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STUDIES
IN THE
SCRIPTURES
"THE PATH OF THE JUST IS AS THE SHINING LIGHT, WHICH SHINETH MOBS
AND MORE UNTO THE PERFECT DAY."
SERIES V.
BETWEEN
GOD AND MAN
116,000 Edition.
ONE G00 AND ONE MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AMI) * W, THE HAH OMItt
JESUS, WHO GAVE HIMSELF A RANSOM FOR ALL, TO BE
TESTIFIED IN DUE TIMS
I ALSO JOY IN GOD THROUGH OUR LORI) JESUS CHRIST BY WHO* WB
HAVE NOW RECEIVED THB ATONEMENT.
i TIM. 3 ; 5, 6 ; ROM, 5 : xi.~
WATCH TOWER
BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY
BROOKLYN, N. Y,, U. S. A.
1910
TO THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS
IN THK INTEREST OF
HIS CONSECRATED "SAINTS,"
WAITING FOR THE ADOPTION,
AND OF
"ALL THAT IN EVERY PLACE CALL UPON THE LORD,"
"THE HOUSEHOLD OP FAITH,"
AND OF
THE GROANING CREATION, TRAVAILING 'AND WAITING FOR THE
MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD,
THIS WORK IS DEDICATED.
Xo make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning
of the world hath been hid in God." " Wherein He hath abounded toward
us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the
mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which
He hath purposed in Himself ; that in the dispen-
sation of the fulness of the times He might
gather together in one all things,
under Christ."
Eph. 3 : 4, 5, 9 ; i : 8-10.
COPYRIGHT xflgx.
WATCH TOWER BIBLE & TRACT SOCIETY,
BROOKLYN, T., V, S. A.
N. B. This volume am be supplied in German, Swedish, Dano-Norwegian, French
and Greek languages.
StuMee IE tbe Scriptures*
Christian people are becoming more and more awake
to the fact that a great tidal wave of unbelief is sweep-
ing over Christendom; not the blasphemous atheism
voiced by Thomas Paine and Robert Ingersoll, but the
cultured kind represented in the scholarship of our
day, which makes the danger all the more insidious.
Not only are the great Colleges and Seminaries un-
dermining the faith of the better educated, but the
Common School books, and especially those used in
the High Schools, are similarly inculcating a distrust
in the Bible, a contradiction of its teachings. For a
college graduate of to-day to declare his faith in the
inspiration of the Scriptures would bring upon him the
scorn of his companions a scorn which few would
court, or could endure. At very best, a few will be
found to claim that they believe that Jesus and his
Apostles were sincere, though they blundered in quoting
from the Old Testament as inspired.
Such a belief in Jesus and his Apostles is no belief
at all; for if present-day "higher critics" are wise enough
to know when and where our Lord and his Apostles
erred in their quotations from the Old Testament,
then these wise men of our day are our proper guides,
more inspired than Jesus and his Apostles.
Our Society, realizing the need, is seeking to do all
in its power to stem the tide and lift up the Lord's
* 'standard for the people." It has prepared six sets
of Bible Studies (of which this volume is one) for
Christian people of all denominations to use in lending
a helping hand to all perplexed inquirers with whom
they may, by God's providence, come in contact.
These are supplied at bare cost, and can be had direct
from the Society's warerooms or of its colporteurs,
who are gradually reaching forth these helping hands
far and near. These valuable "studies" are supplied
at little more;tJja^tw>;oeftw^acii;-T-io ^s tneru well
bound in a cloth ,Q4e ejnbosejl m ^vep, for 35 cents.
The thought **jg t|ti&: " As a ? Ch4ktiah\fean.ot woman
you have children br* relatives or neighbors or friends
open to yotur influence perfcp, ^indeed, asking your
counsel asking, "How do V^'I&ow that there is a
God?" or, "What proofs have we that the Bible is
inspired?" It is no longer wise to call these silly ques-
tions, nor to ask, "Are you an infidel?'*
However competent you might be to prepare an-
swers to these and a score of other questions, you may
not have the needed time and opportunity to do so.
How convenient then to step to your book-case, take
down the proper study on the subject, and to say to
the inquirer, Sit down and read that short study,
and the whole matter of your question will be fully
and satisfactorily settled; and if your doubts ever
again arise come over and read the same afresh.
Possibly you may be a member of an Epworth
League or Christian Endeavor Society, or of a Baptist
Young People's Union, and may be called on for an
essay on some Scripture topic. How convenient to
select one among these numerous studies (covering
almost every topic) and to find therein the appropriate
Scriptures cited. Ministers use them thus when com-
posing special sermons and addresses.
Ministers who have large libraries touching every
conceivable religious topicmany volumes costing $6
to $8 per volume may not feel their need of these
"Bible Studies," but to others they are almost indis-
pensably Indeed, in addition to the price feature,
which brings them within the reach of everybody six
volumes of over 3,000 pages for $2.25 the usual price
of one such volume they are written in pure, but
simple English, whereas the "scholarly works 1 ' are
replete with technical terms and only for the few.
We invite Christian people of all denominations to
join us in our work of extending these "helping hands 11
to the rising generation, A single friend or relative
helped rescued from doubt or unbelief would repay
the cost of these studies a thousand times*
CONTENTS.
STUDY I.
THE FACT AND PHILOSOPHY.
IT LIBS AT THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE FROM THE BIBLE STAND*
POINT. THREE VIEWS OP THE SUBJECT, THE "ORTHODOX VIEW;" THB
"HETERODOX VIEW;" THE BIBLE VIEW, WHICH UNITES AND HARMONIZES
BOTH, EVOLUTION THEORY ANTAGONISTIC TO THE TRUTH ON THIS SUB-
JECT. RECONCILIATION OP DIVINE JUSTICE ACCOMPLISHED. RECON-
CILIATION OF THE CHURCH IN PROGRESS. RECONCILIATION OF THE
WORLD FUTURE. THE GRAND FINAL RESULTS WHEN THE MEDIATORIAL
THRONE AND KINGDOM SHALL BE VACATED 15
STUDY II.
THE AUTHOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
THB ALMIGHTY, JEHOVAH. THE SAVIOR OF SINNERS, THROUGH CHRIST.
"WORTHY is THE LAMB." "THE SELF-EXISTING ONB." THE I AM,
A FALSE TRADITION. BASED ON FORGERY, THE UNITY OP FATHER
AND SON SCRIPTURALLY SHOWN. THE SCRIPTURAL USAGE OF THE WORD
JEHOVAH AND THB TITLE LORD. THB WORD GOD IN THE OLD TESTA-
MENT. IN THB NEW TESTAMENT. THE HARMONIOUS BIBLE TESTIMONY.
"HE THAT HATH SEEN MB HATH SEEN THB FATHER."- HB THOUGHT
IT NOT ROBBERY TO BB EQUAL. " To Us THERE is ONB GOD, THB FATHER,
AND ONE LORD, JESUS CHRIST." 33
STUDY III.
THE MEDIATOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
THE ONLY BEGOTTEN ONE.
"WHO Is HB?" THEfLoGos, A GOD. THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OP JEHOVAH.
TBB BIBLE'S TESTIMONY, "HE WHO WAS RICH." "BEPORE ABRA-
HAM WAS I AM." "THE FIRST AND THE LAST." "JEHOVAH POSSESSED
MB IN THE BEGINNING." THE LOGOS MADE FLESH, NOT INCARNATED.
HB HUMBLED HIMSELP. "Hs WHO WAS RICH POR OUR SAKBS BECAME
POOR." No HYPOCRISY IN THIS TESTIMONY, OUR LORD'S CONDUCT
NOT DECEPTIVE. THB HOLY, HARMLESS, UNDEPILBD, SBPARATB PROM
SlNNBRS, . , 83
STUDY IV.
THE MEDIATOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
THE UNDEPILED ONE.
SEEMINGLY CONFLICTING SCRIPTURES RECONCILED. THB ROMAN CATHO-
LIC DOCTRINE OP MARY'S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION NOT SUSTAINED.- ~
THE BIRTH OP JESUS SEPARATE PROM SINNERS ESSENTIAL TO THB DIVINE
ARRANGEMENT. OTHERWISE NO RANSOM POSSIBLE,- THB LATEST DE-
DUCTIONS OP SCIENCE IN RE THE UNION OP LIFE AWD PROTOPLASM. -
THE LOGOS MADE FLESH. BORN OP A WOMAN YET UNDBFILBD. How
THE IMPERFECT MOTHER COULD AND DID BRING FORTH THB UNDBPILBD
ONE, THIS SAME PRINCIPLE OPERATING IN OTHER FEATURES OP THB
DIVINE PLAN, AS TESTIFIED BY THE SCRIPTURES, , 97
STUDY V,
THE MEDIATOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
" MADE LIKE UNTO HIS BRETHREN'*
AND
"TOUCHED WITH A FEELING OF OUR INFIRMITIES/ 1
WHO "His BRETHREN" ARE. IN WHAT THE LIKENESS CONSISTED. How
HB WAS TEMPTED IN ALL POINTS LIKE AS WE ARE TEMPTED YET
WITHOUT SIN. THB WILDERNESS TEMPTATIONS. THEIR RESEMBLANCE
TO OURS SOME OP WHICH WOULD "DECEIVE IP IT WERE POSSIBLE TIW
VERY ELECT." IN WHAT SENSE OUR LORD WAS MADE PERFECT THROUGH
SUFFERINGS, THOUGH A SON, YET LEARNED HE OBEDIENCE. How HB
WAS MADE IN THB LlKENESS OP SlNPUL FLESH YET WITHOUT SlN.
*' HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES." How HE WAS " TOUCHED,** . 107
STUDY VI.
THE MEDIATOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
DAVID'S SON AND DAVID'S LORD.
How DAVID'S SON. JOSEPH'S GENEALOGY THROUGH SOLOMON. MARY'S
GENEALOGY THROUGH NATHAN. ABASE THE HIGH, EXALT THE Low.
WHENCE CHRIST'S TITLE TO BE DAVID'S LORD. How HB WAS BOTH
ROOT AND BRANCH OP DAVID, MEANING OP His TITLB, "THE EVER-
LASTING FATHER." How SECURED AND HOW TO BE APPLICABLE. -WHO
ARE CHILDREN OF CHRIST. THB CHURCH His " BRETHREN " CHILDREN
OF THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, , . 13$
STUDY VII.
THE MEDIATOR OP THE ATONEMENT.
"THE SON OF MAN."
WHAT THIS TITLE DOES NOT MEAN. WHAT IT DOBS MEAN. ITS HONORS
INDISPUTABLE. CAN BE CLAIMED BY NONE OTHER. THE SON OP MAN
AS SEEN BY THE WORLD. PILATE'S VIEW, ROUSSEAU'S VIEW, NAPOLEON'S
VIEW. SIGNIFICANCE OP STATEMENTS, "No BEAUTY IN HIM THAT WE
SHOULD DESIRE HIM;" AND "His VISAGE WAS so MARRED." "THE
CHIEPEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND." "YEA, HE is ALTOGETHER LOVE*
LY." . 149
STUDY VIII.
THE CHANNEL OF THE ATONEMENT.
THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.
THE OPERATION OP THE HOLY SPIRIT Now AND IN THE MILLENNIUM.
VARIOUS DESCRIPTIVE NAMES OP THE HOLY SPIRIT, "SPIRIT OF LOVE,"
"SPIRIT OP TRUTH," ETC. IN CONTRAST, THE UNHOLY SPIRIT, "SPIRIT
OP ERROR," "SPIRIT OP FEAR," ETC. PERSONAL PRONOCJNS APPLIED.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OP THE WORD SPIRIT. "Goo is A SPIRIT." "THE
HOLY SPIRIT WAS NOT YET GIVEN." GIFTS OP THE SPIRIT. THE TRANS-
FORMING POWER OP THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE SPIRIT BY MEASURE AND
WITHOUT MEASURE. "THE SPIRIT OP THE WORLD," ANTICHRIST.
THE BATTLE BETWEEN THIS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. SPIRIT FIGHTINGS
WITHOUT AND WITHIN THE SAINTS. THE SPIRIT THAT LUSTETH TO
ENVY. TAUGHT OP THE SPIRIT. THE PARAKLETOS, THE COMFORTER.
HE SHALL GUIDE You INTO ALL TRUTH AND INTO FULL ATONEMENT. THE
SPIRIT'S SUPERVISION NONE THE LESS SINCE THE MIRACULOUS GIFTS
WERE DISCONTINUED. 163
STUDY IX.
THE BAPTISM, WITNESS AND SEAL
OP THB
SPIRIT OF AT-ONE-MENT.
SPIRIT BAPTISM, ONE ONLY IN THREE PARTS. THE SIGNIFICANCE OP
THIS BAPTISM. "THE KEYS OP THE KINGDOM OP HEAVEN." ANOTHER
BAPTISM OP THE SPIRIT PROMISED "UPON ALL FLESH." ITS SIGNIFI-
CANCE. PRAYER FOR THE SPIRIT. THE WITNESS OP THE SPIRIT. ITS
IMPORTANCE. No PEACE WITH GOD WITHOUT IT. FEW KNOW WHETHER
THEY HAVE IT OR NOT. "'Tis A POINT I LONG TO KNOW." How TO
RECOGNIZE THE SPIRIT'S WITNESS. DIFFERENCES OP ADMINISTRATION.
THE SPIRIT'S TESTIMONY. "SANCTIFIED BY THE SPIRIT." "FILLED
WITH THB SPIRIT." THE SEAL OP THE SPIRIT. "THE PROMISE" WHICH
IT SEALS, UNTO THE DAY OF DELIVERANCE. THE HIGHEST ATTAIN-
MENT TO BE SOUGHT AND RETAINED 209
STUDY X.
THE SPIRIT OP A SOUND MIND.
THE SPIRIT OF GOD IN His PEOPLE CASTS OUT THB SPIRIT OP FEAR.
MANKIND IN GENERAL UNSOUND MENTALLY AND PHYSICALLY. THB
SENSE IN WHICH THE HOLY SPIRIT is THE SPIRIT OP A SOUND MIND. THE
OPERATIONS PRODUCING THIS RESULT. THB EVIDENCES OF THE SPIRIT
OP A SOUND MIND. " 340
STUDY XL
THE HOLY SPIRIT OF AT-ONE-MENT.
SUPPOSED OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED.
APPARENTLY CONTRADICTORY SCRIPTURES EXAMINED. QUENCH NOT THE
SPIRIT. GRIEVE NOT THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE SPIRIT OP TRUTH.THK
COMFORTER. FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. LYING TO THE HOLY
SPIRIT. TEMPTING THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD. SIN AGAINST THE HOLY
SPIRIT. "FORBIDDEN OF THE HOLY GHOST.'* "THE HOLY GHOST
WlTNBSSBTH." "THE HOLY GHOST HATH MADE YOU OVERSEERS/*
THE HOLY SPIRIT A TEACHER. "AN UNCTION FROM THE HOLY ONE."
THE SPIRIT MAKBTH INTERCESSIONS WITH GROANINOS. How THE
SPIRIT REPROVES THE WORLD.^-" HEREBY KNOW YE THB SPIRIT OF
GOD" FROM "THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST." . . ' . . 363
STUDY XII.
THE SUBJECT OF THE ATONEMENT MAN.
WHAT is MAN? THB "ORTHODOX" ANSWBR. THE SCIENTIFIC ANSWER.
THE BIBLE ANSWER. MAN'S BODY. THE SPIRIT OF MAN. -Tim
HUMAN SOUL. CONFUSION THROUGH MISTRANSLATION.' THB PROPA-
GATION OF SOULS. WHAT is "SHBOL," "HADES," TO WHICH ALL SOULS
Go, IN THE INTERIM BETWEEN DEATH AND RESURRECTION? THE SCRIP-
TURAL STATEMENTS SEVERALLY CONSIDERED 301 (
STUDY XIII.
HOPES FOR LIFE EVERLASTING AND IMMOR-
TALITY SECURED BY THE ATONEMENT.
THE EARNEST EXPECTATIONS OR HOPES OF THE GROANING CREATION.
ARE NOT PROOFS. THE PROMISES AND THE OUTWORKING OF ATONEMENT,
AS PROOFS. A DISTINCTION AND A DIFFERENCE. Is THE HUMAN SOUL
IMMORTAL, OR, HAS IT A HOPE OF BECOMING IMMORTAL? ARB ANGELS
IMMORTAL? Is SATAN IMMORTAL? THE LIFE AND IMMORTALITY
BROUGHT TO LIGHT THROUGH THE GOSPEL. THB GREEK WORDS REN-
DERED IMMORTAL AND IMMORTALITY IN THE SCRIPTURB&.^-WHEREIN
THE HOPE OF THE CHURCH AND THB HOPE FOR THB SAVED WORLD J>1F-
PBR * 383
STUDY XIV.
THE NECESSITY FOR THE ATONEMENT THE
CURSE.
THE "CURSE" A PRESENT AND NOT A FUTURE EVIL. WHERE AND WHY
THE BLIGHT CAME UPON ALL. WHEN THIS "WRATH" OP GOD AGAINST
SIN WILL CEASE. "ESCAPE" Now AND IN THE FUTURE. ATONEMENT
NECESSARY, BECAUSE OP THE PLAN ADOPTED BY GOD. MAN AN EXAMPLE
FOR ANGELS AND FOR. FUTURE CREATIONS 405
STUDY XV.
"A RANSOM FOR ALL."
THE ONLY BASIS FOR AT-ONE-MENT.
AT-ONE-MENT IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT A RANSOM. SECURED BUT NOT COM-
PELLED. To BE THE RANSOMER BECAME A FAVOR. THE SIGNIFICANCE
OF RANSOM AND REDEEM. WHAT RANSOM WAS PAID FOR MAN. JUSTI-
FICATION BY FAITH THUS SECURED. "Ys ARE BOUGHT WITH A PRICE."
BY WHOM? OP WHOM? FOR WHAT PURPOSE? How LOVE CO-
OPERATED WITH JUSTICE. THE "RANSOM FOR ALL" WAS NOT TAKEN
BACK. FATHERHOOD RIGHTS OF THE FIRST ADAM PURCHASED BY THB
SECOND ADAM. RANSOM NOT PARDON. MAN'S DEATH NOT A RANSOM.
FALSE REASONING OF UNIVERSALIST THEORIES. JUSTICE NOT OBLI-
GATED BY THE RANSOM. THE ONLY NAME. THE MEDIATOR'S METHOD
TYPED IN MOSES, RANSOM, SUBSTITUTION, WAS A DIFFERENT PLAN
POSSIBLE? 421
STUDY XVI.
THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
OR AT-ONE-MENT.
.'HIS MINISTRY COMMITTED TO THE ROYAL PRIESTHOOD. ANOINTED TO
PREACH OP THE AT-ONE-MENT. WHY THE JOYFUL NEWS is NOT APPRE-
CIATED. THE RESULTS OF THIS MINISTRY PERSECUTION AND GLORY.
How IT TESTS FIDELITY.- ONLY THB FAITHFUL MAY SHARK THB ATONE-
MENT WORK FUTURE , 487
THE PACT AND PHILOSOPHY
THE ATONEMENT,
STUDY I.
IT LIES AT THE FOUNDATION OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINB PROM THB BIBLR
STANDPOINT. THREE VIEWS OF THE SUBJECT, THE *' ORTHODOX VIEW,"
THE "HETERODOX VIEW;" THE BIBLE VIEW, WHICH UNITES AND HAR-
MONIZES BOTH. EVOLUTION THEORY ANTAGONISTIC TO THE TRUTH OK
THIS SUBJECT. RECONCILIATION OF DIVINE JUSTICE ACCOMPLISHED,
RECONCILIATION OF THE CHURCH IN PROGRESS. RECONCILIATION OF
THE WORLD FUTURE. THB GRAND FINAL RESULTS WHEN THE MEDIA-
TORIAL THRONB AND KINGDOM WILL BE VACATED.
/ TPHE doctrine of the Atonement lies at the very
A foundation of the Christian religion. Having thus
the most important place in theology, a clear under-
standing of this subject is very essential, and this is
generally conceded amongst Christian people. Never-
theless, the Atonement, though believed in, is little under-
stood; the various ideas and theories respecting it are
disconnected as "well as vague ; and faith built upon these
disconnected and vague views of the foundation doc-
trine must, of necessity, be proportionately unstable,,
weak and vague. On the contrary, if this important
subject be clearly seen, in all the grandeur of the propor-
tions accorded it in the Word of God, as the foundation
of the divine plan of salvation, it not only will firmly
establish faith, rooting and grounding it upon correct
principles, but it will serve as a guide in discrim-
inating between truth and error in connection with
all the minutiae of faith. When the foundation is well
established and clearly discerned, and every item of
faith built upon it is kept in exact alignment with the
foundation, the entire faith superstructure will be per-
1 6 The Atonement.
feet. As we shall show later, every doctrine and theory
may be brought in contact with this touchstone, and
have its proportion of gold or of dross quickly determined
thereby.
There are two general views of the Atonement:
(1) What is known as the orthodox view, namely,
that man, as a transgressor of the divine law, came
under divine condemnation " under wrath"; and that
God, while hindered by Justice from exonerating the
sinner, has provided a just redemption for him, and
thus provided for the forgiveness of his sins, through
the sacrifice of Christ. This entire work of satisfying
the claims of Justice and making the sinner acceptable
to God, is denominated the work of Atonement.
(2) What is known as the unorthodox view of the
Atonement (at one time represented chiefly by Uni-
tarians and Universalists, but which has recently been
spreading rapidly and generally in every quarter of
Christendom), approaches the subject from the opposite
side: it presupposes no requirement on the part of divine
justice of a sacrifice for the sinner's transgression; it
ignores the wrath of God as represented in any special
sentence of death; it ignores "the curse." It holds that
God seeks and waits for man's approach, placing no
hindrance in the way, requiring no atonement for man's
sin, but requiring merely that man shall abandon sin
and seek righteousness, and thus come into harmony
with God, be at-one with God. Hence this view is
generally styled At-one-ment^ and is understood to sig-
nify harmony with righteousness regardless of the
methods by which mankind may be brought into this
state: atonement for sin being considered from the
standpoint of expiation by the sinner himself, or else
as unconditional forgiveness by God. From this stand-
point our Lord Jesus and all his followers have part in
the at-one-ment, in the sense that they have taught and
exhorted mankind to turn from sin to righteousness*
and in no sin-offering or ransom sense.
The Fact and Philosophy. 17
(3) The view which we accept as the Scriptural one,
but which has been overlooked very generally by theo-
logians, embraces and combines both of the foregoing
views. The Bible doctrine of the Atonement, as we
shall endeavor to show, teaches clearly:
(a) That man was created perfect, in the image of
God, but fell therefrom, through wilful disobedience,
and came under the sentence of wrath, "the curse/'
and thus the entire race became "children of wrath.**
Eph. 2:3.
(6) While God justly executed against his disobe-
dient creature the sentence of his law, death, and that
without mercy, for over four thousand years, yet, never-
theless, blended with this justice and fidelity to principles
of righteousness was the spirit of love and compassion,
which designed an ultimate substitutional arrangement
or plan of salvation, by which God might still be just
and carry out his just laws against sinners, and yet be
the justifier of all, who believe in Jesus. (Rom. 3:26.)
By this plan all the 1 condemned ones might be relieved
from the sentence without any violation of Justice, and
with such a display of divine love and wisdom and
power as would honor the Almighty, and prove a bless-
ing to all his creatures, human and angelic, by reveal-
ing to all, more fully than ever before seen, the much
diversified wisdom and grace of God. Eph. 3:10,
Diaglott.
(c) It was in the carrying out of this program of
Atonement to the divine law for its transgression by
father Adam y that our dear Redeemer died, "a ransom
for all, to be testified in due time." i Tim. 2:6.
(d) But the sacrifice for sins does not complete the
work of Atonement, except so far as the satisfaction of
the claim of Justice is concerned. By virtue of the ran-
som paid to Justice, a transfer of man's account has been
made, and his case, his indebtedness, etc., is wholly
transferred to the account of the Lord Jesus Christ, who
paid to Justice the full satisfaction of its claims against
Adam, and his race. Thus Jesus, by reason of this
2E
1 8 The Atonement.
"purchase" with his own precious blood, is now in con-
sequence the owner, master, "Lord, of all." Rom.
14:9.
(e) One object in this arrangement for Adam and
his race was the annulment of their death sentence, which,
so long as it remained, estopped Love from any efforts
to recover the condemned, whose privileges of future
life under any circumstances were wholly abrogated
destroyed.
(/) Another object was the placing of the fallen race
beyond the reach of divine Justice, and under the special
supervision of Jesus, who as the representative of the
Father's plan proposes not only to satisfy the claims of
Justice, but also undertakes the instruction, correction
and restitution of so many of the fallen race as shall
show their desire for harmony with Justice. Such he
will ultimately turn over to the Justice of the divine
law, but then so perfected as to be able to endure its
perfect requirements.
> (g) Though originally the only separating influence
between God and man was the divine sentence, now,
after six thousand years of falling, degradation and
alienation from God through wicked works, and be-
cause of ignorance, superstition, and the wiles of the
Adversary, and because the divine character and plan
have been misrepresented to men, we find the message
of grace and forgiveness unheeded. Although God freely
declares, since the ransom was accepted, that he is now
ready to receive sinners back into harmony with him-
self and to eternal life, through the merit of Christ's
sacrifice, nevertheless the majority of mankind are slow
to believe the good tidings, and correspondingly slow to
accept their conditions. Some have become so deluded
by the sophistries of Satan, by which he has deceived
all nations (Rev. 20:3), that they do not believe that
there is a God; others believe in him as a great and power-
ful adversary, without love or sympathy, ready and
anxious to torment them to all eternity; others are con-
fused by the Babel of conflicting reports that have
The Fact and Philosophy. 19
reached them, concerning the divine character, and
know not what to believe; and, seeking to draw near
unto God, are hindered by their fears and by their
ignorance. Consequently, as a matter of fact, the num-
ber who have yet availed themselves of the opportunity
of drawing nigh unto God through Christ is a compara-
tively small one "a little flock."
(k) Nevertheless, the sacrifice for sins was not for
the few, but for the "many/* "for all," And it is a part
of the divine program that he who redeemed all with his
own precious blood shall ultimately make known to all
men, "to every creature/' the good tidings of their
privilege under divine grace, to return to at-one-ment
with their Creator.
(i) Thus far only the Church has been benefited by
the Atonement, except indirectly; but the teaching of
the Scriptures is that this Church shall constitute a
priestly Kingdom, or "royal priesthood," with Christ
the Royal Chief Priest, and that during the Millennial
age this Heavenly Kingdom class, this royal priesthood,
shall fully and completely accomplish for mankind the
work of removing the blindness which Satan and error
and degradation brought upon them, and shall bring
back to full at-one-ment with God whosoever wills, of
all the families of the earth.
(;') In harmony with this is the Apostle's statement
that we, believers, the Church, have received the Atone-
ment. The Atonement was made, so far as God was con-
cerned, eighteen centuries ago, and that for all; but only
believers have received it in the sense of accepting the
opportunity which the grace of God has thus provided,
and the rest of mankind are blinded. "The god of this
world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the
image of God, should shine unto them. 7 ' 2 Cor. 4:4.
(k) In harmony with this thought also is the state-
ment of Scripture, that the first work of Christ in con-
nection with his Millennial reign, will be to bind, or
restrain, Satan, that he shall deceive the nations no more
2O The Atonement.
for the thousand years (Rev. 20:3), also the numerous
statements of the prophets, to the effect that when the
Kingdom of God shall be established in the earth, the
knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth, as the
waters cover the great deep, and none shall need to say
to his neighbor, "Know thou the Lord" (Heb. 8:11),
also the petition of the Lord's prayer, "Thy Kingdom
come, thy will be done on earth" because this implies
what the Apostle expressly declares, that God desires
all men to be saved and come to acknowledge of the truth.
i Tim. 2:4.
(1) The Atonement, in both of its phases the satis-
faction of Justice, and the bringing back into harmony
or at-one-ment with God of so many of his creatures as,
under full light and knowledge, shall avail themselves of
the privileges and opportunities of the New Covenant
will be completed with the close of the Millennial Age,
when all who shall wilfully and intelligently reject divine
favor, offered through Christ, "shall be destroyed from
among the people," with "an everlasting destruction,
from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his
power;" with a destruction from which there will be
no hope of recovery by future resurrection. Acts 3:23;
2 Thes, i :Q.
(m) Then the great work of the Atonement will be-
completed, and all things in heaven and in earth will be
found in harmony with God, praising him for all his
munificence and grace through Christ; and there shall be
no more dying and no more sighing, no more pain there,
because the former things shall have passed away as the
result of the work of the Atonement, commenced by the
propitiation of Justice by our Redeemer's sacrifice, con-
cluded by the full reconciliation of all found worthy of
eternal life.
However the word Atonement may be viewed, it must
be conceded that its use at all, as between God and man,
implies a "difficulty, a difference, an opposition, existing
between the Creator and the creature otherwise they
would be at one, and there would be no need of a
The Fact and Philosophy. 21
of atonement, from either standpoint. And here par*
ticularly we discern the deadly conflict that exists be-
tween the Bible and the modern doctrine of Evolution,
which, for the past thirty years in particular, has, been
permeating the faith of Christian people of all denomi-
nations, and which shows itself most markedly in
theological schools and in the principal pulpits of
Christendom.
The Evolution theory denies the fall of man; denies
that he ever was in the image and likeness of God;
denies that he was ever in a fit condition to be on trial
before the bar of exact Justice; denies that he ever
sinned in such a trial, and that he ever was sentenced to
death. It claims that death, so far from being a penalty
is but another step in the process of evolution; it holds
that man, instead of falling from the image and likeness
of God into sin and degradation, has been rising from
the condition of a monkey into more and more of the
image and likeness of God. The logical further steps
of the theory would evidently be, to deny that there
could be any justice on God's part in condemning man
for rising from a lower to a higher plane, and denying,
consequently, that Justice could accept a sin-offering
for man, when there had been no sin on man's part to
require such an offering. Consistently with this thought,
it claims that Christ was not a sin-offering, not a sacri-
fice for sins, except in the same sense, they would say,
that any patriot might be a sacrifice for his country;
namely, that he laid down his life in helping to lift the
race forward into greater liberties and privileges.
But we find that the Word of God most absolutely
contradicts this entire theory, so that no harmony is
possible between the Scripture teaching and the teaching
of Evolution, science falsely so-called. Whoever be-
lieves in the Evolution theory, to that extent disbelieves
the Scripture theory; and yet we find a very large num-
ber of Christian people vainly struggling and attempting
to harmonize these antagonizing teachings. To whatever
eactent they hold the theory of Evolution, to that extent
22 The Atonement.
they are off the only foundation for faith which God has
provided; to that extent they are prepared for further
errors, which the adversary will be sure to bring forward
to their attention, errors presented so forcibly from the
worldly-wise standpoint that they would, if it were
possible, deceive the very elect. But the very elect will
have "the faith once delivered to the saints;" the very
elect will hold to the doctrine of the Atonement, as
presented in the Scriptures; the very elect will thus be
guarded against every item and feature of the Evolu-
tion theory: for the very elect will be taught of God,
especially upon this doctrine of the Atonement, which
lies at the very foundation of revealed religion and
Christian faith.
The Scriptures unequivocally testify that God created
man in his own image and likeness mental and moral;
that man, an earthly being, was the moral and intellect
tual image or likeness of his Creator, a spirit being.
They declare his communion with his Creator in the
beginning; they declare that his Creator approved him
as his workmanship, and pronounced him "very good/ 1
very acceptable, very pleasing; they show that the
proposition of life or death was set before the perfect
Adam, and that when he became a transgressor it was
an intelligent and wilful act, inasmuch as it is declared
that Adam "was not deceived." They declare the be-
ginning of the execution of the death penalty. They
record the progress for centuries of the death sentence
upon the race. They point out how God revealed to
faithful Abraham his purpose, his intention, not at once,
but later on, to bring in a blessing to the race, which he
declared he had cursed with the sentence of death,
Gen. 1:31; 2:17; 3:23; i Tim. 2:14; Gen. 12:3; 18:18;
3:17.
Since the curse or penalty of sin was death, the bless-
ings promised implied life from the dead, life more
abundant: and the promise to Abraham was that in
some unexplained way the Savior who would accom-
plish this work of blessing the world should come through
The Fact and Philosophy. 23
Abraham's posterity. The same promises were, with
more or less clearness, reiterated to Isaac, to Jacob and
to the children of Israel. The prophets also declared
that the Messiah coming should be a Lamb slain, a sin-
offering, one who should "pour out his soul unto death,'*
for our sins, and not for his own. And they portrayed
also the result of his sacrifice for sins, in the glory and
blessing that should follow; telling how ultimately his
Kingdom shall prevail, and, as the Sun of Righteousness,
he shall bring into the world the new day of blessing
and life and joy, which shall dispel the darkness and
gloom and the sorrow of the night of weeping, which
now prevails as the result of original sin and the fall,
and inherited evil tendencies. Isa. 53:10-12; 35; 60; 61.
The Apostle Peter, speaking under the inspiration of
the holy Spirit, so far from telling us that man had been
created on the plane of a monkey, and had risen to his
present degree of development, and would ultimately
attain perfection by the same process of evolution,
points, on the contrary, a reverse lesson, telling us that
Christ died for our sins, and that, as a consequence of
the redemption accomplished by his sacrifice, there
shall ultimately come to mankind, at the second advent
of our Lord, great times of refreshing times of resti-
tution of all things, which, he declares, "God hath
spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the
world began." (Acts 3:19-21.) Whoever may think the
Apostle Peter was preaching a doctrine of evolution,
when preaching the gospel of restitution, must have
closed his eyes and stopped the operation of his reason-
ing faculties; for if the original condition of man was
that of a monkey, or if it was anything whatever in-
ferior to our present condition, the Apostle would have
been the veriest fool to hold out, as a grand hope and
prospect, times of restitution, for restitution means a
restoration of that condition which previously existed.
On the contrary, the Apostle's words are thoroughly
out of harmony with and antagonistic to the theory of
evolution, and in strictest harmony with the doctrine of
a 4 The Atonement.
the Atonement, reconciliation and restitution in strict-
est harmony with the Scriptural teaching that mankind
were sold under sin, and became the slaves of sin, and
suffered the degradation of sin, as the result of father
Adam's original disobedience and its death-penalty.
Restitution, the good tidings which Peter preached,
implies that something good and grand and valuable
was lost, and that it has been redeemed by the precious
blood of Christ, and that it shcJl 'x* restored, as the result
of this redemption, at the second advent of Christ.
And the Apostle's reference to the prophets, declaring
that these restitution times were mentioned by all of
them who were holy, distinctly implies that the hope
of restitution is the only hope held out before the world
of mankind by divine inspiration.*
All the Apostles similarly pointed backward to the fall
from divine favor, and to the cross of Christ as the point
of reconciliation as respects divine Justice, and for-
ward to the Millennial age as the time for the blessing
of all the world of mankind with opportunities of know-
ledge and help in their reconciliation to God. They all
point out the present age as the time for the gathering
out of the elect Church to be associates with Messiah
(his "royal priesthood" and "peculiar people'*) to co-
operate with him as his "bride," his "body," in the work
of conferring upon the world the blessings of restitution
secured for them by the sacrifice finished at Calvary.
Mark the words of the Apostle Paul along this line;
"By one man's disobedience sin entered into the world
and death as a result of sin; and so death passed upon all
men, for [by reason of inherited sin and sinful disposi-
tions] all are sinners. The Apostle Paul quite evidently
was no more an Evolutionist than the Apostle Peter and
the prophets. Mark the hope which he points out as
the very essence of the Gospel, saying: " God commendeth
his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us; much more then, being now justified
*See No. 41, OLD THEOLOGY TRACTS*
The Fact and Philosophy. 25
by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him."
(Rom. 5:8, 9.) Here is a specific declaration that the
race was under divine wrath; that the saving power
was the blood of Christ, the sacrifice that he gave on our
behalf; and that this sacrifice was an expression of divine
love and grace. The Apostle proceeds to show the work
of Atonement, and the restitution which will follow as
a result, saying: "As through one offence [Adam's dis-
obedience] sentence came upon all men to condemnation
[the death sentence]; so also through one righteous act
the free gift [the reversal of the sentence] came on all
men unto justification of life. For as through the diso-
bedience of one man [Adam] many were made sinners
[all who were in him], so by the obedience of one [Jesus]
many [all who ultimately shall avail themselves of the
privileges and opportunities of the New Covenant]
shall be constituted righteous." Rom. 5:12, 18, 19.
The same Apostle, in many other of his masterly and
logical discourses, presents the thought that the Atone-
ment, so far as God is concerned, is a thing of the past
finished when "we were reconciled to God through the
death of his Son," while we were yet sinners. (Rom,
5:10.) In this he evidently did not refer to a work
accomplished in the sinner, reconciling the sinner to
God, because he states it in the reverse manner, and
declares that it was accomplished, not in us, but by
Christ for us, and while we were sinners. Note also that
in various of his learned and logical discourses he points
out a work of blessing to the world, to be accomplished
through the glorified Church, under Christ, her divinely
appointed Head, showing that it will consist in bringing
the world to a knowledge of God's grace in Christ, and
that thus so many of the redeemed world as may be
willing can return to at-one-ment with their Creator
during the Millennial Kingdom, a restitution of the
divine favor lost in Eden.
As an illustration of this point note the argument of
Rom. 8:17-24. Here the Apostle distinctly marks as
separate salvation of the Church and the
6 The Atonement.
salvation or deliverance of the world, the "groaning
creation." He calls attention to the Church as the
prospective joint-heir with Christ, who, if faithful in
suffering with him in this present time, shall ultimately
share his glory in his Kingdom. He assures us that
these sufferings of this present time are unworthy of
comparison with the glory that shall be revealed in us
by and by. And then he proceeds to say that this glory
to be revealed in the Church after its sufferings are all
complete, is the basis for all the earnest expectations of
the groaning creation, whose longings and hopes
necessarily await fruition in the time when the sons of
God shall be revealed or manifested.
Now the sons of God are unrevealed; the world knows
them not, even as it knew not their Master; and though
the world, indeed, looks forward with a vague hope to a
golden age of blessing, the Apostle points out that all
their earnest expectations must wait for the time when
the Church, the sons of God, shall be glorified and shall
be manifested as the kings and priests of God's appoint-
ment, who shall reign over the earth during the Millen-
nial age, for the blessing of all the families of the earth,
according to the riches of divine grace as revealed by
God in his promise to Abraham, saying: "In thy seed
shall all the families of the earth be blessed/ 1 Gal.
3:8, 16, 29.
The Apostle proceeds to show that mankind in general,
the intelligent earthly creation, was subjected to frailty
("vanity") by heredity, by the transgression of father
Adam, according to divine providence, and yet is not
left without hope; because under divine arrangement
also, a sacrifice for sins has been provided, and provision
made that ultimately mankind in general may be emanjci-
pated, set free, from the slavery of sin, and from its
penalty, death, and may attain the glorious freedom
(from sickness, pain, trouble, sorrow) which is the
liberty of all who are the sons of God. It was from this
plane of sonship and such "liberty" that mankind fell
through disobedience, and to the same plane of human
The Fact and Philosophy. 27
sonship they will be privileged to return, as a result of
the great sin-offering at Calvary, and of the completion
of the work of Atonement in them, reconciling them to
the divine law by the Redeemer, as the Great Prophet,
the antitype of Moses. (Acts 3:22, 23.) The Apostle
also points out that the Church, which already has re-
ceived the Atonement (accepted the divine arrangement)
and come into harmony with God, and has been made
possessor of the first-fruits of the spirit, nevertheless,
by reason of the surroundings, groans also, and waits
for her share of the completed work of the Atonement,
in her complete reception to divine favor, the deliver-
ance of the body of Christ, the Church, in the first
resurrection. Rom. 8:23-25.
These two features of the Atonement, (i) the right-
ing of the wrong, and (2), the bringing of the separated
ones into accord, are shown in the divine proposition of
a New Covenant, whose mediator is Christ Jesus our
Lord. When father Adam was perfect, in complete
harmony with his Creator, and obedient to all of his
commands, a covenant between them was implied,
though not formally expressed; the fact that life in its
perfection had been given to father Adam, and that
additionally he had been given dominion over all the
beasts and fish and fowl, and over all the earth as the
territory of his dominion, and the additional fact that
it was declared that if he would violate his faithfulness
to the Great King, Jehovah, by disobedience, he would
forfeit his life, and vitiate all those rights and blessings
which had been conferred upon him this implied, we
say, a covenant or agreement on God's part with his
creature that his life was everlasting, unless he should
alter the matter by disobedience, and bring upon him-
self a sentence of death.
The disobedience of Adam, and its death penalty,
left him utterly helpless, except as the Almighty pro-
vided for the recovery of the race through the New
Covenant, and the New Covenant, as the Apostle points
out, has a mediator God, on the one part, deals with
28 The Atonement.
the mediator, and not with the sinner; the sinner, on
the other part, deals with the mediator, and not with
God. But before our Lord Jesus could become the
Mediator he must do for mankind a work which, in this
figure, is represented as sealing the New Covenant with
his own precious blood, "The blood of the New Cove-
nant/' (Matt, 26:28; Mark 14:24; Heb. 7:22; 9:15-20.)
That is to say, God, in justice, cannot receive nor deal
with the sinner, either directly, or indirectly through a
mediator, so as to give the sinner a release from the
sentence of death, and reconciliation to God, with its
accompanying blessing, the gift of eternaUife, except
first divine Justice be remembered and satisfied. Hence
it was that our Lord Jesus, in paying our penalty by
Ms death, made possible the sealing of the New
Covenant between God and man, under the terms of
which all who come unto God by him, the mediator,
are acceptable.
Reconciliation with God, at-one-raent with him, was
impossible until, first, the redemption had been secured
with the precious blood, that the one seeking at-one~
xnent might approach God, through the mediator of
the New Covenant: "I am the Way, the Truth and
the Life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me/*
(John 14:6.) It is for this reason that the highest; privi-
lege of the most favored of mankind, previous to the
commencement of Christ's sacrifice, was that of "ser-
vants" and "friends" of God; none could be accorded
the high privilege of sonship (with all that this implies
of divine favor and eternal life), and none were thus
recognized. (John 1:12; Matt. 11:11.) Thus it will be
seen that those who ignore the sin-offering and Justice-
appeasement features of the Atonement arc ignoring
important and indispensable parts primary and funda-
mental features. But not less do others err, who, while
recognizing the sacrifice of Christ as the sacrifice of the
Atonement for sealing the New Covenant, ignore a work
of reconciliation toward men, "by which men are to
The Fact and Philosophy. 29
be brought, through the operation of the New Covenant,
back into harmony with God.
Nor can this work of Atonement, so far as mankind is**
concerned, be accomplished instantaneously and by faith.
It may begin in an instant and by faith, and at-one-ment
may be reckonedly accomplished between the sinner and
the Almighty through faith ; but the scope of the At-one-
ment which God purposes is grander and higher than this.
His arrangement is that those of the human race who
desire to return to at-one-ment with him (and his
righteous law) shall be reckonedly accepted through
their Mediator, but shall not be fully and completely
received (by the Father) while they are actually im-
perfect. Hence, while it is the work of the Mediator
(Head and "body") to proclaim to mankind the fact
that God has provided a sin-offering, whereby he can
be just and yet receive the sinner back into harmony
with himself, and that he is now willing to confer the
blessing of sonship and its eternal life and freedom from
corruption, it is additionally his work to make clear to
all mankind that this offer of salvation is a great boon
and should be promptly accepted and that its terms are
but a reasonable service; and additionally to this, it is
the Mediator's work, as the Father's representative, to
actually restore to mentally, morally and physically
restitute mankind, so many of them as will receive his
ministry and obey him. Thus eventually the Mediator's
work will result in an actual at-one-mcnt between Gad
and those whom the Mediator shall restore to perfectio^.
This great work of the Mediator has appropriated to
it the entire Millennial Age; it is for this purpose that
Messiah's Kingdom shall be established in the eartb,
with all power and authority: it is for this purpose that
he must reign, that he may put down every evil influence
which would hincter the world of mankind from corning
to a knowledge of this gracious truth of divine love and
mercy; this provision under the New Covenant, that
"whosoever will" may return to God. But while the
great Mediator shall thus receive, bless and restore,
^o The Atonement.
under the terms of the New Covenant, all who desire
fellowship with God through him, he shall destroy from
among the people, with an everlasting destruction, all
who, under the favorable opportunities of that Millen-
nial Kingdom, refuse the divine offer of reconciliation.
Acts 3:23; Matt. 25:41, 46; Rev. 20:9, 14, i5>* Prov -
2121, 22.
The close of the Millennial age will come after it shall
have accomplished all the work of mediation for which it
was designed and appointed. And there the media-
torial office of Christ will cease because there will be no
more rebels, no more sinners. All desirous of harmony
with God will then have attained it in perfection; and
all wilful sinners will by that time have been cut off
from life. Then will be fulfilled our Lord's prophecy
that all things in heaven and earth will be found praising
God; and then will be realized the divine promise that
there shall be no more dying, no more sighing and no
more crying, because the former things (conditions) will
have passed away. Rev. 21:4; Psa. 67.
When the great Mediator-King shall resign his com-
pleted work to the Father, delivering up his office and
kingdom as the Apostle explains (i Cor. 15:24-28),
what lasting results may we expect the great Mediator's
redemptive work toward mankind to show?
It will have accomplished:
(1) The sealing of the New Covenant with his own
precious blood; making its gracious provisions possible
to all mankind.
(2) The reconciling or bringing back into harmony
with God of a "little flock," a "royal priesthood,"
zealous of good works willing to lay down their lives in
God's service; who, because thus copies of their Savior,
shall by divine arrangement be privileged to be his joint-
heirs in the Millennial Kingdom and partakers of his
divine nature. i Pet. 2:9, 10; Titus 2:14; Rom. 8:29.
(3) The reconciliation, the full restitution, of an
earthfull of perfect, happy human beings all of mankind
found desirous of divine favor upon the divine terms:
The Fact and Philosophy. 31
these the Mediator turns over to the Father, not only
fully restored but fully instructed in righteousness and
self-control and full of the spirit of loyalty to God, the
spirit of holiness and possessed of its blessed fruits
meekness, patience, kindness, godliness, love. In this
condition they shall indeed be blameless and irreproach-
able, and capable of standing every test.
(4) The destruction of all others of the race, as un-
worthy of further favor, the cumberers of the ground,
whose influence could not be beneficial to others, and
whose continued existence would not glorify their
Creator.
Thus, at the close of the Millennial age, the world will
be fully back in divine favor, fully at -one with God, as
mankind was representatively in harmony, at-one with
God, in the person of Adam, before transgression entered
the world: but additionally they will possess a most
valuable experience with evil; for by it they will have
learned a lesson on the sinfulness of sin, and the wisdom,
profit and desirableness of righteousness. Additionally,
also, they will possess an increase of knowledge and the
wider exercise of the various talents and abilities which
were man's originally in creation, but in an undeveloped
state. And this lesson will be profitable, not to man
alone, but also to the holy angels, who will have witnessed
an illustration of the equilibrium of divine Justice, Love,
Wisdom and Power in a measure which they could not
otherwise have conceived possible. And the lesson fully
learned by all, we may presume, will stand for all time,
applicable to other races yet uncreated on other planets
of the wide universe.
And what will be the center of that story as it shall be
told throughout eternity? It will be the story of the
great ransom finished at Calvary and of the atonement
based upon that payment of the corresponding price,
which demonstrated that God's Love and Justice are
exactly equal.
In view of the great importance of this subject of the
Atonement, and in view also of the fact that it is so iin~
g% The Atonement.
perfectly comprehended by the Lord's people, and in
view, additionally, of the fact that errors held upon
other subjects hinder a proper view of this important
subject, we propose, in its discussion in this volume, to
cover a wide range, and to inquire:
(1) Concerning Jehovah, the Author of the plan of
the Atonement.
(2) Concerning the Mediator, by whom the Atone-
ment sacrifice was made, and through whose instru-
mentality all of its gracious provisions are to be applied
to fallen man.
(3) Concerning the Holy Spirit, the channel or medium
through which the blessings of reconciliation to God are
brought to mankind.
(4) Respecting mankind, on whose behalf this great
plan of Atonement was devised.
(5) Respecting the ransom, the center or pivotal
point of the Atonement.
Taking these subjects up in this, which we believe to
be their proper and logical order, we hope to find the
divine statement respecting these various subjects so
clear, so forceful, so satisfactory, as to remove from our
minds much of the mist, mystery and misconception
which has hitherto beclouded this admittedly important
subject of the Atonement. But to attain these desir-
able results we must not come to these subjects hampered
by human creeds or opinions. We must come to them
untrammeled by prejudice, ready, willing, nay anxious,
to be taught of God; anxious to unlearn whatever we
have hitherto received merely through our own con-
jectures or through the suggestions of others, that is
not in harmony with the Word of the Lord ; anxious also
to have the whole counsel of God upon every feature of
this subject. To all who thus come, who thus seek,
who thus knock, the great Teacher opens the way, and
"they shall be all taught of God." Isa. 54 ^3-
STUDY II.
THE AUTHOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
THIS ALMIGHTY, JEHOVAH. THE SAVIOR OF SINNERS, THROUGH CHRIST.
"WORTHY is THE LAMB." "THE SBLP-EXISTING ONE." THE I AM.
A FALSE TRADITION. BASED ON FORGERY. THE UNITY OF FATHER
AND SON SCRIPTURALLY SHOWN. THE SCRIPTURAL USAGE OF THE WORD
JEHOVAH AND THE TITLE LORD. THE WORD GOD IN THE OLD TESTA-
MENT. IN THE NEW TESTAMENT. THE HARMONIOUS BIBLE TESTIMONY.
"Hs THAT HATH SEEN MB HATH SEEN THE FATHER." HE THOUGHT
IT NOT ROBBERY TO BE EQUAL. "To Us THERE is ONE GOD, THE FATHER,
AND ONE LORD, JESUS CHRIST."
JEHOVAH God claims for himself the authorship of
the great plan of Atonement, which we have just
seen is in progress of development ; which began at
Calvary and will not be complete until the close of the
Millennial age, when the Lord Jesus Christ, the mediator
of the Atonement, shall deliver up the dominion of earth ,
restored and in full subordination to the Father, In
harmony with this are numerous statements of the
Scriptures; for instance, "I am Jehovah thy God, the
Holy One of Israel, thy Savior." Again, " I am Jehovah,
and beside me there is no Savior/' Again, "I Jehovah
am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of
Jacob." And again, "I am Jehovah thy God from the
land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no God but me:
for there is no Savior beside me." Again, "To the only
wise God, our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion
and power, both now and ever, amen." Again, "We
trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men,
especially of those that believe." Isa. 43 : 3 "S 60:16;
Hos. 13:4; Jude 25; i Tim, 4:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10.
If this thought were fully received that the Almighty
Jehovah, himself, is the Savior, the Author of the great
plan of salvation, and the executor of it, through ^ his
willing agents and representatives it would deliver
8E 33
34 The Atonement.
many from false conceptions of the relationship between
the heavenly Father and his heavenly Son, in respect to
the salvation of mankind. It would leave no room for
the almost blasphemous view of the matter, held "by a
considerable number of professing Christians; viz., that
the heavenly Father stood in wrath, seeking to slay or
to torture the human sinner, and that the heavenly Son,
our Lord Jesus, full of love and mercy (which according
to this theory the Father lacked), interposed, and satis-
fied the heavenly Father's malice and anger by receiving
the blow of wrath in man's stead: and that now Jehovah
is placated, merely because, being just, he cannot require
at the hands of the sinner, again, that which has already
been paid through the precious blood of Christ. The
sooner this terrible erroneous view of the Atonement is
gotten rid of by those who hold it, the better will be the
prospect for their progress in spiritual things in the
knowledge, in the grace, and in the love of the true God.
The proper view of the matter shows us the heavenly
Father perfect in all the attributes of nobility of char-
acter: perfect in his justice, so that the just sentence of
his righteous law cannot be infracted, even by himself:
perfect in wisdom, so that his plan and arrangement,
not only with respect to man's creation, but also with
respect to man's salvation, the Atonement, etc., were all
so complete that no contingency or failure could arise,
nor any necessity for change of the divine plan; as it is
written, "I am the same, I change not, saith the Lord,"
and, ''Known unto the Lord are all his works, from the
foundation of the world:" perfect also in his love, than
which there could be no greater love possible, and yet
that love in full balance and accord with the other
divine attributes, so that it could spare the sinner only
in harmony with the just program marked out by divine
wisdom: perfect also in power, so that all his good pur-
poses, and good intentions, and just program, and lov-
ing designs, fully coordinated, shall be executed, and
bring the originally designed result; as it is written,
M My word that goeth forth out of my mouth shall not
The Author of the Atonement. 35
return to me void; it shall accomplish that which I
please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent
it." Isa. 55:11; Mai. 3:6; Acts 15:8.
When we thus see, from the Scriptural standpoint,
that the great Jehovah himself is the Author of the sal-
vation brought unto us by our Lord Jesus, it leads us to
more fully and more properly honor and love our
Almighty God, while it does not detract from the honor,
love and esteem in which we properly hold and reverence
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For we see in the
Heavenly Son the Heavenly Father's image, and recog-
nize him as the "Messenger of the Covenant," through
whom all the covenanted blessings of Jehovah are to
be brought to mankind, and without whom none of
the divine blessings are obtainable. In harmony with
this thought, that our Lord Jesus in all matters acts
as the representative of the Father, Jehovah, in the work
of salvation, note the following statements of the Scrip-
tures:
" The kindness and love of God our Savior toward man
appeared. ... He saved us by the washing of re-
generation and renewing of the holy Spirit ; which he shed
on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior."
Tit. 3:4-6.
''Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a
Prince and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel,
and forgiveness of sins." Acts 5:31.
" We have seen and do testify that the Father sent the
Son to be the Savior of the world." i John 4:14.
"Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to an ap-
pointment of God our Savior and of Jesus Christ our
hope." i Tim. 1:1.
