of such identity, such as "live with Him," "suffer with Him," "work together," etc. These are all compound words and not phrases in the original; and for only four or five are there any English equivalents. We can say "co-work," "convene," "consult," "co-heirs," etc., but not "co-die," "co-rise," "co-reign." . In some cases superlatives are used, and even piled up hke mountain upon mountain, in a vain attempt to express the inexpressible. This is one of the most fascinating de partments of Bible study. Paul's writings especially abound in these superlatives, and most of all, the Epistles to the Ephesians and Colos sians, where are to be found the mountain peaks of the New Testament. It is here that we meet such expressions as "the exceeding greatness of His power;" "the working of the strength of His might ;" "far above all rule, and authori ty and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come ; tne exceeding riches of His Grace in His kindness toward us ;" "the unsearchable riches of Christ;" "the manifold wisdom of God ;" "to know the love of Christ which passeth knov.;!- edge, that ye may be filled with all the fulness of God;" "able to do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think," etc. It is very plain that the writer finds his theme too trans- cendently great to be crowded into the narrow compass of human words, and vainly seeks to stretch the meaning -so as to make it more comprehensive by joining word to word, each of itself a superlative. Man's superlatives are sometimes signs of weakness, care lessness, excitement. But God's superlatives, instead of going beyond, fall short of truth. They show both the poverty of earthly speech and the riches of heavenly thought, hinting 181 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. an overflowing fulness of conception which no chalice of language can contain. We give some biblical examples of superlatives : The verb, hyperballo and the noun, hyperbole, as applied to divine things and matters pertaining to redemption, are not easily translated. They really convey the idea of throw ing or shooting beyond a given mark or limit, and hence the notion of surpassing excellence, a sort of excess ; not ex aggeration, like the English word, hyperbole, but rather something that passes the limit of language, defying descrip tion. There are in all thirteen cases of the use of this verb or noun. I. Rom. vii: 13, "That sin might become exceeding (or excessively) sinful." 2. i Cor. xi:3i, "And yet show I unto you a more excellent way" — cultivate love. 3. 2 Cor. i:8, "We were pressed out of measure." 4. 2 Cor. iii:io, "By reason of the glory that excelleth." 5. 2 Cor. iv -.y, "That the excellency of the Power may be of God." 6. 2 Cor. iv:i7, "Worketh for us a far more exceeding weight of glory" — (here the word is twice used). 7. 2 Cor. ix:i4, "The exceeding grace of God in you." 8. 2 Cor. xi:23, "In stripes above measure." 9. 2 Cor. xii:7, "Through the abundance of the revelations." 10. Gal. i:i3, "Beyond measure I persecuted the church of God." 11. Ephes. i:i9, "The exceeding greatness of His power." 12. Ephes. ii:7, "The exceeding riches of His grace." 13. Ephes. iii:i9, "The love of Christ, which passeth knowledge." Oassifying these cases, we have the following significant result : I. God's view of sin: It passes all description for its guilt, enormity, and deformity. And so does the enlightened soul see sin — as Paul saw his persecuting violence. 2. God's view of His own attributes and perfections: (i) His power, as exercised toward us; (2) His love in Christ; (3) His grace — and its riches; (4) His glory, the sum of all the rest. 3. God's view of man's highest excellence and ecstasy: (i) Love as the highest of graces; (2) Knowledge of Him self as the highest of Revelations; (3) Glory of His like ness as the highest result of affliction. 