,,love ,,to ,,the ,,uttermost ,,expositions ,,of ,,john ,,xiii--,,xxi4 ,,by ,f4 ,b4 ,,meyer1 ,b4 ,a4 ,author of ,the life and ,light of ,men3 ,expositions of ,john ,i4--,,xii42 ,old ,testament ,heroes2 ,the ,shepherd ,psalm2 etc4 ,,new ,,york ---- ,,chicago ---- ,,toronto ,fleming ,h4 ,revell ,company ,publishers of ,evangelical ,literature ,copyright1 #ahih-ahii by ,fleming ,h4 ,revell ,company ,,this ,,book ,,on ,,the ,,uttermost ,,love ,,of ,,christ ,,is ,,dedicated ,,to ,,my ,,dear ,,wife1 ,,whose ,,patient ,,care ,,of ,,our ,,home ,,has ,,enabled ,,me ,,to ,,write ,,so ,,much ,,and ,,travel ,,so ,,far ,,in ,,his ,,service4 ,,preface ,the former book on the first twelve chapters of this sublime ,gospel was called1 ,the ,life and ,light of ,men4 ,the title was naturally suggested by the subject-matter of those chapters4 ,we had little difficulty in finding a title for the present book1 which covers1 however cursorily1 the remainder of the ,gospel4 ,it lay open before us in the opening verses of the thirteenth chapter1 as translated in the margin of the ,revised ,version4 ,having loved ,his own which were in the world1 ,he loved them to the uttermost4 ,it has been impossible1 in the limited space at my disposal1 to deal with these chapters as ,i would4 ,indeed1 to do so1 it would be necessary to know the length1 and breadth1 and depth1 and height of the ,love of ,god1 which passeth knowledge4 ,time has been allowed to elapse1 in the hope that the view would be clearer1 and the expression more adequate1 of the deep things to which the ,lord gave expression4 ,but it is useless to wait till one is satisfied of the adequacy of one's work1 else life will have run its course before a beginning has been made4 ,at the end of ten more years1 the task would seem still more impracticable4 ,in the closing chapters ,i have woven together the narratives of the four evangelists1 so as to give a succinct and connected account of the last hours of our ,lord's life1 and especially of ,his death4 ,it has been a great delight thus to tread the ,via ,crucis1 which is also the ,via ,lucis--the ,way of the ,cross1 which is the ,way of ,life1 and ,light1 and ,love4 ,f4 ,b4 ,,meyer4 ,,contents ,i ,,the ,,laver ,,in ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,jesus ,,ii ,,thrice ,,bidden ,,to ,,love ,,iii ,,heaven ,,delayed1 ,,but ,,guaranteed ,,iv ,,many ,,mansions ,v ,,the ,,reality ,,of ,,which ,,jacob',s ,,dream ,,was ,,the ,,shadow ,,vi ,,christ ,,revealing ,,the ,,father ,,vii ,,the ,,great ,,deeds ,,of ,,faith ,,viii ,,how ,,to ,,secure ,,more ,,and ,,better ,,prayer ,,ix ,,the ,,other ,,paraclete ,x ,,the ,,three ,,dispensations ,,xi ,,three ,,paradoxes ,,xii ,,many ,,mansions ,,for ,,god ,,xiii ,,christ',s ,,legacy ,,and ,,gift ,,of ,,peace ,,xiv ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,vine ,,xv ,,abide ,,in ,,me1 ,,and ,i ,,in ,,you ,,xvi ,,prayer ,,that ,,prevails ,,xvii ,,the ,,hatred ,,of ,,the ,,world ,,xviii ,,the ,,work ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit ,,on ,,the ,,world ,,xix ,,christ',s ,,reticence ,,supplemented ,,by ,,the ,,spirit',s ,,advent ,,xx ,,the ,,conqueror ,,of ,,the ,,world ,,xxi ,,consecrated ,,to ,,consecrate ,,xxii ,,the ,,lord',s ,,prayer ,,for ,,his ,,people',s ,,oneness ,,xxiii ,,the ,,love ,,that ,,bound ,,christ ,,to ,,the ,,cross ,,xxiv ,,drinking ,,the ,,cup ,,xxv ,,the ,,hall ,,of ,,annas ,,xxvi ,,how ,,it ,,fared ,,with ,,peter ,,xxvii ,,the ,,trial ,,bffore ,,caiaphas ,,xxviii ,,judas1 ,,which ,,betrayed ,,him ,,xxix ,,the ,,first ,,trial ,,before ,,pilate ,,xxx ,,the ,,second ,,trial ,,before ,,pilate ,,xxxi ,,the ,,seven ,,sayings ,,of ,,the ,,cross ,,xxxii ,,christ',s ,,burial ,,xxxiii ,,the ,,day ,,of ,,resurrection ,,xxxiv ,,the ,,lake ,,of ,,galilee ,,xxxv ,,peter',s ,,love ,,and ,,work ,,xxxvi ,,the ,,life-,,plan ,,of ,,peter ,,and ,,john ,,xxxvii ,,back ,,to ,,the ,,father ,,love ,,to ,,the ,,uttermost ,expositions of ,john xiii4-xxi4 ,i ,the ,laver in the ,life of ,jesus ,he poureth water into a basin1 and began to wash the disciples' feet1 and to wipe them with a towel wherewith ,he was girded4--,,john xiii4 #e4 ,in the court of the ,temple there were two objects that arrested the eye of the entering worshipper--the ,brazen ,altar1 and the ,laver4 ,the latter was kept always full of pure1 fresh water1 for the constant washings enjoined by the ,levitical code4 ,before the priests were consecrated for their holy work1 and attired in the robes of the sacred office1 they washed there 7,ex4 xxix4 #d74 ,before they entered the ,holy ,place in their ordinary ministry1 and before ,aaron1 on the great ,day of ,atonement1 proceeded to the ,most ,holy ,place1 with blood1 not his own1 it was needful to conform to the prescribed ablutions4 ,he shall bathe his flesh in water 7,lev4 xvi4 #d74 ,first1 then1 the ,altar1 and then the ,laver2 the order is irreversible1 and the teaching of the types is as exact as mathematics4 ,hence1 when the writer of the ,epistle to the ,hebrews invites us to draw near1 and make our abode in the ,most ,holy ,place1 he carefully obeys the ,divine order1 and bids us draw near1 with a true heart1 in full assurance of faith1 having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience1 and our bodies washed with pure water4 ,in this scene 7,john xiii4 #a-ad71 on the eve of our ,lord's betrayal1 we find the spiritual counterpart of the ,laver1 just as the ,cross stands for the ,brazen ,altar4 ,i4 ,,the ,,circumstance ,,that ,,led ,,to ,,this ,,act ,,of ,,love4--,in order fully to understand this touching incident1 it is necessary to remember the circumstances out of which it sprang4 ,on the way from ,bethany to the upper room in which the ,supper had been prepared1 and on entering therein1 our ,lord must have been deeply absorbed in the momentous events in which ,he was to be the central figure2 but ,he was not unmindful of a contention which had engaged ,his disciples1 for they had been disputing one with another as to which of them should be the greatest4 ,the proud spirit of the flesh1 which so often cursed the little group1 broke out in this awful hour with renewed energy1 as though the prince of this world would inflict a parting blow on his great ,antagonist1 through those whom ,he loved best4 ,it was as if he said1 ,see the results of ,thy tears and teachings1 of ,thy prayers and pleadings2 the love which ,thou hast so often inculcated is but a passing sentiment1 that has never rooted itself in the soil of these wayward hearts4 ,it is a plant too rare and exotic for the climate of earth4 ,take it back with ,thee to ,thine own home if ,thou wilt1 but seek not to achieve the impossible4 ,it was heartrending that this exhibition of pride should take place just at this juncture4 ,these were the men who had been with ,him in ,his temptations1 who had had the benefit of ,his most careful instructions1 who had been exposed to the full influence of ,his personal character2 and yet1 notwithstanding all1 the rock-bed of pride1 that cast the angels down from heaven1 that led to the fall of man1 obtruded itself4 ,this occasion in which it manifested itself was very inopportune2 already the look of ,calvary was on the ,saviour's face1 and the sword entering ,his heart4 ,surely1 they must have been aware that the shadow of the great eclipse was already passing over the face of their ,sun4 ,but even this did not avail to restrain the manifestation of their pride4 ,heedless of three years of example and teaching2 unrestrained by the symptoms of our ,lord's sorrow2 unchecked by the memory of happy and familiar intercourse1 which should have bound them forever in a united brotherhood1 they wrangled with high voices and hot faces1 with the flashing eye and clenched fist of the ,oriental1 as to who should be first4 ,and if pride thus asserted itself after such education1 and under such circumstances1 let us be sure that it is not far away from any one of us4 ,we do not now contend1 in so many words1 for the chief places2 courtesy1 politeness1 fear of losing the respect of our fellows1 restrain us4 ,but our resentment to the fancied slight1 or the assumption by another of work which we thought our own2 our sense of hurtness when we are put aside2 our jealousy and envy2 our detracting speeches1 and subtle insinuations of low motive1 all show how much of this loveless spirit rankles in our hearts4 ,we have been planted in the soil of this world1 and we betray its flavor2 we have come of a proud stock1 we betray our heredity4 ,,ii4 ,,love',s ,,sensitiveness ,,to ,,sin ,,on ,,the ,,part ,,of ,,its ,,beloved4--,consider these epithets of the love of ,christ3 ,it was unusually tender4--,when the hour of departure approaches1 though slight reference be made to it1 love lives with the sound of the departing wheels1 or the scream of the engine1 always in its ear2 and there are given a tenderness to the tone1 a delicacy to the touch1 a thoughtfulness for the heartache of those from which it is to be parted1 which are of inexpressible beauty4 ,all that was present with ,christ4 ,he was taking that ,supper with them before ,he suffered4 ,he knew that ,he would soon depart out of this world unto the ,father2 ,his ear was specially on the alert2 ,his nature keenly alive2 ,his heart thrilling with unusual tenderness1 as the sands slowly ran out from the hour-glass4 ,it was supreme love4--,having loved ,his own that were in the world1 ,he loved them unto the end4 ,those last words have been thought to refer to the end of life1 but it surely were superfluous to tell us that the strong waters of death could not quench the love of the ,son of ,man4 ,when once ,he loves1 ,he loves always4 ,it is needless to tell us that the ,divine heart which has enshrined a soul will not forsake it2 that the name of the beloved is never erased from the palms of the hands1 that the covenant is not forgotten though eternity elapse4 ,of course ,christ loves to the end1 even though that end reaches to endlessness4 ,we do not need to be assured that the ,immortal ,lover1 who has once taken us up to union with ,himself1 can never loose ,his hold4 ,therefore it is better to adopt the alternative suggested by the margin of the ,revised ,version1 ,he loved them to the uttermost4 ,there was nothing to be desired4 ,nothing was needed to fill out the ideal of perfect love4 ,not a stitch was required for the needle-work of wrought gold2 not a touch demanded for the perfectly achieved picture2 not a throb additional to the strong pulse of affection with which ,he regarded ,his own4 ,it is very wonderful that ,he should have loved such men like this4 ,as we pass them under review at this time of their life1 they seem a collection of nobodies1 with the exception perhaps of ,john and ,peter4 ,but they were ,his own1 there was a special relationship between ,him and them4 ,they had belonged to the ,father1 and ,he had given them to the ,son as ,his special perquisite and belonging4 ,thine they were1 and ,thou gavest them ,me4 ,may we dare1 in this meaning1 to apply to ,christ that sense of proprietorship1 which makes a bit of moorland waste1 a few yards of garden-ground1 dear to the freeholder8 ,breathes there the man with soul so dead1 ,who never to himself hath said1 ,this is my own 4 4 48 ,it was because these men were ,christ's own1 that the full passion of ,his heart set in toward them1 and ,he loved them to the utmost bound2 that is1 the tides filled the capacity of the ocean-bed of possibility4 ,it was bathed in the sense of ,his ,divine origin and mission4--,the curtain was waxing very thin4 ,it was a moment of vision4 ,there had swept across ,his soul a realization of the full meaning of ,his approaching triumph4 ,he looked back1 and was hardly conscious of the manger where the horned oxen fed1 the lowly birth1 the obscure years1 in the sublime conception that ,he had come forth from ,god4 ,he looked forward1 and was hardly conscious of the cross1 the nail1 the thorn-crown1 and the spear1 because of the sublime consciousness that ,he was stepping back1 to go to ,him with whom ,he realized ,his identity4 ,he looked on through the coming weeks1 and knew that the ,father had given all things into ,his hands4 ,what the devil had offered as the price of obeisance to himself1 that the ,father was about to give ,him1 nay1 had already given ,him1 as the price of ,his self-emptying4 ,and if for a moment ,he stooped1 as we shall see ,he did1 to the form of a servant1 it was not because of any failure to recognize ,his high dignity and mission1 but with the sense of ,godhead quick on ,his soul4 ,the love which went out toward this little group of men had ,deity in it4 ,it was the love of the ,throne1 of the glory ,he had with the ,father before the worlds were1 of that which now fills the bosom of ,his ascended and glorified nature4 ,he was aware of the task to which ,he was abandoning these men4--,he knew that as ,he was the ,high ,priest over the house of ,god1 they were its priests4 ,he knew that cleansing was necessary before they could receive the anointing of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,he knew that the great work of carrying forward ,his ,gospel was to be delegated to their hands4 ,he knew that they were to carry the sacred vessels of the ,gospel1 which must not be blurred or fouled by contact with human pride or uncleanness4 ,he knew that the very mysteries of ,gethsemane and ,calvary would be inexplicable1 and that none might stand on that holy hill1 save those that had clean hands and a pure heart2 and because of all this1 ,he turned to them1 by symbol and metaphor1 to impress upon their heart and memory the necessity of participating in the cleansing of which the ,laver is the type4 ,the highest love is ever quickest to detect the failures and inconsistencies of the beloved4 ,just because of its intensity1 it can be content with nothing less than the best1 because the best means the blessedest2 and it longs that the object of its thought should be most blessed forever4 ,it is a mistake to think that green-eyed jealousy is quickest to detect the spots on the sun1 the freckles on the face1 and the marring discords in the music of the life2 love is quicker1 more microscopic1 more exacting that the ideal should be achieved4 ,envy is content to indicate the fault1 and leave it2 but love detects1 and waits and holds its peace until the fitting opportunity arrives1 and then sets itself to remove1 with its own tenderest ministry1 the defect which had spoiled the completeness and beauty of its object4 ,perhaps there had never been a moment in the human consciousness of our ,lord1 when1 side by side with this intense love for ,his own1 there had been so vivid a sense of oneness with ,his ,father1 of ,his unity with the source of ,infinite ,purity and ,blessedness4 ,we might have supposed that this would have alienated ,him from ,his poor friends1 but in this our thoughts are not as ,his4 ,just because of ,his awful holiness1 ,he was quick to perceive the unholiness of ,his friends1 and could not endure it1 and essayed to rid them of it4 ,just because of ,his ,divine goodness ,he could detect the possibilities of goodness in them1 and be patient enough to give it culturing care4 ,the most perfect musician may be most tortured by incompetence2 but he will be most likely to detect true merit1 and give time to its training4 ,the powerfullest magnet will pick out1 in the powdered dust of the ironstone1 fine particles of metal that a second or third-rate magnet would fail to draw to itself4 ,do not dread the awful holiness of ,jesus2 it is your hope4 ,he will never be content till ,he has made you like ,himself2 and side by side with ,his holiness1 never fail to remember ,his gentle1 tender love4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,divine ,,humility1 ,,that ,,copes ,,with ,,human ,,sin4--,he riseth from supper1 and layeth aside ,his garments2 and ,he took a towel and girded ,himself4 ,this is what the apostle calls taking upon ,himself the form of a servant4 ,the charm of the scene is its absolute simplicity4 ,you cannot imagine ,christ posturing to the ages4 ,there was no aiming at effect1 no thought of the beauty or humility of the act1 as there is when the ,pope yearly washes the feet of twelve beggars1 from a golden basin1 wiping them with a towel of rarest fabric6 ,christ did not act thus for show or pretence1 but with an absolutely single purpose of fulfilling a needed office4 ,and in this ,he set forth the spirit of our redemption4 ,this is the key to the ,incarnation4--,with slight alteration the words will read truly of that supreme act4 ,he rose from the throne1 laid aside the garments of light which ,he had worn as ,his vesture1 took up the poor towel of humanity1 and wrapped it about ,his glorious ,person2 poured ,his own blood into the basin of the ,cross1 and set ,himself to wash away the foul stains of human depravity and guilt4 ,as pride was the source of human sin1 ,christ must needs provide an antidote in ,his absolute humility--a humility which could not grow beneath these skies1 but must be brought from the world where the lowliest are the greatest1 and the most childlike reign as kings4 ,this is the key to every act of daily cleansing4--,we have been washed4 ,once1 definitely1 and irrevocably1 we have been bathed in the crimson tide that flows from ,calvary4 ,but we need a daily cleansing4 ,our feet become soiled with the dust of life's highways2 our hands grimy1 as our linen beneath the rain of filth in a great city2 our lips are fouled1 as the white doorstep of the house1 by the incessant throng of idle1 unseemly and fretful words2 our hearts cannot keep unsoiled the stainless robes with which we pass from the closet at morning prime4 ,constantly we need to repair to the ,laver to be washed4 ,but do we always realize how much each act of confession1 on our part1 involves from ,christ1 on ,his8 ,whatever important work ,he may at that moment have on hand2 whatever directions ,he may be giving to the loftiest angels for the fulfillment of ,his purposes2 however pressing the concerns of the ,church or the universe upon ,his broad shoulders1 ,he must needs turn from all these to do a work ,he will not delegate4 ,again ,he stoops from the throne1 and girds ,himself with a towel1 and1 in all lowliness1 endeavors to remove from thee and me the strain which ,his love dare not pass over4 ,he never loses the print of the nail2 ,he never forgets ,calvary and the blood2 ,he never spends one hour without stooping to do the most menial work of cleansing filthy souls4 ,and it is because of this humility ,he sits on the ,throne and wields the sceptre over hearts and worlds4 ,this is the key to our ministry to each other4--,i have often thought that we do not often enough wash one another's feet4 ,we are conscious of the imperfections which mar the characters of those around us4 ,we are content to note1 criticise1 and learn them4 ,we dare not attempt to remove them4 ,this failure arises partly because we do not love with a love like ,christ's--a love which will brave resentment1 annoyance1 rebuke1 in its quest1--and partly because we are not willing to stoop low enough4 ,none can remove the mote of another1 so long as the beam is left in the eye1 and the sin unjudged in the life1 ,none can cleanse the stain1 who is not willing to take the form of a servant1 and go down with bare knees upon the floor4 ,none is able to restore those that are overtaken in a fault1 who do not count themselves the chief of sinners and the least of saints4 ,we need more of this lowly1 loving spirit3 not so sensitive to wrong and evil as they affect us1 as anxious for the stain they leave on the offender4 ,it is of comparatively small consequence how much we suffer2 it is of much importance that none of ,christ's disciples should be allowed to go on for a moment longer1 with unconfessed and unjudged wrongs clouding their peace1 and hindering the testimony which they might give4 ,let us therefore watch for each other's souls3 let us consider one another to provoke to love and good works2 let us in all sincerity do as ,christ has done1 washing each other's feet in all humility and tender love4 ,but this spirit is impossible save through fellowship with the ,lamb of ,god1 and the reception of ,his holy1 humble nature into the inmost heart1 by the ,holy ,ghost4 ,,ii ,thrice ,bidden to ,love ,a new commandment ,i give unto you1 ,that ye love one another2 as ,i have loved you1 that ye also love one another4--,,john xiii4 #cd4 ,anacreon complains that when they asked him to sing of heroic deeds1 he could only sing of love4 ,but the love with which he fills his sonnets will bear as much comparison with that of which ,jesus spoke in ,his last discourse1 as the flaring oil of a country fair with the burning of the heavenly constellations4 ,even the love that binds young hearts is too selfish and exclusive to set forth that pure ray which shone from the heart of the ,son of ,man1 and shines and will shine4 ,what word shall we use to describe it8 ,charity8--,the disposition denoted by this great word does not fulfill the measure of the love of ,christ4 ,it is cold and severe4 ,it can be organized4 ,it casts its dole to the beggar and turns away1 content to have relieved the sentiment of pity4 ,by being employed for one manifestation of love1 charity is too limited and restricted in its significance to become an adequate expression of the ,divine love which ,drought ,jesus from the throne1 and should inspire us to lay down our lives for the brethren4 ,philanthropy8--,this is a great word1 the love of man4 ,and yet the philanthropist is too often content with the general patronage of good works1 the elaboration of schemes1 the management of committees1 to do much personal work for the amelioration of the world4 ,the word is altogether too distant1 too deficient in the personal element1 too extensive in its significance4 ,it will not serve to represent the ,divine compassion with which the heart of ,christ was1 at the moment of speaking1 in tumult4 ,complacency8--,no2 for this is the emotion excited by the contemplation of merit and virtue1 which turns away from sin and deformity2 and the sentiment denoted by our ,master's words is one that is not brought into existence by virtue1 nor extinguished by demerit and vice4 ,since all these words fail1 we are driven to speak of love1 as ,christ used the word1 as being the essence of the ,divine nature1 for ,god is love4 ,it is the indwelling of ,god in the soul4 ,it is the transmitting through our lives of that which we have received in fellowship with the uncreated glory of the ,divine ,being4 ,that which was in the beginning between the ,father and the ,son2 that which constrained our ,emmanuel to sojourn in this world of sin2 that which inspired ,his sacrifice2 that which dwells perennially in ,his heart1 vanquishing time and distance2 which overflows all expressions1 and defies definition--is the love of which these words speak1 and which we are commanded to entertain toward each other4 ,it is a commandment3 ,these things ,i command you4 ,this is ,his commandment3 that we should believe in the name of ,his ,son ,jesus ,christ1 and love one another even as ,he gave us commandment4 ,obviously1 then1 obedience must be possible4 ,christ had gauged our nature not only as ,creator1 but by personal experience4 ,he knew what was in man4 ,the possibilities of our nature were well within ,his cognizance2 therefore it must be possible for us to love one another qualitatively1 if not quantitatively1 as ,he has loved us4 ,do not sit down before this great command and say it is impossible2 that were to throw discredit on ,him who spake it4 ,dare to believe that no word of ,his is vain4 ,he descries eminences of attainment which it is possible for us all to reach3 let us surrender ourselves to ,him1 that ,he should fulfill in us ,his ideal1 and make us experts in the science of love4 ,it is a new commandment4--,archbishop ,ussher on a memorable occasion called it the eleventh4 ,it is recorded that having heard of the simplicity and beauty of the ordering of ,rutherford's home1 he resolved to visit it for himself4 ,one ,saturday night he arrived alone at the ,manse1 and asked for entertainment over the next day4 ,a simple but hearty welcome was accorded him2 and after partaking of the frugal fare1 he was invited to join the household in religious exercises which ushered in the ,lord's day4 ,how many commandments are there8 the master asked his guest1 wholly unaware who he was4 ,eleven1 was the astonishing reply2 at which the very servants were scandalized1 regarding the newcomer as a prodigy of ignorance4 ,but the man of ,god perceived the rare light of character and insight which gleamed beneath the answer1 and asked for a private interview4 ,this issued in the invitation to preach on the following day4 ,to the amazement of the household1 so scandalized on the previous night1 the stranger appeared in the master's pulpit1 and announced the words on which we are meditating as his text1 adding1 ,this may be described as the eleventh commandment4 ,obedience to this fulfills the rest4--,love is the fulfilling of the law4 ,do we need to be told to have no other gods but ,god1 to forbear taking ,his name in vain1 and to devote one day in seven to the cultivation of a closer relationship with ,him1 if we love ,him with all our soul and mind and strength8 ,do we need to be warned against killing our neighbor1 stealing his goods1 or bearing false witness against his character1 if we love him as ourselves8 ,only let a man be filled with this divine disposition which is the unique characteristic of ,god2 let him be filled with the spirit of love2 let him be perfected in love1 and1 almost unconsciously1 he will not only be kept from infringing the prohibitions of the law of ,sinai1 but will be inspired to fulfill the requirements of the ,mount of ,beatitudes4 ,love1 and do as you like4 ,you will like to do only what ,god would like you to do4 ,there is a very important purpose to be realized in obeying this command4--,by this shall all men know that ye are ,my disciples1 if ye have love one to another4 ,every ,church claims to be the true representative of ,christ4 ,the ,eastern1 because it occupies the lands where ,christianity was cradled4 ,the ,roman ,catholic1 because it professes to be able to trace its orders to the apostles4 ,but1 amid the hubbub of rival claims1 the world1 unconvinced1 still awaits the emergence of the true ,bride of the ,lamb4 ,the one note of the true ,church is ,love4 ,when once men of different nationalities and countries behold its manifestation1 they do not hesitate to acknowledge the presence of ,god1 and to admit that those who are animated by perfect love to ,him and to one another constitute a unique organization1 which cannot have originated in the will or intellect of man1 but1 like the ,new ,jerusalem1 must have come out of heaven from ,god4 ,so sublime1 so transcendent1 so unearthly is love1 that its presence is significant of the handiwork of ,god1 as the fire that burned in the bush indicated that the ,i ,,am was there4 ,love is a supreme test1 not only of the ,church1 but of the individual4 ,it has been the mistake of every age to make faith rather than love the test of ,christianity4 ,tell me how much a man believes1 and ,i shall know how good a ,christian he is6 ,the whole endeavor of the mediaeval ,church was to reduce the followers of ,christ to a uniformity of belief4 ,and in our own time1 a man is permitted by consent to be grasping after money1 imperious in temper1 uncharitable in speech1 without losing position in the ,church1 so long as he assents to all the clauses of an orthodox creed4 ,with ,christ1 however1 love is all-important4 ,a man may have faith enough to remove mountains1 but if he have not love1 he is nothing1 and lighter than vanity in the estimation of heaven4 ,faith ranks with hope and love1 but it is destined to pass as the blossoms of spring before the fruit of autumn1 whilst love shall abide forevermore4 ,a man may have a very inadequate creed2 like the woman of old1 he may think there is virtue in a garment1 or a rite2 like ,thomas1 he may find it impossible to attain to the exuberant confidence of his brethren2 but if he loves ,christ enough to be prepared to die for ,him1 if through the narrow aperture of a very limited faith1 love enough has entered his soul from the source of love1 ,christ will entrust him with the tending of ,his sheep and lambs1 and call him into the secret place4 ,of course1 the more full-orbed and intelligent our faith1 the quicker and intenser will be our love4 ,but faith1 after all1 is but the hand that takes1 whilst love is the fellowship of kindred hearts that flash each on the other the enkindling gleam4 ,if you do not love1 though you count yourself illumined with the light of perfect knowledge1 you are in the dark4 ,he that hateth his brother is in the darkness1 even until now4 ,if you do not love1 you are dead4 ,he that loveth not1 abideth in death4 ,the light sparkle of intellectual or emotional life may light up your words1 and fascinate your immediate circle of friends1 but there will be no life toward ,god4 ,love is the perfect tense of live4 ,whoso does not love does not live1 in the deepest sense4 ,there are capacities for richer existence that never unfold until love stands at the portal and sounds his challenge1 and summons the sleeper to awake and arise4 ,if you do not love1 you are under the thrall of the devil1 into whose dark nature love never comes4 ,herein the children of ,god are manifest and the children of the devil4 ,cain was of the wicked one1 and slew his brother4 ,as ,i have loved you4 ,life is one long education to know the love of ,god4 ,we have known and believed the love that ,god hath to us1 is the reflection of an old man reviewing the past4 ,each stage of life1 each phase of experience1 is intended to give us a deeper insight into the love wherewith we are loved2 and as each discovery breaks upon our glad vision1 we are bidden to exemplify it to others4 ,does ,jesus forgive to the seventy-seventh time8 ,we must forgive in the same measure4 ,does ,jesus forget as well as forgive8 ,we1 too1 must forgive after the same fashion4 ,does ,jesus seek after the erring1 and endeavor to induce the temper of mind that will crave forgiveness8 ,we also must seek the man who has transgressed against us1 endeavoring to lead him to a better mind4 ,the ,christian knows no law or limit but that imposed by these significant words1 spoken on the eve of ,christ's sacrifice1 ,as ,i have loved you4 ,thus all life gives opportunities for the practice of this celestial temper and disposition4 ,it has been said that talent develops in solitude1 whilst character is made in the strain of life4 ,be it so4 ,then the character of loving may be made stronger by every association we have with our fellows4 ,each contact with men1 women1 and children1 may give us an opportunity of loving with a little more of the strength1 purity1 and sweetness of the love of ,christ4 ,the busiest life can find time for the cultivation of this spirit4 ,that which is spent in a crowd will even have greater opportunities than the one which is limited to solitude4 ,the distractions and engagements that threaten to break our lives up to a number of inconsiderable fragments may thus conduce to a higher unity than could be gained by following one occupation1 or concentrating ourselves on one object4 ,let us gird up the loins of our minds1 and resolve to seek a baptism of love from the ,holy ,ghost1 that we may be perfected in love2 that we may love ,god first1 and all else in ,him1 ascending from our failures to a more complete conformity to the love wherewith ,he has loved us2 embracing the sinful and erring in the compass of our compassion1 as we embrace the ,divine and ,eternal in the compass of our adoration and devotion4 ,,iii ,heaven ,delayed1 but ,guaranteed ,simon ,peter said unto ,him1 ,lord1 whither goest ,thou8 ,jesus answered him4 ,whither ,i go1 thou canst not follow ,me now2 but thou shalt follow ,me afterward4--,,john xiii4 #cf4 ,these chapters are holy ground4 ,the last words of our dearest1 spoken in the seclusion of the death-chamber to the tear-stained group gathered around1 are not for all the world1 and are recorded only to those whose love makes them able to appreciate4 ,and what are these words that now begin to flow from the ,master's lips1 but ,his last to ,his own8 ,they were held back so long as ,judas was there4 ,there was a repression caused by his presence which hindered the interchange of confidences2 but1 when he was gone1 love hastened to her secret stores1 and drew forth her choicest1 rarest viands to share them1 that they might be in after days a strength and solace4 ,this marvellous discourse1 which begins in chapter xiii4 #ca1 continues through chapters xiv41 xv41 xvi41 and closes in the sublime prayer of chapter xvii4 ,better that all the literature of the world should have shared the fate of the ,alexandrian library1 than that these precious words should have been lost amid the fret of the ages4 ,the ,lord commences ,his discourse by speaking of ,his speedy departure4 ,little children1 ,he said1 using a term which indicated that ,he felt toward them a parental tenderness1 and spoke as a dying father might have done to the helpless babes that gathered around his bed1 ,i am to be with you for a very little time longer2 the sand has nearly run out in the hour-glass4 ,i know you will seek ,me2 your love will make you yearn to be with ,me where ,i am1 to continue the blessed intimacy1 the ties which within the last few weeks have been drawn so much closer2 but it will not be possible4 ,as ,i said to the ,jews1 so must ,i say to you1 ,whither ,i go1 ye cannot come4 ,he then proceeds to give them a new commandment of love1 as though ,he said3 ,the cannot which prevents you following ,me now is due to a lack of perfect love on your part1 as well as for other reasons2 it is necessary1 therefore1 that you wait to acquire it1 ere you can be with ,me where ,i am4 ,simon ,peter hardly hears ,him uttering these last words2 he is pondering too deeply what he has just heard1 and calls the ,master back to that announcement1 as though ,he had passed it with too light a tread3 ,going away6 ,lord1 whither goest ,thou8 ,to that question our ,lord might have given a direct answer3 ,heaven6 ,the ,father's bosom6 ,the ,new ,jerusalem6 ,the ,city of ,god6 ,any of these would have been sufficient2 but instead ,he says in effect3 ,it is a matter of comparative indifference whither ,i go2 ,i have no wish to feed curiosity with descriptions of things in the heavens1 which you could not understand4 ,the main point for you1 in this brief life1 is so to become assimilated to ,me in humility1 devotion1 likeness1 and character1 that you may be able to be ,my companion and friend in those new paths on which ,i am entering1 as you have been in those which ,i am now leaving4 ,whither ,i go1 thou canst not follow ,me now2 but thou shalt follow ,me afterward4 ,the words staggered ,peter2 he could not understand what ,christ meant2 he could not see how much had to be done before he could share in ,christ's coming glory4 ,he made the same mistake as ,james and ,john had done before1 and wanted the throne1 without perceiving that it was conditioned on fellowship in the cup and the baptism into death4 ,with deep emotion he persisted in his inquiries3 ,why cannot ,i follow ,thee now8 ,there is no place on earth to which ,i would not go with ,thee4 ,have ,i not already left all to follow ,thee8 ,have ,i not been with ,thee on the ,transfiguration ,mount1 as well as in ,thy journeyings8 ,there is but one experience through which ,i have not passed with ,thee1 and that is death2 but if that stands next in ,thy life-plan1 ,i will lay down my life for ,thy sake4 ,anything to be with ,thee4 ,how little ,peter knew himself6 ,how much better did ,christ know him4 ,what6 dost thou profess thyself willing to die with ,me8 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 thou shalt deny ,me thrice1 between now and cock-crow to-morrow morning4 ,these words silenced ,peter for all the evening afterward4 ,he does not appear to have made another remark1 but was absorbed in heart-breaking grief3 though all the while there rang in his heart those blessed words of hope3 ,whither ,i go1 thou canst not follow ,me now2 but thou shalt follow ,me afterward--words which our ,lord caught up and expanded for the comfort of them all1 who now with ,peter for the first time realized that they were about to be parted from ,jesus1 and were almost beside themselves with grief3 ,let not your heart be troubled4 4 4 4 ,i4 ,,the ,,desire ,,to ,,be ,,with ,,christ4--,this was paramount4 ,these simple men had little thought of heaven as such4 ,if ,christ had begun to speak of golden pavement1 gates of pearl1 and walls of chrysolite1 they would have turned from ,his glowing words with the one inquiry1 ,wilt ,thou be there8 ,if that question had been answered uncertainly1 they would have turned away heart-sick1 saying3 ,if ,thou art not there1 we have no desire for it2 but if ,thou wert in the darkest1 dreariest spot in the universe1 it would be heaven to us4 ,there were three desires1 the strands of which were woven in this one yearning desire and prayer to be with ,christ4 ,they wanted ,his love1 ,his teaching1 ,his leading into full1 richer life4 ,and is not this our position also8 ,we want ,christ1 not hereafter only1 but here and now1 for these three self-same reasons4 ,we want ,his love4--,there is no love like ,his--so pure and constant and satisfying4 ,what the sun is to a star-light1 and the ocean to a pool left by the retiring tide1 such is the love of ,jesus compared with all other love4 ,to have it is superlative blessedness2 to miss it is to thirst forever4 ,we want ,his light4--,he speaks words that cast light on the mysteries of existence1 on the dark problems of life1 on the perplexing questions which are perpetually knocking at our doors4 ,we want ,his life4--,fuller and more abundant life is what we crave4 ,it is of life that our veins are scant4 ,we desire to have the mighty tides of divine life always beating strongly within us1 to know the energy1 vigor1 vitality of ,god's life in the soul4 ,and we are conscious that this is to be found only in ,him4 ,therefore we desire to be with ,him1 to drink deeper into ,his fellowship1 to know ,him and the power of ,his resurrection1 to be brought into an abidingness from which we shall never recede4 ,we have known ,christ after the flesh2 we desire to know ,him after the ,spirit4 ,we have known ,him in humiliation2 we want to know ,him in ,his glory4 ,we have known ,him as the ,lamb of the ,cross2 we want to know ,him as the ,divine ,man on the throne4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,fatal ,,obstacle ,,to ,,the ,,immediate ,,granting ,,of ,,these ,,desires4--,thou canst not follow ,me now4 ,there is thus a difference in ,his words to ,his disciples1 and those to the ,jews4 ,these also were told that they could not follow ,him1 but the word now was omitted4 ,there was no hope held out to them of the great gulf being bridged4 ,that was the cannot of moral incompatibility2 this1 of temporary unfitness1 which by the grace of ,god would finally pass away1 and the whole of their aspirations be realized 7,john vii4 #cd2 viii4 #ba74 ,it is easy to see why ,peter was unfit for the deeper realization of ,christ in ,his resurrection4 ,our ,lord had just spoken of being glorified through death4 ,it was as ,judas left the chamber1 intent on his betrayal1 that ,jesus said1 ,now is the ,son of ,man glorified6 ,he saw that the hidden properties of ,his being could only be unfolded and uttered through death and resurrection4 ,but ,peter had little sympathy with this2 he might avow his determination to die1 but he had never really entered into the meaning of death1 and all it might involve4 ,he could not detect evil4 ,the traitor was beside him2 but he had to ask the beloved disciple to elicit from ,jesus who it might be by whom the ,master would be betrayed4 ,he was out of sympathy with the ,lord's humiliation1 so that he chode with ,him for stooping to wash his feet2 and if he could not understand the significance and necessity of this lowly deed of love1 how could he enter into the spirit of that life which was planted in death1 and which bore even in resurrection the print of the nails8 ,he strove with the rest for the primacy4 ,who should be the greatest8 was the question that agitated them1 as the other evangelists tell us1 in that solemn hour4 ,and none that was possessed with that spirit of pride and emulation could be in harmony with that blessed world where the greatest are the lowliest1 the highest the least1 and the ,king set on the right hand of power1 because more capable of humbling ,himself than any beside4 ,but1 besides all this1 ,peter was animated by the strong spirit of self-assertion and determination4 ,always on the lake shore he had been able to get to the front by his stronger voice1 and broader shoulders1 and more vehement manner4 ,why should he not do the same now8 ,why could he not keep pace with ,christ even through the dark valley1 and accompany ,him through unknown worlds8 ,it cannot be1 said ,christ2 you are too strong in your carnal strength1 too self-reliant1 too confident4 ,it is not possible for you to be with ,me1 in the life that springs from death1 and to which death is the door1 till you have deeply drunk into the spirit of ,my death4 ,you are too strong to follow ,me when ,i descend to the lowest on ,my way to the highest2 ,i must take for ,my companion now a forgiven malefactor2 but ,i will some day come for you1 and receive you to ,myself4 ,so ,peter had to be broken on the wheel of a servant-girl's question1 and humbled to the dust4 ,in those bitter hours he was thoroughly emptied of his old proud1 self-reliant1 vain-glorious spirit1 and became as a little child4 ,this must be our path also4 ,we must descend with ,christ1 if we would ascend to sit at ,his side4 ,we must submit to the laying of our pride in the very dust4 ,we must accept humiliations and mortifications1 the humblings of perpetual failure and shortcoming1 the friction and fret of infirmity and pain2 and when we have come to an end of ourselves1 we shall begin to know ,christ in a new and deeper fashion4 ,he will pass by and say1 ,live6 ,the spirit of ,his life will enter into us2 the valley of ,achor will become a door of hope1 and we shall sing ,god's glad new song of ,hope4 ,the ideal which had long haunted us1 in our blood1 but unable to express itself1 will burst into a perfect flower of exquisite scent and hue4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,certainty ,,of ,,the ,,ultimate ,,gratification ,,of ,,every ,,desire ,,god ,,has ,,implanted4--,this is an absolute certainty1 that ,god inserts no desire or craving in our nature1 for which there is no appropriate gratification4 ,the birds do not seek for food which is not ready for them4 ,the young lions do not ask for prey that is not awaiting them somewhere in the forest glade4 ,hence the absoluteness of that shall--,thou shalt follow ,me afterward4 ,it is as if ,jesus said1 ,i have taught you to love ,me1 and long after ,me2 and ,i will certainly gratify the appetite which ,i have created4 ,pentecost was the ,divine fulfillment of all those conditions of which we have been speaking4 ,it was not enough that ,peter should be an emptied and broken man2 he must become also a ,god-possessed1 a ,spirit-filled man4 ,thus only could he be fitted to know ,christ after a spiritual sort1 and to participate in ,his ,resurrection ,life4 ,it was surely to the ,advent of the ,holy ,ghost that our ,lord referred in that significant afterward4 ,we too must seek our share in ,pentecost4 ,do not be content with ,not ,i2 go on to say1 but ,christ4 ,do not be satisfied with the emptying of the proud self-life2 seek the infilling of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,do not stop at the cross1 or the grave2 hasten to the upper room1 where the disciples are baptized in fire and glory4 ,the ,holy ,spirit will enable you to abide in ,christ1 because ,he will bring ,christ to abide in you2 and life1 through ,his dear grace1 shall be so utterly imbued with fellowship with the blessed ,lord1 that1 whether present or absent1 you will live together with ,him4 ,it is the man who is really filled with the ,spirit of ,god who can follow ,jesus1 as ,peter afterward did1 to prison and to death1 who can drink of the cup of which ,he drank1 and be baptized with the baptism with which ,he was baptized4 ,why should ,i fear8 asked ,basil1 of the ,roman prefect4 ,nothing you have spoken of has any effect upon me4 ,he that hath nothing to lose is not afraid of confiscation4 ,you cannot banish me1 for the earth is the ,lord's4 ,as to torture1 the first stroke would kill me1 and to kill me is to send me to glory4 ,,iv ,many ,mansions ,i go to prepare a place for you4--,,john xiv4 #b4 ,the cure for heart-trouble1 when the future is full of dread1 is faith--faith directed to ,jesus2 and just such faith as we give ,god1 for ,he is ,god4 ,he has shown ,himself well worthy of that trust2 all ,his paths toward us have been mercy and truth2 and we may therefore safely rest upon ,his disclosures of that blessed life1 of which the present is the vestibule4 ,let not your heart be troubled1 ,he says1 ye believe in ,god1 believe also in ,me4 ,or it might be rendered1 ,believe in ,god1 believe also in ,me4 ,let us listen to ,him1 as ,he discourses of the ,father's house and its many mansions4 ,heaven is a home4--,my ,father's house4 ,what magic power lies in that word6 ,it will draw the wanderer from the ends of the earth2 will nerve the sailor1 soldier1 and explorer with indomitable endurance2 will bring a mist of tears to the eyes of the hardened criminal1 and soften the heart of stone4 ,one night in the trenches of the ,crimea the bands played ,home1 sweet ,home1 and a great sob went through the army4 ,but what makes home home8 ,not the mere locality or building2 but the dear ones that lived there once1 now scattered never to be reunited1 only one or two of whom are still spared4 ,it was father's house1 though it was only a shepherd's shieling2 he dwelt there1 and mother1 and our brothers and sisters4 ,and where they dwell1 or where wife and child dwell1 there is home4 ,such is ,heaven4 ,think of a large family of noble children1 of all ages1 from the little child to the young man beginning his business career1 returning after long severance to spend a season together in the old ancestral home1 situated in its far-reaching grounds1 and you can form some idea of what it will be1 when the whole ,family of the ,redeemed gather in the ,father's house4 ,all reserve1 all shyness1 all restraint gone forever4 ,god has given us all the memory of what home was1 that we may guess at what awaits us1 and be smitten with homesickness4 ,as the ,german proverb puts it3 ,blessed are the homesick1 for they shall reach home4 ,heaven is very spacious4--,there are many mansions4 ,there is no stint in its accommodation4 ,in the olden ,temple there were spacious courts1 long corridors1 and innumerable chambers1 in which a vast multitude could find a home day and night4 ,the children trooped about and sang around their favorite teacher4 ,the blind and lame sheltered themselves from heat or storm4 ,the priests and ,levites in great numbers lived there4 ,all of this probably suggested the ,master's words4 ,heaven too will contain immense throngs1 without being crowded4 ,it will teem with innumerable hosts of angels1 and multitudes of the redeemed which no man can number4 ,its children will be as the grains of sand that bar the ocean's waves1 or the stars that begem the vault of night4 ,but it can easily hold these1 and myriads more4 ,yet there is room6 ,as age after age has poured in its crowds1 still the cry has gone forth1 ,there is still room6 ,the many mansions are not all tenanted4 ,the orchestra is not full4 ,the complement of priests is not complete4 ,do not believe those little souls1 who would make you believe that ,heaven is a little place for a select few4 ,if they come to you with that story1 tell them to begone6 tell them that they do not know your ,father's heart2 tell them that all ,he does must be worthy of ,himself4 ,jesus shall see of the travail of ,his soul1 and be satisfied4 ,heaven is full of variety4--,it is not like one great hall2 there are myriads of adjacent rooms1 mansions1 which will be fitted up1 so to speak1 differently4 ,one for the sweet singer1 another for the little ones and their teachers1 another for the student of the deep mysteries of the ,kingdom1 another for those who may need further instruction in the mysteries of ,god4 ,heaven's life and scenery are as various as the aptitudes and capacities of souls4 ,its music is not a monotone1 but a chorale4 ,it is as a home1 where the parents delight to develop the special tastes of their children4 ,this is surely what ,jesus meant when ,he said1 ,i go to prepare a place for you4 ,he is ever studying our special idiosyncrasies--what we need most1 and can do best2 and when ,he has ascertained it1 ,he suits our mansion accordingly4 ,when a gardener is about to receive some rare exotic1 he prepares a place where it will flower and fruit to the best advantage4 ,the naturalist who is notified of the shipment of some new specimen1 prepares a habitat as suited as possible to its peculiarities4 ,the mother1 whose son is returning from sea1 prepares a room in which his favorite books and pictures are carefully placed1 and all else that her pondering heart can devise to give him pleasure4 ,so our ,lord is anxious to give what is best in us its most suitable nourishment and training4 ,and ,he will keep our place against our coming4 ,it will not suit another1 and will not be given to another4 ,that all this will be so1 is witnessed by the instincts of our hearts1 and if it had not been so1 ,he would have told us4 ,that little clause is inimitably beautiful2 it seems to teach that where ,he permits ,his children to cherish some natural presentiment of the blessed future--its solemn troops and sweet societies2 its friendships1 recognitions1 and fellowships2 its holy service1 and special opportunities--that ,he really assents to our deepest and most cherished thoughts4 ,if it had not been so1 ,he would have told us4 ,the charm of ,heaven will be the ,lord's presence4--,where ,i am1 ye shall be also4 ,we shall see ,his face1 and be forever with ,him4 ,what would not men give1 if some old manuscripts might turn up with new stories of ,his wondrous life1 new parables as charming as those of the ,good ,shepherd and the ,prodigal ,son2 new beatitudes2 new discourses like that on the ,vine4 ,god might have permitted this4 ,but what would it be in comparison with all that lies before6 ,the past has lost much2 but the future holds infinitely more4 ,we shall see new ,gospels enacted before our eyes1 behold ,christ as a real visible person in the glory of ,divine manhood1 hear ,him speak to us as ,his friends1 and shall know what ,he meant when ,he promised to gird ,himself1 and come forth to serve ,his servants4 ,if you are in doubt as to what ,heaven is like1 is it not enough to know that it will be in accord with the nature and presence and choice of ,jesus ,christ8 ,after ,his resurrection1 ,he spent forty days among ,his disciples1 that men might see what the risen life was like4 ,as ,he was1 and is1 so shall we be4 ,his body is the pattern in accordance to which this shall be fashioned4 ,what ,he was to ,his friends after ,his resurrection1 we shall be to ours1 and they to us4 ,we shall hear the familiar voices and the dear old names1 shall resume the dear relationships which death severed1 and shall speak again of the holy secrets of our hearts with those who were our twin-spirits4 ,and ,he will come again1 either in our death hour or in ,his ,second ,advent1 to receive us to ,himself4 ,if we only could believe this1 and trust ,him who says it1 our hearts could not be troubled1 though death itself menaced us2 for we should realize1 that to be received at the moment of dissolution by the hands of ,jesus1 into the place on which ,he has lavished time and thought and love1 must be far better than the best that earth could offer4 ,v ,the ,reality of which ,jacob's ,dream was the ,shadow ,jesus saith unto him1 ,i am the way1 the truth1 and the life2 no man cometh unto the ,father1 but by ,me4--,,john xiv4 #f4 ,we all know more truth than we give ourselves credit for4 ,a moment before the ,lord had said1 ,whither ,i go ye know1 and the way ye know4 ,thomas1 the pessimist--always inclined to look at the dark side of things--directly contradicted ,him1 saying1 ,master1 we are absolutely ignorant of the goal to which ,thy steps are bending2 it is impossible1 therefore1 for us to know the path that lies through the gloom1 and by which ,thou art to come to it4 ,it was a strange collision1 the ,master's ,ye know1 and ,thomas's ,we know not4 ,which was right8 ,there is no doubt that ,jesus was right1 and they did know4 ,in many a discourse ,he had given sufficient materials for them to construct a true conception of the ,father's house1 and the way to it4 ,these materials were lying in some dusty corner of their memory1 unused1 and ,christ knew this4 ,he said1 therefore1 in effect1 ,go back to the teachings ,i have given you2 look carefully through the inventory of your knowledge2 let your instincts1 illumined by ,my words1 supply the information you need3 there are torches in your souls already lighted1 that will cast a radiant glow upon the mysteries to the brink of which you have come4 ,this is true of us all4 ,christ never conducts to experiences for which ,he has not previously prepared us4 ,as the great ocean-steamers take in their stores of coal and provision1 day and night1 for weeks previous to their sailing2 so1 by insensible influences1 ,christ is ever anticipating the strain and stress of coming circumstance1 passing in words which are spirit and life1 though they may stand in their heavy packing-cases in the hold1 until we are driven to unpack1 examine1 and use their contents4 ,not unseldom sorrow is sent for no other purpose than to compel us to take cognizance of our possessions4 ,many a fabric of manufacture1 many an article of diet1 many an ingenious process has been suggested in days of scarcity and famine4 ,so1 old words and truths come back in our sore need4 ,christ often speaks to us1 as a teacher to a nervous child1 saying1 ,you know quite well1 if you would only think a little4 ,more truth is stored in memory than recollection can readily lay hands upon4 ,thomas persisted in his protestations of ignorance1 and so the ,lord uttered for his further information the royal sentence1 which sums up ,christianity in the one simple pronoun ,i4 ,it was as if ,he said to ,his disciples gathered there1 and to ,his ,church in all ages1 ,to have ,me1 to know ,me1 to love and obey ,me1 this is religion2 this is the light for every dark hour1 the solution for all the mysteries4 ,christianity is more than a creed1 a doctrinal system1 a code of rules--it is ,christ4 ,i4 ,,christ1 ,,as ,,the ,,way4--,i am the ,way1 said our ,lord4 ,the conception of life as a pilgrimage is as old as human speech4 ,on the third page of our ,bibles we are told that ,enoch walked with ,god4 ,the path of the ,israelites through the desert was a pilgrim's progress1 and the enduring metaphor for our passage from the cross to the ,sabbath-keeping4 ,isaiah anticipated the rearing up of a highway which should be called the way of holiness1 which should not be trodden by the unclean2 no lion should be there1 or ravenous beast go up thereon2 but the ransomed of the ,lord should walk there1 and go with singing to ,zion4 ,but in the furthest flights of inspired imagination1 the prophet never dreamed that ,god ,himself would stoop to become the trodden path to ,himself1 and that the way of holiness was no other than that ,divine ,servant who so often stood before ,him for portrayal4 ,i am the way1 said ,christ4 ,he fulfills all the conditions of ,isaiah's prediction4 ,he saw a highway4 ,a highway is for all3 for kings and commoners2 for the nobleman daintily picking his way1 and the beggar painfully plodding with bare feet4 ,and ,jesus is for every man4 ,whosoever will1 let him come2 let him step out and walk2 let him commit himself to ,him who comes to our doors that ,he may conduct us to the pearly gate4 ,it was a way of holiness1 where no unclean or leprous person was permitted to travel4 ,neither can we avail ourselves of the gracious help of ,christ1 so long as we are harboring what ,he disapproves1 or doing what ,he forbids4 ,it was so plain and straight1 that wayfaring men though fools could not mistake it4 ,and the ,master said1 that whilst the wise and prudent might miss ,his salvation1 babes would find it4 ,hidden from the wise and prudent1 but revealed to babes4 ,it afforded perfect immunity from harm4 ,the wild beasts of the forest might roar around it1 but they were kept off that thoroughfare by an invisible and impassable fence4 ,who is he that can harm us whilst we follow that which is good8 ,the special ,divine permission was necessary1 before ,satan could tempt ,job1 whose heart was perfect with his ,god4 ,it was trodden with song4 ,and who can describe the waves of joy that sometimes roll in on the believing1 loving soul4 ,there is always peace1 but sometimes there is joy unspeakable and full of glory4 ,the hands of ,jesus shed the oil of gladness on our heads1 whilst the lamentation and regret that haunt the lives of others are abashed1 as the spectres of the night before the roseate touch of morn4 ,what further thought did ,christ mean to convey1 when ,he said1 ,i am the ,way8 ,we cannot see the other side of the moon4 ,the full import of these words1 as they touch ,his wonderful nature1 as it lies between ,him and ,his ,father1 is beyond us2 but we may at least study the face they turn toward our lives4 ,the true value of a way is never realized until we are following it through an unknown country1 or groping along it in almost absolute darkness4 ,i remember1 during a tour in ,switzerland1 on starting for a long day's march1 the comfort of the assurance that ,i had only to keep to one road which was clearly defined1 and it would inevitably bring me to my destination4 ,how different this to another experience of making my way1 as ,i might1 across the hillsides in the direction which ,i fancied was the right one6 ,all that had to be done in the first instance was to follow the roadway1 to obey its sinuous windings1 to climb the hills where it climbed1 to descend the valleys where it descended1 to cross the rivers and torrents at the precise point with it4 ,it seemed responsible for me as long as ,i kept to it4 ,whenever ,i thought to better myself by wandering right or left1 ,i found myself landed in some difficulty1 and when ,i returned to it1 it seemed to say1 ,why did you leave me8 ,i know that sometimes ,i am rough and difficult2 but ,i can do better for you1 than you can for yourself1 and indeed ,i am the only possible way4 ,obey me1 and ,i will bring you home4 ,it is so that ,christ speaks to us4 ,each day1 as we leave our home1 we know that the prepared path lies before us1 in the good works which ,god has prepared for us to walk in4 ,and when we are ignorant of their direction1 and are at a loss as to where to place our steps1 we have only to concern ourselves with ,christ1 and almost unconsciously we shall find ourselves making progress on the destined way4 ,christ is the ,way3 love ,christ1 trust ,christ1 obey ,christ1 be concerned with ,christ1 and all else will be added4 ,christ is the ,way4 ,when the heart is wrapped up in ,him1 it is on the way1 and it is making progress1 although it never counts the rate or distance1 so occupied is it with ,him4 ,i fear ,i make no progress1 sighs the timid soul4 ,but what is ,christ to thee8 ,everything4 ,then if ,he be all in all to thee1 thou art most certainly on ,god's way2 and thou art making progress toward thy home1 albeit that it is unconsciously4 ,be of good cheer1 ,christ is the ,way2 remember the ancient pilgrims1 of whom it is written1 that the way was in their hearts4 ,but ,god the ,father is so little to me6 ,but to deal with ,christ is to deal with ,god3 to be wrapped up in the love of ,christ is to make ever deeper discoveries into the heart of ,god4 ,he is the ,way to ,god3 to know ,him is to come to the ,father4 ,,ii4 ,,christ ,,as ,,the ,,truth4--,the thought grows deeper as we advance4 ,obedience to the ,way conducts to the vision of the ,truth2 ethics to spiritual optics4 ,the truth-seeker must first submit himself in all humility and obedience to ,christ2 and when he is willing to do ,his will1 he is permitted to know4 7#a7 ,christ is more than a teacher4 ,we know that ,thou art a ,teacher1 come from ,god1 said ,nicodemus4 ,he is more1 ,he is the ,truth of ,god4 ,all truth is ensphered in ,him4 ,all the mysteries of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in ,him4 ,we fully know truth only as it is in ,jesus4 ,when the ,spirit of ,truth would lead us into all truth1 ,he can do nothing better than take of the things of ,christ1 and reveal them to us1 because to know ,christ is to know the ,truth in its most complete1 most convenient1 and most accessible form4 ,if you know nothing else1 and know ,christ intimately and fully1 you will know the ,truth1 and the ,truth will make you free4 ,if you love truth1 and are a child of the truth1 you will be inevitably attracted to ,christ1 and recognize the truth that speaks through ,his glorious nature4 ,he that is of the truth heareth ,my voice4 7#b7 ,distinguish between ,christ the ,truth1 and truth about ,him4 ,many true things may be said about ,him2 but we are not saved by truths about ,him1 but by ,himself the ,truth4 ,not the indubitable fact that ,jesus died2 but the ,person of ,him who died and lives forevermore4 ,not the certain fact that ,jesus lay in the grave2 but the blessed ,man ,himself1 who lay there for me4 ,not the incontestable facts of ,his resurrection and ascension2 but that ,he has borne my nature to the midst of the throne1 and has achieved a victory which helps me in my daily struggle4 ,this is the ground basis of all true saving faith4 ,the soul may accept truths about ,christ1 as it would any well-authenticated historical fact2 but it is not materially benefited or saved until it has come to rest on the bosom of ,him of whom these facts are recorded4 7#c7 ,to know ,christ as ,truth demands truth in heart and life4 ,the insincere man2 the trifler2 the flippant jester who takes nothing seriously2 the superficial man who uses the deepest expressions1 as counters for society talk2 the inconsistent man who is daily doing violence to his convictions1 by permitting things which his conscience condemns--must stand forever on the outskirts of the ,temple of ,truth3 they have no right to stand before the ,king of ,truth4 ,if you have never discerned the truth as it is in ,jesus1 it becomes a serious question whether you are perfectly true1 or whether you are not1 like ,pilate1 harboring insincerity in your heart1 which blinds your eyes to ,his ineffable attributes4 7#d7 ,concern yourself with ,christ4 ,be content to let the world and its wisdom alone4 ,the wisdom of this world is foolishness with ,god 4 4 4 ,he taketh the wise in their own craftiness4 ,give yourself to know ,christ1 who is made unto us wisdom1 as well as sanctification and redemption4 ,to know ,him is to be at the fountain-head of all truth2 and the soul which has dwelt with ,him by day and night will find itself1 not only inspired by an undying love for the true1 but will be able to hold fellowship with truth-lovers and truth-seekers everywhere2 nay1 will be able even to instruct those who have the reputation of great learning and knowledge in the schools of human thought4 ,i have more understanding than all my teachers2 for ,thy testimonies are my meditation4 ,i understand more than the aged1 because ,i have kept ,thy precepts4 ,to know and to possess ,christ1 is to have the ,word1 that is the ,wisdom of ,god1 enshrined as a most sacred possession in the heart4 ,,iii4 ,,christ ,,as ,,the ,,life4--,it is not enough to know2 we need life4 ,life is1 indeed1 the gate to knowledge4 ,this is life eternal that they should know ,thee4 ,it was imperative1 therefore1 that ,jesus should become a source of life to men1 that they might know the ,truth1 and be able to walk in the ,way1 and more especially since death had infected and exhausted all the springs of the world's vitality4 ,it was into a world of death that the ,son of ,god came4 ,the spring of life in our first parents had become tainted at its source4 ,at the best ,adam was only a living soul4 ,dead--dead--dead in trespasses and sins2 such was the ,divine verdict1 such the course of this world4 ,earth resembled the valley in the prophet's vision1 full of bones1 very many and very dry4 ,all the reservoirs of life were spent2 its fountains had died away in wastes of sand4 ,then the ,son of ,god brought life from the eternal throne1 from ,god ,himself2 and became a ,life-giving ,spirit4 ,his words were spirit and life3 ,he was ,himself the ,resurrection and the ,life3 those that believed in ,him became partakers of the ,divine ,nature4 ,the tree of life was again planted on the earth's soil1 when ,jesus became incarnate4 ,i give eternal life unto ,my sheep1 ,he said1 and they shall never perish4 ,he that believeth on the ,son hath eternal life4 ,if1 then1 you are wanting life1 and life more abundantly1 you must have ,christ4 ,do not seek it1 but ,him3 not the stream but the fountain2 not the word1 but the speaker2 not the fruit1 but the tree4 ,he is the ,life and ,light of men4 ,and if you have ,christ you have life4 ,you may not be competent to define or analyze it2 you may not be able to specify the place or time1 when it first broke into your soul2 you may hardly be able to distinguish it from the workings of your own life3 but if you have ,christ1 trust ,christ1 desire ,christ above all1 you have the ,life4 ,he that hath the ,son hath the ,life2 he that hath not the ,son of ,god hath not the ,life4 ,we know ,him that is true1 and we are in ,him that is true 4 4 4 this is eternal life4 ,i1 said ,jesus1 am the ,way1 the ,truth1 and the ,life4 ,,vi ,christ ,revealing the ,father ,philip saith unto ,him1 ,lord1 shew us the ,father and it sufficeth us4 ,jesus saith unto him1 ,he that hath seen ,me hath seen the ,father4--,,john xiv4 #h1 #i4 ,the longing of the universal heart of man was voiced by ,philip1 when he broke in1 rather abruptly1 on our ,lord's discourse with the challenge that ,he should answer all questions1 dissipate all doubt1 by showing them the ,father4 ,is there a ,god8 how can ,i be sure that ,he is8 what does ,he feel toward us8--these are questions which men persistently ask1 and wait for the reply4 ,and the ,master gave the only satisfactory answer that has ever been uttered in the hearing of mankind1 when ,he said in effect1 ,the knowledge of ,god must be conveyed1 not in words or books1 in symbols or types1 but in a life4 ,to know ,me1 to believe in ,me1 to come into contact with ,me1 is to know the deepest heart of ,god4 ',he that hath seen ,me hath seen the ,father2 how sayest thou then1 ,show us the ,father8' ,i4 ,,philip',s ,,inquiry4--,it bore witness to the possible growth of the human soul4 ,only three short years before1 as we are told in the first chapter of this ,gospel1 ,christ had found him4 ,at that time he was probably much as the young men of his age and standing4 ,not specially remarkable save for an interest in1 and an earnestness about1 the advent of the ,messiah2 his views1 however1 of his person and work were limited and narrow3 he looked for his advent as the time for the restablishment of the kingdom of ,david1 and deliverance from the ,roman yoke4 ,but three years of fellowship with ,jesus had made a wonderful difference in this young disciple4 ,the deepest mysteries of life and death and heaven seemed within his reach4 ,he is not now content with beholding the ,messiah1 he is eager to know the ,father1 and to stand within the inner circle of ,his presence-chamber4 ,the highest watermark ever touched by the great soul of ,moses was when he said1 amid the sublimities of ,sinai1 ,i beseech ,thee1 show me ,thy glory4 ,but in this aspiration ,philip stands beside him4 ,there is a close kinship between the mighty lawgiver and the fishermen of ,bethsaida4 ,how little there is to choose between1 ,show me ,thy glory1 and ,show us the ,father4 ,great and marvellous is the capacity of the soul for growth6 ,it truly interpreted the need of man4--,it sufficeth us4 ,from nature1 with all her voices that speak of ,god's power and ,godhead2 from the page of history1 indented with the print of ,god's footprints2 from type and ceremony and temple1 though instituted by ,god ,himself2 even from the unrivalled beauty of our ,saviour's earthly life--these men turned unsatisfied1 unfilled1 and said1 ,we are not yet content1 but if ,thou wouldest show us the ,father1 we should be4 ,and would it not suffice us8--,would it not be sufficient to give new zest and reality to prayer1 if we could realize that it might be as familiar as the talk of home1 or like the petitioning of a little child8 ,would it not suffice to make the most irksome work pleasant1 if we could look up and discern the ,father's good pleasure and smile of approval8 ,would it not suffice to rob pain of its sting1 if we could detect the ,father's hands adjusting the heat of the furnace8 ,would it not suffice to shed a light across the dark mystery of death1 if we felt that the ,father was waiting to lead us through the shadows to ,himself8 ,how often the cry rises from sad and almost despairing hearts1 ,show us the ,father1 and it sufficeth us4 ,but surely this request was based on a mistake4--,philip wanted a visible theophany1 like that which ,moses beheld1 when the majestic procession swept down the mountain pass2 or as the elders saw1 when they beheld the paved sapphire work2 or after the fashion of the visions vouchsafed to ,elijah1 ,isaiah1 or ,ezekiel4 ,he wanted to see the ,father4 ,but how can you make wisdom1 or love1 or purity visible1 save in a human life8 ,yet this is the mistake we are all liable to make4 ,we feel that there must be an experience1 a vision1 a burst of light1 a sensible manifestation1 before we can know the ,father4 ,we strain after some unique and extraordinary presentation of the ,deity1 especially in the aspect of ,fatherhood1 before we can be completely satisfied1 and thus we miss the lesson of the present hour4 ,philip was so absorbed in his quest for the transcendent and sublime1 that he missed the revelations of the ,father which for three years had been passing under his eyes4 ,god had been manifesting ,his tenderest and most characteristic attributes by the beauty of the ,master's life1 but ,philip had failed to discern them2 till now the ,master bids him go back on the photographs of those years1 as fixed in his memory1 to see in a thousand tiny illustrations how truly the ,father dwelt in ,him1 and lived through ,his every word and work4 ,are you straining after the vision of ,god1 startled by every footstep1 intently listening till the very atmosphere shall become audible1 expecting an overwhelming spectacle8 ,in all likelihood you will miss all4 ,the kingdom comes not with outward show4 ,when men expected ,christ to come by the front door1 ,he stole in at the back4 ,whilst ,philip was waiting for the ,father to be shown in thunder and lightning1 in startling splendor1 in the stately majesty that might become the ,highest1 he missed the daily unfolding of the ,divine ,nature that was being afforded in the ,life with which he dwelt in daily contact4 ,philip's request emphasized the urgent need of the ministry of the ,holy ,spirit4--,if ye had known ,me4 4 4 the ,saviour said4 ,have ,i been so long time with you1 and yet hast thou not known ,me8 ,they failed to know the ,father1 because they failed to know ,christ1 and they failed in this because they knew ,him only after the flesh4 ,they were so familiar with ,him as their ,friend1 ,his love was so natural1 tender1 and human1 ,he had become so closely identified with all their daily existence1 that they did not recognize the fire that shone behind the porcelain1 the ,deity that tabernacled beneath the frail curtains4 ,often those who dwell amid the loveliest or grandest scenery miss the beauty which is unveiled to strangers from a distance4 ,certain lives have to be withdrawn from us before we understand how fair they were1 and how much to us4 ,and ,jesus had to leave ,his disciples before they could properly appreciate ,him4 ,the ,holy ,spirit must needs take of the things of ,christ1 and reveal them1 before they could realize their true significance1 symmetry1 and beauty4 ,two things are needful1 then3 first1 we must know ,christ through the teaching of the ,holy ,ghost2 and next1 we must receive ,him into our hearts1 that we may know ,him1 as we know the workings of our own hearts4 ,each knows himself1 and could recognize the mint-mark of his own individuality2 so when ,christ has become resident within us1 and has taken the place of our self-life1 we know ,him as we know ourselves4 ,what man knoweth the things of man save the spirit of man which is in him8--but we have the mind of ,christ8 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,lord',s ,,reply4--,he that hath seen ,me1 hath seen the ,father4 ,he did not rebuke the request1 as unfit to proffer1 or impossible to satisfy4 ,he took it for granted that such a desire would exist in the heart1 and that ,his disciples would always want to be led by ,him into the ,father's presence4 ,in this ,his ministry resembled that of the great forerunner1 who led ,his disciples into the presence of the ,bridegroom1 content to decrease if only ,he might increase4 ,the ,master's answer was1 however1 widely different from ,john's4 ,the forerunner pointed to ,jesus as ,he walked1 and said1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god2 ,jesus pointed to ,himself1 and said1 ,i and ,my ,father are ,one2 to have seen ,me is to have seen the ,father2 to have ,me is to possess the ,father4 ,it troubled the ,lord greatly that ,he had been so long time with them1 and yet they had not known ,him2 that they had not realized the source of ,his words and works2 that they had concentrated their thought on ,him1 instead of passing1 as ,he meant them to do1 from the stream to the source1 from the die to the seal1 from the beam of the ,divine ,glory to its ,sun4 ,he bade them1 therefore1 from that moment realize that they knew and had seen the ,father in knowing and seeing ,himself4 ,not more surely had the ,shechinah dwelt in the tabernacle of old1 than did it indwell ,his nature1 though too thickly shrouded to be seen by ordinary and casual eyes4 ,let us get help from this4 ,many complain that they know ,christ1 pray to ,christ1 are conscious of ,christ1 but that the ,father is far away and impalpable4 ,they are therefore straining after some new vision or experience of ,god1 and undervaluing the religious life to which they have already attained4 ,it is a profound mistake4 ,to have ,jesus is to have ,god2 to know ,jesus is to know ,god2 to pray to ,jesus is to pray to ,god4 ,jesus is ,god manifest in the flesh4 ,look up to ,him even now from this printed page1 and say1 ,my ,lord and my ,god4 ,jesus is not simply an incarnation of ,god in the sense in which1 after the fashion of the ,greek mythology1 gods might come down in the likeness of men1 adopting a disguise which they would afterward cast aside2 ,jesus is ,god4 ,all the gentle attributes of ,his nature are ,god's2 and all the strong and awful attributes of power1 justice1 purity1 which we are wont to associate with ,god1 are ,his also4 ,happy is the moment when we awake to realize that in ,jesus we have ,god manifest and present2 to know this is the revelation of the ,father by the ,son1 of which our ,saviour spoke in ,matt4 xi4 #bg4 ,,iii4 ,a ,,glimpse ,,into ,,the ,,lord',s ,,inner ,,life4--,this ,gospel is the most lucid and profound treatise in existence on ,his inner life4 ,it is the revelation of the principles on which our ,saviour lived4 ,so absolutely had ,he emptied ,himself that ,he never spake ,his own words3 ,the words that ,i speak unto you1 ,i speak not of ,myself4 ,he never did ,his own works3 ,my ,father worketh hitherto1 and ,i work4 4 4 4 ,the ,father abiding in ,me doeth ,his works4 ,this was the result of that marvellous self-emptying of which the ,apostle speaks4 ,our ,lord speaks as though1 in ,his human nature1 ,he had a choice and will of ,his own4 ,not ,my will1 but ,thine be done1 was ,his prayer4 ,perhaps it was to this holy and divine personality that ,satan made appeal in the first temptation1 bidding ,him use ,his powers for the satisfaction of ,his hunger1 and in independence of ,his ,father's appointment4 ,but however much of this independence was within our ,lord's reach1 ,he deliberately laid it aside4 ,before ,he spoke1 ,his spirit opened itself to the ,father1 that ,he might speak by ,his lips2 before ,he acted4 ,he stilled the promptings of ,his own wisdom1 and lifted ,himself into the presence of the ,father1 to ascertain what ,he was doing1 and to receive the inflow of ,his energy 7,john v4 #ai2 xii4 #dd1 #di74 ,these are great mysteries1 which will engage our further consideration4 ,in the meanwhile1 let us reason that if our ,lord was so careful to subordinate ,himself to the ,father that ,he might be all in all1 it well becomes us to restrain ourselves1 to abstain from speaking our own words or doing our own works1 that ,jesus may pour ,his energies through our being1 and that those searching words may be fulfilled in us also1 ,striving according to ,his working1 which worketh in ,me mightily4 ,,vii ,the ,great ,deeds of ,prayer ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 ,he that believeth on ,me1 the works that ,i do shall he do also2 and greater works than these shall he do2 because ,i go unto ,my ,father4--,,john xiv4 #ab4 ,whenever our ,lord was about to say something usually important1 ,he introduced it by the significant expression1 ,verily1 verily2 or1 as it is in the original1 ,amen1 amen1 ,i say unto you4 ,the words well become ,his lips1 who in the ,book of ,revelation is called the ,amen1 the ,faithful and ,true ,witness4 ,they are really our ,lord's most solemn affirmation of the truth of what ,he was about to utter1 as well as an indication that something of importance is about to be revealed4 ,indeed1 it was necessary in the present case that the marvellous announcement of the text should receive unusual confirmation1 because of its wide extent4 ,if our ,lord had ascribed this power of doing greater works than ,himself in ,his earthly life1 to apostle1 prophet1 or illustrious saint1 we should have required no special assurance of its deliberate truth2 but to learn that powers so transcendent are within the reach of any ordinary believer1 to learn that any one who believes may outdo the miracles on the outskirts of ,nain1 and at the tomb of ,bethany1 is as startling as it is comforting4 ,there is no reason why the humblest soul that ponders this page should not become the medium and vehicle through which the ,christ of the glory shall not surpass the ,christ of ,galilee1 ,jerusalem1 and ,judea4 ,the best method of treating these words is to take them clause by clause as they stand4 ,i4 ,,the ,,first ,,note ,,is ,,faith4--,he that believeth on ,me4 ,three varieties of faith are alluded to in the context4 ,faith in ,his works3 ,believe the works4 ,faith in ,his words3 ,believe ,me4 ,faith in ,himself1 as here4 ,in the ,greek the preposition translated in1 would be better rendered into1 as though the believer was ever approaching the heart of ,christ in deeper1 warmer1 closer fellowship2 perpetual motion toward1 combined with unbroken rest in4 ,each of these three forms of faith plays an important part in the ,christian life4 ,arrested by the works of ,christ--,his irresistible power over nature1 ,his tender pity for those who sought ,his aid1 the blessed and far-reaching results of ,his miracles--we cry with ,nicodemus1 ,verily1 this is a ,teacher come from ,god2 for none can do such miracles1 except ,god be with him4 ,the ,master perpetually appealed to the witness borne by ,his works to ,his ,divine mission1 as when ,he said1 ,if ,i had not done among them the works which none other did1 they had not had sin1 but now have they both seen and hated both ,me and ,my ,father4 ,and again1 ,the very works that ,i do bear witness of ,me4 ,but at the best the works of ,christ are only like the great bell ringing in the church-tower calling attention to the life being unfolded within1 and are not calculated to induce the faith to which the greater works are possible4 ,next we come to the words of ,christ4 ,they are spirit and life3 they greatly feed the soul4 ,he speaks as none other has ever spoken of the mysteries of life1 death1 ,god1 and eternity4 ,it is through the words that we come to the ,speaker4 ,by feeding on them we are led into vital union with ,himself4 ,but ,his words1 as such1 and apart from ,him1 will not produce works that shall surpass those ,he wrought in ,his earthly ministry4 ,therefore from works and words we come to the ,lord ,himself with a trust which passes up beyond the lower ranges of faith2 which does not simply receive what ,he waits to give1 or reckon upon ,his faithfulness1 but which unites us in indissoluble union with ,himself4 ,this is the highest function of faith2 it is unitive3 it welds us in living union with our ,lord1 so that we are one with ,him1 as ,he is one with ,god4 ,we are in ,him in the ,divine purpose which chose us in ,him before the foundation of the world2 grafted into ,him in ,his cross2 partaking of a common life with ,him through the regeneration of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,but all these become operative in the union wrought by a living faith2 so that the strongest assertions which ,jesus made of the close relationship between ,his ,father and ,himself become the current coin of holy speech1 as they precisely describe the union which subsists between us and ,jesus4 ,the living ,saviour has sent us1 and we live by the ,saviour4 ,the words we speak are not from ourselves1 but the ,saviour within us1 ,he doeth ,his works4 ,we are in ,him and ,he in us1 all ours are ,his1 and ,his ours4 ,stay1 reader1 and ask thyself whether thou hast this faith which incorporates thee with the ,man who died for thee on the cross1 and now occupies the ,throne1 the last ,adam who has become a life-giving ,spirit4 ,,ii4 ,a ,,true ,,faith ,,always ,,works4--,he that believeth in ,me1 the works that ,i do shall ,he do also4 ,there are many counterfeits of faith in the world4 ,electroplate6 veneer6 ,they will inevitably fail in the last supreme test1 if not before4 ,james especially calls attention to the distinction between a living and a dead faith4 ,it becomes us to be on our guard4 ,the test of genuine faith are twofold4 ,in the first place1 a genuine1 living faith has ,christ for its object4 ,the hand may tremble1 but it touches ,his garment's hem2 the eye may be dimmed by doubt1 but it is directed toward ,his face2 the feet may stumble1 but as the fainting pilgrim staggers onward1 this is his repeated cry1 ,thou1 ,o ,christ1 art all ,i want4 ,in the second place1 a true faith works4 ,its works approve its nature1 and show that it has reached the heart of ,christ1 and becomes the channel through which ,his life-forces pour into the soul4 ,jacob knew that ,joseph was alive and that his sons had opened communications with him1 because of the wagons that he sent2 and we may know that ,jesus lives beyond the mist of time1 and that our faith has genuinely connected us with ,him1 because we feel the pulse of ,his glorious nature within our own4 ,and when this is so1 we cannot but work out what ,he is working within4 ,ask me why a true faith must work6 ,ask why the branch can do no other than bear clusters of ruddy grapes2 its difficulty would be to abstain from bearing2 the vitality of the root accounts for its life and productiveness4 ,blame the lark1 whose nature vibrates in the sunshine1 for pouring from its small throat acres of sound2 blame the child1 full of bounding health1 for laughing1 singing1 and leaping2 blame the musician1 whose soul has caught some fragments of the music of eternity1 for pouring it forth in song1 before you wonder why it is that the true faith which has opened the way from the believer to his ,lord produces those greater works4 ,,iii4 ,,there ,,are ,,two ,,kinds ,,of ,,work ,,indicated4--7#a7 ,the works that ,i do shall he do also4--,what a blessing ,christ's ministry must have been to thousands of sufferers6 ,he passed through ,galilee as a river of water of life4 ,in front of ,him were deserts of fever blasted by the sirocco1 and malarious swamps of ague and palsy1 and the mirage of the sufferer's deferred hope2 but after ,he had passed1 the parched ground became a pool1 and the thirsty land springs of water1 the eyes of the blind were opened1 and the ears of the deaf unstopped1 the lame man leaped as a hart1 and the tongue of the dumb sang4 ,how glad the sick of any district must have been when it was rumored that ,he was on ,his way to it6 ,what eager consultations must have been held as to the best means of conveying them into ,his presence6 ,what sleepless nights must have been spent of speculation as to whether1 and how1 ,he would heal6 ,such results followed the labors of the apostles4 ,the lame man at the beautiful gate of the ,temple2 the palsied ,aeneas2 the dead ,dorcas2 the crowds in the streets over-shadowed by ,peter's passing figure2 the miracles wrought by ,paul at ,paphos1 ,lystra1 ,philippi1 and ,malta--all attested the truth of the ,master's words1 ,the works that ,i do shall ye do also4 ,there is no doubt that1 if it were necessary1 such miracles might be repeated1 if only the ,church exercised the same faith as in those early days of her ministry to the world4 ,but there are greater works than these4 7#b7 ,greater works than these shall ye do4--,the soul is greater than the body1 as the jewel than the casket4 ,all work1 therefore1 which produces as great an effect on the soul-life as miracles on the physical life1 must be proportionately greater1 as the tenant is greater than the house1 as the immortal than the mortal4 ,it is a greater work to give sight to the blind soul than to the blind body2 to raise the soul from its grave than ,lazarus from his four days' sleep4 ,again1 eternity is also greater than time1 as the ocean is greater than a creek4 ,the ills from which the miracles of ,christ delivered the suppliant crowds1 were at the most limited by years4 ,the flesh of the leper became wrinkled with old age2 ,jairus' daughter fell again on sleep2 the generation which had been benefited by the mighty works1 passed away without handing on a legacy of health to succeeding time6 ,but if a sinner is turned from the error of his ways1 if salvation comes to a nature destined for immortality1 and lifts it from the slough of sin to the light of ,god1 the results must be greater because more permanent and far-reaching4 ,moreover1 the pain from which the word of the ,gospel may save1 is infinitely greater than that which disease could inflict4 ,men have been known to brave any physical torture rather than endure the insupportable anguish of a sin-laden conscience4 ,the worm that never dies is more intolerable than cancer2 the fire that is never quenched keener than that of fever4 ,to save a soul from these is1 therefore1 a greater work4 ,christ hinted at this distinction in one of ,his earliest miracles1 when ,he proposed to forgive the sick of the palsy his sins1 before bidding him walk2 and bade the seventy rejoice more that their names were written in heaven than that the devils were subject to them4 ,the apostles bear witness to a growing appreciation of this distinction1 by the small space given in the ,acts of the ,apostles to their miracles1 compared with the greater attention concentrated on their discourses2 and surely the history of ,christendom bears witness to the great and permanent character of spiritual work4 ,the ,church could not have influenced the world as she has done1 had she been nothing more than a healer of diseases and an exorciser of demons4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,source ,,of ,,these ,,greater ,,works4--,because ,i go to the ,father4 ,clearly the ,church has had an argument to present to men which even her ,master could not use4 ,he could not point1 except indefinitely1 to the cross1 its flowing blood1 its testimony to a love which the cold waters of death could not staunch4 ,through the ages this has been the master-motive1 the supreme argument4 ,then1 again1 the ,master could not count upon the coperation of the ,spirit in ,his convicting power1 as we can4 ,when ,he is come1 ,he will convict the world of sin2 but ,he did not come till after that brief career of public ministry had closed4 ,speaking reverently1 we may say that the ,church has an ,ally that even her ,master had not4 ,but the main reason is yet to come4 ,perhaps an illustration will best explain it4 ,supposing the great painter1 ,raphael1 were to infuse his transcendent power1 as he possessed it during his mortal life1 into some young brain1 there is no reason why the genius of the immortal painter should not effect1 through a mere tyro in art1 results in form and color as marvellous as those which he bequeathed to coming time4 ,but suppose1 further1 that after having been three hundred years amid the tones1 forms1 and colors of the heavenly world1 he could return1 and express his thoughts and conceptions through some human medium1 would not these later productions be greater works than those which men cherish as a priceless legacy8 ,so if the ,lord were to work in us such works only as ,he did before ,he ascended to ,his glory1 they would be inferior to those which ,he can produce now that ,he has entered into ,his glorified state1 and has reassumed the power of which ,he emptied ,himself when ,he stooped to become incarnate4 ,this is what ,he meant when ,he said1 ,because ,i go unto the ,father4 ,open your hearts to the living1 risen1 glorified ,saviour4 ,let ,him live freely in your life1 and work unhindered through your faith2 expect ,him to pour through you as a channel some of those greater works which must characterize the closing years of the present age4 ,remember how the discourses and miracles of ,his earthly life even increased in importance and meaning2 for such must be the law of ,his ministry in the heavenlies4 ,according to our faith it will be unto us4 ,the results which we see around us are no measure of what ,christ would or could do1 they indicate the straitening effect of our unbelief4 ,lift up your heads1 ,o ye gates1 and be ye lifted up1 ye low-browed doors of unbelief2 and the ,king of ,glory shall come in with ,his bright and mighty retinue1 and shall go out through human lives to do greater works by the instrumentality of ,his people than ever ,he wrought in the course of ,his earthly ministry4 ,,viii ,how to ,secure ,more and ,better ,prayer ,and ,i will pray the ,father1 and ,he shall give you another ,comforter1 that ,he may abide with you forever4--,,john xiv4 #af4 ,the great lack of our life is that we do not pray more4 ,and there is no failure so disastrous or criminal as this4 ,it is very difficult to account for it4 ,if in all times of discouragement and vicissitude we could have access to one of the wisest and noblest of our fellow creatures1 or to some venerated departed saint1 or to the guardian angel deputed to attend our steps1 or to the archangel that presides as vicegerent over this system of worlds1 how strong and brave we should become6 ,whatever our need1 we would at once seek ,his august presence1 and obtain ,his counsel and assistance4 ,how extraordinary is our behavior then with respect to prayer1 and that we make so little of our opportunities of access into the presence of our ,father1 in whom wisdom1 power1 and love blend perfectly1 and who is always willing to hear us--nay1 is perpetually urging us to come6 ,the reason may lie in the very commonness of our opportunities4 ,the swing-door of prayer stands always waiting for the least touch of faith to press it back4 ,if our ,father's presence-chamber were opened to us only once a year1 with how much greater reverence would we enter it1 how much more store would we set on it6 ,we should anticipate the honor and privilege of that interview for the whole year1 and eagerly avail ourselves of it4 ,alas1 that familiarity with prayer does not always increase our appreciation of its magnificence6 ,the cause of our apathy is probably also to be sought in the effort which is required to bring our sensuous and earth-bound natures into true union with the ,spirit of ,god4 ,true prayer is labor4 ,epaphras labored in his intercessions4 ,our feet shrink from the steep pathway that climbs those heights2 our lungs do not readily accustom themselves to the rare air that breathes around the summit of the ,mount of ,communion4 ,but there is a deeper reason yet3 we have not fully learned or obeyed the laws and conditions of prayer4 ,until they are apprehended and complied with1 it is not possible for us to pray as we might4 ,they are not1 however1 very recondite4 ,the least advanced in the ,divine school may read them on this page1 where ,christ unbares the deepest philosophy of devotion in the simplest phrases4 ,it is evident that ,he expected that the age which ,pentecost was to inaugurate1 and to which ,he so frequently refers as in that day1 would in a special sense be the ,age of ,prayer4 ,mark how frequently in this last discourse ,he refers to it--7xiv4 #ac1 #ad2 xv4 #g1 #af2 xvi4 #bd1 #bf74 ,clearly the infilling of the ,holy ,spirit has a special bearing on the prayerfulness of the individual and the ,church4 ,but this will unfold as we proceed4 ,i4 ,,the ,,praying ,,christ4--,i will pray the ,father4 ,it is true that ,he sat down at the right hand of the ,majesty on high1 because ,he had completed the work for which ,he became man4 ,that session indicated a finished atonement4 ,as the ,father rested from the work of creation1 so the ,son entered into ,his rest1 having ceased from the work of redemption1 so far as it could be effected in ,his death1 resurrection1 and ascension4 ,but as in ,his rest the ,father worked in ,providence1 sustaining that which ,he had created1 so did the ,saviour continue to work after ,he had entered into ,his ,sabbath-keeping4 ,we have already dealt with one branch of ,his twofold activity1 in ,his work through those who believe4 ,the greater works which the risen ,saviour has been1 and is1 achieving through ,his people bear witness to the perpetual energy streaming from ,his life in the azure depths4 ,the apostles1 ,mark tells us1 went forth and preached everywhere1 the ,lord working with them1 and confirming their word with signs following4 ,the other branch of ,his twofold ministry is ,his intercession on our behalf4 ,he says1 ,i will pray the ,father for you4 7#a7 ,what a contrast to the assertions which we have already pondered of ,his oneness with the ,father1 and to ,his assurance in almost the same breath that ,he would ,himself answer ,his people's prayers6 ,it is inexplicable1 save on the hypothesis that ,he has a dual nature1 by virtue of which1 on the one hand1 ,he is ,god1 who answers prayer1 and on the other the ,son of ,man1 who pleads as the ,head and ,representative of a redeemed race4 7#b7 ,it is1 however1 in harmony with ,old ,testament symbolism4 ,the ,high ,priest often entered the ,presence of ,god with the names of the people on his breast1 the seat of love1 and on his shoulder1 the seat of power2 and once a year1 with a bowl of blood and sprig of thyme in his hands1 pleaded for the entire nation4 ,what more vivid portrayal could there be of the ceaseless intercession of that ,high ,priest who was once manifested to bear the sin of many1 and who now appears in the presence of ,god for us4 7#c7 ,in the days of ,his flesh1 ,he pleaded for ,his ,church1 as in the sublime intercessory prayer of chapter xvii42 for individuals1 as when ,he said1 ,simon1 ,simon1 ,satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat2 but ,i have prayed for thee2 and for the world1 as when ,he first assumed ,his ,high-priestly functions1 saying from ,his cross1 ,father1 forgive them2 they know not what they do4 ,thus ,he pleads still4 ,for ,zion's sake ,he does not hold ,his peace1 and for ,jerusalem's sake ,he does not rest4 ,for ,his ,church1 for individual believers1 for thee and me1 ,he says in heaven1 as on earth1 ,father1 ,i pray for them4 ,perennially from ,his lips pours out a stream of tender supplication and entreaty4 ,this is the river that makes glad the city of ,god4 ,anticipating coming trial2 interposing when the cobra-coil is beginning to encircle us2 pitying us when the sky is overcast and lowering2 not tiring or ceasing1 though we are heedless and unthankful2 ,he pleads on the mountain brow through the dark hours1 whilst we sleep4 7#d7 ,these intercessions are further stimulated by our love and obedience4 ,if ye love ,me1 keep ,my commandments1 and ,i will pray the ,father4 ,he looks on us1 and where love is yearning to love more fully1 and obedience falters in its high endeavors1 ,he prays yet more eagerly1 that grace may be given us to be what we long to be4 ,he prays for those who do not pray for themselves2 but ,he is even more intent on the perfecting of those who are the objects of ,his special interest1 because of their loyalty and love--,i pray for them2 ,i pray not for the world4 7#e7 ,his special petition is that we may receive the gift of ,pentecost4 ,i will pray the ,father1 and ,he shall give you another ,comforter4 ,it would almost seem as though ,he spent the mysterious ten days between ,his ascension and ,pentecost in special intercession that ,his ,church might be endued with power from on high4 ,the pleading ,church on earth and the pleading ,saviour in heaven were at one4 ,the two voices agreed in perfect symphony1 and ,pentecost was the ,father's answer4 ,the ,saviour prayed to the ,father1 and ,he gave another ,comforter4 ,nor has ,he ceased in this sublime quest4 ,it is not improbable that every revival of religion1 every fresh and deeper baptism of the ,spirit1 every new infilling of individual souls1 has been due to our ,saviour's strong cryings on our behalf4 ,it may be that at this hour ,he is engaged in asking the ,father that ,he would dower the universal ,church with another ,pentecost2 and if so1 let us join ,him in the prayer4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,praying ,,church4--,whatsoever ye shall ask in ,my name4 7#a7 ,prayer must be addressed to the ,father4 ,as soon as we utter that sacred name1 the ,divine nature responds2 and1 to put it vividly1 is on the alert to hear what we desire4 ,a little child cannot utter a sigh however slight1 a sob however smothered1 without awakening the quick attention of its mother2 and at the first whisper of our ,father's name1 ,he is at hand to hear and bless4 ,alas6 we have too often grieved ,his ,holy ,spirit by a string of selfish petitions1 or a number of formal platitudes6 ,to the wonderment of angels1 we thus fritter away the most precious and sacred opportunities4 ,be still1 then1 before you pray1 to consider what to ask2 order your prayers for presentation3 and be sure to begin the blessed interview with words of sincere and loving appreciation and devotion4 7#b7 ,the conditions of successful prayer are clearly defined in these words4 ,there must be love to ,christ and to all men2 obedience to ,his will1 so far as it is revealed2 recognition of ,his mediation and intercession1 as alone giving us the right to draw nigh2 identification with ,him1 so as to be able to use ,his name2 passionate desires for the ,father's glory4 ,where these five conditions exist1 there can be no doubt as to our receiving the petitions which we offer4 ,prayer that complies with them cannot fail1 since it is only the return tide of an impulse which has emanated from the heart of ,god4 7#c7 ,note how the ,saviour lives for the promotion of ,his ,father's glory4 ,how often1 during ,his earthly ministry1 ,he declared that ,he was desiring and seeking this beyond all else6 ,though ,his prayer could only be granted by ,his falling into the ground to die1 ,he never flinched from saying1 ,father1 glorify ,thy ,name4 ,but here ,he tells us that through the ages as they pass ,he will still be set on the same quest4 ,by all means ,he must glorify ,his ,father2 and if1 in any prayer of ours1 we can show that what we ask will augment the ,father's glory1 we are certain to obtain ,his concurrence and glad acquiescence4 ,that1 ,he says1 will ,i do4 7#d7 ,we must pray in ,his ,name4 ,as the ambassador speaks in the name of queen and country2 as the tax-collector appeals in the name of the authorities2 both deriving from their identification with their superiors an authority they could not otherwise exercise2 so our words become weighted with a great importance when we can say to our ,father1 ,we are so one with ,jesus that ,he is asking in and through us2 these words are ,his2 these desires ,his2 these objects those on which ,his heart is set4 ,we have ,his sanction and authority to use ,his name4 ,when we ask a favor in the name of another1 that other is the petitioner1 through us2 so when we approach ,god in the ,name of ,jesus1 it is not enough to append ,his sacred name as a formula1 but we must see to it that ,jesus is pleading in us1 asking through our lips1 as ,he is asking through ,his own in the heart of the sapphire throne4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,link ,,between ,,these ,,two4--,he will give you another ,comforter4 ,the word ,comforter might be rendered ,advocate4 ,we have two ,advocates2 one with the ,father1 ,jesus ,christ the ,righteous1 and one with us4 ,as the one went up1 the other came down4 ,as the one sat down at the right hand of ,god1 the other rested on the heads and hearts of the company in the upper room4 ,as the one has compassion on our infirmities1 so the other helps our infirmities4 ,as the one ever liveth to intercede for us in heaven1 so the other maketh intercession in us for the saints with groanings that cannot be uttered4 ,this is the clue to the mystery of prayer4 ,it is all-important that the ,church on earth should be in accord with its ,head in ,his petitions before the ,throne4 ,of what avail is it for a client and advocate to enter an earthly court of justice unless they are in agreement8 ,of what use is it to have two instruments in an orchestra which are not perfectly in tune8 ,and how can we expect that ,god will hear us unless we ask what is according to ,his will1 and1 therefore1 what is in the heart and thought of ,jesus8 ,this1 then1 is the problem that confronts us4 ,how can we ascertain what ,jesus is pleading for8 ,we may guess it generally1 but how be assured of it particularly8 ,who will tell us the direction in which the current of ,his mighty pleadings is setting1 that we may take the same direction8 ,these inquiries are answered in the ministry of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,on the one hand1 ,he fills and moves the ,head1 and on the other1 ,his members4 ,there is one ,spirit of life between ,jesus in the glory and ,his believing people everywhere4 ,one ocean washes the shores of all natures in which the life of ,god is found4 ,be still1 therefore1 and listen carefully to the voice of the ,spirit of ,god speaking in thine heart1 as thou turnest from all other sounds toward ,his still small whisper1 and ,he will tell thee all4 ,coming1 as ,he does1 from the heart of ,jesus1 ,he will tell thee ,his latest thought4 ,in ,him we have the mind of ,christ4 ,then1 sure that we are one with ,him1 and therefore with the ,father1 we shall ask what is according to ,his will to give4 ,prayer goes in an eternal circle4 ,it begins in the heart of ,god1 comes to us through the ,saviour and by the ,spirit1 and returns through us again to its source4 ,it is the teaching of the raindrops1 of the tides1 of the procession of the year2 but wrought out and exemplified in the practice of holy hearts4 ,,ix ,the ,other ,paraclete ,he shall give you another ,comforter4--,,john xiv4 #af4 ,there was no doubt in our ,lord's mind that ,his asking would be at once followed by the ,father's giving4 ,indeed1 the two actions seemed1 in ,his judgment1 indissolubly connected--,i will ask1 and ,he shall give4 ,from which we learn that prayer is a necessary link in the order of the ,divine government4 ,though we are assured that what we ask is in ,god's purpose to communicate--that it lies in the heart of a promise1 or in the line of the ,divine procedure1 yet we must nevertheless make request4 ,ye have not1 said the ,apostle ,james1 because ye ask not4 ,ask1 said the ,master1 ,his eye being open to the laws of the spiritual world1 and it shall be given you4 ,the prayer of the ,head of the ,church was heard1 and ,he received the ,holy ,spirit to bestow ,him again4 ,having received of the ,father the promise of the ,holy ,spirit1 said the ,apostle ,peter1 ,he hath shed forth this1 which ye now see and hear4 ,thus the ,holy ,spirit is the gift of the ,father1 through the ,son1 though ,he is equal with each of the blessed ,persons in the ,trinity1 and is with them to be worshipped and glorified4 ,i4 ,,the ,,personality ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost4--,that word1 another--,he shall give you another ,comforter--is in itself sufficient to prove the ,divinity and ,personality of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,if a man promises to send another as his substitute1 we naturally expect to see a man like himself1 occupying his place1 and doing his work4 ,and when ,jesus foreannounced another ,comforter1 ,he must have intended a ,person as distinct and helpful as ,he had been4 ,a breath1 an afflatus1 an impersonal influence could not have stood in the same category with ,himself4 ,there are those who think that the ,holy ,spirit is to the ,lord ,jesus what a man's spirit is to his body2 and imagine that our ,lord simply intended that the spirit of ,his life-teaching and self-sacrifice would brood over and inspire ,his followers2 but this could not have fulfilled the promise of the other ,comforter4 ,it would simply have been ,himself over again1 though no longer as a living ,person2 rather as the momentum and energy of a receding force which gets weaker and ever weaker as the ages pass4 ,thus the spirit of ,napoleon or of ,caesar is becoming little more than a dim faint echo of footsteps that once shook the world4 ,jesus knew how real and helpful ,he had been to ,his followers--the centre around which they had rallied2 their ,teacher1 ,brother1 ,master2 and ,he would not have tantalized them by promising another ,paraclete1 unless ,he had intended to announce the advent of ,one who would adjust ,himself to their needs with that quickness of perception1 and sufficiency of resource1 which characterize a personal ,leader and ,administrator4 ,there were times approaching when the little band would need counsel1 direction1 sympathy1 the interposition of a strong wise ,hand--qualities which could not be furnished by the remembrance of the past1 fading like the colors on clouds when the sun has set2 and which could only be secured by the presence of a strong1 wise1 ever-present ,personality4 ,i have been one ,paraclete1 said the ,lord in effect2 but ,i am now going to plead your cause with the ,father1 that another ,paraclete may take ,my place1 to be ,my other self1 and to abide with you forever4 ,there is no adequate translation for that word ,paraclete4 ,it may be rendered ,comforter1 ,helper1 ,advocate1 ,interpreter2 but no one word suffices4 ,the ,greek simply means one whom you call to your side1 in a battle1 or a law-court1 to assist you by word or act4 ,such a ,one is ,christ2 such a ,one is the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he is a definite ,person whom you can call to1 and lean on1 and work with4 ,if a man were drowning1 he would not call to the wandering breath of the wind2 but to any person who might be on the bank4 ,the ,spirit is ,one whom you can summon to your side2 and it is therefore quite in keeping with ,scripture to pray to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,on the whole we are taught to direct prayer to the ,father1 through the ,son1 and as prompted by the ,holy ,spirit2 but as a matter of practice and habit1 it is indifferent which ,person in the ,holy ,trinity we address1 for each is equally ,god4 ,as the ,father is ,god1 so also is the ,son1 and so the ,holy ,spirit4 ,in her hymns and liturgies the ,church has never hesitated to summon the ,holy ,spirit to her help4 ,it is in recognition of the ,personality of the ,holy ,spirit that the historian of the ,acts of the ,apostles quotes ,his solemn words1 ,separate ,me ,barnabas and ,saul2 tells us that ,ananias and ,sapphira lied to ,him2 and records that the ,church at ,jerusalem commenced its encyclical letter with the words1 ,it seemed good to the ,holy ,ghost and to us4 ,happy that body of ,christians which has come to realize that the ,holy ,ghost is as certainly1 literally1 and personally present in its midst1 as ,jesus ,christ was present when1 in the days of ,his flesh1 ,he tarried among men6 ,,ii4 ,a ,,sevenfold ,,parallel ,,between ,,the ,,advents ,,of ,,the ,,two ,,paracletes4--7#a7 ,each was in the world before ,his specific advent4--,long before ,his incarnation the delights of the ,son of ,god were with men4 ,in ,angel-form1 ,he visited their tents1 spoke with them face to face1 calmed their fears1 and fought on their behalf4 ,he trod the holy fields of ,palestine with noiseless footfall that left no impress on the lightest sands1 long before ,he learned to walk with baby-feet1 or bore ,his cross up ,calvary4 ,so with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he brooded over chaos1 strove with men before the deluge1 moved holy men to write the ,scriptures1 foreshadowed the advent of the ,messiah1 equipped prophets and kings for their special mission4 ,in restraining evil1 urging to good1 preparing the way for ,christ1 the ,holy ,spirit found abundant scope for ,his energies4 ,but ,his influence was rather external than internal2 savored rather of gift than grace2 and dealt more often with the few than with the many--with the great souls that reared themselves to heaven like ,alpine summits touched with the fires of dawn1 rather than with the generality of men1 who dwelt in the valley of daily commonplace1 enwrapped in the mists of ignorance and unbelief4 ,it was to be the special prerogative of this age1 that ,he should be poured out on all flesh1 so that sons and daughters should prophesy1 whilst servants and handmaidens participated in ,his gracious influences4 7#b7 ,the advent of each was previously announced4--,from the ,fall1 the coming of the great ,deliverer was foretold in type and sign1 in speech and act1 in history and prophecy4 ,indeed1 as the time of the ,incarnation drew nigh1 as ,milton tells us in his sublime ode on the ,incarnation1 surrounding nations had caught from the chosen people the spirit of expectancy1 and the world was in feverish anticipation of the coming of its ,redeemer4 ,he was the ,desire of all nations4 ,all the ages1 and all the family of man1 accompanied ,mary to ,bethlehem1 and worshipped with the ,magi4 ,so with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,joel distinctly foretold that in the last days of that dispensation4 ,god would pour out of ,his ,spirit2 and ,his message is echoed by ,isaiah1 ,zechariah1 ,ezekiel1 and others2 till ,jesus came1 who more specifically and circumstantially led the thoughts of ,his disciples forward to the new age then dawning1 which should be introduced and signalized by the coming and ministry of the ,spirit4 7#c7 ,each was manifested in a body4--,the ,lord ,jesus in that which was prepared for ,him by the ,father1 and born of a pure ,virgin4 ,we are told1 that ,he took on ,him the form of a servant1 and was made in the likeness of man4 ,similarly the ,holy ,spirit became1 so to speak1 incorporate in that mystical ,body1 the ,church1 of which ,jesus is the ,head4 ,on the day of ,pentecost1 the hundred and twenty who were gathered in the upper room1 and who1 up to that time1 had had no corporate existence1 were suddenly constituted a ,church1 the habitation and home of the ,divine ,spirit4 ,what the human body of ,jesus was to the second ,person of the ,holy ,trinity1 that the infant ,church was to the third2 though it did not represent the whole body1 since we must add to those gathered in the upper room many more in heaven and on earth1 who by virtue of their union with the risen ,christ constituted with them the ,holy ,catholic ,church1 which is ,his body1 the fullness of ,him who filleth all in all4 ,this1 said the ,blessed ,spirit1 is ,my rest forever2 here will ,i dwell1 for ,i have desired it4 7#d7 ,each was named before ,his advent4--,thou shalt call ,his name ,emmanuel4 ,his name shall be called ,wonderful1 ,counsellor1 the ,mighty ,god1 the ,everlasting ,father1 the ,prince of ,peace4 ,thus was the ,lord ,jesus designated to loving hearts before ,his birth4 ,so also with the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the last discourses of ,jesus are full of appellatives1 each setting forth some new phase of the ,holy ,spirit's ministry2 some freshly-cut facet of ,his character4 ,the ,spirit of ,truth2 the ,holy ,spirit2 the ,paraclete2 the ,spirit of ,conviction--such are some of the names by which ,he was to be known4 7#e7 ,each was dependent on another4--,our ,lord said distinctly1 ,the ,son can do nothing of ,himself1 but what ,he seeth the ,father do2 and ,he said of the ,holy ,spirit1 using the same preposition1 ,he shall not speak of ,himself1 but whatsoever ,he shall hear1 that shall ,he speak4 ,what a conception is here6 ,it is as though the ,holy ,spirit were ever listening to the ,divine colloquy and communion between the ,father and the ,son1 and communicating to receptive hearts disclosures of the secrets of the ,deity4 ,the things which eye hath not seen1 nor ear heard1 ,god hath revealed unto us by ,his ,spirit2 for the ,spirit searcheth all things1 yea1 the deep things of ,god4 7#f7 ,each received witness4--,the ,father bore witness to ,his ,son on three separate occasions4 ,on the first1 at ,his baptism1 ,he said1 ,this is ,my beloved ,son1 in whom ,i am well pleased2 on the second1 when the three apostles were with ,him on the holy mount1 and ,he received from the ,father glory and honor2 and on the third1 when the inquiry of the ,greeks reminded ,him of ,his approaching death1 and the voice from heaven assured ,him that glory would accrue to the ,father through ,his falling into the ground to die4 ,so in regard to the ,holy ,spirit4 ,seven times from the throne the ascended ,lord summons those that have ears1 to hear what the ,spirit saith to the churches2 as though to emphasize the urgent importance of ,his message1 and the necessity of giving it our most earnest heed1 lest we should drift past it4 7#g7 ,the presence of each is guaranteed during the present age4--,i am with you1 saith the ,lord1 and they were among the closing words of ,his posthumous ministry1 all the days1 even unto the end of the age2 and here it is foretold that the ,comforter would abide during the age1 for so the phrase might more accurately be rendered4 ,this is specially the age of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he may be grieved1 ignored1 and rejected2 but ,he will not cease ,his blessed ministry to the bride1 till the ,bridegroom comes to claim her for ,himself4 ,oh1 let us avail ourselves of ,his gracious presence to the utmost of our opportunity1 that ,he may realize in us the full purpose of ,his ministry4 ,let us not pray for ,him1 as if in any degree ,he had been withdrawn1 but as believing that ,he is as much with the ,church of to-day as on the day of ,pentecost2 as near us as when awe-struck eyes beheld ,him settling in flame on each meekly-bowed head4 ,the ,lord said1 ,he shall remain with you to the end of the age4 ,the age is not closed1 therefore ,he must be with us here and now4 ,there can be no waning of ,his grace or power4 ,the pot of oil is in the ,church1 only she has ceased to bring her empty vessels4 ,the mine is beneath our feet1 but we do not work it as of yore4 ,the electric current is vibrating around1 but we have lost the art of switching ourselves on to its flow4 ,it is not necessary then for us to pray the ,father that ,he should give the ,holy ,paraclete in the sense in which ,he bestowed ,him on the ,day of ,pentecost in answer to the request of our ,lord4 ,that prayer has been answered3 the ,paraclete is here2 but we need to have the eyes of our heart opened to perceive1 and the hand of our faith strengthened that we may receive1 ,him4 ,the work of the ,holy ,spirit in and through us is conditioned by certain great laws1 which call for our definite and accurate obedience4 ,not on emotion1 nor on hysteric appeals1 nor on excitement1 but on obedience1 does the power of ,god's ,spirit pass into human hearts and lives4 ,therefore1 let us walk in the ,paracletism of the ,paraclete1 continually in the current of ,his gracious influences1 which will bear us on their bosom ever nearer to our ,lord4 ,oh to glorify ,him2 to know and love ,him2 to become passionately eager that all hearts should enthrone ,him regardless of the personal cost it may involve6 ,glory be to the ,father1 and to the ,son1 and to the ,holy ,ghost2 as it was in the beginning1 is now1 and shall be forevermore4 ,amen4 ,x ,the ,three ,dispensations ,the ,spirit of truth2 whom the world cannot receive1 because it seeth ,him not1 neither knoweth ,him3 but ye know ,him2 for ,he dwelleth with you1 and shall be in you4--,,john xiv4 #ag4 ,they are lofty themes which we have been discussing in the foregoing pages2 and just because they touch the highest matters of the spiritual life1 they involve us in profound responsibility4 ,it was because ,capernaum had been exalted to heaven in privilege1 that she could be cast down to hell4 ,of those to whom much is given1 much is required4 ,better not to have known these truths of the inner life1 if we are content to know them only by an intellectual apprehension1 and make no effort to incorporate them into the texture of our character4 ,few things harden more certainly than to delight in the presentation of the mysteries of the kingdom1 without becoming the child of the kingdom4 ,the object1 therefore1 which now engages us is less one of elucidation than of self-examination4 ,let us discern ourselves4 ,let us see whether we be in the faith4 ,let us expose soul and spirit to the discrimination of the ,word of ,god1 which is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart4 ,i4 ,,there ,,are ,,two ,,avenues ,,of ,,knowledge4--,whom the world cannot receive1 because it seeth ,him not1 neither knoweth ,him4 ,three things are specified as beyond the range of the world's power3 it does not receive1 it does not know1 it does not see1 the things of the unseen and eternal world4 ,it cannot see them1 therefore it does not know them1 and therefore does not receive them1 and this is especially true of its attitude toward the ,holy ,ghost4 ,when the world hears talk of the ,holy ,spirit it brings to bear upon ,him those organs of cognition which it has been accustomed to apply to the objects of the natural world1 and even to the human life of ,christ4 ,but1 as might have been expected1 these are altogether useless4 ,it is as absurd to endeavor to detect the presence of the spiritual and eternal by the faculties with which we discern what is seen and temporal1 as it would be to attempt to receive the impression of a noble painting by the sense of taste1 or to deal with the problems of astronomy by the tests that are employed in chemical analysis4 ,the world1 however1 does not realize its mistake4 ,it persists in applying tests to the ,spirit of ,god which may be well enough in other regions of discovery1 but which are worse than useless here4 ,the natural man receiveth not the things of the ,spirit of ,god1 neither can he know them1 because they are spiritually discerned4 ,whom the world cannot receive1 for it beholdeth ,him not1 neither knoweth ,him4 ,there was a touch of this worldly spirit even in ,thomas1 when he said1 ,except ,i see in ,his hand the print of the nails1 and thrust my hand into ,his side1 ,i will not believe2 and in so far as the world-spirit is permitted to hold sway within us1 our powers of spiritual perception will be blunted1 and become infected with the tendency to make our intellect or imagination our sole means of apprehending ,divine truth4 ,there is a better way than this2 and our ,lord indicates it when ,he says1 ,ye know ,him1 for ,he abideth with you1 and shall be in you4 ,pascal said1 ,the world knows in order to love3 the ,christian loves1 in order to know4 ,the same thought underlies these words of ,christ4 ,the world attempts to see the ,spirit1 that it may know and receive ,him2 the child of ,god receives ,him by an act of faith that he may know ,him4 ,an illustration of this habit is given in the story of ,naaman4 ,the spirit of the world whispered to him of the desirability of knowing that the waters of ,israel possessed curative properties1 before he committed himself absolutely to the prophet's directions2 and if he had waited to know before bathing in them1 he would have remained a helpless leper to the end of his days4 ,his servants1 however1 had a clearer perception of the way of faith1 and persuaded him to dip seven times in the ,jordan4 ,he acted on the suggestion1 dipped seven times1 and his flesh came as that of a little child4 ,similarly we are called to act upon grounds which the world would hold to be inadequate4 ,we hear the testimony of another2 we recognize a suitability in the promise of the ,scripture to meet the deep yearnings of our soul2 we feel that the words and works of ,jesus ,christ constitute a unique claim for ,him1 and we open our hearts toward ,him4 ,in absolute humility and perfect obedience we yield to ,him our whole nature4 ,though the night be yet dark1 we fling wide our windows to the warm southwest wind coming over the sea4 ,the result is that we begin to know1 with an intuitive knowledge that cannot be shaken by the pronouncements of the higher criticism4 ,we have received the ,spirit1 and our after life is too short to unfold all that is involved in that unspeakable gift4 ,we know ,him because ,he abideth with us1 and is in us4 ,no man knoweth the things of a man1 save the spirit of man which is in him2 and we can only know the ,spirit of ,god when ,he has taken up ,his residence within us1 and witnesses with our spirit1 as ,one who is interwoven with the very texture of the inner life4 ,consecration is therefore the key to this higher knowledge1 and if any who read this page are yearning after a discernment of the things of ,god on which they may build the house of their faith amid the swirl of the storm and the beat of the wave of modern doubt1 let them open their entire nature1 humbly to receive1 diligently to obey that ,spirit whom ,christ waits to give to all who seek4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,characteristic ,,of ,,this ,,dispensation4--,he shall be in you4 ,it has been repeatedly said that creation