The great pyramid passages and chambers

overlappings, and the width of the passage becomes gradually less between each pair of opposite courses till the roof is reached ; here the width is identical with the floor-space between the Ramps. Is there any symbolic significance in these seven overlappings ? Wordsworth E. Jones, of London, in a lecture which he delivered on the Great Pyramid, suggested that they might represent the various stages in the upward growth in Christian character as detailed in 2 Pet. 1: 5-7: “And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness ; and to brotherly kindness love.”

207 From this point of view, the floor of the Grand Gallery may be taken as representing the foundation of our faith. The Apostle assures us that ‘ other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ’—1 Cor.3:11. Jesus himself said: “I am the way”—John 14:6. Itis on him that the ‘exceeding great and precious promises "’ are based, just as it is on the floor of the Grand Gallery that the Ramps are based. The lowest course of each side wall, representing the faith of the Christian, rests on the floor through the medium of the Ramp, and similarly, the faith of the Christian rests on the foundation of Jesus Christ through the medium of the Lord's great and precious promises.

208 But the Christian may have all faith so that he could move mountains, and yet, if he did not add to it the various graces of the spirit, the greatest and highest of which is love, his faith would profit him nothing. We must superadd to our faith the various overlappings of 1, virtue,—fortitude, the courage of our convictions; 2, knowledge; 3, temperance,— self-control; 4, patience; 5, godliness,—reverence for God with desire to do his commands, duty love; 6, brotherly kindness,—love for all who are brethren in Christ Jesus; 7, love in its all-comprehensive sense,—love for God, for the brethren, for mankind in general, for enemies. These are all built upon, and are additions to each other in the order named, and all are necessary, if we would be joint-heirs with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. ‘If these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall; for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ’’—2 Pet. 1 ; 5-11.

209 The fact that the space between the side walls is narrower and narrower at each overlapping, till the roof is reached where the width is the same as that between the Ramps, would seem to indicate that the various additions to the upward growth in grace enumerated by the Apostle Peter, present more and more difficulty to the individual Christian who is faithful to his covenant of sacrifice. The way becomes narrower and narrower, till at length it becomes as narrow as the way the Master trod. This will be reached only when we develop love in its all-comprehensive sense, in addition to and inclusive of the other graces of the spirit. It is only those who cultivate this love, the sum of all the graces, who will be raised to joint-heirship with Christ, inasmuch as these alone will have proved their fitness to be associated with Christ in judging and blessing the world in righteousness—1 Cor. 13; 1-13; 6:2; Rev. 3:21 ; Psa. 96 : 9-13.