".,1 » ■■ > .)^ ■ ■>■■;'.•,•> I^wg-j o \^ m CO l-H w o THE LIFE AND Teachinp^s of Our Lord IN VERSE BEING A COMPLETE HARMONIZED EXPOSITION OF THE FOUR GOSPELS, With Original Notes,, Textual Index, Etc. By ABRAHAM COLES, M. D., LL.D. w Author of "Dies Ir/E in Thirteen Versions," "The Microcosm and Other Poems," "Old Gems in New Settings," etc., etc. Two Volumes in One. Vol. I. The Evangel. (Second Edition.) Vol. n. — The Light of the World. ^0V.20 18C4 V rFWAsv « NEW YORK D, APPLETON AND COMPANY 1885 ?6 i3r7 Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1884, by ABRAHAM COLES, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. Advertiser Printing House, nevvaRk, n. j. CONTENTS. I'AGE. Symbols of the Evangelists, etc., .... vii. Introduction, . viii. Proem. — Invocation. Blindnesss of Unbelief. False Science, Agnostic and Atheistic. Attempts at 7Vorld-7naking. What Evolution is, and how li?nited. Deification of Force. Sense of ac- countability. Revelation i-esponding to the cry for light. The " Gospel of Brutality.'' Dar- win, Virchow, Agassiz. Poetry and Note. . 3 I. The Logos, — N'ote [pp. 18-2^') giving a sum- jnajy of the Creeds and Christologies of Ancient and Modern times. . . . -. . 13 II. The Lineage. ....... 26 III. The Annunciation. — A^ote : Herod the Great. 29 IV. The Nativity. — Fulfilment of particular proph- ecies. Hymn. Note ( pp. S^~59) '■ "^^^^ ^'^'^"^ genealogies reconciled. ..... 4.4 V. The Naming. — Note : On the signification of Names. The Tetragraminaton . Mis-naming. Jesu dulcis memoria. . . . . . 65 VI. The Presentation in the Temple. . . 70 VII. The Worship of the Magi. — A^ote {pp. 77-8gi)\ ]Vho they were and whence. The Star. Cu- rious coincidences. . . . . . . 77 VIII. Early Childhood. — Hymn 91 IX. The Son of the Law. — A^ote {pp. p4-iof): The Apocfyphal Gospels contrasted with the Canonical, etc. ...... 94 iv. CONTENTS. PAGE. X. The Voice in the Wilderness. — Note {pp. 106-11S) : Oft the 7neaning of the Greek word rendered Repetit. The Baptisju of Repentance^ and Regetieratiofi. . . . . .104 XI. The Baptism. — Note {pp. I20-I2J)\ In what sense John did not know Jestis, Note {pp. 1 26-141): The Jordan and Dead Sea de- scribed. . . . . . . .120 XII. The Temptation. — Note {pp. 1 42-1 6(J)'. Chrisfs two-fold nature. Potest ?ion pec care. . . 142 XIII. The First Disciples 170 XIV. The Marriage in Cana. — Note {pp. i86-20'j)\ Christ and His Mother. Mariolatry. Water turjied into wine. Note { pp. 208- 2 j 4) : Was the wine intoxicating. . . . . .185 XV. Farewell: Land of Gennesaret. — N'ote : Conjectures. Solomon s Song. Psalm xxiii. 235 XVI. Journey: Beyond the Jordan. — Historical episode^ describing places and events covering the time from Jacob. Psalm cxxxvi. Note {pp. 2^^-262): Description of Eastern Pal- estine. Note {pp. 26^-2'/ 2): Geological for- mation. Note {pp. 2^^-284)'. Respecting Jeptha and his daughter. Note {pp. 324- JJ2): Respecting Joshuas commanding the Sun to stand still. Hymns. See explanatory note, p. 371 251 Journey: Arrival at Jerusalem. — Hymn. . 367 XVII. The Lord's Prayer. — Note on '\laily bread.'] . 372 SYMBOLS OF THE EVANGELISTS, ETC. One of the earliest Symbols of the Evangelists was a Greek cross, with a scroll or book in each angle — emblems of the writers of the Four Gos- pels. The second symbol was that of the four rivers which rise in Para- dise. Sometimes the Saviour with a lamb, or the symbolic Agnus Dei, was represented on an eminence, with the four streams flowing from beneath Him. Their next symbol was the four fiery creatures of Ezekiel's vision. (Ezek. i : 5.) These were interpreted — by the Jews, as representing the Archangels; also the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel — by the early Christians, as emblems of the four Evangelists. The "four beasts " of the Apocalypse (Rev. iv : 6-11), received the same explana- tion and became their recognized distinctive symbols. " We concur with those," says St. Augustine, " who, in interpreting the Vision of the Four Living Creatures in the Apocalypse which represent the Four Gospels, assign the Lion, the King of all Beasts, to St. Matthew. and the Ox, the Sacrificial Victim, to St. Luke. The Apocalypse itself says, ' The Lion of the tribe of Judah prevailed to open the book;' and thus it designates the Lion as symbolical of Christ our King. St. Mark following St. Matthew, relates what Christ did in his Human Nature, without special reference to His functions as King or Priest, and is there- fore fitly symbolized in the Apocalyptic vision as the Man. These three living creatures — the Lion, the Ox, the Man — walk on the earth. The first three Evangelists describe especially those things which Christ did in our flesh, and relate the precepts which He delivered on the duties to be performed by us while we walk on earth and dwell in the flesh. But St. John soars to heaven as an Eagle, above the clouds of human infirmity, and reveals to us the mysteries of Christ's Godhead, and of the Trinity in Unity, and the felicities of the Life Eternal; and gazes on the Light of Immutable Truth with a keen and steady ken — This Evangelical Quater- nion is the fourfold Car of the Lord, upon which He rides throughout the world." Jerome's assignment, which is the one generally adopted, differs from vi. SYMBOLS OF THE EVANGELISTS, ETC. the above. According to him the Man belongs to Matthew, because he speaks more of the human than the divine nature of the Saviour : the Lion to Mark, first, because his Gospel begins with the mission of John the Baptist, " the voice of one crying in the wilderness " — crying with "a loud voice as when a lion roareth," a lion coming up from the swellings of Jordan; second, because the Lion as king of beasts typifies Christ's royal dignity, to which Mark gives special prominence; and lastly, because he is emphatically the historian of the Resurrection of which the lion is an emblem, in allusion to an oriental tradition, according to which, the young lions are born dead, and after three days are made alive by the breath or the roar of the sire. These symbols of the Four Evangelists were held to be symbolical of the Redeemer in His fourfold character as man, as king, as high-priest, and as God. Thorwaldsen's bas-reliefs are " famous. Those seen stamped on the cover of this book are other forms or modes of representation. In the upper left hand corner of the cover may be seen also the mono- gram of Christ, composed of two Greek letters, the X=:Ch, and P=:R, standing for Christos. This monogram was venerated, not only as con- taining the name of Christ, but as forming likewise the sign of the cross. It made the top part of the Lahariiin or Standard which was borne before the Emperor Constantine after his conversion. The monogram in the upper right hand corner is the familiar I. H. S., usually consid- ered as standing iox Jesus Homimim Salvator, Jesus the Saviour of Men, or In hac {cruce) sahis, In this (cross) is salvation; but it was originally I H 2, the first three letters of 'IH20Y2 (lesous), the Greek form of Jesus. In the corners at the bottom of the cover are Alpha and Omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, having reference to Rev. i. 3. It was not till the sixth century that the plain cross became a Crucifix, no longer an emblem but an image. Other symbols used in Christian Art are the Fish (see the Evangel, p. 85); the Lamb; the Pelican, feed- ing her young with her own blood; the Lion; the Dove (the Holy Ghost); the Crown (victory and sovereignty); the Palm (martyrdom); the Lily (purity); the Ship (the Church); the Dragon (sin, idolatry), etc. INTRODUCTION. OF Lives of Christ, the present age is singularly prolific, but none of these are in verse. And yet it would be difficult to assign any good reason why a poetic Life should not be written— a veritable Life, not a Christiad. The Four Gospels, alike in the inspired Original and in our half-inspired Version, are semi- poetic, and in a sense epical Who has not felt, in read- ing his English Bible, the rhythmic charm of its simple, sweet and melodious prose, rising in the lyric parts— in a manner so easy and natural as scarcely to be perceived, like the great ocean lifted upward by the tide— into the sounding sublimities and solemn organ harmonies of Hebrew verse— which has this divine peculiarity among others, that it does not, like the great master-pieces of Latin and Greek, for example, cease to be poetry when Hterally translated. The Gospels— with this poetic base at the start, and an easy convertibility into metric form, of which Mr. Longfellow's *' Divine Tragedy" has afforded recent proof and excellent illustration— so far from forbidding, extend all possible sanction and encouragement to any viii, INTRODUCTION. one who is willing to put them into verse. Doubtless, to do this worthily and well, something besides artistic skill is needed. As a first requisite, one must have mas- tered the meaning by diligent, critical, and reverential study of the text, aided by happy God-given power of insight, spiritual as well as poetic, so that in the inevita- ble change of words there may take place no change of sense, and no spilling of the life. While the task is con- fessedly delicate and difficult, and may be thought to argue presumption on the part of him who attempts it, the guilt ought not to be hastil}^ assumed, for a deep feeling of insufficiency is not incompatible with the bold- ness ol great undertakings. God speaks by whomsoever He please's. He who made us, placed, we must believe, somewhere in the depths of our being a portion of His truth ; so that what a man utters, provided it comes from his truest and in- nermost, is, as it were, the voice of God speaking in him and from him. All truth, whether found within us or without us, is from Him. Out of the unsophisticated mouths of babes and sucklings He perfect^ praise, re- vealing to them divinest things hidden from the wise and prudent. " The Evangel " is meant to be a poetic version, and verse by verse paraphrase, so far as it goes, of the Four Gospels, so called — anciently and properly regarded as INTRODUCTION. Ix. one — one Divine Evangelion (meaning Glad Tidings), synonymous with the history of one Life of the Son of God upon the earth. Irengeus, speaking of them collectively, calls them the '' four-sided or four-formed Gospel " (Evangelion tetramorphon); and this composite unity was further set forth in the Cherubic " Tetra- morph" — made up of the Apocalyptic " four living crea- tures," blended and incorporated in a single form, not as now represented separately — symbolizing the Four Evangelists. Although the narrative here given may seem to stop short of the end, it will be found, nevertheless, if we mistake not, to justify to some extent its claim, even in its present state, to be called a Life, by the fullness of its presentation of Christ's person, character, office and work, as foreshadowed in type, predicted in prophecy, and realized in His actual advent in the fullness of time — to which may be added, as reflected subsequently in the various Creeds of Christendom. A proper comprehen- sion of what Fie was, is so inclusive of what He did, that His particular acts of power and mercy, in all the won- derfulness of their divinity, being no more than the necessary and inevitable outcome of His demonstrated Godhead, add little or nothing to the certainty of our faith or the completeness of our knowledge. The power of the Son of Man on earth to forgive sins is as well established by one miracle as a thousand. X. INTRODUCTION. Coleridge remarks : '' Commentators have a notable trick of passing siccissimis pcdilms (' with the driest feet') over difificult places." And Young too, satirizes : " How commentators each dark passage shun And hold their farthing candle to the sun" — but in all honesty the author of the Evangel pleads ''Not guilty," to the charge: for, not only has he not shunned, but he has even gone out of his way in pursuit of what is dark and difficult, not, he hopes, in the spirit of presumption, but from a deep conviction that the only way to be useful is to give help where help is needed ; to remove stumbling blocks ; and clear up passages " hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest unto their own destruction.'' Ac- cordingly in his Notes on the Dead Sea and the site of the Cities of the Plain; on the Temptation; on the words and miracle of our Lord at the Marriage in Cana ; on Jephthah's Sacrifice of his Daughter ; and on Joshua's Command to the Sun to stand still, he has ventured to state his own views at considerable length, in the humble hope that they may contribute to give quiet to some minds dissatisfied with current theories and explana- tions. If any reader differs from him, he has the right to differ, and it need, therefore, be no ground of quarrel. He hopes to have said nothing to provoke the '' odium INTRODUCTION. xi. theologicum," whose unmeasured bitterness is proverbial. The author is notified that exception will probably be taken to the poetical form of the paraphrase. He con- fesses he does not see why rhyme should be a crime or verse felony. Poetry is older than prose. Of this we have what may be called paleontological proof in the structure of all languages. Our everyday speech is fossil poetry. Words which are now dead were once alive. The farther we recede and the lower we descend, the more do these wonderful petrifactions of old forms of poetic thought and feeling abound. They belong espe- cially to the earliest times — to the fluid and formative period of language. Poetry is unfallen speech. Paradise knew no other ; for no other would suffice to answer the need of those ecstatic days of innocence, when " With a soul as strong as mountain river Man poured out praise to the Almighty Giver." Words are free-born, and not the vassals of the gruff tyrants of prose to do their bidding only. They have the same right to dance and sing, as the dew-drops have to sparkle, and the stars to shine: and in the general jubilee consequent upon the angelic announcement of " the glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people ; " when the hills are joyful, and the floods and the trees of the field are clapping their hands, and uni- versal nature is testifying a miraculous delight, it were xii. INTRODUCTION. Strange and pitiful if these free children of the air were not allowed to rejoice with the rest. But this general defence of poetry is not meant to be a defence of the author's own. He wished to make an experiment in poetical herme- neutics. The admitted failure of all prose paraphrases, justified, he thought, the undertaking of a poetical one ; in the construction of which, he hoped to be able to avoid their capital error, that of substituting the general for the specific, the philosophic for the picturesque. *' The lower animals recognize and are grateful for kind treat- ment, but My rational creatures are insensible to it," may, as has been said, be the full philosophical equivalent of '' The ox knoweth its owner, and the ass his master's crib, but Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider," but what a difference in the effect of the two statements ! He believed that success in his attempt would mainly depend upon his ability to transfuse the Semetic life into Japhetic forms, to bring together thus the East and the West, unite the Orient with the Occi- dent. A meter and a structure too artificial, like Pope's Messiah for example, he knew would defeat this. A simplicity bordering on homeliness, and a fetterless free- dom allied to prose, he felt were essential ; and he framed his verse accordingly. After this, he knew of no better way than, keeping as INTRODUCTION. xiii. near to the original as possible, to say what he had to say in the fewest and fittest words he could command, using- no term for any reason whatever that he would not use if he were writing prose ;* aiming in all cases to be faithful rather than fine ; and sparing no pains to be critically exact in giving the true sense of the Sacred Text, on the right interpretation of which hang all our hopes, and for that matter, too, all our creeds, for out- side of this Record which God has given of His Son, we know nothing and can know nothing. In the prose- cution of so mighty a task, covering the whole field of Theology, and constituting in itself, when completed, an entire Body of Divinity, it would not be strange if he had fallen short. In his daring attempt '* On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth So great an object", he is free to admit that there is a good deal of temerity, and it would argue his utter unfitness for his work if he did not profoundly feel it. He has sought to cast down and tread under foot all egotisms, vanities and low. * Cowper remarks : " Every man conversant with verse-writing, knows, and knows by painful experience, that the familiar style is of all styles the most difficult to suc- ceed in. To make verse speak the language of prose without being prosaic, to mar- shal the words of it in such an order as they might naturally take in falling from the lips of an extemporary speaker, yet without meanness, harmoniously, elegantly, and without seeming to displace a syllable for the sake of the rhyme, is one of the most arduous tasks a poet can undertake." xiv. INTRODUCTION. ambitions ; and if in his weakness and unworthiness he has done anything to make the adorable Redeemer the object of a warmer love and a firmer trust; to draw closer the bands of a common brotherhood in an undi- vided fellowship of Christian love ; to make the Bible seem a dearer and diviner Book, its pages more luminous, its promises more precious, the heaven it reveals more certain, he would prize it infinitely more than the greatest epic success. One of his objects has been, particularly in the Notes, to mediate between the student of Theology and the general reader, and put the latter in possession of knowledge not readily accessible. He has been careful to exclude everything fictitious, apocryphal and fabu- lous. In this respect his work differs from all Christiads and Messiads formed on the Homeric model, with their cumbrous machinery and gratuitous mythologies. THE EVANGEL. (second edition) BEING THE FIRST PART OF The Life and Teachings of Our Lord. IN VERSE. These tilings are written, that ye might believe tJiaf Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God ; and that believ- ing ye might have life through His name. — John xx : 31- To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are- all things, and we in Him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by Him. — I Cor. viii : 6. God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the propJiets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds. — Heb. i : 1,2. PROEM. SPIRIT DIVINE, the adding up of gifts, Communicable Godhead, be my Guest ! Grant me the true afflatus that uplifts, And be the oracle within my breast ! Guide me into all truth! bestow Thy best- Life, light, and love, that clarity of being Without which there can be no certainty of seeing, No right discernment, singleness of eye ! In vain Thy beams illuminate the page : In vain the azure of that blessed sky Blazons dear attributes from age to age : Blinded philosopher, and darkling sage, The wise and prudent, seeing, nothing see. Because there dwells in them no true sincerity. 4 PROEM. O ignorance and folly of the wise ! Men never tire of endless labor, spent In building Babels, and in babbling lies ; Blowing up bubbles of most gay ostent, Mere emptiness, on solemn trifling bent : They from creation the Creator take, And then th' astonished air with their Eurekas shake. Of that called Science, much is only guess . False as the Koran half that it declares : It feigns beginnings full of foolishness"^ — Faith hath its ladder which it climbs by prayers — This jumps the moon in fault of facts for stairs; And Ignorance, that cannot make a pin, Will make you myriad worlds and throw as many in. * Mr. Darwin, in his recent work, " The Descent of Man," p. 198, says : " The early progenitors of man were no doubt once covered with hair, both sexes having beards," etc. ; and further on: " Our progenitors no doubt were arboreal in their habits." Now, if Mr. D. had said simply, " / have no doubt," it would then have been merely a question of personal sincer- ity and credulity. But saying, as he does, there is no doubt, the propo- sition is so transparently false that he lays himself open to the charge of conscious falsehood; and of offering, moreover, direct insult to eminent physicists the world over, who, it is notorious, do doubt, scout and utterly deny what he so recklessly affirms. Positiveness of assertion is a most unphilosophical substitute for proof. It savors of charlatanry. Mr. Huxley (one of Mr. D.'s warmest admirers, by the way) remarks: " One fact is as powerful in negativing a hypoth- esis as five hundred ; " and admits that the hypothesis of Natural Selection supplementing Evolution as an explanation of Origins, fails in the vital PROEM. 5 Science is certainty, is truth found out, Not dreams about the genesis of man, Monstrous assumings, that admit no doubt He from the lowest forms of hfe began. We dare to call him cheat and charlatan, Pretender, and no architect at all. Who builds on airy guess a leaning, tottering wall. A specious likelihood helps not the case ; One single proof were worth a million such : Science is never broader than its base ; Th' extended fabric topples at a touch, Jutting o'er fact— a hair's breadth is too much— For there is emptiness and the abyss, Hungry for unrealities as vain as this. point of Hybridism. In other words, it trips at the threshold. It breaks down at the first trial. The first step conducts to a dead wall, or a closed door which the Darwinian key ought to open, but does not ; so we con- clude so we are sure, so sure that the testimony of a thousand locksmiths would not make us surer, it is not the right one. The key is the proof. The right key is the key that unlocks ; and until we come with that, Nature sternly bids us away. It is an affront to her to seek, burglariously, to force an entrance by picking the lock or by breaking it : or by overleaping the ^yall. " He that entereth not by the door, but chmbeth up some other way, is a thief and a robber." . But hybridism is not the only thing. Darwinism belies tendency. 1 his, if the monkey were the father of the man, ought to be always upward in the human direction, but it is not. The resemblance of the head of the baby ape to that of the human infant has been called " terrible." Now it is a si-nificant fact that development from this point is not manward 6 PROEM. It is the greater that includes the less, Not less the greater. One is not made four But by addition. From all singleness Th' involved unit is evolved, no more — Development increases not the store — After its kind each thing unfolds its powers : Man sums and tops them all — and by addition towers Not evolution ; otherwise he ought, When dormant in the moUusk, to have woke, Growing to more till to perfection brought, Seen to be nearer as each morning broke — As from the acorn grows unstayed the oak — In straight progression to his goal and bound : Not mollusk after mollusk circling round and round, but beastward. The chasm between the latent beast and the latent man grows wider and wider every hour. The largest ape, as Virchow remarks, keeps its baby brain. It is that part which grows least, while the growth of the jaws is enormous — whence he concludes that by progressive development an ape can never become a man ; on the contrary, that this very development has created the deep gulf between them. As a further mark of beasthood, he points to the fact that apes are born comparatively mature, soon reach their hmit of perfection, and die when man has scarcely outgrown his childhood. No species can, properly speaking, walk. They are climbmg animals, and the tree is their natural home. The arrest of development in the microcephalic idiot does not make him a monkey. He is a human being still, partially changed by disease. But Evolutionists do not stop at the Ape ; do not stop even at the lower forms of life, but make the starting-point of genetic development to be raw Matter and Force ; and all that follows simply an affair of dynamics. PROEM. 7 Through all the ages not advanced a jot. Which is he, then, philosopher or fool ? Who gropes in protoplasm and finds a dot, And calls it man, according to the school. Far famed, of whittlers, whittling down by rule Humanity, till of humanity bereft, A microscopic cypher, meaning naught, is left : And then, lest this primordial cell should hold Reason for Deity, they it invert And spill the life ; and of the mighty old Nothing retain, but simply dregs and dirt — Matter and force — whence rose, they dare assert, A Godless universe : blind struggle and endeavor Securing God-like ends infallibly forever. Force is maker. Mind itself is but one of the innumerable results ot matter and motion. Intelligence, supreme or inferior, is not first but last : is found not at the centre but the circumference. The highest and greatest are the products of the lowest and the least. Gravitation given, there is no need of any other God. This, of course, is denied. It is denied that simple mechanical force ever can become vital, or anything but what it is. Evolution applies only to hfe. Any other application is a misnomer. Evolution presupposes a germ. What is in the germ it brings out, nothing more. What is involved, it evolves. A million cannot be evolved from one except in one way, that is by adding a million less one to the one. The germ must be enricKed by just so much by new endowments. For to unfold what is enfolded, prophesied, projected, provided for, potentially present and packed away, is the whole extent and possibility of its function. Below the level of life there is evidently no room for the differentiation and improvement arising from Natural Selection ; and so the stairs which "8 PROEM. Since chey deny not to the world we see Birth and beginning, and are proud to show Their learned aptness in cosmogony^ How vulgar dust became, we seek to know, Germ of the Infinite, God in embryo. Where hidden lay not only heaven and earth, But waiting Deity Himself, not come to birth. Omniscience is somewhere : we must assume Omniscient atom, or omniscient mind — A boundless Unit in unbounded room — An All in all, or under or behind — Or God, or His equivalent, that designed After ideals this majestic whole, And gave to man a moral and religious soul. serve us such an excellent purpose in our darksome descent down to this point, suddenly fail us, and the next step plunges us into the abyss. In the invariableness of mechanical and chemical laws there is nothing that can uplift. There is neither lever nor fulcrum. So it is God or nothing. To evolve the Universe, we must first have the egg. But the question even then would arise, "Whence the egg?" and, "Why was it not hatched sooner?" Should the answer be, "It was hatched a million, billion, or a million billion years ago," the question would return, " Why not a million biUion years before that? " and so on, forever. If there was nothing extrinsic to the egg, no quickener, no incubator, it is impossible to conceive why it should be liable to take ort a state of activity at one point of the past eternity more than another. Evolutionists all admit a beginning; but self-evolution, to be consistent, ought to be without a beginning, for that implies an awakening and an awakener, and an awak- ener implies a God. It seems a pity, after all the pains taken to get rid of PROEM. 9 Justice there is, administrative Right, Somewhere, in something, name it as you may, Wielding a sceptre of imperial might, Whose awful mandates none may disobey : *' You ought, you shall, you must," we hear it say : The voice is God's, unless the voice deceive. And we in high judicial atoms can believe. If Nature does not juggle us, we are ; Not only are, but are the thing we seem- No docetism of science, making jar 'Twixt fact and fact, convinces us we dream : They sin against their Maker and blaspheme, Who trust the lower and distrust the higher. And criminating consciousness make God a liar. a Divine Cause, that the old exigency should continue. Seed and sowing, and a hand to sow, must go before ; then comes evolution. The farmer knows this, if not the philosopher. Mind is, for we are. Personality belongs to it, for we are persons. To say mind depends upon the brain, is to say the Creator has brain. Brain is perishable, while God is eternal. The mind we discover in Nature is our mind, greater in degree, but the same in kind. Proofs of one great, originating, infinite Mind are so ubiquitous, so absolute, and so over^vhelm- ing. that denial is little short of blasphemy. It is hke the sin against the Holy Ghost. We tolerate in scientists and philosophers what we condemn and punish in others. These, it seems, may blaspheme with impunity. What can be more atrocious than the advocacy of a doctrine that is universally subversive— that strikes at the foundations of the world ? According to it the Universe is a huge imposture. All is simular and illusive : we are the dupes of tricksy atoms. Our senses, our consciousness, play us false. 10 PROEM. Mind is and rules, and matter is her slave^ Resistless might and monarchy of will Over wide realms a thousand sceptres wave, Making blind force her purposes fulfill — Supreme in freedom, knowing good and ill : Th' accountable I am, the moral me. By no dissolving bands is joined to Deity, Right and wrong are words. Our holiest intuitions and infinitudes are but the development of molluscous perceptions. God is not, or if He is, not separable, not knowable, and consequently not a Being to be loved or feared or worshiped. Let these men pray for eyes, it is their greatest need. True science is modest. It confesses ignorance. It waits for proof. It does not dogmatize a guess. We do not find fault with science, but only with those cultivators of it, who indulge in altitudinous assumptions of superior wisdom, and are nescient or omniscient, as it best suits them. Men imbued with ancient prejudices in favor of morahty and religion may well be pardoned for a little backwardness in accepting doctrines destruc- tive of both. It does not follow that they are hostile to scientific inquiry, because they distinguish between assertion and proof. Darwin's proof is certain remarkable variations brought about in domestic pigeons by select- ive breeding, on which he founds the assertion that man was not created, but evolved from a monkey or a molecule spontaneously, without (to use a Lucretian phrase) "the meddling of the gods." But Huxley ad- mits that thus far "we have not produced from a common stock two breeds which are not more or less fertile with another," and so practically the utmost variation that has been reached stops indefinitely short of the difference between a horse and an ass, for the offspring of these is infertile. Such then is the whole Darwmian " proof," if proof it can be called, and its infinitesimal smallness forms so ridiculous a contrast with the bound- lessness of the assumption based upon it, as to be comparable only to the sportive exaggeration of the famous rhyme of the nursery : " Hi diddle diddle, the cat's in the fiddle, the cow jumped over the moon," when in reality she only jumped over a rather high fence. Agassiz, to whom these and all facts of like nature were perfectly familiar, found in them no such significance as transmutationists ascribe to them. He says: "we find endless discrepancies, endless incongruities, appalling anachronisms in the would-be uninterrupted series of progressive events as advocated by the supporters of the transmutation dogma. .The assertion PROEM. II Knowledge is good, divine it is to know — Man's earliest instinct is a cry for light. O for some guiding certainty below I For full of doubt and terror is the night Vague threatening shapes the guilty soul affright : Reason and conscience sound alarms within, And tremble at the possibilities of sin. does not bear serious examination." These are the latest utterances of the foremost naturalist of his time, after fifty years unintermitted devotion to physical studies and investigation ; and yet Mr. Darwin has the effrontery to declare that " none but a man content to look like a savage at the phe- nomena of nature as disconnected, can any longer believe that man is the work of a separate act of creation." And again, "Any hypothesis is better than the miserable assumption of a special creation." D'Alembert thinks, that Diogenes was the greatest man of antiquity, only that he wanted decency. Mr. Darwin's preeminence is clearly subject to the same drawback. He further says: "The earliest progenitors of our race were no doubt inferior in intellect, and probably in social disposition to the lowest existing savages,"— that is to say, were half beast, half devil. This is a specimen of that " Gospel of Brutality " which it is the office uf the "mild light of science" to introduce as a substitute for the Gospel "which brings life and immortality to light." If these men of the microscope, keen in their quest of the small, and who make Nothing their quarry, instead of atheistic assumptions could be induced, just tentatively and for the once, to take up the God of the Bible, which also is the God of human hearts, merely as a scientific hy- pothesis, and work from that, not only downwards in the direction of man's origin, but upwards in the direction of his aspirations and his hopes, they would find, not only that it meets the exigencies of the physical half of his nature, but the spiritual and grander half likewise, which the atheistic hypothesis utterly ignores. Will not the clay patronize the Potter that far ? Science, or that which arrogates her title, ends in a confession of ignor- ance. Out of her own mouth is she judged. Her Arctic voyage of discov- ery is simply a record of di'=:astrous shipwreck and hopeless imprisonment in interminable continents of ice, with the North Pole unreached. We pity the unfortunate survivors. They return not as they went. The frost has entered the blood and affected the brain. " Poor Tom's a-cold." They go about mumbling in an imbecile way something respecting " the 12 PROEM. Divine Evangel, from four trumpets blown, Filled with melodious and immortal breath, To all the world forgiveness making known. And free salvation from eternal death ! O, hearken the glad news it witnesseth, Ye sons of men, beware how you despise The voice of your Redeemer speaking from the skies. Unknowable," as indicative, however, not ot humility and a willingness to learn, but a vertiginous vanity and a boundless self conceit. There may be, they say, a First Cause, but they doubt it. If there is a sun in the heavens they do not know it. Science, if this be science, is a fool- serviceable for low mechanical utihties, but worthless for anything higher, nay, worse than worthless, a pestilent subverter and destroyer of all good, which ought to be banished from our schools and our firesides as fatal to virtue and the best interests of mankind. Man is a being agitated with unutterable hopes and fears. Heaven is high and hell is deep. It is enough that science can tell him nothing of what he most wishes to know- having heard nothing, no voice speaking out of the darkness, out of the eternal silence— without shrieking in his ear her gratuitous ignorances and conjectures of despair. " Where is the wise ? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? " Physicists are great sticklers for freedom ; but we shrewdly suspect that no form of tyranny would be so insufferable as that which would tie them down to fact, and oblige them to bring proof for all assertions. They are so mercurial a race that they would find the breeding of pigeons a dull business, we fear, unless they were permitted to enliven it with a Terpsi- chorean reel of atoms to the tune of a musical world-making. They de- nounce bigotry, but there is no class more narrow and intolerant than themselves. They have an easy creduHty which would have sufficed to make them first rate fanatics had they occupied themselves with religion instead of science. Surely " the wise are caught in their own craftiness." In view of such folly one is tem.pted to extol with Pope, " Good sense, which only is the gift of Heaven, And though no science fairly worth the seven." And pray with Quarles, " Sweet Phosphor, hring the day, whose conquering ray May chase these fogs: Sweet Phosphor bring the day ! The Evangel. I I. THE LOGOS N the beginning was the Unbegun- Articulate Eternity, Ahnighty Word, Melodious Utterance of the Three in One, That, in the solitudes of Godhead heard. Makes there society. In whom concurred All attributes, co-ordinate, agreeing. One of the blessed Triad of Monadic Beine. 't5' The Word with God, the self-communing Voice, Out of Eternity, creating, spake : "To crown Our finished work with creature choice, John i : I. In the beginning was was God. 2Xhe same was in the the Word (the Logos), and the beginning with God. [Gen. i : 26. Word was with God, and the Word And God said, Let us make man in 14 THE EVANGEL. Let US make man, in Our own image make, After Our likeness ; and Myself will take, In proper time, the likeness of the human. The faded God-like to restore in man and woman." The Word was God, projection of His thought. His will, His wisdom, majesty and might ; Whose spoken fiat into being brought Unnumbered firmaments and worlds of light : Or throned in Heaven's illimitable height. Or immanent in man, a man below. The only God revealed, the only God we know. In Him was life, original, underived — Life manifold, possessed by Him alone — A life of which ev'n brutes are not deprived ; A higher life, which is to them unknown. The life of man, peculiar and his own. Instinct with light and capable of day. Reason's bright beam and Faith's superior ray. our image, after our likeness.] ^All Light shineth in darkness, and the things were made by Him, and with- darkness comprehended it not. . . out Him was not any thing made that ^That was the true Light which was made. ^ In Him was hfe, and the hghteth every man that cometh into life was the Hght of men. s And the the world, i" He was in the world THELOGOS. 15 The heavenly Light in thickest darkness shines : The mind opaque with prejudice and sin Admits it not: bUnd pride the soul confines, And dungeon doors of unbelief shut in. To His own world, own people and own kin He came in love, and Him His own disowned: But made them that believe as sons to sit enthroned. The sons of God, not by ancestral boast Of blood or lineage or chance of birth, But by begetting of the Holy Ghost, Derived from all the families of earth ; In recognition of the immortal worth Of Him, who was Heaven's only Son and Heir, But chose that other sons His heritage should share. The Word made flesh, with human organs, spake Immortal wisdom : man in look and mien : Did here a temple of His body make. And tabernacle among us : here was seen. and the world was made by Him, and that beheve on His name : ^^ Which the world knew Him not. ^ He came were born, not of blood, nor of the unto His own and His own received will of the flesh, nor of the will of Him not. 12 But as many as received man, but of God. ^■♦And the Word Him to them gave He power to be- was made flesh, and dwelt (taberna- come the sons of God, even to them cled) among us (and we beheld His l6 THE EVANGEL, That light, which dwelt the cherubim between, Less glorious, than the glimpses and beholdings Of those divine revealings, flashings and unfoldings — Transfiguration pomps ; theophanies Of moral grandeur ; miracles of might ; Amazing proofs of goodness crowning these, Divulging Godhead to the heart and sight. The law by Moses came with typic rite ; But grace and truth by Jesus Christ were brought, With full absolving power and real cleansing fraught. No man hath seen God's countenance and face; No eye could bear the brightness of that sun : Faint partial showings in His works we trace — Maker of monsters, the Mysterious One, Author of death, this much from Nature 's won — But His exceeding love remained concealed, 'Till His embosomed Son declared Him and revealed. glory, the glory as of the only be- God at anytime; the only begotten gotten of the Father), full of grace Son, which is in the bosom of the and truth. . . i^And of His fulness Father, He hath declared Him. . . have all we received, and grace for [i John i : i. That which was from grace, i' For the law was given by the beginning, which we have heard, Moses, but grace and truth came by which we have seen with our eyes, Jesus Christ. isj^Tq ^^^^ |-,j^f|^ ^^^j^ which we have looked upon, which- THE LOGOS. 17 O Love divine, Compassion infinite, Impersonate in Him, whom we have heard, Seen with our eyes, have looked on with blest sight, Have handled with our hands, the Living Word! Not a phantasma, as by some averred, But clear reality beyond all strife, That wondrous manifestation of the Eternal Life. Human and personal, it brought Him near — Abolished distance. O sweet neighborhood ! Permitted fellowship divinely dear. What blest communications of all good, Flowing and flowing in continual flood From His exhaustiess fullness — grace for grace, To meet the utmost need of every sinner's case ! Our God is Light — in Him no darkness is — Loathing antipathies refuse embrace — Who walks in darkness, he is none of His ; Who walks in light has fellowship of grace ; our hands have handled of the Word the Father and with His Son Jesus of Life. . . 2 That which we have Christ. . . '" This then is the mes- seen and heard declare we unto you, sage whch we have heard of Him, that ye also may have fellowship with and declare unto you, that God is us : and truly our fellowship is with light, and in Him is no darkness at 2 l8 THE EVANGEL. Receives the irradiations of that face, Of which the glory of a single ray, The dawn and day-spring is of an eternal day. Our God is Love, and what will love not do, When love is infinite and power as well ? The Lord of love, on wings of mercy flew Adown from highest heaven to deepest hell, From that deep ruin into which he fell To rescue man, and, O amazing grace. To raise the vile apostate to a heavenly place. all. I'lf we say that we have fellow- John iii : 16. For God so loved the ship with Him and walk in darkness, world, that He gave His only be- we lie, and do not the truth gotten Son, that whosover believeth I John iv : 16. God is love ; and in Him should not perish, but he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in have everlasting life. God and God in him. NOTE. The first Christians, the unlearned particularly, implicitly received and worshiped Christ as God. Theirs was the intuitive view, the faith of children. But many of the early Christians, Justin Martyr and others, were Platonists before they were Christians. Plato lived four hundred years before Christ. Philo, an Alexandrian Jew, contemporary with the apostles, set the example of tracing out pagan analogies — seeking the germs of the Greek philosophy in the Jewish Scriptures, and finding Plato in Moses. The easy adaptation of the theosophic speculations of the one concerning the Logos or Divine Reason, to the inspired disclosures of the other concerning Jehovah and the Word of Jehovah ; with the personifi- T H E L O G O S . 19 cation of Wisdom met witli in Proverbs viii. and elsewhere, would favor minglings leading to corruptions of the Divine testimony, and furnish occasion to the last of the Evangelists, in this sublime Prologue to his Gospel, to assert the true doctrine of the Logos, separated from that which was false, introduced by the earher and later Platonizers and Gnostics. In the sects that early sprung up it is easy to trace the corrupting influ- ence of Judaism and heathen philosophy. While the Ebionites, half Jews, denied, like our modern Unitarians, the divinity of Christ ; the Gnostics, half heathen, denied in various ways His humanity. One class of Gnos- tics, the Marcionites in particular, affirming that while he appeared in fashion as a man. He only seemed to be a man, on which account they were called Docetce (from donicj, to appear, to seem to be). Docetism supposed a real, though phantasmal non-hyhc Christ, hyle or matter being inherently corrupt and sinful, therefore not predicable of Him. Gnosti- cism flourished most during the first and second centuries, giving place to Ma?ncheis7n, a kindred heresy, in the third. Both were founded on the pagan dualistic view of the world. Evil arises from matter. As God is tke source of good only. Gnosticism conceived the world, because imper- fect, not to be His work, but the work of the Demiurge, one of the -^ons, or representatives of the Eternal — the -(Eons being emanations and em- bodiments of Divine Attributes, of which there is a large number, some making the sum of superior ^ons 365. Christ, one of the highest of these ^ons or Emanations, came down from the spirit world to redeem. The Marcionites divided the one Christ into two Christs, a heavenly and earthly Christ, the latter serving merely as the organ of the former, and the two becoming first united at His baptism in the Jordan, in consequence of which they attached great importance to that rite. It was this boasted Gnosis in its beginnings ; the subtle, pretentious mock wisdom of such self-conceited, self-styled Gnostics (Knowers) that Paul (i Tim. vi: 20, and z Tim. ii : 17, 18) characterizes as " profane and vain babblings, and oppo- sitions oi sciejice (gnosis) falsely so called," overthrowing the faith of some, saying the resurrection is past already. It is easy to see how a denial of Christ's humanity should involve a denial of the resurrection likewise. So, too, in I John i : i, and iv : 2, 3, there is a direct and positive contra- diction to the docetic figment of a Christ not come in the flesh, which is antichrist. Origen (b. 185, d. 254) asserted the distinct personality of the Son, in opposition to the Monarchians or Unitarians ; also, that He was Son by eternal not simply antemundane generation, begotten before creation in order to create ; God but not the God ; an emanation from the will of the Father, and subordinate to Him, not merely as to mode of subsistence, but as to nature. 20 T H E E V A N G E L . Sabellius (a.d. 250) taught that the Monad (the One Absolute Being) self-evolved became the Triad — the Father, the Logos and the Holy Ghost — these being designations of the three different phases (rpca Trpoawrza, here used not in the secondary sense oi persons, but the primary one oi faces or aspects), under which the Divine Essence manifests itself to the world. God silent is inactive, but speaking is active. The Logos is the Godhead breaking silence, whence creation. The name, Son of God, belongs to Christ ; not to the Logos as Logos, but to the Logos united with human- ity, the God-man (Gr. Theanthropos), the hypostatized, /. e., impersonated, incarnated Logos. The manifestation of God in Christ and the Holy Spirit are only temporary. The sun in the end will reabsorb its ray, and the Triad be merged again in the Monad, in accordance with i Cor. xv : 28. Sabellianism is open to the objection that it does away with alldistinc- don except what is modal and titular, making the Trinity to consist in a Trinity of offices or relations, rather than of hypostases or persons, mean- ing by these terms, realities of subsistence as opposed to modes of mani- festation, or what is merely phenomenal — the orthodox doctrine being, in scholastic phrase : Una substantia in tribtis subsistentiis — one substance in three subsistences, or selfs. Praxeas (a.d. 200) and Noetus (a.d. 230) relying on such texts as, "I and my Father are one ; " " He that hath seen me hath seen the Father," had previously maintained that the Father was the same as the Son, and suffered on the Cross, whence the name, Patri- passianism (from pater, father, and passio, passion). Those holding to a modal Trinity were called indifferently Monarchians, Patripassians, or Unitarians. Arius, writing half a century later (A.D. 315), at first, by way of protest against Sabellianism — which he thought was a virtual denial of the triper- sonality of God — contended that the Son existed before any creature, but not from eternity, as held by Origen and the orthodox ; was Maker of worlds ; equal to the Father in power, but not the same, only similar in essence, the first being the orthodox behef, whence the terms ho7noousion {ofioi;-, the same, and ovc'ta, essence or nature) and homoiousioji {byLQiog, like, and ovaia, essence), terms which played so important a part in the disputes and logomachies of the times of Constantine, and long afterward. His followers soon divided into two parties, viz. : the Strict Arians, or Heterousiaiis (from 'krtqo'::, another or different, and oiiata, es- sence), and the semi-Arians ox Homoiousians, the first holding that the Son's nature was dissimilar, and the latter that it was similar to the Father's, though not consubstantial. Athanasius distinguished himself as the stren- uous opposer of Arianism in all its forms ; and the same was condemned by the Council of Nice (a.d. 325). ApoUinaris (A.D. 350), seeking for better ground to oppose Arianism TliELOGOS. 21 than the orthodox one, denied the humanity of Christ, at least the entire- ness of it. Adopting the Platonic distinction (trichotomy) between the body (cijua), the animal soul {'ipvx'j), and rational spirit or mind {jrvEVfia or voi'f), he claimed that Christ had a true body, but that the Logos sup- plied the place of the human intelligence or nous. This old ApoUinariaii doctrine is substantially the same as that set forth by Henry Ward Beecher in his late work. The Life of Christ. Nestorius, bishop of Constantinople, who lived in the first half of the fifth century, in opposing the Apollinarian doctrine of a mixed nature, was led to assert strongly the distinction be- tween Christ as the Son of God, and Christ as the Son of Man ; denying that the Virgin Mary could be called Qzqtokoi;, " Mother of God,'" but only XQCGTOTOKO', " Mother of Christ." He was understood as affirming the existence of tzao distinct persons in Christ as well as two distinct natures ; and that the immanence or residence of the Divine Logos in the man Christ Jesus was distinguished from the divine indwelling in others by plenitude rather than kind. Nestorianism spread widely throughout the East, and continues to the present. Eutyches (b. 378, d. 454) was head of the party opposed to Nestorius. He maintained that the human in Christ was changed into the divine ; whence there resulted oneness of nature (Mon- ophysitism, from iibvog, single, and ^vfTic. nature) as well as oneness of person. A later and logical offshoot of Eutychianism was the doctrine of oneness of will (Monothelitism, from fxovoi;', single ODm to will), instead of two wills, human and divine. The Council of Chalcedon (held A.D. 451), condemned the teachings of both Nestorius and Eutyches, and de- clared the true doctrine to be — One divine person in two natures, not 7nixed nor confoujidcd, although intimately united, forming what is called THE HYPOSTATICAL UNION. The Reformed Churches, in making up their Confessions of Faith, accepted this Christological statement as the Scriptural one, and distinctly rejected and condemned Arianism, Ebionism, Marcionism (Docetic Gnos- ticism), Sabellianism, ApoUinarianism, Nestorianism, Eutychianism and Monothelitism or Monophysidsm as well as the Lutheran doctrine of the ubiquity of Christ's body. Socinus, an Italian, of a noble family (b. 1539, d. 1604), held that Christ was a man, but distinguished from all other men : i. By His miraculous conception ; 2. by His sinlessness ; 3. By a special baptism of the Holy Ghost ; 4. By His being taken up into Heaven before entering upon His ministry, based on John iii : 3, and John vi : 62 ; 5. By His exaltation after His resurrection to the Viceroyalty of the whole universe ; 6. By a title thus derived to be called God and worshiped ; 7. By His being the Author of salvation to men, operating not only over them and for them, but also within them. The so-called Socinians of Great Britain and America hold other views, and oujrht to be classed 22 THE EVANGEL. rather with the Humanitarians, who, discarding the supernatural alto- gether, rate Christ as a great Teacher only ; but this low estimate of Him, it is just to say, is not accepted by all Unitarians, among whom there is a wide diversity of sentiment, some speaking of Christ in terms hardly dis- tinguishable from genuine orthodoxy. The doctrine of the f re-existence of Christ's htimanity has been held in different forms. Swedenborg (b. 1698, d. 1772) called God " the eternal God-man." God, he taught, is not only essence but form, and that form is human. He admitted a Trinity of principles but not of persons. Like the Patripassians or ancient Unita- rians, Christ he held was Jehovah ; also that He was God and man from eternity ; that He assumed a material body, which grew, suffered and died, and was gradually refined and glorified until lost in that which is spiritual and eternal. Man, according to him, has likewise a two-fold body, but in his case the material is left forever in the grave. Dr. Isaac Watts, it is known, believed in the pre-existence of the human soul of Christ, created before any other creatures in personal union with the Eter- nal Logos, the second person of the Trinity. In 1746, he published three discourses on " The Glory of Christ as God-man," setting forth these views. He refers to several distinguished writers and theologians. Dr. Henry More, Dr. Thomas Burnet and others as agreeing with him. It is generally thought — the belief not being confined by any means to the small number who hold to Christ's pre-existent manhood — that the AjTgelophanies and Theophatiies, or Appearances of God in human form, mentioned in the Old Testament under the names of Jehovah and the Angel of Jehovah (see Gen. xviii : 2, 22 ; xxxii : 24, 30; Josh, v : 13, 15, 16) relate to the Logos — the sole Revealer of the hidden God under all Dispensations. These manifestations were, besides being transient, pro- bably docetic, mere visionary human semblance, prophetic of the Incar- nation, when " the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Then the transient became fixed ; and so far from Christ's person being a docetic manifestation, a mere Gnostic seeming — even in the thirteen theophanies recorded after His resurrection — it was authenticated as an unspectral reality — not spirit, but " flesh and bones." As Theology is always more or less penetrated by the spirit of the reign- ing Philosophy, recent Christological speculations in Germany owe their distinctive character undoubtedly to current Transcendental and Pantheistic theories — "the all-one doctrine" of Spinoza. There are two classes of theologians, distinguishable into Pantheistical and Theistical. Both agree in affirming the otteness of God and man ; but while one means thereby identity, the other intends nothing more than that "■ 7iatura humana capax est natures divince.'" According to the first, man w God ; and the incarnation of God is from eternity. According to the latter, man may T H E L O G O S . 23 become God, Christ, these hold, has but one nature ; born feeble and ignorant, he came gradually into the possession of divine attributes ; and since His ascension and session at the right hand of God, He is still a man, but an infinite man — the glorified Son having been received into the trini- tarian life of the Deity. According to Dorner there was a human soul to begin with, to which the Eternal Logos communicated, from time to time. His divinity. Another view is, that the Eternal Logos, by a process of depotentiation, self-limitation, self-divesture, or emptying of Himself, be- came man. Reduced to the limitations of manhood, He received from the Father such communications of supernatural power as he needed. This theory agrees with the Apollinarian doctrine, in that it makes the Logos the rational element in Christ ; but differs in supposing the Logos shorn of His attributes in the outset. It affirms with Eutychianism oneness of nature, but unlike that, does not admit two natures before the union. It is Apollinarianism in this, its modern and modified form, that Mr. Beecher would seem to favor ; but it is questionable whether it does not make more difficulties than it removes. It cuts the knot instead of untying it. Sub- traction and addition are not predicable of the Infinite. There can be no mutilation of Divinity. Omnipotent weakness and omniscient igno- rance are a contradiction in terms. God stripped of His attributes were no longer God. So too a being without a human soul is not a man. Christ, therefore, according to this view, was not a man but a docetic illusive sem- blance. Such are some of the objections. Schleiermacher, in his "Dogmatics" {Der Christliche Glaiibe), first published in 1821, sought to construct a system of Christian theology out of the facts of Christian experience. The historic Christ was made second to the Christ in his own bosom. He spoke of Christ as the Urblld, the Archetypal or Ideal Man : miraculously produced, and the source of life to others by rousing the God-dormant consciousness in men : divine, because man is the 7nodus existendl of God on the earth : sinless and free from error ; not simply potest nan peccare but noti potest peccare — God, because a perfect man. The creation of man, imperfect in Adam, was completed in Christ, who assumed not a human body and soul, but generic humanity, that this might be raised to the power of divinity not in Him only, but also in the church. Generic humanity joined to a special organ- ization makes the individual. Christ is the whole of humanity ; all is summed up in Him, the Universal Man. Neander and Olhausen were numbered among his disciples, but differed widely in many respects, going much farther in the direction of orthodoxy. The writers of the Mercers- burg school in this country, Dr. Nevin and others, advocate similar views. With Schleiermacher, God in Himself is the Father, God in Christ is the Son, God in the Church is the Spirit, by^vhich he means, however, no 24 THEEVANGEL. more than the common hfe of the church. Other German theologians find philosophical reasons for the Trinity in the fact, that consciousness in God makes necessary a distinction of persons, that is to say, an objective Ego or Thou, as well as a subjective Ego. " Whom do men say that I, the Son of Man, am? " To this question of our Lord we have had here in the Creeds, Confessions and Christo- logies, variant and warring of earlier and later times, the manifold answer. " But whom do ye, my disciples, say that I am ? " The appeal is from the wise to the simple. In the hush of loud theologies let experience speak. First of all then, and above all, Christ is to the believer the reve- lation of a need. He is certified as divine, inasmuch as a Saviour less than divine were no Saviour at all, because unequal to the felt necessity of a help miraculous and infinite : for, in justifying man, God must justify Himself. What miracle so stupendous as the Divine inconsistency of a judicial reversal of a just sentence ! Who reconciles warring attributes and self-contradictions of Godhead ; terminates the law without repealing it ; magnifies it when broken by pardon in lieuof penalty ; condemns the sin and saves the sinner ; does more than create— mirrors, one might say, the trans- cendent effulgence of an impossible Omnipotence. This is the work ascribed to Christ throughout the New Testament. His divinity is not a matter of texts, but texture. It forms the very warp and woof of the whole fabric. That He does not condescend to the vulgar egotism of a perpetual self-assertion, befits Him ; but every where and always He is seen to be God in action — exercising divine prerogatives ; stilling tempests and forgiving sins ; healing the sick and raising the dead— all with the quiet ease and composed majesty of One unconscious of doing any thing extraordinary : and, finally, laying down His life and taking it again, He ascends on high to resume the glory which He had with the Father before the world was. One is tempted to wonder at the presumption of men who, profoundly ignorant of their own nature, dare to dogmatize concerning God's ; and annex an Athanasian Quicimgue vult (Whoever would be saved) to each formulated affirmation and finding contained in their creed. A doctrine and the definition of a doctrine are very different things. It is quite pos- sible, therefore, to believe in the doctrine and not the definition. Any definition of an infinite subject must of necessity be incomplete. It can only include a part and not the whole. The moment we begin to define Godhead our difficulties begin. What is hard to the defining intellect is easy to faith. We are liable, doubtless, to do great injustice to another's view of a many-sided truth, by not seeing what he sees at his angle of vision. Thus a Schleiermacher's concept^n of Christ as " a finished man," therefore THE LOGOS. 25 God, understood in the Hegelian sense, which makes man the highest existence-form of God, may be, and very properly too, a "disgusting horror" to a Neander : but it is difficult not to believe that Schleiermacher himself, who delighted in hymns of praise and gratitude to our Redeemer, was a Christian. Tlius six'aks Ur. lludge the great champion of orthodoxy. We are saved by Faith rather than a Creed : because Faith is a divine gift ; a great, vital fact of human experience, having its birth and begin- ning in the profoundest depths of the renewed heart: whereas a Creed is more an affair of the intellect ; an invented sym.bol or mould of doctrine, into which are cast — as the name " Symbol," the synonym of Creed, implies — the gathered result of the severe questionings of the controversial crucible, the divine gold, as it passes out of the fire, still debased, alas ! with the inevitable alloy of human passion and speculation. The differ- ence between truth in the intellect and in the heart is that of plants stored in a hortus siccus, and the same, blooming and breathing fragrance in the growing Garden of the Lord. The lesson to be deduced from this review is one of charity. " Judge not lest ye be judged." Not but that a right creed is supremely important. All error is quicksand, and dangerous to build upon. But humihty is of the ground and takes hold of the rock. Better were it if, discarding pride, men could be content to leave the mysteries of the Godhead where Reve- lation leaves them : to stop where it stops. God is a unit, but a unit understood by none. The Trinity is a dear and divine fact, not explained because unexplainable. It belongs not to arithmetic. Arithmetic adds and subtracts, but the Infinite admits of neither subtraction nor addition. It is enough to know that " God is in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing to men their trespasses ; " and that this paradox of grace has its deep origin in the Triune paradox of a God, at once sole and social, happy from all eternity in the ineffable endearments and commun- ings of a plural and loving Oneness — God in God, with God, from God — sweetly distinguished as the Father, the Son, and the Proceeding Spirit. Who would exchange the exhilarations of belief in such a proclaimed Evangel, for the dreary negations of doubt, and the resultant horror of atheistic despair ! II. THE LINEAGE. FROM Adam unto Christ, lo ! sire to son Transmits that hfe which was by God begun. All latent possibilities of man, Which in the veins of the first father ran, Appear in his descendants. Adam lives Aye in the blood, and circulates and gives Perpetual proof of presence. First, in Cain Breaks forth the madness of the eaten bane. Still, sin is voluntary ; otherwise, Man were not guilty, and the frowning skies Were angry without cause. Though Adam ate- From no malignant tyranny of fate. But with free hands Cain blood fraternal spilt— Spontaneous and original his guilt. For Abel's tainted blood did not compel To deeds of murder : rather he did well And was accepted. Enoch walked with God : T H E L I N E A G E 27 And Noah likewise, just and perfect, trod The uncorrupted way, and favor found, Saved with his house when all the world was drowned. Leaving the shores of far Eternity, O'er Time's tempestuous and troubled sea The shining feet of Promise, lo ! are seen Walking the waves in majesty serene, With step unfaltering, firm, however tost, Divinely safe when threatened to be lost. Down through the ages His descent we trace, The future Saviour of the human race. Through Seth to Abram in the line of Shem ; Judah and Tamar ; Pharez, born of them, Matt, i : i. The Book of the Gen- Aram ; ^and Aram begat Amina- eration [or Genealogy] of JESUS dab; and Aminadab begat Naason ; CHRIST, the Son of David, the and Naason begat Salmon; ^and Son of Abraham : Salmon begat Booz of Rachab \the 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and harlot of Jericho, a Canaanltish Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat wo7naTi\\ and Booz begat Obed of Judas and his brethren ; s and Judas Ruth \a Moabite5s\ ; and Obed be- begat Ph ares and Zarah \twms\ of gat Jesse ; ^ and Jesse begat David* Thamar \incestuously , she being his the King. daughter-in-law'] ; and Phares begat Luke iii : 34. Abraham the son * At David the two streams of descent divide, one passing through Solomon, and the other through Nathan ; one explanation of the diver- gence being, that the first, as given by Matthew, relates to Joseph ; and the other, as given by Luke, to Mary properly, and to Joseph only in a representative sense. But we prefer that given p. 56, which makes Mat- thew's a legal begetting, and Luke's a natural. [Numb, xxvii : 8-11.] 28 FHE EVANGEL. Incestuous issue ; Boaz, Salmon's son By Rahab, called a harlot ; — on and on, The thread of generation passing through Cursed Canaanite, and Moabite and Jew — A nature representative and broad, Son of the sons of Adam, Son of God — Enclosing in the firmamental span Of His humanity the world of man. of Thara, which was the son of Na- chor, ^^^which was the son of Saruch, which was the son of Ragau, which was the son of Phalec, which was the son of Heber, which was the son of Sala, "G-vvhich was the son of Cai- nan, which was the son of Arphaxad, which was the son of Sem (Shem), which was the son of Noe, which was the son of Lamech, s'which was the son of Mathusala, which was the son of Enoch, which was the son of Jared, which was the son of Cainan, 38 which was the son of Enos, which was tlie son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. III. THE ANNUNCIATION. WHEN cruel Herod," of the hated race Of Esau, long had reigned by Roman grace King of Judea, thus it came to pass : A priest named Zacharias (of the class Abijah ; wife of Aaron's line, her name Elizabeth ; both righteous, without blame, Luke i : 5. There was in the days into which the priests were divided of Herod, the king of Judea, a cer- binder David, i Chron. xxiv : 10], tain priest named Zacharias, of the and his wife was of the daughters course Abia {being the eighth of of Aaron, and her name was Ehsa- the twenty-four courses or classes beth. ^And they were both right- * Herod the Great (so called) was the second son of Antipater, a politic Idumean appointed to the procuratorship of Judea by Julius Caesar (B.C. 47). Himself, though only fifteen years old at the time, was made governor of Galilee. Later, Marc Antony made him and his eldest bro- ther tetrarchs of Judea. Next year— driven out by the Parthians, who supported the claims of Antigonus, the representative of the Asmonean (Maccabean) dynasty, which had ruled for one hundred years— he fled to Rome, where he was well received by Antony and Octavius ; and was ap- pointed (b. C. 40) by the Senate king of Judea, to the exclusion of the Asmonean hne. In the course of three years, by the help of the Romans, he took Jerusalem (b. c. 37) and Antigonus was put to death. The pos- session of the kingdom was confirmed to him by Octavius, now Emperor, (B.C. 31) with additions, which made it include, besides Judea proper, 30 T II E E V A N G E L . Walking in God's commandments ; both now old And childless ; neither hoping to behold An answer to a prayer, less often prayed As too presumptuous, beyond time delayed). His week fulfilling in his class's turn, It fell to him by lot incense to burn Within the Sanctuary of the Lord, eous before God, walking in all the of fifty. Num. viii : 25.] s And it commandments and ordinances of came to pass, that while he execu- the Lord blameless. 'And they had ted the priest's office before God no child, because that Elisabeth was in the order of his course, ^ Accord- barren, and they were both well ing to the custom of the priest's stricken in years \that is, relatively, office his lot was to burn incense Priests ceased to serve after the age (Ex. xxx : 7, 8) when he went into Samaria and Galilee, with Perea and Gaulonitis east of the Jordan, com- prising all the land originally divided among the twelve tribes, together with Idumea in the south. Idumea is the Greek form of Edom (Red), the name given to Esau who sold his birth-right for a mess of 7r^ pottage (Gen. xxv : 30). Long ene- mies, the Idumeans v/ere conquered and brought over to Judaism by Hyr- CANUS L, son of Simon, the youngest of the Maccabean brothers (b.c. 130) ; so that the Herods while aliens by race were Jews in faith. Herod Anti- pas, being a Jew and so bound by the law, made it consistent and fitting for John to say to him (Matth. xiv : 3, 4), " It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother Philip's wife ;" and for Paul to say to Herod Agrippa (Acts xxvi : 27), " Believest thou the prophets ? I know that thou believest ; " language which, if addressed to any heathen ruler of the time, such as Pilate or Festus, would have been wholly out of place. To the first Herod, however, all religions would seem to have been alike. Though nominally a Jew, he was as ready to sacrifice to Jupiter as to God. While at vast expense he rebuilt the Temple at Jerusalem, and in like manner the Temple at Samaria, he scrupled not at the same time to make provision in his new maritime city of Caesarea for heathen wor- ship, and to introduce heathen games within the walls of Jerusalem. THE ANNUNCIATION. 3 1 While the whole multitude outside adored. Seeing an Angel, on the altar's right Standing, he felt disturbance and affright. " Fear not," the Angel said, " I bring thee word, O Zacharias! that thy prayer is heard: Thy wife Elizabeth shall bear a son, 'Jehovah-given,' thou shalt call him JOHN. the temple {vaov) of the Lord * right side of the altar of incense, loAnd the whole multitude were pray- 12 And when Zacharias saw him, he in g without at the time of incense. was troubled, and fear fell upon him. n And there appeared unto him an " But the angel said unto him, Fear angel of the Lord standing on the not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is Everything was subordinated to his ambition. He was adroit and able, magnificent in his tastes, but unscrupulous and cruel. He has been likened to Henry VHI. of England, both in his good and bad qualities. Like him he had many wives, ten in all. His second wife (a grand- daughter of Hyrcanus II., slain by him (B.C. 31) to get rid of a rival to the throne) was the proud and beautiful Marimnne, whom in a fit of jealous rage he likewise pat to death. By her he had two sons, Aristobulus and Alexander. These he caused to be strangled (b. c. 6), moved by fear lest, recommended by their graces of person, popular manners, and the Asmonean blood which flowed in their veins, they should find means to avenge their murdered mother and supplant him in the kingdom. Only five days before his death he accomplished the execution of his favored son Antipater, by his first wife Doris, previously designated by him as * The vaoz is the Temple itself distinct from the courts — from va/w, to inhabit — God's proper Habitation, consisting of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The Altar of Incense stood in the Holy Place, lepov applies to the whole, including the outer courts, porches, porticoes and other buildings. Renan, by not attending to this distinction between the two words, ignorantly imputes to Luke " a wrong idea of the Temple." 32 THE EVANGEL. Many besides thyself in all the earth Shall be made glad by reason of his birth. For, great before the Lord, his pure renown To latest generations shall go down. A Nazarite, to self-denial bred God's consecration resting on his head He shall be separate, and make no use Of any species of fermented juice, * Wine or strong drink ; but be from birth instead Filled with the Holy Ghost in heart and head.* heard ; and thy wife shall bear thee Jehovah."] "And thou shalt have a son, and thou shalt call his name joy and gladness ; and many shall John. [Heb. Johanan, shortened rejoice at his birth, ^spor he shall from'^€cvo\i2iVi2LXv, answering to TXiO.o- be great in the sight of the Lord, o^oxQ in Greek, meaning " Given of and shall drink neither wine nor his successor, who, tired of waiting for his death, had conspired against his life. It was in view of these unnatural crimes, that Augustus, in whose favor he would nevertheless seem to have stood high, is said to have uttered that famous sarcasm : Melius est Heivdis forc7im esse quam filium : " It is better to be Herod's hog than his son" — his religion forbidding him to slaughter the former. It was while the doom of his son awaited the confirmation of the Em- peror that he was seized with a most painful and loathsome disease, that resulted in his death. Finding his end approaching, and anticipating that there v/ould be few to weep his departure, to make sure of a great mourning in the land, cruel and bloody to the last, he caused, it is said, all the chief men of the Jewish aristocracy, toward whom he was never friendly, to be imprisoned at Jericho, and exacted a promise from his sister that simultaneously with his death they should all be murdered. Although this freak of homicidal frenzy failed to be executed, it makes more than credible the barbarity that dictated the order for the massacre of all * Eph. v : i8. THE ANNUNCIATION. 33 He many sons of Israel shall thence Turn to the Lord their God by penitence. The messenger, by Malachi foretold : The Elijah promised — like to him of old, Austere, unbending, fearless, sternly good, Trained up and disciplined in solitude. Inspiring awe — he shall the Lord precede, To turn away from every evil deed. And heal all alienations ; parent, child. ^\x<:)T\^^ViVi!^\^For the law of the Naz- he shall go before him in the spirit arite. See Num. vi : 2, ff.] : and he and power of Elias, to turn the shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, hearts of the fathers to the children, even from his mother's womb. i^And and the disobedient to the wisdom many of the children of Israel shall of the just ; to make ready a people he turn to the Lord their God. i"And prepared for the Lord. ^''And Zach- the children in Bethlehem and vicinity from two years old and under — issued probably only a few days or weeks before, and characterized by the same furious jealousy which in the space of two years had caused him to sacrifice three of his own sons. He died B. c. 4 (that being the true date of the Nativity), aged 68 years, and in the 37th year of his reign. In his last illness Herod made a will in favor of his two sons by his fourth wife Malthace, a Samaritan woman, naming — subject to imperial approval — Archelaus as his successor over Judea, Idumea and Sama- ria, with the title of ethnarch ; and Herod Antipas over Galilee and Perea, with the title of tetrarch ; and assigning to Philip, a son by the famotis Cleopatra, a tetrarchy formed out of the northern part of the coimtry beyond Jordan. It was not this Philip, but another Herod Philip, a private person, son by a third wife, that was married to Herodias, daughter of Aristobulus, whose abandoned and hardened wickedness culminated in the beheading of John the Baptist. She was sister to Herod Agrippa I., called " Herod the King " (Acts xii : i), who, unlike his predecessors, being zealous for the law, 34 THEEVANGEL, Each to the other turned and reconciled: Through change of mind prepare men to beheve, And make a people ready to receive." ^'How shall I know?" " Distrustest thou my word, Gabriel, ' God's power,' sent thee from the Lord ? But, since thou askest that I put in pawn Some pledge of sense to rest thy faith upon, Behold, the tongue thus sinning shall be dumb. Until the set time of fulfilment come. arias said unto the angel, Whereby of God ; and am sent to speak unto shall I know this ? for I am an old thee, and to shew thee these glad man, and my wife well stricken in tidings. 2oAnd, behold, thou shall years. i^And the angel answering be dumb and not able to speak until said unto him, I am Gabriel, ["God's the day that these things shall be Power"] that stand in the presence performed, because thou believest and willing to please the hostile Jews, vexed the Church, killed James the son of Zebedee, and imprisoned Peter (a. d. 44). His sudden and horri- ble death soon after, is recorded in the same chapter. His entire domin- ions equaled those of his grandfather, Herod the Great. He was the father of Herod Agrippa II., the " King Agrippa " mentioned in Acts xxv and xxvi, before whom Paul spake (A. D. 60). This was the last Prince of the House of Herod, dying A. D. 100. It is instructive to note, that Archelaus fully justified the character that made Joseph afraid after his return from Egypt, to go to Bethlehem, when he learned that the more tyrannical of the brothers reigned over Judea; for at the end of ten years he had made himself so universally obnoxious by his cruelties, that he was banished by the emperor. Herod Antipas who ruled in Galilee was more fox (Luke xiii : 32) than tiger, but on occa- sion could be cruel as well as cunning. Archelaus was succeeded by Roman procurators, of which Pilate was the sixth, being appointed A. D. 26, the same year that Christ commenced his ministry. THE ANNUNCIATION. 35 When Zacharias after long delay — The people meanwhile wondering at his stay — Came forth, and could not speak, but with dazed mien Made signs, they saw he had a vision seen. And when his week of service had expired Back to his home near Hebron he retired. Rejoice, O barren ! thy reoroach is past — Beyond thy hope thou hast thy wish at last. Her joy was sacred : when the truth she knew, Five months she hid herself from public view. IN the sixth month, with similar intent, The same celestial messenger was sent not my words, which shall be fulfilled those days his wife Elisabeth con- in their season. 2iAnd the people ceived, and hid herself five months, waited for Zacharias, and marvelled saying, 23Thus hath the Lord dealt that he tarried so long in the tem- with me in the days wherein he pie. 22And when he came out he looked on me, to take away my re- could not speak unto them : and proach among men. they perceived that he had seen a 2fiAND in the sixth month the an- vision in the temple : for he beck- gel Gabriel was sent from God unto oned unto them, and remained a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, speechless. 23And it came to pass, 2tTo a virgin espoused to a man that as soon as the days of his min- whose name was Joseph, of the istration were accomplished [/. e. house of David ; and the virgin's seveji days, i Chron. ix : 25], he de- name was Mary. 28And the angel parted to his own house. 24And after came in unto her, and said, Hail, 36 THEEVANGEL. To Mary — cousin of Elizabeth — A resident of distant Nazareth, A maid, betrothed to Joseph, pious, chaste. Whose high descent from David could be traced — - And Joseph's likewise through another line. Streams from one fountain destined to combine. Th' announcing Angel, entering, her addressed. Premising gratulations thus expressed : '* Joy, Mary, joy ! I bring thee news of grace, Hail, highly favored ! singular thy case, The Lord be with thee, happiest of thy sex ! *' If sight of him did startle and perplex. In doubt and fear with mighty wonder blent She queried what this salutation meant. " Fear not," the Angel said, " for thou hast found Favor with God, immense, exceeding bound, Unspeakable, before vouchsafed to none — Thou shalt conceive and shalt bring forth a Son, thou that art highly favored, the Mary : for thou hast found favor Lord is with thee : blessed art thou with God. siAnd, behold, thou shalt among women. 29And when she saw conceive in thy womb, and bring him, she was troubled at his saying, forth a son, and shalt call his name and cast in her mind what manner JESUS \the Greek form 0/ Joshua of salutation this should be. ^oAnd or Jeshua, a Hebrew contraction of the angel said unto her, Fear not, Jehoshua, "Jehovah helps (?r saves," THE ANNUNCIATION. 37 And name Him JESUS : He shall be called great, Son of the Highest ; God shall reinstate Him in His father David's vacant throne To reign o'er Jacob evermore alone." " How can this be and I a maid ? " " With God Ev'n things impossible but wait His nod. Nothing 's impossible with him who brought Creation into being out of nought. That Spirit which at first moved o'er the abyss And made it pregnant, can accomplish this. O'er thee shall be mysterious hoverings, And vital broodings of Jehovah's wings — Therefore that Holy and Unspotted One By God begotten, shall be called God's Son. Know too who quickens with immediate life Thee, blameless Virgin, makes the barren Wife or " Saviour.'' See Num. xiii : 16.] shall this be, seeing I know not a 32He shall be called great and shall man ? s'And the angel answered be called the Son of the Highest : and said unto her, The Holy Ghost and the Lord God shall give unto shall come upon thee, and the him the throne of his father David : power of the Highest shall over- 33 And he shall reign over the house shadow thee [irood, hover over, as in of Jacob forever : and of his king- Gen. i : 2] : therefore also that holy dom there shall be no end. sjThen thing which shall be born of thee said Mary unto the angel, How shall be called the Son of God. 38 THE EVANGEL. Fruitful. Elizabeth, thy cousin, she Hath, in her withered age, conceived, like thee, A son divinely promised, now assured Already by five happy months matured." " See," Mary said, '' the handmaid of the Lord Be it to me according to thy word." The Angel gone, what rapture filled her breast I What mighty agitation and unrest ! It was no dream, and yet she found it hard To credit such distinction of regard. Among all women, wherefore should she be Exalted to such height of dignity. Chosen of Heaven, a fallen child of Eve, A robe of flesh for God's own Son to weave ? A choice, she felt, not having for its base Superior merit, but supernal grace. Though royally descended, she was poor. The plighted spouse of carpenter obscure. She little thought when she Esaias read, s^And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, 3'For with God nothing shall be im- she hath also conceived a son in her possible. s^And Mary said, Behold old age ; and this is the sixth month the handmaid of the Lord ; be it with her who was called barren, unto me according to thy word. THE ANNUNCIATION. 39 v5- It was to her he pointed, when he said *' From Jesse's withered stem and dormant root A Rod shall issue, and a Branch shall shoot. Under whose shade antipathies shall cease ; All peoples rest in quietness and peace ; Earth be to pristine purity restored, Filled with the saving knowledge of the Lord." When to that mystic germ dropped down from Heaven, A conscious lodgement had in her been given, Longing for one with whom her joy to share. She to her cousin hastened to repair. Freighted with that great secret of the sky, How did she wish her feet had wings to fly ! With speed she journeyed on from day to day To the Judean highlands far away, Until she Juttah reached with weary feet ; And entering in Elizabeth did greet : And the angel departed from her. 7nentioned in Joshua xxi : 16], ^oAnd 3?And Mary arose in those days, and entered into the house of Zacharias, went into the hill country with haste, and saluted Elisabeth. ^lAnd it came into a city of Juda \a Levitical city, to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard conjecturally, Juttah, near Hebron, the salutation of Mary, the babe * Is. xi : I, ff. 40 THE EVANGEL. Who, when she Mary's salutation heard — Feeling her babe, by some strange transport stirred, Leap in her womb, — filled with the Holy Ghost, Spake out with sudden inspiration : '' Most Divinely blest among all women, thou ! And blest thy wondrous fruit, O bearing bough ! And whence this favor ? Wherefore should it be The mother of my Lord should come to me ? For, lo, as on my ears thy greeting broke, The babe exulting in my womb awoke : And happy she who doubted not, for none Of those things promised her but shall be done.** And Mary — inspiration taught to find In saturation of her heart and mind With sacred poesy or said or sung, Familiar from her childhood to her tongue — Now improvises thanks, in borrowed phrase leaped in her womb ; and Elisabeth should come to me ? 44For, lo, as was filled with the Holy Ghost : soon as the voice of thy salutation ••^And spake out with a loud voice, sounded in my ears, the babe leaped and said, Blessed art thou among in my womb for joy. ''•'^And blessed women, and blessed is the fruit of is she that believed: for there shall thy womb, ^s^nd whence is this to be a performance of those things me, that the mother of my Lord which were told her from the Lord. THE ANNUNCIATION. 4I From Hannah's ancient canticle of praise,* And sweet doxologies of other lyres, Changing the language as the case requires : '' My soul doth magnify the Lord and praise, In God my Saviour doth exult always. Because He hath looked down from highest heaven Upon His handmaid's low estate, and given Such eminence of grace that every clime Shall call me happy in all future time. For the Almighty, holy is His name. Hath done great things for me who have no claim. His covenanted mercy doth endure. And is to latest generations sure On them that fear Him ; nothing in the past Promised the fathers but's fulfilled at last. «^He hath Holy Ghost. 1 9 Then Joseph her holpen his servant Israel, in remem- husband, being a just man, and not brance of his mercy. ^^As he spake willing to make her a public exam- to our fathers, to Abraham, and to pie, was minded to put her away his seed forever. •'■f'And Mary abode privily, 20 But while bethought on with her about three months ; and these things, behold, the angel of returned to her own house. the Lord appeared unto him in a Matth. i : 18. Now the birth of dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of Jesus Christ was on thiswise: When David, fear not to take unto thee as his mother Mary was espoused Mary thy wife : for that which is to Joseph, before they came togeth- conceived in her is of the Holy THE ANNUNCIATION. 43 " Mary is guiltless, fear not her to wed — For this is God-begot, no child of shame, JESUS, ' Jehovah's Help,' shall be His name." When Joseph rose from sleep, no more in doubt, He all the Angel bade him carried out- Took home his wife, but lived they not as one Until she had brought forth her first-born Son. Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth as the angel of the Lord had bidden a son, and thou shall call his name him, and took unto him his wife. JESUS: for he shall save his peo- 2:, And knew her not till she had pie from their sins. . . . 2-» Then brought forth her first born son. Joseph being raised from sleep, did I IV. THE NATIVITY T was a time of gladness and of mirth When to a son Elizabeth gave birth. Hearing the Lord had given her a boy, Came to that feast and fellowship of joy Neighbors and kin their pleasure to attest, A pious wonder adding to the zest. And when the day of circumcision came, Time for conferring on the child a name, Friends wished it Zacharias, mother, John, Though by that name she relative had none. The father asked by signs what he desired, Writing, " His name is John," they all admired. Lukei:57. Now Elizabeth's full father, co And his mother answered time came that she should be deliv- and said, Not so ; but he shall be ered ; and she brought forth a son. called John, ^i And they said unto ssAndherneighborsand her cousins her, There is none of thy kindred heard how the Lord had shewed great that is called by this name. 62And mercy upon her ; and they rejoiced they made signs to the father, how with her. so And it came to pass he would have him called, ^s And that on the eighth day they came to he asked for a writing-table, and circumcise the child ; and they called wrote, saying. His name is John, him Zacharias, after the name of his And they marvelled all. «-»And his THE NATIVITY. 45 No sooner had he done so than his tongue Was loosed once more, and God's high praises sung. Report of these things everywhere was spread Through the hill country, striking awe and dread. And men inquired, '' What does this birth portend ? So strange beginning marks no common end." And the Lord's hand was with him, His dear hand, Ere he had reached an age to understand — Was with him in his cradled helplessness ; Tender as mother's tenderest caress ; Strong as His own omnipotence to keep In perfect safety waking and asleep. Then, with the Holy Spirit filled and fired, Spake Zacharias, by strong faith inspired. Freed now from the imprisonment of doubt. Swift thronging words from opened lips rushed out: mouth was opened immediately, and heard them laid them up in their his tongue loosed, and he spake and hearts, saying. What manner of praised God. ^^ And fear came on child shall this be ? And the hand of all that dwelt round about them : the Lord was with him. "- And his and all these sayings were noised father Zacharias was filled with the abroad throughout all the hill coun- Holy Ghost, and prophesied, saying, try of Judea 66 And all they that 4^ THE EVANGEL. " Bless'd be the Lord, the God of Israel, For He, in love and faithfulness as well, Hath visited His people and set free. As by His prophets promised anciently, Hath reared in David's house a Horn of Might, A strong Deliverer, to quell the spite And wrath of enemies and from them save, In memory of the covenant He gave, And oath He to our father Abraham swore. That, rescued from our foes, we evermore Unhindered, unmolested, without fear. Might serve Him faithfully, with heart sincere, In godly, pure and upright lives. Thou, Child, The Prophet of the Highest shalt be styled, To go the Lord before, His way prepare, To herald His salvation, and declare 68 Blessed be the Lord God of Is- ised to our fathers, and to remember rael [BkneT)ICT\j S Dominus Deus hisholycovenant; "The oath which Israel] ; for he hath visited and re- he sware to our father Abraham, deemed his people. ^^And hath '''* That he would grant unto us, raised up a horn of salvatioa for us that we being delivered out of the in the house of his servant David, hand of our enemies might serve ''f As he spake by the mouth of his him without fear, '^ In holiness and holy prophets, which have been righteousness before him, all the since the world began : "i That we days of our life. '" And thou, child, should be saved from our enemies, shalt be called the prophet of the and from the hand of all that hate Highest, for thou shalt go before the us ; ''2 To perform the mercy prom- face of the Lord to prepare his ways; THE NATIVITY. 47 His grace, in sins remitted and forgiven Through the dear pity of Paternal Heaven — Which makes the Dayspring, the Upshooting Rays Of a celestial Dawn to greet our gaze — The Sun of Righteousness with rising light To chase the shadows of our mortal night — Auroral shinings to high noon increase To guide our feet into the way of peace." And the Child grew, as grows the sturdy oak — No reed-like nature his, or bent or broke By every passing breeze, but from a child Uncommon, marked, the wonder of the wild. Each day, refreshed and nourished by the dew Of favoring Heaven, in him each virtue grew, As grew his body up to manhood's height : '*'^To give knowledge of salvation Zech. iii : 8 ; vi : 12, where the LXX. unto his people by the remission of has the same word, it is translated their sins, ''''Through the tender " Branch." //^r^zVw^ia'wj'///^ Spring- mercy \lit. bowels of the mercy] of ing Day, Daybreak cr Sunrise] from our God, whereby the dayspring on high hath visited us, ''^ To give {avaroAT}, lit. a coming forth, up- hght to them that sit in darkness and shooting, upspringing(7r rising, ^.^. in the shadow of death, to guide of the sun, of a branch, of a foun- our feet in the way of peace, tain, etc. In Isa. iv : 2 ; Jer. xxiii : 5 ; ^o And the child grew and waxed 48 THE EVANGEL. An abstinent and holy Eremite — No fawning courtier, softly clothed, high fed — Born in the desert, in the desert bred, There to remain, till he that time should reach,. When he must publicly appear and preach. GOD gives prophetic faculty and gift The curtain of Futurity to lift ; To climb the Mount of Vision, and descry All He has promised, in clear prospect lie. But as the eye that takes in at one view A varied vastness bounded by the blue. Deceiving distances of far and near Admonish, things are not as they appear. We look on all which our horizon fill, And judge the sky is just behind the hill ; Not knowing they are separate in place strong in spirit, and was in the des- see ? A reed shaken with the wind ? arts till the day of his shewing unto 25 g^t what went ye out to see ? A Israel. [Luke vii : 24. And when man clothed in soft raiment ? Be- the messengers of John were de- hold, they which are gorgeously parted, Jesus began to speak unto apparelled, and live delicately, are the people concerning John. What in king's courts.] went ye out into the wilderness to T H E X A T I V I T Y . 49 By million leagues of intervening space. When God vouchsafes, in vision or in dream, To picture forth some portion of that scheme Which compasses the ages ; gives a glance Of part the Future's infinite expanse ; Events that touch should not be understood As touching, if the analogy holds good. But that behind removed from that before By twenty centuries and twenty more — The earlier time, perhaps, a time of type Foretokening a time when time is ripe. Now in the fulness of the times, behold ! The Woman's Seed, in Genesis foretold, Is born to bruise the Serpent's head, and deal Destruction with a bruised and trampling heel. Seed of the woman as distinct from man ; Whence, in the unfolding of the Avondrous plan, Gal. iv : 4. But when the fulness between thy seed and her seed ; it of the time was come, God sent shall bruise thy head and thou shalt forth his son, made of a woman, bruise his heel. \_This Messianic made under the law. Gen. iii : 15. an7wunccmcnt, made in the beginning. And I will put enmity between thee has been called The Protevangelium Ithe serpent] and the woman, and c^r First Gospel.] 50 T H E E V A N G E L. Born of a virgin — even so exact To ancient prophecy th' answering fact. Miraculously born, that who was first In the transgression and deserved the worst Might be, by singularity of grace, Promoted to the first and foremost place. She sinful, coming of a sinful line. Brings forth the Sinless — Offspring all divine Yet human — fashioned in her honored womb To man's similitude : fulfilled in whom Many an old and slumbering prophecy, From wdiose long sleep the Dayspring from on high With waking beam calls up ; its true intent Clear in the light of its accomplishment. Here Abraham hails his PROMISED SEED, whose birth Shall bless all tribes and kindreds of the earth. Jacob his Shiloh, unto whom shall be I Tim. ii : 14. And Adam was not Gen. xli.x : 10. The sceptre shall deceived; but the woman being de- not depart from Judah, nor a law- ceived was in the transgression. giver from between his feet until Gen. xxii : 18. And in thy seed Shiloh come ; and unto him shall shall all the nations of the earth be the gathering of the people be. blessed. THE NATIVITY. 51 The gathering of the people finally. David his SON and Lord. On bended knees Isaiah his Immanuel here sees Virgin-born— of whom Jeremiah tells, The Lord our Righteousness. Ezekiel's Shepherd and Prince. Rebuilding Haggai's Desire of Nations, come to bless all eyes And fill God's House with glory. Peace to bring, The Branch of Zechariah, Priest and Kine. The Prince Messiah, of whom Daniel speaks, At the completion of the seventy weeks, Ps. ex. I. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand until I make thine enemies thy foot- stool. Matth. xxii : 41-45. If David then call him Lord, how is he his son ? Is. vii : 14. Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Jer. xxiii : 6. And this the name whereby he shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness. Ezek. xxxiv : 23. And I will set up one Shepherd over them, . , even my servant David. 24 And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a Prince among them. Hag. ii : 7. And the Desire of all nations shall come : and I will fill this house with sflorv. Sech. vi : 12. Behold, the man whose name is The Branch ; and he shall grow up out of his place, 13 And shall sit and rule upon his throne ; and shall be a priest upon his throne : and the counsel of peace shall be between them both. Dan. ix : 24. Seventy weeks are determined ... to anoint the Most Holy. 25 From the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks and three-score and two weeks. . . 26And after three-score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. 27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for 52 THE EVANGEL, Born at the place where Micah's prophecy Before precisely fixed it. Malachi, Last of the prophets, here perceives, self-sent, The Messenger of the New Testament. All who by various titles Him foretold, His advent now at Bethlehem behold. Here Moses finds That Prophet, like to him, Who should arise to make his glory dim — To whose repealing voice they should attend When " Consummatum est " proclaimed the end Of the Leviticus : its types outworn. Now that the one great Antitype is born. No chafing burdens press the weary neck one week, and in the midst of the Deut. xviii : 15. The Lord thy week he shall cause the sacrifice and God will raise up unto thee a the oblation to cease, . . even until Prophet from the midst of thee, ot the consummation. . . thy brethren, like unto me ; unto Mic. V : 2. But thou, Bethlehem him ye shall hearken. Ephratah, . . out of thee shall come John xix : 30. When Jesus there- forth unto me that is to be ruler in fore had received the vinegar, he Israel ; whose goings forth have said, It is finished \Consuviviatuin been from old, from everlasting. est\ : and he bowed his head and Mai. iii : i. . . And the Lord gave up the ghost. Rom. x : 4. whom ye seek, shall suddenly come For Christ is the end of the law for to his temple, even the messenger righteousness to every one that be- of the covenant, whom ye dehght lieveth. in : behold, he shall come, saith the Heb. vii : 21. . . The Lord sware Lord of Hosts. and will not repent, Thou art a THE NATIVITY. 53 For many Aarons one Melchizedec ; For many victims one dread Sacrifice Making propitious th' offended Skies. Each rite, oblation, ordinance and feast ; Each slaughtered lamb, officiating priest ; All shadows, mysteries, with one consent To-day declare, ^' Lo ! this is He we meant. " Because the blood of bulls and goats could not, In anywise, sin take away or blot, After four thousand years have rolled away, Not slow nor slack in purpose, hear Him say: *" Thou sacrifice and off 'ring wouldest not : To placate Thee and human guilt to blot. Thou hast prepared for Me a body. Look ! I come (it in the volume of the book Is written of Me) to do Thy will, O God! " So opes the Gospel, publish it abroad ! priest for ever after the order of Mel- offer up sacrifice, first for his own chizedec. . . 23 And they truly were sins, and then for the people's : for many priests, because they were not this he did once, when he offered suffered to continue by reason of up himself. Heb. x : 1. For the death : 24 But this man, because he law having a shadow of good things continueth ever, hath an unchang- to come, and not the very image of able priesthood. . . 