2 (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,)

The gospel promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures

If "G. M." understood Moses and the Prophets, he would understand the New Testament, and know from all these writing that what he, but not the Bible, styles the "Millennial Reign," is neither more nor less than the blessing of all nations in Abraham and his seed, the Christ; which Paul, and, after him, Dr. Thomas, as his humble imitator, terms "the Gospel." Paul's words are these,

"God preached the Gospel to Abraham, saying: In thee shall all nations be blessed."

This blessedness has not yet come upon a single nation, much less upon all nations; and for any one to say that it has, argues his profound ignorance of what the Scriptures define that blessedness to be.

But I do not say that the blessing of all nations in Abraham is "the Gospel of our salvation," if by "our" is to be understood "the Saints." It is the gospel of the nations' salvation. The glad tidings or Gospel of the Saints' salvation is, that when the nations shall be blessed in Abraham and his seed, they, as constituents of that seed, being Christ's, shall possess with Him the blest nations with power and eternal glory, which is the same idea as possessing the kingdom and dominion under the whole heaven for ever.

He who says, "This will not be," is an Infidel, and denies the Gospel, though he may believe in the personalia of Jesus. The Saints' reign with Christ upon earth over all nations, when established, will be a reign of righteousness and peace, uninterrupted by war's alarms for a thousand years, the longest peace the world will ever have experienced since man was created.

Now, the good news to individual Gentiles and Jews is, that God invites all who believe in the Gospel he preached to Abraham, to become kings of the nations, with honour, glory and life eternal, on certain conditions. It is only believers in the Gospel preached to Abraham, to whom the conditions are accessible; because "the righteousness of God" can only be counted to those who believe the Gospel.

"Seek first the kingdom of God."

This is the order laid down by Jesus. If a man have found it, that is, have come to "understand the word of the kingdom," and say, "What must I do to inherit it?" the answer is, You must become the subject of

"God's righteousness;"

in other words, you must be constituted righteous in the way that He hath devised for the justifying of the ungodly. Now, "Jesus is the way."

You are required, therefore, to believe in him, as well as in the Gospel preached to Abraham. Because the Jews did not, their belief in that Gospel was of no benefit to them, nor has it been to this day.

To believe in him is to believe that he is the man ordained of God to occupy the throne of his kingdom, when "the kingdom shall come to the Daughter of Jerusalem," which is Zion, the city where David dwelt. To believe this is to believe that he is "the Christ," or Anointed One, called "Yahweh's King," by David, spoken of everywhere in Moses and the Prophets.

To believe savingly in him is to believe these things, and that His blood shed was the blood of the covenant made with Abraham, called the New Covenant, shed for the remission of the sins of many; that is, of those who believe the promises of that covenant; that he was buried, and rose again according to the prophets, for the justification of believers. He that believes these

"things concerning the kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus the Anointed,"

with a love-working faith, believes the word of the kingdom in its gospel and mystery, "with his heart unto righteousness."

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Sept 1853

3 Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;

The crucifixion of Christ as a‭ "‬declaration of the righteousness of God‭" ‬and a‭ "‬condemnation of sin in the flesh,‭" ‬must exhibit to us the righteous treatment of sin.‭ ‬It was as though it was proclaimed to all the world,‭ ‬when the body was nailed to the cross.‭ "‬This is how condemned human nature should be treated according to the righteousness of God‭; ‬it is fit only for destruction.‭"

The shedding of the blood was the ritual symbol of the truth‭; ‬for the shedding of the blood was the taking away of the life.‭ ‬Such a declaration of the righteousness of God could only be made in the very nature concerned‭; ‬a body under the dominion of death because of sin.‭

It would not have been a declaration of the righteousness of God to have crucified an angel or a new man made fresh from the ground.‭ ‬There would have been confusion in such an operation.‭ ‬This is why it was necessary that Jesus should be‭ "‬made of the seed of David according to the flesh‭" (Rom. i. 3)‬,‭ ‬that he might partake of the very flesh and blood of man‭ (Heb. ii. 14)‬.‭ ‬It was that nature that was to be operated upon and redeemed in him.‭ ‬It was needful that he should at the first‭ "‬come in the flesh.‭"

Bro Roberts,‭ Exhort ‬NO.‭ ‬258

Christ the Seed of David, Yet not a Mere Man

The substance of Christ was flesh and blood, of Adamic stock, identical with that of "the children" he came to redeem (Heb. 2:14). In this, he was "the seed of David, according to the flesh."—(Rom. 1:2); but this did not make him "mere man."

