The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-04-13

himself was the Messiah, tut also that
God is q Spirit, an1 that they that
worship him must worship him in spirit
and IN truth lie had no occasion az
terward 80 correct or modify solitary
word in either q these memorable ut
terances. and never did 60.
The general fact. lying on the face Of
the Gospel record, is that the later say
iugs Of Jesus are not Of higher order
or purer character than his earlier cay
inas. no tart of his ministry dHcrediis
or disparagCs any other part. or i'm
proves any other part. No part is I'M
mature. or shows any lack of compre-
hension. The entire ministry is a CO.
herent whole. aud each part IS complete
and perfect in is place. There Is not a
solitary sign Of Intellectual and spir-
itual growth in The preacher himself.
He was iu the outset all that he was
10 the end: az great, as good. and as
pure when he began as when he uttered
his last words. HedOes not appear any
wiser or better when sitting in the
upper room ia Jerusalem and con-
Quoting bis final conversations with his
disciple just before his death. than
when delivering his Sermon on the
Mount. ~ is true That the two utter
ances are not identical in all the mat
tiers 10 which they relate. yet neither
suffers by a comparison with the other.
Neither suggests any impeffectiOn IN
the other or m the Teacher.
The simple truth is hat Jesus. ac-
c0lding 20 the exhibit made of him in
the Gospel narrative. was at all times.
Ina all stages Of bis ministry and on all
subjects. essentially too great in him
sell 10 need practice as a means Of cui-
ture, or 10 be improved by il. As 70
competency and completeness. he was
always equal 70 himself: never rising
above and never sinking below his own
level. Ills ministry. alike in matter
aud manner. was one of invariable and
uniform perfection from beginning to
end. Every word was a word of truth
and wisdom. and fifty spoken: and
every act was an act Of purity. and lust
what u should be at the time Jesus.
in these respects. was always him
self, absolutely and with unvarying
certainty. never saying anything which
should not be said. and never misplace
lUg any thing. lie presents 20 the eve
of thought a greatness aud a goodness
never before exhibited ia any other
chlracter known 10 history. Moses was
a great iawgiyef. and yet he had his de-
foc.s. Abraham was che friend Of God
and the father of the faithful. and yet
he was not without his failings. Both
are open to criticism; the record Of
neither is absolutely faultless. Jesus,
on the other hand. was the great Moral
isf and The great spiritual Teacher: at
al times so great and so pure that he
bad no errors to correct and had no i'm
perfect things to make better.
We see. beyond ali question Just
such "a character and just such teach
or iu the Gospel narrative. To sup
pose that the writer's invented the
character. aud made the ideal Jesus.
without any facts as their basis and
guide. is % invest them with superhu-
man genius. ard make them as great as
the hero Of their story. The truth Of
Che story told is the best possible solu-
zion of the story itself. To regard it as
a pure fiction is TO adopt the most inn
probable Of AN suppositions.
Toe wonderful Man OF Galilee is "A
historic .eaIity, and if ne add to him
the divine element which he claimed
flr himself and which the Apostles
claimed for INN. then. altho' we have a
great mystery for faith TO acccps and
affirm, we have an adequate explana-
ton of Che Man. The fullufss Of the
G0lhead. nearnated in the Man, thus
giving us lhc G0d-Man as the object Of
thought. accounts for the historic Jesus
of Nazareth. The thelnthrOpic cOnsli-
tuition of this glorious and unique Per-
s1ualIty that hines out with such peTfec
ton in thc Gospel narrative. removes all
mystery from his ministry as a public
teacher. lie was God manifest in the
flesh. and altnO be spake as q man.
and was ''pJ. 90 death in The flesh, be
-pake "the words OF God. ~ What he
sain God said through him. His Tel2-
tior To- the Gcdhead made him-what
ne declared himself to be-"the light
of lhc world The best exIlana len
OF aii ihc facts connected with Jesus Of
Nazlreih is furnished by the doctrine
0f bis essential divinity.