27Who needeth the things, can never with those not daily, as those high priests, to sacrifices, which they offered year ^4 THE EVANGEL. Lift Up your heads, ye gates ! swing wide, Ye dazzling portals of the morn ! Forth let the Filial Godhead ride On wings of cherubim upborne ! Nor dare, thou flushed and flattered East ! The Sun of Righteousness to stay, Now that the long dark night hath ceased. And souls are hungry for the day. On mountain tops bright heralds stand, With beautiful and shining feet, \ And publish over sea and land The welcome tidings glad and sweet : ; He comes ! The sky is all on fire — We see the bannered pomp unfurled, The advancing Splendor rushing higher To flood and overflow the world. by year continually, make the com- me) to do thy will, O God. ers thereunto perfect. . . -i For it is Psalm xxiv : 7. Lift up your head, not possible that the blood of bulls O ye gates ! and be ye lifted up, and goats should take away sins. ye everlasting doors, and the King 5 Wherefore, when he cometh into of glory shall come in. Is. Hi : 7. the world, he saith, Sacrifice and How beautiful upon the mountains offering thou wouldest not, but a are the feet of him that bringeth body hast thou prepared me : . . . good tidings, that publisheth peace ; f Then said I, Lo, I come (in the . . that publisheth salvation ; that volume of the book it is written of saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. THE NATIVITY . 55 THE circumstances of His birth were these, Whom all the angels worship on their knees. It came to pass, it happened, chanced just then, In pagan speech and dialect of men, Caesar Augustus issued a decree. Subtending one promulged by Deity — Two lines converging, meeting at one point, Diverse in purpose, in event conjoint. One edict recent, the imperial last ; One from th' abyss of the eternal past, Bosom of God, who His high ends fulfils By the free workings of all human wills. Christ must be born in Bethlehem : so saith The Word. The mother lives at Nazareth. Unconscious Caesar tells her to go thence, (So wondrous are the ways of Providence) Her and her husband, registered to be ; And thus makes good the ancient prophecy. Luke ii : i. And it came to pass 3 And all went to be taxed, every one in those days, that there went out into his own city. ^And Joseph a decree from Cesar Augustus, that also went up from Galilee, out of all the world should be taxed. . . the city of Nazareth, into Judea, 56 THE EVANGEL. Both being of Davidean descent, To David's city, Bethlehem, both went ; That it might be authenticated there. That He who should be born was David's Heir By double title :^ Shiloh come at last : No failure of succession in the past. Barring His birthright : for, however long Wrested, usurped by violence and wrong — His royal right and just inheritance, Endangered not by time nor circumstance, unto the city of David, which (because he was of the house and is called Bethlehem ["House ol lineage of David), [Heb. vii : Bread," i7t allusio?t to its fetiility'], 14. For it is evident that our * To meet the requirements of the census, Joseph would need to establish in a legal manner his descent ; and as this could be done only by means of the genealogies contained in the public registers, kept there probably " in his own city," it is more than likely that those given by Matthew and Luke are faithful copies of those very ones that were referred to for proof that he was " a son of David." Drawn from public sources, accessible and open to all, there could be no form of authentication more certain or more convincing. Being copies, it is easy to understand why they should not deviate in the smallest particular from the originals ; and how even an inspired cor- rection of points in which they were defective would weaken rather than strengthen their authority to cotemporary Jews who were accustomed to rely upon them in their present shape. For the ends in view, it were enough that there should be substantial correctness. Difficulties of differ- ence between the two genealogies given, even though they were of such a nature as to defy solution, would be chargeable, not upon the evangelists, but the obscurity of the original documents. Without noticing others, we shall confine ourselves to that explanation Til E NATIVITY. 57 On the foundation of the promise stand : ^* The sceptre shall not pass from Judah's hand, Nor yet a lawgiver from between his feet, Till Shiloh come to stablish and complete — The Lion of His tribe, to whom shall be The gathering of the people endlessly — Judah's unalienated sceptre, sure In Him, whose name shall evermore endure." Arrived at Bethlehem — compelled to stay At an o'ercrowded caravansera Lord sprang out of Judah. Psalm call him blessed]. ^jQ^g taxed Ixxii : 17. His name shall en- with Mary his espoused wife, being dure forever: . . . and men shall great with child. 6 And so it was be blessed in him : all nations shall that while they were there, the daf^s which seems to us the true one ; meeting, as it does, most if not all of the difficulties of the case, in the reconciling of the two tables. Assuming that both, primarily at least, relate to Joseph, it will help greatly to a right understanding of the matter, if we keep in view the actual drift or inten- tion of each. Matthew's object is clearly twofold. In the first place to show that Jesus was David's Son ; and in the second place, and more especially, that He was David's Heir to the throne. To establish this it would be necessary to trace His connection with the reigning line, and so we have an enumeration of the names of David's royal successors, Solo- mon, Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Joram and the rest down to Jechonias or Jehoiachin, who dying without male issue, Salathiel, a de- scendant of Nathan, being next of kin, became his heir, and in that sense his son. This was the first mingling of the two lines, but there were others afterward from the same cause, that is, failure of posterity in the reigning house (or, if not actually reigning, entitled to reign). According to both Matthew and Luke, Matthan or Matthat was the 58 THE EVANGEL. By richer strangers filled, who here had come On the same errand — they, for want of room, Were driven out into the place assigned To cattle, where the Saviour of mankind, The months complete, was born, of her, a maid. And after swathing, in a manger laid. In that fair region — fertile as of yore, Watered of Heaven ; its valleys covered o'er were accomplished that she should him in swaddling clothes, and laid be delivered. 7 And she brought him in a manger, because there was forth her first born son, and wrapped no room for them in the inn. immediate common ancestor of Jacob and Heli, the first being Joseph's father as given by Matthew, and the latter his father as given by Luke. In some such way as that pointed out, it is safe to assume, the title to the throne had passed over to Matthan, whose very name by its resemblance to Nathan, differing chiefly in the initial letter, is adapted to suggest his origin. Jacob, being his eldest born, would be his heir, but in case he died without any male descendant, which we take for granted he did, the son of his brother Heli would inherit ; and thus it would come about, that while Joseph was really the son of Heli, constructively, and in a legal sense, he was the son of Jacob. We need only to suppose that Mary was a daughter of Jacob, and so cousin to her husband, to make Joseph's pedigree, as given by Matthew, her pedigree m fact, and that too in the direct royal line, while it was his in form. That Mary was of the royal house of David is morally certain : otherwise the sonship of Jesus, so often asserted, and so essential to His Messiahship, would rest on no better foundation than a legal fiction. We have so far anticipated the design of Luke's genealogy, that it is almost superfluous to remark, that its sole aim would seem to be to exhibit Joseph's private lineage. [See Hervev's Genealogies of our Lord.'] The promise that the sceptre should not depart from Judali, until Shiloh come, guaranteed to Judah an inalienable and perpetual sever- T II E N A T I V I T Y . 59 With corn ; with flocks its pastures ; scene in truth Of that sweet Idyl called the Book of Ruth, Where David, son of Jesse, tending sheep. In deep glen seated, or on mountain steep, Sung to his harp in morn or evening calm Many a holy pastoral and psalm — As certain shepherds, simple and devout. Under the starry heavens were lying out. Watching their flocks, while one lifts up the chant, '' The Lord my Shepherd is, I shall not want," 8 And there were in the same [Ps. xxiii : i. The Lord is my country, shepherds abiding in the Shepherd; I shall not want, field, keeping watch over their flocks Ps. viii : 3. When I consider thy by night: heavens, the work of thy fingers: eignty, having its fulfilment in David's elevation to the throne of Israel, and the continuation of the Davidean dynasty (not reign) down to the coming of Christ, David's Son. The Davidean rei^^n, indeed, suffered a long interruption, but not the ri^/ii to reign. This could only fail with the failure of the fine. So far from the "sceptre departing from Judah," when Christ came, as the current interpretation strangely assumes, it was then restored and eternally confirmed to Judah in the person of his Divine Descendant, becoming in his hands the symbol of " all power in heaven and earth." Neither the Herods, nor their Maccabean rivals and predeces- sors in the kingdom for one hundred and fifty years, belonged to Judah and so what happened to them would lie entirely outside of this prophecy. It is according to all scriptural analogy that the ultimate reference should be to a spiritual sceptre and a spiritual Israel, into which the national should be merged— Israel as a civil commonwealth being from the first chiefly significant in its typical relations— " a mere shadow of good things to come "—destined to pass away like other secular commonwealths. The divine side is always the spiritual. 6o THEEV ANGEL. Or, as with upturned face he ravished sees Belted Orion and the Pleiades, Singing, "When I the heavens consider, made And fashioned by Thy fingers, thick inlaid With stars and suns in numbers numberless, Lord, what is man, that Thou shouldst come to bless" — An Angel of the Lord beside them stood ; The glory of the Lord in mighty flood Shone round about them, luminous and clear, And all the shepherds feared with a great fear. "Fear not," the Angel said, "good news I bear, Cause of great joy to people everywhere. In David's City is a Saviour born Who is the Christ the Lord this happy morn. And this the sign to you : Ye shall not find Prepared a stately edifice, designed For His reception : this great Potentate the moon and the stars, which thou and they were sore afraid [literally, hast ordained, -tWhat is man that feared with a great fear]. i^And thou art mindful of him, and the the angel said unto them. Fear not; son of man that thovi visitest him?] for, behold, I bring you good tid- 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord ings of great joy, which shall be to came upon them, and the glory of all people. ^^ For unto you is born the Lord shone round about them ; this day, in the city of David, a Sa- THE NATIVITY. 6l And Prince of Heaven and Earth, assumes no state ; Comes with no retinue ; conceals and shrouds His proper glory under veils and clouds Of lowliness ; in stable of an inn His Showing and Epiphany begin. There look and you shall find in manger laid The Infant Christ in swaddling clothes arrayed." Then suddenly were present, height o'er height,- A countless multitude of the sons of light. In mighty chorus singing loud and clear. Charming celestial silences to hear : '' Glory to God there^ in the highest heaven ! Peace here on earth, good will to men forgiven ! " When these had vanished from their dazzled gaze. Gone up to heaven, the shepherds in amaze Said to each other, '' Let us go and see viour, which is Christ the Lord: •* Glory to God in the highest, and '-And this shall be a sign unto you. on earth peace, good will toward Ye shall find the babe wrapped in men. i-^ And it came to pass, as the swaddling clothes, lying in a man- angels were gone away from them ger. into heaven, the shepherds said one 13 And suddenly there was with to another. Let us now go even unto the angel a multitude of the heaven- Bethlehem, and see this thing which ly host, praising God, and saying, has come to pass, which the Lord 62 THEEVANGEL. This thing the Lord hath shown us instantly." So they to Bethlehem hastened to repair, And found Him in a manger lying there : Recounted, then, what they had seen and heard, All the angelic embassage averred Touching the Child. Men wondered. Mary kept These in her heart locked up, while step by step She watched to see the mystery unroll, ' Weighing each part and waiting for the whole. The shepherds going, all along the road Sung hallelujahs, glorifying God. And art Thou come, dear Saviour ! art Thou come To this dark world ? Did Pity drive Thee from Thy throne above the heavens ? And Love compel And guide Thy footsteps? Could none do as well ? To make earth rich must heaven impoverished be ? That light made dark which angels could not see hath made known to us. ^^ And those things which were told them they came with haste, and found by the shepherds. i9 But Mary kept Mary and Joseph, and the babe 1}^- all these things, and pondered them ing in a manger, i'' And when they in. her heart. 20 /^nd the shepherds had seen it, they made known returned, glorifying and praising abroad the saying which was told God for all the things that they had them concerning the child. ^^ And heard and seen, as it was told unto all they that heard it, wondered at them. THE N A T I V I T Y . 63 Without amazement ? All be laid aside ? Thy glory with the Father? Must Thou hide Thy Godhead-splendors in this dense opaque Of mortal flesh ? And though Almighty take This form of weakness? Wear a servant's guise, Maker and Monarch of the earth and skies ? When Thou had'st stooped so far, could earth afford No better presence chamber for her Lord Than a poor stable ? And no better bed Than a rough manger in which beasts are fed ? If careless and ungrateful man forgot To celebrate Thy advent, Heaven did not. *' Let all the angels worship ! " Godhead said, And all the angels, kneeling, homage paid At Thy dear feet ; and on the night air flung Phil, ii : 6. Who, being in the form ble and invisible, whether they be of God, thought it not robbery to thrones, or dominions, or principal- be equal with God, ''But made him- ities, or powers, self of no reputation, and took upon Heb. i : 4. For unto which of the him the form of a servant, and was angels said he at any time. Thou made in the likeness of men. art my Son, this day have I begotten C)l. i: 15. Who is the image of thee? e And again, when he bring- the invisible God. . . '^ For by him eth in the first-begotten into the were all things created, that are in world, he saith. And let all the an- heaven, and that are in earth, visi- gels of God worship him. 64 THEEVANGEL. Celestial anthems, most divinely sung, In praise of that exceeding love and grace Which brought salvation to a guilty race. Since Thou for worldly pomp hast no regard, And dost not care for grandeur, stoop, dear Lord, To my low roof! A place with me accept ! I have a room, though sordid and unswept, In truth, a darksome, dank, unwholesome cell, In which it w^ere not fit that Thou should'st dwell. Unless Thou send Thy Harbinger before To make it clean, to wash and scour the floor, Cleansing each corner, purging every part — Do this, then enter in — I mean my heart. All it contains I'd give to Thee : its will, Its love, its fear, its best affections. Fill Greatly enlarge it, formed within it be, As in thy virgin mother, so in me ! Gal. iv : 6. And because ye are Abba, Father. . . i^ My little child- sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit ren, of whom I travail in birth again jf his Son into your hearts, crying, until Christ be formed in you. V. THE NAMING. /^x\ the eighth day they circumcised the Child, ^^And named Him JESUS. He, the undefiled, Made of a woman, made under the law, Bending His pure and patient neck to draw In the same yoke with sinners ; in their place. By fiction, so to speak, of heavenly grace. Standing ; fast bound, by strict and penal bands, Luke ii : 21. And when eight days of the angel before he was conceived were accomphshed for the circum- in the womb. =* [Luke i : 31.] cising of the child, his name was And thou (Joseph) shalt call his called JESUS, which was so named name Jesus. [Alatth. i : 21.] * Evident emphasis is laid on the fact, that the Name was divinely de- termined beforehand. Mary and Joseph did as they were commanded— the one before and the other ^//^r conception, and called His name Jesus. The Name was not new. On the contrary we have reason to beheve it was a common one. The first to bear it was Joshua, son of Nun, whose original name was Oshea, identical with Hosea, meaning " Help.'' The divine prefix of Jah, a contraction of Jehovah, bestowed by Moses [Num. xiii : 16], made it Jehoshua, signifying " Help of Jehovah." Wherever the name appears in Greek, it is always Jesus (that being the Greek form) —as in the Lxx. throughout ; and in the only two places in which Joshua is referred to in the New Testament [Acts vii : 45, and Heb. iv : 8]. The next of the name mentioned in the Old Testament is Joshua, the son of Josedech, who was high priest, when Zerubbabel was governor of Judah, after the Return; and who, incited by Haggai and Zechariah, took a leading part in rebuilding the Temple, and in restoring Temple worship 66 T H E E V A N G E L . To do and suffer all the law demands; Made sin for us, to the divine intent The guilty might be counted innocent. O Name ! that doth all other names eclipse, Easy and utterable by human lips, Pronounceable Jehovah ! Jesus! Lord! Familiar in our mouths as household word. Name given by the Angel ere His birth ; In th>^ Apocrypha, which was written originally in Greek, they are called Jesus, the son of Nave, and Jesus, the son of Josedec. The author of Ecclesiasticus was "Jesus, the son of Sirach, and grandchild to Jesus of the same name with him." Coming down to the New Testament, Paul speaks [Col', iv : iij of one " Jesus, which is called Justus ;" and in Acts xiii : 6, mention is "inade of one of whom Paul and Barnabas found at Paphos, characterized as " a sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar- Jesus [son of Jesus]. In the first ages Names were significant. Like all first words, they were full of truth and beauty ; but they soon ceased to be real. To call was no longer to be. Calling was a miscalling. Men were called great that were not great ; most noble that were the reverse of noble. Courtly misno- mers, false appellatives, the antiphrastic use of words, examples of the devilish misnamed divine, filled the world. With a fine irony, or possibly in the spirit of deprecation, the Greeks called the Furies, Eumenides, meaning Kindly disposed. The Prince of Darkness is Lucifer, Son of the Morning. The evil of this misnaming is not a slight one. It corrupts all speech. It is the essence of all falsehood. It forms the counterfeit coin of social exchange. All the fond idolatries of the heathen world sprung from it. Their crime was that they " changed the truth of God into a lie, and wor- shiped and served the creature more than the Creator" [Rom. i : 25]. "Without are whoremongers, murderers and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie " [Rev. xxii : 15]. " The guilt of making a lie " supplements and sums all other guilt. Among the Jews, Jehovah was the ineffable Name. All mention of it THENAMING. 6/ Highest in Heaven and dearest upon earth ; Worthy of worship, every knee shall bow To Jesus' Name hereafter if not now. A Name of might and terror to compel Raging Abaddon and the gates of Hell ; Of most miraculous virtue and effect To raise the dead and demons to eject. Name, potent in three worlds — not hell alone, But heaven and earth its high compulsion own. Not used to conjure with, a wizard's rod. Not muttered magic, but the power of God. \vas scrupulously avoided. Owing to a misconstruction of Lev. xxiv : i6, they held even to utter it was blasphemy and a capital offense ; so that the true pronunciation was lost. Euphemistic substitutes were employed, such as " the Name " or " the Name of four letters " (the Greek tetmgrammaton): " the great and terrible Name," etc. This savored doubtless of supersti- tion, but only as to the form of it. So far as it had its origin in reverence it was right. But how shall we characterize that shocking familiarity, so common in our own day, which spits the Eternal Name rather than speaks it ? It was fitting that the Name of Jesus, after it had been prostituted by profane applications through long ages, should be magnified at last by a just appropriation to One, who, unlike the first Joshua, was not merely mediately, but intrinsically and in Himself, the Divine Helper, the Jeho- vah-Saviour, " able to save to the uttermost." One object of Jacob's wrestling was to wrest the secret of the Divine Name. It indicated a profound appreciation of his greatest need. God is Power, but is He Love ? God is Justice, but is He Mercy ? Jacob secured the blessing but not the Name. The time had not yet come. To know God as Elohim, still more as Jehovah, is much; but to know Him as Jesus is a blessedness far beyond. Father is better than Sovereign, and Saviour dearer than all. 68 THE EVANGEL. All Nature leans to listen ; stoops the Skies To hear it sobbed in pleading litanies. Through all the ages it vibrates and thrills, And Heaven's immensity with rapture fills. I a. The memory of Jesus' Name"^ Is past expression sweet : At each dear mention, hearts aflame With quicker pulses beat. Id. But sweet, above all sweetest things Creation can afford. That sweetness which His presence brings- The vision of the Lord. II. Sweeter than His dear Name is nought : None worthier of laud Was ever sung or heard or thought Than Jesus, Son of God. * JUBiLus Rhythmicus de Nomine Jesu. I. II. Jesu dulcis memoria, Nil canitur suavius, Dans vera cordi gaudia, Nil auditur jucundius, Sed super mel et omnia Nil cogitatur dulcius Ejus dulcis pra^sentia. Quam Jesus Dei Filius, THE NAMING. 69 III. Thou hope to those of contrite heart ! To those who ask, how kind ! To those who seek, how good Thou art ! But what to them who find ? IV. No heart is able to conceive ; Nor tongue nor pen express : Who tries it only can believe How choice that blessedness. ni. IV. Jesu, spes poenitentibus, Nee lingua valet dicere Quam pius es petentibus. Nee litera exprimere, Quam bonus te quaerentibus Expertus potest credere Sed quid invenientibus. Quid sit Jesum diligere. S. BeniLvdus. {XII Century.) [The Latin original in fourfold rhymes, forms the beginning of a long meditation (192 lines in all) upon the Name of Jesus, by the famous Ber- nard, Abbot of Clairvaux (b. 1091, d. 1153]. These with two other extracts of an equal number of stanzas, constitute three of the most admired hymns of the Roman Breviary ; and are sung at Vespers, Matins and Lauds in connection with the Feast of the Name of Jesus. Caswell's translation of the above has found its way into most of our Protestant Hymnals, beginning, Jesus ! the very thought of thee With sweetness fills the breast." The new version we have tried to make as close as possible.] VI. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE. TO keep in mind what else they would forget, God to His people ordinances set, His mercies to commemorate and tell ; Whence it became a law to Israel, The first-born of the males 'mong man and beast Should hallowed be as victim or as priest ; [Ex. xiii : 2. Sanctify unto me all the first-born, both of man and beast ; it is mine. . . ^-i And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying. What is this ? that thoushalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage : ^° And it came to pass, when Pha- raoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the first-born of man and the first-born of beast : therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males ; but all the first-born of my children I redeem. Num. xviii : 15. Every thing that openeth the matrix shall be thine [the priest's] : never- theless the first-born of man shalt thou surely redeem ; and the first- ling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. ^^'And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt 1?hou redeem, according to thine es- timation, for the money of five she- kels. Lev. xii : 2. If a woman have conceived and borne a man child, she shall be unclean seven days, . . ^And in the eighth day he shall be circumcised. ^And she shall con- tinue her purifying three and thirty days. . . ^ And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son or daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt-offering ; and a turtle-dove for a sin-offering. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE. 7I To make God's sparing and delivering act, A living history and perpetual fact. Because the fatal Angel — on that night Before the Exodus, when made to smite All the first-born of the Egyptians — left The Hebrews of their first-born unbereft, The Lord asserted solemnly His claim, That those He spared thereby His own became. But afterward, when all of one whole tribe Was set apart, it pleased Him to prescribe, The first born of the sons should be redeemed By payment of five shekels (and th' esteemed Value of animals unclean) ; these paid. And presentation by the mother made At the completion of her fortieth day Of purification, she must further pay, unto the door of the tabernacle of burnt offering, and the other for a the congregation unto the priest ; sin offering.] ■? Who shall offer it before the Lord, Luke ii : 22. And when the days and make an atonement for her. . . of her purification according to the This is the law for her that hath law of Moses were accomplished, born a male or female. ^Andifshe they brought him to Jerusalem, to be not able to bring a lamb, then present him to the Lord. 23 (As it is she shall bring two turtles, or two written in the law of the Lord, Every young pigeons, the one for the male that openeth the womb shall 1^ THE EVANGEL If rich, a lamb and dove ; if poor, must bring Two doves or pigeons for an offering. At the appointed time, the parents brought The Infant Jesus, to do all they ought According to the custom of the law. Entering the Temple, they one Simeon saw, Who sighed and longed and waited for as well The Paraclete of mourning Israel : A just man and devout — from His high throne, The secrets of His bosom making known, God gave to him the certainty of faith, He should the Lord's Christ see before his death. be called holy to the Lord ;) 24 And to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle-doves or two young pigeons. -^And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon : and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation \jTc.paKkriatv — the abstract, put for the concrete TvapdnA-qTO-, Paraclete or Comfort- er, from Tvapa, near, and Ka?,.ecj, to call, tised as an appellative of the Holy Ghost y^z^r times; of Christ vnly once, i John ii : i, and there rendered Advocate. Properly, it means, one called to draw near, one invoked to give aid in time of need, and who £-ivin^ it becomes a Helper, a Comforter, or Advocate, acco7-ding as the suppliant is in difficulty , or in affile tio?i, or exposed to judicial peril or condemnation. As in verse 30, " salvation " stands for Saviour; and in verse -^Z " redemption "ycr Re- deemer: so here, " the consolation,' embodied and " seen," desig^nates the Paraclete or Consoler] of Israel ; and the Holy Ghost was upon him ; 26 And it was revealed unto liim by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death before he had seen the THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE. 73 That morn a light within had pointed here : A voice said, Go ! into his inward ear ; For now the time had come. With eager look He watched, he saw, he knew the Child, he took The wondrous Infant in his aged arms, Perused admiringly His godlike charms. Oh ! it was sweet, each lineament to trace. Bask in the sunshine of His beauteous face. Explore the mystery of His clear eye, And the divinity of love descry. Did he imagine it, or was it true. His smile was conscious as if him He knew.'' '' Master ! it is enough. I die in peace. Thou hast fulfilled Thy promise. Now release Thy servant when Thou pleasest. For mine eyes Lord's Christ [Messiah] ; 2- And he over slaves. It is used i?i three other came by the Spirit into the temple places of God ; once o??fy of Christ ilepov, not vabv. See note to Luke (2 Peter ii : i). To human masters 1:9]: and when the parents brought it is applied five times\ now lettest in the child Jesus to do for him thou thy servant depart \jSvv according to the custom of the law, a7ro/lt;ei5-=now thou dost release : 2s Then took he him up in his arms, Lat. Vtdgate, NUNC dimittis, and blessed God, and said, 29 Lord, dost dismiss thy servant] in peace, {b^tcnbra, properly , the possessor of according to thy word ; ^o Yox mine slaves ; master, in an absolute sense, eyes have seen thy salvation, ^^ one exercising uncontrolled power as Which thou hast prepared before 74 THE EVANGEL. Have seen the Saviour, and it doth suffice; Whom now Thou hast made ready in the sight Of all the world, a Sun dispensing light To joyful Gentiles — after long eclipse A bright uncovering and apocalypse To them that sit in darkness : boast as well And glory of Thy people Israel." Such words from strangers' lips where'er they went The parents filled with fresh astonishment. With hands uplifted and with arms outspread Then Simeon blest them, and to Mary said : " Behold ! this Child is destined for the fall And rise of many, and a test to all : The precious corner stone in Zion put. the face of all people: ^2 a light to this child is set for the fall and ris- lighten [dg- di: o KaXviplv =z for an ing again of many in Israel; and apocalypse, revelation or uncover- for a sign which shall be spoken ing, in allusion apparently to Isa. against; (yea, a sword shall pierce XXV : 7] the Gentiles, and the glory through thy own soul also;) that of thy people Isi-ael. ^^^nd Joseph the thoughts of many hearts may be and his mother marvelled at those revealed [Is. viii : 14. And he shall things which were spoken of him. be for a sanctuary ; but for a stone S-* And Simeon blessed them, and of stumbling and for a rock of of- said unto Mary his mother, Behold, fence to both the houses of Israel. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE. 75 A stone of stumbling to the proud of foot : A mark for contradiction to expose Hypocrisies, and hidden thoughts disclose : A mighty touchstone and two-edged sword — His sure, detective, sharp, incisive word Divisions shall create, and hatreds fierce : A sword of trial too thy soul shall pierce." Anna, a prophetess, four-score and four, Many long years a widow, who forbore To leave the Temple, yielding nights and days To prayer and fasting — entering then joined praise, I Pet. ii : 6. Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that beheveth on him shall not be confounded. . . »And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient. Heb. xii : 3. For consider him that en- dured such contradiction of sinners against himself. . . Ps. xxxvii : 12. The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. John viii : 37. I know ye are Abraham's seed, but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you. Acts vii : 54. When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him (Stephen) with their teeth. Matth. X : 34. . . I came not to send peace but a sword, ^s Yov I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother. . . ^e And a man's foes shall be those of his own household]. ^^ And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser : she was of great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity ; ^7 And she was a wid- ow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fast- ings and prayers night and day. 38 And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that 76 THE EVANGEL. And spake concerning Jesus to all who Looked for redemption there, a pious few. All done the law commanded, they returned Not then to Nazareth, but still sojourned At Bethlehem, prolonging happy stay, Waiting fulfilments now upon the way. Haste to His light, ye Gentiles! Draw ye near, Kings, to the brightness of His rising here ! looked for redemption in Jerusalem. their own city of Nazareth. [Is. Ix . -^ And when they had performed all 2. . . The Lord shall arise upon things according to the law of the thee, ^And the Gentiles shall come Lord,* they returned \?iot immediate- to thy light, and kings to the bright- ly, but cve7itiiall}'\ into Galilee, to ness of thy rising.] * The time for redeeming the first-born, called the Presentation, not being precisely fixed, it was usually deferred, particularly by those living at a distance from the Temple, to the time of the mother's Purification at the end of forty days, so that both could be done at once. w VII. THE WORSHIP OF THE MAGI. HEN Eastern Magi,^ following afar Mysterious beckonings of a travelling Star, Came to Jerusalem, and missing there The guiding light, sought counsel, saying, *' Where Is He your new-born King? for we have seen Matth. ii : i. Now when Jesus Where is he that is born King of the was born in Bethlehem of Judea in Jews ? [/. e. " Messiah the Prince," the days of Herod the King, there for so they were understood^ for we came Wise Men [Mayoi] from the have seen his star ["the Star out of East [dx'a-oA(jv//z^''.r=the Far East, Jacob, " the predicted si^n\ inthe east, /. e. Persia] to Jerusalem, ^Saying, [r/} u.vaTo7\.fi, sing. = the East, i. e. * In a recent work, entitled, " The Wise Men : Who they were and •how they came to Jerusalem," by F. W. Upham, LL.D., the author contends, with marked ability and learning, that the information given by Matthew is in reality precise and certain ; and does not leave us in the dark at all : that by calling these strangers Magi, he thereby declares their nation and character. Like Brahmin and Mandarin, the name itself is enough. Having been in constant use for many centuries to designate a partic- ular order of men in high and sacred esteem by the Persians, constituting in fact the imperial priesthood when Persia was the great empire of the earth, it is impossible that Matthew's countrymen, for whom he primarily wrote, should be in doubt as to who were meant. As long as the Persian Empire lasted (from B. c. 558 to 331) ; and, after the Alexandrian Con- quest, during the century of Greek rule that followed ; and the longer 78 THE EVANGEL. While in the Orient, His star serene Pointing us hitherward, and as is meet Have come to pay our homage at His feet "- Herod and the whole city of the Jews Were troubled and astounded at the news : And he dissembling, with malign intent, Babylonia], and are come to worship when he had gathered all the chief him. swhen Herod the king had priests and scribes of the people heard these things, he was troubled, [the Sanhedrim] together, he de- and all Jerusalem with him. ^And manded of them where Christ supremacy of the Parthians (from B. c. 150 to A. D. 226) they ceased not to be the sacerdotal order of Iran, strong in numbers and in the veneration of their countrymen. It is true, that among the Greeks and Romans, the name, corning to be attached to a vagabond and pestilent class of deceivers in their midst, acquired the evil sense of sorcerer or wizard (wise-ard), of which we have examples in Acts viii : 9-11 and xiii : 6, 8 ; but nobody will say that it was in this sense Matthew used it ; if not, then it must have been in the origi- nal, Persian, honorable sense, that known in Palestine, whose relations to Persia, dating back to the time of Cyrus and the Captivity, had suffered no break, and were always of a friendly kind. When it is considered that Matthew, a Jew, is writing for the Jews of Palestine, as appears from the whole tenor of his narrative, and all his assumings from first to last, never stopping to explain what is local and idiomatic ; the naive and unconscious way in which he uses the plural anatolo7i in the first verse, and the singular ajiatolewiih the definite article, in the second, making a distinction where the English and other versions make none, proves conclusively that in Palestine, at least, however it may have been elsewhere, the two words must have been used to discriminate between countries lying Eastward, and that too in a precise manner ; for to express a vague generality one word would have been enough. Between the Perean Hills beyond the Jordan, and the mountains of Persia, full six hundred miles away, stretches an immense unbroken Plain, part desert, part garden. All this side the Euphrates, five hundred miles THE WORSHIP OF THE MAGI. 79 For priests and rabbis of the people sent To learn from them Christ's birth-place. Having heard, He bade the men : " Go, seek, and bring me word should be born. •'■-And they said unto od, when he had privily called the him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for wise men, inquired of them dili- thus it is written by the prophet, gently what time the star appeared. «And thou Bethlehem in the land of «And he sent them to Bethlehem, Juda, art not the least among the and said, Go and search diligently princes of Juda : for out of thee for the young child, and when ye shall come a Governor, that shall have found him, bring me word rule my people Israel. "^ Then Her- again, that I may come and worship wide, is an arid waste, swept by sand-storms and the deadly simoon"' pathless and uninhabited except by wandering Arabs. It is the Syrian Desert, an offshoot of the Arabian. It becomes grassy on the north toward Damascus, and (he route of travel, although circuitous, was usually at this extremity. Midway, in a beautiful oasis, was Tadmor or Palmyra, built by Solomon. That part of the Plain which lies between the Eu- phrates and the Tigris, called by the Greeks Mesopotamia (meaning " between the rivers " ), has an average width of one hundred miles. It was once a miracle of fertility and populousness. In earlier times it was known as the Plain of Shinar, the Land of the Chaldees, and later as Bab- ylonia. Here was the cradle of the Hebrew race, and the land of the Captivity. Beyond the Tigris rose the mountains of Kurdistan, the ancient Zagros, forming the outposts of the elevated plateau which consti- tuted Iran or Persia. With India, which lies still further to the East, we have nothing to do. Now it is in evidence that by anatalon is meant specifically Persia. It is so used Is. xli : 2, where Cyrus is spoken of as the Righteous Man from the [Far] East {anatolori) : and again Is. xlvi : 2, where the Persian Eagle, the ensign of Cyrus, and of Persia down to this day, is described as " the ravenous bird [or eagle] from the Far East." So, too, the term " the East " {tt] avarolr]) is not general nor vague, but definite and restricted. In the first century to the Palestinian Jews, by every geographical and historical consideration, the country of Babylonia, lying due East, would be meant, and no other. Hebrew usage in this respect Bo THE EVANGEL. When you have found Him, that I also may Come and Him worship" — meaning Him to slay. Departing, lo ! their starry friend, once more Appearing, went their joyful steps before, With conscious guidance, till ere long it brought Them to the infant feet of Him they sought. him also, 9 When they had heard they saw the star they rejoiced with the king, they departed; and, lo, exceeding great joy. ^ And when the star, which they saw in the east, they were come into the house, they went before them, till it stood over saw the young child with Mary his where the young child was. i<'When mother, and fell down, and wor- was similar to what obtains in this country. The popular name in Massa- chusetts for the State of Maine is "Down East." We speak of "the West" and " the P'ar West," but restrict even the latter to the territory this side of the Rocky Mountains. The Levant [Levante, which is an Italian word signifying "the East"), first used by the Venetians and Genoese, is another example (not noticed by the author) of a like employ- ment of the same general term in a strict, special, idiomatic sense, express- ive of the relative geographical and commercial position of the people with whom it originated. The Evangelist, therefore (according to our author), is to be understood as saying that the Magi came originally from Persia, but first saw the Star while sojourning or dwelling in Babylonia. According to the Persian creed, the Supreme Deity, Ormuzd {Ahura- Mazda, "the Great Giver of Life"), was the Creator of light ; and Ahriman "the Death dealing"), the self-existent Evil Spirit, the Persian Satan — the Creator of darkness. Between these two there was a never-ceasing conflict ; but it was predicted that a Zosiosh or Redeemer — a Saviour- King — would come to do away with death and raise the dead. The Iranian religion, therefore, was a religion of hope. Schlegel remarks that in the Bible the Persians are not classed with the heathen nations, but are distinguished from them (Is. xlv : i). God calls Cyrus " His Anointed," and " My Shepherd." Nevertheless, in contradiction and reproof of the THE WORSHIP OF THE MAGI. 8l They falling down adoring kissed the floor. And opening th' abundance of their store Presented gifts — such as befitting were The Saviour-King — gold, frankincense and myrrh. Returning not to Herod, warned of God, They journeyed homeward by another road. shipped him : and when they had oracularly or divinely advised) opened their treasures, they present- in a dream that they should not ed him gifts; gold, and frankin- return to Herod, they departed cense, and myrrh. 12 And being into their own country another warned of God {xpr][jLaTLG-&ivTE<;:, way. ^^And when they were de- false dualism of his creed, He tells him (Is. xlv : 7), "I form the light and create the darkness. I make peace and create evil." The Persians, holding to the spirituality of God, had no temples noi images. They worshiped Him before a flame of fire but were not fire- worshipers. The visible fire on their altars was the symbol of the invisible Fire which pervaded all nature ; the hidden Shekinah, the Light concealed underneath all that shines — the sun, moon and stars. This reverence for the media, easily mistaken for idolatry, often no doubt became idolatrous. But Zoroaster taught the unity of God ; and some of his disciples rejected and sought to eliminate the dogma of two Creators, one of good and the other of evil. One is struck in reading the proclamations of the earlier Persian kings, found in Ezra, with their religious, and, so to speak, orthodox character. But the remarkable fact has received remarkable confirmation in recently- discovered monumental inscriptions, to the silencing of scepticism. The fact is, although erroneous and greatly defective, the religion of the Magi was not alien but akin to that of the Hebrews in many respects. They long existed side by side, and it would be strange, indeed, if the readers of the Avesta or Persian Scriptures were not acquainted likewise with the Sacred Writings of the Jews. In this they would find every thing to attract and noticing to repel. Candor would even compel them to admit 6 g2 T II E E V A N G E L . And Joseph, likewise, warned of Herod's spite, Fled into Egypt with the Child by night, Staying till Herod's death ; that what was told parted, behold, the angel of the until I bring thee word : for Herod Lord appeareth to Joseph in a will seek the young child to destroy dream, saying. Arise, and take the him. i^ When he arose, he took the young child and his mother, and young child and his mother by night, flee into Egypt, and be thou there and departed into Egypt : * i^^nd that Moses was superior to Zoroaster ; that in all the Avesta or Zend-Avesta there was nothing comparable to the opening sentence in Genesis : " Let there be Light ! and Light was "—and that as a symbol of Deity, nowhere as there were the praises of their revered element so worthily or so sublimely celebrated. Indeed, it would seem as if they had already become half converts to Judaism, when Persian kings ordered the Temple to be rebuilt * Tradition fixes the place of their sojourn at On (= Light), Heliopolis, the city of the Sun, called in Jer. xliii :i3, Beth-shemesh (the house of the sun) ; where stood the great Temple of the Sun or RA, with its avenues of sphinxes and rows of " petrified sunbeams " (?^^^«-ra=sunbeam) obeUsks [a Greek word m'eaning "a spit," used by way of contempt] ; of which only one remains. Over the portal was the Sun-god, the Hawk-headed Osiris. From the worship of Ra or the Sun were derived the names of the kings and priests. " Pha-raoh " means " the Child of the Sun ;" and " Potiphe-rah," "the Servant of the Sun." We are told (Gen. xli. 43) Joseph's bride was " a daughter of Potipherah, priest of On." .On was the Oxford of ancient Egypt. Here, it is likely, Moses was educated, and thus became "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians." It is the supposed place of Abraham's sojourn. It contains the sacred fig-tree shown to pilgrims for many centuries, as that under which the Holy Fam- ily rested. The time of their flight to Egypt and their stay is uncertain. Of the first we know it must have been subsequent to the Presentation, and less than two years after the Birth of Christ. Their stay has been put at seven years by some and three years by others. Was it not still less ? The ragged stuff and and nonsense of the Arabic Apochryphal Gospel concerning what happened while they were in Egypt, belong to the silliest of " profane and old wives' fables," which we are told to " refuse." THE WORSHIP OF THE MAGI. 83 Primarily of Israel of old, Might have fulfilment in a Dearer One, And " Out of Egypt I have called my Son," Be proved twice true, be verified twice o'er, was there until the death of Herod: my son. i^Then Herod, when he that it might be fulfilled which was saw that he was mocked of the wise spoken of the Lord by the prophet, men, was exceeding wroth, and saying, Out of Egypt have I called sent forth, and slew all the children* at Jerusalem at their own cost ; and directed further, that prayers there should be said for the king and the people of Persia forever. In like manner among the Chaldeans, God, it would seem, did not leave Himself without a witness. The most ancient of all the known Chaldean oracles ran thus : " When thou seest a sacred fire of a new form, shining through the depths of space, then hear the voice of that fire. "Sian/ejy's Chald. Philos. Considering to Balaam, a Chaldean astrologer, it was given to foretell a King of whom a Star in heaven would be the sign ; and to Cyrus, the Persian, the honor of being called the Lord's Shepherd to lead back His people from Exile ; who so hkely or who so fit as a select number of the * The traditional number slain was 14,000. Jeremy Taylor depicts the unspeakable anguish of "fourteen thousand mothers, who in one day saw their pretty babes pour forth their blood into the bosom whence not long before they had sucked milk." They were classed among the Protomar- tyrs, and canonized under the name of the " Holy Innocents." Modern computation, going perhaps to the other extreme, refuses to allow a greater probable total than ten or twelve, inasmuch as Bethlehem was only a small country town, and its neighborhood not populous. The Apochryphal Gospel, styled The Protevangelium of James the brother of the Lo7'd, relates that Herod sought to kill John likewise, but his mother having secreted him, he was so incensed against his father Zacharias because he would not discover his hiding-place that he "slew him between the temple {vabv) and the altar " (Matth. xxiii : 35). But there is no reason to believe that the Zacharias here spoken of was the father of John. 84 THEEVANGEL. Exemplified in many a scripture more, Touching events in the prophetic past Fulfilled in Him the Antitype at last. The balked and angry Herod, when he knew The mocking of the Magi, sent and slew All children found in Bethlehem, that were " Of two years old and under: murderer that were in Bethlehem, and in all old and under, according to the the coasts thereof, from two years time of which he had diligently most spiritual of these Persian Magi — divinely enlightened beyond their fellows, believers in one God, not idolaters like other Gentiles, to whom the coming of a Redeemer was a familiar hope, not ignorant it is likely of Balaam's prophecy, nor of Daniel's predictions as being once the honored chief of their order — to be chosen to bear their own devout homage, and representatively that of the Gentiles, to the feet of the Saviour-King, themselves an offering and a kind of lirst fruits of a converted world. Miracle, just so far as miracle was needed; preternatural agencies of dream and star or semblance of a star for monition and guidance, we know were not withheld ; but it may be that these only supplemented means of a natural kind. In March, 1604, there was a great astrological wonder: the planets Saturn, Jupiter and Mars were in close conjunction, forming a fiery trigon in the fiery signs, Aries, Leo and Sagittarius, an event which occurs only every eight hundred years. In October of the same year a New Star was observed in the constellation Serpentarius. It came in triumphal pomp in the very quarter of the heavens where two of these planets were still together. It having occurred to Kepler, the great Christian Magus, that the Star seen by the Magi might have had a like ushering in, he, upon tracing their orbits backward, made the remarkable discovery that there was in the year of Rome 747, on the 29th of May (the conjectured time of Christ's birth, or possibly ot His conception),. THE WORSHIP OF THE MAGI. 85 Of many to make sure of one. O fool ! To think he could prevent Messiah's rule. Then was fulfilled that dirge of tender woe, Which Jeremiah, centuries ago, inquired of the wise men. " Then ken by Jeremy the prophet, say- was fulfilled that which was spo- ing, ^Hn Rama was there a voice a conjunction of Jupiter and vSaturn in the constellation Pisces (Fishes).* With what extraordinary feelings of mingled curiosity and devout won- der must these ancient sleepless watchers of the heavens have contemplated that magnificent spectacle of marshaled planets, then in their perihehon, *It is a curious coincidence, to say the least, and one that has not been hitherto noticed in this connection, that the constituent letters of the Greek word for Fish, IXGT2 (Ichthus), form the initials in Greek of the name 'lijGovg- XpioTog- Qeov Tlog- lurrjp [or Nt^V^oc] I ch th u s [n] "Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Saviour; " or in case we use the accusative {as Tertulian does) with a final N instead of 2, and let this stand for N^TTfor. meaning "a Babe," then the reading would be, "Jesus Christ the Son of God, a Babe." It is well known that in the first centuries the Fish was constantly used both as a figure of Christ and a symbol of Bap- tism. St. Augustine calls the apparition of the Star to the Magi — lingua cceli — " a word from heaven." As God once deigned to teach men by type and symbol, why should it be thought unworthy of Him to speak in the universal language of the liieroglyphical heavens, and make stellar worlds and planetary configura- tions an alphabet to spell out the exact time throughout all time when He brought His Only Begotten Son into the world, and said "Let all the Angels of God worship Him." Should it be objected that the sign of the Fishes could not have signified to the Magi what it did to the first Christians ; that its language was only then made intelligible after the devout labors cand sublime unfoldings of a Kepler ; it yet may serve for (3«r confirmation in the faith, upon whom the ends of the world have come. " He that hath ears to hear let him hear." S6 THE EVANGEL. Struck from his lyre, elegiac and sweet, And made the hills of Bethlehem repeat : *' A cry in Rama heard ! Funereal wail, Weeping and loud lament afflict the gale That sweeps o'er Rachel's lonely tomb, and speaks heard, lamentation [Td-g/jvog; a wail- Rachel weeping for her children, ing, a threne, a funereal dirge], and would not be comforted, be- and weeping, and great mourning, cause they are not. i^gut when hanging large and low, as seen through that clear and crystal atmosphere ; now for the fourth time in the space of a few months in portentous conjimc- tion, with another planet added ; and shining, we assume, in what was called astrologically the Judean quarter of the sky ! Was it then or earlier that they witnessed a still greater marvel, if possible — the sudden apparition of a Sidereal Stranger, a New Star, so it seemed, to which all the other stars did homage ; a bright and beckoning presence, which, moving westward, and pointing the way, invited them to follow ? Previously instructed, it may be, as afterward, in a dream, they were not disobedient to the heav- enly vision. Under that celestial guidance they crossed the Euphrates ; with charmed and willing feet pursued their way across the desert steppes of Syria many a league, till from the heights of Gilead they caught a view of Palestine, and crossing the Jordan at length reached Jerusalem. From the circumstance of their heavenly escort, " the Star out of Jacob," now faihng them, they would be led to infer, even if not before divinely informed, that they were to go no farther ; that here was the object of their search, even "Messiah the Prince" (or, preferably, as the ancient Syriac version gives it), "the Anointed One, the King," that "King of the Jews," predicted by Daniel — being convinced that their long-expected Zosiosh, and Oshanderbegha {I/omo Mundi), was no other than He — the new-born Jehovah-Saviour, the Heaven-descended, Heaven-crowned, Universal King — whom they found at Bethlehem and worshiped. Beyond all reasonable doubt the Star was only a star in appearance, with a special function — a heavenly candle to light them on their journey, and then blown out as no longer needed, when " the day dawned, and the day star arose in their hearts." A little light serves for illumination when THE WORSHIP OF THE MAGI. Her wild maternal grief in sobs and shrieks, And meanings of despair — her children dead, Or into mournful exile captive led." ^ Why do the people rage, and wicked kings Plot and imagine vain and cruel things Herod was dead, behold, an angel and take the young child and his of the Lord appeareth in a dream to mother, and go into the land of Joseph in Egypt, saying, 20 Arise, Israel ; for they are dead which it falls on the open eye of a sincere seeker after knowledge ; while blazing constellations and the sun shining in his strength avail nothing to them who do not care to see. Jewish Rabbis could tell where Christ should be born, but permitted the Persian Pilgrims to go alone to find Him, The desire to find in the visit of the Magi the fulfilment of those proph- ecies t which speak of kings bringing gifts and offering worship, early led to the assumption that these were kings. The number was arbitrarily fixed to three — either because the Trinity was three, or the gifts were three, or there were three parts of the earth, or three great divisions of the humaA race. Symbolic meanings were attributed to the gifts. The gold pointed to His Kingship ; the frankincense bore witness to His Divinity ; the myrrh to His Humanity, while it prefigured the bitterness of His Passion and His embalmment for Burial. At a later period names were added, and they were called Caspar, Melchior and Balthazar. According to Bede, Melchior, who was a hoary-headed old man with a long white beard, offered the gold. Caspar, who was a young man, beardless and ruddy, the frankincense. And Balthazar, who was dark and full-bearded, the myrrh. In these it is easy to discover the originals of the earlier Paint- ers. The Latin hexameter distributes their offices differently : Caspar fert myrrham, thus Melchior, Balthazar aurum. They bore other names, such as Magalath, Pangalath and Saracen ; Appellius, Amerius and Damascus, and many besides. In the Eastern Church there were another set of traditions. According * Ps. ii : 1-8. t Ps. Ixxii, ; Is. xhx : 7, 23 ; Ix : 16. 88 THEE V ANGEL. Against the Lord and His Anointed ? He, That sitteth in the heavens, derisively Shall laugh, and vex them sore, and say, " I yet, In your absurd despite. My King have set Upon My holy hill of Zion, not In vain. Thou art My Son, this day begot : sought the young child's life. 2iAnd and his mother, and came into the he arose, and took the young child land of Israel. 22 But when he heard to one, the Magi came to Jerusalem with a retinue of one thousand men, leaving behind them seven thousand men on the further bank of the Euphrates. A prediction of Zoroaster, that the coming of a Mighty One and a Redeemer would be heralded by a Star, was the chief moving cause of their journey. According to another legend, the Magi came from the extreme East, bordering on the ocean. An ancient writing that bore the name of Seth taught them to expect a Star, and the expectation was handed down from father to son. " Twelve of the holiest were appointed to be ever on the watch. Night by night they washed in pure water, and prayed and looked out on the heavens. At length the Star appeared, and in it the form of a young child bearing a cross. A voice came from it and bade them to proceed to Judea. They started on their two years' journey, and the meat with which they started never failed them. The gifts they brought were the same which Abraham gave to their progenitors, the sons of Keturah ; which the Queen of Sheba in her turn presented to Solomon ; and which had somehow found their way back again. After their return to their own country they gave themselves up to a life of contemplation and prayer. St. Thomas found them in Parthia, baptized them, and they became evangelists of the new faith." During the rage for relics in the fourth century, the bodies of the Magi, it was pretended, were found somewhere in the East, and brought to Con- stantinople, where they were deposited in the Church dedicated to Divine Wisdom, i. e. St. Sophia. Subsequently the precious relics were trans- ferred to Milan. When Milan fell into the hands of Frederick Barbarossa (a. d. 1162), Cologne obtained them. There in the great Cathedral, in a chapel immediately behind the high altar, stands the celebrated S/irine of THE WORSHIP OF THE MAGI. 89 Assume at once thy birthright ! Take the rod Of universal empire, reign as God ! " When, after Herod's death, by God's-command Joseph now come into his native land. Heard Archelaus in his father's stead •that Archelaus did reign in Judea was afraid to go thither :* notwith- in the room of his father Herod, he standing being warned of God in a the Three Kings, once decorated with gold and gems of immense value, the offerings of devotees for miraculous cures sought or wrought through several centuries. Their skulls inscribed with their names — Gaspar, Mel- chior and Balthazar — written in rubies, are seen through an opening in the shrine, crowned with diadems made formerly of pure gold, and studded with real jewels. On the front of the shrine are these two monkish leonine lines •' Corpora sanctorum recubant hie terna Magorum ; Ex his sublatum nihil est, alibive locatum. Here the three bodies slumber, the holy Magi's full number — Nought from them is abated, or is elsewhere located. The Feast instituted in commemoration of the arrival of the Magi is called the Epiphany ('E'n-t(l)uvetn), of which the general meaning is " Manifesta- tion." The word occurs 2 Th. ii. 8 : i Tim. vi : 14; 2 Tim. i : 10; iv : i, * It appears that Joseph and Mary, when they left Nazareth to go to Bethlehem to be taxed, had intended to make that their permanent abode. Naturally, therefore, when returning from Egypt, their first thought would be to go thither again, especially as they had a right to suppose that it was Herod Antipas, who had a character for mildness, that reigned in Judea ; and that Archelaus reigned in Galilee ; this having been Herod's original appointment, as pubhcly given out. Of the change made in his will just before his death he was evidently ignorant. Although Matthew says nothing of Joseph's previous residence in Nazareth, and Luke makes no mention of the visit of the Wise Men, the two narratives are in admirable accord, supplementing and explaining one another in a wonderful manner. 90 T H E E V A N G E L . Reigned in Judea, he was seized with dread, And went not thither. Nevertheless anew Warned in a dream, he secretly withdrew Thence into Galilee, and came once more To Nazareth, and dwelt there as before — A place of vile repute, a city mean — Whence came it, Christ was called a Nazarene Fulfilling prophecies that said, His name Should be a synonym of scorn and shame. dream, and turned aside into the that it might be fulfilled which was parts of Galilee ; 23 ^nd he came spoken by the prophets, he shall be and dwelt in a city called Nazareth : called a Nazarene. 8 ; Titus ii : 13. In the first place cited it is rendered " brightness," in all the rest "appearing," and the reference in every case is to Christ's Second Coming in glory. The Scriptural application, therefore, differs from the Ecclesiastical, which confines it to an event, significant to be sure, but not more so than Christ's Birth or Baptism. Admitting that to the Magi there was an Epiphany, a miraculous Manifestation and Dis- covery of His divine power and glory, there were other Epiphanies, one particularly on the Mount of Transfiguration, equally deserving, to say the least, of being singled out as " The Epiphany." Some authorities refer it to the appearance of the Star. A VIII. EARLY CHILDHOOD. ND the Child grew, O mystery of growth ! By natural law in mind and body both : Normal development of bud and flower, Unfolding day by day and hour by hour Their hidden loveliness — new charms of face, New revelations of surprising grace, And excellence of wisdom — hinting thus The shrouded glories of the God-With-Us, The Word made flesh : He man's Playfellow made Who was Companion of the Eternal ; laid The earth's foundations; built the skies; Out of the windows of whose wondrous eyes Lukeii: 52. And Jesus increased ning, or ever the earth was. . . . m wisdom and stature, and in favor ^^when he prepared the heavens, I withGod and man. [Prov. viii : 22. was there : when he set a compass The Lord possessed me (Wisdom) upon the face of the depth : 28"When in the beginning of his way, before he estabhshed the clouds above : his works of old. 23 j -was set up when he strengthened the fountains from everlasting, from the begin- of the deep : 29\vhen he gave to the .92 THE EVANGEL. Immortal wisdom beamed, with lustre kind And gradual radiance so as not to blind : To show what beauty doth in childhood He, Became a child to childhood glorify."^ Divine, Eternal Word, Who makest sucklings wise ! The Alphabet of heavenly lore ! The Primer of the skies ! Our letters thus to be. Thou didst from heaven descend — Alpha, Omega, First and Last, Beginning and the End ! -sea his decree, that the waters should daily his delight, rejoicing always not pass his commandment : when before him ; si Rejoicing in the hab- he appointed the foundations of the itable part of his earth ; and iny de- earth: 30 Then I was by him as one lights were with the sons of men. brought up with him: and I was Rev. i : 8. I am Alpha and Omega, * Christ, the Saviour of all ages, became a child for children, a youth ifor youth, a man for men, to the end that he might sanctify and be a pattern to each — according to the oft-quoted passage from Irenaeus, a disciple of Polycarp (Adv. Her. iii. 22) : " Omnes enim per semetipsum venit salvare, omnes, inquam, qui per eum rena- scunter in Deum, infantes et parvulos et pueros et juvenes, et seniores. Ideo per ■omnem venit aetatem et infantibus infans factus, sanctificans infantes, in parvulis par- vulus, sanctificans lianc ipsam habentes setatem, simul et exemplum illis pietatis •effectus, et justitise et subjectionis, in juvenibus juvenis. exemplum juvenibus, fiens ■et sanctificans Domino. EARLY CHILDHOOD. 95 Like children we would sit, Jesus, at Thy dear feet, And learn of Thee the rudiments So simple and so sweet. Thou, Christ, art very God ! Once taught Thy name to spell, Delighted we decipher it On all Thy works as well. In Thee, in Thee, we find The key that all unlocks — The secrets of the starry heavens, The writing on the rocks. the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Al- mighty. Luke xviii : i6. But Jesus said, Suffer httle children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God. 1'' Verily I say unto you. Whosoever shallnot receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein. Matth, xi : 25, 26 ; Luke x : 21, 23. In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth,, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast re- vealed them unto babes ; even so. Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father ; and no man knoweth who the Son is but the Father ; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him. John i : 17. No man hath seen God at any time ; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the- Father, he hath declared him.] IX. THE SON OF THE LAW. HIS parents went up to Jerusalem Yearly to the Passover: He with them, When He was twelve years old, up also went Being the legal age. The seven days spent, As they returned, Jesus remained behind. Luke ii : 41. Now his parents obligation to keep it], they went went to Jerusalem every year at the up to Jerusalem after the custom feast of the Passover. •'^ And when of the feast. ^r.^nd when they he was twelve yeavs old '^ [mates at had fulfilled the days {the feast that age zuere called " sons of the lasted seven days], as they returned, law," being thencefotivard under the child Jesus tarried behind in * It is true in one sense, though not in another, the Life given in the Four Gospels is incomplete. Of the events of Christ's Infancy and Child- hood to the age of twelve, and of the intervening years up to thirty, all record is wanting. As it was left it remains. Like some matchless torso of divine art, it defies addition or supplement. We should not know how divine was the divine were it not for the human. The Apocryphal Gos- pels, so called, are ancient attempts to piece out the record and fill up gaps. The difference is infinite. Infidelity admits it. Renan says : " They can in no wise be put on the same footing as the Canonical Gos- pels ; they are flat and puerile amplifications based on these, and without value." Instead of a God we have a vulgar magician. Portent is piled upon portent, marvel upon marvel, and that without end. Miracle is made THE SON OF THE LAW. 95 When Joseph and His mother could not find, As resting from their first day's journey closed, Him in the caravan, as they'd supposed, Among their kinsfolk and acquaintance, they Back to Jerusalem without delay Hasted : and after three days searching found Him in the Temple sitting, compassed round Jerusalem; and Joseph and his in the company [o-vi^od/a =" car- mother knew not of it. -J^But avan"], went a day's journey; they, supposing him to have been and they sought him among their cheap ; and omnipotence is brought into contempt by the frequency and triviality of the occasions upon which it is exercised. Divorced from use, made a child's puppet and plaything, employed as an instrument of boy- ish sport or boyish mischief, what profanation to call this the power of God! We are naturally shocked. But, it may be, no profanation was intended. The low ideal was in fault. The stream cannot rise higher than its source. What is not in the mind cannot come out of it. As is the worker so is his work. The masterpiece is not simply the outcome of the master, but is the master. The art is the artist. Apollo Belvidere, for example, is mind in marble. It is the superlative of him who created it. It was more than mere cunningness of hand that produced for the admiration of after ages such matchless symmetry, power and grace. The hand might copy but it could not create. The god has shot his arrow, and he is calmly watching its flight. There is the assurance and ease of superior power- power that costs no effort and is never exhausted. Men call it a magnifi- cent conception, and so it is. In sculpture it is first, and there is no second. Still its scope is narrow. It expresses but one thought. It is limited to hinting a single act. It is the god of a moment. But the rep- resenting of that one moment worthily has sufficed to make the author immortal. The sun-god of the Greeks is not the Sun of Righteousness. In an artistic sense, Jesus is more than Apollo. He is an infinitely higher concep- 96 THEEVANGEL. With eager doctors hearing with surprise The wisdom of His questions and repHes. Like arrow from a bow that never missed Each question of the Infant Catechist ; The answer in the asking, keenly true. Like pebble from the brook which David threw — With certain aim, impossible to fail, kinsfolk and acquaintance. ^^^And that after three days they found him when they lound him not, they in the temple [i. e., one 0/ ike ma^ty turned back again to Jerusalem, kal/s and separate rooms of the seeking him. ^^And it came to pass " Hieron," or Temple, in the larger tion — grander, more complex, more difficult. Here the ideal presentment respects not a single attribute or act, but a character ; not a moment, but a life. The magnitude of the task it is impossible to exaggerate. No epic elevation that was ever reached approaches "the height of this great argument." Melodious Homer sang : " Achilles' wrath to Greece the direful spring Of woes unnumbered." His hero was of the vulgar type, swift of foot and large of limb. But in this case it is no earthly hero, but the unique, the unimagined ; a being descended from another sphere, having no equal and no fellow : standing on the apex of two natures — tlie glory and perfection of both ; a radiant presence in a dark world, divine in every word and act, swift to pity and powerful to save. To increase the marvel, we have four artists instead of one, each working apart ; on the mythical hypothesis, idealizing and fabling apart; giving to " airy nothing a local habitation and a name: " or, on the contrary supposition, that Christ was a real person, catching and em- bodying the ethereal essence of a divine life spent on the earth ; fixing the floating image ; and presenting, not in vague outline, but in complete living portraiture of form and feature, expression and color, an exact copy of an unparalleled original. As the artists are four, so there are four diS' THE SON OF THE LAW. 97 Smiting Goliah spite his cumbrous mail — This simple Slinger piled upon the plain A huge, unwieldy bulk of falsehood slain. How the truth sparkled, freed from folly's gloss, Rabbinical impertinence and dross ! He as a learner sat, but taught them more Than their Gamaliels knew of heavenly lore, Though practiced in the use of all the tools And ponderous apparatus of the schools. 'iense, in which judges pronounced doctors, both hearing them, and their decrees , and the Rabbins taught asking them questions. ^'^ And in their schools ; in distinction from all that heard him were aston- ^y^^ " Naos " And he said unto them, Ex- said unto him, Master, what shall we act no more than that which is ap- Faith as to Repentance. That divine change which we call Regeneration includes both. Both are essential. Admitting, as we must, that under the fuller hght of Christ's teaching, and the accompanying power of the Holy Ghost, Repentance is a mightier and diviner Reformation than that which John preached, still a part is not the whole, and it is better to confine words to their proper sphere, otherwise we annihilate all distinc- tion. It was, to be sure, inevitable, that as " Christ came that we might have life, and have it more abundantly," words and symbols should, under His ministry, receive new meanings or invigorations of old ones, to meet the exigency of diviner facts and experiences. As John's Baptism was the Baptism of Reformation, so Christ's was the Baptism of Regeneration. Both were water baptisms. There was no change of the symbol ; but instead of its representing now an outer washing merely, and a new behavior — the washing of reformation — it came to symbolize an inner washing as well, and a new life — " the wash- ing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost." When afterward — at first by an innocent metonomy, the commonest of all figures of speech — the sign would sometimes be used for the thing signified, men, strange to say (and not unfortunately in this case alone), mistaking rhetoric for reality, in process of time came to believe, that Baptism did not represent but was Regeneration ; and in hke manner that the bread and wine of the Eucharist were the real flesh and blood of our Lord. In the words of old THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS. II7 Next, when the soldiers — hirehngs of Rome, Spies and informers, terror of the home, Outrageous, insolent, and often worse, Compelling tribute for their private purse — Came and demanded what to them belong : " Do violence to none ! nor any wrong By charges false, on gain or vengeance bent ! But with your proper wages be content ! " pointed you, ''■' And the soldiers unto them, Do violence to no man, likewise demanded of him, saying, neither accuse any falsely ; and be And what shall we do ? And he said content with your wages. ^^ And as Fuller: "What damage hath unwary rhetoric not done to rehgion ! Many an innocent reader hath taken Damascene and Theophylact at their word, counting their eloquent hyperboles of Christ's presence in the sacrament the exact standards of their judgment, whence after ages brought in transubstantiation. Yea, from the Fathers' elegant apostrophes to the dead (lively pictures by hasty eyes may be taken for living persons) pray- ers to saints took their original." Symbol is similitude ; it is also a creed. Baptism is a symbol in both senses. While its divinely-ordered many-sidedness fitted it to reflect, like so many mirrors, different phases of Christian life and doctrine, its pre- vised roominess enabled it to receive from time to time new meanings to meet the added requirements of a growing revelation, whereby in the end It became crowded and packed with a sacred significance — a most preg- nant hieroglyph expressive of the chief cardinal truths and most central facts of the Christian rehgion. It meant purification. It meant reforma- tion. It meant consecration. It meant initiation and citizenship. It meant witnessing and the answer of a good conscience. It,meant regen- eration. It meant burial. It meant resurrection. It expressed hkeness to these ; and behef in these. Of course it was not these, only the image of these. We may call a picture a person but it is not a person. Every child ought to be able to distinguish between figure and fact. Besides these, forming what may be called the sacramental uses of the Il8 THE EVANGEL. As all in wondering expectation wait, And query in their hearts and hold debate, If John be the Messiah, he replies : " Nay! I, indeed, in water you baptize — A sign of outward cleansing, looking to A change of mind, a moral change in you — But change of mind is not a change of heart ; Birth to reform is only birth in part. Mine is a ministry of weakness He Who Cometh is in power and dignity the people were in expectation, and or not; '^John answered, saying all men mused in their hearts of unto them all, I indeed baptize you John, whether he were the Christ, with water ; but one mightier than term, there are other Baptisms, where water is not the element — the Bap- tism of the Holy Ghost, the Baptism of Fire, and the Baptism of Suffer- ing. These are plainly mystical or metaphorical baptisms, based on similitudes suggestive of power and abundance. The first expressed the overwhelming influence of the Holy Spirit under which men spake with tongues on the day of Pentecost. It formed a miracle of proof; an attestation incontrovertibly divine, and so mighty to convince ; but it is doubtful, amazing as it was, whether that ordinary and normal measure of the Spirit — which is freely given to all who ask — powerful to regen- erate, but without supernatural accompaniments — is not more to be desired as more necessary. The second, we must believe (seeing the object of Christ's coming was not to condemn the world), means a fire of doctrine, an enveloping, searching and testing flame, whose gracious design is ah^ays purification, and not punishment except to the incorri- gible ; and which though grievous at the time is joyous afterward. Strictly speaking, the fire of punishment is always a fire of the sinner's own kind- ling — an effect of which he is the cause. The last, referring primarily to Christ's sufferings, is an apt name for the immeasurable and mysterious agonies of the garden and the cross. THE VOICE IN THE WILDERNESS. 119 Far mightier and worthier ; whose shoes I may not carry, nor their latchet loose — The Lord Plenipotent ! He shall baptize You in the Spirit, and in fire likewise — Spirit of miracle and birth divine. And fire of God to try you and refine Whose fan is m His hand ; and he will lift. And winnow you ; and thoroughly will sift And purge His floor ; and garner will the wheat, But will the chaff consume with quenchless heat. I Cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose : he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire : 1^ Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner ; but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable. '8 And many other things in his exhortation preached he unto the people. [Mai. iii : i. Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me : and the Lord whom ye .seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in : behold, he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts. ^But who may abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand when he appeareth ? foi he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap : sAnd he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver : and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer up unto the Lord an offering in righteousness. Heb. xii : 29. For our God is a consuming fire.] X 1. THE BAPTISM. \ T the ripe moment, like the punctual sun ^ -^ Not slow nor making haste, then Jesus — One On whom the ages wait, for whom the spheres Make willing circuits, after thirty years What time was veiled His Godhead, having grown From infancy to manhood all unknown — Leaving His home at Nazareth, journeys on From Galilee to Jordan unto John, To be baptized of him. Before the sign Authenticating Him with seal divine, John knew Him not^ — permitted not to know, Matth, iii : 13. Then cometh Jesus to be baptized of him. [John i : 31. from Galilee to Jordan unto John And I knew him not : but, that he * John's declaration, "I knew Him not" (John i : 31, 32), no more means that he was ignorant of the person and character of Jesus, than the profession, "I never knew you," Matth. vii : 23 ; "I know you not," Matth. XXV : 12; "I know not whence ye are," Luke xiii : 25, 27, means THE BAPTISM. 121 To recognize Him publicly, although He always knew Him ; but however sure, He might not, by disclosure premature And haste indecent. Heaven anticipate, When He was patient and content to wait. 'Twas not enough he knew the secret well, should be made manifest to Israel, water. 32And John bare record, therefore am I come baptizing with saying, I saw the Spirit descending that the Omniscient Judge is ignorant of the persons and characters of those upon whom He passes sentence. On the contrary, paradoxical as it may sound, He knew them not because He knew them. He never recognized them as His, because they were not His. In like manner John did not know Jesus — did not recognize or divulge Him as the Messiah until he had received the promised sign after His baptism. To have done so would have been premature and unauthorized. John was ro Jesus as a scaffold to a. building, a preface to a book, a sign-post to a road. His whole raison d''etre lay in Him. " He was not that Light, but came to bear witness of that Light." But before he could be qualified to act in the capacity of an original witness, it seems indis- pensable that he should have direct, supernatural, sensible proof of His Messiahship, instead of being dependent upon second-hand testimony in regard to miraculous events of thirty years before. This might avail, and no doubt did, for private conviction and assurance, taken in connection with what he personally knew of His character. The strong language used by him before the baptism indicates the posidveness o*f his own belief. But it is a fine proof of the Divine carefulness that John was not permitted to assume or take anything for granted, but was required to wait for the credentials of a divine attestation before he bore public wit- ness. He knew Him, therefore, as if he knew Him not. He strictly respected His incognito. Whether there was a divine injunction to that effect is not stated, but it seems likely. Even His own mother, we infer, did not feel herself at liberty to repeat what she had heard and knew, " but kept \pvvzTriqzi^ " preserved " — hid away in some safe and sacred crypt of memory, under the guard and seal of a close silence] all these things, 122 THE EVANGEL. Had heard his wondering parents often tell The story of His birth, and had no doubt : Prophet and witness, sent to point Him out, 'Twas fit, besides tradition and report, He should have proof of a directer sort, from heaven like a dove, and it not : but he that sent me to baptize abode upon him. 33And I knew him with water, the same said unto me, and pondered them [cri;^/?a?i,/ioDcra= symbolized or formulated them, so to speak— put this and that together, trying to spell out the full meaning, only half divining the mighty mystery] in her heart." Objects maybe too close to the eye for clearness of vision. How far this law may have oper- ated in Mary's case it is difficult to say. But it is certain that there was a sense in which she likewise knew Him not, and that too the truest ; for we are told, " No man knoweth the Son but the Father, neither any man knoweth the Father save the Son." Matth. xi : 27. Furthermore, we run no risk in saying, that John's knowledge of the purport and purpose of his own iTaptism was partial and imperfect. He knew in general that its design was that " the Messiah [not Jesus expressly and by name] should be made manifest unto Israel." But he could not have known beforehand that the descent of the Holy Ghost, making Him manifest first to himself, would take place in connection with the adminis- tration of the rite, otherwise he would not have offered objections to bap- tizing Jesus. He probably in the outset saw the symbol only under one or at most two of its many aspects. It typified purity, and purity meant preparation pointing to the coming Christ. This much he saw. But the rite to him must have been invested with a new and grander significance afterward, when in the baptism of Jesus he found he had been unconsciously assisting in an august ceremonial of consecration after the manner prescribed in Lev. viii : 6-12, at which directly and visibly God anointed ]es\\s of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost (Acts x : 38), constituting Him " The Christ," and inaugurating Him perpetual " High Priest," with a new accompanying asseveration, "Thou art my Son, to-day have I begotten Thee," Heb, v : 5 — the same as when He brought Him, His First Begotten [ttputotokov] into the world,'' Heb. i : 5, 6 ; and again when He raised Him up from the dead. Acts xiii : 33. These words of THE BAPTISiM. 1 23 And, till th' Anointing Spirit should be given, Fear to divulge Him as the Christ of Heaven. Meanwhile he knew and knew Him not, but saw, With holy wonder and adoring awe, Such proofs of hidings of divinity, As made him sure it could be none but He: Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit the same is he which baptizeth with descending, and remaining on him, the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and the Father (which it would be absurd to understand in a strict chrono- logical genetic or ontological sense, for we know the Eternal Son, the First Begotten in a sense transcending all analogy, was neither " to-day " nor ever " begotten " in the sense of being brought into existence) are to be received with " a latitude," to borrow the language of Lord Bacon, " which is agreeable and familiar unto the divine prophecies, being of the nature of their Author, with whom a thousand years are but as one day " — and so, instead of being confined to one fulfilment, had " springing and germinant accomplishments," answering, in this case, to divine begettings, so to speak, not only in the womb of Mary, but the womb of baptism and the womb of the grave — denoting thereby natal epochs of mighty transi- tion, like the beginning of a new life — this multiple application serving to preclude any grossly literal interpretation for which, if their use had been limited to one time or occasion, there might have been room. Actor and spectator, instructed by all he had witnessed, thrilled with the mystery, and awed by the majesty of the occasion, the eye of the wonder- ing Baptist even then, we must believe, did not take in the full sweep of the divine meaning of that representative scene at one of the fords of the Jordan. He did not see what Christ plainly saw, in the act of His own baptism, and seeing shrunk not back — the prediction and the pledge of a stupendous fulfilment of all righteousness, reaching to every jot and tittle of the Mosaic law and ritual, and embracing every form of minute observ- ance, service and sacrifice, to the end that as in Adam all died, and repre- sentatively again in Israel, once baptized provisionally unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all came into condemnation, so in Christ by a voluntary 124 THE EVANGEL. Ev'n as the jeweler at once descries The diamond, undiscerned by vulgar eyes. Shrinking with felt unworthiness and shame, John spake opposing Him : '' I have no claim To this high honor : I have need to be Of Thee baptized, and comest Thou to me?" And Jesus said, '* Now suffer it, for thus bear record that this is the Son of saying, I have need to be baptized God.] i^But John forbad him, of thee, and comest thou to me? and vicarious assumption of all law and all penalty on His part, and an offering up of Himself, all should be made alive, and we be redeemed from the curse of the law, He being made a curse for us. His baptism symbol- ized a complete satisfaction and atonement — all obedience, all suffering, all death and all triumph — whereby He "became the author of eternal salvation unto all that obey Him." It was of the nature of a formal and irrevocable commitment of Himself to the whole work of saving men. Jordan was to Him more than ten thousand Rubicons. He then put His hand to the plough and never looked back. Many have wondered at Christ's baptism, because they failed to see that there, in figure, Adam died ; and Moses was buried in the same grave with " the handwriting of ordinances that was against us;" and the pur- suing Pharaohs of our sometime tyrannizing lusts were drowned in deep waters to be swept on to the Dead Sea of oblivion — and that, still in figure, our mighty Joshua, Jehovah's Help, the Captain of our Salvation, abolishing death by death, " descended first into the lowest parts* of the * There is an accidental, literal fitness (or is it not wholly accidental?) in this lan- guage, seeing the Jordan at the place where Christ was baptized is full two hundred and twenty fathoms below the level of the sea, which is deeper down into the heart of the earth than Jonah ever reached when he "cried out of the belly of hell," and " went down to the bottoms of the mountains ; and the earth with her bars was about him forever.'" Jonah ii : 2-6. THE BAPTISM. 125 Complete obedience becometh us. God sent thee to baptize, and it is fit That I should ratify and thou submit. That I as the FULFILLER should fulfil Each jot and tittle of God's righteous will." Then yielded he, for how could he withstand The gracious urgency of that command. 15 And Jesus answering said unto righteousness. Then he suffered him, Suffer it to be so now ; for him. thus it becometh us to fulfil all [i John v : 6 . This is he that came earth," that He might ascend on high, far above all heavens, leading captivity captive (Eph. v : 8-10), and opening up the way to all His follow- ers, that they too dying and rising again might mount with Him in imita- tive triumph. In saying Jesus became " the Christ " at His baptism, the meaning is, not that there took place at that time any change of personaUty or ad- vance of dignity, for he was undoubtedly the Son of God as much before as after — only that not being a proper name, but simply an official desig- nation, hkethat of King or Priest, Christ officially "came by water" or baptism, whereas Jesus personally " came by blood " or birth, according to I John V : 6 ; the Spirit bearing witness both at birth and baptism to the one truth that Jesus was the Son of God. The gnostic figment of two Christs, an earthly and a heavenly one, that were merged into one Christ at baptism, certainly finds no support in the New Testament ; and it may be questioned whether there is any better warrant for the related notion, current even in our best theology, that Christ did not arrive at the full knowledge of His Divine Sonship until His baptism. In clear contra- diction to this conception of a chrysalis Christ, and a hybernation of divine consciousness for thirty long years, is that distinct, unequivocal assertion of His conscious filial relationship to His Divine Father, made by Himself when He was twelve years old. 126 THE EVANGEL O Jordan!"^ from thy crystal source — the crests, The top, the springy sides, the streaming breasts Of dewy Hermon — look ! for thou hast heard The wind-borne tidings of that whispered word. by water and bloofl, even Jesus tain Gnostics, the Cerinthians and Christ ; not by water only [as cer- Nicolaitans affirmedl, but by water * The Jordan, made forever sacred by the baptism of Christ in its waters, is otherwise remarkable. It is unique physically, being in this respect without a known parallel in the whole world. From the village of Hashbeiya on the north-west to the village of Shiba on the south-east of Banias (anciently Caesarea Philippi), the entire slope of Anti-Lebanon — which at the southern extremity of the range shoots up into the snow- crowned majestic Hermon nine thousand three hundred and seventy-six feet above the sea — is alive with bursting fountains and gushing streams, every one of which, great and small, finds its way sooner or later into th'^ swamp between Banias and " the Waters of Merom," now Lake Huleh, and eventually becomes a part of the Jordan. The principal soiu'ces are four. The longest by forty miles is that which bursts, copious, clear and cool, beneath a perpendicular rock near Hashbeiya, on the west side of Mount Hermon. From this point, which is seventeen hundred feet above the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea, which is thirteen hundred feet below it, the distance in a direct line is one hundred and twenty miles, this being doubled by the crookedness of the stream ; and the total fall is three thou- sand feet, amply justifying its name, which means " The Descender." From Lake Huleh (Merom), which is seven miles long to the .Sea of Gali- lee, the distance is ten miles, and the River's descent seven hundred feet, forming a series of falls and rapids. A strong current marks its course through the last-named Lake, which is oval in shape, twelve or fourteen miles in length by six or seven in breadth, and one hundred and sixty feet in depth. Its surface is six hundred and fifty-three feet below the level of the Mediterranean. Issuing from this the River continues to run southward in a deep valley, "the Valley" or " Plain of the Jordan," called by the present natives El Ghor, or " the Depression," six or seven miles wide, or about the same width as the Lake, and sunk ten or twelve hundred feet below the adjacent country on the western side, but more on the eastern, the eastern range THE BAPTISM. 12^ Come down from Lebanon! make haste and come With many a sparkhng leap from thy high home ! Pure as the snows in which thou hast thy source, Flow clear, receive no soil in all thy course ! and blood. And it is the Spirit Spirit is truth. . . *^[For] there are that beareth witness, because the three that bear witness [in earth], of hills being higher though rising less abruptly. In this there is a second depression of fifty feet, having a width of less than a quarter of a mile. The number of terraces are one, two or three, according as the hills approach more or less near to the banks of the River, which in its low channel winds about in a most tortuous manner all the way to the Dead Sea, making sixty miles equal to two hundred. Lieut. Lynch, of the U. S. Exploring Expedition in 1848, who in his metallic life boats was the first to traverse its whole length, speaks of plunging down twenty-seven threatening rapids, besides many smaller ones. It is crossed by three, or at most four fords. The first and second are marked by the remains of Roman bridges. The first is just below the Sea of Galilee ; the second above its confluence with the Jabbok ; the third and fourth immediately above and below the present bathing-place of the pilgrims opposite Jeri- cho. Its chief tributaries are the Hieromax near the Lake, and the Jabbok forty miles lower down, both on the eastern side. It is a little below the Jabbok that the rapid descent begins. The higher terraces on each side under the mountains are occupied by masses of vegetation. This is succeeded by the desert-plain or " Arabah," whence begin the regular descents to the bed of the Jordan. The first descent is over a long line of white argillaceous hills to a flat occupied with low shrubs of agnus-castus ; the second to a still lower flat occupied with a jungle of tamaris-ks and willows and oleanders. In this is the bed of the River, except lower down toward its mouth, where there is a third descent, and a bordering brake of canes and reeds. This long line of jungle never ceases ; its rich verdure offering a striking contrast to the scorched barren- ness of the rest of the valley — " a dry and thirsty land where no water is." Where, however, there is irrigation from living springs and streamlets, as at Jericho and along the shores of Lake Gennesaret, the excessive heat that prevails instead of blighting promotes vegetation, and there is the same tropical luxuriance which characterizes the jungle. The two ranges 128 THE EVANGEL. Steep is the way and facile for thy feet ; Fly swift, for that the moments too are fleet ! The good news telling as thou sweep'st along, Thy murmurous gladness breaking into song. the Spirit, and the water, and the one. slf we receive the witness of blood: and these three agree in men, the witness of God is greater : of hills which accompany the river and close it in, extend along the Dead Sea and beyond on both sides of the desert Valley of the Arabah, even to the Red Sea. The River varies in width from eighty to one hundred and fifty feet, and in depth from five to twelve feet. Toward its mouth it is fifty, eighty and one hundred yards wide, and eleven, seven and three feet deep. Where it is widest, as here, tlie bottom is mud ; where narrowest it is rock or sand. It could not empty itself like other rivers into the ocean, because already thirteen hundred and sixteen feet below the ocean level ; and so the Dead Sea receives it. This being forty miles long and ten miles wide, is by far the largest as well as the lowest and the deepest of the three Lakes, which, with the long deep sulcus of the Jordan, have been hollowed out of the cavernous "limestone block which forms the main body of Syria." A tongue of land five miles wide runs out from the eastern side nearly across, and then curves northward. All south of this, being less than a quarter of the whole, is a kind of lagoon, not more than ten or twelve feet deep, while north of it the plummet, in some places, sinks to the depth of thirteen hundred and eight feet, making its bottom twenty-six hundred and twenty- four feet below the level of the Mediterranean. The water is very salt and bitter, and of a high specific gravity. Along the western shore are numer- ous springs, always flowing, some hot, some salt, some fetid. On the eastern side empty the never-failing Anion, and the Callirrhoe, a famous thermal spring, whose waters were for healing in Herod's time. On the south-western border lies a mountain (the Khashm Usdum — Sodom), described as a long, level ridge or dyke several miles in length and from three to four hundred feet in height, composed of crystallized rock-salt, capped with chalky limestone and gypsum. In the foreground stands a round pillar of salt, forty feet high, designated as the pillar of Lot's wife, but which probably is nothing more than one of those columnar masses which are hable, it is said, to be split off at intervals by the action oi T H E B A P T I S M . 1 29 With arrowy speed through wondering Merom dart ! Let awed Gennesaret its waters part For a straight passage ! not once looking back To see how ripphng smiles pursue thy track. for this is the witness of God which Heb. v : 5. So also Christ glorified he hath testified of his Son. not himself to be made a high priest; the rains from the huge angular buttresses of the K. Usdum. There is a wide enclosed plain south of the Lake, six or seven miles in extent, which retains the name of El Ghor. Then a low range of hills sweeping round in the manner of a crescent terminates the Ghor ; and it is at this point that the Wady Arabah begins, one hundred feet higher, gradually increasing to eighteen hundred feet above the Dead Sea, and five hundred feet above the Gulf of Akabah — the eastern arm of the Red Sea, thirty- five miles farther on. This forms the water-shed, whence the waters flow northward and southward — two-thirds of the Arabah draining into the Dead Sea, and the other third into the Elanitic Gulf. The principal channel for the vast northern drainage is the Wady el Jeib, half a mile wide, bearing traces of an immense volume of water rushing through it, contributed by the highlands on the east and west, so that the quantity which flows into the Dead Sea from this side must be very great. Such is the Dead Sea of to-day — the thirsty " Behemoth " that " drink- eth up a river and hastethnot;" that " trusteth he can draw up Jordan into his mouth" (Jobxl: 23) — a steaming cauldron; a bowl that never overflows, notwithstanding the perpetual pouring in of fresh supplies ; no life in its lethal waters ; all around a scene of desolation ; its shores scorched and sterile under the withering power of the heat and salt com- bined. Evidently a great change has taken place since Lot, four thousand years ago (Gen. xiii : 10) " hfted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt." " The catastrophe " [the word used by the LXX. being curiously enough that used in geology to express a sudden change in the crust of the globe by physical violence] recorded in Gen. xix : 24, 25, extended not only to the inhabitants but the site also of the doomed cities and their environs (7repi;t;(jpov), being a part of "the Plain." In so far as the Greek term KaracTpo^ri etymologically imports, not an overturning or I 30 T II E E V A N G E L . Since thou must keep the channel cleft for thee Far down below the level of the sea, Hasten the more, and compensate delay By swifter whirlings on thy spiral way ! but he that said unto him, Thou art [He, the Father, glorified him, mak- my Son, to day have I begotten thee. ing him high priest.] . . . sThough upturning, but " a down-turning," it favors the hypothesis of a burying or engulphing. The account impUes that simultaneously there took place a like sinking down and subsidence of the lands adjacent, known as the Vale of Siddim, full, not of "slime-pits," but bitumen-pits, (ppeara dacpa/iTov, "wells of asphalt " (Gen. xiv : lo), probably wells of petro- leum, which is liquid bitumen — oil-wells as we call them, whereby " the Vale of the Fields " became " the Salt Sea " (Gen. xiv : 3). Recent writers have too hastily assumed that this could not be ; that the formation of the Lake must have been a much earlier event. In this assumption too much deference is paid to the supposed claims of science and too little to the truth of Scripture. It is pure assertion, without a particle of proof, that " the configuration of the country has undergone no change ; that the Jordan has flowed into the Dead Sea at nearly its present level ever since its occupation by man." Science does not say so.