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. 4 —June 15, 1885.

Paragraph Headings Of Vol.1, No 4

Probation
The Man Christ Jesus
Defination Of Bible Terms
KOSMOS

PROBATION

This article has been prepared with the thought in mind that it will be read by many who are unfamiliar with these great truths. May the dear Lord bless it to their good.

This subject is creating a great sensation in the religious world just now. Independent of all creeds and traditions, let us consider what the BIBLE teaches concerning it. What is Probation? The word probation does not occur in the Bible, nor does the idea that is commonly attached to it. The prevalent theological idea of probation is as follows: It is assumed, to begin with, that all mankind are under the sentence of eternal death, which, according to the orthodox view, means endless life in misery; all are hell-deserving and in danger of being lost forever; during this life, judgement is suspended, and an opportunity is offered to escape the execution of this impending sentence, by repentance and faith in Christ; this is man's probation,—a brief chance to escape hell and secure heaven; if he fails to improve this opportunity, and dies impenitent, the sentence is irrevocably executed and the man is eternally lost. No such teaching as this, either in outline or in detail, can be found in the Bible; it is entirely human tradition. In the first place no such thing as "eternal death" is ever spoken of in the Bible; the phrase, nor the idea, no where occurs in the sacred writings. Secondly, the truth is not that man is under the sentence of death, and in danger of being lost, but he is already dead and lost, and Christ comes to seek and save the lost, and to "give life to the [dead] world." (John 6:33) "If one died for all then were all dead,, (2 Cor. 4:14), mark it well,—dead; not in danger of death, or liable to it, but dead already. See John 6:53; Rom. 8:6, 7; 1 John 5:11, 12. Thirdly, no such ghastly view of life as this is anywhere presented in Scripture. According to this view, this life, if we make the best use of it possible, is simply a race from hell to heaven; as the hymn puts it,—

"Nothing is worth a thought beneath,
But how I may escape the death
That never, never dies!
My sole concern, my single care,
To watch, and tremble, and prepare
Against that fatal day."

What an utterly hideous conception of life! a constant struggle to keep out of perdition,—this, the "sole concern," the "single care"! and yet very many Christians have no higher conception of the purpose of this present existence, than the above; their highest idea of salvation is salvation from the consequences of sin,—an endless hell. This unworthy view is inculcated and fostered by the practice of the churches in working upon the fears of the impenitent to induce them to make a profession of religion. The great plea always is, shun perdition! prepare to die! neither of these motives are ever urged in the Bible to induce to holy living, and yet these are the main, and oft-times the sole exhortations to the unconverted. Now the scriptural view of probation, if I err not, is as follows: Man's probation is the period of his discipline; training, instruction, development, and perfecting; "perfected through suffering," as was the Lord Jesus Christ. (Compare Heb. 2:10 with 1 Pet. 5:10). I have already noticed in previous articles in this paper the purpose of God, as set forth in scripture, in the creation of man, (See 1-1-4 and 1-2-25) that he is creating a race of beings in his own image and likeness; a work that was begun in Eden, has been finished only in the case of one individual thus far, the Lord Jesus Christ, and will be completed in the remainder of the race in God's "due time." (1 Tim. 2:3-6).

Now with this idea of probation, that it is a period of training and education, we proceed to inquire what proportion of the human race have had such probation thus far in its history? We are obliged to answer that so far as we know only a very small minority. The great mass of mankind have been born, lived, and died in the most absolute and total ignorance of God, and his truth; and such moreover is the condition of the race today. The words of the prophet and of the apostle apply now to the condition of mankind as a whole, as they have always been applicable thus far in the Past. "Darkness covers the earth, and gross darkness the people." "The whole world lieth in wickedness." Now according to the common view that death ends probation, consigning the individual to endless happiness or hopeless despair, all these millions of human beings are now in heaven or hell. Surely they did not die fit for the former place; have they all gone to perdition then? This is the necessary conclusion according to the common view. But how can we accept it? A few hundred thousands perhaps, gone to heaven; while thousands of millions, and even billions have gone to hell, there to remain eternally. Just think of it for a moment. How appalling and horrifying is the thought! and yet there is no logical or scriptural escape from it according to the orthodox view. It is a sad and a significant fact that most church members are entirely indifferent to these great subjects. "I don't know what God will do with the great masses of mankind," say they, (and many, if they told the whole truth would add, I don't care), "He will do right, I leave it all to him," and thus with an assumption of pious submission which for the most part is heartless selfishness, they summarily dismiss the whole subject. But there are some who feel the burden of this awful doctrine, their souls revolt at the conclusions to which it leads: Such ones have resorted to various makeshifts to escape these conclusions. I will notice one of these. It is said that although it is true that the great mass of the race have thus far died in sin, yet it does not follow that they have been lost; for if those who are unavoidably ignorant live up to the light they have, they will be saved; and thus many Christians think the majority of the heathen will be saved. To support this view Rom. 2:11-15 is referred to. Now read this passage over and see if there is any doctrine taught as that heathen who live up to the light they have will be saved. In the first place there is not one word said about salvation any way in the whole passage. Secondly, verse 12 says "they that have sinned without law shall perish without law." Thirdly, the central idea of verses 13-15, etc., is that some heathen are far more moral and therefore commendable than some who have the light of gospel truth and profess to walk in it; and this thought the apostle goes on to fully amplify and illustrate in the remaining part of the chapter. But there is not the most distant hint that anyone will be saved by living up to the light they have.

Furthermore think of some of the strange conclusions that would follow from this view. If the majority of the heathen world are to be saved by living up to the light they have, it follows that more will be saved without the gospel than with it. We know as a matter of fact that in so called Christian lands where the people are gospel enlightened the majority reject the gospel and must, according the orthodox view be inevitably lost; whereas in heathen lands is said the majority will live up to the light they have and be saved. Hence the majority of heathen will be saved, the majority of the gospel enlightened will be damned. According to this view if you are born in a heathen land the chances are that you will be saved; if you are born in a Christian land the chances are overwhelmingly against your salvation. Still further, according to this view, all missionary work is a stupendous mistake, and on the whole, a curse to the heathen world. Leave the heathen alone in their darkness and ignorance and the majority will be saved by living up to the light they have. Send them the gospel and we know from past experience that ihe majority will reject it and be lost forever. These conclusions are inevitable, you cannot escape them while you entertain the idea of the majority of the heathen being saved by living up to the light they have.

