Page:Who is God in China.djvu/27

 beautiful lines out of the "Laws of Manu" (ch. i. 5—7):—

"This world was as yet in darkness, imperceptible, undefinable, undiscoverable by reason, indiscernible, as if it were altogether asleep."

"Then He who exists by Himself ( "l'Eternel"), the Most High, who is Himself imperceptible, He made this world, composed of great elements, perceptible. He, the Almighty, showed Himself, and dispelled the gloom."

"He, whose nature is beyond our reach; whose essence escapes our senses; who is indiscernible, but eternal; He, the All-pervading Spirit, whom the mind even cannot grasp, even He shone forth Himself."

Thirdly, What are we who thus take upon ourselves to teach the heathen? We are their brethren. To us the oracles of God have been intrusted, that, profiting by them ourselves, we should make them known to our Gentile brethren. If, therefore, we be "confident that we ourselves are guides of the blind," let us see, first, how and which way to lead them. If we give ourselves as "a light to them which are