- She is too modest and too cautious for tliat. The truth is, science has not yet spoken. Science is certainty ; and on this point she has too imperfect a knowledge of facts to be certain. She knows nothing of that agile logic which jumps at conclusion in advance of proof. Men are often sure in proportion as they are superficial. If we are wise we will not allow our- selves to be imposed on by oracular utterances delivered in the name of science. Science has no infallible organ, and we are obliged to accept no man's dictum as final. So far as presumption goes, it is just the reverse of what is stated. It is as a million to one that the Jordan has }tot flowed into the Dead Sea at its present level ; and that ^Aere has been change dur- ing these four thousand years. Change was inevitable so long as water runs and wears, and chemical laws operate, and physical analogies hold good, and cause and effect are joined together in an eternal marriage. In so long a period the scratch of a pin would do something ; how much more that mighty plough of the Jordan, with its tilted share, sharp and T H E B A P T I S M . 1 3 1 Nor let the thousand links of that long chain Thy hurrying feet entangle or detain ! Nor the rough terror of the deep descent, Nor the mild beauty of the banks prevent he were a Son, yet learned he obe- fered ; ^And being made perfect, he dience by the things which he suf- became the author of eternal salva- tipped with eternal adamant that never grows dull, buried and kept down in the penetrable and limy soil by the heavy hand of gravitation on its beam, and drawn by the unwearied forces of nature in ceaseless repetition in the same furrow, tearing and dissolving and making a clean sweep, leaving behind it no loosened earth in its course, and no permanent accu- mulations of silt or shingle at the end. Who is so ignorant of chemistry as not to know that pure water acts upon limestone and holds it in solution ? That carbonic acid gas disintegrates the hardest rocks, rots granite so that it crumbles and falls to pieces at a touch ? Besides, in a land honey- combed as Palestine is with caverns great and small, is it surprising that it, too, should have its " Mammoth Cave," one or more, capacious basins like those which form now the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea, dug out by indefatigable delvers, working without intermission during thousands of years? Among " the things that are never satisfied, and that say not, It is enough," according to the words of Agur, Prov. xxx : t6, are " the grave and the earth that is not filled with water." The Dead Sea is such a grave — the unsated sepulchre of interminable waters that have been falling into it from remotest times, scooped out by the unresting hands of industrious gnomes working in darkness, aided from time to time by the mighty jotuns of the volcano and the earthquake — a Stygian Pool, shut out from the upper air, and fed wholly in the beginning by streams secret and subterranean — then as now always full but never overflowing, proba- bly because of some rent or fissure in its deep bottom by which it commu- nicates with an abyss still deeper and nearer central fires. For, as we have reason to believe, the great ocean itself has in like manner in its floor great cracks and chasms through which its waters rush in roaring floods down into the bottomless gulf of some fiery infernus. Artesian wells, bringing up fresh water from below the bottom of the sea, form a famihar proof that there are subterranean rivers and subterranean lakes of great magni- tude at extreme depths. In the desert of Sahara wells have been sunk with success to the depth of 132 THE EVANGEL. Thy due arrival at the destined place Where John and Jesus wait a little space ! No moment lose, but time thy coming, so That the van waters shall have passed below- tion unto all that obey him ; loCalled [Ez. xlvii : 6. And he said unto of God a high priest after the order me, Son of man, hast thou seen of Melchisedec] this? Then he brought me, and twelve hundred feet. Those in the vicinity of I^ondon yielded in 1851 twelve million gallons daily. One of the deepest was sunk in Paris in 1841. At the depth of seventeen hundred and ninety-two feet the boring rod sud- denly penetrated the arch of the rock over the subterranean waters, and fell several yards. In a few hours the water rose to the surface in an immense volume. Its yield is half a million of gallons a day. Its tem- perature eighty-two degrees Fahrenheit. A still deeper one is that atKis- singen in Bavaria, sunk for salt water, being eighteen hundred and seven- ty-eight feet deep. In China they have existed from time immemorial in great numbers. In one district, ten leagues by four, they may be counted by tens of thousands, sunk at very remote periods, for salt water and bituminous matters, which are brought up from the depth of eighteen hundred feet and even three thousand feet : whence also currents of car- buretted hydrogen gas (the same as that used in all our cities for lighting purposes) rush up in such quantities as to suffice for the evaporating of the salt water. It is very common for a copious discharge of this gas, with jets of petroleum, to accompany the flow of the brine from salt- wells every where. Around volcanoes petroleum is often seen floating upon the surface of the water. To the south of Vesuvius a spring of it rises up through the sea. Recent discoveries of it in immense quantities at our own doors have made us all familiar with this product ; and with the fact of the existence of large subterranean reservoirs, some near the surface, some more than a thousand feet down. Here, too, on opening a well, the violent rushing up of the carburetted hydrogen is often like the uncorking of a bottle of champagne. The pertinence of these facts is obvious, and yet they have received little or no attention. The Vale of Siddim, and the adjoining plains, we infer, formed once " the Oil Regions " of Palestine. That the " oil-wells " which existed before the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah do not THE BAPTISM 1.33 Defiled by muddy affluents let in, And washings of the leprosy of sin. O happy River ! conscious in each drop From thy clear bottom to thy smiling top — caused me to return to the brink of when I had returned, behold, at the the river [brook Cedron]. ''Now bank of the river were very many exist now, is a pregnant proof that at that time, and by the same earth- quake which spent its violence all along the valley of the Jordan and the Arabah as far as the Elanitic Gulf, depressing some parts and raising others, there was an unroofing of these underground receptacles, and a continued combustion of their contents, thereby causing their obliteration. The ignition of the carburetted hydrogen in its spontaneous passage through the soil must in ordinary times have been of constant occurrence, and this circumstance may have given name to the chief city, Sodom, which means "Burning." On the western shores of the Caspian there is, at the present day, a similar tract called the Field of Fire, which con- tinually emits inflammable gas, and abounds in springs of naphtha and petroleum. The Phlegraean Fields of Campania offer Hkewise many points of resemblance. As Hot Springs are still existing, and as these in fact are natural Artesian wells issuing from great depths, why may we not suppose the Dead Sea to be one of these underground salt-lakes uncovered— an Artesian well with a wide mouth, its high arched roof fallen in, and long ago dissolved and carried away in solution we know not whither ? It is enough to know that in the capacious bowels of the earth there is ample room for this a thousand times over. The falling in may have been sudden, but the attenuations which led to it may have been slow, beginning with the creation. The upward pressure of the water upon the top of the containing reservoir could not fail continually to diminish the thickness of the superincumbent crust both by mechanical wear and chemical erosion, even beyond the action of the water above ground, and thus secretly contribute to the final disruption and caving in. Whether the immediate cause of the precipitation was miraculous or natural ; whether it was brought in from afar, or found and formed on the spot, is not material. In either case the event would be providential ; something foreseen and provided for ; the result of creative forecast and 134 THE EVANGEL. Deep calling unto deep, as rapids swift To foaming cataracts their voice uplift In eager proclamation, far to near And near to far, loud shouting, God is here trees on the one side and on the These waters issue out toward the other, sfhen said he unto me, east country, and go down into the anticipation — providence being in a sense a property of creation itself; which so far frora being blind is full of eyes, seeing the end from the beginning, and taking care that the undelaying cause is timed to the unwaiting effect. The divineness of an event is not its miraculousness. It can be divine and yet the ordinary outcome (the Saxon equivalent for " event ") of natural and known causes. And so a miracle may be less the mystery of a new creation, than the inimitableness of a divine manipu- lation of means already existing, the newness of a new synthesis (if the pedantry of the form may be pardoned) of the ultimates of a divine anal- ysis of the things around us. If it be objected that to push analysis thus far is to resolve all into the simplicity of the power of God, be it so. Cer- tain it is, Nature and God never cross, but are always parallel or coinci- dent. The outbursting volcano and the shattering earthquake are the docile and meek instruments of Omnipotent pleasure, and keep step in the grand march of all material causes in the execution of the Divine purpose, whether of judgment or mercy, at the predestinated moment. God having prepared the mine explodes it. Dean Stanley's statement — that " a convulsion of such magnitude as not only to create a new lake [the Dead Sea] but depress the valley of the Jordan several hundred feet below the sea level, and elevate the valley of the Arabah above it, must have shattered Palestine to its centre, and left upon the historical traditions of the time an indelible impression "--is remarkable for the many things which it takes for granted. In the first place, it is assumed not only without proof but against all probability, that all these changes took place at once ; that they were the work of a moment ; the immediate result of one terrible throe of agonized Nature, whose rending violence, not bounded to these, must have spread ruin on all sides, of which, if it occurred in historic times, there would necessarily have come down to us monument or memorial or trace of some kind. Now were the first true the last would not follow. So late as 1819, a large tract T H E B A P T I S M . I 3 5 Thou, ever reverent, o'er many a steep, With kneeUngs many, and prostrations deep FalHng and faUing, low and lower fall And kiss His feet, who is the Lord of all ! desert, and go into the sea [Dead the sea, the waters shall be healed.] Sea], which beingbrought forth into i^And Jesus, when he was bap- of land in the Delta of the Indus sunk down. The sea flowing into the eastern mouth of the river, in a few hours converted an area of two thou- sand square miles into an inland sea or lagoon. Strange to say, neither the rush of the sea into the new depression, nor the movement of the earthquake threw down the small fort of Sindree, nor the houses of the village, although these were submerged so that their tops only could be seen above the water. Sir Charles Lyell infers from facts hke these that great permanent upheavings and depressions of the soil may take place without the inhabitants being in the least degree conscious of a change of level ; and he calls attention to " the moral phenomenon connected with this tremendous catastrophe," for which the authority of Sir A. Burnes is quoted, who states that " these wonderful events passed tmheededh'j the inhabitants of Cutch." In 1810-12, in the county of New Madrid in Missouri, an area of land eighty miles in one direction by thirty miles in another, now known as the "sunk country," was depressed. Large lakes of twenty miles in extent were formed in the course of an hour, and others were drained. At one period during the earthquake the ground not far below the town of New Madrid swelled up so as to arrest the Mississippi in its course, and cause a temporary reflux of its waters. The earth rose in great undula- tions. The vertical movement is said to have been much less desolating than the horizontal. This event, although so recent, and taking place in our very midst, is not known, we venture to say, to one in a thousand of the inhabitants of the United States. In the Island of Jamaica, in 1692, a thousand acres or more sank in less than one minute — the sea rolling in over the tops of houses. In the Island of Java, in 1772, an area suddenly sunk down, including the mountain of fifteen miles long and six broad, carrying with it fourteen villages. The great earthquake of Lisbon, in 1775, threw down the greater part of the city. Sixty thousand persons perished in the space of six minutes. The new marble quay instantly sank. 136 THE EVANGEL. He is not here for cleansing, He is clean ; A purity like His was never seen. He can thee wash, and, washing, holy make The guilty, bitter, deep Asphaltic Lake. tized, went up' straightway out of were opened unto him, and he saw the water : and, lo, the heavens the Spirit of God descending hke a and the water over the spot stood six hundred feet, entombing in chasms of unknown depth thousands of persons and vessels near by. By the earthquake of 1783 in Calabria a great gulf was formed, like an amphitheatre, five hundred feet long and two hundred feet deep. Ravines were opened varying from thirty to two hundred and twenty feet deep, some a mile long. A lake was suddenly created, Lago del Toltilo, seven- teen hundred and eighty feet long, nine hundred and thirty-seven feet broad and fifty feet deep. Deep chasms opened and shut again ; others remained gaping ; land-slides obstructed the rivers, altering their courses; and the whole aspect of the country was changed. Some of the moim- tains seemed to jump up and down, and their summits took on perma- nently new shapes. So late as 1822, during a violent earthquake and volcanic eruption in Java, one side of the mountain called Galongoon, which was covered by a dense forest, became an enormous gulf in the form of a semi-circle. In Chili, in the same year, an area equal to a hundred thousand square miles of the country between the Andes and the coast w^as permanently elevated from two to seven feet. In further proof of the point how limited and local may be the disturb- ance, the sudden formation m the Phlegraean Fields near Naples, of a new mountain (Monte Nuovo) in 1583 may be adduced. The height of the mountain is four hundred and forty feet, and the circumference at its base more than a mile and a half. The depth of its crater is four hundred and twenty feet. It was mostly thrown up in forty-eight hours, the greater part in twenty-four, and yet there were left standing unmoved, not swayed in the least from the perpendicular, the walls of certain Roman monu- ments, temples of Apollo and Pluto, situated at its very base. Lyell speaks, moreover, of the striking manner in which the recent volcanic hills of Ischia, and those of the Phlegraean Fields — Monte Nuovo, Monte Bar- baro, Astroni and the Solfatara — blend with the surrounding landscape, THE BAPTISM. I37 Breast high in thee, not snow is half so white, Nor half so spotless is th' unsullied light ; Caressing eddies round and round Him whirled In circling dance, the Wonder of the world, dove, and lighting upon him: ^''And, This is my beloved Son, in whom 1 lo, a voice from heaven, saying, am well pleased. [Mark i : 10. And there being nothing in the physical features by which a stranger could de- termine their ages or distinguish them from the oldest parts. Not only do the facts here cited supply material for refutation, but are refutation themselves. They show what has actually taken place, and is taking place in sinkings and upheavals, in places remote in some cases from volcanoes, as great as those discredited. What becomes then of the hypothetical impossibility? In no part of the world have earthquakes been more frequent or more violent than in Syria and Judea. From their alternating with those in Southern Italy, it is suspected that there is a sys- tem of communicating fissures, having a common relation to one deep- seated focus of volcanic fires. A period of quiescence with one usually corresponds with a period of activity with the other. Antioch, situated on the banks of the Orontes, three hundred miles north of Jerusalem, and thirty miles from the Mediterranean, lying therefore in the direct line of the Jordan Valley, and so to speak in a northern extension of it, has suf- fered peculiarly from earthquakes. It was almost destroyed by one A. D. 115 ; again in 458 ; and in 526 occurred the most disastrous on record. Gibbon states that it was estimated that two hundred and fifty thousand persons then perished. They affected elongated areas. The violent shocks which devastated Syria in 1837 were felt on a line five hundred miles in length by ninety in breadth ; more than six thousand persons perished ; deep rents were made in solid rocks, and new hot springs burst out. Those which formed the once celebrated baths of Tiberias near the Lake were greatly disturbed, made hotter and more active, and the modern city of Tu- barieh was nearly destroyed. So in Southern Europe. There is a central tract where mountains are torn asunder, the surface elevated or depressed, and cities laid in ruins. On either side of this line there are parallel bands where the shocks are less violent. Beyond these there are spaces where they are much rarer and more feeble, but sufficient by continued repetition to cause an appreciable alteration in the external form of the earth's crust. 138 THE EVANGEL. He stoops to thee in all His heavenly charms I see Him sinking in thy jeweled arms, Lost one amazing moment to the sight, Then rising radiant dripping gems of light. straightway coming up out of the and the Spirit like a dove descend- water, he saw the heavens opened, ing upon him. i^And there came a There are three kinds of earthquake motions, viz., undulatory or wave- like, vertical and whirling. According as the propagation of the undula- tions are in a linear direction or concentric, earthquakes are called linear or central. Their effects will be most intense where the earth's strata are most broken — in deep fissures which establish a ready communication with the surface. So frequent are they, that they may be said to be oc- curring almost daily in some part of the world. Now, as the Arabah and the Jordan lie in the direct path of the most desolating earthquakes, it is utterly incredible that during all these thou- sands of years no changes should have taken place. We could believe anything rather than that. Interpreted by the light of the above facts, there is ample ground for saying, that the mysterious depression of the Valley of the Jordan and the two Lakes so far below the Mediterranean, not suspected until Lynch's Expedition, is the aggregate effect of many convulsions, rather than one, during which the whole ground has been again and again rent and fissured, and the containing basins of Gennesa- ret and the Dead Sea have been cracked and shattered like a broken vase ; aided doubtless by other causes, such as the action of water finding its way into the fissures of the split rocks, insidiously undermining and re- moving, or with sudden violence pushing fracturing and upheaving great masses at once ; to which may be added, besides causes previously sug- gested, that other agency to which, according to some, the principal inequalities of the earth's surface including the great ocean cavities are due, namely, the sinking or bending down of the outward crust become too large, by more rapid cooling, for its contents, the contained interior being shrunk and shriveled up by the baking heat of intestine fires. The dynamics of earthquakes are very imperfectly understood, but the causes of that gradual subsidence of whole countries like Sweden, which is silently going on at the present time as ascertained by careful measurements, are still r II E B A P T I S M . 1 39 And as He, praying, doth from thee ascend, (Wonder of wonders when will wonders end) Heaven's doors dimensionless wide open spread, And more than Heaven descends upon His head. voice from heaven, saying, Thou when all the people were baptized, art my beloved Son, in whom I am it came to pass, that Jesus also be- well pleased, Luke iii : 21. Now ing baptized, and praying, the hea- more obscure. There is no greater fallacy, as Lyell labors to show in op- position to a class of geologists, than that the earth has settled into a state of repose. The fact is, nothing is in one stay. Terra firma is a misnomer. If this is true of the globe generally, how much more of that wonderful cre- vasse of the Jordan which has been, through all historic time, the dusty highway for the trampling feet of mighty earthquakes. Modern explora- tions, of which the object is the fixing and identifying of old localities, failing to take account of great possible changes, even since the time of Christ, are pretty sure to result in failure. Without actual measurements it would not be safe to say that there have not been appreciable changes, possibly a farther sinking down, since those made by Lieutenant Lynch in 1848. The subject is one of considerable importance in various ways, and we have sought, therefore, to furnish such facts as would enable the reader to draw his own conclusions. We shall be surprised if he does not find reason to adhere to the old theory, whicii has the united support of scrip- ture, tradition and scientific probability ; finding nothing incredible in the supposition but the reverse, that prior to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah "the Plain of the Jordan," instead of being sunk as now below the Mediterranean, was elevated above it, and that the River, not as now turbulent and precipitous, flowed along a gentle slope in tranquil current, pursuing its beautiful way through a well-watered and blooming paradise, straight through the Vale of Siddim, high above " the Salt Sea " then a subterranean lake, past the five guilty cities, onward along the Arabah not then "a desert," till greatly increased in volume it emptied into the Red Sea. This reconciles all. An earthquake not more violent perhaps than some that have occurred during the present century would suffice to cause great changes of level, while it executed fiery judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah, with dreadful concomitants — " the breath of the 140 THE EVANGEL. The Holy Ghost, down darting from above In volant shape and semblance of a dove, There rests, expressing peace, and, lo ! is heard ven was opened, 22And the Holy came from heaven, which said, Thou Ghost descended in a bodily shape art my beloved Son, in thee I am like a dove upon him, and a voice well pleased. -^And Jesus himself Lord like a stream of brimstone " (Isa. xxx : 33) kindling an inextinguish- able conflagration, whose fuel was not so much the buildings, nor yet the upper bituminous nitrous and sulphurous soil, as vast underground mag- azines of explosive liquid and gas, which flaming upward filled the skies with great flakes and cinders, to be rained back again — ' ' fire and brimstone and a horrible tempest "—with noise of thunder and with lurid lightnings ; at the same time that the earth yawned and swallowed city and inhabitant, making them " go down quick into hell" (Ps. Iv : 15) ; the ground split by vertical violence laying open then first to the light of day the dark tar- larean gulf since known as the Salt Sea, the Sea of Sodom and the Sea of Death. As the power of an earthquake cannot be measured, nor the area of its action be determined beforehand, no one has the right to affirm absolutely that changes like these and as great as these could not have taken place yesterday or that they might not happen again to- morrow. Still it is proper to say, that while it is quite true that no limit can be assigned to the possibilities of an agency which may one day shatter the globe itself, it would be wrong to bring down the catastrophe that over- whelmed the Cities of the Plain to the level of an ordinary occurrence, for it is every where spoken of as something signal, exceptional, and in a judicial sense if no other, miraculous, that is to say, the immediate act of God. Mr. Grove in Smith's Bible Dictionary, both under the heads of " the Salt Sea " and of " Sodom," not being able to make the statement found in Genesis xiv : 3, " The Vale of Siddim which is the Salt Sea," square with his theory of denial, assumes that the words " which is the Salt Sea," did not form a part of the original text but was subsequently added by some ancient scribe as a note of explanation. Now if the words stood alone, and the connexion with the context were merely accidental and not vital ; still more, if they were at variance instead of being in harmony with the tenor of the rest of the narrative, then the possibility of an interpolation might be conceded, and the dernier resort of rejection be justified. But since it THE BAPTISM. I4I A voice from Heaven that joins th' attesting word: " Thou art My Son, My Sole Begot, in Thee I am well pleased. Begin Thyself to be ! " l>e^an to be [t/v ap_;^o/z£vof =" was guration"] about thirty years oi in the beginning," or " at His inau- age. is otherwise, and the explanatory phrase is indispensable to the right un- derstanding of what follows ; is the key in fact to the mystery ; making clear, consistent and credible all that is said respecting the fertility of the plain of the Jordan, and the site of the five cities; providing, moreover, needed space in the right place for the ample ordering of habitation and battlefield ; and a righting and reconciling of all disagreements between the then and now — surely, under such circumstances, the application of the knife of excision is a proceeding purely arbitrary, and can be justified upon no just principle, but must be regarded as an unwarrantable muti- lation of the sacred record — an actual cutting across, indeed, of the arteries which constitute its life. XII. THE TEMPTATION. ^ I ^HEN by the Spirit, without measure given, -*- Jesus into the wilderness was driven^ No wind did ever drive more willing- sail — Our second Adam, since our first did fail, To be there tempted of the Devil. Good [Matth. iv : i. Then was Jesus measure unto Him] into the wilder- led up of the Spirit [John iii : 34. ness to be tempted of the devil.* For God giveth not the Spirit by sAnd when he had fasted forty days *After the Baptism the Temptation. Now the newly inaugurated Christ begins to do the work His Father gave Him to do, and to save mankind. The first step taken there is no power can prevent or delay the second. Nature is not more sequent and immediate. With the paternal voice speaking out of the excellent glory still sounding in His ears, testifying, " Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee : " and again, " Thou art a Priest forever after the order of Melchisedec," "A minister of the sanctuary and the true tabernacle [the temple of His body] which the Lord pitched [now again in the wilderness] and not man," " Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the Devil." He who taught us to pray, " Lead us not into temptation," was Himself led into it. It would seem that thus early, " It pleased the Lord to bruise Him and put Him to grief." Mark uses still stronger language : " And imme- diately the Spirit driveth [^■/c/3a/l?.ef=casts, thrusts outj Him into the wilderness." Not that He went unwillingly ; for His was not " a fugitive THE TEMPTATION. I43 In righteousness invincible he stood ; Was with wild beasts — such awe hath innocence — Nor ate nor hungered, plunged in thouglit intense, For forty days ; these ended, felt at last The sharpness of the pangs of His long fast. Now Satan, ply thine arts, stand not aloof! He doth defy thee ; put Him to the proof! and forty nights, he was afterward Mark i : 12. And immediately an hungred, the Spirit driveth [i KiSu/i-Xec] him and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that never sahies out and seeks his adversary." But He went freely, as goes the athlete — ^i/asi athleta sponte procedeiis — for lofty discipline ; to train and exercise Himself; to struggle, to wrestle, and to prevail ; to silence and trample, after brief contest, under His victorious feet, Satan, the Arch Foe and Accuser of mankind ; going into the wilderness, not to fly temptation, but to put to flight the Tempter ; not to dwell there, but to return. His purpose accom- plished, after a short stay. The Spirit compelled as the heart compels. The power was not from without but from within. It was the push of the pulse — a divine vis a ter^oMxgmg Him forward. It was that necessity of His being which led Him to say: "I must be about My Father's business. My meat and drink is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish His work. I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished." This drove Him forth. It was not because, like Paul, He needed Satanic buffetings to humble Him, " lest He should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations," for He was never otherwise than " meek and lowly in heart." " Being full of the Holy Ghost," consequent on a divine cataclysm and a new baptism, what time "all the fountains of the great deep [of His being] were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened," the Ark of our Deliverance, emergent and afloat, "went upon the face of the waters" of the deluge of His overflowing Divinity ; "and the flood was 144 THE EVANGEL. His calm, untroubled heart, without affright, Hath heard thy stealthy footsteps through the night ; And known thee near, both sleeping and awake ; Perceived thy hiss in the envenomed snake ; Housed in wild beasts thy roarings vex the air; Thy hellish malice in their eyeballs glare. This is thy hour: make good thy boasts ! display Thy craft and cunning in the light of day ! into the wilderness. And he was tempted of Satan, and was with the there in the wilderness forty days, wild beasts. forty days upon the earth," Gen, vii : ii, 17, "And in those days he did eat nothing," not feeling the need of food. He fasted without hunger. Exceptional but not solitary, for Moses and Elijah fasted forty days like- wise, this long fast was not necessarily miraculous, but only proved the intensity and entireness of His spiritual preoccupation. The fastin g formed no part of the trial. It was merely incidental. It was like the fast ot fever, unaccompanied by desire. It had not the merit of self-denial. Fasting is only then meritorious when it is used as a means to an end. Christ was no ascetic. Hunger overtook Him, He did not go in pursuit of it. Behold ! the promised Man is here — He that was to restore the Paradise that was lost, and bruise the Serpent's head. Adam is again on trial, but the scene of it is no longer the Garden of Delight and Innocence, but out in the cursed and desolate places of the earth, whence when man fell he had been driven : " Infamous hills and sandy perilous wilds," with its savage tenantry of wild beasts, the reputed haunt of demons, where satyrs dance and cry to each other, and unclean spirits roam, seek- ing rest and finding none. It is not known whether the wilderness spoken THE TEMPTATION. I45 And when the Tempter came to Him, he said : •* If Son of God, command these stones be bread! " But Jesus answered, " Nay! of old 'twas shown,. Man shall not live by bread, or bread alone : But by each word that from God's mouth proceeds,. Tied to no means to satisfy his needs. When Israel hungered, God a table spread Luke iv : i. And Jesus being full Jordan, and was led by the Spirit of the Holy Ghost returned from into the wilderness. 2 Being forty of was the Quaranfania, near Jericho, this side of the Jordan ; or the mountains of Moab, Nebo or Pisgah, on the other side ; or Sinaitic soli- tudes, the old sites of the Israelitish encampments during the forty years' wanderings in the desert. Nor is the point material. We are ignorant likewise what form Satan assumed, but are accustomed to take it for granted that it was human. Certainly the character of the temptations does no discredit to his ancient reputation for consummate craft. There is nothing gross in them ; nothing to startle ; but are spe- ciously religious. The evil is lurking and latent, and, at first sight, does not seem to be evil. He onl}'' says : "If Son of God, be what you are ! Act in character ! Justify your claim ! It is right you should. Self-pre- servation is the first law of nature. Throwing yourself from a height is but throwing yourself into the arms of God. I promise to give you the throne of the Cesars, and I ask nothing in return but acknowledgment and thanks." The answer to each artful suggestion is ready, and the infernal sophism is demohshed at a word. The victory seems easy, but is not easy, for it is the painful outcome of " prayers and supplications offered up with strong crying and tears." The Son of God is also the Son of Man. Christ's priestly sympathy has the sure basis of consanguinity. He is our Kinsman and Elder Brother. He is none the less Man because He is God. " He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." His Godhood was perfect from the beginning : His Manhood was made perfect. " Though He were 146 THE EVANGEL. Far in the desert where there was no bread , Quotidian manna graciously did give, Something that was not bread, yet did he live. In God we live, and out of Him we die, And bread were stones unless He life supply. " Shall I distrust My Heavenly Father's care, And filch by miracle My hungry share ? days tempted of the devil. And in when they were ended, he afterward those days he did eat nothing ; and hungered. a Son yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered." The higher nature or life did not abolish the lower ; but overtopped it, and informed it by a voluntary descent and influx, constituting the life of the life. From supernal heights and eternal fountains flowed that River of God. While His humanity touched the heavens, His divinity pierced it and passed out of sight into the heaven of heavens. This vital fact of two natures united but not confounded, although mi- raculous is not monstrous. Admitting it transcends physiology, still physiological analogies are not wanting. Life in man, and even in brutes, stands for lives which are in a sense distinct and independent. There is the organic life, the life of the organs, cell-life, which from being common to both vegetables and animals may be called vegeto-animal life. Rising from this lowest floor of life is sentient life, the life of relation with the outer world, known as animal life. Above this still, is the life distinctively human, the unshared hfe of the immortal mind or spirit, bounded by cor- poreal shores but open to the infinite, whence come quickenings and inspi- rations from God, making us sons of a new birth, and " partakers of the divine nature." Over these several lives dominates the will, the lord of the body and all its parts, with power to isolate one part or faculty, and employ it to the exclusion of the rest, or bring into play many or all at once. There are stories and walls of partition which divide but do not destroy the unity of the household. Upon the voluntary opening or the shutting of a door how THE TEMPTATION. 147 Let thirst consume Me, and let hunger gnaw ; 'T were better thus, than violate the law Of My subjection ; better far to starve, Than with unlawful instruments to carve. *' The life is more than meat. The menial part Must be subservient to the mind and heart. Ungoverned appetite makes man a beast, Luke iv : 3. And the devil said command this stone that it be made unto him, If thou be the Son of God, bread. 4And Jesus answered him much depends ? What is so easy as the hfting or closing of the eye-lids ? and yet while one reveals the universe the other blots it. It was meant, that the highernature should descend into the lower, to humanize and ele- vate the bestial, to cast out the unclean, and make all chaste and holy. It is voluntary with us whether this shall take place. It is as the will deter- mines whether the beast or the man shall assert itself; whether the devilish or the godhke. This faculty, mediating between the two lives, responsive to pleadings and appeals from the animal nature addressed to the human, is able to maintain the body's chastity and keep it under. So, we conceive, in Christ, high above the human was the divine, the two blended into one personality or self, but each, in a sense, distinct from the other, with a mediating will connecting and directing, separately or conjointly, their appropriate activities — the divine answering the cries of the human in the dreadful hour of temptation and trial, but not otherwise than in the ordinary normal manner, so as not to affect the reality of the proba- tion, making it truly and absolutely human, in order that the merit might be human. This isolating power for independent action, so to speak, of the strictly human self, apart from the divine, comparable in a degree to the familiar power we all possess of segregating one part of the body from all the other parts ; of employing, for example, the little finger separate from the rest of the hand in lifting a weight — made it possible for Him to render an obedience which being essentially man's should redound to 148 THE EVANGEL. A swinish feeder at an unblest feast. Who Hves to pleasure, ne'er to live begins, But is all dead in trespasses and sins. " To eat is not to live. The life of man Is an eternal life, and only can Be nourished by that bread which is not bread, But the renewing word of God instead." saying, It is written that man shall every word of God. not live by bread alone, but by [Matth. iv : 3, And when the man's advantage. It being man that was on trial, from first to last in all that concerned Himself He acted and suffered as a man. Although He was " the Word made flesh;" and " in Him dwelt all the fulness of the Godhead bodily," nothing can be clearer than that the whole stress and strain of the trial were borne by the human half, while the divine was held strictly in abeyance. He who a few days after changed water into wine, certainly did not want power to make the stones bread ; but in complying with the temptation to do so to satisfy His personal needs, He would have abdicated His humanity, overridden it and cast it aside, and so nullified His mission. The second Adam would have failed like the first, and there would have been to a lapsed race no new " Eden raised in the waste wilderness." It was indispensable, however severe the trial, that He should never take refuge in the exercise of extraordinary powers ; accordingly we find that while He wrought miracles for others. He wrought none on His own ac- count. " He saved others. Himself He could not save." It is a great mistake to suppose that the possession of divine attributes made the task He came to perform less difficult. So far from this, it was an infinite enhancement of the severity of the ordeal, inasmuch as it imposed on humanity the duty of a stupendous self-abnegation— nothing short of this : To possess all power and not to use it ; to be consciously THE TEMPTATION. I49 The Devil then, his first temptation vain, Running the hazard of defeat again, Him took into the Holy City, fair Jerusalem, and gave Him footing there The Temple's giddy pinnacle upon, The perilous edge of its ' pterygion.' And said : " If Son of God, cast Thyself down ! I give Thee chance Thy filial trust to crown tempter came to him, he said, If that these stones be made bread thou be the Son of God, command [aproi = loaves of bread]. *But he God, and yet voluntarily man ; to stagger under the w^eight of man's sins, to bear his griefs and carry his sorrows and endure his stripes. He, who being in the form [//op^^v] of God — representing and person- ating God — thought it no robbery — no usurpation, no appropriation of prerogatives which did not belong to Him — to claim equality with God, had laid aside no attribute of Divinity when He shrouded Himself in human flesh. He was no less omnipotent when He tabernacled with us than when His spoken fiat " made every thing that was made." It was not so much before as after Ho came, and then only when acting in the capacity of man's substitute, that He voluntarily, it was His own act, momentarily and incessantly emptied or stripped Himself, put off the vestments of divine sovereignty and rule to assume the form, represent the character, wear the distinctive badge and garb, endure the contradic- tion, and all the injurious and base belongings pertaining to the part of a servant — girded to wait and minister, an underling to underlings. Made in the likeness of sinful flesh (it was only " likeness " in this respect for He Himself was sinless), and found in the true guise and habit of a man. He accepted human conditions ; humbled Himself to unjust author- ity — still voluntarily, for ten legions of angels were at His beck ; submitted to be bound and led away ; ' ' gave His back to the smiters, and His cheek ISO THE EVANGEL. By highest act. 'Tis surely safe : why fear ? For it is written positive and clear, He'll give His angels charge concerning Thee, To keep Thee in entire security ; And they'll upbear Thee, tender of each bone, Lest Thou should'st dash Thy foot against a stone. This Holy Place, all conscious too of Thee, Ground shall be soft, and air shall buoyant be ; answered, It is written, Man shall word that proceedeth out of the not live by bread alone, but by every mouth of God.] to them that plucked off the hair, and hid not His face from shame and spitting;" and, finally, " delivered by the determinate counsel and fore- knowledge of God," and condemned by a wicked decree, "became obe- dient unto death, even the death of the cross." The right hand of His Godhead might have prevented but did not. He yielded His life, no man took it. His own words are clear and explicit : " I lay down My own life. No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again." Had it been wrested from Him in His own despite, the merit of His death, unhke His life, would not have been His own, nor by imputation ours. Death was not defeat. He descended into the grave bearing in His hands " the keys of hell and of death." Even before His own resurrection, at the grave of Lazarus He had vindicated His right to say: "I am the Resurrection and the Life ! " It is wonderful to see how a latent omnipotence under- lying His voluntary helplessness, made that divine which else were human ; so that when most man, He was most God, That Jesus was, even up to the time of His baptism, mainly ignorant of Himself; that it was not until His human consciousness had reached its full development that He gained the absolute knowledge of His divinity, seems to us to be a most arbitrary and unscriptural hypothesis, worthy only of the humanitarian school : and yet it is that view which many, otherwise orthodox, favor. We confess to a great disHke to it. It chills THE TEMPTATION. I5I And those below, who witness Thy descent, Will think Thou art from heaven directly sent." '' How true it is," said Jesus in reply, '' One half God's truth is but the Devil's lie. It is thus written, but 'tis writ again, In language no less positive and plain, ' Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God ! ' No ! No ! Luke iv : 9. And he brought him nacle [to nregvyiov = the wing] of to Jerusalem, and set him on a pin- the temple, and said unto him, If and offends us. The animus is wanting, otherwise we should almost feel that to such an enormous truncation of consciousness there attached the guilt of a spiritual mayhem. If corporeal maiming is a crime, how much more the mutilation and dismemberment of Christ's perfect humanity. Between the Divine and the Human we must beheve there was from the first a true marriage. The twain became one. Assuredly the Divine Bridegroom did not wed defect and deformity, but a Bride humanly com- plete and without blemish. Nor were there any jealous withholdings or postponements of confidence, but an immediate beginning of divine endearments and communications of the divine. It is not too much to say, that all the while the growing germ of the Word made flesh lay in pre-natal sleep in the loving arms of the enfolding Godhead, there were not wanting thriUing organic recognitions and exultations of the flesh— for even the unborn forerunner had as much, as shown by his leaping in his mother's womb for joy, that moment the two mothers met. And if before birth we have a right to assume there were fond automatic clasp- ings and embracings, responsive to the bosom intimacies of whispered love, can we suppose that the New-born, as He lay in the manger, with His eyes and ears open to earthly sights and sounds, saw not in kneehng posture of commanded worship " all the angels of God;" and heard not the voices of the heavenly host singing the " Gloria in excelsis " in honor 152 THE EVANGEL. To tempt is not to trust ; distrust they show. Who must first try before they will confide ; To trust God truly is to trust untried. Subject the counterfeit to chemic test, But not Heaven's mintage properly imprest " God's adamantine laws, on nature writ. Are scarcely safe against the sponge of wit. thou be the Son of God, cast thyself ten, He shall give his angels charge down from hence : i" For it is writ- over thee to keep thee [in all thy of His advent? Was His consciousness a blank, when it is said even of us: " Not in entire forgetfulness, And not in utter nakedness, But trailing clouds of glory do we come From God, who is our home ; Heaven lies about us in our infancy." The poet, to be sure, makes this the special privilege of childhood, and goes on to say : " The youth who daily from the east Must travel, still is Nature's priest, And by the vision splendid Is on the way attended : At length the man perceives it die away, And fade into the common light of day," But in regard to Him, this distinction was confined to no period, but be- longed to all periods. His native Nazareth was not more familiar to Him than His native Heaven. It was about Him forever. It was only for the sake of others that there were occasional riftings of the concealing veil. He needed it not, " that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven," John iii : 13 ; whose eye and thought ranging through eternity, far above the ken and knowledge of angels, were conversant with the secrets of His Father's bosom, that He might dupHcate Him in all THE TEMPTATION. I53 I come not law to break, but to fulfil : For what is law but the Lawgiver's will ? Shall the commanded dare to command Him, And make Omnipotence the slave of whim ? The law is certain, all beyond is hid : We know what is forbidden is forbid. ■** Satanic ' ifs * of atheistic doubt Declare the Devil, plainly point him out. 'And is it so? And has He spoken this?' The very sound betrays the Serpent's hiss : ways]: I'And in their hands they thou dash thy foot against a stone, shall bear thee up, lest at any time 12 And Jesus answering said unto things, " do whatsoever things He doeth : for the Father loveth the Son and sheweth Him all things that He Himself doeth. . . . That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father," John v : 19, 20, 23. The bare statement is the all-sufficient proof that the consciousness of His two-fold nature was never absent from Him : a single moment's divorce would have made that moment worthless to man's salvation ; for it was the Divine in conscious association with the Human that gave to the obedience of the latter its unspeakable value. Assuredly that aphor- ism of Greek wisdom, "Know Thyself,'' was not unfulfilled in Him, That He did not parade and publish this knowledge is no proof that he did not possess it. That He possessed it when He was twelve years old is incidentally set forth in a way which shows that it was not something to which He had just attained, but something which He always had. It preceded His official invesdture. The anointing of the Holy Ghost at His baptism had nothing to do with the fact nor the consciousness of the fact of His dual Selfhood. It seems to us a strange and preposterous notion, that the revelation of Himself to Himself needed to be delayed 154 THE EVANGEL. A liar from the first, he puts his * Nay * Against Jehovah's ' Everlasting Yea : ' The stale old trick by which he cheated Eve, I know too well to let it Me deceive." Twice baffled, all unmasked, against him turned His every weapon, silenced, shamed and spurned, The Devil, that invincible high Fort Once more attempting, Him did then transport To some clear Pisgah's visionary top, him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt [Matth. iv : 5. Then the devil the Lord thy God, taketh him up into the holy city, and until His human nature should be strengthened to bear it ; and that it was necessary to wait thirty years for this. No good reason can be given why a child's receptivity, and tolerance too, of any form of divine disclosure should not be equal to a man's: indeed, we know that "things hidden from the wise and prudent are revealed imto babes." We hold firmly, that Christ's consciousness of the fact, that He was both God and Man, ran parallel with the fact itself, beginning at the beginning ; that the two natures were so adjusted the one to the other as not to trench on each other's proper freedom and independence ; that while there were not two wills but only one will, that will, in things human was human, and in things divine was divine. It was inevitable that there should be limita- tions to the human, else it would not be human, but while these limitations really existed they were, we insist, voluntary, self-imposed, capable of being set aside or transcended. That they never were transcended a hair's breadth in matters pertaining to the law of His subjection, stands to the glory of His free obedience, which being perfect, " brought in everlasting righteousness." And as this abstention involved a strenuous holding back of a present omnipotence, forming a miracle of restraint full of moral sublimity, it is easy to see how immensely the merit of that obedience was THE TEMPTATION. 15$ High as if heaven's supremest mountain prop, And showed Him thence, as on a map unfurled. The far outstretching kingdoms of the world : Their numbers, riches, glory, power and might, With all the instantaneousness of sight. " All these will I Thee give, for they are mine, Given to me, I swear to make them Thine On easy terms : Thou only need'st to fall And worship me, and Thou shalt have them all.' setteth him on a pinnacle of the be the Son of God, cast thyself temple, ^Andsaith unto him, If thou down: for it is written. He shall thereby enhanced. It must be a power above omnipotence that can keep it in check, and that power is duty, which is only another name for loyalty to law. This doth "preserve the stars from wrong; And the most ancient Heavens through it are fresh and strong." The grandeur of Christ's miracles was exceeded, if possible, by His refusal to work them. The glory of His power was excelled by His weak- ness. The dear hands that healed the sick and raised the dead were never more adorable than when nailed in their helplessness to the bitter cross. That long incognito, when, though conscious of His divine Sonship, He was content to pass as the son of Joseph the carpenter ; that grand silent waiting and hiding of His glory, without any manifestation of impatience, through thirty unrecorded years of poverty and toil, were as truly divine, and hardly less wonderful than the loud activities of the three ofidcial years that followed, when the whole land rang with the fame of His miracles and His matchless words of grace and wisdom. We know not what unimagined glory may he concealed in the shadow of the intolerable brightness of the inaccessible hght which shrouds the Eternal, but it may well be doubted whether there is any reflection of Godhead which surpasses the splendor 156 THE EVANGEL. Thus Spake the Tempter, throwing off disguise, Spitting the venom of his blasphemies In the pure face of Him, whose fatal heel Crushing his head he now began to feel : Who — frowning dreadful wrath and withering scorn At an affront too shocking to be borne, His Godhead bursting forth in sudden blaze. Consuming '' ife," and smiting with amaze The cowering Fiend — gave thundering command, With high authority of voice and hand : give his angels charge concerning bear thee up, lest at at any time thee : and in their hands they shall thou dash thy foot against a stone. of that condescension which disdained not to stoop to the depths of man's degradation, to wear his form and garb, to adopt his stammering speech and learn his silly lore. Who would have thought that this " foolishness of God" should transcend all His other exhibitions, of which the grace shall form the theme for ceaseless celebration, when, "in supereminence of beatific vision " all the redeemed " shall clasp inseparable hands with joy and bliss in overmeasure forever ! " This property of voluntariness in regard to all that pertained to His humanity which we have here attributed to Christ ; the power at pleasure of emptying and disabling Himself; of subjecting Himself to the humbling restrictions, limitations, infirmities, not to say the ignorances belonging to the human condition ; of winking out of sight, if it be lawful to use so strong an expression in this connection. His essential Godhead, when the necessities of the role of the God-man demanded that the man only should appear ; 01 personating without mask two characters, and of living without metamor- phosis two lives, at one and the same time — not that He was in anywise 9. two-faced Janus, but a Je^s, having only one face, with the same loving eyes, now beaming divinity, now wet with human tears — this voluntariness, we repeat, this free play of the pendulum of the will swinging between THE TEMPTATION. 157 "Get thee behind Me, Satan ! get thee hence! Thou art to M-e an infinite offence. 'T is writ, an irrepealable decree, Binding on all, and binding still on thee. Anarch and rebel, although first to swerve, ' Thou shalt God worship and Him only serve ! ' " No man can serve two masters : vain the fraud Which halves the heart with Mammon and with God. This is God's world, not thine. To rnan is given ■'Jesus said unto him, It is written, Luke iv : 5. And the devil, taking Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy him into a high mountain, shewed God.] him all the kingdoms of the world the finite and the infinite, with oscillations of such inconceivable sweep and swiftness, as to make it possible for Him to be God and to be man, to be in heaven and to be on the earth, in conscious alternation, a thousand times in the thousandth part of a second, is the explanation, we conceive, of half the mystery that perplexes us. And while we can never hope to untie the insoluble knot, to clear up all ambiguities and reconcile all contradictions, something is gained when we so far grasp it as to bring it a little nearer to us, and in some sort of relation to things lying within our sphere. The finite, while it hints, often helps to interpret the infinite ; but of course, where there is, as in the present case, an absolute uniqueness — seeing there is " but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and one Jesus Christ, by whom are all things "—comparison must inevitably fail in some points. This impossibility of likening the Creator to anything created is the chief reason, we suppose, for the divine interdict against making " any graven image or likeness," for the base material counter- feit narrowing and degrading the idea of the infinite Original usurps its 58 THE EVANGEL. The usufruct indeed, but not this even To thee is granted, bold intruding Thief! False claimant of the inalienable fief. Gotten, not given ; got by guile and guilt ; Plunder, not property. Never as thou wilt, But as God pleases, do thrones fall or rise : God does not mean to abdicate the skies. in a moment of time. ^And the will I give thee, and the glory of devil said unto him, All this power them : for that is delivered unto me ; place in the mind and terminates the worship ; and the same consideration is fitted doubtless to restrain the representations of a too rampant and irreverent rhetoric. The necessities of language may require us to speak as if there were two when there is only one ; and this constitutes the apology for the use of such terms as the Trinity, defined as " three persons in one God," but there is unquestionably an attendant peril which should put us upon our guard. There is no reason, however, why we should stumble at multiplicity in unity, when we have so much that answers to it in ourselves. Our one life we have already seen is three lives ; and we are in the familiar use of power not unlike that unspeakable voluntariness and versatility we have described. Standing in the blaze of noon, we look out on the divineness of earth and the infiniteness of heaven bathed in glorious sunhght, and, literally in the twinkling of an eye. by a simple act of the will which can be repeated many times in a minute, we are able to thrust it away and hide ourselves from it in the blackness of midnight darkness, and then restore ourselves to it — in a moment to put off this garment of light, and as quickly put it on. And there is not an hour of our lives that we do not illustrate in some way the mysterious parallelism of a double conscious- ness : two lines of thought running side by side, two sets of simultaneous and non-interfering volitions. An immense amount of dialectical skill has been wasted in the discus- sion of the question, whether Christ, in the language of the schoolmen, "was not able to sin" — non potest peccare, or "able not to s\n"— potest THE TEMPTATION. 1 59 Great empires pass, and crumble into dust: He 's not unjust to punish the unjust : The disobedient that own thy sway, They perish by the laws they disobey. Thou canst transgress, but not annul the curse ; The wrath accumulates as thou grow'st worse. Though partial liberty to thee is given, »nd to whomsoever I will, I give it. all shall be thine. ^And Jesus an- ^If thou therefore wilt worship me, swered and said unto him. Get thee non peccare. Assuming that He was both God and Man, we are not obliged to balance between the two propositions, but accept both as true. As God, the impossibility would be of the first kind ; as Man, of the sec- ond, for if as man there were not an abstract possibility of sinning, it is difficult to understand how there could be moral freedom, or reality in temptation. Doubtless the libertas was likewise a beata necessitas boni — "liberty" being only another name for " necessity," in the case of One "who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners;" and who stood alone among all the sons of Adam in being able to say, " The Prince of this world cometh and hath nothing in Me." John .xiv : 30. But if there is difference of opinion in regard to His abihty to sin, there is none in regard to His ability to suffer. " He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. " " He bare our griefs and carried our sorrows," as well as His own. " The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed." It is said in immediate connection with His miracles of healing, "He bare our sicknesses." Does vicarious bear- ing mean potential transference ? Are we to understand that their mani- fold malignity passed over to Him ; that for every pang He relieved He suffered a pang? We read, Luke vi : 19, "And the v/hole multitude sought to touch Him ; for there went virtue out of Him, and He healed them all." It was thus that a certain woman, who had an issue of blood twelve years, was healed of that plague. Was the "virtue" a part of His life? Were addition and advantage to the healed, subtraction and loss to the Healer ? At the tomb of Lazarus, we are told, Jesus " groaned in the spirit and was troubled," and "Jesus wept." It surely was no com- l6o THE EVANGEL. Thou dragg'st a felon's chain in hell or heaven. " Heaven's laws are present in the heights of bliss^ And in the lowest depths of hell's abyss. He knows thy goings out, and comings in, And all thy tortuosities of sin. And to the pure He gives the knowledge too, How Right is always right, and True is true ; behind me, Satan ; for it is written, God, and him only shalt thou serve, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy [Matth. iv : 8, Again, the devil mon anguish that extorted groans and tears from the patient Son of God. Was it in testimony of the inexorableness of law, refusing to restore, without equivalent, what it had taken away ? In raising the dead to Ufe, did the sorrows of death compass Him, and the pains of hell get hold of Him ? If so, how it magnifies the grace ! how it exalts the compassion ! how it swells the debt ! Jesus had not been human if pain were not hateful to Him ; and there are no pains like the pains of hunger. The impatient appetite resents delay. The hungry stomach and the hungry blood send up agonizing cries for help. If help does not come speedily, the angry organs rise in fierce revolt, and all is clamor and uproar. There is nothing wrong in all this ; for these instincts are of God. Their rage is innocent. It is their duty to warn. Silence is betrayal. It is no impeachment of Christ's sinlessness that He hungered ; and that the blameless organs in their blind zeal, fearing for the imperiled fife, and singly intent upon quick rehef from the intolerable anguish, took sides for the time with the Tempter, and maintained ceaseless wrestle with the sternness of the denial of the higher life. The desire for bread was guiltless, and under other circum- stances its gratification had been lawful, nay, a duty. But not then. Why? Jesus saw why. It is true, the reason was not coarsely evident. It may have required fineness of vision to perceive it. But His eye was single and His body full of light. Weighing all acts in scales of infinite delicacy, an inclination of the beam so faint as to defy arithmetic to express it, was instantly discerned and sufficed for conduct. Not a spot must THE TEMPTATION. l6l How woe from guilt cannot dissevered be, More than thyself can be divorced from thee ; How Nature echoes what the Scripture saith, Sin's hire and wages are eternal death. " Foul trader in men's souls! though skilled to cheat, Cunning of fence, and mighty in deceit ; taketh him up into an exceeding the kingdoms of the world, and the high mountain, and sheweth him all glory of them ; ^And saith unto him, stain His absolute whiteness. So high was the requirement, that even the imperceptible tremble of the jarred earth, caused by the tread of a passing foot, must not be allowed to disturb the perfect poise of His human innocence. We know that two lines, separated here by the diam- eter of the earth's orbit, long before they reach the nearest of the fixed stars, blend and become as one : and so, a deviation from rectitude so slight that to the blurred vision of sinful eyes there may seem to be none at all, would, running through eternity, become an infinite divergence. Nothing can be more vulgar than to suppose that the power of tempta- tion is in proportion to bigness — that to make a big temptation there must be a big object. To natures cold, calculating and already depraved, and that merely count the cost of the risks to be run, this may be so ; but to the pure, and even to men of moderate virtue, it is just the reverse. The danger is in minuteness. What trips the good man is the trivial and unseen. It is the pebble that lies buried in the foot-path, over which he stumbles and falls, not great rocks and precipices. The snare is laid for him in the ground and the trap is covered. " The snare of the E)f^vil " is concealed, otherwise it were no snare. " Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird." The infection of which men sicken and die is borne on " heaven's sweetest air." The first half of Mr. Beecher's chapter on the Temptation, in his Life of Christ, we admire, but not the exegetical half. This amazes us. By way of disparaging the literal, he strangely remarks, " How shght to a divine nature would be the temptation of eating bread, and how harmless l62 THE EVANGEL. And, though thy dupes be more than tongue can tell, Tripped by thy foot each falling into hell ; Though shrined in temples, and though throned in state. Thy doom is sure, nor hast thou long to wait. Soon dispossessed, thou shalt like lightning fall All these things will I give thee, if i" Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thou wilt fall down and worship me. thee hence, Satan : for it is written, the act solicited." Taken in this sense, he thinks the temptation were puerile : to make it vital and genuine, it must be understood in this wise : "Be the patron of physical thrift! Teach men inventions! Multiply harvests! Be a great civilizer ! Thus make yourself glorious ! " The literal, he thinks, "renders Satan a wretched and puerile creature" throughout ; whereas, to make it possible for him to tempt such an One as Jesus, he would need to possess some "grandeur of nature." It may be, "The Prince of Darkness is a gentleman," and possibly a scholar and philosopher to boot but were he of the pom- pous type that this supposition makes him, he would be, beyond all ques- tion, an insufferable prig — very " grand" to be sure, and very admirable in his way, but as a devil no longer dangerous. Nothing can be clearer than the temptation in this form were no temp- tation at all. It would have neither force nor fitness. In the first place, it is wholly inconceivable that the Son of God, " the Lamb slain from before tfte foundation of the world," should ever have debated the ques- tion either with Satan or Himself, whether He should not turn aside from His heavenly mission of saving souls, to make harvests grow, for that He could have done without leaving he.-iven — but admitting the fact that after having revolved the matter from all eternity. He was still so far undecided that a chance suggestion that the latter would be better than the former was calculated to make Him pause, even then, inasmuch as the only escape from His perplexity would be found in a further exercise of the intellect THE TEMPTATION. 163 From heaven and rule usurped, and over all I in My own and in My Father's right, Will reign forevermore in thy despite. Not under thee, nor by thee, as thou feign'st, But over thee, above thee, and against : For to destroy thy works it was I came ; To spoil the Spoiler, and My own reclaim ; Thou shalt worship the Lord thy Luke x : 18. And he said unto Ood, and him only shalt thou serve.] them, I beheld Satan as lightning iind a calm weighing of the pros and cons, it is difficult to see how this process should contain any element of temptation any more than the de- monstration of a proposition in Euclid ; or how its settlement either way would help the present distress. Must the horrible cravings of hunger go unappeased until the bountiful harvests destined to bless the future shall have time to grow? The author's statement, " How slight to a divine nature would be the temptation of eating bread," must mean, if it means anything, that hun- ger in Christ was unlike hunger in other men ; otherwise the temptation were not slight, but the strongest conceivable. It is the irresistibleness of the instinct, that measures the force of the temptation. A single loaf to the starving, were more than the overflowing granaries of the world to the full. Its power does not depend on character, but is the same in all ; which can hardly be said of the other appetites, although natural. To promote thrift and multiply harvests in high miraculous fashion were not to be " tempted in all points like as we are," but to be tempted in a man- ner peculiar to Himself. Christ occupied Himself with universals : " Appetite, that universal wolf," extends to animals. The silly fish in their blind greed snatch at the baited hook. Eve coveted and ate. Esau sold his birthright for a mess of pottage. Israel lusted in the wilderness. The slaves of appetite, the glutton and the drunkard, perish heaps upon heaps. Death holds per- petual carnival because of fleshly lusts that war against the soul. The 1 64 THE EVANGEL. Reconquer earth, too long enslaved by thee, And from hard bondage set the nations free. By heavenly power, not military might, Avenge the cause of violated Right ; And captive Truth, immured in dungeons long, Deliver from the tyranny of Wrong. fall from heaven. Son of God was manifested, that he iJohniii:8. For this purpose the might destroy the works of the devil. temptation, so far from being shght and puerile, was full of devilish power and more than Caducean cunning. There was not only an outer voice that said " Eat !" but an inner voice likewise. If the outer was the Devil's, the inner might easily be mistaken for God's. Why was the hunger, sus- pended so long, not suspended longer, if the Father did not mean His Child should have bread? This " lust of the flesh," in itself innocent, drawn out toward innocent food, kept up an incessant pleading. It was not easy to say Nay. In the stamp of His foot was the decision of a God. It was the down planting of no vulnerable heel of Achilles, otherwise the fang of the serpent had surely pierced it. Satan always adapts his temptation. He knows his man, his strength and his weakness; his times and his seasons; all the avenues of ap- proach — viri molles aditus et tempora — and fails not to take advantage of any momentary softness of the yielding heart. He throws open doors of opportunity. If there is a spark he fans it. If there is a desire he feeds it. If there is a bias he fools the bent. He triumphs in a slip as much as in a fall. Striking hands with the sensualist, he , " Sets woman in his eye and in his walk :" but spiritual and religious natures he tempts in quite another fashion. He transforms himself into an angel of light, and is a mighty textualist ; con- triving however with devihsh ingenuity, by suppression or substitution, "to turn the truth of God into a lie," and make it serve all the purposes of falsehood and betrayal : his end being gained, if he can thus convert the sobriety of a humble trust in the faithfulness of a divine promise — THE TEMPTATION. 165 *' For SO the promise runs, and God decrees : The traveling immensity of the seas Th' abundant tribute of all lands shall bring, And the whole world acknowledge Me its King. All gathered into one, all strife shall cease. One empire only, and that Empire, Peace. Ps. Ixxii : 7. In his days shall the also from sea to sea, and from the righteous flourish ; and abundance river unto the ends of the earth. . , of peace so long as the moon en- i" The kings of Tarshish and of the dureth. ^He shall have dominion isles shall bring presents : the kings which gives assurance of angelic care and guardianship to those who walk in the known, travelled, safe, albeit rugged "ways " of God's command- ments — into the fanatical extravagance and vain ostentation of a pre- •sumptuous confidence or arrogant claiming, based on the fallacy of a ■divine favoritism and the foolish hope of an exceptional immunity, should one fling himself down from a height, with eyes closed to the fact, that a precipice is perdition, not " a way " — non est via hcec sedruina. Christ was proof against the inveiglement. Not that the thing was too hard for Him any more than the changing of stones into bread. He who walked on the storm-tossed lake, unquestionably could have "cast Him- self down " without harm. If the water supported Him, so would the air. The temptation had been admirably suited to Peter, and to vulgar saints generally, who would fly if they could. Their hesitation, it is to be feared, would have respected less the propriety of the attempt than its safety. They might remember that violations of natural law have not usually prospered, and so have been restrained ; but if the lust of the flesh is powerful so is the lust of the eyes — the desire to dazzle, to hear men say. Behold ! — to be the rocket of a moment, if the fates deny more — the con- cupiscence of vain show, of fair looks and outside appearance, of seeming and not being — a fatal levity, the prolific parent of pious pretence in end- less protean manifestation ; of the pharisaism both of the Judean and Simon Stylites type ; of "the pride that apes humility," exemplified now in the Pope's ostentatious annual washing of the feet of twelve beggars, when the act is neither necessary nor natural ; now in the vanity that wraps l66 THE EVANGEL. My Kingdom, unlike other kingdoms, stands In might of love, not multitude of hands. It needs not armies to support the wall ; Strong in itself, the building cannot fall. • One loyal heart suffices, one alone. For all the state and glory of a throne. of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. Rev. xi : 15. The kingdoms of Matth. xxviii : 18. All power is this world are become the kingdoms given unto me in heaven and in of our Lord and of his Christ ; and earth. he shall reign for ever and ever. itself in some preposterous garb, and goes about parading its singulari- ties, tenacious of its rags and its sordidness, though water be never so plenty and decent clothing can be had for the asking, of which the found- ers and earliest followers of the various mendicant orders of friars are the illustration ; and now in other ways, not peculiar to Rome, but common to it and Protestant Christendom. How instructive it is to find, that leaving us an example that we should follow His steps, Christ never departs from the highway of ordinary life, but humbly treads the paths we tread, leading not over precipices, but only where it is safe and practicable for human feet. In the homeliness of His example consists its imitableness ; and being homely, it affords no room for vain glory. Its commonness, while it excludes the miraculous and impossible, excludes likewise the abnormal and exceptional. Both His teaching and practice being at an infinite remove from the outre and fantastical — the eccentric Quixotism and moonstruck vagaries of a bur- lesqued Christianity. In that last triumph which completed the circle, and "ended all the temptation," Christ did not overcome the Wicked One by other means than just those by which young men who are strong overcome — namely, by the word of God abiding in them, and by doing the will of God. I John ii : 13-17. Like the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes, the pride of life is not of the Father but of the world, and is a universal pas- sion. The poor wish to be rich, the rich to be richer. Nor is the lust of dominion confined to the Alexanders, the Caesars and the Napoleons. THE TEMPTATION. 167 My Kingdom comes like the on-coming dawn ; Enough ! as night departs, so thou, Begone ! The Devil heard, nor dared to disobey- That powerful word, so slunk ashamed away. Then angels min'strant brought Him food to eat ; Luke iv : 13. And when the devil departed from him for a season, had ended all the temptation, he [Matth. iv : 11. Then the devil None are so low in the social scale as not to have their petty ambitions. Their crawling servility needs only opportunity to be converted into the full-blown insolence of power. Among the Twelve there arose a strife which should be the greatest. The mother of the sons of Zebedee, James and John, at their prompting (so ai least the ten thought) came, bowing down, and asking Jesus that her two sons should sit one on His right hand and one on His left in His kingdom. They knew not what they asked. They saw only one side — ■ the pride of power, but not its perils and responsibilities. It is very pos- sible in them the egotism of rule was associated with a specious pretext of wishing to serve thereby the ends of patriotism and religion. They would like to sit as judge, executing divine laws, and if need be, divine vengeance likewise. The same fierce spirit which made them anxious to command fire to come down from heaven to consume the inhospitable Samaritans, would lead them to make short work with the Romans, as well as malignants among their own countrymen. They would make it appear that it was not in vain that they were called " Boanerges, the Sons of Thunder." To thunder they would conceive to be their chief business. What eager snatchingsat Heaven's thunderbolts ! And what angry hurl- in gs of them, as afterward by the self-styled successors of St, Peter, " sitting in the temple of God as God ! " They knew not what manner of spirit they were of. Later they learned that humility is rank ; that the least is greatest and the greatest least ; but at this time their self-igno- rance and self-conceit would have made them fit tools for the devil's work. Their temptation was substantially Christ's. It is die universal one l68 THE EVANGEL. And served Him, kneeling at His blessed feet, But food diviner and more heavenly choice, Was the sweet witness of His Father's voice : '' My Well Beloved ! My Chosen ! My Well Tried 1 Found whole and perfect on Thy human side. Dear always, dear as Man, and as man's Friend, leaveth him, and, behold, angels Mark i : 13. And the angels min- came and ministered unto him. istered unto him.] that besets all who covet worldly power and success. Mammon offers his ghttering bribes to those who will fall down and worship him. Many are quite sure that they can serve both God and Mammon. The sons of God join themselves to the daughters of men because they are fair. Then Satan is honorable at a bargain. He is always wiUing to give a quid pro quo. His proposal to Christ was a partnership of advantage. "Let there be an alliance between us ; and let it be called by all means a ' Holy Alliance,' for holy is a good word! Let the Church be joined to the State ! If your right arm be spiritual, let your left be secular ! Let the word be seconded by the sword ! Be a Mahomet ! Be a Pope ! " If Christ overcame the temptation, this can hardly be said of the vast majority of those who have since borne His name. Many virtually say, Let us do evil that good may come ; the end justifies the means. Christ's doctrine is, Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. The wages of sin is death. No man can afford to be unjust — no number of men; no state; no nation. Nothing is so expensive as injustice. There is no half way between Right and Wrong; in all cases where these are at issue. Compromise is of the Devil. It settles nothing. Divine laws still operate. So Expediency, meaning thereby something different from Right and better than Right. It is a word to juggle with. None is more potent. It is as necessary to the politician, in church or state, as the wand to the enchanter. It is suited to his character as portrayed in the Latin THE TEMPTATION. 169 Fulfilling and fulfilling to the end : My other Adam ! standing where he fell ; Trusting, not lusting, My own Israel ! " sentence : Politicus est homo quis servat Deo, ut non offetidat diabolum. In no event is the Devil to be ofiended, though God may. In conclusion let us believe: " Unless above himself he can Erect himself, how poor a thing is man ! " " The Tripartite Nature of Man, Spirit, Soul and Body," is the title 01 a work by Rev. J. B. Heard, M. A. He regards such passages asThess. V : 23, and Heb. iv : 12, as authoritatively teaching that man is threefold, consisting of spirit (pneuma) ; soul (psyche), constituting the self or ego; and body (soma). The early Greek fathers were trichotomists : but the doctrine fell into disfavor, by the abuse of the distinction by Origen and Apollinaris. The latter denied to Christ the human pneuma, putting the Divine Pneuma or the Holy Ghost in its place. Tertullian maintained that soul and spirit could not be separated, and were convertible terms ; and since the time of Augustine the dichotomy or the two-fold division of man's nature into body and soul (man being the fibula duarum naturarum, the clasp which unites the spiritual and sensual nature) has been the pre- vailing doctrine. But the trichotomy of Paul, we are told, ought not to be confounded with that of Plato. The distribution is different. The reason or vov<:, to which Plato assigns the supreme place, corresponding to the pneuma, in Paul's psychology forms a part of the psyche or soul ; while the pneu- ma or spirit is a discovery of revelation, unknown to Plato. He, knowing nothing of spiritual-mindedness, could know nothing of the organ upon which it depends. The new birth is the quickening of the pneuma, which in the natural man is dormant or dead. The soul is capable of existing in union with th.-; body apart from the spirit ; or in union with the spirit apart from the body. The first is exemplified in animals ; the last in de- parted saints before the resurrection, which is not that of a natural or psychical body, but a spiritual or pneumatical body. If the distinction is as important as the author makes it, how is it that it was left to doubtful inference and not explicitly declared ? Dichotomists, so called, recognize the spiritual nature of man ; and all beyond this would seem to be more speculative than practical. M XIII. THE FIRST DISCIPLES, EAN WHILE the great Proclaimer — ever since Th' attesting Skies did sensibly evince Jesus to be the Son of God, the King Whose gracious coming he was heralding — With rapt and radiant brow supreme o'er doubt, Had burned to manifest and point Him out; Not as expected or as drawing near, But present with them, and already here. Finding Him snatched mysteriously away, He crossed the Jordan to Bethabara, And there abode baptizing — felt the thrill Of his Lord's touch repeated in him still ; John i : 19. And this is the sent priests and Levites from Jeru- record of John, when the Jews salem to ask him, Who art thou? THE FIRST DISCIPLES. 171 Effecting change in eye and voice and mien, At each remembrance of that wondrous scene. When reached Jerusalem th' astounding news. The alarmed and jealous Council of the Jews Sent Priests and Levites — being Pharisees The flimsy veil of whose hypocrisies John had so rudely torn — to ask by what Authority he acted. " I am not," He plainly said, " the Christ." " Who art thou then ? » Art thou returned Elijah?" Answering the men In absolute respect to verity, And their intended sense : " I am not he : No chariot of fire along the track 20 And he confessed, and denied then? Art thou EHas?* And not ; but confessed, I am not the he saith, I am not. Art thou that Christ. 2iAnd they asked him, What prophet? And he answered, No. * It was the prevaiUng opinion, founded on Malachi iv : 5, that Elijah would return to earth. His translation must have taken place near the spot where John was then baptizing. This circumstance, with John's personal resemblance in dress, habits of life and character, would natu- rally suggest the challenge addressed to him: " AFt thou Elijah?" In the sense they intended he was not, and he answered accordingly. Elijah, like Jephthah, was a native of Gilead and of the tribe of Gad. 172 THE EVANGEL. By which he went to heaven hath brought him back.* " Art thou that Prophet ? " ''No." " Why then baptize ? '* I get my right directly from the skies. Mine is to cry : ' Make straight the way ; ' afford A level, smooth, clear passage for the Lord ! I come, baptizing for this end alone, To publish, witness Him, and make Him known. One stands among you whom ye do not know ; Nor would you, haply, if I Him should show. 'T is He of whom I said, and say once more, Though coming after, is preferred before, For that He was before me — honored much If I the latchet of His shoes might touch." 22 Then they said unto him, Who baptizest thou then, if thou be not art thou ? that we may give an an- that Christ, nor Elias, neither that swer to them that sent us. What Prophet? 26john answered them, sayest thou of thyself? He said, I saying, I baptize with water : but am the voice of one crying in the there standeth one among you, wilderness, Make straight the way whom ye know not ; "'He it is, who of the Lord, as said the prophet coming after me is preferred before Esaias. 2^And they which were sent me, whose shoe's latchet I am not were of the Pharisees. 25 And they worthy to unloose. 2:iThese things asked him, and said unto him, Why were done in Bethabara beyond THE FIRST DISCIPLES. 173 Next day as John, with sweet and glad sur- prise, Saw Jesus coming in meek lowly wise, He, pointing, said : " Behold, for so ye may, The Lamb of God, which takes all sin away ! This, this is He, the high, the peerless One, Avouched of God to be His Darling Son. I saw the Spirit like a dove descend. And on Him rest : and He that did me send In water to baptize, gave this for sign — I knew Him by that witnessing divine." Jordan, where John was baptizing.* be made manifest to Israel, there- 29 The next day John seeth Jesus fore am I come baptizing with wa- coming unto him, and saith, Behold ter. 32And John bare record, saying, the Lamb of God, which taketh I saw the Spirit descending from away the sin of the world ! soThis heaven like a dove, and it abode is he of whom I said. After me com- upon him. ^s^nd I knew him not : eth a man which is preferred before but he that sent me to baptize witli me ; for he was before me. ^lAnd I water, the same said unto me. Upon knew him not: but that he should whom thou shalt see the Spirit de- * It is not said that Christ was baptized at Bethabara (or Bethany as some prefer). We think He was baptized at the lower ford of the Jor- dan, opposite Jericho, on the western side. All tradition is in favor of this. During the forty days that Christ spent in the wilderness, it is probable that John crossed over, and proceeded higher up to the middle ford, and that the Bethbara of the Old Testament is the same as Betha- bara of the New, It is inevitable that changes should have taken place since then in the steepness of the banks and the depth of the stream. 174 THE EVANGEL. Thus plainly pointed out to all the crowd, Returning Victor o'er the Tempter proud, Greatest of Conquerors, declared to be Messiah, Son of God, what do we see? The most, alas ! too sensual to receive. Wholly reject, or only half believe ; Dupes of appearances and outward things : Can this wayfarer be the King of Kings ? Coming alone, and dressed in mean attire. Without the trappings power and rank require ? Ardent and sanguine as deep natures are, John looked to see them worship Him afar ; Rush forth to meet Him, and His footsteps throng, And shout hosannas as He passed along; With reverent lips to kiss His garment's hem, Sure that the pebble was a priceless gem ; That 't was His kingly nature made Him King, Not hoop of gold or such like paltry thing. He came that all men might through Him believe: How did it shame him, then, surprise and grieve, scending and remaining on him, the Holy Ghost. 3* And I saw, and bare same is he which baptizeth with the record that this is the Son of God. THE FIRST DISCIPLES. 1 75 To find discredited his faithful word, And his own followers stumbling at the Lord ! As on the morrow John there stood, and talked With two of His disciples, Jesus walked All unattended with slow pace abroad : '' Behold," the Baptist said, '' the Lamb of God! The all-atoning Sacrifice for sin, For so the Spirit prophecies within. The past is past ; what has been has sufficed ; Moses fulfilled and finished is in Christ. *■'■ I see refraction of those blessed rays. Which dim the lustre of ten thousand days ; Purpureal splendors of the setting Light, The sky all blood and crimson to the sight ; Brief gloom, and then a long bright day succeeds, In which no altar smokes, no victim bleeds. Because a veil, half-hiding, intervenes, I know the meaning better than the means." The first to feel the Heavenly Magnet draw, "Again the next day after, John s^ And looking upon Jesus as he stood, and two of his disciples ; walked, he saith. Behold the Lamb 176 THE EVANGEL. These two disciples. Jesus turned and saw Them following ; and so, with aspect meek, Addressed them, saying, "What is it ye seek? " O happy seekers ! seeking ye shall find How good He is, how gracious and how kind ! '' Rabbi ! " they said, " Where lodgest Thou ? " And He, Their hospitable Lord, said, '^ Come and see ! " His looks beamed welcome no less than His speech : O happy learners, having Him to teach ! O wondrous stoop of grace, to condescend To entertain the humblest as a friend ! O sweet beginnings of perpetual grace, Inviting sinners, " Come to My embrace ! Come, all ye weary, burdened and distressed ; Come unto Me, and I will give you rest ! " No wonder favored thus they lengthened stay, Drinking His words the remnant of the day. of God ! 3'?And the two disciples being interpreted, Master,) where heard him speak, and they followed dwellest thou ? • sResaith unto them» Jesus. 38Xhen Jesus turned, and Come and see. They came and saw saw them following, and saith unto where he dwelt, and abode with him them. What seek ye? They said that day: for it was about the tenth unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, hour. 40One of the two which heard THE FIRST DISCIPLES. 177 One, Andrew, Simon's brother, was ; and one The loving and the loved Apostle John. Andrew found Simon : " Told of John before We've found Messias, and need seek no more. Come, go with me, and not a moment waste ! '* Then both together went in ardent haste. But Jesus needed none to tell Him, who It was that Andrew brought, because He knew, So gave omniscient salutation : " Thou Art Simon, son of Jonas, and though now Impulsive, rash, not proof 'gainst sudden shock, Thou shalt be Peter, stable as a rock." John speak, and followed him, was xvi : 15. He saith unto them, But Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. whom say ye that I am ? i^^^nd Si- ^1 He fin^t findeth his own brother mon Peter answered and said. Thou Simon, and Saith unto him, We have art the Christ, the Son of the living found the Messias, which is, being God, ^'^ And Jesus answered and said interpreted, the Christ. 42And he unto him, Blessed art thou. Bar- brought him to Jesus. And when jona : for flesh and blood hath not Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art revealed it unto thee, but my Father Simon, the son of Jona: thou shalt which is in heaven. i^And I say be called Cephas, which is by inter- also unto thee, Thou art Peter pretation, Astone (Trerpor). [Matt. (niTfjog-)* and upon this rock * It is admitted that what follows would be more appropriate farther on, but we have our reasons for introducing it here. The interpretation here given is the only one consistent with Scripture and common sense. That Peter understood the words of Our Lord in this sense and no other, we have the proof under his own hand, i Peter ii : 4, 5 : "To whom coming, 12 178 THE EVANGEL. " Thou art the Christ, th' undoubted Son of God! " " Thou sayest well, My Rock, the truth is broad, And rock-like ; standing there, thou shalt not fail, Not Hell itself against thee can prevail. Yea, I will build My church on this, on thee, And all who testify the same of Me. I call thee Peter, and I build thereon ; But all are Peters built or built upon. All who believe are ' Stones ' fixed in the wall. ( TTerpa) I will build my church ; and built upon the found?, jon of the the gates of hell shall not prevail apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ against it. [Eph. ii : 50. And are himself being the chief corner-stone. as unto a Living Stone, disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." Evidently Peter's special architectural use and importance con- sisted, like that of the other apostles, in being one of the Founders of the Christian Theocracy. As a Founder he could have no successor ; for th3 foundation once laid that is the end. " Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (i Cor. iii : 11). The words, " Thou art Peter, and on this rock I will build my church," do not prove the papacy. There never was a more preposterous non sequi- tur. " Diameters of the solar system and sidereal orbits " would not fill up the interspace between the premises and the conclusion. There is a logic which secures consent if not conviction — the logic of the rack and stake, but that at present is unavailable. If the keys committed to Peter have passed into the hands of Pius IX. we are sorry for it. The old man just now is very angry, and if he is allowed to have his own way we are sure to fare badly. But he is fooled by his infaUibility. He thunders, and no one cares. THE FIRST DISCIPLES. 179 Supporting and supported one and all. I, underlying, rising in the whole, The vital spirit and the shaping soul. **The keys of heaven I'll give thee to unlock: Not to sit jailor, and the entrance block ; A greedy janitor at Heaven's open gate, To sell Heaven's bounty at the dearest rate ; Frustrate Heaven's freeness by demands of pay, And dole as merchandise the light of day. " I'll send thee forth, My envoy to the race. To state fixed terms of amnesty and grace ; To bind or loose, remit sins or retain, As men accept the pardon or disdain. What I have taught thee, that thyself shall teach ; Thy words be but the echo of My speech ; Thou shalt not add thereto, nor take therefrom : My message spoke, let messenger be dumb ! I Cor. iii : 11. For other foundation xviii : 18. Verily I say unto you can no man lay than that is laid. , . (my disciples), Whatsoever ye shall 21 Let no man glory in men : for all bind on earth shall be bound in things are yours, 22 Whether Paul, heaven, and whatsoever ye shall Apollos or Peter.] Matt, xvi : 19. loose on earth shall be loosed in And I will give unto thee the keys heaven. John xx : 22. And when of the kingdom of heaven : and he had said this, he breathed on whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth them, and said. Receive ye the Holy shall be loosed in heaven. Matt. Ghost : Whosesoever sins ye remit, l80 THE EVANGEL. " Inspired apostle and ambassador Is instrument and voice, and nothing more ; Inspired to publish first, and spread abroad Th' unchanging Gospel of the grace of God : * Repent ! Believe ! and thou shalt mercy find! * Heaven's glad announcement made to all mankind. *' This is the whole : Belief doth break the chain, And Unbelief doth rivet and retain. The power to bind and loose to Truth is given : The mouth that speaks it, is the mouth of Heaven. The power, which in a sense belongs to none, Thus understood belongs to every one. If thou the law of pardon canst declare, So, too, can every hearer everywhere. The pledge of thy apostleship this, then : Outside of Truth, thou art as other men. Thy office has no thaumaturgic force they are remitted unto them ; and you alway, even unto the end of the whosesoever sins ye retain they are world. Amen. Acts ii : 37. Now retained. Matt, xxviii : 19. Go ye when they heard this, they were therefore, and teach all nations, pricked in their heart, and said unto baptizing them in the name of the Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Father, and of the Son and of the Men and brethren, what shall we Holy Ghost: ■^''Teaching them to do? 3>pEV(^o)vvjUov yvwcrfwr =" antitheses of Gnosticism," as, with a certain literal freedom, it perhaps might be rendered] which the Apostle so sol- emnly exhorts Timothy to avoid. The Apocryphal Gospels which relate more particularly to Mary, are chiefly three: "The Gospel of the Birth of Mary;" "The Protevan- gelion," so called; and the Gospel of "The Infancy of Jesus Christ.'. The first is a later production than the second ; and although a much earlier date is claimed for it, it probably belongs to the sixth century. It goes over the same ground ; and is mostly contained in The Protevange- lion, a part of which at least was in existence as early as the third century. It was highly esteemed by the Greek Church, and many of the early tra- ditions respecting Mary are found in it. While it is childish and extrava- gant in the highest degree, and bears all the marks of fable, it is less wildly fantastical, monstrous, and absurd, than the tale which follows, and which has been the subject of previous reference. It is ascribed to the Gnostics of the second century ; but there is reason to believe, that it owes its present shape to recensions and additions made as late as the fifth or sixth. Now, for the first time, Mary is called "St. Mary," and "Our Lady," and appears in the character of a miracle-worker. The story THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 1 95 '' They have no wine," He knew well what she meant ; And spake with Majesty, designing check, For thinking Godhead subject to her beck. " Nay, woman ! what have I to do with thee. In the high sphere of My Divinity? Thy human kinship giveth thee no right Over thy Maker or thy Maker's might : I know full well thy meaning and design ; But which is best, My Father's will or thine ? thy mother and thy brethren stand -^^ But he answered and said unto without, desiring to speak with thee. him that told him. Who is my mo- abounds in disgusting details, unfit for recital ; and yet it is certain that the worship of the Virgin can boast of no higher, better or more honorable origin, than this most vulgar compound of feculent folly and falsehood, and others like it. For the first five centuries, these Gnostic inventions were unanimously rejected by the entire Church as fabulous and heretical. The sect of the CoUyridians, who (anticipating perhaps some future Pope, and a stage of development not yet reached, held that Mary herself was born of a virgin), were accustomed to offer manchet bread and cracknels, or fine wafers, to her in the way of worship, were denounced by Epiphanius, speaking the sentiment of the Church in the fifth century. "The whole thing," he says, " is foolish and strange, and is a device and deceit of the Devil. Let Mary be honored. Let the Lord be worshiped. Let no one worship Mary." It was not till after the Nestorian controversy that there was any change. As Nestorius was understood to teach that Christ was two per- sons, and that the Child born of Mary was not divine, but became divine after birth by union with Divinity, it is natural that this should provoke strong assertions of Christ's oneness and original divinity, with the use of new terms. The Council of Ephesus (431) condemned the doctrine of 13 »^ 194 THE EVANGEL. Think'st thou for this I came to dwell below, To use God's awful attributes for show? Infinite power needs wisdom to direct, Equally infinite, br order's wrecked : Human omnipotence would be a curse, A trembling terror to the Universe. Were Nature's laws the sport of man's caprice Or man's affections, where would chaos cease ? Since man is ignorant, therefore is he weak ; Weakness is safety 'gainst mistake or freak. ther? and who are my brethren? toward his disciples, and said, Be- 49 And he stretched forth his hand hold my mother and my brethren ! Nestorius, and sanctioned the title Gcoro/cor, loosely rendered "Mother of God," but without intending thereby, although such was the effect, to magnify the mother, but only to vindicate the true doctrine with respect to the Son. After a time the old fables were winked at, and thus "be- came," as Lord Lindsay remarks, " the mythology of Christianity, univer- sally credited among the Southern nations of Europe, while many of the dogmas which they are grounded upon, have, as a natural consequence, crept into the faith." Like the grain of mustard seed, which, though the least of all seeds, when grown is the greatest of herbs, the worship of Mary, after it had once taken root, grew apace, until it became a mighty tree, whose baleful shadow covered half the world. Transfigured by the imagination, and made the representative of an ideal womanhood, there was attributed to her all possible perfection ; and the apotheosis once complete, the next step was to fall down before their own work. Undoubtedly the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth had a similar origin. Men worshiping under these names, the beneficent powers of Nature — the Sun and the Moon, their ideals of perfection, the brightest and best they knew; but it was not less an abomination in God's sight. Every body knows, to be a Roman Catholic, it is not enough to believa THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. I95 Thou should'st be wiser than Omniscience, who Outrunnest God to tell Me what to do. My time is not yet come, My time I wait ; The stars their time do not anticipate, No, not one moment ; moment or a year, 'Tis all the same, if 'tis not now and here. The times and seasons, and th' appointed hour, The Father solely puts in His own power." He spake, as knowing, in the after time, «o For whosoever shall do the will the same is my brother, and sister, of my Father which is in heaven, and mother. Mark iii : 21. And in Christ ; but one must believe, above all things, in Mary, and the Gospel of Mary. Now. the Marian Gospel is, as we have said, clearly " another Gospel." and not Christ's. It is different as the Koran is differ- ent. It is Pagan and not Christian ; it is filled with human gods. Apoth- eosized saints occupy the entire foreground, and crowd all the avenues of approach. All is changed. God is not the same God ; Christ is not the same Christ ; nor is Mary the same Mary ; nor are the Apostles the same. Every thing is bedeviled. Nothing is as it was. All is turned topsy-turvy, with God at the bottom, and man at the top. Heaven has grown strangely heathenish. We look, and instead of " the Lord high and lifted up," we behold a strange woman seated, bearing titles, Reg-ma Cceli and Mater Dei, directly borrowed from "Mooned Ashtaroth, Heaven's Queen, and Mother both," the Greek Astarte ; " girt with tapers' holy shine," and decked with the crescent moon. They call her Mary, but we know it is not Mary. Divine attributes and offices are freely ascribed to her. We hear sometimes the old names of God and Christ, but they are faintly uttered, and with de- 196 THE EVANGEL. From her fond error would arise the crime, The shame of all the ages — spake with ruth, Yet with the stern severity of truth. She did not see, but His prophetic eye Corruption of true worship could descry : In lieu of worship paid. Great God, to Thee, A voluntary false humility, And worshiping of angels ; and of her. On whom the Son refuses to confer The name of mother, even to the last, when his friends heard of it, they they said, He is beside himself. . . went out to lay hold on him : for ^i There came then his brethren and cayed interest. Tired of the cares of government, God, they would have us believe, has vacated sovereignty in the kingdom of grace ; and the immen- sity of the void thus createal, He has left to be filled with a human speck, an atom of a ruler, and become Himself a subject. Having surrendered the infinite matters of human salvation into the hands of the so-called Mary, it follows, we are told, that henceforth "It is impossible for any to be saved who turns away from her, or is disregarded by her;" all grace being absolutely in her keeping. Lest we should be suspected of misrepresentation or exaggeration, we prefer to quote. The extracts given below, are from approved Catholic authorities : " Since the Blessed Virgin is the Mother of God, and God is her Son, and every son is naturally inferior to his mother, and her subject, and the mother is set over and superior to the son, it follows that the Blessed Virgin herself is superior to God, and God Himself is her subject in regard to the humanity which He took from her." Again, "All things are subject to the command of the Virgin, even God Himself." Once more, " You have over God the authority of a mother, and hence you can obtain pardon for the most obdurate sinners." Still further, "Jesus having entered into all the feelings of His Father from the time of His blessed THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. I97 As if an effete office of the past, Devoid of fitness — uttered ne'er again By those pure lips which spake no word in vain — CalHng her woman simply — disallowed Claims of pre-eminence and titles proud; Plainly declared, to put all doubt at rest. There was relationship than hers more blest : ^' Who is My mother ? and My brethren who ? " Addressing those about Him, " Who but you ? his mother, and standing without, the multitude sat about him, and sent unto him, calling him. ^2 ^nfj tj^ey said unto him. Behold, thy Resurrection, finds Himself in the same disposition with the Father toward sinners, i. e., to reject them; so that the difficulty is to induce Him to exchange the office of Judge for that of Advocate ; and of a Judge to make Him a suppliant. Now this is what the blessed saints effect, and especially the most Blessed Virgin." [The assumption, that Christ has changed, and abandoned his mediatorial office, is, of course, in direct con- tradiction of such texts as, " He is able to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them," Heb. vii : 25. "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day and forever," Heb. xiii : 8. