68 THE TEMPLE OF LIVING STONES
Eock, Eock of Ages, Stone of the Corner — Angulare Funda- mentum. And we have indeed abundant Scriptures where He appears in all the glory and in all the power of Life. " I am he that liveth," " I am the life." But here only do the two truths meet in one magnificent witness to His worth and glory; only here is He named " the Living Stone." ^
(1) Christ imparts life. We depend upon Christ for life. He is a " living stone," and we who believe are " living stones." But there is this all-important difference between Him and us, viz. He is the Living One, He has life in Himself, while we live only in Him. His life is inherent ; ours is derived. He would live on, if we were to die ; whereas if He were to die, our life would end for ever.
^ Here is an elect stone, chosen of God though rejected of men. It stands every test. Satan searched in vain for any flaw in Christ's character; any imperfection, however small, in His obedience. Sir Walter Scott, in Ivanhoe, tells us how Locksley, with his cloth-yard shafts "told every rivet" in De Bracy's armour, on the walls of Front de Boeuf's castle. Had there been a weak point anywhere in that armour, the arrows would have found it out, and De Bracy's life would have been forfeited. So, to compare the infinitely greater with the less, with his fiery darts of manifold temptations did Satan tell off every rivet of our blessed Lord's armour of righteousness while here upon earth. Could he have found but one weak point anywhere. His entire work as our Eedeemer would have been marred, and He could not have been our Saviour. No weak point, however, could he find — God's elect and precious stone is a tried stone.^
(2) In order that we may become living stones, fit for building on the foundation, we must come into touch with Christ. In His own words we must " come to " Him. That is to say, we must commit ourselves to Him in faith.
^ Suppose a stranger arrives in a town and inquires where he can safely deposit his money. He is told by a friend that N. & M.'s bank is perfectly safe. He thereupon obtains an audited balance-sheet, examines it, and from it learns the re- sources of the bank. He believes the person who tells him that the bank is good ; he believes about the bank that the security it offers is ample; so he trusts his money to the bank's keeping,
^ H. C. G. Moule, The Secret of the Presence, 110. ' A» C. Price, Fifty Sermons, xi. 19.
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i.e. he believes on the bank. Or, to put it in another way, a boat- load of holiday makers may often be seen landing on the shore of some English watering-place. The tide is low, and the boat caimot be brought right up on to the dry sand or beach. The passengers do not wish to wet their feet, so the boatman invites them to ride ashore on his back. They believe him when he makes the suggestion ; they look at him, and, seeing that he is a stalwart fellow, they believe about him that he is able to do what he proposes, so one by one they trust themselves to him.i
The things mysterious That here vouchsafe to me their apparition, Unto all eyes below are so concealed,
That all their being lies in faith alone,
Whereon high Hope proceeds to base herself.
And so Faith takes the place and rank of substance.
And it behoveth us from our belief
To draw conclusions without other sight;
And hence Faith takes the place of argument.^
2. The materials of the Temple are living stones.
(1) Where are the stones found ? — They are all cut out of the quarry of nature ; stone by stone is brought out of that deep cavern, placed upon the living stone, and each united to the other.
^ I have read that some little while back there was discovered in Jerusalem a deep cavern close by the Damascus Gate, and those who have explored it have come to the conclusion that it is the spot from which the stones were taken to build the glorious Temple of Solomon. It was there that the hammering and the cutting were done. It was there that the stones were shaped, and from thence, by some process that we do not now understand, they were brought from their deep grave, and separately placed in position upon Mount Zion. The blocks of stone were taken one by one out of the bowels of the earth and out of darkness, and then carried by mighty power to the temple walls, until, when the last stone was cut out and placed in position, with shoutings of " grace unto it," the whole building was complete. Tliis forms a beautiful illustration of the way in which the Lord builds His spiritual temple. The Spirit of God goes into the deep black
^ J. G. Hoaie, The Foundation Stone of Chridian Faith, 228. * Dante, Paradiso,
70 THE TEMPLE OF LIVING STONES
quarry of fallen nature, and there hews out the hidden stones, and by His own almighty power bears them to the foundation stone and places them in a living temple to go no more out for ever.^