Page:Studies in the Scriptures - Series I - The Plan of the Ages (1909).djvu/160

 154 The Plan cf the Ages.

dying, all his children were born in the same dying cond'- tion and without right to life ; and, like their parents, they all die after a more or less lingering process. It should be remembered, however, that it is not the pain and suffering in dying, but death the extin<5tion of life in which the dying culminates, that is the penalty of sin. The suffering is only incidental to it, and the penalty falls on many with but little or no suffering. It should further be remembered that when Adam forfeited life, he forfeited it forever ; and not one of his posterity has ever been able to expiate his guilt or to regain the lost inheritance. All the race are either dead or 'dying. And if they could not expiate their guilt before death, they certainly could not do it when dead when not in existence. The penalty of sin was not simply to die, with the privilege and right thereafter of returning to life. In the penalty pronounced there was no intimation of release. (Gen. 2: 17.) The restitution, therefore, is an a& of free grace or favor on God's part. And as soon as the penalty had been incurred, even while it was being pro- nounced, the free favor of God was intimated, which, when realized, will so fully declare his love.

Had it not been for the gleam of hope, afforded by the state- ment that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, the race would have been in utter despair ; but this promise indicated that God had some plan for their benefit. When to Abraham God sware that in his seed all the fami- lies of the earth should be blessed, it implied a resurreftion or restitution of all ; for many were then dead, and others have since died, unblessed. Nevertheless, the promise is still sure : all shall be blessed when the times of restitution or refreshing shall come. (A<5ls3:i9.) Moreover, since blessing indicates favor, and since God's favor was with- drawn and his curse came instead because of sin, this prom- ise of a future blessing implied the removal of the curse,

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