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning," James i : 17. " For I am the Tord, I change not," Mai. iii : 6.] The present Pope writes: "For ye know very well. Venerable Brethren, that the whole of our confidence is placed in the most Holy Virgin, since God has placed in Mary the fulness of all good, that accordingly we may know, that if there is any hope in us, if any grace, if any salvation, it redounds to us from her, because such is His will, who hath willed that we should have everything through Mary." Elsewhere we have the statement, " God does not will anything except through the Blessed Virgin." "He has placed her 198 THE EVANGEL. More blessed than the womb that bare Me, they Who hear God's word, and hearing it obey." And yet, and yet — it seems a dreadful dream — . Men in her name continually blaspheme. And shock the heavens. She, " mooned Ashtaroth," Mother of God and Queen of Heaven is both ; Above the heavens exalted — from her place Dispensing all salvation and all grace ; Higher than God. " Since nought can stay thy hand^ mother and thy brethren without them, saying. Who is my mother, seek for thee. ^'■^ And he answered or my brethren ? '^And he looked between Christ and the Church, so that as no man can come to God but by Christ, so nobody can come to Christ but by Mary." We are further taught, that Mary gave her Son to die for us; that He obeyed her will in dying for us ; that she helped Him to undergo death ; that what He obtained for us " of condignity," she obtained " of congru- ity ; " that souls are born of God and Mary ; that she feeds all with her own flesh, etc. We again quote: " As God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so Mary so loved the world that she gave her only begotten Son. The Virgin not only, concordant with the Father, gave her Son to the world, but also in conformity with her Son, with priestly piety offered Him up as a sacrifice for the world. ... It is equi- table that as the Son, voluntarily enduring death, satisfied for all, so the Virgin, voluntarily offering her Son to that same death, obtained the sal- vation of all. . . . So, then. He who addressed His Father, ' Not My will but Thine be done,' and, owning to the will of His Father, -willingly offered Himself to death, did also gain great courage to endure death, i» T?IE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 1 99 Mother of God ! " they cry, '' thy Son command ! By that authority thou hast, require FiHal comphance, granting our desire ! So will we build to thee, and every day Will costlier offerings on thy altars lay." Bribed intercessor at the Upper Court, They count continually on her support ; Reliance place on nature's pleadings even. To warp the purpose of judicial Heaven. round about on them which sat mother, and my brethren! ^spoj. about him, and said. Behold my whosoever shall do the will of God, that He knew that His Mother willed the same ; yea, we may say, that by dying he obeyed not only His Father but also His Mother. . . . That salva- tion of the whole human race which her Son merited ' de cotidigno,' she, ' de cong)-vo,' in a certain excellent way, obtained and promoted." . . . "We maintain a (co)-presence of Mary in the Eucharist." . . . "The Blood of the Lord, and the lac of His Virgin Mother — ' the lac virginale ' — are both present in the sacrament. ... As often as we eat the Flesh of Christ in the Eucharist, so often do we in it really eat the Flesh of the Blessed Virgin. For the Flesh of Christ is the Flesh of the Blessed Virgin." " Christ, we are told, vouchsafed at mass, to show to S. Ignatius [Loyola] the very fart of the Host which had once belonged to the substance of Mary." "When the Holy Ghost, her Spouse, has found Mary in a soul. He flies there. . . . One great reason why the Holy Ghost does not now do start- ling wonders in our souls is, because He does not find there a sufficiently great union with His faithful and indissoluble Spouse." " The Psalter of the Blessed Bonaventura," recognized during three cen- turies, sanctioned by the present Pope, and approved by the appointed censors, is a formulary of devotion, whose popularity is evinced by the numerous editions through which it has passed. Bonaventura himself 200 THE EVANGEL. The Judge of all the earth could not do less, For vindication of His righteousness, Than openly, and once for all, disown All earthly bias carried to His throne. Blot out, O Lord, this impudent pretense ! Shocking to piety and common sense ; This pagan substitute, with scarce a trace Of likeness to that Gospel of God's grace, Which Paul once preached, and said, let none pre- sume the same is my brother, and sister, came to him his mother and his and mother. Luke viii : 19. Then brethren, and could not come at is a distinguished saint in the Romish Calendar; and for whatever of blasphemy there is in the licentious travesty that follows, the Roman Cathohc Church ought certainly to be held accountable. It begins, " Come unto Mary, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and she will give you rest." Throughout the Psalms, wherever the name of God occurs, the name of Mary is substituted. The nineteenth Psalm is made to read thus: "The heavens declare the glory of the Virgin, and the firmament showeth forth her handiwork." So the ninety-fifth Psalm: " O let us sing unto our Lady ; let us rejoice in the Virgin, that brings us salvation ; let us come before her presence with singing, let us praise her together ; come, let us adore and fall down before her ; let us confess our sins to her with mourning, that she may obtain for us a full indulgence." The one hundred and tenth Psalm in like manner is changed to, "The Lord said unto Mary, Stand thou at My right hand until I have made thine enemies thy footstool ; " and so throughout. At the close of the Psalms, the Te Deum and other pieces of ancient devotion are subjected to the same adaptation. The first runs thus : " We praise thee, O Mary ; we acknowledge thee to be a virgin. All the earth doth worship thee, the THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 201 To preach " another Gospel" in its room, On pain of the anathema : the curse Could not have fallen on a Gospel worse ; With human saviours, saintly go-betweens, To tease the Judge until He intervenes. A court, that were the scandal of the earth, A theme for ribaldry, contempt, and mirth — Where human motive of maternal awe O'ersways the strict integrity of law him for the press. 20 And it was told mother and thy brethren stand with- him by certain which said. Thy out, desiring to see thee. -'And he Spouse of the Eternal. To thee, angels and archangels, to thee thrones and principalities, to thee choirs and cherubim and seraphim continually cry, Holy, holy, holy, art thou, O Mary, Mother of God ; " and so on to the end. After this follows, " The Litany of the Blessed Virgin," which is treated in the same way. Here is a specimen : "In all times of our tribulation, in all times of our w^ealth, in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, from the torments of the damned, deliver us, O Virgin Mary ! " Here are some of the titles applied to her: " Co-Redemptress of the World," " Authoress of Eternal Salvation," " Propitiatory of the whole World," "Queen of Heaven and Hell," "The Great Peace-maker," " The Way of Salvation,'' "Omnipotence," " Ominipotence Kneeling," "The Advocate," " The Saviour." We are aware that the terms " douleia " ("servitude"), and " hyper- douleia " (" higher servitude "), and " latreia " ("free service for hire; " also, " divine worship "), have been used to distinguish between different kinds of worship, according as it is paid to the saints, to the Virgin, or to God. If it be true, that " Ora pro nobis" " Pray for us," belongs to the *' douleia," and " Miserere nobis," " Have mercy on us," to the " latreia," 202 THE EVANGEL. To partial verdicts ; and where grace is sold, For flatteries and equivalents of gold : Where one is warned, if he would win his case^ Not to come boldly to the Throne of Grace, But hither come where doubtful pleas are drest,. And by attorneys of the saints are pressed. For, since the resurrection, they pretend, Jesus is less and less the sinner's friend ; More prone to wrath than pity, whence 'tis hard To gain from Him attention or regard : answered and said unto them. My which hear the word of God and do mother and my brethren are these it. xi : 27. And it came to pass, as then it is certain, that the cultus of the Virgin is not a " douleia," nor a "hyperdouleia," but a true "latreia," or divine worship; for this, or language of hl<:e import, is constantly addressed to her. But these nice distinctions are practically null. Prayer, addressed to any absent being, presupposes the possession of the divine attributes of omniscience and omnipresence ; otherwise, how can be heard the petitions of ten thousand suppliants, offered at the same moment all over- the world. If this cannot be gainsaid, then is the "douleia" always a "latreia," and necessarily idolatrous. The nature of the human mind is such that it cannot give effectual attention to more than one speaker at once, for more than one causes distraction. Unless, therefore, canonization be a true deification^ or God-making, and instead of one God we now have many, it is manifest that praying to saints, to say the least, is vain ; and no better than fetish. A block of wood is not deafer than the absent ; nor less able to help. It is well understood that the worship of Mary has received a new im- pulse and a great expansion since the accession of the present Pope. He succeeded, in spite of all opposition, in making the doctrine of the THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 203 An Advocate no longer, but a Judge, Who gives reluctantly, even to begrudge The grace He purchased — wrested now and wrung Only by wheedlings of a mother's tongue, A boon to silence askings ; not because Of love eternal, and eternal laws Of grace, whose sovereign, fixed, and only seat Is God's great bosom, higher than whose feet No wing has soared : Yea, that supremest fact he spake these things, a certain voice, and said unto him. Blessed woman of the company lifted up her is the womb that bare thee, and the Immaculate Conception, which had previously been a matter of free belief, into an obligatory article of faith — something to be believed " de fide," under pain of damnation. Results great and speedy were expected to follow the definition of the doctrine. The delegate apostolic of Greece predicted, " The great one herself will requite you, and by her most powerful patronage will disperse those horrible tempests, wherewith in these most sad times your Blessedness, with the whole Church, is tossed. Winds and storms will cease, and there will be a great calm." The Irish Bishops expected, "The Mother of Mercy will arise, when she shall understand that her glory is at our hearts, and stretching forth the right hand of her might, amid the most dire storms and tempests wherewith we are tossed, she will lead us to a port of safety ; she will arise and utterly destroy all heresies." It is very evident that these do the Virgin the justice to suppose, that for the accomplished honor, so long delayed, she will be duly grateful, and hasten to make recompense ; taking it for granted, that adulation is still sweet to her, and the feminine privilege of flattery as dear to her as ever. This is the construction that the Archbishop of Paris put upon it, who doubtful of the propriety of the action contemplated, significantly asks, " When they exhibit to us the Blessed Virgin rejoicing in such honor, and therefore exulting, that we acknowledge her singular privilege, and as a 204 THE EVANGEL. Of all His government, each pardoning act, His sole prerogative, they lying say Is in this petty, peddling, meddling way. Bestowed by Mary's mediating hands ; Who, human, nothing knows nor understands ; Her puny shoulders bearing up a load Crushing to the Almightiness of God ; Spilling the fullness of the grace of Heaven, On inside favorites ; while none is given paps which thou hast Slicked. ^sBut they which hear the word of God, he said. Yea, rather, blessed are and keep it.] reward, taking care to pour most copious treasures of her gifts into the Church, do they not clothe the Queen of the heavenly court with the fail- ings of our infirmities? Do they not represent her as a woman, desirous of vain glory, to whose feet each makes his way by flattery and blandish- ments ? These things, if not vain phrenzies, are invented to reproach the Virgin." If the events which have taken place since the declaration of the dogma, are to be regarded as affording evidence of her disposition toward it, there can be no doubt but what she is displeased at it rather than pleased; for, since then, there has been " Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble," a thousand times more than ever, both to the Pope and the Church. The Archbishop of Rouen held that erecting into a dogma " a belief which does not reach in anyway at all explicit or imposing the elev- enth century, and which so many holy persons and doctors have either denied or been ignorant of," is a virtual abandonment of that principle ot S. Vincent of Lerins, so certain and venerable, Quod tibiqtie, quod semper, quod ab otnnibus tradltum est, etc. — " What was always, everywhere, by all, received as a dogma of faith, and believed until now." In decreeing this dogma, the Pope asserted his right to make doctrinal decisions without consulting the Church, a right which always before had been disputed. This prepared the way for the action of the Council sub- sequently held, which formally declared that the Pope is alone infaUible — THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 20$ To outside worshipers, who do not know She has monopoly of grace below. However sottish as a general rule, Man, surely, cannot be so great a fool As to be cheated in the open day. In such a barefaced, gross and shameless wayj Accept as Gospel, without proof the least. The crafty work and gainful of the priest : John ii : 5. His mother saith unto unto you, do it. ^And there were the servants, Whatsoever he saith set there six water-pots of stone, thus placing the beliefs of the entire Catholic world at the mercy of the ipse dixit of a single man. If this is not the apotheosis of whim, what is it ? The Pope can now do what God cannot do — make the false true ; declare that to be fact which is not fact. Let him introduce whatever novelty he pleases, every good Catholic, renouncing his own judgment, is bound to accept it as " of faith," under pain of mortal sin. One may know what he believes to-day, but cannot tell what he will believe to- morrow, A crotchet too hard for faith damns him. F. Faber, who was one of those who passed over from the Anglican Communion to the Roman, expressed himself as looking and longing for " the speedy coming of that great age of the Church, which is to be the Age of Mary," with which, he prayed, that " the Holy Spirit, the Divine Zealot of Jesus and Mary, may be pleased quickly to console us." Refer- ring to the short-comings of English Roman Catholics, he asks, "What is the remedy that is wanted? What is the remedy indicated by God himself? If we may rely on the disclosures of the saints, it is an immense increase of our devotion to our Blessed Lady; but remember, nothing short of an imvtense one. . . . Thousands of souls perish, because Mary is withheld from them." With a pantocratic, all-powerful and infallible Pope, most favorably disposed, there would really seem to be no good reason why the wished-for consummation should be longer delayed. If 206 THE EVANGEL. Be made the dupe of an invented lie Of bulk to blot and blacken all the sky ; Celestial glories darken and efface, And quench the firmament of light and grace. With all the doors of Heaven wide open flung, And welcomes sounding out from every tongue ; Jesus, with arms of love extended wide, after the manner of the purifying firkins apiece. 7jesus saith unto of the Jews, containing two or three them, Fill the water-pots with water. any new dogma is needed, he has only to decree it. Let the Age of Christ give place to the Age of Mary ! Instead of Christianity, let Marianity henceforth be the religion of the world ! All this takes place according to the law of development — not the devel- opment, assuredly, of what is Christian in that communion, but of what is Romish and Pagan. What is Christian therein we honor. We are not unmindful of the fact, that some of its members have borne a noble and pure testimony. We are grateful for such men as Thomas d Kempis ; who, in his "Imitation of Christ," knows nothing but Christ and Him crucified, making no mention of Mary. We reckon such true Catholics, not Roman Catholics. The epithet Roman is the defining word ; and ought never to be omitted when speaking of the Roman Catholic Church ; it tells the whole story of its origin; and explains its mixed character, as half pagan, half Christian. Pagan Rome survives in Papal Rome. Its spirit is there, as arrogant and usurping as ever, still claiming universal dominion. Pope is Caesar, even to the title he bears. One of the titles of Caesar Augustus was Po7itifex Maximus, or Supreme Pontiff. Pontifex means Bridge-inaker. A long time before the Christian Era, when Rome was yet a small town, the con- struction and care of the fortified bridges across the Tiber to Janiculus were committed to an order of men called Pontifices or bridge-makers, of which the chief was called Summus Pontifex. Their persons were sacred from all assaalt, and the name came to be one of high honor. Borne by the emperors, it passed to the Popes, who henceforth became the Bridge- THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 20/ Galling the race of sinners to His side ; It seems impossible that any can, By preference, turn to this most vulgar plan Of prayers to saints, in manner roundabout, And prayers to Mary : tossed from doubt to doubt, With justest reason to be most afraid, That, if they hear, they cannot render aid ; And they filled them up to the brim. now, and bear unto the governor of eAnd he saith unto them, Draw out the feast. And they bear it. ^When makers. In all those arts which made Heathen Rome so long mistress of the world, her Christian successor has shown herself more than her equal. Never was there so perfect a tyranny as that she set up. But the identity stops not at the government. There was an imbibing of the social and religious life as well as the political. Many of the old Roman superstitions found their way into the Christian Church under new names. Basilicas became churches. Symbols and ceremonies were bor- rowed from the heathen mysteries. Frequent apotheoses had swelled the number of gods to thirty thousand. Canonizations took the place of deifications. To the Lares and Lemures succeeded Tutelary Saints. The unlaid ghosts of that distant age continue to visit "the glimpses of the moon," nor do they vanish at the cock-crowing. Now, as aforetime, " In the most high and palmy state of Rome, The graves ' stand ' tenantless, and the sheeted dead ' Do ' squeak and gibber in the Roman streets." The opinion has been expressed, that could we call Scipio from his tomb at Rome to-day, he would recognize almost every thing in the extant reli- gious worship. What a pity it is, since there was to be development, that it did not put on another form and develop the Christian element in the Church of Rome, being that wherein all true CathoHcity consists, and the sole bond of unity and concord— instead of that alien and repellent Heathenism, which must serve only to drive farther off and make the gulf of separation still wider between itself and a Scriptural Protestantism ! 208 THE EVANGEL. But sit in grief and agony of shame, At the blasphemings uttered in their name. Mary was only faUible and frail — To err is human ; easy 'tis to fail — Meekly she bore deserved divine rebuff, Then swift forgiveness said it was enough. Who wrath o'errules to praise, occasion makes the ruler of the feast had tasted the not whence it was, (but the servants water that was made wine,* and knew which drew the water knew,) the * The evils of Intemperance are immense, and abstinence would seem to be the only remedy. Mahomet forbade wine and Christ made it. The difference between Christ and Mahomet was that of divine knowledge and human ignorance. Mahomet mistook a part for the whole, and with his axe of prohibition struck at a branch supposing it to be the trunk. The Omniscient Christ was guilty of no such error ; He knew that the bane was manifold, and that to single out wine for special prohibition was folly. The truth is, Christ forbade nothing. Not but that ten thousand things are forbidden — every thing hurtful is so. Nature forbids and nature is final. Why re-enact nature ? reaffirm creation ? deal in dittoes and deu- teronomies ? repeat laws established ? settle what was never unsettled ? Christ left nature as He found it, inviolate, unrepealed. His walking on the water did not abolish gravitation. Fact was fact the same as before — arsenic was arsenic ; alcohol was alcohol. So far as nature forbade these they were forbidden ; so far as nature permitted them they were permitted. Christ could go no farther than nature and be the Lord of nature. Con- sequently, Christ could not have forbidden wine absolutely and been God. Wine is many and different. There is a kind of wine which is not ; and another which is into.xicating, that is, has a toxic or poisoning power, for that is the meaning of the term. Was the wine Christ made, the latter? Christ's character is the answer. If that says, No, it is no ; for the wine is to be judged by Christ, not Christ by the wine. Christ we know, the wine we do not know. That which best befitted Him to make, He un- doubtedly made. Which is most likely to have been the subject of a di- THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 209 To manifest His glory by mistakes : And so the mother's forwardness, well meant, Was made to chime with heavenly intent And time so nearly, that the self-same hour, Came revelation of Christ's hidden power^ Beginning of His miracles of might And love and wisdom wrought in open sight. Who feeds the ravens when their food is scant, Is not indifferent to any want : governor of the feast called the Every man at the beginning dotb bridegroom, "And saith unto him, set forth good wine; and when men vine creation — a natural innocent product, or an artificial pernicious one ? The last would constitute a miracle unlike any other ; but the making of grape-juice is as the making of grapes. There is identity of operation. It is in the direct known line of Divine Causation. This authenticates it. If it be true that "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do, for whatsoever things He doeth, these also doeth the Son " (John v : 19), then is the nature of the wine conclusively establish- ed ; for it is certain that the Son had never seen the Father make intoxi- cating wine. To make intoxicating wme, would be to do what He had seen men do, not what He had seen His Father do ; it would be to imi- tate man's evil product, the most fatal of those many inventions he has sought out— a departure from the divine manner, prodigious and inex- plicable. Taking our stand, therefore, on the immovable rock of Christ's character we risk nothing in saying, that the wine of miracle answered to the wme of nature, and was not intoxicating. No counter proof can equal the force of that drawn from His attributes. It is an indecency and a calumny to impute to Christ conduct which requires apology : and, assuredly, if Christ furnished the means of a stupendous revel — not less than one hundred and twenty gallons of inebriating liquor, better, that is, stronger, more mocking and seductive, than that which had made the company all drunk (" methusthosi "), "the real alcoholic stuff and no 210 THE EVANGEL. They wanting wine, and wanting means to buy, Would Christ by miracle the want supply ? Though chiding, at the first, the bold request, He, afterward. His willingness expressed By sign or word. The means, the manner hidden, The mother bade the servants do as bidden. There standing were six water-pots of stone, With room for many gallons in each one ; And Jesus said to those attending Him : have well drunk, then that which is wine until now, ii This beginning worse: but thou hast kept thy good of miracles did Jesus in Cana of sham," in open water-pots, with a tacit invitation to them to drink it all up then and there lest it should spoil by too long standing — it would defy the combined wit of the whole world to justify it. It would be simply com- pleting the picture to imagine how in the midst of their Bacchanalian orgies the jolly crowd fell to hugging Him, and beslavering Him with maudlin kisses, and telling Him what a fine fellow He was. The words, "This beginnmg of miracles did Jesus in Galilee, and manifested forth His glory," were, in that case, the sublime of irony. It is customary for those who hold that the wine made was intoxicating, to lay special stress upon the fact that methuo means " to be intoxicated ;" and some go so far as to say, that those who sat at table were already in- toxicated at the time of the miraculous supply. Were this true, it would strengthen our argument immensely on the moral side, for it would be nothing short of blasphemy to suppose that Christ would furnish more to those who already had too much ; but we by no means think, because the word means to be intoxicated, that the company were intoxicated, or had even been drinking anything that was intoxicating, for we are willing that the poor architridinus , or ruler of the feast, should be allowed to utter a proverbial saying without holding him to a literal interpretation. Certainly, if he meant to be understood as charging the assembled guests with being all drunk, the five newly called disciples THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 211 *' Fill up each one with water to the brim ! Draw now, and to the governor convey ! " And they astonished hastened to obey. And when the ruler tasted it, amazed He called the bridegroom, and the vintage praised ; Saying, ''All use and wont thou dost reverse, Keeping the good 'till last, and not the worse. Galilee, and manifested forth his [Prov, xx : i. Wine is a mocker, glory ; and his disciples believed on strong drink is raging ; and whoso- him. ever is deceived thereby is not wise. with the rest, he acted discreetly in whispering it to the bridegroom in- stead of speaking it aloud, for they would probably have resented it. But we presume there was another reason for the aside, and that if he had spoken it aloud, and any one had taken offence, he would have been quite justified in saying to him, " Fool, I am responsible for my proverb but not for your lack of understanding." One thing is certain, Christ did not make fermented wine, not even if He made alcoholic wine, for there was no time for fermentation. The alcohol, if present, must have been there by a direct creation, in which case it may be safely questioned, whether in any true sense it was wine at all — that is grape wine — any more than those factitious compounds, by courtesy called wine but which are not wine, where the laboratory is the vineyard. There are those, who under the mistaken idea that wine to be genuine must be the alcoholic article, contend for the genuine, and yet have no difficulty in using infamous shams, which do not contain, and never did, a single drop of grape-juice. Thus far we have limited ourselves to asserting that Christ did not make intoxicating wine, whether He ever drank it is another question. Here too. His character is everything — far more than doubtful philology. Anything He drank must, we know, have been a safe and unhurtful bev- erage, wherein there was no "excess." For it were, as we have said, a 212 THE EVANGEL. Whence this delicious nectar, heavenly wine? What suns matured it ; and where grew the vine? Not grapes of Eschol hold so rich a blood, Which cheers, but not inebriates, like food?" Our great Exemplar sat a genial guest, Eating and drinking even as the rest ; Unbound by vows which, proper in their place, Did not express the freedom of the race. xxiii:29. Whohath woe? who hath hath babbling? who hath wounds sorrow ? who hath contentions ? who without cause ? who hath redness of crime to attribute to Christ conduct which necessitates defence or apology. We are not permitted to suppose that the Saviour from sin was an exam- ple of sin ; that He who taught self-denial practiced self-indulgence. Rather must we believe, that every meal He ate was a lesson of temper- ance ; that in no case did He ever go beyond the satisfaction of absolute needs. If wine was needed, even intoxicating wine. He was free to drink it, and so are we. Only let the need be established, and we know of no pledge of Teetotahsm so Mohammedan, so stupid, or so senseless as to forbid its use. It is a mistake to suppose that any one is asked to be more abstinent than Christ was, to go beyond Him a step. To maintain that Christ drank intoxicating wine habitually and as a beverage, without any requirement of health, for the sake merely of its exhilarating, in other words, its inebriating effects, were to outstrip the most malignant and unscrupu- lous of His enemies in the line of detraction, for they did not dare to go so far as to say, only to insinuate, that He was a wine-bibber, and a com- panion of wine-bibbers. The modern traducer assumes and asserts as a fact, what in the mouths of the hostile scribes and pharisees was no more than an innuendo. "All the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among them," three years and more, the favored Twelve enjoyed the privilege of a constant intercourse, with every opportunity of knowing the sentiments and manner of life of their Divine Master. To teach whatsoever He THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 21 3 Wisdom is justified. He did not say, This thing you may not eat, and that you may ; Wine is forbidden, you shall not drink wine ! For that would prove Him other than divine ; Since, that which formed the essence of the bane, All juices that ferment alike contain. What profit then, to shut and bar one door. And leave wide open twice ten thousand more ? The secret poison, wheresoever hid. eyes? ^o They that tarry long at the wine. siLook not thou upon the wine ; they that go to seek mixed wine when it is red, when it o-iveth had commanded them, to repeat with fidelity and exactness the old lessons they had learned at His feet, bounded the apostolic function. And lest infirmity of understanding or memory should be a cause of error, the Infallible Spirit was sent to teach them all things, and bring to their remembrance whatsoever Christ had said to them (John xiv : 26. ) Their words had authority, because they were His words. It is He who speaks in the Epistles. So it is not Peter but Christ who enjoins, 1 Peter v : 8 : " Be sober [N//ii;are=" Drink not," " abstain from wine "] ; be vigilant • because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring Hon, walketh about, seek- ing whom he may devour " [Karam?] = "drink or swallow down]. " Here is Teetotalism, and that, too, in its most condensed and positive form. Every word is to the point. Drink not, for thereby you throw open all the doors of temptation, put reason and conscience to sleep, and leave the soul all unguarded and exposed to the immediate inroad of a prowling Devil, who, like a roaring Hon, raging and athirst, stands ready to gulp you down as you gulp your wine. This being Christ's teaching by the Holy Ghost, who can doubt that His own practice was conformed to it? "All things are lawful, but all things are not expedient." " The Son of Man came eating and drinking," by which only is meant that He was bound by no vow of abstinence, hke John ; that is to say, 214 T PI EEV ANGEL. Must be sought out, provided 'tis forbid : And man would starve and die of very thirst, If he must analyze all nature first. Conscience at ease on lawfulness of use, In view of all the evils of abuse, Asking its duty, may receive reply, Thundered from every quarter of the sky : If eating meat, or drinking wine offend, Eat not forever ! drink not to the end ! his colour in the cup, when it moveth Hke a serpent, and stingeth hke an itself aright. 32At the last it biteth adder, ssfhine eyes shall behold He was not a Nazarite. His was a free life, but a spotless one. The vile insinuation that " He was a glutton and wine-bibber," had no better foun- dation than that He was seen eating with those who ate and drank. It is not said that He drank Himself, only ate. We read : " When the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eat with publicans and sinners, they said to His disciples, How is it that He eateth and drinketh ['and drinketh,' was, not unlikely, a mahcious addition, for they only saw Him ' eat ' ] with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, they that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance," Mark ii : i6, 17. This explains His social condescensions and social freedoms. A haughty aloofness, Pharisaic scrupulosity, or Essenic rigidity, would have frustrated the designs of His mission. He, the Divine Healer, came to heal those who needed heaHng, including lepers and outcasts. He could do them good only by direct ministries. He must know them, and they must know Him, and take what He had to give. He sat at their tables not to receive but to communicate. There was much doubtless that was uncongenial and revolting in such intercourse, but the physician expects to encounter infection and foulness, and thinks to be dainty or squeamish or nice ill befits his office. We have seen Christ in the character of a Guest, but did He never act THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 21$ What though no law expressly doth ordain ; 'Tis noble, God-like, Christ-like, to abstain. Love is that law all other laws above, And nothing 's so imperative as love : All comprehending, like the arms of space. In love's wide heaven no duty but finds place : Love o'ersweeps the whole, and not a part — No law so broad as is the Christian's heart. To legislate each duty, were to count Drops of a stream that issue from one fount. strange women, and thine heart thou shalt be as he that heth down shall utter perverse things. ^* Yea, in the midst of the sea, or as he that the part of a Host? Yea, verily. Under the open sky in His own house of the universe. He performed the rites of a divine hospitaUty on the grand- est scale ; on one occasion, feeding a hungry multitude of four thousand, on another, five thousand. Was wine deemed necessary to the feast, and did He provide wine ? Not a drop. There was a superabundance of food, but no wine. Surely this fact is not without significance. While it can in no wise be proved, only inferred, that Christ even so much as tasted fermented wine, we know no absolute reason why He should not, and so far from caring to deny it, we prefer to assume it, for this cause if no other, that it takes absdnence out of the category of a super- stition, and from under the tyranny of an arbitrary appointment, and lifts it up into the liberty of an unprescribed voluntary Christian service, which respects times and circumstances, but is always loyal to conscience, quick to respond to the call of duty, however ascertained. No one, worthy the name of Chrisdan, stops to inquire, whether it is " so nominated in the bond," that he must abstain, if abstinence for any reason is advisable and best. Self-denial is the first condidon of discipleship. Christ's words are, " If 2l6 THE EVANGEL. God gives, since all efYects are in their cause, For narrow prescripts universal laws. Jesus drank wine, and made it : that is clear : Let all admit it freely without fear : Wine of the cluster pressed into the cup, The wine of nature : yielding so much up, 'T were slander, and not candor, to do more : 'T were vile to say of Him whom we adore. lieth upon the top of a mast. ssThey and I was not sick ; they have beaten have stricken me, shalt thou say, me, and I felt it not ; when shall I any man will come after me, let liim deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me," Luke ix : 23. He does not pardcularize. He merely states the principle. Its application to the innumerable details of daily life is left to every man's conscience. The difference is immense between an adjustable rule of this sort, and a divine law of prohibition, strict, unbending, absolute, tolerant of no departure under any circum- stances whatever, having respect to one thing alone, forbidding wine, making contraband and unlawful everything which bears that name, while the use of other things, equally seductive and pernicious, such as opium and hashish, is permitted. To make the law consistent with itself, it would need to include every substance, liquid or solid, that contains alcohol. But a rational obedience to such a law would be impossible ; at the utmost it could be only a wooden obedience to a name. The poison may lurk unseen and unsuspected, and how are we to know whether it is present or not ? By its effects? Alas, then it is too late. Whether we doubted beforehand, or did not doubt, having drunk or eaten that which was forbidden, we are equally damned — damned in an}^ case. Such ex- ceptional legislation could not be from God. He loves us too well to make sport with our souls after such fashion. Let us rejoice that we are not Mussulmen, but Christians. The general duty of self-denial enjoined in the Gospels, is exhibited in the Epistles more in detail, with specifications of particular vices to be shunned. Warnings against drunkenness are frequent : and abstinence THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 2 1/ He first Himself some heady liquor sips, Then holds the poison to His neighbor's lips ; Dispensing bowls, foul outside and within, With wrath, uncleanness, drunkenness, and sin. Since wine 's not one, but many — one in name, Many in kind ; the same and not the same ; Of hurtful strength in various degree — awake? I will seek it yet again. uel, it is not for kings to drink wine ; xxxi : 4. It is not for kings, O Lem- not for princes strong drink : s Lest from wine is commended or commanded in terms, whose force and directness can only be fully appreciated in the original. The literal meaning of the word translated "be sober," is, as shown above, "drink not;" and that rendered " temperance" {enkrateid) is "inner sovereignty," expressive of the absoluteness of the self-control to be exercised. There was an ancient sect of abstainers, Q.-a}i\&^ Enkmtites (the same word), or Encrats, as we might call them, having already anglicised the related words of autocrat, aristocrat and democrat. On the strength, probably, of those passages in his First Epistle, where the word occurs three times, Peter was said to belong to them ; but he based his encratic abstinence on Christian rea- sons, and not on the Manichean ground of the impurity of matter as they did. His abstinence was like His Master's, rational, not superstitious, not Manichean, not Mohammedan, but Christian. Teetotalism is this, and no more. Strange to say, there are those who deny our right to abstain. Total abstinence they say is rebellion. Christ calls us to drink. No matter if there is danger in it, it is our duty to face it. We must fight, not run. He wants brave men, not cowards. No texts are given in support of this, and there are none. Christ never taught after this manner. He, knowing what is in man, the liability of the best to fall, ceased not to warn against a vain self-confidence and a false security. " Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat : but I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not. . . Pray that ye enter not into temptation," 2X8 THEEVANGEL. There's room at least for common charity. Void of effects and safe, He would not seek The unapparent bane minute and weak ; But though no pharisee to strain each gnat, What makes the feet to err, He drank not that. Of this be sure : though learning should essay To trip your faith, be confident alway, they drink, and forget the law, and afflicted. Deut. xxxii : 33. Their pervert the judgment of any of the wine is the poison of dragons, and Lulce xxii : 31, 32, 40. " Watch and pray lest ye enter into temptation." " After this manner therefore pray ye, , . Lead us not into temptation." It was the witty quibble of one of the most brilliant preachers of his day, more than thirty years ago, when this petition was appealed to in support of the principle of total abstinence : " True, but we are not told to pray, lead us not into probation," A few months afterward he was deposed from the ministry on account of intemperance. It was subsequent to his recovery, that meeting him, he volunteered the admission, in alluding to former discussions, that he had been entirely and fatally in the wrong. The fact is, no one is safe. The appetite created by the use of alcohohc drinks, is as much beyond our control as the revolution of the planets. We know that there are idiosyncracies ; that whereas one man cannot take a single dose of mercury without being salivated, another can take a thou- sand. Ordinarily, however, in a period varying in different persons, sali- vation or mercurialism ensues. Precisely so with alcohol. There is a difference in tolerance. Alcoholism, oinomania, or dipsomania, or what- ever else you please to call it, is slowly induced in some, in some rapidly. But one might as well say that he will not be salivated, as that he will preserve to himself a thirst normal and healthy. At a moment when he least expects it, the delayed and smothered effect is liable to burst out into fierce flame and burn inextinguishably. Of course, all who drink do not become drunkards, any more than do all who take mercury become sali- vated, but they run the risk of becoming so. What occurs in one is liable to occur in all. Any one who should presume upon his possessing a phy- THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 219 No devil leered above the wine-cup's brim ; No mocker mocked from depths reflecting Him. He would not, never did, and could not do, What were unworthy sinful me and you — To men that had well drunk, present and press Enticements and temptations to excess. Did other proof in contradiction fail, the cruel venom of asps. Hab. ii : neighbor drink, that puttest thy 15. Woe unto him that giveth his bottle to him, and makest him sical nature different from others, and on the strength of this should take arsenic or some other deadly poison, would be accounted a madman or a fool. We blame the drunkard and despise him, but why ? He cannot help the thirst that dominates over him ; but he could have helped that rash tampering with the causes that produced it, and for this he is respon- sible. The folly and the guilt lie in the tampering, all the rest is law. Here is the sufficient answer to those who are fond of saying that the Gospel is the only adequate remedy for intemperance as well as every other vice. The Gospel was not designed to effect physical changes. It is not curative of disease. In one point of view, at least, the appetite for alcoholic stimulants is of the nature of a physical depravity, rather than moral. It is not so much a mental bias to evil, as a perversion of vital sensibilities — a disease superinduced by the violation of physiological laws. Argument and motive are therefore of little avail. The sharp goadings and incessant cravings of a diseased appetite are not to be silenced in this way. As well might we, ignoring Physiology and Therapeutics, seek to allay the thirst of fever, or the bulimia of dyspepsia, by reading the New Testament. The drunkard, Tantalus-like, tormented and devoured by a perpetual thirst, is not in a state to be influenced by moral considerations. No force of will is sufficient to maintain a very protracted contest with the ever-pres- ent, terrible, interminable teasing of a depraved appetite. The first step in an attempted reformation, therefore, must be the removal of the appe- tite, and nothing will do this but an entire abstinence from its provoca- tives and inducing causes. This is common sense and gospel too. What would be thought of that Christian minister who should be guilty of the 220 THE EVANGEL. His character, unaided, should avail To give assurance, stablish and define. The wine He made was unfermented wine. Tell if you can, unless it had been such. Why it was requisite to make so much ? Abundance argues innocence, since He Would not supply the means of revelry, drunken also. I Tim. iii : 2. A " that does not drink," lest he drink bishop must be. .vigilant \v7j(bdXLov, and forget the law, etc. — Th. vr](po), mockery of going to such an one, and saying, " Repent and be converted, but do not leave off drinking : Christ wants brave men, not cowards." Undoubtedly, opium and alcohol produce effects which differ, but they agree in this, that used habitually, they alike tend, by a law as constant as gravitation itself, to establish a tyranny, compared with which chains, racks, dungeons, and whatever else go to make up the material apparatus of the most cruel despotism, are as nothing. For these are outside of the man, and leave the soul untouched. But here the demon of tyranny enters within ; puts fetters on the soul itself; cripples every faculty ; cuts the sinews of the will, and reduces the man to a sta.te of utter abjectness, where all power of resistance is lost, and the unhappy victim is led captive by him at his will. We all know the power of habit ; how like the poisoned robe of Nessus, fatal to Hercules, once put on the chnging mischief can no more be put off, so to speak, than the skin itself; and if flaying were practicable, it would hardly then accomplish the object, for the virus would have already passed into the blood [in succum et sanguinem) and infected every part. If this be true of habit in general, much more is it true when there is the concurrence and added strength of a depraved appetite, like that engendered by the use of alcoholic or narcotic poisons, acting not only as a force pushing and urging from behind — a kind of vis a tergo — but begetting hkewise a fatal proneness and proclivity to ruin, sloping and steepening the descent more and more toward the abyss, until the downward course becomes at last like the impetuous hurry and inev- itable rush of the waters of some mighty cataract just before the final plunge. THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 221 Just when the thirst was kindled ; slope the way, And snare their feet He taught to watch and pray. Distrust appearances ! Be sure they lie If they eternal verities deny. Christ's character is sure. Be not beguiled ! He who is holy, harmless, undefiled, V7], not, ttlca), to drink — be teetotal in mind — and] of good behaviour thathemaybelsober [(yw^pova, sane given to hospitality; apt to teach " The Confessions of a Drunkard," by Charles Lamb (" Elia"), are in point: "The evil is acknowledged, the remedy simple. Abstain. . . . Begin a reformation, and custom will make it easy. But what if the be- ginning be dreadful, the first steps not like climbing a mountain but going through fire ? . . What if a process comparable to flaying alive be gone through ? I have known one in that state, when he has tried to abstain but for one evening, though the poisonous potion had ceased to bring back its first enchantments, to scream out, to cry aloud, for the anguish and pain of the strife within him. Why should I hesitate to declare that the man of whom I speak is myself! . . But is there no middle way betwixt total abstinence and the excess which kills you ? With pain I must utter the dreadful truth, that there is none, none that I can find." He closes with the warning, "Stop in time." Prevention is better than cure, and total abstinence is prevention. We deny that there is any fallacy, great or small, in Teetotalism. It is as sound in principle as beneficent in practice. The argument in its favor is " One entire and perfect chrysolite," without a single flaw, A wilder absurdity was never broached, than that we are not as free to say, we will henceforth abstain from wine or whiskey, as to say, we will abstain from opium or hashish. If it can be proved that they are innocent, we are free to abstain ; if it can be shown that they are hurtful, and that abstinence will be beneficial to ourselves or others, we are bound to abstain. It is a good reason for abstinence if our 222 THE EVANGEL. Could do no wrong, nor yet what tends to wrong ; Is mindful of the weak and of the strong; Leads none into temptation. Never fear But what the cause of temperance is dear To Him, who needs not any should Him tell, What is the shortest, surest road to hell. Prove that a thing is hurtful on the whole, [by precept and example, so] ^jsJot wine ; separate, remote from wine given towine[|"^ Trdpotvov, notnear wherein is ex'cess, violence, outrage.] use is others' misuse, if it merely lends sanction to a dangerous custom. The contagion of disease is not so bad as the contagion of a corrupt, or if you please, a corrupted example. How awful, should some one stum- ble over us into hell ! " We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves," Rom. xv : i. Let no one dare to sneer at such a scheme of conduct and theory of life ! We undertake to say, that go to any one you will, and ask him whether he can give up his brandy or his wine or his beer, and he will tell you, " Yes, just as well as not ; it would not cost me the slightest effort." Now we have the right to take such persons at their word, and insist that they make this paltry sacrifice, which they say will cost them so little, if not for reasons that concern their own safety, then for the sake of humanity. What if all could be prevailed upon to renounce the use of intoxicating drinks of every kind ; would it not be a good thing ? You say it is easy — ought not all then to do it, seeing this would infallibly put an end to the woes of intemperance ? Abstinence from all that intoxicates uproots the evil, dries up its source, in a word, annihilates it. All this is so clear that there is no room for doubt or denial, but there is, it seems, for ridicule. True, very true, they say, abstain from drinking and there will be no more drunkenness; and so abstinence from eating would put an end to gluttony. Such quibbling is entirely unworthy of men of sense, and on so serious a subject it is wicked. Who does not see that the cases are not parallel, inasmuch as one respects the necessaries of life, and the other that which is in no wise needful or useful ; and that while abstinence from THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 223 Is dangerous to the body and-the soul, And you may swear that thing is not for you ; That Christ condemns it, and forbids it too. Wine is a mocker, therefore drink not wine ! It is a Christ-hke reason and divine. All Christ's commands invariably rest I Thess. V : 6. Therefore let us watch and be sober [vr/(l)cojutv== not sleep, as do others ; but let us drink not] ; "For they that sleep the former is impossible or fatal, abstinence from the latter is not only practicable, but, by the unanimous testimony of those best qualified to speak the world over, positively and pre-eminently salutary. In England, not long ago, upward of two thousand physicians and surgeons, including such men as Sir Benjamin Brodie, Sir James Clarke, Dr. Ferguson, Dr. Forbes, Dr. Marshall Hall, Aston Key, Dr. Latham, Dr. Andrew Combe, etc., etc., united in declaring: " That in their opmion, the most perfect health is compatible with Total Abstinence from all intoxicating bever- ages, whether in the form of ardent spirits, or as wine, beer, ale, porter, cider, etc., etc. ;" and " that Total and Universal Abstinence from alcoholic drinks of all sorts would greatly contribute to the health, the prosperity, the morality and the happiness of the human race." The fact that it serves no useful purpose in the animal economy takes away all excuse from those who drink. They drink without need ; not from want, but wan- tonness. It is uncalled-for hazard and gratuitous harm. All is for nought. The case stands thus : Here is an evil, a plague of immeasurable mahg- nancy, " Whose deep taint With slow perdition murders the whole man, Body and soul." A dreadful ubiquity belongs to it. It is universal as the air. There is one remedy and only one. It is simple, sure and all-sufficient. It con- sists in an easy and blessed abstinence which involves no self-denial, or none which is not directly beneficial to the individual himself. He who 224 THE EVANGEL. On what is reasonable and right and best. The best is still commanded : find that out And you may follow it without a doubt. If it be best to drink, if safe and wise, Then, drink ! ye have permission of the Skies. But if it be, as all experience shows. Not best, not safe, not wise, since countless woes sleep in the night. ?But let us who =" be abstainers from wine."] are of the day, be sober [v?/^w//fv i Peter v : 8, 9. Be sober [N^rpart abstains acquits himself of all responsibility. It is not his fault if the evil continues to ravage. His hands are clean. The guilt, if there is any, belongs to those who deliberately refuse to apply the cure. As to them, it is not easy to see wherein their criminality differs in kind or degree from that of the physician who, possessing a catholicon of sure efficacy, has it in his power instantly to arrest an epidemic like cholera, but refuses to do it. If such refusal makes him an ally of the pestilence, and accountable for its desolations, why, in the other case, is there not fellowship of guilt in every murder and every suicide caused by the drinking customs of society? Others may hesitate as to their duty ; but for our own part, we could not be more certain of ours, if it were written on the firmament, or " thundered from every part of the Azimuth." In conceding that Christ may have drunk intoxicating wine, it is possi- ble that we concede too much ; for while it is true, that there is nothing necessarily wrong in drinking intoxicating wine in an unintoxicating quantity, it is equally true that the tendency is always to exceed that. Indeed, to stop short of an exhilarating effect, that is, incipient intoxica- tion, is to fail of the object for which it is usually drunk. If drank only to quench thirst, unintoxicating wine or pure water would do as well or bet- ter. Undeniably, to drink for the purpose of intoxication in the slightest degree is sin. The motive is evil, and the effect evil. While intoxication affects all the organs, it affects none so much or so injuriously as the brain, the seat of the mind, whose manifestations it disturbs, producing a spir- itual bouleversement — soul anarchy and moral overthrow. " The kingdom THE MARRIAGE IN CANA. 225 Proceed therefrom in a perpetual stream, Drink not ! it is forbid by the Supreme. If there is wine which tends to no excess, Then prohibition would be meaningless ; And such there is. Learned Rabbis say, the Jews, At marriage festivals, did never use =drink not], be vigilant; because about as a roaring lion, seel part of them, and shalt not see 20 Behold, I have received com- themall: and curse me them from mandment to bless: and he hath- thence. 1* And he brought him in- blessed; and I cannot reverse it. to the field of Zophim, to the top of 21 He hath not beheld iniquity in. 3o6 THE EVANGEL. Th' inevitable commandment not to curse But bless : His blessing I cannot reverse. He hath in Jacob seen or seemed to see Nought of perverseness or iniquity ; But out of Egypt Israel hath brought, And for him great deliverances wrought. All our contrivances are sure to fail — Against him no enchantment can avail. As a great lion, shall the people rise, Who tears and drinks the blood ere down he lies. And Balak said : " Them neither curse nor bless." ** To choose I told thee I was powerless." To the high top of Peor next he brought Balaam, who, lifting up his eyes, first caught Jacob, neither hath he seen per- young lion : he shall not lie down un- verseness in Israel : the Lord his til he eat of the prey, and drink the God is with him..22Qocj brought blood of the slain. 25 And Balak said them out of Egypt, and he hath as unto Balaam, Neither curse them at it were the strength of a unicorn, all, nor bless them at all. And Ba- 23 There is no enchantment against laam answered. Told I not thee, Jacob, neitherany divination against saying, All that the Lord speaketh, Israel: according to this time it that I must do ? 27 And Balak said shall be said of Jacob and Is- unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I rael, What hath God wrought ! will bring thee unto another place ; 24 Behold, the people shall rise up as peradventure it will please God that a great lion, and lift himself up as a thou mayest curse me them from JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 307 The sight of Israel biding in his tents, With blazoned banners and accoutrements, According to their tribes, all in one glance. And he, with eyes astare in a deep trance, Moved by the Spirit of God, resumed his speech : " How goodly are thy tents, how far they reach ! As valleys are they spread, as gardens by the side Of rivers, as lign-aloes, cedars in their pride Beside the waters, pyramids of grace, ' Abounding, beautiful — the sterile place Made fertile by the buckets he shall pour — The desert and the Salt Sea scattered o'er With seed, that shall spring up and grow As after a Nilotic overflow. thence, ^s And he brought him un- of the Almighty, falling into a trance, to the top of Peor. but having his eyes open : ^ How Ch. xxiv: 2. And Balaam lifted goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and up his eyes and he saw Israel abid- thy tabernacles, O Israel ! ^ As ing in his tents according to their the valleys are they spread forth, as tribes ; and the Spirit of God came gardens by the river's side, as the upon him. ^ And he took up his trees of lign-aloes which the Lord parable, and said, Balaam the son hath planted, and as cedar trees be- of Beor hath said, and the man side the waters. ^ He shall pour whose eyes are open hath said: the water out of his buckets, and his ^ He hath said, which heard the seed shall be in many waters, and words of God, which saw the vision his kingdom -shall be higher than 308 THE EVANGEL. His king shall be exalted to a height Above all kings. He hath as 't were the might Of the wild bull whom hunters' arrows pierce, Trampling his foes with rage, exceeding fierce, Breaking their bones. He couched, he lay As a great lion dreaming of his prey. Ah ! who shall stir him up ? Yea, doubtless, he Is blessed that blesseth, cursed that curseth thee." » And Balak's wrath was kindled, and he said : " To curse my foes I called thee, and instead Thou hast three times them altogether blessed. Flee to thy place. I will not thee invest With honor as I thought. The Lord, I wot, Hath kept thee back from honor." Agag, and his kingdom shall be ex- lo And Balak's anger was kindled alted. 8 God brought him forth out against Balaam, and he smote his of Egypt ; he hath as it were the hands together, and said, I called strength of a unicorn : he shall eat thee to curse mine enemies, and, up the nations his enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed shall break their bones, and pierce them these three times, ii There- them through with his arrows. He fore now flee thou to thy place : I couched, he lay down as a Hon, and thought to promote thee to great as a great lion : who shall stir him honour, but, lo, the Lord hath kept up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee back from honour, 12 And thee, and cursed is he that curseth Balaam said. Spake I not also to thy thee. messengers which thou sentest unto JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 309 " Spake I not To thy own messengers thou sentest so — Beyond the Lord's command I cannot go To do or good or bad of my own mind, If Balak would me give of gold refined And silver his house full ? Now I return To my own people ; but before this learn What shall this people do to thine at last.'* Spake he with staring eyes as in the past : *' I shall behold him, but not now nor near. Lo ! out of Jacob shall a Star appear, A Sceptre out of Israel shall rise, And Moab smite and Sheth in dreadful wise. Edom and Seir shall a possession be, And Israel shall do most valiantly. me, saying, i3 jf Balak would give see him, but not now : I shall he- me his house full of silver and gold hold him, but not nigh : there shall I cannot go beyond the command- come a Star out of Jacob, and a ment of the Lord, i* And now, be- Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and hold, I go unto my people: come shall smite all the corners of Moab, therefore, and I will advertise this and destroy all the children of what this people shall do thy people Sheth, is Edom shall be a posses- in the latter days, is And he took sion for his enemies ; and Israel up his parable and said, Balaam the shall do valiantly. Out of Jacob son of Beor said, .falling into a shall come he that shall have do- trance with his eyes open, i" I shall minion. r^ 3IO THE EVANGEL. [Satanic principalities shall fall, And Christ's one Kingdom triumph over all.]"" After the blessing, wherewith Moses blest The tribes of Israel, from his deep breast Pouring the stream of prophecy, he went Up from the Plains of Moab, the ascent Of Nebo, to the top of lofty Pisgah, where He could behold the land Jehovah sware To Abraham and his seed, east, west, south, norths But not permitted thither to go forth, All but the simple view to him denied : And he there in the land of Moab died. No prophet like to him in power and grace Rose after whom the Lord knew face to face. Deut. xxxiii : i. And this is the Judah, unto the utmost sea, and the blessing, wherewith Moses the man south, and the plain of the valley of of God blessed the children of Israel Jericho, the city of palm-trees, unto before his death, etc. Zoar. And the Lord said unto him, Ch. xxxiv: i. And Moses went This is the land which I sware unto up from the plains of Moab unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Jacob, saying, I will give it unto Pisgah, that is over against Jericho, thy seed : I have caused thee to see And the Lord shewed him all the it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not land of Gilead, unto Dan, and all go over thither. So Moses . . died Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, there in the land of Moab, ac- and Manasseh, and all the land of cording to the word of the Lord. . . JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 311 To Moses dead, his lofty mission done, Succeeded Joshua the son of Nun His minister. The Lord spake saying : '' Now Dead is my servant Moses, forthwith thou Therefore arise, and with this people go Over this Jordan ! As with Moses so I'll be with thee, and will not thee forsake ; Thou of the land shalt distribution make. Be strong and of good courage ! not afraid, Nor at the number of thy foes dismayed." And out of Shittim Joshua sent spies Over to Jericho, who in disguise 10 And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. Josh, i : I. Now after the death of Moses . . it came to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead ; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people. ^ As I was with Moses so I will be with thee : I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of good cour- age : for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land. which I sware unto their fathers to give them. ^ Be strong and of a good courage ; be not afraid, nei- ther be thou discouraged. Ch. ii : I. And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there. 2 And it was told the king of Jeri- cho.. ^ And the king sent unto Ra- hab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are en- tered into thine house.. ^And the 312 THE EVANGEL. Entered the house of Rahab, and lodged there. And when the king of this was made aware, He sent to bring them forth ; but, feigning, she Hid them, diverted search, then set them free. And for this service made them firmly sware, They would herself and all her household spare. During three days the officers went through The host, and told the people what to do : *' When ye shall see the priests take up the Ark, Remove ye and go after it, but mark ! Come ye not near it ! you and it between Let full two thousand cubits intervene ! " woman took the two men and hid them, and said thus. . ^When it was dark the men went out ; whither they went I wot not ; pursue after them quicldy ; for ye shall overtake them. ."And the men pursued after them, and after they were gone out they shut the gate. . ^And she came up unto them upon the roof where she had brought them, 9 And she said unto the men, I know the Lord hath given you the land.. 12 Now therefore, swear unto me by the Lord, since I have shewed you kind- ness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father's house, and give me a sure token., ^^ And the men an- swered her. Our life for yours, if we utter not this our business. .^^ Then she let them down by a cord through a window : for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.. 22 And they went and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were returned. 23 So the two men . . came to Joshua, and told him all things that befell them. Ch. iii : 2. And after three days the officers went through the host ; 3 And commaded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the cov- enant., and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 313 The Lord to Joshua said : '' This day, lo, I Thee in the sight of all will magnify : Thou shalt command the priests to go before Bearing the Ark, until they reach the shore Of Jordan flooding now its banks and deep : Above, its waters shall stand on a heap, Cut in mid course, while those below shall fleet, Leaving the channel dry soon as their feet Who bear the Ark are dipped ; and these shall stand There in the midst of Jordan on dry land Till all shall have passed over." All this done. from your place and go after it. * Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure : come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go..'' And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel. .« And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark. .When ye come to the brink. . ye shall stand still in the Jordan. . 12 And Joshua said, Take you twelve men, out of every tribe a man. i^And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests, that bear the ark of the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jor- dan, that the waters shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above ; and they shall stand upon a heap. . is And it came to pass as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and their feet were dipped into the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfioweth all his banks all the time of the harvest,) i^ That the waters which came down from above stood and rose upon a heap ; and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. 314 THE EVANGEL. And having passed clean over every one, The Lord spake unto Joshua, and said : '' Take one man from each tribe, and from the bed Of Jordan let them twelve stones bear Upon their shoulders while the Ark rests there, To be for a memorial and sign To witness of this miracle divine." When all was finished, and the tribes all had Crossed safely over — Reuben first, next Gad And then the half tribe of Manasseh, since 'Twas meet these should thus openly evince Their willingness, whose lots were on this side, The risks of western conquest to divide. Their number forty thousand well-armed men — The Ark was out the Jordan brought up then, Ch. iv : I. And when all the peo- may be a sign among you. . '' And a pie were clean passed over Jordan, memorial unto the children of Israel the Lord spake unto Joshua, say- forever, n And when all the people ing, 2 Take you twelve men, out of were clean passed over, . .12 the chil- every tribe a man, s And command dren of Reuben and of Gad, and ye them, saying, Take you hence half of the tribe of Manasseh, pass- out of the midst of Jordan, the ed over armed before the children of place where the priests feet stood Israel, as Moses spake unto them : firm, twelve stones, and ye shall i^ About forty thousand prepared for carry them over with you, and leave war to the plains of Jericho. .i^And them in the lodging place, where ye the people came out of Jordan on shall lodge this night. . 6 That this the tenth day of the first month, and JOURNEY: BEYOND THE JORDAN. 315 And as the priests touched with their feet the shore The waters straight returned, and as before Flowed over all the banks. And Israel so Encamped in GiLGAL east of Jericho. When all the kings who were upon the side Of Jordan westward, heard the Lord had dried Its waters up for Israel to pass o'er, Their hearts dissolved, nor had they spirit more. When Israel, held in bondage long, Out from the land of bondage went. She was His sanctuary strong, And from her midst His law was sent. The Sea affrighted saw and fled ; Jordan amazed was driven back ; . While down across the water's bed Dry shod she kept her onward track. encamped in Gilgal, in the east Lord had dried up the waters of border of Jericho. Jordan from before the children of Ch. v: I. And when all the kings Israel, until we were passed over of the Amorites which were on the their heart melted, neither was side of Jordan westward, and all there spirit in them any more the kings of the Canaanites which [Ps. cxiv : i. When Israel wentout were by the sea, heard that the of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a 3l6 THE EVAN GEL. The conscious Mountains skipped like rams, Sinai and Horeb in their place ; The quickened Hills leaped up like lambs, Thrilled with deep awe from top to base. Why Reddest thou, O Sea? and why, O Jordan, did thy waters shrink? Why then were left your channels dry That moment Israel touched your brink? Ye Mountains, why skipped ye like rams — Sinai and Horeb in your place? And why ye Hills leaped ye like lambs. Thrilled with deep awe from top to base? Tremble thou earth, and be afraid, The Lord, the God of Jacob fear ; Whose presence turned the rock, and made The flint a fount of waters clear ! people of strange language ; ajudah wast driven back ? 6 Ye mountains, was his sanctuary, and Israel his that ye skipped like rams; and ye dominion. ^ Tj^e sea saw it, and little hills, like lambs ? ''Tremble, fled: Jordan was driven back, thou earth, at the presence of the 4 The mountains skipped like rams. Lord, at the presence of the God of and the httle hills like lambs. ^What Jacob; ^ which turned the rock ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou into a standing water, the flint into fleddest? thou Jordan that thou a fountain of waters.] JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 317 'Twas on the tenth of the first month, the day The fourth preceding the passover, they Came up from Jordan, the neglected rite Of circumcision done, the fourteenth night Of the same month they kept the paschal feast With bread unleavened ; and the manna ceased. When Joshua, that he might better know The strength of still uncaptured Jericho, Went forth alone, and near the city drew, Revolving in his mind what he should do To get possession — settled on no plan — He lifting up his eyes beheld a Man Over against him, in His hand a sword Drawn, glittering and terrible ; Him toward 2 At that time the Lord said from off you. Wherefore the name unto Joshua, Make thee sharp of the place is called Gilgal unto knives, and circumcise again the this day. 10 And the children of children of Israel the second time. . Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept •t And this is the cause, all the people the passover on the fourteenth day that came out of Egypt that were of the month at even, n And they males died in the wilderness, s Now did eat of the old corn of the land they were circumcised, but all the on the morrow after the passover, people that were born in the wilder- unleavened cakes. 12 And the man- ness, they had not circumcised. . , na ceased on the morrow, neither 8 And when they had done circumcis- had they manna any more, is And ing..9The Lord said this day have I it came to pass, when Joshua was rolled away the reproach of Egypt by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes 3l8 THE EVANGEL. Th' undaunted Joshua advanced, and said, ^' Art thou for us, or for our foes instead? " And He said, " Nay, but I as Captain now Of the Lord's host am come, My soldier thou." And he fell on his face, no longer bold, And worshiped : " Speak ! to do what he is told Thy servant waiteth." '' Loose," Jehovah said, " Thy shoes from off thy feet ; the ground they tread Is holy ground." And Joshua did so. *' See," saith the Lord, " I've given thee Jericho Its king and mighty men of valour — not By thy own prowess shall the prize be got — • and looked, and behold there stood place whereon thou standestis holy a man over against him with his And Joshua did so. sword drawn in his hand : and Josh- Ch. vi : i. Now Jericho was ua went unto him and said, Art thou straitly shut up. .none went out for us or for our adversaries? and none came in. 2 And the Lord ^*Andhe said. Nay ; but as captain said unto Joshua, See, I have given of the host of the Lord am I now into thy hand Jericho, and the king come. And Joshua fell on his face thereof, and the mighty men of and did worship, and said unto him, valour. ^ And ye shall compass the What saith my Lord unto his ser- city, all ye men of war, and go vant ? 15 And the captain of the round about the city once. Thus Lord's host said unto Joshua, Loose shalt thou do six days. ^ And seven thy shoe from off thy foot ; for the priests shall bear before the ark JOURNEY: BEYOND THE JORDAN. 319 Your men of war shall round it marchj no more, Seven days seven priests shall blow the Ark before Seven trumpets of rams' horns, and after that The city battlements shall fall down flat." JESUS is Joshua, ' The J ah that saves! ' Jordan, again rejoice in all thy waves As at His baptism ! Part thy flood anew. And let the Strength of Israel pass through ! The Angel of the Covenant, He stands With pardon and salvation in both hands : He comes as Captain now of the Lord's host ; By secret operation of the Holy Ghost, Fenced Jerichos and each strong-hold of sin Shall fall down flat and let the Conqueror in. Six days they marched once Jericho about Seven times the seventh ; raising a great shout, seven trumpets of rams' horns : and horns, and when ye hear the sound the seventh day ye shall compass of the trumpet, all the people shall the city seven times, and the priests shout with a great shout: and the shall blow with the trumpets. .sAnd wall of the city shall fall down flat, it shall come to pass that when they and the people shall ascend up every make a long blast with the rams' man before him,. n And the city 320 THE EVANGEL. The heaving walls fell flat — accursed before And doomed of God to be rebuilt no more — Accursed all things therein ; none of its wealth To be for spoil : but Achan took by stealth Shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold, With Shinar mantle goodly to behold, And hid them in his tent. For this offence, The dreadful sin of disobedience, God turned away from Israel His face: Whence came defeat unlooked for, and disgrace The shame of headlong, ignominious flight Before their enemy the Amorite Though few in number. Thwarted thus and crost Ev'n at the threshold, their high prestige lost. What hope was there that they would ever win ? Then came discovery of Achan's sin, shall be accursed, and all that are accursed thing: for Achan, the son^ therein, to the Lord: only Rahab of Carmi, of the tribe of Judah took the harlot shall live and all that are of the accursed thing: and the with her in the house. .1** And ye anger of the Lord was kindled in any wise keep yourselves from the against the children of Israel. ^And accursed thing, lest ye make your- Joshua sent men to Ai, which is be- selves accursed. ^^ But all the silver side Beth-aven, saying, Go up and and vessels of brass and iron are view the country. ^ And they re- consecrated unto the Lord. . turned to Joshua, and said, Let not Ch. vii: i. But the children of all the people go up.. for they are Israel committed a trespass in the but few. ^ So there went up about. JOURNEY: BEYOND THE JORDAN. 32 E And punishment, and salutary awe Of God's severity for broken law. Just is Jehovah; all His judgments right: Holy the cause in which He deigns to fight : If He condemns, who executes the doom Must have clean hands, nor venture to presume. It is for sordid ends He from afar Summons the dreadful enginery of war. And puts in human hands th' avenging rod To smite the sentenced enemies of God. Long-suffering and merciful as just. Who only punishes because he must, Four generations He delayed to smite. For that th' iniquity of th' Amorite three thousand men: and they fled before the men of Ai . . c And Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face. .« And said, O Lord, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their ene- mies ! 9 For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round, and cut off our name from the earth : and what wilt thou do unto thy great name ? 10 And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up.. 11 Israel hath sinned.. for they have taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. .20 Achan answered Joshua, I have sinned.. 2' When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment \lit. a mantle of Shinar], and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them ; and behold, they are hid in the earth in 322 THE E \^ A N G E L . Was not yet full. Ccrr.niissicn now to wrest Canaan, usurped and not by right possest, He gives to Israel ; fulfilling so The promise made to Abraham long ago. Fell Jericho by miracle : Ai next Was burned with fire: and when five kings, sore vext At Gibeon's league with Israel, combined Against that city and its fall designed, the midst of my tent.. 2'' And all Israel stoned him with stones and burned them with fire.. 2^ So the Lord turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called The valley of Achor, unto this day. Ch. viii: i. And the Lord said unto Joshua. .Arise, go up to Ai : see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land. Ch. ix : 3. And when the inhab- itants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai, 4 They did work wilily , and went as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wine bottles, old, and rent, and bound up ; ^And old shoes clouted upon their feet, and old gar- ments upon them; and all the bread of their provisions was dry and mouldy. ^ And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal and said. We be come from a far country: now therefore make ye a league with us. .i"' And Joshua made a league with them to let them live : 16 And three days after they heard that they were their neighbours and dwelt among them. Ch. x: I. When Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard. .2 He feared greatly because Gibeon was a great city.. ^ And sent unto Ho- ham king of Hebron, and unto Pi- ram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debirkingof Eglon, saying, •'Come up unto me, and help me that we may smite Gibeon : for it hath made peace with Joshua and the children of Israel. ° Therefore the five kings of the Amorites. .encamped before Gibeon and made war against it. JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 323 Th' inhabitants to Joshua sent word or their great peril ; and he, when he heard, Marched up from Gilgal rapidly all night, Intending a surprise ere morning light : And coming on them suddenly they fled, Smitten with panic, and discomfited Were slain with a great slaughter. Up the way That goeth to Beth-horon hotly they Were chased ; thence going down, great hailstones slew More than the sword: the Israelites pursue And stay not— they by Joshua forbid To bring the five kings out where they were hid In a known cave ; not letting them do more Than close its mouth, until pursuit was o'er: "And the men of Gibeon sent unto them with a great slaughter at Gib- Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, say- eon, and chased them along the u'ay ing. Slack not thy hand from thy that goeth up to Beth-horon ["liouse servants; come up to us quickly and of caverns or holes"] and smote save us, and help us: for all the them to Azekah, and unto Mak- kmgs of the Amoriies that dwell in kedah. "And it came to pass as the mountains are gathered together they fled before Israel, and were in agamstus. .^-And the Lord said unto the going down to Beth-horen that Joshua, Fear them not: for I have the Lord cast down great siones dehvered them into thy hand, from heaven upon them unto Aze- 9 Joshua therefore came unto them kah. and they died: they were suddenly, and went up from Gilgal more which died with hail-stones all night. loAnd the Lord discom- than they whom the children of Is- fited them before Israel, and slew rael slew with the sword. 324 THE EVANGEL. So jealous of the time, that he would stay The sun and moon to lengthen out the day; Command the universe ; apostrophize The too great swiftness of the rolling skies ; And have the stars in their high courses fight, To make the victory complete ere night. *[^2Xhen spake Joshua to the Lord the sun stood still in the midst of in the day when the Lord delivered heaven, and hasted not to go down up the Amorites before the children about a whole day. i-*And there of Israel, and he said in the sight of was no day like that before it or af- Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon ter it, that the Lord hearkened untO' Gibeon ; and thou Moon, in the val- the voice of man : for the Lord ley of Ajalon. i^And the sun stood fought for Israel.) i^And Joshua still, and the moon was stayed, until returned, and all Israel with him, the people had avenged themselves unto the camp at Gilgal.J upon their enemies. Is not this i''But these five kings fled, and written in the book of Jasher ? (So hid themselves in a cave at Mak- * Beyond all question and the shadow of a doubt, the twelfth thirteenth fourteenth and fifteenth verses of the tenth chapter of Joshua form no part of the original history, and, if allowed to stand where they do, ought to be included in brackets. But it would be still better could they be lifted out of the way altogether, and placed in the margin or at the foot, where they clearly belong. The claim is not that the verses are spurious, only that they are misplaced. In reading, it is absolutely necessary to overleap them to make sense and preserve connection. Their borrowed and inde- pendent character is self-evident and self-declared. It is purely by acci- dent of position, and not by any fault of theirs, that they have come to be confounded with the text. Among others, the printers are to blame for this ; for not content with omitting brackets before the twelfth verse and after the fifteenth, which would have made all clear, they, very absurdly, but doubtless under di- rection, perpetrate the sign of a paragraph before the last named verse, with the effect of mutilating what goes before, and making nonsense of all that follows. This last, unsevered from the three preceeding verses, fulfills its design of distinctly marking and emphasizing the close of the JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 325 Days may be long. Of one would you make two? You it without a miracle can do. Of the dear moments let there be no waste ! They're more and longer if your feet make haste. As in the Book of Jasher it is writ., ^'The sun and moon stood still," what words more fit, Or more significant, or more sublime, To tell of answered prayer for needful time ? kedah. I'^And it was told to Joshua, your enemies, and smite the hind- ..i*'And Joshua said, Roll great most of them ; suffer them not to stones upon the mouth ot the cave, enter into their cities ; for the Lord and set men by it for to keep them ; your God hath delivered them into i^And stay ye not, but pursue after your hands. .^oAnd when they had annotated extract here introduced — which there is every reason to believe, had, prior to this, done service in some connection apart from the history, under circumstances where it was necessary to indicate the occasion, but only compendiously, and in a general way. This would explain perfectly why a verse, belonging properly to the end of the campaign after many battles had been fought, should find place here at the outset, before the first battle was over. Commentators have remarked on the error loci in regard to this one verse but have failed to extend the observation to the other verses with which it is indissolubly joined. We acquit the ancient editor of any intention to deceive. Everything is open and above board, frank not fraudulent ; the whence and the where of the new matter, with the line of demarkation separating it from the old, are plainly noted, whereby it is seen at once to be a piece woven in another loom, by another hand, and in another age. An interlineation without a caret, it solves all difficulties to do the directest and simplest thing possible, that is, to believe it to be just what it professes to be, an annotated poetical extract taken from the "The Book of Jasher," ^'The Book of the Upright," " The Book of Heroes," " The Book of 326 THE EVANGEL. If nought of this in history is said, We shall find there prosaic fact instead ; True, but not truer is the last than first. Is literal truth than poetry's outburst. When of the flying foe not one remained, Save those whose swifter foot fenced cities gained^ All to the camp at Makkedah returned made an end of slaying them with a Joshua said unto the captains of the very great slaughter, . .that the rest men of war.. Come near, put your which remained of them entered in- feet upon the necks of them. .^'-And to fenced cities. 2iAnd all the peo- said, Fear not.. for thus shall the pie returned to camp to Joshua at Lord do to all your enemies against Makkedah in peace : . .22Then said whom ye fight. 26And afterward Joshua, Open the mouth of the Joshua smote them, and hanged cave, and bring out those five kings them on five trees :. .28And that day unto me out of the cave..2^And Joshua took Makkedah, . .Then pas- Praises and Hymns," which could not have been of earlier date than the time of David, because it contained David's lament over Saul and Jona- than (2 Sam. i : 17-12) ; that is to say, more than four hundred years after the Book of Joshua was written. Whether Joshua was the author of the Book bearing his name, or not, we know from Josh, vi : 26, that it was written, at least the first twelve chapters, while Rahab the harlot was still living, and so in his time. Besides it bears all the marks of a contem- porary history. We have in this tenth chapter, a rapid and graphic sketch of one cam- paign comprising several battles, and resulting in the first conquest of the southern half of Canaan. It begins with Joshua's leaving the camp at Gilgal on the Jordan, at the urgent summons of the beseiged Gibeonites^ and ends with his return there after the work of conquest was complete. Of the battles fought in quick succession, the first in the series was the decisive one of Beth-horen or Gibeon. This is given in detail, and forms the subject of the triumphal ode of which we have the fragment. There is a most animated description of the forced march, the going up from Gilgal all night, the surprise, the discomfiture, the precipitous flight JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 32/ In peace and joy for victory well earned. Then only Joshua commandment gave To bring the five kings forth from out the cave ; And when his captains on the neck of these Had put their feet, he hanged them on five trees. Losing no time though weary, Joshua Took Makkedah, and slew its king that day : And following up his marvellous success, His rapid march continuing to press, He Libnah, Lachish, Eglon, Hebron smote, sed unto Libnah and took it. .33Then remaining. ."■■^And from Lacliish he Horam king of Gezer came up to passed unto Egloa. .^uHebron.. lielp Lachish; and Joshua smote ^^Debir. .^otook them, and smote all him and his people until he left none the country of the hills and of the and hot pursuit of the panic-stricken enemy; the terrific hail-storm killmg more than the sword. It is at this point that the thread of the story is broken — to be taken up again at the sixteenth verse — by the sudden interjection of another account, extending from the twelfth to the fifteenth verses inclu- sive, which sends us back to Gilgal, not only before the completion of the campaign, but the conclusion of the present battle: and the unsuspecting reader, unapprised of the interpolation, would naturally suppose, that the Israelites had stopped short in the pursuit of the flying enemy to go back to their distant camp ; and had afterwards returned to renew the chase and the slaughter. One is tempted to wonder in that case what was the need of a preternatural prolongation of the day, so long as they had so accommodating a foe as to allow them to withdraw, and come back to complete the work of slaying them at their leisure. The document referred to is evidently of a mixed character. It consists of two parts. One part is a quotation. This is in form and fact poetical, not historical. It sings, it does not relate. It comes after the history, and is to be interpreted by the history. As that speaks of no apostrophe, or command addressed to the sun and moon, it is safe to assume that none was made ; for it is utterly inconceivable, that so stupendous an event, 328 THE EVANGEL. Debir, and places neighboring and remote, All Kadesh-barnea to Gaza won, And all of Goshen unto Gibeon : These having been into subjection brought All at one time, — for God for Israel fought, — At the completion of the hard campaign. He to the camp at Gilgal came again. The king of Razor, when he heard these things, Sent embassies to all the northern kings, south, .-iifrom Kadesh-barnea even Joshua take at one time, because unto Gaza, and all the country of the Lord fought for Israel. ^sAnd Goshen, even unto Gibeon. 42And Joshua returned, and all Israel w^ith all these kings and their lands did him unto the camp to Gilgal. as the arrest during a whole day of the ordinary on-going of the material universe, should have taken place, and tliis contemporary narrative make, no mention of it. Then, besides this grand general miracle, there would need to have been wrought in that case many thousand particular ones, a separate miracle for each individual combatant, to enable him to bear the fatigue of this continuous marching and fighting during two whole days. Doubtless Joshua wished needful time, daylight or moonlight, to com- plete the victory, and the needful time was given : and the apostrophe is the poetical conception of that fact. Just that and nothing more. The figure is bold, but not bolder than our every day speech. We speak of time as being long, or short, or at a stand still ; of crowding two days into one, and the like. The miracle that Joshua performed was one that any brave and good man can imitate in the strength of Heaven. Unfor- tunately the more common miracle is a shortening of the day, rather than a lengthening. The poetical statement has this advantage over the prosaic, that it makes flame and blaze the familiar truth proclaimed in a thousand ways, that to the man awake, God's hero, a day is a miracle of length, is memorable and immortal as the days of eternity — the sun stands still, and the moon is stayed; the stars in their courses fight JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 329 And they agreed their armies to unite, Make common cause in a determined fisrht o Against invading Israel — a grand And mighty host, as countless as the sand On the seashore, equipped and fortified With horses and with chariots beside. And when these kings were all together met At Merom's Waters, and their forces set In martial multitudinous array, Chap, xi: i. When Jabin king of gather at the waters of Merom, to Hazor had heard these things, he fight against Israel. eAnd the Lord sent to Jobab king of Madon [and said unto Joshua, Be not afraid be. other kings]. .^And they went, they cause of them : for to-morrow about and all their hosts with them, much this time will I deliver them all up people, even as the sand that is up- slain before Israel : thou shalt hough on the sea shore in multitude, with their horses, and burn their chariots horses and chariots very many, with fire. 'So Joshua came, and all 5 And when all the kings were met the people of war with him, against together, they came and pitched to- them by the waters of Merom sud- against his enemies, they fight from Heaven : while on the other hand, to him who is asleep, the day is extinct ; he kills it, and digs a grave for it; he quenches the hght of both the sun and the moon, or keeps them below the horizon. The quotation, strictly speaking, ends with the words, "Is not this written in the Book of Jasher?" and what follows would seem to be nothing more than the prosaic comment of some unimaginative scholiast or editor, who knowing no sense but the literal, in his fear lest the Ark of God was in danger, hastened to stretch forth his hand to steady it, by a fortifymg endorsement of his own. Learned commentators, men of prose and fact, have, m like manner, thought it necessary to maintain, that the poet's sublime apostrophe to the mountains and hills of Gilboa, taken from the same Book of Jasher, was to be understood as a divine 330 • THE EVANGEL. But not expecting battle on that day — Careless and confident that all was well — Came Joshua suddenly and on them fell, And smote, and chased them far, and did not tire ; Their horses hocked, their chariots burned with fire ; Put them to utter rout, and slew until The sword unsated left no more to kill. denly, and they fell upon them, and chased them, until thoy left 8 And the Lord delivered them into them none remaining, . .%oughed the hand of Israel, who smote them their horses, and burned their char- command, that neither dew nor rain should ever fall thereon, which had had an uninterrupted miraculous fulfilment down to the present time. As well might it be supposed that there was an actual skipping of the moun- tains and hills in true ovine fashion, because in Psalm cxiv it is so stated. There may be an appearance of reverence in all this, but who does not see that to literalize poetry is to burlesque it ; and that in hugging too closely the letter we strangle the sense — in imitation of those fanatics of the brand and the sword who show their religious regard for men by killing them. Every thing conspires to discredit the fact of the miracle. Not only is contemporary history silent in respect to it, but subsequent likewise. Outside of this poetical fragment there is not to be found in all Scripture a single clear allusion to it, while in respect to the dividing of the Red Sea and of the Jordan, there were, we know, perpetual mention and cele- bration. Inspired pens never wearied of the theme. Since in view of interpositions far less stupendous all lyres were struck in rapturous and adoring acknowledgement, it defies belief, that an event so prodigious which must have been an astonishment to other worlds besides ours — to the whole inhabited universe in fact— should have been allowed to pass unnoticed and unrecorded, and to drop through long ages into virtual ob- livion. The credibility of the miracle has usually been assailed on the JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 33I But notwithstanding many an overthrow, Th' unyielding obstinate and hardened foe Continued to hold out, that so they might Exterminated be in hopeless fight — For only thus the land could be made clean Of foul idolatries, the foulest seen. Evil seducers waxing worse and worse. Each passing hour but multiplies the curse : Spreading, like the contagion of disease. The pestilence new victims waits to seize : From age to age descends th' infected blood, And the pollution of the rolling flood. iots with fire. .