ways—in the account of the deliverance of the Israelites from the Egyptians, of protecting them from all their enemies during their long wanderings, and also of daily creating food for them; a similar power of creation was shown too, in the case of the widow's oil and meal, that "wasted not." Yet all these things are there described as being done at second hand, as it were, and by intermediate instrumentality, or else invisibly, so that we saw not the source of the power:—it was as by a hand put forth through a veil. But here in "God Appearing," all these things are manifest and visible: not only the wondrous act, but the Divine Agent is seen. Christ stood there in the open day, and dispersed disease and raised the dead by a touch or a word; he commanded the unclean spirits with an audible voice, and they fled before Him, crying "What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?"[1] He spoke to the raging elements, and they were calm. He gave forth visibly from His hand bread sufficient to feed five thousand men. Here, then, we see the Divine power manifested in a much more distinct and satisfactory manner: and it is thus that in contemplating Jesus, as God manifested, our faith is doubled.
But now we are to consider some of the proofs of the Divine Wisdom, as manifested in and through Jesus Christ. In the sublime passages from the Divine Word, quoted in the last chapter, we saw God's wondrous wisdom declared in the loftiest terms.—"Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord? or being His counsellor hath taught Him?" "Hast thou not known?
- ↑ Matt. viii. 29.