The phrase "according to the flesh" implies another side, viz., "the Spirit." How was he related to this? The angel's words to Joseph and Mary, answer this.

"That which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit."—(Matt. 1:20.) The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee."—(Luke 1:35.)

By this the babe begotten, and afterwards the man, was related to God, who is Spirit, and could say "I came from heaven." By this, he was God manifest in the flesh; the word of Eternal Power made flesh, dwelling in Israel, full of grace and truth, which could never be testified of any mere man.

But surely it is time to leave the discussion of this principle of the doctrine of Christ. It has been defined and discussed sufficiently to satisfy the requirements of such as are truly waiting for the kingdom of God. Let us go on unto perfection. Our salvation does not depend upon our ability to define the process of God-manifestation. If it did, we should have no hope.

Abstractions belong to God. They are inconceivable to the human intellect. What we are called upon to do is to recognise in Jesus the arm of the Lord as a matter of faith; rejoice in the day-spring from on high that hath visited us; looking for his re-appearing, and meanwhile preparing ourselves for his coming by the obedience of his commandments in all holiness, love, patience, and joy. Upon this our salvation does depend.

It is possible to carry the discussion of definitions too far. The futile attempt to squeeze God's operation into the language of human ideas, may degenerate into a strife of words to no profit; a barren controversy, in which he is least inclined to needlessly engage who is most in sympathy with the glorious objects contemplated in that operation, and presented for faith in the testimony concerning the man Christ Jesus now exalted to the right hand of the Majesty of the Heavens.

The Christadelphian, Mar 1872

The Apostasy of the First Century

à"They preached Christ of envy and strife—of contention not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to the apostle's bonds."—Phil. 1:16. "They walked as the enemies of the cross of Christ, worshipping their appetites, glorying in their shame, minding earthly things."—ch. 3:13.

They were "enemies of the cross of Christ;" that is, γνωσται, or Knowing Ones, were opposed to the doctrine of the cross, as taught by the apostles. These taught that

"God sent his Son in the likeness of the flesh of sin (σαρκοϚ ̓μαρτιαϚ) and on account of sin condemned sin in the flesh;"

that "he was descended from David according to flesh;" "for as much as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same;" "being in all things made like unto his brethren;" so that "he could bear their sins in his own body to the tree," and "be touched with the feelings of their infirmities;" being, when tried, "tempted in all points like as they, but without sin.—Rom. 1:3; 8:3; Heb. 2:14–17; 4:15; 1 Pet. 2:24.

The "seducers" opposed this, and taught that "Jesus did not come in flesh;" and consequently, did not descend from David; was therefore also, not born of a Virgin; and did not really suffer on the cross; so that "sin was not condemned in the flesh; and his resurrection not real. These things flow logically from the assertion that the flesh of Jesus was not "flesh of sin," but a holy and better compound.

If he came not in the flesh of Abraham's seed, he can have no right to the things covenanted to Abraham and his seed, nor to "the sure mercies of David;" for these are promised only to David and his seed.

The whole gospel was therefore nullified by these two principles, namely, "the resurrection past, and the body of Jesus not flesh of sin. Well might the apostle say, that such had made shipwreck of the faith.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Nov 1857

The Seed of David According to the Flesh

"My Dear Brother Veysey.

—I thank you for yours. ...I doubt if any good may be expected. As to the unscriptural character of their [renunciation] position, I have no doubt; and it appears to me, in a great measure, to arise from a misapprehension of the law of procreation. Let us look at this in view of Rom. 4:19.

According to the law of nature, Sarah's womb was dead; so also was 'Abraham's body.' But in view of the promise, Abraham did not "count it so." Hence, Sarah, in due time, received strength to 'conceive seed' (Heb. 11:12.), which she was deficient of before. Deficient of what? The answer is strength or power. This she received contrary to nature, Abraham being as good as dead. Hence Isaac is born, and here is 'the figure of him that was to come,' out of the woman styled 'the seed,' by Yahweh's handmaid.

