The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-06-18

supposed was violated by this law of
nereaily. AS our eyes open to the
that if God had not permitted his law
or incredibly to operate, but had per
m1tted each individual of the race TO
come forth to perfection and to stand
an individual trial such as father
ADAM was subject to, 1t would doubt
less have meant that at least one-half
or the race. possibly more, would have
oellberately chosen a course of sin as
father Adam chose 1t. To expect more
than one-half to be obedient would be
unreasonable. Rather, from what we
see about US in the experiences of life.
we would have been liable to conclude
that only a very small majority, per
haps one-tenth, would have been ODE
dent to God, while the remaining
nine-tenths would have been diso-
bedient.
Some might ask, Would not even
that have been better than the divine
arrangement as we see It operating
| now, that the whole race should suf-
| Ter for one mans disobedience? We
answer, MOI 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
| in Adam and his race for now 5000
years-while 10000 100000 have been
born in sin and sorrow and pain and
after a few years Of trouble have died
In sorrow and pain, nevertheless in
Gods due time all these shall have
more favorable opportunities Of know
ing of Gods true character and of at
tanning to a full character development
in his likeness during the millennial
age. This means that probably more
will gain eternal life and blessing I'M
| der the divine arrangement as we have
| it than we could reasonably expect
| would have been saved had the Lord
not provided this law of heredity and
condemnation for 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
see that it means much more than this.
Condemned in One-Redeemed by One
A great economic law is connected
with the divine arrangement: The
loins because of his transgression
made possible the divine arrangement
that a second man should pay the
! penalty for the first and redeem both
| him and all who were in him at the
time Of his condemnation This is at
once a demonstration Of divine wis
dom and of divine justice. Suppose,
| for instance, that the law of heredity
had not prevailed. had not been in
stitdted by our Lord. but that eac7
individual had come forth perfect and
had been personally placed on trial
! and been personally condemned to
death. Would it not have required an
| individual savior for each one con-.
demned under such an arrangement
! Surely it would. Hence, had one-half
of the race proven themselves sinners
and been personally condemned it
would either have been necessary to
avoid redemption altogether or to re-
deem the. siner half of the race, by
giving a life for nfe-a perfect be-
| ings sacrifice for or instead of each
| imperfect life. Estimating the total
number of our race at 20,000.0O0,O 900.
| Justice would have been obliged to
require 1o.o0o.000,oo0 of perfect be-
| ings to be offered as the ransom price
for the 10.o00.oo0,ooo of sinners.
Under the very best estimate that
we can possibly make. this would
have required the death of all the
| for all the imperfect members of the
race, and what a havoc that would
have implied-with just as many dy-
| ing as under present conditions, name
! ly one-half as sinners and the other
| half as redeemers. ransoms- Besides.
we perceive that It 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-
| deemers hence there would have been
no assurance even then that any but
| a fraction of the sinner race would
have been redeemed. On the contrary,
| how wise, conservative and econom-
| ical was the divine arrangement that
| by one mans disobedience under the
! laws of heredity the many would be
born sinners and sharers in his pen
atty, death. and that then in due time
one Savicr, one perfect one. the man
| Christ Jesus" might redeem Adam
and, redeeming him, redeem all Of
his race from the death sentence. the
curse, the wrath of God, and as q