HELD (BY KIND PERMISSION) IN THE ROOMS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS, ON MONDAY,

JUNE 17TH, 1912, AT 4.30 P.M.

IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PRESIDENT, WHO WAS UNAVOIDABLY DETAINED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS, COLONEL MACKINLAY

PRESIDED.

The Minutes of the preceding Meeting were read and signed, and the following elections were announced:

ASSOCIATES: The Hon. Granville G. Waldegrave, B.A., Charles Edward Cæsar, Esq., F.S.I., Rev. J. A. Douglas, B.A., B.D., Miss Marian Barker, Frederick R. S. Balfour, Esq., M.A., William Henry Plaister, Esq., M.R.C.S.

The SECRETARY announced that the Gunning Prize for 1912 had been awarded by the Council to the Rev. Parke Poindexter Flournoy, D.D., Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A.

TH

ANNUAL ADDRESS.

"MODERN UNREST AND THE BIBLE."

By SIR ANDREW WINGATE, K.C.I.E.

HE windows of a church in Brittany show the writers of the four Gospels being borne on the shoulders of the four great Prophets. The fact thus quaintly exhibited is that the New Testament rests upon the Old Testament.

The mosaics of St. Mark's teach the same lesson from a different standpoint. The catechumen is not expected to lift up his eyes to the interiors of the domes, whence pour down upon him the Gospel narrative, until he has mastered the history of the Old Testament depicted on the outer vestibules and colonnades.

Those old artists sought to impress on the imagination of successive generations of worshippers that faith does not rest only upon the New Testament, and that no one can fully appreciate the crucifixion until he has confessed that Jesus is "the Christ." Peter, for all men, Martha, for all women, confessed: "Thou art the Christ." This confession is the Rock. on which the Church is built. The Rock, Jehovah, of the Song of Moses; the Rock, the God of Israel, of the last words of David. To enable this confession to be made the Old Testament was written. All the teaching of Jesus led up to this confession.

Peter and Paul preached nothing else. And because of this public confession, which impressed both believers and heathen, the disciples in Antioch were called "Christians "-not Jesusites, as one would have anticipated, and as is actually the case in Korea to-day. Those races to whom only the New Testament has been given are not rooted in any depth of soil. Questions must soon be asked: why was Jesus born a Jew? why did He not come sooner? While those nations from whom the Old Testament is being taken away are like a tree drying up from the roots.

As we cross the threshold of the New Testament we find ourselves standing in the gateway of the Old Testament. St. John writes: "In the beginning was the Word." The first chapter of Genesis is open before him. He sees the light shining in darkness and creation taking form and bringing forth life. And, as he recognizes the Christ-transforming chaos into order he beholds Jesus, born into the spiritual ruin of mankind, to be the true Light; the Christ made flesh and dwelling among us, bringing eternal life to a corrupt and dying world.

So St. Matthew, also going back to Genesis, commences with the words: "The book of the generation of Jesus," because he is about to add the finishing chapter to the Old Testament record of the generations of the first man, culminating in the second man, the Son of God. To the western, who but slightly remembers his grandfather, St. Matthew's introduction to his Gospel conveys nothing. But a Chinaman, as he passes through the long ancestry-as the commanding figures and great events of the past rise into view-is conscious that a highway, cast up with such care through all the preceding centuries, must lead to a Teacher of supreme importance.

No genealogy compares with that of the King of the Jews. Like the star, it guides the wise from the dim east of Eden and halts for ever over the cradle of Bethlehem. Because here was fulfilled the promise made to Eve-to the woman, not to the man, for Jesus was born of a Virgin. Nor could the genealogy continue, because this Sovereign carried with Him, through death, the Crown of David. Above the Cross was placed His title, the King of the Jews, and there it remains till He come.

In the East, people are familiar with the construction of a highway before a great man when he travels. The advents of lesser dignities act like flashes of unusual light to startle the stagnant multitude to expectancy. Thus, the visit of the Prince of Wales, nearly four decades ago, followed by the tours

of other Royal Princes, the succession of Imperial Durbars and Proclamations at Delhi, the magnificence of the scale on which the Royal Camp was being got ready, the centripetal motion of all authority and rank from all parts of the Empire, prepared the millions of India to respect the Majesty of their Emperor. Potentate and peasant bowed in homage, not to a devastating conqueror, but to a Sovereign, whose love was felt, because it had brought him from far, and was returned, because it was real. It is not the least tribute to the sympathy, which underlies British administration, that the Emperor's path to this throne in the hearts of his Eastern peoples was smoothed by the unselfish devotion to duty of many an unknown officer.

So the preparation for the birth of Jesus was long and elaborate. Lights from the old Testament illuminate every part of the road from Bethlehem to Calvary. The words and acts of Jesus were first thrown upon the screen of Old Testament character, whence has come whatever light there is in the heathen teaching of antiquity. How constantly it is repeated that every detail of His life was the fulfilment of Scripture. Jesus is the Good Shepherd because, as Christ, He led Israel like a flock; He is the Living Water because, as the Rock, He sustained Israel in the Desert; He is the Living Bread, because, as Christ, He fed Israel with food from above; He is the True Vine, because, as Christ, He planted Israel in a very fruitful hill. We only understand the words of Jesus by reference to the dealings of Christ with Israel.