is the work of the ,father1 redemption of the ,son1 and regeneration of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,it may also be said1 that there are three dispensations3 that of the ,father1 in the earlier history of mankind2 that of the ,son1 culminating in our ,lord's ascension2 and that of the ,holy ,spirit1 in which we are now living4 ,in the history of the world these were successive4 ,in the history of souls they may be the contemporaneous4 ,in the same house one member may be in the dispensation of the ,father1 another in that of the ,son1 and a third in that of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it is highly necessary1 says the saintly ,fletcher1 that every good steward of the mysteries of ,god should be well acquainted with this fact1 otherwise he will not rightly divide the word of life4 ,there is peril lest we should give the truth of one order of dispensation to those who are living on another level of experience4 ,there is a remarkable illustration of this in the life of ,john the ,baptist1 who clearly realized the distinction on which we are dwelling1 and used it with remarkable nicety1 when approached by various classes of character4 ,when ,gentile soldiers came to him1 in ,roman regimentals1 he merely bade them do violence to no man1 and be content with their wages4 ,when ,jews came he said1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god6 ,to his eagle eye a further dispensation was unveiled to which he alluded when he said1 ,he shall baptize you with the ,holy ,ghost1 and with fire4 ,similarly they to whom inquirers address themselves should diagnose their spiritual standing1 that they may lovingly and wisely administer the truth suitable to their condition4 ,the dispensation of the ,father includes those who hope that ,he has accepted and forgiven them1 but have no clear perception of the atoning work of ,christ2 are governed rather by fear than love2 tremble beneath the thunders of ,sinai more often than they rejoice at the spectacle of ,calvary2 are tossed to and fro between hope and despair2 desire the favor of ,god1 but hesitate to speak confidently of having attained it4 ,such are to be found in churches where the ,gospel is veiled beneath heavy curtains of misconception and formalism4 ,in the same class we might put men like ,cornelius1 who in every nation fear ,god and work righteousness4 ,the dispensation of the ,son includes those who clearly perceive ,his ,divine nature1 and rejoice in ,his finished propitiation2 they know that they are accepted in the ,beloved2 they receive ,his teachings about the ,father2 they submit to the rule of life which ,he has laid down2 but they know comparatively little of the inner life1 or of their oneness with ,christ in resurrection and ascension2 they understand little of what the apostle meant by speaking of ,christ being formed in the soul2 and like the disciples at ,ephesus they know but little of the mission and in-filling of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the dispensation of the ,holy ,spirit includes those who have claimed their share in ,pentecost4 ,in their hearts the ,paraclete dwells in sanctifying grace1 on their heads ,he rests in mighty anointing4 ,the previous class resemble ,ruth the gleaner2 the latter1 ,ruth the bride4 ,the one dwells in ,romans vii4 and ,hebrews iii42 the other in ,romans viii4 and ,hebrews iv4 ,for those the water has to be drawn from the well1 in these it springs up to everlasting life4 ,oh to know the in-ness of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,know ye not that ,jesus ,christ is in you by the ,spirit1 unless ye be reprobate6 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,symptoms ,,of ,,the ,,indwelling4--,we must distinguish here1 as ,dr4 ,steele suggests1 between what is variable1 and what is constant4 ,these vary--7#a7 ,the joy of realization1 which is sometimes overpowering in its intensity1 at other times like the ebbing tide4 7#b7 ,agony for souls1 which would be insupportable if it were permanent4 ,christ only asks us to watch in ,gethsemane for one hour4 7#c7 ,access in prayer4 ,sometimes the vision is face to face2 at others1 though we grasp as in ,jacob's night-wrestle1 we cannot behold4 ,like ,esther1 we seem to wait in the ante-chamber4 ,as the lark of which ,jeremy ,taylor speaks1 we rise against the east wind4 7#d7 ,the openings of ,scripture4 ,the ,bible does not seem to be always equally interesting4 ,at times it is like the scented letter paper1 smelling of aloes and cassia1 bearing the handwriting we love2 at others it resembles the reading book of the blind man1 the characters in which1 by constant use1 have become almost obliterated1 so as hardly to awake answering thought4 7#e7 ,the pressure of temptation4 ,we sometimes think that we are getting out of the zone of temptation4 ,the pressure is so reduced that we think we shall never suffer again as we have done4 ,then1 all suddenly1 it bursts upon us1 as the fury of the storm1 when1 after an hour's cessation1 it takes the mariner unawares4 ,all these symptoms are too variable to be relied upon for a diagnosis of our spiritual condition1 or an evidence of the dispensation to which we belong4 ,these are constant--7#a7 ,the consciousness of being ,god's4 ,this is to be distinguished from the outgoing of our faith and love toward ,god4 ,at the beginning of our experience we hold ,him1 but as the ,holy ,spirit dwells more fully we realize that we are held by ,him4 ,it is not our love to ,god1 but ,his love to us2 not our faith1 but ,his faithfulness2 not the sheep keeping near the ,shepherd1 but the ,shepherd keeping the sheep near to ,himself4 ,a happy sense steals over the heart1 as over the spouse1 ,i am my ,beloved's1 and ,his desire is toward me4 7#b7 ,the supremacy of ,jesus in the heart4 ,there is no longer a double empire of self and ,christ1 as in the poor ,indian who said to the missionary1 ,i am two ,indians1 good and bad2 but there is the undivided reign of ,christ1 who has put down all rule and authority and power--as in the case of ,martin ,luther1 who said1 ,if any one should ask of my heart1 who dwells here1 ,i should reply1 not ,martin ,luther1 but ,christ4 7#c7 ,peace1 which looks out upon the future without alarm1 because so sure that ,christ will do ,his very best in every day that lies hidden beneath the haze of the future2 which forbears to press its will too vehemently1 or proffer its request too eagerly1 because so absolutely certain that ,jesus will secure the highest happiness possible1 consistently with ,his glory and our usefulness to men4 7#d7 ,love4 ,when the ,spirit of ,god really dwells within1 there is a baptism of love which evinces itself not only in the household1 and to those naturally lovable1 but goes out to all the world1 and embraces in its tenderness such as have no natural traits of beauty4 ,thus the soft waters of the ,southern ,ocean lap against unsightly rocks and stretches of bare shingle4 ,where love reigns in the inner chamber of the soul1 doors do not slam1 bells are not jerked violently1 soft tones modulate the speech1 gentle steps tread the highways of the world1 bent on the beautiful work of the messengers of peace1 and the very atmosphere of the life is warm and sunny as an aureole4 ,there is no doubt of the indwelling ,spirit where there is this outgoing love4 7#e7 ,deliverance from the love and power of sin1 so that it becomes growingly distasteful1 and the soul turns with loathing from the carrion on which it once fed contentedly4 ,this begets a sense of purity1 robed in which the soul claims kinship to the white-robed saints of the presence-chamber1 and reaches out toward the blessedness of the pure in heart who see ,god4 ,there is still a positive rain of smut and filth in the world around2 there is a recognition of the evil tendencies of the self-life1 which will assert themselves unless graciously restrained2 but triumphing above all is the purity of the indwelling ,lord1 who ,himself becomes in us the quality for which holy souls eagerly long4 ,,xi ,three ,paradoxes ,i will not leave you comfortless3 ,i will come to you4 ,the world seeth ,me no more2 but ye see ,me4 ,because ,i live1 ye shall live also4--,,john xiv4 #ah1 #ai4 ,the ,bible and ,christian life are full of paradoxes4 ,paul loved to enumerate them2 they abound also in the discourses of our ,lord4 ,here are three4 ,the ,master had declared ,his purpose of leaving ,his apostles and friends and returning to ,his ,father3 but in the same breath ,he says1 ,i will not leave you desolate2 ,i come to you4 ,again1 ,he had forewarned them that ,he would be hidden from them2 yet now ,he tells them that they would still behold ,him4 ,further1 with growing emphasis and clearness1 ,he had unfolded ,his approaching death by the cruel ,roman method of the cross2 yet ,he claims the timeless life of an ever-present tense and insists that their life will depend on ,his4 ,absent1 yet present2 hidden1 yet visible2 dying1 yet living and life-giving--such are the paradoxes of this paragraph in ,his marvellous farewell discourse2 and they reveal three facts of which we may live in perpetual cognizance4 ,i4 ,,we ,,may ,,enjoy ,,the ,,perpetual ,,recognition ,,of ,,the ,,advent ,,of ,,christ4--,i will not leave you orphans1 or desolate1 ,i come unto you 7,r4 ,v474 ,note the majesty of those last words2 they are worthy of ,deity2 ,he speaks as though ,he were always drawing nigh those ,he loves3 ,i come unto you4 ,christ is always present1 yet ,he comes4--,the ,creator had been always immanent in ,his universe1 but ,he came in each creative act2 the ,lawgiver had been ever-present in the ,church in the wilderness1 but ,he came down on ,sinai1 and ,his glory lit up the peaks of sandstone rock2 the ,deliverer was never for a moment absent from the side of the ,shepherd-,king1 but in answer to ,his cry for help ,he came down riding upon a cherub1 flying on the wings ,of wind2 the ,holy ,spirit had been in the world from the earliest days of prayer and inspired speech1 but ,he came down from the throne to sit on each bowed head in lambent flame4 ,so ,christ is with us all the days1 yet ,he comes4 ,he will come at last to receive ,his own to ,himself1 and to judge the world2 but ,he comes in dark and lonely hours that we may not be desolate4 ,for warm1 sweet1 tender1 even yet ,a present help is ,he2 ,and faith has yet its ,olivet ,and love its ,galilee4 ,the heeling of ,his seamless dress ,is by our beds of pain2 ,we touch ,him in life's throng and press1 ,and we are whole again4 ,he comes when we need ,him most4--,when the storm is high1 and the water is pouring into the boat2 when the house is empty because the life that made it home has fled2 when ,jericho has to be attacked on the morrow1 and the ,jordan crossed2 when lover and friend stand aloof2 when light is fading before dimming eyes1 and names and faces elude the grasp of the aged mind2 when the last coal is turning to grey ash2 when the rush of the river is heard in the valley below--,jesus says1 ,i come4 ,it is in the hour of desolation1 when ,lazarus has been in the grave four days already1 that the glad tidings are whispered in the ear of the mourner1 ,the ,master is come4 ,i will not leave you orphans1 ,he said1 ,i come unto you4 ,oh1 blessed orphanhood1 it were well to be bereaved1 to have such comforting6 ,he pays surprise visits4--,he does not always wait to be invited2 but sometimes1 when we lie sleeping with wakeful hearts1 we hear ,his gentle voice calling to us1 ,arise1 ,my love1 and come away4 ,then as we lift the door-latch1 our hand drops with the sweet-smelling myrrh which betrays ,his presence4 ,how often when we have been losing ground1 getting lukewarm and worldly1 we have suddenly been made aware of ,his reviving presence1 and ,he has said1 ,i come4 ,he comes1 as the wood-anemones and snowdrops 7the most fragile and tender flowerets of spring7 penetrate the hard ground to announce that the winter is over and gone1 and that the time of the singing of birds is come4 ,it is well to put ourselves in ,his way4--,there are certain beaten tracks well-worn by ,his feet1 and if we would meet ,him we must frequent their neighborhood4 ,olivet1 where ,he used to pray2 ,calvary1 where ,he died2 ,joseph's garden1 where ,he rose1 are dear to ,him yet4 ,when we pray or meditate2 when we commemorate ,his dying love at the memorial feast2 when we realize our union with ,him in death and resurrection2 when we open our hearts to the breathing of the ,holy ,spirit--we put ourselves in ,his way1 and are more likely to encounter ,him when ,he comes4 ,to them that look for ,him shall ,he appear4 ,behold the ,bridegroom cometh1 go ye out to meet ,him--but take the path by which ,he is sure to travel4 ,be in the upper room1 with the rest of the disciples1 so that you may not1 like ,thomas1 miss ,him when ,he comes4 ,his footsteps are noiseless4--,it is said of old1 ,thy footsteps are not known1 therefore we need not be surprised if ,he steal in upon us as a thief in the night1 or as spring over the wolds4 ,there is no blare of trumpet or voice of herald2 we cannot say1 ,lo here1 or ,lo there2 when the ,king comes there is no outward show2 ,he does not strive1 nor cry1 nor lift up1 nor cause ,his voice to be heard in the street4 ,he entered not by the eyes1 says ,st4 ,bernard1 for ,his presence was not marked by color2 nor by the ears1 for there was no sound2 nor by the touch1 for ,he was impalpable4 ,how then did ,i know that ,he was present8 ,because ,he was a quickening power4 ,as soon as ,he entered ,he awoke my slumbering soul4 ,he moved and pierced my heart1 which before was stony1 hard1 and sick4 ,he began also to pluck up and destroy1 to build and plant1 to freshen the inner drought1 to enlighten the darkness1 to open the prison-house1 to make the crooked straight and the rough smooth2 so that my heart could bless the ,lord with all that was within me4 ,oh1 lonely1 desolate soul1 open thy door to ,him2 wait not on the alert to detect ,his entrance1 only believe that ,he is there2 and presently1 and before ever thou art aware1 thou wilt find a new fragrance distilling through the heart-chamber1 a new power throbbing in thy pulse4 ,,ii4 ,,we ,,may ,,enjoy ,,the ,,perpetual ,,recognition ,,of ,,the ,,presence ,,of ,,christ4--,the world beholdeth ,me no more1 but ye behold ,me4 ,nothing makes men so humble and yet so strong as the vision of ,christ4 ,it induces humility4--,when ,isaiah beheld ,his glory more resplendent than the sheen of the sapphire throne1 he cried that he was undone2 when ,peter caught the first flash of ,his miraculous power gleaming across the waves of ,galilee1 just when the fish were struggling in the full net1 he besought ,him to depart1 because he felt himself a sinful man2 and when ,john saw ,him on the ,isle of ,patmos1 he fell at ,his feet as dead1 though1 surely1 if any of the apostles could have faced ,him unabashed1 it had been he4 ,this is specially noticeable in the ,book of ,job4 ,few books are so misunderstood4 ,it is supposed to contain the description of the victory of ,job's patience2 in reality it delineates its testing and failure4 ,it shows how he who was perfect1 according to the measure of his light1 broke down in the fiery ordeal to which he was exposed2 and finally was forced to cry1 ,i have heard of ,thee by the hearing of the ear1 but now mine eye seeth ,thee2 wherefore ,i abhor myself and repent1 in dust and ashes4 ,wouldst thou be humble1 wouldst thou know thyself a worm and no man1 wouldst thou see that thou art verily undone1 defiled1 and helpless8 ,then ask the blessed ,spirit to reveal ,jesus in all ,his matchless beauty and holiness1 eliciting the confession that thou are the least of saints and the chief of sinners4 ,this is no forced estimate1 when we take into account the opportunities we have missed1 the gifts we have misused1 the time we have wasted1 the light which we have resisted1 the love which we have requited with neglect4 ,it produces strength4--,see that man of ,god prone on the floor of his chamber1 shedding bitter tears of godly sorrow1 not forgiving himself1 albeit that he knows himself forgiven2 bowing his head as a bulrush1 crying that he is helpless1 broken1 and at the end of himself--,will he be able to stand as a rock against the beat of temptation1 and the assault of the foe8 ,yes1 verily1 for the same presence which is a source of humility in private1 will inspire to great deeds of faith and heroism when he is called to stand in the breach or lead the assault4 ,it is this vision of the present ,lord that1 in every age of the ,church1 has made sufferers strong4 ,the ,lord is on my right hand1 ,i shall not be moved1 said one4 ,the ,lord stood by me1 and strengthened me1 said another4 ,in many a dark day of suffering and persecution2 in the catacombs2 in the dens and caves where ,waldenses hid2 on the hillsides where the ,covenanters met to pray2 in the beleaguered cities of the ,netherlands2 in prison and at the stake--,god's saints have looked to ,him1 and been lightened1 and their faces have not been ashamed4 ,behold1 said the first martyr1 ,i see the heavens opened1 and the ,son of ,man standing on the right hand of ,god4 ,oh for more of the open vision of ,jesus1 ministered to us by the gracious ,spirit6 ,would that ,his words were oftener verified in our experience3 ,ye behold ,me6 ,he is always with us2 and if only our eyes were not holden1 we should behold ,him with the quick perception of the heart4 ,indeed1 the race can only be rightly run by those who have learned the blessed secret of looking off unto ,him4 ,we see ,jesus4 ,it is a most salutary habit to say often1 when one is alone1 ,thou art near1 ,o ,lord4 ,behold1 the ,lord is in this place4 ,we may not at first realize the truth of what we are saying4 ,his presence may be veiled1 as the forms of mountains swathed in morning cloud4 ,but as we persist in our quest1 putting away from us all that would grieve ,him1 and cultivating the attitude of pure devotion1 we shall become aware of a ,divine presence which shall be more to us than a voice speaking from out the ,infinite4 ,,iii4 ,,we ,,may ,,enjoy ,,the ,,perpetual ,,recognition ,,of ,,the ,,living ,,christ4--,because ,i live1 ye shall live also4 ,there are many life-verses in this ,gospel which shine like stars in the firmament of ,scripture4 ,amongst them1 in the first chapter1 that1 in the ,word as manifested to men1 was life2 and in the fifth chapter1 that1 as the ,father had life in ,himself ,he gave to the ,son to have life also in ,himself4 ,the ,father is the fountain of life4 ,eternal life is ever rising up in ,his infinite ,being with perennial vigor2 and all things living1 from the tiny humming-birds in the tropical forest to the strongest archangel beside the sapphire throne1 derive their being from ,him4 ,thus we have seen ferns around a fountain1 nourishing their fronds on its spray4 ,all things owe their existence and continued being to the unmeasured life1 which has been from all eternity treasured up in ,god1 and is ever flowing out from ,god4 ,this life was ,christ's1 in the mystery of the eternal ,trinity1 before the worlds were made2 but it was necessary that ,he should receive it into ,his human nature1 so as to become the reservoir and storehouse from which all who were one with ,him might receive grace on grace4 ,i am come1 ,he said1 that they might have life1 and that they might have it more abundantly4 ,this life dwelt in ,him during ,his earthly ministry1 though comparatively few availed themselves of it2 ,his death set it abroach for all the world2 the smitten rock yielded streams of living water2 the last ,adam became a life-giving ,spirit2 from ,his throne ,he proclaimed ,himself as ,he that liveth1 though ,he became dead1 and is alive forevermore4 ,we live by ,his life4--,our life is as dependent upon ,him as a babe's on its mother4 ,could ought happen to ,him1 we should instantly feel the effect4 ,long before ,he succumbed1 we must4 ,we have no independent1 self-derived1 or self-sustained life4 ,apart from ,him we wither4 ,we live in ,his life4--,the tiny streamlet of our being has joined ,his1 is merged in it1 and flows on together with it1 to the great ocean of eternity4 ,to us to live is ,christ1 both here and hereafter4 ,our aims and purposes are merged in ,his2 we are enriched in all that enriches ,him2 gladdened by all that promotes ,his happiness and glory2 made more than conquerors through our oneness with ,him1 in the victory that has overcome the world4 ,we live because ,he lives in us4--,at the moment of regeneration ,he came to indwell4 ,he that hath the ,son hath life2 he that hath life hath the ,son4 ,it has pleased ,god to reveal ,his ,son in us4 ,we have found ,him of whom ,moses in the law and the prophets did write1 and we have found ,him in our hearts4 ,where dwellest ,thou8 we asked ,him2 and ,he replied1 ,come and see2 and ,he manifested ,himself as having become to us the inward principle of an endless life4 ,christ dwells deep in our heart1 and we are beginning to comprehend the immensity of the ,divine love of which ,he is the exponent4 ,let us draw on this life more confidently1 availing ourselves of it perpetually in all our time of need--in all time of our sickness and of our wealth1 in adversity and prosperity1 in the hour of mortal anguish and the day of judgment2 and finding what we could not do or bear or encounter1 ,jesus can do and bear and meet in and through us1 to the ,father's eternal glory4 ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 grow ,thou in me1 ,and all things else recede4 ,,xii ,many ,mansions for ,god ,if a man love ,me1 he will keep ,my words3 and ,my ,father will love him2 and we will come unto him1 and make our abode with him4--,,john xiv4 #bc4 ,the ,immanence of ,god6 ,that ,god should be willing to make ,his home with man is much2 but that ,he should be willing to come in--to indwell1 occupy1 and possess our nature--this is incomprehensible to the intellect1 though it may be received and rejoiced in by the heart4 ,this is no subject for light and thoughtless speech4 ,we touch on the profoundest mysteries of the ,being of the ,infinite1 and the capacity of human nature4 ,be reverent1 ,o my soul1 in the consideration of such a theme1 and take the shoes from off thy feet1 for the ,bush burns with fire6 ,it was owing to the question of ,jude1 that the universal application of our ,master's words is so clear4 ,a day or two before1 our ,lord had entered ,jerusalem amid the enthusiasm of the crowds1 and the disciples fondly thought the long-expected time had arrived when ,he would manifest ,himself to the world as the ,messiah4 ,this is the beginning of the ,messianic reign1 said each apostle in his secret heart1 as the great procession passed over the shoulder of ,olivet2 and each began to wonder what special post would be allotted to him in the new empire that seemed so close at hand4 ,these nascent hopes1 however1 had been rudely dissipated by our ,lord's declaration that the world was to see ,him no more1 accompanied by the promise1 ,but ye see ,me4 ,the apostles therefore were inclined to think that in some special form the manifestations of ,his grace and glory would be confined to them4 ,hence ,jude's question1 ,what is come to pass1 ,master1 that ,thou wilt manifest ,thyself unto us1 and not unto the world8 ,jesus answered in effect1 ,think not that thou and thy fellows are to have the exclusive right of beholding and communing with ,me4 ,what ,i offer to you is open to all who believe1 love1 and obey4 ,the gate which ,i throw open shall stand wide for all who choose to enter4 ,the veil shall be rent1 that any who fulfill the spiritual conditions may see the light1 and hear the voice1 and stand in the inner court4 ,if a man love ,me 4 4 4 ,note those emphatic words1 a man1--any man2 thou and ,i4 ,i4 ,,the ,,divine ,,immanence4--,we will make our abode4 ,the word abode is here a translation of the ,greek word which is rendered mansions in a former part of this chapter4 ,we will make our mansion with ,him4 ,god is willing to become the mansion of the soul that believes in ,christ1 but asks in return that such a one should prepare a guest-chamber1 and become a mansion in which ,he may dwell4 ,as ,he steals with noiseless tread into the loving1 believing heart1 ,i hear ,him say1 ,this is ,my rest forever2 here will ,i dwell1 for ,i have desired it4 7#a7 ,it is the ,immanence of the ,father4--,consider who this is of whom the ,saviour speaks4 ,the infinite ,god6 ,time with all its ages is but the flash of a moment in ,his eternity6 ,space1 beyond the soar of angel wings1 is but a corner in ,his dwelling-place2 matter1 with its ponderous mass1 but the light dust that will not affect the level of the scale6 ,the mighty sun1 which is the centre of all worlds1 but a mote floating in the beam of ,his being6 ,all the gathered wisdom of man1 stored in the libraries of the world1 but as a glow-worm's spark compared with the meridian light of ,his wisdom6 ,o souls of men1 consider how marvellous that such a ,one1 whom the heavens cannot contain1 who overflows their limits1 asking for room that ,he may dwell1 will yet become the resident of our nature6 ,its motive is ,love4--,the ,father will love him4 ,this is wonderful6 ,the more so as we are told that ,his love toward us is identical with that which ,he has toward our ,lord4 ,speaking of those who shall believe through ,his apostles' words1 ,jesus said1 ,that the world may know that ,thou lovest them even as ,thou lovest ,me4 ,that ,god should condescend to think about our planet1 which is as a leaf in the forest of being6 ,that ,he should deign to regard mankind1 who1 in size at least1 are less than a colony of ants that may have built their home at the foot of the ,himalaya6 ,that ,he should pity our race6 ,this were much4 ,but that ,he should love the world1 that ,he should love individuals belonging to our race1 that ,he should love them with the love ,he has toward the ,only-begotten--we could not have believed this unless we had been assured by the lips of infallible ,truth4 ,but the supreme revelation which towers above the rest1 like some great banyan tree amid the slender growth of the ,indian forest1 is that the ,creator should indwell and find a mansion in the heart of ,his creatures4 ,it is dual1 yet one4--,we will come4 ,we6 ,then1 is there more than ,one8 ,who is this who dares class ,himself with the supreme ,god within the limits of a common pronoun1 that challenges the love and trust and obedience of man1 that poses as ,king8 ,the meekest and humblest of men4 ,the ,one who1 above all others of the human family1 seemed to have least to disturb or darken the incidence of the rays of truth upon ,his soul2 who has cast a light on all the dark problems of human life1 and could not possibly have been deceived in respect to ,his own nature4 ,his conceptions of the holiness1 greatness1 and purity of ,god have stood out in unrivalled magnificence from all others whatsoever2 yet it is ,he who couples in one small word ,his humanity with ,deity1 ,his meekness with the ,infinite ,majesty1 ,his personality with ,god's4 ,is not this proof enough that ,he was conscious of ,his ,divine nature8 ,is not the fact of ,his not counting it robbery to be equal with ,god evidence that ,he was ,god8 ,what can they make of this ,we1 who hold that ,he was only a good man and a great teacher8 ,good men are humble men1 great teachers know best their own limitations6 ,it is in1 and with1 and through the ,son1 and by the ,spirit1 that the ,father comes to indwell4 7#b7 ,it is the ,immanence of the ,son4 ,to be loved by ,him were much6--,i will love ,him4 ,his love is of the rarest quality4 ,most free of the soil of selfishness1 of any human love4 ,true and tender1 strong and sweet1 inexorable in its demands upon ,himself1 inexhaustible in its outflow toward the objects of ,his affectionate regard4 ,such love as ,he gave to ,john1 who grew like ,him beneath the magic power of that environment2 as ,he gave to ,mary1 who perhaps most deeply understood ,him2 as ,he gave to ,peter1 winning him back from his waywardness--brings with it a heaven of bliss1 for which a man may well be prepared to count all things but loss4 ,but there is a bliss beyond all this4 ,the ,lover of men would indwell them4 ,it were much that ,he should seek our love4--,he that loveth ,me4 ,we might have supposed that ,he would have been satisfied with the vastness of ,his dominion1 and the myriad bright spirits that wait on ,his word6 ,but no1 the thirst for love cannot be satisfied with gold1 or bright angelic servants4 ,as ,isaac could not find a companion among those who tended the cattle that browsed over the wolds of ,canaan1 or the troops of slaves that gathered round his father's tents1 but ,eliezer must bring a bride from across the desert2 so the ,son of ,god must needs come as a suitor to our world to find ,his ,bride1 who can share ,his inner thoughts and purposes4 ,here is a marvel indeed4 ,as the village becomes famous which provides the emperor's bride1 so earth1 though it be least among her sister-spheres1 shall have the proud preminence of having furnished from her population the ,spouse of the ,lamb4 ,but1 great as this marvel is1 it is followed by the greater1 that the ,immortal ,lover is willing to tenant the poor hearts1 whose love at the best is so faint and cold4 ,it were much that ,he should give us manifestations of ,his love4--,i will manifest ,myself unto him4 ,have you not sometimes taken up a daisy1 and looked into its little upturned eye1 and thought and thought again1 till through the gate of the flower you have passed into an infinite world of life1 beauty1 and mystery8 ,there are moments when even a flower is transfigured before us1 and manifests itself to us as a thought of ,god1 a ray of ,his glory1 the frail product of ,his infinite mind1 the wick around which trembles the fire of the ,shekinah6 ,have you not sometimes stood alone amid mountains1 glaciers1 wooded valleys1 and rushing streamlets1 till nature has dropped her veil1 and revealed herself in a phase of beauty and a depth of meaning which struck you as altogether unique and singular8 ,so there are moments in the life of the believer1 when ,christ1 who is ever with us1 manifests ,himself as ,he does not to the world4 ,there is borne in upon the spirit a consciousness that ,he is near2 there is a waft of ,his breath1 a savor of ,his fragrant dress1 fresh from the ivory palaces4 ,all this is much3 but how much more to be told that this glorious ,christ1 the ,fellow of ,jehovah1 who with the ,father and the ,spirit is ,god2 the ,organ of creation2 the ,mouthpiece of the ,godhead2 the ,mediator of ,redemption2 the ,monarch of all worlds2 the ,supreme ,teacher1 ,guide1 and ,saviour of men--is prepared to repeat the experiences of ,bethlehem1 and make ,his abode in man6 ,we will come unto ,him1 and make our abode with ,him4 7#c7 ,learn to revere the work of ,god in the souls of others4--,for thy meat1 said the apostle1 destroy not the soul for whom ,christ died4 ,he might have added1 and in whom ,christ lives4 ,weak and erring1 trying and vexatious1 that fellow-believer may be1 yet there is a chamber in his nature in which ,god has already taken up ,his abode4 ,the conflict between the light and darkness1 the ,christ-spirit and the self-spirit1 may be long and arduous1 but the issue is certain4 ,help1 but do not hinder the process4 ,be reverent1 careful1 mindful of the presence of ,god4 ,be hopeful for thyself4--,when an art-student asked ,mr4 ,ruskin whether he would ever be able to paint like ,turner1 the great critic replied1 ,it is more likely that you will become ,emperor of all the ,russias6 ,but ,god never daunts a soul with such discouragement4 ,he first sets before it a great ideal--the faith of ,abraham1 the meekness of ,moses1 the prayer of an ,elijah1 the love of a ,john--and then1 as the source of all perfection1 enters the soul1 to be in it all that ,he has taught it to desire4 ,count on the indwelling of ,his power4--,the merchant of to-day has facilities granted to no previous age4 ,the cablegram1 telegram1 and telephone put him in communication with the markets of the world3 steam and electricity are his willing slaves in manufacture3 machinery with its unwearying iron fingers toils for him4 ,a single human brain1 which knows how to avail itself of these resources1 can multiply its conceptions indefinitely4 ,how vast the space between the untutored savage1 doing everything with his hands1 and the merchant prince1 who has but to press the ivory-plated pushes fixed upon the walls of his room6 ,but not less is the difference between the work we can accomplish by our natural resources1 and that which we achieve when we recognize that what is impossible to us is possible to ,him who has come in to abide4 ,i cannot2 but ,god is within me1 and ,he can4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,conditions ,,of ,,the ,,divine ,,immanence4--7#a7 ,love to ,christ4--,he that loveth ,me shall4 4 4 4 ,we would love ,him1 but how8 ,do not think of your love1 but of ,his4 ,love is of ,god4 ,open the shutters of your being toward the love of ,god2 we love because ,he first loves4 ,love is the reflection from us of what we have first received from ,god4 ,love is shed abroad in the heart by the ,holy ,spirit4 ,the fruit of the ,spirit is ,love4 ,seek the in-filling and in-working of the ,spirit2 be careful to obey ,his promptings to love2 avoid grieving ,him by bitterness1 wrath1 or evil speaking2 sit as ,his willing pupil in the school of love2 cast on ,him the responsibility of securing in your nature obedience to the primal law which is fulfilled in the one word1 ,thou shalt love4 ,beneath the nurturing grace of the ,spirit1 we shall be led to meditate much on the love of ,jesus to us1 especially as manifested in the death of the cross2 and as we muse1 the fire will burn1 love will glow1 and afford the condition of soul which is infinitely attractive to the ,divine ,lover1 who requires our love1 and produces the love which ,he requires4 7#b7 ,obedience to ,christ4--,where there is true love1 there will be obedience4 ,this rather than emotion4 ,many a sincere soul who questions its love1 because its emotions are low or fluctuating1 would rather die than disobey the least jot or tittle of ,his commandments4 ,such a one loves4 ,he that hath ,my commandments 7treasured in memory and heart71 he it is that loveth ,me4 ,why do ye call ,him1 ,lord1 ,lord1 and do not the things that ,he says8 ,there may be the luscious language of the lip1 but it does not deceive ,him4 ,he looks under the leaves for fruit4 ,disobedience robs the soul of the sweet sense of ,christ's indwelling4 ,nothing can compensate for failure to obey4 ,whatever the protestations1 there is no real love to ,christ where ,his commands are knowingly disregarded and set at nought4 ,but each time we dare to step out in simple obedience to ,his will1 it seems as though the inner light shines deeper down into the hidden places of our being1 and the residence of ,christ extends to new chambers of the heart4 ,,xiii ,christ's ,legacy and ,gift of ,peace ,peace ,i leave with you1 ,my peace ,i give unto you3 not as the world giveth give ,i unto you4 ,let not your heart be troubled1 neither let it be afraid4--,,john xiv4 #bg4 ,it seems a little anomalous to talk of peace at a time when the war-clouds are being swiftly blown up from the horizon1 the sea roaring1 and men's hearts failing them for fear3 and yet1 in the deepest aspects1 this is of all times the most suitable4 ,it is when the storm rattles on the window-panes that the family draws closer round the fire1 and the mother clasps her babe to her breast4 ,the word ,peace is the ,eastern salutation and benediction4 ,when one stranger encounters another1 as they meet and part1 they wish each other peace4 ,it was befitting1 therefore1 that at ,christ's entrance into our world1 the first salutation to men1 as conveyed by the angels1 should be1 ,peace on earth2 and that ,his parting words should be1 ,peace be unto you4 ,but with what a wealth of meaning does the ,lord invest familiar words when they issue from ,his lips6 ,let us draw nigh1 and allow ,his sweet and soothing consolations to have their full effect4 ,i4 ,,let ,,us ,,distinguish ,,between ,,peace ,,and ,,my ,,peace4--,peace ,i leave with you1 ,my peace ,i give unto you4 ,there is a distinction between these two4 ,the former refers to the result of ,his work for us on the cross3 ,being justified by faith1 we have peace with ,god through our ,lord ,jesus ,christ2 the latter refers to ,his indwelling1 who is our ,peace4 ,the one ,he has bequeathed as a legacy to all men3 the testator died1 and left in ,his will a perfect reconciliation between ,god and man1 which is for all who are willing to avail themselves of it2 the other is a gift1 which must be appropriated and used1 or it will be ineffectual4 ,the order of these two varieties of peace is invariable4--,we must have peace with ,god before we can enjoy the peace of ,god4 ,we must receive the atonement1 with all its blessed comfort1 before we can enter upon our heritage in ,christ ,jesus4 ,a believer1 whose feet were dipping in the chill waters of the river1 said to me recently1 when speaking of her enjoyment of some of the deeper aspects of ,christian experience1 ,i am afraid ,i have been building from the top4 ,i see now1 as ,i come near eternity1 that one's foundations must be strong and sure before one can build on them4 ,i need now more than ever the blood of ,christ4 ,this1 perhaps1 is one of the perils of the present day4 ,the ,church is arraying herself in her beautiful garments4 ,the gold pieces of ,christian thought and life are becoming current coin1 taken from the coffers1 where they have too long lain1 and distributed broadcast4 ,treatises and tractlets on the innermost aspects of the blessed life are plentiful as flowers in ,may4 ,there is a danger1 therefore1 of young converts and others occupying themselves with such themes1 and not paying sufficient attention to the ,divine order4 ,christ dying for us on the cross must precede ,christ living in us by ,his ,spirit2 justification with its evidences must be well apprehended before sanctification with its fruits2 the peace with ,god must shed its benediction over the soul before it can enter upon the peace of ,god4 ,ah soul6 thou hast experienced the former2 dost thou know the latter8 ,dost thou know what it is for ,christ to enter into the closed doors of the inner chamber of the heart1 and say1 ,peace be unto thee8 what it is to hear ,his voice speaking above the tumult of the inland lake of thy soul1 and making a great calm8 what it is for ,him to deal with the springs of the inner life1 which lie deeper than emotion or fancy1 and pour in ,his infinite serenity1 so that the outflow may be pellucid and tranquil8 ,christ lays stress on ,his peace4 ,he must mean the very peace that filled ,his own heart2 not something like it1 but the same1 always keeping the heart with the affections1 and the mind with its thoughts4 ,this being so1 we infer-- ,that ,his peace is consistent with a perfect knowledge of coming sorrow4--,he knew all things that awaited ,him 7,john xviii4 #d73 the treachery of ,judas1 the denial by ,peter1 the forsaking by all1 the shame and spitting1 the cross and grave2 and yet ,he spoke serenely of ,his peace4 ,it is therefore consistent with the certain outlook toward darkness and the shadow of death4 ,you may know from certain symptoms that cancer has struck its fangs into your flesh1 and that paralysis has begun to creep along your spine1 that your dearest is barked by the ,woodsman for felling1 that your means of subsistence will inevitably dry up2 but1 facing all these1 as ,jesus faced the cross1 you may still be conscious of a peace that passeth understanding4 ,that it is consistent with energetic action4--,men are disposed to think that peace is one of the last fruits of the tree of life1 which drops into the hand of the aged4 ,a man says to himself1 ,i shall have to relinquish this active life1 to settle in some quiet country home in the midst of nature1 and then perhaps ,i shall know what peace means4 ,a snug home and a competence1 the culture of flowers1 the slow march of the seasons1 tender home-love1 far away from the hustling throng of the world--these are the conditions of peace4 ,not so1 says ,christ3 ,arise1 let us go hence4 ,let us leave this quiet harbor1 and launch out into the stormy deep4 ,let us leave this still chamber1 around the windows of which the vines cling1 and go forth into the garden where the cedars fight with the tempest1 and amidst it all we shall find it possible to enjoy the peace that passeth knowledge4 ,let men and women immersed in the throng of daily toil1 young men1 busy men1 understand that ,christ's peace is for those who hear the bugle note of duty summoning them to arise1 and go hence4 ,that the chief evidence of this peace is in the leisureliness of the heart4--,christ's possession of peace was very evident through all the stormy scenes that followed4 ,with perfect composure ,he could heal the ear of ,malchus1 and stay the impetuosity of ,peter2 could reason quietly with the slave that smote ,him1 and bid the daughters of ,jerusalem not to weep2 could open paradise to the dying thief1 and the door of ,john's home to the reception of ,his mother4 ,few things betray the presence of ,his peace more than the absence of irritability1 fretfulness1 and feverish haste1 which expend the tissues of life4 ,oh that you may now receive from ,christ this blessed gift6 ,let the peace of ,christ rule in your heart2 it is your high privilege1 be not backward in availing yourself of it4 ,it will be as oil to the machinery of life4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,sources ,,of ,,christ',s ,,peace4--7#a7 ,the vision of the ,father4--,if ye loved ,me1 ye would rejoice because ,i said1 ,i go unto the ,father4 ,throughout these closing chapters ,he seems able to speak of nothing else4 ,his mind ranges from the disciples whom ,he was leaving to the ,father to whom ,he was going4 ,almost unconsciously ,he gives us a glimpse of ,his self-repression in staying so long away from ,his ,father's manifested presence1 when ,he says that if we loved ,him we would be glad to lose ,his bodily presence because ,he had gone to be with the ,father4 ,he gives us to understand how real and near the ,father was to ,him1 and how ,he longed to be again in ,his bosom6 ,he was so occupied with this thought1 that ,he reckoned little of what lay between4 ,hail6 ye stormy waters of death1 stormy winds1 and boisterous waves1 ye do but waft my soul nearer its haven in the ,father's love6 ,it is the thought of the ,father that gives peace1 because it robs life of its terrors and death of its sting4 ,why fear what life may bring when the ,father has arranged each successive step of its pathway6 ,why dread ,judas or ,caiaphas1 ,herod or ,pilate since the ,father lies between the soul and them as a rampart of rock6 ,why lose heart amid the perplexities and discouragements1 whose dark shadows lie heavily on the hills1 when in the green pastures of the valley the ,father's love tends the sheep6 ,ask ,christ to reveal the ,father to you4 ,live in ,his everlasting love1 and learn what ,he can be amid the storm and tumult as a very present help4 7#b7 ,disentanglement from the world4--,the prince of this world cometh1 and hath nothing in ,me4 ,he came first at the beginning of the ,saviour's life1 with temptations to his ambitions2 he came again at its close1 with temptations to that natural shrinking from pain which is characteristic of a highly organized nature4 ,back1 ,son of ,man6 ,thou canst not bear the cross and spear1 the nail and thorn6 ,thy tender flesh will ill sustain ,thee when the sorrows of death and the pains of hell get hold upon ,thee6 ,so ,satan came2 but there was no response in the heart of ,christ1 no answering voice from the depths of ,his soul1 no traitor within to join hands with the tempter without4 ,there was no square inch of territory in all ,christ's nature which the devil could claim1 or from which he could operate4 ,this is a clue to ,christ's peace1 which we do well to follow till it lead us out into the open4 ,as long as we are entangled with this world1 peace evades us1 just as sleep1 which comes easily to the laboring man who has nothing beyond his daily wage1 vanishes from the pillow of the merchant1 who on stormy nights thinks uneasily of the vessels which carry his wealth far out at sea4 ,we must stand clear of the ambitions of the world1 of the fear or favor of man1 of the avaricious craving for wealth1 or the fear of poverty4 ,we must put the cross of ,christ between us and the world1 which was judged at ,calvary4 ,we must be able to say truly that our treasure is in heaven and our heart also1 and that we seek the things where ,christ sitteth at the right hand of ,god4 ,then the stock-market may fluctuate1 riches go or come1 men praise or hate1 nought will affect our peace1 any more than the tumults of a continental city1 in which we are spending a night in transit1 can cause us serious disturbance4 7#c7 ,supreme love4--,i love the ,father4 ,i have so often noticed how a supreme love in a young girl's life seems to calm and quiet her1 because it draws the whole of her nature in one strong flow toward the man of her choice4 ,before that1 there was a waywardness1 a vacillation1 a nervous excitement1 which passed away as soon as love dawned upon her soul4 ,so long as the heart is subject to every influence1 it quivers and wavers as the magnet needle when swept by streams of electricity4 ,a strong uniting love does for us what the strong attraction of the pole does for the needle4 ,christ loved the ,father4 ,there was no difficulty in bearing what ,he sent1 or doing what ,he bade4 ,there were no rival claimants1 no questionings or debate within the palace of ,his heart4 ,every passion and emotion of ,his human nature was quieted and stilled in the set of ,his whole being toward the ,father4 ,if you too would have peace1 you must love2 you must love supremely ,him who alone is worthy1 who can never disappoint or fail4 ,and in proportion as you love ,god1 you will find pleasure in all beautiful things1 in all lovely persons1 in all the fair gifts of nature and life4 ,oh1 love the ,lord1 ,o my soul1 and all that is within me1 love ,his holy name6 7#d7 ,a supreme source of authority4--,as the ,father gave ,me commandment1 even so ,i do4 ,every soul must have a supreme source of authority in its life1 if it is to have peace4 ,its own whim1 the suggestion of passion1 the vagrant impulse of the moment1 are inconsistent with tranquillity4 ,there must be for each of us one voice which is imperative1 one command which is indisputable1 one authority which admits of no gainsaying4 ,if you will search your heart you will see that this is so4 ,compare the restlessness of the ,book of ,judges with the tranquillity of the reign of ,solomon1 and you will have an apt illustration of your own experience before consecration put ,christ on ,his throne1 and afterward4 ,when the true ,melchizedek established his reign within you1 at once your heart became ,salem1 the city of peace4 ,when you put the government upon ,his shoulder1 ,he set up ,his reign within you as the ,prince of ,peace4 ,happy for you1 if to the increase of ,his government there is no end2 for of the increase of your peace there will be no end either4 ,combine these four--the sense of ,god's presence and providence in the details of life2 detachment from the world2 a supreme love to ,god2 the recognition in everything that you are ,his slave--and you will comply with the conditions of participating in the peace of ,christ which ,he offers4 ,some persons have a marvellous faculty of imparting their own tranquillity in an accident1 a storm1 an illness2 their aspect1 tones1 manner1 are like the repose of a summer's evening after a sultry day3 so shall ,christ be to you1 and you to others4 ,,iii4 ,,christ',s ,,giving ,,contrasted ,,with ,,the ,,world',s4--,not as the world giveth1 give ,i unto you4 ,the world wishes peace1 but lightly speaks the word2 frequently wishing it when there is least warrant for it2 wishing it without doing anything to produce it2 wishing it whilst glorying over a wrong1 healing slightly a wound1 covering with the turf the crater of a volcano4 ,christ1 on the other hand1 lays the foundations of peace in suitable conditions of a holy and healthy life4 ,with the world1 peace is a passing emotion2 with ,christ1 a settled principle of action--the perfect balance and equilibrium of the soul1 out of which comes all that is fair1 strong1 wholesome4 ,the world's peace consists in the absence of untoward circumstances2 ,christ's is altogether independent of circumstances1 and consists in the state of the heart4 ,it matters nothing to ,him that in the world we have tribulation4 ,he bids us be of good cheer1 because in ,him we shall have peace4 ,the wildest conjunction of outward things cannot break the perfect peace which nestles to ,his heart1 as ,noah's dove to the hand which plucked it in from the weltering waters4 ,let not your heart be troubled1 the ,master says again4 ,you may be troubled on every side1 but be not troubled4 ,do not let the trouble come inside4 ,watch carefully against its intrusion1 as you would against that of any other form of temptation4 ,let ,my peace1 like a sentinel1 keep you2 and as you look forward to the unknown future1 out of which spectral figures emerge1 do not be afraid4 ,there is a part for you to do1 as well as for ,me4 ,i can give you ,my peace1 but you must avoid any and everything that will militate against its possession and growth4 ,,xiv ,the ,story of the ,vine ,i am the true ,vine1 and ,my ,father is the ,husbandman4--,,john xv4 ,i4 ,we have now a story to tell which1 in the eye of heaven1 will make our world forever memorable and wonderful among her sister spheres4 ,it is the story of the ,vine1 and how it was the ,divine purpose our earth should be its fruitful soil1 and our race intimately associated with its growth and history4 ,i am the true ,vine1 said our ,lord4 ,not improbably1 as ,he was passing forth with ,his disciples into the moonlit air1 ,he perceived a vine clustering around the window or door2 and with an eye ever awake to each touch of natural beauty1 and a heart always alert for spiritual lessons1 ,he turned to them and said1 ,what that vine is in the world of nature ,i am in relation to all true and faithful souls4 ,i am the true ,vine--true1 not as opposed to false1 but true in the sense of real1 substantial1 and enduring4 ,the essential1 as distinguished from the circumstantial2 the eternal1 as distinct from the temporary and transient4 ,nature is a parable of ,god4 ,in each of her forms we have a revelation of ,god4 ,not so complete as that given through the mind of prophets1 or the life of ,jesus ,christ1 but still a revelation of the ,divine4 ,each natural object1 as it stood in ,eden's untainted beauty1 displayed some aspect of ,him1 whom no man can see and live4 ,the apple-tree among the trees of the wood2 the rose of ,sharon3 the lily of the vale2 the cedar1 with its dark green foliage2 the rock for strength2 the sea for multitudinousness2 the heaven with its limpid blue1 like the ,divine compassion1 overarching all--these are some of the forthshadowings in the natural world of spiritual qualities in the nature of ,god4 ,the vine was made the clinging1 helpless plant it is1 that it might forever remind men of certain deep characteristics of the ,divine nature4 ,i4 ,,the ,,vine ,,and ,,its ,,branches4--,the unity of the vine4 ,the vine and its branches constitute one plant4 ,some branches may be trailed along the trellis-work outside the cottage door1 others conducted through hothouse after hothouse2 yet one life1 one stream of sap1 one essential quality and character pervades them all1 from the dark root1 buried in the soil1 to the furthest twig or leaf4 ,yonder branch1 waving its fronds high up against the hothouse glass1 cannot say to that long leafless branch hidden beneath the shelf1 ,you do not belong to me1 nor ,i to you4 ,no twig is independent of another twig4 ,however different the functions1 root and branches1 leaves and cluster1 all together make one composite but organic whole4 ,so is it with ,christ4 ,all who are one with ,him are one with each other4 ,the branches that were nearest the root in the days of ,pentecost are incomplete without the last converts that shall be added in the old age of the world4 ,those without these will not be made perfect4 ,this is the underlying truth of the holy ,catholic ,church4 ,men have tried to show that it must be an outward and visible organization1 consisting of those who had received1 through a long line of apostolical succession1 some mystic power for administering rites and conferring absolution1 together with those who came beneath the touch of their priestly hands4 ,that theory has notoriously broken down4 ,but the truth of which it is a grotesque travesty is presented in our ,lord's conception of the vine1 deeply planted in the dark grave of ,joseph's garden1 which had reached down its branches through the ages1 and in which every believing soul has a part4 ,touch ,christ1 become one with ,him in living union1 abide in ,him1 and you are one with the glorious company of the apostles1 the goodly fellowship of the prophets1 the noble army of martyrs and the ,church of the ,first-born1 whose names are written in heaven4 ,the pliancy of the vine4--,more than most plants it needs a husbandman4 ,it cannot stand upright like other fruit-trees1 but requires a skillful hand to guide its pliant branches along the espaliers1 or to entwine them in the trellis-work4 ,it suggests a true thought of the appearance presented to the world by ,christ and ,his ,church4 ,mrs4 ,hamilton ,king1 in her description of the sermon preached in the hospital by ,ugo ,bassi1 on the eve of the great movement which1 by the expulsion of the ,austrians1 gave ,italy to the ,italians1 specially dwells on this4 ,down five wards the prisoners are lying on the hospital-beds from which they will never rise again4 ,to them the deep voice of the hero-preacher tells the story of the vine3 how it is tied to a stake1 and if its arms stretch out1 it is but cross-wise2 they are also forced and bound4 ,thus it was with ,christ4 ,never following ,his own way2 always bound to the imperative must of the ,father's will2 yielded to the cross as a willing ,sufferer4 ,and so it has been with ,his followers4 ,not strong to stand alone1 but always yielded to the ,father's will1 that ,he should lead them whither ,he would--to a cross1 if needs were2 to persecution and shame1 if this would better serve ,his purpose2 to a ,gethsemane1 if that were the only gate to life4 ,yield thyself to those loving hands4 ,they may lead thee afar from thy original purpose--twisting thee in and out with many a contortion2 fixing thee with nail and fastening2 trailing thee over the wall1 to droop thy clusters to the hands of strangers4 ,nevertheless1 be sure to let ,him have ,his way with thee2 this is necessary for the accomplishment of ,his purpose4 ,the suffering of the vine4--,when1 in the spring1 the grace of the green vine makes all the land lovely1 and the shoots begin to wind and wave in the blue air1 the husbandman comes in with pruning-hook and shears1 and strips it bare of all its innocent pride4 ,nor is this all4 ,even in the vintage it is not allowed to glory in the results of the year1 the branches are torn down and trodden in the wine-press1 while the vine stands stripped and desolate4 ,so it has always been4 ,the well-being of the world has been greatly promoted through the ,church1 but always at an infinite cost to herself4 ,christ's people have always been a suffering people1 and it is in exact proportion to their anguish that they have enriched mankind4 ,they have saved others1 but not themselves4 ,the red stream of blood that has vitalized the world1 has flowed from broken hearts4 ,measure thy life by loss instead of gain1 ,not by the wine drunk1 but by the wine poured forth2 ,for ,love's strength standeth in ,love's sacrifice1 ,and whoso suffers most hath most to give4 ,the interdependence of vine and branches4--,in ,god from eternity dwelt a wealth of love1 pity1 and yearning over the souls of men1 that could not express themselves directly4 ,there was no language for the infinite passion of the ,divine heart4 ,hence the gift of the ,son1 through whom1 when ,he had become flesh1 the ,infinite might express ,himself4 ,but even this was not sufficient4 ,the vine-root is not enough in itself1 it must have branches to carry its rich juices to the clusters1 so that these may hang free of each other in the sun and air4 ,christ must have branches--long lines of saved souls extending down the centuries--through which to communicate ,himself to men4 ,we have seen how necessary the root is to the branches4 ,only from it can our fruit be found4 ,but let us humbly1 yet gladly1 believe that we are also necessary to ,christ4 ,he cannot do without us4 ,the ,son wants sons2 angels will not suffice4 ,through redeemed men alone can ,he achieve ,his eternal purpose4 ,i hear the ,root pleading for more and yet more branch-life1 that it may cover the world with goodly shadow and fruit4 ,,ii4 ,,fruit ,,or ,,no ,,fruit4--,from all that has been said1 it is clear that the one purpose in the vine is fruit-bearing4 ,see1 here1 how the ,divine ,teacher accentuates it4 ,fruit1 much fruit1 more fruit4 ,nothing less will content ,him in any one of us4 ,for this we were taken out of the wild vine in which we were by nature1 and grafted into ,him2 for this the regeneration of the ,holy ,ghost1 and the discipline of life2 for this the sunshine of ,his love1 and the dew of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,it becomes each seriously to ask1 ,am ,i bringing forth fruit unto ,god8 ,there may be orthodoxy of doctrine1 correctness in life1 and even heartiness of service2 but is there fruit1 much fruit1 more fruit8 ,fruit6--,this is the only condition of being retained in living union with the ,vine4 ,much fruit6--,only thus will the ,father be glorified4 ,more fruit4--,otherwise there must be the repeated use of the knife4 ,nowhere does the ,lord contemplate a little fruit4 ,a berry here and there6 ,a thin bunch of sour1 unripened grapes6 ,yet it is too true that many believers yield no more than this4 ,he comes to us hungry for grapes1 but behold a few mildewed bunches1 not fit to eat6 ,where there is no fruit1 there has been no real union with the ,vine4 ,probably you are a professor1 but not a possessor2 a nominal ,christian1 an attendant at church or chapel1 but not really one with ,christ4 ,true union with ,him produces a temper1 a disposition1 a ripe and mellow experience which certainly indicates that ,christ is within4 ,you cannot simulate the holy joy1 the thoughtful love1 the tranquil serenity1 the strong self-control1 which mark the soul which is in real union with ,jesus2 but where there is real abiding1 these things will be in us and abound1 and we shall be neither barren1 nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,knife ,,and ,,the ,,fire4--,every branch in ,me that beareth fruit1 the ,father who is the ,husbandman purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit4 ,too many children of ,god1 when passing through great physical and other suffering1 account it punishment4 ,nay1 it is not punitive1 but purgative4 ,this is the pruning-knife1 cutting away the shoots of the self-life1 that the whole energy of the soul may be directed to the manifesting of the life of the ,lord ,jesus4 ,it may seem a grievous waste to see the floor of the hothouse or vineyard littered with fronds and shoots and leaves1 but there need be no lament3 the branches of the autumn will well repay each stroke of that keen edge with fuller1 richer fruit4 ,so we gain by loss1 we live as we die1 the inward man is renewed as the outer decays4 ,the knife is in the ,father's hand2 let us never forget that4 ,he will not intrust this delicate and difficult work to man or angel4 ,shall we not be in subjection to the ,father of our spirits and live8 ,blessed be the ,father of our ,lord ,jesus1 and our ,father in ,him4 ,he that spared not ,christ may be trusted to do the best for us4 ,employing the same word1 the ,master said1 ,now ye have been pruned through the word that ,i have spoken to you4 ,perhaps if we were more often to yield ourselves to the pruning of the ,word1 we should escape the pruning of sore pain and trial4 ,if the work were done by the golden edge of ,scripture1 it might make the iron edge of chastisement needless4 ,therefore1 when we take the ,word of ,god in hand1 let us ask the great ,husbandman to use it for the pruning away of all that is carnal or evil1 so that ,his life may have unhindered sway4 ,but if we will not bear fruit we must be taken away4 ,we shall lose our sphere of ,christian service1 and be exposed as hollow and lifeless professors4 ,the vine-branch that has no wealth of purple clusters is good for nothing4 ,salt which is savorless is fit neither for the land nor the dunghill4 ,vine-branches that bear no fruit are cast into the fire4 ,professors that lack the grace of a holy temper1 and the beauty of a consistent life are taken away4 ,men cast them into the fire and they are burned4 ,these three years the ,divine ,husbandman has come hungrily seeking fruit of thee1 yet in vain4 ,nevertheless1 ,he will spare thee for this year also1 that thou mayest mend thy ways4 ,this is the reason of thy multiplied anxieties2 ,he is pruning thee4 ,if thou bearest fruit1 it will be well1 eternally well2 but if not1 then it is inevitable that thou shalt be cut away as dead and useless wood4 ,,xv ,abide in ,me1 and ,i in you ,abide in ,me1 and ,i in you4 ,as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself1 