itual consciousness of humanity. For our Lord to return to earth in physical form would be a backward step in a progressive revelation. When our Lord said to His disciples that it was expedient for them that He go away, He might have meant, in fact, because, as long as He tarried with them, He would stand in the way of that idealization which was necessary. But more than that, He would be hindered from that individual ministry to each which would make good His promise to be with them even unto the end of the world. He might have meant still more: that God's revelation of Himself must go on, deepening in spiritual significance. If God never repeats Himself even in the making of leaves and grasses, but gives to each a distinct individuality, is He likely to do so in the grandest operations of Deity, the revelation of Himself to man? It is significant that the writer of the New Testament who knew Jesus best, and was by nature the best fitted to understand our Lord, makes a spiritual interpretation of parousia. Prof. W. Adams Brown writes: “With the Fourth Gospel we find ourselves transported into a different atmosphere. The coming at the last day is not, indeed, denied, but it is no longer the center of interest. The coming on which Jesus lays most stress in His farewell words to His disciples is not His . judicial coming at the end of the age, but His personal advent to His disciples, whether physical at His resurrection or spiritual in the gift of the Paraclete. This fact is the more significant because these discourses take the place, in the Fourth Gospel, of the Apocalypse of the Synoptics, with its prediction of the parousia and the destruction of Jerusalem. The day to which reference is repeatedly made in these discourses is not the last day' of the judgment, but the gospel dispensation." The last day, according to John, "is not the judgment day, but the gospel dispensation." Exactly; this is the spiritual view of the parousia. It is significant, too, that Paul, the profoundest mind among the apostles, should also come to hold at the last the same idea. It would take too much space to enter into the proof of this minutely. It will be conceded that Paul taught a spiritual resurrection in contradistinction to a flesh-andblood resurrection. His earlier, half-Judaistic idea of a visible advent, a universal resurrection of the sleeping dead, and a great judgment scene, gave place, it is said by many like Sabatier and Beyschlag, to a more spiritual theory of the soul's entrance through death into its perfected heavenly state and full communion with Christ (compare the portion of the article "Parousia" in Hastings' Bible Dictionary which treats of Paul's teaching on the subject). IV. The spiritual conception of the parousia accords with an optimistic view of the world and God's purposes concerning it. To the most of those who make a literal interpretation of Christ's return and of those conditions preceding it, at which time He will set up a literal kingdom upon the earth and reign as He refused to reign at His first coming, the world appears to present the wretched and discouraging spectacle of growing daily worse and worse. The end of all things, too, is the destruction of the world by fire. In the article referred to at the beginning of this paper, its author confesses that "the only passage of Scripture which speaks explicitly and at length of the end of the world is 2 Peter iii. 3-13." Without more than referring to the fact that 2d Peter has a somewhat doubtful standing among the best biblical scholars, let me remind the reader that the same principle of interpretation which Peter himself used on the day of Pentecost concerning a passage from Joel would obviate the necessity of believing that the world is finally to be burned with fire. To believe that the world is daily growing worse does not harmonize with healthy optimism. It pronounces, in effect, the Gospel of Jesus Christ a failure. I believe in the optimism of God. At the end of each creative period God said that His work was good, and at the end of the creative work He said that it was very good. I do not believe that the devil has ever caused Him to reverse His judgment. Evil will be finally overcome. The disciplinary machinery of our earthly life will some time be no longer needed. Good is the dominant note in the creation, and will some time prevail. The spiritual rulership of Christ, inaugurated at Pentecost, and carried forward till every knee shall bow and every tongue confess, or till His “kingdom ruleth over all," is undoubtedly the grand consummation of all earthly and heavenly pro cesses. V. Lastly, the spiritual idea of Christ's coming is the better view, because a full belief in that view would renew the Pentecostal vitality and energies of the church; would cause Christians to make more of a present Christ, a living, loving Lord, abiding all the time in the hearts of believers, just as really and just as vitally as He lived with the twelve in Galilee; and this faith would surely renew the energies of the Christian church, causing Pentecostal seasons to come more frequently, revivals to spring up everywhere, and God's Word to move throughout the world more swiftly. Says Dr. Clarke of Colgate: "The church has been led to regard herself as the widow and not