It must be remembered that Mary was not Sarah. In Sarah the conditions of procreation were wanting; in Mary they were not so. On what follows hangs all the mystery, if it must be so called. The conditions of production at the usual time of life were found in Mary's womb. Now here is the question: Was that which was there the flesh of David, of Abraham, of Adam, or not? Yes or No is all that is required. If the former, then, it was the flesh of sin in embryo. If not, what was it? Was Mary sinless? Yes or no again.

The latter will land its votaries in Rome sooner or later, and will be found to be a leap in the dark, without any scriptural light at all. Again, when Mary was overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, was the embryo substance changed? If so, where is the evidence either scriptural or natural? All that was required in the case was power to form that material already existing there. Admit the power, and the result according to prophetic and angelic prediction follows.

A child is born, a Son is given, "the wonderful Counsellor," &c. Was he a son of God? Yes. Was he son of man? Yes. He is in the form of God, yet the likeness of sin's flesh. Consequently, between God and man a mediator. The flesh is the flesh of sin, the spirit or power of life therein is God. He was, therefore, God manifest in flesh, not manifestation of sin. He kept under his body; brought every thought into subjection to the law of his Father before his anointing and after.

'I do always the things that please him.'

He was of the same mind as his Father: 'I and my Father are one.' He had no life apart from Him, either before his birth or after his death. That which he had he received 'from the Father.' This he confesses again and again. In Rom. 1:3, 4, we read,

'His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, made of the seed of David according to the flesh (by begettal), is declared to be Son of God with power (not by begettal), but by a resurrection from the dead".

Here are certain conditions again needed in order that a resurrection to life eternal may obtain. The conditions were matured in the life lived. Holy obedience to the will of Him who sent him was the condition upon which life is granted, i.e., 'length of days,' &c.

The power of life did not reside in the body in Joseph's tomb, nor in the character evolved therein during its life, but the conditions did exist there, both in the body and in the character—the former the substratum of the latter, and of all that follows after.

Now, beloved brother V., these very conditions (all of which, in some remote way, appear to me to answer to the conditions in Mary's womb), are now being formed or matured in us by the reception of the pure words of the Deity, comprehended and believed fully and truly; and unless they are found to be in us, Christ will not bestow on us that life which he alone gives. . . .

It is the Son who quickens whom he will into life eternal. The power of life is one thing, manifested life another. The Son of God had no life, free or otherwise, apart from Mary's Son. Our friends seem to me to confound things that differ, after the fashion of the sects. The more I think of the subject the more I am convinced that Dr. Thomas is right and those who see with him. Our faith must be tried as well as our patience.

That Christ was the spirit-prepared flesh of David is ignored by these friends, if not in word, in fact. It is the old thing over again: those who oppose it go Romeward; but that is not our city; that was built by some man; our builder is God. Let us be standing on the tower... of truth uncorrupted.

A brother in SW England

The Christadelphian, April 1875

4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

This anointing with Spirit and Power was the revival in a greater degree of the former relations subsisting between the Father and the Son.

"constituted Son of Deity in power, through Spirit of holiness, out of a resurrection of dead ones" (Rom. 1:4).

Eureka 16.11.3.1.

12 That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

...rarely attainable in our day on account of the scarcity of real faith. Friendly people are to be met with; people interested in your personal concerns, or the workings of the truth in an ecclesiastical sense; but where are those whose hearts, emancipated from the pettiness of this provisional life, are occupied with a genuine appreciation of the great things that are of God, and filled with hopes, and sighs, and prayers? They are here and there; their name is not legion.

You do not necessarily find them where people profess the name of Christadelphians; but, thank God, they are on the increase. They were naturally more numerous in Paul's day, on account of the powerful means employed in the sowing of the good seed; though even then, Paul had to lament that

"all seek their own, and not the things that are Jesus Christ's" (Phil. ii. 21).

No marvel if this lament should have a tenfold force in this cloudy and dark day. To discern the truth, and be able to define it is one thing: but to set about the service of it and those connected with it, in the spirit of self-sacrifice, is another and a scarcer thing, and yet the only thing that will stand in the day of trial; for the Great President at that trial has said:

"He that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it" (Matt. x. 38, 39).

The foundation or cause of the comfort in one another, that Paul desired the brethren to realise, is thus expressed by him: "Being knit together in love and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgment of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ." Love is an indispensable element in mutual comfort. Faith and hope are refreshing to behold -- so much so, indeed, in these barren days, that we can love intensely where they are manifested, even if they are unaccompanied by the manifestation of benevolence.