except it abide in the vine2 no more can ye1 except ye abide in ,me4--,,john xv4 #d4 ,these words are so familiar by constant repetition1 that their power to awaken the soul is greatly lessened4 ,they go and come through ear and mind1 as a lodger who has gone and come with exactly the same appearance and at precisely the same hours for years1 and no one notices him now1 because there is nothing novel about him to awake notice or remark4 ,how good would it be if we could hear this tender injunction for the first time4 ,next to this1 let us ask the ,divine ,spirit to rid it of the familiarity of long use1 to re-mint it1 and to make it fresh and vital1 that it may seem to us that we have never before realized how much ,jesus meant1 when ,he said1 ,abide in ,me4 ,perhaps it may assist us1 if we adopt another ,english word for abide1 and one which1 in some respects even more neatly1 and certainly in sound1 resembles the ,greek4 ,it is the word remain2 so that we may read the ,master's bidding thus3 ,remain in ,me1 and ,i in you4 ,this word is often employed in the ,new ,testament in connection with house and home4 ,mary abode or remained with ,elizabeth for three months2 and ,there abide or remain1 said our ,lord1 when giving ,his disciples direction for their preaching tour1 and referring to some hospitable house which has been opened to welcome them4 ,it is used three times in that memorable colloquy which introduced ,john and ,andrew to their future ,teacher and ,lord2 ,master1 they said1 where abidest or remainest ,thou2 ,he saith unto them1 ',come and ye shall see4' ,they came therefore1 and saw where ,he is remaining1 and they remained with ,him that day4 ,and again3 ,zacchaeus1 make haste and come down1 for to-day ,i must remain in thy house4 ,we are to remain in ,christ as a man stays in his home4 ,it is inferred1 of course1 that we are in ,christ4--,it would be absurd to bid a man remain in a house unless he were already within its doors4 ,we must be sure that we are in ,christ4 ,naturally we were outside--,remember1 says the ,apostle1 that aforetime ye were separate from ,christ1 alienated from the commonwealth of ,israel1 strangers from the covenants of promise1 having no hope1 and without ,god in the world4 ,we were shoots in the wild vine1 partaking of its nature1 involved in its curse1 threatened by the axe which lay at its root4 ,but all this is altered now4 ,the ,father1 who is the ,husbandman1 of ,his abundant grace and mercy1 has taken us out of the wild vine and grafted us into the true4 ,of ,god are ye in ,christ ,jesus4 ,it is quite true that we repented of our sins1 and turned toward ,god2 that we have believed in ,christ1 and taken ,his yoke2 that we have found rest under the shelter of ,his cross1 and joy in expecting ,his advent2 but we must never forget that behind all these movements of our will1 and choice1 and faith1 were the willing and doing of ,god ,himself4 ,it is the ,lord's doing1 and it is marvellous in our eyes4 ,blessed be the ,god and ,father of our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who hath begotten us again unto a living hope4 ,what confidence this gives us6 ,we are in ,christ by the act of ,god's grace and power1 and surely ,he who put us in1 can keep us there4 ,did ,he not shut ,noah into the ark1 and keep him there amid all the crash of the pitiless deluge6 ,we have only to consent to remain1 and allow ,god to perfect that which concerneth us4 ,be confident of this very thing1 that ,he who began a good work in you1 will perform it until the day of ,jesus ,christ4 ,the stress which the ,master lays on our abiding in ,him4--,he appears to summon all ,his forces to accentuate ,his parting message4 ,you always reserve your most important injunctions to the last1 that they may remain fresh and impressive1 as the train steams out of the station1 as the boat leaves the landing-stage2 so ,christ left this entreaty to the last1 that it might carry with it the emphasis of a parting message forevermore4 ,but note how ,he drives it home4 ,its keyword occurs eleven times in eleven consecutive verses4 ,he depicts the terrible result if we do not abide3 we shall wither1 be taken away1 and consigned to the fire4 ,he shows how utterly we shall miss the one end of our existence1 the glorification of the ,father by fruit-bearing1 unless we strenuously and continuously abide4 ,he allures by the thought of the much fruit2 by the assurance of success in prayer2 by the promise of fullness of joy1 of love1 and of blessedness4 ,he entreats1 commands1 exhorts1 all in one breath4 ,it is as though ,he were to say1 ,children1 ,i am leaving you2 there are many things ,i desire for you1 many commands to utter1 many cautions1 many lessons2 but ,i am content to leave all unsaid1 if only you will remember this one all-inclusive bidding1 ,abide in ,me1 remain in ,me2 stay where ,god has put you2 deepen1 emphasize1 intensify the union already existing between you and ,me4 ,from ,me is your fruit found4 ,without ,me ye can do nothing4 ,abide in ,me1 and ,i in you4 ,grow up into ,me in all things1 which am the ,head1 rooted and built up in ,me1 and stablished by your faith1 even as ye were taught4 ,there are many analogies to this appeal4--,the sun says to the little earth-planet1 ,abide in me4 ,resist the temptation to fly into space1 remain in the solar sphere1 and ,i will abide in the formation of thy rocks1 the verdure of thy vegetation1 and all living things1 baptizing them in my fire4 ,abide in me1 says the ocean to the alcove1 that shows symptoms of division from its waves4 ,keep thy channel unsilted and open1 and ,i will pour my fullness up to thy farthest shore1 twice in every twenty-four hours4 ,abide in me3 the vine says it to the branch1 that it may impart supplies of life and fruit2 the air says it to the lung1 that it may minister ozone and oxygen to its cells2 the magnet says it to the needle1 that it may communicate its own specific quality1 and fit it to guide across the ocean the mighty steamer1 laden with the freight of human life4 ,abide in me3 the artist says it to the novice2 ,edison would say it to some young ,faraday2 the preacher to the student4 ,any man who is eager to impart his ideas to coming time is glad when some young life1 eager1 quick to receive formative impressions1 presents itself4 ,here1 says he1 is my opportunity of incarnating myself afresh1 and still living1 speaking1 painting1 when my life is done4 ,stay with me1 young soul1 share my home1 saturate yourself with my ideas and methods of expression1 go to no other fields to glean1 and ,i will give my best self in return4 ,so1 also1 the mother speaks to the child4 ,if she is wise she will be chary of handing it over to the nurse1 or sending it away to the care of strangers1 except for the hours necessary for education4 ,companions and games1 books and studies1 shall be within the influences of her mother's love2 and she1 in return1 will gladly bestow herself to the eager life that waits on her every movement1 look1 and word4 ,in all these cases1 it is always the stronger that pleads with the weaker to abide1 promising the communication to fuller life4 ,each1 in measure1 says1 in the words of the glorious ,christ1 ,i am stronger1 wiser1 fuller1 better than you2 all is mine that it may be yours1 therefore1 abide in ,me1 and ,i will abide in you4 ,notice ,christ's consciousness of sufficiency for the needs of men4--,it were blasphemous audacity to speak thus1 if ,he were not more than man4 ,he affirms that there can be no life apart from ,him2 that souls not united with ,him wither on the forest floor4 ,he says1 that fruit-bearing is only possible to those who receive from ,his fullness grace for grace4 ,he says1 that to be in union with ,him will secure union with all holy souls4 ,he says1 that if ,his words are carefully pondered and obeyed1 we shall make no petition which ,his ,father will not grant4 ,he says1 that ,his love1 in quality and quantity1 is like the love that ,god has toward ,himself2 that ,his commands take rank with those of ,deity4 ,he offers ,himself to all mankind in coming ages1 as their contemporary1 and as the one sufficient source of life and godliness4 ,all these assumptions are made in the range of these verses2 and as we ponder them1 we feel that the ,speaker must be conscious of being other than human1 and as possessing those infinite attributes which are the sole property of the ,eternal4 ,yet1 who shall say that ,he has offered more than ,he can give8 ,have not we tested ,him in each of these particulars1 and do not we1 who have come to ,him by faith1 know that in no one item has ,he been guilty of exaggeration8 ,we were dead1 but behold1 we live6 ,we spent our energies in profitless work2 but now we bear fruit unto ,god4 ,we were lonely and isolated1 but now have come to the heavenly ,jerusalem1 to the innumerable company of angels1 and to the ,church of the ,firstborn4 ,our prayers were aimless and ineffective2 but now we have the petitions we desired4 ,new hope and joy have filled our hearts1 as the ruddy clusters hang full and ripe in the autumn4 ,prove ,him for yourself and see if this shall not be so for you also4 ,only give yourself entirely up to ,christ4 ,abide in ,him4 ,remain in ,him4 ,let thought and speech and life be bathed in the influences of ,his ,holy ,spirit2 ,let the sap of ,his life flow where the sap of the self-life was wont to flow2 and lo6 old things will pass away1 and all things will become new4 ,the law and method of abiding4--,there are two currents always flowing within our reach3 ,the ,not ,i1 and the ,i4 ,the last ,adam1 and the first4 ,the ,spirit1 and the flesh4 ,god has put us by ,his grace into the first of these4 ,the ,master says1 ,stop there4 ,much as when a father puts his little boy in the railway carriage1 en route for home1 and says1 ,my boy1 stop where you are4 ,do not get out2 no change is necessary4 ,we are in ,christ by regeneration and faith4 ,we may not always be thinking about ,him2 but we remain in ,him1 unless by unfaithfulness or sin we consciously and voluntarily leave ,him4 ,and if we have left ,him for a single moment1 it is always possible by confession and renewal to regain our old position4 ,this is confessedly an inadequate figure of speech4 ,there is a sense in which the member cannot be amputated from the body1 and the soul cannot be divorced from its union with ,christ4 ,but we are not dealing now with our integral oneness with ,christ for life1 but with our abiding union with ,him for fruit-bearing and service4 ,and again we say1 for those who are so immersed in daily business1 as to be unable for long together to keep their minds fixed on ,christ1 that their abiding in ,him does not depend on their perpetual realization and consciousness of ,his presence1 but on the faith that they have done and said nothing inconsistent with the holy bond of fellowship4 ,you are in a lift until you step out of it1 though you may not be thinking of the lift4 ,you keep on a road until you take a turning right or left1 although1 engrossed in converse with your friend1 you do not think of the road4 ,you are in ,christ amid the pressure of daily care1 and the haste of business1 so long as your face is toward the ,lord1 your attitude that of humble submission1 and your conscience void of offence4 ,during the day it is therefore possible at any moment to say1 ,i am in ,thee1 ,o blessed ,christ4 ,i have not all the rapture and passion of more radiant hours1 but ,i am in ,thee1 because ,i would not by a single act1 leave ,thy secret place4 ,if at such a moment you are conscious that you are not able to say as much1 instantly go back over the past few hours1 discover the place when you severed yourself from your ,lord1 and return4 ,study ,godet's beautiful definition of abiding3 ,it is the continuous act by which the ,christian lays aside all he might draw from his own wisdom1 strength and merit1 to desire all from ,christ by the inward aspiration of faith4 ,whenever1 therefore1 temptation arises to leave the words of ,christ 7ver4 #g71 for the maxims of the world1 step back1 remain in ,him1 deny yourself4 ,whenever you are tempted to leave the narrow path of ,his commandments 7ver4 #aj71 to follow the impulses of your own nature1 reckon yourself dead to these that you may run in those4 ,whenever you are tempted to forsake the holy temper of ,christ's love1 for jealousy1 envy1 hatred1 step back and say1 ,i will not go out of my hiding-place1 ,i elect to remain in the love of ,god4 ,the one effort of life is therefore reduced to a persistent resistance to all the suggestions of the world1 the flesh and the devil2 that we should step out of that ,blessed ,man into whom the ,father has grafted us4 ,then ,he abides in us4 ,he is strong where we are weak1 loving and tender where we are thoughtless1 holy where we fail4 ,he is in us as wisdom1 righteousness1 sanctification1 and redemption2 and as the hope of glory4 ,,xvi ,prayer that ,prevails ,if ye abide in ,me1 and ,my words abide in you1 ye shall ask what ye will1 and it shall be done unto you4--,,john xv4 #g4 ,christ expected answers to ,his prayers1 and in all ,his teaching leads us to feel that we shall be able to obtain1 through prayer1 what otherwise would not come to our hand4 ,he knew all that was to be known of natural law and the ,father's heart2 but notwithstanding ,his perfect acquaintance with the mysteries of the ,father's government1 ,he said1 ,ask what ye will1 and it shall be done unto you4 ,a careful comparison between the confident assurances of the ,master1 and the experience of ,christians1 as detailed in their biographies or personal confessions1 discloses a wide difference between ,his words and the findings of ,his disciples4 ,many have become accustomed to disappointment in prayer4 ,they have asked so many things which they have never received2 have sought so much without finding2 have knocked so repeatedly1 but the door has remained closed4 ,we are in the habit of accounting for our failure by saying that probably our prayer was not according to the will of ,god1 or that ,god withheld the less that ,he might give us something better4 ,in some cases there may be even an unspoken misgiving about the harmony of prayer with our ,father's love and wisdom1 or with a perfect confidence in ,him as doing the best for us in the world4 ,we forget that if we prayed as we should1 we should ask what was according to ,his will4 ,we evade ,christ's definite words1 ,whatsoever ye shall ask in ,my ,name1 that will ,i do4 ,when we consider the lives of some who have wrought mightily for ,god1 it is clear that they had learned a secret which eludes many of us4 ,take this1 for instance1 from the biography of ,dr4 ,burns ,thomson4 ,when much together as students1 writes his friend1 we agreed on special petitions1 and the ,lord encouraged us by giving answers1 so early and so definite1 as could only have come from ,himself1 so that no room was left for the shadow of a doubt that ,god was the ,hearer and ,answerer of prayer4 ,once the answer came the same day1 and at another time1 whilst we were yet speaking4 ,my friend often spoke of our agreement1 to the glory of ,him who fulfilled to us ,his promise1 and ,i refer to it1 to encourage others4 ,this is but one leaf out of the great library of prayers1 intercessions1 and supplications for all saints1 which stand recorded before ,god4 ,we naturally turn to our ,lord's last utterances in which ,his instructions about prevailing prayer are fuller than those of the ,sermon on the ,mount2 and than those given in the mid-passage of ,his earthly life1 which depict the importunity of the widow with the unjust judge1 and of the friend with his friend at midnight4 ,the words spoken in the chapter we are now considering are particularly pertinent to our purpose1 because they deal exclusively with the age to which our ,lord frequently referred as that day1 the day of ,pentecost1 the age of the ,holy ,ghost1 the day of this dispensation4 ,,our ,,lord ,,teaches ,,that ,,any ,,prayer ,,which ,,is ,,to ,,prevail ,,with ,,god ,,must ,,pass ,,five ,,tests1 though these are but different phases of the same attitude4 7#a7 ,the glory of the ,father4--,that the ,father may be glorified in the ,son 7,john xiv4 #ac74 ,the one purpose of ,christ on earth was to glorify the ,father2 and at the close of ,his life here ,he was conscious that ,he had not striven in vain4 ,now1 said ,he1 is the ,son of ,man glorified1 and ,god is glorified in ,him4 ,this was the purpose of ,his earthly career1 and it was perfectly consistent with that of ,his eternal being2 for each person of the ,holy ,trinity is ever intent on unfolding and displaying the moral beauty of the other twain4 ,having sat down at the right hand of the ,majesty on high1 ,christ still pursues ,his cherished purpose of making ,his ,father known1 loved1 and adored4 ,no prayer1 therefore1 can hope to succeed with ,him1 or can claim ,his concurrent intercession1 which is out of harmony with this sublime intent4 ,whatever petition we offer should be submitted to this standard4 ,can we establish it in the presence of ,christ1 that our request will promote the glory of the ,father8 ,bring in your evidence--establish your pleas--adduce your strong reasons4 ,if you can make good your claim1 your prayer is already granted4 ,but be sure that it is impossible to seek the glory of ,god consistently with selfish aims4 ,these two can no more coexist than light and darkness in the same cubic space4 ,the glory of ,god will ever triumph at our cost4 ,it is equally certain that none of us can truly pray for the glory of ,god1 unless we are living for it4 ,it is only out of the heart that has but one purpose in life and death1 that those prayers emanate which touch the tenderest chord in the ,saviour's nature1 and awaken all ,his energies to their highest activity1 ,that will ,i do4 7#b7 ,in ,christ's ,name4--,whatsoever ye shall ask in ,my ,name 7,john xiv4 #ac74 ,throughout the ,holy ,scriptures1 name stands for nature4 ,the ,master says1 ,you must ask ,my ,nature4 ,in other words1 when we pray1 it must not be as the self-nature1 but as the ,christian-nature dictates4 ,we always know when that is paramount4 ,it excludes boasting2 it is pure1 peaceable and loving2 it is far removed from the glare and gaud of the world1 it is full of ,calvary1 ,olivet1 and ,pentecost4 ,there are days in our life when we feel borne along on its tidal current2 when ,christ is in us1 the hope of glory2 when a power is working within us beyond what we can ask or think2 when we live1 yet not we1 but ,christ in us--these are the times most propitious for prayer4 ,pour out your heart before ,god4 ,let ,christ1 who is in you by the ,holy ,spirit1 speak to the ,christ who is above you on the throne4 ,let the living water1 which has descended from the eternal city1 return back to its source through the channel of your heart4 ,this is praying in ,his ,name1 and according to ,his ,nature4 ,before we can expect our prayers to prosper1 let us sit quietly down1 and1 putting aside all other voices1 permit the ,christ-nature to speak4 ,it is only in proportion as it countersigns our petitions that they will reach the audience-chamber of eternity4 ,surely1 if this test were properly applied1 many of the petitions we now offer so glibly would never leave our lips1 and we should be satisfied about the fate of many another prayer which1 like some ill-fated barque1 has left our shores1 and never been heard of again4 ,but again let it be remembered that none can pray in the name of ,christ who do not live for that name1 like those early evangelists of whom ,john says that for the sake of the ,name they took nothing of the ,gentiles4 ,the name of ,christ must be predominant in life1 if it is to be efficacious in prayer4 7#c7 ,abide in ,christ4--,if ye abide in ,me1 4 4 4 ask what ye will 7,john xv4 #g74 ,we are in ,christ1 by the grafting of the great ,husbandman1 who took us out of the wild vine of nature1 and incorporated us with ,christ4 ,that union is forever1 but its conscious enjoyment and helpfulness arise only in so far as we keep ,his commandments4 ,a limb may be in the body1 and yet be dislocated and useless4 ,if you are in a train running through to your destination at the terminus1 all that is necessary is to resist the temptation to alight at the stations en route1 and to remain where you are4 ,if1 then1 ,god the ,father has put you into ,christ1 and is seeking to establish you in ,him1 be careful to resist every temptation or suggestion to depart from living fellowship by any act of disobedience or unbelief4 ,if you abide in ,christ in daily fellowship1 it will not be difficult to pray aright1 for ,he has promised to abide in those who abide in ,him2 and the sap of the ,holy ,ghost1 securing for you fellowship with your unseen ,lord1 will produce in you1 as fruit1 desires and petitions similar to those which ,he unceasingly presents to ,his ,father4 ,throughout the ages ,christ has been asking of ,god4 ,this is the perpetual attitude of the ,son to the ,father4 ,he cannot ask what the ,father may not give4 ,to get then into the current of ,his prayer is to be sure of success4 ,abide in ,him1 that ,he may abide in you2 not only in the activities of holy service1 but in the intercessions and supplications of the hour of private prayer4 7#d7 ,submit prayer to the correction of the ,word4--,if ,my words abide in you 4 4 4 7,john xv4 #g74 ,christ's words have been compared to a court of solemn and stately presences1 sitting to try our prayers before they pass on into the ,master's presence4 ,here is a prayer which is selfish and earth-born1 grasping at the prizes of worldly ambition and greed4 ,but as it enters it encounters that solemn word1 ,seek ye first the kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness1 and it turns back surprised and ashamed4 ,here is another prayer1 full of imprecation and unkindness toward some one who has maligned or injured the petitioner4 ,but it is met by that solemn word of the ,master1 ,love your enemies1 pray for them that despitefully use you1 and it hastens to retire4 ,here is another prayer full of murmuring regret because of the pressure of the cross1 the weight of the restraining yoke4 ,but forthwith that notable word of ,christ forbids its further progress1 saying1 ,in the world ye shall have tribulation2 but be of good cheer1 ,i have overcome the world4 ,in the presence of that reminder and rebuke1 the prayer1 abashed1 turns away its face and departs4 ,like the accusers of the woman taken in the act of sin1 prayers like these are inwardly convicted of unfitness1 and go forth4 ,the words of ,christ forbid unsuitable prayer1 but they also stir the heart with great desire for the realization of those good things which ,christ has promised to them that love ,him4 ,in this sense prayer becomes a dialogue between the ,master who says1 ,seek ye ,my face1 and the disciple who responds1 ,thy face1 ,lord1 will ,i seek4 7#e7 ,fruit-bearing4--,i appointed you that ye should bear fruit that 4 4 4 7,john xv4 #af74 ,in other words1 answers to prayers depend very largely on our ministry to others4 ,if we are prompted by desire for our own comfort1 peace1 or enjoyment1 we shall stand but a poor chance of audience in the secret of ,his presence4 ,if1 on the other hand1 our prayers are connected with our fruit-bearing--that is1 with our ministry to others1 with the coming of the kingdom1 and the accomplishment of ,god's purpose of salvation--the golden sceptre will be extended to us1 as when ,ahasuerus said to ,esther1 ,what is thy request8 ,even to the half of the kingdom it shall be performed4 ,is sun needed to ripen the fruit8 ,ask for it4 ,the ,father waits to give it4 ,is dew or rain needed that the pitchers may be filled to the brim with water which is to be made wine8 ,ask for it4 ,god is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love4 ,ask for all but pruning2 this the ,father will administer1 according to the good pleasure of ,his goodness4 ,the fruit-bearing branches have a right to claim and appropriate all that is needed for the sweetening and ripening of their precious burden4 ,the temple of prayer is thus guarded from the intrusion of the unprepared footstep by many tests4 ,at the foot of the marble steps1 we are challenged for the watchword2 and if we do not speak in harmony with ,god's glory1 our further passage is peremptorily stayed4 ,the key1 engraven with the name of ,jesus1 will only obey the hand in which ,his nature is throbbing4 ,we must be in ,him1 if ,he is to plead in us4 ,his words must prune1 direct1 and control our aspirations2 ,his service must engage our energies4 ,we must take part in the camp with ,his soldiers1 in the vineyard with ,his husbandmen1 in the temple-building with ,his artificers4 ,it is as we serve our ,king1 that we can reckon absolutely on ,his answer to our prayers4 ,,three ,,concluding ,,thoughts ,,remain4 ,first4 ,it is clear that our prayers depend very largely on our inner life4 ,where that is vigorous and healthy1 they will be the same4 ,but let deterioration and failure set in there1 and the effect will be instantly apparent in our prayers4 ,they act and react4 ,out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks2 and when the mouth is opened in prayer and supplication1 the heart speaks4 ,second4 ,bespeak the ,spirit's indwelling4 ,he is the bond of communion and fellowship between the ,father and the ,son1 and will lift us into the holy circle of that eternal life1 so that the current may pass through us with uninterrupted velocity and force4 ,he makes inward intercession for the saints according to the will and mind of ,god4 ,third4 ,expect that prayer will become ever more engrossing1 as the ,divine impulse is yielded to2 so that what now occupies but a comparatively small portion of time and energy will become with us1 as with the great ,apostle1 an exercise which we prosecute with unceasing ardor1 an ever-delightful method of promoting the ,redeemer's ,kingdom4 ,,xvii ,the hatred of the ,world ,they shall put you out of the synagogues3 yea1 the time cometh1 that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth ,god service4 ,and these things they will do unto you1 because they have not known the ,father1 nor ,me4--,,john xvi4 #b1 #c4 ,how near love and hate dwell in these words of ,jesus6 ,he had been urging ,his disciples to cultivate perfect love1 the love of ,god2 ,he now turns to describe the inevitable hatred with which they would be assailed in the world that knew neither the ,father nor ,himself4 ,and if an additional motive were needed to induce that love1 it would surely be given by the consideration of that hate4 ,this is no unimportant theme4 ,it touches1 very nearly1 the lives of thousands of believers amongst us4 ,though they have not to face the thumbscrew and the stake1 they discover painfully enough that the offence of the ,cross has not ceased4 ,there are amongst us many who daily quiver under the venomous gibe of neighbor and fellow-workman1 and find that their acceptance of ,jesus ,christ as ,saviour and ,master has suddenly changed their family and working-life from a garden of roses into a bed of thorns4 ,many a young man in the city counting-house1 many a mechanic at the bench1 many a traveller in the commercial-room1 many a student on the college-benches1 is doomed to discover that the world does not love the ,church better than in those days when the fires gleamed in ,smithfield1 and men and women were burned to death for loving ,god4 ,but how sweet to know that all this verifies the ,master's words3 ,ye are not of the world1 even as ,i am not of the world4 ,if ye were of the world1 the world would love his own2 but because ye are not of the world1 but ,i have chosen you out of the world1 therefore the world hateth you4 ,i4 ,,what ,,then ,,is ,,the ,,world8--,it consists of those who are destitute of the life and love of ,god1 as contrasted with those who have received and welcomed the unspeakable gift which is offered to all in ,jesus ,christ4 ,the great mass of the unregenerate and unbelieving1 considered as a unity1 is the world1 as interpreted by our ,lord and ,his apostles4 ,the world has its god and its religion1 which was first instituted by ,cain at the gates of ,eden2 its prince1 and court1 and laws2 its maxims and principles2 its literature and pleasures4 ,it is dominated by a peculiar spirit which the apostle calls a lust or fashion1 and resembles the ,german ,zeit-,geist3 an infection1 an influence1 a pageantry1 a witchery2 reminding us of the fabled mountain of loadstone which attracted vessels to itself for the iron that was in them1 and presently drew the nails from the timbers1 so that the whole fabric fell a helpless1 shapeless mass into the waves4 ,the votaries of the world attach themselves to the objects of sense1 to the things which are seen and temporal4 ,they have the utmost horror of poverty1 suffering1 and humiliation2 these they consider their chief evils to be avoided at any cost2 whilst they regard as the chief good1 riches1 pleasure1 and honor4 ,the world is thus a great unity and entity2 standing together as a mighty kingdom2 united and compacted together as ,nebuchadnezzar's image2 environing the ,church1 as the great kingdoms of ,assyria and ,egypt did the chosen people of ,god in the days of the kings4 ,it resembles a pack of wolves4 ,behold1 said ,christ1 ,i send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves4 ,between such irreconcilable opposites as the ,church and the world1 there cannot but be antagonism and strife4 ,each treasures and seeks what the other rejects as worthless4 ,each is devoted to ends that are inimical to the dearest interests of the other4 ,each follows a prince1 who met the prince of the other1 in mortal conflict4 ,let us thank ,him1 who out of this world chose us for ,himself4 ,,ii4 ,,let ,,us ,,trace ,,the ,,story ,,of ,,the ,,world',s ,,hatred4--,it was foretold in ,eden4 ,i will put enmity1 so ,god spoke to the serpent1 between thee and the woman1 and between thy seed and her seed4 ,we are not disposed to treat that ancient record with which our ,bible opens as romance or fairy story1 but to regard it as containing a true and authentic record of what actually transpired4 ,that declaration is the key to the ,bible4 ,on every page we meet the conflict1 the bruising of the ,church's heel by the dark powers1 and the increasing area of victory covered by our ,emmanuel1 the ,virgin's ,child4 ,this hatred is then in the very nature of things1 for this is but another name for ,god4 ,it is1 like others of the deepest facts in the experience of man1 fundamental and inevitable1 the outcome of mysteries which lie beyond the ken of man4 ,and it has characterized every age4--,abel is slain by ,cain1 who was of the evil one1 and slew his brother4 ,joseph is put into a pit by his brethren1 and into a prison by his master's wife2 the ,hebrew is smitten by the ,egyptian2 ,david is hunted by ,saul as a partridge on the mountains2 ,micaiah is hated by ,ahab because he always testifies against him2 ,jeremiah lives a very suffering stricken life1 until he is slain in ,egypt for remonstrating against a policy he could not alter2 each of the little company then listening to ,christ is forecast for a martyr's death1 with1 perhaps1 the exception of ,john himself1 whose life was martyrdom enough2 ,stephen sheds the blood of his pure and noble nature1 and from that day to this the blood of the saints has poured in streams1 until the last harrowing records1 which have come to light1 only of recent years1 of the indescribable tortures and death of ,armenian martyrs4 ,each age has had its martyr-roll4 ,they have been tortured1 not accepting deliverance1 have had trial of mockings and scourgings1 yea1 moreover of bonds and imprisonment2 have been stoned1 sawn asunder1 tempted1 and slain with the sword2 wandering in deserts and mountains and caves1 and the holes of the earth3 of whom the world was not worthy4 ,the root or ground of hatred is not due to the evil discovered in the persons1 who are the objects of the world's hate4--,they hated ,me without a cause1 our ,saviour sorrowfully said4 ,there might have been some cloke for the shamelessness of the world's sin1 if ,he had not spoken words and done works among them such as none other ever said and did2 but in the face of the perfect beauty of ,his character1 the grace and truth of ,his words1 and the loveliness of ,his deeds1 it was by their perfidy ,he was crucified and slain4 ,in vain ,he challenged them to convince ,him of sin1 and to bear witness to any evil which might justify their malicious cruelty4 ,they knew it was innocent blood2 but this knowledge1 so far from mollifying them1 only exasperated them the more4 ,the world hates the ,church1 not for the evil that is in it1 but for the good4 ,it hates without cause4 ,the holier and purer a life is1 the more certainly it will attract to itself malignity and dislike4 ,the more ,christlike we are1 the more we must suffer the relentless hate that drove the nails into ,his hands1 and the spear into ,his side4 ,do not be surprised at this4 ,think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which cometh to prove you1 as though a strange thing happened unto you2 but doubt and question and be in fear1 if you meet only smiles and flattery and such honors as the world can give4 ,you may then ask yourselves whether you are not one of the world's own4 ,the real origin and fountain of the hatred of the world is due to ,satan's antagonism to ,god4--,in his original creation1 he was doubtless as fair as any of the firstborn sons of light2 but in his pride he substituted himself for ,god1 and love faded out of his being1 making way for the unutterable darkness of diabolic hate4 ,satan hates ,god with a hatred for which there are no words2 and therefore when the ,father sent the ,son to be the ,saviour of the world1 ,satan gathered up every energy and resource of his nature to dog ,his steps1 and make ,his course through the world as painful as possible4 ,do you wonder that the life of ,jesus was so full of suffering8 ,it could not have been otherwise4 ,directly ,god1 in the person of ,jesus1 stepped down into the time-sphere1 and assumed the conditions of earth and death1 ,he came within the range of the utmost that ,satan could do to molest and injure ,him4 ,similarly1 when the blessed ,lord becomes the tenant of the heart1 and in proportion as ,he is so1 that heart attracts to itself the hatred with which the devil from the beginning has hated ,god4 ,if they have persecuted ,me1 they will also persecute you4 ,if they have kept ,my saying1 they will keep yours also4 ,and these things will they do unto you1 because they have not known the ,father nor ,me4 ,it is natural for the evil to hate the good4--,first1 the sinner has an uneasy conscience1 and it hurts him to come in contact with those whose character reminds him of what he ought to be1 and might be1 and perhaps once was4 ,the diseased eye dreads the light4 ,the uncanny1 slimy things that lurk beneath stones1 and in dark caves1 squirm in pain when you let in the day4 ,the ,turkish ,sultan dislikes the presence of ,british representatives1 and correspondents of the ,daily ,press1 amid the dark deeds of blood and lust by which he is making ,armenia a desert4 ,every one that doeth evil hateth the light1 neither cometh to the light1 lest his deeds should be reproved4 ,in addition to an uneasy conscience1 the sinner has an unbroken will4 ,he stoutly resists the impression of a superior and condemning goodness4 ,he hardens his heart1 and strengthens its defences4 ,who is the ,lord1 that ,i should obey ,his voice8 ,double the tale of bricks3 summon the choice chariots and veteran soldiers of ,egypt1 that we may pursue1 overtake1 and divide the spoil4 ,such are the successive boats and challenges of the hardened heart4 ,is it to be wondered at1 under such conditions1 that the wicked plotteth against the just1 and gnasheth upon him with his teeth1 that he draws his sword and bends his bow1 to shoot privily at the upright of heart8 ,the wicked watcheth the righteous1 and seeketh to slay him4 ,the ,lord will not leave him in his hand1 nor condemn him when he is judged4 ,the great object of this hatred is to overcome the good4--,in this respect the hate of the world is like the love of the ,church4 ,the child of ,god loves1 that he may overcome the evil in the world1 by converting evil-doers from the error of their ways and assimilating them to holiness2 the child of the devil hates1 that he may overcome the good of the world1 by arresting their goodness1 and assimilating to evil4 ,ah1 how thankful we may be that we are not of the world1 but have been chosen out of it2 for it lieth in the wicked one1 and is infected with the hatred of hell4 ,it is not difficult1 therefore1 to go through the world1 and escape its hate4 ,we have only to adopt its maxims1 speak its language1 and conform to its ways4 ,in the well-known picture of the ,huguenots1 the young girl1 with pleading1 upturned face1 seeks to tie the ,royalist scarf around her lover's arm4 ,she will secure his safety if she succeeds6 ,ah1 how many pleading glances are cast at us to induce us to spare ourselves and others1 by toning down our speech1 and covering our regimentals by the disguising cloke of conformity to the world around6 ,if you do not approve1 at least you need not express your disapproval4 ,if you cannot vote for1 at least do not vote against4 ,if you dissent1 put your sentiments in courtly phrase1 and so pare them down that they may not offend sensitive ears4 ,such is the advice1 which is freely proffered4 ,but those who follow it quickly discover that the compromise of principle involves certainly and awfully the loss of influence for good4 ,,iii4 ,,our ,,behavior ,,amid ,,the ,,world',s ,,hatred4--,we have fallen on evil days4 ,the world has been coated over with a ,christian veneer1 whilst the ,church has become leavened with the subtle spirit of the world4 ,it is hard to come out and be separate1 because in the dim twilight one is apt to mistake friend and foe4 ,the bribes are so rich for those who conform1 the dissuasive so strong for those who refuse to bow to the great golden image4 ,but our duty is clear4 ,we must be true to the spirit of ,christ4 ,we must live a holy and unworldly life2 we must avoid all that might be construed as an unworthy compromise of the interests of our ,master's ,kingdom4 ,and through all the pitiless storm of hate that beats in our faces1 we must be glad4 ,blessed are ye1 said our ,lord1 when men shall revile you1 and persecute you1 and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for ,my sake3 rejoice and be exceeding glad4 ,and why rejoice8 ,because your reward is great in heaven2 because you know that you are not of the world2 because you are shown to be on the path trodden by the saints before you1 every step of which has been trodden amid similar manifestations of the devil's hate4 ,moreover1 abound in love4 ,let there be no slackening of the patient1 tender1 pitying love1 which heaps coals of fire on the head of the wrongdoer1 and will never rest content until it has subdued the evil of his heart1 overcoming it with good4 ,love must ultimately conquer hate1 as surely as tomorrow's sun will conquer the darkness that now veils the landscape4 ,,xviii ,the ,work of the ,holy ,spirit on the ,world ,he will reprove the world of sin1 and of righteousness1 and of judgment4--,,john xvi4 #h4 ,three facts forced themselves home on the apostles during the ,lord's parting words4 ,first1 that they were to be bereaved of their ,master's presence 7ver4 #e74 ,second1 that they were to be left alone1 amid the world's hatred--,whosoever killeth you 7ver4 #b74 ,third1 that their mission would be witness-bearing to the unseen ,lord 7xv4 #bg74 ,and as they fully realized all that these facts involved1 they became too absorbed in their own sorrowful conclusions to inquire what bourn the ,master sought as ,he set sail from these earthly shores4 ,o ,master1 they said in effect1 why canst ,thou not stay8 ,our orphaned hearts will never be able to endure the blank which ,thy absence will cause4 ,easier could a flock of sheep withstand the onset of a pack of wolves than we the hatred of the world6 ,and as for our witness-bearing1 it will be too feeble to avail aught4 ,and the ,master1 in effect1 answered thus3 ,i will not leave you without aid4 ,i shall still be with you1 though unseen4 ,my presence shall be revealed to your spirits1 and made livingly real through the blessed ,comforter4 ,he will be with you1 and in you4 ,he will authenticate and corroborate your witness4 ,he shall testify of ,me2 and when ,he is come1 ,he will convince the world of sin1 of righteousness1 and of judgment4 ,you see then that ,i shall be able to help you better by sending the ,holy ,spirit than by staying with you ,myself4 ,it is expedient for you that ,i go away2 for if ,i go not away the ,comforter will not come to you1 but if ,i depart ,i will send ,him unto you4 ,we may not be able to fathom all the reasons for ,christ's withdrawal before the ,spirit's advent was possible4 ,but some of them are obvious enough4 ,the full union of the ,son of ,god with our race must be secured through death and resurrection1 and ,his full union with the ,father must be indicated in ,his glorification with the glory ,he had or ever the worlds were made1 before ,he could be the perfect channel of communicating the ,divine fullness to our human nature4 ,the ,head must be anointed before the ,body4 ,there must be no physical distraction arising from the outward life of ,jesus to compete with the spiritual impression of ,his unseen presence4 ,the text must be completed before the sermon can be preached4 ,christ must die1 or there can be no witness to ,his atonement2 must rise1 or there can be no testimony to ,his resurrection2 must ascend1 or there can be no declaration as to ,his finished work and eternal intercession4 ,since the ,spirit reveals ,christ1 all that was appointed unto ,christ to do must be completed ere the ,spirit can commence ,his ministry4 ,the work of the ,spirit on the world is through the ,church1 and is described by our ,lord as threefold4 ,by ,his revelation of ,christ ,he creates three convictions4 ,each of these is necessary to the regeneration of man4 ,there must be the sense of sin1 or he will not seek the ,saviour4 ,there must be a belief that righteousness is possible1 or the convicted sinner will die of despair4 ,there must be the assurance that sin is doomed1 and shall be finally vanquished1 or the baffled warrior will give up the long conflict as hopeless4 ,i4 ,,the ,,conviction ,,of ,,sin4--,we are constantly meeting people who are perfectly indifferent to ,christianity1 because they say they do not feel their need of it4 ,why should they trouble about it1 when they suppose themselves able to do perfectly well without it8 ,in dealing with these1 it is a great mistake to entice them toward the gospel by describing the moral grandeur of ,christ's character and teaching4 ,we should at once seek to arouse them to a sense of their great sinfulness4 ,when a man realizes that his life is being eaten out by some insidious disease1 he will need no further urging to go to a physician4 ,this is the weakness of modern preaching--that we expatiate on the value of the remedy to men who have never realized their dire necessity4 ,but what is the truth most appropriate for producing the conviction of sin in the human breast8 ,preach the ,ten ,commandments in all their stern and uncompromising 'shalts' and 'shalt-nots1' cries one4 ,read out the descriptions given in ,scripture of the evil things that lurk in the heart of man as filthy things in darksome caves1 says another4 ,show men the results of sin1 take them to the edge of the bottomless pit1 insists a third4 ,but not one of these is the chosen weapon of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he convicts men of the sin of refusing to believe in ,jesus ,christ4 ,there stands the ,cross1 the evidence and symbol of ,god's love2 and there stands the risen ,christ1 offering ,himself to men4 ,there is nothing which more certainly proves the innate evil of the human heart than its refusal of that mystery of grace4 ,disbelief is the creature1 not of the intellect1 but of the will4 ,it is not the result of inability to understand1 but of stubborn obstinacy and stiffneckedness4 ,here is the supreme manifestation of moral beauty1 but man has no eyes for it4 ,here is the highest revelation of ,god's desire for man to be reconciled with ,him1 and be at one with ,him1 ,his happy child2 but man either despises or spurns ,his overtures4 ,here is the offer of pardon for all the past1 of heirship of all the promises1 of blessedness in all the future1 but man owns that he is indifferent to the existence and claims of ,god1 and is quite willing to accept the sleeping retribution of bygone years1 and to risk a future irradiated by no star of hope4 ,here is ,god in ,christ beseeching him to be reconciled1 declaring how much the reconciliation has cost1 but the frail child of yesterday absolutely refuses to be at peace4 ,no trace of tears in his voice1 no shame on his face1 no response to ,god's love in his heart4 ,this is sin at its worst4 ,not in a ,nero drenched with the blood of relatives and saints2 nor in an ,alva expert to invent new methods of torture2 nor in the brutalized expression of the felon2 nor in the degradation of the heathen3 but in those beside you1 who have heard of the love of ,jesus from their earliest childhood1 and who know that ,he died for them1 and waits to bless them1 but who deliberately and persistently refuse ,him1 you will find the most terrible revelations of what man is capable of4 ,this is the condemnation1 that ,light is come into the world1 and men loved darkness rather than light1 because their deeds were evil4 ,conviction in itself is not enough4 ,many have been convicted who have never gone on to conversion4 ,they have dropped to the ground as untimely fruit1 blighted before its maturity4 ,conviction of sin does not come to all in the same manner or to the same extent4 ,indeed1 those who have come to ,christ in early life are in a degree exempt from drinking this bitter cup1 though they have much tenderness of conscience afterward4 ,do not wait for more conviction1 but come to ,jesus as you are1 and tell ,him that the saddest symptom in your case is your inability to feel as you know you should4 ,do not tarry to be convinced of sin4 ,do not stay away till you feel more deeply4 ,do not suppose that strongly roused emotions purchase ,his favor4 ,his command is absolute--,believe4 ,but whenever that true repentance is wrought which needs not to be repented of1 or those tears of penitence fall from the eyes of the suppliant1 the means will always be the person and work and love of ,jesus ,christ4 ,this is the burning-glass through which the ,spirit focuses the rays of ,god's love on ice-bound hearts4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,conviction ,,of ,,righteousness4--,the aggravation of sin of which the ,spirit convicts the sinner seems to present a gloom too dark for any ray to penetrate4 ,he cannot forget4 ,the dead past will not bury its dead4 ,the wind of eternity blows away the leaves with which he tries to hide the corpses of murdered opportunities1 broken hearts1 and dissipated years4 ,he cannot forget4 ,he may close his eyes1 but still the memories of the past will haunt him1 the deeds he would undo1 the words he would recall1 the dark ingratitude toward the love of ,jesus4 ,conscience is a flaming terror till a man finds ,christ as his ,saviour4 ,her brow is girt with fire1 her voice peals with doom4 ,can ,i ever be cleansed8 cries the convicted soul4 ,can these awful gnawings be silenced1 and these terrors laid8 ,can ,i rise from this ruin and become a new1 righteous1 ,god-like man8 ,these questions are answered by the ,spirit who induced them4 ,there is righteousness1 ,he says1 because ,christ is gone to the ,father1 and ye see ,him no more4 ,he is gone to the ,father2 and the seal of ,divine authenticity has therefore been placed on all ,he said and did in the ,father's name4 ,he is gone to the ,father2 and it is clear1 therefore1 that ,he has been accepted as the ,saviour and ,redeemer of men4 ,he is gone to the ,father in the likeness and nature of men2 evidently1 then1 man is an object of ,god's love1 is reconciled to ,god1 and is admitted to the rights and privileges of a son and heir4 ,the work of ,jesus on man's behalf finished at the ,cross1 accepted by the ,father--of which the resurrection is witness--presented by our ,great ,high ,priest within the veil1 is the momentous truth which the ,holy ,spirit brings home to the convinced sinner4 ,and inasmuch as we are unable to see within the veil and discern the ,divine marks of approval and acceptance1 the ,holy ,spirit descends1 and in ,his advent proves that ,jesus has gone where ,he said1 and done what ,he promised4 ,how do we know that the work of ,jesus ,christ has been accepted in the courts of eternity8 ,on this wise4 ,before ,he died the ,master said that ,he went to the ,father1 and that when ,he was glorified ,he would ask and receive the ,spirit in ,his fullness4 ,after days had elapsed and the second week from ,his ascension was already passing1 the ,spirit in pentecostal fullness fell upon the waiting ,church1 giving it an altogether new power to combat with the world4 ,what the wagons were to ,jacob1 proving that ,joseph lived and thought of him still1 and was indeed supreme in ,egypt1 that the day of ,pentecost was in declaring that ,christ's personal righteousness had been vindicated1 and that the righteousness ,he had wrought out for man had received the hallmark of the ,divine assay4 ,therefore the apostle says1 ,the ,holy ,ghost also is a witness to us that ,he hath perfected forever by one offering them that are sanctified4 ,and again1 ,him hath ,god exalted with ,his right hand to be a ,prince and a ,saviour2 and the ,holy ,ghost1 whom ,god hath given to them that obey ,him1 is witness of these things4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,conviction ,,of ,,judgment4--,when we have been freed from sin1 and made righteous in ,christ1 we are left face to face with a tremendous struggle against sin4 ,the sin of the past is indeed forgiven1 the voice of conscience has been hushed1 the sinner rejoices to know that he is accepted on the ground of righteousness2 but the old temptations still crop up4 ,passion prompts us to live for present gratification2 the flesh deadens the burning aspirations of the spirit4 ,we ask in sad earnestness1 ,how shall we be able to survive the terrible struggle and to come off victorious8 ,it appears a vain hope that we should ever rise to perfect and victorious purity4 ,at such a time the ,comforter convinces us of judgment4 ,not1 as the words are so often misquoted1 of judgment to come1 but in the sense in which our ,lord spoke of judgment to the inquiring ,greeks3 ,now is the judgment of this world2 now shall the ,prince of this world be cast out4 ,our ,lord's references to the existence and power of ,satan are always distinct and unhesitating4 ,it is impossible to accept ,him as our supreme ,teacher without accepting ,his statements concerning ,his great antagonist1 to undo whose work brought the ,son of ,god to earth4 ,the whole ,gospel is a story of the duel in which our ,lord forever worsted and mastered ,satan4 ,the conflict began with the lonely struggle of the temptation in the wilderness2 it pervaded ,christ's earthly career2 it culminated in the ,cross4 ,its first note was1 ,if ,thou be the ,son of ,god1 command that these stones be made bread2 its last note was1 ,if ,thou be the ,son of ,god1 come down from the ,cross4 ,but when our ,lord cried1 ,it is finished1 with the shout of a conqueror1 ,he proclaimed to the universe that1 though tempted to the uttermost1 ,he had not yielded in one particular1 that evil was not an eternal power1 that wrong was not omnipotent4 ,the ,cross was the crisis of this world's history3 the prince of this world measured himself for one final wrestle with the ,son of ,god4 ,had he succeeded1 evil would have reigned2 but since he failed he fell as lightning from heaven4 ,on this fact the ,holy ,spirit loves to dwell4 ,he unfolds its full meaning4 ,see1 ,he says1 ,christ has conquered for you1 and in your nature4 ,you meet a foe who is not invincible4 ,christ conquered1 not for ,himself1 but for all who believe4 ,the prince of this world has been judged and found wanting4 ,he is condemned forevermore4 ,only abide in the last ,adam1 the ,lord from heaven1 and let ,him abide in you1 and ,he will repeat through you ,his olden victories4 ,what a majestic thought is here6 ,the world comes to us first with its fascinations and delights4 ,she comes to us next with her frowns and tortures4 ,behind her is her prince4 ,but since he has been cast out by a stronger than himself1 and exists only on sufferance1 his most potent bribes and lures1 his most violent onsets1 his most unscrupulous suggestions1 must collapse4 ,believer1 meet him as a discredited and fallen foe4 ,he can have no power at all over thee4 ,the ,cross bruised his head4 ,thou hast no need to fear judgment4 ,it awaits those only who are still in the devil's power4 ,but thou mayest rejoice that for thee a victory waits1 the measure of which will only be explored when thou seest the devil cast into the bottomless pit1 and thence into the lake of fire4 ,,xix ,christ's ,reticence ,supplemented by the ,spirit's ,advent ,i have yet many things to say unto you2 but ye cannot bear them now4--,,john xvi4 #ab-ae4 ,how confidently our ,lord speaks of the ,spirit's advent2 not more so did the prophets foretell ,his own4 ,repeatedly ,he returns to the phrase1 ,when ,he is come4 ,the advent of the ,spirit to the heart of the ,church on the ,day of ,pentecost1 was as distinct and marked an event as the advent of the ,son of ,god ,himself to the manger-bed of ,bethlehem4 ,let every reader of these words be sure of having taken the full advantage of ,his ,presence1 just as we would wish to have availed ourselves to the uttermost of the physical presence of ,christ1 had our lot so befallen4 ,i4 ,,the ,,theme ,,of ,,this ,,paragraph ,,is ,,the ,,incompleteness ,,of ,,our ,,lord',s ,,teaching4--,for three and a half years ,he was perpetually pouring forth ,his wonderful words2 in many different places--the market-place1 the home at ,bethany1 the hillside1 the ,temple cloister2 to many different audiences--now in thronging crowds1 and again to the secret disciple whose footfall startled the night1 or the lone woman drawing water from the well2 on many different themes--to mention all of which would be impossible1 though ,he never spoke on any subject1 common as a wayside flower1 without associating with it thoughts that can never die4 ,we have but a small portion of ,his words recorded in the ,gospels1 it is therefore the more remarkable that ,he left anything unsaid1 and that at the close of ,his ministry ,he should have to say1 ,i have yet many things to say unto you4 ,many parables1 fair as ,his tenderest1 woven in the productive loom of ,his imagination1 remained unuttered2 many discourses1 inimitable as the ,sermon on the ,mount1 or as this in the upper room1 unspoken2 many revelations of heavenly mystery not made4 ,a comparison between the ,gospels and the ,epistles will indicate how much our ,lord had left unsaid4 ,the relation of the law of ,moses to ,his finished work was left to the ,epistle to the ,romans3 the relation between ,his ,church and the usages of the heathen world1 for the ,epistle to ,corinth3 the effect of ,his resurrection on the sleeping saints for the ,epistle to the ,thessalonians4 ,he said nothing about the union of ,jew and ,gentile on terms of equality in ,his ,church2 this mystery1 hidden from ages and from generations1 was only fully unveiled in the ,epistle to the ,ephesians4 ,it was left for the ,epistle to the ,hebrews to disclose the superseding of the ,temple and its ritual by the realities of the ,christian dispensation4 ,the practical precepts for the right ordering of the ,churches were left for the pastoral ,epistles2 and the course of the ,church through the ages of the world's history1 for the ,apocalypse of the beloved ,apostle4 ,when we perceive the many things1 taught in the ,epistles1 which were not unfolded by the ,lord1 we discern a fresh meaning in ,his assurance that ,he left much unsaid4 ,we are perpetually assailed by the cry1 ,back to ,christ1 which is significant of men's weariness of theological system1 and organized ecclesiasticism1 and of a desire to get away from the accretions of the ,middle ,ages and the dead hand of ,church ,tradition1 into the pure1 serene1 and holy presence of ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,it always seems to us as if the cry should be ,up to ,christ1 rather than ,back to ,him4 ,to put it as men generally do1 suggests the inference that ,christ lies far in the wake of human progress1 and behind the haze of eighteen centuries2 that ,he was1 but is no longer1 a potent factor in the world's life2 whereas ,he is here1 now1 with us1 in us1 leading us as of old through rugged passes1 and to mountains of transfiguration4 ,if the endeavor to get back to ,christ means the ,synoptic ,gospels to the exclusion of the fourth1 or the ,epistles2 or the ,sermon on the ,mount to the exclusion of the ,epistle to the ,romans2 or ,jesus to the exclusion of ,his ,apostles1 we feel it is but half the truth4 ,our ,lord ,himself protested that ,his teachings were incomplete1 that there was much left unsaid which would be said by the ,comforter1 as even ,he could not1 because the ,spirit of ,god speaks in the inner shrine of the soul1 uttering to the inner ear1 truths which no voice could speak or ear receive4 ,let us always remember therefore that the ,gospels must be completed by the ,epistles1 and that the ,spirit who spake in the ,son1 spake also in those whom the ,son had prepared to be ,his mouthpieces to men4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,partial ,,measure ,,of ,,human ,,ability ,,to ,,know4--,ye cannot bear them now4 ,our ,lord's reticence did not arise from ignorance1 ,he could have said so much had ,he not been able to say more4 ,all things were naked and open to ,his eye1 but ,he had a tender regard for these men whom ,he loved4 ,their bodies could not bear more4 ,when the mind is strongly wrought upon1 the delicate organism of the body is deeply affected4 ,on the banks of the river ,hiddekel1 words of such wondrous importance were uttered to the lonely exile1 that ,daniel fainted1 and was sick many days4 ,when ,i saw ,him1 says ,john1 ,i fell at ,his feet as dead4 ,flavel1 on more than one occasion1 asked that the excessive revelation might be stayed4 ,our ,lord1 therefore1 feared that in their weakened state1 torn by anxiety and sorrow1 ,his followers would collapse if further strain were imposed upon their powers of spiritual apprehension4 ,their minds could not bear more4 ,the mind cannot receive more than a certain amount4 ,after a while its eye gets weary1 it ceases to receive1 and even to remember4 ,there are multitudes of cases in which1 when too great a weight has been crowded on the delicate organism through which thoughts move1 its balance has been upset1 and it has drivelled into idiocy4 ,against this danger1 also1 our ,lord guarded1 for ,his disciples were already excited and over-strained4 ,their brains were so exhausted that in a few moments they would be sleeping on the cold ground of ,gethsemane4 ,had ,he poured the light of the other world in full measure upon them1 the tide of glory had submerged them1 like spent swimmers4 ,their affections could not bear more4 ,because ,he had spoken to them1 sorrow had filled their heart1 and ,he forbore to describe the valley of shadow through which they were still to pass1 lest their hearts should break4 ,they had hardly commenced to drink its cup3 what would its dregs be8 ,the footmen had wearied them3 how would they contend with horses8 ,the brink had terrified them3 how would they do in the swellings of ,jordan8 ,it is thus that ,he deals with us still4 ,he knows our frame1 and proportions our trials to our strength4 ,he carefully feels our pulse before commencing the operation through which ,he would lead us to perfect health4 ,he tempers ,his discipline to our spiritual capacity4 ,we desire to know many things3 the reason why sin has been permitted1 the fate of the impenitent2 the state of the great masses of men who have passed into eternity without a true knowledge of ,god4 ,peter asks for ,john1 ,what shall this man do8 ,each wants to know the secret plans1 whether for himself1 or his beloved1 which are lying in the mind and purpose of the ,eternal4 ,what will the end be8 ,where does that path lead by which ,i am going1 and which descends steeply into the ravine8 ,will the fight between evil and good be much prolonged8 ,what are hell1 and the bottomless pit1 and the meaning of ,christ's references to the undying worm and unquenchable flame8 ,and ,christ says1 ,my child1 you cannot bear it2 you could not sleep at night1 you could not play with the merry children by day1 you could not perform your slender tasks1 if you knew all that ,i know1 and see as ,i see4 ,be at rest4 ,trust ,me4 ,i will tell you as soon as you are strong enough4 ,nothing shall be kept back from you1 all shall be revealed4 ,and surely the sufferings and limitations of this present time will not be worthy to be compared with the exceeding weight of glory1 when in the presence of our ,lord we shall see eye to eye1 and know even as we are known4 ,in the light of these words we may get comfort4 ,when some crushing trouble befalls us1 ,he who only spoke as they were able to bear1 will not permit the flame to be hotter1 the tide stronger1 or the task more trying