But again, suppose this theory were true; even admitting that those who live up to the light they have among the heathen will be saved, very small comfort could be derived therefrom, for it is a notorious and universal fact that no class of human beings have ever lived up to the light they had. Is it not true of all mankind, Jewish, Heathen or Christian, that our practice is far below our knowledge and advantages? Does not all history, ancient and modem, teach us that nations have not increased in virtue and morality as they have advanced in civilization and learning, but on the contrary they have become more and more wicked and depraved, until time and again the most highly cultivated and enlightened nations have perished in their own corruption. Read the first chapter of Romans and see how forcibly Paul confirms this view by clearly setting forth the awful failure of the heathen world, "the Gentiles," to live up to the light they had; and in our own day, in this respect, history is repeating itself. Thus this way of salvation,—"repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ." This is the one way for all mankind, "Jew or Gentile, Barbarian, Sythian, bond or free," and so the apostle teaches,—"The Scripture forseeing that God would justify the heathen by FAITH, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." (Gal. 3:8).

But now comes a great difficulty. How are the heathen to be justified by faith, since "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God"? The masses of them never have had any opportunity to hear; they know not God, nor Christ; hence they could not "believe in him of whom they have not heard," they have no faith, without which it is impossible to please God. (Heb. 11:6). They have lived and died in this condition; the masses of mankind are still in the same state, "without God and without hope in the world;" Is this promise of justification of the heathen by faith only for a very few, the rest being hopelessly lost? Does this wretched, short, beast-like existence of the masses of the race in the past (and the same condition of things still prevails), determine for each one his eternity? How utterly unreasonable such an idea appears! and yet this is the prevailing belief among Christians.

The common idea is that death seals our eternal destiny; as we are at death so will we be forever; that there is no possibility of a change of moral condition after death, but simply an intensifying of the same condition; the saved in heaven eternally growing better; the damned in hell forever growing worse. But what is there in common sense or in Scripture to substantiate this view. On what ground of reason can we claim that death is the mordant that eternally fixes the moral color of human character? Is it not more reasonable to conclude that, since in this life there is, on the whole, so little of development and instruction, the great mass of mankind dying as they live like "natural brute beasts," (2 Pet. 2:12; Psa. 49:20) there must be a chance for change and advancement in the future world? that since man has so poor an opportunity here, and the majority no opportunity at all, they must have some opportunity there? that since the advantages are so meagre now, and so unequally distributed, and since God is a God of justice and no respecter of persons, there must be a more impartial distribution then? These conclusions I think are reasonable; far more so than to claim that all, whatever be their condition here, will determine their future eternity by this present life.

But reason cannot decide this question for the Christian. The final appeal must be to the Bible. However reasonable the foregoing view may be, we could at best only hold it as a possible explanation of the difficulties of the orthodox position, if it were not plainly in harmony with the Word. But it is in harmony with the Word. The entire teaching of the Bible, both in its general scope and in its special precepts and declarations, is in full harmony with the doctrine of posthumous probation; not a second probation, as some say, but the only probation that the great majority of mankind ever have. To the Scriptures then we turn for the main argument that establishes this glorious truth of a "restitution of all things" (Acts 3:21) in the "ages to come. (Eph. 2:7).

I would call attention first to the fact that there is absolutely no scripture against this view. Let the reader stop and think if he can of a passage of Scripture that teaches that death fixes our eternal destiny; where is it taught in the Bible? Some passages may occur to you that seem to teach it; but if you examine carefully and adhere closely to the one point under consideration, you will see that they teach nothing of the kind. The question is, does physical death end probation? does it render our moral character changeless? does it irrevocably fix our eternal destiny? Not one passage can be found answering these questions in the affirmative. If any reader of this paper thinks there are any such, I shall be very glad to have him point them out to me.

Now on the other hand there are many passages that teach, both by positive inference and by direct statement, that death does not end probation. I have not space to notice all of these passages but will only cite a few of the plainest of them. We will notice in the first place some of those scriptures that teach a probation after death by positive inference.

Take God's promise and oath to Abraham. "In thee and they seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed." This is repeated again and again throughout the Bible. See Gen.7:3; 12:18; 28:14; Gal. 3:8; etc. This promise is confirmed by an oath, "that by two immutable things (the promise and oath) in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us." (Heb. 6:18). This promised "Seed" in whom "all the families of the earth" are to be blessed is (not Isaac, but) Christ. (Gal. 3:16). Now how are "all the families of the earth" to be blessed in Him? Let Peter answer; see Acts 3:25, 26. "Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning every one of you from his iniquities." Here then is a positive answer to the question, how are "all the families of the earth" to be blessed in Christ, the promised "Seed"? by being turned, every one of them, from their iniquities. Now then we ask further, has this promise ever been fulfilled in the past? Why, certainly not. Not one in a thousand of the earth's population thus far have even so much as heard of Christ, much less been blessed in him by being turned from their iniquities. Will the promise be fulfilled? It would be blasphemous to doubt it; for the one thus doubting would thereby "make God a liar, because he believed not the record that God gave of his Son." (1 John 5:10).

But now let any one tell how this promise can be fulfilled without a probation after death. The positive, inevitable, unavoidable inference from the foregoing considerations is that there must be a probation after death, or this great promise of all promises cannot be fulfilled. Do you say that the promise will be fulfilled in some future period to "all the families of the earth" then living, but that those who have died in the past without such blessing, are not included among those referred to in the promise? their destiny is sealed for weal or woe without sharing in this universal blessing. I reply that this promise of God is a DIVINE AFFIDAVIT, doubly immutable, sworn to and signed by the Lord God Almighty, who has further declared, "My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure." If this promise is uncertain, indefinite, and equivocal, not meaning what it appears to mean but something far inferior to it, then my faith in all God's promises is shaken; I cannot tell what they mean; I do not know how much they are to be discounted, and such "paper" would be of but little value. In a human court, if the sworn statement of a person were found to be no nearer true than the above view would make God's oath, he would be indictable for perjury. I would say again, as I have said in a former issue of this paper, that God's promises are not at a discount but at a premium. Any explanation of a scripture that belittles it, that seems to fall short of the language used, so as to make it mean less than is said, may safely be considered incorrect, and rejected at once; for the reality of God's truth is not below, but far above the power of human expression. The conclusion then to which we are inevitably drawn from all the foregoing, is that this promise and oath of God, must be fulfilled after death, to those who die without sharing its benefits in this life. Now this view is confirmed by other scripture which I will notice very briefly; passing over many more passages that might be cited from the Old Testament, I will call your attention to a few from the New.

