2. At least we know that the I. is a crowning disclosure of God. He who had revealed something of His nature. His ' power and Godhead,' in the works of creation (Ro 1™) ; who had spoken to man in divers ways, through the warnings of conscience, through visions, dreams, and oracles ; who had manifested His purposes in judgment, type, and inspired prophecy, finally spoke to man ' in a Son ' (He 1'-). In Christ the will, mind, and charactei of God were finally revealed. ' If we searched all space,' says Luthardt, ' we should discover only the gospel of power; if we surveyed all time, only tht gospel of righteou.sness. Only in Jesus Christ dc we learn the gospel of grace.' Christ imlceC revealed the essence of God's being : fatherly lova and self-imjiarting holiness. In the character of Christ, in His lite of self-forgetful love, in His compassion for sinners, in the severity ot His judgment on sin, is manifested the essential char- acter of God : ' He that hath seen mc.' He said, 'hath seen the l-'ather' (Jn 14» ; cf. 12", Col l'», (iKihv ToO deov TOO dopdTou). Further, by His claim to stand in a unique relation to God, He manifested the distinctions of relationship existing withia the divine essence. He unfolded the name of God as Triune (Mt 28"*). The formula of baptism, in fact, supplements those pas.sages in which the Son and the Spirit are represented as sulMirdinate to God, or ministering to His will. It implies that these two blessed Persons are co-equal with the Father in nature and state, and in their claim to bo, together with Ilim, worshipped and glorified.
3. The myster)' of the I. wius intended for the restoration of man, for the removal of sin and its etVects (I-k 15* 1!)'°, Jn 1^ 3"'-, Gal 4*, Ro .V<"-, 1 Co 1.")-'-", 1 Ti 1", 1 Jn 3»). The coming' of Christ made all things new ; it restored all things to their original unity (Eph 1'"). The Rcdeemei gathered up int*, liimself elements which the Fall had di»intc'n''ited ; He represents manhood to (iod in its initial truth and purity, correspomling to the divine thought, fulfilling its true law, attaining its ideal destiny, perfection through sullcring (He 2"'). In Him is exiiibited the fact tliat sin is no true or necessary element in human nature, but a vice or corruption of it. The first steii in the re-creation of humanity must bo the exiiibiticm of a true pattern of manhood in a life jiorfeetlv well-pleasing to the Fat her (Jn 8*; cf. Lk 3^, Nit I7»). It is needless to illustrate the way in which NT writers constantly point to the example of Christ. Ho Himself bids men 'learn of him' (Mt ll*) and follow His example (Jn 13") ; and St. Paul tclU
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INCARNATION, THE
tho Thcssalonians that they themselves ' are taii};ht of God to love one another' (1 Th 4"; cf. Jn 0"). But, further, Christ removes the barrier whicli sin had raised between man and his Creator ; He 'takes away the sin of tho world' (Jn 1-"); He makes atonement for it (cf. He 2") ; He oilers a propitiatory sacrifice for it (cf. Ko 3^ IXaaHiptov, 1 Jn 2- 4'" IXaaixU), the sacrihce of Himself (lie 9^). He assumed hniiian nature, in its outward aspect such as the Fall had left it, with all its obligations (cf. Mt 3"), its accumulated heritage of weakness and pain, its necessary subjection to vanity (Ko 8-") ; He ' laid hold of it ' (^7ri\o^,<J(£^fTai, He 2'") in its weakness indeed, but not in its perversion and corruption, for He was without sin, thout^h Ho sud'ered for sin (Ko 8' etc.); and by a continuous act of perfect obedience (Ro 5") He discharged the debt of entire self-devotion by which alone man could satisfy the jealous love and tlie righteous claim of his Creator (cf. He 10'"'°). His death on the cross was a representative and vicarious act of submission to the just penalties of human sin (see ditl'erent modes of e.\pression : in Gal 2-'° vv^p {p.ou, 1 Co 15^ VTT^p Tuiv afiapTiun' ij/xujy^ Ko S^ Trtpl afxapria^^ Mt 20'-^ TTfpl iroWuJc, 20^ \vTpov avrl iroWCiv^ etc.) ; and the eircets of Christ's acceptance of death are described under diU'erent metaphors : ' redemption ' (i.e. according to OT associations, deliverance from slavery at a mighty cost), ' propitiation ' (i.e. an act or process by which sin is neutralized), ' re- mission' of sins (Ko 3-° etc.), 'reconciliation wita God,'* 'salvation,' etc.
But the work of redemption is followed by the work of re-creation and sanctification. The resur- rection, by which the seal is set on the mission and work of the Son, and the ascension, by which as High Priest He passes within the veil to appear in the presence of God in our behalf (He 9-'), are followed by the outpouring of the Comforter, in whose coming the presence of Christ in His Church is accomplished ; He comes as a ' quickening spirit ' (I Co 15") to inspire, enlighten, heal, strengthen, and sanctify His members, to unite them to Him- self and to God, to dwell permanently in their hearts, to impart to them 'by habitual and real infusion' His own righteousness, to make them