than we have strength for4 ,we often do not know our strength nor the power of ,his grace4 ,sorrow may be sent to reveal us to ourselves1 and show how much spiritual energy we have been silently acquiring4 ,do not1 therefore1 run to and fro1 and say1 ,it is too much1 ,i cannot bear it4 ,but know and be sure that ,christ has ascertained your resources1 and is sure of your ability1 before ,he permits the extreme ordeal to overtake you4 ,dare to say with the apostle1 ,i can do all things through ,christ who strengtheneth me4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,teaching ,,of ,,the ,,divine ,,spirit4--,his personality is unmistakable2 though the ,greek word for ,spirit is neuter1 a masculine pronoun is used in conjunction with it when ,jesus says1 ,he1 the ,spirit of ,truth4 ,the personal ,christ sent as a substitute for ,himself no mere breath or influence1 but the personal ,spirit4 ,the ,advocate before the ,throne is well represented by the ,advocate in the heart of the ,church1 and these two agree in one4 ,distinct as different ,persons1 but one in the mystical unity of the ,holy ,trinity4 ,note the method of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he teaches truth by taking of the things of ,christ and revealing them4 ,there are two methods of teaching children1 by precept1 and by example4 ,i go into a schoolroom one summer afternoon1 and remark the hot cheeks and tired eyes of the little ones4 ,outside the open window the bees are droning past1 the butterflies flit from flower to flower1 and nature seems to cry to the little hearts1 ,come and play with me4 ,does a garden ever look so beautiful as to children shut up to their studies8 ,what are you learning1 little ones8 ,i say4 ,botany1 is the sad answer ,we've got to learn all these hard names1 and copy these diagrams4 ,well1 ,i say1 shut up your books1 and come with me4 ,and presently ,i teach them more botany by contact with the flowers themselves1 than they would have learned by hours of poring over lesson-books4 ,it is so the ,spirit teaches4 ,is gentleness or purity1 self-sacrifice or prayer1 the lesson that we are set to acquire8 ,there is no need for ,him to make a new revelation to us4 ,it is enough if ,he but bring us face to face with ,jesus1 and show these qualities shining through ,his words and deeds4 ,the truth certainly1 but the truth as it is in ,jesus4 ,the condition of proficiency in the ,spirit's school is obedience4 ,he will guide you into all truth4 ,this word is very significant4 ,literally it means1 ,show the way4 ,ordinarily men ask to know the truth before they obey4 ,the ,spirit demands that they should obey before they know4 ,let me know the outcome of this act2 its philosophy1 its reasonableness1 its result1 then ,i will obey4 ,but the ,spirit answers1 ,it is enough for thee1 ,o child of man1 to know ,me4 ,canst thou not trust8 ,wilt thou not obey8 ,and as thou obeyest thou shalt know4 ,take this path1 plod along its difficult way1 climb where it climbs1 so shalt thou ascend the steep of obedience1 and at each step a further horizon of the truth will open outspread beneath thee4 ,let us be more sensitive to the guidance of the ,spirit1 following whithersoever ,he clearly indicates1 as when the ,spirit said to ,philip1 ,go1 join thyself to this chariot4 ,we shall know when we follow on to know the ,lord4 ,his going forth is prepared for those who are prepared to obey whatsoever ,he may appoint4 ,the aim of the ,spirit is to glorify our ,lord4 ,he shall glorify ,me1 for ,he shall receive of mine4 ,the ,spirit's presence1 as such1 should not be a subject of our close scrutiny1 lest we conflict with ,his holy purpose of being hidden1 that ,jesus may be all in all before the gaze of saint and sinner4 ,he is so anxious that nothing should divert the soul's gaze from the ,lord whom ,he would reveal1 that ,he carefully withdraws ,himself from view4 ,there must be nothing1 not even ,god ,himself1 to distract the heart from ,jesus1 through whom we come to ,god4 ,but remember that when you have the most precious views of your dear ,lord1 it is because the ,holy ,spirit1 all unseen1 is witnessing and working within you4 ,the authority of the ,holy ,spirit appears in the words1 ,he shall not speak of ,himself2 but whatsoever ,he shall hear1 that shall ,he speak4 ,where does ,he hear the truths ,he utters8 ,where8 ,there is only one place4 ,in the depths of the eternal throne1 in the heart of ,deity itself1 in the secret place of the ,most ,high4 ,oh1 marvel6 surpassing thought1 yet true6 that things which pass between the ,father and the ,son1 in the depths which no angel can penetrate1 may be disclosed and made known to those humble and contrite hearts who are willing to make a space and pause for the ,divine ,spirit to speak the deep things of ,god4 ,may it be ours to be patient and willing pupils in this heavenly school in which the ,holy ,spirit is ,teacher1 and ,jesus the ,text-,book1 and character the essential condition of knowledge4 ,,xx ,the ,conqueror of the ,world ,in the world ye shall have tribulation3 but be of good cheer2 ,i have overcome the world4--,,john xvi4 #cc4 ,it was the road between ,jerusalem and the ,gate of the ,garden4 ,behind1 lay the city bathed in slumber2 before1 the ,mount of ,olives with its terraced gardens2 above1 the ,passover moon1 pouring down floods of silver light that dropped to the ground through the waving branches of the trees4 ,the ,lord was on ,his way to betrayal and death1 along that path flecked by checkered moonlight4 ,the farewell talk had been prolonged until the disciples had grasped something of the ,master's meaning4 ,with many a comforting assurance it had borne them forward to the magnificent but simple declaration1 ,i came forth from the ,father1 and am come into the world2 again1 ,i leave the world1 and go to the ,father 7ver4 #bh74 ,at that announcement light seems to have broken in upon their hearts1 and they said unto ,him1 ,lo1 now speakest ,thou plainly1 4 4 4 by this we believe that ,thou camest forth from ,god4 ,jesus replied1 not as translators render it1 ,do ye now believe2 but as it should be rendered1 ,at last ye believe2 and ,he proceeded to formulate three paradoxes3 ,first1 ,that within an hour or so ,he would be alone1 yet not alone4 ,secondly1 ,that they would have tribulation1 and yet be in peace4 ,thirdly1 ,that though ,he was going to ,his death1 ,he was certainly a conqueror1 and had overcome the world1 whose princes were about to crucify ,him4 ,that word overcome appears to have been used only this once by our ,lord2 but it made a lasting impression on the ,apostle ,john1 who constantly makes use of it in his ,epistle4 ,we meet with it six times in his brief first ,epistle1 and sixteen times in the ,book of ,revelation4 ,who can forget the sevenfold promise spoken by the risen ,lord to those who overcome2 or the sublime affirmation concerning the martyrs1 that they overcame by the blood of the ,lamb and by the word of their testimony8 ,i4 ,,christ ,,and ,,his ,,disciples ,,have ,a ,,common ,,foe--,the world4--,and what is the world8 ,it is well to take the inspired definition given in #a ,john ii4 #af4 ,after enumerating her three daughters--the lust of the flesh1 the lust of the eyes1 and the pride of life--the apostle goes on to say3 ,all that is in the world is not of the ,father1 i4e41 does not originate or proceed from ,him1 but has its source in the world itself4 ,we might reverse this proposition and say3 ,all that does not emanate from the ,father1 which you cannot trace back to ,his purpose in creation1 is that mysterious indefinable influence or spirit which makes the world4 ,the world1 in this sense1 is not primarily a thing1 or a collection of people1 but a spiritual influence poured out into the very atmosphere of our lives4 ,the spirit of the world insinuates itself everywhere4 ,it is what we call society2 the consensus of fashionable opinion2 the spirit which finds its satisfaction in the seen and transient2 the ambition that is encircled by the rim of an earthly horizon2 the aims1 plans1 and activities which are comprehended1 as the ,preacher says1 under the sun4 ,you meet it in the school1 where little children judge each other by their dress and the number of horses their fathers keep2 in the country town1 where strict lines are drawn between the professional or wholesale man and the retailer2 in gatherings of well-dressed people1 stiff with decorum and the punctilious observance of etiquette4 ,the world has formulated its ,beatitudes1 thus3 ,blessed are the rich1 for they shall inherit the earth4 ,blessed are the light-hearted1 for they shall have many friends4 ,blessed are the respectable1 for they shall be respected4 ,blessed are they who are not troubled by a sensitive conscience1 for they shall succeed in life4 ,blessed are they who can indulge their appetites to the full1 for they shall be filled4 ,blessed are they who have no need to conciliate their rivals1 for they will be saved from anxiety4 ,blessed are they who have no poor relations1 for they shall be delivered from annoyance4 ,blessed are they of whom all men speak well4 ,the world's code says1 ,do as others do2 don't be singular2 never offend against good taste2 have a tinge of religiousness1 but remember too much is impracticable for daily life2 whatever you do1 don't be poor2 never yield an inch1 unless you are going to make something by the concession2 take every advantage of bettering your position1 it matters not at what cost to others--they must look after themselves1 as you to yourself4 ,but it was reserved for ,john ,bunyan to draw ,madame ,bubble's portrait3 ,this woman is a witch4 ',i am mistress of the world1' she says1 'and men are made happy by me4' ,she wears a great purse at her side2 and her hand is often in her purse fingering her money4 ,yea1 she has bought off many a man from a pilgrim's life after he had fairly begun it4 ,she is a bold and impudent slut also1 for she will talk to any man4 ,if there be one cunning to make money1 she will speak well of him from house to house4 ,none can tell of the mischief she does4 ,she makes variance betwixt rulers and subjects1 'twixt parents and children1 'twixt a man and his wife1 'twixt the flesh and the heart4 ,had she stood by all this while1' said ,standfast1 whose eyes were still full of her1 'you could not have set ,madame ,bubble more amply before me1 nor have better described her features4' ',he that drew her picture was a good limner1' said ,mr4 ,honest1 'and he that so wrote of her said true4' ',oh1' said ,standfast1 'what a mercy it is that ,i did resist her6 for to what might she not have drawn me8' ,,ii4 ,,christ ,,and ,,his ,,disciples ,,have ,a ,,common ,,conflict4--,it is inevitable that there should be collision1 and therefore conflict1 and as a result tribulation4 ,the world-spirit will not brook our disagreement with its plans and aims1 and therefore they who persist in living godly lives in this present evil world must suffer persecution4 ,conflict about the use of power and prerogative4--,at ,his baptism our ,lord was proclaimed to be the ,son of the ,highest1 and anointed with the ,holy ,ghost and with power4 ,instantly the ,prince of this world came to ,him with the suggestion that ,he should use it for the purposes of ,his own comfort and display4 ,make these stones bread for thine hunger2 cast ,thyself down and attract the attention of the crowds4 ,here were the lust of the flesh1 and the lust of the eyes4 ,but our ,lord refused to use for ,himself the power which was entrusted to ,him for the benediction and help of men4 ,conflict as to the way of helping and saving men4--,the world's way was to leap into the seat of power at any cost1 and from the height of universal authority administer the affairs of the world4 ,but ,christ knew better4 ,he saw that ,he must take the form of a servant1 and humble ,himself to the lowest4 ,if ,he would save men1 ,he cannot save ,himself3 if ,he would bring forth much fruit1 ,he must fall into the ground to die3 if ,he would ascend far above all heavens1 bearing us with ,him to the realms of eternal day1 ,he must descend first into the lower parts of the earth4 ,conflict in the estimate of poverty and suffering4--,the world looked on these as the most terrible disasters that could befall4 ,christ1 on the other hand1 taught that blessedness lay most within reach of the poor in spirit1 the mourners1 the merciful1 the forgiving1 and the persecuted4 ,but the ,pharisees1 who were lovers of money1 when they heard all these things1 scoffed at ,him4 ,conflict in their diverse notions of royalty4--,the ,jews looked for a ,messiah who should revive the glories of the days of ,david and ,solomon1 driving the ,gentiles from the land1 and receiving the homage of the surrounding nations1 whilst every son of ,abraham enjoyed opulence and ease4 ,referring to this expectation1 the ,master said1 ,my kingdom is not of this world3 if ,my kingdom were of this world1 then would ,my servants fight4 ,his conception of royalty was founded on service1 which would wash the disciples' feet2 on humility1 which meekly bore the heavy yoke1 on patience1 which would not quench the smoking flax1 on suffering1 which flinched not from the cross2 on the nobility and dignity of the inner life1 which shone through the most humble circumstances1 as the transfiguration glory through ,his robes4 ,for this ,he died4 ,the chief priests and scribes hunted ,him to death1 because ,he persisted in asserting that ,he was the true ,king of men4 ,and ,pilate wrote a title also1 and put it on the ,cross1 ,jesus of ,nazareth1 the ,king of the ,jews4 ,there was conflict in regard to religion4--,the people of ,christ's day were very religious4 ,the world likes a flavor of religion4 ,it makes a good background and screen1 it serves to hide much that is unbecoming and questionable2 it is respectable1 and satisfies an instinctive longing of the soul4 ,but the world manages its religion in such a way as not to interfere with its self-aggrandizement2 but1 in fact1 to promote it4 ,christ1 on the other hand1 taught that religion was for the ,father in secret2 and consisted1 not in the rigorous observance of outward rite1 but in pity1 mercy1 forgiveness1 solitary prayer1 and purity of heart4 ,thus the ,lord's life was the reversal of everything that the world prized4 ,wherever ,he touched it there was conflict and collision1 strong antagonism was evoked1 and profound irritation on the part of the poor hollow appearance-loving world4 ,so it must be with ,his followers4 ,these pilgrims must needs go through the fair4 ,well1 so they did2 but behold1 even as they entered into the fair1 all the people in the fair were moved1 and the town itself1 as it were1 in a hubbub about them4 ,they were clothed with such kind of raiment as was diverse from the raiment of any who traded in that fair2 few could understand what they said2 and the pilgrims set very light by all their wares4 ,and they did not believe them to be any other than bedlams and mad4 ,therefore they took them and beat them1 and besmeared them with dirt1 and then put them in the cage1 that they might be made a spectacle to all the men at the fair4 ,child of ,god1 your conflict may be altogether hidden from the eyes of those around you1 lonely with the awful loneliness of one in a crowd of unsympathizing strangers1 painful with the tribulation that ,christ foretold4 ,you have been ridiculed1 sneered at1 maligned2 your tools hidden1 your goods injured1 violence threatened or executed4 ,you have been as a speckled bird1 pecked at by the birds around4 ,but this is the way the ,master went4 ,by these marks you may be sure that you are in the way of ,his steps4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,common ,,victory4--,be of good cheer1 ,i have overcome the world4 ,in the midst of a battle1 when the soldiers are weary with fatigue1 galled with fire1 and grimed with smoke1 if the general rides into the midst to cheer them with a few hearty words1 and tells them that the key to the position is in their hands1 they cheer him enthusiastically1 and take up new hope4 ,so down the line our ,leader and ,commander sends the encouragement of these inspiring words4 ,let us drink their comfort and encouragement to the full1 that1 amid our tribulation1 in ,him we may have peace4 ,he conquered for ,himself4--,the ,lord has shown that a great and blessed life is possible on conditions which the world pronounces simply unendurable4 ,he would not accept the world's maxims1 would not be ruled by the world's principles1 did despite to the world's most favorite plans4 ,he even tasted the dregs of reprobation that the world metes out to those who oppose her1 enduring the cross1 and despising the shame4 ,but ,his life was blessed while it lasted1 ,his name is the dearest and fairest treasure of our race1 and ,he holds an empire such as none of the world's most favored conquerors ever won4 ,does not this show that the world is a lying temptress1 that there is another and a better policy of life than hers1 that the real sweets and prizes of this brief existence are1 after all1 not in her gift4 ,christ has overcome the world4 ,her prince came to ,him1 but found no response to any of ,his proposals4 ,he disregarded her flatteries and threatenings2 ,he would not have her help and despised her hate2 ,he prosecuted ,his path in defiance of her1 and has left an imperishable glory behind4 ,thus ,he overcame the world4 ,and he conquered as our representative and head4--,what ,he did for ,himself ,he is prepared to repeat in the life-story of ,his followers4 ,ah6 lonely soul1 thou shalt not be left unaided to withstand the seductions of the temptress world2 ,jesus is with thee1 thy ,great-heart and ,champion4 ,as the ,father was with ,him1 so ,he is with thee2 so thus thou mayest boldly say1 ,the ,lord is my helper1 ,i will not fear what man can do unto me4 ,he does more4 ,behind the light of this world's glory1 ,jesus reveals another2 and it is as when the sun rises1 while the yellow moon still lingers in the sky4 ,the world has no glory by reason of that glory1 which excelleth4 ,we are content with this world until ,he reveals the glory of the unseen and eternal2 then a holy discontent arises with us1 such as the patriarchs felt toward ,canaan1 when by faith they beheld the city which hath foundations4 ,i only say to you1 get that vision1 and it becomes as easy for you to refuse the passing and worthless attractions of the world as for an angel to ignore a wanton's beauty1 or a child to make light of diamonds in the rough4 ,in ,jesus you may have peace4 ,it is not certainly ours1 unless we follow the two conditions ,he lays down4 ,first1 of abiding in ,him2 and1 secondly1 of meditating on ,his words4 ,but if these be observed we shall have in the midst of strife1 just as there is an oratory in the heart of the castle keep2 a hollow cone in the midst of the candle flame2 and a centre of safety in the midst of the sweeping whirlwind4 ,oh1 abide there1 child of ,god6 ,and1 in addition to peace1 there shall one day be victory4 ,we also shall overcome1 and shall sit with ,christ on ,his throne1 as ,he overcame1 and sits with the ,father upon ,his4 ,then the fruit of the tree of life1 immunity from the second death1 the hidden manna1 the white stone1 the morning star1 the confession before the angels of ,god1 and the pillar in the temple of ,eternity6 ,,xxi ,consecrated to ,consecrate ,for their sakes ,i sanctify ,myself1 that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth4--,,john xvii4 #ai4 ,the most precious fragment of the past1 is the unstinted eulogium which a thoughtful man has passed on this transcendent prayer2 transcending in its scope of view1 its expressions1 its tender pathos1 all other prayers of which we have record4 ,its primary characteristic is timelessness4 ,though uttered within a few hours of ,calvary1 it contains thoughts and expressions which must have been familiar to our ,lord at any moment during the centuries which have followed4 ,as we study it1 therefore1 we are listening to words which have been uttered many times on our behalf1 and will be uttered until we are with ,him1 where ,he is1 beholding the glory of the ,divine ,son1 superadded to that of the ,perfect ,servant4 ,the ,r4 ,v4 margin substitutes the word consecrate for sanctify1 and it probably conveys a better meaning1 because devotion to the will of ,god is prominent1 rather than the holiness of personal character4 ,devotion to ,god's will is the primary thought suggested by the word2 but of course it involves a blameless and spotless character4 ,thus we might read the words1 ,for their sakes ,i consecrate ,myself1 that they also may be consecrated in truth4 ,through the dim twilight the ,lord clearly foresaw what was awaiting ,him--the agony and bloody sweat1 the cross and passion1 the foresakenness and travail of ,his soul4 ,the cross with out-stretched arms waited to receive ,him2 the midnight darkness to engulf ,him1 the murderous band to wreak their hate on the unresisting ,lamb--and yet ,he flinched not1 but went right forward1 consecrating ,himself4 ,twas thus ,he suffered1 though a ,son1 ,foreknowing1 choosing1 tasting all1 ,until the dreadful work was done ,and drank the bitter cup of gall4 ,i4 ,,the ,,subjects ,,of ,,christ',s ,,solicitude4--,in the earlier verses the ,lord speaks of ,himself1 of ,his finished work1 of the glory which ,he had left1 of that to which ,he went1 asking only that ,he might be able to glorify the ,father in every movement of ,his coming sorrow 7#a-e74 ,then ,he launches ,himself on the full current of intercession1 and pleads for those who had been given to ,him1 as distinguished from the world of men out of which they had come4 ,evidently the same thought was in ,his mind as inspired ,his words in ,john x41 when ,he spoke of the sheep whom the ,father had given to ,him1 that ,he might give them eternal life 7#bg-bi74 ,and it may be that each of these two utterances was inspired by older words yet1 that ,zechariah had addressed to the poor of the flock when he cut asunder his two slaves1 ,beauty and ,bands 7,zech4 xi4 #g-ad74 ,the underlying conception in all these passages seems to be that the ,father has entrusted to the special keeping of ,jesus certain elect spirits having an affinity to ,his nature1 and who should stand in the inner circle to ,him because associated with ,him from high redemptive purpose4 ,all souls are ,god's by right of creation1 and all are included in the redemption wrought on the cross2 but not all had been included in the ,divine gift of which ,jesus speaks1 ,thine they were1 and ,thou gavest them ,me4 ,we conclude that in the eternity of the past1 as the ,father beheld all future things as though they were present1 and surveyed the vast multitudes of the human family1 ,he discerned those who would be attracted by indissoluble union with ,his ,son1 manifest in the flesh2 and whom ,he did foreknow1 these also ,he did predestinate to be ,his flock1 ,his brethren and sisters1 ,his chosen band of associates in ,his redemptive purpose4 ,these were the subjects of ,his powerful solicitude1 ,i make request1 not for the world1 but for those whom ,thou hast given ,me4 ,what then8 ,did not ,god care for the world8 ,certainly4 ,he so loved the world that ,he gave ,his only begotten ,son4 ,how then can we reconcile the love of ,god to the world with the selection of some as the flock of the ,lamb1 whilst the great world seems expressly excluded from ,his prayer8 ,that question is fitly put4 ,the emphasis is on the word seems4 ,it is only to the superficial view that the world is excluded4 ,are the planets excluded from the law of gravitation because suns are filled with fire and light8 ,are the lower orders of creation excluded from the circle of enjoyment because man with his high organization is more richly endowed than they8 ,are sufferers excluded from the healing virtues of nature because a comparative few are specially qualified as surgeons and physicians8 ,can a missionary be charged with neglecting a dark continent because he concentrates thought and care on a few elect spirits gathered around him8 ,for instance1 could ,columba be held guilty of neglecting the ,picts and ,scots when on ,iona's lone isle he focused his care upon the handful of followers who assembled around the ancient pile1 whose ruins are his lasting memorial8 ,there is but one answer to these questions4 ,election is not exclusive1 but inclusive4 ,its purpose is not primarily the salvation or delectation of the few1 but their equipment to become the apostles to the many4 ,and if ,jesus thought1 cared1 and prayed so much for those whom the ,father had given ,him1 ,his ulterior thought was that the world might believe that the ,father had sent ,him 7ver4 #ba74 ,if then it should be proved that you1 my reader1 are not included in the band of the given ones1 that would not necessarily involve you in the eternal condemnation and loss of the future2 though it would exclude you from sharing with ,christ in ,his lofty mission to the sons of men4 ,what are the marks then that we belong to the inner circle of the given ones8 ,they are these-- #a4 ,that we have come to ,him 7,john vi4 #cg74 #b4 ,that we hear ,his voice1 listening for the slightest indication of ,his will 7,john x4 #bg74 #c4 ,that we follow ,his steps through the world4 #d4 ,that we receive ,his words and believe that the ,father sent the ,son to be our ,saviour4 #e4 ,that the world hates us 7ver4 #ad74 ,wheresoever these marks are present1 they indicate the hand of the ,great ,shepherd and ,bishop of ,souls1 and though we be amongst the most timid and worthless of the flock1 ,he is pledged to keep us1 so that none shall snatch us from ,his hand1 and conduct us through the valley of the shadow to those dewy upland lawns over which ,he will lead us forevermore4 ,,ii4 ,,what ,,he ,,sought ,,for ,,them--that they might be consecrated in truth4 ,christ does not ask that ,his own should be forgiven1 comforted1 supplied with the good things of life--all thought for these pales in the presence of ,his intense desire that they should be consecrated1 i4e41 inspired by the same consuming passion as was burning in ,his heart4 ,he knew that ,he was no more in the world4 ,high business connected with its interests summoned ,him to the far country1 whither ,he went to receive the kingdom and return4 ,but ,he desired that the passion which filled ,his soul1 ,his tears1 ,his prayers1 and1 to an extent1 ,his sufferings1 might always be represented amongst the sons of men1 embodied in human lives1 finding utterance through human lips4 ,he could not ,himself perpetuate his corporeal visible ministry among men1 and therefore desired with a great desire that those whom the ,father had given ,him should evermore show forth ,his death till ,he came4 ,not simply by gathering at ,his table1 but by going forth to live ,his life1 and fill up that which is behind of ,his sufferings4 ,is this your life8 ,we have sometimes heard consecration stated as though it were a matter of choice whether believers should bind themselves by its obligations or not4 ,when a student enters the university there are certain subjects in which he must matriculate1 but there are special ones which he may graduate in or not1 as he pleases4 ,should he refuse them1 he is not blamed4 ,the matter was within his option4 ,now1 let it be clearly understood from these words of ,christ that consecration is not in the same sense optional1 but obligatory4 ,for all those whom the ,father had given ,him ,he pleaded with ,his dying breath that they should be consecrated2 and if you are not consecrated1 if there are extensive reserves in your life1 if you are holding back part of the price1 if you are saying of aught that you have1 ,it is my own1 ,i shall do as ,i choose1 then understand that you are in direct conflict against ,christ's purpose and prayer4 ,he asked that you might be consecrated2 and you have chosen to regard consecration as the craze of the fervid enthusiast4 ,,iii4 ,,christ',s ,,method ,,of ,,securing ,,the ,,consecration ,,of ,,his ,,servants4--,for their sakes ,i consecrate ,myself4 7#a7 ,there is the potency of example4--,he hath left us an example to follow in ,his steps4 ,he that saith he abideth in ,him ought himself also to walk even as ,he walked4 ,once when ,he was praying in a certain place ,his disciples said1 ,lord1 teach us to pray4 ,they had come within the powerful attraction of ,his ,spirit4 ,like a swift current it had caught them1 and they were eager to emulate ,him4 ,it is impossible for the saint to gaze long on the stigmata without becoming branded with the marks of ,jesus2 impossible to see ,him hasting to the cross without being stirred to follow ,him2 impossible to behold the intensity of ,his purpose for a world's redemption without becoming imbued with it2 impossible to see ,him in love with the cross without feeling a similar infatuation2 impossible to behold ,him plunging into the dark floods of death that ,he might emerge in the sunlit ocean1 without the consciousness of the uprising of an insatiable desire to be like ,him1 to drink of ,his cup1 and be baptized with ,his baptism1 to fall into the ground to die1 that ,he may not abide alone1 to know the fellowship of ,his sufferings1 and conformity to ,his death1 that ,he may appoint unto us a kingdom1 as the ,father hath appointed to ,him4 7#b7 ,there is our implication in ,his mediatorial work4--,i have been crucified with ,christ1 the apostle said4 ,and1 again1 ,ye died with ,christ from the rudiments of the world4 ,of course1 ,christ died for us1 presenting to the claims of a broken law a perfect satisfaction and oblation4 ,it is also true that we died with ,him1 were in ,him as our ,representative1 wrought through ,him as our ,forerunner2 the first fruit-sheaf contained the promise of all its companions4 ,consider for a moment a remarkable expression that casts light on this whole subject4 ,in that memorable discussion with the ,jews in ,solomon's porch1 which practically closed our ,lord's public ministry1 ,he said that the ,father had sanctified and consecrated ,him and sent ,him into the world 7,john x4 #cf74 ,in these sublime words ,he undoubtedly refers to a moment which preceded the ,incarnation1 when the ,godhead designated the ,second ,person to redeem men8 ,was it the same moment1 think you1 as that in which ,jesus said1 ,sacrifice and offering thou wouldst not1 but a body thou hast prepared for ,me 7or1 ,mine ears hast thou pierced74 ,i delight to do ,thy will1 ,o ,my ,god4 ,if so1 what an august scene that must have been when1 in the presence of the assembled hierarchies of heaven1 the ,father solemnly set apart the ,son for ,his redemption work1 consecrating ,him to bring in everlasting salvation1 to destroy the works of the devil1 and to bring together in one the children of ,god that are scattered abroad6 ,in that solemn consecration of the head all the members were included4 ,the ,king stood for ,his kingdom2 the ,shepherd for ,his flock4 ,any who refuse to be consecrated contravene and contradict that momentous decision4 ,when ,christ approached ,his death1 in these words ,he renewed ,his act of consecration1 and again implicated those who belong to ,him2 bearing us with ,him1 ,he went to the cross1 involving us by ,his actions1 ,he yielded ,himself up to death4 ,in ,his holy purpose we were quickened together with ,him1 and raised up together1 and made to sit together in the heavenly places2 and by the same emphasis that we declare ourselves to be ,his1 we confess that we are amongst those who are bound to a life of consecration4 ,we are pledged to it by union with our ,lord4 ,we cannot draw back from the doorpost to which ,he was nailed without proving that we are deficient in appreciating the purpose which brought ,him to our world1 the surrender that withheld not ,his face from spitting1 ,his soul from the shadow of death4 ,,iv4 ,,our ,,duty4--,yield yourselves unto ,god4 ,when ,abraham ,lincoln dedicated1 for the purposes of a graveyard1 the field of ,gettysburg1 where so many brave soldiers had lost their lives1 he said3 ,we cannot dedicate1 we cannot consecrate1 we cannot hallow this ground4 ,the brave men who struggled here have consecrated it far beyond our power to add or detract4 ,it is for us1 the living1 rather to be dedicated to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced4 ,it is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us1 that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion2 and that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain4 ,these noble words1 when we have made the needful alterations and adaptations1 are most applicable to our present point4 ,let us dedicate ourselves to the great task before us1 and to which ,jesus has pledged us4 ,let us devote ourselves to this great cause for which ,jesus died4 ,let us highly resolve that ,he shall not have died in vain4 ,let us offer and present ourselves1 our souls and bodies1 to be a reasonable1 holy1 and living sacrifice unto ,god1 that ,his will might be done through us1 as it is done in heaven4 ,my ,master1 lead me to ,thy door2 ,pierce this now willing ear once more2 ,thy bonds are freedom1 let me stay ,with ,thee1 to toil1 endure1 obey4 ,yes2 ear and hand1 and thought and will6 ,use all in ,thy dear slavery still6 ,self's weary liberties ,i cast ,beneath ,thy feet2 there keep them fast4 ,,xxii ,the ,lord's ,prayer for ,his ,people's ,oneness ,that they may all be one4 4 4 4 ,one in us4 4 4 4 ,that they may be one1 even as we are one4 4 4 4 ,perfect in one4--,,john xvii4 #ba-bc4 ,thus our ,high ,priest pleaded1 and thus ,he pleads4 ,in all the power of ,his endless life1 ,he ever liveth to bear this great petition on ,his heart3 and as the weight of the jewelled breast-plate lay heavy on the heart of the high priests of old1 so does it press on ,him1 as the ages slowly pass by in their never-ceasing progress toward the consummation of all things4 ,listen to that voice1 sweet and full as the distant rush of many waters1 as it pleads in the midst of eternity that those which believe in ,him may be one4 ,nor is it true that this prayer awaits an answer indefinitely future4 ,there seems good reason to believe1 as we shall see1 that in these words our ,lord was making a request1 which began to be fulfilled on the ,day of ,pentecost3 and is being fulfilled continually1 although the oneness which is being realized is still1 like ,his kingdom1 in mystery1 and is waiting for the manifestation of the sons of ,god4 ,then1 as the gauzy mists of time part before the breath of ,god1 the accomplished oneness of the ,church shall stand revealed4 ,i4 ,,the ,,oneness ,,of ,,believers ,,is ,a ,,spiritual ,,oneness4--,can there be any reasonable doubt of this when our ,master asks so clearly that we may be one1 as the ,father and ,he are one8 ,the model for ,christian unity is evidently the unity between the ,father and ,son by the ,holy ,spirit2 and since that unity1 the unity of the blessed ,god1 is not corporeal1 nor physical1 nor substantial to the eye of the flesh1 may we not infer--nay1 are we not compelled to infer--that the oneness of believers is to be after the same fashion1 and to consist in so close an identity of nature1 so absolute an interfusion of spirit1 as that they shall be one in aim1 and thought1 and life1 and spirit1 spiritually one with each other1 because spiritually one with ,him8 ,the ,church of ,rome1 which has ever travestied in gross material forms the most spiritual conceptions of ,god1 sought to prove herself the true ,church by achieving a oneness of her own4 ,it was an outward and visible oneness4 ,in the apostate church every one must utter the same formularies1 worship in the same postures1 and belong to the same ecclesiastical system4 ,and its leaders did their best to realize their dream4 ,they endeavored to exterminate heresy by fire1 and sword1 and torture4 ,they spread their network through the world4 ,and just before the dawn of the ,reformation they seemed to have succeeded4 ,at the beginning of the sixteenth century1 ,europe reposed in the monotony of almost universal uniformity1 beneath the almost universal supremacy of the ,papacy4 ,rome might indeed have adopted the insolent language of the ,assyrian of prophecy3 ,as one gathereth eggs1 so have ,i gathered all the earth1 and there was none that moved the wing1 or opened the mouth1 or peeped4 ,and what was the result8 ,what but the deep sleep of spiritual death8 ,and herein lay the most crushing condemnation of the ,roman ,catholic conception of the unity of the ,church4 ,many modern notions of ,christian unity seem to proceed on the same line4 ,the assent to a certain credal basis1 the meeting in great ,catholic conventions1 the exchange of pulpits--these seem to exhaust the conceptions of large numbers1 and to satisfy their ideal4 ,but surely there is a bond of union deeper1 holier1 more vital and more blessed than any of these1 which shyly reveals itself1 now and again1 in one or more of them1 but is independent of all1 and when all of them are wanting1 still constitutes us one4 ,and what is that bond of union but the possession of a common spiritual life1 like that which unites the ,father and the ,son1 and which pervades us also1 making us one with each other1 because we are already one with ,god8 ,you may not care to admit it2 you may even be ignorant of the full meaning of this marvellous fact2 you may live an exclusive life1 never going beyond the walls of some small conventicle1 or the barriers of some strict ecclesiastical system2 you may bear yourself impatiently and brusquely toward those who differ from you2 you may even brand them with your anathema3 but if they are one with ,god1 by ,his gracious indwelling ,spirit of ,life1 and if you are also one with ,him1 you positively cannot help being one with them4 ,your creed may differ1 or your mode of worship1 or your views about the ,church2 but you cannot be otherwise than one with those who are one with ,god1 in a union which is not material but spiritual4 ,,ii4 ,,this ,,oneness ,,also ,,admits ,,of ,,great ,,variety4--,one1 as ,thou1 ,father1 art in ,me1 and ,i in ,thee4 ,now1 of course1 we all admit the unity of the ,godhead4 ,the first article of the ,jew is also the first article of the ,christian1 that the ,lord our ,god is one ,god1 one in essence1 one in purpose1 one in action4 ,the ,son does nothing of ,himself2 the ,father does nothing apart from the ,son2 the ,holy ,ghost proceedeth from the ,father and the ,son4 ,we cannot1 as yet1 understand this mystery2 but with reverence we accept it as the primary basis of our faith4 ,but though ,god is ,one1 there is evidently a variety of function in the ever-blessed ,trinity4 ,the ,father decrees1 the ,son executes4 ,the ,father sends1 the ,son is sent4 ,the ,father works in ,creation1 the ,son in ,redemption and ,judgment4 ,and the functions of both ,father and ,son differ from those of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,if1 then1 the unity of the ,church is to resemble the unity of the ,godhead1 according to our ,lord's request1 we may expect that it will not be physical1 nor mechanical1 nor a uniformity2 but it will be a variety in unity--a unity of ,spirit and purpose1 and yet a unity which admits of very diverse functions and operations4 ,diversities of gifts1 but the same ,spirit4 ,differences of administrations1 but the same ,lord4 ,diversities of operations1 but the same ,god which worketh all in all4 7#a7 ,the very conception of unity involves variety4--,you take me out into a piece of waste land1 and pointing to a heap of bricks say1 ,there is a unity4 ,i at once rebut your assertion2 there is uniformity undoubtedly1 but not unity4 ,unity requires that a variety of different things should be combined to form one structure and carry out one idea4 ,a collection of bricks is not a unity1 but a house is4 ,a pole is not a unity1 but a hop-plant is4 ,a snow atom is not a unity1 but a snow crystal is4 ,and when our ,lord spoke of ,his disciples as one1 ,he not only expected that there would be varieties amongst them1 in character1 mind1 and ecclesiastical preference2 but by the very choice of ,his words ,he meant us to infer that it would be so4 ,the unity on which ,he set ,his heart was not a uniformity4 7#b7 ,but with variety there may be the truest unity4--,there is variety in the human body--from eyelash to foot1 from heart to blood-disc1 from brain to quivering nerve-fibre2 yet1 in all this variety1 each one is conscious of an indivisible unity4 ,there is variety in the tree3 the giant arms that wrestle with the storm1 the far-spreading roots that moor it to the soil1 the myriad leaves in which the wind makes music1 the cones or nuts which it flings upon the forest floor2 yet for all this it is one4 ,there is a variety in the ,bible3 variety of authorship--king1 prophet1 priest1 herdsman1 and fisherman1 scholar1 sage1 and saint2 variety of style--prose1 poetry1 psalmody1 argument1 appeal2 variety of age--from the days of ,moses to those of ,john1 the beloved apostle1 writing amid the persecutions of the empire2 yet for all this there is a oneness in the ,bible which no mere binding could give4 ,so with the ,church of ,christ3 there may be1 there must be infinite varieties and shades of thought and work4 ,some will prefer the methods of ,wesley1 others the freedom of ,congregationalism4 ,some will pray most naturally through the venerable words of a ,liturgy1 others in the deep silence of a ,friends' ,meeting4 ,some will thrive best beneath the crozier of the ,bishop1 others in the plain barracks of the ,salvation ,army2 but1 notwithstanding all this variety1 there may be a deep spiritual unity4 ,many folds1 but one flock2 many regiments1 but one army2 many stones1 but one breast-plate4 ,there is one body1 and one ,spirit1 even as ye are called in one hope of your calling2 one ,lord1 one faith1 one baptism1 one ,god and ,father of all1 who is above all1 and through all1 and in you all4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,basis ,,of ,,christian ,,unity ,,is ,,the ,,union ,,of ,,each ,,believer ,,to ,,christ4--,i in them1 that they may be made perfect in one4 ,however much true believers in ,christ differ1 there are two points in which they agree4 7#a7 ,each believer is in ,christ3 in ,christ's heart1 loved with an everlasting love1 the beloved name engraven on its secret tables2 in ,christ's book1 enrolled on those pages which are sealed so fast that ,he alone can break the seven-fold seal2 in ,christ's hand1 which holds the ocean as a drop upon its palm1 and which was pierced on ,calvary1 from which no power shall ever pluck the trembling soul2 in ,christ's grace1 rooted as a tree in luxuriant soil1 or a house in a foundation of rock2 but above all in ,christ's ,person1 for ,he is the ,head1 from whom the whole body is fitly framed and knit together by that which every joint supplieth4 ,there are innumerable texts which speak of the ,church as the ,body of ,christ 7,eph4 i4 #bc2 ,col4 i4 #bd72 and directly a man believes in ,christ1 he becomes a member of that mystical body4 ,we are members of ,his body1 of ,his flesh1 and of ,his bones4 ,you may be a very obscure member1 or even a paralyzed member2 but be sure of this1 if you are a ,christian you are in ,christ1 as the eye is in the eye-socket1 the arm in the shoulder-joint1 and the finger in the hand4 7#b7 ,christ is in each believer4--,the texts that teach ,christ's real presence in the believer are as numerous as spring flowers4 ,christ liveth in me4 ,know ye not that ,jesus ,christ is in you1 except ye be reprobates8 ,ye shall know that ,i am in ,my ,father1 and ye in ,me1 and ,i in you4 ,the ,lord ,jesus is in the heart which makes ,him welcome1 as the steam is in the piston1 as the sap is in the branch1 as the blood is in the heart1 as the life is in the body4 ,it would be impossible for words to describe a more intense spiritual ,oneness than that which is here presented to us4 ,the ,saviour is in each of us1 as the ,father is in ,him1 and we are in ,him1 and ,he in ,god4 ,our life is hid with ,christ in ,god4 ,therefore we are not only one with ,jesus ,christ1 but through ,him we are one with ,god4 ,i in them1 ,thou in ,me4 ,the very life of ,god is pouring its glorious tides through us1 and would do so more largely if only we were more receptive and obedient4 ,he pours water out of the mouth of the ,congo at the rate of #a1jjj1jjj tons per second2 and is willing to do marvels as mighty through each believer4 ,and as this life permeates us all alike1 it makes us not only one with the blessed ,god1 but one with all who believe1 as the blood makes all the members of the body one1 and the sap the branches of the tree4 ,,iv4 ,,the ,,means ,,of ,,this ,,spiritual ,,unity ,,are ,,the ,,influences ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,spirit4--,influence means inflow4 ,it was by the ,holy ,spirit that our ,lord's human nature was made one with ,his ,father's4 ,and this same ,holy ,spirit ,he has bequeathed to us1 that ,he may be the same bond of spiritual life between us and our ,lord as ,he was between our ,lord and ,his ,father4 ,may not this be the meaning of ,his words3 ,the glory which ,thou gavest ,me ,i have given them1 that they may be one as we are one8 ,may not that glory have consisted in the oneness of ,his human nature with ,god the ,father1 by the ,holy ,spirit8 ,and if so1 it may be shared by us4 ,the more that believers receive the indwelling of the ,holy ,spirit1 the more clearly will they appreciate this great mystery1 and the more closely will they be drawn to all other believers1 hushing jealous thoughts and uncharitable words1 and endeavoring to keep the unity of the ,spirit in the bond of peace4 ,it is abundantly clear1 then1 that this unity cannot be broken unless we break away from ,christ4 ,men have used that word schism with terrible effect4 ,if a man has broken away from some visible church1 they have pointed to him as a schismatic4 ,but what is schism8 ,it is a breaking away from the ,body of ,christ4 ,but what is the ,body of ,christ8 ,the ,roman ,catholic will tell you that it is the ,church of ,rome2 the ,anglican will tell you that it is the ,church of ,england2 the ,high ,churchman will tell you that it is the collection of churches which hold the doctrine of ,apostolic ,succession4 ,what vestige of ,scriptural proof is there for these assertions8 ,what an absurdity it is to be told that we must submit to an outward rite1 or we cannot belong to the ,body of ,christ6 ,what then would become of all the saints and martyrs who died without membership with one of these visible organizations8 ,no1 the ,body of ,christ1 as ,scripture plainly teaches1 is that great multitude which no man can number1 of all nations1 and kindreds1 and peoples1 and tongues1 and sects1 and eras1 who are united by faith with the ,saviour4 ,the ,church of ,christ is not conterminous with any earthly or visible organization2 it is long as the ages1 wide as the poles1 broad as the charity of ,god2 it includes all in heaven and on earth who hold the ,head4 ,the only condition of membership in that ,church is simple faith in ,christ4 ,and the only method of severance from that ,church is through the severance of the soul's trust in ,christ4 ,he only is a schismatic who ceases to be ,christ's4 ,the ,papal ,legate told ,savonarola that he cut him off from the ,church ,militant and from the ,church ,triumphant4 ,from the ,church ,militant you may1 was the martyr's reply2 but from the ,church ,triumphant1 never4 ,it was well spoken2 but ,savonarola might have gone further1 and defied the scarlet-coated functionary even to cut him off from the ,church ,militant--nothing could do that but apostasy4 ,a man may be excommunicated from our church systems1 or he may never have belonged to one of them2 but so long as he believes in ,christ1 he is a member of the ,holy ,catholic ,church4 ,and schism is more likely to be charged against those who violate the spirit of ,christian charity in making harsh and false statements against their fellow-members in the ,body of ,christ4 ,let us not retaliate1 lest we also commit that sin4 ,we can afford to wait4 ,five minutes in heaven1 or less1 will settle it all4 ,the object for which ,christ prayed is already being partially accomplished4 ,the world may not be as yet surrendering to the claims of ,jesus ,christ1 but it is becoming increasingly impressed with ,his ,divine mission3 that the world may believe that ,thou hast sent ,me4 ,and in proportion as the ,holy ,spirit pervades and fills the hearts of the children of ,god1 the manifestation of the ,life of ,god in them1 and through them1 will have an ever-increasing effect1 and will do what church systems and even the preachings of her thousand pulpits cannot effect in convincing and saving men4 ,let us remember that ,christ's own conception of the unity of ,his ,church is that which is the result of the indwelling of the one ,spirit4 ,such unity is already a fact in the eye of ,god1 though undiscerned as yet in all its fullness by men4 ,let us thank ,god that this marvellous request has been already so largely realized1 and let us dare to hold fellowship as ,christians with all those who are indwelt by the ,spirit of the ,life1 which is also in ,christ ,jesus4 ,,xxiii ,the ,love that ,bound ,christ to the ,cross ,jesus1 therefore1 knowing all things that should come upon ,him1 went forth1 and said unto them1 ,whom seek ye8--,,john xviii4 #d4 ,the ,cedron was never more than a mountain brook1 and it is now dry4 ,its stony bed alone shows where it used to flow through the valley that separated ,mount ,zion from the ,mount of ,olives4 ,the main road which led from the city gate1 over the ,mount of ,olives to ,bethany and ,jericho1 crossed it by an ancient bridge1 from which1 on this especial night1 a fair scene must have presented itself4 ,above1 the ,passover moon was shining in full-orbed splendor turning night into day4 ,beneath1 the little stream was brawling down the valley1 catching the moonlight on its wavelets4 ,on the one slope dark1 thick woods1 above which rose the ancient walls and gates of the city1 on the other1 the swelling slopes of ,olivet4 ,presently the ,lord emerged out of the shadow1 engaged in earnest converse with the apostles2 crossed the bridge1 but1 instead of pursuing the path as it wound upward toward ,bethany and ,bethphage1 they all turned into a large enclosure1 well-known as the garden of the oil-press1 and which we know best as ,gethsemane4 ,somewhere1 no doubt1 within its enclosure stood the rock-hewn trough in which the rich juicy olives were trodden by naked feet4 ,when ,jesus had spoken these words1 ,he went forth with ,his disciples over the brook ,cedron1 where was a garden1 into which ,he entered1 and ,his disciples4 ,the sequel was so fully narrated by the other evangelists that there was no need for the writer of this narrative to tell of the awful anguish1 the broken cries1 the bloody sweat1 the running to and fro of the disciples1 the sleep of the chosen three1 the strengthening angel4 ,he confines himself almost entirely to the circumstances of the ,lord's arrest4 ,two hours only had passed since ,judas left the supper-table2 but that had given him all the time needed for the completion of his plan4 ,hastening to the authorities1 he had told them that the favorable moment had arrived for his ,master's arrest2 that he knew the lonely spot to which ,he was wont to resort for meditation and prayer2 and that he had need of an armed band to overpower all possible resistance on the part of ,himself or ,his followers4 ,this they were able to supply from the guards and custodians of the ,temple4 ,they were going against ,one who was deserted and defenceless2 yet the soldiers were armed with sticks and staves4 ,they were about to arrest ,one who would make no attempt at flight or concealment1 and the moon was full2 yet1 lest ,he should make ,his escape to some limestone grotto1 or amid the deep shadows1 they carried torches and lanterns4 ,the ,lord had just awoke ,his disciples for the third and last time1 when probably ,his ear detected the tread of hurrying feet1 the muffled clank of swords1 the stifled murmur of an advancing crowd2 perhaps ,he saw also the glancing lights1 as they advanced through the garden shrubs1 and began to encircle the place where ,he had prayed4 ,by such signs1 and especially by the inner intimation of the ,holy ,spirit1 ,he knew all things that should come upon ,him1 and without waiting for ,his enemies to reach ,him1 with calm and dignified composure ,he went forth to meet the rabble band1 stepping out into the moonlight and saluting them with the inquiry1 ,whom seek ye8 ,there are some deep and memorable suggestions here as to the ,,voluntariness ,,of ,,christ',s ,,death4 ,in order to ,his death having any value it must be free4 ,if it could be shown that ,he had no choice than to die1 because ,his own purpose was overmastered by the irresistible force of circumstances1 ,his death could not have met the claims of a broken law1 or inaugurated a new code of morals to ,his ,church4 ,but there are several points in this narrative which make it clear that ,he laid down ,his life of ,himself1 that none took it from ,him1 that ,he had power to lay it down1 and power to take it again4 7#a7 ,when ,jesus asked them the question1 ,whom seek ye8 there were1 no doubt1 many in the band who knew ,him well enough1 and that ,he was the object of their midnight raid2 but not one of them had the courage to answer1 ,thee4 ,a paralyzing awe had already commenced to cast its spell over their spirits4 ,those who knew ,him shrank from identifying ,him1 and were content to answer generally1 ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,but when ,he answered1 ,i am ,he1 what was it that so suddenly affected them8 ,did some stray beams of concealed glory burst forth from their confinement to indicate ,his majesty8 ,did they dread the putting-forth of that power which had been so often exerted to save and bless8 ,or1 was there a direct miracle of ,divine power1 which secured their discomfiture8 ,we cannot tell4 ,but1 whatever the cause1 the crowd suddenly fell back in confusion1 and were flung to the ground4 ,here1 for a moment1 the would-be captors lay1 as though pinioned to the dust by some unseen hand4 ,the spell was soon withdrawn1 and they were again on their feet1 cursing themselves for their needless panic4 ,but--and this is the point--the power that sent that rough hireling band reeling backward to the ground could easily have held them there1 or plunged them as ,korah1 ,dathan1 and ,abiram1 into living graves4 ,one flash came forth to tell of the sleeping lightning which ,he would not use2 and then1 having revealed the might1 which could have delivered ,him from their puny arms1 ,he returned to ,his attitude of willing self-surrender4 ,who1 then1 shall say that our ,saviour's death was not ,his own act and deed8 7#b7 ,when that rabble crew were again on their feet1 confronting ,jesus1 ,he asked them a second time1 ,whom seek ye8 ,again they replied1 ,jesus of ,nazareth4 ,jesus answered1 ,i have told you that ,i am ,he2 if1 therefore1 ye seek me1 let these go their way4 ,and1 forthwith1 ,he put forth such a power over ,his own as secured their freedom from arrest4 ,it is evident that it was no part of ,his foes' purpose beforehand to let them go2 for1 on their way back they arrested a young man1 probably ,mark himself1 whom curiosity had drawn from his bed1 and whom they took for one of ,his disciples4 ,he escaped with great difficulty from their hands4 ,it is hardly doubtful that if some special power had not been exerted over them1 they would have treated the whole of the followers of ,jesus as they sought to treat ,him4 ,is it not evident1 then1 that the power which secured the safety of ,his disciples could have secured that of the ,master ,himself2 or that ,he might have passed away through the midst of them1 as ,he did through the infuriated crowd which proposed to cast ,him headlong over the precipice near ,nazareth at the commencement of ,his ministry8 ,every arm might have been struck nerveless1 every foot paralyzed with lameness4 ,who1 then1 shall deny that ,christ's death was ,his own act8 7#c7 ,but again1 when ,jesus had spoken thus there seemed some wavering among ,his captors1 perhaps a hesitation as to who should first lay hand on ,him4 ,at this juncture1 when the whole enterprise threatened to miscarry1 ,judas felt that he must1 at all hazards1 show how safe it was to touch the person of his ,master2 so1 though the bold challenge of ,jesus had made the preconcerted signal needless1 he resolved still to give it1 that the spell of that presence might be broken4 ,the traitor1 therefore1 stepped up and kissed the ,lord4 ,encouraged by this sacrilegious act1 ,his myrmidons now laid hands on ,jesus1 grasping ,his sacred person as they might have done ,barabbas1 or some other member of his gang4 ,they then proceeded to bind ,him after the merciless ,roman fashion4 ,peter could not bear to see this4 ,he sprang forth from the covert of the shadow1 drew his sword1 and cut at the nearest assailant's head4 ,but the blade1 glancing off the helmet1 cut off the ear4 ,it was an unwelcome interference with the behavior of the meek and gentle ,lord1 whose hand was already bound4 ,it could not be permitted4 ,suffer ye thus far1 ,he said to the rude soldier who was binding ,him1 and with ,his own finger touched the ear1 stanched the flowing blood1 and healed it4 ,it has been remarked that this was the only act of healing wrought on one for whom it was neither asked of ,him1 and who had no faith in ,his beneficent power4 ,but1 surely1 the hand that could work that miracle could have broken from the bonds that held it as easily as ,samson from the two new cords which burned as flax in the flame4 ,the power with which ,jesus saved others might have saved ,himself4 ,who1 then1 shall say that ,his death was not ,his own free act8 ,listen1 moreover1 to ,his own words4 ,then said ,jesus unto ,peter1 ,put up thy sword into the sheath2 the cup which ,my ,father hath given ,me1 shall ,i not drink it8 ,thinkest thou that ,i cannot now pray to ,my ,father1 and ,he shall presently give ,me more than twelve legions of angels2 but how then shall the ,scripture be fulfilled that thus it must be8 ,as1 then1 we view the death of the ,cross we must ever remember the voluntariness of that supreme act1 which is all the more conspicuous as the agony of the ,garden reminds us how greatly the ,lord's spirit dreaded the awful pressure of the world's sin1 which made ,him cry3 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8 ,how greatly ,he must have loved us6 ,it was love1 and only love1 that kept ,him standing at the bar of ,pilate1 bending beneath the scourge of the soldiers1 hanging in apparent helplessness on the cross4 ,not the iron hand of relentless fate2 not the overpowering numbers or closely-woven plots of ,his foes2 not the nails that pierced ,his quivering flesh4 ,no1 it was none of these4 ,it was not even the compulsion of the ,divine purpose4 ,it was ,his own choice1 because of a love that would bear all things if only it might achieve redemption for those whom ,he loved more than ,himself4 ,he loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,surely we may trust that love4 ,if it moved ,him to endure the ,cross and despise the shame1 is there anything that it will withhold1 anything that it will not do8 ,his love is stronger than death1 and mightier than the grave4 ,strong waters cannot quench it1 floods cannot drown it4 ,it silences all praise1 and beggars all recompense4 ,to believe and accept it is eternal life4 ,to dwell within its embrace is the foretaste of everlasting joy4 ,to be filled by it is to be transfigured into the image of ,god ,himself4 ,,xxiv ,drinking the ,cup ,the cup which ,my ,father hath given ,me1 shall ,i not drink it8--,,john xviii4 #a-ad4 ,in our ,master's arrest the one feature which stands out in unique splendor is its voluntariness4 ,he went into the garden knowing all things that should come upon ,him4 ,even at the last moment ,he might have evaded the kiss of the traitor1 and the binding thong with which ,malchus sought to manacle ,his gracious hands4 ,the spell of ,his intrinsic nobleness and glory1 which had flung ,his captors to the ground1 might have held them there2 the power that could heal the wounded ear might have destroyed with equal ease the entire band4 ,the reason for all this hardly needs explaining4 ,his life and death were not merely a sacrifice1 but a self-sacrifice4 ,he freely gave ,himself up for us all4 ,each believer may dare to appropriate the words of the apostle3 ,he loved me1 and gave ,himself for me4 ,it was through the ,eternal ,spirit that ,he offered ,himself without spot to ,god4 ,it was from ,his own invincible love that ,he gave ,himself for the ,church1 ,his ,bride4 ,from beginning to end the moving spring of all ,his actions was deliberate self-devotedness to the good of men1 and the fulfillment of ,god's will1 for these are equivalents4 ,and ,his death as the crowning act of this career was to be conspicuously a death embodying and exhibiting the spirit of self-sacrifice4 ,let us learn3 ,i4 ,,the ,,supreme ,,nobility ,,of ,,surrender ,,to ,,the ,,evitable4--,it is1 of course1 most noble1 when the martyr goes to his death without a murmur of complaint2 allowing his enemies to wreak their vengeance without recrimination or threatening2 bowing the meek head to the block2 extending the hand to the hungry flame4 ,he has no alternative but to die2 there are no legions waiting under arms to obey his summons2 no ,john of ,gaunt to stand beside him1 as beside ,wycliffe1 to see him fairly tried and insist on his acquittal4 ,then1 there is nothing for it but to evince the patience and gentleness of ,christ in being led as a lamb to the slaughter4 ,but though this spectacle stirs the hearts