But the truly joyful and love-evoking combination is where the greatest of the three stands high in the centre of the group, and faith and hope stand obeisantly at each side. This love will flourish when faith and hope are swallowed up in the glories of God's realised purpose.

Bro Roberts - Consolation

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

Whosoever partakes in the reign of Christ will be a saved man; yet the abstract doctrine that Christ will reign on earth a thousand years, or the belief of it, is not, nor has it ever been defined by me to be, "the gospel of our salvation;" the "one faith," however, which must be believed for justification, comprehends it as an indispensable element of the Gospel.

The Gospel is a plurality. It is tidings; not an item of news: but "things" called "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people," and one of the good things is, that Christ shall reign on the throne of his father David over Israel and the nations for a thousand years.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, Sept 1853

17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

The faith which justifies is the love-working belief of the exceeding great and precious PROMISES yet unfulfilled, and of the FACTS and their DOCTRINE concerning Jesus as the Christ; in other words, justifying faith Abrahamically embraces the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ. The promises, facts, and doctrine, are essential to that faith "without which it is impossible to please God." These understood and appreciated, will lead men to repentance, because they exhibit comprehensively "the goodness of God," and "knowest thou not," saith Paul, "that it is the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?"

The reason why immersed people produce no better fruits than the undipped, and many of them not so good, is because their "faith" is a mere belief of history—of a narrative of facts—leaving them altogether in the dark respecting the heart-touching and mind- renewing promises of the gospel. Ignorant of these, they fail of becoming "partakers of the divine nature"—2 Peter 1: 4. Bethanian, and other species of "orthodoxy divinity," ignore the promises of God, or double-distil them into the absurd follies of spiritualism. Their repentance is not the mind that was in Abraham—an unstaggering mind, strong in faith, giving glory to God; being fully persuaded that what he had promised, (and the things promised he knew and understood) he is able to perform—Romans 4: 18-23.

Their repentance is sorrow because their sin has found them out. Their minds are in torment because of the apprehended tortures of the damned, which may seize upon their "souls" if they do not appease the fury of God! "Fear hath torment," and their "repentance" is the offspring of their terror. This is a repentance that needeth to be repented of; for it is a repentance that worketh death. It is "sin working death in them."

Repentance of this sort pervading the inner man is evidential of that heart being untouched by "the goodness of God," for faith in this goodness produces no such result. Its legitimate fruit is "faith working by love and purifying the heart;" and, a belief of facts combined with hell-terrors never since the world began, nor while flesh is flesh will it ever yield that perfect love which casteth out fear, which is essential to a scriptural purification of the soul.

Herald of the Kingdom and Age to Come, September 1853.

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

Sinning Without Law

After Adam was expelled from Eden, we find Abel offering sacrifice. This is proof that a new law was established towards Adam and his children, after the transgression and death-sentence in the garden. To this law they and their descendants were related, either as transgressors or sons of God—(Gen. 6:1).

Hence, when all flesh had corrupted God's way on earth, while they were in the full swing of their own pleasures—"eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage," the flood came and took them all away. The law thus avenged was continued through Noah and his sons, as evidenced by the sacrifice after the flood, and the covenant with Noah.

Shem, Ham and Japheth were three federal heads, through whom it came to bear on all the world. Melchizedek is an instance of righteous conformity to it: Sodom and Gomorrah and the seven nations of Canaan, instances of departure and transgression.

In subsequent times, the departure was so wide-spread and complete, that "times of ignorance" came to be the order of the day everywhere. At these "times of ignorance" God winked, not because men were not wicked, but because in their situation they were helpless. Ancestrally related to His law, they were personally without it. Hence though sinners, or doers of those things which God had anciently commanded not to be done, so far as they were concerned, they were sinners without law, since they were personally in the dark concerning the law.

In this is to be found the solution of the apparent paradox that while there can be no transgression without law, the Gentiles are sinners who have not the law. All men who transgress what was enjoined on the descendants of Noah are sinners, though they may not know it. They are children of wrath, since

"the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness of men."—(Rom. 1:18.)