182 THOUGHTS TRANSCENDING LANGUAGE. Again, the Climaxes in Scripture suggest what defies description, leading from level to level of thought and revelation of truth, as, in ascending a mountain, the succes sive points of prospect command wider horizons and larger landscapes, one view preparing for another, and greater, till all the possibilities of present prospect are exhausted. When King Amaziah remonstrated against the loss of money involved in a change of plan, the man of God re plied : "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this" (2 Chron. xxv:9). In Romans v:6-2i this phrase "much more" occurs five times and unlocks the whole passage (verses 9, 10, 15, 17, 20), outlining what Christ does beside dying for us. I. Justified by His blood — much more kept safe from wrath through Him. 2. Reconciled by Plis Death ; much more kept safe in His Life. 3. Dead by offence of one. Much more receiving gift of righteousness by One. 4. Under the reign of Death. Much more made to reign in Hfe. 5. Sin abounded in Ruin. Much more Grace abounded in Righteousness. Here is a steady advance. We are saved from condemna tion and kept safe; reconciled after alienation and kept rec onciled ; we died in consequence of Adam's sin, but are made alive in Christ, as the Second Adam or racial Head. Once, under the reign of sin and death, are made to reign over both; and all this is a triumph of grace thro' Righteousness, not a tame compromising laxity on the part of God; a for giveness, purchased by atonement, and not at the expense of righteousness. In Ephesians iii :i4-2i, Paul labors under a weight of con ception that no powers of expression can sustain, praying that Ephesians may be able to comprehend dimensions which are infinite and take in a measureless immensity and an end less eternity; to know a love that "passeth knowledge," all it is possible to know of which is that it is an unfathomable 183 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. depth. God, he adds, is able to do what we ask, what we think, all that we ask or think, above all, abundantly above all, exceeding abundantly above all, that we ask or think, "unto all the generations of the age of the ages." Paul especially deals with these transcendent topics, prob ably because his rapture into the third heaven unveiled to him these unutterable wonders (2 Cor. xii). iS^ XXIL CONTEXT AND CONNECTION. i8s XXIL CONTEXT AND CONNECTION. As in any organism, no member or part, however min ute, can be fully understood- aside from its relation to the whole ; so, in scripture, every paragraph and sentence are part of its totality, and must be studied in relation to adl the rest. The text will be illumined by the context, or scripture immediately preceding and following. Every occurrence and utterance should be studied in its sur roundings. How, wliy, when a word was spoken or an act done, helps to explain it, is its local coloring. Hidden relationships must be traced like underground roots and subterranean channels. i86 XXIL CONTEXT AND CONNECTION. THERE is a law of the paragraph which concerns this contextual study. Punctuation, with all the arrangement and division into chapter, paragraph and verse, are foreign to the original scripture, and the work of uninspired men, mere devices of conveni ence of reference, and therefore open to criticism and modi fication. Punctuation points may often prove misleading, and these arbitrary divisions frequently interrupt continuity of thought and teaching, if they do not more seriously per vert the sense. It is only by much care that it is found where the pause occurs in the argument or narrative or dis course, and the paragraph is complete. There is also a law of connection which demands that we observe words, sayings and sentences which are divinelj' linked together, since there can be no accidental or meaning less arrangement of terms or phrases when a divine Mind is at work. Patience will show both similarities and dissimi larities, unsuspected at first, and order of statement which significant and unalterable, because of a more important or der of development in the truth set forth, or the experience of grace indicated. Chapter divisions sometimes interrupt the progress of the narrative or discourse. A few prominent examples will illustrate this: Matthew ix:38 and x:i. Our Lord began to send forth laborers. Matthew xvi :28 and xvii :i ; Mark viii :38 and ix :i. The Transfiguration fulfils the promise. Matthew xix:30 and xx:i. The parable illustrates the principle (comp. xx:i6). Mark 11:2^-28, and iii:i-S. The miracle proves His lord ship of the Sabbath. Luke xx:45-47, and xxi: 1-4. Note in both passages the prominence of the poor widow. 187 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. Acts vii:6o and viii:i. Stephen's death led to Saul's con version. I Cor. x:33 and xi:i. Paul bids them follow him as an example of self-renunciation. I Cor. xii:3i and xiii:i. Charity is the more excellent way. 2 Cor. iv:i8 and v:i. The argument about the unseen and eternal continues. 