November 16

Seventeenth Saturday after Trinity

One God and Father of all, Who is above all, and through all, and in you all. Ephesians 4:6.

God reveals Himself in two ways to man, within and without. Each of these voices of God is made more distinct as man is brought nearer to God. Without, together with God's voice in nature whereby He still speaks, when we forget His voice of grace, He hath given us "the writings of the law, the oracles of Prophets, the melody of the Psalms, the instruction of Proverbs, the experience of histories," the words of the Son made flesh by Himself or by His Apostles. Within, together with the voice of conscience, He speaks too by the Spirit. God speaketh ever to the heart as He speaketh through His Word. For He cannot contradict Himself. But He speaketh to the soul mostly through the Word of God, at times even without it. A voice which is contrary to it cannot be from Him, and so it hath ever been a rule in the Church, that were an angel from heaven to seem to bid anything really contrary to it, it must be the evil angel "transformed into an angel of light." Yet at all seasons in the Church God does speak to the conscience, often without voice of words or audible sound, by His Spirit. He guides the soul, yet so that it is a secret voice to the hidden ear of the heart which hears it. And "His sheep hear His voice" and know that it is He Who speaketh.

Shine ever in this heart of mine, And show me clearly I am Thine, And keep me Thine with cords of love, Until I reach Thy courts above; Those courts where Angels' voices sing, Where glory lights up everything; Where Thou reveal'st Thyself to sight 'Midst light itself all lost in light.

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