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ThePursuitofGod

"Thenshallweknow,ifwefollowontoknowtheLord:

hisgoingforthispreparedasthemorning."

byA.W.Tozer

introductionbyDr.SamuelM.Zwemer

CHRISTIANPUBLICATIONS,INC.HARRISBURG,PA.

COPYRIGHTMCMXLVIIIBYCHRISTIANPUBLICATIONS,

INC.

PrintedinUnitedStates

Contents

Introduction 5Preface 7I FollowingHardafterGod 11

II TheBlessednessofPossessingNothing 21

III RemovingtheVeil 33IV ApprehendingGod 49V TheUniversalPresence 61VI TheSpeakingVoice 73VII TheGazeoftheSoul 85

VIII RestoringtheCreator-creatureRelation 99

IXMeeknessandRest 109X TheSacramentofLiving 117

Introduction

Hereisamasterlystudyoftheinnerlife by a heart thirsting after God,eager to grasp at least the outskirtsof His ways, the abyss of His lovefor sinners, and the height of Hisunapproachablemajesty—anditwaswrittenbyabusypastorinChicago!

Who could imagine David writingthe twenty-third Psalm on SouthHalstedStreet,oramedievalmysticfinding inspiration in a small study

onthesecondfloorofaframehouseon that vast, flat checker-board ofendlessstreets

Wherecrossthecrowdedwaysoflife

Wheresoundthecriesofraceandclan,

Inhauntsofwretchednessandneed,

Onshadowedthresholddarkwithfears,

Andpathswherehidetheluresofgreed...

ButevenasDr.FrankMasonNorth,of New York, says in his immortalpoem, so Mr. Tozer says in thisbook:

Abovethenoiseofselfishstrife

WehearThyvoice,OSonofMan.

My acquaintancewith the author islimited to brief visits and lovingfellowship in his church. There Idiscovered a self-made scholar, anomnivorous reader with a

remarkablelibraryoftheologicalanddevotional books, and one whoseemed to burn the midnight oil inpursuitofGod.Hisbookistheresultoflongmeditationandmuchprayer.It is not a collection of sermons. Itdoesnotdealwiththepulpitandthepew but with the soul athirst forGod. The chapters could besummarized in Moses' prayer,"Show me thy glory," or Paul'sexclamation, "O the depth of theriches both of the wisdom andknowledge of God!" It is theologynotoftheheadbutoftheheart.

There is deep insight, sobriety ofstyle, and a catholicity of outlookthat is refreshing. The author hasfew quotations but he knows thesaintsandmysticsofthecenturies—Augustine, Nicholas of Cusa,Thomas à Kempis, von Hügel,Finney,Wesleyandmanymore.Theten chapters areheart searchingandthe prayers at the close of each arefor closet, not pulpit. I felt thenearnessofGodwhilereadingthem.

Here is a book for every pastor,missionary, and devout Christian. It

deals with the deep things of Godand the riches of His grace. Aboveall, it has the keynote of sincerityandhumility.

SamuelM.Zwemer

NewYorkCity

Preface

In this hour of all-but-universaldarkness one cheering gleamappears: within the fold ofconservativeChristianitytherearetobe found increasing numbers ofpersons whose religious lives aremarked by a growing hunger afterGod Himself. They are eager forspiritualrealitiesandwillnotbeputoff with words, nor will they becontentwithcorrect"interpretations"

of truth. They are athirst for God,andtheywillnotbesatisfiedtilltheyhave drunk deep at the Fountain ofLivingWater.

This is the only real harbinger ofrevival which I have been able todetect anywhere on the religioushorizon.Itmaybethecloudthesizeof a man's hand for which a fewsaints here and there have beenlooking. It can result in aresurrection of life for many soulsand a recapture of that radiantwonder which should accompany

faith in Christ, that wonder whichhasallbutfledtheChurchofGodinourday.

But this hungermust be recognizedby our religious leaders. Currentevangelicalism has (to change thefigure)laidthealtaranddividedthesacrifice into parts, but now seemssatisfied to count the stones andrearrange the pieces with never acare that there is not a sign of fireupon the top of lofty Carmel. ButGodbethankedthat thereareafewwhocare.Theyarethosewho,while

theylovethealtaranddelightinthesacrifice,areyetunabletoreconcilethemselvestothecontinuedabsenceof fire. They desire God above all.They are athirst to taste forthemselves the "piercing sweetness"oftheloveofChristaboutWhomallthe holy prophets didwrite and thepsalmistsdidsing.

There is today no lack of Bibleteachers to set forth correctly theprinciplesof thedoctrinesofChrist,buttoomanyoftheseseemsatisfiedtoteachthefundamentalsofthefaith

year after year, strangely unawarethat there is in their ministry nomanifest Presence, nor anythingunusualintheirpersonallives.Theyministerconstantly tobelieverswhofeel within their breasts a longingwhichtheirteachingsimplydoesnotsatisfy.

ItrustIspeakincharity,butthelackin our pulpits is real. Milton'sterrible sentence applies to our dayas accurately as it did to his: "Thehungry sheep look up, and are notfed." It is a solemn thing, and no

smallscandalintheKingdom,toseeGod's children starving whileactually seated at the Father's table.The truth of Wesley's words isestablished before our eyes:"Orthodoxy, or right opinion, is, atbest, averyslenderpartof religion.Thoughrighttemperscannotsubsistwithout right opinions, yet rightopinions may subsist without righttempers. There may be a rightopinion of God without either loveor one right temper toward Him.Satanisaproofofthis."

Thanks to our splendid Biblesocieties and to other effectiveagenciesforthedisseminationoftheWord,therearetodaymanymillionsofpeoplewhohold"rightopinions,"probably more than ever before inthe history of the Church. Yet Iwonder if there was ever a timewhentruespiritualworshipwasatalower ebb. To great sections of theChurch the art ofworship has beenlost entirely, and in its place hascome that strange and foreign thingcalledthe"program."Thiswordhasbeen borrowed from the stage and

appliedwithsadwisdomtothetypeof public servicewhich now passesforworshipamongus.

Sound Bible exposition is animperativemustintheChurchoftheLiving God. Without it no churchcan be a New Testament church inanystrictmeaningof that term.Butexpositionmaybecarriedoninsuchwayastoleavethehearersdevoidofany true spiritual nourishmentwhatever. For it is not mere wordsthat nourish the soul, but GodHimself, and unless and until the

hearers find God in personalexperiencetheyarenotthebetterforhavingheard the truth.TheBible isnot an end in itself, but ameans tobring men to an intimate andsatisfying knowledge of God, thatthey may enter into Him, that theymay delight in His Presence, maytaste and know the inner sweetnessof theveryGodHimself in thecoreandcenteroftheirhearts.

ThisbookisamodestattempttoaidGod's hungry children so to findHim.Nothinghere isnewexcept in

thesensethatitisadiscoverywhichmyownheart hasmadeof spiritualrealities most delightful andwonderful to me. Others before mehave gone much farther into theseholymysteriesthanIhavedone,butifmy fire is not large it is yet real,and there may be those who canlighttheircandleatitsflame.

A.W.TozerChicago,Ill.June16,1948

IFollowingHardafterGod

My soul followeth hard afterthee: thy right hand upholdethme.—Psa.63:8

Christian theology teaches thedoctrine of prevenient grace, whichbrieflystatedmeansthis,thatbeforeamancanseekGod,Godmustfirsthavesoughttheman.

Beforeasinfulmancanthinkaright

thought of God, there must havebeen awork of enlightenment donewithinhim;imperfectitmaybe,buta true work nonetheless, and thesecret cause of all desiring andseeking and praying which mayfollow.

We pursue God because, and onlybecause, He has first put an urgewithinusthatspursustothepursuit."Nomancancometome,"saidourLord,"except theFatherwhichhathsentmedrawhim,"andit isbythisvery prevenient drawing that God

takesfromuseveryvestigeofcreditfortheactofcoming.TheimpulsetopursueGodoriginateswithGod,buttheoutworkingofthatimpulseisourfollowinghardafterHim;andallthetime we are pursuing Him we arealreadyinHishand:"Thyrighthandupholdethme."

In this divine "upholding" andhuman "following" there is nocontradiction. All is of God, for asvon Hügel teaches, God is alwaysprevious. In practice, however, (thatis, where God's previous working

meets man's present response) manmustpursueGod.Onourpart theremustbepositivereciprocationifthissecret drawing of God is toeventuate in identifiable experienceoftheDivine.Inthewarmlanguageof personal feeling this is stated intheForty-secondPsalm:"Asthehartpanteth after the water brooks, sopanteth my soul after thee, O God.My soul thirsteth for God, for theliving God: when shall I come andappear before God?" This is deepcalling unto deep, and the longingheartwillunderstandit.

Thedoctrineofjustificationbyfaith—a Biblical truth, and a blessedrelief from sterile legalism andunavailing self-effort—has in ourtime fallen into evil company andbeen interpreted by many in suchmannerasactually tobarmen fromthe knowledge of God. The wholetransaction of religious conversionhas been made mechanical andspiritless. Faith may now beexercisedwithout a jar to themorallife and without embarrassment tothe Adamic ego. Christ may be"received" without creating any

special love for Him in the soul ofthereceiver.Themanis"saved,"buthe is not hungry nor thirsty afterGod.Infactheisspecificallytaughttobesatisfiedandencouragedtobecontentwithlittle.

The modern scientist has lost Godamid thewonders ofHisworld;weChristians are in real danger oflosingGodamidthewondersofHisWord.WehavealmostforgottenthatGodisaPersonand,assuch,canbecultivated as any person can. It isinherent inpersonality tobeable to

know other personalities, but fullknowledge of one personality byanother cannot be achieved in oneencounter. It is only after long andloving mental intercourse that thefull possibilities of both can beexplored.

All social intercourse betweenhuman beings is a response ofpersonality to personality, gradingupward from themost casual brushbetweenmanandmantothefullest,most intimate communion ofwhichthehumansouliscapable.Religion,

so faras it isgenuine, is inessencetheresponseofcreatedpersonalitiesto the Creating Personality, God."This is lifeeternal, that theymightknow thee the only true God, andJesusChrist,whomthouhastsent."

God is aPerson, and in thedeepofHis mighty nature He thinks, wills,enjoys, feels, loves, desires andsuffers as any other personmay. Inmaking Himself known to us Hestays by the familiar pattern ofpersonality. He communicates withusthroughtheavenuesofourminds,

our wills and our emotions. Thecontinuous and unembarrassedinterchange of love and thoughtbetween God and the soul of theredeemedmanisthethrobbingheartofNewTestamentreligion.

This intercourse between God andthesoulisknowntousinconsciouspersonal awareness. It is personal:thatis,itdoesnotcomethroughthebody of believers, as such, but isknown to the individual, and to thebody through the individuals whichcomposeit.Anditisconscious:that

is, it does not stay below thethresholdofconsciousnessandworkthere unknown to the soul (as, forinstance, infant baptism is thoughtbysometodo),butcomeswithinthefield of awareness where the mancan"know"itasheknowsanyotherfactofexperience.

You and I are in little (our sinsexcepted) what God is in large.Being made in His image we havewithinusthecapacitytoknowHim.In our sinswe lack only the power.The moment the Spirit has

quickened us to life in regenerationourwholebeingsensesitskinshiptoGod and leaps up in joyousrecognition. That is the heavenlybirth without which we cannot seetheKingdomofGod.Itis,however,notanendbutaninception,fornowbegins the glorious pursuit, theheart's happy exploration of theinfinite richesof theGodhead.Thatiswherewebegin, I say,butwherewe stopnomanhasyetdiscovered,for there is in the awful andmysteriousdepthsoftheTriuneGodneitherlimitnorend.

ShorelessOcean,whocansoundThee?

ThineowneternityisroundThee,

Majestydivine!

To have found God and still topursueHim is the soul's paradoxoflove, scorned indeed by the too-easily-satisfied religionist, butjustified inhappyexperienceby thechildren of the burning heart. St.Bernardstatedthisholyparadoxinamusical quatrain that will beinstantly understood by every

worshippingsoul:

WetasteThee,OThouLivingBread,

AndlongtofeastuponTheestill:

WedrinkofThee,theFountainhead

AndthirstoursoulsfromTheetofill.

Come near to the holy men andwomenofthepastandyouwillsoonfeel the heat of their desire afterGod. They mourned for Him, they

prayed andwrestled and sought forHim day and night, in season andout, andwhen they had foundHimthe finding was all the sweeter forthe long seeking. Moses used thefact that he knew God as anargument for knowing Him better."Now, therefore, I pray thee, if Ihave foundgrace in thysight, showme now thy way, that I may knowthee, that I may find grace in thysight"; and from there he rose tomake the daring request, "I beseechthee, showme thy glory."Godwasfrankly pleased by this display of

ardor,andthenextdaycalledMosesinto themount, and there in solemnprocession made all His glory passbeforehim.

David'slifewasatorrentofspiritualdesire, andhis psalms ringwith thecryof theseekerand thegladshoutof the finder. Paul confessed themainspring of his life to be hisburning desire after Christ. "That ImayknowHim,"wasthegoalofhisheart, and to this he sacrificedeverything. "Yea doubtless, and Icount all things but loss for the

excellency of the knowledge ofChrist Jesus my Lord: for whom Ihave suffered the loss of all things,anddocount thembutrefuse, thatImaywinChrist."

Hymnody is sweetwith the longingafterGod,theGodwhom,whilethesinger seeks, he knows he hasalready found. "His track I see andI'll pursue," sang our fathers only ashortgenerationago,butthatsongisheard no more in the greatcongregation.Howtragic thatwe inthis dark day have had our seeking

done for us by our teachers.Everything is made to center uponthe initial act of "accepting" Christ(a term, incidentally, which is notfound in the Bible) and we are notexpected thereafter to crave anyfurther revelation of God to oursouls. We have been snared in thecoils of a spurious logic whichinsiststhatifwehavefoundHimweneednomore seekHim.This is setbefore us as the last word inorthodoxy,anditistakenforgrantedthat no Bible-taught Christian everbelieved otherwise. Thus the whole

testimony of the worshipping,seeking, singing Church on thatsubject is crisply set aside. Theexperiential heart-theology of agrand army of fragrant saints isrejected in favor of a smuginterpretation of Scripture whichwould certainly have soundedstrange to an Augustine, aRutherfordoraBrainerd.

In themidstof thisgreat chill thereare some, I rejoice to acknowledge,whowillnotbecontentwithshallowlogic. They will admit the force of

the argument, and then turn awaywithtearstohuntsomelonelyplaceand pray, "O God, show me thyglory."Theywant to taste, to touchwith their hearts, to see with theirinnereyesthewonderthatisGod.

Iwantdeliberatelytoencouragethismighty longing afterGod. The lackof it has brought us to our presentlow estate. The stiff and woodenqualityaboutourreligiouslives isaresult of our lack of holy desire.Complacency is a deadly foe of allspiritual growth. Acute desire must

be present or there will be nomanifestation of Christ to Hispeople.Hewaits to bewanted.ToobadthatwithmanyofusHewaitssolong,soverylong,invain.

Every age has its owncharacteristics.Rightnowweare inan age of religious complexity. ThesimplicitywhichisinChristisrarelyfound among us. In its stead areprograms, methods, organizationsand a world of nervous activitieswhichoccupytimeandattentionbutcan never satisfy the longing of the

heart. The shallowness of our innerexperience, the hollowness of ourworship,andthatservileimitationofthe world which marks ourpromotionalmethods all testify thatwe, in this day, know God onlyimperfectly, and the peace of Godscarcelyatall.

If we would find God amid all thereligious externals we must firstdetermine to find Him, and thenproceed in the way of simplicity.Now as always God discoversHimself to "babes" and hides

Himself in thick darkness from thewise and the prudent. We mustsimplify our approach to Him. Wemust strip down to essentials (andthey will be found to be blessedlyfew).Wemustputawayallefforttoimpress,andcomewiththeguilelesscandor of childhood. If we do this,without doubt God will quicklyrespond.

Whenreligionhassaiditslastword,thereislittlethatweneedotherthanGod Himself. The evil habit ofseeking God-and effectively

preventsusfromfindingGodinfullrevelation.Inthe"and"liesourgreatwoe. Ifwe omit the "and"we shallsoonfindGod,andinHimweshallfind that forwhichwe have all ourlivesbeensecretlylonging.

WeneednotfearthatinseekingGodonly we may narrow our lives orrestrictthemotionsofourexpandinghearts.Theopposite is true.Wecanwellafford tomakeGodourAll, toconcentrate,tosacrificethemanyfortheOne.

TheauthorofthequaintoldEnglish

classic, The Cloud of Unknowing,teaches us how to do this. "Lift upthine heart unto God with a meekstirring of love; and mean Himself,andnoneofHisgoods.Andthereto,looktheeloathtothinkonaughtbutGodHimself.Sothatnoughtworkinthywit,norinthywill,butonlyGodHimself.ThisistheworkofthesoulthatmostpleasethGod."

Again,herecommendsthatinprayerwepracticeafurtherstrippingdownofeverything,evenofour theology."For it sufficeth enough, a naked

intent direct unto God without anyother cause than Himself." Yetunderneath all his thinking lay thebroad foundationofNewTestamenttruth, for he explains that by"Himself"hemeans"Godthatmadethee, and bought thee, and thatgraciouslycalledtheetothydegree."And he is all for simplicity: If wewould have religion "lapped andfolden in one word, for that thoushouldsthavebetterholdthereupon,take thee but a little word of onesyllable: for so it is better than oftwo, for even the shorter it is the

better it accordethwith thework ofthe Spirit. And such a word is thiswordGODorthiswordLOVE."

When the Lord divided Canaanamong the tribes of Israel Levireceived no share of the land. Godsaid to him simply, "I am thy partand thine inheritance,"andby thosewordsmade him richer than all hisbrethren, richer than all the kingsandrajaswhohaveeverlivedintheworld. And there is a spiritualprinciplehere, aprinciple still validfor every priest of the Most High

God.