2 Cor. vi:i8 and vii:i. This last verse sums up the pre vious argument. Verse divisions often isolate a sentence from its surround ings, not only interrupting the sense, but very imperfectly presenting the truth. It is very unsafe to cite such broken and dismembered fragments of Scripture in support of any doctrinal position, as, so used, even "the devil can cite Scrip ture to his purpose," as he did in the temptation of Christ. A text is only a sure guide when it is taken in its surround ings and as a whole utterance. Biblical punctuation is a human device and not authorita tive. Sometimes it is no doubt misleading. A question mark might sometimes well displace a period. Possibly in Romans viii :33, 34, we have a series of ques tions : "Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? Shall God, who justifieth? Who is he that condemneth ? Shall Christ who died, yea, rather is risen again?" A recent writer quite insists on reading Ephesians iv:26, "Can ye be angry and not sin?" He feels a difficulty in reconciling a sanction of anger with the general tone of Scripture precepts, and especially with the command in verse 31, "Let all anger be put away from you." He would rather construe the apostle as ask ing, "Can you indulge anger and yet be sinless?" If his contention be true there may be ethics involved in a punc tuation point. Probably in Luke xiii:24, a comma should displace a period: "Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able. CONTEXT AND CONNECTION. when once the master of the house hath risen up and hath shut to the doors," when it is too late (Matt. xxv). The illuminative force of context is illustrated by our Lord's great lesson on almsgiving (Matt. vi:i-4). The greater lesson is on the unseen world and the unseen God. He has been showing how the unseen in man is the essential and true self — not the outer word, blow, act, but the inner thought, desire, disposition, will. And now He advances to a higher and more comprehensive conception; the greater objective as well as subjective reality is unseen. He would make the unseen in man responsive to the unseen in God and bring his unseen self into harmony with the whole realm of the invisible. This may be illustrated by the "harp, the harper and the harmony," as the late Joseph Cook used to say. The main thing is not the beauty of the instrument nor the dress and appearance of the player, but the music evolved by 'his touch; and melody and harmony are inexplicable mysteries obedient to unseen forces. Imagination, memory, love, hope, faith, conscience, sensibility, all find expression in music which is their creation, and all these are unseen fac ulties and attributes. The soul of the harper must create the harmony. And so almsgiving is only music in God's ear when it is the outgoing and expression of an unseen spirit in man which is in accord with Himself, the response of what is best in us to what is best in Him; any lower motive spoils and degrades it as does a mere mercenary mo tive debase the musician's art. In I Timothy iii:i5, i6, the punctuation is probably mis leading. It were better to read somewhat thus : "That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God which is the church of the liv ing God. The pillar and ground of the truth, and without controversy great, is the mystery of Godliness — namely," etc. Thus read, we avoid a mixed and incongruous figure, at one instant comparing the church to a house and the next to a pillar in a house ; but, according to this reading, the doc trine of the incarnation becomes the central pillar and ped estal of the church, upholding and sustaining it. A pillar consists of two parts — ^the upper and lower — one connects 189 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. it with what is above, the other with what is below. Perhaps the thought is that the church, as the House of God, finds its central prop and pillar in the truth about the Lord Jesus Christ, Who as Son of God and son of man, related to both realms, links heaven and earth. By His humanity, Gospel, believing people, with earth; by his Deity, relation to An gels, coronation as King, with Heaven, And so long as this pillar remains thus central in church