of men1 there is one still more illustrious--when the sufferer bends to a fate which he might easily avoid1 but confronts for the sake of others4 ,the former is submission to the inevitable1 this to the evitable4 ,that is bearing a yoke which is imposed by superior authority2 this taking a yoke which might be evaded without blame1 as judged by the tribunal of public opinion4 ,and this is the sublimest spectacle on which the eye of man or angel can rest2 for thus the sacrifice of ,christ finds its noblest counterpart and fulfillment4 ,when a missionary1 with ample means and loving friends1 deliberately spends among squalid and repulsive conditions1 the precious years which might have been passed among congenial society and luxurious comfort in the homeland2 chooses a lot from which nature inevitably shrinks instead of that to which every conclusion but one points1 and stays at his post1 though his return1 so far from being resented1 would actually be favored by all whose opinion is of weight--this is a voluntary submission to the evitable4 ,when a home pastor stays by his poor flock because they need him so sorely1 and sets his face toward grinding poverty and irksome toil when the city church invites him to a larger stipend and wealthier surroundings--this again is a voluntary surrender to the evitable4 ,when a wealthy bachelor is willing to forego the ease and quiet of his beautiful home in order to welcome the orphans of his deceased brother1 who might have been sent to some charitable institution or cast on strangers1 that they may be beneath his personal supervision1 and have a better chance in life--this again is voluntary submission to the evitable4 ,in each such case1 it is not inevitable that the cross should be borne1 and the hands yielded to the binding thong4 ,the tongue of scandal could hardly find cause for criticism if the easier path were chosen4 ,perhaps the soul hardly realizes the kindredness of its resolve with the loftiest that this world has seen4 ,but it is superlatively beautiful1 nevertheless4 ,and let it never be forgotten1 that nothing short of this will satisfy the standard of ,christ4 ,no ,christian has a right to use all his rights4 ,none can claim immunity from the duty of seeking the supreme good of others1 though it involve the supreme cost to himself4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,recognition ,,of ,,god',s ,,will ,,in ,,his ,,permissions4--,in the bitter anguish which had immediately preceded the arrest1 our ,lord had repeatedly referred to ,his cup4 ,if this cup1 ,he said1 may not pass from ,me1 except ,i drink it1 ,thy will be done4 ,the cup evidently referred to all the anguish caused to ,his holy nature in being numbered among the transgressors1 and having to bear the sin of the world4 ,whether it was the anguish of the body1 beneath which ,he feared ,he would succumb1 as some think2 or the dread of being made a sin-offering1 a scape-goat laden with sin1 as others1 or the chill of the approaching eclipse1 which extorted the cry of forsakenness1 as seems to me the more likely--is not pertinent to our present consideration4 ,it is enough to know that1 whilst there was much that cried1 ,back6 there was more that cried1 ,on6--and that ,he chose from the profoundest depths of ,his nature1 to do the ,father's will1 to execute ,his part in the compact into which they had entered before the worlds were made1 and to drink to the dregs the cup which ,his ,father had placed in ,his hands4 ,but here we note that to all appearances the cup was mingled1 prepared1 and presented by the malignity and hate of man4 ,the ,high ,priests had long resolved to put ,him to death1 because ,his success with the people1 ,his fresh and living comments on the law1 ,his opposition to their hypocrisies and pretensions had exasperated them to madness4 ,judas also seemed to have had a conspicuous share in his discovery and arrest4 ,had we been left to our unaided reasonings we might have supposed that the most bitter ingredients of ,his cup had been supplied by the ingratitude of ,his own1 the implacable rancor of the priests1 and the treachery of ,judas2 but1 see1 ,he recognizes none but the ,father--it is always the ,father1 always the cup which the ,father had given4 ,there had been times in our lives when we may have been tempted to distinguish between ,god's appointments and permissions1 and to speak of the former as being manifestly ,his will for us1 whilst we suspended our judgment about the latter1 and questioned if we were authorized in accounting them as being equally from ,heaven4 ,but such distinctions are fatal to peace4 ,our souls were kept in constant perturbation1 as we accounted ourselves the shuttlecock of rival powers1 now ,god's1 now man's4 ,and we ended in ruling ,god out of more than half our life1 and regarding ourselves as the hapless prey of strong and malicious forces to which we were sold1 as ,joseph to the ,ishmaelites4 ,a deeper reading of ,scripture has led us to a truer conclusion4 ,there is no such distinction there4 ,what ,god permits is as equally ,his will as what ,he appoints4 ,joseph tells his brethren that it was not they who sent him to ,egypt1 but ,god4 ,david listens meekly to ,shimei's shameful words1 because he felt that ,god allowed them to be spoken4 ,and here ,jesus refuses to see the hand of ,his foes in ,his sufferings1 but passes beyond the hand which bore the cup to ,his lips to the ,father who was permitting it to be presented1 and reposed absolutely in the choice of ,him of ,one who loved ,him with a love that was before the foundation of the world4 ,oh1 sufferer6 whether by those strokes1 which1 like sickness or bereavement1 seem to come direct from heaven1 or by those which1 like malicious speeches or oppressive acts1 seem to emanate from man1 look up into the face of ,god1 and say1 ,my ,father1 this is ,thy will for me2 ,thine angels would have delivered me had it been best4 ,but since they have not interposed1 ,i read ,thy choice for ,thy child1 and ,i am satisfied4 ,it is sweet to drink the cup which ,thy hands have prepared4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,deep ,,law ,,of ,,substitution4--,some of the rabble crowd had probably shown signs of a disposition to arrest some of ,christ's followers4 ,he1 therefore1 interfered1 and reminded them of their own admission1 that ,he was the object to their midnight raid1 and bade them allow these to go their way4 ,is it surprising that the evangelist generalizes this act1 finding in it an illustration of ,his ,master's ceaseless interposition on behalf of ,his own--that of those whom the ,father had given ,him ,he should lose none4 ,in brief1 this scene affords a conspicuous and striking illustration of the great doctrine of substitution4 ,as the ,good ,shepherd steps to the front and sheathes the swords of ,his foes in ,his own breast1 while ,he demands the release of the cowering flock1 ,he is doing on a small scale what ,he did once and forever on ,calvary2 when1 exposing ,himself to the penalty due to sin1 and braving the concentrated antagonism of a broken law1 the drawn sword of inviolable justice1 the sharpness of death1 the shame of the cross1 and the humiliation of the grave1 ,he said1 ,if ye seek ,me1 let these go their way4 ,christ sheltered us without reckoning the cost to ,himself4 ,he stood to the front1 and bore the extreme brunt of all that was to be borne4 ,he substituted ,his suffering for ours1 ,his wounds for our pain1 ,his death for our sins4 ,if you are fearing the just recompense of your sins1 like a band of arresting soldiers lurking in the dark shadows and threatening to drag you forth to pay the uttermost farthing1 take heart2 ,jesus has met1 and will meet1 them for you4 ,listen to ,his majestic voice1 saying1 ,take ,me1 but let this soul1 who clings to the skirts of ,my robe1 go his way4 ,he is arrested1 and led away2 thou art free--that in thy freedom thou shouldest give thyself to be ,his very slave4 ,,xxv ,the ,hall of ,annas ,they led ,him away to ,annas first1 for he was father-in-law to ,caiaphas1 which was the high priest that same year4--,,john xviii4 #ac4 ,the band that had arrested ,jesus led ,him back across the ,kedron bridge1 up the steep ascent1 and through the ancient gateway1 which at this season of the year stood always open1 even at night4 ,the passage of the armed men through the quiet streets must have aroused from their slumbers many sleepers1 who hurried to the windows to see them pass below in the clear moonlight4 ,but no one guessed who was being taken into custody1 and most of them probably thought that the soldiers had captured some more of the ,barabbas gang1 who1 at that season of the year1 would make a rare harvest by plundering pilgrims to the feast4 ,their destination1 in the first place1 was the mansion of ,annas1 the head of the reigning priestly family1 who was father-in-law of the actual high priest4 ,he was now an old man2 wealthy1 aristocratic1 and laden with all the honors his nation could give4 ,for many years he had worn the high priest's robes1 and though he had now nominally retired from that exalted office1 he still kept his hand upon the reins of government4 ,caiaphas1 at the time of which we speak1 had held the priesthood for seventeen years under his tutelage2 and he retained it for five years after4 ,it is easy therefore to understand why ,annas is described as the high priest4 ,he was still the most powerful living bearer of that title4 ,the whole family partook of his character1 and was notorious for unwearied plotting4 ,the gliding1 deadly1 snake-like smoothness with which ,annas and his sons seized their prey is said to have won them the name of hissing vipers4 ,annas and ,caiaphas probably shared the same cluster of buildings1 which was presumably the official residence of the high priestly family4 ,in the ,east the houses of the great are frequently a group of buildings of unequal height standing near each other and surrounded by the same court1 but with passages between1 independent entrances1 and separate roofs4 ,sometimes they would form a square or quadrangle with porticos and corridors around it1 plants and fountains in the midst1 and a slight awning overhead to protect the open courtyard from the sun or rain1 the communication with the street being through a smaller courtyard and archway1 called in the ,gospels a porch4 ,in some such cluster of splendid buildings ,annas and ,caiaphas and others of their family would live1 and the whole would be called the high priest's palace4 ,in one of the large reception halls ,annas waited1 impatient and feverish1 to know the result of the midnight expedition4 ,he had a nervous dread of what ,jesus might do when driven to bay2 and dreaded lest the secret should leak out1 and the ,galilean pilgrims rise in defence of their favorite ,prophet1 whom four days before they had escorted into the city with shouts4 ,what if ,judas should not prove true8 ,all these disquieting thoughts chased each other like pursuing phantoms through his mind1 and it was an immense relief when the clank of weapons in the court assured him of the safe return of ,malchus' party1 and answering voices told him that ,jesus was at last safe within his power4 ,the prisoner was at once brought before the old man1 who eagerly scrutinized his features in the flickering light of lanterns and flambeaux1 casting shadows which a ,rembrandt would have loved to paint4 ,one or two intimates may have stood around ,him2 but the main inquiry was left to ,himself1 as ,he put the ,master through a preliminary and informal examination1 in the hope of extracting from ,his replies materials on which the court1 which was hastily summoned for an early hour in the morning1 might proceed4 ,on the surface the inquiry seemed fair and innocent enough4 ,the high priest1 we learn from verse #ai1 asked ,jesus of ,his disciples and ,his doctrine4 ,but the lamb-skin hid a wolf4 ,for the questions were so worded as to entangle1 and to provide material on which to found the subsequent charge1 which was even then being framed1 that ,jesus was a disturber of the public peace1 and a teacher of revolutionary doctrine4 ,first1 then1 about ,his disciples4--,annas would like to be informed what this association of men meant4 ,why were they formed into a society8 ,by what bond were they united8 ,what secret instructions had they received8 ,what hidden objects had they in view8 ,if ,jesus refused to answer these questions1 might it not be made to appear that an attempt was on foot to organize a confederation throughout the entire country8 ,if so1 it would be easy to awaken the jealousy of the ,roman authorities1 and lead them to feel that they must take immediate steps to stamp out the plot by executing the ringleader4 ,and1 next1 as to ,his doctrine4--,had not ,jesus repeatedly spoken about the ,kingdom of ,heaven8 ,what did this mean8 ,was ,he contemplating the setting up of a kingdom8 ,did ,he intend it to be understood that ,he was the expected ,messiah1 and that ,he meditated revolt against ,rome8 ,was the manifestation of force1 which had accompanied ,his recent entrance into the city1 at ,his instigation8 ,our ,lord at once penetrated the design of ,his crafty interrogator4 ,and in ,his answer ,he took care not to mention ,his disciples1 speaking only of ,himself4 ,he affirmed that ,he had nothing to say which ,he had not already said a hundred times in the synagogues and the ,temple1 before friends and foes4 ,he had no secret doctrines for the initiated1 but had declared all that was in ,his heart4 ,between ,his disciples and ,himself there had been no connection other than was obvious on the surface4 ,no meetings under cover of night2 no discussions of revolutionary topics2 nothing that could not bear the fullest scrutiny4 ,i spake openly to the world2 ,i ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple1 whither the ,jews always resort2 and in secret that is1 in the sense in which you use the word ,i have said nothing4 ,why askest thou ,me8 ,ask them which heard ,me what ,i have said unto them3 behold1 they know what ,i have said4 ,our ,lord's reference to those who had heard ,him is probably an allusion to the armies of spies whom ,annas had set on ,his track1 watching ,his actions1 reporting ,his words4 ,was not this examination of the prisoner a confession that the close scrutiny to which ,he had been subjected for so long had failed to elicit aught on which a criminal charge could be based8 ,jesus knew that ,his most secret words had been tortured in vain to yield an accusation against ,him4 ,how great then was the hypocrisy which could feign ignorance6 ,how evident it was that ,annas was only intent on inveigling his prisoner to say something on which to base his after-accusation4 ,all this was implied in our ,lord's noble and transparent words4 ,we shall see that ,he adopted another tone when ,he was properly arraigned before the assembled ,sanhedrim2 but in this more private1 injudicial1 inquisitorial interview1 with one scathing rebuke ,he tore away the cloak of assumed ignorance with which this crafty man veiled his sinister purpose1 and laid ,his secret thoughts open to the gaze of all4 ,for the time ,annas was silenced4 ,he had made small headway in the informal examination of his prisoner1 and he now gave it up4 ,whatever resentment he may have felt at our ,lord's answer he carefully concealed1 biding the hour when he might vent the vials of his hate without stint4 ,we must not suppose there was any anger in that long-suffering heart toward this judge4 ,he was even then about to die for ,him1 and to bear the guilt of the very sin ,he so pitilessly exposed4 ,but surely it was the part of love to show ,annas what he was1 and to utter words of rebuke in which1 as in a mirror1 his secret thoughts might be revealed4 ,but if1 in the moment of ,his humiliation1 ,jesus could thus search and reveal a man1 what will ,he not do when ,he is no longer prisoner1 but ,judge8 ,oh1 those awful eyes1 which are as a flame of fire6 ,oh1 those awful words1 which pierce to the dividing asunder of the joints and marrow1 and discern the thoughts and intents of the heart6 ,what wonder that men shall at last call on the rocks to hide them from the wrath of the ,lamb6 ,kiss the ,son1 lest ye perish from ,his presence1 when ,his wrath is kindled but a little6 ,blessed are they who can stand before ,him without blame6 ,then followed one of the grossest indignities to which our ,lord was at this time subjected4 ,on speaking thus1 one of the officers1 in the spirit of that despicable flunkeyism which will sacrifice all nobility and self-respect to curry the flavor of a superior1 smote our ,lord with a rod1 saying1 ,answerest thou the high priest so8 ,when afterward they came around ,him to mock and smite1 ,he answered nothing2 but when this first stroke was inflicted the ,master said quietly1 ,if ,i have spoken what is false or unbecoming1 prove that ,i have done so2 but if you cannot1 why do you strike ,me8 ,no one has the right to take the law into his own hands1 much less a servant of the court4 ,it is impossible not to recall the mighty utterances against the resistance of wrong1 spoken from the ,mount1 in the ,messiah's manifesto3 ,i say unto you that ye resist not evil2 but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek1 turn to him the other also4 ,clearly our ,lord did not literally do so in this instance1 because ,he saw an opportunity of revealing to this man ,his true condition1 and of bringing him to a better mind4 ,our bearing of wrong must always be determined by the state of mind of those who ill-use us4 ,in the case of some we may best arrest them by the dignity of an unutterable patience1 which will bear to the utmost without retaliation--this is to turn the other cheek4 ,in the case of others we may best serve them by leading them calmly and quietly to take the true measure of their crime4 ,in all cases our prime consideration should be1 not what we may be suffering1 nor the utter injustice which is meted out to us2 but how best to save the evil-doer1 who is injuring his own soul more fatally than he can possibly injure us1 and who is sowing seeds of harvest of incredible torture to his own conscience1 in the long future which lies behind the veil of sense4 ,if only we could drink in the pure love of ,jesus1 and view all wrong and wrong-doers1 not in the light of our personal interest1 but of their awful condition and certain penalty2 if only we could grieve over the infinite horror of a warped and devil-possessed soul1 drifting like a ship on fire before the breeze1 straight to the rocks2 if only we could see the wrong done to our ,father ,god and ,his sorrow1 we should understand ,chrysostom's beautiful comment on this scene3 ,think on ,him who said these words2 on him to whom they were said2 and on the reason why they were said2 and1 with ,divine power1 they will cast down all wrath that may arise within thy soul4 ,,xxvi ,how it fared with ,peter ,peter stood at the door without4 ,then went out that other disciple1 which was known unto the high priest1 and spake unto her that kept the door1 and brought in ,peter4--,john xviii4 #af4 ,remember that this very circumstantial account was given by one who was an eyewitness of the whole scene2 and who1 withal1 was then and in after years the warm friend and companion of ,peter4 ,but his love did not lead him to conceal his brother's sins4 ,peter himself would not have wished him to do so1 because where sin had abounded1 grace had had the greater opportunity to super-abound4 ,at the moment of the ,lord's arrest1 all the disciples forsook ,him and fled4 ,the ,shepherd was smitten and the flock scattered4 ,two of them1 however1 speedily recovered their self-possession1 and followed at a distance1 eager to see what would befall4 ,when the procession reached the palace gate ,john seems to have entered with the rest of the crowd1 and the ponderous1 massive doors closed behind him4 ,on looking round for ,peter he missed him1 and concluding that he had been shut out and was still standing without1 he went to the maid that kept the wicket-gate1 opening in the main entrance doors for the admission of individuals1 and asked her to admit his friend4 ,she recognized him as being well known to the high priest1 and readily assented to his request4 ,a fire of wood had been hastily lighted in the open courtyard1 and cast its rays on the chilly ,april night2 so that whilst ,jesus was being examined by ,annas the men who had taken part in the night adventure were grouped around the fire1 discussing the exciting incident1 with its moment of panic1 the case of the arrest1 the hurt and healing of the ear of ,malchus1 the seizure of the rich ,eastern dress from the young man whom they had encountered on their homeward march4 ,peter did not wish to be recognized1 and thought that the best way of preserving his incognito was to put on a bold face and take his place among the rest as though he1 too1 had been one of the capturing band1 and had as much right to be there as any other of that mixed company4 ,so he stood with them1 and warmed himself4 ,meanwhile1 the doorkeeper1 leaving her post1 came to the fire1 and in its kindling ray her eye fell upon ,peter's face4 ,she was surprised to see him there1 feigning to be one of themselves4 ,if1 like ,john1 he had gone quietly into some recess of the court1 and waited unobtrusively in the shadow1 she could have said nothing4 ,in her kind-heartedness she would have respected them both2 for she knew that they sympathized with the arrested ,nazarene4 ,but to find him there talking and acting as though he had no personal interest in the matter was so unseemly and unfit that she was provoked to expose him4 ,she looked at him earnestly--as another evangelist tells us--to be quite sure that she was not mistaken2 and feeling quite certain in her identification1 said abruptly1 ,art thou not one of this man's disciples8 ,peter was taken off his guard4 ,if he had been arrested1 and taken for trial1 he would no doubt have played the hero--he had braced himself up for that2 but he had not expected that the supreme trial of his life could come in the question of a servant-maid4 ,it is so often thus4 ,we lock and bolt the main door1 and the thief breaks in at a tiny window which we had not thought of4 ,we would burn at the stake2 but in an hour of social intercourse with our friends1 or a trivial business transaction1 we say the word which fills our life with regret4 ,confused at the sudden pause in the conversation1 and the turning of all eyes toward himself1 ,peter's first impulse was to allay suspicion1 and he said bluntly1 ,i am not4 ,such was his first denial4 ,after this1 as ,matthew and ,mark tell us1 he went out into the outer porch or gateway1 perhaps to avoid the glare of the light and the scrutiny of those prying eyes4 ,he remembered afterward that1 at the same moment1 a cock was heralding the dawn--the dawn of the blackest1 saddest day that ever broke upon ,jerusalem1 or the world4 ,but its warning notes were just then lost on him2 for there another maid1 speaking to some male acquaintances1 pointed him out as one of the ,nazarene's friends4 ,this man also was with ,jesus the ,nazarene4 ,probably no harm was meant1 but the words alarmed ,peter greatly1 and he denied1 as ,matthew says1 with an oath1 ,i know not the man4 ,this was the second denial4 ,an hour passed2 ,peter1 as we learn from the twenty-fifth verse1 was again at the fire1 and it was hardly possible for him to talk in a large company without unconsciously1 and by force of character1 coming to the front and taking the lead4 ,his perturbed spirit was perhaps the more vehement to drown conscience4 ,but now he is challenged by many at once4 ,they say unto him1 ,art not thou also one of ,his disciples8 ,and another saith1 ,of a truth1 thou wast with ,him2 and another1 a kinsman to ,malchus1 and therefore specially likely to remember his relative's assailant1 saith1 ,did ,i not see thee in the garden with ,him8 ,beset and badgered thus1 ,peter begins to curse and to swear1 saying1 ,i know not the man of whom ye speak4 ,when men lose their temper1 they drop naturally into their native speech2 and so1 as ,peter's fear and passion vented themselves in the guttural patois of ,galilee1 he gave a final clue to his identification4 ,thou art a ,galilean1 thy speech betrayeth thee4 ,and again he denied with an oath1 ,i know not the man4 ,this was his third denial4 ,and immediately the cock crew4 ,it may have happened that1 at this moment1 ,jesus was passing from ,annas to ,caiaphas1 and cast on ,peter that marvellous look of mingled sorrow and pity1 of suffering more for ,his sake than his own1 and of tender allusion to the scene and words of the previous evening1 which broke ,peter's heart1 and sent him forth to weep bitterly4 ,the light was breaking over the hills of ,moab1 flushing with roseate hues the marble pinnacles of the temple1 whilst the city and surrounding valleys were still shrouded in the grey gloom1 as ,peter went forth alone from the high priest's palace4 ,only those whose last words to the beloved dead were rude and thoughtless--not expecting that there would be no opportunity to unsay them and ask forgiveness1 but that1 ere they met again1 death would have sealed in silence the only lips that could speak words of relief and peace--can realize just what ,peter felt4 ,did he know ,him8 ,of course he did1 and ever since that memorable hour1 when ,andrew first brought him into ,his presence1 he had been growing to a more perfect knowledge4 ,did he love ,him8 ,of course he did2 and ,jesus1 who knew all things1 knew it too4 ,but why had he acted thus8 ,ah1 the reasons were not far to seek4 ,he had boasted of his superiority to all his brethren2 had relied on his own braggart resolutions2 had counted himself strong because he could speak strongly and loudly when danger was not near2 had thought that he could cope with ,satan1 though arrayed in no stronger armor than that which his red-hot impulse forged4 ,he thought his resolutions wheat and his ,master's cautions light as chaff2 he had to learn his weakness and see his confidence winnowed away as clouds of chaff while ,satan sifted him4 ,the resolutions of the evening are not strong enough to carry us victoriously through the morning conflict4 ,we must learn to watch and pray1 to lie low in humility and self-distrust1 and to be strong in the grace which awaits all tempted ones in ,god4 ,and where could ,peter go to weep his bitter tears but to ,gethsemane6 ,he would surely seek out the spot where his ,master's form was still outlined in the crushed grass1 and his tears would fall where the bloody sweat had fallen but a few hours before4 ,but how different the cause of sorrow6 ,the anguish of the blessed ,lord had none of the ingredients that filled the cup of ,peter to the brim6 ,and all the while the memory of that sorrow1 of those broken cries1 of that coming and going for sympathy1 of those remonstrances against his senseless sleep1 and of that last tender1 yearning1 pitiful look of love1 came back on him to arouse successive surges of grief4 ,contrast ,christ's love with your ingratitude1 ,christ's constancy with your fickle devotion1 ,christ's meekness to take the yoke of ,his ,father's will1 and your unwillingness to bear ,his cross of shame1 and ask if you1 too1 have no cause for tears like those that ,peter shed4 ,it is remarkable that ,peter should have fallen here4 ,his open1 ingenuous nature was not given to lying1 his impetuous character was not prone to cowardice4 ,accustomed from boyhood to meet death in the wrestle with nature for daily sustenance1 he was not subject to the apprehensions of a nervous dread4 ,none of his fellow-disciples would have expected the rock-man to show that he was clay or sand after all4 ,but this was permitted that we might learn that our noblest natural qualities as much need to be dealt with by the grace of ,god as our vices and defects4 ,many a fortress has been taken from a side which was deemed impregnable4 ,no one expected that ,wolfe would assail ,quebec from the ,heights of ,abraham4 ,how often we have fallen into the same trap6 ,we have1 perhaps1 been thrown into a company where it was fashionable to sneer at evangelical religion1 and we have held our peace2 where the ready sneer was passed on those who dared still to believe in miracle and inspiration1 and we have been silent1 where condemnation has been freely passed on some man of ,god whom we owned as friend1 and knew to be innocent1 and we have not tried to vindicate him2 where some great religious movement in which we were interested was being discussed and condemned1 whilst we have coolly joined in the conversation as if we had not made up our minds1 or were totally indifferent4 ,we have been unwilling to be unpopular1 to stand alone1 to bear the brunt of opposition1 to seem eccentric and peculiar4 ,let those who are without sin cast their stones at ,peter2 but the most of us will take our place beside him1 and realize that we1 too1 have given grief to ,christ1 and grave cause to ,his enemies to blaspheme4 ,but1 be it remembered1 the true quality of the soul is shown1 not in the way in which it yields to temptation in some moment of weakness and unpreparedness1 but in the way in which it repents afterward4 ,do we weep1 not for the penalty we dread1 but because we have sinned against ,christ8 ,are we broken down before ,him1 waiting till ,he shall restore8 ,do we dare still to believe in ,his forgiving and renewing grace8 ,then this is a godly repentance1 which needs not to be repented of4 ,these are tears which ,his love shall transform to pearls4 ,how different this to the attitude of a ,judas6 ,each fell2 but in their demeanor afterward the one was shown to be gold1 silver1 precious stones2 the other wood1 hay1 and stubble4 ,how may we be kept from falling again8 7#a7 ,let us not sleep through the precious moments which heaven affords before each hour of trial2 but use them for putting on the whole armor of ,god1 that we may be able to stand in the evil day4 7#b7 ,let us not cast ourselves needlessly into situations where our most cherished convictions are likely to be assailed by wanton men2 though if ,god should lead us there we need not fear1 for it will be given us in the same hour what to answer4 ,take care of warming yourself at the world's fire4 7#c7 ,let us keep within the environing presence of our ,lord4 ,it is always right to do right2 always safe2 always blessed4 ,satan can only hurt us when he allures us out of that safe hiding-place4 ,never forsake the things which are pure1 and lovely1 and of good report4 ,you1 in ,jesus1 shall yet overcome the world if you refuse to allow the world to come between ,him and you4 ,,xxvii ,the ,trial before ,caiaphas ,annas had sent ,him bound unto ,caiaphas the high priest4--,,john xviii4 #bd4 ,it was as yet but two or three o'clock in the morning4 ,jerusalem was still asleep1 and well it was for the foes of ,jesus that no suspicion of what was on foot had breathed into the minds of the crowds of pilgrims2 for1 had the ,galileans only known what was being done to their favorite prophet1 they would have risen1 and the plot must have miscarried before ,jesus was handed over to the ,romans4 ,but1 as the ,lord said1 ,it was their hour and the power of darkness4 ,the darkest hour before the dawn6 ,when ,annas had completed his preliminary inquiry he gave orders that ,he should again be bound with the thongs of which ,he had been relieved1 and led to that part of the palace specially used by ,caiaphas1 who was ,high ,priest1 but a mere puppet in the hands of the wily ,annas4 ,by this time the leading ,pharisees1 ,sadducees1 and priests1 had been got together1 summoned by special messengers2 and though the formal meeting of the ,council was probably not held till a little later 7compare ,matt4 xxvi4 #eg with xxvii4 #a1 #b71 the trial was really conducted at that untimely hour1 and the evidence procured on which final action was taken4 ,they awaited the ,prisoner in one of the larger halls of the palace1 sitting in ,oriental fashion on cushions and pillows1 in a half-circle1 with turbaned heads1 crossed legs1 and bare feet2 the ,high ,priest in the centre1 the others1 on either side1 according to age4 ,all the rules of justice were violated4 ,the judge was chief inquisitor2 witnesses against the prisoner were alone summoned2 and the ,court set itself from the first to get evidence to put the accused to death4 ,ever since ,jesus had commenced ,his ministry it had been certain that ,he would have to face some such tribunal as this4 ,his soul was aflame for ,righteousness and ,truth2 it was inevitable that ,he should come into conflict with these representatives of a traditional and external religiousness1 which consisted in a number of formal rules and rites from which the life had long since fled4 ,this ,gospel specially narrates the progress of the quarrel in the holy city4 ,as far back as ch4 ii4 #ah we are told that there had been an altercation on the ,lord's right to cleanse the ,temple4 ,ch4 iv4 #a-c4--;,he left ,judaea because of the irritation of the ,pharisees at the numerous baptisms which were taking place under ,his ministry4 ,ch4 v4 #ah4--;,he was only at the beginning of the second year of ,his ministry1 and had just healed the impotent man at the pool of ,bethesda1 and we find the ,jews consulting how they might kill ,him1 and ,he was compelled again to retire from ,judaea4 ,ch4 vii4 #ai4--,such was the spirit of vindictiveness excited against our ,lord that when twelve months afterward ,he came to ,jerusalem at the ,feast of ,tabernacles1 one of ,his first words was1 ,why go ye about to kill ,me8 ,the people were well acquainted with the designs of the rulers 7vers4 #be1 #bf72 and ultimately officers were sent to arrest ,him 7vers4 #cj1 #cb74 ,ch4 viii4 #ei4--,they were so exasperated with ,his words that they took up stones to stone ,him4 ,ch4 ix4 #cd4--,they excommunicated the blind man because their hated foe had cured him1 and he in his favor had dared to protest4 ,ch4 x4 #ca4--,the ,jews 7and the ,apostle always uses that word of the ,sanhedrim and their allies7 took up stones to cast at ,him2 and in verse #ci we read that they sought again to take ,him2 but ,he escaped out of their land to ,perea1 where ,he remained until the message of the sisters called ,him from ,his retreat4 ,ch4 xi4 #dg4--,the raising of ,lazarus produced such an effect that a special council was called to consider what should be done1 with the result that from that day they took counsel to put ,him to death4 ,ch4 xii4 #aj4--,their malignity was so great that they consulted whether they should not put ,lazarus to death also2 because by reason of him many of the ,jews went away and believed in ,jesus4 ,it was all this that made them fall in so eagerly with the proposal of ,judas that he should betray ,him unto them4 ,now at last they had ,him in their power1 and their object was to convict ,him of some crime which would justify the infliction of the severest sentence of the law4 ,to preserve the appearance of justice1 witnesses were called to testify to some action or speech which would involve blasphemy against their law1 and1 if possible1 against the ,roman law as well2 and it was necessary that two of them should agree in some specific charge4 ,the chief priests1 and elders1 and all the council1 ,matthew tells us1 sought for witness against ,jesus to put ,him to death4 ,they brought forward many1 but either their charges did not reach the required degree of criminality1 or the clumsy witnesses1 brought hastily forward1 undrilled beforehand1 broke down so grossly in their story that for shame's sake they had to be dismissed4 ,at last two witnesses appeared who seemed likely to agree on a very momentous charge4 ,they said they had heard ,him utter1 more than two years ago1 words which seemed to threaten the very existence of the temple4 ,but1 when more closely questioned1 their witness also broke down utterly4 ,it seemed as though ,jesus was not to die1 except on ,his own testimony to ,his own supreme claims4 ,all lesser counts failed4 ,all this time1 as witness after witness was brought in1 our ,lord maintained an unbroken silence4 ,he seemed as though ,he heard not1 but was absorbed in some other scenes from those transpiring around4 ,what need was there for ,him to interpose1 when all the charges proved abortive8 ,he was1 moreover1 waiting till the ,father gave ,him the signal to open ,his lips4 ,at last ,caiaphas could restrain his impatience no longer2 he sprang to his feet1 and with unconcealed fury fixed his eyes on ,jesus and said3 ,answerest ,thou nothing8 ,hast ,thou nothing to say1 no question to put1 no explanation to offer as to what these witnesses say8 ,jesus quietly returned the look1 but held ,his peace4 ,there are times when it is treason to hold our peace1 when ,god demands of us to raise our voice and cry like a trumpet4 ,but when it is clear that high-handed wrong is bent on securing the condemnation of the innocent1 and that the case is prejudged1 it is the highest wisdom to be as a lamb dumb before its shearers1 and not open the mouth4 ,there was a last alternative4 ,caiaphas might put ,jesus on ,his oath1 and extort from ,his own lips the charge on which to condemn ,him2 but he was evidently reluctant to do it1 and only availed himself of this process as a last resource4 ,it was well known to this astute and cunning priest that ,jesus on more than one occasion had claimed1 not only to be the long-expected ,messiah1 but to stand to ,god in the unique relationship of ,son4 ,nearly two years before1 ,he had called ,god ,his own ,father1 making ,himself equal with ,god 7,john v4 #ah72 and again1 comparatively recently1 at the ,feast of ,dedication1 ,he had claimed that ,he and the ,father were one2 in consequence of which the bystanders threatened to take ,his life because that1 being a man1 ,he made ,himself ,god 7x4 #ca-cc74 ,gathering1 therefore1 the two claims in one1 and in the most solemn form1 putting ,jesus on ,his oath1 the ,high ,priest said unto ,him1 ,i adjure ,thee by the ,living ,god1 that ,thou tell us whether ,thou be the ,christ1 the ,son of the ,blessed8 7,matt4 xxvi4 #fc2 ,mark xiv4 #fa74 ,there was no need for further hesitation4 ,charged in this way1 in the highest court of ,his nation1 and by the representative of ,his people1 ,he could not hold ,his peace without inconsistency with the whole tenor of ,his life and teaching4 ,john1 representing ,his disciples and friends1 must be assured that his ,master did not vacillate by a hair's-breadth at that supreme moment4 ,those high officials must understand1 beyond the smallest possibility of doubt1 that if they put ,him to death ,he would die on the supreme count of ,his ,messianic and ,divine claims2 and1 therefore1 amid the breathless silence of the court1 without a falter in the calm1 clear voice1 ,jesus said1 ,i ,,am4 ,the ,father that sent ,him was with ,him2 ,he had not left ,him in that awful moment alone1 and it was a great pleasure to the ,saviour to be able publicly to avow the relationship1 which was shedding its radiance through ,his soul4 ,then1 with evident allusion to the sublime vision of ,daniel1 he added1 ,ye shall see the ,son of ,man sitting at the right hand of power1 and coming with the clouds of ,heaven4 ,though ,son of ,god1 ,he was not less the ,son of ,man2 and though one with the ,father1 before the worlds were made1 was yet prepared to exercise the functions of the expected ,prince of the ,house of ,israel4 ,this is the force of nevertheless in ,matt4 xxvi4 #fd--;,i am ,son of ,god3 nevertheless1 ye shall see the ,son of ,man sitting on the right hand of power4 ,the words were very grateful to the ears of ,caiaphas and his confederates1 as they afforded ground for the double charge they needed4 ,for a man to claim to be ,son of ,god would make him guilty of blasphemy1 and he must be put to death according to ,jewish law2 whilst if there was a prospect of his setting up a kingdom1 the ,romans' suspicions would be at once aroused4 ,but in their glee at having entrapped their victim they must not forget to show a decorous horror of ,his crime4 ,in well-assumed dismay the ,high ,priest rent his clothes1 saying1 ,he hath spoken blasphemy3 what further need have we of witnesses8 ,behold1 now ye have heard the blasphemy4 ,and then came the decisive question which the judge was wont to put to his co-assessors1 ,what think ye8 ,and they all condemned ,him to be guilty of death4 ,then ensued a brief interval1 until the early formal session of the ,sanhedrim could be held3 and during this recess the disgraceful scenes were repeated which had already taken place in the hall of ,annas4 ,luke tells us that the men that held ,jesus mocked ,him1 beat ,him1 and asked ,him to prophesy who it was that smote ,him4 ,matthew adds that they spat in ,his face4 ,but ,mark lets in still more light on the horror of the scene1 when he appears to distinguish between some who began to spit on ,him1 and to cover ,his face1 and the officers who received ,him with blows of their hands4 ,and the expression some occurs so immediately after the record of their condemning ,him1 that the suggestion seems irresistible that several of these reverend dignitaries did not hesitate to disgrace their grey hairs in personally insulting the meek and holy sufferer1 venting their spleen on one who gave no show of retaliation1 though one word from those pale compressed lips would have laid them low in death1 or withdrawn the veil of eternity1 behind which legions of angels were waiting impatient to burst upon the impious scene4 ,but do not condemn them as though they were sinners beyond all others2 remember that we have all the same evil human heart4 ,at last the morning broke1 and as soon as it was day the assembly of the elders of the people was gathered together1 both chief priest and scribes2 and they led ,jesus away into their council 7,luke xxii4 #ff74 ,this scene had already been so well rehearsed that it probably did not take many minutes to run through the necessary stages1 according to the precise formulae of ,jewish procedure4 ,the method that had already proved so valuable was quickly repeated4 ,questioning ,him first as to ,his ,messiahship1 ,caiaphas1 as spokesman to the rest1 said formally1 ,if ,thou art ,christ1 tell us4 ,it was a sorry figure that stood before them4 ,dishevelled and in disarray1 with disordered garments1 the spittle still hanging about ,his face1 and the marks of the awful storm and mental anguish stamped on every feature1 the innate dignity and glory of ,jesus shone out in ,his every movement1 and notably in ,his majestic answer1 ,what do you ask ,me8 ,you have no real desire to know6 ,if ,i tell you1 ye are in no mood to believe6 ,and if ,i ask you your warrant for refusing to believe1 if ,i argue with you1 if ,i adduce ,scripture to support ,my claims1 ye will not answer2 but though ,i read the motive of your inquiry1 ,i will give you all the evidence you desire4 ,from henceforth shall the ,son of ,man be seated at the right hand of ,god4 ,as to the other charge1 involving ,his ,divine nature1 the admission of which involved the crime of blasphemy1 they were too eager to wait for ,caiaphas2 but with swollen faces1 excited gestures1 and loud cries1 rising from their seats1 and gesticulating with the fury of religious frenzy1 they all said1 ,art ,thou then the ,son of ,god8 ,and ,he said unto them1 solemnly and emphatically1 ,ye say that which ,i am4 ,then they turned to one another and said1 ,what further need have we of witness8 for we have heard from ,his own mouth4 ,the inquiry was at an end so far as ,jesus was concerned4 ,but they held a further council against ,him1 how to construct the indictment which would compel ,pilate to inflict death2 for the execution of the sentence of death was kept resolutely by the ,roman ,procurator in his own hands4 ,finally1 as soon as they dared disturb him1 they led ,jesus from ,caiaphas into the ,praetorium1 the palace of the ,roman governor1 who1 in accordance with his custom1 had come up from his usual residence at ,caesarea to the ,jewish capital1 partly to keep order amid the vast crowds that gathered there at the feast1 seething with religious fanaticism1 and partly to try the cases which awaited his decision4 ,the ,jewish authorities anticipated no great difficulty in securing from him the necessary ratification of the death sentence4 ,it surely would not matter to him to add another to the long tale of robbers and revolutionaries which are awaiting the cross1 the more especially as they were able to prefer a charge of treason against the ,roman power substantiated by the prisoner's own admissions made recently in their presence4 ,it is an awful spectacle1 and one over which we would fain draw a veil2 but let us dare to stay to watch the evolution of the diabolical plot to the end4 ,this1 at least1 will become manifest--that ,jesus died1 because ,he claimed to be the ,son of ,god1 in the unique sense of oneness with the ,father2 that made ,him equal with ,god1 and constituted blasphemy in the eye of the ,jewish law4 ,and ,he who has taught the world ,truth could neither have been a deceiver1 nor deceived1 in this high claim4 ,,xxviii ,judas1 which ,betrayed ,him ,judas1 which betrayed ,him4--,,john xviii4 #b4 ,on the ,wednesday evening before our ,lord died1 ,he supped with ,his disciples in ,bethany at the ,house of ,simon4 ,lazarus was there1 and his sisters--,martha1 who served1 and ,mary1 who anointed ,him beforehand for ,his burying4 ,the ,master's reception of this act of love1 and ,his rebuke of the parsimony which sought to check all such manifestations of devotion1 exasperated ,judas beyond all bounds2 so1 after supper1 when ,jesus and the rest had retired to their humble lodgment1 he crossed the intervening valleys and returned by the moonlight to ,jerusalem4 ,at that untimely hour the ,sanhedrim may have been still in session1 plotting to destroy ,jesus4 ,at any rate1 the chief priests and captains were quickly summoned4 ,judas may have been in communication with some of them before2 but1 in any case1 he met with a glad welcome4 ,they were glad1 and covenanted to give him money4 ,in the word1 communed with them1 used by the evangelist ,luke1 it is suggested that there was a certain amount of bargaining and haggling before the sum was fixed4 ,perhaps he wanted more1 and they offered less1 and at last he was induced to take less than he had hoped1 but more than they had offered2 and the price of betrayal was fixed at thirty pieces of silver1 about #h pounds1 the price of a slave4 ,from that moment he sought opportunity to betray ,him unto them4 ,at the ,passover ,supper provided on the next day by ,peter and ,john in the upper room1 ,judas must have reclined on the ,lord's left1 and ,john upon ,his right1 so that the beloved disciple could lean back his head on the bosom of his ,friend4 ,when all were settled1 ,jesus exclaimed1 with a sigh of innermost satisfaction1 ,with desire ,i have desired to eat this ,passover with you before ,i suffer2 and as ,he uttered the words1 ,judas must have felt a thrill passing through his nature1 as he realized more clearly than any around that table1 what was approaching4 ,evidently1 then1 the ,master had guessed what was being prepared for ,him6 ,did ,he also know the share that he had had in preparing it8 ,in any case1 it was clear that1 so far from resisting1 ,he was prepared to suffer4 ,apparently1 ,he would not take the opportunity of asserting ,his claims2 but would allow events to take their course1 yielding ,himself to the will of ,his foes6 ,when ,he had given thanks1 the ,lord passed round the first cup2 then followed the washing of the disciples' feet1 in the midst of which ,he looked sorrowfully toward ,judas1 exclaiming1 ,ye are clean1 but not all2 for ,he knew from the first who would betray ,him4 ,it was with a strange blending of awe and wonder that the little group saw the dark cloud of anguish gather and rest on the beloved face when1 on resuming ,his place1 ,he was troubled in the spirit1 and testified1 and said1 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto you1 that one of you shall betray ,me4 ,the disciples looked at one another1 doubting of whom ,he spoke1 and ,peter beckoned to ,john to ask4 ,but ,judas knew4 ,and when ,he went on to say1 ,the ,son of ,man goeth1 even as it is written of ,him2 but woe unto that man through whom the ,son of ,man is betrayed6 good were it for that man if he had not been born--again ,judas' heart smote him4 ,it may be that he asked himself whether he might not even now draw back4 ,for three years he had played his part so well that1 in spite of his constant pilfering from the bag which held the slender resources of the little band1 no one suspected him4 ,his fellow-disciples might contend for the first places at the table1 but all felt that ,judas1 at any rate1 had a prescriptive right to sit near ,jesus4 ,all round1 in sorrowful tones1 the question passed1 ,lord1 is it ,i8 ,each1 conscious of the unfathomed evil of his own nature1 thought himself more likely to be the traitor than that the admirable ,judas should do the deed4 ,it was terrible to know that the ,shepherd should be smitten1 and the flock scattered2 but more1 that the ,master would be betrayed by the inner circle of ,his friends6 ,but there seemed no reason for challenging ,his announcement1 backed as it was by a quotation from a familiar ,psalm1 ,he that dippeth his hand with ,me in the dish1 the same shall betray ,me4 ,from these words also it was evident that the traitor must be one of two or three2 for only these could reach the common dish in which ,jesus dipped ,his food4 ,it became1 therefore1 more and more clear to ,judas1 that the ,master knew perfectly well all that had transpired1 and he said to himself1 ,if ,he knows so much1 it is almost certain that ,he knows all4 ,therefore1 partly to disarm any suspicions that might be suggested to the others if he did not take up their question1 partly because he felt that probably there was nothing to be gained by maintaining his disguise before ,jesus1 and being withal feverishly anxious to know how much of his plan was discovered1 he asked1 adopting the colder title ,rabbi1 rather than that of ,lord1 as employed by the others1 ,rabbi1 is it ,i8 ,probably the question was asked under his breath1 and that ,jesus replied in the same tone1 ,thou hast said4 ,immediately the thoughts of ,judas sprang back to the foot-washing1 and all the other marks of extraordinary tenderness with which ,jesus had treated him4 ,at the time he had thought1 ,he would not act like this if ,he knew all4 ,now1 however1 he realized that ,jesus had acted in the full knowledge of all that had passed1 and was passing in his heart4 ,it must have struck him as extraordinary that the ,master should continue to treat him thus when ,he had read the whole dark secret4 ,why did ,he not unmask and expose him8 ,why not banish him from ,his company8 ,why count him still on speaking terms8 ,not till afterward was he aware of ,jesus' motive1 nor did he detect the loving purpose which was laying siege to his stony heart as though to turn him from his evil purpose before it was too late4 ,once more the ,lord made an effort to prove to him that though ,he knew all ,he loved him still1 even to the end4 ,it was the ,jewish custom for one to dip a morsel in the common dish and pass it to another in token of special affection1 so when ,he had dipped the sop1 ,jesus took and gave it to ,judas1 the son of ,simon4 ,he had previously answered ,john's whispered question1 ,lord1 who is it8 which had been suggested by a sign from ,peter1 by saying1 ,he it is to whom ,i shall give a sop when ,i have dipped it4 ,but ,he did not give the token of love merely as a sign to ,john and ,peter1 but because ,he desired to assure ,judas that1 notwithstanding ,his perfect knowledge1 ,his heart was full of tender affection4 ,but when the sun strikes on a foetid pond1 its rays1 beneath which all creation rejoices1 bring out the repulsive odors that otherwise had slept undiscovered2 so the love of ,god is ever a savor of life unto life or of death unto death1 and the very fervor of ,christ's love seems to have driven ,judas almost to madness4 ,shutting his heart against the ,saviour1 he opened it to ,satan1 who was waiting his opportunity4 ,after the sop1 then ,satan entered into him4 ,instantly the ,master saw the change1 and knew that ,he could do nothing more to save ,his disciple from the pit which he had digged for himself4 ,nothing could be gained by further delay4 ,jesus therefore said unto him1 ,that thou doest1 do quickly4 ,so carefully had the ,lord concealed ,his knowledge of ,judas' real character that none of those who sat at table guessed the real significance and purport of ,his words4 ,for some thought1 because ,judas had the bag1 that ,jesus said unto him1 ,buy what things we have need of for the feast2 or that he should give something to the poor4 ,only ,john1 and perhaps ,peter1 had the slightest suspicion of his possible errand4 ,the sacred narrative adds significantly1 ,he then having received the sop1 went out straightway1 and it was night2 as though the black pall of darkness were a befitting symbol of the blackness of darkness that was enveloping his soul--a night broken only by one star1 when ,jesus once more in the garden sought to arrest him with the words1 ,friend1 to what a deed thou art come6 ,betrayest thou the ,son of ,man with a kiss8 ,but that lone star was soon obscured4 ,the cloud-wreath hastened to conceal it4 ,head-long and precipitate over every obstacle1 he rushed to his doom1 until his career was consummated in the despairing act which the ,evangelist so solemnly records4 ,the specified fee was no doubt paid to ,judas1 on his delivery of ,jesus into the hands of the ,high ,priest4 ,as soon as the great doors closed behind the arresting band1 ,judas went to some inner pay-office1 claimed his money1 and then waited in the shadow to see what befell4 ,perhaps he met ,john2 and if so1 avoided him4 ,perhaps he heard ,peter deny the ,lord with oaths1 and congratulated himself that there was not much to choose between them4 ,but for the most part his mind was absorbed in what was transpiring4 ,he beheld the shameful injustice and inhumanity of the trial4 ,though he had kissed his ,master's face1 his soul winced from the blows and spittle that befell it4 ,perhaps he had entertained some lingering hope and expectation that when the worst came to the worst the ,master would use on ,his own behalf the power ,he had so often used for others4 ,but if that thought had lodged in his mind1 the dream was terribly dissipated4 ,he saw that ,he was condemned4 ,then the full significance of his sin burst upon him4 ,the veil fell from his eyes1 and he stood face to face with his crime in all its naked horror4 ,his ingratitude1 his treachery1 his petty pilfering1 his resistence of a love which the strong waters of death could not extinguish4 ,and the money scorched his hand4 ,a wild and haggard man1 he made his way into the presence of the chief priests and scribes1 as they were congratulating themselves on the success of their plot4 ,there was despair on his face1 a piercing note in his voice1 anguish in his soul2 the flames of hell were already consuming him1 the thirst of the bottomless pit already parching his lips2 his hand convulsively clutched the thirty pieces of silver4 ,i have sinned1 he cried4 ,i have sinned4 ,he whom you have condemned is innocent2 take back your money1 only let ,him go free2 and oh1 relieve me1 ye priests1 accustomed to deal with burdened hearts1 relieve me of this intolerable pain4 ,but they said1 with a gleam as of cold steel1 ,what is that to us8 ,that is your business4 ,you made your bargain1 and you must stand to it3 see thou to it4 ,he knew that it was useless to parley with them4 ,that icy sarcasm1 that haughty indifference1 told him how man must ever regard his miserable act4 ,he had already refused the love of ,god1 and dared not expect anything more from it4 ,he foresaw how coming ages would spurn and abhor him4 ,there seemed1 therefore1 nothing better than to leap into the awful abyss of suicide4 ,it could bring nothing worse than he was suffering4 ,oh1 if he had only dared to believe in the love of ,god1 and had fallen even then at the feet of ,jesus1 he might have become a pillar in ,his temple1 and an apostle of the ,church4 ,but he dared not think that there could be mercy for such as he was4 ,he passes out into the morning air1 the most wretched of men1 shrinks away into some lonely spot1 puts a rope around his neck1 and dies4 ,we have been accustomed to think of ,judas as one whose crime has put him far in front of all others in the enormity of his guilt4 ,dante draws an awful picture of him as alone even in hell1 shunned by all other sinners1 as ,turkish prisoners will shun ,christians1 though sharing the same cell4 ,but let us remember that he did not come to such a pitch of evil at a single bound4 ,there was a time1 no doubt1 when1 amid the cornfields1 vineyards1 and pastoral villages of his native ,kerioth1 he was regarded as a promising youth1 quick at figures1 the comfort of his parents1 the pride of his instructors1 the leader of his comrades4 ,during the early years of ,his manhood1 ,jesus came through that court country on a preaching tour1 and there must have been a wonderful fascination in ,him for young men1 so many of whom left their friends and callings to join and follow ,him4 ,judas felt the charm and joined himself to the ,lord2 perhaps ,jesus even called him4 ,at that time his life must have been fair1 or the ,master would never have committed ,himself to him4 ,he was practical1 prompt1 and businesslike1 the very man to keep the bag4 ,but the continual handling of the money at last awoke within him an appetite of the presence of which he had not been previously aware4 ,he did not banish it1 but dwelt on it1 allowing it to lodge and expand within him1 till1 like a fungus in congenial soil1 it ate out his heart and absorbed into itself all the qualities of his nobler nature1 transmuting them into rank and noisome products4 ,all love for ,christ1 all care for the poor1 all thought of his fellow-disciples1 were quenched before that remorseless passion2 and at last he began to pilfer from those scant treasures1 which were now and again replenished by those that loved to minister to the ,master's comfort4 ,at first1 he must have been stung by keen remorse2 but each time he sinned his conscience became more seared1 until he finally reached the point when he could sell his ,master for a bagatelle1 and betray ,him with a kiss4 ,alas6 ,judas is not the only man of whom these particulars have been true4 ,change the name and you have an exact description of too many4 ,many a fair craft has come within the reach of the circling eddies of the same boiling whirlpool1 and1 after a struggle1 has succumbed4 ,the young man hails from his native village home1 earnest and ingenuous4 ,at first he stands firm against the worldly influences around2 but gradually he becomes careless in his watch1 and as money flows in he realizes the fascination of the idea of being a wealthy man4 ,he becomes increasingly absorbed1 until he begins to drift toward a goal from which in other days he would have shrunk in horror4 ,if any reader of these words is conscious of such a passion beginning to lay hold of him1 let him beware1 lest1 like ,judas1 he be lost in the divers hurtful lusts which drown men in perdition4 ,and if already you have been betrayed into sins which would bear comparison with that of ,judas1 do not despair--true1 you have sinned against light and love1 the eager1 tender pleadings of ,god's love2 but do not give up hope4 ,cast yourself on a love which wants to abound over sin1 and glories in being able to save to the uttermost4 ,,xxix ,the ,first ,trial before ,pilate ,then led they ,jesus from ,caiaphas unto the hall of judgment3 and it was early2 and they themselves went not into the judgment hall1 lest they should be denied2 but that they might eat the ,passover4--,,john xviii4 #bh4 ,there is no doubt that had ,pilate been absent from ,jerusalem at the time of our ,lord's trial before the ,sanhedrim1 they would have rushed ,him to death1 as afterward ,stephen1 and have risked the anger of the ,governor4 ,but they dared not attempt such a thing beneath the eyes of the dreaded ,roman eagles4 ,they must needs obtain ,pilate's countersign to their death sentence1 and1 indeed1 consign their victim to him for execution4 ,the ,lord was to die1 not the ,jewish death by stoning1 but the terrible ,roman death of crucifixion4 ,the day then breaking was that before the ,passover4 ,if the order for execution were not obtained that morning1 the case could not come on for seven days1 and it would have been highly impolitic1 from their point of view1 to keep ,jesus so long in bonds4 ,the national sentiment might have awoke and refused to sanction their treachery4 ,for the same reason it was necessary to carry the sentence into effect with as little delay as possible1 or the whole plot might miscarry4 ,then led they ,jesus from ,caiaphas to the official residence of ,pilate1 which had been the palace of the magnificent ,herod--and it was early4 ,in the palace there was a hall where trials were usually conducted2 but the ,jewish dignitaries who had not scrupled shamelessly to condemn ,jesus were too scrupulous to enter the house of a ,gentile on the eve of the feast1 for fear there might be a single grain of leaven there1 and the mere suspicion of such a thing would have disqualified them from participating in the feast4 ,remember that these men had just broken every principle of justice in their treatment of ,jesus1 and now they palter over minute points of ,rabbinical casuistry4 ,so ,philip of ,spain abetted the massacres of ,alva1 but rigorously performed all