The Spirit of the Word

The Words that I speak unto you, they are spirit and they are life.—Jesus.
The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life.—Paul.
Vol. 1, No. 2 —April 15, 1885.

Paragraph Headings Of Vol.1, No 2

We Are God's Workmanship

A great and important truth is contained in this declaration, and one which practically most Christians deny. Perhaps this statement may seem too strong to some; but I think that I can show that it is correct. Theoretically all Christians believe that, in a sense, "we are God's workmanship." But in practice most of them deny it, and act just as though they must make themselves, and (in some cases) everybody else. In other words, most Christians live as though the responsibility of their own development and perfection rested entirely upon themselves and in addition to this they oft-times act as though the responsibility of the world's salvation also rested upon them. Understanding that I am not speaking of the expressed belief of Christians but of their practice. Now I desire to show in this article, from the Bible, that the declaration—"we are God's workmanship"—is most absolute and literal and that we do not have anything to do with our own manufacture, so to speak, excepting to "yield ourselves unto God." Rom. 6:13; also, remainder of the chapter.

In the first place we must understand God's plan of creation. We must know something of what "our Lord is doing" (John 15:15). God's great work according to the scripture is the creation of a race of beings in his own image and likeness. When God said, "Let us make man in our image," he meant not the first man only, but the race of man. I think it was made clear in the preceding paper (1-1-14) that God was speaking prophetically here. He was speaking of things that were not as though they were. We have seen that Adam was not created in the image of God at that time, hence we are sure that the race is referred to when God says, "Let us make man in our image." The second account gives us the history of the creation at that stage, and in that account nothing is said of man created in the image of God. This work then of creating a race of beings in God's image began in Eden, and has been steadily carried on ever since and will be carried on to its completion, without any check, hindrance, interruption or delay. The idea that most Christians have is that God created a perfect man and woman to begin with, intending that this perfect pair should be the progenitors of a perfect race. But Satan comes in and God's work at the outset, he contaminates the fountain head, the whole stream is befouled, and God must delay his originally intended work until he repairs damages, so to speak—until he counteracted and undone the Devil's evil work; in which endeavor he will only partially succeed according to the common view, and thus Satan will succeed in marring God's original plan eternally. Of course we cannot suppose that when God create man innocent in Eden, he intended that any of his descendants should be eternally tormented; and yet some of them will eternally tormented according to the so called orthodox view; hence the conclusion necessarily follows that Satan has succeeded in permanently disarranging God's plan and has compelled him take a course that he would not have taken had it not been for t so called "fall of man." But how can we accept such an idea this? Thus we make God to be "altogether such an one as our selves" (Psa. 50:21) I for one could never accept such a view What is the alternative then? The orthodox view must be wrong. Satan did not disarrange God's plan, or compel him to change it the least; hence the "fall" was a part of the plan, and a necessary step toward its accomplishment. I want each one to see this clearly and positively; for unless we thus understand God's relation to the race as a whole we cannot understand his relation to as individuals. I want each one to see that the above reasoning absolutely inevitable. Either Satan, by the introduction of evil the world with all its consequences, disarranged God's plan, partially, at least, thwarted it, or else the fall of man was a part God's plan, prearranged, provided for, and tending to the advancement of his purposes of grace and love. To my mind the former supposition is impossible; the latter one must be true. Do not now to think whether the Scripture is in harmony with this view or not. We will examine that by and by. Just use your own reasoning faculties and common sense and every one must see that, God is supreme, the introduction of evil into the world with all consequences must be a part of the plan of God.

Perhaps I ought to say right here for the benefit of some of my readers, that the idea that God has a plan may be to them a new one. According to the view of most Christians, God has no definite, prearranged plan, but is simply endeavoring to do the best he can through human instrumentality to repair the ruin that sin has made, and, though thus far the majority of the race have been overwhelmed in that ruin, yet in the end truth will triumph and sin will be destroyed, or at least confined in an eternal prison house. To my mind such a view of God is very belittling and dishonorable. I cannot entertain it for a moment. The God of the Bible, the God that we can worship, and adore, and trust in, is Almighty and Supreme—"He worketh all things after the council of his own will"—"He doeth all these things, and known unto Him are all his works from the beginning of the world." Acts 15:17, 18. "He doeth according to his will, in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou?" Dan. 4:35. God has a perfect, definite plan, embracing all the details and particulars of his work, and including in its sweep ages and worlds, past and to come. Paul announces this fact directly in Eph. 3:11. "According to His purpose of the ages;" see the margin of the New Version. Rotherham renders it, the "plan of the ages." There can be no doubt that God has a perfect, exact, prearranged, and absolutely changeless plan of creation.

I will notice also in this connection why I speak of the plan of creation, and not the plan of redemption, as Christians commonly speak. The view presented above makes this change necessary. When we speak of God's plan of redemption, we seem to imply that redemption was an afterthought with God—that it is simply a means of remedying an unforeseen, or at least, an unintentional and undesirable contingency; and that while redemption is being worked out, God's original purpose must be delayed. We have already shown that this view cannot be accepted by anyone who believes in a supreme and all wise God; the so called fall of man and redemption as its consequent, are a part of the original plan of God—they are steps in the carrying out of that plan; in fact God controls and directs "all things" to the furtherance of his own councils, and hence all things are tending toward the completion of the purpose announced in Eden — the creation of the race in the image and likeness of God. Therefore we speak of God' plan of creation, not of redemption. Redemption is only one o the steps in the process whereby man is ultimately to reach the divine image To speak of the plan of redemption is to take a narrow, unscriptural, ungodlike view of the situation. God's Plan of Creation covers the whole ground from the commencement of the work Eden according to the second account, to the completion of it Eden restored, in the New Heaven and New Earth.

