With regard to (1), we may believe that only His friends could have perceived them. They miglit have seen something, as St. Paul's com- panions did on the road to Damascus (Ac 9''), but not the face of Christ. Faith and love were neces- sary to interpret the manifestations. (2) They were not apjjarentlj- surrounded with glory and majesty. They disturbed and frightened, not because they were expressions of His eternal majesty, as that of the Transfiguration was, but because they were unexpected and sudden. This, we think, is singular, and certainly one of the marks of the truthfulness of the narrative. We expect it to be so ditt'erent, as is shown by the shining figures that represent the Risen Lord in picture and stained-glass window. But just as the graciousness of a king leads him to adopt the dress, of his guest so as to make him more com- pletely at home, so our King, when He comes to those poor labouring folk whom He had chosen for His Apostles, comes as one of them.
5. Manifestations to disciples since the Ascension. — There is a striking promise in the words our Lord spoke after the Last Supper, in which He declares that He will manifest Himself to the man that loves Him. That this does not refer to the manifestations of the Resurrection, which were so soon to follow, is clear from His reply to Jude's very natural question as to how He would manifest Himself to the disciples and yet not to the world (Jn 14"-^^). It is interesting to note that St. John does not use the ordinary Greek word {(pavepou) for manifestation, but takes another word (if^pavi^io), which is employed in this sense in only one other passage (Mt 27^^), where the dead bodies of the saints are said to have apjieared to many in the holy city. That jjassage would seem to indicate a bodily appearance ; but our Lord's explanation contradicts such an interpretation. When asked how He could appear to the men who loved Him and yet not to the world. He replies that in the first place the man who loves Him will keep His word, i.e. will give his mind to Him, and observe His teaching, and then in his fixed contemplation and obedience will realize not only His OAvn pres- ence, but the presence of the Father. Such mani- festations as these, then, are .secret, personal reali- zations of Christ's presence, according more nearly with the revelations of a friend's character that we have in his letters, or in his pictures if he is an artist, in his music if he is a musician. Not, however, that we are to think of them as entirely subjective. The w-ords ' We will come unto him ' teach an actual spiritual movement on our Lord's part towards those who love Him, which they will feel and enjoy.
To St. Paul, who did enjoy some actual appear- ances of Christ, the spiritual revelations were every- thing ; and in one difficult passage he declares that though he had kno-wii Christ after the flesh, i.e. in bodily form, henceforth he knew Him no longer in
\
MAXLIXESS
MAXLIXESS
113
that way (2 Co 5^^), evidently finding more in the indwelling manifestation of Christ than he had kno\\Ti in the joj- of Christ's visible form.
6. Manifestation of the Second Advent. — In 2 Th 2*, where AV gi\'es ' with the brightness of his coming,' KV renders 'by the manifestation of his coming,' the Gr. Avord being e-TTLcpdveia. Similarly RV substitutes ' shall be manifested ' for AV ' shall appear' in Col 3^ 1 P 5^ 1 Jn 2^8 3-', the Gr. word in each case being (pavepow. See artt. Par- ousiA, Second Coming.
G. H. S. Walpole.
MANLINESS.— To the Christian, Jesus is the perfect man, and therefore in His character is to lie found the perfect type of manliness. At the same time, when we speak of the manliness of Jesus, there is an element of challenge in the plirase, and we make an assertion that is felt to require justification. This is due jiartlv to the fact that the conventional idea of manliness se'ems too poor a standard to apply to Jesus, and partly to the fact that the courage of Jesus is not often emphasized. Gentleness, meekness, and forgive- ness are the qualities bj- which His character was pre-eminently distinguished, and it is too often assumed that these preclude the possession of courage. A somewhat complex problem is thus raised by the discussion of manliness in relation to Jesus, which involves two questions: (1) What is the conventional or worldly conception of manli- ness ? (2) How far do the character and teaching of Jesus agree vrith tliis, and how far do they modify it?
1. The conventional or worldly conception of manliness cannot be described in a word, for a number of qualities go to make up what the Avorld accejjts as a manly man. (1) There must be a basis of adequate physical strength. Men have always admired the athlete, and they reject the claim to manliness of those who are puny and feeble in body. The A^gour and energy of a strong, well- disciplined tody form the substratum of the worlds idea of manliness. A proof of this is to be found in the many efforts made by Christian people to remove the prejudice that there is an opposition between Christian faith and bodily strength. The coniuination of Christian faith with athletic vigour lias seemed and does seem to manj- extremely desirable (cf. ' muscular Christianity '). (2) There must be a sufficient degree of intelligence. As, however, the standard of intelligence demanded for manliness is not very high, this element is not greatly emphasized. (3) There must te the moral qualities of courage, temperance or self-control, perseverance, and love of personal honour. Of these courage is fundamental, and it may be defined as the assertion of .self against opposing influences. It is recognized by the world in many forms, from the animal quality of bold disregard of physical danger up to steadfast adherence to conscientious conN^iction. At the same time, however courageous a man may te, the world holds him to come short of true manliness if he is not able to control his impulses, whether of mind or lx)dy, to persevere patiently in any course of action lie has adopted, and to be ^scrupulous in guarding his personal honoui- AA-ith life itself if necessaiy.