The record-union., 1899-05-29

| a portion of the human race In order
that He might finally reveal Himself
| fully to the whole human race.
Paul says that Jesus by revelation
made known unto him the mystery
that in other ages was not made known
unto the sons of men as 1T is now
revealed unto His holy apostles and
prophets by the Spirit" He says in
the same connection that his mission
in life was ito make all men see what
lis the fellowship of the mystery which
from the beginning of the world hath
been hid in God, who created all things
by Jesus enlist; to the intent that now
unto the principalities and powers
lin heavenly places might be known by
the church the manifold wisdom of
IGod'' Truths that in the early days
of revelation were dinly seen or not
seen at all are now clearly seen and
known by multitudes. We believe that
God has revealed Himself to man, and
that the Bible is the record of that
revelation.
The Bible is the history or record
of the various revelations that God has
made of Himself to different men at
different ages of the world From the
writer of the first book of the Bible
to the writer of the last book is
period of 1900 years. During these
centuries God at sundry times and in
divers manners spoke to man; revealed
Himself, His will, His truth, His
grace, to man. The result of these dl-
vine communication and manifesto
tions, the book that contains them, we
lcall the Bible. The study of the Bible
shows that there has been gradual
evolution in the unfolding Of the divine
nature to man. Our faith in the Bible
as the word of God will be more in
telligent and firm if We recognize the
fact that the truth concerning God
has been gradually revealed to man
by the divine Spirit.
The method of God in revelation is
indicated in the words of Jesus which
1 read as a text Jesus said to His
disciples-and remember it was at the
close of His ministry He said 1T
have yet many things to say unto you,
but ye cannot bear them now. How
belt, when He the Spirit of Truth, IS
come He will guide you into all truth"
Jesus came to reveal God to man. He,
Himself. is the highest and fullest
revelation of God ever made to man.
He was God manifest in the flesh.
|
Jesus adapted Himself to the mental
and spiritual condition of those whom
Ha taught. Mark says: with many
ables spake He the word unto them
as they were able to bear it," Jesus
revealed the truth to His disciples as
far and as fast as they could receive
1t. He was compelled to keep back
certain truths because the disciples
were not spiritually capable of appre-
hending them The revelation was linz
Ifted by the spiritual capacity of those
who received it. Jesus had been teaching
divine truths to the disciples for three
wears. He could not at once reveal
Himself to them fully, for they were
not able to comprehend the great
truths He came to reveal.
A teacher cannot teach all knoWl-
l edge to a child the first day it enters
school. The most elementary truths
are taught first The chld's growth IN
knowledge and in the ability to re-
/ ceive knowledge is gradual. The teach-
er is limited by the capacity OF the
scholar to receive. You cannot teach
1 higher mathematics to the boy VINO
is wrestling with the mysteries Of the
multiplication table. You cannot reao
L Shakespeare or Bacon intelligently to
] the child learning the alphabet. SO the
higher truths Of the kingdom Of Coo
lcannot be revealed to men at once. Inc
revelation of God is limited by the
ability of man to receive the reveal
ton. God adapts Himself to man
limited powers. He teaches us as We
are able to receive. The full blaze OF
His divine glory would dazzle and
blind u.s. Therefore in mercy He vells
His glory, permitting us to see through
a glass darkly.
The Old Testament is not a perfect
book 1t does not perfectly reveal the
character of God. 1t does not perfectly
teach the duty of man. 1t is not an
infallible guide Ia olden time God
revealed Himself as the people were
able to receive. The most matured
saint of olden time only partially I'M
derstood the nature and will OF God.
t. 1t was not possible for God to reveal
Himself fully even to Moses. When
Moses said. Lord, I beseech Thee,
show me Thy glory" God answered,
Thou canst not see My face, for there
shall no man see me and live COO
disclosed Himself to Moses as He had
not to any one before him. God was
more fully revealed to Moses than He
/ was to Adam. But Moses had only
partial revelation of God. The law
came by Moses, but grace and truth
came by Jesus Christ
The Old Testament does not profess
to give full, perfect revelation Of God
to man. The revelation Is perfect as
far as it goes There is first the blade,
then the ear, then the full corn in the
ear. Slowly the Bible of the race is
writ
Go into a public school and examine
a text book on arithmetic. 1t deals with
the elementary truths of mathematics.
The first principles are taught 1t is
not a perfect book. There are great
mathematical truths of which the book
is wholly silent. The book is for a
child It is for a beginner. He who
compiled the book had the child's mind
in his thought, and gave only such
truths as the child mind could compre-
hend. You would not condemn the
book because it was only a partial
revelation of mathematics. It's limited
range makes it a better book for the
beginner than a more complete and
complicated book would be.
So with the Old Testament The
truths it contains were revealed to the
wcrld when the world was in its relig-
ious childhood. The mind of man.
darkened by sin, was slow to apprehend
divine truth and God in mercy adapted
Himself to mans ignorance and imper-
fectlon Mans spiritual ignorance, his
plowness to apprehend spiritual truth,
{ compelled God to reveal Himself and