Page:Spiritual Reflections for Every Day in the Year - Vol 2.pdf/335

 stant; neither does divine revelation. As the mind becomes prepared, so is divine truth unfolded; and as in the vegetable kingdom, so is it in the garden of the soul, and in the Holy Word, "first the blade, then the ear, afterwards the full corn in the ear." The testimony of Jesus nowhere informs us of instantaneous perfection. Before even the Lord revealed Himself to the understanding of His creatures, so as to make them fully comprehend and see His august glory plainly. He condescended to be the Child once born, the Son once given; taking the government upon His shoulders, girding His sword upon His thigh as the Most Mighty; through the splendour of His victories becoming the Prince of Peace; and then graciously promising His disciples that a time would come, when He would shew them plainly of the Father. That time has come—the Lord has redeemed his gracious promise, and the testimony of Jesus, in this, as in everything else, is the spirit of prophecy. The Lord sees what is best for us; and as we are prepared for higher revelations of His will, they unfold themselves before us through the medium of His Word. Every change and variation of state of the human mind, changes or varies something in the series of things present, and, thereby, of things consequent. What, then, must it not do in the progression to eternity? It is like an arrow shot from a bow, which, if its direction at first declines ever so little from the mark, at the distance of 2 mile or more would diverge immensely: so would it be if the Lord did not every moment lead and govern the state of human minds.