tion was not only limited in space, but also con- ditioned by time. A perfect revelation would be wasted on an imperfect nation. Religion, or man’s receptivity for God’s communication, can make progress only as conscience and reason, morals and institutions are developed. That a revelation may be effective for the ends for which it is intended, it must be adapted to the stage of growth of the persons to whom it is given. Accordingly, the idea of evolution, the applica- tion of which has been so fruitful in other branches of knowledge, not only may but must be utilized in the interpretation of this revelation. Viewed from this standpoint, it shows a steady if slow progress, not without relapses followed by re- coveries, yet with the dominant tendency to truer thought, purer worship, and better life, until in Jesus Christ the promise of the Hebrew religion found its fulfilment, and from Him went forth the power which has made, and is still making, the Christian religion the final and perfect satis- faction of man’s need of God. ‘The theoretic proof of the superiority of the Christian to all other religions is being confirmed by the practical proof that, wherever it is known and understood, the imperfections of the religion hitherto cherished are recognized, and its higher claim and greater worth are acknowledged. In its idea of God as Father it offers the truest object for faith ; in its law of love it affords both the highest principle and the strongest motive for morality ; in its pro- mise of eternal life it inspires the brightest hope ; and in the salvation from sin it offers it delivers mankind from its greatest danger and meets its deepest need.
Before passing to consider more closely the history of this revelation, two remarks, for which the preceding discussion affords the warrant, may be added. /irstly, there is no religion without revelation. In so far as men have sincerely sought God, however inadequate their conceptions or im- perfect their methods, He has been really found of them. The truth and worth of any religion depends on the measure of man’s responsiveness to God’s revelation. Secondly, we cannot alto- gether deny the inspiration of the great religious personalities who have in any degree reformed or revived religion, such as Confucius, Buddha, Zoro- aster, and Mohammed. In so far as they saw any clearer light than their contemporaries, God gave them sight; but, as any revelation which came through them has done immeasurably less for man’s progress than the revelation in Christ, they cannot be regarded as His rivals, but at best as tutors to lead to Him.
ii. THE History OF REVELATION.—1l. Charac- teristics of OT revelation.—In dealing with this history it will not be necessary to enter into any minute details, as these have already been pre- sented in such articles as ISRAEL in vol. ii. and OLD TESTAMENT in vol. iii., but the characteristic features and decisive factors may be briefly shown. The revelation was to and by individuals, law- givers, judges, priests, and prophets—men who were chosen, called, and fitted by God to be the teachers and leaders of their fellow-countrymen, rebuking their sins, withstanding their unbelief, correcting their mistakes as to God’s relation to men, communicating His will and His purpose, and announcing His judgments and His promises. Otherwise it could not have been; for just as peoples are chosen for special functions, so in these peoples persons are chosen, by whose en- lightenment and stimulus they are fitted for the discharge of their respective functions. To the minds and hearts and wills of a few men God commits His message and mission to the many. But these few are not isolated from or independent
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of the society for which their work is done. Not only do the words and works of the individual not suffice for the full expression of the content of Divine revelation, but he in isolation would be incapable of being the organ of Divine communica- tion. As the individual lives not to himself but for society, God’s will for him cannot be expressed apart from His purpose for society. God’s moral commands, involving as these do the relations of men to one another, can find adequate expression only in the customs, laws, and manners of a society. So communion with God for its variety and vigour needs community with men. If an individual message is not to be wasted, it must be delivered to a society with a measure of respon- siveness. But this involves that each teacher or leader does not stand quite alone, but that he has entered into other men’s labours, and that he is sowing seed of which others will reap the fruit. Each is continuing a work already begun, and is transferring to others a task waiting to be com- pleted. There must be this inheritance from the past, and this bequest to the future at each stage ; for the whole counsel and purpose of God cannot be communicated at once. As God’s communica- tion must at each stage be conditioned by man’s receptivity, and the development of that recep- tivity was very gradual, the revelation was pro- gressive. Men were led from lower to higher thoughts of God, from poorer to richer life in God, from narrower to wider hope from God. We must, to complete our conception of the process of revelation, not only consider God’s action through _ the inspiration of men, but must also take into due account God’s guidance of the whole course of the history of the people for whom this revela-