the bride of Christ. . . . What is needed in order to awaken a worthier activity in the church is a faith that discerns Him as actually here in His kingdom." The coming of the King and the coming of the kingdom are one and the same. The kingdom cometh not with observation. It is something within us. It makes no outward display of glare or noise. "The coming again that Jesus thought of is evolutionary, not catastrophic-in spirit, not in form” (Dr. Whiton). As Dr. Gladden expresses it: "The disciples of Christ have been offering the prayer, Thy kingdom come.' The prayer is answered, century by century, and day by day. The kingdom does come. It continues to come, in stronger force, with wider sway, as the years go on. But how? Only as men change their minds and give it freer entrance to their lives and larger authority over them." WHY "FILTHY RAGS"? BY THE REV. H. ROSE RAE, CARLISLE, ENGLAND. "RAGS" is a word that applies to worn and torn bits of cloth; when used otherwise to designate apparel, contempt is implied. Now the word employed by Isaiah (Isa. liv. 6) in his famous and often-quoted simile has no such import. It is the same word that describes part of what Abraham's steward presented to Rebekah-"jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment." Are we to imagine that rags have any similarity to the gold and silver jewels, or are likely to be among the gifts offered in the name of a wealthy sheik to a gentle lady whose favor is sought as the bride of the son of promise? Besides, when a Hebrew meant "rags" he had a word for it. A proverb tells how "drowsiness shall clothe one with rags"; and here the word is very different from Isaiah's. Hence it is well that the revisers put "garment" instead of "rags" in the prophet's phrase, which may thereby become less striking and splenetic, but is certainly truer to the prophet's thought. It is not for translators to inject their own feelings into their authors' words. Equally erroneous is the adjective "filthy," or even "polluted," as the revisers have it. It is, of course, admissible, and may be elegant to construe a governed noun as an adjective, as is the case here; but the adjective should be a congruous one at least. Isaiah's governed word has no reference whatever to filth. Had the expression been Zechariah's, where he speaks, with more force than courtesy, of Joshua's "dungy robes," no fault could be found with "filthy" as a rendering; for there is no question that either Joshua's robes are represented as literally smeared with filth, or else the prophet held them in as great disgust as if it had been so, just as Paul scorned even his privileges as "dung" compared with the blessings he enjoyed in Christ. If Isaiah had expressed the like scorn, it would have been fair so to put it; but as the translators had to add the contempt, it is plain they imported into their original what was not there. The word chosen by Isaiah denotes something over and above. Proof is something beyond one's bare word; and an ornament is something over and above what is plain. Our word, then, means proof, evidence, or witness, and also display or ornament. Besides, being plural, it has special emphasis. The literal rendering, then, is "a garment of testimonies, or of infallible proof"; or" a garment of ornaments, or of great display." To suggest adjectives for the governed nouns, the translation comes to be "an evidential article of clothing," or "a showy dress." The first of these interpretations was adopted by Aquila, a very old and apparently well-skilled translator, who improved upon the Septuagint. He gives "marturion" as the Greek equivalent; and on this Jerome has a note in which he observes, "This is testimoniorum," which means "of testimonies," and then goes on to refer to the Deuteronomic enactment concerning the scandal raised by a husband accusing his wife on the score of impurity before marriage. In such a case, a cloth smeared with blood, as it came from the injured woman's person, was a sufficient proof of pre-nuptial purity as well as of the consummation of matrimony. Looked at in this light, Isaiah's phrase has great capacity of suggestiveness. Our good deeds attest our inward and hidden intercourse with the Lord, and prove that with Him only in all purity we have had to do. But there is a stain even on our purest thoughts and deeds. Our second interpretation, however, yields the better sense, as it seems to the present writer. It takes into account the previous clause; and, in the light of it, both clauses are thus paraphrased: "We are all like an unclean woman, and all our righteous acts like her showy attire." The meaning is simple and clear. Outward show takes the place of inward reality. Perhaps their loathing of the strumpet's airs be got contempt in the translators' hearts for anything that is describable in those terms. Their rendering reminds us of Zephaniah's indignant description of degenerate prophets: "Her prophets are debauched wretchescloaks!" This corresponds with the old Scottish definition of a formal clergy-"toom tabards," that is, empty gowns, all cloak and nothing inside. The life is taken out of Zephaniah's fierce protest when it is smoothed down to "light and deceitful persons," as in the ordinary version. When David invites Israel's daughters to weep for