Glimpses of God, and other sermons

tihvaxy of Che theological ^eminarjp

PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY

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PRESENTED BY

the Estate of
Rev. David Henderson^^^odwillie

BX 7233 .N4 G6
Newton, B. Gwernydd
Glimpses of God, and other
sermons

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Glimpses of God,

AND OTHER SERMONS,

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^^H OF PF.IUce

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OCT 9 1945 ^

BY /

B. GWERNYDD NEWTON,

Pastor Franklin Avenue Congregational Church,

Cleveland, Ohio.

cleveland:
franklin avenue congregational church.

1897.

Copyright 1S97, by B. Gwernvdd Newton.

THE IMPERIAL PRESS,,
CLEVELAND, O,

TO MY IJROTHER,

REV. GEORGE TALALUN NEWTON,

TO WHOM I AM INDEBTED MORE THAN TO ANY OTHER

MAN, FOR MY "glimpses OF GOD," THIS

VOLUME IS AFFECTIONATELY

DEDICATED.

" Z<?, tJicsc arc parts of His 7vays : hut Jiow little
a portion is heard of Him ? but the tJiunder of His
power zvho eaii understand f " — Job 26 : 14.

PREFACE.

These sermons are published at the request of my
ehurch and cono-rej^-ation, who hope in this way to
pay off the debt on our church building. This plan
was adopted because it promised to be the simplest,
surest and most satisfactory method of realizing the
necessary amount. While it affords ample oppor-
tunity for all to work, it burdens none. It gives
us the privilege of appealing to the Christian public
for aid, and the satisfaction of giving something in
return. No profit will accrue to the author until all
the debt is paid. We hope the volume will be found
well worth the money expended upon it. If we had
not this hope, it would never have been published.

B. G. N.

Franklin Avenue Congregational Church,
Cleveland, Ohio, May 31, 1S97.

CONTENTS.

Part I.
GLIMPSES OF GOD.

PACK..

I. The Request . . . . .11

"And he said, 1 beseech Thee show me
Tliy glory." — Ex. 33: 18.

1. Rational . . . . • ^3

2. Relii^ions ..... 30

3. Royal 34

IT. The Response 41

" 1 will make all My goodness pass be-
fore thee Thou canst not see

My face .... and live I

will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will
cover thee with My hand while I pass by.
. . . . Thou shalt see My back parts :
but My face shall not ])e seen."

—Ex. 33: 19-23.

1. Reservation in Revelation . . 45

2. Reason for Reservation . . 49
2. Revelation in Reserve . . 52

Vlll CONTENTS.

PAGE.

III. The Realization . . . . 6i

" Be ready in the morning, and come

up in the morning unto Mount Sinai. . .

No man shall come up with thee.

. . . . Moses rose .... and went

up unto Mount Sinai The Lord

descended in the cloud and stood with him
there. . . . The Lord passed by before
him, and proclaimed, the Lord, The Lord
God, merciful and gracious." — Ex. 34: 2-7.

1. Recipient ..... 62

2. Reception . . . . -71

3. Received Glimpses . . .79

IV. The Result 87

"And Moses made haste and bowed his

head .... and worshipped

The Lord said unto Moses, write thou these
words: .... He was with the Lord
forty days and forty nights ; he did neither

eat bread nor drink water When

he came down from the Motuit ....
Moses wist not that the skin of his face
shone .... he gave them in com-
mandment all that the Lord had spoken
with him in Mount Sinai."

— Ex. 34: 8, 9, 27-32.

1. Reverence .

2. Retention .

3. Rumination

4. Reproduction

90
94
97

100

CONTENTS. IX

Part II.
SECRETS OF SALVATION.

PAGE.

V. The Three Crosses .... 109
"And when they were come to the
place which is called Calvary, there they
crucified Him, and the malefactors, one
on the right hand and the other on the
left." — Luke 23: 33.

1. The Cross of Selfishness . . 115

2. The Cross of Self-Surrender . 121

3. The Cross of Self-Sacrifice . 128

VI. The Success of Failure . . -135

" Why seek ye the living among the
dead ? He is not here but is risen."

— Luke 24: 5-6.

1. Failure — nnfoiind where songht. 141

2. Success — unsought where found. 148

3. Success of Failure — found where

unsought, because sought
where unfound . . .158

VII. Faith's Faithful Foundation . . 165

" This is a faithful saying, and worthy
of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners ; of whom I
am chief. "—I Tim. i: 15.

1. The Faithfulness of the Gospel

as a Historical Fact . .170

2. The Faithfulness of the Gospel

as a Doctrinal Fact , . tj^

3. The Faithfulness of the Gospel

as an Experimental Fact . 186

X CONTENTS.

TAGE.

VIII. Simeon and the Saviour . . . 193

"And, behold, there was a man in Jeru-
salem, whose name was Simeon; and the
same man was just and devout, waiting
for the consolation of Israel: .... He
came by the Spirit into the Temple : . .
. . Then tQok he Him up in his arms,
and blessed God, and said; Lord, now
lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,
. . . . mine eyes have seen Th}^ salva-
tion, .... a light to lighten the
Gentiles, and the glory of thy people
Israel." — Luke 2: 25-32.

1. Simeon, as a Seeker . . . 200

2. Simeon's Search . . .211

3. Simeon's Success and Song . 216

IX. The Uplifted Christ, and Upltfjed

Humanity ..... 225
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth,
wdl draw all men unto Myself." (R. V.)

— John 12: 32.

1. Christ Uplifted on the Cross . 230

2. The Cross Uplifting Christ . 238

3. Christ LTplifting the Cross . . 249

4. The Uplifted Christ, Throngh

the Uplifted Cross, Uplifting
Humanity. . . . -252

GLIMPSES OF (;OD.

THE REQUEST.

" And he said, ' I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory.' " —
ExoDis 33: iS.

Wherever man is found, there God is soiig-ht.
Inquiry concerning- the Infinite is man's most im-
perative impulse. The most imiversal and un-
avoidable cravini^ of the human soul is for the
Divine. ]\Ian's most absorbin^]^ ambition and aim is
to acquaint himself with the Almio-hty. It is his
most urg-ent and imceasing need, unconscious oft,
unsatisfied ever, until the Universal Father is seen.
While the soul lives, this desire will never die. As
the soul is immortal and the intellect indestructible,
so is the spirit of inquiry concerning the Infinite
imperishable. Conscience creates in man, in all
climes and conditions, a craving for the Creator.
The supreme search of the soul is the search for the
Supreme. As all streams seek the sea, and sparks
soar toward the sun, so seeks the soul satisfaction

12 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

in the Supreme. Human history is hope soaring
heavenward, though oft falling to earth like a
bird with a broken wing. All created energies
converge toward, center and culminate in the Cre-
ator. Every intellect is instinct with the inspired
impulse to seek for God. This emphasizes the two
essential truths of religion, — that there is a God,
and that God may be known. If there is no God,
whence this universal instinct? If God can not be
known, why this universal impulse ? Nature is
never false, but ever true. Hence, to believe that
she is universally, unceasingly and uniformly un-
true, is unwarranted and tmreasonable. This
primitive and permanent prompting of the univer-
sal heart is a pre-eminent pledge and potent proof
of the personality of God. Without a personal God,
this prompting could not be ; with this prompting,
a personal God could not but be. A personal God
alone accounts for the prompting, and the prompt-
ing is satisfied only in a personal God. Thus, the
religious instinct demands faith in God, and faith
in God necessitates faith in a revelation of God.
That which is universal and unavoidable can not be
unwarranted, or long remain unsatisfied. The
deeper the soul's consciousness of God, the might-
ier moves the mind, like a rushing river, seeking
the ocean of the Eternal. What wonder, then, that

THE REQUEST. 13

Moses, the " man of God," should break forth in
the impassioned appeal, "Show me Thy or-iory. "
He but voiced the deep yearnini>- of every soul that
has awakened to its own possibilities, and become
conscious of its own need. Yea, verily, he echoed
in those words the cry of the universal heart, for
what all men need and seek, consciously or un-
consciously, is to know God. The irrepressible
instinct to seek the Infinite finds expression in in-
numerable ways, but satisfaction in one way only —
seeing the glory of God. The human heart yearns
for God, and for a God wdiich it can know and love.
So that there is a sense in which the request of
Moses is typical of the request of every man, and
this brings us to our subject — TJic Request.

" I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory."

The spirit of this request is rational, religious,
and royal, while in form it is possibly wanting in all
these qualities.

I. THIS REQUEST IS RATIONAL.

It presupposes not only that it is possible to know
God, but that to some extent He is already known.
It can not but imply three things in the soul that
conceived it : a conviction of the existence of God,
a craving for a closer contact with Him, and a con-
sciousness of an unworthy and unsatisfying concep-

14 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

tion of Him. Thus, this request for a special revela-
tion of Jehovah is an acknowledgment that He has
already revealed Himself, for there could be no
desire for a greater, if the less great had not been
given and appreciated. The. text, therefore, im-
plies that —

(a) Glimpses of God ai'c possible. Men deny
to-day the possibility of securing glimpses of
God. He is looked upon by the agnostic as the
great Unknown and Unknowable. These terms
are emphatically and effectually denied in the ex-
perience of every true worshipper of the Father.
If He is tmknowable, He can not be God. Man's
progress, mental and moral, is determined by
his knowledge of, and conformity to, truth. If
God, who is by hypothesis good, reserves to Him-
self what He might reveal with benefit to man,
He denies Himself. Any charge substantiated
against the goodness of Jehovah is a denial of His
Divinity. Selfishness is wrong in man, and can not
be right in God. ^A being who hides truth that
would help others in the pursuit of happiness is
selfish, and selfishness is sin. A God of love can
not but in love make Himself known. God, with-
out power and desire to make Himself known, and
man without power and desire to know God, are to
us self-contradictions. The human mind possesses

THE REQUEST. 1 5

power to commimicatc with, and seeks to influenee
mind. Is the Infinite mind less gifted, or the In-
finite heart less gracious? Man, without the desire
to know his Maker, is unknown. He has been cre-
ated to glorify God, and wisely endowed with facul-
ties that are useless, save in this sacred service.
The supreme function of the soul is to serve the
Supreme. The divinest power in man is his power
to commune with the Divine. Sanctified commun-
ion with God is the secret of spiritual conformity.
Communion and conformity between beings desti-
tute of the faculty of communication are contradic-
tions. If God has endowed man with useless facul-
ties, and planted in his soul impulses and powers
which can never be exercised or satisfied. He has
created him in a manner unkind, imwise, and tm-
just, therefore unlike God. We know of no instinct
in the vast world, but may find ample opportunities
to be satisfied in the exercise of its function. Are
we to believe that God has created the profoundest
instinct of the soul to belie and mock it ? No, a
thousand Noes. The craving of man's heart for the
Divine, and the thirst of his soul for knowledge of
God, are sufficient proofs that glimpses of God are
possible. If God can not be known, man has no
responsibility ; duty is an idle word, without mean-
ing. Duty implies obligation. Where there is no

1 6 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

knowledg-e there can be no obligation, and where
there is no obligation there is no God. But the " I
ought " of humanity is universal. Whence comes
it, if God has not revealed Himself? The moral
sense in man necessitates belief in a moral ruler,
and this implies revelation. The human conscience
in its wonderful evolution, with its increase of light
on moral questions from decade to decade, is simply
inexplicable, if God has not revealed Himself.
Man's mental and moral natures demand for their
completeness a revelation of the mind of God.
Faith in the revelation of God is only the unavoid-
able counterpart of belief in the existence of God.
Whoever believes that God is, and that He is love,
must of necessity believe that glimpses of God are
possible. Whatever a man's philosophical or theo-
logical definition of Hell may be, its soul must ever
remain — the hidden face of God. No greater Hell
is possible than to be removed permanently from
the presence of the Almighty, where all communi-
cation with Him is impossible. A being therefore
who hides himself of choice, when the happiness of
myriads of men is ruined thereby, may be a devil,
but a God — never. The goodness of God seeks the
happiness of all His creatures, and this is best re-
alized in revealing His own goodness.

{b) Glimpses of God are actual. This means

THE REQUEST. I7

that in mercy He has made Himself known to man.
This He has done in different modes and divers
manners, by natural and supernatural means, in
man's mental, moral and spiritual natures. God has
revealed Himself in a natural revelation, in the
material, mental and moral world.

I. God speaks to man in the material universe.
All thing-s created demonstrate the majesty of the
mind and the eternal power of the Creator, " for the
invisible things of Him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen, being- understood by the
things that are made, even His eternal power and
Godhead." "The heavens declare the glory of
God, and the firmament showeth His handiwork."
No being equipped with intellectual faculties, need
fail to find in Nature, if he be anxious, a clear testi-
mony to the existence of God, and of His sovereign
will. The reasoning faculty with which man is en-
dowed will enable him, through a mental process,
to arrive at an intellectual knowledge of God. Mind
intuitively demands a cause for every effect, and
moreover, that every cause be as great, or greater,
than the effect. It is a truism that like alone pro-
duces like. The inference is therefore natural, if
not irresistible, that tlic mind expressed in the nia-
terial universe demands for its creative cause an
intelligent, personal Being. The utility of creation

l8 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

and its beneficent laws indicate the wisdom of the
Creator. Eveiything in Nature expresses, accord-
ing to its several ability, the majesty of the mind of
its Maker. Her every voice echoes the voice Divine.
The inanimate world speaks only what God to it
has spoken. He told the lily to be white and beau-
tiful, and all she sweetly says is, " Be wdiite and
beautiful." He said to the sun, " Let thy light
shine," and all that the sun has ever said is, " Let
thy light shine." Inanimate nature is instinct with
the impulse to inspire the intellect with increased
interest in the Infinite. Comets and constellations,
stars and suns, illuminate the pathway to the mind
of the Eternal. Their light lend they in love, to
lead the lost back to the Lord of Life. Each soli-
tary star in the sky strives to stimulate the soul to
seek the vSupreme. Every beam of light is brimful
of love, as it seeks to illuminate the temple of the
soul with the light of faith. The birds, in melodious
song make known their Maker. The balmy breezes
bring benediction, and breathe blessing upon each
burning brow, as softly they whisper " Hope thou
in God." The murmuring brook, with its minor
music, as it quenches the thirst of man and beast,
tells the best it can of the love and care of God for
his creatures. The perennial spring, as it mirrors
Heaven, shows the soul how it may mirror God,

THE RFQl^F.ST. 1 9

Every flower that cools and caresses with sweet per-
fume the cruel foot that crushes it, j^ives man a
lesson in forg-ivcness, and whispers in death, " God
is love. " Thus, everythin<( in the material uni-
verse, from the starry sky to the sands of the sea,
from the dewdrop which glitters in the mornini^-
sunlight to the mighty restless deep, blend their
voices in saying to him who hath ears to hear,
" Have faith in God."

2. God reveals Himself in man's mental nature.
The human mind is only an expressed thought of
the mind Divine. The mind of man in its majesty
mirrors faithfully, though faintly, the mind of the
Eternal. In all its manifold movements it mani-
fests the creative energy of the mind of God. Every
thought evolved, every truth recognized, every
discovery made, adds new emphasis and force to
the clear and constant testimony of the finite mind to
the Tnfmite. Every faculty and power with which
the human intellect is endowed are lenses in its tel-
escope, which enable the observer to secure glimpses
of God. Man has been created in the image of (lod,
and like Him, he is able to think, yea, and to think
like Him, for he thinks God's thoughts after Him.
The pleasures secured in intellectual pursuits, and
the joys of contemplative thought, demand for their
completion and crown, the Infinite, who alone can

20 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

account for, and satisfy the mind. The mind of
man is meaningless, unless there be a mightier
mind with which it can communicate, and on which
it can meditate, — a mind mighty enoiigh to move it
to muse and to mould its musings. The human
mind is meditative, because the divine mind is com-
municative. A meditative human mind is inexpli-
cable without a communicative divine mind. The
intellectual nature of man receives its inspiration
and satisfaction only in an intelligent, infinite, per-
sonal Creator. Mind mirrors its Maker.

3. God reveals Himself in man's moral nature.
The soul of every natural revelation of God is the
revelation of God in the soul. The soul of what
Nature speaks of the Supreme is what the Supreme
speaks in the soul. Man's moral nature most mir-
rors God, for it is most like the God it mirrors.
The soul doth most bear the image of God; and the
soul that doth the image of God .most bear is the
soul most like the image it bears. Conscience, — the
Shekinah in the sanctuary of spirit, the manifesta-
tion of God's presence and glory, the royal repre-
sentative of righteousness in the realm of reason,
the advocate of God in the soul's tribunal, the ethi-
cal echo of the Eternal, — is a revelation of God in the
soul. Thus, the deepest, divinest and most inde-
structible portion of our being bears distinct testi-

THE REQUEST. 2 1

mony to the nature and character of God, and gives
us glimpses of His glory. The sense of responsi-
bility in man is in itself a revelation. The universal
sense of obligation in tlie human soul is inexpli-
cable, without God; with Him, nothing is more
natural. The soul craves the Creator, and if it fail
to find Him, it creates its own God. This instinct
whicli is universal, and this impulse of worsliip
which is imperative, surely indicate the existence
of God. Man is ever conscious of a sense of obliga-
tion and a feeling of responsibility. In manifold
ways, he instinctively seeks to atone for any omis-
sion in the fulfillment of his supposed duty. Con-
science becomes more exacting decade after decade.
The moral sense of right and wrong constantly be-
comes keener. The soul is ever becoming more
sensitive to the sense and shame of sin, and society
more imperative in its demands for personal purity
and national righteousness. Justice, truth and
purity, hope, faith and charity are appreciated to-
day as never before. We look upon as vices wliat
our fathers looked upon as virtues. This ethical
evolution of conscience, without (xod, and without
the light of God in the soul, is a mystery of mys-
teries. The soul, each time it utters '' I ought,"
confesses God. All sorrow, sniTcring and shame
experienced because of sin, every pleasure or joy

2 2 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

realized because of virtue, declares — there is a God.
All sense of guilt, every attempt to atone for sin, is
imperishable evidence of the existence of a moral
ruler. Thus are glimpses of God possible to all
anxious to secure them, in the material, mental and
moral world. They may be realized only through
the right use of proper methods, the right employ-
ment of proper faculties, and careful conformity to
the laws of investigation. This knowledge of God
can not be secured unless the soul seek it, and he
who seeks well will ever be successful in his search.
The revelation will not appeal, however, with the
same force to all minds, for the greater the mind
and the more reverential the spirit, the greater will
be the realization and the deeper the appreciation
of the glimpses secured. Different evidences ap-
peal with varying convincing force to various minds,
and this ethical and intellectual knowledge of God
will not influence or inspire all alike. Nevertheless,
glimpses are accessible to all and should be invalu-
able to all, as a potent though primitive proof, of
the presence and pre-eminence of a personal Creator
in the universe. The glimpses of God secured in
the material world will move most mightily the poet,
while the ethical knowledge of God, the revelation
secured in the moral realm, will move most mightil)^
the matter-of-fact moralist. We will receive from

THE REQUEST. 23

Nature whatever we invest, with proportionate in-
terest. The seientist will seenre the secrets of
science, tlie poet poetr3^ the theologian theology,
and all who seek for the Infinite, glimpses of God.
The more intelligence and interest, sympathy and
sincerity we invest in Nature, the more will we be
able to draw on her bank book, of interest and capi-
tal. Nature speaks many languages, but is polite
enough, imvaryingly, to clothe her answer in the
tongue in which she has been addressed. She is
ever like a loving, though not over-indulgent moth-
er, who always gives good gifts to her children, but
ever with kind and deep discrimination. If any ask
a fish, she will never give a serpent. If any ask
bread, she will never give a stone. Her gifts, how-
ever, are ever determined by the nature of the re-
quest and the spirit of the recipient. He who seeks
for coal will never discover a comet. He who
studies the sky will learn the secret of the stars, and
not the song of the sea; he will learn the lesson of
law in the language of light, and not the lesson of
love in the language of the leaves and the lily.
Each will gather from Nature only that which cor-
responds to what he already possesses. '' To him
that hath it shall be given "is a law of nature as
well as grace. Hence, some become proficient in
one branch of study, some in another, and in his

24 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

special field is each most likely to find God. Man's
head invariably follows his heart. He will ever
learn to know what he loves, and that only as he
loves to know. Thus, the glimpses of God in Na-
ture always come to man through the royal road of
loyal love. The astronomer will be borne in a
chariot of light, over a fiery pathway to the presence
of Jehovah. Every ray of light pencils for him, in
rich and royal radiance, the glories of the Creator.
The poet, with a devout spirit, will bend the knee
in the temple of beauty, to do homage to the God
who painted the lily and robed the rose. Never-
theless, the knowledge of God learned from Nature's
open book, though of inestimable value, fails to
satisfy the soul's craving. Nay rather, it intensifies
the longing of the human heart, increases man's
ambition, and inspires him with new aspiration for
a clearer and worthier conception of the Divine.
Nature can never appease the hunger of the soul.
She but wings hope, fires faith, and inspires love to
move in quest of God. The glimpses of God gleaned
from the fertile fields of Nature are inefiicient to
qualify man to realize the purposes of his Crea-
tion, therefore a superior revelation is imperative.
The necessity demands the supply. The yearning
of the soul for God is a prophecy and a pledge of
God-given satisfaction. The promptings of the

THK REQUEST. 25

human heart and the revelations of Nature are CtocI-
^•iven promises of greater revelations of Himself,
and God must be faithful to His own promises. A
good God must seek the good of all His creatures.
Man is happy only as he is good, and good only as
he knows God. He can not know God only as God
in love niakes Himself known. ]\Ian needs Ciod,
and is constrained thereby to seek Him. This God-
given desire and Godward tendency of the soul
must inevitably, by the law of love, crystallize into
actual glimpses of God. Granted that Ciod is love,
and it is granted that the best revelation possible to
the best love is given to man. Love claims love,
and the best love demands the best of which love is
capable. The Infinite Mind can be satisfied only in
the satisfaction of the mind it has created. Mind
in its majesty seeks to mould and move mind. It
can not but be communicative and seek affinities.
All wdio believe in an intelligent God must believe
in a revelation of Him. The possibility of ever}'
revelation depends upon God's desire to make Him-
self known, and man's ability to appreciate the
revelation given. The goodness of all intelligent
beings in the universe depends upon their knowl-
edge of God. Therefore, a (iod of love can not
withhold the highest manifestation pf)ssible of Him-
self, from those anxious to receive it. When Moses

26 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

cried " Show me Thy gioiy, " the request was per-
fectly rational, for already he had received special
manifestations of the majesty, the mind, and the
mercy of God. The knowledge thus secured, though
of much greater value than the revelation of nature,
only led him to expect and to seek a higher mani-
festation of God's glor3\ There are times in a man's
history when the responsibility of life would crush
him, were it not possible for him to be relieved and
strengthened b}^ glimpses of God. No one in his
century, or probably in any previous century, needed
or received such glorious manifestations of the divine
majesty as the " Man of God." Nobly had they
been received, and none the less nobly had they
been reproduced in his life. He possessed in a high
degree all the necessar}' qualifications to apprehend
and appreciate God's natural and supernatural
revelations. He had a genius for poetry and proph-
ecy. His eye was searching, his ear sensitive, his
heart sympathetic, and these are the three impera-
tive conditions of prophetic and poetic insight. But
few men have ever walked this planet who were able
to appreciate or interpret Nature as Moses. Na-
ture kept but few secrets from him who loved her
so well. He secured a keener insight into the m3^s-
teries of Creation, and beheld more of the glor}^ of
the Creator than any man before him. Day by day.

THE RFJJUEST. 27

under the inspiration (^f (tocI, had he stood in the
(ienesis of ereation, witnessiniif ehaos eharmed into
eosmos, and privilei^-ed to behold the birth of lii;"ht,
hiw and b'fe. He heard the divine voiee, whose
eeho is the inspiration of all life and beauty, callini*-
into beino- the universe. He listened with enrapt-
ured soul to the musie of those words, so frau^-ht
with creative energy, and, lost in adoration, he gazed
on the first miracle of resurrection — life ushering
forth from the tombs and vaults of death, dead mat-
ter becoming vivified with light, instinct and ani-
mated witli life. He stood by the cradle of crea-
tion, looked with inspired eye on the evolution of
life, and saw infinite space blossom into teeming
worlds. He heard, witli inspired ear, every melo-
dious sound of which Nature's harp is capable. He
was present at every concert given by the creation,
up to his day. He listened to the sweet melody of
the morning stars when they sang together, and was
charmed when Nature's sublime symphony rendered
for tlie first time the Hallelujali cliorus. He listened
so well that he learned every note of Nature's glori-
(jus anthem. He saw the Garden of Eden, clothed
in matchless beauty and adorned with ro3'al robes,
full of fragrance, 1)1 ush when first introduced to the
morning sunlight. Moses has enriched the world
with a history of the Genesis of creation, which must

28 (ILTMPSES OF GOD.

ever remain, because it is simple, salutary and suffi-
cient, the most fascinating and satisfying interpreta-
tion of the origin of Nature. The eye of Moses,
quickened and illuminated by the inspiration of the
Almighty, had looked upon all the glorious mani-
festations of the divine mind that had ever been
granted to man. His ear had treasured every vibra-
tion of the divine voice, which had ever reached
human ears, from the time it was first heard when
God walked in the garden, in the cool of the day,
until it had commanded him to present himself on
Mount Sinai. He heard the first question addressed
to man, which fell from the divine lips, and the
first promise of the Redeemer of the race. He tm-
derstood God's purpose in calling Abraham, to raise
a peculiar people, for Himself. Already God had
spoken to him, face to face, as a man speaketh unto
his friend. He had seen the glory of Jehovah as
had no other. He was one of the greatest prophets
and the first inspired revealer of divine truth. He
was God's chosen ambassador to Pharaoh, the
anointed deliverer of His chosen people, the eman-
cipator of Israel. He was not only elected of Heav-
en to be a leader and law-giver to the people, but a
personified conscience to the world. No one had
secured a clearer conception of the Creator's pur-
poses, or given such a sublime expression of them

THE REQl^EST. 2()

to man. Ilaviiii^ thus been so gloriously endowed
with privileges and erowncd with such glorious
glimpses of God, is it any wonder that he should
long for more, and cry " Show me Thy glory?"
Nay, having been permitted to understand so well
the divine secrets, not to show his appreciation by
seeking to know still more, would be tmnatural, and
unworthy. The practical value, for himself and
people, of the revelations already received could not
but force a rational being to seek a greater vision.
Nevertheless, to know precisely what Moses desired,
when he said " Show me Thy glory, " is involved in
much difficulty, and enveloped in much mystery.
It is much easier to say negatively what the request
does not mean, than to state positively what it does
mean. It could not be a prayer for a sensuous ex-
hibition of God's majesty, or simply a desire for an
external display of divine power and glory. He had
seen enough of such manifestations. It could not
mean that he expected in some miraculous way to
be able to comprehend Ciod. He was too wise a
man and knew himself and Jehovah too well to
have entertained such a wild desire. Could the
greatest historian, if not the only historian of the
world, for two thousand years, a man intellectually
and spiritually head and shoulders above the rest of
mankind, become so unreasonable as to expect that

30 GTJMPPES OF GOD.

the finite mind could comprehend the Infinite? The
character of Moses, as seen in the light of history,
demands that we exonerate him from the charge of
making so irrational a request. Still, he asked to see
the " glory " of God. What does this mean? What-
ever answer we make, it must be granted that he
longed for a revelation not already received, some
vision not yet secured. Moreover, it must be con-
ceded that he craved a higher and worthier concep-
tion of God's character, a clearer understanding of
His purposes, and a nearer approach to His divine
heart. Indeed, everything in the history of the
transfiguration of Moses suggests that wliat he
really wanted, whether he was conscious of it or
not, was a manifestation of God's spiritual nature.
But just what the " glory " means must more or
less be a matter of conjecture, for everything be-
longing to God is full of His glory.

II. THIS REQUEST IS RELIGIOUS.

It is simply the ambition of a religious man to
understand more of the mind, and to get nearer the
heart, of his Father in Heaven. It is a pleading of
a soul enraptured with the contemplation of the
divine character, for a more understanding heart, a
broader view, a keener and more appreciative in-
sight, into the glorious mysteries and perfections of

THE R KOI' EST

31

His Ijcin^i^;. Surely, this is not only a worthy, but
the most devout ambition possible to the human
soul. To seek that knowledge of the Father whieh
deepens our own spiritual life, and fills us with in-
creased power to serve others, can not but be well
pleasing in the sight of Heaven. The spirituality
of the soul depends oij its spiritual yearnings, and
this request of Closes is the winged desire of the
soul for that spiritual insight, without which deep
religious life is impossible. When the soul is dis-
satisfied with its spiritual attainment, and yearns
for a more spiritual conception of (lod, it is nK^ved
by the divinest impulse. ^lan instinctively seeks
to know God. The more he knows of Him, the
more will he desire to know, and the more he de-
sires to know the more he will know. As the spir-
itual life deepens, the soul's ambition to know (lod
is intensified. The nearer we are permitted to
draw to the heart of Jehovah, the more earnest and
sincere the cry of the soul — " Show me Thy glory."
To understand the religious character of this desire
of Moses, it is necessary that we take into considera-
tion the circumstances under which it was expressed.
We must needs look upon the Man of (lOd, bowed
down by sorrow and filled with unutterable grief
because of the idolatry of the people at the foot of
the mount made holy by the divine presence. We

32 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

must listen to his intercession, his pathetic plead-
ing with God to forgive their sin, and learn to ap-
preciate the promise of God's continued favor.
Then, and then only, will we learn what moved
Moses to cry, " Show me Thy glory." Plis request
had a practical bearing on his own life and duty, in
that crisis in the history of the people. He had lost
confidence in himself, and in the people, and was in
sore need of every help to increased faith in Jeho-
vah. His faith in himself was shaken, because he
liad so forgotten himself when he stood face to face
with Israel's sin. The most patient of men burned
with righteous indignation and was moved in wrath
at the sight of the golden calf, and taking vengeance
into his own hands, with the aid of those on the
Lord's side, he slew three thousand men, as if love,
— forgiving love, — was foreign to his nature. And
yet how he loved these people ! No human love was
ever deeper, or more self-sacrificing. Hear him as
he pleads with God to forgive their transgression, or
to blot his name out of the Book of Life. Could any
love be stronger? Not only stronger than death,
but stronger than the desire for immortality. His
prayer was heard, his petition granted, and a prom-
ise given of Jehovah's continued presence to aid the
prophet and to bless the people. But how his faith
in the people had weakened! How could he ever

THE REQUEST. T,^

again have conlidcnce in thcni? Had they not, near
the mount made terrible by the presenee of Jeho-
vali, been guilty of inexensable idolatry? He de-
spaired of ever aceomplisliing the work laid on his
heart to do — making these people obedient and
faithful to the God of Heaven. From himself, his
thoughts would turn to God. How great was His
longsuffcring, pity and patience, and how ready to
forgive was the Holy One! Who could understand
this mystery? How could holiness and love in har-
mony dwell together in the divine heart ? God
hated sin with a holy hatred, impossible to the
human heart. How could He then forgive their
sin, and yet remain holy? What was the explana-
tion of this righteous love, and yet loving righteous-
ness? Moved to the depths of his being by these
conflicting thouglits, he cries ''I beseech Thee."
How pathetic, reverential and devout! His whole
heart is in the words, as if his life depended on the
answer. " I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory. "
"He had secured a glimpse of God's forgiving love.
AVas it any wonder tliat he should desire to know
more of the pity, patience, and peace of his Father's
heart ? Like a child he looks up to his Father's
face, and asks that He would explain to him the
mystery of His love. He wanted a glimpse of the
essential glory of (iod, but only that he miglit un-

34 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

derstaiid the nature of His purposes, and future
dealings witli Israel. He was anxious to learn the
lesson God was so anxious to teach Elijah, near the
same spot. He longed to be initiated into the mys-
teries of divine love, as manifested in God's long
suffering and patience with sinful man. It was a
desire to see the best in God, at its best; to behold
the glor}^ of His glory. It is as natural to find fault
with the rushing river for seeking the sea, the
flower for being fragrant and bending toward the
sun, or a child for seeking the mother's embrace
and leaning, when sick and sad, on her bosom of
love, as to condemn the soul for exercising its most
divine function when, like Moses, it cries " Show
me Thy glory."

III. THIS REQUEST IS ROYAL.

What jMoscs desired was not only wise and good,
but the best of which his best nature was capable.
Therefore it was not only rational and religious,
but in very truth royal. It did not spring from
mere sentiment or selfish impulse, but from the
sublime and sacred yearnings of the soul to approach
its ideal. It was a noble ambition of a noble nature,
finding expression in a most spiritual longing for a
glimpse of God, which would increase its spiritu-
ality and strengthen it for self-sacrificing service.

THE REQUEST. 35

Moses sought to secure a higher revelation of God,
that he might be the better prepared to serve his
generation. He longed for more spiritual insight
into the spiritual nature of the vSuprcme, that his
soul might be made more sensitive to the sense of
sin, and more sympathetic with the sinner. His
thought was not of himself, but of (lod's glory, and
the good of God's people. He would approach
nearer tlic Divine in spiritual affinity, that he might
inspire the people with spiritual aspiration. His
request was but the outpouring of a spirit moved to
its depths with an earnestness that was terrible, to
secure greater inspiration to fulfill its mission. It
was simply the most spiritual struggle of a soul in
its most spiritual season, for a vision of God that
would strengthen it to secure supremacy over all
selfishness. Moses w^as never more like (lod than
when he sought the vision that would make him
(xodlike. He reached the highest altitude hitherto
attained in his spiritual experience, when he uttered
the impassioned appeal, " vShow me Thy glory."
As he surmised it, the form of the request was not
spiritual, but the spirit it breathed was akin to
divine. If the form was faulty, the faith and fervor
were faultless. If, as some suggest, he even ex-
pected in some miraculous manner to be able to see
the divine essence, and gaze with mortal eye upon

36 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

the personal faee of Deity, even this does not lessen
the .spirituality of the prayer, or the value of the
spirit that prompted it. AVhat soul is so divine as
to separate everything sensuous from its spiritual
search and service, or is spiritual enough to rightly
interpret its spiritual yearnings ? We find that
Philip, who had been privileged to breathe the
spiritual atmosphere surrounding the Saviour, who
had gazed on the most glorious and perfect mani-
festation of God possible, who had heard the most
spiritual words that ever fell on .human ears, and
seen the most spiritual revelation of the moral
nature of the Father in heaven, rises no higher than
Moses in spiritual sensitiveness or conception of the
spiritual God. The petition " Show us the Father "
is identical with the royal request of Moses, " vSliow
me Thy glory. ' ' They are both precisely the same,
in root and branch. Philip has not advanccdon
Moses in spiritual aspiration, nor is he superior in
spiritual interpretation of his soul's need. Indeed,
after sitting at the Saviour's feet for eighteen cen-
turies to learn of Him the secret of spiritual strength,
men have scarcely risen to a higher plane of spiritual
sensibility, and are but little less trammeled by the
htmian tendencies and material influences to which
flesh is heir. Man is strangely human in his divin-
est moods and most spiritual moments. If the de-

THE REQUEST. 37

sire of Moses was crude in its manner of expression,
it is perfect in its Godward movement. This desire
of Moses is one of God's jewels, reflecting the light
of Heaven in the soul it adorns. The rough setting
of this diamond divine, all will note, while the spir-
itual eye alone will appreciate its royal radiance
and heavenly hue. It is a glittering gem of grace,
a jewel of the royal diadem. It is a flower from
the Paradise of love, blossoming in God's garden of
the soul, and reaching out in fragrance to its heav-
enly home. All that Moses hitherto had seen of
God had been manifested in sensuous form — the
cloudy pillar, the burning bush, the Shekinah sym-
bol, these were his highest opportunities to know
the spiritual nature of God. Who can rise higher
in his conception than his knowledge warrants ?
God can not expect a man to be greater and nobler
than the revelation he has received enables him to
be. This request is royal, for in spiritual sensitive-
ness and sagacity it falls not one whit below the
aggregate value of the glimpses of God given to
Moses. If a man attain to the full moral stature
made possible by his privileges, men and God can
not but be satisfied with his life. The current of the
religious life of Moses, ever full and strong, never
rose higher in spiritual tide than when he exclaimed
"I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory." It had

38 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

moved in a majestic 'stream, its volume gaining
velocity with every obstacle it surmounted, until it
became impatient of hindrances and limitations and
sought the ocean of the Infinite. If we would esti-
mate aright the character of Moses, we must measure
him, not by what succeeding generations have at-
tained, but by the breadth and depth of his life, as
compared with the men of his century. To know
Moses, we must measure him by the slaves he eman-
cipated. Moreover, when we remember how few
have risen above having their spiritual services
marred by the material and physical elements, so
much objected to in the prayer of Moses, we can
not but confess that his request was royal, in spite
of the crudity of its form. It is sadly true that the
majority of Christians have yet to learn to think of
the spiritual God, and worship Him in a purely spir-
itual way. Men look for their glimpses of God
almost invariably in connection with churches or
creeds, Bible or prayer book. While these are
valuable aids, when properly used, in keeping God
before the mind and concentrating the mind upon
God, yet too often they are so unworthily and un-
spiritually employed as to successfully hide the spir-
itual God from our vision. How few there are in
this enlightened age and privileged century that
look for spiritual vision unaided by material forms !

