January 6

JANUARY 6.—“Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”—John 14:8.

How are we to understand this request? We can hardly suppose, with some, that he desired a kind of personal representation of the Deity. Surely he could not be so ignorant as to imagine that God was in his essence visible, or that he could be held forth under any corporeal form or shape; especially as the Jews—and Philip was a Jew—were forbidden every attempt to make any likeness of the Supreme Being. It is more probable, that he wished for some glorious display of God’s presence and perfections, as Moses had done, and which he called God’s face. If so, he knew not what he asked. The exhibition might have been fatal. “No man,” says God, who knows our frame, “can see my face and live.” Such a display of himself as he makes to the saints in light, would be insupportable in this weak state of flesh and blood. It certainly might have been useless. The Jews had such an exhibition of God, in the cloud of glory; but they corrupted themselves, and went after strange gods. Extraordinary and miraculous appearances would lose their impression, yea, by their repetition, they would be extraordinary and miraculous no longer. This is not the way in which God is to be known. Yet let us not revile Philip, concluding that we have never been liable to a like mistake. Have we never wanted a kind of immediate and sensible conviction that would exclude all possibility of doubt? Have we never been ready to exclaim, “Oh! if, with an audible voice, He would say, go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee! Oh! if one who has passed the valley of the shadow of death would return; or some inhabitant of the world of spirits would assure me of a future state!” Ah! foolish wish. We have Moses and the prophets—Blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believed.

But some, and among these is Doddridge, are disposed to commend rather than censure Philip. They take his meaning to be, “Oh! bring us to the knowledge of the blessed God, and we resign every other wish as nothing compared with this!”—much in the spirit of David, who had said of him, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.” Philip, therefore, only asks for a fuller manifestation and enjoyment of him—“Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.”

Yet can he be shown? or, in other words, can he be known? It is true, Zophar asks, “Who by searching can find out God?” But he adds, “who can find out the Almighty unto perfection?” He cannot be completely known; but he can be really known, savingly known; known as the strength of our heart, and our portion for ever. And this knowledge can yield satisfaction to the possessor. It will suffice for our happiness hereafter; and, therefore, the blessedness is expressed by our seeing God; and therefore David says, “I shall behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake with thy likeness.” Yea, it suffices the Christian at present. He can now say, “My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips: when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.”