The Importance of Fairy Tales

Awakening moral imagination The notion that fairy tales and fantasy stories stimulate and instruct the moral imagination of the young, is of course, not new. The Victorians certainly held to that notion when they brought the fairy tale into the nursery. In our day we have seen a resurgence of in terest in the fairy tale. The renowned psychiatrist Bruno Bettelheim gave this an important impetus twenty years ago with his publication of The Uses of Enchantment. The Meaning and Importance of Fairy Tales---"It hardly requires emphasis at this moment in our history " Bettelheim wrote that children need "a moral education (that teaches) not through abstract ethical concepts but through that which seems tangibly right and therefore meaningful--The child finds this kind of meaning through fairy tales. " Literary criticism on fairy tales and modern children's literature is a relatively new enterprise that has not as yet accumulated a substantial or impressive corpus of interpretation, and the studies done by psychologists and educators mostly address the special concerns of these disciplines. One would have thought ethicists would have done better.Yet religious and philosophical ethicists have not reflected a great deal on children as moral learners nor written much on children's literature. Perhaps this is because they consider children to be at a pre-moral stage and that socialization rather than moral formation is more appropriate to their kind. The American writer Flannery O'connor spoke a simple but profound truth when she said "a story is a way to say something that cannot be said any other way--You tell a story because a statement would be inadequate. The great fairy tales and fantasy stories capture the meaning of morality through vivid depictions of struggles between good and evil where characters must make difficult choices between right and wrong, or heroes and villians contest the very fate of imaginary worlds. ASlasdair Macintyre sums this up eloquently: "It is through hearing stories about wicked stepmothers, lost children, good but misguided kings, wolves that suckle twin boys , youngest sons who receive no inheritance, that children learn or mislearn what a child and a parent are, what the cast of characters may be in the drama into which they have been born, and what the ways of the world are." Musing on the wisdom and ethics of the fairy tale, G. K. Chesterton observes that the genre sparks a special way of seeing that is indispensable to morality. Chesterton writes "I am concerned with a certain way of looking at life , which was created in me by fairy tales, but has since been meekly ratified by mere facts". Moral living is about being responsive and responsible toward other people. And virtues are those traits of character that enable persons to use their freedom in morally responsible ways. The mere ability, however, to use moraql principles to justify one's actions does not make a virtuous person. Mere instruction in morality is not sufficient to nuture the virtues. It might even backfire, especially when the presentation is heavily exhortative and the pupil's will is coerced. Instead, a compelling vision of the goodness of goodness itself needs to be presented in such a way that it is attractive and stirs the imagination. The Greek word for character literally means an impression. Moral character is an impression stamped upon the self. Character is defined by its orientation, consistency, and constancy. Today we often equate freedom with morality and goodness. But this is naive because freedom is transcendent and the precondition of choice itself. Depending upon his character, a person will be drawn towards either goodness or wickedness. Moral or immoral behavior is freedom enacted either for good or for ill. The great fairy tales and children's fantasy stories attractively depict character and virtue. In these stories the virtues glimmer as in a looking glass., and wickedness and deception are unmasked of their pretensions to goodness and truth. to be. "Beauty and the Beast" is one of the most beloved of all the fairy tales just because it contrasts goodness with badness in a way that is appealing to the imagination. It is also a story that depicts with special force the mystery of virtue itself. Virtue is the "magic" of the moral life for it often appears in the most unexpected persons and places and with surprising results. At the beginning of the story, we are told that a very rich merchant had three "daughters [all of whom] were extremely handsome, especially the youngest; [so she was) called `The little Beauty.'" But nothing more is said about Beauty's physical attributes. Instead, the story draws our attention to her virtuous character. Beauty's moral goodness her "inner beauty" — is contrasted with her sisters' pride, vanity, and selfishness — their "inner ugliness." Although Beauty's sisters were physically attractive they "had a great deal of pride, because they were rich ...[they] put on ridiculous airs ... and laughed at their sister [Beauty], because she spent ...her time in reading good books." By contrast, Beauty was "charming, sweet tempered .... spoke ...kindly to poor people," and truly loved her father.(8) Because she is virtuous, Beauty is able to "see" the virtues in Beast that lie hidden beneath his monstrous appearance. At her first supper in the monster's castle, Beauty says to Beast: "That is true [I find you ugly], ...for I cannot lie, but I believe you are very good-natured." And when Beast tries her the more with his repeated self-deprecatory remarks, Beauty responds emphatically: "Among mankind ... there are many that deserve that name [Beast] more than you, and I prefer you, just as you are, to those, who, under a human form, hide a treacherous, corrupt, and ungrateful heart."(9) The sharp contrast between Beauty's goodness and her sisters' badness, which is masked by their physical attractiveness, parallels the irony that the Beast who is repulsive physically is good and virtuous. "Beauty and the Beast" teaches the simple but important lesson that appearances can be deceptive, that what is seen is not always what it appears to be. Similarly, this great fairy tale also bids us to imagine what the outcome might have been had Beauty's sisters been put in her position? No doubt they would not have recognized or appreciated the goodness beneath Beast's monstrous appearance. Nor does it seem at all likely that they would have made Beauty's courageous and fortuitous choice. The story portrays the paradoxical truth that unless virtue is in a person she will not be able to find, appreciate, or embrace virtue in another. "Beauty and the Beast" embraces one last important moral truth: a person's decisions in life will define what kind of person she becomes. In this sense also our destinies are not fated: we decide our own destinies. At the end of the story, the "beautiful lady" who has visited Beauty in her dreams appears at Beast's castle and brings with her Beauty's entire family. The fairy then says to Beauty: "Beauty ... come and see the reward of your judicious choice; you have preferred virtue before either wit or beauty, and deserve to have a person in whom these qualifications are united: you are going to be a great queen."(10) Beauty's sisters, however, are unhappy in their marriages because they chose their spouses solely upon the basis of good looks and wit. Through greed, jealousy, and pride their hearts have become like stone. So they are turned into statues, but retain their consciousness that they might behold their sister's happiness until they admit their own faults. Like all the great fairy tales, "Beauty and the Beast" invites us to draw analogies between its imaginary world and the world in which we live. It supplies the imagination with information that the self also uses to distinguish what is true from what is not. But how, we might ask, is the imagination itself awakened, and how is it made moral? These are important questions for the moral educator, and they are not so easily answered. Buber's frank discussion of the mistakes he made when he first taught ethics helps us to see how difficult awakening and nurturing the moral imagination is. Buber's mistakes are not uncommon. They are often committed today, especially when the role of reason in human conduct is overestimated and the roles of the will and the imagination are underestimated. This hazard is increased by a utilitarian and instrumentalist ethos that has seeped to the moral tap roots of our culture. Despite the overwhelming evidence that we are failing to transmit morality effectively to our children, we persist in teaching ethics as if it comes from a "how to" manual . IP Address: Logged

