The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-01-27

iii. The TOKEN OF THE COVENANT.

(Verses l2-l1D
l. A perpetual token. (a) Gods ''word
was enough; but He adds token which
may speak the truth OF His promise to
the very eyes of men. Nor Is this more
evident in the natural than In the spir-
itual world. His blessed sacraments are
the symbols of His heavenly covenant TO
the soul. All the signs of His institution
are proper aud significant" (Bishop
Hall) As Elohim, the God OF ma
ture, is promising natural blessings
TO man, so the sign OF this covenant
is "A natural phenomenon-the rainbow.
Later the sign Of a covenant was marx
on the body of those in covenant-relation
with God, as His own peculiar peo-
pie, beginning with Abraham; but
this covenant made with Noah Is
for all mankind, all other living be-
ings, and the earth itself, hence a
natural token is appointed - sign
as universal as rain. (b.) As long as the
seasons should revolve, as long as earth
should remain, this token would be seen.
Hence it is appointed for all generations,
until time shall be no more. (c.) 1t is
called the bow in the cloud. There is
nothing i'm the Hebrew TO hinder
us from supposing that the rainbow was
older than Noah--that the conditions be-
ing given that il would not have APP
peared before God made it a sign OF HIS
-sparing merey-feE- -Enan=and= =heast--Ihe
words of God are literally, MY bow
have given in the cloud and IL shall be
for a sign of the covenant between me
and the earth" The learned Benisch
translates II have set" in his Jewish ver-
sion; so, too, Rabbi Levinski translates,
and likewise NJ. kalisch. God made IL 10
be a sign, as the stars were made a sign
TO Abraham. So water was made sign OF
soul-cleansing in the rite OF baptism, ana
bread and wine became signs In the
Lords Supper. IL is invalid to argue
against this natural sign because 1T pre-
viously existed. "A rock is lying on the
boundary of survey. We do not make the
rock but find il there. Now, we agree
that the rock shall be the northeast cor
ner of our section of land. BY doing so
we make the rock cornerstone. lt was
a rock before. We did not create 1t; we
simply appointed il to new use IL Is
just as reasonable TO object to the rock as
a cornerstone as it would be TO reject the
rainbow as a sign of Gods covenant with
Noah.n alexander Campbell)
g A token for God. (a.) God promises
TO use the rainbow as a means OF remem-
bering His covenant OF course this way
of speaking is an accommodation TO
human ways of thinking. God wishes
man 20 think of this covenant OF mercy,
as surely as He Himself thinks of it all
the time. Every time that one sees the
bow God would have him TO remember
that God is faithful, loving, long suffering,
merciful Almost all nations have trace
of this tradition among them. Only in the
Bible is its sublime purpose properly set
fUrtf.- It gut n new nfeanine,,- and the
sterile admiration for marvel of nature
was converted into deep religious senti-
ment, combining the three heavenly SIS
ters--faith. love and hope" (kalisch.)
3. For all flesh. (a.) The bow in the
cloud is fitted TO be a universal sign.
Wherever there is the dark storm cloud
and the sun shining on it, there is the
rainbow, telling how Gods mercy glori-
fies mans misery. Wherever there is the
rainbow earth and heaven seem to be
joined in friendship; and so heaven and
earth were shown TO be reconciled by this
token of Gods covenant. AS sure as the
storm-cloud appears and the sun shines
on it. so sure is the rainbow to be seen;
and thus its regularity reminds us Oh
Gods unchanging constancy. In the ram
bow the hot glance of the sun is tempered
into mild radiance, so Gods
eye meets mans eye in loving tenderness
in this covenant and its sign. 1t Is the
tears of thu rain cloud gloriiied into
heavenly beauty by Gods grace. What
lovelier token of a loving Creators mercy
could man have wished!
For faithful to His sacred page
God still rebuilds thy span.
Nor lets tho type grow pale with age
That first spoke peace TO man.
Well may the Jews to this day bless
God every time that they see a rainbow,
saving, blessed art thou, O Lord our
God, king of the universe, who remember
est the covenant, art faithful to thy
covenant, and keepest thy promise"
Gods mercy is revealed in the Apocalypse
as an emerald rainbow round about the
throne. (RSv. iv 81 See then i'm
the rainbow, on Gods part, an
assurance of reconciliation, pledge Of
safety, and an emblem of hope. In these
respects it is a type of Jesus as our Saw
iour, gift of God to men John Iii. 16);
the sign of reconciliation q Cor. " 49,;
the pledge of safety (Acts iv. II; xvi 80,
8l); and the anchor of our hope.