enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." This promised seed is the last Adam and his offspring. "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil" [dáßolog, accuser, adversary]. (1 John iii. 8.) Hence, the only begotten Son of God assumed the condemned, sinful, adverse nature, to show the superiority and perfection of his own divine nature by contrast. He "who knew no sin," because he was "the express image" of God, was made "sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." "God was in the Anointed, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them," but imputing sin where it exists in the flesh. (2 Cor. v.) "What the law could not do❞— do"justify man-" in that it was weak through the flesh"-it was strong to condemn, but weak to justify-"God" did, by “sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh." (Rom. viii. 3.) He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." (Heb. iv. 15.) He had the nature of the first Adam to war. against, and always conquered it: so that in the end of his trial he could say with truth, "The prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me." (John xiv. 30.) The first Adam, being animal, and not spiritual, was condemned by the law: the last Adam, being spiritual, held the "earthly, sensual, devilish” nature in complete subjection, and was therefore justified. "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." "Great is the mystery of godliness, which was manifested in the flesh, justified in the Spirit." (1 Tim. iii. 16.)

After this demonstration of the perfection of the new man, God condemned the animal nature of Jesus by hanging it on the cross. This signal humiliation had been typified by Moses, when he lifted up the brazen serpent on a pole. (Num. xxi.) And Jesus said, "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up." (John iii. 14.) God was determined to show where sin is. If the spotless Son of God should be condemned as a sinner, man would clearly perceive that sin is in the flesh. "God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin; that He might, in his flesh, condemn sin." (Murdock's translation of Syriac, Rom. viii. 3.) The animal nature was cursed in the serpent at the beginning; and as the

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serpent was lifted up by Moses, so the cursed nature was lifted in the person of Jesus on the cross: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree." (Gal. iii. 13; Deut. xxi. 23.)

The penalty of sin is death. That the penalty might come on Adam, God drove him out of Eden. And this expulsion vindicated what God told the man when he placed him in Eden. "In the day that thou eatest thou shalt die." Being denied access to the tree of life, the law of corruption in his nature re-obtained, and death was inevitable.

The only begotten Son, in taking the sinful nature, consequently became the victim of the law. He was not only to show the superiority of the spiritual over the animal in life, but also the invulnerability of the spiritual to the assault of that power which overcomes and destroys the mere animal. "Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him having the power of death, that is, the devil" [the flesh, the adverse law of sin in our members]. (Heb. ii. 14.) “Our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed." "Death" being "the wages of sin," and the animal nature being condemned as sinful, nothing is reserved for it but extinction. But all who partake of the spiritual, although temporarily brought under the dominion of death, will arise in the resurrection to die no more. The rest of mankind, being only animal, perish with the animal world.

The animal All in Adam "children

And this is the solution of the mystery of sin. nature is cursed; the spiritual nature is justified. die; all in Christ are made alive. By nature we are of wrath;" for "the law worketh wrath" to the animal; and whosoever dies without a connection with the divine nature, remains under "the wrath of God" forever. (John iii, 36.) "Be not deceived; God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Gal. vi.)

The Divine plan of condemnation and justification is comprised in seven parallels, as follows:-

1. The condemnation is on the animal' nature: the justification is on the spiritual nature.

2. Adam; as the representative of the animal nature, was condemned: Jesus, as the representative of the spiritual nature, was justified.

3. Every one who has the animal nature is condemned: every one who has the spiritual nature is justified.

4. Those who have the animal nature get it from the first Adam by animal generation: those who have the spiritual nature get it from the last Adam by spiritual generation.

5. As animal men, we were condemned in our representative Adam before we were begotten: as spiritual men, we were justified in our representative Adam before we were begotten. (The justi-fication was really perfect in the promise,-The seed of the woman shall crush the serpent's head-although it was not fully demonstrated until "the Word was made flesh." Men were begotten again before the Incarnation of the Word, just as they have been since.)

6. We were condemned in the first Adam with reference to our state after our birth into the animal world: we were justified in the last Adam with reference to our state after our birth into the spiritual world. Sin was imputed to us before birth, because a fleshly nature cannot do righteous or spiritual deeds; so righteousness is imputed to us before our birth into the future or spiritual state, because the spiritual nature cannot perform any but righteous deeds. Our present righteousness is relative, not absolute. While we are connected with the fleshly nature "the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh." (Gal. v. 17.) But if we walk in the Spirit, our faith is counted to us for righteousness, and YAHVEH will not impute our trespasses unto us. (Ps. xxxii. 1,2; Rom. iv.; 2 Cor. v. 19.) The child of God is born at the resurrection; until then he is in embryo. A new nature is begotten, which, while his outward man perishes, is invigorated day by day. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Cor. iv. 7, 16.) While in this life we are connected with the condemned nature-"the body is dead because of sin" (Rom. viii.); hence we fail of that absolute righteousness which is required by the law. Owing to our imperfect state, we groan, being burdened, waiting for full redemption. (Rom. viii. 23; 2 Cor. v. 4.) If it were not that we shall be perfect, the law would hold us in its

unrelenting grasp, and death eternal yawn before us.

And here the advocacy of Christ obtains. "If any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1 John ii. 1.) He represents us as we shall be when "we shall be like him." (1 John iii. 2.) “Wherefore he is able to save evermore them that come unto God through him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Heb. vii.)

race.

7. The death of our animal representative, the first Adam, indicated the fate of the animal race; the resurrection of our spiritual representative, the last Adam, indicated the lot of the spiritual "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." All the children of Adam who are not connected with Christ are as certainly doomed to remain under death as they are to die. "The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Anointed." (1 Cor. xv.)

"If by the offence of one the many [in Adam] died, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, by one man, Jesus Anointed, hath abounded unto the many [in Christ]. For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they who receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Jesus Anointed. Therefore, as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men [in Adam] to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men [in Christ] unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience the many [in Adam] were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall the many [in Christ] be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound; that as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign, through righteousness, unto eternal life, by the Anointed Jesus our Lord." (Rom. v.)

THE MYSTERY OF ISRAEL'S TRANSGRESSION.

THE solution of the primal mystery in the Anointed explains the mystery of sin in its national, as well as in its universal aspect. Thus we come to that which confounded the wisdom of Isaiah,— the mystery of Israel's transgression.

YAHVEH, by a solemn covenant, confirmed by an oath, gave unto Abraham and his seed the territory from the river of Egypt to the river Euphrates for an everlasting possession. Centuries intervened before he said unto Moses,-"I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant." Yet he condemned Israel as unworthy of the covenant land!

The nation's breach of the Sinaitic covenant could not justify God in breaking his promise to Abraham. The sin of Israel does not remove the difficulty, but rather strengthens it; for when God confirmed his covenant with Abraham he virtually guaranteed the righteousness of the heirs. Indeed, he did it in words. "Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him. For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they will keep the way of YAHVEH to do justice and judgment; that YAHVEH may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him." (Gen. xviii.) Why then did YAHVEH "remember" his covenant only to condemn the people for whose sake it was "remembered"? And why did not Israel keep the covenant? "O YAHVEH, why hast thou made us go astray from thy ways, and hardened our hearts from thy fear??

The scheme of condemnation and justification furnishes the response to these questions. If the animal man has no affinity with God nor appreciation of the things of God, it is evident that his acquirement of spirituality depends upon the will of his Maker. Unless God bestows his Holy Spirit, man can never become any thing higher than an animal. YAHVEH said to Moses, "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy." (Ex. xxxiii. 19.) "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. He hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth." (Rom. ix.) The case of the Ephesians illustrates this truth. Says Paul, "Ye were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature the children of