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The Nature of Eucharist!

Transubstantiation---postulates that , through consecration by the priest, one set of substances (bread and wine) is exchanged for another (the Body and Blood of Christ). , or that, according to some, the reality of the bread and wine become the reality of the body and blood of Christ. The substance of the bread and wine do not remain, but their accidents (superficial properties like appearance and taste) remain.

Consubstantiation--some Lutherasn use this term to refer to the philosophical explanation that the "body and blood of Christ are present in, with, and under the forms" of bread and wine. Luther illustrated his belief about the Eucharist "by the analogy of the iron put into the fire whereby both fire and iron are united in the red hot iron and yet each continues unchanged", a concept he called sacramental union.

Transfinalization--the view of Christ's presence in the Eucharist that the purpose or finality of the bread and wine is changed by the words of the consecration, they are said to serve a new function, as sacred elements that barouse the faith of the people in the mystery of Christ's redemptive love.


Transignification--=The view of Christ's presence in the REucharist which holds that the meaning or significance of the bread and wine is changed by the words of consecration, the consecrated elements are said to signify all that Christians associate with the Last Supper, they have a higher value than merely food for the body.



Where do you stand--or fall-- on this issue?

Why Satan fell

Pramable: I am writing the following becaue I enjoy reading it. Others may not. But if you can get through it  then I think a great lesson is to be learned! This discussion is based on A Lesson in Spiritual Theology from Aquinas' S Summa Theologiae.

Aquinas asks if God created the angels in beatitude; in other words, were the angels in the state of eschatological bliss that comes from gazing on God's essence from the first moment of their creation? Aquinas then answers (like you would if you were Aquinas) that there are two kinds of beatitude. First there is a beatitude that is a rational nature's perfect operation; that is it's perfect knowing and loving of created truths and goods; this is what we might call natural happiness. For rational natures this means the contemplation of God as creator. Yet this beatitude is incomplete--it sdoes not have a vison of God in His essence of trinity.

Besides this happiness Aquinas avers there is still another --whereby we will see God as He is. This bliss is beyond the nature of every created intellect. This kind of engaemnet occurs only without  supernatural grace, and this is a happiness for an angel that consists simply in being fully an angel.

But there is another happiness, which an angel cannot experience fully by flourishing as an angel from the resources of his natural created powers; this is  a happiness that come's from seeing God's essence. For angels to see this they need a gift beyond the first gift of a created nature--a second gift of deification in which the angelic mind and will turn towards God. as their perfect truth and good. It seems strange to speak of angels being deiform  in glory, but this is what Aquinas is saying.

The angel needs to be able to know and love God in norder to be fully in bliss, and yet his powers of knowing and willing are important in taking him there. We might say that God has to open up the capacities of mind and will beyond their created abilities. God has to extend their reach.The only supernatural agent is God, of course, since the angels even though not corporeal, are as natural and created and as in need of theological virtues as humans. So God takes abode in the soul of the angel, which means God's knowing and loving, his very self, takes into its current of life the angelic knowingand loving, so that the angel can know and love God like God knows and loves Himself.
So this stae of sanctifying grace is the mid-point between the "purely natural" created life of the angel--which exists for Aquinas in theory alone3--and the vision of glory that is the angel's eschatological destiny.

Aquinas thinks the pride which caused satan to fall. He assumes , without argument, that the devil wanted to be like God. And in this wanting to be like God, without destroying either himself or God, the devil made his fatal error.
He decide  he would reach his deificatrion in his own time and by his own efforts. He did not want to wait for the work or the timing of God.  To try ro seize glory by the creature's own power , to try to give oneself the gift only God can give, is sinful and indeed the sin of pride; it e;limintes the distinction of creator and creature, of the giver of gifts and the receivers.

This then gives us the pedagogy of patience in the Spiritual life. The pilgrimage that begins with the Christian turning to God by God's initial grace, continues in meriting of beatitude through the presence of God working within her by sanctifying grace, and consummates in the final glory of beatitude which she enjoys when she sees the Word in His essence. What is distinctive about this journey is that it is a journey through time . The Orthodox theologian Olivier Clement has written "Time is the HGod-give opportunity to learn to love". Aaquinas would agree!

This is because in speculating on why the devil fell seems to make the astonishing claim that the devil fell because he lacked patience! The devil rejected the necessity of taking time in the spiritual journey into God. Sanctifying grace is a seed in the soul which brings one to Glory in God's time.

Each step of the journey is also of God's time--so wanting our destinies, our jobs, our mates, our families outside of God's timing can be detrimental to the success of our journet--or at least an impediment to it -leading to pain and suffering and grief. The devil lost what would have been his had he patience to wait instead of running after it in his own timing!

Pray for the patience and the wisdom to operate in God's timeline in all your doings . Amen!

