'YAILE-^MnnfEIBSIinf- Gift of Dr. William C. 1910 press iRotices. ' ' A series of singularly suggestive and thoughtful papers on Biblical themes." — LondDn Quarterly Review, January, 1891. "A remarkable book, so fresh and stimulating, that it seems to the wearied reader a veritable oasis." — Manchester Examiner, December, 1890. " This is a real book. The perusal of only a few pages is suffi cient to convince the reader that he has before him a piece of honest work, by an able and independent thinker. It is to be hoped that this remarkable volume will receive from the intelligent mem bers of our congregations the attention which it deserves." — The Baptist, March 27th, 1891. "A devout and Christian spirit pervades the whole, and there are many evidences of study and culture that cannot fail to gratify the educated reader." — The Rock, December, 1890. ' ' ' The Visible God ' contains some of the kindest and wisest words ever addressed to those engaged in Sunday School Work." — The S.S. Chronicle, January 16th, 1891. "This volume is a new Theodicy."— Scottish Leader, December nth, 1890. "A remarkable book." — Dundee Advertiser, December 4th, 1890. " Ably written." — The Scotsman, December 1st, 1890. "There are good things, well written, in this book." — The Independent, March 13th, 1891. "All the essays are written with much point and grace." — Methodist Times, December nth, 1890. " These lectures are bold and original."— The Christian, Jan uary 23rd, 1891. "The author thinks for himself." — The Christian World, February 12th, 1891. THE VISIBLE GOD l^t^&MAMt}^ I *,&£ ¦ " O could I transport thee direct from the Beginnings to the Endings, how were thy eyesight unsealed, and thy heart set flaming in the Light-sea of celes tial wonder ! "— Carlyle, Sartor Resartus, p. 183. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." — Rev. i. 8. THE VISIBLE GOD AND ©ur IRelation to 1bim in Creation ano "IReoemption. BY WILLIAM MARSHALL, Late Pastor, /or twenty-six years, of Cambridge Heath Congregational Church, Hackney, London. REVISED, ENLARGED, AND PARTLY RE-WRITTEN. Itonboit': HODDER AND STOUGHTON, 27, PATERNOSTER ROW. MDCCCXCII. Butler & Tanner, The Selwood Printing Works, Frome, and London. If mss 3 StateMlg Icltcate tljts bank TO ALL THE DEAR FRIENDS— (Many of whom are now widely scattered abroad) TO WHOM I HAD THE PLEASURE AND PRIVILEGE OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL AT CAMBRIDGE HEATH, WHOSE CONSTANT LOVING-KINDNESS DURING THE WHOLE COURSE OF MY MINISTRY THERE, HEARTY CO-OPERA TION IN CHRISTIAN SERVICE, AND TENDER SYMPATHY IN SEASONS OF SUFFERING, MUST EVER BE REMEMBERED BY HE WITH THANKFULNESS AND JOY. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. WITH one exception, so far as I know, all the press notices of this book have been lauda tory. To the writers of these I give my warmest thanks. Some of them, however, were not satisfied with its teachings, concerning the Pre-Incarnate Humanity of the Lord. That was probably due to the fact that they failed to understand what its teachings really are. For instance, one of them says, " The author thinks that the Supreme Being can be visible to man, and has literally been seen by human eyes." The critic was manifestly thinking of God the Father when he wrote these words, and has both mis apprehended and unintentionally misrepresented what I have written, for all my statements concerning the Supreme Being are in harmony with the following declarations of the Word : " God is Spirit," and " in visible," "whom no man hath seen, nor can see" ! An other says, " One peculiar idea is broached in the first essay, and repeated elsewhere, that God has a visible form, or that the Son was that form eternally." There are two mistakes here. I have not taught either " that God has a visible form," or " that the Son was that form eternally'' What the book says is this : x PREFACE. There is nothing more certainly taught in the Word tlian tliese great facts, that not from eternity, but from before creation, the Son had a visibility which the Father and the Holy Ghost did not possess ; but they had their visibility in Him, for "in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily'' (Col. ii. 9). Such a clear and definite statement ought not surely to have been misunderstood by any one. At the same time, I now see that my treatment of the original Divine Humanity was too brief and general in view of the fact that the theme is foreign to the common con ception of the great Creator. The subject was " broached " rather than fully stated, and thoughts which are new and strange are not readily seized and appropriated. I have, therefore, re-written the first and eighth chapters of the book, which treat of the Person of the Christ, and which the reader will do well to study together. In these two chapters the teaching of Scripture regarding the visible God is now put so clearly and fully that no intelligent and thoughtful person, we imagine, can easily misappre hend it. One very kindly and capable critic says, " This volume is a new Theodicy." I meant it to be that, and a good deal more. It is a NEW CHRISTOLOGY. The view which it takes of the Christ, both as Creator and Redeemer, is altogether different from the ancient views known by the names of Gnosticism, Ebionism, and Doketism, which Dr. Dorner has so fully and ably expounded, and different also from the modern view, generally accepted by the universal church. What is that view? It is this, that the Lord as Creator was God, and God only — that all the Old Testament Theophanies were only visional appear- PREFACE. xi ances— that in becoming Incarnate he became Man, and that Sin and Redemption have brought in an ab solutely new order of things into the universe, inasmuch as the Humanity of the Lord would never have existed but for the Incarnation. Now, all this seems to me to be a complete misapprehension of what the Scriptures declare concerning the Person of the Christ. They tell us that prior to creation, and for Creative and Mediatorial ends, the Son became " the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all crea tion." As such He had a " form " — a Form which was visible, real, and human. Hence He was fami liarly known by the first of our race, and had sin never existed would have been equally known by all their, posterity for ever, just as He will be in the great hereafter by all the redeemed. The Fall of man necessitated the Incarnation of the Creator, if Redemption was ever to be wrought out on man's behalf. When the Creator became the Redeemer He did not become Man, but was made " in the like ness of sinful flesh." The creature had been created in the image and likeness of his Creator, but lost them under the corrupting power of moral evil; there fore the Creator was made in the, likeness of men that He might redeem humanity, and make it pos sible for all men to be re-created in the image and likeness of their Lord. To this end He endured a baptism of blood, and gave Himself for the guilty. When that sublime work was accomplished, He rose out of a natural into a spiritual humanity, like unto that which He possessed from before the foundation of the world. And instead of Incarnation and Re demption having introduced an order of things not originally purposed by the Almighty, they have xii PREFACE. simply destroyed the works of the devil, and ran somed a sin-cursed race, that the primal and perfect purpose of God in relation to humanity might be fulfilled. Had sin never been known the Creator would have been the God-Man for ever, and man would have risen out of the natural into the spiritual and glorified state by a simple process of evolution, through the spiritualizing power of the indwelling Spirit of God. This is a view of Christ which brings into clear and beautiful harmony all the declarations of Scripture concerning Him, and plainly shows not only the necessity of His Incarnation and Death, but also what the Incarnation really was, and what Re demption has effected. The Divine Man not only spake the truth, but was and is " The Truth" ; and therefore it is a matter of the utmost moment to have correct and clear apprehensions of what He was as Creator and Re deemer, and also of what He now is as the highly exalted Saviour. Some of the sublimest facts and teachings of Revelation refer to the original, the in carnate and the glorified Humanity of the Lord, and also to the natural, the corrupted, and the spiritual humanity of man. While cherishing a profound respect for all the great and good men with whose opinions I have dared to disagree, yet I have not thought it necessary to apologise for the free and definite expression of my own views, being fully convinced of their scrip- turalness and great practical importance, and also because I have stated, with the declaration of every belief, the reasons upon which it is grounded. I have had no desire or intention to dogmatize, neither do I regard what I have written as a full-orbed state- PREFACE. xiii ment of the Scripture doctrine of the Person of the Christ, but such as it is I believe it to be true, and therefore have I spoken. I have also dealt with many of the central truths of the Bible, and the essential facts of human life and experience. These have been put in their natural and historical order, that thereby a consecu tive, as well as a comprehensive, view may be given of God's purpose in Creation, the nature and effects of Sin, the method and aim of the great work of Redemption, God's providential dealings with men, the progressive stages of the Christian Life, and its glorious destiny. Almost every chapter is worthy of being expanded into a volume, but my aim being wholly practical, every theme is discussed in the briefest and simplest manner, consistent with clear ness and fulness of statement. Here and there views are advanced which are not included in evangelical orthodoxy, nor contained in the creeds of the churches, but which I believe are both scriptural and important. And when difficult problems come in the way — problems which have been not only mysteries but stumbling blocks unto many- — they are honestly faced, and solutions given which have long satisfied and comforted the writer. I am profoundly thankful for the testimonies I have received that the book has proved suggestive, instructive, and comforting unto many, and earnestly praying that God may still continue to bless its humble ministry, I now issue the second edition. WILLIAM MARSHALL. 59, Amhurst Park, Stamford Hill, London, September, .1892. CONTENTS. CHAP. I. THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR II. THE CREATOR AND THE CREATION III. ANGELS AND DEVILS IV. THE CREATION OF MAN AND WOMAN V. THE CHOICE OF EVIL VI. GOOD AND EVIL IN HUMAN HISTORY VII. SUFFERING AND DEATH VIII. THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER . IX. CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE WORK ON THE EARTH. X. CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES . XI. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST XII. THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST . XIII. THE GIFTS AND WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST . XIV. THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST . PAGE I 27 39 5365 75 85 97 121 135 153 165175 191 xvi CONTENTS. PAGE CHAP. XV. THE ALIENATED AND THE RECONCILED . . . 203 XVI. SELF-CULTURE AND CHRISTIAN PROGRESS . . . 215 XVII. NATURAL PLEASURE AND CHRISTIAN JOY . . . 229 XVIII. THE SORROWS AND SUFFERINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE 24I XIX. THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD 25 1 XX. CHRISTIAN SERVICE 263 XXI. PROVIDENCE AND PRAYER 285 XXII. A GLORIOUS PROSPECT 299 XXIII. THE GREAT CONQUEROR 307 XXIV. THE STATE OF DEPARTED CHRISTIANS . . -319 XXV. THE REDEMPTION OF THE BODY .... 327 XXVI. THE SPIRITUAL BODY 337 XXVII. THE JUDGMENT 345 XXVIII. HELL 353 XXIX. HEAVEN . . 367 CHAPTER I. THE VISIBLE COD AS CREATOR. CHAPTER I. THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. IN the beginning God was. He is the Eternal One. And in the original beginning which never began He was alone. The universe had not been created, and no being, creature or thing brought into existence. As Jacob Behmen, the wise old German mystic, truly and beautifully says, " The great Spirit dwelt alone, in the uncreated heaven of His own glory." " From everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God." But though alone, He was not solitary. There is a Trinity in the Unity of the Divine Being. The Tri- unity of God, or the Godhead, is clearly declared in the sacred writings, especially in the New Testkment, and is usually represented by the words Father, Son and Spirit. Proof texts need not be given, for all intelligent readers of the Bible must be familiar with them. Every believer in the Divine Trinity thinks and speaks of the Holy Ghost as pure Spirit, and there fore invisible to all created beings. But many do not think and speak thus of the Father. Although Jesus said " God is Spirit," yet they entertain the idea, and cherish the hope, that they will see Him in the great hereafter. But that 3 4 THE VISIBLE GOD. is not possible. Finite beings can never see the Infinite One. What saith the Scriptures ? Their declarations regarding this are clear and unmistak able. " Now unto the King eternal, incorruptible, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen" (i Tim. i. 17). "The blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto ; whom no man hath seen, NOK CAN SEE : to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen " (1 Tim. vi. 16). This is the uniform teaching of Divine revelation, concerning the Father. And an enlightened reason has no difficulty in accepting it, for how can the Infinite Spirit be ever cognizable by the physical sight of any created being, either in time or eternity, or in any world in the universe ? He is " invisible." But the Son, is visible. And He is so, because He has a bodily form. He did not possess that form from all eternity, because when Father, Son and Holy Ghost were alone, embodiment and visibility were not needed. But when beings were to be brought into existence, in whose bosoms a deep and inera dicable desire was to be divinely implanted, to have fellowship with a visible God, then a bodily mani festation became a necessity. And as we shall presently see, there is nothing more certainly taught in the Word than this, that not from eternity but from before creation, the Son had a visibility which the Father and Spirit did not possess. But they had their visibility in Him, for " in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily" (Col. ii. 9). This apostolic declaration was just as true of the Lord God of the Old Testament, as it is of the Jesus of the New. THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. 5 Our first parents were familar with the visible God before the Fall. Had they not been so, they would never have hidden from His presence among the trees of the garden. To have thus secreted them selves from the infinite, omnipresent and invisible God would have been an act of pure irrationality ; they might as well have attempted to hide from the atmosphere. But just as disobedient children try to escape from their parents behind a curtain or a door, so likewise, and with equal naturalness did the first trans gressors hide from the visible God. When He came to them in the cool of the day, and called them out from their hiding place, they stood face to face with their Creator. Cain too must have seen the Lord God, for he said, " My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground, and from thy face shall 1 be hid." And He frequently appeared, to the patriarchs and prophets of the olden time. His recorded appearances are very numerous ; we shall mention only a few. " God appeared unto Jacob, and blessed him . . . and God went up from him, in the place where He talked with him . . . and Jacob called the name of the place where God spake with him, Bethel " (Gen. xxxv. 9-15). " Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God" (Exod. iii. 6). " Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of fsrael ; they beheld God, and did eat and drink" (Exod. xxiv. 9-1 1). "The Lord spake unto Moses face to face, AS A MAN SPEAKETH UNTO HIS FRIEND " (Exod. xxxiii. 11). "And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God" (Judges xiii. 22). Such passages might be multiplied 6 THE VISIBLE GOD. indefinitely, but these will suffice. The embodied Godhead in " the form of God" frequently appeared in the olden time. The visible form of the Lord God was HUMAN. In other words, the Creator was God-man. It was in His image and likeness that Adam was made — and " likeness " always refers to that which is visible. If the copy was human, so also must have been the original. As we have already seen, it was a face to face fellowship, which the primal pair enjoyed with Him in Paradise before the Fall. He appeared to them again after the fall, and on many occasions to holy men and women of the old dispensations, and always as man. Good old Matthew Henry says, " The Lord of the angels often appeared, and occa sionally in a human shape, before He assumed the human nature for good and all " (Com. on Gen. xxxii. 30). But when or where, we inquire, did He ever appear in any other shape, than the human ? He is often called " a man" and so far as we know, all His Old Testament appearances were alike. True ! He sometimes appeared in glory, as to Abraham in Ur, and to Moses in the desert and on Sinai, and at other times without the glory, as to Abraham at Mamre, and to Jacob, Joshua and Manoah, just as afterwards in the days of His flesh, He was seen by Peter, James and John on the mount of Transfigura tion, both with and without the glory. But all His appearances, were those of a Man. " The Lord appeared unto Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day. He lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo ! THREE MEN stood over against him " (Gen. xviii. 2). These men, were the Lord and two angels. "Jacob was left THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. 7 alone, and there wrestled A MAN with him until the breaking of the day. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, for I have seen GOD face to face, and my life is preserved " (Gen. xxxii. 24, 30). He whom the patriarch saw, was both "Man" and "God" — the God-man. " It came to pass when Joshua was by Jericho that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold there stood A man over against him with his sword drawn in his hand. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord unto His servant ? And the captain of the Lord's host said unto Joshua, Put off thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy, and Joshua did so " (Josh. v. 13-15). There are many who grant, that the Lord often appeared in the human form in the Old Testament times, but they always add, " Of course, the form was assumed." But where is there any statement in Scripture, which warrants such a conception? So far as we know, there is not one solitary text, which hints such a thing. Let the following fact be con sidered. Did not the Lord, and the angels who accompanied Him, partake of the food which Abraham and Sarah provided at Mamre ? Surely ! the eating of that substantial meal was a tangible proof to all the ages that His body was real, just as the eating of the broiled fish after His resurrection convinced the disciples that He was not an apparition, but had really risen from the dead. On the former occasion, as well as on the latter, He might have said, " Handle me and see," and indeed it is more than likely that Abraham really did handle Him, for when he pro posed to wash the feet of his three guests they re plied, " So do as thou hast said." His original body, 8 THE VISIBLE GOD. like that with which He ascended from Olivet, was spiritual but not spirit ; substantial, not visional ; real, and not assumed. It was not put on and off, to play a part. He was always in the body, and always the same, from before the foundation of the world, until He divested Himself of " the form of God," that He might be born in "the likeness of sinful flesh," of which we shall speak in a later chapter. " The Church,'' says Dr. Delitzsch, " rejected this HUMANIZING of God" So much the worse for the Church, we unhesitatingly reply. In rejecting the humanity of the visible God, it rejected one of the sublimest facts revealed in Scripture — a fact which throws a flood of light on the mediatorial work of the Divine Son, the nature of man, and the nature and necessity of the Incarnation and Death of the great Creator, if He was to become the Redeemer of our fallen race. But let us inquire what was ''the Church" which rejected the' humanity of the Lord God ? It was not the Church of the Apostles, for as we shall presently see, Paul taught the visibility and substan tiality of the pre-incarnate Christ, in the very strongest and most definite way. It was " the Church " of post-apostolic times, which dared to. deny the Divine humanity, by emptying out the meaning of a multitude of Scriptures which plainly declare that that humanity was real. A false system of so- called spiritualizing, lay at the root of the Church's action in this matter. It would have been well, if men had always believed that the Scriptures say just what God intended they should, and that the most simple and natural interpretation of their statements is the best. " The Church " to which Dr. Delitzsch refers was not infallible, and did not always correctly THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. 9 interpret the teachings of the Word. In his great work on The Person of Christ, vol. i. p. 92, Dr. Dorner says, " There is undeniably a very significant distinction, between the written productions of the apostolic age, and those of the age immediately following ; and it is hardly possible to represent the relation of the one to the other more erroneously, than when the apostolic age is called in a dogmatical respect a germ and beginning, whilst the age of the apostolic Fathers is regarded as the fruitful unfolding of that germ. If we try each of these ages by the standard of its Christian knowledge, we shall find beyond all doubt a serious falling off in the age follow ing that of the apostles. What was in the earlier age, the actual spiritual possession of the distinguished men whom the Lord chose, trained and equipped, was far from being all retained by the succeeding age, much less was a higher stage of Christian knowledge attained." Now if that be true of the first age after the apostles, is it not likely to be equally, or perhaps still more true, of the ages after that ? Recognizing this likely possibility, we should be careful not to lay too much stress on the opinions of great theologians, or on the decisions of great councils. Dorner's own book on the History of the Development of the Doctrine of the Person of Christ, ought to teach caution in this matter. We believe with Principal Gore, in his work on The Incarnation of the Son of God, p. 107, that "The dogmatic decisions of the Church have been greatly misused. And how ? By being treated as sources of our positive information about Christ, practically overriding the gospel picture. It is well therefore to test all that the councils have said, by Scripture." If this had been done, we feel assured that many of the lo THE VISIBLE GOD. opinions expressed by theologians and commentators, about the pre-incarnate Lord would never have been written. Justin Martyr says, " The Old Testa ment revelations, are revelations of the Logos. He appears at one time in the form of a man, at another in that of fire, at another in an incorporeal form." We do not know when or where the Logos ever appeared, in an INCORPOREAL form. Symbols and emblems were not personal manifestations. And if Justin Martyr was thinking of the bush in the desert when he referred to " fire," then he has altogether misapprehended what the Bible tells us when he says that " the Logos appeared in the form of fire." The fire which Moses beheld was the radiation of the Divine glory, but within the glory and visible through it was the person of the Lord God. Hence we read that " The angel of the Lord appeared unto him, in a flame, out of the midst of a bush." And after the Lord had spoken to Moses, and told him who He was, it is said, " And Moses hid his face, for HE WAS AFRAID TO LOOK UPON GOD" (Exod. iii. 6). In his Mediatorial Sovereignty, GEORGE STEWARD says, " The Lord God appeared often familiarly to men in the human form, or its equivalent" The words we have emphasized, seem to be meaningless, in the light of Scripture statement. The Lord God ate and drank, walked and talked, and is frequently spoken of as Man, and all His appearances, so far zs, form was concerned, were alike. Commenting upon the words in Exodus xxiv. io,"They saw the God of Israel," Bush says, " The idea of a distinct personal appearance in human form is excluded, yet we may perhaps safely conceive, that the luminous and glorious object presented to their view, bore a remote resemblance to such a form." THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. II A curious statement ! The luminous object bore a remote resemblance to the human form, and yet the idea of a personal appearance in that form is to be excluded. Let any intelligent person compare Exodus xxiv. 10 with Ezekiel i. 26-28 and Revelation i. 13-18, and then say if in reading the first passage, " the idea of a distinct personal appearance in human form, is excluded." In a book recently published, the author — who is a scholarly man — having carefully considered these and similar Scriptures in the Old Testament, inquires, " Were these the manifestations of the pre-existent Messiah, or were they the mani festations of Jehovah Himself the Divine Being essentially, the God who is emphatically a spirit ? Under any circumstances, we have, to say the least, in these manifestations, the shadowing forth of the human form, the rudiments so to speak of that Divine Ideal, which was more definitely portrayed in the pre-existing Messiah on those occasions when He manifested Himself to men prior to His incarnation, but absolutely developed and set forth when the Logos became flesh, and the Lord Jesus as very man was clearly and fully revealed." This is a sample of the utter confusion of thought, which exists in many earnest, intelligent and devout minds regarding the earthly and heavenly appearances of the pre-incarnate Christ. The quotation is full of errors. The writer, asks, " Were these the manifestations of the Divine Being essentially, the God who is emphatically a spirit ? " Paul gives the answer, " Whom no man hath seen, nor can see" (1 Tim. vi. 16). Again, he says, " We have in these manifestations, the rudiments so to speak of that Divine Ideal . . . which was de veloped and set forth when the Logos became flesh, 12 The Visible god. and the Lord Jesus as very man was clearly and fully revealed." In other words, the man of the Old Testa ment was imperfectly human, and the flesh and blood Jesus the Divine Ideal of Man. This is exactly the opposite of the truth, as revealed in Scripture. The Primal Man, in whose image and likeness Adam was made, was the perfect Man, and the Incarnate Christ who was made in " the likeness of sinful flesh," " was made perfect, through sufferings" The natural body which He received through a natural birth was a body of humiliation, a body provided for sacrifice, and when the sacrifice was made, the shed blood was left behind, and the flesh spiritualised, so that His body was no longer natural but spiritual. Then He became again the " Divine Ideal," and " as very Man was clearly and fully revealed." Hence Paul ex claims, — not with regret, but triumphant , rejoicing, "Even though we have known Christ after the flesh yet now we know Him so no more" (2 Cor. v. 16). Consider the New Testament Scriptures, which speak of the CREATOR as the Visible God. In Colossians i. 15, Paul wrote of the Son as "the image of the invisible God!' What does that mean ? The Rev. Dr. McLaren says, " An image is a like ness or representation as of a king's head on a coin, or of a face reflected in a mirror. Here, it is that which makes the invisible visible. The God who dwells in the thick darkness, remote from sense and above thought, has come forth and made Himself visible to man, even in a very real way has come within the reach of man's senses, in the manhood of Jesus Christ." Now these words are an admirable description of the apostle's declaration ; anything more accurate and beautiful need not be desired. the visible GOD AS CREATOR. 13 But let no one fail to notice, that the great preacher has plainly misapplied them. When Paul wrote of " the image of the invisible God," he was not think ing of the Redeemer or " the manhood of Jesus Christ," but of the Creator of the universe, and " the First-born of all creation." Let Dr. McLaren's words be rightly applied, and we cannot wish for a clearer or better interpretation of the apostle's statement. Bishop Ellicott says, "Christian antiquity has ever regarded the expression ' image of God,' as denoting the eternal Son's perfect equality with the Father, in respect of His substance, nature and eternity." If the good bishop had paid less attention to the opinion of " Christian antiquity," and more to the uniform declarations of Scripture regarding " the image of the invisible God," it is probable he would never have written these words. The word " image " does not refer to equality, but to visibility. Adam was made "in the image of Him who created him," but the fact that he bore His image did not make the first man equal to the visible God. The idea of equality was not in Paul's mind when he wrote of " the image of the invisible God," he was thinking of the invisible brought into view. The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews says (chapter i. 3), that His Son, through whom God made the worlds, was, " the effulgence of His glory, and the very image of His substance." This is a beautiful expression of the same idea, that in His image, the invisible God was made visible. Bishop Westcott says on this passage, " The glory of God finds expression in the Son as its effulgence ; the essence of God finds expression in Him as its type. Neither figure can be pressed to conclusions. The luminous image may be said to have no substan- i4 THE VISIBLE GOD. tive existence." A remarkable statement ; let it be carefully examined. If the Creator had " no sub stantive existence," or in other words no visible per sonality, then how could He be the effulgent expres sion of the Divine glory, or the typical expression of the Divine essence, or the luminous image of the Divine substance! It was well for the Bishop to say that "Neither figure can be pressed to conclu sions," for if it were so pressed, it would enforce the very opposite conclusion to that at which he arrived. But returning to Colossians i. 15, let the comments of Bishop Lightfoot be brought under review. He is one of the ablest and most accurate of all our commen tators. What does he say, about " the image of the invisible God " ? His words are these : " He is the visible representation of the unseen God." " The underlying idea of the image \ . . is the manifes tation of the hidden" "The Word, whether /re incarnate or incarnate, is the revelation of the unseen Father." Now these statements are clear and un mistakable, and exactly express the view of the Divine visibility for which we contend. After all these plain declarations, we naturally expected to find that the Bishop believed with ourselves that " the image of the invisible God " was a Person who could be seen — " the manifestation of the hidden," and " the revelation of the unseen Father." There is nothing to the contrary in his commentary on Colossians i. 15, but when we turn to what he says on " the form of God" in Philippians ii. 6, we find what his belief really was. Paul's two statements are equivalent. " The image of the invisible God," and " the form of God," mean exactly the same thing. " The Image " was " the Form." What then does Bishop Lightfoot THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. 15 say about " the form of God " ? He says, " It com prises all those sensible qualities which striking the eye lead to the conviction that we see such and such a thing." Having thus defined Paul's words, he in quires, " What meaning, then, must we attach to ' the form of God,' in which our Lord pre-existed ? " And to this great and most important question he replies, " Tlie form of God, must apply to the ATTRI BUTES of the Godhead'.' Now this is a very sur prising, and disappointing answer. The attributes of the Godhead are not visible in themselves, and apart from embodiment can never become to finite creatures, " the manifestation of the hidden" or " the revelation of the unseen" There can be no " sensible qualities " capable of " striking the eye " in mere attributes. They have no " form," and therefore cannot be seen. But " the image of the invisible God '' had a Form — a Form which often appeared in Old Testament times — a Form which is frequently spoken of as human, and a Form which was so real and substantial that It ate and drank, and had Its feet washed, and walked and talked in the most natural and human like fashion. Philo describes the Old Testament Theophanies or appearances, as " irradiations of Divine power" but the Scriptures uniformly tell us that they were the manifestations of a Divine Person. The late Dr. Delitzsch says in his system of Biblical Psychology, pp. 80, 81, "Scripture appropriates to God human members, but still without anywhere speak ing of a body of God. God indeed appears to the seers in human form : nevertheless the thought of an everlasting self- investing of the Divine nature in a human corporeity is absolutely foreign to it." This is a very definite and dogmatic statement. It de- 1 6 THE VISIBLE GOD. clares that all the Old Testament appearances of the Lord were mere appearances — only visional. Is that in harmony with the teachings of the Word ? Bring it to the test of Scripture. We read in Numbers xii. 1-9: "And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses . . . and said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only with Moses ; hath He not also spoken with us ? . . . And the Lord spake suddenly unto Moses, Aaron and Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tent of meeting ; and they three came out. And the Lord came down in a pillar of cloud, and stood at the door of the tent, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth. And He said, Hear now My words : if there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make Myself known unto him in a vision, I will speak with him in a dream. My servant Moses is not so ; he is faithful in all Mine house: with him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and not in dark speeches', and the FORM of the Lord shall he behold : wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant Moses ? And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, and He departed." What an interview that was ! Did it really happen ? Cer tainly it did ; this is history, not romance, fact and not fiction. Aaron and Miriam at this time looked into the face, heard the voice, and beheld the Form of the Lord ; but on many occasions that great hon our had been given to Moses, to whom the Lord fre quently appeared, and spake face to face as a man with his friend! Surely! that Form was a Body. True ! it descended and ascended, appeared and dis appeared, just like the Form of the Risen Christ, but was not the form of the resurrected Jesus a Body ? Did He not say to the disciples, " Handle Me, and THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. 17 see " ? Did He not eat in their presence ? The pre- incarnate body of the Lord was spiritual, and His body after He rose from the dead was spiritual, there fore they manifested themselves in a similar way, and are spoken of in Scripture in similar terms. If the appearances of the Saviour after His resurrection were real, what ground is there for believing that all His pre-incarnate appearances were not equally real ? If Dr. Delitzsch and other expositors, had been less influenced by the philosophizings of Philo and the declarations of the Fathers, it is probable they would have found it easier to interpret and harmonize the teachings of Scripture regarding " the Form of God." But still further and clearer light will be thrown upon this apostolic phrase if we carefully consider the words which follow it — " counted it not a prize, to be on an equality with God" The first clause of the verse speaks of the invisibility and visibility of God, and this clause of the EQUALITY of the Father and Son. But the language is very peculiar, and refers to an equality which was not apparent, and which therefore gave to the visible God the opportunity of manifest ing that lowliness of mind which is commended by the apostle for the imitation of all believers — " Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus ; who being originally in the form of God, counted it not a prize to be on an equality with God." The American Committee of Revisers preferred to read the clause thus, — "Counted not the being on an equality with God, a thing to be grasped!' These words bring out the apostle's meaning, very clearly. The equality between the invisible God, and His visible " image " was real, but it was not clearly and immediately apparent to created beings. The very 2 18 THE VISIBLE GOD. visibility of the Lord might naturally have been ap prehended, as making Him less than Divine. We see this very thing exemplified by the apostles, in relation to the incarnate Saviour. Jesus said, " If ye had known Me, ye would have known My Father also : from henceforth ye know Him and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and dost thou not know Me, Philip ? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father" Now, the question put by Philip in the Upper Room might just as naturally have been asked by Adam in Paradise, and the Lord — the visible God — the Crea tor, could have given the same reply. He could have said then, as He afterwards did in the days of His flesh, " I and the Father are one." But the oneness was not manifest, and He made no undue haste to make it manifest. His equality with the invisible God was not a thing to be grasped or eagerly seized upon. He was " lowly in heart," and willing to wait for the development of the creature's knowledge con cerning Himself. If our commentators have failed rightly to appre hend the meaning of the first clause of Philippians ii. 6, we need not be greatly surprised to find that they have also misapprehended the second. False premises very naturally lead even great minds to wrong conclusions. We may take Bishop Lightfoot's commentary on the words under consideration, as a sample of the. opinions of all our chief theologians, for they almost all agree. " Though He pre-existed in the form of God, yet He did not look upon equality with God as a prize which must not slip from His grasp." Yes ! these words are a correct interpretation THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. 19 of the apostle's statement ; but what is the conclu sion at which the Bishop arrives ? " Though exist ing before the worlds in the Eternal Godhead, yet He did not cling with avidity to the prerogatives of His Divine Majesty, did not ambitiously display His equality with God." These words harmonize with His other declaration, to which we have already re ferred, that " the form of God, must apply to the at tributes of the Godhead." Now, these statements are worthy of very careful consideration, not only be cause they reveal the convictions of a learned and able theologian, but also because they express the almost universal opinion of the Christian Church at this hour concerning the pre-incarnate Christ. Take note then first, of what these conclusions plainly set aside. " The (visible) image of the invisible God," is set aside. " The form of God " is set aside. The Creator existed before the worlds, (only) "in tfie Eternal Godhead." There was therefore no " Image," and no " Form." It seems to us, that the teaching of the Holy Ghost through the words of Paul just quoted, is altogether set aside, and that the Lord God, as one of the persons of the Eternal Godhead, was simply God — Divine and invisible like the Father and the Spirit Notice also, how the words of the apostle about the non-grasping of equality, are thoroughly emptied of all significance and beauty. If the Lord God existed only " in the Eternal Godhead," and there fore was God and nothing else, then what meaning can we attach to the words that " He did not ambi tiously display His equality with God " ? If He was Divine and Divine only, then whatever revelation or manifestation of Himself He might give unto created beings must have displayed His equality and one- 20 THE VISIBLE GOD. ness with God. To say that God did not grasp equality with God, is simply absurd. But if "the image of the invisible God " was visible, and " the Form of God " human, then the words of the apostle are simple and suggestive, beautiful and sublime. As the God-man, the Creator might appear to created beings as inferior to God. This could not and would not be so when they came truly to know Him, but meanwhile, in His Divine humility, He counted it not a prize to claim and "ambitiously display His equality with God." Therefore, says the apostle, " Have this mind in you, which was also in Him." In his book on The Incarnation (p. 34), Principal Gore says, " There is a necessary kinship between God and Man, and if human qualities are not the measure of the Divine, yet they are cognate to them. It be comes intelligible that God should take man's nature and reveal Himself in it, without either annihilating our manhood or compromising His Godhead." These words are true and beautiful, but Principal Gore em ploys them solely and exclusively in reference to the Incarnate Christ. When he speaks of the /re-incar nate Lord, this is what he says (pp. 157, 158): "Jesus Christ pre-existed in ' the form of God.' The word ' form ' transferred from physical shape to spiritual type, describes the permanent characteristics of a thing. Jesus Christ, then, in His pre-existent state, was living in the permanent characteristics of the life of God." This statement agrees with Bishop Light- foot's declaration, that " the form of God, must apply to the attributes of the Godhead." What then be comes of Principal Gore's declaration, that " there is a necessary kinship between God and Man " ? There is no reason to suppose that the Creator would ever THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. 21 have become Incarnate had Man not fallen. It was purely for Redemptive ends that " He was made of a woman, under the law." Well then, if Man had not sinned, and the Incarnation of the Creator never been required, there would have been no visible God in the universe, and the " necessary kinship between God and Man," never revealed or made manifest. If Principal Gore's statement be true (and it is so), then either the Incarnation was a necessity though man had never sinned, or else the Creator was God-Man. When Principal Gore asserts that the word "form" in Philippians ii. 6 was " transferred from physical shape to spiritual type" what can he mean ? Does not such a transference empty the word of all significance, and make it a formless void ? And by whom was it thus transferred ? Not by Paul, who tells us that " the Form of God " was " the image of the invisible God, and the Firstborn of all creation." Not by John, who calls "the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God" Not by the Lord Himself, who said to Aaron and Miriam concerning Moses, " With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even manifestly, and the Form of the Lord shall he behold" Let the words of Principal Gore be applied, not only to the incarnate Redeemer, but also to the great Creator, and their full meaning and beauty will be seen. But he himself does not thus apply them, and therefore he is compelled to regard the Incarnation of the Son of God, not as made necessary by the en trance of moral evil into the world, but as the crown and consummation of tlie creation. In the book to which we have already referred (p. 43) he says : " If tlien we speak of the Incarnation as the crown of 2a THE VISIBLE GOD. natural development in the universe, and in accordance with its law, we are not using a language new to Christianity!' We humbly venture to reply, that this language and the idea it embodies, are not only wholly new to Christianity but altogether contrary to its teachings, and the entire tenor of the word of God. The Scriptures declare that the creative work of God was finished after man was made, and that He rested on the seventh day in complacent satisfac tion because He saw that the whole of His work was " very good." That finished creation needed no fur ther " crown " but the crown of a natural evolution. But sin corrupted the whole of God's work, and put a stop to its proper development. The development of humanity in sin, is not a natural development, but altogether unnatural and abnormal. Therefore hu manity required to be redeemed and renewed, that it might be restored to a truly natural state and condi tion. The work of Redemption could be accomplished only by the Creator, and for the doing of that work it was necessary that He should become Incarnate. This, we apprehend, is the language of Christianity, and the teaching of the Bible, and they are wholly opposed to the statements of Principal Gore. Be coming bolder as he proceeds, he says on pp. 52, 53, — " Let me summarize my preliminary contention. Read, then, I would say, the book of nature, which is God's book — read especially its later chapters, when moral beings appear upon the scene ; you find it a plot without a de"notiment, a complication without a solution, a first volume which demands a second. Study the Christ. He appears as the second volume of the Divine Word, in which the threads are being disentangled" Yes, " the threads were disentangled " THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. 23 by the Saviour, because sin had mingled and con fused them; but had sin never entered into the world, no confusion would have arisen, and no redemptive work of disentanglement been required. To go back to the beginning before sin had found an entrance into the human heart, and declare concerning the finished creation over which the Creator rejoiced, that it was " a plot without a de'noilment, a complication without a solution, a first volume which demands a second" is, to say the least, very surprising. The whole conception, it appears to us, is a complete mis take, and it arises out of the failure to recognise in the Creator, the God-man, the crown and the con summation of the creation which he had brought into existence. The same error has been made by other able and learned theologians. For instance, Dr. Oosterzee, in The Image of Christ, p. 76, says, " Even though man had not fallen, he must have been gradually trained and led up to a higher perfection. And why should we not suppose that among the means which the highest love would have used to this end, even the sending of His Son in human flesh, would have had its place ? " An extraordinary guess ! A splendid speculation ! Dr. Oosterzee clearly apprehended, that if man was to be " led up to a higher perfection," he must have a Divine-Human Teacher and Exemplar ; but he failed to recognize the fact that that great necessity had already been divinely met in tlie CREATOR, in whose image and likeness man was made. Had man never fallen, the visible image of the invisible God would for ever and ever have been his Teacher and Exemplar, by whom he would have been " gradu ally trained, and led up to a higher perfection." It is 24 THE VISIBLE GOD. not God's method to be behindhand in meeting the requirements of His children ; He goes before them with the blessings of His goodness. It is quite true that a Divine Humanity was a necessity to creaturely culture and development, satisfaction and perfection, but it is not true that angels and men required to wait for that Humanity until the Word was made " Flesh." The Creator was God-man. The Lord has ever been to all created beings the visible God, and the grand connecting link between the infinite and invisible Father and all His finite children, both angelic and human. Mediatorship necessitated both embodiment and visibility, that standing midway as it were between God and men, the God-man might act as the Father's Representative, and ever be able to say, " He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father." When Philip said to Jesus, " Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us," he gave utter ance to the very deepest desire in the human bosom. Man craves — not for the spiritual vision of an unseen God, but — -for a face to face sight of a visible God. That desire is universal, as the idolatries of tribes and nations abundantly testify. It is the real source and secret of the widespread and age-to-age enduring ser vice of idols. However ignorant and degraded men may be, they are impelled to worship, and they always desire to worship a visible God. And because they neither see nor truly know God, they make idols of many kinds and qualities, not believing surely that these are gods, but hoping that somehow the Great Spirit, and the spirits of their ancestors, and the powers of Nature may descend into them, and use them as mediatorial embodiments. And they desire not only a visible God, but also a God who is HUMAN. THE VISIBLE GOD AS CREATOR. 25 As Dr. Oosterzee truly says, " Man cannot otherwise conceive of God, than after his own (human) image." All the idols of heathendom to-day are more or less human, and even the highest gods of the ancient Grecian mythology were only men magnified. An able missionary correspondent recently sent to The Christian World " Interesting items from India," and one of them was this, "We see the insufficiency of mere Theism, as propounded by the Brahmo Somaj movement, to satisfy the emotional nature of the Hindu, and how his philosophical nature must ever turn from its abstractions to that popular side of his religion, which, with all its degrading worship, en shrines the idea of an Incarnation, and witnesses to the instinctive craving of the human heart, to see A HUMANISED God." From whence did this profound, universal and instinctive desire to see God, come into the human heart ? Is it an effect of the Fall ? Did sin create it ? Not so. Sin has corrupted and weakened it, but could never have given it birth. How then did it arise ? The universality of its experience and its instinctive nature prove that it was divinely implanted. And being so, it was meant to be met and everlastingly satisfied. It was satisfied in Eden, for Adam and Eve in their condition of in nocence were familiar with the visible God, and had they never sinned they would have enjoyed personal and immediate fellowship with Him for evermore. And is it not true, that just in proportion as Christian men and women now receive the invisible Spirit within them, they ardently long to see the visible God with out them, and cry, " Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." The great hope set before them in the gospel is the hope of His appearing, and the very highest delight of 26 THE VISIBLE GOD. heaven shall be realised when they see His face. The more vivid and pure their spiritual vision of the invisible God becomes, the deeper and more intense is their longing to be with the visible God, that they may " see Him as He is." The faith of all believers, is largely grounded on the sight which the first Chris tians obtained of the Risen Christ, and their faith will be crowned, and their hearts satisfied — not by spiritual vision, or a perfected trust, but — by an actual face to face sight of the visible God, in whose presence they shall eternally abide. " I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also." CHAPTER II. THE CREATOR AND THE CREATION. CHAPTER II. THE CREATOR AND THE CREATION. " S~^OD is Love!' Love is the very essence of His {j- nature, the central principle of His character, and the essential element of His life. It is often supposed, that love is only one of the many attributes of Deity, but all the Divine attributes are the attributes of love, just as the sevenfold hues of the rainbow are the elements of pure white light. As light contains all colours, so love enfolds all attributes. We are never told in scripture that God is Mercy, or Right eousness, or Holiness, or Justice, or Truth ; but we are told once and again that He is Love. This is the All of God, and what are called His attributes or per fections are just the goings forth of His love towards His children, in different moral conditions. What is mercy, but love stooping down to the sinful and miserable, to save and uplift them ? What is right eousness, but love declaring and establishing the right ? What is holiness, but love looking upon moral impurity with loathing and disapproval ? What is anger, but the holy indignation of love, exposing, rebuking, and destroying sin, which it hates and can not tolerate ? God is " a consuming fire," just because He is love. The perfect Love seeks to burn up all that is contrary to its own nature, and which — by opposing its redemptive purpose, and degrading and 3o THE VISIBLE GOD. destroying humanity — would turn the universe into a hell. God is nothing but love. Love, in the bosom of God, is the most fervent affection and the most active principle in the universe. It can neither be passive nor inactive, but must mani fest itself. It is not compelled by any necessity from without, but impelled by its own nature from within. It longs for objects upon whom it may lavish its fond and tender endearments ; and these objects must be capable not only of receiving but also of reciprocating its gracious and kindly manifestations, for love can never be satisfied with anything but love. In other words, the fatherly and motherly heart of God longed for children. It could never be satisfied by mere creatures such as birds and beasts, but only by Moral Intelligences, who could receive His love and freely give Him back their own in return. They must be able, with willing minds, joyful hearts, and adoring spirits, to worship Him as their God, and lovingly obey Him as their Father. It was fot them that the universe was created. And by whom was the great material creation brought into existence? Not immediately by the Father, but mediately through the Son. As another has said, " The Son is the instrumental cause, the Father the efficient cause of the Creation." This is the teaching of scripture—" All things were made by Him ; and without Him was not anything made that was made." " God . . . hath spoken unto us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds." But before the Son began to create, a great and wonderful change was effected in Himself. He be came " the firstborn of all creation " (Col. i. 15). THE CREATOR AND THE CREATION. 31 This is a wonderful declaration. Many have attempted to prove from it that the Creator was only a creature, though probably the finst and greatest. But if He was merely a creature, however great, how could He be " the image of the invisible God," and " the effulgence of the Divine glory " ? Can clay represent gold, or any created being the uncreated One? Impossible! Others, who accept the words " the image of the invisible God " as proving that He was Divine, regard His Old Testament appearances as merely visional, and thus empty of their sublime significance the words of the Apostle, " The firstborn of all creation." The two statements are counter- partal. Having been joined together by God, they ought not to be divorced by men. Properly under stood, they are in perfect harmony. The visible "' image of the invisible God " was " the firstborn of all creation." Meyer says, " He is Firstborn of every creature, that is, born before every creature . . . having entered upon subsistent being, ere yet anything created was extant" — an altogether inadequate ex planation. The Firstborn of all creation means a great deal more than mere pre-existence. It means that He became a substantial Being, who as the Image and form of God contained within Himself the principles of all things, and was therefore " the be ginning of the creation of God." For what great ends did the Lord God thus become " the Firstborn of all creation " ? Primarily to create all things, and then to act as Mediator between the invisible God and all His moral creatures. Paul tells us three things concerning the Creator (Col. i. 16, 17). First, "all things were created in 32 THE VISIBLE GOD. Him." In other words, in the Firstborn was poten tially contained the essence of all that was to be. Evolutionists say that all things have been evolved from a few primordial atoms or germs. What atoms these must have been, and what tremendous faith it is which can believe in such all-containing germs ! Compared with such a faith, that which scripture demands is modest and reasonable. It declares that in " the firstborn of all creation " there were enfolded both the plan and substance of all things. As Olshausen has truly said, "The Son of God is the intelligible world— that is, things in their very idea ; He bears their essence in Himself." Now that is both simple and believable : why ? Because Infinite Wisdom and Almighty Power were there in active operation, and to these all things are possible. But while the imaginative and credulous evolutionist thus errs on the one hand in relation to this matter, Christians generally err on the other. They believe what the Assembly's Shorter Catechism teaches, that all things were created " out of nothing." But no such statement is found in the Bible. The Creator was Himself " the beginning of the creation," and in His fulness — in whom it pleased the Father that all fulness should dwell — were contained " the promise and potency " of the whole universe. Second, " all things were created by Him." As the Father's organ and executive He made all the worlds, and every kind of thing, creature, and being. It was He who stretched out the sky as a curtain, and taught the sun to know his going down ; who made the star and the worm, the bird and the archangel, the beautiful phenomena of earth and all the magnifi cent splendours of the far-off spheres. From the THE CREATOR AND THE CREATION. 33 smallest insect which the microscope cannot detect, to the worlds and constellations of worlds which no telescope has yet brought into view, on and still on through the unsealed heights of the universe to the heaven of heavens itself, where Thrones and Do minions, Principalities and Powers, adoringly worship before Him, and cast their crowns of glory at His feet, "' all things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made." Third, "all things were created for Him." In other words, they were made to subserve His pur poses, promote His glory, and find their meaning and destiny in Himself. He is at once their origin and end, the Alpha and Omega of all things. As Bishop . Lightfoot has remarked, " The Firstborn is the ab solute Heir and Sovereign Lord of all creation." " Worthy art Thou, our Lord and our God, to receive the glory, and the honour, and the power ; for Thou didst create all things, and because of Thy will they are and were created " (Rev. iv. n). Need we wonder at the sublime and delightful declarations which He made concerning Himself when He spake as the Logos and Wisdom of God ? "The Lord formed Me in the beginning of His way, before His works of old. I was set up from ever lasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When there were no depths, I was brought forth ; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth : while as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the beginning of the dust of the world. When He established the heavens, I was there : when He set a circle upon the face of the deep : when He made firm the skies above : when the 3 34 THE VISIBLE GOD. fountains of the deep became strong : when He gave to the sea its bound, that the waters should not trans gress His commandment : when He marked out the foundations of the earth : then I was by Him, as a master workman : and I was daily His delight, re joicing always before Him ; rejoicing in His habit able earth ; and My delight was with the sons of men" There can be no such thing as an attribute of wisdom, apart from a wise person. "The Firstborn of all creation," and the Creator of all things was "the wisdom of God," and by Him these words were spoken. When thus understood, they are sublimely instructive and beautiful. They tell us four things — First, That the Father "formed Him," or gave Him a form, before the Universe was created ; Second, That He who was thus formed, became the " master workman," or in other words, the Creator of all things ; Third, That the Father delighted in Him ; and Fourth, That He Himself delighted in men. These glorious truths and facts are in fullest harmony with all that the Scriptures tell us about the " image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation." The material universe is the first and lowest mani festation of God, but it faithfully displays His nature, character, and purpose, up to the point He intends that it should. Is He wise : it reveals His wisdom. Is He beneficent : it displays His goodness. Is He just : it exhibits and executes His justice. Is He beautiful : it manifests His loveliness. Is He loving and kind : His graciousness is everywhere visible, in all the laws and operations of nature. It shines in the sun, and sparkles like a gem on the bosom of every star. It blooms in the flowers, and glitters in every dewdrop. It breathes in the woods and forests, THE CREATOR AND THE CREATION. 35 and whispers in every breeze. We hear it in all the voices of nature — in the murmur of the rill, in the melody of the river, in the anthem of the sea, and in the song of every bird. We see it in all the beauties by which we are everywhere overshadowed and sur rounded — in the glories of the firmament by day and by night, in the ever-changing scenery of the clouds, and in the wonderful panorama of the circling seasons of the year. It is not a dead or dying manifestation of Himself which the Creator has given in the works of His hands. There is a vital energy in it at every point. Being Himself the living One, and the very fountain of life, He always manifests Himself livingly. Hence we find in universal nature unceasing motion and activity. Every atom is at work. Combinations and disorganizations are continually going on. Form succeeds form, influence produces influence, and result follows result for evermore. There may be calmness, silence, repose, but not inactivity ; not even in death. The law of death in nature is a law of work. Organisms perish, but not atoms. Growth and decay are but different directions of the one great universal Force. That force is in everlasting motion. Look where we may we can see its influence and results — in stars and streams, birds and beasts, flowers and fountains, in the ever-changing earth, and the heaving bosom of the unresting sea. And all God's works are in perfect harmony one with another. The unity of His own Nature is exhibited in them all. In His purpose nature's laws and operations are never at variance. Each part is in its proper place, and all the parts unite to form one harmonious whole. What are the laws of nature 36 THE VISIBLE GOD. but the expressions and instruments of the Divine will ? and all that will is love. No law has ever been discovered the purpose of which is to injure or destroy. Where discord and destruction are found in Nature, there we see the action of a foreign element, which will one day be removed. It is only when God's laws come into contact with the corrup tion which moral evil has produced that they work out pain and death ; but in themselves they are all "holy, just, and good," and act together in harmony. But the material universe is only a platform for higher and grander manifestations of God. It is a great means towards a greater end ; and that end is Moral. The Father, through the Son, created the universe for His children. Every orb in space we may venture to believe is designed for habitation. The worlds are the many mansions of the infinite palace-home of the Divine Family. That family is already very large, and will, we doubt not, be con tinually increased through creation and multiplication for evermore. The universe is boundless, and the love of God inexhaustible. There will eternally be abundance of room in the heart and home of the Divine Father for all His children, and the larger His family becomes, the greater will be His joy, because He is Love. In an address to the British Association a few years ago, Sir John Lubbock said : " We now know that our earth is only one out of at least seventy-five millions of worlds. But this is not all. In addition to the luminous heavenly bodies, we cannot doubt that there are countless others, invisible to us from their greater distance, smaller size, or feebler light." Now, intelligent readers of the Bible ought not to be THE CREATOR AND THE CREATION. 