THE REQUEST. 39

We clothe our most spiritual ideas in material con-
ceptions, oft mistaking; the shadow for the substance,
the form for the life, the means of grace for grace
itself, and the things that tell concerning God for
the essential spiritual glory of the Eternal. Many
see the things of God and God is seen in many
things. But oh how few see God — the spiritual Be-
ing— apart from all things. God grant that our
souls may continually cry, " Show me Thy glory,"
until we have seen the Father in Heaven, as re-
vealed in the Son, and His glory has passed be-
fore us.

THE RESPONSE.

"And he said, I will make all My goodness pass before
thee, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before thee ;
and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will
shew mercy on whom I will shew merc3^ And He said, Thou
canst not see My face; for there shall no man see Me, and
live. And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and
thou shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass while
My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock,
and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by: And I will
take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts: but
My face shall not be seen." — Exodis 33 : ig-23.

Such is God's royal response to the royal request,
'' Show me Thy o-lory. " The rational, religious
and royal request of Moses is representative of the
earnest desire of every devout soul for glimpses of
God. The response of Jehovah is typical of the
gracious manner in which Tie satisfies every sincere
desire to see His glory. The response sanctions,
satisfies and sanctifies the request. The request is
the condition of tlie rcspouse, and tlic response is
the crown of the recpiest. The ixMpicst is the re-
sponse, in prophecy; the response is the request in

42 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

realization. Without the request, the response could
not be; with the request, the response could not but
be. Every God-given desire must meet with God-
given gratification. The universal craving for
knowledge of God is a universal testimony that
glimpses of God are possible. A natural revelation
is a promise of a supernatural revelation. Every
glimpse of God secured through the aid of natural
faculties, in the natural realm, is a prophecy that
glimpses of God may be secured, through the exer-
cise of spiritual faculties, in the spiritual realm.
So that the intellectual and the ethical knowledge of
God accessible to man is a promise that spiritual
knowledge is possible. The response of God to
Moses is a promise, pledge and proof not only that
glimpses of God are possible and probable through
supernatural manifestation, but that a spiritual
vision of the spiritual God is divinely assured to
every soul spiritual enough to seek it. It thus has
a two-fold interest and value to all who are anxious
to see God's glory. It is valuable as a manifesta-
tion of the manner in which God received and an-
swered the prayer of His servant, and also because
it reveals the gracious attitude He always maintains
toward the seeking soul. It is of priceless value
because it enables us to see the precious gems of
grace with which God adorns the soul of His serv-

THE RESPONSE. 43

ant, but its value is enhanced ten-fold by the war-
rant it contains to make its treasures our own, and
the promise it gives of the invaluable gifts of grace
with which God will reward every honest endeavor
to see His glory. Surrounded as we are by influ-
ences other than divine, hampered and hindered by
human frailty, discouraged by mysteries which
bafrte our ingenuity to elucidate, oft on the verge
of despair because of repeated failure to find out
God, we can not but welcome these words that are
like stars of hope, illuminating the night of spiritual
ignorance. What man, harassed by doubt and dis-
appointed hopes, tortured by the sense of sin and
shame, has not sought to find rest by piercing the
heart of dark doubt and standing face to face with
the Father, who knows how to pity, who is ever pa-
tient, who is willing to pardon, and who is able to
give purity and peace to the sotil ? Who, having
thus felt, will not appreciate these words so full of
heaven-born light, hope and love, that in such
simple yet sublime manner tell how every sincere
soul may find and nestle in the bosom of the Father
in Heaven ? This response ought to influence and
inspire every soul to increased elfort to know God.
It is like cold water to the thirsty traveler under
the scorching sun on the burning desert sands. It
is to the soul as the North Star to the sailor, a

44 CxLIMPSES OF GOD.

never-failing- source of inspiration and ever-efficient
guide to the desired haven. It contains a promise
which crystallizes under our very gaze into a veri-
table vision. He who realizes his own need of a
nearer approach to God, in order to qualify him for
the efficient fulfillment of any arduous task, will
not fail to appreciate the heaven-born message
which this response contains, and the inspiration it
breathes. He who reverently ponders over it will
never fail, however distressed, despondent or de-
spairing, to " renew his strength like the eagle "
and to soar heavenward, leaving sorrow like clouds
below and live only in the light of God's love. May
our eye be sensitive to the spiritual light, our ear
appreciative of the music of the divine voice, and
our heart responsive to the life-giving touch of holi-
ness, as we draw near to study these words of God,
so like Him, full of the mystery of light, life and
love, grace and glory.

The text naturally falls into three divisions. The
first speaks of what God reserves to himself ; the
second, of the reason for this divine reservation,
and the third, of what He is ready to reveal to man.
The first teaches that only glimpses of God are pos-
sible; the second, that only glimpses of God are
necessary, and the third, that glimpses of God are
assured. Thus the response speaks of

THE RESPONSE. 4c;

RKSERVATION IN R KVKI, A'lloN.

" My face shall not be seen." Such is the divine
decree, from which there is no appeal. It expresses
and emphasizes an eternal fact. The decree speaks
of the unveiled, personal face of Jehovah, which
Moses probably had wrong-ly surmised to be the
vision which his soul craved when he exclaimed, " I
beseech Thee, show me Thy glory." He is assured
that while God is ready to vouchsafe every mani-
festation necessary to qualify him for the highest
service, that there must ever remain of the Divine
an unrealized vision. It is ever thus. A divine
reservation is imperative to every divine revelation.
Ood has ever to hide Himself in order to be seen.
Without the hand that covered Moses in the cleft of
the rock, and hid the effulgent light of the divine
countenance from the gaze of his mortal eye, the
vision granted to him would have been forever im-
possible. A revelation of God of necessity leaves in
reserve more than it reveals, hides more than it
manifests, and discloses only as it is successful in
hiding. A vision is that which succeeds in veiling-
all else, that it might itself unveil. It is a natural
law that the greater light has to be hid, before it is
possible for the lesser light to be seen. The sun
has to set before the stars are seen. The inherent

46 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

revealing foree of every object is commensurate
with its power all else to hide. Shade as well as
sunlight is indispensable to sight. Excessive light
means blindness. Is not this the explanation why
God, who dwelleth in light unapproachable, clothes
Himself with clouds and darkness? How sugges-
tive that He who is Light should choose so often to
manifest Himself in the form of a cloud, (rod's
choice of the cloud for a chariot and covering is not
caprice, but it is selected rather as a medium of
communication because it is approved of divine
wisdom. It was in a cloud He appeared on the
mercy seat, and in a cloud He descended on Mount
Sinai to speak with Moses. The cloud was not only
necessary to the manifestation, but an integral part
of the vision. It succeeded in manifesting God as
it was successful in hiding Him. Even dark clouds
become transfigured, transparent and translucent
when in touch with God, and irradiated with light
divine. Let no one complain of the cloud which
contains God, or fear the cloud if God is in it. The
cloud around God, like the shadow of the sim,
brings life and light into the world. Light apart
from darkness equals blindness; light in darkness
equals vision. Excessive light renders vision as
impossible as does excessive darkness. Unrestricted
revelation means restrictecl and ruined vision.

THE RESPONSE. 47

There is a sense in which there is a reservation in
every divine revchition, and a revehition in every
di\inc rcserv^ation. (lod must ever reserve nicjre
than He reveals. There will ever be mysteries in
the Divine which the human can never hope to
solve, and depths which the linitc can never hope to
fathom. The Infinite must ever be mysterious.
Were (jod less divine He would he less mysterious;
but were He less mysterious He would l)e less
divine. To eliminate mystery is to dim the light of
divinity. The finite can not comprehend the In-
finite, until the Infinite become finite. Though we
know all possible to human nature of the Divine,
we must ever feel that we possess but a glimpse of
God, and the nearer we approach the more will the
full vision seem to evade us. Ever on and on will
the soul be impelled by lieaven-born impulses, at-
tracted by ineffable Icn^e and inspired by irrepres-
sible instincts to seek to " know the Almighty unto
perfection," but ever conscious that the distance
traversed through countless ages is Init a step of a
journey that can know no end. What mortal eye
can scan infinitude ? What human heart can ever
hope to hold the ocean of divine love? What plum-
met can sound divine depths? He who knows most
of God will realize most how little he knows. The
less we think we know, the more we actually know.

48 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

and the more we know the more will we strive to
know. But when all that it is possible for us to
know of the Father in Heaven is realized, it will only
be a glimpse of God. Visions of inestimable value
have been vouchsafed to man since the world be-
gan, but were they all gathered together and con-
centrated into one great revelation, though it con-
tain everything that man has seen or felt of the
Divine, and though it be enriched with the experi-
ence of the myriad mariners who have sailed on
life's ocean, even then it would give us but a glimpse
of God. The Bible contains a rich galaxy of gath-
ered glimpses of God. It tells what the best men
at their best have seen and heard of the Eternal.
It is full of statements which show how men have
received visions of the Infinite, and crowded with
precious promises that greater visions will yet be
granted. Men have prized the revelation it con-
tains far above their lives, for it has brought the
light of holiness and hope of Heaven, into the home
and heart of humanity. But, after all, it contciins
but a glimpse of God's glory. Though all that men
have gathered, gleaned and garnered from Nature's
garden of glimpses of God, and though all the
knowledge of Him ever given to man in na.tural
and supernatural manifestations, as expressed in
poetry, science, music, philosophy and theology, be

THE RESPONSE. 49

brought together in one strong ray of liglit and
focused on the Being of God, though the effect be
effulgent and blinding bright, it will give only a
glimpse of Cjod. Blend together the revelation of
Nature and of grace, the word and the works of
God; though its radiant light be so rich and royal
that angels are riveted to gaze upon it with eyes of
wondering and adoring love, yea, though man is
transfigured by its glory and his whole being, mate-
rial, mental and moral irradiated by its light — after
all it is but a glimpse of God. The world is what
it is to-day in mind, morals, manners, and motives,
because glimpses of God have been sought and se-
cured. Yet our knowledge is but as a dewdrop to
the mighty ocean, a ray of light to the meridian
sun. We have but a fragmentary conception, a
partial knowledge, a hurried view, a faint idea, an
inkling — in a word, a " glimpse " of God. vStill we
thank God that glimpses are possible, yea, and that
glimpses only are possible. For eternity, the glory
of every glimpse will be a glimpse of God's glory,
yet the best of glimpses will be but glimpses at tlie
best.

11. REASON FOR RESER V A T K )X.

Thou canst not see My face, for there shall no
man see ^le and live." The motive by which God
is ever prompted in reservation and revelation is

50 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

the happiness and the moral well-being of man.
Love is the royal reason for all He reserves and all
He reveals. He reserves and reveals that man
mig-ht live. He ever refuses to grant every request
which would not ensure the increased influence and
happiness of the soul that conceived it. As God is
love, and some human desires are impolitic, there-
fore their divine satisfaction is impossible. The
soul may desire that which is rational, religious and
royal, but may express -its desire, and request satis-
faction in a form that is wanting in all these quali-
ties. God will ever satisfy such a desire, but ever
refuse to grant such a request. He refused to grant
the request of Moses in the form in which it was
made, while He full}^ satisfied the spirit that prompt-
ed it. Indeed, He could have satisfied His own
heart, and the heart of Moses, in no other way.
The reservation in the revelation God made to
Moses was imperative for the preservation of the
life of His servant. Moses could not see the face
of God and " live," and God desires to preserve and
not to destroy life. He has no pleasure in the
death of the sinner, how much less in the death of
the saint. Divine wisdom declares reservation in
revelation necessary ; therefore divine love has made
it imperative. What God reserved from Moses He
withheld, not because the revelation thereof would

THE RRSPONSE. qi

be SO majestically terrible as to iill him with mortal
dread, but because the hi<^hest manifestation of
divine love in unveiled effuli^encc would so over-
whelm him with a sense of his own un worthiness
and of God's g'lory, as to slay him with excessive
lig-ht. This would baffle the purposes of divine
love, and the end the prophet was so anxious to
reach. Therefore (lod said, " My face shall not be
seen." What God reserved from ]\Ioses, He has
reserved from all men. " No man hath seen the
Father," and no man ever will, save in the Son.
Were it otherwise, man w^ould no lon^^-er be human
or God Divine, for to see the personal face of (iod
w^ould unman man and undeify Deity. Moses, like
many others, knew not what his words implied, but
was deeply conscious of a cravin^^- which God could
only satisfy, and which could be satisfied only with
(iod. As ever God interpreted the desire, not the
expression of it, and answered the spirit and not the
words. He satisfied the soul of His servant, thou^^h
He reserved to Himself what Moses thoui^iit to l)e
necessary to his well-being. To satisfy the desire
it was imperative to deny it, in the form in which it
was presented. God promised to give to Moses not
only what he desired but much more than he under-
stood to be his need. That the Father in Heaven
should deny to i\Ioses the inalienable prerogative of

52 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

a child to look on his father's face seems, on the
surface, harsh and arbitrary. But " there is recon-
ciliation in the depths. " He could not be a Father,
and act otherwise. The reservation is the result
not of any arbitrary enactment of God's sovereign-
ty, but the unavoidable restriction of love, the out-
come of His Fatherhood. If God revealed to man
all that human curiosity craves to know, man's judg-
ment would be dethroned, his will paralyzed and
his happiness, yea, and life, destroyed. Man often
desires to know what he is unprepared to learn, and
seeks knowledge, the possession of which would
prove detrimental to his highest interests. How
prone is man to think, in his mental madness, that
mysteries are misery-makers. He fain would be-
lieve that the panacea for all his woes is to know
all that he desires to know, while in fact the elucida-
tion of all mystery would be to man the consumma-
tion of all misery. God in mercy reserves to Him-
self what man is unprepared to know. In this, as
in all else, human capacity alone sets the limit to
divine generosity.

III. REVELATION IN RESERVE.

" I will make all My goodness pass before thee. . . I
will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with
My hand, while I pass by. And I will take away My hand,
and thou shalt see My back parts. ' '

THE RESPONSE.

53

In these words God promises to reward the spirit
of His servant with the highest manifestation pos-
sible of His g-lory. While he is informed that there
is a reservation of necessity in divine revelation, he
is assured that God is ready to grant to him the
greatest revelation that it is possible for man to re-
ceive. Thus does God satisfy and sanctify the sin-
cere search of the soul for spiritual sight. Divine
love never refuses to grant any request, without
making ample recompense. God's reason for re-
serving to Himself that which would hinder and not
help His servant in the attainment of holiness and
happiness, lends mercy to the reservation and maj-
esty to the revelation. This is the royal response
of divine love to the request of Moses, as interpreted
by divine wisdom. The revelation promised con-
tains immeasurably more than Closes realized to be
his need, (iod will vouchsafe to him the vision
necessary to qualify him for the efficient fulfillment
of his great mission, and will reveal as much of His
glory as mortal eye can behold. This promised
revelation is valuable not only because it gives us
an insight into (rod's cliaractcr, and throws light (Ui
the conditions of spiritual vision, but also as a
prophecy that all who conform to tlic laws of spir-
itual investigati(Mi will be rewarded witli glimpses
of God. If anv douljt existed in the heart of Moses

54 GLIMPSES OF GOT).

concerning the reception his request would receive,
it must have been forever removed by the royal re-
sponse which promised so glorious a revelation. It
must ever be interesting and instructive to all who
would secure visions of Cxod, to consider the way in
which it has pleased Him to reveal Himself. In-
deed, this is of supreme importance, for man's re-
demption depends upon a revelation of God. Relig-
ion without revelation is impossible. He who has
not learned how God speaks to man can not know,
or seek to know, how man may and should speak to
God. Man's conduct is governed by his conception
of God. He becomes perfect as he perceives per-
fection in the Almighty. Insight into the divine
character alone can inspire man to approach the di-
vine ideal. The best in man can never be at its best
until it has realized the best in God of which it is
capable. Therefore inquiry into God's methods of
revealing Himself is second only in importance to
the revelation itself. The measure of our interest
in every special manifestation of God is commen-
surate with the depth of our consciousness of our
own need of a special vision. As our longing for
the infinite is intensified, our interest is enhanced in
all revelations promised and realized. This vision
of God promised to Moses is a prophecy of the reve-
lation with which the Father in Heaven will enrich

THF, RESPONSE. 55

and ennoble the sincere search of every soul for
glimpses of His glory. In response to the desire of
Moses to see His glory, (iod promises that all His
goodness sliall pass before him. This suggests that
His glory and His goodness are identical. Even to
God His glory is His moral character. The glory
of His glory is His goodness. As the Almighty
conceives it, His glory consists not in His almighty
power, infinite wisdom or eternal existence, but in
the moral qualities of His personal character, —
righteousness and love. His glory does not depend
on those perfections which are necessary to His be-
ing. He could not but be almighty, all-wise and
eternal, and however valuable these attributes may
be, they can not with any propriety be considered
as constituting His personal and peculiar glory.
Character in (lod, as in man, is that which is created
of choice, and not of compulsion. That whicli is
compulsory ]:)ossesses no virtue, though in itself it
contain much good. The good that one chooses is
one's crown, (xod, in a special sense, is good and
gracious because He chooses so to be, and this con-
stitutes His glory. The glory of Deity is His per-
sonal character, and the glory of His personal char-
acter is goodness, or love, (rod always emphasizes
mercy and love as the essence and crown of His
divine perfection, lentil man has had a glimpse of

56 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

the love of God, he intuitively feels that there is yet
in Him a glory that he has never seen, and thoug-h
glorious visions of His majesty and glory be ever
granted to him, the spiritual instinct of the soul will
still cry out, " vShow me Thy glory. " Seeing the
spiritual God, the Father, alone can satisfy the spir-
itual nature of man. Moral quality alone can move
and mould a moral agent. Love alone can irradiate
a being with its own light, and make it lovable.
Goodness alone can transform and make men good.
The vision of God's love alone can satisfy the love-
hungry soul. Though we possess all knowledge of
the majesty of God, as expressed in the innumer-
able worlds around us, and though we be privileged
to receive every other revelation possible of the Di-
vine, save the vision of love, the hunger of our soul
will be unappeascd, the longing of our heart unsat-
isfied, and continually we will cry, " vShow me Thy
glory." It is only when the mind has grasped the
truth that (xod is love and when the heart has
learned to love like God, that the soul has seen the
glory of God and is satisfied. God promises to pro-
claim His name before Moses, and this name is evi-
dently an integral part of the revelation. Instinct-
ively we ask what the name of God has to do with
the vision. The answer is not far to seek. God's
name is inseparably connected with His glory, for

THE RESPONSE. 57

it Stands for His moral character. The Deity has
many names. They are all holy and expressive of
certain attributes of the divine character. Tlie
name spoken of here was evidently pronounced for
the first time, in the hearing- of Moses, or it could not
have been a necessary part of the new revelation.
What could it have been, but the name that identi-
fies Cxod with the work of salvation? The identical
name which he earned for himself in redeemin<^
man, alone would harmonize with the vision. Man's
salvation is said to be '' to the Lord for a name."
AVhat name worthy or more effectual in assisting
Closes to understand the mysteries of divine love than
the name so full of love, " the Lord, long suffering
and gracious, plenteous in mercy and truth?" (xod
is very jealous of this name, and He esteems it above
every other. He pardons iniquity " for His name's
sake," and one of the strongest pleas that man can
make for mercy is '' for Thy name's sake, pardon my
iniquity." This name is spelled only in letters of
love, and can be known and appreciated only as it
is expressed in the work of salvation. Is not tliis
the reason wh}' God says, in introducing His name,
" and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious?"
The name bcconics of practical value when tlie ([ual-
ities it rc])rcscnts arc manifested in deeds of mercy.
A name is always valual)le as it is appropriate, and

58 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

appropriate only as it helps to distinguish the qual-
ity for which it stands, from all else. The good-
ness of God expresses His name, and ?Iis name in-
dicates His goodness. Every vision is valuable,
not to the extent of the inherent glory it contains,
■ but in proportion to its power of making that glor}'
transferable to man. A vision is great, only as the
soul is enabled to appreciate the glory it unveils.
The love of God is as clearly seen in all the attend-
ing circumstances pertaining to the revelation prom-
ised to Moses, as in the act of granting the revela-
tion itself. A vision is valuable only as we are in
a position to perceive its glor}^ This is true of all
visions. Without an attainable vantage ground, the
most beautiful landscape would to us have no inter-
est or charm. Until we stand in a favorable posi-
tion, the most lifelike painting would have no beauty.
It was thus with Moses. Without the cleft of the
rock, and the covering hand of God, the vision,
though in itself of inestimable value, would have had
no practical influence on the soul. God, however,
in mercy always provides these requisites of a right
relationship to the revelation received. The cleft
of the rock is always necessary, and ever within
reach. The shadow of His hand is imperative to
every vision, and it is ever read}^ to cover and to
keep in safety the soul, when His goodness passes

THE RESPONSE. 59

before it. With what a sense of security and of the
near approach of the Father in Heaven, God's hand
filled the heart of Moses! It is ever thus. What
hand so strono- and tender, so fatherly, as the hand
of God? Blessed is he whose habitation is under
the shadow of the hand of the Almig-hty. When
the soul has been made strong enough^ through the
nourishing care and protecting hand of (iod, to live
in the light of His presence, the shadow of His hand
will be removed, and His love in undimmed glory
shall be seen. The cleft of the rock and the hiding-
hand are both necessar}' conditions of revelation.
The cleft of the rock, while closing from his view
everything on the right and the left, focused his eye
on God as He passed before him. It was necessar v
not only that Nature should disappear from the
vision before the personal Ciod would btx:ome vis-
ible, but that Nature should turn all her lights to
reflect on the passing glory. The soul that would
see the spiritual God must become conscious only
of that which is spiritual. The cleft of the rock can
not but suggest the Rock of Ages, cleft on Calvary,
in which all sinners may hide, and may in safety
gaze upon God's glor3\ In the cleft of the Rock of
Ages, the particular vision given to ]Moses is made
possible to all, and all that hide theivin are privi-
leged to behold, not the passing but the abiding

6o GLTMPSE? OF GOD.

glory of God. The climax of God's promise to
Moses,' the kernel of the response and the soul of
the revelation, is that Moses would be privileged to
see God's ''back parts." These words may be
translated, " Thou shalt see Me as revealed in the
latter days. ' ' What can this mean, save that God
was about to reveal Himself to Moses, as He would
be seen in Emmanuel redeeming- the world. No
interpretation is more natural to the spirit of the
whole narrative. God's love could be satisfied with
nothing less ; the soul of Moses could desire nothing
more. This we believe to be the revelation which
God informed Moses He held in reserve for him —
the highest manifestation possible to mortal eye
of the spiritual God, as seen in Christ, the Re-
deemer. Moses is about to see " the Lamb slain
from the foundation of the world," to taste of the
joy of salvation, and to look upon '' the glor}^ of
God in the face of Jesus Christ."

THE REALIZATION.

" Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning
unto Mount Sinai, and present thyself there to Me in the top
of the mount. And no man shall come up with thee, neither
let any man be seen throughout all the mount : neither let the
flocks nor herds feed before that mount. And he hewed two
tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in
the morning, and went up unto Mount Sinai, as the Lord had
commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
And the Lord descended in the cloud, and stood with him
there and proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord
passed by before him, and proclaimed. The Lord, the Lord
God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving
iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means
clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and
to the fourth generation." — Exodus 34: 2-7.

Thus are glimpses of God realized and sueh are
the realized g-limpses of God. Stich is the vision of
the spiritual God, and such is the God of the spir-
itual vision. In these words we are permitted to
draw near the heart of Jehovah, to enter into the

62 GLIMPSES OK r,OD.

Holy of Holies of His character, and to gaze upon
His glory. All who would appreciate the revelation
of God made to Moses, and make the vision their
own, must ascend the mount made holy by the
divine presence, with reverential awe, and seek to
enter the sacred solitude and silence of Sinai, not in
a sensuous, selfish or sentimental spirit, but in
sanctity of soul and with a spirit sensitive to things
spiritual. To behold the glory of God we must
needs stand with Moses in the cleft of the rock, hav-
ing fulfilled the conditions of spiritual sight, and
with sanguine spirit await the realization of the
promised vision. Our souls must burn within us with
godly enthusiasm, and our hearts be so filled with
spiritual yearning that we will hail the vision with
holy love. These words emphasize the co-operation
necessary between the human and the Divine, to
make possible the realization of divine revelation.
They enumerate the conditions imperative to spir-
itual vision. They teach us three things concerning
the realization of glimpses of God. First, the char-
acter of the recipient ; second, the conditions of the
reception ; third, the nature of the received glimpses.
Thus, in the light of Heaven, they reveal to us:

I. THE RECIPIENT.

The spirit of Moses is representative of the spirit

THE RE.\T.IZATir)N. 6;^

which is iinpcnitivc to spiritual siglit. lie was
privileged to sec God only as it is possible for all
men to see Him. God is ever the same, and His
relation the same to all who diligently seek Him.
While glimpses of God are possible to all, they are
possible only under certain unchanging conditions.
A certain spirit and attitude of soul are imperative
to spiritual vision. The qualification of Moses to
receive glimpses of (lod was amply tested by the
conditions imposed upon him, and in the fulfillment
of the divine requirements his soul was fully pre-
pared to receive the revelation of God. He pos-
sessed the spirit without which it is impossible to
see God, and in the possession of which it is impos-
sible not to see God. Thus, indirectly, the text
emphasizes the conditions of spiritual sight.
The first condition of spiritual sight is —
{(i) Siiico'tty. No one will fail to note the sin-
cerity of spirit which Moses manifested in every stage
of his search for the spiritual (lod. Sincerity marks
his every step and characterizes his every effort.
Sincerity blossoms in every desire and ripens in
every deed. Sincerity was the secret of his search and
the secret of his success. It was because he was
sincere that he sought, and secured, this supreme
vision. His whole soul was in the search, for it was
the search of his soul. This is sincerity. He lived

64 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

only to see God, and saw God only to live like God.
No one will succeed in seeing- God in any other way.
The mind that is not honest, the spirit that is not
upright, and the soul that is not sincere, can not
possibly see the spiritual God. Unless we possess
a pure heart and a pure life and are in truth what
we appear to be, pure, real, true — in a word, sin-
cere— we can not hope to secure glimpses of God.
This is as wise as it is good. The insincere soul is
incapable of appreciating spiritual things; it only
trifles with truth. He that is insincere is unfaith-
ful to the light he already possesses, the truth al-
ready revealed, and thus is unqualified to appreciate
the visions of God and glimpses of His glory.
Divine revelation can only be made as the human
is prepared to receive it. God can not malce Him-
self known, save to the soul that with sincerity seeks
a worthier conception of Him. Glimpses of God,
like all gifts of grace, are denied only to those who
are destitute of the power to utilize them. Sincer-
ity is the first fruit of faith, and the first and final
condition of fellowship. Sincerity is alone the soil
which can nourish worthy aspiration after God.
Spiritual aspiration is but the sincere search of the
soul for a more perfect knowledge, a closer com-
munion and a greater affinity of spirit with the
Divine. The soul that would see the Supreme must

THK KEALIZAIIUN. 6 c;

seek to do so with a sin^^le eye. As the marksman
closes one eye in order to concentrate the i;'aze of
the otlier, tlie better to take aim, and the astronomer
looks with single eye through the lenses of the tele-
scope, so must he who would look far and well into
the hidden things of God, to behold His eternal
glory. The sincere soul alone will succeed in se-
curing glimpses of Ciod.

The second condition of spiritual sight is —
{/}) Spirituality. This means sympathy of soul
with God and things spiritual. There must be affin-
ity between percciver and perceived in all worlds.
Like alone can kncnv like. Spiritual things are spir-
itually seen. " God is a spirit, and they that wor-
ship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."
" Blessed arc the pure in heart, for they shall see
God." Without holiness no one can see Him wlio
is Holy. Purity of heart or spirituality of mind is
not only a condition but a qualification without
which spiritual sight is impossible. The soul must
exercise its spiritual function, before we can appre-
ciate spiritual things or see the spiritual (lod. This
is no arbitrary arrangement but the imperative law
of divine love. The spiritual man alone can discern
spiritual things. He who is not spiritually minded,
though he be an intellectual genius, will utterly fail
to understand spiritual things, because totally desti-

(^€ GLIT^IPSES OF GOD.

Uite of the necessary qualification to receiv^e them.
Glimpses of God are given only to the Godlike. He
who would succeed in making special discoveries in
the spiritual world must ever conform to this essen-
tial condition of spiritual sight. We would not un-
derestimate mental endowments or overestimate,
were that possible, spiritual faculties. Deep spir-
itual natures alone can rise to a worthy conception
of the " high and lofty One who inhabiteth Eter-
nity." Nevertheless, the man whose mental nature
is highly developed and mind well equipped, if spir-
itual, will understand more of God, get into closer
touch with the Divine, be of greater service to
humanity than is possible to an unlettered man,
though possessing an equally devout and spiritual
soul. He will secure greater glimpses of God and
reveal more of God to his fellows, than is possible
to the man who is his inferior intellectually. On
the other hand, he who can not write his name, but
has been born of the spirit of God, and is in sym-
pathy, through love, with the purposes of His holy
heart, will learn more of the secrets of divine love^
receive and reproduce greater glimpses of God, than
can the most learned philosopher destitute of spir-
itual affinity. How natural is this divine arrange-
ment, and how merciful and good it shows God to
be ! Glimpses of God are possible to all, hence all

THE REALTZATION. 67

may excel in Godliness. The illiterate may be illu-
minated with the li^ht divine, and become the most
illustrious sons of God. The same law is reiterated
in the world of Nature. The man that is in sym-
pathy with Nature alone will succeed in learninL^-
her secrets. He that loves, alone can woo Nature
until she loves and confesses in sweet confidence
her affection. He must approach her clothed with
the irresistible t^race and charm of love before she
will unseal her lips to speak the secrets of her
happy heart. Nature has but one imperative de-
mand of all her children — love. The poet may be
ii^-norant of science and yet be admitted without
question into the holy of holies of Nature's heart.
If he possesses the true poetic instinct, he will
never fail to charm the world with his interpreta-
tion of Nature. He will look on the beautiful lily
and catch a q^limpse of the God who made it. As
he gazes on the sun, he will see the vigil eye of
ricxl. The true poet and the true painter, like the
true Christian, will everywhere see God, and every-
where assist men to behold His glory. The artist
alone can appreciate and interpret art ; the poet
alone can appreciate and interpret poetry, and the
Godlike alone can see (xod. The spiritually minded
will secure most, appreciate most, manifest most,
glimpses of (jod. It is noteworthy that by far the

68 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

greatest discoveries in all worlds have been made by
men great in heart, rather than head power. God
is love. In love has He done all things, and love
only can understand and appreciate love. Love
only can see love, and love sees love only. Who
but a friend can a friend fathom ? None but the
spiritual can see the spiritual God.

The third condition of spiritual sight is —
(c) Sci'vicc. The last and most imperative quali-
fication to secure glimpses of God is that condition
of soul, that activity of spirit and sacrificing love
which we designate service. It includes sincerity,
spirituality and self-surrender. The first stands
for spiritual ambition, the second for spiritual affin-
ity and the third for spiritual assimilation. These
three conditions of spiritual sight represent the
Christian graces. The first is hope, the second
faith, and the third love, " and the greatest of these
is love." Blended together, they constitute the
essence of spiritual life, which is but another name
for love in service and the service of love. This
word stands for everything that is essential to
secure glimpses of God. He who loves to serve
God will learn of God how best to serve Him.
Knowledge of God is the best preparation for serv-
ice. The one Biblical word which includes every-
thing essential to eternal life is Love, and love is

THE REATJZATI(~)N. 69

but soul in service. The words, " If any man will
do His will, he shall know the doctrine," teach us
that obedience is an imperative condition of spir-
itual sii^iit. Indeed, it is the most im])ortant of all
conditions', for without obedience to the truth
already revealed, man is not prepared to receive a
revelation of a greater truth. He only successfully
studies Nature who is in sympathy with her spirit
and in loving obedience conforms to her ways. He
that would secure glimpses of God must appreciate
those already received by reproducing them in his
life. This is obedience, for what is obedience but
sympathetic and sacrificing service ? No one can
serve God unless he loves Him. No one loves God
unless he serves Him, and no one loves and serves
without being constantly made more like unto (xod.
Through service alone are we qualified for higher
service. He that would know God must love Him,
for God is love. Higher knowledge of God must be
sought through increased sympathy expressed in
more faithful, loving and efficient service. There
is only one royal road to the holy of holies of (iod's
heart, and that is the way the Saviour went, — obedi-
ence, expressed in self-sacrificing service. He that
would know (lod must learn to look with the eye of
God, think with the mind of G(xl, act with the will
of God, judge with the conscience of God, and love

70 (ILTMPSES OF GOD.

with the heart of God. In a word he must co-
work with God. The best way to know God is to
serve Him. Had not Moses been faithful in the
fnlfillment of the task allotted to him, had he not
shown the spirit of self-sacrifice and made serv-
ing God the great sacred aim of his life, he would
never have been qualified to receive this vision
of God. Moreover, had he sought it from any
other motive or for any other purpose save to
qualify him for more efficient service, it would
never have been granted unto him. God reveals
Himself that man might the better serve humanity
and Heaven. God never honors selfishness with
spiritual sight. vSelfishness, like sensuality, blinds
the spiritual eye and closes the heart of God like a
sealed book. He that would know God must seek
to know Him not from any idle curiosity or simply
for personal satisfaction, but because the knowledge
is imperative to enable him as a man to do his duty.
He that would secure glimpses of God must seek
them not only from the right motive, but in the right
manner. The spirit must be humble, lowly, teach-
able. Without humility no one can approach Him
who is Holy. God can not reveal Himself to the
man who has no eye to see or heart to feel anything
but self. He that is filled with thoughts concerning
himself has no room for God in his soul. Haughti-

THE REATJ;^ATION. J I

ness and holiness can not hope to dwell together in
harmony. The Saviour emphasized the importance
of possessing- the childlike spirit, the teachable dis-
position, if we would become (rodlike. Moses pos-
sessed pre-eminently these essential qualifications
for spiritual vision. His sincerity, spirituality and
service made him honored of men and beloved of
God. This is the reason why he was rewarded witli
this special vision and glorified with this glimpse of
God. This is the explanation why God spake to
Moses " as a man speaketh with his friend." He
was humble of heart, appreciative of spirit and faith-
ful in service. His heart was united with the heart of
God in the bonds of love, and his spirit, ever strong
in sympathy with the Supreme, was strengthened
through service. All who would secure the glimp-
ses of God with which the life of Closes was enriched
and ennobled must seek them with similar spirit,
along the straight road of sincerity, the upward
path of spirituality, and rough road of self-sacrihc-
ing service.