I am well aware that the foregoing view involves several very startling and we might even say staggering conclusions; such, for instance as that Satan is one of God's servants to help on his plan and that all evil, under God, shall eventuate in good, and that God in some sense is responsible for the introduction of evil into world, etc. I cannot now stop to notice these points in detail; I have done so in other writings. I will now simply say that there is nothing in any of these conclusions contrary to the Scripture; indeed, they harmonize and make plain the Word. The great principle forth in the article in 1-1-7 that "all things are of God" makes this whole subject clear, and fully prepares us for all these otherwise startling conclusions. Let us not fear conclusions so long as we feel the solid bed rock of truth under our feet at every step of our reasoning. Many a one has been enamored of the truth for a season, and gone a little way in the ever brightening pathway, but suddenly perceiving how far away from the old ruts they were diverging, and that they must diverge still further if they kept on, they have become frightened and turned back again to the orthodox thoroughfare. Such a timorous, cowardly spirit will not be found among those who climb the highest peaks of inspiration to catch the first glimpse of the coming dawn. "Ye are bought with a price be not ye the servants of men." "Then shall ye know if ye follow on to know." God has his "friends" to whom he tells his "secrets" (John 15:15; Psa. 25:14). But if we would be "the Friend of God," we must be willing, like Abraham, the great pattern friend, to leave home, kindred, and country if need be, and go forth "not knowing whither," alone with Him who is the source of all truth and who will surely bring us into the Canaan of rest, if we only follow on. See 2 Chron. 20:7; Isa 41: 8; and Jas. 2:23, with Gen. 18:17; also Amos 3:7.

We start out then in our investigation concerning how we are God's workmanship, with this truth, that God is creating a race of beings like himself; this work began in Eden and has been steadily progressing ever since; Christ is the only human being thus far that has been finished—he alone has reached the goal, likeness to God; the rest of the race are unfinished; the mass of them being in the crude, rough, "natural" state (1-14), having lived and died in this condition; a few in the past have had some finishing (i.e. spiritual) work done for them; and during this gospel age a class, "they that are Christ's" (1 Cor. 15:23 and John 17: 9) are being finished off, so to speak; and during the "ages to come" "all shall be made alive in Christ" or finished, "but every man in his own order" (band or class). All this is entirely the work of the Father and the Son—Let us make man—and man has no more to do with it than Adam had to do with his own creation, or Eve with her's. What man has to do, and the purpose of it we will notice presently; but now we are speaking of the carrying out of the original purpose announced in Eden—"Let us make man in our image."

Now if we consider man in this light, as unfinished, half made "Ephraim is a cake not turned" Hos. 7:8 then we shall be able to understand the true condition of things. We shall see how thoroughly and absolutely he is God's workmanship. "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation." "We are God's husbandry (farm, see margin) ye are God's building." 1 Cor. 3:9. Surely the man cannot recreate himself any more than he could create himself in the first place. The beginning, continuance, and complection of the process of creation is entirely of God. Read Rom. 9:9-33 and see how absolute is God's sovereignty. "The purpose of God according to election stands not of works but of Him that calleth." He raised up Pharaoh for the very purpose for which he used him, and "He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth." "Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made me thus? Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump, to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?" Are there not "vessels of wrath fitted to destruction," and "vessels of mercy before prepared unto glory?" No stronger language than the above could be used to show how absolutely man is God's workmanship,—clay in the hands of the potter. And this view clashes not with the true idea of man's freedom as we have seen in the preceding paper (1-1-10) . But everything is harmonized and made clear and plain when we thus see the truth. God is man's proprietor, and will surely make the best of his property This view is full of hope and comfort. If we are God's workmanship, the work will surely be done, and done well. He speaks with the simplicity and quietness of conscious power,— "Let us make man in our image," as though it were the easiest thing imaginable to make a man in the image of God, and "hath he said and shall he not do it? hath he spoken and shall he not make good?" God's own veracity is at stake here; his own reputation and credit, so to speak, is involved. For His own sake, he will complete and perfect his work; and so He speaks by His prophets. "I even am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." Moreover, mark these blessed words —"Remember these; O Jacob and Israel; for thou art my servant; I have formed thee; thou art my servant. O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins. Return unto me for I have redeemed thee." Take notice that it does not read return unto me and I will redeem thee, and blot out thy sins,—but, return unto me because I have redeemed thee and blotted out thy sins. 0 blessed grace! that reconciles a world unto God, not imputing their trespasses unto them, (2 Cor. 5:18-21), "while they are yet sinners and "before they call," and so is able to preface the invitation to come to God by the declaration of his finished work! Surely this a gospel,—glad tidings. No Wonder that the prophet breaks out,— "Sing, 0 ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing ye mountains, 0 forests, and every tree therein, for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself [mark it—glorified Himself—made His own word good] in Israel. Thus saith the Lord, thy redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I am the Lord that maketh ALL things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself. Isa. 44:21-24. Read in the same line, Ezek. 36:16, to the end of the chapter. First God charges Israel with their perversity and corruption and yet he has pity (verse 21) and makes them great promises (verses 25-30) Why? On what ground? Not for their sake; not because they deserved it; but for His holy name's sake." See verses 21-23, 31, 32, 36. See also Ezek. 20 whole chapter; especially verses 9, 14, 22, 41-44. If we can only see this truth, and get it Well in mind we shall have no fear of the final result of God's creative plan. God's own honor is at stake. His declared purpose—"Let us make man in our image"cannot fail. For His own sake, if not for man's, He will bring the work to a perfect completion, a faultless consummation; and a godlike race shall yet people the earth to the universal praise of God's workmanship, and the honor and glory of the Christ, God's co-laborer.

The above blessed truth explains also why man is so imperfect, and full of defects, and flaws, and failures. He is only half made. He is "a cake not turned." What can you expect of man in this crude, rough state? "He remembereth our frame, he knoweth that we are dust." And now we are prepared to answer an oft-repeated Bible question, which we will take as the title of the next article.

"WHAT IS MAN?"

This question is so important that it is five times asked in the Bible. First in the book of Job, 7:17. "What is man that thou shouldst magnify him, and that thou shouldst set thine heart upon him?" Again in Job 15:14. "What is man that he should be clean, and he that is born of a woman that he should be righteous?" Also in Psa. 8:4. "What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him?" Again in Psa. 144:3. "Lord, what is man that thou takest knowledge of him, or the son of man that thou makest account of him?" and finally in Heb. 2:6, the same as in Psa. 8:4.