Saul, he reminds them of the fashions of Saul's period, “with delights," referring to the modiste's art with a fine appreciation of a woman's weakness for finery; and the word is akin to Isaiah's "clothing of dazzling display." Here is "devotion's every grace, except the heart." The prophet seeks more heart and clean. THE HOLY SPIRIT AS A RIVER * There is a river, the streams whereof shall make I. A RIVER hath a proper source, head, or fountain from whence it proceeds. The Holy Spirit, as expressed in the Nicene Creed, "proceedeth from the Father and the Son." This is a tenet of the Western church as distinct from the teachings of the Eastern church, and it is grounded on the following texts of Holy Scripture: John xv. 26, xvi. 7; Rom. viii. 9; Gal. iv. 6; Phil. i. 19; 1 Peter i. 11. Also on the action of our Lord as recorded in John xx. 22. The river "proceeds out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb" (Rev. xxii. 1). II. A river has its banks which keep it in its proper bounds, and a channel by which people know where to go if they would partake of the benefit of its waters. The Holy Spirit has its spiritual channels: the Holy Scriptures, the preached Gospel, the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, public worship, and private prayer. Christ breathed on his apostles (John xx. 22). People were baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts ii. 88). The Holy Ghost fell on them when they heard the word (Acts x. 44). When they prayed they were all filled with the Holy Ghost (Acts iv. 31). III. In a river which has a good source the supply of water is in abundance. The Holy Spirit is continuous in its supply of grace (John vii. 38). IV. Sometimes the banks of a river overflow. The Holy Spirit is not always given according to measure. See John iii. 34: "For God giveth not the Spirit by measure. V. In a large river the supply of water is continuous. The Holy Spirit is always a power in the heart of the believer. "Out of his belly shall flow rivers of living waters" (John vii. 38). "The well-spring of wisdom as a flowing brook" (Prov. xviii. 4). "Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I These outlines were originally suggested by an old book, now out of print, compiled by Benjamin Keach, on Scripture metaphors; but other available sources have been used, and the present compilation is in many respects original. shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life" (John iv. 14). VI. A river is open and free to all. The Holy Spirit is a river that is open to all poor sinners. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money" (Isa. lv. 1). "And the Spirit and the Bride say Come, and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely" (Rev. xxii. 17). VII. A great river is profitable for traffic and commerce. The Holy Spirit "makes glad the city of God” (Ps. xlvi. 4). “Through him we have access by one spirit unto the Father" (Ephes. ii. 18). He shall receive of mine and show it unto you" (John xvi. 14). VIII. A river is sometimes deep. The Holy Spirit revealeth the deep things of God. "For the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God" (1 Cor. ii. 10). "He that searches the heart knoweth the mind of the Spirit" (Rom. viii. 27). IX. A river is sometimes calm and quiet. The Holy Spirit is often calm and quiet in its influences. "That ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost" (Rom. xv. 13). "The unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephes. iv. 2). X. Some rivers flow in torrents. The Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was like "a rushing, mighty wind." See the conversion of the jailer at Philippi, and Saul of Tarsus. XI. A river beautifies and fructifies the fields on its banks-for instance, the river Nile in Egypt. In India vast tracts of country are irrigated by the waters of great rivers. The Holy Spirit beautifies and fructifies those souls who come near its divine influence. "Until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field" (Isa. xxxii. 15). XII. A river is refreshing to people who are thirsty. The Holy Spirit gives refreshment to thirsty souls: "Shall never thirst" (John iv. 14). "I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring, and they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses" (Isa. xliv. 4). XIII. A river is often the natural protection of the boundaries of a country, as, for example, the Oxus in Asia and the Danube in Europe. The Holy Spirit is the believer's strength. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of Hosts' (Zech. iv. 6). "When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him" (Isa. lix. 19). XIV. Trees on the river bank thrive and grow exceedingly. Souls dwelling in the Holy Ghost and in whom the Spirit of God dwells grow, flourish, and bring forth much fruit. "He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of waters, that bringeth forth its fruits in its season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper" (Ps. i. 3). "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots to the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit" (Jer. xvii. 8). XV. A river is used for cleansing purposes. The Holy Spirit purifies the soul. "If ye are led by the Spirit, ye are not under the law. