tells us that the great motive of the divine action is for
'My own Name's sake,' that expression might be so regarded as to
disclose an ugly despot, who only wants to be reverenced by abject and
submissive subjects. But what it really means is this, that the divine
love which hovers over its poor, prodigal children because it _is_ love,
and, therefore, lovingly delights in a loving recognition and response,
desires most of all that all the wanderers should see the light, and
that every soul of man should be able to whisper, with loving heart, the
name, 'Abba! Father!' Is not that an uplifting thought as being the
dominant motive which puts in action the whole of the divine activity?
God created in order that He might fling His light upon creatures, who
should thereby be glad. And God has redeemed in order that in Jesus
Christ we might see Him, and, seeing Him, be at rest, and begin to grow
like Him. This is the aim, 'That they might know Thee, the only true God
... whom to know is eternal life.' And so self-communication and
self-revelation is the very central mystery of the will.

But that is not all. Another of the forms in which this phrase occurs
tells us that that great purpose, the eternal purpose which He purposed
in Christ Jesus our Lord, was that, 'Now unto the principalities and
powers in heavenly places might be known' by the Church 'the manifold
wisdom of God.' And so we get another thought, that that whole work of
redemption, operated by the Incarnation, and culminating in the
Crucifixion and Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ, stands as
being the means by which other orders of creatures, besides ourselves,
learn to know 'the manifold wisdom of God.' According to the grand old
saying, at Creation the 'morning stars sang together for joy.' All
spiritual creatures, be they 'higher' or 'lower,' can only know God by
the observation of His acts.

''Twas great to speak a world from nought,
'Tis greater to redeem,'

and the same angelic lips that sang these praises on the morning of
Creation have learnt a new song that they sing; 'Glory and honour and
dominion and power be unto the Lamb that was slain.'

Thus to principalities and powers, a diviner height in the loftiness,
and a diviner depth in the condescension, and a diviner tenderness in
the love, and a diviner energy in the power, of the redeeming God have
been made known, and this is the thought of His eternal purpose. And
that brings m