a singular significance, but nevertheless providing an enigma as well as a

partial illumination.  He calls Himself subsequently Jehovah, El Shaddai and

many other names, none of which singly, nor all taken together can any more

adequately represent 'God' than a thousand different 'tables' can fill out

the idea 'table'.

Before the ages began and before creation was launched, we learn that

God assumed the condition implied by the titles, 'The Word' and 'The Image'

in order that creation should be possible.  The idea of creation could be

expressed through Him Who was both the Word and the Image, and the visible

creation turns out to be invisible thoughts of the invisible God translated

into the visible expressions of the material universe.  For the purposes of

redemption God made a further descent, and exchanged the form of 'The Word'

or 'The Image' (both associated with creation in John 1 and Colossians 1) and

became Man.  By becoming Man He of necessity voluntarily entered into further

limitations.  For our sakes He learned obedience, for our sakes He suffered

and died, for our sakes He rose and received rewards, for our sakes -- not

for His own.  He has now ascended.  He is yet to be reinvested with the glory

which He had before the world was.  Such is the Mystery of godliness.  How

can we, after seeing these things, enter into discussion with objectors as to

how Christ can be God if He did this or that?  Those who raise such

objections should first raise similar ones, and strongly object that the

table at which they sit to eat, or to write, is not a legitimate table at

all, because of necessity it cannot be both square and round, polished or

plain at the same time!  When Christ entered into the world which had been

made by Him and left the glory that was His, He took upon Himself human flesh

and blood, and that circumstance with all its limitations was foreknown and

accepted as necessary for carrying out the purpose of redeeming love.  A day

will come when we shall exchange the knowledge which we have now 'in part'

for that which will be perfect and complete.  Meanwhile we rejoice to realize

that even now we may perceive the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,

that those who saw Him saw the Father, that He was the 'character' of the

hidden 'substance', and that when at last 'The Son' presents to 'The Father'

in a perfected universe, without limitations and in a sense now but dimly

understood, God, not 'Father', not 'Son', will be all in all.  We do not

speculate on all the possibilities that such a revelation lays bare, we are

happy in our present limitations, glorifying God for His condescension in

clothing His majesty in human terms and in human forms, and waiting with

joyful expectancy the day that must dawn, when all sign and symbol will have

passed away and 'we shall recognize even as we are recognized'.

We have considered briefly the most serious of all the problems that

meet the reader of the Scriptures, namely how it is possible to believe that

the Man Jesus, Who could grow up as a lad, Who could be weary and ask a woman

for a drink, Who could die on a cross, that such a One could also be the

Creator, God manifest in the flesh!  We now descend to a lower plane, but the

same necessities that make incarnation and voluntary self -limitation

impossible to avoid, permeate our thinking and our language.  We have seen

that there can be no real equivalent between the world of phenomena or

appearance, in the visible creation of which we form a part, and the world of

spirit which is beyond us.  The moment spirit 'appears' it suffers diminution

and restriction.  This selfsame principle operates throughout the whole realm

of revelation.  Speaking after the manner of men, and with all reverence, we

ask, how could God reveal Himself to man, except by using terms with which

man was or could be familiar?  We do not believe that God Himself, in His own