-"So Joshua took the Lord said unto Moses, and gave it whole land, according to all the for an inheritance unto Israel ac- physical side, but it is still more open to attack on the religious, as being a sheer waste of omnipotence, serving no purpose of piety, seeing it excited no movement of wonder or gratitude, any more than if it had never been wrought. Many ingenious attempts have been made to dispose of the astronomi- cal difficulties involved, but while the fact of the miracle itself rests upon no better foundation than a forced and unnatural interpretation of a scrap of poetry of doubtful character and origin, the consideration of this may, we think, be very properly postponed. Even the editorial amplification does not necessarily mean that the prolongation of the day was physical, although it must be admitted, the language being prose, that it is most natural to construe it in that sense. Conceding the point, it would be necessary in that case to choose between a contemporary author treating of things at first hand, and one who in the avowed character of an editor mere- ly quotes, and summarizes, and offers comment, hundreds of years after- wards. And if in the New Testament, where the reasons for guardmg the 332 THE EVANGEL. If truth is holy, and if right is dear, A milHon Hve? are hardly worth a tear: Better a nation far at once should die, Than it should live to propagate a lie. So Joshua, the whole land overrun. Rested from war. The work was now begun Of just division to each tribe by lot : Nine tribes (the tribe of Levi counting not) And western half tribe of Manasseh, all Receive th' apportionments that to them fall. Manasseh's half tribe east, Reuben, and Gad, Beyond the Jordan ere this having had cording to their divisions by their Lord [and I] commanded you : ^Ye tribes. And the land rested from have not left your brethren these war. many days unto this day. -^And nowr Ch. xxii : i. Then Joshua called the Lord hath given rest unto your the Reubenites, and the Gadites, brethren, as he promised them : and the half tribe of Manasseh, therefore now return ye, and get you 2 And said unto them. Ye have kept unto your tents, and unto the land all that Moses the servant of the of your possession, which Moses purity of the text would seem to be the strongest possible, interpolations have nevertheless been permitted — of which i John v : 7 is a conspicuous example, now quite generally rejected because not found in the oldest copies — it is surely not incompatible with proper reverence to suppose in the present case, that by a similar act of carelessness on the part of some ancient transcriber, a marginal comment has been mixed up with the in- spired original. Here, however, the foreign element while present never formed a part ; was present as a wedge not as a graft, having mere outside contact without union or pretense of union. JOURNEY: BEYOND THE JORDAN. 333 Choice of inheritance. Their pledge made good, Aye by their brethren firmly having stood : Now Canaan won, with commendation earned, They to their Transjordanic homes returned. And when they came unto the farther side Of separating Jordan, there to bide, They built an altar great to see and high, Over against the land of Canaan, nigh The place of crossing of all Israel, As if it were their purpose to rebel Against the Lord their God, and to forsake His tabernacle worship, sacrifice Burnt offerings where He did not authorize : A dreadful scandal, and with peril fraught — So all the thousands of their brethren thought, the servant of the Lord gave you on when the children of Israel heard of the other side of the Jordan. ^But it, the whole congregation gathered take diligent heed to do the com- themselves at Shiloh to go up to mandment and the law, which [he] war against them. .i^And sent Phin- charged you, to love the Lord your eas, the son of Eleazor the priest, God, and to walk in ail his ways, i-*And with him ten princes. .i^And and to cleave unto him, and to serve they came unto the land of Gilead, him with all your heart and with all and spake with them, saying, i^What your soul. ^So Joshua blessed them trespass is that ye have committed, and sent them away, .i^" And when to turn away from following the they came unto the borders of Jor- Lord, in that ye have builded you dan [they] built them an altar by Jor- an altar ? . . i" Is the iniquity of Peor dan, a great altar to seeto..i2And too little for us?..20Did not Achan 334 THE EVANGEL. Mindful of Achan, and their princes sent With threatening message to know what it meant. And they protested they did not intend What they supposed, but that their only end Was witness and not sacrifice ; to keep Their children mindful thus, and not let sleep The memory of holy rites, and all The law commanded, lest it should befall, That far removed, with Jordan them between, All these should be as though they had not been , Or lest their children should to theirs declare, ** Ye in the Lord have no part and no share." And Israel served the Lord and walked His ways, All Joshua's, and all the elders' days commit a trespass in the accursed dren might speak unto our children, thing? aod that man perished not saying, What have ye to do with alone in his iniquity. 2iThen the the Lord God of Israel ? 25Por the children of Reuben, of Gad, and of Lord hath made Jordan a border the half tribe of Manasseh answered between us and you: ye have no and said, 22The Lord God of gods part in the Lord; so shall your chil- knoweth, and Israel shall know ; if dren make our children cease from it be in rebellion or if in transgres- fearing the Lord, se^herefore we sion against the Lord (save us not said, Let us build an altar [a pattern this day), 23That we have built us an of the altar of the Lord], not for altar, .to offer thereon burnt offering burnt offering, or for sacrifice, but or meat offering; let the Lord him- it is a witness between us, that the self require it, 2^And if we have not Lord is God [and so they called the rather done it for fear of this thing, altar Ed]. ^-'And the thing pleased saying. In time to come your chil- Israel and they blessed God. JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 335 That out-lived Joshua, and who had known His works of judgment and of mercy shown. But afterwards, the voice of God's command — To make no league with dwellers in the land, But drive them out, their altars overthrow, All mention even of the names foreeo Of their false gods — they failing to obey, For sake of tribute suffering them to stay, The Lord was wroth : " I will not drive," He said, '' Them out before you, they shall stay instead — These snares and traps to vile idolatries — As scourges in your sides, thorns in your eyes ; Perpetual wars, and hard captivity To other nations shall your portion be." Ch. xxiv: 31. And Israel served cause this people hath transgressed the Lord all the days of Joshua, and my covenant, and have not heark- all the elders that outhved Joshua, ened unto my voice ; 211 also will and which had known all the works not henceforth drive out any from of the Lord, that he had done for before them of the nations which ^^^^^^* Joshua left when he died. Judges ii : 11. And the children of Ch. iii : 5. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Lord,.. i3And they forsook the Lord Hittites, and Amorites, and Hiv- and served Baahm and Ashtaroth. ites, and Jebusites : «And they took "And the anger of the Lord was their daughters to be their wives, hot against Israel, and he delivered and gave their daughters to their them into the hands of the spoilers sons, and served ' their gods. . . that spoiled them. .20And said. Be- « Therefore the Lord, sold them in- 336 THE EVANGEL. Hoping the punishment to intercept, The people lifted up their voice and wept, And sacrificed there to the Lord : but swerved Soon from His worship, and returning served Baalim and Ashtaroth, for which He gave (His gracious arm no more stretched out to save) Them up into the spoilers' hands for spoil, To be th' oppressed and wretched sons of toil. But when in their extremity of grief They cried. He raised them Judges for relief: First Othniel delivered them, when they Were to the king of Mesopotamia a prey. After this Ehud, smiting with bold hand The king of Moab, freed the captive land. to thehandsof Chushan-rishathaim, brought the present unto Eglon king of Mesopotamia: and they king of Moab, a very fat man,., served him eight years. sAnd when 2owho was sitting in a summer par- the children of Israel cried unto the lour, which he had for himself alone. Lord he raised up a deliverer, who And Ehud said, I have a message delivered them, even Othniel, the from God unto thee. .^lAnd he put son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger bro- forth his left hand, and took the ther. .iiAnd the land had rest forty dagger from his thigh, and thrust it years; and Othniel died. into his belly. .22Then went forth isEhud, a Benjamite, a man left- and locked the doors. .^^And escap-^ handed.. "Made him a dagger which edunto Seirath. .2TAnd blew a trum- had two edges, of a cubit length; pet i|| the mountain at Ephraim, and and he did gird it under his raiment the children of Israel, .-^went down upon his right thigh. I'And he after him, and took the fords of Jor^ JOURNEY : BEYOND TPIE JORDAN. 337 Then Shamgar the Philistines overthrew, He who six hundred with an ox-goad slew. Then Deborah, the prophetess, awoke Resistance to the Canaanitish yoke — Called Barak out of Kedesh-naphtali, And routed Sisera and made him fly — Although he could, to aid his numerous host, Nine hundred chariots of iron boast. They fought from heaven, the stars against them. fought ; The aidirig elements against them brought Their stormy might, and in their faces drove The blinding tempest ; also with them strove dan toward Moab, and suffered not Hazor ; the captain of whose host a man to pass over. 29And they was Sisera. .^ And he had nine hun- slew of Moab about ten thousand dred chariots of iron,.. and twenty men. ^ogo Moab was subdued., years he mightily oppressed Israel. And the land had rest for four-score * And Deborah, a prophetess, the years. ^lAnd after him was Sham- wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel gar, the son of Anath, which slew of at that time..6She sent and called the Phihstines six hundred men with Barak, out of Kedesh-napthali and an ox-goad: and he also delivered said unto him. Hath not the Lord Israel. God commanded saying. Go and Ch. iv: I. And the children of draw toward Mount Tabor, and Israel again did evil. .2And the Lord take with thee ten thousand men of sold them into the hands of Jabin the children of Naphtali and of king of Canaan, that reigned in Zebulun? ^And I will draw unto- 338 THE EVANGEL. The rising River, swollen with the rain, A quagmire making of the flooded plain ; The horses' hoofs were broken by the stress Of their wild plungings ; chariots no less O'erturned ; and those, who from them leapt, Were by the rushing Kishon seaward swept ; Whom spared the sword the torrent bore away, None left to tell the story of that day. Howbeit, Sisera alighting fled On foot, and to the tent of Jael sped ; Who going out to meet him, spake : " My lord, Turn in, fear not, I shelter will afford.'.' And when he had come in, he said, " Give me To drink a little water." And when she thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the edge of the sword before Barak; the captain of Jabin's army with so that Sisera hghted down off his his chariots and his multitude; chariot and fled away on his feet. . and I will deliver him into thine I'To the tent of Jael the wife of hand..43And Sisera gathered to- Heber the Kenite. .if^And Jael went gether all his chariots, and all his out to meet him, and said, Turn people. .i^And Deborah said unto in, my lord, turn into me, fear not. Barak, Up ; for this is the day in And when he had turned in unto her which the Lord hath delivered Sis- into the tent, she covered him with era into thine hand. .So Barak went a mantle. i9And he said unto her, down from Mount Tabor and ten Give me, I pray thee, a little watei thousand men after him. i^And the to drink ; for I am thirsty. And she Lord discomfited Sisera, and all opened a bottle of milk, and gave his chariots, and all his hosts, with him drink, and covered him. .2iThen JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 339 Had given him milk, and covered him, he slept : With nail and hammer then she softly crept, And smiting nailed his temples to the ground — Where passing in pursuit him Barak found. The mother through her lattice breathes the sigh : *' Why tarries thus his chariot ? Ah, why So long in coming, and so slow the wheels? " With self-deceiving words she care conceals : *^ Have they not sped ? Are they not on the way ? Have they divided not ere this the prey? To each a damsel, one or more, and fair? To Sisera a richer, nobler share — she took a nail of the tent, and took Ch. v: i. Then sang Deborah a hammer mto her hand, and smote and Barak, saying, spraise ye the the nail into his temples, and fasten- Lord for the avenging of Israel. . ed it into the ground : for he was ^cphey fought from heaven ; the fast asleep and v^^eary. So he died, stars in their courses fought against 22And behold as Barak pursued Sis- Sisera. siThe river of Kishon swept era, Jael came out to meet him, and them away, that ancient river., said unto him. Come, and I will 22Xhen were the horse hoofs broken shew thee the man whom thou seek- by means of the prancings. .2-iBles- €St. And when he came into the sed above women shall Jael the wife tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and of Heber the Kenite be. .28The mo- the nail was in his temples. 2350 ther of Sisera looked out at a win- God subdued on that day Jabin the dow, and cried through the lattice, king of Canaan before Israel. Why tarry the wheels of his chariot ? 340 THE EVANGEL. A prey of needlework of cost and toll Meet for the necks of them that take the spoil ? '^ The king and power of Canaan thus destroyed^ The land a rest of forty years enjoyed. 'Twas then that Gideon, in unequal fight, Beyond the Jordan drove the Midianite : Jephthah of Gilead 'gainst Ammon fought, And a great victory for Israel wrought : Samson, with the Philistines waging strife, Slew in his death more than he slew in life : Last of the Judges, Samuel the good Made Saul their king, for so the people would. The Ark of God at Shiloh, thence was brought Out from behind the veil, when Israel fought 29Her wise ladies answered her, Ch. vi-xvi. And the children of yea, she returned answer to herself, Israel did evil : and the Lord deliv- soRave they not sped? have they ered them into the hand ot Midian not divided the prey ; to every man seven years, etc. a damsel or two ; to Sisera a prey of i Sam. iv : 3. And when the peo- divers colours of needlework, meet pie were come into the camp, the for the necks of them that take the elders of Israel said, Wherefore spoils? sigo let all thine enemies hath the Lord smitten us to-day be- perish, O Lord: but let them that fore the PhiUstines ? Let us fetch love him be as the sun when he go- the ark of the covenant of the Lord eth forth in his might. And the land of hosts which dwelleth between the had rest forty years. cherubim, out of Shiloh unto us, it JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 34I With the Philistines, and disaster met. The captured Shrine they took to Ashdod, set It by their own god Dagon : morning found This fallen, lying prone upon the ground. The second time, the idol brake — bereft Of head and hands nought but the stump was left. And the Lord's hand, because of it, was sore On all the cities where the Ark they bore : So deadly the destruction, Ekron said, *' Let it go back again, send it away To its own place ! why bring it us to slay ? In a new cart, with offerings, they sent It drawn by two milch kine, that lowing went — may save us out of the hand of our off upon the threshold ; only the enemies. . , /">And the Philistines stump was left to them. ^Xhe hand fought and Israel was smitten., of the Lord was heavy upon them of ^lAnd the ark of God was taken. . . Ashdod, and he destroyed them, Ch. v: I. And the Philistines and smote them with emerods.. took the ark of God and brought it ■? And the men of Ashdod said the unto Ashdod, into the house of Da- ark of the Lord shall not abide with gon, and set it by Dagon, ^And us.. «And they a'sked the lords of the when they arose early on the mor- Philistines, What shall we do with TOW, behold, Dagon was fallen upon it? And they said. Let it be carried his face before the ark of the Lord, about unto Gath. .^And the hand of and they set him in his place again, the Lord was against the city with a . .40n the morrow morning Dagon very great destruction. .loTherefore was fallen on his face, .and his head, they sent it to Ekron, and the Ek- and the palms of his hands were cut ronites cried out, saying to the 342 THE EVANGEL. As mindful of their calves, and fret Of th' unaccustomed yoke — on straightway yet Unled to Beth-shemish, whereby they knew 'Twas not to chance the fatal scourge was due. The men of Beth-shemish the two cows took For a burnt offering : but dared to look Into the sacred Ark, so broke the law, And threw themselves into the open maw Of penal death, wide gaping to devour — Such consequence has sin down to this hour. Because abuse of trust brought punishment, They messengers to Kirjath-jearim sent, lords of the Philistines, Send it offering, in a coffer by the side away, and let it go again to its own thereof; and send it away. .^And see place, that it slay us not. if it goeth up by the way of his own Ch. vi: I And the ark was in coast to Beth-shemesh, then he hath the country of the Philistines seven done unto us this great evil ; but if months.. 2And they said to the not, then we shall know that it is priests and diviners, What shall we not his hand that smote us ; it was do to the ark of the Lord?..3And a chance that happened to us. they said. If ye send it away, send i^And the men did so ; and took the it not empty. .''Make a new cart, two milch kine, and tied them ta and take two milch kine, on which the cart, and shut up their calves at there hath come no yoke, and tie home..i2And the kine took the the kine to the cart, and bring the straight way to the way of Beth-she- calves home from them. .^And take mesh, lowing as they went, and turn- the ark of the Lord, and lay it upon ed not aside to the right hand or to the cart, and put the jewels of gold, the left. .i^And they of Beth-shemesh which ye return him for a trespass were reaping their wheat harvest in JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 343 And said, '' Come, fetch it ! " filled with dastard fears : And Kirjath-jearim kept it twenty years. Meanwhile the Tabernacle— made to mourn Maimed rites of worship, standing there forlorn, Deprived of Deity, that glory dark Which once flashed splendor o'er the sacred Ark- Was like a casket when the jewel's gone. Or soul from which God's presence is withdrawn. 'TWAS in the early, dark, and troubled days When Judges ruled, and danger filled the ways, the valky. and they saw the ark and all the house of Israel lamented rejoiced to see it. .i^And they clave after the Lord the wood of the cart, and offered Judges v : 6. In the daysof Shan- the kine a burnt offering unto the gar the son of Anath, in the days of Lord i9Because they looked into Jael, the highways were unoccupied the ark of the Lord, he smote them and the travellers walked through ..-lAnd they sent messengers to by-ways. "^ Kirjath-jearim, saying. The Philis- Ruth i : i. Now it came to pass tmes have brought again the ark of in the days when the judges ruled the Lord ; come ye down and fetch that there was a famine in the land.' It up to you. And a certain man of Bethlehem- ^i^. VII : I. And the men of Kir- judah went to sojourn in the country jath-jeanm came, and brought it in- of Moab, he. and his wife and his to the house of Abinadab in the two sons. ^And the name of the hil . and sanctified Eleazar his son man was EHmelech, and of his wife tokeep,t..2And the ark abode in Naomi, and of his two sons Mah- Kirjath-jeanm twenty years: and Ion and Chillon. ^And Elimelech 344 THE EVANGEL. Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and two sons — *Tis on this wise the sacred story runs — Driven by famine, starving there unfed Amid the cornfields of the *' House of Bread," Leaving their native Bethlehem behind, Compelled elsewhere the means of life to find, To MOAB came, whose hills and valleys green Across the Dead Sea gulf might thence be seen. The father dying, both the sons them chose Wives of the women of the land. Of those One was named Orpah, and the other Ruth. After ten years the sons too died. In truth 'Twas a sad sight that threefold widowhood, Naomi sitting in her solitude, So lorn, so stricken, utterly bereft. Empty who once was full, with nothing left Naomi's husband died ; and she in-law that she might return, for she was left and her two sons. ^And had heard that the Lord had visited they took them wives of the women his people in giving them bread, of Moab : the name of the one was "^ Wherefore she went forth out of Orpah, and the name of the other the place where she was, and her Ruth, and they dwelled there about two daughters in law with her; and ten years. ^And Mahlon and Chi- they went on the way to return to Ion died ; and the woman was left the land of Judah. sAnd Naomi of her two sons and her husband, said unto her two daughters in law, 6 Then she arose with her daughters- Go, return each to her mother's JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 345 Of all that wealth of love that made her glad Ev'n then when stript of home and all she had. Stranger among strangers longer why sojourn ? She filled with home-sick longings to return, Rose to depart ; and when her daughters both, In their devotion were to leave her loath, She tenderly persuaded them to go Each to her mother's house : '' 'Twere better so," She said, and kissed them, and with forehead bowed Upon each other's neck they wept aloud : Again she urged, again aloud they wept — Orpah gave way, but Ruth her purpose kept: ** Entreat me not to leave thee, to return From following thee : thou canst not change my stern house: the Lord deal kindly with ters: why will ye go with me? are you, as ye have dealt with the dead, thereyetany more sons in my womb, and with me. ^The Lord grant that that they may be your husbands ? ye may find rest, each of you in the i^Xurn again, my daughters, go house of her husband. Then she your way ; for I am too old to have kissed them ; and they lifted up a husband. If I should say, I have their voice, and wept, ^"And they hope, if I should have a husband said unto her, Surely we will return also to night, and should also bear with thee unto thy people. "And sons ; i^Would ye tarry for them till Naomi said, Turn again, my daugh- they were grown ? would ye stay for 34^ THE EVANGEL. Fixed purpose. Where thou goest I will go : . And where thou lodgest I will lodge : ev'n so Thy people shall be mine ; thy God my God : There where thou diest I will die — same sod Shall cover both. The Lord do so to me And more if aught but death part me and thee.*^ Finding her steadfast, nothing more she said — So they unsundered on their journey sped Until they came to Bethlehem, and all Exclaimed " Is this Naomi?" " Ah ! me call No more Naomi, * Pleasant ' I am not ; But call me Mara, ' Bitter' is my lot." Nay, but Naomi, bitter is the best ; No woman living is more truly blest. O loving heart, eternal is thy fame, Sweet is the fragrance that attends thy name. them from having husbands? nay, thou after thy sister-in-law. i^And my daughters ; for it grieveth me Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave much for your sakes that the hand thee, or to return from following af- of the Lord is gone out against me. ter thee : for whither thou goest, I "And they lifted up their voice, and will go ; and where thou lodgest, I wept again : and Orpah kissed her will lodge : thy people shall be my mother-in-law ; but Ruth clave unto people, and thy God my God : her. i^And she said. Behold, thy i^Where thou diest, will I die, and sister-in-law is gone back unto her there will I be buried : the Lord do people, and unto her gods: return so to me, and more also, if aught but JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 347 Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife, And the maternal font of flowing Hfe To Obed, Jesse, and, O honored one! To David, and to JESUS, David's Son. Still shining down through ages hoary, A halo of unfading glory Surrounds the name of Ruth in story. She to Naomi still would cling. Nor would return from following, Coming to trust beneath the wing Of Israel's God, and so became Mother of kings of mighty name, And One of more exalted fame, Ev'n Him, upon whose radiant brow The crown of heaven and earth sits now, And at whose feet Archangels bow. death part thee and me. iswhen come to Beth-lehem, that all the she saw that she was steadfastly city was moved about them, and minded to go with her, then she left they said, Is this Naomi ? 2oAnd speaking unto her. i^So they two she said unto them, Call me not went until they came to Beth-lehem. Naomi [Pleasant], call me Mara And it came to pass when they were [Bitter]: for the Almighty hath 348 THE EVANGEL What recompense did she receive, Who home and kindred chose to leave, That to God's people she might cleave ! David at Hebron, reigned in place of Saul, Acknowledged first by Judah, then by all; Stronger and stronger waxing, while the power And house of Saul grew weaker hour by hour: dealt very bitterly with me. 211 went out full, and the Lord hath brought me home again empty : why then, call ye me Naomi, seeing the Lord hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me ? iiSam. ii: 4. And the men of Judah came, and there they anoint- ed David king over Judah,. *But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over toMahanaim; ^And made him king over Gilead, and all Israel.. i"He was forty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years.. i2And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ish-bosheth went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon. i^And Joab the son of Zeruiah, and the servants of David went out, and met together by the pool of Gibeon.. ^"And there was a very sore battle that day ; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David. Ch. iii : i. Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David ; but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul weaker and weak- er. Ch. iv : 5. And the sons of Rim- mon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, came about the heat of the day to the house of Ish-bosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.. ''And they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night. ^And brought the head unto David to Hebron.. ^And David said unto them. As the Lord liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, ^"When one told me, saying. Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him and slew him in Ziklag, . .^How much more, when wicked men have slain a right- eous person in his own house upon his bed ? . . i^And David commanded JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 349 Crowned king at length o'er Israel at the death Of poor, abandoned, butchered Ish-bosheth. The rocky citadel of Jebus (high, Impregnable, and saucy to defy Assault or capture, hurling words of shame — " Except thou take from us the blind and lame Thou canst not come in hither " — trusting these Were able to repel attack with ease) David yet took, and dwelt there in the fort, Made it his capital, there removed his court — City of David, thenceforth ; ere this named Mount Zion ; then Jerusalem, far-famed ; The Holy City, mightiest of boasts. After th' enshrinement of the Lord of Hosts, And bringing of the Ark of Power and Grace, Into the new pavilion's Holy Place. his young men and they slew them, saying, Except thou take away the Ch. V : 3. So all the elders of blind and the lame, thou shalt not Israel came to the king to Hebron ; come in hither. TNeygj-ti^eless, Da- ..and they anointed David king vid took the strong hold of Zion : over Israel. ^David was thirty years the same is the city of David. ^So old when he began to reign ; and he David dwelt in the fort and called it reigned forty years. .^And the king the city of David, and his men went to Jerusalem un- Ch. vi : 2. And David arose, and to the Jebusites, the inhabitants of went with all the people that were the land: which spake unto David, with him from Baale [i. e. Kirjath- 350 THE EVANGEL. According as he swore: '' I will not come Into the tabernacle of my home, Nor sleep nor slumber shall my eyelids bind, Until a Dwelling for the Lord I find. At Ephratah we heard of it, and sought : • It from the fields of Kirjath-jearim brought. Arise, O Lord, into thy rest, at length. Thou, and the Ark of Thy immortal Strength ! " Lift up your heads, ye ancient Jebus gates ! Rusty with age, ye stiff portcullis grates ! jearim] of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the I^ord of hosts, that dwelleth between the cherubims. J^So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet. Ch. vii : 2. The king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of the Lord dwelleth within curtains. 3 And Nathan said, Go, do all that is in thine heart ; for the Lord is with thee. 4And it came to pass that night, that the word of the Lord came imto Nathan, saying, ''Go and tell thy servant David, Thus saith the Lord, Shalt thou build me a house for me to dwell in? ''Where- as I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt, even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle. .i^When thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee. .i^He shall build an house for my name. Ps. cxxxii : i. Lord remember David.. 2How he sware unto the Lord. .^Surely, I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed ; ^I will not give sleep to mine eyes, nor slumber to mme eyelids, ^Until I find out a place for the Lord, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob. ^Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah : we found it in the fields of the wood. 'We will go into his tabernacle: we will worship at his footstool. ^Arise, O Lord, into thy rest ; thou, and the ark of thy strength. JOURNEY: BEYOND THE JORDAN. 351 Ye everlasting doors uplifted be ! The King of Glory shall come in to thee." Who is this King of Glory ? warders cry — ** The Lord the strong in battle," these reply. Who shall ascend into the Holy Place, And Mountain of Jehovah, and find grace? The clean of hands and pure of heart: he who Has not been lifted up, nor sworn untrue: Who walks uprightly, and who speaks no lie : Abhors all wrong, deceit and calumny; Esteeming not the vile, but holding dear And honorable those Jehovah fear: Who swears to his own hurt, and keeps his word — He shall receive the blessins; of the Lord. Not cedarn House, but temporary Tent — Like that in which Jehovah walked and went Ps. xxiv : 3. Who shall ascend everlasting doors ; and the King of into the hill of the Lord ? or who glory shall come in. sWho is this shall stand in his holy place ? ^He King of glory? The Lord strong that hath clean hands, and a pure and mighty. heart ; who hath not hfted up his i Kings viii : 3. And all the elders soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceit- of Israel came and the priests took fully. sHe shall receive the blessing up the ark of the Lord..-'^And from the Lord. .''Lift up your heads, king Solomon and- all the congrega- O ye gates ; and be ye lifted up, ye • tion of Israel were with him before 352 THE EVANGEL. With marching Israel — did David raise ; That other work forbidden in his days : '* A House thou shalt not build Me, but thy son The wise, unwarlike, peaceful Solomon." And when the Lord performed this work as well^ He promised Solomon that He would dwell In the thick darkness of the Holiest, The Oracle, would there abide and rest In a fixed place (nomadic now no more. The Ark's long wanderings forever o'er,) Between the wings of cherubim that hover Over the Mercy-Seat, and meeting cover The Sacred Chest and Shrine, wherein lay hid The granite blocks of Sinai. When the lid Was lifted for another, these anew With awe one moment seen, were shut from view the ark..6And the priests brought of the Lord. i^So that the priests in the ark unto his place into the could not stand to minister because oracle of the house, to the most holy of the cloud : for the glory of the- place, even under the wings of the LordhadfiUed the house of the Lord, cherubim. .9There was nothing in i^Then spake Solomon, The Lord the ark, save the two tables of stone, said that he would dwell in the thick which Moses put there at Horeb. . . darkness. ^H have surely built thee i"And it came to pass, when the a house to dwell in, a settled place- priests were come out of the holy to abide in forever. .^^And it was in place, that the cloud filled the house the heart of David my father to- JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 355 In closed Propitiatory dark beneath — The sword of vengeance hidden in its sheath* — While present Deity from either place The Throne of Justice and the Throne of Grace^ Proclaimed forgiveness with consenting voice, And bade a lost and ruined world rejoice. *' Arise, O Lord, once more into Thy rest ! Splendor of God ! break forth, be manifest ! " The Glory came — the house was filled with light,. To human eyes insufferably bright. " But will in very deed God dwell with men ? The heaven of heavens cannot Him hold, how then • This House that I have built? Upon this Place Where Thou hast put Thy name, O God of Grace,. Thy wakeful eyes be open night and day. And hear Thy servants when they humbly pray." build a house. .i^And the Lord said heavens cannot contain thee : how- to David, Thou didst well that it much less this house that I have was in thy heart. ^^Nevertheless builded. 2sYet have thou respect thou shalt not build the house, but unto the prayer of thy servant, which thy son. .26And now, O, God of Is- he prayeth before thee to day: rael, let thy word, I pray thee, be 29Xhat thine eyes may be open to- verified, which thou spakest unto ward this house night and day, even thy servant David, my father. 27But toward the place of which thou hast will God indeed dwell on the earth ? said. My name shall be there : that behold, the heaven and heaven of thou mayest hearken unto the pray- * " Tanquam gladium in vagina reconditum." — Cicero. 354 THE EVx\NGEL. Lo, everywhere through boundless space Thy being spreads ; yet, if Thou Avilt, Thou, Lord, canst enter here, and grace The house our feeble hands have built. O vast, O ever-living Mind ! A thousand years are nought to Thee — Yet Thou, the Eternal One, dost find In moments room enough to be. Most sacred, solemn, and sublime, The favored spot and season, when Thou, gathered from all space and time, Dost condescend to dwell with men. The covering heavens sweet influence shed; And souls are glad like those above ; While softly floats o'er every head The streaming banner of Thy love. er which thy servant shall make unto plague of his heart, and spread this place. .38What prayer and sup- forth his hands toward this house: plication soever be made by any ^9 Then hear thou in heaven thy man, or by all thy people Israel, dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, which shall know every man the and give to every man according to JOURNEY: BEYOND THE JORDAN. 355 O, it is comely and thrice fit That praise should be our one employ ; While at this board of grace we sit, Clothed in the radiant vest of joy. Be harps to hallelujahs set ! And voices tuned to hymns of laud, And soaring harmonies ; and let The diapason close in God ! Sad to relate, the man for wisdom famed Beyond all kings, himself defiled and shamed By whoredoms with strange women, clave to these Silly idolaters that turned with ease Away to other gods his darkened mind, And doting foolish heart depraved and blind. • He worshiped Ashtoreth : with hateful rites Milcom, the scandal of the Ammonites ; his ways, whose heart thou knowest : strange women. .2And he clave unto for thou, even thou only, knowest these in love. ^And he had seven the hearts of all the children of men. hundred wives, prmcesses, and three Ch. X : 23. So king Solomon ex- hundred concubines :. .•*It came to ceeded all the kings of the earth for pass when he was old, that his wives riches and for wisdom. turned away his heart after other Ch. xi: I. But he loved many gods. .^For he went after Ashtoreth 356 THE EVANGEL. A high place built for Chemosh, the offence Of Moab: built for Molech — to incense Jehovah more, insult Him and contemn — Built in the hill before Jerusalem. Who sinks to folly is no longer wise : He's justly blind who puts out his own eyes. How few, alas, prosperity can bear! Power, riches, knowledge, are to most a snare — ► Power makes men cruel, emperor and priest — Beneath superior wisdom sleeps the beast. O bright beginning ! miserable end ! To what a depth of shame did he descend ! the goddess of the Zidonians, and hand against the king. .29 Jeroboam after Milcom the abomination of the had clad himself with a new gar- Ammonites. .''And built ahigh place ment, and the prophet Ahijah found for Chemosh, the abomination of him in the way ; and they two were Moab, in the hill that is before Je- alone in the field : and Ahijah caught rusalem, and for Molech, the abom- the new garment that was on him and inationof Amnion. .i^Wherefore the rent it in twelve pieces: ^'And he Lordsaid unto Solomon, Forasmuch said to Jeroboam, Take thee ter as this is done of thee. .1 will surely pieces : for thus saith the Lord, the rend the kingdom from thee, and God of Israel, Behold, I will rend will give it to thy servant. i2]siot- the kingdom out of the hand of Sol- withstanding in thy days will I not omon, and will give ten tribes to do it, for David thy father's sake: thee. ^^But he shall have one tribe but I will rend it out of the hand of for my servant David's sake, and thy son. .26And Jeroboam the son of for Jerusalem's sake, the city which Nebat, an Ephrathite of Zereda.Sol- I have chosen. .-"sAnd Solomon reign- omon's servant, even he lifted his ed forty years, . .^^And slept with his JOURNEY: BEYOND THE JORDAN. 357 Truly, of all the fools beneath the sun, The greatest fool was wisest Solomon. The rotten fabric of the tottering State, Fell with loud ruin at the touch of fate. Then when his son and heir began to reign — Ten tribes revolting, rending it in twain, Two hostile parts of a divided throne, HencefQrth as Israel and Judah known. The kingdom of seceding Israel, P'or five times fifty years ran parallel With Judah. Jeroboam first, the son Of Nebat, reigned : who, lest they should be won fathers ; and Rehoboam his son saying, My father made your yoke reigned in his stead, heavy, and I will add to your yoke : Ch. xii: I. And all Israel were he chastised you with whips, I will come to Shechem to make Reho- chastise you with scorpions. .i^The boam king..'^And when Jeroboam people answered the king, saying, the son of Nebat, who was yet in What portion have we in David ?. . Egypt, heard of it (for he was fled i^So Israel rebelled against the from the presence of king Solomon house of David unto this day. .20And -and dwelt in Egypt), ^That they made Jeroboam king over all Israel : sent and called him. And Jeroboam there was none that followed the and all the congregation of Israel house of David, but the tribe of came, and spake unto Rehoboam, Judah only..26And Jeroboam said -saying, ^Thy father made our yoke in his heart, Now shall the kingdom grievous: now therefore make thou return to the house of David: 2Tif It lighter. .i-*And he spake to them this people go up to do sacrifice in after the counsel of the young men, the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, 358 THE EVANGEL. Back to the house of David did they still Go to Jerusalem to worship, plotting ill, Like as at Sinai, made two calves of gold, And to th' assembled people said, '' Behold Thy gods, O Israel, which whilom brought Thee out of Egypt, and deliverance wrought.' And one he set in Bethel, one in Dan — A worldly, politic, and evil plan — And this became a sin. The people went To these to worship : unity twice rent By these bad means. Apostate Israel, All save a remnant of seven thousand, fell Into idolatry, and bowed the knee To Baal, when Elijah — made to flee ..and they shall kill me, and go 32And sacrificed unto the calves he again to Rehoboam king of Judah. had made. 28Whereupon the king took counsel, Ch. xix: 14. And Elijah said, and made two calves of gold, and The children of Israel have forsak- said unto them. It is too much for en thy covenant, thrown down thine you to go up to Jerusalem : behold altars, and slain thy prophets with thy gods, O Israel, which brought the sword : and I, even I only, am thee up out of Egypt. 29And he set left ; and they seek my life, to take the one in Bethel, and the other in it away. i^Go, anoint Hazael to be Dan, soAnd this became a sin : for king over Syria; i^and anoint Jehu the people went there to worship., king over Israel; and Elisha pro- JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 359 From Ahab, sunk in heart, of hope bereft — Had rashly said that none but he was left. Ahab at Ramoth-GILEAD was slain : And Jehu after him began to reign — First having executed vengeance fell Upon the guilty head of Jezebel ; Thrown from her palace window o'er the wall, Her body, crushed and mangled by the fall, Was trodden down beneath the horses' feet Of Jehu driving fast ; and dogs did eat And gnaw her bones, till nought of her was left, Save skull and feet and hands of flesh bereft. phet in thy room. I'Him that es- 11 Kings ix : 30. And when Jehu capeth the sword of Hazael shall was come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard Jehu slay..i='Yet I have left me of it ; and she painted her face, and seven thousand in Israel, which have tired her head, and looked out at a not bowed the knee unto Baal., window. .^^And he said. Throw her Ch. xxii : 29. So Ahab the king down. So they threw her down; of Israel,, .went up to Ramoth- and some of her blood was sprinkled gilead. .3iAnd a man drew a bow on the wall, and on the horses ; and at a venture, and smote the king he trode her under foot. .s^And they of Israel between the joints of went to bury her : but they found the harness. .35And the battle in- no more of her than the skull, and creased that day. .And the king was the feet, and thepalmsof her hands, stayed up in his chariot against the . .^eAnd he said. This is the word of Syrians, and died at even ; and the the Lord which he spake by his ser- blood ran out of the wound into the vant Elijah the Tishbite, saying. In midst of the chariot, s-go the king the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat died, and was brought to Samaria. the flesh of Jezebel : 37And her car- 360 THE EVANGEL. Ev'n as Elijah said, " As offal, dung Upon the field, her carcass shall be flung." This was at Jezreel, where Ahab had A favorite residence ; and wished to add, To beautify still more his fair domain, A vineyard owned by Naboth. When in vain He tried to diij, sick with vexation, he Refused to eat — '' Wait ! I will give it thee ; Be merry! Art thou king for nought?" Said Jezebel, with murder in her thought. None of the house of Ahab, Jehu spared ; One fate his great men, priests, and kindred shared. To make clean work, in his impetuous way, Of Baal's worshipers, he fixed a day For them to come together one and all In the god's house at Ahab's capital, cass shall be as dung upon the face Jehu shall serve him much. .^lAnd of the field. he sent through all Israel ; and all Ch. X : II. So Jehu slew all that the worshipers of Baal came, so that remained of the house of Ahab, and there was not a man left that came all his great men and kinsfolks, and not. And they came into the house his priests. .i^And he gathered all of Baal; and the house was full the people together and said unto from one end to another. . 25And them, Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu said to the guard and captain, JOURNEY : BEYOND THE JORDAN. 361 Samaria, and grimly said to such : ** Ahab served Baal little, I will much." And when the house from end to end was filled He orders gave : " Let every one be killed ; Break down his image, and his house as well ; Destroy thus Baal out of Israel ! " But Jehu took no heed with all his heart To keep the law, and from the sin depart Of Jeroboam — serving God by halves — Reserving worship for the golden calves That were in Bethel and that were in Dan. To cut then Israel short the Lord began : And Hazael the Syrian now smote The eastern tribes outlying and remote, Go in, and slay them; let none in all the coasts of Israel. .^sFrom come forth. .^fAnd they brake down Jordan eastward, all the land of Gil- the image of Baal, and the house ead, the Gadites, the Reubenites, of Baal, and made it a draught and the Manassites. house unto this day. ssxhus Jehu Ch. xv : 29. In the days of Pekali destroyed Baal out of Israel. king of Israel, came Tiglath-pileser 3iBut Jehu took no heed to walk king of Assyria, and took. .Kedesh, in the law of the Lord God of Israel and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, with all his heart ; for he departed all the land of Naphtali, and carried not from the sins of Jeroboam.. 32And them captive to Assyria. in those days the Lord began to cut Ch. xvii : 6. In the ninth year of Israel short: and Hazael smote them Hoshea, the king of Assyria took 362 THE EVANGEL. Manasseh, Reuben, Gad. Another day Tiglath-pileser carried them away Captive — tlie "Tiger Lord of Asshur." Last He came, who from the head of Ephraim cast His crown of pride, Samaria, a flower Whose glorious beauty perished in an hour. Swinging the scythe of conquest, reapers glean The harvest of the land — a dish wiped clean And then turned upside down : the people torn From all their dear possessions, bound and borne Into Assyria — lived there by the shore Of unknown rivers, and returned no more. And men, from heathen countries far away, Dwelt in the cities of Samaria. At first destroyed by lions, they believed It was because the local God was grieved ; Samaria, and carried Israel away the glorious beauty shall be as a fa- into x^ssyria, and placed them in ding flower.] Halah and in Habor by the river of 24 \rid the king of Assyria brought Gozan, and in the cities of the men from Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Medes. Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and [Is. xxviii : i. Woe to the crown placed them in the cities of Sa- of pride, to the drunkards of Eph- maria, instead of the children of raim, whose glorious beauty is a Israel. 25Xhe Lord sent lions among fading flower. .-'The crown of pride them which slew some of them, shall be trodden under feet : do ye see it now ? is it not in your seek shall suddenly come to his eyes in comparison as nothing? temple, even the messenger of the 6 Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Yet covenant whom ye delight in. once, it is a little while, . . -And I will Ps. lix : 9 ; John ii : 17. The zeal shake all nations, and the Desire of of thine house hath eaten me up. all nations shall come, and I will fill Is. Ivi : 7. My house shall be called this house with glory ? ^The glory an house of prayer for all people. JOURNEY : ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM. 367 The Journey done, as Jesus enters in, What sights assail Him! and what sounds of sin ! What greater shame ! His spirit how it grieves ! He sees God's Temple made a den of thieves, A cave of robbers, where men cog and cheat Worse than the villains of the mart and street ; Who worship Mammon in the House of God, Because the place is favorable for fraud. Forth with a whip of twisted cords He drives The trading brigands trembling for their lives : They shrink, they cower, they unresisting fly, Chased by the frowning terror of His eye. And terror of His voice, while thus He spake: ** Go, get you hence, and with you these things take ! " Jer. vii : 11. Is this house, which Father's house a house of merchan- is called by my name, become a den dise. of robbers? Behold even I have [Luke xix : 46. It is written, My seen it, saith the Lord. house is the house of prayer, but ye John ii : 13. And Jesus went up to have made it a den of thieves — lit. Jerusalem, i^And found in the tem- a cave of robbers.] pie those who sold oxen, and sheep. Is. Ix : i. Arise, shine; for thy and doves, and the changers of mo- light is come, and the glory of the ney, i»And when he had made a Lord is risen upon thee. scourge of small cords he drove John ii : 18. Then the Jews said them all out of the temple and over- unto him. What sign showest thou threw the tables ; i^And said. Take unto us, seeing that thou doest these these things hence, make not my things ? i^Jesus said. Destroy this 368 THE EVANGEL. Arise, and shine ! thy Light is come : now breaks The morning of a heavenly Day, that makes A glory on the mountains and the hills, And the green depths of all the valleys fills. The Lord is in His holy Temple, let The earth keep silence. The Shechinah yet O'erflovvs the Mercy-seat, but now in room Of the wrought fabric of the hand and loom, Is the thin veil and the unhiding mesh Of the chaste medium of human flesh Through which the mellow rays of Godhead stream With power to soften, not obstruct the beam. The Temple of His body — it shall be His habitation through Eternity. Destroy this Temple and He it will raise Again in greater glory in three days. This costly pile of marble, stone on stone, Shall in a little while be overthrown : The type fulfilled, the type shall pass away ; The law shall pass, but grace and truth shall stay. temple, and in three days I will in three days? 2iBut he spake of raise it up. ^oxhen said the Jews, the temple of his body. Forty and six years was this temple Mark ii : i. Again he entered la- in building, and wilt thou rear it up to Capernaum ; and it was noised JOURNEY : ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM. 369. As He was teaching once, there sat to hear Doctors and pharisees from far and near, With a great gathering of many more, That thronged the house and entrance of the door^ Borne by four men a palsied man they brought, And hindered by the multitude, they sought New means of access. Others having failed. Bent on their purpose, they the house-top scaled^ And through an opening in the tiling, they Let down the couch on which the sick man lay. When Jesus saw their faith ; and saw within The paralytic, penitence for sin. And knew that healing he would value less Than a deliverance from his soul's distress, With reassuring smile and look of grace. He, all His Father shining in His face. Addressed him: " Son, thy sins forgiven be, Be of good cheer! " and scribe and pharisee that he was in the house. 2And palsy, which was borne of four, straightway many were gathered to- -* And when they could not come gether, insomuch that there was no nigh unto him for the press, they room to receive them, no, not so uncovered the roof where he was : much as about the door; and he and when they had broken it up, preached to them. .3And they came they let down the bed wherein the- unto him, bnnging one sick of the sick of the palsy lay. 5When Je- 370 THE EVANGEL. Said inwardly: " Why thus blasphemes this one — For who can sins forgive but God alone ? " As nought was hid from His all-seeing eye, To their unspoken thought He made reply: "Were it an easier and diviner act, Think you, to say, Be healed ? The grander fact That I can sins forgive, let this avouch : " Arise !" He turning said, " take up thy couch. And go thy way ! " The sick man rose and went, And all were filled with great astonishment. When Jesus speaks, so sweet the sound, The harps of heaven are hushed to hear ; And all His words go circling round From lip to lip and ear to ear. sus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, th.y sins be forgiven thee. <>But there were cer- tain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, "Wliy doth this man thus speak blasphe- mies? Who can forgive sins but God only ? f'And immediately, when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within them- selves, he said unto them, Why rea- son ye these things in your hearts? ^Whether it is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be for- given thee ; or to say. Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk ? loBut that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 111 say unto thee. Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. 2iAnd immediate- ly he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all ; inso- much that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion. JOURNEY : ARRIVAL AT JERUSALEM. 3/1 But wondering seraph never heard, In all the mighty years of heaven, Music so sweet as that dear word — " Good cheer! thy sins are all forgiven." Sinners of earth, redeemed by blood ! How leaped your hearts, when first ye knew Th' amazing grace, and understood The gift of pardon was for you. Adopted now, with spirits awed. Knowing your privilege unpriced, Ye boast the Fatherhood of God, And Brotherhood of Jesus Christ. Note. — The historical episode here giveai, having been framed with reference to the claims of a supposed Journey, the relation of events has been made to conform to the order of places passed through, to the neglect ■of strict chronological sequence. The sweep of the narrative takes in the following subjects, arranged in proper order as to time: i. Jacob (pp. 254-264); 2. The Exodus (pp. 295-298) ; 3. Conquest of Eastern Pales- tine — Og, Sihon (pp. 251-257) ; 4. Moab — Balak and Balaam (pp. 299- 310) ; 5. Conquest of Western Palestine under Joshua (pp. 310-334). 6. Israel under Judges, Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah (pp. 336-340), Gideon, Jephthah (pp. 264-290) ; 7. Israel under Kings — Saul (pp. 290- 295), Ruth, David, Solomon (pp. 343-357) ; 8. The Dis^ision of the King- dom into the two Kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and their subsequent fortunes (pp. 357-367); 9. Jesus' Arrival at Jerusalem, and the Cleansing ■of the Temple (pp. 367-371.) XVII. THE LORD'S PRAYER. cc y ORD, teach us how to pray! Give form and I J thought! We know not what to pray for as we ought : Put words into our mouths of power and reach — Ordered, effectual, avaihng speech ! " *'Thou, when thou prayest, first prepare thy heart, For prayer is spirit, not mere verbal art ; Not cant ; not hypocritical parade Of Pharisaic piety displayed In synagogues and corners of the streets — False claimings and deliberate deceits ; Sonorous juggle of pretentious brags. And pubhc flauntings of a sinner's rags. Luke xi : i. And it came to pass, him, Lord, teach us to pray, as Johr> that, as he was praying in a certain alsotaught his disciples. zAndhesaid place, one of his disciples said unto when ye pray, say. Our Father, etc. THE lord's prayer. 373 Enter thy closet ! having shut thy door, In secret ask, and what you need implore ! Use not vain repetitions and absurd — For your much speaking think not ye are heard. Mumbling and pattering prayers, and keeping count Up to the number of the full amount Of prescribed penance ! Not if prayer were pence, Could Heaven be paid with coin of false pretence. After this manner pray, in faith and fear, And God who knows before your need will hear. Who asks receives ; he enters who thus knocks ; This key of heaven^ infallibly unlocks : " Our Father — bold appropriating *' Our" — Founded on filial privilege and power, Matt, vi : 5. And when thou pray- which seeth in secret shall reward est, thou shalt not be as the hypo- thee openly. ''But when ye pray, crites are : for they love to pray use not vain repetitions, as the standing in the synagogues and in heathen do ; for they think that they the corners of the streets, that they shall be heard for their much speak- may be seen of men. Verily I say ing. ^Be not ye therefore like unto amto you. They have their reward, them: for your Father knoweth what 6But thou, when thou prayest, enter things ye have need of, before ye into thy closet, and when thou hast ask him. ^After this manner there- shut thy door, pray to thy Father fore pray ye : Our Father, etc. which is in secret; and thy Father * "Clavis Coeli." 374 THE EVANGEL. And grace of sonship, given through Thy Son^ If not Thy children make us so each one ; The spirit of adoption, O supply, That we with yearning breast may, Abba ! cry. Who art in Heaven — because Thou art, we are ; We are Thy offspring, and Thou art not far From each of us. Thy face we cannot see, But Thou dost hear, though in eternity The faintest whisper, and dost recompense The prayer that's brief, believing, and intense. Not fixed at Gerizim, not worshiped there, Not in Jerusalem, but everywhere. Thou in the high and holy place dost dwell And in the contrite lowly heart as well. Thou art in heaven, for Thou Thyself art Heaven^ Thy smile doth make it in our bosoms even. We fly to Thee, we rush into Thy arms From earthly evils and from hellish harms ; The skyey infinite of Thy embrace Hath room for us, and all the human race. Thy Name be hallowed — dedicate and dear. Sacred, and separate to solemn fear THE lord's prayer. 375 And awful mention : silence lips profane, That take it now continually in vain ; Use it to garnish scurrilous discourse, And add to curses emphasis and force ; To hissing hate a feller sting impart, And deadlier venom to the maddened heart : Use it to perjure with, to pledge the Sky To the deceit and baseness of a lie. O never let it be through us blasphemed, Misrepresented, shamed, and disesteemed By lives ungodly, and a false pretence Of piety to cover rank offence ! But may our walk be worthy Thine elect; Our words declare Thee, and our works reflect ; That others seeing easily may trace Paternal likeness in the children's face. Thy Name stands for Thyself, for all Thou art ; How great that all when Nature's but a part, Transient and poor of Thy eternal whole. To man Thou gavest an immortal soul — When Thy dread voice, resounding through the void, Made only worlds to be again destroyed. 37& THE EVANGEL. Since this material universe we see Needs Mind to worship and interpret Thee, Thy works so manifold, immense in sum, Are gloriously significant, but dumb, Help us give voice, that every single thing, May utter praise, and sing or seem to sing! While Seraphim to Cherubim still cry, *' Holy! " and these antiphonal reply, *' Holy! " and heavenly trumpets loudly blow, As we the echoing thunder catch below, Help us to send it back to sinless ears All tremulous and moist with grateful tears. Thy threefold name we hallow, we divide Not worship — Oneness multiplied Into the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Make Thy One Self our confidence and boast : Without these names, what dearness were concealed ! Thy blessed Godhead were but half revealed: Great is the mystery, but great the grace, For thereby comes salvation to the race. Touch our cold lips, and kindle from above, To make each heart a holocaust of love, THE LORD S PRAYER. 377 That there may rise through all our future days The smoke and sweetness of perpetual praise ! Thy Kingdom come— Earth travaileth in pain ; Long time hath travailed, travailing in vain, Bringing forth nought but would-bes which are not — Pretence of rule by violence begot ; Usurping tyrannies of thousand thrones, Founded on cruelty, and built on groans. To perish soon ; but only to give place To others resting on as false a base : Full of uneasiness and all unrest Is the best government even at the best : Armies must prop it ; navies must defend. So feeble is it, hastening to its end. Crime stalks unpunished, ignorant of awe For the shorn helpless Samson of the law — To serve some greed or gratify some grudge Enacts the statute and appoints the judge : Justice is accident, and right is chance Of which no one is certain in advance. Men grope for something better, blindly grope, 3/8 THE EVANGEL. Wage bloody wars, but get not what they hope. Gird on Thy thigh Thy sword of majesty ! In triumph ride ! and let Thine arrows be Sharp in the hearts of foes ! subdue and win The wide dominions of this world of sin ! O let it come, despite the powers of hell. That Kingdom wherein righteousness doth dwell, That only Throne no waste of time decays, That single Sceptre sacred Justice sways! Let this world's kingdoms all be merged in one, The Kingdom of the Father and the Son ! Since unobserved it comes, and is within To make imperial conquests over sin — Is nowhere found, except where sweetly draw The mercy and the majesty of law In souls reborn — Thy Holy Spirit give, That so the dead in trespasses may live ; And loyal subjects of a heavenly birth Be greatly multiplied and fill the earth. Thy Will be done — no other will but Thine: Thy will is best, because it is divine : Thy will be ours in times of joy or woe — THE lord's prayer. 3/9 Thou knowest all things and we nothing know. Thou art our Father, and 'tis sweet to trust Thee all the way from Deity to dust. We would both suffer, and would do Thy will ; All duty, and all righteousness fulfil. Thy will expresses law, th' eternal Right, And varies not, the same in depth and height. The law man breaks, the dwellers in the sky Make haste to execute — they run, they fly From world to world on swift obedient wing, And in the blissful work rejoice and sing. Thy will be done, so dear to all above, On earth as done in Heaven — with joy and love — That earth may be like heaven, so like in bliss, 'Twere equal where we dwell in that or this. Give us this day our daily^ bread — supply The means of life, that we may live thereby. *T\\e word epio7ision [kirLovaiov), rendered in our version "daily," is found nowhere else except in the corresponding place in Luke ; and its meaning has been the subject of much dispute from the earliest times. One class of interpreters deriving- it from npHE EVANGEL,* forming the First Part of ''The Life and Teachings of Our Lord^'' in Verse, barring some anticipations of events, stopped at the threshold of His ministry; and the present Volume — The Light of the World — is a continuation of the same through the entire Four Gospels to the end. Since the publication of that First Part, other Lives of Christ in Prose have appeared; but if it be true as George Herbert supposes, " A verse may find him who a sermon flies," the writer indulges the hope that the novelty of a Complete Life in Verse, including all His Words, conscientiously faithful, and one from which everything fictitious is care- *There has appeared, since the first publication of The Evangel, Mr. Edwin Arnold's interesting- (but somewhat misleading) Poem entitled " The Light of Asia, or, the Great Renunciation, being the Life and Teaching of Gautama, Prince of India and Founder of Buddhism." Four hundred and seventy millions of our race, the author estimates, live and die in the tenets of Gautama. Who was Gautama ? Did such a person ever exist? If so. What was the purport of his teachings? According to our author, he was born in the seventh century before Christ; other authorities make his birth two centuries later. Gautama was the family name ; his individual name was Siddartha ; Buddha was titular, meaning "The Enlightened One." He appeared as a Reformer of Brahminism, and an Opposer of Caste. His history is full of fable. Concerning his teaching, the author remarks, there has arisen prodigious controversy among the learned. He states his "own conviction that a third of mankind could never have been brought to believe in blank abstractions, or in Nothingness as the issue and crown of Being." The battle has raged chiefly around the import of three terms Xll. PREFACE. fully excluded — if tolerably executed, may still find accept- ance at the hands of some readers. All people are not alike. Tastes differ. Some people seldom or never read a line of poetry, good or bad. Another class are so exclusive in their likings as to deny even the name of poetry to some of the most admired pieces in the language. They will not allow, for example, that Goldsmith's " Deserted Village " has any just claim to be called poetry. They affirm, and affirm truly, that it contains no expression that might not viz.: " Nirvana," " Dharma" and " Karma." According to most authorities, Nirvana means annihilation, the Buddhist's Sumfium Bonu7n ; for, to be is to be miserable ; all existence is sorrow. Dharma is law or truth or righteousness. Karma (literally "doing") expresses the sum of a man's deservings, both his merits and demerits, which is the only thing that survives when a man dies. The soul and self cease to ex- ist, but this Karma, which is a pure abstraction, a mere word, and not an entity at all, is, nevertheless, the active cause of a new being ; and transmigration consists in in- numerable transfers, not of a soul for that has perished, but of merit and demerit, until at last all demerit being done away with, Nirvana is reached, which is the end of births and the final extinction of being. When a bad man dies, the demerit may be such, as that, passing by the vilest of animal forms, it shall descend to originate a .new existence in one of the 136 Buddhist hells situated in the interior of the earth, where the shortest term of punishment is ten millions of years ; the longest in- computable. This is what makes Nirvana so desirable, that all existence even the highest, that of deva or god, involves the possibility of this degradation. Never was there a system more intensely pessimistic. Mr. Arnold has given us only the brighter side— in obedience, as he says, to the laws of poetic art, omitting much- Beyond some humane and excellent precepts, Buddhism has little to recommend it. Its highest hope is a horror, and this is attainable only on impossible conditions. No one may pray, for there is no one to pray to, no Helper. This is Buddhism at its best; as it was— not as it is, "sorely overlaid with corruptions," its vitality gone. Woe to the race, if it had no other Gospel. In view of the disposition exhibited on the part of some to challenge a comparison between the system of Buddhism and Chris- tianity, to set up Gautama as a rival to Christ, the writer has been led to give to this Second Part the title of The Light of the World, in contradistinction to that of the somewhat invidious one. The Light of Asia, adopted by Mr. Arnold for his work. PREFACE. Xlll. be used in eloquent and descriptive prose. For like reasons they regard Dryden and Pope as clever versifiers, but not as entitled to take rank as poets; so true is it, that bigots are not confined to religion. These devotees of a creed and slaves of a theory scornfully reject what does not conform to their standard. But that narrowness, which refuses to let people be pleased in their own way, is unamiable to say the least. In view of the impossibility of framing a definition of Poetry, that shall so fix its meaning, as to furnish a just rule for determining in all cases what is Poetry and what is not, it is fortunate, that some security, against the caprice of individual opinion and the tyranny of fashion, can be found in one easily applied test, if not of genuineness, of fitness. It is within everyone's reach, and no one need fear to apply it. Poetry is certainly Verse, even if it be some- thing more. Verse, regarded as a means to an end, which is pleasure — either the pleasure of beauty or utility, one or both — is always, it is safe to say, a legitimate instrument, when it serves these purposes, whether men choose to dignify it with the name of Poetry or not. The mere fact, that Pope's " Essay on Man " has passed through numerous editions, and given pleasure to countless readers during a hundred and fifty years and more, is a sufficient vindica- tion of its metric form, in spite of all that has been said, or can be said, in regard to the unfitness of the subject for xiv. PREFACE. poetical treatment. His biographer, Dr. Johnson, says: ''Its reception was not uniform: some thought it a very imperfect piece, though not without good lines." To say that it is shallow in its philosophy, and sophistical in its reasoning, and of no moral value, besides being, in no proper sense. Poetry, only strengthens the evidence in favor of the superior effectiveness of Verse; since, in that case, it would be due to the inherent buoyancy of this alone, that a showy piece of pretentious wisdom has been kept afloat so long. Some go so far as to assert, that Didactic Poetry is a contradiction in terms; and that no poetry can have the function of teaching; which, if it be true, so much the worse for Poetry; for if the name is to be so restricted, as to sever Poetry from all moral and religious uses, then is there rele- gated to Verse distinctively, a preeminent office of instruc- tion and delight, not attainable to Prose and unfitted for Poetry, making it the nobler of the two. It suffices for the argument, that Verse has been used from time immemorial for setting forth highest things; and found to be an ad- mirable expedient for stimulating attention and awakening interest, less perfectly accomplished by other means. If Pope chooses to trammel himself with the incumbrance of metre and rhyme in a Moral Piece, having found that he could express himself with greater conciseness, force and grace in that way than any other, he surely ought to be al- PREFACE. XV. lowed to do so, without subjecting himself to the imputation of folly. Doubtless his Essay could have been written in prose. Indeed it was declared at the time that it was so written, and that the poet did little more than translate Bolingbroke's prose into verse. But in prose it is certain that it would have had but few readers. Hegel is credited with saying, " That metre is the first and only condition absolutely demanded by poetry, yea, even more necessary than figurative, picturesque diction." Sir Philip Sidney wrote a Defense of Poetry. We are satisfied to limit ourselves to a Defense of Verse. Arch- bishop Trench in the Introduction to his Sacred Latin Poetry elaborates a Defense of Rhyme. He says: " The non-recog- nition of this, man's craving after, and deep delight in, the rhythmic and periodic — a craving which nature everywhere meets and gratifies and which all truest Art seeks to gratify as well — a seeing nothing in all this but a trick and artifice applied from without, lies at the root of that singular theory concerning the unfitness of poetry to be the vehicle of our highest addresses to God, and most reverent utter- ances about Him. * * ^ Everyone who has watched the effect on his own mind of the orderly marching of a regiment, or of the successive breaking of the waves upon the shore, or aught else which is thus rhythmic and periodic ^ knows, that in this, inspiring as it does the sense of order and proportion and purpose, there is ever an elevating and XVI. PREFACE. solemnizing power." Young, in his " Essay on Lyric Poetry," accounts for iht pleasure of rhyme on the principle, that "difficulties overcome give grace and pleasure." He further remarks: "It holds true in the province of writing as of war, the more danger the more honor." To a person engaged in a hazardous undertaking such a thought is cer- tainly encouraging. Of Lives of Christ in Prose there are many and excel- lent. The present one in Verse grew out of the conviction that a true non-epical Life in Verse (there being none) was a desideratum; that it was fitting, feasible, and calculated to be useful; that if a Prose Life was lawful, a Life in Verse was equally so; that no objection could be urged against the one, that did not lie against the other; that if a Life in Verse involved a change in diction, so did a Life in Prose involve it; so did every translation out of the original Greek, the most literal as well as the most free, involve it; so did all exegesis and interpretation involve it; the plain conclusion being, that nothing is sacred but the sense; and that to a proper understanding of this even, the employ- ment of verbal and sentential equivalents is often indispen- sable. As well might one quarrel with his Dictionary, as to make these inevitable changes a ground of offense. Were they less inevitable, they would still be useful, for everybody knows how much light is derived from synonyms — from, putting, that is to say, the same truth into new words. PREFACE. XVll. It is surprising, how much real ignorance is to be found among not a few habitual readers of the Bible, so that, if singly asked, ' Understandest thou what thou readest ?' they would suddenly be roused to the consciousness, how imperfect was their knowledge of the meaning of words with which they had been familiar from childhood; for nothing is more delusive, than this external familiarity with the mere garb of |^hought, the language and nothing more. The mind, under the benumbing spell of these incessant repetitions of old words, may have come to perceive vaguely or not at all their import; so that an important point is gained, if, startled by the strangeness of new phraseology, this slumber of the faculties is broken. For nothing profits, unless it is understood. It may be reckoned among the advantages of the poeti- cal form that it necessitates these explanatory changes. Owing, moreover, to the fact, that the poetic diction is naturally allied to the antique style of the Received Version, and shares its aloofness from everyday speech, a Poetic Life may fairly claim this as weighing in its favor, against the exclusive pretensions of Prose. This matter of literary perspective is not a thing to be slighted. An object can be too close to the eye, A certain remoteness is favorable for right vision. No writer, without necessity, would wish to cut himself off from the benefit to be derived from this source. But in the present case, the haze of distance b xviii. PREFACE. would not be the only gain, could the writer, when he had transported himself back to the time when our matchless English Version was first made, so far catch the spirit of the age, as to animate and mould his diction into some likeness of the prevailing form — for, by so doing, he might hope to appropriate a portion of that favor accorded to the sweet- ness and charm of that Version so dear to all hearts. There is a fashion in Verse no less th^n in dress. The reigning mode of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries dif- fered from that of the seventeenth and eighteenth. The earlier mode was characterized by a greater naturalness, variety and freedom — " robes loosely flowing," a graceful negligence, " a wild civility," not unfrequently more be- witching, " Than when art Is too precise in every part." The later mode is chiefly distinguished from this, by hav- ing no lines overlapping and running into each other, but each complete in itself; weighed as well as measured; a nice adjustment and balancing of parts; a rigid properness and stateliness, and a strictness of etiquette, requiring you " Still to be neat, still to be drest As you were going to a feast." This kind of Verse in long poems is apt to tire from its mo- notony ; and, owing to its artificial structure, is particularly PREFACE. xix. unfavorable, in translating, to exactness and fidelity. The earlier mode was therefore chosen, both because of its con- temporaneousness and its greater suitableness for his pur- pose. Lessing is undoubtedly right in considering, that the Gospels are immortal masterpieces, which it would be vain to hope to rival. " Who," he asks, " after the Evangelists will venture to write the Life of Jesus ?" So far from dis- senting from this view, it is the writer's own ; and therefore it is, that he has studiously avoided the slightest departure from those divine originals. He has reverently and faith- fully followed them word by word, line by line, verse by verse, chapter by chapter, each Gospel apart and the four together. At the same time, he has been glad to avail him- self of the labors of those (Robinson in particular) who have devoted much time and study to the necessary task of rearranging, blending and harmonizing the statements of the Inspired Four, without which a complete and consecu- tive Life were impossible. The Evangelists wrote in Greek. Of course, the great critic could not have intended to in- terdict translations; nor w^ould he mean to say that there should be no new versions. A new version is not a new Life nor a different one. While no version can have the author- ity of the Greek Original, still in view of the great excel- lence of our Protestant Version, its claim to consideration is hardly inferior. The writer, taking this for a basis, has XX. PREFACE. sought to preserve unaltered, as far as possible, its abound- ing felicities of expression; to retain, as it has been itself so successful in retaining, the unstudied simplicities and sin- cerities of the Sacred Story; to imitate the swift brevities of a record, which finds means to crowd into the narrow compass of a few pages the prodigious fulness of an un- paralleled Life and Mission. Aiming at something higher than merely chopping up prose into rhymed couplets, he has labored to combine, with his attempt to weave into a seamless oneness the Fourfold Gospel, an exegetical pur- pose, making his work interpretative like a Commentary. In the spirit of loyalty to the Greek Original as well as to the English Version he was careful to consult both; and to avail himself of such critical helps as were within his reach, in order that he might get at the right meaning and the exact shade of meaning. In performing a task so deli- cate and difficult, it would have been unpardonable not to have done so. Great and good men for many hundred years, having given their lives to the study and explanation of these Divine Writings, it would be strange, if their learned labors had not yielded some fruit worth the gathering. Besides what has come down to us from the past, the modern press is teeming with new publications of the greatest value, all having reference to one great central Figure. The shelves of our libraries groan with the weight of voluminous Com. PREFACE. xxi. mentaries — conspicuous among these is a most painstaking and excellent one (Stier's) consisting of nine large volumes devoted to '' The Words of Jesus " alone. The entire field having been found too large for cultivation, it has been di- vided into sections, one of which is given to "The Miracles of Our Lord," another to " The Parables," etc., forming books of ample size — the last few months having added two more on the Parables to those already existing. During the last decade the Lives of Christ have multiplied as never before, eloquently written and rich in information. With these sources of knowledge and help open to him, it would seem that he ought to have been well equipped for his undertaking; and that his only difficulty would be the embarrassment arising from abundance. But while he en- deavored to glean from all these fields, what was adapted to throw light upon the Sacred Text, he aimed to make all subservient to a textual, not a glossarial, enrichment, and a completer setting forth, elucidation and unfolding of the entire Gospel story in unadorned verse, relying on the intrinsic beauty and grandeur of the theme for awakening interest, making a book, which should be at once a Life and a Commentary, that could be easily read in a few sittings. Any attempt to add to or take from the sacred narrative, ex- cept in the way of elucidation, he felt w^as a kind of impiety. Besides, he saw no occasion for any profane inventions. Nothing was wanting to completeness in respect to plan or xxii. PREFACE. material. It has its own beginning, middle and end, and all needful machinery within itself. To seek to refashion it according to heathen models was, therefore, he consid- ered, to place the human above the divine; and was sanc- tioned neither by religion nor taste. A writer setting out to produce an Epic Poem of which Christ should be the Hero, his first step, in conform.ity with all custom, is from the region of Truth into that of Fable. The Muse, to be sure, is now no longer tethered and held down by reality: but while in this there may be some poeti- cal gain, it cannot be denied that this ampler freedom has, in this case particularly, a most serious drawback; for un- happily, the ornaments of fiction tend, as has been repeat- edly said, to give to truth itself the appearance of fable. It is difficult for those, not under the dominion of classical prejudice, to become wholly reconciled to the introduction of these heathenisms, or any modification of them, into a Christian Poem. At best, they belong to another age, and deserve to become obsolete. Poetry loses nothing by the rejection of these pedantic fopperies — the cast-off finery of former times; and the substitution of a direct and manly utterance for glittering prettinesses, insincerities and affec- tations. Even Virgil's, " Oceanum interea surgens Aurora reliquit — " is a round-about and pretty way of saying that the sun PREFACE. xxiii. rose, but is not necessarily more poetical than the statement of the fact in plain words. Examples of the Epic, with Christ for the subject, are not wanting. One of the earliest and most famous of these is Vida's ^ ' Christ i ad, m Six Books," written, we are told, in the purest Virgilian Latin, and " first published in the year 1535, with an apologetical advertisement at the close of the work, in which the author excuses the boldness of the at- tempt by informing the reader, that he was induced to be- gin and to persevere in his undertaking by the solicitations and munificence of the two pontiffs Leo X. and Clement VII."* Vida was born at Cremona; and it is to his " Chris- tiad " that Milton refers in the fourth line of the fourth verse of his poem on "The Passion:" " Loud o'er the rest Cremona's trump doth sound." It is mentioned as one of the merits of his work that "he avoids the error of mingling the profane fables of the heathen mythology with the mysteries of the Christian Re- ligion," by which, however, is not meant that he dispenses with all fiction. A specimen of the Poem may be seen in the following extract, descriptive of the descent of the Holy Ghost as a dove at the baptism of Jesus: " Protinus aurifluo Jordanes gurgite fulsit; Et superum vasto intonuit domus alta fragore. *Roscoe's Life of Leo X. xxiv. PREFACE. Insuper et coeli claro delapsa columba est Vertice per purum candenti argentea pluma Terga, sed aurati circum et rutilantibus alis: Jamque viam late signans super astitit ambos, Coelestique aura pendens afflavit utrumque. Vox simul et magni rubra genitoris et aethra Audita est nati dulcem testantis amorem." Christiad IV., 214-222. In German, we have Klopstock's "Messiah, in Fifteen Books,'' which came to be regarded, by many of his own countrymen at least, as an Epic equal to those of Dante, Milton and Tasso. In English, Samuel Wesley, the father of John and Charles, wrote " The Life of Christ, a Heroic Poem., in Ten Books,'' more remarkable, it is thought, for piety and learning than poetic merit; although it did not want admirers among contemporaries. The only other attempt of this kind known to the writer is "The Christiad, a Divine Poem," by Henry Kirk White. It was a work, it seems, that lay very near the poet's heart, and he touchingly laments in a couple of stanzas appended to the unfinished work, written a short time before his death, that he should not live to complete it. His biogra- pher, Southey, while praising the Fragment as evincing great power in its execution, nevertheless objects to it, for the reason already adverted to, that "the mixture of myth- ology makes the truth itself appear fabulous." A common cause of failure in this and other undertak- ings, no doubt, is over-ambition. Did we not know that what PREFACE. XXV. is simple and what is obvious is apt to be despised or over- looked, we should be at a loss to explain why some poet qualified for the undertaking, has not long ere this, dis- carding fiction and the high heroic method, been tempted, out of the sufficient and matchless materials supplied in the authentic memorabilia contained in the Four Gospels, to compose a True Life instead of a partly false one. It can hardly be pretended, that the reason for such a Life remain- ing so long among "things unattempted," is its unfitness in that naked shape for poetic treatment. If a noble life purely human, as Milton imagines, is of itself a true poem, surely a Life divinely perfect like that of Christ cannot be less; and the supposition that it stands in need of fictitious aid to make it beautiful is wholly inadmissable. The writer is not sure, that it will be accepted as an apology for his temerity, that, believing in the utility of such a work, he ventured because there was no one else to venture. Having observed that verse lent itself wonder- fully to the requirements of brevity and strength, he knew no reason why it should not be used in unfolding the un- speakable uniqueness of that Divine Personality, manifested both in the sphere of speech and conduct, with which we are made familiar in the Gospels. Painting and Sculpture have done their best; but neither pencil nor chisel has been able to produce anything better than a lifeless copy of the Divine Original. But portrayed in the pages of the Four Evangelists, the picture lives : xxvi. PREFACE. " Let be, let be ; What was he that did make it ? See, my lord, Would you not deem it breathed, and that those veins Did verily bear blood?" He did not hide from himself the difficulties or dangers of the undertaking; or his individual unfitness to execute it worthily. If, as Cowper says, "A just translation of any ancient poet in rhyme is impossible, since no human in- genuity can be equal to the task of closing every couplet with sounds homotonous, expressing at the same time the full sense and only the sense of the original," how could he hope to succed in a work, certainly not less difficult, and infinitely more delicate — owing to the sacredness of the matter — that of turning the plain prose of the Gospels into easy rhyme, without injury to the sense or expression ? Had he shared m the opinion that it was impossible, he would, of course, have abstained from an attempt, which imposed not only the duty of fidelity to the sense, but such a literal- ness of rendering and preservation of the precise diction of the English version, as that the likeness should be per- ceptible to the ear as well as to the understanding. As in music, amid the most complex variations, the original melody is perpetually suggested; so, to meet the ideal requirement, his poetical reproduction would need in the reading, to be resonant with the voices and echoes of the prose original, more or less distinctly heard in every PREFACE. xxvii. line. He dare not hope that he has achieved more than a moderate success; but did he suppose that he had failed to do fair justice to the letter and spirit of the sacred narrative, equal to what would be attainable in prose, he would not be justified, he considers, in publishing. It is an experiment which he felt was worth the making just for the once. It has cost him a good deal of time and labor which if thrown away, he cannot help it. It will be his own less, not that of the critic nor the public. A single word in regard to another point. The writer considers, that a man's utterances ought to be his own, and not another's. Unless he has something to say, it is his duty to keep silent. The timidity, that limits itself to parrot-like repetitions of what has been said ten thousand times, is of little account. So long as we speak sincerely, we may speak boldly, and the more boldly, because the right of dissent is inherent. A conscientious man would hardly dare to speak at all, if he knew that all he said would be received as unquestionable truth. He is honestly glad that, if he is wrong, everybody is at liberty to show it. The writer, having ventured in some cases to deviate from received interpretations, he congratulates himself that they will carry with them no weight outside of the reasons that accompany them. He firmly believes that the interests of truth have suffered from no one cause more than from the authority of great names. xxviii. PREFACE. Upon the general question of the propriety and suita- bleness of scriptural subjects for poetry, the opinion of Cowley even in our day is entitled to some weight. He says: "All the books of the Bible are either already admir- able and exalted Poesy, or are the best materials for it." As bearing on questions which have been much discussed, touching the authenticity of the Gospels and the reality of the Divine«L,ife they portray, we append the following re- markable admissions coming from men of the highest genius, whose value and force are, certainly, enhanced rather than diminished by the fact, that their authors have generally been classed with unbelievers. One cannot help honoring their candor, whatever may bethought of their consistency: *' I esteem the Gospels to be thoroughly genuine, for there shines from them the reflected splendor of a sublimity proceeding from the person of Jesus Christ of so divine a kind, as only the divine could ever have manifested upon earth." — Goethe. " I confess the majesty of the Scriptures astonishes me, and the holiness of the Gospel speaks to my heart. Behold the books of philosophy, with all their pomp, how small they appear beside this! Can it be, that a book at once so sublime and so simple, is the work of man ? Can it be, that He who forms its history is only a man ? What sweetness, what purity in His manners! What touching grace in His instructions ! What elevation in His maxims! What pro- PREFACE. xix. found wisdom in His discourses! What presence of mind! What fineness, what justness in His answers! What empire over His passions! Where is the man, where is the philoso- pher, who knows how to act, to suffer and to die without feebleness and without ostentation? When Plato painted his imaginary just man, covered with all the opprobrium of crime, and worthy of all the rewards of virtue, he gave an exact portrait of Jesus Christ. The resemblance is so striking and unmistakeable that all the fathers perceived it. What prejudice, what blindness, to compare the son of Sophroniscus with the son of Mary! What a distance one from the other! Socrates, dying without pain, without ignominy, sustained easily his part to the end. His death philosophizing tranquilly with his friends, is the sweetest that could be desired; that of Jesus, expiring in agony reviled, mocked, cursed by all the people, is the most hor- rible that could be feared. Socrates, taking the poisoned cup, blessed him who wept as he presented it to him; Jesus in the midst of frightful tortures, prayed for his infuriated executioners. Surely, if the life and death of Socrates were those of a philosopher, the life and death of Jesus Christ were those of a God! Shall we say that the Gospe, History is an invention ? My friend, it is not so easy to invent; and the facts concerning Socrates are not so well attested as those concerning Jesus Christ. Indeed, this were but to shift the difficulty without destroying it. It XXX. PREFACE. would be more inconceivable, that many men should have united to fabricate this book, than that one man should have furnished the subject of it. The Gospel has charac- ters of truth so grand, so striking, so perfectly inimitable, that the inventor of it would be more astonishing than the hero." — Rousseau. ''I know men; and I tell you that Jesus is not a man. Everything in Him amazes me. His spirit outreaches mine, and His will confounds me. Comparison is impossi- ble between Him and any other being in the world. He is truly a being by Himself. His ideas, and His sentiments; the truth that He announces; His manner of convincing, are all beyond humanity and the natural order of things. His birth and the story of His life; the profoundness of His doctrine, which overturns all difficulties, and is their most complete solution; His Gospel; the singularity of His mysterious being; His appearance; His empire; His pro- gress through all centuries and kingdoms; — all this is to me a prodigy, an unfathomable mystery. I see here nothing of man. Near as I may approach, clearly as I may examine, all remains above my comprehension — great with a greatness that crushes me. It is in vain that I reflect — all remains unaccountable. I defy you to cite another life like that of Christ." — Napoleon. "Jesus Christ is in the noblest and most perfect sense the realized ideal of humanity." — Herder. PREFACE. xxxi. "Whatever may be the surprises of the future, Jesus will never be surpassed. His worship will grow young without ceasing. His legend will call forth tears without end; His sufferings will melt the noblest hearts; all ages will proclaim among the sons of men there is none born greater than Jesus." — Renan. "There once trod our earth a single being, who, by His sole moral omnipotence, controlled other ages, and founded an immortality peculiarly His own. He, gently blooming, and tractable to influences from on high, like the sunflower, but in His ardor and power of attracting, a sun. He, still with mildness of aspect, drew alike Himself, nations and ages to the universal and original sun. It is the meek spirit whom we call 'Jesus Christ.' If he was, then there is a Providence — or rather He was it." — Jean Paul RiCHTER. " The Life of Christ concerns Him, who being the holi- est among the mighty, the mightiest among the holy, lifted up with His pierced hand empires off their hinges, and turned the stream of centuries out of its channel, and still governs the ages." — Jean Paul Richter. THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. I. THE KINGDOM OF GOD. John ii. 23-25 ; iii. 1-21. ^ I ^HE Incarnate Word of the Eternal Mind ^ Unfolds His high credentials to mankind ; And manifests His glory hour by hour In gracious acts of Godlike love and power. At His command all sicknesses depart, And a new rapture springs up in the heart : The nerves, no more the avenues of pain, Thrill with the ecstasy of health again. With stupid wonder, men behold the sign, And half believe the miracle divine ; But, blind to its intent, they do not know The motive is not thaumaturgic show ; 2 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. That His main mission is not to make whole ^-^^^ The mortal body, but th' immortal soul. With inattentive ears they hear Him tell, How sinful feet take hold of death and hell : How God sent down His Son in love and grace To seek and save a lost and ruined race. Though to His teacJiings deaf, His deeds awoke Hope of deliverance from the Roman yoke ; And, dallying with the false and vain surmise, He left for this His throne above the skies — Seeing the miracles He wrought each day During the Feast of the Passover,^ they Would Him have owned as the Messiah then, ^4 And hailed Him King ; but He who knew all men, *The Hebrew year commenced with the first day of Nisan (Abib), "the month of flowers," corresponding nearly to our April, it being the month in which the Exodus took place. As the month was lunar, and its beginning was determined by the new moon at Jerosalem, the point of time necessarily varied. The day appointed for the Passover was the 14th, which made the Feast coincident always with the full moon. The Feast of Unleavened Bread included the Passover, and lasted seven days. It was customary however to apply the name of the Feast of the Passover to the whole period. We are told (Luke ii : 42), that Jesus when he was twelve years old 'went up with His parents to the Passover at Jerusalem, but whether in their yearly visits subse- quently He accompanied them is left to inference, the Evangelic record being silent as to what occurred during the eighteen years that followed. The present visit was the first Passover that He attended after the beginning of His public ministry ; the second is believed to have been " the Feast " mentioned at John v : i; the third hinted at John vii : i; ^.\v& fourth, when He was crucified, which would make the term of His ministry three years and more. The Jewish Passover answers to the Christian Easter. THE KINGDOM OF GOD. And needed not that any should Him tell John What was in man, their motives knowing well, Committed not Himself to them, whose aim Was foreign to the ends for which He came. A MAN of rank, a ruler of the Jews, lii. r, A Pharisee named Nicodemus,* whose • Nicodemus must have known of John's testimony concerning lesus for h„ p.o..^e„t memhe. of the ho., .ha. ha. sen. a .election on^f slon ^L J^.: W 'T^ '" proclaiming: .he near approach of the Reign of Helven --ho he was. and specifically, whether he was .he Christ or no. John had saVdtha" h dT: .r'fon' T "'^.'" "'^"*='=^' ''°°' ™''-™ '" *=^ -^it and then" Wor d Z^Co7b ' '°""'' ""° ""' " '"= '"'"■' °' J-- - •'>= Sav our of t tor himself, and he, havmg seen with his own eyes the miracles daily performed bv H,m w-as compelled to admit, that in view of such divine attestations and aZntica ttons there could be no doubt whatever that He was come from God ""'*'="'"''- In the .n.ervew which he now sought, while he did no. call aim so in express terms. H.s ,mmed,a.e and easy assumption of the charac.er of the Messiah occasioned Of the Kingdom Of oo;tha;hr;:;re\::r::x:fr:rar^^^^^^ when Te<;nc; tn^, • u- u ^^eicomed. What was his amazement, therefore .;K:rm::rr-^^^^^^^^^ reid-::=Sa?d=^ ..aso„:tiii:r :re::Ci:rrarBrT""^"'T '^."^ «-as wtlful and per;.erse. heT::Cheft:rr::!e.rr ^^^^^^^ THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Divided mind, half convert to the right, j{°^ Brought him to Jesus secretly at night — Ashamed to come by day or else afraid — Addressed Him courteously, and frankly said : absurdum^ by an expansion on the literal side. The fact is he was far too acute, not to perceive that the words, however construed, whether naturally or spiritually, were confounding and subversive, striking at the foundations of all his most cherished beliefs. What could he say or do with every support swept from under his feet, and he left with nothing to stand on ? That his difficulty was not with the words taken literally, is evident from the fact, that after Jesus' explanation of His meaning, his perplexity and bewilderment con- tinued as before, finding expression in the helpless inquiry, ' How can these things be ?' His thoughts would seem to have run in this wise : " Is it so, can it be, that God is no respecter of persons ? that Jew and Gentile are placed precisely on the same footing ? Shall it avail me nothing that I am of the stock of Israel, a Hebrew of the Hebrews — as touching the law, a Pharisee ; as touching the righteousness of the law, blameless ? If henceforth there is to be no advantage to the Jew, and no profit in circumcision, what becomes of the promises, and the covenant with our fathers ? Has change happened to the Unchangeable?" His quick apprehension of the stupendous bearing of so leveling and humbling a doctrine does credit to his sagacity. He may not have seized its full significance. It is hardly possible that he should, for in that brief sentence lay a potency which was destined to "lift up empires off their hinges, and turn the stream of centuries into new channels, and govern the ages." It was the beginning of a new epoch; the first assertion of a principle that should revolutionize the world ; the inauguration of a Christian Democracy, the equality of all men before God, — feebly, imperfectly and even falsely apprehended in our own Declaration of Independence, and the Revolu- tionary watch-words. Liberie^ Egalite, Fraternite, of infidel France, — but which in its ultimate triumph is pledged to the abolition of all forms of tyranny — the tyranny of thrones, and the worse tyranny of caste — Brahminical and every other — and the estab- lishment on the earth of a true solidarity of Universal Brotherhood. Certain it is, that in this initial discourse of our Lord there is a most unreserved and ample disclosure of all the distinctive doctrines of Christianity, a marvellous epitome, in fact, of the whole Gospel in its redemptive universality. ' The Teacher come from God ' appears at once in the majesty of His character as The Light of the World, and puts in believing hands — "The golden key Which opes the palace of eternity." THE KINGDOM OF GOD. 5 '' Rabbi ! Thou art a Teacher come, we know, J^^'^ From God, for this Thy wondrous doings show." Jesus, discerner of his thoughts, replied : 3 " That which concerns you most I will not hide. Since I'm a Teacher come from God, hear then The Faithful and True Witness,* the Amen ! Unless reborn^ no man, whate'er his birth, Can see the Reign of God upon the earth. '"^ ^Rev. iii. 14. '' i Peter i. 23, * Daniel in one place (ii. 44), speaks of an indestructible Kingdom, which the God of Heaven would set up ; in another place (vii. 13, 14), of an universal and everlasting Kingdom, to be given to One like the Son of Man. So the Prophet Micah (iv. 6, 7), predicts a time when Jehovah would reign over the people in Mount Zion forever. Evidently from this Old Testament source comes the title, ' the Kingdom of God,' ' the Kingdom of Heaven,' (the Heavens, Gr.) or, ' the Kingdom,' simply — found in the New Testament, having common reference to the predicted Reign of Messiah the Prince (Dan. ix. 25). The Greek word, ij f3aacXEia, translated 'the kingdom,' means also * reign.' Strictly speaking the English word, kingdom^ refers solely to ^& place or region wheie the sovereignty is exercised, while reign has reference to the thne or duration of it : Hence we say. The Kingdom of England and the Reign of Queen Elizabeth. While we can properly speak of a Reign as approaching, we can hardly do so of a Kingdom. In view of this admitted two-fold signification of the original, ample justification is afforded for the substitution of Reign for Kingdom, whenever it better suits the context and perspicuity calls for it. George Campbell's rendering of the clause, " He cannot see the Kingdom of God," is, " He cannot discern the Reign of God"— the thing predicated being man's inca- pacity, without a spiritual renewal, to perceive the Reign of God, so that even though the Reign had commenced, he would not be able to discover it, because spiritual things are only discerned by the spiritual. If a threat had been intended, no doubt the phrasing would have been future, and we should have had, "He shall not see [share or enjoy] the Kingdom of God." In the fifth verse, where the word "enter" occurs to modify the conception, the Kingdom of God would seem to be the fitter ren- dering. Seeing, and entering are, no doubt, closely connected, inasmuch as a right idea of the Kingdom must precede the participation and enjoyment of it. The word avcJi^ex', translated ' again,' is more literally rendered '■frotn above^ 6 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Said Nicodemus : " Thy strange speech unfold — -[i-^'^ How can a man be born when he is old ? Can he return into his mother's womb And be reborn, and a new life assume?" And Jesus answering said : " Thou as a Jew s Canst claim no natural birth-right as thy due. The Holy Kingdom of which I am King Is not a secular and earthly thing — ^ Comes not with observation^ — no man's eye Its near and powerful coming can descry — No hosts are seen with banners high unfurled In onward march for conquest of the world — Not of this world, but pure and from above, A theocratic government of love — Regeneration of the soul within — Emancipation from the power of sin, ^Johnxviii. 