Esoteric V10: July 1896 - Iapsop.com

1897.] 353
,Jesns emphatically denietl having come to destroy the law or
the prophets, all of which revolve around this holy covenant.
He adds, " I came not to tlestroy hut to fulfill. For verily I say
unto you, Till heaven aml earth paRs, one jut or one tittle shall
in no wise pass frum the law, till all be fulfilled." In theRe
words is found the assertion, or at least the st1·ongest inference,
that he declared ·himself to be the messenger of the covenant ;
for if hiK mi~ion was that it might be fulfilled, lived up tu,
then that of itself made him its messt>nget·. While he did not,
at any one time, take up the covenant in itR literal words an•l
in its order, yet he did take up its essential point.'!, and tho11e
that were least understood by the peoplt>, and carried them to
greater ultimates than they had ever thought of.
After noting what has been said in the previons number of
this article on the words and meaning of the covenant, if the
o~tndent will read ChriRt's se1·mon on the mount, he cannot fail
to recognize in every line of it the carrying into spiritual ancl
legitimate ultimates the essential principles of the ten words of
Sinai; fnr in Gotl's pl'f)mi11e in the first declaration, and in hi>~
requil·ement in the 11econcl, is really comprehemled and embodied
all that follows. The Fathe1·'s name and
.
its embodiecl
Jll'fllllise is the tap•·•lnt of the tree, the requirement that they
11honld have no other powe1· in which to trust wa.tl b.v .Jesus, of
believing God anti accepting his name &'I a covenant promi>~e
to be their Gnd, their power, the only thing in which they
shonltl ti'Ust. Read Matt. VI. 19-31: it abounds with utte1··
ances like the11e: " Lay not up for yourselves trea.~nres upon
earth." •• Why take ye thought for raiment'! consider tllu
lilies nf the ti~M. l}f)W they grow ; they toil not, neither tin
they spin." Verse 31 iR translated in our version, •• Take 1111
thought, t>k : ., hut the (iJ.eek properly reudet·ed wmtltl gi"YP,
" Do not think anxinnRiy about, saying, \Vhat shall we eat·~
or. What shall we dl'ink? or, Whe•·ewithal shall we be clothed'?
(for after all these things do the Gentile.