the redemption of the body; so with the earth that has been subjected to vanity, it groaneth and travaileth in pain. (Rom. viii. 19-23.) With His return as King begins the process of transformation; it is then, in a measure, delivered from the bondage of corruption, virtually made new; but its perfected condition is not reached till death, the last enemy, is destroyed, and it is prepared to be inhabited by those no more under the law of sin and death. "He that sat on the throne said, Behold! I make all things new." This may refer primarily to the earth: but doubtless the law of new creation in the God-Man, will ultimately embrace the whole universe; for it is due to the Son, for whom all things were made, that they correspond to Him in all material excellence, and thereby show forth in a fitting manner the goodness, the wisdom, and the glory of God.

How far a false spiritualism has gone in casting dishonor on the material creation, may be seen by some extracts from Edwards's "History of Redemption,” in regard to the future of the earth. "Then," after their resurrection, "the saints shall take their everlasting leave of this earth. . . . Thus Christ's Church shall forever leave this accursed world, to go unto the highest heavens, the paradise of God. . . . When they are gone this world shall be set on fire, and be turned into a great furnace wherein all the enemies of Christ and His Church shall be tormented for ever and ever. The miserable company of the wicked being left behind to have their sentence executed upon them here, then this whole lower world shall be set on fire. . . This world, which used to be the place of Satan's kingdom, shall now be the place of his complete punishment, and perfect and everlasting torment." Thus the earth, Christ's birthplace and redeemed by Him, instead of being made new, is turned into the hell of the damned.

CONCLUSION.

CHRISTIANITY AND OTHER RELIGIONS.

THE rapid historical survey now taken of the purpose of God as given us in the Scriptures, historic and prophetic, will, it is hoped, enable the reader to see clearly the high place which the Incarnation has in that purpose. It may justly be charged against much of the current biblical interpretation of the day, that, making light of the Incarnation, it fails to apprehend the full significance of the sacred records; and so brings down Christianity from its lofty vantage position, and places it too much on a level with other forms of religion. The Bible is, above all, historical, and can answer its end only as its historic character is maintained. Chief and central of its facts is the birth of the Incarnate Son, in whom all the actings of God have their beginning and end. Denying this, all the other facts recorded lose their unity, and become unreal; for it is only the purpose of God in Him that gives them order and consistence. It is full time, therefore, that the Incarnation, and the facts most closely connected with it and most distinctive of Christianity, should be set in clearest light, and be examined in all their historic relations, when this is brought into contrast with other religions. This is not the place for such an examination, but some points already touched upon may be here repeated.

Beginning with this fact, the union of the Divine and human in Christ, as that which gives direction to all God's works, creative and redemptive, and defines their order, we find in the Bible a wonderful unity and harmony. God creates man in His own likeness; but falling through disobedience under the law of sin and death, he must be redeemed. Thus two offices are to be fulfilled by the Incarnate Son: He is the Revealer of God, He is the Redeemer of men. He reveals God to men in virtue of His personality, for He is God manifest in the flesh. He is the brightness of His Father's glory, and the express image of His Person. As He cannot cease to be the Son, and abides the same yesterday, today, and forever, in Him God will always be revealed. And this revelation is made to all creatures: all will see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But His work as Redeemer is not eternal nor universal, for redemption is a work that necessarily comes to an end; nor does it embrace any but the fallen and sinful. To the unfallen and holy He is forever the Revealer of God, but not their Redeemer. It is of His redemptive work that the Scriptures chiefly speak; for it began with the first of our race, and continues under differing forms till all things are brought into their holy and unchangeable order. Of this work in its several successive stages, sufficient for our purpose has already been said.

The work of Christ as the Revealer of God has several distinct gradations. As the Father had spoken to men by His prophets, He also spake to them by His Son; and through Him were made known the mysteries of the Divine Being and of His counsels, as no prophet had been inspired to do; and His works confirmed His words, and were in their nature proofs and pledges of a redemption to come.

Thus He was the Revealer of God in word and work

while on the earth in mortal flesh. But having ascended to God, and been glorified, and set as Head of the Church, He has new and higher revelations to make. But how can men on earth receive them? There must be a correspondence between the revelation and the spiritual capacity to apprehend it. Light is for the eye, and the eye for light; but what man can look upon the sun shining in full splendor? The new revelations He would make, can be apprehended only by those upon whom He sends His Spirit, the Spirit of truth. (John xiv. 17.) But there is a still higher revelation to be made of the Father through the Son, when His present work as High Priest is ended, and He shall appear in the glory of the Father. Who shall be able to see the glory of God then revealed in Jesus Christ? None, except those who are lifted up into the same state of immortality and incorruption in which He now is.

Thus we see a threefold gradation of revelation by the Incarnate Son: first, through the truths He taught, and the works He did on earth; second, through the truths revealed, and works done by Him through the Spirit sent by Him from Heaven; third, through the words to be spoken and works to be done by Him at His return as the manifested King and Lord of all. And there is given to men a capacity to receive, corresponding to each of these gradations of revelation through Christ: first, in those in covenant with God to whom He spake while on earth; second, in His Church on earth, in which dwells the Spirit sent by Him from Heaven; third, in all those who are made like Him in the day when He shall sit on the throne of His glory in the Kingdom. To the other forms of revelation in word and work we may add the glory of His Person, as the Image of God, when He appears in visible majesty.

We can now see that redemption and revelation stand in close relation to each other. To the Church, indwelt by the regenerating Spirit of Christ, higher revelations of God can be made than to others on earth, because there is higher capacity to receive. To those in the Kingdom, in whom is fullness of resurrection life, the highest revelation can be made, because in them this capacity is developed in highest degree. In redeeming men, Christ does more than to restore them to the condition lost through sin, the vision of God, and the communion with Him into which Adam was admitted. First, by making them partakers of His own life as the second Adam, He lifts them up into a higher condition than that given them at their creation; and enables them to apprehend truths that had been kept hidden till that time. Finally, when this life is perfected in resurrection, and they are made like Him in that form of humanity which is the highest form of creature being, new revelations can be made them through the Son; and they attain to a knowledge of God, and to a communion with Him, such as is possible to none beside.

It is most important to keep clearly in mind that although redemption, when consummated, brings with it that enlargement of being which enables all in Christ to be filled with the fullness of God, and capable of receiving such revelations of Him as can be made to none other; yet this new and higher stage of existence does not subvert the original constitution of man, nor necessitate any change in the essential elements of his nature. Humanity is seen in Christ to be a form of being, which, although capable of degrees of excellence, remains forever unchanged in its constituent elements. Man, however exalted, never ceases to be man. Of this we have the infallible assurance given in the Incarnation