THE HOPE OF FALLEN MAN.
By Frank Burg
"What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the Son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor." Ps. 8:4, 5. WHEN God placed man in his Eden home he was upright. God made man a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor. But Satan, the arch-deceiver, came to our first parents, and through his subtlety caused Eve, the mother of the human race, to partake of the forbidden fruit. Adam also was tempted, and partook of the same; and by this act of disobedience sin, death, and misery passed upon all mankind. That man might not again partake of the fruit of the tree of life and become an immortal sinner, God, in his infinite wisdom, placed cherubim to guard the way of the tree of life. And from that time until now the history of the human race has been one of pain, death, and misery. But is man to be forever separated from God, and live in his present state of misery? Is he never again to enjoy the society of holy angels, and partake of the fruit of the tree of life, and possess immortality? God has not left us in darkness in regard to this point. He has, in his infinite love and mercy, provided a way of escape for fallen man. His love for the world was so great that "he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16. Who, in the history of man, has witnessed an act of greater love and mercy than was manifested in the sacrifice of the Son of God? It has not been seen. The Saviour himself declares: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." God loved his beloved Son; yet his love to man was made manifest, in that, "while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." Rom. 5:8. Let us mark the fact that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While man was yet living in direct opposition to the laws of the Creator, a way of escape was provided. Christ died and rose the third day, and thus loosed the bonds of death. He died to "destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Heb. 2:14. Soon Satan is to be taken out of the way, no more to deceive the nations. Soon Jesus, the spotless Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world, will come and execute judgment on Satan, his arch-enemy, and upon all who live ungodly. But to his faithful ones he will give a crown of life. He will raise his sleeping saints to incorruption and immortality. 1 Cor. 15:53. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 1 Thess. 4:17. What a blessed hope! Oh, glorious day when the blood-washed throng meet around the feet of him who died to save all those who put their trust in him.