Theosis and the Second Coming

Theosis has eschatological implications which are seldom addressed.Chris is returning and His parousia (literally presence, but usually mistranslated as "coming") will be bodily. But--His body has changed--we are His body. Is the man-sized form of Jesus of Nazareth the central part of His return , or does it have something to do with a divine manifestation of HIM throughout his whole body, a body of millions and milions of members, a body which covers the earth, which he longs and prays for to become more and nore perfect, more holy, manifesting Him more clearly, for the purpose of ultimately bringing in everyone?

A Pentrecostal minister J. Preston Eby examines this idea in depth. "Looking for His Appearing" is a seies on the subject.
Eby contends that many of the end time prophecies concerning the return of Christ are fulfilled by the ultimate revelation and perfecting of Christ's presence in us. Eby's insights are sometimes astounding, He points out that the word Astrape translated as lightning in Matthew 24:27 (one of the main proof texts andthat supposedly show the parousia od Christ a sudden event) is the same word translated as "shining" in Luke 11:33. With this in mind, context indicates that the image is not of lightning but of sunrise. A better translation would be :

If then they say to you "Look He is in the desert", do not go there, "Look He is in some hiding place" do not believe it; because the presence (parousia) od the Son of man will be like shining (astrape) in the east and illuminationg (phanetai) far into the west. (matt 24:26-27) Jerusalem Bible!

When the mistranslations are corrected the emphasis shifts from suddenness to the gradual dawning of the presence of the Lord. Thinkign He may be here or there is contrasted with His presence manifested unmistakeably everywhere.

Matthew Fox , an Episcopal priest known for his many works on Christian mysticism agrees. The final section of his masterwork "The Coming of the Cosmic Christ" is titled "SA Vision of the second coming" and considers the coming of the kingdsom of God to be the work of God's childres acting in their divination , restoring the Earth and rebuilding all human institutions to eliminate hunger, hopelessness, and violence.

The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27:1

Classic Commentary:

David’s subjects called him the light of Israel, 2 Sa. 21:17. And he was indeed a burning and a shining light: but he owns that he shone, as the moon does, with a borrowed light; what light God darted upon him reflected upon them: The Lord is my light.

God is a light to his people, to show them the way when they are in doubt, to comfort and rejoice their hearts when they are in sorrow. It is in his light that they now walk on in their way, and in his light they hope to see light for ever. "He is my salvation, in whom I am safe and by whom I shall be saved.’’

"He is the strength of my life, not only the protector of my exposed life, who keeps me from being slain, but the strength of my frail weak life, who keeps me from fainting, sinking, and dying away.’’ God, who is a believer’s light, is the strength of his life, not only by whom, but in whom, he lives and moves.

In God therefore let us strengthen ourselves.

(Adapted from Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible - Complete)

A Thought to Keep
Rather than rely on mere human knowledge and strength, Christians rely on God who gives divine light, salvation, strength, and courage.

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Disclaimer No claims of absolute originality are made for this material. As one man said, "I milk a lot of cows, but I churn my own butter." Please use these sermons as the Lord leads, but nothing on this site may be used for profit without my expressed, written permission!