The angel's song, "I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people," (Luke 2:10) plainly implies a probation after death, for how else could this good tidings be to all people, since the great mass have died and are still dying without any knowledge of this blessed news, this "glorious gospel of the blessed God." (1 Tim.1:11). The same may be said of John 1:9; Jesus "was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world;" very few comparatively have thus far been enlightened by this "true light," if every man is to be enlightened it must be in some future age, beyond the grave. Furthermore those passages that speak of Christ as the "Saviour of the World" imply the same doctrine. (See John 1:29; 3:17; 6:33; 1 John 2:2; 4:14). Take these passages in connection with 1 Tim. 2:3-6; "God our Saviour will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth; for there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time." Jesus is the Saviour of the World; all are to be saved and come to a "knowledge of the truth." The great mass have died without such knowledge, but they are all to have it; when? In God's "due time." "He gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified [to all] in due time." Will the great mass of mankind die and be lost, never having come to a "knowledge of the truth"?—never having heard of this universal ransom? It must be so or they must come to this knowledge and hear of this ransom after death. Though there are many other passages to the same effect I must pass them by, and close the present article by noticing just one more passage that directly teaches a probation after death.

In Ezek. 16:44-53, etc., we have first, a comparison made between the wicked cities of Jerusalem, Samaria and Sodom. The Lord declares that the first was more wicked than either of the other two. He goes on to tell why he destroyed Sodom (verses 49, 50) and then he declares in plain and unmistakable language that he purposes at some future time to restore Sodom to her "former estate," and when he does this he will restore Jerusalem and Samaria to their former estate. Now it is plain that by Sodom is meant the people, the Sodomites (verses 49, 50), and it is certain that if the Sodomites are ever to be restored to their former estate it must be from the dead, for they were all destroyed without a single exception; (See Luke 17: 29), and it is further clear that they are thus to be restored that they may be benefitted and blessed; see verses 60-63. I have not time to dwell upon this remarkable passage, nor is there any need of further explanation. It must be plain to all that a probation after death is positively and directly taught here; no other interpretation can be put upon the passage except it be forced upon it; and the truth is still further confirmed by the fact that we are taught that other nations are to be restored in "the latter days," viz., Moab, Ammon, and Elam; (see Jer. 49:47; 49:6, 39), and finally, David makes this restoration of the nations universal when he says, "All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship before thee, 0 Lord, and shall glorify thy name; for thou art great and doest wondrous things; thou art God alone." Psa. 86:9, 10; see also 22:27, 28; 65:4; 72:11, 17, 19; 113:3; 138:4; look these scriptures out and see if they do not fully harmonize with the broad and glorious view presented in this article. Thus does it appear that, though thus far in the world's history evil has seemed to triumph over the vast majority of God's "offspring," (Acts 17:29) and they have gone down to the grave in darkness, ignorance and sin, yet it by no means follows that this sad triumph is eternal; for we see a big hope for the race in the "ages to come," when God "will show the exceeding riches of his grace." (Eph. 2:7). Well may we exclaim, in view of such a glorious purpose of the ages," (Eph. 3:11, new version, margin), "Great and marvellous are thy works, 0 Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are thy ways, thou King of the ages. Who shall not fear, 0 Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all the nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy righteous acts have been made manifest. (Rev. 15:3, 4, new version).

"THE MAN CHRIST JESUS."

In the last paper we endeavored to "see Jesus" in his preexistence, his incarnation, sacrifice and death, and loneliness; in this article We will consider

THE HUMANITY OF CHRIST.

Theologians are apt to lay great stress upon the divinity of Christ; but it seems to me more important that we should comprehend his humanity. That the wonderful, sinless Jesus was divine, I can easily believe, but was he human? was he like man? and if so, how? and in what respect? and to what extent? The orthodox doctrine, that Christ the Son is absolutely God the Father,—in the language of the creeds,—"the very unoriginated God," is not only absurd, selfcontradictory and unscriptural, but it is confusing, misleading and discouraging to the soul seeking after God. If Christ was absolutely God then how is He my pattern? how is his victory any encouragement to me? He was God, the Almighty, absolute controller of all forces; it was impossible for him to sin and he knew it, therefore his trial was no trial at all, and his triumph no encouragement to fallen man, since the circumstances of the two are in no way similar; man is the almost helpless football of the evil forces around him; if Christ was God then he was the master of all forces, and of course could be overcome by none; hence his moral success is no more encouraging to the sinner, than is the business success of a man who starts out with millions of money to begin with, an encouragement to the poor tradesman who begins with nothing. If Jesus Christ did not begin as low down as I am, then the fact that he made his way out of this horrible pit of corruption and death is no help to me; what I want to know most as a member of the fallen race is, not how near Christ comes to God, but how near he comes to man. I want to know, of course, if he can reach up to God, but I want to know still more if he can reach down to me; in short, I want to know if he was man, "a brother born for adversity," a child born as well as a Son given.

From the considerations presented in the last paper, it is plainly apparent that Christ's trial was no farce; that to the Lord Jesus it was a terrible reality, fraught with uncertainty and fear, just as our trial is to us; these considerations of themselves would show how thoroughly Christ was human,—how fully he entered into all the experiences of fallen man. We have also seen that in his incarnation, though there was the cooperation of God's creative power, yet Christ was human, "made of a woman," (Gal. 4:4), generated and brought into the world like every other human being. We have seen also that the life of Christ was one of suffering, deprivation and loneliness; he was truly a "man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," and in this respect again he was like fallen man. But now let us notice further, step by step his nature and life, according to the Word, that we may note how in every particular and detail he was indeed the "Son of man."