II. THE RECEPTION.

The words of tlic text inform us not only of tlie
spirit necessary to receive glimpses of God, but of
the manner in which gbmpses are received. Tliey
give in detail the conditions of time and place in

7^ GLIMPSES OP GOD.

which Moses received this vision. It is of great
importance not only to know who may receive
glimpses of God, but how, when, and where, it is pos-
sible to receive them. Manifold are the environ-
ments and many the seasons in which men have
been permitted to see the glory of God. It is sug-
gestive that the three greatest visions granted to
Moses were given on the mount — one before he com-
menced his life work, to call and consecrate him
for service; the second in the midst of life's duties,
to encourage and to strengthen him in the fulfill-
ment thereof; the last at the close 'of his mem-
orable and majestic career, a reward and crown for
faithfulness and a preparation for Heaven. There
are but few places in which we would more natu-
rally expect visions than on a mount, — Nature's near-
est physical proximity to Heaven. The mount is
the sanctuary of seclusion and solitude, the throne
of Nature, before which the earth doth homage.
All the world looks up to it with adoring eyes, and
every star in Heaven seems to center its gaze upon
it. Its foundation is the rock, and its canopy the
star-studded sky. The mount represents every-
thing that is majestic, lofty and transcendent in
Nature. It lives above the clouds and the petty dis-
sensions and strifes of meaner elements, drinking
in the light that floods the sky, and lifts up its head

THE REALIZATION. 73

as if its royal ambition was to touch Heaven. It is
the home of freedom, untranimeled by the conven-
tionalities of life's commonplace conditions. From
its summit the widest outlook of earth and Heaven
is possible, and there the soul can in sacred solitude
and silence scan sublime space, and soar past stars
and suns to the sanctuary of spirit where the spir-
itual God is seen and served. We are not surprised
that Jesus was so wont to retire to the mount to
pray. What place so conducive to contemplative
thought and communion. He that is not filled with
a reverential spirit on a mount, would not worshi]^
in Heaven. Moses was transfigured on a mount ;
Elijah learned his greatest lesson of God on a
mount; Jesus was transfigured on a mount. He
who is anxious to secure a glimpse of God will do
well to seek it on a mount — alone with God. That
God chose the mount as the place in which to reveal
Himself to Moses is significant and suggestive. He
has a reason for all the selections He makes, whether
of spirit, seasons or scenes, and the greatest reason
is superior adaptability. He specifies to Closes tlie
time, the place, and all the necessary preparation ; he
is to l)e ready in the morning and to present him-
self on Mount Sinai. No man is to go with him,
neither is any man to be seen throughout all the
mount, nor the flocks nor herds to feed before it.

74 OLTMPSES OF (ion.

Moses had to ascend toward Heaven to meet God,
and God descended toward earth to meet Moses.
The glory of man is that he can go up ; the glory of
God is that He can come down. Had Moses failed
to observe an}^ of the conditions given, he would
never have realized the desired vision of God. But
he was too miich in earnest and too anxious to re-
ceive the promised revelation, to omit the fulfilment
of any condition, to question or to fail to obey the
divine decree in every detail. He manifested his
faith in the act of hewing the two stones and taking
them with him to the mount. God might easily have
furnished them by the simple act of His sovereign
will, but here was an opportunity to test and develop
the faith of Moses, while also giving him the privi-
lege of co-operating with God. He had to arise
early and climb to the top of Mount Sinai; this
meant individual effort and personal sacrifice, and
thus proved his preparation to receive the promised
vision. Moses rose up early, and bearing with him
the stones, ascended with grateful heart and expect-
ant spirit to the top of the mount and presented
himself before the Lord, having faithfully observed
all the conditions laid down for him. Therefore,
God rewarded him with special glimpses of His
glory. The spirit underlying these conditions is
imperative to spiritual vision, though the form may

THE RKAl.lZA riON. 75

and does often vary. We must ever have faith in
God and prepare ourselves to receive impressions
from the Divine. Wc must ascend heavenward,
leavinj4' behind the din and noise of the world, and
above clouds in the undimmed sunlight, with sweet
confidence and strong faith, hold hallowed commun-
ion with God. He that is not prepared to sacrifice
pleasure, time and case, and to make all things sub-
servient to the realization of glimpses of God, will
never see the glory of God pass before him. Man's
greatest glimpses of God have been secured in soli-
tude. Special visions are given only to those in
special need of them ; special need moves the soul
to its depths, and when so moved the soul instinct-
ively seeks solitude. Strong souls seek solitude.
This is not strange ; it is their native home. Sub-
lime spirits arc born in solitude. He that is anx-
ious to secure a worthier conception of the Eternal
will seek to be alone in order to commune with God.
The soul that would know God must learn to know
itself, and the soul that would know itself retro-
spectively, introspectively, and prospectively, must
seek solitude. As there are sorrows too sacred
for speech, so there are spiritual experiences when
man instinctively seeks solitude and becomes in-
tolerant of every presence save the Divine. Under
no other conditions are glimpses possible. When

76 CzLIMPSES OF CxOD.

the soul is enraptured with things divine, and filled
with holy enthusiasm born of the consciousness of
contact with God, and so absorbed in hallowed com-
munion with Him that it becomes unconscious of
its physical surroundings and lives only to know
and love the Father in Heaven, then and then only
does it behold the glory of God. This is possible in
all environments, whether on the mount or in the
valley, in the sunlight of pleasure or the shadow of
pain. God is not limited to time nor place, and al-
though the mount has been made sacred as the place
where God has so often revealed Himself, yet we
rejoice to know that in other scenes and less favored
spheres the voice of God has been heard and His
glory revealed. Ezekiel had visions of God among
the captives by the river Chebar. The heavens
were opened to John in the solitude of Patmos.
Hence, glimpses of God are possible in very un-
promising environments. Even when suffering-
humiliation in the land of captivity and surrounded
by an idolatrous nation, men have received visions
of God. We are not surprised when they are given
on the mount, or in the promised land, in the enjoy-
ment of freedom, surrounded by religious influences
and privileges, where the very air seems heavy
laden with God's precious promises. It is quite
natural to expect them by the river Jordan, the

THK RKAl.IZA IU)N. 77

scene of so many of Crod's mighty works, or in the
temple where His glory appeared on the mercy
seat. But in Patmos and by the river Chebarl
This startles and surprises the soul, and is a mys-
tery ever. Nevertheless, it is a truth that circum-
stances nor country, nor crimes of comrades, need
hinder the soul that seeks, from securing glimpses
of God. It is of supreme importance that we re-
member the circumstances under which this special
vision of God was vouchsafed to Moses. It was
when his soul was bowed down in sorrow, when he
was assailed by spiritual despondency and driven
by the idolatry of the people to the verge of despair.
Spiritual sorrow is ever rewarded with increased
spiritual strength. vSpecial visions of God are given
to secure special victories over spiritual difficulties.
It is strangely true that glimpses of God are more
frequently secured in sorrow, sadness and suffering,
than in any other seasons. When the night is dark
and dreary, when spiritual despondency and despair
harass the soul, when failure follows our footsteps
and our fond hopes droop and die in a single night,
when sickness assails the body and dark doubt be-
clouds the mind, and evil days come upon us; when
there is no solitary star of hope in our spiritual sky,
every light in Heaven having burned out like a
candle in the socket, — amidst such experiences as

78 rxLniPSES of god.

these do men rise to holier coneeptions of God.
This is a strano^e fact, but though strange, true,
and written not only on the leaves of history but in-
delibly inscribed on the scroll of many a soul. Great
sorrows drive great souls closer to God. Job strug-
gled until he saw God when Satan sought to destroy
his soul, and everything seemed to suggest that he
was God-deserted. The three young men in Babylon
had glimpses of God in the light of the fiery fur-
nace. Stephen saw the heavens open and had a
transfiguring vision of God while suffering martyr-
dom, Paul had visions when persecuted and in
prison. Martyrs had glimpses of God's glory in the
light of the fagot flame, when borne in a chariot of
fire to Heaven. Think not then, my brother, that
it is necessary to live in peace and prosperity or to
reach high altitudes of favor, fortune or fame to
secure glimpses of God. Nay, they may be secured
when the soul is bowed down by sorrow, held in the
iron grip of grief, and when everything in the out-
ward environments defies the eye to see the God of
love. Seek not to be delivered from the night ex-
periences of sorrow, or from the path of self-denial
and sacrifice in order to secure visions of God, but
know rather that when in the way of duty, though
suffering humiliation in the land of captivity or sur-
rounded by sin near Sinai, outside the pale of the

THE REALIZATION. 79

promised land, then art thou most assured of a
g-limpse of God. May we ever remember that the
suffering's of the soul, like the sorrows of a child,
speed its flight to the Father's embrace. Sorrow
and suffering, when sanctified by sweet submission
of spirit, issue into seasons of spiritual serenity and
satisfaction, the soul of which is that the spiritual
God is seen.

III. THE RECEIVED GLIMPSES.

The soul of all study is the study of God as seen
by the soul. The soul that will secure the greatest
glimpses of God is the soul that knows best how to
value glimpses already received, whether by itself
or by others. The secret of superior glimpses is
soul-appreciation of glimpses already secured.
Nothing, therefore, is of more vital interest and im-
portance to all who would know God than to acquaint
themselves with what men have learned concerning
Him. Our interest in the glimpses of God realized by
others is commensurate with our individual yearning
for a worthier conception of God. The value of every
life is determined by the light it throws on the char-
acter of God. Men are immortal to the extent that
they have been illuminated and irradiated with the
light of divine love. Their influence is imperishable
and their glory luminous, as their souls illuminate

So GLIMPSES OF GOt>.

the pathway to the heart of God. The secret of the
spirituality and strength of any soul is its power to
make stepping-stones of the spiritual experiences of
others, to rise to a higher conception of God. Hence
our interest in the vision of God vouchsafed to
Moses. The value of the vision is the glory it un-
veils. Our interest in every vision is proportionate
to the insight it gives into the character of God. As
every truth holds a manward and a Godward rela-
tion, so every vision of God possesses a human and
a divine element. Glimpses of God, like all the
gifts of grace, bring earth and Heaven together, and
blend the human with the Divine. We have already
considered the human element; now we approach
the divine. As ever, the divine lends value to the
human, and the received glimpse of God is the soul
of our interest in the recipient and the reception.
What is of vital importance is that we see God as
He was seen of Moses, when His glory passed before
him. The glory of God is the harmony of holiness,
as music is the harmony of sounds, beauty the har-
mony of color, and love the harmony of hearts. As
it passed before Moses it was beauty to his eye,
music to his ear, and love to his heart. God's glory
is His goodness; His goodness was manifested to
Moses, for it passed before him ; but the goodness of
God being a moral quality is of necessity invisible to

THE REALIZATION. 8l

mortal eye, save as expressed in works or embodied
in a person at onee both human and divine. To
embody infinite goodness, that person must needs be
divine; to reveal it to man. He must needs be hu-
man. How, then, could Moses see " the f;'oodness
of God," apart from His works, save in Jesus
Christ? He could not look upon the face of God to
see His glory; he could not see His glory without
looking on the face of Jesus Christ. If divine love
declared it impossible to look on the face of God to
behold His glory, divine love made it possible to
see God's glory in the face of Jesus Christ. We
can not but believe that the vision vouchsafed to
]^Ioses was a manifestation of the Incarnate vSon of
Ciod and a prophetic view of His salvation. What
more natural than that the legislator through whom
the law was being given should catch a glimpse of
the ^lessiah, through whom grace and truth would
come? This alone could have satisfied the desire of
Moses. What he reailly wanted in his heart of
hearts, whether he knew it or not, was to see Jesus,
who alone is the supreme revelation of Cxod's glory.
Does not God promise this when He says, '' Thou
shalt see My back parts?" What can these words
mean if not this: Thou shalt sec Mc as I will mani-
fest Myself in mercy to man in the latter days?^ It
is certain that the phrase will bear this translation.

82 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

and hardly less certain is it that the spirit will bear
this interpretation. God could not be seen " as in
the latter days " save in Emmanuel, in whom dwelt
bodily the glory of God. The possibility of such a
revelation is unquestionable. Moses saw "Christ's
day, and was glad. ' ' Why not believe that it was
from Sinai he saw it? Granted the necessity of this
revelation to qualify Moses for the special work en-
trusted to him of God, in preparing a peculiar people
to receive the Messiah, and everything else is
granted. If the Incarnation of Christ is a fact, it
is to God an eternal fact, and to Him the manifesta-
tion of Jesus to Moses presented no more difficulty
than His manifestation to Saul after His ascension.
We can not interpret the request of Moses and the
response of God without feeling that neither could
be fully realized, save in the manifestation of the Re-
deemer. If we say that what Moses wanted when he
asked to see the glory of God was to understand how
holiness and love could dwell together in harmony,
his desire could not be fulfilled save in a vision of
Jesus Christ. In Him alone is found the explana-
tion, for in Him holiness and love dwell in sweet
accord, and mercy and truth are seen in close em-
brace. If what Moses wanted was a manifestation
of God's purposes and future dealing with Israel,
surely no revelation could be satisfactory or com.--

TTTE RFAT.TZATIOX. 83

pictc which left out the soul of all I Us dealinos —
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the «^lory of all God's
dealings with man, for what is the glory of God
save holiness triumphant in forgiving love, right-
eousness and mercy kissing each other ? This is
visible only in the Saviour. Jesus is the realization
and the consummation of righteous and redeeming
love. A glimpse of Emmanuel was all that Moses
could desire, but nothing less could have satisfied
his heart or qualified him for his service. More-
over, the names or attributes emphasized in the
vision made to Moses are without meaning only as
they find expression and interpretation in Christ.
" ^lerciful and gracious, longsuffering and abun-
dant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin. " This revelation is unintel-
ligible, save in Christ Jesus. '' Mercy" means a
heart for misery. It points to the passibility of
God, and teaches how He is capable of sympathiz-
ing with the sinner in his suffering. This is the
initial step in man's salvation. He is " gracious " —
His heart goeth out in saving love toward the sin-
ner. " LongsutTering " — patient witli the impeni-
tent; " abundant in goodness and truth " — though
infinite, yet too full of love to contain it. " Keeping
mercy for thousands" — making a safe investment
of mercy until the S(jul is driven by poverty to

84 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

claim it. " Forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin ' ' — the sacrifice of the Sinless for the sinful.
How is this revelation possible only in Christ? It
is in Him that the heart of God is seen going forth
in sacrificing sympathy to the sinner. In Him is
seen the patient longsuffering of God. In Him the
overflowing love of God is manifested. In Him
alone is forgiveness possible and mercy reserved for
men. Surely this revelation was a glimpse of Gos-
pel salvation, and a glimpse of salvation means a
glimpse of the Saviour of the world. The greatest
manifestation of the glory of God to the world is
Jesus Christ, and well might this have satisfied the
soul of Moses and brought him to his knees. Well
might he have been transfigured by the vision, and
his whole being become irradiated with its divine
glory. Nothing could have so prepared him to ele-
vate, educate and emancipate Israel as to see Im-
manuel, God's ideal man and man's ideal God.
The soul can find supreme satisfaction only in the
Saviour. What all souls long for, consciously or
imconsciously, is to see the God of love, and to re-
alize that in truth He is the Father in Heaven.
This is the highest conception of God possible to the
soul, as it is the heart's deepest yearning. The Fa-
ther is seen only in the Son, and he that hath seen
the Son only has seen the Father. He that hath

THE REALIZATION. 85

seen the Son has learned that " God is love." He
understands how God can love and is moved to love
like God, for His <^oodness has passed before him,
Moses was moved by love when he requested God
to show him His glory. God was moved by love
when He responded to the request, and in a unique
manner. He in love passed before him until Moses
was moved by love. When Moses saw Jesus he
became nobler, wiser and holier. He returned from
the mount of vision prepared for his life's work,
more in sympathy with his people, a better leader,
a wiser ruler, for he had seen the ideal Ruler and
Redeemer — the Prince of Peace.

THE RESULT.

" And Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the
,earth and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found
grace in Thy sight, oh Lord, let my Lord I pray Thee, go
among us ; for it is a stiff-necked people ; and pardon our iniq-
uity and our sm. And take us for Thine inheritance. And
the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words. For after
the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee
and with Israel. And he was there with the Lord forty days
and forty nights. He did neither eat bread nor drink water.
And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the
Ten Commandments. And it came to pass when Moses came
down from Mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in
Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount that Moses
wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with
him. And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw
Moses, behold the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid
to come nigh him. And Moses called unto them and Aaron
and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and
Moses talked with them. And afterward all the children of
Israel came nigh and he gave them in commandment all that
the Lord had spoken with him in Mount Sinai." — E.\«.i)i:s
34: S. 9, 27-32.

The result of <,dimpses of (iod is tninsfig-unition.

88 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

Transfiguration is the irradiation of the human by
divine love, as the result of the illumination of the
human by divine lig-ht. To see God is to become
Godlike. To know*God is to love Him, and to love
Him is to become like Him. The spirituality of
any soul depends upon its insight into the spiritual
nature of God. The strength of any soul in service
is determined by the strength of its spiritual sight.
The spiritual life deepens as the spiritual outlook
widens. The higher the soul rises in its conception
of God, the deeper becomes its sensibility to things
spiritual. Vision ends in adoration ; adoration ends
in assimilation; assimilation ends in reproduction.
This is Godliness. Godliness is Godlikeness, and
Godlikeness is the result of adoringly gazing on
God's glory. The soul that secures the greatest
vision of God becomes most like the God of the
vision. The vision mirrors the transfigured soul;
the transfigured soul mirrors the God of the vision.
In the vision, love unveils divine life ; in the transfig-
uration, life unveils divine love. The vision is life
in the language of love ; the transfiguration is love
in the language of life. He who beholds the glory
of God is transformed to His very image. Glimpses
of God illuminate and irradiate man's whole being,
until he becomes Godlike. All glimpses of God
have a transforming influence, but the greater the

THE RESULT. 89

vision the ^'rcater its transfii^Tirino- power. Our
vision of (iod determines our eoneeption of Ilini,
and our eoneeption of God determines our charaeter
before God. Our charaeter always conforms to our
eoneeption of God and it ean never rise higher.
Conception of God is character in promise ; charac-
ter is conception of Cjod in crystallization. jSIan
worships the God of his conception, and becomes
like the God he worships. He reverences God as
his conception rises ; and he reproduces God in
proportion as he reverences. Glimpses of God gen-
erate reverence in the soul. The soul retains what
it reverences, ruminates on what it retains, and re-
produces that on which it ruminates. Aloses re-
ceived a glimpse of (xod which increased his rever-
ence, and as a pearl of great price it was treasured
in his heart and retained in his memory. Rever-
ently he reflected and ruminated on the vision he
had received, until its glory became an integral part
of his being and was reproduced in his life. This is
the secret of his transfiguration. It is ever thus.
The soul that receives a vision of God will reverence
the God of the vision, retain and ruminate on the
vision, and will invariably reproduce and reflect its
glory. These are the stages in man's transfigura-
tion, and the results of glimpses of God — reverence,
retention, rumination and reproduction.

90 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

revp:rence.

" And Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the
earth, and worshipped."

Thus humility hastens to do homage to holiness.
Humility loves holiness and holiness loves humility.
One attracts the other, and where both meet, there
is Heaven. Humility honors holiness in doing- it
homage ; holiness honors humility in receiving its
homage. Holiness produces humility, and humility
promotes holiness. Humility is the condition of
holiness in man, and holiness the crown of humili-
ty. He who gazes on the glory of God instinctivelv
bows his head and worships. He does not droop as
doth the fading flower, but bends rather like the
full and ripened ear of corn under its very weight of
glory, having profited by the light and warmth of
Heaven until made ready for sacrifice and service.
It is on his knees alone man can enter into the hoi}-
of holies of the temple of truth, and invariably he
wdio has so entered and seen the glory of God on
the mercyseat will return with increased humility
of heart, lowliness of spirit and contrition of soul.
Glimpses of God's glory can not fail to impress the
soul privileged to receive them with a sense of
its own utter unworthiness. The lonofer we oraze
Upon the sun of righteousness, live in its light and

rHK UKSIT[/|-. gt

treasure its beams, the more oppressive will be-
eomc the eonseioiisness of our own moral darkness.
The further we arc permitted to wander into the
temple of holiness, the deeper will become our
hatred of all that is unholy. The nearer we are
permitted to draw to the heart of Ood, and the more
we learn to appreciate the depth of divine love, the
more will we realize the shallowness of our own
lives and the selfishness of our own love. This will
bring us to our knees, not only to adore, but in in-
tense earnestness of spirit to seek to be transformed
to God's glorious image. This is reverence. Sin
becomes hideous in the light of holiness ; selfishness
dies in the presence of divine love. We learn to
love as we learn how God loves. He who has seen
the glor}^ of God — Jesus Christ — has learned to look
with the eye of God on self, on sin, and on society.
He hates iniquity with the hatred of God's holy
heart, and is filled with contrition when the light of
holiness reveals the stains of sin on his soul. Moses
learned his lesson of forgiving love wlien permitted
with prophetic eye to gaze on (yod's incarnate love
in Jesus Christ. It is ever thus. No miracle, how-
ever mighty, or manifestation, however majestic,
will so move the soul to realize its best in life and
love, as the matchless miracle of mercy — Jesus
Christ. To see Jesus, the glory of God, is to be-

92 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

come like Him, full of God's glory. No surer sign
of having secured glimpses of God is possible than
the possession of the Christlike spirit, and no surer
sign is possible that we possess the spirit of the Son
of God than that, like Him, we constantly seek com-
munion with the Father. This spirit Moses pos-
sessed; he " bowed his head toward the earth and
worshipped." Holiness invariably fills the soul
with humility, and humility uplifts the soul to hold
hallowed communion with the High and Holy One.
The soul finds its supreme satisfaction in seasons of
spiritual vision, in the worship of the spiritual God.
This is the object, not only of every vision of God
vouchsafed to man, but of everything that divine
love has undertaken in man's behalf. To enable
the human life to blend with the divine in the har-
mony of holiness, is the high aim of holy love.
Communion between God and man is the realiza-
tion of the highest purposes of the Divine and the
satisfaction of the deepest yearning of the human.
Heaven itself can contain no choicer crown for the
Christian than to be privileged to gaze upon the
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and through
constant communion to be changed and conformed
to His very image. Only the soul that has seen the
glory of God knows how to appreciate the privilege
of drawing near to God in prayer. Nothing so in-

THE RESUT.T. 93

Spires man with the enthusiasm of holiness for eom-
munion with the Father in Heaven as to behold the
Lord's Christ. The soul that has not seen the glory
of God is not capable of the highest communion,
and he who knows not what it is to pray is a stranger
to the most Christlike passion and Godlike peace.
The secret of salvation is absolute conformity,
through communion, with Jesus Christ. Salvation
apart from conformity, or conformity apart from
communion, is impossible. To see Christ is to see
the Father, and to see the Father only can satisfy
the soul. A passion for prayer is a preparation for,
and a promise of, visions of God. Without prayer
no glimpse of God is possible; with prayer every
vision of God is possible. As Moses understood the
spiritual nature of God, his faith and his love in-
creased. His confidence deepened as his conception
widened, and the better he understood the character
of God, the readier was he to trust his own life and
the life of his people to His care. Is not this the
meaning of the words which fell from his lips, " Let
my Lord, I pray Thee, come among us and pardon
our iniquity and sin, and take us for Thine inherit-
ance?" He had already told the Lord that he loved
these people far better than his life, and now lie
can desire nothing l)ctter for himself or tliem tlian
to be made the subjects of the grand and glorious

94 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

salvation which he had been permitted to see.
Moses could pay no greater compliment than this to
divine love. The only way to appreciate the Sav-
iour is to accept His salvation. To realize and rec-
ognize that through God alone is redemption pos-
sible, and to receive the Redeemer with true glad-
ness of heart, is all that God requires and all that
man can do. When we realize that God is love, and
learn how God can love, we have seen His glory.
When the mother who would gladly sacrifice her
own life to preserve her child has so learned to ap-
preciate the love of God that she can look up into
His face and say, " Into Thy hands, O Father of
love, I commit my child, knowing well that Thy
love will last where mine may grow cold, ' ' the good-
ness of God has surely passed before her.

II. RETENTION.

" And the Lord said unto Moses, Write thou these words."

The command to write, although expressly given
in connection with the divine precepts delivered to
Moses, is pertinent to the vision, for it emphasizes
a duty which all who have received glimpses of God
have ever been glad to obey. Moses realized that
the principle underlying the command was to be
honored in connection with the vision. Therefore
he wrote not only all the words that God to him had

THE RESULT. 95

spoken, but everything that words could tell of the
glory he had seen. Every soul that has received a
vision of God instinctively seeks to retain its influ-
ence and reproduce its glory. Indeed, no result
more naturally follows the reception of glimpses of
God than the desire to retain and to reproduce.
Without an appreciative spirit, glimpses of God
would be impossible ; possessing this spirit, retention
is imperative. He that has seen the divine glory,
heard the divine voice and felt the divine power,
will treasure these privileges more than life and
love them as the soul's richest heritage. Glimpses
of God are never forgotten; their influence will last
as long as life. Memory gladly retains what the
soul reverences. The glory of memory is that it
ever retains glimpses of God's glory. To perpetu-
ate impressions and influences produced by visions
of God is memory's most, sacred service to the soul.
As the priests in the tabernacle of old kept the
lamps ever burning, and the people ever reminded
of the abiding presence of God's glory on the mercy-
seat, so memory, like a priest in the temple of the
soul, keeps the soul ever illuminated with the light
received from the vision of God's glory, (ylimpses
of God are the most honored paintings whicli hang
on memory's walls. What man has seen of (iod is
indelibly written in letters of love on his soul. He

96 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

who has heard the divine voice reverently retains
the message it breathes. Every revelation of God
given to man in time has an eternal significance,
and though of pre-eminent individual importance is,
nevertheless, of universal interest. It is therefore
imperative that we retain, so that we may reproduce
the vision of God vouchsafed to us. God's inter-
pretation of the mystery of divine love will ever
remain the soul's most sacred trust. Glimpses
of God leave a lasting impression upon the soul.
The greater the vision, the greater its influence.
Moses was able to tell the children of Israel " all
that the Lord had spoken to him on the mount."
Ezekiel remembered the exact day on which he
received his vision of God; John remembered
the hour when first he beheld the glory of the
^lessiah; Paul remembered the place and hour
when he saw the Saviour. Every saint has seasons
and scenes made ever sacred in his spiritual experi-
ence, because of special visions received. We are
made strong and Godlike, in proportion as our life
is marked and moulded by these seasons of spiritual
vision. It will ever be thus. AVe can not but re-
member the first ray of light which illuminated our
soul, and brought hope and life to our sad and sor-
rowing spirits in the dark night of guilt. Who can
forget the first glimpse of God's saving grace in

THE RESUT/r. 97

Christ Jesiis? It is easier to forget everything- than
this vision of love, and while the soul lives its mem-
ory will last. It is a fixed star of hope in our spir-
itual sky. While there are many who have been
surrounded by religious influences all their lives,
who are unable to analyze the forces that have con-
tributed to their spiritual development, or point to
any special season in their histories when they first
saw God, yet it is imperative that all should know
that glimpses of God have been received. There
should be a time in the life of every believer, to
which he can point as being a season in which his
soul has seen the spiritual God, when in a state of
spiritual ecstasy he breathed love in the very atmos-
phere of Heaven and was irradiated with the beams
of God's holiness. No soul should be content with-
out securing these seasons of spiritual serenity and
sanctification. No soul will fail to find who will but
seek. None privileged to receive will fail to retain.

111. RUMIXA'JIOX.

" And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty
nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water."

Everything points to the fact that Moses rumi-
ULitcd long and well on the glimpses of (uxl he liad
received. He thought again and ai^ain, mused and
nieditated, pondered and rellccted on the vision

98 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

vouchsafed to him, nntil his soul became surcharged
with God's glory. He gladly availed himself of the
seclusion and solitude of Sinai to meditate on the
glory that had been revealed to him. For forty
days and forty nights he was in the mount, without
time, opportunity, or probably inclination, to eat or
drink. It is unnatural to suppose that all this time
was occupied in receiving his glimpses of God or in
writing the divinely-given precepts, while nothing-
is more natural than that he should ruminate on
what had been revealed. He had been uplifted to
a state of spiritual ecstasy by the vision vouchsafed
to him until he was unconscious or unmindful of aught
save the glory of God. When men secure great
glimpses of God they become so lost in contempla-
tion of the perfections of His being that they are
unmindful of the claims of their physical nature, and
live only to ruminate on the vision they have received.
That Moses, who represented the law; Elijah, who
represented the prophets, and Christ, the fulfill-
ment of both, should each have spent forty days and
forty nights in devout meditation after receiving a
special revelation, surely teaches the spiritual value of
rumination. Spiritual vision makes spiritual reflec-
tion imperative. Rumination is the process by which
the soul assimilates glimpses of God. The spirituality
Qf the soul is developed, not by what it has seen of

THE RESULT. 99

God, but by what it has assimilated of God. Rever-
ential rumination is a eondition of spiritual strength
and Godliness. We become Godlike, in proportion
as we ruminate on the g-limpses of God we have re-
ceived. Meditation is the law of development in
the moral as well as in the mental world. Assimila-
tion determines the orrowth of the mind and soul.
As book-learning is so much raw material, which
has to be coined in the mental mint into the cur-
rency of the realm of thought, before it can con-
tribute to the growth or glory of the mind, so spir-
itual knowledge has to be assimilated by the soul,
through devout meditation, before it can contribute
U) its spiritual life, (jlimpses of God are valuable
only when the soul has so ruminated upon them that
through the process of assimilation they have be-
come a constituent part of its very being. The
great need of the world, intellectually and spiritual-
ly, is not more knowledge, but more thought. What
it requires is not more revelation but more reveren-
tial reflection. Though glimpses of (rod are e\'cr
the soul's most precious lieritagc, yet until they be-
come, thnnigh meditation, an integral |)art of our
spiritual nature, they are like unutilized forces, in-
valuable Init wasted energies, (lod gives a revela-
tion of Himself only to the soul that is meditative,
for no other is prepared to receive or to profit by

lOO GLIMPSES OF GOD.

the revelation. Hence, it is invariably the rule that
the greatest glimpses of God are given to the great-
est sonls, for the greatest souls are greatest in re-
flective and assimilative faculties. This is at once
both the condition and the crown of greatness. Had
Moses not ruminated upon the vision of God, and
thus assimilated its glory, his transfiguration would
have been impossible. God's spiritual nature is
made known to the meditative soul onh^ and that
in proportion as its meditation is spiritual. Recep-
tivity is the secret of revelation. Revelation is the
secret of reverential reflection, and rumination the
secret of reproduction.

