The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-12-18

hence we get the racial history of the Jew
as an individual. which involves the civil
and governmental history of the Jewish ma
ton for ages, and the education God gave
them under chosen leaders, thus including
that miraculous history TO prepare them 10
be, as they were, a chosen people. and also
TO bring them into the promised land
III we examine this history relating 10
Jesus critically We shall find many Things
accepted as historical. IL we look into the
Bible we catch revelations of His history.
the object of His coming. His life-work,
His pure life, His wisdom, His love for men,
and that at twelve years of age he was
found in the temple asking questions OF the
doctors of law and theology, disputing and
confounding them by his questions OF Wis
dom and knowledge. How shall we account
for all that He did IL God was not with and
in Him? If there be an hereditary law in
human life. which most men believe, then
1t ought TO be true that on the spiritual or
the divine side of humanity there Is also an
hereditary law which holds good for spirit
ual birth. growth in grace and maturity In
development, and continues in the spiritual
and eternal world unless destroyed by apos-
tasy from faith. We are told that With
out faith IL Is impossible to please God
Here we find proof of a divine and spiritual
law which is brought to our notice by Paul
now no condemnation to them which are
In Christ Jesus. who walk not after the
flesh Cheredity) but after the spirit Why?
For the law of the spirit of life in Christ
Jesus hath made me free from the law or
sin and death" Law is a rule of action,
and this law is spiritual law. and God Is
its author in the spiritual realm, as he is
the author of law in the temporal world
for instance, the law OF gravitation. Paul
had spiritual regeneration, became
changed and renewed or renovated man,
which gave him his zeal for God and the
propagation of his gospel. This is the hered-
ity of the spiritual law in Paul. as in other
men who come under the operation of the
Jesus Christ, had by a law of heredity COM
mitted TO Jesus divine heredity. which
was also His in His human life. One re-
suit of it was He was without sin. and.
though tempted. He did not fall, but as
serted His divinity when in the presence of
His tempter. the devil. by saying to him:
Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God y
There is another point in the question of
heredity which belongs to the spiritual and
divine side of Jesus Christ, namely, For
verify He took not on Him the nature of
angels. but He took on Him the seed of
Abraham. Wherefore in all things it be-
| hooved Him to be made like unto His
be a merciful and faithful high priest in
things pertaining to God to make reconcilia-
ton for the sins of the people" Here is an
important reason why Jesus, the Son of
| human nature, as God in His infinite mercy
had provided for when in the plan of the
ages. Jesus was conceived of the Holy
| Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, and en-
| tered into the race by common. or an UNI
| common, birth in the manager. Then, 1t is
clear. God had plan Of salvation, wrought
Il IA
born of woman the history Of the hui
mainly of Jesus Christ was begun: yet the
divinity and heredity belong to Him as
| God the Someone with the father from the
eternity of years, yet on the human side
of few years and full of trouble.
| do not stop to discuss the question of
| "the permission of evil" here except to say
| that to my mind IL wonderfully magnifies
| the grace of God and His infinite glory to
| secure this salvation to the race by the
| Offering of His own Son. a holy sacrifice,
as none other could avail for such salvation.
| One condition remains, namely: Man must
| accept the sacrifice. as God. while offering
| the salvation, will never force the free
| agency of man and compel him TO accept a
| salvation free and yet costing the life
| of His blessed Son on the cross. Salvation
would not be free and men would not ac-
cent 1T by coercion: hence it is by the holy
| principle of love that lie solicits men to ac-
cept salvation vet wrought out In the per-
son of Jesus Christ-one of the race, and
| Him Jew.
| The fatherhood oil Irod. the sonship of the
| Son. the brotherhood of the race. the uni
versatility of salvation in Jesus Christ. the
| freedom of human will-also Gods prerog-
| ative in spiritual government-are questions
which / do not touch. but all are involved
| in the questions of the divinity and hu-
mainly of Jesus Christ. I think we cannot
| compass all the questions which are pre-
sented in the "heredity of Jesus Christ
without leading us out into larger fields
/ of thought and reason So the thoughts
which are sprung in my own mind have had
the effect to magnify the great grace OF
| God in Jesus Christ and has created de-
sire for the larger truth. which / think
magnifies His infinite glory far beyond what
| light and truth to permeate our souls with
| divine life and power.
r. E. HAUGHToN, M. d.
| Richmond Ind, Dec 49,