But because they sin without law, in not standing personally related to the law, whose breach constitutes sin, God, who is not unjust, suffers them to perish without holding them personally and wrathfully responsible to a law of which they were ignorant.

The Christadelphian, May 1874

The Beginning

(In relation to man upon earth).

.... the apostle says, "the worlds (or ages, Greek aions), were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear." The visible creation, therefore, was elaborated out of the invisible energy of the Eternal (Rom. 1:20).

This creative-energy is variously referred to as the Word of God (Ps. 33:6), the Spirit of God (Job 26:13), the finger of God (Ps. 8:3), the hand of God (Isa. 66:2), the power of God (Jer. 10:12). The Spirit-word of the Deity is the essence of all power, light, wisdom, and life. He can send it forth on creative missions (Ps. 104:30), for it "proceedeth," saith John, "from the Father," or He can gather it unto Himself again at His pleasure (Job 34:14).

Pre-existing the creation, therefore, we have what Isaiah (48:16) calls "the Lord God and His Spirit," and therewith

A Pre-creation Everlasting.

A time "or ever the earth was."

A time when there were "no depths."

A time when there were "no fountains."

A time "before the mountains were settled."

A time "before the hills were brought forth."

A time when "as yet" God had "not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the chief part of the dust of the world" (Prov. 8.).

The legends, traditions, monuments, unearthed tablets, and coins of the principal ancient nations all point with more or less distinctness and elaborateness to the leading events of the old world and in some measure to the smallest details recorded in the Scriptures—to wit, the creation and fall of man; the paradisaical conditions of the first human pair; the fall; the longevity that characterised the primeval age of the world; the chaos by which creation was preceded; the creation of animals; the making of man in the divine image; the tree of life; the serpent; the dominion of man over the animal creation; the antediluvian giants; the deluge; the building of the ark; the saving of one principal man and his family; the sending forth of a dove; the rainbow; the ark floating on the water, &c., &c.

These monuments and traditions represent all the light we should have possessed on these subjects, apart from the divine account of matters we so happily inherit. The only purpose they serve is one of confirmation—it is out of their power to enlighten us in an intelligible way, much less to give us a saving understanding of these foundation events.

The whole of the 1656 years represented by the old world was bridged by two men; for Adam was contemporary with Lamech's father for over a half century, and Noah was contemporary for more than three quarters of a century with Adam's grandson, and each for hundreds of years with the aged patriarchs that come between; or, to present the case more in detail, they were

Respectively Contemporary

With Lamech—Adam 56 years, Noah 595.

With Methuselah—Adam 243 years, Noah 600.

With Jared—Adam 470 years, Noah 366.

With Mahalaleel—Adam 535 years, Noah 234.

With Cainan—Adam 605 years, Noah 179.

With Enos—Adam 695 years, Noah 84.

Then Enoch, who was only prevented being Noah's contemporary, due to translation at a comparatively early age, was nevertheless contemporary with Adam 308 years, and with Lamech, Noah's father, 113 years.

The Christadelphian, Sept 1889

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

The Carnal Mind

Now, the law of God is given, that the thinking of the flesh, instead of being excited by the propensities within, and the world without, may be conducted according to its direction. So long as Adam and Eve yielded to its guidance, they were happy and contented. Their thoughts were the result of right thinking, and obedience was the consequence.

But when they adopted the serpent's reasonings as their own, these, being at variance with the truth, caused an "enmity" against it in their thinkings, which is equivalent to "enmity against God." When their sin was perfected, the propensities, or lusts, having been inflamed, became "a law in their members;" and because it was implanted in their flesh by transgression, it is styled "the law of sin;" and death being the wages of sin, it is also termed, "the law of sin and death;" but by philosophy, "the law of nature."

The thinking of the flesh, uninfluenced by the ameliorating agency of divine truth, is so degenerating in its effects, that it reduces man to savagism. There is nothing elevating or ennobling in fleshly thoughts; on the contrary, they tend to physical deterioration and death; for "to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Rom. 8:6).

If ferocious creatures become tame, or civilized, it is the result of what may be termed spiritual influences; which, operating from without the animal, call into exercise its higher powers, by which the more turbulent are subdued, or kept in check. It is unheard of that wild beasts, or savage men, ever tamed or civilized themselves; on the contrary, the law in the members when uncontrolled in its mental operations is so vicious in its influence as to endanger the continuance of the race.