IV. REPRODUCTION.

" And when he came down from the mount, Moses wist not
that the skin of his face shone. . . . And he gave them
in commandment all that the Lord had spoken to him in
Mount Sinai."

|:, Thus did Moses consciously and unconsciously re-
produce the glimpses of God he had secured on
Mount Sinai. Consciously, he uttered the words
God to him had spoken ; unconsciously, he reflected
the civine glory he had seen. Thus do all men
who have seen God reveal Him. Every man who
hears the divine voice becomes aproplict, — a person-
ified voice, the echo of the voice of God. What is

IHK RESUI/r. lOI

heard is heard for others, as well as for ourselves.
Every revelation given, while important for our-
selves, is none the less valuable to others. God
reveals Himself not simply that the individual might
be saved, but that through the individual He might
redeem the race. Glimpses of God are not given to
satisfy mere sentiment or to feed selfishness, but
rather to prepare the recipient the better to serve
God and his generation. The law of grace is that
we love to give what love to us has given. We re-
ceive in order to give. The more generous we are
in giving, the more generously shall we receive. We
shall be rewarded with new revelation, according to
our fidelity in reproducing revelations already re-
ceived. Man's moral mission in the world is to mir-
ror his ^laker. ^lan mirrors God in proportion as
he has been privileged to see His glory. Thus,
when man sees God, God is seen in the man. When
man has been illuminated with the beams of God's
holiness, filled w4th the energy of divine light and
irradiated by ineffable love, he becomes a personi-
fied conscience — a determinati\'e element in men's
character, and in their conception of God. The im-
pulse to seek and the instinct to find God we call
inspiration. The glimpses of God received, and
visions reproduced, we call revelation. All men
are not equally inspired, therefore all men do not

T02 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

equally reveal (lod. There is no injustiee in this,
for as men are unequal in intelleetual endowment,
so are they in spiritual faeulties, with this differ-
ence, however, that intellectual genius is a gift,
while spiritual genius is a gTowth. That is, a man
may be an intellectual genius and yet leave his
mind uncultivated, for the love of knowledge is not
always proportionate to the ability to know. But
in the spiritual realm, the faculty to know is com-
mensurate with the desire to know, superior knowl-
edge being the reward of superior love. Thus, the
desire for spiritual knowledge is the condition of
spiritual sight. Inspiration is the power to receive
knowledge of God; revelation, the reproduction of
knowledge received. Inspiration is the faculty to
appreciate vision; revelation is that faculty, exer-
cising its function in reproduction. Inspiration
comes from God; revelation comes through man.
Inspiration is the cause; revelation is the effect.
Inspiration is imperative to revelation; revelation
is imperative to inspiration. The God of love could
not but men inspire ; inspired men could not but God
reveal. The inspiration determines the revelation ;
the revelation is proportionate to the inspiration.
God will be seen in the man in proportion as the
man has seen God. The sun can not withhold its
light nor the flower its fragrance, neither can the

THE RF.SUI/r. 10^^

inspired soul witlihold its revelation. Man instinet-
ively realizes that lie has no rii^iit to reserve to him-
self knowledo-c vital to the welfare of others. Man
receives light from Heaven that he might refleet it
on the world. The soul that has seen God can not
but help others to see Him. The most absorbing
passion of the inspired soul is so to reveal (xod that
men may be inspired with a passion to become God-
like. That the revelation should be written is as
natural as that the inspired soul should speak. The
revelation being of pre-eminent importance to all
people, its preservation in a permanent form acces-
sible to all is imperative. The Bible is a reproduc-
tion of glimpses of God given to God-inspired men.
It is a rich galaxy of glorious glimpses of God. It
contains what the best of men at their best have
seen of God, and as God's special relation to any
soul is an indication of the natural relation He bears
to all, what He speaks to one He speaks to all.
This constitutes the authority of the Bible in mat-
ters of conduct, and its charm as a guide into the
mystery of divine love. As God is ever the same,
the revelation is unchangeable, though man's con-
ception of both will vary according to his inspira-
tion. God is ever giving to man greater discern-
ment of revealed truth, and men in every age dis-
cover new and larger meanings in the revelation

l04 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

made through inspired men. Men are privileged
to-day to behold in the revelation, glories which
were hidden from the inspired men through whom
it was given. Thus, though the revelation is infal-
lible, because divinely given, it neither exhausts
nor excludes inspiration. God deals with soul as
soul, and though He speaks to all as He speaks to
each individual soul. He speaks to each as He
speaks to all. What other men have seen of the
divine glory and reproduced in their lives is valu-
able only as it stimulates the individual soul to seek
the spiritual God. The Bible is not the consumma-
tion of divine knowledge, but rather one of God's
primers, the study of which qualifies the soul for a
higher revelation. When its teaching has become
incorporated into the life of our soul, it becomes of
practical value, and that in proportion as it prepares
and adapts us to know more of God. He who rests
with simply contemplating the revelation made
through others, without rising to seek individual and
immediate knowledge of God, is false to the genius
of revelation and untrue to the profoundest impulse
of his soul. To believe that knowledge of God
travels only along the beaten lines of Biblical truth,
is to limit the inspiration of the Almighty. The
consummation and crown of all revelation is Jesus
Christ. For eternity He will continue to be the

THE RESULT. I05

supreme manifestation of Cxod, yet the soul will see
the Father in the Son, not according- to what others
have seen or written, but as it is inspired by love
immediately to interpret His life. We must see
Christ before we can be transformed to His image,
and at best the Bible is only a mirror which reflects
His grlory. In Heaven, as on earth, some new rev-
elation will gladden the heart, and glimpses of God
ever greet the gaze of the redeemed. Progressive
revelation and increased knowledge are imperative to
the happiness of the soul. Individual development
in Godliness must ever depend on individual discov-
ery. Increased knowledge is the secret of increased
love, increased love the secret of increased service,
and increased service the secret of increased glory
and happiness. Conformity to Christ is possible
only through individual communion with Him.
The value of every life is the inspiration it gives
men to seek individual communion with God. Thus,
the measure of a man's influence on his generation
is determined, not directly by the glimpses of God
he has secured, but indirectly by the glory of God he
reproduces in his life. The glory of any man is not
that he has seen God, but that (xod is so seen in
him that men through him are moved to love God.
The power to reveal God and to reproduce His
glory is the great essential qualification to serve

Io6 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

humanity and Heaven. Without this revealing- love,
knowledo-c and faith are as " sounding- brass or a
clanging cymbal." The greatest need of the world
is more men who have seen God, and in whom God is
seen, — men made so beautiful in holiness that they
inspire men to become holy. The soul's highest
attainment is to become so transparent that God is
seen through it. This is possible only through liv-
ing in the light of holy love. Moses looked with
adoring eyes upon the glory of God, until he was
unconsciously transformed to its very image. This
is the secret of transfiguration — to draw so near the
heart of God that our whole being, mental, moral
and material, is irradiated with His light. In the
light of love the face of Moses became luminous.
He " wist not that his face shone." Unconsciously
he was clothed with the glory of God, and uncon-
sciously he reflected the light of ineffable love.
True greatness is ever unconscious of its glory, and
God alone can tell the value of unconscious influ-
ence. Moses was illuminated with divine light and
irradiated with divine love, and thus unconsciously
he reproduced the glory he had seen in the mount.
Divine love alone can so irradiate the human, and
make m ^n Godlike. Let him who would be trans-
figiired follow in the steps of Moses until he comes
in touch with God, and by that touch is transformed

THE RKSITl.T. 107

to His i^lorious iiiKii^c. lie who is thus transtiu-ured
bears tlic iina^t^'c of (iod, and is like the image he
bears. He ereales a moral atmosphere around him-
self, in which selfishness and sin can not live. Such
is the influence of Godliness. Godliness is the gath-
ered o-leanings of Glimpses of God. Glimpses of
(lod — the glittering gems of grace — are the Genesis
and *'-oal of Cxodliness.

THE THREE CROSSES.

" And when they were come to the place, which is called Cal-
vary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on
the right hand and the other on the left." — Luke 23: 33.

The three crosses of Calvary represent the three
crosses of humanity. On one of these three crosses
every man is crucified. The first is the cross of
selfishness, the second the cross of self-surrender,
and the third the cross of self-sacrifice. The first
is the sinner's cross, the second the saint's, and the
third the Saviour's. The sufferer on the first died
losing- life, the sufferer on the second died receiving
life, and the sufferer on the third died giving life.
The first was dead in sin, the second was dead to
sin, and the third was the death of sin. Let us
study the characters of these crucified ones, and
strive to learn the lessons of their lives in order to
understand the goal toward which we ourselves arc,
moving. It is imperative that we decide immedi-
ately which of these three is our representative, in
order that we mav understand thorou-'hlv our own

no GLIMPSES OF GOD.

character, our influence on the world, the nature of
the cross on which we are crucified, and the end
which will inevitably be ours if we persistently pur-
sue the same path. Up to the time of the crucifixion
the characters of the two thieves who were crucified
with Christ were so similar as to be almost iden-
tical. The principles by which they were prompted,
the motives by which they were moved, their dis-
honor, disgrace and death, were so similar up to
the crosses, where each turned his own way, that to
represent the character of one is to faithfully portray
the life of the other. They were thieves, or more
correctly, robbers — wholesale plunderers, belong--
ing most probably to the band of Barabbas. They
were impulsive, ambitious, courageous. They sacri-
ficed judgment for sentiment, honesty for notoriety.
They became malefactors in order to become bene-
factors. They condemned in principle what they up-
held in practice. They neither respected human laws
nor obeyed the laws of Heaven. They were selfish
enough to dishonor men, and sinful enough to dis-
obey God. They aimed to secure national and polit-
ical liberty through moral slavery. They endeav-
ored to seciire national right through moral wrong.
They attempted to condemn national tyranny and
social slavery through individual cruelty, oppres-
sion and crime. They fain would employ vice to

THE THRKF: crosses. Ill

enthrone virtue. It is probal^le, however, that they
were looked upon as publie heroes beeause their
motive, aceordin<^ to publie opinion (regardless of
the means employed or the result realized), was to
faeilitate the freedom and emancipation of their
nation from the shame and slavery of the Romish
yoke. This seems to be the only reasonable w^ay of
explainini^ the demand for the release of Barabbas
by men who professedly were so attached to the
Law of Moses, which rec[uired the death of every
murderer. They looked upon him as a patriot, one
who had claimed to be the Messiah, and bid fair to
justify his claim. This being so, the people's posi-
tion was clear and the contrast suggested in the
([uestion of Pilate all the more pointed when he
asked, " Whom will ye that I release unto you,
(Jesus) Barabbas or Jesus which is called Christ ? "
The people were ready to follow Barabbas, for in
many things he was their ideal Messiah. Had
Christ employed the same means, laying aside the
love of law and the law of love ; making the tem-
poral prosperity of Israel the only concern of His
life, and physical force instead of moral suasion the
means b}- wliich to attain it, tlie jews would not
have crucified but would have crowned Him. lie-
lieving this, we can not but believe that the people
who were so anxious to release the chief would glad-

112 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

ly, were it in their power, have released his asso-
ciates also. The most reasonable way, therefore,
of accounting- for the crucifixion of these two thieves
is by reminding ourselves that Pilate had been prac-
tically forced to crucify Jesus, and now gladly
availed himself of the opportunity to avenge him-
self on the Jews by crucifying these two national
patriots. It is well to bear in mind, however, that
though Pilate nominally carried out the law and
condemned them, yet in reality it was their own
characters that crucified them. The law condemned
them, but their lawlessness crucified them. So far,
the lives of these two thieves had blended together
and apparently no discord had ever existed. But
on Calvary the harmony was destroyed and the
similar became essentially dissimilar. The only ex-
planation of the change is that Jesus Christ had
come between them. One was crucified on the
rieht, the other on the left of the Saviour. It is
difficult to decide, regarding the crosses on Calvary,
which was on the right and which was on the left.
But if the penitent thief was then on the left, he has
been on the right ever since ; right side of truth
and life, right side of the Saviour's love, right side
of immortality and glory, and the right side of Heav-
en— the inside. The great change in the characters
and conditions of these men is but the result of the

'I'lIF. rilRKK CROSSES. IT3

(lilTcrLMit inllucncc the life and death of Christ liad
upon tlieni. How differently they spent their hist
liours on earth. One wept because of the ingrati-
tude of his life ; the other hardened his heart. One
declared the Saviour's innocency, while the other
despised Him. One received, the other rejected
the Redeemer. One blessed, the other blasphemed
Emmanuel. This is why one died receiving, the
other losing life, — the different relation in which
they stood to Jesus Christ, the contrary effect which
the person and atoning work of Christ had upon
them. This is always so. Men that w^ere alike ii])
to the time they entered the Saviour's presence and
were introduced to Divine Love have become
essentially different in mind and in heart, in thought
and in life. This must always be so. It is impera-
tive that men be impressed and influenced by Im-
manucl. They can not be better or worse because
they have come into contact with Him. They will
be better or worse according to the manner in which
they will treat Him. Men must rise or fall, accord-
ing to their conception of Christ. Every man must
reject or receive the Redeemer, crucify or crown
Christ. Neutrality is imp()ssil)le. He must be the
life or death of every man, and He will be to man
what man makes Him to be. \Vc determine what
He shall be to us, in deciding what we will be to

114 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

Him. Receive Him, and He is your Redeemer;
reject Him, and He will be your destroyer and
death. Thus it proved to be in the case of the char-
acters now under consideration. The one died re-
ceiving, the other losing life. Each lost his natural
life because he loved it and sought to save it, with-
out remembering that " whosoever will save his life
shall lose it ; and whosoever will lose his life for My
sake shall find it. ' ' Practically, these men com-
mitted suicide, for their untimely death was but the
result of a wasted life. Sins are punished in this
life, and although a man receive forgiveness for his
transgression, yet he is forced to suffer the inevitable
punishment inflicted by Nature upon those who
violate her laws. God will forgive, but Nature —
never. The penitent thief, although he believed in
Christ and was saved from the moral consequences
of his sin, yet had to suffer the physical conse-
quences thereof. This in itself is a strong reason
against delaying repentance until the day of death,
for while we sin we hasten on that day. It is sadly
true that many act as if the King of Terrors moved
too slow, and through sin they hasten on his ap-
proach. Even in the article of death the impenitent
thief rushed on impetuously, as if eager to embrace
the second death. Thus he died losing life, and as
his loss of eternal life is typical of the way in which

THE THREE CROSSES. I 15

every sinner luses it, we are anxious to in(|iiire how
he lost it, and this brin^i^-s us to consider

I. THE CROSS OF SELFISHNESS.

The sad death of this man is but the sequel of self-
ishness, which indeed is the secret source of all the
sorrows, suffering and shame of society. Selfishness
is the soil out of which springs all sin. It is the root
of evil and the bane of life. This man died /osi/ij^r
lifc\ because selfishness inevitably works out its own
self-destruction. It was possible for him to save his
life even while in the agony of death, and though he
died yet to live again. He had every advantage neces-
sary to know the way of salvation. He saw the Son of
God in the act of sacrificing Himself on the altar of
love to save sinners. In the presence of holiness
he could not but realize his own depravity. In the
face of the self-sacrifice of Jesus could he less
than be cognizant of the selfishness of his own soul?
Compared with the depth of Christ's love, how
shallow was his life! The evidences of Christ's
Messiahship within his reach were of a more con-
vincing character than those which converted his
comrade in crime. The strongest proof of Christ's
Divinity and Christianity's choice credential is the
salvation of a soul. Therefore the most undeniable,
imperishable and convincing evidence that Jesus

Il6 GLIMPSES OF nOD,

was the Christ was in this man's possession. He
was an eyewitness of the power of Christ to save, for
he saw one snatched as a brand from the burning,
and was privileged to behold his soul blossom into
virtue and love at the living touch of the Lord of
Life. He heard the beautiful and tender words in
which Christ responded to the faith -of the penitent
as expressed in the request " Remember me. " He
heard all the words which fell from the Saviour's
lips while dying for the sin of the world — words
that have converted millions of men ; — words which
express His relation to the world that He was leav-
in2f, and to the world into which He was entering; —
words so fraught with all-conquering love as to
eternally declare Him to be the Son of God and the
Saviour of men. He listened to those words, so
simple yet so sublime, so full of calm courage and
confidence as to form a firm foundation for faith.
Moreover, the penitent thief, while expressing his
belief in Christ's innocence, indirectly endeavored
to bring him to repentance and to trust in Christ for
life. The reason that this man lost life was not
because he had fallen out of the reach of divine
mercy; not because light on his own condition and
Christ's compassion was inaccessible ; not because
he had sinned too long, although it was the eleventh
hour, but because he refused life on the only condi-

THE THRF.F. CROSSES. TI

tion (iod could ^rive it. He ignored the proffered
salvation, and blasphemed tlKroaviour. He not
only sinned in the dark, but/refused to repent in the
light. He was condemned notlSet^vuse he had not
sought the Saviour, but because he refused to love
for his life, the Life of Love. This man lost life,
while his companion in crime, who had sinned as
much and as long, and had fallen as low as he,
sought and found life. Thus, the penitent con-
demns the impenitent. This loss of life was volun-
tary, therefore criminal. Like all men who are
lost, he simply refused to be saved. No man is
ever lost for any other reason. Thus he perished,
and that in Calvary. Near the Saviour's cross,
within the sound of His voice, in sight of His self-
sacrifice, he lost life. In Calvary, where life is
found and freely offered to all, he courted death.
Calvary, the birthplace of the saint, became to him
the deathplace of the sinner. In Calvary, where
Emmanuel the Emperor of iMnancipation was en-
throned, and where He established His empire, this
man sold his soul to the eternal slavery of selfish-
ness, sin and Satan. Near the fountain of life, he
drank the poison of eternal death. While the
world's Redeemer opened the door of salvation to
all wilbng to l)e saved, while his companion in life
and death repented, believed and found Hfc ctei'nal,

Il8 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

while the news was being carried by the angels to
the Heavenly Jerusalem, he blasphemed and died.
Thus, he became reproached of men and condemned
of God. His name has become a signal of death and
of destruction, one of the finger posts on Hell's high-
way, and a lighthouse on crime's cliffs. Angels wept
because of his ruin, devils gloried in his destruction.
Men, moved by human sympathy with the perish-
ing, would leave him to the compassion of Christ,
and draw the veil over his sad end, saying sadly,
" He is gone." Gone — but where? Gone — but
how? These are questions which the Judgment
Day shall answer. Therefore, do we hold our peace.
This man's life and death give us a perfect portrayal
of the history of every unbeliever. All men who
are lost in Christendom are lost in the same way, in
the same place, and for the same reason. He is a
perfect representative, all in all, of unbelievers.
Whatever may be a man's reason for rejecting
Christianity, for refusing salvation, his condition,
character and crime are practically the same as that
of the impenitent thief. Men will challenge this,
and while they shudder and say, " Shame " when
they see the sad, sorrowful sequel of selfishness,
yet they refuse to recognize the reproduction of the
impenitent thief in themselves. If you dare sug-
gest the thing, they will treat you with contempt.

THE THREF. CROSSES. ITQ

and settle the subject with silent scorn. Oh man,
thou shalt have all the fair play possible, for thou
wilt need it all. Thou shalt be thine own jud<(e
and advocate. Where is the picture overdrawn?
What has been mentioned respecting this thy rep-
resentative, which is not strictly true concerning
thee? Dost thou claim that thou art not dishonest,
in that thou obeyest the laws of the land and art ac-
counted just of men ? Thou didst not create thy-
self: thy life, therefore, is not thine own. In living
for self thou dost rob humanity and Heaven. Dost
say thou art no murderer? In refusing salvation,
thou dost voluntarily sell and seal thy soul for the
second death. Is not this the greatest of all murders?
Dost claim thy reason is not dethroned? What
is sin but moral madness? Not to understand our
duty toward man and God; not to realize the true
end of life; not to obey the highest and profound-
est instincts of the soul, is foolishness without a fel-
low in the fertile field of folly. Where, then, is thy
wisdom? Is it seen in being blindly led by thy
passions to the perilous precipice over which thou-
sands of souls have been hurled to hell? Dost claim
thou art no blasphemer? What is greater blas-
phemy than to acknowledge the Saviour's right to
the soul, and yet refuse to serve Him; sympathiz-
inu' with Christ's suffering's, vet sinful and selfish

T20 (HJAIPSES OF GOD.

cnoug-h, in order to satisfy thy sensuous soul, to
pieree afresh His saered side? What g-reater bhis-
phemy tlian to promise to i^ive thyself to Christ
when in the hands of death, powerless to help or
hinder virtue's victory? Art thou not eondemned
and crucified? Does not thy conscience condemn
thee, and thy sins crucify thee? If not crucified,
then art thou free, but thy hands and feet are nailed
to Satan's cross of selfishness, and none but Christ
can free thee. Thy character is criminal, the cru-
cial crisis of thy career has come. Thou art yet in
Calvary, the only place where salvation is possible.
Thou art near the cross of Christ. Thou hast seen
the Saviour suffering-, hast seen His torn brow and
wounded side, but thou art unconcerned. Inani-
mate creation is convulsed with compassion for the
Christ so cruelly crucified. The sun becomes
ashamed of his own brightness, and rather than
look upon his Creator crushed, veils himself with
dark clouds and hides in shame. The rugged
rocks, adamantine hard, break their hearts and rend
in twain at the sight of the Rock of Ages — cleft.
The grave can not keep its own when the Resurrec-
tion and the Life become the death of death. Every-
thing is full of interest in the atonement of the
cross, save unbelieying man. Thy companions who
were condemned and crucified on the same cruel

lirK IIIREK CROSSES. I2T

cross Ikivc repented and believed, and liave been
freed by tlie i;reat Emancipator of souls. Tliou
hast seen the nails taken out of tlieir enjss, their
bonds broken. Thou liast witnessed the expressions
of joy which flooded their faces. Thou hast heard
the shout of hallelujah which fell from their lips.
In love they have pleaded with thee and sou^i>-ht to
bring- thee to repentance, but thou art still unorate-
ful, unbelieving and unmoved. This but drives the
tiails deeper into thy cross. Thou art despising sal-
vation, yea refusing life, in the only place, in the
only way, in which (yod Himself can give it. Be
reconciled, then, to (xod. Haste to make Christ thy
friend. There is danger and death in delay. Re-
member, this is a fair average: For each one who
secures life in the eleventh hour, another fails. The
impenitent thief failed to find life. Follow not in
his footsteps, lest death be the fruit of thy folly, and
thou suffer the greatest downfall possible in the
moral universe of God; from Calvary to — Hell.

II. THE CROSS OF SELF-SURRENDER.

Self-surrender and self-denial are supreme condi-
tions of spiritual life. They are the secrets of spir-
itual sight, strength and salvation. This man died
JiiidiiiX' life. While fast losing his natural life,
he souglit and fouud eternal life. Wliile being

122 (iLlMPSEP OF GOD.

robbed of the former, he was rewarded with the lat-
ter. The death of his body declared the triumph
of evil ; the life of his spirit declared the triumph of
Emmanuel. Thus, like every saint, he became liv-
ing to God as he died to the world. He received
life because he fulfilled in Christ all the conditions
of salvation.

(a) His repentance ivas real and remorseful. He
acknowledged his guilt, the justice of his condem-
nation, and changed for the better in reference to
the Saviour, sin, society and self. This is always
the first fruit, as well as the final test, of the reality
of repentance. This man learned to look upon his
own life in the true light, because he considered it
in the light of Christ's life. He saw the folly, the
faithlessness and the failure of his life. He realized
the precious privileges and opportunities he had
lost, the valuable time he had wasted, and the
wealth of love he had slighted. This created true
contrition in his soul, and forced him to Christ for
forgiveness.

{b) His faith was niigJity and living. He be-
lieved in Christ when everybody else appeared to
disbelieve. Although the disciples had left Jesus,
and the religious teachers of His own nation re-
jected and ridiculed His claims, yet this man
believed in Him. He received Him as his King,

THE TIT REE CROSSES. 1 23

though He had not yet come into His king-dom.
He looked upon Him as the Prince of Life when in
the article of deatli. He believed in Him as a Sav-
iour when slain, and the Mcssiali wlien murdered.
His faith was intelligent, for he gathered all the
evidences within his reach concerning the super-
human in the Saviour, weighed them and found
tliat they were strong enough to convince him of
His ^lessiahship. He looked upon His calm cour-
age, divine dignity, pathetic patience, changeless
charity, saving sympathy, sacred sorrow, loving life
and living love, sublime simplicity and sanguine,
spiritual serenity, amidst the storm of sorrow and
suffering in the stronghold of sin. He listened to
His intercession for His enemies when he said,
" Father, forgive them, for they know not what
the}' do. " He saw that He lived and died in har-
mony with His principles of love. Unitedly these
things formed an irresistible argument to the mind
of the penitent, that Jesus was the " Christ. " What
convinced this man is, in reality, evermore the great
proof of His Divinity. No miracle more clearly
manifests it, no words more lovingly express it than
the death of the cross.

(r) Ills love 7iurs sti'ou^i^' atui cJiaiii^clcss. He
loved Christ sufficiently to disregard all else in
order to serve Him. He well knew that lo declare

124 C.TJMPSES OF COD.

his belief in the Saviour was to estal^lish hatred be-
tween himself and his nation, and also forfeit the
eommon bond of sympathy whieh existed between
him and his fellow-thief. This required strength of
soul, eourag-e of conviction and a sacrificing spirit.
His prayer was full of faith and love — " Lord, re-
member me when Thou comest into Thy kingdom. "
A short but a strong prayer; a humble yet a high
and holy petition. Prayers are measured and
valued, not by length, but by breadth and depth.
This petition contains all that man can desire for
time and for eternity, and all that God can give.
He struck the keynote in the anthem of happiness,
hope and holiness when he desired to be lovingh^
remembered by the Lord of Life. The answer
wliich Christ gave proved the value of this prayer,
and His appreciation of the love and faith that
prompted it. " To-day shalt thou be with Me in
Paradise." Christ never bore a clearer witness to
His own Divinity than He did while dying. These
are surely the words of a conqueror and not the con-
quered. He recognizes and reveals, in the " valley
of the shadow of death, ' ' that " all authority is given
to Him in Lleaven and on earth," and that He has
"the keys of death and Hell." Thus, He is the
ruler of all worlds and the Prince of Paradise. Of
all death scenes, this is the most ideal. There is a

T]]V. 'I'TIRRE CROSSES.

125

combinatiun of thini^'S which make it so. He died
while servino- the Saviour. He died like the Re-
deemer, in the same manner, at the same time, in
the same phice. The death of Moses was very beau-
tiful, dyino- alone but with God, far removed from
everything that made death hard ; passing from a
glimpse of the earthly Canaan into the Heavenly
Canaan. An ideal death, surely. But of all deaths
this is the grandest in the annals of history; going
arm in arm with Christ through the " valley of the
shadow of death," and entering into glory together.
What inexpressible privilege to be introduced by
Emmanuel into His own empire. This is the in-
heritance of every soul that has surrendered to the
Saviour. There is a sense in which every saint dies
with the Saviour, and in which the Saviour dies with
every saint. He goes through the death struggle
with His disciples. The penitent thief loved Christ
sufficiently to spend his last moments in serving
Him, in declaring His innocency, and in winning
others to think favorably of Christ. This is the only
acceptable service, all that Christ requires, and all
that man can give. To live only to love is the law
of life. It is impossible to realize the depth of this
man's love unless we remember that, while suffer-
ing the most excruciating pains in the anguish and
agony of death, he is all forgetful of himself but

126 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

ever mindful of the Master. This is why he re-
ceived life. He possessed all the excellencies of the
Christian character in germ, if not in growth. He
was noble and true. As soon as he was convinced
of the Saviour's innocency and of his own guilt,
without hesitancy he bears testimony to both facts
before the world. He had not only faith in prin-
ciple but also in practice. He was brave and de-
voted. In the face of all foes, when the battle was
fiercest and the danger greatest, when fiends in
fury cried, ' ' Victory now or never, ' ' when the fierce
fire of fanaticism in frenzy flamed, when the Sav-
ioiir suffered in solitude while struggling for suprem-
acy, he pressed to the front of the battle and
acknowledged Him King. He was sympathetic and
loving, not only with Christ, but with his fellow-
thief. Like every Christian, he could not keep the
truth to himself, but, as the sim gives light and life,
so did this man offer his light to lead his comrade to
Christ, imtil his life burnt out in death. All his
words, from his conversion to his death, are full of
love. These elements in character are God's de-
light. Christ honors the man in whom they are
found. The penitent thief not only received eter-
nal life, but his name has been immortalized because
of his attachment to and love for the Saviour. His
services were sanctioned and sanctified by the Sav-

THE THREE CROSSES. 1 27

ionr, and sealed witli sueeess. The robber was re-
formed and made a revealer of rig'hteousness; the
plunderer was made a preaeher of the prineiples of
the Prinee of Peaee. His rag-s w^ere ehanged for the
robes which the g-lorified wear. He who was too de-
graded to live with men in the morning, through
the mighty power of grace at noon became pure and
g-lorified enough to be the personal companion of
the i)eerless King of glory in Paradise. His sorrow
was turned into joy, his weeping into a song, his
death unto life, and from the cross he was led to
wear a crown, to join the happy band who have
washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and to
enjoy the inexpressible privilege of being introduced
to the realities of the eternal world — yea, and to
God, by Christ, as the first fruit and proof of the
magnetic power of the cross. This man's conver-
sion was no greater miracle than any ordinary con-
version. God's laws are the same to all. Pie is no
" respecter of persons. " The conditions of salva-
tion are the same for all men, at all times. Then
all may hope and none need despair. Let no man
think because the penitent thief was saved in the
eleventh hour that deathbed salvation is easy.
Without question this man's struggle was a hard
one, and he who has not strength of conviction suffi-
cient to seek salvation when physically strong will

T2b OLi:\rPSES OF GOD.

in all probability fail to find it when becoming- too
weak to live. Let all who would find life, and
though they die, live evermore, self -surrender them-
selves to the Saviour, serve Him with such loyal
love, sincerity of spirit, completeness of character,
as the impenitent thief, from their conversion to
their death, and they also shall be glorified in the
eternal presence of Christ in glory.

III. THE CROSS OF SELF-SACRIFICE.

Jesus Christ, whose life was perfect, whose char-
acter to man was righteous and to God holy, whose
words were full of grace and truth, who was tender
yet just, merciful yet righteous, of His own free
will laid down His life for others. The Infinite in
mind, yet lowly in heart, the most despised yet the
most charitable, the One most hated yet the One
most loving, who though rich yet became poor that
man through His poverty might be made rich, laid
down His life for others. The author of joy, yet a
man of sorrows, who spent His life to do good to the
men who spent theirs to do Him evil, laid down His
life for others. He blessed those that cursed Him,
loved those who hated Him, prayed for those who
crucified Him, and died for those who sought His
life. Thus He lived and died for His enemies, living
to give life, dying to destroy death. This is self.

THF. IIIKF.F. CROSSES. 1 29

sacrifice. The death of Jesus Christ was vuhintary;
He died of His own free will. Thoui^rh Pilate con-
demned Him to death, yet it was love that crucified
Him and riveted Him to the cross. He died be-
cause He was strong enough not to live; man dies
because he is too weak not to die. Jesus alone was
strong enough to die; other men die because they
are too weak to live. He loved enough to die that
those whom He loved might live. He could not
"save Himself," because He had determined to
save others. Love alone made it imperative that
He should die. Self-sacrificing love is the secret of
all that the Saviour suffered. The sorrow of the
Sinless, because of sin, culminated in the self-sacri-
fice of the Saviour for the sinner. Self-sacrifice was
at once both the condition and the crown of Christ's
suffering. His kingdom is founded on self-sacrifice.
In death He established His kingly right, and His
cross led to the crown. Without the cross, Christ
would have been without the crown. It was
through the cross of self-sacrifice that Christ van-
(^uished vice and gave virtue the victory. The
cross of Christ is truth's trophy, virtue's victory,
love's life and God's glory. The cross of Christ is
the best exposition possible on His life. The light
of His life would have blinded men with its very
brilliancy, had it not been for the shadow of the

130 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

cross. Men would never have understood the life
of Christ had it not been for the explanation which
His death gave of it. The world would never have
learned the lesson which for three 3^ears He had
been so busily enforcing in His life— self-sacrifice
as the law of life — had it not been for the full ex-
emplification of it made in His death. He had
taught that he who would save his life must lose it,
but the human heart could never have understood
His meaning, save in the light of the triumph of re-
deeming love in Christ's self-sacrifice. He taught
men to forgive their enemies, but what man could
have believed in the possibility of such a miracle of
love, had it not been for the prayer, "Father, forgive
them." The glorious achievements of Christ's
cross of self-sacrifice alone could have moved men
to embrace the principle of self-sacrifice as the con-
dition and crown of all life. Nothing could have
more perfectly illustrated his character and life, in
principle and in aim, than His heroic death. The
victory for which He lived could not have been se-
cured, save by His own virtuous ddath. The cross
of Christ satisfied the moral law by meeting its
claims and increased its influence b}" proving its im-
portance, the justice of its demands and the possibil-
ity of giving it absolute obedience. The Author of
the law came imder the law and satisfied the law,

THF. rilKKF. IROSSKS. I3T

The cross of Christ revealed the true character of
(iod as the just yet merciful, ri^^-hteous yet lox-ini;-
I^'ather. It formed a new link between the heart of
humanity and the heart of holiness. The cross of
Christ means for man reconciliation, re<j;-eneration,
redemption. It has ^i^iven man a new conception of
duty, manward and Godward, and a new induce-
ment to philanthropy and self-denial. The cross is
the Saviour's sermon on self -sacrifice, as the secret
of spiritual strength and supremacy over selfishness
and sin. Self-sacrifice is not only the principle on
which life through Christ is possible to man, but
also the principle on which life in Christ is possible
to man. Self-sacrifice is not only the condition on
which Christ gives His life for man, but also the
condition on which man can give his life to Christ.
Through self-sacrifice Christ lived like man ; through
self-sacrifice man lives like Christ. In self-sacrifice
Christ loved and lived for men; in self-sacrifice men
love and live for Christ. Thus, Jesus Christ died
not only as an atonement for our sin, but as an ex-
ample and inspiration for our life. He is (3ur great
ideal, and all who would secure the victory over sin
and self must learn to dcnv themselves, as He did,
and ever honor tlic law of self-sacrifice. We need
not be crucified literally as He was, but we must
crucify all self and be in truth crucified to all sin if

T32 r,T, t:\ipses of hod.

we would secure the crown of sanctification. The
way of the cross alone is the way of the crown.
There is no royal road save the royal road of love
and self-sacrifice. He who would wear the crown
must bear the cross; he that would reign with the
Saviour must with the Saviour suffer. Self-sacri-
fice is the secret of sanctification. Every Christian,
therefore, has his cross and the life of every believer
has its Calvary. In Calvary every Christian is cru-
cified and glorified. There his cross is uplifted,
there he is uplifted on his cross, and uplifted through
his cross. There his body is torn, his side pierced
and the nature of his soul revealed. There he bows
his head for death to crown him, dies for his prin-
ciples of love, and signs and seals with his blood
God's right to his soul. There, he commences and
succeeds to live, by dying, and learns to find his life
b)^ losing it. The Calvary of every soul is the place
where the crown is gained through the cross. This
hour of crucifixion is the most solemn and sacred of
any life. It is the hour of suffering, the hour of
solitude, the hour of spiritual sorrow, the hour
of self-sacrifice, 3"ea — the hour of death, the hour
when Hell has to be conquered and Heaven and
holiness attained. It is not strange that every soul
sweats, as it were, drops of blood in Gethsemane,
when Calvary looms in the distance. It is not

THE THkKK CROSSES. I33

stran^i4:c when men arc thus moved to the depths of
their ])ein«4- under tlie shadow of the cross, their
souls sorrowful unto death, that in a^'ony of spirit
they cry out, "If it be possible, let this cup pass
by ; " nor yet strang-e, having received strength from
God, to hear them say, " Th}' will, not mine, be
done." Thus while there is a sense in which Christ
in death made atonement for sin and tasted death
for every man, and thus died in a manner impossible
to any man, yet there is a sense in which, through
self-sacrifice, man lives again the life of Christ and
dies again the death of the cross. Through self-
sacrifice the Christian is crucified together with
Christ, and with Christ shall be glorified. He who
would know the true end of life, let the cross of
Christ inform him. The cross of Christ is like the
vigil eye of God, guiding and guarding the soul
along the rough road of self-sacrifice, to the heart
of holiness and Heaven. He who wants inspiration
for strength and self-denial in the sacred service of
love, let him breathe the spirit of the self-sacrificing
Saviour. My brother, art thou downcast because
of difficulties, despairing because of danger? Is thy
heart faint and the battle hard? Then comfort thy-
self with the thought that thy help is nigh, thy
glory near. If tempted while bearing thy cross to
wonder what the end will be, fix thy gaze on thy

134 OT-TMPSES OF ODD.

Saviour's cross and remember His victory. He
who does not practise the principle of self-denial,
obc}^ the law of self -sacri (ice, strive to secure the
crown of sanctilication and the joy set before him,
has in reality not commenced to live. He is a
stranger to the noblest impulses, the highest hope,
the most sacred bliss, and the purest joy possible
to humanity. He who is moved by this spirit is
kept in perfect peace and clothed with immortal
glory. The everlasting crown of righteousness
shall he wear, and when the stars lose their light
and the sun perish with cold, 3'et shall he shine like
a star in the peace and purity of Heaven. Secure
the cross and the crown is yoiirs.

THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE.

" Why seek ye the livinij^ aniont;; the (lend? He is not liere,
but is risen," — Like 24: 5-C.