We may be sure from many and the plainest scriptures that Christ was really human, especially from Heb. 2:14-18. "Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood he himself likewise took part of the same; wherefore it behooved him [i.e. he was obliged] in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people; for in that he himself hath suffered, being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted."

Now in order to be like his brethren in all things he began his earth-life lower down than Adam; the latter was created a son of God, an adult human being, with a sinless nature. Christ began his life a helpless babe, Son of fallen man as well as Son of God, with a sinful nature. Some perhaps will demur to the statement that Christ had a sinful nature; but such certainly is the positive teaching of Scripture. He was "made sin;" (2 Cor. 5:21) he was not a sinner, on the contrary he "knew no sin," he was holy, harmless, undefiled;" how then was he made sin? By taking upon himself man's fallen nature, in no other way could he have been made sin; and this is still further confirmed by the fact that he was "made of woman;" "who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one." (Job 14:4). Furthermore he was in all points tempted like as we," how could he have thus been tempted if he had not had a sinful nature? He was obliged to be made like his brethren in all things; surely he would not have been like his brethren at all if he had a sinless nature. Similar language is used of Christ as of the sons of fallen Adam. "Adam begat a son in his own likeness," (Gen. 5:3), the likeness of sinful man. So Christ "was made in the likeness of men." (Phil. 2:7) now see all this exemplified in his life. The evangelist speaks of his childhood just as you might speak of the childhood of any human being. "Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." His reputed father was poor, (compare Lu. 2:24 with Lev. 12:8) a labouring man; Jesus was subject to him, no doubt labouring with him, thus knowing the experience of the great army of earth's toilers. There was of course something about him remarkable and extraordinary, different from other boys; he was "filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him." (Lu. 2:40) and yet there was nothing in this to prevent him from entering fully into all the experiences of the infancy, childhood and youth of human kind.

Thus also in Christ's ministry we find the human element, rather than the divine, most prominent. In referring to himself, Christ almost always styles himself the Son of man; four times he calls himself the Son of God; eighty times he takes to himself the name, Son of man. He was weak and feeble as ever any poor mortal was. "I can of mine own self do nothing," says Christ; (see John 5:19, 30; 8:28) was ever any one weaker than that? But perhaps some one says, "did not Christ perform wonderful miracles? did he not cure all manner of diseases, cast out devils, command the elements, walk on the water, and raise the dead? were these the works of a poor, weak man?" No, these were the works of God; not Christ's works at all, but the works of God, the Father. He empowered Christ; it was through God's power alone that Christ performed his mighty works. God could empower you or I to do the same things if he pleased, and some will have this power ultimately even to do greater things than Christ did. (See John 14:12). This position may seem strange and very erroneous to some who have not heretofore thought of this matter; I know that the common idea is that Christ performed his miracles by his own power; for instance in a little theological work that now lies before me, (which the ministers of a certain so called "evangelical" denomination are required to study), I read, "As man Christ weeps over the grave of Lazarus, as God he raises him from the dead. As man he himself suffers and dies; as God he raises his own body from the grave." Now I do not hesitate to affirm that nothing could be more unscriptural than this; in fact it is just the opposite of the truth. Christ did nothing by his own power, "the Son can do nothing of himself," and we are told repeatedly that God raised Christ from the dead "by his own power." (1 Cor.6:14). Jesus never claimed to perform miracles, or to do any work in his own name or by his own powers, on the contrary he expressly disclaims it, He did his mighty works "by the spirit of God" (Matt. 12:28) or "by the finger of God" (Lu. 11:20), i.e., in plain language, by the power of God. (Compare Ex. 8:19). The works that he did were not his own works; (John 9:4). The words he uttered were not his own words: (John 3:34; 14:10; 17:8). "It is my meat and drink," he said, "to do my Father's will and to finish His work;" again he says "The Father that dwelleth in me He doeth the works." Jesus always attributed his works to God; for instance, when he cured the demoniac he says to him, "Return to thine own house and shew how great things [not I, but] God hath done unto thee; and the man went his way and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him." Jesus knew that it was God dwelling in him that did the work, and he thus speaks; the cured man knew nothing of God, but saw only Christ as the instrument of his salvation. All this is positive. Christ in himself was a weak, feeble man; what he did was by the power of God, just as God might empower any one to do a mighty work; thus, for instance, Paul speaks, "I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I but the grace of God that was with me," (1 Cor. 15:10); so Christ with equal truth might have said the same; Christ's very life was dependent upon God. I showed in the last paper that Jesus was in a condition of death while here in the flesh; the only life he had was "of God," as he himself said, "I live by the Father." (John 6:57). In this respect also he was "like unto his brethren," who while in this bondage of corruption have no life in themselves, but are "dead," possessing only the "life hid with Christ in God." (Col. 3: 3).