The man who has God for histreasurehasallthingsinOne.Manyordinary treasures may be deniedhim, or if he is allowed to havethem,theenjoymentofthemwillbeso tempered that theywill never benecessary to his happiness.Or if hemust see themgo,oneafterone,hewillscarcelyfeelasenseofloss,forhaving the Source of all things hehas in One all satisfaction, allpleasure, all delight. Whatever hemay lose he has actually lost

nothing,forhenowhasitallinOne,andhehasitpurely,legitimatelyandforever.

OGod, Ihave tastedThygoodness,and it has both satisfied me andmade me thirsty for more. I ampainfully conscious of my need offurther grace. I am ashamed of mylack of desire. O God, the TriuneGod,Iwant towantThee;I longtobe filledwith longing; I thirst tobemademorethirstystill.ShowmeThyglory, I pray Thee, that so I mayknowTheeindeed.Begininmercya

newwork of lovewithinme. Say tomy soul, "Rise up,my love,my fairone,andcomeaway."Thengivemegrace to rise and follow Thee upfromthismistylowlandwhereIhavewandered so long. In Jesus' Name,Amen.

IITheBlessednessofPossessingNothing

Blessed are the poor in spirit:for theirs is the kingdom ofheaven.—Matt.5:3

Before the Lord God made manupon theearthHe firstprepared forhim by creating a world of usefuland pleasant things for hissustenance and delight. In theGenesisaccountofthecreationthese

are called simply "things." Theyweremade forman's uses, but theyweremeantalwaystobeexternaltotheman and subservient to him. Inthe deep heart of the man was ashrine where none but God wasworthy to come. Within him wasGod;without,athousandgiftswhichGodhadshowereduponhim.

Butsinhasintroducedcomplicationsand has made those very gifts ofGodapotentialsourceofruintothesoul.

Our woes began when God was

forcedoutofHis central shrineand"things" were allowed to enter.Within the human heart "things"have taken over.Men have now bynature no peace within their hearts,forGod iscrowned thereno longer,butthereinthemoralduskstubbornandaggressiveusurpersfightamongthemselves for first place on thethrone.

This isnotameremetaphor,butanaccurateanalysisofourrealspiritualtrouble. There is within the humanheart a tough fibrous root of fallen

life whose nature is to possess,alwaystopossess.Itcovets"things"with a deep and fiercepassion.Thepronouns "my" and "mine" lookinnocent enough in print, but theirconstant and universal use issignificant. They express the realnatureoftheoldAdamicmanbetterthanathousandvolumesoftheologycoulddo.Theyareverbalsymptomsofourdeepdisease.Therootsofourheartshavegrowndownintothings,andwedare not pull up one rootletlest we die. Things have becomenecessarytous,adevelopmentnever

originally intended.God's gifts nowtaketheplaceofGod,andthewholecourse of nature is upset by themonstroussubstitution.

OurLordreferred to this tyrannyofthingswhenHesaidtoHisdisciples,"If anymanwill comeafterme, lethim deny himself, and take up hiscross,andfollowme.Forwhosoeverwill save his life shall lose it: andwhosoevershall losehis life formysakeshallfindit."

Breaking this truth into fragmentsfor our better understanding, it

wouldseemthatthereiswithineachofusanenemywhichwetolerateatour peril. Jesus called it "life" and"self," or aswewould say, the self-life. Its chief characteristic is itspossessiveness:thewords"gain"and"profit" suggest this. To allow thisenemy to live is in the end to loseeverything.To repudiate it andgiveup all for Christ's sake is to losenothing at last, but to preserveeverything unto life eternal. Andpossiblyalsoahint isgivenhereasto theonly effectiveway to destroythisfoe:itisbytheCross."Lethim

takeuphiscrossandfollowme."

The way to deeper knowledge ofGodisthroughthelonelyvalleysofsoul poverty and abnegation of allthings. The blessed ones whopossess the Kingdom are they whohaverepudiatedeveryexternalthingandhaverootedfromtheirheartsallsense of possessing. These are the"poor in spirit." They have reachedan inward state paralleling theoutward circumstances of thecommon beggar in the streets ofJerusalem; that is what the word

"poor" as Christ used it actuallymeans. These blessed poor are nolonger slaves to the tyranny ofthings. They have broken the yokeof theoppressor;and this theyhavedone not by fighting but bysurrendering. Though free from allsenseofpossessing,theyyetpossessallthings."Theirsisthekingdomofheaven."

Let me exhort you to take thisseriously. It is not to be understoodasmereBible teaching to be storedawayinthemindalongwithaninert

mass of other doctrines. It is amarker on the road to greenerpastures, apath chiseled against thesteepsidesofthemountofGod.Wedarenottrytoby-passitifwewouldfollow on in this holy pursuit. Wemust ascend a step at a time. Ifwerefuse one step we bring ourprogresstoanend.

As is frequently true, this NewTestament principle of spiritual lifefinds its best illustration in the OldTestament. In the story ofAbrahamandIsaacwehaveadramaticpicture

of thesurrendered lifeaswellasanexcellent commentary on the firstBeatitude.

Abraham was old when Isaac wasborn, old enough indeed to havebeen his grandfather, and the childbecameatonce thedelight and idolofhisheart.Fromthatmomentwhenhefirststoopedtotakethetinyformawkwardly in his arms he was aneager love slave of his son. GodwentoutofHiswaytocommentonthestrengthof thisaffection.And itis not hard to understand.Thebaby

represented everything sacred to hisfather's heart: the promises of God,thecovenants,thehopesoftheyearsandthelongmessianicdream.Ashewatchedhimgrowfrombabyhoodtoyoungmanhood theheartof theoldmanwasknitcloserandcloserwiththe life of his son, till at last therelationship bordered upon theperilous. It was then that Godstepped in to save both father andson from the consequences of anuncleansedlove.

"Take now thy son," said God to

Abraham, "thine only son Isaac,whomthou lovest,andget thee intothe land of Moriah; and offer himthere for a burnt-offering upon oneof the mountains which I will telltheeof."Thesacredwritersparesusaclose-upoftheagonythatnightonthe slopes nearBeershebawhen theaged man had it out with his God,butrespectfulimaginationmayviewinawethebentformandconvulsivewrestling alone under the stars.Possibly not again until a Greaterthan Abraham wrestled in theGarden of Gethsemane did such

mortal pain visit a human soul. Ifonly the man himself might havebeen allowed to die. That wouldhave been easier a thousand times,forhewasoldnow,andtodiewouldhave been no great ordeal for onewho hadwalked so longwithGod.Besides, it would have been a lastsweet pleasure to let his dimmingvision rest upon the figure of hisstalwartsonwhowouldlivetocarryon theAbrahamic line and fulfill inhimself the promises of God madelongbeforeinUroftheChaldees.

Howshouldheslaythelad!Evenifhe could get the consent of hiswounded and protesting heart, howcould he reconcile the act with thepromise, "In Isaac shall thy seedbecalled"?ThiswasAbraham'strialbyfire, and he did not fail in thecrucible.While the stars still shonelike sharp white points above thetentwherethesleepingIsaaclay,andlongbeforethegraydawnhadbegunto lighten theeast, theoldsainthadmade up his mind. He would offerhis son asGod had directed him todo, and then trustGod to raise him

from thedead.This, says thewritertotheHebrews,wasthesolutionhisaching heart found sometime in thedarknight,andherose"earlyinthemorning" tocarryout theplan. It isbeautiful to see that,while he erredastoGod'smethod,hehadcorrectlysensed the secretofHisgreatheart.And the solution accords well withthe New Testament Scripture,"Whosoever will lose for my sakeshallfind."

God let the suffering old man gothroughwithituptothepointwhere

Heknew therewould be no retreat,and then forbade him to lay a handupon the boy. To the wonderingpatriarchHenowsaysineffect,"It'sall right,Abraham.Inever intendedthatyoushouldactuallyslaythelad.I only wanted to remove him fromthetempleofyourheartthatImightreignunchallengedthere.Iwantedtocorrecttheperversionthatexistedinyour love. Now you may have theboy, sound andwell. Take him andgo back to your tent. Now I knowthat thou fearest God, seeing thatthouhastnotwithheldthyson,thine

onlyson,fromme."

Thenheavenopenedandavoicewasheard saying to him, "By myselfhave I sworn, saith the Lord, forbecause thou hast done this thing,andhastnotwithheld thyson, thineonlyson:thatinblessingIwillblessthee, and in multiplying I willmultiply thyseedas thestarsof theheaven, and as the sand which isupon the sea shore; and thy seedshallpossessthegateofhisenemies;and in thy seed shall all thenationsoftheearthbeblessed;becausethou

hastobeyedmyvoice."

TheoldmanofGod liftedhis headto respond to the Voice, and stoodthere on themount strong and pureandgrand,amanmarkedoutbytheLord for special treatment, a friendandfavoriteoftheMostHigh.Nowhewasamanwhollysurrendered,aman utterly obedient, a man whopossessed nothing. He hadconcentratedhisall in thepersonofhis dear son, and God had taken itfromhim.GodcouldhavebegunoutonthemarginofAbraham'slifeand

worked inward to the center; Hechose rather to cut quickly to theheart and have it over in one sharpactofseparation.IndealingthusHepracticedaneconomyofmeansandtime. It hurt cruelly, but it waseffective.

I have said thatAbrahampossessednothing.Yetwas not this poormanrich? Everything he had ownedbeforewas his still to enjoy: sheep,camels, herds, and goods of everysort. He had also his wife and hisfriends,andbestofallhehadhisson

Isaac safe by his side. He hadeverything, but he possessednothing.Thereisthespiritualsecret.There is the sweet theology of theheart which can be learned only inthe school of renunciation. Thebooks on systematic theologyoverlook this, but the wise willunderstand.

After that bitter and blessedexperience I think the words "my"and"mine"neverhadagainthesamemeaningforAbraham.Thesenseofpossession which they connote was

gonefromhisheart.Thingshadbeencast out forever. They had nowbecome external to the man. Hisinnerheartwasfreefromthem.Theworld said, "Abraham is rich," butthe aged patriarch only smiled. Hecould not explain it to them, but heknewthatheownednothing,thathisreal treasures were inward andeternal.

There can be no doubt that thispossessive clinging to things is oneofthemostharmfulhabitsinthelife.Because it is so natural it is rarely

recognizedfortheevil thatit is;butitsoutworkingsaretragic.

We are often hindered from givingup our treasures to the Lord out offearfortheirsafety;thisisespeciallytruewhen those treasures are lovedrelatives and friends. But we needhave no such fears.OurLord camenot to destroy but to save.Everythingissafewhichwecommitto Him, and nothing is really safewhichisnotsocommitted.

Ourgifts and talents should alsobeturnedover toHim.Theyshouldbe

recognized forwhat they are,God'sloan to us, and should never beconsideredinanysenseourown.Wehave no more right to claim creditfor special abilities than for blueeyes or strong muscles. "For whomaketh thee to differ from another?and what hast thou that thou didstnotreceive?"

TheChristianwhoisaliveenoughtoknow himself even slightly willrecognize the symptoms of thispossession malady, and will grievetofindtheminhisownheart.If the

longing after God is strong enoughwithin him he will want to dosomething about the matter. Now,whatshouldhedo?

First of all he should put away alldefense and make no attempt toexcuse himself either in his owneyes or before the Lord. Whoeverdefends himself will have himselfforhisdefense,andhewillhavenoother; but let him come defenselessbeforetheLordandhewillhaveforhis defender no less than GodHimself.Let the inquiringChristian

trample under foot every slipperytrickofhisdeceitfulheartandinsistupon frank and open relations withtheLord.

Thenheshouldrememberthatthisisholybusiness.Nocarelessorcasualdealingswill suffice. Let him cometo God in full determination to beheard.LethiminsistthatGodaccepthisall,thatHetakethingsoutofhisheart and Himself reign there inpower. It may be he will need tobecomespecific,tonamethingsandpeoplebytheirnamesonebyone.If

he will become drastic enough hecan shorten the time of his travailfromyears tominutes andenter thegood land long before his slowerbrethren who coddle their feelingsand insist upon caution in theirdealingswithGod.

Letusneverforget thatsucha truthas this cannot be learned by rote asonewouldlearnthefactsofphysicalscience. They must be experiencedbeforewecanreallyknowthem.Wemust in our hearts live throughAbraham's harsh and bitter

experiences if we would know theblessedness which follows them.The ancient curse will not go outpainlessly; the tough old miserwithin uswill not lie down and dieobedient to our command.Hemustbe tornoutofourheart like aplantfrom the soil; hemust be extractedinagonyandbloodlikeatoothfromthe jaw. He must be expelled fromour soul by violence as Christexpelled the money changers fromthe temple. And we shall need tosteel ourselves against his piteousbegging, and to recognize it as

springingoutofself-pity,oneofthemost reprehensible sins of thehumanheart.

If we would indeed know God ingrowing intimacy we must go thisway of renunciation.And ifwe aresetupon thepursuitofGodHewillsooner or later bring us to this test.Abraham's testing was, at the time,notknown tohimassuch,yet ifhehadtakensomecourseotherthantheonehedid, thewholehistoryof theOld Testament would have beendifferent.GodwouldhavefoundHis

man, no doubt, but the loss toAbraham would have been tragicbeyond the telling. So we will bebrought one by one to the testingplace,andwemayneverknowwhenwe are there. At that testing placethere will be no dozen possiblechoices for us; just one and analternative,butourwholefuturewillbe conditioned by the choice wemake.

Father,IwanttoknowThee,butmycoward heart fears to give up itstoys.Icannotpartwiththemwithout

inwardbleeding,andIdonot try tohide from Thee the terror of theparting. I come trembling, but I docome.Pleaseroot frommyheartallthose thingswhich I have cherishedso long and which have become avery part of my living self, so thatThou mayest enter and dwell therewithout a rival. Then shalt Thoumake theplaceofThy feetglorious.Thenshallmyhearthavenoneedofthesuntoshineinit,forThyselfwiltbe the lightof it,and there shallbeno night there. In Jesus' Name,Amen.

IIIRemovingtheVeil

Having therefore, brethren,boldness to enter into theholiest by the blood of Jesus.—Heb.10:19

Among the famous sayings of theChurchfathersnoneisbetterknownthanAugustine's,"Thouhastformedus for Thyself, and our hearts arerestlesstilltheyfindrestinThee."

The great saint states here in few

wordstheoriginandinteriorhistoryofthehumanrace.GodmadeusforHimself:thatistheonlyexplanationthat satisfies theheart of a thinkingman,whatever hiswild reasonmaysay. Should faulty education andperverse reasoning lead a man toconclude otherwise, there is littlethat any Christian can do for him.For such aman I have nomessage.Myappealisaddressedtothosewhohavebeenpreviouslytaughtinsecretby the wisdom of God; I speak tothirsty hearts whose longings havebeenwakened by the touch of God

within them, and such as they needno reasoned proof. Their restlesshearts furnish all the proof theyneed.

God formed us for Himself. TheShorterCatechism,"Agreeduponbythe Reverend Assembly of Divinesat Westminster," as the old New-England Primer has it, asks theancientquestionswhatandwhyandanswers them in one short sentencehardly matched in any uninspiredwork. "Question: What is the chiefEnd of Man? Answer: Man's chief

EndistoglorifyGodandenjoyHimforever."WiththisagreethefourandtwentyelderswhofallontheirfacestoworshipHim that liveth for everand ever, saying, "Thou art worthy,OLord,toreceivegloryandhonourandpower: for thouhast createdallthings,andforthypleasuretheyareandwerecreated."

GodformedusforHispleasure,andso formedus thatwe aswell asHecan in divine communion enjoy thesweet and mysterious mingling ofkindredpersonalities.Hemeantusto

seeHimandlivewithHimanddrawourlifefromHissmile.Butwehavebeen guilty of that "foul revolt" ofwhich Milton speaks whendescribingtherebellionofSatanandhishosts.WehavebrokenwithGod.WehaveceasedtoobeyHimorloveHimand inguilt and fearhave fledasfaraspossiblefromHisPresence.

YetwhocanfleefromHisPresencewhen the heaven and the heaven ofheavens cannot contain Him? whenas thewisdomofSolomon testifies,"the Spirit of the Lord filleth the

world?" The omnipresence of theLord is one thing, and is a solemnfactnecessary toHisperfection; themanifest Presence is another thingaltogether, and from that Presencewe have fled, like Adam, to hideamong the trees of the garden, orlike Peter to shrink away crying,"Depart fromme, for I am a sinfulman,OLord."

Sothelifeofmanupontheearthisalife away from the Presence,wrenched loose from that "blissfulcenter"whichisourrightandproper

dwellingplace,ourfirstestatewhichwekeptnot,thelossofwhichisthecauseofourunceasingrestlessness.

The whole work of God inredemption is to undo the tragiceffects of that foul revolt, and tobring us back again into right andeternal relationship with Himself.This required that our sins bedisposedof satisfactorily, that a fullreconciliation be effected and theway opened for us to return againintoconsciouscommunionwithGodand to live again in thePresence as

before. Then by His prevenientworking within us He moves us toreturn.Thisfirstcomestoournoticewhen our restless hearts feel ayearning for the Presence of Godandwesaywithinourselves,"Iwillarise and go tomy Father." That isthe first step, and as the ChinesesageLao-tzehas said, "The journeyof a thousand miles begins with afirststep."

Theinteriorjourneyofthesoulfromthe wilds of sin into the enjoyedPresence of God is beautifully

illustrated in the Old Testamenttabernacle.Thereturningsinnerfirstentered the outer court where heoffered a blood sacrifice on thebrazen altar and washed himself inthe laver that stood near it. Thenthrough a veil he passed into theholy place where no natural lightcould come, but the goldencandlestickwhichspokeofJesustheLight of the World threw its softglow over all. There also was theshewbreadtotellofJesus,theBreadof Life, and the altar of incense, afigureofunceasingprayer.

