THE KING’S BUSINESS 53 Has the Church Loét Her Firét Love? By SAMUEL J. ANDREWS,
as d ev o u tly w o rsh ip ed , as a t th e first? Is H e now , as th e living L o rd a n d h e a d of th e C hu rch th e c en te r of all C h ristian though t, an d love, a n d h o p e ? A re th e eyes of those w ho b e a r H is nam e, con tinually fa st en ed u p o n H im to know w h a t is H is w ill? D o th e y long fo r th e ir p e r fected likeness to H im a t H is retu rn as th e con summ ation o f th e ir hopes? D o they, in th e full assurance o f H is sup rem e pow er, p ro c la im H im b e fore th e w o rld as its J u d g e W ho s ta n d e th a t th e d o o r,’ a n d adm on ish all kings a n d rulers to rule in rig h t eousness as tho se w ho m u st give a ccoun t to H im ? It’ will h a rd ly b e d en ied b y any th a t th e risen an d living C h rist does n o t h o ld th e sam e ex a lted p lace in th e th o u g h t a n d affection o f th e C hu rch o f to d a y th a t H e h e ld in th e C hu rch o f th e A po sto lic age. T h is is n o t to say th a t m u ltitu d e s of fa ith ful souls d o n o t live in daily com m un ion w ith H im , an d m ak e H is p re sen t existence a g re a t reality to them selves. But th e re a re also m u l titu d e s w ho b e a r H is n am e to w hom H e is little m o re th a n a m yth. H is p erso n so clearly seen in th e b eg in ning, a lth o u g h in heaven, h as b e com e d im an d sh adow y in th e ages o f th e past. W e h e a r m uch o f th e principles, an d of th e spirit of Christ, b u t little o f H im self. But while th e C hu rch is m o re an d m o re silent, w e h e a r m an y voices crying: ‘H e has b e e n to o m uch ex alted , to o much h o n o r e d ; H e m ust b e b ro u g h t to H is p ro p e r lev el.’ Jesus saith to Sim on P e ter, Sim on, son of Jonas, lovest th o u m e m ore th a n these? H e saith u n to him , Yea, L o rd : th o u know - est th a t I love thee. H e saith u n to him , Feed m y lam bs.
4 I I T H A T th ink y e of C h rist? W W ho se Son is H e ?’ a re still th e question s which m ust p ro v e w h e th e r C hristian ity h as m a d e p rog ress w ith th e centuries. D oes th e C hu rch o f to d a y b e tte r u n d e rsta n d th e m y stery of th e In car n a te Son, H is teach ing s a n d H is w ork, a n d m o re ex a lt a n d h o n o r H im as h e r living h e ad , th a n d id th e C hu rch o f th e A p o sto lic age? H e re is th e s ta n d a rd b y w hich w e m ust ju d g e th e C hristian ity o f tod ay . W e n e ed n o t sp e ak a t an y leng th of th e p la c e which th e risen C hrist h e ld in th e th o u g h t an d affection of th e early Church. H ow d iligently th e A p o stle s la b o re d to k e ep H is person, no less th a n H is teaching, alw ays b e fo re th e eyes o f th e d is ciples, th e ir epistles a ttest. H e was th e c en te r o f all th e ir love, an d hope, an d labor. A lth o u g h p e rson a lly a b sent H e w as still carry ing on th ro u g h th e H o ly G ho st in th e C hurch H is red em p tiv e w o rk a n d all th a t w as d o n e b y it w as done, no t only in H is nam e, a n d b y H is a u tho rity , b u t w as in a tru e sense H is own p erso n a l action. A n d H is p e r son filled th e fu tu re as well as th e p re sen t w ith its transfiguring light. T h e p ra y e r fo r H is sp e edy retu rn , fo r th e glorious h o u r w h en they should b e m a d e like H im , w as up o n all lips. A ll eyes w ere fixed up o n H im . T h e y en d u re d p ersecu tion ‘as seeing H im w ho w as invisible.’ H e w as th e A lp h a an d th e Om ega, th e F irst an d th e Last, th e Beginning an d th e End. W e tu rn to th e C hurch of to d a y an d ask, ‘W h a t th in k y e o f Christ? W ho se Son is H e ? ’ Is H e now as highly ex alted , as tru ly reverenced ,
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