The chapter of otir text opens by introdticing- the
" day," the " first day of the week," and the first
day in the spiritttal life of the disciples after tlie
long- dark ni<^ht of the crticifixion of their Lord.
Let lis seek to realize the inexpressible privileg-e of
spending a night in solemn solitude and eloquent
silence upon one of the majestic mountains of (jod,
to witness the rising- of the snn. We reach the
summit as the ''shades of night are falling fast."
The firmament is draping itself in suggestive black,
as if it would wear appropriate mourning apparel.
How sad the scene, how solemn the funeral service.
We mingle our tears with the dewdrops, the tears
of night, for the departed light, and with tlie night
we are silent in the possession of knowledge too
sad-sacred for speech. The eloquence of the day is
exchanged for the profound philosophy of the
night. With sadness and awe we enter the temple

136 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

of darkness, where amidst the gathering gloom, on
the stage of solitude and silence, we witness night
impersonating death. We turn our eyes downward.
How like a grave is the earth ! We look around us.
How like a shroud is the darkness! We gaze up-
ward. How like the arched vault of death is Heav-
en's dome! How wearily the time drags on, but
how active are those dark clouds! They move to-
gether like a trained army. Verily, they be war-
riors of the night. Ever the clouds increase and
array themselves until every star has died out. All
lingering hope for the supremacy of light has per-
ished. In vain we fan the dying embers, their mo-
mentary glow but makes the night more hideous.
Is not the throne of night secure, its supremacy and
sovereignty established and the reign of darkness
eternal? Slowly, silently and sorrowful!}^ the night
is spent until the day is at hand. What is that? A
shining arrow thrown by the sun-archer with his
bow of light has pierced the heart of night, and we
behold it bleeding there — nay, rather a pencil of
light with which the sun writes in letters of fire
'' War " on the dark scroll of the clouds. The port-
als are opened and from the sun's heart rushes a
flood of light, like a noble army with shining, daz-
zling spears, covering the heavens to do battle with
the powers of darkness. How brief the fra}^ The

THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE. I37

army of niju;-ht is quickly routed. Darkness retreats.
Lig-ht is hot in the chase until the spoils of war fill
the sky. The battle is over, and see ! the sun clothed
with the ^iow and .i4lory of youth majestically as-
cends his throne in the heavens, the imiversally
recognized King of Day. How regal his reign and
how glorious his government! Everything is trans-
formed in his presence and transfigured in his light.
A miracle of life is wrought amidst the tombs and
vaults of death. Everything is brimful of life.
The balmy breezes breathe love. The birds take up
their sweet interrupted song ; the flowers of the
held blush and glow as they kiss and embrace the
warm rays of the sun. All nature is like a sweet
instrument, flooding the morning air with sweetest
music. Man receives his inspiration; life is sweet
and precious; joy and gladness fill his heart, as wa-
ter floods the sea and fragrance fills the flower.

In the preceding chapter we have a record of the
strange experiences of the disciples in the night of
soul they spent on Calvary. We find them, in sor-
rowful silence and solitude of soul, witnessing the
gathering gloom. The light of hope is declining,
the day of faith is in the agony of death, the sun of
their life is setting fast. It goes down, down as low
as the grave, and they despair of its ever rising
again. How gloomy the general aspect! How sad

138 TtUMPSES of CrOT).

the scene! How keen their suffering, sorrowful
their hearts, terror-stricken their spirits. Despair
is clearly written on each feature and anguish fur-
rows their soul. The life of their life is dying;
their Saviour is slain, their God is dead. Can any
darkness be greater or can the night cast deeper shad-
ows ? They look downward. What is the earth ?
A beautiful garden. True, but a garden with its
heart ripped open to form a grave for their Lord.
They look around them and behold dark doubt and
darker disbelief are busy preparing a grave for their
dead faith. The}" gaze upward. What is heaven
but a sealed book, the dwelling place of darkness
and of mystery, which mocks them in their despair.
They live — nay, they but exist " in the valley of the
shadow of death." The night moves on, and with
it they are carried into greater darkness. They are
forced to stand by the open grave — 3xa, to enter the
silent sepulchre of death. And oh, what a sad
spectacle meets their gaze. There, motionless, life-
less, lies the body of Jesus, and their hope and heart
lie buried with Him there. They turn away their
gaze lest their eyes, like setting stars, lose their
light. But already they are blinded by the blood-
tears of heart, and although they leave the grave
and lose sight of their dead deliverer, yet the silent
sepulchre and the slain Saviour vanish not from

THE SUCCESS OF FATEURE. T39

their vision. Let them seek sohice anywhere, yea
everywhere, but all the spring's of gladness and eon-
sokition are dry. Life is Init a wilderness, barren
and burning. Oh that sleep — the angel of the sor-
rowful— might roek them in his arms into sweet re-
pose. Rut no, harassed and tortured on the rack
of despair they are kept alive to the presence of
death. Surely this is the darkest night of their life
and the darkest hour of that dark night. No! night
breeds night, as sorrow brings sorrow. The dark-
ness deepens ; they struggle back to the grave, and
there the climax is reached. The night of night
sets in — the body of Jesus is missing. The tomb is
empty. Here is sorrow upon sorrow. No single
star of hope studs their spiritual sky, biit despair
reigns without a rival. Suddenly, like a flash of
lightning, the revelation of Heaven, in the words
of the angels, bursts upon their soul. The eyelids
of the dawn are opened, and from the portals of
light, like a " bridegroom coming forth from his
chamber," appears truth and authoritatively de-
clares that the day has dawned and the reign of
darkness and despair ended, in the precious words,
" He is not here, but is risen." This was a living-
truth, lovingly told, containing within it the resur-
rection and the life of their faith. Ihit, as light had
to battle with darkness for supremacy, so desjiair

140 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

made war with hope, for the words appeared " like
idle tales " unto them. But the lig-ht of truth per-
sistently opposes the darkness of doubt until, ulti-
mately, it vanishes as the darkness disappears at the
dawn of day. And behold faith in splendor and glory
aseends the throne of the soul. Sweet confidence fills
their heart, midday light floods their life when the
Risen Lord appeared unto them and said, " Peace
be unto you. ' ' We are forced to stand awhile, how-
ever, with the disciples in the shade of night and
endeavor to analyze its deep shadows, for if we un-
derstand not the night, we can not appreciate the
day. He who has not struggled with doubt will
never be strong in faith. The disciples' night of
soul was born when they lost the living Jesus among
the dead. Its shadow deepened when they lost
the dead Jesus from among the dead. They saw
the first ray of light in the words " He is risen."
God turned the shadow of death into the clear light
of morning in their experience, and they basked in
the warm smile of the noonday sun when, through
the empty grave, they were enabled to see — the risen,
living Christ. They failed to find Jesus where they
expected to find Him, " among the dead," but they
did find Him where they did not expect to find Him,
among " the living," and they found Him among
the living because they failed to find Him among

THE SUCCESS OF FAIT.URE. 14T

the dciid. So that our subject is — llic Success of
Jul i III?' c.

We have in the words of the text a record of an
unsuccessful attempt to find Jesus. They contain tlie
secret of every unsuccessful search for the Saviour,
^lark well that the question asked the disciples is
not, — Why do ye seek Jesus? nor — Why do 3^e not
seek Jesus? No. They did seek Him, and it was
riijfht and natural that they should. Ilut why seek
Him, " the living among- the dead?" It was beeausc
tliey sought Him where He was not to be found that
they were thus interrogated.

I. FAILURE.

He was unfound where sought, — "among the
dead. " The disciples could not but seek Jesus in the
grave. Their love constrained them ; they could not
live without Him. If they could not have the living
Christ, then they must get near the dead Jesus.
Though faith had lost Jesus "among the dead," yet
love kept Him enthroned in the heart. Moreover,
they sought Him " among the dead," because they
had forgotten Christ's references to His resurrection,
or failed to believe them. Hence, they knew not
where else to seek Him. It was here they expected
to find Him, because it was here they had lost Him.
This was the greatest loss of their life — losing Jesus

142 r, i.mrsF.s ov cod.

in the grave. It was so unexpected; they evident!}^
had not calculated on the death of Christ. " This
shall nev^er happen to Thee " was the confident as-
sertion when once He referred to His death. Had
He not more than once robbed death of his prey,
yea, redeemed men from the very jaws of the
grave ? Who, then, would have anticipated the
death of such an one? How great, therefore, must
have been their disappointment, despondency and
despair when they laid Him in the grave Then
their faith gave place to doubt and their confidence
to fear. They had faithfully followed Him through-
out His public life. He w^as their all, and their all
had they left to follow Him. Their faith had been
amply repaid in His fidelity. Each day brought
some new proof that He was the Messiah. His
gracious words and Godlike works made them con-
fident that He was the Christ, the " Son of God."
How^ they loved and reverenced Him! Every hour
only increased their love and their desire to be like
Him, until they suddenly lose Him in the grave.
The grave is the place where man still suffers his
heaviest losses. Here the parent loses the child,
and the child the parent. Here the tie that binds
is severed and love loses sight of the loved, and here
the disciples lose their Saviour. There are many
to-day who follow Christ faithfully throughout His

'1-HK SUCCKSS OK KAII.IKK. I 4_^

public life until they come to the o-rave, and there
they lose Him. They worship with the wise men
at the cradle; they watch with eager eyes and soul-
admiration His miraculous power. They bask in
the glow of His love and shout " Hosanna! Blessed
is He that cometh in the name of the Lord," when
they behold His triumphs and glory. They follow
in silence and awe to the garden of (lethsemane.
They go to the mock trial with bleeding hearts, and
while lingering looking upon the crucified One, they
are nailed with Him to the cross. Their faith,
though frail, fights bravely against unbelief, hoping
to the end that lie who " saved others " would also
save Himself. But in beholding His lifeless form
taken down from the. cross and like other men, when
their lives are ended, laid in the grave, their faith
loses its hold on Jesus, and dies. He is still to them
the best and kindest of men, but only a man at
best. The grave is one of the enigmas of experi-
ence, the birthplace of many of life's mysteries, and
the deathbed of many a faith. Placing the Creator
of the world to lie in a manger, the mighty (iod be-
coming a helpless babe, the humiliation of the Son
of God, is a mystery that paralyzes many a hope and
destroys many a faith. The mystery of mysteries,
however, is — the slain Saviour, the dead Son of (iod.
When the li^verlastin''- arms are folded in death,

144 OLIMPSES OF COD.

and He who laid the foundations of the world is laid
in the grave, many in thus beholding- Him lose Him,
and like the disciples, turn from the grave leaving
their Jesus there. Though to them the Christ be
dead, the memory of the dead Jesus lives and is
loved. Faith often dies when love lives on. In-
deed love never dies. Moved by love, these men,
though their faith in the Divinity of Christ has per-
ished, yet honor and reverence the ina)i Jesus, and
like the disciples they would embalm His body.
They never find the body of Jesus, however. Dis-
appointment alone is the reward of their pilgrimage
to the grave, for all they find is an empty tomb.
This search inevitably ends in failure, and this
brings us to another great loss — losing Jesus from
the grave.

If the disciples had never thought of losing Jesus
in the grave, much less had they expected to lose
him out of the grave. They followed to the grave
and there lost Him ; now they follow Him into the
grave yet lose Him. This completes their loss and
is the consummation of their sorrow and solitude.
Previous to this, they possessed His body, and that
was untold wealth, a rich legacy. If Judas sold the
living Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, nothing could
have induced these men to part with the dead body
of Jesus. Now, however, they have only an empty

THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE.

45

tomb, and can only ti^azc on the place where He lay.
There are many disciples still who are full of sad-
ness and disappointment while they stand by the
empty grave, and gaze on the place where Jesus lay,
because they behold Him not. They see angels, but
not Jesus. They hear the sweet voices of the Heav-
enly Heralds, but much more would they have pre-
ferred to listen to the dumb speech of his wounds —
the pierced side, the torn brow and the wounded hand.
What are the words of angels to them now? They
but little heed them; their grief is too great. With-
out Jesus, even angels fail to interest them, for what
angel can take the place of Jesus? Better far is a
dead Jesus than a host of living angels; yea, more
attractive is Jesus in His death shroud than angels
in the glorious robes of the world of light. Let no
one fail, however, to notice the attraction Jesus had
for angels. Before the Incarnation, though the an-
gels made many visits to our world, they never had
time to linger, but always seemed in haste to fulfill
their errands of mercy so as to return home again.
They were so homesick it was almost an impossibility
to keep them over night. But when Jesus came to
tread this earth, He drew the angels in a rich galaxy
around Him. They felt so much at home at His
birth that they sang with joy. Verily they would
have been lonely in Heaven without Jesus. If He

146 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

takes up His abode in a stable, that is the center of
attraction to them. If He goes to the wilderness,
they must follow Him there. If He enters the gar-
den of suffering they are with Him there. When
He is laid in the grave, there do they dwell. The
grave never entertained angels until the Lord of
Life made His royal visit there. But the grave has
ever since had an attraction to angels, and whoever
will may see angels in his grave, for evermore
sacred is the spot where every saint sleeps his last
sleep. Though all may find angels, none can find
Jesus in the grave, and many who seek Him fail to
find Him, because they seek Him where He is not
to be found — "among the dead." But who are
they who are seeking the " living among the dead?"
The scientist, who seeks to explain nature's life and
laws without God; seeks in dead matter the creative
genius of the universe, and expects to find in evolu-
tion the explanation of mind — seeks " the living
among the dead." He who seeks the origin of the
religious instinct and man's moral nature in educa-
tion, and the cause of conversion and religious re-
vival in emotional excitement, seeks " the living
among the dead." He who seeks to account for
Christianity — the greatest moralizing influence in
the world — through a deceived or a deceiving found-
er, " seeks the living among the dea,cl-. " He who

THE SUCCESS OF FATT.T^RE. 147

would account for the New Testament, the Book
above every other which has made savage men hu-
mane and barbaric nations civilized, by the delusion
or fraud of the authors, " seeks the living- among-
the dead." The positivist, who seeks the incentive
and the inspiration to holiness in the human and
not in the Divine, " seeks the living among the
dead." The rationalist wdio would account for
Christ by the Jesus, and explains the supernatural
l)y the natural, " seeks the living among the dead."
The atheist who banishes God out of His own uni-
verse and would trace the energies of mind to mat-
ter, seeks the source of the moral energies in
the human mind, and thus makes death the creator
of life, " seeks the living among the dead." The
ritualist who seeks life in formality; the literalist
who looks for spirituality through the letter of the
creed, the prayer book or Bible ; the Papist who ex-
pects salvation through dogma, church, ]\Iary, or
Pope, seek " the living among the dead." He who
seeks eternal life anywhere but in Christ, sanctifica-
tion in any way but through the Holy (xhost, " seeks
the living among the dead." These men fmd noth-
ing but an empty tomb. Disappointment and fail-
ure inevitably follow their blind search, and with
the disciples of old, their experience verifies our
staternent that Jesus is unfound where sought. Oh,

148 CxLIMPSES OF GOD.

how many there are in the world who in bitter
agony of spirit unconsciously cry out for Him, and
how many there are who weary at heart and heavily
laden with conscious guilt, who are unable to find
Jesus, and are therefore deprived of the rest and
life He promises and is so anxious to give, not be-
cause they do not seek Him, but because they seek
Him where He is not to be found. Hence are we
forced to ask, " Where may we find the Messiah?
How may we come into His presence and realize
that He is indeed the Saviour, the Son of God ? ' '
Let the experience of the disciples further instruct
us. We learn that they found Jesus, and found
Him where they did not expect to find Him.

II. SUCCESS.

He was unsouofht where found, amoner the livin

t-.-

The disciples, though they lost Jesus in the grave,
found Him out of the grave, and this was the great-
est discovery of their life. They lost Him out of
the world, to find Him in the grave; then they lost
Him out of the grave, to find Him in the world.
They found among the living. Him they had
sought "among the dead." This is always the
case. Among the living only is He found, and there
all may find Him. There were three places where
the Lord was found of the disciples after the Resur-

THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE. 1 49

rection, that are typical and representative of the
places where He is always found. They found Him
in a Garden, in the Home, and in the Upper Cham-
ber. The first stands for nature, the second for Provi-
dence, the third for orrace. He was first found in a —
Garden — near a grave, close to the empty tomb.
Mary, with sad and sorrowful heart, in solitude, stood,
riveted by love, to the spot where He had lain. She
knew He was not there, yet the place was sacred —
He had been there. Fast flowed her tears, and
through those tears she saw her Saviour. She
wept on until Jesus stood transfigured before her.
How manifold are the changes of life ! Mary now
weeps at the grave of Jesus. But a little while ago
" Jesus wept " by the grave of Lazarus. Thus we
find the two poles of existence meet at the grave —
the strong and the weak, the Teacher and the taught.
Life is but a bank, in which we invest sympathy,
which we draw out later on with interest. Jesus
was never more Divine than when He wept b}-
the grave of Lazarus. When He is most human
then is lie to us most Divine. The wealth of His
heart was concentrated in those tears. " Jesus
wept." How unlike God, yet how very like man.
We never feel Jesus nearer and in fuller sympathy
with us than when we mingle together oiir tears by
the open grave. We constantl}' thank God that we

150 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

have seen Jesus near the grave before nearing the
grave ourselves. Indeed, if we had not heard and
believed the words, " I am the Resurrection and
the Life, ' ' we never cotild have left the spot where
our dear ones are buried, or dried our tears. Mary
was never nearer Heaven than when she wept b}^
the new tomb of Joseph. The most pathetic scene
of life is when friends stand weeping around the
grave of one they love. The grave is a softer bed,
and the chill of death is taken away by the warmth
of the tears of love. We thank Thee, Jesus, for
Thy tears. Now we know that Thou dost love us
and are sure that Thou dost sympathize with us in
all our suffering and sorrow. Indeed, to die and
enter the grave is not so hard a task if Jesus will
but weep by our grave and watch over it. " Jesus
wept " because the myriad graves of humanity in
all ao-es, with all the heart-aches and the sufferings
which they implied, passed before Him. Mary
wept because she had lost her best friend, but her
sorrow was turned to joy by the grave of Jesus, and
she was made strong thereby to stand by other
graves. Verily, the only preparation to stand by
the grave and to enter the silent sepulchre is
to wait, like Mary, weeping by the grave of Jesus,
until we behold the risen Tvord. When we un-
derstand the miracle of the Resurrection, death

THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE. 151

will lose its sting and the o-rave its victory. I am
glad that His grav^e was in a garden, and that it was
in a garden He was first found after His resurrec-
tion. It seems so natural to meet Him there. It
was in a garden Pie died through self-sacrifice and
secured the Victor's crown. In a garden He was
buried and entered into His well-earned, triumph-
ant rest. In a garden he " rose again from the
dead." I love the grave in the garden, and although
the poet says there is no garden without its grave,
yet I am glad to think that every grave may be in
a garden. I like to think of Him, sleeping there,
with beautiful flowers surrounding His grave,
everything so sweet and fragrant, so pure and
peaceful. Never was garden so rich or full of
life before, for buried in its heart was the Lord
of Life. The earth, with its grave, is evermore
a garden beautiful in which the Saviour has slept.
The Garden of Gethsemane and the garden of the
grave, the garden of suffering and the garden of
rest, the garden of death and the garden of life,
correspond so closely that I fain would believe
they are the same. Am I mistaken? Then Icl
me alone. The thought is my own and my
heart is full of rest. It was very natural that Mary
should have mistaken Jesus for the gardener. We
alwavs meet Him in Nature's Paradise, dressing

152 CxLlMPSES OF GOD.

and keeping- it. Yea, we can always find Him in
the garden, especially like Mary, in the early morn-
ing", opening the eyelids of the lily, training- the
trees, giving- fresh beauty to the flowers and cloth-
ing the rose in fragrant and royal robes. Let ns
meditatively and devoutly stand in Nature's garden,
and though a grave be near us, yet shall we see the
risen Lord.

I Ionic. — This is another place where the Saviour
was found after His resurrection, amid a famity
circle, sitting at the table, partaking of their humble
evening meal. How suggestive and beautiful. He
joined two sad and solitary disciples in their quiet
meditative walk, and conversed with them on the
burning question of the day. They listened to His
wondrous words with rapt attention ; Llis voice was
so magnetic. His thoughts so lucid, His sympathy
so sincere and sacred, and His method of dcaling
with the whole question so new and enrapturing,
that the}" had reached their destination unknown to
themselves. They had more insight into theology
in that short walk than they had ever possessed be-
fore. How their hearts burned within them with
admiration, reverence and love — yet thoy knew Him
not. But when they had entered the home and
sat at table, '' in the breaking of bread," then they
knczo Him. ^ How ver}" precious is the truth taught

THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE. I53

here ! We have often met Him in our walks in the
fields of theolo<ify, and thoug-h we were always made
i^-lad l:)y His heavenly thoughts on luiman themes,
and were eharmed by His message of love, yet
we knew Him not. But in the cvcry-day experi-
ences of life, in the Galilee of humiliation and suf-
fering, in the sanctity of home, our eyes were
opened and we knew Him. It is always so. He
is known best not in theology, but in tlie simple yet
sublime manifestation of love. When He approaches
nearest us as a man, then do we realize how Divine
He is. Thank God, we have oft seen Him in the
" breaking of bread," and in the act of blessing and
giving bread to man. We have met Him in many
a humble yet holy home, and though the house
spoke of poverty, yet the tenant, made rich in grace,
would reveal unto us the wealth of divine love. We
saw Jesus in every smile and heard His voice in
every speech or song, while the very air breathed
His presence, and \ve realized that we were near
Heaven while yet in the home. We have seen
more of Christ's glory and felt more of His gracious
power, when witnessing the sweet submission and
patience manifested in the midst of sorrow and
suffering in these homes, than when worshipping
in the most magnificent tcmi)lc. The unpreten-
tious and yet entirely consecrated lives -of these

154 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

noble men of God, who are making home a Heaven
and earth a Paradise, are so transparent that we can
see God through them.

Upper Chamber. — This is another place where
Jesus was found. The disciples had gathered to-
gether for meditation and prayer in a lowly room
where probably the last supper was eaten. Oh how
sacred was that room ! It was ever so since first
they met in it, but much more so now, after the
Master's death. Losing Jesus intensified their love
for ever3^thing connected with Him. They never
knew the depth of their love for Jesus until they
lost Him in death. As their love deepened for the
Master, so did their appreciation for all things made
sacred through contact with Him. That room was
of special interest, and everything that had occurred
therein was indelibly impressed upon their souls.
Glorious pictures of the pathetic scenes of the past
with which it is closely identified hang on mcmorv's
walls. They are reininded by all the surroundings
of that room of the lessons of love they learned
therein. The air in that room is full of the inusic
of the last hymn they sang together, before going
out to the garden of suffering. The very walls seem
proud to echo the voice of Jesus. Jesus sang as
well as wept. The value of His tears is increased
by the sweetness of His song; the sweetness of His

THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE. 155

song: is enhanced by the bitterness of His tears.
The capacity for pleasure and pain, sing-ing- and
sig-hing-, is the same. The greater the spirit's sensi-
bility to joy, the more sensitive it is to sorrow.
Thus it was Christ's great power to appreciate the
pleasures of life, which gives pathos to the name
" Man of Sorrows." It was because He could sing-
that He could weep. No one loved music with
equal passion to Christ, for no one could appreciate
it so well. He is the inspiration of all music. He
composed the song which the morning stars sang
together. He created the sublime symphony of the
solar system. Indeed, the innumerable worlds are
only strings in the golden harp of the universe.
The birds that sing so sweetly had their voices
trained by Him and learned their song from Him,
whose name is full of music and whose nature is
brimful of tlic harmony of holiness. When He
came to the world He was seeking to strike again,
on the organ of the universe, the " Lost Chord."
He died, apparently, with His hope unrealized.
But when He arose from the dead, and stood in
that memorable room and said, " Peace be mito
you," He struck the chord, and it has vibrated ever
since with marvelous melody, filling the souls of
men with the harmony of love and the rhythm of
life. It holds the angels enraptured and its melody

, 1^6 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

moves and charms God until He joins in the chorus,
His joy being so great that "He rests in His love and
rejoices . . . with singing," It is ever thus.
Music is the shortest, speediest, safest, smoothest
way to soar to the heart of God. The resurrection
is the keynote of the anthem of the redeemed, and
the soul of all true music. Music, however, does
not always express itself in song. It is, rather, har-
mony of being with the Divine, the rhythm of soul
in service, and the melody of heart in communion
with Holiness. Wherever this music of soul exists,
this sweet song of spirit, this music of grace in
man's moral movement, the risen Lord is near in-
deed. The disciples were thus engaged in earnest
worship, united in pleading for divine light and
guidance amidst the spiritual conflict between hope
and fear ; hope because of the dawning of the Resur-
rection truth upon their souls, and fear lest their
hope be ill founded. The struggling and striving
of soul for supremac}^ over harassing doubt, and
pleading for divine strength, is always the sweetest
music to the Divine ear, and the risen Lord does
then appear. Thank God, lye have found Him in
the service of the sanctuary. Though the temple
outside be old and mean, in the simple but earnest
prayer, in the hallowed devotion of heart, in the
sweet communion of spirit with God, in the songs

THE SUCCESS OF FATTJTRE. 157

of Zion, the Lord has stood oft in our midst
and said, "Peace be unto you." Thus, the risen
Lord is found amono- the living — in the Garden of
Nature, like the Creator, sanctifying toil; in the
home, like a father, supplying wants and sanctify-
ing trial ; in the church, like the Saviour, sanctify-
ing by His presence and inspiring words of love,
the service of soul. Wherever there is a soul in sor-
row, as in the Garden ; soul in solitude and suffering,
as in the home; soul in service, as in the Upper
Chamber, the risen Lord is there indeed. Jesus is
often unsought where found. Even had the dis-
ciples believed the Resurrection, with their concep-
tion of the temporal kingdom of the Messiah, they
would have expected to find Him on the throne of
David, rather than in a Garden ; in the palace of the
king, partaking of royal feasts, rather than in the
humble home of the poor; presenting Himself in
the temple and joining in its grand ritualistic ser-
vice, rather than in the unadorned service of the
Upper Chamber. Is it not ever thus? We expect
to find Jesus in the great things of life removed far
away from us, while in truth He is not to be found
there, but in the small things that are near to us,
in our every-day experiences, in the silent tear, in
the sweet song, in the sigh. He is not in the earth-
quake, nor in the wind, but in the " still, small

158 GLIMPSE? OF GOD.

voice." Jesus had to appear, — manifest Himself to
the disciples before they knew Him, and that for
one reason — because He was unexpected and un-
sought where found. Mary did not know Him in
the garden; He had to speak before He was known.
The disciples at Emmaus, though they conversed
with Him, knew Him not until He " opened their
eyes." He was hardly expected in the Upper
Chamber, for the doors were locked, and when He
appeared they took Him for a spirit. Be it remem-
bered, however, that Christ never reveals Himself
unless there be a desire to see Him, and a search,
though blind, for Him. Search is always the proof
of desire to see, and every sincere search will ulti-
mately be rewarded with sight. Thus no one need
fail to find Jesus. The Holy Spirit is ever present
as the all-sufficient Guide to the risen Lord. Thus
we have learned that Jesus is often unfound where
sought, and unsought where found. This brings us
to our last division —

III. SUCCESS OF FAILURE.

He was found where unsought, because sought
where iinfound. The disciples failed to find Jesus
in the grave and this failure was the greatest success
of their life. They found the living Christ, be-
cause they failed to find the dead Jesus. Because

THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE. 1 59

they sought Him where they did not find Him, they
found Him where they did not seek Him. No one
sincerely seeks Jesus but will ultimately succeed in
findin^^- liim, but no one will ever find Jesus unless
he sincerely seek Him. Whoever finds Jesus must
do so through the grave.

The death of Christ proved the death of many a
faith. vSo must the Resurrection of Christ l)e the
life of every faith. Christianity is said to be founded
on an empty tomb. This is only true in the sense
that the empty tomb stands for the fact of the Resur-
rection. Nothing but a living Saviour can be the
hecid of a living Church. If Christ did not rise from
the dead, He never could be the Saviour of the
world. We do not mean to say that Christ's Divin-
ity rests for proof on the Resurrection alone, but
we do assert that faith in the Resurrection alone
will explain and account for the Church, and more-
over the fact of the Resurrection alone can make
salvation possible. Thus the Resurrection of Christ
is the foundation fact of Christianity. Every Chris-
tian believes in the ^liracle of the Resurrection and
his life is an ever-present and convincing proof that
Christ " rose from the dead." All Christians say,
'' Christ is risen from the dead, whereof we are all
witnesses." A living Christian is the most convinc-
ing witness and indestructible evidence that Christ

l6o GLIMPSES OF GOD.

livctJi. The disciples expected to keep Jesus out of
the grave, then they expected to keep Him in the
grave, but at length learned to keep Him in spite
of the grave. Yea veril}^, because of the grave are
they enabled to keep Him. These are but nec-
essary stages in the development of faith and the
deepening of spiritual life. They who lose Jesus
because of the grave must find Him through the
grave. Follow Him into the grave, then you lose
Him; follow Him out of the grave, then you shall
find Him. This is one and, in truth, the only
way of finding the Messiah. They who seek the
living among the dead find nothing but the empty
tomb, but they secure there the necessary guidance
and inspiration to find the living Christ. It is impos-
sible to find Jesus but in this wise. He is within
the grave to the disciple when he stands without;
He is without the grave when the disciple stands
within. But as soon as love leads him into the
grave, life leads him out to Jesus. When we fail
to see Him in the grave, alone shall we succeed
in seeing Him out of the grave. All who lose
Jesus in the grave do so in sorrow, and the reason
thereof is unbelief. All who find Him through the
empty grave do so with joy, and the reason thereof
is faith. They are sorrowful because they lose Him
out of the grave, but ultimately they are made glad

THE SUCCESS OV FAIT.URE. l6l

that they lost Ilini in and out of the j;rave. Thus,
their greatest loss turns out to be their greatest
gain. He who conscientiously seeks Jesus among
the dead will ultimately find Him — among the liv-
ing, for (iod always rewards every sincere search
for the Saviour with success. Thus, seeking Christ,
even among the dead, is better than not to seek
Him anywhere, for by the empty tomb we secure
visions and the guidance of angels into the mys-
teries of the resurrection and to the living Christ.
To those disciples who sought Him in the grave
first appeared Jesus, and that in the order in which
they came. Mary was the first at the sepulchre and
the first to see Jesus; John seems to have been the
second, and the first without seeing Jesus to believe
the Resurrection. Thus is faithful devotion and
conscientious search rewarded of Crod with realiza-
tion of truth. The one need of the world to-day is
to behold the living Christ, and it is fast becoming-
convinced of this fact. We are glad to believe that
there are thousands of men who are earnestly seeking
Christ, though they know it not, and though they arc
seeking Him where He is not to be found — among the
dead. The work of the church to-day is to stand by
the empty tomb and echo the words of the angels,
"He is not here, but is risen." vShow the world
the way to the Saviour. We can not do this unless

l62 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

we ourselves have found Him. Do we believe that
He is risen, and have we seen the risen Lord? Yea
thank God, we have seen Him in the garden, the
paradise of life ; in the home, the paradise of puri-
ty; in the church, the paradise of piety, and in
Heaven, the paradise of the peace of God. Thus
we exchanged doubt for faith, despair for hope,
death for life, and safely passed with the disciples
through the discipline of the night into the clear
light of day; from starlight to sunlight, and from
sunlight to God-light. We bask in the light of the
noonday sun of faith, for " He is risen." We are
clothed with joy and gladness, as the lily is clothed
with beauty and purity. We are fanned by the
balmy breezes of Zion and breathe love in the at-
mosphere of Heaven, for " He is risen." Our souls
are beautified with the beams of God's holiness, and
illuminated with the radiant smile of His counte-
nance, for " He is risen." We are filled with the
wisdom of God, for we have the " Mind of Christ."
We arc nourished by God's love, for Christ dwell-
eth in our hearts. We feel secure in every storm,
our home is the eternal heart of God and our life is
hid with Christ in Him, for " He is risen." Our
inheritance is infinite wealth. " All things are
ours, ' ' — light, love, life, for " He is risen. " " When
Christ our life shall appear, then shall we also ap-

THE SUCCESS OF FAILURE. 163

pear with Him in glory. " Arrayed in lustre bric^rht,
clothed in garments of light, we shall rise into the
higher life of holiness in Heaven, for " He is
risen. "

FAITH'S FAITHFUL FOUNDATION.

" This is a faithful sayini^, and worthy of all acceptation,
that Christ Jesns came into the world to save sinners, of
whom I am chief." — I Tim. 1:15.