It must be that this question is important or it would not be so many times repeated and with such variations. We will search for an answer. If we should answer the question according to a matter of fact view of the condition of things in the world today, we should say that man, considered as a whole, is a poor, miserable creature. He appears to be a failure, a wretched abortion. He is a beast of burden; an oppressed slave; a toiling, ill-requited, downtrodden bond-servant, degraded, ignorant, godless, corrupt and wicked. I am speaking of the masses; of course we should judge of the race by the majority of its members; and the above is a truthful description of the race of man as a whole; those who do not come under this description are exceptions and not the rule. Take mankind as a whole, civilized, heathen, barbarous and savage, and the above description is not by any means as dark as the reality. If you want to see a word picture of the race drawn out in all its awful hideousness by an inspired pen, read the first chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans; also Rom. 3:9-19. Truly "man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble," he "drinketh iniquity like water," and is "soon cut down like the grass." Such is man as we see him today, "like the beasts that perish." In regard to this humiliating view of man it is sufficient to reply, as in the preceding article, that man is in the rough, not yet finished, and hence, uncouth, defective and ill-developed.

There is another reply to this question—"what is man?" it is the orthodox answer, the prevailing view among Christians. It is about as follows. Man is a dual being, composed of soul and body (some make him triune, mind, soul and body). The body is simply the house, the perishable tenement of clay, in which the deathless soul, the real man, dwells. He was created perfect in the beginning; an immortal soul in a perfect body. He fell, and now is liable death, physical and eternal, unless he repents and believes Christ; that is his body will die; but his soul will live forever bliss or woe. Of this false and unscriptural view I have only space at present to notice briefly the immortal soul part. I will just glance at the account of man's creation and see if from that we can draw any evidence that God put an immortal soul in man when he made him. The simple account is as follows: "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul." The phraseology here has given some the impression that after God had made man's lifeless body he put into it as the vivifying power an immortal soul; bul the passage says nothing of this kind; even from the imperfect translation that we have here in the common version no immortal soul doctrine can legitimately be drawn. The language implies that man was a dead soul before the breath of life was breathed into him, and that when he received that breath he became a living soul. The idea of immortality, or the distinct identity of the soul, or that the soul is the real man and the body is only a casket for it,—neither and none of these notions are hinted at in the most distant manner. In fact the account rather favors the view that the body, the part that was made of dust, is the real man; for it reads, "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils (the man's) the breath of life," &c. It seems that the man was formed before the breath of life was breathed into his nostrils; certainly the passage favors this view more than it does the view that the immortal soul is the real man.

But now let us have the correct reading of the verse. I will quote from Young's translation. "And Jehovah God formeth the man—dust from the ground, and breatheth into his nostrils breath of life, and the man becometh a living creature." Now look at verse 19. "And Jehovah God formeth from the ground every beast of the field, and every fowl of the heavens, and bringeth in unto the man, to see what he doth call it; and whatever the man calleth a living creature that is his name." Beasts are called the same as man, living creatures, the phrase is exactly the same in the original, in both cases. From the account there is just as much evidence that beasts have immortal souls, as that man has one; especially so if we compare with these verses, chap. 7:22, where we learn that "the breath of life" is in the nostrils of beasts as well as in man and if it means an immortal soul in the one case it must in the other. The fact is no such doctrine as immortal soulism is taught in the Bible, either here or elsewhere; it is altogether man-made; it is Babylonish in its origin, and is founded on the falsehood of the father of lies—"Ye shall not surely die." Man is destined to become immortal when he is finished but that is the crowning glory of his creation and hence is the last step, the putting on of the cap-stone of perfection, to make him immortal to begin with would be like trying to make a chimney by commencing at the top and building down. If we see the truth set forth in the preceding article we shall understand how absurd as well as unscriptural this immortal soul doctrine is. In "God's building" (1Cor. 3:9) he does not lay the cap-stone first, but the foundation. Immortality is the final goal, not the starting point; it is the crown of the "perfect man." (Eph. 4:13), not the swaddling bands of his infancy. I would say very emphatically that all our theology will be wrong if we start out with this great overshadowing error of all Christendom, the immortal soul. As the phrase itself is utterly unscriptural so is the idea, and no less is it contrary to Scripture, than to common sense and reason. When man was first created he was just what the scripture says he was, "a living creature;" and from that mere animal, natural condition, he will be developed into a "perfect man" in the likeness of God, incorruptible and immortal.

