Sermons on Selected Lessons of the New Testament

⁷ Let no thought be entertained here of a bodily face. For if enkindled by the desire of seeing God, you have made ready your bodily face to see Him, you will be looking also for such a face in God. But if now your conceptions of God are at least so spiritual as not to imagine Him to be corporeal (of which subject I treated yesterday at considerable length, if yet it was not in vain), if I have succeeded in breaking down in your heart, as in God's temple, that image of human form; if the words in which the Apostle expresses his detestation of those, “who, professing themselves to be wise became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man,” have entered deep into your minds, and taken possession of your inmost heart; if you do now detest and abhor such impiety, if you keep clean for the Creator His own temple, if you would that He should come and make His abode with you, “Think of the Lord with a good heart, and in simplicity of heart seek for Him.” Mark well who it is to whom you say, if so be ye do say it, and say it in sincerity, “My heart said to You, I will seek Your face.” Let your heart also say, and add, “Your face, Lord, will I seek.” For so will you seek it well, because you seek with your heart. Scripture speaks of the “face of God, the arm of God, the hands of God, the feet of God, the seat of God,” and His footstool; but think not in all this of human members. If you would be a temple of truth, break down the idol of falsehood. The hand of God is His power. The face of God is the knowledge of God. The feet of God are His presence. The seat of God, if you are so minded, is your own self. But perhaps you will venture to deny that Christ is God! “Not so,” you say. Do you grant this too, that Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God? “I grant it,” you say. Hear then, “The soul of the righteous is the seat of wisdom.” “Yes.” For where has God His seat, but where He dwells? And where does He dwell, but in His temple? “For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” Take heed therefore how you receive God. “God is a Spirit, and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.” Let the ark of testimony enter now into your heart, if you are so minded, and let Dagon fall. Now therefore give ear at once, and learn to long for God; learn to make ready that whereby you may see God. “Blessed,” says He, “are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Why do you make ready the eyes of the body? If He should be seen by them, that which should be so seen would be contained in space. But He who is wholly everywhere is not contained in space. Cleanse that whereby He may be seen.