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p465 [W G Heney] MY DEAR BROTHER, - First as to your scriptures - Hebrews 1:2 and Genesis 1:26 have quite a different force. Hebrews 1:2 signifies that He was the express image, as the wax from a seal, of the spiritual being of God; something like (with the difference of speaking of the Father, which implies, when revealed, actual grace in exercise) "He that hath seen me hath seen the Father."

I should not, perhaps, have thought of taking Genesis 1:26 as a direct proof of immortality; but it seems to me to involve it pretty conclusively. You never could think of a poor dying animal as made in the likeness and image of God. The truth itself is as plain as possible. A threat of death to one who would die at any rate would be an unintelligible thing. "In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die," could not be said to a creature that would die at any rate. And so the apostle understood it, that is the Spirit of God. "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin": "as by man came death."

I have always found it difficult to be precise as to Genesis 1:26. Man was made to be the centre of a vast system placed under him, of its affections and reverence as one having dominion. There was the absence of evil. No angel was a centre and a head. Then there was a reflective [counterpart] of being and headship which no animal has. Everything down here was in relationship with him, and referred to him. No angel has this at all. It is fully developed in the second Man, of whom Adam was consequently the image. (Rom. 5:14) This was of course only in subjection to God, and so in His image. Likeness goes something further. It is put first with Seth; and image is left out by James. Image also represents, but is not necessarily like: the image of a god is not necessarily like him, though it must in some way represent him; though perfect likeness makes it an image - as we say, he is the very image of his father. -I think there is, or rather was, as according to his created condition, a certain moral and mental likeness to God. He not only represents Him on earth, but thinks for others, refers to and delights in what God is - not the knowledge of good and evil in himself, but delight in what is good - has his moral place amongst those who do. This is likeness, not image; there is reflection, delight, love of goodness, beauty. I remember, when I was unconverted, the sense of beauty in creation made me feel I must have to say to God. Eating and drinking was, no doubt, as really a created state, but it was a brute's state, and had not in mind to do with God. Hence we say, when 'the reflective sense of good is lost, a man is brutalised - which is not a question of conversion: then God is known in holiness.

Have you seen the account in The Christian of the missionaries refusing to allow the converted Japanese to meet as one body, with threats of various kinds? - a frightful testimony to what the clergy are. . . . The Lord be with you in your soul and in your work. We have to labour from and by Christ whatever elements we meet with, and become all things to all men if by any means we can save some.

[Date uncertain.]

[52318E]

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