Without controversy, Saul of Tarsus, previous to
his conversion, was Christianity's most potent antag-
onist in the first, or indeed in any century of the
Christian era. He was a man who would be oTeat
in any age and successful in any sphere. To hiui
all service worthy to be undertaken was sacred.
Every cause that arrested his attention and enlisted
his sympathy received the strong support of his
sani;-uine and staunch spirit. He entered into all
service with a sturdy, self-reliant, self-assertive and
self-sacrificing spirit. His liberal education, majes-
tic mind, spiritual strength, and social status com-
bined to make him a choice champion to any cause.
His fervency, fearlessness and fidelity made him a
resistless force and a relentless foe. He possessed
a mighty intellect and a magnetic master-mind,
which had received the highest culture. His eagle

1 66 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

eye, heroic heart, brawny backbone, invulnerable
integrity, imperial intuition and intellectual insight,
made him a born leader — a mighty mental and
moral magnet, drawing to himsejf all similar spirits
to engage in the same service. He was unflinching
and uncompromising in the fulfillment of what he
understood to be his duty. His pluck, prudence,
patriotism, perseverance and piety made him a pow-
erful personality. He was convinced that Christ
was an impostor, Christianity an imposition, and
true to his own nature, honest to his convictions,
he employed all his time and talents to rid the
world of the fanatic folly and fraud of Christian-
ity. No man could have undertaken to do more to
uproot Christianity and to annihilate its influence
than did Saul of Tarsus. It is imperative that we
bear these things in inind in order to be able to ap-
preciate fully his testimony concerning the truthful-
ness of the Gospel and the triumph of gospel truth.
Had Saul remained an enemy, the skeptics of the
world would have found in his attitude and enmity
an all-sufficient answer and justification for their
antagonism to Christianity, and surely it would
have been a strong stand and support for skepti-
cism. We can not but have confidence in men of
Saul's type, on whatever side they may be found
fighting. We instinctively place more confidence

faith's faithful foundation. 167

in an intelligent, eonscicntious, inquiring infidel,
than we do in a believer who has not eourage
nor conseienee to challenge any claim, nor interest
and intelligence enough to investigate indepen-
dently the credentials of Christianity. The honest
opposition of a conscientious unbeliever will ulti-
mately be of greater service to the cause of
Christ than the support of believers who have
neither dared to think nor dared to doubt. Let
Christians learn to look upon conscientious chal-
lenges to the claims of Christianity as choice cham-
pions of its cause. Truth must ultimately triumph,
and all who sincerely seek spiritual truth will in-
evitably succeed in finding it, and gladly embrace it
when found. Christianity's greatest enemy is the
man who stifles investigation and smothers convic-
tion, whether in himself or in others. To all such,
the testimony of Saul as to the truthfulness of the
Gospel is weightless and worthless, but to all sincere
seekers after truth, whether believers or unbeliev-
ers, it is simply invaluable. Of all men who have
ever lived, the best qualified to judge Christianit}'
was Saul of Tarsus. ?Ie possessed greater qualifi-
cations to test the truthfulness, to value the evi-
dences and to give an impartial verdict on the
veracity of the Gospel, than any other. His prep-
aration of head and heart is unquestioned, his

i^8

GLIMPSES OF GOD.

heroism and integrity unchallenged. Even enemies
are forced to recognize in Saul an unbiased investi-
gator, holding supremely the gifts necessary to pass
an opinion on Faith's Foundation. He lived in the
first century, and had access to all the historical
records. If any fraud had been practiced or any
weakness existing in the chain of evidences, no one
was more favorably situated to discover it or pos-
sessed greater incentive to expose it when found,
than did Saul. Apart from his natural love of truth,
gladl}" would he have welcomed an}^ damaging evi-
dence against Christianity, as a vindication of the
attitude he held toward it. He was an eye-witness
of the life of the first disciples, and was well versed
in their teaching. Fie possessed every advantage of
noting the change the new faith wrought in the
lives of the believers and of comparing their prac-
tice with their profession. He understood thor-
oughly the national temperament, was in sympathy
with the national aspirations, and devoted to the
faith of his fathers. He was well versed concern-
ing the Messianic hope, had studied as thoroughly
as any one the prophecies which formed the founda-
tion of that hope, and possessed every advantage
possible to compare in detail the word, works and
life of Jesus with the promised Christ of prophecy.
Starting out as an enemy, he was certainly not prej-

FAITH^S FAITHFUL FOUNDATION. 169

udiced in favor of Christianity but was predisposed
against it. All must concede that nothing but firm
faith in the truthfulness of the Gospel could tempt
Saul to embrace it. Xot only had he nothing to
gain, but, from a worldly standpoint, he had every-
thing to lose in accepting it. Nevertheless, possess-
ing all these advantages to test the trustworthiness
of the claims of Christianit3% he testified, " This is a
faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of
whom I am chief." He was converted to Chris-
tianity and became one of the staunchest supporters
of Christian truth, the strongest advocate of Chris-
tian doctrine, while his whole life from his conver-
sion to his death was the noblest exemplification of
the truthfulness of the Gospel. To him the Gospel
was true, not only as a history and a doctrine, but
as the only power to save the world. Thus the best
qualified to test the foundation of faith furnishes the
world with the highest possible testimony of its
faithfulness. This brings us to our subject — Faitli's
J' ait li fill I'ouudaliou.

Tlie apostle emphasizes three truths in the text
which are vital to Christianity and form the founda-
tion of faith.

170 GLIMPSES OF GOT).

I. THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE GOSPEL
AS A HISTORICAL FACT.

" Jesiis Christ came into the world. " Concern-
ing this greatest fact of all history, no alternative is
possible to man save to accept as a " faithful say-
ing. ' ' All men capable of belief have faith in the
historic Jesus. Regarding the broad lines of the
life of Christ, such as the birth of Bethlehem, the
immaculate character, incomparable life and the
matchless majesty of the death of Calvary, all
men declare ' ' faithful saying. ' ' The historical
records relative to the life of Jesus are invulner-
able in their argument and undeniable in their
proof that Christ Jesus came into the world. The
evidences of Christ's presence in the world are so
unquestionably true that whoever denies the fact
dethrones his reason, and, if consistent, will be
forced to reject the everything of history and the
history of everything. But the presence of Christ
in the world is an established fact. Paul claims,
moreover, not only that Jesus was in the w^orld but
that Christ " came " into the world. This implies
His prehistoric existence and embraces the great doc-
trine of the Incarnation. This is the fundamental
doctrine of faith. Christianity rests on this fact.
Reason, revelation and religion make the Incarna-

FAITH S FAITHFUL FOUNDATION. lyt

tion imperative. Without the Incarnation, without
revelation ; without revelation, without religion.
Therefore, reason declares that if this foundation
fact be not found firmly and faithfully established,
that the whole fabric of faith must inevital)ly fall.
The prevalence of the religious instinct in man,
and the existence of a universal need, which nothing
less than God revealed in flesh could satisfy, neces-
sitate belief in the Incarnation.

It is necessary to believe with Paul that Jesus is
the Christ, the Incarnate Son of God, before faith
in Him as a Saviour is possible. If proof of His
Divinity is not accessible to man, and sufficient to
convince an unbiased, sincere seeker of its truth-
fulness, then He is not the Son of God. No man
need hesitate to test this truth, and he who hesitates
is less than a man. But whoever tests faithfully
and fearlessly will sooner or later stand with Paul
on the firm rock of Faith, and say, " Faithful Say-
ing. ' ' Immanuel invites and inspires independent,
intelligent, impartial inquiry. He who refuses to
receive the doctrine of the Incarnation, and thus
recognize the Divine and the human in Jesus, will
either be forced to lose his bearings amidst the
mental maze and bewildering labyrinth of unbelief,
or compelled to cut his way inch by inch from the
dungeon of doubt to the freedom of faith. We

172 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

must believe in His existence in the world, and His
existence before He came into the world, or be
overwhelmed by the inexplicable difficulties of
doubt. If we deny Christ's coming into the world,
how will we account for the fact that He is the
center of history, and that everything that ever took
place in the world has its historic position deter-
mined by its approach to, or remoteness from, the
great central fact — Jesus Christ? Is it probable
that the axis of human history, or the sun from
which radiate and to which converge all the light
and energy of life, around which center, cluster and
revolve in a rich galaxy the innumerable facts and
factors of the world's history, is only a myth or only
a man? "Christ Jesus came into the world. " If
He did not, how can we account for the Gospels as
records and as results? They are in the world, and
they demand recognition. If we deny the Incar-
nation, it is simply impossible to account for the
New Testament. He who rejects the Incarnation,
which is a mystery of light, will be compelled to
accept the self-evident contradiction that fancies
are more potent than facts, which is a mystery of
darkness. The Gospels inust be true or false.
They chronicle facts or fancies, and it ought to be
easy to decide which. As records, they are authen-
tic or spurious. If authentic, then Jesus Christ

FAITHS FAITHFUL FOUNDAITOX. 173

"came into the world. " But if spurious, liow are
we going to explain their existence and tlic exist-
ence of belief in their authenticity? It is not witli-
in the limits of human credulity to believe that the
men who wrote the Gospels would chronicle as facts
things they knew to be mere fabrications, and force
them upon their fellow men as faithful records,
when they had nothing to gain and everything to
lose in so doing. There could be no motive to
fraud. If spurious, why were they written? How
did it happen that men of different mental caliber,
in different places, at different times, without any
possibility of collusion, should have written from
different standpoints the same statements and story?
The Gospel records are in all essentials identical,
and we know that truth alone is homogeneous,
^loreover, if spurious, how will we account for the
fact that for over eighteen centuries they have been
accepted as true by men of unquestionable intel-
ligence and undeniable integrity? Yea, by the best
men in every sense of the word that have ever lived;
men endowed with every faculty and possessing every
facility to rightly estimate the evidences of the
truthfulness of the Gospel. These men not (jnly ac-
cepted the Gospel records as true, but many of them
suffered persecutions, risked their lives and sealed
their belief with their blood. If spurious, then by

174 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

universal consent the stiblimest ethical teaching, the
greatest moral truth, the mightiest factor in the
uplifting of humanity is — a lie. The power which
makes for righteousness is — unrighteousness ; the
world's Magna Charta of liberty, law and life is —
the fruit of fraud and fanaticism. The power which
educates, emancipates, elevates and ennobles hu-
manity is — superstition and deception. Reason
unites with revelation in declaring " Faithful is the
saying . . . Christ Jesus came into the world, ' ' for
without Christ, and without Christ in the world, and
without a Christ not of the world, the Gospels are
simply enigmas of errors. Like alone can produce
like. Hell can not bring forth Heaven. A lie can
not lead to truth, neither can it make men true.
Reason asserts that the cause must be as great,
or greater, than the effect. The Gospels present an
effect which demands a supernatural power for its
cause. The Gospels demand Jesus Christ, and Jesus
Christ demands belief in the Incarnation. If Christ
came not into the world, then the greatest moral
superstructure is without foundation, the greatest
system of truth has been evolved out of error and
has systematized itself. The hero who has inspired
thousands of heroes to deeds of holy heroism is only
the creation of hallucination. Such a conception of
Christianity is the constmimation of contradiction.

FAITH S FAITHFUL FOUNDATION. 1 75

With Paul, all Christendom unites in declaring-, "This
is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation —
that Christ Jesus came into the world."

II. THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE GOSPEL
AS A DOCTRINAL FACT.

" Christ Jesus came into the world to save siii-
iio's/' This includes faith, not only in Christ's
presence in the world, but in His mission. To Paul,
Christ*was in the world in order to save it. Of all
doctrine, the doctrine of salvation is the most im-
portant to humanity and vital to the Christian faith.
It can not be measured by anything save the love
of God. It embraces Christ's cradle and His Cross,
the Incarnation and Atonement, both of which are
based on the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. Many
who believe in the historic Jesus deny His divine
nature and necessarily reject His divine mission.
Paul, however, could not understand the life and
death of Jesus Christ save in the light of " to save
sinners, ' ' for to deny the truthfulness of His mission
in the world is to deny Christ. This doctrine of
salvation is fundamental. It is the first and final
fact of faith. Without it the Christian faith would
be without foundation, and the faith that is without
foundation is the worst form of folly and fanaticism.
The everything of Christ is invested in Christianity.

176 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

The everything of Christianity is invested in — salva-
tion. If the doctrine of salvation can not be estab-
lished, then both Christ and Christianity must nec-
essarily become inexplicable and extinct. But if
established, Christ is enthroned and Christianity is
eternal. This doctrine being the very foundation
of faith, it is of the utmost importance to know if it
be faithful. Is the doctrine of salvation provable,
or even probable? Is it possible to test its truthful-
ness? Paul replies that it is a " faithful saying. "
This implies conviction and confidence born of care-
ful consideration of its claims. If it is faithful, there
must be a way of proving its faithfulness. It is
impossible to believe that the doctrine which is most
essential to the happiness, hope and Heaven of hu-
manity is incapable of proof or insufficientl}^ proven.
Let not, however, any man expect to be able to ex-
plain everything in connection with this doctrine,
for like God it must necessarily be mysterious, as
mysteries are essential to faith. The function of
faith is to follow when reason fails. Though faith
can not accept that which is denied by reason, yet
it can accept that which reason, unaided, fails to
recognize. Moreover, if faith accepted as facts
only things that reason has indisputably demon-
strated, then there would be no faith. So, while
believing that there are irrefutable arguments and

FAITH S FAITFfFUT, FOUNDATION. 1 77

undeniable proofs of the doctrine of salvation ac-
cessible to every man, yet the most learned and
devout minds must not affect to comprehend it.
Let every man approach it with all possible modesty
and humility, realizing" that the i^randest concep-
tion of the Infinite Mind and the sublimest expres-
sion of the divine Heart must forever remain greater
and more glorious than the greatest and most glo-
rious thoughts of the greatest minds concerning it.
Nevertheless, the doctrine must be such that
every mind can more or less appreciate it. Christ's
mission in the world was " to save sinners." This
does not imply, however, that He would have had
*no mission in a sinless world. Salvation, in its
broadest sense, would be necessary if sin had never
existed, and the vSaviour would have come to the
world had man never sinned. The Incarnation
would have been a divine and human necessity had
man remained innocent. It would have been neces-
sary Godward, because it is the most intelligent
and invincible expression of divine love, which can
not but manifest itself. It was necessary to the
nature and purposes of the Creator, because it is the
most sublime manifestation of the former and the
only successful realization of the latter. Love's best
is imperative to the best love, and the best of love
is the revelation of the best love at its best. Thus

1 78 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

the Incarnation would have been essential in a sin-
less world, because it was imperative to the law,
liberty and life of divine love. It would have been
necessary manward because the best in man could
not be at its best until it had seen, at its best, the
best in God. None other than the highest mani-
festation of God would have been sufficient to equip
man for his highest mission. The only hope of the
human to realize the highest holiness is through the
highest revelation of holiness in Him who is and
makes holy. The Incarnation was necessary to
man had sin not existed, because Godliness is the
goal of humanity, and the Incarnation is the genius
and the Genesis of Godliness. Jesus, the God-man,
is the genius of God's grace to make man God-like.
God's ideal man could never have been realized
but for the inspiration man received from God's
ideal, eminent in Emmanuel. Thus, though the
accident of sin may have determined the form of
the Incarnation, yet the Incarnation as a fact and
function is uninfluenced by it because indispensable
and eternal. The Incarnation must ever have re-
mained the most invincible impulse of Divine Love,
and the most imperative inspiration of human life.
Not only would the Incarnation be necessary in a
sinless world, but in its wider sense salvation would
be necessary had m^an never sinned. Salvation

FAITH S FATTHFUT, F< UTN DA 'IIf)X. I 79

means not only to be saved from sin, but to be saved
from all imperfection and the possibility to sin.
Had man remained innocent, he would be still im-
perfect, and if imperfect, in need of salvation. Sal-
vation in its fullest meaning is absolute conformity
to the image of God, and this sanctification is impos-
sible without a vSaviour to save from all temptation
to sin. But whatever the influence and the function
of the Incarnation might have been in a sinless
world, we know that its function in a sinful world
is " to save sinners." This is what the Apostle
claims Christ came into the world to accomplish ;
" to save " — the soul from individual sin, and the
race from collective sin. Tlic doctrine of salvation,
in its specific sense, involves the idea of sin. If
there were no sin in the world and no guilt Ijccause
of sin, then tliis vScriptural doctrine of salvation
would be meaningless. But the universal sense of
sin, and the earnest efforts of universal man to
atone for his sins and appease his conscience proves
this to be, involving as it does tlie glory of (iod and
the well-being of man, of all doctrines the most im-
portant. There is a universal acknowledgment of
the need of salvation, and this in itself suggests the
possibility of salvation. Let us incpiire wliat kind
of salvation is the need of liumanity. It must l)e
salvation from sinning; not only from the guiU of

l8o GLIMPSES OF GOD.

sin but from the influence of sin; redeeming not
only from the penalty and punishment but also
from the power of sin. The salvation necessary is
physical and moral, saving the body and the soul,
and that not only from sin but from all evil — the out-
come of sin. It must not only be salvation in time
but for eternity, and not only great enough for the
soul of the individual but for the need of the whole
world. Now, the question to be decided, and which
is fundamental to faith, is this: Is the historic Jesus
whom the Apostle proves " came to the world " the
Saviour of humanity? Has He power to save the
world? Is He willing to save the world? Does He
save the world? These questions lie at the founda-
tion of faith, and on the answers and proofs de-
pends the Faithfulness of the Gospel as a Doctrinal
Fact. Jesus Christ professes to be the Son of God
who came to the world for the express purpose of
saving sinners. If the claim of His divine nature
can be established, then the trustworthiness of His
testimony as to His own mission is irrefutable, so
that the whole argument turns on the question, " Is
Jesus the Christ, the Son of God?" If He is the
Son of God, then is He the only and all-eflicient
Saviour of the world. Who is this Jesus? But one
of two answers to us seems possible; the Son of
God, or the greatest impostor of the world. It

i8i

ought to be easy to decide which. Does He speak
like an impostor? Men say, " Never man spake
like this man." His words are universally recog-
nized as the wisest and holiest that have ever fallen
on the ear of man. His authority, originality and
spirituality as a Teacher have ever astonished the
master minds of the ages. Rich and poor, learned
and unlearned have for nineteen centuries, in sun-
shine and in storm, been charmed by His words of
love. The truths which He declared have revolu-
tionized the world; they have ever been the might-
iest force for making man noble, kind and true.
They have emancipated man and enthroned woman.
They have set a premium on purity, peace and
piety. They have influenced for good every man
who has honored them. They have found their way
into the hearts of myriads of men ; they have
moulded and moved every mind and furnished the
motive for every good movement since they have
been uttered. They are the perennial spring from
whence flowelh the philanthropy and the love of
man. Are they then the words of an impostor?
Did He live like an impostor? He " went about
doing good." He is universally acknowledged to
be the greatest philanthropist of the world. He
gave eyes to the blind, healed the bodies of men,
raised the dead, while He never soiiglit or received

1 82 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

reward. Even His enemies can not point to a
single flaw in His character or a single selfish act in
His life. Thousands of men, the best the sun has
ever looked down upon, have received their inspira-
tion from His life and are living again His life of
love. His life has influenced the head and the heart
of humanity and made men generous, great and
good. Thousands have " gone home/' to glory, like
Elijah, in a chariot of fire, rather than deny their in-
debtedness to His life. Is this the result of the life
of an impostor? Did He die like an impostor? Are
impostors willing to die to immortalize the imposi-
tions they have forced on their fellows? Is His
serenity of soul and calm courage in the agony of
death the creation of imposition? Does He, while
promising Paradise as a reward to the penitent
thief and praying for forgiveness for His cruel mur-
derers, show the spirit of an impostor? If an im-
postor, how will we explain the influence of His
death on humanit}^? No fact has so moved men,
and the effect of no death has been so universal,
gaining in magnetism and might as the centuries
have moved on. If He is not the Son of God, then
the life and death of Christ are inexplicable.
Moreover, it is impossible to explain the miracle of
the Resurrection if Jesus is not the Son of God, or
to explain the empty tomb without accepting the

FAITHS FAITHFUL FOUNDATION. iS^

miracle of the Resurrection. All are a^^reed that
the body of Jesus was buried in a new tomb hewn
out of a rock and that a lar^-e stone was placed at
the door of the sepulchre, which was sealed with
the Roman seal and L^-uarded by R(jman soldiers.
We know that it was sure death for any one to tam-
per with that grave while it was under the seal and
protection of Rome. There was only one access to
that sepulchre ; we know tliat the body was not in the
grave on the morning of the third day. And now
being positive of two facts, we arc forced to account
for the third. We are all agreed that He was
buried in that tomb, and that His body disappeared
from the tomb. We are forced, therefore, to ac-
count for the disappearance of the body from the
grave. Only one of three explanations is possible:
First, His enemies removed the body; Second, His
friends removed it, or Tliird, Pie " rose again from
the dead." Wliy should His enemies remove the
body? All their hope for annihilating the influence of
Jesus depended upon its safe keeping, and, moreover,
if they possessed anywhere the body of Jesus, why in
tlie name of common sense did tliey not produce it
when the disciples preached the Resurrection, and
thus present an unanswerable and permanent proof
of the fallacy of the Christian faitli? Tliat they
would have done so, had it been possible, is proved

184 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

beyond all question by the persistency with which
they prosecuted their project of crushing Chris-
tianity in crucifying Christ. It was absolutel}" im-
possible for friends to have removed the body with-
out the knowledge of the soldiers guarding the
tomb. Moreover, conscious and criminal conspiracy
between friends and foes, culminating in removing
the body and hiding it and the detestable and dark
deed never to be discovered nor disclosed, is incred-
ible. No sane mind can a moment believe that the
disciples would have sacrificed their all, yea their
lives, to convince the world that Jesus rose from the
dead if they knew His body was rotting in an
unknown grave. Their deception could mean noth-
ing but disgrace and death. Therefore, reason
rejects as unsatisfactory these two explanations of
the removal of the body of the Redeemer. These
are practically the only two attempts of unbelief to
solve the mystery of the empty tomb. There is,
then, no alternative but to believe w^th all Christen-
dom that " He rose again from the dead," and that
the miracle of the Resurrection is the doctrine that
has created the church, and not a doctrine that the
church has created. The fact of Christ's resurrec-
tion being established, the truth of His divine na-
ture can nevermore be denied. He could not be
deceived as to His Divinity if He rose again from

faith's faithful foundation. 185

the dead. We can not be deceived regarding His
Messiahship, now that He has demonstrated His
authority over death and the grave. He can not be
less than Divine, He must be the Son of God, and
as such His words must be faithful and His testi-
mony true. He asserts that " God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who-
soever belie veth in Him should not perish, but have
everlasting life." Therefore, the doctrine of salva-
tion is firmly and faithfully founded on the founda-
tion of all doctrine — the Divine Sonship of Christ.
He came to " seek and save that which was lost,"
or in the words of Paul, " to save sinners." The
Gospel is true as a doctrinal fact. Christianity is
the power of (lod unto salvation. Thank (jod, He
came into the world "to save sinners." Not to
build churches nor create creeds, but " to save sin-
ners." This was the mighty motive of the mission
of the Son of Man among men. Millions of men on
earth believe this truth, and while ready to die for
their faith, join with the myriad hosts of the re-
deemed in Heaven, saying, " Worthy is the Lamb
that was slain." This is a " faithful saying — that
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin-
ners."

l86 GLIMPSES OF GOi).

III. THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE GOSPEL
AS AN EXPERIMENTAL FACT.

" Of whom lam chief." The most indestruct-
ible evidence of the trustworthiness of Christianity
is the testimony of individual experience. Chris-
tianity is well attested by a variety of evidence
which ought to appeal clearly and concUisivcl}' to
all classes and conditions of men. The same evi-
dence will not appeal to all minds with equally con-
vincing force. But the experimental evidences are
well-nig-h irresistible in their appeal at all times to
all men. This is the proof of proofs. Paul liad
tested Christianity and found it verified in his own
life as "the power of God unto salvation." He
may have been convinced of the truthfulness of the
Gospel because of its faithfulness as a historical and
doctrinal fact, but after all the argument of argu-
ment was that he himself, the chief of sinners, was
being saved. It is claimed that Christianity is Chris-
tianity only to the Christian. There is certainly one
sense in which this is true. No man can appreciate
Christianity until he embrace it. No man will re-
alize its strength until he lays his weight upon it,
or understand its influence until he experiences it
in his own life. This practical test of Christianity
is the most potent, accessible and permanent proof

FAITH S FAITHFUL FOUNDATION. 187

of its power. While many men are unable to test
Christianity by logic, all men can test it by life. It
is a marvelous thing, however, that those who are
most dependent upon this proof are so slow in rec-
ognizing and appreciating its power. Paul had
taken Christ at His word and trusted Him for his
life, and the Saviour's faithful fulfillment of all His
promises to Paul, amidst all the changes of his
changeful career, established him eternally in his
conviction that Jesus is the Christ. His faith had
become a part of his very nature and was indestruct-
ible. Paul, to himself and to all others, would ever
be an unsolved problem were Christianity not true.
There are millions of men confident that Jesus is
the Saviour of the world who are ready, if needs
be, to die for their faith. These men, unless Jesus
is the Christ, are inexplicable. Their belief has
revolutionized their characters. They are men of
intelligence and integrity. Without conti'oversy
they are, as a class, the most honest, hopeful, happy,
and luimane of men. What will we do with their
testimony? We can not disregard it, neither can
we destroy it. Are these men deceived, or do they
deceive? Is it not improbable that the best men, in
every sense of the word, that have ever been in the
world should alone have been thus deceived? Is it
not incredible that the most rational men should

1 88 GLIMPSES OF GOD,

on this point alone become irrational? No single
motive to fraud can be fcmnd. Reason dare not
call these men deceivers. The best proof of what
Christianity is will always be what Christianity
does, not what it professes, but what it practices.
It is right and reasonable that it should be thus
tried. If it is the only true religion it must bear
unmistakable evidence in its history of that fact.
It professes to have come unto the world to save
the world. It has been here for eighteen centuries.
What has it done toward realizing this purpose?
Look around you and see. Scan the pages of his-
tory and you will undoubtedly find sufficient evi-
dence to convince you whether Christianity is of God,
or of man. You ought to find out which immedi-
ately, and as you are a man, take your position ac-
cordingly. If it is of man, you owe it to yourself,
to society and to God to lend all your influence
against it, convincing those who embrace it of their
fanaticism and folly. Remember well, however,
that you should believe as thoroughly that it is of
man as do others that it is of God before you un-
dertake to oppose it, lest you be found fighting
against God. Unless you are as ready to die for
your conviction as the Christians are, you dare not
challenge it. But if you have arrived at this posi-
tion, go ahead. On the other hand, if it is found to

FAI'IH's 1 Ari'HFUT, FOl^Nl) A TION. 189

be of Ood, you arc in duty bound to embrace it and
to lend all your influence to brini^ all its enemies to
do the same. To refuse to investigate the claims
of Christianity is criminal ; to reject it when its
claims have been established is cowardice. The
sin which is most damaging to character and most
dangerous to life is — indecision. The question
Elijah put to Israel was never more pertinent than
it is to-day — "How long halt ye between two
opinions ?" If Christianity is true, why do you not
embrace it ? It has created Christendom, the prog-
ress and prosperity of which are but the practical
expression of the principles of the Prince of Peace.
It has made slavery impossible. When it entered
the world there were no hospitals, but to-day these
charitable institutions, ameliorating the sufferings
of humanity, are found everywhere. The greatest
moral force in the world to lessen crime, sin, suffer-
ing, sorrow and shame, to uplift the fallen, to eman-
cipate the oppressed, to ennoble the ignoble and to
make the sinful holy, is by universal consent —
Christianity. The testimony of the best men of the
world is that it satisfies the best nature of the best
men. Can that which docs this be untrue? Can that
wliich satisfies the longing of the universal heart
with its answers to the deep questions that have
harassed it be less than Divine ? Must not that

190 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

which is declared by humanity, when at its best, to
satisfy its best needs be the final religion of man?
If true, why not accept it ? The best evidence that
any Christian can offer of the truthfulness of the
Gospel is to manifest its influence on his own life.
Many wdio could not offer an argument of any value
in words, present an argument in life which is irre-
sistible and invaluable. If you want to convince the
world that the Gospel is true, manifest its influence
on your own character and in your own life. Fire has
failed to burn this conviction out of the soul of the
martyrs, and swords have failed to drive men to deny
it, because it is " A faithful saying. " The Pharisees
could argue the man born blind out of many a posi-
tion, but no logic in the universe can argue a pair of
eyes out of a man's head. Christianity's choice chal-
lenge to the criticism of the centuries is — the Chris-
tian. What can be more convincing or conclusive of
Christianity's claim than the change in the charac-
ters of those who cherish it? The best sermon on
the science of salvation is — a soul saved. While sin-
ners are transformed into saints and the Gospel
makes men Godlike, Christianity, in all that is essen-
tial to its life, is indestructible. Though every other
tittle of evidence be lost, though all the Bibles be
burned, though churches and creeds crumble, and
the cosnios of theological thought become chaos, yet

FAITHS KAITHFUI, FOUNDATION. IQI

while men are ereated into new ereatures by Christ
Jesus, Christianity is immortal. The most tran-
scendent and telling testimony to the trustworthiness
of the Gospel is the transforming tendency of its
truth. Thus, of all appeals the appeal to experience
is the strongest. Paul l^clieved Christianity because
it pointed out to him his sinful state, a sympathetic
Saviour, a sufficient and sure salvation. He had
proved it true in that it rightly diagnosed his dis-
ease, furnished the right remedy and realized the
right results. This is what he means in saying,
" Of whom I am chief." He realized that he was
a sinner, and so great appeared his sin that he
thought he was the " chief " of sinners, but the
chief of sinners savc(L His salvation as the " chief
of sinners " provided him with his chief proof that
it was a " faithful saying " that " Christ Jesus came
into the world to save sinners." This must ever be
so. While Christianity shows a man what he is,
what he should be, and how he may become what he
should, while it reveals a ruined race redeemed and
unfailingly points to man's need of penitence, pro-
vides pardon and promotes piet}^ and peace, it will
forever remain the " power of God unto salvation."
While Christianity's most essential evidence is the
experimental, we thank God that Christianity itself
is no experiment. It has been well tested. The

192 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

foundation of faith is a "tried stone." Friends
have tried it and they have ever found it faithful.
Enemies have scrutinized it but have failed to de-
tect one flaw, and indirectly have been forced to
acknowledge it as " faithful." Christianity is true
as a historical fact, as a doctrinal fact, and as an ex-
perimental fact. Faith's Foundation is found firm,
and our souls echo the words of the Apostle, " This
is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation."
My soul, build thou on this foundation. There is
no other that will stand the storms of time and the
testing of eternity. My brother, accept this salva-
tion. It is worthy of all acceptation ; it satisfies the
craving of the soul and meets the universal need of
the universal heart. Every conversion proves it
and Christendom demonstrates its power. The con-
scientiousness of Christians while living, their con-
fidence while dying, and the change it has wrought
in our own characters, make it imperative that we
say, " faithful saying."

SIMEON AND THE SAVIOUR.

" And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name
was vSimeon ; and the same man was just and devout, waiting
for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon
him. And it was revealed unto Inm by the Holy Ghost that
he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's
Christ. And he came by the spirit into the temple: And
when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for Him
after the custom of the law, then took he Him up in his arms,
and blessed God, and said. Lord, now lettest Thou Thy serv-
ant depart in peace, according to Thy word: For mine eyes
have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before
the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles and the
glory of Thy people Israel." — Like 2: 25-32.

No nation is poor that can prodticc a character
like Simeon. Any people may glory in the posses-
sion of such strong, serene and spiritual sages.
Such men are the " chariots of Israel, and the horse-
men thereof " — the most efficient defense of the life
and liberty of the nation. They crystallize the na-
tional ideals, concentrate the national energies, con-
solidate the national hope and constrain the national
will. Thev create the national conscience and arc

194 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

the champions of law, liberty and life. Any nation is
immortal to the extent that it is able to produce such
moral magnets. Simeon was one of the choicest
fruits of the Old Dispensation in which the wliole
life of the tree seemed concentrated, which ripened
only under the warm rays of the sun of righteous-
ness. The Jewish Economy sang its last and sweet-
est song in Simeon, but like the fabled song of the
swan, it was the song of death. In many particulars
Simeon was the highest product of the Old Testa-
ment religion. He was an ideal Israelite. We
possess only the fragmentary portion of his history
contained in this chapter, yet we are charmed with
what we are privileged to know of him, and in-
stinctively feel drawn to him by the tenderest cords
of love. History, like life, is to be valued not by
its length, but by its breadth and depth. Moreover,
any history that chronicles the last scene of life con-
tains all that is necessary to enable us to understand
the development of that life. Hence, the last chap-
ter of any life is much more instructive than the
first. The sun is never more magnificent than
when it sets in the golden glory which it has pre-
pared to adorn its eventide. He who is privileged
to see the fruit of any tree may well know the beauty
of its blossom, but he who sees a tree in blossom is
never sure what the fruit will be, for many a tree

SIMEON AND IHK SAVIOIJK. I95

blossoms well on which fruit never jj^rows. He who
stands with vSinieon in his last days and witnesses
the high-water mark of his life may well know of
the ebb and flow in his history. So that, although
this story of a soul seeking the Saviour is incom-
plete, yet it is invahudDle and immortal. The more
spiritual the life, the more impossible it is to clothe
it in language. The deeper flows the stream of
life, the less there will be concerning it that words
can tell. A great life is so unostentatious that men
do not appreciate its greatness until its light has
burned out. This short story of Simeon, the sainted
sage, like all written under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, is sublime, simple, salutary and suffi-
cient. It gives us the history of the transformation
of an ideal Israelite into an ideal Christian. It is
not only interesting and instructive as the history
of an individual conversion, but as typical and first
fruit of the rich harvest which will be gathered into
the Heavenly (iarner when the Jews as a nation ac-
cept Jesus as the Messiah. We like to remember
that vSimeon was permitted to see Jesus before the
wise men were privileged to worship Him. A
divine propriety is strongly implied in the order in
which men came to do homage to the child Jesus.
The shepherds were the first to come, then Simeon,
then the wise men. Jews first, then (jcntiles.

196 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

Peasant first, prophet second, priests third ; labor
first, law second, learning- third. How natural is
this order. The sons of toil — the shepherds — did
homage to the Good Shepherd; Simeon, the ideal
Israelite, saw the light of the Gentiles; the wise
men from the East worshipped the King of the
Jews. Labor was never more sacred or success-
ful than when it sought, tlirough the shepherds,
the sympathy of the Saviour and identified itself
with Him who had identified Himself with labor.
Toil is only triumphant when in touch with truth.
Ecclesiasticism was never more exalted than when,
in the person of Simeon, it embraced Emmanuel.
Theology and religiosity, the law and the prophets,
were never so glorified as when, in the person of
Simeon, they recognized, received and rejoiced in
the Lord's Christ. Philosophy, science and culture
were never so ennobled and enriched as when, in
the person of the wise men, they fell at the feet of
the " King of the Jews." Wisdom is never so wise
as when it welcomes and worships Him who is the
wealth of all wisdom. Whatever claim these wise
men had to wisdom previous to this, they established
it beyond all controversy when they allowed the
star to lead them to the sun, and sought in the right
spirit, in the right season and in the right sphere,
for the vSaviour. All classes and conditions meet

SIMEON AND TTfE SAVIOUR. I97

aroiind the cradle of Christ as they do around His
cross; the poor and rich, unlettered and learned,
Jew and Gentile. They were all led by the Holy
Ghost, thon<i^h He employed different agents in
o-uiding them. He led the shepherds throuL^-h mu-
sic, Simeon throui^-h Moses and the prophets, the
wise men through the star. It is ever thus. The
Spirit guides men to the Saviour through the strong-
est faculty of their being, whether it be for song,
Scripture or science. In reality, neither art, revela-
tion nor science have an}' value onl}' as they lead
men to the Saviour and do homage to Hiin who is
their life and light. The three never rise higher
than wlien at the feet of Jesus. While we are in-
terested in all who were privileged to gather around
the child Jesus, we are especially interested in vSim-
eon. He seems to get into closer touch with Jesus,
to interpret the child and understand the Incarna-
tion, with its influence upon humanity and Ileaven,
as did none of the others. He alone saw the uni-
versal Saviour, who was not only the glory of the
people of Israel, but " a light to the Gentiles." He
alone understood that no corner or crevice of the
moral world would be left destitute of tlie reveal-
ing, the purifying and tlie life-giving light of the
sun of righteousnesss. He alone had a glimpse of
the atoning work of the Redeemer and saw that the

190 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

King would only be crowned when crucified. All
the light given in scattered rays to the prophets was
Slathered too-ether in the sonl of Simeon and focused
on Christ. Simeon was in ver}' truth a prophet.
He saw with prophetic eye the mission of the Son
of Man in the world and the opposition of the world
to the Saviour. He saw the suffering of the Sin-
less on account of sin, and sought to make known
the Saviour's sympathy for the sinner. Is not this
ever the work of the prophet? It is interesting to
note that the first intimation of his prophetic fac-
ulty is given when he beholds the Lord's Christ.
Jesus Christ is the Genesis, as well as the goal of
prophecy. AVe can not but feel grateful that the
starlight of prophecy should lose its lustre only in
the fulfillment of all prophecy — the rising of the
sun of righteousness. What more natural than that
the light of the stars should be lost only in the light
of the sun ? Starlight, however valuable in the
night, is superfluous in the sunlight. But he who
has not eyes to see the one can never behold the
other. He who does not appreciate the light al-
ready received and is faithful to the truth already
revealed can never receive a greater revelation.
The joy of anticipation and the pleasure of seeking
truth are imperative to the delight of realization.
He who is appreciative of the knowledge already

SIMEON AND THE SAVlOUR. I99

possessed will inevitably be rewarded with i^-reater
knowledge. Simeon's nature was appreciative. He
" waited for the consolation of Israel." He highly
valued the truth already revealed, and diligently
sought to qualify himself for the realization of the
greater truth. He did not bemoan the disadvan-
tages under which he lived, but earnestly sought to
adapt himself to profit by greater privileges when it
would please God to grant them. Thus he proved
himself to be an ideal seeker for salvation. Indeed
everything about him seems ideal. He possessed
an ideal spirit, made an ideal search for the Saviour,
which was crowned with ideal success. The story
of Simeon teaches us the secret of success in seek-
ing the Saviour, hence our subject — Siificoii ajid
the Saviour.