If, therefore, God had abandoned Adam and his posterity to the sole guidance of the newly developed propensities, the earth would long ere this have been peopled by a population not a whit above the aborigines of New Holland, or the Ghelanes of Africa.

Notwithstanding the antagonism established between His law and the flesh, by which a wholesome conflict has been maintained in the world, a vast proportion of its people are "blind of heart" and "past feeling," in consequence of their intellect and sentiments having fallen into moral desuetude, or of being exercised upon the reasonings of the flesh, as were Eve's upon the speculations of the serpent.

The unilluminated thinking of the flesh gives birth to the

"works of the flesh; which are, adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, dissensions, sects, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like" (Gal. 5:19).

Unchecked by the truth and judgments of God, the world would have been composed solely of such characters. Indeed, notwithstanding all His interference to save it from the ruinous consequences of its vicious enmity against His law, it seems to have attained a state of immorality in the apostolic age well nigh to reprobation. Rom 1. 20-31

Elpis Israel 1.3.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

If we walk in wisdom's ways

To walk in these ways requires that a man make up his mind meanwhile to be considered a fool; because the wisdom of God is esteemed foolishness by the world, and the man a fool who embraces it.

A truly enlightened man will be able to bear the reproach gladly, because he knows that in becoming a fool in the estimation of the wise of this world, it is as Paul puts it,

"that he may be wise."

True wisdom is all on the side of those who submit to God. When Paul speaks of the "foolishness of God," it is not that he admits foolishness as attaching to either: it is an accommodation to the language of men who think so. When he says,

"Where are the wise?"

he means the wise so-called, but who are really foolish; for as he quotes from the Scriptures,

"The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vain."

"He brings to nothing the understanding of the prudent."

When his advice concerning a man is, "Let him become a fool," he means a fool so-considered - not a fool in reality, for the man who becomes a fool in the estimation of the world by submission to the requirements of God as revealed in the Gospel, becomes, in reality, a wise man for the first time. Let the scorners scorn as they may, it is a fact that-

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

The man who does not fear God is a fool, however much he may know of the works of God; for his knowledge of the works of God is of no use to him if he know not God himself. To God, he is merely a presumptuous gossiper about God's property. His disappearance from the face of the universe is only a question of time - and that a very short time. Whereas, the man who knows God in the affectionate submission He requires, may be ignorant of the works of God in nature (and where is the man who knows the millionth part of these?) and he is yet a very wise man, for he is on the high road to the highest good.

Even the things on which the wise of this world plume themselves will become his unbounded possession. Endless life and boundless opportunity secured in Christ, he will have ample time in the ages to come to learn all the marvels of the universe, great and small, while he will have power to study and understand them to an extent that the wisest of mortals has not even dreamt of, and capacity to apply them, and develop their objects and resources in the delights of truly efficient life, such as mortal has never yet tasted.

Seasons 1.73.

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

The dynasty of the Pharaohs is first brought to light in Bible history as associated with the call of Abraham, and his journeying through the nations to the Promised Land. Read Gen. 12:10, 20. Let it be remembered that what is called Lower Egypt, or the alluvial country of the Lower Nile, where the delta traverses the country from the "river of Egypt," on the east, to the borders of Cyrene on the west; and from the coast to above its capital city—the Memphis of Hosea 9:6. (Memphis according to Egyptian tradition was founded by Menes—supposed to be the Mizraim of the Scriptures)—and the Noph of Isaiah 19:13 (now the modern Cairo) is the Egypt of Scripture, the Rahab and Land of Goshen of the Bible, including the well-known cities of Zoar (Numb. 13:22), the scene of the Lord's wonders in Egypt. (Psalm 78:12, 43).

Sin or Pelusium and Tahpanes or Hanes, Upper Egypt, is not mentioned in the Mosaic record. A better understanding of the locality will be had by consulting a map of ancient Egypt, and the Scriptures having reference to them. The distinction as to the real Bible Egypt should be borne in mind as having an important bearing on the conclusions we arrive at.

1.—The monumental inscriptions prove that the grossest form of idolatry—image and creature worship—did not originate in Lower or most ancient Egypt; but that its people worshipped an invisible Spirit. They assert that image and creature worship originated in Thebes, Upper Egypt, many years after.