37 surprised at such a statement as this. The discoveries and conjectures of astronomers do not transcend or exhaust the declarations of scripture. It tells us, not only that the Creator made the earth, and the visible firmament, in which the sun, the moon, and the stars revolve and shine, but also that there are heavens and heavens, and the heaven of heavens above them all, which at present are all invisible to us. The millions of visible orbs which the telescope has brought into view are only the outskirts of the uni verse — a universe so vast, that probably no eye but that of God has ever gazed upon its furthest frontiers, or scanned its illimitable extent. It is infinite. CHAPTER III. ANGELS AND DEVILS. CHAPTER III. ANGELS AND DEVILS. THE Angelic races are created beings, and be cause they are so they were all at first capable of falling. God gave them their nature with all its wonderful capacities and powers, but not character. That had to be formed and developed by themselves, and it was possible to form and develop, oitly in a spfure of moral freedom. If good is to be moral, it must be personally and intelligently chosen, and it could be chosen only in the presence of evil. Virtue to be virtuous must be voluntary. Many of the angels refused evil, chose good, formed and built up a holy character, and became confirmed in the love and practice of righteousness ; but others wilfully chose and followed the opposite course, formed and developed an unholy character, and became con firmed in the principle and pursuit of evil. The former ascended into the heavens, the latter were cast down into Tartarus. The absolute origin of evil is a mystery, which no human being has yet been able to solve. It originated in the first angelic transgressors, but how ? They could not have had within them a natural tendency to do wrong, for a tendency to sin is the beginning of sin, and such a tendency divinely im- 42 THE VISIBLE GOD. planted would have made God Himself the author of evil. But He tempted no one, and hates sin with an infinite and irreconcilable hatred. Neither could the first who sinned have been tempted from without, for before them there were no law-breakers in the uni verse and no sin in existence. How then did it find a beginning ? That is the mystery, and no reverent thinker will dare to dogmatize. But this we may say, that all created beings, however great, must be tried, as afterwards Adam and Eve were tried in Eden. Good and evil had to be set before them, that by the intelligent rejection of the one and the free choice of the other, they might form and develop a true moral character, and as the children of God become God-like. Thus evil was set before them as a possibility, in divinest wisdom and loving kindness, for their highest good. It is just here, where we come nearest to the origin of sin. But why did any of the angels choose the evil and refuse the good ? That choice is the mystery, but it also, alas ! is a terrible reality, for some fell. Before tracing the effects of their fall, think of the condition of those who kept their first estate. The numberless heavens in the universe, instead of being uninhabited and desolate, silent and song- less, are largely peopled by holy and happy intelligences, who cease not day nor night to worship and serve their great Creator. And they are not all alike. God loves variety. The names given to them in Scripture suggest that they greatly differ one from •another, in nature and capacity, faculty and work. There are Angels and Archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim, Thrones and Dominions, Principalities and Powers. And these probably are only a few of the ANGELS AND DEVILS. 43 countless races who dwell in the heavens. All the references made to their number in the Bible imply that it is very great. " The ancient of days did sit, and thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him." " Innumerable hosts of angels." And what are we told regarding their nature? Many have concluded that they are purely spiritual and immaterial beings. This is the general opinion of the Christian Church concerning them. The late Dr. Delitzsch says {Psychology, p. 81), "The angels have no bodies." But everything declared in Scrip ture regarding them leads us to believe that they have. There are two scriptures, which seem to sug gest that they are only spirits. In Hebrews i. 7 we read that He " maketh His angels spirits." But in the Revised Version the passage is correctly rendered thus — "Who maketh His angels winds!' In other words, they move and act like the natural winds. Then in Hebrews i. 14 it is said of the angels, "Are they not all ministering spirits ? " These words seem to teach very definitely that they are pure spirits. But there is another passage where the same kind of language is used, and it provides the key to the right interpretation of the passage in Hebrews. In 1 Corinthians xv. 46, we read that, " The last Adam (Jesus) became a quickening Spirit!' Now Jesus was a human being, and not a spirit, and angels may have bodies, like Him, though in this one scripture they are called spirits. Emphasis must be laid not on the words " spirit " and " spirits," but on quickening and ministering. At any rate, no one should insist that angels are spirits, without being prepared to insist also that Jesus was a spirit. But this He was 44 THE VISIBLE GOD. not, for as Principal Gore rightly says in his work on The Incarnation, etc., " The phrase (quickening spirit) is applied by St. Paul to the Christ in His entire person, when he is emphasizing the permanence of His humanity in body and spirit" The angels have bodies. They have often appeared unto men, and nowhere is any hint given that their bodies were merely apparitional, or only assumed for a season. True ! they were able to appear and disappear at will, just as Christ Himself did after His resurrection. This is a characteristic power of every spiritual body. But though it can thus become visible or invisible at the pleasure of its possessor, it is a body still, and not visional, but substantial. Two angels ate and drank in Abraham's presence under the oak at Mamre (Gen. xviii. 8), and abode all night with Lot in Sodom, after they had again partaken of food and washed their feet (Gen. xix. 3). In form and appearance, the bodies of the angels are very similar to our own. Indeed, they are fre quently called men, both in the Old Testament and the new (Gen. xviii. 2; Dan. ix. 21; Luke i. 26, xxiv. 4). If the Creator Himself, as we believe, was God-man, may we not reasonably infer that the Divine Humanity was the prototype of all forms, and that the head of every angelic race, like that of the human, was made " in the image and likeness " of " the form of God " (Phil. ii. 6). We are told in Matthew xxii. 30, that in our resurrected bodies, we are to be "as the angels of God in heaven" These words seem in the most definite way to declare that the angels have bodies, and that our bodies shall resemble theirs. In his commentary on this passage, Meyer says, " The angels ANGELS AND DEVILS. 45 are to be conceived of, not as mere spirits, but as possessing a supra-mundane corporeality." And Stier says, " Hereby is at least assuredly affirmed, that the angels also are not mere spirits, but have a heavenly corporeality; for how otherwise could those raised in the body be compared with them, exactly in reference to this ? Nay, more ! it can hardly be denied that the form of their corporeality must be analogous to the heavenly form of man, although not absolutely the same." Are we not told that there are spiritual and celestial bodies, as well as those which are natural and terrestrial? (1 Cor. xv. 40). The following scriptures may also be taken in support of our belief that the angels have bodies : Acts xxiii. 8, and Rev. xxi. 17. The special characteristics of the angels seem to be four in number. 1. They excel in strength. This is their chief physical characteristic. They are full of power. An angel rolled away the stone from the sepulchre of Christ, though it was " very great" An angel came to Peter in prison, and after taking off the chains which bound him, led him forth in safety from his dungeon cell, and into a street of the city. On these and many other occasions they manifested their strength, and then suddenly vanishing from sight, they seemed to evaporate into space, like a dew-drop from the bosom of a flower. 2. They possess great knowledge. This is their chief mental characteristic. The greatness of their nature, the perfectness of their faculties, and the length of their existence, are sufficient reasons for believing that their wisdom is sublime. But yet it is creaturely. They do not know all things, as God 46 THE VISIBLE GOD. knows them. Hence Paul wrote to the Ephesians : "Now unto the Principalities and Powers in the heavenly places, is being made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God." Their knowledge is great, but because they are only creatures, it is limited, and therefore progressive. They shall in crease in knowledge and wisdom for evermore. 3. Their holiness is perfect. This is their chief moral characteristic. They have no impurity in their nature, no unrighteousness in their character, and no imperfection in their life. They are without fault before the presence of God. Yet their holiness is perfect only in kind, not in degree. God, and God only, is absolutely holy. Therefore the holiness of the angels shall be everlastingly developed. 4. Their love is whole-hearted. This is their chief spiritual characteristic. Up to the measure of their capacity and power, they receive and reciprocate the Divine Love. They are full of life just because they love, and loving God, they also love one another. Their love is the soul of all the harmony they ex perience — harmony with God, and harmony with one another. As the planets revolve round the sun, and mutually attract and illumine one another, so all the angels live in the light of the Divine countenance, and rejoice in the affection and fellowship of their brethren. Love is also the source of all their blessed ness. They are perfectly happy, just because they are constantly receiving and giving the manifesta tions of a perfect love. Heaven, indeed, is just love fully and perpetually enjoyed. And love, too, is the inspiration of all the service which they render. They receive with joy the commands of the All- Wise, and then make haste to fulfil them. With all the speed ANGELS AND DEVILS. 47 of the lightning flash, they fly on their Creator's errands, for love delights to obey and serve, and all their life is love. And now, let us think of those, " who kept not their first estate" As we have already seen, there are many gradations of rank among the unfallen hosts of angels ; and as some, probably from several of these different orders, " kept not their first estate," there is great variety of disposition and power among the legions of the lost. They cherish and manifest every species and degree of moral wickedness. Hence we read of "unclean spirits," "foul spirits," "lying spirits," " seducing spirits," " wicked spirits," and others still "more wicked" than these. We also learn that these fallen spirits are in subordination one to an other, according to their different capacities and powers. They are so, not because they cherish any mutual respect and affection, for sin destroys these, but because the very worst and most lawless of com munities must have laws. Government and authority are necessary, even among devils. The supreme ruler of the kingdom of darkness is "the Devil," just because he is the most powerful and subtle of them all ; Jesus spoke of him as " the prince of the devils." Originally, he was probably one of the greatest of created beings, if not the greatest ; and now, in his fierce and fearful antagonism to all good, he is the arch-enemy of God and man. To him all the fallen ones yield submission, because of his pre-eminent wickedness, and superior ability to devise and execute schemes for the propagation of evil. The names given him are suggestive of his character and work. He is called "Satan," which signifies enemy; "the Devil," which denotes accuser; "the wicked one," because 48 THE VISIBLE GOD. he is supremely wicked; and "Abaddon," which means destroyer. Many persons are very free-and-easy in their references to the devil ; they laugh when they speak of him, and suggest that he is not so bad as he is called. The Bible gives no countenance to such grim humour and misplaced pity. There is no jesting in his schemes, or pity in his heart. As the inveterate foe of all goodness, his one great purpose and aim is to dishonour God and ruin humanity. Though neither omniscient nor ubiquitous, yet, with the assis tance of his legions of demons, he can keep the whole race in view, and leave no single soul outside the scope of his destructive endeavours. And because of his and their great knowledge, extensive experience, activity, invisibility, and unquenchable hatred, they are terribly dangerous enemies to mankind. With all the speed of the lightning, they can go from place to place, and are ever ready to take advantage of opportunities to tempt. When the corruption of our lower nature is stirred, and evil thoughts and desires pass through the mind and pulsate in the heart, then — just as birds of prey espy or scent the carrion from afar, and make haste to the banquet — the spirits of evil feel the attractive influence, and embrace their opportunity. Lusts and passions, envies and jeal ousies, alienations and angers, and every form of sin in the soul, throw open the gates of the inner being to the hosts of the enemy. And they are not slow to enter. And then by sinful suggestions, cun ningly injected into the mind and heart, they set the carnal nature ablaze with the very fire of hell, and stir up infernal desires and purposes by which the soul is scorched and injured. In the case of those who cherish these evil suggestions and consciously ANGELS AND DEVILS. 49 open their hearts towards evil, it is not impossible that they may become possessed. Think of Judas. Satan "put it into his heart" to betray the Lord. That was temptation by suggestion. Judas accepted the suggestion, and yielded to the temptation, and thereby made way for a personal entrance. Satan " entered into him," and made the betrayer a medium for the carrying out of his design in relation to the Saviour. The possession of human beings is above all things what devils and demons desire, not more perhaps for the ruin of souls than as a temporary alleviation of their own wretchedness. Having lost their bodies after they fell, their disembodied condition is a misery to them — a misery which may partially be removed by finding embodiment in others. So far as we know, no fallen spirit has ever ap peared in a visible form. It is said that the lion- hearted Luther on one occasion was brave enough to throw his ink-bottle at the devil, but just at that time the great Reformer was both physically weak and nervously exhausted, and might therefore easily imagine what really did not happen. Angels have frequently appeared, but devils never. While the Bible often speaks of the indwelling of evil spirits in human beings, it never refers to the indwelling of angels. Why so? Is it not because the former are spirits only, while the latter have forms f The Lord Jesus was with His disciples, but when the Holy Spirit came He was within them. Think of the effects of sin, upon men. It first corrupts, then disorganizes, and finally destroys the body; and is it not likely that the same thing happened to fallen angels as has been experienced 4 50 THE VISIBLE GOD. by a thousand generations of sinful human beings ? Surely it is reasonable to suppose, that death was the penalty and natural result of sin in their case, as in our own ? If so, they are disembodied spirits, and their disembodied condition is a foretaste of the doom which awaits them, from which they seek a tem porary relief by finding embodiment in men. Some of them entreated Jesus that He would not " torment them before the time," nor command them to depart " into the abyss," but that they might be permitted to enter into " the herd of swine," — thus showing that even a swinish embodiment was preferred by them, rather than none at all. Now, all these suggestions regarding evil spirits, may appear to many to be of little practical im portance. But in this, we cannot agree with them. When they are understood and accepted, then all that the scriptures say concerning the action and in fluence of devils and demons becomes comparatively simple and easy to believe. In the light they give, such extraordinary words as these — spoken by Christ Himself — are not difficult either to apprehend or accept — " The unclean spirit when he is gone out of the man passeth through waterless places SEEKING REST, and findeth it not. Then he saith, I will return into my house whence I came out ; and when he is come he findeth it empty, swept and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh with himself seven other spirits more evil than himself, and they enter in and dwell there, and the last state of that man becometh worse than the first." These words surely imply, that fallen angels crave for embodiment, and that when entrance into a human being is obtained, a measure of " rest " is ANGELS AND DEVILS. 51 realized. No ideas can be of small moment to Christians and devout students of Revelation, which help them to understand its teachings, and make the words of Jesus luminous to the mind. CHAPTER IV. THE CREATION OF MAN AND WOMAN. CHAPTER IV. THE CREATION OF MAN AND WOMAN. FIVE creation days have passed away. Chaos has given place to cosmos. The unclouded sun in the sky has chased away the darkness. The earth is covered with verdure and beauty. Cattle roam in the meadows and on the mountain side, and eat the virgin grass. Birds sweetly pour forth their love- songs among the branches of the trees. Insects dance in the sunbeams, and enjoy their little life. Flowers breathe out their delicious fragrance upon every passing breeze. Fresh from the hand of God, and glistening with the dew of its unsullied loveliness, universal nature basks in light and glory, under the complacent smile of the great Creator. But it is not yet crowned. As a divinely-provided and prepared palace-home, it awaits the coming of its King. And He soon comes. The dawn of the sixth morning has arrived, and as the soft shadows begin to pass away the Creator says, " Let us make man in our image and likeness ; and let him have dominion . . . over all the earth." And man was made. The Creator was the embodied Godhead, and Man was a triune being like Himself. In his higher nature he bore the " image " of his Maker, and in his lower, 55 56 THE VISIBLE GOD. physical nature, His "likeness" It is probable that the very first object upon which he looked was the God-man — his Creator — and if so he would gaze into His perfectly-beautiful and love-illumined face, with a calm and satisfying gladness. Tertullian says that, " God in forming the first man, took for pattern the future man, Christ" ; and it is truly wonderful how many great theologians and commentators have accepted his dictum, or if not directly affected by his teaching, have held the same belief. For instance, Principal Gore, in his ably written work on Tlte Incarnation of the Son of God (p. 116), says — "Man was made in God's image. The significance of this truth from our present point of view is, that in that original constitution of manhood lies, as the Father saw, the prophecy of the Divine Incarnation, and the grounds of its possibility." It seems to us that the writers of these and all such statements have over looked the plain declarations of Scripture. The nature of man, instead of having a forward, had a backward look. It was not made in the image and likeness of a coming Saviour, but in the image and likeness of Him who CREATED him (Gen. i. 26, 27). And as we shall see, when we come to consider the Incarnation, instead of the first man being made after the pattern of the Incarnate Christ, Christ when He came was made in " the likeness of sinful flesh." And instead of man's original constitution being " a prophecy of the Divine Incarnation," the truth is that but for the corruption and consequent destruction of that constitution, the Incarnation would never have been necessary. The whole of Principal Gore's book is vitiated by his unscriptural and mistaken views of Christ's nature, both in His THE CREATION OF MAN AND WOMAN. 57 Original and Incarnate states. This we shall be able to prove very clearly when we come to speak of the Redeemer and Redemption. It was a natural body which the first man and the father of the human family received from the hands of his Creator. It was made of the dust of the ground. But divinely fashioned into the likeness of Him by whom it was formed, and having within it no taint of impurity and no element of decay, it was designed and fitted to live for ever. Though not inherently immortal, it was made for Immortality. But it could become immortal only by being changed into a spiritual body, like unto those of the angels, and like that of the Lord Himself. This change was divinely intended for man, and if only he had retained his pristine purity, maintained his primary relationship to God, and formed and developed a holy and Godlike character, a pathway of unending progress, ever-in creasing power, and ever-deepening blessedness lay before him. " First the Natural and then the Spiri tual," was God's method in creation. If it be true now that " flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God," we may be quite sure that it was equally true in Eden, and that in the beginning a flesh and blood body was neither fitted nor designed to ascend from the earth into the heavens, nor attain the glorious heavenly destiny for which it had been created. It required to be changed, and how was that great change to be effected ? Not by miracle, like the risen body of the Saviour, or like the bodies of the saints who shall be changed " in the twinkling of an eye " when the Lord comes, but by a gradual process of transformation, evolution, and development. Had man resisted temptation, shut his heart to all evil, and 58 THE- VISIBLE GOD. opened it Godwards to the inflowing of all good, not only would his higher nature have been continually and eternally spiritualized, but his lower nature also. His flesh and blood, evolved into that which is spiritual, would have become a spiritual body, and as such incorruptible and immortal. The Divine Spirit, ever descending into the human spirit, and from thence, like the water of a fountain, coming down into the soul and the body, would have spiritualised the whole of his threefold nature, and beautified it eter nally. Under this refining process, assisted probably by the eating of the fruit of the Tree of Life, the body would have been gradually and progressively uplifted. Slowly it may be, but surely it would have been developed out of the natural into the spiritual. Man's physical nature shall not attain to anything through Redemption and Resurrection, which would not have been realised through a process of evolution had he kept his first estate. And while the lower part of his being was thus being changed, the higher parts would have been growing up into the fulness of the perfect man. And then victory over evil, and the receiving of divine and spiritual good, would also have laid a broad and deep foundation of true moral CHARACTER — a character grounded on free choice, principled in holiness, and capable of being built up for ever into the very character of God. And when at last the process of development in this world had uplifted man into affinity with the heavens, then he would have passed — not by miracle, nor through death and resurrection, but — by translation into a higher world, to continue his upward course of development and progress for evermore. In Hebrews ii. 7, we are told that man was made THE CREATION OF MAN AND WOMAN. 59 only " a little lower than the angels." In some way or other his nature may be absolutely inferior to that of the angels, but we believe that the words just quoted refer to his flesh and blood constitution. All the angels were probably created with a similar physical nature, but they had risen up out of the natural into the spiritual, and some of the higher orders into the celestial (1 Cor. xv. 40, 44), and therefore when man was created with a natural body, it is true that he was made " a little lower than the angels." In the margin of the Revised Version these words are changed into the following, " He was made for a little while lower than the angels." This interpretation throws much light on the matter, and confirms us in the opinion we have just stated. Had man pursued the upward course of obedience which the un fallen angels followed, what would have happened ? He too would have risen out of the natural into the spiritual, and thus become equal unto the angels, an equality to which all the redeemed children of God shall attain after the resurrection (Matt. xxii. 30). " In the resurrection . . . they are as the angels of God in heaven." It has often been surmised that man must have been filled with wonder when he looked abroad for the first time upon the scene into which he had come. But this feeling usually arises out of a contrasted experience, and as yet he had acquired no experience to produce it. Were any one to fall asleep in the midst of the noise and bustle of London, and awake in such a place as Eden was, his surprise would be overwhelming. It was not so with the first man. The scene around him answered exactly to his nature and capacities, and being in perfect accord with its beauty, he doubtless looked upon it with calm delight, 60 THE VISIBLE GOD. but with no astonishment. Eden was a fit and proper abode for him ; and its order and loveliness were em blematic of the harmony and purity of his own soul, and shadowed forth the spiritual life and blessedness which he was created to sustain and enjoy. What a noble being he must have been as He stood in the presence of his Creator, with his bodily organization complete, and his higher nature in the fulness of its power and all untainted by sin. But we shall greatly err if we think of him as possessing any thing like moral qualities. He had none' of these, until he began to think and act for himself. It is not the possession of faculties and powers, but their exercise and use, which give moral character to any being. Now, Adam, at first, had no character at all. True, he was innocent, but innocence is a negative thing ; it is simply not evil. And even his innocence was created and natural, and not a result of personal action. His positive moral state had yet to be deter mined, by his own conduct. He was supplied with every requisite to rise up out of innocence into holi ness, and become truly great by forming and develop ing a God-like character ; but what did this imply ? It implied freedom of will, and power of choice. Being divinely endowed with manifold powers and capacities, he was necessarily an active being. At first, he acted through intuition, but in proportion as his knowledge and experience grew he was governed by reason. His capacities expanded, his powers were developed, and as thought and feeling operated enjoy ment came to him with ever-increasing fulness. The brightness and beauty, the fragrance and fruitfulness of his Eden-home became more and more an exquisite appreciation, and stirred the deepest depths of his THE CREATION OF MAN AND WOMAN. 61 pure and susceptible nature, until his song of gladness and praise rose high above all the melodies around him, and a new part was added to the anthem of creation, which breaks in waves of continual harmony against the eternal throne. Designed for activity of body and mind, the Lord gave him work to do. He was to dress and keep the garden. Work and life are closely related. All crea tures and beings are made for activity, and, in a very important sense, live by it. The kind or quality of the action is determined by the elevation and inten sity of the life. Work is a noble and Divine thing, so noble and Divine, indeed, that the more earnestly and faithfully it is engaged in, the nobler and diviner life becomes. All things work, from the smallest atom to the highest archangel ; and God is the greatest worker of all. Did not Jesus say, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work " ? Let us not marvel, therefore, that work was a part of the Edenic experience. It gave easy and delightful exercise to the physical frame and all the mental powers, and no doubt yielded a constant enjoyment without the slightest sensation of uneasiness or pain. That man might exercise his sovereign rights as the monarch of the lower creation, the Lord God brought unto him all the living creatures around, that he might give them names suited to their natures. This implied the possession of keen intuitive perceptions, strong mental faculties, and the ability to use them with discretion and intelligence. He was now en larging his experience, and becoming more conscious of his powers. The current of life was running stronger and fuller in the soul, and with its increase there doubtless came an ever-deepening blessedness, 62 THE VISIBLE GOD. which filled his whole being with satisfaction and repose. There was no sense of restraint, nor any desire to depart from the conditions of his lot. But hitherto he had been alone, so far as human fellowship was concerned. Every bird had its mate, every beast its companion, and every angel-visitant his kindred friend ; but he had no one of his own nature and kind with whom to commune. All the living creatures that he saw and all the moral beings with whom he had intercourse were either below or above the level of his own nature. There was no one to share his thoughts and joys, to feel as he felt, or with whom he could interchange in perfect sympathy the emotions and desires of the heart. He had been made for a social existence, but as yet the complement of his being had not been provided. No longer, how ever, was he to remain solitary in his beautiful Paradise, for God said, " It is not good for man to be alone ; I will make a helpmeet for him," — a proper companion, one to answer to his nature, because she will be his own better self, and therefore a perfect counterpart. Woman is man's divinely-sent companion. Her lofty mission is to develop and perfect his nature by constantly ministering unto it with loving care and thoughtful tenderness. There is no more beautiful or noble being in the world than a faithful and true- hearted wife — one who in the best sense of the word is a helpmeet to her husband. She is a Divine bless ing, a gift from the hand and heart of God, and only a little lower than the angels. Her sphere is illumined by light from heaven, and an Edenic halo of beauty encircles all her ways. It was a moment of supreme heart happiness to Adam, when the lovely face and form of Eve met his enraptured vision. She was THE CREATION OF MAN AND WOMAN. 63 another, and yet only part of himself. He was now divided, but the division effected, only perfected his unity. It needs man and woman to make a complete human being ; therefore says the Scripture, " God created man in His own image ; male and female created He them" Then it was that human love was enkindled — a love that had no taint or any mixture of grossness in it. It was as tender and unsullied, as the affections of the angels or the love of God Himself. From that moment man knew the intensity of happiness, for love is the very soul and essence of all real joy. He now had one who could fully enter into all his feelings, and share his every thought, aspiration, and longing. The woman was a tender and refined reflection of himself, made to lean on his strength, to trust in his manliness, to confide in his love, and to render it back with constancy and devotion. We can imagine, and yet but faintly, the delight with which he led his fair companion through her new home, and showed her all its beauties. With what manly joy he would lead her to its loveliest bowers, and point out all the glories of the scene ! How he would tell her also all he knew regarding the angels and the great Creator, and carefully direct her attention to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which she and he alike had been divinely com manded not to touch. And thus the days passed by, in purest love and pleasant fellowship, happy work and holiest worship. Nature was perfected and crowned. The Almighty looked complacently upon all His work, and pro nounced it "very good." In beauty and harmony, and in full accord with the Divine purpose, the earth pursued its orbit through the realms of space, 64 THE VISIBLE GOD. and on its lovely bosom love and joy had their home. The Creator communed with His creatures, angels visited them, and the whole universe opened its portals of bliss, and invited them to enter in and partake of its fulness. Everything seemed to give promise of a glorious human development. But all the angels knew that man and woman had yet to be tried by the law of obedience. There stood the tree in the midst of the garden, surrounded by a fence of Divine prohibition, and it remained to be seen whether they would resist any evil suggestions that might be made to them, or step over the sacred fence and eat the forbidden fruit. Till this ordeal was past, the blessedness of humanity rested upon no solid or certain basis, and only God knew what would be the issue. To all the angelic hosts who had kept their first estate the dwellers in Eden must now have been the objects of intensest interest, especially when at anytime they approached the testing tree. That test was not an arbitrary and unnecessary arrangement on God's part ; it was abso lutely demanded by their nature. They could occupy their proper place in the scale of being only by a positive, conscious, and deliberate choice of the Divine Will. The formation and development of a holy character was not possible without this choice. And the choice of truth and holiness could not be made except in the presence of opportunity to do the opposite. Hence the forbidden fruit and the Divine command not to touch it. The will could be exercised only in choosing, and the choice must be made, not between courses which were morally in different, but between Good and Evil. What will the choice be ? CHAPTER V. THE CHOICE OF EVIL. CHAPTER V. THE CHOICE OF EVIL. THE necessary trial which God put upon the primal pair was not a temptation, but just the reverse. Temptation is an enticement to wrong-doing, but instead of enticing them to eat of the forbidden tree, He warned them away from it by saying regarding its fruit, " Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." But God's trial was speedily turned into a temptation by the great Deceiver, who said, " Ye shall not surely die ; for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil." It is probable that this was the very thought which had tempted Satan himself to his fall, and therefore he made use of it in tempting others. At any rate, it was an enticement, and therefore a temptation ; but the tempted ones had received power to resist it, and if only they had used the power they would have come off more than conquerors. What would have been the results of victory ? They would have been great and glorious, for "blessed is he that endureth temptation." Shutting their hearts sinward and opening them fully towards God, like flowers to the sunshine, they would have become the subjects of a universal ministry of blessing. 67 68 THE VISIBLE GOD. Nature, like a faithful servant, would have ministered to their lower nature, the angels to the higher, and the Godhead to the highest, according to the measure of its ever-enlarging capacity to be filled "into all the ful ness of God." But alas ! they did not exercise their God-given strength in resisting the tempter. On the contrary, they dallied with temptation, intelligently violated the Divine command, believed the devil's lie, and voluntarily yielded themselves up to the dominion and tyranny of evil. The origin of evil in human beings, is not so great a mystery as in the angels, for they were tempted from without, and tempted by a cunning deceiver. But even though thus tempted, there was no necessity that they should fall, for they had been divinely warned not to transgress, and had received all the strength required to resist and over come the tempter. The temptation came to Adam through the agency of Eve. In other words, it approached him through the very centre of his heart's love, and therefore in the very strongest form possible. The great enemy exhibited his subtlety and serpentine cunning in thus coming to man through the medium of woman. But did he not also at the same time manifest a profound moral cowardice, in attacking the weakest part of human nature, the woman, and also when she was alone? Did he not thereby acknowledge his own conscious weakness, and also the inherent impotence of evil when it comes into conflict with good ? A large amount of hope and comfort may be drawn from the fact that Eve was the first to be tempted. And now look at her in the moment of crisis. She stood between contradictions. On the one hand there was the Divine declaration, and on the other the state- THE CHOICE OF EVIL. 69 ment of the tempter. It was in listening even for a moment to the direct denial of the Divine word that the first step was taken towards transgression. The deceiver said, " Ye shall not surely die." Not die ! and yet be cut off like a stream from the very fountain of life. A falsehood, worthy of the devil ! " Ye shall be as God." Could the awful experience of good lost and evil found put a principle of self-life into the soul, and make it independent of God ? Impossible ! The lie might have been clearly recognised from the beginning ; and yet Eve was beguiled. She took the fruit and did eat. Immediately the influence of Evil .seized her. Having fallen under the power of temp tation she hastened to become a tempter. " She gave unto her husband, and he did eat." Just as she had listened to the great deceiver, so he in like manner listened to her. The same sin was repeated. By that he betrayed his intuitional nature, and voluntarily departed from the Lord. He took his own way in opposition to God's will, and through intelligent dis obedience went into the sinful and miserable region of selfhood. Being no longer innocent, the guilty pair soon came to know what the knowledge of good and evil meant. Their contrasted experience now be gan, and a terrible experience it was. In every part of their nature, they suffered a fearful deterioration. The spirit lost its life and harmonious relationship with God ; the soul — including mind and heart — was darkened and defiled ; and the body became corrupted, disordered, and disorganized. It not only continued to be a flesh and blood constitution, but also became the subject of weakness and pain, disease and death. The blood was poisoned, the flesh tainted, and all its senses and energies weakened and injured. And these 70 THE VISIBLE GOD. were but foretastes of the innumerable miseries and woes which would distress their posterity for ages, as weary and footsore they travel onward and downward to death and the grave. Why did God not interpose — even with force, if necessary — to prevent the awful catastrophe of the Fall, and its fearful results ? For two reasons. First, because he would not withdraw from man the moral freedom He had given, and thereby reduce him to the level of+he lower creatures, whom He rules by neces sity ; and second, because He knew that by the mighty power of His own redeeming grace He would bring good out of evil, lift up fallen humanity into a higher spiritual experience than was possible to beings who had never sinned, and thus magnify before the whole uni verse His own wisdom, patience, and love. " Where sin abounded, grace doth much more abound." There fore, the Creator came to the first transgressors imme diately after their fall, and made known unto them the glorious purposes of His mercy. When they heard His voice in the garden they hid themselves among the trees. Ah ! who can describe the sad significance of that act ! Hitherto, no voice had been so sweet and no presence so welcome as His, but now they tremble at His coming. Yet He came to call them with a tender voice from their place of fancied concealment, and make known His design of saving them from the ruin which their own wrong doing had entailed. Blessed be God ! His thoughts and purposes were those of lovingkindness and tender mercy, and not.of judgment; and therefore amid the crash of the Fall the first notes of a glorious anthem of redemption were heard by the ears of sinners — an anthem that has never since ceased to roll in sublimest THE CHOICE OF EVIL. 71 harmony through the universe. It broke clear and sweet upon the sudden silence, when the morning stars in sorrow ceased their rejoicings over the new creation, and all the angelic sons of God in wondering sadness gave up their songs of gladness. Then it was that the voice of the Creator was heard, announcing a great deliverance : " The seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent." These first notes, struck by the Lord Himself in Eden, gathered and swelled into anthem-volume as the ages rolled on, every epoch adding new chords to the strain and richer harmony to the music. Patriarchs and psalmists, prophets and apostles, uttered triumphant notes of development. Jacob's dying declaration was this, " The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh come." Moses said, "A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you, like unto me ; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you." Then Isaiah, with still clearer and fuller vision, burst forth in words of rapturous exulta tion, "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given : and the government shall be upon His shoul der ; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace." Micah too, in wonderful words of prophetic promise, exclaimed, " Bethlehem Ephra- tah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel ; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting." Then came all the other prophets, the most of whom caught up the anthem as it rolled, and gave to it fuller depth and meaning. But these at length departed ; their lyres 72 the visible god. were mute, and the echoes of the sacred chorus died away from earthly ears till it was heard no more, and then it seemed as if it had been sung in vain. But lo ! when the silence was at its deepest, and human hope had been well-nigh crushed by despair, it burst forth anew, and in grander strains than ever. Angels now took up the theme, and above the plains of Bethlehem, lighted up by the splendours of an opened heaven, they sang, " Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and good will toward men." This was the advent song of the promised Deliverer. How majestically the anthem swelled out now, for the Lord Himself — the Creator — was manifested in flesh to complete it. Ay ! and He did complete it, in words, and by deeds. In His parables, miracles, and life He gathered up, interpreted, fulfilled, and glorified all that had gone before. And at last, as He hung upon the cross, with the dew of death upon His brow, He uttered the last and mightiest note of all, in the sublime cry, " It is finished." The anthem ever since has been but variations of these undying words ; and its waves of harmony roll round His cross on Calvary and the throne on high, where it shall finally merge in the ceaseless and eternal symphony, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." May we not believe that it is for the good of all created beings in the universe, as well as for man himself, that the Fall was not prevented, and that evil is allowed a long opportunity to do both its best and worst ? It is well for men and angels, and all The choice of evil. 73 moral beings who may yet be created, that the nature and consequences of sin should be made abundantly manifest, and also that the power of creatures to attain true life, character and blessedness, while alienated from God, is absolutely and eternally im possible. We are told that angels are eager stu dents of human history — " which things angels desire to look into." Paul tells us that they are learning " through the Church the manifold wisdom of God," and if so, is it not likely that they are also being taught by all these long ages of sorrow and suffering the fearful evil of disobedience to the Supreme Will ? We believe that God is wisely permitting this long agony of our race, first to demonstrate the essential and unalterable nature of Sin, and then by the mighty power of His redemptive grace and the mani festation of the deepest depths of His Fatherly love " to reconcile all things unto Himself, whether things upon the earth or things in the heavens." The his tory of humanity is giving abundant proof of the exceeding sinfulness and folly of self-will, the utter inability of man to be his own Saviour, and the abounding mercy, patience, and power of God in dealing with the guilty. If these great lessons can be effectively taught to the whole moral universe by the prolonged and sore travail of humanity, it is well it should be divinely permitted, and its results everlastingly chronicled in the literature of all the worlds. CHAPTER VI. GOOD AND EVIL IN HUMAN HISTORY. CHAPTER VI. GOOD AND EVIL IN HUMAN HISTORY. SUCH a large and important theme as this cannot be dealt with briefly, except by going directly into the very heart of it, and exhibiting it in principle and in essence. It is thus we shall deal with it now. Love is the essential essence of all good, and selfish ness, or a Jalse self-love, tlie soul of all evil. Is not every virtue just a special aspect of love, and every form and degree of vice and crime a larger or smaller manifestation of selfishness or hatred ? When love is /averted, it is changed into lust, and when com pletely Averted, it becomes entirely selfish, cruel, and devilish. Man and woman were made to be the recipients of the Divine love, and to give to their Creator the love of their own hearts in return. It ought to have been easy to do this ! All that they knew of His nature and character was fitted to engender faith and hope, and all the lovingkindness He had lavished upon them was calculated to increase and perfect their confidence and affection. These, for a time, they possessed and manifested ; and loving God supremely, they also, and as a natural result, loved each other with true and with pure hearts fervently. In the love thus received and reciprocated, they found 78 THE VISIBLE GOD. their highest life, concord and joy. It was love which made Eden a Paradise. But, alas ! they yielded to the subtle seducements of the great deceiver. He led them to reason regard ing the declarations which God had made, and when' they began to reason, they began to doubt. Their faith was gradually undermined, and their love les sened. And when, by-and-by, their fall was con summated what was its immediate effect ? A wintry coldness fell upon their hearts, and chilled their affec tions towards the Lord and one another. They hid from the former, and when called forth from the place of concealment, into the immediate and visible pre sence of their Creator, the very first words spoken by Adam concerning Eve showed, that the admiration and love which he had hitherto cherished were now beclouded and corrupted, — " The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." These are not the utterances of delighted appreciation and loving sympathy, but the expression of blame and incipient dislike. And that dislike was speedily developed into hatred, if not in the hearts of the primal pair, in that of the firstborn son of humanity. " Cain was of the evil one, and slew his brother." And what is hatred, but murder in spirit? "Whosoever hateth his brother, is a murderer," and time and circumstance will deter mine whether any hater of his fellow-man, will literally embrue his hands in that fellow-creature's blood. In Cain's case, it reached this terrible issue. Raising his hand against his brother's life, he stretched him a bruised and bleeding corpse at his feet. Oh, the fearful waste of human blood, which that first fratricide inaugurated ! Its voice has never GOOD AND EVIL IN HUMAN HISTORY. 79 ceased to cry unto God from the ground, which has often since then been saturated with the dark crimson stain. In solitary places, and in the darkness of night, the assassin has frequently leaped upon the victim of his hatred and revenge, and caused it to flow from the desecrated temple of life. It has run like a surging river past all the battlefields of history, receiving from each a tributary stream, till now it is flowing like a great sea, on and on to the Judgment Throne of God. What an account must there be rendered of all the blood which hatred has shed during the long and unceasing antagonism between good and evil ! What imagination can picture the individuality of the slaughter, whence has proceeded the blood of which that mighty ocean is composed ! In it is the blood of patriarchs and prophets, apostles and confessors, martyrs and missionaries, and all that has been shed on heathen altars and in private crimes. In it, too, is the blood which has flowed from sacked cities and tented plains, from palaces and prisons, from Thermopylae and Waterloos, from French revo lutions arfd Indian mutinies, from St. Bartholomew massacres and massacres of Glencoe, from the slaugh ter of Innocents and the tortures of Inquisitions. If we could but stand upon some lofty height, and see that awful deluge spreading out before our gaze, how utterly appalled we should be by its magnitude, and horror-stricken by the view there obtained of the result of human hatred ! Indeed, we might well be cast into despair by the fearful spectacle, were it not for the remembrance of one great fact — the fact that in that wide sea there is the blood of Christ, God's own Son, which taketh away the sin of the world. That bipod too was shed by hatred, but behind and 80 THE VISIBLE GOD. above the hellish passions of men was the infinite and eternal love of God, who in mercy ordained the shedding of that most precious blood for the redemp tion of humanity. " Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins." In the great struggle between good and evil from the beginning until now, the latter has very, very often seemed to gain the victory. And this dark fact, in all ages, has been a matter of perplexity to thoughtful minds, and to none more than the lovers of God. Some who have pondered on this, and been staggered by it, have argued thus : If God be the friend and rewarder of the good man, and the righteous judge of the wicked, why does He allow the latter to triumph over the former? Why should even His own people, who are lovers of their fellow-men, and promoters of all that is righteous and merciful on the earth, so frequently be allowed to fall victims to the cruelty and violence of the wicked ? Looking at the fate of prophets, apostles, and thousands of Christians who have been persecuted unto the death, they have found themselves confronting a mystery — a problem difficult to solve. And if good men have thus been perplexed in view of this dark phenomenon, ungodly men have regarded it as a proof of the folly of being religious, and serving a God who either cannot or will not defend and save His worshippers. The infidel and the profane mock and jeer the believer in his distress, and tauntingly enquire where the God is in whose power and mercy he trusted. Here, then, is a fact— good is often apparently con quered by evil. Evil seemed to triumph when Adam and Eve were tempted to their fall ; when Abel was GOOD AND EVIL IN HUMAN HISTORY. 81 killed by his brother ; when Joseph was sold by his brethren ; when Job was tormented by Satan, and distressed by his friends ; when the Israelites in Egypt were ground down to the dust under the oppression of Pharaoh ; when David was hunted by Saul like a partridge on the mountains ; when the three Hebrew youths were cast into the fiery furnace ; when Daniel was thrown into the lion's den ; and when John the Baptist was beheaded in prison. And in the most notable instance of all, when Christ was put to death, we know how all His friends were dismayed, and all His enemies elated, by His seeming defeat on Calvary. Those who passed by, as He hung there pale, bleeding, and dying, reviled Him, saying, " If He be the Son of God, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. He trusted in God ; let Him deliver Him now, if He will have Him. He saved others, Himself He cannot save." And to all appear ance their taunts were justified, for the death-dew gathered on His brow, until at last He bowed His head and gave up the ghost. His disciples exclaimed in mournful dejection, "We trusted that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel." And since the crucifixion of Jesus, evil has still continued to triumph over good. Stephen was stoned to death ; James was killed with the sword ; Peter was crucified with his head towards the earth ; Paul suffered at Rome ; multitudes of the early Christians were destroyed by Nero and others ; thousands of the Waldensian Protestants were slain in the valleys of Piedmont ; the Huguenots were massacred in France ; many reformers perished in England ; and the Cove nanters in Scotland were shot like wild fowl in the moors and among the mosses of their native land. 6 82 THE VISIBLE GOD. In the face of these grim victories, the godly have often been sorely perplexed, and the ungodly have rejoiced. But all these triumphs of evil over good were ap parent, not real. Every sufferer, for righteousness' sake, from Abel downwards, shall eternally testify that he suffered no loss, and reaped unspeakable gain, when he yielded up his life at the hands of the violent. No sooner had the fierce anger of Cain satisfied its vengeance, than Abel was with God, beyond the reach of harm, and in the sweet enjoyment of pro found felicity. The devil perhaps imagined when Jesus was crucified that his triumph was complete, and humanity lost irretrievably, but by that very death he himself was defeated, his works destroyed, and the whole human race redeemed for ever. Tyrants in all ages have killed the saints of God, and tried to banish purity and goodness from the earth, but " the blood of the martyrs has been the seed of the Church," and that good seed cast into the spiritual soil of humanity has sprung up and brought forth fruit abundantly. The darkest clouds which have ever overshadowed the world have always had a silver lining. While looking along the course of history, we can see that all the sufferings and martyrdoms of the saints have advanced the cause of truth and righteousness. Above and below, within and all around the mystery of Evil, is the mystery of infinite and unchanging Love, and the mystery of a redemptive mercy which endureth for ever. Evil seemed at first to triumph, and yet good gained the victory. Life is a battle, but all shall win the victory who fight for good against evil. God is oh their side, and if He be with them and for them, who or what GOOD AND EVIL IN HUMAN HISTORY. 83 can be against them ? Evil can never inflict a vital wound on the lovers of God and doers of righteous ness. It may injure reputation, but not character. It may bring temptation, but cannot hinder trust. It may bring pain and disease, but cannot prevent prayer. It may bring death, but not to the higher nature ; and death itself shall one day become a conquered foe. The real and proper business of life is to fight with evil, worthily and successfully, in God's name, in Christ's strength, and with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. For no other purpose are men here. All their temporal concerns, whether of business or pleasure, should be subordinated to this one imperative duty. The an tagonism between good and evil continues and in creases, and they must either fight or die. If they do not fight with God for good, then they must take the devil's side and encourage evil. There is no neutral ground ; for sin assails every human being, and unless they resist and conquer it, it will master them and make them its slaves. They are all expected to be good soldiers of Jesus Christ, and fight the good fight of faith against evil, within and without, in hearts and homes, in social circles and churches, in the nation and in the whole world. Christ's followers are called upon to grapple, not with imaginary, but real evils, and very earnestly with the peculiar evils of their own age and country. And this surely is no time either for indifference or inaction. The forces of evil are gathering ominously all around, and the heroes of faith ought to nerve themselves for a fierce contest that is evidently approaching. But let them never forget that the most important part of the battlefield, where the greatest victories are won, is the 84 THE VISIBLE GOD. individual heart. The prize sought by God and His Christ on the one hand, and by the devil and all his angels on the other, is the personal human spirit. The former seek to obtain it that they may give to it true life, and lead it onward and upward to a glorious immortality ; the latter strive to retain it that they may consummate its ruin and misery. And upon men themselves depend the issue of the con flict in which they are engaged. Every man must take either the one side or the other, and the choice which he makes determines the contest, and with that his own destiny. What shall our choice be ? Our will is our own. Let us link it to that of God, and unite with Him in working out, both in ourselves and others, the sublime purpose of His love. Let the loving Saviour see of the travail of His soul, and be abundantly satisfied. And when consciously saved ourselves, may we come to the help of the Lord against the mighty, that others through our instru mentality may also be saved. We need have no fear about the final result. Our song may be this, " Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. CHAPTER VII. SUFFERING AND DEATH. 85. CHAPTER VII. SUFFERING AND DEATH. THE afflictions of humanity are manifold and universal. Every part of the physical system is liable to pain and weakness, and no human being is entirely exempt from suffering. It would not be easy to catalogue all the ills to which flesh is heir, for, as one of Job's friends most truly declared, " Man is born to trouble, as the sparks fly upward." But common though affliction is, being universally ex perienced, yet its origin and purpose are not clearly understood by many, and therefore views and feelings are entertained regarding them which are both mis taken and injurious. The afflictions of humanity do not come from God. He did not make man to be the subject of sorrow and suffering, disease and death. All these grim realities are out of harmony with His original purpose. All laws were ordained to work out health and happi ness, and not disease and misery. And yet there is much of both in the world. In what have they their origin ? As daily endured, they are largely the re sults of ignorance, and frequently the immediate and direct effects of folly and wrong-doing. But when we trace all human sufferings and sorrows back to their first beginning, we find them to be the results 87 88 THE VISIBLE GOD. of sin — the issues of moral evil. Whefe it is unknown, these are never experienced. There are no hospitals in heaven, nor any pains or afflictions suffered by the angels. Sin is the fruitful source of every woe, the dark fountain from which all the streams of human misery flow. It has corrupted the blood of our race, and filled the whole world with lamentation and tears. When we are brought under the power of any form of affliction, let us never permit ourselves to think unkindly of God, or charge Him foolishly. But while it is true that none of our afflictions come from God, it is equally true that they all come from Him. " Is there evil in the city, and the Lord hath not done it. ? " There is no contradiction here, nor anything difficult to understand. All the laws of God are holy, just, and good, but having been sinfully violated, they work out evil. Operating upon a body which is corrupted and deranged, they generate and develop all the pains and diseases from which it suffers. When shrubs, flowers and trees are pure and healthy, the laws and influences of nature cause them to grow and clothe them with loveliness ; but if they become either corrupted or suffer injury, then those same laws and influences will quickly send them down into decay and death. Natural laws, acting upon any impure or deranged physical system, are certain to produce pain, and if the pain is not pro perly dealt with and speedily removed, they will not only increase it, but also work out, through its instru mentality, disease and death. And then, God Him self may send afflictions to His children for special ends and purposes, all of which have discipline in view for their highest well-being. But " He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." It SUFFERING AND DEATH. 89 goes against His heart to do so. " And though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion, according to the multitude of His mercies." The sufferings of humanity are a sorrow to God. " His heart is grieved for the miseries of His people." " The Lord is very pitiful," and His pity is practical. Had no redemp tion been provided for man, all his sufferings would have been retributive punishment, and that only ; but now, to all saved sinners, affliction of every kind be comes a merciful chastening from the hand of a loving Father. It is still an evil in itself, but under the influence of Divine grace it may now become a blessing. The Christian is led by his afflictions away from the world, and near to God. They cool his appetites and passions, convince him of sin, righteous ness, and judgment to come, and lead him to self- examination, repentance and prayer. They deepen humility, exercise patience, and stir up the soul to the forsaking of sin and to earnest endeavours after newness of life. It is because the grief which afflic tion causes can thus be sanctified that God causes grief. But all such grief issues in gladness, because it leads the chastened one to hate and resist the moral evil in which it had its origin. When a child is chastened for some fault it has committed, the sufferer may cry bitterly. But if the chastening serves its gracious purpose, the rebelliousness of the child will be broken, his thoughtlessness corrected, and his foolishness exposed. He will be brought back to a loving obedience, and the doing of that which is right. Reconciliation will be effected and peace restored — peace with the offended father or mother, and peace in his own soul. Then wilt he clearly recognise the wisdom and love of the purpose 90 THE VISIBLE GOD. which inflicted sorrow and suffering, and with a glad and grateful heart exclaim, " It is good for me that I was afflicted." The great end of affliction, in the Divine purpose, is spiritual healing and health. Look at that glorious purpose in the light of men's dealings with themselves, and with the objects of the material world around them. When the body suffers, or falls under the power of disease, they partake of medicine. The medicine may be both nauseous to the taste and dis tressing in its operation, but if the effect is good they are glad it was taken. Pain is removed, and then by good food, fresh air, and careful nursing, health and strength are restored, and new pleasure infused into every part of the system. If the earth had conscious ness and could speak, would it not cry out when furrowed by the plough and torn by the harrows, yet these are the processes by which it is prepared for the seed which is to be cast into its bosom. Then the seed in its turn might complain that it is sown in the beginning of winter, when it must endure all the frost and snow, the storms and tempests, which the dark and dreary season of the year bring to it. It would prefer to be sown in spring, when the gentle dews, and the genial showers, and the warm sunshine could come to it ; but is it not the winter wheat which yields the richest harvest ? While we are always seeking for comfort, God by His wise and gracious dealings seeks to develop within us true character. He has an eternity of comfort in store, for all who fulfil the great purpose for which they were created and re deemed, and that purpose is to obtain a Godlike character. If our orchard fruit-trees had feeling and speech, would they not cry out in anguish when their SUFFERING AND DEATH. 91 stems, twigs, and branches are cut off with the knife, and yet the pruning they receive is essential to their fruitfulness. The sculptor lays many a stroke on the block of marble before him, but the result is glorious, for he brings out of the shapeless mass the form of saint or angel. If gold is to be purified, it must be cast into the fire and the loftier the purpose for which it is to be used the fiercer must be the flames. " When He hath tried me," said the suffering patri arch, " I shall come forth as gold." The redemptive purpose of God, alas ! is not always fulfilled in those who suffer affliction. As some one has remarked, " Sickness, has sometimes called forth impatience, and ripened into complaint. It has cherished the murmurings of the querulous, fretted them into dis satisfaction with the arrangements of Providence, or put the bolder language of accusation into their mouth, and led them to charge God foolishly." But it is not so with all. Many have yielded up their hearts to Him in the dark and cloudy day of trouble, and the most of His saved ones have been purified by its fires. Blessed are all they who can say with Paul, " Our light affliction, which is for a moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory ; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen : for the things which are seen are temporal ; but the things which are not seen are eternal.". When God in His wisdom and love chastens His people by trials of any kind, let them strive to keep the intended end in view, that they may not hinder His working. The afflictions of the race, are unspeakable blessings to humanity. Imagine what the world would quickly become were all sorrow and suffering at once to cease. 92 THE VISIBLE GOD. This would be a glorious cousummation devoutly to be wished, if at the same time all folly, selfishness, and wickedness were to come to a perpetual end ; but if sin is to continue, then God forbid that suffering and sorrow should not be confirmed also ! Without the checking, cooling, quickening, and purifying influence which these exercise, the world would speedily be turned into a hell. The ungodly would run riot in wickedness, and even Christians themselves might be tempted to forget the high vocation whereunto they are called, and seek their daily happiness in the pur suit and enjoyment of earthly things. They know not how much they are indebted for the peace of their lives and the progress of society to the sorrows and sufferings which abound in the world. Yet they do well to seek the alleviation and removal of afflictions, and give comfort, to the best of their ability, to those who are suffering. A pitying compassion is the very essence of the Christian life in its manward aspect. Ay ! and according to its depth and purity it will reveal itself — not in mere lip-lamentations and senti mental emotion, but, in active self-sacrifice and prac tical helpfulness. But however much afflictions and diseases may be ministered unto by Christian compassion, yet sooner or later they will end in death. And this, too, is a result of moral evil. Man was not made to die. The lower animals would have died though man had not sinned, for they are mortal creatures, and death has no sting to them. But he was made for immortality,' and designed to live for ever. Death was born in Paradise, and cradled in the heart of the first trans gressor. " By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, SUFFERING AND DEATH. 