BIBLE CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE.

JANUARY, 1856.

DIVINITY.

THE GOSPEL GRADUALLY REVEALED.

"When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son."-Gal. iv. 4. In this passage there are two things implied:

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I. That the time or period when the Son of God should appear in this our world was a fixed and pre-determined one.

II. That when Christ came, all circumstances conspired to prove that it was the fit and proper time; in that all things were ripened, and matured for his Advent.

On the first of these propositions it is not necessary to use any arguments, nor produce any evidence beyond that given by the Apostle Peter. If we turn to his first Epistle, i. 18-20, we shall find him saying,-"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."

On the second proposition we remark, that the purposes and designs of God in the redemption of mankind, were not made known to the world all at once; but were gradually revealed and disclosed. There seems to be the same law or rule with the arrangements of Jehovah, in nature, providence, and grace, namely, the law of gradual developement. In nature, we find that the full light of day does not burst forth on the world at once, but gradually. At first we see the morning-star, indicating that day is approaching; then we behold a few clouds lighted up by the approaching orb of day; and as the sun rises higher and higher in the heavens, so cloud after cloud becomes illuminated by his rays; darkness, mists, and vapours, disappear, and the whole scene appears full of light, and life, and beauty! It is the same with the process of vegetation :-First, VOL. XXI. THIRD SERIES.

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there is the decomposition, then the germination, then the bursting blade, followed by the opening flower, and consummated by the ripened fruit.

It is the same in the arrangements and developements of Divine Providence. One event we see leading to another, one circumstance making way to, and preparing for another, all, proving so many links in the same great chain! So has it been with God in the development of the scheme of redemption. The light of the glorious Gospel did not burst forth on the world all at once. The first ray, the first beam from the "Sun of righteousness" fell on the minds of our first parents in the garden of Eden, in the promise, "The seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent's head." During the Patriarchal and Prophetical ages, we see the light becoming brighter and brighter, cloud after cloud in the moral heavens becomes tinged and lighted by the promises of the Saviour given to the Patriarchs and the Prophets; the types, shadows, and sacrifices of the Jewish economy pointed to the Messiah, like so many fingers stained with blood. The morning stars of prediction and prophecy were indicative of the coming sun; and by and bye we see the moral heavens are illuminated—"the fulness of time" has arrived the moon and stars now disappear-Jesus, the Son of God, appears as the "Sun of Righteousness," to scatter all the moral darkness and gloom, crying, "I am the light of the world!" The world had to be prepared, trained, and disciplined for Christ's appearance. Mankind had to be schooled by the law; and to learn from types and shadows, ceremonies and sacrifices, the need of Christ's appearing in "the likeness of sinful flesh." "The law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ" and to prepare us for Christ. If any therefore ask, why Christ was not sent sooner, or earlier? we reply by saying, 'that the world was not prepared or ready for His coming.' The prophecies and predictions concerning Him had not received their accomplishment and fulfilment. As soon as they were all fulfilled, when the purposes of God were fully ripe, then, and not till then, Christ came.

Jesus came when he was the "desire of all nations." The nations of the earth had been trying various schemes in order to satisfy and pacify the conscience, but all had signally failed. Idolatry, Paganism, Polytheism, Pantheism, Philosophy, Science, and Literature had all failed. "The world by wisdom knew not God." All nations were now weary in their pursuit after salvation. Wearied humanity was now on tip-toe in expectation of the Messiah; although when He came, men were disappointed in Him, and rejected Him, owing to their mistaken, carnal, and worldly notions of His person, character, and mission.

The coming of Christ into this our world was something like

the flowing of the tide up some channel or river. At first its flow is scarcely noticeable; but it flows on till it is seen to rise and widen; and increasing in force, it flows and swells, and widens, and deepens, and flows on and on, until by and bye it reaches its full height; then bursting its banks overflows, and fertilizes all around! So with the tide of God's mercy to mankind in Christ Jesus. The tide was seen flowing and deepening, swelling and rising, throughout many ages and dispensations, until the full flood of love and mercy burst forth on mankind in the person of Jesus Christ! In Ilim we see a full and glorious development of Jehovah's perfections, attributes, and character. "He is the brightness of His Father's glory, and the express image of His person." "I and my Father are one." "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."