"This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our
Savior. . . , For there is one God and one Mediator
between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." i Tim.
2:3* 5-
Note also our Lord Jesus' own words on this subject:
"The Father sent not the Son into the world to con-
36 The Atonement.
demn the world, but that the world through him might
be saved/ John 3:17.
"I can of mine own self do nothing.; as I hear I judge/'
John 5:30.
"As the Father hath sent me, so likewise I send you
[disciples]. ' ' John 20:21.
"Of that day and hour [when the heavenly Kingdom
should be set up] knoweth no man, no not the angels in
heaven, neither the Son, but my Father only/' Mark
13:32.
"The times and seasons the Father hath put in his
own power." Acts 1:7.
"The works which I do in my Father's name bear
witness/' John 10:25.
"I send the promise of my Father upon you." Luke
24:49.
"I am come in my Father's name/' John 5:43.
"Whatsoever I speak, therefore, even as the Father
said unto me, so I speak." John 12:50.
"My Father is greater than I." John 14:28.
"I ascend unto my Father and your Father, and to
my God and your God." John 20:17,
"WORTHY THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN/*
Our Lord Jesus himself has furnished us, in the last
book of the Bible, "The revelation of Jesus Christ,
which God gave unto him, to show unto his servants"
(Rev. 1:1), a most beautiful picture of this subject of
the Atonement, illustrating the general plan of man's
redemption from sin and its curse. This is found in
Rev. 5. There the Heavenly Father, the Ancient of
Days, is shown seated on the heavenly throne, and in
his hand a scroll written inside and outside, sealed with
seven seals. That scroll, representing the divine plan,
known only to the Father, Jehovah himself, was kept
in his own power in his own hand until some one
should be proved worthy to know it, and become its
The Author of the Atonement. 37
executor as Jehovah's honored agent and representative.
The symbolic picture proceeds to show that up to the
time our Lord Jesus suffered for us at Calvary, "the just
for the unjust, that he might bring us to God/ 1 no one
had ever been found (proved) worthy to take up the
divine plan and even understand its contents.
But when our Lord Jesus had proven his loyalty to
the Heavenly Father by his obedience, not only in
humbling himself to take man's estate for the suffering
of death, but also in his obedience "even unto death,"
and still further, "even unto the [ignominious] death of
the cross," then and thereby he did prove himself
worthy of every confidence and trust. As the Apostle
declares, "Wherefore him hath God highly exalted and
given him a name that is above every name, that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, both of
things in heaven and things on earth." (Phil. 2:9-11.)
It is at this point that the picture we are considering
(Rev. 5:9-13) shows our Lord Jesus as the Lamb that
had been slain, before whom obeisance was made, and
who was proclaimed, Worthy the Lamb! "Thou art
worthy to take the scroll and to open the seals thereof,
because thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God
by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and
people and nation." Thus is pictured to us the high
exaltation of the Heavenly Father's representative, the
"Messenger [servant] of the Covenant." Because of his
humility and complete submission and obedience to the
Father's will he is proclaimed thenceforth the sharer of
the Father's throne, and, by the Father's own arrange-
ment, the proclamation was made throughout the
heavenly hosts, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain,
to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength,
and honor, and glory, and blessing;" and finally "every
creature" shall catch the thought that Jehovah has
very highly exalted his Only Begotten Son, even to
association with himself in the Kingdom, and shout
their approval, saying, "The blessing, and the honor,
and tlie glory, and the power be unto Him that sitteth
38 Th*
upon the throne [of the universe Jehovah] and unto
the Lamb, for ever and ever!*' No wonder, then that
we are instructed that thenceforth all men shall honor
the exalted Son even as they honor the Father who thus
highly exalted him. John 5:23.
The Apostle declares that this glorification of Jesus
furnishes an illustration of divine law, that "He that
humbleth himself shall be exalted." But let us also
notice in this symbolic picture (vs. 13) that the exalta-
tion of our Lord Jesus Christ to glory and honor and
power and dominion does not imply that the Heavenly
Father abdicates the throne of heaven in his favor, nor
that the Father and the Son are one in person, for both
persons are recognized, the Father, as always, being
given the first place in praise and honor. And this
again reminds us of our Lord's words, "As the Father
hath appointed unto me a Kingdom, so I appoint also
unto you [my disciples] a kingdom/' (Luke 22:29.)
And again he says to his faithful followers, "Him that
overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne,
even as I also overcame, and am set down with my
Father in his throne." Rev. 3:21.
As a further evidence that the entire work of redemp-
tion is of the Father though through the Son, note the
Apostle's declaration, that God "in these last days hath
spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things [promised], by whom also he made the
worlds, who . . . when he had by himself purged
our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on
High- [Jehovah], being made so much better than the
angels." And again he declares of him: "We have such
an High Priest, who 'is set on the right hand of the
throne of the Majesty of the Heavens [Jehovah], a ser-
vant of holy things, and of the true fabernacle, which
the Lord [Jehovah] pitched, and not man." And again
the same Apostle declares, "This man [our Lord Jesus]
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat
down on the right hand of God." (Heb. 1:2-4; 8:1;
10:12.) Again he exhorts us to continue "looking unto
The Author of the Atonement. 39
Jesus, the Author [starter] and finisher of faith, who for
the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of
the throne of God." Again he exhorts us to consider
"the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory/'
and "what is the exceeding greatness of his power to
usward who believe, according to the operation of the
might of his power, which he wrought in Christ, when he
raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right
hand in the heavenlies, far above all principality, and
power, and might, and dominion, and every name that
is named, not only in this world but also in that which
is to come, and hath put all things under his feet."
(Heb. 12:2; Eph. 1:17-22.) Again the Apostle Peter
declares of our Lord Jesus that he "is gone into heaven,
and is at the right hand of God; angels and authorities
and powers being made subject unto him [by the Father]."
i Pet. 3:22.
All these various Scriptures indicate most clearly the
very high exaltation of our Lord Jesus Christ, as the
Father's reward for his wonderful obedience and mani-
festation of the Father's spirit of love, in the "sacrifice
of himself on behalf of sinners; but they neither indicate
that the Lord Jesus was the Father, nor that he has bees
exalted to take the Father's place upon the heavenly
throne, or in the affection and worship of his intelli-
gent creatures. On the contrary, they expressly show
the Heavenly Father as the superior in honor and power,
as the Benefactor who thus glorified and exalted the
Son, and set him at his own right hand, or place of chief
favor, and made him a sharer in the throne or dominion
of the heavenly kingdom, angels and all the hosts of
heaven being subjected to him. Indeed, so strong is
the language sometimes used in respect to the high
exaltation of our Lord Jesus, and the plenitude of power
bestowed upon him by the Father, that in one instance
the inspired writer deemed it very proper to call atten-
tion to the fact that none of these statements of his
high exaltation implied either that he was the equal
40 The Atonement.
with the Father nor his superior: hence he says, speak-
ing of the Millennial reign of Christ, "He [Christ] must
reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The
last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he
[the Father] hath put all things under his [the Son's]
feet. But when he [the Father] saith, 'All things are
put under him [the Son]/ it is manifest that he [the
Father} is excepted, which did put all things under him
[the Son]. And when all things [earthly] shall be sub-
dued under him [the Son], then shall the Son himself
be subject unto him [the Father] that put all things
under him [the Son], that God [the Father] may be all
in all." i Cor. 15:25-28.
"THE SELF-EXISTING ONE."
The Almighty God has appropriated to himself and
declared his name to be Jehovah, which signifies the
"Self -Existing One" or "The Immortal One." Thus we
read his declaration to Moses, saying: "I appeared unto
Abraham, unto Isaac and unto Jacob by the name of
God Almighty [the superior or most mighty God],
but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them."
(Exod. 6:3.) By this name, Jehovah, God was there-
after recognized amongst his people. The name is used
hundreds of times throughout the Old Testament, but
is covered, in a large degree, from the English reader,
through an error of the translators, who have rendered
it "LORD." It can, however, be recognized readily,
being always printed in small capitals when used to
translate this sacred name, Jehovah.,
Thus in the first Commandment given to Israel the
Lord said, "I am Jehovah, thy God . . . thou shalt
have no other gods [mighty ones] before me [my equals]
. . , for I Jehovah thy God am a -Jealous God."
Exod. 20:2-5.
Again Moses declares, "Hear, Israel, Jehovah our
God is one Jehovah; and thou shalt love Jehovah thy
The Author of the Atonement. 41
God with all thine heart and with all thy soul and with
all thy might." (Dettt. 6:4, 5.) And this is the very pas-
sage of Scripture which our Lord Jesus himself commend-
ed as the very essence of truth. When inquired of re-
specting the greatest commandment, he said, quoting
this Scripture, "Thou shalt love the Lord [Jehovah]
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and
with all thy mind; this is the primary and great com-
mandment." (Matt. 22:38.) Again we read, "I am
Jehovah; that is my name: and my glory [honor] will
I not give to another." (Isa. 42 :8.) And let not the con-
text escape our notice, for this positive declaration that
the name Jehovah is exclusively that of "the Father of
Lights with whom is no variableness" immediately
follows his prophetic proclamation of Messiah as Jeho-
vah's honored and elect Son-servant, saying:
"Behold my servant, whom / uphold', mine elect in
whom my soul delighteth: I have put my spirit upon
him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.
. . . He shall not fail nor be discouraged until he have
set judgment in the earth: and the isles shall wait for
his law. Thus saith God, Jehovah, I Jehovah have
called thee in righteousness and will hold thine hand and
will keep thee, and will give thee for a covenant of the
people, for a light of the Gentiles ; to open the blind eyes,
to bring out the prisoners from the prison [death], and
them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. I am
Jehovah: THAT is MY NAME." Isa. 42:1-8.
THE NAME JEHOVAH APPLIED ONLY TO THE
FATHER OP GLORY.
The claim is sometimes made that the name Jehovah is
applied in Scripture to our Lord Jesus and hence that it is
not the distinctive and special name of the Heavenly
Father. This is a mistake ; but for the benefit of all we
will here examine the passages supposed by some to sup-
port this claim. We will show that they do not contradict
42 The Atonement.
the foregoing Scriptures which declare it to be the proper
and special name of the great " I AM."
(i) The text chiefly relied on to prove that Jehovah
may properly be considered the name of Christ Jesus
reads, "I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a
King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment
and justice in the earth. . . . And this is the name
whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUS-
NESS/* Jer. 23:5, 6.
Evidently our Lord Jesus and his Millennial reign are
referred to; and the name in the Hebrew is Jehovah-
Tsidkenu. What is the explanation? Merely this: the
translators, in their zeal to find a place where the name
Jehovah was associated with Jesus as a name, have given
us a poor translation. No difficulty would appear if it
had been translated, "This is the name with which he
shall be called, Our Righteousness of Jehovah." And how
appropriate is this name to the work and office of our Lord
Jesus. Did he not stand as the representative of God's
righteousness and suffer the penalty of Justice as man's
ransom that God might be just and yet be the justifier
of him that believeth in Jesus ? Surely no name could
be more appropriate.
It should not be overlooked, that this same name pre-
cisely, Jehovah Tsidkenu, occurs again in the writings of
the same Prophet. But our friends never call attention to
it, and the translators, although rendering it by the same
English words, do not put those words in large capital let-
ters as in the other case. Why ? Because the connections
show that Jehovah Tsidkenu will be the name of the entire
Church, the New Jerusalem; "And this is the name
wherewith she shall be called [Jehovah Tsidkenu}, our
Righteousness of Jehovah." Jer, 33:16.
And that this name will be appropriate to the glorified
Church all can readily see: she not only shares her Lord's
sufferings for righteousness "filling up that which is be-
hind of the afflictions of Christ" (Col. 1:24; i Pet. 5:9),
but is also promised a share in all the glories of her Lord,
as a wife shares her husband's honors and name: just as
The Author of the Atonement, 43
the Church bears the name of Christ as members of the
body of Christ. Rev. 3:12; 19:7; 21:9.
Nor are these the only instances of the name Jehovah
being used to compound another name. Note that the
mount upon which Abraham offered Isaac and where God
provided him a ram for sacrifice as a substitute for Isaac,
was called by him, Mount of Jehovah's Providence Jeho-
vah- J-ireh. (Gen. 22:14.) Moses named an altar which he
built Jehovah-Nissi or Banner of Jehovah. (Exod.
17 115.) Gideon built an altar and called its name Jeho,-
vah-Shalom, The Peace of Jehovah. (Judges 6 123, 24.)
Ezekiel prophesied of a city to come, whose name shall be
Jehovah-Shammah The Wonder of Jehovah Ezek.
48:35-
(2) It is suggested that when it is recorded that Jeho-
vah appeared to Abraham (Gen. 18 :i), and again to Moses
(Exod. 3 13-15), it must have been Christ Jesus in his pre-
human condition ; and hence that the name would be his.
We answer that such reasoning is unwarranted: that if
the name were applied to another it would merely indicate
that such servant was highly esteemed of Jehovah and
really treated for the occasion as a steward or representa-
tive commissioned to exercise divine power as well. In
Exodus 3 :2, we are distinctly informed that the one repre-
senting Jehovah and using his most distinguished name,
"I am," was ''the angel [messenger] of Jehovah." That
this honored messenger was "the Word" of John i :i, our
Lord Jesus in his r-human ^estate, we do not for a mo-
ment question. But the highest and most honored mes-
senger should not be confounded with the one whom he
represents and in whose name he speaks and whose power
he exercised and bestowed upon Moses.
(3) Isaiah 40:3 refers to John the Baptist's mission,
"Prepare ye the way of Jehovah;" and we are asked to
consider this a proof that Jesus is but another name for
Jehovah. But again we answer, Not so ! Jesus was indeed
the honored servant of Jehovah, and his representative
among men in the fullest sense; but he himself declares,
"The Father hath sent me;" "As I hear I judge;" "Of
44 The Atonement.
mine own self I can do nothing;" "The Father is greater
than I." And we must believe the messenger. The
fact is, as we have already shown,* that John the Baptist
but foreshadowed a greater Messenger, even the entire
Christian Church in the flesh; which in turn will usher in
the Christ, head and body, in spiritual glory, and the work
of that glorified Christ will still be a further step in the
same great work of preparing the way of Jehovah and
making the place of his feet glorious. And this work,
when closed at the end of the Millennium, will be the full
accomplishment of this prophecy. See i Cor. 15:24-28;
John 6:57; 5 130; 10 128.
(4) Our Lord Jesus is spoken of by the Apostle as
* ' the Lord of Glory ' ' ( i Cor. 2:8), and we are asked to con-
sider this a proof that he is the Father, Jehovah, because
the latter in Psa. 24.7-10 is styled the "King of glory."
We answer that such flimsy arguments as this prove only
the weakness of the theory they are advanced to support.
Our Lord Jesus will indeed be majestic, a King of Glory,
when during the Millennial age he shall wield the scepter
of earth in Jehovah's name and power: but the same in-
spired apostle shows clearly, in the same epistle in which
he declares Jesus " the Lord of glory," that when his
Kingdom shall reach its highest degree of glory it will be
delivered over to the Father "who did put all things under
him [the Son] that he [the Father] may be all in all.'*
(5) In two of the prophetic pen-pictures of Christ's
Millennial Kingdom it is declared, "In the last days it
shall come to pass, that the mountain [kingdom] of the
house of Jehovah shall be established in the top of the
mountains [overruling- other kingdoms] . - . and many
people shall say, Come ye, let us go up to the mountain
[kingdom] of Jehovah . . . and he will teach us of his
ways and we will walk in his paths. . . - And he shall
judge among the nations." Isa. 2 :2 4 ; Micah 4:1-3.
It is held that since Christ is to reign and judge ,and
possess the Kingdom during the Millennium, the name
*Vol, II., Chap, 8. ~
The Author of the Atonement. 45
Jehovah here should be considered as the name of Christ.
We answer, Not so! It must not be forgotten that all
blessings are of the Father though all are by the Son.
(i Cor. 8:6.) And so our Lord Jesus taught us in his
model prayer to say, "Our Father which art in heaven
. . . Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as in
heaven." (Matt. 6;io.) This is shown also in the connec-
tions (Micah 4:8) where the Christ ("head" and "body"
the New Jerusalem) is referred to as the "Tower of the
flock" to whom shall come the first dominion lost by
Adam in Eden, redeemed by Jesus at Calvary.
(6) "Bethlehem Ephrath . . . out of thee shall he
come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel ; whose go-
ings forth have been of old, from everlasting" (Micah 5 12.)
These words we are asked to accept as proofs that Jesus
was Jehovali from everlasting to everlasting because
Moses declared, "Jehovah . . . from everlasting to
everlasting, thou art God." Psa. 90:1, 2.
We reply that this is asking that an unreasonable
inference should be drawn contradictory not only of the
hundreds of instances of the use of the name Jehovah in
other Scriptures, but contradictory also of the connec-
tions in which these words are found. Reading onward
to Micah 5:4, we find it stated of Messiah: "He
shall stand and feed [Jehovah's flock Psa. 23:1] in the
strength of Jehovah; in the majesty of the name of Jeho*
vah, his God."
Nothing could be more explicit on the subject. What
then is meant by the words of Micah 5:2? We answer that
they can be well understood thus, "Whose goings forth
have been [foretold] from of old, from everlasting [his com-
ing and Messiahship were purposed and provided for in
the divine plan]/'
(7) We are referred to the prophecy of the Millennial
Kingdom in Isaiah 25:6-9, and asked to consider this a
proof that thejname Jehovah is applicable to our Lord
Jesus: because it is there stated that," In the mountain
[kingdom] shall Jehovah of hosts make unto all people a
feast of fat things. , , * He will swallow up death in vie-
46 The Atonement.
tory ; and my Lord Jehovah will wipe away tears from off
all faces."
No, we reply. This is far from being a proof of that.
We must notice indeed that our Lord, the glorified Christ,
is represented as the speaker, and his work of the ^Millen-
nial age is briefly summed up in the first verse of this chap-
ter, " O Jehovah my God; I will exalt [honor] thee, I will
praise thy name." This will be the result of the Millen-
nial reign, and at its close all things will be back in sub-
jection to Jehovah whose power it is, working in the
Christ, that shall put all things under him. Messiah
comes to earth as Jehovah's mighty servant and vice-
gerent, Immanuel, ' ' God with us." This view is corrobor-
ated absolutely by the Apostle Paul, who after quoting
from this prophecy and pointing to its fulfilment in the
destroying of Adamic death during the Millennium says,
"Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory [deliver-
ance triumph] through our Lord Jesus Christ." i Cor.
15^57- *
(8) We are asked to consider as a proof that the name
Jehovah properly belongs to our Lord Jesus, the fact that
he is named Wonderful, Counsellor [or guide, or miracu-
lous pattern], Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace Isa. 9:6.
We will examine the full meaning of this Scripture later
on, merely remarking under this head that nothing in it
justifies us in applying the name Jehovah to our adorable
Lord and Master, Jesus. Note, however, that if such had
been the thought, no better place than this could have
been found for adding the name Jehovah among the other
titles. But, on the contrary, the very next verse declares,
"The zeal of Jehovah of hosts will accomplish this
[prophecy]." Verse 7-
(9) "Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
Behold my Lord [Adonai] Jehovah will come with strong
hand; and his arm shall rule for him. k . He shall
feed his nock like a shepherd." Isa. 40:9, 10, n.
We are told that here surely is one passage in which our
Redeemer is called by the great name Jehovah, But we
The Author of the Atonement. 47
answer, No he is here called the " arm" of Jehovah as in
other places: the mighty Arm of Jehovah "shall rule for
him," until he shall have put down all authority and
power opposed to Jehovah and his righteous law; until
he shall have brought forth judgment unto victory; until
he shall have made the place of Jehovah's feet (the earth
his footstool) glorious; and shall have delivered up the
Kingdom to God, even the Father. i Cor. 15:24-28;
Matt. 12:20.
Other instances in which our Lord Jesus is prophetical-
ly represented as the "right arm" or strength of Jehovah
are:
"Who hath believed our report [preaching]? And to
whom is the ARM of Jehovah revealed ? [Few recognize the
Lord's Arm during this age "not many great/' etc.]
.,'*".. He is despised and rejected of men." Isa. 53;
John 12:38.
"The isles shall wait upon me, and on mine ARM shall
they trust. 1 ' Isa. 51:5, 9.
"Jehovah hath made bare his holy ARM in the eyes of
all nations [at the setting up of his Kingdom]; and all the
ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." Isa.
52:10.
" His [Jehovah's] ARM brought salvation for him. . . .
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them
that turn from ungodliness in Jacob, saith Jehovah."
Isa. 59:1520.
( i o) In John 12:41 we read, ' ' These things said Esaias
[Greek for Isaiah], when he saw his glory and spoke of
him." We are asked to concede that this probably ap-
plies to Isaiah 6 : i . We reply that we believe it does : but
notice that the Hebrew word rendered Lord in that verse
is not Jehovah but Adonai: our present contention is that
the name Jehovah does not properly apply to any one
except the Heavenly Father although it may be applied
to his special messengers while they are speaking or acting
for him representatively in his name.
Nor do we dispute that Adonai is sometimes used as one
of the many titles of the Heavenly Father. We claim
4 g The Atonement.
that in this text it does not apply to the Father but to the
Son. Similarly the same word Adonai is used in referring
to Christ and his Millennial kingdom in the second Psalm
(4-9): "The Lord [Adonai] shall have them in derision.
Then shall he speak to them in his wrath and trouble them
in his sore displeasure. ... The Lord [Jehovah] hath
said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten
thee." . XT
But some one may perhaps claim that Adonat of Isa.
6 :i must refer to the same person as Jehovah of verses 3
and 5. "We answer, Not so: the "Messenger of the Cove-
nant/' the representative of Jehovah, might well be
saluted with praise in the name of the Father whom he
represented. Note again" that in verse 8 it is not Jehovah
that gives the message, nor that pronounces the judg-
ment,but Adonai; for the Father' 'hath committed all judg-
ment unto the Son." Matt. 23:34, 36, 38; John 5:22, 27.
Other instances of references to our Lord Jesus in close
connection with the name Jehovah, and yet another word
used in the Hebrew, but translated also Lord in our Com-
mon Version Bibles, might be cited. Note Malachi's
statement, "Behold I will send my messenger, and he
shall prepare the way before me; and the Lord [Adon from
the same root as A dona j] whom ye seek shall suddenly
come to his temple, even the Messenger of the Covenant,
whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the Lord
[Jehovah] of hosts. ... He shall purify the sons of
Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may
offer unto the Lord [Jehovah] an offering of righteous-
ness." Mai. 3:1-4* *
Another familiar reference of this kind is found in the
noble Messianic Psalm which declares, "Thou art fairer
than the children of men; grace is poured upon thy lips:
therefore God hath blessed thee forever. . . . Thy
throne, God, is forever and ever: the scepter of thy
kingdom is a right scepter. Thou lovest righteousness
and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath
anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows."
Then the Church is referred to as the daughter of the
The Author of the Atonement. 49
Father, and as the bride, the Lamb's wife, and she is ex-
horted to reverence the King's Son as her Lord "So
shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy
Lord [Adon not Jehovah] and worship thou him." Psa.
45:2-1 1 ;Heb. 1:8, 9; i Cor. n:3;Bph. 5:23; John 5:23.
(n) We are asked to consider Isaiah's statement (8:
13, 14) a proof that the name Jehovah is properly applic-
able to our Lord Jesus. It reads: "Sanctify Jehovah of
hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be
your dread." The stress is laid upon the next verse,
which without specifying who, declares, " He shall be for a 1 '
stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the
houses of Israel." We can not admit this as proof; for
quite to the contrary, the context shows a third party (be-
sides Jehovah and the Prophet) even our Lord Jesus, who
says, " Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my dis-
ciples. And I will wait upon Jehovah. . . . Behold I
and the children whom Jehovah hath given me.' Isa.
8:16-18; compare Heb. 2:13.
(12) Psalm no is referred to as proof that our Lord
Jesus is in Scripture called Jehovah. We reply that no
argument could be farther fetched or more untrue. On
the contrary, it proves the reverse. " Jehovah said unto
Adon, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine
enemies thy footstool. . . . Adonai at thy [Jehovah's]
right hand shall strike," etc. Again, "Jehovah hath
sworn and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever
after the order of Melchizedek." Psa. 110:1, 4, 5.
Whoever cannot see that the one referred to is exalted
to Jehovah's right hand or position of chief favor, and
made a priest of a new Order, is surely blinded by his pre-
judice. We refer such, however, to our Lord's own inter-
pretation and application of these words to himself; show-
ing himself to be the A don t David's Lord, exalted by his
Lord, Jehovah. Matt. 22:44, 45.
The Apostle Peter, speaking under the influence of the
holy Spirit at Pentecost, made the same application of
these words. And the Apostle Paul also refers to them
with similar import. 'Acts 2:34; Heb. 1:13; 10:12, 13.
5* The Atonement.
(13) Since our Lord Jesus is acknowledged to be the
Great Teacher, it is claimed that he fulfilled the predic-
tion, "All thy children shall be taught of Jehovah"
(Isa . 54 : 1 3 . ) In answer and contradiction we refer to our
Lord Jesus' own words. He quoted these very words of
the Prophet in his discourse, and clearly showed that he
was not and did not claim to be the Jehovah of this proph-
ecy. His words were, " It is written in the prophets, And
they shall be all taught of God. Every man, therefore,
that hath heard, and hath horned of the Father, cometh
unto me." John 6:45.
The Father himself, the great Jehovah, is not only the
great law-giver but also the Great Teacher of his own law.
His own great plan for human salvation will yet be seen
by all of his intelligent sons to contain the grandest possi-
ble exemplifications of Justice, Love and Wisdom in com-
bination, and yet each perfect, inviolate.
Our Lord Jesus was and still is the Great Teacher of
men by the appointment of the Heavenly Father, the
great Master Teacher above all. And this is precisely
what our dear Redeemer claimed and taught. Did he
not publicly declare that his teachings were of things he
had already learned of the Father? saying, "I speak
that which I have seen with my Father." "My doctrine
[teaching] is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man
will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be
of God, or whether I speak of myself. . . , Hethatseek-
eth the glory of him that sent him the same is true. ' ' " The
word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which
sent me." "I have given them thy word." "They have
kept thy word." " Sanctify them through thy truth: thy
word is truth," John 7:16-18; 8:38; 14:24; 17:6, 14, 17.
Likewise our Lord appointed special teachers under
him, the Apostles; and still others in the church to be
teachers and under-shepherds of the Lord's flock, in-
structing them, "Feed my sheep;" "feed my lambs."
"Take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, over which
the holy Spirit hath made you overseers, to feed the
Church of God which he hath purchased with blood of his
The Author of the Atonement. 51
own [Beloved Son]." (Acts 20:28.) Yet none of these
teachers were to teach doctrines of their own, which could
be only ' ' wisdom of this world. ' ' The people of God were
to be all taught of Jehovah, and none can be true teachers
save as they present to men the words and plan and
character of Jehovah as the standards of truth and excel-
lence. In doing this they necessarily call attention to
"the doctrines of Christ' ' and "the Apostle's doctrines/*
all of which were but expressions and inculcations of the
Father's grand and eternal law.
Unlike some who style themselves teachers to-day,
neither our Lord Jesus nor his apostles attempted or
claimed originality. Mark the humble words of our Lord
Jesus, than which nothing could be more beautiful, "I
do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me, I
speak these things. ' ' (John 8:28.) Can we wonder that
one found so humble and so loyal to Jehovah could be and
was entrusted with so great honor and power, so highly
exalted to the Father's right hand? And that the
lessons thus taught our Lord Jesus were well learned by
him we have the inspired testimony "Though he were a
Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suf-
fered." Heb. 5:8; Phil. 2:8.
Moreover, the Lord showed through the prophets that
Jesus, the Great Teacher appointed by the Master Teach-
er, Jehovah, would be himself taught of Jehovah ; and in
order that he might become "a merciful and faithful High
Priest 11 to humanity, and be proved worthy to be "the
Captain of our salvation," it was needful that he be per-
fected in experiences through things which he suffered.
(Heb. 2:9, 10.) Note how clearly the following prophe-
cies declared long before that our Lord would be
taught of Jehovah, and would learn well the lessons, and
manifest love for the law and obedience to the Law-giver:
"My Lord Jehovah [A donai Jehovah} hath given me the
tongue of the learned [instructed], that I should know how
to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he waken-
eth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as
the learned [instructed]. My Lord Jehovah [Adonai
i-2 The Atonement.
Jehovah] hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious,
neither turned away back [from his teachings]. I gave my
back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked
off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting/'
Isa. 50:4-10;, Matt. 26:67; 27:26, 30; Isa. 53:11.
Hear further on this subject the word of the Lord's
testimony respecting the preparation of our Lord Jesus
for the grand office of Royal High Priest for mankind:
"The spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit
of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and of
might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear [reverence]
of Jehovah; and shall make him of quick understanding
in the fear [reverence] of Jehovah: so that he shall not
judge after the sight of his eyes ;" for he has been touch-
ed with a feeling of our infirmities and is therefore the
better able to succor all who come unto God by him his
Church now, and by and by the world, during his Millen-
nial Kingdom. Isa. u :r~io ; Heb. 2:18. - -*^.
Again prophetically Messiah is represented as saying:
"Thou wilt show me [cause me to have knowledge of] the
path of life." " I will bless Jehovah, who hath given me
counsel."" These expressions occur in connections quoted
by the Apostles as applicable to our Savior, ''the man
Christ Jesus." (Psa. 16:7-11.) Thus is confirmed by
prophecy the statement of the Evangelist, ' ' And the child
[Jesus] grew, and waxed strong in spirit [mind], filled with
wisdom; and the grace [blessing] of God was upon him.
. . . Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in
favor with God and man ."Luke 2 140, 52.
Having examined the strongest Bible texts presented
on the subject, we are confident that the Scriptures do not
authorize the use of the great name Jehovah as the appel-
lative for any other being than our Heavenly Father: we
are confident that they restrict its use, and forbid its appli-
cation to another.
All can see the propriety of the Almighty's decision
that he shall be recognized as the center of authority, wis-
dom, justice, love and power; because this is the truth,
and anything else would be untruth and to that extent
The Author of the Atonement. 53
evil, injurious. And we have seen from the foregoing
quotations from our Lord's own words, and from the
words of the Apostles, whom he specially Instructed by
word of mouth, and inspired after Pentecost with the holy
Spirit, that none of them ever intimated either that the
Heavenly Father and the Heavenly Son were one in per-
son, nor that they are equal in glory and in power, as is,
without divine authority, declared in the creeds and cate-
chisms of men.
Nevertheless, the Heavenly Father has manifested no
jealousy of the greatness of his great Chief Servant, the
"Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in:" on the
contrary he has highly exalted him to be next to himself
in dignity and in power. Hearken to the words of our
Lord Jesus himself: ''The Son can do nothing of himself,
but what he seeth the Father do: for what things so-
ever he [the Father] doeth, these also doeth the Son like-
wise. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him
all things that himself doeth : and he will show him greater
works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father
raiseth up and makes alive the dead, so also the Son makes
alive whom he pleases. For the Father judgeth no man,
but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: that all
men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father.
He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father
which hath sent him." John 5 119-2 3.
It is only as we get clearly in mind the Scriptural dec-
laration respecting the great Author of the plan of Atone-
ment, Jehovah, and see the distincion between him and
his honored Servant, " The Only Begotten of the Father/ 1
his " Beloved Son," in the work of the Atonement, that we
are properly prepared to understand the philosophy of
the Atonement. It is in great measure because of the
confusion of thought respecting the Father and the Son
that very many Christian people are thoroughly confused
respecting the Atonement, and therefore in danger of let-
ting slip their faith in this fundamental and most impor-
tant doctrine of divine revelation.
The Apostle Paul presents the matter of the relation-
e^ The Atonement.
ship between the Father and the Son in respect to our re*
demption most clearly and most forcefully, saying:
-There is no other God but One . . . To us there is but
One God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we m
him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, by whom are all things,
and we by him." (i Cor. 8 : 4 , 6.) That is to say, there is
only the one eternal and Almighty God, the Author and
Source of all things, to whom we belong, and there is only
the one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom the Heavenly
Father operates in respect to all the various features of his
plan, and by and through whom alone we have had re-
mission of sins, through faith in his blood, and access to
the Father, and to the grace wherein we stand, rejoicing
in hope of the glory of God. Rom. 5:1.
A TRADITION OP THE FATHERS SUPPORTED BY A FORGERY
AN INTERPOLATION.
We are leaving to following chapters for consideration
the greatness and worthiness of our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom the entire work of Atonement has been and
will be accomplished; and the great honor bestowed
upon him, not only since he redeemed the world, but also
the great honor and dignity which were his before he be-
came the world's Redeemer. We are now seeking to dis-
tinguish clearly something respecting the great Author of
the plan : but inasmuch as the general thought of Christen-
dom is greatly perplexed by what is known as "The doc-
trine of the Trinity," a doctrine which its most pronoun-
ced advocates admit they do not understand and cannot
comprehend or explain, therefore it is appropriate that we
here examine those texts of Scripture which are supposed
to give some color or support to this confusing doctrine of
men, for which no authority can be found in the Word of
God. We have already called attention to various Scrip-
tures which emphatically state that there is but one Al-
mighty God not two, nor three, nor more. We now call
attention to the fact that the word " Trinity " does not oc-
cur in the Scriptures ; nor does any word occur there of
The Author of the Atonement. 55
equivalent meaning; nor is any statement made which
even treasonably could be interpreted to signify any
such thing. Indeed, those who hold to the doctrine of the
Trinity, in attempting to explain their own thought, hope-
lessly entangle themselves, as well as their hearers. They
declare in one breath that there is only one God (because
the Scriptures so positively emphasize this point that it
cannot be ignored), yet in the same breath they declare
that there are three Gods (because to this theory they
are committed by "traditions of the fathers" handed
down from earliest Papacy).
But how could there be three Gods and yet only one God ?
If there are three Gods, "equal in power and in glory," as
the catechisms declare, then it is untrue to say there is
only one God. If there is only "One God, the Father, of
whom are all things," as St. Paul asserts; and if, as Jesus
declared, the Father is greater than his honored Son; and
if the Father raised his Beloved Son from the dead, and
exalted him on high t honored him, and has appointed for
him a Kingdom ; and if ultimately the Son will deliver up
the Kingdom again to the Father, that the Father may be
all in all ; then it cannot be true that there are several Gods
of equal power. Nevertheless, we shall show conclusively
in the succeeding chapter that our Lord Jesus Christ is a
God, but that, while he is to be honored even as the Father
is honored, and that in honoring him we honor the Father
who exalted him, still the united voice of the Scriptures
most emphatically assert that there is but one Almighty
God, the Father of all. As the Apostle declares, ''The
head of the woman is the man, the head of man is Christ,
and the head of Christ is God." i Cor. 11:3.
There is one statement found in the Scriptures, and only
one, which seems in the slightest degree to even impty the
doctrine of a Trinity of Gods ; and that passage is now ad-
mitted by all scholars to be spurious, an interpolation.
It is therefore omitted from the Revised Version of the
New Testament, although the translators of that Revised
Version, so far as we are aware, were every one of them
Trinitarians. While they would have liked to retain this
5$ The Atonement.
passage, as the only Scripture support (and then very im*
perfect in statement), they could not retain it conscienti-
ously.
Nor were the translators of our Common Version of the
Bible blameworthy for inserting this interpolation, be-
cause at the time of that translation it was impossible to
know of its spurious character. Since its translation
hundreds of old Greek manuscripts have been found, but
none of these of earlier date than the seventh century
contains this clause, which favors the Trinity. It is
therefore not denied by scholars, without respect to de-
nominational proclivities, that the spurious words were
inserted to give support to the doctrine of the Trinity, at
a time when the discussion of that doctrine was rife in the
Church, and when the advocates of the doctrine of the
Trinity were perplexed before their opponents, because
they had no Scriptural evidence to bring in substantiation
of their theory. The spurious words were no doubt inter-
polated by some over-zealous monk, who felt sure of the
doctrine himself, and thought that the holy Spirit had
blundered in not stating the matter in the Scriptures: his
intention, no doubt, was to help God and the truth out of
a difficulty by perpetrating a fraud. But all such sugges-
tions, to the effect that God has not given us a complete
revelation, "sufficient that the man of God may be thor-
oughly furnished," and that it needs adding to, are of the
Adversary, as was this suggestion that it would be proper
to commit a wrong, a forgery, for the sake of doing good,
and rectifying the mistake of the Almighty. The monk-
scribe or priest who committed this forgery, apparently
about the beginning of the seventh century, has much to
answer for, in his addition to the Word of God, and the
evil influence which it has exerted over God's people, who,
seeking for the truth on this subject, were misled by his
forgery.
The spurious interpolation is found in i John 5:7, and
consists of the words, "in heaven the Father, the Word
and the holy Spirit, and these three are one. And there are
three that bear witness in earth." These words, omitted
The Author of the Atonement. 57
from the text, leave it simple and easy to be understood,
and fully in accord with all the remainder of the Scrip-
tures ; but with these words in the text, as they have stood
for centuries, confusion is produced; for nonsense is as-
serted. For instance, with these words remaining in the
text, the sense would be that the Father and the Son and
the holy Spirit agreed in bearing one testimony in heaven,
namely, that Jesus is the Christ. How absurd! Who is
there in heaven ignorant of the fact that Jesus is the
Christ? To whom, therefore, would it be necessary for
the Father, the Son and the holy Spirit to bear this record
or testimony? None, But it was a convenient place for
the Adversary to get in his work of corruption of the truth,
and he found a servant willing to serve him.
Not ->nly does the Revised Version omit this verse, but
so also do all modern translations the Emphatic Dia-
glott, Young's Bible translation, the American Bible
Union translation, the Improved Version. The latter
says :
"This text concerning the Heavenly Witnesses is not con-
tained in any Greek MS. which was written earlier than the
fifth century. It is not cited by any of the Greek ecclesi-
astical writers; nor by any of the early Latin fathers, even
when the subjects upon which they treated would naturally
have led them to appeal to its authority; it is, therefore,
evidently spurious."
Lang's Critical Commentary, referring to this spurious
passage, says:
"Said words are wanting in all the Greek codices; also in
the Codex Sinaiticus [the oldest known Greek MS.], and in
all the ancient versions, including the Latin, as late as the
eighth century; and [in MSS, written] since that time they
are found in three variations. Notwithstanding the Trini~
tarian controversies, they are not referred to by a single
Greek Father, or by any of the old Latin Church Fathers."
Hudson's Greek and English Concordance says:
"The words are found in no Greek MS. before the
or 1 6th century, and in no early version."
The passage is pronounced an interpolation by the fol-
lowing Bible scholars of recognized ability: Sir Isaac
5$ The Atonement.
Newton, Benson, Clark, Home, Griesbach, Tischendorf,
Tregelles, Lachman and Alford. The latter says:
"Unless pure caprice is to be followed in the criticism
of the sacred text, there is no shadow of reason for sup-
posing them genuine. J>
Dr. Constantine Tischendorf says:
"That this spurious addition should continue to be ^ pub-
lished as a part of the Epistle I regard as an impiety.'
Prof. T. B. Wolsey inquires:
"Do not truth and honesty require that sxtch a passage
should be struck out of our English Bibles a passage which
Luther would not express in his translation, and which did
not creep into the German Bible until nearly fifty years
after his death?"
Dr. Adam Clarke commenting on this passage says:
"It is likely this verse is not genuine. It is wanting in
every MS. of this epistle written before the invention _ of
printing, one excepted the Codex Montfortii, in Trinity
College, Dublin. The others which omit this verse amount
to one hundred and twelve. It is wanting in both the Syriac,
all the Arabic, Ethiopic, Coptic, Sahadic, Arminian, Slavonic,
etc.; in a word, in all the ancient versions but the Vulgate;
and even of this version, many of the most ancient and
correct copies have it not. It is wanting also in all the ancient
Greek Fathers, and in most even of the Latin."
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, endeavored to
support the doctrine of the Trinity, yet in one of his ser-
mons from this text he quoted the words of Servetus:
"I scruple using the words 'trinity* and 'persons' because
I do not find those terms in the Bible" and to this quo-
tation Wesley added, "I would insist only on the direct
words, unexplained, as they lie in the text." He labored
to prove the doctrine of the Trinity, because he believed
this spurious passage was genuine, positive information
from the ancient MSS. of the Bible being of recent acquisi-
tion. For instance, at the time of the preparation of our
King James or Common Version Bible (A. D. 1611), the
translators had the advantage of but eight Greek MSS.
and none of those of earlier date than the tenth century.
Now, however, there are about seven hundred MSS., some
The Author of the Atonement. 59
of which, especially the Sinaitic MS. and the Vatican MS.
No. 1209, are very old, reaching back to about A. D. 350.
THE SCRIPTURE TEACHING RESPECTING THE FATHER AND
THE SON AND THEIR UNITY.
A sharp distinction should be drawn between a confes-
sion of faith in a Trinity, and a confession of faith in the
Unity of the heavenly Father, Jehovah, and the heavenly
Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, and the holy Spirit. The
doctrine of the Trinity holds that the Father, the Son and
the holy Spirit "are one in person, equal in glory and in
power/' as stated in the Church creeds. The Bible, while
showing the absolute Unity between the Father and Son
and holy Spirit in the various steps of the great plan of
salvation, most positively contradicts the thought that
the Father and Son are one in person, denies that they are
equal in majesty and in power, except as before shown,
that the Father has glorified the Son, has highly exalted
him and given him a name above all others excep this own,
making him his agent and representative in the exercise
of "all power in heaven and inearth." All the various
Scriptures agree in their statements to the effect that the
Father sent the Son into the world ; and that the Son, for
the joy set before him by the Father, endured the cross,
and despised the shame; and that he was the heavenly
Father's first and only begotten Son; and that after he
shall have accomplished the work which the Father has
given him to do, he shall deliver up the Kingdom of
earth, at the close of the Millennial Age, to the Father;
and the additional statements already called to attention,
in which the Son cheerfully and fully acknowledges that
he "came forth from the Father," that he "came not to
do his own will" but the Father's will ; and that the power
he used was not his own power, but the Father's power;
also his statement, "The Father is greater than I," and
the declaration of the prophecy, that he is the Messenger
or servant of the Covenant, and not the Maker of the Cov-
60 The Atonement.
enant; together with the repeated declarations of the New
Testament Scriptures, that he is the Mediator of the New
Covenant, the one Mediator between God and men, the
man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all."
These various Scriptures all consistently and harmonious-
ly teach a distinction of person and glory and power as
between the heavenly Father and the heavenly Son ; but a
most absolute and profound unity of plan, will, purpose:
for the Son was worthy to be the executor of the great plan
of Jehovah, because he had no will of his own, but re-
nounced his own will that he might be filled with the
Father's spirit and do his will in every particular. John
6:38, 39.
Moreover, the very words "Father" and "Son" imply
a difference, and contradict the thoughts of the Trinity
and oneness of person, because the word "father" signi-
fies lifegiver, while the word "son" signifies the one who
has received life from another. The heavenly Father re-
ceived life from no one; he is the fountain, the source of
life, not only to our Lord Jesus, his only begotten Son, but
through him the source of life to all others of his creatures.
And all this is fully in accord with the Scripture which
stands at the head of this chapter, in which the Apostle
plainly denies that the Father and the Son are one in per-
son or in power, saying, " To us there is one God, the Fath-
er, of whom are all things . . . and one Lord, Jesus
Christ, by whom are all things."
The thoughtful reader will at once recognize the Scrip-
tural harmony and simplicity of the view herein presented,
while all will admit that the doctrine of the Trinity is im-
possible of reasonable understanding or explanation. Its
most earnest advocates admit this, and instead of endeav-
oring to do the impossible thing of explaining it, they
avoid discussion, claiming that it's "a great mystery,"
unexplainable. But, strange to say, this doctrine of
three Gods in one God, which not only has no Scriptural
support, but is opposed by the Scriptures from Genesis to
Revelation, both directly and indirectly, and which is so
opposed to reason as to be unreasonable, is nevertheless a
The Author of the Atonement. 6t
strongly entrenched doctrine amongst Christians, even
amongst Protestants those who profess faith in the
Bible and to protest against any teachings not fotind
therein. Why is this? We answer, that it is one of the
dark mysteries by which Satan, through the Papacy, has
beclouded the Word and character and plan of God. As
it is written, "The god of this world hath blinded the
minds of them that believe not, lest light of the glorious
gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine
unto them." 2 Cor. 4:4. He has put upon the poor
world utter blindness and doctrinal vails, darkening coun-
sel and falsify ing mysteries, to hinder those who have found
the Lord from coming to a clear knowledge of the truth.
But how would Satan be interested in adding to the
luster of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ? Would it
not rather be his work to detract from the glory of Christ?
We answer, that it has always been Satan's policy to mis*
represent the truth, to misrepresent the Bible, and to
make its teachings appear unreasonable and self -contra-
dictory, in order to hinder mankind from seeing the great
beauty and reasonableness and harmony which inhere in
the divine plan and Word, The more absurdities Satan
can get interwoven into man's views respecting the Crea-
tor, the better he will succeed in separating from the ser-
vice of God those who are of reasonable and logical mind;
and proportionately the more unreasonable he succeeds
in making the creeds of men, the more does he destroy
real faith amongst those who advocate those creeds, and
the more he does to favor mere credulity, instead of gen-
uine faith.
Thus for centuries the great Adversary has been work-
ing most successfully to rid the Church of all the most
reasonably disposed, and to gather into it the more credu-
lous and superstitious and unreasoning class. He has
covered and hidden some of the most precious truths un-
der the most specious and repulsive errors, and the pro-
gress of the Lord's people has been correspondingly slow.
But, thank God, we are now living in the time when the
vail of ignorance is being dissolved, and wJien the Lord's
<5a The Atonement
people are learning to look away from the creeds formed
for their enslavement during the dark ages, and to look di-
rectly to the Word of God itself. But, alas, this comes
too late for many, especially the worldly wise: they have
already so associated the creeds with the Bible that in re-
jecting the former they are rejecting the latter also ; and
instead of seeking true light from the Word of God, they
are more inclined to ignore or reject it and to lean to their
own understandings, to human philosophies.
Hence it is that Higher Criticism, Evolution, Christian
Science, Theosophy and other Bible-denying theories, are
to-day making rapid progress; while the old creeds are
falling to pieces or being abandoned. Only the compara-
tively few have learned that the mistake is not in the
Bible, but in the creeds, and are seeking the "old paths/'
and ''the faith once delivered unto the saints." Jer.
6:16; Jude 3.
But how could the doctrine of the Trinity ever become
so widespread amongst Christians, if it were not the
teaching of the primitive Church? Is it not one of the
oldest doctrines in the Church, extending back to the
third century ? Yes, we answer: the doctrine of the Trin-
ity had its rise, its small beginning, in the second and
third centuries. It must be very evident to any one who
will search the Scriptures with an unprejudiced mind
that the doctrine of the Trinity was not received in any
measure or degree during the first century, for this s
clearly shown by the writings of the apostles in the New
Testament. The doctrine of the Trinity arose in a very
natural way at first through combativeness.
The apostles, in their teachings during the first cen-
tury, claim most emphatically for Christ, not that he was
the Father, not that he was Jehovah, but that he was the
Son of Jehovah, the Messiah, sent into the world to bless
the world, and to establish God's Kingdom, and to finally
bring order out of the present condition of sin and dis-
order. The claim that he was the Son of God was met by
counterclaims: some claimed that Jesus was an impostor:
some that he was merely a good man: some that he had a
The Author of the Atonement. 63
miraculous birth, but never had a pre-existencc ; and others
held the truth, viz., that he had pre-existence as a Son of
God on a spiritual plane, that he became the Son of
God on a human plane, in order to redeem mankind
and that now he is highly exalted, so that all are com-
manded to honor " the Son even as they honor the Fath-
er." But as is well known, the disposition to combat
leads to exaggeration of claims; and hence it was that
many of those who attempted to deny the various false
views respecting our Lord went to the other extreme of
claiming that he was the Father, Jehovah himself.
The Religious Dictionary, of which the Rev. Dr. Lyman
Abbott, a professed Trinitarian, was one of the compilers
and editors, on page 944 says:
"It was not until the beginning of the fourth century
that the Trinitarian view began to be elaborated and form-
ulated into a doctrine, and an endeavor made to reconcile
it with the belief of the Church in one God. . . , Out of the
attempt to solve this problem sprang the doctrine of the
Trinity. . . . Trinity is a very marked feature in Hindoo-
ism, and is discernible in Persian Egyptian, Roman, Japanese,
Indian and the most ancient Grecian mythologies."
The idea of more deities than one was very common in
olden times, with all except the one nation, Israel. As
everybody knows, Grecian mythology is full of deities,
many of whom have practically the same power ; and to
these the Jewish idea of one God seemed ridiculous, and
implied a scarcity of gods. Hence it would appear that
the Trinitarian view would find ready acceptance amongst
the Gentile converts: it was a compromise between the
general view of the world, called Polytheism (the belief in
more gods than one) and Monotheism (the doctrine of one
God) held by Israel. The idea of claiming three Gods,
and at the same time claiming that the three were only
one God, was, no doubt, considered a masterstroke in
theology, by which the views of many believers converted
from amongst the Jews could be brought into closer ac-
cord with the general sentiments of the Gentiles, who,
it was desired should be pleased and brought into the
Church. Similarly Mariolatry the worship of the Virgin
64 The Atonement,
Mary was introduced to meet, to gratify and to attach
itself upon, the superstition which had long prevailed
amongst the heathen in respect to Isis, Diana, the other
goddesses, who had their millions of worshipers. It
should be remembered that at the time of the introduction
of these doctrines the leaders of the Church had abandon-
ed their hope in the second coming of the Lord to establish
his Kingdom, and had obtained a new hope, namely, a
hope of converting the world, and of thus establishing the
earthly Church as a Hierarchy, or Kingdom of God, in
which a representaive or pope would reign instead of
Christ, as his vicegerent*
The general acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity,
and the tenacity with which it is held, is based upon the
superstitious fear inculcated by the Roman clergy, and
later also by the Protestant clergy, under the implied
threat that whoever denies the Trinity is taking the
straight road to eternal torture. At the same time it is
admitted that the doctrine is incomprehensible, and there-
fore that nobody really believes it, becatise nobody can,
in a true sense, believe an incomprehensible thing. And
various doctrines and practices, not only of Protestant-
ism, but also of Catholicism, deny the doctrine of the
Trinity: note, for instance, that all Protestants pray to
the Father, "in the name of Jesus," "for Jesus* sake/'
etc,, thus recognizing the fact that they are two separate
persons, and not one in person. Roman Catholics simi-
larly recognize the distinction of person: for they pray to
the lower saints to intercede for them with Mary, that she
may intercede with Jesus, and have Jesus intercede for
them with the Father.
So firmly entrenched is this false doctrine, received by
Protestants from Papacy during the dark ages, and still
held with tenacious grasp, that belief in this incomprehen-
sible, unreasonable and unscriptural doctrine is made a
test of orthodoxy. Whoever disbelieves this is declared
to be a heretic, not only by the Church of Rome, but by
*See MILLENNIAL DAWN, VOL, II., Chap, 9; VOL. III., Chap, 4;
The Author of tke Atonement. 65
the greatest standard of authority amongst Protestants
The Evangelical Alliance. Truth is mighty and shall ul-
timately prevail: nevertheless, meantime, the conditions
which God has permitted are such as to form tests of
character and of loyalty to God and his Word amongst
those who profess to be his people and to be taught of God.
It therefore behooves every truthseeker to deal honestly
with himself and with the heavenly Father's Word, which
alone is able to make us wise unto salvation. Let us re-
member that the truth alone sanctifies, and that error, on
the contrary, always tends to evil.
GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE SON.
This may be the proper point at which to introduce and
examine a few Scriptures supposed to favor the doctrine
of the Trinity, although they do not state it.
(i) It is claimed that our Lord Jesus is spoken of as
God, and that there is but one God, and that hence God
the Father and God the Son must be two names for the
one person. Let us examine this question in the light of
the divine Word, taking nothing for granted, but proving
every step of our way. We labor under the disadvantage
that almost all translators of the Old Testament have not
been exact or uniform in their translations of the several
appellatives to deity.* For instance:
APPELLATIONS OF DEITY IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
(i) The name Jehovah is properly rendered only four
times, where it seemed impossible to do otherwise (Exod.
6:3; Psa. 83:18; Isa. 12:2; 26:4); it s rendered God 298
times, and Lord over 5,000 times.
* The appearance is that the Trinitarians who translated
our Common Version Bible feared to render the name Je-
hovah as a proper name in every instance, lest the people
should realize the' fact which theology denies that the
title Jehovah belongs only to the great "1 AM/' the Father.
Similarly Leaser's English translation made for the Jews
5E
66 The Atonement.
(2) The title Adonai, generally properly rendered
Lord, is once rendered God.
(3) The title Adon is rendered Sir, Master, Lord.
(4) The word elohim, with its modifications eloah,
elak and el, occurs over 2,500 times. These most fre-
quently refer to Jehovah; but in many instances with
evident propriety are applied to others: hence the connec-
tions must determine who is referred to. We will give
Scripture illustrations which will make the matter per-
fectly clear, and prove beyond a doubt that elohim signi-
fies mighty. It is properly applied to Jehovah, because he
is All-mighty, all-powerful. It is properly applied to any
angel, for they are mighty, powerful, and in their visits to
man recorded in the Old Testament they were specially
mighty because representatives of Jehovah, the All-
mighty. Great, influential men were also properly de-
scribed as elohim mighty. Like our English word
" sheep," elohim is used either in the singular or plural as
occasion may require.
These are facts, and our quotations from the Common
Version Bible will substantiate them thoroughly; and
thus will demonstrate the Scriptural propriety and con-
sistency in referring to our Lord Jesus Christ as God
[elohim] and as Adon [Master, Lord] and as Adonai [my
Lord], and yet never as Jehovah.
covers the word; possibly because of fear that some of the
Jews might stumble over some of the few uses of the word
reviewed preceding.
