se its work is done. Natural Law,
p. 57.
December 26th. The natural man belongs essentially to this present order
of things. He is endowed simply with a high quality of the natural animal
Life. But it is Life of so poor a quality that it is not Life at all. He
that hath not the Son hath not Life; but he that hath the Son hath Life--
a new and distinct and supernatural endowment. He is not of this world.
He is of the timeless state, of Eternity. IT DOTH NOT YET APPEAR WHAT HE
SHALL BE. Natural Law, p. 82.
December 27th. The gradualness of growth is a characteristic which
strikes the simplest observer. Long before the word Evolution was coined
Christ applied it in this very connection--"First the blade, then the
ear, then the full corn in the ear." It is well known also to those who
study the parables of Nature that there is an ascending scale of slowness
as we rise in the scale of Life. Growth is most gradual in the highest
forms. Man attains his maturity after a score of years; the monad
completes its humble cycle in a day. What wonder if development be tardy
in the Creature of Eternity? A Christian's sun has sometimes set, and a
critical world has seen as yet no corn in the ear. As yet? "As yet," in
this long Life, has not begun. Grant him the years proportionate to his
place in the scale of Life. "The time of harvest is NOT YET." Natural
Law, p. 92.
December 28th. Salvation is a definite process. If a man refuse to submit
himself to that process, clearly he cannot have the benefits of it. "As
many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God." He
does not avail himself of this power. It may be mere carelessness or
apathy. Nevertheless the neglect is fatal. He cannot escape because he
will not. Natural Law, p. 109.
December 29th. The end of Salvation is perfection, the Christ-like mind,
character, and life. Morality is on the way to this perfection; it may go
a considerable distance toward it, but it can never reach it. Only Life
can do that. . . . Morality can never reach perfection; Life MUST. For
the Life must develop out according to its type; and being a germ of the
Christ-life, it must unfold into A CHRIST. Natural Law, p. 138.
December 30th. Perfect life is not merely the possessing of perfect
functions, but of perfect functions perfectly adjusted to each other, and
all conspiring to a single result, the perfect working of the whole
organism. It is not said that the character will de
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