The Lord came into this world to save men. He
left it for the same purpose, and His departure was
as necessary to the further progress of His work, as
His coming. He came into this world in the only
way that it is possible for a spiritual or a Divine
Being to come into a material world and meet men,
face to face ; and that is by clothing Himself in the
same garment of flesh they wear. " He came out
from the Father, and came into this world," not as
a son leaves a father in one place, and goes to an-
other; but as a man's material body comes out
from his spiritual body, is formed by it, is its image
and likeness in clay ; as every act of the material
body comes out from the affections and thoughts.
The Father did not send the Son, as one person
sends another, but as the soul sends forth its acts,
as the sun sends forth planets from his glowing
heart. Neither did the Father become the son;
the Divine was not changed into the natural. It
clothed itself with a natural body, but still remained
entirely, though not personally, distinct from it.
"We must keep our thought fixed upon one person,



THE LORD ALWAYS PRESENT. 77

and only one, whatever changes and actions may
be described.