I Corinthians 2:14-3:4 WHO ARE YOU? Intro: We are all the time trying to shove people into categories. Economically people are classified as rich or poor. In the social realm we speak of people as being cultured or uncultured. Academically we speak of the educated, the intellectual and those who are illiterate. People are always trying to shoe you into a box and classify you. Even the Bible classifies people. Note 1 Cor. 10:32 - Everyone is either a Jew, a Gentile or part of the church; 1 Cor. 1:18 - Everyone is either saved or perishing. This passage also introduces to other categories into which every person int his room can be classified. Here, Paul speaks of the Natural Man, the Spiritual Man and the Carnal man. This passage breaks all of humanity down according to their spiritual response to the things of God. Now, every person in this church will fall into one of the categories I just mentioned. That is, either you are a natural man, a spiritual man or a carnal man. I think it is very important for you to find out for sure which one you are. So, as the Lord gives liberty this evening, I want to look into this text and ask this simple question: Who Are You? Let's examine these three categories of people and see which group we fit into. I. 2:14 MR. NATURAL (Ill. The natural man is a person who lives naturally. He lives a "soulish" life, that is, he lives his life in the old adamic nature. Simply put, the natural man is a lost men! He may be a church member, he may be a good, moral person, but he is lost. This passage shows us two truths about the natural man.) A. He Does Not Appreciate The Things Of God - The things of God are foolishness to the natural man. The word foolishness gives us the English word "Moron." To the lost man, the things of God, and spiritual things are moronic. He doesn't understand or appreciate any type of spiritual expression. When he is exposed to the things of God, or to spiritual expression, he becomes very uncomfortable and will usually respond in one of three way. He will either drop out, move out or lash out. B. He Does Not Apprehend The Things Of God - This literally means that he is not equipped to receive the things of God. He is spiritually dead in his sins, Eph. 2:1 and therefore he simply cannot grasp spiritually things. A man who is physically dead cannot respond to physical stimulus. By the same token, a person who is spiritually dead cannot respond to any spiritual stimulus! (Ill. Man is a triune being - 1 Thes. 5:23. The natural man is two parts alive, body and soul, but the primary part, the part of him that can know and respond to God is dead! Ill. Gen. 2:17.) Could you be a Natural Man this evening? II. 2:15-16 MR. SPIRITUAL (Ill. The spiritual man is one who live supernaturally. That is, he lives a "spiritual" life. He lives his life not in the old dead nature, but he lives his life in the power of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual man, and every saved person for that matter, has two natures. The old fleshly adamic nature and a new spiritual nature. The spiritual man is one who allows Christ to rule his life. Jesus is not just present, He is preeminent. Jesus does not just reside in the spiritual man's life, He presides over that life. These verses reveal certain characteristics of the spiritual man's life.) A. He Is Capable Of Discernment - The word "judgeth" means "to examine, to discern." The spiritual man is alive in the Spirit, equipped by the Spirit and is open to the truth of God. It is not foolishness to him, but it is a fountain of life. It is like food to his hungry soul. He delights in the things of God! (Note: This ability to receive and understand the deep things of God does not depend upon I.Q. or upon academic ability. This is accomplished through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the yielded believer, John 16:13. There are simple country folks who know more about God than some preachers with multiple doctorates.) The spiritual man is drawn to the things of God and to the truth of God like a moth is drawn to a flame. B. He Is The Cause Of Amazement - The phrase, "yet he himself is judged of not man", means that the lost and worldly folks around him can't figure him out. He , and his life, are a mystery to the natural men around him. He baffles and bothers the man of the world! He has peace, joy and faith in the midst of trial. He has standards and convictions, yet he just lives them out and isn't obnoxious and overbearing about them. The spiritual man is a constant source of amazement to the natural man and to the carnal man. Could you be a Spiritual Man tonight? III. 3:1-4 MR. CARNAL (Ill. The third category offered in this text is that of the carnal man. This kind of person lives his life unnaturally. He lives a "sensual" life. Everything his life is decided by how it affects him and how it makes him feel. He lives according to his flesh. The carnal man is a believer, Ill. 1 Cor. 1:7. The Corinthians were gifted but carnal. He has two natures just like the spiritual man, but he is dominated by the old nature. He quenches the influence of the Spirit of God in his life. Often, the carnal believer cannot be discerned from the lost sinner! A good example of this was a man my the name of Lot. If you had seen him in Genesis 13 and 19, you would have concluded that he was a lost man. But, when you read 2 Pet. 2:7, you discover that he was a righteous, but carnal man. This section of our text tells us all about the carnal man.) (Note: Carnality in the life of God's children is the reason the church lacks power and influence in the community!) A. The Maturity Of The Carnal Believer - Paul says that the carnal man is a baby. He has started out the right way; he has been born again, but he has progressed no farther. (Ill. Babies are cute and precious, but they are designed to grow up and become adults. The same is true in the spiritual realm.) It is fitting and normal to start out as a baby, but is tragic to remain one! The carnal believer suffers from "arrested development". They haven't grown as they should. By the way, how long you have been saved has nothing to do with your level of maturity. I have seen believers who have been saved a short time who have grown substantially in the Lord. By the same token I have seen others who have been saved for lengthy periods of time, yet who have not gotten out of the nursery spiritually. They are still crying, griping, whining and calling attention to themselves. The tragedy of this is that God did not save us to stay babies. He saved us to grow into the image of Jesus, Rom. 8:29; Eph. 4:13.) B. The Menu Of The Carnal Believer - The carnal believer is still on milk spiritually. Milk is fine for babies, 2 Pet. 2:2, but as we mature, we are supposed to move beyond the milk of the Word into the meatier places of the Word, Heb. 5:12-14. Here is the very reason some people are not growing in the Lord. They do not want to go any deeper in the things of the Lord than they already are! You try to lead them deeper in the book and they get spiritual indigestion. They do not want to go. They want to come to church, put their mind in neutral and never have to think! In other words, as long as you stay simple and feed the "gospel lite" they are happy. You know, tell a few stories. Tell about the time you visited so and so and what happened in this place or the other. Talk about your life, talk about the Lord, talk about the church, but keep it lite! But, when you begin to preach the deeper truths of the Word that call for commitment and a change of life, they get and upset stomach and they will spit up all over you! Friend, you will never get out of the nursery until you begin to dig your spiritual teeth into the deeper truths of the Word of God. C. The Marks Of The Carnal Believer - There are three tale-tell characteristics of the carnal believer. If these are evident in your life, then you are carnal and need to change. You are a baby spiritually and need to grow up. 1. Selfishness - Babies are by nature selfish creatures. They care about no one but themselves. They don't care how tired mom and dad are! They don't care about anything else in the world but themselves! As long as they are the center of attention and their needs are being met they are fine. But, when something is wrong in their world, they cry, whine and complain until someone does it their way. The same is true in the life of the carnal believer. The focus is always on themselves. It doesn't matter what's best for the church, all that matters is how it affects them personally. And, when a carnal believer is unhappy everyone knows it! How? They act like a big baby, calling attention to themselves! 2. Strife - Babies want their way and they are prepared to fight for it! They don't care to take by force what they think is theirs. You get a couple of babies together and there will be strife, discord and dissension. Friend, you mark it down, anytime there is trouble in the church, you have a baby on your hands! Someone didn't get their way and they want everyone to know it. Someone got their little feelings hurt and they want someone to pay for it. I don't care where they are found in the church, you can count on spiritual babies to be at the center of every disturbance! With a baby believer, it's always about them. They are always complaining about someone else or something. They are always tattling. They are always pointing their pudgy little fingers at everyone else. They never can see that it might just be them! They might be the problem. They might be easily offended. They might be the ones in the wrong. If you find that you are always offended at someone for what they have said or done; if you think you are always getting the short end of the stick; if you always think you are right and everyone else is wrong, mark it down, you are a baby and you need to grow up. I just want to remind any babies that are listening tonight, if you come to me to tattle on someone else, either you will give me names, dates and specifics which I will take to the person alone with your name, or I won't listen to your whining, complaining and gossiping! 3. Splits - Another trait of the carnal believer is that he brings division everywhere he goes. The carnal believer always carries a divisive spirit within him. He is easily offended and always responds by being offensive. As a result, the carnal believer kills everything he touches, Rom. 8:6. A carnal believer will kill a Sunday School class, a committee, a choir, a testimony service, etc. Everything the flesh touches dies! Conc: Who are you this evening? Are you saved, or are you still a natural man? Are you spiritual? If you said "Yes" then you probably aren't! Are you carnal? We all are from time to time, Ill. Paul - Rom. 7:14. If you can see within your present condition the fact that you are lost, a natural man, please come to Jesus and be saved! If you can see that you are carnal, that you act more like a baby most of the time and you act like Jesus, then please come and deal with the problem. Let God begin to mature you tonight. Who are you? (Ill. Man who lives at the foot of the mountain& never saw the view from the top. What are missing by not climbing higher?)