the rites of the ,church2 and the ,italian bandit will carefully honor priest1 and host1 and church4 ,how well our ,lord's sharp sword cut to the dividing of soul and spirit1 in such cases as these3 ,ye pay tithe of mint1 and cummin1 and anise1 and have omitted the weightier matters of the law4 ,it is an evil day when religion and morality are divorced4 ,pilate knew too well the character of the men with whom he had to do1 to attempt to force their scruples1 and went out to them2 so that for most of the time his intercourse with ,jesus was apart from their interference and scrutiny4 ,without much interchange of formalities1 the ,governor asked1 ,what accusation bring ye against this man8 ,it was not a little disappointing to their pride to be obliged to adduce and substantiate capital charges against ,jesus1 so they replied in general terms1 and with the air of injured innocence1 ,if ,he were not a malefactor1 we would not have delivered ,him unto thee4 ,it was as though they said1 ,there is no need for thee to enter into the details of this case2 we have thoroughly investigated it1 and are satisfied with the conclusive evidence of our prisoner's guilt2 you may be sure that men like ourselves would never come to thee at such an hour1 on such an errand1 unless there were ample grounds for it4 ,but ,pilate was in no mood to be talked with thus4 ,he saw their eagerness to ward off inquiry1 and this was quite enough to arouse his proud spirit to thwart and disappoint them4 ,he knew well enough that they wanted him to pronounce the death sentence2 but he pretended not to1 and said1 in effect1 ,if your judgment1 and yours only1 is to settle the case1 take ye ,him and judge ,him according to your law1 inflicting such penalty as it directs4 ,the ,jewish notables at once saw that they must adopt a more conciliatory tone1 or they would lose their case2 they therefore explained that they wanted a severer sentence than they had the right to inflict4 ,it is not lawful1 they said1 for us to put any man to death4 ,pilate again asked for a statement of the crime of which ,jesus was accused4 ,now mark the baseness of their reply4 ,the only crime on which they had condemned ,jesus to death was ,his claim to ,deity2 but it would never have done to tell ,pilate that4 ,he would simply have laughed at them4 ,they must find some charge which would bring ,him within the range of the common law1 and be of such a nature that ,pilate must take cognizance of it1 and award death4 ,it was not easy to find ground for such a charge in the life of one who had so studiously threaded ,his way through the snares they had often laid for ,him2 who had bade them render ,caesar's things to ,caesar2 and protested that ,he was neither a ruler nor judge4 ,their only hope was to rest their charge on ,his claim to be the ,messiah1 construing it as the ,jews were wont to do1 but as ,jesus never did1 into a claim to an outward and visible royalty4 ,they said1 therefore1 as ,luke informs us1 ,we found this man perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to ,caesar1 saying that ,he ,himself is ,christ a ,king4 ,this was quite enough to compel ,pilate to institute further inquiry4 ,there were thousands of ,jews who questioned ,caesar's right to tax them1 and were willing to revolt under the lead of any man who showed himself capable4 ,it was certainly suspicious that such a charge should be made by men who themselves abhorred the yoke of ,rome4 ,however1 ,pilate saw that he had no alternative but to investigate the case further4 ,he therefore went within the palace to the inner judgment hall1 summoned ,jesus before him1 and said1 not without a touch of sarcasm in his tones1 ,art ,thou the ,king of the ,jews8 ,thou poor1 worn1 tear-stained outcast1 forsaken by every friend in this ,thy hour of need1 so great a contrast to him who built these halls and aspired to the same title--art thou a king8 ,he probably expected that ,jesus would at once disclaim any such title4 ,but instead of doing so1 instead of answering directly1 our ,lord answered his question by propounding another--,sayest thou this thing of thyself1 or did others tell it thee concerning ,me8 ,the purport of this question seems to have been to probe ,pilate's conscience1 and make him aware of his own growing consciousness that this prisoner was too royal in mien to be an ordinary ,jewish visionary4 ,it was as though ,he said3 ,dost thou use the term in the common sense1 or as a soul confronted by a greater than thyself8 ,do you speak by hearsay or by conviction8 ,is it because the ,jews have so taught thee1 or because thou recognizest ,me as able to bring order and peace into troubled hearts like thine8 ,whatever thoughts had instinctively made themselves felt were instantly beaten back by his strong ,roman pride4 ,never before had he been catechised thus4 ,and he answered haughtily1 ,am ,i a ,jew8 ,thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered ,thee unto me3 what hast ,thou done8 ,our ,lord did not answer that question by enumerating deeds which had filled ,palestine with wonder2 but contented ,himself by saying that ,he had committed no political offence1 and had no idea of setting ,himself up as king1 in the sense in which ,pilate and the ,jews used the word3 ,my kingdom is not of this world3 if ,my kingdom were of this world1 then would ,my servants fight1 that ,i should not be delivered to the ,jews3 but now is ,my kingdom not from hence4 ,never in the history of this world did the lips of man speak or his ears listen to a more pregnant or remarkable utterance4 ,but it has been shamefully misunderstood4 ,men have misread the words1 and said1 ,see1 the religion of ,jesus is quite unworldly1 has nothing to do with the institutions and arrangements of human life4 ,it deals with the spiritual1 and not with the secular4 ,it treats of our spirits1 not our hands or pockets4 ,so long as we recognize ,christ's authority in the ,church1 we may do as we like in the home1 the counting-house1 the factory1 and the shop4 ,it was in no such sense that ,jesus uttered these words1 and the mistake has largely arisen through the misunderstanding of the word of as used by our translators4 ,it has not the force of belonging to1 or being the property of2 but is the translation of a ,greek preposition1 meaning out of1 springing from1 originating in4 ,we might freely translate the ,master's words thus3 ,my kingdom does not originate from this world2 it has come down from another1 to bring the principles1 methods1 and inspirations of heaven to bear on all the provinces of human thought and activity4 ,the ,son of ,man claims the whole of man and all that he does as a subject of ,his realm4 ,he cannot spare one relationship of human life1 one art1 one industry1 one interest1 one joy1 one hope from the domain of ,his empire4 ,he has a word about the weight in the pedlar's bag1 the dealings of the merchant on ',change1 the justice and injustice of wars that desolate continents4 ,the one conspicuous proof of the absolutely foreign origin of this heavenly kingdom is its refusal to employ force4 ,its servants do not fight4 ,in the garden the ,king had repudiated the use of force1 bidding ,his servant sheathe ,his sword4 ,whenever you encounter a system that cannot stand without the use of force1 that appeals to the law court or bayonet1 you are sure that1 whatever else it is1 it is not the ,kingdom of ,christ4 ,christ's kingdom distinctly and forever refuses to allow its subjects to fight4 ,they who would surround ,christianity with prestige1 endow it with wealth1 and guard it with the sword1 expel its ,divine ,spirit1 and leave only its semblance dead upon the field4 ,but if the aid which might be deemed essential is withheld1 whether of funds or force1 it thrives and spreads until the hills are covered with its goodly shadow1 and its products fill the earth with harvests of benediction4 ,all the ,gospel asks for is freedom--freedom to do what ,jesus did1 in the way ,he did it2 freedom because of its belief that the power of truth is greater than all the power of the ,adversary4 ,oh for a second ,pentecost6 ,oh for the holy days of ,apostolic trust and simplicity6 ,oh for one of the days of the ,son of ,man1 who came to our world armed with no authority save that of truth1 clothed with no power but that of love4 ,in ,pilate's next question there seems a touch of awe and respect3 ,art ,thou a king then8 ,that moral nature which is in all men1 however debased1 seemed for a moment to assert itself1 and a strange spell lay on his spirit4 ,with wondrous dignity our ,lord immediately answered1 ,thou sayest that ,i am--a king4 ,but ,he hastens to show that it was a kingship not based upon material force like that of the ,caesars1 nor confined to one race of men3 ,to this end was ,i born1 and for this cause came ,i into the world1 that ,i should bear witness to the truth4 ,every one that is of the truth heareth ,my voice4 ,there is no soul of man1 in any clime or age1 devoted to the truth1 which does not recognize the royalty and supremacy of ,jesus ,christ4 ,there is an accent in ,his words which all the children of the truth instantly recognize4 ,the idea here given of ,jesus gazing ever into the depths of eternal truth1 and bearing witness of what ,he saw1 not in ,his words alone1 but in ,his life and death2 and of the assent given to ,his witness by all who have looked upon the sublime outlines of truth1 is one of those majestic conceptions which cannot be accounted for on any hypothesis than that the speaker was ,divine4 ,when ,pilate heard these words1 he probably thought of the ,epicureans1 and ,stoics1 and other philosophers1 who were perpetually wrangling about the truth1 and demanding men's allegiance4 ,oh1 said he to himself1 here is another enthusiast1 touched with the same madness1 though ,he does seem nobler than many of ,his craft4 ,one thing is clear1 that my lord has nothing to fear from ,his pretensions4 ,he may sit as long as ,he likes on ,his ideal throne without detriment to the empire of the ,caesars4 ,with mingled bitterness and cynicism1 he answered1 ,what is truth8 and1 without waiting for an answer1 went out to the group of ,jewish rabbis waiting in the opening daylight1 and threw them into convulsions of excitement by saying1 ,i find in ,him no fault at all4 ,they were the more urgent1 saying1 ,he stirreth up the people1 teaching throughout all ,judaea1 and beginning from ,galilee even unto this place4 ,the mention of ,galilee came as a gleam of light to ,pilate4 ,he was sincerely desirous not to be an accomplice in the death of ,jesus1 by falling into the plot which he had been astute enough to detect4 ,but not daring to take the only honorable and safe way of declaring ,his innocence1 and summoning a cohort of soldiers to clear the court1 he endeavored to exculpate himself by throwing the responsibility on ,herod4 ,he congratulated himself on the ingenuity of a plan which should relieve him of the necessity of grieving his conscience on the one hand1 or of irritating the ,jews on the other1 and which would conciliate ,herod1 with whom he was at this time on unfriendly terms4 ,when he knew therefore that ,he was of ,herod's jurisdiction he sent ,him unto ,herod1 who himself was at ,jerusalem in those days4 ,herod was glad to see the wonderful miracle-worker of whom he had heard so much1 and hoped that ,he might do some wonder in his presence2 and1 in the hope of extorting it1 set ,him at nought1 and mocked ,him1 with his mighty men4 ,but the ,lord remained absolutely silent in his presence1 as though the love of ,god could say nothing to the murderer of the ,baptist1 who had not repented of his deed4 ,finally1 therefore1 disappointed and chagrined1 ,herod sent ,jesus back to ,pilate1 admitting that he had found in ,him no cause of death4 ,,xxx ,the ,second ,trial before ,pilate ,ye have a custom1 that ,i should release unto you one at the passover3 will ye therefore that ,i release unto you the ,king of the ,jews8--,,john xviii4 #ci4 ,pilate must have felt mortified when he heard that ,herod had sent ,jesus back to his tribunal4 ,he had hoped that the ,jewish monarch would so settle the matter that there would be no need for him to choose between his conscience and his fear of the ,jewish leaders4 ,but it was not to be4 ,it was decreed that he should pronounce the judicial sentence on our ,lord1 and so on himself4 ,now was the time for him to act decisively1 and to say clearly that he would be no party to the unrighteous deed to which these priests were urging him4 ,to have done so firmly and decisively1 and before they could further inflame popular passion1 the whole matter would have come to an end4 ,alas6 he let the golden moment slip past him unused1 and every succeeding moment made it more impossible for him to retrieve it4 ,pilate is one of the most notable instances in history of the fatal error of preferring expediency to principle4 ,he wished to do right1 but not to do it avowedly because it was right4 ,he wished to do right without seeming to do it1 or making a positive stand for it4 ,and in consequence he was finally entrapped into doing the very deed which he had taken the greatest trouble to avoid4 ,therefore1 on the plains of time he stands as a beacon and warning2 and to all who do not dare to oppose the stream of public passion and practice with the single affirmation of inflexible adherence to righteousness1 the voice of inspiration cries aloud1 ,remember ,pilate6 ,however promising a tortuous course may look1 it will certainly end in disaster4 ,however discouraging a righteous one may appear1 it will at last lead out into the open4 ,and in doing the right thing1 be sure to speak out firmly at once4 ,it may be harder for the moment1 but it will be always easier afterward4 ,one brave word will put you into a position of moral advantage1 from which no power shall avail to shake or dislodge you4 ,such a word1 however1 ,pilate failed to speak2 and when ,jesus was again brought before him1 he began to think of some way by which he might do as conscience prompted1 without running counter to the ,jewish leaders4 ,he1 therefore1 summoned around him the chief priests and rulers of the people4 ,the latter are particularly mentioned1 as though ,pilate thought that his best method of saving ,jesus would be by appealing over the heads of the priests to the humanity of the common people4 ,when all were again assembled he made1 as ,luke tells us1 a short speech to them1 reiterating his conviction of ,his innocence1 corroborating his own opinion by ,herod's1 and closing by a proposal which he hoped would meet the whole case4 ,i will therefore chastise ,him and release ,him4 ,was there ever such a compromise8 ,a little before he had solemnly affirmed that he could find in ,him no fault at all1 but if that were the case1 why chastise ,him8 ,and if ,he were guilty of the charges brought against ,him1 as chastisement might seem to suggest1 surely ,he should not be released4 ,pilate meant to do the best4 ,the chastisement was intended as a sop to the priests1 and to win their acquiescence to their victim's release4 ,but it was not straightforward1 or strong1 or right4 ,and1 like all compromises1 it miserably failed4 ,those keen ,jewish eyes saw in a moment that ,pilate had left the ground of simple justice4 ,he had shifted from the principle on which ,roman law was generally administered1 and they saw that it was only a question of bringing sufficient pressure to bear on him1 and they could make him a tool for the accomplishment of the fell purpose on which their heart was set4 ,the proposal1 therefore1 was swept ignominiously away1 and ,pilate could never regain the position he had renounced4 ,pilate then resorted to another expedient for saving ,jesus4 ,it was the custom to carry out capital sentences at feast times1 which were the occasions of great popular convocations2 but it was also customary for the governor to release any one prisoner1 condemned to death1 whom the multitude1 on the ,passover week1 might agree to name4 ,pilate recollected this1 and also that there was a notorious criminal awaiting execution1 who for sedition and murder had been arrested and condemned to die4 ,it occurred to him that1 instead of asking the people generally whom they wished him to release1 he should narrow the choice and present the alternative between ,barabbas and ,jesus4 ,they would hardly fail1 he thought1 to choose the release of this pale ,prisoner1 who was innocent of crime1 and1 indeed1 had lived a life notable for its benevolence4 ,pilate took care to announce his proposal with the greatest effect4 ,the vast space before his palace was rapidly filling with excited crowds1 who guessed that something unusual was astir1 and were pouring in surging volumes into the piazza1 although it was still early4 ,that he might be the better seen and heard he ascended a movable rostrum1 or judgment-seat1 which was placed on the tessellated pavement that ran from end to end of the palace4 ,whom will ye1 he asked1 that ,i release unto you--,barabbas1 or ,jesus which is called the ,christ8 ,and then he suggested the answer3 ,will ye that ,i release unto you the ,king of ,jews8 ,at this moment1 and perhaps whilst waiting for their answer1 a messenger hurried to speak to him from his wife4 ,it must have been most unusual for her to interfere with his judicial acts2 but she had been so impressed by a dream about her husband's connection with ,jesus1 the unwonted ,prisoner who stood before him1 that she was impelled to urge him to have nothing to do with ,him4 ,it was a remarkable episode1 and must have made ,pilate more than ever anxious to extricate himself from his dilemma4 ,it was still not absolutely too late to set himself free by the resolute expression of his will4 ,but his temporizing policy was making it immensely difficult1 and he was becoming every moment more entangled in the meshes of the merciless priests4 ,he had hoped much from his last proposal1 but was destined to be bitterly disappointed4 ,the chief priests and elders had been busy amongst the crowds1 persuading and moving them4 ,we do not know the arguments they would employ2 but we all know how inflammable a mob is1 and presently the name of ,barabbas began to sound ominously from amid the hubbub and murmur of that sea of human beings4 ,presently the isolated cries spread into a tumultuous clamor1 which rang out in the morning air1 ,not this man1 but ,barabbas6 ,pilate seems to have been dumbfoundered at this unexpected demand2 and said1 almost pitifully1 ,what then shall ,i do with ,jesus1 which is called ,christ8 ,as though he had said1 ,you surely cannot mean that ,he should suffer the fate prepared for a murderer6 ,then they cried out for the first time1 ,to the cross1 to the cross6 ,crucify ,him6 crucify ,him6 ,pilate had failed twice2 he felt that he was being swept away by a current which already he could not stem1 and which was becoming at every moment deeper and swifter4 ,but he was very anxious to release ,jesus2 and so he tried to reason with them1 and said1 ,why1 what evil hath ,he done8 ,but he might as hopefully have tried to argue with an angry sea1 or with a pack of wolves4 ,he felt this1 and1 mustering a little show of authority1 said3 ,i have found no cause of death in ,him2 ,i will1 therefore1 chastise ,him1 and release ,him4 ,but this announcement was met by an infuriated shout of disapproval4 ,they were instant with loud voices1 requiring that ,he might be crucified4 ,they cried out the more exceedingly1 ,crucify ,him4 ,a little before this ,pilate had been besieged for six days in his palace at ,caesarea by similar crowds1 whose persistent fury at last compelled him to give in to them4 ,he dared not provoke similar scenes1 lest they should result in a revolution4 ,when he saw that he could prevail nothing1 but that rather a tumult was made1 he called for water4 ,he said to himself1 ,i am very sorry1 this ,man is innocent1 and ,i should like to save ,him4 ,but ,i have done my best1 and can do no more4 ,i will1 at least1 relieve myself of the responsibility of ,his blood4 ',slave1 bring me water6' ,as he washed his hands he said1 ,i am innocent of the blood of this righteous ,man2 see ye to it4 ,yes1 yes1 cried those bloodthirsty voices1 ,his blood be on us1 and on our children4 ,see how ,god sometimes takes men at their word4 ,the blood of ,jesus was required of that generation at the sack of ,jerusalem1 forty years after2 and it has been required of their children through all the ages4 ,why that wandering foot1 found in every land1 yet homeless in all8 ,why the hideous tortures1 plunderings1 and massacres of the ,middle ,ages8 ,why the modern ,jew-hate1 disguised under the more refined term anti-,semitism8 ,why the banishment from their holy places for eighteen centuries8 ,all is attributable to that terrible imprecation which attracted to the race the blood of an innocent ,victim4 ,it does not exculpate them to say that they did not realize who ,jesus was1 and that they would not have crucified ,him if they had realized ,his ,divine dignity4 ,they are being punished to-day1 not because they crucified the ,son of ,god1 knowing ,him to be such1 but because they crucified ,one against whom they could allege no crime1 and whose life had been full of truth and grace4 ,after he had washed his hands ,pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required1 and released unto them him that for sedition and murder had been cast into prison1 whom they desired2 but he delivered ,jesus to their will4 ,those condemned to die by crucifixion first underwent the hideous torture of the scourge4 ,this1 then1 was inflicted on ,jesus1 and it was carried out in the inner courtyard by the ,roman soldiery1 under ,pilate's direction4 ,then ,pilate therefore took ,jesus1 and scourged ,him4 ,stripped to the waist1 and bound in a stooping posture to a low pillar1 ,he was beaten till the officer in charge gave the signal to stop4 ,the plaited leathern thongs1 armed at the ends with lead and sharp-pointed bone1 cut the back open in all directions1 and inflicted such torture that the sufferers generally fainted1 and often died4 ,but the scourging in this case did not satisfy the soldiers1 whom scenes of this nature had brutalized4 ,they had been told by their comrades of the mockery of ,herod's palace1 and they would not lag behind4 ,had ,he been robed in mockery as ,king of the ,jews1 then ,he shall pose as mock emperor4 ,they found a purple robe1 wove some tough thorns into a mimic crown1 placed a long reed in ,his hand as sceptre1 then bowed the knee1 as in the imperial court1 and cried1 ,hail1 ,king of the ,jews6 ,finally1 tiring of their brutal jests1 they tore the reed from ,his hands1 smote ,him with it on ,his thorn-girt brow1 and struck ,him with their fists4 ,we cannot tell how long it lasted1 but ,jesus bore it all--silent1 uncomplaining1 noble4 ,there was a majesty about ,him which these indignities could not suppress or disturb4 ,pilate had never seen such elevation of demeanor1 and was greatly struck by it4 ,he was more than ever desirous to save ,him1 and it suddenly occurred to him that perhaps that spectacle of sorrow and majesty might arrest the fury of the rabble4 ,he therefore led ,jesus forth wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe1 and1 stationing ,him where all could see1 said1 ,behold the ,man6 ,behold ,him and admire6 ,behold ,him and pity6 ,behold ,him and be content6 ,but the priests were obdurate4 ,there is no hate so virulent as religious hate1 and they raised again the cry1 ,crucify ,him1 crucify ,him6 ,pilate was not only annoyed1 but provoked4 ,take ye ,him1 he said1 in surly tones1 crucify ,him as best ye can1 my soldiers and ,i will have nothing to do with the foul deed4 ,then it was that the ,jewish leaders1 in their eagerness not to lose their prey1 brought forward a weapon which they had been reluctant to use4 ,we have a law1 they said1 and by our law ,he ought to die1 because ,he made ,himself the ,son of ,god4 ,we hardly know how much those words meant to ,pilate1 but they awakened a strange awe4 ,he was the more afraid4 ,he had some knowledge of the old stories of mythology1 in which the gods walked the world in the semblance of men4 ,could this be the explanation of the strange majesty in the wonderful ,sufferer1 whose presence raised such extraordinary passion and ferment8 ,so he took ,jesus apart1 and said to ,him1 ,whence art ,thou8 ,art ,thou of human birth1 or more8 ,but ,jesus gave him no answer4 ,this is the fifth time that ,he had answered nothing2 but we can detect the reason4 ,it would have been useless to explain all to ,pilate then4 ,it would not have arrested his action1 for he had lost control1 but would have increased ,his condemnation4 ,yet ,his silence was itself an answer2 for if ,he had been only of earth1 ,he could never have allowed ,pilate to entertain the faintest suspicion that ,he might be of heaven4 ,pilate's pride was touched by that silence4 ,it was at least possible to assert a power over this defenceless ,prisoner1 which had been defied by those vindictive ,jews4 ,speakest ,thou not unto me8 ,knowest ,thou not that ,i have power to release or to crucify ,thee8 ,and ,jesus answered1 ,thou wouldst have no power against ,me1 except it were given thee from above2 therefore1 he that delivered ,me unto thee hath the greater sin4 ,in these words our ,lord seems to refer to the mystery of evil1 and specially the power of the prince of this world1 who was now venting on ,him all his malice4 ,at this moment the serpent was bruising the heel of the ,son of ,man1 who shortly would bruise ,his head4 ,it would appear as though our ,lord were addressing kind and compassionate words to ,pilate4 ,great as your sin is1 in abusing your prerogative1 given to you from above1 it is less than the sin of that ,evil ,spirit who has cast ,me into your power1 and is urging you to extreme measures against ,me4 ,the devil sinneth from the beginning4 ,even in ,his sore travail1 the ,lord was tender and pitiful to this weak and craven soul1 and spoke to it as though ,pilate and not ,he were arraigned at the bar4 ,pilate was now more than ever set on ,his deliverance4 ,he sought to release ,him4 ,and then the ,jews brought out their last crushing and conclusive argument1 ,if thou release this ,man1 thou art not ,caesar's friend2 every one that maketh himself a king1 speaketh against ,caesar4 ,pilate knew what that meant1 and that if he did not let them have their way1 they would lodge an accusation against him for complicity with treason before his imperial master4 ,already strong representations had been made in the same quarter against his maladministration of his province1 and he positively dare not risk another4 ,when1 therefore1 he heard these words1 he brought ,jesus out1 and sat down in the judgment-seat at a place called the ,pavement1 and it was about the sixth hour4 ,with ill-concealed irritation1 and adopting the recent phraseology of the priests1 he said1 ,behold your ,king6 ,at which they cried1 ,we have no king but ,caesar4 ,away with ,him2 away with ,him2 crucify ,him4 ,it gave ,pilate savage pleasure to put the cup of humiliation to their lips1 and make them drain it to its dregs4 ,what6 said he2 shall ,i crucify your ,king8 ,then they touched the lowest depth of degradation1 as1 abandoning all their ,messianic hopes1 and trampling under foot their national pride1 they answered1 ,we have no king but ,caesar4 ,at last1 therefore1 he delivered ,jesus to them to be crucified1 signed the usual documents1 gave the customary order1 and retired into his palace1 as one who had heard his own sentence pronounced1 and carried in his soul the presage of his doom4 ,long years after1 when1 stripped of his ,procuratorship1 which he had sacrificed ,christ to save1 worn out by his misfortunes1 and universally execrated1 he was an exile in a foreign land1 with his faithful wife1 how often must they have spoken together of the events of that morning1 which had so strangely affected their lives6 ,,xxxi ,the ,seven ,sayings of the ,cross ,then delivered he ,him therefore unto them to be crucified4 ,and they took ,jesus and led ,him away4--,,john xix4 #af4 ,driven from one position after another by the ,jewish notables and rabble1 ,pilate at last1 much against his will1 gave directions for the ,lord's crucifixion4 ,the purple robe flung over ,his shoulders was replaced by ,his own simple clothes1 though the crown of thorns was not improbably left upon ,his head4 ,two others were led out to suffer with ,him--highwaymen lately captured in some red-handed deed4 ,barabbas1 their chief1 for whom the central cross had been designed1 had escaped it by a miracle2 but they were to suffer the just reward of their deeds4 ,a detachment of soldiers was told off under a centurion1 to see to the execution of the sentence1 and the heavy crosses were placed upon the shoulders of the sufferers1 that they might bear them to the place of execution4 ,it was probably about ten ,a4 ,m4 when the sad procession started on its way4 ,two incidents took place as it passed through the crowded streets1 which surely had never witnessed such a spectacle3 no1 not even in the days when ,david traversed them in flight from ,absalom4 ,the beams laid on our ,lord proved too heavy in the steeper ascents for ,his exhausted strength1 and ,his slow advance so delayed the procession that the guard became impatient4 ,here comes a foreigner6 ,a ,jew of ,cyrene6 ,harmless and inoffensive1 gladly would he make way for the crowd4 ,why should he not bear this burden under which ,jesus of ,nazareth is falling to the ground8 ,the insolent soldiers1 with oath and jest1 constrain him1 and he dares not resist4 ,probably ,simon had no previous knowledge of ,him for whom he bore this load1 and loathed the service he was compelled to render2 but that compulsory companionship with ,jesus carried him to ,calvary4 ,he beheld the wondrous tragedy1 heard the words which we are to recite2 from that day became1 with his family1 a humble follower of ,jesus4 ,we at least infer this from ,mark's emphatic mention of the fact that he was father of ,alexander and ,rufus2 whilst the ,apostle ,paul1 in the ,epistle to the ,romans1 tenderly refers to ,rufus and his mother4 ,this is not the only instance in the history of ,christianity1 when the compulsion of an apparent accident has led a man to ,christ4 ,many a time has compulsory cross-carrying led men to the ,crucified4 ,of the vast multitude who followed ,jesus1 a large contingent consisted of women4 ,from the men1 in that moving crowd1 ,he does not appear to have received one word of sympathy4 ,timidity1 or questioning with their own hearts1 or inveterate hatred closed their lips4 ,but the women expressed their sorrow with all the outcry of ,oriental grief1 rending the air with piercing cries4 ,weep not for ,me1 the ,saviour said1 ever more thoughtful for others than ,himself2 but for yourselves and your children4 ,and ,he who had been mocked because of ,his claim to be a ,king1 and who would shortly from the cross begin to minister as a ,priest1 then as ,prophet foretold the approaching fate of that fair city1 asking significantly1 since the ,romans dealt thus with ,himself an innocent sufferer1 what would they not do when exasperated by the pertinacious resistance of the ,jewish people in the protracted siege4 ,just outside the city gates1 by the side of the main road1 was a little conical eminence which1 from its likeness to the shape of a skull1 was called in the ,aramaic ,golgotha1 in the ,greek ,cranion1 in the ,latin ,calvary4 ,as we speak of the brow of a hill1 they called the bald eminence a skull4 ,there the procession stayed1 and what transpired may be best followed as we touch on the seven sentences our ,lord uttered on the ,cross1 as we collate them and set them in order from the four ,gospels4 ,i4 ,father1 forgive them2 for they know not what they do4--,arrived at the place of execution1 ,jesus would be stripped once more1 a linen cloth at most being left about ,his loins4 ,he would then be laid upon the cross1 as it rested on the ground1 ,his arms stretched along the crossbeams1 ,his body resting on a projecting piece of rough wood1 misnamed a seat4 ,huge nails would then be driven through the tender palm of each hand1 and the shrinking centre of each foot4 ,the cross would then be lifted up and planted in a hole previously dug to receive it1 with a rude shock causing indescribable anguish4 ,so they crucified ,him1 and two others with ,him1 on either side one1 and ,jesus in the midst4 ,pilate had written a title to be nailed to the head-piece of the cross1 according to the usual custom1 with the name and designation of the crucified1 ,this is ,jesus1 the ,king of the ,jews4 ,it was written in ,greek1 the language of science2 ,latin1 the language of government2 and ,hebrew1 the language of religion4 ,it is this fact that accounts for the differences in the ,gospels4 ,one evangelist translates from one language1 another from another4 ,the inscription was meant to insult the ,jews4 ,it was equivalent to saying1 ,this nation cannot produce a better monarch than this2 and this is the fate which will be meted out to all such pretenders4 ,the authorities were indignant1 and did their utmost to induce ,pilate to alter it4 ,but in vain4 ,he would be master this time1 and dismissed them with the curt reply1 ,what ,i have written ,i have written4 ,each man is writing his conception of the nature and claims of ,christ by the way in which he treats ,him1 either acknowledging ,his ,divine glory as he enthrones ,him1 or repudiating ,his claims as he tramples ,him under foot1 and turns away to his sin4 ,the criminal's clothes fell as a perquisite to the soldiers specially charged with the execution of the sentence4 ,with our ,lord's outer clothes they had no difficulty2 they were too poor to be worth keeping entire1 so they tore them up into equal pieces4 ,but the inner tunic was of unusual texture2 perhaps it had been woven for ,him by ,his mother's hands1 or by one of the women who so carefully administered to ,him4 ,in any case it was too good to tear4 ,the dice were ready in the pocket1 one of the helmets would serve as dice-box2 and so they parted ,his raiment among them1 and for ,his vesture they did cast lots4 ,these things therefore the soldiers did4 ,it was probably during this byplay that our ,lord uttered the first cry of the cross1 and entered on that work of intercession1 which ,he ever lives to perpetuate and crown4 ,he thinks1 not of ,himself1 but of others2 is occupied1 not with ,his own pains1 but with their sins4 ,not a threat1 nor a menace2 but the purest1 tenderest accents of pleading intercession4 ,when was that prayer answered8 ,seven weeks after this1 on the day of ,pentecost1 three thousand of these people1 whom ,peter described as the murderers of ,christ1 repented and believed1 and in the days that followed thousands more1 and a great company of the priests4 ,that was the answer to this intercession4 ,when we see our brethren sinning a sin not unto death1 without realizing its full significance and enormity1 if we ask ,god1 as ,jesus did1 ,he will give us life for those that sin not unto death4 ,there is a sin unto death1 and concerning that we are not encouraged to pray4 ,i obtained mercy1 said the great apostle1 because ,i did it ignorantly in unbelief4 ,,ii4 ,woman1 behold thy ,son2 son behold thy mother4--,the second saying was about ,his mother4 ,his cross was the centre of bitter mockery4 ,the chief priests1 and scribes1 and elders challenged ,him to descend from the cross1 pledging themselves to believe if ,he did4 ,the crowd caught their spirit with contemptible servility1 and repeated their words1 ,son of ,god1 come down from the cross1 that we may believe4 ,a passer-by called out derisively1 ,where is now the boast that ,he could raise the temple in three days8 ,let ,him do it if ,he can4 ,the soldiers even caught up the abuse1 and vented their coarse jokes on one whose innocence and gentleness appeared to exasperate them4 ,and the malefactors who were hanged cast the same in ,his teeth4 ,were there no sympathizers in all that crowd to exchange glances of love and faith8 ,yes1 there was one little group4 ,when ,peter left the ,hall of ,caiaphas ,john probably lingered there still1 followed to the bar of ,pilate1 waited long enough to know how the matter would fall1 and then hastened to the humble lodgings where ,mary and a few other women1 in awful suspense1 were awaiting tidings4 ,as soon as the mother knew all1 she resolved to see her beloved ,son once more4 ,it is no place for women1 ,john would say4 ,but she answered1 ,i must see ,him yet again4 ,then said ,john1 ,if you will indeed go1 ,i will take you4 ,i too will go1 sadly said ,mary1 her sister1 the wife of ,cleophas2 and ,i also1 said ,mary of ,magdala4 ,what a sight for those loving hearts1 when they saw the crosses in the distance1 and knew that on one of them was hanging the dearest to them of all on earth6 ,but the love that makes the timid deer turn to fight valiantly for its young made them oblivious to everything except to get near ,him4 ,but how little had the young mother realized that ,simeon meant this1 when he told her that a sword would one day pierce her soul6 ,jesus knew how much she was suffering1 and how lonely she would be when ,he was gone4 ,he had neither silver nor gold to leave1 but would at least provide a home and tender care as long as she required them4 ,elevated but very little above the ground1 ,he could easily speak to the little group4 ,woman1 ,he said1 not calling her mother1 lest identification with ,himself might expose her to insult1 behold thy ,son4 ,then1 looking tenderly toward ,john1 ,he consigned her to his care4 ,did ,he give a further look1 which ,john interpreted to mean that he should lead her away8 ,it may have been so1 for from that hour he took her to his home2 and so she passes from the page of ,scripture1 except for the one glimpse we have of her1 in the upper room1 awaiting the baptism of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,,iii4 ,to-day thou shalt be with ,me in ,paradise4--,we cannot explore all the causes which brought about so great a change in this man1 and produced so lofty an ideal of his ,fellow-sufferer4 ,we have to deal rather with the response of ,jesus4 ,lost by the first ,adam1 ,paradise was being regained by the last2 and it is now not far away4 ,a dying man may see the sun leave the zenith1 but ere it set in the western wave he may be in the land of ,paradise4 ,absent from the body1 present with the ,lord4 ,there is no ,state of unconsciousness between the two4 ,we close our eyes on the dimming spectacles of this world at one moment1 to behold the ,king in ,his beauty the next4 ,men may strip ,jesus of everything1 but they cannot touch ,his power to save4 ,in a moment of ,his greatest weakness ,he was able to rescue a man from the very brink of perdition1 and take him as a trophy of ,his power to ,heaven4 ,what will ,he not be able to do now that the mortal weakness is passed1 and that ,he is exalted to be a ,prince and a ,saviour6 ,,iv4 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 why hast ,thou forsaken ,me8--,it would be between eleven o'clock and noon that these incidents took place2 but from noon till three in the afternoon a pall of darkness hung over the cross and city4 ,we know not how it came1 but it appears to have silenced all the uproar which had surged around the cross1 and to have filled the minds of all with awe4 ,men might have gazed rudely on ,his dying agony2 ,nature refused to behold it4 ,men had stripped ,him1 but an unseen hand drew drapery about ,him4 ,for three hours it lasted1 and was a befitting emblem of the darkness that enveloped ,his soul1 when ,he who knew no sin was made to be sin for us1 that we might be made the righteousness of ,god in ,him4 ,do you wonder that ,he felt thus1 and question how such a forsaking had been possible at such an hour8 ,there is but one explanation4 ,this was not a normal human experience4 ,only once in the history of the race has all iniquity been laid on one head2 only once has the curse of the sin of the world been borne by one heart2 only once has it been possible1 in drinking the cup of death1 to taste death for every man4 ,he who knew no sin was made sin for us4 ,he was wounded for our transgressions1 bruised for our iniquities4 ,on no other hypothesis than that ,jesus was the ,lamb of ,god1 bearing away the sin of the world1 can you account for the darkness of that midday midnight which obscured ,his soul4 ,i cannot tell what transpired2 ,i have no philosophy of the ,atonement to offer2 ,i only believe that the whole nature of ,god was in ,christ1 reconciling the world unto ,himself2 and that1 in virtue of what was done there1 we may apply for forgiveness to the faithfulness and justice of ,god4 ,v4 ,i thirst4--,during the hours of spiritual anguish1 our ,lord was largely oblivious to ,his physical needs2 now1 as the long hours passed1 these latter began to assert themselves4 ,inflammation1 spreading from hands and feet1 had resulted in a fever of thirst4 ,he had refused the medicated drink offered at the beginning of ,his sufferings1 because ,he had no desire to avoid one throb of anguish which lay in ,his path2 but there was no reason why ,he should not drink of the sour wine which stood hard by the cross1 now that ,he had drunk the cup which ,god had placed to ,his lips4 ,as ,he looked through the long line of predictions that bore on ,his passion4 ,he could see that they had all been fulfilled save one2 and1 that this ,scripture might be fulfilled1 ,he said1 ,i thirst4 ,some1 who stood near the cross1 and1 in the growing light1 began to regain their confidence1 tried to make ridicule of this plaintive ejaculation2 but one who noticed ,his pale and parched lips was touched with pity1 and took a stalk of hyssop1 which was just long enough to reach the mouth of the ,sufferer1 and elevating a sponge dipped in vinegar1 fulfilled thus unwittingly the ancient prediction1 ,they gave ,me also gall for ,my meat1 and in ,my thirst they gave ,me vinegar to drink4 ,,vi4 ,it is finished4--,as we compare the ,gospels1 we find that these words were spoken with a loud voice4 ,it was1 in fact1 the shout of a conqueror4 ,finished the long list of prophecies1 which closed1 like gates1 behind ,him4 ,finished the types and shadows of the ,jewish ritual4 ,finished the work which the ,father had given ,him to do4 ,finished the matchless beauty of a perfect life4 ,finished the work of man's redemption4 ,through the eternal ,spirit1 ,he had offered ,himself without spot to ,god2 and by that one sacrifice for sin1 once for all and forever4 ,he had perfected them that are being sanctified4 ,he had done all that was required to reconcile the world unto ,god1 and to make an end of sin4 ,finished6 ,let the words roll in volumes of melody through all the spheres6 ,there is nothing now left for man to do but enter on the results of ,christ's finished work4 ,as the ,creator finished on the evening of the sixth day all the work which ,he had made1 so did the ,redeemer cease on the sixth day from the work of ,atonement1 and1 lo6 it was very good4 ,,vii4 ,father1 into ,thy hands ,i commend ,my spirit4--,the words were quoted from the ,book of ,psalms1 which ,he so dearly loved4 ,he only prefixed the name of ,father2 for the cloud which had extorted the cry1 ,my ,god1 ,my ,god1 had broken1 and under a blue heaven of conscious fellowship ,he exchanged it for ,father4 ,if the words1 ,it is finished1 be taken as our ,lord's farewell to the world ,he was leaving1 these words are surely ,his greeting to that on whose confines ,he was standing4 ,it seems as though the spirit of ,christ were poising itself before it departed to the ,father1 and it saw before no dismal abyss1 no gulf of darkness1 no footless chaos1 but hands1 even the hands of the ,father1 and to these ,he committed ,himself4 ,the first martyr1 who died after ,christ1 passed away with words of the same import upon his lips1 with a significant alteration1 ,lord ,jesus1 receive ,my spirit4 ,we may use them as they have been used by countless thousands in all ages2 and we know ,him whom we have believed1 and are persuaded that ,he is able to keep that which we have committed unto ,him4 ,and when ,jesus had said these words1 ,he bowed ,his head upon ,his breast1 and breathed out ,his spirit4 ,no one took ,his life from ,him3 ,he laid it down of ,himself3 ,he had power to lay it down4 ,so ended that marvellous scene4 ,the expectation of all the ages was more than realized4 ,if it be true that on that day a tidal wave of immense volume swept around the world1 and rose high up in all rivers and estuaries1 this may be taken as an emblem of the much more abounding grace1 which on that day rose high above the mighty obstacles of human sin1 and is destined to lift the entire universe nearer ,god4 ,for by it ,god will reconcile all things to ,himself1 whether in heaven or on earth4 ,three items remain to be noticed4 ,at the moment that ,jesus died there was a great earthquake1 which made the earth tremble and the rocks rend1 so that the ancient graves were opened1 preparatory to the rising of the bodies of the saints on the ,resurrection morning1 following the ,lord from the power of ,death4 ,and when the centurion1 and they that were with him1 watching ,jesus1 charged to see the sentence executed1 saw the earthquake and the things that were done1 they feared exceedingly1 saying1 ,truly this was the ,son of ,god4 ,the vail of the ,temple1 also1 was rent in twain from the top to the bottom1 at the moment that the ,great ,high ,priest ,jesus was entering the ,temple not made with hands1 with the blood of ,his propitiation4 ,is it to be wondered at that afterward many priests1 who had been in close contiguity to that marvellous type1 became obedient to the faith8 ,finally1 from the pierced side of ,christ came out blood and water1 as ,john solemnly attests4 ,he knoweth that he saith true4 ,this was a symptom that there had been heart-rupture1 and that the ,lord had literally died of a broken heart4 ,but it was also a symbol of the double cure which ,jesus has effected4 ,blood to atone2 water to cleanse4 ,this is ,he that came by water and blood1 not with the water only4 ,,xxxii ,christ's ,burial ,then took they the body of ,jesus1 and wound it in linen clothes with the spices1 as the manner of the ,jews is to bury4--,,john xix4 #dj4 ,against the day of ,my burying hath she kept this6 so had ,jesus spoken when ,mary anointed ,his feet with the very precious spikenard4 ,i do not suppose that any in the room save herself and her ,lord understood ,his reference2 not one of them believed that ,he would really die1 and ,his body be carried to the tomb2 but ,mary knew better4 ,she had sat at ,his feet1 and drunk in ,his very spirit4 ,in the glow of the evening twilight1 when ,martha was busy in the house1 and ,lazarus was away in the field1 they two had sat together1 and ,jesus1 in words similar to those ,he had so often used to ,his apostles1 had told her of what was coming upon ,him4 ,mary believed it all4 ,she knew that she would not be present at that scene4 ,she did not think that any would be able to perform the last loving rites for that beloved form4 ,she feared that it might be utterly dishonored2 but she did what she could1 she came beforehand to anoint the ,lord's body for ,his burying4 ,it was a beautiful act of tender foresight4 ,but in the sense of being absolutely necessary1 as the only act of care and love bestowed on the ,lord's dead body1 it was not required2 for ,he who at birth had prepared the body for ,his ,son1 took care that in death it should receive due honor4 ,when ,jesus expired1 ,luke tells us that many of ,his acquaintances1 and the women that had followed ,him from ,galilee were standing afar off1 beholding all that was done2 ,john too was there1 and others who had loved ,him and were the grateful monuments of ,his healing power3 they must have wondered greatly what would be done with that loved form4 ,yet what could they do8--they were poor and unimportant2 they had no influence with the capricious and terrible ,pilate2 they seemed helpless to do more than wait with choking sobs until some possible chance should allow them to intervene4 ,meanwhile ,god was preparing a solution of the difficulty4 ,amongst the crowd around the cross there stood a very wealthy man named ,joseph4 ,he was a native of the little town of ,arimathea1 that lay among the fruitful hills of ,ephraim2 but was resident in ,jerusalem1 where he had considerable property4 ,some of this lay in the close neighborhood of the highway by which the cross of our ,lord had been erected4 ,he was also a member of the ,jewish ,sanhedrim1 but it is expressly stated that he had not consented to the counsel or deed of them2 if indeed he was summoned to that secret midnight meeting in the palace of ,caiaphas1 he certainly did not go2 he was therefore innocent of any complicity in our ,lord's condemnation and death4 ,he was a good man and a just2 and like ,nathanael1 and ,simeon1 and many more1 he waited for the kingdom of ,god4 ,more than this1 he was a disciple of ,jesus1 though secretly4 ,whatever our judgment may be about his action during the lifetime of our ,lord1 we have nothing but admiration for the way in which he acted when ,he died4 ,what he had seen had more than decided him4 ,christ's meekness and majestic silence under all reproaches and indignities2 the veiled sky and trembling earth2 the cry of the ,forsaken which ended in the trustful committal of the soul to the ,father2 the loud shriek and the sudden death--all these had convinced him and awed his soul1 and lifted him far above the fear of man4 ,he had been waiting for the kingdom1 he would now identify himself with the ,king4 ,by his side there would seem to have stood an old friend of ours1 ,nicodemus4 ,our evangelist identifies him as having at the first come to ,jesus by night4 ,the very opening of the ,lord's ministry in ,jerusalem seems to have made a deep impression on his mind2 but he was very timid4 ,he was an old man1 a very rich man1 a member of the ,sanhedrim1 and he did not like to risk his position or prestige4 ,it was much therefore for him to come to ,jesus at all1 and especially to come to ,him in the spirit of deep respect and inquiry4 ,there must have been something very engaging in him2 for our ,lord1 who did not commit ,himself to men in general1 made very clear unfoldings of ,his great work to this inquiring ,rabbi4 ,from that night1 even if not a real disciple1 ,nicodemus was strongly prejudiced in favor of ,jesus2 and on one occasion1 at least1 brought on himself reproach for attempting indirectly to shield ,him4 ,he had not dared1 however1 to go beyond his first nervous question4 ,then1 like ,joseph1 he was decided by what he had seen3 come what may1 he will now avow the thoughts which have long been in his heart4 ,the two men exchange a few hurried sentences4 ,what will be done with ,his body8 ,at least it must not suffer the fate of common malefactors4 ,yet how shall it be prevented8 ,look you1 says ,joseph1 in my garden close at hand there is a new tomb1 hewn out in the rock1 wherein was man never yet laid1 ,i had prepared it for myself2 but ,i will gladly use it for ,him1 if ,i can but get ,pilate to yield me ,his body4 ,i will go at once and ask for it4 ,well1 says ,nicodemus1 if you can succeed in getting the body1 ,i will see to it that there are not wanting the garments and spices of death4 ,without a moment's delay1 for the sun is fast sinking toward the west1 ,joseph hastens to ,pilate1 and asks that he may take away the body of ,jesus2 and not unlikely he quickens ,pilate's response by an offer of a liberal bribe if he will but accede to his request4 ,pilate1 who had just given orders to the soldiers to hasten the death of the crucified1 marvelled that ,jesus was really dead2 nor was he reassured until he had asked the centurion2 and when he knew it of him1 he gave to ,joseph the necessary leave1 with which he hastened back to the cross4 ,the sun would be very low on the horizon1 flinging its last beams upon the scene1 as he reached ,calvary4 ,the crowds would for the most part have dispersed4 ,the soldiers might be engaged in taking down the bodies of the thieves4 ,the body of ,jesus was however still on the cross2 and not far off would be the little band of attached friends of whom we have already spoken1 and who would be the sole remnants of the vast crowds who had now ebbed away to their homes4 ,what wonder1 what joy1 as they see ,joseph reverently and lovingly begin to take ,him down2 with evident authority from the ,governor1 with manifest preparations for ,his careful burial2 they had never before known him to be interested in their ,master4 ,and who is this that waits beneath the cross with the clean linen shroud1 and the wealth of spices8 ,ah6 that is ,nicodemus2 but who would have thought that he would help to perform these last offices6 ,oh to be a painter1 and depict that scene6 ,the discolored corpse stained with blood1 muscles flaccid1 eyes closed1 head helpless2 ,joseph1 and ,nicodemus1 and ,john1 and other strong men busy4 ,the women weeping as if their hearts must break1 but ready at any moment to give the needed aid4 ,between them they carry the body into ,joseph's garden1 and to the mouth of his new sepulchre4 ,there on some grassy bank they rest it for a moment1 that it may be tenderly washed and wrapped in the white linen cloth on which powdered myrrh and aloes had been thickly strewn4 ,a white cloth would then be wrapped about the head and face1 after long farewell looks1 and reverent kisses4 ,then lifted once again1 the precious burden was born into the sepulchre1 and laid in a rocky niche4 ,there was no door2 but a great stone1 probably circular1 prepared for the purpose1 was rolled with united and strenuous efforts against the aperture1 to prevent the entrance of wild beasts and unkindly foe4 ,and then as the chill twilight was flinging its shadows over the world1 they reverently withdrew4 ,joseph and ,nicodemus had done their work and had gone to their homes1 and yet there were some who lingered as if unable to leave the spot4 ,there were ,mary ,magdalene1 and the other ,mary1 sitting over against the sepulchre1 gazing through their tears at the place where ,jesus was laid4 ,how keen was their mental anguish6 ,there was bereaved love2 with all purity the strongest love had grown up around ,christ2 and now that ,he was gone1 it seemed as if there was nothing more to live for4 ,the prop had been rudely taken away1 and the tendrils of their hearts' affection were torn and wrenched4 ,then there would come a rush of hot tears1 indignant passion with those who had pursued ,him1 with such unrelenting torture1 to ,his bitter end4 ,then again1 broken-hearted grief at the remembrance of ,his anguish1 and gentle patience1 and shame4 ,and1 mingling sadly with all these1 were disappointed hopes4 ,was this the end8 ,he who died thus could not have been the ,messiah6 ,he had taught them to believe ,he was6 ,he must have been self-deceived6 ,for this life only they had hope in ,christ1 and they were of all most miserable6 ,that gravestone hid not only the body of ,christ1 but the structure of the brightest1 fairest hopes that had ever filled the hearts of mortals6 ,in spite of all1 they love4 ,this is the love of women3 the object of their fond attachment may be misrepresented and abused1 the life may seem to be an entire failure2 they may themselves be suffering greatly from the results of the beloved one's mistakes and follies--yet will they love still6 ,and so through the gathering gloom and evening stillness they lingered on1 until the increasing darkness told them that the ,sabbath had come4 ,then they returned and rested the ,sabbath day1 according to the commandment2 but neither they1 nor ,joseph1 nor ,nicodemus1 nor ,john1 would be able to partake of the ,paschal festivities4 ,to take part in a burial at any time would defile them for seven days1 and make everything which they touched unclean2 to do so at that time involved seclusion through the whole of the ,passover week1 with all its holy observances and rejoicings4 ,as we peruse this narrative1 many thoughts are suggested4 ,we see the minute fulfillment of prophetic ,scriptures4--,it had been written by ,isaiah on the page of inspiration1 that the ,messiah would make ,his grave with the rich4 ,when ,jesus died that prophecy seemed most unlikely of accomplishment2 but it was literally fulfilled4 ,there is not a prophecy1 however minute1 concerning our ,lord's life and death1 which did not have an actual fulfillment2 and does not this show us how we are to treat the prophecies which foretell ,his future glory and second advent8 ,they too shall have a literal and exact fulfillment4 ,we learn1 too1 that there are more friends of ,christ in the world than we know4--,they sit in our legislature1 in our councils1 in our pews2 we meet them day after day3 they give little or no sign of their discipleship3 the most large-hearted friend would be surprised to hear that they were ,christians4 ,but they are ,christ's4 ,christ knows and owns them4 ,but if they are secret disciples now1 they will not be secret disciples always4 ,a time will come when the fire of their love will burn the bushel that hides it1 and they will avow themselves on the ,lord's side4 ,we gather1 too1 that ,god can always find instruments to carry out ,his purposes4--,the immediate followers of ,christ could not see how to preserve the beloved corpse from defilement1 but ,god had ,his place and ,his servants ready2 and at the very crisis of need ,he brought them to the point4 ,so has it been again and again3 when influence and money and men have been really required for the work of ,god1 they have been all at once forthcoming4 ,he says to men like ,joseph1 ,go1 and he goeth2 and to men like ,nicodemus1 ,come1 and he cometh2 and to ,his servants1 ,do this1 and it is done4 ,even the king's heart is in the hand of the ,lord2 as the rivers of water1 ,he turneth it wheresoever ,he will4 ,there is also a very significant meaning contained in verse #da3 ,in the place where ,he was crucified there was a garden2 and in the garden a new sepulchre4 ,there is something startling in the association--the cross1 the garden4 ,the one--the symbol of shame and suffering1 the most awful witness to the destructive power of that sin which has laid waste our world2 the other--where flowers1 ,eden's brightest relics1 were guarded for man's enjoyment4 ,flowers1 blooming in all the luxuriance of an ,oriental spring1 shed their fragrance around our ,saviour when ,he died2 one loves to dwell upon the thought that ,golgotha was part of the garden--that earth's fairest1 brightest1 gentlest nurslings were there1 mingling their smiles and balm with the trampling angry footsteps and the cursings of malignant foes4 ,they had been very dear to ,him in ,his life-course2 it was only meet that they should be near ,him when ,he died4 ,was it not symbolical8 ,in a garden man fell2 in a garden he was redeemed6 ,and that death of ,christ has sown our world with the flowers of peace and joy and blessedness1 so that many a wilderness has begun to rejoice and to blossom as the rose4 ,whilst the burial of ,christ was proceeding1 the chief priests and their party were holding a meeting in all haste before the ,sabbath began4 ,the success of their scheme was no doubt the theme of hearty congratulation4 ,but they dreaded ,him still2 they feared that all might not be over2 they could not forget that ,he had spoken of rising the third day2 and at the least1 might not the disciples steal away the body1 and spread abroad the report that ,he had risen1 and so the last error would be worse than the first8 ,a deputation was therefore appointed to wait on ,pilate representing their fears4 ,tired of them and the whole case1 he was in no humor to please them4 ,ye have a guard1 said he1 brusquely1 go1 make it as sure as you can6 ,this they did4 ,they passed a strong cord across the stone1 and sealed its ends1 and then placed soldiers to keep due watch and ward that none should lay hands upon the body that lay within4 ,so ,christ lay entombed2 but ,he was not there4 ,he was in the world of spirits4 ,the place of disembodied spirits was called1 by the ,jews1 ,sheol4 ,it had two divisions1 ,paradise and ,gehenna4 ,christ1 we know from ,his own words1 went to the former2 and from ,peter we gather that ,he also went through the realms of ,gehenna1 proclaiming ,his victory4 ,the practical conclusion of the whole is1 however1 contained in ,romans vi4 ,just as the body of ,christ after crucifixion was buried in the grave1 so our sinful1 sensual1 selfish selves must be done away in the grave of forgetfulness and oblivion and disuse--buried with ,christ1 that like as ,christ was raised from the dead1 through the glory of the ,father1 so we also should walk in newness of life4 ,,xxxiii ,the ,day of ,resurrection ,the first day of the week4--,,john xx4 #a4 ,it may be helpful if we tabulate in a brief and concise form the various appearances of our ,lord on the great day1 when ,he was declared to be the ,son of ,god with power by the resurrection from the dead4 ,mary of ,magdala--a squalid ,arab village on the south of the plain of ,gennesaret still bears that name--with another ,mary had remained beside the tomb1 till the trumpet of the ,passover ,sabbath and the gathering darkness had warned them to retire4 ,they rested the ,sabbath day1 according to the commandment1 in the saddest1 darkest grief that ever oppressed the human heart2 for they had not only lost the dearest object of their affection1 under the most harrowing circumstances1 but their hopes that this was the ,messiah seemed to have been rudely shattered4 ,but how tenacious is human love1 especially the love of women6 ,how it will cling around the ruins of the temple1 even