2.—In confirmation of this, we have the Bible record that the nations of the Canaanites, and the adjoining kingdom of Egypt were settled contemporaneously by the grandsons of Noah and their descendants in Mizraim and Canaan. Zoar (Tares), on the second branch of the Nile from the east, was built seven years after Hebron (Num. 13:22, ) in Canaan. This proves the settlement of the two countries to have been almost if not quite contemporaneous.

The gradual declension of the Canaanitish and Egyptian nations, as was undoubtedly the case with Assyria and Babylonian nations, seems to give a clearer understanding to the apostle Paul's argument on the inexcusable sin of the Gentiles in the worship of

"images made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things."

The apostle speaks of this class of the Gentiles as at one time "holding the truth in unrighteousness" (Rom. 1:18); and then shows the process of their declination to the abominations of verse 23,

"Because that when they knew God, they glorified Him not as God; but became vain in their own imaginations and their foolish hearts were darkened."

The apostle assured us that these Gentiles at some anterior time in their history "knew God." The query naturally arises, at what time? Scripture history remands us back to the times soon after the flood. In Gen. 10. we have a list of the descendants and families of Noah, with the first of the nations they founded, and it is added, verse 32,

"These are the families of Noah, after their generations in the nations; and by these were the the nations divided in the earth after the flood."

The whole habitable of the nations of that time was settled by Noah's immediate descendants who were contemporaneous in time, and equal in the knowledge of the Deity, and therefore all had equal opportunities for knowing and obeying Him, and were therefore equal in responsibility and guilt.

Bro. Sintzenich

The Christadelphian, Dec 1873

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;

There is a remarkable similarity in the language of Moses and Paul in their account of the modus operandi by which the declension of the antediluvians and the Gentiles of Paul's day from the knowledge of the Deity had been brought about. Moses says

"God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and every imagination (purpose, desire: margin) of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."—(Gen. 6:5.)

While Paul says that

"when they knew God . . . they became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish hearts were darkened,"

or in other words, a prey to the conclusions and reasonings of sin's flesh, which unenlightened by Deity's wisdom, are devilish and sensual.

The knowledge of the worship of God bequeathed by Noah to his sons, grandsons, and descendants must have been the knowledge in wickedness for which mankind were destroyed by water; the knowledge of the worship of Yahweh by sacrificial atonement by shedding of blood, shadowing forth the condemnation of sin (Gen. 8:20), the mystery of the undeveloped promise to Eve as to the seed of the woman, the command to be fruitful and replenish the earth, in harmony with the will of the Deity, or in subjection to that will made known, the prohibition of life-taking except for sin sacrifice, and the rainbow covenant of blessing.

Now this knowledge was a legacy or national constitution to each of the primitive nations, and they were all placed alike under its provisions and blessings. Hence we see the propriety and truthfulness of the apostle's argument in Rom. 1; and the justice of the Deity's sentence, as Paul expresses it,

"We have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are both under sin . . . there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that seeketh after knowledge."

Thus with the facts of history and the truths of Scripture, we may clearly understand the Deity's dealings with both Jews and Gentiles, and why it is that all are concluded under sin alike, although Gentiles have never been in specific national covenant relationship to the Deity, and why being "without the law" or covenant relationship to Deity, shall also "perish" without the law.

Bro. Sintzenich

The Christadelphian, Dec 1873

Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you

The converse is true. Neglect God and He will allow you to fall. There have been many illustrations of this in history. One of them is mentioned in Rom. 1:28.

"Even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind."

All nations were related, in the first instance, to the fountain of divine knowledge through Noah, but they slighted God, honouring themselves each other, and their own affairs, like the multitudes of our own day, and God departed from them, and gave them over to the reprobateness of mind which is manifest in all the sculptures of antiquity and the state of man universally.

The Jews were favoured as no nation ever was. Yahweh says,

"as a girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto Me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah, saith Yahweh, that they might be unto me for a people, and for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory, but they would not hear."

What was the consequence?

"Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land, even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness (that is mental confusion; the result of the wine of His wrath). And I will dash one against another, even the father and the sons together, saith Yahweh; I will not pity nor spare nor have mercy, but destroy them."—(Jer. 13:13.)

"Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes."—(ls. 6:10.)

This was Israel's punishment for neglecting God.

The Christadelphian, May 1874