93 for all have sinned." But while death is certainly coming to all, how uncertain it is as to the time of its coming ! All ages and classes are found in the cities of the dead, as in the cities of the living. The little infant blooms and fades like a snowdrop in the early spring-time. The prattling child lays aside its play things, and gently falls into the sleep of death on the bosom which nursed it. The young man withers and dies, like a sapling blasted by lightning. The beauti ful maiden falls into consumption, and ere long vanishes from sight, like a rainbow from the firma ment. Manhood loses its strength, and passes through weakness into the power of the destroyer ; and old age falls at length into the hands of the universal reaper, like a shock of corn in its season. What a mercy it is that the time of death's ap proach is thus unknown ! If all men knew that they were certain to live for a particular period, say to the age of threescore years and ten, is it not more than likely that the great majority would rush with rapid s.teps and eager desires after the treasures and plea sures of the world, and enjoy them to the full ? Con science and reason might loudly protest in many bosoms for a time, but with the promise that the soul, God, and eternity would be thought of by-and-by, their voices might be hushed and stilled. With what results ? By the long-continued pursuit of the world and its enjoyments, the heart would be hardened, habits formed and fixed) and the whole nature so carnalized and settled in worldliness, that when old age came, there would remain in the soul neither the heartfelt desire nor the moral ability truly to repent of sin, really believe the Gospel, and accept the Saviour whom it reveals. Animalism, selfishness, and 94 THE VISIBLE GOD. sin would madly revel in society, and by the rapid increase of evil the whole world become the bedlam of creation, and be prepared for a fearful doom. It is death in large measure, with its certainty and uncertainty, its mournful associations and tender memories in the hearts of the bereaved, which keeps the minds of men in some degree sober and thought ful, and prevents them from becoming wholly forget ful of judgment and the world to come. It purifies and sweetens the manifold relationships of public and social life, restrains men from altogether immersing themselves in business or pleasure, calms and cools the fevered impulses and passions of the lower nature, and gives opportunity to the conscience to impel the higher nature to attend to the things which concern its everlasting peace. There is abundant reason to bless God that death is the result of sin. The latter without the former would make the life of men a degradation and a misery, and turn the world into a pandemonium of iniquity. Even as it is, with the certainty and uncertainty of death continually before them, its nearness is not regarded nor generally re cognised. Men and women have often, stood at the death-beds of friends and relatives, and listened to the last sighs of their departing spirits, without realiz ing that such a departure must soon be experienced by themselves. The last remains of loved ones have been hidden in the coffin from their sight, and they have followed the hearse to the cemetery and the grave, without being impelled by such solemn scenes and circumstances to reflect on this possibility, that the very next funeral which shall go from the street in which they live may be their own. Did they but live from day to day under the shadow of eternity, SUFFERING AND DEATH. 95 and remember that death is at the door, their minds would probably be much more serious and thought ful than they have been, and their lives more earnest and useful. Every sane person would desire to die the death of the righteous, but in order that they may thus depart from this world they must live the righteous life. It is the life they pursue, and the character they form, which shall condition and deter mine their death and destiny. They have all need to pray with the psalmist, "Teach us, O Lord, to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." And then in their last hours they will be able to re joice in the sweet and satisfying assurance that death to them will not be death at all, but a birth into a better world and a higher existence ; for, " absent from the body," they shall be "present with the Lord." CHAPTER VIII. THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. CHAPTER VIII. THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. CIVILIZATION and progress have done great things for humanity. Industry, commerce, and education have brought manifold comforts and bless ings, but all of them are earthly in their origin and nature, and can minister only to that natural life in man which is earthly and perishing. It is a universal law that nothing can rise above its own nature, or produce an influence greater than itself. All nature lies under the law of death, and therefore all its products must die. It is true that it perpetuates itself by constant renewals, and that humanity shares with it in this form of immortality. Though men die, the human race continues to live. Nations perish, but civilization remains and advances. The philosophy of Greece and the institutions of Rome still survive, though the peoples who created them have passed away like the flowers of a summer that is gone. The natural life of every human being is sustained by constant renewals, but there is ever the progress towards decay and dissolution, and when at length old age comes, no temperance in diet, no husbanding of strength, and no amount of care will save any one from the death to which everything mortal is ap pointed. 99 too THE VISIBLE GOD. Nothing less and nothing else than a Divine re demption could bring to man the salvation which he required ; and that redemption was provided. The fall of man did not take God by surprise. He fore saw it, from eternity. In the Divine purpose the Divine Son was " the Lamb slain from before the foundation of the world." And from the hour that man sinned, the Creator began to speak and act as his Saviour. It was He who announced in Paradise itself, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head. It was He who clothed the first transgressors with the skins of beasts, after they had fallen down into the animal sphere of existence. It was He who gave the great commission to Moses to go down into Egypt and deliver the children of Abraham from the hand of Pharaoh. It was He who led them through the Red Sea as on dry land, and afterwards preserved and protected, disciplined and educated them through all the long period of their wilderness wanderings. It was He who established them in the land of promise, and prospered and blessed them there. It was He who delivered them on many occasions from the hands of their enemies, and brought them back again into the land of their fathers when their long exile in Babylon had served its end. It was He who walked with the three youthful Hebrew heroes in the midst of the furnace- flames, and brought them forth therefrom unsinged and uninjured. It was He who through the whole period of the old dispensation was the guide and guardian of His people, who constantly cared for them, and kept them as the apple of His eye. But all these redemptive dealings with individuals and a nation were both superficial and limited. They THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. 101 neither effected a complete salvation from sin, nor provided a redemption for the race. They were only foretastes and prophecies of these great and universal blessings. By whom was the redemption of humanity to be wrought out ? Man could not redeem himself, neither could any created being in the universe accomplish a work of such stupendous difficulty and magnitude. But help was laid upon One " mighty to save," even the Son of the Eternal Father and the Creator of all things. Why was Redemption necessary ? Because both the nature and character of man had been ruined, not by necessity, nor by accident, but by intelligent and wilful wrongdoing. He brought upon himself a great curse — a curse which corrupts and destroys the whole of his threefold being, and develops a moral character which is impure and defective. He is spiritually dead, morally unclean, mentally dark, and physically mortal, and these are all the outcome of a voluntary disobedience. He has violated the Divine law, which being perfect is unchangeable, and therefore its natural effects are certain and enduring. They can neither be evaded, nor set aside. Both the cause and its effects are irremediable, so far as man himself is concerned. It is not possible for him by his own unaided efforts to rise up out of the terrible con dition into which sin has brought him. No con ceivable amount of acquired strength, knowledge, culture and refinement could ever have evolved spirit ual life out of that which is carnal. Neither could these have ever perfectly enlightened the mind, or purified the heart, or lifted up the body out of the grasp of corruption and death, into the possession and 102 THE VISIBLE GOD. enjoyment of an immortal existence. Therefore Revelation, Redemption, Renewal and Restoration were all needed, and if ever they were to come to him, they could come only from God. And God, in infinite, merciful lovingkindness and compassion, gave them. Consider the original relation of Man to his Creator, the Visible God. Made in His image and likeness, and divinely intended to grow into His image and likeness more and more fully for ever, he was a great being and dear to the heart of his Maker. The great Mediator between God and men was the Head of the human race. " The Head of every man is Christ." When the creature fell, the Creator took his fall to heart. His love impelled Him to do so, and hence from the very beginning of His redemptive work He has been able to declare to every saved and sanctified soul, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." But now mark, the original humanity of the Lord being Divine, He could not in that humanity work out the Redemption of the fallen race. " The form of God " could neither suffer nor die, and be cause the wages of sin is death, it was not pos sible to take away sin, without bearing its penalty. The effect ceases only when its cause is removed. God's word cannot be broken. If therefore the Creator of man was to become his Redeemer, it was absolutely necessary that He should take unto Him self a natural flesh and blood body, that could suffer and be put to death, and as we shall presently see, this was just what He did. What was the Incarnation ? It was not the descent of Deity into Humanity, as is commonly believed, THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. 103 but tfie descent of the God-man into FLESH. We are familiar enough with the declaration that " God became man " when He was made of a woman, but there is no such statement in scripture. The term invariably used is not man but " flesh," and there is a vast difference of meaning between the two words. The nature of the Incarnation is most clearly and fully stated, not by John but by Paul, and unfortu nately the words of the latter have generally been interpreted by those of the former. John tells us that " the Logos was made flesh," and because Logos signifies Word, which does not seem to suggest nor imply embodiment in visible form, the conclusion is drawn that the Word who was in the beginning with God and was God became man. John however does not say man but " flesh," and had it lain in the line of his purpose to explain this term, then doubtless his teaching would have been seen to harmonize with that of Paul. Dr. Oosterzee says that " The beloved apostle represents the denial of the true humanity of the Lord as the very spirit of antichrist." Not so ; what John says is this, " Every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which confesseth not Jesus is not of God " (1 John iv. 2). But the term Logos ought not to be taken as signifying only word or reason, to the ex clusion of visible form. What says Principal Gore ? On pages 69, 70 of The Incarnation, etc., we find this remarkable admission — an admission which the Principal himself failed to keep in view — " In the philosophical language of Alexandria, as it appears in the writings of the Jewish Philo, the term Logos is used to express the Divine reason, or thought, which is the archetypal idea or moulding principle of the 104 THE VISIBLE GOD. material world. ' Logos ' in Philo must be trans lated ' reason.' But in the Targums, or early Jewish paraphrases on the Old Testament, the ' word ' of Jehovah is constantly spoken of as the efficient instru ment of divine action, in cases where the Old Testa ment speaks of Jehovah Himself. 'The word of God ' had come to be used personally, as almost equivalent to God MANIFESTING Himself, or God in action. Now in the Apocalypse (Rev. xix. 13) it is plain that the person whose name is the Logos of God expresses not the Divine reason, but the Divine word or power ; and the same is true of the fourth Gospel. Here also Logos must be translated not ' reason ' but ' word,' and this means that the phraseology of St. John has its roots not in Platonic or Stoic idealism, but in the Jewish belief in the word of God, the manifestation of His will in creation or in revelation." In other words, the Logos of John was the Divine manifestation, and we believe that that manifestation was neither " Creation " nor " Revela tion," but the visible "Form of God!' In Phil. ii. 6-8, we have the ladder of the Great Descent plainly put before us, and every step of the ladder is in its right place, and according to historical order. Carefully consider it. 1. "Who being (originally) in the form of God!" (see marginal rendering in the Reyised Version). The " Form of God," as we have already seen in the first chapter, cannot possibly mean " the attributes of God," as Bishop Lightfoot and others have supposed, for two reasons. First, if " form " were equivalent to attributes, then, because Father and Spirit equally with the Son possessed " the attributes of God," each of the three Persons of the Godhead must have had THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. 105 form, which they neither had nor have, for in the Visible God dwelt and dwelleth " all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Second, the Form of God very frequently appeared to many of the Old Testament saints, and was seen to be real, human and sub stantial. (See specially Gen. xviii. 8, and Num. xii. 8.) " The Form of God " does not refer to the Incar nate body of the Saviour, as Lightfoot, Meyer, and all our best commentators grant, but to the original humanity of the Lord. "Who being {originally) in the form of God." That original Form was not eternal, for it was only before creation, and for creative and mediatorial ends, that it was taken. It was "the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation." Lightfoot says that the Greek word which is translated being originally; "denotes prior existence, but not necessarily eternal existence." Just so, and therefore it was used by Paul when referring to "the Firstborn" whose Form was not eternal. 2. " Counted it not a prise to be on an equality with God" or " counted not equality with God a thing to be grasped!' Having already considered this clause in the first chapter, we need not further enlarge upon it here. This only we may say, that Paul's words can have no meaning, if the "form of God" merely signifies " attributes," and if the Son was God and nothing else, like the Father and the Spirit. 3. " But emptied Himself" This is a declaration of the very utmost importance, and ought to receive the most careful and patient attention. What does it mean? of what did he empty Himself? The word "emptied" would have been better rendered by the term stripped or divested, which are the words adopted by Lightfoot and Lange and other able expositors. 106 THE VISIBLE GOD. What then was laid aside ? Of what did the Lord divest Himself? Lightfoot says, " He divested Him self, not of His divine nature, for this was impossible, but of the glories, the prerogatives of Deity." Is that true ? That the " glories," " prerogatives " and " attributes " of Deity were veiled and limited in the Incarnate One is certain, because, as Principal Gore truly remarks, "All through the course of His earthly life Jesus spoke (and acted) under the limi tations of a properly human consciousness," but to say that he emptied or stripped Himself of all these is simply not true. Limitation is one thing, laying aside is another. Had the Christ " divested" or "stripped" or " emptied " Himself of the prerogatives of Deity, He could not have been Divine, nor said unto men, " He that hath seen Me, hath seen the Father." Jesus was the Man and also the Visible God, and spake and acted as such. Again, then, we inquire, Of what did He divest Himself? It was "the form of God!' He received that Form before the foundation of the world (Proverbs viii. 22, see marginal reading in R.V, and Col. i. 18) and He laid it aside that He might take another Form. As to how this was accomplished we are not told, but the fact is plainly stated. 4. He "took the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men." " When the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem them who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." He who had created all things and was above the law, in order to become a Redeemer was made " under the law." He whose original Humanity was Divine, and received from the Father, now took 3 THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. 107 humanity which was natural and fleshly, and which He received from His virgin-mother, for He was " born of a woman." He in whose likeness man was created was now made " in the likeness of men." Paul else where says, " God sent His own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh," or " flesh of sin" (Rom. viii. 3). But why " sinful flesh" or " flesh of sin ? " An important question, and worthy of the most thought ful consideration. It is a common mistake to suppose that a flesh and blood body was the true and final physical constitution of man. It was only an initial and temporary state, out of which he was to grow into a spiritual and incorruptible condition, just as the bud or the blossom on a fruit-tree is evolved by sun shine and rain into full and perfect fruit. The flesh and blood humanity of our present mortal state is the result of the Fall, and therefore it is " sinful flesh," or " flesh of sin." Now notice, the Incarnate One did not become "sinful flesh." Though born of a woman, His nature was not corrupted and mortal as ours is. Had it been so, instead of being the Saviour of sinners, He Him self would have needed salvation. But the angel said unto Mary, " That which is to be born shall be called holy." He was made " in the likeness of sinful flesh." In other words, though he became one with us in all things, yet He was without sin. " Since, then, the children are sharers in flesh and blood, He also Him self in like manner partook of the same." We have natural flesh and blood bodies, but ought not to have had them. Had our first parents kept their first estate, and risen out of the natural into the spiritual condition, all their posterity would also have been 108 THE VISIBLE GOD. spiritual from their birth, But when they sinned they not only retained their flesh and blood bodies, but also degraded them into an unnatural condition through the corrupting influence of moral evil. Now the Incarnate body of the Lord was not " flesh of sin," but a natural flesh and blood body, like unto that which Adam had before the Fall, and therefore, though made " in the likeness of men," was not the final or perfect form of humanity. It was capable of weakness and pain, suffering and death, all of which Jesus en dured. It was " Flesh," and not the true spiritual humanity which He Himself had possessed from be fore creation, and into the full resemblance of which unfallen man would gradually have been evolved. In one of his Unspoken Sermons, entitled " The child in the Midst," Dr. George Macdonald says, " Our Lord became flesh, but did not become man. He took on Him the form of man ; He was man already!' And the Rev. Dr. John Pulsford, in his able and sug gestive work Loyalty to Christ, p. 54, says — " Who is He ? . . . Not yet is He complete and perfect Man; but He is as full of the Divine Power and as much the image of God as He could be, while one of us, in our nature and in our world. Before heaven and earth wen created, or could be created, Humanity was in the bosom of the Infinite Spirit. Divine Man is prior to every be ginning, and He is the Spirit and law of every creatiom. In Him were all possible generations in their first prin ciples. In the man of nature the original Man is heavily eclipsed. 'That which is born of the flesh is flesh.' The man of flesh is not Godlike, nor does he know God. The Divine Man is God revealed, and is the sum of all revelation. Even in Jesus the Divine Man was hidden, and was a passing vision rather than a THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. 109 world fact." There is no amateur theologizing here on the part of these two great thinkers, but deep insight into the teachings of God's Word, and the nature of true humanity. Theologians generally re gard the appearances of the Divine Humanity in Old Testament times as visional, and the earthly life of the Incarnate Christ as real, the life of true humanity, whereas the very opposite is the truth. The pre- incarnate appearances were real, the earthly life was transitory, and in that sense was " a passing vision rather than a world fact." It Was a life in the flesh, and hence it was left behind, when (after His Resur rection) His humanity became once more supernatural and Divine. "Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we Him so no more." 5. "And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself." The word " fashion " expresses the transitoriness of His earthly life and fleshly nature. As Bishop Lightfoot acknowledges, " Unlike the word Form, this word does not imply the reality of our Lord's humanity." Take note of that. " Form " is the term applied to His original Humanity, and " fashion " to that which was incarnate. It was a tremendous descent for the Divine Humanity to come down into flesh and blood, but He descended still lower than that. As a man amongst men, "He humbled Himself" He did so when He stooped to the carpenter's bench ; when He entered into closest union and fellowship with lowly fishermen, and when, to their amazement, He washed their feet, in the upper room, and wiped them with the towel where with He was girded. The whole of His earthly life was a charming manifestation of the humility of love. no THE VISIBLE GOD. 6. He became " obedient unto death, yea, the death of the cross." These words declare not only that He was perfectly obedient to the Father till He died, but also that Death was the purpose of His life, which He did not fail to fulfil. His crucifixion began with His Incarnation, and the divinely-appointed end of His Incarnation was the decease which He accomplished at Jerusalem. Let no mistake be made here, for at this point we stand face to face with the very soul and essence of Christianity and the Gospel. Let it be clearly understood that the great end for which the Lord became Incarnate was, THAT HE MIGHT die. What saith the scripture ? " Since then the children are sharers in flesh and blood, He also Himself in like manner partook of the same, that through death He might bring to nought him that had the pozver of death, that is the devil, and might deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." But what kind of death was it which Christ was sent to suffer ? Not a natural death like other men, and why ? Because, although His body was natural like that of Adam before the fall, it was not corrupted like Adam's body after the fall, and therefore there was no principle or element of decay in His system to take Him down into death. And being personally sinless, the law had no claim against Him. He did not deserve to die. Death divinely inflicted upon Him as an individual man would have been a huge injustice. And yet God sent Him to die. Jesus Him self said so — "Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life that I might take it again. No one taketh it away from Me, but I lay it down of Myself ; I have power (or right) to lay it THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. ' in down, and I have power to take it again. This com mandment received I from my Father!' Why was this commandment given by the Father ? Was it not that humanity might be redeemed ? Is not the New Testament full of such statements as these — " He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him " ; " He died for our sins," and " not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world " ? Having magnified the law of God by a life of perfect obedience, He still further magnified it by giving His life as a great atoning sacrifice. The curse of vio lated law lay upon humanity. The law, being holy, just and good, could not righteously be set aside even by God, and man was absolutely unable to meet its requirements. But what was not possible to man the sinner was gloriously possible to man the sinless — the holy Jesus. He was at once the Creator and the Lawgiver, and if He, as the great Head of the human race, freely chose through a natural birth to take a natural flesh and blood body, that He might, on behalf of the fallen and the guilty, magnify the broken law by obedience, and then bear its penalty' by sacrifice, He could thus become their Redeemer. And this was just what He did. The great Mediator between God and man became the Saviour of men. " Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us " (Gal. iii. 13) ; " He suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God" (1 Pet. iii. 18). This is the uniform teaching of the Word, and the meaning of all the sacrifices which were offered on the altars of the old Jewish dispensation. Those sacrifices are sometimes spoken of as having been instituted by 112 THE VISIBLE GOD. Moses and not by God, and in proof of this the words are quoted, " Sacrifices and offerings, and whole burnt offerings, and sacrifices for sin, Thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein " (Heb. x. 8). If these words stood alone, they might very naturally be supposed to declare that all the sacri fices of olden times, instead of having been ordained by God, were hateful to Him, and altogether out of harmony with the purposes of His grace and love. But when read, as they ought to be, in connection with the context, they are clearly seen to bear a very different meaning. Why was it that God had no pleasure in the ancient sacrifices? The reason is plainly stated, " It is impossible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins." They had been divinely appointed as mere remembrancers of guilt and symbolic prophecies of the all-sufficient sacrifice one day to be offered. Therefore it is added, " Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body didst Thou prepare for Me!' And for what great end was that Body given, but to be offered in sacrifice ? Hence it is still further added, and the words are conclusive, " Lo ! I am come to do Thy will. By which will we have been sanctified (how ?) through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once Jor all. He taketh away the first that He may establish the second. Every priest indeed standeth day by day ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacri fices, the which can never take away sins ; but He, when He had offered one sacrifice for sins, for ever sat down on the right hand of God " (Heb. x. 8-12). " Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place year by year with blood not his own ; else must He often have THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. 113 suffered since the foundation of the world : but now once at the end of the ages hath He been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself" (Heb. ix. 26). It is marvellous that any one with the scriptures in his hands can speak disparagingly of the blood of Christ, when from beginning to end they so clearly testify that the redemption of our race is the sublime result of the shedding of that precious blood. "Ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things . . . but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, even the blood of Christ" (1 Pet. i. 18, 19). The advocates of what is called the moral theory of the atonement do not disparage the blood, but they regard the shedding thereof on the part of the Father and the Son as only a glorious exhibition of Divine love. This is a defective view of the great sacrifice. It is quite true that the death of Christ was a sublime manifestation of infinite love, but why was this particular mani festation of it a necessity ? Why did it please the Father to bruise the Son and put Him to grief? This is the answer — He made His soul " an offering for sin!' And why did Jesus say, " No one taketh My life from Me, I lay it down of Myself"? He Himself gives the reply, " I lay down My life Jor the sheep; and therefore doth My Father love Me, be cause I lay down My life that I may take it again." Whatever theory men may construct or adopt of the necessity for and the meaning and effects of Christ's death, it ought to be in harmony with the facts, which are these, that " He suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God." No blessing could be bestowed on men which would meet their need in all its length and n4 THE VISIBLE GOD. depth, but the blessing of deliverance from sin ; and this blessing was brought to us through His death. The death of Christ was not an arbitrary demand on the part of God, as some have supposed, and who, on the ground of their own misapprehension, have ventured to speak of Him as a bloodthirsty tyrant, and of Christianity as a religion. of blood, meaning thereby a bloody religion. "The Father sent the . Son to be the Saviour of the world," and " God commendeth His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." His death was indeed a glorious display of Divine love. How ? Because, though not demanded by God for His own satisfaction, it was absolutely necessary for man's re demption ; for only by the shedding of the blood, and the sacrifice of the flesh, and the giving up of the life, could violated law be honoured, and the curse of that violation lawfully removed. This work was equally impossible to the individual sinner and the fallen race, therefore Christ " was born of a woman, born under the law, that He might redeem them who were under the law." In view of all that the scriptures declare concern ing the necessity of Christ's death, we profoundly regret the easy way in which Christian men some times speak of it, as if it had merely been an un fortunate accident and calamity, which need never have happened if circumstances had only been more propitious. For instance, the Rev. Dr. Stalker, in his excellent Imago Christi, says (p. 64) : " If the Jewish people, instead of rejecting had welcomed Him, what would have happened ? Would He have set up His throne in Jerusalem, and made the whole world subject to it ? Was it only when they had made it impossible THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. 115 for Him to reign over them that He turned aside from what appeared to be His destiny, and limited Himself to a kingdom not of this world ? It is im possible to read Christ's life intelligently without asking such questions as these. Yet it is vain to ask them, for they cannot be answered." We regard these words as not only very mistaken, but also fitted to do a large amount of mischief. Young inquirers and sceptical persons may very naturally draw from them the conclusion that an atoning sacrifice was not needed for men, and that if the Jews had only re ceived Jesus as their Messiah, He would at once have become their king, " set up His throne in Jerusalem, and made the whole world subject to it." But instead of this "seeming to be His destiny," the predictions of psalmists and prophets (Ps. xvi. and Isa. liii.), and His own declarations regarding Himself, show that the cross on Calvary and not a throne in Jerusa lem was the divinely appointed end of His Incarna tion and earthly ministry. It was at the commence ment of His ministry and not at its close, before He was known to either the people or their rulers, and not after they had rejected Him as their Messiah, that He said to Nicodemus, " As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up!' There was a must in the matter, and the must was frequently repeated by Christ during the three years of His ministry. His death was a necessity. The impression made by Dr. Stalker's words in the passage quoted above, is neither corrected nor removed, as it seems to us, by what he afterwards says (p. 67) : " The life of Jesus appeared to miscarry. He who was meant to be a King, was held unworthy n6 THE VISIBLE GOD. to live even as a subject; instead of inhabiting a palace, He was consigned to a prison ; instead of being seated on a throne, He was nailed to a tree. But, although this was a miscarriage in so far as it was due to the wicked will of men, it was no mis carriage in the wisdom of God. Looked at from man's side, the death of Christ was the blackest spot on human history, a mistake and a crime without parallel ; but, looked at from God's side, it is the grandest scene in the history of the universe ; for in it human sin was expiated, the depths of the Divine love were disclosed, and the path of perfection opened for the children of men." These were glorious results, which the death of Christ effected. Was not His death then the purpose of His birth ? Was it not by Divine ordination that He laid down His life a ransom for many ? These questions must surely be answered in the affir mative, and if so, then how can it be truly said that Jesus " was meant to be a King," that " it was His destiny not to be the private man He was, but to be the head of an emancipated and glorious state," that " His offer of Himself to be the Messiah of His country was a bond fide offer;" and that when the Jews rejected Him, " then the tide of His life turned, and rolled back upon itself?"" If He came to die as a Saviour, then He did not come to reign as a King ; or if He was designed to be " the head of an eman cipated and glorious state," then His death at the hands of the Jewish people and the Roman Govern ment was an untoward and deplorable event, which ought not to have happened, but which when it occurred was utilized by God for the unfolding of His merciful love, and the furtherance of His gracious THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. uf purposes towards our race. Let us be loyal to the Word. What saith the scriptures ? " The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world." " He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." And the risen Saviour said unto His disciples, " Thus it is written that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day." " Behoved it not the Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into His glory " (Luke xxiv. 46, 26). These words are conclusive. Another thing generally misapprehended regarding Christ is His Perfection. Principal Gore, in The In carnation, etc., has written very fully concerning this, and gives expression in clear and well-chosen language to the commonly received opinion. He says regard ing Adam, " We have no reason to think that man was originally created perfect. Irenaeus and Clement expressly deny it. We believe that when the body of man was first made the dwelling-place of a self- conscious free personality, man might have developed on the lines of God's intention, not without effort and struggle, but without rebellion and under no curse. But in any case all the process of development of all human faculties lay before him. He was imperfect, and only adapted to develop freely." Now, this is true. The nature of Man was divinely intended to be developed out of the natural into the spiritual, which is the true and perfect constitution of humanity; and having no character at all, being neither good nor bad, but only innocent, he was meant, through obedience to, and imitation of, the visible God, to form and develop a character which should resemble that of his Creator. But Principal Gore says concerning Jesus Christ, 118 THE VISIBLE GOD. pp. 167, 168 : " In Jesus Christ humanity was perfect. . . . In Christ humanity is not only free from taint, but in the moral and spiritual region also at the goal of development. In Him first we see man com pletely in the image of God, realising all that was in the Divine idea for man" These words are used, not of the risen and glorified Saviour, but of Jesus of Nazareth in the days of His flesh, and we hesitate not to say that they are a complete misapprehension of the truth, and altogether out of harmony with the plain declarations of the Word. There was no defect in Christ at any period of His earthly life or in any stage of His growth ; for in Him was no sin and therefore no defect, and yet both in nature and character He was imperfect. Take His Nature first. He possessed a natural flesh and blood constitution. That constitution was taken through a natural birth for redemptive ends, and specially for the suffering of death. But a flesh and blood constitution is not the perfect nature of man. Therefore Christ, as the scriptures tell us, " was made perfect through sufferings" (Heb. ii. 10). It was through the sufferings of the cross that He shed His blood and gave up His natural life, and then through resurrection He attained to the spiritual physical state, which is the perfect nature of man. His natural body had to be changed into a spiritual body, and why ? Because flesh and blood even in Him could not inherit tlte kingdom of God, and the true and final nature of man is spiritual and not natural. In His glorified condition He is the perfect Man. Think next of His character. While strenuously and rightly declaring that " our Lord really lived undet THE VISIBLE GOD AS REDEEMER. 119 human conditions" and was "limited in knowledge" Principal Gore asserts that " In Christ (physical) humanity is not only free from taint, but in the moral and spiritual region, also AT THE GOAL OF DEVELOP MENT." Is that true ? On the contrary, " Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered, and having been made perfect, He became unto all them that obeyed Him the author of eternal salvation." God did not give character as a gift unto the second Adam — the Lord from heaven — any more than to the first Adam. Character had to be acquired through obedience, and was the result of develop ment. And obedience was not always easy to Christ. Let His cry in Gethsemane testify — " Father, not My will but Thine be done." The Athanasian Creed says " that Christ was. perfect God and perfect Man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting," and Principal Gore, like many others, has been misled by its mistaken dictum. He says, " Now these decisions do, it is contended, simply express in a new form, without substantial addition, the apostolic teaching as it is represented in the New Testament." But that is just what we are impelled to deny. The Creed says, Jesus was "perfect man" but Scripture says that " He was made perfect through sufferings," and having "learned obedience," was (morally) " made perfect." In other words, He was perfected in His (human) nature by a process which lasted through all His earthly life, and made com plete only by Resurrection. He was also made perfect as a Saviour through sufferings. He succeeded where Adam failed — negatively by resisting all evil, and positively by fulfilling all righteousness. And on the Cross He 120 THE VISIBLE GOD. exclaimed, concerning His great commission, " It is finished." His redemptive work was done, and now " He is able to save to the uttermost them that draw near unto God through Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." And now, finally, recognise the relation of the Incarnate Christ to the angels. " Verily, not of angels doth He take hold, but He taketh hold of the seed of Abraham " (Heb. ii. 16). In coming to redeem humanity, the God-Man did not take the nature of the angels. Why ? Because their nature is spiritual, and a spiritual nature could neither suffer nor die. But He laid hold of the seed of Abraham, that being made in the likeness of flesh of sin, He might be enabled to give His life as an atonement for humanity. " He was made a little lowet than the angels " (Heb. ii. 9). They are angelical, incorruptible and immortal, but He became " bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh," one with us in all things, sin only excepted. "We behold Him who hath been made a little lower than the angels, even Jesus, because of the suffering of death!' " Made for a little while lower than the angels " (marginal reading of Heb. ii. 9). Yes, in His natural flesh and blood humanity He was lower than they, but that humanity was soon exalted and glorified, when Jesus by His resurrection and visible ascension resumed the Divine Humanity, and carried it to the throne of the universe, and now He is no longer lower than the angels, but raised " far above all prin cipality and power, and every name that is named." CHAPTER IX. CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY ON THE EARTH. CHAPTER IX. CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY ON THE EARTH. TO serve mankind was the end of Christ's coming. He is the only real and sufficient Helper of men, as none but He can give the salvation, purifica tion and uplifting which they require, and of which their nature is capable. The public ministry of Jesus Christ was one of constant beneficence. He went about doing good. He ministered in all His offices, and with both His Divine and human natures, to all the necessities of mankind. Consider, first, the Ministry of His Personal Influ ence. There was an extraordinary attractiveness in Jesus. Wherever He went the people followed Him in crowds. His words were wonderful. They all re cognised and acknowledged that " never man spake like this Man." His miracles were wonderful, so that on many occasions they were impelled to exclaim, " We have seen strange things to-day " ; " We never saw it on this fashion." But, apart from all He said and did, they saw something of the beauty of His character, and felt the charm of His personal influence. He shone like the sun, because He was luminous and " could not be hid." Though exposed from day to day to trial and temptation, sorrow and suffering, yet He never faltered in allegiance to His Father, nor 124 the Visible GOD. failed to fulfil the Divine will. Through the entire course of His earthly life He never made a mistake nor fell into sin. His character was blameless ; He was the one great exception. As all the colours of the rainbow meet and mingle in the sunshine, so likewise were all the virtues and graces of humanity united in Jesus Christ: Those who gathered around Him were strangely restful and happy in His pre sence, from the dear little children who clambered on His knees and nestled in His bosom, to the aged sufferers who had been carried in their weakness and laid at His feet. They were glad to be near Him, and look into His face. Need we wonder ? He was the wisest, kindest, best, and most helpful friend they had ever known. Most gracious, tender, and winning were all His utterances, looks, and smiles, and also comforting and encouraging all His works and ways. Not only so, but they also saw in Him what they found not in themselves, and what their better nature in its best moments longed for and endeavoured to attain, namely, perfect purity and unbroken peace. They felt purer, stronger, happier when with Him, more elevated in thought, feeling, and purpose than at other times, and seemed as if breathing the genial, fragrant, and refreshing air of heaven. And has not Jesus been the great centre for souls, through all the Christian ages ? His daily life was the outflow of love — a love which brought Him from the throne to the manger and carried Him by the way of Geth- semane to Calvary and the grave. And were not all the manifestations of His love clothed with divinest loveliness ? They radiated the glory of heaven and breathed the breath of God. His words were full of wisdom and His actions kind. And when we stand CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY ON EARTH. 125 under the shadow of His Cross, and see Him dying there, we behold the sublimest manifestation of love that the universe has seen. He was and is God's magnet, by which He draws unto Himself the hearts of the sinful and the sad. Multitudes are gathering around Him still, rejoicing in His presence, delight ing in His favour, and deriving from His fellowship strength, comfort, and blessing. And in the great hereafter He will be the admired of all admirers, and the object of universal adoration for evermore. Consider, next, what He did. He revealed the Father, preached the Gospel, became the friend of the outcast and the miserable, and on more than one occasion miraculously provided bread for thousands of the people when they had followed Him into desert places and were hungry. Once and again He said, " I have compassion on the people." This com passion impelled Him to active effort. Sympathy as mere feeling is good, but when it is manifested in helpfulness it is far better. With Jesus, as some one has said, " it was grace to help in time of need." He healed the sick. The condition of the afflicted was an urgent claim for help, and it never was made to Him in vain. Many sufferers were brought to Him, and He healed them all. By a word of the lip, or a touch of the hand, the palsied frame was thrilled and filled with unwonted power, and the skin of the leper made as soft and beautiful as that of a child. He caused the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak, the lame to walk, and the blind to see. How surprising and delightful their sensations must have been in the hour of their wonderful restoration ! Think of eyes being opened to gaze on the glories of creation and into the faces of relatives and 126 THE VISIBLE GOD. friends. Imagine ears unstopped to hear the melodies of nature and all the sweet tones of human voices as loved ones hastened to utter words of congratulation, affection, and praise. Listen to the unloosed tongues of the dumb as they express the gratitude of their hearts in words and songs of thanksgiving. Look at the lame, who had been carried into the presence of the great Wonder-worker, now walking, and leaping, and dancing with delight. What a flood of new life and joy must have flowed through all their being ! And not less, we think, was the joy of Jesus Himself, who thus healed the sick. He cast out devils. There were many demoniacs in the time of our Lord. At the very commencement of His ministry in Galilee, as He taught in the synagogue at Capernaum, there was a man in the audience possessed of a devil. He cried out, saying, " What have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth ? art Thou come to destroy us ? I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God." And Jesus rebuked him, saying, " Hold thy peace, and come out of him, and when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him." Shortly after the commencement of His ministry in Galilee we read, " And at even when the sun did set, they brought unto Him all that were sick, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And He healed many that were sick with divers diseases, and cast out many devils ; and He suffered, not the devils to speak because they knew Him." From that time, wherever Jesus went, those who were demonized were either brought to Him by others, or came of their own accord, and were healed every one. CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY ON EARTH. 127 In recent times, when everything in Scripture, however wonderful it may be, is accounted for on merely natural grounds, many have come to the conclusion that no human being was ever possessed by a devil. Such an event, they unhesitatingly declare, is incredible. The supposed demoniacs were simply persons suffering from peculiar forms of dis ease, such as epilepsy and insanity, which were not so well understood then as now. And when the Scripture says that " Satan entered into Judas," it merely signifies that evil gained the mastery over him, and led him to betray his Master. The Jews ignorantly and superstitiously believed in demoniacal . possession, but Jesus knew better ; only — that His ministry might not be unnecessarily hindered — He humoured the popular belief, by adopting the current language of the people. But are the statements of scripture susceptible of such handling as this ? The demoniac to whom we have already referred said unto Jesus, " I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God." Now, accord ing to our wise men, it was not a devil who uttered these words, but only the man himself. From whence then had he this wonderful knowledge of Christ, and at the very beginning of His ministry ? And why should he have been afraid of One who was both able and willing to heal him ? And what could he mean by the question, " Art Thou come to destroy us ? " In the mouth of a demon who spoke for himself and others the language was appropriate and is easily understood, but as uttered by a man who was only diseased it is meaningless. And what did Jesus say in reply ? " He rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him." Both the rebuke and the 128 THE VISIBLE GOD. command were given to one who was within the sufferer, and manifestly an intelligent being, for Jesus said unto him, " Hold thy peace." If there was no demon in the man, then Jesus was deceived in sup posing there was ; or if He knew better, then He used words which were misunderstood at the time, and have misled the faith of millions through all succeeding ages. How dishonouring to Him to sup pose that He could be either deceived Himself or become a deceiver of others ! He pointed to His power over devils to prove His Messiahship, and also to show the great responsibility of the people in rela tion to His Gospel. " If I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom is come nigh unto you." And what did He give to His disciples, when He sent them forth on their first missionary tour ? " He gave them authority over unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and sickr ness." Instead of disease and demoniacal possession being identical, He carefully distinguished between them, and not only at that time, but all through the course of His ministry. It is simply impossible to accept the teaching of Christ and deny the reality of demoniacal possession. This deepest and most awful form of human degra dation and misery was prevalent in the days of our Lord. There were no doubt special reasons for this. In that age of universal moral degeneracy, decay, and rampant wickedness, the powers of darkness had a special opportunity. But thereby the power of the Saviour became all the more manifest, and the dis comfiture of the hosts of evil all the more con spicuous and glorious. As Paul says, " He triumphed over principalities and powers, and made a show of CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY ON EARTH. 129 them openly." And from that time humanity has breathed a new and purer air of moral purity and spiritual freedom, for the invisible swarms of fallen spirits have been driven back and limited in power. He raised the dead. Three instances are recorded. The first was the daughter of Jairus ; the second, the son of the widow at Nain ; and the third-, Lazarus, the brother of Martha and Mary. The first was raised immediately after her death ; the second, on the way to the tomb ; and the last, after he had lain in the grave four days. Behold the raising of Lazarus. There stands Jesus and behind Him the disciples. There lies Mary prostrate at His feet. Near to her stands Martha, and behind her the relatives and friends who had followed Mary, most of them in tears. It was a moving spectacle, and the Lord was moved by it. His tender heart was touched and deeply affected. " Jesus wept." Wonderful words ! They are a miniature gospel of love and sweetest consolation. Many a bereaved mourner has remembered them with thankfulness of heart, and had his own grief calmed and sanctified as he thought of His tears. They were not only human, but Divine. They came from the heart of the Man, and also from the heart of the God. In one of his charming letters, Thomas Erskine of Linlathen says : " The idea of a sorrowing God shocks the minds of many. It does not shock mine ; I cannot conceive love being without sorrow. I cannot believe that man can give me a sympathy which God does not give me." And another says : " There are some who believe that the Deity is not touched by the feeling of humanity. I do not believe that God is impassive and unimpressional. On the 9 130 THE VISIBLE GOD. other hand, I believe that God feels in our feelings, and sympathises in our sympathies, and that He loves in our loves. Perhaps I cannot explain it, or bring it within the compass of an intellectual philoso phy, but, nevertheless, it is a faith dear and precious to my heart." Agreeing with these writers, we rejoice greatly in the tears of Jesus. While His compassion caused Him to weep, it also impelled Him to pray and labour. Approaching the grave, and commanding that the stone should be removed, He lifted up His eyes in thanksgiving and prayer, and then cried with a loud voice, " Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave-clothes, and his face bound with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go." None but the Lord of life could thus awake the dead, and quicken whom He would. Jesus may often have shed tears during the period of His ministry, for He was "the Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," but we read of only three occasions when He was seen to weep. He wept at the grave of Lazarus, over the doomed city of Jeru salem, and in the garden of Gethsemane. His tears at Bethany were those of sympathy ; His tears on, Olivet, those of pity ; and His tears in the garden those of anguish. Think of the last for a moment. " Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me." What was the cup, from which He thus cried for deliverance? Manifestly it was death, and the dread of it. Was it then the death of the cross of which He was thinking, and from which He prayed to be delivered ? Im possible ! That had been in view before Him during the whole course of His public life. It was not CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY ON EARTH. 131 possible that this end of His ministry could be avoided without giving up His whole mission, and leaving humanity to perish in its corruption. Did He pray to His Father to do that which He knew was impossible ? If so, His prayer neither was nor could be answered, and yet shortly before He had audibly said, " I know that Thou hearest Me alway." How then are we to interpret His prayer in the garden? The mystery is opened by His own words, " My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" What do they mean ? They certainly mean this, that the sorrow of Jesus at that hour threatened to kill Him. Even in the cold spring night it caused Him to perspire blood. He felt unable to bear such crush ing grief, and therefore cried, '' Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me." We cannot tell what were the causes of His profound anguish. We may conjecture, but dare not assert. It was the hour and power of darkness. But of this we are certain : it was not the death of the cross from which He sought deliverance, for His prayer was answered. " Who in the days of His flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears, unto Him that was able to save Him from death, and was heard for His godly fear." " There appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthen ing Him!' The coming of the heavenly messenger was proof that the prayer had been heard, and the strength he communicated was its answer. And that the strength thus given was sufficient is made mani fest by the fact that from the moment our Lord left the scene of His conflict in the garden, until He entered into spiritual darkness on the cross, He was mentally calm and collected, and endured all His 1 32 THE VISIBLE GOD. sufferings with such unmurmuring patience that even a Roman centurion was impelled to exclaim, " Truly this Man was the Son of God." Finally, He bore unto death the agonies of the cross. It was soul-suffering which He endured in Gethsemane, but from the time that He was strengthened by the angel His soul was calm and peaceful. On the cross His sufferings were those of the other parts of His nature, the body and the spirit. The former was tortured by the agonies of crucifixion, and the burning thirst which consumed Him ; and the latter endured a grief so terrible and profound that out of its fearful depths He cried, " My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me ? " But all this was necessary, both for Him and for us. It is true that He was taken, and by wicked hands crucified and slain, but it is also true that His crucifixion was foreseen, purposed, and voluntary. From the very beginning of His ministry, and all along its course, the cross was in view, and He steadfastly set His face towards it, as the place where His great mission was to be accomplished, the altar upon which He was to offer up Himself as an atoning sacrifice for the world. " I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened until it is accomplished." Was not this laying down of His life a wasteful and mistaken sacrifice ? Was it possible .that His death could be a richer ministry to men than His life had been ? Yes, it was. And why ? Because during His life He only healed and comforted, saved and blessed individuals, whereas by His death He redeemed the whole race. It was a universal minis try,— a fountain of life, blessing, and blessedness to all CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY ON EARTH. 133 mankind. During the three years of His public life He showed the scope of His redemptive purpose and work by removing all the effects of sin, but His work on the cross was the removal of sin itself. And He never faltered in His lonely path of sorrow and suffering until He exclaimed with a loud voice, which thrilled through a listening universe, " It is finished." The cross revealed at once the terrible nature of sin and the greatness and glory of the Divine love. " Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." CHAPTER X. CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES. CHAPTER X. CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES. " Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God ; being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the spirit ; in which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which aforetime were disobedient, when the long-suffer ing of God wailed in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing " (i Peter iii. 18-20). " Who shall give accotmt to Him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead. For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live accord ing to God in the Spirit " (1 Peter iv. 5, 6). THESE are glorious words to all who are able and willing to receive them ! 'But many Protes tant Christians do not take to them kindly. They seem to give a basis to the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory, and because they do so many timid and extremely orthodox believers would be glad if they could be proved to be interpolations and had no rightful place in the sacred scriptures. But they are not interpolations, and are as much a part of Divine revelation as that golden epitome of the gospel, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish, but have everlasting life." They ought to be studied with the same devout reverence and holy joy that we ponder these most precious words spoken by the Lord. If there are degrees of inspiration, surely 138 THE VISIBLE GOD. it must have been an extraordinary influx which impelled Peter to make such clear and definite declarations as these concerning Christ's ministry in the intermediate state. But because Roman Catholi cism has corrupted the Word of God for mercenary ends, and a dogmatic Protestantism has declared that probation with all men ends at death, there are many excellent people who refuse to meditate upon these words at all, lest their faith should be disturbed, and their comfort broken. And then there are others who have put such utterly unnatural meanings into the words, that it would have been far better if they had left them alone. For instance, one very able theologian and commentator interprets them thus : " Spirits in prison, is a phrase characteristic of men in all ages. Jesus Christ came and preached to spiritually captive men, who were hard to be convinced in former times, especially in the days of Noah!' Now, let any ordinary person thoughtfully read the Apostle's words, and then the words of the commentator, and will he not be surprised, if not indignant ? Is not this method of dealing with the Word of God both cowardly and unwise, a manifestation of great dis loyalty to truth itself and to Him who has been pleased to reveal it ? Were every Scripture dealt with in such fashion, what a strange Bible we should have ! The words are in the Book, and they are not more dark or mystical than many other scriptures which all true Christians thoughtfully ponder and devoutly believe. Indeed, when they are read and studied with genuine moral simplicity, they are remarkably simple. But whether simple or pro found, they ought to be loyally accepted, whether or not their teachings agree with the doctrinal and CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES. 139 dogmatic creeds of the Churches. Clear the mind of all preconceived notions regarding these wonderful apostolic statements, and reverently and devoutly consider them, as at the feet of God. And may the Holy Ghost, by whom they were inspired, become His own interpreter, and cause the truth to shine. Is there an Intermediate State, between death and the resurrection ? Certainly there is. Man was not intended by God to become a disembodied spirit, and but for sin and death he would never have entered into a disembodied condition. While part of his nature lies in the grave, under the dominion of the ?great destroyer, he is not fit to enter into heaven. The perfect state is being prepared for perfected people. Reason recognises the propriety of this arrangement, and Divine revelation confirms it. There is no scripture which warrants the common belief that human beings when they die pass at once into Heaven or Hell. On the contrary, the Word of God makes it plain that they all pass into Hades, where they remain till the resurrection. When writing his Epistle to the Hebrews, concerning the worthies of the old dispensation, its author declares that "they without us shall not be made perfect." And on the great day of judgment, the words of welcome which Jesus shall address to His sanctified people are these : " Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world " ; " Enter into the joy of your Lord." Jesus Himself did not go to Heaven while His lifeless body hung upon the cross and lay in the sepulchre. " To-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise" — not heaven — was His promise to the penitent thief. And almost the first words which He uttered after rising from the I40 THE VISIBLE GOD. dead were these, " I am not yet ascended unto the Father." And now let us see what these remarkable verses in Peter's First Epistle declare. I. Christ was "put to death in the flesh!' This is a historical fact, which probably no intelligent person would now either doubt or deny. Strauss and others have suggested that Jesus did not really die upon the cross, but was buried in a state of suspended anima tion, which was restored by the application of spices and ointments. The reality of His death was never questioned at the time when it occurred. But what Pharisees dared not do philosophers have done. The facts of the case, however, are all against their scep tical suggestions. Think of the sufferings endured by Christ in- Gethsemane and on Calvary, sufferings which racked with agony every part of His nature. These alone were sufficient to ensure His death. But suppose that when He seemed to have given up the ghost, His decease was only apparent, the spear-thrust which entered into His heart made it absolutely certain. Then what about the perfect health and extraordinary activity which He possessed and mani fested only two days afterwards ? How can these be accounted for on the ground of merely natural results? What unprejudiced mind can honestly consider all the facts of the crucifixion, and then doubt for a single moment that Jesus was " put to death in the flesh " ? 2. He was " quickened in the spirit" This quicken ing was needed. After His agony in Gethsemane Jesus was quickened in body and soul. " An angel was sent to strengthen Him." And after His awful experience of Divine desertion on the cross, by which CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES. 141 His spirit was agonized and exhausted, it also required to be strengthened in view of the work before it. On the occasion of His baptism His spirit was quickened for the accomplishment of His earthly ministry, and now, when disembodied, it was again divinely quick ened for His ministry in the intermediate state. 3. " He went and preached." How entirely natural and believable this is ! When He began His earthly work in Nazareth, He said, " The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor : He hath sent Me to proclaim release to the captives." And now that He has again been divinely strengthened, what could be more con genial to His spirit, or more in harmony with His redemptive mission, than to continue to proclaim the good news of salvation ? Not only so, but how could His mission have been fully fulfilled, had He not gone and preached in Hades f Let that question be care fully considered. If the love of God be universal, as Jesus declared it to be, is it not' a natural and neces sary consequence that it should be universally pro claimed ? If the Saviour died " for the sins of the whole world," must not the glorious fact be made known to the entire human race ? If the gospel was designed to be preached " to every creature," are all the millions who have died to be left in everlasting ignorance of it? We only require to put such in quiries as these clearly to apprehend the necessity of Christ's redemptive ministry in the Intermediate State. 4. To whom did He preach in Hades f " Unto spirits which aforetime were disobedient, when the long- suffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing." His own disembodied i42 THE VISIBLE GOD. spirit preached to disembodied spirits, and these among departed sinners may fairly be regarded as the worst. Did they not resist the preaching of Noah for the long period of a hundred and twenty years ? Why are they specifically mentioned as hearers of the gospel in Hades, but just because they were the most sinful ? And if the Saviour preached to them, then assuredly the gospel would not be withheld from the myriads who were less guilty than they. Jesus had not time to preach to all the spirits in Hades, any more than to all men upon the earth. But He who had been " the friend of publicans and sinners " here, was true to Himself in preaching to the chief of sinners there ; and doubtless He left behind Him in the world of spirits, as on earth, to all His believing disciples the glorious injunction, " Go ye and preach My gospel to every creature." 