Page:Lectures on the Philosophy of Religion volume 3.djvu/96

 The following moment or determinate element accordingly enters into these doctrines. While this command of love is directly expressed in the words, “Seek the Kingdom of God,” abandon yourself to the truth; and while the demand is made in this immediate way, it appears as if in the form of a subjective statement, and so far the person speaking comes into view.

In accordance with this reference to a person, Christ does not speak as a teacher merely who states his own subjective view, and who is conscious of what he produces in the way of truth and of his own action in the matter, but as a prophet; He is one who, since this demand is direct, utters the command directly from God, and as one out of whom God thus speaks.

The fact that this possession of this life of the spirit in truth is attained without intermediate helps, is expressed in the prophetic manner, namely, that it is God who thus speaks. Here it is with absolute, divine truth, truth in-and-for-itself, that we are concerned; this utterance and willing of the truth in-and-for-itself, and the carrying out of what is thus expressed, is described as an act of God, it is the consciousness of the real unity of the divine will, of its harmony with the truth. It is as conscious of this elevation of His spirit, and in the assurance of His identity with God that Christ says, “Woman, thy sins are forgiven thee.” Here there speaks in Him that overwhelming majesty which can undo everything, and actually declares that this has been done.

So far as the form of this utterance is concerned, what has mainly to be emphasised is that He who thus speaks is at the same time essentially Man, it is the Son of Man who thus speaks, in whom this utterance of the truth, this carrying into practice of what is absolute and essential, this activity on God’s part, is essentially seen to exist as in one who is a man and not something superhuman, not something which appears in the form of an outward revelation—in short, the main stress is to be laid on the