36. •> Luke xvii. 20, 21. \from heaven'' ; but the first is generally preferred as agreeing best, it is thought, with Nicodemus' words used in reply, "Can he enter a second time," etc. This, however, is not conclusive, for if the asseveration had stopped at, " Except a man be born" — the "second time" would be implied in the word 'born,' even if 'again' were not ex- pressed, as any future birth would necessarily be a second birth. It is possible that his mind was so filled with the idea of being born, that he lost sight of everything else. Of ccrurse, he knew if it took place, it must be a divine act, /. ^., 'from above,' and therefore he may not have cared to emphasize that, as his chief difficulty did not lie so much in being born from above as in being born at all. THE KINGDOM OF GOD. j Transcending nationality and place,'' jf°^ It knows no limits but the human race.^ To Jew no more than Greek "" is title given To the exclusive citizenship '^ of heaven. " Native to no immunities ol birth, My subjects are the good ^ of all the earth, Of every land the foot of man has trod — Born not of blood but of the will of God/ For what is born of flesh is flesh ; and what ^ Is spirit is spiritually begot. So marvel not at what I said to thee, 7 Ye* must be born again before that ye Are qualified to enter that unseen Kingdom of all the sanctified and clean — Proud Israel like the rest. The viewless wind ^ Blows where it will in freedom unconfined ; Thou hear'st the sound thereof, and feel'st the force. But canst not tell the secret of its source. So every one, with Heaven no more at strife, *Matt. xxviii. 19; Mark xvi. 15. ^ Luke xxiv. 47. *' Rom. x. 12. <^Gal. iii. 28 ; Phil. iii. 20. « Acts x. 34. f John i. 13. *Here as elsewhere, in the change from the singular to the plural, the version follows the original — the plural both in the first and second persons having reference probably to his representative character. 8 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. In whom the Spirit breathes the breath of life, {^^^ Knows not, once dead in trespasses and sins,'' Whence comes the breath, or how the Ufe begins — Born of the travail of a holy Grief, The quickening- process of a true Belief — ^ Of which baptism is the watery sign — Symbol of cleansing, and a birth divine : The washing of regeneration,^ most Wondrous renewing of the Holy Ghost. John, My forerunner, has proclaimed the need Of something more than being Abraham's seed. Shaken the desert with the warning cry : * Repent ! the righteous Reign of Heaven is nigh.'*^ Ye must be born of water — not which flows In earthly channels, this no virtue knows — But of that water I to men impart, Which springs to life eternal ^ in the heart. Born of the Spirit differs not from this ; They must be pure who are the heirs of bliss. To all who ask^ by unresj>ecting Heaven This universal Gift is freely given." Said Nicodemus: " How can these things be ? " ^ *Eph. ii. I ; Col. ii. 13. ^ i Peter i. 23 ; i John v. i. « Titus iii. 5 ; Eph. v. 26. •^Matt. iii. 2. « John iv. 14. ^Lukexi. 13. THE KINGDOM OF GOD. g And Jesus answering said reproachfully : JP^^^ " Art thou the teacher,* specially ordained, And need'st to have these simple truths explained ? We speak that which we know, and only state " What we have seen, and yet ye hesitate. If I have told you earthly things and near, '= Plain mundane matters of this lower sphere, And ye believe not, prejudiced and blind. And stumble at My word with doubting mind. How will ye credit Me, when I report Things of a higher range and heavenly sort, — The mighty secrets of the Eternal Throne, Unseen, unheard of, ne'er conceived,^ unknown ? The power to climb to no man has been given, ^3 Th' inaccessible and holy heaven : But in Eternity and Time I dwell, — The Son of God, and Son of Man as well, — In both worlds present, nothing from Me hid. The Father purposed or the Father did. By pity moved, I have come down to tell How sinners may escape profoundest hell : * I Cor. ii. 9. *We are told that the chief officers of the Sanhedrim were a President, Vice-Presi- dent and ' the Teacher'' or Wise Man. Nicodemus is supposed to have been the latter, which accounts for our Lord's use of the definite article found in the original. 10 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. John iii. 14 " As Moses lifted up for healing sight The serpent to the bitten Israehte, So shall the Son of Man uplifted be, Made sin that kneAv no sin,"" for remedy ; That none may perish who on Him believe, ^^ But pardon and eternal life receive. For God so loved the world of man, He gave ^^ His sole begotten Son from death to save. He did not send His Son to judge the race, '7 But on an errand of redeeming grace. He that believes is judged not for this cause ; ^^ He that believes not has by righteous laws Been judged already for transgressions done, Still more for grace rejected in the Son. ^^ This is the judgment, when is come the light. Men love the darkness and prefer the night, Because their deeds are evil. Who does ill, ^^ He hates the light, avoids the light, and will Not come thereto, in unacknowledged fear Lest his iniquity should be made clear. But he that does the truth, that all may see ^^ His works are wrought in God, comes joyfully." ^2 Cor. V. 21. THE KINGDOM OF GOD. n HYMN. Almighty God ! how small The accidents of birth ; Thine equal eye looks down on all Who dwell upon the earth. Who dwell upon the earth, The Gentile and the Jew, — All men alike, wherever found. Thy Spirit must renew. Thy Spirit must renew. Proud boasts of blood are vain ;— The lips of Truth to all declare, * Ye must be born again.' Ye must be born again. There is exception none ; Enlightened eyes alone can see The Kingdom of Thy Son. j2 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. The Kingdom of Thy Son Set up the soul within, A heavenly rule of purity To make an end of sin. To make an end of sin, The work of grace complete, Inclining evermore the will To make obedience sweet. To make obedience sweet On us Thy Spirit shed ; O Holy Ghost, requicken us And raise us from the dead ! And raise us from the dead- Baptismal grace convey, And bless the water of the Word To wash our sins away. To wash our sins away ' True penitence impart ; And make us on the Crucified • Beheve with all the heart. THE KINGDOM OF GOD. Believe with all the heart Thou verily didst give Thy Son to die upon the cross That guilty souls may live. That guilty souls may live, And Christ not die in vain, May man, once in Thy likeness made, Thine image bear again. Thine image bear again, Original and whole, Enstamped upon his breast and brain, And mirrored in his soul. And mirrored in his soul, As in a lakelet lie The pictured purity and peace And glory of the sky. 13 J4 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 11. JOHN'S FINAL TESTIMONY. John hi. 22-36. John iii. 22 LEAVING Jerusalem, His heart aflame, ■^ Jesus with His disciples elsewhere came Into Judea, tarried there and taught. And there baptized, and works of mercy wrought. For that John also was baptizing, there ^3 In ^non near to Salim, region where There was much water needful to baptize. The two baptisms chanced to synchronize— For John was not imprisoned yet. Arose ^4 Therefore a question on the part of those, ^5 Who John's disciples were, about the true Manner of purification with some Jew.* And so they said to John : '' Rabbi, decide ! ^^ He who was with thee on the other side * The Revised Version adopts the singular. JOHN'S FINAL TESTIMONY. 15 Of Jordan, and to whom thou, since as then, ^^^^ Bor'st Avitness, lo, baptizes, and all men Come thronging unto Him instead of thee — He from our fastings sets His followers free."^ '* Th' unjealous John rebuking answer made — --^ With frank and noble truthfulness he said : ^' A man can naught receive except as given By the supreme authority of Heaven. Ye bear me witness, that I witness bore, ^^ I am not the Messiah, but before Him sent, His joyful coming to make known. He is the Heavenly Bridegroom, He alone ; ^9 He has the bride ; I am the Bridegroom's friend, Who, hearing Him, rejoices without end Because of His dear voice. This Heaven me willed, And this my joy therefore is now fulfilled. He must increase while endless ages run ; 30 I must decrease, for now my work is done. * We are told (Mark ii. 18, and Luke v. 33), that the disciples of John fasted, and that the disciples of Jesus did not. May it not have been, therefore, that John en- joined fasting in connection with his baptism, and that its necessity as a concomitant of baptism formed the subject of dispute with some Jew who had been baptized by Christ's disciples without this fasting accompaniment? In the recently discovered document, ^"The Teachingofthe Twelve Apostles,''' it is there enjoined that "the hs.^- ^\z&d,/ast for two or three days before baptism " — a practice which may possibly have been borrowed from John. We know the undue importance attached to fasting by the Pharisees ; and the revival of this custom under the Christian Dispensation may be regarded as one of the many evidences of the early working of the Judaic leaven. l6 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. John iii. •^i He heavenly is, who is of heavenly birth ; And earthly he whose origin is earth. To earthly life but earthly speech is given ; High above all is He who speaks from Heaven. He testifies what He has seen and heard, 32 And no man takes the warrant of His word. Who has received His witness, has set to 33 His own believing seal that God is true. For He, who is God's own Ambassador, 34 Speaks but the words of God, and cannot err God not by measure does the Spirit dole, But gives to Him th' immeasurable whole. The Father loves the Son, and in His hands 35 Has put all peoples, governments and lands. He that believes on His beloved Son 36 Has everlasting life on earth begun : — He that believes not, life he shall not see. But on him rests God's frown unceasingly." JOHN'S FINAL TESTIMONY. 17 THE HEAVENLY BRIDEGROOM. The fond youth thinks the maid he loves Sums all the beauty of the land ; But what of Him who shaped her brow, And ' the white wonder of her hand ' ? The earth and sky no doubt are fair, And ravishing to soul and sight : But fairer He who made them fair, And gave us organs of delight. The violet and the rose are sweet, But there 's a sweetness more intense — His sweetness, who Arabias made And odorous hills of frankincense. When from His orient chamber comes The Heavenly Bridegroom — bashful slips Behind a cloud the risen sun. Conscious of a divine eclipse. i8 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Thou, who art the Spouse of souls, With curtains of my window drawn, 1 watch with weary Hds to catch The earUest glimpses of Thy dawn. Dear absent Lord, make swift return ! My hungry heart faints from delay— Rise, Sun of Righteousness, now rise. And turn my night to happy day ! THE DIALOGUE AT JACOB'S WELL. iq III. THE DIALOGUE AT JACOB'S WELL. John iv. 1-42. WHEN the Lord knew, His first and fiercest foes, The Pharisees, were plotting to oppose — \^^^ Their minds inflamed with envy, having heard That Jesus, through His miracles and word. Was making and baptizing even more Disciples than was John, their dread before, (Although baptizing not Himself but His ^ Disciples) — He, who perfect wisdom is. Departed from Judea to go back 3 To Galilee. As lying in His track, 4 He needed to pass through Samaria, So came to Sychar, near which city lay s A plot of ground, old Jacob's present rare To his son Joseph.' Jacob's Well was there. ^ Here by the Well's side Jesus found a seat. Welcome to journeying and weary feet. 20 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. John iv. — The hour was sultry noon. He sat alone, Hungry and thirsty, His disciples gone s To buy food in the city. While away, A certain woman of Samaria 7 Came to draw water. Jesus gently said : " Give Me to drink !" The woman answer made : ^ " How is it Thou, a Jew, thus civilly. Dost ask the favor of a drink of me, A scorned Samaritan ?"* For Jews she knew With the Samaritans have naught to do. * The Samaritans, as we learn from 2 Kings xvii., were originally Assyrian colonists, made up of five idolatrous nations worshipping different gods, introduced after Israel was led away captive, B. C. 730. From being idolaters they became in course of time extremely zealous for the Mosaic law and ritual. Of the Sacred Writings they ac- knowledged the Pentateuch alone. Ignoring their heathen origin, they had come to claim descent from Joseph through Ephraim, to which some color was given by prob- able intermarriages with the native Israelites — a claim, however, which was con- temptuously rejected by the Jews, who were accustomed to speak of them as Cuthoeans or Cuthites — a part of the original settlers having come from Cuthan, a place in the interior of Persia. The bitter feud, which had existed for centuries, was in full force in the time of Christ. In the mouth of a Jew the very name of a Samaritan was a re- proach ; and so, knowing no stronger form of objurgation, the maddened Jews at Jerusalem said to Jesus, " We know Thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil." To take a mouthful of food which had been touched by a Samaritan was as defiling as eating the flesh of swine. No Samaritan was allowed to become a proselyte. They had been repeatedly anathematized and subjected to every form of excommunication. No bar- gain made with him was binding. His testimony was not to be taken in a Jewish court. To receive him into one's house would bring down the curse of Heaven. Jesus was infinitely superior to all this. Not only was His friendliness evinced on this occasion, but afterwards. When He cured the ten lepers, the only one who re- turned to thank Him was a Samaritan, or to use His own words, " this stranger " (an obiter dictzim^ implying a knowledge of his heathen non-Jewish origin, but mentioned only to emphasize His commendation). Another case in point is the beautiful Parable of the Good Samaritan. THE DIALOGUE AT JACOB'S WELL. 2I Jesus said kindly : '* Hadst thou known the gift ^^^^^ Of God, and Who it is, and what His drift Who asks, thou wouldst have asked of Him, and He Would living water have bestowed on thee." The woman answered : " Sir, deep is the Well, " And Thou hast naught to draw with. Whence then tell, Hast Thou that living water ? Art Thou more '^ Than Jacob was, our father, who of yore Gave us this Well, and hither used to come Himself, his sons, and herds, and drink therefrom ?" And Jesus said, His meaning to make plain : ^3 '' Who of this water drinks shall thirst again. But whoso drinks of that which I shall give ^^ Shall never thirst : the same shall in him live, And be a well of water, springing rife From its deep source unto eternal life." The woman guessed, while quibbling with the sense,^s The words had mystic meaning and intense, But answered blindly : " Sir, give me, I pray. This water that I thirst not, neither may Come hither more to draw." 22 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. He suddenly : /^^^^^ '' Go, call thy husband, and come here to Me !" '* I have no husband," blushingly she said, ^7 An honest answer seeking to evade. Jesus replied : " Thou hast said well ; for thou Hast had five husbands ; he whom thou hast now '^ Is not thy husband. What thou say'st is true." Convinced by this, that this mysterious Jew '9 Was come from God ; and being now awake To know her future welfare was at stake ; Solicitous to know, if she were wrong In what she trusted and believed so long As a Samaritan, she first professed • Her faith in Him, and Jesus thus addressed : '' That Thou a Prophet art I must believe, And therefore think Thou wilt not me deceive Our fathers worshipped in this mountain f ye -° Say in Jerusalem should men's worship be." * Gerizim is a mountain rising 2,500 feet above the level of the sea, and 800 feet above the surrounding plain, from the top of which can be seen the Mediterranean Sea on the West, the snowy heights of Hermon on the North, on the East the wall of the trans-Jordanic mountains, broken by the deep cleft of the Jabbok— a prospect unique in the Holy Land. It was memorable as the place designated by Moses for reading the blessings^ as the neighboring mountain Ebal was for the cursing (Deut. THE DIALOGUE AT JACOB'S WELL. 2^ '' Woman, believe Me," Jesus said to her, .J^^" ' IV. 21 " An hour is coming when no Avorshipper, Touching this mountain or Jerusalem, Shall deem the Father is confined to them. The God ye worship is a God half known,* 22 The truth debased with fictions of your own. Although the Law of Moses ye respect. The Writings of the Prophets ye reject : The Oracles of God which ye refuse Are the divine possession of the Jews ; Whose are the promises, and promised Seed,^ Life and salvation which from Him proceed. ^Rom. ix. 4, 5. xxvii. 12, 13). To the Samaritans it was the most sacred spot on earth. Legend had made it the seat of Paradise, whence all the streams that watered the earth flowed. Adam had been formed from its dust, and had lived on it. It was here he built his first altar. It was the Ararat on which the Ark rested, and where Noah offered sac- rifice. It was the Moriah where Abraham made ready to offer up Isaac ; and it was here he met Melchisedek. Here Jacob slept and dreamed of the heavenly ladder. Here Sanballat, the Cuthite, having obtained leave from Alexander the Great, built a rival Temple, which, after it had stood 200 years, was destroyed by Hyrcanus, 129 years before Christ. Thitherward every Samaritan turned his face when he prayed. The Messiah, he believed, would first appear on its summit. No wonder he held it sacred. It is remarkable that while the Jews no longer offer up bloody sacrifices, the Paschal Lamb has not ceased to be offered on Mount Gerizim down to the present time. What Jerusalem is to the Jew, and Mecca to the Mahometan, Gerizim is to the Samaritan. * Owing to their rejection of all later revelations made through the Prophets, and the lingering superstitions derived from their heathen origin and intercourse, the wor- ship of the Samaritans was both ignorant and corrupt-they worshipping, like the ancient Athenians and some modern mystics, they knew not what-a God of uncertain or unknown attributes. 24 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. John iv. — But this concerns the passing and the past, Things that wax old and were not meant to last. The hour is coming and is present now, 23 When everywhere, true worshippers shall bow Knees of pure worship, and earth's common sod Be one vast Temple* dedicate to God. For such the Father seeks, who not in show, But truth and spirit worship Him below. God is a Spirit, nor can cheated be . 24 By the mere mockery of the bended knee. He not in pomp and postures takes delight. But humble hearts, believing and contrite." The woman hints her thought : " I know full well ^s When Christ is come. He will us all things tell." Jesus replied ; " God has enlightened thee — ^^ Thou err'st not, 1 that speak to thee am He." While thus conversing. His disciples came, =^7 Who saw with wonder not unmixed with blame * In ternplo vis orare ? in te ora, sed prius esto tejnplutti Dei. — Aug. In temple would'st thou pray ? Thou need'st not go abroad — Pray in thyself, but previously, A temple be of God ! THE DIALOGUE AT JACOB'S WELL. 25 Their Master's condescension, doubly strange, iJ°^ Because it was not usual to exchange Speech with a woman, breaking laws beside, The birth of Jewish prejudice and pride. Yet no man said — deep awe might well deter — " What seekest Thou ? Why speakest Thou with her ?" The excited woman left her water-pot =8 For the Lord's use, His asking not forgot, And went into the city, all on fire, Full of the news, and eager with desire. And said to every one she met: " Come, see ^9 A man, who told me my whole history ! — Say, is not this the Christ?" And therefore they 30 Went out to Him. While these were on the way — 31 A thronging, dense, and waving multitude — All the disciples prayed Him to take food. Because just then sweet thoughts His spirit fed, He felt no appetite for common bread, So spake refusal : " I have food to eat 32 Ye know not of. Ask ye who brought me meat ? My meat and joy it is to do the will 34 Of Him who sent Me, and His work fulfill. 26 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Say ye the harvest is four months away ?* i^^^35 Lift up your eyes, look on the fields, for they Are white already. To My scattered seed, Behold, how quick a harvest doth succeed, That waits your reaping ! He that reaps 36 Receives good wages in the garnered heaps Of golden fruit he gathers unto life Eternal, with celestial glory rife, His joy and crown"" forever — so that He Who sows, and he who reaps shall endlessly Rejoice together. For the saying 's true, 37 *■ One sows, another reaps.' Lo ! I send you 38 To reap the ripe results of others' toil. Who ploughed and planted and prepared the soil." Many of the Samaritans were led 39 To trust because of what the woman said — '■ He told me all I ever did ' — and some Later believed when they had to Him come ; ^o »Phil. iv. I ; I Thess. ii. 19, 20. * If this is to be literally understood as referring to the actual harvest, it would make the time somewhere about December ; and would go to show that the Lord's stay in Judea had been about eight months. Noon in Palestine even in December is often, it is said, warm even to sultriness. THE DIALOGUE AT JACOB'S WELL. 27 And many more, when they had further heard, i{°^^" Beheved on Him because of His own word : '' We know," they said — be sails to bear unfurled — 42 *' This is the Christ, the Saviour of the World !" HYMN. John iv. 21-23 ; Acts xvii. 24-28. They err who think that God is far — That I must climb from star to star, Through mighty intervals of space. To reach His awful dwelling place. I put the shoes from off my feet ; I go not forth my God to meet ; For God is everywhere, and here. Here in this place to make it dear. Long time I groped and could not find, For light is darkness to the blind ; How sweet to feel now He is found, His everlasting arms around ! 28 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Upon His bosom thus to rest, I cannot ask to be more blest. To know my sins are all forgiven For Jesus' sake, O this is heaven ! While I love Him, and He loves me, I care no other heaven to see : And, if there be some higher bliss, I am content while I have this. And there are those beyond the wave, Whom Christ came down on earth to save O let me haste to make it known. My God and Saviour is their own ! REJECTION AT NAZARETH. 29 IV. REJECTION AT NAZARETH. John iv 43-54; Luke iv. 16-31. HIS two days' stay at Sychar ended, He j{,°^^^ Departed thence and entered Galilee — Avoiding Nazareth, because He knew According to the proverb it was true, 44 A prophet has no honor in his home. Then when He into Galilee was come, ' 45 The Galileans— having all things seen Done at Jerusalem, they having been Themselves at the Passover feast — received Him as a Prophet, and on Him believed. So Jesus came again to Cana where 46 He made the water wine. A noble there Of Herod's household, hearing He had come, 47 Asked Him to hasten to Capernaum, To heal his son,^ now at the point of death. Then Jesus said, with sad rebuking breath, 48 * The definite article before son — in the origina-1 " the son of him " — indicates that it was an only son. 30 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. " Except ye signs and wonders see, ye doubt — i{,°^J! Blessed is he who shall -believe without." The noble made inconsequent reply : 49 *' Sir, come down quickly or my child will die." '' The boon thou askest," Jesus said, " I give ; so Go thou thy way, thy son shall surely live." The man believed the word, and, as he went, The servants met him, for the purpose sent, si To tell him his son lived. When told the hour s^ Of healing tallied with that word of power, Himself believed and all his house ; for none 53 Doubted a mighty miracle was done. Divine the power, but with a higher aim Than to amaze by miracles he came. " O not for this was I sent forth," He said, ^^3^^ ''But in your cities to proclaim instead. The Gospel of the Kingdom. Then begins ^^"• The Reign of Heaven when you forsake your sins." He taught in all their synagogues and preached. Honored of all. In His own time. He reached His native Nazareth — thus kindly late, ^^ To strip contempt, so quickly changed to hate, (Offspring of prejudice that shuts its eyes To worth famihar though it reach the skies) IV. 17 Luke iv. 15 REJECTION AT NAZARETH. 3 1 Of all excuse, when to His well known name J;"'^ Was joined a wonderful and mighty fame. As was His custom, on the Sabbath day He went into the synagogue, and they Placed in His hands to read the sacred Scroll, '7 Which he forthwith proceeded to unroll, And in Isaiah lighted on the place, Where were recorded those sweet words of grace : ' The Spirit of the Lord upon Me rests ; ^^ And, by a heavenly unction. Me invests With power to preach glad tidings to the poor ; To heal the broken-hearted ; and assure DeHverance to the captives ; to restore Light to the blind ; and limbs, long bruised and sore. Broken with heavy fetters, to set free ; And sound the gracious Year of Jubilee.* ^9 And rolling up the writing as before, ^o He to the servant handed it once more. And then sat down to teach* — in nothing odd Observing custom though the Son of God. All eyes were fastened on Him ; every ear In the whole synagogue was bent to hear. * The Rabbis always saf when teaching. 32 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. '' This ancient Scripture," He began to say, iv"^i " Has in your hearing been fulfilled to-day." . . . The rest is wanting — those dear words of grace, ^^ At which each wondered, sitting in his place, Full of all comfort, mighty to convince, Worth all that has been said or written since. Ah, foolish Nazarenes ! had ye but known Your time of visitation, and not thrown Your golden opportunity away ! While with closed eyelids ye shut out the day. What wonder that ye stumbled at broad noon, Rejecting your Messiah, and the boon Of peace and pardon, life and liberty. And bliss extending through eternity. He offered and persuaded you to take ! Ye listened to the gracious words He spake, Bore witness to their power, and marvelled much, But all the while your hearts they failed to touch. Ye should have known Him best, for Him ye knew Through all those blameless years in which He grew In favor both with God and man. Ye saw In Him exemplified the breadth of law, The miracle of superhuman grace REJECTION AT NAZARETH. ^^ Stamped on His conduct, shining in His face. l;^^ Through all the years ye knew Him, testify If ye e'er heard those pure lips tell a lie. How durst ye then distrust His solemn word ? How doubt the truth of what ye must have heard ? How leaving Nazareth He straightway went Where John was warning all men to repent, Because the heavenly Reign of Christ was nigh. And was baptized in Jordan ? — How the sky Was rent asunder, what time from above The Holy Ghost descended as a dove And lighted on Him, while a Voice Divine Declared the meaning of the heavenly sign, Saying, ' Lo, this is My Beloved Son, Whom herewith I anoint, the Anointed One — Christ, by the investure of My Spirit's chrism. And consecrating rite of this baptism ! ' Though it be true, He is, as you aver, The Son of Mary, and a Carpenter, 22 The hands that work, mechanical and mean. May in God's sight be honorable and clean. Than His credentials whose could be more clear? How foolish then and impious the sneer ! But yet more daring your insulting taunt — 3 34 THE LIGHT OF THt. WORLD. I Luke iv. 23 " Physician, heal Thyself, else vain Thy vaunt What we have heard done in Capernaum, Do also here, now Thou at last hast come ! Give Thy consent, and we will fix a day To give Thee chance for mountebank display — To work some miracle, that we may know Thou canst make God the puppet of a show ! Our claim is greatest, here Thy works repeat, Else we 're prepared to brand Thee as a cheat !" " So long as you exclude Me from your heart," The Saviour said, " I can no grace impart. All power to do you good away is swepf^ While you refuse the Prophet to accept. I come to your inhospitable door And ask admittance — what can I do more ? At the low portal, lo, I stand and knock — ^ I cannot pass unless I break the lock. Though Heaven is gracious, Heaven is sovereign too. Ye must not ask as if the least were due. On proud unthankful greed should God convey Ten thousand worlds, the gift were thrown away. God's grace and goodness never were confined ^Matt. xiii. 58. ^Rev. iii. 20. REJECTION AT NAZARETH. ^5 To a few bigots, but embraced mankind. ?-"^^ IV. — So He of old, His saving help made known 25 Among the Gentiles, passing by His own. Be not puffed up ! I, of a truth, you tell, There many widows were in Israel, When reigned a famine o'er the land's extent To none of these yet was Elijah sent, 26 But to a woman of Sarepta, who A Gentile was : And many lepers too 27 Were living in Elisha's time, but none Was cleansed save Naiiman alone." They heard thus far, and then would hear no more.^^ And all was howling rage and wild uproar, No more a grave assembly but a mob. The turgid arteries were seen to throb In their flushed temples ; all their eyes shot fire ; Their frenzied blood was hot with one desire To kill Him instantly. They thrust Him out, =9 And drag Him roughly by the nearest route To the hill's brow, whereon the city stood, To hurl Him headlong down. Though Jesus could Have palsied with all ease each lifted arm. And thus preserved Himself from threatened harm, 36 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Luke iv. — He never exercised His matchless power To save Himself in danger's darkest hour. Goodness has majesty and fear and awe To cow the wretches that defy the law ; The knees of coward Guilt have often shook At the dissolving terror of a look. No form of outrage Jesus would resist, No menace and no malice of the fist, Till now, when putting on a sterner mien. He looked the God, and turned His eyes serene Upon His would-be murderers, who quailed And falling back let Him pass unassailed. 30 Weep, Nazareth ! Thy endless loss deplore ! Thy unprized Lord shall dwell in thee no more ; In all thy habitations is dark night Now He is gone elsewhere who wa» thy light. And Jesus came, not pausing on the road, 31 And in Capernaum fixed His abode. REJECTION AT NAZARETH. 37 The voice of Mercy calls aloud, But, deaf to all persuasion, Men, heedless of the offered grace. Let slip the one occasion. Alas ! that mortals should not know Their time of visitation, But, madly rushing down to death, Reject the great Salvation. When opportunity is past. And time returneth never, How sad to know, it might have been But shall not be forever ! The figure, veiled and sad, of Judea the Captive, on the Roman coin minted when Titus conquered Palestine, seems the image of a remorse that had wasted opportunity and of a despair that had cancelled grace."-WiLLiAM R. Williams D D 38 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. V. ABODE AT CAPERNAUM.— APOSTOLATE. Matt. iv. 18-22; Mark: i. 16-20; Luke v. i-ii. /^^\ THOU to whom such happiness is given ! ^^ Exalted thus above the towers of heaven ! Made now the stated dwelling place of Him, Whose radiant presence makes the daylight dim Thy humblest hovel and thy meanest street Shine with the lustre of His passing feet. With frequent coming every lowly door Is lovely with a light undreamt before. Hide thy diminished head, Jerusalem ! Rome, wear no more an eclipsed diadem ! Let haughty Cassar lay his sceptre by And here before a greater prostrate lie ! Lord of all worlds, He reigns by love alone ; Makes willing hearts the pillars of His throne ; Asserts His Godhead by forgiving sin. And throws His miracles of healing in ; ABODE AT CAPERNAUM— APOSTOLATE. 39 Before th' omnipotence of heavenly grace Lo, Satan's empire totters to its base. Improve, Capernaum, thy honor well, Lest raised to heaven thou be cast down to hell ! Since all His mighty merits were designed To benefit and bless and save mankind ; His words of wisdom and His works of power Which crowded every day and every hour. Were meant for proof, not for Capernaum, But for all places, in all times to come ; 'Twas needful Heaven some method should contrive, To keep the memory of these alive — Provide or find some healthy weft of nerve, » Keen to perceive and faithful to preserve Each fine pulsation of melodious breath, The tone and tint of everything He saith, That nothing may be lost — some honest ear, With scope of function open, chaste, and clear, To entertain the sweetness of that Voice, Which makes th' inhabitants of heaven rejoice, Discoursing wisdom, soothing hearts that ache With words of comfort such as man ne'er spake — Some eye to witness, and some hand to pen AQ THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. The mighty doings of this Man of men ; Unconscious skill and artless art to paint This more than Hero and this more than Saint ; Careful to let no single trait escape Of the Eternal God in human shape. So Jesus pleased to call and to ordain ( Else he had mostly lived and died in vain ) Twelve men to the Apostleship, and sought The simple and the teachable untaught — Not lettered Scribe incorrigibly wrong — As those most fit to go with Him along, By day and night be with Him and abide, Eating with Him and sleeping by His side, Attendant on His footsteps to the end. To talk with Him as friend would talk with friend. Sit at His feet, and hear and keep in mind The sayings of the Oracle enshrined — Instructed thus, thus qualified to bear Authentic oral witness everywhere, While some should by th' imperishable page, Hand down the published grace from age to age. Behold Twelve Witnesses, no two the same, Unlike in mind and person as in name. ABODE AT CAPERNAUM— APOSTOLATE. 41 While they agree in everything they say *Tis in a natural and human way — Like the Evangelists, who speak as Four In their own manner, and do nothing more. No matter that the infidel insists On contradictions in th' Evangelists, While the Evangel does itself contain No warring parts, then is th' objection vain — All beauty and perfection therein lie, All specks are in the scoffer's evil eye. The willing winds had borne His matchless fame, The pure report and wonder of His name, From o'er the Jordan to the Midland Sea, And from Judea unto Galilee. But hitherto, although on every side Disciples had increased and multiplied, Jesus, by no authoritative choice, Had called Him Prophets of the Pen and Voice ; * Till now the time had come to separate Fit persons wholly to th' Apostolate. *Rev. Wm. R. Williams, D.D., in his Lecture on John the Baptist aptly designates him as Prophet of the Voice in contradistinction from Prophet of the Pen. I 42 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. As walking by the Lake's delightful shore ^^'^^^g He Simon saw ( whom He had named before Peter) and Andrew, Simon's brother — yet Plying their trade, about to cast a net Into the sea, for they were fishers. He Gave royal summons : '' Come ye after Me, ^9 And I will make you, former skill to match, Fishers of men, immortal souls to catch ! " And they forsook their nets without delay, ^° And followed Him. Then He, a little way " Proceeding, saw two other brothers, James And John, the sons of Zebedee, — dear names Well-known already — mending nets ; and He ^^ Called them ; and they, their father Zebedee Left in the boat, and went, forsaking all, Swift to obey so powerful a call. Of His Apostles these elected four Were first and earliest, soon He added more. ABODE AT CAPERNAUM— APOSTOLATE. 43 High thanks to Thee we owe, O Christ ! For Thy dear servants of the pen — Apostle and EvangeKst — Whereby Thou art made known to men. They tell us all Thou saidst and didst ; And all Thy glorious goodness show ; Make Thee a presence in our midst, Acting and speaking here below. We sit beside Thee at the sea ; We're made companions of Thy walk ; Our hearts within us burn, while we In silence listen to Thy talk. We learn the lesson of Thy looks, And are encouraged to draw near ; More than the lore of all the books. Thy welcome whispered in our ear. When Thy sweet lips forgiveness speak, And we can claim Thee as our Friend, Naught more in heaven or earth we seek, Our wants and wishes have an end. 44 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. T VI. HEALER AND SAVIOUR. Mark i. 21-34: Luke iv. 31-41 : Matt. viii. 14-17. HEY went into Capernaum. Short rest ^^l^ Followed long labor, and He woke refreshed. And on the Sabbath, wrapt in holy thought. He came into the synagogue, and taught, ''^ Not as the Scribes, but with authority — And they were all astonished. Suddenly, ^3 A frenzied shriek was heard, loud, piercing, shrill. Expressing terror, making hearts stand still — A demonical, unearthly cry — And when all turned to learn the reason why. There stood a maniac. His body shook ; Out of his eyes a demon seemed to look ; His features worked convulsively ; his speech Was less a voice, than an infernal screech Belonging to another — some foul fiend, That there mysteriously had introvened. HEALER AND SAVIOUR. 45 Usurping function, putting powers of soul ^^^^ And body under devilish control — Using the passive organs as his own, Saying with borrowed breath, '' Let us alone ! ^^ For what have we to do with Thee ? Comest Thou Jesus of Nazareth to judge us now ? Drive us not hence with Thy destroying rod — I know Thee well, Thou Holy One of God ! " Jesus rebuked him, saying, " Hold thy peace ! ^s Come out of him ! " His power about to cease, The demon threw him down upon the floor ^^ With cries of rage, while wild contortions tore Each muscle of the frame, and strange grimace Gave hideous expression to the face. Then straightway all was peaceful and serene. How sweet is health ! how holy ! and how clean ! And they were all amazed at what occurred. ^7 What truth of doctrine ! majesty of word ! Clothed with divine authority and power. Unwitnessed, unimagined till this hour — His high command the unclean spirits hear, ^^ And instantly obey with trembling fear. 46 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Mark i. 29 Leaving the synagogue, the five straightway Into the house of Simon went, where lay Abed the stricken mother of his wife, 3° Sick with a fever dangerous to hfe. And they on her behalf to Him appealed — 31 The fever He rebuked and she was healed ; Then rising she with hospitable speed Prepared them food to satisfy their need. 32 At the cool season of the setting sun. His hot career through torrid skies now run, They bring to Him all that are sick, and those Possessed with demons, and the concourse grows Till the whole city's gathered at the door. 33 He many heals, and many demons more 34 Casts out, not suffering them to testify, For that their truth was rancorous as a lie. Alas ! how many are the foes of man, That lie in wait and his destruction plan. From the first moment that he draws his breath, Around him are the instruments of death. Most fearfully and wonderfully made. The quick frame trembles of itself afraid, Lest in each nerve the penalty be felt HEALER AND SAVIOUR. .^ 4/ Of broken law inevitably dealt, And the betrayed and suffering organs rise, And force unwilling groans to reach the skies. A million shames and guilt of suicide Attach to such, Avho thus throw open wide The doors of penal pain and earthly hells ; But towards these also heavenly pity swells. While much is due to ignorance and sin. And lusts that burn incessantly within, Disease has other causes. No defense Can make quite safe the child of innocence. No life is new, original and fresh. Some latent weakness of the new-born flesh. Some old ancestral tendency or taint May make the whole head sick, the whole heart faint— The germ in former generations sown. Growing in darkness, suddenly made known In torments manifold. Lo, thence arise Dumbness, convulsions, palsies, lunacies-^ Perverted function of the brain and nerves. When will for government no longer serves, Leaving the temple hallowed and sweet Open to the abominable feet Of unclean spirits. Not when doors are barred, 48 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. And all the ministers of Health keep guard, Can these find entrance, nor can longer stay After that power resumes her broken sway. But Health though armed is vulnerable still, Not wholly proof against the darts of ill — No panoply of most impenetrable steel Can save the flying unprotected heel. When stalks the Pestilence, naught can disperse The dark, unknown, imponderable curse — Th' unavoidable and needful air Purveys the poison, and men drink despair. Dread Epidemics fill the land with woe, Then o'er the sea to distant regions go. These pass away, and may not come again, While chronic plagues, like Leprosy, remain — Type and superlative of all that 's vile. Whose neighborhood suffices to defile, Compelled to warn approaching feet when seen To stand afar and cry, " Unclean ! unclean !'* The scaly horror when it first begins Is often but a spot on fairest skins : By slow degrees, the multiplying scab Spreads o'er the whole, and worse succeeds to bad, HEALER AND SAVIOUR. 49 Till it becomes to the disgusted sight A leprous surface hideously white. The hair falls off ; nails loosen ; fingers, toes, Shrivel and rot ; teeth disappear ; eyes, nose, Tongue, palate, are consumed ; beneath the cope No remedy, the sepulchre of hope. This grave of beauty, dreadful to record. This death in life, so loathsome and abhorred, Has its own ghastly counterpart within — The moral death and leprosy of Sin. O double Saviour from a double death ! Vicarious Sufferer ! — as Isaiah saith, " Himself took our infirmities and bore v^^iv Our sicknesses " — what could His love do more ? He saved the sinner and He healed the sick — The blind, the deaf, the dumb, the lunatic, — At His own cost : the leper white as snow Released from his hereditary woe, By virtue which went out of Him — with pain And vital loss offsetting vital gain — Payment of penalty, relieving Grace Obliged to suffer in the sufferer's place. 4 go THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. " My Father works/' said Jesus, " and I work." J^^^^ He paid no heed to Pharisaic quirk, Still doing good upon the Sabbath day, In His unparalleled and Godlike way. Never did hours bear up on loaded wings So vast a weight and multitude of things : Enough of mercy in this day appears For celebration through a thousand years. Matt. viii. 2-4 ; Mark i. 35-45 ; Luke iv. 42-44: v. 12-16. Rising up early, long before 't was light, Mark i- 35 Lengthening the day by cutting short the night, He went to pray out in a lonely place. Not for Himself but for the human race. And Simon followed with the other three, 36 And having found Him, said : "All seek for Thee !" 37 And when they would have stayed Him, He said, ''No! Into the neighboring cities let us go That I may preach the Kingdom of God there : To them I also must the Good News bear. For this end came I forth, for this am sent. To save from coming wrath and punishment." Luke V. 12 As He was entering a certain town, A leper came to Him, and kneeling down ^^l^ HEALER AND SAVIOUR. Besought Him, saying, - If Thou wilt, Thou, Lord, ^ark Canst make me clean." He moved with pity toward ^x The wretched outcast, shrunk not back, averse, From the contagious foulness of the curse, But stretching forth His hand, him touched, and said, *' I will. Be clean !" Immediately he shed 4^ The leprous slough, and over his whole frame The skin all soft and beautiful became. Jesus charged sternly : " Tell no man, but go, 43 " And do what Moses has commanded, show 44 Thee to the priest, that he may search for trace And make the offerings ordered in such case, For proof to all the cleansing is complete!" He, disobedient and indiscreet, 4s Blazed it abroad, with the effect to draw Great crowds about His steps as He foresaw. Hindering His heavenly work to that degree, That He could no more enter openly The cities, but in desert places preached, Where nevertheless great multitudes Him reached. Matt ix. 2-8 Mark ii. 1-12 ; Luke v. 17-26. Returning to Capernaum once more ^ark ii. I The glad waves sent dear welcome to the shore. 52 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. When it was noised He was again at home — ^^^ And a great number had together come, ^ Who thronged the entrance of the house and street, While He addressed them loving words and sweet — Behold a paralytic borne of four 3 Was brought to Him. Because of the blocked door Not able to come nigh Him, they the roof + Uncovered where He was ; and with this proof Of their strong trust in the Great Healer, they Let down the bed whereon the sick man lay. And when this evidence of faith He saw 5 In bearer and in borne, in tones of awe As if God spoke, discerning deeper need Than even that for which they came to plead — Desire of pardon, hope and fear combined. With penitence and humbleness of mind — He to the sick man said : " Be of good cheer. Thy sins forgiven are !" And sitting near ^ Were Scribes, who said within themselves, "This man 7 Blasphemes. Why speaks He in this wise ? Who can Forgive men's sins but God alone?" And He, ^ Their thoughts discerning, said : " Wherefore do ye Think evil in your hearts ? For of the two, Whether is it more easy in your view 9 HEALER AND SAVIOUR. c? To say, ' Thy sins forgiven are !' or, ' Rise, ^^^^ And walk !' But that the Son of Man likewise '^ Has power on earth sins to forgive, thus know — I say, 'Arise, take up thy bed and go " Unto thy house !' '* The palsied man straightway ^^ Arose, and took up that whereon he lay, And went to his own house. O'erwhelmed with awe, All said, '' The like of this we never saw. 'T is meet we glorify the God of Heaven, Who unto men such wondrous power has given." 54 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. GRATITUDE. Psalm cm. 1-5. O bless the Lord, my soul ! Let all within me bless ! Join, all my powers, in psalms of praise And hymns of thankfulness ! O bless the Lord, my soul ! Let memory awake. And think of all His benefits And grateful mention make ! Who all thy sins forgives, All thy diseases heals ; Who saved thy life from threatened death. And for thee pity feels. Who gives thee pleasant food. And makes an end of pain. So, like the eagle, is renewed Thy faded youth again. Then bless the Lord, my soul ! Let all within me bless ! Join, all my powers, in psalms of praise And hymns of thankfulness ! THE NEW DISPENSATION— THE SABBATH. 55 VII. THE NEW DISPENSATION— THE SABBATH. Matt. ix. 9-13 ; Mark ii, 13-17 ; Luke v. 27-32. HE, wanting space, again the seaside sought, j^^^^^ And the assembled multitude there taught. Passing along the shore He saw a man ^4 Of priestly lineage, a publican, Levi, son of Alpheus, better known ^"^^ As Matthew — scorned and hated of his own Because of his vocation — sitting there At the receipt of custom, toll-booth, where Were Roman toll and tax and tribute paid. To choose a publican, an outcast Jew, Would be a scandal well the Saviour knew — But He, Who could his inner fitness see. Paused not a moment, saying, " Follow Me ! " And he arose, obedient to the call, ^^ And forthwith followed Him, forsaking all. After this Levi made Him a great feast ^9 In his own house. The feasters were increased Luke 56 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. By publicans and sinners, who sat down With Him and His disciples — viewed with frown And murmured disapproval, open sneer, 30 And wrathful whisper hissed into the ear. By watching Scribes and Pharisees, who came Only to make malignant search for blame. ^* Why eats your Master with these persons vile," They say to them, "and thus Himself defile? " He, overhearing, said : " They that are whole 31 Need no Divine Physician of the soul. Only the sick. I did not come to call 32 Th' already pure, but sinners one and all. But go and learn what meaning therein lies : * I will have mercy and not sacrifice.' " Matt. ix. 14-17 : Mark ii. 18-22 : Luke v. 33-39. Certain of John's disciples asked : " For what 33 Do we fast oft and Thy disciples not?" And Jesus said : " Of grief is fasting born. 34 Can children of the bridal chamber mourn While yet the Bridegroom's with them? Fast will they, 35 When He is taken finally away. No man is so unwise as to attach 36 THE NEW DISPENSATION— THE SABBATH. 57 To an old garment an unshrunken patch, ^""^ Formed of new cloth unfulled, which cannot mend, But only take from it and farther rend. Neither do men put new wine^ into skins 37 Old, yeasty, soaked, and sour, for then begins At once in the sweet must, intestine strife, A festering death with mimicry of life. *That by the term "new wine," must is meant, can hardly admit of a doubt. In Luther's translation here as elsewhere, "new wine" is invariably rendered must. The meaning of jmist as defined by all the Dictionaries is "new wine, wine pressed from the grape but notfermejited.'''' — Imperial Dictionary. The two terms (/. ^ • ""• X.— From thee wants little, and has much to give He in His hands the bread of life doth bear — What for thy many dishes does He care ? Little avails thy running to and fro ; There is a better way th}^ love to show. If thou wouldst please Him, lend thy heart and ear. He'll spare one dish to give thee chance to hear. Rest from thy worry : one brief moment stay, Nor deem the time thus spent is thrown away. But Martha — flurried, hot with haste and heat — ^o Beholding Mary at the Saviour's feet, Hearing His words of wisdom, love and grace, A mighty pleasure beaming from her face. Fearing to lose a word He had to say, The more because He had not long to stay — Words of complaint and blame 'gainst her advanced. Distracted speech, that at the Master glanced, Her whirling thoughts unable Him to spare. Saying thus wildly : '' Lord ! dost Thou not care My sister has me left to serve alone ? Bid her to share the burden on me thrown !" And Jesus answered : " Martha, Martha, thou, '^^ Witness thy fretful speech and clouded brow, Careful and troubled art, full of unrest. THE MAN BORN BLIND. 185 Concerning- many things to please thy Guest : ^"^^ But one is needful — Mary's chosen part, 42 To sit and give her hospitable heart, And learn of Me. Let her therefore remain ! Her place beside Me she shall still retain." John ix. 1-4T ; x. 1-42. As Jesus passed along the public wa}^, Jj°^" He saw a man whose eyes ne'er knew the day, Quite blind from birth, reduced to beg his bread. And the disciples to their Master said : ^ " Whence comes this heavy judgment ? for whose sin, His or his parents' ?" Jesus said : " Therein 3 Lies not the cause ; on them no blame doth rest ; But that God's work should be made manifest. Judge naught before the time, but humbly wait : God in the end His ways will vindicate : As in this case, whereby th' occasion 's given, To show^ the pity and the grace of Heaven. I must, while it is day, the hours are few, 4 Finish the work here given Me to do. And on the earth My Father glorify : The day is passing, and the night is nigh. While I am in the world, lo, I the Light s Am of the world, and to the blind am sight." 1 86 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Having said this, He spittle mixed with earth, Jj^^^ And smeared his eyes who had been blind from birth, And told him : " Go, wash in Siloam's spring I" 7 He went, and came back seeing. Wondering Neighbors, who him. had seen when blind, began ^ To ask each other, "Is not this the man Who sat and begged ?" Made certain it was he, 9 They questioned him : *' How is it thou dost see ?" ^^ "A man called Jesus smeared my eyes with clay. And said, ' Wash in Siloam's Pool 1 ' Straightway I saw." They to the Pharisees him brought '3 ('T was on the Sabbath day the cure was wrought), '^ Who asked him how it was ? He answered : " He ^s Put clay upon my e3^es ; I washed and see." Some of their number said : " This man is not '^ From God, for He the Sabbath day would blot." While others said : ''How can a sinner do Such miracles ?" And thence a schism grew. They asked the man who had been blind again : " What dost thou say He is ?" He said : " 'T is plain He is a prophet." But the Jews denied He had been bhnd, till they had called, and plied With questions both his parents : " Do ye say This is your son, born bhnd?" They answered "Yea! 17 18 19 THE MAN BORN BLIND. 187 That he 's our son, and was born blind is so : J^.- But how it is he sees we do not know. -^ He is of age, ask him !" — observing heed ^^ Not to offend the Jews, who had agreed, Who owned Him Christ, should be (so great their rage) Cast out— so said, ' Ask him, he is of age.' ^^ A second time they called the man born blind, -+ And said to him : " Give God the praise ! We find This Man 's a sinner." " Whether He be so "^ Or not," he answered, '' this one thing I know, That whereas I was blind I now do see." They said again : " What did He do to thee ?" =^ " I 've told already, and ye did not hear — ^t" Will ye be His disciples ?" Void of fear. No more he minced his words, but spake out bold, From their nude malice stripping every fold. They then reviled him, saying scornfully : ^^ " So thou art His disciple. Not so we : Moses' disciples we are. God, vv^e know, ^^ Did speak to Moses a long time ago— As for this Man we know not whence He is." " How strange ! since power to give me sight is His, 3° Ye know not whence He is ! God does not hear 3^ Sinners, but those who worship Him and fear. j83 the light of the world. Not since the world began can ye once find, j^^^^ That any man gave sight to one born bUnd. Were not this man from God He could do naught — 33 I dare to tell )^ou plainly my own thought." " Dost thou presume, born child of sin and hell, 34 Us to instruct?" they said. They him expel. Jesus had heard that they had cast him out, 35 And having met him, going on His route. He said to him, as by His side he trod, " Dost thou believe upon the Son of God ?" *' Who is He, Lord, that so I may believe ? 36 ^ly heart thou hast made ready to receive." '' Not only hast thou seen Him, but 't is He 37 Who at this present moment talks with thee." *' Lord ! I believe " — and fell down at His feet. 38 And Jesus said : '' Lo ! I, for judgment meet, 39 Am come into the world of lost mankind ; That who see not, may see, who see be blind." Some Pharisees, applying this remark, 40 Said : " Are we blind, and dwell we in the dark ?" '* Were ye without the means or power to see, Blind in this sense, ye then from sin were free. But since ye boast the keenness of your sight, 41 John i.x. — THE GOOD SHEPHERD. 189 x\nd close your eyes because ye hate the light. Your sin remains. To test your love or hate I come, the touchstone of your moral state. What help is there, if wilful and perverse. Ye shall the blessing turn into a curse ? " Mark the similitude I now begin : Whoso into the sheepfold enters in, Not by the door of fitness and of right, But climbs the wall by stealth and in the night, He is a thief and robber. Evermore The shepherd enters onl}^ by the door. To him the porter opes without delay, And all the sheep his well known voice obey : He calls his sheep by name and leads them out — Walking before, they follow him about ; But while they '11 follow him from love and choice, The}^ '11 flee a stranger, knowing not his voice." When they had heard, and did not comprehend, Jesus spake further then to the same end : " I am the Door, the true Door of the sheep : All rival claimants are impostors deep — I am the Door and Keeper of the door ; Who by Me pass shall safe be evermore ; igo THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. They shall go in and out and pasture find, J°^_" Secure from wolves and thieves of bloody mind. I am the Food and Feeder of the flock : ^° I all My fulness will to them unlock ; I come to give them life, life more and more. Life higher, better, and in ampler store. I the Good Shepherd am. M}^ love so deep, " I give My life to save th' imperiled sheep. Not so the hireling. When the wolf draws nigh, " He of his safety thinks and hastes to fly — '3 Because a hireling, little does he care, So leaves the wolf to scatter and to tear. I the Good Shepherd am : By many a sign ^-^ I know My sheep, and I am known of mine ; Ev'n as the Father knoweth Me, and I ^5 The Father know ,* and for My sheep I die. And other sheep I have not of this fold ; '^ These I must bring and to My likeness mould, That one flock and one Shepherd there may be. Therefore it is M}^ Father loveth Me, '7 Because of My free will My life I give. To be resumed, that they with Me may live. * Although the old reading is retained in the Revised Version, there is no doubt but this is the true rendering, as it makes the sense clear and preserves the parallel, which the other obscures or destroys. I AND MY FATHER ARE ONE. 191 The power to take on My permission stands ; {°^ My life's not wrenched from weak unwilling' hands :'^ 1 have the power- — men's malice all in vain — To lay it doAvn and take it up again. During the Feast of Dedication,'^ held ^"^ In winter at Jerusalem, compelled, B}' stress of wet or cold, somewhere to go For shelter, Jesus sought the Portico ^3 Of Solomon. As He was walking there, ^'^ The Jews, His footsteps watching everywhere. Surrounded Him and said : " How long dost Thou Intend to make us doubt ? Say plainly now. If Thou be the Messiah ? " He said ; " Why -3 Repeat vain words ? My works they testify Of Me wrought in My Father's name. But ye =^ Cling to 3^our stubborn incredulity, Because ye are not of My sheep ; for they, ^7 Hearing My voice. Me follow and obe}^ I give them life eternal. Firm thev stand : ^^ No man shall hurt or pluck them from My hand. * This festival was instituted to commemorate the purging of the Temp\e, and the rebuilding of the altar, after Judas Maccabeus had driven out the Syrians, B. C. 164. It lasted eight days. To observe it, it was not obligatory to go up to Jerusalem. It occurred near the end of December, some weeks after the autumnal Feast of Tab- ernacles. It is not probable that Christ had returned to Galilee during the interval. ig2 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. My Father, who them gave Me, greater is ^"^^q Than all, and none can pluck them out ol His Sure hand, which is the hand too of the Son — I and My Father are in all things one." 3° The Jews again took stones up Him to stone. 31 Jesus said, " Many good Avorks have I shown 32 You from My Father. Now for which of those Works do ye stone Me? " They reply oppose : 33 " 'T is not for a good work, but blasphemy — That man, Thou makest Thyself God." Said He : 34 " Is it not written in your law of some To whom the word of God of old had come, ' I said ye 're gods ? ' If then the law thus spake, Styling them gods, and naught can blot or shake The pure authority of scripture speech. Wherefore charge ye with blasphemy, and breach Oi law, Him Avhom the Father sanctified. And sent into the world awhile to bide, For calling Him His Son ? If I, indeed, Do not My Father's works then are ye freed — Believe Me not. But if I do, believe, If not My words, My works which can't deceive ; That ye may know the Father is in Me And I in Him in glorious unity." 35 37 ^^The Truth shall make yozi free." Awake, my soul, from guilty slumber ! Arise, thy warfare now begin ! Shake off whatever doth encumber, And break the fetters of thy sin ! And break the fetters of thy sin ! Sweet Liberty ! divine in beauty, Dear radiant Daughter of the Skies ! Whose other names are Love and Duty, Restore Earth's long lost Paradise ! Restore Earth's long lost Paradise ! 13 WITHDRAWAL BEYOND THE JORDAN. 193 Him therefore to arrest they tried anew ; ]^^^^ But He escaped them ; and again withdrew ^o Beyond the Jordan where John first baptized. Many resorted to Him : They (advised 42 That all things John, who wrought no miracle, Had said of Him as greater, were said well) Spectators of the works that He achieved — Hearing the words He spake — on Him believed. 194 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. XVII. I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. John xi. 1-46. WHEN Lazarus of Bethany was not well, ^^^^ His anxious sisters sent, the Lord to tell 3 How that His friend was sick. And, when He heard, ^ He spake a comforting and hopeful word : '' The issue of this sickness is not death — Departure of th' unreturning breath — But for God's glory meant, that so thereby God may His Son declare and glorify." ' T was not because He did not love them well, s That He continued in that place to dwell ^ Yet two days longer, but for reasons wise — Then said to His disciples : " Let us rise, 7 And go again into Judea." Filled s With deep concern, that so their Lord had willed. They said : '' Master ! the Jews but very late Would Thee have stoned, and still they lie in wait. And go'st thou thither that they Thee may slay ? " THE DEATH OF LAZARUS. 195 He said : '' Are there not twelve hours in the day ? Who in the light of day and duty walks, ^^^^ Walks sure : because he sees the sun, he balks The murderous malice that in darkness hides — Men stumble when no light within them guides." "-"^ Then added : " Our friend Lazarus doth sleep ; " I go to wake him from his slumber deep.'* " Lord ! if he sleep he will recover." Said ^^ The Lord then plainly : '' Lazarus is dead. '-^ On your account I'm glad I was not there. That so ye may believe : we '11 thence repair." Said Thomas to the rest with a deep sigh : 's " Let us all go that with Him we may die." When Jesus now to Bethany had come, ^^ Four days had Lazarus been in the tomb. ^7 Jews from Jerusalem, two miles away, ^^ Visits of sympathy had come to pay, '9 With others, gathered in large numbers there, In funeral rites their mournful part to bear. One having run the joyful news to broach *** To mourning Martha of the Lord's approach, She flew to meet Him. Mary sat at home, Unconscious of the fact that He had come. iq6 the light of the world. Martha exclaimed, as she to Him drew near . ^f^^ " My brother had not died hadst Thou been here. And even now, I know, whate'er it be, ^^ That Thou shall ask of God, He '11 give it Thee." '^ Thy brother, be thou sure, shall rise again." ^s *' Yea," Martha said, " I know, as we maintain, ^4 That he will in the resurrection rise At the Last Day ; but far that comfort lies ; While near and now 's the anguish of the knife." '' I a7n the Resurrection and the Life, ^5 The present Conqueror of hell and death — I bring back life and the surrendered breath. He that believes on Me I hold him fast, ^^ And though he die, his life shall death outlast. Of all that live, whoso believes on Me Shall never die, but live eternally. Believest thou all this?" She said : '' Yea, Lord ! ^7 I do believe and have believed Thy word, And that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God." Having said this, she hurriedly retrod ^^ The way back to the house, in Mary's ear To whisper secretly : '' The Master 's here, And calls for thee." She instantly withdrew, ^9 I AM THE RESURRECTION AND THE LIFE. 197 And went to Him outside the village, threw J?^^ Herself down at His feet, and weeping cried : 32 " Hadst thou been here my brother had not died." When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews 33 Weeping (who followed her, when at the news She stole away in silence, fearing they, Unfriendly to her Lord, might Him betray) He groaned in spirit, and asked shudderingly, "■ Where have ye laid him ?" They said : " Come and see !" 34 And Jesus wept. As silent tear-drops rolled 35 Down His wan cheeks, the Jews remarked, " Behold ! 3^ How much He loved him." But some reasoned, "Why Did He, who gave blind sight, let this man die ?" 37 Groaning again came Jesus to the grave, 38 Which hollowed out the hill-side formed a cave Closed with a stone. " Remove the stone !" He said. 39 But Martha interposed : " Lord ! four days dead He by this time must smell." " Did I not say, ^° Believing, thou shouldst witness a display Of the great power of God ?" They it remove. ^^ Jesus said, lifting up His eyes above, " Father, I thank Thee that Thou heardest Me ! 198 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Always My filial prayers ascend to Thee l^^° I never ask but I at once receive ; I said it only that men might believe." After these words with a loud voice He said : 43 Lazarus, come forth !" At once, he who was dead ^^ Came forth, his hands and feet Avith fillets bound, And all about his face a napkin wound. Then Jesus said : " Unbind and let him go !" Many believed. Some let the elders know. 46 Note. — Some explanation of the terms used in the following Verses seems proper. Psyche (Greek) occurs over a hundred times in the New Testament. In about half the cases it is rendered life^ and in the other half soul ,- v/hile the adjective formed from il^psycJiikos^ occurs six times, in four of which it is rendered fiaiurai. Pneu7nay with its derivatives, occurs more than four hundred times, and is rendered uniformly spirit, except in those cases where Holy Ghost is used instead of Holy Spirit. Tricho- tomists are those who hold to a threefold division of the nature of man, in accordance with I Th. V. 23, which speaks of spirit (pneuma), so7il (psyche) and body (soma) as constituting the whole person to be preserved blameless. The dichotomous view (which by the way is the current one and gives a distinct coloring to all the creeds) makes man to consist of two parts, viz. : body and soul. The pneuma or spirit, when it is distinguished from the soul, is regarded as the highest principle in man's nature, being that which distinguishes him from the brute creation, allies him to God, and forms the true ground of his immortality. Strictly speaking it was the pneuma or the spiritual part of man, rather than the intellectual, that fell — that is, suffered degrada- tion and dethronement, with spiritual darkness and death as the result. Regenera- tion is, therefore, the requickening of the dead or dormant, fallen pneuma ; and its reinstatement as the supreme regulative faculty in man, dominating all below. Stand- ing for the godlike, it is rich in all divine capabilities, and so it would be strange, if it were destitute of the power to clothe itself, that being one of the most necessary of all powers. Being in its own nature immortal, it needs an immortal body, and will have it, because it needs it, and when it needs it. Potentially present in the germ al- O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? 199 O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? John xi. 20 Four days had Lazarus been dead : When Martha heard the Lord was near, She flew to meet Him : " Oh," she said, " He had not died hadst Thou been here." Her eyes in tears, fast flowing, swam ; Her restless heart was full of strife ; She heard him say, unsoothed, " I am ^s The Resurrection and the Life." Though speaking in the present tense, The comfort of His words was hid : In some far-off and frigid sense, In the same way her fathers did. She held the dead would rise again At the Last Day ; but must she wait Ten thousand years, and not complain, In hope of meeting at that date ? John xi.24 ready, it is the pushing and growing force of the indwelling pneuma that shapes the pneumatical body, and makes it its own. Entombed for the moment in mortal flesh, its resurrection is imminent. Like the butterfly from its rent cocoon, the embodied psyche-pneuma will spring forth, winged and wonderful, and ascend to the highest heavens. Identity always lies in the personal consciousness of the Ego. It is simply Myself, and not an affair of atoms at all. 200 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. He said, ' I am,' not I shall be.* J5>hn ' ' XI. 25 The doctrine was divinely new — A most consoling certainty, Not apprehended by the Jew : The resurrection of the dead. He taught was not a dim event. Re-knitting of a broken thread. But near and now and imminent. * It often happens, that what the Scriptures leave obscure or undefined, men in their attempts to explain darken the more. As nobody was found equal to the task of piec- ing out the uncompleted lines of Virgil's Sic zjos non vobis, we distrust the competency of human wisdom to supply the deficiencies of divine authorship. This is applicable to creeds, for there is in the best and most venerated of them a human element which reflects simply the knowledge of the time. Advancing science, while it antiquates so much of these as is human, leaves the divine untouched in all its primitive freshness. The real conflict is not between the inspired text but its interpretation. Creeds have their uses, but Christ says, " Come to Me !" In that case, we have truth at first hand. We drink at the uncorrupted source. We are put into original relation with the Great Teacher Himself. Surely we can know far better by direct tasting that sugar is sweet than by report ; but it is a common fault of the learned and the unlearned alike, that they rely on the say-so of men who had no better means of knowing than themselves, if as good. Much of our ignorance is of ourselves. Our eyes are full of dust. Prejudice blinds us. It was so, we know, with the apostles. We are amazed at their stupidity. Where, we are tempted to ask, were their ears ? Their Master spoke plainly enough, but they did not listen. He said to Martha, "I am the Resurrection and the Life. Whoever believeth on Me shall never die. Believest thou this?" She did not pene- trate His meaning, nor try to. She had glibly expressed her belief in the resurrection as she understood it ; but whether the saying of the Master was in accordance with that old belief she did not stop to inquire. It is wonderful how contented we are in our ignorance. Our Lord's question is addressed, no doubt, to us as much as to Martha ; and we, like her, not seeing perhaps how a present resurrection, which seetns to be asserted, harmonizes with a resurrection which we have been taught to believe lies in the far future, we pass by the remarkable declaration as something enigmatical or too profound for us. Believers in the Resurrection may be conveniently divided into three classes. First. 111. 3 O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? 201 Because Immortal Love reigns here, J"?!^" Present and powerful to save, It were unreasonable to fear .^p^- An interregnum in the grave : Th* imperishable forms of those, With tears committed to the ground. Evoked at death, triumphant rose, ^f^; And now the throne of God surround. vii. 15 Those who hold that the self-same body will be raised up at the Last Day, meaning thereby all the material particles which happen to compose it at the moment of death. According to the poet Young, however, as set forth in his poem on " The Last Day," members previously lost will be supplied : " Now monuments prove faithful to their trust, And render back their long committed dust. Now charnels rattle ; scattered limbs and all The various bones, obsequious to the call, Self-moved advance ; the neck perhaps to meet The distant head, the distant legs the feet : Dreadful to view, see through the dusky sky Fragments of bodies in confusion fly, To distant regions journeying, there to claim Deserted members and complete the frame." Second. Those who entertain the view thus expressed in the Epitaph ascribed to Milton : " These Ashes, which do here remain, A vital tincture still retain ; A seminal form within the deeps Of this little chaos sleeps ; * * * This plant thus calcined into dust In its Ashes rest it must. Until sweet Psyche shall inspire A softening and prolific fire. And in her fostering arms enfold This heav}- and this earthly mould." 49 Phil, iii. 21 202 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. For form is different from dust, And 't is for form alone we care ; Our earthly bodies perish must, The soul of form no longer there. The old, that was in weakness sown, ^J°[^' Is made the pattern of the new. But, fashioned like the Saviour's own, Stands forth idealized to view. Third. Those who hold, that while we are justified in assuming that " a seminal form" exists, it is to be looked for not in the ashes of the urn nor the dust of the grave, but in the depths of the immortal spirit itself, forming an essential part of it, being, in fact, the life within the life, possessing genetic aptitudes, whereby, under a divine quickening, a spiritual or pneumatical body emerges. This— constituting what is called the resurrection from the dead— differs from Christ's resurrection chiefly in this particular, that in His case, there was first a revivification of the natural body of flesh and blood, without its seeing corruption ; and a spiritualizing or glorification of it afterwards, before His ascension. The advocates of this view conceive that it alone suits the analogy pointed at by Paul in regard to the buried seed— the likeness being properly between 'the living seed and the living man, not the dead body. " Dead things," as Locke observes, " are not sown ; seeds are sown being alive." It is the living acorn that contains the oak ; the dead acorn, like the dead body, is empty and contains nothing. It is the psyche, the tree's life, resi- dent in the acorn, to which it owes all its glorious possibilities. It is this, which mak- ing use of its environments, builds up this lordliest of vegetable forms. Strictly speaking, life springs only from life, never from death. The seed seems to die, but does not. It descends to ascend. It clothes itself ; it puts on beauty and glory ; multiplies itself an hundred fold, and is thus made fit to minister to the necessities of man ; to nourish and build up the brain— and so become ancillary to thought and love and worship. Compared with the magnificent potentialities of the human germ those of the seed and acorn are poor and weak. Here too, it is the indwelling psyche, infinitely enriched however by special endowments, which in its marvelous workings under God, crowds into the period of a few brief months the accomplishments of mighty milleniums ; re- peating, so to speak, the miracles of creation from the beginning ; passing up step by step from the lowest to the highest ; through numerous imitative metamorphoses, cul- minating in the perfected form of the child born into the world. From earliest times O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? 203 That which is natural is first : ^v.^^d The body-builder, Psyche, moulds, Till on the raptured sight there burst The hidden forms the germ enfolds. It makes each organ play a part, Giving what suits the body here — Were there no blood there were no heart — It fits the earthly to its sphere. until now, much use has been made, in the way of illustration, of the conversion of the caterpillar into the butterfly, but the mighty transformations which have already taken place at the time of birth, leaves this poor example a thousand leagues behind. But change and ascent do not stop at birth. The infant ripens into a Newton. When man is at his best and highest, death comes. Believers of this third class regard it as incredible, that at this supreme point there should be any pause or backward step in the march of development. They hold that death rightly viewed, so far from being catastrophic and final, is grandly climacteric ; is not a plunge downwards but a step upwards ; a mystic transition and birth into a higher life ; that it is not more in ac- cordance with Christian hope, than it is with reason, that new forces should now come into play and a new body be formed to take the place of the old one ; that at once, without any yawning interval, under a divine and gracious quickening, this corruptible should put on incorruption, and this mortal should put on immortality, and that death should be swaljowed up of life. All this is exactly in atcordance with the assurance of Paul, who said he knew that when the earthly house of this tabernacle was dissolved he had a building of God, a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens ; justifying his exultant expectation that, admitted to the vision of Jesus in His glorified body and seeing Him as He is, he should be like Him ; that, having borne the image of the earthy, he should bear henceforth the image of the heavenly ; and be prepared to praise Him, from the first, for a finished and complete redemption, including that of his body — having attained to the resurrection from the dead which had been the object of so much struggle and endeavor during his natural life upon the earth. As the apostle points out, that is not first which is spiritual (pneumatical) but that which is natural (pyschical) ; afterwards that which is spiritual (pneumatical). As the psyche begets and raises up the pysch- ical or natural body, by a like formative energy, it is thought, the pneuma begets and raises up the pneumatical or spiritual body, resemblant but different. In further confirmation of this view, they cite the above declaration of our Lord to 204 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Spirits, when severed from decay, l^""^^ Need other organs. How shall then They be re-wedded to their clay. Without becoming mortal men ? Can Psyche build and Pneuma not ? Pneuma, the nobler of the two, A glorious body, without blot, Christ-like, angelical, and new, Martha: " I am the Resurrection and the Life", made purposely, it would seem, to correct an erroneous impression which Martha entertained, in accordance with the prevalent Jewish belief, that the resurrection was a remote event, too remote to be available for present comfort under bereavement. Prior to Christ's coming, the few brief hints of the Inspired Scriptures on the subject of the Resurrection, had been formulated by the Rabbins into a creed. As Christ came to bring life and immortality to life, it would be a disparagement of His mission to suppose that all His teachings, in regard to the what and the how and the when of the Resurrection, had been antici- pated by these men, leaving Him nothing to reveal ; and so, if in His utterance on this occasion there should be found something new and different from the accepted Phari- saic doctrine, it would be no more than what might be expected. Christ's teachings and the Pharisees' run, we know, counter to each other. They materialized ; He spiritualized. They externalized the Kingdom of God and were looking forward to it. He spoke of it, as both coming and having come, i' It cometh not," He said, "with observation, but is within you." He emphasizes the «i7w. All is now. lam the Resurrection and the Life no7u : the Judgment is fioiv. The hour cometh, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. He that believeth on the Son z's not judged. He that believeth not z's judged already. Everj'' day, so to speak, is therefore Doomsday ; but the day of death is, in a special sense, to every individual, the Last Day, and the Coming of the Lord in the clouds of heaven, and the Day of Judgment. One hundred thousand souls are ushered into the presence of the Supreme Judge every twenty-four hours ; four thousand every hour, night and daj', sufficient, one might think, to warrant a continued session. Thus one day is hardly more solemn than another. All days are solemn. ''Every meanest moment rests on eternity." It is admitted, that the language employed in describing the Last Judgment and the End of the Word is bold and full of material imagery ; but hardly more so than that applied to the destruction of Jerusalem. All Christ's teachings are full of simili- O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? 20S Shall rear— a house not made with hands, %?°f' A God-devised and mystic dome, Eternal in the heavenly lands. To be the spirit's final home. The seed is quickened when it dies, l^^^-^ Puts on the new, sloughs off the old : 37 The slumbering Pneuma wakes, likewise, ^^ Its mighty marvels to unfold. tudes. He taught in parables and prophesied in symbols. The apocalypse of the future is given in inspired tableaux— scenic representations, types and adumbrations of awful realities, true in substance if not in form. It is unfortunate that this view— not this view either but something like it— is made repugnant to many minds by its accidental association with Gnostic and other heresies. It is certainly free from some of the difficulties which attach to both the other two, and has many things to recommend it. In regard to the first, although apparently favored by the Creeds, it is safe to say that it is based on false notions of identity, and is sanctioned by neither reason nor Scripture. Dust is not identity. Had Augustine— who held that all the matter which ever entered into the organism however dispersed here, would be made complete in quantity and quality in the resurrection, even to the hairs cut off and the paring of the nails— known as much of Physiology as every- tyro now knows, he must have seen how untenable was such a view. For what are the facts of the case ? It is certain that our bodies are never two hours together wholly the same. The body of to-day is not the body of yesterday. "We die daily." Let Augustine's conjecture be judged of by the light of the following extract, taken from Dalton's work on Human Physiology : " It has been ascertained by careful weighing that rather more than seven pounds are absorbed and discharged daily by the healthy human subject ; and for a man having the average weight of 140 pounds, a quantity of material equal to the weight of the whole body is thus passed through the system in twenty days "—tantamount to more than a ton in a year. Augustine died at 75. Accepting his view as correct, the size and weight of his own resurrection body would need to be enormous. Thomas Aquinas held the more moderate view, that only the particles which entered into the composition of the body at death would be raised ; but we know, that a sharp sickness— aided perhaps by medicine and a copious blood- letting just before death— can reduce the weight of the body several pounds ; and it would devolve on the Angelical Doctor to give some good reason why the particles that remain should be more sacred and worthy of being raised than those taken away. Tertulian absurdly enough supposed, that the teeth were purposely made indestructi- 2o6 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. To be reborn, the Pneuma must ^°^^ Be quickened by the Spirit's breath ; ^ And 't is the Christian's settled trust, The Lord of hfe is Lord of death : f^^s That when he dies, the holy force Works normally to beauteous ends, In orderly and healthy course. And always to perfection tends. ble, that they might serve as the nucleus of the new body at the resurrection. A Jewish tradition, on the other hand, assigned this honor to a part of the os coccygis. It is presumed that the insuperable difficulties attendant upon this doctrine of literal identity, led to the adoption of the second view, advocated by Drew^ in his able treatise, viz., that there is an indestructible germ somewhere in our present body, which is to be developed in the future. This — which is, if we mistake not, the belief now most common — agrees, as we have seen, with the third view in assuming the ex- istence of a resident germinal principle by means of which the new spiritual body or organism is to be evolved, but differs in supposing that this descends with the dead tody, and lies perdue in the grave until the end of the world, when it is first quick- ened. If the natural body is to be succeeded by a spiritual body, it would be in ac- cordance with all analogy that provision should have been made in the original constitution of our nature for the metamorphosis, and so it can hardly be doubted that the genetic or active cause of such transformation has a lodgment somewhere in the human economy ; and the question arises in that case, which is most likely to be its seat, the dead body or the living spirit. Could we find good scriptural grounds for believing that it goes with the spirit, then we should have no difficulty in understand- ing how the embodiment which takes place should be immediate, and how " the just" would have no need to wait to be "made perfect." The difficulty of harmonizing this view with various texts of Scripture may not, perhaps, be so great as it seems. We do not think it the least of its recommendations, that it does away with the inferential necessity of an intermediate state, with its in- explicable anomalies, contradictions, and twilight underground associations — its Par-* adise being, as many conceive it, little better than a weird betweenity, a kind of half prison, a place of exile and long waiting. What the state of the soul is without the body, Isaac Taylor, in his Physical Theory of Another Life, tries to imagine and tell us ; and we confess, the conclusions which he reaches are by no means exhilarating. He argues, that as mind is dependent upon corporiety, its powers for the time are in a state of suspension. The intermediate period, being the chrysalis period of the soul, is, O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? 207 To raise me up at my last day, ^^^3"^ Were more than to resuscitate ^° This mortal tenement of clay, Making me live to die more late : Give me, O Christ ! a nature new ; Mix Thy sweet life with mine. True Bread ! 32 That so I may attain unto hl'^T" The resurrection from the dead. " he infers, marked by the destitution of all the instruments of active life, corporeal and mental. This state of inaction is probably, he thinks, also. a state of subterranean se- clusion, involving perhaps an unconsciousness of the passage of time. This picture, it must be conceded, is a far less cheering one than that given in the Westminster Confession, which distinctly affirms, that " the souls of the righteous, immediately after death, being made perfect in holiness, are received into the highest heaven," etc. Now, as nothing can be higher than the " highest," there is clearly no room left for anything "intermediate;" but not content with this implied denial of an intermediate state, the Confession goes on to say expressly, " Besides these two places [/. ^., heaven and hell] the Scripture acknowledgeth none." It is silent as to the disembodied soul's mode of existence, but seems to take it for granted, that it has organs perfectly adapted to its exalted condition. Paul speaks of being absent from the body, but present with the Lord ; which might be thought to imply, that he be- lieved in the possibility of the existence of the soul apart from the body ; but, on the other hand, one would be led to think, from the importance which he attached every- where to the resurrection, that he regarded corporiety— spiritual corporiety — in a sense necessarj-. Profoundly impressed with the greatness of the mj'Stery which shrouds the subject, the writer feels that no attitude towards it becomes him but one of reverent inquiry : therefore he desires it to be understood, that the view, set forth in the accompanying Verses, is propounded rather than asserted. He thinks it echoes the hope if not the belief of multitudes. If true and justified by Scripture, it cannot be deemed other- wise than desirable that it should be divorced from the error or the folly with which it may happen to be associated. For who would not like to be scripturally certified, that death was no more than the putting off of one garment and the putting on of an- other? That as soon as the soul is unclothed, it is clothed upon with the vestments of eternity? It is easy to start objections, and raise difficulties against any view. On a subject involved in so much uncertainty, the writer considers it is lawful to differ. 2o8 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. In a swift moment Thou didst turn The water into living wine— ^*?^J The twinkling of an eye, I learn, lv.°'2 Suffices for the Power Divine : Rather than souls leave naked, Thou %^°i'- Wouldst clothe them by immediate act ; But there's no need, if law doth now Potentiality make fact. In captive thrall should death retain Part of ourselves, the spirit's mate, We should in heaven with yearning pain ^°^^^-^ Redemption of our body wait ; And ask, What means this long divorce Our exiled half still 'neath the sod ? And spur the ages in their course, To consummate us sons of God. ^^ Dear risen Lord ! does Paul still groan. Not clothed upon as he had hoped ? To all but to Thyself alone Are the grave's prison-doors unoped ? Dost Thou in heaven a body wear ? And dost Thou make Thy saints to wait, Leaving their souls unclothed and bare, In nameless embryonic state? O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? OQQ What are those many mansions,"^ Thou J'/^^"^ Didst say Thou wentest to prepare ? Dwell not they all within them now, Each housed in his own palace fair ? It cannot be they suffer lack — When Love to them all things has given — ^'?"'; And are now sighing to come back To supplement defect in heaven. * The writer is aware, that such an interpretation, of what Stier calls, "this super- abundant mysterious declaration " — /. f., " In my Father's house are many mansions,'' etc.— would be novel ; but, he is not sure, but that it is as defensible as any that has been hitherto suggested. The objection, that the " many mansions " are spoken of as already existing, would apply equally to Paul's affirmation : "We have a house [re- ferring clearly, it would seem from the connection, to the spiritual body] not made with hands eternal in the heavens." Jesus speaks in the next verse : " I go to prepare a place for you" ; and yet the place is elsewhere spoken of (Matt. xxv. 34) as "pre- pared for you from the foundation of the world." So we read of " The Lamb slam from the foundation of the world." What is fi.xed in the divine purpose is considered as already existing. In regard to the many mansions, there is no need, that we should figure them as dwelling-places, empty and expectant, actually existing in heaven ^ but as potential habitations, preparing and to be prepared for an eternal residence. Admitting, that the spiritual bodies of the redeemed are meant thereby it is not diffi- cult to understand, how that His going before, would have reference to His sending the Holy Ghost with his quickening, upbuilding and shaping influences, guiding and directing the pneuma at last in the way heretofore indicated, so as to give to every sanctified personality at or after death his "own body " ; whence it Avould come to pass that the number of mansions would correspond to the number of the saved r and each house with its inhabitant would be distinctive and peculiar — differing, it may be, as stars differ from one another in glory. The coming again, promised in the same connection, nearly all agree, refers to Christ's coming at death. The Swedenborgian figment, that by many mansions are meant stellar worlds to which souls are dis- tributed, finds no basis in Scripture, nor, we may add, in common sense ; and to mini- mize the meaning to the dimensions of so poor a thought, as that there is room (space) enough in heaven for all believers, is we think, to do injustice both to the speaker and the occasion. 14 2IO THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. XVIII. RETIRES BEYOND THE JORDAN. John xi. 47-54 ; Luke xiii. 22 — xv. 31 ; xviii. 1-14. CHIEF priests and elders hastened to convoke x?"^ The Sanhedrim ; and, full of cunning, spoke (Under a show of patriotic zeal, And pure affection for the public weal, Hiding the venom of their private hate) Of great and imminent danger to the State. " What are we doing ? Nothing that's of use, While He goes on the people to seduce By man}^ miracles and wonders great And a portentous one of recent date. If we let Him alone, ere long all men 48 Will think He is the Christ ; the Romans then AVill come and take away from us, we fear, Our place and nation." Caiaphas, that year 49 Being the high priest, said : " Ye nothing know, Else ye would see, to save from overthrow The fabric of the Jewish Church and State, RETIRES BEYOND THE JORDAN. 21I The present is no time to hesitate : J^^_!^ And how, in any case, that this one man 50 Should for the people die, is better than That the whole nation perish." Naught he cared, For truth and innocence howe'er declared — But herein spake unconscious prophesy, 51 That Jesus for the nation then should die ; Nor for that nation only, but likewise, 52 For all the nations under the whole skies ; And that He should assemble from abroad Into one Church the scattered sons of God. They from that day concerted how they might 53 Put Him to death. To be from public sight Removed, away from danger of arrest, He left Jerusalem, and judged it best To go to a small town called Ephraim — 54 And His disciples tarried there with Him. Mark X. I Quitting at length the place of His retreat Again He crossed the Jordan, and with feet That felt fatigue, but felt it to contemn, Teaching and journeying towards Jerusalem, He passed through towns and villages that lay In Herod iVntipas' domain. One day, 31 Luke xiii.22 212 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Came certain of the Pharisees to Him, ^ ^^^^ Saying, with curHng hp and visage grim : '' Get Thee away, at once, for Herod means To kill Thee." Naught from Him their, malice screens — 32 So He, knowing informers them to be, Said : *' Go, and tell that fox, that I cast out Demons, and cures perform along My route To-day, likewise to-morrow : the third day 33. My course completed, I will go away. I ne'ertheless till then shall walk about, Because a prophet cannot perish out Of doomed Jerusalem. Jerusalem ! 34 That kill'st the prophets, and that stonest them Who 're sent to thee, how oft I, safe from harms, Thy children would have gathered in My arms. E'en as the hen, when hawks are hovering. Gathers her brood beneath her shelt'ring wing. But ye would not — blind, fierce, and obstinate — Now is your house left waste and desolate. 3s As at a ruler's house He sat at meat, '^'^'' "■ Guests were ambitious of the highest seat. '^ Observing which, this Parable He spake : DINES WITH A CHIEF PHARISEE. 21^ ^' When to a wedding- thou art bidden, take ^"''^ " ' XIV. 8 Not vainly the chief seat at table, lest There enter a more honorable guest, And the host come to thee, and say aloud : 9 ' Yield this man room ! ' And thou, who wert so proud. Be forced with shame to take the lowest place. But when invited, to avoid disgrace, ^° Go to the lowest seat, that in the end The host may tell thee, ' Go up higher, friend ! ' Then thou'lt have honor in the sight of all — For self descends to rise, and climbs to fall." " He said, likewise, to him Avho was His host : ^^ " When thou a dinner or a supper dost Provide, ask not thy friends, nor brothers, nor Thy kinsmen, nor thy wealthy neighbors, for These haply may thee ask in turn, and thence Thou may'st receive a selfish recompense. But ask the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind, ^3 And thou a heavenl}^ recompense shalt find." ^4 One of the guests, this hearing, warmly said : ^5 " How blessed in God's Kingdom to eat bread !" Then Jesus said to him : '' A certain man -^^ 214 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Made a great supper, on a scale and plan ^^^z. Royal and rich, inviting many. So ^t At supper time, he sent to let them know All things were ready. But, with one consent, ^^ They all, preoccupied, excuses sent. One said : ' I've bought a field which I must see- Have me excused.' Another, for that he ^9 Had bought five yoke of oxen, and must go To prove them, prayed to be excused also. A third said : ' I just married am — therefore ^°- I cannot come.' These several answers bore -^ The servant to his waiting Master, who. Incensed, said to his servants : ' Go into The city's streets and lanes, make search and find, And bring in here the poor, maimed, lame and blind.' The servants said : ' According to thy will, " This has been done, and there 's room vacant still. ' Once more the Master said : ' Go out again, ==3 Into the highways and the hedges, and constrain Enough my house to fill, and save from waste : For not one bidden shall my supper taste.' " ^4 Now a great multitude, from far and near, ^^'- ^ Of publicans and sinners came to hear : Drawn far more strongly, than with cords and hooks,. PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP. 215 By the attraction of His loving looks, !^"^ And winning sweetness of His friendly speech. And condescension that to them could reach. Treated as beings of inferior birth, Vile outcasts and offscourings of the earth, When now One rose to tell them, though defiled, Their Father God still loves His wand'ring child. What wonder, that the strange and welcpme news Should through their hearts an unknown joy diffuse : When at this friendliness some took offense, ^ He spake these Parables in His defense : 3 " What man, the owner of a hundred sheep, + If one, through failure with the flock to keep. Be lost, doth not the others leave behind There in the wold, and go the lost to find ? And, having found it, doth not lay it there s On his glad shoulders, and it homeward bear. And say to friends and neighbors gathered round : ^ ' Rejoice with me for I the lost have found ' ? So a diviner joy from Heaven doth flow 7 Out towards one sinner that repents below. Than ninety-nine self-righteous persons, who Need no repentance or suppose they do." 2i6 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. " What woman with ten drachmas, losing one, ]^^^l Lights not a lamp to aid th' excluded sun ; Sweeps not the house, and searches not all round, Until she find it ? And, Avhen it is found, 9 Doth not her neighbors summon, and accost : ' Rejoice Avith me, I've found the piece T lost ' ? '' A father had two sons. The younger said, " ' Father ! of thy estate be my share paid.' " And he allotted to each son his share. The younger son began then to prepare ^3 For his departure — gathered all and sold — Turning the fixed into convenient gold. And journeyed to a country far away. And there in endless riot night and day. Wasted his substance. And, when all was spent, ^^ A famine there arose of wide extent ; And he began to be in want. So deep ^s His need, he lent himself the swine to keep : But no man gave him aught, till he was led ^^ To crave the husks on which the hogs were fed. Come to himself, the thought sprang into view, ^7 ' HoAv many hirelings has my father, who Have more bread than suffices, while I here Perish with hunger, ending mad career. PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. 217 I will arise and to my father go, ^^^| And I will say unto him : Father ! lo, I 've sinned, have greatly sinned, 'gainst Heaven and thee, And therefore am not worthy more to be ^9 Counted a son. Make me, I am content. One of thy hirelings.' He arose and went. ^o Him when the father afar oflF descried, Moved Avith compassion, he to meet him hied. And fell upon his neck, and kissed him much, The love and longing in his heart were such. " With tears fast flowing, pierced with new distress. He should have ever grieved such tenderness, The son said, ' Father ! I have sinned 'gamst light. Before the face of Heaven and in thy sight. And am not worthy to be called thy son.' " But said the father to the servants, ' Run, ^^ Bring hither the best robe — rags are unmeet — A ring put on his hand, shoes on his feet. And bring the fatted calf and quickly slay, 23 And let us feast, and merry be to-day. For this my son was dead (let joy abound) ^4 And lives again: was lost, and, lo, is found.' " The elder son was absent in the field, " ^s So what had happened was from him concealed. 