Though theworshipperhadenjoyedsomuch,stillhehadnotyetenteredthe Presence of God. Another veilseparated from the Holy of Holieswhere above the mercy seat dweltthe veryGodHimself in awful andglorious manifestation. While thetabernaclestood,onlythehighpriestcouldenterthere,andthatbutonceayear, with blood which he offeredfor his sins and the sins of thepeople. It was this last veil whichwasrentwhenourLordgaveuptheghost on Calvary, and the sacredwriter explains that this rending of

the veil opened the way for everyworshipper in theworld tocomebythenewandlivingwaystraightintothedivinePresence.

Everything in the New Testamentaccords with this Old Testamentpicture. Ransomed men need nolonger pause in fear to enter theHoly of Holies. God wills that weshould push on into His Presenceandliveourwholelifethere.Thisisto be known to us in consciousexperience.Itismorethanadoctrinetobeheld, it is a life tobeenjoyed

everymomentofeveryday.

ThisFlameof thePresencewas thebeating heart of the Levitical order.Without it all the appointments ofthe tabernacle were characters ofsome unknown language; they hadnomeaningforIsraelorforus.Thegreatest fact of the tabernacle wasthat Jehovah was there; a Presencewas waiting within the veil.SimilarlythePresenceofGodisthecentral fact of Christianity. At theheart of the Christian message isGod Himself waiting for His

redeemed children to push in toconscious awareness of HisPresence. That type of Christianitywhichhappensnowtobethevogueknows this Presence only in theory.It fails to stress the Christian'sprivilege of present realization.Accordingtoitsteachingsweareinthe Presence of God positionally,andnothingissaidabouttheneedtoexperience that Presence actually.The fiery urge that drove men likeMcCheyne is wholly missing. Andthe present generation of Christiansmeasures itself by this imperfect

rule. Ignoble contentment takes theplace of burning zeal. We aresatisfied to rest in our judicialpossessionsandforthemostpartwebotherourselvesverylittleabouttheabsenceofpersonalexperience.

Who is this within the veil whodwells in fierymanifestations? It isnoneother thanGodHimself, "OneGod theFatherAlmighty,Maker ofheaven and earth, and of all thingsvisible and invisible," and "OneLordJesusChrist, theonlybegottenSonofGod; begottenofHisFather

beforeallworlds,GodofGod,Lightof Light, Very God of Very God;begotten, not made; being of onesubstancewith theFather,"and"theHoly Ghost, the Lord and Giver oflife,WhoproceedethfromtheFatherand the Son, Who with the Fatherand the Son together is worshippedand glorified." Yet this holy Trinityis One God, for "we worship oneGodinTrinity,andTrinityinUnity;neitherconfoundingthePersons,nordividing the Substance. For there isonePersonof theFather,anotherofthe Son, and another of the Holy

Ghost. But the Godhead of theFather, of the Son, and of theHolyGhost,isallone:thegloryequalandthe majesty co-eternal." So in partrun the ancient creeds, and so theinspiredWorddeclares.

Behind the veil is God, that GodafterWhom theworld,with strangeinconsistency,hasfelt,"ifhaplytheymightfindHim."HehasdiscoveredHimselftosomeextentinnature,butmore perfectly in the Incarnation;now He waits to show Himself inravishing fulness to the humble of

soulandthepureinheart.

The world is perishing for lack ofthe knowledge of God and theChurchisfamishingforwantofHisPresence.Theinstantcureofmostofour religious ills would be to enterthePresence in spiritual experience,to become suddenly aware that weare in God and that God is in us.Thiswould lift us out of our pitifulnarrowness and cause our hearts tobe enlarged. This would burn awaythe impurities from our lives as thebugsandfungiwereburnedawayby

thefirethatdweltinthebush.

Whatabroadworldtoroamin,whata sea to swim in is this God andFather of ourLord JesusChrist.Heis eternal, which means that Heantedates time and is whollyindependent of it. Time began inHim andwill end inHim.To itHepays no tribute and from it Hesuffersnochange.He is immutable,which means that He has neverchanged and can never change inanysmallestmeasure.TochangeHewould need to go from better to

worse or from worse to better. Hecannot do either, for being perfectHecannotbecomemoreperfect,andifHeweretobecomelessperfectHewould be less than God. He isomniscient, which means that Heknows inone freeandeffortless actallmatter,allspirit,allrelationships,allevents.HehasnopastandHehasno future. He is, and none of thelimitingandqualifyingtermsusedofcreatures can apply to Him. LoveandmercyandrighteousnessareHis,and holiness so ineffable that nocomparisons or figureswill avail to

expressit.Onlyfirecangiveevenaremote conception of it. In fire Heappearedat theburningbush; in thepillaroffireHedweltthroughallthelong wilderness journey. The firethat glowed between the wings ofthe cherubim in the holy placewascalled the "shekinah," the Presence,through the years of Israel's glory,andwhentheOldhadgivenplacetotheNew,HecameatPentecostasafiery flame and rested upon eachdisciple.

Spinoza wrote of the intellectual

love ofGod, and he had ameasureoftruththere;butthehighestloveofGodisnotintellectual,itisspiritual.God is spirit and only the spirit ofman can know Him really. In thedeep spirit of a man the fire mustgloworhisloveisnotthetrueloveof God. The great of the Kingdomhave been those who loved Godmore than others did.We all knowwho theyhavebeen andgladlypaytributetothedepthsandsincerityoftheirdevotion.Wehavebuttopauseforamomentandtheirnamescometrooping past us smelling of myrrh

andaloesandcassiaoutoftheivorypalaces.

FrederickFaberwasonewhosesoulpanted after God as the roe pantsafter the water brook, and themeasure in which God revealedHimself to his seeking heart set thegood man's whole life afire with aburningadorationrivalingthatoftheseraphimbeforethethrone.Hislovefor God extended to the threePersonsof theGodheadequally,yethe seemed to feel for each One aspecial kind of love reserved for

Him alone. Of God the Father hesings:

OnlytositandthinkofGod,Ohwhatajoyitis!Tothinkthethought,to

breathetheName;Earthhasnohigherbliss.

FatherofJesus,love'sreward!

Whatrapturewillitbe,ProstratebeforeThythrone

tolie,AndgazeandgazeonThee!

HisloveforthePersonofChristwas

so intense that it threatened toconsume him; it burnedwithin himas a sweet and holy madness andflowed from his lips like moltengold.Inoneofhissermonshesays,"Whereverwe turn in thechurchofGod, there is Jesus. He is thebeginning, middle and end ofeverything to us.... There is nothinggood, nothing holy, nothingbeautiful, nothing joyous which Heis not toHis servants.No one needbe poor, because, if he chooses, hecanhaveJesusforhisownpropertyand possession. No one need be

downcast, for Jesus is the joy ofheaven,anditisHisjoytoenterintosorrowfulhearts.Wecanexaggerateaboutmanythings;butwecanneverexaggerate our obligation to Jesus,or the compassionate abundance oftheloveofJesustous.AllourliveslongwemighttalkofJesus,andyetwe should never come to an endofthe sweet things that might be saidof Him. Eternity will not be longenoughtolearnallHeis,ortopraiseHim for all He has done, but then,that matters not; for we shall bealways with Him, and we desire

nothing more." And addressing ourLorddirectlyhesaystoHim:

IloveTheeso,Iknownothow

Mytransportstocontrol;ThyloveislikeaburningfireWithinmyverysoul.

Faber'sblazingloveextendedalsotothe Holy Spirit. Not only in histheology did he acknowledge Hisdeity and full equality with theFatherandtheSon,buthecelebratedit constantly inhis songs and inhis

prayers. He literally pressed hisforehead to the ground in his eagerfervid worship of the Third Personof theGodhead. In one of his greathymnstotheHolySpirithesumsuphisburningdevotionthus:

OSpirit,beautifulanddread!MyheartisfittobreakWithloveofallThy

tendernessForuspoorsinners'sake.

Ihaveriskedthetediumofquotationthat I might show by pointed

examplewhat I have set out to say,viz.,thatGodissovastlywonderful,so utterly and completely delightfulthatHe can,without anything otherthanHimself,meetandoverflowthedeepestdemandsofourtotalnature,mysterious and deep as that natureis.SuchworshipasFaberknew(andhe is but one of a great companywhich no man can number) cannever come from a mere doctrinalknowledge of God. Hearts that are"fit to break" with love for theGodheadarethosewhohavebeeninthe Presence and have looked with

opened eye upon the majesty ofDeity. Men of the breaking heartshadaqualityaboutthemnotknownto or understood by common men.Theyhabitually spokewith spiritualauthority. They had been in thePresence of God and they reportedwhat they saw there. They wereprophets, not scribes, for the scribetells us what he has read, and theprophettellswhathehasseen.

The distinction is not an imaginaryone. Between the scribe who hasread and the prophet who has seen

there is a difference as wide as thesea. We are today overrun withorthodox scribes, but the prophets,where are they? The hard voice ofthe scribe sounds overevangelicalism,buttheChurchwaitsforthetendervoiceofthesaintwhohaspenetratedtheveilandhasgazedwith inward eye upon the Wonderthat is God. And yet, thus topenetrate, topushinsensitivelivingexperienceintotheholyPresence,isa privilege open to every child ofGod.

With the veil removed by therendingofJesus'flesh,withnothingon God's side to prevent us fromentering, why do we tarry without?Whydoweconsent toabideallourdaysjustoutsidetheHolyofHoliesand never enter at all to look uponGod?We hear the Bridegroom say,"Letmeseethycountenance,letmehearthyvoice;forsweetisthyvoiceandthycountenanceiscomely."Wesense that thecall is forus,butstillwe fail to draw near, and the yearspass and we grow old and tired inthe outer courts of the tabernacle.

Whatdothhinderus?

The answer usually given, simplythat we are "cold," will not explainall the facts. There is somethingmoreserious thancoldnessofheart,something thatmay be back of thatcoldness and be the cause of itsexistence.What is it?What but thepresence of a veil in our hearts? aveil not taken away as the first veilwas, but which remains there stillshuttingout the lightandhiding thefaceofGodfromus.Itistheveilofour fleshly fallen nature living on,

unjudgedwithinus,uncrucifiedandunrepudiated. It is the close-wovenveil of the self-life which we havenever trulyacknowledged,ofwhichwehavebeensecretlyashamed,andwhich for these reasons we haveneverbroughttothejudgmentofthecross. It is not too mysterious, thisopaqueveil,norisithardtoidentify.We have but to look in our ownheartsandweshallseeitthere,sewnandpatchedand repaired itmaybe,but there nevertheless, an enemy toour lives and an effective block toourspiritualprogress.

Thisveilisnotabeautifulthingandit is not a thing about which wecommonly care to talk, but I amaddressing the thirsting souls whoaredeterminedtofollowGod,andIknow they will not turn backbecause the way leads temporarilythrough the blackened hills. TheurgeofGodwithinthemwillassuretheir continuing the pursuit. Theywill face the facts howeverunpleasant and endure the cross forthejoysetbeforethem.SoIamboldtonamethethreadsoutofwhichthisinnerveiliswoven.

Itiswovenofthefinethreadsoftheself-life, the hyphenated sins of thehuman spirit. They are notsomething we do, they aresomething we are, and therein liesboththeirsubtletyandtheirpower.

To be specific, the self-sins arethese: self-righteousness, self-pity,self-confidence, self-sufficiency,self-admiration, self-loveandahostof others like them.They dwell toodeep within us and are too much apart of our natures to come to ourattention till the light of God is

focused upon them. The grossermanifestations of these sins,egotism, exhibitionism, self-promotion,arestrangelytoleratedinChristian leaders even in circles ofimpeccable orthodoxy. They are somuch in evidence as actually, formany people, to become identifiedwith the gospel. I trust it is not acynical observation to say that theyappear these days to be a requisitefor popularity in some sections ofthe Church visible. Promoting selfunder theguiseofpromotingChristis currently socommonas to excite

littlenotice.

One should suppose that properinstruction in thedoctrinesofman'sdepravity and the necessity forjustification through therighteousness ofChrist alonewoulddeliver us from the power of theself-sins; but it does not work outthatway.Selfcan liveunrebukedatthe very altar. It can watch thebleedingVictimdieandnotbeintheleastaffectedbywhat it sees. Itcanfight for the faith of the Reformersand preach eloquently the creed of

salvationbygrace,andgainstrengthby itsefforts.To tellall the truth, itseems actually to feed uponorthodoxyand ismoreathomeinaBible Conference than in a tavern.Ourvery state of longing afterGodmayafford it an excellent conditionunderwhichtothriveandgrow.

SelfistheopaqueveilthathidestheFace of God from us. It can beremoved only in spiritualexperience, never by mereinstruction. As well try to instructleprosy out of our system. There

must be a work of God indestruction before we are free. Wemustinvitethecrosstodoitsdeadlyworkwithin us.Wemust bring ourself-sins to the cross for judgment.We must prepare ourselves for anordealofsuffering insomemeasurelike that throughwhich ourSaviourpassed when He suffered underPontiusPilate.

Let us remember: when we talk ofthe rending of the veil we arespeakinginafigure,andthethoughtofitispoetical,almostpleasant;but

inactualitythereisnothingpleasantabout it. In human experience thatveilismadeoflivingspiritualtissue;it is composed of the sentient,quivering stuff of which our wholebeings consist, and to touch it is totouchuswherewefeelpain.Totearitawayistoinjureus,tohurtusandmake us bleed. To say otherwise istomakethecrossnocrossanddeathnodeathatall.Itisneverfuntodie.To rip through the dear and tenderstuffofwhichlifeismadecanneverbe anything but deeply painful. Yetthat is what the cross did to Jesus

andit iswhatthecrosswoulddotoeverymantosethimfree.

Letusbewareof tinkeringwithourinner life in hope ourselves to rendtheveil.Godmustdoeverythingforus.Ourpartistoyieldandtrust.Wemust confess, forsake, repudiate theself-life,andthenreckonitcrucified.But we must be careful todistinguish lazy "acceptance" fromtherealworkofGod.Wemustinsistupon theworkbeingdone.Wedarenotrestcontentwithaneatdoctrineofself-crucifixion.Thatistoimitate

Saulandspare thebestof thesheepandtheoxen.

Insist that theworkbedone inverytruthanditwillbedone.Thecrossisrough, and it is deadly, but it iseffective.Itdoesnotkeepitsvictimhangingthereforever.Therecomesamoment when its work is finishedand the suffering victim dies. Afterthatisresurrectiongloryandpower,andthepainisforgottenforjoythatthe veil is taken away andwe haveenteredinactualspiritualexperiencethePresenceofthelivingGod.

Lord, how excellent are Thy ways,and how devious and dark are theways of man. Show us how to die,thatwemayriseagaintonewnessoflife. Rend the veil of our self-lifefrom the top down as Thou didstrend the veil of the Temple. Wewoulddrawnearinfullassuranceoffaith. We would dwell with Thee indaily experience here on this earthsothatwemaybeaccustomedtotheglorywhenwe enter Thy heaven todwell with Thee there. In Jesus'name,Amen.

IVApprehendingGod

Otasteandsee.—Psa.34:8

ItwasCanonHolmes,ofIndia,whomore than twenty-five years agocalled attention to the inferentialcharacter of the averageman's faithin God. To most people God is aninference, not a reality. He is adeductionfromevidencewhichtheyconsider adequate; but He remainspersonally unknown to theindividual. "Hemust be," they say,

"thereforewebelieveHeis."Othersdo not go even so far as this; theyknowofHimonlybyhearsay.Theyhave never bothered to think thematter out for themselves, but haveheard about Him from others, andhaveputbeliefinHimintothebackoftheirmindsalongwiththevariousodds and ends that make up theirtotal creed. To many others God isbut an ideal, another name forgoodness,orbeauty,or truth;orHeislaw,orlife,orthecreativeimpulsebackofthephenomenaofexistence.

These notions about God are manyandvaried,but theywhohold themhaveone thing in common: theydonot know God in personalexperience. The possibility ofintimate acquaintancewithHimhasnot entered their minds. WhileadmittingHis existence they do notthink of Him as knowable in thesensethatweknowthingsorpeople.

Christians,tobesure,gofurtherthanthis, at least in theory. Their creedrequires them to believe in thepersonality of God, and they have

been taught to pray, "Our Father,which art in heaven." Nowpersonality and fatherhood carrywiththemtheideaofthepossibilityof personal acquaintance. This isadmitted, I say, in theory, but formillions of Christians, nevertheless,GodisnomorerealthanHeistothenon-Christian. They go through lifetrying to love an ideal and be loyaltoamereprinciple.

Over against all this cloudyvaguenessstandstheclearscripturaldoctrine that God can be known in

personal experience. A lovingPersonality dominates the Bible,walking among the trees of thegardenandbreathingfragranceovereveryscene.AlwaysalivingPersonis present, speaking, pleading,loving, working, and manifestingHimselfwheneverandwhereverHispeople have the receptivitynecessary to receive themanifestation.

TheBible assumesas a self-evidentfactthatmencanknowGodwithatleast the samedegreeof immediacy

as they know any other person orthing that comeswithin the field oftheirexperience.Thesametermsareused to express the knowledge ofGod as are used to expressknowledge of physical things. "OtasteandseethattheLordisgood.""All thy garments smell of myrrh,and aloes, and cassia, out of theivory palaces." "My sheephearmyvoice." "Blessed are the pure inheart,fortheyshallseeGod."Theseare but four of countless suchpassagesfromtheWordofGod.Andmore important than any proof text

is the fact that thewhole import oftheScriptureistowardthisbelief.