Thus John the Baptist, the last of the prophets of the Old Testament and the herald of the New, in one brief cry to the multitude epitomised the Old and foreshadowed the New Testament: Behold the Lamb of God." A lamb had but one destiny, to be slain for the sins of the people. But who is the Lamb of God? There could be but one answer: "the Lamb, whom God will provide." Abraham prophesied when he replied to Isaac," God will provide Himself a Lamb." John the Baptist, as he looked on Jesus, saw the Lamb whom God had provided to take away the sin of the whole world, and he proclaimed that Jesus would take the place of Isaac-a brief journey and then a sacrificial death.

From the time when Abel confessed his belief in the substitute God would provide, and so received the righteousness of a life laid down, sacrifice never ceased. It passed through the Flood with Noah and reminded God, as the Rainbow assured man, that Love would overcome in Judgment. It has been remarked that the eight-fold lightning of the "Woes" in

the 23rd of St. Matthew is followed by a rain of tenderness and pity before the chapter closes. So the Bow breaks forth in beauty above the altar of Noah. God when He looked on the sacrifice saw His Son laying down His life for the world. The Rainbow round about the throne of God is Love shining through the tears of God.

But it was to Abraham that the meaning of the slain lamb was disclosed. The whole life of Abraham led up to this revelation. First, he was trained to resign all material things, home, kindred and country. He built no city. He possessed no land, but a tomb. He had no roots in this world. He was indifferent that Lot deprived him of the well-watered plain. He refused to accept the spoil of Sodom. Passing up and down in tents among the nations, he witnessed, alone in a Godless world, that there is a future life, worth losing this world to win, but which, won, gains this world too. Christ said to Abraham, "Leave all," and was obeyed. Jesus said, "Sell,"-not leave, but-" Sell whatsoever thou hast," whereupon the wealthy young ruler turned his back on the promised Heavenly treasure. Does Britain to-day similarly reject the call of the Edinburgh Conference to yield something of her great possessions to rescue the millions of the Far East, whose cries for help can be heard coming out of the darkness?

Secondly, Abraham holds aloft for all ages the standard of faith, which Eve had dropped with doubting heart. Not less than six times during twenty-five years, God had solemnly and circumstantially promised to Abraham a son. The years passed, but nothing happened, till there was no longer any possibility of the promise being fulfilled. Then, from the dead, Isaac was born. The fact that the promised seed would be the miracle of God is thereafter emphasised in Rebekah, in Rachel, in Manoah's wife, in Ruth, in Hannah, in the lady of Shunem, till a Virgin was thus prepared to believe the angel's message. For without faith, the Christ could not be born. Among women, there is no recorded instance of faith comparable to Mary's reply, "Be it unto me according to Thy word."

Next, Ishmael had to be yielded up, and finally the demand came for Isaac, the child of prayer and promise. Did Abraham's light go out in that darkness? His faith shines still with a brilliance that enheartens mankind. Neither to atone for his own sin, nor to placate an angry deity, was he ready to slay his son, but simply because "God hath said." That was enough for both Abraham and Isaac. "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" "Lo, I come to do Thy Will, O God."

When Abraham led captivity captive, he received the blessing of the King of Righteousness and Peace, because the act was prophetic of the day when Jesus would proclaim deliverance to all captives. Out of this experience were born his compassion and intercession for the guilty cities. One righteous Lot had brought strong succour, not only for himself, but for those with him, a blessing which was bestowed upon Noah in the Flood, and upon Paul in the shipwreck. In each case, all who accepted salvation, received it. The dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from the children's table. Did the woman's heart for a moment reflect the wideness of God's mercy? Is there any joy in being saved alone? Is this the thought which underlies the pleading of Moses and of Paul? Did not Jesus pass through that blotting out and the curse that Israel may be saved?

Now, on the mount, the glory of Christ breaks on Abraham's vision. Where Isaac lay bound, he sees the Son of God, and as Abraham enters into the agony of God the Father, who gives His only Son to vivify by His own blood a dead humanity, he foresees that it is through the faith, by which he trusted the word of God, that not only his own race, but all nations shall be blessed. As this Gospel is preached to Abraham (Galatians iii, 8), he beholds the everlasting gates of the Eternal City lifted up and the triumphal entry of Christ-the Lamb that was slainbringing with him the rescued multitude of all kindreds and tongues; and he is glad, because of the final omnipotence of Love by the Life laid down.

Hitherto, the dealings of God with men had been in judgment: the sentence of death, the Flood, Babel, and Sodom. "I am God Almighty." In the offering of Isaac, God revealed Himself in Love; and from henceforth, God, the friend of Abraham, seeks to renew the fellowship with man which was broken at Eden. Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you."

Abraham had typified God giving His beloved Son. Isaac had typified the Son brought as a Lamb to the slaughter, yet opening not his mouth; now, Jacob was to exhibit the longsuffering of God to the slayers of his son. When Jacob told Pharaoh that the days of his years had been few and evil, he is evidently referring to the long-drawn-out forbearance with which he had continued to dwell with the would-be murderers of Joseph-men unstable of principle and cruel in anger, false of tongue and impure in conduct-a forbearance which finally won their love, as is seen in the intercession of Judah for Benjamin. Thus, as the work of God the Father, God the Son, and God