5. For what great purpose did Jesus thus preach the gospel to departed spirits ? " Unto this end was the gospel preached, even to the dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live accord ing to God in the spirit." The object for which He became incarnate, and preached the gospel unto men upon the earth, was this : — " I am come that they may have life, and may have it abundantly." For the same end He preached in Hades, that spirits who were dead in .trespasses and sins might be quickened into new ness of life. These antediluvian sinners had been already judged " according to men in the flesh," and condemned; and yet Jesus went and preached to them, that they might " live according to God in the spirit." " O the depth of the riches, both of the wis dom and the knowledge of God ! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past tracing out !" CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES. 143 "Where sin abounded, grace did abound more exceedingly." These spirits were " in prison." What are we to understand by that ? It is abundantly clear from the statements of scripture that there is a heavenward and also a hellward side to the intermediate state. Said the dying Saviour to the penitent thief, " To-day shall thou be with Me in Paradise," and from thence " He went and preached unto the spirits IN PRISON." When the beggar died, he was carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, whose place was in the former ; and when the rich man died, he went to his own place, in the latter. They were not so far apart but that he could plead with Abraham to make Lazarus a minister of mercy to himself and his brethren. But the patri arch replied, " Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed!' Yes ! hitherto, the gulf had been fixed, but Jesus crossed it, and bridged it by crossing. It pleased God that in all things He should have the pre-eminence. He was " the firstborn of all creation," and "the firstborn from the dead," and the first to preach the gospel in the prison of Hades, and the first to open Paradise and Heaven to all believers. The gulf which He then crossed and bridged could never be " fixed " any more, for after He who has the keys of Hades had opened its gate, no man and no devil shall be able to shut it again for ever. Said the glorified Saviour to John in Patmos, " I have the keys of death and of Hades" (Rev. i. 18). What a bright light is thrown by these glorious scriptures in Peter's First Epistle upon the destiny of the heathen ! Had Christ so willed it, heathendom it all its wide extent could have been enlightened in the knowledge of His gospel almost immediately 144 THE VISIBLE GOD. after His rising from the dead. He had frequently employed the angels in His redemptive work, from the day that two of them accompanied Him to the cities of the plain, down to the hour that one of them delivered Peter from prison ; and He might have sent them in legions to make known the gospel to every human being on the face of the earth. We have every reason to believe that they would have flown to such a work with the most eager alacrity and bounding joy. But instead of thus sending the angels, Jesus left His gospel to be proclaimed to their fellow-men by His human disciples. Had all of them been as loyal to their Lord and true to the commission He gave them, to preach His gospel " to every creature," as the Apostle Paul was, the whole race might have been brought to the knowledge of the truth centuries and centuries ago. But because of the eclipse of faith, and the worldliness, indifference, and indolence of professing Christians, in post-apostolic times, myriads of mankind have lived and died in heathen darkness, ignorant of the very name of Him who gave his life for them on Calvary. Many lazy and do-nothing professors will coolly talk of the doom of the heathen, and seem to be almost personally aggrieved if one should express the hope that they may be saved ; and at the same time they speak of the certainty and glory of their own future felicity with assured complacency. Let them thoughtfully reconsider the matter. If the heathen are to be doomed for their ignorance of the Saviour, are those worthy of the glories of Heaven who have never tried to enlighten and save them ? It would almost seem as if by far the greatest amount of guilt lay at the door of those who, having received a CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES. 145 Saviour and been healed of the terrible malady of sin, have kept all the good news to themselves, though their sinful and dying fellow-creatures all around them are constantly passing into the great Unseen. But where are we told in scripture that all the heathen must be lost because they are ignorant of the Saviour ? There are many mistaken notions re garding this matter. The penalty of Adam's trans gression was not hell, but death. " The wages of sin is death." Had a Saviour not been provided for man, we have no reason to suppose that the race would have been perpetuated. Humanity exists because God loves it and has ordained a Saviour for every individual of the race. But the heathen are ignorant of Christ and know nothing of His gospel; and where there is no law there can be no transgression. True, as Paul argues in his Epistle to the Romans, the heathen have the law of God written in their hearts, but what law is it ? It is not the spiritual law of the gospel, but only the natural law of reason and con science. By that law they will be judged, " accord ing to men in the flesh," and condemned ; for not one single conscience will wholly excuse its possessor in relation to the law. "All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." But even supposing that any one were almost wholly guiltless in relation to the natural law, would that entitle him to an entrance into heaven ? What does Paul say concerning this in a subsequent part of the same Epistle ? " The same Lord is Lord of all and is rich unto all that call upon Him ; for whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed ? and how shall they 10 146 THE VISIBLE GOD. believe in Him whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach, except they be sent ? " And what did Christ Himself say? "No man can come unto the Father, but by Me " ; and John in his First Epistle plainly writes, "God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son, hath the life ; he that hath not the Son of God, hath not the life." It is abundantly clear from these scriptures that no one who is ignorant of the gospel of Christ, and the Christ of the gospel, can be saved ; and it is equally clear that the violation of the merely natural law of reason and conscience will not consign any human being to a condemnation similar to that which shall fall upon the wilful rejecters of salvation. Hell is kept in reserve only for the despisers and neglecters of the gospel, and Christ will welcome into the king dom of glory only those who have known and loved Him as their Saviour. What hope, then, is there for the heathen ? The Saviour foreknew the unfaithfulness of His people in relation to His great commission, and provided against it. How ? By going Himself and preaching to the spirits in prison. If not on earth, then in Hades, every human being may hear the gospel, and thus be prepared for the Great Day when the Son of man shall judge all men — not by the law of Nature, which can neither finally save nor condemn any one, but— by the holy gospel which He Himself came to make known. ' The Father gave Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man!' Jesus said, " He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My sayings, hath one that judgeth him : the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day!' All CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES. \tf the heathen shall be judged and condemned accord ing to men in the flesh, but may live according to God in the spirit. In this we greatly rejoice. But instead of lessening missionary effort on their behalf, rather would we increase it, if we could, a thousand^ fold, because of the darkness and misery of their pre sent condition, and also because of the blessings and blessedness of which even here and now they would become the partakers if only they knew, loved, and served the Saviour. Let no one be tempted to dally with sin and trifle with mercy because the gospel has been preached in Hades. Delay in accepting Christ as a Saviour is both foolish and dangerous. It hardens and corrupts, debases and destroys the moral nature, and make's salvation more and more difficult and unlikely. And the experience of the unsaved sinner, even in Hades, is awful. When Dives died, his body was buried, " and in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments!' It may be that some will say, " All this is largely speculation." In reply to such, let me ask, First, are the verses on which our statements are grounded, a part of Divine Revelation ? If so, were they not meant to reveal ? What then do they reveal ? Second, are not our words a natural and faithful exposition of what they seem to declare ? Third, have not our words brought into manifest harmony all the different scrip tures which speak of the intermediate state ? No one should hesitate to accept the clear teachings of the word, however much they may modify -the opinions he has hitherto held, or change his religious convic tions. Truth is precious. Others may be inclined to say, If all this be true, 148 THE VISIBLE GOD. then prayers for the dead are both natural and neces sary. They may seem to be so, but nowhere in Scripture are we exhorted to offer such prayers, neither have any been recorded for our guidance. It has been urged by some, that Paul's words concern ing Onesiphorus in 2 Timothy i. 16-18, were a prayer for his departed spirit. But they were not so. Even granting that Onesiphorus was dead, which is not certain, the Apostle did not ask mercy for his disem bodied spirit as if he had departed in a state of im penitence, but only expressed the wish that the Lord would show him favour in the great day of account, because of the kindness he had shown to Paul him self when he was a prisoner in Rome. If any should desire to pray for the departed, let them remember that they have no commands or promises in the scriptures upon which to stand in pleading with God, and no example to imitate. It is always well to be guided by the word. Note. — The Rev. Dr. Bullinger recently published a pamphlet on The Spirits in Prison, which has been favourably reviewed by some of the organs of the Religious Press. We have read it with great care. It is a new interpretation of Peter's words, and is scholarly and interesting. But it is also astonishingly mistaken, as we shall presently prove. On page 9, the author says :— " As regards the flesh, Christ was put to death, yet as regards His spirit He was quickened or made alive. His being made alive again can refer only to the body in resurrection, for His spirit of course could not die and did not die. The quickening, therefore, must relate to the reanimation of the body in resurrection." Now, here is an astounding statement. It is a direct contradiction of Peter's declaration. The Apostle says that when Jesus was put to death in the flesh, He was " quickened in spirit? and Dr. Bullinger says, " that as Christ's spirit could not die and did not die, it was not quickened, and that therefore the quickening CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES. 149 must relate to the reanimation of the body in resurrection." The one says that the spirit was quickened, and the other that it was not. Which is right ? When scripture is thus dealt with, it is possible to make premises from which the most extraordinary conclusions may be drawn. It is easy to detect the source of the mistake made by Dr. Bullinger. It lies in his interpretation of the word " quickened." He thinks that only that can be quick ened which has previously died. But, while quickening may mean to make alive, it also means to make more alive. Roots and seeds in the earth are quickened in the season of spring, not into life, but into "newness of life." In the 119th Psalm, there are many cries for spiritual quickening, but they were not uttered by a dead spirit for spiritual life, but by a living spirit for a higher and more blessed spiritual life. Again on page 10, the writer asserts that "in 1 Peter iii. 18, spirit is used for the immortal body!' Another mistake, ixvevpa and o-wfia TiyevfiariKov, are not synonymous. The immortal body will be spiritual, but not spirit. Our Saviour had a spiritual body after He rose from the dead, but it was not spirit. " A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye behold me having " (Luke xxiv. 39). On page 18, Dr. Bullinger says : — " It is indeed strange that without any warrant whatsoever the word ' spirits ' should ever have been understood as applying to men, in any form, state, or condition. It never is so used in the word of God, when stand ing alone without any qualifying words as it does here." To which we answer, men are not spirits, for when their nature is whole they are body, soul, and spirit, but when their nature is broken by death, and a part of it is laid in the grave, then surely we speak rightly and scripturally when we refer to them as de parted spirits. Peter certainly in this passage refers to the spirit of Christ, whose body had been put to death, and also to the spirits of men " who sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah." Finally on page 24, Dr. Bullinger says: — "If the passage stood perfectly isolated, apart from all reference to any context, then we might grant that we have here a revelation of some peculiar mystery. . . . But this is not the case. The whole inter pretation hangs on the word 'For,' and yet in the popular view this word is utterly ignored," Is it so ? Let us see. " It is 150 THE VISIBLE GOD. better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing, for Christ also hath once suffered for sins." Thus far, the connection of the text with the context is clear. What comes next ? " Who being put to death in the flesh, but quickened in the spirit, in which also he went and preached unto the spirits," etc. Now we accept these words as a simple statement of facts. We believe that the disembodied spirit of the Saviour went and preached to the disembodied spirits of the human beings who had been swept away by the flood. But Dr. Bullinger asks : " What has this to do with the argument of the Holy Spirit in the context ? What reason is this, why it is good to suffer for the Lord's sake ? What encouragement is there in this for them or for us, to suffer for well-doing ? " To all these .questions we give this simple answer, that Jesus having suffered death for well-doing, made death itself and His disembodied condition an opportunity for further well doing — a well-doing which could not but involve suffering. And His example has been followed by His people in all ages When Paul, for instance, was imprisoned in Rome for preaching the Gospel, he turned his very bondage into an opportunity to make Christ more widely known. Peter's declaration about Christ preaching in the intermediate state is in full and beautiful harmony, not only with the context, but also with the purpose of his whole epistle. But further, observe the completeness of Peter's teaching concerning Christ in this passage, and on to the end of the chapter. He was — " Put to death, in the flesh." " Quickened, in the Spirit." " Raised from the dead." " Taken up into heaven." " Seated on the right hand of God." Every stage in the history of Christ, from the cross to the throne, is here put before us. Not one link in the chain is forgotten. But Dr. Bullinger wholly ignores the intermediate state. Where, then, was Christ's spirit, while His body lay dead in the sepulchre ? " Was it also in the tomb ? " If not, was it in Heaven, or in Hell ? Christ Himself has given the answer. He said to the thief on the cross, " To-day shalt thou be with CHRIST'S REDEMPTIVE MINISTRY IN HADES. 151 Me in Paradise? which is neither Heaven nor Hell, and it was from thence that " He went and preached unto the spirits in prison." If Dr. Bullinger's new interpretation were briefly stated, and then put side by side with Peter's declarations, the difference between them would be very startling. CHAPTER XI. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. '53 CHAPTER XI. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. SO far as we know, no human being witnessed the rising of Jesus from the sepulchre. But after He had risen, He appeared unto many. Mary Magdalene was the first who saw Him. Their in terview, as recorded by John, is full of tender and touching interest. When she left Him, He met the other women who had visited the grave in the garden, for the purpose of anointing His body with spices, and were returning to the city ; and when He said unto them, " All hail," they came and held Him by the feet and worshipped Him. He next appeared to Peter, alone, but the time and place are not men tioned. On that same day, He journeyed with two of His disciples to Emmaus, and made Himself known to them there in the breaking of bread. When He vanished from their presence, they immedi ately arose and returned to Jerusalem in great haste, their bosoms full to overflowing with a tumultuous gladness. They said one to another, " Did not our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and opened unto us the scriptures ? " Having reached the city, they found all the Apostles gathered together, with the exception of Thomas ; and the doors were closed for fear of the Jews. Suddenly 156 THE VISIBLE GOD. the risen Lord stood in the midst of them, and with His old familiar tones of love and tenderness said, " Peace be unto you." At first they were terrified by the sudden and mysterious visit, but He gently and soothingly said, " Why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts ? Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself." "Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord." Eight days after, when again they had assembled together, and Thomas with them, He once more stood in their midst, and said, " Peace be unto you." Specially addressing the doubter, He said, " Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands ;and reach hither thy hand, and put it into My side : and be not faithless, but believing." No longer able to doubt or even to hesitate, the assured disciple freely and adoringly exclaimed, " My Lord and my God." After this, the Apostles left Jerusalem, and went into Galilee, where probably they often saw the Lord, though we read of only two appearances, — one to seven of their number on the shore of the lake, and the other on a mountain side to more than five hundred disciples. The eleven Apostles were with Him again in Jerusalem at the end of forty days. From thence He led them out as far as to Bethany, and there, while they beheld, He was visibly taken up into the heavens, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Afterwards, He appeared in glory to Paul as he journeyed towards Damascus, and said to the fiery-souled zealot, " I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest." And, finally, John in Patmos was privileged to see his glorified Lord, and to hear this sublime testimony, " I am He that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for ever more," THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 157 Now, all these witnesses testified that they had seen the risen Lord, and never wavered in their declarations concerning this matter. The gospel they proclaimed was that of a crucified and risen Redeemer, and their testimony was amply confirmed by the miracles which they wrought. "God Himself bore witness unto them, with manifold signs and wonders, and gifts of the Holy Ghost." James and Peter at Jerusalem, John at Ephesus, and Paul at Athens and Rome, all proclaimed the one gospel of eternal life through a crucified and risen Saviour. And for His sake they were willing and ready to suffer hunger and thirst, sorrow and shame, stripes and imprisonment, and even death itself, rather than cease to make known unto men the glad tidings of salvation. When we thoughtfully consider these facts, we obtain the most full, and comforting assurance that Jesus rose from the dead. Is it possible to imagine that men, so honest and earnest-hearted, could have been either deceived or deceivers ? Think of the large number who testified that they had seen the risen Lord, the frequency and familiarity of their fellowship with Him, the entire unanimity of their testimony, and the boldness and steadfastness of their faith, and then say if it be reasonable to suppose that they could be mistaken, or that the gospel they preached is a lie. If any one fact of history is in capable of rejection, except by a perverted under standing and a corrupt and unbelieving heart, it is the glorious verity of Christ's resurrection. The Jews rejected it from the first, and do so still. They were led to this by their rulers, who bribed the Roman soldiers to declare that the disciples of the 158 THE VISIBLE GOD. crucified Nazarene came by night and stole His body away while they slept. Matthew says that the soldiers took the money and did as they were taught, and that the story which they told was generally accepted by the people. It is astonishing that it could have been believed by anybody, for it is monstrous in its absurdity. How could the soldiers tell that the body was stolen, or who had stolen it, if meanwhile they were all asleep ? And for what purpose but to make such an act impossible had they been sent to guard the sepulchre ? Death was due to them for having fallen asleep at their post ; if, therefore, they had really been guilty, would they not rather have concealed their fault than proclaim it, and fled from the city rather than go and tell the chief priests what they had done ? But protection had been promised, and their hands filled with money ; and " money answereth all things " with carnally-minded and unprincipled men. On the other hand, had their story been true, would not those same rulers who had sent them to guard the grave have hastened to secure their condemnation and punishment ? And when Peter and John after wards stood before them for working a miracle in the name of the risen Christ, would not the Sanhedrin have charged them with imposture, and demanded what they had done with the body of their Master ? Pondering all these things, we are impelled to the conclusion that nothing but wilful blindness and moral perversity could enable any intelligent mind to believe that the body of Jesus was stolen. There are others who suggest that the disciples were subjects of delusion in supposing that their Master had really risen from the dead. They had looked into THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 159 His face, listened to His voice, saw Him partake of food, and beheld His form as He visibly ascended into heaven. But in all this they were the victims of a frenzied fancy, or a mere subjective impression, behind which there was no reality. But who can read the writings of the Apostles with an unpreju diced mind, and then regard them as fanatics, — the dupes of a delirious imagination or a disordered brain ? The credulity of unbelieving men is very wonderful ! But others go further still, and hesitate not to say that miracles are impossible, and as Christ's resurrec tion was a miracle it is not to be believed. But what are the scope and issues of this tremendous declara tion, when carried to its legitimate conclusion ? " The Word who was in the beginning with God, and was God, was made flesh." This was a miracle, and therefore ought not to be believed. His nature was not merely human, like ours, but also Divine, for He was God and man in one person. This was a miracle, and therefore ought not to be believed. And what of His moral character ? Was it not absolutely pure and Godlike ? And in this does He not stand alone amongst men — holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners ? But the formation, development, and maintenance of such a character in a sinful world is a miracle, and therefore ought not to be believed. The Man Christ Jesus, as portrayed by the Evangelists, was altogether a miracle, and therefore could never have lived at all. From whence, then, has come the fourfold portrait of Him which we have in the Gos pels ? Was it conceived by men, who mutually agreed to paint it in words, because they had re solved to exalt either an imaginary or a merely 160 THE VISIBLE GOD. human hero to the throne of the universe, as the Saviour and Judge of mankind ? But is not this ajso a supernatural achievement, which ought not to be believed ? The logical issue of that vain and shallow scepticism which denies the possibility of miracle is not only the negation of all supernatural religion and Divine revelation, but also a blank denial of all the central facts and chief doctrines of the gospel. Putting away with wonder and pity all such super ficial objections of a godless infidelity, consider what the resurrection of Christ proves, concerning the gospel. It clearly proves three things. First, Jesus claimed to be Divine. " I came forth from God " ; "I and My Father are one " ; " He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father." The Jews condemned Him because " He made Himself the Son of God." Second, He claimed to be sinless. He said to His bitterest enemies, in the presence of the people, "Which of you convinceth Me of sin ? " "I do always those things which please Him." And third, He claimed to be the Saviour oj humanity. " The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world " ; " The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost " ; These are the chief doctrines of the gospel, — the divinity of Christ's nature, the sinlessness of His character, and the vicarious purpose of His death, which was a voluntary sacrifice of Himself as an atonement for the guilty. And when God raised Him from the dead, He thereby confirmed and established for ever the Messiahship of Jesus. His resurrection is the visible signature and seal of the Eternal Father, set to the gospel which He preached. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, " If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain ; ye are THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 161 yet in your sins." But He hastened to exclaim, " He is risen." The great Apostle was as certain of that as he was of his own existence. How could he be otherwise? Was he not converted, and the whole current of his life changed, by a personal and visible manifestation of the glorified Saviour ? The gospel to Paul was "the wisdom of God, and the power of God unto salvation." And what it was to him, it ought to be to every one who knows it. If we really believe that He who was crucified on the cross, and buried in the sepulchre, rose again, then surely we ought to accept the gospel of which His resurrection was the seal. And if we do accept it, then God expects us, and our own reason and conscience call upon us, to give it embodiment in speech and action, character and life. How else, can it become the power of God unto salvation ? It has not been given merely to be known and talked about, but believed and loved, received and lived. Somebody has asked, " Is life worth living ? " That depends on how men choose to live. But of this we are sure, that a life of faith on the Son of God is a life worth living, — ay ! and the only life worthy of man to live. A merely natural life is a very poor, superficial, and unsatisfying life at the best, but a life of conscious union and com munion with God in Christ is a noble, beautiful, beneficent, and blessed life. And it is also a life which shall swallow up death in victory, and rejoice in God and with God for ever and ever. Let Chris tians live this true life with whole-hearted sincerity, and thereby fulfil the Divine purpose of their creation and redemption. And delighting in the glorious triumph which the great Hero of humanity and the Divine Saviour of our race has achieved, let them, in IJ 1 62 THE VISIBLE GOD. His name and by His strength, die unto sin, live unto righteousness, and make their own individual life a continual victory, as they walk along the path way of their earthly pilgrimage to the glory-land on high. After His resurrection, the Lord appeared to His disciples on many occasions during the forty days He remained upon the earth. These appearances were not visional, but real. He sfood in their midst, talked to them, breathed on them, showed them His hands and feet, invited them to handle Him, ate before them, and walked with' them in free and familiar intercourse, on the way to Emmaus, and from Jerusalem to the Mount of Olives. By these appearances He confirmed their faith in Himself, in the reality of His resurrection, in the truth of His gospel, and in His great redemptive work. By them, also, He familiarized their minds with the nature and capabilities of a spiritual body, and prepared them to accept and understand His great and gracious pro mise — " Lo ! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." By His frequent comings and goings, He taught them to know that even when seemingly absent from them, He was with them still. This most blissful assurance became deeply rooted in their hearts, and impelled them after His visible departure to face the world, brave all danger, endure all trial, and disregard even a violent death. It made them Heroes and Martyrs. Thus we see that His forty days' stay upon the earth was not a mere linger ing. Neither is it a wholly impenetrable mystery. It had great purposes to fulfil. Perhaps it was a neces sity for Himself , to perfect the spiritualization of His body, and spiritually prepare Him for His heavenly THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. 163 ministry. He was forty days in the wilderness be fore He began His earthly ministry, and forty days upon the earth before He entered as the great High Priest of Humanity within the veil of the heavenly temple. But certainly it was a necessity for the apostles. Not to convince them merely that He had risen from the dead, and give them instruction, con cerning their work and the upbuilding of the kingdom of God, but specially to uplift their thoughts concern ing Himself. They had long been familiar with Him as a man, but had never clearly apprehended His divinity. True ! they had said, " What manner of man is this " ? and also, " Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," but the Cross had confounded them, and impelled them to exclaim, " We trusted that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel." But since his resurrection, their eyes had been opened. When Thomas exclaimed, " My Lord and my God," it is probable that not only he, but also all the disciples obtained a clearer view of the Divinity of their Lord than they had ever had before. But they needed still further enlightenment and confir mation, and these were given during the period of forty days. It was necessary that they should hold to His abiding Humanity, therefore the frequency and familiarity of His appearances. It was also necessary that they should apprehend the new spirituality of His Humanity, and recognise it to be the Form of God, hence the supernatural character of His appearances. He came and went like a ghost. It was manifest that He had a Body, and equally manifest that that body had passed through a won derful change. He could be either visible or invisible, as He pleased. They learnt to understand that He 1 64 THE VISIBLE GOD. might be with them even when they could not see Him. His training of them was successful. They saw Him ascend as Man, and they worshipped Him as God. Paul was not with them during the forty days. But the Lord appeared to Him also, as the glorified Son of man, and from that hour he spoke and wrote of the God-Man, "in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." Worldlings care nothing for the forty days which the risen Lord spent upon the earth before His ascension, but they ought to be profoundly interest ing to believers. We get in them a glimpse of our own future when we shall be like Him, and they ought to quicken within us an ardent desire for fellowship with the risen Saviour, that we may be spiritualized. CHAPTER XII. THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 165 CHAPTER XII. THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. HAVING spoken many things of the kingdom of God, and given to the apostles copious instruc tions concerning their future work as His witnesses in the world, the day and hour at length arrived that He should return unto the Father. In what manner was He likely to return into the heavens from whence He came ? He might have departed silently and unseen, and then sent an angel to declare that He had ascended. But in great kind ness to the eleven apostles, and in much mercy to mankind, He went up visibly, while words of most gracious benediction fell from His lips. Once and again He had suddenly vanished from the midst of His followers since He rose from the dead, but now that He was about to depart from them altogether, so far as His visible presence was concerned, He would not leave them thus. Therefore — leading them out from Jerusalem to the eastern slope of Olivet, and probably talking the most of the way — He gave them the opportunity of quietly enjoying fellowship with Him and of witnessing His bodily departure from earth to heaven. We are not told at what hour of the day they left the city, but we can easily credit the accuracy of the 167 168 THE VISIBLE GOD. old tradition that the Ascension took place at noon. There was something symbolic in all the times at which the chief events in Christ's history occurred. He died upon the cross in the after part of the day, towards the going down of the sun ; and rose from the dead in the early morning. How beautifully appropriate were these times, especially the latter, seeing that the event of His resurrection was the dawn of a new era, the beginning of a brighter day for humanity, — a day of faith and hope, love and gladness, a day which shall continually increase in glory, till the will of God shall be done upon the earth even as in heaven ! And, surely, it was equally fitting that the Ascension of the Saviour, when His work was perfected, should take place at noon, when the sun was shining in the fulness of his strength. The seasons, also, as well as the times, were very suggestive. Christ was born into the world in the depths of winter ; He rose from the dead in the season of spring, when all nature was putting on afresh her resurrection robes of loveliness : and He ascended into glory in the beginning of summer. The hills and valleys were clothed with green, and the fields with richest verdure. The trees had arrayed themselves in glory and beauty ; and the charming wild-flowers were everywhere adorning' the wayside with fairest colours, and filling the air with delicious perfumes. The birds warbled their sweetest love- notes in the gardens and groves ; and high over all, in the bosom of the bright blue sky, the sun filled the world with light and splendour by his beams. Such were the scenes in the midst of which the disciples walked with Jesus towards Bethany. And yet it is more than probable that they observed little THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 169 or nothing of the beauties of nature, while they communed with their Lord. They saw in His love- lit face a far fairer loveliness than any that the earth could manifest, and realized in His presence a sweet ness and fragrance infinitely more delightful and refreshing than the breath of myriads of flowers. They heard in the tones and accents of His voice, and in the words of wisdom and love which He uttered, a sweeter music than that which resounded from the groves. And as they basked in the sunshine of His favour and affection, they realized summer in the soul. Their risen Lord was more to them than all the glories and charms around. The moral is higher than the material, and the spiritual and eternal than the earthly and perishing. The Lord of creation, when truly known and loved, is unspeakably lovelier and more attractive than creation itself. When dressed in her living garments of glory, Nature is magnificently beautiful, but to all His loving followers Jesus Christ is the supreme beauty and the altogether lovely One. What a delightful and memorable walk it must have been which the disciples on that day enjoyed with the risen Saviour ! The city from which they went forth was the scene of many events which could never be forgotten, and into the profound significance of which they had only just begun to enter. The washing of their feet, the institution of the Supper, and the soul-thrilling words which He spake to them in the upper room were no doubt remembered with wonder and gladness. Then near to the city, and close by the path which they travelled, was the garden of Gethsemane where He agonized, the hill of Calvary where He died, and that other garden which con- 170 THE VISIBLE GOD. tained the sepulchre in which His body had lain. And as they ascended the slope of the Mount of Olives, they doubtless remembered how He came by the way they were going when He rode in triumph into the city, and uttered with tears His lament over the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And was it not at Bethany, towards which they were going, that He raised Lazarus from the dead and was anointed by Mary for His burial ? They were encompassed by the scenes of the most sacred and sublime events which had ever happened on the earth. Walking slowly onward, and eagerly listening to all He said concerning the past and the future in their relation to the kingdom of God, they came at length to the spot where He was to be taken from them. The time of His departure had come. Standing still, and turning towards them with a look of ineffable tenderness, "He lifted up His hands" and began to give utterance to His farewell benediction. We have no record of the words which fell from His lips, but we may yet learn in the great future what He said at this and other times, for that which we know not now we shall know hereafter. They had frequently been guilty of faithlessness and folly since first He called them to discipleship., Peter had denied Him with curses, and in the hour and power of darkness, when beset by His enemies, and when He stood most in need of their presence and sympathy, they all forsook Him and fled. He had never reminded them of their conduct, except perhaps by His thrice-repeated question to Simon, " Lovest thou Me ? " Will He now call to remem brance their defection and cowardice, and chide them —however gently— for their lack of faith and courage? THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 171 Instead of this, " He lifted up His hands, and blessed them." His final words were a loving benediction, — a benediction which assured them that all the past was forgiven and would be brought up against them no more for ever. As He stood with extended hands, and uttered words of kindness which no doubt thrilled their very hearts, " He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven!' They gazed in wondering silence, as He visibly ascended. And with eyes full of tenderness, bent down on their upturned faces, He probably continued to speak to them as long as they could hear. " Having loved His own, who were in the world, He loved them unto the end." While privi leged to behold Him He continued to maintain the attitude of blessing. That attitude may be taken as a symbol of His work in heaven, and the relation He still bears to all His followers. The Ascension of Christ was the necessary and suitable sequence to His Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection. He who came forth from God must return to the Father. It is a universal law, that everything goes back to its beginning ? The clouds which rise up out of the ocean pour themselves out upon the earth, feed the flowing rivers, and return to the sea. Fire aspires to the sun, and dust returns to dust. All creatures which are earthly and mortal die, and sink down into nature. The human spirit comes from God, and can never find a resting-place but in the bosom of His love. The exaltation and glorification of the Saviour were the proper ending of His holy life, and the just reward of His great re deeming work. " They worshipped Him." This was the first act of 172 THE VISIBLE GOD. homage to the ascended Saviour. Ay ! and it was not the poor homage of mere reverence and respect, but the inward and spiritual adoration of the soul. With a burning intensity of love, and the glowing ardour of a grateful devotion, they adored Him as their Lord and God. Then ''they returned to Jerusalem with great joy!' Before His death, when Jesus spoke of His approach ing departure, they were grieved, but now that He had really ascended they were filled with rejoicing. What a change had been wrought in them ! Its causes were these, — a more perfect understanding of His mission and character, and a strong and settled faith in Him as a Saviour. Such a faith in Christ is the solid basis of a real and permanent joy. The triumph of Christ was also the triumph of His disciples. And they put their joy into praise, for with all the true lovers of Jesus praise is the fruit of joy and the natural expression of gratitude and gladness. From that hour their life was a conscious and con stant ascension. Drawn from above, they aspired to the Divine source of their new life and joy. And they blessed the world as they ascended. Their attitude towards men, like that which their Lord had maintained, was one of tender pity and yearning compassion. As He had blessed them, so now they blessed others. Their comforting of saints and saving of sinners were beneficent and Christlike. And all true Christians who have been quickened into new ness of life, ought to be continually aspiring and ascending. The path which Christ took, is the way in which all His people should follow Him. They are first of all crucified, with Him, to the guilt and power of sin ; then they are consciously raised into THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST. 173 the light and liberty of resurrection life, and from that time onward all their thoughts and affections, desires and endeavours, should steadily ascend to heaven and God. " If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is." "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." If not consciously ascending, they have good reason to question whether they have yet been raised out of the sepulchre of their carnal nature, and are really possessors of the spiritual life. They are in the world, but ought not to be of it. Like the lark, which has its nest on the earth but sings its song in the sky, all the followers of Jesus, while living in the world, should rise on the wings of faith and love, and sing the new song of redeeming grace, as in the immediate presence of God. Is their daily life an ascension ? Are they becoming less selfish and worldly, and more generous and holy ? Is this the cry of their hearts, " Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee " ? If their hearts are thus fixed on God, then' will their life be a blessing to all around. They cannot be thoroughly Christian themselves, without becoming the purifiers and uplifters of others. Impenitent and worldly men are not ascending towards holiness and heaven, but gradually descending into the awful abyss of moral evil. In their thought ful and reflective hours, they cannot but be conscious of an ever-deepening deterioration of their nature. It grows harder, colder, and more earthly every day. The path of every sinful soul is a downward path. It cannot be otherwise. Its sinfulness is being daily in creased and its sins multiplied, and the influence of every sin is degrading and destructive. And while 174 THE VISIBLE GOD. thus going down themselves they drag others with them, — " No man liveth to himself." Would to God that the life of every human being were a life of ascension ! CHAPTER XIII. THE GIFTS AND WORK OF THE HOL Y GHOST. CHAPTER XIII. THE GIFTS AND WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST. THE gift of the Holy Ghost is regarded by many Christians as only one kind of Divine bestow- ment, to be continually desired and prayed for, and received in larger and larger measure, for the increase and development of spiritual results. But this idea is not in harmony with the teaching of the Word. In the twelfth chapter of his First Epistle to the Corinthians, Paul declares that " there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit!' One Christian may have one gift and not another, or one gift largely and another only in a limited degree. This merely partial possession, however, is not necessary, for every Chris tian might obtain all the gifts of the Spirit, in all their fulness, if only he fulfilled the conditions neces sary for their reception, and then made a right use of them when received, for, as the Apostle again declares in the same chapter, "To each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal!' Any spiritual gift either neglected or abused, will be speedily lost or divinely withdrawn. What were the gifts of the Holy Ghost, which were given to Christ Himself f He was filled with the Spirit of moral purity even from the womb. From His childhood He received with ever-increasing ful- 177 12 178 THE VISIBLE GOD. ness the Spirit of wisdom and grace, for " the child grew, and waxed strong, filled with wisdpm ; and the grace of God was upon Him." Even from His earliest days of self-determining action, He was doubtless — under parental guidance — an eager and devout stu dent of the scriptures, and when the Divine will was made plain to His understanding, He received the truth in love into His heart, and then gave it embodi ment in His life. There was never a period in His self-conscious history when He could not have said, " It is My meat to do the will of the Father." Then, from His youth upward, He was filled with the Spirit of peace. This gift was likewise bestowed in pleni- tude, according to His capacity to receive, because He fulfilled the condition on which it is given. What is that condition ? It is a perfect trust in God. His faith being constant, unwavering, and ever- increasing, His peace was profound, and continually deepening like a river as it flows to the sea. In Him was gloriously realized the ancient prophecy, "Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because He trusteth in Thee." It was His personal relationship and fellowship with the Father which Jesus maintained and cultivated in Nazareth, and in the realization of these great ends He was filled with peace. But by-and-by the time came when He needed more than purity, wisdom, grace, and peace. His chief life-work had now to be begun, and for the doing of that work He needed power, — such power as He had not yet either possessed or manifested. The gift required was freely given by the Father. "Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily THE GIFTS AND WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST. 179 shape upon Him, and a voice from heaven said, Thou art My beloved Son, in Thee I am well pleased." It was then and thus that Jesus received the gift of power. In The Baptism of the Holy Ghost, by the late Dr. Mahan, he says (page 19) : " This was the first and special baptism. At the close of the temp tation in the wilderness, the final and great baptism appears to have been given." We cannot tell upon what grounds Dr. Mahan came to this conclusion. We cannot find any scripture which suggests it. It seems to us that the first baptism was all-sufficient. Before His baptism the word " power " is never associated with Christ's name, but afterwards it is frequently used. Luke says, " Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee." And we read in Acts x. 38, " How that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power." Said Jesus Himself in the synagogue at Nazareth, " The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me," etc. This anointing was as necessary to Him for the accomplishment of His redemptive mission, as was the Pentecostal gift to the apostles for the doing of their great work. It was a new gift, a needed gift, and given for a specific purpose. From that time He preached the gospel and worked many miracles, and all because He had received the Holy Ghost as a Spirit of power. And this gift also He received in fulness, having perfectly fulfilled the con ditions of its bestowment. He gave Himself, wholly, to the accomplishment of the great redemptive work which the Father had commissioned Him to do, and then prayed for the gift of power, by which alone He was able to do the work. Was it not while He was praying that the gift came upon Him ? (Read Luke I So THE VISIBLE GOD, iii. 21, 22.) Verily! "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit." Consider, next, the gifts which were given to the faithful disciples. All the while that they companied with Jesus, and believingly listened to His words, they had given unto them the gifts of knowledge and wisdom. And according to the measure in which they received His words into their hearts, and then practically obeyed them, they obtained the Spirit of grace and purity. Up to the period of the cruci fixion, their faith in Christ was not a calm, settled, and established trust, and therefore they forsook Him in the hour of trial, and wailingly exclaimed, " We trusted that it had been He who should have re deemed Israel." They had not yet obtained the Spirit of peace, because their trust was imperfect. But after His resurrection and repeated appearances, their faith was perfected, and then Jesus breathed on them, and said, " Receive ye the Holy Ghost, Peace be unto you!' In the book already referred to, Dr. Mahan says (p. 98) : " When our Saviour came to His disciples and breathed upon them, saying ' Receive ye tlie Holy Ghost! He did so, not because there was any virtue in that breath, or in the mere words spoken, or because the gift of the Spirit was then to be con ferred, as He had promised. A considerable period intervened between the time of the events here re corded, and that of the Pentecostal baptism." This is the common view, but it is wholly mistaken. It fails to recognise the fact that peace and power are different gifts, and are given for different purposes. When Jesus breathed on the disciples and said " Peace be unto you," there and then they received the gift of peace; and from that hour they had no more THE GIFTS AND WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST. 181 doubts, fears, or sadness in relation to their Lord, not even when He was parted from them and taken up into heaven. But just as Jesus had received a great commission from the Father, so they also had re ceived a great commission from Christ, — " Go ye into all the world, and preach My gospel to every crea ture," and that sublime task they were as yet utterly unfit to fulfil. They needed power. Peace was a very precious personal possession, but it was wholly incompetent to enable them to go forth into the midst of the great world-powers of evil, to witness for Christ and save mankind. Therefore Jesus said unto them, " Tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." And while they tarried they fulfilled the conditions on which alone the Spirit of power is bestowed. Just as Christ Him self had done, they anticipated their great work with eager longing, and waited together in united suppli cation for the coming of the Holy Ghost as the Spirit of power. In due time He cpe, and verily the gift was great ! It literally transformed the apostles. Look at Peter. Shortly before Pentecost he denied with curses that he knew his Lord, but immediately after it he preached the gospel to thousands of people in Jerusalem, and calmly accused the members of the Sanhedrim itself of having " killed the Prince of Life." The coward had become a hero. And the other ten were changed as much as he. From that hour, Christ to all of them was "a living, bright reality" — a realized Presence — and His gospel a clearly appre hended revelation of Divine wisdom and love. With a mighty faith,, a burning affection, and a joyful enthusiasm, they went forth to fulfil the great and glorious commission which the Lord had given 1 82 THE VISIBLE GOD. them. " With great pozver gave the apostles wit ness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all." Ay ! and they needed all the courage and calmness which the Pentecostal gift had given them, and still more, as they soon realized. Hence we read that shortly after Pentecost they offered this prayer, " And now, Lord, look upon their threatenings : and grant unto Thy servants to speak Thy word with all boldness, while Thou stretchi est forth Thy hand to heal ; and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Thy holy Servant Jesus." " And when they had prayed the place was shaken wherein they were gathered to gether ; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness." They prayed for a special gift, and ob tained it. Now every genuine Christian is a possessor of the Divine Spirit, for " no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the H9ly Ghost." Those Christian men and women who are prayerful and persistent students of the scriptures obtain with more and more fulness the gifts of knowledge and wisdom, purity and grace. Those whose faith in God and His Christ is confirmed, are also possessors of peace. And those who have fully devoted themselves to making known the gospel and the extending of Christ's kingdom in the world, and perseveringly asked from God the gift of power, receive it according to their several ability. Many who have large knowledge have little peace, and some who are full of peace have no power, or power in a very limited degree. Why ? Just because they either ask not or ask amiss. Let every Christian become a worker for Christ, and then wait THE GIFTS AND WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST. 183 in prayer until the Pentecostal blessing is poured from on high. In these latter days, we do not expect the ex traordinary gifts of the Spirit ; but every preacher of the gospel, and every active servant of the Saviour, requires and should obtain the gift of power, that his ministry and service may be spiritually effective. Consider also the ordinary workings of the Holy Ghost, in all gospel-hearers. Whenever the gospel is either read or heard, the Divine Spirit operates. No human being can be brought under the influence of the Truth, without at the same time being brought under the influence of the Spirit. This is a serious fact, which every reader of the Bible and every hearer of the gospel ought to know and remember. Jesus spoke of the Spirit as "the Spirit of truth," not only because He inspired it, but also and chiefly because He abides in it. He is in the truth always and everywhere, and uses it as the medium of His influence and the instrument of His power. Every living soul that knows the gospel is a subject of Divine operation. What is the effect of His working on the mind and conscience of the sinner ? It is to bring home a sense of guilt and sinfulness, and reveal Christ as an all-sufficient Saviour. " When He is come, He will convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment." This is His first work. He seeks to bring the sinner to Himself, that, like the prodigal of old, he may arise and go to his Father. But instead of leading to this result, it may lead to the very opposite. It may make the sinner more guilty and sinful than before, and tend to his confirmation in impenitence. This will be determined by the sinner 184 THE VISIBLE GOD. himself, in relation to the Spirit's working. When convinced of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come, he may refuse to repent and believe, and so resist the Spirit's drawing. And when He is resisted, then the very convictions He has wrought in the heart operate to its further hardening and deeper degradation. The gospel is either the savour of life unto life or of death unto death to every one who knows it. But, while the Spirit is resisted by some, He is yielded to by others. They acknowledge their fallen condition and guilty alienation from God, and joy fully accept the Saviour whom the gospel reveals, This was what many did on the day of Pentecost, as they listened to the preaching of Peter. Would that all gospel-hearers followed their example ! Con victions should never be trifled with by delaying to give them effect. In all matters of opinion second thoughts are best, but in all matters of conscience it is wisest to act at once. When the Spirit by the truth convinces men of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come, let them not hesitate for a moment to cast away their unbelief, and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as all their salvation and all their desire. What are the effects of the Spirit's working in the mind and heart of the true believer ? His first work in him is to quicken spiritual life. " It is the Spirit that quickeneth." "You hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins." The Holy Ghost is " the Spirit of life." Next, He becomes the Teacher of all who seek to be instructed in spiritual things. Jesus said, " He shall teach you all things." As the Son revealed the Father, so the Spirit is the revealer of the Son. He enlightens the mind in the know- THE GIFTS AND WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST. 185 ledge of the gospel, and leads to an ever clearer understanding of the deep things of God. Spiritual realities can only be spiritually discerned, and no one but the Holy Ghost can give this discernment. But when He is accepted as a Teacher, then He guides into all (gospel) truth. And because Christ Himself is the sum and substance of the gospel, therefore said Jesus concerning the Spirit, " He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you." And while thus He instructs the understand ing, He also sanctifies the soul. " This is the will of God, even your sanctification ; " and no human being can be truly sanctified but by the Holy Ghost. Being absolutely pure Himself, He is the great purifier, therefore He is called " the Spirit of holi ness." And then, finally, the Divine quickener of the spirit, and enlightener of the understanding, and sanctifier of the soul, is also the Comforter of the heart. This was the title which Jesus most frequently gave to the promised Spirit. No fewer than four times did He call Him " the Comforter " in His fare well address in the upper room. Jesus Himself had hitherto been their Comforter, but now, when about to depart, He said unto His disciples, " I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever." And how does He comfort the believer ? By giving assurance of forgiveness for all the sins and follies of the past ; by giving guidance and help amid all the perplexities and trials of the present, and by giving the full assurance of a perfect and perpetual blessedness in the great future. Surely, in such experiences and promises as these, there is profound and most satis fying comfort. Oh that all professing Christians did 1 86 THE VISIBLE GOD. but freely receive and enjoy the supreme consolations which the great Comforter is willing to' bestow ! All these glorious results of the Spirit's working are effected through the instrumentality of gospel truth. i. He quickens by the truth. " We are born again, not of corruptible but of incorruptible seed, even by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." 2. He teaches by the truth. "When He the Spirit of truth is come, He will guide you into all truth." 3. He sanctifies by the truth. " God hath chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth." 4. He comforts by the truth. , " Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost." If Christians desire to be continually quickened, taught, sanctified, and comforted of God by His Spirit, they must keep their minds and hearts in living contact with the truth of the gospel. This is essential. It is not enough merely to read a passage of scripture now and again, on the ground of duty, and to satisfy conscience. We must take delight in God's word, compare scripture with scripture, and receive the truth into the heart, that from thence, like the blood, it may flow through the whole of our higher nature, arid strengthen its life. If we seldom read, and still more seldom ponder, the sacred page, we take away from the hand of the Spirit the instrument with which He works. There never was a progressive and spiritually- minded Christian who was not an ardent lover and devout student of the scriptures. In the light of these truths, we can clearly appre hend what preachers should be and do. Every one THE GIFTS AND WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST. 187 ought to be a helper of the Holy Ghost, and his preaching should be a ministry of gospel truth for the saving of sinners and the sanctification of be lievers. The purpose and end of all his work ought to be to convince the ungodly of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment to come, and instrumentally com municate to those who have received the Saviour quickening, instruction, sanctification, and comfort. And if His words are really relished and cordially accepted by His hearers, they will lead them, as the Bereans were led, to study the word for themselves. He was a wise man who said, " I seek for a minister who shall inspire me with respect and love for the Word of God." But alas ! it is possible so to preach, that merely natural and unregenerate men shall be gratified, and those whose spiritual life is very weak be led to believe that all is well with them. Many persons delight to hear eloquent preaching, who care little or nothing for Christ. They listen to the words of the orator, as they would to the music of an oratorio, not for spiritual ends at all, but only for sensuous and mental enjoyment. God complained of this evil in the days of the prophet Ezekiel. " As for thee, son of man, the children of thy people talk of thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. And they come unto thee as My people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but do them not : for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their gain. And, lo ! thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument ; for they hear thy words, but they do 1 88 THE VISIBLE GOD. them not." And what is the outcome of ¦ all such hearing ? It does not lead either to earnest prayer- fulness, or to devout meditation on the Word, or to the imitation of Christ, or to eager longings for fellow ship with God. Oh that preachers everywhere may desire and determine to co-operate with the Holy Ghost in seeking the realization of the glorious pur poses which He has in view ! And let them beware of the strong and subtle temptation to please the multitude, for many are " lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God." Faithful men will always be able to say with Paul, " If I were still pleasing men, I should not be a servant of Christ!' By all means let learn ing, culture, eloquence, and every gift and grace be brought into the service of the Christian Ministry, but they must all be consecrated to Christ and spiritual ised by the power of the Holy Ghost if they are to become effective in fulfilling the spiritual purposes for which the gospel is proclaimed. Hearers of the gospel also— especially the culti vated and refined — ought to take heed what they hear and how they hear it. However philosophical the gospel may be, it is not a philosophy but a divine Revelation. It was sent not only to enlighten the mind, but also by the power of the Holy Ghost to quicken the spirit, purify the heart, transform the character, and Christianize the life. If it is not per mitted to effect these sublime ends, but is listened to merely as a means of mental enjoyment, what must necessarily be the result ? As another has most truly said — " The surest way to diabolize men, is to take them in their high intellectual states, and still higher to sublimate and subtilize their intellectual powers by vast and concrete structures of divine in- THE GIFTS AND WORK OF THE HOLY GHOST. 