In addition to the spirit in man, by which every one, who effaces it not, has in his own flesh and blood a signature of the Almighty as to immortality and high destiny; is another inspiration, not common to flesh and blood, concerning greater truths, and powers of the world to come. By this special inspiration holy men of old declared mysteries, things unseen, and unveiled the future (2 Pet. i. 21). They were Seers, Prophets, MiracleWorkers; and, as a continual living proof of this grand inspiration, every true member of God's Church is a living temple, in whom is a revelation of the Holy Ghost (1 Cor. xii. 12, 13). True Christians are what they are, because they are regenerate; and formal Christians are what they are because they are not regenerate. The inspiration of Holy Scripture, of the Church, of the individual believer, is something more than flesh and blood can attain of itself; an inspiration from the Father, making known the unknown, bringing the far off and future near, so that heavenly things and immortality become part of us; live in us; we are consciously in the presence of the Eternal. We live in a Kingdom of God repentance, love, purity of heart, moral improvement, are the characteristics of it. Culture, though it be perfect as that of the Greek, intellectual exclusiveness, are not qualifications; but faith which seems to come as by an inspired consciousness of redemption and of divine sonship. Not for one age only, but for all time, the Inspiration and Revelation of the Lord endure for ever (1 Pet. i. 25). The germs go on prospering in darkness, then the delicate shoots, then the sweet trembling blossoms, then the fruit of full power graced with the attributes of wisdom. "Forerun thy peers, thy time, and let Lord Tennyson, The Two Voices. It was our Lord's custom, in teaching, to clothe the things of Heaven with an earthly garb; or, rather-shall we say?—to show the heavenly meaning that was under the earthly covering. So doing, He brought high things within the reach of lowly understandings; and kept sacred things from being profaned. He who profits by the lessons of Jesus will find Wisdom mightily at work everywhere. It is a wisdom in the things, better than the things-some influence, or power, which works natural processes in a manner more than natural. Our great poet frequently brings it into play: "There was speech in their dumbness, language in their very gesture; they looked as they had heard of a world ransomed, or one destroyed; a notable passion of wonder appeared in them." If we acquaint ourselves with this living power, are animated, inspired by it; know that we are more than flesh and blood, are being fitted for immortality; our light will not be low, nor blood creep, nor nerves prick, nor heart faint, when the wheels of life have borne us to the dark verge—there will be the dawn of eternal day. In further researches for intimations of immortality, and proofs of worlds to come, we we find processes by which dead things become living, materials of the ground built up into the human body-a scene of wonders; and the brain, formed of those materials, is made a palace of thought. Hence metals, as they 1 "Winter's Tale," act v. sc. 2. corrode; the hard rocks, as they disintegrate; form soil, out of which plants grow, flowers bloom, fruits ripen, animals and men sustain their life. That which is now bone of our bone, and flesh of our flesh, once floated in the air; then, lay in the earth; now, it lives in our life, and seems to think in the material basis of our thought. Step by step has been the advance; age after age, the continuance; from height to height, the elevation; by ceaseless dying and ceaseless living, the highest point of creation on earth is attained in man. Then, in a manner that we reverently think of, but cannot define any more than less sacred facts, Godhead took our flesh; and became that Christ, the Lord, who lived in our nature, was crucified and buried; who ascended, in the vesture of our manhood, to Heaven to vindicate high place for us in the as yet unseen and glorious universe: He, Himself, the central Power and Glory of that universe. It will hardly be denied that, however rarely, we do sometimes meet persons who, in their very mien and aspect, through inspiration and revelation of Him, bear the signature and stamp of holiness, of truth, of power. They are living examples of what every believing man may become, and put grand words in his lips: "The light of the stars is on my brow, though the dust of the earth cleaves to my feet; the everlasting God dwells in my mortal frame; and, in making me His living temple, my body and my soul. are assured of immortality." By inspirations and revelations of this sort, in things of the sky and those of earth, our present life of faith. and hope is proved to be a suburb of Heaven. Not only the near view of death places many men on a moral eminence, whence they command prospects, before, behind, and on every side, concerning the object of their being, so that they know they have done well; that Death, the last enemy is made an image of Mercy; that Goodness is a power of the Living One, to make alive for evermore. Every sound that they hear has a voice of inner meaning. From every standpoint is a vista of immortality. Luther knew it very well, and said, "That yellow corn, on fair taper stems; its head, bent; all rich and waving there; the mute earth, at God's bidding, has brought it once again-man's bread." To him, to countless other men, the miracle of harvest makes the footprints of God, in passing amongst the worlds, very fruitful. All things are inspired with meaning; and we possess, in ourselves, inspiration as to that meaning. When the day passes and night comes with the veil of darkness, the beloved of God, under His curtain, are wrapped in sleep. A Christian is the embodiment of a new life, a new self, that will live "when all our present breath is breathed out." The man of science, whose knowledge is enlarged by study of the world's arrangements; the philosopher, who discerns noble uses in them; the poet, who idealizes; in their several degrees, know that universes march on from eternity to eternity. No problem has been proposed to faith for solution, amidst the world's distinctions and distractions, that is not the shadow of some upper glory. If God, who hides Himself, stands on the earth; God, hidden in man; some Peter discerns the Divine presence, a revelation from the Father. He spiritually apprehends (1 Cor. ii. 15) how God dwells in His people; is in His Son, the Saviour who redeems us; in the harvest of the field, that maintains our life; and gives the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies us. God is all this to us, in us, for us; not by any power of Nature's own, not by any merit of ours, but through inspiration, incarnation, revelation. "It is not likeness only charms the sense, It is the likeness in the difference, the perfect in the present tense." Jean Ingelow, Poems, Third Series. The Lord made the universe, good and beautiful, not in vain; not to disappoint us. Our life is an illuminated Gospel and Psalter, with pictures of sacred things and promises of true things. We bind love with duty, thus fortify our souls with bands; for duty conforms us to law, and law is the very nature of the Eternal; being so bound, He lives in us, and we in Him. We shall lie down in peace and awake in glory. |