life and doctrine, even the gates of Hell shall not prevail against it (Matt, xvi). The two words together, "Life and Peace," (Romans viii:6) describe the double result of the atoning work of Christ, and the order is unchangeable. "Life" results from vital union with Him in whom is Life. It comes by simple acceptance of the Word of the Gospel as the incorruptible seed of God (i Pet. 1:23). At once by believing we have the Son of God and have Life (i John v:i2) and the Spirit of Life (Rom. viii:2). "Peace" is the effect of His work, and faith in it as a finished work. It comes of minding the things of the Spirit, but is not to be confounded with Life, which precedes it and prepares for it. Life does not always bring peace, but at first breaks up peace as a dead man raised to life like Lazarus would be come conscious of sepulchral bonds. Peace is threefold: , With God — reconciled relations (Rom. v:i) ; with Men — new fellowship (Eph. ii) ; Peace of God — conscious in dwelling (Phil. iv). A child born to a king has his father's life in him from the first ; but he has to be trained to know and understand all the duties and principles involved in being son and heir. The one place where our Lord is expressly set before us as an example is i Peter iii :2i-24. The exact word is writ ing-copy, as though the portrait of our Lord were put be fore us that we should study its exact lineaments and seek to reproduce them in our own character and conduct, speech, temper, will, and that inexpressible something which we call "spirit"— the inmost secret of the whole man which unconsciously moulds all the rest. Here we are commended to His example as our guide in all things: for our daily walk, abstinence from all known ,sin; in the truthfulness and self restraint of the tongue, 190 CONTEXT AND CONNECTION. even under provocation; in the regulation of temper and disposition, forbearing threatening, and all retaliation and vindictiveness; in the great executive act of the will by which we commit ourselves to the keeping of a righteous God; and especially are we to imitate His self-sacrificing and self-oblivious spirit, which makes us ready to live and die for the salvation of others. What department of life is left untouched in this marvelously comprehensive example and ideal! We have frequent occasion to refer to verbal emphasis, which is a science by itself, because emphasis is so often in effect exegesis. To find the word where the stress of a sentence falls is often to find the stress also of thought. Here again the study of context and connection is helpful, as showing the objective point toward which a whole dis course moves. The emphatic word is often the pivot on which the mean ing turns. When the anger of the Jews was aroused by the claim of our Lord that God was His Father, they re torted in a most insulting manner, "we be not born of for nication," by this stress upon the first personal pronoun, more than insinuating that His birth was unsanctified by wedlock, and a disgrace. When our Lord says "Take my yoke upon you," the em phasis on "my." In these few verses (Matt. xi:27-30) the emphasis seems throughout upon himself. He alone has knowledge of the Father or power to reveal Him ; He alone can give rest, teach lowliness and meekness, or impart the secret of rest even in toils and burden bearing. If the "I," "Me," "My," be uniformly emphasized the whole passage becomes luminous ; the rest of salvation is His gift ; the le .- son of meekness is His lesson ; the yoke that is easy is the yoke He makes, fits to us, and wears with us, and the burden is one which He lays on us and bears with us. What an example of the significance of emphasis ! If it be possible, "as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Rom. xii:i8), suggests that it may not al ways be possible with all men to live peaceably because they are not always pacifically inclined ; but so far as lies in us, let there be peace. It takes but one to make an attack or assault, but it takes two to make a quarrel. There are some KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. who are so contentious that the most peace-loving people cannot prevent the outbreaks of a wicked loquacity and pug nacity. But it is not necessary either to make angry reply or deal an angry blow. When slandered or struck we may remain passive and unresisting ; or even return