What can all this mean except thatwe have in our hearts organs bymeans of which we can know Godas certainly as we know materialthings through our familiar fivesenses? We apprehend the physicalworld by exercising the facultiesgiven us for the purpose, and wepossess spiritual faculties bymeansofwhichwecanknowGodand thespiritual world if we will obey theSpirit'surgeandbegintousethem.

That a saving work must first bedoneintheheartistakenforgrantedhere. The spiritual faculties of theunregenerate man lie asleep in hisnature,unusedandforeverypurposedead; that is the stroke which hasfallenuponusby sin.Theymaybequickenedtoactivelifeagainbytheoperation of the Holy Spirit inregeneration; that is one of theimmeasurable benefits which cometo us through Christ's atoningworkonthecross.

But the very ransomed children of

Godthemselves:whydo theyknowso little of that habitual consciouscommunion with God which theScripturesseemtooffer?Theanswerisourchronicunbelief.Faithenablesour spiritual sense to function.Where faith is defective the resultwill be inward insensibility andnumbness toward spiritual things.Thisistheconditionofvastnumbersof Christians today. No proof isnecessary to support that statement.We have but to converse with thefirst Christianwemeet or enter thefirstchurchwefindopen toacquire

alltheproofweneed.

Aspiritualkingdomliesallaboutus,enclosing us, embracing us,altogetherwithin reach of our innerselves,waitingforustorecognizeit.God Himself is here waiting ourresponse to His Presence. Thiseternal world will come alive to usthemomentwebegintoreckonuponitsreality.

I have just now used two wordswhich demand definition; or ifdefinition is impossible, I must atleastmakeclearwhatImeanwhenI

use them. They are "reckon" and"reality."

What do Imeanby reality? Imeanthatwhich has existence apart fromany idea any mind may have of it,andwhichwouldexist if therewereno mind anywhere to entertain athoughtof it.Thatwhichisrealhasbeing in itself. It does not dependupontheobserverforitsvalidity.

Iamaware that thereare thosewholove to poke fun at the plainman'sideaofreality.Theyaretheidealistswhospinendlessproofsthatnothing

isrealoutsideofthemind.Theyarethe relativistswho like to show thatthere are no fixed points in theuniverse from which we canmeasureanything.Theysmiledownuponus from their lofty intellectualpeaks and settle us to their ownsatisfactionbyfasteninguponusthereproachful term "absolutist." TheChristian is not put out ofcountenance by this show ofcontempt.Hecansmilerightbackatthem,forheknowsthatthereisonlyOne who is Absolute, that is God.ButheknowsalsothattheAbsolute

One hasmade this world for man'suses, and, while there is nothingfixed or real in the lastmeaning ofthewords(themeaningasappliedtoGod)foreverypurposeofhumanlifewe are permitted to act as if therewere. And everyman does act thusexcept the mentally sick. Theseunfortunates also have trouble withreality, but they are consistent; theyinsistuponlivinginaccordancewiththeir ideas of things. They arehonest, and it is their very honestythat constitutes them a socialproblem.

The idealists and relativists are notmentally sick. They prove theirsoundness by living their livesaccording to the very notions ofreality which they in theoryrepudiate and by counting upon thevery fixed points which they proveare not there.They could earn a lotmorerespectfortheirnotionsiftheywerewillingtolivebythem;butthisthey are careful not to do. Theirideas are brain-deep, not life-deep.Wherever life touches them theyrepudiatetheir theoriesandlivelikeothermen.

TheChristian is too sincere to playwith ideas for their own sake. Hetakes no pleasure in the merespinning of gossamer webs fordisplay.Allhisbeliefsarepractical.They are geared into his life. Bythemhelivesordies,standsorfallsfor this world and for all time tocome. From the insincere man heturnsaway.

The sincere plain man knows thatthe world is real. He finds it herewhen he wakes to consciousness,andheknowsthathedidnotthinkit

into being. It was here waiting forhim when he came, and he knowsthat when he prepares to leave thisearthly scene it will be here still tobidhimgood-byeashedeparts.Bythe deepwisdomof life he iswiserthanathousandmenwhodoubt.Hestands upon the earth and feels thewind and rain in his face and heknowsthattheyarereal.Heseesthesunbydayandthestarsbynight.Heseesthehotlightningplayoutofthedark thundercloud. He hears thesounds of nature and the cries ofhumanjoyandpain.Theseheknows

are real. He lies down on the coolearthatnightandhasnofearthat itwillproveillusoryorfailhimwhilehe sleeps. In the morning the firmground will be under him, the bluesky above him and the rocks andtreesaroundhimaswhenheclosedhiseyesthenightbefore.Sohelivesandrejoicesinaworldofreality.

Withhisfivesensesheengagesthisreal world. All things necessary tohisphysicalexistenceheapprehendsby the faculties with which he hasbeen equipped by the God who

createdhimandplacedhiminsuchaworldasthis.

Now, by our definition also God isreal. He is real in the absolute andfinal sense that nothing else is. Allother reality iscontingentuponHis.ThegreatReality isGodwho is theAuthor of that lower and dependentreality which makes up the sum ofcreated things, including ourselves.God has objective existenceindependent of and apart from anynotions which we may haveconcerning Him. The worshipping

heart does not create its Object. ItfindsHimherewhen itwakes fromitsmoral slumber in themorningofitsregeneration.

Another word that must be clearedupisthewordreckon.Thisdoesnotmean to visualize or imagine.Imaginationisnotfaith.Thetwoarenotonlydifferentfrom,butstandinsharp opposition to, each other.Imagination projects unreal imagesout of themind and seeks to attachreality to them. Faith createsnothing;itsimplyreckonsuponthat

whichisalreadythere.

Godandthespiritualworldarereal.We can reckon upon them with asmuch assurance as we reckon uponthe familiar world around us.Spiritual things are there (or ratherwe should say here) inviting ourattentionandchallengingourtrust.

Our trouble is that we haveestablished bad thought habits. Wehabitually thinkof thevisibleworldas real and doubt the reality of anyother.Wedonotdeny theexistenceof the spiritual world but we doubt

that it is real in the acceptedmeaningoftheword.

The world of sense intrudes uponour attention day and night for thewhole of our lifetime. It isclamorous, insistent and self-demonstrating. Itdoesnotappeal toour faith; it is here, assaulting ourfive senses, demanding to beaccepted as real and final. But sinhas so clouded the lenses of ourhearts thatwe cannot see that otherreality, the City of God, shiningaround us. The world of sense

triumphs. The visible becomes theenemyoftheinvisible;thetemporal,of the eternal. That is the curseinherited by every member ofAdam'stragicrace.

At the root of theChristian life liesbelief in the invisible.TheobjectoftheChristian'sfaithisunseenreality.

Ouruncorrectedthinking,influencedbytheblindnessofournaturalheartsand the intrusive ubiquity of visiblethings, tends to draw a contrastbetween the spiritual and the real;but actually no such contrast exists.

The antithesis lies elsewhere:between the real and the imaginary,between the spiritual and thematerial, between the temporal andtheeternal;butbetweenthespiritualand the real, never. The spiritual isreal.

Ifwewould rise into that region oflightandpowerplainlybeckoningusthrough the Scriptures of truth wemustbreaktheevilhabitofignoringthe spiritual. We must shift ourinterestfromtheseentotheunseen.ForthegreatunseenRealityisGod.

"HethatcomethtoGodmustbelievethathe is, and thathe is a rewarderof them that diligently seek him."This is basic in the life of faith.Fromtherewecanrise tounlimitedheights. "Ye believe in God," saidourLord JesusChrist, "believe alsoinme."Withoutthefirsttherecanbenosecond.

If we truly want to follow God wemustseektobeother-worldly.ThisIsayknowingwellthatthatwordhasbeenusedwithscornbythesonsofthis world and applied to the

Christianasabadgeofreproach.Sobe it. Every man must choose hisworld.IfwewhofollowChrist,withall the facts before us and knowingwhat we are about, deliberatelychoose theKingdom ofGod as oursphere of interest I see no reasonwhy anyone should object. If welosebyit,thelossisourown;ifwegain,werobnoonebysodoing.The"otherworld,"whichistheobjectofthis world's disdain and the subjectof the drunkard's mocking song, isour carefully chosen goal and theobjectofourholiestlonging.

Butwemustavoidthecommonfaultofpushingthe"otherworld"intothefuture.Itisnotfuture,butpresent.Itparallelsourfamiliarphysicalworld,and the doors between the twoworldsareopen."Yearecome,"saysthe writer to the Hebrews (and thetense is plainly present), "untoMountZion,anduntothecityofthelivingGod, theheavenly Jerusalem,and to an innumerable company ofangels, to the general assembly andchurch of the firstborn, which arewritten in heaven, and to God theJudgeofall,andtothespiritsofjust

menmade perfect, and to Jesus themediatorofthenewcovenant,andtothebloodofsprinkling,thatspeakethbetter things than that ofAbel."Allthesethingsarecontrastedwith"themount that might be touched" and"the sound of a trumpet and thevoiceofwords"thatmightbeheard.Maywenotsafelyconcludethat,asthe realities of Mount Sinai wereapprehended by the senses, so therealities of Mount Zion are to begraspedbythesoul?Andthisnotbyany trick of the imagination, but indownright actuality. The soul has

eyeswithwhichtoseeandearswithwhich to hear. Feeble they may befrom long disuse, but by the life-givingtouchofChristalivenowandcapable of sharpest sight and mostsensitivehearing.

Aswebegin to focusuponGod thethings of the spirit will take shapebeforeour inner eyes.Obedience tothe word of Christ will bring aninward revelation of the Godhead(John 14:21-23). It will give acuteperception enabling us to see Godeven as is promised to the pure in

heart.AnewGodconsciousnesswillseizeuponusandweshallbegin totasteandhearand inwardly feel theGod who is our life and our all.There will be seen the constantshining of the light that lightethevery man that cometh into theworld. More and more, as ourfaculties grow sharper and moresure, God will become to us thegreatAll,andHisPresencethegloryandwonderofourlives.

OGod, quicken to life every powerwithin me, that I may lay hold on

eternal things.Openmy eyes that Imay see; give me acute spiritualperception; enableme to tasteTheeandknowthatThouartgood.Makeheaven more real to me than anyearthlythinghaseverbeen.Amen.

VTheUniversalPresence

Whither shall I go from thyspirit? or whither shall I fleefrom thy presence?—Psa.139:7

In all Christian teaching certainbasic truths are found, hidden attimes, and rather assumed thanasserted,butnecessarytoalltruthastheprimary colors are found in and

necessary to the finished painting.Such a truth is the divineimmanence.

God dwells in His creation and iseverywhereindivisiblypresentinallHisworks.This is boldly taught byprophet and apostle and is acceptedbyChristiantheologygenerally.Thatis, it appears in the books, but forsomereasonithasnotsunkintotheaverage Christian's heart so as tobecome a part of his believing self.Christianteachersshyawayfromitsfull implications, and, if they

mentionitatall,muteitdowntillithaslittlemeaning.Iwouldguessthereasonforthistobethefearofbeingcharged with pantheism; but thedoctrine of the divine Presence isdefinitelynotpantheism.

Pantheism's error is too palpable todeceiveanyone.ItisthatGodisthesumofallcreatedthings.NatureandGod are one, so that whoevertouches a leaf or a stone touchesGod.ThatisofcoursetodegradethegloryoftheincorruptibleDeityand,inanefforttomakeallthingsdivine,

banish all divinity from the worldentirely.

ThetruthisthatwhileGoddwellsinHisworldHeisseparatedfromitbya gulf forever impassable.Howeverclosely He may be identified withthework ofHis hands they are andmusteternallybeotherthanHe,andHeisandmustbeantecedenttoandindependent of them. He istranscendent above all His workseven while He is immanent withinthem.

What now does the divine

immanencemean indirectChristianexperience? It means simply thatGodishere.Whereverwe are,Godishere.There isnoplace, therecanbe no place, where He is not. Tenmillion intelligences standing at asmany points in space and separatedby incomprehensible distances caneachonesaywithequaltruth,Godishere.NopointisnearertoGodthananyotherpoint.It isexactlyasneartoGod fromanyplaceas it is fromany other place. No one is inmeredistance any further from or anynearertoGodthananyotherperson

is.

These are truths believed by everyinstructed Christian. It remains forus to think on them and pray overthemuntiltheybegintoglowwithinus.

"InthebeginningGod."Notmatter,for matter is not self-causing. Itrequires an antecedent cause, andGod is thatCause.Not law, for lawis but a name for the course whichallcreationfollows.Thatcoursehadto be planned, and the Planner isGod. Notmind, for mind also is a

created thing and must have aCreator back of it. In the beginningGod, the uncausedCause ofmatter,mindandlaw.Therewemustbegin.

Adam sinned and, in his panic,franticallytriedtodotheimpossible:hetriedtohidefromthePresenceofGod.DavidalsomusthavehadwildthoughtsoftryingtoescapefromthePresence, for he wrote, "WhithershallIgofromthyspirit?orwhithershallIfleefromthypresence?"Thenhe proceeded through one of hismost beautiful psalms to celebrate

the glory of the divine immanence."IfIascendupintoheaven,thouartthere: if I make my bed in hell,behold, thou art there. If I take thewings of themorning, and dwell inthe uttermost parts of the sea; eventhereshallthyhandleadme,andthyright hand shall hold me." And heknew that God's being and God'sseeing are the same, that the seeingPresence had been with him evenbefore he was born, watching themystery of unfolding life. Solomonexclaimed, "But will God indeeddwell on the earth? behold the

heaven and the heaven of heavenscannot contain thee: howmuch lessthis house which I have builded."Paul assured the Athenians that"God isnot far fromanyoneofus:for in him we live, and move, andhaveourbeing."

If God is present at every point inspace, ifwe cannot gowhereHe isnot,cannotevenconceiveofaplacewhere He is not, why then has notthat Presence become the oneuniversally celebrated fact of theworld? The patriarch Jacob, "in the

wastehowlingwilderness,"gavetheanswer to that question. He saw avision of God and cried out inwonder, "Surely the Lord is in thisplace;andIknewitnot."Jacobhadneverbeenforonesmalldivisionofa moment outside the circle of thatall-pervadingPresence.Butheknewitnot.Thatwashistrouble,anditisours.Men do not know thatGod ishere. What a difference it wouldmakeiftheyknew.

The Presence and themanifestationof the Presence are not the same.

There can be the one without theother. God is here when we arewhollyunawareofit.Heismanifestonly when and as we are aware ofHisPresence.OnourparttheremustbesurrendertotheSpiritofGod,forHisworkitistoshowustheFatherand the Son. If we co-operate withHim in loving obedience God willmanifest Himself to us, and thatmanifestation will be the differencebetweenanominalChristianlifeanda life radiant with the light of Hisface.

Always,everywhereGod ispresent,and always He seeks to discoverHimself. To each one he wouldreveal notonly thatHe is, butwhatHeisaswell.Hedidnothavetobepersuaded to discover Himself toMoses. "And theLorddescended inthecloud,andstoodwithhimthere,and proclaimed the name of theLord." He not only made a verbalproclamation of His nature but HerevealedHis very Self toMoses sothat the skin of Moses' face shonewiththesupernaturallight.Itwillbeagreatmomentforsomeofuswhen

we begin to believe that God'spromiseofself-revelationisliterallytrue: that He promised much, butpromisednomorethanHeintendstofulfill.

OurpursuitofGodissuccessfuljustbecause He is forever seeking tomanifest Himself to us. TherevelationofGod toanyman isnotGodcomingfromadistanceuponatime to pay a brief andmomentousvisittotheman'ssoul.Thustothinkof it is tomisunderstand it all. TheapproachofGodtothesoulorofthe

soultoGodisnottobethoughtofinspatial termsatall.There isnoideaof physical distance involved in theconcept. It is not a matter of milesbutofexperience.

TospeakofbeingneartoorfarfromGod is to use language in a sensealways understood when applied toourordinaryhumanrelationships.Amanmaysay,"I feel thatmyson iscoming nearer to me as he getsolder,"andyetthatsonhaslivedbyhis father's side since he was bornandhasneverbeenawayfromhome

more than a day or so in his entirelife.Whatthencanthefathermean?Obviously he is speaking ofexperience.Hemeansthattheboyiscoming to know him moreintimately and with deeperunderstanding, that the barriers ofthoughtandfeelingbetweenthetwoaredisappearing,thatfatherandsonarebecomingmorecloselyunitedinmindandheart.

Sowhenwesing,"Drawmenearer,nearer, blessed Lord," we are notthinkingofthenearnessofplace,but

of the nearness of relationship. It isfor increasing degrees of awarenessthat we pray, for a more perfectconsciousness of the divinePresence. We need never shoutacross the spaces to an absentGod.He is nearer than our own soul,closerthanourmostsecretthoughts.

Whydosomepersons"find"Godinawaythatothersdonot?WhydoesGodmanifestHisPresence to someandletmultitudesofothersstrugglealong in the half-light of imperfectChristian experience?Of course the

will of God is the same for all. Hehas no favorites within Hishousehold.AllHehaseverdoneforanyofHischildrenHewilldoforallof His children. The difference liesnotwithGodbutwithus.

Pick at random a score of greatsaints whose lives and testimoniesarewidelyknown.LetthembeBiblecharacters orwell knownChristiansof post-Biblical times. You will bestruckinstantlywiththefactthatthesaintswerenotalike.Sometimestheunlikenesses were so great as to be

positivelyglaring.Howdifferentforexample was Moses from Isaiah;how different was Elijah fromDavid; how unlike each other wereJohn and Paul, St. Francis andLuther, Finney and Thomas àKempis.Thedifferencesareaswideas human life itself: differences ofrace, nationality, education,temperament, habit and personalqualities. Yet they all walked, eachin his day, upon a high road ofspiritual living far above thecommonway.

Their differences must have beenincidentalandintheeyesofGodofnosignificance.Insomevitalqualitytheymusthavebeenalike.Whatwasit?

