CHRIST THE WAY | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Association

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 32, No. 41.

CHRIST THE WAY.

THERE are two things especially noted in the great highways of life, namely, gates and bridges. They take but little of the space of the highway, the former but the thickness of the wall oftentimes; the latter, measured by the chasm spanned. Both are splendid illustrations of great spiritual lessons.

WHEN there is a stream to cross, nothing is more important than a bridge of some sort, a floating bridge of plank, a pontoon bridge, an ice bridge, a strong timber bridge, a stone bridge, a modern steel structure. Some one of them all is welcome, and is appreciated in proportion to its safety.

WONDERFUL things men have accomplished in bridge-building and chasm-spanning the centuries gone. Seemingly impossible feats have been achieved. One of the first famous bridges of history was that builded, according to Herodotus, by Queen Nitoeris over the Euphrates at Babylon, said to have been five furlongs in length. The first records of stone bridges come down to us from the war-loving Romans, unless it be that the Chinese antedate them in this art. Rome's oldest bridge was the Pons Sublicius, across the Tiber. Ruins of that still remain. And there were seven more. Another famous bridge was over the Rhone at Avignon, which took a hundred and twelve years to build—1076-1188. The same year work was begun upon England's famous pons, London Bridge. It was finished in 1209. Peter of Colechurch began the work, but dying before it was completed, was buried in the structure, according to the rule of the guild to which he belonged. It was noted for its strength and massiveness, two-thirds of the Thames being occupied with its great piers. The first bridge had a row of houses along the entire length of its structure. We are told of the man who was born, lived, and died on the bridge without ever leaving it. The modern structure is seen in our picture on this page. In later times America has excelled in both wood and steel bridges, till we come to Niagara Falls' structures and the bridges in and about New York City. But these are by no means the greatest. If commerce demanded it, we should probably next hear of a bridge building across the Grand Canyon of the Colorado.

But with all man's art and skill in building bridges, he has never been able to span the dark chasm which sin has made between this island world and the continent of heaven. He has tried and tried, but he can place no pier in the awful, bottomless gulf, he can find no safe abutment on the hither side, and he has no power in himself or by the aid of his fellows to throw a span to the other shore. "Only in dreams" does he bridge the gulf; but wakes to find Death's deep, dark river flowing on to the sea of eternity, bearing in its poisonous depths millions of souls, and on its boiling surface the shadows of earth's dearest hopes.

Yet the torrent is bridged. The dark river has been spanned. As safe and secure as heaven itself its mighty cables are anchored in the throne of God, and span the awful gulf to the very heart of earth. The Son of God, the eternal Word, became flesh,—God-with-us, Immanuel,—and formed a union never to be broken—eternally God, eternally man. As man He met temptations for us, suffered for us, conquered sin in its stronghold the flesh for us, died for us, and by the power of His righteousness rose from the dead for us. While here He said: "I am the Way." John 14:6. Back from His glory upon the throne of the Father He sends to His children this word: "Fear not; I am the first and the last, and the Living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive

forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." Rev. 1:17, 18. He is the ladder which the penitent and humbled Jacob saw in his dream, reaching from earth to heaven, filled with shining messengers of God, passing to and fro on errands of mercy and love to the needy of earth.

O SOUL, in sin and misery, separated by your sins from God, doomed by sin to eternal death, with no power or strength or skill or wealth to bridge the awful chasm, Christ has bridged it for you. All that He asks of you is to yield your will unreservedly to Him, and to accept Him as your personal Saviour in life, in death, from sin, from selfishness, to serve Him forevermore. He will save. He will cleanse you from sin. He spans the gulf for you by the righteousness of God in Him. He will make you by His own blessed discipline and creative power a fit inhabitant of heaven. Believe Him. Trust Him.

The Famous London Bridge across the Thames.