Now we return again to the main question. What is man? We have answered this question according to present appearances, and according to the traditions of men, let us now see what the Bible says. In the context of the passages we have noticed there is no answer except in Psalms 144:3, 4, where we are told that "Man is like to vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away;" an answer that applies to the present unfinished condition of man, and in Psa. 8, quoted more fully in Heb. 2. In Psa. 8th, things that are not are spoken of as though they were; the as yet unfulfilled purpose of God is spoken of as though it were already accomplished. We are sure of this because Paul makes it clear in Heb. 2, where the Psalmist is quoted and explained; this latter passage we will now notice particularly. Commence at the 5th verse. "For unto the angels hath he not put in subjection the world to come whereof we speak; but one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man that thou visitest him? Thou madest him for a little while (see margin) lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of Thy hands. Thou has put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him." In this last clause we have the enunciation of the same principle as in Rom. 4:17. The Psalmist quoted speaks exactly as though man had already received dominion, but Paul says, "not yet." Why then speak as though the work was already done? Because God "calleth those things that be not as though they were;" and herein is infinite comfort. These declarations of universal dominion for man,—"all in subjection under him"—seem almost too good to be true, especially when we compare them to his slavish condition now; and yet so sure are they of ultimate realization that God speaks of them as already accomplished; they must surely come to pass; and man instead of being the slave shall be the master of God's creation. But now let us read on a little further. "We see not yet all things put under him, but we see Jesus." Well what of that? What has Jesus got to do with the question, what is man? Jesus was pure, immaculate, unsinning; it is right that he should have dominion; he is worthy of it; but what has that to do with corrupt, fallen, sinful man? Just this, Jesus is the pattern man of God's finished creation. He is the sample, the standard, after whom all the redeemed are to be fashioned. Hence we see the significance of this reference to Jesus. We see not yet all things put under man, but we see Jesus, the pattern man, and hence we can tell what man will be when he is finished. Suppose a man had the rough material to make a great number of machines; he first finishes off one of the machines and gets it perfectly adjusted in every part, as a pattern to go by in finishing the rest. You go into his factory and see this great mass of material and you ask, "What are you making?" The artisan replies, "All this that you see is only rough material; come this way and I will show you what I am making," and he takes you to the machine he has finished off; "there," he says, "that is what I am making." You would have no difficulty in understanding what he meant. You would see at once that the finished machine was a sample or pattern of what the others would be when the material was all worked up. So the apostle points to Jesus in just the same way. "What is man?" a poor, wretched slave of sin, corrupt and tending to corruption. Yes, that is true, but God intends to make him a noble lord of creation, perfect and complete in the image of God. But now we see not yet this great work accomplished except in the case of one individual, Jesus Christ He has passed through the entire process of creation, and been finished, perfected; hence He is "the beginning of the creation of God." Now if you wish to know what man is—i.e., what is his destiny—look to Jesus, the finished man, the only finished man, and you will see a perfect pattern of "the perfect man." To me there is blessed comfort in this. I am glad that the apostle points us to Jesus when we ask, "what is man?" Sad indeed would be the answer if we had to make it up from the degraded condition of man today. Not much better would it be if we had to accept the answer that modern orthodoxy gives; man is a being made perfect and immortal; but he lost that perfection, and now his destiny is an endless heaven or an endless hell, with the chances thus far in the history of the race about a hundred to one against the former and in favor of the latter. Such a view is sad in the extreme, and it looks as though man's maker had made a terrible mistake somewhere. But how blessed to turn from all this confusion and just "look to Jesus" for an answer to the question. "What is man?" i.e. mankind, the race; the answer is Jesus. He is the great representative man, the "Forerunner," the "Beginning," the "First fruit," and "if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

Thus the ever blessed Book gives us a grand and cheering answer to this greatest problem of life, what is man? It is an answer that at the same time brings comfort and hope to the believer, and reflect honor and glory upon the Creator. Jesus is the pattern. He partook of flesh and blood because the "children" (Heb. 2:14), were in this fallen condition. He passed through all the experiences of sorrowing humanity that "having suffered, being tempted, he might be able to succor them that are tempted." "He was made in all points like unto his brethren, that he might be a faithful and merciful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." His perfection is the type of our perfection, for "we shall be like him." His triumph is the pledge of our victory. "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." "As by the offence of one judgment came upon all men unto condemnation, so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." The human race is God's masterpiece, the crowning glory of his creation, and, as the sculptor takes a piece of marble and first gives it to an ordinary workman to block out the statue in the rough, and then with his own skillful fingers fashions the stone into a figure that almost seems to breathe and speak, so God, the Great Master Workman, gets man out in the rough first, using many agents to hew and hack the obdurate material; then he finishes him with an infinitely skillful hand, molding and fashioning him until He makes him the facsimile of himself, and pronounces him "very good." To use another figure, every human being is a rough jewel. God is the great Lapidary; and, as in the laboratory of nature, the black, unsightly carbon is transformed into a radiant, flashing diamond, so in the laboratory of grace, sinful, fallen man, under God's manipulation, comes at length to shine in all the glory of the divine image. "This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes." Man can reduce the diamond to carbon, but he cannot transform the carbon into diamond; God by his natural laws alone can do that. So man can degrade and debase himself, but to life himself he has no power. He must cry out, in utter self-despair, "0 wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me?" Then God lifts him from the "horrible pit," and brings him at last to "walk upon high places." But let me add that God is not obliged to wait until we are willing for him to work in our behalf. Even when we are stubborn and disobedient, God is dealing with us for our good, although we do not know it. Our very sins are made in the end the means of our training and discipline. Every Christian knows this by experience; it is also a clear teaching of the Bible. Read Jer. 2. Notice how God charges Jerusalem with their wrong-doing, notice how he "pleads" with them (verse 9), and sets forth the "two evils" they had committed. Then he asks, "Why is Israel spoiled?" and gives the answer in verse 19, "Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy backslidings shall reprove thee," etc. How wonderful is God's way with man! Man by his perversity changes blessings into curses, but God alone in his goodness and might can transform curses into blessings. And so the work of God shall go on in spite of all opposing forces; for by God's power all opposition will not only be neutralized so that it shall not retard the divine purpose, but it shall be transformed into co-operation so as to advance his designs; and thus "all things" shall help toward the glorious consummation,—the creation of man in the image of God. And the time shall come at last, when "there shall be no more anything accursed." Rev 22 N.V., margin.

FAITH AND WORKS.

Having read the two preceding articles some perhaps will feel inclined to ask, "has not the individual anything to do toward his own salvation? Is he altogether like clay in the potter's hands? Does not the Bible tell us to "work out our own salvation?" to "make our calling and election sure?" that "faith without works is dead?" etc. Is there nothing for man to do?" I answer, yes. But what is the nature and the purpose of this doing? Christians do the wrong thing and with the wrong motive, hence their doing is a snare and a stumbling stone, causing them to "fall from grace" Gal. 5: 4), rather than to "grow in grace." (2 Pet. 3:18) . Let us see about this doing.

In the first place I would say most emphatically that we cannot do anything to make ourselves like God. Whatever we do for such a purpose is labor lost; and worse than lost; for as long as we are trying in the slightest degree to work for our salvation we thereby demonstrate that we have "fallen from grace," and are living under the shadow of Sinai. All our doing that amounts to anything is the spontaneous outgrowth of the spirit of Christ within us, so far as it is developed; and such doing does not make us more like Christ, but simply shows us how near like him we have already become, Thus we work out the salvation that God works in. We can do no more than this. We cannot work out any salvation that we have not already in us. We do not work for salvation, but simply work out the salvation we have already. "It is God that worketh in us, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." Christians are continually trying to do God's work. They try to make themselves good, or at least to improve themselves, or, finally, at least, to help improve themselves; they work in, trying to get more salvation, instead of working out the salvation they have already. Put the bight of a rope under your feet and then take the two ends in your hands and try to lift; how high can you raise yourself? Just so high and no higher can you lift yourself spiritually by anything that you can do. Settle this question now once for all, and "cease from your Own works."

