certain limitations, perhaps
impossible for us to define. While in the flesh He could reveal only
what human nature was competent to reveal. But as the human nature had
been created in the likeness of the Divine, and as, therefore, "good"
and "evil" meant the same to man as to God, the limitation would not be
felt in the region of character.

The process of the Incarnation John describes very simply: "The Word
became flesh, and dwelt among us." The Word did not become flesh in the
sense that He was turned into flesh, ceasing to be what He had
previously been, as a boy who becomes a man ceases to be a boy. In
addition to what He already was He assumed human nature, at once
enlarging His experience and limiting His present manifestations of
Divinity to what was congruous to human nature and earthly circumstance.
The Jews were familiar with the idea of God "dwelling" with His people.
At the birth of their nation, while they were still dwelling in tents
outside the land of promise, God had His tent among the shifting tents
of the people, sharing all the vicissitudes of their wandering life,
abiding with them even in their thirty-eight years' exclusion from their
land, and thus sharing even their punishment. By the word John here uses
he links the body of Christ to the ancient dwelling of God round which
the tents of Israel had clustered. God now dwelt among men in the
humanity of Jesus Christ. The tabernacle was human, the indwelling
Person was Divine. In Christ is realized the actual presence of God
among His people, the actual entrance into and personal participation in
human history, which was hinted at in the tabernacle and the temple.

In the Incarnation, then, we have God's response to man's craving to
find, to see, to know Him. Men, indeed, commonly look past Christ and
away from Him, as if in Him God could not be satisfactorily seen; they
discontentedly long for some other revelation of the unseen Spirit. But
surely this is to mistake. To suppose that God might make Himself more
obvious, more distinctly apparent to us, than He has done, is to mistake
what God is and how we can know Him. What are the highest attributes of
Divinity, the most Divine characteristics of God? Are they great power,
vast size, dazzling physical glory that overpowers the sense; or are
they infinite goodness, holiness that cannot be tempted, love that
accommodates itself to all the needs of all creatures? Surely the
latter, the spiritual and