On this subject J. Angell James, says: "In the first promise made to the guilty pair, on the very spot of their transgression, a streak of light appeared on the darkened horizon; under the patriarchal age the day dawned; at the giving of the typical dispensation from Mount Sinai, the morning star appeared amidst the clouds of Sinai; more and more ruddy the sky appeared during the prophetical dispensation; till at last the Sun of Righteousness arose at the advent of the Saviour, with healing in his wings; and brought back again the peace that passeth understanding, and the joy unspeakable; and once more our dark discovered world is the abode of happiness.'

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G. Gilfillan, writing on this subject, expresses himself thus "The vision of Christ became clearer as he drew near. At first it is dim; the character of the person is but partially disclosed; his divinity glimmers faintly on the view, and a cloud of darkness rests on his predestined sufferings-on that perilous bruising by which he was to send forth judgment unto victory. Gradually, however, it brightens; the particulars of his mystic agony begin to flash on the view of the prophets, while, at the same time, his divine dignity is becoming luminously visible; and while the prospect of the triumphs consequent on his death is stirring their hearts to rapture; finally the very date of the hour and power of darkness is recorded, the place of his birth is disclosed, and his coming to His Father's temple is announced in thunder. Thus did the "spirit of prophecy" bear a growing testimony to Jesus. Thus did the long line of the prophets, like the stars of the morning, shine more and more, till they yielded and melted in the Sun of Righteousness. And through this deepening and enlarging vision it was that the Jewish imagination, and the Jewish heart, were prepared for his coming. The prophets, kings though they were over their own economy, were quite ready to surrender their sceptres to a greater than they. Would that the sovereigns, statesmen, pocts, and philosophers of the present age, were equally ready to cast their

crowns at the feet of that expected One, who "shall come, will come, and will not tarry."

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ON QUENCHING THE SPIRIT.*

The character of these influences of the Holy Spirit is illustrated by that of fire for three reasons. First, The appearance of fire, or flame, was always, under the theocracy, regarded as a symbolical emblem and token of the Deity being present. As instances of this, we may enumerate the burning bush, the flames of Sinai, the fiery pillar, and the Shekinah. Where the hallowed fire of Divine influence is, there the Divine Spirit is present. Secondly, The first visible tokens of the influences of the Holy Spirit in the Christian Church were "cloven tongues like as of fire." Therefore, to partake of these influences, is to be "baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire." Thirdly, The operations of Divine influences are analagous to the action of fire. Fire, as soon as elicited, is in powerful and incessant activity, radiating, pervading, permeating, enlivening, kindling, refining, warming, and enlarging, every object within its range. Fire, therefore, abounds with elements of illustration to assist our conceptions of the agency of this Holy Agent.

As the Supreme Cause and Dispenser of these influences, the Holy Spirit is the author of holy emotions and devout affections in the heart of man. The Holy Spirit excites and produces these emotions by means of truth conveyed to the mind. It is only by such means that we are able to excite emotions in the minds of each other. It is in our power to agitate the whole soul, and many souls, with emotions, by using words; and the emotions will be according to our words. If our words be friendly and kind, we can make a heart burn with the emotion of love; if they be rude and malignant, we can make the mind to rage with the emotion of anger. We do not know how our words have such an influence, or how the acquired influence affects the minds of others. All we know about the affair is, that it is a fact. The powerful influence which we exert, is not in the words themselves, but in the grouping and collocation of them. The words used by us, as they occupy their respective places in a vocabulary or a lexicon, have no such influences, and would produce no such results. With deliberation and selection, yet without knowing the mode, we put words together in certain combinations, and cement then with our own mind, will, and character; and when we present them to another man, we agitate him with a tumult of turbulent emotions. We have, in such instances, fused thoughts into

*From DR. T. W. JENKYN'S "Union of the Holy Spirit with the Church," communicated by J. ASHTON.