Our doing is a manifestation of our state of grace,—our degree of spiritual growth; it is an effect, not a cause, the outgrowth, not the source, of our faith,—the fruit of the tree, not the tree itself. Our doing is a gauge to measure the depths of the spirit within us. "Be filled with the spirit" is the command; but we come far short of such fulness, and are more likely to be very shallow in our spiritual state; our doing marks the depth. Again, our doing is not a stepping stone to heaven, but a mile-stone in the way of life, to show us: how far we are along. Now most Christians view this matter in way just opposite to the truth. They must do in order to be right within; being faithful is doing a great deal; their doing they is the means of spiritual growth, the way to increase their faith; in their estimation it is the tree that is to bring forth all the fruits of the spirit, and a ladder by which to climb to heaven. Christians not Express their view thus directly, but practically the above their faith. This is a subtle snare of the devil, and oft-times those who think they are trusting in God, are in realty trusting in Remember that a very little of this legal doing will vitiate neutralize a great deal of faith. You cannot even help in the smallest degree to save yourself or to make yourself better any more than the clay can help the potter. If anything beautiful and good ever made of you, God must do it, and He alone. "Let these sayings sink down into your hearts."

Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Christian, as I have said, has something to do. What we need to know is, what it is, and the purpose of it. But as works are the outgrowth of faith—the fruit, and not the tree-logically and practically faith comes first, hence before saying any more on works, we will ask,

WHAT IS FAITH?

First, I would reply negatively in the language of Scripture, "The law is not of faith: but the man that doeth them shall live in them." If you want to get salvation by doing, even by the least bit of doing, go back to Sinai, you have no need of Calvary. The word faith does not occur in the Old Testament except twice, while it occurs hundreds of times in the New. Read on this point very carefully, verse by verse, the whole of Gal. 3. We shall refer to this further anon. In the realm of law faith has no place; and yet law must be the "child leader," and it must come before the gospel; we shall see why presently.

In seeking an answer to the question, what is faith, we need not blunder about among the wordy disquisitions of men, or the unreasonable creeds of the churches. We have a plain direct Bible answer. "Faith is the substance (i.e., foundation or ground) of things hoped for, the evidence (proof) of things not seen." Heb. 11: 1. Let us study this definition. Faith is the foundation of things hoped for." "We are saved by hope," says the apostle in another place; but it is not any and all hope but a hope established on scriptural faith. Faith is the foundation of hope, but what is the foundation of faith? The truth, I answer, for "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." Now we have "The Word of God" as the foundation of faith; and faith as the foundation of hope. It will not do to leave out either of these foundations. A hope that is not founded on a scriptural faith is shadowy and Vain; a faith that is not founded on the truth, God's word (John 18:17), is a dead and worthless faith. These, truth and faith, are the massive blocks that build up a solid pedestal for that "hope which is an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast and which entereth into that within the veil." The first important point then regarding faith is that it is founded upon the truth, or knowledge of God, for all truth is knowledge of God. Our faith in God will be in proportion to our knowledge of Him. Thus it is always; we cannot have much faith in a stranger or in one with whom we are slightly acquainted. In proportion as we know a worthy person, as we become better and better acquainted with him, so our faith in him increases. So it is in our relationship with God; it is but reasonable that the better we know God the more we should trust him, the less we know him the weaker will be our faith. Thus we see how true it is that the foundation of faith is knowledge of God. Every advanced Christian knows how true this is in his own experience. When he was a "babe in Christ" his faith was weak and wavering; but as he "grew in grace" and "increased in the knowledge of God," his faith continually strengthened. This is an important point, and one that many Christians miss. They realize that faith is important, but they do not understand that it is founded on knowledge. Hence they try to work up a great faith with very little knowledge of God. People but slightly acquainted with the Lord strain after an enormous faith; thus building with wood, hay and stubble, instead of gold, silver and precious stones. (1 Cor. 3:12). There is a great deal of foolish talk among Christians, about believing. Seekers after religion are told to "believe, only believe." Seekers after sanctification are given the same advice. Believe, believe, all you have to do is to believe—believe you are saved and you are saved—believe you are holy and you are holy—and so on to the end of the chapter. Such teachers of faith are "blind leaders of the blind"; and such a faith is a castle in the air; a mere intense screwing up of the will to say that you believe something of which you know but little or nothing, and which your own common sense tells you is not so. Learn this truth,— "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. " Hear the Word! Study the Word! "Search the Scriptures," and so get acquainted with God, become one of His "friends," to know what he is doing, and you will not have to struggle to get your faith up to a certain pitch, as one might strain himself to blow up a big bladder and have nothing but a bag of wind after all, but your faith will grow spontaneously with your knowledge, yea, it will "grow exceedingly" (2 Thess. 1:3) like the tiny mustard seed from a mere speck to a "great tree," "a finished," (Heb. 12: 2), perfected faith at the coming of the Lord.

Now I think we can understand why the law was necessary, and why it must come before the gospel. The purpose of the law is given in Rom. 3:20, 21. "By the law is the knowledge of sin "and it is also a "witness" of "the righteousness of God." In other words the law gives us knowledge of self, and knowledge of God. I do not intend now to notice the former thought; but simply notice how the law gives us knowledge of God. The whole system of the law is one of God's revelations of himself to man. All the ceremonies and forms, all the paraphernalia of the temple, the priesthood, the sacrifices, etc., etc., all these are types, shadows, patterns, figures of the "things pertaining to God," thus revealing the Creator to the creature. Hence the law must come before the gospel which inculcates the way of faith, because the law gives us knowledge of God, the foundation of faith. The order of development in this respect is as follows. First comes the law, giving us knowledge of God in type and shadow. Then comes Christ, the most perfect revelation of God and hence giving us the most perfect knowledge of God. Then, established upon this knowledge, comes faith begetting blessed hope that lifts the veil of the future and gives us a foretaste of heaven. Then in the next age comes sight, a clear view of all that was dimly foreshadowed in the law, face to face with our Savior, hope merged in glad fruition, and the actual realization of all that we now claim by faith.

