The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-01-16

q "A
| N|.< the Word (Logos)
tSM} u was with tho God
syN@ and the Word 90.
lasAsIeS1s gasELI gos} was q 4 God.
Il I! The same was IN
the beginning with fdc God. By him
were allfthlngs made and without him
was not anything made that was
made John !. 1.s22l, He said: l.
"a week ago we constd ered the time
when God was alone, Today let us
discuss the first creative act as re-
,spects Intelligent beings. Long before
! man was created, or our earth; was
brought from its chaotic condition,
Hong before angels and ichernbirn were
created, Divine power brought forth q
Son on the spirit plane-Jchoyall's First-
Begotten4 glorious, perfect, beautiful.
his own image ind likeness. y
This glorious One IS in our text
designated the Losos, the Word, the
Message, the Expression Of God. In
the Old Testament he is symbolically
referred to as Wisdom, In the words.
Jehovah possessed me In the begin
hing Of bis way before his works of
old. n. Then / WAS jby him. sas one
brought up with him, and ] was daily
his delight, rejoicing always before
him. Proverbs viii. 22-3O). n
This mighty one. personifed as Wis
dom, is declared by, st. Pnul to be "tle
| first-bornSof aii creation" &c oiossians /,
1918. The Psalmist similarly refers
| to himtas Jehoyaii's '.'frst- born, high
er than the kings Of earth,.. psalm
isixxxix, 37i Jesus thus refers to him
self ms one who had apretuman eS-
istence, saying, Before Abraham was.
I am" tJohn vii, IA. %, AZ, The
gloritied, assembled Christ. In Apoca,
|3liptic vision, declared the same great
truth, a that he wns .'the beginning of
the creation Of God" tRevelation Iii,
al. And again he declared, II am tic
First and the Last (ReS. !, II; II, 81. L
u All of these Scriptures fully corrobo.
rate the statement Of our text that he
who subsequently became the worlds
Redeemer wns long before the primary
Son of God. He ranked first. not only
In seniority. but also In honor. dignity
and station above tnli other sous of
God, not one sof whom was like him:
seif-the direct creation Of Jehovah.
i"For NIL things were made by the Lo-
Cos, and without him was not one
thing made TINT was made" He was
not the creator in the primary sense
of the word, but In the secondary
sense. He was the active agent Of
Jehovah In all Of his subsequent crea-
tive work; thus he was not only the
first,born Of all creation. but. indisidu:
ally, lie was also the last Of Jcltovdii's
creation. To this ngrees the word Of
| st. Paul, -.Aii things arc Of the Father
md all things IRE BY the Son \!
Surely many have failed to apnrect-
ate not only the Divine personality
OF Jehovah. but also the greatness Of
him who - styled t'The Son of Cod
III In the Dark Ages. 81
There WIS a time when Gods people
| did not possess the Bible IN their owl
language, md when. education to read
| it;was extremely limited. and when
nobody possessed, such wonderful
Bibles with references and concord
ances) as are common today. It Should
not surprise us that In that fnr:off
time confusing errors cfeft Into the
traditional faith Of the Church. The
contention Of the Jews was that Jesus
4 Of Nazareth was an impostor, md :that
his mighty works were, done under
the influence, Of the fallen angel Be.
elzcbub. Should We think It strange
4 that Ia the heat 81 discussion SOME Of
the followers Of Jesus would make ex.
4 travagant claims for him III 7thetr en-.
SdcaSor to oppose the theory that made
of Messiah mere sinful man?
It does not surprise us, therefore.
that early In the third century claims
were put forward In the name Of
Christ aud Ills Apostles which neither
he nor they ever authorized. The
Apostles declared him to be ""the Son
of God with power and that he was
"holy, harmless, undecided and sepa-
rate from sinners Hebrews VII 4 20).
The Master himself declared, ""Myi
Father is greater than l." ""He il
above all" .'be sent Sme" 81 came to
do the will of my Father in heaven
4 and not mine own Will; 't"I delight to
do thy will, oh my God; thy law IS
written in my heart" !
True, he also declared. IT aud my
Father are one;" but he showed I'm
what this oneness consisted that 1t