Now notice how this view that everything in Christ's career was of God is still further confirmed. Out of many passages that might be cited I will only refer to two. Acts 2:22; "Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you as ye yourselves also know." God did the miracles, wonders and signs, by Christ. Again, see Acts 10:38-42. "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy spirit and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were possessed of the devil, for God was with him; and we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land the Jews and in Jerusalem, whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly; not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead; and he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead." Notice how, in this passage, everything is attributed to God. He it was that anointed Jesus, who was able to do mighty deeds because "God was with him"; God raised him up from the dead, and chose the witnesses of his resurrection and God has ordained him to be judge. Here as everywhere else, we see that, "All things are of God"; this was as true in relation to Jesus as to any other human being. Jesus was as truly "God's workmanship" (Eph. 2:10), as any other human being. He was "the beginning of the creation of God" (Rev. 3:14), "the first born of every creature"; (Col. 1:15), God was his Creator, God, and Father, just as he is our Creator, God and Father. See 1 Pet. 4:19; John 20:17. God brought him into the world, (Heb. 1:6); his whole life and work was God-wrought, as we have seen; so his passion and crucifixion, (Acts 2:23; 4:27, 28), his resurrection, exaltation, and priesthood (Acts 2:24; Phil. 2:9; Heb. 6:20), his return to judge and reign and deliver the "whole creation," (Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:16; Psa. 2:8; Dan. 7:13, 14; Rom. 8:19-20), is all of God, all of God; and this is very wonderful and precious, and shows how fully Christ was identified with the race,—how thoroughly he was human. He began on the same plane, and passed through the same process,—"made perfect through suffering," —that fallen man must pass through in order to reach perfection. So thoroughly was he human that he was under the curse (Gal. 3:13), and had to be redeemed like the rest of mankind; see Heb. 9:11, 12. "But Christ being come, . . . neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption." The addition of the words, for us at the end of this passage in the common version, is another illustration of the "tinkering" process by which the translators, it would seem, sought to help out the meaning; but those words obscure the sense; Christ had first to obtain redemption for himself, before he could redeem others. God must first redeem him, by "saving him out of death" (Heb. 5:7, new version, margin), before he could redeem us. "All things are of God." He is the great original Redeemer, redeeming Jesus, the world's Redeemer, that Jesus might redeem the world; hence, prophetically Jesus is represented as recognizing this fact when the Psalmist makes him say, as we know he did at least partly say, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, 0 Lord God of truth." (Psa. 31:5; compare Luke 23:46). And now we can answer another question that may be asked. If Christ began even lower than Adam, and was a poor, weak man with a fallen nature, how did he come off victorious in his trial, when Adam, though he seemed to have had a better opportunity, failed so utterly? The answer to this question is again,— "All things are of God." Why did Adam fail? because it was God's plan that he should fail (1-2-25). Why did Christ succeed? Because it was God's plan that he should succeed. "The grace of God was upon him." God "made known to him the ways of life." (Acts 2:28). Take your Bible and turn to Isa. 42:1-12; read the whole passage carefully, comparing it with Matt. 12:18-21, and see how thoroughly Christ's success was of God. God says by the prophet, "Behold my servant whom I uphold. I have put my spirit [power] upon him; he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles; he shall bring forth judgment unto truth. He shall not fail." Why? Because, "I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people for a light of the gentiles." What for? "To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house;" and then Jehovah adds, thus taking all this upon himself,—"I am the Lord, that is my name; and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images." Could language frame anything more positive to show that "God worketh all things after the counsel of his own will?" (Eph. 1:11), and that too in the career of his "only begotten Son," as much as in the life of any human being. As we have seen, his birth, trials, sufferings and death were of God, so also his mighty works; victory, exaltation and glory. "It pleased the Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to grief," (Isa. 53:10), "it [also] pleased the Father that in him should all fullness dwell," "he hath high exalted him." (Col. 1:19; Phil.2:9). Verily, "all things are of God."

Jesus had to pass through a process of growth, instruction and perfecting, just as man must, in order to reach the "image of God." "He grew in wisdom and in favour with God and man." There were some things he did not know, (Mark 13:32) and he had to be instructed; "among the rest he "learned obedience by the things which he suffered;" (Heb. 5:8) he had to pass through a training process "that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of people;" (Heb. 2:17) and finally he was "perfected through suffering," (Heb. 2:10) "and being made perfect he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him." (Heb. 5:9).

Christ's final sufferings and death were those of a human being. He suffered as a martyr, just as other martyrs have suffered before and since, i.e., so far as the giving up of his natural life was concerned. I noticed in the last paper that the life Jesus laid down and took up again, according to John 10:17, 18, was not his natural, but his pre-existent, divine life. His natural life was "taken" from him (see Acts 8:33) just as the natural life has again and again, been taken from other martyrs. He died voluntarily to be sure, and yet he was "put to death;" (1 Pet. 3:18) Paul says "he was crucified through weakness." (2 Cor. 13:5) All this shows what a weak, feeble, human being Christ was in himself, though empowered of the Father to perform wonderful miracles; just as we are weak in ourselves, though "mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds." Christ's resurrection, we have seen, was of God, and it is also plain that he was raised as a man,—a man still even he had been "declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead;" (Rom.1:4) not now the "man of sorrows," with "marred visage," corruptible flesh, and fallen nature, but the restored, perfected man, "made perfect through suffering;" and yet he was still a man with flesh and bones, (Luke 24:29) eating and drinking with his disciples, (Acts 10:41) and living in familiar intercourse with them for forty days. Then he ascended and was seated at God's right hand, still a man (Lu. 2: 69, Acts 7:56) and one day he will come again, "this same Jesus," (Acts 1:11) that was with them during that forty days, "the man Christ Jesus," as it is written, "The Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he shall reward every man according to his works." Thus in his entire career Christ is most throughly identified in every particular and detail with fallen man; he is emphatically our "Forerunner," having passed over, step by step, the same path that every son and daughter of the human race must tread to reach the likeness of God.

As God makes one to "differ" from another, (1 Cor. 4:7) so He, and He alone, made Jesus to differ from all the rest of his creation, —not in his earthly condition, for in that respect he was "made like his brethren in all things,"—nor does he differ in his perfected state, for we too shall be "made partakers of the divine nature," (2 Pet. 1:4)—but God hath made him to differ in priority and rank, for "He is before all things and in him all things hold together," (Col. 1:17, new version, margin) "He is the head over all things," "the beginning, the first born, from the dead, that all things he might have the pre-eminence." Therefore "unto the Son, God saith, Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity, therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."* (Heb.1:8,9) (*The part of this passage that is not quoted will be noticed in the next Paper, in connection with the subject of the divinity of Christ. ) . Thus does it appear that the pre-eminent Son is as much "of God," as are the "many sons; all are "His workmanship," as it is written, "Of God are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:30). "0 the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor? For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things: to whom be glory unto the ages. Amen."