189 telligence, for which they are unprepared by a com mensurate quickening, refinement and purification of the affectional faculties." These are words of solemn import, and as true as they are terrible. If men and women are not Christianized by the hearing of the gospel, then assuredly they will be demoralized more or less, for is not the abuse of the highest good the greatest evil ? That which is designed to be the salvation and happiness of men, will become the in strument of their utter ruin and wretchedness, if they are hearers only, and not doers of the word. " This is the judgment, that light is come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light." Every gospel- hearer should receive and live the truth, and every true believer become more and more a possessor of all the gifts of the Spirit. CHAPTER XIV. THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 191 CHAPTER XIV. THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST. WHAT is the gospel? It is "glad tidings of great joy," a message of merciful lovingkind ness from the heart of the Divine Father, making known unto His prodigal children His desire for their return and His readiness to pardon, restore and bless. It reveals a Saviour who was sent by God to be the Redeemer of humanity. The redemption wrought out by Him was effected at a tremendous sacrifice. He died that we may live. Christ on the cross, is the very heart and essence of the gospel. He is God's spell for souls, — the Divine charm by which the great Father seeks to woo unto Himself His ruined children, that they may find life in His love, and everlasting felicity in the enjoyment of His pre sence and favour. The gospel is the highest and most precious thing known by men. Nature, science, art, philosophy, commerce, civilization, and education have all done much for humanity, but not one of them, nor all of them combined, can effect the glorious results which the gospel develops. Their value can be weighed and estimated, but its preciousness cannot be told. It reveals God as Nature has never revealed Him, — His character, will, purpose and power. It also re veals man to himself as Philosophy has never done, — '93 13 194 THE VISIBLE GOD. his relationship to God on the one hand and to his fellow-men on the other, his present moral condition and future destiny. It brings knowledge within his reach such as Science has never dreamt of, displays a beauty such as Art has never pictured, and lays down at his feet for free appropriation such riches, power, and happiness as education, commerce, and civiliza tion can never bestow. If men generally do not recognise the evil of sin, yet everywhere they are keenly conscious of its effects, especially when these come in the forms of physical suffering and mental pain. They feel that there is something radically wrong with them. This is their conviction, even in the rudest states of ignorance and barbarism ; and knowledge and civilization only deepen and confirm it. Who more sensible of human misery than Socrates and Plato, whose earnest and cultured minds were devoted to the search after truth ? They were fully aware of the unhappiness which humanity endures, and in their own way endeavoured to find its cause and cure. They arrived at wonderful conclusions, but found no effective healing for the terrible malady of moral evil. Even when their highest teachings are accepted, they fail to answer the deepest needs of the human spirit, and therefore do not exert in the world any widespread or powerfully persuasive influence. But the gospel comes as a cure, and the only cure, for all the evils which afflict the race. At its very first approach it promises to save man from all his guilt, sinfulness, and misery. And its promise to this effect is direct, unequivocal, and unqualified. It speaks with no dubiety, and manifests no hesitation or un certainty. Jesus uttered no speculations or opinions, but only verities and facts. " We speak that we do THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 195 know, and testify that we have seen," was His un varying affirmation. And what did He testify but this, that " the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world ? " Therefore He said, " I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life ; no man cometh unto the Father but by Me." " Whosoever cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out." " Come unto Me, all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Nature can give no such promises as these, science and art dare not speak such words, and never yet, with all her pride and boasting, has philosophy satisfied the human spirit or given to any weary heart the rest and joy for which it craves. But the gospel excites high hopes by making mighty promises, and never yet has it failed to satisfy the desires and meet the expectations of every believing soul. It thus exerts a persuasive influence at the very outset. It meets man on the ground of his own consciousness, and speaks to him not only with a tender sympathy, but also with a perfect understanding of his case. It describes his condition as he himself knows that condition to be, and thus enlists his confidence by its fulness of knowledge. And this confidence is in creased by further acquaintance. It meets him at every stage of thought and feeling. All its statements and demands find an echo in his bosom. Its pro posals in the way of peace and its directions in the way of duty he cannot gainsay, because they are all in perfect harmony with his convictions and experience. It advises nothing that can reasonably be objected to, and requires nothing that seems unnecessary. In short, it recommends itself at all points to his reason, judgment, and conscience, and exerts a persuasive influence. 196 THE VISIBLE GOD. It is also powerfully influential over every thought ful mind and honest heart, by reason of the glorious prospects which it unveils of a future life. Man has a fond desire and a profound longing for immortality. It is his dream as a savage, and his conjecture as a sage. He recoils from the thought that he is only a creature of time, starts back with a shudder from the prospect of annihilation, and takes shelter from his fear or foreboding in a heaven of his own imagining. But at the best this is only a hope, a conjecture, and he knows it to be so, and therefore it tortures him with the possibility that it may be a delusion. The future which he so eagerly desires to scan, is hidden from his gaze. The curtain of time, hangs dark and heavy on the brink of the grave. No hand from behind has lifted its folds, to give a glimpse of the great beyond. Silent and mysterious it casts its sable shadow on the tomb, and in that awful darkness the yearning heart sighs and groans under the weight of its uncertainty. But the glorious gospel, brings life and immortality to light. It authenticates the human dream, satisfies the longing desire, answers the highest hopes, establishes the delightful conjecture, and certi fies to the inquiring spirit the enrapturing certainty of an endless life. It opens Heaven to the view ; and what a vision of light and love, beauty and blessedness, it reveals ! The region it unveils and promises is one where earth's pains and sorrows are all unknown, where there shall be no hunger or thirst, no sickness or death, no care or fear, but perfect fellowship, satisfying delight, and inexhaustible pleasures for evermore. It may well be called "the glorious gospel, i. // is glorious in its origin. It came from God, and is the THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 197 grandest revelation of truth which He has given to mankind. To save man is His greatest work, and that salvation is effected through the instrumentality of the truth as it is in Jesus. 2. It is glorious in its » nature. The most beautiful thing in the material universe is light. As Wordsworth has truly said, " The sunshine is a glorious birth." Enlightening, warming, vitalizing, it is the very life and glory of the visible creation. And what is the gospel but the sunshine of the Divine love, by which alone the souls of men can be illumined, quickened, and glorified ? The glory of nature, even in all the brightness of her summer splendour, is only a shadow or emblem of the glory which excelleth. The light of Divine truth is moral and spiritual in its nature, and is able to scatter a far deeper and denser darkness than that of night, even the gloom of the human spirit in its far- off separation from God. In short, it is the highest wisdom, embodying the purest goodness, and carrying with it the mightiest power in the universe, — " the wisdom of God, and the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth." 3. It is glorious in its purpose. That purpose is sublime. It is to glorify the Godhead by the recovery, restoration, and glorifi cation of humanity. It is to draw by the golden chain of love, and the sweet compulsion of divinely- quickened desires, the hearts of sinful human beings to the great Father, who yearns for their reconciliation to Himself. It is to banish sin from the earth, recall this wandering world to its moral orbit, and fill it with the light, purity, and glory of heaven. It is to destroy the works of the devil, and establish among men, on a foundation which can never be shaken, the kingdom of righteousness, peace, and joy. 4. It 198 THE VISIBLE GOD. is glorious in its results. Who can tell how much of the enlightenment, civilization, and happiness of man kind is the effect of the gospel ? Certain it is that wherever it goes, and is not wholly hindered in its working by the selfishness and sinfulness of men, it is the unflinching enemy of all that is evil, and the patron and propagator of all that is good. Its personal influence upon all who truly receive it, is of the most ennobling and blissful character. It acts upon the whole of the inner man, as sunshine, rain, and dew upon trees and flowers. It enlightens and fertilizes, quickens and purifies, develops and adorns. Many in all the Christian ages have lived and died under its hallowed spell, and many are living now, who feel and rejoicingly acknowledge its life-giving, sanctify ing, and soul-satisfying energy. And it is yet destined to make this wilderness-world a garden of the Lord, a moral paradise, and people the heavens with the trophies of its power. While Paul in one of his Epistles speaks of the gospel as " the glorious gospel of the blessed God," he calls it in another " the glorious gospel of Christ!' Yes ! it is Christ's gospel, and is pre-eminently glorious just because it is His. i. He was the Bringer of it. He made it known to the first transgressors, immediately after the fall. He revealed it to patriarchs and prophets, seers and psalmists in the olden time, and through them to all the God-seeking souls to whom they ministered. During the years of His incarnate ministry He instructed His disciples in the knowledge of it, and after His ascension He inspired them by His Spirit to deliver it in all its fulness to mankind. 2. He is the Essence and Substance of it. The THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 199 gospel which Christ preached was Himself. He not only spake the truth — the eternal and unchanging truth of God — but He was in His own person the truth which He uttered. Hence He said, " / am the Truth ; " " / am the Light of the world." 3. He is also its End. To bring men to Christ and make them Christlike is its twofold mission in the world ; ay ! and it is a mission which it fulfils. Let any sinner truly believe the gospel, and it will lead him to Jesus as his Saviour, as surely as a stream leads to the fountain from which it flows ; and when he is brought to Christ, his supreme desire and aim will be to be transformed into His image. One day that lofty desire will be most blissfully realized, and then, while he shall be fully satisfied with Christ, Christ shall also be fully satisfied in him. The eyes of Christians are only half-opened as yet to the glory of the gospel of Christ. Like the man who saw men like trees walking, our apprehension of its moral grandeur and spiritual beauty is dim and confused. Therefore it has not awakened within us the admiring joy, the adoring wonder, and the grateful praise which it is both designed and fitted to create. Oh that our mental and spiritual vision may be made clear and full ! And when we really behold the glory of God, as it shines in the face of Christ Jesus, may we walk in the light of it, rejoice in the blessedness it brings, and commend it to others that they also may be saved and sanctified. The gospel has been preached in the world for more than eighteen centuries, and yet the world is far, very far, from being Christian. Nay, more ! the Christianity of Christendom itself is very partial and disproportionate. This gospel of life and peace, so 200 THE VISIBLE GOD. persuasive in its influence, so suited to man's feelings, convictions, and longings, is heartily embraced by comparatively few. Why is this ? If it be all we have said it is, — if its nature, history, and promises are so entirely adapted to man's state, sympathies, and desires, why is it that so few are really subject to its power ? There must be some peculiar cause for this, — some strong counteracting influence. There is, and its name is Sin. It is that which the gospel came to save man from, and that which is the cause of all his misery. So firm is the hold it has obtained of his nature, that it prompts him to reject the salvation which he is persuaded to accept. And now the problem has to be solved, Whether is the power of the gospel, or the influence of moral evil to prevail ? Is the enemy in possession to hold the citadel of the heart against the friend who seeks to be admitted ? Is the soul to die on the very brink of persuasion ? The mind may see and the heart feel that the gospel is needed and desirable, and yet the power of sin be so strong in the soul as to overpower the will and keep it in bondage. The guilt of such souls is great, and their destiny will be awful. They perish, as it were, within sight of paradise, and their anguish shall be deepened by the knowledge of its bliss. It is a great calamity when a noble vessel, with its many passengers and valuable cargo, goes down far out at sea; but it is still more deplorable when it suffers shipwreck at the very mouth of the harbour, and sinks with its living freight in the sight of helpless friends who stand watching and weeping on the shore. To be, as it were, in sight of eternal life and glory, and yet fail to reach them ; to see the beauty, hear the music, and believe in the blessedness of heaven, and THE GLORIOUS GOSPEL OF CHRIST. 20I yet never to walk its golden streets, nor strike its golden harps, nor sing the new song, nor see the King in His beauty, — this is an indescribable loss, which when realized will become a fearful agony, a woe quick with hell. Another reason, perhaps, why the gospel in bygone days at least, was not more powerfully influential over the minds and hearts of men, was the form in which it was presented by its preachers. They too often put it before their hearers as a system of doctrine to be apprehended and believed, of which the creeds of the churches are the formulated basis and em bodiment. It was a Brain Religion they asked them to accept — a religion which chiefly appealed to the logical understanding, and which not unnaturally led to endless divisions, wranglings, alienations, bitter ness, and sectarian rivalries. A theological gospel, addressed from the intellect to the intellect, has never yet been, and never will be, the universally interesting and effective power in the world, which its preachers desire it to become. Rightly understood, Christianity is essentially a religion of Love and Living Relation ships, and just as it comes to be thus apprehended and accepted, its gospel, when proclaimed, will go from heart to heart, and come home to the bosoms and deepest interests of men with thrilling power and moving effect. The gospel is a threefold form of truth — trinity in unity — like man himself. The historical facts of the Bible are its body, doctrines are its soul, and love is its spirit. Hitherto, the soul of man and the soul of the gospel have been chiefly brought into union one with another, in each of which there are multiplicity and diversity. Hence the different creeds of Christian communities and the 202 The Visible god. endless variety of doctrinal opinion among professing Christians. But when the spirit of man is brought into vital union and oneness with the spirit of the gospel, then all diversity is swallowed up in unity, the unity of Love ; and the Fatherhood of God and the Brotherhood of Christ and Christians are realized. Then the heart is satisfied, and the life of love, cherished and manifested, is found to be one of kindness, communion, and blessedness. The facts and doctrines of the gospel must be proclaimed, but all of them should be lifted up into the sphere of love, and preached unto men for the attainment and cul tivation of real and abiding relationships. We joy fully believe that with ever-increasing fulness, it is being thus apprehended and proclaimed, and there fore outside the churches it is widely and respectfully listened to, and inside the churches, is daily leading to an ever-deepening desire for brotherly union and fellowship and cordial co-operation in Christian ser vice. CHAPTER XV. THE ALIENATED AND THE RECONCILED. CHAPTER XV THE ALIENATED AND THE RECONCILED. THOUGH man has wandered far away from God, he has never lost the yearning of a child for his Father. Even in the lowest conditions of moral degradation he refuses to abandon the hope of a return to God and the enjoyment of His Hfe-giving love. Hence it is that, though the dark and despair ing doctrine of Atheism may have found a lodgment in some daring and disordered minds, it has never obtained an abiding home in the bosom of humanity. With an emphasis amounting to indignant scorn the human heart rejects the declaration made by a few that there is " no God." It cannot defraud its deepest sense, nor deny its instinctive yearnings. It will not believe that the great universe is only a dreary region of orphanhood. A Divine Father it must and will have, even although His anger has been kindled and His disapprobation incurred. Rather would it meet His frown than relinquish belief in His existence, or accept the awful hypothesis that it is a poor homeless orphan in a world of chance and grim grinding necessity. And yet man feels that He is not in harmony with God. He can neither see his Father's face nor realize the light of His countenance. In a far-off country of 206 THE VISIBLE GOD. moral alienation, he is an outcast and a wanderer. He neither hears his Father's voice nor is able to pillow his aching head or weary heart on the Divine bosom. But, he is not content with his present condition. If he were so, the hope of reconciliation would be gone, and the possibility of his restoration excluded, because there would then be no point for the attracting grace to touch. But in his indestruct ible longings after God are to be found the cheering hope and glorious prophecy of a possible return to union and fellowship with the Eternal. It is this undying desire which impels the penitent prodigal to exclaim, " I will arise and go to my Father." But what if this desire and determination on the part of the penitent had led to no satisfactory result ? What if the echo of his cry resounding through the solitude, had been the only response which came to his ear ? It might have been so. He had wilfully departed from his father's home, and had thereby forfeited all claim to the paternal pity and forgiveness; and though the desire for reconciliation could never be uprooted from his nature, yet he might justly have been left to reap the fruit of his ways and be filled with his own devices. Had it lain with himself only, he was utterly helpless, and his very desire to return home would have been but as a barbed arrow in his breast. But the gospel of Jesus Christ, the glorious gospel of reconciliation, comes to him with light and promise, like the dawning of a summer morning ; and, verily, it illumines the dreary waste of his sinful condition with the radiance of a heavenly hope. While man desires to return to the Father— as all the sacrifices and worship of heathendom abundantly testify— the Father yearns for his return, and in the THE ALIENATED AND THE RECONCILED. 207 greatness of His merciful love has made it possible. God still loves humanity, in spite of all its sins, and has sent His Son to be the great Reconciler. Jesus is the living way of the Father to us, and our way to the Father. There is no other. But if the way is exclusive, it is an open way, — open always, and open to all. A grand assurance this for penitent sinners ! " God willeth not the death of any sinner," and Jesus " tasted death for every man." A terrible doctrine of Election, or rather of selec tion, has been built up by theologians on a few texts which are "hard to be understood." The doctrine is repugnant to reason, and altogether out of harmony with the great bulk of revelation, which declares that "God loves the world," and is "no respecter of persons," and that Christ is " the Saviour of all men." Why should a theory, which is confessedly grounded upon a few scriptures which men do not understand, be set up against the numerous and plain declarations which all men understand, and which clearly show that God's love is universal, impartial, and unchang ing ? Paul's statements about the potter and the clay ought to be read in the light of Jeremiah's prophecy from which the Apostle quoted (Jer. xviii. 1-10), and then they become comparatively simple, and are seen to be in harmony with the entire tenor of the Word. Even when the clay became marred in the hand of the potter, he did not cast it away from him, but made it up into another vessel, and no doubt made that vessel as useful and beautiful as he could. Though God is a sovereign, and has Almighty power, yet His power is never used despotically, because in the heart of His infinite might a universal and all-embracing love abides and operates. 208 THE VISIBLE GOD. Therefore said God to His ancient people, through the lips of Jeremiah, " Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in My hand, O house of Israel ; " but, " if that nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evil, / will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them!' Even the sove reign power of the Almighty, is only the instrument of His fatherly love. And yet, tliere is an election, — a glorious election, which at once exhibits the power and manifests the love of God. The Son IS THE Elect of the Father. Christ was the chosen of God on man's behalf, from before the foundation of the world. Regarding Him it was said, " Behold My Servant, whom I uphold ; Mine elect, in whom My soul delighteth : I have put My spirit upon Him, and He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles" (Isa. xlii. i). This prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, as Matthew's gospel declares (Matt. xii. 18). As the God-sent Saviour of sinners, He represented the race, and hence we are told that " He died for the sins of the whole world." Those who accept Him as their Saviour are chosen, not in themselves, but " in Him, before the foundation of the world " (Eph. i. 4) Having accepted Christ, they are accepted by God " in the Beloved." And because backsliding is possible to all believers, they are exhorted to make " their calling and election sure," by " growing in grace and in knowledge," and "remaining steadfast unto the end." But though Christ died for all men, and the whole human race is redeemed, yet no human being can be personally saved until he believes the gospel and receives Jesus as his Saviour and Lord. We are free beings, and cannot be uplifted without our own con- THE ALIENATED AND THE RECONCILED. 209 sent and willing co-operation. Hence the urgent exhortation of the Word, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." " This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son ; he that hath the Son hath the life, and he that hath not the Son hath not the life." In the days of His flesh Jesus sorrowfully exclaimed to those who did not believe His gospel, " Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life." And Paul, who possessed in large measure the spirit of the Saviour, said unto the Corinthians, " As though God did be seech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled unto God." But many who have heard the gospel, and fre quently listened to such pleadings as these, are still far away from God, and in an alienated condition. They have no real comfort and joy, either in thinking of God or in praising Him. Theirs is a cold-hearted and most unhappy condition. If they do not appre hend and realize its unhappiness, they are all the more to be pitied, for that proves that their alienation is great. The churches are visited by many to whom the glorious truths of the gospel are stale, and un interesting, and who crave for something new, start ling, and dramatic to keep such religiousness of fancy and feeling as they possess alive and satisfied. But even the commonest truths of the gospel can never become commonplace to the real and earnest dis ciples of Jesus. They retain for such a fascination and a charm which are always new, beautiful, and refreshing. But the moral consciousness of many gospel-hearers is deadened. They know, but do not feel, that they are far away from God. The influence of the world operating on their own natural depravity 210 THE VISIBLE GOD. has kept them in this callous and wintry condition, and so long as they continue in it a return to the Divine Father cannot be effected. It must be re moved, or they will never realize their guilt and sin fulness and seek a saving interest in the work of the Saviour. God ' is constantly striving by His Spirit and Providence to rouse them out of their lethargy, that they may seek His face and live. " Turn ye, turn ye, why will ye die ? " is His constant and urgent appeal. There are many reasons why all unsaved gospel- hearers should at once and entirely yield themselves unto God. i. Their present condition is full of danger. What is the purpose of their existence as free moral agents ? Is it not to attain to true life, and then build up a true moral character? But so Long as they remain in their sins and away from the Saviour, they can neither gain the one nor fulfil the other. It is wonderful that they do not see the extreme folly of the course they are pursuing. They are at enmity with God when they might be reconciled, and are preferring death to life, evil to good, and misery to blessedness. Such a choice is certain to issue in bitterness at the end. Who hath hardened himself against God, and prospered ? Who can refuse the gift of eternal life from the hand of infinite love, and then reasonably expect that all will be well with them ? How can they look their own common-sense in the face, while thus betraying it ? 2. Another reason why they should no longer remain afar off from God is this : it is a great grief to the heart of the Divine Father who loves them, to the Saviour who gave His life for them, and to the 'THE ALIENATED AND THE RECONCILED. 211 Holy Ghost who is always seeking to bring them to Christ. If only they would think of God's great gift to all men, and therefore to them, when " He spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all," surely they would repent and believe. In giving Christ to humanity, God gave His all. He has no more to give. What a gift to refuse ! Let them think also of all that Jesus has done for them, that they might be brought back to the Father. What sorrows He bore, what sufferings He endured, and what a death He died ! In the presence of His manger, cross, and sepulchre they remain callous and un moved, and will not come to Him that they may have life. How dishonouring to Him, and grieving to the tender gracious Spirit whose office it is to glorify Christ. Let sinners stand still and consider, and then rejoicingly accept Jesus as their Saviour, and yield themselves unto God. 3. They should also be persuaded to draw nigh unto God, because of the blessings and blessedness which will then be their portion. Their experience, hitherto, has been that of a diseased and corrupted nature. They have been living with a disapproving conscience, an unsatisfied heart, and a restless and discordant spirit. And such a life is not worthy of them. Their nature is capable of something im measurably better and higher than that. They have capacities for joy, greatness, and usefulness of which as yet they know nothing. The delights of true life, love, and moral purity have never been experienced, but they will be lifted up into conscious enjoyment of them whenever they give themselves to God. " He waiteth to be gracious, and is ready to forgive," and when pardon is received, then peace and real heart- 212 THE VISIBLE GOD. happiness will follow. And as day by day they steadily pursue the Christian course, their nature will be purified and harmonized, and their life spiritualized and ennobled. And even on earth and in time, God will take them into His banqueting house, where His banner over them shall be love. Thank God ! there are many no longer alienated and far off, but reconciled and brought nigh. By the exercise of a simple faith in Christ as a Saviour, and through the reception of the Holy Ghost, they are now in the blissful state of those whose transgressions are forgiven. Being justified by faith, they have peace with God ; and that peace is the beginning of heaven. It is a great and wonderful change which has come to them, a change full of blessedness. They can now rejoice in hope and be patient in tribulation. Their joy is great, and the harmony of their soul increases. The fear of God which they now experi ence and cherish is altogether different from the slavish dread which formerly held them in bondage. They look up to God as a loving Father, and regard Him with filial confidence and affection. They put all their interests for time and eternity into His keeping, turn confidently to Him for guidance and help in every difficulty, and desire to do those things which are pleasing in His sight. And if at any time they fall under temptation, and feel that the light of the Divine countenance is darkened, and the purity, peace, and joy of their hearts lessened, they hasten into His presence in penitence and faith, and say, " Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness, and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse THE ALIENATED AND THE RECONCILED. 213 me from my sin. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free Spirit." And when they have thus prayed in sincerity and truth, their sins are forgiven, their backslidings healed, the light of the Divine favour once more shines upon their spirit, and streams of peace and joy flow into their heart. But the restoration of a soul into perfect harmony with God, is not an instantaneous nor even a brief act. It is a long and gradual process, and may even be a severe process, in individual experience. It is a process of coming to God, — a state wrought in the believer of which he is not only conscious, but which he must intelligently and earnestly follow after. Let no one be dismayed by the knowledge that step by step the experience of oneness with God is only to be realized through resolute and persevering effort. Are we not commanded to " work out our own salva tion " while God is working within us ? Let Chris tians rejoice that in a work of such transcendent grandeur they are not reduced to the condition of being only passive recipients, but are called to take an essential part in their own salvation. Their return to the Father is a lifelong coming, and the quicker they come the more full shall be their ex perience of His favour. The way to Him is a way of pleasantness and a path of peace, and just accord ing to the earnestness with which they pursue that way, so shall be the comfort and happiness they enjoy. Let the assurance of this stimulate and encourage all believers, and may their daily life be a constant draw ing nigh unto God, CHAPTER XVI. SELF-CULTURE AND CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 215 CHAPTER XVI. SELF-CULTURE AND CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. THE hidden possibilities of growth and loveliness in a flower may be regarded as limited, and yet probably no single flower in existence could properly be described as incapable of further improvement. However fair in form or exquisite in colour it may now be, put it under skilful nurture, and further glories of feature and form will be developed. This is equally true of the human soul. Its wonderful capacities and possibilities are, to a large extent, unknown and unimagined. Man is not only the greatest of all the terrestrial works of God, but we may venture with reverence to say, " his greatness is unsearchable." Who can tell the depths of degrada tion into which he may sink ? He can go down through the animal and sensual into the devilish, and create even in this world, for himself and others, a very hell of wickedness and misery. Nay, more, he can find a fiend's heaven in the hell which he makes, and luxuriate in the weltering chaos of sorrow and suffering which his wrongdoing has produced. Ah ! we may well stand in awe of the fearful and unknown depths into which it is possible for our nature to fall. But, on the other hand, who can either scale the heights to which we may ascend or 217 218 THE VISIBLE GOD. describe the glories and happiness into the possession and enjoyment of which we may enter ? Even in the present life, it is possible to attain to great wisdom and purity, and our growth in the great here after shall be constant and eternal. The means to be used for present progress and development are chiefly these : the ministry of nature, the ministry of experience, and the ministry of Divine revelation, i. Our relation to the visible universe is very close and singularly interesting. It stands to wards us in many and varied relations and aspects, all of which are beneficial and helpful. It is the material foundation and necessary basis, not only of our physical existence, but also of our mental growth. All its laws, phenomena, processes, influences, and results are continually operating upon us for our sustenance and happiness. 2. All the experiences of life are also designed and fitted to be the educators and upbuilders of our nature and character. From business and pleasure, books and social intercourse, and from all the events and circumstances around us, we ought to extract the wisdom which can guide and the strength which conquers. 3. But Divine revela tion is the highest and most needful ministry of all. With only nature and experience to help us, the utmost we could attain would only be a certain amount of intellectual and moral development, which the horizon of time would contain and limit. Such a kind and measure of progress could never awaken and develop the deepest possibilities of our being, and therefore could neither greatly uplift nor fully satisfy the soul. Man can never rest contented with anything less than his own moral perfection and the everlasting SELF-CULTURE AND CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 219 enjoyment of God. And these are revealed and brought within the reach of every one by the glorious gospel of Christ. And now, through the simple belief of the truth, and the hearty receiving of Him whom the truth reveals as our Saviour and Lord, we may rise up into the conscious and everlasting possession of true life, real greatness, likeness to Christ, and oneness with the Father. If these are the means, then who are the agents of our Christian development ? 1. God is the supreme agent. He it was who pro vided and ordained the means to which we have just referred, and He it is who by the constant blessing of the means, when rightly used, can build up our nature and character into symmetry and complete ness, beauty and power. The culture of the Christian is the great purpose and the supreme work of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. 2. Our fellow- creatures are also agents of our indi vidual growth and prosperity. Consciously and un consciously they are constantly operating upon our minds and hearts, and moulding all our thoughts, feelings, and purposes. Parents and teachers, com panions and friends, and even strangers and passers- by, influence our character and conduct, whether we will or not. " No man liveth to himself." 3. But the indispensable agents of our progress are ourselves. A child may go to school to be taught, but what can all his teachers do for him if he refuses to learn ? Self-culture is absolutely essential to the receiving of any other culture, either human or Divine. God educates those, and those only, who educate themselves. And our fellow-Christians and fellow-men can further our advancement only as we appropriate 220 THE VISIBLE GOD. and intelligently co-operate with the influence which their words and actions bring to bear upon us. " Take heed unto thyself." Self-culture is the great necessity. Apart from that, no other culture is possible. Neither God nor man can develop and build up the indivi dual who, either from careless indifference or an in ordinate love of pleasure, refuses or neglects to edify himself. Reason, judgment, and will must all be brought into voluntary exercise before Christian life and character can be relatively perfected. Look at the non-progressive Christian, who tries to make his way through life as easy and pleasant as he can. To be personally secured against the punish ment which death may bring, he has accepted Jesus as a Saviour, and worships with others in the sanc tuary ; but as to living an earnest life and doing what he can for the salvation of others, these are things which very little concern him. Nature and men, angels and God, are working together for his highest well-being, but he stands as a passive recipient only, in the midst of them all. The manifold ministries ot heaven and earth to his higher nature are neither re cognised, received, nor enjoyed. They come to him with knowledge, but he does not grow wise ; with guidance and help, but he continues to wander and fall ; with spiritual strength, but he is not invigorated ; with the best and most enduring riches, but he is not enriched. At times, he has been roused to a dim apprehension of the greatness and solemnity of life, and to an earnest desire " to work the work of a man," but again and again the Delilah of the world has put him to sleep upon her lap and shorn him of all the lofty aspirations, out of which moral strength and spiritual progress are evolved and Christian usefulness developed. SELF-CULTURE AND CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 22 1 How different it is with him who sees the necessity and importance of self-culture, and has wisely deter mined to secure all the profit and pleasure it is capable of bringing to him. His attitude towards the means of growth is one of active recipiency. He perceives that he can attain and possess, only to the extent that he appropriates. Knowledge, wisdom, purity, power, and real riches, are all his for the taking. A lofty ambition is enkindled within him, and, girding up the loins of his mind, he resolves to take heed to himself and go upward and onward in the path of true pro gress. The development of spiritual life and Christian character is his chief aim and constant endeavour. And every part of his nature will be made subservient to the realization of this great and sublime purpose. By giving to the body suitable nourishment and proper exercise, its health will be preserved and all its energies strengthened. By observing men and things and reading good books, he will seek to acquire knowledge, and then by reflection transmute it into wisdom for the practical uses of life. Still more earnestly will he care for his moral nature ; for how ever valuable intellectual culture may be, purity and goodness are still more so. To have a clean con science and a warm heart, and to live uprightly and usefully in relation to others, must be steadily kept in view. But above everything else he will care for his spiritual nature and its harmonious relationship to God. The spirit is the highest part of his being, and therefore the most important. All the senses and energies of the body, all the faculties of the mind, and all the affections and desires of the heart ought to be the servants of the spirit, and become the in struments of its evolution and well-being. 222 THE VISIBLE GOD. It was thus with Paul, who was in many respects a model Christian. He was apprehended by Christ Jesus. That apprehension took place at the time of his conversion. It was sudden, unexpected, and thorough, and from that hour he was a changed man, " a new creation in Christ." No sooner had the glori fied Saviour said to Him, " I am Jesus whom thou persecutest," than he yielded himself up as a living sacrifice, and with an unreserved consecration of his whole being exclaimed, " Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do ? " He was thus apprehended for a specific purpose. The purpose was twofold — personal and social. It had reference to himself as an individual believer, and also to others to whom he was to preach the gospel. The former is that which now concerns us, — what was it ? It was nothing less than the attainment of per fection through the realization of oneness with Christ, for it is the desire and design of God that all who know and love Christ should become Christlike. This great purpose for which the Saviour had apprehended him was clearly recognised by the Apostle. And being both approved and appreciated by his judgment and heart, he made it his own. From the very beginning of his Christian course, it was his constant aim and effort to resemble his Lord. Now that he was saved from the guilt and condemnation of sin, he longed to be also entirely and eternally delivered from all its pollution and power, that thus he might experience a complete salvation. And having entered into union with Christ, he desired that that union should be developed, through com munion, into oneness with God. Nothing less than this could now satisfy his soul. It therefore became SELF-CULTURE AND CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 223 the supreme object of his endeavour, and the hope of its ultimate enjoyment fired his whole being with a sacred enthusiasm, and filled his heart with a pro found and sustaining joy. The natural effects of this settled purpose and assured hope were soon made abundantly manifest. First of all, they impelled him to Spiritual-mindedness. He had no longer any confidence in the flesh. Before his conversion he prided himself on his parentage, circumcision, zeal, and blamelessness in relation to Jewish law, but now he turns away from all these to follow " the righteousness which is of God by faith." He clearly saw that " in Jesus Christ, neither circum cision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation." His religion was no longer to be one of rites and ceremonies and outward moral rectitude, but a life of " faith, which worketh by love." His life-purpose and hope also made him an in tensely Earnest man. They had taken such full pos session of his mind and heart, that he could not be an easy-going Christian and take things just as they came. Some one has truly said that " the religion of Christ is nothing less than the consecration of human life, in all its aspects and relations." It was thus that Paul regarded it, and hence he made all his doings subordinate to the advancement of his Christian life and character. And because he was thus fervent and whole-hearted, he made rapid progress in the Christian course. His spiritual attainments were al ready so pre-eminent and conspicuous, when he formed the Church at Philippi, that the converts there may very naturally have supposed that he had reached perfection. It is even probable that they had given utterance to such a conviction. This may account 224 THE VISIBLE GOD. for the twice-repeated declaration of his conscious im perfection — " Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect." " Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended." His knowledge of himself was fuller and more accurate than their opinion concerning him. The perfection which he longed for and followed after was too grand and glorious to be either easily or speedily attained, and he knew that he had not attained it. But he was neither discouraged nor depressed by this assurance. He knew that great things are worthy of being patiently pursued, and Christian perfection is the greatest of them all. He, therefore, gathered together and girded up all the energies of his nature to pursue it unto the end. " This one thing I do!' However long or rough the road might be, it was the only way to the blessed life, and was in itself a blissful way, even with all its difficulties. Therefore, he resolved " to forget the things which were behind, reach forth unto those which were before, and press onward to the goal." What were the things " behind" which he determined to forget ? They were not the old things of the flesh, upon which he turned his back at the time of conversion, but the new things of the spirit, to which he had already attained. Instead of being satisfied with these and sitting down to a luxurious and complacent enjoyment of them, he would use them as stepping-stones to higher and nobler achieve ments. What were the things " before" towards which he stretched all the faculties of his mind, the affections of his heart, and the aspirations of his spirit ? First of all, he determined to attain a large increase of Spiritual Knowledge. " I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ SELF-CULTURE AND CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 225 Jesus my Lord." Much as he had learned of Christ, he knew but little compared with what remained to be known. And to know Him " in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge " was the ardent desire of his soul. He also wished for a large increase of Moral Purity, — purity of heart and life. " That I may be found in Him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by Him." The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, and all who truly know and love Him desire and endeavour to be righteous, even as He is righteous. He also yearned for a large increase of Spiritual Power. " That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection." The man who takes his stand believingly and rejoicingly at the side of the empty sepulchre, and lives the resurrection life, cannot be other than " strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." He also desired a large increase of Spiritual Ex perience. The experience he coveted was " the fellow ship of His sufferings." This shows how noble and Christlike he had already become. Instead of seek ing the comforts and joys of the Christian life, he wished to feel as his Lord had felt, while yet He was " the man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief," that he also might walk by the way of the Cross to the throne and the crown. Finally, he longed for great Spiritual Usefulness, by being made " conformable unto His death." All the sympathy and sorrow which Jesus felt for men were manifested in practical helpfulness ' and redemptive self-sacrifice. And because He had given His life as IS 226 THE VISIBLE GOD. a ransom for the race, Paul desired to lay down his life in Christian effort, and so fill up on his part "that which was lacking of the afflictions of Christ." These were the things he coveted, and for the gaining of which he strained the energies of his being. And while thus reaching forth to their attainment, he kept the goal in view, and, like an eager racer, pressed onward to the " mark." Knowledge, righteousness, power, experience, and usefulness were all helpful to the gaining of perfection. But perfection itself was the grand end to be kept steadily in view, for only at the goal could the " prize " be secured. The prize is great and glorious, far beyond what any one can either conceive or describe. It embraces all the rewards and blessedness of the great hereafter. Moses wisely "esteemed the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt, because he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." And Paul nobly acted in the faith that " the suffer ings of the present time are not worthy to be com pared with the glory to be revealed." To the gaining of the heavenly prize he was called in Christ Jesus, and verily it was "a high calling," — the highest possible to man. Perfection is the goal to be kept in view by every Christian. Nothing less than this should be his aim and endeavour. Out of Christ perfection is im possible, but in Him it can be attained. Let him therefore gather up all his faculties and affections, and give them culture by Christian exercise, for this sublime end. A whole-hearted earnestness can effect great results. By loving and imitating Jesus, he shall be progressively conformed to His image, and by-and-by be made like Him, " when he shall SELF-CULTURE AND CHRISTIAN PROGRESS. 227 see Him as He is." Only let him follow the great Exemplar and grow up into Him in all things, and his life on earth shall be one of development and usefulness, and his eternal destiny as glorious and blessed as God can make it. 'It is an easy thing for the tourist in Switzerland to remain in the beautiful valleys of that lovely land, and lazily content himself with gazing up to the grand and glorious heights above him. But the eager and ambitious traveller will climb to the far-off summits, and look from thence upon the wonders and splendours everywhere around. The climbing is tiresome and testing work, but the higher he goes the air becomes purer, cooler, and more invigorating, and the prospect larger and grander at every step. And when at length he reaches the height to which he wishes to ascend, what a vision of glory is there presented to his sight ! Mountains and ranges of mountains all around, crowned and mantled with snow, and awful glaciers lying between from which torrents and rivers have their birth. The man is to be pitied who could gaze upon such a scene and not feel strangely overawed and uplifted, and out of a deep tumult of joy impelled to exclaim, " Great and marvellous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty." The ascent was difficult, but the reward is great. And so it is likewise with the Christian life. Multi tudes remain in the valleys all their days, and look at the heights of desirable and possible attainment only from afar. A few with lofty aspirations and a noble ambition, such as were cherished and mani fested by Paul, become mountain-climbers, and rise to great heights of spiritual experience and enjoy ment, which prove a rich reward for all their toil. 228 THE VISIBLE GOD. And of this we may be sure, that the rest and rap ture of the saints in glory shall bear an exact corre spondence with the height of the moral mountains they have ascended. Upward and onward ought therefore to be the motto of every Christian. Let him keep perfection in view, and press forward to the mark for the prize. CHAPTER XVII. NATURAL PLEASURE AND CHRISTIAN JOY. CHAPTER XVII. NATURAL PLEASURE AND CHRISTIAN JOY. THE wise man says, " He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast." True, but who are the merry-hearted ? Look at children. When parents are kind and home is happy their young souls are filled with gladness. We only require to look into their eyes and faces to be assured of that. The sun light of joy sparkles in the former and beams from the latter almost all the day long ; and that charming splendour is not a mere reflection from happy sur roundings, but a radiation from the soul. It comes from within, and is the visible light and glory of a hidden fire. It glows on the countenance because it burns in the heart. " A merry heart maketh a cheer ful countenance." It is true that childhood has its sorrows as well as its joys, but the grief which it feels and manifests is neither deep nor abiding. Tears may glisten in the eyes like dewdrops upon flowers, and flow down the cheeks like rills on the mountain side after a shower, but the clouds quickly pass, the tears are soon dried, and the sunny smile once more irradiates the countenance as the heart regains its gladness and its peace. This joy of childhood is a continual feast. When the heart is happy, the most ordinary surroundings and the very simplest pleasures 232 THE VISIBLE GOD. and playthings are satisfying and delightful. And when to these there are added at times rare and special enjoyments, the soul is thrilled even to ecstasy. Now, wherein lies the secret of this merry-hearted- ness of the young ? If only we can obtain a clear apprehension of that, it will throw a flood of light over all the experiences of life, and become a guide to the attainment of a blessedness far more deep and lasting than the mirthfulness of our early days. The secret is neither far to seek nor difficult to under stand. Are not the innocence and affectionateness of children the ground of their gladness and the well- spring of all their joy f The purity and lovingness of their hearts are the two-fold source of that delight ful and charming merriment which dances in their bosom, shines on their countenance, ripples in their laughter, and finds embodiment and expression in all their words and ways. Their thoughts and desires being guileless, and their hearts always ready to re ceive and give any amount of affection, if only their innocence is preserved and love is poured into their bosom from day to day, like the sunshine of summer into the hearts of the flowers, then their merry- heartedness is certain to be both constant and full. Now, suppose that the innocence and affectionate ness of childhood were retained all through life by every human being, what would be the result ? The joy of a natural mirthfulness would be universally realized, and life itself, from the cradle to the grave, become a feast of gladness. They are retained, in degree, by some persons. Preserved from the grosser sins and follies of youth, and constantly encom passed by gracious and ennobling influences, they NATURAL PLEASURE AND CHRISTIAN fOY. 233 still possess, in larger or smaller measure, the moral simplicity, the tender sensitiveness, and the warm affectionateness of their childhood. Ay ! and just because they do so, life to them is a continual feast. The happy heart finds happiness everywhere and in every natural thing. In the wondrous and ever- changing phenomena of nature, in the sweet and simple joys of home, in the delights of friendship, and in the harmless and healthful recreations which naturally come in their way, they find fountains of enjoyment which are always full, flowing, and free. But being only natural, and the natural being cor rupted, the merriment of an innocent affectionateness gradually declines as life is lengthened. Many things combine to lessen it and take it away. The faults and follies of which every one is guilty, the manifold cares and sorrows of life, its frequent trials and be reavements, and the abounding evils of society, all come in upon it like a tide, and submerge it under the cold waters of an ever-deepening sadness, which chills the very heart. Even of those who have been the most guileless and kindest of human beings, none have attained to a ripe manhood or womanhood who do not know all this by experience. And what do we consequently find ? They all look back with a fond regret to the sweeter and purer joys of their early days. This is what they feel and say : — "Ah ! full well do I remember, When I was but a child ; Of hill, and stream, and dark greenwood Where I wandered free and wild ; Where flowers bloomed freshly in the gale, And birds sang on the trees, And the meadow grass waved to and fro, Fanned by the gentle breeze. 234 THE VISIBLE GOD. " But many years have flown since then, Long years of toil and care ; They cast dark shadows o'er my path, Which once was bright and fair : I've mingled with the busy world, And learned this bitter truth, That care and sorrow come with age, While pleasures pass with youth." Now, if this be the experience of those who are com paratively pure and tender-hearted, what must be the condition of the great majority of human beings, by whom the innocence and affectionateness of child hood have not been retained ? Their purity has gradually passed away, as sins and follies have been multiplied, and the dust of moral pollution has settled on the soul, by which the susceptibilities of the heart have been blunted, and all its tenderest affections hardened and petrified. Impurity and selfishness now reign in many bosoms where sim plicity and kindness formerly ruled ; and because these sweet angels of youth have departed, life is no longer a banquet of blessing nor a feast of joy. " When love cools down, ice forms upon the heart, And bosom singing birds must then depart." , Worldliness and wrongdoing are great destroyers. Under their blighting influence all real heart-glad ness flies away, and a deep and ever-deepening sadness takes its place. Hence it is that there are very few really merry-hearted people in the world. Let the faces of men and women testify. In them may be seen, as on the dial of a timepiece, the index of the heart. Take those you may meet in the course of a day, and what do you see on the most NATURAL PLEASURE AND CHRISTIAN JOY. 235 of them ? Not the signs of inward peace and hope, but those of deep unrest and dark foreboding. And these, are a heavy oppression to the heart. It inwardly groans and often audibly sighs, under the pressure which they bring. To find relief from the burden and forget even for a little season, if possible, the sadness it engenders, it eagerly seeks for scenes of excitement and occasions of mirth. Hence the widespread craving for stimulants, pleasures, and recreations, — recreations often falsely so-called, be cause they fail to re-create. The amusements of multitudes tend to the weakening and exhaustion of the moral energies, even when they do not directly harden and corrupt the heart. In places where music, dancing, and merriment abound, the heart for a time may forget its sorrows as it listens to the song or the joke, and indulges in the fun and laughter which prevail. But " even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness." And Byron agreed with Solomon in this, for did he not write : — " When gay companions o'er the bowl Dispel awhile the sense of ill, Though pleasure stirs the maddened soul, The heart, the heart is lonely still." When pleasures are past, and the dull duties and cankering cares of life have once more to be faced, the inward oppression and sadness are found to be greater than before. The pleasure-seeker passes from sadness to mirth, and back again to misery. The delights of the worldling are superficial and transi tory, but his sorrows are profound and abiding. Everybody can say with Wordsworth : — 236 THE VISIBLE GOD. " It is not now, as it has been of yore ; — Turn wheresoe'er I may, By night or day, The things which I have seen, I now can see no more." But must all men continue to utter this sorrowful wail to the end of their mortal existence ? Thank God, it is not necessary to do so ! The sweet para dise of real heart-gladness is near to every one, and its pearly gates are open night and day. All may enter into it and make it their dwelling-place ; and — as many others have done — they will find it to be a far fairer and more delightful paradise than that of their early days. How then may they find a home in this better Eden of the soul ? Not by going back — even if they could — to the simplicity of childhood, and cultivating the guilelessness and tenderness which were then the conditions of their joy. They must cherish no illusions in this matter. Their early days are past, and their innocence and affectionateness have departed with them, never to return. Their inmost nature has been soiled and hardened by the influence of sin, and they cannot of themselves so regenerate and soften the heart that once more it may be filled with purity and affection, and experi ence the natural gladness which these create. But God in infinite mercy graciously comes to all the hearers of His gospel, and offers to do for them what they cannot do for themselves. He promises, first of all, to those who come to Him through Christ, pardon for all their guilt. What a blessing! He also promises to quicken a new life in the soul, — a life which is both spiritual and eternal, — the life of Love. And if these most precious gifts are accepted, NATURAL PLEASURE AND CHRISTIAN 10 Y. 237 then He promises by the renewing influences of His Holy Spirit to make them inwardly clean, and fill the purified heart with His own sweet peace. Not only so, but in receiving and reciprocating His love He will pour into their very deepest being a real and abiding blessedness. And who will either doubt or deny that Holiness and Love are far loftier and sweeter possessions than the mere natural innocence and affectionateness of childhood ? The merry-heartedness which these inspire is indeed a deep and ever-deepen ing satisfaction, of which the happiness of their early days was only a hint and a prophecy. Every devoted lover and follower of Christ knows this by experi ence. The realized love of God in the heart, is the source of the very sweetest and most satisfying glad ness. Those who have never felt it themselves may doubt its existence in others, but all who have tasted its delicious sweetness know it to be indeed a glorious reality. It is heaven's honeycomb to the heart. To be fully assured of the Divine forgiveness for all the wrong-doing of the past, to realize union and fellow ship with Christ in every hour of the present, and to cherish the glorious and certain hope of His presence and favour through the endless ages of the future, is surely enough to fill the heart with heaven ! Indeed, the joy of a holy Love is the highest joy conceivable. There is no higher in the universe. It is the joy of all the angels, and the joy of God Himself. This joy is a feast, and it possesses the wonderful power of turning everything into a feast, — all the wonders and beauties of creation, and all the experi ences of daily existence. As another has truly said, " The feast is not suspended even in the season of trial and affliction. It is altogether independent of 238 the visible god. changing conditions. The Christian often relishes it most when other sweets are embittered." There are many professing Christians who have never experienced the joy of a holy love, nor realized that religion has turned their life into a feast. Their faith in Christ being more a thing of mental belief than of practical trust, it does not lead them either to the earnest cultivation of a holy life or to the cherishing of an ardent love, and therefore fails to produce that heart-gladness which transmutes every thing into a blessing and a joy. They have no real delight in God. He is not to them their " exceeding joy." They go to religion for safety from the punish ment of sin, and for comfort, perhaps, in times of affliction, trial, and bereavement ; but, like the veriest worldlings, they go to the world for their mirth. They are " lovers of pleasures, more than lovers of God." They find their recreations and enjoyments in the passing excitements and pastimes of social life, and not in communion with the Father or in the service of the Saviour, and therefore profound gladness of heart is not theirs to enjoy. Let all such clearly understand that nothing but a holy love can give to any believer in Christ the merry-heartedness which is a continual feast. There are others, whole-souled in their devotion to Christ, who know by experience what true and abiding blessedness really is, and it comes into view in all the manifestations of their character and life. It cannot be hid. It gleams in the eyes, and glows in the face, when Jesus is the theme of discourse or conversation, or His love the subject of praise. And when they engage in any form of Christian work, it enables them to serve " the Lord with gladness." If NATURAL PLEASURE AND CHRISTIAN JOY. 239 natural and innocent pleasures come in their way they freely and thoroughly enjoy them, but the blessedness they possess is not in the least dependent upon these. They can do without them, and still be as happy and hopeful as the day is long. Those who are out of Christ, and therefore in their sins, ought to know and remember this, that all their pleasures, of whatever sort they may be, are not only superficial, and unsatisfying, but also transitory and perishing. They pass away, like the fading flowers, and even while they last they fail to bestow real happiness. " No treasures, nor pleasures, Can make us happy long ; The heart ay is the part ay That sets us right or wrong." The poet was right. It is the state of the heart which determines happiness. The worldling knows that his heart is impure, and therefore not merry. Even in the midst of all his amusements, it is rest less and often sad. There are probably no persons in the world who yawn so often, in utter weariness and ennui of spirit, as the lovers and pursuers of pleasure ; and yet all the while real heart- happiness is within their reach. If only they would receive Christ as their Saviour and be reconciled unto God, He would graciously pardon all their sins, purify their hearts, give them peace of conscience, and joy in the sweet realization of His love. Then would their hearts be merry, and the whole of their future life turned into a feast. • There are multitudes of Christians who are only half-hearted in their love and loyalty to the Saviour, and whose heart-gladness is very small compared 24o THE VISIBLE GOD. with what it might be. They neither • enjoy the pleasures of the world as the worldling does, nor the deep inward blessedness which the consecrated Christian experiences. Their lives are often very dull and flat to themselves, and uninteresting to others. What ought all such persons to do ? They should yield themselves unreservedly to Christ, and open their hearts to the love of God, that they may be filled with it. And then, as they walk .from day to day in the sunshine of the Divine favour, and enjoy fellowship with God their hearts will be truly restful and blessed, and their joy shall be full. That joy — unlike the merriment of the worldling — will not express itself in frivolity and foolish jesting, nor at any time indulge in unseemly levity. It is too deep and pure for that. Levity is unknown, in the heavens, although there, as on earth, the joy of a happy heart will be as genial and playful as sun shine. " Walk worthy of God, who hath called you into His kingdom and glory." The happy Fatherland on high is the home of the merry-hearted, where purity shall be perfected, love crowned, blessedness made complete, and the feast of life be not only constant but eternal. CHAPTER XVIII. THE SORROWS AND SUFFERINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. S4l 1 6 CHAPTER XVIII. THE SORROWS AND SUFFERINGS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. A HOLY love is the essential essence of the Chris tian life. We truly live just as we love, for " He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." Faith is the first necessity, for without the exercise of trust in Christ men cannot be saved from sin. But a genuine faith is certain to issue in a real love and a true obedience, just as a bud unfolds into a blossom and sets into fruit. A holy love is also the source and soul of all true harmony and blessedness. It is so in a personal aspect. If we desire that all the faculties and forces of our nature should be gathered up into unity, let our hearts be filled with love. Under its binding influence they will act in harmony, and fill the whole being with the heavenly music of inward peace and joy. A fountain of sweetest pleasure wells up continually in the heart of every one who is a whole-souled lover of God. This is also true in a social aspect. Where do we find harmony and blessed ness amongst human beings but just where love creates them? The union and fellowship of hearts are grounded upon affection and affinity, and every cup of real and satisfying delight is filled up with the wine of love. Only let the love of God be received, 244 THE VISIBLE GOD. reciprocated, and manifested, and " the fellowship of saints " will become a realized reality and a perennial joy. The joy of Jesus was the joy of love. He was the Divine love embodied, and therefore full of joy. His joy was maintained and increased by the exer cise and manifestation of love, in obedience to the Father, and in service for humanity. Love is the world's great want, the supreme need of humanity everywhere. Let Christians therefore manifest the spirit of Christ, which is the spirit of love, and thus become instrumental in quickening faith and enkindling love in the hearts of others. They have here the means of making a cold wintry world burst into blossom and beauty. They can fill the sphere of their social life with warmth and fragrance, extract the stings of manifold evils from the bosoms of many around them, and become in many ways the purifiers and saviours of society. But love is not always connected with gladness and rejoicing. On the contrary, it is near akin to sorrow. The heart that loves most deeply has, by its very depth of love, the greater capacity for sorrow and suffering. The hard, unloving, selfish heart cannot feel. It is the Render, yearning, and compassionate spirit which feels the keenness of grief. Love in itself has no affinity with sorrow and suffering, but this sin-cursed earth is not its native home. Its natural abode is the land of purity and peace, the land of holiness and harmony, and when it comes to reside in a disordered world like this the garment it most frequently requires to wear is that of grief and mourning. The most loving souls have always been the most sorrowful and suffering of mankind, from the Divine Man of Sorrows down through all the ages SORROWS AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. 