Iventuretosuggestthattheonevitalquality which they had in commonwasspiritual receptivity. Somethingin them was open to heaven,something which urged themGodward. Without attemptinganything like a profound analysis Ishall say simply that they hadspiritual awareness and that they

went on to cultivate it until itbecame the biggest thing in theirlives.Theydifferedfromtheaverageperson in that when they felt theinward longing they did somethingabout it. They acquired the lifelonghabit of spiritual response. Theywerenotdisobedienttotheheavenlyvision. As David put it neatly,"Whenthousaidst,Seekyemyface;my heart said unto thee, Thy face,Lord,willIseek."

As with everything good in humanlife,backof this receptivity isGod.

ThesovereigntyofGodishere,andis felt even by those who have notplaced particular stress upon ittheologically. The pious MichaelAngeloconfessedthisinasonnet:

Myunassistedheartisbarrenclay,

Thatofitsnativeselfcannothingfeed:

OfgoodandpiousworksThouarttheseed,

ThatquickensonlywhereThousayestitmay:

UnlessThoushowtous

ThineowntruewayNomancanfindit:Father!

Thoumustlead.

Thesewordswillrepaystudyas thedeepandserioustestimonyofagreatChristian.

Important as it is thatwe recognizeGodworkinginus,Iwouldyetwarnagainst a too-great preoccupationwiththethought.Itisasureroadtosterilepassivity.Godwillnotholdusresponsible to understand themysteries of election, predestination

andthedivinesovereignty.Thebestand safest way to deal with thesetruthsistoraiseoureyestoGodandin deepest reverence say, "O Lord,Thouknowest."ThosethingsbelongtothedeepandmysteriousProfoundof God's omniscience. Prying intothem may make theologians, but itwillnevermakesaints.

Receptivityisnotasinglething;itisa compound rather, a blending ofseveralelementswithinthesoul.Itisan affinity for, a bent toward, asympathetic response to, a desire to

have. From this it may be gatheredthatitcanbepresentindegrees,thatwemay have little ormore or less,depending upon the individual. Itmay be increased by exercise ordestroyed by neglect. It is not asovereign and irresistible forcewhich comes upon us as a seizurefrom above. It is a gift of God,indeed, but one which must berecognized and cultivated as anyother gift if it is to realize thepurposeforwhichitwasgiven.

Failure to see this is the cause of a

very serious breakdown in modernevangelicalism. The idea ofcultivation and exercise, so dear tothesaintsofold,hasnownoplaceinour total religious picture. It is tooslow,toocommon.Wenowdemandglamour and fast flowing dramaticaction. A generation of Christiansreared among push buttons andautomatic machines is impatient ofslower and less direct methods ofreaching their goals.We have beentryingtoapplymachine-agemethodsto our relations with God.We readourchapter,haveourshortdevotions

and rush away, hoping to make upfor our deep inward bankruptcy byattending another gospelmeetingorlistening to another thrilling storytold by a religious adventurer latelyreturnedfromafar.

Thetragicresultsofthisspiritareallabout us. Shallow lives, hollowreligious philosophies, thepreponderanceoftheelementoffuningospelmeetings, theglorificationof men, trust in religiousexternalities, quasi-religiousfellowships, salesmanship methods,

themistakingofdynamicpersonalityforthepoweroftheSpirit:theseandsuchasthesearethesymptomsofanevil disease, a deep and seriousmaladyofthesoul.

For this great sickness that is uponusnoonepersonisresponsible,andno Christian is wholly free fromblame. We have all contributed,directlyorindirectly,tothissadstateofaffairs.Wehavebeentooblindtosee,ortootimidtospeakout,ortooself-satisfied to desire anythingbetter than the poor average diet

with which others appear satisfied.To put it differently, we haveaccepted one another's notions,copiedoneanother's livesandmadeoneanother's experiences themodelfor our own. And for a generationthe trend has been downward.Nowwehavereachedalowplaceofsandand burnt wire grass and, worst ofall,wehavemadetheWordofTruthconform to our experience andaccepted this low plane as the verypastureoftheblessed.

Itwillrequireadeterminedheartand

morethanalittlecouragetowrenchourselves loosefromthegripofourtimes and return to Biblical ways.But it can be done. Every now andthen in thepastChristianshavehadtodoit.Historyhasrecordedseverallarge-scale returns led by suchmenas St. Francis, Martin Luther andGeorge Fox. Unfortunately thereseemstobenoLutherorFoxonthehorizon at present. Whether or notanothersuchreturnmaybeexpectedbefore the coming of Christ is aquestion upon which Christians arenot fully agreed, but that is not of

toogreatimportancetousnow.

What God in His sovereignty mayyet do on a world-scale I do notclaimtoknow:butwhatHewilldofor the plain man or woman whoseeks His face I believe I do knowandcantellothers.Letanymanturnto God in earnest, let him begin toexercise himself unto godliness, lethim seek to develop his powers ofspiritual receptivity by trust andobedience and humility, and theresultswillexceedanythinghemayhavehopedinhisleanerandweaker

days.

Anyman who by repentance and asincere return to God will breakhimselfoutofthemoldinwhichhehas been held, and will go to theBible itself for his spiritualstandards, will be delighted withwhathefindsthere.

Let us say it again: The UniversalPresence is a fact.God ishere.ThewholeuniverseisalivewithHislife.AndHeisnostrangeorforeignGod,but the familiar Father of our LordJesusChristwhoselovehasforthese

thousands of years enfolded thesinfulraceofmen.AndalwaysHeistrying togetour attention, to revealHimself tous, tocommunicatewithus.Wehavewithinus theability toknowHimifwewillbutrespondtoHis overtures. (And this we callpursuing God!)We will know Himin increasing degree as ourreceptivitybecomesmoreperfectbyfaithandloveandpractice.

O God and Father, I repent of mysinful preoccupation with visiblethings.Theworldhasbeentoomuch

withme.Thouhastbeenhereand Iknewitnot.IhavebeenblindtoThyPresence.Openmy eyes that ImaybeholdThee inandaroundme.ForChrist'ssake,Amen.

VITheSpeakingVoice

InthebeginningwastheWord,and the Word was with God,andtheWordwasGod.—John1:1

Anintelligentplainman,untaughtinthe truths of Christianity, cominguponthistext,wouldlikelyconcludethatJohnmeanttoteachthatitisthenature of God to speak, tocommunicateHisthoughtstoothers.Andhewouldberight.Aword isa

medium by which thoughts areexpressed, and the application ofterm to the Eternal Son leads us tobelieve that self-expression isinherentintheGodhead,thatGodisforeverseekingtospeakHimselfoutto His creation. The whole Biblesupports the idea. God is speaking.NotGodspoke,butGodisspeaking.He is by His nature continuouslyarticulate. He fills the world withHisspeakingVoice.

Oneofthegreatrealitieswithwhichwehavetodeal is theVoiceofGod

inHisworld. The briefest and onlysatisfying cosmogony is this: "Hespakeand itwasdone."Thewhyofnatural law is the living Voice ofGod immanent inHiscreation.AndthiswordofGodwhichbrought allworlds into being cannot beunderstood tomean theBible, for itis not a written or printed word atall,but theexpressionof thewillofGod spoken into the structureof allthings. This word of God is thebreathofGodfillingtheworldwithlivingpotentiality.TheVoiceofGodisthemostpowerfulforceinnature,

indeed the only force in nature, forall energy is here only because thepower-filledWordisbeingspoken.

The Bible is the written word ofGod, and because it is written it isconfined and limited by thenecessities of ink and paper andleather.TheVoiceofGod,however,is alive and free as the sovereignGodisfree."ThewordsthatIspeakunto you, they are spirit, and theyare life."The life is in the speakingwords.God'sword in theBible canhave power only because it

corresponds to God's word in theuniverse. It is the present Voicewhich makes the written Word all-powerful. Otherwise it would lielocked in slumberwithin the coversofabook.

Wetakealowandprimitiveviewofthingswhenwe conceiveofGod atthe creation coming into physicalcontact with things, shaping andfittingandbuilding likeacarpenter.TheBibleteachesotherwise:"Bytheword of the Lordwere the heavensmade;andallthehostofthembythe

breathofhismouth....Forhespake,anditwasdone;hecommanded,andit stood fast." "Through faith weunderstand that the worlds wereframedby thewordofGod."Againwe must remember that God isreferring here not to His writtenWord,buttoHisspeakingVoice.Hisworld-filling Voice is meant, thatVoicewhich antedates the Bible byuncounted centuries, that Voicewhich has not been silent since thedawn of creation, but is soundingstill throughout the full far reachesoftheuniverse.

The Word of God is quick andpowerful.InthebeginningHespoketonothing,anditbecamesomething.Chaos heard it and became order,darkness heard it and became light."And God said—and it was so."These twin phrases, as cause andeffect,occur throughout theGenesisstory of the creation. The saidaccounts for the so. The so is thesaidputintothecontinuouspresent.

That God is here and that He isspeaking—these truths are back ofall other Bible truths; without them

there could be no revelation at all.Goddidnotwriteabookandsenditbymessengertobereadatadistancebyunaidedminds.HespokeaBookand lives in His spoken words,constantly speaking His words andcausingthepowerofthemtopersistacross the years. God breathed onclay and it became a man; Hebreathes on men and they becomeclay. "Return ye children of men"was theword spoken at the Fall bywhich God decreed the death ofeveryman, and no addedword hasHe needed to speak. The sad

procession of mankind across theface of the earth from birth to thegraveisproofthatHisoriginalWordwasenough.

We have not given sufficientattentiontothatdeeputteranceintheBook of John, "That was the trueLight,whichlightetheverymanthatcometh into the world." Shift thepunctuation around as we will andthe truth is still there: the Word ofGodaffects theheartsofallmenaslight in thesoul. In theheartsofallmen the light shines, the Word

sounds, and there is no escapingthem. Something like thiswould ofnecessitybesoifGodisaliveandinHisworld. And John says that it isso. Even those persons who havenever heard of the Bible have stillbeen preached to with sufficientclaritytoremoveeveryexcusefromtheir hearts forever. "Which showthework of the lawwritten in theirhearts, theirconsciencealsobearingwitness,andtheirthoughtsthemeanwhile either accusing or elseexcusing one another." "For theinvisible things of him from the

creation of the world are clearlyseen,beingunderstoodbythethingsthat are made, even his eternalpowerandGodhead;sothattheyarewithoutexcuse."

ThisuniversalVoiceofGodwasbythe ancient Hebrews often calledWisdom, and was said to beeverywhere sounding and searchingthroughout the earth, seeking someresponsefromthesonsofmen.Theeighth chapter of the Book ofProverbs begins, "Doth notwisdomcry?andunderstandingputforthher

voice?" The writer then pictureswisdom as a beautiful womanstanding "in the top of the highplaces, by the way in the places ofthe paths." She sounds her voicefrom every quarter so that no onemay miss hearing it. "Unto you, Omen, I call; andmy voice is to thesons of men." Then she pleads forthesimpleandthefoolishtogiveeartoherwords. It isspiritual responsefor which this Wisdom of God ispleading, a response which she hasalwayssoughtandisbutrarelyableto secure. The tragedy is that our

eternal welfare depends upon ourhearing, and we have trained ourearsnottohear.

This universal Voice has eversounded, and it has often troubledmen even when they did notunderstand the sourceof their fears.Could it be that thisVoicedistillinglikea livingmistupon theheartsofmen has been the undiscoveredcauseofthetroubledconscienceandthe longing for immortalityconfessed by millions since thedawn of recorded history?We need

not fear to face up to this. Thespeaking Voice is a fact. Howmenhavereactedtoitisforanyobservertonote.

When God spoke out of heaven toour Lord, self-centered men whoheard it explained it by naturalcauses: they said, "It thundered."ThishabitofexplainingtheVoicebyappeals tonatural law isat theveryrootofmodernscience.Inthelivingbreathing cosmos there is amysterious Something, toowonderful,tooawfulforanymindto

understand.Thebelievingmandoesnot claim to understand.He falls tohisknees andwhispers, "God."Themanof earthkneels also, but not toworship. He kneels to examine, tosearch,tofindthecauseandthehowofthings.Justnowwehappentobeliving in a secular age.Our thoughthabits are those of the scientist, notthose of the worshipper. We aremorelikelytoexplainthantoadore."It thundered," we exclaim, and goour earthly way. But still the Voicesounds and searches.The order andlife of the world depend upon that

Voice, butmen aremostly toobusyortoostubborntogiveattention.

Everyoneofushashadexperienceswhich we have not been able toexplain: a sudden sense ofloneliness,orafeelingofwonderorawe in the face of the universalvastness.Orwehavehad a fleetingvisitation of light like anillumination from some other sun,giving us in a quick flash anassurance that we are from anotherworld, that our origins are divine.Whatwesawthere,orfelt,orheard,

may have been contrary to all thatwe had been taught in the schoolsand at wide variance with all ourformer beliefs and opinions. Wewereforcedtosuspendouracquireddoubts while, for a moment, thecloudswererolledbackandwesawand heard for ourselves. Explainsuch things as we will, I think wehave not been fair to the facts untilweallowat least thepossibility thatsuchexperiencesmayarisefromthePresence of God in the world andHispersistentefforttocommunicatewith mankind. Let us not dismiss

suchanhypothesistooflippantly.

Itismyownbelief(andhereIshallnot feel bad if no one follows me)that every good and beautiful thingwhich man has produced in theworld has been the result of hisfaulty and sin-blocked response tothecreativeVoicesoundingovertheearth. The moral philosophers whodreamedtheirhighdreamsofvirtue,thereligiousthinkerswhospeculatedaboutGodandimmortality,thepoetsand artists who created out ofcommon stuff pure and lasting

beauty:howcanweexplainthem?Itisnotenoughtosaysimply,"Itwasgenius."Whatthenisgenius?Coulditbe thatagenius isamanhauntedby the speakingVoice, laboringandstriving like one possessed toachieveendswhichheonlyvaguelyunderstands? That the great manmayhavemissedGod inhis labors,that he may even have spoken orwrittenagainstGoddoesnotdestroythe idea I am advancing. God'sredemptive revelation in the HolyScriptures is necessary to savingfaithandpeacewithGod.Faithina

risen Saviour is necessary if thevague stirrings toward immortalityare to bring us to restful andsatisfyingcommunionwithGod.TomethisisaplausibleexplanationofallthatisbestoutofChrist.Butyoucan be a good Christian and notacceptmythesis.

TheVoiceofGodisafriendlyVoice.Nooneneedfeartolistentoitunlesshehasalreadymadeuphismind toresist it. The blood of Jesus hascoverednotonlythehumanracebutall creation as well. "And having

madepeacethroughthebloodofhiscross,byhim to reconcileall thingsuntohimself;byhim,Isay,whetherthey be things in earth, or things inheaven." We may safely preach afriendly Heaven. The heavens aswell as the earth are filledwith thegood will of Him that dwelt in thebush. The perfect blood ofatonementsecuresthisforever.

Whoever will listen will hear thespeaking Heaven. This is definitelynot the hour whenmen take kindlyto an exhortation to listen, for

listening is not today a part ofpopular religion. We are at theoppositeendof thepole fromthere.Religionhasacceptedthemonstrousheresy that noise, size, activity andblustermakeamandeartoGod.Butwe may take heart. To a peoplecaught in the tempest of the lastgreat conflict God says, "Be still,and know that I amGod," and stillHesays it,as ifHemeans to tellusthatourstrengthandsafetylienotinnoisebutinsilence.

It is important that we get still to

waitonGod.And it isbest thatweget alone, preferablywithourBibleoutspreadbeforeus.ThenifwewillwemaydrawneartoGodandbeginto hear Him speak to us in ourhearts.Ithinkfortheaveragepersonthe progression will be somethinglike this: First a sound as of aPresence walking in the garden.Then a voice,more intelligible, butstill far from clear. Then the happymoment when the Spirit begins toilluminate the Scriptures, and thatwhich had been only a sound, or atbest a voice, now becomes an

intelligibleword,warmandintimateand clear as the word of a dearfriend.Thenwillcomelifeandlight,andbestofall,abilitytoseeandrestin and embrace Jesus Christ asSaviourandLordandAll.

The Bible will never be a livingBook to us until we are convincedthat God is articulate in Hisuniverse. To jump from a dead,impersonal world to a dogmaticBible is toomuch for most people.They may admit that they shouldaccepttheBibleastheWordofGod,

and they may try to think of it assuch, but they find it impossible tobelieve that the words there on thepage are actually for them. A manmay say, "These words areaddressed to me," and yet in hisheartnotfeelandknowthattheyare.He is the victim of a dividedpsychology.HetriestothinkofGodas mute everywhere else and vocalonlyinabook.

I believe thatmuchof our religiousunbelief is due to a wrongconception of and a wrong feeling

for the Scriptures of Truth.A silentGod suddenly began to speak in abook and when the book wasfinished lapsed back into silenceagainforever.NowwereadthebookastherecordofwhatGodsaidwhenHewasforabrieftimeinaspeakingmood.With notions like that in ourheadshowcanwebelieve?Thefactsare thatGod isnot silent,hasneverbeensilent.ItisthenatureofGodtospeak. The second Person of theHolyTrinityiscalledtheWord.TheBible is the inevitable outcome ofGod's continuous speech. It is the

infallibledeclarationofHismindforus put into our familiar humanwords.

Ithinkanewworldwillariseoutofthe religious mists when weapproachourBiblewiththeideathatitisnotonlyabookwhichwasoncespoken, but a book which is nowspeaking. The prophets habituallysaid, "Thus saith the Lord." Theymeant their hearers to understandthat God's speaking is in thecontinuouspresent.Wemayuse thepasttenseproperlytoindicatethatat

acertaintimeacertainwordofGodwasspoken,butawordofGodoncespokencontinues tobespoken,asachild once born continues to bealive, or a world once createdcontinuestoexist.Andthosearebutimperfect illustrations, for childrendie and worlds burn out, but theWordofourGodendurethforever.