The Jew prefers and uses the word Lord, possibly in the
hope that fellow Jews will recognize the word Lord as ap-
plicable only to Jehovah and therefore feel a resentment
toward those who speak of Jesus as "our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ" thinking this blasphemy.
The Trinitarian translators probably preferred to use ^ the
word Lord instead of Jehovah, in order that Christians
accustomed to use the word Lord as a title for our Savior,
Jesus, might in reading the Old Testament think that lie,
and not the Father, Jehovah, is usually referred to,
The Author of the Atonement. 67
ELOHIM [MIGHTY] TRANSLATED "ANGELS."
Psalm 8:5. "Thou [Jehovali, vs. i] hast made him a
little lower than the angels [elohim], and hast crowned him
with glory and honor."
That this is a proper rendering of elohim is proven by
the fact that the inspired Apostle translated it thus into
the Greek, angelos, when, referring to how our Lord
humbled himself, he says, "Thou madest him a little
lower than angels" Heb. 2:7, 9.
ELOHIM [MIGHTY] TRANSLATED "GODS."
In referring to false gods of the heathen, the word elo-
him [mighty] is used 196 times; and quite properly, too,
for they were mighty or influential to their devotees.
JEHOVAH THE [ALL-MIGHTY] ELOHIM CONTRASTED WITH
OTHER ELOHIM [MIGHTY ONES].
Psalm 86 :6-8. " Give ear O JEHOVAH unto my prayer.
. . Among all the gods [elohim mighty ones] there is
none like unto thee."
Psalm 95:3. "JEHOVAH is a great God [el mighty
one] and a great King above all gods [elohim mighty
ones]."
Psalm 50:1. "The mighty God [lit. God of gods el
elohim the mighty of the mighty], JEHOVAH, hath
spoken."
Psalm 29:1. "Give unto JEHOVAH ye mighty [el
gods], ascribe unto JEHOVAH glory and stre^ijth. Give
unto JEHOVAH the honor of his name; and worship JEHO-
VAH in the beauty of holiness."
Genesis 17:1. "JEHOVAH appeared to Abraham and
said unto him, I am the Almighty God [el]. 1 '
Exodus 15:11, "Who is like unto thee, O JEHOVAH,
among the gods [<?/ mighty ones]." See margin.
Genesis 14:22. "Abraham said, I have lifted up my
hand unto JEHOVAH, the most high God [el], possessor of
heaven and earth."
68 The Atonement,
Psalm 96:4. "JEHOVAH is great, and greatly to be
praised: he is to be feared above all gods [elohim mighty
ones.]"
These instances suffice as samples: others may be found
by those who desire and seek them.
ELOHIM APPLIED TO MEN.
In the afore mentioned 196 translations of elohim by the
word gods, probably fully one-half refer to men mighty
ones kings, princes, nobles, etc., but now we notice a few
instances in which elohim is applied to the Lord's people.
Genesis 2 3:6. Abraham is styled elohim, the word be-
ing translated mighty in our Common Version Bible.
"Thou art a mighty [elohim^prmce among us.*'
Exodus 7:1. Moses is denominated the god [elohim] of
Pharaoh. " I have made thee a god [elohim] to Pharaoh."
Exodus 21:6. The judges [rulers, mighty ones] of
Israel were styled elohim. "His master shall bring him
unto the judges [elohim].' 1
Exodus 22 :8, 10. "If the thief be not found, then the
master of the house shall be brought into the judges [elo-
him]. . . . Both parties shall come before the judges
[elohim]; and whom the judges [elohim] shall condemn, he
shall pay double unto his neighbor. 3 '
Exodus 22:2%. "Thou shalt not revile the gods [elohim
margin, judges].' 1 Note the Apostle's sanction of this
translation. Acts 23:5.
THE SAINTS CALLED ELOHIM.
Psalm 82:6. "I have said, Ye, are gods
mighty ones], all of you sons of the highest, ye yet shall
all dje like [other] men, falling like one of the princes
[heads]." The saints must all die, but like Christ Jesus
their "head," sacrjficially, ^pd not as Adam for his own
sin.
This passage was quote4 by our Lord Jesus, and ap-
plied to those who received the word of God at his lips >
haying ears "tq ,he^r:" an<J i$ applies $t#l
The Author of the Atonement. 69
same class.* "Beloved, now are we the sons of God/*
reckonedly, hoping by divine grace to " become partakers
of the divine nature." John 10:34, 35 ; i John 3:2; 2 Pet.
1:4-
ELOHIM RENDERED " GREAT/' " STRONG/* ETC.
This word is sometimes rendered strong, poiver, great,
etc., in connec ' : on with inanimate things; as "Great [elo-
kim mighty] tremblings " (i Sara. 14:15) ," ''Great [elohim
mighty] wrestlings "(Gen, 30:8); "Great [el mighty]
mountains" (Psa. ,36:6; "The strong [el] among the
mighty" (Ezek. 32:21); "It is in the power [el] of my
hand." Gen, 31:29.
"GOD" AND "LORD" IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.
In the New Testament the matter is simplified by the
use of fewer words ; but it may be said that nothing what-
ever in the words used distinguishes the Father from the
* This entire Psalm (82) seems to refer to our Lord Jesus
as the divinely appointed Deliverer and Judge of Christen-
dom, now, in the time of his parousia. To Him we apply the
words, "God [elohim^ Christ appointed by the Father to
judge the world now] tandeth in ^the assemblage of the
mighty [amongst the financial, political and ecclesiastical
princes]; he judgeth among [those] gods [eloMm mighty
ones]." He is represented first as reproving these princes
and calling for equity, but "They heed not, neither will
they understand; they walk on in darkness [respecting what
will be the result of their policy]: all the foundations of the
earth [the social world] are out ot the course;" is his decision:
it is useless to attempt to patch present institutions; they
must all be " dissolved/ 1 that the new heavens and new earth
the new social world may come instead. Then verses
6 and 7 arc addressed to his faithful "little flock." When
they are gathered when, all the "elect" Church by dying
shall have passed beyond the vail then Christ will be called
upon, "Arise, O God [eloMm], judge the earth: for thpu hast
inherited all nations." It will be to establish his Kingdom
that he will let loose the judgments which in *' a great time
of trouble such as never was since there was a nation," shall
abase the proud and exalt the humble and usher in the
" times of restitution" long promised by all the holy prophets.
Acts 3:19-23.
70 The Atonement
Son in the words rendered Lord and God. The matter is
left entirely to the judgment of the reader, and indicated
only by the construction of the sentence except that
where the word Theos is used twice in the same clause the
Greek Prepositive Article is sometimes used, so as to give
the effect of the God in contrast with a God. An illustra-
tion of this is found in John i :i, "The Word was with
the God [ho theos] and the Word was a God [theos]." But
the careful student (freed from prejudice) will generally
have no difficulty in determining the thought of the
Apostle. Indeed, the language is so explicit that the
wonder is that we were heedless of it so long.
The word God in our New Testament, whether in refer-
ing to our Heavenly Father or to his Heavenly Son, our
Lord Jesus, or to false gods, is almost invariably the
translation of the Greek word Theos. Exceptions are
that the word kurios is once translated God when it should
have been rendered Lord or Master, namely in Acts
19 :so ; and in Acts 17 :i8 daimonion is rendered gods, and
should be demons.
The title "Lord," whether applied to Jehovah, or
Christ, or man, or angels, is generally the translation of
the Greek word kurios signifying Master, or Lord. It is
frequently translated Sir and Master. Exceptions are
that in five places Lord is the translation of despotes,
where it would better have been translated Sovereign or
Autocrat. The cases are:
1 i ) Luke 2:29. " Lord [despotes] now lett est thou thy
servant depart in peace."
(2) Acts 4:24. "Lord [despotes] thou art God which
hast made heaven and earth. . . . The rulers were
gathered together against the Lord [kurois] and against
his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy Son Jesus,
whom thou hast anointed, . . . were gathered."
(3) 2 Pet. 2:1. "Heresies, even denying the Lord
[despotes] that bought them."
(4) Jude 4. "Denying the only Lord [despotes] God,
and our Lord Jesus Christ."
The Author of the Atonement. 71
(5) Rev. 6: 10. "How long, O Lord [despotes], holy
and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood?"
Rabboni [master] is once rendered Lord. Mark 10:51.
Kwicno [to be lords] is once rendered lords. i Tim.
6:15.
THE GODHEAD.
The translators of our New Testament were extremely
unfortunate in selecting and using the word "godhead"
three times to translate three different words none of
which have any such significance as comes from this word
to the mind of the ordinary English reader: namely, a
God with several bodies and but one head. Its occur-
rences are:
(1) Ho Thews is rendered Godhead in Acts 17:29
whereas it should be "ike Deity" "We ought not to
think that the Godhead [ho Theios the Deity] is like unto
gold or silver or stone." The same word is translated
divine in the only two other instances of its occurrence in
the New Testament; viz., 2 Pet. 1:3, 4.
(2) Theiotes is rendered Godhead in Romans 1:20;
whereas it should be translated Divinity or Deity, " God
hath showed it unto them, . . . even his eternal power
and godhead [Theiotes Deity]." This is the only occur-
rence of this word in the New Testament.
(3) Theotes is rendered Godhead in Colossians 2:9;
whereas it should be translated Deity, "For in him
dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead [Theotes Deity]
bodily." This is the only occurrence of this word in the
New Testament.
In the glorified Christ, who is the head of the Church,
dwells all fulness; plenitude of wisdom, grace and
power, not only to guide all the affairs of the Church, his
body, but also as the Father's representative to do any
and every thing necessary to be done in carrying forward
to successful completion the great divine plan committed
to his care.
y 2 The Atonement.
**THOU SHALT WORSHIP THE LORD THY GOD AND HIM
ONLY SHALT THOU SERVE."
MATT. 4:10.
It is claimed by some that the fact that our Lord Jesus
received worship without rebuke signifies that he is JEHO-
VAH. Our Lord's words above quoted are supposed to
imply that for any being but Jehovah to receive worship
would be wrong. We answer, Not so! To so interpret
these words is to think into them a meaning which they do
not contain, and to make them contradictory to the
teachings of other Scriptures. Jehovah's decree respect-
ing Christ, "Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten
thee," had already been recorded through the prophets;
and also his decree, "Let all the angels of God worship
him." (Psa. 2:7; 97:7; Heb. 1:5, 6.) Our Lord Jesus
knew this. He also knew that the angelic messengers of
Jehovah had in the past been worshiped as representatives
of Jehovah; and that he himself was the chief messenger,
the Only Begotten Son, the "Messenger of the Covenant/*
whom the Father had sanctified and sent into the world:
he knew consequently that whoever honored him honored
the Father also.
Indeed, his own words were, <c He that honoreth not the
Son honoreth not the Father which sent him." John
5:23; MaL 3:1.
The Greek word translated worship in the New Testa-
ment is proskuneo, which signifies "to kiss the hand," as a
dog licks the hand of his master. The significance is
reverence.
The Hebrew word rendered worship in the Old Testa-
ment is shaw-kaw and signifies to bow down. The signifi-
cance is reverence. The word occurs 170 times and only
about one-half of this number refer to the worshlpof God.
But this fact is hidden from the English reader by reason
of its having been 74 times translated bow down, bowed
himself, did reverence, did obeisance, etc., when referring to
homage to great earthly beings. We will give examples : -
The Author of the Atonement* 73
Abraham ''bowed himself [shaw-kaw] toward the
ground, and said, My Lords [Adonai] ... let a little
water be fetched and v/ash your feet, and rest yourselves
under the tree." These words and acts were while he
thought them merely * ' t 1 ee men. ' * Gen. 1 8 : 2-4 .
Lot "bowed down [shaw-kaw]" to two of the same
three. Gen. 19:1.
Abraham "bowed down himself [shaw-kaw]" to the peo-
ple of Canaan. Gen, 23:7, 12.
Isaac blessed Jacob, saying, "Let nations bow down
[shaw-kaw] unto thee ; . . . and let thy mother's sons
bow down [shaw-kaw] unto thee." Gen. 27:29.
41 David stooped and bowed himself [shaw-kaw] to the
earth" to king Saul. i Sari. 24:8.
Abigail "bowed herself [shaw-kaw] to the ground" to
David; and again to David's representatives, i Sam. 25 :
23, 41.
The woman of Tekoah "fell on her face . . . and did
obeisance [shaw-kaw]" to king David. And Joab and
Absalom did likewise, translated "bowed himself [shaiv-
kaw]." 2 Sam. 14:4, 22, 33.
" When Mephibosheth . . , was come unto David, he
fell on his face and did reverence [shaw-kaw]." 2 Sam. 9 :6.
From these evidences it will be apparent to all that the
prohibition of the First Commandment "Thou shalt not
60 w down thyself [shaw-kaw] to them nor serve them, 71 was
not understood, nor meant to be understood, as a prohibi-
tion, of reverence, homage, etc., to the honorable, or to
those in honored positions among men. Nor did the Jews
err in doing reverence [shaw-kaw] to angels who came with
messages in Jehovah's name and acknowledging him.
And such reverence was approved never reproved.
The Commandment warns against image worship or any
worship of any rival gods. This Jehovah cannot tolerate.
Hence there was no impropriety for any Jew who recog-
nized Jesus as the "Sent of God" to do him reverence,
obeisance; and much more proper is it for all those who,
recognize our Lord Jesus according to his claims as the
Son of God.
74 The Atonement.
Indeed, we may be sure that those Pharisees ^who took
up stones to kill our Lord because he declared himself the
Son of God would have been wild beyond bounds, and not
only have stoned our Lord Jesus, but also his worshipers,
claiming idolatry, had they entertained as a people any
such extreme thought of worship, obeisance (pro$ku>ico) t
as is entertained by those whose extreme views respecting
this word we are combating and have proved erroneous.
Exceptions to this liberty would be in cases where the
man to whom reverence, obeisance or worship is rendered is
the recognized representative of a false god as a pseudo-
Christ or false Christ Antichrist. Homage to the popes
would, we believe, come under this head of false or wrong
worship ; because in his office he claims . falsely to be
"Vicegerent Christ." It was on this ground that our
Lord Jesus refused to acknowledge Satan and his great
power in the world. It was an actively evil power, design-
edly opposed to the laws of Jehovah. Hence the proposi-
tion that by not opposing evil, by respecting or reveren-
cing evil customs already established under Satan '$
regime, Satan would cooperate with our Lord in the estab-
lishment of his kingdom, was at once declined and the
answer signified I am in full accord with Jehovah God
and therefore in full accord with the prophetic declara-
tion: "Thou shalt reverence Jehovah thy God and him
shalt thou serve" and since you are his wilful opponent
I can render no reverence to you or your methods, nor
could I either serve your cause or cooperate with you.
Our causes are distinctly separate. I will have nothing to
do with you. Compare Matt. 4:10; Deut. 10:20, 21.
Had our Lord Jesus set himself as a rival to Jehovah in-
stead of as his Son and servant, any homage to him would
have signified disrespect to the Father and would have
been sinful idolatrous. On the contrary, however,
while accepting homage reverence as the Son of God he de-
clared most positively and publicly, "The Father is
greater than I," and taught his disciples to make their pe-
titions to the Father, saying, " Whatsoever ye shall ask of
the Father in my name, he will give it you/' John 16:23*
The Author of the Atonement 75
"l AND MY FATHER ARE ONE."
JOHN 10:30.
This text is considere^l a proof that our Lord Jesus is
entitled to the name Jehovah that he was both the
Father and the Son ; or that he had no Father and was
not a Son.
Having vague, mysterious thoughts respecting "trin-
ity," a remarkably large number of otherwise intelligent
people seem to forget that there is any other kind of one-
ness than personal oneness. On the contrary, however,
in all other uses of the word the thought is that of harmony
oneness of plan, purpose, will, mind. How blind a
theory can make us is well illustrated by the fact that our
Lord's own explanation and illustration of the manner in
which he and the Father are one is very generally over-
looked. He said in prayer to the Father,
" I pray not for the world but for them which thou hast
given me, for they are thine . . . neither pray I for
these alone, but for them also which believe on me
through their word; that they all may be ONE, as thou y
Father, art in me and I in thee, that they also may be ONE
IN us . . . that they may be ONE, even as we are ONE : I in
them and thou in me, that they may be MADE PERFECT IN
ONE." John 17:9, 20-23.
Here the oneness of the Church, for which the Lord
prayed, is specially stated to be exactly the same as the
oneness between the Father and the Son. That the one-
ness of the Church is oneness of mind and not a personal
oneness needs no discussion. Evidently the thought in
the Redeemer's mind was oneness of heart, oneness of
purpose, oneness of will, amongst his followers; and that
oneness identical with the oneness between the Father and
himself. And this oneness was to be attained on the part
of the Church in the same manner exactly as the oneness
between the Father and the Son was attained* The Son
was at one with the Father because he fully accepted as
his own the Father's will, saying, " Not my will but thine
be done," So each member of the Church is to come into
y(J The Atonement.
perfect harmony with the Father, and with the Son, by
doing not their own wills, but by setting aside their own
wills and accepting the will of Christ, which is the will of
the Father. Thus, and thus only, will the Church ever
come into the oneness for which our Lord here prayed, and
which he refers to as of the same kind as the oneness be-
tween the Father and himself. How strange that any
should attempt to misuse and pervert these our Lord's
words, to make them support the unreasonable and un-
scriptural doctrine of a Trinity, three Gods in one
person. On the contrary, how beautiful and reasonable
is the Scriptural oneness of the spirit of the Father and
Son and Church.
"HE THAT HATH SEEN ME HATH SEEN THE FATHER."
After our Lord had declared himself to be the Way, the
Truth and the Life, and that no man could come to the
Father but by him, and that whoever knew him would
know the Father also, Philip said to our Lord Jesus,
"Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us." Jesus
answered him, "Have I been so long time with you, and
yet hast thou not known me, Philip ? He that hath seen
me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show
us the Father ? Believest thou not that I am in the Fath-
er and the Father in me? The words that I speak unto
you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in
me, he doeth the works." John 14:7-10.
We are asked to accept this statement by our Lord Jesus
as proof that he is Jehovah (and not Jehovah's Son), and
that as such the name Jehovah is properly applicable to
him. But all should notice that the entire context shows
a distinction between the Father and the Son, such as no
reasonable person would use if he desired to give the im-
pression which Trinitarians seek to draw from it. The
whole question, therefore, is, What did our Lord wish us
to understand by his words, ' ' Pie that hath seen me hath
seen the Father?*' We answer, he meant us to tinder-
The Author of the Atonement. 77
st&nd that it is impossible for mail (a flesliy, earthly be-
ing) to see God, a spirit being. Thus the Apostle John
testified, "No one has seen God at any time: the Only-Be*
gotten God the One existing within the bo$om of tfye
Father he interpreted [him]/' (John 1:18. Rather-
ham's Translation.) He meant them to understand what
the Lord declared to MOSQS, "No man can see my face
and live:" and hence that if the Father would show him-
self to humanity, it could only be either by miraculously
opening man's eyes to discern the spiritual glory (thus ex-
posing man to death), or else by God's manifesting himself
in a body of flesh; in such a manner that men could dis-
cern something of his character by contact and inter-
course.
And was not this exactly what God did do? God's
mind, God's will, was fully represented in his Only Begot-
ten Son, our Lord, when he was made flesh and dwelt
amongst men. He therefore was the best, the closest,
the most positive representation of God that it was or
ever would be possible to give to mankind. In seeing and
knowing the Lord Jesus intimately, Philip and the other
Apostles knew the Father in the most absolute sense ws-
sible for humanity to know him. They knew him in f the
most absolute sense possible for the Father to reveal him-
self to mankind. There never was, there never would be,
there never could be, a clearer, a more absolute, a more
complete manifestation of God to man than in the person,
of the Lord Jesus Christ; for when "made flesh" he was
" God manifested [Greek, rendered apparent] in the flesh."
(i Tim. 3:16.) Similarly the Apostle declares of the
Church, the faithful members of Christ, We are deliver-
ed unto death, "that the life also of Jesus might be made
manifest [Greek, rendered apparent] IN OUR MORTAL
FLESH." 2 Cor. 4:11. .
The perfect man is a perfect image pf the invisible God,
and hence the best conception or illustration that cQu]4 be
presented. Similarly during the Millennium t
worthies perfected will be the best representatives
pf tl*e H^yeoljr father, tye If 9 ftyepljr $9$
7& The Atonement.
Heavenly Bride of Christ. Whoever sees them will see
God manifest in the flesh God's likeness in flesh. And it
will be to this sublime condition that the entire groaning
creation will be privileged to attain, if they will, under the
guidance of the Royal Priest and his "brethren" the
under priests, ministering through the ancient worthies
who, as the fleshly representatives of the Kingdom, will be
earth's "princes/' Psa. 45:16.
THE BLESSED AND ONLY POTENTATE,
THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OP LORDS, WHO
ONLY HATH IMMORTALITY.
1 TIM. 6:15, l6.
Many consider this passage 'to signify that at his ap-
pearing, at his second advent, our Lord Jesus will exhibit
or make known to the world the Heavenly Father's great-
ness. But although that view has some reasonable as-
pects, we incline on the whole to apply the statement to
the glory and honor of Christ dating from the beginning
of the Millennial age. True, he will cause all who accept
his way to recognize Jehovah God also, but this will not
be at his appearing but at the close of his reign, when he
shall " deliver up the Kingdom to God, even the Father."
i Cor. 15:2428.
To apply the passage to the Father would be to deny
that our Lord possesses immortality, whereas the Scrip-
tures explicitly teach that he and all who share in the
First Resurrection obtain therein immortality and that
thus the Father, who hath life-inherent (self -existence
immortality), gave to the Son that he should have life-in*
herent (self -existence immortality). i Cor. 15:42-44,
53, 54; John 5:26.
But to apply this Scripture to the Son seems to fit every
condition perfectly, and by no means ignores the Father,
Jehovah nor proves that our Lord Jesus is the Father,
Jehovah ; for we are in all such cases to remember the
invariable rule laid down by the inspired Apostle name-
The Author of the Atonement. fg
ly, that in comparisons, honors, etc., mentioned respect-
ing the Son, the Father is always accepted as being inex-
pressibly above all comparisons. His words are, "It is
manifest that he [the Father] is cxcepted," and not to be
considered under or subject to our Lord Jesus and the
various powers conferred by the Father upon him. For
when the Son shall have subdued sin in the world, "then
shall the Son also himself be subject unto him [the Father]
that did put all things under him [the Son]." i Cor.
15:27,
Another very similar statement of the glory of our
Lord Jesus' kingdom given him by the Father is that " He
is at the head of all principality and power." (Col. 2:10,)
The answer to this is the s'ame. The Father's govern-
ment and authority are never contrasted with that of the
Son ; for the latter is at one with the former and is his re-
presentative.
"THOUGHT IT NOT ROBBERY TO BE EQUAL WITH GOD."
In Phil. 2 :6 our common English version represents the
Apostle Paul as making the astounding statement that
Christ, "being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God." It should be noticed, first of all,
that this passage surely does not teach the doctrine of the
Trinity, nor that our Lord Jesus is the Father, Jehovah:
for if so where would be the room for meditating a rob-
bery or considering an equality? These words "robbery "
and "equal" positively teach that the Father and the
Son are not one in person, but two. But how strange it
seems that the Apostle's words are so different from those
of our Lord on this subject. He declares, ' ' The Father is
greater than I;' 7 '"Of mine own self I can do nothing."
We ask, Did our Lord Jesus lose his humility that he later
concluded to be equal with God the Father?
But, secondly, we notice how much such a view con-
flicts with the lesson which the Apostle vas seeking to in-
culcate. Was the Apostle seeking to have the Church
8o The Atonement.
aspire to and grasp after the honor of the Father or the
honor of each other? Surely not! On the contrary, lie
is urging against vainglory and in favor of lowliness of
mind, and that each should esteem the other better than
himself. He assures his readers that this humility of
mind was our Lord Jesus' disposition, and says, " Let this
mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." If the
mind which was in Christ Jesus was to grasp the Father's
glory and honor, and to think it not robbery to do so, then
the same mind in the Lord's Church would mean that
each one of us should be grasping after all the glory and
honor possible to be attained, and should consider that
the proper course, and that we thus would have the mind
or disposition which Christ manifested.
But this is all wrong: It is the translation that is at
fault. It is a wretched one, and gives the very opposite
of the Apostle's meaning. The Greek word, harpagmos,
here rendered " robbery," only occurs this once in the
New Testament, and has associated with it the thought of
robbery, or unlawful acquisition, but the Apostle's mean-
ing is exactly reversed by the misarrangement of the sen-
tence. His .thought could be translated in almost the
same words but with an opposite meaning, thus ' ' Who
thought not by robbery to be equal with God." Our
Lord Jesus' course is thus contrasted with that of Satan
who did attempt to usurp God's position and honor.
(Isa. 14:12-14.) This is clearly shown by the context
preceding and following that nothing be done for vain-
glory ; that Christ was very humble-minded, and that we
also should be humble-minded and thus walk in his foot-
steps. Note the following translations of this word
harpagmos, preferred by eminent scholars of various de-
nominations :
" Did not think it a matter to be earnestly desired."
Clarke.
" Did not think of eagerly retaining." Wakefield.
11 Did not regard , . . as an object of solicitous de-
sire." Stewart.
The Author of the Atonement. ' 81
" Who in God's form subsisting, not a thing to be seized
on esteemed the being equal with God/' Rotherham.
"Who being [margin, originally] in the form of God,
counted it not a prize [margin, a thing to be grasped] to be
on an equality with God." Revised Version.
" Who existing in the form of God, counted not the being
on an equality with God a thing to be grasped." Amcr.
Rev. Committee.
" Thought not ... a thing to be seized." Sharpc.
"Did not eagerly grasp." Nceland.
"Did not violently" strive." Dickenson.
" Did not meditate a usurpation." Turnbull.
The last definition seems to fit best with the context,
and is the translation preferred and given in the Emphatic
Diaglott, which renders the entire passage thus:
"Who, though being in God's form, yet did not medi-
tate a usurpation to ,be like God, but divested himself,
taking a bondman's form."
This translation is consistent, not only with the facts of
the case, but also with the Apostle's argument, of which
it forms a part. Its statement, amplified, is that when
our Lord Jesus was a spirit being, when he had a God-lik^
form and nature, he was not filled with an ambitious
spirit, and a desire to usurp divine authority and power
and glory and homage ; he was not of the spirit of Satan,
who strove to exalt himself, saying, "I will be as the Most
High." On the contrary, although he occupied the high-
est position, next to the Heavenly Father, he was so hum-
ble minded that, in obedience to the Father's will, he di-
vested himself of the glories and majesty -of his spirit con-
dition, exchanging that higher nature and glory for a
lower condition, a human condition, "a little lower than
the angels." The Apostle then proceeds to show that not
only was this humility manifested, but that subsequently
a still greater humility was shown, in that our Lord Jesus,
as the man Christ Jesus, became subject to death, even
the ignominious death of the Cross. And all this hum-
bling of himself, the Apostle declares, was in obedience to
the divine will, the Father's will. Then the Apostle
8s The Atonement.
points out the result of this, saying-, "Wherefore [on this -
account, because of his exhibition of loyalty, humility,
and obedience even unto death] God [the Father] has
highly exalted him) and given him a name that is above
every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow and every tongue confess ... to the glory of God
the Father." Heb, 2:7,9;! Tim. 2 15, 6 ; Phil 2 ;i r .
Thus seen, this text, so far from being an aid or a com-
fort to the doctrine of the Trinity, most strongly opposes
it, and places itself in full harmony with the entire Word
of God, and with sanctified common sense and reason.
We leave this feature of our subject with an enhanced
appreciation of the lengths and breadths and heights and
depths of the Heavenly Father's greatness of person,
character and plan, and with a greater esteem than ever
for his great Son, whose wonderful love, loyalty and trust
in the Father's wisdom, grace and power have been so
royally rewarded; rejoicing, indeed, to "honor the Son
even as we honor the Father." And after full, explicit
examination of the revelation given us in God's Word, we
fully concur in the Apostle Paul's inspired testimony;
"To us there is but one [supreme] God, the Father, out of
whom are all things and we for him, and one Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom are all things and we through him."
i Cor. 8:6.
" Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and
from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, in Christ: accord-
ing as he hath chosen us in him . . . having predesti-
nated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to
himself. . . . The God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the
glorious Father, give unto you the spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of him." Eph, 1:2-18.
STUDY III.
THE MEDIATOR OP THE ATONEMENT.
THE ONLY BEGOTTEN ONE.
Is HE?" THE LOGOS, A GOD. THE ONLY BEGOTTEN OF JBHOVAH.
THE BIBLE'S TESTIMONY, "HE WHO WAS RICH." "BEFORE ABRA-
HAM WAS I AM." "THE FIRST AND THB LAST." "JEHOVAH POSSESSED
ME IN THE BEGINNING." THE LOGOS MADE FLESH, NOT INCARNATED.
HE HUMBLED HIMSELF. " HE WHO WAS RICH FOR OUR SAKES BECAME
POOR." No HYPOCRISY IN THIS TESTIMONY. OUR LORD'S CONDUCT
NOT DECEPTIVE. THE HOLY, HARMLESS, UNDEFILBD SEPARATE FROM
SINNERS.
"There is one God, and one Mediator between God and
men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom."
i Tim. 2:5, 6.
IN PROPORTION as we value the work of the Atone-
ment our reconciliation to God, and the sacrifice for
sin through which it is accomplished in the same pro-
portion will we esteem him whom the Heavenly Father
set forth to be the propitiation for our sins, our Restorer
and Lifegiver, Hence, in approaching the question, Who is
this great One whom Jehovah God has so highly honored,
and who, by the grace of God, is our Redeemer and Savior?
it is befitting that we realize, first of all, our own ignor-
ance of the subject, and our incompetency to reach a con-
clusion except as the divine Word shall instruct us. Sec-
ondly, it is befitting, at the very outset of our investiga-
tion, that we remember the Apostle's testimony respect-
ing the greatness of this Mediator, and the honor due to
him. He says, * ' Him hath God highly exalted, and given
him a name that is above every name, that at the name of
j esus every knee should bow. ' ' It is written also , ' ' That
all men should honor the Son even as they honor the
Father." Phil. 2:9; John 5:23.
Searching the Scriptures carefully to note just what
they do say, and what they do not say, respecting out
84 The Atonement Mediator.
Lord Jesus, we find their testimony very explicit, harmo-
nious and satisfactory. We will first state, in synoptical
form, what we find to be the Scriptural teaching, the
proofs of which we will give further along.
(1) Our Redeemer existed as a spirit being before he
was made flesh and dwelt amongst men.
(2) At that time, as well as subsequently, he was
properly known as " a god " a mighty one. As chief of
the angels and next to the Father, he was known as the
Archangel (highest angel or messenger), whose name,
Michael, signifies, "Who as God/' or God's representa-
tive.
(3) As he was the highest of all Jehovah's creation, so
also he was the first, the direct creation of God, the " Only
Begotten," and then he, as Jehovah's representative, and
in the exercise of Jehovah's power, and in his name, cre-
ated all things, angels, principalities and powers, as well
as the earthly creation.
(4) When he was made flesh, to be our Redeemer, it
was not of compulsion, but a voluntary matter, the result
of his complete harmony with the Father, and his joyful
acquiescence in carrying out every feature of the divine
will, which he had learned to respect and love, as the
very essence of Justice, Wisdom and Love.
(5) This humiliation to man's condition was not in-
tended to be perpetual. It accomplished its purpose
when our Lord had given himself, a human being, as our
ransom, or "corresponding price." Hence, his resurrec-
tion was not in the flesh, but, as the Apostle declares,
"He was put to death in the flesh but quickened in
spirit/' i Pet. 3:18.
(6) His resurrection not only restored to him a spirit
nature, but in addition conferred upon him a still higher
honor, and, as the Father's reward for his faithfulness,
made him partaker of the divine nature the very highest
of the spirit natures,* possessed of immortality.
The Only Begotten One. 85
(7) It is this great One, who has been thus highly ex-
alted and honored by Jehovah, whom we delight to honor
and to worship and to serve, as one with the Heavenly
Father, in word, in work, in purpose and in spirit.
SCRIPTURE TESTIMONY RESPECTING THE SON OF GOD.
Let us now consider the Scriptural evidences substan-
tiating these positions. We begin with the first chapter
of John's Gospel. Here our Lord, in his prehuman exist-
ence, is referred to as "The Word" (Greek, Logos). "In
the beginning was the Logos." Dr. Alexander Clarke
says, concerning this word Logos: "This term should be
left untranslated for the same reason that the names
Jesus and Christ are left untranslated. As every appella-
tive of the Savior of the world was descriptive of some ex-
cellencies in his person, nature, or work, so the epithet,
Logos, which signifies a word, a word spoken, speech, elo-
quence, doctrine, reason, or the faculty of reason, is very
properly applied to him." The Evangelist, in his epistle,
uses the same title in respect to our Lord again, denomi-
nating him "the Word of life," or the "Logos of life." i
John 1:1.
The title, " Word of God" " Logos of God " is a very
fitting one by which to describe the important work or
office of our Master, prior to his coming into the world.
The Logos was the heavenly Fa/ther's direct expression of
creation, while all subsequent expressions of divine wis-
dom, power and goodness were made through the Logos.
It is said that in olden times certain kings made addresses
to their subjects by proxy, the king sitting behind a
screen, while his "word" or spokesman stood before the
screen, and addressed the people aloud on subjects whis-
pered to him by the king, who was not seen: and such a
speaker was termed "The King's Logos" Whether or
not the legend be true, it well illustrates the use of this
word "Logos" in connection with the prehuman existence
of our Lord and Master and his very grand office as the
Father's representative, which the Scriptures, in this con-
86 The Atonement Mediator.
nection and elsewhere, point out as having been his office.
Be it noted that the Apostle, writing under inspiration,
tells us that *'The Logos was in the beginning with the God,
and the Logos was a God. " This is the literal translation
of the Greek, as can be readily confirmed by any one,
whether a Greek scholar or not. The Greek article ho
precedes the first word " God," in this verse, and does not
precede the second word "God," thus intentionally indi-
cating God the Father and God the Son in a case where
without the article the reader would be left in confusion.
Similarly the article precedes the word " God " in the sec-
ond verse. The entire verse therefore reads,
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with [ho tkeos] the God, and the Word was [theos] a God,
The same was in the beginning with [ho theos] the God."
John 1:1.
What "beginning" is here referred to? Surely not the
beginning of the existence of Jehovah, the God, the Fath-
er; because he is "from everlasting to everlasting," and
never had a beginning. (Psa. 41 113 ; 90 12 ; ^106 :48.) But
Jehovah's work had a beginning, and it is to this that
reference is here made the beginning of creation. The
statement, thus understood, implies that our Lord. Jesus,
in his pre-human existence, as the Logos, was with the
Father in the very beginning of creation. This confirms
the inspired statement that the Logos himself was "the
beginning of the creation of God:" this is the precise
statement of the Apostle, who assures us that our Lord is
not only "the Head of the body, the Church," and "the
first-born from the dead," but also the beginning of all
creation "that in all things he might have the pre-emi-
nence" His words are: " He is the image of the invisible
God, first born of all creation; because by him were all
things created, those in the heavens and those on the
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or lord-
ships, or governments, or authorities: all things were cre-
. ated by him and for him, and he precedes all things, and
in him all things have been permanently placed." (Col.
1:15-18.) Hear also the word of prophecy concerning
The Only Begotten One. 87
the Only Begotten, not only declaring his coming exalta-
tion as King of earthly kings, but describing him as al-
ready being Jehovah's first-born, saying, "I will make
him, my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth."
(Psa. 89:27.) Note also that our Lord (referring to his
own origin), declares himself to be, "The faithful and
true witness, the beginning of the creation of God" Rev.
3 :I 4.
In harmony with this thought of our Lord's preemi-
nence from the very beginning, as the " first-born of every
creature," and in harmony with the thought that he was
the Logos or Expression of the Heavenly Father, in re-
spect to every matter, is the next statement of the Evan-
gelist's record, viz., "All things through him came into
existence ; and without him came into existence not even
one thing which hath come into existence." (John 1:3,
Rotherham's translation.) What a grand thought this
gives us respecting the majesty of the Only Begotten Son
of God, the Logos! Prom this standpoint of his original
greatness and preeminence, we have a clearer view than
from any other of the import of the Apostle's words, "He
who was rich, for our sakes became poor, that we through
his poverty might become rich." (2 Cor, 8:9.) From
this standpoint we can see how rich he was in the honor
and glory of which he himself made mention in prayer,
saying, "Father, glorify me with thine own self, with the
glory which I had with thce before the world was," (John
17:5.) Although everything connected with the divine
plan of redemption is wonderful, astounding in its mani-
festations of divine love, mercy, sympathy for fallen men,
yet, from this standpoint of view, all is reasonable, con-
sistent with the divine character and statement.
Those who hold that our Lord Jesus never had an exist-
ence until he was born a babe at Bethlehem have a very
inferior view of the divine plan for man's succor; and they
are left without a use for the many Scriptures above cited,
and others, relative to our Lord's glory with the Father
before the world was, relative to his great stoop, in which
he humbled himself to take a nature a little lower than
88 The Atonement Mediator.
the angelic, leaving therefor a nature that was above that
of angels. And the Scriptural view relieves us of all the
unreasonable and fallacious theories of men, by which, in
attempting to honor the Son, they have gone beyond the
Word of God, and have dishonored the Word of the Lord
and the apostles, which declare him to have been the Son
or offspring of God, aftd that the Father is greater than
the Son. The false view has involved its millions of ad-
herents in inextricable difficulty in every direction.
The truth alone is reasonable.
-It's true:
It satisfies our longings as nothing else can do."
These statements respecting our Lord Jesus, that he
was the beginning of the creation of God, and that he had,
therefore, an existence long before he came into the world
as a man, to be our Redeemer, are fully confirmed by va-
rious Scriptures, a sample of which is the statement,
"God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we
might have life through him." (i John 4 -.9.) Here the
statement most positively is that he was God's Son before
he came into the world, and that, as God's Son, he was
given a mission in the world to perform. Nor should it be
overlooked that here, as in many other instances, the
Logos is designated "The Only Begotten Son" of God.
The thought conveyed by this expression is that the
Logos was himself the only direct creation or begetting of
the Heavenly Father, while all others of God's sous
(angels as well as men), were his indirect creation through
the Logos. Hence the propriety, the truthfulness, of the
statement, that he is the Only Begotten Son of God.
Take another illustration: " God sent not his Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world
through him might be saved. ' ' (John 3:17) Here again
his prehuman existence is implied in the sending and mis-
sion. And these statements respecting the Logos are in
full accord with the history of the matter, presented to us
by the Evangelist, who declares, "He was in the world,
and the world was made by Mm, and the world knew him
not." And again, "The Logos was made flesh and dwelt
The Only Begotten One* 89
amongst us, full of grace and truth; and we beheld the
glory of him, a glory as of an only begotten one from a
father." (John 1:10, 14.) Our Lord's own statements
respecting his pre-existence are indisputable. He never
acknowledged Joseph to be his father; nor did he ever
acknowledge his earthly life to be the beginning of his
existence.
On the contrary, notice that he continually referred to
Jehovah as his Father, Remember his words, ' ' Say ye of
him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the
world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of
God?" (John 10:36.) To Mary, his earthly mother, he
said, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's busi-
ness?" (Luke 2:49.) To his disciples he declares, "I
came down from heaven. " "I am the bread of life which
came down from heaven." (John 6:38, 51.) Many in
his day disbelieved this, and many disbelieve it still, but
its truth remains. Some of those who heard said, " How
can this be? " And some of his disciples said, when they
heard it, "This is a hard saying: who can hear it?"
*' When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured
at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What
and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was
before?" "But from that time many of the disciples
went back and walked no more with him;" because of
this claim of heavenly origin and prehuman existence.
John 6 :6o-66.
Hear him again before the Pharisees, proclaiming the
same truth, saying, "I know whence I came, and whither
I go ... I am from above, ... I am not of this
world; ... I proceeded forth and came from God;
neither came I of myself, but he sent me. . . It is my
Father that heareth me, and if I should say that I know
him not, I shall be a liar." Then said the Jews unto him,
"Art thou greater than our Father Abraham?" Jesus
answered, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day:
and he saw it and was glad. ' ' (Abraham saw Christ's day
with- the eye of faith; believing the divine promise re-
specting Messiah. He may have seea his day of sacrifice,
*o The Atonement Mediator.
typified in the offering of Isaac his only son, but at all
events he saw Messiah's coming glory-day, the Millen-
nium, and its blessings upon all the families of the earth,
through this promised Seed. And no wonder the pros-
pect made him glad. He with the eye of faith beheld the
heavenly city, the New Jerusalem, the glorified Church,
the Kingdom class, and he beheld similarly the heavenly
country the world blessed by that Kingdom. Heb.
11:10, 16; 12:22; 13:14-)
"Then said the Jews unto him [Jesus], Thou art not yet
fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham ? [Abraham
had been dead two thousand years.] Jesus said unto
them, Verily, verily I say unto you, before Abraham was, I
am" John 8:14, 23, 42-58.
There can be no mistake about the meaning of these
words. Our Lord avers that he existed before Abraham.
Nor do the Scriptures in any place intimate that the exist-
ence of the Only Begotten ever ceased from the time it be-
gan, as "the beginning of the creation of God," until it
ceased at Calvary for three days; after which he was
raised from the dead to die no more, death having never
more dominion over him. (Rom. 6:9.) The incident of
his birth as a human being, "a little lower than the
angels,' 1 for the purpose of being man's sin-sacrifice, did
not involve a death to the spirit nature preceding the
birth as a human babe, but merely a transference of his
life from a higher or spirit nature to a lower or human na-
ture. Hence our Lord's words, "Before Abraham was I
am" signify that there had been no cessation of his exist-
ence at any time in the interim, and positively identifies
Jesus, the Son of God, in the flesh, with the Logos, the
first-born of all creation. Of course our Lord's testimony
was not received by many who heard it, nor has it been re-
ceived by many since. There seems to be a perversity of
disposition, which leads mankind to reject the simple,
plain statements of the Lord's Word, and to prefer to re-
gard our Lord either as a sinful member of the fallen race,
or else as his own father. Only the meek are ready to
"receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able
The Only Begotten One. 91
to make truly wise," and only for such is the Word of
God's testimony intended. (Isa. 61:1; Jas. 1:21.) As
those who heard the Master, and rejected his testimony,
took up stones against him, so some who hear the truth
and reject it now are ready to stone, figuratively, all who
accept and teach the Master's words, in their simplicity.
And now, as then, the reason is because they know
neither the Father, nor the Son, as they ought to know
them as they reveal themselves.
Our Lord's words are still applicable to the case, viz.,
" No man knoweth the Son but the Father, neither know-
eth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whom the
Son will reveal him." (Matt. 11:27.) The world knew
him not: knew not of his high origin, and his great humi-
liation on its behalf; and when we remember that a long
period of time probably intervened between the beginning
of the creation in the person of our Lord, and the time
when he was made flesh, and when further we remember
that during all that period he was with the Father, "daily
his delight, rejoicing always before him/' we cannot
wonder that the Son knew the Father, as his disciples and
the world knew him not, as we are learning to know him
through his Word of revelation and the unfoldment of his
wonderful plan of the ages. Hear him again declare, " O
righteous Father, the world hath not known thee, but I
have known thee . ' ' John 17:25.
The key to this wonderful knowledge of heavenly
things is furnished in the statement, "He that is of the
earth is earthy, and speaketh of the earth ; he that cometh
from heaven is above all, and what he hath seen and heard,
that he testifies . ' ' (John 3:31,32.) No wonder, then , that
even his opponents asked, "Whence hath this man this
wisdom? " (Matt. 13 154.) And it was his knowledge of
heavenly things, his intimate and long acquaintance with
the Father, begetting absolute faith in the Father's prom-
ises, which enabled him, as a perfect man, to overcome
the world, the flesh and the devil, and to present an ac-
ceptable sacrifice for our sins. Thus it was written be-
forehand through the Prophet: "By his knowledge shall
92 The Atonement Mediator.
my righteous servant justify many, while he will bear
their iniquities . ' ' I sa . 53:11.
Now, only those who walk by faith, in the light of the
divine Word, may know either the Father or the Son, or
clearly and rightly appreciate the great work of atone-
ment which they unitedly are accomplishing for human-
ity. But ere long, after the selection of the Church has
been completed, after the Bride, the Lamb's wife, has
been associated with her Lord in glory, and the Kingdom
shall have come, then the knowledge of the Lord shall
be caused to fill the whole earth, and the power of the
Father, which, through the Logos, created all things,
shall be exerted through him, as the Savior, in the restora-
tion and perfecting of those who, when privileged to know
him, shall yield to his righteous requirements, so that ul-
timately our Lord's power, as Jehovah's agent in crea-
tion, shall be fully equaled and exemplified in his power,
as Jehovah's agent in restoring and blessing the world :
and thus will be fulfilled the prediction of the Psalmist
"Thou hast the dew [freshness, vigor] of thy youth."
Psa. 110:3.
Hearken to our Lord's words to Nicodemus, who
sought to know something of heavenly things, but who
was refused the knowledge, because he had not yet be-
lieved the earthly things. Our Lord, in explaining to
him his knowledge of heavenly things, says, "No man
hath ascended up to heaven but he that came down from
heaven, even the Son of Man."* Our Lord then pro-
ceeds to show Nicodemus the provision which God has
made for the world, that they should not perish, but have
eternal life, declaring, "God so loved the world that he
gave his Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on
him should not perish but have everlasting life." John
3'i3 l6 -
The Logos, the beginning of the creation of God, called
also by Isaiah the Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty
*The words ''which is in heaven," are spurious; not* found
in old MSS,
The Only Begotten One. 93
God, etc. (Isa. 9:6), we find described by Solomon, and
represented under the name of Wisdom, yet with all the
details which harmonize the statement with the account
given by John the Evangelist (John i :i, 18), as follows:
"Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way, be-
fore his ways of old. I was set up from everlasting, from
the beginning, or ever the earth was [formed]. When
there were no depths [seas] I was brought forth: when
there were no fountains abounding with water. Before
the mountains were set before the hills, was I brought
forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the
fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. When
he prepared the heavens I was there: when he set a corn-
pass upon the face of the depth: when he established the
clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of tho
deep : when he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters
should not pass his command: when he appointed the
fountains of the earth; then was I by him, as one brought
up with him; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always
before him." Prov. 8:22-30.
In addition to what we have here noted respecting the
Logos, that he was not only the beginning of the crea-
tion of God, and the first-born, but additionally his Only
Begotten Son, and that all other creations were by and
through him, we find a beautiful corroborative state-
ment in our Lord's own words, saying: "Fear not, I am
the first and the last; I am he that liveth and was dead,
and behold I am alive forevermore." And again, "These
things saith the 'first and tne last, which was dead, and is
alive. ' ' ( Rev. i : 1 7 ; 2 : 8 . ) In no other sense or way than
as the "Only" direct creation of God, through whom all
else was created, could our Lord be the first and the last
of God's creation. Any other view, therefore, would be
an incorrect one, and in conflict with all the foregoing
Scriptures.
"THE LOGOS WAS MADE FLESH AND DWELT AMONG us/'
~* "JOHN I :i4
Tte common thought in respect to our Lord's
94 The Atonement Mediator.
tation in the flesh, is usually expressed in the word incar*
nation. This usual thought we believe to be wholly in-
correct, unscriptural. The Incarnation theory is that our
Lord's human body, which was born of Mary, was merely
a clothing, a covering for the spiritual body. The thought
therefore attached to our Lord's earthly life, according to
this theory, is that our Lord during his earthly life was
still a spirit being, exactly as before, except that he used
the flesh that was born of Mary, and that was known as the
man Christ Jestts, as his veil or medium of communica-
tion with mankind, after the manner in which angels had
appeared in human form in' previous times to Abraham,
to Manoah, to Lot, and others. (Gen. 18:1, 2; 19:1;
Judges 13:911, 16.) Because of this incorrect premise,
many confused and unscriptural ideas have been evolved
respecting the various incidents of our Lord's life and
death: for instance, this theory assumes that our Lord's
weariness was not real, but feigned; because he, as a
spirit being, could know no weariness. The logic of this
theory would imply also that our Lord's prayers were
feigned, because, says this theory, he was God himself,
and to pray would have been to pray to himself; hence it
is argued that his prayers were merely pro forma, to make
an impression upon the disciples and those who were
about. The same theory is bound to suppose that our
Lord's death was merely an appearance of death, for they
argue that Jesus was God the Father, who being from
everlasting to everlasting, cannot die : hence that the ap-
parent agony and cry, " My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?" and the dying, were merely pro forma, to
make the impression upon the minds of those who heard
and saw. The logical argument of this theory, therefore,
is that there was no real death for man's sins, but merely
an appearance of one, a spectacular effect, a dramatic
show, a Cinematographic representation, a deception pro-
duced for a good purpose; to favorably influence the
sympathies and sensibilities of mankind.
All of this is wrong, a^nd violently in opposition to the
truth on the subject, as presented in the Word of God,
The Only Begotten One* 95
The Scriptural declaration is not that our Lord assumed a
body of flesh as a covering for a spiritual body, as did the
angels previously; but that he actually laid aside, or, as
the Greek renders it, " divested himself of," his prehuman
conditions, and actually took our nature, or, as our text
above declares, "the Logos was made flesh.' 1 There was
no fraud, no sham, about it: it was not that he merely ap-
peared to humble himself, while really retaining his glory
and power: it was not that he seemed to become poor for
our sakes, yet actually remained rich in the possession of
the higher spiritual nature all the time : it was not that he
merely put on the clothing, the livery, of a servant. No,
but he actually became a man "the man Christ Jesus,
who gave himself a ransom for all." i Tim. 2 .'5.
We shall see subsequently, when we come to consider
particularly the ransom feature of his work, that it was
absolutely necessary that he should be a man neither
more nor less than a perfect man because it was a man
that sinned, man who was to be redeemed, and the divine
law required that a man's life should pay the redemption
price for a man's life. "As by a man came death, by a
man also came the resurrection of the dead." (i Cor.
15:21.) But let no one misunderstand us by this to mean
that our Redeemer became a man such as we are, full of
inherited imperfections and blemishes. Quite to the
contrary of this: the same word of God declares that he
was "holy, harmless, separate from sinners." Heb. 7:26,
28; Luke 1:35.
His separateness from sinners is one of the difficult
points with many. How could he be a man, and yet be
free from the hereditary taint which affects the entire hu-
man family? We hope to see exactly how this could be,
and how it was accomplished under the divine plan ; but
we require first to have' thoroughly impressed upon our
minds the fact that an imperfect man, a blemished man,
one who through heredity had partaken of Adamic stock,
and whose life was thus part witn our life, could not be our
Redeemer. There were plenty of sinful men in the world,
without God sending his Son to be another. There were
96 The Atonement Mediator*
plenty of these imperfect men who were willing to lay
down their lives for the accomplishment of the Father's
will. This is fully attested by the record of Hebrews n,
in which it is clearly shown that many " counted not their
lives dear unto them," in their faithfulness to the Lord.
But what was needed was not merely a sacrifice for sins,
but a sinless sacrifice, which would thus pay the sinner's
penalty. And since "all have sinned and come short of
the glory of God," and since "there is none righteous, no,
not one," therefore, as the Scriptures again declare, " None
could give to God a ransom for his brother." (Rom.
3:10,23; Psa. 49 : 7 . ) It was because the Lord beheld and
saw that there was no man competent to redeem the
world that he laid help upon one who is mighty to save
able to save to the uttermost all who come unto the Fath-
er by him. Psa. 89 119 ; Isa. 63 :i ; 59 :i6 ; Heb. 7 125.
Next we want, if possible, to see clearly how our Lord
Jesus laid hold upon our race, and became a member of it,
through his mother Mary, without sharing in any degree
its depravity, without inheriting its blight of sin, without
its curse of death laying hold upon him : for if in any man-
ner or degree he partook of the life of Adam, he would
have been a partaker also of the death sentence upon
Adam's life, and thus he would have come tinder the sen-
tence of death: and if rendered thus imperfect, and under
the sentence of death, he had no life-rights to give as
man's ransom price, by which to purchase father Adam
and has race from under the sentence of death imposed by
divine Justice. We propose to examine this question in
our next chapter. We hope to there prove that our Lord
did not, in any manner or degree, become contaminated
with sin or imperfection through his mother.
STUDY IV.
THE MEDIATOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
THE UNDEFILED ONE.
SEEMINGLY CONFLICTING SCRIPTURES RECONCILED.' THE ROMAN CATHO-
LIC DOCTRINE OP MARY'S IMMACULATE CONCEPTION NOT SUSTAINED.
THE BIRTH OP JESUS SEPARATE PROM SINNERS ESSENTIAL TO THE DIVINE
ARRANGEMENT. OTHERWISE NO RANSOM POSSIBLE. THE LATEST DE-
DUCTIONS OP SCIENCE IN RE THE UNION OP LIFE AND PROTOPLASM.
THE LOGOS MADE FLESH. BORN OP A WOMAN YET UNDBFILED. How
THE IMPERFECT MOTHER COULD AND DID BRING FORTH THE UNDEPILED
ONE. THIS SAME PRINCIPLE OPERATING IN OTHER FEATURES OP THE
DIVINE PLAN, AS TESTIFIED BY THE SCRIPTURES.
"Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not
one." Job. 14:4.
"He was manifested to take away sins and in Km is no
sin." "Such an High Priest was suitable for us holy,
harmless, undenled, separate from sinners. "-7-1 John 3:5;
Heb. 7:26.
HERE are Scripture statements apparently in conflict:
the first declaring, in harmony with our experience,
that all of Adam's posterity is affected by virus of sin
from the poisoned fountain: the latter declaring that our
Lord Jesus was as a man different from other men un-
blemished, undefiled, spotless. And since 'the entire
theory of the Atonement, presented in the Scriptures, de-
mands that of necessity our Redeemer must be an un-
blemished man of our race and yet separate from it this
becomes a very important point before the minds of the
Lord's thinking people. How did God accomplish in our
Lord Jesus' case what is impossible to man, according to
all human experience and according to Job's testimony?
