them, and their blessedness shall be in the joy of the Lord; where their glory shall be in his glory, and the highest prophecy of honor shall be fulfilled they shall be like Him, for they shall see Him as He is. In Him, not in temple, not in golden streets, not in jeweled walls, not in gates of pearl, not in endless song and eternal rest, shall be the everlasting bliss, but in Him. The chief point of heaven is Christ. Let us not miss it. Try again, carefully, skillfully. Let us place our hand upon the bow underneath his hand, and our fingers around the string underneath his fingers. With his strength let us draw. Along the line of his light let us look. Then the arrow shall fly from his hand and ours, and it shall reach the mark. THE COMFORTER, EVEN THE HOLY SPIRIT WE are living in the time of the Holy Spirit, for God is Spirit, and in his spiritual presence He fills the world. To this we all assent readily. The Incarnation is a mystery which we cannot altogether define, although it is clearly taught and deeply felt; the presence of the Holy Spirit is as simple as the being of God. If God is here, within reach of our worship, and close enough to be our sun and shield, and good enough to be our exceeding great reward, it is in this manner of being, that is, as spirit, and as the Holy Spirit. We need not, for our purpose at this time, examine the eternal nature of the divine being or seek to comprehend it in its eternal truth, as it is declared by our Lord in the words with which Christian baptism is sanctified; but only consider the method of the presence of God, as this was taught by our Lord, and especially in his last hours with his disciples. He declares it, repeats it, unfolds it again and again, that when He has left the earth the Holy Spirit will come, and will carry forward the work in which He has laid down his life and which He has crowned with his Resurrection. To this end, it was expedient that He should go away. The world was to be enriched, not impoverished, by the withdrawal of himself. It was to have more of the divine presence and grace. His friends would see Him no longer, but they would perceive Him, feel his presence, receive his truth, and be endowed with his life as never before. To this teaching, so plainly and repeatedly bestowed, we should give instant heed, that the full blessing which the love of God has prepared may be upon us. We cannot too often think that there is one God, and that God is one. This is the primal truth; and whatever within and beyond this truth is believed or questioned, this we must constantly affirm. This is the place for reverent knowledge, not for curious controversy. The sublimity and solemnity of the nature of God might well have united men in patience and in awe. But even the words of the Son of God have divided the minds of men, and kept them apart. The time may come when this will be accounted one of the curiosities of religious thought. There are three periods, if this convenient expression may be used, in the presence of God |