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THE AUTHOR'S FOREWORD

DURING the Parousia the Lord gave us a series of six volumes under the general title, Studies in the Scriptures. Its author had expected to complete the series with a seventh volume, but passed beyond the vail before writing it. After his death two others wrote a volume that they intended to take the place of the one originally planned; and it was published as the seventh volume of the series; but, to say the least, it had quite a different spirit from that of the six volumes mentioned above, and was published fraudulently as this author's posthumous work. Now in the Epiphany another series of books of at least ten volumes is projected, and since these books are devoted to Scripture study, to differentiate them from the first-named series, it is proposed to publish them under the general title, EPIPHANY STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES. This volume is the first of  the second series. The author does not believe that this series is worthy of a place of equality, much less of rivalry, with the six volumes of the first series. Neither does the Bible give them such a rank, nor will the future ever assign them such a rank; for, generally speaking, their subjects  and contents will be found inferior to those of the former series, since the Parousia message, centering specifically in the Christ class, is on a higher plane than the Epiphany message, which centers specifically in the Great Company and the Youthful Worthies. Accordingly, the selection of a serial name for these volumes mainly like that of the former series is not intended to mean either an equality or a rivalry between the two. They will be found, broadly speaking, to be related to each other in the sense that the first series is made to furnish a foundation for the second; for the author of the second owes an incalculable debt to the author of the first series, as his teacher, whose views are the foundation of the second series. Thus the inter-relation of the two series justifies a similar title, a title that in the second distinctly implies its inferiority to the first series.

The first volume of the second series is a treatise on
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God. The poet, Alexander Pope, declared that the greatest study of mankind is man. The author ventures to dissent from this thought; for he believes that the greatest study of men, angels and saints, yea, of the Son of God Himself, is God. A high theme, therefore, is that of this volume. And for this study the words of the angel to Moses are surely in place: "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" (Ex. 3:5). Throughout the writing of this book the author felt his inequality to the task. Yea, it is doubtful if anyone, except God Himself, could do full justice to the subject. Accordingly, the author knows that he has not done, nor can do it. All that he can plead for undertaking the task is his love for God and His people, which has made him aspire to honor the glorious God of the Bible before His people by offering them this book to help them better to know and to appreciate, better to love and to worship Him as He is, in His existence and attributes of being and character, and that in contrast with false views of Him entertained by many. It is with this aspiration that the author sends forth this book, accompanied with the prayer that God through it may thus honor Himself and bless His people.

Your brother and servant,

PAUL S. L. JOHNSON.

Philadelphia, Pa., U. S. A.

September 12, 1937.

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CONTENTS

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CHAPTER I.

THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.

A UNIVERSAL BELIEF GROUNDED IN THE MORAL AND RELIGIOUS CONSTITUTION OF MAN. CAUSE AND EFFECT. ORDER AND THE REIGN OF LAW IN THE UNIVERSE. DESIGN EVERYWHERE APPARENT. MAN'S MENTAL, MORAL AND RELIGIOUS NATURE. DEMONSTRATION FROM EXPERIENCE. IMPOSSIBILITY OF DISPROVING GOD'S EXISTENCE. A SCIENTIST'S GOD.     7

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CHAPTER II.

GOD'S ATTRIBUTES OF BEING.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN ATTRIBUTES OF BEING AND OF CHARACTER. PERSONALITY. CORPOREALITY. SPIRITUALITY. SELF­ EXISTENCE. ETERNITY. SELF-SUFFICIENCY. IMMORTALITY. INFLUENCE OF THESE SEVEN ATTRIBUTES ON THE DEVOUTLY STUDIOUS. INVISIBILITY. UNITY. OMNIPOTENCE. OMNISCIENCE. OMNIPRESENCE. SUPREMACY. UNFATHOMABLENESS. THEIR LESSONS TO US     27

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CHAPTER III.

THE ELEMENTS AND THE HIGHER PRIMARY GRACES OF GOD'S CHARACTER.

RIGHTEOUS ATTITUDE TOWARD EVIL. HOLY AFFECTIONS. THE GRACES. STRENGTH. DOMINANCE OF HIS HIGHER PRIMARY GRACES. BALANCE. CRYSTALLIZATION. THREE CLASSES OF GRACES. THE HIGHER PRIMARY GRACES. WISDOM. JUSTICE. CHARITY. LOVE. POWER. THE FUNCTION OF GOD'S HIGHER PRIMARY GRACES     67

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CHAPTER IV.

THE LOWER PRIMARY GRACES OF GOD'S CHARACTER.

THE NATURE OF THE PRIMARY GRACES. GOD'S AND MAN'S LOWER AFFECTION—ORGANS—SELFISH AND SOCIAL. GOD'S SELF­ ESTEEM. APPROBATIVENESS. RESTFULNESS. VITATIVENESS. SELF­ DEFENSIVENESS. AGGRESSIVENESS. CAREFULNESS. SECRETIVENESS. PROVIDENCE. INTELLIGENCE. AGREEABLENESS. CONJUGALITY. FATHERLINESS. KINGLINESS     141

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CHAPTER V.

THE SECONDARY GRACES OF GOD'S CHARACTER

DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN PRIMARY AND SECONDARY GRACES. MODESTY. INDUSTRIOUSNESS. LONGSUFFERING. FORBEARANCE. FORGIVENESS. COURAGE. CANDOR. LIBERALITY.     203

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CHAPTER VI.

THE TERTIARY GRACES OF GOD'S CHARACTER

THE NATURE AND NAMES OF THE TERTIARY GRACES. MEEKNESS. ZEAL. MODERATION. MAGNANIMITY OR GOODNESS. FAITHFULNESS.     283

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CHAPTER VII.

INFIDELISTIC FALSE VIEWS OF GOD.

ATHEISM. AN ATHEIST'S DIFFICULTIES WITH THE BIBLE. MATERIALISM. AGNOSTICISM. PANTHEISM. DEISM     335

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CHAPTER VIII.

PAGANISTIC FALSE VIEWS OF GOD.

POLYTHEISM. TRITHEISM OR TRINITARIANISM. THE FATHER ALONE THE SUPREME GOD. THE SON NOT COEQUAL NOT COETERNAL, NOT CONSUBSTANTIAL WITH THE FATHER. THE HOLY SPIRIT     455