^ Professor Oman. JOB-PS. XXX. — 19
290 THE VISION OF GOD
the soul. Or change the figure. You have looked upon the calm surface of a mountain tarn, lying like a lustrous jewel in its rocky hollow, and you have seen the sun and clouds reflected from that surface as though there were another firmament at your feet ; or, when you have stood upon its margin you have even seen given back, feature for feature, your own face. But sviddenly a breeze has swept across its bosom and ruffled its glassy smoothness, and then of the sun and heavens you could see nothing but broken lights and scattered images, and of your own face nought that was recognizable. Just so the gusts of passion sweep over the soul, and the image of God that was mirrored there becomes blurred and broken. The vision of the Face is no more seen. Only the righteous heart can see the Eighteous God. It is only the heart which is at peace with Him that can have the true revelation of God. So long as we are selfish and sinful, " we see through a glass darkly " ; but, once we have grown Christlike, " then face to face." " Blessed are the pure in heart ; for they shall see God."i
4. That which satisfies us must be suited to our nature. You might as well try to fill a chest with wisdom as a soul with wealth. That which satisfies us must be large as our capacity ; earthly good comes drop by drop, a little at most, and a little at a time ; but we need a good that shall furnish for an ever-enlarging capacity an ever-enlarging supply. That which satisfies us must satisfy the hunger of every faculty ; some things meet one faculty and some another ; not one meets all, and, in the fullest sense, not one meets one. " The eye is never satisfied with seeing, nor the ear with hearing." That wliich satisfies us must be holy ; for, sooner or later, men find that the sin to which they have looked for their earthly heaven is the very element of hell. That which satisfies us must be immortal as our being. That which satis- fies us must have infinite power to engage and delight our highest love ; for " desire is love in motion, delight is love in rest."
^ " Oh, blessed vision ! " was the apostrophe of an ancient confessor ; " oh, blessed vision ! to which all others are penal and despicable ! Let me go into the mint house and see heaps of gold, and I am never the richer ; let me go to the pictures and see
^ J. Halsey.
PSALM XVII. 15 291
goodly faces, I am never the fairer ; let me go to the court, where I see state and magnificence, and I am never the greater ; but, oh. Saviour ! I cannot see Thee and not be blessed, I can see Thee here through symbols : if the eye of my faith be dim, yet it is sure. Oh, let me be unquiet till I shall see Thee as I am seen ! " ^
^ There comes a time in the life of every one who follows the truth with full sincerity when God reveals to the sensitive soul the fact that He and He alone can satisfy those longings, the satisfaction of which she has hitherto been tempted to seek elsewhere. Then follows a series of experiences which constitute the " sure mercies of David." . . . The sensitive nature is, from day to day, refreshed with a sweetness that makes the flesh-pots of Egypt insipid ; and the soul cries, " Cor meum et caro mea exultaverunt in Deum vivum." ^
^ One class-night, John Smalley, the chapel- keeper, was Mr. Harrison's substitute as leader. He was an original thinker, plain and somewhat dogmatic, but thoroughly good. When he spoke to me, he said something of this sort : " Thomas, the Bible says, ' Ye shall find me, when ye seek me with your whole heart.' " It was a hard saying, but it did me good, for it made me pray more than ever. Gradually, however, the truth came to me. Very slowly I saw that my sins had been punished, but so gradually did the darkness pass I never could say exactly when I found peace. It might have been said that it was like a train coming out of a tunnel, very slowly ; so much so that one could not tell when it began to be light ; but the light came, and there has been no tunnel in my experience ever since ! It was twilight for some weeks, though not the twilight of evening, but of the morning ! One day it came into my mind that I would go and see John M'Lean, the young local preacher who took me to class, and who tried to help me many a time. It was in my heart to ask him if he thought I might rejoice a bit, as the darkness was not so great. When I reached his house he saw me coming, and when we met he said, " Tom, you need not tell me what you have come for ! You have found peace, for I see it in your face ! " ^