245 in which 'philanthropists, reformers, and martyrs have lived, laboured, and died. Is love then a cross better shunned than borne ? Oh no ! it is the only thing that is blessed, and blessed it is even in the path of sorrow and suffering in which it has so often to walk. Even in its darkest hours of sadness, and in its deepest depths of anguish, it can raise an upward and onward look, and, piercing through all shadows, see the shin ing land beyond, where love shall no more sorrow or suffer, but rejoice unceasingly and for ever. " It soweth here with toil and care, The harvest time of love is there." No one ever sorrowed like Jesus, just because no one ever loved as He did. If He was the Divine Man of Joy, He was also the Divine Man of Sorrows. His perfect purity made Him divinely sensitive, and His sensitiveness was continually being wounded and pained, " A holy Being, clad in clay, would be Saddest of all the sons of earth, for he Would thrill with pain, as if he were a flower Bome from some tropic land, with glorious dower Of warmth and sweetness panting at the core, But shivering, bleeding, dying evermore ; With frost beneath him, and with snows above, Death round him, and within immortal love. " Just such was Christ, with heavenly nature fine, He needs must suffer while He dwells in time ; He takes a woe from every bleeding breast, And the heart-sweetness, by such pain expressed, Flows from Him ; He was crushed by hand Divine In tenderest love, as grapes are turned to wine." The Saviour was a great sufferer, and all His suffer ings came from sin. Being Himself perfectly holy 246 THE VISIBLE GOD. He had no evil in His own heart to crush and eradi cate, and yet from day to day it caused Him to suffer to an extent which we cannot understand. It assailed His spotless nature in many forms. i. He suffered from temptation. He was capable of being tempted. Had He not been so, He could not have become the Saviour of those who, when led into the presence of temptation, had fallen under its power. " But in all points He was tempted, even as we are," by men and by devils, and keenly felt the blasts of fiery trial, which seemed to blow upon His inmost nature as from the very mouth of hell. " He suffered, being tempted," as sinful beings cannot suffer, " yet without sin." 2. He also suffered from the contradictions and perse cutions of the ungodly. Only think how the Scribes and Pharisees followed Him wherever He went, to cavil at His words, complain of His doings, and seek an occasion against Him. They hunted for His life, thirsted for His destruction, and never ceased from their malignant and fiendish plottings until they had seen Him die upon the cross and safely secured in the sepulchre. 3. He suffered through sympathy. Jesus was not a recluse, and however much the afflictions and trials of men might distress Him, He never hid Himself from His own flesh, but " went about doing good." His perfect sympathy made Him the greatest of all sorrowers and sufferers. He sighed over the afflicted, wept over the perishing, and groaned over the dead. And it impelled Him to act, as well as grieve. Be cause He compassionated the hungry multitude, He fed them ; because He pitied the ignorant, He in structed them ; and because He sympathized with SORROWS AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. 247 the afflicted, He healed them. His sympathy was always being manifested, because the love of His heart was deep and unchanging. All human beings are sorrowers and sufferers, being sinful, for sin is the cause of all the woes and ills of humanity. But Christians suffer peculiarly. They do so even in relation to the ordinary trials and afflictions of life. They are not exempted from these. Pains, diseases, and bereavements are universal. But they come to them with far greater afflictive power than to worldlings, just because their hearts are purer, tenderer, and more loving. Their feelings being peculiarly warm and active, soft and sensitive, they shrink from the rough and destructive touch of sorrow and suffering, disease and death, as others cannot do. Christians also suffer peculiarly, under the extra ordinary trials which come upon them, because they are followers of Christ, ay ! and the more Christlike they become, the more are they liable to special sufferings. Like Christ Himself, they suffer, being tempted. Having renounced sin, and taken up an attitude of antagonism to all evil, they are often sorely tried by temptation. And but for the sustaining grace of God, they would fall under its influence. With every temptation He opens up a way of escape, and enables them to escape by the way which He opens. Feeling and remembering their weakness, they cling to the Divine strength, and watch and pray that they enter not into temptation. But even when thus resisted and overcome, it brings suffering. Christians also sometimes suffer, as Jesus did, from opposition and persecution. In a Christian country, and in times when religion is outwardly respected, 248 THE VISIBLE GOD. Christians may neither be scorned nor cruelly treated, as were the Apostles, and multitudes of others since their day. But it is as true now as ever it was that the World-spirit and the Christ-spirit are contrary the one to the other, and the more that any one receives of the latter, the more is , he likely to be resisted and oppressed by the former. An easy-going believer, who is silent and unaggressive, may never provoke the open antagonism of the ungodly ; but let him become thoroughly earnest and consistent, and then it is more than likely that some will sneer at his religion, and cast insults upon himself. "Woe be unto you, when all men speak well of you." " Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you, falsely, for My sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you." Christians also suffer, as Christ did, through sym pathy. Here again, the more Christlike they become, the more are they certain to suffer. Many professing Christians, it may be, can look upon the sorrows and sufferings of humanity with a light heart. They are too much engrossed with their own little troubles to trouble about those of other people. But there are others who know by experience the sufferings of sympathy. They can say with the psalmist, " I be held the transgressors and was grieved, because they kept not Thy word ; " and with the prophet Jeremiah, " O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a foun tain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people." And their sympathy outflows, for they give it embodiment in earnest cries unto God, and in active efforts on behalf SORROWS AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRISTIAN LIFE. 249 of those whose sorrows and sufferings are manifold. Sentimental sympathy evaporates in mere feeling, but true sympathy speaks and acts. The more tender the heart, the deeper its feeling ; and its manifesta tion is a great social blessing. It comforts the sorrow ful, cheers the disconsolate, soothes the suffering, strengthens the weak, encourages the timid, intensifies the joy of the rejoicing, and is a great bestower of happiness. Oh, that the world were full of it ! Its exercise is blessed. To sympathize with the sorrow ing lessens and sweetens our own sorrows. To help the suffering helps us to bear our own sufferings. To rejoice with the rejoicing increases and intensifies our own joy. George Herbert tells us that the remem brance of manifested sympathy in kind words and deeds " made music to him at midnight." This natural feeling can be spiritualized. It is so, in measure, in every true Christian, and it becomes more and more spiritual as it is permeated by Chris tian love, guided by Christian principle, and sustained by Christian purpose. May the sympathy of every Christian become more and more like that of Christ, — spiritual in its nature, tender in its character, active in its habit, and helpful in all its manifestations ! It will bring pain and grief. The more sensitive it becomes, the more easily it will suffer. There are many who shrink from the anguish which it brings, and therefore repress the sympathy ; but there is great unwisdom in doing so. If sympathy did not cause grief and pain, neither would it give pleasure. To be susceptible of the former, makes them equally susceptible to the latter. " Chords which vibrate sweetest pleasure, Thrill the deepest strains of woe." 250 THE VISIBLE GOD. If sympathy brings us sorrow, it also gives us joy. Like mercy, " it is twice blessed." When we have sympathy with the joyful, their joys become our own, and if sympathy with the sad makes our own hearts sorrowful, is there not hidden in the very heart of that sorrow a well-spring of profoundest blessedness? All gracious effects produced by sympathy manifested for others, return into the bosom with the rich reward of gladness. By suffering with Christ and for His sake our spiritual nature and Christian character are developed. We are made perfect through such sufferings, and " made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light." Present suffering and future glory are vitally related, — " If we suffer with Him we shall also reign with Him." " I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward." Let Christians cease to shrink from Christian sorrow and suffering, for just to the extent that they shrink and then shirk, to that extent they forfeit the glory which awaits them. If the scholar shirks the self- denial involved in learning his lessons, he thereby casts away the usefulness and the fame which applied knowledge and wisdom might attain. If a patient shrinks from the pain which either the lancet or medicine might inflict, he must forego the health, strength, and happiness which might afterwards be his to enjoy. In like manner, the glory hereafter is conditioned by suffering here. " Inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice ; that at the revelation of His glory ye may rejoice with exceed ing joy." CHAPTER XIX.. THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD. CHAPTER XIX. THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD. THERE are many noble societies and beneficent institutions in the world, but the Christian Church is the grandest of them all. Its origin was Divine. Christ created it, and because He was "God manifested in flesh " it is called " the Church of God." And not only was He its founder, but He continues from age to age to be its Law-giver and Head. He teaches, guides, and governs it by His Word and Spirit, and is the Source of its life, the Object of its worship, and the Upholder of its power. His gifts are its glory, and His glory ought to be its highest aim and end. Who are its members ? It is not co extensive with the human race. All men do not belong to it. It excludes every lover and servant of sin, and includes all who truly believe the gospel and follow Christ. What is its purpose ? Its purpose is twofold, — first, to receive spiritual gifts for its own enrichment and upbuilding ; and, second, to be the channel through which these may flow into the world, for the salvation and sanctification of human ity. What shall be its destiny ? Its destiny will be unspeakably glorious, for as a bride is presented to a bridegroom, and they twain by marriage are made one flesh, so shall the Church in due time be given 253 254 THE VISIBLE GOD. to Christ, the Bridegroom of His people, to be one with Him in spirit for evermore. The Church is held in low estimation by the world, and is neither rightly understood nor appreciated by many of her own members. But it is very dear to Christ. He gave Himself for it. It is unspeakably precious in His sight, — " The Lord's portion is His people." " The riches of the glory of His inheritance are in the saints." Christ loved the Church. It is quite true that His love is universal, but it is also true that He loves those who have believed His love, and who love Him in return, with a special and peculiar love. He regards them with complacent delight, and lifts upon them the light of .his counte nance and the smile of His favour. He sees the glorious possibilities which lie unfolded within them, like the flower in the root, or the fruit in the tree, and knows that in the pure sunlight of His own love, and under the fertilizing and refreshing influences of His own Spirit, they shall yet be developed into all the fulness of perfection. But even now the relation between Christ and His people is of the very closest and most vital kind. He is the vine, they are the branches. Their com munion with each other is direct and immediate They are partakers of His nature, recipients of His Spirit, and sharers of His joy. The Church Universal contains the whole body of believers, in all Churches and in all lands, and " the Lord knoweth them that are His." But every mem ber of the Universal Church ought to belong to some particular Christian community, that the brother hood of the new life may be realized and manifested. The Churches of all denominations are just parts of THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD. 255 the one great whole, and ought to include every believer in Christ. The visible association of Chris tians in worship and work is a simple obedience to Christ's command, that they should love one another and act as brethren, and is also a part of His plan for the carrying out of His great redemptive purpose. The glory of the Father, the honour of the Son, the edification of believers, the spread of the gospel, and the salvation of mankind, are all involved in this manifestation of the saved, in the fellowship of the Church. What ought to be the chief characteristics of every Christian community ? In considering this question, we must take care not to give place to our own imaginings, but keep steadily in view the teachings of Christ and His Apostles. The first characteristic is Moral Purity. It was frequently urged by the Apostles on the early Chris tians, and Christ's prayer for His disciples was this, "Sanctify them in the truth." The purity of a Church ought to be a far grander thing than a mere external morality in relation to men. Morality is not holiness, and holiness toward God is the real and inward purity by which every Christian ought to be distin guished. Men and women may be truthful, honest, and kind, and yet be far from God and true righteous ness. Holiness has its seat in the heart, and consists of two things; first, a. positive and active renunciation of all known sin ; and, second, an intelligent and hearty choice of the supreme good, which is the revealed will of God. Every genuine lover of Jesus has already attained to some degree of holiness, but we know that as yet holiness in ourselves is more like a bud in the soul, than like fruit hastening on to 256 THE VISIBLE GOD. ripeness. The influence of temptation, our love of the world and the things thereof, the weakness of our faith, the languor of our love, the coldness of our zeal, and our indifference to Bible study and the progress of Christ's kingdom in the world, — all loudly testify that holiness is not being rapidly developed in our hearts and lives. " Holiness unto the Lord " should be the motto of every Christian, — a motto to be written on every purpose of the will, every desire of the heart, and every action of the hand. This is the will of God concerning us, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. The beauty, the happiness, and the usefulness of a Church are all determined by its Moral Purity. Another characteristic is Unity. This unity should be much more than a mere external union. It ought to be a substantial spiritual reality, — a unity of souls. As members of Christ's body, we are members one of another. The nearer we come to Christ, the more closely shall we come together ; like the branches of a tree as they approach the stem. "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity." It is a fountain of joy within the Church itself, and a powerfully attractive influence on the world outside, like a glowing fire on a cold winter day. And it is always pleasing unto God. Another characteristic is Catholicity. We are com manded to " Love the brotherhood!' A large injunc tion this! It does not refer only to the small community with whom we may associate, but to the entire body of believers scattered abroad. Our special esteem and affection may be properly given to a particular denomination, but we should beware of becoming the slaves of any " ism," With hearts THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD. 257 ever enlarging, through the reception of Divine love, let us rise above all the limits which sects and creeds impose, and seek to live and labour for the well-being and progress of the Church Universal. The entire gospel has never yet been embodied in any men- made creed ; and the Church is a far larger and grander reality than any sect, or all sects put together. Tfie real Church of Christ is the Brotherhood of Be lievers, and not the Greek Church, nor the Roman Church, nor the Anglican Church, nor any other church whatsoever. But multitudes of mistaken men and women still continue to say, " Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us." But Christ says, " Forbid him not, for he that is not against us is for us." The Lord has His loved ones in every denomination, and outside all denominations, and therefore our prayer should be, " Peace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity." Just to the extent that Churches fail to give visible manifestation to the spiritual life of love, to that extent they are not Christian at all, but only selfish and sectarian, ecclesiastical and worldly. If all pro fessed believers did but truly love the Lord and the Brotherhood, what glorious and beneficent results would speedily follow ! How quickly sectarianism would be crushed, bigotry abolished, ecclesiastical jealousies and rivalries come to an end, and the Lord's prayer be largely and delightfully realized, — " That they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee." But instead of this, what do we see? Wintry coldness, selfish isolation, sectarian com petitions, miserable envies, and not unfrequently fellow- Christians despised and boycotted because 17 258 THE VISIBLE GOD. they do not belong to the same denomination. It is a sad and shameful spectacle to see an ecclesiastical in stitution exalted above the real Church, and the sacred name of Christ dishonoured in the house of His friends. It weakens fearfully the power of all the Churches, greatly lessens the hearty co-operation and joy of the Brotherhood, and. gives to all ungodly scoffers the opportunity to blaspheme. It is not churchmen of any sect, but true and Christlike Christians who are needed in the world to-day, to purify and spiritualize the Church itself, and then enable it to go forth into the world, "fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners," to conquer the world for Christ. If only the hearts of believers were as carefully cultured as their intellects, and all their affections and sympathies kept in constant exercise towards God and one another, their mutual fellowship would be delightful, and their influence over the unsaved become increasingly attractive ; for there is nothing so powerfully influential over the hearts of human beings everywhere as a manifested love. It acts like sunshine. Oh for the coronation of love and unity in Christians and in Churches ! The hoar-frost of cold indifference would speedily melt away, and be succeeded by a glorious springtime of spiritual quicken ing, and a still more glorious summer and autumn of Christian activity and abundant ingathering. We have plenty of organization and diversities of method in religious enterprise, but the quickening, stimulat ing, and sustaining spirit of love is sadly lacking, and love is the great necessity. Another characteristic is Beneficence. Our pro perty belongs to God, as well as our persons. We THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD. 259 are not the possessors, but only the stewards of His bounty. How does He desire us to use it ? We have no direct command in the New Testament as to the proportion of our income to be devoted to religious and charitable uses, but the central principle of the Christian life is devotedness to Christ. Let that principle operate, and not how little may we give, but how much, will be the question. If a tenth were given by all Christians, the Churches would be enabled to undertake and accomplish such large things for the well-being of humanity, that the world would be confounded and the face of society changed. Every Church ought first of all to supply its own wants, and the necessities of the institutions con nected with it ; but if it possesses and cherishes a truly generous spirit, it will devise and do liberal things, not waiting to be urged and entreated to give, but going before, as God does, with the blessings of goodness. It will also assist missionary societies and charitable institutions according to its ability all for the honour of Christ and the advancement of His kingdom in the world. Another characteristic is Activity, personal activity. Evil is terribly active and aggressive in the world, and can be effectively opposed and conquered only by Christians. Christ overcame evil with good, and He calls upon all His people to be heroes of faith and imitators of His example. Every form of noble heroism ami brave endeavour should find its home and nursery in the Christian Church. The very boldest enterprises, for the good of men and the glory of God, ought to be easy and natural to her, and would undoubtedly be so if only the spirit of faith and love burned warmly in her bosom. But, 260 THE VISIBLE GOD. alas ! many of her members are so drowsy and in different to her true welfare, progress, and usefulness, that although she went to sleep, they would neither be troubled nor make any special effort to rouse her from her slumber. Christ calls upon every Christian to be spiritually useful. There are men enough in the world devoting all their time and energies to the cultivation of science and art, commerce and wealth, power and influence. Let Christians live for Christ, and subordinate all the interests of their life to the Master's use and glory. Let them live under a full sense of the evil of sin and the grandeur of holiness, and work day by day under the conviction that though life is short and uncertain, yet the interests of the soul for eternity hang upon the passing hour. Are death and judgment, heaven and hell, realities in which we believe, or are they merely dark words in the creed we have adopted ? Oh ! for the fervour of moral earnestness which distinguished the Church in the first century of our era, and the heroism of the saints and martyrs of bygone time, who rejoiced to labour and suffer for the sake of the gospel, and who shrank not even to die, if thereby Christ might be glorified ! All over Christendom to-day, thank God ! there are thousands of men and women who are earnestly praying and working for the salvation of others. We gladly acknowledge the hopeful fact, but earnestly desire that all the Lord's disciples were servants ! The Church, as a whole, is still compar atively weak and inactive ; and of this we are certain — it is not the scepticism and worldliness outside the Church which chiefly hinder her progress in the world, but the benumbing carelessness and carnality in her own heart and life, — the lack of a fervent faith THE CHRISTIAN BROTHERHOOD. 261 and strong convictions in those who occupy her pews and who minister from her pulpits. Oh for the universal possession among professors of an intel ligent faith, which would firmly grasp the verities of the glorious gospel, and give them embodiment in daily life and action ! It is not the religion of the lip alone which is to influence men and bring them to the Saviour, but the living, active and every-day religion which moulds our thoughts, purifies our affections, breathes in every utterance, and is visible in every deed. Too much work and too little, are both great evils in modern Churches. The burden of effort falls upon the shoulders of the few, who are often overweighted and crushed thereby, while the many spend and mis spend their spare hours in busy idleness, doing little or no personal service for the Lord. Should any be silent and inactive, when souls are perishing all around ? Christian men and women are brought daily into contact with the careless and the unsaved, and have many opportunities of speaking to them of Jesus and salvation, eternity and God. But many professing Christians never make a personal effort to save a single soul. Their fellow-creatures are dis eased and dying ; they themselves have been healed and saved by the efficacy of the gospel, and yet they neither recommend it nor supply it to others. This surely is a criminal silence, of which no one ought to be guilty. The last and crowning characteristic is Love. Love is the secret of Purity, the ground of Unity, the soul of Catholicity, the essence of all true Beneficence, and the inspiration of all spiritual Activity for the saving and sanctifying of souls. The Christian life 262 THE VISIBLE GOD. is love, — love to God and love to men. The latter is the natural outcome of the former. Jesus Christ loved the Father, and was therefore the great Lover of humanity. The world lay upon His heart. Oh that it may be laid upon ours also, that we may arise and do what we can to hasten the coming of the latter-day glory, when the tide of the great sea of love shall flow from pole to pole ; when the jarring discords of sin, now so harsh and high, shall be over powered and exorcised by the harmonies of a new creation ; when men shall move in all their actions to the music of the Divine will, and the whole earth shall blossom into fairer splendours than Paradise itself contained. CHAPTER XX. CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 263 CHAPTER XX. CHRISTIAN SERVICE. CREATUREHOOD implies service. Every Moral Intelligence in the universe was created by God, for God, that loving and serving Him he might do the Divine will, fulfil the Divine purpose, and enjoy the Divine favour "for evermore. All the different orders of Angels in the heavens, are servants of the Most High. They wait continually before His throne to receive His commands, and then, with the ardour of a perfect devotion, make haste to do His bidding. When man was brought into existence he, too, was made to serve. The Divine will was made known to him. It covered the whole sphere of his threefold nature, and embraced all the outgoings of his life. In the keeping and dressing of the garden, as well as in the acts of worship in which he might engage, it was his duty and privilege to serve the Lord. His every form of service might not be equally spiritual, but they were intended to be truly religious, being done as in the Divine presence, and for the honour and glory of the Divine name. A whole-hearted obedience was not only possible, but easy and delight- , ful. He served with gladness, while he served in love. But when temptation came, and he allowed himself to believe that God was dealing hardly with him, and 265 266 THE VISIBLE GOD. withholding blessing and honour which he was capable of receiving, his faith failed, his love cooled, and obedi ence became irksome. Then he voluntarily turned away from the doing of the Divine will. But when thus he ceased to serve God, he did not cease to serve. He only transferred his service to another. He served himself by seeking to be " as God," and in serving himself he became " the servant of sin " and of him who had successfully tempted him. A return to the Divine service was now a moral impossibility. A clean thing cannot come out of an unclean. There fore a Divine redemption was necessary. A Saviour was provided, and " when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons." And because Christ was made " under the law," He, too, was a servant. This was a necessity. If He would take man's place and act on his behalf, it was essential that He should serve. And not only so, but if He would become the head of a new race, He must succeed where Adam failed, and by a perfect obedi ence fulfil the Divine will. Thus only could He magnify the laws which had been violated, and prove that they were holy, just, and good, and become " The Lord, our Righteousness." He was the servant of God for humanity's sake, and also the servant of men for God's sake. " I am among you as one that serveth." His service was constant and entire. " I do always those things which please Him." All men are servants. Their whole life is a service. There is no choice in the matter. But they are free to determine the kind of service they shall render, and the person or persons to whom they render it The CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 267 worldly and ungodly choose to serve themselves and the devil, and sooner or later they will find that they have given their life and its energies to very bad masters. But since Jesus died for our sins and rose again for our justification, and a full, free, and ever lasting salvation is ours for the taking, it is now possible again to serve the Lord. And surely he is worthy of all the service we can render ! He is infinitely worthy in Himself, and worthy also because He has redeemed us by the shedding of His most precious blood. To refuse to serve Him is the very blackest ingratitude, and also the greatest folly which men can manifest. Let sinners think of this and repent. And let professing Christians also think of it, and no longer be content to give to Christ a partial and meagre service. Understand that the sphere of Christian service is not limited merely to acts of worship, or to work accomplished for directly religious .ends. It embraces the whole life and all its outgoings. Personal consecration to Christ ought to be thorough and hearty. We often hear of secular and sacred duties as if a great gulf lay between them, but the word of God makes no such distinction. We cannot follow the world and its ways in the shop and the counting-room, and then glorify Christ in the sanc tuary. At home and away from home, in business and in pleasure, when alone and in company, we should serve the Lord. It matters not what the sphere of our life may be, we can fill it with Christian service, or if this be impossible, then the sphere itself must be a bad one, and ought at once to be abandoned. But in all truly human and useful work, there is no Christian who cannot make his daily life a holy service and a psalm of praise unto God, The 268 THE VISIBLE GOD. religion of many is a thing of conscience rather than heart ; the effect of fear, and not the flowing forth of affection and holy joy. They restrict it to times and seasons, instead of making it the central principle and the all-controlling power and purpose of their life. They are not thoroughly loyal and warm-hearted in their allegiance to Christ. And the result is thai: their service is limited, and has more of gloom and sadness in the heart of it than sunshine and joy. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning truly says : " The sweetest lives are those to duty wed, Whose deeds, both great and small, Are close-knit strands of an unbroken thread, Where love ennobles all. The world may sound no trumpets, ring no bells ; The Book of Life the shining record tells." If the Lord's people wish to serve the Lord with glad ness they must allow Him to fill their whole soul with His precious love, until that love shall become their strength and blessedness. And then every day and all day long they will realize His presence with them, and whatsoever they do they will do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men. But above and beyond the constant service of our daily life, every Christian is expected by Christ to render special service. What service, but the continu ation and development of Christ's own work amongst men. Atonement can never be repeated. " There remaineth no more sacrifice for sin." But all the other work that Jesus did continues to be the legiti mate work of His followers, through all the ages of time. " Greater works than these shall ye do, because I go to the Father." The good works are manifold in which the servants CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 269 of Christ may engage in these restless, changeful, and wonderful times, in which our lot is cast. All sorts of useful efforts are being made for the enlightenment of the ignorant, the protection of the innocent, the defence of the helpless, the uplifting of the fallen, and the comfort of the old, the infirm, and the miserable. Workers are being loudly called for by those who are already engaged in fighting with the numerous forms and forces of evil. No one should sit with folded hands in such a time as this, when the battle of humanity is being fought with such ardent earnest ness. Many, alas ! are at ease in Zion, as if everything were just as it ought to be, and the Millennium had already come. Hymn-singing and sermon-hearing are the beginning and end of their public religious service. They seldom or never unite with others in asking the Lord to send more labourers into the great harvest-field of the world, and even when they do so they never think of saying, " Lord, here am I, send me." They never speak to any human being (not even, perhaps, to their own children) of salvation, eternity, and God. They may give a little money now and again for the support of Christian agencies, but all their special service is done by proxy. Thank God, there are many others who in loyalty and love to Jesus are seeking to save the lost ! Being full of Christlike compassion for sinning and suffering humanity, they are impelled to engage in intercessory prayer and self-denying labour. We rejoicingly be lieve that there is more of such work in the world to-day than ever before. Oh for a holy, united, and widespread crusade against every form of vice and wrongdoing ! Such a crusade is needed. If good is being increased in our country and the world, evil is 270 THE VISIBLE GOD. also being tremendously intensified. Drunkenness, licentiousness, and infidelity abound ; and thousands of poor creatures in the slums of our large cities are living in a condition of savage barbarism which is almost infernal. These are foul blots on the face of our modern civilization, and a greater latent danger to the peace and happiness of society. It is hard to say what our degraded and embittered fellow-crea tures might attempt to do, were their lower nature aroused and let loose by some outburst of revolu tionary excitement ; and who can say that such an outburst may not come, both suddenly and with over whelming fury ? We are surrounded by multitudes who care nothing for religion, and many of them are sunk in the deepest spiritual darkness and mire of sin. What is to be done with this great seething mass of festering foulness and iniquity ? As another has truly said, " All abuses are curable, if God be God. To say that the horrible madness, disease, destitution, and depravity of men are incurable is atheism ; to leave them alone and say, Let God cure them, is fatalism. Two things are certain ; one is that God can renovate humanity ; the other is that this renovation must be wrought through such men and women of the race as He can, so to speak, embody in Himself and work through, with loving help, to all nations." All that has yet been done is as nothing compared with what requires to be accomplished. Many power ful and subtle agencies are working against the good. The flood of sceptical and impure literature constantly issuing from the press, the debasing influence of the liquor traffic, and the manifold forms of temptation which devils and devilish persons employ for the CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 271 entrapping and ruining of souls, are all opposed to the elevation and evangelization of the people. Humanity, patriotism and religion should impel us to special service on behalf of all our fellow-creatures still under the power of sin, that we may bring them to the Saviour. Let the cry of every one be this, " Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? " and He will give " to every man his work." " As ye go, Preach." Our life is a constant "going," and as we go we are to make known the gospel — by character and conduct, by speech and behaviour, by word and work. We are not only to be " living epistles of Christ to be read of all men," but also witnesses for Christ to declare His gospel to others. Would to God that all the Lord's people were prophets ! " Heal the sick." If special gifts of healing are not now bestowed upon believers, as in the days of the Apostles, yet, in response to the prayer of faith, the healing of the sick is still divinely bestowed, and all such healing is miraculous. In other words, it is supernatural, because it does not come in the order of nature or as the natural result of the operation of law. It comes from God, and out of the action of His will, which is free. Christianity is a religion of miracle. The quickening of dead souls is a standing miracle, and the Divine healing of bodies is also miraculous. Is not prayer the outcome and expression of a belief in the supernatural ? The age of miracles can never cease, so long as man can cry unto God in prayer and obtain answers to his petitions. The people of God in all ages have prayed for healing ; their prayers are constantly ascending to the great Father, and He graciously hears them and frequently grants their 272 THE VISIBLE GOD. requests. How does He remove pain and weakness, and restore to health and strength ? Either medi ately by blessing the medicines given and the means used, or immediately by restoring at once, without the use of either medicines or means. In either case His action is supernatural and the effect miraculous. The latter method is no more miraculous than the former, except in degree ; and the one method is just as easy and open to Him as the other. We need not, therefore, be surprised to find that He manifests His sovereign power, and encourages the faith of His people, by giving from time to time extraordinary answers to prayer. For instance, the great Melanc- thon was ill, and lay apparently at the point of death. Luther was sent for. When he came and saw the condition of his friend, he was greatly shocked and agitated. Withdrawing into retirement, he wrestled with God to spare Melancthon. And from that moment the sufferer rallied and was speedily restored to consciousness and activity. To the end of his days he declared that if Luther had not come when he did he must have died. " I have been restored," he said, " from death to life, by the power of God." Many similar cases, equally authentic, are recorded in the history of the Church. And no one who has either read or heard of the wonderful work accomplished by Dorothea Trudel in Switzerland, Pastor Blumhardt in Germany, and Dr. Cullis in America, will doubt that Divine healing in response to the prayers of faith is still continued in the world. If only the faith of Christians were more robust, and their prayers and intercessions more earnest and persevering, these extraordinary manifestations of the Divine power in healing would be much more common than they are. CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 273 But even when they are withheld, we can still fulfil the command of our Lord to "heal the sick." We are able to communicate to the afflicted the soothing and strengthening influence of a practical Christian love. The pity of such a love will both provide the material means for the tending of the sick, and pour into their bleeding hearts the wine and oil of a tender com passion. The sons and daughters of affliction have many longings, but, next to the restoration of health and strength, there is nothing they so deeply and fervently desire as sympathy. Medicines and cordials are good, but a tender compassion is the best medi cine and the surest restorative. Its action on the mind and heart may be quiet and unobtrusive, but its influence, like that of sunlight and dew, is powerfully penetrating and pervasive. It so comforts the heart, soothes the mind, and alleviates the pain of the body, that many have declared it was well to be ill, merely to be so tenderly and lovingly cared for. We greatly rejoice that not only in our homes, but also in all our public hospitals, the law of Christian kindness is being increasingly realized, as the law of power to heal. " Cast out devils." It is the opinion of many, who do not deny the casting out of demons by Christ and His Apostles, that possession is now unknown. We believe they are mistaken ; but this, at least, none will deny, that there are devilish tendencies in every unregenerate heart, which often make themselves visible in fierce and violent outbursts of temper and passion, anger and cruelty, wrath and revenge. And even amongst the professed followers of Jesus, evil feelings and passions are sometimes cherished and displayed. These at least are devilish manifestations, which open pathways into the very soul, by which 18 274 THE VISIBLE GOD. evil spirits may enter to degrade and destroy. We have still need of the injunction, "Give no place to the devil." We read of Saul, the first king of Israel, that " the spirit of the Lord departed from him, and an evil spirit troubled him." It is always so. When the good spirits of purity and love are cherished in the heart, the evil spirits of lust and unkindness can find no inlet. It was because the Saviour was filled with the Divine Spirit that He was able to say, "The Prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me." Let the same mind which was in Him be also in us, and we shall be enabled to " cast out devils." There are devils in our own hearts ; by the exercise of faith, prayer, and a holy love cast them out. There are devils in the hearts of others ; help them by counsel, kindness, and sympathy to cast them out. There are devils in homes — the evil spirits of coldness and alien ation, disobedience and discord : cast them out. There are devils in churches, — the demons of worldliness and indifference, disunion and sectarianism : cast them out. There are devils in society, — the seducing spirits of ignorance and infidelity, selfishness and pride, un godliness and cruelty : cast them out There are devils in the nation, — the drink-spirit, the mammon- spirit, the war-spirit, and that hateful spirit of a false patriotism, which seeks the aggrandisement of Britain, not that it may uplift and purify humanity, but triumph over and oppress the weaker tribes and nations of mankind : cast them out. There are devils in the world, manifold, despotic, and powerful : cast them out. And as we feel our own weakness in grappling with the hosts of evil, let us look up and pray for the help of Him to whom all power belongeth. CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 275 " Feed My lambs!' There is no form of Christian service likely to yield larger or more precious results than the religious training of the young. Every other enterprise, however useful, seems to be secondary to this. If only the children could be brought into the fold of the Good Shepherd, and cared for there as the lambs of His flock, many Christian agencies now in operation would not be needed, or at least have com paratively little to do. Too long did the Christian Church fail to carry out the Lord's command, but since the introduction of Sunday Schools into our country, the young have been thought of and cared for as they never were before. But even now her maternal solicitude for their highest well - being is neither so deep nor fervent as it ought to be. Souls are unspeakably precious, and their salvation is a matter of the utmost concern. Children need to be saved, for they are conceived in sin and tainted by moral pollution. It is as true of them, as of the oldest and worst of sinners, that they " must be born again." The first birth only introduced them into a corrupted natural life ; and therefore they require to be born of God into the spiritual life, without which no one can rise up into conscious union and fellow ship with the Divine and the Eternal. Their inno cence is not holy, and cannot save them. They, too, require the cleansing blood, and the Divine renewal. Ay ! and the sooner they are saved, the better, both for themselves and for the world. Early decision for Christ is a great blessing. It saves from manifold temptations, sins, and sorrows, and lifts the soul into the possession and enjoyment of all good. The minds of children are open and receptive, their hearts soft and susceptible, their wills pliable and yielding, 276 THE VISIBLE GOD. and their memories fresh and retentive. They have no tenacious prejudices to be removed, or deeply- rooted evil habits to be got rid of, and early impres sions are both powerful and lasting. Surely, then, the very best of all the good works in which the Church can be interested is the Christian training of the young. Let all Sunday School teachers recognise the greatness of their work. It is great in its origin, great in its nature, and great in its results. It helps the development of their own spiritual life and cha racter, and is an instrument in the hand of the Holy Ghost for the quickening of spiritual life in others. By it the world is being regenerated, the Church strengthened, souls saved, and Christ satisfied. And all these results are only the firstfruits of an eternal harvest. " Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abound ing in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." " Go out into the highways and hedges, and constrain them to come in, that my house may be filled" Every earnest and active Christian Church has its own local missions, in which the best of its members will de light to labour ; but these missions, for the most part, are but poorly attended, especially by men. How are the men to be reached? Both in town and country, but especially in the former, there are thou sands and thousands of working men who never enter church, chapel, or mission station from one year's end to another. The London City Mission, and similar agencies in other places, do a great and blessed work among those who stand aloof from all religious organizations, and upon whom religion itself has little or no hold. With the Bible in their hands and the love of Christ in their hearts, their agents visit from CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 277 house to house, and deal personally with men, women, and children about their souls' interests. Such work is greatly needed, for if the people will not seek the gospel, then those who love the gospel must seek them. God bless the City Mission, and every other form of special effort to evangelise the masses ! The Salvation Army is doing a great work. Some of its advertisements and methods are not only startling but questionable, but, looking beyond these, no un prejudiced observer can fail to see that a noble and much-needed work is being accomplished by its agents, for which God may well be praised by all Christian people. From the depths of our hearts we pray : The Lord bless and prosper the Salvation Army ! But surely the Churches ought not to leave the seeking of the lost to external agencies. Let every Christian community carry the gospel to every human being in its immediate neighbourhood, and, casting away all slothful indifference and inactivity, wage a constant and persistent warfare against un godliness in every form. Open-air preaching might surely be employed with great effect far more widely than it is. Was not Christ during the most of His ministry an open-air Preacher of the gospel ? By the seashore and on the mountain-side He instructed the multitudes, and healed of their diseases all the sick who were brought unto Him. In the glorious Temple of Nature, where the clear and sparkling waters of sea and lake mirrored in their tranquil bosom the lovely eastern sky, where the pure and perfumed breezes came upon the brow like the fragrant breath of God, and where the bright and beautiful sunshine, all warm and glowing as with the radiations of the Divine love, 278 THE VISIBLE GOD. transformed and transfigured all the face of creation, — there did the Divine Teacher and Healer carry on towards its fulfilment on Calvary, the sublime work of human redemption, which His Father had sent Him to accomplish. For a long period in England the Church neglected the poor, and then the poor in turn despised and neglected the Church. In great mercy the Lord raised up George Whitfield, John Wesley, and others, and gave them such a clear apprehension of the miserable condition of the lapsed masses, that, strong in the strength of God, and with hearts on fire with love to Christ and men, they went all over the land, and, chiefly through the medium of open-air preach ing, were honoured to become the agents of a great spiritual awakening, to which may be traced much of the prosperity and happiness which as a nation we enjoy to-day. It is the glory of Methodism that it has always carried, and still continues to carry, the gospel to the poor, and by the comparatively poor it is even now largely supported. And just as Wesley himself adopted the well-nigh forgotten, though Christ-like, method of open-air preaching, so Wesleyanism in all its sections (why cannot they unite ?) has continued largely to employ this form of Christian effort, to win men to Christ, and then woo them into Christian fellowship and corporate Church life. It is much to be feared that Methodism has of late become too aristocratic to follow its old methods, and perhaps that may account, in measure, for the fact that its progress now is not so manifest as in former times. At any rate, in spite of all that has been done by Methodists and other bodies of believers, the so-called working classes are still, to a large extent, alienated CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 279 from the Christian Church and unreached by Church agencies. Oh for a great Pentecostal effusion of power to fall upon all the Churches. God is ready to bestow this effusion if only His people would prepare their souls to receive it. They would then consecrate themselves to Christ, and to works of Christian usefulness. There would be no lack of teachers for schools and workers for missions. Feel ing the burden of the Lord upon them, Christian women would become visitors of the sick and com forters of the aged and infirm, and Christian men go forth, like Christ and His Apostles, and preach the gospel in the open air. Some attempt this work who are not well fitted to do it, and many who could do it well, will not attempt it. Let the Churches find them, train them, and send them forth. Oh, if our country, as the centre of Christendom, could only be thoroughly Christianized, then would she become a truly missionary nation, and send forth, not the sword of destruction, but the glorious gospel of life and liberty, healing and hope, to the uttermost ends of the earth. " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to the whole creation." The Apostles were to begin at Jerusalem, and then go out from thence in ever- widening circles, until they had reached the whole human race. This is still the divinely ordained order of Christian effort in the world. And it is not to the church as an organized society, but to every individual Christian, that the commission is given, "Go ye." The taking of the gospel to the heathen is emphati cally a personal responsibility. Blessed are they who are able and willing to consecrate their lives to the doing of this work ! And blessed are they also who, 280 THE VISIBLE GOD. when unable to go themselves, are eagerly anxious to send others, and support them both by money and prayer when they go forth to labour. What we cannot do single-handed we may accomplish by united, organized, and systematic effort. . The Mis sionary Societies have been called into existence for this very end. The Churches have every reason to exercise the fullest confidence in them, and ought to give to them their most liberal support. If only for the next ten years the money spent and largely misspent on strong drink in England were given to the Missionary Societies, Christ's great command might be literally fulfilled, and His gospel preached "to every creature." When missionaries go forth into the great realm of heathendom, what do they find ? They find idolatry, superstition, infanticide, cannibalism, licentiousness, slavery, tribal wars, crime, cruelty, and awful moral corruption degrading and destroying the peoples, and filling their hearts and lives with sadness and misery. But after the gospel has been faithfully preached and lived for a time among the heathen, the ancient prophecy is splendidly and beneficently fulfilled, — " The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light : and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." But all that has yet been accomplished is only a small part of the great work which remains to be done. It is estimated that the population of our globe is at least thirteen hundred millions ; of that number about four hundred mil lions are professedly Christian, leaving nine hundred millions of human beings still sitting in the dark ness of heathenism, and dwelling in the land of the shadow of death. The fact is appalling, and ought CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 281 to impel all lovers of Christ to renewed consecration, and to far more earnest efforts for the extension and establishment of the kingdom of heaven upon earth. It is high time that Missionary Societies and Chris tian Churches everywhere should awake from slumber, put on strength, and go forth into the whole world, to claim humanity for Christ. First of all, let them gather out the stones. In the name of God and man, let them demand from their Governments the abro gation of all unrighteous laws which have hitherto hindered the progress of Christ's kingdom both at home and abroad. Let the hydra-headed evil of the liquor traffic be largely limited, if not entirely sup pressed. And let the infernal opium traffic be utterly and everlastingly destroyed, that its fearful effects may be removed. And when these and other stones are taken out of the way, then shall the gospel have free, course, run, and be abundantly glorified, and its saving power made manifest over all the earth. " Your work shall be rewarded" Work and reward are always associated in Scripture, and it is the Divine decree that the latter shall be in exact proportion to the former. " Every man shall receive his own re ward, according to his own labour." " Behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work shall be." The place and position of Christians in the heavens will be determined by their holiness and likeness to Christ. In their nature they will be all alike, " not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." But in their character they will all be different. Many pro fessors entertain the idea that if only they are saved, and get into heaven at last, it will be just as well with them as with the saintliest of souls. A tre- 282 THE Visible god. mendous mistake ! Negatively they shall all be as pure as the purest, but positively they shall not be as holy as the holier and the holiest, and it is holiness only which determines the glory, the blessedness, and the privileges of the heavenly state. The Scrip tures are clear and definite in their teachings con cerning this. They tell us that some will be saved "so as by fire," while others shall obtain "an abundant entrance." Some will enter only as "babes in Christ," like the thief on the cross, while others, like Paul, shall be welcomed " as strong men " in Christ Jesus. Some will shine " like the firmament," but others " like the stars in the firmament." There is nothing arbitrary in the Divine arrangements. But while character determines glory, work deter mines reward. Little work for Christ here will obtain small reward yonder ; while large service rendered to humanity for Christ's sake, in any sphere of usefulness, shall receive a large reward. The glory of every saint shall be according to his character, for glory is just character made luminous. It is not without significance that many Christian artists have painted a radiant halo round the heads of the saints. The instinct which impelled them to do so is true. Moral perfection in heaven shall shine through the spiritual bodies of the redeemed, just as it did in Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration, and after His ascension, as seen by John at Patmos. This visible manifestation shall be one form of their reward, for the greater their glory, the higher shall be the honours they will receive. Lofty char acter is not always honoured in this world. Most men honour rank, wealth, genius, position, and power more than moral worth ; but it will not be so in the CHRISTIAN SERVICE. 283 great future. Goodness will there be recognised as true greatness, and esteemed accordingly. And nothing develops Christian character so rapidly and proportionately as intelligent, prayerful, and devoted Christian service. Then along with personal glory, and the honour which it shall receive, there will also be divinely be stowed the reward of power. Remember the parable of the talents. " Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy Lord." All service for Christ upon earth not only multiplies talents and increases ability to serve, but also prepares the worker for the service of the heavens, which shall be constant and eternal. Power and privilege will be given according to the capacity of the recipient to receive and use them. Did not Jesus say to James and John, " To sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give " (as a gift to any who ask it), " but for whom it hath been prepared of My Father." In other words, there will be no partiality or favouritism shown by God. Every man shall go to his own place and receive a reward "according to his own labour." Every Christian, therefore, should " have respect to the recompense of reward," which will far outweigh all the little sacrifices he may make, and the sufferings he may endure in Christian service. CHAPTER XXI. PROVIDENCE AND PRAYER. 285 CHAPTER XXI. PROVIDENCE AND PRAYER. IT was a sublime commission which the Lord gave to His followers, " Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." But far beyond what they had imagined, difficulties and trials of many kinds awaited them. Jesus foresaw all these tribulations, forewarned them of their coming, told them how to speak and act in circumstances of per plexity and peril, and then comforted their hearts with the blissful assurance that God would be with them. "Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing, and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father ; fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows." It is not likely that His disciples found any great difficulty in accepting the heart-comfort which these words were designed to impart, for every devout Jew was accustomed to think of God as the all-seeing One and the ever- present Helper of His people. The direct Divine guidance and succour which the nation had received from the very beginning of its history had not only familiarised the minds of the people with the idea of Providence, but wrought into the very texture of their mental and moral nature the clear and settled conviction that " the eyes of the Lord run to and fro 287 288 THE VISIBLE GOD. throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." The Jews, in ancient times, were peculiarly a religious people. Unlike the Greeks, they did not cultivate to any great extent the study of Nature, nor set themselves to investigate the mystery and meaning of the visible universe. Their chief men were neither scientists nor philosophers, but psalmists and prophets. And these came to them, not with theories and speculations about the origin and essence of matter, or the relation of man to his material environment, but with spiritual truths and Divine messages which made known the mind and will of God, and revealed the relationship of men to Him as their Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and King. Every godly Israelite regarded God in all these aspects, and, therefore, also thought of Him as near at hand and not afar off, and as One who cared for and blessed His people in all their ways. It is not so in these modern days with the peoples of Europe and America. It is true that they have received the Scriptures which relate the miraculous interpositions and wonderful workings of God in the olden time, and the New Testament which contains the gospel of Jesus Christ. But it is also true that along with the Bible and Christianity they have in herited the philosophies, arts, and sciences of the old Pagan world. And these, to an extent not fully realized, have permeated and moulded the thinking and believing of our time. Man's relationship to Nature, more than his relationship to God, has been the subject of eager inquiry and investigation on the part of many of the most learned and highly gifted men. And then the daily newspapers and periodical PROVIDENCE AND PRAYER. 289 press, which deservedly have attained to such high position and influence, are always ready to make known to the world the discoveries of science, the inventions of art, and the results of literary and philosophical research. Especially has science been fostered and developed in recent times. And what are the results ? The investigation of natural pheno mena has led to the discovery of natural laws, and day by day these laws are more and more clearly recognised to be universal in their operations and unvarying in their effects. The whole creation is under the government of a fixed and invariable order of sequences, which leaves no apparent room for the free and independent action of a Divine Power. Of course the tendency of all this, on many minds, is to lead them to exclude God from His own universe, and regard Law as supreme. And if the temptation is yielded to, then, as knowledge is increased, faith is diminished, and the recognition of a direct Divine working becomes an unmeaning and impossible thing. In other words, Law is practically deified and God dethroned. Some will grant that there may be a great First Cause, or what the late Matthew Arnold has called " a Power, not ourselves, which makes for righteousness '' ; but He is the Great Unknown and Unknowable One, about whom it is vain and useless either to think or inquire. Indeed, with not a few it has actually come to this — they call themselves Agnostics, and are proud of the name. And what is an Agnostic ? He is one who professes to know nothing about either God or a Future Life, or, as somebody has said, " A man or woman who desires to be an atheist, but has not yet succeeded." The practical atheism of agnosticism allows no place for 10 290 THE VISIBLE GOD. either the action or the evolution of a Divine Provi dence. And not only so, but on multitudes of pro fessedly religious people, on whose minds the theories and speculations of scientists and philosophers have little direct effect, the widespread scepticism of the day has a large and leavening influence. It has in fected many who are probably hardly conscious of its presence. Theoretically, perhaps, they continue to believe in the reality and efficacy of prayer, and yet they seldom pray. And even when they do engage in acts of devotion, they cherish no definite expectation of receiving the blessings which they ask. Were any of their petitions to be immediately and manifestly answered by God, they would be perplexed and confounded. To satisfy conscience, or continue a pious practice which they learned in childhood, they may sometimes engage, alone or with others, in acts of devotion, but to wait upon God with eager longing and with large expectation to receive is not in all their thoughts. They pray, and then expect things to happen in their natural and usual way, as if they had never prayed at all. Face the idea of Omnipotent Law, and see to what it must necessarily lead. If law be supreme, it must be as God to us. It is our ruler, and we are its subjects. Well, what can it do for us ? It has no mind to think, no heart to feel, no will to determine, and no hand to help. It is inflexible, invariable, and alike to all. It can neither see our sorrows, pity our miseries, nor regard a cry for succour. Had we always perfectly obeyed it no doubt it would have blessed us, but we have violated its requirements a thousand times. And whither can we go to obtain pardon and peace ? Must we appeal to law ? It is PROVIDENCE AND PRAYER. 