The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-06-16

the Church and their sufferings with
their Redeemer and the promises OF
future blessing and glory both for the
Church and for the world-are sub
jects in which the angels of God are
interested. As the Apostle Peter says,
"Of which salvation the prophets have
enquired and searched diligently.
Searching what or what manner Of
time the Spirit of Christ which was In
them did signify. when it testified be-
forehand the sufferiugs of Christ, and
the glory that should follow.
Which things the angels desire to look
into" Il Peter, /, 1912. They Won
dered when all the sufferlngs Of Jesus
and the Church would be completed
and when the glory time would come
and recovery from sin and death con-
ditions; when Gods purpose would
thus ripen and bear fruit In the recov-
cry Of those who fell from his favor
In Adams disobedence but were re-
deemed by the precious blood.
The great lesson of what constitutes
dlsobedience, aud how serious sin 1t
Is, and what it would lead to IL allowed
to take its course. was illustrated In
mans experiences; and all the hosts of
angels looked on with amazement, no
doubt Gods Justice was fully DEM
onstrated In the infection of the death
penalty and the permission of its In
roads upon the mental, moral and
physical perfection of his creatures,
bringing many of the race down al
most to brutality. Gods Love was
manifested in the gift of his Son, in
the arrangement of his plan by which
for the joy set before him, Jesus might
become Adams Redeemer, and the
Bridegroom of the Elect Church and
ultimately the great King Of Glory
who, during the Mlllennial Age, is to
restore, revive and bless and test
Adam and all his race.
Christ and the Church Crucially Tested
We cannot wonder if all the holy an
gels looked on In amazement as they
beheld the Only Begotten Son Of God
leave the "glory which he had before
the world was" and humble. himself to
take human nature-tO be born o man
that he might redeem Adam and his
race. 1t must have seemed wonderful
to them not only that the Heavenly
Father would arrange such plan but
wonderful also that the glorious "Only
Begotten," "First- Born" should be the
one to whom the proposition would be
, made to show his faith and love for
the Father, to do his will to the ex-
tent of such q sacrifice, not only of
glory. but, eventually, of life. They
had yet to see a further operation of
the divine law of retribution operating
in Jesus for his blessing and honor.
SO intent were they in looking at the
then at his death, that apparently they
did not so carefully note the fact that
the Heavenly Father had set before
him great joys, great blessings, great
exaltation, when he should finish his
work.
| Already the Only Begotten was next
to the Father In glory and dignity,
honor and power; what more Of divine
honor could be bestowed upon even
the First-Born of every creature1
The Only Begotten himself appears
not to have thought particularly Of
the promised glory: The Joy set be-
fore him, however. seems to have
been that he would do the Fathers
will aud thus demonstrate his abso-
lutte loyalty even unto death. While,
no doubt. 1t was a Joy to the Lord
to be the Fathers Agent in the rescue
Of Adam and his race from sin and
death, nevertheless we believe that
his chief Joy in connection with the
matter was that thus he might demon.
strate to the Father his absolute love
by his submission and obedience
Our Lords own words were. "Father,
gIorlfy thou me with the glory which
I had with thee before the world
was" John xvii. 81. He. knew Of
the Fathers proposed exaltation Of
him as reward. but he did not men.
ton this; he would merely ask Of ths
plished the Divine purpose he might
have back the same honor and posi-
ton and divine favor which he had
laid aside when he BUNDLED himself
to become Adams redemption price,
the worlds Savior. Such modesty
and loyalty are difficult for Nus to
comprehend because Of our fallen.
imperfect conditions.
But the Apostle explains to us.
speaking under the power Of inspira-
ton, that because of our Lords obedl-
ence in leaving the glory and becom-
ing a man and dying for our sins.
therefore "God hath highly exalted
him and given him a name above ev-
cry name, that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bow. of things In
heaven and things in earth" Philippi-
ans ii, o, 10Y. Elsewhere in the Scrip
lures we are assured that our Lord be-
came partaker of the Divine nature in
his resurrection; that thus he attained a
reward far above anything that could
have been thought, not only above an
gels, but also far above his own prehu-
man condition. In thus rewarding the
faithful the Lord is carrying out the
spirit of our textile has been exem-
plifying what is otherwise taught in
the Scriptures-"w whatsoever man SOW
eth that shall he also reap" Galatians
vi, y. Adam sowed disobedience and he
and his race have reaped a terrible
harvest of degradation, suffering and
death. The Only Begotten sowed ODE
| dience as nrOnhaticaIIy pXDreSSed of