St. Paul daily globe., 1890-08-25
memoir of the life of Christ. And SO
he began with the Jordan hantiSm.

memoir of the life of Christ. And SO
he began with the Jordan baptism.
Luke must write history, and SO,
historian like, he first gives us an ac-
count of his knowledge, of his aim and
method; but John, like another Moses,
is to write of new creation, the coming
spiritual life and light to man. And for
his beginning he goes back beyond the
three years ministry. beyond the hym;,
ing of the angel or Bethlehem, beyond
the long line of Dayidic kings, be-.
yond Moses, beyond Abraham, beyond
the day when the foundations of the
seas were increased, or the mountains
we're brought forth. And then, Ill the
bosom of the Father, he finds Him who
is to be the agent, the divine partner OF
God in the creation. These are not
words Of the philosopher who is enter
tanning us for the moment by finely
spun theories-they are the words OF
an inspired prophet. John, on Pat
mos, had beheld things which must
shortly come to pass. Here John, with
eyes opened by the same spirit, looks
backward into eternity's past and gives
us glimpse of the glory which was
Christ's before the birth at Bethlehens.
And all this that we might have some
conception of the sacrifice which the
son of God made when he bowed the
heavens of heavens and came down on
earth to save men.
The term word here, as applied to-!
Christ, has also reference to the first
chapter of Genesis. There eight times.
like the refrain of mighty hymn, occur
the words. "And God said," ouly here
it is not the spoken word but the speak
ing word. A word is sign of an idea.
Christ is tine idea of God expressed to
us in terms of human life.
Are you in sin or sorrow or
how God feels toward you in that sor-
row. in that affliction? Hear the man
of Nazareth as he says to the sinner:
''Neither do l condemn thee; 20. and
sin no more" See Him as He stood by
that new-made grave in Bethany and
wept with the weeping sisters. 1t is not
a man, it is the infinite Father-God---
revealing himself through the eternal
word.
The second clause of the text is some
what peculiar: '.And the word was
with God" The word rendered with
means something more than simply in
the presence of. 1t means in fellowship
with; that is, this word is not simply
special manifestation of God-SOme Spe-
cial putting forth of Divine power, but
there is distinct personality here, one
who is capable of fellowship.
The third clause of the text is more
remarkable: ''And the word was God"
This is remarkable statement for
Jew to make. The Jews were the most
intense monotheists. 1t was blasphemy
to ascribe equality with God to any
creature. John had certainly gone
long way from his old Jewish preju-
diceS when thus in the face of it all he
could say: And the word was GOd.'
Here we stand face to face with the
old Christian doctrine of the Trinity. 1t
has its mysteries which the human mind
has never yet fathomed. 1t does not
follow that we are to reject it. God is
greater than any mans thought of God,
greater than any creed or any
church. We do not stand over against
God as does the scientist, who
places quivering muscle beneath his
microscope. We rather bow before Him
as dear children who receive words of
wisdom from the lips of the dear Father.
So here we accept this doctrine and
draw from it certain rich and comfort
ing lessons that come very near to US
here in our journey between two eter-
mites.