Now all this is set forth in Gal. 3. In the first place the apostle makes it plain here that the gospel is the realm of faith and not law. "Received ye the spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? Are ye so foolish? having begun in the spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" The law is of the flesh, faith is of the spirit. These Galatian Christians were trying to do what the church has not ceased to try to do to this day, namely to unite the law and the gospel in the same dispensation; this is an impossible union. When the law obtained there was no faith; see verses 12, 23-25. When faith comes we are no longer under the law; the two are mutually exclusive; you must choose between them, for you cannot live under them both at the same time; which shall it be, Sinai or Calvary? law or gospel? works or faith? Moses or Christ? Do not deceive yourself by supposing that you can mix law and faith together,—that while you are an "heir of the righteousness which is by faith," you may also be "under the law." "Are ye so foolish? the having begun in the spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?" Of all professing Christians, the most to be pitied are those who profess to believe on Christ, and to have entered the covenant of grace, and yet at the same time are trying to stagger along under the yoke of the law which neither the apostles nor their fathers were able to bear (Acts 15:10) . They might as well try to walk on both sides of a stone wall at the same time; they might as well try to walk in opposite directions simultaneously. The apostle goes on to illustrate faith, as he does in Rom. 4., by Abraham, "the father of the faithful." "Abraham believed God,"—that is all Abraham did—"and it was accounted to him (set down to his account as) righteousness." There's the whole scheme of justification by faith in a nutshell. Now do not try to tack anything on to it; let it be plain and simple,—faith accounted for righteousness. Now right here I would notice how Abraham's faith illustrates the truth that knowledge is the foundation of faith. If Abraham had not had knowledge of God he never could have believed him, because God told Abraham something that humanly speaking was not true. "A father of many nations have I made thee; and I have made thee exceeding fruitful, and I have established my covenant between Me and thee, and I have given to thee and to thy seed after thee in the land of thy sojournings, and I have become their God," and so on. According to the common version verse 8 is contradicted by Acts 7:5. In verse 8 God promises to give the land to Abraham, but according to Acts 7:5, God did not keep his promise, for Stephen says that God "gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on." There is a discrepancy here in the letter. But when we see the spirit of this passage, when we understand that God is speaking in the past tense according to the rule that he "calleth those things that be not as though they were," and when we see furthermore that the whole passage is prophetical and spiritual, referring to the true seed (Gal. 3:16) and the true land of promise (Heb. 11:16), etc., etc.—then we shall understand that there is no discrepancy, but perfect harmony. This view makes the passage clear to us; and we can also see that if Abraham had not been well acquainted with the Lord he never could have believed him when he spoke of those things that were not as, as though they were. And herein lies the greatness of Abraham's faith, and the ground of his claim to the title of the "Father of the faithful." It was "before faith came" that Abraham thus believed God, way back in the dim period of type and shadow and allegory; and he believed not only a promise in the future tense, and one which in the common course of nature was impossible, but when God spoke in the past tense as though the thing were already accomplished, although as yet God's word had not begun to be carried out, for "the seed had not come to whom the promise was made" (Gal. 3:19)—not even the typical seed much less the true seed,—yet "He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith giiving glory to God; being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform." Can we not see how mighty and wonderful Abraham's faith was? and that he is worthy to stand at the head of those who "believe God"? and can we not see also from this illustration what faith is, and how it is dependent on knowledge? Faith takes God at his word, and "staggers not," even when the "wisdom of this world" would say—and, humanly speaking, say it truthfully too—that God's word was not true. But a faith that measures up to this Abrahamic standard is one that is founded on a knowledge of "the deep things of God."

Now we will notice further the third chapter of Galatians. The apostle goes on to show that "as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse," but that "Christ hath redeemed us from this curse," for He is "the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth." (Rom.10:4). Mark it well,—if you have not come to "the end of the law," you have not come to Christ, a truth that we shall find still further confirmed in this same chapter. The apostle goes on to set forth the true seed, "which is Christ," and to tell why the law comes in between the promise and its fulfilment; "it was added because of transgressions till the seed should come to whom the promise was made." "Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid." It is preliminary to it; it gives us a needful discipline and training to prepare us for the way of faith, as the apostle goes on to show. "Before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our child-leader unto (i.e. until we get to) Christ." There are two very misleading errors here in the common version. First instead of schoolmaster it should be child-leader; the figure is taken from the ancient custom of having slaves attend the children to and from the school; such a slave was not by any means a schoolmaster, but one to lead the child to school, when he was handed over to the charge of the schoolmaster. The other error here is in the supplied words, "to bring us." These words are not in the original as is indicated by their being in italics, but are supplied by the translators to make out the sense, as, doubtless, they supposed; but they make the passage express an untruth. The law does not bring us to Christ; this is not the purpose of the law. The law brings us to ourselves; it slays us (Rom. 7:11); it brings us to a knowledge of the horrible pit in which we are sunk, and leaves us there, for it has no power to help us out. The law brings us into that condition. of perfect self-despair where Christ can help us (Rom. 7:24,25), but if Christ did not come to us we should never be helped, for the law would never bring us to Him. What Paul means here I think is as follows. The law deals with man in his childhood—the "natural man," restraining and checking and condemning him until he gets far enough along to cry out "0 wretched man!" then the law has done all for him that it can that stage of his development, and Christ takes him up— he begins to attend the school of Christ to learn how to escape the deadly grip of the law (Rom. 6) and to "obtain the righteousness which is by faith." Now read the next two verses: "The law was our child-leader unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith, (we never could be justified by law). But after that faith is come we are no longer under a child-leader, for ye are all the children of God by faith in Jesus Christ." Thus we have learned two important facts about faith. 1. It is dependent upon, and in proportion to, our knowledge of God "Faith comes by hearing; and hearing by the Word of God." 3. It has no place in the law, and the law has no place in it. "The law is not of faith;" "After that faith is come we are no longer under the child-leader," law

