Ver. 10.-The centre of attraction /or the whole world. " An ensign of the people ; to it shall the Gentiles seek." In prophetic form we have here expressed the truth which Meeele.h himself expressed when he ea.id, ".And I, if I he lifted up, will dra.w e.11 men unto me." All humanity ls :fi~ured a.s turning to look on the crucified One, and responding to e.n irresistible a.ttra.ction which makes all gather round him,a.s armies ge.ther e.bout an ensign or standard, e.nd a.a clans gather to the appointed meeting-pla.ce. Our Lord spoke, on three separate occasioDll, of the attractive power tha.t would come from bis "uplifting." (1) John iii. 14. Here the idea is a. genera.I one. Lifted up in the sense of being set in eight of men, a.e the brazen serpent was when set up on the pole in the middle of the ce.mp. (2) John viii. 28. Here the idea. is that his Messiah- ship would be evident when his life was complete, a.nd that would not be until he was lifted up in death. (3) John xii. 32. Here we find Greek proselytes anxious to see Jesus. Such pressing into the kingdom was premature. The "corn of wheat must fe.11 into the ground and die." Greeks and Gentiles must wait just a. little while longer. The ensign would soon be lifted up ; then to it they may seek. It is interest, ing to notice that the Syriac word for "crucify " means "to raise," "to lift up," as men set up a standard. Christ's power from his cross-Christ's attraction as an Ensign-is our subject, and we note- I. CHRIST, ON ms OROSS, ATTRACTIVELY REVEALS mMBELF TO THE MINDS OF MEN. We can only get imperfect a.nd unsatisfactory views by limiting our attention to Christ's work. In that way we can only hope to formulate cold and lifeless doctrines. But our views are equally imperfect if we limit our attention to Christ's person. Then we can do no more than nourish sentiment, or set before ourselves an example for imitation. We must combine both, and let ea.eh illuminate the other. Illustrate the splendour of the combined oxy-hydrogen light. How much Christ made of himself! In a. man it would be painful egotism ; why is it not in him ? Because it was his mission to manifeat God to men;' so he must point to himself. .All his life, speech, doing, suffering, was a. gradual disclosing of himself, of the deep mystery of his origin, his claim, of God in him. But what we need to see more fully than we do is that, apart from his death, as he died, his life could not have efficiently revealed him. Death only completes the test. If he had failed in tha.t supreme hour, au imperfect sonship could never have shown to us the perfect Father-God. We can see that only the story of his life could not have sufficed, for: 1. His enemies misrepresented that life, and said, "He hath a. devil." 2. Disciples misunderstood it, and only saw its meaning after his death. 3. Critics now can explain the life, but are hopelessly puzzled by the mystery of his death. Lifted up, Christ is set before us (1) as the model Man; (2) as not a mere man; (3) as the Son of God with power. And if religion demands personal love to and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, then we must know him, we must know him fully; and we can only thus know him as he is "lifted up." JI. CHRIST, ON BIB CROSS, ATTRACTIVELY SHOWS HIMSELF TO THE HEARTS OF MEN. Men may be driven or drawn to goodness. The gospel has its majesty of driving, its "whip of small cords." "Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men." But its great power is its drawing power; its moral influence; its constraint of the affections, and of the will. .A voice from the "Ensign," from Jesus lifted up, is ever calling to us and saying, "Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see." Suffering has a strange power on human hearts. Self-sacrificing suffering moves us strangely. Crucifixion was curse and shame, but it set Christ in the world's eye. No kind of death could so lift him up and compel the dying world to look. And Christ crucified is still the supreme persuasion, the irresistible attraction, to men. Jesus lifted up, an Ensign for the gathering of the people, may be an old nnd worn story, and it may have lost something of its drawing power for you. Ah! that can only be because men, and men's words, have stood in front of him, and taken your eyes off him. 86fl him only. Look to the Ensign, and then you will find your soul asking itself- " !'or whom, for whom, my soul, Were all these sorrows borne?" and you too will feel" the strong attractive power."-R. T, Ver. 11.-The unity of the race in Messiah's kingdom. This unity is the great dream 218 THE BOOK OF THE l'TIOPHET ISAIAH. Cau. lttt. 1-0.
and hope of h11manity. It can never be i\ttaitied In any temporal kingdom, and it could be only a formal and outward unity if it were, Nb unities of mind or of govern- ment are possible; but unity of hf'att is. Men can be one in God; and one in that 6piritual king,lom in which God rules. 'l'his verse is used as 11.n argument for what is known as the ~econd coming of Christ. It.s force and val\\e in that relation we do not now discus~. The spiritual suggestion of the pastiage is now before us, and we nre to see that Christ is the bond of unity for the world, which never can be one save in his love, in the life he gives, and in the Father-God he reveals. Ho\v this unity is to be l'C'Oured we may fully see by considering the following points concerning Christ's influence. I. HE ATTRACTS ALL. (See the previous Homily.) II. HE BREAKS DOWN AJ.L SEPARATIONS. Of race, class, age, p,rej11dice, religious forms, etc. In him there is" neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, me.le nor female. He is all and in all." III. HE IS SUPERIOR TO ALT, PHYSICAL DIFFICULTIES. They come to him from all parts. The Spirit of Christ triumphs over mouutains and over seas. It goes into the fever-lands, and gains influence in the frozen zones. Missionaries go everywherEI preaching Christ, au<l his Spirit in them is their heroic mastery .of all disabilities. . , IV. HE CAN SATISFY ALL HEARTS. Glad hearts and sorrowful ones. Empty hearts and full ones. Lonely hearts and satisfied ones. Dead hearts and yearning ones. He has life, love, truth, rest, hope, peace, at his command; and of this-grace he giveth to. !Lll men liberally. He can perfect the unity of the race by winning the universal Jove, the supreme love, which is the life of humanity, and the ensuring of the brotherhood. All men can be sons of the one Father in their love. All men can be brothers, indeed, by the love of their common sonship. Christ is God, and he wins us for God, and he win ■ us .s C'Tfl<'l -R. T.