evil by good, and so quench the fires of strife. In I Cor. vii :40 the emphasis lies upon "I also" — "for I think that / also have the spirit of God." This is usually taken to mean that Paul gives his private judgment, and thinks that he also has the Spirit's guidance. But, putting the emphasis where it belongs, he is confidently affirming that, whoever may claim to teach them as Spirit-led teachers, he, Paul, may also confidently claim the Holy Spirit's inspi ration, as one specially commissioned to guide the churches. In Hebrews iii:7 to iv:ii, the context shows the emphatic word is "To-day." It occurs three times, marking an in tensive present and the accompanying tenses are all present, "Exhort one another daily, while it is called 'to-day ;' " "Harden not your hearts;" "Take heed;" "We are made partakers of Christ, if we hold," etc. "Let us, therefore, fear;" "lest-any of you should seem to come short of it," "do enter into rest." "There remaineth a Sabbatism ;" "he that is entered into His rest," etc. To see where the emphasis lies prevents our mistaking the meaning; for the Sabbatic Rest here meant is not a future heaven, but a present satis faction in God, corresponding to Canaan, which was the earthly, not heavenly inheritance promised to Israel. This present rest is entered into now, not by dying or ceasing from our earthly activities, but by believing and "ceasing from our own works." Context and connection reveal order, which also often shows emphasis very plainly, as in Revelation xvii: 14, "called and chosen and faithful" — each successive term stronger than its predecessor; there are many "called," but few "chosen," and, even out of the "chosen" comparatively few that are "faithful," "loving not their hves even unto death," the true martyr witnesses. 193 XXIIL RECURRENCE OF THOUGHT AND IDEA. Often where language differs, the conception is essen tially one. As we may approach the same "golden mile stone^' by many roads and from different directions, so we may be led up to the same central truth by a variety of methods, arguments and illustrations. It requires more discrimination to detect this convergence of thought where the words differ than where they agree ; and hence the need of training the mental powers to trace the unity of teaching amid diversity of terms, and not depend on the superficial resemblance of language. 194 XXIIL RECURRENCE OF THOUGHT AND IDEA. ONE of the most important and pervasive ideas of the Bible is the comparative unimportance of the feelings and the supreme importance of the will in the spiritual hfe; yet this is seldom referred to in expicit terms; it has to be discovered by the close study of the whole Word of God. Never once will it be found that the emphasis is laid upon what is merely emo tional, because it is too uncertain and fluctuating. Feeling is capricious; it depends upon exciting or allaying causes, oftentimes beyond our control. Hence the Scriptures lay most stress upon principles of living, fixed choice of God and goodness which does not like a weather vane veer about with every change of wind. All the great fundamental movements of the soul in the right direction are treated in reference to volition rather than emotion. Repentance is not so much a feeling of re gret or sorrow over sin as a "change of mind," as the Greek word literally means, a new purpose to abandon sin, and embrace holiness ; a new attitude of the whole being, in turning from evil and turning toward God. Conversion is not a new state of feeling or even affection, so much as a "turning about," as the word hints, implying a new direction for the daily walk ; and obedience is not an impulsive, capricious conformity to a command, but a self- surrender, a principle of submission to another's authority and control. Prayer is not an approach to God under the influence of warm sensibility and awakened feeling, but a deliberate habit of seeking after Him as the sole source of power and blessing. Faith is an executive act of the will, fixing upon one divine object of all confidence and trust; and even Love, which we most construe as an emotion or affection, is always regarded in the light of the Word as a principle of supreme loyalty toward God and preference for His will, and, subordinately, of unselfish service toward man, 195 KNOWING THE SCRIPTURES. So pervasive is this teaching in the Scripture