To give ample proof of how the divine Arrangement did
accomplish this desired yet seemingly impossible thing ^of
producing a member of the race, yet separate from^its
blemishes, to be its ransom to give a corresponding
7E 97
98 The Atonement Mediator.
price for the first perfect man whose sin and its curse
blights the race, this is the pleasurable task of the pres-
ent chapter.
Not that a knowledge of the manner is essential either
to the faith or salvation of the true disciple taught of God ;
but that in the light of present-day destructive criticism
(reasonable and unreasonable) it is expedient that this
truth, so closely identified with the Atonement, the very
center and foundation of true Christianity, should be
solidly buttressed, to the intent that the faith of the
Lord's people may be able to withstand the assaults of the
Adversary against the doctrine of the ransom, from
pulpit, press and pew. The Scriptural statement of the
fact of our Lord's spotlessness was, thank God, quite suffi-
cient for his saints for centuries ; but now as "meat in due
season" for the household comes the scientific and phil-
osophic attestation to the possibility of all that is claimed
in the divine Word on this subject quite in harmony
with "the laws of nature."
The Roman Catholic Church in its doctrine of "The
Immaculate Conception" of Mary, attempts to establish
faith in our Lord's mother, as immaculate, spotless, per-
fect; and thus to prove that Jesus could be born pure and
separate from sinners: but this is not our claim. We ad-
mit that our Lord's mother was a member of Adam's
race, in the same sense as all other members of it ; that
her life was derived from the Adamic stock, that she in-
herited human weaknesses and blemishes and unavoid-
ably was, like all others, under the sentence of death. We
claim that "the man Christ Jesus " was an exception the
only exception.
And it is well for us not to forget that God's providen-
tial care for the children of men is frequently manifested
in the exceptions of nature. For instance, it is the rule of
nature that heat causes expansion, while freezing causes
contraction: but how fortunate it is for humanity that
water is an exception to this principle ; that water, con-
trary to the general rule, expands in freezing. Were it to
follow the customary law of nature and contract with
The Unde filed One. 99
freezing, it would have the effect of making the ice heav-
ier than the unfrozen water, and cause it to sink to the
river bottoms, so that as a consequence our rivers would
become solid ice, which even the summer heat would not
dissolve. How fortunate, too, that antimony among the
minerals is an exception to this law of nature also : other-
wise it would be impossible for us to secure clear-cut
edges on our printing types, secured by the mixing of this
metal, which contracts, with other metals which expand
under heat. So the one exception to sin-defilement in
our race was its only hope its ransom, its salvation
under divine providence. With these thoughts we pro-
ceed to examine how the Logos was "made flesh," "born
of a woman/' "of the seed of Abraham," and yet was un-
contaminated, and could therefore be a suitable and ac-
ceptable ransom for Adam and his race.
The Scriptures hold out the thought that all existence,
living energy or being, comes from the father and not from
the mother. The mother receives the sperm or seed of
life from the father, furnishes it a cell-nucleus out of
which a form or body is produced, and nourishes the
germ of being until it is able to maintain an independent
existence; i. e. t until it is able to appropriate to its main-
tenance the life-sustaining elements which the earth and
air supply; then it is born.
The word father has the significance of life-giver. Ac-
cordingly, God was the "Father," or life-giver, while the
earth was the mother, of Adam, and hence of the human
race. (Luke 3:38.) Adam's form or organism was of
and from earth (which therefore served as his mother) ;
but his spark of life which constituted him a man came
from God (who thus was his Father or life-giver) : and in
the male of the human species has since resided the power
to communicate that spark of life or living seed to
progeny.
In harmony with this principle, children are spoken of
as being of or from their fathers, and borne by their moth-
ers. (Gen. 24:47.) Thus the children of Jacob, counted
xnrough his sons, were seventy when he came down to
zoo The Atonement Mediator.
Egypt. All of those seventy souls or beings are expressly
said to have come out of the loins of Jacob. (Gen. 46 126,
27; Exod. 1:5.) So of Solomon, it is said that he came
out of the loins of David, (i Kings 8:19; 2 Chron. 6:9.)
So also the Apostle Paul and Israelites in general claimed
that they all came out of the loins of Abraham ; and of
Levi it is written that ' ' he was yet in the loins of his father
when Melchisedec met him." Heb. 7:5, 10.
Thus also the whole race was in and sprang from Adam
their father, by mother Eve, but not from her. And thus
it is written that "all in ADAM die," but not all in Eve.
Because the race came of Adam, it was tried in his trial,
condemned in his failure and included under his sentence.
This-, which the Scriptures teach, is the latest deduction
of science on this subject of progeneration, as applied to
humanity and to all mammalia. Scientists find abund-
ant and conclusive proof in nature that life or being comes
always from the male. The simplest form of illustration
is a hen's egg: of itself it originally contains no life, but is
merely a cell-germ with its supply of nutriment ready to
build up an organism as soon as vivified, fecundated or
impregnated with the life-germ or life-seed from the male
bird.
The egg contains not only the germ-cell but also the
proper elements of nutrition and in proper proportion,
adapted to the minute organism begotten in it by the
sperm or life-seed; and under proper conditions that or-
ganism develops. The germ-cell, or ' ' formative yolk," or
protoplasm, receives the life-germ or sperm, and this be-
comes the embryo chick, which appropriates to its own
development the "food-yolk" and the albumen, until it
breaks the shell and is able to sustain itself by appropri-
ating cruder elements of nutrition. The principles here
involved are the same in human and other animals.
In view of these harmonious testimonies of the Bible
and science, it is a reasonable deduction that if the father
were perfect, the child would be perfect. Under even
moderately favorable conditions a perfect sperm or life-
se$d in uniting with the female germ-cell would produce &
The Undefiled One* 101
living embryo so vigorous and healthy as to be capable of
appropriating the proper elements of nutrition, and void-
ing, throwing off or neutralizing the unfit. And the per-
fect being thus produced would likewise possess the power
of neutralizing or repelling, by its perfect functions and
without injury or inconvenience to itself, all elements not
beneficial. On the "contrary, in proportion as the sperm
or life-seed be imperfect, the living embryo will be weak
and unable to overcome the unfavorable conditions of its
environment, and will appropriate whatever its mother
furnishes good or bad and will be the prey of disease.
Being imperfect, it is unable to reject wholly the poison-
ous elements and the consequence is weakness and dis-
ease.
The old proverb, "One man's meat is another man's
poison," rests upon the principle here enunciated. A per-
son possessed of good digestive powers can eat and ex-
tract nutriment and strength from food which would
speedily sicken and eventually kill another of inferior
powers. The more rugged extracts the good and avoids
the injurious elements: the weaker is unable to do this and
is really poisoned, frequently to the extent of sickness.
Yet let us remember that no member of our race is nearly
perfect none are able to defend their imperfect systems
against the myriads of foes that assail through food and
drink and air. Consequently none are born perfect and
none can avoid the encroachments of disease for long. It
preys upon the weakest organs first and soon all collapse.
From this standpoint it follows that had mother Eve
alone sinned the race would not have died ; for had Adam
remained perfect, his life unforfeited and unimpaired, his
offspring would have been born without blemish. And
even had death sentence passed upon mother Eve, bring-
ing imperfections to her, these would not have impaired
her offspring ; being perfect, they would have appropriated
good elements, and have neutralized, voided or passed off
naturally and without injury, any unwholesome elements
of nutrition supplied them.
On the other hand, suppose that Adam had sinned ai|d
102 The Atonement Mediator.
Eve had remained sinless: Adam's condemnation and
death would have affected the entire posterity just the
same. However perfect the germ-cells and nourishment
provided by mother Eve, only imperfect dying beings
could be produced from diseased sperm or life-seed from
Adam. Hence the appropriateness of the Scriptural
statement that "All in Adam die," and "By one man's
disobedience . . . death passed upon all." i Cor. 15:22;
Rom. 5:12, 19.
How wonderful the correspondence here between the
first and second Adams and their brides. As the death of
the race depended not upon Eve but wholly upon Adam,
and yet she shared in the bringing of it, so the restored
life of the redeemed race depends not at all on the bride of
Christ, but upon Jesus, the Redeemer, though by divine
favor it is arranged that his bride shall share in the resti-
tution of "that which was lost."
The fountain, Adam, having become contaminated by
sin and death, none of his posterity can be free from con-
tamination; for, "Who can bring a clean thing out of an
unclean ? Not one. ' ' The reference here must be under-
stood as applying to the man, and not to the woman: none
coming from or out of the contaminated fountain can be
clean. Hence, "There is none righteous, no, not one;"
none can redeem his own life, much less give to God a ran-
som for his brother. Rom. 3:10; Psa. 49:7.
It is a well-recognized fact that the mind of a mother,
during the period of gestation, has an important bearing
upon the character and disposition of her children, for
good or evil. There are many instances of mental as
well as of physical " birthmarks." Whether at all or how
much a perfect embryo, begotten of a perfect life-germ,
might be injured by an evil mind in the mother, it would
be impossible for humanity under present conditions to
determine ; for we have no opportunity for proofs along
this line. Nor is it necessary to our argument to deter-
mine this proposition, for it was not under such conditions
that the "man Christ Jesus" was born. The Scriptures
explicitely point out: (i) That the Lord chose for the
The Unde filed One. 103
mother of Jesus a holy woman "blessed among women,'*
who had "found favor with God" (Luke 1:28, 30, 42):
(2) Mary was full of faith and the joy of the Lord, to be
an instrument in his plan: and (3) not regarding fear of
reproach from Joseph or the world, she lived rejoicing in
God, saying, "My soul doth magnify Jehovah; my
spirit rejoiceth in God my Savior." (Luke 1:45-47.)
Thus we perceive that the mind of Jesus' mother, instead
of being antagonistic to his perfect development, coope-
rated to that result.
It follows, then, that the only obstacle to the genera-
tion of a perfect man of an imperfect, blemished, but well-
willed mother is the lack of a perfect father to supply per-
fect spermatozoa. And hence the consistency of the
teaching of Scripture, that in the case of Jesus a perfect
life (not of or from the Adatnic fountain) was transferred
by divine power from a pre-existent condition to the em-
bryo human condition, was born " holy " (pure and
perfect), though of an imperfect mother. (Luke 1:35.)
That Jesus was thus uncontaminated with the imper-
fections, mental, moral or physical which his mother in
common with the entire human race shared, is entirely
reasonable and, as we have just seen, in perfect accord
not only with Scripture but also with the latest scientific
findings and deductions.
Another fact which scientists are demonstrating to
themselves, which seems to concurwith the Scripture testi-
mony, is, that though life or being comes from the father,
form and nature come from the mother. The scientific
proofs of this are more abstruse and less easily grasped by
the ordinary mind ; and this, because in wisdom God has
not only separated the various kinds or natures, but in
great measure has limited them, so that they cannot mix
or blend beyond certain limits without losing the powers
of fecundation. A common illustration of this is the
mule, a hybrid which cannot propagate.
The old idea that form and nature came from the male
is abandoned by modern students of nature, who now
agree that the female furnishes organism as well as suste-
104 The Atonement Mediator.
nance in fact furnishes all except the life-seed or sperm,
which comes from the father, or life-giver. Take as a
Scriptural illustration of the foregoing claims the im-
proper union between "the daughters of men" and those
angels which kept not their proper estate or condition.
(Gen. 6:2, 4; Jude 6; 2 Pet. 2 14.) The angels, when they
assumed human form, being perfect in vitality, begat
children far superior to the then greatly fallen race of
Adam in mental acumen as well as in physical powers, so
that the record is "the same were men of renown."
These wonderful men, let us remember, were born of im-
perfect, dying mothers, but begotten by vigorous, unim-
paired fathers.
The dying race of Adam would have had hard masters
in those superior Nephilim (Hebrew, fallen ones) which
were never recognized by God, either by a trial for life, or
by a condemnation to death. It was a mercy indeed
which, not having authorized their existence, blotted
them from existence in the flood, and sparing as a new
beginning for the race Noah and his family, with the com-
ment "Now Noah was perfect in his generation'' which
implies that the majority of Adam's posterity had become
greatly contaminated and more or less a new race by as-
sociation with the angels in human form. We say a new
race because of their new life and vigor coming from new
fathers.
So great was the renown of these "Nephilim" that the
dread of them is to be found with more or less distinctness
in heathen mythologies to this day ; and hundreds of years
after their destruction in the flood, the false report that
some of these were yet alive caused a panic among the
Israelites while flushed with the victory of recent battles.
(See Num. 13 133 ; 14:36, 37.) No doubt there were some
large men in Canaan, as other Scriptures show, but never
except in this "ewl report " are they called Nephilim.
Another illustration of this principle that life (vitality)
cornes from the father, and organism (nature) from the
mother, is found in the fact that Jehovah, himself of the
divine nature has begotten sons of various natures. He
The Undc filed One. 105
is the father or life-giver to those sons of angelic nature
(Job. 2 :i ; 38 17 ; Heb. 2 :) , as well as to sons of hitman na-
ture (Luke 3:38), as well to the "new creatures" who, in
the first resurrection, shall be made partakers of his own
divine nature. (2 Pet. 1 14.) The spirit or energy of Jeho-
vah operating upon spirit-substances produced and de-
veloped angels; the same energy or spirit operating upon
earthly substances produced man and the lower animals.
(Gen. 2:7;! Cor. 1 5 147.) And when God would give us a
clear conception of the generation of the new creatures to
the divine nature, he represents them as begotten of his
word of promise in the womb of the Covenant which he
made with Abraham, which Covenant was symbolized by
a woman, Sarah, telling us that as Isaac was the heir of
Abraham and child of promise (by Sarah), so we, as or
like Isaac, are children of God, being children of the prom-
ise, or Sarah Covenant. See Gal. 4:23-31 ; i Pet. 1 13, 23 ;
2 Pet. 1 14-
The same principle is illustrated in the fact that in the
typical Jewish dispensation, prior to the Christian age, a
child inherited blessings and privileges of its father, ac-
cording to the favor and standing of its mother, thus
again declaring that the mother's nature, rights, privi-
leges and liberties attached to the child, though not of ne-
cessity the father's. See Gen. 21 :io; Ex. 21 :4; Gal. 4:30.
The foregoing arguments are clinched by the fact that
our Lord Jesus was born of a woman. The " holy thing"
born of a woman partook of the woman's nature, i. e.> hu-
man nature "of the earth, earthy." Though retaining
all the purity and perfection of the preexistent (spirit)
state y the transferred germ of being (in harmony with
this law we are examining) partook of the nature of the
mother and was "made flesh "by being "born of a
woman. ' ' Yet the * ' clean thing ' ' came not out of the un-
clean race, but "proceeded forth and came from God"
and was merely developed and nourished in Mary.
John 8 142; Gal. 4:4.
It is yet further in harmony with this same principle
that though our Lord Jesus has since been highly exalte4
io6 The Atonement Mediator.
to the divine nature, and is no longer human, yet it is de-
clared of him that he shall be the life-giver or "father " of
the whole human tace, while it is also shown that his work
for the race is to restore the perfection of human nature,
which was lost for all through Adam's sin. Thus, while
their " father" or life-giver will be on the divine plane, his
children will be on the human plane, born out of a Cove-
nant of restitution, illustrated by Keturah, Abraham's
third wife.
Reviewing our subject then, we perceive that the "mir-
aculous " birth of our Lord Jesus, perfect, unblemished, of
an imperfect mother, was not contrary to the usual pro-
cedure of the Creator's arrangements, but in full harmony
with them: we see that similarly father Adam was born
into being perfect because he was born of God, though hi?,
mother (the earth) was still imperfect except the specially
prepared Garden of Eden. The Scriptural assurance then
that our Lord had a pre-human existence, the life-princi-
ple of which was transferred to Mary's womb and born of
her "holy," is abundant assurance that he was as the
same Scriptures declare " holy, harmless, undefilcd, sepa-
rate from sinners.' ' Just such an one ' ' became us " or was
suitable to the necessities of our case; such an one as
could be accepted by Justice as our ransom-price; and
then being made humanity's High Priest in things per-
taining to God, would be able to compassionate the, weak
and burdened having been touched with a feeling of hu-
man infirmities when he himself compassionately took
our sicknesses. Matt. 8:16, 17; Heb. 7:26.
We pass on now to the consideration of how he could be
thus without sin and yet be "made like unto his breth-
ren/'
STUDY V.
THE MEDIATOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
"MADE LIKE UNTO HIS BRETHREN."
AND
"TOUCHED WITH A FEELING- OF OUR INFIRMITIES."
WHO "His BRETHREN" ARE. IN WHAT THE LIKENESS CONSISTED. How
HE WAS TEMPTED IN ALL POINTS, LIKE AS WE ARE TEMPTED, YET
WITHOUT SIN. THE WILDERNESS TEMPTATIONS. THEIR RBSEMBLANCR
TO OURS SOME OP WHICH WOULD "DECEIVE IF IT WERE POSSIBLE THB
VERY ELECT." IN WHAT SENSE OUR LORD WAS MADE PERFECT THROUGH
SUFFERINGS. THOUGH A SOK, YET LEARNED HE OBEDIENCE. How H
WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH YET WITHOUT SIN.
"HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES," How HE WAS "TOUCHED."
"In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his
brethren; that he might be a merciful and faithful High
Priest in things pertaining unto God to make reconcilia-
tion for the sins of the people/ 1 Heb. 2:17.
'TPHE TWO popular but opposing lines of thought touch
1 and conflict in respect to all the various Scriptural
statements which declare our Lord's relationship to
mankind; and the third or truth line alone is able to either
reconcile the various Scriptures or to satisfy sanctified rea-
son. Of the two false but popular theories one claims
that our Lord Jesus was the Almighty God, Jehovah, who
merely garbed himself in human flesh, without really
having actual sensibility of humanity's trials, tempta-
tions and environments. The other theory claims that
he was a sinful man, partaker of the blemishes of our race,
just as others, but more successful than others in combat-
ing and resisting the motions of sin. We are endeavoring
to show that both of these theories are erroneous, and
that the truth lies between them, in the fact that the
Logos "being in a form of God, 1 ' a spirit being, when
"made flesh" was really a man, "the man Christ Jesus,"
but "separate from sinners," a perfect man prepared to be
107
xoS The Atonement Mediator.
the " corresponding price " for the first perfect man whose
fall involved our race, and whose redemption also in-
volves the race.
It is quite 'proper in this connection, therefore, in seek-
ing to establish the Scriptttrally correct view of this sub-
ject, that we examine various Scriptures which have
been distorted and misused to prove that our Lord was
blemished, and subject to like passions with the fallen
race. We hold that if he had been in this condition it
would have been as impossible for him as it is impossible
for us to keep absolutely and perfectly every feature of
the Divine Law. The Divine Law is the full measure of
the perfect man's ability and is beyond the measure and
ability of any man who is not perfect. Hence, the very
fact that in our Lord was no sin, the very fact that he was
pleasing to the Father, and acceptable as a sin-offering, as
a ransom-price for Adam (and the race lost in him)*
proves indirectly his perfection, as we hold that the Scrip^
tures everywhere teach it.
But our Lord's "brethren" were not immaculate, were
not separate from sinners. How, then, could he bo
"made like unto his brethren," and yet be separate from
sinners? The answer to this question is found in the
recognition of the fact that the world of mankind, sinners
in general, are not the ones who are referred to as "his
brethren." Adam, indeed, was reckoned a son of God at
his creation, and up to the time of his transgression (Luke
3:38), but not subsequently. And all of his race are
ScripturaUy designated "children of wrath." (Eph. 2:3.)
Only those who have " escaped the condemnation that is
on the world," and who have gotten back into harmony
with God, through Christ, are Scripturally authorized to
consider themselves the sons of God. (John 1:12.) Of
the others, our Lord declares, "Ye are of your father, the
4evil, for his works yq do." (John 8:44.) Our Lord
Jesus never counted himself in as one of the children of
tne devil, nor as one of the "children of wrath," but de-
clared that he "proceeded forth and came from God."
Neither did he recognize as "his brethren" any of those
Like Unto His Brethren* 109
who were still "children of wrath." The only ones rec-
ognized as the " Lord's brethren" are those who, having
escaped the condemnation that is on the world, have been
brought nigh to the Father through the blood of Christ,
and have received "the spirit of adoption" into God's
family, and the promise of full "adoption of sons" at the
establishment of the Kingdom. (Rom. 8:15, 2 3J Gal.
/; :5-) It is because these are justified, reckonedly freed
from Adam ic guilt, reckonedly constituted righteous,
through the blood of Christ, that they are in any sense of
the word like our Lord Jesus, "his brethren," on a similar
footing of divine favor and separateness from the world
Of the consecrated of this class our Lord says, "They are
not of the world, even as I am not of the world." "I
have chosen you out of the world. ' ' (John I5:i9;i7:i6.)
From this standpoint it can readily be seen that our Lord
was "made like unto his brethren" exactly, in every
particular. Not that his "brethren" were in this condi-
tion at the time he hum* led himself and was made flesh
he had no brethren at that time, except as this class was
foreknown of God (Eph. 1 15, n ; Rom. 8:9). But the di-
vine arrangement was such that God foresaw that he
could be just, and yet justify those of the sinner race who
accepted divine grace through Christ, and whose sins
were, on this account, covered, not imputed to them, but
imputed to him who "bore our sins in his own body on
the tree." God f rearranged, foreknew, his purpose to
call out the Gospel Church to be "joint-heirs with Jesus
Christ our Lord," to the inheritance, incorruptible, unde-
led, and that f adeth not away, reserved in heaven. . And
it was in view of this prearranged plan that all who will
constitute this class were spoken of in advance, through
the prophets, as the "brethren" of Christ. Prophetically,
our Lord is represented as saying to the Father, "I have
declared thy name unto my brethren; in the midst of the
Church have I sung thy praise." (Psa. 22:22; Heb.
2:12.) Since this was the divine program that our
Lord should not only be the Redeemer of the world, but
also a pattern for the "brethren" who would be his joint-
no The Atonement Mediator.
heirs, therefore, in carrying out this divine program it
was fitting that he should in all his trials and experiences
be " made like unto his brethren. "
%< HE WAS TEMPTED IN ALL POINTS LIKE AS WE ARE,
YET WITHOUT SIN."
: HEB. 4'*5-
It will be noticed that this statement is not that our
Lord was tempted in all points like as the world is tempt-
ed, but like as we, his followers, are tempted. He was
not tempted along the lines of depraved appetites for sin-
ful things, received by heredity, from an earthly parent-
age; but being holy, harmless, undefiled and separate
from sinners, he was tempted along the same lines as his
followers of this Gospel age who walk not after the flesh
but after the spirit ; and who are judged, not according
to the infirmities of their flesh, but according to the spirit
of their minds according to their new wills, new hearts.
Rom. 8:4; 2 Cor. 5:16; John 8:15.
This is seen very clearly in connection with our Lord's
temptations in the wilderness, which immediately follow-
ed his consecration and baptism at Jordan. Matt. 4:1-1 1
(i) The first was Satan's suggestion that he use the di-
vine power which he had just received at Jordan, in minis-
tering to his own wants, converting the stones into bread.
This was not a temptation in any degree traceable to
heredity or imperfection. Our Lord had been forty days
without food, studying the divine plan, seeking to deter-
mine, under the enlightening influence of the holy Spirit,
just received, what would be his proper course in life, to
fulfil the great mission upon which he had come into the
world, viz., the world's redemption. The suggestion that
he use the spiritual power conferred upon him, and which
he realized was in his possession, to minister to the neces-
sities of his flesh, would, at first thought, seem reasonable ;
but our Lord at once discerned that such a use of his
spiritual gift would be wrong, would be a misuse of it, a
use for which it was not intended, and hence he rejected
Like Unto His Brethren. in
the suggestion, saying, "It is written, Man shall not live
by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of
the mouth of God." The Lord's "brethren" sometimes
have similar temptations of the Adversary, suggestions to
use spiritual gifts for the furtherance of temporal inter-
ests. Suggestions of this kind are insidious, and are the
channels through which God's consecrated people not in-
frequently are led astray by the Adversary to greater and
greater misuse of divine blessings.
(2) The Adversary suggested to our Lord fakir
methods of introducing his mission to the people that he
leap from a pinnacle of the temple into the valley below
in the sight of the multitude ; so that their seeing him sur-
vive uninjured would be a proof to them of his superhu-
man power, which would lead them at once to accept him
as the Messiah, and to cooperate with him in the work be-
fore him. But our Lord saw at once that such methods
were wholly out of harmony with the divine arrangement,
and even the misapplication of a Scripture by the Adver-
sary (apparently in favor of the wrong) did not swerve him
from the principles of righteousness. He immediately re-
plied to the effect that such a procedure on his part would
be a tempting of divine providence, wholly unwarranted,
and hence not to be considered for a moment. Where
duty called or danger the Master did not hesitate, but
realized the Father's ability to keep every interest; but
true confidence in God does not involve a reckless expos-
ure to danger, without divine command, and merely for a
show, and in a spirit of braggadocio.
The Lord's brethren have temptations along this line
also, and need to remember this lesson and example set
before them by the Captain of our Salvation. We are not
to rush unbidden into dangers, and esteem ourselves thus
valiant soldiers of the cross. "Daredevil deeds" may
not seem out of place to the children of the devil, but they
are wholly improper in the children of God. The latter
have a warfare which requires still greater courage.
They are called upon to perform services which the world
does not applaud, nor even appreciate, but often perse-
ti 2 The Atonement Mediator.
cutes. They are called upon to endure ignominy, and
the scoffs of the world; yea, and to have the tmcircum-
cfeed of heart "say all manner of evil" against them
falsely for Christ's sake. In this respect the followers of
the Captain of our Salvation pass along the same road,
and walk in the footsteps of their Captain. And it re-
quires greater courage to ignore the shame and ignominy
of the world, in the disesteemed service of God, than to
perform some great and wonderful feat, that would cause
the natural man to wonder and admire.
One of the chief battles of those who walk this narrow
way is against self-will; to bring their wills into fullest
subjection to the Heavenly Father's will, and to keep
them there; to rule their own hearts, crushing out the ris-
ing ambitions which are natural even to a perfect man-
hood ; quenching these kindling fires, and presenting their
bodies and all earthly interests living sacrifices in the ser-
vice of the Lord and his cause. These were the trials in
which our Captain gained his victory and its laurels,^and
these also are the trials of his ' ' brethren. " ' ' Greater is he
that ruleth his own spirit [bringing it into full subordina-
tion to the will of God] than he that taketh a city:" great-
er also is such than he who, with a false conception of
faith, would leap from the pinnacle of a temple, or^do
sonp other foolhardy thing. True faith in God consists
not in blind credulity and extravagant assumptions re-
specting his providential care: it consists, on the contrary,
of a quiet confidence in all the exceeding great and pre-
cious promises which God has made, a confidence which
enables the faithful to resist the various efforts of the
world, the flesh and the devil, to distract his attention,
and which follows carefully the lines of faith and obedi-
ence marked out for us in the divine Word.
(3) The third temptation of our Lord was to offer
earthly dominion and speedy success in the establishment
of his kingdom, without suffering and death,- without
the cross, upon condition of a compromise with the Ad-
versary. The Adversary claimed, and his claim was not
disputed, that he held control of the world, and
Likd Unto His Brethren* 113
that by his codperation the Kingdom of Right-
eousness, which our Lord had come to institute, could be
quickly established. Satan's intimation was that he had
become weary of leading the world into sin, blindness,
superstition, ignorance, and that he therefore had a sym-
pathy with our Lord's mission, which was to help the poor,
fallen race. What he wanted to retain, however, was a
leading or controlling influence in the world ; and hence
the 9 price of his turning the world over to a righteous
course, the price of his cooperation with the Lord Jesus in
a restitutionaf y blessing of the world, was, that the latter
should recognize him, Satan, as the ruler of the world, in
its reconstructed condition that thus our Lord should
do homage to him.
We are to remember that Satan's rebellion against the
divine rule was instigated by ambition to be himself a
monarch "as the Most High/' (Isa. 14:14.) We
recall that this was the primary motive of his successful
attack upon our first parents in Eden that he might
alienate or separate them from God, and thus enslave
them to himself. We can readily suppose that he would
prefer to be monarch of happier subjects than the "groan-
ing creation: " he would prefer subjects possessed of ever-
lasting life. It would appear that even yet he does not
recognize the fact that everlasting life and true happiness
ate impossible except in harmony with Divine law. Satan
was therefore willing to become a reformer in all particu-
lars except one;~*-his ambition must be gratified, he
must be no less the ruler amongst men ; and was he not al-
ready "the Prince of this world" and so acknowledged
in Holy Writ? (John 14:30; 12:31; 16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4.)
Not that he had any divine commission to be "the prince
of this world," but that by getting possession of mankind,
through ignorance, and through misrepresentation of the
false as the true, of darkness as the light, of wrong as the
right, he had so confused, bewildered, blinded the world
that he easily held the position of master or "god of this
world, who- now worketh in the hearts of the children of
disobedience" the vast majority*
8E
U4 ^ Atonement Mediator.
The peculiar temptation of Satan's suggestion there-
fore was, that it seemed to offer a new solution of the
question of the recovery of man out of his condition of
sin. And more than this, it seemed to imply at least^a
partial repentance on the part of Satan, and the possibil-
ity of his recovery to a course of righteousness, provided
he could be guaranteed the continued success of his am-
bition to be a ruler over subjects more happy and more
prosperous than it was possible for them to be while kept
under his delusions and enslaved by sin, which was the
only way in which he could retain man's loyalty: because
in proportion as mankind rejects an and appreciates
holiness, in that proportion it becomes Desirous to serve
and to worship God.
Our Lord Jesus did not lopg hesitate. He had abso-
lute confidence that the Father Vwisdom had adopted the
best and only adequate plan. Therefore he not only did
not confer with flesh and blood, but neither would he bar-
gain with the Adversary for cooperation in the work of the
world's uplift.
Here also we see one of the special besetments of the
Adversary against the Lord's "brethren." He succeeded
in tempting the nominal Church, early in her career, to
abandon the way of the cross, the narrow way of separate-
ness from the world, and to enter into a league with the
civil power, and thus gradually to become influential in
the world's politics. By cooperation with "the princes
of this world/' fostered and aided by the Adversary
secretly, she sought to establish the reign of Christ on
earth, through a representative, a pope, for whom it was
claimed that he was Christ's vicegerent. We have seen
what baneful influences resulted: how this counterfeit
Kingdom of Christ became really a kingdom of the devil,
for his work it did. We have seen the result in the " dark
ages," and that the Lord denominates the system "Anti-
christ/'*
And although the Reformation started in boldly, we
find that the Adversary again presented the same tempta-
~ * See Vol. II., ChapT ix.
Like Unto His Brethren. 115
tion before the Reformers, and we see that they resisted
it only in part, that they were willing to compromise the
truth for the sake of the protection and aid of "the king-
doms of this world/' and in the hope that the kingdoms
of this world would in some manner become the Kingdom
of our Lord. But we see that the combination of the
Church and the world influence, as represented in Prot-
estantism, while less baneful in its results than Papacy's
combination, is nevertheless very injurious, and a great
hindrance to all who come under its influence. We see
that the constant conflict of the "brethren" is to over-
come this temptation of the Adversary, and to stand fast
in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free not of
the world, but separate from it.
Moreover, we find that although the same temptation
comes to all the "brethren," it comes in slightly modified
form from time to time, and that the great Adversary
very cunningly, in every instance, attempts to do with us
as with the Lord, viz., to present himself as a leader along
the lines of reform which he advocates, appearing to be
in hearty sympathy with the work of blessing the world.
His latest temptation along this line comes in the form of
the suggested "social uplift," which he is successfully
"bringing before the minds of many of the "brethren."
He suggests now, that however necessary it once was to
walk the "narrow way," the way of the cross, it is no
longer necessary so to do ; but that now we have reached
the place where the whole matter may be easily and
quickly accomplished, and the world in general lifted up to
a high plane of social, intellectual, moral and religious
standing. But the plans which he suggests always involve
combination with him: in the present instance it is the
suggestion that all who would be co-workers in the social
uplift shall join in social and political movements, which
shall bring about the desired end. And he has become so
bold and so confident of the support of the majority that
he no longer pretends to favor reform along the line of in-
dividual conversion from sin and salvation from condem-
nation, and reconciliation with the Father, through a
Ir 6 The Atonement Mediator,
personal faith in and consecration to the Lord ^ Jesus
Christ: his proposition is a social uplift, which shall ignore
individual responsibilities and sins, and merely regard
social conditions and make society outwardly "clean."
He would have us disregard the Lord's teaching, to the
effect that only those who come unto the Father through
him are "sons of God," and his "brethren:" instead, he
would have us believe that all men are brethren, and that
God is the Father of all humanity, that none are "chil-
dren of wrath," and that it is criminally unchristian and
uncharitable to believe our Lord's words that some are of
their "father, the devil." He would thus, without al-
ways so saying in specific terms, have us ignore and deny
man's fall into sin, and ignore and deny the ransom from
sin, and all the work of atonement ; under the specious,
deceptive watchword, "the Fatherhood of God and the
Brotherhood of man," and the Golden Rule.
This temptation of the Adversary before the "breth-
ren" to-day is deceiving many, and probably will yet de-
ceive all except "the very elect." (Matt. 24:24.) These
very elect "brethren," are those who follow closely in the
Master's footsteps, and who, instead of hearkening to the
Adversary's suggestions, hearken to the Word of the
Lord. These very elect "brethren," instead of leaning
to their own understandings, and to Satan's sophistries,
have faith in the superior wisdom of Jehovah and his di-
vine plan of the ages. Hence these are all "taught of
God," and know thereby that the work of the present age
is the selection of the (t brethren" of Christ, and their
testing, and finally their glorification with the Lord in the
Kingdom, as the seed of Abraham, to bless the world ; and
that in the next age will come God's "due time" for the
world's uplift, mental, moral and physical. Hence the
very elect cannot be deceived by any of the specious
arguments or sophistries of their wily foe. Moreover, the
"brethren" are not ignorant of his devices, for they were
forewarned along this line, and they are looking unto
Jesus, who not only is the Author of their faith, through
the sacrifice of himself, but also is tQ be the finisher of it,
Like Unto His Brethren. irjr
when he shall grant them a part in the first resurrection,
and make them partakers of his excellent glory and di-
vine nature.
Such are the points of temptation to the "brethren/*
and such were the points of temptation to their Captain.
He was ' * tempted in all points like as we are" tempted ; and
he knows how to succor those who are tempted, and who
are willing to receive the succor which he gives, in the way
in which he gives it through the teachings of his Word
and its exceeding great and precious promises. The weak-
nesses which come to us through heredity were no part of
our Lord's temptation. He did not have a drunkard's
appetite; he did not have a murderer's passion, nor a
thief's avarice; he was holy, harmless, separate from sin-
ners* Nor^do his "brethren" have these besetments, as
their temptations. Those who have become his "breth*
ren" through faith, and consecration, and begetting of
the holy spirit of adoption, have lost the disposition which
seeks 1 to do injury to others, and have received instead the
new mind, the mind of Christ, the spirit of Christ, the
spirit of a sound mind, the holy Spirit the spirit of love *
which seeks first of all the Father's will, and secondly,
seeks to do good unto all men, as it has opportunity,
especially to the household of faith. Gal. 6:10.
And though there remains in the flesh of these "tiew
creatures," possessed of the new mind or new will, a
weakness of heredity, a tendency toward passion or strife,
so that they may need continually to keep on guard
against these, and may occasionally be overtaken in a
fault, contrary to their wills, nevertheless these uninten-
tional weaknesses are not counted unto them as Bind, nor
as the acts of the "new creature," but merely as defects
which belong to the old nature* which, so long as the new
nature opposes them, are reckoned as covered by the
merit of the ransorn^the great sin-offering made: by the
Captain of our Salvation. It is the "new creature " done
that is being tried, tested, fitted, polished and prepared
f6r joint-heifship with Christ in his Kingdom, and not the
body of flesh, which, of such, is reckoned dead.
The Atonement Mediator.
"MADE PERFECT THROUGH SUFFERING.*
" It became Mm [the Father] for whom are all things, and by
whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make
the Captain of their Salvation perfect through sufferings."
Heb. 2:10.
Having in mind the foregoing, it will be easy to see that
our Lord was not made perfect as a man, through the
things which he suffered as a man ; nor did he suffer any-
thing before he became a man. The thought of this
Scripture is that our Lord, when in the world, when he
was-already perfect as a man, the very image of the Fath-
er in the flesh, holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from
sinners, attained, by his experiences and sufferings, an-
other perfection a perfection on another plane of being,
gained since then. It was one thing that the Logos was
perfect when with the Father before the world was per-
fect in his being, and in his heart or will perfectly loyal
to the Father; it was another thing that when voluntarily
he humbled himself to be made flesh, and to take our na-
ture, a lower nature, he was perfect as a man, separate
from sinners: it is still a third thing that he is now perfect
in his present highly exalted condition, a sharer of the
divine nature. It is to this latter that our text relates.
So high an exaltation to the "glory, honor and immortal-
ity" of "the divine nature," made it proper in the divine
wisdom that certain tests should be applied, the meeting
of which should make perfect the title of God's Only Be-
gotten Son to share all the riches of divine grace, and
"that all men should honor the Son even as they honor
the Father."
We are to remember that it was in connection with
these tests of his obedience to the Father that there was
set before him a certain joy or prospect, as it is written,
"For the joy that was set before him he endured the
cross, despising the shame." (Heb. 12:2.) This joy be-
fore him, we may reasonably suppose, was:
(i) A joy to render a service which would be accept-
able to the Father.
Like Unto His Brethren. 119
(2) A joy to redeem mankind, and make possible their
rescue from sin and death.
(3) A joy in the thought that by the accomplishment
of this redemption he would be accounted worthy of the
Father to be the mighty ruler and blesser, King and
Priest of the world ; to reveal to the world a knowledge of
the divine plan, and to lift up from sin to divine grace
whosoever would accept of the terms of the New Cove-
nant.
(4) A joy that the Father had promised him ; not only
a return to the glory of spirit-being which he had with the
Father before the world was, but a more excellent glory
to be exalted far above angels, principalities and powers,
and every name that is named, and to be made an asso-
ciate in the Kingdom of the Universe, next to the Father,
on the right of the majesty on high ; and partaker of the
divine nature, with its inherent or immortal life.
But all this joy set before our Lord was made contin-
gent or dependent upon his full obedience to the Father's
will. True, he had always been obedient to the Father,
and delighted in the Father 's way, but never before had
he been put to such a test as now. Hitherto it had been
pleasurable and honorable to do the Father's will; now
the test was to be whether or not he would do that will
under conditions that would be distressing, painful, hu-
miliating; conditions which would bring him finally not
only to death, but even the ignominious death of the
cross. He did stand this testing, and never faltered,
never wavered, but manifested in every particular, and to
the utmost, faith in the Father's Justice, Love, Wisdom
and Power, and unhesitatingly endured all the opposi-
tions and contradictions of sinners against himself, with
all other besetments of the Adversary ; and by this means ;
through suffering, he "made perfect' 9 his title to all the
joys set before him, and in consequence was perfected as
a being of the very highest order, viz., "of the divine na-
ture." Thus it was true of the Only Begotten of the
Father that,
120 The Atonement Mediator.
"THOUGH HE WERE A SON
YET LEARNED HE OBEDIENCE BY THE THINGS
WHICH HE SUFFERED.
AND BEING MADE PERFECT HE BECAME THE AUTHOR OP
EVERLASTING SALVATION
UNTO ALL THEM THAT OBEY HIM."
HEB. 5:8~IO.
The inspired Apostle thus explains that our Lord, al-
ready undented, perfect, already a "Son," already fully
obedient to the Father under favorable conditions, learn-
ed what it meant to be obedient under most adverse con-
ditions, and being thus tested and proved worthy of per-
fection on the highest plane of being, the divine nature, he
was perfected in it when the Father raised him from the
dead to the excellent glory set before him to be, first,
the Deliverer of the Church which is his body, and after-
ward, ' ' in due time/' of all who, being brought to a know-
ledge of the Truth, will obey him.
Note the harmony between this and the Apostle Peter's
testimony, "The God of our fathers raised up Jesus.
Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a
Prince and a Savior." Acts 5:31.
Thus our Lord Jesus demonstrated before the Father,
before angels, and before us, his " brethren, " his fidelity
to the Father and to the principles of the Father's gov-
ernment. Thus he magnified the Father's law and made
it honorable: demonstrating that it was not too exacting,
that it was not beyond the ability of a perfect being, even
under the most adverse conditions. We, his followers,
may well rejoice with all of God's obedient and intelligent
creation, saying, "Worthy the Lamb that was slain, to
receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and
honor and glory and blessing." Rev. 5 :i2.
And as our Lord glorified is the Captain of our Salva-
tion, it implies that all who would be soldiers of the cross,
followers of this Captain and joint-heirs with him in the
Kingdom, must likewise be made perfect as "new crea-
Like Unto His Brethren. 121
ttires " through trial and suffering. And as the sufferings
through which the Captain was made perfect as a new
creature were the things which he endured through the
opposition of the world, the flesh and devil, and through
the submission of his own will to the Father's will, so with
us: our sufferings are not the ordinary sufferings of pain,
such as the " groaning creation" shares, and which we
share to some extent, as members of the world. The
sufferings which count in the development of the "new
creature" are those voluntary and willing endurances on
account of the Lord and the Lord's Word and the Lord's
people ; the hardness which we endure, as good soldiers
of the Lord Jesus Christ, while seeking to do not our own
wills, but to have perfected in us the will of our Captain,
the will of our Heavenly Father. Thus we are to walk in
his footsteps, realizing his watchcare, and availing our-
selves at the throne of the heavenly grace of his helps by
the way; and trusting his promise that all things shall
ivork together for good to us, and that he will not suffer
us to be tempted above that we are able, but will with
every temptation provide a way of escape; and that in
every trial he will grant grace sufficient, for every time
of need. Thus are his "brethren" also now on trial and
now being made perfect as new creatures in Christ-
"made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light."-
Col. 1:12.
"IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH."
"What the Law could not do, in that it was powerless be-
cause of the flesh [because all flesh was depraved through the
fall, and incapable of rendering abspltite obedience to the
Law]. God accomplished by sending his own Son, in the
likeness of the flesh of mankind [that had come under the
dominion of Sin], even by an offering for sin, which, though
it condemned sin in the flesh, opened up a new way of life
under which the righteousness of the Law might be fulfilled
by us [who are not walking according to the flesh but accord-
ing to the Spirit]. To such, therefore, there is now no con-
demnation, tor the Law of the spirit oi life in Christ Jesus
[under the pr<*ciou$ blood] hath made us free from the Law
Covenant, which convicted all imperfect ones as sinners,
fcad condemmed them to death.- Rom. 8:1-4, paraphrase,
122 The Atonement Mediator.
Those more or less disposed to consider our Lord a sin-
ner, a member of the fallen race, have seized upon this
Scripture, and attempted to turn it out of harmony with
reason, and out of harmony with the other Scriptures, to
support their theory: to prove that Christ was made
exactly like "sinful flesh/' and not like flesh that had not
sinned, namely, Adam before his transgression. But
from the above paraphrase of his text, we believe that the
Apostle's thought is clearly brought before the mind of
the English reader. Our Lord left the glory of the spirit
nature, and was "made flesh," made of the same kind of
nature as the race which he came to redeem, the race
whose nature, or flesh, had come under the bondage of
sin, which was sold under sin, through the disobedience of
its first parent, Adam. Nothing here intimates, except
in the gloss given through the translation, that our Lord
himself was a sinner. Indeed, it is one of the simplest
propositions imaginable, that if he were a sinner, or in any
manner a partaker of the curse which rested upon the hu-
man family, he could not have been our sin-offering, for
one sinner could not be an offering for another sinner.
Under the divine law, "the wages of sin is death." Our
Lord, if he had been in any sense or degree a sinner, would
thereby have forfeited his own life, and would have been
valueless as a ransom-price for Adam or for any other
sinner.
"HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES."
Matt. 8:17.
" Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows;
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God and afflicted.'
But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised
for our iniquities ; the chastisement of our peace was upon
him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isa. 53:4, 5.
Perfection is the opposite of infirmity, and the fact
that our Lord had infirmities might logically be argued as
proof that he was not perfect, that he had inherited
some of the blemishes of the fallen race. It will be re-
membered that on the night of his agony in the Garden of
Gethsemane our Lord sweated " as it were great drops of
Like Unto His Brethren. 123
blood/* and this is set down by some medical authorities
as a disease, which, altho very rare, has been known to
affect others -of the human family. It gave evidence of a
great nervous strain and weakness. Again, tradition
says that when on the way to Golgotha our Lord was com-
pelled to carry the cross, and that he fainted under it, and
that it was on this account that Simon, the Cyrenian, was
compelled to bear the cross for the remainder of the
journey. (Matt. 27:32.) It is further claimed that our
Lord's death on the cross, so much sooner than was usual,
was occasioned by a literal breaking of his heart, the rup-
ture of its muscles, and that this is indicated by the flow
of both blood and water from the spear-wound in his side
after death. At all events, our Lord did not manifest
that fulness of vigor which was manifested in Adam, the
first perfect man, whose vitality was such that he lived
for nine hundred and thirty years. The question arises,
Did not these evidences of infirmity on the part of our
Lord indicate imperfection: that either through heredity
or in some other manner he lacked the powers of a perfect
man, and was therefore a blemished man?
On the surface the matter has this appearance, and
only under the guidance of the divine Word are we
enabled to explain satisfactorily to our own minds, or to
others, the consistency betr/een these facts and the Scrip-
tural assurance that our Redeemer was "holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners." The key to the matter
is given in the Scripture under consideration. The
prophet declares what would naturally appear to our-
selves or to others, viz., that our Lord, like all the remain-
der of the race, was stricken, was under sentence of
death, was smitten of God and afflicted as much under
the sentence of death as the remainder of the race: but
then he shows that what thus seems or appears is not the
fact, explaining that it was for our sins, and not for his
own sins, that he suffered ; his infirmities were the result
of bearing our griefs and carrying the load of our sorrow ;
his death was in consequence of his taking our place be-
fore the divine law, and suffering, "the just for the un-
124 The Atonement Mediator.
just, that he might bring us to God/' Speaking for
fleshly Israel at the first advent, the Prophet says, We
did esteem him to be stricken, smitten and afflicted of God:
and explaining that such a view was incorrect, he de-
clares, But it was for our transgressions that he^was
wounded ; it was for our iniquities that he was bruised :
our peace with God was secured by the chastisement ^ for
sin which he bore ; our healing was secured by the punish-
ment which he endured for us.
Matthew calls attention to the fulfilment of this very
prophecy, declaring, "They brought unto him many
that were possessed with devils; and he cast out the
spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick: that
it might be fulfilled which was spoken of Isaiah the
prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare
our sicknesses/' Matt. 8:16, 17.
The connection between the healing of disease, on our
Lord's part, and his taking of infirmity upon himself, is
not very apparent to the majority of those who read the
record. It is generally supposed that our Lord merely
exercised a power of healing that cost himself nothing
that he had an inexhaustible power from a spiritual
source, unseen, which permitted all manner of miracles,
without the slightest impairment of his own strength, his
own vitality.
We do not question that ''the power of the Highest,"
bestowed upon our Redeemer without measure, would
have enabled him to do many things entirely supernatta*
ral, and hence entirely without self-exhaustion: nor do we
question that our Lord used this superhuman power;
for instance in the turning of the water into wine, and in
the miraculous feeding of the multitudes. But, from the
record of the Scriptures, we understand that the healing
o the sick, as performed by our Lord, was not by the
super-human power at his command, but that on the con-
trary, in healing the sick he expended upon them a part of
his own vitality: and consequently, the greater the num-
ber healed, the greater was our Lord's loss of vitality,
strength. In proof that this was so, call to mind thfc
Lake Unto His Brethren. 1^5
record of the poor woman who "for twelve years had an
issue of blood, and had suffered many things of many
physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was noth-
ing bettered, but rather worse," etc. Remember how
with faith she pressed close to the Lord, and touched the
hem of his garment, saying within herself, "If I may
touch but his clothes I shall be whole/' The record is
that "straightway the fountain of her blood was dried
up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that
plague. And Jesus, immediately knowing within him-
self that virtue {vitality] had gone out of him, turned him
about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
And the disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude
thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And
he looked round about to see her that had done this
thing, and he said unto her, Daughter thy faith hath
made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy
plague." Mark 5:25-34.
Notice also Luke's account (6:19) which declares," And
the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went
virtue [vitality] out of him, and healed them all.'* Tfyis,
tKen, was the sense in which our dear Redeemer took the
infirmities of humanity, bearing our sicknesses. And the
result of thus day by day giving his own vitality for the
healing of others, could be no other than debilitating in
its effect upon his own strength, his own vitality. And
we are to remember that this work of healing, lavishly ex-
pending his vitality, was in connection with his preaching
and travels, our Lord's almost continuous work during
the three and a half years of his ministry.
Nor does this seem so strange to us when we consider
our own experiences: who is there of deeply sympathetic
nature who has not at times, to a limited degree, witness-
ed the fact that it is possible for a friend to share the
troubles of a friend, and sympathetically to relieve in a
measure the depressed one, and to some extent to impart
increased vitality and lightness of spirit? But such a
helpful influence, and such feeling of the infirmities of
others, depends very largely ^poti the degree of sywtyctfby
126 The Atonement Mediator.
inspiring the one who visits the sick and the afflicted.
Not only so, but we know that certain animals have vary-
ing degrees of sympathy; the dove, for instance, being one
of the most gentle and sympathetic, was one of the typi-
cal representatives of our Redeemer under the Mosaic
dispensation. Because it has been found helpful in many
instances, doves are sometimes brought into the chamber
of the sick, and are found beneficial to the sufferers. The
dove, perhaps because of its sympathetic nature, takes 013
a certain proportion of the disease, and imparts a certain
proportion of its own vitality. This manifests itself in
the fact that the birds grow sick (have their limbs drawn
up, as with rheumatism, etc.), while the patient is propor-
tionately relieved.
When we remember that our loves and sympathies are
only such as have survived the fall of six thousand years,
and when we remember that our dear Redeemer was per-
fect and that therefore in him this quality of sympathetic
love abounded in greatest measure, we can realize, faint-
ly, how "he was touched with the feeling of our infirmi-
ties." His sympathy was touched, because his nature
was fine, perfect, touchable not hard, not calloused with
selfishness and sin, either through heredity or personal
acquirement. Again, we read of him that he was
"moved with compassion," and again, "He had compas-
sion on the multitude," and again, when he saw the Jews
weeping, and Martha and Mary weeping, he was moved
with sympathy, and "Jesus wept." So far from these
sympathies indicating weakness of character, they indi-
cate the very reverse ; for the true character of man, in its
image and likeness to the Creator, is not hard and heart-
less and calloused, but tender, gentle, loving, sympathe-
tic. Hence, all these things go to show to us that he who
spake "as never man spake" also sympathized, as none
of the fallen race could sympathize, with the fallen condi-
tions, troubles and afflictions of humanity.
Not only so, but we are to remember the very object
for which our Lord caine into the world. That object
was not to simply manifest power without cost to him-
Like Unto His Brethren. 127
self, but, as he himself explained it, the Son of Man came
to minister to others, and to give his life a ransom for
many. True, the wages of sin was not suffering, but
death; and hence suffering on our Lord's part would not
alone pay the wages of sin for us ; it was absolutely neces-
sary that he should (< taste death for every man." Hence
we read, " Christ died for our sins, according to the Scrip-
tures/* ( i Cor. 15:3.) Nevertheless, it was appropriate
that in taking the sinner's place our Lord should experi-
ence all that was implied in the curse the penalty of
death: and inasmuch as the human family has died, by a
process of gradual loss of life, through weakness, sickness
and infirmity, it was correspondingly pppropriate that
our dear Redeemer should pass through this experience
also. And since he himself was not the sinner, all the
penalties of sin which could rest upon him must be as the
result of his taking the sinner's place, and bearing for us
the stroke of Justice.
Our Lord did this, so far as sickness and pain and weak-
ness were concerned, in the best and most helpful manner,
viz., by voluntarily pouring out his life, day by day, dur-
ing the three and a half years of his ministry, giving away
his vitality to those who appreciated not his motive, his
grace, his love. Thus, as it is written, " He poured out his
soul [being, existence] unto death:" "He made his soul
[being] an offering for sin." (Isa. 53:10, 12.) And we
can readily see that from the time of his consecration,
when he was thirty years old, and was baptized of John
in Jordan, down to Calvary, he was constantly pouring
out his soul: vitality was continually going out of him for
the help and healing of those to whom he ministered.
And while all this would not have been sufficient, as the
price of our sins, yet it was all a part of the dying process
through which our dear Redeemer passed, which culmi-
nated at Calvary, when he cried, " It is finished," and the
last spark of life went out.
It would seem to have been just as necessary that our
Lord should thus sacrifice, spend his life-forces, and be
touched with the experiences of our dying process, as that
t a8 The Atonement
later, when on the cross, he should be obliged to experi*
ence, if only for a moment, the sinner's position of com-
pkte separation from the Heavenly Father, and the with-
drawal of all superhuman help, at the time when he cried,
"My God! My God! Why hast thou forsaken me?"
As the sinner's substitute, he must bear the sinner's penal-
ty in all is particulars, and not until all this was accom-
plished was his sacrificial mission finished ; not until this
had been faithfully endured had he passed all the tests
deemed of the Father requisite to his being made "the
Captain of our Salvation," and exalted far above all
angels, and principalities, and powers, to be the Father's
associate in the throne of the Universe.
All of these experiences through which the Heavenly
Father caused his Beloved Son to pass before exalting
him to his own right hand of majesty and committing to
his charge the great work of blessing all the families of
the earth, were not merely tests of the fidelity of the Only
Begotten, the Logos; the Scriptures assure us that they
were necessary also to fit our Lord to sympathize with
those whom he thus redeemed, that he might be able
to sympathize with and " sticcor " such as would return to
full fellowship with God through him; the Church dur-
ing this age, the world during the Millennial age: "That
he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things
pertaining to God;" "in all points tempted like as we
arej" one who can have compassion on the ignorant and
them that are out of the way; for that he himself also
was compassed with infirmities." "Wherefore he is
able also to save them to the uttermost that come
unto God by him." Verily, "Such an High Priest was
suitable for us, one holy, harmless, undefiled, separate
from sinners, and exalted higher than the heavens."
