i8 7 o] CHRISTIANITY AND SUPERNATURAL 129 



the fulness of time God Himself became man and in the 

 person of our blessed Lord the supernatural was per 

 manently and inseparably incorporated in human 

 history. In the incarnation God s self -manifestation 

 was absolutely complete, and that in no mere external 

 manner, but in the perfect union of the divine and human 

 natures. 



Beyond this point it was not necessary that the 

 series of miraculous occurrences should be continued. 

 No more perfect manifestation of God was possible the 

 remainder of the world s history has for its task the full 

 recognition by all mankind of this perfect revelation of the 

 divine character. 



And this consideration leads us to see that in the 

 divine manifestation revelation has not yet reached its 

 goal. It is not enough that God manifest Himself to 

 men unless this manifestation be rightly understood. 

 And here it will be convenient to separate the recognition 

 of divine manifestation by us who are not brought face 

 to face with it from the right understanding thereof by 

 those who were themselves actors or onlookers in super 

 natural events. That all who stood in the latter position 

 did not rightly comprehend the divine manifestation is 

 a familiar fact. Nay, it is obvious that no fallen man 

 can naturally comprehend even the clearest display of 

 God s character. Our consciousness is not only weakened, 

 but distorted by sin. And it is not enough that we should 

 be forced to recognise a superhuman agency in the 

 history of redemption we must so recognise God as to 

 love Him. To effect such a recognition of God no 

 strength of external impression could suffice ; it was 

 needful that God as He showed Himself to men should 

 also by the inner operation of His spirit enlighten man s 

 consciousness rightly to apprehend His self -manifestation. 

 It is clear that this influence falls under the regenerating 

 work of the Spirit. It is not an imparting of knowledge, 

 it is a renovation of the human consciousness whereby 



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