that the reader may safely be challenged to find one case in which stress is laid upon mere feeling. These stirrings of our emotions and sensibilities a^^^^ under our control, being so often dependent on bodily health, mental condition, asso ciations,- feurroundiAg§;i-K&ff CfeMefi "ilSle '^m^t^\$t3mather. God would have spiritual life built upon sohd rock, not shifting quicksands. I., tj; MBJicxTmi Uotn -jdi io SYi. The Scriptural idea ! of ¦ rewards -ihoiild :b'e studied' in the light of the 'Inspired Word,,,':\The p^ uponJ which they are' administered byi'God'iane abs^blttt^ unique;' and these -aloile stiffiee-;tO .accRedttjtheicpJWeiiaaj divine. For example, mark the a?eity^:aiha.fteiypbit'- tuiiity'.' ¦ Hence he ' reCb'gni2;e§ ¦ jiu'd' rew^Mfe ^"hbh^gt 'rnteMdn*^ arid '¦ pUrpbde, ' motive,' hbt ' actibli. ' ' ' Cofilpd!re T'a'vid :-' ¦'^^hMi didSfwell that it wasiii'thirf^'hfeaft.*'-'.'^'^' "<-''-''i " ,-iobn3Tiu-i "Jill l'j''i';j [n ''' i\ 'J J. V ;; ;i. i.C i^i. "j'm; 3! "lt>'( i;7*,L tO'IJflOO hnr ;¦ 4;-: i^ot , succ.ess bntjM^'Hpyn i%irewaFiC}?d,., , j Wei^aggpl Jajj- • Wpi,ys ,c;i;immand success,.,, ,|4 st,fjYard.i?3i;^q|i'ired(,t(p Jjje^^^ftr, ful ^nd, wipe, jiot .swcce,ss|yl,;,; S.teph^eivyearJJ^dtc)' ^^ng4}k^ but ;?.ccepted, stoning., , Paul:,, went, :t9,Mapedpni^'^e0use,^^,^ vi,siqn,:hut found;SGOurg}ng j«i4ia,-pr^on;Qell.,,'.,j navfbas F' 5-. -Not endowment =bltt';iiypf-bi&mfe'nt'J"i Cbnlparei the>^ati^ bles bf- Talents and 'Poi4rit1sT'/'Td4«ihg •th-6''tWdi"to|%^^?J5Wfe{ Iterrij' first, that Wherepifer€Pis.^n^tiW6^^ depepdenpe ,N(Dt the fenergVpf the flesh but of the spirit. Hence alt , care :OT^Cale?^s?V^¥#'^^ worry: it is dod's «#J»»li^^^^^^ faWeare of it. ' , ^ ' " -3B8.)iiGod»itemWmlM^^(andiT:ewards service so small that we {fiotgiet itramdcareiiihosibsciiousiof it.'i'(See.Matt. ;xxv.) Um 9dJHe2Beao*d9 andgTewjaEdis iwihEOt we regai'd ab trifles, when itfce Imq$ivei3is](hi0ly,odiis:dfi8h! and'ispinitualL;n;Nofhihg lis in significant done in His name. .iA-mJ r:v.'.-j\ i.io.J -rnoa ni aiKaqor, rTioFiIs;; tj'"iV'' '-'¦''- ...''.'.'in'' , ^''. ' , 0 !£ V^Sffi WlMCipli?s.3^P,m9hy!Reculiar to the Scriptural rev- 0?«|lp,P3#^:4P4l5iI?%ifflPy.P,ir;ewar(^,;o:.noD u-..: ..r bnsThfefignfie'Bti.^p §^.cQvmwt,i& perpetugl-ly recui:ring,; and is one of the controlling and;- inte.i;preting jfleasi of all. Scrip- glJi^Q buj^fift^jf ^eqMjeP%i?qggB5ted '/Where. other words, are }-^ffeyfid,;>,^}ij^n:?!Syf^Wjcdi?^Pfith,''o."separation," ','agree- [^ijtnVjif?yQ^'§hii'i/'f>€^tiP-;nfrWhe root '.idea, from which all "th^9jl^in4ii?^"tef)tn!S sprtipg.is! the, same, , A special relation i;{)^|vyj^fl9, tpjifQ; partjfi§,:..Qodi i^ndjiman, bl which,. a vow., is the ][gxgg|^ia,rI*iVji(SJ> bath'>!the, cqnfirmatipn ; ; agreeinent, the 3l8a'¥y^ffrt-h^fE>?r^tJ0Pg,,thfi .cpn.dition, and fellowship, , the exhibition. ')ir-7/ -BtaTipe f fed .f^^^Me{}f,\ throughput ' a fipyenTOt ¦, God, i and , ?^: Jfe?xW°.54')''*P9v^???i'i':t" . h^3 ipfiiSSeid aJitpQ^t, entirely out , of jjo^^-fjaji^j jthiri|king^; ; ;Ail ,true , blessings Gbd has , covenanted .fJfia't'f^WJ 9?^: hehiSiY^fs,; ^hd .on ithe bia^is; pf ^t^e cbveaant, iife@£ Wfe i]?,st,ppr^jecj}j?,f^ssur,e,d,that ah such prpmises can, -ig^-?Jq¥?4!(,wihlb^lPW'fe&^3[. f)-^filM,;; God ever 4oes what f^l^ ^^,c;9^ep,an^^ t^p^t^ [,'Phere:.are!twp great covenants, }j|.^,toOjp?^->;iiesj(|^p^ aii^ m^., The lOld Coypnant, shows .wh^fjjnatj; qc|uid.ai>^ cquld,ffiot db; thfi ^ew Covenant, mani- gfj^ts ^h^t^j^pd can a^d.f3^il},flpf,; '"5''heitiwp f?pvpijai3tsi repre- r^i^'^YfPij^*Sg^?s.>^^ '^9l0ori2 The doctrine of sinless perfection finds apparent ^fBuifdS^' tion in such texts as "he that is born- bfi^Gdd dbtlf'^'B commit sin," etc. (i John iii:3-9). In'^his 'f)(at^Mfd"n^ room seems left for even an occasional' laip'sd'tfrbSi^ dSJfff or .=;tumble in the chosen 1 path 'oti"ebedieflC"e."''^'Wfio§8e\F6P abideth in Him .sinsnefcbs^notC'.wJiosb^VesJf'siftnettf'h^th.sfiBi^ seen Him neifthett 'Wownifil5inW-'f^"fil4ten3iM2bf' lG9a'^'"# represented ksatoi.abi'idriigr'iii'^JaidSciple/ai^tJ m^iWnmi' MHP ¦ .'3lhis,^h0wever-, is iritiinsisterit'' a^ike^'WiTh'ite'^^'MfieM o*'th«-mbBt sairitly sb'tils-a^d'M'te^aitlorijf' df^iiJflgr md-? tt*«gii^-Iri- !Pact/the''wriirer '^f 'thii-"' EffMe^'hiriis^lf, 'sSW "--Bhesfeilshifi^Write r%Wd;ybU ^tl^k^!h Mi'Mj^'biiiM anf nwBib Jn3m3i£la vjan\v. b— v>nn-vm^<\D To iiBf c