Heb, 3:3:7, i8;4;is, 16; 5:2; 7:25; a6 t
STUDY VI.
THE MEDIATOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
DAVID'S SON AND DAVID'S LORD.
How DAVID'S SON. JOSEPH'S GENEALOGY THROUGH SOLOMON. MARY'S
GENEALOGY THROUGH NATHAN. ABASE THE HIGH, EXALT THE Low.
WHENCE CHRIST'S TITLE TO BE DAVID'S LORD. How HE WAS BOTH
ROOT AND BRANCH OF DAVID. MEANING OF His TITLE, "TUB EVER-
LASTING FATHER," How SECURED AND How TO BE APPLICABLE. WHO
ARE CHILDREN OP CHRIST. THE CHURCH His "BRETHREN" CHILDREN
OF THE GOD AND FATHER OP OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.
"Jesus asked them, saying, "What think ye of Christ?
Whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit [by in-
spiration] call him Lord, saying, The Lord [Jehovah] said
unto my Lord [adon, master, ruler], Sit thou on my right
hand, till I make thine enemies thv footstool? If David
then call him Lord [adon, master] how is he his Son?"- Matt.
22:42-45.
IT SHOULD be noticed, first of all, that the discussion
of this question does not relate to our Lord's pre-ex-
istence, but merely to his relationship to the human
family. He became related to the human family, as we
have seen, by taking our nature, through his mother Mary*
Mary's genealogy, as traced by Luke, leads back to David,
through his son Nathan (Luke 3:31*), while Joseph's
genealogy, as given by Matthew, traces also back to
David, through Hs son, Solomon. (Matt. 1:6, 16.)
Joseph having accepted Mary as his wife, and adopted
Jesus, her son, as though he were his own son, this adop-
tion would entitle Jesus to reckon Joseph's genealogy;
but such a tracing back to the family of David was not
* Joseph is here styled "the son of Heli," i. e., the son of
Eli, Mary's father, by marriage, or legally; or as we would
say, son-in-law of Eli. By birth, Joseph was the son of
Jacob, as stated in Matt, 1:16.
9E 129
i$ The Atonement Mediator.
necessary, because, as we have seen, his mother came also
of David, by another line.
But, be it noticed that our Lord's claim to the throne of
Israel does not rest upon his mother's relationship to
Joseph, as some have inferred. On the contrary, had he
been the son of Joseph, he would have been debarred from
any ancestral right to David's throne, because, although
David's successors in the kingdom came through the line
of his son Solomon, and not through the line of his son
Nathan, nevertheless certain Scriptures distinctly point
out that the great heii of David's throne should not come
through the royal family line of Solomon. If we shall
demonstrai ; this, it will be an effectual estoppel of the
claims made by some, that our Lord must have been the
son of Joseph, as well as of Mary. Let us therefore care-
fully examine this matter.
The divine proposition, clearly stated, was, first, that
unequivocally and unquestionably the great heir of the
throne of the world, the great King of Israel, should come
of David's line. Secondly, it was also declared that he
should come of the line of Solomon, of the reigning^ fam-
ily, only upon certain conditions. If those conditions
were complied with, he would come of that line; if those
conditions were not complied with, he would come of
some other line, but in any event must come through
David's line and be both David's son and David's Lord.
Note the Scriptural statement:
"The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not
turn him from him: Of the fruit of thy body will I set
upon thy throne. If thy children will keep my covenant,
and my testimony that I shall teach them, their children
shall also sit upon thy throne forevermore.' ' Psa. 132:11,
12.
"And of all my sons (for God hath given me many
sons) he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the
throne of the Kingdom of the Lord over Israel. And he
said unto me, Solomon thy son shall build my house.
, . , , Moreover, I will establish his kingdom forever,
David's Son and Lord. 131
if he mil be constant to do my statutes and my judgments
as at this day." i Chron. 28:5-7.
" If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before
me in truth, with all their heart and with all their soul,
there shall not fail thee [be cut off from thee, from the
throne margin] a man from the throne of Israel." i
Kings 2 14.
The promise of the Messianic Kingdom in Solomon's
line, and in the line of his posterity according to the flesh,
is thus made clearly and specifically conditional, contin-
gent upon a certain faithfulness to the Lord; and by all
rules of interpretation of language, the implication of this
is that unfaithfulness to the Lord would assuredly bar the
posterity of Solomon and his line from the throne of
Israel, as related to the Messianic Kingdom, according to
the flesh. The question therefore arises, Did Solomon
and his successors upon the throne of Israel "take heed to
their way, to walk before me [God] in truth, v/ith all their
heart and with all their soul ? " If they did not, they are
barred from, being of the ancestral line of the Messiah, ac-
cording to the flesh.
We must go to the Scriptures to ascertain the answer to
this question. There we find most unmistakably that
Solomon and his royal line failed to walk after the divine
precepts. Hence we know of a surety that that line was
cut off and abandoned from being the Messianic line, and
that it must come through another ancestral line, from
David. Hear the word of the Lord:
"And thou, Solomon, my son, know thou the God of
thy father and serve him with a perfect heart. ... If
thou seek him he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake
him he will cast thee off forever." i Chron. 28:9.
"And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his
heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel. . . .
Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as
this is done of thee and thou hast not kept my covenant
and my statutes which I have commanded thee, I will
surely rend the kingdom from thee. . . . Nevertheless
in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake;
132 The Atonement Mediator.
but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. Howbeit, I
will not rend away all the kingdom, but will give one
tribe to thy son, for David my servant's sake and for
Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen/' i Kings n:
In harmony with this, the record is that the ten tribes
were rent away from the Solomonic line, directly after
Solomon's death ten of the tribes never acknowledging
allegiance to Rehoboam, Solomon's son and successor.
But let us hearken to the word of the Lord respecting the
tribe of Judah, and its consort Benjamin, which remained
for a time loyal to the line of Solomon, and thus apparent-
ly associated with the promised antitypical Kingdom, and
Messiah, the great King. The last three kings of Solo-
mon's line who sat upon his throne were Jehoiakim, his
son Jehoiachin (called also Jekoniah and Coniah), and
Zedekiah, Jehoiakim's brother. Let us mark the testi-
mony of ths Lord's Word against these men, and his as-
surance that none of their posterity should ever again sit
upon the throne of the Kingdom of the Lord actual or
typical. We read:
"As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah the son of Je-
hoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet upon my right
hand, yet would I pluck thee hence. ... Is this man
Coniah a despised broken idol? Is he a vessel wherein is
no pleasure? Wherefore are they cast out (he and his
seed), and are cast into a land which they know not? O
earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord: thus saith
the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall
not prosper in his days : for no man of his seed shall pros-
per, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any
more in Judah. Jer. 22:24-30.
"Thus saith the Lord of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, he
shall have none to sit upon the throne of David/'- Jer.
36:30.
Concerning Zedekiah we read:
"Thou profane and wicked prince of Israel, whose day
is coming, when iniquity shall have an end: Thus saith
the Lord God, Remove the diadem, and take off the
David's Son and Lord, 133
crown: this shall not be the same: exalt him that is low,
and abase him that is high. I will overturn, overturn,
overturn it: and it shall be no more until he come whose
right it is; and I will give it to him." Ezek. 21 12 $-27.
Here the complete overturning of the Solomonic line is
declared: it was the line that was exalted, and which
should thenceforth be debased, while the debased or ob-
scure line of Nathan, which had never made any preten-
sions to the throne, was to be exalted in due time in its
representative, the Messiah, born of Mary, according to
the flesh.
Who could ask more positive testimony than this, that
the Messiah could not be expected through the line of
Solomon, all the rights and claims of that line, under di-
vine promises and conditions, having been forfeited by
wickedness and rebellion against God? Thus the claim
that our Lord must have been the son of Joseph, and thus
have inherited his rights and claims through Joseph, are
proven utterly false, for no man of that line shall ever sit
upon the throne of the Lord,
This changing of the kingdom from the branch of Solo-
mon to another branch of the house of David is clearly
foretold in other Scriptures, as we read, "Behold the day
is coming, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David A
RIGHTEOUS BRANCH, and a king shall reign and prosper.
... In his days Judah shall be saved -and Israel shall
dwell safely; and this is his name that Jehovah proclaim-
eth him. Our Righteousness." Jer. 23:6. See Young's
Translation.
Mary, the mother of Jesus, seems to have caught this
proper thought, or else was moved to speak by the holy
spirit prophetically, when she gave utterance to the re-
markable song of thanksgiving quoted by Luke (1:46-
55) : " He [God] hath scattered the proud in the imagina-
tion of their heart ; he hath put down the mighty from their
seats, and exalted them of low degree. He hath filled the
hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty
away. ' ' Here the favored family of Solomon's line is con-
trasted with the humbler family of Nathan's lime* The
134 2*&0 Atonement Mediator.
diadem and crown were removed from Zedekiah, and
from the line of Solomon, to be given to him whose right
it is the Righteous Branch from the Davidic root.
We have seen how our Lord is the branch, or offspring
or son of David, and the line through which his genealogy
is properly to be traced, and the full accordance of the
Scriptures thereto : let us now see in what respect he was
David's Lord. How could Jesus be both the Son and the
Lord of David?
We answer that he is not David's Lord by reason of
anything that he was as a spirit being before he was
"made flesh," and dwelt amongst us; no more than he
was David's Branch or Son in his prehuman existence.
Our Lord Jesus became David's Lord or superior, as well
as "Lord of all" (Acts 1 0:3 6), by reason of the great work
which he accomplished as the Mediator of the Atonement.
" To this end Christ both died and rose and revived, thai he
might be Lord both of the dead and living." Rom. 14:9.
True, the Logos might properly have been styled a
Lord, a high one in authority, as he is styled a God, a
mighty or influential one.* Likewise the man Christ
Jesus, before his death, might properly be styled a Lord,
and was so addressed by his disciples, as we read, "Ye
call me Lord and Master, and ye do well, for so I am "
(John 13:13.) As the special messenger of the Covenant,
whom the Father had sanctified and sent into the world
to redeem the world, and whom the Father honored in
every manner, testifying, "This is my beloved son, in
whom I-am well pleased" it was eminently proper that
all who beheld his glory, as the glory of an Only Begotten
of the Father, full of grace and truth, should reverence
him, hear him, obey him, and worship him do him
homage as the representative of the Father. But, as
* It will be remembered that we are not now discussing
the word "Jehovah," so frequently translated "Lord" in
the Old Testament. We are discussing other words rendered
"Lord" as in the text above quoted, "The Lord [Jehovah]
said tmto my Lord [adon my master], Sit thou on my right
hand," etc.
David's Son and Lord. 135
indicated by the Apostle in the text above cited, there
was a particular and different sense in which our Lord
Jesus became a Lord or Master by virtue of his death and
resurrection.
This particular sense in which the risen Christ was
" Lord of all " " Lord both of the dead and the living "
is vitally connected with his great work as Mediator of
the Atonement. It was for this very purpose that he be-
came a man. Humanity in its depraved condition, ' ' sold
under sin" through the disobedience of Father Adam,
was helpless under the dominion of Sin and the sen-
tence of death: and its deliverance from these evils, in
harmony with the divine law, required that the penalty of
Adam entailed upon his family should be fully met. The
race required to be bought back from sin, and Christ be-
came its purchaser, its owner, "Lord of all." For this
very purpose he left the glory of his pre-human condition,
and became the man Christ Jesus. And the Scrip ttiral
declaration is that he "gave himself a ransom" a pur-
chase price for the race condemned in Adam. Thus the
whole world was ''bought with a price, even the precious
blood [life] of Christ."
But though by virtue of his having bought the race, he
has, in the eye of Justice, become its owner, its master,
"Lord of all," he did not purchase the race for the pur-
pose of enslaving it, but for the very reverse object of set-
ting at liberty from sin and death all who will accept the
gracious gift of God through him. And the very object
of the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom is that
through it may be bestowed upon the human family the
rights and privileges of the sons of God lost in Eden, re-
deemed, bought with a price, at Calvary. It was to ob-
tain this right to release man that our Redeemer became
the purchaser, owner, Lord of all. Thus by his dea.th
Messiah became David's Lord, because David was a mem-
ber of the race purchased with his precious blood.
"THE ROOT AND OFFSPRING OF DAVID."
REV. 22:i6,
Much of the same thought is presented in these our
136 The Atonement Mediator.
Lord's words to the Church. According to the flesh, our
Lord Jesus was, through his mother, the son, the branch,
the offshoot or offspring of David. It was by virtue of his
sacrifice of his undefiled life that he became the ' ' root " of
David as well as his Lord: for the thought suggested by
the word "root" differs somewhat from that furnished in
the word "Lord." The "root" of David signifies the
origin, source of life, and development of David.
The Scriptures declare that David was "a stem out of
Jesse:" his father therefore was his root, according to
natural generation. When and how did Christ become
David's root or father? We answer, Not before he " was
made flesh;'* it was when made flesh that, as the man
Jesus, he became related to Adam's race through his
mother. (Heb. 2:14-18.) And in that relationship to
the race and to David he was "branch," not "root."
How and when did he become the "root"? We answer,
By the same means and at the same time that he be-
came David's Lord: the means was his death, by which he
purchased K/0-rights of Adam and all his race, including
David's; the time was when he was raised from the dead,
Adam's Redeemer, the race's Redeemer and hence
David's Redeemer.
It was therefore not the pre-human Logos, nor yet the
man Jesus that was David's Lord and David's Root; but
the resurrected Messiah. When David in spirit (i. e.,
speaking under the prophetic spirit of influence) called
Jesus Lord, saying, "Jehovah said unto my Lord [Jesus],
Sit thou on my right hand," etc., the reference was not to
the sacrificing one, "the man Christ Jesus," who had not
yet finished his sacrifice, but to the victor Jesus, the Lord
of life and glory, " tEe first born from the dead, the prince
of the kings of earth.' 7 (Rev. 1:5.) It was of this one
that Peter said, ' ' Him God raised up the third day. . . .
He is Lord of all." (Acts 10:36, 40.) Of this one also
Paul declared that at his second coming he will display
himself as "King of kings and Lord of lords."* i Tim.
* See page 78.
David's Son and Lord. 137
"THE SECOND ADAM/'
The first "root" or father of the human race, Adam,
failed, because of disobedience to God, to bring forth his
family in his own likeness, the image of God; he not only
failed to give to his posterity everlasting life, but forfeited
his own right to the same, and entailed upon his offspring
a legacy, a heredity of sin, weakness, depravity, death.
The Logos was made flesh, became the man Christ Jesus,
in order that he might be the Second Adam, and take the
place of the first Adam, that he might undo the work of
the first Adam, and give to him and to his race (or so
many of them as will accept it upon the divine terms),
life more abundant, everlasting life, under its favorable
conditions, lost through disobedience.
It is a great mistake of some, however, to suppose that
"the man Christ Jesus" was the Second Adam. Oh no!
As the Apostle declares (i Cor. 15:47), "The second Adam
is the Lord from Heaven" the Lord who will come from
heaven, and at his second advent assume the office and
duties of a father to the race of Adarn, which he redeemed
with his own precious blood at Calvary. The purchase of
the race of Adam, from under the sentence of Justice was
necessary f before it would be possible for our Lord Jesus
to be the Life-giver or Father of the race: and this great
work alone was accomplished by our Lord at his first ad-
vent. He comes, at his second advent, to lift up man-
kind by processes of restitution, and to give eternal life,
and all the privileges and blessings lost through the first
Adam. The interim is devoted, according to the Father's
program, to the selection from amongst the redeemed
world of a class whose qualifications were predestined
that they should all be "copies of God's dear Son." (Rom.
8:29.) This class is variously called the under-priests of
the Royal priesthood 1 the body or Church of Christ, and
the Bride of Christ, the Lamb's wife, and joint-heir with
him in all the honors and blessings and service of his
Kingdom.
!^8 The Atonement Mediator.
Accordingly, the work of the future, the work of the
Millennial Age, the grand object for which Messiah will
reign, is expressed by the word regeneration. The world
was generated once through father Adam, but failed to
get life; it was generated only to sin and its sentence,
death. But the new Father of the race, the second
Adam, proposes a general re-generation. The time of
this regeneration, as it shall become available to the
world, is distinctly indicated by our Lord's words to his
disciples to be the Millennial Age. He said, "Ye that
have followed me, in the regeneration shall sit upon
twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," etc.
The fact that the Church, selected during this Gospel age,
experiences a regeneration, is generally recognized by
Bible students, but many have overlooked the fact that
another and separate regeneration is proposed, and has
been provided for the world of mankind, as a whole: not
that all shall experience the full regeneration, but that all
shall have an opportunity, which, if rightly used, would
lead to full, complete regeneration.
It is well, in this connection, to notice mote particularly
the wide distinction between the regeneration of the
Church and the regeneration of the world: in the case of
the Church many are called to the regeneration offered
during this Gospel age, and few are chosen few experi-
ence the full regeneration to which they are invited,
namely, to become new creatures in Christ Jesus, par-
takers of the divine nature. The regeneration provided
for the world, as we have already seen, is not to a new
nature, but to a restoration or restitution of the human
nature in its perfection.
And so it is written, "The first Adam was made a living
soul [an animal being], the last Adam a quickening spirit.
However, the spiritual was not first, but the animal;
afterwards the spiritual.' 7 (i Cor. 15:45-47. See
Diaglott.) Verily our Lord Jesus in the days of his flesh did
take hold on or become identified with the first Adam and
his race, through the seed of Abraham (Heb. 2:16), and
was ^ade "lower than the angels, for the suffering of
David's Son and Lord, 139
death . . . that he by the grace of God might taste
death for every man/' But having accomplished that
object he was raised from the dead a partaker of the div-
vine nature, the purchaser of the human family, but no
longer of it no longer "of the earth earthy," but the
heavenly Lord the Second Adam, a life-giving spirit.
The first Adam was the original "root" out of which
the entire human family has been produced, and hence
our Lord Jesus in the flesh, son of Mary, son of David, son
of Abraham, was in the same sense a shoot or branch out
of Adam (but supplied, as we have seen, with an unim-
paired life from above, which still kept him separate from
sinners). It was his sacrifice of himself as the man (in
obedience to the Father's plan) that only not secured his
own exaltation to the divine nature, but purchased to
him all the race of Adam and Adam's right as father or
"root" of the race. Thus by purchasing Adam's place
and rights, our Lord is the Second Adam. As he gave
his own human life for that of Adam, so he sacrificed also
the possibilities of a race which he might have produced
in a natural way, for Adam's children, that he may in
due time accept "whosoever will" of Adam's family as
his own children, regenerating them, giving them ever-
lasting life under reasonable terms. No longer a
"branch," out of the root of Jesse and David, our Lord is
a new root, prepared to give new life and sustenance to
mankind, Adam, Abraham, David and every other mem-
ber or branch of the sin-blighted human family who will
accept it on the terms of the ' Oath-bound Covenant."
Like the first work of the Lord for his Church of this age
will be his work for all of mankind who will accept it dur-
ing the Millennial age. His first work for his Church now
is justification to life (human life) in harmony with God,
in fellowship with God: the same enjoyed by the perfect
man Jesus, prior to his consecration to death at baptism ;
and the same enjoyed by the perfect man Adam before he
transgressed ; except that theirs was actual while ours is
merely a reckoned perfection of life. (Hence the state-
ment that we are "justified by faith.")
140 The Atonement Mediator.
Our Lord represents himself and Ms Church as a grape-
vine; and it furnishes us a good illustration of the branch
and root proposition. Adam and his race were the origi-
nal -vine and branches, attacked by the virus of sin, pro-
ducing bad fruit and death. ' Our Lord Jesus became a
new branch, and was grafted into the Adamic vine, and
bore a different kind of fruit. It is a peculiarity of the
grape vine that its branches may be buried and become
roots. So our Lord, the branch ingrafted upon Adamic
stock, was buried, ceased to be a branch and became a
root. His Church during this age are ' ' branches * ' in him,
and likewise have their "fruit unto holiness" (Rom. 6:
22), the new life being drawn from him. But all the
branches of this age are required not only to "bear much
fruit " as branches, as he did, but also like him eventually
to be buried and with him become parts of the root that
during the Millennial age shall invigorate and sustain the
regenerated human race.
The fallen root, Adam (with the first Eve, his help-
mate,) generated the human family in bondage to sin and
death; the Second Adam, Christ, with his Bride and help-
mate), having bought the rights of the first as well as him
and his race, will be prepared to regenerate all the willing
and obedient. This is termed ''restitution" (Acts 3:19-
23 ) giving back to the worthy the earthly privileges and
blessings lost in the first Adam, that, as the Lord's vine,
humanity restored may bear much fruit to God's praise.
But be it noted, this privilege of becoming the "root " is
confined to the Christ, Head and body, "elect according
to the foreknowledge of God through sanctification of
spirit and the belief of the truth " during this Gospel age.
(r Pet. 1:2.) David and other worthies of the past (who
died before the "branch" was ouried and became the
"root") can never become parts of the root; nor will the
faithful of the Millennial age. All, however, will be satis-
fied when they attain his likeness, whether it be the earth-
ly or the heavenly. Mankind will be privileged to attain
his likeness as the perfect man Christ Jesus, the holy
"branch/' while the Church, his "bride," his body," his
David's Son and Lord. 141
faithful tinder-priests, who now fill tip that which is
behind of the sufferings of Christ and are "planted with
him in the likeness of death," shall bear his heavenly
image, i Cor. 15:48, 495 Heb. 11:39, 40.
EVERLASTING FA '.HER/*
"His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The
Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
Isa. 9:6.
We have already noted the propriety of the title "The
Mighty God" as applied to ottr Lord Jesus; and few will
dispute that he is indeed the Wo iderful One of all the
Heavenly Father's family; noue will d spute that he is a
great Counsellor or Teacher; or that, although his King-
dom is to be introduced by a time of trouble and disturb-
ance incident to the death of present evil institutions, our
Lord is nevertheless the Prince of P3ace who will estab-
lish a sure and lasting peace upon the only proper basis
righteousness conformity to the divine character and
plan. Now we come to the examination of the title,
"The Everlasting Father," and find it as appropriate and
meaningful as the others.
It does not, as some have surmised, contradict the mul-
titudinous Scriptures which declare Jehovah to be the
Father everlasting " theGod andPather of our Lord Jesus
Christ," as Peter expresses it. (i Pet. 1 13.) On the con-
trary the Scriptures clearly show a particular sense in
which this title will apply to our Lord at his second ad-
vent ; that he will be the Father of the human race re-
generated during the Millennium. Indeed, this title is
merely the equivalent of those we have just considered ,*
the new "Lord" of David and of mankind, the new
41 Root," the Second Adam, merely signifies the Everlast-
ing Father the Father who gives everlasting life.
Since our Lord purchased the world of mankind at the
cost of his own life, and since it is by virtue of that pur-
chase that he became its Lord, its Restorer, its Life-giver,
and since the very central thought of the word father is
142 The Atonement Mediator.
life-giver, our Lord could take no more appropriate name
or title than ' ' Everlasting Father'* to represent his rela-
tionship to the world about to be regenerated born again
fr-xn the dead by restitution, resurrection processes. The
world's life will come d rectly from the Lord Jesus, who,
as we shall shortly see, by divine arrangement bought it
and paid Justice the full price for it. Nevertheless, the
restored world will, after the restitution process is finish-
ed, recognize Jehovah as the great original fountain of life
and blessing, the author of the great plan of salvation
executed by our Lord Jesus, the Grand Father and
Over-Lord of All. i or. 15:24-28; 3:23; Matt. 19:28.
In full accord with what we have just seen is the pro-
phetic statement which for centuries has perplexed the
wise and the unwise, the scholar and commentator as well
as the student; namely
INSTEAD OF THY FATHERS SHALL BE THY CHILDREN
WHOM THOU MAYEST
MAKE PRINCES IN ALL THE EARTH.
PSALM 45:16.
The patriarchs and prophets, and especially such as
were in the genealogical line upon which our Lord took
hold, through his mother Mary, were long honored with
the title of "fathers," progenitors of Messiah; just as the
texts before cited declare David to be the root out of
which the Messiah, the righteous Branch, should spring;
and that the Messiah should be David's son. But all
this is to be changed, when the Church, the body of
Christ, shall be completed, and joined to Jesus the Head
in glory, and as the Everlasting Father of mankind begin
the world's regeneration. Those previously the fathers
will then be the children. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David
none of these had life, in the proper sense of that word:
they were all members of the death-condemned race.
And when Jesus took hold upon our humanity, and be-
came identified with the seed of Abraham and of David,
and accomplished the work of redemption, it applied not
David's Son an,d Lord. 143
only to the world in general, but as well to these, his pro-
genitors according to the flesh. He bought all, and none
can obtain life (complete, perfect, everlasting) except
through him. " He that hath the Son hath life, he that
hath not the Son shall not see life." (John 3:36.)
Hence, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and David and all the
prophets, and all the remainder of the world, must re-
ceive future and everlasting life from Christ, or not at all;
and outside of him is only condemnation. Therefore it
is true, that when in God's due time they shall be awaken-
ed from death, it will be by the great Life-giver, Jesus,
who will thus be their Father or Life-giver.
In this connection it is well to notice also that the Scrip-
tures clearly point out the Heavenly Father as the beget-
ter in the regeneration of the Church, the Bride of Christ.
In proof of this, note the Scriptural statements on this
subject. The Apostle Peter declares, "The God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . hath begotten us"
(i Pet. 1 13.) The Apostle John also declares that we are
''begotten of God." (i John 5:18.) The Apostle Paul
also declares, "To us there is one God, the Father"
(i Cor. 8 :6.) He hath sent forth his spirit into our hearts,
whereby we are enabled to cry unto him, "Abba, Father. "
(Rom. 8:15.) Our Lord Jesus testified to the same
thing, saying, after his resurrection, "I ascend to my
Father and to your Father, to my God and to your God."
(John 20:17.) John's Gospel testifies to the same, saying,
"To as many as received him, to them gave he liberty to
become the sons of God," and declares of such that they
are "begotten, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh,
nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:12, 13.)
The Apostle James declares of the Father of lights that
" Of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth, that
we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures." Jas.
1:18.
Indeed, everything respecting the Church indicates
that the faithful of this Gospel Age are not the children of
Christ, but children of his Father, begotten of the Fath-
er's spirit and to the Father's nature, and intended to be
144 The Atonement Mediator.
" "heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord, if so
be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified
together." Rom. 8:17.
Our relationship to our Lord Jesus, on the contrary, is
specifically and repeatedly indicated to be that of breth-
ren, and not sons. Speaking of the Church the Apostle
says, "He is not ashamed to call them brethren," as had
been prophetically stated; " I will declare thy name unto
my brethren; in the midst of thy church will I sing praises
unto thee;" and again, " Behold I and the children [of
God] which God hath given me." These are the "many
sons" whom the Father is bringing to glory, under the
lead of the Captain of their Salvation, Christ Jesus, and as
respects this Church, it is again stated that our Lord Je-
sus, in his resurrection, was "first-born among many
brethren." Rom. 8:29; Heb, 2:10-13.
This great work of lif egiving to the world in general is
deferred until the Body of the Lifegiver has been com-
pleted, until the "brethren," with their Lord and Re-
deemer, shall be received as sons of glory, and enter upon
the work of restitution. Even in the case of those of the
world (the ancient worthies), whose faith and loyalty to
the divine will has already been tested and approved,
there can be no lifegiying until the body of the great anti-
typical Moses (the Church) has been fully completed
(Acts 3:22, 23), as it is written, "They without us [the
overcomers of the Gospel Age, the Body of the Anointed]
shall not be made perfect" not inherit the earthly good
things promised to them. Heb. 11:39, 4-
From this standpoint of the redemption which is in
Christ Jesus, and in view of the authority or lordship of
earth lost by Adam and thus redeemed by Christ, pur-
chased by his precious blood, we see Christ's title to the
office of Lifegiver and Father to all of the race of Adam
who will accept the blessings of restitution under the
term$ of the NewCovenant, and from this standpoint only
can we see how our Lord Jesus could be both the Root and
the Offspring of David, both David's Son and Dav?d's
Father, David's Lord.
David's Son and Lord. 145
In this connection it may be proper to inquire How
comes it that the Church of this Gospel Age, apart of the
world, " children of wrath even as others " (Eph, a 13) , and
needing to experience as much as the others the forgive-
ness of sins through the merit of the great atonement, is,
in any fust sense, separate and distinct from the world, so
that they should be designated "sons of God," while the
world should be designated sons of the Lifegiver, the
Christ?
The distinction lies in the fact that the world not only
had its human life-rights purchased by the Lord Jesus,
but the obedient of mankind will have that purchased life
restored to them by him, through the gradual processes of
the Millennial age. The Church, on the contrary, does
not receive the restitution of human life which her Lord
purchased for her. The restitution life is merely reckoned
to believers of this Gospel age, in that they are justified
(or made perfect, restored as human beings) by faith not
actually. And this faith-reckoned human perfection is
for a specific purpose : namely, that such may sacrifice the
reckoned or imputed human life and its rights and privi-
leges in the divine service, and receive in exchange there-
for the hope of sharing the divine nature.
Earthly life and earthly blessings were lost by Adam,
and the same and no others were redeemed for men by our
Lord, and these and none others he will eventually bestow
during the times of restitution. But the Church, the
body, the Bride of Christ, is called out from mankind first,
a specially "elect" class, called to a "heavenly calling" a
"high calling," to be joint-heir of Jesus Christ, her Lord
and Redeemer. As Jesus offered his perfect sacrifice,
"the man Christ Jesus," and was rewarded with the di-
vine nature, so the believers of this Gospel age are per-
mitted to offer their imperfect selves (justified or reckon-
ed perfect through the merit of the precious blood of
Jesus) on God's altar; and so doing are begotten of the
spirit to be "new creatures," "sons of the Highest,"
accepted as Christ's brethren members of the "royal
priesthood" of which he is the Chief Priest,
10E
146 The Atonement Mediator.
These are drawn of the Father, not drawn of the Son, as
will be the case with the world during the Millennium.
(Compare John 6 ',44 and 12:32.) Those whom the Fath-
er draws to Christ he, as an elder brother, receives as
"brethren," and assists in walking in his footsteps in the
narrow way of self-sacrifice, even unto death. Thus they
may become dead with him, and be reckoned as joint-sac-
rificers with him, and thus be reckoned also as worthy to
be joint-heirs with him in the Kingdom and work which
is to bless the world and give eternal life to as many as
will receive it. These, we are distinctly told, are to " fill
up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ' ' to
"suffer with him, that they may also reign with him."
(Col. 1:24; 2 Tim. 2:12.) Thus the position of the
Church is particularly different from that of the world in
general, even as their calling is a high calling, a heavenly
calling, and even as its reward is to be the divine nature.
2 Pet. i :4-
This is the great " mystery " or secret which, as the
Apostle declares, is the key, without which it is impossi-
ble to understand the promises and prophecies of the di-
vine Word. (Col. i :26.) The heavenly Father purposed
in himself the creation of a human race, a little lower than
the angels, of the earth earthy, and adapted to the earth
in its Paradisaic condition: but he foreknew also the result
of the fall, and its opportunity for manifesting divine jus-
tice, divine love, divine wisdom and divine power. As he
Prearranged that his Only Begotten Son, the Logos,
should be given the opportunity of proving his fidelity to
the Father and to the principles of righteousness, by be-
coming man's Redeemer and thus heir of all the riches of
divine grace, and chief over all, next to the Father, that
in all things he might have the preeminence, so he also
designed that before the world of mankind in general
should be uplifted by their Redeemer, he would make a
selection, according to character and according to faith-
fulness, of a "little flock," to be joint-heirs with the Only
Begotten One, and his associates in the Kingdom, far
David's Son and Lord. 147
above angels, principalities and powers, and every name
that is named.
Accordingly, the Apostle declares, we are "elect ac-
cording to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the spirit." (i Pet. 1:2.) The Apostle
Paul corroborates the thought, spying, "Whom he did
foreknow he also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among
many brethren. ' ' Further he desired that the eyes of our
understanding might be enlightened, so that we "may
know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches
of his inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding
greatness of his power to us-ward who believe." He de-
clares that this mercy toward us came without our having
done aught to merit i ; God, "when we were dead in sins,
hath quickened us together with Christ, and hath raised us
up together, and hath made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus: that in the ages to come he might
show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness
toward us, through Christ Jesus. . . . For we are his
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works/'
Eph. 1:17-19; 2:4-10.
The Atonement Mediator.
"We seek not, Lord, for tongues of flame,
Or healing virtue's mystic aid;
But power thy Gospel to proclaim
The balm for wounds that sin has made.
''Breathe on us, Lord; thy radiance pour
On all the wonders of the page
Where hidden lies the heavenly lore
That blessed our youth and guides our age.
"Grant skill each sacred theme to trace,
With loving voice and glowing tongue,
As when upon thy words of grace
The wondering crowds enraptured hung.
"Grant faith that treads the stormy deep
If but thy voice shall bid it come;
And zeal, that climbs the mountain steep,
To seek and bring the wanderer home.
"Give strength, blest Savior, in thy might;
Illuminate our hearts, and we,
Transformed into thine image bright,
teach, and love, and live, like thee."
STUDY VII.
THE MEDIATOR OF THE ATONEMENT.
"THE SON OF MAN."
WHAT THIS TITLE DOES NOT MEAN. WHAT IT DOES MEAN. ITS HONORS
INDISPUTABLE, CAN BE CLAIMED BY NONE OTHER. THE SON OP MAN
AS SEEN BY THE WORLD. PILATE'S VIEW, ROUSSEAU'S VIEW, NAPOLEON'S
VIEW. SIGNIFICANCE OP STATEMENTS, "No BEAUTY IN HIM THAT WE
SHOULD DESIRE HIM;" AND "His VISAGE WAS so MARRED." "THE
CHIEFS ST AMONG TEN THOUSAND." "YEA, HE is ALTOGETHER LOVE*
LY."
A MONG tlie many titles applied to our Lord, and one of
jr\. those most frequently used by himself, is "The Son
of Man.' * Some have been inclined to consider this a
concession on our Lord's part that he was a son of Joseph ;
but this is wholly wrong: he never acknowledged Joseph
as his father. On the contrary, it will be noticed that
this title which he applies to himself is used, not merely
respecting his earthly life, but also as respects his present
condition and glory. And from this fact some have
swung to the other extreme, and claim that it indicates
that our Lord is now a man in heaven that he still re-
tains human nature. This, as we shall endeavor to show,
is a thought wholly without warrant, a misapprehension
of the title, " The Son of Man." But meantime let us no-
tice that such a thought is wholly at variance with the
entire drift of the Scripture teaching. The Scripture
statement is most emphatic, that our Lord's humiliation
to the human nature was not perpetual, but merely for
the purpose of effecting man's redemption, paying man's
penalty, and thereby incidentally proving his own fidelity
to the Father, on account of which he was immediately
afterward highly exalted, not only to the glory which he
had with the Father before the world was, but to a more
excellent glory, far above angels, principalities and
powers to the divine nature, and the right hand, place
of favor, with the Majesty on high.
150 The Atonement Mediator.
Notice carefully a few of the uses of this title by our
Lord, as follows :
"The Son of Man shall send forth his angels/* in the
harvest of this Gospel age. Matt. 13:41.
"So shall it be in the presence of the Son of Man," in
the harvest, the end of this age. Matt. 24:27, 37.
" When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all
the holy angels with him." Matt. 25 .-31.
"Of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he
cometh in the glory of the Father." Mark 8 138.
"What and if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up
where he was before? " John 6:62.
"He that -came down from heaven, even the Son of
Man." John 3:13.*
These Scriptures identify "The Son of Man" with the
Lord of glory, and with the man Christ Jesus, who gave
himself, and with the pre-human Logos, which came
down from heaven and was made flesh. And evidently
the Jews did not have the thought that the title "The
Son of Man" signified the son of Joseph, or, in the
ordinary sense, the son of a man, to receive life from a
human father: this is shown by the fact that they in-
quired, saying, "We have heard out of the law that
Christ abideth forever: and how sayest thou, The Son
of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?"
(John 12:34.) The Jews evidently identified the ex-
pression, "The Son of Man," with their hoped-for
Messiah, no doubt basing their hopes in large measure
upon the statement of Daniel (7:13), "I saw in the night
visions, and behold one like unto the Son of Man came
with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of
Days, and they brought him near before him, and there
was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom,
that all people, nations and languages should serve him:
his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall
not pass away, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed."
Our Lord identified himself with this description in his
* "Which is in heaven" omitted by oldest MSS.
The Son of Man. 151
Revelation (14:14), where he represents himself as one
"like unto the Son of Man, and having on his head a
golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle" the
Reaper of the harvest of the Gospel age.
Nevertheless, even though assured that this title in
no sense refers to Joseph's son, and though the evidence
is conclusive that the human nature, taken for the
purpose, was sacrificed forever, and that now he is a
quickening spirit being of the highest order (Heb. 2:9,
16; i Pet. 3:18; John 6:51; Phil. 2:9), the question still
arises, Why did our Lord choose such a name, such a
title? Have we not reason to suspect that there must
be some particular reason for it, else this particular
title would not be used, since each of our Lord's titles
has a peculiar significance, when understood?
There is a most important reason for the use of this
title. It is a title of high honor, because a perpetual
reminder of his great Victory of his faithful, humble
obedience to all the Heavenly Father's arrangements,
even unto death, even the death of the cross, by which
he secured the title to all his present and prospective
honor and glory, dignity and power, and the divine
nature. By this title, "The Son of Man," both angels
and men are referred directly to the great exhibition of
humility on the part of the Only Begotten of the Father,
and to the underlying principle of the divine government,
he that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that
humbleth himself shall be exalted. Thus every time this
name is used it speaks a volume of valuable instruction
to all who shall be taught of God, and who are desirous
of honoring him, and doing those things which are well
pleasing in his sight.
In the same sense that our Lord was made "of the
seed of David," and ''of the seed of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob," he was also of the seed of Adam, through mother
Eve; yet, as we have seen, "undefiled, separate from
sinners." "The seed of the woman" is referred to as
being the antagonist of the seed of the serpent, yet
there is no intimation that Eve would have any seed
152 The Atonement Mediator.
apart from her husband, Adam. And in the same sense
that it is proper to think of and speak of our Lord as the
seed of David, it is equally proper to think of him as
the seed of Adam, through Eve. And this, we believe,
is the thought lying back of this title, "The Son of
Man."
Adam, as the head of the race, and its appointed life-
giver, failed to give his posterity lasting life, because
of his disobedience; nevertheless, the divine promise
looked forward to the time when Messiah, identified with
Adam's race, should redeem Adam and his entire pos-
terity. Adam was the man preeminently, in that he
was the head of the race of men, and in him resided the
title to the earth and its dominion. Note the prophetic
reference to Adam, "What is man that thou art mindful
of him, or the son of man that thou visitest him? Thou
hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast
crowned him with glory and honor. Thou madest him
to have dominion over the works of thy hands ; thou hast
put all things under his feet: all sheep and oxen, yea, and
the beasts of the field, the fowl of the air, the fish of the
sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the
sea." Psa. 8:4-8.
This earthly right, kingship, dominion, fell into dis-
order, was lost, through the fall, but was part and parcel
o that which was redeemed by the great sin-offering.
As it is written of our Lord, prophetically, "Unto thee
shall it come, O thou Tower of the flock, even the first
dominion." (Micah 4:8.) Thus we see that the hope of
the world, under the divine arrangement, rested in the
coming of a great son and heir of Adam, a great son of
Abraham, a great son of David, a great son of Mary.
Nor does this imply that the life of this son would come
either through Adam or Abraham or David or Mary.
As we have already seen, a son-in-law, under the divine
arrangement, is counted as a member of the family,
able to redeem and to take up a forfeited possession.
In the case of our Lord, we have clearly seen that his
life came not through earthly parentage, but merely
The Son of Man. 153
his physical organismthat the life proceeded forth and
came from God, and that originally he was known as the
Logos.
And the more we investigate this subject the more
evident all the foregoing appears, for the student of
the Greek may readily inform himself of the fact that in
all the instances in which our Lord makes use of this
term, "The Son of Man," he used it in an emphatic form,
which is not distinguishable in English translation, and
which, to be appreciated in English, would need to be
expressed with emphasis upon the two words "the"
"the Son of the Man." And our Lord's right to this
title is indisputable. As Adam alone was perfect, and
all others of his race degenerate, except this one Son
who attached himself to Adam's race, to be the Redeemer
of all his lost possessions, so when he was in the act of
redeeming the race, and since he has redeemed it from
the curse or sentence of death, the title to be the son of
the man came legally and indisputably into his posses-
sion.
And not only was that title properly his during the
period of his giving the great "ransom for all," but it is
properly his during this Gospel age while the selection
of his co-workers in the grand restitution program is in
progress. And much more will this title properly belong
to our Lord during the term of his Millennial Kingdom,
when he will as the (now highly exalted and changed)
Son of the man (Adam) prosecute the work of restitu-
tion, "the redemption [deliver -ance] of the purchased
possession, Eph, 1:14; Ruth 4:1-10.
"THE MAN CHRIST JESUS," AS VIEWED BY UNBELIEVERS.
Not merely the devoted followers of the Lord Jesus
Christ have recognized his wisdom and grace, and noted
that he was "filled with all the fulness of God," but even
his opponents recognized him as far beyond the ordinary
of our race, as we read, "And all bare him witness, and
154 The Atonement Mediator.
wondered at the gracious words Vviiich proceeded out of
his mouth." (Luke 4:22.) Others said. "Never man
spake like this man." (John 7:46.) And Pilate, loth to
destroy the life of the noblest Jew he had ever seen,
endeavored, as a last resort, to placate the malevolence
of the multitude, perceiving that it was instigated by
the Scribes and Pharisees, who were envious and jealous
of our Lord's popularity. Pilate finally caused Jesus to
be brought forth to face his accusers, evidently with the
thought that a look upon his noble features would turn
back their hatred and their malice. So presenting him,
Pilate exclaimed, "Behold the Man! " with an emphasis
on the words which is not apparent in our English trans-
lation, unless the word "the" be read with emphasis
" Behold the Man! " As though he would have said, The
man whom you are asking me to crucify is not only
the Jew above all other Jews, but the Man above all other
men. And it was concerning our Lord's manhood that
John declares, "The Logos was made flesh .... and
we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of
the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1 114; 19 : 5-
And in this connection let us remember the oft-
quoted and well-known eulogy of "The Son of the Man,"
and his teachings, by Rousseau, the celebrated French-
man, as follows:
"How petty are the books of the philosophers, with
all their pomp, compared with the Gospels! Can it be
that writings at once so sublime and so simple are the
work of men? Can he whose life they tell be himself no
more than a man? Is there anything in his character
of the enthusiast or the ambitious sectary? What sweet-
ness, what purity in his ways, what touching grace in
his teachings I What a loftiness in his maxims! What
profound wisdom in his words! What presence of mind,
what delicacy and aptness in his replies! What an em-
pire over his passions! Where is the man, where is the
sage, who knows how to act, to suffer, and to die, without
weakness, without display? My friends, men do not
invent like this; and the facts respecting Socrates,
The Son of Man. 155
which no one doubts, are not so well attested as about
Jesus. Those Jews could never have struck this tone or
thought of this morality. And the Gospel has charac-
teristics of truthfulness, so grand, so striking, so per-
fectly inimitable, that their inventors would be even
more wonderful than he whom they portray. "
The following eulogy on the Son of the Man is credited
to the renowned Napoleon Bonaparte:
"From first to last Jesus is the same; always the same
majestic and simple, infinitely severe and infinitely
gentle. Throughout a life passed under the public eye,
he never gives occasion to find fault. The prudence of
his conduct compels our admiration by its union of
force and gentleness. Alike in speech and action, he is
enlightened, consistent and calm. Sublimity is said to
be an attribute of divinity: what name, then, shall we
give him in whose character was united every element
of the sublime?
"I know men, and I tell you Jesus was not a man.
Everything in him amazes me. Comparison is impossible
between him and any other being in the world. He is
truly a being by himself. His ideas and his sentiments,
the truth that he announces, his manner of conference,
are all beyond human and the natural order of things.
His birth, and the story of his life; the profoundness of
his doctrine, which overturns all difficulties, and is their
most complete solution; his Gospel; the singularity of
that mysterious being, and his appearance; his empire,
his progress through all centuries and kingdoms; all this
is to me a prodigy, an unfathomable mystery. I see
nothing here of man. Near as I may approach, closely
as I may examine, all remains above comparison great
with greatness that crushes me. It is in vain that I
reflect all remains unaccountable! I defy you to cite
another life like that of Christ.' 1
Aye, truth is stranger than fiction, and the perfect man
Christ Jesus, anointed with the spirit of the Highest, was
so different from the imperfect race of which he took
hold, for its redemption, that the world is certainly ex-
Ij6 The Atonement Mediator.
cusable for questioning whether he was not more than a
man. Assuredly he was more, much more than a mere
man much more than a sinful man: he was separate
from sinners, and, as a perfect man, was the very image
and likeness of the invisible God.
"NO BEAUTY IN HIM THAT WE SHOULD DESIRE HIM."
"Yea, he grew up like a small shoot before Mm, and as a
root out of dry ground: he hath no form nor honor, and
when we observe him there is not the appearance that we
should desire in him. He is despised ^and rejected of men;
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief: and we hid
our faces from him, as it were." Isa. 53:2, 3. Compare
Young's and Lesser' $ translations.
Some have suggested that these Scriptures indicate
that our Lord's personal appearance was inferior to that
of other men, and hence have regarded this as a proof
that he was not separate from sinners, but a partaker
of sin and of its penalty of degeneration. We dissent
from this, however, as being contrary to the entire trend
of the Scriptural testimony, and incline on the contrary
to bend this statement into harmony with the general
testimony of Scripture on the subject, if it can be done
without violence to the proper principles of interpreta-
tion, and we think this can be done and shown.
There are various types of honorableness, beauty,
comeliness; strikingly different are the ideals of various
peoples, and of the same people under various circum-
stances. The ideal of beauty satisfactory to barbarians
is repulsive to the more civilized. The Indian warrior,
painted in red and yellow, and bedecked with shells and
dyed feathers, and with a girdle of gory scalps, would
be the desirable ideal before the mind of certain savages.
The pugilist in the prize ring, stripped for battle, is
the ideal of manly form in what is known as "the manly
art" to some. To others, the richly dressed matador,
or bullfighter, is the grand ideal of manly development,
The Son of Man. 157
which captures the admiration and applause of the multi-
tude. And so ideals vary, according to times, circum-
stances and conditions. Since this Scripture deals with
our Lord Jesus at his first advent, it, should be under-
stood as signifying that he did not come up to the Jewish
ideal. This is very evident, since the very one of whom
Pilate exclaimed, " Behold the Man!" was the very one
of whom the Jews cried out the more lustily, "Crucify
him! Crucify him! We have no king but Caesar!"
We are to remember that at the time of the first
advent the Jewish nation was in subjection, under the
Roman yoke: and that it had been "trodden down of
the Gentiles" for over six hundred years. We should
remember also the hopes of Israel, begotten of the divine
promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and reiterated
through all the prophets, to the effect that in God's
due time he would send them his Anointed One, a greater
law-giver than Moses, a greater general than Joshua,
and a greater king than David or Solomon. We should
remember that at this very time Israel was looking for
Messiah according to their ideals: as it is recorded, all
men were in expectation of the Messiah. But when Jesus
was announced to be the Messiah, his presentation was
so different from all they had expected that their proud
hearts were ashamed of him; and as it were they hid
their faces from him turned their backs upon him
especially the leaders and prominent ones of that nation,
whose guidance the common people followed. Luke
3*5-
They were expecting a great general, great king, and
great law-giver combined, full of dignity, full of hau-
teur, full of ambition, full of pride, full of self-will,
haughty and domineering in word and in act. This was
their ideal of what would constitute the necessary quali-
fications of the King who would conquer the world,
and make Israel tfye leading nation. They saw the pride,
insolence, arrogance, of Herod, appointed by the Roman
Emperor to be their king; they saw something of the
Roman generals and governors, centurions, etc.; they
158 The Atonement Mediator.
imagined the Roman emperor to be still more strongly
marked in all these -various characteristics, leading him
up to predominance in the empire: and taking their
cue from these, they expected the Messiah to possess
many of these qualities still more markedly, as repre-
senting the still greater dignity, honor and glory of the
Heavenly Court and its authority transferred to earth.
No wonder, then, that with such expectations they
were unprepared to accept the meek and lowly Nazarene,
who welcomed to his company publicans and sinners,
and whose only weapon for conquering the world was
"the sword of his mouth." No wonder that when he
was announced to be the hope of Israel, the King of the
Jews, the Messiah, they turned their backs upon him.
No wonder that, with their false expectations long
cherished, they were sorely disappointed. No wonder
they were ashamed to acknowledge "Jesus, the King of
the Jews." and said, He is not the kind of beauty,
honor and dignity which we desired: he is not our ideal
of the soldier, statesman and king befitting our nation's
needs or likely to fulfil its long-cherished hopes. Ah yes I
like a similar class to-day looking for the Messiah's
second advent, they took for granted that their expec-
tations built upon " traditions of the elders" were
correct, and correspondingly neglected to honestly and
earnestly search the Scriptures, which would have made
them "wise unto salvation."
That it was to such undesirdbleness of appearance, and
to such lack of the "honor" (beauty) they looked for,
that the prophet referred, seems evident. It would be
inconsistent to translate and interpret the prophecy out
of harmony with the historic facts admitted to be their
fulfilment: and also out of logical harmony with, the
repeated declarations of his purity, as the Lamb of God
which taketh away the sin of the world; holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners.
"HIS VISAGE WAS SO MARRED."
Isa. 52:14, 15.
Here "again a faulty translation has given rise to erro-
The Son of Man. 159
neous thoughts respecting our Lord's appearance: arid
yet even the most careless readers who have seen faces
of human creatures seriously marred by debauchery,
by disease, or misshapen by accident, have found it
impossible to realize that our Lord's visage or counte-
nance "was more marred than that of any man, and his
form more than the sons of men." Evidently something
is amiss in such a statement, for not such an one would
Pilate present before the people, saying, "Behold the
man!" Not such an one would the common people
hail as the Son of David, and think to take by force to
make him a king. Besides, have we not the assurance
that not a bone of him was broken ? But how changed
is this prophetic statement for the better how much
more consistent with the facts of Scripture history and
the logical deductions of his holiness and purity when
rendered thus:
"As astonished at thee have been many (so marred by
man was his appearance, and his form by the sons of
men) so shall he astonish many peoples.' 1 As the people
of his day were surprised that he would submit to the
abuses of those who crowned him with thorns and smote
him and spat upon him and crucified and pierced him,
so others of all nations, now and in the future, hearing
of the endurance of "such contradiction of sinners
against himself" (Heb. 12:3) have wondered and will
wonder at such patience and such meekness.
"Before him shall kings shut their mouths; for what
was not recorded [of others] they will see [exemplified
in Him],* what they had never before heard of they shall
understand." The great ones of earth never heard of
any king voluntarily submitting to such indignities at
the hands of his subjects, and in order that he might do
them good. Verily, "His is love beyond a brother's."
No wonder if all are astonished "in due time."
Undoubtedly also our dear Redeemer's face bore
marks of sorrow, for as we have seen, his deeply sym-
pathetic heart was "touched" with a feeling of our in-
firmities: and no doubt those marks increased, until
160 The Atonement Mediator.
the close of his ministry at Calvary. We must remember
that the finer the organism and the more ^delicate its
sensibilities, the more it is susceptible to pain. We can
readily discern that scenes of trouble, sickness, pain and
depravity, to which we become more or less inured
through our own share in the fall, and through continual
contact with human woe, would be many-fold more
serious matters to the perfect one holy, harmless,
undefiled and separate from sinners.
We find the same thing illustrated to some extent in
our own experiences. Those of comparatively fine sensi-
bilities who have been acctistomed to luxury, refine-
ment, beauty, and favorable surroundings, if they visit
the slums of a great city, and note the degradation, the
unfavorable conditions, the bad odors, the incongruous
sounds, the wretched sights of squalor, are sure to be-
come sick at heart: involuntarily the countenance be-
comes drawn, and the thought arises, How terrible life
would be under such circumstances; what a boon death
would be. Yet, perhaps, while thus soliloquizing, the
eye catches sight of children playing merrily, and perhaps
the washerwoman, from her task, catches up a snatch of
a song, or a man is seen contentedly reading a newspaper,
or a boy is heard attempting music with an old instru-
ment. These things indicate that those who have be-
come accustomed to such sights and sounds and smells
and general conditions are far less influenced by them
than are those who have been accustomed from infancy
to refinement.
And this lesson illustrates in a very small measure the
disparity between our Lord's view of the earth's sinful
and woful condition and ours. As a perfect being, who
had left the courts of heavenly glory, and had humbled
himself to become a partaker of man's wo, his sym-
pathizer and his Redeemer, he surely felt much more
than we the miseries of "the groaning creation." What
wonder, then, if the weight of our sorrows cast a shade
over the glorious beauties of his perfect face I What
wonder if contact with earth's troubles, and his voluntary
The Son of Man. 161
sharing of the human weakness and diseases (at the close
of his own life, his own vitality, as we have seen) , marked
deeply the face and form of the Son of the Man! And yet
we cannot for a moment question that his communion
with the Father, his fellowship of the holy Spirit and the
approval of his own conscience, that he did always
those things which were pleasing in the Father's sight,
must have given to our Redeemer's face a peaceful
expression, which would make it a combination of joy
and of sorrow, of trouble and of peace. And his know-
ledge of the heavenly Father's plan must have enabled
him to rejoice in the things which he suffered, realizing
how they would shortly work out, not only a blessing
to himself, but also "salvation unto the ends of the
earth." If, therefore, the sorrows of men shadowed his
countenance, we may be sure that his faith and hope
were also marked in facial expression, and that the peace
of God which passeth all understanding kept his heart,
and enabled him to be always rejoicing, in the midst of
the greatest contradictions of sinners against himself.
