Page:Literature and Dogma (1883).djvu/111

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notions about righteousness, God's will, and the meaning of prophecy, you can see them saying and not doing, full of fierce temper, pride, and sensuality;—this shows they can be but blind guides for you. The saviour of Israel is he who makes Israel use his conscience simply and sincerely, who makes him change and sweeten his temper, conquer and annul his sensuality. Such a saviour will make unhappy Israel happy again. The prophets all point to such a saviour, and he is the Messiah, and the promised happiness to Israel is in him and in his reign. He is, in the exalted language of prophecy, the holy one of God, the son of God, the beloved of God, the chosen of God, the anointed of God, the son of man in an eminent and unique sense, the Messiah and Christ. In plainer language, he is 'a man who tells you the truth which he has heard of God;' who came not of himself and speaks not of himself, but who 'came forth from God,'—from the original God of Israel's worship, the God of righteousness and of happiness joined to righteousness,—'and is come to you.'[1] Israel is perpetually talking of God and calling him his Father; and 'everyone,' says Jesus Christ, 'who hears the Father, comes to me, for I know Him, and know His will, and utter His word.'[2] God's will and word, in the Old Testament, was righteousness. In the New Testament, it is righteousness explained to have its essence in inwardness, mildness, and self-renouncement. This is, in substance, the word of Jesus which he who hears 'shall never see death;' of which he who follows it 'shall know by experience whether it be of God.'[3]

But as the Israel of the Old Testament did not say or feel that he fol-

  1. John, viii, 40, 42; xvi, 27, 28.
  2. John, vi, 45; viii, 29, 16.
  3. John, viii, 51; vii, 17.