The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-06-14
PULPI IT,.
The Law of RetribntiOn
Sowing and Reaping---Visit-
ing Sins Of Pasents Upon Their
Children---Justice of the Divine
Anangement---Grace So Much
More Abounds --- Else Were
Your Children Unholy.

Some might ask. Would not even
that have been better than the Divine
arrangement as we see 1t operating
now, that the whole race should suf-
fer for one mans disobedlence? We
answer. No! Not according to the tes-
timony of the Scriptures. The Bible
shows us that while this law of retri-
button has worked such terrible havoc
Adam and his race for now 6000
years-while 20.000,000.0O0 have been
born In sin and sorrow and pain and
after few years of trouble have died
In sorrow and pain, nevertheless In
Gods due time all of these shall have
more favorable opportunities of know,
ing of Gods true character and of at
taining to full character development
In his likeness during the Milennial
Age. This means that probably more
will gain eternal life and blessing un-
der the divine arrangement as we have
IL than we could reasonably expect
would have been saved had the Lord
not provided this law OF heredity and
condemnation of all, but on the con-
trary had permitted each to be born
in perfection and to stand his trial as
between loyalty to God with the re-
ward of eternal life or disobedience
punished with death. But we shall
see that 1t means much more than this.
Condemned In one-Redeemod by One.
A great economic law is connected
with the divine arrangement: The
condemnation of n race In one mans
loinS because of his transgression
made possible the divine arrangement
penalty for the first and redeem both
him and all who were in him at the
time Of his condemnation. This is at
once n demonstration of Divine Wis
dom and of Divine Justice. Suppose.
for instance. that the law of heredity
had not prevailed, had not been in
stituted by our Lord. but that each
individual had come forth perfect and
had been personally placed on trial
and been personally condemned to
death Would II not have required an
individual savior for each one con
demncd under such an arrangement?
Surely 1t would. Hence, had one-half
of the race proven themselves sinners
and been personally condemned II
would either have been necessary to
avoid redemption altogether or to re-
deem the sinner half OF the race. by
giving Il llfc for llfe--a perfect be-
:ng's sacrifice for or instead of each
ttpn.rfnnt lign Egtinntinu thn tni n1
number of our race Mt 10000, 600, 900,
Justice would hnvc been Obliged TO
require 10,0O0000,000 of perfect be
ngs to be offered as the ransom price
for the l0,00O,000000 OF sinners
Under the very best estimate that
we can possibly make. this would
have required the death of all the
| perfect ones OF the race as redecmcrs
for all the imperfect members OF the
I race. and what havoc that would
have implied-wlth just ms many dy-
! Ing as under present conditions, na me-
ly, ouc-half as sinners and the other
half as rcdecmcrs, rnnsoms, Besides,
we perceive that II would not have
been just on the part of the Almighty
to compel the righteous ones TO Suf-
fer for the unrighteous as their re,
dcemcrs. hence there would have been
no assurance even then that any but
Il fraction of the sinner race would
have been redeemed On the contrary
how wise. conservative and cconom-
icnl was the Divine arrangement that
by one mans dlsobcdicnce under the
laws of hcredity the many wonld be
born sinners and sharcrs In his pen
atty, death. and that then In due time
one Savior. one perfect one. the "mar
Christ Jesus" might redeem Adam
and, rcdcemug him, redeem all OF
his race from the death sentence. the
curse, the wrath of God, and as Il
result of the redemption obtain the
right, the authority, the power during
his Millennial Kingdom and In asso
citation vita his glurlfed Church OF
the Gospel Age, To bless nh the fam
illcs of the earth and To uplft as
many as would he willing out of all
thcir ignorance weakness and sinful
aud dying conditions 10 MI that was
lost IN Adam.
We have seen that In harmony with
the Divine law II would not have
been just for the Heavenly Father tc
obllgatc the righteous TO die for sin
ners aud thnt hence the redemption OF
the sinners would have been prob
lcmnticul-- very doubtful But on the
contrary the Heavenly Father well
knew In advance the loyalty of his
First, Bcgotten, his only Rcgottcn, whC
IL declared TO have been the "hcgln'
ming of the creation OF God QRevela
tion Ill, IA He knew not only of Jesus
loyalty but that his experiences with
him In glory would every way qualify
our Lord for the tests aud the sacrifices
necessary for the redemption Of the
race with his own precious blood
The Scriptures assure us furthermore
that the Father set before him somt
certain Joys. certain blessings, certain
promises. In connection with this work
OF man's redemption; as we read