when some rude shock of earthquake has shattered it to the ground6 ,so1 when the ,sabbath was over 7after sundown on ,saturday71 they stole out to purchase additional sweet spices1 which they prepared that night in order to complete the embalming of the body1 which had been left incomplete on the day of crucifixion4 ,they would probably sleep outside the city gates1 which only opened at daybreak1 because they were resolved to reach the sepulchre while it was yet dark4 ,but before they could arrive the sublime event had occurred1 which has filled the world with light and joy in all succeeding years4 ,for behold1 whilst the ,roman sentries were pacing to and fro before the sepulchre1 there had been a great earthquake1 and the angel of the ,lord had descended from heaven1 rolled back the stone from the door1 and sat upon it4 ,then from that opened door the ,lord had come forth unperceived by the eye of man 7for the watchers were dazed and dazzled by the appearance of the angel and the terror of the earthquake71 and in sublime majesty had become the ,firstborn from among the dead1 and the ,first-fruits of them that sleep4 ,the women1 meanwhile1 were hurrying to the grave1 debating as they did so1 how they would be able to roll away the stone from its mouth4 ,probably they had heard nothing of the seals and sentries with which the ,sanhedrim had endeavored to guard against all eventualities2 for1 had they known1 they would hardly have ventured to come at all4 ,they were greatly startled1 however1 when1 on approaching the grave1 they saw that the stone was rolled away4 ,mary of ,magdala apparently detected this first2 and without staying to see further1 and with the conviction that it must have been rifled of its precious contents1 started off to apprise ,simon ,peter and the disciple whom ,jesus loved4 ,what a shock1 as she broke in on their grief1 with the tidings1 ,they have taken away the ,lord out of the sepulchre1 and we know not where they have laid ,him4 ,what a series of mistakes was hers6 ,she had gone to anoint the dead while the morning light still lingered over the hills of ,moab2 she did not realize that ,he could not be holden by the bands of death1 and had passed out into the richer1 fuller life1 of which death is the portal4 ,she came with aromatic spices that her means had bought1 and her hands prepared2 she did not know that all ,his garments were already smelling of aloes and cassia1 of the perfume of heaven with which ,his ,father had made ,him glad4 ,she came to a ,victim1 so she thought1 who had fallen beneath the knife of ,his foes as a ,lamb led to slaughter1 she was not aware that ,he was a ,priest on the point of entering the most ,holy ,place on her behalf4 ,she came for the ,vanquished2 but failed to understand that ,he was a ,victor over the principalities and powers of hell2 and that the keys of ,hades and the grave were hanging at ,his girdle1 whilst the serpent was bruised beneath ,his feet4 ,she thought that she had come to put a final touch1 such as only a woman can1 to a life of sad and irremediable failure2 but had no conception that on that morning a career had been inaugurated which was not only endless and indissoluble in itself1 but was destined to vitalize uncounted myriads4 ,she thought that the empty tomb could only be accounted for by the rifling hands that had taken away the precious body1 but could not guess that the ,rifler of the perquisites of death was none other than the ,lord ,himself4 ,we all make mistakes like this4 ,our treasures1 whether of things or people1 which had been our pride and joy1 pass from us2 and we stand beside the grave1 gazing in on vacancy and emptiness2 we think that we can never be happy again3 we suppose that ,god's mercies are clean gone forever1 and that ,his mercies have failed forevermore4 ,but1 all the while1 near at hand1 the radiant vision of a transfigured blessing waits to greet us1 and to fill us with an ecstasy that shall never pall upon us1 but make our after-life one long summer day4 ,in the meanwhile1 the other women had pursued their way to the grave4 ,the guard had already fled in terror1 so there was none to intercept or frighten them2 and entering the sepulchre they saw a young man1 emblem of the immortal youth of ,god's angels1 sitting on the right side1 clothed in a long white garment1 and they were affrighted4 ,presently1 as they were much perplexed1 behold1 two men stood by them in shining garments2 and as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth1 they said unto them1 ,be not affrighted1 ye seek ,jesus1 which was crucified4 ,he is not here2 for ,he is risen1 as ,he said4 ,remember how ,he said into you when ,he was yet in ,galilee1 that ,he would rise again4 ,come1 see the place where they laid ,him4 ,and go quickly1 tell ,his disciples1 and ,peter1 that ,he goeth before you into ,galilee2 there shall ye see ,him1 as ,he said unto you4 ,and they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy2 and did run to bring ,his disciples word4 ,in the meanwhile1 ,peter and ,john were hurrying to the sepulchre by another route1 and probably reached it just after the women had left4 ,john1 younger than ,peter1 had outrun him1 but was withheld by reverential awe from doing more than peering into the empty grave4 ,the linen clothes1 lying orderly disposed1 seem to have specially arrested his notice1 yet went he not in4 ,peter1 however1 went at once into the sepulchre2 he also saw the linen clothes1 and especially that the cloth which had covered the face of the dead was wrapped together in a place by itself4 ,then ,john also went in2 he saw and believed4 ,it was evident to them both that the tomb had not been rifled1 nor the body stolen by violent hands2 for these garments and the spices would have been of more value to thieves than a naked corpse4 ,in any case1 thieves would not have been at the pains to fold the garments up so carefully4 ,whilst the same indications proved that the body had not been removed by friends2 for they would not have left the grave-clothes behind4 ,when the disciples had gone back to their own home1 ,mary stood without at the door of the sepulchre weeping2 and as she wept she stooped down1 and looked into the sepulchre4 ,what earnest heart is there1 that has not at some time stood there with her1 looking down into the grave of ordinances1 of spent emotions1 of old and sacred memories1 seeking everywhere for the ,redeemer1 who had been once the dearest reality1 the one object of love and life8 ,the two sentry-angels1 who sat1 the one at the head and the other at the feet1 where the body of ,jesus had lain1 sought in vain to comfort her4 ,woman1 they said1 in effect1 there is no need for tears2 didst thou but know1 couldst thou but understand1 thy heart would overflow with supreme joy1 and thy tears become smiles4 ,they have taken away my ,lord1 she said1 and ,i know not where they have laid ,him4 ,what could angel voices do for her1 who longed to hear one voice only8 ,what were the griefs of others in comparison with hers8 ,in an especial sense ,jesus was hers6 my ,lord6 ,had ,he not cast out from her seven devils8 ,some slight movement behind1 or perhaps1 as ,chrysostom finely supposes1 because of an expression of love and awe which passed over the angel faces1 led her to turn herself back1 and she saw ,jesus standing1 but she knew not that it was ,jesus4 ,supposing him1 in her grief and confusion1 to be the gardener1 she said that if he knew the whereabouts of the body she sought1 she would gladly have it removed at her expense3 nay1 she even volunteered to bear it off herself4 ,then ,he spoke the old familiar name with the old intonation and emphasis1 and she answered in the country tongue they both knew and loved so well1 ,rabboni6 ,in her rapture she sought to embrace ,him1 but this must not be2 and there was need for ,christ to work in her love1 with ,his high art1 as the artificer may carve the stone1 or engrave some legend on the intaglio4 ,he therefore withdrew ,himself1 saying1 ,touch ,me not4 ,to ,thomas afterward ,he said1 ,behold ,my hands and ,my side2 reach hither thy finger3 because there was no danger of his abusing the permission1 or leaning unduly on the sensuous and physical4 ,but ,mary must learn to exchange the outward for the inward1 the transient for the eternal1 and to pass from the old fellowship with ,jesus as friend and companion into a spiritual relationship which would subsist to all eternity4 ,therefore ,jesus spoke of ,his ascension1 and bade her look upward1 and see1 gleaming on high1 diviner things4 ,so she was prepared for the time1 when1 in the upper room1 she should continue steadfastly in prayer1 and come nearer to ,him whom she loved than ever previously4 ,did you ever realize that the intonations of the voice of ,jesus1 which had passed unimpaired through death1 suggest that in that new life1 which lies on the other side of death1 we shall hear the voices speak again which have been familiar to us from childhood8 ,as is the heavenly1 so are they who are heavenly2 and as we have borne the image of the earthy1 we shall bear that of the heavenly1 and shall speak again with those whom we have lost awhile1 and they with us4 ,mary ,magdalene went and told them that had been with ,him1 as they mourned and wept1 that she had seen the ,lord1 and that ,he had spoken these things unto her4 ,but they1 when they had heard that ,he was alive1 and had been seen of her1 believed not4 ,in close succession1 the ,lord appeared to others of the little group4 ,to the women1 as they did run to bring ,his disciples word4 ,to ,peter1 whom ,he encountered on ,his way back1 in lonely astonishment and awe1 and restored with gracious words of forgiveness4 ,to the two that walked to ,emmaus1 in the afternoon1 and talked of all that had happened4 ,finally ,he appeared to the whole company of the apostles1 as they sat at meat4 ,they had carefully shut their doors1 since there was every reason to fear that the rumors of the events of the morning would arouse against them the strong hate and fear of the ,pharisees4 ,it may be that they were startled by every passing footfall1 and every movement on the stair1 as when the two returned from ,emmaus to tell how ,jesus had been made known unto them in the breaking of bread4 ,then1 suddenly1 without announcement or preparation1 the figure of their beloved ,master stood in the midst of them1 with the familiar greeting of peace6 ,and1 as the sacred historian navely puts it1 they were terrified and affrighted1 and supposed that they were gazing on a spirit4 ,but the ,lord allayed their fears1 first by showing them ,his hands and ,his feet2 and next1 by partaking of a piece of broiled fish and of an honeycomb4 ,evidently ,he was clothed in the resurrection or spiritual body of which the ,apostle ,paul speaks4 ,he was not subject to all the laws that govern our physical life4 ,he could pass freely through unopened doors1 and at will ,he could manifest ,himself1 speak1 stand1 and walk1 or subject ,himself to physical sense4 ,his words were very significant4 ,he began by upbraiding them for their reluctance to believe that ,he had risen4 ,again ,he said1 ,peace be unto you2 and accompanied ,his words with the indication of ,his wounds--,he showed them ,his hands and side4 ,this was the peace of forgiveness1 which falls on our conscience-stricken hearts1 as the dew distils on the parched heritage4 ,look at the wounds of ,jesus1 cried ,staupitz to ,luther2 and there is no other sign that will give rest to the penitent4 ,after this ,he opened their understandings1 that they might understand the ,scriptures1 and showed them that a suffering ,messiah was the thought which pervaded the entire ,hebrew ,scriptures4 ,thus it is written1 and thus it behoved the ,messiah to suffer1 and to rise from the dead the third day4 ,what would we not give to have some transcript of that wonderful conversation6 ,with what new eyes should we read the ,bible1 if only we could know what ,jesus said on that occasion6 ,next ,he repeated the ,peace be unto you1 and told them that ,he was sending them forth as the ,father had sent ,him--,go ye unto all the world1 and preach the ,gospel to every creature4 ,but ,he added1 ,behold1 ,i send the promise of ,my ,father upon you2 but tarry ye in the city of ,jerusalem1 until ye be endued with power from on high4 ,and these signs shall follow them that believe4 ,in ,my name shall they cast out demons2 they shall speak with new tongues2 they shall take up serpents2 and if they drink any deadly thing1 it shall not hurt them2 they shall lay hands on the sick1 and they shall recover4 ,then1 to fit them for this time of waiting1 and that the ,holy ,spirit might prepare them to receive ,his fuller inflow1 the ,lord breathed on them and said1 ,receive ye the ,holy ,ghost3 ,whose soever sins ye remit1 they are remitted unto them2 whose soever sins ye retain1 they are retained4 ,by which ,he surely meant that there was no other way by which sins would be forgiven and put away than by the preaching of the ,gospel1 which ,he now committed to their trust4 ,they are therefore parallel with ,peter's statement in after days1 ,neither is there salvation in any other1 for there is none other name given under heaven1 among men1 by which we must be saved4 ,the ,church of ,god alone can proclaim to men the conditions of evangelical repentance1--and those who refuse her testimony1 and disbelieve her ,gospel1 expose themselves to unspeakable condemnation and loss4 ,there remaineth no other sacrifice for sin2 but a certain looking for of judgment1 and fiery indignation4 ,refuse ,christ1 and there is no alternative way of salvation4 ,whatever else is contained in these words1 it is quite clear that there was nothing exclusively reserved to the apostles and their successors1 which is not equally the possession of all who believe2 for we know that the ,lord's words were spoken not to the apostles only1 but to the two that had come from ,emmaus with burning hearts1 and to those who were in the habit of commingling with the immediate followers of ,christ4 ,them that were with them 7,luke xxiv4 #cc1 #ce1 #cf74 ,all had been witnesses of these things1 and all were now to proclaim in ,his name repentance and remission of sins among all nations1 beginning at ,jerusalem4 ,thomas was not there on that memorable occasion4 ,he was always accustomed to look on the dark side of things4 ,when ,jesus proposed to go into ,judaea to raise ,lazarus1 he made sure that there was no alternative but to die with ,him2 and when the ,master spoke of ,his impending absence1 he said gloomily1 ,lord1 we know not whither ,thou goest1 and how can we know the way8 ,he was doubtless at this time wandering alone over the scenes of that awful tragedy1 which had so deeply imprinted itself on his imagination that he could not forget the print of the nails1 and the wound in ,his side1 and the unlikelihood of any surviving such treatment as ,he had received4 ,when he heard the story of the others1 he seemed inclined to treat them as too credulous2 and with the air of superior caution said1 that he must not only see the wounds which death had made1 but touch them with his fingers and hand4 ,yet we may be grateful for this story4 ,first1 because it wears the aspect of truth4 ,what weaver of an imaginary history would ever have dared to suggest that the resurrection was impugned by some of ,christ's close followers8 ,and1 next1 because it shows us that the resurrection was subjected to the severest tests1 just those which we would ourselves apply4 ,thomas was left for a whole week4 ,day after day he heard the repeated story of ,christ's appearances2 and waited for ,him to come again2 and became more and more confirmed in his sad presentment that the whole story was a myth4 ,how great must have been his anguish during those days1 as he tossed between hope and fear1 saw on other faces the light which he might not share1 and thought that the ,master1 if really living1 was neglectful of ,his friend6 ,at last ,jesus came1 not to anathematize or exclude him1 not to break the bruised reed or quench the smoking flax1 but to restore him1 and to lift on him the light of ,his countenance4 ,he suited himself to his needs4 ,he stooped to comply with the conditions that his poor faith had laid down4 ,he was willing to give proofs1 over and above those which were absolutely necessary1 to win faith4 ,so eager was ,he to win one poor soul to ,himself and blessedness1 that ,he said unto ,thomas1 ,reach hither thy finger1 and behold ,my hands2 and reach hither thy hand1 and thrust it into ,my side2 and be not faithless but believing4 ,i do not suppose that ,thomas availed himself of the invitation4 ,it was sufficient to see4 ,such an act of cold scrutiny would hardly have been compatible with his joyous shout1 ,my ,lord and my ,god4 ,christ's voice and form1 omniscience and humility1 in taking such trouble to win one to ,himself--these were sufficient to convince him1 and dispel all doubt4 ,ah1 ,thomas1 in that glad outburst of thine1 thou reachedst a higher level than all the rest2 and thou art not the last man1 who has seemed a hopeless and helpless wreck1 unable to exercise the faith that seemed so natural to others2 but who1 after a time1 under the teaching of ,jesus1 has been enabled to assume a position to which none of his associates could aspire6 ,because he saw1 he believed4 ,too many wait for signs and manifestations1 for sensible emotion and conviction3 but there is a more excellent way--when we do not see1 and yet believe4 ,when there is no star on the bosom of night1 no chart on the unknown sea1 no lover or friend or interpreter of the ways of ,god2 and when1 in spite of all1 the soul knows ,him whom it has believed1 and clings to ,him though unseen1 and reckons that neither life1 nor death1 nor principalities1 nor powers1 can shut out the love of ,god in ,christ4 ,blessed are they who have not seen1 and yet have believed4 ,,xxxiv ,the ,lake of ,galilee ,jesus showed ,himself again to the disciples at the ,sea of ,tiberias4--,,john xxi4 #a4 ,all ye shall be offended because of ,me this night2 for it is written1 ,i will smite the ,shepherd1 and the sheep shall be scattered4 ,but after that ,i am risen1 ,i will go before you into ,galilee4 ,so had the ,chief ,shepherd spoken to ,his sad and anxious followers on the night of ,his betrayal4 ,they little understood ,his meaning1 and would perhaps have even forgotten the appointment of the rendezvous1 unless it had been recalled again and yet again to their minds4 ,but they were not allowed to forget4 ,on the resurrection morn1 the angel said to the first visitants at the empty grave3 ,go your way1 tell ,his disciples1 and ,peter1 that ,he goeth before you into ,galilee2 there shall ye see ,him as ,he said unto you4 ,and as they went to execute this bidding1 ,jesus ,himself met them and said3 ,be not afraid2 go tell ,my brethren1 that they go into ,galilee2 there shall they see ,me4 ,the customs of the ,passover ,feast forbade their instant compliance with this command1 and the ,master sanctioned their delay by appearing to them twice whilst they yet lingered in the metropolis4 ,but as soon as it was possible they hastened back to the familiar scenes of their early life and of the ,master's ministry4 ,we cannot fathom all the reasons that led our ,lord to make such special arrangements for meeting with them in ,galilee2 but it was natural that ,he should wish to associate ,his risen life with scenes in which ,he had spent so large a part of ,his earthly ministry2 and there the greatest proportion of ,his followers was gathered1 and ,he would have the quietest and securest opportunity of meeting with the five hundred brethren at once4 ,the disciples little thought that this was a farewell visit to their homes1 and that within a few weeks they must return to ,jerusalem1 to stay there for a time1 and then to wander forth to all lands1 from the ancient ,indus on the east to the far-famed shores of ,tarshish on the west4 ,i4 ,it was in the early part of ,may when they returned to ,galilee4 ,they were in evident bewilderment as to their next step4 ,what should they do8 ,should they continue to lead the artificial life which they had taken up during the ,master's ministry8 ,that seemed impossible and needless4 ,should they do nothing but wait8 ,that appeared unwise when life was yet strong in them1 and their means of livelihood were scant4 ,it was of course possible to go back to fishing-smacks and fishing-tackle2 but should they8 ,and they hesitated4 ,but one evening came2 the fragrance of thyme and rosemary and of a hundred flowers filled the air2 the lake lay dimpled in the light of the setting sun2 the purple hills that stood sentinel around seemed by their very peacefulness to promise that no storm should imperil the lives of those that ventured on the blue depths4 ,there stood the boats1 yonder lay the nets1 in those waters were the finny tribes2 the old instinct of the fisherman arose in their hearts1 and found expression on the lips of the one from whom we should have expected it4 ,peter said unto them1 ,i go a-fishing4 ,i see no harm in it4 ,the ,master never forbade it4 ,he cannot mean us to loiter our time away4 ,we cannot be preachers without ,him4 ,i shall go back to the life from which ,he called me three years ago1 and if it pleases ,him to come again1 ,he can find us now1 as ,he found us once1 among the fishing-tackle4 ,the proposal met with an instant assent3 ,we also go with thee4 ,and in a few moments ,peter with six others had leaped into a boat1 and they were preparing for the night's work with all the enthusiasm with which men throw themselves into a craft which for some time they have disused4 ,but their ardor was soon checked4 ,hour after hour passed4 ,the lights went out in the hamlets and towns4 ,the chill night damps enwrapped them4 ,the grey morning at last began to break1 whilst again and again the nets were hauled up and let down1 but in vain2 not a single fish had entered them4 ,that night they caught nothing4 ,why this non-success8 ,the night was the most favorable time6 ,these men knew the lake well1 and were experienced in their craft4 ,they did their best1 but they caught nothing6 ,why was this8 ,was it a chance8 ,no1 it was a providence2 it was carefully arranged1 disappointing and vexing though it was1 by ,one who was too wise to err1 too good to be unkind1 and who was preparing to teach them a lesson which should enrich them and the whole ,church forever4 ,the failure put an arrest on their temporal pursuits4 ,had they been successful that night1 it would have been very much harder for them to renounce the craft forever2 but their non-success made them more willing to give it up1 and to turn their thoughts to the evangelization of the world4 ,then1 too1 our ,lord surely meant to teach them that whilst they were doing ,his work1 whether that work was waiting or active service1 it was not necessary for them to be anxious about their maintenance2 ,he ,himself would see to that1 though ,he had1 for each meal1 to light a fire and prepare it ,himself4 ,and1 deeper than all this1 there were surely great spiritual lessons to be gained respecting the conditions of success in catching men in the net of ,his ,gospel4 ,it is difficult to understand how a man can call himself a ,christian1 and how he can face the awful possibilities of life1 except he believes that all is ruled by ,one who loves us with a love that is infinite1 and who wields all power on earth and in heaven4 ,if1 however1 that be your fixed belief1 you may find it often severely tested4 ,i have waited this livelong night2 can this be ,christ's will8 ,i have done my best in vain2 can this be ,christ's will8 ,i have labored without a single gleam of success2 can this be ,christ's will8 ,yes1 most certainly it is4 ,it is ,his love which is arranging all1 in order to teach you some of the sweetest1 deepest lessons that ever entered your heart4 ,there is not a cross1 a loss1 a disappointment1 a case of failure in your life1 which is not arranged and controlled by the loving ,saviour1 and intended to teach some lesson which else could never be acquired4 ,fitfully1 curiously1 without apparent art or fixed design1 is the web of our lives woven2 thread seems thrown with thread at random1 no orderly pattern immediately appears1 but yet of all that web there is not a single thread whose place and color are not arranged with consummate skill and love4 ,but what good can failure do8 ,it may shut up a path which you were pursuing too eagerly4 ,it may put you out of heart with things seen and temporal1 and give you an appetite for things unseen and eternal4 ,it may teach you your own helplessness1 and turn you to trust more implicitly in the provision of ,christ4 ,it is clear that ,christians have often to toil all night in vain1 that ,christ may have a background black and sombre enough to set forth all the glories of ,his interposition4 ,,ii4 ,in the morning ,jesus stood on the shore1 but the disciples knew not that it was ,jesus4 ,it was customary for fish-dealers to go down to greet fishers on their return from the night's toil1 in order to buy up fish4 ,such a one now seemed waiting on the sand in the grey light1 and ,his question was such as a fish-dealer might put3 ,children1 have you any food8 ,it therefore never occurred to the disciples to think that it was ,jesus4 ,and indeed1 after the miracle was wrought1 it was only the keen eye of love that knew ,him to be the ,lord4 ,how often is the ,lord near us1 and we know ,him not6 ,he is standing there in the midst of scenes of natural beauty though ,his foot leaves no impression on the untrodden sand1 and ,his form casts no shadow on the flowers or greensward4 ,he is standing there in that dingy counting-house1 or amid the whirr of the deafening machinery1 though ,he fills no space1 and utters no word audible to human ears4 ,he is standing there in that home1 watching the sick1 noting unkindness and rudeness1 smiling on the little deeds done for ,his sake1 though none ever heard the floors creak beneath ,his weight1 or saw the doors open to admit ,his person4 ,how much we miss because we fail to discern ,him6 ,by acting thus ,he not only taught ,his disciples the reality of ,his presence1 but ,he prepared them also for that new kind of life which they were henceforth to lead--a life of faith rather than of sense2 a life of spiritual communion rather than of physical fellowship4 ,he kept showing them that1 though out of sight1 ,he was still in their midst4 ,by easy stepping-stones ,he joined ,calvary and ,olivet4 ,by gentle progressive lessons those who had believed because they had seen were taught to walk by faith1 not by sight1 and to love ,one whom they did not see4 ,and thus it came about that they trod no shore however desolate1 went to no land however distant1 dealt with no people however boorish1 without carrying ever with them the thought1 ,the ,master is here6 ,but let me say here that if you would see ,christ everywhere1 you must be like ,john1 the disciple of love4 ,love will trace ,him everywhere1 as dear friends detect each other by little touches that are meaningless to others4 ,love's quick eye penetrates disguises impenetrable to colder scrutiny4 ,not for the wise1 nor for the few1 but for the least that love1 is the vision possible that can make a desert isle like ,patmos gleam with the light of ,paradise itself4 ,,iii4 ,how great a difference ,christ's directions made6 ,before ,he spoke they were disconsolately dragging an empty net to shore4 ,the moment after ,he had spoken1 and they had done ,his bidding1 that net was filled with a shoal of fish so heavy that it was no easy matter to drag it behind the ship4 ,great lessons await us here6 ,we1 like these1 have embarked in a great fishing enterprise--we are fishers of men6 ,our aim is to catch men alive for ,christ our ,lord4 ,for this we are ready to toil1 to pray1 to wait4 ,but our success depends wholly upon our ,lord4 ,he will not give it us until we can bear it1 and have learned the lesson of the night of fruitless toil4 ,and if we are to succeed it must be in ,his realized companionship1 and in obedience to ,his word4 ,there is a right side of the ship1 and a wrong one2 there is a time to plant1 and a time to be still2 to everything there is a season1 and a time to every purpose under heaven4 ,we do not know these4 ,if we are left to ourselves1 we may cast the net on the left side of the ship at the time when we should be casting it on the right1 and on the right side of the ship when we should be casting it on the left4 ,christ alone knows1 and ,he will teach us exactly how and when to act with the very best results4 ,,iv4 ,christ's provision for the needs of ,his servants4 ,i should imagine that the disciples were somewhat anxious about their bodily needs and their supply4 ,they did not realize that if they were doing ,christ's work1 ,christ would look after their real needs4 ,christ let them meet with non-success to show how fruitless their toil was4 ,and in the morning1 when ,he stood on the shore1 ,he filled their nets with fish1 and called them to fire and bread and fish1 to show how easily ,he could supply all their need4 ,of course this does not apply to all promiscuously1 but it does apply to those who give up time1 and labor1 and earthly toil1 for the cause of ,christ4 ,if they are really called to the work1 ,christ seems to say to them3 ,do the best you can for ,me1 and do not try in addition to make up for your time and labor by night work--you had better use the night for necessary rest2 the longest night spent in unbelieving labor will not profit2 but ,i in a single moment in the morning can more than make up to you for all you have spent4 ,christ never lets us be in ,his debt4 ,if we lend ,him a boat for pulpit1 ,he weighs it down to the gunwale4 ,if we give ,him time1 ,he makes up what we have lost4 ,if we seek first the kingdom of ,god and ,his righteousness1 ,he sees that all things else are added4 ,it is vain for you to rise up early and to sit up late1 to eat the bread of carefulness4 ,he giveth ,his beloved when they sleep4 ,what delicate attentions to these men6 ,christ knew that they were drenched with spray1 chilled with the keen air1 and so ,he prepared a fire--so thoughtful is ,he of the tiniest matters that will alleviate discomfort and increase our pleasure4 ,at the same time ,he is frugal of the miraculous4 ,he will deal lavishly in miracles so long as needed1 but not an inch beyond4 ,he might have created fish enough on that fire to supply them all1 but that was needless so long as a hundred fifty and three great fishes lay within easy reach2 so ,jesus said1 ,bring of the fish which ye have now caught4 ,when ,peter heard ,john say1 ,it is the ,lord1 true to his character he sprang into the sea and swam to shore1 leaving the rest to drag the heavy net as best they could4 ,now he seems to remember his failure to bear his share in the toil2 so he goes to the margin of the lake1 lands the net1 counts its contents1 and examines the meshes1 to find them unbroken1 and then returns with fish enough to make a breakfast for them all4 ,it was only when all this was done that ,jesus said to them1 ,come and dine4 ,then ,he came forward and took the bread and fish1 and gave to them4 ,all were convinced that it was ,jesus1 but they were dumb with amazement and awe2 they would have liked to ask questions1 but they felt that they need not2 their senses were convinced almost in spite of themselves4 ,none of the disciples durst ask ,him1 ,who art ,thou8 knowing that it was the ,lord4 ,this1 says ,john1 was the third time that ,jesus had showed ,himself2 not literally the third time that ,he had shown ,himself to any one2 but the third time that ,he had shown ,himself to the disciples assembled in any considerable number4 ,the first time was in the evening of the resurrection day2 the second1 when ,thomas was there2 the third1 in the incident here recorded4 ,we all need our rest times1 our times of learning1 our times of fellowship with ,jesus4 ,happy are we when ,jesus says1 ,come and dine1 and leads us off to sup with ,him in desert places6 ,it may be in the loneliness of nature1 or of the sick-bed1 or of thwarted love2 but1 wherever it is1 it is well if only ,he is there to feed us with ,his own dear hand4 ,the time will come when the night of this sunless world shall be over1 and the morning of eternity shall break upon us2 it may be that in the hour of death we shall find that our work has not been so fruitless as we feared3 on the quiet beach we shall see ,jesus standing and know that it is ,he4 ,then one last plunge through the chill flood1 and we shall partake of the preparations which ,his love has made1 and ,he will say1 ,come and dine4 ,,xxxv ,peter's ,love and ,work ,thou knowest that ,i love ,thee4 4 4 4 ,feed my lambs4--,,john xxi4 #ae4 ,that miraculous catch of fish on which we have dwelt was a parable to the disciples of the kind of work in which they were thenceforward to be engaged4 ,they were to catch men4 ,but there was one amongst them who must have wondered much how he would fare1 and what part he would take when that work was recommenced4 ,might he have a share in it8 ,he would seem to have forfeited all right4 ,with oaths and curses he had thrice denied that he belonged to ,jesus4 ,he had given grievous occasion to the enemy to blaspheme4 ,he had failed in a most important part of an apostle's character4 ,true1 he had repented with bitter tears1 and had received a message from the empty tomb2 on that ,easter morn he had heard his forgiveness spoken by the lips of his ,lord1 and he would not have exchanged that forgiveness for an imperial crown2 but he was not quite at ease4 ,his uneasiness betrayed itself in his plunge into the water to swim to ,christ's feet1 and in his rush to drag the net to the shore4 ,he wished to be restored to the position in the ,apostolate which his sin had forfeited2 not because of the honor which it would bring1 but because nothing less would assure him of the undiminished confidence and the entire affection of ,jesus4 ,the ,lord read his heart2 and when the morning meal was done1 ,he singled him out from the rest of ,his disciples1 and asked him three times if he loved ,him1 and then thrice gave him the injunction to feed ,his flock4 ,in addressing him our ,lord calls him by his old name1 ,simon ,bar ,jonas1 not by his new name1 ,peter2 as if to remind him that he had been living the life of nature rather than of grace4 ,in considering this subject1 it will be convenient to speak of the question1 the answer2 the command4 ,i4 ,,our ,,lord',s ,,searching ,,question--,lovest thou ,me8 ,it is a very remarkable question4--,we should have expected the inquiry1 ,dost thou believe ,me8 ,wilt thou obey ,me8 ,art thou prepared to carry out ,my plans8 ,but lo6 the risen ,lord seems not anxious about aught of these1 and only asks for love1 and this from the rugged1 manly1 headstrong ,peter4 ,yet as we hear the question asked1 we realize it is the true one4 ,he who has asked it has struck the right method of dealing with men2 and if ,he only get the love1 ,he will get easily enough the faith and the obedience as well4 ,in this startling question you have unbared to you the distinctive feature which makes ,christianity what it is1 and which makes it different from all other religions which have flung their clouds or their rainbows over human spirits4 ,it is the religion of love3 and a man may speak with a seraph's burning tongue to defend ,christianity2 he may give his goods to feed the poor in obedience to the precepts of ,christianity2 he may even burn at the stake rather than renounce ,christianity as his intellectual creed2 but if he does not love1 he is no ,christian4 ,if a man love not the ,lord ,jesus1 he is anathema4 ,but if only there be love--love to ,god1 love to man--then though there may be many deficiencies in head and heart1 there is the one prime evidence of ,christianship4 ,it was on such grounds that the ,rev4 ,adam ,gibb of ,edinburgh once acted4 ,he had once or twice dissuaded a young woman from joining the church1 deeming her ill-informed1 and unable to answer elementary questions2 and on his third refusal she answered1 ,weel1 weel1 sir1 ,i may na'1 an' ,i dinna1 ken sae muckle as mony2 but when ye preach a sermon aboot my ,lord and ,saviour1 ,i fin' my heart going out to ,him1 like lintseed out of a bag4 ,any one who has observed the process will know how lifelike the illustration was1 and will not wonder that ,mr4 ,gibb admitted her1 and that she lived to be one of the fairest members of his church4 ,it is a universal question4--,its universality suggests that in ,christ there is something universally lovable1 and that every one has the power of loving ,him1 if only the rubbish is removed which chokes the springs of affection4 ,there are different shades in love--the love of gratitude1 where the rescued spirit sings the praise of ,him who took it from the terrible pit and miry clay2 the love of complacency1 with which the holy soul admires ,him who is fairer than the sons of men1 and dwells with rapture on ,his majestic beauty and endearing goodness2 the love of friendship1 in which by constant intercourse a deep attachment arises between the confiding soul and the all-sufficient ,saviour4 ,and there are as many methods of manifestation of love as there are different temperaments4 ,with some1 it is silent2 with others1 it speaks4 ,with some1 it sits listening at ,christ's feet2 with others1 it hurries too and fro to serve4 ,with some1 it is exuberant and enthusiastic2 with others1 it is still and deep4 ,but whatever be the shade or the evidence1 in each ,christian heart there must be love to ,christ1 and the heart must be willing to give up its throne to the reign of ,jesus as its ,lord4 ,often it carries a special emphasis4--,peter had grievously sinned4 ,jesus could not pass it by in utter silence4 ,for ,his disciples' sake and ,his own1 it was necessary to allude to1 and to probe it4 ,but each was performed as gently as possible4 ,thrice he had been warned1 thrice he had denied1 and now thrice shall he be asked if he really loves4 ,and in asking him if he loved ,him more than the rest1 our ,lord surely reminded him of his boast that if all the rest forsook ,him1 he never would4 ,christ delicately reminded him that his actions had not been consistent with his professions1 at the same time giving him an opportunity of wiping out the record of failure by a new avowal of attachment4 ,thus ,he deals with us still4 ,he does not drag our secret sins to light before our brethren and friends1 and parade them before the sun2 but ,he asks with deep meaning if we love ,him1 leaving conscience to apply the question4 ,and is there not good reason for ,him to ask it8 ,how you have forgotten ,him6 ,you have been occupied with the world1 pleasure1 or even sin4 ,and there is nothing that breaks us down so quickly as this4 ,peter was grieved4 ,an old man1 eighty years of age1 reared in connection with a church1 once found his way to the penitent form1 crying1 ,i've come here to be broke4 ,ah1 there is nothing that so breaks us down as this6 ,the question must be asked as a preliminary to service4--,thrice ,he asked ,peter1 as if to be perfectly sure ere ,he sent him forth on a shepherd's work4 ,all the self-denial1 patience1 tenderness1 and delicacy of love are needed1 as the ,lord knew well1 in dealing with men1 who are naturally uninteresting1 or perhaps repulsive1 and hence our ,lord saw the necessity that there should be love4 ,but how could there be love to them8 ,it was impossible to expect it2 and so ,christ introduced ,himself1 saying1 in effect1 ,dost thou love ,me8 ,henceforth there will be little opportunity of doing anything for ,me1 thou canst not now shelter ,me in thy home1 or let ,me use thy fishing boats1 or share ,my toils2 but as thou lovest ,me1 and desirest to show it1 expend it on those whom ,i love1 for whom ,i died1 and whom ,i long to see brought into ,my fold4 ,if only thou lovest1 thou art fit for this4 ,you may not be naturally fitted to teach children1 or shepherd adults2 but if you love ,christ you will do better than those more cultured4 ,it is not science1 nor intellect1 nor eloquence1 that wins souls2 but love to ,christ pouring over in love to man4 ,love will give you a delicacy of perception1 an ingenuity1 a persuasiveness1 which no heart shall be able to resist4 ,love will reconcile the accomplished scholar to a life among savages1 and will carry the refined and cultured lady up to the sultry attic1 or down to the damp and airless cellar4 ,love will bear all1 believe all1 hope all1 endure all1 if only it may win wild wandering sheep for ,christ4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,contrite ,,reply4--,it was very humble4 ,peter did not now boast that he excelled the rest1 he did not even dare to stand sponsor for his own affection2 he threw the matter back on his ,lord's omniscience1 and without mentioning the degree more or less1 he said simply1 ,thou knowest all things1 ,thou knowest that ,i love ,thee4 ,there is a delicate shade of meaning in the ,greek4 ,the words translated love are not the same4 ,jesus asks ,peter if he cherishes toward ,him love--spiritual1 holy1 heavenly4 ,peter declines to use that term1 and contents himself with speaking of a simpler1 more personal1 more human affection4 ,if ,i do not give ,thee that love which is ,thy due as ,son of ,god1 ,i at least give ,thee that which befits ,thee as ,son of ,man4 ,there are many who could not go even as far as this4 ,yet here are tests of love6 ,would you be able to enjoy ,heaven if ,christ were not there8 ,would you be willing to go to hell itself if you might have ,him8 ,do you feel drawn out to ,him in service8 ,do you do things which you certainly would not do except for ,his sake8 ,are you glad to hear of ,him in sermon or talk1 so that there is a warm feeling rising to ,him at the mention of ,his name8 ,does it cost you pain to hear ,him evil spoken of8 ,do you sorrow that you do not love ,him more8 ,then you can challenge ,him1 saying1 ,despite my worldliness1 my faithlessness1 my sins1 ,thou knowest all things1 ,thou knowest that ,i love ,thee4 ,it was very confident4--,thou knowest all things4 ,jesus is omniscient4 ,he can see with microscopic eye the lichen on the grey stone1 the enamel on the shell1 the modest flower2 and ,he can see the love that is in the disciple's heart1 though it be but a tiny seed4 ,when we sin1 we are tempted to believe that we have no love to ,christ4 ,but let this incident encourage us4 ,it is impossible for any true lover of ,christ to go on in a course of sin1 but quite possible for him to be betrayed into a single sin4 ,and if that has been your case1 do not shun the ,master2 ,he still believes that it is possible for you to love1 and ,he is willing even to reinstate you in ,his blessed service4 ,who is there1 that does not long to speak more confidently of his love to ,christ8 ,cease then to think of your love to ,christ1 dwell much on ,his love to you--,he loved me1 ,he gave ,himself for me4 ,think of its unwearied patience1 its delicacy1 its tenderness4 ,consider the character of ,christ as unfolded in the ,new ,testament4 ,commune with ,christ as friend with friend4 ,above all1 put away from your heart all that might grieve ,him1 and throw it open to the ,holy ,ghost1 with prayer that ,he would shed ,christ's love abroad4 ,then1 almost unconsciously1 it will arise1 though it may not become palpable till some great crisis calls you to the front1 and demands some heroic sacrifice1 which you will give1 not feeling it great4 ,,iii4 ,,the ,,divine ,,command4--,in the miracle ,peter had been commissioned to do the work of a fisherman1 that is1 of an evangelist2 here he is commissioned to do the work of a shepherd1 that is1 of a pastor4 ,feeding and tending lambs and sheep4 ,it is not every one that is able to care for the sheep2 but there is hardly any one who loves1 that cannot feed or tend the lambs4 ,and even if you shrink from the former1 what good reason have you to refuse to comply with the latter8 ,there are in this land hundreds of young lives whom the morning light awakes to hunger1 filth1 and wretchedness1 and whom the evening shadows limit to rooms in which you would not care to keep your dogs4 ,they are growing up without the least sense of decency1 or the slightest reverence for ,god4 ,their existence is one long struggle against the constituted guardians of society2 or if they do not resist1 they are always eluding4 ,in addition to these are the children of our homes and families and schools4 ,feed ,my lambs6 ,it is worthy of note that two ,greek words are used in these injunctions4 ,in the first and last1 the ,master says simply1 ,feed4 ,in the middle ,he adds1 ,do the work of a shepherd4 ,so that the lover of ,christ has not fulfilled all his duty1 when he has given his sacred lesson or instruction3 he must go further1 and be prepared to act as shepherd4 ,,xxxvi ,the ,life-,plan of ,peter and ,john ,what is that to thee8 follow thou ,me4--,,john xxi4 #bb4 ,we are standing on the eastern shore of the ,lake of ,galilee4 ,the morning breeze blows fresh in our faces2 the tiny wavelets run up with a silvery ripple1 and die on the white sand2 across the expanse of water the white buildings of ,tiberias and ,capernaum gleam forth4 ,with gunwale all wet and slippery a fishing smack is drawn up on the deserted shore2 near it the nets unbroken1 although they had been heavy with finny spoils2 yonder the remnants of a fisherman's breakfast and the dying embers of a fire4 ,the ,master has just reinstated ,his erring apostle and friend1 and proceeded to describe the death by which he was ultimately to glorify ,god3 ,verily1 verily1 ,i say unto thee1 when thou wast young1 thou girdest thyself1 and walkedst whither thou wouldest2 but when thou shalt be old1 thou shalt stretch forth thy hands1 and another shall gird thee1 and carry thee whither thou wouldest not4 ,how different this forecast to what ,peter would have chosen for himself6 ,what a contrast between that yielding to the will of another1 and that impetuous nature which so constantly betrayed itself6 ,take1 for instance1 the occasions that are offered in this chapter4 ,as soon as he hears ,john's suggestion that the ,lord is standing on the beach1 he lets go the fish that he had spent all night to catch1 the nets which it cost hours to make1 the boat which was probably his own property1 binds his fisher's coat about him1 plunges into the water1 and never rests till he has cast himself at his ,master's feet4 ,as soon as the ,lord expresses ,his desire to mingle some of the recent haul with ,his own preparations for breakfast1 he springs up1 hastens to the margin of the sea1 drags the net to land1 counts its contents1 and brings specimens to the little group gathered about the ,master4 ,every movement so quick and energetic6 ,to wish1 is to act6 ,to desire a thing1 to do it6 ,he makes us think of young manhood in all its vigorous1 nervous life4 ,the ,lord did not damp or repress ,his fervid disciple4 ,he looked on him1 to borrow the thought of another1 with tender pity2 as a parent1 who has passed through many of the world's darkest places1 beholds the child who is speaking of what he expects life to bring4 ,fresh from ,his own agony1 the ,lord knew how different a temper that would be which had been induced by prolonged suffering and patience3 and ,he knew how necessary it was that that temper should be induced in ,his beloved disciple1 so that he might become a pillar in ,his ,church1 and the tender sympathetic writer of that ,first ,epistle1 which is so saturated with a spirit of tender patience and sympathy for all who suffer4 ,having uttered these cautionary words our ,lord seems to have moved away1 bidding ,peter follow--a mandate which was intended to carry a deeper meaning4 ,john followed them some few steps in the rear4 ,hearing footsteps1 ,peter turned and saw him1 and with a touch of unworthy curiosity1 hardly compatible with the seriousness of the statement ,jesus had just made1 said1 ,lord1 and what shall this man do8 ,the question was objectionable4 ,it savored too much of ,peter's old1 hasty1 forward self4 ,the ,lord would not become a mere fortune-teller to gratify his inquisitiveness4 ,he put a check1 therefore1 on the unbefitting inquiry1 and yet1 in rebuking1 answered it3 ,if ,i will that he tarry till ,i come1 what is that to thee8 follow thou ,me4 ,it is not easy to explain certainly the import of ,christ's reply4 ,some have interpreted it as meaning ,christ's coming in death4 ,but this can hardly be1 for ,he would as certainly come to ,peter dying amid the agony of martyrdom1 as to ,john dying in a peaceful old age4 ,surely the period referred to must have been the fall of ,jerusalem1 only forty years distant1 and to which our ,lord so often referred as one phase at least of ,his coming4 ,then the old economy would fall and pass away2 ,christianity assume a world-wide importance1 and the cross become one of the mightiest factors of human history4 ,when those words were repeated to them1 some of the disciples interpreted them as meaning that ,john should not die1 but they did not convey that meaning to ,john himself2 he only saw in them a general intimation that his lot was in his ,master's hands1 and in any case would be a very different one from ,peter's4 ,i4 ,,our ,,life-,,plan ,,is ,,fashioned ,,by ,,the ,,will ,,of ,,christ4--,what royalty there is in those words1 ,if ,i will6 ,if ,jesus were less than ,divine1 how blasphemous they would appear6 ,what arrogance to suppose that ,he could regulate the time and manner of life or death6 ,yet how natural it is to hear ,him speak thus4 ,no one starts or is surprised1 and in that calm acquiescence there is a testimony to the homogeneousness of ,christ's character4 ,it is of one piece throughout4 ,there is a perfect consistency between ,his acts and words4 ,the ancients thought of their lives as woven on the loom of spiteful fates1 whom they endeavored to humor by calling euphonious names4 ,the materialist supposes that his life is the creature of circumstances1 a rudderless ship in a current1 mere flotsam and jetsam on the wave4 ,the ,christian knows that the path of his life has been prepared for him to walk in2 and that its sphere1 circumstances1 and character are due to the thought and care of ,him who has adapted it to our temperament and capabilities1 to repress the worst1 and educate the best within us4 ,we are ignorant of the place and mode of our death4 ,our grave may be in ocean depths with storm-blasts as our dirge1 or the desert-waste with the sands as our winding-sheets4 ,like that of ,moses in a foreign land1 unknown and untended2 or within the reach of friendly hands1 which will keep it freshly decked with evergreens4 ,but wherever it may be1 it must befall as ,christ has willed4 ,we may die by some lingering agony1 or the gentle slackening of life's silver cord4 ,the temple may be shattered by an earthquake1 or taken down stone by stone4 ,but whether the one or the other1 it will be determined by ,his will4 ,he who makes the hue of each fading leaf different from that of any other in the forest has some new trait of godliness1 some fresh feature of grace to illustrate and enforce in the dying hour2 it is therefore written1 ,precious in the sight of the ,lord is the death of ,his saints4 ,there is no lasting happiness1 no comfort1 no peace1 to be had in this life1 apart from the belief that the so-called trifles1 as well as the apparently greater incidents of existence1 are included in the circumference of ,christ's will1 either executive or permissive4 ,but in speaking thus1 ,i discriminate between ourselves and our surroundings4 ,i am speaking more particularly of the latter1 and urge that even where they are apparently moulded by the carelessness or malignity of others1 yet these are1 unconsciously indeed1 but really1 effecting what ,he predetermined should be done4 ,if ,i will4 ,bind this to your heart4 ,it may be appointed for you to die in early prime1 when the purpose of your life seems unfulfilled2 or to live a sequestered life1 banished to the ,patmos of exile and suffering1 dying after long years4 ,but in any case1 your ,saviour has contrived and adjusted all4 ,and ,he will send the ,angel of ,his ,presence with you1 to help you1 and to bring you to the place that ,he has prepared4 ,,ii4 ,,the ,,life-,,course ,,of ,,any ,,is ,,determined ,,by ,,the ,,peculiarities ,,of ,,character ,,and ,,service4--,christ tells us that we are destined to a long future2 and in doing so gives us the only satisfactory clue to the mystery of existence4 ,if there be no life beyond death1 life is a maze of endless wandering1 to which there is no clue4 ,but if there be--and after all there is no if in it--we can easily understand that the present needs to be carefully adjusted to our nature and our future niche in the great universe of ,god1 that we may be able1 to the farthest limit1 to realize our ,master's anticipations4 ,there is a conspicuous illustration of this before us4 ,peter was to be the apostle of sufferers1 and write a letter1 which should help1 as perhaps no other writing has helped1 all sufferers to the end of time2 but he could never have penned it apart from the fiery trials through which his character was softened and sanctified4 ,how could he have spoken of the humility1 meekness1 and patience of the suffering believer1 had he not drunk deeply of the cup of suffering for himself and lived in constant anticipation of the martyr-death of which the ,lord spoke8 ,john's work1 on the other hand1 was to declare1 as he does in the ,book of ,revelation1 that ,jesus is the ,living ,one1 unchanged and unchanging1 the ,king of earth and heaven4 ,and how could he have produced that marvellous work1 and received and reported those sublime visions1 if he had not lingered on1 in loneliness and exile1 till ,jerusalem had fallen before ,titus and his legions1 the ,temple been destroyed1 and the ,jews scattered to every nation under heaven8 ,neither of these men understood at the time what he was being prepared for4 ,but as each now from heaven reviews the work he did1 and the way in which he was prepared for doing it2 as each compares the discipline through which he passed with the peculiarities of the people he was to address1 and the testimony he was to deliver1 he must be full of glad acknowledgments of the perfect adaptation of means to ends1 of instrumentalities to results4 ,and what is manifestly true of them is equally so of each of us4 ,not always in this world1 but in the next1 we shall discern the admirable fitness of the discipline through which we passed1 to prepare us for our position and ministry both here and hereafter4 ,great and marvellous are ,thy works1 ,o ,lord ,god the ,almighty2 ,righteous and true are ,thy ways1 ,thou ,king of the ages4 ,,iii4 ,,whilst ,,god ,,is ,,working ,,out ,,our ,,life-,,plan1 ,,we ,,must ,,give ,,ourselves ,,to ,,practical ,,obedience4--,follow thou ,me4 ,the ,master reiterated this command1 both when ,he told ,peter his destiny1 and when ,his apostle was prying into secrets with which he had no immediate concern4 ,whatever threatens us1 looming in the future1 we must not be deterred from following our ,master2 and we are not to waste our time in speculation as to matters which lie beyond our ken1 but apply ourselves to the practical duties1 which lie ready to our hand4 ,but what is it to follow ,christ8 ,it is not to live an ,oriental life beneath these ,northern skies1 nor wear an ,eastern garb1 nor speak in the ,hebrew tongue4 ,a man might do all these1 and in addition wander like ,him1 homeless and outcast1 through the land1 and yet not follow in ,his steps4 ,no6 ,following ,jesus means our identification in the principles that underlay ,his life1 in ,his devotion and prayer1 in ,his absolute compliance with ,god's will1 in ,his constant service of mankind1 in the sweetness and gentleness and strength of ,his personal character4 ,there is no path of legitimate duty into which we are called to go1 in which ,he does not precede2 for when ,he putteth forth ,his own sheep1 ,he goeth before them1 and ,his sheep follow4 ,as of old1 ,his disciples saw ,him going before them ascending up to ,jerusalem1 and they followed ,him2 there is no path of arduous duty and suffering in which ,he does not still precede4 ,following ,christ involves almost certain suffering at first4 ,when ,peter asked what they would have1 who had left all to follow ,jesus1 the ,master did not hesitate to say that the bitter herb of suffering would mingle with all the dishes with which their table might be spread3 and when ,james and ,john tried to bespeak the right and left seats of the throne1 ,he spoke of the cup and baptism of pain4 ,but afterward1 when the cross and grave are passed1 then the fullness of joy and the pleasures1 which are at ,god's right hand forever-more6 ,we may follow ,christ1 and yet our paths diverge4 ,peter and ,john had been close friends4 ,in them1 the binary stars of love and zeal1 labor and rest1 action and contemplation1 revolved in a common orbit4 ,together at the grave1 in the boat1 in the temple1 in prison2 but their outward fellowship was not permitted to continue2 perhaps if it had1 it would have been too absorbing4 ,it is in silence and solitude that spirits attain their complete beauty1 and so the ,master is sometimes obliged to say to us1 ,what is that to thee8 follow thou ,me4 ,in following ,jesus1 with the shadow of the cross always on his spirit1 ,peter learned to sympathize with his ,master's anticipation of death1 which in earlier years had been incomprehensible to him1 and had led him to say1 ,that be far from ,thee1 ,lord2 and it gave him finally the opportunity of fulfilling his first resolve to go with ,him to prison and to death4 ,we often think ourselves strong to do and suffer long before patience had done her perfect work4 ,we rush impetuously forward1 and are overwhelmed4 ,then our ,master has to lead us about1 to take us round by another and longer route1 to train us by toils and tears and teachings1 till1 hopeless of our own strength and confident in ,his1 in our old age we cry1 ,i must put off this my tabernacle1 even as our ,lord ,jesus ,christ hath showed me4 ,if the old legend is true1 ,peter was crucified with his head downward1 because he felt unworthy to be so like his ,lord--following ,him with humility and reverence4 ,but whatever befalls us1 whatever be the nature of our experience in life or death1 let it be our one aim to glorify ,god4 ,and the ,god of all grace1 who hath called us unto ,his eternal glory in ,christ1 after that we have suffered a little while1 shall ,himself perfect1 stablish1 strengthen us4 ,to ,him be the dominion forever and ever4 ,amen4 ,,xxxvii ,back to the ,father ,and there are also many other things which ,jesus did4--,,john xxi4 #be4 ,once more1 as we learn both from the ,gospel according to ,matthew and the ,first ,epistle to ,corinthians1 our ,lord met the eleven ,apostles1 together with some five hundred brethren beside1 on a mountain in ,galilee1 chosen partly for retirement and seclusion1 and partly that all might see ,him4 ,the majority of these were alive when ,paul wrote4 ,and ,jesus came and spake unto them1 saying1 ,all power is given unto ,me in heaven and in earth4 ,go ye therefore1 and teach all nations1 baptizing them into the name of the ,father1 and of the ,son1 and of the ,holy ,ghost1 teaching them to observe all things whatsoever ,i have commanded you2 and lo1 ,i am with you alway1 even unto the end of the age4 ,only once or twice beside did the ,lord appear4 ,he was seen of ,james1 and this interview seems to have determined this saintly man1 who was his own brother either through a previous marriage of ,joseph1 or as born after his own birth1 of ,mary1 to become a humble follower of ,him1 with whose existence ,his own was so mysteriously blended4 ,then ,he appeared once more to all the ,apostles1 and being assembled with them commanded them to wait in ,jerusalem till the promise of the ,father was fulfilled1 that ,he would send them another ,comforter1 the ,holy ,ghost4 ,for ,john1 ,he said1 truly baptized with water2 but ye shall be baptized with the ,holy ,ghost not many days hence4 ,there seems to have been an interval at that point1 during which the disciples had time to think over what the ,lord had said4 ,it had suggested to them the idea of the setting up of the ,messianic kingdom1 which had always been viewed as coincident with the bestowal of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,lord1 they said when they came together again1 wilt ,thou restore at this time the kingdom to ,israel6 ,the ,lord would not gratify their curiosity1 and at that moment it would have been useless to combat and explain their erroneous views4 ,this must be left to the education of time1 and circumstance1 and that same ,spirit4 ,these things were kept in the ,father's secret councils4 ,it was not for them to know1 but they should receive power4 ,then1 with the tenacity of affection for the scenes of ,his former life1 ,he led them out as far as ,bethany4 ,and when they had reached the beloved spot1 associated with so many sacred and tender memories1 ,he lifted up ,his hands and blessed them2 and while ,he blessed them1 ,he was parted from them1 and a cloud became both vail and chariot1 parting them and receiving ,him out of their sight4 ,thence ,he ascended far above all principality1 power1 might1 and dominion1 through all heavens to the right hand of the ,father1 there to pursue ,his life of ministry and prayer for men1 and specially for those ,he loved4 ,and angels stood beside the little group of lovers1 assuring them of ,his return in the same manner as they had seen ,him go4 ,and they worshipped ,him1 and went forth1 and preached everywhere1 the ,lord working with them1 and confirming their word with signs following4