Enoch Walked With God

by Edward Griffin

“

And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.”

Gen. 5:24

noch was the father of the long lived Methuselah and the great grandfather

of Noah. It is said of him that he walked with God after the birth of

Methuselah, three hundred years. It was a long time for a man to support a

holy life and communion with God without any relapse worthy of notice. It is

difficult for Christians now to do this for a single day: how remarkable then that

he should have done it for the long space of three hundred years. Such approval

did his extraordinary piety gain him, that when the time came for him to leave the

world, God translated him, as he afterwards did Elijah, and suffered him not to

taste the bitterness of death; perhaps to show mankind what he would have done

for them had they never sinned.

We have many strong featured characters drawn in history. Some shine in

all the brilliancy of martial achievements, and are renowned for the conquest of

kingdoms. Others have gathered laurels in the paths of science and illumined the

world with the flashes of their genius. Others by their counsels have swayed the

fate of empires. And the deeds of these have been loudly sounded by the trumpet

of fame. But more is said in praise of this man of God in the few short words of

our text, than is said of them all. A greater character is given him in four words,

than is ascribed to the most renowned warriors and statesmen by the whole voice

of history and poetry.

There is something very expressive in the phrase, “walked with God.” The

Christian life is frequently called a walk, and believers are exhorted to “walk

circumspectly, not as fools but as wise.” It is called walking before God.

“Remember now how I have walked before thee in truth.” The figure of walking

before God was drawn perhaps from the position of those who worshipped in the

tabernacle and temple. The Shekinah or visible glory of God sat enthroned on the

mercy seat. The worshippers stood in the outer court directly before the Shekinah.

