Our finest human instruments fail to obtain for us "_the things which God
hath prepared for them that love Him_."
Art fails! "_Eye hath not seen._" The merely artistic vision is blind to
the hidden glories of grace. Philosophy fails! "_Neither hath ear heard._"
We may listen to the philosopher as he spins his subtle theories and
weaves his systematic webs, but the meshes he has woven are not fine
enough to catch "the deep things of God." Poetry fails! "_Neither hath it
entered into the heart of man to conceive._" Poetic imagination may
stretch her wings, and soar, but she fails to enter the guest-chamber of
the Lord, and take an inventory of "the things prepared." All these
gracious ministries fail to reach life's glorious and purposed end.
"_But God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit._" When art, and
poetry, and philosophy all pitiably fail, the Spirit unveils to us the
bewildering feast. And so the unlearned has the same ultimate advantage as
the learned, and the cottager has equal privilege with the monarch. The
greatest things are not the perquisites of culture, but the endowments of
humility and holy faith. The poor man has access to the "many mansions,"
and finds a place at the King's feast.