Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1898-09-29
SATURDAY SERMON.
For Sunday Perusal and Every Day
Guidance.

but that he also descended first into
the lower parts of the earth? He that
descended is the same also that as
cenGed up far above all heavens,
that He might fill all things.-Ephe
slams, 4, 80.
"Who is this that ascended?"
tne aspostle asks, in order that be
may answer: "He that ascended
is the same that descended first
into the lower parts of the earth. -
And these words IRE Of striking
interest. This witness to the hu-
initiation of ''the Word made
flesh, !" from the moment He un-
tied the Godhead with the elements
of manhood in the womb of the
virgin. He descended to the lap
of peasant girl to breast of po-
verify, to stable and a manger,
to carpenters shop and work
bench, He descended from the
courts of heaven to the dwellings
of earth; from the many mansions
to the obscure inn, from associa-
ton with angels and archangels
and all the company of heaven to
the companionshlp of mortals and
earthlings; from the throne of God
the Father to the lodging of Cali
lean carpenter; from the canopy
of the great white throne to the
covering of maiden's matrix
And from the first the marks of
His descent clung to Him. He in
herited body susceptible to hum
ger and cold, weariness and fati~
que. He was born after the flesh
as other children. Traits and
characteristics appeared. He was
easily recognized as Jew IN ap-
pearance, as peasant in manners,
as a Galilean in speech. His
friends were panied when he spoke
of being the Son of God. His en-
emies laughed Him to scorn when
He called God His Father. He
was very human. No doubt of
that. He was often hungry, often
thirsty, often tired, often sorrow
full. So His descent carried with
it the abandonment of the appear
ance, the manners, the language
Of God, and the adoption of a
form Enthusiastically and truly hus
man.
He that descended is the same
that assembled" What transis
ton! What an evolution! Man,
made little lower than the an
gels, crowned with majesty and
honor! Man, created of the dust
of the earth, raised to the height
of an immortal heaven! Man, a
thing of flesh and blood, super
nal in the incorruptible nature of
a resurrection body! Man, an in
fnitesimal atom upon the SMALL
est of m any millions of celestial
spheres, made the equal of the
God who fashioned and made
him, created and controls the
starry univ erse! Man, walking
the dusty streets of an earthly
town, treading the golden pave
ments of the heavenly city! Man,
only a little higher than the
brutes that perish, having all
things in suhjection under His
feet! Man, himself judged and
condemned by his fellow-men.
Judging and ruling angels! Man,
once enthroned upon cross, now
sitting as king upon His throne!
Man, once raising his tired,
lsightless eyes to the sun. now
shining with the radiance of His
own glory! Man; once asking
pity, and finding none, now Him
self comforting! Man, once down
in the dust of travail and obliv
ion, now up in tbs clouds of hap
piness and prominence Man,
once living as a man lives. eating
and drinking to support mortal
and death>inheriting existence,
now living as God lives, change
less permanent, everlasting! And
this man is the head of the new
creation, the progenitor of a new
race, Adam and his descent are
of the past. Jesus and His
ascent are of the present.
Because He lives we shall also
live. Because He is risen, we
shall also rise. Because He is
ascended, we shall also ascend.
Is there not wonderful capacity
for development here? Is there
not boundless room for evolus
tion? Development and evolution
lplay an important part in the