The
Almighty Himself, the Creator of the universe, the God whom no eye can discern
has sent down His very own Truth from heaven, His own holy incomprehensible
Word, to plant it among men and ground it in their hearts. To this end He has
not, as one might imagine, sent to mankind some servant of His, some angel or
prince; it is none of the great ones of the earth, nor even one of the
vice-gerents of heaven. … Ordainer, Disposer, and Ruler of all things is He; of
heaven and all that heaven holds, of earth and all that is in earth, of sea and
every creature therein; of fires, ether, and bottomless pit; of things above,
and things below, and things in the midst. Such was the Messenger God sent to
men.
And was
His coming, as a man might suppose, in power, in terror, and in dread? Not so;
it was in gentleness and humility. As a king sending his royal son, so sent He
Him; as God He sent Him; as Man to men He sent Him; and that because He was
pleased to save us by persuasion, and not by compulsion – for there is no
compulsion found with God. His mission was no pursuit of hounding of us, it was
an invitation to us, it was in love, not in judgment that He sent Him (though
one day He will indeed sent Him to judge us, and then who shall abide the day
of His coming?). ...
He bore
with us, and in pity He took our sins upon Himself and gave His own Son as a
ransom for us – the Holy for the wicked, the Sinless for sinners, the Just for
the unjust, the Incorrupt for the corrupt, the Immortal for the mortal. For was
there, indeed, anything except His righteousness that could have availed to
cover our sins? In whom could we, in our lawlessness and ungodliness, have been
made holy, but in the Son of God alone?
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