Is not all this most grand and precious? How encouraging and reassuring to every member of the race! In your struggle with trials, temptations and sins you may walk the same path as the Master. He was weak like you. "In the days of his flesh" he knew, as we do, what it was to "pray and supplicate with strong crying and tears," to realize himself in a "horrible pit" of corruption and death, and to be oppressed with "fear" and anxiety lest he should never escape therefrom; (Heb. 5:7-9) he has known, as every believer must know, what it is to endure, to fight, to weep, to pray to suffer and toil, to agonize and plead as he did in the garden, in short, "to enter into the kingdom of heaven through much tribulation." Furthermore he was on the same plain that we are, had to contend with the same things that we do, had no more strength than we have, depended on the same almighty Being that we may, bore the same reproach and shame that we must, and all "for the joy that was set before him" in bringing many sons unto glory," just as Moses "chose to suffer affliction with the people of God" in order to lead them out of bondage, "because he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." Thus Christ's triumph is a pledge of our victory; his Father is our Father, His God is our God (John 20:17) his resources are all ours, "as he is so are we in the world," Christ had no advantage over us; the same God who alone delivered him, "making known to him the ways of life," "saving him out of death," "holding his hand and keeping him," has promised to deliver the whole creation from the bondage of corruption. (Rom. 8:21). "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself;" "He was the first born of every creature." He is the pattern man of God's finished creation, and the pledge and promise, under God's hand and seal (John 6:27) of the final exaltation of man to dominion over "all things;" (Heb. 2:5-11), "For as in Adam all die so in Christ shall all be made alive;" "As by offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation, so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." "Therefore let no man glory in man ["but he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (I Cor. 1:31)] for all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's" and thus, blessed be the dear Father of all! we come again to the same conclusion, "All things are of God;" "We are His workmanship;" "He maketh all things," (Isa. 44:24) from Christ, "the Beginning of the creation of God," to the last one delivered from the bondage of corruption. "Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the Lord, the first, and with the last," (Isa.41:4) ,—"that God may be all in all."

In the next paper we will consider the subject of Christ's divinity.

DEFINITION OF BIBLE TERMS.

WORLD, AEON, KOSMOS.*

(*I spell the word after the analogy of the Greek original, instead of according to the anglicized orthography, Cosmos.)

Continued from No. 2

We wish to present one or two more thoughts on Aeon, age, to complete the article in No. 2, and then to consider the word Kosmos.

The view of the meaning of aeon already presented explains why God is called "the King of the ages." (Rev. 15:3, N. V.), and the aeonial God," Rom. 26:26. Some have argued that because this adjective, aeonial (derived from aeon is applied to God, therefore it must endless; but such reasoning only manifests the ignorance of the reasoner. Such an expression as the endless God, is absurd and utterly incongruous, and entirely foreign to the idea the apostle intended to convey. God is said to be "the King of the Ages" because it is through these "age-times" that he is working out his gracious "purpose;" and the epithet aeonial is applied to him for the same reason. The ages are God's "days" of creation; they are the different departments through which God's work (Eph. 2:10) must pass, stage after stage, "from faith to faith," (Rom. 1:17) "from glory to glory," (2 Cor. 3:18) until it reaches perfection.

I have no doubt, moreover, but that these "age-times" are foreshadowed in the law by the equally peculiar Sabbatic and Jubilee times; see Lev.23 and 25, and other passages in the law. The "seven days," "seven weeks," "seven months," "seven years" the Sabbatic cycle, and the "seven times seven years" or Jubilee cycle,—all these are, I doubt not, types and shadows of the "ages," of the New Testament. The purpose of these Sabbatic and Jubilee times is also typical of the "purpose of the ages." In and through the former were wrought out certain cleansing, releases, redemptions, and restorations on the natural plane, under the law. So in and through the age-times are wrought out the same things, on the spiritual plane, for beggared, enslaved, and lost man, under God's grace. I cannot now go into this subject fully; but I think that the mere suggestion of it will carry conviction to all the "spiritually minded." "The law has a shadow of good things to come." (Heb. 10:1.) The "good things to come" are in the "ages to come," when "God will show the exceeding riches of his grace," and the law above referred to contains the "shadow" of these "ages" and of the "good things."

There can be no doubt in any thoughtful, unprejudiced mind that this word age, is an important word in the Bible,—and that it is used by the Saviour and the apostles in a definite, specific sense. I have already indicated this sense, but I shall be able more thoroughly to explain it after considering the related word.

KOSMOS.

The definition given of the word Kosmos is as follows: "order, a set form, the mode or fashion of a thing, the world or universe, arrangement, mankind." Every one can see at once from this definition that kosmos is an altogether different word from aeon; the latter is a period of time, the former is as above and yet we find this broad distinction practically obliterated in the common version by the fact that both words are rendered by the one English word, world. The two principal meanings of Kosmos as used in the New Testament, will appear from the consideration of certain passages of scripture.

1. We find that it means Mankind, the inhabitants of the earth; as, for example, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." Here the word Kosmos plainly means mankind; so in the following: "The bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven and giveth life unto the world;" "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself;" "The Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world;" and many other passages of like import. It is plain that in these passages Kosmos means the human race mankind.
   
2. The other meaning of Kosmos is the order, or arrangement of things; a mode, fashion, form or system of things; as illustrating this use, see John 8:23; Christ says to the Jews, "ye are of this world; I am not of this world;" that is to say, "ye are of this order or arrangement of things, wrong, iniquitous, and corrupt; I am of another order or system; so of his disciples he says, "ye are not of the world even as I am not of the world." This the apostle explains in Rom. 13:11-14 and 1 Thess. 5:4-8. Now a dark and wicked order of things obtains, as the apostle says, it is "night," but ye brethren, are not of the night nor of the darkness, ye are all the children of light and the children of the day;" i.e. the coming "perfect day," when Christ shall be the prince of the world, a new world, a new order of things, "wherein dwelleth righteousness." 2 Pet 3:13. So again in the following passages; "Now shall the prince of this world be cast out;" the present order or system of things is, on the whole, unrighteous and wicked, hence Satan is styled the prince of this world or system; and hence Christ says, "My kingdom is not of this world," not of this order of things; So Paul tells us that "the fashion of this world passeth away;" he also speaks of the "course of this world," the "elements" and "rudiments" of the world, etc., in all of which he is doubtless referring to the order of things, the iniquitous and unrighteous system, with its "beggarly elements"—that now obtains, in contradistinction to the just and equitable arrangement that will prevail when "the kingdom (dominion) of this world (kosmos) shall become the kingdom of our Lord, and God's anointed" (Rev. 11:15, N.V.), and "all shall know Him from the least to the greatest."