2l8 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Returning home, he heard, as he drew nigh, ^^;}'^ Music and dancing ; and, till he knew why, He would not enter, but remained without. Asking a servant what 't was all about, ^^ The servant said to him : ' Thy brother 's come — ^7 Thy father gives this festive welcome home.. Has killed the fatted calf, made mirth abound. Because he has received him safe and sound.' When asked to enter, he refused with heat : ^^ Therefore the father came out to entreat. " He said: ' Lo, I thee many years have served, ^9 And have from none of thy commandments swerved : And yet thou never gavest me a kid. My friends to pleasure ; but no sooner did 3° This spendthrift son return, who has ere now Squandered on prostitutes thy means, than thou Killedst for him the fatted calf.' ' Na}', son,' 31 The father said, ^ grieve not at what is done. Thou'rt ever with me, and all mine is thine. Be not so foolish then as to repine. 'T was meet, that we a festive joy should spread, 32 For this, thy brother, was aforetime dead. And is alive again — lost in the wold, Is found at last and brought into the fold.' " THE LOST FOUND. 219 THE LOST FOUND. I sing the Shepherd of the sheep : Who, for the love He bore the fold, Did wade through sorrows dark and deep. And freely give His life of old. I sing the love, so strange, so sweet. That sought the lost until it found — With aching heart, and bleeding feet. And flowing tears that wet the ground.- I sing the goodness of our God, The patient pity and the grace. That left no dreadful path untrod To seek and save the human race. Great Shepherd of the nations ! Thou, Bishop of souls, go forth to find Thy scattered flock ! O gather now The straying millions of mankind ! 220 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. He said to His disciples : '' Hear ye too : '^^^^ A certain rich man had a steward, who, Accused of wasting his estate, was thrust - Out of his stewardship for breach of trust. . As sad he mused, a shrewd thought upward flamed : 3 ' I cannot dig, to beg I am ashamed But there 's a way by which, when here I leave, ^ Some of my master's friends will me receive.' " He called to him the debtors of his lord, s jVnd spake to each the same sly cunning word : ^ How much,' he asked, the first, ' is it thou ow'st ? ^ A hundred baths of oil,' he answered. ' Dost ^ Thou wish 't were less ? Take back thy script, and now Write one for fifty.' ' How much owest thou ?' 7 He asked another, who replied : ' Of wheat A hundred homers.' ' The amount 's too great — Take back thy script, and write one for four-score.' Clever the scheme, a thing to chuckle o'er. ^ His lord admired the fitness of the plan To win the favor of his fellow man. For children of this world, in their affairs, Are wiser than the sons of light in theirs. TRUE USE OF RICHES. 221 " Not worshipped as a god, but held a tool To work the pleasure of the hands that rule, Yourselves can carry on by Mammon even A gainful commerce wdth the ports of heaven : Deceitful riches can procure you friends, When used as righteous means to righteous ends : Can gain the friendship of the powers above, By alms of mercy and by bribes of love. So use your money, that when earth ye leave, They into everlasting homes may you receive. "He that is faithful in a little (such The general law) is faithful too in much. He that unrighteous is in matters small. Unrighteous is in great things and in all. If in low monetary trusts untrue, Who will commit true riches unto you ? If in another's, ye have weakness shown. Who will believe you equal to your own ? Ye cannot faithful and unfaithful be. Be friends of God and serve His enemy. Lovers of money, when the Pharisees Heard Him declare these things, they, ill at ease, Began to jeer, and sneer at Him, and scoff. Luke XV i. — 1+ 222 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. He said to them : " Ye may with men pass off ^^^^ Yourselves for righteous, but God knows your hearts, And all the lustings of your inward parts. Self is your God, for self ye spend or hoard ; But what 's admired of men, of God 's abhorred. While ye can sit as princes, what care ye Your brother pines in want and misery ? " There was a man exceeding rich, who clad In purple and fine linen, daily had Whate'er could minister gluttonous delight : While at his gate there lay, a piteous sight. A beggar full of sores, named Lazarus, Desiring naught of the vast overplus Whereon to feed but sweepings of the floors : And the dogs came and licked his undressed sores. The beggar dying, he was borne away To Abraham's bosom. On another day, The rich man also died, and with parade And haughty pomp was to the tomb conveyed. And he, in hades, lifting up his eyes. Being in torments, Abraham descries Afar with Lazarus upon his breast. Free from his sores, most happy and at rest. 19 THE RICH MAN AND LAZARUS. 223 Himself a beggar now — from depths of grief ^^,^"^1 He hurls a mighty cry for some relief, 24 Across the distance, reaching Abraham's ear : ' Have pity, father Abraham, and here Send Lazarus to dip his finger's tip In water, thus to cool my tongue and lip. For I'm tormented in this flame.' But he =^5 Said, ' Son, remember choice was given thee. And thou didst have the things which thy heart would. All bodily delights and earthly good ; And Lazarus had his evil things below — But now while he 's in joy thou art in woe. A gulf impassable, moreo'er, is fixed 26 Of separation us and thee betwixt.' The other said : ' Then, father, send I pray ==7 Him to my father's house, that so he may Warn m}^ five brethren lest they here too come— ^^ The grave 's now silent and the dead are dumb.' But Abraham rephed : ' iVlready they 29 Have Moses and the Prophets.' Said he : ' Nay, 30 O father, but if from the dead one went And warned them, they, in that case, would repent.' ' Not so. If them they hear not,' Abraham said, 31 The}^ would not hear though one rose from the dead.' " 224 ^^^ LIGHT OF THE WORLD. That he might confidence to men impart xvui^^ To persevere in prayer, and not lose heart, He spake this Parable. '' There Avas," He said, ^ " A certain judge, of God nor man afraid, Venal, unjust, not caring for the right, To all but his own ease indifferent quite, A selfish sybarite devoid of shame. To him a widow of that city came, 3 Saying, ' Uphold, I pray, my righteous cause, And vindicate the justice of the laws.' He would not for a while, but afterward, + He said within himself, ' Though I regard Not right, lest I be battered^^ with her prayers, 5 I'll righteous judgment give in her affairs.' Hear what the unjust judge was moved to do. ^ And will not God redress His chosen, who t- Cry day and night to Him ! I tell you. Yea, ^ And that with speed, though there seem long delay. When comes the Son of Man shall He find dearth And scarcity of faith upon the earth ? " He spake this Parable to those, who thought They were the righteous, and all others naught : * The literal meaning of the original Greek is " to make black and blue under the eyes by blows." THE PHARISEE AND PUBLICAN. 225 '' Two men up to the Temple went one day— ^^u^^io A Pharisee and Pubhcan — to pray. Standing apart the Pharisee began His brag : ' O God, I thank Thee I'm a man, Not as the rest of men, I proudly trust, Extortioners, adulterers, unjust, Or as this Pubhcan. 1, each week, lo ! Fast twice. I tithes of all I have bestow.' Meanwhile the Pubhcan with heavy sighs, '^ Standing afar, afraid to lift his eyes. Smote on his breast, and cried : ' I am undone ! Be merciful to me, the sinful one.' This man went justified, I say to you, '^ Down to his house the rather of the two. For who exalts himself shall humbled be. The road to honor is humility." Matt, xix 13-30 ; Mark x. 13-31 ; Luke xviii. 15-30. Then they brought babes to Him, that he might , Matt. lay xix. 13 His dear caressing hands on them and pray : And the disciples censured them for it. And Jesus said : " The Kttle ones permit To come to Me, and do not them prevent— 15 14 226 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Essential is the childlike element, ]^^}: Trustful and clinging", finding food and rest, Warmth and protection on the mother's breast — Of such God's Kingdom is. Be not beguiled ! ^^l^ Who enters it must enter as a child." Taking them in His arms He them caressed, ^^ And laid His loving hands on them and blessed. A ruler came to Him, while on His way, ^7 And kneeling said : ^' Good Master ! tell, I pray, What shall I do eternal life to win ? " He said : ^' The good is one who has no sin ; ^^ Why callest thou Me good ? Dost thou Me know ? None 's good but God, who 's absolutely so. Thou knowest the Commandments ; keep each one ! "^^ He said, " From my youth up, I this have done : ^ What lack I that I may be perfected ? " Then Jesus looked on him with love, and said : ^^ *' Wouldst thou be perfect, and forever live, Go, sell, and to the poor thy substance give ; And come, take up thy cross, and follow Me, Mid persecution, shame and poverty. For My sake, thou must count all things as loss, Thy reputation and thy riches dross : THE DANGER OF RICHES. 227 For these thou 'It forfeit, and 't were therefore wise To sit down first, and weigh the sacrifice. Like one who thinks, ere he begfins a tower, ^"^ ' O ' XIV. 20 Whether to finish it be in his power. Or like a king, ere he to battle goes, 31 Considers well the number of his foes." At this he went away with heavy heart, ^^Jj With his possessions not content to part. Then Jesus His disciples thus addressed : ^3 " How difficult it is for those possessed Of wealth to enter in at the strait gate ! So prone are men its worth to overrate — To trust in riches, and more highly prize 24 The earthly good than treasures in the skies. 'T were easier for a camel to pass through ^s A needle's eye, than that hard thing to do." They said, astonished, " Who then can be saved ? " ^^ '* What is not possible with men depraved, 27 Is possible with God through offered grace." ^^^l' Peter began to say with foolish face : *' Lo ! we've forsaken all and followed Thee — What shall we have therefore ?" " Be sure, that ye— =» 228 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Who Me have followed (O the grace of it !) jf^^'h In the regeneration,* when shall sit The Son of Man upon His glorious throne, Subduing hearts by might of Truth alone — Shall be My sovereign mouth, and shall declare My royal will, and what My judgments are. Your words inspired shall be the end of strife, The rule of faith and guiding law of life. Until the renovation is complete, And the whole world comes bowing to My feet. None have house, parents, brethren, children, wife ^^ Left for My sake, who shall not, in this life. Receive an hundred fold, and, in the age To come, eternal life — but not as wage. Matt. xx. i-i6. " For in the government of its affairs, -^-^ Messiah's Kingdom a resemblance bears, Unto a householder, who had desire Into his vineyard laborers to hire, *The regeneration of the race is the regeneration of individual souls, and this we believe is ever going on. The Son of Man is surely now sitting on the throne of His glory, being to the right hand of God exalted, and having a name above every name. So the Apostles (certainly ever since the day of Pentecost) have been sitting on their thrones, with their authority so universally acknowledged down to our time, that from their judgments there is no appeal. Here surely is ample fulfilment. Compared with this, the glory of actual thrones, crowns and sceptres is vulgar and poor. PARABLE OF THE HIRED LABORERS. 229 So went out early, and agreed to pay, ^"; To those employed, a penny each a day. He, going at the end of three hours space, 3 Saw others idle in the market place, And said to them : ' Into my vineyard go, ^ And what is right I will on you bestow.' Fie, at the sixth hour, and the ninth, went out, 5 And did the same. Again he found, about ^ Th' eleventh hour, more standing, and said : ' Why Stand idle all the day ? ' They made reply : 7 ' Because no man has hired us.' He said then, * Go ye also into the vineyard.' When Night came, the owner to the steward said : ^ * Call laborers, and let their hire be paid. Be there a penny to each one disbursed. Beginning from the last unto the first. ^ When those hired first, received the penny due, '° They murmured and found fault, and said : ^We who " Have borne the heat and burden of the day, " Working twelve hours, receive but equal pay With those who've wrought but one.' He one addressed More turbulent and noisy than the rest : ^ Friend ! I do thee no wrong, for didst thou not '3 230 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Agree to work for that ? Then take up what f^^^- Is thine, and go thy way. It shall thus be. 1 11 give the last the same as I give thee. May I not with my own do what I would ? ^^ Is thine eye evil because I am good ? ' Thus shall the first be last, who murmur blame ; '^ And the last first, because they make no claim. Salvation is a gift in any case ; Were it of debt, it would not be of grace. Many are called, but most the call refuse ; ^t- Few are the chosen, for they 're few that choose." Luke xvii. 7-10. Saw'st thou thy servant coming from the field ? Wouldst thou precedence at thy table yield ? Or say : ^ Make ready thou, and on Me wait. Then thou shalt eat ?' Or wouldst thou rate His lawful service as a favor ? No ! He simply did that which he ought, I trow. So judge yourselves improfitable, when you Have only done what you were bound to do. Luke xvii. 7 JAMES AND JOHN'S AMBITION. 23 1 XIX. RETURN TO JERUSALEM THROUGH JERICHO. Matt. xv. 17-34 ; Mark x. 32-52 ; Luke xviii. 31-43 ; xix. 1-44. Mark X. 32 WHILE on their way up to Jerusalem, Jesus with steady step preceding them, Amazement fell on them, and they were made, As Him they followed, mightily afraid. Taking the Twelve apart. He said to them : " Behold, we go up to Jerusalem : 33 And, lo, the Son of Man betrayed shall be Unto the Sanhedrim, that, presently. Shall Him consign, whom they Ve condemned to die,34 To Gentile hands to scourge and crucify. But He on the third day shall rise again — For not the grave can longer Him detain." The mother of the sons of Zebedee 35 To Jesus came, and asked, on bended knee, He would one favor grant. He said : " Explain ! 36 What wouldst thou?" She replied: ''That in Thy Reign, ^7 232 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. One of my sons may sit on Thy right hand, ^^ The other on Thy left, in high command." But Jesus, all forseeing, sadly said : 38 '' Your fond request is ignorantly made — Ye know not what ye ask. Do ye then think That ye can drink the cup that I must drink ? And with My baptism be yourselves baptized ?" They said : " We can do all therein comprised." 39 " These ye, indeed, shall do and undergo ; But that, ye ask, is not Mine to bestow 40 On human grounds of personal regard — Essential fitness governs the award." And when the ten heard of it, every one 41 Felt indignation against James and John. But Jesus, having called them to Him, said : 4= '' Ye know the Gentiles have their princely head — Rulers to rule and great ones to bear sway — Not so with you. Ye 're taught to put away, 43 As best befits meek learners in My school, All winged ambitions and proud thoughts of rule. Who would be great, therefore, let him be small : ++ Who would be chief, the servant be of all. The Son of Man e'en came to serve, and give ^^5 His life a ransom, that the slave might live." BLIND BARTIMEUS.— ZACCHEUS. 233 As Jesus entered Jericho, along ^^^6 With His disciples and a numerous throng Blind Bartimeus by the wayside sat, Begging. When he was told by some one, that ^i Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. Losing no time, he straight began to cry : " O Lord, Thou Son of David, pity me !" When some rebuked, and bade him silent be, ^^ He only cried the more : " Have pity, Lord ' Thou Son of David, pity me afford !" Jesus stood still and said : '' Call ye him here." 49 They to the blind man said : " Be of good cheer — He calleth thee." His mantle thrown aside. He sprang up quickly and to Jesus hied, 5° Who said : '' What wouldst thou have Me do to thee ?" 51 The blind man said : '' Rabboni, make me see. '' Go !" Jesus said, "thy faith hath given thee sight."5^ Straightway he saw, and praised the Lord of light. Passing through Jericho, a well known man. Rich, named Zaccheus, a chief publican, Sought to see Jesus, but this could not do, Because the crowd His person hid from view. Luke xix. I 234 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. He, being of low stature, ran before, ^^ And climbed into a spreading sycamore Along the route, to see Him as He passed. When Jesus reached the tree. He stopped, and cast s An upward look, and said, as him He spied, '' Come down, Zaccheus, for I must abide Within thy hospitable doors to-da}^" Surprised, he, coming down without delay, ^ Received Him joyfully. The multitude t Beholding this, with grumblings Him pursued. Saying : " He 's gone with one that 's under ban — An outcast Jew, a hateful publican — To lodge, and eat, and thus Himself defile." But in Zaccheus there was wrought meanwhile ^ A mighty penitence. He stood and spake : '' I, Lord, a gift of half my goods now make Unto the poor. If I have, heretofore, Taken aught wrongfully, I will restore Fourfold." And Jesus said : " In truth I say, 9 Salvation to this house has come to-day : For that the Son of Man, at His own cost, '^ Has come to seek and save that which is lost." Seeing they listened. He went on to tell " PARABLE OF THE TEN POUNDS. 235 Th' expectant multitude a Parable — ^J^l Who thought, because Jerusalem was near, He in His Kingdom straightway would appear. " A nobleman — preparing to resort ^^^ To the far city of th' Imperial Court, To take to him his kingship and return — That their trustworthiness he so might learn, ^^ Gave to ten servants all an equal sum. One pound to each, and said : ' Use till I come.' But hated by the citizens, these sent ^+ An embassy th' in vesture to prevent — Saying, ' We will not have him for our king.* " When he returned — in all things prospering — '5 Having all rights of royalty obtained — That he might know what every one had gained, He called those servants he had money given. " Then came the first and said : ' Lord ! thanks to Heaven, ^^ Thy pound has gained ten pounds.' He said, ' Well done, ^7 Good servant ! faithful found in this small one, Have thou a grander trust — the government Over ten cities.' ' Lord ! the pound me lent,' '^ The second said, ' has gained five pounds.' * Ev'n so, "^ 236 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Be o'er five cities.' Said another : ' Lo ! ^"^^ XIX. 20 Here is thy pound, which I with care kept laid Up in a napkin, for I was afraid, ^i Because thou art a man austere and hard, To rights of others paying no regard, Exacting that which never was thine own, And reaping that which thou hadst never sown.' *' ^ I, out of thine own mouth, will thee convict, ^^ Thou wicked servant. Knowing I was strict, Austere, exacting what was not my own, And reaping that which I had never sown, Why gav'st thou not my pound to one to use, =3 That 1 might not thereon my interest lose ?* He said to his attendants standing round : =^4 * Take ye away from him his unused pound. And give to him who has gained ten.' But they, ^s Surprise evincing, he went on to say : * To every one that has, and adds thereto, ""^ Shall more be given : whereas the slothful, who Has and adds naught, shall not keep that he has. Since found unfaithful and unfit. But as =^7 For those my foes who would not have me reign. Let them be brought and in my presence slain.' " Xll. I TRIUMPHAL ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM. 237 Having thus spoken, going on before, ^\^8 He pressed on to Jerusalem, once more, And came to Bethany, where Lazarus dwelt, ^/"^ Whom He had raised to hfe. The chief priests felt Against the current it was vain to strive, While this miraculous witness was alive, So they designed His death. Already they Had taken means to Jesus seize and slay. Haste, careful Martha, thy Lord's couch prepare, For He intends this night thy house to share. On the next day (which was five days before That Passover, when should — in type once more, Then once for all in fact and not again — The spotless Lamb of God for us be slain) Fulfilling prophecy — all prescient Of what would be — He two disciples sent, ^^^ ^^ Saying : " Go to yon village, ye shall find 30 A colt there tied, ne'er ridden yet, unbind And bring him here. Should any one inquire, 31 ' Why loose ye him ? ' say 't is by My desire, The Lord has need of him." They went and found 32 As he had said ; and, with consent, unbound 33 And brought the colt to Jesus : and this done, 34 Luke 238 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. They threw on him their garments, and thereon, ^^^^^ Not otherwise caparisoned, Him set. The honored beast, though all unbroken, yet Not needing check nor guidance, onward went. Knowing his rider, with proud step but bent Low reverent neck, while many in the road 36 Their garments spread ; and others lopped and strowed ^^i^''^ Branches of myrtle ; fronds of palms some bore ; And those who followed, and who went before, 9 Together cried : " Hosanna to the Son J^"^ Of David ! Blessed be th' Anointed One ! The King of Israel, of mighty fame, Approved and coming in Jehovah's name ! Daughter of Zion, eastward look ! behold, Thy King approaches, even as foretold, s Meek, sitting on an ass's colt ! Long live Messiah ! peaceful be His reign ! Now give ix!^^s Glory to God, glad hallelujahs sing, In lofty celebration of our King ! " The people, who were present, witness gave ][-f "^ They Lazarus had seen come from the grave, And this drew many ; many more beside '^ CHRIST'S LAMENT OVER JERUSALEM. 239 From Galilee, of Jesus testified, J.?^" Thereby augmenting the triumphing throng, That sang hosannas as He passed along. The Pharisees, alarmed at what they saw, ^9 Exclaim, as they in groups together draw, " Of what avail is all we Ve said and done ? Behold, the whole world after Him is gone." Some sharply spake, as if to His behoof : ^^^ " Give thou to Thy disciples stern reproof ! " But Jesus said : '' If these refused to shout, 40 The stones for shame would instantly cry out." When He drew nigh and saw the City, He 41 Burst into tears of grief and sympathy, And said : '' O hadst thou known ere this, ev'n thou,^^ The things relating to thy peace ! but now They're hidden from thine eyes. For soon the days « Will come upon thee, when thy foes will raise A bank about thee, compass thee around In closest siege, and dash thee to the ground, 44 And in the ruins will thy children crush, And will not leave thee in the downward rush One stone upon another, seeing thou Knew'st not thine opportunity was now." 240 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Matt, xxi. lo Jerusalem now entered, it occurred That the whole city was profoundly stirred. When, '' Who is this?" was heard on every side, Th* attendant multitude at once replied : " " A Prophet this of great celebrity, Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee." Alighting, He into the Temple came, ^^ And, moved with pity, healed the blind and lame. But when the chief priests and the scribes beheld ^s The wonders He performed — heard, unrepelled. The children, crying in the Temple, say, '' Hosanna to the Son of David,"— they Great indignation and surprise express : " Hear'st Thou what these are saying ?" He said, u Yes ! ^6 Did ye ne'er read (when men are dumb as now) ' Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, Thou Defective praise hast perfected ' ?" Then He '7 Went with the Twelve and lodged in Bethany. As to the City early He returned JJf ^^ Next morn, a fig tree He afar discerned, ^3 Leafy and fair, and promising much fruit. But, when He came. He found there naught to suit. Nothing but leaves. " Let no fruit grow," He said '^ SECOND CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE. 241 '' On thee henceforth ! "—and straight the tree was dead. Mark XI. Going into the Temple, stern and bold, ^s He 'gan to cast out them that bought and sold. The tables of the brokers overthrew, And seats of traffickers in doves, anew* — ^6 Saying: '' My House, 'tis written, shall be styled ^7 The House of Prayer, but ye have it defiled, And made the sacred place a robbers* den, The unhallowed haunt of false and thievish men." The scribes and chief priests having of this heard, ^^ Maddened yet more, by murd'rous fury urged. They would have seized Him, but were checked by fear, For Him the people came in crowds to hear — (He all day, teaching, in the Temple spent. And to the Mount of Olives nightly went). ^y As He was walking in the Temple, they ^7 With haughty bearing, challenged Him to say. By what authority He dared thus do. He said : " I will one question ask of you, ^9 Which, if ye answer, honoring truth and fact, *See the Evangel, p. 367, for an account of the first cleansing. 16 242 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. I '11 tell by what authority I act. ^^'^ Touching John's baptism, whence (tell if you can) 30 Was it ? from Heaven ? or did it come from man ? " They reasoned thus among themselves : '' If we 31 Shall say, ' From Heaven,' His replv will be, ^ Why did ye not believe him then ? ' But if 32 We say, ' From man,' we fear the people, stiff In the conviction and belief that John Was certainly a prophet." Whereupon 33 They said, " We cannot tell." " Nor tell I you. By what authority I these things do." '' What think you of the story here rehearsed ? ^^^^^ A man, who had two sons, said to the first : 'Go, work to-day, son, in my vineyard.' He Unfilially refused, but, speedily, =^9 Repented of his wickedness, and went. He bade the second, who with feigned assent 30 Replied : ' I go, sir,' but went not. Now say. Which of the twain his father did obey ? " 31 They said, " The first." " E'en so I say to you, Ye promise, feign, profess, and fail to do. Of mortal sins, no doubt, the greatest one Is the complacent consciousness of none. THE WICKED HUSBANDMEN. 243 What wonder, since repentance is the door, Harlots and pubHcans go in before ! For John came in the way of righteousness — Strict, separate, austere in food and dress- — And ye believed him not, but these believed, And full remission of their sins received : "■ Hear ye another Parable : A man Planted a vineyard on a generous plan, Hedged it round, dug a wine-vat, built a tower, And gave to certain husbandmen the power To keep and till it ; and then went away To a far country a long while to stay. And, when the season of the fruit drew near, He sent a servant to receive his share : And him they seized and beat and sent away Empty. He sent another then ; and they Him stoned, and wounded badly in the head. And handled shamefully. Then, in his stead, A third was sent, and man}^ more — this one They beat, that killed. He lastly sent his son. His only son, unutterably dear, Saying, ' My son at least they will revere.' But they, in council met, his death conspire. Matt. xxi. — Mark xii. I 244 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. ' Behold/ they said, ' all is as we desire ; ^f^^ This is the heir ; let us, now he 's alone, Him kill, and make th* inheritance our own.' They thrust him out the vineyard, and him slew. ^ What will the lord then of the vineyard do ? ^^f"; He '11 come, and will these wicked men destroy, And others give the vineyard to enjoy. So shall God's Kingdom taken be from you, 42 And giv'n a nation yielding fruitage due." They, when they heard it, said : '' Let it not be !" And Jesus, looking on them, spake : " Have ye ^3 Never the meaning of that Scripture weighed — ' The Stone, the builders disallowed, is made Head of the corner by the Lord all wise. This is His work and wondrous in our eyes ' ? Who, stumbling, falls on it, is shattered found : 44 But he, on whom it falls, to dust is ground." Knowing the Parable 'gainst them was said, ^s They would have seized Him, but they were afraid. ^'' TRIBUTE TO CAESAR. 245 XX. NEARING THE END. Matt. xxii. 15-46 ; Mark xii. 13-17 ; Luke xx. 20-44. Mark xii. 13 ON His destruction constantly intent, They partizans of Herod to Him sent, To snare Him in His words, and get some ground On which a charge of fatal sort to found Before the Roman governor, whose breath Determined questions touching life and death. Disloyalty to Cassar could they prove. This would one serious obstacle remove. Which must attend a sentence, they foresaw, Grounded on simple breach of Jewish law. When they were come to Him, with tongue of guile, Feigning respect, they said in wheedling style : " Rabbi 1 we know, that Thou in all art true, ^4 Speaking Thy thought concerning what is due. Fearless and bold, and caring not for men, Tell us, we pray Thee, what Thou thinkest then — 246 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Ought we to Cassar tribute pay, or no ?I* ^^f^_^ He said : '' Why tempt ye Me ? Your craft I know, ^s Bring Me a penny* that I it may see." They brought it, and He said : '' Will ye tell Me, ^^ Whose is this image, and whose legend 's here ?" They answered, '"Csesar's." "Then your duty 's clear : Render to Cassar that which Caesar's is ; "^ And give to God likewise whate'er is His." Baffled and silenced, having naught to say. Admiring His address, they went their way. Matt xxii. 23 Came Sadducees to Him on the same day— Deniers of the resurrection. They, Thinking to puzzle Him, a question raise, ="+ Based on Mosaic statute-law,f which says, ' That if a man die childless, then, indeed, His brother shall his widow wed, and seed Raise to his brother.' " Now there were," they said>^5 " With us seven brethren. Th' eldest being dead. No children having had, his wife was left To be his brother's. She again bereft, ^^ * A denarius, a Roman silver coin, worth about 17 cents. Its purchasing- value has been estimated at four or five times that. The drachma was a Greek coin of nearly the same value as the denarius. tit was named the "Levirate" — from the Latin levir, a husband's brother, or, brother-in-law. QUESTION OF THE SADDUCEES. 247 Was married to the third, so up to seven : ^^?"- ' J- xxii, 27 To which of these will she be wife in heaven, ^^ xYfter the resurrection ?" Jesus said : =^9 " Ye err, not having right the Scriptures read, Nor known the power of God ; for, when they rise, 3^ They 're like th' unmarried angels in the skies. " Touching the resurrection of the dead, 31 Have ye not in the book of Moses read, How in the bush God to him spake : ' I am 32 Thy fathers' God, the God of Abraham, Of Isaac, and of Jacob.' God is hence, 33 Not in the preterite but present tense. Their God, not as extinct, but living yet." Ev'n foes were glad at the defeat the}^ met. The Pharisees He question'd : '' What think ye ^r Of the Messiah ? Whose Son should He be ?" 4^ They answer, " David's." " How does this accord 43 With what he by the Spirit says : ' The Lord Said to my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, ^^ In universal and supreme command, Until Thy victory be made complete. And all Thy foes be put beneath Thy feet.' If David's Son, how calls he Him his Lord ?" 45 And none of them could answer Him a word. 248 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Matt, xxiii. 1-39 ; Mark xii. 38-44 ; Luke xx. 45-xxi. 4. He, in the hearing of the people, said ^^^^ To His disciples : " Be ye not betrayed 46 By the example of the Scribes, who love — Dressed in long flowing robes to stately move, And greetings in the market-place respect, ^ And first seats in the synagogues aJBfect, And covet the first couches at the feasts — But who, like hungry and ferocious beasts. Devour defenceless widows' maintenance. And make long frequent prayers for a pretence. The better to entrap them and deceive. These shall a heavier punishment receive." He, speaking to the multitude, besides His own disciples, said : " Because the Scribes And Pharisees now sit in Moses' seat, And God's commandments and His laws repeat, Whate'er they bid you, that observe and do. But all their juggling falsities eschew. For that they say, and do not — by all modes Binding intolerable and grievous loads On others' shoulders, which they '11 not so much As with one solitary finger touch. Matt, xxiii. I LAW AND PENALTY. 249 Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, who dare xJiif *i Before th' All-seeing, act a part,* and wear A mask, and personate and play the saint, While all your sanctity is but a feint — So used to your disguise, ye hardly dream That ye are otherwise than what ye seem. Woe to you, hypocrites ! The woe to state Is not to wish it or to imprecate. I speak to warn you. Ye yourselves must know Sin is the sure progenitor of woe. The genial flame that warms you, also hath A dreadful potency of dreadful wrath — Woe to the foolish hand, that wakes the ire And retribution of the vengeful fire ! All woe and suffering, rightly understood, Implies some false relation to the good. A wrong position to the universe Will turn the best of things into a curse. The light is sweet, and pleasant to the eye The sun's bright pomp proceeding through the sky, But woe to eyes that turn to it inflamed ! Yet, for the anguish, shall the light be blamed ? * The earlier meaning of the Greek word ^'XixonpLTrig (Hypocrite) is ^^one who plays a part on the stage," " a player," " an actor ;" whence comes the later meaning, " a dissembler," "feigner," '■'■ hypocrite^ 250 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Because ye suffer, shall the sun be wrenched x?^^"- From its bright orbit, and its beams be quenched ? Which would ye have, the suffering sense made whole ? Or palsy strike the universal soul ? Would ye abolish feeling to obtain Exemption and relief from local pain ? ' Woe to the man who sins,' all nature cries ! And, ' Woe !' the Spirit in the Word replies I But greater woe to him, who healing grace Keeps back from any of the human race ! '' Woe to you. Scribes and Pharisees, therefore, '3 Who keep a jealous watch, and shut the door Of the New Kingdom, which to enter in Is full salvation from the power of sin — Not entering yourselves, and, those about To enter, hindering and barring out. Woe, for ye roam o'er sea, and land as well, "s To make one proselyte a child of hell. " Blind guides ! that say, ' Who by the Temple swear, ^^ They are not bound ; if by the gold that 's there They swear, the oath holds good.' Ye fools and blind ! Which greater is, the gold, or that behind, '7 The Temple's self, which sanctifies the gold ? WOES DENOUNCED. 25 I Matt, xxiii. lE ' Who by the Altar swears, it does not hold ; But who swears by the gift that thereon lies, The same is bound.' Ye blind, not having eyes ! '9 For is the gift more, or the altar more That sanctifies the gift ? He who, therefore, ^° Swears by the altar, swears by what it bears. So likewise, he, who by the Temple swears, ^'■ Swears both by it and Him that there abides. Who swears by Heaven, he swears by God besides. ^^ "Woe to you. Scribes and Pharisees ! because, ^^ While ye tithe mint, ye slight eternal laws Requiring justice, mercy, faith : the one Ye do, but leave the weightier undone. Bhnd guides ! who filter out the gnat scarce seen, ^^ But gulp the camel monstrous and unclean. Woe to you, hypocrites, because ye wish -^ To cleanse the outside of the cup and dish. But care not they 're filled up and foul within, From robbery, iniquity, and sin : — Blind Pharisee ! first th' inside purify, ^^ For e'en the outside shall be cleansed thereby. ''Woe to you, hypocrites ! for ye are like To whited sepulchres, whose seemings strike, Outwardly fair, but, all within the stones, 27 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. 252 Matt. 28 Foulness unspeakable and dead men's bones : ^^^^ So ye seem righteous, but ye nevertheless Are full of inward lies and rottenness. Woe to 3^ou, hypocrites ! because ye build, ^9 And deck the tombs of those your fathers killed — Prophets and righteous men — and falsely say, 30 Ye would have been less bloody than were they. 31 Fill up the measure of your fathers, see 32 Ye match their murderous malignity ! Serpents and vipers, venomous and fell, 33 How shall ye 'scape the punishment of hell ! "Lo, I, in love and mercy, send to you 34 Prophets and teachers to instruct and woo : Of them, some ye will kill and crucify ; Others will scourge, afflict, and cause to fly. That so the crowning guilt may shame your head 35 Of all the righteous blood that e'er was shed. This generation, lo, in blood and tears, 36 Shall reap the justice of four thousand years. '' O hadst thou been inclined, Jerusalem ! 37 Who kill'st the prophets, and who stonest them Who unto thee are sent, how oft I then Thy children would have gathered, as a hen VISION OF THE FATE OF JERUSALEM. 25 "> Gathers her chickens 'neath her sheltering wings, ^xJif — But ye would not, and scorned My threatenings ! Behold the time is coming and makes haste, 38 When shall your house, abandoned and laid waste, Be turned into a desert, and its proud Upturned foundations, like a field be ploughed. Henceforth, ye shall not see Me, till ye say, 39 The Lord is Lord, we own his righteous sway." These woes Truth thundered into guilty ears, Then, at the close, Love melted into tears. He spake for the last time. How like a knell. In the doomed Temple, sounded His farewell. Events to come, so clearly were foreseen. They seemed as if they had already been, Or were transpiring now before His eyes. He saw the ruin in dread vision rise — Each several stone, reel in the tottering wall Of house and temple, making haste to fall ; Saw on the goodliest, a stain of guilt. The blood of innocence aforetime spilt. And therefore fated, branded and accursed, With leanings towards perdition from the first. With all beholding eyes, the wisdom saw 254 'T^E LIGHT OF THE WORLD. And the unchallenged justice of the law, Whereby each generation must and should Be heirs of previous evil and of good — Each sin committed, since the world began, Its curse entailing on the race of man — The error sown a thousand years ago, Yielding fresh harvests of unending woe. The causes of a nation's ruin may Have criminal beginnings far away : But oh ! the mounting horror of the time. When topples down the edifice of crime ! If founded on the weakness of a lie. Unstable were the pillars of the sky. Mark xii. 41 Weary He sat — just ready to withdraw — Over against the Treasury, and saw Rich men cast in their gifts. Among the rest 42 Came a poor widow, who threw in the chest Two mites which make a farthing. Jesus saith 43 To His disciples : " This poor widow hath Cast more into the Treasury, than such As of their superfluity gave much." ^^ Certain Greek proselytes, as He passed through l^^^ The Outer Court, desired an interview. ''^ GREEK PROSELYTES. 255 John xii. 23 With thoughts of His near death preoccupied, He said, " The hour, when must be glorified The Son of Man, is come. Till seed is thrown ^^ Into the ground and dies, it bides alone ; But, dying, bears much fruit. So when I die, I, like the corn, My life will multiply. Who loves his selfish life and keeps it sole, ^s Shall rot unsown, and perish as a whole. Who holds his temporal life, for my sake, cheap, He unto life eternal shall it keep. Would a man serve Me, let him follow Me, ^^ And where I am there shall My servant be. " My soul is troubled now. What shall I say ? ^7 ' O Father, save me from this hour ? But, nay ! On purpose, for this dreadful hour I came : Even so. Father glorify Thy name ! ' " ^^ A Voice from heaven said, '' Full oft have I It glorified, and it will glorify Again." Of people standing by, who heard, ^^ Some said, " It thundered." Others there averred, ''An angel spake to Him." "This word from Heaven3° Was not," He said, " for Mine but your sakes given. Now shall the world be judged. I will cast out 3^ The Prince of Evil, and his armies rout ; 2^6 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. The reign of Love I will inaugurate J^J^L Upon the ruins of the throne of Hate. And I, if I be lifted up, will draw, 32 By the magnetic force of love and law, All men to Me — the simple and the sage. Throughout the earth, and to the latest age." Matt. xxiv. 1-51 ; xxv. 1-46 ; Mark xiii. 1-37 ; Luke xxi. 5-36. He now the Temple left for the last time ; ^j^^^ Crossed the brook Kedron, and began to climb The Mount of Olives. The disciples' gaze Directed backwards, they, struck with amaze. Cried out : " See, Master, what great stones are here ! What splendid buildings, rising tier 'bove tier ! See those nine gates, all overlaid v/ith gold And silver, and that other one, behold, Of solid rich Corinthian brass ! Note Those blocks of marble, shaped in times remote. Twice sixteen cubits* long, ten cubits high ! Observe how rich and gorgeous to the eye The giant clusters of that golden vine. That round the golden doors and door-posts twine ! How beautiful, how holy to the sight. The topmost Naos f glittering and white — * Josephus, Ve Bell.Jud.^ V., 5. + The Sanctuary or Temple proper. DESTRUCTION OF THE CITY AND TEMPLE. 257 Seen from this height, beneath the sunset glow, ^'^^""^ XUl. How like a glorious mountain crowned with snow ! " And Jesus said : " As for these things ye see, ^ The day will come, in which there shall not be, From the foundation to the topmost stone. One left upon another not o'erth^-own/'* The summit reached, He sat upon the height — 3 Temple and City lay right opposite. All that had passed since morn to memory rose To solemnize the day's approaching close. Peter and James and John and Andrew came — Part of the Twelve — and speaking in their name, Besought, that He would tell them privately. When this would happen ; what the sign would be 4 Of His next Coming ; and, moreo'er, presage The end and consummation of the age. * Gibbon, in the seventy-first chapter of his History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, speaks of the Coliseum as " an edifice, which, had it been left to time and nature, might have claimed an eternal duration." He quotes the proverbial say- ing (reported by the venerable Bede as current in his time — he dying in the year 735): ''As long as the Coliseum stands, Rome shall stand ; when the Coliseum falls, Rome will fall ; when Rome falls, will fall the world." It is highly probable, that the disci- ples had entertained a like view of the Temple ; and when the Master predicted its ruin and the destruction of Jerusalem, they associated therewith a simultaneous de- struction of the world. Of this association there are intimations in Matthew ; but in Mark and Luke we have a simple reference to the destruction of the Temple and the City ; and the inquiry addressed to the Lord hcis sole reference to the time when this 17 258 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Mark xiii. 5 And Jesus answering began to say : '* Beware, lest any man lead you astray. Many impostors will assume my name, ^ Saying, ' I am the Christ,' and, by that claim, Deceiving many. When on every side, Ye hear of wars, be ye not terrified, ^ For these must be, but not yet is the end : should take place. A prurient and mistaken curiosity led them on this and other oc- casions to ask about things which did not concern them. Not satisfied with the information that the destruction would take place, they must know the exact time. Christ has been understood as saying that He did not know Himself. But strictly taken, this would seem to be an impossible sense. While ac- cepting His two-fold nature, divine and human, we do not believe in such a dichot- omy as would rob Him of a plenary divine consciousness and knowledge of all things. His ignorance, if ignorance it could be called, would be at best only a quasi ignorance, official or functional, not a real one. For Him to disclose matters which men had no right to know, and which the Father chose to keep in His own power — such as precise times and seasons — were impossible. If He knew them, it was not for us He knew them. He did not know them as the ordained Organ of Revelation. It may be laid down as a universal truth, that Revelation limits its disclosures to things needful for us to know. It comports not with its dignity to minister to an idle curi- osity. Prophecy is something more and something better than a vulgar fortune-tell- ing. Life is not fatalistic, but moral and free. Well-being is contingent on well- doing. The duty and need of watchfulness are based on the uncertainties of the future. Such a prediction of future events, therefore, as should leave no doubt in regard to the time and manner of their happening, would be fatal to moral freedom. By keeping steadily in mind the principles which govern in all such cases, not for- getting the limitation adverted to, which confines all disclosures to some gracious purpose of utility, we cannot fail to be helped in the right interpretation of these "prophecies of the Mount." Now, the destruction of Jerusalem did concern them who asked, and Christ therefore was tolerant toward their inquiry, so far as to give them information in regard to the signs which should precede and usher it in, in order that they might make provision for their safety. Even though we admit that their question had a larger scope. Our Lord in His reply would be sure, ignoring what was irrelevant or improper, to communicate only what was important for them to know ; and Mark and Luke, as before intimated, in omitting all reference to everything else, would seem to have regarded all that was special in the prophecy as having relation DESTRUCTION OF THE CITY AND TEMPLE. 259 Matt. xxiv.7 Nation shall rise 'gainst nation and contend ; Kingdom 'gainst kingdom. Scarcity of bread, Plagues following, great earthquakes, sights of dread. And signs in heaven, mark but th' initial throes* ^ And warning birthpangs of forthcoming woes. Then they '11 afflict you, and your life will take. 9 All nations will you hate for My name's sake. Many will stumble, and will fall away And hate will one another and betray. to the destruction of Jerusalem. That was a particular event, which they of that gen- eration might live to see. Some, not all. If in that event, there was a solemn and portentous Coming of the Son of Man affecting a whole people and nation ; there were other Comings, He would have them know, awful and imminent, in the case of every individual. The knife of judgment would cut between those standing nearest to each other — one would be taken and the other left. There would seem to be no need of limiting the number of His Comings. In one sense they are infinite. He is present in every event. To me and to all men as individuals, it may be said, however, that there are two special comings. First, in the proclamation of the Word, and, second, in death, when account must be rendered of its reception. Here, if we mistake not, is the key to that recurring refrain, Watch ! It would lessen the difficulties of interpretation immensely could we be content to be simple and not subtle. Surely, Christ's mission in the world was not and is not to destroy but save. His relation to the race has ever been that of a Saviour. It was so to the inhabitants of Jerusalem even amid the culminating horrors of the siege. For aught we know, He may have been so to some in fact down to the very last hour. In what respect in principle was His coming to destroy Jerusalem different from His coming to destroy anything else that was rotten, even a tree ? He is, to be sure, the Author of self-executing laws. It is true, that fire will burn. Let him, therefore, who would not be burned avoid the fire. The calamities which befell the Jews were se- quent as the links of a chain ; and were essentially self-inflicted and inevitable. Divine Pity wept over them in prospect, and interposed to shorten not prolong them. Sure am I, that let there be ten thousand hells, they are all of the sinner's own kindling. God is love. * The Greek word rendered "sorrows" in the Received Version, means primarily and specifically " the pangs or throes of labor," 26o THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Matt. xxiv. ir Many false prophets numbers will entice. Because of prevalent lawlessness and vice, '^ The love of many will wax cold. But he, ^3 Who to the end continues, saved shall be. The Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached '^ Among all nations,* witnessing to each. And then shall come the end I have foretold. " When ye then shall Jerusalem behold '5 Compassed with armies, ye may understand Its speedy desolation is at hand. Let them_, who in Judea then shall be. To the Perean mountainsf straightway flee. Let him, that 's on the housetop, not descend To take aught from the house, but his way wend, From roof to roof to the town wall, with speed. And thus escape, so urgent is the need. Neither let him, that 's in the field, turn back ^^ To take his clothes, for foes are on his track. Alas, for those, who in those days shall be ^9 With child, or who give suck, and cannot flee ! * More properly " all the Gentiles." So in verse 9, meaning the Gentiles generally, The " end," in the next line, refers, it is thought, to the end of the Jewish polity. + It is stated on the authority of Eusebius, that, warned by this prophecy, the Chris- tians fled from the city, some to Pella beyond the Jordan, and others to Mount Le- banon, and that not a single one perished in the siege. 16 17 NEED OF IMMEDIATE FLIGHT. 261 Matt, xxiv. 20 Pray your escape be not in winter, lest Cold storms and swollen streams your flight arrest. Nor on the Sabbath day, lest some through fear Delay immediate flight on grounds sincere. ''Then shall be tribulation, greater than ^i Was ever witnessed since the world began — Supreme, unequalled horrors will attend The City's siege, catastrophe and end ; So that, did mercy not curtail the date, ^^ No one would scarce survive the general fate. ''Should, in this season of distress and fear, ^3 One say, ' Behold, the Christ is here, or here,' Believe it not. For there shall then arise False Christs, and Prophets in pretentious guise, ^4 With signs and wonders fitted to mislead. Remember, I have warned you, so take heed. ^5 If they proclaim, ' He 's in the desert,' be ^^ Ye not deluded, go not forth to see. Or, ' He 's within shut doors,' believe it not — For, not unknown nor limited to one spot. Shall be the Coming of the Son of Man ; But sudden, swift — the instant lightning^^ can ^7 * Calvin interprets this as referring to the preaching of the Gospel by the Apostles. Whatever other fulfilments it may have, it has inevitably one at death — when there is an instantaneous transition and revelation to all mankind. 262 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Not equal it that flames across the sky — xx1v"— A dazzhng presence to the opened eye, Where is the carcass, there the eagles are : When time is ripe, fulfilments are not far. [They do not err, that make the firmament The theatre of each divine event ; And see the Godhead, on that heavenly stage Great epochs punctuate, or end the age ; Speak of His goings forth in glorious might, Although invisible to natural sight.] '' Immediately following those days ^9 Of tribulation, and supreme amaze. The sun and moon shall darkened* be, and all * Or as we would express it in occidental speech, there will follow days of darkness to individuals, and the whole Jewish people, unrelieved by a single ray of light from any quarter. " O dark, dark, dark, amid the blaze of noon, Irrevocably dark, total eclipse Without all hope of day ! " Their glory will have departed, and their polity have come to an end. They will be carried away captive, and scattered among the Gentiles ; and Jerusalem their pride and boast will be trodden down by profaning feet. Their ruin will be complete and overwhelming. In the conceptions of oriental poetry, this quenching of the light of the soul in the human microcosm ; this national wreck, utter and hopeless, are equiv- alent to the fall and blotting out of the great luminaries of the physical universe — the macrocosm. The same or similar imagery is employed in the foretelling of the de- struction of Babylon (Isaiah xiii. lo) ; also of Tyre (Isaiah xxiv. 23) ; again in describ- ing the slaughter of Bozrah and Idumea (Isaiah xxxiv. 4). END OF THE JEWISH POLITY. 263 Matt. XXIV. — Luke xxi. 24 The constellations, like ripe fruit, shall fall From out the shaken heavens — void to the eye The stellar glories of the Jewish sky. Then those, who to the sword fall not a prey. Into all nations shall be led away Captive ; and their demolished buried town, Jerusalem, shall thence be trodden down. Continuously, by hated Gentile feet. Until the time appointed be complete. '' Lo, everywhere upon the earth shall be ^s Distress of nations"^^" and perplexity — Seas and waves roaring — a heart-sickening dread ^^ Of something, yet more terrible, ahead. Then shall, o'er the horizon shining clear, ^7 The signals of the Son of Man appear. Many, convinced of sin and penitent,t Matt, xxiv. 30 * The perplexity, distress and misery of the time, so far as the Roman Empire is concerned, are powerfully portrayed by Tacitus in the commencement of his History, He speaks of " four emperors murdered ; three civil wars, many foreign, the greater number mixed ; both Gauls threatening a revolt ; Italy afflicted with new slaughters, repeated ; cities (Pompeii and Herculaneum) buried and swallowed up ; Rome partly laid in ashes, her most venerable temples consumed, the Capitol itself fired by the hands of citizens ; the sea filled with exiles," etc. He relates how " in Rome rank and riches and virtue were certain death ; how nothing was sacred, and nothing safe." His description of the prevailing corruption answers to that found in the first chapter of the Epistle of Paul to the Romans. + It is something, he trusts, akin to Christian instinct which leads the writer to re- ject the current interpretation, which makes the Juotirningh&VG. spoken of, other than 264 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Shall smite their breasts and lift a loud lament, xJ?v"^ Till, on the darkness of their nig-ht of grief, At once shall break the morning of belief, And they shall see Him with enraptured eyes In mighty pomp descending from the skies. But terrible the aspect of that face To those who mourn rejection of His grace. He shall send forth His messengers to sound 31 The Gospel trump wherever man is found ; And they shall gather from all lands and climes Th' elect of God down to the latest times. '' Behold the fig tree, when the leaves appear, 32 Ye know the Summer certainly is near — So, when ye see these things, then understand Fulfillment of My word is close at hand. This generation shall not pass away, 34 Till all shall happen even as I say. But of that day the knowledge is concealed, 36 The Father's secret, not to be revealed Ev'n by the Son— sole channel of His thought, The Speaking Word that tells but what He ought. repentance. Mourning- is the first sign of grace ; and, surely, there is nothing better adapted to awaken it than the believing vision of the Son of Man coming in the glory of His love and goodness to seek and save that which is lost. THE DUTY OF WATCHING. 265 '* Think it not strange, I frame ambiguous speech ; Take heed ! is the great lesson I would teach, x^v"- Concerning things that to the siege pertain, 'T is needful that I speak in language plain. But of My Future Coming, 't were not fit, That ye should know the day and hour of it. Enough to know, it is not far away ; That it may be to-morrow, or to-day. What if at death, the vision shall be given Of My Great Coming in the clouds of heaven ? So that ye watch, 't is of small consequence, If it be now, or twenty centuries hence. One thing is sure, whenever it shall be, ss This generation shall be there to see. " Take heed, lest that your hearts overburdened be With sordid cares and sensuality, ^^^^^ And that day come, when you are not aware — For it shall come on all men as a snare. 35 Watch ye and pray therefore ! Like as a man, J^f'3^^ Going abroad, drew out at length a plan, By which each servant had his task assigned. Putting in charge, of those he left behind, His house, he told the keeper of the gate 266 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. To watch for his return, and patient wait. ^^^f^^ Watch, therefore, seeing ye all knowledge lack, When will the Master of the house come back — At evening, midnight, crowing of the cock, Or morning — lest He, unexpected, knock 36 And find you sleeping. What to you I say, I say to all. Watch evermore, and pray ! " Ye know, that had the householder foreseen, ^•^"- ^ XXI V, A.'i, What time the coming of the thief had been. He would have watched, and with all patience too, And not allowed his house to be broke through. Who is that faithful and wise servant, whom 45 His Master has appointed in his room, While absent, o'er his household to preside, And in due season needful food provide ? Happy that servant, whom his lord shall find 46 Doing, at his return, the work assigned ! He, verily, will set him o'er the whole 47 Of his estate, and give him full control. But if that servant in his heart shall say : 48 ' My absent lord his coming doth delay,' And shall begin outrageously to beat 49 And vex his fellow-servants, and shall eat PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS. 267 Matt, xxiv. — And drink moreo'er with drunkards, suddenly, His lord shall come — at, too, an hour when he 50 Expects him not — and shall, Avith dreadful lash Asunder cut^ his flesh and deeply gash, 51 And him consign to dungeon glooms beneath. Where there are weeping eyes and gnashing teeth. " My Kingdom shall be likened in the end ^-^v- ^ Unto ten virgins, sent forth to attend The coming bridegroom on his lighted road, With song and music to the bride's abode. Taking their lamps, they went forth him to meet From the bride's house into the darkened street. But waited, meanwhile, in some dwelling near. Till the delayed procession should appear. And five were wise, providing against need : ^ And five were foolish, without thought or heed. Now while the bridegroom tarried, they all slept. 5 But, lest their lamps should fail, the wise oil kept 4 In flasks, outside their lamps, a full supply. Not so the foolish ones should theirs run dry. 3^ *" Shall dichotomize or cut in two." The meaning here cannot be the severing of the body either with a sword or saw (which was one mode of putting to death sometimes practiced) because he is spoken of as surviving the punishment. It is probable, there- fore, that It is a hyperbolical expression for scourging. 268 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A cry at midnight rose with noise of feet : ^^"^ ' Behold, the bridegroom ! Him come forth to meet !' Then they all rose and trimm'd their lamps. Dismay 'd, The foolish to the wise petition made : ^ ' Give of your oil, our lamps are going out.' ' Not so,' they said, ' we have not, beyond doubt, ^ Enough for both. Go ye to those who sell And buy !' While they were going, it befell ^° The bridegroom came ; and those, who ready were Went in where was the marriage to occur. And straight the door was shut. And, afterward, " The other virgins came, saying, ' Lord ! Lord ! « Open to jis.' But he replied, ' Too late — I know you not. I '11 not unclose the gate.' Watch without ceasing ! Ready be alway ! ^3 For ye know not the hour, nor know the day. " When in that glory comes the Son of Man, 31 Had with the Father ere the world began, And all the angels with Him, He shall then Sit on His throne of glory, judging m.en. All nations'^ shall before Him gathered be, 3^ *01hausen understands by the expression, "all nations," not all mankind, but all men with the exception of true believers, f/tai z's, all tmbelievers. True believers he claims, do not come into judgment at all ; but, at the resurrection of the just, enter at once into joy. In the present Parable, if parable it may be called, they constitute Christ's angelic retinue, or at least a part of it, and are referred to by Him as " My THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS. 269 Matt. XXV. — The good and bad alike promiscuously ; And He between them shall discriminate, And shall one from the other separate — As doth the shepherd from his sheep divide brethren." Stier, who adopts substantially the same view, censures the old interpre- tation, which assumes that the General Judgment is intended, as erroneous and false. It may be that the old interpretation needs revision, but it is impossible to accept that as the true one — which makes a few acts of hospitable kindness done to the Christian brotherhood, disjoined from repentance and faith, as sufficient for salvation— without subverting the whole scheme of Christian doctrine. It would be far easier to believe as some do, that, while it is admitted, the words "all nations," or as the Revised Version gives it, " all the nations," is the Jewish equivalent for " all the Gen- tiles," Our Lord intended under this judicial form or similitude to convey the solemn warning, that, according to the reception given to His Gospel about to be preached in all the world, and the treatment of His messengers (Himself being identi- fied with it and them) will men's fates be determined. It is inevitable that wherever Christ is preached men should take sides for or against Him. They pass to His right hand or His left. The division that takes place is a voluntary one, and according to character. It pertains to this life as much as to the next. All this is in perfect corres- pondence with His teachings elsewhere. At the first sending out of the Twelve, He said, " He that receiveth you receiveth Me, etc. * * * He that is not for Me is against Me. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, he shall in no wise lose his reward." And at His final sending out. He said, " Go, preach : whosoever believeth shall be saved, and whosoever believeth not shall be condemned." It would seem to matter little,whether this adjudication takes place, with the outward pomp and circumstances of a visible Coming at the End of the World, or invisibly and now. The motive of the above commentators, in their strange exposition, does not justify it. It springs no doubt from a desire to find some direct, explicit assurance that the virtuous heathen, who have never heard the Gospel, will nevertheless be saved. While no man has the right to say that they will not be, still it is true, that Scripture is silent upon that point. So in regard to the salvation of children dying in infancy, it is no- where said in so many words that they will be saved, but we take it for granted that they will be. "Are there few that be saved ?" is another example of that inquisitiveness which is unwilling to trust God any farther than He has given His word. " Will not the Judge of all the earth do right ?" Are we more righteous than He, or more loving ? To insist upon answers to questions merely speculative is impertinent and unseemly. The mediaeval view (which is likewise the prevailing modern one) was never more vividly realized than in the famous Judgment Hymn— Dz'es Irce—oi which the writer appends a Translation, one of the Thirteen which he published some years ago. 2/0 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. The goats — to set the sheep on His right side, J^^J^- The goats set on His left. Then shall the King, 34 Transporting words of glorious v/elcoming, Smiling to them on His right hand address : ' Ye blessed of My Father, come, possess The kingdom destined, all the ages through. From the foundation of the world, for you. For I was hungry and ye gave Me meat ; 35 Thirsty and gave Me drink ; lay in the street, A stranger, and, in kindness and good will, Received Me ; naked, and ye clothed Me ; ill, 36 In prison, and made haste to visit Me.' Then shall the righteous say : ' When, Lord, saw we 37 Thee hungry and Thee fed? With thirst opprest. And gave Thee drink ? A stranger, lodged thee ? Drest 38 Thee, naked ? Or, sick, and Thee went to see ? 39 Shut up in prison, and did visit Thee ?' The King shall answer from His Judgment Seat, '^^ With voice of love melodious and sweet : ' For that ye did it to the meanest one Of these. My brethren, it to Me was done.' Then He will say to those who trembling stand, ^i The guilty multitude on His left hand. SEPARATION OF THE JUST AND UNJUST. 271 ^ Depart, ye cursed, and abide the ire ^v!- Of the eternal, all-consuming fire ! For I was hungry, and ye would not feed ; 42 Was parched with thirst, and ye despised My need ; A stranger, and against Me shut the door ; 43 Was naked, and gave nothing of your store ; 111, and in prison, and came not to Me.' Then they will answer : ' When, Lord, saw we Thee 44 Hungry, athirst, a stranger, naked, ill. In prison, and were wanting in good will ?' Then He shall answer them with brow severe : 45 ' Since to the least of these. My brethren, here, Ye did it not, ye did it not to Me — Deaf to the pleading voice of charity.' '' These shall depart, to bide the lopping knife* 46 Of lasting sev'rance from the Tree of Life ; ♦The lexical meanings of the Greek K6?idcig=^o^aszs, rendered, "punishment," are a pruning^ or loppi^ig off^ applied to trees etc. Hence a checking, chas- tisejnent, correction, pu7tishment. It answers to the Latin, Castigatio (whence our English word, castigation) whose primary meaning, like the Greek word, is a pruning, then chastisement, correctio7i, punishment. Nearly all translators and expositors agree in assigning to it the meaning of punishment — a few only construing it in its primary sense of a " lopping ofi." Taking it even in this sense, it is a word of fearful import, for it could not mean less than an eternal separation and alienation from the life of God, like a branch severed from the vine and condemned to the flames. This has always appeared to the writer to be one of the strongest texts in the whole Bible in support of the doctrine of eternal punishment ; and he frankly admits, that he would like above all things, to find justification for a different rendering and a milder exegesis than the usual one. 272 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. While that the righteous, branches of a Tree ^f[ Whose roots strike deep into eternity, Shall flourish, fixed in that immortal sod, Full of the flowing sap and life of God." DIES IRJE.— Trans/atim. That Day ! that awful Day ! the Last ! Result and sum of all the Past : Great necessary Day of Doom, When wrecking fires shall all consume ! What dreadful shrieks the air shall rend. When all shall see the Judge descend, And hear th' Archangel's echoing shout From heavenly spaces ringing out ! The Trump of God, with quickening breath, Shall pierce the silent realms of death ; And sound the summons in each ear, Arise ! thy Maker calls : Appear ! From east to west, from south to north, The earth shall travail and bring forth — As desert's sands, and ocean's waves. Shall be the sum of empty graves. DIES IR^.— TRANSLATION. Th' unchanging Record of the Past Shall then be read from first to last, And, out ot things therein contained. Shall all be judged, and fates ordained. No lying tongue, that truth distorts. Shall witness in that Court of Courts : Each secret thing shall be revealed. And every righteous sentence sealed. Ah ! who can stand when He appears ? Confront the guilt of sinful years ? What hope for me, a wretch depraved, When scarce the righteous man is saved ? Dread Monarch of the Earth and Heaven ! For that salvation 's great, 't is given ; And, since the boon is wholly free, O Fount of Pity, save Thou me ! Remember, Jesus, how my case Once moved Thy pity and Thy grace, And brought Thee down on earth to stay ; O lose me not then on that Day ! V^ i8 274 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. I seek Thee, who didst seek me first, Weary and hungry and athirst. Didst pay my ransom on the tree — Let not such labor frustrate be ! Just Judge of vengeance in the end ! Now in the accepted time befriend : My sins, O graciously remit. Ere Thou judicially shalt sit ! Low at Thy feet I groaning lie : With blushing cheek, and weeping eye. And stammering lips, I urge the prayer, O spare me, God of mercy, spare ! When Mary Thy forgiveness sought, Wept, but articulated naught, Thou didst forgive ; didst hear the brief Petition of the dying thief. On grace thus great my hope is built, That Thou wilt cancel too my guilt ; That, though my prayers are worthless breath, Thou wilt deliver me from death. DIES IR^.— TRANSLATION. When Thy dividing rod of might Appointeth stations opposite, Among Thy sheep grant me to stand, Far from the goats, at Thy right hand. And when despair shall seize each heart, That hears the dreadful sound, ' Depart !' Be mine, the heavenly lot of some. To hear that word of welcome, ' Come ! I come to Thee with trembling trust, And lay my forehead in the dust : In my last hour do Thou befriend, And not forsake me in my end. 275 2/6 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. XXI. THE LAST SUPPER.— FAREWELL WORDS. Matt. xxvi. 1-29 ; Mark xiv, 1-25 ; Luke xxii. 1-20 ; John xii. 2— xiii. 35. I Matt. xxvi. 2 N deepest silence the disciples heard, And treasured in their hearts each solemn word. " After two days the Feast is," Jesus said Of the Passover and Unleavened Bread, What time the Son of Man, betrayed and tried, Will be condemned to death and crucified." E'en then, conspiring and consulting sat 3 Chief priests and scribes and elders, gathered at The house of Caiaphas, how Him to take By craft, and kill. They, fearing an outbreak 4- Among the people, said, it were not best s During the Feast, Him openly t' arrest. Being in Bethany, at the abode ^ Of Simon, long a leper, they bestowed A loyal welcome, and a supper made, John xii. 2 MARY'S PERPETUAL MEMORIAL. 277 In boundless gratitude for healing aid. • /i^^l And Martha served ; and Lazarus was there ; And Mary, anxious to perform her share, 3 Taking a pound of spikenard, rare and sweet, She poured it out upon His head and feet, Then wiped them with her hair — the rich perfume Spread through the house, pervading every room. Some there, who knew how much the ointment cost,^'" ^ Thought it a pity so much should be lost ; And Judas, mqst of all, made virtuous haste To speak his disapproval of the waste : '' Why vainly throw away what would procure s Three hundred pence to feed the starving poor?" This said he, caring not for them a whit, ^ But as he bore the purse could steal from it Then Jesus said : " Let her alone ! for she 7 Has wrought a good, and pious work on Me : Behold, the poor ye have with you alway, ^ But Me not alway ! She forestalls the day ^yi'^^ Of My embalmment for My burial, Now just at hand. In all the world where shall ^3 Be preached My Gospel, this shall, I aver. Be told for a memorial of her." * The probable cost has been estimated as high as three hundred dollars, faking- into account the difference in the value of silver now and then — actual value about fifty. 2^% THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Theif Judas — he, surnamed Iscariot — x^v1"i+ Went forthwith to the chief priests, saying, '' What 's Will ye me give, if I will Him betray ?" They bargained thirty shekels* him to pay. Taking the silver, with despatch malign, ^^ He sought to execute his fell design. Now on the first day of Unleavened Bfead, ^^ When must the Paschal victim's blood be shed, Came His disciples to Him, saying, '' Where Wilt Thou that we for Thee the meal prepare To eat the Passover T He said to John And Peter, " Go ye into the City, one Bearing a jar of water, will meet you ; Him follow ; where he enters enter too. And to the householder in My name say : ' Where is the guest-chamber, where the Master may With His disciples the Passover eat ?' And he will show you, furnished and complete, A spacious upper room.'' All as He said They found, and the Passover ready made. '3 Evening now come, which was He knew His last,'^ * Equal to eighteen dollars, the legal value of a slave if killed by a beast. See Zech. xi. 12. i8 Luke xxii. ir THE PASSOVER MEAL. 2/9 He sat down with the Twelve to the repast, ^ii — And said : " Much have I longed to eat with you v= This Passover before I suffer. True It is, that I will eat it ne'er again, ^^ Till in God's Kingdom I its ends attain, And all is finished." He took liquid food, ^7 Consisting of the crushed grapes' living blood Pressed in the cup, and, giving thanks, said, " Take, And of it 'mong yourselves division make !" Strife about seats at table previously, ^^ Renewed debate, which one should greatest be. Though they had bathed, their walk since through the streets, Had, unavoidably, defiled their feet. Ji-I"!! Being too proud, 't would seem, to have it known They 'd stooped to wash their Master's or their own, In disregard of decency, they crouch. And soil with dirty feet their Saviour's couch. But He, the sinner's Advocate and Friend, ^ Loving His own, still loved them to the end. And though He knew Himself omnipotent, 3 That He came forth from God and to God went, He rose from supper, stripping,* left the board, -^ * The "stripping" would relate to the upper garments, probably the mantle only. 28o THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. And, with a towel, girt Himself, and poured ^^?^^ Water into a basin, and began To wash the feet of His disciples, man By man ; then, afterwards, to wipe them dry With the same towel which He was girded by Coming to Peter he objection made : ^ " Lord ! washest Thou my feet?" The Master said: *' What I am doing thou dost know not now, ^ But thou shalt know hereafter." He said : " Thou Shalt never wash my feet." " I must wash thee, ^ For, otherwise, thou hast no part with Me." And Simon Peter answering then said : 9 " Lord ! not my feet only, but hands and head." " He that is bathed has need to do no more ^"^ Than wash his feet, for then he 's clean all o'er. And ye are clean, but not all." This He said. Knowing by whom Himself would be betrayed. " So after He had washed their feet, and ta'en '- His garments, and at table lay again, He said : " Know ye what I have done to you ? Ye call Me Lord and Master, and speak true, '3 For so 1 am. If I do not disdain '"'< To wash your feet, to leave example plain, ^5 Ye ought not, when occasion shall arise. WASHES THE DISCIPLES' FEET. 28 1 Refuse to wash each other's feet, likewise. ^?.^" The slave s not greater than his master, nor ^^ Is the apostle or ambassador Greater than he who sends him. Happy you, ^7 Who know these things, provided ye them do. '' I speak not of you all : I know whom I ^s Have chosen, and him, who will verify That Scripture, ' He that eateth bread with me, His heel hath lifted 'gainst me treacherously.' I tell you of this treachery before, 19 That ye, unstaggered, may beheve the more." He sadly spake again : " In truth I say, 20 The traitor 's present, that shall Me betray. "^ The Son of Man goes as of Him 't was said, But woe to him by whom He is betrayed." They, struck with horror, on each other gaze, And one by one cry out in wild amaze : '' Lord is it I ?" And Peter beckoned John, =^3 Leaning his Master's loving bosom on. To ask, " Who is it Lord ?" And He said, '' See ^4 To whom I give this morsel dipped, 't is he." ^^ And having dipped the morsel, He it passed ^^ To Judas, who had faltered out at last. 282 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. " Lord is it I ?" To which He answered, '' Yea ! ^^f^^ So what thou doest, do without delay." John understood and Peter, all beside ""^ Thought He had bid him for the feast provide. ^9 After the morsel had to him been given, 30 Satan him entered, and, by fury driven. He instantly went out, and it was night — The Paschal moon had risen full and bright. When he was gone — though Jesas knew full well, 31 It was to consummate his purpose fell — He said, forestalling triumph — though foreseen Th' unutterable agonies that lay between — " The Son of Man 's now glorified and glad And God is glorified in Him. Ye 're sad With sad forebodings. Little children, I 33 A little while am with you. By and by, Ye 11 seek Me and not find Me. Where I go Ye cannot follow while ye live below. I give the breadth of My commandment new, 34 ' Ye one another love as I Ve loved you ' — To all men your discipleship ye prove, 35 By mutual helpfulness and mutual love." And Peter said : '' Lord, whither goest Thou ?" 36 " Whither I go, ye cannot follow now," PROTESTINGS OF PETER AT SUPPER. 283 (Was still the Lord's ambiguous reply) ^■9>"_ '' But thou shalt follow afterwards." " But why 37 Cannot I follow now ? I will for Thee Lay down my life." Then Jesus said : " All ye ^^i^\ Shall stumbled be this night because of Me. For 't is written, ' The Shepherd I will smite, And all the sheep will safety seek in flight.' But when I 'm risen, I will go before 32 You into Galilee." Then spake once more 33 Peter : " Though all disown, yet will not L" " Before-cock crowing thou 'It Me thrice deny. 34 Ah ! Simon, Simon, Satan would thee gain, xxi?^i And toss and sift thee, as men winnow grain, But I have prayed for thee, and answer got, 32 That though thou fall, yet shall thy faith fail not. And when thou art converted, made more meek, Strengthen thy brethren, who like thee are weak." With greater vehemence did he protest, x^l^ss He would not Him deny ; so all the rest. Then taking bread, and giving thanks, He brake And gave to His disciples, saying, " Take, ^y^^^^ Eat, this My body is, that 's broke for you, This in commemoration of Me do." 284 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Luke xxii. 20 I Cor. xi. 23 Matt, xxvi. 29 He took the cup, and blessed it to their use, Filled with the living, uncorrupted juice* Of the crushed cluster, ' inoffensive must ' — f A thing unleavened, worthy of all trust — And, as He gave to them the purple food. Said : " Drink ye all of it ; this is My blood Of the New Covenant for many shed ; Remember me in this, as in the bread. I ' 11 drink no more the product of the vine. Till in God's Kingdom I shall drink new wine.:]: John xiv. 1-37 : xv. 1-33— xvii. 1-26 •' Be ye not troubled in undue degree. Belief in God demands belief in Me. My Father's house has mansions manifold ; ^ If 't were not so, I would you it have told. I go for each a dwelling to prepare — A house not made with hands, divinely fair, A body like my own.|| If I you leave, 3 *To symbolize a body that " did not see corruption." t " For drink, the grape she crushes, inoffensive must."— Paradise Lost, v. 344. See Gen. xi. 9-11. X See the Evangel, p. 233, note. II Before any one rejects this interpretation as fanciful and unauthorized, let him, if he will, consider whether it does not suit the context ; and whether it does not har- monize with other Scripture. Christ promised His disciples, that, having gone and prepared a place for them, He would come again and receive them to Himself, that John xiv. I MANY MANSIONS. 285 I will return, and to Myself receive, J^J^l That where I am, there ye may be also. Ye know the whither and the way I go." * Said Thomas : " Lord, not knowing what Thou know'st, 5 We neither know the way nor place Thou go'st.' He said : " I am the True and Living Way — ^ Who goes by other roads, he goes astray. Comes no one to the Father but by Me— Sole means of access, gloriously free. Had ye known Me, ye would, in fact, have known 7 My Father too, revealed in Me alone. Henceforth, ye know ye know Him, and have seen." Said Philip : " Lord, without a veil between, ^ Show us the Father, and 't will us suffice ; We fain would have the witness of ovir eyes.' they might be with Him. Did He come ? If so, when ? If He came to them at death, He came — according- to Philippians iii. 21 — clothed with omnipotence to fashion them a body like unto His own glorious body. Manifestly, it were not a full salvation, " without the redemption of the body.' " The house we live in " below, is the body of flesh, wonderful beyond everything we know. And we can conceive of no "man- sion" that our ascended Lord could prepare for us even in heaven so desirable, as an immortal body suited to the needs of the immortal spirit. We feel quite sure that there is no substitute for it in the whole universe. Another thought. The Lord's Supper, just instituted, symbolizes divine assimila- tions. By a believing apprehension and appropriation of Christ we are changed into the same image. He is our aliment. Our springs of life are in Him. Through Him " The inner man is renewed day by day." May we not assume, that there is some reference here to jthe spiritual body, which is essential to the completeness of our per- sonality as the sons of God? 286 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. " Have I with you so long time, Philip, been, /j°^" And dost thou not Me know ? Who hath Me seen, Hath seen the Father— immanent is He, ^° Speaking and working evermore in Me. " He that believes on Me, the works I do ^^ He shall do also, yea, and greater too. Because I go unto the Father, I Enabling might will give you from on high. Under Truth's banners everywhere unfurled, To conquer nations and convert the world. Then all ye ask in My name shall be done — '4 The Father thus be honored in the Son. " If ye love Me, ye ' 11 My commandments keep, 's And out of darkness, light shall upward leap ; And I will pray the Father you to send '^ Another Helper, Advocate and Friend, That He may be with you forever, even The Spirit of Truth, supremest Gift of Heaven. '7 " I will not leave you orphans without home. Bereaved and desolate, but to you come : My Father will you love, and come as well. And We will both together with you dwell. These things I ' ve spoken to you while I 'm here : But He, the Comforter, your hearts will cheer — iS CLOSING BENEDICTION. 28/ The Holy Spirit, whom the Father will ^^^'^"g Send in My name, His office to fulfill — To teach you, and to your remembrance bring Of all I ' ve said to you, each needful thing. And now, Farewell ! receive My fond adieu ! Peace I leave with you ; My peace give to you. =7 Not as the world I give, words lightly spoke, But peace immortal on your heads invoke. Let not your heart be troubled or dismayed, I go away, but not to stay I said. Ye should be glad I to My Father go, ^« For He is greater than I am below. " I am the Vine, the heavenly and the true : My Father is the Husbandman, and you The branches are. Each barren branch in Me He lops off, and each branch that 's fruitful, He, By pruning, cleanses, so that it may bear More fruit. Clean through My spoken word ye are. Abide in Me, and I '11 in you abide. For as the branch cannot its life divide From the main vine, and of itself bear fruit, Neither can ye, apart from Me, the Root, Do anything. He who is joined to Me, And shares My life, bears fruit abundantly. John XV. I 288 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. The branch that has that vital oneness lost, j[°^^ Lopped from the Vine, into the fire is tost. Ye by much fruit the Father glorify, s And My disciples prove yourselves thereby. " E'en as the Father has loved Me, I you 9 Have loved, although no love whatever was due. Would ye not alienate this love immense, ^° Abide in love and in obedience. I have addressed to you these counsels plain, " That so My joy in you may aye remain, And that your joy in love may be complete — Fraternal loves and fellowships are sweet. ^^ No one a greater love than this can show, To lay down life to save a friend or foe. * * -jf * * '' I tell you truly, it is for your good That I depart — the Paraclete else would Not come to you, But if I go away, 1 11 send you Him to dwell with yon and stay. And when He comes, your Heavenly Helper, He Will mouth and wisdom and conviction be — Convince the world of Sin— of sins the chief, Th' unpardonable sin of unbelief: Of Righteousness — of which to meet the need, XVI. 7 PROMISE OF THE COMFORTER. 289 My finished work 1 11 'fore My Father plead : J^l^"_ Of Judgment — for earth's prince is judged — his reign " O'er souls redeemed destroyed, and broke his chain. '' I ' ve many things to say to you, but ye ^^ Cannot at present bear them. But when He, ^3 The Spirit of Truth, is come, He will you lead Into all truth ; for His word will proceed. Not from Himself alone, from Me apart, But be th ' unspoken utterance of My heart. He will Me glorify, for He will take ^+ Of Mine, and will full revelation make Of all I said to you while with you here, Authenticate, complete, and make all clear ; And He to you will things to come make known — 's Divine disclosures of the Eternal Throne." Come, Holy Spirit, be my Guest ! Prepare a welcome in my breast ! Unbar the portals, swing them wide. Enter, My Maker, and abide ! Come in, there evermore to stay 1 Nor let my sins drive Thee awayl 19 290 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Alas for me, should I Thee grieve, And Thou, offended, shouldst me leave. Alike, Thou dwellest in the height. And hearts made humble and contrite : Open my eyes myself to see, And clothe me with humility I Sweet Comforter ! Eternal Friend ! Be my companion to the end : And work in me to will and do, Whate'er is pleasing, good and true. Take of the things of Christ, and show What it concerns me most to know, And make me victor over sin. That I on earth may heaven begin ! * ^ w -;r * *^ A woman has in travail sorrow, yet ^^^i^" A mother's joy makes her her pangs forget. And so ye now, because I leave you, mourn, ^ But when ye see Me from the grave reborn, Ye shall rejoice, and no one shall deprive INTERCESSORY PRAYER. 2QI You of your joy, at sio^ht of Me alive. John ^ xvi. 23 Then all your doubts and questionings shall cease, And ye 11 enjoy a calm believing peace. And what ye ask the Father, in My name, He will be sure to freely give the same. Ye have asked naught in My name hitherto. ^4 Ask, and He '11 pour His fullness out to you. •X- * -X- -Jf 4j I speak thus, that in Me ye may have peace : 33 Though in the world, your conflict shall ne'er cease. Be of good cheer, I 've overcome, and ye, Likewise, shall overcome the world through Me." Having tjius spoke, He lifted up His eyes, And prayed and interceded in this wise : " Father ! the hour is come for Me to die. Foreseen through all the ages. Glorify Thy Son in His humiliation, when For the redemption of the sons of men, Thou mak'st His soul an offering for sin. To everlasting righteousness bring in, That so the Son may glorify Thee too, To whom the honor and the praise are due Being endowed by Thee with power afresh. XV U. I 2^2 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Right and authority, high o'er all flesh, xi?L — To give to them, whom Thou to Him hast given. Eternal life and happiness in heaven. ** Now this is life eternal, Thee to know, 3 And Jesus Christ, Thy Messenger below. I have Thee glorified here from My birth, "^ And finished have Thy work upon the earth. Now, with that glory glorify Thou Me, 5 I had with Thee from all eternity ! As I depart, and to Thy bosom go, I pray for these bereaved ones left below. 9 " O Holy Father ! keep them in Thy name ! " May they be one, as we are ! Save from blame ! And by Thy Truth them wholly sanctify — '7 Thy Word is truth, unmingled with a lie. As Thou sent'st Me into the world, I send '^ Them, My Apostles, forth to the world's end. Nor for these only is My prayer preferred, ^° But for those also, who shall through their word Believe on Me, that so they all may be ^' In Us, as Thou in Me, and I in Thee. Father ! I will, that all Thou Me hast given, ^^ May with Me be, when throned with Thee in heaven, THEY SUNG A HYMN. That forasmuch, as they My likeness bear, I in them being, they may with Me share The love, wherewith Thou lovedst Me before The world's foundations, since and evermore." 293 HYMN. Ever, My Lord, with Thee, Ever with Thee ! Through all eternity Thy face to see ! I count this heaven, to be Ever, my Lord, with Thee, Ever with Thee ! Fair is Jerusalem, All of pure gold. Garnished with many a gem Of worth untold : I only ask, to be Ever, My Lord, with Thee, Ever with Thee ! 294 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. River of Life there flows As crystal clear ; The Tree of Life there grows For healing near : But this crowns all, to be Ever, my Lord, with Thee, Ever with Thee ! No curse is there, no night, No grief, no fear ; Thy smile fills heaven with light, Dries every tear : What rapture, there to be Ever, my Lord, with Thee, Ever with Thee ! GETHSEMANE. 295 XXII. BETRAYAL, TRIAL, AND SENTENCE. Matt. xxvi. 30-68; Mark xiv. 26-65; Luke xxii. 39-71; John xviii. 1-24. ^r^HEY, having sung a Hymn, went out. And soon J- Under the light of the Passover moon— xx\^i"3o Leaving the City by the eastern gate, Not closed throughout the Feast, however late — Passed the brook Kedron to (where used to be) A quiet Garden, called Gethsemane, 36 Upon the wooded slope of Olivet, Where He had oft with His disciples met, xviir2 Well known to Judas. He, addressing all ^^^^^^ Of His disciples, said : '' Pray, that ye fall Not through temptation ! " Going farther on, And taking with Him Peter, James and John, xfvflj He to the others said : " Sit here, while I Pray yonder." Then 'gan a strange agony. 38 Struck with amaze, He said, with gasping breath, " My soul is compassed with the pangs of death. Stay here, and watch ! " Proceeding a short space, 39 296 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A stone's throw further, He fell on His face, x^vf- And prayed : " Father, if it be possible, Let this cup pass from Me ! but, if not, well : Not what I will, but what Thou wilt be done — Obedient unto death will be Thy Son." Then He returned, and finding them asleep, 40 He said to Peter : " Simon, couldst thou keep Not watch with Me one hour? Watch ye and pray, ^^ Lest your frail hearts your tempted feet betray : Strength to resist temptation humbly seek, The spirit 's willing but the flesh is weak." ITe went away the second time. Again, ^^>;^ He, in an agony of grief and pain. Prayed yet more earnestly ; and, lo, His sweat Was like great drops of blood, that, falling, wet Th' astonished ground. As on the shuddering air His pallid lips flung out the bitter prayer. Appeared to Him a messenger from heaven ; And to His fainting heart fresh strength was given. Matt. .XXV.42 Then going back once more, again He found The three all fast asleep upon the ground, For that their eyes were heavy. He withdrew, « And uttered the same doleful words anew : THE KISS OF BETRAYAL. 297 *' Father ! if this unutterable cup x^v.^44 May not pass from Me, I will drink it up : Though red and full of mixture, drugged with pain, I to the dregs will expiation drain. I draw not back. Fulfilled be in the Son ! I mean to finish what I have begun. He rose and His disciples now addressed : ^^ '' Ye need not watch. Sleep on and take your rest — Vigils are useless. Not your drowsy eyes Can more avail to guard against surprise. The hour is come, and cannot be delayed. The Son of Man, already, is betrayed Into the hands of sinners. Let us go ! ^6 I am prepared to meet th' approaching foe." While He yet spake, was seen a numerous band 47 With lanterns, swords, and staves, now close at hand. From the chief priests and scribes and elders sent. Guided by Judas, who before them went, Having a sign them given, saying : " See ^^ Whom I shall kiss. Him seize ; the same is He." As he draws near Him, he, advancing, saith : '♦^ " Hail Master !" and Him kisses with vile breath. And Jesus says, " Friend ! Judas ! how is this ? so The Son of Man betray 'st thou with a kiss ?" xu"48 298 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. He, knowing all things that before Him lay — ^J.'j'Jl" All signs of His late struggle passed away — Steps calmly forth. Exposed to view He stands — The God-like One — and with firm voice demands, " Whom seek ye?" They give faltering reply : 5 '' Jesus of Nazareth." He answers, *' I Am He." They, struck with awe profound, ^ Go backward, and in heaps fall to the ground. Recovered soon, and risen to their feet. Again He asks : '' Whom seek ye ?" They repeat : 7 '' Jesus of Nazareth." '' I said, I 'm He. « Therefore, if Me ye seek, let these^ go free." Matt. xxvi. 50 Him, having seized, they bound fast with a cord. Impetuous Peter drew at once a sword, 51 And smote the high priest's servant standing near, And, as it happened, cut off his right ear. Then Jesus said to him : "■ Put up thy sword ! ^~ Back to its scabbard let it be restored ! Who takes shall perish by it. Thinkest thou, 53 I cannot pray unto My Father now. And He will of His angels forthwith send More than twelve legions Me here to defend ? * How touching, this mindfulness of His disciples ! THE ARREST. 299 Matt. But how should then (if I My rescue willed) ^^,.j .^ Th' imperatives of Scripture be fulfilled, That say, it must thus be ? Back shall I shrink, Jf^^,, And not the cup My Father gives Me drink?" And Jesus touched the wounded ear, and said : J;:^^^^ ** Suffer thus far !" and restoration made. Then to the chief priests and the elders — who 52 Had joined the forces of the Temple to The Roman cohort, to remove all doubt About th' arrest — He said : " Are ye come out, As 'gainst a robber, with a dread array Of swords and clubs ? I, teaching, day by day, 53 Sat in the Temple. This, your hour of might, And domination of the powers of night, Is a permitted triumph, to fulfil The Scriptures that declare Jehovah's will." ^J^f ^^^ Then all th' Eleven Him forsook and fled. They, to the high priest's house, their captive led, Where all the chief priests, scribes and elders were Assembled, in night session, to confer. By what pretence of crime 'gainst Cassar, they His death could compass on the coming day — Resolved, that innocence should be no bar. 57 300 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Peter and John had followed Him afar. xvm."- Admittance unto John was not denied, He being known, but Peter stood outside : ^^ Wherefore, John spake to her who kept the port, And brought in Peter to the inner Court, Where all rooms opened. Looking through a door, He could see Jesus. As he sat before ^^^^^ The fire, among the servants, being cold, A maid of the high priest, him eyeing, told ^^ Him threat'ningly : " Thou, also, wast with this ^7 Jesus of Nazareth." He said : " I wis ^^ Not what thou sayest." And the cock then crew. Later, another maid him charged anew, ^ Saying, " This is one of them.** He denied, x^vf^ A second time, and with an oath beside, Declaring, '' I know not the man." About An hour from this, one said : " Thou art, no doubt, 73 Of Galilee, and one of them ; beside I saw thee in the Garden." He denied. The third time, and began to curse and swear : '' I know Him not, and do not for Him care." While he was speaking, the cock crew again, And the Lord turned, and looked on Peter. Then ^^^^ He called to mind His words : " Ere twice MIDNIGHT SESSION OF THE SANHEDRIM. 301 The cock shall crow, thou wilt deny Me thrice." And, as he thought thereon, his breast, storm swept. Heaved like a sea, and he went forth and wept. 'T WAS after midnight, when they reached the gate. While Love kept drowsy watch, unsleeping Hate Unbroken vigils kept. No eye was dim Of those dark plotters of the Sanhedrim, Informally convened — a hostile part, All of one mind, without a wavering heart — Sentence of death intending to report. When should, at daybreak, meet the entire Court. The high priest Caiaphas, in turbaned pride. Sat in the middle, and, on either side The other judges in a semicirque, Impatient to complete* their bloody work. So well begun. It was a welcoape sight, Jesus, their dread, a prisoner that night. Composed and calm. He stood before them then, The Judge of judges, to be judged of men. They could not help but feel a guilty shame, And half allow the justice of His claim, As, unabashed, He scanned each scowling face, And showed of terror not the slightest trace. 302 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. E'en the high priest, a haughty Sadducee, Was forced to own the power of purity. But the trained worldhng his misgivings masked, And, with imperious looks, Him fiercely asked xvu?" Concerning His disciples, and His claims, The nature of His doctrine, and His aims. And what it meant. His publishing abroad Th' immediate Coming of the Reign of God, Calling Himself the Son of Man, and so Hailed as Messiah a few days ago. Jesus him answered : " I spake, day by day, ~° Openly to the world. I taught alway In public places where the Jews resort, Temple and Synagogue. Let them report ^^ Who heard Me what I said. In secret I Have spoken nothing." And one standing by ^^ Him forthwith striilk upon the mouth, and said, '' Answerest Thou the high priest so?" He made ^3 Mild answer : " If T 've spoken what 's untrue. Bear witness to th' untruth — this thou may'st do — But if I 've nothing said but what is right, Why dost thou Me thus violently smite ? " Left in the keeping of the Temple guard — ^^^^^ Fieret'te^^^^ bigots, pitiless and hard — BEFORE THE SANHEDRIM. 303 With fist, with open hand, with stick and rod, ^^^^^e They cuffed and smote the patient Son of God. Buffet and blow fell on that sacred head ; And, while blindfolded, '' Prophesy " (they said, ^ In brutal mockery and cruel sport) " Who struck Thee then." Provoked to no retort, He gave His back to the fierce smiters there ; ^^j^'J^ His cheek to them that plucked off the hair ; From shame and spittle did not hide His face ; But meekly bore all outrage and disgrace. As soon as it was day, they Jesus brought ^^^^^^ Into the Council, and false witness sought ^J^J" To bring against Him to put Him to death. But they found none. In spite of venal breath, 56 And subornation of foul perjury, In no case did two witnesses agi;ee. When two false witnesses, at last, arose, 57 They differed still, when called on to depose, 58 Concerning words which they heard Him employ — Declaring, as one said, ^' I ca/i destroy This Temple " ; saying, th' other witness swore, ** I wi// destroy this Temple, and restore It without hands within three days complete." 304 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Again they suffered failure and defeat. ^^f""^ Something was wanting to make out a case, 59 More than this proof, discordant on its face. So the high priest, upstarting from his couch, ^° Said, angrily : " What is it these avouch And charge against Thee ? Answerest Thou naught ? " But Jesus held His peace. To fury wrought, He said, '' I, by the Living God, adjure ^^^^^^\, Thee under oath, to tell us, and assure, Whether Thou be the Christ, God's Son or no? " And Jesus thus adjured, said : " I am so. ^+ Hereafter, ye shall see the Son of Man, Sitting on the right hand of Power, and scan His dreadful coming in the clouds of heaven. With well-feigned horror, and with vestments riven, ^5 The high priest said : " What further need have we Of witnesses ? We Ve heard His blasphemy. What think ye ? " And all gave it as their sense, ^^ He 's guilty of a capital offence. Not having power to put to death. Him they xvfn."s Led bound, and under a strong guard, away To the Pretorium. To enter it Would be defilement, and make them unfit JESUS IS BROUGHT BEFORE PILATE. 305 To eat the Passover — so stayed outside. xvHi"— An early audience was not denied. • 29 Pilate, the procurator, going out, Began to ask th' authorities about The man's offence. They gruffly said : *' If He 30 Were not a malefactor, why should we Deliver Him to thee ? " He, when he saw They quibbled, said: ''Take, judge Him by your law ! " 3^ They said : " He under it death meriteth. But we 've no right to put a man to death" — The words of Jesus thus to verify, 3^ Telling what kind of death He was to die.* Luke xxiii. 2 They charged Him then with criminal intent To overturn the Roman Government ; Sowing sedition ; leading minds astray ; Bidding the people not to tribute pay To Caesar, claiming that Himself was King, 3 Their Christ, who would deliverance them bring. Pilate withdrew into the Judgment Hall, xMi^s And Jesus there, obedient to his call, Was brought, that he might question Him, apart * Crucifixion was a Roman punishment. 20 3o6 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. From His accusers. " So," he said ; '' Thou art xvHi! - King of the Jews?" He answered : " In good faith,34 Is this what thou say'st ? or another saith ? " '' Am I a Jew ? " replied he, scornfully, 3s '' The chief priests have delivered Thee to me. What hast Thou done?" Spake the Supreme of Men : ^6 " My Kingdom is not of this world, for then I armed adherents* aid would not refuse, To save Me from the vengeance of the Jews. But now My Kingdom 's not an earthly thing." '' Thou art then," Pilate said, '' in fact a King? " 37 " Thou speakest truly — King, in fact and name — I to this end was born, I for this came Into the world, to reign and witness here Unto the Truth. All to My voice give ear Who 're of the Truth. My loyal subjects they, Who hear the Truth, and hearing it obey." *' But what is Truth ?— Philosophy's despair." 