Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 1.pdf/338

 (Psalm xxxvii. 39. Viewing Elijah as the representative of the Lord God, whose bright presence is the truth itself, strong and mighty to deliver from evil, and to save by his word; we recognise that Elijah, in his prophetic character, is the appointed instructor and teacher of the divine truth. The Lord is called the Word, which was in the beginning with God, and was God (John i. 1), and as all power and strength are in truth, and God is the Truth, so it is said that "power belongeth unto God." (Psalm lxii. 11.) The word was therefore the source whence all the prophet's miracles and teachings were drawn, for they came not with their own words, but with—Thus saith the Lord! teaching us by this phrase, that what a true prophet taught was from the Lord, and not from himself. The Lord Jesus Christ was the Word made flesh—the living truth manifested, and as such, He used not the language of the prophets, who were only his representatives: He was the prototype, they the types—He was the substance, they the shadows; and as He was the Lord from heaven—the manifested God, speaking to the children of men. He made use of such impressive language as was appropriate to his divinity and power. Instead of—Thus saith the Lord, He used the expressive phrase of truth itself—"Verily, verily, I say unto you,"—all that followed were His words, full of spirit and life! Divine truth in its internal quality, is represented by Elijah, while truth in its literal or outward clothing is the mantle; for garments, cloaks, or mantles denote truths in common or in their outward manifestation. As divine truth in its literal sense, is in its fulness, strength, and power, we may see the reason why, by Elijah's mantle,