第1章 PREFACE
IN THE HEARTS OF ALL MANKIND, OF WHATEVER RACE OR STATION IN LIFE, THERE AREINEXPRESSIBLE LONGINGS FOR SOMETHING THEY DO NOT NOW POSSESS. THIS LONGINGIS IMPLANTED IN THE VERY CONSTITUTION OF MAN BY A MERCIFUL GOD, THAT MAN MAYNOT BE SATISFIED WITH HIS PRESENT CONDITIONS OR ATTAINMENTS, WHETHER BAD, ORGOOD, OR BETTER. GOD DESIRES THAT THE HUMAN SHALL SEEK THE BEST, AND FIND ITTO THE ETERNAL BLESSING OF HIS SOUL.
SATAN, BY WILY SCHEME AND CRAFT, HAS PERVERTED THESE LONGINGS OF THE HUMANHEART. HE MAKES MEN BELIEVE THAT THIS DESIRE MAY BE SATISFIED BY PLEASURE, BY WEALTH, BY EASE, BY FAME, BY POWER; BUT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN THUS DECEIVEDBY HIM (AND THEY NUMBER MYRIADS) FIND ALL THESE THINGS PALL UPON THE SENSE, LEAVING THE SOUL AS BARREN AND UNSATISFIED AS BEFORE.
IT IS GOD'S DESIGN THAT THIS LONGING OF THE HUMAN HEART SHOULD LEAD TO THEONE WHO ALONE IS ABLE TO SATISFY IT. THE DESIRE IS OF HIM THAT IT MAY LEADTO HIM, THE FULLNESS AND FULFILLMENT OF THAT DESIRE. THAT FULLNESS IS FOUNDIN JESUS THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE ETERNAL GOD. "FOR IT WAS THE GOODPLEASURE OF THE FATHER THAT IN HIM SHOULD ALL THE FULLNESS DWELL;" "FOR INHIM DWELLETH ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD BODILY." AND IT IS ALSO TRUETHAT "IN HIM YE ARE MADE FULL" WITH RESPECT TO EVERY DESIRE DIVINELYIMPLANTED AND NORMALLY FOLLOWED.
HAGGAI CALLS HIM "THE DESIRE OF ALL NATIONS," AND WE MAY WELL CALL HIM "THEDESIRE OF ALL AGES," EVEN AS HE IS "THE KING OF AGES."IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK TO SET FORTH JESUS CHRIST AS THE ONE IN WHOMEVERY LONGING MAY BE SATISFIED. THERE IS MANY A "LIFE OF CHRIST" WRITTEN, EXCELLENT BOOKS, LARGE FUNDS OF INFORMATION, ELABORATE ESSAYS ON CHRONOLOGYAND CONTEMPORANEOUS HISTORY, CUSTOMS, AND EVENTS, WITH MUCH OF THE TEACHINGAND MANY GLIMPSES OF THE MANY-SIDED LIFE OF JESUS OF NAZARETH. YET IT MAY BETRULY SAID, "THE HALF HAS NEVER BEEN TOLD."
IT IS NOT, HOWEVER, THE PURPOSE OF THIS WORK TO SET FORTH A HARMONY OF THEGOSPELS, OR EVEN TO GIVE IN STRICTLY CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER THE IMPORTANTEVENTS AND WONDERFUL LESSONS OF THE LIFE OF CHRIST; ITS PURPOSE IS TOPRESENT THE LOVE OF GOD AS REVEALED IN HIS SON, THE DIVINE BEAUTY OF THELIFE OF CHRIST, OF WHICH ALL MAY PARTAKE, AND NOT TO SATISFY THE DESIRES OFTHE MERELY CURIOUS NOR THE QUESTIONINGS OF CRITICS. BUT EVEN AS BY THEATTRACTION OF HIS OWN GOODNESS OF CHARACTER JESUS DREW HIS DISCIPLES UNTOHIMSELF, AND BY HIS PERSONAL PRESENCE, BY HIS SYMPATHETIC TOUCH AND FEELINGIN ALL THEIR INFIRMITIES AND NEEDS, AND BY HIS CONSTANT ASSOCIATION, TRANSFORMED THEIR CHARACTERS FROM THE EARTHLY TO THE HEAVENLY, FROM THESELFISH TO THE SACRIFICING, FROM SMALLHEARTED IGNORANCE AND PREJUDICE TOLARGEHEARTED KNOWLEDGE AND PROFOUND LOVE FOR SOULS OF ALL NATIONS AND RACES, EVEN SO IT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS BOOK SO TO PRESENT THE BLESSED REDEEMER ASTO HELP THE READER TO COME TO HIM FACE TO FACE, HEART TO HEART, AND FIND INHIM, EVEN AS DID THE DISCIPLES OF OLD, JESUS THE MIGHTY ONE, WHO SAVES "TOTHE UTTERMOST," AND TRANSFORMS TO HIS OWN DIVINE IMAGE ALL THOSE WHO COMEUNTO GOD BY HIM. YET HOW IMPOSSIBLE IT IS TO REVEAL HIS LIFE! IT IS LIKEATTEMPTING TO PUT UPON CANVAS THE LIVING RAINBOW; INTO CHARACTERS OF BLACKAND WHITE THE SWEETEST MUSIC.
IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES THE AUTHOR, A WOMAN OF LARGE AND DEEP AND LONGEXPERIENCE IN THE THINGS OF GOD, HAS SET FORTH NEW BEAUTIES FROM THE LIFE OFJESUS. SHE HAS BROUGHT MANY NEW GEMS FROM THE PRECIOUS CASKET. SHE OPENSBEFORE THE READER UNDREAMED-OF RICHES FROM THIS INFINITE TREASURE HOUSE. NEWAND GLORIOUS LIGHT FLASHES FORTH FROM MANY A FAMILIAR PASSAGE, THE DEPTH OFWHICH THE READER SUPPOSED HE HAD LONG BEFORE FATHOMED. TO STATE IT IN BRIEF, JESUS CHRIST IS REVEALED AS THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD, THE INFINITELYMERCIFUL SAVIOUR OF SINNERS, THE SUN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, THE MERCIFUL HIGHPRIEST, THE HEALER OF ALL HUMAN MALADIES AND DISEASES, THE TENDER, COMPASSIONATE FRIEND, THE CONSTANT, EVER-PRESENT AND HELPFUL COMPANION, THEPRINCE OF THE HOUSE OF DAVID, THE SHIELD OF HIS PEOPLE, THE PRINCE OF PEACE, THE COMING KING, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE CULMINATION AND FRUITION OF THEDESIRES AND HOPES OF ALL THE AGES.
UNDER THE BLESSING OF GOD THIS BOOK IS GIVEN TO THE WORLD WITH THE PRAYERTHAT THE LORD BY HIS SPIRIT WILL MAKE THE WORDS OF THIS BOOK WORDS OF LIFETO MANY SOULS WHOSE LONGINGS AND DESIRES ARE YET UNSATISFIED; THAT THEY "MAYKNOW HIM, AND THE POWER OF HIS RESURRECTION, AND THE FELLOWSHIP OF HISSUFFERINGS," AND FINALLY, THROUGHOUT A BLESSED ETERNITY, AT HIS RIGHT HAND, SHARE IN "THAT FULLNESS OF JOY," AND "PLEASURES FOREVERMORE," WHICH WILL BETHE RIPENED FRUITAGE OF ALL THOSE WHO FIND IN HIM THE ALL IN ALL, "THECHIEFEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND," AND "THE ONE ALTOGETHER LOVELY."PUBLISHERS