IfyouwouldfollowontoknowtheLord,comeatoncetotheopenBibleexpectingit tospeaktoyou.Donotcome with the notion that it is athingwhichyoumaypusharoundat

your convenience. It ismore than athing, it isavoice,aword, theveryWordofthelivingGod.

Lord, teach me to listen. The timesare noisy and my ears are wearywith the thousand raucous soundswhich continuously assault them.GivemethespiritoftheboySamuelwhenhesaidtoThee,"Speak,forthyservant heareth." Let me hear Theespeaking in my heart. Let me getusedto thesoundofThyVoice, thatits tones may be familiar when thesounds of earth die away and the

onlysoundwillbe themusicofThyspeakingVoice.Amen.

VIITheGazeoftheSoul

Looking unto Jesus the authorandfinisherofourfaith.—Heb.12:2

Let us think of our intelligent plainman mentioned in chapter sixcoming for the first time to thereading of the Scriptures. Heapproaches the Bible without anyprevious knowledge of what itcontains. He is wholly withoutprejudice; he has nothing to proveandnothingtodefend.

Suchamanwillnothave read long

until his mind begins to observecertain truths standing out from thepage. They are the spiritualprinciplesbehindtherecordofGod'sdealings with men, and woven intothe writings of holy men as they"were moved by the Holy Ghost."As he reads on he might want tonumber these truths as theybecomeclear to him and make a briefsummaryundereachnumber.Thesesummaries will be the tenets of hisBiblical creed. Further reading willnot affect these points except toenlarge and strengthen them. Our

man is finding out what the Bibleactuallyteaches.

High up on the list of thingswhichtheBibleteacheswillbethedoctrineof faith. The place of weightyimportancewhichtheBiblegivestofaith will be too plain for him tomiss. He will very likely conclude:Faith is all-important in the life ofthe soul. Without faith it isimpossibletopleaseGod.Faithwillgetme anything, takeme anywhereintheKingdomofGod,butwithoutfaith there can be no approach to

God,noforgiveness,nodeliverance,no salvation, no communion, nospirituallifeatall.

By the time our friend has reachedtheeleventhchapterofHebrewstheeloquent encomium which is therepronounceduponfaithwillnotseemstrange to him. He will have readPaul's powerful defense of faith inhis Roman and Galatian epistles.Later if he goes on to study churchhistory he will understand theamazing power in the teachings ofthe Reformers as they showed the

centralplaceoffaithintheChristianreligion.

Now if faith is sovitally important,if it is an indispensablemust in ourpursuitofGod,itisperfectlynaturalthatwe shouldbedeeply concernedoverwhetherornotwepossess thismost precious gift. And our mindsbeingwhat they are, it is inevitablethat sooner or later we should getaround to inquiring after the natureof faith. What is faith? would lieclose to the question, Do I havefaith?andwoulddemandananswer

ifitwereanywheretobefound.

Almost all who preach or write onthe subject of faith have much thesame things to say concerning it.They tell us that it is believing apromise,thatit istakingGodatHisword, that it is reckoning the Bibleto be true and stepping out upon it.The rest of the book or sermon isusually taken up with stories ofpersonswho have had their prayersanswered as a result of their faith.Theseanswersaremostlydirectgiftsof a practical and temporal nature

such as health, money, physicalprotectionorsuccessinbusiness.Oriftheteacherisofaphilosophicturnofmindhemaytakeanothercourseand lose us in a welter ofmetaphysics or snow us under withpsychological jargon as he definesand re-defines, paring the slenderhairoffaiththinnerandthinnertillitdisappears in gossamer shavings atlast.Whenhe is finishedweget updisappointed and go out "by thatsame door where in we went."Surely there must be somethingbetterthanthis.

In theScriptures there is practicallyno effort made to define faith.Outside of a brief fourteen-worddefinition in Hebrews 11:1, I knowof no Biblical definition, and eventhere faith is defined functionally,not philosophically; that is, it is astatement of what faith is inoperation,notwhat it is inessence.Itassumes thepresenceof faithandshowswhat it results in, rather thanwhatitis.Wewillbewisetogojustthatfarandattempttogonofurther.We are told from whence it comesand bywhatmeans: "Faith is a gift

of God," and "Faith cometh byhearing,andhearingby thewordofGod." This much is clear, and, toparaphraseThomasàKempis,"Ihadrather exercise faith than know thedefinitionthereof."

Fromhereon,whenthewords"faithis" or their equivalent occur in thischapterIaskthattheybeunderstoodtorefer towhat faith is inoperationas exercised by a believing man.Right here we drop the notion ofdefinitionandthinkaboutfaithas itmay be experienced in action. The

complexion of our thoughts will bepractical,nottheoretical.

In a dramatic story in the Book ofNumbers faith is seen in action.IsraelbecamediscouragedandspokeagainstGod,andtheLordsentfieryserpentsamongthem."Andtheybitthe people; and much people ofIsraeldied."ThenMosessought theLord for them and He heard andgavethemaremedyagainstthebiteof the serpents. He commandedMoses to make a serpent of brassandputituponapoleinsightofall

the people, "and it shall come topass, that everyone that is bitten,whenhelookethuponit,shalllive."Mosesobeyed,"anditcametopass,thatifaserpenthadbittenanyman,whenhebeheldtheserpentofbrass,helived"(Num.21:4-9).

IntheNewTestamentthisimportantbitofhistoryisinterpretedforusbyno less an authority than our LordJesus Christ Himself. He isexplaining to His hearers how theymaybesaved.Hetellsthemthatitisby believing. Then tomake it clear

HereferstothisincidentintheBookofNumbers."AsMoseslifteduptheserpent in the wilderness, even somust the Son of man be lifted up:that whosoever believeth in himshould not perish, but have eternallife"(John3:14-15).

Ourplainmaninreadingthiswouldmake an important discovery. Hewould notice that "look" and"believe" were synonymous terms."Looking" on the Old Testamentserpent is identicalwith "believing"on the New Testament Christ. That

is, the looking and thebelieving arethe same thing. And he wouldunderstand that while Israel lookedwiththeirexternaleyes,believingisdonewiththeheart.Ithinkhewouldconclude that faith is the gaze of asouluponasavingGod.

When he had seen this he wouldremember passages he had readbefore, and their meaning wouldcome flooding over him. "Theylooked unto him, and werelightened: and their faces were notashamed"(Psa.34:5)."Untotheelift

Iupmineeyes,Othouthatdwellestin the heavens. Behold, as the eyesof servants look unto the hand oftheir masters, and as the eyes of amaiden unto the hand of hermistress; so our eyeswait upon theLord our God, until that he havemercyuponus"(Psa.123:1-2).Herethe man seeking mercy looksstraight at the God of mercy andnevertakeshiseyesawayfromHimtillmercy is granted.And our LordHimself looked always at God."Looking up to heaven, he blessed,andbrake,andgavethebreadtohis

disciples" (Matt. 14:19). IndeedJesus taught that He wrought HisworksbyalwayskeepingHisinwardeyesuponHisFather.HispowerlayinHiscontinuouslookatGod(John5:19-21).

In fullaccordwith thefewtextswehavequotedisthewholetenoroftheinspiredWord. It is summed up forus in the Hebrew epistle when weare instructed to run life's race"looking unto Jesus the author andfinisher of our faith." From all thiswelearnthatfaithisnotaonce-done

act, but a continuous gaze of theheartattheTriuneGod.

Believing, then, is directing theheart'sattentiontoJesus.Itisliftingthe mind to "behold the Lamb ofGod," and never ceasing thatbeholdingfortherestofourlives.Atfirst this may be difficult, but itbecomes easier as we look steadilyatHiswondrousPerson,quietlyandwithout strain. Distractions mayhinder, but once the heart iscommitted to Him, after each briefexcursion away from Him the

attention will return again and restupon Him like a wandering birdcomingbacktoitswindow.

I would emphasize this onecommittal, this one great volitionalact which establishes the heart'sintentiontogazeforeveruponJesus.God takes this intention for ourchoice and makes what allowancesHe must for the thousanddistractions which beset us in thisevil world. He knows that we havesetthedirectionofourheartstowardJesus, andwe can know it too, and

comfort ourselves with theknowledge that a habit of soul isforming which will become after awhile a sort of spiritual reflexrequiring no more conscious effortonourpart.

Faith is the least self-regarding ofthe virtues. It is by its very naturescarcely conscious of its ownexistence. Like the eye which seeseverything in front of it and neverseesitself,faithisoccupiedwiththeObjectuponwhich it restsandpaysnoattentiontoitselfatall.Whilewe

are looking at God we do not seeourselves—blessed riddance. Theman who has struggled to purifyhimself and has had nothing butrepeatedfailureswillexperiencerealrelief when he stops tinkering withhis soul and looks away to theperfect One. While he looks atChristtheverythingshehassolongbeen trying to do will be gettingdone within him. It will be Godworkinginhimtowillandtodo.

Faith is not in itself a meritoriousact; the merit is in the One toward

Whom it is directed. Faith is aredirectingofoursight,agettingoutof the focus of our own vision andgetting God into focus. Sin hastwistedourvision inward andmadeit self-regarding. Unbelief has putself where God should be, and isperilouslyclosetothesinofLuciferwho said, "I will set my throneabove the throne of God." Faithlooksoutinsteadofinandthewholelifefallsintoline.

All this may seem too simple. Butwe have no apology to make. To

thosewhowouldseek toclimb intoheaven after help or descend intohell God says, "The word is nighthee, even the word of faith." Theword induces us to lift up our eyesunto theLord and theblessedworkoffaithbegins.

When we lift our inward eyes togazeuponGodweare sure tomeetfriendlyeyesgazingbackatus,foritis written that the eyes of the Lordrun to and fro throughout all theearth. The sweet language ofexperience is "ThouGodseestme."

When the eyes of the soul lookingoutmeettheeyesofGodlookingin,heavenhasbegun righthereon thisearth.

"When all my endeavour is turnedtoward Thee because all Thyendeavour is turned toward me;whenIlookuntoTheealonewithallmyattention,noreverturnasidetheeyesofmymind,becauseThoudostenfoldmewithThyconstantregard;when I directmy love towardTheealonebecauseThou,whoartLove'sself hast turned Thee toward me

alone. And what, Lord, is my life,save that embrace wherein Thydelightsome sweetness doth solovingly enfold me?"[1] So wroteNicholasofCusafourhundredyearsago.

I should like to saymoreabout thisold man of God. He is not muchknown today anywhere amongChristian believers, and amongcurrentFundamentalistsheisknownnot at all. I feel thatwe could gainmuchfromalittleacquaintancewithmen of his spiritual flavor and the

school of Christian thought whichthey represent. Christian literature,to be accepted and approvedby theevangelical leaders of our times,must follow very closely the sametrain of thought, a kind of "partyline" fromwhich it is scarcely safeto depart. A half-century of this inAmerica has made us smug andcontent.We imitate each otherwithslavish devotion and our moststrenuouseffortsareput forth to tryto say the same thing that everyonearoundusissaying—andyettofindan excuse for saying it, some little

safevariationontheapprovedthemeor, if no more, at least a newillustration.

Nicholas was a true follower ofChrist, a lover of the Lord, radiantand shining in his devotion to thePerson of Jesus. His theology wasorthodox, but fragrant and sweet aseverything about Jesus mightproperly be expected to be. Hisconception of eternal life, forinstance, isbeautiful in itselfand, ifI mistake not, is nearer in spirit toJohn17:3thanthatwhichiscurrent

among us today. Life eternal, saysNicholas, is "nought other than thatblessed regard wherewith Thounever ceasest to behold me, yea,even the secret places of my soul.WithThee, tobeholdis togive life;'tis unceasingly to impart sweetestlove of Thee; 'tis to inflame me tolove of Thee by love's imparting,andtofeedmebyinflaming,andbyfeeding to kindle my yearning, andbykindlingtomakemedrinkofthedewofgladness,andbydrinking toinfuse inme a fountain of life, andby infusing tomake it increase and

endure."[2]

Now,iffaithisthegazeoftheheartat God, and if this gaze is but theraising of the inward eyes to meetthe all-seeing eyes of God, then itfollows that it is one of the easiestthings possible to do. It would belike God to make the most vitalthing easy and place it within therange of possibility for the weakestandpoorestofus.

Several conclusions may fairly bedrawn from all this. The simplicityofit,forinstance.Sincebelievingis

looking, it can be done withoutspecial equipment or religiousparaphernalia.Godhasseentoitthatthe one life-and-death essential cannever be subject to the caprice ofaccident.Equipmentcanbreakdownor get lost, water can leak away,recordscanbedestroyedbyfire,theminister can be delayed or thechurch burn down. All these areexternal to the soul and are subjectto accident or mechanical failure:butlookingisoftheheartandcanbedone successfully by any manstanding up or kneeling down or

lying in his last agony a thousandmilesfromanychurch.

Since believing is looking it can bedoneanytime.Noseasonissuperiortoanotherseasonforthissweetestofall acts. God never made salvationdepend upon new moons nor holydays or sabbaths. A man is notnearer to Christ on Easter Sundaythanhe is, say,onSaturday,August3,orMonday,October4.AslongasChristsitson themediatorial throneeverydayisagooddayandalldaysaredaysofsalvation.

Neither does place matter in thisblessedworkofbelievingGod.Liftyourheartand let it restuponJesusandyouare instantly in a sanctuarythough it be a Pullman berth or afactory or a kitchen. You can seeGod fromanywhere ifyourmind issettoloveandobeyHim.

Now,someonemayask,"Isnot thisof which you speak for specialpersons such asmonks orministerswho have by the nature of theircallingmore time todevote toquietmeditation?Iamabusyworkerand

havelittletimetospendalone."Iamhappy to say that the life I describeis for everyone of God's childrenregardless of calling. It is, in fact,happilypracticedeverydaybymanyhardworkingpersonsandisbeyondthereachofnone.

ManyhavefoundthesecretofwhichI speak and, without giving muchthought to what is going on withinthem, constantly practice this habitof inwardlygazinguponGod.Theyknow that something inside theirheartsseesGod.Evenwhentheyare

compelled to withdraw theirconscious attention in order toengage in earthly affairs there iswithin them a secret communionalways going on.Let their attentionbut be released for a moment fromnecessary business and it flies atoncetoGodagain.Thishasbeenthetestimony of many Christians, somany that even as I state it thus Ihave a feeling that I am quoting,though from whom or from howmanyIcannotpossiblyknow.

Idonotwanttoleavetheimpression

that the ordinary means of gracehavenovalue.Theymostassuredlyhave. Private prayer should bepracticed by every Christian. Longperiods of Bible meditation willpurifyourgazeanddirectit;churchattendance will enlarge our outlookand increase our love for others.Service and work and activity; allare good and should be engaged inbyeveryChristian.Butatthebottomofallthesethings,givingmeaningtothem, will be the inward habit ofbeholding God. A new set of eyes(so tospeak)willdevelopwithinus

enabling us to be looking at Godwhile our outward eyes are seeingthescenesofthispassingworld.

Someone may fear that we aremagnifyingprivatereligionoutofallproportion, that the"us"of theNewTestament is being displaced by aselfish "I." Has it ever occurred toyou that one hundred pianos alltuned to the same fork areautomatically tuned to each other?They are of one accord by beingtuned, not to each other, but toanother standard towhich each one

must individually bow. So onehundred worshippers met together,eachonelookingawaytoChrist,arein heart nearer to each other thantheycouldpossiblybewere they tobecome "unity" conscious and turntheir eyes away fromGod to striveforcloserfellowship.Socialreligionisperfectedwhenprivate religion ispurified.Thebodybecomesstrongeras its members become healthier.The whole Church of God gainswhen the members that compose itbegin to seek a better and a higherlife.

All the foregoing presupposes truerepentance and a full committal ofthelifetoGod.Itishardlynecessaryto mention this, for only personswho have made such a committalwillhavereadthisfar.

When the habit of inwardly gazingGodward becomes fixed within usweshallbeusheredontoanewlevelofspirituallifemoreinkeepingwiththe promises of God and the moodof the New Testament. The TriuneGodwillbeourdwellingplaceevenwhileour feetwalk the low roadof

simple duty here among men. Wewill have found life's summumbonum indeed. "There is the sourceof all delights that can be desired;not only can nought better bethought out bymen and angels, butnought better can exist in mode ofbeing! For it is the absolutemaximum of every rational desire,thanwhichagreatercannotbe."[3]

O Lord, I have heard a good wordinvitingmetolookawaytoTheeandbe satisfied. My heart longs torespond, but sin has clouded my

vision till I see Thee but dimly. Bepleased tocleanseme inThineownprecious blood, and make meinwardly pure, so that I may withunveiledeyesgazeuponTheeallthedaysofmyearthlypilgrimage.ThenshallIbepreparedtobeholdTheeinfull splendor in the day when Thoushalt appear to be glorified in Thysaints and admired in all them thatbelieve.Amen.

FOOTNOTES:

[1]NicholasofCusa,TheVision

ofGod,E.P.Dutton&Co.,Inc.,New York, 1928. This and thefollowing quotations used bykind permission of thepublishers.

[2]TheVisionofGod

[3]TheVisionofGod

VIIIRestoringtheCreator-creature

Relation

Bethouexalted,OGod,abovethe heavens; let thy glory beabovealltheearth.—Psa.57:5

It is a truism to say that order innature depends upon rightrelationships; to achieve harmonyeach thing must be in its properpositionrelativetoeachother thing.

Inhumanlifeitisnototherwise.

