’ 'The Bible alone offers us an explana
tion of tbe situation. It tells us that
■Qod created our race as pure, as per
fect, as holy, as happy as the angels,
• and that be placed our first parents in
Eden, surrounded with everything
beautiful and desirable. It explains
that our fall from that perfection into
mental, moral and physical decrepi
tude came as a result of disobedience
to Qod. It explains that “the wages
•f aln is death," that “the soul that
alnneth, It shall die,” that all the souls
produced by Father Adam and Moth
er Eve are dying souls, lu consequence
of our sin-inheritance. This la bad
enough, sad enough; and, as was in
tended, our hearts cry out after the
Bring God, for his mercy and compas
eion, that he would save ua from death,
aave us from destruction. The answer
of Divine Justice Is, that we are unlit
to live—that our Creator graciously de
signs that sinners shall not be Immor
tal. But, hearkening, we hear a mes
sage assuring us that God has looked
town In compassion and “heard the
groanlDgs of the prisoners.” lie fore
knew our helplessness under the reign
Of sin and deutb. and In bis Plan made
provision for our case In advance—“be
fore the foundation of tbe world.”
After four thousand yeara of thla
reign of aln and death, exhibiting Di
viae Justice without mercy, our Cre
ator revealed the wonderful features
of his Program. He sent forth his
Bon, “that he, by the grace of God.
might taste death for every man"—
not for the Elect Church merely, but
for all the families of the earth.