Now we will notice a little further. Heb. 11:1, "Faith is the foundation of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." Rotherham renders this passage thus: "Faith is of things hoped for, a confidence,—of facts, a conviction, when they are not seen." This brings out the apostle's meaning very clearly. The foundation or confidence of our hope is faith, a scriptural faith, itself founded on knowledge of God. This explanation reminds us of Heb. 3:6. We are Christ's house "if [an important if!] we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." (Notice another important "if" in the 14th verse of the same chapter). A hope that has no foundation, one in which we have no confidence, is a worthless hope. It is our faith that gives us confidence; our faith in God's word is the foundation, broad and solid, of our expectations of future good.

As yet we have actually experienced nothing of our hope. We are yet unborn (Luke 20:36). We are yet lifeless (Col. 3:3; 1 Cor. 15:23). "The life that I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God." All we have now is faith and hope. We live by faith. We are saved by hope. But this faith may be so strong, if we know God (Jer. 9:23, 24), that we may actually speak of the realization of it as in the past, as Paul does in Eph. 2 and Col. 3, N.V.; and our hope, founded upon such a faith, will be "as an anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast."

Is it not clear that "faith is the foundation of things hoped for?" It is equally true that it is, "of facts, a conviction, when they are not seen." The only things in this world that really deserve to be called facts are the "unseen things" (2 Cor. 4:18); the things discerned, not by natural sense, but by faith. Of course this is contrary to worldly wisdom, which will acknowledge nothing as facts that does not come under the cognizance of the natural senses, or is not established by evidence plain to the natural man. Hence "the things of the spirit of God" are "foolishness" to the natural man; and yet these only are the enduring, the eternal things. But they can be apprehended only by the spiritual sense; and oh, how solid and substantial they appear to the one who, with annointed vision (Rev. 3:18), is able to see "afar off" (Heb. 11:13; 2 Peter 1:9), and having his spiritual "senses exercised by reason of use" (Heb. 5: 14), can interpret the allegory, type, figure, pattern and shadow, so as to apprehend the truth thereby concealed!

"The steps of faith fall on the seeming void,
But find the Rock beneath."

Thanks be unto God for the solid facts that faith enables us to grasp! God can make "the things that are not seen" (2 Cor 4:18), so plain and positive to us that they will indeed appear as facts; the things that we grasp by faith will seem the most solid (in fact, the only solid things) of all others. Why? Because they rest on God's word. "The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it," and it cannot fail. Happy is the man that thus knows the way of faith. "Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." 0 ye called and chosen ones, HAVE FAITH IN GOD." Mark 11:22. Some other thoughts on faith, and the further consideration of the other part of the subject, works, I must leave for the next paper.

Free Moral Agency

Concluded from the last paper.

This Bible view of God is not only thus personally blessed to the Christian, but it assures us of another thing. God's plans and purposes are being carried out. Amid all the mutations of earthly things, its sin and sorrow, and tears, and woe, runs the golden thread of God's "purpose of the ages," (Eph. 3:11, N.V., margin), binding all together and to the eternal throne, and leading the creature unerringly to the final goal—the image of the Creator.

Not only is it true that God's plans are not retarded or hindered by the wickedness of man, but God uses wicked men to advance His plans. He not only does not allow the wrath of man to work against Him, but He causes it to praise Him. How wonderful is all this! There is nothing to fear. God reigneth. "He worketh all things after the counsel of His own will." If we can only see this great truth, and, in some degree, realize it, we shall have no cares and no anxiety either about ourselves or concerning God's work. All things work together for good. We have seen how some things, apparently evil, and only evil, have nevertheless under God worked together for good: though in the beginning they seemed to be all bad, yet in the end good has been the result. Can we not believe that this is true in all cases? Is it not certain that this is thus true? If God is almighty and all wise need he allow anything to take place that he cannot bring good out of in the end? Would He allow any such thing to happen? Surely not; to suppose such a thing would be to make God less than infinite, i.e., to dethrone him altogether. Hence it follows,—and the conclusion is wonderful as well as inevitable, mark it well—that all the events transpiring around us in the world, all the movements and actions of good and bad (as we term them) are all woven into the warp an woof of God's great plan—light and shade, bright threads an sombre ones, tears and laughter, woe and joy, and even good an evil—all woven in to make the grand pattern of that rare tapestry that shall carpet and adorn eternity. Now we are looking at the wrong side of the figure, and we see many tangled and apparently ill assorted threads, disconnected ends and unsightly knots. Bu ah! when we reach the other side! the fair pattern, the rich figure,

the exquisite blending of color, in God's finished work! Then we shall exclaim, "0, the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"

DEFINITION OF BIBLE TERMS

WORLD. ÆON

There are several different words in the original New Testament that are translated in the common version by this one English word, world; the two principal ones are aeon and kosmos. Though both of these words are usually rendered world, yet they are really very distinct, and different in their meaning, and ought to have been rendered respectively age and world. We shall have space in this number for the consideration of only the former word, Aeon, i.e. Age.

Our knowledge of God's "plan of the ages" depends upon a correct understanding of the meaning of this word; and without a knowledge of that plan we can understand but little of the truth. Hence we can see how very important is the study of this word.

There are only two places in the common version where the word aeon is rendered, as it should be in every case, age; but these two instances are significant, because they show of themselves the meaning of the word. In Col.1: 26, we read of "the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations but now is made manifest to his saints." In Eph. 2:7, we read that "in the ages to come God will show the exceeding riches of his grace," etc. Now these passages plainly indicate two things in regard to this word. 1. The ages are limited periods of time; several of them have run their course and come to an end in the past, and there are yet more to come. 2. The "ages to come" are to be richer in the manifestation of the grace of God than the present or past ages; in other words it appears that God's grace broadens and his plan develops as the ages roll, mysteries that have been hid in past ages are made known, and the future ages are to witness the "riches of his grace" to an extent "exceeding" that of any previous age. These points are clear from these passages; but we could not determine from these whether the ages are definite periods of time or not;— whether Paul refers to the centuries, or whether he uses the word in a loose, indefinite sense as it is sometimes used at the present time, or whether he refers to specific and definite periods in the past and the future. To determine this point let us look at other Scripture.