Many more passages might be cited to the same effect, but these are sufficient to show this important meaning of kosmos. Now look at 2 Pet. 3. Three worlds are spoken of in this chapter, each world composed of a distinct heavens and earth. The heavens and earth which were "of old, standing out of the water and in the water," constituting "the world (kosmos) that then was, being overflowed with water, perished;" that order of things passed away, and a new order was established, "the heavens and the earth which are now," constituting "this world" that Christ and the apostles speak of, as we have noticed above. "This world,"— this present iniquitous system of things—will be destroyed by fire (compare Zeph.3:8, 9), at the "day of judgment" and will thus "pass away," and be succeeded by "a new heavens and new earth," constituting a new world, or order of things, "wherein dwelleth righteousness." These are the three worlds of Scripture; the three worlds of the orthodox catechism are heaven, earth and hell; but none of these are ever called a world in the Bible. The above are the only worlds spoken of, and these come in the order named, no two of them exist simultaneously, and each of them, as we have seen, is made up of a distinct "heavens and earth." In the next number of the paper I intend to consider the significance of these last two terms ,—heaven and earth—an understanding of which is necessary in order to thoroughly comprehend the meaning of aeon and kosmos. I will only add now that from the foregoing can be seen the relation between the worlds and the ages. The worlds are the different orders or arrangements of heavenly and earthly things that obtain for long periods of time and then "pass away," to be succeeded by other worlds, orders or systems. As we have seen there are three such worlds.

The first one extended from the creation to the flood, a period of 1656 years. The second one extends from the flood to the "day of judgment," or the second coming of Christ, since he comes to inaugurate the judgment day. "He will judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;" (2 Tim. 4:1). This world has already covered a period of more than four thousand years; but we have good reason to believe that it is very near its end and that the "new heaven and new earth" are close at hand. The third world extends on from the second coming of Christ to "the dispensation of the fulness of times, when all things in heaven and earth shall be gathered together in Christ;" "for he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet, all rule and all authority and power," and destroyed the last enemy, death, and then God shall be all in all; "Then cometh the end," the end of the "times of the restitution of all things," because then "all things" will be restored. We know not how long a time this third world will cover; it is not revealed; but enough is revealed to make us sure that it will continue for an immense period, even "the ages of ages;" as the second world is very much longer than the first, so doubtless the third will be far beyond the second in duration, But, thanks be to God; although we do not know the length of that mighty cycle, we know the glorious outcome, even "all things made new," and "God all in all;" for, "as truly as Jehovah lives, to Him every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall give praise to God." (Isa. 45:22, 23; Phil. 2:10, 11; compare Rom. 14:11, N.V., margin).

Now we will notice the relation of the ages to the worlds. We have seen that there have been three worlds; but these worlds embrace several ages. Of the first world we know but little; the whole account of it we have is contained in a few verses in the sixth chapter of Genesis; we know not what sub-divisions that world may have been divided into. Of the second world we have a full record, and it plainly appears that it has been divided into three ages. 1. The Patriarchal age, from the flood to the death of Jacob in Egypt. 2. The Jewish age, from the death of Jacob to the first advent. 3. The Christian, or Gospel age, from the first to the second advent, which event we have already seen closes this world, as well as the gospel age. In the third world we know there will be many ages, even "ages of ages," as we have already noticed, but of their number and duration we are not informed; the first age in that world, it appears, is what we call the Millenium, and beyond that there are other ages, "the times of the Restitution of all things," until the "dispensation of the fullness of times." The great difference between an aeon and a kosmos, is that the former is a period during which God is dealing, according to a certain method with his people; the latter is the period of the duration of a certain order of things as it relates to the whole world; a change from one aeon to another involves a change in the mode of God's dealings with his special people, but does not affect the world as a whole; a change from one kosmos to another involves a change affecting all mankind; as we further examine the worlds and ages we shall see this distinction illustrated.

The first illustration is in the change from the world before the flood to the present world; the transition period was marked by the flood, which affected every member of the race. In the Patriarchal age God's people were represented by one man at a time. Noah, and the patriarchs following him down to Abraham; then successively by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, one at a time, until we come down to the death of Jacob, when for the first time "the twelve tribes of Israel" (Gen. 49:48) are recognized as God's people and the Jewish age begins; this continues until the first advent when the Christian era is introduced, which has continued down to the present time. Let the reader notice that these ages are not characterized in themselves, nor distinguished one from another, by anything affecting the world as a whole. God's people alone have been affected by these changes, the world has gone on through these ages, and from one to another without being affected thereby. The great epochs and transition periods in the history of the world by no means correspond with the changes in these ages.

For instance the kingdom of Judah continued down to 606, B.C., when a great change took place, the crown was taken from the last Judaean king, (Ezek. 21:25-27) and universal dominion given to the Gentiles; but there was no change in the dispensation, i.e. in God's method with his people, they still continued under the same law down to the time of Christ. On the other hand at the first advent there was a great change in the dispensation, from Judaism to Christianity, from law to grace, from works to faith, but there was no change in the world of mankind, they continued right on under the Roman yoke for centuries afterward. Thus the distinction between these two significant words plainly appears. A Kosmos is an order, arrangement or system of things, ordained of God for a long period of time, related to, and effecting the entire race. An Aeon is a shorter period of time, included in the Kosmos, during which rules and methods obtain for the special guidance and training of God's people without any immediate reference to the world at large. During the Jewish age, for instance, God dealt with a certain class of people, a single nation, and on one line or principle, namely that of the law. The world of mankind was left to themselves; God's rule is, "every man in his own order"; (band or class) most who have lived in past ages have had no spiritual (i.e. perfecting, finishing) training as yet; their probation or trial will be in the next kosmos, and in future ages. As it was in the Jewish age so has it been in the Gospel age, i.e. God has not been dealing with the world in this age, but with a class,—a people taken out from among the Gentiles for his name. (Acts 15:14). And this class will constitute the promised "Seed," (Gal. 3:16, 29) "the Sons of God," (Rom. 8:19) in whom in future ages other bands and classes will be blessed and saved, by being "turned away from their iniquities," and "brought to a knowledge of the truth," until the whole creation shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption. We will now notice a few passages that still further show the relation between these two words.

See Matt. 13:36-43; Jesus here explains the parable of the tares and the wheat; he says, "the field is the world, the harvest is the end of the world." Reading this from the common version one would suppose that the word world was used in the same sense in both places, but it is not so; the first word rendered world is kosmos, the second is aeon. (See New Version). How misleading to render these very different Greek words by the same English word! "The field is the world," kosmos, the world of mankind where the good seed, "the children of the kingdom," or "the word," (Mark 4:14) was sown, "the harvest is the end of the aeon, age," or "consummation of the age;" (see N.V.), not the end of the race of mankind, or the end of this planet on which we live, or the end of time,—but the end of the age, the Gospel age, when there will be a harvest, as there was at the end of the Jewish age (Luke 10:2), preparatory to the introduction of a new age and a new order of things.

