Animal propensities may be transmitted from pa- rents to children, Init the Scriptures do not teach that we inherit any (juilt from Adam, or from any of our
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ancestors ; nor do we feel anj' compunction for their sins. The lant:;uage of our Saviour clearly implies that little children are innocent, for "of such," he says, "is the kingdom of heaven."
The Divine Being. — The unit}-, omnipresence, om- nipotence, and omniscience of God, the only fountain of wisdom and goodness, are fully set fortli in the Scriptures of both the Old and the New Testament. He declares by the mouth of his prophet, " Thus saith the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, his Maker." ... "I, even I, am the Lord, and besides me there is no Sav- iour." . . . " Tiius saith the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel" (Isa. xliii, 11, 14). These dec- larations are reiterated and confirmed in the New Testament. "Jesus answered, The first of all the commandments is, ' Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord,' " etc. (Mark xii, 29).
That spiritual influence or medium bj' which the 3Iost High communicates his will to man is called his Word, and the same term is applied to his creative power, by which all things were made. The unity of the Eternal Word, or Logos, with God, ma}' be illus- trated by the light which emanates from the sun ; for " God is light," and of Christ it is said, " In him was life, and the life was the light of men." The connec- tion between the great luminary of the solar system and the light proceeding from him is so perfect that we apply the term Sun to them both. So, in relation to tlie Eternal Word, which was in the beginning with God, and was God, it is a manifestation of his wisdom and power, being called in the Old Testament "The angel of his presence" (Isa. Ixiii, 9), "The Eedeemer of liis people ;" and in the New Testament, "The Son of God, by whom also he made the worlds" (Heb. i, 2). The term Christ was also applied by the apostles to the Spirit of God as manifested in men. For instance, Paul writ''s of the children of Israel under Moses, " They did all eat the same spiritual meat, and they did all drink the same spiritual drink ; for they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ" (1 Cor. x, 4). Peter says that the pro])hets ' ' prophesied of the grace that should come unto 3'ou, searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify', when it testified beforehand of the sufferings of Christ and tlie glory that should follow" (1 Pet. i, 11).
The most full and glorious manifestation of the di- vine Word, or Logos, was in Jesus Christ, the immacu- late Son of God, who was miraculouslj'' conceived and born of a virgin. In him tlie manhood or son of man was entirely subject to the divinity. The Word took flesh, or was manifested in the flesh. " He took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham." ... "Of Avhoni, as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God, blessed forever." Being "in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin," he was an example to all suc- ceeding generations, "a man approved of God by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did by him." The intimate union between Christ and his Church is illustrated in the epistles of Peter and Paul by two similitudes: that of a body having man}' members, of which .lesus Clirist is the head; and that of a temple, of which he is the cliief corner-stone. The holy man- hood of Ciu'ist, that is, tlie soul of him in whom the Holy Spirit dwelt without measure, is now, and al- ways will 1)6, the head, or chief member of that si)irit- nal liody which is made up of the faithful servants of God of all ages and nations.
"There is one God, and one IMediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (1 Tim. ii, 5). As Moses was a mediator to ordain the legal dispensation, so Jesus Christ was and is the Mediator of the new covenant; first, to proclaim and exemplify it in the day of his outward advent ; jnid, secondly', through all time, in the ministration of his Spirit.
" The Spirit itself niaketh intercession for us with
groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God" (Rom. viii, 2C).
When tlie apostles went forth preaching Christ and his spiritual kingdom, they attributed to his name or l)Ower their wonderful success. Acts ii, S2, 33; iv, 10, 11, 12: "This is the stone," said Peter to the rulers, " which was set at naught of j'ou builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other ; for there is none other name under heaven gi-ven among men whereby we must be saved."
Salvation hy Christ. — The great work of the Jlessiah for the salvation of men is beautifully portrayed in the passage which he read from Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth. " The Spirit of the Lord is upon mc, be- cause he hath anointed nie to preach the Gospel to the poor ; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable j-ear of the Lord" (Luke iv, 18, 19). He came to establish a spiritual king- dom of truth and love in the hearts of mankind, and thereby to jnit an end to the kingdom of evil. A work of reformation was then begun which has not ceased to this day, though often obstructed and retarded. Then Avas laid the foundation on which succeeding generations have built, and no moral reform of any value or permanency can take place unless it be founded on Christian principles.