"THE CHIEPEST AMONG TEN THOUSAND."
To the sinful, envious, hateful heart of the fallen
nature, everything akin to beauty, goodness, truth and
love is distasteful, there is no beauty in it, nothing
desired it is a reproof. Our Lord expressed this matter
forcefully, when he said, "The darkness hateth the light,
and they that are of the darkness come not to the light,
because the light makes manifest their darkness."
(John 3:19, 20.) We see a further illustration of this
fact, that an evil heart may at times hate and despise
a glorious countenance, a lovelit countenance, not only
in the fact that our dear Redeemer was thus despised
by those who cried, " Crucify him," but also in the cases
of the others. Note the various records of martyrdom
for the Truth's sake, and note how little was the melting
influence of the countenances of those who could look
11E
162 The Atonement Mediator.
up from their personal sufferings, and pray for blessings
upon their persecutors. The testimony respecting the
first Christian martyr Stephen is to the effect that
his face was radiant and beautiful, so as to be even
comparable to the face of an angel. "All that sat in the
council looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it
had been the face of an angel." (Acts 6:15.) And yet,
because of the hardness of their hearts, so far from
loving his angelic face, which must have been much
less angelic than that of the Master, and instead of
heeding his wonderful words, which were much less
wonderful than those of the Great Teacher, "they ran
upon him with one accord . . . and they stoned
Stephen," even as they cried out to Pilate to have the
Lord of glory crucified.
"Yea, he is altogether lovely."
"The heav'ns declare thy glory, Lord;
Through all the realms of boundless space
The soaring mind may roam abroad,
And there thy power and wisdom trace.
"Author of nature's wondrous laws,
Preserver of its glorious grace,
We hail thee as the great First Cause,
And here delight thy ways to trace.
"By faith we see thy glory now,
We read thy wisdom, love and grace;
In praise and adoration bow,
And long to see thy glorious face.
"In Christ, when all things are complete
The things in earth and things in heav
The heav'ns and earth shall be replete
With thy high praises, ever given."
STUDY VIII.
THE CHANNEL OF THE ATONEMENT.
THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD.
THE OPERATION OP THE HOLY SPIRIT Now AND IN THE MILLENNIUM.
VARIOUS DESCRIPTIVE NAMES OP THE HOLY SPIRIT, "SPIRIT OF LOVE,"
"SPIRIT OP TRUTH," ETC. IN CONTRAST, THE UNHOLY SPIRIT, "SPIRIT
OP ERROR," " SPIRIT OP FEAR," ETC. PERSONAL PRONOUNS APPLIED.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OP THE WORD SPIRIT. "Goo is A SPIRIT." "THE
HOLY SPIRIT WAS NOT YET GIVEN." GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT. THE TRANS-
FORMING POWER OP THE HOLY SPIRIT. THE SPIRIT BY MEASURE ANB
WITHOUT MEASURE. "THE SPIRIT OP THE WORLD," ANTICHRIST.
THE BATTLE BETWEEN THIS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. SPIRIT FIGHTINGS
WITHOUT AND WITHIN THE SAINTS. THE SPIRIT THAT LUSTETH TO
ENVY. TAUGHT OP THE SPIRIT. THE PARAKLETOS, THE COMFORTER.
HE SHALL GUIDE You INTO ALL TRUTH AND INTO FULL ATONEMENT. THE
SPIRIT'S SUPERVISION NONE THE LESS SINCE THE MIRACULOUS GIFTS
WERE DISCONTINUED.
" For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the
sons of God. . . Ye have received the spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth
witness with our spirit that we are the children of God."
K.om. 8:14-16.
"And it shall come to pass, afterward, that I will pour
out my Spirit upon all flesh." Joel 2:28.
THE GREAT work of the Atonement could not be
properly considered, nor clearly -understood, if
the work of the holy Spirit, in connection therewith,
were overlooked or ignored. The holy Spirit has much
to do with the presentation of the Atonement making
manifest to the believer the divine forgiveness, as well
as guiding him into full reconciliation of heart to God.
It was tinder the begetting influence of the holy Spirit,
received by our Lord Jesus at his baptism, at the be-
ginning of his ministry, that his consecrated, heart was
enabled to see clearly and distinctly the Father's will,
the proper course, the narrow way of sacrifice, and to
appreciate the exceeding great and precious promises,
163
164 The Atonement Channel.
whose fulfilment lay beyond his humiliation,
and death at Calvary. By the holy Spirit, therefore,
our Redeemer was enabled to perform his great work,
being guided thereby to do that which was pleasing
and acceptable before the Father, and which provided
the ransom for all humanity. Similarly the holy Spirit
is identified with the Church: all who have accepted the
merits of the great sin-offering, and who have come
unto the Father through the merit of the Son's sacrifice,
and who have presented themselves living sacrifices, in
harmony with the high calling to the divine nature
held out to such during the Gospel age, have needed and
had the holy Spirit's aid. Only in proportion as. any
receive the holy Spirit of God are they able to come
into proper lines of fellowship with the Father, and with
the Son, so as to be able to "prove what is that good
and acceptable and perfect will of God," and to do it.
Only by the holy Spirit are we guided beyond the mere
letter of the divine testimony, into a true appreciation
of "the deep things of God," and all those things which
God hath in reservation for them that love him, which
the human eye hath not seen, the human ear hath not
heard, neither hath entered into the human heart to
understand and appreciate. i Cor. 2:9, 10.
The holy Spirit's office will be equally important
during the Millennial age, in bringing the world of man-
kind back into harmony with God, under the terms of
the New Covenant, through the merits of the dear
Redeemer's sacrifice. Accordingly, through the prophet
Joel (2:28, 29), the Lord has drawn attention to this
fact, pointing out that while he will pour his Spirit only
upon his servants and handmaidens during this Gospel
age, yet ''afterward" his holy Spirit shall be generally
poured upon the world of mankind, "all flesh."* Dur-
* The order of this blessing is reversed in the prophetic
statement; quite probably, in order to obscure the matter
until the proper time, and thus to hide some of the length
and breadth and height and depth of the divine plan, until
the due time for it to be known and appreciated.
The Holy Spirit 165
ing the Millennial age, then, the world s progress will
be in full harmony with the holy Spirit; and in propor-
tion as men shall come into full harmony with that
holy Spirit will any of them become eligible to the
eternal conditions of life and joy and blessing which
lie beyond the Millennial age. The fact that the holy
Spirit will cooperate with the glorified Church in the
blessing of all the families of the earth is also testified
by our Lord. After picturing to us the glories of the
Millennium and its abundant supply of truth as a mighty
river of the water of life, clear as crystal, he says, "And
the Spirit and the Bride say, Come! And whosoever
will may come, and take of the water of life freely."
Rev. 22:17.
But this subject of the holy Spirit, its* office and opera-
tion, has been grievously misund:rstood by many of the
Lord's people for centuries: and only in the light of the
.rising Sun of Righteousness in the light of the paroasia
of the Son of Man is this subject becoming thoroughly
clear and reasonable, as it evidently was to the early
Church, and in harmony with all the various Scriptural
testimonies pertaining to it. The doctrine of the Trin-
ity, which, as we have seen, began to rise in the second
century, and reached a large development in the fourth
century, is responsible, in considerable measure, for
much of the darkness which blends with the truth on
this subject in many Christian minds, much to their
disadvantage, confusing and mystifying all religious
convictions.
There is consistency in the Scripture teaching that the
Father and Son are in full harmony and oneness of pur-
pose and operation, as we have just seen. And equally
consistent is the Scripture teaching respecting the holy
Spirit that it is not another God, but the spirit, in-
fluence or power exercised by the one God, our Father,
and by his Only Begotten Son; in absolute oneness,
therefore, with both of these, who also are at one or in
full accord. But how different is this unity of the Father,
the Son and the holy Spirit from that held and taught
1 66 The Atonement Channel.
under the name of Trinitarian doctrine, which in the
language of the Catechism (Questions 5 and 6) declares,
There are three persons in the One God the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Ghost: " these three are one God,
the same in substance, equal in power and glory." This
view suited well "the dark ages" which it helped to
produce. The period in which mysteries were worshipped
instead of .unraveled found a most choice one in this
theory, which is as unscriptural as it is unreasonable.
How could the three be one in person, in substance?
And if only "one in substance," how could they be
"equal?" Does not every intelligent person know that
if God is one in person he cannot be three? and that if
three in person there can be only one sense in which the
three could be one, and that not in person but in purpose,
in mind, in will,* in cooperation? Verily, if it were not
for the fact that this trinitarian nonsense was drilled
into us from earliest infancy, and the fact that it is
soberly taught in Theological Seminaries by gray-
haired professors, in many other ways apparently wise,
nobody would give it a moment's serious consideration.
How the great Adversary ever succeeded in foisting it
upon the Lord's people to bewilder and mystify them,
and render much of the Word of God of none effect, is
the real mystery which will probably not be solved until
we "know even as we are known," in glory.
The careful student of the preceding chapters has found
abundant testimony from the Scriptures, to the effect
that there is but one All-mighty God Jehovah; and
that he has highly exalted his First Begotten Son, his
Only Begotten Son, to his own nature and to his own
throne of the universe; and that next to these in order
of rank will be the glorified Church, the Bride, the
Lamb's wife and joint-heir otherwise styled his "breth-
ren." These shall be made associates of his glory, as in
the present age they are required to be associates in his
sufferings. The students have noticed also, that all
Scriptures harmonize and agree in the above testimony;
and further, that there are no Scriptures whatever
The Holy Spirit. 167
which, either directly or indirectly, actually or appar-
ently, conflict with these findings. The question then
arises, Who, Where, What, is the Holy Spirit?
Let us follow in respect to this question the same
course of investigation followed in the others. Let us
go to the law and to the testimony of God for all our
information. Let us not go to man. Let us not accept
the doubts and speculations of good people who are
dead, or of good people who are living, nor yet our own.
Let us remember the Apostle's declaration that the
Word of the Lord is given with the intention "that
the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished
unto every good work/' (2 Tim. 3:17.) Let us place
our reliance wholly upon the Lord, and seek to know
the meaning of what he declares respecting the holy
Spirit, bringing every Scripture testimony into harmony;
assured that the truth, and it only, will stand such a
searching examination. So doing, prayerfully and care-
fully, our efforts shall be rewarded. To him that knock-
eth, the door of knowledge shall be opened; to him that
seeketh, the knowledge of the holy Spirit shall be re-
vealed. Isa. 8:20; Matt. 7:7, 8.
The holy Spirit is variously defined in the Scriptures,
and to rightly understand the subject these various
definitions must be considered together, and be per-
mitted to throw light upon each other. Notice that the
holy Spirit is variously styled, "The Spirit of God,"
"The Spirit of Christ," "The Spirit of Holiness," "The
Spirit of Truth," "The Spirit of a Sound Mind," "The
Spirit of Liberty," "The Spirit of the Father," "The
Holy Spirit of Promise," "The Spirit of Meekness,"
"The Spirit of Understanding," "The Spirit of Wisdom,"
"The Spirit of Glory," "The Spirit of Counsel," "The
Spirit of Grace," "The Spirit of Adoption," "The Spirit
of Prophecy."
These various titles, repeated many times, and used
interchangeably, give us the full, proper assurance that
they all relate to the same holy Spirit indeed, fre-
quently the word "holy" is added in, combined, as for
1 68 The Atonement Channel.
instance, "The holy Spirit of God," "The holy Spirit
of Promise," etc. We must seek an understanding of
the subject which will reject none of these appellations,
but harmonize them all. It is impossible to harmonize
these various statements with the ordinary idea of a
third God; but it is entirely consistent with every one of
them to understand these various expressions as de-
scriptive of the spirit, disposition and power of one
God, our Father; and also the spirit, disposition and
power of our Lord Jesus Christ, because he is at one with
the Father; and also to a certain extent it is the spirit
or disposition of all who are truly the Lord's, angels
or men, in proportion as they have come into oneness,
or harmony, with him.
It may be helpful to some to notice that there is
another spirit mentioned frequently throughout the
Scriptures, and in opposite terms, namely, "The Spirit
of Fear,'* "The Spirit of Bondage," "The Spirit of the
World," "The Spirit of Error," "The Spirit of Divi-
nation," "The Spirit of Antichrist," "The Spirit of
Slumber." No one thinks that these various defini-
tions, if unitedly considered, would justify the thought
that there are two or more Satans. All naturally and
properly enough recognize the meaning of these terms,
as signifying in general the wrong spirit, the spirit,
disposition or power which has its chief exemplification
in Satan; the spirit manifesting itself in all who are in
harmony with sin and Satan. Very properly also, none
think of these as personal spirits. No more should any
one consider the various applications of the word
"spirit" in a good sense, as signifying different spirit
beings, nor as signifying unitedly another God. These
terms, considered unitedly, represent various features
of the character, the disposition, the Spirit, of our God,
Jehovah, and proportionately the spirit or disposition
of all who have received his Spirit, become partakers of
his disposition and come into "harmony with the divine
mind.
Certain unscriptural ideas, and therefore false ideas,
The Holy Spirit, 169
respecting the spirit of man, which will be examined in
a succeeding chapter, lie close to the foundation of the
ttnscriptural and false view of the holy Spirit, now so
generally prevalent. And the wrong thoughts respect-
ing the Spirit of God and the spirit of man have been
intensified and deepened by the fact that the translators
of our Common Version English Bible have ninety-two
times used the phrase "Holy Ghost" without the slight-
est authority the original Greek word being pneuma
spirit. And the word "ghost/' to the uneducated, has
a very vague meaning, which, nevertheless, is very
positively identified with the thought of personality.
It is worthy of note that in the Revised Version of the
New Testament twenty-one of these occurrences of the
word "Ghost" were changed so as to read "Spirit,"
and that the American Revision Committee recorded
its protest in respect to the use of the word "Ghost"
in the remaining seventy-one occurrences. And yet
both the English and American Committees were com-
posed of strict Trinitarians.
There is absolutely no ground whatever for thinking
of or speaking of the holy Spirit as another God, distinct
in personality from the Father and the Son. Quite to
the contrary of this, notice the fact that it was the
Father's Spirit that was communicated to our Lord
Jesus, as it is written, "The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the
Gospel." (Luke 4:18.) Turning to the prophecy from
which this quotation is made, we read there, in the
Hebrew, "The Spirit of the Lord Jehovah is on me,
because Jehovah hath anointed me to proclaim good
tidings to the humble." (Isa. 61:1.) And to the same
purport we read again, "And the Spirit of Jehovah
shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and under-
standing, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge and of reverence of Jehovah." (Isa. n:a, 3.)
Similarly the same Spirit in Christ is referred to as "The
Spirit of Christ," the mind of Christ " Let this mind be in
you which was also in Christ Jesus our Lord." Phil. 2:5.
170 The Atonement Channel.
It is urged by some that our Lord's reference to the
holy Spirit, recorded in John 14:26, proves that the
Spirit is a person, because our Common Version reads
this passage thus: "But the Comforter, which is the
Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he
shall teach you all thin<rs, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." But
a glance at the Greek text of this passage showy .iat the
translators were influenced by their prejudices on the
subject, for there is no ground for the use of the words
"whom" and "he/' The Diaglott renders this verse
thus: "But the helper, the holy Spirit which the Father
will send in my name, shall teach you all things and
remind you of those things which I said to you."
The same criticism is applicable to the seventeenth
verse of the same chapter, which, in our Common Ver-
sion, reads: "The Spirit of truth, whom the world can-
not receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth
Mm, but ye know Mm, for he dwelleth with you, and
shall be in you." Here the expression, " Spirit of truth,"
is evidently used in contrast with flie "spirit of error."
The passage has no reference whatever to a person, but
to the influence of the truth, and the effect of the same
upon the Lord's people. The Diaglott translation of
this verse reads: "The Spirit of truth, which the world
cannot receive, because it beholds it not, nor knows it;
but ye know it; because it operates with you and will
be in you."
Take another illustration, "When he the Spirit of
truth is come, he will guide you into all truth; for he
shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear
that shall he speak; and he shall show you things to
come. He will glorify me, for he shall receive of mine
and shall show it unto you." (John 16:13, 14.) In this
passage the Greek word, heautow t is translated "himself."
yet the same word is frequently properly translated
"itself." In our Common Version this word heautou is
rendered in the masculine, feminine, common, and
neuter genders. For instance, in the above text it k
The Holy Spirit. 171
rendered in the masculine;* in i Cor. 11:5 it is in the
feminine gender "dishonoreth her head;" similarly in
Rev. 2:20, "which calleth herself a prophetess;' 7 and
again in i Cor. 13:5, "Love seeketh not her own." In
i Cor. 11:31 it is rendered in the common gender,
"would judge ourselves;" likewise in i Cor. 16:15,
"have addicted themselves;" again, Luke 22:17,
"divide it among yourselves;" again, John 6:53, "ye
have no life in you." As illustrations of the translation
of the word heautou in the neuter form, in our Common
Version, note the following:
" Let the morrow take thought for the things of itself"
Matt. 6:34.
"If a kingdom be divided against itself" Mark 3:24.
"If a house be divided against itself" Mark 3:25.
"As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself" John 15 '.4.
"There is nothing unclean of itself." Rom. 14:14.
"The whole body . . ' . maketh increase of the body
unto the edifying of itself in love." Eph. 4:16.
"Faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being by itself"
Jas. 2:17.
Similarly, the word ekinos, rendered "he" in the pass-
age under consideration, might with equal propriety, be
rendered "that," "this," "those," "the same," "she,"
"it;" and in our Common Version English Bible it is
rendered in all these different forms, and more frequently
than as the masculine pronouns, "he," "his," "him."
Anyone skeptical on this subject can readily convince
himself by consulting a Greek-English Concordance of
the New Testament, which shows the various transla-
tions of these words. We will give one example of each
of these translations of the word ekinos:
" It shall be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than
for that city." Luke 10:12.
* The pronoun follows its noun here, Comforter (Gr.
masculine, but arbitrarily so, regardless of sex as in the
German, which makes stove and table, masculine; fork,
feminine; woman, neuter gender).
!* The Atonement Channel.
"She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith."-
John 20:15.
" But know ftw, that if the goodman of the house.
Matt. 24:43.
"I do not say that ye shall pray for ^. i John 5:10.
"On one of those days as he taught." Luke 20:1.
" The same day was Sabbath." John 5 :p.
"The child was cured from that very hour." Matt.
17:18.
It is not infrequent, however, to attach to a virtue or
quality the gender of the person or thing to which it be-
longs; thus, for instance, because the heavenly Father Is
designated as masculine, therefore it would be but
proper that his power, his spirit, his every influence and
characteristic should be similarly designated in the
masculine form. Nor is it rare for things which are
neuter of themselves to be designated as masculine or
feminine, according as they are strong and active, or
passive and delicate. Thus, for instance, the sun is
universally referred to as "he," and the moon as "she."
Hence, if it were not for the general misconception on
the subject, and the prevalent thought that the holy
Spirit is a person (and not merely the divine spirit,
influence or power the spirit of the Father), there
could be no criticism made of the use of the masculine
pronouns in respect to the holy Spirit; because God is
recognized as masculine, as the Author and source of
life and blessing. So, then, let us not overlook the fact
that the use of the personal pronouns does not prove the
holy Spirit of God to be another person from the Father
and the Son another God. The holy Spirit or influence
is the Father's spirit or influence, and the Son's also, for
these are one in purpose and influence.
THE MEANING OF THE WORD "SPIRIT.
The question, then, properly arises, what senses or
meanings attach to the words "holy Spirit" as used in
The Holy Spirit. 173
the Scriptures? What qualities or qualifications of the
divine character or power are represented by the word
"spirit?" The answer will best be found by first of all
examining the strict meaning of the word "spirit/ 1
and then examining all the different methods of its use
throughout the Scriptures.
(i) The word "spirit/ 1 in the Old Testament, is the
translation of the Hebrew word ruach, the primary sig-
nificance or root-meaning of which is wind. The word
" spirit" in the New Testament comes from the Greek
word pnetima, whose primary significance or root-mean-
ing likewise is wind. But let no one hastily conclude
that we are about to attempt to prove that the holy
Spirit is a holy wind, for nothing could be farther from
our thought. But we desire to present this obscure
subject in such a manner as will be helpful both to the
learned and the unlearned: hence we begin with the
acknowledged root-meaning of these words, that we
may ascertain hou and why it was used in this connection.
Because the wind is both invisible and powerful,
these words, ruach and pneuma, gradually took on much
wider meanings, and came to represent any invisible
power or influence, good or bad. And since divine power
is exercised through channels and by agencies beyond
human sight, therefore this word "spirit" came more
and more to be applied to all of the Lord's dealings.
Naturally also it came into common use in connection
with such human influences as are invisible; for instance,
to represent the breath of life, the power by which the
man lives, which is invisible, designated the "spirit,"
or " breath of life ; " also for the power of the mind, which
is invisible, called "the spirit of the mind/' Life itself
is a power and is invisible, and hence it also was called
spirit by the ancients. A few illustrations of these
various uses of the Hebrew word ruach and the Greek
.word pneuma may be helpful.
Ruach in the Old Testament is translated "blast" 4
times, "breath" 28 times, "mind" 6 times, "smell" $
times, "wind" and "windy" 91 times, In every instance
174 The Atonement Channel.
the thought behind the word is an invisible power or
influence. Samples of these translations of ruach are as
follows:
"With the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gath-
ered together. " Exod. 15:8.
"All flesh wherein is the breath of life." Gen. 6:17;
7:i5-
"In whose hand is the . . . breath of all mankind/'
Job 12:10.
' ' They have all one breath: so that a man hath no pre-
eminence." Eccl. 3:19.
"Which was a grief of mind unto Isaac." Gen. 26:35.
"Jehovah smelleth a sweet savor." Gen. 8:21.
"Noses have they but they smell not." Psa. 115:6.
" God made a wind to pass over the earth." Gen. 8:1.
"Thou didst blow with thy wind." Exod. 15:10.
"Stormy wind fulfilling his word." Psa. 148:8.
"The trees of the wood are moved with the wind"
Isa. 7:2.
Pneuma in the New Testament is translated (besides
"ghost" and "spirit") "life," "spiritual," and "wind,"
as follows:
"To give lije to the image of the beast." Rev. 13:15.
"Forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts."
i Cor. 14:12.
"The wind bloweth where it listeth and ye hear the
sound thereof." John 3:8.
And let us not forget that all of these various trans-
lations were made by Trinitarians. We do not object
to these translations, they are quite proper: but we
call attention to them as proofs that the words ruach
and pneuma, rendered " spirit," do not signify personality ',
but do signify invisible power or influence.
"GOD is A SPIRIT/'
(2) " God is a Spirit;" that is to say, he is a powerful
but invisible being; likewise the angels are called spirits,
because they also, in their natural condition, are in-
The Holy Spirit. 175
visible to men, except as revealed by miraculous power.
Our Lord Jesus, while lie was a man, was not designated
a spirit being, but since his exaltation it is written of
him, " Now the Lord is that Spirit" he is now a power-
ful and invisible being. The Church of this Gospel Age
is promised change of nature, to the likeness of her Lord,
as it is written, "We shall be like him, for we shall see
him as he is." The Church is spoken of as being spirit-
ual, inasmuch as she is in harmony with the Lord and is
declared to be begotten again by the Spirit to a new
nature, a spirit nature, with the assurance that that
which is begotten of the Spirit will, in the resurrection,
be born of the Spirit. This use of the word spirit, it
will be perceived, is related to personality spirit beings.
2 Cor. 3:17; i John 3:2; John 3:6.
(3) Another use of the word spirit is in the sense of
generative power or fecundity, as in Gen. 1:2, " And the
Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters" that
is to say, the power of God, his vehicle of energy, fecun-
dated waters, or rendered them fruitful, prolific. Sim-
ilarly, "Holy men of old spoke and wrote as they were
moved by the holy Spirit," the holy influence or power of
God fecundated their minds, causing them to bring
forth thoughts such as God wished to have expressed.
(2 Pet. 1:21.) Similarly, the skilled workmen whom
Moses selected to prepare the paraphernalia of the
Tabernacle were brought under the influence of the
divine power, to the energizing or quickening of their
natural faculties, without affecting them in any moral
sense, even as the waters of the great deep were not
affected in a moral sense. Thus it is written:
"The Lord hath called by name Bezaleel . . . and
hath rilled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in
understanding, in knowledge, in all manner of work-
manship, and to devise curious works; to work in gold,
and in silver, and in brass; and in covering of stones, to
set them; and in carving of wood, to make any manner
of cunning work. And he hath put in his heart that ho
may teach, both he and Aholiab, , , , them hath ho
176 The Atonement Channel.
filled with wisdom of heart to work all manner of work,
of the engraver and of the cunning workman, and of the
embroiderer." Exod. 35 '.30-35 ; 28:3; 31:3, 4-
Likewise, we are informed that Jehovah God put upon
Moses and the elders of Israel his Spirit, with special
power for judging in Israel's affairs, preserving order,
etc. (Num. 11:17-26.) After the same manner God's
Spirit was with the kings of Israel, so long as they were
loyal to him. Notice, for instance, the case of Saul
(i Sam. 11:6); and that this Spirit of wisdom or judg-
ment pertaining to the government of Israel departed
from Saul, and was conferred upon David, whose dis-
creetness thereafter is specially noted, (i Sam. 16:13,
14.) Thereafter, instead of the Spirit of wisdom and
courage and confidence, as a servant of the Lord, Saul
had an evil spirit, more literally a spirit of sadness, of
dejection, loss of confidence, in the realization that he
was no longer recognized as the Lord's representative
on the throne. And this spirit of dejection, which brood-
ed on calamities, is said to have been from the Lord
probably in the sense that it resulted from the Lord's
dealings, in removing from Saul his recognition and
sustaining power and direction in the affairs of Israel.
"THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS NOT YET GIVEN."
But no manifestation of the Spirit of God, prior to
the first advent of our Lord Jesus, was exactly the same
as the manifestation and operation of the Lord's Spirit
upon our Lord Jesus, from the time of his baptism until
his crucifixion, and upon the Church of Christ from the
day of Pentecost until now until the very end of this
Gospel Age, and the completion of the Church's course
in the first resurrection. In harmony with this we read,
"The holy Spirit was not yet given [except to our Lord
Jesus], because Jesus was not yet glorified." John 7:39.
The operation of God's Spirit during this Gospel Age
is widely different from its operation in previous times;
The Holy Spirit. 177
and this difference is expressed in the words "Spirit of
adoption," "Spirit of sonship," "Spirit of holiness,"
"Spirit of truth," and kindred expressions. As we have
already seen, after Adam's fall none of his posterity
were accepted as sons of God prior to the first advent:
the very highest title given to the father of the faithful,
Abraham, was that of friend: "Abraham was called the
friend of God." But, as the Apostle John explains,
when the Logos was made flesh, he presented], himself
to his own people, Israel, and to as many as received
him (then and since) gave he power (privilege, oppor-
tunity) to become the sons of God; and these, he declares,
were begotten of God begotten of the Spirit, as "that
which is born of the Spirit is spirit." John 1:12, 13;
3:3-8.
The holy Spirit, in this sense of the word, is guaran-
teed only to the house of sons ; and the house of sons was
unknown until the Beloved Son was manifested in the
flesh and redeemed the world, and granted to those who
accept him the opportunity to receive the adoption of
sons. (Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1 15.) This adoption, as the Apostle
informs us, primarily was the inheritance of Israel, but
since there was not a sufficient number in Israel ready to
complete the predestinated number to be adopted, there-
fore, after accepting Israel's remnant, "God did visit the
Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name,"
to be the sons of God, joint -heirs with Christ, and this
was foreknown and foretold through the prophets.
Rom. 9:4, 29-33; Acts 15:14.
But in what respects does this manifestation of the
divine power, influence or Spirit, during this Gospel age,
differ from the manifestation of it in previous times?
The Apostle Peter answers this question, assuring us
that the ancient worthies, although highly honored of
God, and moved upon by his holy Spirit, spoke and
wrote things which they did not understand. God used
them as his servants to write out things not due to be
understood by them, but which in due time would be
revealed to us, the house of sons, by the operation of the
12E
178 The Atonement Channel.
same holy Spirit or holy power of God upon those be-
gotten of his Spirit. In the past the Spirit's operation
was chiefly mechanical: to us its operation is chiefly
explanatory and sympathetic, expounding the divine
plan through apostles and teachers specially "set in the
Church " from time to time, the object being to enable
the sons "to comprehend with all saints the length and
breadth, the height and the depth" of the divine wis-
dom and goodness, as exemplified in the divine plan
and its revelation. Indeed, from the Apostle's language,
it is evident that even the angels (who were sometimes
used of the Lord as his channels in communicating with
the prophets, the mediums of his holy Spirit) were not
permitted to understand the meaning of their communi-
cations, any more than were the prophets who wrote out
the revelations for our benefit. Note the Apostle's
words :
"Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and
searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that
would come unto you: searching what [time] or what
manner of time [literal or symbolic] the spirit of Christ
which was in them did signify when it testified before-
hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should
follow. Unto whom it was revealed that not unto them-
selves but unto us they did minister the things which are
now reported unto you by them that have preached the
gospel unto you with the holy Spirit sent down from
heaven: which things also the angels desire to look
into." i Pet. 1:10-12; 2 Pet. 1:21.
GIFTS OF THE SAME SPIRIT, THE SAME LORD,
THE SAME GOD.
"There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit, as
there are differences of administration, but the same
Lord; there are divers operations, but it is the same God
which worketh all in all. But a manifestation of the
Spirit is given to every man [in the Church] to profit
The Holy Spirit, 179
withal. For to one is given, by the Spirit, the word of
wisdom ; to another the word of knowledge, by the same
Spirit; to another faith, by the same Spirit; to another,
the gifts of healing, by the same Spirit; to another,
the working of miracles ; to another, prophecy; to another
discernment of spirits; to another, divers kinds of
tongues; to another, the interpretation of tongues; but
all these worketh that one and selfsame Spirit, dividing
to every man severally as he will." i Cor. 12 :4-n.
Here are enumerated some of the gifts given by the
holy Spirit of the Church, but we are to distinguish
sharply between the holy Spirit itself and these gifts
or manifestations granted in the early Church. As they
were not to understand that different spirits were operat-
ing in the different members of the Church, because of
the differences of their gifts, so they were not to under-
stand that it was a different Lord or Master that gave
these gifts, but all were to be identified as of the one holy
influence shed forth by the one Lord, the representative
of the one God over all, Jehovah; and to be explained
as "differences of administration" or of operation. Not
only so, but the Spirit of God, the holy Spirit, has varied
its administration in the Church: so that, whereas
"gifts" of the kind here mentioned were general in the
early Church, the day came, as the Apostle explained
it would come, when prophecy would fail, tongues would
cease, and special inspirations of knowledge would
vanish away, (i Cor, 13:8.) All of these " gifts" were
evidently necessary at the inauguration of the Church,
at the start of the new age, but became unnecessary
after the Church had been established and the canon of
the inspired writings had been completed. These, the
Apostle declares, are sufficient, "that the man of God
may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works."
2 Tim. 3:17.
True, not all of these gifts have vanished away or
ceased; nor does the cessation of those which have been
discontinued prove that the Lord has less power to-day
than he had eighteen centuries ago; nor do they prove
i8o The Atonement Channel.
that the Lord's people are less worthy or less favored of
the Lord, On the contrary, they indicate a "diversity
of manifestation," and imply that God's people no
longer have need of those cruder methods of instruction
and proofs of their acceptance with the Lord. Now,
instead of having such gifts miraculously bestowed, the
operation of God's Spirit or power seems to be upon each
of his consecrated people partly in proportion to their
natural qualifications, and partly in proportion to their
zeal for his service. And hence we find that the Apostle,
in this connection, and in later epistles, incites the
Church to seek to develop spiritual gifts, powers, abili-
ties, in and for the service of the Lord and his people and
his Truth.
These personally developed gifts are to be esteemed
more highly than these miraculously bestowed; and hence
the Apostle says, "I show unto you a more excellent
way;" "follow after love and desire [cultivate] spiritual
gifts, especially that ye may prophesy [publicly ex-
pound]," (i Cor. 12:31; 14:1.) The Apostle points out
that the speaking with tongues was merely for "a sign,"
that the attention of the unbelievers might be drawn to
the Church and her methods, (i Cor. 14:22.) And this
gift, 'therefore, which was highly esteemed by some of
the Corinthians, he points out as being one of the least
spiritual, adapted less to the development of the
spiritual Church, and chiefly useful in connection with
the unregenerate world. This gift, and others of a some-
what similar class, quickly disappeared from the Church
after she had obtained a footing, and a recognition in
the world.
On the contrary, the "fruits of the Spirit" are to be
encouraged, to be cultivated more and more, that they
may yield the full, perfect fruitage of love to God, to
each other, and the love of sympathy toward the world.
These fruits of the Spirit are designated by the Apostle
to be "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, good-
ness, faith, meekness, temperance." (Gal, 5:22, 23.)
The word "fruit," it will be noticed, conveys a double
The Holy Spirit. 181
thought, that it is a gift, but of gradual development
and maturity, and the result of labor. So with the gifts
of the Spirit: " Every good gift and perfect gift cometh
down from our Father," but such-like fruits are not
miraculous gifts but gradual and indirect gifts, inspired
by our Father's promises, and by our Lord's instructions
through the apostles and prophets. They are wrought
out in us in proportion as we come into harmony and
obedience of thought and word and deed with the Spirit
of our Father, by which we are begotten, and by which,
if obedient, we are having developed more and more of
the fruits of holiness, or fruits of the holy Spirit or dis-
position in likeness of God's dear Son, our Lord and Re-
deemer. Thus, under the ministration of the holy
Spirit of the Truth, the faithful are being fitted to be
"born of the Spirit" in the first resurrection, spirit
beings ; as they were begotten of the Spirit at the moment
of consecration. Thus perfected as spirit beings, the
Church will be heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus Christ,
our Lord, in fulness of unity and fellowship with the
Father and with the Son, complete in him, who is the
head of all principalities and powers, and the Father's
associate in the Kingdom, and full of the Spirit of the
Father and of the Son the holy Spirit.
It will be seen from the foregoing general views of the
subject that the same Spirit or power of the heavenly
Father, Jehovah, which operated in the creation of the
world, and which operated differently upon his servants
of the past, is, during this Gospel age, operating still
differently, for the development of the Church, in the
bringing of the Church into harmony with God, and in
fitting and preparing it as the "Body of Christ*' for a
joint share in the Kingdom. And it will be the same
holy Spirit or influence of God that will operate still
differently during the Millennial age, through Christ
and the Church glorified, to bring the world into harmony
and unity with the principles of righteousness, and with
the King of kings and Lord of lords. Nothing connected
with this work in any sense or degree makes necessary
1 8a The Atonement Channel.
another God. Quite the contrary. The fact that it is
the one God who is operating tinder various circum-
stances and conditions, and by various means, for the
accomplishment of his one purpose, gives us all the more
assurance that all his good purposes shall be accom-
plished, and that, as he declares, "The word that goeth
forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void,
but shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it. 1 *
Isa. 55 :n.
DIVINE WILL, INFLUENCE, POWER, SPIRIT.
From the foregoing we perceive that a broad definition
of the words "Spirit of God, ' or "holy Spirit/' would be
the divine will, influence, or power, exercised any and
everywhere, and for any purpose in harmony with the
divine will, which, being a holy will, implies that the
steps and operations of the holy Spirit will be in harmony
with holiness. God exercises his Spirit or energy in
many ways, using various agencies in accomplishing
various results. Whatever is accomplished by the Lord
through either mechanical or intelligent agencies, is as
truly his work as though he were the direct actor, since
all those agencies are of his creation. Just as, amongst
men, the contracting builder may not be actually work-
ing on every part of the construction, but every work-
man is his representative and under his control: the
work, as a whole, is the contractor's work, though he
may never have lifted a tool upon it. He does it with
his materials and through his representatives and agents.
Thus, for instance, when we read, "Jehovah God
created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 2:4), we are
not to suppose that he personally handled the elements.
He used various agencies "He spake and it was done
[he gave orders and they were promptly executed]; he
commanded, and it stood fast." (Psa. 33:6, 9.) Creation
did not spring instantly into order; for we read that
time was used six days or epochs. And while we are
distinctly informed that "All things are of the Father"
The Holy Spirit. 183
by his energy, his will, his Spirit, yet that energy, as
we have previously seen, was exercised through his Son,
the Logos.
The transforming power of God's holy Spirit, as it
operates during this Gospel dispensation, to bring his
people into full at-one-ment with himself, is a more
abstruse, a less easily understood operation, than the
exercise of his power mentioned in Genesis (1:2). It
deals with a higher subject with mind and free will
instead of senseless matter.
In the light of the Scriptures we may understand the
holy Spirit to mean:
(a) God's power exercised in any manner, but always
according to lines of justice and love, and hence always a
holy power.
(6) This power may be an energy of life, a physically
creative power, or a power of thought, creating and in-
spiring thoughts and words, or a quickening or life-
giving power, as it was manifested in the resurrection of
our Lord, and will again be manifested in the resurrec-
tion of the Church, his body.
(c) The begetting or transforming power or influence
of the knowledge of the Truth. In this aspect it is
designated "The Spirit of Truth." God rules his own
course according to truth and righteousness; hence,
God's Word, the revelation of his course, is called Truth
"Thy word is Truth." Similarly, all who come under
the influence of God's plan of Truth and righteousness
are properly said to be under the influence of the Spirit
or disposition of the Truth: they are properly described
as begotten of the Truth to newness of life.
The Father draws sinners to Christ through a general
enlightenment of the mind, a conviction of sin and of
their need of a Redeemer. Those who accept Christ as
their Savior and Mediator, and come to the point of
full consecration to God, through Christ, are said to be
begotten of God, "begotten by the word of truth," be-
gotten by the Spirit of God to a newness of life. That is
to say, having come into harmony with divine condi-
1 84 The Atonement Channel.
tions and regulations, God accepts this consecrated
attitude as the proper one, and passing by or covering
the weakness of the flesh with the robe of Christ's right-
eousness justification by faith, he accepts such as "new
creatures in Christ Jesus," whose desire is to be guided
by his Spirit into all truth, and to be led by that holy
disposition or Spirit into full obedience to the extent
of self-sacrifice, even unto death. Such are said to have
received "the Spirit of adoption," because from thence-
forth God, through Christ, enters into a special covenant
with these as sons. And the Father, through the Captain
of their Salvation, guarantees to such that if they abide
in the Spirit of the Truth he will cause that all the affairs
and incidents of life shall work together for good to them
to the development in them and more and more of
the spirit of righteousness, truth, peace, joy; they shall
have more and more of the holy Spirit, as they progress
in obedience to the Spirit of Truth. Hence the exhor-
tation to such is, "Be ye filled with the Spirit," "walk
in the Spirit," " let the Spirit of Christ dwell in you richly
and abound, and it shall make you to be neither barren
nor unfruitful." This holy Spirit operating in the be-
liever from the time of his full consecration to the Lord,
is the same holy Spirit or disposition of the Father
which operated in our Lord Jesus Christ, and hence it is
also styled "the Spirit of Christ," and we are assured,
"if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of
his." Rom. 8:9.
THE SPIRIT BY "MEASURE" AND "WITHOUT MEASURE."
Our Lord Jesus was begotten of the holy Spirit at his
baptism, his consecration; and so likewise the members
of his body, his Church, we have seen, are "begotten"
at their "baptism into his death," at the moment of
their full consecration: but there is a distinction to be
always remembered; viz., that our Lord Jesus, the Head
of the Church, received the holy Spirit without measure,
The Holy Spirit. 185
unlimitedly (John 3:34), while his followers receive it
by measure, or limitedly, a measure of the Spirit is
given to every man (in the Church), (i Cor. 12:7; Rom.
12 :3.) The reason of this difference is that our Lord was
a perfect man, while we, his followers, although accepted
as reckonedly perfect (justified by faith), are actually
very imperfect. The perfect man as the very image of
God could be in fullest harmony with God and with his
Spirit of holiness, in every and all particulars; but in
proportion to the degradation through the fall, our
harmony with God and with his Spirit of holiness has
been impaired, though it is the duty and privilege of
each to thoroughly seek to know and to do the Lord's
will and to have no will in opposition to his ; yet no mem-
ber of the fallen race is capable of receiving the Lord's
Spirit to the full to be in absolute harmony with God
in every particular. And hence, amongst those who
believe, and who consecrate themselves, and who re-
ceive the holy Spirit of adoption, we find it possessed
in different measures, these measures depending upon
the degree of our fall from the divine image, and the
degree of grace and faith attained since coming into the
body of Christ. And the rapidity with which we may
acquire more and more of the holy Spirit, coming into
fuller and fuller knowledge and accord with every feature
of the divine plan, is dependent largely upon our reali-
zation of our own imperfections, and the degree of our
consecration to the Lord to the study of his will, in
his Word, and to the practice of the same in the affairs
of life,
To the extent that the consecrated believers resign
themselves to the Lord, and, ignoring their own wills and
preferences, seek to walk in his way, they are "led of
the Spirit," "taught of the Spirit/' and can "serve the
Lord in newness of Spirit." To continue under this
leading and instruction they must have a "Spirit of
meekness" (Gal, 5:22, 23; 6:1), so that the "God of our
Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory," can give unto
them the "Spirit of wisdom and revelation, in the know-
1 86 The Atonement Channel.
ledge of him; the eyes of their understanding being en-
lightened, that they may know what is the hope of his
calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheri-
tance in the saints." Eph. 1:17, 18.
In these various presentations of the work of the holy
Spirit, and in many others which will come to the atten-
tion of Bible students, nothing can be found to necessi-
tate another God. Quite the contrary: a proper concep-
tion of the one God shows that his omnipotent power
and resources are abundantly sufficient, and that he
who said to Israel, "Hear, Israel, Jehovah thy God is
one/' is not in need of assistance. Indeed, to be consis-
tent, those who claim that another God is necessaiy to
attend to matters referred to as the operation of the holy
Spirit of God, might with equal consistency claim many
spirit Gods a spirit of adoption, spirit of meekness,
spirit of Christ, spirit of the Father, spirit of love, spirit
of justice, spirit of mercy, spirit of holiness, spirit of
truth, spirit of patience, spirit of glory, spirit of know-
ledge, spirit of grace a separate God for each depart-
ment. But, as the Apostle explains, all these variations
of operation belong to the one Spirit of the one omni-
potent Jehovah.
THE SPIRIT OF THE WORLD THE SPIRIT OF ANTICHRIST.
The spirit of the world is the opposite to the Spirit of
God. Since the whole world is in a fallen condition, and
is under the blinding and seducing influences of the Ad-
versary, its spirit or disposition necessarily is in constant
conflict with the holy, the true, the just, the loving Spirit
or disposition of God: in conflict therefore with the holy
Spirit received by his people through his Word, and all
his holy influences variously exercised upon them. As
Satan's spirit of selfishness, hatred, envy and strife
works in and largely controls the children of this world,
so the holy Spirit of God, the Spirit of love, gentleness,
meekness, patience, goodness, brotherly kindness, works
The Holy Spirit. 187
in and largely controls the children of God. And these
two spirits or dispositions, the one of love and goodness,
the other of selfishness and evil, are in conflict contin-
ually, and wholly irreconcilable.
The Scriptures speak of this spirit which is working in
the world in opposition to the holy Spirit, as "the spirit
of Antichrist" the spirit or disposition which is op-
posed to Christ. First, it desires to ignore him entirely,
to dispute that he ever came into the world; then if
unsuccessful in this, it will claim that our Lord Jesus
was a mere man, a sinful man; if this position be dis-
proved, it will still claim tha^ anyway he accomplished
nothing, or that he was merely an example, and not a
Redeemer. Hence we are enjoined by the Scriptures to
test, to try, to prove the spirits (the doctrines that
present themselves to us, claiming to be of the spirit of
truth). We are to test them, not merely by their out-
ward appearance and claims, but by the Word of God.
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits,
whether they are of God . . . and know the Spirit of
truth and the spirit of error." i John 4:1, 6.
HOLY AND UNHOLY INFLUENCES AT WARFARE.
God's perfections of character are the standards for
holiness, righteousness and truth for all his creatures.
Every thing and every creature opposed to or not in
full accord with the standards is unholy, untrue, un-
righteous. These adverse influences are sometimes credit-
ed to Satan because he is the arch-enemy of God and was
the first conspirator against righteousness the origi-
nator of error, ''the father of lies" and deceptions. But
we are to distinguish between evil spirit beings and evil
spirit influences just as we do between holy spirit beings
and holy spirit influences. The trend of evolutionary
thought among educated people who neglect the Bible
(including so-called Higher Critics), is to ignore the
personality of Satan and his associated wicked spirits
x88 The Atonement Channel.
in exalted positions (Eph. 6:12), and to claim that there
is no evil influence per se, and that man merely contends
with his own ignorance and misdirection of lib own good
qualities. Similarly, others, still farther advanced (in
error), still more highly educated (in untruth), and still
further panoplied with philosophies (falsely so called),
are reaching the conclusion that there is no personal
God but merely good influences which they claim inhere
in man and are gradually being evolved to perfection.
But we are giving heed to the oracle of God, his Word,
which the Apostle assures us is able to make wise unto
salvation, and which we have found to contain a fountain
of life and light and holy Spirit of truth with which
human theories and lights cannot compare. It shows us
that God is a holy Spirit (being), and that his holy Spirit
(influence) is always exercised in harmony with right-
eousness, and that all who are in harmony with God and
in at-one-ment with him must have his Spirit of holiness ;
The Only Begotten Son in whom dwells the fulness of
the divine Spirit; the holy angels who have no other
will than the Father's holy will or Spirit; the Church
from among men who have some measure of the mind or
Spirit of their Head (else they are none of his), and who
are seeking to be more and more filled with this Spirit
of holiness and divested of all unholy disposition and
influences. Likewise the Word teaches that Satan is a
spirit (being) and has an unholy spirit, mind, disposition;
and exercises an unholy spirit or influence through var-
ious channels and agents.* The fallen angels, also
spirit Beings, fell by losing their spirit of holiness and
devotion to God and his righteous standards, and are
now of unholy spirit or disposition, and exercise an evil
influence or spirit as they have opportunity.! And
the world of mankind, falling through Adam, have be-
come servants of sin: some sin voluntarily for the pleas-
* ZION'S WATCH TOWER, Aug i, 1894.
f What Say the Scriptures About Spiritualism? Price 10
cents.
The Holy Spirit. iSg
ures of sin; some involuntarily, though "feeling after
God," and blinded and deceived by the Adversary, and
controlled by the spirit of error.
Mankind the minds or " hearts " of men is the Bat-
tle ground on which the holy Spirit of light, love, justice,
truth, holiness, the Spirit of Jehovah and of his Son,
man's Redeemer, contends with the evil spirit of Satan,
sin, darkness, untruth, hatred, envy, malice, etc. Sold
under sin, by our first parent, Adam, his family became
" slaves of sin" " through frailty;" through the weakness
of heredity. (Rom. 5:12, 21; 6:16-23; 7:14; 8:20, 21.) In
this captive condition they have been blinded by the god
(ruler) of the present evil world (condition) who puts
evil before their minds as good, and darkness for light
(2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 6:12; Isa. 5:20), and having thus per-
verted the vast majority, and made it easy to do evil
and difficult to do good, and having ranged all the ad-
vantages of the present time on the side of evil and made
it impossible to attain these except by conforming to
his unholy spirit, which is "the spirit of the world," he
has general control, first of the masses through ignorance,
and secondly, of the more intelligent through pride,
selfishness, etc.
The battle did not begin until our Lord's first advent;
for the Spirit of Truth came first upon our Lord Jesus and
at Pentecost upon his Church.* The world was dark
when our Lord Jesus appeared in it filled with the Spirit
of God, the light of divine truth, which constituted him
"The Light of the world;" and at once the battle began;
the true light, the holy Spirit, since Pentecost, being
represented, not by the nominal churches, but by the
true members of Christ's body, possessors of the holy
* The battle of the Law of Righteousness was confined to
the one little nation, Israel, and as God foresaw "The Law
made nothing perfect 1 ' none of the fallen race could or
were expected to win in that fight. It was really to mani-
fest Christ Jesus, the only Law-keener, as the channel of
divine mercy; and incidentally to discipline a people and
make "a remnant" of them ready for the Spirit Dispensa-
tion and its conflicts by pointing them to Christ,
190 The Atonement Channel.
Spirit of their Head. The battle could not commence
sooner because none of mankind (all being sinners)
could be the channels of God's holy Spirit, his represen-
tatives, ambassadors for righteousness and truth,
soldiers of the cross. Atonement for man's sin must first
be made before there would be any mission for the holy
Spirit to perform before there would be anything to
battle for. Mankind was sentenced to death to ever-
lasting destruction, as enemies of righteousness: why
battle for the doomed? why try to influence them to
righteousness, when no hope of reward for their efforts
could be held out? Properly therefore the ransom came
first ; and it was as a result of the acceptance of that
ransom by the Father that the holy Spirit was granted
to those adopted into his family as sons through Christ.
But some one may observe that the battle, ever since
it began, seems to be against the holy Spirit and in favor
of the spirit of evil ; since the servants of sin today by
natural increase of population are many times more
numerous than they were when the battle began, and
are still increasing much more rapidly than even nominal
Christianity, though the battle has been in progress for
nearly nineteen centuries.
Furthermore the spirit of evil and malice and error
triumphed against the holy Spirit in our Lord to the ex-
tent of crucifying him: and similarly it has triumphed
against all the faithful members of the body of Christ,
misrepresenting, slandering and evilly entreating them,
variously, according to time, place and circumstances.
The object of these attacks of the spirit of evil and its
servants upon the Spirit of holiness and its faithful is
ever the same to undermine the influence of the Spirit
of the truth; to make the holy appear unholy; to cause
that the pure and unselfish shall appear selfish and im-
pure; to put darkness for light. Nor do the servants of
unholiness always realize what they do: becoming im-
bued with the spirit of evil, the spirit of hatred, malice,
envy, strife, it blinds them so that they "know not what
they do," and often, evidently, "verily think that they
The Holy Spirit. 191
do God service." Why this defeat of the Spirit of holi-
ness? Will it always be thus?
We answer that this defeat of the Spirit; of holiness is
merely a seeming defeat and not an actual one. Actually
the Spirit of holiness has been triumphing ever since the
battle began. Its two-fold mission during this Gospel
age has been well accomplished.
(1) It was to be in God's people according to the de-
gree of their consecration and zeal toward God and his
righteousness, and by reason of the prevalence and power
of the spirit of evil in the world about them was to prove
a test of their characters, present conditions demanding
that whatsoever would live godly in this present time
must suffer persecution must be willing to have "all
manner of evil" falsely spoken against them and yet
take it patiently, as did their Master, continuing, never-
theless, faithful to the Lord and his cause at any cost
counting not their earthly lives dear unto them. 2 Tim.
3:1 2; Matt. 5:11; i Pet. 2:23; Acts 20:24.
(2) The light of the Spirit of holiness in God's people
was to so shine forth upon the world that it would at-
tract all not thoroughly blinded by the perverse spirit
of the Adversary. It was to shine into the darkness of
sin reprovingly witnessing against all unrighteousness;
thus awakening the conscience of even the blinded to a
realization of responsibility to God and a future day of
reckoning. Thus our Lord instructed his followers that
after receiving the holy Spirit they were to witness to the
Truth amongst all nations, whether the people hear or
whether they forbear.
The holy Spirit has triumphed in both the objects for
which it was sent. It has selected a faithful "little
flock'* of "overcomers," followers of the way of right-
eousness Jesus the Captain and his faithful band of
soldiers of the cross, all of whom consecrated ' ' even unto
death;" and to whom the Kingdom reward will soon be
given when the last members have been fully tested
and made perfect through sufferings for righteousness'
sake. It has also triumphed in respect to witnessing to
192 The Atonement Channel.
the world. Our Lord foretold that the effect of the wit-
nessing would be to convince the world of sin, of right-
eousness and of a coming day of righteous judgment,
in which evil deeds of the present life will have a just
retribution, according to the degree of light enjoyed by
the transgressor.
This witness has gone far and near, and to-day the
world as a whole recognizes these three items which, the
Spirit of holiness in the Church has set before it sin,
righteousness and judgment. True, the world has not
clear and correct ideas of righteousness, nor of sin, nor does
it understand the character and object of the corning
judgment nor that it will be a thousand-year day:
nor does the world understand clearly the Church's call
during this age, to escape judgment with the world and
to become its judges in that judgment day by now vol-
untary sacrificing earthly interests for righteousness*
sake following in the footsteps of the Redeemer. It is
not necessary for the world to know these particulars
they do not concern it. These are among "the deep
things of God," which none can appreciate except as
they become heartily obedient to the Lord's call to
righteousness, and consecrating themselves receive of
the Spirit of the Father, and as sons are thus made
acquainted with the minutiae of the divine plan. i Cor.
2:10, n.
In reply to the query, Will it always be thus ? we an-
swer, No. As soon as this age has developed the "little
flock," called to be joint-heirs with Christ, it will cease.
The next operation of Jehovah's holy Spirit or power
will be the establishment of that Kingdom: and with
its establishment the holy Spirit's operation will be along
the Kingdom lines establishing judgment and justice
in the earth. It will lay judgment to the line and justice
to the plummet, and falsehood and deception of every
kmd will give place to clear knowledge of the Truth.