Again, see Heb. 9:26. The apostle says that Christ did not need to offer himself often, as did the Jewish high priest every year, "for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world; but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself." Here again the two different words, kosmos and aeon are translated by the same word, world, thus misleading the English reader. The sense of the passage is as follows: "for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world," i.e. kosmos, this present order or system of things,—"but now once in the end of the age," etc., at the end of the Jewish age, Jesus "appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."

Now see Heb. 1:2. "By whom also he made the worlds." Most readers of this passage would get the idea that by the worlds here is meant the material worlds, i.e. the planets, the heavenly bodies of the Solar system, and they would understand that Jesus made, created, the material universe. But this idea is overthrown at once when we learn that the word here, properly rendered is ages, and not worlds. (See N. V.) "By whom also he made the ages;" this certainly does not mean the material worlds, the planets; what does it mean? Jesus Christ is the one central figure of all the ages. Before he came he was pointed to in a hundred ways in types, allegories, shadows and prophecies; when he came he began to fulfil all these; and in all future time he will still be "Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, to-day, and for the ages," (Heb. 13:8; N.V. margin) until "every knee shall bow and every tongue shall give praise to Him."

An ever increasing, broadening and deepening revelation of God in Christ has characterized all the ages past. From the first promise in Eden, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, Jesus was more and more revealed, age after age,—and God in him—until he himself came that we might behold "the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor. 4:6). Jesus is the great revelation of God to man, hence God made the ages by (through, or with reference to) Him; that is, each succeeding age has taken its distinctive character from that measure of light, progressively revealed, in regard to this Image of God, the Divine Word, Jesus Christ. How simple, and yet how grand and true is the declaration,—"By whom also he made the ages." Take out Christ from the ages and what would be left? an empty shell, a husk, a shadow without a substance, nothing. Jesus makes them what they are, and without him they would not be.

This progressive revelation of God to man through Jesus Christ, which has given character to all the ages, is far more glorious and important than the creation of the material universe, the planetary system; but this important truth is entirely obscured by the misleading translation of the common version.

There is another passage, similar to the one just examined, in Heb. 11:3; "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." This passage is supposed by most Christians to teach the creation of the material universe out of nothing, but it teaches nothing of the kind; the word rendered worlds is ages, again, and this fact of itself ought to satisfy us at once that the apostle is not talking about material worlds, but of the ages, which are not material things, but periods of time. I will give one or two different translations of the passage, and then, what I understand to be the true meaning. Young renders it, "By faith we understand the ages to have been prepared by a saying of God, in regard to the things seen not having come out of things appearing." Rotherham renders it, "By faith we understand the ages to have been adjusted by declaration of God, to the end that not out of appearances should that which is seen come into existence;" these translations are confirmed by the New Version, q. v. Now, if I err not, the meaning is as follows: If it were not for faith, appearances would deceive us; according to appearances, we might say that everything in this world had thus far been allowed to take its own course, and come out as it chanced; and that it had chanced to come out very bad so far, and was seemingly growing worse and worse; this is the appearance of things from the standpoint of the natural man; but now faith, founded on knowledge, comes in to modify and correct these appearances. We learn of God's all-pervading, all-controlling providence; we learn of his supremacy, his Fatherhood and his wisdom; such knowledge gives rise to faith, confidence, trust in Him; and from such faith, founded upon such knowledge, we come to understand that it is not safe to trust to appearances, but that we must look at things from the standpoint of God's plan, his ultimate purpose, if we would rightly comprehend his ways. Paul says that the mystery of God's purposes of grace are hid for ages and generations, but at last revealed to God's saints. Thus we may know that unseen causes are at work bringing about results unlooked for and least expected. These results are according to a pre-arranged plan, a perfect adjustment of the ages to the end that the finally seen things, i.e. the results, shall not be according to previous appearances, but according to God's design when the ages were adjusted. Thus faith is that which gives substance (see N.V., margin), to things hoped for, the proving of things "not seen as yet;" (N.V., and compare verse 7) this definition of faith, and declaration of God's perfect adjustment of the ages to the end of carrying out his own plan, is fully amplified and illustrated as the chapter proceeds.

God be praised that ‘‘things are not what they seem;" no matter how they appear, we shall yet see the final result, not according to present appearances, but according to God's pre-adjustment; like a wonderful and complicated machine which, notwithstanding the apparent confusion of levers, pulleys, belts, cranks and wheels, and the distracting sound of its ponderous working, is yet perfectly adjusted to the accomplishment of a given result, upon which we gaze with wonder and admiration,—so the intricate mechanism of God's marvelous "plan of the ages," though the various parts appear inharmonious and self-conflicting,—wheels within wheels, with rings high and dreadful and full of eyes round about, (Ezek. 1:16-18)—though there seems to be nothing but the harsh din of discord and strife ever sounding in our ears from the "conflict of the ages,"—just as Ezekiel saw his "visions of God" in the midst of whirlwinds, clouds and fire (1:1, 4)—yet is the mighty fabric perfectly adjusted, and absolutely controlled by the omnipotent Master, so that steadily and continually the work goes on, drawing nearer and nearer to completion,—just as in Ezekiel's visions, again, the "living creatures" always "went every one straight forward, and turned out when they went," (1:9, 12, 17; 10:11, &c.)— until at last the blessed end shall be seen (Jas. 5:11), the fair, spotless, finished product of God's great loom,—a race of beings in his own image and likeness; for the spirit of life (Jesus, John 6:33) is in the wheels," (ages) (Ezek. 1:20, mar.) —"By whom also he made the ages." 0 what wonderful "treasures of wisdom and knowledge" are hid in the written word, as in the Word incarnate! truly, "it is the glory of God to conceal a thing." (Prov. 25:2). But how blessedly does he reveal his secrets unto them that fear (reverence) him! (Psa. 25:14).

In the next number, in the consideration of the terms heaven and earth, the subject will be still further explained.