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Gal. v. 23). "The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost" (Rom. v. 5). THE "PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE" Having shod your feet with the preparation of THIS is the only place in the New Testament where the word έrouacía is found. Paul used four times the verb έroάw, translated to prepare; and also four times the adjective Toμos, translated prepared. This last word, being an adjective, would find a closer rendering in our adjective ready. This would make readiness the closer rendering for έrouaoia. Let us see how it would suit our passage. Paul is looking at the Christian as a messenger who must be especially prepared to run on an all-important errand, that of bringing the good news of peace. He must be shod accordingly. Perhaps Paul, writing to converted Gentiles, had in memory the messenger of the heathen gods, Mercury, who was represented with winged heels; therefore he wrote the words of our passage: the readiness of the Gospel of peace. PASTORAL HELPS AND HINTS SOME DISADVANTAGES OF A LONG PASTORATE By C. L. GOODELL, D.D., NEW YORK CITY. THE limit of the pastoral term is often discussed from the standpoint of the congregation, and occasionally from the standpoint of the social and financial advance of the pastor. There is another point of view which the thoughtful and successful preacher is compelled to take sooner or later in his ministry. In this matter he can take but little advice. The conditions relate entirely to himself, and the decision must come as a conviction born of intuition rather than of an argument concluded. This is the situation which confronts him. On one hand, the officiary and the membership of the church assure him of his increasing usefulness. He has been five or possibly ten years in that parish. He has become identified with many local interests where his influence is felt. In all matters of culture, reform, and good citizenship he bears a prominent part. His congregations show no diminution in numbers or interest. He has struck his pace, and feels that he can keep it for another decade, if not indefinitely. Then, too, there are friendships which are the food by which the spirit grows. Little children tug at his hand as he crosses the street or leave their play to run after him, and feel abundantly repaid by a smile and a word of solicitude for themselves and their dear ones. The aged and the afflicted watch for his coming. He sees their faces light up, and knows that God sends a message of comfort by him that day. His interest in the peculiar experiences of each of his parishioners grows. It is not a professional interest. These people are sheep of his pasture and he is their shepherd. They are members of his own family and he is their brother. Nothing that interests them is foreign to him. They have grown into his life in the passing of the years, like trees that are welded by contact in the great woods. When one has leaned heavily upon another in the valley of the shadow of death, or, in the flood of great waters, has felt the strong arm of a brother keeping his head above the billows, neither of them will forget or be the same to the other that he was before. They under stand each other and ought to be permitted to share each other's helpfulness. If anything can justify the severance of such a pastoral relation, what is it? Certainly not the passing of figures on a dial, the termination of some arbitrary term which takes no account of the fitness of the service or the ripeness of its fruit. Each casc must certainly be settled on its own merits, and should be determined by those who are in condition to know the facts. If there is the outward evidence of a successful pastorate; if the people gather for the ministry of the Word; if the church is built up in all holy living; if pastor and people are used together for the winning of young and old out of the paths of evil to the happiness of a truly Christian life -then there is only one thing, apart from some special providence of God, which can justify a change of pastoral relation, and that has to do with impressions and impulses personal to the pastor himself. It would not be difficult to cite many instances, in the lives of our most successful ministers, where a conviction has been borne in upon them in the midst of a successful pastorate that a change should be made. It was the writer's privilege, during the last few years of the life of that noble man and prince of preachers, Richard S. Storrs, to associate freely with him. In the quiet of his summer home at Shelter Island, we talked over the great questions of the Christian ministry. Speaking one day, near the close of the vacation, of the work which he must soon take up in view of his advanced age, I said: "Doctor, why do you not have a young man as an assistant?" His kindly face lighted up with a quizzical smile as he said: "Ah, I am too wise a man for that!" And then his conversation turned upon his pastorate at the Church of the Pilgrims. Looking out over the bay flecked by the white sails of summer voyagers, and thinking of his own voyage then nearing the harbor, he said, more to himself than to me: "I am not sure that it is wise to spend a generation in one church. After I had been preaching in Brooklyn ten |