Hence the common expression of appearing before God in public worship. To

walk before God meant then to lead a life of devotion. But “Enoch walked with
God.” I do not find this character ascribed to any but Enoch and Noah. I will,
I. Explain what is meant by this figure.
II. Show the consequences of walking with God.
III. State the prominent means by which such a walk can be kept up.
I. I am to explain the figure.
It seems to be expressive of something more intimate than the phrase to
walk before God. We all know what it is for two friends to walk together, engaged
in close and interesting conversation. And this is the figure by which is
represented the intercourse of Enoch with his God for three hundred years. The
figure is well adapted. The hidden life of the Christian, his retired habit of
devotion, his separation from the world, (living, as it were, in the other world
while dwelling in this,) his daily, intimate, unseen communion with God, are very
fitly represented by two intimate friends walking together, engrossed with each
other, unmindful of all the world besides, unseeing and unseen.
This general thought comprehends several particulars.
1. When two friends thus walk together their communion is secret. So is
the communion between the Christian and his God. The world wonders what the
Christian finds to employ himself about when alone. They wonder what supports
him under trials, and renders his countenance cheerful when they looked for
sadness. Let them know then that he draws his comforts from another world; that
he lives far away from this, where the changes and trials of the present state do not
reach him.
As well might they wonder whence Abraham and David derive their
present joys, while clouds are darkening the world below.
2. When two friends thus walk together, their conversation is kind and
sweet. So the man who walks with God pours into his Father’s ear all his desires
and complaints, and receives his kind and comforting answers in return.
3. When two friends thus walk together their wills and governing feelings
are the same; for how “can two walk together except they be agreed?” They also
keep the same course, and thus are advancing towards the same object. So the man
who walks with God is conformed to him in moral character. Benevolence reigns
in his heart, and his open arms embrace the universe. Like God, his feelings are in
accordance with the holy law. He loves righteousness and hates iniquity. His
object too is the same with his. The glory of his Father, the prosperity of Zion, and
3 of 10
the happiness of the universe, constitute the one indivisible object of his pursuit.
He is delighted with the government of God, and has no controversy with him
who shall reign. His will is swallowed up in the divine will. He wishes not to
select for himself, but in every thing chooses that his heavenly Father should
select for him. He is “careful for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and
supplication, with thanksgiving,” makes his “requests known unto God. And the
peace of God which passeth all understanding, “keeps his heart and mind “through
Christ Jesus.”
There are two other things implied in walking with God which are not
exactly suggested by the figure.
1. The man who walks with God walks humbly. God will not walk with
him else; for “the proud he knoweth afar off.” The whole of man’s duty is
summed up in doing justly, in loving mercy, and in walking “humbly” with his
God. The Christian, with all his intimacy with his Maker, does not approach him
with familiar boldness, but is the more abased the more ho sees of him. “I have
heard of thee,” said Job, “by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye seeth thee;
wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
2. The man who walks with God exercises a living faith. This, according
to the apostle, was the main spring of all those graces which gained to Enoch the
reputation of walking with God. “By faith Enoch was translated that he should not
see death, and was not found because God had translated him: for before his
translation he had this testimony that he pleased God: but without faith it is
impossible to please him.”
II. I am to show the consequences of walking with God.
1. By thus walking with God the soul contracts a holy intimacy with him.
The consequence is, 2. That it makes advances in the best of all knowledge, the
knowledge of God. An intimate walk with God affords an opportunity to study his
character, to see it developed in the free communications he makes, and to listen
to his instructions. He is the great instructor of mankind; but his teachings are not
extended to those who live estranged from him.
3. This closer inspection and clearer discernment of God, are the most
powerful means to sanctify the soul. Views of God are transforming. While “with
open face” we behold “as in a glass the glory of the Lord,” we “are changed into
the same image from glory to glory.” Therefore,
4. A sure consequence of such an intimacy between God and the soul, is
an increased mutual affection. The more the soul knows of God the more it will
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love him, and of course the more it will be beloved. What a most tender friendship
did Enoch and Enoch’s God contract for each other during their intimate
communion for three hundred years. If we would enjoy the same blessedness, we
must, like Enoch, walk with God.
5. Such an intimacy between God and the soul cannot fail to establish
mutual confidence. The more God is seen the more securely can the soul commit
the management of all its interests to him, and venture its everlasting all upon the
truth of his word. On the other hand the more this confidence is found, the more
God can confide in such a soul. He will not trust those to whom he can say, “I
know you not;” but of those who are intimate with him and confide in him, he will
say, “Surely they are my people, children that will not lie.” It is the greatest
happiness to feel this confidence in God and to know that he has this confidence
in us. If we covet this, let us walk with him.
6. Such an intimacy with God will preserve us from bad company. A man
who is walking with an honorable friend, is not likely to be annoyed by
disagreeable intruders or to break away after low society. When the soul is in the
immediate presence of God, neither sin nor Satan dares to invade; neither the
world nor any of its perplexing cares will venture to intrude. Every Christian
knows what distressing and dangerous companions these are. If we would avoid
them and more fully enjoy the profitable and delightful society of Enoch’s God,
we must do as Enoch did.
7. Another consequence of such a close walk with God is, that we shall
find support under the unavoidable trials of life. When we are in distress, very
soothing is the company of a prudent and sympathising friend, who, from the
stores of his knowledge, can suggest subjects of consolation. But how much more
blissful the society of God, whose heart is all tenderness, and who can open to the
soul the most comforting of all truths. There is no consolation like this. Indeed it
is well worth while to be a while in the furnace, for the sake of walking there with
one in “the form of the Son of God.”
8. Another consequence of walking with God is the enjoyment of his
protection. Myriads of enemies and dangers swarm in all the way to heaven; but
while God is near he will not suffer them to annoy us. When one of Enoch’s spirit
hears the thunders at a distance, his refuge is nearer than the danger, and he steps
in and is safe. He hides himself where no evil or enemy, though searching for him
throughout the world, can find him.
9. Another consequence of walking with God is, that we shall always have
a faithful monitor at hand, to throw in timely cautions to keep us back from
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indiscretions and sin or to reclaim us when we have wandered. The conscience of
one who walks with God is preserved tender, and God is faithful not to suffer a
son who cleaves to him to err by his side without rebuke. To possess such a
monitor is one of the greatest blessings of life. Let those who would enjoy this
exalted privilege, take care never to depart from the side of their Saviour and their
God.
10. Another consequence of walking with God is an enlightened view of
his providence and government, a clear discernment of the glories of the heavenly
world, and a peaceful assurance of his eternal love. Tell me what is happiness if
this is not. What, of all the enjoyments of the world, can be exalted happiness
compared with this?
11. Another effect of walking with God is a higher enjoyment of ordinary
blessings. By the placid love which by this means is kept alive, the mind is put in
a frame to enjoy every other comfort. And the gratitude which is thus mingled
with the enjoyment of God’s gifts, renders them all the sweeter.
12. Another effect of walking with God is a greater preparation for
usefulness. In proportion as the mind becomes wiser by converse with God, and
holier by near and transforming views of him, it is fitted for stronger and more
persevering and better directed efforts for the happiness of others.
In proportion as its faith and benevolent desires are enlarged, its prayers
will be mighty for the salvation of men. Its very breath will penetrate their
conscience and their heart as no other means can do. And it will throw out upon
the world the all commanding majesty and winning sweetness of a holy example.
One such man will have more influence upon the order of society and the
salvation of men, than millions who never walked with God.
13. Another consequence of walking with God is a peaceful death. In
Enoch’s case it was not death, but a triumphant translation. And in every other
case, in proportion as a man has walked with God, his end, though he leaves his
body behind, is still triumphant, or at least serene. How unspeakable a comfort,
when one is struggling with the king of terrors and about to enter on eternal and
unchangeable scenes, to have “the full assurance of God’s love, peace of
conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” How much better than to sink under awful
fears of eternal wrath, or even under doubts which leave the soul to measure over
the dark valley alone. Would you enjoy this triumph, or even this serenity in
death, you must prepare for it by walking with God.
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Finally, another consequence of walking thus closely with God, is an
enlarged share of immortal glory. In heaven the blessed inhabitants all walk with
God, every day and hour. And they find it no burden but a happiness which they
would not exchange for the whole creation. Why was it not then a happiness on
earth? And yet for an exemplary march in that happy course, millions have found
their blessedness eternally increased. The enhanced joy of a single soul for a few
hours, will outweigh all the pleasures of all the wicked on earth. The time will
come when that additional blessedness of a single soul, will have out-measured all
the happiness enjoyed on earth from Adam to the conflagration. A little further,
and it will have exceeded all the happiness enjoyed by saints and angels in heaven
before the day of judgement. And further still, but imagination faints and turns
back from the pursuit, and can only exclaim, How infinite the good resulting from
one degree of additional faithfulness.
From the weight of all these reasons for a close walk with God, I hope you
are now prepared to give your whole attention while,
III. I state the prominent means by which such a walk can be kept up.
Humility and faith, as we have already seen, are not means merely, but are
involved in the very idea of a walk with God. Without these we cannot approach
God, much less walk with him. The same may be said of obedience generally.
These in the inquiry are not considered so much in the light of means, as a part of