Heb. 9:26. "Now once at the end of the ages (N.V.) hath Christ been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." It plainly appears from this passage that when Christ came to suffer and die it was at the end of a series of ages; this is positive. 1 Cor. 10:11, N.V. "These things were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come." This peculiar expression, "ends of the ages," is clear when we understand that the apostle, and they to whom he wrote, lived during the transition period between two ages. The Jewish age was closing and passing away, the Gospel age was beginning, hence the "ends of the ages" had come upon them. That this is the meaning here is still further confirmed when we understand that the word here rendered "are come," literally means, are met, thus bringing out the idea of the meeting of the two ends of the two ages. Furthermore it is apparent from many Scriptures that the time from the first to the second advent is called an age; for example see Gal. 1:4, "this present evil age;" Tit. 2:12, "this present age;" also, 1 Cor. 2:6, 7, 8; 3:18; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 6:12; 1 Tim. 6:17; and many other passages; look these out in the new version, both text and margin. Now, to still further confirm this point, see Matt. 24:3. "What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the age." From this passage it is evident that the end of "this present evil age" is synchronous with the second coming of Christ; the gospel age extends from the first to the second advent of Christ; and then what? then comes eternity, most Christians think; this is a mistake, however; then comes another age, and beyond that are more ages, even "ages of ages." In proof of this see Luke 20:34-36. "The children of this age marry and are given in marriage; but they which shall be counted worthy to obtain that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage," &c. This passage plainly teaches three important points: 1. At the close of this age the resurrection takes place. 2. Then comes another age. 3. Some will obtain "that age" who will not obtain the resurrection. Jesus is plainly talking here of two ages, "this age" and "that age;" and at the "meeting" of these two ages he locates the resurrection; (if I err not, "the first resurrection") then comes, not eternity, but another age, "that age." Some will obtain "that age and the resurrection from the dead;" some who do not obtain the latter will obtain the former and will be living here on the earth in "that age," after one "order" have experienced a resurrection. I cannot now go into a full explanation of the passage; I only briefly notice it in order to show how it establishes the three points mentioned above, which I think it does very clearly. Very many more passages might be noticed to still further explain this word had I space, but lacking this, I will refer to only one more point. This word aeon occurs in the New Testament in so many peculiar and varying forms as to make it certain that it expresses some deep and important meaning, well worth searching out. First we have the simple word many times repeated, both in the singular and plural; then we have the word in combination with several prepositions; from the age, Lu. 1:70; and from the ages, Eph. 3:9; out of the age, John 9:32; before the ages, 1 Cor. 2:7; before times of ages, or before age-times, Tit. 1:2; the purpose of the ages, Eph. 3:11, (N.V., margin); the age to come, Heb. 6:5; the ages to come, Eph. 2:7; the end of the age, Matt. 24:3; the end of the ages, Heb. 9:26; the ends of the ages, 1 Cor. 10:11; furthermore in connection with the preposition unto we find the following remarkable changes.

1. Unto the age, Mark 3:29.
   
2. Unto the ages, Luke 1:33.
   
3. Unto all the ages, Jude 25.
   
4. Unto the age of the age, Heb. 1, 8.
   
5. Unto all the generations of the age of ages, Eph. 3:21.
   
6. Unto the ages of the ages, Rev. 1:6.
   
7. Unto the day of an age, 2 Pet. 3:18.

Can any one suppose that these peculiar forms have no special meaning? Is all this a mere play upon words?—simply purposeless repetition? Remember, God by his spirit is the real author of the inspired word. "Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the holy spirit." Is it not certain then, as I have said, that these varying forms, so peculiar and striking, hide some spiritual mystery? and would it not have been more respectful to the Word if the translators of the common version, and of the new version too, had rendered these expressions literally, even though they did not know what they meant, rather than to obscure the sense altogether by false and capricious renderings? These translators have handled this word apparently without any respect whatever to its real meaning; they have rendered its various combinations in thirteen different ways, viz., age, course, world, eternal, since the world began, from the beginning of the world, ever, for ever, forever and ever, for evermore, while the world standeth, world without end, and, with a negative, never. These are not translations but paraphrases, and look to me like "handling the word of God deceitfully," albeit it may have been unintentional. We might expect that this unaccountable capriciousness of rendering would be corrected in the new version, but such correction would have endangered the creed; it would have set some Christians (those who read their Bibles) to thinking, and there is nothing that the upholders of shaky creeds dread so much as to have the people think for themselves. It seems as though these creed-bound revisers thought "We must not open this subject, we must not disturb the ‘traditions of the elders,' by translating these expressions correctly; better leave them just as they are and then the people will not be unsettled, and the creed will remain intact." Whether they thought this or not, they certainly did not correct this glaring fault of the common version (although, according to their own representation, to correct such faults as this was the very purpose for which the New Testament was revised), but perpetuated it; and hence we have the same confusion in this respect in the new version as in the old, and thus God's wonderful "counsel" is "darkened by words without knowledge." To my mind it is positive that this word must be connected with some great truth; and it seems to me that we may be sure of this even though we may not be able to tell what that truth is. But the scriptures reveal something of this mystery to those who "search." God's "plan of the ages," as we have noticed in several articles in this and the preceding paper, makes this truth apparent. God, through ages past, present and to come, is working out a glorious "purpose." The accomplishment of this purpose progresses though these ages, as is prophetically typified in the first account of the creation, grandly and majestically, until it shall be complete, and man shall be made in the image of God.

I must stop at this point for the present. In the next paper I think I shall be able to make the subject still clearer, in the consideration of the related word, Kosmos.