No one can but be impressed by Simeon's impos-
ing personality, as portrayed by the Holy Spirit.
His character is delineated with such delicacy and
precision that we are able to read his very thoughts
and to look into his very soul. This analysis of his
character compresses the intimacy of years into the
compass of an hour's communion. He who is priv-
ileged to look upon this picture, if but for a moment,
can not fail to perceive that Simeon possessed pre-
eminently all the essential qualifications of the seeker
for salvation.

260 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

SIMEON AS A SEEKER.

Simeon is representative of that class of master
minds who have made all the great discoveries of
the world. He is t3^pical of the honest inquirer and
the successful seeker for truth. He was "just,"
that is, righteous in all his dealings, full of moral
integrit}^ and uprightness, a man not only honest
in deed but honest in heart. He was impregnable
in justice and the soul of sincerit3^ Honesty of
heart, sincerity of spirit, are qualities ever impera-
tive to successful research for all truth. He who
is not honest would only mock truth, and " God is
not mocked." He was not only "just," but ", de-
vout," that is, he humbled himself in the presence
of holiness. He reverenced righteousness and
trembled in the presence of truth. The Almighty
filled him with awe; the Infinite and the Inscrut-
able inspired him with a sense of insignificance.
He who pays no homage to holiness can never
enter the Holy of Holies of the temple of truth.
He who would enter the temple of truth, of nature
or of grace must do so on his knees. God can not
reveal Himself to the haughty; without humility as
well as holiness no man can see the Lord. The H0I3'
One ever holds communion with the humble of
heart. There must ever be affinit}' between the seek-

StMEON AND THE SAVIOUR. 20t

er's spirit and the truth soiig-ht. He who is hmnhled
in the presence of truth shall alone by truth be ex-
alted. Arrogance in the realm of truth is arrested
and annihilated by the arm of the Almighty. " The
secrets of the Lord are with them that fear Him,"
and with them only. This fear is not only a condi-
tion on which God promises to reveal Himself, but a
quality of spirit essential to understand and appre-
ciate the things of God. A pure heart and a de-
vout spirit are necessary qualifications to see God.
Selfishness, self-sufficiency and sensuality will dim
the spiritual sig-ht and destroy the moral sensibil-
ity, which is imperative to spiritual vision. Sanctity
of soul, sincerity of spirit and self -surrender are
the three imperative conditions of spiritual sight.
Simeon was "just and devout. ' ' Both qualities must
ever meet in the soul of the successful seeker for
truth. Honesty and humility are imperative condi-
tions of successful investigation. A nian may be
just without being- devout, honest without being
humble, but he can not be devout without being
just, humble witliout being honest. No man wlio
is not lionest and humble can make any great dis-
covery; no man can be just and devout without get-
ting into touch with truth and being- transformed liy
the truth he touches. Simeon possessed this spirit,
hence the Lord told him His secrets and enabled him

202 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

to make the greatest discovery of the world — to find
the Messiah. Without this spirit no one can suc-
ceed in seeing" the vSaviour. To possess Simeon's
spirit is the secret of success in seeing Simeon's
Saviour. Simeon, like every successful seeker for
truth, was right in relation to Heaven and earth,
" devout " expressing his Godward and " just " his
manward attitude. He faithfully observed the two
great commandments which are the fulfillment of
the law— loving God with his whole heart and his
neighbor as himself. He learned of God that he
might live aright, and worked wisely in the world
because he had secured wisdom from on high. He
humbled himself in the presence of holiness, and
was therefore honored in the presence of humanity.
He sought to understand and fulfill his duty God-
ward that he might be made a blessing manward.
This complete character alone is crowned with
special revelation of truth. The religion which
completes the character, perfects our entire man-
hood and enables us to be right in all the relation-
ships of life, is alone worthy to be embraced. No
other can satisfy the soul. It alone consecrates our
entire being, — soul, body and spirit, — and brings
all our faculties under tribute.

Such a religion inspires us to make the best of
this life and the best preparation for the life to

SIMEON AND I'lIE SAVIOUR. 203

come. It Opens our hearts like the fiower to receive
the lii^ht and love of Heaven, that we might glad-
den the heart of man with beauty and fragrance.
Simeon had not only faith and love, hut hope; not
only piety, but patience. He " waited for the con-
solation of Israel." He was not only right in rela-
tion to humanity in general but to his own nation
in particular. He was not only pious but patriotic,
and patriotic because he was pious. True piet}' is
ever patriotic and true patriotism is ever patient.
The national hope flourished in Simeon's honest
heart. He hoped for the restoration of Israel and
longed for the time when He might appear who
would console Israel. He was well versed in the
history of his people, was as sanguine as an}^ in
the hope for the redemption of Israel and the res-
toration of the honor and happiness of his nation.
He was patriotic enough to be sanguine and san-
guine enough to " wait." Was not this the promise
of God ? Had not the Messiah, the consummation
of national hope, been promised ? God would sure-
ly redeem that promise, and was not the time for
tlie fulfillment of tlie prophecy drawing nigli when
the given Saviour would take the place of the given
signs? He looked for the "consolation of Israel."
He lifted up liis eyes, and shading tliem with his
hands strove to see His approach. It was not a

204 GLIMPSES OF GOB.

passing glance with which he scanned the scene, but
a sincere, stead}^ stare, for well he knew that He
was nigh. His soul burned within him with joyous
expectation of His appearing. What a time of
rejoicing it would be when the " consolation of
Israel" would come! The national sins, with their
offspring, suffering and shame, would vanish in the
light of the sun of righteousness as darkness disap-
pears when the sun ascends his throne. " Consola-
tion of Israel." That name contained Simeon's
heart, hope, happiness and Heaven. What a beau-
tiful and expressive name for the Messiah who
would enter into the sorrows of Israel with a S}^!-
pathy strong enough to steal away their sharpness!
He would fill their hearts with holiness, their homes
with happiness and their history with honor. vSim-
eon had compassion for his people, though cognizant
of their criminal conduct, and confidence in God for
the redemption of His promise, though conscious of
his nation's crucial condition. Although ever}^-
thing appeared against the redemption of Israel,
faithful was He who had promised and mighty in
power. He would surely bring it to pass. Thus he
had faith in God, hope in Christ, and love for the
divine promises. These three graces never meet
in any character without attracting another. As
the three young men in the fiery furnace enjoyed

SIMEON ANM) 'I'lIF. SAVIOUR. 205

the constant presence of " one like unto the Son of
Man," so fiiith, hope and love are ever crowned
with the abiding presence and the unction of the
Holy Spirit. "The Holy Ghost was upon him. "
This was a special mark of divine approbation, given
to sanctify the servant and to seal the service. It
was a reward which the favorites of divine love
alone were privileged to receive. But God has no
favorites, save those who are faithful above their fel-
lows in following the promptings of divine love.
All such will be favored with the choicest gifts of
Heaven. The presence of the Spirit was an addi-
tional and sure sign of the approach of the Saviour.
The advent of tlic Spirit in this unique manner,
after an absence of four hundred years, could not
but be suggestive of the coming of Christ. The
Holy Ghost was " upon " Simeon, not in him. Not
as an inward principle, but as an outward power;
not as an influence guiding from within, but as a
force directing from without. This is the way in
which the Holy Ghost was given to men throughout
the history of the world until the Messiah came.
The Holy Spirit never made the heart of man His
home until Christ came to dwell in human nature.
Indeed, not until liuman nature was glorified in
Christ's Ascension did the Holy Spirit take up His
abode in man. It was wlicn Christ entered Heaven

2o6 GIJMPSES OF GOD.

as the representative of man that the Holy Spirit
entered the human soul as the representative of
(tocI. It was when the glory of Christ filled Heav-
en that the glory of Heaven filled men. Then it
was that men like Stephen became " full of the Holy
Ghost." Men were never "_/z//cy/" previous to
this. Simeon is a good representative of the man-
ner in which the Holy Spirit was given under the
Old Dispensation, and Stephen of the manner in
which it was given under the New. Thus, Christ
'^filled'' men with the Holy Ghost as He had ful-
filled— filled to the full — the law and the prophets,
the promises and all the purposes of God. vSimeon
had faith in God and God had faith in vSimeon.
Simeon was specially interested in the coming of
the "consolation of Israel," therefore God mani-
fested special interest in him as a seeker for salva-
tion. " It was revealed to him by the Holy Ghost
that he should not see death until he had seen the
Lord's Christ. " He had familiarized himself with
the Messianic prophecies. His heart burned within
him as he read of the wondrous things that the
Christ would accomplish. Oh, how he longed for
that sacred day to dawn ! Without ceasing, he lifted
up his heart to God in solemn and earnest prayer,
pleading that " the consolation of Israel " might
come. In answer came the divine promise that he

SIMEON AND THE SAVlOTK. 207

should live to sec the fulfillment of the prophecy.
What an inexpressible privilege I For thousands
of years men had longed for the coming of the
Tvord's Christ. Thousands had been anxiously
awaiting Ilis appearing, but faithful priests and
prophets had been forced to retire to rest without
having their one desire granted. But Simeon is to
l)e permitted to wait and is assured that liis eyes
sliall not close in death before looking on tlie light
of the world. This strongly suggests a special
divine arrangement. It is the only suggestion we
have of the age of this saint, but no one has failed
to read the sign. Simeon is looked upon by all as
a very aged man, one whose time had long come to
sleep, with his fathers, in his mother's bosom. The
chariot of death is arrested by Almighty God. The
sliadows of his day are lengthened, his " life is in-
sured." He becomes impregnable to the darts of
disease and deatli, holding a charmed life which
death had not courage nor power to assail. He
w^as a grand old tree, towering high above the
ordinary trees in the forest of humanity, wliicli
Satan had oft sought as fuel for his fire, but wliich
had been preserved of divine grace to stand until
the King come to take posst?ssion of His estate. He
was one of the choicest flowers of earth's garden,
l)crmitted to i)reserve its ruddy glow and sweet fra-

2o8 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

grance until the Master come at eve to gather it.
Simeon was unwilling to die until the " Resurrec-
tion and the Life " had come unto the world. We
are not surprised at this. Death was a dark terri-
tory, the sphere of solemn, sad and silent shade,
until the Saviour came. He, however, carried the
light of Heaven into the grave and turned the
shadow of death into the clear light of morning.
Simeon feared death until he could grasp the hand
of the Lord of Life. He wanted the Light of the
world to close his eyes, and the Everlasting Arms
to embrace him in death. He might have consid-
ered it a privilege to be the first to pass over
the bridge built by divine love between earth and
Heaven. He wanted to see the Saviour before he
saw death, and this is the secret of serenity and
safety in our last sleep. Oh, how many are unfor-
tunate enough to see death before they have seen
the Saviour! Simeon did not want to leave the
world until the Saviour had come to live in it. The
world needed his services. He had faithfully kept
vigil, and diligently sought to keep the Father's
house in order until the Son would come. No man
has a right to desire to die if he can do good to any
one by living. While there is a soul to be saved or
a child to be cared for, and while we arc able to do
either, it is selfishness to wish to die, and no one

SIMEON AND THE SAVIOUR. 209

has a rii^lit to be selfish. There comes a time in
tlie history of men when their death is a greater
service to humanity than a continuation of their
life. We may be sure, however, that God makes
no mistakes, and when He extends any life over
the decreed length, He has a special purpose in so
doing, and a mission which can only thus succeed.
It is probable that many thought that Simeon had
outlived his usefulness. What further service could
he render the world? He was but a burden to him-
self and a care to others, and some not only
wondered why he lived so long, but were impatient
with him and washed he might die. But, however
earnestly men desired his death, he could not die
while God desired him to live. May God save us
from manifesting any impatience or unkindness to
those unfortunate enough to outlive their welcome.
Simeon was made a great blessing before his death.
However well he may have served his nation pre-
vious to this, it was in his dealings with the child
Jesus at the close of his career that he rendered the
greatest service to Israel. Whatever influence his
life may have had upon humanity previous to this,
it was when he embraced Christ that he was made
the greatest blessing to the centuries. No one was
better qualified than Simeon to stand in the temple
and royally receive Jesus, the Lord thereof. Who

2IO GLIMPSES OF GOD.

could SO totichingly present as the " Lord's Christ"
to the world the child Mary so tenderly presented to
the Lord? No one could so efficiently bear testimony
to the glorious salvation of God, or so pathetically
interpret the Incarnation. Had Simeon died before
this, the world would have been deprived of one
of its grandest pictures and .sweetest songs. The
most touching tribute paid the child Jesus, and the
choicest trophy won by Christianity at its birth, is
the tender testimony of Simeon. To reveal Christ to
the world is the greatest service any soul can render
humanity or Heaven. Simeon is known to the
world only because he sought to make known the
Saviour. The life of every man is immortal to the
extent that it makes known the Lord's Christ. All
who have seen Jesus seek in their several spheres
to make Him known as the Saviour. This greatest
privilege of life is granted only to the soul that has
sought the Saviour with sincere and self-sacrificing
love. Simeon was an honest seeker for truth and
one who honored all the conditions of salvation.
God rewarded his faith as He does every faith, with
the assurance that his search would ultimately be
crowned with success. He is told that he should
not " see death until he has seen the Lord's
Christ"

SIMEON AND IHE SAVIOUR. 211

Ti. Simeon's search.

Simeon, like every suecessfiil seeker for truth,
realized that he must eonform to the laws of in-
vestig-ation if he would be suecessful in the re-
seareh. He knew that speeial diseovery was only
possible under certain unchani^'ini;' conditions. No
sincere seeker expects to find, save that for which
he has made an honest search. Thou^^-h such a sure
promise had been given Simeon, he wisely under-
stood it to have been given conditionally. lie was
conscious of the necessity of co-operating with the
Spirit if he would see the " consolation of Israel."
He must ever hold himself in readiness to obey
every divine prompting and seek to be sensitive to
every touch of the vSpirit. Though guidance would
come from the Spirit, obedience must come from
his own soul. He must needs go to the King's
Palace if he would meet the King. Hence, day after
day he " goes by the spirit into the temple." He
intuitively felt that he would meet with Him there.
vSurely, one of the first places the vSon would visit
on arriving in the earth would be the " Father's
House." Thus Simeon sought tlie Saviour in the
best place. The sanctuary, made sacred by the
soul-service of saints and sanctified by the presence
of the Spirit, is the place where most men have

212 GLIMPSES OF OOD.

sought and found the Saviour. Let us go to the
Lord's House, if we would meet the Lord. Simeon
sought not only in the right place, but in the right
spirit. He went " by the spirit into the temple."
This is the only worthy and wise way in which to go
to the house of God, — under the guidance of the
Spirit, walking, like Enoch walked, with God. No
one can go thus tmless they have love in their
hearts, faith in their souls and praise-offerings
on their lips. Simeon went into the temple in the
proper spirit because he went for the supreme pur-
pose of meeting the Saviour. This is the only
worthy motive in entering the house of God. Sim-
eon sought in the best spirit, in the best sphere, for
the best gift. Heaven approved of his manner and
motive as a seeker for the Saviour, and therefore
rewarded his search with success. No one succeeds
in any other way; no soul can fail that seeks in this
way. Like every seeker for truth, Simeon had his
difficulties. Every success worth securing implies
struggle. Simeon had much to discourage him and
try his faith ; many times had he been to the temple,
fully expecting to meet Jesus there, but returning
home again with a disappointed heart and feeble
step, thinking that his mission had been a failure.
The enemy would suggest that it was iiseless for
him to try his strength in thus entering the temple

«;iMEOK AND THE SAVJOUR. 2 1^

only to be disappointed. He would surely sleep
with his fathers loni>' before the prophecy would be
fulfilled. What si^ns were there of His coming-?
Moreover, ever}^ ache of his body and white hair in
his head declared that his dissolution was near, and
the devil would oft seek to employ his bodily weak-
ness to weaken his faith. But faith's most fiery
hour of trial is the one nearest faith's final triumph.
Simeon's confidence remained unshaken and his
faith firm. His fidelity to the divine promptings
proved that his faith was unwavering, for faith alone
can nourish fidelit}'. See him going to the temple
on that memorable morn. The old man with his
bent figure stooping gracefully like a shock of corn
in its season, ripe and ready to be gathered into the
garner; his silvery hair, a fitting emblem of the
purity of his soul. Love lends light to his counte-
nance and hope beams in his eye. Staff in one
hand, the other linked for support in the arm of a
friend, slowly he moves toward the temple gate.
His friend would fain dissuade him from undertak-
ing what was to him an arduous task. With trem-
bling voice, in broken words full of emotion and the
fervor of hope, Simeon replies, " My Father has
promised that I shall not sec death until I have seen
the ' consolation of Israel,' and I know that He is
faithful. Moreover, He must be about to come.

214 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

My house of clay is crumbling fast and the nearer
the grave I am getting, the nearer is the approach
of the Lord's Christ. I am more anxious than ever
to visit the temple to-day, indeed, the attraction is
so unusually strong that I am almost confident
He is on the way and I must needs be in the temple
to welcome Him. After waiting so long I must
have the privilege in person of delivering up the
keys to His safe keeping. Nothing could keep me
home to-day. ' ' The temple is reached. Among
its sacred shrines, what holy thoughts occupy his
mind! He loves, oh how ardently, cver3^thing con-
nected with that grand old temple. His memory
runs over scores of years in which he has wor-
shipped there. His comrades, where are they ?
He seems to be the onl}' one left. Why has his life
been spared ? Simply because the Lord is faithful
and will fulfill His promise of permitting him to see
the Lord's Christ before seeing death. He bows
*his head and worships. Earnestly he pleads w4th
Heaven that at last the " consolation of Israel "
might come, the Saviour appear. The prayer ended,
he lifts up his eyes, and his gaze is fixed upon two
humble peasants bearing their child to present Him
to the Lord. At the very sight, indescribable joy fills
his heart and thrills his entire being. He knows
not why, until the Holy Spirit whispers that the

SIMEON AND THK SAVIOUR. 2t$

promise made so long ago is now redeemed, that
the Messiah is in the arms of that peasant woman.
He is anxious to believe the word, faith fighting
l)ravely against unbelief. He moves forward, won-
dering within himself if that little child is He who
will redeem Israel. Is it possible that the conso-
lation of Israel is that helpless babe? Is it true
that of all humanity those two humble peasants were
chosen of Heaven to nurse the Saviour of the
world? Who would have expected Almighty power
to be incorporated in such a frail frame? How
greatly was his faith tried, but in spite of dark
doubt he moves on until he has reached Mary, and
bending over her shoulder he gazes upon the face
of the child Jesus, and in the light of Heaven v/hich
flooded that countenance his doubt disappears and
the full light of faith fills his soul. There can be
no mistake. He is indeed the long-desired One,
the " consolation of Israel." Mary turns and looks
admiringly on Simeon, who stands transfigured be-
fore her, and whose eyes are still riveted by love on
the child she loves so well. Heaven is in the old
man's heart and his heart is in his eyes. Plesitat-
ingly he asks, '' May I take for a moment thy child
in my arms, my daughter? " Mary could hardly part
with Him even for a moment, or trust to any one
the treasure so sacred to her, but there is so much

2l6 GTJMPSKS OF GOB.

of Heaven in the old man's face that she decides
to grant his request. As he takes the child in
his embrace, in tender tones he says: " My arms
are indeed weak and feeble to hold such a weight
of glory, but they never felt stronger than now.
No harm shall befall Him. He has been enthroned
in my heart for many long years, and at last I am
permitted to embrace Him. What high honor!
Heaven can grant me no greater privilege than
to press the ' consolation of Israel ' to my heart. ' '
What a grand picture! Simeon making a cradle
of his arms to rock the Creator of the world. The
aged Jew^ and the child Jesus. The Old Covenant
crowning the New. The Israelite transformed into
a Christian. The last link of the Old Dispensation
being forged by love into the New. The best of
earth embracing the best of Heaven! Thus did
Simeon succeed in his search for the Saviour.

III. Simeon's success and song.

The secret of Simeon's success is that he sought
in the right spirit, season and sphere. He sought
thus because he responded perfectly to the prompt-
ings of the Holy Spirit. No soul will succeed in
finding the Saviour save in this way; no soul will
seek in this way without being rewarded with suc-
cess. Implicit confidence in God and absolute obe-

SIMEON AND THE SAVIOUR. 217

dience to the g-uidancc of the Holy Spirit are the
two imperative conditions of success in findin'j the
Saviour. The Holy Spirit is the only guide to
Jesus, and to Jesus only does the Holy Spirit guide.
He guides unto all truth, that is, truth in all its
parts, but this He does only that the soul might be
led into sympathy and conformity with the absolute
truth — Jesus Christ. Simeon and the Spirit is the
only explanation of Simeon and the Saviour. Sim-
eon was so sensitive to the touch of the Spirit that
he saw the Saviour during His first visit to the
temple. This was the first time for any one to meet
with Him there, and the first time in all probabil-
ity in which it was possible for Simeon to meet
Him. He who had sought diligently and devoutly
for the Lord's Christ, reverently received, and
rejoicingly embraced Him when found. The
soul knows no greater serenity, satisfaction or suc-
cess than to embrace the Saviour. When Simeon
embraced the Saviour he held in his arms the sacri-
fice for sin, and the secret of the soul's salvation was
solved. Thus did Simeon literally " hold forth the
word of life" and "lay hold on eternal life." It
was then the Christian graces were made complete
in the character of Simeon: his faith and hope were
then crowned with the charity of Christ. Law and
grace met inclose embrace; merCy and truth kissed

2l8 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

each other. The soul is satisfied only when it em-
braces Divine Love, and when satisfied it soars on
the silvery pinions of praise to the heart of God.
The moment vSimeon embraced Christ he " blessed
God." Jesus influences thus all who receive Him.
He leads all men to the Father and fills the soul
with grateful praise to God. Every soul privileged
to see the Son seeks the Father. Christ in the arms
means peace in the soul, and peace in the soul means
praises on the lips. Well may he sing who hath
seen God's salvation. The secret and source of all
song is the Saviour. Jesus is the inspiration of all
music, and all who embrace Him are inspired to
sing. Perennial praise streams in sweet song from
the soul privileged to touch the Prince of Peace.
The soul's pent-up joy in the possession of pardon,
purity and peace must ever find vent in praise.
The soul sings only when the secret spring of love
is touched. The soul of song is the song of the
soul ; the song of the soul is the song inspired by
the Saviour. Such was the song of Simeon, and
such is the song of every saint. The Saviour stirs
the soul of the saint to song; the song of the saint
stimulates the sinner to seek the Saviour. ■ Salva-
tion is ever the subject of the saint's song and the
sweet refrain of the song of every soul. Simeon's
song is immortal, for it tells how his soul found salva-

SIMEON AND THE SAVKrUR. 219

tion in the Saviour. To him, salvation and the Sav-
iour were one and the same. The theology of Sime-
on's song, if not exhaustive is comprehensive. It
views salvation in relation to the individual, to the
nation and to the world. It looks upon salvation as
bringing "peace" to the individual, "glor}^" to the
nation and "light" to the world. Thus Simeon's song-
shows his spiritual •insight into the mystery of sal-
vation to be keener and his outlook on the mission of
the Messiah to be wider than that of any man previous
to the Lord's death. The glorious results of Gospel
salvation are compressed into the compass of his
song. Salvation is shown to be from God, through
Christ, for universal man. It is from God lie has
" prepared " it; it is a conception of His mind and
a product of His heart. It is the salvation of God
in very truth, partaking of His nature and reveal-
ing His glorv. God is in it, God is through it, God
is for it, therefore Simeon says, " Mine eyes have
seen TJiy salvation.'' It is through Christ; He is
the salvation, — the means of deliverance, the Medi-
ator, the incarnate love of God. It is for universal
man ; it is a light to the Gentiles. As it is from
God it could not be otherwise. A salvation which
meets the needs of all classes and conditions of men
can alone be a salvation from God. Thus Simeon
had a glimpse of the universal Fatherhood of God,

220 CxLiMPSKS nv^ anr>.

the universal brotherhood of man, and the nniversal
fellowship of faith. If he viewed salvation from
the Israelitish standpoint, he did so with Christian
insight and catholicity. It is " prepared before the
face of all people," " a light to lighten the Gentiles
and the glory of Thy people Israel." It is true sal-
vation is considered as " the glory of Israel," but it
constitutes the glory of Israel only as it uplifts the
world from moral darkness into God's own light.
True, the light starts from Israel, but the length of
its circuit alone determines its lustre at its source.
It is a glory to Israel because it is a light to the Gen-
tiles. How well Simeon understood not only the
universal nature of salvation, but its specific influ-
ence and result. It is a " light " and a " glory."
Light ever precedes and is the condition of glory.
God saves through moral suasion and intellectual
enlightenment. Salvation is a light from Heav-
en, revealing the nature of God, of the soul, and of
sin ; revealing the way of holiness, happiness.
Heaven. What word more comprehensive of the
work of salvation in the soul than " light? " Light
not only reveals, but is pure and purifying. It*
brings to life, and preserves in life. It is revealing,
purifying, life-giving. No name is more suggestive
and significant for the Saviour of man than " the
light of the world. ' ' That which is light brings

SIMEON AND IHE SAVIOUR. 22 1

"glory. " Glory is the crown of light. Salvation is in
very truth the glory of God and man. The glory
of any soul is to become a light to the world. To
minister to the world's salvation is the glory of any
nation. Israel, or indeed any nation, is indebted
for all glory to " the light of the world." Emman-
uel is humanity's " light " and '' glory." But the
sweetest strain in Simeon's song is that which tells
what salvation meant to his own soul. Indeed, his
song owes its being and its beauty to what he experi-
enced of redeeming love in his own soul. His song-
only expressed the music with which his soul was
filled when looking on the salvation of God. The
keynote of his song is, " Mine eyes have seen Thy
salvation. ' ' Simeon never appreciated eyes as he
did when he looked on the face of the child Jesus.
The eye is a prophecy of beauty, but the prophecy
is never fulfilled until the beauty of holiness is seen
in the Lord's Christ. It is then man beholds, un-
dimmed and unmarred, the image of God in human
nature, ineffable love incarnate in human flesh. To
see God's salvation alone fills the soul with peace
and the heart with the holiness which longs for
Heaven. To see Him who " brought life and im-
mortality to light," alone can so illuminate the dark
territory of death as to enable man in peace to die.
" Now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace."

2 22 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

The "now" marks the only time in Simeon's history
when it could have been possible for him to depart
in peace. He could never have been satisfied to
die, until he had seen the Lord's Christ, neither
could he have died in peace had he not seen the
Prince of Peace. He ever longed to live until the
Messiah came ; now he longs to die because he has
seen the Lord's salvation. The superficial will be
surprised at this, but the spiritually minded and he
who is sensitive to things spiritual wn'll understand
that it is of all things the most natural. Does the
child long for home? Is it strange that rivers seek
the ocean? AVhy should not the soul, in moments
of supreme spiritual ecstasy, long to soar to the
sphere wdiere it may commune with God, untram-
meled by the limitations of time ? Simeon well
knew that the world was never so promising a place
in which to live as when the INIessiah had come to
dwell in it. He would make the wilderness to
blossom like the rose and prove Himself to be the
"consolation of Israel." But he had read a mes-
sage of love from his Father in the face of Jesus,
which had made him long for home. He had seen
all that was worth seeing when he had seen the
Saviour. He saw so much of Heaven in the face of
Jesus that his heart was already there. Moreover,
he knew that He would be " spoken against," and

SIMEON AND THE SAVIOUR. 223

that a sword would pierce the soul of Mary. He did
not want to live to see his Lord ill-treated. He
could not bear the thought of living to see Jesus
the '' despised and rejected of men " and " led as a
sheep to the slaughter." Every Christian would
rather die than live to see his Christ crucified.
'' Now Icttest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,"
" for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation." This is
the secret of a happy death. Jesus was horn that
men might see Him, and in seeing Him lose their
dread of death. Simeon held Jesus in his arms,
and a little while after Simeon was " safe in the
arms of Jesus." Simeon was permitted to hold the
Saviour in his arms because the Lord had long been
enthroned in his heart. Simeon died in the arms
of Jesus because he had found the way into His
holy heart. Simeon was the first to see Jesus as
the Saviour of the world, and the first to die a
Christian. For eternity, interest will be felt in him
who was privileged to hold the eternal God in His
embrace. When Christ came from Heaven to
earth, Simeon left earth for Heaven. Christ came
from Heaven to earth, that all who would believe
in Him might go from earth to Heaven. Thus
closes this noble life; Simeon " was not, for (iod
took him." Earth can afford to lose Simeon, for
Christ has come. Heaven had lost so much in thq

224 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

departure of the only-begotten Son, that it gladly
welcomed Simeon to the family circle. Christ was
God's last message of love to the world; Simeon was
the first message of love that Jesiis sent from earth
to Heaven. If Jesus was Heaven's Christmas gift
to the world, then was Simeon earth's New Year's
gift to Heaven. Jesus sent Simeon to glory as a
specimen of the work of redeeming love in the world.
Simeon had so pressed Christ to his heart that he had
pressed himself into the heart of Holiness and Heav-
en, and this is the secret of salvation. He became
so full of the glory of God when he embraced the
Lord's Christ, that earth could hold him no longer,
for Heaven alone was fit to be his home.

THE UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED
HUMANITY.

" And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto Myself." — Joiix 12: 32.