the walk which means are to keep up. And yet particular acts of disobedience
may be mentioned as things to be avoided and particular acts of faith may be
named as means to be employed. The means involve two things, the guarding
against what is injurious and the attending to what is useful.
I. The guarding against what is injurious.
(1.) It is absolutely impossible to preserve the soul in the habit of
conversing with God, without avoiding improper conversation with men; not only
every thing false or impure or profane or malicious or revengeful or passionate,
but every thing deceitful or slanderous or uncharitable or uncandid or vain. It is
even said “that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account
thereof in the day of judgement. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by
thy words thou shalt be condemned.”
(2.) Vain thoughts are another hindrance to an intimate walk with God.
This led the pious Psalmist to say, “I hate vain thoughts.” There cannot exist a
great degree of spirituality, unless the mind is habitually employed in spiritual
contemplations. People who consume most of their leisure hours in thoughts of
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vanity, do not walk with God. It betrays a heart full of idolatry: and as well might
the worshippers of Baal claim to walk with Israel’s God. These cold thoughts
diffuse chills of death through all the soul, and can no more coexist with its
spiritual activity, than paralysis can coexist with the activity of the body.
(3.) No known sin must be indulged. One such Achan fostered in our
camp, will prove that we have not only no intimacy with God, but no
acquaintance with him. One indulged sin is as decisive against us as a hundred.
“Whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of
all.”
(4.) Undue worldly affections and cares must be excluded. Those
affections for the world are undue which are not constantly subjected to the love
of God; that is, are not ready, at all times, cheerfully to submit to the rules which
he has made to regulate our use and management of the world, and to any
sacrifices which his providence may extort from us or require at our hands. And
those cares are undue which, from their number or pressure, seduce the heart from
God. Every worldly care necessarily draws the attention from God for a season, as
we cannot fixedly attend to two things at once. But if the heart is not enticed
away, the thoughts and affections will spontaneously return to him at every
interval of care and with ever fresh delight. Those affections and cares which,
according to these definitions, are undue, obstruct our communion with God and
abate our intimacy with him. Of course they must be guarded against if we would
walk with him.
These are the things to be studiously avoided. And now,
2. Let us see to what we must attend.
(1.) We must punctually and earnestly attend on all the means and
ordinances of God’s appointment. Any neglect or irregularity or carelessness in
this attendance, will cut the sinews of our spirituality, and diminish our strength to
achieve victories and resist temptations in the future. Separate yourselves from
means, and you may as well separate your fields from culture, and even from the
rain and dews of heaven. All our light and grace come through the medium of
means. This in general; but to be more particular, (2.) We must pray the prayer of
faith and “pray without ceasing.” Prayer is the Christian’s life. Though every other
ordinance be attended to, yet if this one be neglected, all is in vain. It is as
impossible for the soul to be spiritually alive and active without a punctual course
of fervent and believing prayer, as for the body to be alive and active without
breath. Prayer has more influence on the sanctification of the soul than all other
ordinances. It is going directly to God to receive the life-giving Spirit according to
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an absolute and often repeated promise. “Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek,
and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that
asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be
opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a
stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? or if he shall ask an
egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good
gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy
Spirit to them that ask him.” This is decisive if any language can be. The promise
is absolute, and there must be an unwavering belief in the promise in order to give
the application success. “If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God, that giveth
to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask
in faith, nothing wavering; for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything
of the Lord.” But the faith instilled is not a belief that I shall receive, but that I
shall receive if I ask aright. It is not a belief in my goodness, but in God’s truth. It
is a firm, unwavering, confident belief that God will “give the Holy Spirit to them
that ask him” aright. This strong confidence in God’s truth may be exercised
whatever doubts we have of our own goodness or election. If we are troubled on
these points it ought not to keep us back. We may leave them to be decided
afterwards, and go right to God with unlimited confidence in his truth and
consequent willingness to hear the cries of all who sincerely seek him. Whoever is
elected, this is true of all. Say not, God will hear me if I am elected, and not
without. Election or no election, he certainly will hear the cries of all, (be it Judas
or be it Peter,) who seek him with the whole heart. This ought to be the strong
confidence of every man, whatever opinion he may have of his own character or
destiny. This, as the apostle testifies was the faith of Enoch. “Before his
translation he had this testimony that he pleased God. But without faith it is
impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe [what? that he
himself is good? that he himself is elected? no such thing: must believe] that he is,
and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” There is a full chance
then for doubting Christians to exercise this sweet and successful confidence in
God. Tell it to the nations.
Let the joyful tidings circulate, through all the region of despondency and
gloom. There is no confidence required of you respecting your goodness or
election. The only faith demanded is to “believe” in God, “that he is, and that he is
a rewarder of them that diligently seek him,” whoever they are, whether it is I or
another man, elect or non-elect.
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(3.) We must watch. In that most trying moment when the powers of hell
were let loose upon the suffering Saviour, he gave his disciples no other direction
than this, “Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation.” So much emphasis
did he lay on these two duties. In regard to watchfulness, I would suggest the
following rules.
First, be vigilant to observe the first motions of the enemy. If he has made
considerable advances before you move, your exertions will probably be too late.
It is dangerous to parley with temptation. Check it early or it will probably prevail.
Keep your eyes open to watch the different avenues by which the enemy makes
his approach. He will often vary his mode of attack. Through all his variations
keep your eye steadfastly upon him. Acquaint yourselves with his numerous
devices.
Secondly, watch another enemy greater than this; watch your own heart.
Keep an attentive eye upon the movements of corruption within you: otherwise
some evils will gather too much strength for you to resist; others will work
unseen, and go in to form your character unknown to yourselves. “Keep thy heart
with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”
Thirdly, watch opportunities for doing and getting good. Much is lost in
reference to both by overlooking the favorable moment.
Fourthly, watch the motions and expressions of divine providence. It will
throw much interesting light on the character and government of God and
illustrate and confirm many things taught in the Scriptures.
Fifthly, watch the motions of the Spirit upon your minds. Sometimes the
Spirit whispers an invitation to prayer or divine contemplation. If the suggestion is
followed we may find the duties easy and pleasant, and the effect lasting. But
perhaps we refuse to attend to the impulse. The consequence is, our hearts grow
cold and lifeless; and then though we attempt to pray or meditate, we find no
relish for it. This remark goes no part of the way towards denying God’s
efficiency, but only assumes that he leaves us sometimes by way of punishment. It
may be illustrated by a passage from the Song of Solomon, understood to relate to
the intercourse between Christ and the Church. The Spouse, half aroused from
lethargy, says, “I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my Beloved that
knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my
head is filled with dew and my locks with the drops of the night. [Now mark how
her indolence pleads.] I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed
my feet, how shall I defile them?
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[Now the heavenly Bridegroom makes a more effectual effort.] My
Beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for
him. I rose up to open to my Beloved, end my hands dropped with myrrh, and my
fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. I opened to my
Beloved, but, [see the effect of not opening to Christ at first] my Beloved had
withdrawn himself and was gone: my soul failed when he spoke: I sought him, but
I could not find him; I called him but he gave me no answer.” This is enough to
confirm my idea of watching and obeying the first suggestion of the Spirit of
Christ.
I have thus shown what it is to walk with God, the blessed consequences,
and the means. May I not now, my Christian brethren, urge upon you this
delightful duty? It is what you owe to the blessed God, your Father and Saviour,
who has astonished heaven by his kindness to you, and whose mercies, if you are
not deceived, will hold you entranced to eternity. It is what you owe to him, and it
will secure you a happy life, more than all the wealth and honors of the world. It is
heaven begun below. Do you not wish to be happy? Bend all your cares then to
walk with God. Be not satisfied with a general desire to do this, but fix
systematically on the means prescribed. Pursue those means hourly, daily, yearly.
Reduce your life to a system under the regulation of these rules. Good old Enoch
could walk with God three hundred years. And he has never seen cause to repent
it. Could you have access to him in his glory, would he express regret for the
pleasant mode of spending the last three hundred years of his life? We are apt to
think that we are not expected to aim at the superior piety of the ancient saints.
But why paralyse every power by such a stupid mistake? Are we not under as
great obligations? Is not God as worthy of obedience now as in the days of old?
Have the increased displays of his mercy in the Gospel impaired his claims? Has
the affecting scene of Calvary rendered him less lovely in the eyes of sinners? Are
the means used with mankind less than in the patriarchal age? Or are the happy
consequences of a walk with God worn out by time? Why should we then content
ourselves with being scarcely alive, when so many saints have been through life
rapt in communion with God? Do we thirst for honors? What honor is so great as
to be the companion and son and favorite of the everlasting God? Do we wish for
riches? Who is so rich as the heir of him who owns all the treasures of the
universe? Do we prize the best society? What better society can be found than
Enoch had? Does any valuable consideration move us, or any ingenuous motive,
O let us never cease to walk with God. Amen.
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E

