The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-01-20

CpASToR. fs5sSELL Cos. was a God.
The same was III
the beginning with the God. BY him
were all things made and without him
was not anything made that was
made" John i, /. y. He said:
4 week ago we considered 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.
long before angels and cherubim were
created, Divine power brought forth q
Son on the spirit planc-Jchoyahs FIRST
Bcgotten- glorious. perfect, beautlfu!,
his own image and likeness.
This glorious One is in our text
designated the Logos, the Word. the
Message. the Expression of God. In
the Old Testament he is symbolically
referred to rs Wisdom in the words,
Jehovah possessed me in the begin
ming of his way, before his works Of
old. Then | was by him. as one
brought up with him, and l was daily
his delight, rejoicing always before
him Q'roverbs viii, 22-30'.
This mighty one, personifed as WIS
dom, is declared by st. Paul to be 1.-THE
frst-boru OF all creation" (CoIossians l.,
IBIS. The PSalmist similarly refers
to him as JehovahS ''first-born, high
er than the kings Of earth" psalm
lxXxiX. 81. Jesus thus refers TO him
self as one who had prehuman ex-
istence. saving. Before Abraham was,
| am John viii. II. %, 1853. The
glorified. assembled Christ, in Apoca-
liptic vision. declared the same great
truth, that lie was "thc beginning Of
the creation of Cod Revelation i'll,
Ia. And again lie declared. II am the
First and the Last Rev. i, II: ii, s..
All OF these Scriptures fully corrobo-
rate the statement of our text that he
who subsequently became the worlds
Redeemcr was loug before the primary
Son OF God. He ranked first. not only
in seniority, but also in honor. dignity
and station. above all other SONS OF
God. not one Of whom was like him
self-the direct creation of Jehovah.
For all things were made by the Lo-
COS. and without him was not one
thing made that was made He was
not the creator in the primary sense
of the word, but in thc 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. indiyidu-
ally, he was also the last Of Jchovah's
creation. To this agrees the word of
st. Paul, "All things are Of the Father
and all things are by the Som
Surely many have failed to appreci-
ate not only the Divine personality
Of Jehovah, but also the greatness OF
him who is styled The Son of God"
In the Dark Ages.
There was time when Gods people
did not possess the Bible in their own
language. and when education to read
it was extremely limited. and when
nobody possessed such wonderful
Bibles with references and concord
ancesl as are common today. 1t should
not surprise US that in that far-oH
time confusing errors crcpt into the
traditional faith of the Church. The
contention of the Jews was that Jesus
OF Nazareth was an impostor and tina (
his mighty works were done under
the influence of the fallen angel. Be-
clZcbub. Should we think it strange
that in the heat of discussion some Of
the followers of Jesus would make ex-
travagant claims for him in their en-
deayor 10 oppose the theory that made
OF Messiah mere sinful man?
II does not surprise us. therefore.
that early in the third century claims
were put forward in the name Of
Christ and his Apostles which neither
he nor they ever authorized. The
Apostles declared him to be 1.-The Son
Of God with power and that he was
holy, harmless. indebted and sepa-
rate from sinners" hebrews vii. go.
The Master himself declared. "My
Father is greater than l." HE is
above ALL" "bc sent me-" 81 came 10
do the will Of my Father in heaven
and not mine own will" Il delight to
DO thy will. oh my God; thy law is
written in my heart"
True. he also declared, II and my
Father are one" but he showed i'm
what this oneness consistcd--tlIat it
was oneness of will. of purpose, OF
work. Because lie had fully submitted
his will to the Fathers will and had
made the Fathers will his own. there
fore they were one.
The Master again illustrated this
oneness when he prayed for his dis.
ciples that 'they all might be ono,
even as thou Father and I are one
John xviii II. Il. go. Evidently the
Master did not pray that his disciples
should all become one in person. but
that they should all become of one
mind, of one heart. of one disposition
through their loyalty and obedience to
the Word and to the spirit of God.
And this oneness he declared. was the
kind Which subasted between the
Heavenly Father and himself.