Delaware gazette and state journal., 1899-05-04

his command to be 'perfect even as
tho Father in heaven is perfect be-
come downright mockery, If no was
pure in heart and godlihe in character
himself, not because Of natural human
attainment5. but through the miracle
of q supernatural birth. In times Of
weakness when harassed by temptation,
overcome by evil, crushed by disap-
pointment and sorrow, how can it help
US human beings to think that he as
God oyercame the power Of sin, and in
every trial remained faithful and true?
But when we lool, upon his constant
fidelity to his convictions and his reso-
lute submission to tho divine will, not
withstanding the seeming defeat Of his
Gospel and the failure of his mission,
and remember that in all things ias
the apostle says)' he was made like unto
his brethren" and yet never yielded to
doubt or fear, nor foil into any sin, it
strengthens the fainting heart, renews
our courage and inspires us with fresh
hope in the possibilities of our own
nature, helping us to meet temptation
and endure hardships in his spirit OF
unshrinking manliuesS and far reach
ing faith. When we think of Jesus as
God, he ceases to be an example to us;
but when we look upon him az the
New Testament writers describe him
"a man approved of God Ia man
made perfect through suiferings ~
his whole life becomes radiant with di-
vine beauty, his path Of self-saorifice
the way to heaven, his truth the power
of God to free the soul and fill it with
the inspiration OF faith and hope.
! This is the natural view of the di-
vinity of jesus. 1t does not seek to
explain the metaphysical question Of
the relation of the human with the di-
vino in his soul, nor does it attempt to
| prove that he was or was not God hut
| teaches that he was divine that is,
| godlike- because in his life and teach
| ing we find manifestation of those
qualities which we believe to bo attri-
butes of God. The highest ideas of
God taught by religion or philosophy
have always represented goodness as
| belonging to the character of Deity ;
and the most perfect goodness tho
world has any history of was enacted
in the life of Jesus. Prophets and
preachers Of righteousness have ever
proclaimed the protecting care of God +;
but the thought Of Jesus scared higher
than all others, revealed a heart Of In
finite Love at the centre OF life, and
taught the world to call it sour
| Father.n lz=s
This natural and rational view of
tho character of Jesus shows how he
became the Son of God and one with
the Father by his life of filial obedi-
ence to the divine voice in his soul, and
by entire submission to tho divine will
as he discerned it in his daily expert
ence. Through constant communion
with the Divine Spirit he became con
scious that he was in the Father and
tho Father in him. Thus he became
a revelation of God, unveiling the di-
vine fatherhood by his human teaching
and human living. As, when gazing
into clear lake at midday, we see
not the water itself, but an image OF
| the heavens pictured in its peaceful
stiffness SO, looking into the pure soul
of Jesus, we behold in its spiritual
| depths not tho man of Nazareth, but
| the Over Soul in which 1--WE live and
move and have our being,'' and learn
the meaning of that word to Philip
HE that hath seen me hath seen the
| Father The more we study the life
and teaching of Jesus the more plainly
do We see his simple humanity. But
il was humanity filled with the inspira-
tion of God, though in way that left
him still human being, the highest
ideal of what man may become whe
yields his powers of heart and mind tC
the influence OF the indwelling Spirit.
So entirely oblivious we're the writers
of the New Testament to any essential
difference between the nature OF Jesus
and the nature of his disciples and
friends that, everywhere throughout
the book, the Master and his followers
are equally regarded as ''the offspring
of God''-'' 'partakers of the divine
nature" II Jesus is called the Son o
God, st. John writes of all Christians
"Now are we the sons of God ant
st. Paul also declares that .As man,
as are led by the Spirit of God, the,
are the sons OF God.'' 1t was this SAINT
apostle who, beholding the beauty anC
truth and goodness Of the Christ, witt
admiration and reverence exclaimed
"In him dwelleth all the fulness o
the God head bodily We wonder u
such an expression, and can hardl.
believe that its author could have use'
it of mana mere human being
, And yet when we turn to his Epistle +
/ tho Ephesians, we find him prayin
that his fellow Christians might b
filled with all tho fulness of God. "
, Thus we could go through the Ney
! Testament and, whatever terms ar
, used to express tho nature and char
acter of Jesus, we find the same term
) used in reference to his disciples. Fo
a instance, we read that he was withou
. sin; and this is thought to be stron
, argument against his being strictl
3 human. But the apostle takes it fo
D granted that whatsoever is born {
+; God doth not commit sin, meaning
/ doubtless, that whenever man be
/ comes conscious of his filial relation
God, his whole nature ID so dignifie
q by tho conviction that, like the Chris
/ he will live pure and true life. Fun
a thermore, Jesus is called the Light {
( the world, though not in any pecuia
4 sense for we hear his own voice, al
pouneing to crowd of common peopl
l gathered on grassy hill in Palestine
d that they also were the light of tn
o world. The Church regards jesus 9
d tho Saviour of men, and SO he is, sine
n love for him and faith IN his trut
4 will lift tho soul above all sin an
doubt and fear, and bring God near
k the heart as our personal Friend an
Q Helper. But if he were sent to cart
# TO become its Saviour in supernaturf
j. sense, he does not seem to know
himself; for he distinctly associates b
!, disciples with him in this divine worl
o saving to them: "As the Father hat
IS sent me, even so send you.
We see, then, that according to u
IS New Testament Jesus, far from beir
10 identical with God, was not ditferel
/, from his brethren in any essenti
II E'slement of human nature. His diyini