291 utterly impotent, either to forgive the past or bestow such inward strength as shall enable us to cease from sinning in time to come. So far as law is con cerned, we are hopeless. Shall we turn to God, then, and appeal to Him as our Father ? It is useless to do so if law be supreme. If there is a God at all, He is practically imprisoned. He may voluntarily have imprisoned Himself by the laws He has created, but that matters not. When we stretch forth our hands in prayer and ask for pardon and purification, He may hear our cry and compassionate our condition, but He cannot grant our requests. This makes us orphans, children of necessity, held in the inexorable grasp of blind and inflexible powers, which will sooner or later crush and destroy us, because we are cor rupted. Atheism itself can hardly be more desolate or dreary than belief in a God who is not supreme. But God is supreme. " He ruleth over all." What are all the laws of the universe but just the appoint ments of His- will, — the modes by which He chooses to control and regulate all the worlds and creatures He has made ? Laws are not entities which exist of themselves, apart from the volition and power of the Almighty Law-giver. And instead of being subject to His own laws and enslaved by their operation, the beginnings and endings of all law are held in the grasp of His sovereign wisdom and authority. " The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice." We accept with grateful gladness all the discoveries of science. That the laws of nature are invariable and inflexible we also rejoicingly believe. As the embodiments of the eternal and unchanging Will, it is reasonable to expect that they should have these characteristics. It is for our good that they are what they are. They 292 THE VISIBLE GOD. are all holy and beneficent, and it is only because we are fallen and polluted beings that they work within us pain, disease, and death. But when we are again restored to harmony with God, then all His laws will become to us what He intended them "to be, the ministers of His goodness and the instru ments of His love. When thus we think of the sovereignty of God, and the nature and purpose of His laws, it is easy to believe in, an overruling and ever-active Providence, both general and special. Through the medium of the laws He has made, or apart from them, though in harmony with them, He can deal with every human being in a special manner, and grant the desires of their hearts. He careth for us, and His care is constant and tender. God is in all our life, preserving and protecting, guiding and helping, comforting and blessing us, and working out in every saved soul the gracious purposes of His redemptive grace. Why, then, are not all God's children just what their heavenly Father would wish them to be ? The question is easily answered. God has limited His own freedom that they may be free, and, alas ! they have abused their liberty by wrong-doing. He will not bring the physical power of omnipotence into the moral sphere to compel them to do right. He operates upon mind and heart, conscience and will, through the moral influence of His Word and Spirit, and to every one who yields to their power He can say, " I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." He has drawn every true believer in Christ, and He continues to draw, but He does not drag any one as an unwilling captive to His feet. But even the best PROVIDENCE AND PRAYER. 293 of Christians, as yet, are not in perfect harmony with God. They need to be still disciplined and purified, and the process at times may be severe and hard to bear. But He will not make it harder than is needful, for all His will is love. Then as to external surroundings, let it never be forgotten that these too are not in harmony with the Divine Will. Many trials and sorrows come to us which God does not send. Our own follies and the wrong-doings of others are their sources. It is wrong to trace these to God. He never does evil, that good may come. Let no one think unkindly of Him, when tempted and tried. Let him lay all his sorrows and sufferings at the door of sin. But if all the events and circumstances of life are not ordained by God, let us ever remember that God is in them all, doing the best for His people and causing all things to work together for good to them who love Him. Read the lives of Joseph and Daniel, and see how the wickedness of men and the lovingkindness of God worked and struggled in their circumstances. And did not the latter triumph over the former, and make even the wrath of men to praise Him ? It is always thus with those who love the Lord. Whatever tribu lations may come to them through the operation of evil, God will enter into them all, and by the workings of His grace turn the evil into good, and the sorrow into blessedness. And now we can see the need of prayer, and believe in its power and efficacy. Jesus prayed, — He who came forth from God, who was God manifested in flesh, and who has returned to the bosom of the Father, — and He said to His disciples, and to us through them, " Ask, and ye shall receive," for " if ye, 294 THE VISIBLE GOD. being evil, know how to give good gifts to your chil dren, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" If prayer be not a reality, as some would have us believe, but only an exercise of soul, the reflex influences of which are valuable, then Christ was either a deceiver or deceived, and the promises He gave are delusive. But, on the other hand, if prayer is indeed a reality and has power with God, then what are we to say of the comparative faithlessness and prayerlessness of many Christians ? Surely they are rebuked by the example and teaching of Christ. Oh that all His followers did but pray and delight in prayer as He did ! How much of God they might know, and what fulness of blessing they might obtain, for both them selves and others. All true prayer is the outcome of a genuine faith. As some one has said, " The breath of prayer comes from the life of faith." Christians may measure their trust in God and their sense of dependence on Him by the frequency and fervency of their prayers. The prayer of a true faith and an ardent desire will always be characterised by sincerity and earnest ness. Think of Abraham's prayer for the cities of the plain ; the prayer of Jacob when he wrestled for a blessing ; the prayer of Moses, when he pleaded for the Israelites, whom the Lord, because of their wicked perversity, threatened to destroy ; and the prayer of Jesus in the upper room for Himself and His disciples. Let no one go into the presence of God with mere attitudes of devotion and empty words. When we pray let us always have a definite aim in view. When the blind man at Jericho cried, saying, " Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me," his PROVIDENCE AND PRAYER. 295 cry was general. But Jesus said unto him, "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee ? " And he said, " Lord, that I may receive my sight." His prayer now was specific, and Jesus said unto him, " Receive thy sight ; thy faith hath made thee whole." When we address petitions to our fellow-creatures, we have always a definite end in view. No other sort of request would be regarded. Whenever we approach the mercy-seat let us determine beforehand the pur pose of our coming. Having first considered what we need and ought to desire, then let us come boldly and in Christ's name, and with the Divine promises on our lips, and ask God for what we want, and we shall receive. And when thus we pray, let us see to it that our motives are pure, for " if we regard iniquity in our hearts the Lord will not hear us." The prayer of faith must ascend out of a pure heart. It renounces all known wrong-doing. Having confessed its faults and received forgiveness, it loathes every sin and deter mines by Divine help to forsake it. It will not ask for deliverance from the effects of past transgressions, that the soul may be free to sin again. " Shall we continue in sin because grace doth abound ? God forbid ! How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein ? " If praying does not lead us to cease from sinning, then sinning is certain either to cause us to stop praying, or make the prayers we offer hollow and unreal. There may be more or less of unconscious evil in all our prayers, but their motives should be holy. Holy prayers alone, are prayers of the Spirit. They ascend out of our own spirits, and are inspirations of the Holy Ghost. All true, pure, spiritual prayer has power with God. 296 THE VISIBLE GOD. It enters into His heart and influences Him as nothing else can, and because it thrills the heart of the eternal Father, it also moves His hand, and that Hand is omnipotent. Because prayer has power with God it is a great privilege. To be invited into the presence of Royalty, and receive gifts from the occupant of a throne, would be almost universally regarded as a great honour ; but this is a still more exalted honour. Christians are invited into the presence of the great Monarch of the Universe ; and when they kneel before His footstool it is not to receive only such gifts as are earthly and perishing, but those also which are spiritual and eternal. They obtain true life and all the blessings of salvation, are admitted into the circle of true nobility, — the aristocracy of the twice-born, — and have free access to the throne of the Almighty. By- and-by they shall be crowned with glory and honour, lifted up to an equality with the angels, and realize themselves to be "joint-heirs with Christ." Prayer is essential to the well-being of the Christian life. It is a necessity. It could not be a necessity if it were not a reality, but it is a sublime reality and has power with God ; and if Christians had a deeper and stronger faith in its efficacy, they would much more frequently and hopefully enjoy the privilege of engaging in its exercise. They are empty vessels which require to be filled with the water of life, — water which only God can supply from the fountain of the eternal love. The consciousness of need is the parent of desire. We no sooner realize a want than we wish to have it satisfied. If, therefore, we restrain prayer we are just starving our higher nature and retarding its progress. But if we make known our wants unto God, PROVIDENCE AND PRAYER. 297 as children to a Father, He will supply all our need out of His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. And what is the chief want of our nature of which we become increasingly conscious as our spiritual life is intensified, and we continue to draw nearer unto God ? It is God Himself. He is our great necessity. All His gifts are good, but they are not enough for us. He has made us too great to be satisfied with anything less than Himself. " As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God," — this is the cry of every progressive Christian. The indwelling Spirit enkindles in the soul an ardent de sire for union, communion and oneness with God; and in answer to the prayers of faith and ardent longing, God gives Himself to the thirsting spirit, and fills it with His own fulness. " Pray without ceasing!' Is it really possible to do so ? Is not this an ideal to be aimed at, rather than an attainment to be actually realized ? There are probably many professing Christians who have come to this conclusion. Business men, perhaps, contem plating the manifold duties and perplexities of daily life ; mothers, anticipating the cares and anxieties of the family, and servants, thinking of all the difficulties lying in the way of a full and faithful accomplishment of their work, may very easily be led to conclude that to " pray without ceasing " is simply impossible. But God never asks His people to do anything which is beyoncj their reach ; and though His command ments may be exceeding broad, yet they are not grievous. It is not necessary to maintain an un broken act of prayer, to pray without ceasing. If it were so, then the fulfilment of this apostolic injunc tion would indeed be impossible. But the Christian 298 the Visible god. may always cherish a prayerful spirit, and inwardly retain the praying attitude, even when his lips are silent and his hands engaged. It may turn as con stantly towards God as the needle to the pole. Acts of prayer form and develop the habit of prayer, until all the thinking and doing of daily life are permeated and sanctified by the spirit of devotion. The earth is always looking up to the natural heavens for the blessings which it needs, but while it appropriates the sunlight, the rain and the dew, it also, at the same time, grows its lovely flowers and precious fruits and yields its annual harvests in rich abundance, for the sustenance and happiness of mankind. In like manner, every Christian may continually wait on God, and yet be busy among men ; and while receiving spiritual gifts and blessings for his own use and enjoyment, may also become, through Christian effort, a channel of grace for the enriching and upbuilding of others. There are many who know by blissful experience that it is possible thus to pray without ceasing, and who find that a life of prayer becomes with ever- increasing fulness a life of joy and praise. CHAPTER XXII. A GLORIOUS PROSPECT. CHAPTER XXII. A GLORIOUS PROSPECT. THE Christian life is compared in scripture to a battle, a race, and a pilgrimage. It has been so compared because of its arduous and trying cha racter, the difficulties which press upon and surround it, and the opposition which those who pursue it have constantly to encounter. The Christian requires to be patient, watchful, courageous, and enduring. His pathway is rough and rugged, dangerous and ob structed. He has to go through much tribulation into the kingdom. The more thoroughly earnest and consecrated he becomes, the greater his tribulations are likely to be. It is therefore needful that the Chris tian should have many encouragements given him, many inducements to persevere and overcome, and streams of consolation at which he may drink and be refreshed, and go on his way rejoicing. His Lord and Saviour has provided many such streams for his comfort. Great and precious promises are held out to him, rich supplies of grace are bestowed according to his need, and hopes and prospects of the most stimulating and uplifting character are his to lay hold of and enjoy. It is both his duty and privilege to drink frequently and copiously at these full 'and ever- flowing rivers of delight, to cherish realizing views of the hopes set before him in the gospel, and to turn 302 THE VISIBLE GOD. aside at times to contemplate, as from a Pisgah, the glorious inheritance into which he shall enter, when he has fought the good fight of faith and finished his course with joy. The racer is nerved with strength when he catches a sight of the prize. The warrior is stimulated and encouraged when he thinks of the laurel wreath. In like manner, the Christian has his spirit revived, and his heart cheered and comforted, when he ascends the delectable mountains, to behold the land afar off, see something of its unearthly glory, and realize in some measure the character of its rewards and the nature of its blessedness. It is always' de lightful and helpful, during the cold, dark, and dreary months of winter, to anticipate the advent of spring, with all its genial warmth and brightness, beauty, fragrance, and song ; so, likewise, it is strengthening and encouraging to the believer to consider at times the perfected and glorified state of being which awaits him in the world to come. Our Lord Himself kept the great future in view, while He bore the heavy burdens which were laid upon Him in the days of His flesh. " O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was." And when He spoke to His disciples of the sorrows and tribulations which awaited them, it was thus that He comforted and cheered their hearts : " I go to prepare a place for you ; and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also." Paradise has been lost, but it will be regained. We rejoice in a better Eden to come, — a paradise far greater and more glorious than was the terrestrial home of the first pair in their unfallen condition. If A GLORIOUS PROSPECT. 303 the morning of the world was bright and fair ere the sin-cloud covered it with darkness, that cloud is destined to pass away and give place to an eternal day of Divine light and glory, —a day which shall far outshine the morning radiance, and cause it to be no longer thought of, or remembered with regret. Having such a prospect in view, we are enabled to think with calm equanimity of the vanished beauty and forfeited delights of the Eden which Adam knew. Why then should we think of it at all, seeing that it has passed away for ever from the earth ? Instead of looking back to the paradise that was lost, why do we not keep the eyes of our expectation fixed exclusively on that which is to come ? Just for this all-sufficient reason, that Gods first purposes are His last, being, like Himself, unchanged and unchangeable. Sin has broken in upon these purposes for a time, and made them incapable of realization, but redemption has followed sin, and when its work is finished, then God's first purposes will be carried forward to their full and everlasting accomplishment. Look back to the begin ning and consider what it enfolded and implied, and then you will be able, with some degree of intelli gence, to forecast and anticipate the new beginning which is yet to come. The opening chapters of Genesis are the best of all commentaries on the closing chapters of the Revelation. All that was forfeited by the first Adam will be more than restored by the second Adam, the Lord from heaven. The future in store for us is not a Paradise merely, but a Heaven, and an endless series of Heavens, far excelling in glory and blessedness the Eden which has been swept away. The tree of life shall be there, with no flaming sword to guard it, and the tree of the knowledge of good 304 THE VISIBLE GOD. and evil shall not be there, because it will be no longer needed. Then shall all the divinely established relationships, sustained by man in the beginning, towards God, creation and woman, be renewed, per fected, and perpetuated for ever. And from these, as from a full and ever-flowing fountain, his life shall be constantly nourished and intensified, and his blessed ness endlessly increased. Some Christians affect to be indifferent towards both the Paradise which is lost and the Paradise to be regained, but they are neither the wisest nor the most spiritually-minded who do so. As Christ Himself did, let them antici pate the glory which awaits them. Let it fill their hearts with a heavenly gladness, and make all the pathway of their earthly pilgrimage happy and hope ful. Those who live most for the great Hereafter are those who live best in the present, and who make their daily life most noble and useful. The full salvation which awaits the Lord's people will bring to them a perfect and everlasting deliverance from all evil. Moral evil shall neither go with them nor follow them into the Holy Land, for "there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, or worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." And if sin be excluded, then none of the natural evils which flow from it can have any place there. All those things which now trouble and perplex shall be left behind and forgotten. There will be no bent forms in heaven, no grey hairs, no tottering steps, and no staff in the hand. All its inhabitants shall rejoice in the conscious possession of immortal youth, in which health and strength shall abide for ever. The pattern after which the redeemed body shall be fashioned is that glorified and ever- Beautiful Form which is even A GLORIOUS PROSPECT. 305 now seated on the Throne, wearing many crowns of glory, and surrounded by the high and holy Intelli gences of heaven. Beautiful, therefore, it will be, like unto Christ's own body, " without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing." The sad word farewell shall never fall from the lips of the glorified, for enforced separa tions, and painful partings shall not take place there. And better still, all the misunderstandings, aliena tions, and envies which so frequently blight and em bitter the social relationships of earth shall there be unknown. No one will ever think an unkind thought or cherish an unkind feeling or utter an unkind word regarding any other, and the ever-deepening streams of holy affection which pass from heart to heart shall never be hindered in their flow. Minds meeting minds on the ground of affinity shall experience the delight of a perfected communion, and love-filled spirits unitedly and rejoicingly adore before the eternal throne What a ravishing, soul-uplifting, heart-satisfying prospect ! The late Mr. Spurgeon in his last long illness was greatly sustained and comforted by the glorious prospect of the heavenly Hereafter. His last message to his people, published in The Sword and Trowel, ended thus, — " The vista of a praiseful life will never close, but continue throughout eternity. From psalm to psalm and from hallelujah to hallelujah, we will ascend the hill of the Lord, until we come into the Holiest of all, where with veiled faces we will bow before the Divine Majesty, in the bliss of endless adoration." Let all true Christians realizingly anticipate its glory and its joy, that each of them may be enabled to exclaim with Paul, " I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." 20 CHAPTER XXIII. THE GREAT CONQUEROR. CHAPTER XXIII. THE GREAT CONQUEROR. IN all ages and countries man is subject to death. It matters not how great may be his wisdom, power, or piety, he must sooner or later become the victim of the great conqueror of his race, who has obtained as his prey all past generations. The territory of this grim tyrant and universal destroyer is the grave, and thither he carries all ranks, ages, and classes of men. Youth is there, spoiled of its beauty and strength. Manhood is there, robbed of its glory and pride. Old age is there, under the spell of a dreamless slumber, which shall never be broken till the trump of God is sounded on the great resurrection day. The prophet is there, who once walked the earth with stern and hasty tread, and delivered Divine messages of mercy and judgment unto men. The priest is there, who with sacred vest ments and solemn step entered into the Holy of Holies, and then came forth from the presence of God to bless the people. The king is there, once throned in majesty and splendour, and who exercised almost unlimited authority over millions of his fellow- creatures. The statesman is there, who by wisdom, sagacity, and foresight was enabled to guide the path 309 310 THE VISIBLE GOD. and shape the destiny of his country in the dark and cloudy day of anxiety and danger. The man of science is there, who vanquished nature in her silent and secret places, and compelled her hidden forces to become the servants of humanity. The poet is there, who by his lofty genius gave a wonderful and charming embodiment to the harmonies and beauties of creation, for the culture and happiness of mankind. And the preacher is there, who by the faithful procla mation of the gospel of grace sought to bring sinners to the Saviour, and lift them up into conscious union and fellowship with God. The great and small, the mighty and mean, are all there, for death's empire over humanity is universal, and the grave triumphs over him in its victory. But death comes to man as it comes to no other creature, bringing with it the power of a fatal sting. What is the sting of death ? It is not the bodily pain which generally accompanies dissolution. The most of people, at one time or another, have to bear more physical suffering than that which they are called upon to experience in dying, and they are able to endure it with comparative fortitude, betraying nothing of the fear and foreboding which are often manifested at the approach of death. Neither does the sting of death consist in the regret which many feel in bidding to their present earthly existence and , all its surroundings a long farewell. It is no doubt a sad and bitter experience to give up all the engage ments and pleasures of life ; to close the eyes on nature's glories ; to see no more the bright sunshine, the beautiful flowers, the green woods, and the grand old sea ; to hear no more the songs of the birds, the sighing of the winds, and the murmur of the waters ; THE GREAT CONQUEROR. 311 to be shut up in the silence and oblivion of the grave,— " And have no share in all that's done Beneath the circuit of the sun." Very sad and bitter, too, it must be to take the last fond look of dearly-loved faces, and close the ears to the sweet and soothing voices of affection and friend ship. But even these do not constitute the sting of death. It is something far deeper and more dreadful than any of these, or all of them combined. " The sting of death is sin." And why is it so ? Because death is the result and punishment of sin, and human nature is so constituted that that which is penal is its dread. The loss and pain which are self- inflicted are always hard to bear. Regret, remorse, and shame, can alone produce real suffering of soul and fear of heart. A guilty conscience arms death with its terrors, and gives to the grave its gloom. And that sting is made very sharp and powerful by the condemning power of violated law. " The strength of sin is the law." Without law there could be no sin at all, for what is sin but the violation of law ? And violated law becomes the strength of sin, because it both reveals and condemns it. It is not the mere doing of that which is wrong, but the doing of it in conscious opposition to the revealed will of God, where the essence of sin lies : and out of guilt in curred arises both the sting of death and the strength of sin. " By the law is the knowledge of sin, and where there is no law there can be no transgression." Sup pose that the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in Paradise had been of such a nature that when eaten it introduced poison into the body, 312 THE VISIBLE GOD. and gradually wrought out death. Suppose also that our first parents had not been prohibited from eating it, and in ignorance of its qualities had partaken of it : what would have been the . result ? The conse quence might still have been the same, namely death, but death in such a case would have had no sting. In those who had ignorantly poisoned themselves there would have been no shame and no remorse, because they had not intentionally violated any known law. But it was not so with the first transgressors. God said unto them, " Ye shall not eat of it," and they ate. It was the vivid recollection of the Divine command which filled them with fear. That Divine law was the strength of their sin. It is so still. The revealed will of God is the strength of all sin, and that which gives power to conscience to make cowards of us all. The law does not cause sin. On the contrary, it was intended to prevent it. Law was divinely insti tuted and revealed, not that evil might be conditioned, but that obedience might be rendered, and that by his obedience man might have formed and developed a pure and righteous character, such as the holy God could look upon with complacency and everlastingly bless. There can be no moral goodness in any created being without the possibility of its opposite, and when evil is voluntarily and intelligently pursued, then law is the strength of sin. We have abundant evidence of this in the history of our race. Look at the manner in which men in different conditions meet the last great enemy. Europeans have often wondered at the stoical calmness manifested, for instance, by the Red Indian when being tortured to death in the midst of his foes, or at the extraordinary indifference of the wandering savage when left to die in the woods or THE GREAT CONQUEROR. 313 by the wayside, of wounds or old age. These men seldom exhibit fear or alarm in view of the future. And why ? Because to them death has little or no sting, and they have never had the law of the gospel to give sin its special power. It is altogether different with the impenitent gospel-hearer when he comes to die. Oppressed with guilt, trembling with terror, and sometimes shuddering with despair, while big drops of anguish stand glistening on the throbbing brow, he struggles in the victor's grasp, and passes away into the dense darkness with terrible forebodings of doom. The sting of death is there in all its law-given power. In beautiful contrast to the deaths of both savage and sinner is the closing scene in the life of a godly man. Instead of being haunted by fear, he is full of faith and hope, peace and joy. The sting of death has been taken away, and he is able to meet the conqueror with humble confidence, greeting him as a friend rather than a foe. " Mark the perfect man, and behold the. upright, for the latter end of that man is peace." " Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his." But if we would see the most glorious example of humanity triumphing over the fear of death, we must go and stand by the stake to which the martyr is bound, and listen to his song of transport rising above the roar of the devouring flames which are scorching and con suming him. Death has no sting to him. It was taken away by the loving Saviour for whose cause he is now in the midst of the flames. Rising above all fear, and apparently above all suffering, and heedless both of the devouring fire and the scoffings of his brutal murderers, he glorifies God in his great suffer ings, and at last yields up his life with a smile. 314 THE VISIBLE GOD. While death has no sting to the Christian, yet the Christian must die. He can neither save himself from dying nor deliver himself from the power of death when he has become its captive. Is there, then, no hope ? Has dust returned to dust fdr evermore? A momentous question, to which only Divine revelation can return a clear and satisfying answer. Nature gives no hope or hint of a resurrection from the dead. The annual bursting forth of buds and flowers is a revival, not a resurrection. The spring quickens dormant life into activity and beautiful manifestation, but it never gives life to any plant or tree where death has occurred. But the Bible throws a flood of glory on the grave. From it we learn that death's triumph is not eternal, and that man's defeat is not perpetual. The day is coming when his body shall come forth from its resting-place in new life, filled with immortal strength and clothed with everlasting loveliness. Then shall the spoiler be spoiled, and the great destroyer swallowed up in destruction. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. Jesus died and rose again, and His glorified humanity is now seated on the throne of the universe. His resur rection is the great, glorious, and crowning fact in our Christian faith, and when He rose from the dead it was as the firstfruits of them that sleep. Glorious gospel, which gilds the gloom of the universal prison- house, and assures us of a final and eternal victory for man ! This victory is given by God. No power less than omnipotent can raise the dead. He only who gave life and redeemed it is able to restore it. But His purpose towards our race is one of mercy, and in gracious lovingkindness He has said concern ing His people, " I will redeem them from death, I THE GREAT CONQUEROR. 315 will ransom them from the power of the grave." But even Divine purpose would have been unavailing, so long as death's sting remained, and violated law gave strength to sin. If man was ever to be redeemed, law must be magnified by having a perfect obedience rendered unto it, and also an atonement offered by those who had transgressed. And these are just what man accomplished, in the person of Jesus Christ. Both by obedience and suffering, He met all the demands of the law on behalf of the guilty ; there fore we also may exclaim with Paul, " Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." In view of all these glorious realities, no Christian need be afraid to die. Death's power over him will only be for a little while, and shall one day be broken. God will give him the victory through the blood of the Lamb. But what of impenitent unbelievers who refuse to leave their sins and follow the Saviour? They may well be afraid to die. Death to them is still arrayed in all his terrors, for " the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law." It is not necessary to be always thinking about death. That would sadden the soul, repress even innocent enjoyment, paralyze all active enterprise, and throw a gloomy shadow over nature and social life. But it is altogether irrational not to think of it at all, for while men thus flee from death, death is following after them, and their refusal to anticipate its approach will neither hinder it from coming, nor save them from its grasp. It is not the pain of dying which frightens them, but the dread of something after death. This dread is never felt by some persons, and in others is repressed, so that when they come to die "their strength is 316 THE VISIBLE GOD. firm." " They die as the beast dieth." But it is not so with others. What indescribable agonies are endured by some as the end draws near ! " They are consumed with terrors." When conscience awakes, its accusations are terrible. Truly ! death has a sting — a sting which will pierce every impenitent sinner, if not on this side of his decease, then certainly on the other. " The sting of death is sin," and God says, " Be sure your sin will find you out." Let it find you now, and then take it to God in Christ's name, and ask forgiveness, and unto you henceforth there shall be "no condemnation." CHAPTER XXIV. THE STATE OF DEPARTED CHRISTIANS. 3'? CHAPTER XXIV. THE STATE OF DEPARTED CHRISTIANS. UNDER the influence of moral evil, the , human body is only a temporary dwelling-place for the human spirit. It takes many years to build it up into maturity of capacity and power ; but under the deteriorating and destructive influence of disease and death, it may speedily be reduced to a handful of ashes. While we continue to abide in this frail and failing tenement of clay, "we groan, being burdened." The load which corruption has laid upon us is very great and heavy to bear. Disorder, disease, decay, and death are the sad and miserable inheritance to which sin has made us heirs. There is no wonder that we groan. All the world over, the tears, sighs, and sorrowful countenances of men, women, and even little children are constantly giving expression to the bur dened condition of humanity. And yet, though we thus grieve and groan under the pressure which our mortality lays upon us, we do not naturally desire to depart from the fleshly tabernacle. Why ? Because we were never meant to die. To pass from time into eternity, through a hateful process of dissolution, is utterly unnatural. We shrink from the experience, and would gladly escape it if we could. However 320 THE VISIBLE GOD. men may triumph over the fear of death, it is a hor rible and repulsive reality. Yet die we must, however repellent the anticipation may be, for " It is appointed unto all men once to die," with the exception of those who shall be changed from the natural into the spirit ual, when the Lord comes. In the heart of this terrible penalty of death, there lies hidden a Divine love. It is a great kindness that death follows sin, as all the redeemed will one day clearly see, if they do not already apprehend it, and then they will individually and externally exclaim with the Psalmist, " I will sing of mercy and of judg ment!' He was a wise man who said, " I would not live alway," not referring to an immortal existence beyond the tomb, but to this mortal life upon the earth. And many since the days of Job have re peated his declaration, because of things within, because of things without, and because of things above. The discords and disorders of the soul, the suffer ings of the body and the manifold tribulations of life, make every one at length more or less willing to die ; and then to the Christian there is given the glorious assurance that death is the pathway to a larger and richer life. As the bud on the fruit tree bursts into a blossom to feast on the sunlight and the dew, and be made beautiful and fragrant by the influences of nature, and then set into fruit, so, in like manner, the soul in death opens to fuller heavenly ministries, and rises into a far purer and nobler experience, and is thus prepared for the final and perfect state of being in the heavenly world. When the corn and wheat are cut down in the fields in the mellow autumn days, it is not that they shall be destroyed, but safely THE STATE OF DEPARTED CHRISTIANS. 321 gathered and garnered, and prepared for the lofty uses for which they were created. When a Christian dies, and his disembodied spirit passes away into the unseen world, it does not sink into a state of unconsciousness. When Jesus said to the thief on the cross, " To-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise," He did not thereby declare that both He Himself and the newly saved sinner should pass into a condition of practical non-existence. When Peter tells us that the disembodied spirit of his Lord went and preached to disembodied spirits, he could not possibly intend to teach that the higher nature of Jesus sank into dormancy, while His lower nature lay dead in Joseph's tomb. And when Paul wrote to the Philippians that he was in a strait betwixt two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, he did not surely mean to say that spiritual slumber and inactivity would be " great gain " and " very far better " than conscious life and active Christian service. Unless men have adopted theories which compel them to put unnatural interpretations upon Scripture declarations, all New Testament state ments about the Intermediate State imply that it is one of life and consciousness. These statements are few in number, and do not seem to say much. But they are very suggestive, and imply a great deal. First, Departed Believers are " with Christ" Here, they were absent from Him ; there, they see Him face to face. They do not worship Him as an invisible Lord, but enjoy immediate communion with Him, as the first disciples did in the upper room in Jerusalem. While living in the body, we are absent from the Lord, and must therefore walk by faith and not by sight ; but by-and-by, when we " shuffle off 21 322 THE VISIBLE GOD. this mortal coil " and pass into Paradise, we shall there have a clear and full vision of that divinely- human Face, which is pure and perfect loveliness. Therefore we often say and sing, — "Jesus, these eyes have never seen That radiant form of Thine ; The veil of sense hangs dark between Thy blessed face and mine. When death these mortal eyes shall seal, And still this throbbing heart, The rending veil shall Thee reveal, All-glorious as Thou art." And when we see Jesus — probably before we see Him, and as a preparation for the great joy which His coming will give — we shall also see those who are not lost, but only gone before. When the Chris tian falls asleep in death, it is probable that he will gently waken up in Paradise, to find himself sur rounded by those whom he has known best and loved most upon the earth, and be graciously and tenderly welcomed by them into the joys of a purely spiritual existence. And after our dear departed have thus received us, it may be that our own parental and guardian angels may next give us welcome. And by- and-by the Lord will come (it may be, at first, without the glory) with all that gentle and winning tenderness with which He spake to the disciples after He rose from the dead. Like the two at Em maus, we may learn that it is He, only by the fulness of blessedness which takes possession of us, when, as the hidden glory begins to beam forth from His human form, He vanishes from our presence. But after that, we shall be able to bear " the burning THE STATE OF DEPARTED CHRISTIANS. 323 bliss" of His glorified splendour, and be "at home with the Lord!' Second, Departed Believers are " Blessed!' " Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." They are nega tively blessed by being set free from all evil The sorrows of earth have all been left behind. They have entered into rest, — a real and satisfying rest. 1. "They rest from their labours!' Work to a sinless being is pure enjoyment, but to a sinful and corrupted creature is toil, and bears a curse. To toil is a necessity, and its blessings are manifold, but it is also very wearing and wearying, crushing and exhausting, in its effects. What a blissful sense of relief will be experienced by all earnest workers when they enter into the rest which remaineth ! 2. They rest from Temptation. The bodily senses and appetites in the present life are open gates into the soul, through which temptation enters in to deceive and enslave. But when we leave the body behind, then the loving, sanctified, and sin-hating spirit shall be delivered from all the subtle attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and realize a sab bath of holy calm, which will be a sweet foretaste of the perfect blessedness of heaven. But departed saints are also positively blessed in the enjoyment of Spiritual Good. 1. They possess a clear view of spiritual realities. The flesh now is a veil to many of these, as well as to a sight of Christ. Even the most spiritually- minded of Christians can see them, only as through a glass, darkly. But when the spirit passes away from the body, then shall all spiritual things, which appear so shadowy here, be recognised as the only substances, and all earthly and material things, which now see 324 THE VISIBLE GOD. so substantial, be seen to be only shadows. "The things which are seen are temporal, the things not seen are eternal," and death opens the eyes to see things as they are. 2. They enjoy the realities which they see. Not only will they apprehend their nature and meaning and appreciate their worth, but they will also be able freely and fully to appropriate them, and make them their own for ever. How greatly they will thus be enriched and filled with a satisfying joy ! 3. They rejoice 'in hope. Paradise is not heaven, but now that they are dwellers in the former they are certain of entrance into the latter, and know that a full as well as an everlasting salvation will there be enjoyed. The Intermediate State is not one of ultimate perfection and blessedness. Between death and the resurrection the spirit is with Christ, but the body lies dead in the> sepulchre. Now, while it is true that a man's spirit is the highest part of his threefold nature, it is not the whole man. It would never have been disembodied but for sin and death. The spirits of just men are made perfect in the Intermediate State, not the men themselves. But our entire nature has been redeemed by Christ, and not until the body has been ransomed from the power of sin and death, and all the three parts of our nature are reunited shall our perfection and blessedness be complete. For this glorious consummation, departed spirits wait in the presence of the glorified Saviour, with the rejoicing of a certain hope, which at last shall be crowned with fulness of fruition and eternal glory. Let bereaved hearts take hold of the comfort and joy which the consideration of this delightful theme is fitted to impart. They may not yet be able THE STATE OF DEPAR'IED CHRISTIANS. 325 to cease from weeping as they think of the loved ones who are gone, and indeed there is no need that they should. " Jesus wept " at the grave of Lazarus His friend. But while they weep for the loss they have sustained, they need not weep for the dear departed. It is well with them. They greatly miss their loving fellowship, sympathy, and helpfulness ; but separation from them is not final. It will not even be long. And meanwhile they have faith to sustain and bright hopes to cherish. Only let them love the Saviour, and keep near to Him all along the path of their earthly pilgrimage, and theirs at last shall be the unspeakable felicity of being with Christ and the blessed dead, with sin and sorrow, suffering and death, all left behind for ever, and the uncreated light of the eternal day of God shining brightly into the deepest depths of their nature. With such a prospect before them, they need not be afraid to die, for death will be "great gain." CHAPTER XXV. THE REDEMPTION OF THE BODY. 327 CHAPTER XXV. THE REDEMPTION OF THE BODY. REDEMPTION is all-embracing. Its choicest blessings are for the higher part of our nature, but the lower part is just as real, and in degree as precious, as the higher and highest. Inestimable in its value as the redemption of the soul and spirit is, it would not, if standing alone, be a complete re demption. It would leave us with a portion of our nature unredeemed. That portion is, no doubt, the least important, but it is essential nevertheless to the perfection of our being, and therefore necessarily embraced by the salvation which God has mercifully provided for it. The Divine sentence of death cannot be averted, but death's dominion shall not be eternal. However complete it may be, and indeed must be, for a time, it shall be broken and ended. The Lord of life and the great Conqueror of death and the grave has declared it. Nothing is more clearly revealed in Scripture than the sublime event of the Resurrection. Next to the rising from the dead of the blessed Saviour, which is its pledge and surety, no event is more often referred to or invested with greater import ance. It has been portrayed with a grandeur and minuteness which enable us vividly to. apprehend it. 330 THE VISIBLE GOD. The resurrection day is the great day of the body's redemption, — the day for the coming of which the whole creation groans, and the day for which we sigh. Then shall the prey be taken from the mighty, and the lawful captive be delivered. And as the gladsome multitudes of ransomed ones burst from their prison house, leaving their chains behind them, they shall triumphantly exclaim, " O death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." But the redemption of the body embraces far more than a mere deliverance from death. It also implies an eternal deliverance from its law. Were the body still to remain under that law, the deliverance effected would only be temporary. The enemy would again gain the victory. But the redemption of the body will be no such imperfect salvation as this. Rescued from death's dominion, it will also be lifted above death's law. Its constitution will be changed. The old flesh and blood nature, which had in it the seeds of decay and the elements of dissolution, shall be changed into a spiritual body, like unto Christ's own glorified form. And over it the law of death can have no power. Consider what this implies. To be delivered from the law of death is to be set free from bodily weakness. This was where the curse of the Fall took its first effect in the body. It brought upon man a sense of toil, and oh what sorrow humanity has endured under the burden of labour ; what oppression, weariness, and lack of strength to fulfil the tasks requiring to be done ! The sweating brow, the aching limbs, and the frequent exhaustion and prostration of all the physical energies reveal our THE REDEMPTION OF THE BODY. 331 weakness. But the redemption of the body means deliverance from all these experiences. In the great Hereafter, the energies shall never flag, nor the limbs grow weary. No sweat drops shall ever bead the brow, or labouring breath and quivering muscles attest that strength is overstrained. Rejoice, O Christian, in the anticipation of unfailing strength being one day yours ! When the Lord has delivered you from the law of death, your present sense of weakness shall be felt no more, but, eternally renew ing your strength, you shall run and not be weary, walk and not faint. To be delivered from the law of death is to be emancipated from pain. How liable we are to suffer ing now ! A fall, a blow, or a wound may put us into torture. The dews of night, the heat of summer, and the frost of winter, all affect us injuriously, be cause we are largely negative to nature's influences. But yonder we shall never experience the gnawings of pain, or the aches of suffering, or meet with a bruising fall or a crushing accident. Even if the droughts of summer and the rigours of winter should continue to be in measure just what they are now, they would not painfully affect us, because then we shall be positive to all nature's influences. " There shall be no pain." To be delivered from the law of death is to be set free from Disease. Disease is possible only in an organization which is corrupted and destined to die. It is the operation of impurity which creates it. And oh how disease in endless forms has assailed and wasted the human body ! It has turned the springs of life into bitterness, quenched the joy of existence, undermined the strength, enfeebled the energies, 332 THE VISIBLE GOD. turned the very hope of the heart into sadness, and made life itself a burden of care. But the resurrected body of the believer will never know disease. Among the redeemed the eye of love will never grow troubled by gazing on the paling cheek and the waning strength of the objects of affection, nor the heart of love endure an unspeakable anguish by listening to the groans of suffering which it cannot alleviate. The redemption of the body will secure immunity from all such grief. It will know no wasting sickness or con suming pain, no aching of the head or paralysis of the limbs. No inhabitant of the better country shall ever say, " I am sick." The glow of perfect health shall bloom on every cheek and sparkle in every eye. In the home of the glorified shall for ever be heard the songs of joy and gladness, for the great Physician has healed all diseases with an everlasting healing. To be delivered from the law of death is to be set free from Decay. A few persons are able to boast that they have never had a day's illness in their life, and never knew what it was to be sick or to suffer from disease. Has the law of death, then, missed its hold on such ? Oh no ! Disease may possibly never visit them, but the law of death will inevitably seize them in the form of decay. By-and-by they will realize that their physical powers are failing and their strength ebbing away. Friends will see their hair turning grey, their faces wrinkled, their forms stoop ing, and their steps growing more and more feeble. Even to the strongest the day must come when "the keepers of the house shall tremble, the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out at the windows be darkened." What means all this ? It means that the law of death is asserting its power THE REDEMPTION OF THE BODY. 333 through the process of decay. It means that the silver cord is being loosened and the golden bowl broken, that the dust is about to return to the earth as it was, and the spirit unto God who gave it. But the resurrected body of the Christian will be subject to no decay, — old age will be unknown in the heavens. What is old age but the progress of decay, and death in process? and neither death nor decay shall ever find an entrance info the palace of the King. When we see the King in His beauty, we shall be able to say concerning His body, " Thou hast the dew of Thy youth," and our bodies are to be made like unto His. Instead of growing older and older in the heavens, we shall become younger and younger, for Love is the great renewer, beautifier, and glorifier of the person, and of love we shall be more and more full for ever and ever. To all true Christians, these blissful assurances are fitted to give great comfort and encouragement. They may not only cherish enrapturing visions of the future, but also use their hopes as charms against the trials and sorrows of the present life. In the expected and certain redemption of the body, they have an antidote to all these evils. Are they in weakness : they are going forward to the possession of perfect and eternal strength. Are they in pain and disease : they will in due time reach a state of absolute health and com fort. Are they old and their bodily powers decaying : immortal youth and undecaying vigour shall yet be theirs to enjoy. Has the grave closed over their loved ones, and awaits their own coming also : even the grief and gloom of bereavement may be dispelled, for the Resurrection morn shall dawn, when the Blessed Dead shall rise from Hades and the sepulchre, and 334 THE VISIBLE GOD. meet to part no more in realms of heavenly light and everlasting felicity. Though the redemption of the body be future, yet the influence of their spiritual sanctification is designed to affect their bodily frame even now. Let them manifest their love and gratitude to God for the redemption which awaits their body, by keeping it pure from the contaminations of sin, and consecrating all its powers to His service. As the subject of the coming change, which will be transcendently glorious, it ought to have an awful sanctity and be the object of constant care, that as the temple of the Holy Ghost it may not be defiled. " Present your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." To unsaved persons the redemption of the body as thus described will no doubt appear very desirable. They are peculiarly susceptible to considerations of this external and physical kind. Their relation to spiritual things is unsympathetic, but they are ready to receive with lively appreciation statements concern ing the glorification of the body. But mark this, the redemption of the body presupposes the redemption of the higher nature. Great and glorious as the sal vation of the body appears to be, it is but the shadow of a substance, the casket of a jewel, the setting of a gem, the temple of a divinity. And as the greater includes the less, it is the greater and not the less which ought to be the chief object of desire, and the only object of solicitation. If they secure the sub stance, the shadow will come of itself. If they obtain the pearl, the suitable casket to hold it will be pro vided, If they possess the gem, God will attend to the setting. The redemption of the body is not for THE REDEMPTION OF THE BODY. 335 any one to be concerned about, but that of the soul does most vitally concern all men. If the unsaved remain as they now are, they will lose both soul and body, and their resurrection will not be unto life and glory, but to condemnation and misery. Let not any delay to accept the offer of salvation which they have hitherto rejected, and they, too, will become conscious recipient's of the loftiest and most precious spiritual blessings, and be enabled with joyful expectation to anticipate the redemption of the body, which will one day be gloriously realized. Very strangely, some professing Christians do not believe in the resurrection of the body. They say that " a physical resurrection into a spiritual life is absurd." How so ? A spiritual life does not neces sarily mean the life of a spirit. Man was created to live a spiritual life, and yet he had a body. Jesus rose from the dead to live a spiritual life, and He too had a body. Did He not show the marks of His wounds, while He said, " Handle Me and see." Because the body is constantly changing, objectors say that every man in the course of his life has many bodies, and they triumphantly inquire which body shall rise again ? " This looks clever, but it is in reality very foolish. It is true that man's body is constantly being changed, but it is not true that he ever has more than one body. The body of Jesus — like that of other men — passed through a life-long change, but it was only one body that died and rose again. And when He said, " The hour cometh in the which all that are in the tombs shall hear the voice of the Son of man and shall come forth," He spake of bodies that had died and been buried, and not of spirits which are never laid in tombs. We believe His words. This 336 the Visible tioD. however may be said — It is not greatly to be won dered at, that daring minds should venture to regard the appearances of the Risen Christ as phantasmal and visionary, seeing that the whole Christian Church at this hour believes that the Old Testament appear ances, or theophanies of " the form of God " — the Divine Humanity — were also visional, though they were just as real and substantial as those of the spiritualized natural body of our Lord after His Resurrection. The one belief is just as reasonable, or rather as unreasonable, as the other. CHAPTER XXVI. THE SPIRITUAL BODY. 337 CHAPTER XXVI. THE SPIRITUAL BODY. FOR the redemption of humanity, the great Creator became the Redeemer of man. Made "in the likeness of sinful flesh," the Sinless One endured the death, and " took away sin by the sacrifice of Him self." Having thus "died for our sins according to the Scriptures," He " rose again for our justification." The resurrection body of the Lord was like the original body He possessed before His Incarnation. Hence He appeared and disappeared, just as He was wont to do in the days of old. And now, in the heaven of heavens, He wears the perfect human form as " the form of God," which being spiritual in its nature, and incorruptible in its condition, shall die no more. Therefore He said to John, " I am the First and the Last, and the Living One ; I was dead, but behold I am alive for evermore." The glorified Saviour is the Perfect man, and God's Ideal of humanity. The beauties of all other objects and beings are only far-off emblems and reflections of His loveliness. Flowers are beautiful when fully developed into fulness of form and colour by the sun shine, the rain and the dew. Still more beautiful are infant children, because they are living beings, and bring to us much of the innocence and joy of heaven, 339 340 TILL VISIBLE GOD. from the bosom of the Eternal Father. More beautiful still is a saintly old age, whose feet have long walked in the ways of righteousness and well-doing, because in it there is positive holiness, developed character, ripened virtues, and a rich spiritual experience, all of which are far more beautiful than the mere innocence and undeveloped possibilities of childhood. But most beautiful of all is the ascended Saviour, because He possesses in absolute perfection all the attributes of Deity, and all the virtues of humanity. They are united and everlastingly glorified in Him. His hu manity will never eclipse nor becloud His divinity nor His divine nature absorb His nature as Man. Would to God that all who profess to know Him became so enamoured of His loveliness that the yearning cry of their hearts would be, " Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us !" But many, alas! have no clear apprehension nor ardent appreciation of the loveliness of "the Altogether Lovely." In them the ancient prophecy is fulfilled, "When we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him." This was true in the days of His flesh. The Scribes and Phari sees saw no beauty in the Son of God, but only de formity. It is so still. And though many despisers of Jesus may not hate Him as they did, yet they are so spiritually deadened and morally blind that His beauty has no attractiveness to their hearts. When they see a charming flower, they can admire its beauty; but when God's fairest flower from the heavenly para dise is set before them, they see no beauty that they should desire Him. They can behold and admire the beauty of sunshine, but they neither apprehend nor appreciate the glory of God, as it shines in the face of Jesus Christ, of which the natural light is only a dim THE SPIRITUAL BODY. 341 and distant shadow. If only they were conscious of their blindness and impelled to pray " Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law," then the eyes of their hearts would be divinely opened to behold the beauty of the All-beautiful, and following hard in the footsteps of the great Exemplar, they would fervently cry, " Draw me, and we will run after Thee." The' resurrection of Christ was the pledge and pat tern of the resurrection of His people. When they awake from the sleep of death to die no more, they shall be like their glorious and glorified Lord. They wear the natural body now, but then they shall re ceive and eternally possess and enjoy the spiritual body, or, as Paul puts it, " As we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly." Consider the special qualities and characteristics of that body, as mentioned by our Apostle in the fifteenth chapter of his First Epistle to the Corinthians. 1, It is raised in Incorruption. What a delightful assurance !' It is the curse of corruption in the natural body which makes it liable to pain and all the miseries to which flesh is heir, and which carries it down at length into the gloom and silence of the sepulchre. But the spiritual body, being incorruptible, shall neither be tainted nor taintable. Pain and disease, decay and dissolution, shall never assail it. For ever and ever, as the immortal counterpart of the ransomed spirit, it shall partake of the blessedness of the eternal life, and share in all the delights of heaven. 2. It is raised in Glory. How exquisitely beautiful the human form will be when it is perfected ! It is often fair and lovely even now, though its flesh is 342 The visible god. corrupted and its blood full of impurity. Under their influence, its beauty is easily destroyed and its attractiveness lost, and when at last death seizes it and makes it its prey, how quickly is all its symme try and grace turned into loathsome decay ! But the spiritual body shall be glorious,— glorious in eternal youthfulness, in unfading beauty, and in unfailing power. And still more, it will be visibly glorified. Like Christ Himself, all the saints shall shine. While He shines as the sun, they shall also shine " like the stars for ever and ever." As one star differs from another star in glory — radiated splendour — so shall the persons of the redeemed in heaven. 3. It is raised in Power. The natural body, even in its best estate, is full of weakness and infirmity. It is soon fatigued and easily injured. When disease lays hold upon it, and old age fills it with decay, it becomes very helpless, and when laid in the grave that helplessness is complete. Verily, it is sown in weakness ! But it shall be raised in power. Like the bodies of the angels, it will " excel in strength." 4. It is raised a Spiritual Body. The spiritual body, however, is not spirit. A body all spirit would not be a body at all. It is material, but so refined and ethereal in its materiality that it will be a suitable medium for the manifestation and expression of all the faculties and affections of the perfected soul. Set free from all natural fetters, it will be no longer limited or injured by the forces which now so adversely play upon the physical frame. We see this in the move ments of Christ after His resurrection. The disciples took Him to be a spirit, but He said unto them, "A spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me have." And yet shortly after He vanished from amongst them, THE SPIRITUAL BODY. 343 as if He had been a ghost. Without the use of wings, and merely by willing to do so, we shall be able (if God appoints) to go from world to world in the great Future, with more ease and comfort than we can now walk along the street or visit the homes of our friends. The redeemed Christian shall share with his Lord complete sovereignty over nature, and all the elements and influences of the material universe. Infinite space will lie open before him, and, like the holy angels, he will be able to travel anywhere through the many mansions of the Father's House, ever beholding new scenes of grandeur and glory, and returning ever and anon from all his blissful explorations to bend in grateful and adoring worship before the eternal throne. CHAPTER XXVII. THE JUDGMENT. CHAPTER XXVII. THE TUDGMENT. NO intelligent person who is not an Atheist or an Agnostic, and who thoughtfully considers the lives of men and the history of humanity upon the earth, will hesitate to believe that there is a judgment to come. Nature suggests a hidgment. Man was made by God the ruler and lord of this terrestrial world, and though now, by reason of sin, the crown has fallen from his brow and the sceptre of dominion from his grasp, yet his power to overrule the processes and judge the products of nature's working is still great and wonderful. He prunes, trains, and nourishes the fruit-tree, and then patiently and expectantly waits for the fruit. If the tree proves itself to be unfruitful and unworthy of all the anxious labour and care which he has bestowed upon it, then he judges the tree, and the sentence goes forth against it, " Hew it down : why cumbereth it the ground ? " Or if, on the contrary, it brings forth fruit, then, the quantity and quality of the fruit being judged, the value of the tree is determined. In like manner the ground is ploughed, harrowed, and sown with seed, and then the husbandman hopes for the harvest. The reaping and winnowing time comes at last, and that is a time 348 THE VISIBLE GOD. of judgment. The wheat and tares are separated, the former to be carefully garnered and the latter to be burned. The value of the wheat is judged, and, according to the judgment given, it is set apart either as first class in quality or second class, or only as fit for the swine. The period of autumn is a great day of judgment for all the products of the earth. Now, if Nature be thus judged by her lord, shall not every man also be likewise judged by his Lord ? We are all and altogether dependent upon Him, and to Him also we are responsible and accountable for every thing we think, say, and do. Human History suggests a judgment. What is the record of our race but a record of probations and judgments, — probations of individual and national opportunity, and judgments effected by wars, revolu tions, and terrible overthrows ? Think of the expulsion from Paradise ; the Flood ; the Plagues of Egypt ; the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah ; the siege and destruction of Jerusalem, and all the upheavals and overthrows amongst the nations down to the present hour. What are all these but judgments and retributions, by which a God-forgetting race has been tried and punished ? And all of them are preludes and prophecies of the coming judgment of men. The former were all local, national, and temporary, but the latter shall be universal, individual, and abiding. No intelligent student of history can have any difficulty in believing that there is a judgment to come. The doings of Divine Providence suggest a judgment. See how sin and suffering are everywhere related ! Pain and misery always follow wrong-doing, but they do not always immediately fall upon the wrong-doer. THE JUDGMENT. 