I have hinted before in thesechapters that the cause of all ourhuman miseries is a radical moraldislocation, an upset in our relationto God and to each other. Forwhatever else the Fall may havebeen, it was most certainly a sharpchange in man's relation to hisCreator.He adopted towardGod analtered attitude, and by so doingdestroyed the proper Creator-creature relation inwhich,unknownto him, his true happiness lay.

Essentially salvation is therestoration of a right relationbetween man and his Creator, abringing back to normal of theCreator-creaturerelation.

A satisfactory spiritual life willbegin with a complete change inrelationbetweenGodandthesinner;not a judicial change merely, but aconscious and experienced changeaffecting the sinner's whole nature.TheatonementinJesus'bloodmakessuchachangejudiciallypossibleandtheworkingoftheHolySpiritmakes

it emotionally satisfying. The storyof the prodigal son perfectlyillustrates this latter phase. He hadbrought a world of trouble uponhimself by forsaking the positionwhichhehadproperlyheldassonofhis father.At bottomhis restorationwas nothing more than a re-establishing of the father-sonrelationwhich had existed from hisbirth and had been alteredtemporarily by his act of sinfulrebellion. This story overlooks thelegal aspects of redemption, but itmakes beautifully clear the

experientialaspectsofsalvation.

Indeterminingrelationshipswemustbegin somewhere. There must besomewhere a fixed center againstwhich everything else is measured,where the lawof relativitydoesnotenterandwecansay"IS"andmakenoallowances.SuchacenterisGod.When God would make His NameknowntomankindHecouldfindnobetterword than "IAM."WhenHespeaksinthefirstpersonHesays,"IAM"; when we speak of Him wesay,"Heis";whenwespeaktoHim

we say, "Thou art." Everyone andeverything else measures from thatfixed point. "I am that I am," saysGod,"Ichangenot."

As thesailor locateshispositionontheseaby"shooting"thesun,sowemay get our moral bearings bylookingatGod.WemustbeginwithGod. We are right when and onlywhen we stand in a right positionrelativetoGod,andwearewrongsofar and so long as we stand in anyotherposition.

Much of our difficulty as seeking

Christians stems from ourunwillingness to take God as He isandadjustourlivesaccordingly.WeinsistupontryingtomodifyHimandto bring Him nearer to our ownimage. The flesh whimpers againstthe rigor of God's inexorablesentence and begs like Agag for alittlemercy,alittleindulgenceofitscarnalways.Itisnouse.Wecangeta right start only by accepting GodasHeisandlearningtoloveHimforwhat He is. As we go on to knowHimbetterwe shall find it a sourceof unspeakable joy that God is just

what He is. Some of the mostrapturousmomentsweknowwillbethose we spend in reverentadmirationof theGodhead.Inthoseholy moments the very thought ofchangeinHimwillbetoopainfultoendure.

So let us begin with God. Back ofall,aboveall,beforeallisGod;firstin sequential order, above in rankand station, exalted in dignity andhonor. As the self-existent One Hegave being to all things, and allthingsexistoutofHimandforHim.

"Thouartworthy,OLord,toreceiveglory and honour and power: forthou hast created all things, and forthy pleasure they are and werecreated."

EverysoulbelongstoGodandexistsbyHispleasure.GodbeingWhoandWhatHe is, andwebeingwho andwhat we are, the only thinkablerelation between us is one of fulllordship on His part and completesubmission on ours. We owe HimeveryhonorthatitisinourpowertogiveHim.Our everlasting grief lies

ingivingHimanythingless.

ThepursuitofGodwillembracethelabor of bringing our totalpersonality into conformity to His.Andthisnotjudicially,butactually.Ido not here refer to the act ofjustification by faith in Christ. IspeakofavoluntaryexaltingofGodto His proper station over us and awillingsurrenderofourwholebeingto the place of worshipfulsubmission which the Creator-creaturecircumstancemakesproper.

Themomentwemakeupourminds

that we are going on with thisdetermination to exalt God over allwe step out of the world's parade.We shall find ourselves out ofadjustmenttothewaysoftheworld,and increasingly so as we makeprogress in the holy way. We shallacquireanewviewpoint;anewanddifferentpsychologywillbe formedwithinus;anewpowerwillbegintosurpriseusby itsupsurgingsand itsoutgoings.

Ourbreakwiththeworldwillbethedirect outcome of our changed

relation to God. For the world offallen men does not honor God.Millions call themselves by HisName,itistrue,andpaysometokenrespecttoHim,butasimpletestwillshowhowlittleHeisreallyhonoredamongthem.Lettheaveragemanbeput to the proof on the question ofwho is above, and his true positionwill be exposed. Let him be forcedinto making a choice between Godandmoney, betweenGod andmen,betweenGodandpersonalambition,Godandself,Godandhuman love,and God will take second place

every time. Those other things willbeexaltedabove.However themanmay protest, the proof is in thechoices he makes day after daythroughouthislife.

"Bethouexalted"isthelanguageofvictoriousspiritualexperience.Itisalittlekeytounlockthedoortogreattreasuresofgrace.Itiscentralinthelife of God in the soul. Let theseekingmanreachaplacewherelifeand lips join to say continually "Bethouexalted,"andathousandminorproblemswillbesolvedatonce.His

Christian life ceases to be thecomplicatedthingithadbeenbeforeand becomes the very essence ofsimplicity.Bytheexerciseofhiswillhe has set his course, and on thatcoursehewillstayasifguidedbyanautomatic pilot. If blown off courseforamomentbysomeadversewindhe will surely return again as by asecret bent of the soul. The hiddenmotionsof theSpiritareworkinginhis favor, and "the stars in theircourses" fight for him. He has methis life problem at its center, andeverythingelsemustfollowalong.

Letnooneimaginethathewillloseanything of human dignity by thisvoluntary sell-out of his all to hisGod. He does not by this degradehimselfasaman;ratherhefindshisright place of high honor as onemade in the image of his Creator.His deep disgrace lay in his moralderangement, his unnaturalusurpation of the place ofGod.Hishonor will be proved by restoringagain that stolen throne. In exaltingGod over all he finds his ownhighesthonorupheld.

Anyonewhomight feel reluctant tosurrender his will to the will ofanother should remember Jesus'words, "Whosoever committeth sinis the servant of sin." We must ofnecessity be servant to someone,either to God or to sin. The sinnerprides himself onhis independence,completelyoverlooking thefact thathe is theweakslaveof thesins thatrule his members. The man whosurrenders to Christ exchanges acruel slave driver for a kind andgentle Master whose yoke is easyandwhoseburdenislight.

Made as we were in the image ofGod we scarcely find it strange totake againourGodasourAll.Godwas our original habitat and ourheartscannotbutfeelathomewhenthey enter again that ancient andbeautifulabode.

IhopeitisclearthatthereisalogicbehindGod'sclaimtopre-eminence.That place is His by every right inearth or heaven. While we take toourselves the place that is His thewhole course of our lives is out ofjoint. Nothing will or can restore

order till our hearts make the greatdecision: God shall be exaltedabove.

"Them that honour me I willhonour,"saidGodoncetoapriestofIsrael, and that ancient law of theKingdomstandstodayunchangedbythepassingoftimeorthechangesofdispensation. The whole Bible andevery page of history proclaim theperpetuationofthatlaw."Ifanymanserve me, him will my Fatherhonour," said our Lord Jesus, tyingintheoldwiththenewandrevealing

theessentialunityofHiswayswithmen.

Sometimes the best way to see athing is to look at its opposite. Eliand his sons are placed in thepriesthood with the stipulation thatthey honor God in their lives andministrations. This they fail to do,andGod sendsSamuel to announcethe consequences. Unknown to Elithislawofreciprocalhonorhasbeenall the while secretly working, andnowthetimehascomeforjudgmentto fall. Hophni and Phineas, the

degenerate priests, fall in battle, thewife of Hophni dies in childbirth,Israel flees before her enemies, theark of God is captured by thePhilistinesand theoldmanEli fallsbackwardanddiesofabrokenneck.Thus stark utter tragedy followeduponEli'sfailuretohonorGod.

NowsetoveragainstthisalmostanyBiblecharacterwhohonestlytriedtoglorifyGod inhisearthlywalk.SeehowGodwinkedatweaknessesandoverlooked failures as He poureduponHisservantsgraceandblessing

untold. Let it be Abraham, Jacob,David, Daniel, Elijah or whom youwill; honor followed honor asharvesttheseed.ThemanofGodsethishearttoexaltGodaboveall;Godaccepted his intention as fact andacted accordingly. Not perfection,but holy intention made thedifference.

InourLordJesusChristthislawwasseen in simple perfection. In HislowlymanhoodHehumbledHimselfand gladly gave all glory to HisFatherinheaven.HesoughtnotHis

own honor, but the honor of GodwhosentHim."IfIhonourmyself,"He said on one occasion, "myhonour is nothing; it is my Fatherthat honoureth me." So far had theproud Pharisees departed from thislaw that they could not understandone who honored God at his ownexpense."IhonourmyFather,"saidJesustothem,"andyedodishonourme."

AnothersayingofJesus,andamostdisturbing one,was put in the formofaquestion, "Howcanyebelieve,

whichreceivehonouroneofanother,andseeknotthehonourthatcomethfrom God alone?" If I understandthis correctly Christ taught here thealarmingdoctrine that thedesire forhonor among men made beliefimpossible. Is this sin at the root ofreligious unbelief? Could it be thatthose"intellectualdifficulties"whichmen blame for their inability tobelieve are but smoke screens toconceal the real cause that liesbehind them? Was it this greedydesireforhonorfrommanthatmademen into Pharisees and Pharisees

intoDeicides?Isthisthesecretbackof religious self-righteousness andemptyworship?Ibelieveitmaybe.Thewholecourseofthelifeisupsetby failure to put God where Hebelongs.We exalt ourselves insteadofGodandthecursefollows.

In our desire after God let us keepalways in mind that God also hathdesire, andHis desire is toward thesons of men, and more particularlytoward those sons ofmenwhowillmake the once-for-all decision toexaltHimoverall.Suchastheseare

precious to God above all treasuresofearthorsea.InthemGodfindsatheater where He can display Hisexceeding kindness toward us inChrist Jesus. With them God canwalk unhindered, toward them HecanactliketheGodHeis.

InspeakingthusIhaveonefear;itisthatImayconvincethemindbeforeGodcanwintheheart.ForthisGod-above-allpositionisonenoteasytotake.Themindmayapproveitwhilenothavingtheconsentofthewilltoput it into effect. While the

imagination races ahead to honorGod,thewillmaylagbehindandtheman never guess how divided hisheart is.Thewholemanmustmakethe decision before the heart canknow any real satisfaction. Godwantsusall,andHewillnotresttillHe gets us all. No part of the manwilldo.

Let us pray over this in detail,throwingourselvesatGod'sfeetandmeaningeverythingwesay.Noonewhopraysthusinsincerityneedwaitlongfortokensofdivineacceptance.

GodwillunveilHisglorybeforeHisservant'seyes,andHewillplaceallHis treasuresat thedisposalofsuchaone, forHeknows thatHishonorissafeinsuchconsecratedhands.

O God, be Thou exalted over mypossessions. Nothing of earth'streasuresshallseemdearuntomeifonlyThouartglorifiedinmylife.BeThou exalted overmy friendships. Iam determined that Thou shalt beabove all, though I must standdeserted and alone in the midst oftheearth.BeThouexaltedabovemy

comforts.Thoughitmeanthelossofbodily comforts and the carrying ofheavy crosses I shall keep my vowmadethisdaybeforeThee.BeThouexaltedovermyreputation.MakemeambitioustopleaseTheeevenifasaresultImustsinkintoobscurityandmy name be forgotten as a dream.Rise,OLord, intoThyproperplaceofhonor,abovemyambitions,abovemy likes and dislikes, above myfamily, my health and even my lifeitself. Let me decrease that Thoumayest increase, let me sink thatThou mayest rise above. Ride forth

upon me as Thou didst ride intoJerusalemmounteduponthehumblelittlebeast,acolt,thefoalofanass,and letme hear the children cry toThee,"Hosannainthehighest."

IXMeeknessandRest

Blessedare themeek: for theyshall inherit the earth.—Matt.5:5

A fairly accurate description of thehuman racemight be furnished oneunacquainted with it by taking theBeatitudes, turningthemwrongsideoutandsaying,"Hereisyourhumanrace." For the exact opposite of thevirtuesintheBeatitudesaretheveryqualities which distinguish human

lifeandconduct.

Intheworldofmenwefindnothingapproaching the virtues of whichJesusspokeintheopeningwordsofthe famous Sermon on the Mount.Instead of poverty of spirit we findthe rankestkindofpride; insteadofmourners we find pleasure seekers;instead of meekness, arrogance;insteadofhungerafterrighteousnesswehearmensaying,"Iamrichandincreasedwithgoodsandhaveneedof nothing"; instead of mercy wefind cruelty; instead of purity of

heart,corruptimaginings; insteadofpeacemakers we find menquarrelsomeandresentful;insteadofrejoicing in mistreatment we findthem fighting back with everyweaponattheircommand.

Of thiskindofmoral stuff civilizedsociety is composed. Theatmosphere is charged with it; webreathe it with every breath anddrink it with our mother's milk.Culture and education refine thesethings slightly but leave thembasicallyuntouched.Awholeworld

of literature has been created tojustify this kind of life as the onlynormalone.And this is themore tobewonderedatseeingthatthesearethe evils whichmake life the bitterstruggle it is for all of us. All ourheartaches and a greatmany of ourphysical ills spring directly out ofour sins. Pride, arrogance,resentfulness, evil imaginings,malice, greed: these are the sourcesof more human pain than all thediseases that ever afflicted mortalflesh.

Into a world like this the sound ofJesus' words comes wonderful andstrange,avisitationfromabove.Itiswell thatHe spoke, for no one elsecouldhavedoneitaswell;andit isgood that we listen. His words arethe essence of truth. He is notoffering an opinion; Jesus neveruttered opinions.He never guessed;Heknew,andHeknows.Hiswordsare not as Solomon'swere, the sumof sound wisdom or the results ofkeen observation. He spoke out ofthefulnessofHisGodhead,andHiswordsareveryTruthitself.Heisthe

only one who could say "blessed"with complete authority, for He isthe Blessed One come from theworld above to confer blessednessuponmankind.AndHiswordsweresupported by deeds mightier thanany performed on this earth by anyother man. It is wisdom for us tolisten.

AswasoftensowithJesus,Heusedthis word "meek" in a brief crispsentence,andnottillsometimelaterdid He go on to explain it. In thesame book of Matthew He tells us

more about it and applies it to ourlives. "Come unto me, all ye thatlabour and are heavy laden, and Iwill give you rest. Take my yokeuponyou,andlearnofme;forIammeek and lowly in heart: and yeshall find rest unto your souls. Formy yoke is easy, andmy burden islight." Here we have two thingsstanding in contrast to eachother, aburdenandarest.Theburdenisnota local one, peculiar to those firsthearers, but one which is borne bythewholehumanrace.Itconsistsnotofpoliticaloppressionorpovertyor

hardwork.Itisfardeeperthanthat.It is felt by the rich as well as thepoor for it issomethingfromwhichwealth and idleness can neverdeliverus.

The burden borne by mankind is aheavy and a crushing thing. Theword Jesus used means a loadcarried or toil borne to the point ofexhaustion. Rest is simply releasefromthatburden.Itisnotsomethingwedo, it iswhatcomes touswhenwe cease to do.His ownmeekness,thatistherest.

Let us examine our burden. It isaltogether an interior one. It attacksthe heart and themind and reachesthe body only from within. First,there is the burden of pride. Thelabor of self-love is a heavy oneindeed. Think for yourself whethermuchofyour sorrowhasnot arisenfrom someone speaking slightinglyof you.As long as you set yourselfupasalittlegodtowhichyoumustbeloyaltherewillbethosewhowilldelight to offer affront to your idol.How then can you hope to haveinward peace? The heart's fierce

effort to protect itself from everyslight, to shield its touchy honorfrom the bad opinion of friend andenemy,willnever let themindhaverest.Continue this fight through theyears and the burden will becomeintolerable.Yetthesonsofeartharecarrying this burden continually,challenging every word spokenagainst them, cringing under everycriticism, smarting under eachfancied slight, tossing sleepless ifanotherispreferredbeforethem.

Such a burden as this is not

necessary to bear. Jesus calls us toHis rest, and meekness is Hismethod.Themeekmancaresnotatallwhoisgreaterthanhe,forhehaslongagodecided that theesteemoftheworldisnotworththeeffort.Hedevelops toward himself a kindlysense of humor and learns to say,"Oh, so you have been overlooked?They have placed someone elsebefore you? They have whisperedthat you are pretty small stuff afterall?Andnowyou feelhurtbecausethe world is saying about you thevery things you have been saying

about yourself?Only yesterday youwere telling God that you werenothing, a mere worm of the dust.Where is your consistency? Comeon, humble yourself, and cease tocarewhatmenthink."

The meek man is not a humanmouse afflicted with a sense of hisowninferiority.Ratherhemaybeinhismorallifeasboldasalionandasstrong as Samson; but he hasstoppedbeing fooled about himself.He has accepted God's estimate ofhisownlife.Heknowsheisasweak

and helpless as God has declaredhim to be, but paradoxically, heknowsatthesametimethatheisinthesightofGodofmoreimportancethan angels. In himself, nothing; inGod, everything. That is his motto.He knows well that the world willnever seehimasGod seeshimandhe has stopped caring. He restsperfectly content to allow God toplace His own values. He will bepatient to wait for the day wheneverythingwillgetitsownpricetagand real worth will come into itsown.Then the righteous shall shine

forthintheKingdomoftheirFather.Heiswillingtowaitforthatday.

In the meantime he will haveattained a place of soul rest. As hewalks on in meekness he will behappy to let God defend him. Theold struggle to defend himself isover.Hehas found thepeacewhichmeeknessbrings.

