July 15
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeMonday after Trinity Sunday
Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. S. John 4:48.
WE have now celebrated the last great festival in the course of holy services which began in Advent; the Feast of the ever-blessed Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Whose mercy has planned, accomplished, and wrought in us "life and immortality." And the present festival has this peculiarity in it, that it is the commemoration of a mystery. Other festivals celebrate mysteries also, but not because they are mysteries. The annunciation, the birth of Christ, His death on the Cross, His resurrection, the descent of the Holy Ghost, are all mysteries; but we celebrate them not on this account, but for the blessings which we gain from them. But now we celebrate, not an act of God's mercy towards us, but, forgetting ourselves and looking only upon Him, we reverently and awfully, yet joyfully, extol the wonders, not of His works, but of His own nature. We lift up heart and eyes towards Him, and speak of what He is Himself. We dare to speak of His everlasting and infinite Essence. We directly contemplate a mystery, the deep unfathomable mystery of the Trinity in Unity. Doubtless, from that deep mystery proceeds all that is to benefit and bless us. Without an Almighty Son we are not redeemed; without an ever-present Spirit we are not justified and sanctified, yet (at this time) we celebrate the mystery for its own sake, not for our sake. Then we should forget ourselves, and fix our thoughts on God. Yet men are not willing to forget themselves; they do not like to become as it were nothing, and to have no work but faith.
Three in One, and One in Three! Here by faith we worship Thee; With the Saints hereafter we Hope to bear the palm.