GREENWICH, NOVEMBER 21ST, 1890
GREENWICH, NOVEMBER 21ST, 1890
Mr. J. Watt.
My Dear Brother, — I return your letter. I think Mr.
Hornsby misunderstands my position in this business.
At the Witney meeting I was a learner rather than a teacher, though I cannot say there were many from whom I got help. It was becoming clear to me that the term ‘eternal life’ meant for us a wholly new order of relationship, object, knowledge, and blessing, as well as a new being suited to it, outside this scene [p. 33] of sight and sense, and that this had been brought to light in the Son having become Man; and further, that it had its full revelation as an actual condition in and for man in Him as the risen and glorified Man. But I saw also that He was in His own Person more than this, for He was the Quickener, the Giver of eternal life. I do not find in Scripture that the term ‘eternal life’ is employed, save in connection with manhood, either in the Son or us. When the Son is viewed, as in the gospel, as a divine Person, other terms are employed, such as “in him was life”. Now while eternal life has its application to us (what is true in Christ and in us), such terms as I have mentioned would not. Morally there is no difference between life as eternally in Him and eternal life, but it is evident that divine life must be in a way affected by coming into manhood, must connect itself with qualities (obedience, subjection, dependence, etc.) which have no place in the proper life of God.
I believe the truth is that, on the one side, the Son, as God, is one with the Father, having life in Himself, and able to quicken; and on the other, as Man, is the pattern of the heavenly family (the second Man out of heaven), and here it is that the truth of eternal life comes in, though what characterises Him now as Man is what He ever was essentially with the Father. I think this maintains the glory of His Person, and shows the character of our blessing. I am printing something in regard to the charge of prevarication which will, I hope, be out next week.
Your affectionate brother,
F. E. Raven.