WEEK III. FIRST DAY. "BECAUSE I LIVE, YE SHALL LIVE ALSO."-John xiv. 19. Like to a trembling spark of fire Thy wond'rous ways I cannot skill; This, Saviour! only, I discern ; The spark, which Thou hast made to burn; The feeblest life derived from THEE; No power can make it cease to be. SECOND DAY. "THAT WHICH WAS FROM THE BEGINNING, WHICH WE HAVE HEARD, WHICH WE HAVE SEEN WITH OUR EYES, WHICH WE HAVE LOOKED UPON, AND OUR HANDS HAVE HANDLED, OF THE WORD OF LIFE."-1 John i. 1. "Behold!" said the risen Saviour, to His disciples, "behold my hands and my feet! that it is I myself!-handle me, and see ;for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." Yet, "God is a Spirit ;" and Jesus Christ is "God; over all, blessed for ever. Amen." And these declarations are indubitable facts; they are scriptural verities; they are truths, not only in perfect harmony and accordance, the one with the other; but it is also of the highest importance for the safety and happiness of the soul, that they should be received, understood, and had continually in remembrance. When "the Lord God formed man of the dust of the earth," it is said, He breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul." (Gen. ii. 7.) Man 66 has therefore a material body, and an immaterial spirit: and the service and worship of both the one and the other are due to that God, from whom both proceeded. Homage, therefore, of merely an external nature; the service of the lips, with singly the prostration of the body; all outward rites and ceremonies, and forms of worship, however studiously and habitually observed; if they be destitute of life and power, and are presented before God, without the heart, must prove a mockery of His Holy Majesty, and can only be the result of an utter ignorance of his nature. For they who suppose such services can be acceptable to God, must think of Him "as being altogether such an one as themselves; affected by exterior shew and splendour, and circumstances adapted to affect the senses. But far, far otherwise is the GLORY of THE GREAT JEHOVAH! "God is a Spirit, and they who worship Him, must worship Him in spirit and in truth." He demands the intelligent homage of the understanding the sincere and entire devotion of the heart. : Nevertheless, God is the Eternal and Infinite Spirit; and it may be asked, How shall finite comprehend Infinity? "Who can by searching find out God?-who can find out the Almighty to perfection? High as heaven!-what canst thou do? Deep as the grave!-what canst thou know?" Man, as the creature of sense, is looking for that which may be sensibly apprehended and God, in the greatness of His condescension, stoops down to meet the weakness of His creature; and, taking upon Him human flesh, becomes, in the Person of the Incarnate Word, Emanuel "-" God with us." No altar need now be erected" to the unknown God;" for human eyes have seen Him, and have looked upon Him with delight. We beheld His glory," says the 66 66 beloved apostle, "full of grace and truth." "We have heard, we have beheld; our "hands have handled, of the Word of Life." It is indeed true that he sojourned among man, only for a very little season. It is true, that he is now ascended up on high; and that with the eye of the body, his people, - still strangers and pilgrims upon earth, cannot now behold him: yet, with the eye of faith, they can follow him to the world above, and see Him seated on the throne of his glory. By faith, they substantiate invisible realities: and, while he is thus by them, spiritually apprehended, he is so, as a real, living, and glorious Object, who will shortly be revealed and made manifest to their open vision; and to every humble disciple of his risen Lord, yea, to all who with desire and delight anticipate his appearing, he says, as he did to his disciples of old, Yet, a little while, and ye shall see me." "They shall see him, face to face." "Midst the clouds and darkness round Thee, And still keeps her Lord in sight. F |