34 On the contrary, the innocent often suffer for the guilty. Indeed, all the world over, the innocent and the weak are constantly bearing the penalties which flow from the sins of others. That, surely, cannot continue for ever ! As Carlyle has most truly said, — " Judgment for an evil thing is many times delayed, some day or two, some century or two, but it is as sure as life, as sure as death. In the centre of the whirlwind, verily now as in the oldest days, dwells and speaks a God. The great soul of the world is just." Innocence and weakness shall one day be avenged for all the wrong they have endured. The sinner shall not always escape from the effects of his wickedness. " Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." He that soweth flowers shall gather beauty and fragrance, and " he that soweth nettles shall reap a crop of stings." The inequalities and iniquities of the world point us onward to a great day of reckoning, when every man " must appear at the judgment-seat of Christ, to answer for the deeds done in the body, whether they be good or bad." Conscience suggests a judgment. What is conscience ? It is the fallen God-consciousness in man. But fallen though it be, it speaks as with the voice of God in the bosom, and faithfully accuses every sinner of his sins. The laws of society can only judge the doings of men, but this witness for truth and righteousness in the soul can judge the deepest motives and purposes of the heart. And its judgment is just. It always gives its testimony according to the knowledge and convictions of the person in whom it acts. When the heart is pure in its desires and aims, and the life is shaped by the laws of truth and rectitude, it approv ingly says, "Well done," and creates a heaven of peace 350 THE VISIBLE GOD. and joy in the soul. And under the sanctifying influence of Divine grace, it gradually ceases to be conscience and again becomes God-consciousness, as in the beginning when man was still in innocence, and so melts away like a rainbow into light. But in the bosom of the ungodly and the wicked, it accuses sternly of all wrong-doing, and creates a very hell of torment in the heart. True, it can be gagged, seared, and silenced for a time, but even then its eye is not closed nor its memory put to slumber. It sees all, and forgets nothing. And one day it will arise in awful moral majesty and confront the sinner with his sins, and then its judgment of his iniquities shall be terrible. Happy is the man who listens to its judg ment now, and thereby anticipates the judgment of God. Many, alas ! have conscience enough to make them uneasy in sin, who have not conscience enough to keep them from sinning. And yet what a blessing it is even for them, as well as for the world, that conscience is not extinguished within them ! What would many men and women not be prepared to do, but for the restraining power of this recording angel in the breast ? But it makes them cowards, by testifying of a righteous God and a day of judgment. Reason anticipates a judgment. If men are moral and responsible beings, then they must be account able, and to Whom are they finally accountable but to God ? The manifest disparities so frequently seen in the world, between moral character and social circumstances, plainly point to a coming judgment. The ungodly are often rich, exalted, and honoured, while the godly are often poor, oppressed, and afflicted. As some one has truly said, " There must be a judg ment in order that God may be just. The characters THE JUDGMENT. „, of men are not fully developed here. The process is not completed." It needs a Divine judgment to re veal them, and also a Divine rectification of the moral world to bring character and circumstances into visible and eternal harmony. All this is palpable to the mind of any thoughtful person, and therefore reason anticipates a judgment. Finally, Revelation plainly declares that there is a judgment to come. " God hath appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness, by that Man whom He hath ordained." The day of judgment is as certain as that God lives and that Jesus died for sinners. Oh that the certainty of it were universally believed and constantly remembered, that men might live and act from day to day under the shadow of eternity and the powers of the world to come ! It will be a day of full and open manifes tation, for "there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, or hid that shall not be made known." Every man shall then be seen to be, just what he really is. No false appearances or subtle disguises shall be of any avail in that great day of unveiling. The wicked shall appear in their wickedness, and the righteous stand forth in their righteousness the sanctified children of God. Some men's sins follow after them to judgment. Their real character is never known on earth, either to themselves or others. They so eagerly pursue, all the days of their life, pleasure, business, and mere earthly knowledge, that at last they depart into eternity in almost heathen ignorance of God, of themselves, and of the saving truth of the gospel. But their sins shall follow after and come up to them at last It is probable that Dives was very greatly 352 THE VISIBLE GOD. astonished when in Hades he lifted up his eyes and found himself in torment. But most men know that they are sinners. Their own hearts condemn them. They are fully aware that their moral nature Is unclean, and their thoughts and actions unholy. And they are also assured ' of this, that if there is a judgment to come, it cannot be anything else to them than one of condemnation. The expectation of it, therefore, is not a joy to their hearts, but a dreadful foreboding. " Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin." " Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near : let the wicked forsake his wickedness and the unrighteous man his thoughts : and let him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy upon him ; and unto our God, for He will abundantly pardon." Then shall the joy of forgiveness be the sweet possession of his soul, and when henceforth he anticipates the judgment, it will not be with fear and trembling, but with hope and gladness, knowing that to him there is no condemnation because he is in Christ. And may all those who are already in Christ Jesus " abide in Him, that when He shall appear they may not be ashamed before Him at His coming." CHAPTER XXVIII. HELL. 353 23 CHAPTER XXVIII. HELL. THE Lord Jesus has told us that hell is prepared, not for human beings, but " for the devil and his angels." This is a great truth which ought never to be forgotten, when the awful theme of future punish ment is considered. " The wages of sin is Death " — not hell. Had no Saviour been provided for hu manity, man would have died the first death, but not the second, which is reserved for those, and those only, " who obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus." Hence there is no mention of the heathen in God's Word in connection with hell. Paul says in his Epistle to the Romans that " as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law," but the word perish does not refer to hell, but to death. " Only those who have sinned under the law (of the gospel) shall be judged by the law." In Hades the righteous and the wicked are separated, but are not far apart. Dives saw Abraham and Lazarus in his bosom, and was able to ask the former, that the latter might be sent to minister comfort unto him in his condition of torment. Complete separation be tween the good and the bad, the saved and the unsaved, shall not take place till the last great day. But then, all who have consciously and intelligently 355 356 THE VISIBLE GOD. rejected Christ as a Saviour shall have their place on the left hand of the Judge, and receive from His lips the awful command, "Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." If not prepared for sinful men, why should they be sent to it ? Just because they have willingly imbibed the devil's doctrine, received the devil's spirit, and done the devil's will, therefore they are righteously sent at last to share the devil's destiny. No one can justly disapprove of the Judge's sentence,- nor fail to recognise the absolute righteousness of His ways. Consider what Jesus said to the Scribes and Pharisees of His day. After openly denouncing their selfishness, worldliness, and hypocrisy, He said unto them, "Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell ? " And this fearful question was addressed to them, because He was able in strictest truthfulness to declare, " Ye are of your father the devil, and the works of your father ye will do." While professing to be the sons of God they were the children of the wicked one, because they imbibed his spirit and voluntarily be came agents for the carrying out of his infernal purposes. In other words, they were devilish, and were preparing themselves for that hell which is prepared only for devils. Jesus was the Messiah promised unto the fathers. His miraculous birth, sinless life, Godlike character, wonderful, works, and still more wonderful words, all declared Him to be the Christ of God and " the Son of the Blessed." And He came, " not to condemn the world, but to save it." Now, the Scribes and Pharisees, more per haps than any others outside the circle of the twelve disciples, were acquainted with the life, doings, and HELL. 357 teachings of Jesus. They knew what His claims were, and also how all those claims had been sub stantiated. But because His spotless purity and open truthfulness reproved their hollow religiosity and false professions, they feared and hated Him, with all the fiendish bitterness of guilty and selfish hearts. Al though He was the Son of the Father, and the only perfectly sane Man who ever trod the earth, yet they said concerning Him, " He hath a devil, and is mad : why hear ye Him ? " He was both able and willing to save all men, and them also with the rest, although they were the worst of sinners ; but they clung to their hypocritical falsities and would have none of Him, either as a Saviour or Friend. And still worse, not only did they despise and reject Him as their own Messiah, and scornfully trample upon His wisdom and love, but they also united to thwart His redemptive work, and prevent the establishment of the kingdom of God upon the earth. " Woe unto you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! because ye shut the kingdom of heaven against men : for ye enter not in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering in to enter." When thus they had in telligently chosen the way of wickedness, and were madly rushing into ruin, Jesus confronted them, and with the calm and unflinching courage of a Divine indignation inquired, " How can ye escape the damnation of hell ? " The terrible words were uttered by the lips of Incarnate Love, and are the expression of a pure and most righteous anger, — not the anger of passion, which is weak, imperfect, and sinful, but — the anger of a spotless holiness, which burns against all sin. His scathing words were the outburst of a terrific moral thunderstorm, in which 358 THE VISIBLE GOD. flash followed flash, and peal pursued peal, in rapid and appalling succession. Yet the tempest raged' not to execute justice and effect destruction, but to warn of judgment to come, and by timely exposure and condemnation to save, if possible, even these guiltiest of sinners from its fierce and overwhelming fury, for who in the last great day shall withstand " the wrath of the Lamb " ? The reality of a coming hell, and the certain punish ment of Christ- rejecting sinners, are clearly revealed in Scripture. Every one capable of understanding the meaning of language must agree to that. Are its declarations then, unworthy of credit. The most of them fell from the lips of Christ. Is it possible that He could be either mistaken or deceived ? If any one prefers to listen to the opinions of men, rather than to the utterances of Jesus he must bear the responsibility of his own choice, though it does appear to be utter moral madness. We believe His testimony, and are sure that He who was " the Truth" spake unto men only that which is true. Hell, then, is not a mere doctrine or dogma, but one of the surest and most awful of certainties. And its punishment will be so real and terrible, that the consuming power of fire, and the gnawings of worms are employed by Christ as its fitting emblems (Mark ix. 44). What then is the nature of the punishment which the wicked are to endure ? Is it to be inward and mental only, or external and physical also ? Jesus said to His disciples, " Be not afraid of them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul ; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" And what shall be the duration of future punish- HELL. 3S9 ment ? Shall it be unending torment, as many sup pose? Or shall it issue in annihilation, as others imagine ? Or shall it end in universal restoration, as is believed or hoped by an ever-increasing number ? We cannot tell. It is an easy thing to be wise above what is written, but all such wisdom is folly. The certainty and severity of future punishment are plainly revealed, but when we come to consider its duration we are compelled to pause, because the statements regarding it often appear to be contradictory, and the metaphorical language in which they are couched makes their interpretation extremely difficult. For instance, Scripture declares that the punishment of hell shall be " eternal" but it also avers that it is to be "destruction!' Jesus said, "Where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched" but He also said, " Fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." Those who believe in eternal tor ment take their stand on the former passages and others like them ; and the Annihilationists on the latter and kindred texts. And the Restorationist, remembering the fact that while body and soul may both be destroyed in hell, which is " the second death," nothing is said about the destruction of the spirit, which is the highest part of man's nature, and of which God is the Father. This opens before him a great vista of hope ; and then, when he considers such passages as the following, his hope is confirmed : " For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive ; " " And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me ; " " We have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, especially of them that believe;" "When all things shall be subdued unto Him, then shall the Son 360 THE VISIBLE GOD. also Himself be subjected to Him that did subject all things unto Him, that God may be all in all." But the very fact that these three different opinions are held by intelligent and godly men proves that the duration of punishment has not been clearly revealed, and that students of the Word have not yet found the standpoint from which the Scriptures we have just quoted can be seen to blend in harmony. Of this we may be perfectly sure, that their apparent disagree ments only arise out of our limited and partial know ledge. Let Christian men consider and discuss these different theories if they please, but let them beware of rushing to conclusions, and still more of dogma tically asserting that their conclusion is the only one that is true. Weakness is always impulsive and over bearing, but wisdom listens, ponders, and is patient1 But why is Scripture so vague and indefinite con cerning the nature and duration of future punishment? Why has not God set them before us with all the clearness of sunlight ? He could have done so had He chosen, for the Bible is a Divine revelation. Manifestly, He has not been pleased to do so, and there must be reasons why. We may depend upon this, that the reticence of Scripture is a glorious mani festation of the Divine wisdom, and an evidence that the Book is inspired. Are the reasons of God's com- 1 At the Oxford Summer School of Theology (1892), the Rev. Dr. Marcus Dqds said, "When one steadily looks at the theories of annihilation or conditional immortality or restora tion, one sees much to agree with them in our life. But can we hold them, without throwing aside the words of Christ? I think our attitude is one of suspense. I would not exclude all hope, but at the same time I detest that garbling of the words of Christ, which is so prevalent." parative silence about the future of the wicked appre hensible by us ? There is one which, apart from all others, fully justifies the mystical and metaphorical language He has used, in dealing with the destiny of the ungodly. Suppose that He had uncovered hell, and fully made known to mankind the nature and duration of its punishment, what would have been the natural effect? Such a revelation would have brought, what we may venture to call, a vulgar, over whelming, material pressure to bear on the moral freedom of men. If hell had been as clearly revealed as sin, they would have fled from the former with horror without hating the latter, and the selfishness from which God desires to deliver them would thereby have been intensified a thousandfold. Sin would have been put into the background, and hell dominated the thoughts and apprehensions of sinful, selfish, and pleasure-loving souls. The material would thus have risen above the moral, and become the more powerful influence, which would have been neither honouring to God, nor good for the moral culture and spiritual well-being of men. Consider the relation which Sin and Hell bear to each other. The one is an effect of which the other is the cause ; and the cause is the greatest evil. Sin is the only essential evil in the universe. Now, God in His holy Word has put them into their proper relationship. He has placed sin in the foreground, and set it in the light of His coun tenance. It is utterly hateful to Him, and His desire is that we too should hate it, because it is dishonour ing to His great name, and degrading and destructive to our own great nature. But hell is not so dealt with. God has set it away in the distance and veiled it with shadows, that, while the certainty of its existence may 362 THE VISIBLE GOD. be manifest, it should not operate on the minds and hearts of men more strongly than His express com mands to repent of sin and His gracious invitations to accept and follow the Saviour. He always mani fests a sacred regard for moral liberty, and never brings omnipotence into the spiritual sphere to over ride the free exercise of the will. It is better to constrain by patient love than force by fear, though fear also in certain circumstances may properly and effectively be appealed to and excited. God wants all His saved ones to be sons, not slaves, and there fore He prefers to woo them unto Himself by kindness and moral attractiveness, rather than drag them by the compelling power of terror, quickened within them by threatenings of vengeance. He will eternally be able to say to every redeemed and sanctified soul, " I have loved thee with an everlasting love ; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee." Of this then we may be fully assured, that the nature and duration of future punishment have been quite as plainly and fully revealed as God intended them to be. And when He has chosen to say little, it is not for men to say much. His reticence is infinitely wise ; and when its wisdom is recognised, then the unseemly dogmatism in which many have indulged regarding the destiny of the unsaved becomes ex ceedingly distasteful. The minute, harrowing, and rhetorical descriptions of hell and its torments, which some have ventured to give, are evidences of ignor ance, and presumption, rather than of that reverent humility which it is the part of true Christian wisdom to cultivate and manifest. There are two things which all Christ-rejecting sinners ought to understand,— first, that hell is pre- HELL. 363 pared for devils, and not for them ; and second, that hell is as sure to them as to devils. Why ? because they freely elect to reject God's great gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus, which is a devilish thing to do. If they continue in a state of moral alienation from God, and wilfully turn away from Christ, salvation, and eternal glory, they voluntarily choose to remain subjects of the devil in the kingdom of darkness, and must therefore share the devil's doom. Let all careless and unbelieving hearers of the gospel think of this ! It would have been better for them had they been born in a heathen land and trained to worship idols, than to live in a Christian country and, with all their knowledge of the gospel, to reject as their Saviour God's own Son. " How shall ye escape, if ye neglect so great salvation ! " Christians ! there is no hell for you, because your guilt is forgiven and all your sins taken away. " As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us." " There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." We are not only sure of heaven, but heaven is already descending into our hearts, for even now we are the conscious possessors of love, joy, and peace. Let us see to it that the heaven within us does not degenerate into a paradise of mere luxurious personal enjoyment, but that it becomes as a fountain of living water to flow forth into the world for the regeneration and purification of humanity. Sin and Hell are cause and effect. They cannot be separated. They go together, even in this world. Wherever sin exists and operates, there you are sure to find in larger or smaller measure, sadness and 364 THE VISIBLE GOD. suffering, madness and misery, ruin and wretchedness; and what are these but the beginning of hell ? But in the present life there are numerous alleviations and ameliorations which keep myriads of human beings from feeling the fierceness of the flames which are even now consuming them. They are daily being ministered unto and comforted, by nature and providence and their fellow creatures around them, and a multitude of distractions take them out of and away from themselves and prevent them from realiz ing their real condition. But it will not be so here after. In the awful " outer darkness " to which all sin darkened souls are hastening, sin shall have a free and unfettered manifestation, and when no allevia tions or distractions are experienced, then its fearful effects shall be fully realized. That assuredly will be Hell, and a state of awful misery. Did not Jesus Himself say, " There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." If Dives, even in Hades, was "in torment," what must be the anguish of those who are sent into Gehenna ? Let the ungodly think of this possible destiny and " flee from the wrath to come." How is that to be done ? Only by fleeing from sin and self to the Saviour. " Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." CHAPTER XXIX. HE A VEN. 365 CHAPTER XXIX. HE A VEN. THE sun is the centre of our solar system, and myriads of other systems, all revolving round their own suns, exist in the bosom of space. Some have supposed that the whole of those suns and systems move around a great central orb — a world of unequalled magnitude and unimagined glory — and that that great heart of the material universe is Heaven. It is a delightful idea, but like a vast deal more spoken and written about heaven as a place, it is only a beautiful fancy after all. God has been pleased to tell us more about heaven than hell, and yet after all He has revealed, how little we know ! Heaven is not altogether hidden from our view in dense and impenetrable mist. If it were so, it could never become to the believer upon earth an object of contemplative delight. We can see it in the distance, but, like all distant objects, it is indistinct Reason and imagination, guided by revelation, can arrive at a dim understanding of it ; but as regards its pro portions and perfections, it must still be true that "eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man to conceive, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." Why is Scripture so reticent about heaven ? Why 367 368 THE VISIBLE GOD. has it given us only glimpses, and these so obscure and mystical that all our ideas of our future and eternal home are vague and indefinite even at the best ? For two reasons, at least. First, the glories of heaven could not be revealed to us in our present state and condition. To weigh the mountains in scales is nearer the possible than fully to describe the splendours of the heavens in the language of men. Paul tells us that when he was caught up into the third heaven, he heard and saw things which were "unutterable." Heavenly things can be made known only to heavenly beings, and only in the language of heaven. Suppose we had been born and brought up in some gloomy subter ranean cave, where the brightest light we had ever seen was a lamp or a candle : what description that could possibly be given would have enabled us to understand or even faintly to imagine the beauties of this world in the fulness of its summer glory, when sparkling in the light of the morning sun or reflecting the milder beams of the moon at midnight ? Where is the poet or painter who has ever been able to put into words or on canvas any adequate idea of the glories of sunrise, or sunset, or the sweet loveliness of spring, or the rich splendours of autumn, or the hoary grandeur of a snowy winter day ? And if human language of any kind be wholly inadequate to express or represent the fading phenomena of our sin-cursed earth, how is it possible that it can bring to us full and accurate knowledge of the heavenly world ? All the statements of Scripture concerning its glories are only hints and suggestions suited to our mortal weak ness and imperfect state. But another and still stronger reason for the re- HE A VEN. 369 ticence of Scripture about heaven is this, That a clearer and fuller revelation would neither have magni fied the glory of God nor ministered to the moral well- being of humanity. Even through the medium of language much more probably might have been made known to us, but God, in infinite wisdom and mercy, has withheld the clearer revelation. He could have said more but has not, and He has not because He would not, and He would not because He loves. What is the great purpose of God in relation to men ? Is it not their regeneration and spiritual develop ment ? They are morally alienated, and He desires them to be reconciled. They are spiritually dead, and He wishes to give them spiritual life. And although the redemption of our whole being is em braced in the purpose of His love, yet it is our higher being which He first and specially seeks to save and sanctify. The saving of the spirit carries with it and ensures the salvation of soul and body also. By what means then is the salvation of the spirit to be effected? By material means ? Impossible ! The sight of Nature's beauties can never regenerate a single human being. Would remaining in the first Para dise have brought back the first transgressors in pro cess of time into union and oneness with God ? If not, then a full vision of all the glories of heaven must be equally impotent to regenerate and redeem a single sinner. Only by means which are moral and spiritual can men be saved and sanctified. There fore, Jesus Christ, the Saviour, is set in the very fore ground of Scripture, and in the clearest light of revelation, while Heaven is placed away on the far horizon and shrouded in the mystery of metaphor. We recognise the Divine wisdom and mercy in 24 370 THE VISIBLE GOD. putting it there. Suppose that heaven and Christ had been revealed with equal fulness and clearness, what must have been the inevitable result ? Heaven would have overshadowed Christ, and the natural risen above the spiritual. The most of men would have coveted the forme*r, without caring for the latter. The beauty of heaven, and not the moral loveliness of Christ would have specially attracted their minds and hearts. Happiness and not holiness, their own pleasure and not the glory of God, would have become their supreme aims and the most powerful motives of life. And thus the very unveiling of heaven would have tended to the sinner's degradation and prepared him for hell. Great is the wisdom, prudence and lovingkindness of our God, in putting Christ so clearly and fully before us in Scripture, and at the same time hiding heaven so largely from our view. This comparative silence of God is golden. It con ceals while it reveals, and clothes with clouds and shadows the glories it makes known. Again, then, we inquire, What do we know about heaven ? Not much ; and yet it is possible to know a great deal, if only, the scattered hints of Scripture are put together and carefully considered. Let us gather up a few. Heaven is represented as a country,—" the better country," of which Canaan, even in its palmiest days of luxuriant fertility and loveliness, was only a dim and distant shadow. Even in the land "flawing with milk and honey," patriarchs, prophets, and holy men " confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims," and that they desired "a better country, even a heavenly." And in that better country God had prepared for HE A VEN. 371 them "a city." It is in cities, and not in the rural places of the land, where life is most intense where character is most fully developed, where civilization and culture display their richest treasures, where these are most fully enjoyed, and where all manner of human activity and ministry attain to their highest and grandest manifestations. We are not surprised therefore, that heaven should be put before us not only as the heavenly Canaan, but also as the 'new Jerusalem, the city of the great King. And what a city it is ! with foundations of precious stones, walls of jasper, gates of pearl, and streets of gold ! The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple ; and from its rainbow- encircled throne flows the crystal river of eternal life and blessedness for evermore. There shall never enter into it anything that shall either sadden the soul or defile the heart, for suffering and sorrow, disease and death, grief and graves, shall there be unknown, and that terrible moral evil of sin, from which all these natural evils emanate, shall have no place of abode. The Light of the heavenly city shall be radiated personal glory. Sun, moon, and stars may continue to shine in the future as they do at present, but their light shall not then be needed, any more than a candle now at noonday. " The city hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God shall lighten it, and the Lamp thereof is the Lamb." All the Divine glory shall be concentrated in Him, and visibly radiate from His glorified human form, just as the light of the solar system is focussed in the sun and radiated in sunshine. " Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine 372 THE VISIBLE GOD. everlasting light, and thy God thy glory." Though sun and moon may rise and set for ever, " there shall be no night there." The glorified Saviour is "the Light of the world," — the Light of all worlds, — not only spiritually and intellectually, but also physically. When He was transfigured on the earth, "His face did shine as the sun," and when John in a vision saw Him in heaven, " His countenance was as the sun shining in his strength." The visible glory of Christ is the sunlight of eternity. All the redeemed in heaven shall also be glorified like the Lord. And because their personal glory shall be the exact and full revelation of their moral character, they shall know (one another) even as they are known. The more Christlike the character, the greater the glory, and, as a natural consequence, the higher the honour. There fore says Paul, " Seek for glory and honour." The glory of every heavenly being shall be his Clothing, just as the glory of the natural sun is the robe of his adorning. It is said of God that " He covereth Himself with light as with a garment ; " and so intense and strong is that light that no created being can behold it ; it is inaccessible. The ascended Saviour is also clothed wif.h light, but the light of His glory is visible, and attempered to the creaturely vision of angels and men. Even on earth, when transfigured, He was clothed with glory. Matthew tells us that " His raiment was white as the light," and Mark says, " His garments became glistering, exceeding white, as no fuller on earth can whiten them." The clothing of the Angels is also frequently referred to in Scripture, and their clothing, like that of Christ, is radiated glory. " An angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and rolled away the stone, HEAVEN. m and sat upon it. His appearance was as lightning, and his raiment white as snow." And when the women went to the sepulchre in the early dawn, " behold two men (angels) stood by them in dazzling apparel." The Scripture throughout is clear in its teaching regarding the clothing of all the dwellers in the heavens. But the Divine idea of dress is not generally apprehended, and therefore we shall briefly consider it. Every object and creature that God has made is clothed by God. Look at natural objects. Is not the earth in the sunny seasons of the year adorned with a living garment of glory, far fairer than any embroidered robe which king or emperor ever wore ? And are not all her products arrayed with glory? The flowers are clothed with loveliness, the plants and trees with foliage, and the mountains and valleys with ever- changing garments of verdure. Look also at all living creatures. There is not one of them in an unclothed condition. Fishes, insects, birds, and beasts are all dressed. Naked at first, yet all of them are soon clothed, and the clothing of each is not only adapted to its condition, but is also exquisitely beautiful, for God turns every natural necessity into an adornment. But all creatures and things are clothed from within, not from without. Look round the whole creation, and you will see illustrations of this great truth. When man and woman were created, they were not clothed from without. Innocence needs no clothing and feels no shame. But they, too, like all other creatures, were meant to be clothed. Innocence and nakedness were only for the childhood of human life. Had they continued to accept and do the 374 THE VISIBLE GOD. Divine will, innocence would have risen into holiness, and a Godlike character formed and developed within them. And character would have manifested itself, not only in speech and action, but in radiated glory which would have covered the whole person, and become more and more glorious for ever, as the fire of a holy love in the heart continued to burn with an ever -increasing fervour. Before the Fall, the beginning of glory probably had already outshone from their pure spirits, clothing them with a mild radiance as a star with light, but in that fatal hour it vanished and " they knew that they were naked." Their nakedness now was that of guilt, and there fore they were ashamed. Then " they tied fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons." Such a dress was both inadequate and unsuitable — inadequate because of its insufficiency, and unsuitable because it had no fitting relationship to their moral condition. To be thus dressed from without is the result of sin, and all the clothes worn by human beings are the coverings of a guilty nakedness, and, therefore, certainly nothing to be proud of. When the Lord God came to the sinful pair in Paradise, what did he do ? He took away their fig leaves, and dressed them with "coats of skins." Why? Because they had fallen into the animal plane of existence, in which they would have more affinity with beasts than angels, and therefore it was most fitting that they should be clothed with the skins of animals. This dress was suitable and symbolic. Blood had to be shed to obtain it, and in all likelihood the beasts slain were given to Adam and Eve to be offered by them in sacrifice. The spiritual significance of all this is apparent, The Saviour— already promised— HEAVEN. 375 would one day give Himself as an atoning sacrifice, and thus make possible to all believers the regaining of spiritual life, moral purity, and the clothing of eternal glory. All human dress now is artificial and arbitrary, being determined by taste and governed by fashionj —a fashion which is largely influenced by folly and mere caprice. Solomon appropriated for his glory the clothing of trees, worms, and beasts, and put on his unnatural and artificial robes from without, but the lilies are divinely, naturally, and suitably dressed from within ; therefore said Jesus, " Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." But the children of God will not always be inferior to the flowers in dress, for garments of glory are even now being woven in the loom of moral character, and one day they shall shine through the spiritual body with unveiled lustre. "He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment." That white raiment shall be moral, not material ; spiritual, not natural ; radiated from within, and not put on from without ; " for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints." Tinted and coloured by the ever-changing thoughts of the mind and the ever-changing affections of the heart, the living robes of glory shall shine with all the resplendent beauties of the heavenly life. As it is character only which is to be glorified in heaven, Christians should earnestly cultivate the spiritual life of love, that their character may be lofty and their clothing beautiful. Says the glorified Saviour, "I counsel thee to buy of Me . . . white garments, that thou mayest clothe thyself." We shall eat and drink in heaven. There are many who do not think so, but all that the Scriptures 376 THE VISIBLE GOD. declare concerning the matter leads us to this con clusion. Because man is .a created being and the possessor of a derived life, he must ever continue to be an absolutely dependent being. Every part of his wonderful nature has a life of its own, and if that life is to be continued and developed it must be sustained and nourished with food convenient for it. Physical life, mental life, moral life, are the natural inheritance and conscious possession of every human being, and to these is added in the true Christian the spiritual life which Christ came to give. Each kind of life requires its own suitable sustenance, for that which satisfies the one cannot support the other. Bread for the body, knowledge for the mind, love for the heart, and God in Christ for the spirit, are every man's necessities, not only in the present world, but for ever and ever. No one questions the idea that soul and spirit will appropriate their suitable foods eternally, but many think that the body will be an excep tion. But why should it be so ? It is not an exception here : why should it be so yonder ? Our first parents ate the fruits of Eden, and had they never sinned they would never have died, and there fore would never have ceased to eat. Christ said to His disciples, "Ye shall eat and drink at My table in My kingdom," and when He instituted the Ordinance of the Supper, He said, " Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of t/ie fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new with you in the kingdom of God." Had He used the generic term " wine," men could have made it mean almost any thing, but He said " the fruit of the vine," and that language can neither be spiritualized nor regarded as metaphorical. Jesus meant what He said. After HEAVEN. 3„ His Resurrection He ate in the presence of His disciples, and although the purpose of His eating on that occasion was to prove to them that He was not a spirit, yet surely He would not have partaken of food at all had that been " incompatible with the condition of the risen body." Our bodies are to be made like unto His, — spiritual, but not spirit, and neither self-subsistent nor independent. The redeemed " shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more," not because they shall have no desire to eat and drink, but because "the Lamb shall feed them and lead them to living fountains of water " eternally. They shall eat the fruits of Paradise, and drink the blood of grapes and the delicious juices of all manner of fruits, — fruits grown in the heavenly radiance of the Divine glory, and therefore literally as full of God as the fruits of earth now are full of sunshine. It helps us to realize the perfect sociality and homeliness of heaven, to think of eating and drinking with Christ and with one another there. The breaking of bread is the token and manifestation of fellowship here : why should it not also be the symbol and expression of our perfected communion yonder? But just as fellowship of soul with soul is realized now by all truly thoughtful and noble persons to be a far higher and grander thing than the enjoyment of the food by which it is symbolized and manifested, so shall it be hereafter. The body will always be kept in its proper place. Above it is the soul, which shall everlastingly appropriate the truth and love of the universe ; and highest of all is the spirit, which for ever and ever shall seek and find its fulness in God. As sunshine and dew are given to flowers, so shall the light and love of the Godhead stream into glorified spirits com- 378 THE VISIBLE GOD. municating to every recipient the Divine joy, and developing life and capacity for evermore. What will Social Life be in the Fathers home and our own ? Many think that Friendship will be the highest. It is not the highest here by any means, and surely that which is secondary here cannot become the primary there ! Think of a world where men and women will be no more to each other than if they were all of one sex ; a world where marriage, and family life, and homes, and the highest forms of social existence are all unknown. Think, too, of a world without children ; for though many children die they will not remain children for ever; they must all grow up " into the fulness of the stature of the perfect man." If children were always to remain children they would be monstrosities, and there will be no unnatural creatures in the home of the Eternal Father. Are all the heavens, then, to be without children ? The late Rev. Thomas Binney says, " Only think if there was never anything anywhere to be seen but great, grown-up men and women, how we should long for the sight of a little child." Yes, that is truly natural and human, and will con tinue to be true for ever. But if friendship is to be the highest social life in the heavens, then there can be no children. Is there any wonder that such a heaven, like a far-off cloud full of moonshine, should fail to be greatly attractive to beings to whom these social relationships upon earth are fountains of the very purest joys ? Thank God, the cold, sterile heaven of theology is not the heaven of the Bible ! Go back to Eden. The primal pair were married by God, and it was not after the Fall, but before it, and while yet they were in their condition of inno- HE A VEN. 379 re- cence, that He said unto them, "Multiply and plenish the earth." Adam and Eve were not two separate beings, but only two parts of one being ; and had they never sinned, they would never have'died and never been divorced. It is, therefore, certain that marriage was meant to be eternal. But since the entrance of sin into the world, marriage is no longer what God intended it to be. The two parts of the one human being do not now always come together, and manifold misery is the result. Endless mistakes are made, and hearts and homes as a natural consequence are unhappy. But Christ redeemed marriage. He began His public ministry at a wedding in Cana of Galilee; and what is the real significance of the miracle which He there performed ? He taught by that great deed that marriage, as we know it, is water, but that His purpose of love is to turn it into wine. He partially does so even now in marriages which are grounded in a pure, Christian, and abiding affection ; but He will do so perfectly in the great Hereafter. The loves of the redeemed in glory will be as pure as the loves of flowers, and when God's method of marriage is re-instated, the two parts of every human being will be brought together by God on the ground of affinity, and not of choice, and therefore mistakes will be impossible. Marriage is the fontal source of all social relationships, and when it is purified and perfected, then social life in every aspect will be perfected also, and made beautiful and blessed exceedingly. The words spoken by Jesus to the Sadducees concerning marriage are generally and greatly misunderstood. He said three things. First, " Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God!' May not these words be still addressed to 380 THE VISIBLE GOD. multitudes of Christians in reference to marriage ? Second, " In the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage!' It is generally supposed that Christ by these words declared the temporal nature of marriage. But we believe that He did not here speak of marriage per se ; it was far too precious a pearl to cast at the feet of the animal men who then stood before Him. He spake only of marriage as they regarded it, and what He really said was equivalent to this, that the superficial and oftentimes most unsuitable and unhappy social con tract will come to an everlasting end with death. We rejoice that it will. But when ill-matched unions pass away, perfect and counterpartal unions will be restored and established for ever. In commenting upon Christ's words about marriage, Stier says, — " What was animal in marriage passes away, what was spiritual and angelic only remains." That is true, but the writer did not apprehend the meaning of his own declaration. He meant that marriage is " animal" and must therefore cease. But when marriage was instituted it was not animal, and after men and women cease to be animal, marriage will remain, and become what God intended it to be, the sweet and satisfying sacrament of a holy love. Verily! it will be "spiritual and angelic," and there fore eternal. What was lost in the first Paradise will be regained and eternally perpetuated in the second, for, as Paul tells us. " Neither is the man without the woman, nor the woman without the man, in the Lord!' That will be their eternal condition. It will be true for ever that "it is not good for man to be alone," nor woman either. Third, " They shall be as the angels!' The previous sayings of Jesus being misapprehended, HEAVEN. 381 this last declaration is also misunderstood. The angelic races are not composed of separate created individualities, but are family races like the human. The sex principle is absolutely universal, in all things, creatures, and beings, on earth and in the heavens. Did not the Apostle in his prayer for the Ephesians say, " For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father, from whom every family (Greek, fatherhood) in heaven and on earth is named," etc. ? What families are in heaven now, but those of the angels ? And did not Jesus say, " Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones, for their angels do always behold the face of My Father"? That does not mean merely that angels have vision of God, but that, like all human parents, they are reflections of God as the Father, and have been taken into partnership with Himself in parenthood. He is the great universal Father-Mother, and all moral intelligences are fathers and mothers in Him, so that the whole universe of rational. beings are united in social bonds. Heaven will be home, — the Father's home, and the home of all His children, both angelic and human, for evermore. And love is the all of heaven. " God is Love," and love only, and His children, when perfected, shall be like Himself, nothing but love. All their thoughts shall be the thoughts of love, all their desires the longings of love, all their utterances the speech of love, and all their doings the manifestations of love. This is a felicity so great and glorious that we cannot now com prehend it. But it is certain, and will soon be ours to enjoy. The whole universe shall then be inhabited by lovers, — lovers of God, and lovers one of another ; and nothing more will be needed to make it Heaven. The wintry moral cold which chills the heart, will 382 The visible god. give place to a warmth which shall illumine every face, glow in every utterance, and make musical every tone. Pride and vanity will give place to moral simplicity and gracious kindliness, for all God's children shall be childlike, and as radiant with genial loving-kindness as a beautiful summer day is glorious with sunshine. And with a perfected social life will come all manner of Social Enjoyments. Everything truly natural and human, the instinct for which was divinely implanted, will receive a full, everlasting, and most delightful fulfilment. Music, for instance, will be perfected, and when the angels and redeemed beings unite in sing ing of the works and ways of God, the hearts of all shall overflow with a joy such as has never been experienced here at any oratorio or in any religious assembly. And when the Lord Himself — who sang with His disciples in the upper room, and whose voice now is as " the voice of many waters," containing all the harmonies — "rejoices" overall His redeemed ones " with singing," their souls shall be thrilled with an unutterable ecstasy. In their most solemn assemblies the angels will sing the old song of creation which to them is always new : " Thou art worthy to receive glory and honour and power ; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created." And the blood-washed hosts of the saved shall unitedly sing the new song, which will never grow old : " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and wisdom, and riches, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing ; for Thou hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation." The redemption of our nature is not meant to take away HEA VEN. 3g 3 our natural instincts and affections, but to purify and perfect them and make them truly human. And because all these instincts, affections, and desires shall be freely exercised and fully gratified in the Father's home, our social life there shall be thoroughly and delightfully satisfying. All truly human relation ships and relations shall be eternally perpetuated, and the cup of our joy shall be full. And when they have praised Him in song, may they not also praise Him in the dance, to the accom paniment of all the perfected instruments of music which the genius of angels and men have constructed, for Science, Art and Culture shall be fully consecrated for ever to the praising and glorifying of the Triune God. Then shall be fulfilled in all its fulness the sublime worship to which the saints are summoned in the last of the grand old Psalms, — " Praise ye the Lord, Praise God in His sanctuary : Praise Him in the firmament of His power. Praise Him for His mighty acts : Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet : Praise Him with the psaltery and harp. Praise Him with the timbrel and DANCE : Praise Him with stringed instruments and the pipe. Praise Him upon the loud cymbals : Praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals. Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord." When the prodigal son returned from the far country to the heart and home of his father, he was welcomed to a great feast, at which there was music and dancing. And is not that "pearl of parables " a delightful pic ture of the return unto God of all His penitent chil- 384 THE VISIBLE GOD. dren, and of the eternal banquet to be provided for them, when they reach the heavenly home ? There is a deep instinct in humanity, which in all seasons of special joy finds its natural expression in the rhythm of harmonious movements. Children delight to dance, and if all grown-up people were only as innocent as little children, then dancing might be universally ap proved and practised. But the corruption of humanity often makes it a degrading pleasure, over the results of which devils rejoice ; and even among those who are comparatively pure, it is in most circumstances a questionable enjoyment. But in heaven, when all hearts shall be holy, dancing may become the beau tiful and delightful expression of social joy, and a service of acceptable praise. Heaven will be a state of physical perfection. In the present life the body does not partake very largely of redemptive blessings, because it is still subject to the law of death. But in heaven the re surrected, spiritual and incorruptible body shall be full of life and health, purity and power. Heaven will also be a state of exalted knowledge and high intellectual development. Some have main tained that the Fall made no change in man's mental condition, or, if it did, that it sharpened his powers, and quickened them into an activity which necessity alone could produce. They point to the triumphs of thought to confirm their opinion, — to the discoveries it has made, the inventions it has contrived, and the scientific and philosophical systems it has reared. But, properly regarded, what do these really prove ? They show that human nature is great even in ruin, and indicate the original strength of its thinking powers. But the curse has descended on the mind HE A VEN. 3g. as well as on the body. There is a sweat of the brain as well as of the brow. All man's achieve ments have been attained through immense labour and difficulty. And even his successes refer princi pally to matters pertaining to his fallen condition. His chief object of intellectual effort has been allevia tion, — the amelioration of his misery, the lessening of his toil, and the lightening of his burdens. How very little of his time and thought have been spent in the search for truth, for other than utilitarian pur poses ! He was divinely intended to grow everlast ingly in the knowledge of truth, and expand in love as he rose in intelligence, but his fall has lamentably interfered with this sublime end of his being. It has chained him to the earth when he should have been ascending into the unclouded sunlight of the Divine wisdom, and soared and floated in the bound less liberty of the Divine love. Sin has blinded the mind, as well as hardened the heart and seared the conscience. It has limited his comprehension, warped his judgment, and impeded his progress. But in the heavenly state the intellectual powers shall be freed from the enthralling and warping influence of sin, return to the sphere of their original freedom, and enter on a pathway of eternal progress in Divine knowledge. The mind will not then have to grope its way amid mist and darkness, toiling at every step and going oftener wrong than right. Errors will not occur to baffle and discourage it. The region of highest truth will open brightly before it. Steadily, safely, and without any weariness, it will advance into ever-increasing light. Direct from the bosom of God there will stream for ever a holy illumination, which shall fill all the heavens, and enlighten alike 25 386 THE VISIBLE GOD. the highest angel and the lowliest saint, according to the measure of their capacity and the degree of their development. Heaven will also be a state of perfect Moral Purity. The ripest Christian who falls beneath the stroke of death is morally unclean, but by-and-by the very deepest root of depravity shall be eradicated and every seed of corruption removed. And nothing shall replant them. No form of temptation shall ever assail him, nor any impure suggestion be whis pered in his soul. How delightful ! The brightest seraph bending before the -throne shall not be purer than the humblest saint, for it is the glory of Christ's redemptive work that it entirely frees the soul from both the power and pollution of sin. Heaven will also be a state of highest Spiritual Life. The true believer in Christ has spiritual life now ; it was given to him when he was born again. It consists of thoughts, feelings, aims, and aspirations which are inspired by God and directed towards Him. The life of God in man connects him with the Divine Being, and through the Divine Being with all spiritual beings in the universe who possess the same life. It is a spiritual electricity which proceeds from God, and thrills through all God-connected spirits. It is the very spirit of spirit ; and its name is Love. " God is Love ; " and "he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." Life in the heavens will be full of service. " His servants shall serve Him." Their service will not only be that of worship, but also of work ; and the work may be endlessly varied. If Adam and Eve were divinely appointed to keep and dress the garden of Eden, may not the nurture and culture of natural HEAVEN. 3g7 things be a part of the delightful service to be fendered eternally by the redeemed ? And if God inspired men to work in all manner of cunning work manship for the building and adorning of Solomon's temple, may not every form of Art be eternally per petuated and developed in the heavens? Because the progress of angels and men will be everlasting, Learning and Culture can never cease. And while all are learning, all will teach, for one very special form of service will consist in making known unto others the mind and will of the All- Wise. For ever and ever God will be the great Revealer, and all His revelations will descend and descend from one rank of intelligence to another, down through all grada tions of knowledge, till they reach the very lowest intelligences in the lowest heaven ; and then the uplifting and the development of all the redeemed shall be the continual and eternal result. This is the Divine method of education, and has been employed in all ages for the enlightenment and comfort of God's people. It is put into brief and simple state ment in the opening verses of the Apocalypse. We are there told that the Book of the Revelation was given by God to Jesus Christ, and by the glorified Saviour to His Angel, and by the angel to His servant John, and by John to the angels (or minis ters) of the churches, to be given by them to the members, and finally by the members of the Christian communities to all mankind. What reason is there to suppose that this method of instructing, enlighten ing, uplifting, and glorifying shall not be continued for ever? And if new races of moral beings are created, all the redeemed • may be everlastingly em ployed, as the angels now are, as "ministering 388 THE VISIBLE GOD. spirits" to -the younger children of the Eternal Father. What a glorious prospect is opened by such a possibility ! But the chief charm and glory of heaven will be the Saviour. An eminent Christian was wont to say, " I like to hear of the delights of heaven, but I do not dwell on them ; what I rejoice in is this, that Christ will be there." And another exclaimed, " Rather Christ without heaven, than ten thousand heavens without Christ." A bride rejoices in the beautiful home which her lover is preparing for her, but her chief joy is the bridegroom himself. The home of her heart is in him. " I go to prepare a place for you, and will come again to receive you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also." Lord ! it is enough. " Whom have I in heaven but Thee ? and there is none upon earth whom I desire in compari son with Thee." " Thou'rt gone over there, Lord, A place to prepare, Lord ; And Thy home I shall share, At Thy coming again." " Even so, come, Lord Jesus, come quickly." No human being can ever find a full and satisfying inheritance in anything less than God. Not in any place, however magnificent, nor in the attainment of any treasures, however valuable, can he possibly obtain a blessedness which shall meet and fully satisfy the longings of his nature. Let a child be taken into a palace, and for a time the wonders and glories of the place may fill his mind and heart with admiration and delight, but ere long he will cry for his mother. In like manner, God, and God only, is the portion of HE A VEN. B 3«9 His people, and not heaven, nor anything that heaven contains. But if we are children, then are we also heirs— "heirs of God!' We enter upon our great inheritance here, when we become sons. Born of God, _ we are already partakers of the Divine nature. In this respect every son is heir to his father. And in some small degree, every child of God has within him now something of the Divine character. But one day all the sons and daughters of God shall fully re semble their Father, and become heirs of the Divine blessedness according to their capacity to receive it. " Thou, Lord, alone art all Thy children need, And there is none beside ; From Thee the streams of blessedness proceed, In Thee the blest abide. Fountain of life and all-abounding grace, Our source, our centre, and our dwelling-place." "Joint-heirs with Christ." He is the Heir of all the Father is, and also of all the Father has. And through Him we too shall be heirs of God Himself, and of all that He possesses. " He that overcometh shall inherit all things." " Oh, how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee." " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away." Are we children ? Sonship alone entitles to heir ship. Let Christians lift up their thoughts and desires to their true inheritance, and seek not merely the gifts of God, but God Himself. May they love not 390 THE VISIBLE GOD. only their Father's riches, but also the spirit and character of their Father. He who gets God for his eternal and unchanging portion will not only get Heaven also, but all the Heavens in the universe. "All things are yours, for ye are Christ's, and Christ is God's." Manifold are the ministries appointed by God to help the Christian in his upward course to his heavenly destiny, — the ministry of the written Word, the ministry of a preached Gospel, the ministry of the Holy Ghost, the ministry of Angels, the ministry of Providence, the ministry of Nature, the ministry of his fellow-Christians, and the ministry of his fellow- men. " All things work together for good to them that love God." Let every earnest-souled believer on Christ be strong and faithful. " In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer." " On the roaring billows of time thou shalt not be engulfed, but borne aloft into the azure of eternity ; love not pleasure, love God. This is the everlasting yea, wherein all contradiction is solved ; wherein whoso walks and works, it is well with him." PRAISE YE THE LORD. Crown 8vo, cloth, price 5s. THE VISIBLE GOD AND Our Relation to Him in Creation and Redemption. By WILLIAM MARSHALL, Late Pastor, for Twenty-six Years, of Cambridge Heath Congregational Church, London. PRESS NOTICES. "It is an open secret that ' The Visible God ' is the work of the beloved Minister who some two years ago retired through ill-health from the Pastorate of Cambridge Heath Congregational Church. To the large number who, during his long ministry there, were privileged to be his hearers, this book will come as a delightful reminder of the teaching they were wont to receive. The gentle and devout spirit of their former Pastor breathes in every page ; and whether or not they agree with all it contains, they will assuredly find plentifully present the heavenward help which they were wont to find in his ministry in bygone days. The chief charm of the book is in the spirit which pervades it, and in the perpetual habit of the author to find illustration and symbol in the lovely scenes of the natural world. He sees God in everything, and always the God of Love. He manifestly desires that the Lord should not only be the visible God to his readers, but the loveable likewise. Such faith is blessedly contagious, and they who read this book as it ought to be read, are not unlikely to be caught thereby. We trust they may."— Hackney Mercury, April, 1891. "This volume is a new Theodicy. We commend it especially to the notice of thoughtful Christians who love to study familiar Christian themes from an unusual point of view. The author writes in a clear and vigorous style, often rising into passage of genuine eloquence. Catholic in spirit, broad in sympathy, and wide in his views of divine truth, he should find points of contact and fellowship with all sorts and conditions of Christian men." — Scottish Leader, December nth, 1890. "A series of singularly suggestive and thoughtful papers on Biblical themes. The writer keeps close to his Bible, and knows where reason ing ought to pause ; but he handles well-worn topics with great fresh ness, much force of style, and a well-balanced judgment. His book will repay careful study." — London Quarterly Review, January, 1891. " These lectures are bold and original, yet the author cannot be accused of irreverence or presumption. It is startling to hear it stated that Jesus was always Man, and that though believers have flesh and blood bodies, they ought not to have had them. Two most interesting chapters deal with 'The Fall of the angels' and ' Christ's ministry in Hades.' On the great subject of God's love, salvation by faith, and the work of the Holy Spirit, the author's teaching is evangelical and Spiritual." — The Christian, January 23rd, 1891. " This is a real book, and not merely a quantity of paper stained with printer's ink. The perusal of only a few pages is sufficient to convince the reader that he has before him a piece of honest work, by 1 an able and independent thinker. There are many things which cannot be accepted without hesitation, but taken as a whole the book must be pronounced excellent, and may'be recommendeQ as a wholesome tonic for minds which are wearied by the constant repetition of hackneyed phrases and conventional teaching. On the other hand, the author has some very curious opinions of his own. The most important of them, which a hundred years ago would probably have been called a heresy by most Christian people, refers to the Divine Word before the Incar nation. There are other singular opinions which want of space forbids us to notice, which are all urged with considerable ingenuity. With the greater" part of the book, however, most readers will heartily agree. It is to be hoped that this remarkable volume will receive from the intelligent members of our congregations the attention which it deserves." — I'he Baptist, March 27, 1891. "There are good things, well written, in this book. The chapter on ' Christian Brotherhood, ' and others of a like character, are a useful con tribution to the more comprehensive Christian life now growing up." — The Independent, March 13th, 1891. " The anonymous author thinks for himself, and has an independent way of looking at subjects about which many Christians differ." — The Christian World, February 12th, 1891. "'The Visible God' is a remarkable book. It deals with the Whole Christian life, and with the spiritual history of man from the Creation to the last Judgment. The style is vigorous and graceful, and rises here and there into a rich and genuine eloquence. The author is evidently one whose intimate knowledge of human nature is accom- 'panied by a wide and deep sympathy for its needs and aspirations. His is an earnest spirit, modified by a loving heart and reasonable mind, and his book is one which all will be the better for reading." — Dundee Advertiser, December 4th, 1890. " The author thinks that the Supreme Ruler can be visible to man and has literally been seen by human eyes. Again we find the writer arguing that before His Incarnation the eternal Word had a visible body. With all this his tone is deeply reverential, and he states his strange opinions in a manner that wins our sympathy, even when least commanding our assent. There are valuable expositions and earnest exhortations, with frequent passages of beauty and eloquence. A devout and Christian spirit pervades the whole, and there are many evidences of study and culture that cannot fail to gratify the educated reader." — The Rock, December, 1890. "All the essays are written with much point and grace, and the doctrine in the main is evangelical. One peculiar idea is broached in the first essay and repeated elsewhere, that God has a visible form, or that the Son was that form eternally. We are also told that the unfallen angels have bodies and the fallen angels have not. Apart from the questionable points we have noted, the work contains much that is praiseworthy and edifying."— Methodist Times, December nth, 1890. " ' The Visible God ' contains some of the kindest and wisest words ever addressed to those engaged in Sunday School work." — The S. S. Chronicle, January 16th, 1891." "Ably written." — The Scotsman, December 1st, 1890. " A remarkable book, so fresh and stimulating. that it seems to the wearied reader a veritable oasis in the wide -wilderness of theological commonplace."— .Mzrair.te'A?;' Examiner, December, 1890. London : HODDER & STOUGHTON, Paternoster Row. 3 9002 08867 8017