022. THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
THE SWORD OF THE SPIRIT
Thus reason and conscience, themselves possessing a limited and individual authority, are put under the advisement of State and Church, which possess a larger and more general authority. But Scripture, the record of God’s special revelation, overtops all these; and, where Scripture plainly speaks, reason and conscience, Church and State, must bow. And yet, even above this revelation stands the Revealer; and the source of all authority is not Scripture, but Christ. The hierarchy finds its summit in him who is "the head of all principality and power."
Nowhere are we told that the Scripture of itself is able to convince the sinner or to bring him to God. It is a glittering sword, but it is "the sword of the Spirit"; and unless the Spirit use it, it will never pierce the heart. It is a heavy hammer, but only the Spirit can wield it so that it breaks in pieces the flinty rock. It is the type locked in the form, but the paper will never receive an impression until the Spirit shall apply the power. No mere instrument shall have the glory that belongs to God. Every soul shall feel its entire dependence upon him. Only the Holy Spirit can turn the outer word into an inner word. And the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ. Christ comes into direct contact with the soul. He himself gives his witness to the truth. He bears testimony to Scripture, even more than Scripture bears testimony to him.
We are, therefore, to worship, not the book, but him who gave the book. May it not be for this very reason God has left the book still laden with marks of human imperfection, sometimes errors of grammar and rudeness of style, sometimes the imperfect morality of the earlier ages, in order that we may bow only to him to whom the whole book points—the Christ of God, who is himself God’s one and only complete revelation to man?
One of the earliest recollections of my childhood is that of a great family Bible, with a cover of brilliant red, which stood upon the center-table of our humble parlor. One day I stood upon tip-toe and ventured to open it. Upon the title-page I saw the picture of a book, from which rays of light seemed to stream in every direction. A feeling of awe seized me; God seemed to be in the book; the book was almost God. In that picture, and in my childish impression of it, there was a solemn truth, and I would not undervalue it. But I have learned to correct the symbol. The Bible is not an original source of light,—it only transmits the light of Christ. It is not an original source of power,—it only serves as the vehicle and instrument of Christ’s power. Christ is the source from which the rays proceed, and Scripture is but the earthly mirror that reflects his glory. Like the Holy Spirit who inspired it, it does not magnify itself,—it takes of the things of Christ and shows them to us. We use it rightly when we permit it to lead us to him. It is like * the angel who showed to John, in the Apocalypse, the things that should shortly be done. If we ever are so dazzled by its beams that we bow down to worship it, it reminds us at once that its authority is delegated and limited, that it only reflects the glory of the divine Redeemer; and we hear it saying to us: "See thou do it not: worship God!"