Instead of longer witnessing to the world a "judgment
to come," it will witness to it that judgment has com-
menced and that every transgression will promptly re-
The Holy Spirit. 93
ceive a just recompense of punishment. Instead of
witnessing to the Church, "Judge nothing be-fore ike
time" it will witness to the contrary that they as God's
instruments have been specially qualified to judge the
world with a righteous judgment. Instead of those in
harmony with God and possessed of his Spirit of right-
eousness and truth being required to suffer for right-
eousness' sake they will be crowned kings and priests
of righteousness and commissioned to reign over the
earth for its blessing and restitution to perfection, to
righteousness, and the "cutting off from life,*' in "ever-
lasting destruction" of all who wilfully reject the oppor-
tunities of the blessed day of judgment secured by the
love of God through the ransom given by our Lord
Jesus. Thus shall the great Jehovah and his Spirit of
holiness and all who ally themselves thereto finally
triumph, and sin and Satan and the spirit of evil shall
be forever extinguished and there shall be no more
curse. Isa. 28:17; i Cor. 4:5; 6:2; Acts 3:23; 2 Thes.
1:9; Rev. 22:3.
SPIRIT FIGHTINGS WITHOUT AND WITHIN THE SAINTS.
We have considered the battle as aT whole: let us
glance at some of its present phases. While it may be
considered as the Church's conflict it is nevertheless an
individual conflict with sin. While the Church will come
off conqueror, it will be composed only of the individual
victors. And as the victory in the Church is a victory of
God's holy Spirit, power or influence against the spirit
of evil, of unrighteousness, it is the same in the individ-
ual saint.
The majority of Christian people (nominal Christians,
even including so-called "spirit wrestlers, " "sanctifica-
tiotiists/' etc.) know little about the real spirit battles
and victories, because the majority have never made the
proper consecration, and have never received the holy
Spirit of the Truth. Some have consecrated themselves
13E
194 The Atonement Channel.
to a sect, and have received a sectarian spirit of love fof
the sect, devotion to the sect, service and sacrifice for
the sect, etc. Others have recognized one or more moral
principles and have consecrated themselves never to
violate those moralities: these receive the spirit of moral-
ities, a self-satisfied spirit, a self-righteous spirit. Others
have singled out some virtue which they worship and
whose spirit they receive for instance, patience and
they are fully satisfied when they have attained a good
degree of patience and its spirit. Others consecrate
themselves to "work" for Jesus and seem satisfied only
when they are in a bustle of exciting activity: it matters
little to them what kind the work is, so that it is not
openly serving Satan and so that there is plenty of it
and they have a prominent place: it is not so much
results they seek as work, and hence they are quite con-
tent to "beat the air," hoping that in the end they will
find that they have not done much harm. For these to
take time to study God's Word and to ascertain the kind
of workmen he seeks, and the kind of work he desires
to have done, would be to them a violation of their
covenant of consecration for they consecrated them-
selves to work and are satisfied of heart only when they
are in a fever of excitement. Others more wise, but not
truly wise either, consecrate themselves to a particular
kind of service for God and man the service which
they think needs them most. If they consecrate to ' ' tem-
perance work/* they receive the spirit of that work and
have whatever blessing comes with it. Or if they con-
secrate to social reform work they get the spirit of social
reform and its blessings.
All of these consecrations, and the spirits or -disposi-
tions resulting, have both good and evil influences.
Any of them is far better than a consecration to evil and
its spirit of evil. Any of them is far better even than con-
secration to self and the spirit of selfishness accompany-
ing it. Any of them is far better even than an aimless
life consecrated to nothing. But none of these can corn-
pare in any sense to the consecration taught in the Scrip-
The Holy Spirit. 195
ttires and exemplified in our Lord Jesus Christ, the
Redeemer of the world, the exemplar of his body, the
Church. This, the true consecration, alone brings to
the heart the holy Spirit, the Spirit of the Truth, which
the world cannot receive.
This true proper consecration differs from all others.
It has but the one shrine at which it bows: it bows to
Jehovah's will, surrendering self and self-will a living
sacrifice on the Lord's altar, a reasonable service. It
makes no stipulations or reservations. The language of
the Chief Priest is that of each member of the " royal
priesthood:" "I came not to do mine own will, but the
will of him that sent me." " Lo I come (as in the volume
of the book it is written of me) to do thy will, O God."
Such are made partakers of the holy Spirit.
Those who have consecrated their wills, and accepted
unreservedly the Word and will of God, through Christ,
are said to be heavenly or spiritually minded. These are
so transformed, so entirely different from what they were
in their former earthly condition, that they are called
New Creatures, and this name would not be inappropri-
ate to them if it signified nothing more than the radical
change of heart or will which they have experienced.
But it does mean more; it means that these who are now
being selected from the world by the holy Spirit of Truth,
and who are approaching God through the new and
living way which was opened up by the great sacrifice
for sins, are really embryo new creatures, whose per-
fection in the divine nature only waits for the resurrec-
tion change, in the end of this age, conditioned wholly
upon their faithfulness as new creatures to the leadings
of the holy Spirit.
However, this new mental creation, or transformed
mind, the embryo of the new creature, which shall come
fully into being in the resurrection, is still identified with
a human body, and thus the Apostle says of this class,
"Wo have this treasure [the new mind, the new nature]
in earthen vessels." (2 Cor. 4:7.) Speaking of the same
thing, the Apostle assures us that when the earthly
ig6 The Atonement Channel.
house is dissolved, sacrificed, dead with Christ, we shall,
nevertheless, have a building of God, a new house, a
glorious body, in harmony with and in every way fitted
for the indwelling of the new mind and its Spirit of holi-
ness (2 Cor. 5:1), if we are of the faithful over-comers
who continue to the end of the pilgrimage of the narrow
way, walking in the footsteps of our Captain,
The word holy is derived from the word whole and
signifies completeness; hence the holy Spirit is a whole
or a complete spirit. And thus we see without surprise
that those who have received the holy Spirit or complete
spirit in any good measure are thereby rounded out on
all sides of their characters better balanced than ever
before in their judgments they have "the Spirit of a
sound mind," however the enmitous blinded spirit of
the world may declare of them, "Thou hast a devil and
art mad; n because they live for, labor for and enjoy the
things unseen as yet, everlasting in the heavens, 2 Tim.
1:7; John 10:20; 6:27.
Individually considered, one of the most serious foes
of those who have been begotten to holiness of spirit
through the divine counsels and promises, is the evil
spirit of fear. It would persuade us that probably there
is some mistake: either that God did not inspire the ex-
ceeding great and precious promises, or that they are
not for us, or that for some reason we can never attain
them. All of God's people are liable to attack from this
wrong spirit of doubt and fear some more and some
less persistently; and all have need to fight down this
evil spirit courageously and to destroy it, lest it kill the
fruits of the holy Spirit and finally quench it drive it
out of us entirely.
Yet "the spirit of fear" is neither a spirit god nor a
spirit devil that has gotten into our hearts: it is simply a
mental influence natural to every fallen human being of
hwable mind. It is begotten of the realization of per-
sonal imperfection and unwoj*thiness of divine favors.
The antidote for this spirit of fear is the holy Spirit .of
^cceptegj. &nd hdcj in
The Holy Spirit. ip?
assurance of faith. The Spirit of Truth tells us that there
were good reasons for our entertainment of the spirit of
fear ; but that those reasons no longer exist since we have
come into Christ as new creatures. It points us away
from our unintentional weakness to the great Atonement
accomplished by our Lord Jesus, and cites us to the words
of the inspired Apostle:
"If God be for us, who can be against us? He that
spared not his own Son, but delivered him up [to death]
for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us
all things [needful]? Who shall lay anything to the
charge of those whom God chooses? It is God that
justifieth. Who could condemn these? It is Christ that
died [paying their penalty making good all their de-
ficiencies], yea, rather that [glorified and highly exalted
Christ who] is risen again, who is even at the right hand
of God, who also maketh intercession for us." Rom.
8:31-34-
If the "Spirit of faith," one of the phases or opera-
tions of the "Spirit of holiness/' the " Spirit of the Truth,"
thus comes forward and is accepted and supported by
the new creature, the victory over the spirit of fear
is speedily won, and peace and joy in the holy Spirit
of faith and love and confidence in God results. Never-
theless, these battles must be fought time and again in
every Christian's experience. And, indeed, the "spirit
of fear" may be made a -valuable servant of the new
creature, while it cannot be tolerated as a master, nor
as a friend and a resident of the heart. Make it the watch-
dog, and kennel it just outside the door of the heart,
and it may serve a very useful purpose in calling atten-
tion to thieves and robbers who approach stealthily to
rob us of our treasures of holiness, joy, peace, love and
fellowship with our Father and with the brethren. As
the Apostle urges, "let us fear" attacks from without
after we have gotten all right with God by casting out
all opposing influences and receiving his Spirit into our
hearts. Let us fear lest as those who are ready to go
forth with the Bridegroom in the early morning any of
xgB The Atonement Channel.
us should be overcome with a spirit of slothfulness, a
spirit of carelessness, a spirit of slumber, and so, like the
"foolish virgins," be unprepared for the great event
"the marriage" for which all our preparations have
been made.
Let us remember, then, that however useful as a ser-
vant, the spirit of fear is not of God, and must never be
admitted within the castle of the Christian heart, which
must be fully given over to the occupancy of the various
members of the holy Spirit family love, joy, peace,
etc., for perfect love casteth out fear as well as all the
members of the unholy spirit family, anger, malice,
hatred, jealousy, fear, discontent, pride, worldly am-
bitions, etc. The Apostle declares "God hath not
given us the spirit of fear; but the Spirit of superhuman
strength, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Tim. 1 17.
Sometimes the attack comes from the rear and not
from the front fear for friends, fear for the world, etc.,
an unwillingness to trust God for others though willing
to trust him for one's self. This is a serious matter, too ;
for it largely drives out the spirit of peace and joy and
misdirects the energies. The "spirit of fear" says, It
is a great mistake to think that Christ died for all; and
it is a great presumption to believe that all must even-
tually obtain some blessing of opportunity for life, as
a result of the ransom. Or, if fear fail to win us, its evil
companion, the '''spirit of error" may attempt to lead
in the opposite direction, to get us to believe in universal
salvation to eternal life, suggesting pride on God's
part, that would hinder him from destroying the wil-
fully wicked.
The "spirit of error" assumes to be wiser than the
Word of God, and suggests to human reason that it
should judge God according to its own standards, rather
than correct its own standards by the Word of divine
revelation. Thus, in various ways, the spirit of error,
the spirit of fear, and the spirit of bondage, which are all
elements of the spirit of the Adversary, the unholy
Spirit, give the lie to the statements of the Spirit of
The Holy Spirit. 199
Truth, which declare that " Christ Jesus by the grace
of God tasted death for every man," and that the blessed
opportunity of coming into harmony with God, under
the conditions of the New Covenant, shall ultimately
be extended to every creature; and that when each one
is brought to a knowledge of the Truth he is judged
thereby, and either approved unto everlasting life, or
condemned to everlasting destruction, the second death.
"Hereby discern we the Spirit of Truth from the spirit
of error." i John 4:5, 6; Acts 3:23.
The Spirit of God, the Spirit of holiness, is a spirit of
joy and peace in all who receive it, in proportion as they
receive it in proportion as they come into accord with
the s heavenly Father and with the Redeemer, who has
the same mind or disposition. The Spirit of the Lord
leads to faith in God's promises ; the spirit of error leads
in the contrary direction, to unbelief in the promises of
God, and to human speculations and credulity and super-
stition to the believing of things which God has not
spoken, and which are unreasonable to those who have
the "holy Spirit," "the Spirit of a sound mind." The
Spirit of Truth leads to activity and energy in the divine
cause, appreciating the privilege of being a co-worker
together with God to any extent; the spirit of error, on
the contrary, is a "spirit of slumber" and of carelessness
in heavenly things, and of carefulnessffor earthly things,
of carelessness for the true Church and its bond of
love, and of carefulness for human organizations and
their creed-bonds. Rom. 11:8.
THE SPIRIT THAT LUSTETH TO ENVY.
As already noted, God's consecrated children spirit-
"begotten "new creatures" are at present dual beings; the
new not fully developed, not yet "born," and having no
body suitable, lives in the old body of flesh reckoned
dead; captured by the renewed will for its use and ser-
vice during the period of its development. (This how-
200 The Atonement Channel.
ever does not imply that Christians are of two natures,
for such a thought is contrary to the science of the Bible.)
The new spirit, the mind of Christ, the holy disposition
or will, alone is recognized by God, and should alone be
recognized by the "holy brethren, partakers of the
heavenly calling:" nevertheless there is a continual war-
fare between this new disposition begotten by the Word
of God and the old will, spirit or disposition of our fallen
flesh. Sometimes in Scripture the contrary will or dis-
position of our flesh is spoken of as our spirit, as when
we read, "Do ye think that the Scripture saith in vain,
The spirit that dwelleth in us f ' In our flesh dwelleth no
perfect thing.'] lusteth to envy?" Jas. 4:5.
The new spirit, the new creature, that begotten of the
holy Spirit of love, does not envy; as it is written, "Love
envieth not, is not puffed up, etc," (r Cor. 13:4.) When-
ever, therefore, we find the spirit of envy, hatred, strife
or vainglory in any degree controlling our actions or
words or thoughts, it is a sure sign that our former
evil spirit is gaining a victory over us as new creatures.
And proportionately as we can and do put away all
these and are filled with the elements of the holy Spirit
gentleness, goodness, meekness, brotherly kindness,
love we are growing in the image of Christ, who is the
image of the Father in .that proportion we are being
filled with the holy Spirit. Not filled with a spirit person,
but filled with the spirit, influence or will of a person,
even of our Father Jehovah the same spirit which was
and still is in the Only Begotten Son.
The Apostle Paul also writes respecting this same
battle between the spirit, disposition or mind of our
flesh and the new spirit, disposition or mind to which we
have been regenerated. But he treats the subject from
the reckoned standpoint as though our flesh were no
longer we but our enemies, and we recognized only as
new creatures and the holy Spirit our only spirit or
disposition. He says: "This I say then, Walk in the
Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust [desire] of the flesh.
For the flsh tuð [desires] against the Spirit, and th$
The Holy Spirit. 201
Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one
to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye
[new creatures] would" the continual opposition and
deceitfulness of the flesh being a hindrance to perfect
deeds, though by God's grace this does not hinder our
acceptance with God as "new creatures/' whose hearts,
spirits, intentions, are holy and acceptable to the Father
in the Beloved One. Gal. 5:16, 17.
TAUGHT OF GOD THROUGH THE SPIRIT.
From what we have learned respecting the Spirit of
the Lord, and its operation upon his people, through
its enlightening influence upon their minds, its removal
of errors, and its illumination of the Word giving the
living truth, we are prepared to understand and appre-
ciate the Apostle's words: "Eye hath not seen, nor ear
heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man [the
natural man], the things which God hath in reservation
for them that love him. But God hath revealed them
unto us by his Spirit; for the Spirit searcheth all things,
yea, the deep things of God." (i Cor. 2:9, 10.) That is
to say, having submitted our wills to the Lord, that we
might be taught of him, and walk m his way, we have
come into harmony with his will, mind, Spir,it; and we
are prepared, from this new standpoint the standpoint
of a new mind, rightly directed to see things in a new
light all things become new to us. The new mind, the
new will, prompts us to search into the deep things of
God, to 'study the Word of God, that we may know and
do his will, as obedient sons. Having the mind or Spirit
of our Father, we will take heed to his instructions, in
every detail, and seek to walk in harmony with him,
"For what man knoweth the things [mind, will, plan] of
a man, save the spirit [mind] of man which is in him?
Even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the
Spirit of God." (i Cor. 2:11.) That is to say, as no man
know another man's mind and plan, except as they
262 , The Atonement Channel.
are revealed to him, so no one can understand the divine
mind and plan, except he come into harmony with the
divine mind receive the holy Spirit.
"Now we have received the Spirit [mind, disposition
or will] of God, that we might know the things that are
freely given unto us of God . . . but the natural man
receiveth not the things of God, for they are foolishness
unto him, neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned/' They are understood only by
those who have the Spirit or mind of God, the Spirit
of his plan, the Spirit of the Truth. All such must have
dispositions in harmony with righteousness and truth,
so far as they understand these principles, and must
daily seek to know more of the mind of God, the will of
God, and to have more of his Spirit, disposition. Such
obedient sons are more and more "filled with the Spirit**
of Truth, and the spirit of obedience to it. But they do
not gain this condition by comparing spiritual things
with natural things, as the natural man is disposed to
do, but by following the divine counsel, and "comparing
spiritual things with spiritual." (i Cor. 2:13.) "He that
is spiritual [who has received the holy mind or Spirit]
judgeth all things [he is able to understand and to prop-
erly estimate both human and spiritual things in the
light of the divine plan], yet he himself is judged of no
man." No natural man can understand or rightly judge
the motives which prompt the spiritually minded "new
creature" to willingly sacrifice things valuable to the
natural man, for hopes and prospects which, to the
latter, seem unreal and unreasonable. Hence, the fol-
lowers of the Lord are "counted as fools " by the worldly-
minded, by those who have the spirit of the world.
i Cor. 2:12-16; 4:10.
THE PARAKXETOS, THE COMFORTER.
Parakletos is rendered Comforter in John 14:16, 26;
but the thought usually conveyed by the word comfort
(namely to soothe, to pacify) is not here the correct one.
The Holy Spirit. 203
The correct thought is that of help, encouragement,
assistance, strengthening. Thus our Lord's promise im-
plied that the holy Spirit which the Father would send
in Jesus' name and as Jesus* representative would be
near his followers, a present help in every time of need
the holy power by which he would guide and direct his
people and enable them to "walk by faith and not by
sight." Indeed, our Lord gives us to understand that
all the ministrations of the Spirit are his own ministra-
tions, saying, " I will not leave you orphans, I will come
to you" (vs. 1 8): he thus identifies the holy Spirit with
himself. "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he
is none of his" and has not the parakktos, the divine
aid.
This power of God is with the whole Church, yet each
receives his share of the holy influence personally by
individual connection with channels of the Spirit, The
Truth itself is the main channel of the Spirit of the Truth ;
but all who are closely connected with the Truth and
have its Spirit are to that extent also channels through
which the Spirit aids and influences others.
The power or Spirit of God is invisible to men ; but its
effects are tangible and visible. This may be illustrated
by the electric current in the copper wire ; it is invisible,
but the moment the car, properly supplied with a motor,
touches the wire with its arm or "trolley" the power
is manifest in the movement of the car. The same cur-
rent by another arrangement lights the car, and by still
another device furnishes it with heat, and by yet a
different device communicates by telegraph or telephone.
All these are its blessings under favorable arrangements,
yet it may so be arranged as to be a death-dealing in-
fluence, as in the electrocution chair. So the holy Spirit
is the spiritual energy or power of God it moves,
enlightens, warms and instructs all who, having the
proper conditions in themselves, are brought into con-
nection with it through its proper channels; and it may
bring death Second Death, to all wilful sinners. How
needful, then, that each of the Lord's people have the
504 The Atonement Channel.
proper equipment and the proper connections in order to
be filled with the Spirit and made active unto all good
works!
Nothing connected with this reference to the holy
Spirit as another comforter or helper or strengthener
implies that another God is meant or another person of
a trinity of Gods. The connections show on the contrary
that the comforting or strengthening holy Spirit is the
Spirit of the Father and the Spirit of the Son. In verses
iS and 23 the Father and the Son are referred to as the
ones who strengthen and guide and comfort the Church
through the Spirit. Thus again our Lord declared, "Lo,
I am with you always, even unto the end of the age"
by the holy Spirit, not in flesh.
It should be remembered that the words he, him,
himself, used in referring to the parakletos, might with
equal propriety be translated she, her, herself, or it, itself.
Heanton, rendered himself in this connection, is rendered
itself nine times in our Common Version Bibles. Ekinos,
rendered he in this connection, is much oftener rendered
that and those. Ekinos is rendered it in i John 5:16
"I do not say that ye shall pray for it [the sin unto
'death]."
"HE SHALL GUIDE YOU INTO ALL TRUTH."
Our Lord indicated the channel through which this
power of God, "the Spirit of the Truth," would come to
his people, saying, "The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life." That is to say, My
words express the mind, the will, the Spirit of God.
Hence we have continually set before us, as necessary to
our victory, the study of the Word of Truth. We hear
our Lord's injunction, "Search the Scriptures." We
hear the Apostle Paul commending the Bereans* noble
conduct, in that "they searched the Scriptures daily."
We hear him again saying that "we ought to take the
more earnest heed to the words which we have heard;"
and we have Ms exhortation to Timothy, which assures
The Holy Spirit, 205
us that "the Word of God is profitable, that the man of
God may be thoroughly furnished unto every good
work." We hear the Apostle Peter also urging that
" we have a more sure word of prophecy [of divine reve-
lation], to which we do well that we take heed. "-'- John
5:39; Acts 17:11; Heb. 2:1; 2 Tim. 3:17; 2 Pet. 1:19.
The promise of being "filled with the Spirit" or mind
of God is not to those who merely possess the Word of
God, nor to those who merely read the Word of God, but
is to those who search it earnestly, seeking to understand
it ; and who understanding it are willing, nay, anxious to
obey it. If we would be filled with the Spirit of God, we
must drink deeply of the fountain of Truth his Word.
And since our earthen vessels are imperfect, leaky, it is
easy to let spiritual things slip (Heb. 2 :i) ; in which case
the spirit of the world, which surrounds us constantly,
quickly rushes in to fill the vacuum. Indeed, there is a
constant pressure of the spirit of the world upon the
Lord's people, tending to displace the new spirit, the
new mind, the Spirit or disposition of holiness. Therefore
it behooves all of the Lord's faithful new creatures to
live very close to the fountain of Truth, the Lord, and
very close to his Word, lest the Spirit of God be quenched,
and we be filled instead with the spirit of the world.
It seems expedient to caution some that although a
knowledge of the Truth, a knowledge of the Scriptures,
is important, essential to the possession of the Spirit
of the Truth, nevertheless, one might have muck know-
ledge of the Word of God without having any of its
Spirit. To receive the Spirit of the Truth is to come into,
heart harmony with the Truth, to come into mental
accord and cooperation with the Divine will expressed
in the Word, This condition can be attained in one way
only; by first accepting the Lord Jesus as our Redeemer
and Justifier, and secondly, consecrating purgelyes un-
reservedly to seek to know and to do his will,
But this " Spirit of the Truth" this "holy Spirit " or
in harmony with God and his righteousness, should
The Atonement Channel*
with the "fruits of the Spirit," though its possession
always yields the latter, "the peaceable fruits of right-
eousness/' meekness, patience, gentleness, brotherly
kindness, love. The Spirit of the Truth must be ours
before it can produce such fruits in our daily lives: and
in some the period of developing mature fruits, of good
size and flavor, is longer than with others; but each
should remember our Lord's words, "Herein is my
Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit so shall ye
be my. disciples." We should remember also his par-
able of the Vine, in which the branches represent sever-
ally his consecrated disciples. Of these he declares,
"Every branch in me that beareth fruit the Father
purgeth [pruneth] it, that it may bring forth more
fruit, and every branch that beareth not fruit he taketh
away." John 15:2.
The Christian is a branch from the moment of his con-
secration, and is a partaker of the sap from the root, a
partaker of the holy Spirit, and yet it is not to be ex-
pected that he will instantly bear all the fruits of the
Spirit, nor any of them in their perfection. The first
evidences of the relationship to the Church- Vine will
be an association with the other branches, a connection
with the root, and evidences of life. Next there will be
the feelers or tendrils, by which progress will be sought
and attained. Next will come the leaves, or professions;
and next to be looked for should be the flower, and later
the fruit. But the fruit is extremely small at first, and
sour; it requires time to develop grapes of size and fiavor
acceptable to the great Husbandman. Such are "the
fruits of the Spirit " of Christ expected in every "branch "
of the Vine in every member of the body of Christ,
the Church. Unless in due time these fruits of the Spirit
meekness, gentleness, patience, brotherly kindness,
faith, hope, love appear, the branch will cease to be
considered a branch, and as a ''sucker" will be cut on:
from further affiliation and privilege.
We have already seen that "the gifts of the Spirit**
granted at the beginning of the Gospel age, for the estab-
The Holy Spirit. 26?
lishment of the Church, differed from "the fruits of the
Spirit." The "gifts" were conferred by the laying on of
the hands of the apostles: they came spontaneously only
in exceptional cases (Acts 2:4; 10:45): Simon Magus,
though baptized and granted a gift for his own use, was
unable to confer the gifts to others and was reproved by
Peter for offering money to obtain this purely apostolic
power. (Acts 8:13-21.) And the same account makes
clear that even Philip the Evangelist, though able to
perform "signs and great miracles," could not confer
the gifts of the Spirit, but was obliged to send for the
apostles to do this for his converts. All this agrees fully
with the statement of the Apostle Paul that many of
the gifts would "fail," " vanish away : " it was necessarily
so when, all the Apostles having died, all those upon
whom they had conferred those "gifts" died also.
The gifts of faith, hope and love which the Apostle de-
clared would abide were not miraculous gifts but growths
"fruits" as he elsewhere describes them. i Cor. 13:8;
John 15:16.
Amongst the gifts of the Spirit the Apostle specifies
(i) apostles, (2) prophets, (3) teachers. We still have
with us the gift of apostles, in that we have their teach-
ings in the New Testament, so full and complete as to
require no addition ; and hence the twelve apostles have
no successors, and need none, since there are but "twelve
apostles of the Lamb;" they are "the twelve stars,"
the crown of the Church; they are the " twelve founda-
tions" of the Church glorified, the New Jerusalem.
(John 6:70; Rev. 12:1; 21:14.) We have also still, in
the Church, the gifts of prophets or expo-understand
teachers, servants of God and his Church speaking
various languages; but no longer does the Spirit supply
these instantly and miraculously without education
and talents by the laying on of the apostolic hands.
Such miracles are no longer necessary and no longer
employed assuredly not to the same extent as for-
merly. Instead, the Lord generally makes choice of
some who by natural qualifications and education are
208 The Atonement Channel*
Ftted to his service: nevertheless we are to remembef
that the condition of the heart is far more important in
the Lord's sight than all other qualifications combined;
and that he is fully able to use those whom he chooses
(because full of his Spirit) to be his special servants and
ambassadors: he can providentially supply them with
assistance in any manner he may please; as, for instance,
to Moses his special servant who was slow of speech
he gave Aaron to be a mouthpiece.
The Lord's people are not to forget that, although the
administration or method has changed, the same Lord
by the agency of the same holy Spirit is still guiding
the affairs of his Church; less manifestly, less outwardly
discernible, but no less really, no less carefully, and in
every detail of its affairs. And all of the Lord's flock
led of his Spirit, and taught of his Word, are to judge
discriminatingly respecting those who seem to be teachers
and evangelists, presenting themselves as such. The
Lord's people are not to receive as such all who profess
to be teachers and evangelists, but only those whom they
discern to be marked of the Lord as having these gifts;
and one of the tests is in respect to their fidelity to the
Word of God that they preach not themselves, but
Jesus Christ, and him crucified, the power of God and
the wisdom of God to every one that believeth. If any
man come unto us with any other gospel, we are instruc-
ted particularly that we are not to receive him as a
teacher of the Truth, but to consider him as a servant of
error, whether knowingly or ignorantly so.
Thus does the Spirit or influence of God, the holy
Spirit or influence of the Truth, instruct his' people,
guiding them (directly or indirectly) into a knowledge
of God. Thus it is the channel of at-one-ment now to
the Church, and somewhat similarly it will be the.channel
of at-one-ment to the world in the coming age, when,
"the Spirit and the Bride [the glorified Church] shall
say, Come, take of the water of life freely/* Rev.
22:17,
STUDY IX.
THE BAPTISM, WITNESS AND SEAL
OF THE
SPIRIT OF AT-ONE-MENT.
SPIRIT BAPTISM, ONB ONLIT IN THREE PA&TS. THE SIGNIFICANCE OP
THIS BAPTISM. "THE KEYS OP THE KINGDOM OP HEAVEN.'* ANOTHER
BAPTISM OP THE SPIRIT PROMISED "UPON ALX, FLESH."- ITS SIGNIFI-
CANCE. PRAYER POR THE SPIRIT. THE WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT. ITS
IMPORTANCE. No PEACE WITH GOD WITHOUT IT. PEW KNOW WHETHER
THEY HAVE IT OR NOT. " 'Tis A POINT I LONG TO KNOW." How TO
RECOGNIZE THE SPIRIT'S WITNESS. DIFFERENCES OF ADMINISTRATION.
THE SPIRIT'S TESTIMONY. "SANCTIFIED BY THE SPIRIT/' "FiLlED
WITH THE SPIRIT." THE SEAL OP THE SPIRIT. "THE PROMISE" WHICH
IT SEALS. UNTO THE BAY oP DELIVERANCE. THE HIGHEST ATTAIN-
MENT TO BE SOUGHT -AND RETAINED.
"When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were
all with one accord in one place, And suddenly there came
a sound from heaven as or a rushing mighty wind, and it
filled all the house where they were sitting. And there ap-
peared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and they
sat upon each of them* And they were all filled with the
Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the
Spirit gave them utterance* Acts 2:1-4.
DAY of Pentecost was a most notable one in the
history of the Gospel Church. It indicated that
our Redeemer had appeared in the presence of God
for us, as our great High Priest; that lie had off ered be-
fore the Father the merits of his sacrifice, finished at Cal-
vary fifty days previously; that the Father had accepted
the sacrifice fully; and consequently that the apostles and
believers who had accepted Jesus, and who were desi-
rous of approaching to the Father, and becoming sons
of God (John. 1:12), were now recognized as such; the
14E 209
. The Spirit of Atonement.
holy Spirit thus testifying' their acceptance: hence it is
termed the " Spirit of adoption" into the family of God.
It was appropriate that so important a matter should be
clearly demonstrated: it was not only important that the
apostles and believers should receive the holy Spirit,
the Spirit of divine favor, in their hearts, but that they
should have an outward manifestation which would be
a satisfactory proof, not only to themselves but to all
subsequent believers, that God had fully accepted the
Church as sons and joint-heirs with Christ.
But nothing in connection with this narrative in any
sense of the word necessitates the thought of a personal
holy Spirit, separate from the Father and the Son.
Quite the contrary: the fact that the holy Spirit was
received in them all of itself implies that the holy Spirit
is not a person, but an influence, a power exerted by a
person the power or influence of God exerted in and
upon his newly adopted children. This is further evi-
denced by the fact that the various powers and talents
of the apostles were energized, quickened and enlarged
by this influence. The Apostle explains that it was here
that our Lord Jesus "gave gifts unto men" spiritual
gifts. (Psa. 68:18; Eph. 4:8.) The great gift of his own
life had already been given, and constituted the re-
demption price for the whole world; and a portion of
the ransomed myriads, a little flock, having been espec-
ially given to Christ to be his joint-heirs and associates in
the Kingdom, and the selection of this little flock having
already begun, as represented in those who waited for
the Pentecostal blessing, the time had come for their
recognition. It was the Father who there recognized
the Church of Christ, in the sense that the impartation of
his holy Spirit, as an influence and power, implied the
reconciliation of believers; so that they were no longer' 1
treated as sinners and aliens, nor even as servants; now
as sons they were made "partakers of the heavenly
gift." "VVe are informed that this holy Spirit, holy in-
fluence, holy power, which emanates from its fountain
or source, the Father, was poured out, nevertheless.
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 211
appropriately by God's honored representative, through
whom every blessing of God has come and will come,
namely, Christ Jesus our Lord and Head.
The Apostle Peter, speaking under the inspiring in-
fluence of the holy Spirit, explained the matter, that it
was of the Father and by the Son, saying, "Jesus being
by the right hand of God exalted, and having received
of the Father the promise of the holy spirit, he hath shed
forth this which ye now see and hear." (Acts 2:33.)
Accordingly, there cannot be too much stress laid upon
this baptism of the holy Spirit, seeing that it marks the
acceptance of the Church, and that without it we would
have no proof of the acceptance of our Lord's sacrifice
and of our justification.
However, we must most emphatically object to the
common but erroneous and thoroughly unscriptural
idea which prevails amongst many very earnest Chris-
tians, to the effect that frequent baptisms of the holy
Spirit are to be expected and sought. Such an expecta-
tion not only is unwarranted by any promises given us
in the Word of God, but is thoroughly at variance with
the divine arrangement therein laid down. It should be
noticed that the Scriptures mention only three baptisms
of the holy Spirit; and the necessity for each of these,
and for no more, is manifest the three being parts or
divisions of the one baptism, (i) The baptism of our
Lord Jesus. (2) The baptism at Pentecost. (3) The
baptism of Cornelius, the first Gentile convert accepted
as a " son." Let us examine these baptisms of the Spirit
in this order.
(i) Not only was our Lord's baptism of the holy
Spirit necessary to himself, that he might be a partaker
of the divine power, as the divine agent, and as the
earnest of his inheritance, his begetting to the divine
nature; but it was proper also that there should be such
an outward manifestation or recognition of him as would
permit others to know him as God's Anointed. The
manifestation was that of a dove descending and light-
ing upon him. Nor are we given to understand that the
212 TJie Spirit of Atonement.
Popple ill general witnessed this manifestation, of divine
f^vpr; the understanding rather is that John the Baptist,
who was at the time doing a reformatory work in Israel,
and w,ho was recognized as a prophet, a servant of the
Lord, alone witnessed the descent of the Spirit upon our
Lord, and he bore testimony to the fact. The statement
is, "And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit de-
scending from heaven, Jike a dove, and it abode upon
him; and I knew him not [knew not that he was the
IV[e.ssiah]: but he that sent me to baptize with water,
the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt gee the
Spirit descending and remaining upon him, the same is
he which baptizeth with the holy Spirit. And I saw,
and bare record, that this is the Son of God/* John 1 133.
(2) The baptism of the Church at Pentecost, as John
here explains, was to be done by CJirist, "he which bap-
ti^eth with the holy Spirit." Peter confirms this, as
w$ have seen, declaring that Christ did shed forth his
hply Spirit. He alone can so baptize, because he has
rejieenied the world, bought all with his precious blood;
and because no man cometh tjnto the, Father but by him,
and Because the Father ji^dgetji no man, but hath com-?
mitted all judgment unto the Son; ancj. because the Son,
highly exalted, apts as the Father's representative, to
introduce into full fellowship with the Father those wl*o
come unto the Father t>y him. We have already seen
that this baptism of the Church with the holy Spirit was
necessary, as a testimony, as a witness, in the same man-
ner that it was necessary that the baptism of the Spirit
upon our Lord Jesus should be witnessed and testified.
TfcQ rushing wind filling the place, and the "cloven
tongues of flame" which "sat qn eacli of them" (pro1>
the eleven apostles only, designating them as the.
. Special representatives and the holy Spirit's
mwtirp}ces see verse 14), were not the holy Spirit >
but merejy manifestations to tlieir senses representing
tjie mvi^iqje. Similarly the dove which John saw was
not the Spirit but a manifestation to hi$ senses. The
lis Baptism, Witness and Seal. 213
the fulness of Jehovah's spirit of love in" Jesus; as the
cloven tongues fitly represented the mission of the
Apostles to be, under the holy Spirit, to testify as "wit-
nesses: 1 Acts 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 15:3$; 4 i; I3 ; 31 .
(3) A special manifestation of the divine power in
connection with the acceptance of Cornelius, the first
Gentile convert, was necessary; because hitherto Gen-
tiles had been outcasts, Unacceptable to God even as
servants; consequently it would not occur to the Jewish
believers that the Gentiles would be accepted into the
high position of sons of God, unless some pointed mani-
festation of divine favor to that effect were granted,
As already seen, it was not the divine program that
any Gentiles should be accepted until the end of the
"seventy weeks" of Jewish special favor, three and a
half years after Pentecost;* hence the fact that converts
from among the Gentiles were to be fellow-heirs (on an
equality) with converts from among the Jews, could
not be indicated in the baptism of the Spirit at Pente-
cost. And in view of the deep-rooted prejudices of the
apostles as well as other Jews, it was most appropriate
that the acceptance of Cornelius should be manifested
to the senses of the Apostle by the satne evidences given
at Pentecost. Nor is it necessary to suppose that the
"cloven tongues of flame" sat on Cornelius: in common
with the converts from Judaism, he probably received
some of the "gifts" which "canie upon all at Pentecost.
How else could we have ever known that the Gentiles
were accepted of the Lord? If the baptism of the Spirit
and the Pentecostal blessings had come only upon the
believers who were of the natural seed of Abraham, it
might have left us in doubt all the way down through
the Gospel age, as respects the standing of the Lord's
people who by natural progeniture were Gentiles* But
by the baptism of the holy Spirit coming upon Cornelius,
the Lord made fully manifest the fact that there was no
longer any difference between Jew and Gentile, bond
* See MILLENNIAL DAtvN, VOL. if., Chap.
214 The Spirit of Atonement.
and free, male and female, so far as acceptance with him
in Christ was concerned. None are acceptable of them-
selves, in their own unrighteousness hence only those
who come unto the Father through the Beloved One are
accepted in him. i Cor. 12:13.
Aside from these three baptisms of the holy Spirit
there is no other reference to the subject in the Scriptures :
consequently the thought of many of the Lord's people,
that they must expect, labor for and pray for another or
repeated baptisms of the holy Spirit is quite unwarranted.
Such baptisms are wholly unnecessary, because the one
baptism at Pentecost, supplemented by that upon Cor-
nelius, fills every requirement. Those baptisms came
not merely upon the individuals who enjoyed the bless-
ing, but representatively were for and upon the Church,
the Body of Christ, as a whole. The fact that this repre-
sentative work for the Church was made in two parts
upon the first Jewish believers at Pentecost, and upon
the first Gentile believers in the house of Cornelius, is
only in harmony with our Lord's statement on the sub-
ject to Peter, before his crucifixion, saying, "I will give
unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven." (Matt.
16:19.) A key signifies power to unlock, to open: and
keys, in the plural, implies that more than one door was
to be opened. As a matter of fact, there were just two
doors, and just two keys; and the Apostle Peter used
both keys, doing the opening work to both Jews and
Gentiles, as the Lord had predicted. He used the first
key at Pentecost, where he was the first, chief, principal
speaker, who introduced the new dispensation of the
Spirit to the three thousand who at once believed and
entered the door. (Acts 2:37-41.) Again, when the due
time had come for the Gospel to be preached to the Gen-
tiles, the Lord, in accordance with his choice, sent Peter
to do this work, telling Cornelius to send for Peter, and
telling Peter to go to Cornelius, and to speak the words
of the Gospel to him and his household. On this occasion
Peter used the second key, opening the Gospel door
before the Gentiles, God witnessing to the fact by the
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 215
miraculous manifestations of his holy Spirit upon Cor-
nelius and the other consecrated believers from among
the Gentiles with him.
The proper thought respecting the baptism of the holy
Spirit is that of an outpouring, a shedding forth, an
anointing, which, however, is so complete (covering every
member of the body) as to be properly designated an
immersion, or "baptism." And this same anointing or
baptism continues upon the Church down through the
age, covering, permeating, sanctifying, blessing, anoint-
ing, from then until now, each one who comes into the
anointed "body." And this will continue until the
last member has been received and fully anointed. The
Apostle John speaking also of this baptism, styling it
an anointing, says, "The anointing which ye have
received of him abideth in you." (i John 2:27; Psa.
133 :2.) He does not say, the numerous anointings which
you have received, but the anointing, the one anointing,
more being quite superfluous and out of harmony with
the divine arrangement.
From the divine standpoint the entire Church is recog-
nized as one as a whole, for, "As the body is one, yet
hath many members, so also is Christ ... Ye are
members in particular of the body of Christ." (i Cor.
12:12, 27.) In harmony with this thought the scrip-
tural presentation of the matter is that although the
Lord considers us individually, and in many respects
deals with us individually, yet our standing before the
Father is not so much as units, but as members or parts
of a unit, which unit is Christ, head and body. Hence
we are informed that after we have believed our next
step is to get into the body of Christ to be baptized
into his body.
We will not here discuss the subject of baptism in gen-
eral, leaving that for future consideration, but we note
the fact that believers are invited to be baptized into
Christ, in order that they may come into or under his
baptism of the holy Spirit. The holy Spirit not being
a person, but a holy Spirit or power possessed by the
a 1 6 The Spirit of Atonement.
Church, all who wottld have this blessing must come into
relationship with this Church, Christ's body. It is not
to be obtained otherwise. Nor do we mean by this a
membership in an earthly Church a Methodist body,
a Presbyterian body, a Lutheran body, a Roman Catholic
body, or any other body of human organization. We
mean a membership in the ecclesia, whose members can
be assuredly recognized only by their possession of the
holy Spirit of love, attested by its various fruits and
witnessed to as we have seen foregoing.
Whoever becomes truly united with Christ, and thus
truly united with all the members of the body of Christ,
needs not to pray for present or future Pentecostal bless-
ings, but may look back with joy and confidence to the
original Pentecostal blessing and the blessing upon Cor-
nelius, as the evidences which the Father gave, through
Christ, of his acceptance of the Church as a whole: and
with the divine arrangement all should be fully content.
We do not say that our Lord is wroth with those who,
with mistaken thoughts, ask, contrary to his will, for
numerous Pentecosts; rather, we will suppose that he
will have compassion upon their ignorance and mis*
directed prayers, and without altering his own plans and
arrangements will pour them out a blessing as much of
a blessing as their erroneous expectations and neglect
of his Word will permit accepting the groanings of
their spirits for heavenly communion.
It is strange that these dear friends who continually
pray for baptisms of the Spirit have never noticed that
the apostles did not pray for future Pentecosts, neither
did they instruct the Church so to pray. Do such friends
think themselves wiser than the inspired apostles, or
holier than they, or more anxious to be filled with the
Spirit? We will trust that they have no such egotis-
tical and presumptuous imaginations, and that their
feelings are merely those of ignorant children, who
thoughtlessly &nd sometimes peevishly tease indulgent
parents for unnecessary and unpromised blessings and
mercies, which cannot be granted them,
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 217
THE GENERAL BAPTISM OF TOE SPIRIT.
" Afterward I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh."
Joel 2:28.
The holy Spirit is to be the channel of reconciliation
between the Almighty and the race of sinners redeemed
with the precious life of Christ. As the object of the
sacrifice of Christ was to open up the way by which God
could be just, and yet be the justifier of all who believe
in him, and who seek to come unto the Father "by him,
so his work, as the glorified Mediator, is to bring back
into full fellowship with God so many of the redeemed
race as are willing to return when granted full knowledge
and opportunity. We have seen that this work of bring-
ing back the members of the fallen race into harmony
with God is divided into two parts: (i) the Church of
this Gospel age, and (2) so many as will, of the remainder
of mankind, during the coming Millennial age,
We have seen that the basis of harmony is not that
God condones sin, and excuses it, and permits us to re-
turn to his favor as sinners, but that the sinners are to
put away their sins, accept heartily the divine standard
of righteousness, and to come back into full harmony with
God; so that they will seek and attain, through appoint-
ed channels, and under the supervision of Christ, the
heavenly Father's holy Spirit, mind, will, disposition
receiving it as their own mind, will or disposition, and
thus be transformed by the renewing of their minds.
This, which we have seen is God's program for the Church,
is also declared to "be God's program, through Christ,
for the reconciliation of the world unto himself during
the next age. Not one iota of the divine law will be
modified; sin and imperfection will not be excused and
counted as perfection and righteousness.
The world of mankind will be in the hands of the
Christ for reformation and restoration to the i#iage of
God, lost through father Adam through transgressor*;
as a part of the means for bringing the world
2i8 The Spirit of Atonement.
into harmony with. God, the influence of Satan, which
now is upon the world, binding and blinding mankind,
will be removed (2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:2), and thereafter,
instead of the world being under the influence or spirit
of deception and error and ignorance and superstition,
it shall be under the influence or Spirit of truth and
righteousness and love. Instead of outside influences
being a pressure upon the hearts of men, to fill them with
anger and malice, hatred, strife and selfishness, this
influence or spirit will be restrained and ultimately
destroyed, and the contrary influence or Spirit of right-
eousness, goodness, mercy, sympathy, love, will be de-
veloped. Thus, through Christ, the holy Spirit of God
will be poured out upon the world of mankind, first,
in giving them enlightenment; secondly, in giving them
help, assistance, strength, to overcome their own in-
herited tendencies; and third, in instructing them and
leading them back to the image and likeness of God, lost
through father Adam's disobedience.
While these prospective privileges and blessings for the
world are glorious, and rejoice our hearts far beyond
anything that the Lord's people have seen in times past,
they nevertheless offer no comfort to enemies of the Lord,
or to those who, when they have the opportunity, re-
fuse to receive of his holy Spirit, and to be filled by it.
It will be poured out for all flesh, but it will be necessary
for those who would enjoy it and be profited thereby to
avail themselves of its privileges: just as it is necessary
for believers of this Gospel age, who would come under
and be blessed by the holy Spirit, to make use of the
means; to consecrate themselves and to eat the truth,
that they may have "the Spirit of the truth." When the
great Prophet and Life-giver, the great Priest after the
order of Melchizedek (Christ, head and body, complete),
stands forward to bless the world, it will mean a blessing
for all who will receive the words of that prophet, and
obey them, and obtain the blessing of eternal life, by
obedience; and it will mean the destruction by the Second
Death for all those who refuse to hear him, as it is writ-
Its Baptism, Witness and SeaL 219
ten, "Every sonl which will not hear [obey] that Prophet
shall be destroyed from among the people." Acts 3:23.
Joel's prophecy, it will be noticed, is stated in the re-
verse order to that of its fulfilment; the blessing of all
flesh is stated first, and the blessing upon the Church last.
No doubt this order of statement was of the Lord's
design, so as to cover or hide some of the glorious features
of this great promise, until the due time for it to be
understood. (Dan. 12:9, 10.) Although it has been read
over for centuries, it could not open up and disclose all
of its wonderful treasure until God's "due time" had
come. Throughout this Gospel age the Lord has poured
out his Spirit upon his servants and handmaidens only;
and blessed has been the experience of all those who re-
ceived it, all who were immersed into the body of
Christ, and made partakers of his anointing as sons;
and it was to this feature that the Apostle Peter referred
in his discourse at Pentecost. He quoted both parts of
the prophecy, but, under the guidance of the holy Spirit,
he did not expound or illuminate the first part ; because
the time for it to be understood had not yet come.
Hence, instead of explaining the difference between the
holy Spirit upon the servants and the handmaidens
during this Gospel age ("in those days*'), and the holy
Spirit upon all flesh "afterward," in the next age, he
merely says, referring to the holy Spirit upon himself
and the other believers, " This is that which was spoken
by the Prophet Joel" a part of that, the beginning of
that which was spoken. It will not all be complete until
the pouring out of the Spirit upon all flesh, which is not
yet. Moreover, the prophet mentions other things,
which are not yet fulfilled. He refers to the darkening of
the sun and the moon, and the coming of the great and
notable day of the Lord, which are events now nigh at
hand, the great day of wrath, which intervenes and sepa-
rates between the outpouring of the holy Spirit upon the
Church, "the servants and handmaidens," in these days,
and "all flesh," afterward.
$26 The Spirit of Atonement.
As we have seen, there will be tio difference between the
Spirit of God, as it will come upon the world in the next
age, and the Spirit of God as it comes upon the Church
in this age, because it is the same Spirit of truth, Spirit
of righteousness, Spirit of holiness, Spirit of sanctifica-
tion, Spirit of harmony with God, -the Spirit or influence
which God will exert In favor of righteousness and good-
ness and truth. Nevertheless, it will not mean the same
thing in every particular 1 then that it means now. To
receive the holy Spirit of God now, and to live in har-
mony therewith, means necessarily a conflict with the
spirit of the world, which abounds on every hand.
For this reason it is that those who receive the holy
Spirit now, and who walk in harmony with it, are in-
structed to expect persecution and opposition from all
who do not have the Spirit, the vast majority.
To receive the holy Spirit in the future will not meati
persecution, because the order, arrangement, govern-
ment, of the next age will be very different from the
present one: whereas the prince of this world is Satan,
tfee prince of the World or age to come will be Christ;
and whereas the majority of mankind are now under the
influence of Satan, willingly or unwillingly, knowingly
or unknowingly, in the next age the whole world -frill
be undei 4 the influence of Christ and his righteous govern-
ment. And the Truth will then be made free and common
to all, from the least unto the greatest. Since the law
of the next age will be the law o righteousness, truth,
goodness, and will be ruling, as the Kingdom of God,
those who come into harmony with that government
arid its law, and who have the Spirit of Truth, will not
suffer persecution as a result thereof, but, on the con-
trary, will experience favor and blessings and make
progress in proportion as they receive of that Spirit of
holiness.
TJie possession of the holy Spirit, during the Millen-
nial age, will not as during this age signify a begetting
of the Spirit to a spirit-nature, nor will it signify an
acceptance to joint-heirship with Christ in the Kingdom.
Its Baptism* Witness o>nd Seal. 221
That promise belongs only to this Gospel age, tp the
servant and handmaiden class, who receive the hply
Spirit and are actuated by it during this age, when, in
consequence of the present prevalence of evil, they are
obliged to suffer for rigfyteaiisness' sake; and upon whom,
therefore, "the Spirit of glory and of God restetli."
i Pet. 4:14.
The possession of the holy Spirit during the Millen-
nial age will simply signify that the recipient ha$ come
into harmony with Christ, the Mediator, and is to that
extent in harmony with God and in line with the bless-
ings which God has provided for mankind in general,
which blessings are not a chqnge of nature, to the divine,
but a restitution to all that was lost through the failure
of the ffrsft Adam. (Acts 3:19-21,) The possession p
the holy Spirit by such will be an evidence that the work
of regeneration by the second Adam to perfection of
human nature "bought" for them by the great sin-
offering has commenced in them; and that if continued,
it will ultimately bring perfection of restitution to the
human likeness of the divine Father,
We are tp remember that the blessings wWch Christ
will give to the world 4uring the Millennial age, as the
regenerator of the world, are the blowings which he
bought for them by the sacrifice of ftiip$e]f , As he gaye
himself, a$ "the man Christ Jesus," a, corresponding
price for the man Adam? Upon whom the condemnation
came, so it was the manhood, rights, privileges and life
and kingdom of Adam that were purchased by the great
sacrifice for sins; and these purchased things are the
things which are to be restored tc? the regenerated world,
through their regenerator or father, Christ Jesus our
Lord, the second Adam Eph. 1:14? Acts 3 :I 9" 2 3-
The fact that our Lord Jesus was not the second Adam
white in the flesh, but is the second A4 ain Q & spirit
being (since his resurrection), would not imply that ftp,,
as the second father of the race, would giye to mankind
spirit life or spirit being in their regeneration. On the
? we w to
222 The Spirit of Atonement.
by the word "father" is merely "life-giver," without
respect to the nature. Thus in father Adam's creation
he is called a son of God, because created in the moral
likeness and image of God, and not as implying that
he was created in the divine nature; for we know that
he was of the earth, earthy, while God is a spirit. The
principles underlying this power by which God, as the
life-giver, has become the Father of all creation, through
his active agent, our Lord, is more particularly shown
in a preceding chapter, under the caption, "The Unde-
filed One:" we merely call attention to the matter here,
to guard against misapprehension. God's purpose in
connection with the creation of the world, and man as
its inhabitant and lord, and the lower animals as his
subjects, has not been changed by reason of the per-
mitted disobedience and fall: the original plan remains
as at first. After the evil attempted by the Adversary
shall be ultimately expunged, the divine plan, as origi-
nally designed, will be fully accomplished through Christ.
The Church of this Gospel age, which shall, as we have
seen, be highly exalted and glorified as the Bride and
joint-heir of Christ, is an exception to the restitution of
mankind: it is called out or selected for a special purpose,
and is particularly tried and tested, fitted and prepared
for high exaltation, joint-heirship with Christ, a change
from the human nature to a nature above the angelic
nature, "far above angels, principalities and powers,"
partakers of the divine nature.
But while we ought not to pray for unpromised new
baptisms of the holy Spirit, we are taught most positively
to seek and pray for the Spirit as a satisfying portion.
PRAYING FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT.
"If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto
your children, how mticli more shall your heavenly Father
give the holy Spirit to them that ask him?" Luke n :i3.
Although "all things are by the Son," yet here as
everywhere he gives the glory and honor, as the fountain
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 22$
of blessing, to the Father. The entire work of redemp-
tion and reconciliation is the Father's work through
the Son. And our Lord declares that it is the Father's
good pleasure that we should have more and more
of his Spirit of holiness. He bids us seek for and ask for
this, as the great supreme blessing. As for earthly bless-
ings, our Redeemer tells us that our Heavenly Father
knoweth what things we have need of he knoweth
better than we know what earthly blessings will be help-
ful, and which would be injurious to us. We need not,
therefore, as do the unregenerate and the heathen, think
of and pray for earthly blessings; but rather, as those
who have come into the relationship of sons, and who
have full confidence in the Father's provision, we may
expect that he will give what is best, and we may rest
ourselves content in that promise and faith.
The Heavenly Father is pleased to have us desire and
ask for more and more of the holy Spirit a disposition
more and more fully in harmony with his Spirit: and all
who thus desire and ask and seek it shall obtain their
good desires ; the Father will be pleased to so order the
affairs of such that hindrances to the Spirit, whether in
them or in their environment, shall be overcome, that
his loving Spirit may abound in them that they may
be filled with the Spirrc. But in this there is no sugges-
tion of necessity for fresh baptisms- of the holy Spirit :
the "baptism came at the beginning, and now all there
remains to do is to open the sluices in every direction,
so as to let the holy Spirit of love and truth penetrate
into and permeate every action, word and thought of
our beings. We need divine aid, the operation of the
Lord's wisdom and providence, to show us what clogs
the sluices and to help us remove the obstructions.
The Spirit of holiness in abundance can only be re-
ceived by those who earnestly desire it and seek it by
prayer and effort. The mind or spirit of the world must
be driven out of our hearts, in proportion as we would
have them filled with the holy Spirit, mind, influence.
Self-will must also give place. And because it is in
The Spirit of Atonenient.
proportion as we are emptied of all things else that
we are ready to receive of his fulness, therefore the Lord
would have us come into this condition of earnest desire
for filling with his Spirit of holiness, that we may be
willing and anxious to displace and eradicate every
other contrary influence and will.