what is God's glory?

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What is the glory of God? Question: "What is the glory of God?" Answer: The glory of God is the beauty of His spirit. It is not an aesthetic beauty or a material beauty, but it is the beauty that emanates from His character, from all that He is. James 1:10 calls on a rich man to “glory in his humiliation,” indicating a glory that does not mean riches or power or material beauty. This glory can crown man or fill the earth. It is seen within man and in the earth, but it is not of them; it is of God. The glory of man is the beauty of man’s spirit, which is fallible and eventually passes away, and is therefore humiliating—as the verse tells us. But the glory of God, which is manifested in all His attributes together, never passes away. It is eternal. Isaiah 43:7 says that God created us for His glory. In context with the other verses, it can be said that man “glorifies” God because through man, God’s glory can be seen in things such as love, music, heroism and so forth—things belonging to God that we are carrying “in jars of clay” (2 Corinthians 4:7). We are the vessels which “contain” His glory. All the things we are able to do and to be find their source in Him. God interacts with nature in the same way. Nature exhibits His glory. His glory is revealed to man’s mind through the material world in many ways, and often in different ways to different people. One person may be thrilled by the sight of the mountains, and another person may love the beauty of the sea. But that which is behind them both (God’s glory) speaks to both people and connects them to God. In this way, God is able to reveal Himself to all men, no matter their race, heritage or location. As Psalm 19:1-4 says, “The heavens are telling of the glory of God and their expanse is declaring the work of His hands; day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their utterances to the end of the world.” Psalm 73:24 calls heaven itself “glory.” It used to be common to hear Christians talk of death as being “received unto glory,” which is a phrase borrowed from this Psalm. When the Christian dies, he will be taken into God’s presence, and in His presence will be naturally surrounded by God’s glory. We will be taken to the place where God’s beauty literally resides—the beauty of His Spirit will be there, because He will be there. Again, the beauty of His Spirit (or the essence of Who He Is) is His “glory.” In that place, His glory will not need to come through man or nature, rather it will be seen clearly, just as 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known.” In the human/earthly sense, glory is a beauty or vibrancy that rests upon the material of the earth (Psalm 37:20, Psalm 49:17), and in that sense, it fades. But the reason it fades is that material things do not last. They die and wither, but the glory that is in them belongs to God, and returns to Him when death or decay takes the material. Think of the rich man mentioned earlier. The verse says, “The rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away.” What does this mean? The verse is admonishing the rich man to realize that his wealth and power and beauty come from God, and to be humbled by the realization that it is God who makes him what he is, and gives him all he has. And the knowledge that he will pass away like the grass is what will bring him to the realization that God is the one from whom glory comes. God’s glory is the source, the wellspring from which all smaller glories run. Since God is the one from whom glory comes, He will not let stand the assertion that glory comes from man or from the idols of man or from nature. In Isaiah 42:8, we see an example of God’s jealousy over His glory. This jealousy for His own glory is what Paul is talking about in Romans 1:21-25 when he speaks of the ways people worship the creature rather than the Creator. In other words, they looked at the object through which God’s glory was coming, and, instead of giving God the credit for it, they worshiped that animal or tree or man as if the beauty it possessed originated from within itself. This is the very heart of idolatry and is a very common occurrence. Everyone who has ever lived has committed this error at one time or another. We have all “exchanged” the glory of God in favor of the “glory of man.” This is the mistake many people continue to make: trusting in earthly things, earthly relationships, their own powers or talents or beauty, or the goodness they see in others. But when these things fade and fail as they will inevitably do (being only temporary carriers of the greater glory), these people despair. What we all need to realize is that God’s glory is constant, and as we journey through life we will see it manifest here and there, in this person or that forest, or in a story of love or heroism, fiction or non-fiction, or our own personal lives. But it all goes back to God in the end. And the only way to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ. We will find the very source of all beauty in Him, in heaven, if we are in Christ. Nothing will be lost to us. All those things that faded in life we will find again in Him.