Then also he will get deliverancefromtheburdenofpretense.BythisI mean not hypocrisy, but thecommon human desire to put thebest foot forwardandhide from the

world our real inward poverty. Forsinhasplayedmanyeviltricksuponus, and one has been the infusingintousafalsesenseofshame.Thereishardlyamanorwomanwhodarestobe justwhatheor she iswithoutdoctoring up the impression. Thefear of being found out gnaws likerodentswithintheirhearts.Themanofcultureishauntedbythefearthathewill somedaycomeuponamanmore cultured than himself. Thelearned man fears to meet a manmore learned thanhe.The richmansweatsunderthefearthathisclothes

orhiscarorhishousewillsometimebe made to look cheap bycomparison with those of anotherrich man. So-called "society" runsbyamotivationnothigherthanthis,andthepoorerclassesontheir levelarelittlebetter.

Let no one smile this off. Theseburdens are real, and little by littletheykill thevictimsof thisevilandunnatural way of life. And thepsychology created by years of thiskind of thing makes true meeknessseemasunreal as adream, as aloof

as a star. To all the victims of thegnawing disease Jesus says, "Yemustbecomeas little children."Forlittle children do not compare; theyreceive direct enjoyment fromwhatthey have without relating it tosomething else or someone else.Onlyastheygetolderandsinbeginstostirwithintheirheartsdojealousyand envy appear. Then they areunable to enjoy what they have ifsomeone else has something largeror better.At that early age does thegalling burden come down upontheirtendersouls,anditneverleaves

themtillJesussetsthemfree.

Another source of burden isartificiality. I am sure that mostpeople live in secret fear that someday they will be careless and bychance an enemy or friend will beallowed to peep into their poorempty souls. So they are neverrelaxed.Brightpeopleare tenseandalertinfearthattheymaybetrappedinto saying something common orstupid. Traveled people are afraidthat they may meet some MarcoPolo who is able to describe some

remoteplacewheretheyhaveneverbeen.

This unnatural condition is part ofour sad heritage of sin, but in ourday it is aggravated by our wholeway of life. Advertising is largelybased upon this habit of pretense."Courses" areoffered in thisor thatfield of human learning franklyappealing to the victim's desire toshine at a party. Books are sold,clothes and cosmetics are peddled,by playing continually upon thisdesire to appear what we are not.

Artificiality is one curse that willdrop away themomentwe kneel atJesus'feetandsurrenderourselvestoHismeekness.Thenwewillnotcarewhat people think of us so long asGod is pleased. Then what we arewill be everything; what we appearwilltakeitsplacefardownthescaleofinterestforus.Apartfromsinwehave nothing of which to beashamed. Only an evil desire toshinemakesuswanttoappearotherthanweare.

The heart of the world is breaking

underthisloadofprideandpretense.Thereisnoreleasefromourburdenapart from the meekness of Christ.Good keen reasoning may helpslightly,butsostrongisthisvicethatifwepushitdownoneplace itwillcome up somewhere else. To menand women everywhere Jesus says,"Comeuntome,andIwillgiveyourest."TherestHeoffersistherestofmeekness, the blessed relief whichcomeswhenweacceptourselvesforwhatweareandceasetopretend.Itwill take some courage at first, butthe needed grace will come as we

learn that we are sharing this newandeasyyokewiththestrongSonofGodHimself.Hecallsit"myyoke,"and He walks at one end while wewalkattheother.

Lord,makemechildlike.Delivermefrom the urge to compete withanother for place or prestige orposition. I would be simple andartless as a little child. Deliver mefromposeandpretense.Forgivemefor thinking of myself. Help me toforgetmyselfandfindmytruepeaceinbeholdingThee.ThatThoumayest

answer this prayer I humble myselfbeforeThee.LayuponmeThy easyyoke of self-forgetfulness thatthroughitImayfindrest.Amen.

XTheSacramentofLiving

Whether therefore ye eat, ordrink,orwhatsoeveryedo,doalltothegloryofGod.—ICor.10:31

One of the greatest hindrances tointernal peace which the Christianencounters is the common habit ofdividingourlivesintotwoareas,thesacred and the secular. As these

areas are conceived to exist apartfrom each other and to be morallyand spiritually incompatible, and asweare compelledby thenecessitiesoflivingtobealwayscrossingbackand forth from theone to theother,our inner lives tend to break up sothat we live a divided instead of aunifiedlife.

Our trouble springs from the factthatwewhofollowChristinhabitatonce two worlds, the spiritual andthenatural.AschildrenofAdamweliveourlivesonearthsubjecttothe

limitations of the flesh and theweaknessesandillstowhichhumannature isheir.Merely to liveamongmenrequiresofusyearsofhardtoiland much care and attention to thethings of this world. In sharpcontrast to this is our life in theSpirit. There we enjoy another andhigher kind of life; we are childrenofGod;we possess heavenly statusand enjoy intimate fellowship withChrist.

This tends to divide our total lifeinto two departments. We come

unconsciously to recognize two setsof actions. The first are performedwith a feeling of satisfaction and afirmassurancethattheyarepleasingtoGod.Thesearethesacredactsandtheyareusuallythoughttobeprayer,Biblereading,hymnsinging,churchattendance and such other acts asspringdirectlyfromfaith.Theymaybeknownbythefact that theyhaveno direct relation to thisworld, andwould have no meaning whateverexcept as faith shows us anotherworld, "an house not made withhands,eternalintheheavens."

Over against these sacred acts arethesecularones.Theyincludeallofthe ordinary activities of life whichwesharewiththesonsanddaughtersofAdam:eating, sleeping,working,looking after the needs of the bodyandperformingourdullandprosaicdutieshereonearth.Theseweoftendo reluctantly and with manymisgivings, often apologizing toGodforwhatweconsiderawasteoftimeandstrength.Theupshotofthisis that we are uneasy most of thetime.Wegoaboutourcommontaskswith a feeling of deep frustration,

telling ourselves pensively thatthere'sabetterdaycomingwhenweshallsloughoffthisearthlyshellandbebotherednomorewiththeaffairsofthisworld.

This is the old sacred-secularantithesis. Most Christians arecaughtinitstrap.Theycannotgetasatisfactory adjustment between theclaimsofthetwoworlds.Theytrytowalk the tight rope between twokingdomsand theyfindnopeace ineither. Their strength is reduced,their outlookconfusedand their joy

takenfromthem.

I believe this state of affairs to bewhollyunnecessary.Wehavegottenourselvesonthehornsofadilemma,trueenough,but thedilemma isnotreal. It is a creature ofmisunderstanding. The sacred-secular antithesis has no foundationin the New Testament. Withoutdoubt amore perfect understandingof Christian truth will deliver usfromit.

TheLordJesusChristHimselfisourperfect example, and He knew no

divided life. In the Presence of HisFather He lived on earth withoutstrain from babyhood to His deathon the cross. God accepted theoffering of His total life, andmadenodistinctionbetweenactandact."Ido always the things that pleasehim,"wasHisbriefsummaryofHisown life as it related to the Father.As He moved among men He waspoised and restful. What pressureand suffering He endured grew outof His position as the world's sinbearer;theywerenevertheresultofmoral uncertainty or spiritual

maladjustment.

Paul's exhortation to "do all to theglory of God" is more than piousidealism.It isanintegralpartofthesacred revelation and is to beacceptedas theveryWordofTruth.It opensbefore us thepossibility ofmaking every act of our livescontribute to thegloryofGod.Lestwe should be too timid to includeeverything, Paul mentionsspecifically eating and drinking.Thishumbleprivilegewesharewiththebeaststhatperish.Iftheselowly

animal acts can be so performed asto honor God, then it becomesdifficult to conceive of one thatcannot.

That monkish hatred of the bodywhich figures so prominently in theworks of certain early devotionalwriters iswhollywithout support intheWordofGod.Commonmodestyis found in theSacredScriptures, itis true, but never prudery or a falsesenseofshame.TheNewTestamentacceptsasamatterofcourse that inHis incarnation ourLord took upon

Him a real human body, and noeffort is made to steer around thedownright implications of such afact. He lived in that body hereamong men and never onceperformed a non-sacred act. Hispresence in human flesh sweepsaway forever the evil notion thatthere is about the human bodysomething innately offensive to theDeity. God created our bodies, andwedonotoffendHimbyplacingtheresponsibilitywhereitbelongs.HeisnotashamedoftheworkofHisownhands.

Perversion,misuseandabuseofourhumanpowersshouldgiveuscauseenough to be ashamed. Bodily actsdone in sin and contrary to naturecanneverhonorGod.Wherever thehumanwillintroducesmoralevilwehave no longer our innocent andharmlesspowersasGodmadethem;we have instead an abused andtwisted thingwhichcanneverbringglorytoitsCreator.

Let us, however, assume thatperversionandabusearenotpresent.Let us think of a Christian believer

in whose life the twin wonders ofrepentance and the new birth havebeen wrought. He is now livingaccording to the will of God as heunderstands it from the writtenWord.Ofsuchaone itmaybesaidthateveryactofhislifeisorcanbeas truly sacredasprayerorbaptismor the Lord's Supper. To say this isnot to bring all acts down to onedead level; it is rather to lift everyactupintoalivingkingdomandturnthewholelifeintoasacrament.

If a sacrament is an external

expression of an inward grace thanwe need not hesitate to accept theabove thesis. By one act ofconsecration of our total selves toGodwecanmakeeverysubsequentact express that consecration. Weneed no more be ashamed of ourbody—the fleshly servant thatcarries us through life—than JesuswasofthehumblebeastuponwhichHe rode into Jerusalem. "The Lordhathneedofhim"maywellapplytoourmortalbodies.IfChristdwellsinus we may bear about the Lord ofgloryasthelittlebeastdidofoldand

give occasion to the multitudes tocry,"Hosannainthehighest."

Thatweseethistruthisnotenough.Ifwewouldescapefromthetoilsofthesacred-seculardilemmathetruthmust "run in our blood" andcondition the complexion of ourthoughts.Wemustpracticelivingtothe glory of God, actually anddeterminedly. By meditation uponthis truth, by talking it over withGod often in our prayers, byrecalling it to our minds frequentlyas we move about among men, a

sense of itswondrousmeaningwillbegin to take hold of us. The oldpainfuldualitywillgodownbeforearestful unity of life.The knowledgethat we are all God's, that He hasreceived all and rejected nothing,will unify our inner lives andmakeeverythingsacredtous.

This is not quite all. Long-heldhabits do not die easily. Itwill takeintelligent thought and a great dealof reverent prayer to escapecompletely from the sacred-secularpsychology. For instance it may be

difficult for theaverageChristian toget hold of the idea that his dailylabors can be performed as acts ofworship acceptable toGodby JesusChrist. The old antithesis will cropupinthebackofhisheadsometimesto disturb his peace of mind. Norwillthatoldserpentthedeviltakeallthis lyingdown.Hewillbe there inthecaborat thedeskorinthefieldto remind the Christian that he isgiving the better part of his day tothethingsofthisworldandallottingtohisreligiousdutiesonlya triflingportionofhistime.Andunlessgreat

care is taken this will createconfusionandbringdiscouragementandheavinessofheart.

We can meet this successfully onlyby the exercise of an aggressivefaith.Wemust offer all our acts toGod and believe that He acceptsthem. Then hold firmly to thatposition and keep insisting thatevery act of every hour of the dayand night be included in thetransaction.Keep remindingGod inour times of private prayer that wemean every act for His glory; then

supplement those times by athousand thought-prayers as we goabout the job of living. Let uspracticethefineartofmakingeverywork a priestly ministration. Let usbelievethatGodisinalloursimpledeedsandlearntofindHimthere.

Aconcomitantoftheerrorwhichwehave been discussing is the sacred-secular antithesis as applied toplaces.ItislittleshortofastonishingthatwecanreadtheNewTestamentand still believe in the inherentsacrednessofplacesasdistinguished

from other places. This error is sowidespread that one feels all alonewhen he tries to combat it. It hasacted as a kind of dye to color thethinkingofreligiouspersonsandhascoloredtheeyesaswellsothat it isall but impossible to detect itsfallacy. In the face of every NewTestamentteachingtothecontraryithas been said and sung throughoutthe centuries and accepted as a partof theChristianmessage, thewhichit most surely is not. Only theQuakers, so far as my knowledgegoes,havehadtheperceptiontosee

the error and the courage to exposeit.

HerearethefactsasIseethem.Forfour hundred years Israel had dweltinEgypt,surroundedbythecrassestidolatry.By thehandofMoses theywere brought out at last and startedtowardthelandofpromise.Theveryidea of holiness had been lost tothem.To correct this,God began atthebottom.He localizedHimself inthecloudandfireandlaterwhenthetabernacle had been built He dweltinfierymanifestationintheHolyof

Holies. By innumerable distinctionsGod taught Israel the differencebetween holy and unholy. Therewere holy days, holy vessels, holygarments. There were washings,sacrifices, offerings of many kinds.By these means Israel learned thatGodisholy. Itwasthis thatHewasteaching them. Not the holiness ofthingsor places, but theholiness ofJehovah was the lesson they mustlearn.

Then came the great day whenChrist appeared. Immediately He

began to say, "Yehaveheard that itwassaidbythemofoldtime—butIsay unto you." The Old Testamentschooling was over. When Christdied on the cross the veil of thetemplewasrentfromtoptobottom.The Holy of Holies was opened toeveryone who would enter in faith.Christ's words were remembered,"The hour cometh, when ye shallneither in this mountain, nor yet atJerusalem,worshiptheFather....Butthe hour cometh, and now is,whenthe true worshippers shall worshipthe Father in spirit and in truth: for

the Father seeketh such to worshipHim. God is Spirit, and they thatworship him must worship him inspiritandintruth."

Shortlyafter,Paultookupthecryoflibertyanddeclaredallmeatsclean,everydayholy,allplacessacredandevery act acceptable to God. Thesacredness of times and places, ahalf-lightnecessary to theeducationof the race, passed away before thefullsunofspiritualworship.

The essential spirituality ofworshipremained the possession of the

Churchuntil itwasslowly lostwiththe passing of the years. Then thenaturallegalityofthefallenheartsofmen began to introduce the olddistinctions. The Church came toobserve againdays and seasons andtimes. Certain places were chosenandmarkedout asholy ina specialsense. Differences were observedbetween one and another day orplace or person, "The sacraments"were first two, then three, then fouruntilwiththetriumphofRomanismtheywerefixedatseven.

In all charity, andwith no desire toreflectunkindlyuponanyChristian,however misled, I would point outthat the Roman Catholic churchrepresents today the sacred-secularheresy carried to its logicalconclusion.Itsdeadliesteffectisthecomplete cleavage it introducesbetween religion and life. Itsteachers attempt to avoid this snareby many footnotes andmultitudinous explanations, but themind's instinct for logic is toostrong. In practical living thecleavageisafact.

From this bondage reformers andpuritansandmysticshavelaboredtofree us. Today the trend inconservative circles is back towardthat bondage again. It is said that ahorse after it has been led out of aburning buildingwill sometimes byastrangeobstinacybreakloosefromits rescuer and dash back into thebuildingagaintoperishintheflame.By some such stubborn tendencytowarderrorFundamentalisminourday ismovingback towardspiritualslavery.Theobservationofdaysandtimes is becoming more and more

prominent among us. "Lent" and"holy week" and "good" Friday arewords heard more and morefrequently upon the lips of gospelChristians. We do not know whenwearewelloff.

In order that I may be understoodand not be misunderstood I wouldthrow into relief the practicalimplications of the teaching forwhich I have been arguing, i.e., thesacramental quality of every dayliving. Over against its positivemeaningsIshouldliketopointouta

fewthingsitdoesnotmean.

It does not mean, for instance, thateverything we do is of equalimportancewith everything elsewedo or may do. One act of a goodman's life may differ widely fromanotherinimportance.Paul'ssewingoftentswasnotequaltohiswritingofanEpistletotheRomans,butbothwereacceptedofGodandbothweretrue acts of worship. Certainly it ismore important to lead a soul toChristthantoplantagarden,buttheplantingofthegardencanbeasholy

anactasthewinningofasoul.

Again, it does not mean that everymanisasusefulaseveryotherman.Giftsdiffer in thebodyofChrist.ABilly Bray is not to be comparedwithaLutheroraWesley for sheerusefulness to theChurch and to theworld; but the service of the lessgiftedbrotherisaspureasthatofthemore gifted, and God accepts bothwithequalpleasure.

The "layman" need never think ofhishumblertaskasbeinginferiortothat of his minister. Let every man

abide in the calling wherein he iscalledandhisworkwillbeassacredastheworkoftheministry.Itisnotwhat a man does that determineswhether his work is sacred orsecular, it is why he does it. Themotive is everything. Let a mansanctify the Lord God in his heartandhecanthereafterdonocommonact. All he does is good andacceptable to God through JesusChrist.For suchaman, living itselfwill be sacramental and the wholeworldasanctuary.Hisentirelifewillbe a priestly ministration. As he

performshisneversosimpletaskhewill hear the voice of the seraphimsaying, "Holy, Holy, Holy, is theLordofhosts:thewholeearthisfullofhisglory."

Lord,IwouldtrustTheecompletely;IwouldbealtogetherThine;Iwouldexalt Thee above all. I desire that Imay feel no sense of possessinganything outside of Thee. I wantconstantly to be aware of ThyovershadowingPresenceandtohearThyspeakingVoice.Ilongtoliveinrestful sincerity of heart. I want to

liveso fully in theSpirit thatallmythought may be as sweet incenseascending to Thee and every act ofmy life may be an act of worship.ThereforeIprayinthewordsofThygreatservantofold,"IbeseechTheeso for to cleanse the intent of mineheart with the unspeakable gift ofThygrace, that Imayperfectly loveTheeandworthilypraiseThee."Andall this I confidently believe Thouwilt grantme through themerits ofJesusChristThySon.Amen.

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