CHAPTER XV.

W

THE WORD OF GOD.

HAT is the meaning of the phrase, the WORD OF GOD? Within the churches and without the churches, applied vaguely by honest religionists, and falsely by dishonest ones, the simple phrase, which in old times conveyed the idea of the Messenger of Peace, has become the watchword of strife.

The words have lost their first import as the knowledge of internal spiritual things has died away. It is an instance of what has been already said, that with the growth of time expressions and symbols, losing their essential meaning, are ill-used by the theologian and rejected by the philosopher.

We must look to the Bible, its acknowledged record, for the meaning of the Word, and we may find, as in other cases, that when its specific sense becomes clear, all the learned rubbish which has accumulated round the phrase will fall away, taking with it the confusion and discord inseparable from argument unenlightened by spirit.

The Hebrew debar, translated Word, bears in its root the idea of driving, or throwing off; that is, emanation or efflux. I must beg the reader to follow me patiently through a few texts, applying this thought till the invariable use of it in the sense of spiritual influx has made its original meaning apparent. And, remembering that the Word is the holy influence of God's Spirit on the spirit of man, we should also bear in mind the description given in the last chapter, of the action of successive waves of influx in creation. I have spoken of its earliest creating action in the mineral, then in the vegetable, then in the animal world-higher still, its descent into the mind, where it operates as intelligence; and, finally, its more direct influx, giving spiritual life and impression to the soul of man. Every wave forms an aióv, an age, period, or day, and each wave, acting on the conditions prepared for it by its forerunner, leaves the world one degree higher in developement and refinement, so that the last age is always one degree in advance of the preceding.*

* Whether these effects are each respectively produced by successive waves or by one period of efflux in its different degrees, I do not conjecture. The result is the same, nor does it affect the truth of the doctrine that it was held 2,500 years ago. I have been assured by an eminent naturalist that the successive formations in the geological and zoological worlds bear evidence of having resulted from an order such as I have described. A developement by successive outpourings of creative power is very different from that by which our pedigree is traced from apes and monkeys.

In this first sense of creative energy, we find the Word used in the Psalms:- By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made, and all the host of them, by the breath of His mouth.'

This is generally passed over as if meaning simply, By command of the Lord,' &c. But, if the Psalmist had a distinct meaning, he would not have said, in this general half-figurative way, that the Lord made the heavens by His command, and then breathed their spiritual inhabitants into being. I take the meaning to be the heavens, or higher worlds, were the result of the outpouring of God's vital power, their hosts, one degree above, by a higher efflux.

In Psalm cxlvii. 15, is another instance of the application of the Word to natural creation. "He sendeth forth His commandment upon earth. His Word runneth very swiftly.' The context shows that a simple dictate or ordinance could not be meant.

Again, verse 18-He sendeth forth His word, and melteth them (ice), He causeth His wind (or spirit) to move, and the waters flow.'

In its healing life-giving character, Psalm cvii. 20'He sent His Word, and healed them. In its action on the spirit-Quicken Thou me according to Thy Word;' and again- Thy Word hath quickened me.'

6

In these, which are chosen from many instances, the vital emanation from God, who is the Fountain of Life, is spoken of as the Word. But when we examine the

number of cases in which the Word is spoken of as coming to the prophets, we shall find but a small proportion in which the full sense would be attained by translating debar as a word in the sense of an audible sound, or even a command. Like all spiritual influx it takes different forms of manifestation. It comes sometimes as an audible voice, sometimes as an impelling influence, sometimes by writing, and sometimes, indeed most often, by vision. Whenever a prophet utters his inspiration (and the different forms of utterance show that by the same law which I have traced the phrases and symbols are those of the recipient), the expression is, 'The Word of the Lord' came to that prophet. The burthen of a prophet is the influx which presses him, that which he must utter before he can speak from himself. In Malachi i. 1, we find, 'the burden of the Word of the Lord."'

6

1 Samuel iii. 6. The Word of the Lord was rare in those days: visions were not frequent.'*

The history

This clearly expresses the fact that the influence from God was at that time not often received. goes on to tell of the voice heard by the child Samuel, evidently not an alarming sound, for he supposed that Eli had called him. In Genesis xv. 1, we find that the Word of the Lord came to Abraham in a vision.

In 1 Kings xiii. 1. And behold! there came a man

* This is De Wette's translation; the English common version differs, but is less coherent. Either translation would support my argument.

Kings 3

オナ

of God out of Judah by the Word of the Lord' (by the impelling influence). Here the two words used to express the divine power in Man of God and Word of the Lord are different; the prophet is a man of the spiritual powers, Elohim; the Word is from Jehovah, the highest name.

When Jehoram and Jehoshaphat went together against the king of Moab, and became uneasy as to the success of their enterprise, Jehoshaphat asks, verse 11,

'Is there not here a prophet of the Lord, that we may enquire of the Lord by him?' (One of the king of Israel's servants tells him that Elisha is there.)

12 And Jehoshaphat said, The Word of the Lord is with him.'

The kings then went to Elisha, who after some hesitation allowed himself to be consulted, but the influx was not on him constantly, for he required the power of music to induce the prophetic state. He says, verse 15, But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass when the minstrel played, the hand of the Lord came upon him.

6

In 2 Chron. xviii. 4, Jehoshaphat says to Ahab king of Israel, Enquire I pray thee at the Word of the Lord to-day.'

Four hundred prophets were consulted, who delivered their oracles, but they were not trusted. Jehoshaphat asks for a prophet of the Lord; and Micaiah is