Of all words that fell from the lips of Him who
spake as never man spake, none are more startling
or sugg-estive than the words of the text. It will,
however, be impossible to understand their sionifi-
eanee or appreeiate their strength until we are able
to look upon the eross with the eye of the Jew, and
thus realize what it meant to Jesus. We have be-
come so accustomed to view the cross of Christ from
the Christian standpoint, while permitting- all its
glorious achievements to color our conception, that
it is almost impossible for us to look upon it from
the Jewish standpoint. For this reason, many are
imablc to perceive the Heaven-born heroism, the
calm courage, unequaled confidence and matchless
love manifested in these words. To the Jew, to be
crucified was to be doomed to eternal dishonor
through the niost disgraceful cleath. Accursed in

226 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

the estimation of the law and of the people was
every one who was crucified. Rome usually thou^jht
too much of her own dignity to disgrace herself by
crucifying her most criminal citizen. No one un-
derstood the cross, all in all, its shame and its suf-
fering, better than did Jesus Christ. He knew what
the Jew thought of it and understood that in cruelty
and in disgrace it satisfied the cravings of His ene-
mies. He realized what to be crucified meant —
physically, mentally and nationally. He knew every
inch of the way to the cross, and from the cross to the
grave. He was fully conscious of all that He would
have to endure in redeeming the world, yet when near
His cross and with Calvary in full view. He utters
these words so full of the assurance of triumph and
victory. He does not seem to see the .shame of the
cross, but literally turns the shame into glor}^ He
shrinks not from the humiliation of the cross, but
transfigures it into glorification. He seeks not to
be delivered from the cross, but with the eagerness
of love rushes on to embrace it as the means of up-
lifting Himself and increasing His power to uplift
humanity. He saw in the cross only truth's tri-
umph and virtue's victory. What faith, hope and
love! What divine self-forgetfulness! Not a sign
of fear, although His soul was full of the anxiety of
love. Not a word concerning the sacrifice, the

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED IIU^L\NITY. 227

siifTerinor or tlic shame, but turnino- tlie sliadow of
death into the clear lii^ht of mornini^- by explainin^g;-
the efficacy of the Atonement in the words, " And I,
if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men
unto Myself. " The cross cast its deep shadows all
aloni;- the path of Christ. He carried it throuo-jiout
?Iis public life. He probably did not realize that
He would be crucified, until the close of that mem-
orable conflict in the wilderness, but ever since that
time the weii^ht of the cross rested on His body un-
til the weight of His body rested on tlic cross.
How rough the road the Saviour trod! His hands
and feet were torn by the thorns, and the blood He
lost along His pathway clearly indicates the way
the Master went. It was such a heavy cross, — the
cross of humanity, to be carried so long over such
rough places, with His flesh torn. His shoulder fur-
rowed by the scourge until the cross touched the
bone. What wonder that He should fall under its
weight! It could not be otherwise if in truth He
was man. But if His physical nature gave way un-
der the strain He was morally strong enough to
lead the crowd to Calvary. He ever walked before
His cross, not after it. l^>vcn on the way to Calvary
Christ was the conqueror, not the conquered. Suf-
fering held no surprise for the Saviour; the cross
covered no cruelty from Christ ; death had no secret

228 GLIMPSES OF GOD..

anguish, no unknown agony reserved from the Re-
deemer. To die was not a new experience to Jesus;
He had been through the struggle of death and se-
cured the victory of the Resurrection before it had
been possible for Him to bring back Lazarus to life.
He crucified Himself in Gethscmane before it was
possible for men to crucify Him on Calvary. He
had pierced His own heart, else no sword would
have been keen enough to pierce His side. Love
alone could compel Him to die, and of His own
free will laid He down His life. No heart con-
scious of these things can fail to note the all-con-
quering courage of Christ when He says, " And I,
if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto Myself."
In the verse preceding the text the Saviour speaks
of vSatan's downfall, and in the text of His own up-
lifting. He connects both with the cross and looks
upon the crucifixion as the direct cause of one and
the other. Jesus looks upon the cross not as a part
of His humiliation, but rather of His glorification.
He not only sees Himself uplifted from and through
humiliation, but realizes in His greatest humiliation
His greatest exaltation and glory. The measure of
His humiliation is the measure of His glorification.
Christ was not only glorified because He in love
humbled Himself even unto death, but the moment
He reached the lowest point in His humiliation He

UPLlFTKl) CHRIS'l' AND UPLIFTED ftUMANlTV. 229

touched tho hio-liest point in His glorification. This
is the reason why Christ connects the cross with
His own uplifting. The Saviour speaks of the cru-
cifixion as tlie time when He will be " lifted up,"
and clearly shows that His uplifting on the cross is
a condition and a certainty that through the cross
the world will be uplifted. Christ and man are
both humbled under the cross, uplifted on the cross,
and glorified through the cross. Humiliation under
the cross, uplifting on the cross, glorification
through the cross. The earth is where crosses are
found; Calvary is where crosses are planted; Heav-
en is where crosses arc lost. Earth has its cross,
its Calvary, and its Christ; Heaven has its Christ,
its crown, but no cross; Hell has its cross, but no
Christ, Calvary nor crown. But we are in Calvary
to-day in the uplifting of Christ and in the uplifting
of the world. Jesus Christ is the first and final
fact of the text, as He is ever the sun around which
revolve in a rich galaxy all the glorious truths of
salvation. He is the great moral magnet which
draws humanity to Himself. The words " lifted
up " and " draw " are synonymous, for it is the up-
lifted Christ who draws. He draws to Himself,
therefore to ''draw" is to uplift, so that our sub-
ject is — The L^plif ted Christ and Uplifted I luDianity.
The world uplifts Christ on the cross, and Christ,

230 GLIMfSES OP GOt).

through the cross, uplifts the world. Humanity up-
lifts itself in uplifting Christ, and Christ uplifts Him-
self in uplifting humanity. Christ emphasizes His
own uplifting on the cross as the only condition
imperative to the uplifting of humanity, through the
cross, and this brings us to consider, —

I. CHRIST UPLIFTED ON THE CROSS.

The civilized world is agreed that the darkest spot
on man's character is the crucifixion of Christ. The
world readily points to Calvary as the place where
man is seen at his worst, and the church points to it
as the place where God is seen at His best. The
tragedy of the cross is an ever-recurring fact. In a
physical sense, Christ was only crucified once in our
world, but morally He is crucified again and again.
The circumstances correspond very closely ; the
characters surrounding the cross are ever the same.
The spirit of the self-sacrificing Saviour, His for-
giving love. His strength, sympathy and spiritual
sorrow, are identical. So that the uplifting of Christ
on the cross is not only important and instructive
as something that took place nineteen centuries
ago, but especially as that which is taking place to-
day. The best portrayal of the world's attitude
toward Christ in the nineteenth century is its atti-
tude toward Him in the first century. The form

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 231

of crucifixion may vary ; the fact and factor never.
We do not know whether Christ was crucified in any
other world, but we do know that if love declared it
necessary that He should die, that the Christ of Cal-
vary could not but lay down His life. Christ would
die again in our world were it necessary, but it can
nevermore be necessary, manward or Godward.
The crucifixion of Christ on Calvary is a physical
demonstration in time of a fact having a spiritual
significance and an eternal counterpart. " The
Lamb of God was slain from the foundations of the
world," and John beheld before the throne "a lamb
as it had been slain." If words have any meaning,
then these undeniably teach that the Atonement, as
a fact and function, in its relation to God and its re-
lation to man, is eternal. If the crucifixion in a
spiritual sense is an ever- recurring fact, then Christ
must ever be as passible, in a peculiar sense, to pain,
as He was when here upon earth. To make Him
otherwise would be to make Him incapable of either
sympathy or suffering, sorrow or sacrifice. If in
His ascension He has become impassible, then in
being glorified as the Son, He has become less real
as a Saviour, which is impossible. ( )n the other
hand, because He is passible to pain and pleasure
He, in a unique manner, suft'ers as surely when men
crucify Him afresh to-day as when He was crucified

^3^ GLIMPSES OF GOr).

on Calvary. Would any one know how and why
Christ is crucified to-day? Then let them study the
history of the crucifixion nineteen centuries ago.
Would any one know what unbelief and sin mean to
Christ to-day? Then let them picture vividly before
their minds the physical, mental and spiritual suffer-
ings attending the crucifixion of Calvary. Let no
one wonder at the cruelty of the Jew without also
wondering at the cruelty of the Anglo-Saxon. Do
not weep because of what was done unto Jesus in
Jerusalem without weeping because of what He
suffers in your home and heart. Think not for a
moment that if Christ lived to-day He would be bet-
ter received than in the first century, for His teach-
ing would be so much in advance of this age that
men would certainly crucify Him. We might seek
to destroy Him in a different manner, but we would
be moved by the same motive. We can not but be-
lieve that the church, using the word for the eccle-
siastical body in contra-distinction to the body of
believers, would lead to-day as it did then in the
attempt to put Jesus to death. Yea, verily, the
church to-day is often putting Christ to open shame
and crucifying afresh the Lord of Life. Thus, ever)^
fact and incident in connection with Christ's death
on Calvary has for us a two-fold interest. Let us
then look upon the way Christ was uplifted on the

UPLIFTED CHRIST AISTD UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 23^

cross. The mock trial is ended. No single charge
has been substantiated against the Saviour. The
judge declares that he finds no fault in Jlim, and
yet He is delivered up to be crucified. See Him
led out to be scourged. A sight that ought to make
man weep tears of blood. The Son of God, with
His hands tied behind Him, receiving the ter-
rible scourge about forty times on His bare back,
each cutting through the flesh to the bone. . He
was under the lash for about fifteen minutes. Many
died under this cruel treatment. Oh how the blood
oozes from His body I Roughly His garments are
thrown over Him; a crown of thorns is plaited and
placed on His holy head. A cross is laid on His
shoulders and the crowd moves toward Calvary,
They go but a little way, He silent, as a " sheep be-
fore her shearers is dumb," when He falls under
the weight of the cross on His bruised shoulder.
Simon then comes forward to bear the cross. I
thank thee, vSimon, for lending thy shoulder to bear
my Saviour's, nay my own cross. Although Christ,
through love, had made it His own, it was in truth
our cross. Christ carried man's cross, and in a
strange manner man carried Christ's cross. It must
have helped Simon to bear it to know that Christ
had carried it before, and especially inspiring must
it have been to see Christ before him while he car-

234 GLIMPSES OP CxOD.

ried it. I can not but believe that Simon was glad
to help Jesus bear His cross. Who knows but that
he might have been the recipient of one of Christ's
many mercies? Simon but little thought how pre-
cious and sacred was the cross he carried. He knew
not that, figuratively speaking, it was the material
out of which the chariot of mercy would be made in
which He would go home to glory. Calvary is
reached. Everybody is full of excitement, save
Jesus. There is the hammer, there the nails.
Now Jesus is uplifted on the cross. A nail is driven
through His right hand, — the hand that had been
opening the eyes of the blind, the hand that had
been scattering seeds of kindness, the hand that had
touched the bier of the son of the widow of Nain.
The man who drove the nail but little thought that
it had gone through the heart of God before it could
have pierced the hand of Christ, and that evermore
God's heart would be riveted by love to that cross.
Another nail is driven through the left hand, then
a large nail is driven through both His feet, — the
feet that Mary washed with her tears and wiped
with the hairs of her head; the feet that had been
so busy bearing to and fro the treasury of love, and
carrying Heaven's gifts of mercy to the povert)^-
stricken world. The man who drove the nail but
little thought that it would rivet the heart of hu-

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 235

inanity at the feet of Jesus for evermore. And oh,
wondrous sight! The weight of divinity hanging
on those nails! Nay, 'twas love that held and riv-
eted Him to that cross. Excruciating were the
pains He suffered, and oh how cruel was His death!
Gladly would we draw the veil over the sufferings of
the Saviour. Though ostensibly many men may have
suffered a more terrible and tragic death than did
Christ, yet in reality, even from a physical stand-
point, He suffered more in the article of death than
was possible to any other, for the more spiritual the
nature the more sensitive it is to all pain. We can
not tell what Christ suft'ered or compare it with the
suff'erings of men, until we can understand how
much more spiritual He was than all men. But
this is not all, nor, indeed, the most important.
Were this all, the story of the cross would never have
possessed its charm for the heart of humanity.
There is no intrinsic virtue in physical suffering, but
often much intrinsic evil. The physical suffering
of Christ is impotent to accomplish any good, save
as an expression of the w^ealth of divine love and a
part of a supreme self-sacrifice necessary for salva-
tion. The physical suff'ering of Christ is not to be
compared with His mental and spiritual suffering.
The strength and glory of His self-sacrifice are seen,
not in His physical suft'ering, but in His spiritual

236 GLIMPSES OF GOO.

sorrow. The supreme suffering possible to the Sin-
less Saviour, because of sin, was spiritual sorrow.
In a unique manner Christ suffered the aggregate
of all that the guilty ought, and that the guiltless
could suffer for all time. Though all the spiritual
anguish and the remorse of the children of men be
concentrated, yet it would not compare with the
suffering of Christ. All that men have suffered in
earth or in Hell, He experienced in the work of
Atonement. Christ was love Incarnate; nothing
can suffer like love, and to be " rejected and de-
spised " is love's greatest suffering. We must re-
member also the solitariness of Christ's suffering.
He " trod the wine-press alone." He received no
supernatural aid nor depended on any supernatural
power in His spiritual sorrow and struggle for su-
premacy over sin. It was as the Son of Man He
suffered, — that is. He employed only those resources
that are at the command of all men, and gained
His victory only as man ma}^ conquer. Jesus died
like every other man, only that death meant more
to Him. No one hated death like Christ. Every-
thing in Him was antagonistic to it. His heart,
the home of holiness, could not but hate this enemy
of all good. Increased complexity means increased
responsibility. Therefore Christ's complex rela-
tionship in life created crushing and overwhelming

UPLIFTFT) CHRIST AND U pj,] I-'I'F.D HUMANITY. 237

issues in His death. Oh, how mueh depended on
His death! Heaven and humanity are in the bal-
ances. I am glad that death meant the same to
Christ as it does to every man ; that he experienced
all the agony and grief possible in death; that He
knew how hard it is to part with the living and to
feel the tenderest ties of love broken, while the
spirit is ushered into the Great Beyond and over-
whelmed by the reality of the Eternal. He suffered
in the fullest degree the last and greatest agony
possible to man. He experienced the worst death
and conquered death at its worst. None but the
Son of God could so suffer, or realize what it is to
suffer so. The cross of Calvary was but the exter-
nalization of the real cross on which Christ was cru-
cified. As the real cross of Christ is the sorrow of
the Sinless because of sin and the ingratitude of
sinners, then the Crucifixion is an ever-recurring
fact, and however much He may have suffered on
Calvary, He suffers more to-day. Continually the
nails are driven into His hands, and ever is the
sacred side pierced. After the resurrection, Jesus
asked Thomas to put his finger in the nail-prints
and his hand in His side. This shows that the
marks remained and that the sores had not healed.
We believe that for eternity Christ will bear on His
body these signs of sacrifice. They are the literal

230 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

" marks of Christ." Many men reach the Saviour's
heart through the pierced side to-day, but there is
a worthier and wiser way. Thus is Christ up-
lifted on the cross, and He hangs between Heaven
and earth, apparently rejected and repudiated of
both, — deserted of God, disowned of man, tmclaimed
of time or eternity. What will the issue be? He
is near enough to Heaven to lay hold on the hand
of God, and near enough to earth to lay hold on the
hand of man. Will He link them? Will He unite
in His body the two worlds? Will His cross effect
reconciliation and redemption, and in love leave
God and man in close embrace? We can only know
this when we understand the influence of the
Atonement. Did the cross bring glory or dishonor
to Christ? This naturally leads us to consider —

II. THE CROSS UPLIFTING CHRIST.

The cross has uplifted Christ in the estimation of
Heaven and human it}^ It has increased the au-
thority of Christ in all worlds. It was in view of
the Atonement that He was able to say, " All au-
thority is given unto Me in Heaven and on earth,"
and because of the cross He was able to say, '' I
have the keys of Hell and of death." Without the
Atonement, Christ would have been without the
authority to forgive sin, consequently unqualified

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 2 ^q

to be the Saviour of the world. By means of the
cross alone it was possible to enthrone Christ in the
heart of man as He is always enthroned in the heart
of God. As God-man, the Saviour's hi^^hest i^lory
was attainable only throut^-h the merits of the Atone-
ment, lie had so identified Himself with humanity
that in a peculiar sense it was imperative that He
should uplift the human race, or forever go down
with it. Christ is crowned with a glory, through
the cross, which otherwise would have been unat-
tainable. As the Son of God, He was from eternity
clothed with the greatest glory. But in order to
save the world, He " emptied Himself," and thus
laid aside His glory, which in a mysterious sense, as
the Son of Man, He looked upon as something inac-
cessible, save in the completion of salvation, consum-
mate in His self-sacrifice. Throughout His public
ministry He refers to the hour when the " vSon of
^lan would be glorified," and in the chapter of the
text, when the Greeks desired to see Him, He said,
" Now is the Son of Man glorified." He further-
more prays that God might glorify Hini with the
glory that belonged to Him before the world was.
These references surely teach that Christ connected
His glorification with the work of salvation, and not
until He uttered the words " It is finished," rose
again from the dead and was received unto Heaven,

240 GLIMPSES OF CxOD.

was He crowned with the supreme glory which He
had secured through suffering-. The Apostle says
that " for the joy set before Him He endured the
cross." This suggests that not only would the joy
be impossible without the cross, but that as He was
the Son of Man the attainable joy was an inspira-
tion to suffer the cross. John sees Him crowned
with many crowns. Without controversy these
were laurels won in a lawless world, and tributes
paid to Him as the Redeemer of the world by earth
and Heaven. As He was man, it was true of Him,
as of all men, that the way to the attainment of the
highest and fullest life was through self-sacrifice.
The law held good in the case of Jesus, as of all
others, that " He who would save his life must lose
it." Christ's greatest charm is His self-sacrificing
life; the crown and consummation of His life is His
sacrificial death. Christ's glory was assured when,
though a Son, He " learned obedience by the things
which He suffered, and being made perfect He be-
came the Author of eternal salvation imto all them
that obey Him. ' ' This learning must be understood
to mean undertaking to do for others what was not
necessary for Himself. As the Sinless, He was
exempt from suffering. He was free from the claim
of death. There was nothing in His character which
rendered suffering necessary as reformatory or re-

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 24I

tributive. Thcrcfurc, death could ncvxT have gained
ascendency over Him. But in order to save man,
He vohmtarily suffered and died. Nevertheless,
though as the Sinless He was exempt from suffer-
ing, there was a moral necessity for Him as the
Saviour to endure the suffering and the shame of
the cross. He was made perfect as the Captain of
our salvation through suffering. In order to be-
come efficient as the Redeemer of men, it was nec-
essary for Him to be educated through suffering and
gain the ascendency over the heart of humanity
through a pre-eminent and permanent manifestation
of His power, not only to suffer but to save from
suffering. In the God ward relation of the Atone-
ment, physical suffering could not have been neces-
sary. The spiritual sorrow of the Sinless, because
of sin, as expressed in His humiliation, was probably
all that could be essential. But in the manward rela-
tion of the Atonement, physical suffering was impera-
tive, for thereby alone could the sinful appreciate the
sacrifice of the Sinless and secure due appreciation
of the sense of sin. The death of the cross was at
once the greatest and most accessible evidence of
suffering. No other form of death could have so
effectually and unmistakably furnished the neces-
sary proofs of its voluntariness. Therefore, in no
other way could He have so successfully secured the

242 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

essential incentive to the faith of humanity. In
order to become the object of the world's faith, it
was necessary that the evidences of His voluntary
suffering and atoning- death be within the reach of
all men. This was pre-eminently secured in the
death of the cross, because of its publicity and pos-
sibility of proof. It was " not done in a corner."
]Moreover, the death of the cross was so gradual as
to enable Him to preserve to the end the use of all
His faculties. It furnished Him with the opportu-
nity of proving the voluntariness of His death by
giving up the spirit before the crucifixion could
have succeeded in killing Him. He died in but half
the time necessary to perish from the effects of the
driven nails. He "bowed His head," and thus
invited the King of Terrors, who otherwise would
never have had courage to assail Him. When His
side was pierced and His heart revealed, humanity
stood spellbound at the revelation that He died on
the cross, but not of the cross, a broken heart being
the scientific cause of death. There is a sense in
which it was binding upon Christ to suffer, which
is emphasized in such words as " Ought not Christ
to have suffered these things and to enter into His
glory? " This " ought " implies a moral obliga-
tion; the obligation existed inasmuch that Christ
had pledged Himself to the work of redemption.

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPMFTKD HUMANITY. 243

Having- promised, the law made it imperative that
He should redeem it. But the real " ouL^-ht " of all
Christ's sufferings was the " ought " of love. Love
was the foree which made His death imperative.
Love can not but love, and as the cross was neces-
sary to remove evil from the universe, Christ could
not but die. He could not " save Himself," for He
loved to save others. The cross of Christ was God's
most potent method of condemning sin in the heart
of the sinful and of revealing divine love in the
work of salvation. The suffering of Christ on the
cross alone successfully showed the sacrifice God
made in spirit because of sin and in order to save
the sinner. Had Christ not died. He would have
been destitute of the most efficient power in His
personality to influence the world for righteousness
— sympathy. Though Christ's sympathy, in a moral
sense, would have been perfect without the Jewish
murder, yet without a physical demonstration the
world would never have learned rightly to estimate
it, and any enhancement to Christ's influence in the
moral universe is without controversy a glory to
Christ. Moreover, without tasting death, Christ's
power of sympathy, in a physical sense, would not
have been perfect, for there would ever be one stage
of suffering common to man through whicli He had
not passed. The greatest glory of Christ is success

244 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

in the work of Atonement. Therefore, that which
most enhanced salvation increased most His glory.
In death He succeeded in bringing- the world to look
upon sin with His eyes, judge it with His conscience,
and hate it with the hatred of His holy heart, thus
realizing in death what He had failed to realize in
His life. It was the pierced side which revealed
His heart, and His revealed heart pierced the heart
of humanity. The crucified Jesus is alone the con-
demnation of cruelty and crime ; the suffering Sav-
iour is alone the efficient revelation of God's sense
of sin and the secret of salvation. When the sinful
perceives the suffering of the Sinless because of sin,
and in order to save sinners, he sees the sublimity
of salvation. In death alone could the life of the
Sinless blossom into life for the dying sinner. The
greatest triumph of saving grace is that the suffer-
ing of the vSinless, while showing His supremacy,
succeeds in making the sinner sensitive to the sense
of sin and the suppliant for and subject of salvation.
The cross glorified Christ, because it created the
channel in which the ocean of divine love could flow
in a perennial stream to the heart of humanity.
That which best shows the character and the life of
Christ to man most glorifies Him, and the cross is
the holy of holies of His heart, with the veil rent
asunder. To know Christ is to love Him; to love

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANTTV. 245

Him is to live for His orloiy. Nowhere may Christ
be so well known as on Calvary. In His life men
saw what He was to others ; on the cross they saw
what others are to Him. In life He showed how
love could sacrifice ; in death He showed how love
could suffer. In His miracles of mercy in life His
divinity transfigured His humanity ; in the miracle
of love in death His humanity transfigured His
divinity. Given the incarnate Son of God, the
Atonement could be; given the sinless Son of ^lan,
the Atonement could not but be. It was necessary
manward and Godward that Atonement should be
made, and it was essential that Christ should suffer
before man could appreciate the Atonement. The
cross was the only bridge from earth over the
chasm of Hell to Heaven which the Divine Archi-
tect had erected and approved. In death, Christ
proved the strength and safety of the bridge by
putting His own weight to pass over it, and being
proved strong enough to support divinity, then safe-
ly could the weight of humanity be placed upon it.
It might have been possible if Christ had volun-
tarily died in the house of His friends at Bethany
that the Atonement, in its Godward relation, might
have been realized. But in its manward relation it
could never have been realized so effectually as
through the cross. All the interests of Heaven had

246 GLIMPSES OV GOD.

been entrusted to Christ, and in a tmiqiie manner
His all had been invested in the work of Atone-
ment. The death of Calvary was the final effort of
virtue to vanquish vice, and the victory of virtue
was God's glory and Christ's crown. Thus the
death of Christ, though intended by the hate of man
to be His greatest shame, was made by God His
greatest glory. " Wherefore, God also hath highly
exalted Him and given Him a name which is above
every name ; that in the name of Jesus every knee
should bow, of things in Heaven, and things in earth,
and things under the earth, and that every tongue
should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father." The cross has uplifted Christ.
There is more moral magnetism in the death of
Calvary than in any life. It is the cross that draws.
It increased Christ's influence upon the soul and
won the devotion of the human heart. Christ's hold
would not have been half so great on humanity had
it not been for the cross. More hearts have been
moved in sympathy by the sight of the suffering
Saviour and crucified love than by anything else.
The cross is the greatest magnetic power of the
world. Christ uplifted the cross, and the cross ex-
alted Christ. He not only gained His crown through
the cross, but He made the cross His throne, from
which He rules in righteousness and governs in

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 247

grace the whole universe. Many men who despised
Jesus in His life have learned to love Him in His
death. If enemies in cruelty outdid themselves in
uplifting Him on the cross, it was friends who out-
did themselves in love who took Him down from
the cross and laid Him in the grave. Indeed the
hands of enemies were never laid upon His bod}^ af-
ter His death. He had become too sacred and glori-
ous for any hand, save the hand of faith, to touch
Him evermore, and after His resurrection no eyes,
save the eyes of love, were privileged to look upon
Him. Every step from the cross is a step upward
and Heavenward. He was crucified between two
thieves. He died amidst nature's groanings, the
hisses and curses of His enemies, tlie sighs and sobs
of His friends. He was buried with the rich and
" rose again from the dead " amidst the music of na-
ture's harp, the rejoicings of the redeemed, and the
melody of the resurrection morn. It was in death
He secured the right to a grave. The earth had
not expected to entertain in its bosom the Sinless.
Sin had given to the sinful a chartered right to a
grave, and the Sinless had to borrow the grave of
the sinful in order to secure His well-earned sleep
in the silent sepulchre made ever sacred. If the
cross was roughly prepared by the carpenters of
Jerusalem for the Carpenter of Nazareth, whose

248 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

hand had never made a cross for any one, His grave
had been prepared by exacting love and made as
meet as any grave could be made to entertain the
temple that had entertained God. The glory of the
resurrection and the glory of the Ascension would
have been impossible without the cross. How
different was His reception to Heaven and His re-
ception to earth! No room for Him in the inn; no
room for the royalty of Heaven. The earth seemed
ill-prepared to receive Him. In many respects He
was an unwelcome visitor. The door of the stable
alone was open, and the manger was His first cradle.
But after the work of salvation had been completed
through the death of the cross, how royal a welcome
home was given to Him in glory! The angels of
Heaven could not remain there the morning of the
Ascension. They formed the royal procession of
the King of Glory, the Conqueror of Calvary.
Every door in Heaven was opened and the very
gates lifted up to give Him entrance. Willingly
the command had been obeyed, " Lift up your heads,
oh ye gates, and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting
doors, and the King of glory shall come in." Em-
manuel entered into His empire through the cross.
It was on Calvary He was crowned. He triumphed
more in death than He did in life. Samson killed
more enemies in his death than he did in his life.

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 249

The Saviour secured life to more men in d5^ing- than
He did in living-. Christ without the cross would
be Christianity minus its charm. Theology with-
out the Atonement is God without power to pity.
The glory of Christ is evermore inseparably con-
nected with the cross. Take away the cross, and
the clearest manifestation of Christ's glory will per-
ish. Salvation without sacrifice, a Saviour without
suffering, would be the same as happiness without
holiness, or Heaven apart from both. The cross
has uplifted Christ.

III. CHRIST UPLIFTING THE CROSS.

Previous to the crucifixion of Christ on Calvary,
the crime of crimes and criminality's consummation
was to be crucified. To the Jew, the disgrace of the
death was more despicable than was any dishonor
damaging to the life. Every crime could be con-
doned, save the crime of the cross. But to be cruci-
fied was an unpardonable sin. The words " Cal-
vary " and " cross " brought a frown to the face,
fear to the frame, and fleetness to the feet of the
Jew. How great the transformation! How pre-
cious is the word Calvary to us! To the Jew, Cal-
vary was the most accursed spot of earth. To the
Christian, it is Nature's holy of holies. They loathed
and hated the cross. We love and reverence it.

250 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

It is the subject of our glory and of our song. Was
it not on the cross that Christ died? Is it not
through the cross that we have life? Is it not of
the cross that the choir of Heaven so sweetly sing ?
Yea, from being an object of contempt the cross has
become the object of the greatest reverence. The
cross did not bring ignominy to His name, but His
name brought glor)^ to the cross. Instead of being
accursed, it is sacred to millions. To Catholics and
Protestants, it is a sign of the most sacred service
and a symbol of the spirit of self-sacrifice. It is
worn by millions on their hearts, and treasured in
the hearts of many more. It is the symbol of peace
in the heart, penitence and piety in the soul, and
purity and praise on the lips. So that instead of
the cross bringing dishonor to Christ, Christ brought
glory to the cross. Figuratively speaking, the nails
driven into the Saviour's hands and feet carried life
before them into the cross. By dying on the cross,
Christ has uplifted and transformed it from an in-
famous implement to destroy life into a glorious
instrument through which life is saved. In the very
city, in the very century in which Christ was cruci-
fied, the cross ceased to be looked upon as the way
of death, and became honored as the way of life.
Even in a few weeks after Christ's crucifixion in
Jerusalem, the place of all others where the cross

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 25 1

was hated with the most cruel hatred, it became
loved by thousands above all their treasures as the
sublime symbol of what God suffered in spirit on
account of sin and what the Sinless Son sacrificed
to save the sinner. Thus the shame of the cross
became the glory of Christ, and the suffering of
Christ became the glory of the cross. The cross
crowned the glory of Christ, and in dying upon it
Christ crowned the cross with glory. It was neces-
sary that Christ should uplift the cross before it was
possible for Him, through the cross, to uplift the
world. The cross was the agent, the magnet, the
lever in the uplifting of humanity. ^len thought
that when the nails were driven into the hands of
Christ that once and forever He was cast out of the
heart of humanity, and that the nails barred eter-
nally the door against Him. Instead of that, men
only placed in His hands the material with which
He made a key to open the lock of the human
heart. Yea, the cross is the kc}^ of love which
opened the heart of God to man, and the heart of
man to God. From a lifeless tree the cross has
been transformed and made living and fruitful. It
bears leaves that are ever green, " and are for the
healing of the nations." It bears on its branches
the richest fruit of love, to feed hungering souls.
The tree of Calvary will live when every other tree

252 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

will die. It will flourish for eternity on the banks
of the river of life, bearing its fruit of love, to the
delight of God, the glory of Christ, and the life of
the redeemed. It will form one of the chief adorn-
ments and attractions of the Paradise of God, the
home of holiness. Thus do trees and men blossom
at the living toiich of the Lord of Life.

IV. THE UPLIFTED CHRIST, THROUGH THE UPLIFTED
CROSS, UPLIFTING HUMANITY.

Man uplifted Christ on the cross, the cross up-
lifted Christ, Christ uplifted the cross, and Christ
through the cross uplifts man. The text unmis-
takably teaches that the purpose of the Atonement
is the transformation of humanity into absolute con-
formity with Jesus Christ. The moral aim of the
cross is to make man like Christ in character and
glory, and therefore in the highest harmony with
holiness. Its motive is to uplift man into perfect
obedience to the divine will, the realization of the
divine purposes, and thus fill him with the life and
glory of God. Thus salvation means conformity to
Christ. Conformity to Christ is impossible save
through the cross. The cross not only revealed
God's ideal to man, but made its attainment and
realization possible to man. The object of the cross
is to draw man into conformity with Christ, and

UPLIFTED CHKISI- AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 253

thus uplift fallen humanity to the highest attain-
ment of holiness and happiness. Christ died, not
to seal His teaching, not to reveal the nature of
God nor of sin, not to satisfy the claims of the law,
not to pay the debt of sin, but to uplift man. It is
true that in His death He accomplished all this, for
it was all necessary to man's salvation. But it was
done as means to the end, and not as the end itself.
He revealed the character and the love of God in
order to win the heart of man. He met the claims
of the law and paid the debt of sin, that it might be
possible for holiness to pardon and love to save.
Ikit this He did that He miglit " draw all men "
unto Himself. The cross of Christ is the divinely-
ordained lever to uplift humanity. For nineteen
centuries the cross of Christ has been proving itself
to be the power of God to uplift man intellectually,
emotionally and morally. Intellectually, it has
given the human mind its greatest inspiration. It
has revealed truths which have revolutionized hu-
man thought, and made knowledge accessible which
illuminates the intellect of man with the light of
God. Its teaching has solved some of the problems
that had ever baffled the human intellect, and while
satisfying the mind it has stimulated and sanctified
thought. The intellectual thought of the world lias
practically revolved around three questions: Whence

254 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

am I? Why am I? Whither go I? On the answers
to these questions depend the intellectual develop-
ment of the world and the hope and happiness of
humanity. The value of everything written or
thought is commensurate to the light it throws upon
these problems. Immanuel Kant said that it is the
business of philosoph}^ to answer three questions:
What may I know? What ought I to do? For what
may I hope ? These are identically the questions
that have ever agitated the human mind. That
which gives the most satisfactory answers to these
questions, therefore, must ever be considered as
having rendered humanity the greatest intellectual
service. To educate the intellect is to ennoble it.
The cross of Christ is God's answer to these ques-
tions; it alone satisfies the intellect and the heart of
humanity. To the question, " What may I know?"
the cross of Christ replies, "God." It reveals to
man the holiness and love of his Father in Heaven,
thus furnishing him with the only explanation of
life and the key into the mystery of the universe.
To the question, " What ought I to do? " it replies,
" Love." The cross of Christ reveals the heart of
God, and so teaches man that the way to live is to
love. To the question, " What may I hope? " it
replies, "For holiness and Heaven." The cross
of Christ is the assiirance of God that holiness and

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIl'IF.D HUMANirV. 255

Heaven are attainable to humanity. Thus the in-
tellectual world owes its light to the cross of Christ.
The cross uplifts man emotionally. One of the
strongest forces and most essential qualities in the
uplifting of mankind is that of the emotions. Hu-
man lov^e was never so intensified and sanctified as
through the cross of Christ. On Calvary, love was
revealed as the greatest power to uplift the world.
The crucifixion was love's coronation. The cross
of Christ has made humanity more sensitive to suf-
fering and sympathetic with the sufi;erer. If love
is the greatest factor in the life of the world, the
cross of Christ is the life of love. The human heart
has become so sympathetic that crucifixion as a
method of capital punishment has been forgotten
from the world. This is the influence of the cross
of Christ. One inethod after another is being in-
vented to put transgressors to death with as little
pain as possible, and the day is not far distant when
this method of legalized murder — capital punish-
ment—will be forever abolished. When men have
lived near enough to the cross of Christ to brcatlic
the spirit of the prayer, " Father, forgive them, for
they know not what they do," capital punishment
will be viewed as a relic of barbarism. Human
sympathy seeks to alleviate suffering, to uplift the
fallen, to provide for the perishing, to relieve the

256 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

oppressed and to care for the dying with a self-sacri-
fice unknown before the death of Incarnate love
on Calvary. Is liberty taking the place of slavery,
arbitration taking the place of war, charity taking
the place of cruelty? This is but the influence of
the cross of Christ. The cross of Christ is uplifting
humanity morally. The most fatal blow that im-
morality ever received was the death of the cross.
The cross is the greatest moralizing force in the
world. Wherever the cross is loved, there purity
and morality are honored. Selfishness and sensu-
ality are paralyzed in the presence of the self-sacri-
fice of the Son of God. If the cross does not create
in us a loathing of sin and a love of holiness, then
there is no power in the universe of God that can so
move lis. The cross has shown self-sacrifice to be
the crown of life, and selfishness the ruin of the
race. Are personal purity and national righteous-
ness at a premium? Then the cross of Christ does
uplift man. The cross of Christ uplifts humanity
to the possible possession of eternal life. It cancels
for the innocent and irresponsible the evil of collect-
ive sin, and for the guilty it makes full and free
redemption possible. It uplifts man to a right re-
lationship with God, and consequently to all virtue
and grace. It uplifts the guilty by justifying him,
the unclean by sanctifying him, the dead by giving

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 257

him life. It uplifts the soul to associate with the
pure and sanctified — yea, God. Whoever is going
to be uplifted through the cross must needs be up-
lifted on the cross. Christ, through the cross, is
uplifting humanity. Christendom is only a proof of
the uplifting power of the cross. The cross is draw-
ing to-day in all lands. Christ is verily fulfilling
His promise of drawing all men unto Himself. He
is the Saviour, not only of the individual, but of so-
ciety; the Redeemer, not of one nation, but of all the
human race. The cross of Christ is to be the means
of tiplifting *' all men." Humanity went down as
a whole in its representative Adam, but came up
as a whole in its representative, the second Adam.
If we would rightly interpret the words of the text,
it is imperative that we avoid with the greatest
jealousy limiting in anywise the " all men." It
means not the elect ; it means humanity. It speaks
of the organic salvation of the human race. While
the teaching of Christ Himself makes it impossible
for us to believe in Universalism — the salvation of
every man — nevertheless we rejoice to believe that
Christ Himself teaches that though some may be
lost, like the branches cut off from the vine, yet
that the organic whole will be preserved through
salvation. Thank God for racial redemption, a uni-
versal salvation, a world-wide uplifting of man.

258 GLIMPSES OF GOD.

Christ is drawing. He will draw until " all men "
have been uplifted above everything mean, selfish
and unholy, into the clear light of holiness, where
with Christ they shall reign, filled with the same
glory, enjoying the same victory, world without end.
How glorious is the influence of the cross of Christ!
It modifies for good every portion of Jehovah's vast
empire, — material, mental, moral, terrestrial and
celestial. Even Hell is better off because of the
Atonement. The cross of Christ has an uplifting
influence on the whole universe of God. How
glorious, how wise, how beneficent. The cross of
Christ is to be the center of the universe, the light
and life of all, as the sun is the center of our solar
system. If our world, through sin, had become out
of sympathy with the moral aim of the universe, and
struck a discordant note which marred the melody
of the sublime symphony, through the cross it has
enriched the music of the universe and perfected
the melody of every world. Every creature in the
vast dominion of God, according to his sensibility,
suffered on account of sin. The higher the being,
the keener the suffering. If the cross of Christ is
but the outward manifestation of the sorrow and
sacrifice of the spirit of God because of sin, then
how greatly was He moved and influenced by it !
If God was thus influenced, of necessity all His

UPLIFTED CHRIST AND UPLIFTED HUMANITY. 259

creatures must have suffered according:!;- to their sev-
eral susceptibilities. Our world, therefore, lessened
the aggregate happiness of the universe through
sin, but, thank God, through the cross it has vastly
contributed to the welfare of all created beings.
All who suffered because of sin, of necessity partic-
ipate in the joys of redemption. The good that
befalls any world can not but affect the universe,
for the same reason that evil can not be limited in
its influence. The cross means a transformed hu-
manity; a transformed humanity means a trans-
formed earth ; a transformed earth means a trans-
formed universe. The cross of Christ has increased
the happiness of the imiverse. Jesus Christ is the
universal Saviour, and conformity to Him is the
goal of all intelligent created beings. The cross is
the most invincible evidence of grace, the most per-
fect expression of divine love, suffering unto sacri-
fice, in order to save. Therefore, the cross must
increase the aggregate happiness of the universe
and the specific happiness of all created intelli-
gencies. The better the God of love is known, the
greater the happiness of His creatures. We thank
God that the cross of Christ not only uplifts the
world, but uplifts the universe, and that cosmic
transformation is the aim and will be the crown of
the cross of Christ.

DATE DUE

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CAYUORD

PMIIXTEOINUS A.