Our  interest  in  it  now,  however,  turns  on  the  use
which  Paul  makes  of  it  for  the  enheartening  of
Timothy.  By  fixing  his  eyes  thus  on  the  eternal
Jesus  and  subtly  suggesting  that  the  events  of
time  are  (in  a  sense)  but  the  shadows  of  the  eter
nal  realities;  that  the  salvation  wrought  out  on
Calvary  was  but  a  corollary  (so  to  speak)  of  the
determining  transaction  in  heaven;  the  Apostle
leads  his  pupil  to  attach  less  importance  to  the
course  of  affairs  on  earth  in  comparison  with  the
eternal  things  thus  vividly  pictured  before  his
eyes.  The  fashion  of  the  earth  passes  away;  the
heavenly  alone  abides.  This  eternal  Jesus — may
He  not  be  relied  on  quite  independently  of  the
temporary  appearances  of  the  things  of  earth?
For  how  many  ages  did  He  abide  above — before
He  was  manifested  as  Saviour!  He  may  have
removed  again  into  the  glory  He  had  with  the
Father  before  the  world  was.  But  is  He,  there
fore,  non-existent — unable  to  help?  We  have
seen  his  epiphany  once,  when  He  burst  from  the
skies  bringing  salvation.  Shall  we  not  see  it
again?  Sufferings  meanwhile  may  come — per
secutions,  trials — above  what  flesh  is  capable  of
enduring.  But  as  the  grace  of  God  has  appeared
already  bringing  salvation,  shall  we  not  be  sure
that,  in  due  season,  there  shall  be  another  epiph
any  of  our  great  God  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ?


412  FAITH  AND  LIFE

Perhaps  it  is  too  much  to  say  that  the  exhorta
tion  of  Paul  bids  Timothy  to  look  forward  to  this
second  epiphany.  But  perhaps  it  is  not  too  much
to  say  that  the  use  of  the  word  here,  consecrated
elsewhere  to  our  Lord's  second  coming,  and  the
whole  cast  of  the  passage,  can  scarcely  have  failed
to  suggest  by  analogy  this  second  coming  to  Tim
othy.  And  if  so,  the  remembrance  of  it  would
add  to  the  force  of  the  exhortation  to  endurance.
