4-30 CHRIST'S IMMANENCE-VICTORIOUS CHRIST 121

I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Rev. 1:18.

He rose as God,

Rose as a mighty victor strong to save
Breaking Death's silent chain and unseen rod
There in the grave.

He rose on high

While angels hung around on soaring wing
Wresting from the dark grave its victory,
From death its sting.

-Dean William A. Newman.

HRIST is shown by this text to be sovereign over death

and hades. He is here represented as having the keys of death; he holds the key to the vast realms of darkness and death. The imagery of a gate and keys were natural in a country with walled cities and gates. Death is represented as having reigned in that gloomy abode. He was the inexorable tyrant, the autocratic potentate. No tears could move him, no prayers could bribe him, as he marched forward to receive his victims. But once there entered a strange visitor into that dark realm; he seemed to yield to the power of the tyrant, but only to make that tyrant's overthrow more conspicious. Death was astonished, was discrowned. Death was destroyed by the Lord of life and glory. We now have nothing to fear. We are Christ's and Christ is King. Death lies vanquished at his feet. Because he lives we shall live also.

God is our God forever and ever: He will be our guide even unto death. Amen. Ps. 48: 14.

For, lo, the winter is past: the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth. The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, and the vines are in blossom: they give forth their fragrance. Song of Solomon. II: 12, 13.

I found Him in the shining of His stars,
I marked Him in the flowering of His fields.

-Alfred Tennyson.

Teach me your mood, O patient stars,
Who climb each night the ancient sky,
Leaving on space no shade, no scars,
No trace of age, no fear to die.

-Ralph Waldo Emerson.

OW does God reveal himself?

He has two great . . the book of creation and the volume of Revelation. Both tell of his wisdom, power, and glory. They are really different chapters in one great volume. They never contradict each other in any of their revelations. Our interpretations of their revelations may be contradictory, but the revelations themselves rightly understood are harmonious. The Bible of Nature is the unwritten Bible, that of Scripture is the written Bible. The Bible of Nature, as the Bible of Inspiration, abounds in mystery; it conceals as truly as it reveals its great Creator. In nature is the hiding of God's power.

O Jehovah my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty: Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: the earth is filled with the fruit of Thy works. Amen. Ps. 104: 1, 2, 13.

Personal.

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

February 11, 1909.

My Dear Dr. MacArthur:

Your letter of the 9th inst.

has been received. The extract you enclose is from the President's address to the delegation to the first International Congress in America on "The Welfare of the Child," at the White House, March 10,1908.

In using this quotation it

For, lo, the

DH THE GAT

is past: the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth. The fig-tree ripeneth her green figs, and the vines are in blossom: they give forth their fragrance. Song of Solomon. II: 12, 13.

Івлогт я

I found Him in the shining of His stars,
[I MLAURA the flowering of His fields.
-Alfred Tennyson.

-:TUNJIA OSM

Teach me your mood, O patient stars,
Who climb each night the ancient sky,

.Jant te soe dade no TRY
No trace of age, no fear to die.

-NO NOY JOSIJX9 Ralph Waldo Frongrond asd

9NT

of gagibbs and mort at 920 19 God reveal himself? He has two great

od

the hook of creation and they of t tell of his wisdom, power, and glory.

really digerent chapters in one great drono each other in any of their revelaCurerpretations of their revelations way D Sation's trenselves rightly underus. The Bible of Nature is the unNOIJstoop Scipflite & tritt Bible. The ...as the Bible of Inspiration, abounds in fosje ne astlys treat at grea bayone hiding of God's power.

B

reator.

.aaerbbs aint mort

O Jehovah my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty: Who stretchest out the heaven like a curtain the arted with the fruit of Thy works Amen. Ps. 104: 1, 2, 13.

the cost of effort

.

"NOTHING in this life that is really worth having comes save at No life of self-indulgence, of mere vapid pleasure, can possibly, even in the one point of pleasure itself, yield so ample a reward as comes to the mother at the cost of self-denial, of effort, of suffering, of the long, slow patience-trying sort of bringing up the children aright The mother is the one supreme asset of national life; she is more important by far than the successful statesman or business man, or artist, or scientist A good woman who does full duty is sacred in our eyes, exactly as the brave and patriotic soldier is to be honored above all other men."-From Address to Delegates, First International Congress in America on the Welfare of the Child at the White House, March 10, 1908.