3^ Tossing the question on th' unanswering air, Pilate went out again, and said : '' I find 39 No fault in Him." They then, with desperate • J Mark mmd, XV. 3 PILATE SENDS HIM TO HEROD. ' 307 Charged Him with many things. When He said naught— ' i^"*^ But as a lamb, that 's to the slaughter brought ; A sheep, that 's dumb before her shearers, so Not opening His mouth, in patient woe — Knowing the uselessness of all defense, Pilate much marvelled at His reticence. 5 When he persisted in affirming still, *' I find no fault in Him" — more fierce to kill, They sought to brand Him as a dangerous pest, Exciting insurrection without rest. Teaching throughout all Jewry, the whole space From Galilee, they said, unto this place. No sooner mention did they Galilee, Than Pilate caught at it, and asked, if He A Galilean was ? And, when he found, It Herod's jurisdiction was and ground To which He properly belonged, he sent Jesus to Herod, who, by accident, Was also at Jerusalem just then — Come to attend the Passover. And when He Jesus saw, he was exceeding glad ; Because, for a long season, he had had Luke xxiii. 4 Luke X-xiii. — ^Qg THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A great desire to see Him, having heard Of many things accomplished by His word, And hoped to see some miracle now wrought. In vain he questioned Him, He answered naught. 9 The chief priests and the scribes, with might and main, ''^ Renewed, and pressed their calumnies again. But Herod, too astute to be betrayed Into th' acceptance of their wild tirade — Knowing that what they vehemently averred Was mostly false, malicious and absurd ; Himself acquainted with Him, by report, And marvellings of men of his own court f Not fearing Him, as dangerous to the State, But well advised His following was great ; Taught by experience, in the case of John Whom he beheaded, there were risks to run- Though flattered by the compHment him paid, Whereby with Pilate he was friendly made, True to his foxy nature, took good care That he was caught not in the Roman's snare. * Herod had heard of His miracles (Matt. xiv. i) ; Manaen (Acts xiii. i) his foster brother, was one of the prophets and teachers in the church of Antioch , and Johanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward (Luke viii. 3) was one of those devoted v/omen who ministered to Jesus of their substance. PILATE WISHES TO RELEASE HIM. 309 Though he cared not the innocent should bleed, x]d?-_ He 'd shun the needless odium of the deed. While making ready Jesus back to send, " Supposing it Avould better him commend To the fierce priesthood (strange such monsters are), He laughing part took with his men of war In making vulgar sport — like cruel boys, Paying mock homage, with grimace and noise, As to a king, what time they tricked Him out With a white robe to wear upon the route. Pilate, disposed to save Him if he could, '3 Let his ' I dare not ' wait upon ' I would,' Unjust demands unable to refuse. Th' authorities and people of the Jews Again he summons, and again affirms '4 His innocence, in most emphatic terms : " You charge Him with exciting to revolt ; Touching this crime, I find Him without fault. And Herod, too, to whom I you referred, ^5 Has in this judgment tacitly concurred. Having chastised Him, He shall be released, ^6 Custom requiring, I should at this Feast »7 Surrender you a prisoner. Do you choose, ^^'"'^ XV. 9 3IO THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. That I release to you King of the Jews ? — " He knowing very well the Sanhedrim Out of sheer envy had delivered Him. They said, with cries and shouts that did not cease, '' Away with this man ! and to us release xxhlis Barabbas ! " Now, Barabbas lay fast bound "^ For murder and sedition — dangerous found, A restless zealot, born of troublous times, Of bad repute because of other crimes. " What shall I do, since you Barabbas choose, ^J,^,^ With Him ye designate King of the Jews? " And they cried out again : " Him crucify ! " '^ Once more th' unwilling governor said, " Why ? What evil has He done ? I have not found '+ Just cause of death on which to sentence ground." Outside of the Pretorium, or Hall Of Judgment, was a place they used to call The Pavement, but in Hebrew Gabbatha, Where, in the open air and light of day. Trials might be conducted. Pilate there For judgment sat, in his high curule chair, When his wife Procla warning whisper sent, An unjust condemnation to prevent. Matt. xxvii. 19 xxn 12 Matt, xxvii. 20 24 PILATE REAFFIRMS HIS INNOCENCE. 311 Saving : *' Yield not ! stand firm ! have naught to do With that just man ! lest my day's dream come true." But bulls of Bashan, the priest-goaded crowd, ^^^^"'^ Ceased not their bellowings — with voices loud, And urgent clamor growing more and more. The chief priests leading in the wild uproar, They shouted the demand in Pilate's ear : *' Him crucify ! Him crucify ! " until in fear. He weakly but reluctantly complied, And sentence gave He should be crucified. Washing his hands before the multiude. He told them : " I am guiltless of the blood Of this just man. See ye to it." They said : " His blood be on ours and our children's head." So he released to them Barabbas. When =^ His soldiers had scourged Jesus, they again Led Him inside of the Pretorium, "7 And, w^hen their whole band had together come,^ Stripped Him ; clothed Him with purple ; platted now A thorny crown to mock His bleedmg brow ; =^9 A reed put in His hand ; in mimicry Of worship paid to sovereigns, bowed the knee ; 25 312 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Saluting Him, said : " Hail, King of the Jews !" ^x^g*!. Then spat on Him ; and took the reed to use 30 In smiting Him upon the head and face, And heaped on Him all manner of disgrace. Pilate went forth again, and said to them : " I bring Him forth I without cause condemn." John xix. 4 Pale, haggard, bleeding, tottering and forlorn, Wearing the purple robe and wreathing thorn, Jesus came forth — the warm blood shuddering ran, While Pilate, pointing, said : " Behold the Man ! " Chief priests and underlings, a barking crowd, Th' assembly of the wicked, yelping loud, At sight of Him sent up the th' impatient cry, Unceasing, '^ Crucify ! Him Crucify ! " Then Pilate said : " Since ye refuse to halt, Ye take and crucify, for I no fault Have found in Him against the Roman laws." The Jews replied : " Under our law, because He made Himself the Son of God, have we Doomed Him to death for guilt of blasphemy." When Pilate heard this, he was more afraid. The superhuman patience He displayed. His more than mortal majesty of mien. 313 Johxi xix. — PILATE YIELDS AND PASSES SENTENCE. Transcending all that he had ever seen, Filled him with dread misgivings, fortified By his wife's dream and warning words beside. Who is He ? this mysterious silent One, Claiming the awful title of God's Son. He feared the Jews, but then to brave the curse And wrath of the immortal gods were worse. So, going back to the Pretorium, 9 He said to Jesus : " Whence art Thou ? " When dumb. Yielding no answer, Pilate said : " Dost Thou '« Not speak to me ? Dost Thou not know^ that now I 've power to crucify Thee or set free ? " He said : " Thou couldst no power have over Me " Unless Heaven-given. Who did this wrong begin, And Me delivered, has the greater sin." Pilate sought thenceforth to release Him, " No !" '^ The Jews cried out. '' If thou let this Man go Thou art not Caesar's friend. Who claims to be A King, he strikes at his authority." When Pilate heard these words, not sure about /-^^^ ^ XIX. 13 His own position, he brought Jesus out. The hour was nine. Intending it to sting, ** He said unto the Jews, " Behold your King ! " SH THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. " Away with Him ! away with Him ! " they cry — *' Him crucify ! '' He said : '' What ! crucify Your King ? " '' We have no King," chief priests rephed, " But Cassar." He the doom then ratified. Motives, that Judas moved, soon spent their force, When followed an intolerable remorse. x^vii!* No sooner had the dreadful deed been done, Than, like the utter quenching of the Sun, The blackness of a darkness round him fell Out of the bottom of profoundest hell. Not power of fire, nor yet the moon's clear light, The stars' bright flames, could lighten that dread night — An earnest of the darkness that shall bind With chains perpetual the guilty mind. When Conscience wakens who can with her strive ? Terrors and troubles from a sick soul drive ? Naught so unpitying as the ire of sin, The inappeas'ble Nemesis within. O thought of horror ! since twelve hours ago. He had pulled down eternities of woe. The dream of avarice was at an end. REMORSE AND SUICIDE OF JUDAS. 315 Matt. xxvii. — He had betrayed his loving Lord and Friend Lost to all hope, by all the furies driven, He heard behind him close the gates of Heaven. The world seemed different. A bodeful sound Rose from the shuddering, accusing ground. Traitor and murderer, the conscious skies Looked down with wrathful and reproving eyes. By some strange sorcery, all things appeared Eldritch, possessed, unnatural and weird. Was it a demon's, or his own soul's hiss That filled his ears ? so Uke that mortal kiss By which he stung his Lord with serpent mouth. He felt the burning of a dreadful drouth, That dried up all the moisture of the throat- Scarce able to articulate a note. As in the clutches of a strong despair He tried to shape his guilty lips to prayer. He saw Him scourged, mocked, spit upon, contemned, And as a felon to the Cross condemned. ^ And was all this his work ? What should he do ? He to the chief priests and the elders flew, And throwing down the price, he wildly said : " Lo I have sinned, in that I have betrayed ^ The Innocent. I your base bribe return." 3l6 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. They said : "What's that to us ? That's your concern." Leaving behind Him the accursed pelf ^^l^- He in a frenzy went and hanged himself. Being the price of blood, the chief priests thought ^ It would defile the treasury, so bought The potter's field to bury strangers in 7 With the nefarious reward of sin. Wherefore the field was called Aceldama, ^ The Field of Blood, and is so to this day. JESUS LED TO CRUCIFIXION. 317 XXIII. THE CRUCIFIXION. Matt, xxvii. 31-66 ; Mark xv. 20-47 \ Luke xxiii. 33-56 ; John xix. 28-42. TIRED of the sport, their cruel mockings o'er, They doff His robes, and His own clothes restore. . Then lead away, weighed down with His own cross, Jesus to crucifixion. Faint with loss xft^^^ Of blood, and His long agony, He fell Beneath the load. They, thereupon, compel xtSile One Simon, a Cyrenian, to bear His cross behind Him, while close followed there ^7 A crowd of people and of women, who With wailings loud His painful steps pursue. He, turning round, said to them tenderly : =^ " Ye daughters of Jerusalem weep not for Me. Weep for yourselves, and for your children. Yea, The time is coming in which they will say, *9 * Happy the barren wombs that never bore, And breasts that ne'er gave suck ;' and will implore 3° The mountains to fall on them, and the hills 3l8 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. To cover them from unexampled ills. xim^- Your rulers are triumphant and elate, That they have slain the object of their hate. But to reject their promised Christ and King, Then slay Him is a dark and dreadful thing. The wickedness that did this sin contrive, 3^ Is green and flourishing, and, while alive, Will grow each year to more and more, until The bound is reached and limit of God's will ; Then the tree 's dry and bending boughs shall rain O'er the doomed land full recompense of pain." By the same band to execution led 32 Two malefactors Him accompanied. Come to the place called Golgotha, a Skull, ^^f^ Outside the gate, they first, His pains to dull. Gave Him to drink wine, drugged with myrrh* — but He 23 Preferred to bear th' unsoftened agony. *As myrrh does not of itself possess any anodyne properties, it may have been used as a mere fiavorer to disguise the taste of some other drug- — possibly, M.mdragora which is said to have been employed by the ancients as an anaesthetic in surgical op- erations — in the same way as Chloroform, and other like agents are now. Mandra- gora ( Mandrake ) is allied to Belladonna, botanically and medicinally, and is said to be even more powerfully narcotic. Its root, which is large, is divided into two or three forks, giving it some resemblance to the human body ; whence rose, probably, the superstition, that it was endowed with animal feelings ; and the fabulous stories of its HE IS NAILED TO THE CROSS. 319 T was the third hour when He was crucified, ^^^^^ The two thieves with Him placed on either side, ^7 Fulfilling Scripture, which had in the past ^^ Foretold He with transgressors should be classed. They pierced His hands and feet with cruel steel, j^^Ht^^ That had been only used to bless and heal. And Jesus said, as they the nails drove tlirough, " Father, forgive ! They know not what they do." Taking the outer garments Jesus wore, ^^"l^ These the four soldiers parted into four ; But for one tunic, seamless and entire, ^'^ uttering shrieks when torn from the earth. Shakespeare, in several places, alludes to this plant. As when Banquo in Macbeth ^ says : " Or have we eaten of the insane root That takes the reason prisoner." Again in Anthony and Cleopatra : " Give me to drink mandragora." Also in Othello: " Not poppy, nor mandragora, Nor all the drowsy syrups of the world Shall ever medicine thee to that sweet sleep Which thou ow'dst yesterday." In Romeo and Juliet^ there is an allusion to it in another aspect : " And shrieks like mandrakes torn out of the earth That living mortals hearing them run mad." It was potent in all kinds of enchantment, and is supposed to have been the same as the magical herb Boaras, said to cure demoniacs ; and was procured at great risk by the death of the dog employed to pull it up. Josephus, B. J. vii. 6, § 3. That it might have been found curative in cases of Epilepsy, mistaken for demoniacal possession, is rendered probable by the fact, that Belladonna has been regarded by some as a specific in Epilepsy. 320 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. John xix. — They all cast lots, as they did not desire To tear it. Scripture thus was verified, ' My garments they among them did divide ; They cast lots on My vesture.* Pilate wrote '^ A title o'er His head, so all might note : * This Jesus is, King of the Jews ' — displayed In Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. Murmuring, said '^'^ The chief priests then to Pilate : " Rather use -' The words, He said I King am of the Jews, Not that He is." But Pilate answered, '' No ! What I have written I have written. Go ! " The people stood beholding. Passing by, x^f"'39 Some rail and wag their heads, and, taunting, cry, *° '' Thou Who the Temple dost destroy, and dost, In three days, it rebuild, make good thy boast ! Now save Thyself, and come down from the cross." The rulers, likewise, stooped their gibes to toss : '♦' " Let Christ, the King of Israel, descend ! He claimed He others saved, but, in the end, ^ He cannot save Himself. God's will be done ! ^3 Let God deliver, if He will. His Son." One of the malefactors blasphemed thus : ^1X^39 " If Thou be Christ, now save Thyself and us ! " THE PENITENT THIEF. 321 The other him rebuked : '' Hast thou no fear J-^}^"^ Of God, before whom thou wilt soon appear, Since thou in the same condemnation art ? We suffer justly, merited the smart, 41 The due reward of our misdeeds ; but this, The murdered Christ, has nothing done amiss." He spake to Jesus : '* Lord ! remember me, -♦^ When in Thy Kingdom Thou enthroned shalt be.' " Thou shalt to-day," He from the cross replies, ^3 " Be verily with Me in Paradise." His mother and His mother's sister stood x-S!"s With Mary Magdalene beside the wood On which He hung. When Jesus saw, therefore, =^ His mother desolate and weeping sore. And, standing by. His loved disciple John, He said unto her: " Woman ! see thy son." Then said to him : " Thy mother see ! " And the}^ ^7 Maintained that dear relation from that day. 'T was night at noonday. Over all the land Brooded a darkness, none could understand. Hiding His person with a decorous shroud From the coarse vision of the scoffing cro\yd. The sun was darkened, but without eclipse, A frown of Nature hushing impious lips — Matt, xxvii. 45 21 322 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. A preternatural, Egyptian gloom, xi^u"— Prophetic of the day of final doom. After three hours, or the ninth hour about, "^^ From Jesus' lips the anguished cry rang out : '' Eli ! Eli ! lama sabacthani ! " My God ! Oh why hast thou forsaken Me ? Some said : " He for Elijah calls. Let be, 47 Whether he '11 come to save Him we will see." And Jesus spake again : " I thirst." Straightway, +^ One wet a sponge with vinegar, and lay It on His lips, which opening now to speak. Cried : " It is finished ! " followed by a shriek ^{^^^ As His heart broke,^ and, through the fatal rent, xxiH^46 The spirting life blood found unnatural vent. * The opinion that the immediate physical cause of death in our Lord was Rupture of the Heart, derives much support from the facts of the case so far as recorded. The cry or shriek which immediately preceded His "giving up the ghost" may have been due to a violent spasm of the organ, causing the rupture. The Heart is enclosed in a shut sac, called the Pericardium, which is sometimes the seat of a dropsical effusion, filling it up and distending it to that degree that the Heart has no room to act. In case of Rupture of the Heart, the contraction which should drive the blood into the arteries, forces it into the Pericardium, filling and distending it, and if the rent is large death follows immediately. The retained blood undergoes the familiar change which every- body must have observed, when blood is drawn in a basin—/, e., its separation into a soft coagulum or clot which is red, and serum which is nearly colorless like water. Should the containing sac be punctured under such circumstances, there would nec- essarily be an escape of gore and serum, popularly described as blood and water. It is difficult to understand how blood and water in any considerable quantity should have followed from a spear-thrust in any other way. The Heart itself after death is found entirely empty, except in rare cases, when there is a clot, called heart-clot, re- garded as abnormal. It is singular that the great painters make the mistake of pic- turing the wound on the right side instead of the left. THIS WAS THE SON OF GOD. 323 Out of the lifting darkness, there was heard His final, loud, and lamentable word : " Reproach My heart has broken— now 's the end. Father! My spirit I to Thee commend." iS'To At the dread moment He gave up the ghost, A new amazement seized the heavenly host. The great veil of the Temple, sacred screen, J^^^l^- ^ From top to bottom rent by hands unseen. Allowed th' excluded day beyond to shine, To show a vacant and abandoned shrine. And the earth trembled, and the rocks were rent, Tombs opened, and from riven monument, 52 After His resurrection, saints, who slept. Divinely quickened and raised up, forth stepped, 53 And went into the City, and appeared To many. All the guard of soldiers feared 54 Exceedingly, with the centurion, When they the earthquake saw, and wonders done. '' This was," they all instinctively cried out, '' A righteous man, the Son of God no doubt." All His acquaintance, and the women who 55 Waited on Him, and other women too From Galilee, far off with streaming eyes Beheld these things, and filled the air with cries. 324 ' THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Wicked hands, how sad the story ! Crucified the Lord of Glory, Nailed Him to the accursed tree : In Thy side the spear did bury. Son of God ! and Son of Mary ! Murdered One of Calvary ! Was there ever known such malice ? Gall of hatred in the chalice For Thy lips of love wrung out : Priests, with scribes and elders, mocking, As they pass, O sight most shocking ! Wag their heads, revile and flout. Was there, Thine own worjds to borrow, Ever sorrow like Thy sorrow, When our sins were on Thee laid ? Sorrow, which that cry could waken, '' Why, My God, am I forsaken?" Never was since worlds were made. Never, after such dear fashion. Was there witnessed such compassion ; Publish ye, who know the grace ! Make commanded proclamation Of the Gospel of Salvation, To each creature of the race ! HIS SIDE PIERCED WITH A SPEAR. 325 For 't was the Preparation,* the next day 1°^'^ Being the Paschal Sabbath, to let stay The bodies on the cross beyond the hour When holy time began, were trespass sour. The Jews, therefore, prayed Pilate to direct Their bones be broken, thereby to effect Their speedy death, so they could be removed. The soldiers broke the other two's, who proved 32 To be still living, but, when they perceived 33 Jesus was dead already, they believed It needless in His case. His legs to break : But with a spear a soldier (death to make 34 Most sure) the heart-sac pierced, with blood distent, A Filled from the bursting heart's own fatal rent. And John, from the wide wound, saw forthwith pour Water and blood, pale serum and red gore, 35 These Scriptures to fulfil, '* Of Him a bone 36 Shall not be broken." '' They shall look on One Whom the)' have pierced." 37 That eve, to Pilate came ^^""^ ' XV. 42 A man of Arimathea, whose name 43 Was Joseph, rich, a good man and a just, * Sabbath-eve, which was the latter half of the afternoon of Friday, was called the Preparation or Parascive^ that being the time set apart by the Jews to prepare for the Sabbath. Jesus was crucified at or between 9 a, m. and 12 m.; expired at 3 p. m. 326 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. One of the Sanhedrim, who, with disgust ^^^^ And open disapproval, had beheld The furious prejudice which had impelled His fellow-judges wickedly to lie, And on false charges Jesus crucify. Although convinced, by all he saw and knew. His august claims authentic were and true, He had not dared to openly avow His faith and his discipleship ; but now. He, boldly, knowing well what shame he braved. His body of the procurator craved. Pilate, surprised He 'd died so soon, inquired ^+ Of the centurion when He expired. And, having learned, he gave the asked for leave, ^s Joseph the body hastened to receive ; And found, awaiting him, most welcome aid x^j^'"^ In Nicodemus (once like him afraid. But now no longer), who brought ample store, Aloes and myrrh a hundred pounds or more, For his embalming — Joseph, with like thought, ^^^^s Having supply of finest linen brought. Now in the place, where He was crucified, xix!^"i He had a garden ; in it on one side There was a tomb, rock-hewn and newly-made. PLACED IN A NEW-MADE TOMB. 327 In which, as yet, no man was ever laid. J^^!L Lifting the lifeless form with tender care, 42 They thither it most reverently bear. And, having washed from all defiling stains The mangled, bruised, thrice sacred, dear remains. They take the spices and the linen bands, 40 And swathe the body with soft loving hands. Then place it in the tomb, and close the door Of entrance with a stone they roil before. The sun was setting when the task was done, And as they left the Sabbath had begun. Next day, chief priests and Pharisees combined To sa}^ to Pilate, " We recall to mind, xxvn"62 That that deceiver said while yet alive. ^3 ' After three days I will again revive.' Command, therefore, the sepulchre be made ^'^ Sure, till the third day, else, we are afraid, That His disciples will Him steal away During the night, and to the people say, He 's risen from the dead, so shall be worse. By far, the final error, than the first." And Pilate said : " Ye have a watch. It make ^5 Sure as ye can — your own precautions take." They set a watch, and not with this content, They sealed the stone that closed the monument. 328 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. CHRIST CRUCIFIED. Christ crucified ! amazing theme ! I see, beneath that mean disguise, Th' undoubted peer of God Supreme ! The awful Monarch of the Skies ! No malefactor He, whose gore Drips from the wood and dyes the sod Gashed, pierced, and bleeding, I adore The meek and patient Son of God. O Friend Divine ! I hear those groans The shuddering universe appall : The pleading pity of those tones, Which on my head forgiveness call. If I such matchless grace forget, This costly charity of heaven. Then may I bear th' uncancelled debt, And die and never be forgiven. VEXILLA REGIS PRODEUNT.— TRANSLATION. 329 VEXILLA REGIS PRODEUNT —Trans/ation. I. The Royal Ensign forth is flung, The blazon of the Cross unfurled, On which incarnate Godhead hung, Flesh of our flesh, who made the world. II. Where from His wounded side, moreo'er, By thrust of cruel spear point keen Flowed forthwith water mixed with gore, To wash from guilt and make us clean. III. That which the Psalmist David sung In faithful song, was thus made good ; Saying, ' The Lord hath reigned among The subject nations from the wood.'* IV. Thrice beautiful, far-beaming Tree ! Adorned with kingly purple, much Hast thou been honored, thus to be Chosen His holy limbs to touch. * In some Greek copies, and in the old Latin or Italic Version the tenth verse of the 96th Psalm is : " Tell it out among the heathen that the Lord reigneth from the Tree," 330 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. V. Blest thou, whose arms outstretched were made The balance, on whose mystic beam The ransom of the world was weighed, Souls from perdition to redeem. I. III. Vexilla Regis prodeunt, Impleta sunt quae concinit Fulget crucis mysterium, David fideli carmine, Quo carne carnis conditor Dicens, In nationibus Suspensus est patibulo : Regnavit a ligno Deus : II. IV. Quo vulneratus insuper Arbora decora et fulgida, Mucrone diro lancese, Ornata Regis purpura, Ut nos lavaret crimine Electa digno stipite Manavit unda et sanguine. Tarn sancta membra tangere. V. Beata cujus brachiis Pretium perpendit saeculi, Statera facta corporis, Tulitque praedam tartaris. Although the words, " from the tree ' had evidently been added, much stress was laid on them by Justin Martyr, Augustine and others, as containing a prophetic intima- tion of the manner of Christ's death.— Trench. This world-famous Processional Hymn, which Daniel calls " one of the grandest in the treasury of the Latin church," was composed by Fortunatus—who lived in the sixth century. THE WOMEN GOING TO THE SEPULCHRE. 331 XXIV. RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION. Matt, xxviii. 2-20; Mark xvi. 1-20; Luke xxiv. 1-53; John xx. i— xxi. 25. Mark xvi. I THE Sabbath o'er, at early dawn was seen, In the dim twilight, Mary Magdalene, And Mary who the mother was of James, And at her side Salome — sainted names — Wending their way unto the Sepulchre, Sweet spices bringing each along with her, That the embalming which had been begun They might complete. They all supposed the Sun Had not yet risen, for the East was gray, Streaked with faint tokens of the breaking day. They thought it early ; little did they know. Their Sun was up an hour or more ago. And, with His rising light, had chased the gloom, And all the doubt and terror of the tomb. They, at the time, had heard a rumbling sound, And thought it was an earthquake. Had they known, That mighty hands then rolled away the stone, Matt, xxviii. 2 332 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. From the tomb's mouth, they'd had no need to ask Who should perform for them the friendly task : f^f^^ For, lo, an angel had come down from heaven, xS% And ingress to an empty tomb had given. His face like lightning was ; his raiment white, Blinding and terrible to mortal sight. For fear of him the keepers shook, and then, * Swooning away, became like to dead men. Now Mary Magdalene, with quickened pace, ^^^"J Reached sooner than the rest th' appointed place. And, having seen the stone was rolled away. She waited not, but ran, without delay, ^ To John and Peter with the heavy word : " They have removed, we know not where, the Lord." Peter and John both run, but John outrun, 3, 4 And reached the tomb before the other one, s And, stooping down, the linen clothes he saw, But went not in, restrained by sense of awe. Then Peter came, and, ent'ring, saw inside, ^ The linen clothes, and napkin that was tied 7 About His head — each folded up with care, And lying separate. Then entered there ^ John too, who having seen, in part believed — HE IS NOT HERE; HE IS RISEN. 333 For they, as yet, had not the sense perceived ^^'^"^ Of what the Scriptures, and Himself had said, Touching His resurrection from the dead. They went away, but Mary still remained. Meanwhile,* it chanced, the other women gained The Sepulchre soon after she had gone ; ^v% And saw, to their surprise, the ponderous stone. That closed the entrance, had been rolled away. And, entering in, they found to their dismay 3 The body gone. Perplexed in the extreme, + They suddenly beheld, as in a dream, Two men stand by them in apparel bright. Whose dazzling presence filled them with affright. *' Be not afraid ! " one said, " Ye need not fear. ^J,f "5 I know ye Jesus seek ; He is not here ; He is already risen, as He said. Why do ye seek the living 'mong the dead ? ^^^^ Come see the place, most fragrant still and sweet. Where lay His blessed head and where His feet. Remember how He said to you, when He ^ Was present with you yet in Galilee : *It is here assumed, that when the other women reached the tomb Mary Magdalene had already gone to tell Peter and John ; and what is related as happening to them took place during her absence. When Mary returned with Peter and John, the other women had left. 334 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Luke xxiv. 7 Mark xvi. 7 Matt, xxviii. 8 ' The Son of Man, delivered to be tried, After mock trial must be crucified, And then on the third day must rise again.' Yes ! they remembered, and now all was plain. '' Haste ! " said the angel, " knowing it is true. Tell His disciples, and tell Peter too — Unable since his fall to lift his head — Your buried Lord is risen from the dead. And goes before you into Galilee. There, He has promised you, ye Him shall see." And they departed quickly, filled with awe And trembling joy at all they heard and saw, To go to the disciples. While they yet Were on the way, behold, them Jesus met, ^ And said : " All hail ! " Thrilled with that voice so sweet. They prostrate fell, and held Him by His feet, And worshipped Him — but they embrace refrained, By mighty awe and reverence restrained. He said : '' Go, tell My brethren to repair To Galilee, and I will see them there. They went, and told th' apostles and the rest. Who disbelief of their report expressed. Luke xxiv. 9 JESUS APPEARS TO ^MRY MAGDALENE. 335 But, Mary Magdalene, when all had left, l^^^. Lingered behind. Of her dear Lord bereft, His body taken, she would not despair, But push inquiry till she found out where. Outside the Sepulchre she weeping stood. And, as she wept, the thought sprung up, she would Look in once more, and, lo ! there met her sight Two Angels seated, robed in dazzling white " One at the head, the other at the feet, Where had the body lain. With accents sweet, '3 " Woman ! " they said to her, " why weepest thou ? " ^' Because they have, I know not where or how. Removed my Lord." Her head, then turning, she '+ Saw Jesus standing, but knew not 't was He. And Jesus said : " Woman ! why dost thou weep ? '5 Whom seekest thou ? " This man, employed to keep The garden, so she thought, can end suspense, So said : " O Sir, if thou hast borne Him hence, Tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will Take Him away." There shot a mighty thrill '^ Of wild delight and wonder through her frame. Then when His well-known voice pronounced her name : " Mary ! " She turned, and with a joyful shout 336 THE LIGHT «F THE WORLD. Towards Him sprang with both her arms stretched out, 1^1 Saying : " Rabboni ! " and would on His neck Have fallen, had He, her first transports to check, Not said : '' Embrace Me not !^ draw not too near. ^7 Temper thy love with reverence and fear ! Worship befits thee ! but the awful bond, * The difficulties which beset this passage have grown, we venture to think, out of an error of punctuation, and are mostly or wholly disposed of, by simply placing a full stop after "Touch Me not." By this means the words are made to form a sen- tence which is complete in itself, having neither sj'^ntactical nor logical connection with anything that follows. Mary was in the act of throwing her arms around her Lord's neck. It was the fault, let us say rather the ecstasy of the moment, and she did not need to be told twice the impropriety of the freedom. Nothing seems more in- credible, than that our Lord would think it necessary to offer an excuse for not per- mitting an embrace whose impropriety was obvious— giving as a reason, that " He had not yet ascended to His Father." This would constitute an excellent reason why she should hasten to His disciples, having in her possession a piece of information so unspeakably interesting and important ; but none, so far as we can see, why she should not touch Him. Within the space of a few minutes, either immediately before or immediately after, we know that He allowed other women, not only to touch Him, but hold Him by His feet. Theirs was an act of worship. He, on that occasion, gave no signs of hurry, or impatience at detention. Indeed, we should as soon think of as- sociating hurry with the eternities as with the Risen Lord. Most strangely, the disciples, notwithstanding declarations the most explicit many times repeated, that He would rise again, remained in total ignorance of " what the rising from the dead should mean." That it meant that His body was to rise and come from the tomb, they had not so much as dreamed. They supposed His words were to be understood in some mystic sense, they did not know exactly what. When they saw His body taken down from the cross and laid in the sepulchre, they had no other thought than that was the end, so far as His life upon the earth was concerned. Believing that He had ascended at once to the Father, they never expected to see Him again below. It was now the third day since His death ; and to be told that He was alive, and still upon the earth — that He had not ascended to the Father yet — would be news indeed. But lest they should go to the other extreme, and fall into the error of supposing that He intended to remain on the earth to set up His Kingdom in person » I HAVE NOT YET ASCENDED. 33^ Forbids familiar touch, and acts too fond. For that I would My rising certify, By proofs infallible and many, I Have not ascended to My Father yet. Go, therefore, to My brethren, now, to set Their troubled minds at rest. Tell them I say I live again, but am not here to stay. He instructed Mary to saj^ to them, that He was about to ascend, but would see them before He did so finally, even as He had promised. Read in the light of these facts — with the corrected punctuation, which serves to isolate the words, " Touch Me Not " from everything else, as relating to an incident having nothing to do with the com- munication which she was to make to the disciples — all is plain and simple. In that case the message would run in this wise : " For [or forasmuch as] I am not yet as- cended unto My Father, go [now] to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend [after forty days?] unto My Father and your Father; and to My God and your God." Or some might prefer this reading, which involves no change of words, only the transpo- sition of the last member of the sentence, putting it first: "But go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father and unto your Father, and to My God and your God ; for I am not yei ascended [bodily?] to My Father.' This preserves the " but," which in the other case is rendered " now." As it can hardly be claimed that the punctuation is inspired, this slight change — which makes easy what has been found so difficult and has led to ten thousand ab- surdities of interpretation — is, we think, abundantly justified. The error (if error it be, and we cannot doubt it) is undoubtedly an ancient one ; and one naturally wonders how it has happened, that so many learned and good men have allowed themselves to stumble over so small a pebble. His actual stay upon the earth was forty days. Where He was during that time it were vain to speculate. He could not fail to be at home anywhere in the universe . for were not all things made by Him ? One of the objects of this sojourn (there may have been others) was to " shew Himself alive after His passion," and certify to His disciples the fact of His bodily resurrection, "by many infallible proofs." In order that nothing might be wanting to the completeness of the identification. He preserved to Himself the organic sameness of His original body — modified possibly in some of its accidents, but essentially unchanged — until the time of His Ascension. It may be that this " body of His humiliation," as the apostle calls it, while it was the only one suited to earthly conditions, was at the same time wholly unfitted for heavenly ; and this would constitute a reason why He should not assume " the body of His glor.y " 22 338 . THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. I, to My Father and to yours, ascend, My God and your God, when My stay shall end. And tell them to return to Galilee, And That I there, hereafter, will them see." To the disciples she the news conveyed, How she had seen the Lord, and what He said. Matt. XXV iii. II The guard, into the City having gone. Showed to the chief priests all things that were done. At the strange tidings, startled and appalled, ^^ They straight the Sanhedrim together called, Which, after counsel, judged it best to pay The soldiers a large sum, if they would say, That His disciples in the night had crept ^3 And stole away the body while they slept — Pledging to shield them, to allay their fears, until the forty days were fully expired. It was important to the proof, that" no one should be able to say that His appearance were phantasmal, or even like the Theoph- anies and Angelophanies recorded in the Old Testament. A little common sense is sometimes better than much learning. It is quite marvel- ous, how the human mind runs on in the same ever deepening rut of error through thousands of years, without putting forth an effort to get out of it. We see this illus- trated in false religions; and, in a small way, we witness something like it in mistakes of interpretation. No error however slight is insignificant. A misplaced period may be the source of endless perplexity to innumerable minds. The casual omission of brackets which ought to have been inserted has been the cause not only of incalcula- ble ink-shedding, but blood-shedding likewise. The tenth chapter of Joshua has been fruitful of endless logomachies which have not ceased in our day, arising from the failure of some ancient transcriber to preserve lines and marks of division, separating poetry from prose. See The Evangel, First Part of this Work pp. 324-332, foot-note. JOINS TWO ON THEIR WAY TO EMMAUS. 339 In case it reached the procurator's ears. xx^hlh Taking the bribe, they labored to diffuse 's This false report, still current 'mong the Jews. And Jesus next Himself to Peter showed. \^^^^- That day, as two disciples on the road xiii^% To Emmaus were journeying, they talked ^-^ Of these occurences, and as they walked, Discussing matters, He Himself drew near, '5 And traveled with them their discourse to hear— Appearing, for a purpose, in such guise ^^ As they, at first, should not Him recognize. He said : " What mournful subject have ye had, ^7 To make you as you walk downcast and sad?" " Great things have happened in Jerusalem," ^^ They answered. '' If Thou hast not heard of them Thou art the sole sojourner that has not." And Jesus said : " What things ? Tell briefly what."^9 " About Jesus of Nazareth (in fact A Prophet, powerful in word and act Before the Lord, and all the people). Him, Chief priests and others of the Sanhedrim '° Condemned to death and crucified. But we Trusted 't was He who would set Israel free. ^i 340 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Besides all this, this being the third day xxH^ — Since these things happened, certain women say, ^^ That, going early to the Sepulchre, They did not find the body ; and aver ^^ They Angels saw, who said He was alive. From their own eyes assurance to derive, ^- Some of our number went, and witness bare The tomb was empty, but Him saw nowhere." He said, in tones tinged with reproof and grief, ^s "■ O dull of mind, and backward of belief Concerning what the prophets testify ! Ought not the Christ to suffer and to die ^^ And pass into His glory through that door. Death and the Grave, unbarred forevermore ?" Beginning then with Moses, he went on, ^7 Until through all the prophets He had gone. And all the Scriptures opened and explained, Which to Himself and Kingdom appertained. When to the destined village they drew nigh, ^^ It seemed as though He purposed to pass by, But they pressed Him to stop, saying, " Abide =9 With us, for it grows late." And He complied. As He there lay at meat with them, He took 30 THEIR RECOGNITION OF JESUS. 341 The loaf, blessed, brake, and gave it them. They look, They scan His features now with opened eyes, Jti^^^^ And all at once their Lord they recognize. He disappeared next moment, and they said : '' In that last act, the breaking of the bread, How could we fail the Master to discern ? Did not our hearts, moreo'er, within us burn 32 While He talked with us all along the roadj And the deep meaning oi the Scriptures showed ?" And they rose up that very hour and went 33 Back to Jerusalem, with the intent To tell th' Eleven. These, with the rest, they found Assembled, who them greeted with the sound : ^' The Lord is risen indeed, and has been seen 34 Of Simon." Then they told, how He had been 35 With them, and how they suddenly were led To know Him in the breaking of the bread. While they were speaking, Jesus Himself stood, 36 Though shut and barred the solid doors of wood. There in their midst, and said : " Peace be to you !" The sight them into consternation threw, 37 Thinking they saw a spirit. " Why," He said, 38 '' Do doubts arise ? or why are ye afraid ? 342 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Luke See My pierced hands and feet, and know 'tis I. ^xiv. 39 Draw near ; My body handle ; test and try, 4° Till its identity each doubter owns. Knowing a spirit has not flesh and bones." When they, for joy and wonder, scarce could be ^^ Convinced, He was a dear reality. He said for proof: " Have ye not here some meat?" And He before them some broiled fish did eat. 42 Then further spake : " Remember I you told, ^4 While I was yet with you, that, what of old Was in the Law and Prophets said of Me ^s And written in the Psalms, fulfilled must be, That, in accordance with all prophecies, Christ it behooved to suffer, and to rise, ^^ And that repentance, holy change within, 47 And the remission of all forms of sin. Should, in His name, be confidently preached Among all nations, till each soul is reached. Beginning at Jerusalem. Since ye ^^ Are of these things the witnesses to be, '^^ The Spirit, promised of the Father, I "^^ Will pour on you, when I ascend on high. And He with power will plenteously endue Authenticating and attesting you — DOUBTING THOMAS CONVINCED. 343 Great signs shall follow them, who having heard, Believe the proclamation in the Word. Go ye. My Gospel preach ! go everywhere ! ^If^ To every creature the glad tidings bear ! Who trusts and is baptized, he saved shall be : ^^ Who trusts not, cannot My salvation see. These are the terms on which, by Heaven ordained. Men's sins remitted are, or are retained." ■'°^" ' XX. 23 Thomas, one of the Twelve, called Didymus ^4 Not there to see, remained incredulous, When told by others, " We have seen the Lord ! " ^5 '* I '11 not believe He is to life restored," He said, " unless I in His hands shall see Plainly the nail-prints, and 't is granted me To put therein my finger, and to giiide My hand and thrust it in His wounded side." When the disciples, after eight days* space, ^6 Again were met together in one place, And Thomas with them, Jesus came, and stood There in their midst (shut doors could not exclude), And said, " Peace be to you !" Then, Thomas told : ^7 *' Reach hither now thy finger, and behold My wounded hands; and hither also guide 344 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Thy hand, and thrust it in My wounded side ; ^°^^ And be not faithless, but believing." He Exclaimed, " My Lord ! my God ! I worship Thee : =^ Great Vanquisher of Death ! I doubt no more, Thou art the Christ the ages waited for !" " Because thou hast Me seen, thou dost not doubt. ^9 Happy who see not, yet believe without !" O FILH ET FILIJE.— Translation. I. O sons and daughters, join the lay ! The King, all heavenly powers obey, Rose Victor from the dead to-day, Alleluia ! II. Upon the first day of the week. As dawn began the east to streak, Disciples went the tomb to seek. Alleluia ! III. Salome, Mary Magdalene, And James's mother — sad in mien — Come to embalm Him, there were seen. Alleluia ! O FILII ET FILI^.— TRANSLATION. 345 IV. One clothed in white sat at the door, Who said : '' The Lord is here no more To Galilee He goes before." Alleluia ! V. Th' Apostle John, with love as spur, His feet, outrunning" Peter's, were First at the empty sepulchre. Alleluia ! VI. When the Disciples met, appeared Christ in their midst, and Avhen they feared, Pronouncing "Peace !" their hearts He cheered. Alleluia ! VII. As Didymus, not there to see. Was told that Christ had risen, he Doubted and thought it could not be. Alleluia ! VIII. " Thomas, behold,'' the Master cried, " My hands, my feet, my wounded side, And be not faithless, but confide ! " Alleluia ! 346 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. IX. When Thomas did as Christ him bade, His finger in the nail-prints laid, " Thou art my Lord and God," he said. Alleluia ! X. Blessed are they who have not seen Yet on His word securely lean — They shall have endless life serene. Alleluia ! I. O filii et filise, Rex coelestis, Rex glorise, Morte surrexit hodie, Alleluia ! II. Et mane prima Sabbati, Ad ostium monumenti Accesserunt discipuli. Alleluia ! III. Et Maria Magdalene Et Jacobi, et Salome Venerunt corpus ungere, Alleluia ! IV. In albis sedens angelus Praedixit mulieribus, In Galilea est Dominus. Alleluia ! VI. Discipulis astantibus, In medio stetit Christus Dicens, Pax vobis omnibus, Alleluia ! VII. Ut intellexit Didymus, Quia surrexerat Jesus, Remansit fere dubius. Alleluia ! VIII. Vide, Thoma, vide latus, Vide pedes, vide manus, Noli esse incredulus. Alleluia I IX. Quando Thomas vidit Christum, Pedes, manus, latus suum, Dixit : Tu es Deus meus • Alleluia ! Et Joannes apostolus Concurrit Petro citius, Monumento venit prius, Alleluia ! Beati qui non viderunt, Et firmiter crediderunt, Vitam eternam habebunt. Alleluia. SURREXIT CHRISTUS HODIE.— TRANSLATION. ^,47 SURREXIT CHRISTUS UOBIE. — Tmns/a^wn. I. For human solace, Christ to-day Rose from the dead to live alway, Alleluia. II. Who suffered death, with anguish sore. For wretched man two days before, Alleluia. III. Women, His body to perfume, Brought gifts of spices to the tomb. Alleluia. IV. Seeking the Lord, with sorrowing mind, Who is the Saviour of mankind. Alleluia. V. They saw a white-robed angel there. Who did the joyful news declare. Alleluia. 348 THE LIGHT OF THE \VORLD. VI. '' Would you, O trembling women ! see The Master, go to Galilee, ^lleluia. VII. '' To His disciples tell this thing, That He is risen, Glory's King.' Alleluia. VIII. He first appeared to Peter, then To all of the remaining ten. Alleluia. IX. Thee in this paschal joy we bless. Who art the Lord our righteousness. Alleluia. X. Glory to Thee our Sovereign Head, Who rose triumphant from the dead. Alleluia. I. II. Surrexit Christus hodie Mortem qui passus pridie. Humano pro solamine, Miserrimo pro homine, Alleluia. Alleluia. REX SEMPITERNE CCELITUM.— TRANSLATION. 349 III. Mulieres ad tumulum Dona ferunt aromatum, Alleluia. IV. Quaerentes Jesum Dominum, Qui est Salvator hominum, Alleluia. V. Album cernentes angelum Annunciatum gaudium, Alleluia. VI, Mulieres O tremulae, In Galilaeam pergite, Alleluia. VII. Discipulis hoc dicite, Quod surrexit Rex gloriae, Alleluia. VIII. Petro dehinc et caeteris Apparuit apostolis, Alleluia. IX. In hoc paschali gaudio, Benedicamus Domino, Alleluia. X. Gloria tibi, Domine, Qui surrexisti a morte, Alleluia. This and the foregoing Hymn, of unknown authorship, belong to the thirteenth century. The first is preeminently the Easter Hymn. Neale remarks : " It is scarcely possible for any one, not acquainted with the melody, to imagine the jubilant effect of the triumphant ^//^/«/a attached to the apparently less important circumstances of the resurrection, ^. ^., Peter's being outstripped by John. It seems to speak of the majesty of that event, the smallest portions of which are worthy to be so chronicled." The rude simplicity of the originals is preserved in the translation. REX SEMPITERNE CCELITUM.— TranshHon. I. Eternal Sovereign of the skies ! Maker of all things that are made ! Thou wast the Father's equal Son Ere were the world's foundations laid. II. Thou didst, in Thine own image, make, After Thy likeness, man at first And to His body, formed of clay Conjoined a noble spirit erst. 350 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. III. And, when Satanic fraud and spite Corrupted had the human race, Thou, clothed with flesh, didst mould anew The perished beauty and the grace. IV. Thou, who wast once from Virgin born, Art born now from the grave likewise ; And Thou commandest that with Thee We buried from the dead shall rise. V. Nailed ta the cross, Redeemer, Thou To pay our debt didst freely pour Thy lile-blood out, the price immense, Of our salvation evermore. I. III. Rex sempiterne coelitum, Cum livor et fraus daemonis, Rerum Creator omnium, Foedasset humanum genus, ^qualis ante saecula Tu carne amictus perditam Semper parent! filius. Formam reformes artifex. II. IV. Nascente mundi qui faber Qui natus olim et virgine, Imaginem vultus tui, Nunc e sepulcro nasceris, Tradens Adamo nobilem, Tecumque nos a mortuis, Limo jugasti spiritum. Jubes sepultos surgere. V. Nobis diu qui debitae, Redemptor affixus cruci, Nostra dedisti prodigus, Pretium salutis sanguinem. THE MIRACULOUS DRAUGHT OF FISHES. 351 Then the Eleven returned to Gahlee, xxvHi!i9 Not doubting they should there again Him see, According to His promise. On this wise, x^l" He showed Himself to their adoring eyes Peter and Thomas and Nathanael, ^ With James and John, and other two, as well. Were fishing on the Lake, and had all night 3 Caught nothing. Jesus stood at morning light ^ Upon the shore, but they knew not 't was He. '- Children, how fare ye ? aught to eat have ye ?" s They answered, " No !" '' Cast on the boat's right side ^ The net, and ye shall find." When they complied, The number of the fishes was so great They could not draw it, baffled by the weight. And John to Peter said : " It is the Lord !" 7 And he, forgetting all else at that word. First girding on, with haste, his outer coat, Leaped in the sea. The rest came in the boat, ^ Dragging the net, some hundred yards, to shore. Filled with thrice fifty fishes and three more — " And though so many yet was it entire. When they were come to land, they saw a fire 9 Of coals ; a fish there lying ; and some bread. John xxi. lo 3^2 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. " Bring ye the fishes ye have caught," He said. The broiling done, and everything prepared, He said : '' Come, break your fast !" But no one dared ^"^ To ask their Entertainer, ' Who art Thou ?' Knowing it was the Lord. He gave them now '3 The bread and fish — His Providence seen then. At other times invisible to men. When they had breakfasted, the Risen One ^s To Simon Peter spake : " Say, Simon, son Of Jonas, dost thou care^ for me above All these ?" " Yea, Lord, Thou knowest I Thee love." Jesus said: ''Feed My lambs!" ''But, Simon, dost '^ Thou care much for Me ?" " I no more dare boast Like the vain braggart of some days ago But that. Dear Lord, I love Thee Thou dost know." Jesus said: "Tend My sheep !" A third time He ^7 Asked : " Simon, son of Jonas, lov'st thou Me ?" * An imperfect attempt is here made to preserve the distinction between two Greek words, ayairaco and (plTieo), lost in our English version, both being indifferently translated 'to love.' The first answers to the L,a.tia di'/z'g-o, ' to esteem highly ' ; the other to a>;2o, ' to love.' The sentiment expressed in the last is thought to be warmer, partaking more of passion than the first. It is remarkable that our Lord in addressing Peter, the first two times, used the colder term ; and it was only in His third inquiry that he employed the more endearing form. So there are two Greek words, one meaning " to feed " properly; the other expressing "care and tendance," but ren- dered into English by a common word, " to feed." SIMON PETER, LOVEST THOU ME? 353 Peter was grieved because He three times said, J^^"^ "Lovest thou Me," — and so appeal he made : " Thou knowest all things, and Thou, Lord, dost know Despite my base denial, it is so, That my love for Thee is sincere and deep.' And Jesus said : " To prove it, Feed My sheep ! " Is the wound tender ? Make I thee to wince, Probing thy hurt ? Thus I My love evince — 'T is for thy good I cause thee present pain, Lest slightly healed, the sore break out again. The lesson of thy fall must not be lost. Purchased by thee at such a dreadful cost — Sad warning 'gainst self-confidence and pride : Clothed with humility, thou shalt abide Firm to the end. I speak a faithful word : When thou wast young, thou didst thy own self gird, ^^ And, wheresoe'er thou wouldst, thou wentest — free To come and go — but when thou old shalt be, Thou shalt stretch forth involuntary hands, And thee another gird, and bind with bands. And make thee tread the path thy Master trod, By crucifixion glorifying God." ^9 23 354 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Having thus spoken, He said, '' Follow"^ Me, ^xt- As now I walk before. My footprints see, And plant thy feet where My own feet have been. Hereby thy duty's symbolized and seen : I leave thee My example : Follow on ! When Peter, turning, saw th' apostle John '^^ Walking behind, in the same footmarks, too, He, curious, said : '' Lord ! what shall this man do?''^' He said ; '^f I so will, what 's that to thee, That he should wait My coming? Follow Me !'' Among the brethren a belief thereby Grew up, that that disciple should not die. ^^ After this, Jesus by appointment, showed x^vS'ie Himself alive, in a more public mode, Upon a Mount He named in Galilee. Beside th' Eleven, there present were to see Above five hundred brethren. When they knew 'xv°6' *Some commentators suppose, that Jesus intended only a spiritual following, but that, just then, being in the act of leaving them, Peter understood Him literally (thinking he was invited to a private conference), and followed Him accordingly We, on the contrary, assume, that He meant to symbolize by significant bodily acts the duty of an exact imitation of his example in life and death. That Peter never for- got the lesson appears from i Peter ii. 21. All the Apostles prior to Christ's death had been comparatively ignorant and weak. Never, probably, in the history of mankind, was there wrought so mighty a transfor- mation as took place in them afterwards, more particularly after they had received the promised gift of the Holy Ghost. They were no longer the same men, either intel- lectually or morally. But, even then, how unlike their Master ? BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST PROMISED. 355 Their Risen Saviour, standing in full view, xxvm"i They worshipped Him, He said : " To Me is given Supreme authority in earth and heaven. ^s Go ye, therefore, convert and christianize ^9 All nations of the earth, and them baptize Into the Godhead of the Father, Son, And Holy Ghost, th' Eternal Three in One ! Teaching them to observe, and all things do ^o Which, heretofore, I have commanded you. And, lo ! I'm with you alway — still your Friend, Helper, Upholder, even to the end." He next was seen of James, then all th' Eleven, ^^''''^ By proofs infallible and many given, ^'^'^ Showing Himself alive to their rapt gaze After His Passion, during forty days, And speaking of the things that appertain To God's dear Kingdom and Messiah's Reign. The day of Pentecost at hand, with them Once more assembled at Jerusalem, He charged them there to wait, and not to leave Till they the Father's '' Promise " should receive — The mighty baptism of the Holy Ghost — To be poured out in a few days at most. 356 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Again convened, they asked Him : " Lord, wilt Thou t? Restore to Israel the kingdom now ?" He said : '' Ye seek to know what is concealed, 7 The times and seasons are things unrevealed, The Father these has put in His own power — Divine fulfillments wait their proper hour. But ye '11 new powers receive, and functions new : ^ For when the Holy Ghost is come on you. Ye then shall be My witnesses to them Who were My murderers in Jerusalem, And testify of Me in every place — The willing Saviour of the human race." He led them forth then, after these commands, xxi"^% To Bethany ; and lifting up His hands si He blessed them ; and, with wondering dazed eyes, Through the still air they saw His body rise — Not needing wings — till in th' ethereal height A waiting cloud received Him out ol sight. He, passing through the portals of the sky. Sat down at the right hand of God on high. PORTAS VESTRAS ^TERN ALES.— TRANSLATION. 357 PORTAS VESTRAS JETERN ALES.— Translation. I. Lift ye up the eternal portals, O ye high and blest immortals ! Heavenly doors wide open swing. Comes the Lord of Angels straightway, Nears the everlasting gateway, Lift ye up, admit your King ! II. Joyful He, all white and ruddy, Lo, He comes from conquest bloody. Bright in vestments purple dyed, Glorious in His raiment holy. Marching in His own strength solely, Many thousands by His side. III. All alone and unattended. Forth from Heaven His way He wended ; But returning, many brings — Fruit of His divine affection, Of His death and resurrection. Crop of heavenly harvestings. 358 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. IV. Joy ye in the God of Zion ! Conquered hath His foes, the Lion, Seed of Abraham, triumphed hath. Ruins earth no more shall cumber. Heaven shall be increased in number, Guilty souls be saved from wrath. V. May He reign, the Vindicator, Christ of men, the Liberator, King of Mercy, Prince of Peace, God Most Mighty, Life-bestow er. And of death the Overthrower, May His praises never cease ! I. III. Portas vestras aeternales Solus erat in egressu Triumphales, principales, Sed ingentem regressu Angeli, attollite, Affert multitudinem. Eja, tollite actutum, Fructum suae passionis Venit Dominus virtutum, Testum resurrectionis Rex aeternae gloriae. Novam coeli segetem. II. IV. Venit totus laetabundus, Eja, jubilate Deo, Candidus et rubicundus, Jacent hostes, vicit leo Tinctis clarus vestibus. Vicit semen Abrahse, Nova gloriosus stola Jam ruinae replebuntur Gradiens virtute sola Coeli civis augebuntur Multis cinctus millibus. Salvabuntur animse. V. Regnet Christus triumphator Hominumque liberator Rex misericordise. Princeps pacis, Deus fortis. Vitae dator, victor mortis, Laus coelestis curiae. THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST. 359 Acts ii 1-38. The aay of Pentecost now fully come — ^^^^ End of the numbered weeks completed sum, Ten days from the Ascension of our Lord — As the disciples were with one accord ( Six score about ) assembled in one place, *• "s Waiting in prayer before the Throne of Grace, All suddenly a sound from Heaven there came, "• ^ Like a strong rushing wind, and tongues of flame s Divided sat on each, while everywhere Was interfused in air a God-breathed air, 4 Filling the house, and filling all the lungs — And they began to speak in foreign tongues. Men from all lands astonished gathered round, s Attracted by the miracle of sound — Strange pulsings of that inner atmosphere With modulations varied to each ear. So that each spoken word was understood By all that polygiottous multitude. " What meaneth this ?" they said — " we hear them teach 7 God's wondrous doings in our native speech." ^ But others said, jocosely : " We mistrust '3 26o THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. These men have drunk too freely of sweet must." * But Peter, standing up with the Eleven, ^^^ll With loud voice spake beneath the open heaven : *' Men of Judea ! and, all ye who dwell Here in Jerusalem ! hearken, while I tell, These are not drunk, as ye assume and say, ^s Since it is but the third hour of the day. But this is what the prophet Joel meant— ^^ Being fulfillment and accomplishment * The word here rendered " new wine " is in the original Greek, yXev/covf = g-/eu- kotis. The meaning assigned to it in the Greek Lexicon is must. It is so rendered in the Vulgate. These Pentecostal mockers evidently used it in that sense. To under- stand them otherwise were to miss the point of their sarcasm. They thought it was severely funny to ascribe (ironically, of course) impossible effects to simple grape juice. Could we have overheard their talk among themselves, it would probably have been much after this fashion : " These men are drunk ; but being good men, it is not permitted us to think, that they would drink anything stronger than water, or must, at most; and so, if found intoxicated, it cannot be due to any fault of theirs, but has resulted from some unaccountable perversity in the operation of an innocent beverage " — the jibe, having its counterpart in modern slang, which imputes to excess of sweet cider, or soda water, antiphrastically, great intoxicating powers. This would pass with them for wit, and raise a laugh, which would be sure to have been renewed, culminating in loud explosions of laughter, had any one present, with a grave face and an aspect of profound wisdom, denied the possibility of water or must making any one drunk, and had insisted, therefore, that it must have been some fermented article. They little thought, that two thousand years afterwards, learned men, through failure to appreciate their sorry joke, would feel it incumbent on them to show that "gleukos" was a very intoxicating liquor, causing a. /ect^ liar kindofdrtinkenness, distinguishable from every other — for unless distinguishable, how should they know that it yvas gleukos that made them drunk rather than something else. This however is only one of many illustrations of the truth of what Shakespeare says: " A jest's prosperity lies in the ear Of him that hears it, never in the tongue Of him that makes it." PETER'S PENTECOSTAL DISCOURSE. ^ 361 Of the sure word of ancient prophecy, {^^^ Concerning what in the Last Days should be : ^7 '' I will," God said, " My Spirit pour out, then, Upon the daughters and the sons of men, ^^ And they shall prophecy— and one and all Shall then be saved, who on the Lord shall call. ^^ Ye men of Israel, to me give ear ! Jesus of Nazareth — by proofs most clear. By miracles and signs and wonders shown. Among you wrought, and, therefore, to you known To be the power of God — Him up being given, ^3 By the foreknowledge and the will of Heaven, Ye wickedly did crucify and 'slay ; Whom God raised from the dead on the third day — =+ Loosing the bands inviolate of old — For 't was not possible Him death should hold. For David in His name speaks in one place : ^s ' I aye the Lord beheld before My face ; For He 's on My right hand ; My heart, therefore, Was glad ; My tongue rejoiced. My flesh, moreo'er,^^ Shall also dwell in hope, because, that Thou ^7 Wilt not My soul in Hades leave, nor wilt allow Thy Holy One to see corruption ? Let 29 362 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Me say, that David died, and we have yet j^^^ His tomb with us. Being a prophet, he, 30 Knowing that God hath sworn, that there should be One from his loins to sit upon his throne, In dignity surpassing far his own. Spake with a foresight that the end sufficed, Touching the resurrection of the Christ — 31 His soul was not in Hades left, nor did His flesh corruption see, as thing forbid. This Jesus, God raised up, whereof we are 32 All witnesses. Being exalted, far 33 Above the highest heaven, to God's right hand. Clothed with suprem*e dominion and command. And having of the Father (all achieved) The promise of the Holy Ghost received. He hath poured forth this which ye see and hear. For David further saith, with meaning clear : 34 '' The Lord to my Lord said : '^ Sit in repose On my right hand, until I make Thy foes 35 Thy footstool ! Let the house of Israel 36 Be certain, therefore, of the truth I tell — This Jesus, whom ye lately crucified, Hath God made Christ and Sovereign Lord beside." VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS.— TRANSLATION. 363 VENI, CREATOR SPUilTlJS.— Trans/atton. I. Creator Spirit, come ! Thy praying people wait ; Fill with Thyself and make Thy home In breasts Thou didst create. II. Thou Gift of God above ! Our Paraclete Thou art — While he was speaking, pricked in heart, there spread u"^ Through the vast multitude a solemn dread ; And, at the end, from lips of pallid hue Arose the cry : " What, brethren, shall we do ?" And Peter said : " Repent, and be baptized 3^ In Jesus' name, for thus is symbolized Remission of offences against Heaven, So shall the Holy Ghost to you be given. 39 Then were baptized, all who the word believed, Three thousand being on that day received. 3^4 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. The Living Fount, the Fire, the Love, The Breath that sets apart. III. With sevenfold grace endue : Finger of God here reach: Thou, Promise of the Father, who Dost throats enrich with speech. IV. Kindle a light within : Love in our bosoms pour, * Strengthen our weakness, purge our sin, Make steadfast evermore. V. The enemy drive far : Give peace to every one : Be Thou our Leader in the war, That we all ill may shun. VI. May we the Father know. And know the Son through Thee, Believe Thou art of both, and so Forevermore wilt be. VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS.— TRANSLATION. 365 VII. Let praise to Father, Son, And Paraclete be said ! And may there be on everyone The Spirit's charism^ shed ! Veni, Creator Spiritus, Mentes tuorum visita, Imple supernd gratia Quae tu creasti pectora. II. Qui Paraclitus diceris, Altissimi donum Dei, Fons vivus, ignis, caritas, Et spiritalis unctio. III. Tu septiformis munere, Dextrae Dei tu digitus, Tu rite promissum Patris Sermone ditans guttura. IV. Accende lumen sensibus, Infunde amorem cordibus, Infirma nostri corporis Virtute firmans perpete. V. Hostem repellas longius, Pacemque dones protinus, Ductore sic te praevio Vitemus omne noxium. VI. Per te sciamus, da, Patrem, Noscamus atque Filium, Te utriusque Spiritum Credamus omni tempore. VII. Sit laus Patri cum Filio, Sancto simul Paraclito, Nobisque mittat Filius, Charisma Sancto Spiritus. *Charism (Gr. charisma, a gift). A miraculous gift, e. g., as of healing, of tongues, etc. 366 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. VENI, CREATOR SPIRITV S.—ParaJ>/imsed. I. • Creator Spirit, who didst brood Above the watery solitude, And shoot into abysmal night The blessed beams of life and light, Whence worlds on worlds in beauty rose To fill the void, and at the close Didst fashion man above the rest To make a Temple of his breast — O come, inhabit it once more, Its pristine purity restore ! II. Thou, who art called the Paraclete— Of highest God the Gift most sweet — The Living Fount that gushes free, Upspringing to eternity ; The Fire that warms and purifies ; The Love that antedates the skies ; VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS.— PARAPHRASED. 367 The Unction and the Breath Divine That consecrate and make us Thine, — Come, visit us, come, Holy Ghost ! And let us be Thy honored host. III. Sevenfold the gifts Thou dost dispense, Finger of God's omnipotence ! Before the might Thou dost supply, The unresisting demons fly, The sick, by a swift miracle. Thou makest in a moment well : The Promise of the Father, sent To make throats rich and opulent With the divinity of speech And power in various tongues to teach. IV. Light in our darkened senses dart ; Love shed abroad in every heart ; The frailties of our body aid — • By virtue strengthened and upstayed ; The enemy of souls repel ; Let peace henceforth within us dwell ; 368 THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Be Thou our Leader and our Guide, Nor suffer us to turn aside ; Ag-ainst our treacherous hearts defend, And be our Advocate and Friend ! V. Both from the Father and the Son Thou dost proceed, for God is One. Help us to apprehend through Thee The dearness of the Trinity : With interceding groans and cries Let our doxologies arise, And with a pathos all their own Plead for us at th' Eternal Throne. We Father, Son and Thee adore — The Triune God forevermore. TEXTUAL INDEX. OLD TESTAMENT. Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. GENESIS. i. 26 Ill 15 Vll. 11- 17 XI 9- II Xlll. 10 XIV. 3- 10 XVlll. 2, 22 XIX. 24, 30 25 XXll. 18 XXlll. 19 XXXll. I- II 22, 23 24, 30 xi. 9- II xli. 43 xlix. 10 Evangel. L. of W. Evangel. 13, 14 49 144 284 129 130, 140 22 129 270 50 270 258, 259 262-264 22 232 82 50, 57 EXODUS. Evanarel. 226 70, 71 292, 293 298 LEVITICUS. 11. viii. xii. II 6-12 2-8 Evangel. 230 122, 123 71, 72 Chap. Verse. Volume. Pagre. XVI. xviii. XX. xxiv. 10 21 2-5 16 Evangel. 141 276 276 67 NUMBERS. Xlll. xxi. xxii. xxvii. xxix. xxxii. 2 I Evangel. 3 16 21, 23 I, 2-28 8, 10 2-18 1-26 220-229 234 65 250, 259 299. 310 27 299-310 250 DEUTERONOMY JOSHUA. i. I, 5, 9 11. 1-22 111. 2-16 Evangel. 311 311-312 312, 317 24 370 TEXTUAL INDEX. Chap. IV. V, vi. vii. viii. ix. X. xi. xxii. xxiv. Verse. Volume. Page. IV. V. vi. xii, ix. 1-19 1-15 13-16 1-19 1-26 I 3-16 1-43 1-23 1-6 31 Evangel, 317 315-319 22 3i9> 321 320-322 322 322 322-328 328-332 332, 333 334 JUDGES. RUTH. 1-21 Evangel. 343-348 I SAMUEL. 3-II I-IO 1-21 I, 2 1-15 Evangel. 340, 341 341, 342 342 343 294 Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. X. xi. xii. xiii.j XV. xvi. xix. xxii. xxiii. xxiv. I, 2 I- ■14 I 12, 6 23 22, 23 I, 10 22 I 25 3 Evangel. 290, 291 291, 292 291, 292 270 286 187, 294 187-189 270 270 270 II SAMUEL. 1. ii. iii. iv. V. vi. vii. xvii. xviii. 17-27 4-17 I 5-12 3-9 2-15 2-13 24 9. 14, 33 Evangel. 326 348, 260 348 348 348, 349 349 352 260 261. 262 I KINGS. iv. 33 Evangel 244, 245 vni. 3-39 352-355 X. II, 43 356 31, 33 361 XI. 1-43 355, 356 Xll. 1-32 357. 358 XV. 29 361 XVIU. 4-13 270 XIX. 14-18 358, 359 XXII. 29-37 359, 360 xxvn. 6 361 XXVIU. I 362 II KINGS. xvii. L. of W. 20 TEXTUAL INDEX. 3/1 Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. I CHRONICLES. 8-15 Evangel 260 II CHRONICLES. Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. PROVERBS. vii. viii. 5 12 Note. 22, 31 L. of W. Evangel. XX. xxni. xxxiii. 29-35 4. 5 83 225 225 91, 92 212-217 212-218 212-218 ECCLESIASTES. 244 381 238-248 238-248 238-241 238-248 238-248 238-248 172 TEXTUAL INDEX. Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. JEREMIAH. 19 Evangel. vu. II Vlll. 22 XXlll. 6 XXIX. 10 XXXll. 35 xliii. 13 xHx. 16 EZEKIEL. viii. 16 Evangel. XXVll. 5.6 XXXIV. 23, 24 xxxix. II, 18 xlvii. 6, 8 ( < 236 237 51 237, 238 132, 138 DANIEL. ii. 24 L. of W. vii. 13, 14 < ( IX. 25 < i 24-27 Evangel. OBADIAH. 2-6 Evangel. 5 5 5 51 i. 3, 4 Evangel. 270 JONAH. 124, 125 Chap. Verse. Volume. Pas-e. MICAH. v. 2-6 Evangel. 2 " vi. 6-8 ( ( 5-8 ( ( IV. 6, 7 L. of W. 270 52 286, 287 303 5 NAHUM. i. 4 Evangel 238 HABAKKUK. ii. 15 Evangel. 219 HAGGAI. ii. 7 3-9 Evangel. 1 i 51 366 ZECHARIAH vi. xi. 12, 13 12 Evangel. L. of W. 51 278 MALACHI. 5.6 5, 6 Evangel. 112 171 TEXTUAL INDEX. 373 NEW TESTAMENT. Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. MATTHEW. i. 1-17 Evangel. 18-25 ( < 21 1 < 11. 1-23 " ill. 1-12 " 13-17 < ( 12 L. of W. IV. i-ii Evangel. 12-16 ( ( 13-22 L. of W. 17 1 1 V. 1-48 ( ( 33, 37 Evangel. VI. 5-15 < < 1-34 L. of W. Vll. 23 Evangel. 1-29 L. of W. vm. 29 Evangel. I, 5-13 L. of W. 14-17 ( ( 2-4 18-34 ( ( IX. 2-8 9-17 t < I, 18-35 < ( X. I, 5-39 ( ( 34-36 Evangel. x:. I 2-ig L. of W. (1 25-27 Evangel. 27 ( 1 Xll. 1-21 24-50 L. of W. 46-50 Evangel. Note. ( ( Xlll. 1-52 L. of W. 26-28 42, 43 65-69 77-90 104-119 120-141 8 142-169 234-240 38-43 30 75-87 284, 285 372-385 87-92 120-125 92-96 187-191 98, 99 44-50 50, 51 135-139 51-55 55-60 139-149 143-149 75 149 103-109 92, 93 121-125 69, 72 118-124 197, 198 186 128-134 Chap. Verse. 3-12 58 55 xiv. 3-12 I 6-10 13-36 XV. 1-38 XVI. 15, 19 13-23 XVll. 1-21 XVUl. 1-35 8, Note. 18 XIX. 13-30 XX. 1-16 17-34 28 XXI. 1-17 28-46 29-32 XXll. 41-45 15-46 XXlll. 1-39 35 XXIV. 1-51 34, Note XXV. 1-46 12, Note XXVI. 1-29 17-29 30-75 53 xxvu. 1-30 31-66 3 XXVlll. 1-20 19 18-20 ' Volume. L. of W. Evangel. L. of W. Evangel L. of W. Evangel. L. of W. Evangel. L. of W. Evangel, L. of W. Evangel. L. of W. Evangel. L. of W. Evangel. L. of W. Evangel. L. of W. Evangel. L. of W. Evangel. L. of W. Evangel. Page. 100, 103 34 102, 103 100, 103 308 283 149-153 159-164 177-181 66, 167 167, 170 172, 175 162 179, 181 225-228 228-230 231-233 loi, 102 237-240 242-244 109 51 245-247 248-254 83 256-267 209 267-272 120, 121 276-284 226-228 295-303 277, 278 310-316 317-327 109 331-351 166, 118 374 TEXTUAL INDEX. Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. Chap. Verse. Volume. 1 ! Page. LUKE. MARK. i. 5-25 26-56 Evangel. 29-35 35-42 i. 1-8 Evangel. 104, 119 57-80 1 ( 44-48 12, 13 1 ( 142-169 31 ( < 65-69 35 ( < 236 15, ^v. ( 1 230 38 L. of W. 30 ii. 1-7 ( 1 55-58 16-20 ( 1 39-43 8-20 ( ( 58-62 21-45 ( ( 44-51 21 ( ( 65-69 ii. 1-12 Evangel. 369-371 22-29 1 1 71-76 16, 17 ( < 214 52 i i 91-93 27, 28 ( 1 292, 293 41-51 " 94-103 1-12 L. of W. 51-53 42, A^. 1 ( 2 13-28 < ( 55-70 iii. 1-18 i < IO4-II9 iii. 31-35 Evangel. 195, 197 23-38 < ( 26-28 Note. » > 186 23 " 140, 141 1-12 L. of W. 70-72 iv. 1-13 ( 1 142-169 13-19 ( ( 75 15 L. of W. 30-36 19-35 ( < 118-124 31-44 " 44-50 iv. 1-32 ( ( 128-132 V. i-ii ( ( 43 35-41 L. of W. 135, 136 12-26 ( 1 50-53 V. 20-43 < ( 136-142 27-39 i t 55-60 3 Evangel. 270 vi. i-ii ( 1 69, 70 vi. 6-13 L. of W. 143, 144 12-49 1 1 75-96 21-27 ( 1 100-103 vii. 24, 25 i ^ 47, 48 30-56 1 < 149-153 1-17 1 1 98-100 vii. 1-37 ' ' 159-163 18-35 i t 103-109 viii. I-IO < 1 163, 164 36-50 1 1 109-115 27-30 1 ( 165, 166 viii. 19-21 Evangel. 195-198 ix. 2-29 ( 1 167-170 Note. << 186 30, 33-50 ( < 172, 173 1-3 L. of W. 114-118 49 " 78 3 ( i 308 X. I ( ( 311 4-15 i i 128, 130 13-52 " 225-233 19-21 i i 124 xi. 1-33 " 238-242 22-56 ( ( 135-142 xii. 1-44 ( 1 242-254 ix. 23. Evangel. 216 • xiii. 1-37 " 256-267 1-6 L. of W. 143-144 xiv. 1-25 1 1 276-284 6 ( ( 149 26-72 1 1 295-304 10-17 ( ( 149-151 XV. 1-19 1 < 306-317 28-62 < ( 167-176 20-47 " 317-327 X. 13 Evangel. 161-164 xvi. 1-20 ( 4 331-351 21-23 ( < 92-93 15 1 ( 6 15 ( ( 244 TEXTUAL INDEX. 375 Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. Chap. Verse. Volume. Paffc. I, 17-20 L. of W. 175, 176 17 Evangel. 366 25-42 < ( 182-185 13-21 < < 367-369 xi. 27, 28 Evangel. 195-198 23-25 L. of W. I. 2 Note. ( < 186 8 208 13 L. of W. 8 1 iii. 3 Evangel 21 14-36 ' ' 118 16 ' ' iS 27 ' ' 124 j 1-21 L. of W. 3-10 xii. I ( < 124, 125 ! 3-6 ' ' 206 13-21 < ( 125 22-36 " 14-16 xiii. 32 Evangel. 105 iv. 14 t < 8 25-27, yV. ( ( 120-123 ! 1-42 1 ( 19-27 1-9 L. of W. 126, 127 21-23 ( « 27, 28 22-35 ' ' 211, 212 43-54 ' ' 29. 30 xiv. 5-24 ' ' 212-214 V. 15-21 ' ' 149-153 XV. 1-32 ( ( 214-218 32 ' ' 207 xvi. I-3I ( < 220-223 19 Evangel. 209 xvii. 20, 21 " 6 I L. of W. 2 12-18 t ( 176, 177 1-47 1 < 60-68 xviii. i6, 17 Evangel. 92, 93 ! vi. 42 Evangel. 21 1-8 L. of W. 224, 225 5-21 L. of W. 150, 151 15-30 ( < 231-233 22-69 ( < 153-157 xix. 46 Evangel. 367 39, 40 1 i 207 1-44 L. of W. 233-240 j vii. 5, 13 Evangel. 236 XX. 20-47 ( ( 245-248 I L. of W. 2 xxi. 20, N'. Evangel. 8-52 " 177-179 1-36 L. of W. 254-257 viii. 37 Evangel. 75 xxii. 31,32,40 Evangel. 218 58, N. L. of W. 258 7-20 ( ( 226 1-59 ( 1 179-181 1-20 L. of W. 276-284 ix. 1-41 1 < 185-189 39-71 ( ( 295-304 X. 1-42 * * 189-193 xxiii. 1-19 * ' 305-309 xi. . 1,38 Evangel. 372 33-56 < ( 317-327 1-46 L. of W. 194-198 xxiv. 1-53 < < 331-356 20-25 i ( 199 xii. 47-54 20 1 ( 210, 211 254-256 JOHN. ! 2 ( i 276 xiii. I, 10-19 1-38 (( 237-239 278-283 i. 1-18 Evangel. 13-18 xiv. 30 Evangel. 52 17 " 92, 93 26 ( ( 213 31-34 1 < 120-141 1-31 L. of W. 284-291 19-51 ( i 170-184 2 1 ( 209 II " 235 XV. 1-27 ( ( 284-287 13 L. of W. 7 xvi. 1-33 ' ' 1 287-291 ii. i-ii 1 ( 1S5-234 xvii. 1-26 ' ' 1 291-293 12 ' ' 235 25 ( < 1 199 37^ TEXTUAL INDEX. Chap. 1 Verse. Volume. 1. ii. vii. viii, ix. XI. XV. Page. ACTS. i. 3-8 15 L. of W. 11. 1-39 ' ' 37, 38 Evangel. 111. 19 IV. II, 12 vi. 1-3 (I Vll. 45, 54 I ( Vlll. 9-1 1 X. 38 < ( 34 L. of W. xi. I Evangel. Xlll. 6, 8 ( ( 33 ( ( I L. of W. xvi. 24-28 ( ( XX. 21 < ( 355, 356 359 359-363 179-181 179-181 179-181 292, 293 64-95 78 122, 123 7 283 66, 78 122, 123 308 27, 28 179, 181 ROMANS. 25 5 4 13 I9>23, 32 4, 5 5 4 12 29 I Evangel, L. of W. ( ( Evangel. L. of W. Evangel, I. CORINTHIANS. ii. 9 L. of W. iii. II, 21, 22 Evangel. V. 6-8 (( 7 < < VI, ID xi. 23 L. of W. XV. 5 ( ( 6, 7 ( ( 36-52 < ( 9 178, 179 227 236 225 284 339 354, 355 203, 204 Chap. Verse. Volume. Pagre. II CORINTHIANS. V. 21 I, 3 L. of W. Vll. 10 Evangel. 9 205, 208 108 GALATIANS. iii. 28 L. of W. IV. 4,6 6-19 Evangel. 7 49, 64 186 EPHESIANS- i. 5,8 Evangel. 11. 50 < ( 1-5 L. of W. V. 8-10 Evangel. 26 ( ( 225 178, 181 I, 68 78, 125 8 PHILIPPIANS. ii. 6 9 Evangel. L. of W. 111. 20 21 ( < < 1 10, II < ( iv. I 1 ( 63, lOI 202, 285 207 26 COLOSSIANS. 15, 16 Evangel. 11. 13 L. of W. iii. 3 < I iv. 5.6 < ( II <( 63 7,68 201 78 66 TEXTUAL INDEX. 377 Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. I THESSALONIANS. ig, 20 6-8 23 L. of Vv^. 26 Evangel. 223, 224 L. of W, 198 II THESSALONIANS. n. iii. Evangel. I TIMOTHY. II TIMOTHY. i. 10 Evangel. 11. 17, 18 •' IV I, 8 3, 4 " TITUS. 13 lEvangel. 5 JL. of W. 89 ii. 14 Evangel. 50 111. 2, 3 220-222 IV. 7 ( ( 103 VI. 14 89 20 ( 1 19 89 19 89 103 go Chap. Verse. Volume. Page HEBREWS. i. iv. 4, 6 5,6 8 Evangel. 1 ( v. 5 5-10 VII. 14 21 21-27 25 X. 1-7 xu. 3 xiii. 29 8 63 122, 123 65 122, 123 I2O-I4I 56 109 52, 53 197 53> 54 75 iig 197 JAMES. I PETER. i. 23 L. cf W. 5 23 ' ' 8 11. 4, 5 Evangel. 177 6 74, 75 21 L. of W. 354 V. 8, g Evangel. 213 8, g < ( 224, 225 ii. II PETER. I Evangel 73 3/8 TEXTUAL INDEX. Chap. Verse. Volume. Page. Chap. Verse. 1 Volume. Page. I JOHN. REVELATION i. I 1-6 Evangel. 19 16-18 It. iii. I 8 ( i 72 161-165 1. 8 18 Evangel. L. of W. 92, 93 206 IV. V. 2-3 i6 I < < L. of W. 19 18 8 111. \' i i . 14 20 15 ( t 5 34 201 6-9 6-9 Evangel. < ( 119-141 125 xi. xxii. 15 15 ( ( 165-167 66 7 < ( 332 L\TIN HYMNS WITH ORIGINAL TRANSLA- j TIONS. By Abraham Coles, M. D., LL. D. D. Appleton & Company, New York. In Four Parts, viz.: I — Dies Ir^e, in Thirteen Original Versions. Fifth Edition, pp. no. 2 — Stabat Mater (dolorosa). Second Edition, pp. 37. 3 — Stabat Mater (speciosa). pp. 25. 4 — Old Gems in New Settings. Being additional se- lections from Mediaeval Hymnology. pp. 77. All bound together, with Biographical and Critical Prefaces, Illustrations, etc. Crown 8vo., pp. 249. By the Same Author, THE MICROCOSM AND OTHER POEMS. Beau- tifully Illustrated. Crown 8vo., pp. 348. $2.50. Also, THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF OUR LORD, In Verse. Being a complete Harmonized Expo- sition of the Four Gospels, with Original Notes, etc. In Two Volumes, viz.: Vol. I., The Evangel (pp. 405), Illustrated with 28 full-page "Artotype" copies of costly first- class Engravings. Crown 8vo. $5.00. Vol. II., The Light of the World (pp. 395), Illustrated with a full-page "Artotype" copy of Munkacsy's celebrated picture of '' Christ BefQi'e Pilate.'" Crown 8vo. $2.50. The Same, Two Volumes i?i One. Illustrated with Mun- kacsy's " Christ Before Pilate'' Crown 8vo., pp. 405+395 = PP- 8oo- $2.50. NOTICES OF THE PRESS. '* We commend the volume (Dies Ir.e, /// Thirteen Original Fe?- sions) as one of great interest, and an admirable tribute from Ameri- can scholarship and poetic taste to the supreme nobility of the original poem. Dr. Coles has shown a fine appreciation of the spirit and rhythmic movement of the Hymn, as well as unusual command of language and rhyme ; and we much doubt whether any translation of the Dies Inr, better than the first of the thirteen, will ever be pro- duced in English, except perhaps by himself. ... As to the transla- tion of the Hymn, it is perhaps the most difficult task that could be undertaken. To render Fausi or the Songs of Egmont into fitting English numbers, would be easy in comparison. — Richard GnDii Whitei^The Albio7i). "The book is a gem both typographically and intrinsically ; beau- tifully printed at the ' Riverside Press,' in the loveliest antique type, on tinted paper, with liberal margins, embellished v/ith exquisite photographs of the great masterpieces of Christian Art, and withal elegantly and solidly bound in Matthew's best style, a gentleman-like book, suggestive of Christmas and the centre-table ; and its contents worthy of their dainty envelope, amply entitling it as vv^ell to a place on the shelves of the scholar The first two of the Thirteen Versions of the Dies L'ce appeared in the ' Newark Daily Advertiser' as long ago as 1847. They were extensively copied by the press, and warmly commended — particularly by the Rev. Drs. James W. Alex- ander and W. R. Williams, scholars whose critical acumen and liter- ary ability are universally recognized — as being the best of the English versions in double rhyme ; and examples of singular success in a difficult undertaking, in which many, and of eminent name, had been competitors. The eleven other versions are worthy companions of those which have received such eminent endorsement. Indeed, we are not sure but that the last, which is in the same measure as Crashaw's, but in our judgment far superior, will please the general taste most of slV'—Rev, S. I. Prime, D. D. {Neio York Ol'so-ver), " There are few versions of the Hymn which will bear to be com- pared with these ; we are surprised that they are ^11 so well done." William C. Bryant (zV. Y. Evening Post). "Dr. Coles has made, we think, the most successful attempt at an English translation of the hymn that we have ever seen .... He has done so well that we hope he will try his hand'on some of the other Latin Hymns. By rendering them in their own metres, and with so large a transfusion of their spirit as characterizes his present attempt, he will be doing a real service to the lovers of that kind of religious poetry in which neither the religion nor the poetry is left out. He has shown that he knows the worth of faithfulness." — James Russell Lowell {Atlantic Monthly). "Of Dr. Coles' remarkable success as respects these particulars (namely, faithfulness and variety), no one competent to judge can doubt.... For all that enters into a good translation, fidelity to the sense of the original, uniform conformity to its tenses, preservation of its metrical form without awkwardly inventing, inelegantly abbrevia- ting, or violently straining the sense of the words, and the reproduc- tion of its vital spirit — for all these qualities Dr. Coles' first translation stands, we believe, not only unsurpassed, but unequalled in the Eng- lish language." — Christian {Quarterly) Review. " Dr. A. Coles has long been known to the literary worid as spec- ially successful in the translation of Latin Hymns. His renderings of the Dies Im are familiar to many readers. He has now also pre- pared a book entitled Old Gems in Sfeiv Settings, an exquisite volume, in which we find the De CoUcmpiu Miindi, the Veni Sancte Spiriftis, and other fine old favorites skillfully and gracefully translated. The grand hymn or poem of Bernard de Clugny, of which the extracts in this book are styled Urbs Ccelestis Syon, is rendered in a style very nearly resembling the original, and gives the reader, who does not understand Latin, an excellent idea of the peculiar characteristics of the hymn of Bernard. Besides these, we have the Stadat Mater, with a complete history of the noble hymn, and a very fine translation. The lovers of old hymns owe a special debt of gratitude to Dr. Coles for the good taste and the thorough appreciation and ability which he brings to the work of placing these glorious old songs within reach of the modern world. We could wish them to become favorites in every family, and they will so become in spite of their Latin origin." — IVilliain C. Prime {Journal of Commerce). " United with a rare command of language and facility of versifica- tion, this is the secret of the eminent success with which the Transla- tor has reproduced the solemn litany of the Middle Ages in such a variety of forms. If not all of equal excellence, it is hard to decide as to their respective merits, so admirably do they embody the tone and sentiment of the original in vigorous and impressive verse. The essays which precede and follow the Hymn, exhibit the learning and the taste of the translator in a most favorable light, and show that an antiquary and a poet have not been lost in the study of science and the practice of a laborious profession, i::" addition to the Thirteen Versions of Dies Ircc, the volume contains translations of the Stabat Mater, Urbs Cxlestis Syon, Veni Creator Spiritus, and other choice mediaeval hymns which have been executed with equal unction and felicity. " We have also a poem by the same author, entitled The Microcosm, read before the Medical Society of New Jersey at its Centenary anni- versary. It is an ingenious attempt to present the principles of the animal economy in a philosophical poem, somewhat after the manner of Lucretius, and combining scientific analysis with religious senti- ment. In ordinary hands, we should not regard this as a happy, nor a safe experiment, but the dexterity with which it has been managed by Dr. Coles, illustrates his versatile talent as well as the originality of his conceptions." — George Ripley {Nezv York Tribune). " Dr. Coles has been too long away from a public which has already shown itself kindly to hftn, and we thank him, especially, for this book of his own ( The Microcosm). . . Why should not the wonderful make of man — the might and cunning skill that are moulded in him — furnish a very choice theme for poetry ? Dr. Coles, accustomed, by his profession, to search among and study out these marvels, knowing hovv^ they are grouped together, what work they do, and how they are fitted for it, believes that here is one of the very noblest themes for such use, hitherto strangely left alone. This therefore is the occasion of his writing The Microcosm. . The Eustachian Tube, and Cerebellum and CEsophagus, made into poetry, must have astonished the well- informed Medical Faculty of New Jersey, much as a farmer's smoke- house and pig-sty and shed would astonish him, if made into a picture. And Dr. Coles has really made them into poetry.. ..Tissue and organ, and channel, and duct are very skillfully and beautifully described, and made to witness to God's goodness : the skin, the nerves, the flesh, the heart, the eye, the tongue, the ear, the seeing, hearing, speech, light, tears, sleep, music, the blind, the dumb, the living mind. Whatever in man is good, and strong, and fine, and beautiful, finds place in Dr. Coles' Poem, and is so set forth that the man of science and the man who can read and feel the force of good thoughts and tuneful words, and knows nothing of anatomy and physiology, beside the cheapest axioms of food and sleep, m^ay alike enjoy the reading. Whoever has only grovelling notions of man's nature, and knows the body only as an instrument of low pleasure and a vehicle of pain and punishment, would here learn something better of himself and worthier of the answer which he, like holier men, must make, at last. Not that all is preaching. The book is, indeed, written by a Christian man, to whom his faith in his Redeemer and relationship to God are dearer than all other things ; but the blush of maiden-love and the conscious glance of the eye ; the deep mother's love for the infant nestling in the bosom, and nursing at the breast ; the hallowed happiness of two made one, in Christ ; all these glow in his pages, with an attractive beauty beyond the common. All that imaginative and eloquent account of the brain and its great faculty. we would take, whole, if we could.... If high thoughts, m glowing Avords, be noble, is not this which we have just read ?. . . .One meets, continually, in this poem, such passages as the following ; and one. such, even, would show the fine skill and glowing power of the writer. " The second book whose title stands at the head of this article — the Stabat Mater — is a translation with very interesting comments. . . . Like most poets, the author of The Microcostn writes prose beauti- fully, and the reader will never find, in the prose of these volumes, anything but what is interesting. In the poem and remarks which accompany the Stabat Mater is the utmost justness of criticism, full- ness of information, and gracefulness of expression. If as much can be learned, elsewhere, of the origin and character, and history of that hymn, we may safely say that it can nowhere be learned so pleas- antly. These parts of the book, like the corresponding parts of the book on the Dies Ira, we hold to be especially valuable." — jRev. Robert Lotvell, D. D. {The Church Alonthh'). " Dr. Coles has supplied a want and done a graceful work in The Microcosm. What the flower or babbling stream is to Wordsworth, that is the stranger, more complex, and more beautiful human frame to our author. In its organs, its powers, its aspirations, and its passions, he finds ample theme for song. . . Everywhere the rhythm is flowing and easy, and no scholarly man can peruse the work without a glance of wonder at the varied erudition, classical, poetical, and learned, that crowds its pages, and overflows in foot-notes. And through the whole is a devout religious tone and a purity of purpose worthy of all praise." — Newark Daily Advertiser. " Dr. Coles' researches, made so lovingly and conscientiously in his special field of poetical scholarship, have given him a distinct and most enviable position among American authors. We of the younger sort learn a lesson of reverent humility from the pure enthusiasm with which he approaches and handles his noble themes. The ' tone ' of all his works is perfect. He is so thoroughly in sympathy with his subjects that the lay reader instantly shares his feeling ; and there is a kind of ' white light ' pervading the whole — prose and verse — which at any time tranquilizes and purifies the mind." — Edmund C. Siedmatt. " I have finished the reading of The Microcosm, which has afforded me unmingled delight. It is really a remarkable poem, and has pas- sages of great beauty and power. It cannot fail to secure the admi- ration of all capable of appreciating it. Its ease, its exquisite finish, its vivid yet delicate and powerful imagery, and above all its sublime religious interest, entitle it to a very high place in our literature." — Eev. Robert Ttirnbull, D. D. "The idea of The Microcosm is novel and daring, but it is worked out with great skill and delicacy. The Evajigei is a work of piety and beauty. The Proem opens with strong, vigorous yet melodious verse." — John G. Whitticr. " The Evangel in Verse, is the ripest fruit of the scholarship, taste and poetic talent of one of our accomplished students of Eng- lish verse, whose translations of Dies Ira: and other poems have made the name of Dr. Coles familiar in the literature of our day. In the work before us he has attempted something higher and better than any former essay of his skillful pen. He has rendered the Gospel story of our Lord and Saviour into verse, with copious notes, giving the largest amount of knowledge from critical authorities to justify and explain the readings and to illuminate the sacred narrative. . . . He excludes everything fictitious, and clings to the orthodox view of the character and mission of the God-man. The illustrations are a complete pictorial anthology. Thus the poet, critic, commentator and artist has made a volume that will take its place among the rare productions of the age, as an illustration of the genius, taste, and fertile scholarship of the author." — Rev. S. Irenaus Pjime, D. D. {The Nexi) York Observer). " The purpose of this volume would be usually regarded as beyond the scope of poetic composition. It aims to reproduce the scenes of the Gospel History in verse, with a strict adherence to the sacred nar- rative and no greater degree of imaginative coloring than v/ould serve to present the facts in the most brilliant and impressive light. But the subject is one with which the author cherishes so profound a sympathy, as in some sense to justify the boldness of the attempt. The Oriental cast of his mind allures him to the haunts of sacred song, and produces a vital communion v/ith the spirit of Hebrew poetry. Had he lived in the days of Isaiah or Jeremiah, he might have been one of the bards who sought inspiration ' at Siloa's brook that flowed fast by the oracle of God.' The present work is not the first fruits of his religious Muse, but he is already known to the lovers of mediaeval literature by his admirable translations of the Dies Ira. .... The volume is brought out in a style of unusual elegance, as it respects the essential requisites of paper, print and binding, while the copious illustrations will attract notice by their selection of the most celebrated works of the best masters." — George Ripley {The Nexo York Tribune). " The Evangel in Verse is a feast to the eye and ear and heart. The careful exegesis, the conscientious loyalty to the statements of the Holy Story, the sympathetic reproduction of a remote and Oriental past, the sacred insight into the meaning of the Peerless Career, the homageful yet manly, unsuperstitious reverence, the rhythm as melo- dious as stately, the frequent notes, opulent in learning and doc- trine and devotion, the illustrations deftly culled from whatever is choice in ancient and modern art, these are some of the many excellencies which give to 7'he Evangel in Verse an immortal beauty and worth, adding it as another coronet for Him on whose brow are many diadems." — Rev. Geo. D. BoardtJian, D. D. " I admire the skill which The Evangel displays in investing with rainbow hues the simple narrations of tl e Gospels. All, however, who have read Dr. Coles' versions of the Dies Ira and other Latin Hymns must be prepared to receive any new productions from his pen with high expectations. In these da) s when even the clerical office seems in many cases insufl5cient to protect from the present fashionable form of scepticism, it is a great satisfaction to see a man of science and a scholar adhering so faithfully to the simple Gospel." —Rev. Charles Hodge, D. D. , LI. D. " Dr. Coles is plainly a man of a very religious heart and a deeply reverential mind. . . . Moreover he has so much learning in his favorite subject, and so much critical instinct and experience, that those who can relish honest thinking, and tender and most skillful and true deductions, accept his teaching and suggestion with a ready — sometimes surprised — sympathy and confidence. Add to all this, that he has the sure taste of a poet, and the warm and loving earnest- ness of a true believer in the redeeming Son of God, and the catho- lic spirit of one who knows v/ith mind and heart that Christianity at its beginning was Christianity, and we have the man who can write such books as earnest Christian people will welcome and be thankful for In this new book he proposes ' that The isz'i?«^'t7 shall be a poetic version, and verse by verse paraphrase, so far as it goes, of the Four Gospels, anciently and properly regarded as one.' He makes an exquisite plea, in his preface, for giving leave to the glad words to rejoice at the Lord's coming in the Flesh, for which all other beings and things show their happiness In the notes the reader will find (if he have skill for such things) a treasure-house, in which everything is worthy of its place. Where he has offered new interpretations, or set forth at large interpretations not generally re- ceived or familiar, he modestly asks only to have place given him. and gives every one free leave to differ. Everywhere there is the largest and most true-hearted charity. . . . The reader cannot open anywhere without finding in these notes, if he be not wiser or more learned than ourselves, a great deal that he never saw, or never saw so well set forth before." — Rev. Robert Lo^vcll, D. D. {C/mrch Monthly). "There is a kind of straightforward simplicity about the poetical paraphrases which reminds one of the homelier but still always inter- esting verses which John Bunyan sprinkles like drops of heavenly dew along the pages of the Pilgrim's Progress. The illustrations add much to the work, in the way of ornament, and aid to the imag- ination. One among them is of terrible power, as it seems to me, such as it would be hard to show the equal of in the work of any modern artist. I mean Holman Hunt's 'Scapegoat.' There is a whole Theology in that picture. It haunts me with its fearful sugges- tiveness like a nightmare. I find The Evangel an impressive and charming book. It does not provoke criticism — it is too devout, too sincere, too thoroughly conscientious in its elaboration to allovv^ of fault- finding or fault-hunting." — Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes. ' ' I have read a considerable part of The Evangel and with pleasure and satisfaction. The versification of the Lord's Prayer is both an expansion of the sense and a commentary. The thought has often occurred to me what a world of meaning is there v/rapped up, and that meaning is admirably brought out." — PVilliaj?i C. Bryant. "The skill of Dr. Coles as an artistic poet, his reverent, religious spirit, and the exalted flight of his Muse in the regions of holy medi- tation are familiar to our readers. It is, therefore, superfluous for us to do more than to announce a new and elegant volume from his pen — The Microcosm and Other Poems. It is rich in its contents. The Microcosm is an essay in verse on the Science of the Human Body; it is literally the science of physiology condensed into 1,400 lines. The many occasional poems that follow are the efflorescence of a mind sensitive to the Beautiful and rejoicing in the True; finding God in everything, and delighting to trace the Revelation of His Love in all the works of His hand. Such a volume is not to be looked at for a moment and then laid aside. Like the great epics, it is a book for all time, and will lose none of its interest and value by the lapse of years. The publishers have given it a splendid dress, and the illustrations add greatly to the attractions of this truly elegant book." — New York Observer. " The flavor of the book — The Microcosm and Other Poems — is most quaint, suggesting, on the religious side, George Herbert, and on the naturalistic side, the elder Darwin, who, in "The Botanic Garden," laid the seed of the revolution in science accomplished by the patient genius of his grandson. Some of the hymns for children are beauti- ful in their simplicity and truth." — Nezv York Times. " The long poem, The Micj'ocos?n , which gives its name to the present collection, has m'any beautiful and stately passages. Among the shorter pieces following it, is to be found some of the best devotional and patriotic poetry that has been written in this country."— The Critic. " In this exquisite and brilliantly illustrated volume, the scholarly author has gathered up various children of his pen and grouped them in family unity. The Microcosm, which forms one-fifth of the volume of 350 pages, is an attempt to present, in poetical form, a compen- dium of the Science of the Human Body. In originality of conception and felicity of expression, it has not been approached by any work of our best modern poets. The other poems are all marked by the highest poetic taste, having passages of great beauty and power." — Frank Leslie" s Illustrated Newspaper. "The title-poem in this exquisitely printed and charmingly illustrated volume — The Microcosiu and Other Poems — has been for some time before the public, and has received generous commendation for the tact and skill evinced in handling a very unpromising theme. A poetic description, minute and thorough going of the human body was a serious undertaking; but Dr. Coles delights in what is difficult and hazardous. He had already associated his name forever with the mediaeval Latin Hymn, Dies Jra, by publishing no less than thirteen distinct versions of it. In the volume before us he gives us three more versions. The other poems will not detract from the author's previous reputation." — Examiner and Chronicle.