This evidently is the thought of the Apostle, in his
prayer for the Church at Ephesus, that "Christ [the
Spirit of Christ] may dwell in your hearts by faith [that
figuratively he may sit as king, ruler, director of every
thought, word and deed]; that ye being rooted and
grounded in love [the holy Spirit or disposition] may be
able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,
and length, and depth and height, and to appreciate the
J.ove of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye may
be filled with all the fulness of God." (Eph. 3:19.) He
who is filled with the Spirit of Christ, and with a full
appreciation of the love which he manifested, will have
the Father's Spirit in full measure.
Nothing in the Scripture under examination can in
any tilanner be construed to imply that the Heavenly
Father would be pleased to have his children ask him
for another God a third person of a trinity of coequal
Gods. Such a thought is repugnant to the passage and
its connections: and those who entertain such an erron-
eous view must necessarily be blinded to that extent to
the true beauty and force of this promise. It would be
strange indeed if one member of a coequal trinity of
Gods referred to another as able and willing to give the
third as earthly parents give bread, fish and eggs to
their children. (See preceding verses.) The entire pas-
sage is consistent only when the holy Spirit is properly
understood to be the divine mind or influence bestowed
variously for the comfort and spiritual upbuilding of
God's .children.
Our text institutes a comparison between kind earthly
patents giving natural food to their children, and our kind
heavenly Parent giving his holy Spirit to them that ask
But as the earthly patent sets the food within the
Its Baptism, Witness and Seat 25
reach of his family, but does not force it upon them, so
our heavenly Parent has set within the reach of his
spiritual family the good provisions of his grace, but he
does not force them upon us. We must hunger and thirst
for them, we must seek for them, not doubtfully, but
with faith respecting his willingness to give us good
gifts. When, therefore, we pray for the holy Spirit, and
to be filled with the Lord's Spirit, we are to look about
us and find the provision which he has made for the
answer to these prayers, which he has thus inspired and
directed.
We find this provision in the Word of truth; but it is
not enough to find where it is: if we desire to be filled
we must eat ; assuredly we must partake of the feast or
we will not experience the satisfaction which the eating
was designed to give. He who will not eat of a full
table will be empty and starved, as truly as though there
were no food. As the asking of a blessing upon the food
will not fill us, but thereafter we must partake of it,
so the possession of the Word of God, and the offering
of our petition to be filled with the Spirit, will not suffice
us; we must eat the Word of God, if we would derive
his Spirit from it,
Our Master declared, "The words that I speak unto
you, they are Spirit and they are life" (John 6:63);
and of all who are filled with the Spirit it is true, as spoken
by the prophet, "Thy words were found and I did cat
them." (Jer. 15:16; Rev. 10:9.) It is absolutely useless
for us to pray Lord, Lord, give us the Spirit, if we neglect
the Word of truth which that Spirit has supplied for
our fulfilling. If we merely pray for the Spirit and do
not use the proper means to obtain the Spirit of truth,
we will continue to be at most only "babes in Christ,"
seeking outward signs, in proof of relationship to the
Lord, instead of the inward witness, through the Word
of truth, which he has provided.
15E
226 The Spirit of Atonement.
. THE WITNESS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
"The Spirit itself bearetli witness with our spirit that we
are the children of God." Rom. 8:16.
Few doctrines are of more importance to God's people
than this one; because on it depends to a .considerable
extent their possession of "the peace of God which
passeth all understanding/* (Phil. 4:7.) How can they
have "full assurance of faith" (Heb. 10:22) if they lack
the witness of the Spirit testifying to their sonship to
their adoption into the family of God? Yet how few
have the slightest conception of what is meant by this
expression "witness of the Spirit," or what kind of
experiences should be expected and looked for as con-
stituting the Spirit's witness to our sonship.
The question is therefore a very important one,
How does the holy Spirit witness to us respecting our
at-one-ment with the Father, that we have become
sons of God, and that under divine providence we are
being prepared for the glorious things which God hath
in reservation for them that love him, and who are to
be joint-heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord, in the Millen-
nial Kingdom? On few subjects have Christians in
general felt more disturbed than on this the witness of
the Spirit. Not knowing what the witness of the Spirit
is, many of the best of the Lord's people must confess
that they know not whether they have it or have it not.
Others, more full of assurance than of knowledge, claim
that they have the witness of the holy Spirit, and refer
to their happy feelings as the evidence. But soon or
later such, if candid, must confess that the "witness"
they rely on is a most unsatisfactory one: it fails them
in the times of greatest need. When all men speak well
of them, when health is favorable, when they are finan-
cially prosperous, when friends are numerous, they feel
happy; but in proportion as some or all of these condi-
tions are reversed they feel unhappy; they lose what
Its Baptism , Witness and Seal. 227
they suppose was the "witness of the Spirit," and cry in
anguish of soul:
"Where is the blessedness I knew,
When first I found the Lord?"
Such are deceived and -misled by their feelings: they
feel themselves happier and think themselves drawing
nearer to God at times when really they are, under the
Adversary's leading, going straight into temptations.
This accounts for some of the frequent and sudden
"falls from grace" which some experience and which
astonish themselves as well as their friends. Deceived
by an unreliable "witness" they felt secure, were off
guard and fell an easy prey to temptation at the very
time they felt "sex happy in the Lord" (?). Again, the
trials and disappointments of life designed to draw us
near to our Father, and to make us most appreciative
of our Savior's loving sympathy and care, are partially
lost upon his class; because losing the witness of their
feelings, which they falsely consider the witness of the
Spirit, they feel so bereft, and so hungry and thirsty
for a return of the good feelings, that they lose many
precious lessons obtainable only when leaning confi-
dently on the Lord's bosom and communing with him,
whilst passing through life's Gethsemanes.
Another class of Christians learning the unreliability
of the "witness" of feelings seem to conclude that God
has denied (to them at least) any reliable evidence of his
favor, any sure "witness" on the subject of their
acceptance as "sons" into his family. Their doubts are
expressed in the well-known hymn:
" 'Tis a point I long to know
Oft it causes anxious thought:
Do I love the Lord or no?
Arn I his or am I not?"
This uncertainty arises in part also from a misappre-
hension of the doctrine of election: and yet these friends
are quite correct in concluding that their changeable
feelings could not be a proper criterion by which to
228 The Spirit of Atonement.
judge of their sonship. Others, because the Scriptures
declare, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose
mind is stayed on tftee," judge of their sonship by their
peace of mind: but when they look at the heathen and
at the worldly, and see that many of them apparently
have peace of mind too, their view of the Spirit's witness
proves insufficient to sustain their hopes, or to give
them assurance. Then the dark hour comes, and they
say, How easy a matter to be deceived, and are in tor-
ment lest they have grieved the Spirit for ''fear hath
torment.' 1
Persons of large credulity (mismamed faith) will imag-
ine they hear the Spirit 's "whisper" to an inner ear and
they congratulate themselves accordingly, even though
they should subsequently ascertain that the information
"whispered" was absolutely untrue. Other Christians
of more logical mind, who cannot thus delude them-
selves, are perplexed that their friends should so confi-
dently assert the witness of the Spirit, while they them-
selves have no such assurance.
The Difficulty lies largely in the erroneous view that
the Spirit is a person, and which seeks to apply person-
ality to its witnessing. When the fact is recognized that
the Spirit of God is' any power or influence which God
may be pleased to exercise, the subject is clarified and
the "witness of the Spirit" becomes a matter easy of
distinguishment. It will be a blessing to those who have
this witness to know it of a surety: and it will be a bless-
ing to those who have not this witness to ascertain their
lack; so that they may fulfil the conditions and obtain
the witness, without which none are authorized to con-
sider themselves sons of God, in acceptable standing
with the Father.
But what a joy and peace divine comes to those who
have the true witness to those who have the correct
experiences and who have learned how to read them!
It is to them indeed joy in sorrow, light in darkness,
comfort in Affliction, strength in weakness. And the
fujl $*4 explicit 4irectipns on thfc subjsc^ a$ QU aJJ
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 229
subjects, are found in that wonderful book, our Father's
Word the Bible. In it and through its testimonies
God's Spirit witnesseth with our spirits.
*' How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent Word.
What more can he say than to you he hath said:
You who ttnto Jesus for refuge have fled! "
HOW TO KNOW THE SPIRIT'S WITNESS.
A man's mind or spirit may beknown by his words
and conduct; and so we may know God's mind or Spirit
by his words and dealings. The testimony of his Word is
that whatsoever cometh unto him (by faith, and refor-
mation from bad works and dead works, through Jesus)
is accepted. (Heb. 7:25.) Hence the questions to be
asked of themselves by those who are seeking a witness
of the Spirit respecting their sonship are:
Was I ever drawn to Christ? to recognize him as my
Redeemer, through whose righteousness alone I could
have access to the heavenly Father, and be acceptable
with him? /
If this can be answered in the affirmative, the next
question would be:
Did I ever fully consecrate myself my life, my time,
my talents, my influence, my all to God?
If this question also can be answered in the affirma-
tive, the inquirer may rest fully assured that he has been
accepted with the Father, in the Beloved One, and recog-
nized of him as a son. And if scrutinizing his own
heart's desires and sentiments he finds it still trusting
in the merit of Jesus, and still consecrated to do the
Lord's will, he may allow the sweet confidence and peace
which this thought of harmony and relationship to
divinity brings, to fully possess his heart. This convic-
tion of the Lord's grace toward us in Christ constructed
from facts of our own experience, built upon the un-
alterable character and Word of God, is not mutative,
not changeable, as it would be if built upon the shifting
230 The Spirit of Atonement.
sands of feelings. If doubts or fears intrude in some
dark hour, we have only to take the "Lamp" (God's
Word) and examine afresh the facts and the foundation,
and if our hearts are still loyal to the Lord, faith, joy
and peace will instantly return to us; if we find our
faith in "the precious blood" crumbling, or our conse-
cration slipping away, we know the true condition of
affairs, and can at once make the proper repairs and thus
reestablish our "full assurance of faith." (Heb. 10:22.)
But be it noticed that each one who would have this
assurance must "set to f his seal that God is true" (John
3:33): that our Lord changeth not, but is "the same
yesterday, to-day and forever." The Lord's people may
therefore rest assured that having once come into the
conditions of divine favor, they may continue under
those conditions so long as their hearts are loyal to God
and their desires in harmony with his will: so long as
they are at heart obedient .to the divine commands
briefly comprehended in the word Love to God and
men. Heb. 11:6; 13:8.
Whoever has taken the specified steps has the assur-
ance, the "witness" of the Word of God, that he is a
child of God; and this, during the Gospel age, signifies
that he is a branch of the true vine, a probationary
member of the true Church. (John 15:1.) To such the
Word of God witnesses that they have joined the true
Church, which is Christ's body. This witness is given
to their spirit, their rnind, by God's Spirit, which testi-
fies through his Word, And the same Spirit of Truth
assures such that if their hearts continue faithful to
the Lord to the close of their probation, if the^ willingly
and gladly take up the cross daily, seeking as best they
are able to follow in the Master's footsteps, their proba-
tionary membership in the Church of Christ will shortly
be changed to actual membership after they have
finished their course, and been made sharers in his
resurrection, the first resurrection. Phil. 3:10.
However, the Spirit of God, through his Word, wit-
nesses with equal clearness that it is possible for those
Its Baptism, Witness and SeaL 231
who have already become branc-aes of the true Vine to
be cut off, if unfaithful if they fail to bring forth the
proper fruits of the Spirit of love. "Every branch in
me that beareth not fruit he [the Father] taketh away,
and every branch that bringeth forth fruit he purgeth
[pruneth] it, that it may bring forth more fruit/' The
Spirit of God, through his Word, thus testifies or wit-
nesses to us the rule of our heavenly Father's dealing
with his sons, chastisements, pruning, taking away of
the dross, and a development of the fruit-bearing quali-
ties. Hence, to have these experiences, after having
become identified with the " Vine/' is to have the witness
of the Spirit that we are still in the "Vine," and still
recognized as "branches" of it, still under our Lord's
care and discipline. On the contrary, if any one lack
these disciplines, prunings, etc., after having become
identified with the Vine, he lacks this "witness of the
Spirit," and correspondingly has reason to doubt his
acceptance with the Lord. Heb. 12:7.
If we were all perfect, absolutely perfect, and had been
proven so by tests, the case would be different; God
would then love us for our perfection and harmony with
himself; then chastisement and bitter experiences would
be signs of his disfavor. But as it is, we all know that
all are imperfect, that we all come far short of the divine
standard; and that our new hearts, our new wills, our
transformed minds or spirits, alone are acceptable with
God, and that through the merit of Christ, and in a
probationary sense, with a view to our testing, develop-
ment and final perfecting. Only in proportion as we
learn to appreciate the divine perfections, and our own
deficiencies, can we appreciate the many and important
lessons to be learned, and the necessity for the trying
experiences we are required to undergo in order to de-
velop in us the divine likeness.
The Scriptures inform us that the Heavenly Father is
preparing a glorious spiritual Temple, in and through
which the world of mankind is to have the privilege of
coming to at-one-ment, reconciliation with himself.
232 The Spirit of Atonement.
We see in the Scriptures the great Architect's ideal in
respect to this temple; that the ideal of the whole was
represented in the person of oiir Lord Jesus Christ, its
chief corner stone, and "top stone," "laid in Heaven."
We can see the better what is required of all those who
will be acceptable to God as the "living stones" of that
Temple; to be builded together with Christ the Head,
"for an habitation of God through his Spirit." And we
discern our own roughness by nature, our inharmony
with the graceful lines of the Temple, delineated in
its "top-stone." We can readily discern that much
chiseling and much polishing are absolutely necessary
to us, if we would be fitted and prepared for the place
in this Temple to which, through the grace of God, we
aspire. And hence those who find that they are not
receiving the blows from the Lord's hammer and chisel,
lack this "witness" which the Spirit of God through his
Word testifies must come to all the living stones of his
Temple: and which even the grand Topstone did not
escape. If divine providence does not mark out for us
a "narrow way" with a certain amount of difficulty
and adversity, if we are simply permitted to rest with-
out afflictions, trials, etc., then we may know of a surety
that God is not dealing with us as with the living stones
which shall form part of the Temple, the sons because
we lack this "witness" of our acceptance and prepara-
tion. A realization that such is our condition ought to
send us promptly to the Lord to inquire why we have
no tribulations and adversities, and to "examine our-
selves" whether or not w be still in the faith (2 Cor.
13:5); and whether or not we are still endeavoring to
walk faithfully in the footsteps of our Master, in fulness
of consecration to the Father's will. But if we have this
"witness" of chiselings, polishings, prunings, disciplines,
chastisements, let , us take them patiently, joyfully,
appreciatively, as evidences of our Father's love essen-
tial to our attainment to our high-calling; in full
wii?h the Spirit's testimony or witness, that w$
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 233
are sons of God, "heirs of God, joint-heirs with Jesus
Christ our Lord, [only] if so be that we suffer with him t
that we may be also glorified together." Rom. 8:17.
THE SPIRIT'S
"DIFFERENCES OF ADMINISTRATION.*'
"Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgetfo.
every son whom he receiveth. If ye be without chas-
tisement, then are ye bastards and not sons." (Heb.
12:8.) Afflictions and troubles come upon the world,
as well as upon the Lord's saints, but these are not
marks of sonsMf, except to those fully consecrated to
the Father's will and work. The Spirit and Word of
God "witness" only to his sons. Nor are the prunings
and chastenings in the Lord's family always the same.
As earthly children require different kinds and degrees
of discipline, so with God's children: to some, a look of
disapproval is sufficient; to others a word of rebuke is
necessary, while still others must be scourged, and some
repeatedly. An, earthly parent rejoices most in the
obedient and promptly submissive child, for whom the
word or look of reproof is sufficient to prune away the
evil; and so also our Father in Heaven declares his
approval of those who "tremble at his word." Isa.
66:5.
Such cooperate with God in the development of their
own characters, noting their own defects and seeking to
correct them, hearkening for the Father's voice of
direction, instruction or loving reproof, and ever seek-
ing his approving smile: their sentiments are well de-
scribed by the words of the poet :
"Sun of my soul, my Father dear,
I know no night when thoti art near.
O let no earth-born cloud arise,
To hide thee from thy servant's eyes."
This is the class of whom the Apostle writes, who judge
themselves, and who, therefore, need less chastening of
the Lord, (i Cor, 11:31.) To be of this class requires.
234 The Spirit of Atonement.
fulness of consecration; and these are and will be the
overcomers, who shall be deemed worthy of joint-
heirship with Christ Jesus their Lord in his Kingdom.
To this class, obedient and watchful, the Lord says,
"I will guide thee with mine eye," "Thou shalt guide
me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory."
Those who can be guided only by continual scourging
are not of the overcoming class, and will not be accounted
worthy to be of the Lord's Bride, and have such a "wit-
ness' 1 from the Lord through the Spirit of the Truth.
Psa. 32:8; 73:24; contrast Rev. 7:9, 14.
Nor are chastenings always proofs of faults, or a
"witness" of the Lord's disapproval. On the contrary,
as with our Lord, so also with his faithful followers,
divine providence leads the faithful and obedient into
the path of suffering and self-denial, not as chastise-
ment of a contrary will, but as tests, by self-sacrifice,
of the measure of love and devotion to the Father's, 1
will, and to the cause of righteousness. As our Lord was
chastened for our transgressions, not his own, when he
bore the sins of many, so his followers in many respects
suffer, not for their own wrong-doings, but by reason of
the wrong-doings of others, for they are called as the
Apostle declares, to "fill up that which is behind of the
afflictions of Christ, for his body's sake, which is the
Church." Col. 1:24.
WHAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WITNESSES,
In the light of the foregoing, let each of the Lord's
professed sons examine himself whether or not he have
"the witness of the Spirit," that he is one of the children
of God: and let us repeat the examination frequently,
and thus "watch" and keep ourselves in the love of
God, rejoicing in the witness of his Spirit.
Are we being pruned continually? Are we passing
through such experiences, great or small, as are remov-
ing from us more or less rapidly the fieshly tendencies,
which war against the soul anger, malice, hatred, envy,
Its Baptism , Witness and Seal. 235
strife, selfishness, rudeness, and all things contrary to
the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus the Spirit
of love? If so, to the extent that we can realize this
pruning work in progress, we will no doubt be able to
recognize growth in the proper direction in meekness,
patience, gentleness, brotherly kindness, love. Whoever,
after a careful examination along these lines, marked
out in the Lord's Word, can realize such experiences in
progress may know of his continued acceptance with
God, because he has this witness of the Spirit.
Again, the Spirit witnesses that "Whosoever is born
[begotten] of God, sinneth not." (i John 5:18) The
child of God may be overpowered by his old nature
(reckoned dead, but not fully, actually so) ; he may be
overtaken in a fault, may e~r in judgment or in word,
but he will never willingly transgress the divine law.
So then, if our hearts can respond that we delight to do
God's will, and would not willingly violate or in any
manner oppose it, that we would rather have God's
will done, and his plan fulfilled, even though it should
dash our fondest hopes and break every tender tie,
then we have this witness that our spirit or mind agrees
with the witness of the Spirit of the Truth here recorded:
and this is a witness, not only that we were once accepted
into God's family, but that we are there still.
The Spirit witnesses, through the Word of God, that
those who are the Lord's people are separate from the
world that their hopes and aims and general spirit,
disposition, are different. "If ye were of the world,
the world would love his own ; but because ye are not of
the world, therefore the world hateth you/' "Yea, and
all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer perse-
cution." John 15:19; 2 Tim. 3:12.
Can our hearts testify that these words properly
represent our experience in life? If so, the Spirit (mind)
of God is thus again witnessing with our spirit (mind)
that we are his. Nor should we forget that the world
spoken of by our Lord includes all the worldly-minded
ones, in whom the spirit of the world has a footing*
$36 \The Spirit of Atonement.
In our Lord's day this was true of the nominal Jewibsii
Church: in fact, all of his persecutions came from pro-
fessors of religion. Hence, we must not marvel if all
who are walking in our Lord's footsteps should have a
similarly disappointing experience, and find that the
spirit of the world, in its most antagonistic form, will
be manifested in a quarter where we might naturally
expect it least amongst those who profess to be the
children of God. It was the chief religionists of our
Lord's day who called him Beelzebub, a prince of devils.
And the holy Spirit witnesseth through our Lord's
Word, saying, "If they have called the Master of the
house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them
of his household." (Matt. 10:25.) If, therefore, we have
been evilly spoken of, because of out* identification with
the Truth, and our service of it, we have in this an addi-
tional evidence or witness of the Spirit that we are in
the right pathway.
Had our Lord Jesus joined hands with the popular
leaders in the Jewish Church, and abstained from speak-
ing the truth in love, abstained frotn pointing out the
false doctrines of his day, he would not have been
"hated," nor "persecuted;" on the contrary, he prob-
ably would have been " highly esteemed amongst men. 1 '
But, as he himself declared, much that is "highly es-
teemed amongst men is an abomination in the sight of
God." Luke 16:15.
Had our Lord simply kept quiet and refrained from
exposing the hypocrisies, shams, long prayers and false
teachings of the Scribes and Pharisees, they no doubt
would have let him alone, would not have persecuted
him; and he would not foave suffered for the Truth's
sake. So also it is with his followers: from a similar
class, the Truth and those who have the Spirit of the
Truth* and who follow the Lord's instruction, letting
their lights shine, will now incur hatred and persecution.
Atid if some, for these reasons, and while doing their
best to speak the truth in love, suffer therefor, happy are
they, for as the Apostle said, "The Spirit of glory and
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 237
of God resteth on you/' They have this witness of the
Spirit to their faithfulness in the narrow way. i Pet.
4:14-
Again, the holy Spirit witnesses, through our Lord's
testimony, that whosoever is ashamed of the Redeemer
and of his Truth which he taught, of him will the Lord be
ashamed when he conies to make up his jewels. (Mark
8:38.) Whoever, therefore, finds his heart so in love
with the Lord and his Word that he takes pleasure, on
every suitable occasion, in acknowledging Jesus as his
Redeemer and Master, and to faithfully present the Word
of his testimony, so long does such an one have this as
another witness of the holy Spirit that he is a child of
God, and an heir of the Kingdom. Such have reason to
rejoice in the Master's promise that they are just the
kind whom he will be gla,d to confess before his Father
and before the holy angels. But if 'any have not this
witness if, on the contrary, their hearts witness that
they are ashamed of the Lord, ashamed to confess them-
selves his followers, ashamed to own his "brethren,"
the members of his body, and ashamed to confess the
doctrines which he taught-<~any who have v these ex-
periences have the witness of the Spirit that if this
condition of things be not altered the Lord will be
ashamed of them at his second coming, and will not con-
fess them before the Father and his holy messengers.
Further, the holy Spirit witnesses that, f< Whosoever
is born [begotten] of God overcometh the world; and this
is the victory that overcometh the world, e r ~en your
faith" (i John 5:4.) Let us examine our hearts, our
spirits, our minds, in the ligh" of this testimony of the
holy Spirit. Are we overcomers, according to this,
standard? The standard is that to be the Lord's we must
be out of harmony with the world, in conflict with it -
its aims, its hopes, its ambitions. The thought of con-
flict is contained in the expression, "pvercometh the
readily see that &Q one can be w
238 The Spirit of Atonement.
overcomer of the world who is in sympathy and affilia-
tion with it, and its general spirit of selfishness, pride,
ambition, etc.
Before we decide positively whether we are overcpming
the world or not, let us notice that we are not to over-
come the world by flattery, nor by joining with it in
its follies and attempting to give these a religious twist ;
nor are we to overcome the world by engaging in some
moral or religious work, such as teaching a Sunday-
school class, or helping the poor, or joining a sectarian
church. In none of these ways does the Lord indicate
or " witness" that we can overcome the world. His
statement is positive, that the victory which over-
cometh the world is our faith. The Spirit thus witnesses
that to be overcomers we must "walk by faith, and not
by sight." We must look not at the things that are seen
popularity, worldly show, denominational greatness,
etc. but must look at the things which are not seen
the spiritual and eternal things. (2 Cor. 4:18.) We are
to have the faith expressed by the poet's words:
" I would rather walk in the dark with God,
Than go with the throng in the light."
Furthermore, the holy Spirit witnesses to us, through
the Word, that if we are the children of God we will not
be ignorant of things present nor of "things to come''
because we will be -enlightened and taught of God,
through the Word of his grace the Word of his Spirit.
As we mature, "grow in grace," we will desire and seek
and obtain, in addition to the milk of the Word, the
"strong meat" which the Apostle declares is for those
of fuller development, (i Pet. 2:2; Heb. 5:13, 14.) The
development in the graces of the Spirit, faith, fortitude,
knowledge, self-control, patience, piety, brotherly kind-
ness, love, will bring us into closer fellowship with the
Father and with the Lord Jesus, so that the Lord will
be able and willing to communicate to us more and
more clearly a knowledge of his gracious plans, as well
as of his own gracious character.
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 239
Referring to this growth, the Apostle Peter says: "If
these things be in you and abound, they make you that
ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the know-
ledge of the Lord Jesus Christ ; but he that lacketh these
things is blind, and cannot see afar off. . . For if ye
do these things ye shall never fall; for so an entrance
shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the ever-
lasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Pet. 1:5-11. Compare John 16:12,15.
Each should ask himself whether or not he has this
witness of the Spirit, this testimony to his growth as a
new creature in Christ Jesus, and whether or not he is
developing and maturing the kind of fruit here specified.
Let us remember also that our growth in love and in all
the fruits of the Spirit is dependent largely upon our
growth in knowledge; and our growth in knowledge of
divine things is dependent also upon our growth in the
fruits of the Spirit. Each step of knowledge brings a
corresponding step of duty and obedience, and each
step of duty and obedience taken will be followed by
a further step in knowledge, for so, the Spirit witnessetk,
shall be the experience of all those who shall be taught
of God in the school of Christ. If we have this witness
of the Spirit of growth, both in grace and in knowledge,
let us rejoice therein, and let us follow on in the same
pathway until it shall bring us, under divine guidance,
to that which is perfect, both in knowledge and in grace.
THE HOLY SPIRIT'S FUTURE TESTIMONY.
The holy Spirit will witness to the reconciled world of
mankind in the next age, very similarly as to manner,
but very dissimilar as to facts. Those possessing the
Spirit will no longer be the few special servants and
handmaids, but as the Prophet Joel declares "all flesh/*
(Joel 2:28.) The Spirit's "witness 1 * will no longer be
"whosoever will live godly shall suffer persecution; 1 *
for no persecution will then be permitted. It will no
$4<s> The Spirit of Atonement.
longer "witness" to a "narrow way" of sacrifice, for"
the day of sacrifice will be past: "A highway shall be
there" and it shall be without stumbling stones. (Isa.
35:8; 62:10.) It will "witness" that "Evil-doers shall
be cut off: but those who wait upon the Lord, they shall
inherit the earth." (Acts 3:23; Psa. 37:7-11.) It will
" witness" blessings to the well-doer and punishments
and destruction to wilful evil-doers. It is the same
Spirit of God but under differences of administration.
Having learned how the holy Spirit "witnesses" and
what are some of its testimonies through God's holy
Word, we do indeed find these very much more satis-
factory than all the doubts and fears inspired by mental
and physical conditions, feelings, falsely called by
some the witness of the holy Spirit. Nevertheless, we
should call attention to the fact that all Christians can-
not have the same witnessings from the Spirit of God
with their spirits or minds. All Christians of large ex-
perience and development should have testimony or
witness on all these points, and on other points set
forth in the Scriptures: but there are young Christians
who have not yet progressed far enough to have all of
these witnessings; some, perhaps, may be truly be-
gotten of the Lord, and as yet have but few of them.
The great Husbandman does not expect fruitage,
neither green nor yet the developed and ripe fruit, from
"the fresh and tender sprout of a branch.
The first witness that the newly begotten may have is,
that they are accepted with the Lord; that they are
young branches in the true Vine; and that the Spirit of
the Vine is in them the desire to grow and to be like
the Vine, and to bring forth fruitage. Nor should it be
long after the branch first shoots forth, before the sign
of leaves and the buds of promise for fruit will be dis-
cernable. The new-born babe in the spiritual family
manifests its relationship to the older and more devel-
oped members of the family, not by its eating of the
strong meat, which might strangle it, but by desires
for the strengthening milk, to grow thereby. i Pet. 2 12,
Its ttaptism, Witness and Seal. 241
i
Those who "find themselves possessed, of any of the
foregoing witnessings of the Spirit should rejoice corre-
spondingly; and every particular they are lacking they
should endeavor to cultivate and develop, so that they
may ultimately have the witness of the Spirit in their
favor on every point of the scriptural testimony respect-
ing the pathway and experiences of the Lord's faithful
people. Such will no longer need to sing 'Tis a point
I long to know/' On the contrary, they will know, will
liave full assurance of faith, and will be rooted and
grounded and built up and established in the faith.
This is the divinely arranged way: we wholly escape
from fear from "Doubting Castle" for our trust
rests securely in the divine promises, which never faiL
This is as true in the time of trial and adversity and
darkness as when we are more particularly enjoying
the light of our heavenly Father's smile. The poet
expresses the correct thought, saying:
"When darkness seems to vail his face
I rest in his unchanging grace.
His oath, his covenant, his blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around, my soul gives way,
He then is a,ll my hope and stay."
BY THE SPIRIT,
*' But ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are holy,
in the name qf the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God."
i Cor. 6:11.
Sanctification signifies a setting apart or separating.
All ^ho are sanctified, set apa,rt fully consecrated to
God, m,ust first be washed or jns&fied" either actually
cleansed from sjn ? or reckonedly cleanse^ "justified
by, faith," Actual justification will be the route O f
approach toward God 'on the part of the world during
the Millennitim ? under the guidance and help of the
great Mediator, and as part of the process of the Atone-
ment. Reckoned justification, that is, justification by
ICE
242 The Spirit of Atonement.
faith, is the arrangement which operates during this
Gospel Age, by which we who are sinners by nature, and
in whose flesh dwells no perfection, are reckoned clean,
holy, justified, acceptable to God through our acceptance
of Christ as our Redeemer. We believe the Scriptural
testimony that "Christ died for our sins, accord-ing to
the Scriptures;" and believing this, and desirous of
escaping from sin, we are accepted of God as though
perfect, sinless, as justified through the merit of the
precious blood. Being thus justified by faith, we have
peace with God, and can approach him, and will be
received by him, and can begin to do works acceptable to
the Father, through the merit of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The evidence which we have of our justification and
sanctification comes to us through the Word, and is
called the "seal" an 1 "witness" of the Spirit in us.
The power which enables us to live up to our consecra-
tion vows is the holy Spirit or holy mind of God, which
we receive as a result of our faith in Christ, and our
consecration to be "dead with him." The Spirit of the
Truth, which we obtain through the study of our Father's
Word, in our spirit of obedience thereto, furnishes us the
needed strength for overcoming the world and our own
perverted appetites. Accordingly, the text under con-
sideration declares that all the cleansing which we have
experienced, all of our justification, and all of our setting
apart to righteousness, and our separation from sin
all the victories and blessings in these directions have
come to us through the merit of our Lord Jesus, and by
or through the channel of the Spirit of holiness, the
Spirit of God, which we have received.
Other Scriptures are in full harmony with these
findings. The same Apostle Paul prayed for the Church,
"The very God of peace sanctify you wholly." (i Thes,
5:23.) He is not here contradicting the statement fore-
going, that it is the holy Spirit of God, which sanctifies.
It is God who sanctifies, and the medium, method or
channel is his holy Spirit and not another person,
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 243
The Apostle Peter declares the Church to be "elect
[chosen] through sanctification [setting apart] of the
Spirit unto obedience." (i Pet. 1:2.) The thought here
is that those whom God now recognizes as his chosen
ones, and who are exhorted to make their calling and
election sure, are chosen, not arbitrarily, but according
to fixed principles, viz., that if the holy Spirit of God
(influence of the Truth) operating upon them shall
bring them to the condition of full obedience (sancti-
fication) to the Father's will and plan and providence,
then they shall constitute the elect.
The Apostle Paul, in another of his epistles (Eph.
5:26), attributes this sanctification and cleansing power
Jn the Church to the Word of God, saying, "Christ
loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might
sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the
"Word/* We are not to suppose that the Apostle is here
contradicting his previous statement, to the effect that
God sanctifies the Church, nor contradicting his other
statement, that it is the Spirit of God that sanctifies the
Church. Clearly and unmistakably, his thought in every
instance is, that it is the holy Spirit of God, operating
through the Word of his truth, that he has designed shall
produce in us cleansing, justification, sanctification.
Thus also our Lord Jesus prayed, "Sanctify them
through thy Truth: thy Word is truth." (John 17:17.)
Thus we see that the various Scriptures upon the subject
taken together, teach that the sanctification of the
Church is accomplished by the Spirit of the Truth, im-
parted to the consecrated ones through the Word of
God which he provided for this very purpose.
All who are thus sanctified are thenceforth " new crea-
tures in Christ Jesus" and are addressed as " them that
are sanctified in Christ." (i Cor. 1 12.) Yet this sanctifica-
tion in Christ is not aside from the Spirit of God, nor
aside from the Word of God; for it is by reason of our
acceptance of the divine plan and provision, by reason
of our coming to the point of sanctification of the Spirit,
that we are one with Christ our Lord, And this is further
244 Th& Spirit of Aton*em$Ht>.
shown by the Scripture which says, "Efotll he* that
sanctifieth and they who are saiictified arfe all of bli [of
one spirit* of one mind, begotten of th Spirit of Truth] >
for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren.''
(Heb.- 2:1 1*) Thus it is that we are "washed, saiicti-
fiedj justified, in the name of our Lord Jesus and by tHe
Spirit of our Qod"-*-the Spirit of Truth.
E YE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT.
"Be filled with the Spirit; speaking to yourselves ill p'galms
and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always." Eph
5:i8-2d.
The intimation of this Scripture is that the Lord's
people may have a greater or tess degree or fulness of
his Spirit. To be his they niust have some of his Spirit
for "if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none
of his." (Rom. 8:^) It rests' with ourselves largely
with our use of the means which God had provided, htiw
fully we may b< filled with his Spirit and disposition,
his influence, the Spirit Or influence of his Truth, which
he has revealed for the very purpose of sanctifying otir
hearts and lives, arid separating us from those whtr ha^ve
the spirit of the World.
Nothing in this and similar texts involves fhfe tttotiglit
of a personal hofy Spirit: quite the contrary. If a person
were meant, it would be inconsistent td urge the re-
cipient to a greater or less filling. The p&r&tti who could
enter could alone have to dd with the filling; if he is
great, he will fill the more, if srriallj he will fill thfe Idss.
The holy Spirit cbneeive!d of ^.s a person, one of d trinity
of Gods, equal with the Highest, could not bfe stippds&d
te get into the small cdmpass of a& itnperfeci mari, aiiJ
then Hot even fill that* little heart, fiut wh^ii the correct
thought of the divine flower atid Ififlufen^ is tiridefstood
the Apex's eMioTtJ^tiofi is thordiighl^ featdhkWe
thg
fts $pti$m, Witness and Spat 245
qr disposition of our God, sp beautifully exempli-
fied in the perspn and obecjiencp of pur dear Redeemer,
his Only Begotten Son.
AM this thought of being -filled with the holy Spirit is
in harmony with the Apostle's suggestion in another
place, that; cw iportel bodies are like leaky vessels,
ed, marred, which God permits to be filled with his
Spirit. The Apostle's suggestion is that in view of
we know of our own imperfections, and our liabil-
ity tq let slip from us the holy influence, inspired of God
through the Gospel, we should give the more earnest
heed lest we should let these things slip from us, because
' 'we haye this treasure [the holy Spirit; the renewed
mind in harmony with God] in earthen vessels." (Heb.
2 :i ; 2 Cor. 4:7.) It behooves all who would walk in the
footsteps of our Master, who would share in the suffer-
ings of Christ, and in the glory that shall follow, to seek
in the Lprd'sj way tq be filled with his Spirit. To this
end we ne,ed to keep close to the Lord, and to the fellow-
816inber of his, "t>ody-^-d[ps,e in sympathy, in love, in
cooperation; and we need also to keep close to the Word,
whjph is the fawtain of the sanctifying in%eiicQ to the
entire Church. " Sanctifying them through thy Truth:
thy Word is truth."
Jt is in vain that we seek to be filled with the hely
Spirit if w 4o not giye attention to the divide ^rraiige-
meiit provided fqr this very ptirpqse. If we n^gleqt th^t
Word pf Q-P4 we are negl^ctirig this sanctifying power;
if we neglect prayer we are neglecting another privilege,
and the helpfulness vhich it brings. If we neglect to
assemble ourselves with those who are the Lord's people,
and in whom we see the "seal" of this Spirit, we will
fail to get the benefits and helps which "every joint
supplieth Jt including the helps which God has, promised
tQ the Church as a, whole, through various members
ets in the kocj.y fqr the exposition of his wor4,
the obtaining therefrom of its sanctifying power pr
Spirit. i Cor. 12:25-28; J?phi 4;!^.
246 The Spirit of Atonement.
The exhortation, therefore, "Be ye filled with the
Spirit," implies much: it implies that we should make use
of the various arrangements an<3. provisions which the
Lord has made for our spiritual development. Though
we cannot have personal contact with the Lord, we may
have intercourse through prayer and through the mem-
bers of his body, and through the Scriptures. Though
we cannot have actual contact with the Apostles, we
may have contact with their words. If we cannot have
actual contact and personal fellowship with the members
of the Church, we may have intercourse with them
through the mails, and through the medium of the
printed page. - If we desire to be filled with the Lord's
Spirit, we must obey these, his instructions.
THE SEAL OF THE SPIRIT.
"In whom [Christ] ye also trusted, after that ye heard the
word of Truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also,
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of
the promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance" Eph.
1:13. 14-
Seals in olden times were used for various purposes,
(i) As a signet or signature, a mark of attestation or
acknowledgment. (2) To make secret, to render secure
against intrusion, as in Matt. 27:66; Rev, 10:4; 20:3.
It is in the first of these senses that the Lord's people
are said to be " sealed with the holy Spirit of the promise. ' '
The Apostle does not say, as some seem to suppose,
that we were sealed by the holy Spirit .as a person, the
so-called third person of a trinity of coequal Gods: he
declares that we were sealed "with the holy Spirit of
the promise;" quite a different thought, as all will per-
ceive. The holy Spirit is from the Father: he does the
sealing through Christ with the holy Spirit, which itself
is the seal. This is attested by the Apostle (Acts 2:33),
and is in full accord with the record respecting our Lord
Jesus, who was the first of the house of sons to be thus
sealed. We read, "Him hath God the Father sealed"
with the holy Spirit, John 6:27,
Its Baptism, Witness and Seal. 247
The expression "Spirit of the promise," like other
terms used in reference to the holy influence of God, as
the " Spirit of holiness/' "the Spirit of Truth," is descrip-
tive: it shows that there is a connection between this
sealing and the promise which God has given us. It is
an advanced evidence or attestation of God's covenant
with the "sealed" one, that "the exceeding great and
precious promises" of the "things which God hath in
reservation for them that love him [supremely]" are
true; and that he shall inherit those promised blessings
after he has endured faithfully the tests of his love and
devotion which God will apply.
The Apostle refers to this same sealing later on in the
same epistle, and there identifies the "promise" with
the "day of deliverance." (Eph. 4:30.) In other words
then, the seal of the Spirit of promise unto the day of
deliverance is but another form of expressing the thought
we (the Church) "have the first-fruits of the Spirit"
the hand-payment as it were, binding the contract
or covenant between the Lord and us, and assuring us
that if we faint not we shall inherit the promise to the
full.
This seal of covenant relationship, of sonship and
heirship, is not an outward sign upon our foreheads;
nor is it a mark or manifestation of God's favor in earthly
affairs, in worldly prosperity; nor is it now, nor was it
ever, the "gifts" of healing, or of speaking with tongues,
etc., for many who possessed those miraculous "gifts"
lacked the seal and witness of the Spirit. Acts 8:13-23 ;
i Cor. 13:1-3.
The seal or pledge of the holy Spirit is in the heart of
the sealed, and hence it is that no man knoweth it save
he that receiveth it (Rev. 2 :i7), except as others may see
the fruits of it in his daily life. "He who establisheth
us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;
who hath also sealed us and given the earnest of the
Spirit in our hearts." 2 Cor. 1:21, 22.
This earnest or seal of sonship is the Spirit of love
which is at-one with the Father and all his holy arrange-
24 3 The Spirit of Atonement.
metits, crying out, Abba, Father; I delight to do thy Will,
my God. He Who has this seal or mark of sonship is
he who not only seeks to do the will of the Father*, but
doing it finds it "not grievous/' but delightsome *
1 John 5:3. a
The Spirit of adoption or Sealing as sons, the possession
of the first-fruits or earnest of the coming inheritandei
is, then, one of the most advanced "witnesses" of the
Spirit-^the very cream of Christian experiences in the
present life* Before attaining this stage of experience
we must receive otir share of the Anointing b^ cbmiiig
into the anointed body of Christ, the Church* by being
begotten of the Spirit of Truth unto sanctificatioft of bur
spirits to know and do the Lord's will. This experience
comes after we have been quickened of the Spirit to the
service of righteousness: it is an evidence, so to speak,
that we have passed from the embryo condition to one
in which God can consider tis sons and seal us a"3 such.
As all believers should seek to come under the anoint*
ing and begetting influence of the holy Spirit of God,
the Spirit of the Truth> so all who have been thus be-
gotten of the Spirit to sonship should seek to attain that
position of fulness of harmony with the Father that he
can acknowledge and seal. And having attained this
position^ let all be cat ef ul not to mar or blur the seal ;
not to quench or extinguish this precious treasure;-^
not to turn this spirit of love and joy in the holy Spirit
of fellowship and comtminion into a spirit of heaviness,
darkness, grief. Not to spoil this seal, but to keep it
ever bright and fresh, should be the constant effort of
all who receive it*
STUDY X.
THE SPIRIT OF A SOUND MIND.
SPIRIT OP GOB IN His PEOPLE CASTS OUT THE SPIRIT o# FEAR.
ANKINTD JN G-E&E&AI. tlNSbtikD MENTALLY AND ^HYSICALLY.- <THB
iW tfoncif Tiiu Ht)iir SPIRIT is THE SPIRIT OF A SOUND MIND.TH&
OPERATIONS PRODUCING THIS RESULT, THE EVIDENCES OF THE SPIRIT
OF A SOUND MIND.
"God hath not given us the spirit of fear, "but of power*
end of love and of a sound mind." 2 Tim. i .7.
BY EVERY law of language, the Spirit of fear is hfe
put in contrast Tfrith another spirit. If the Spirit
of love, power, a Sound mind, be a person, of three
persotis, then in all reason the Spirit of fear shduld be*
ean&idefe~d another person. The fallacy of &ich ati
argument l& so apparent as to need nothing ftiore than a
mere Statement for its disproof.
In proportion as the Ldrd's people are filled With his
holy Spirit or influence, and are expanded tnore* and
tilore by it, and enlarged, they have the less of the Spirits
of fear. The spirit of fear in a Christian is the spirit
of doubt, and riiarks a lack df faith, a lack of the holy
Spirit. Hie Spirit of fear i& a fruitful SaiirCd oi evil iri
spiritual matters, in eVery feature 6f the Christiaft
growth, individually and as a Chttrch; and it is also
Cltteely identified with physical weakrtes and disabili--
ties. The child of God who is filled with the holy Spirit
is a giant in comparison with his own natural selfj
because Ms fears are quelled, his heart is established,
his faith is tooted and grounded, and his sDul is anchored
feure and steadfast, within the vail. Thus he is held
frotri being driven onto the rocks of disaster, when the
&tonny itinde of trdubls prevail. The holy Spirit is
thus a poorer to those who possess it, which kas
anmeement to their enemies*
250 The Spirit of Atonement.
It is not our claim that the Gospel of Christ takes hold
upon the strong minded and strong bodied, and that
therefore those who are his are strong; quite to the
contrary of this, we hold, as a matter of fact, as well as
a matter of scriptural testimony, that the Gospel of
Christ usually takes hold upon the weaker ones, who
feel their weakness, and who realize more than do the
stronger their need of help. Yet such is the transforming
influence of the holy Spirit upon those who receive it,
that in their weakness they are made strong. The weak
things of this world are made mighty through God
(through the Spirit, the power of God) to the pulling
down of strongholds of error and sin, and to the en-
durance of a good fight as good soldiers of the Lord
Jesus Christ, much to the surprise of those naturally
their superiors. i Cor, 1:27; 2 Cor. 10:4; 2 Tim. 2:3, 4.
This was true in times past, when the weak ones of
the world espoused the cause of Christ, and were firm to
the very end of life, as martyrs, enduring unwaveringly
trials and difficulties before which the strongest of the
world quailed. And the same thing is still true of the
same class, for although the particular features of per-
secution have greatly changed, nevertheless it is still
necessary to "endure hardness as good soldiers," and
to "lay down our lives for the brethren;" and the weak
things of the world, yea, those that are naught, whom
God hath chosen, are still confounding the wisdom and
might of this world. i Cor. 1:27, 28.
This Spirit of God in us is not only a Spirit of power,
but a Spirit of love, says the Apostle. The love hero
mentioned is not the natural love possessed to some ex*
tent by all mankind, and even by the brute creation,
in large measure a spirit of selfishness. In those who
receive the holy Spirit of love this natural love should
become intensified, broadened, deepened, and should
more and more lose its selfish characteristics, and be-
come a generous love, a self-sacrificing love, based not
upon selfishness, but upon principles of righteousness,
truth, goodness, and the possession in general of the
The Spirit of a Sound Mind.' 251
Spirit, disposition of God. And this Spirit of love should
continue, increasing and abounding more and more,
until that which is perfect is come and that which is in
part will be done away. i Cor. 13:10.
There is no more wonderful manifestation of the holy
Spirit in the Lord's people than that which the Apostle
in our text denominates "the Spirit of a sound mind."
The Lord's people, by nature, are not more sound of
mind than are the world's people. Quite the contrary.
As we have already seen, the tendency of the Gospel
is to attract the more imperfect, who realize their own
impotency and their need of grace and strength from
on high, rather than to influence those who are of stronger
and sounder minds, who, comparing themselves with
others, have a self-satisfied, self-righteous spirit or
mind.
But whenever the Truth is received into good and
honest hearts and brings forth its legitimate fruitage,
and the Lord's people become partakers of his holy
Spirit, whether naturally strong or weak, they thereby
obtain the " Spirit of a sound mind;" their judgments
are clearer, truer, more trustworthy, than before;
because they have before their minds, first of all, the
explicit directions of the Lord's Word in respect to what
they should do, and what they should not do, direc-
tions which cover almost every feature and aim of life.
Those who have accepted the Lord as their instructor
and teacher, and who have his Spirit of obedience to the
Father's will, have the "Spirit of a sound mind," be-
cause they do not trust merely to their own judgment,
not merely to their own understanding, but by obedience
to the Lord's directions they are preserved in the vicis-
situdes of life from the snares and difficulties which
befall those who have not the guidance and direction of
superhuman wisdom.
As a, result of the fall of our race into sin and its
condemnation, death, the whole world is unsound*
mentally as well as physically, but in varying degrees,
according to circumstances and heredity. As some are
332 The Spirit af Atonement*
physically less squpd than pthers, so sorae are pientally
less sound thai* others, yet all are unsound, as the Scrip-
tures declare, " There is none righteous [perfect, sound,
either in mind or body], no, not one." (Rom. 3: IP.)
Figuratively, all are covered with wounds and bruises
and putrefying soresmental and physipal. (Isa. 1:5, 6.)
The curse qf sin has laid its heavy hand on, the entire
nian mind and body.
It i a wellrreqognized fact that suffering in one mem-
ber of the body causes ailment to the entire body, in-
c.lucjing the mind. The inind could not be perfectly
SQuiid, wjiile supported and nourished by an unsound
body. Th 4erange4 stomach of a dyspeptic has a. di-
j-ect effect upon his min<3, as \yell as. upon hi$ .entire
physical syvStem. The person w]ios.e lungs are diseasec)
cannot avoid a -degree of mental impairment correspond
ing; likewise, when pther organs, the heart, the liver,
the Sidneys, ara diseased and perform their fun.cticmp
imperfeptly, t%e effect unquestionably is disordered
bloo.<l, and a dispr4ered nervous system, the center of
which ig t}ie brain. L^k^wise the brain that is hara^s^d
by pain Qr imperfectly nourished} through mal-nutrition,
or fevr5 |lir0,ugh failure of the Action of the secretive
organs, is sure tp be impaired in a}l its various func^
tion^: it caimQt think and reason as correctly, as logiq-
Ally, as if in perfect condition. I)eranger4ents of the
mind are so cominon, that the word Derangement is flot
9,pplie4 except in quite e^tr^m 6 . c ^ s ^s of more than
average unsounclness., t^nbalance. IBiit no one pf judg-
ment and experience will question these conclusions.
The question ari^s, How or wherein does t^e imparta^
tiom of the boly Spirit to t)ie, Christian ^erve to repair
his judgment, and become tp him the Spirit Qf $ sound
mind ? We answer tb&t th^ divide mind i^ perfect,
' sound," and consequently to wjmteyer extent CJiri^-
tians are able to set asifle their pyra mi^ds or jiidgmeiits,
0n any or all matte? $, amd to Accept inste^^. th divine
mind, wJU, judgnieiit, for the control pf their Hv^s, to
that extent they will have the $irit @v 4i^pQsitioti Q
The Spirit of a Sound Mind. 233
A sdlifid mitid God's rriirid. We do not ttifeaii by this
that thfe brains of Christians tllidergo a change of a
reversal of the Order of nattire in their operation, tut
that tinder the guidance of the holy Spirit, the Spirit
of the Trttth, silch leaffi gradually to rectify the erirWS of
their own judgiiients iii Aspect to all the "Vatf idus ques-
tions which c^me" before them, to harmonize With the
teaching of the Holy Spirit thtotigh the Word of Gdd.
to illustrate: feuppdse We had a dock, a p'dor time-
keeper, and without ifteafis fdr regulation ; suppose also
that we 1 had acces^ frequently to ai&fonctoietef of atteo-
lute correctness, which shdwed us that our clock lost
thirty minutes every twettty-four hours, we would
leafii how td dOffebt it, by fitting every twenty-four*
hours. MofeoVfef , we Would learii also how to estiiiiate
its error at any >oiiit in the d: :y. Sd with our judgments,
and the various iMtters aiid kffairfe of liffe: when Wfe'
rne^sure them witH the peffe'ct standard, we find that
we are either tdo . fast of too slow, too weak of tdd
strong, in our mental and physical etndtions. And while 4
we are quite iiriable to alter our iriethods of thought and
actiofi so as to have them pef feet and iii full accord with
those of our Lord Jesus, ouf staLndafd, nevertheless we*
are enabled to regulate ouf thoughts, our judgments',
according to ttie standard which is befdfe ouf milidsj
in a w^y tod to a degree which thdse wno have not this'
peffect standard, of ^tio are not sdekirig to be regulated!
by it, will neither appreciate nor be able to co>y.
lATlld has not noticed in his ff iends and his iieighbors
(as Well ats in himself) abundant evidence of such urn
soundness of mind, that they are unable to manage theif
affair^ cf^ditatbly, and who nevertheless CSiUsd great
Irinoytoce by tHeir attempts to niaiiage the affairs 61
othefs? Through. self--conceit they afe 1 judging others,
gossiping bukjMbo'ciies iii Other men's rtiatters', thdiigh
evide^icihg thorough ittcafiacity fOf the inanag^mefit df
their own affairs. Is ridt this Orie eVidefid^ of ari unsouM
a tti^astire of irlsstffitjr? Bo we not fifid that the
pfinci^le, caffie4 to* 4 &&& gt^tef ettreme ? ft
254 The Spirit of Atonement.
noticeable in the cases of all whose judgments are so
unsound that they are obliged to be confined in an
asylum? Undoubtedly self-conceit, approbativeness and
fear are the bases of the montal troubles in the majority
of those who are confined in insane asylums man}*
of the remainder being demoniacal obsession. If we
enter an insane asylum we find some of the inmates
laboring under the delusion that they are very wealthy,
or that they are kings, or queens, or nobles, or princes,
and correspondingly full of pride and touchiness, and
easily offended. Others have endured fancied wrongs,
and imagine that they are not sufficiently appreciated,
and their friends are endeavoring to get them out of the
way, for fear of their influence, or to hide their ability,
or to prevent them from securing a fortune. Others,
through fear, imagine that every one is seeking their
life, that the whole world is mad, and that they alona
are sane; or that God is against them, and that their
fate is eternal torment, because they have committed
unpardonable sins, etc.
All these are but extremes of mental conditions and
characteristics which the observing may see about them
every day in all the walks of life. The tendency of the
world and the spirit of the world, with its ambitions and
pride, its superstitions and errors and fears, is to in-
tensify these natural conditions ; and as a result we find
that insanity in the extreme form is making rapid in-
crease throughout the civilized world.
What these need what we and all mankind need
are sound minds: but the time for the general healing
of the world's mental and physical ailments at the hands
of the Great Physician is the Millennial age, when fully
introduced; but that age cannot be introduced, and its
relief and blessing cannot come, until the due time.
Meantime, however, the called-out Gospel Church ob-
tains, through her Lord and his Word, his holy Spirit,
the Spirit of his sound mind, which is the same as the
Father's mind or Spirit. And in proportion as each
member utilizes his privileges in this connection he will
TJte Spirit of a Sound Hind. 255
be helped over the natural mental and physical troubles
which beset us in common with the whole world of man-
kind. The Word of the Lord through the Apostle directs
us thus, "I say ... to every man that is among
you not to think of himself more highly than he ought
to think; but to think soberly [not according to the flesh,
but according to his new nature] according as God hath
dealt to every man the measure of faith." (Rom. 12:3.)
It is a life work with many, to conquer their too high
appreciation of themselves, and to obtain the Spirit of
a sound mind as respects their own talents, but they are
assisted in this work of rectifying their pride, by the
words of the Master, which say, "Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth." They are assisted also
by the words of the Apostle, which declare that "God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace [favor] to the
humble." "Humble yourselves therefore under the
mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time."
Matt. 5:5; Jas. 4:6; i Pet. 5:5, 6.
But, a 
