26. “W. W. G. C.” We understand the word “mystery” to imply something which the mind of man never could have understood, except by revelation. “Great is the mystery of godliness [or piety]: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” (1 Tim. 3:1616And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. (1 Timothy 3:16).) All the vain systems of philosophy and idolatry prove that man by searching could not find out God. All was mystery as to God. This verse contains an outline of this marvelous revelation to us. The mystery is revealed in God manifest in flesh, in our very form and likeness. God is not to us a mystery that needs revealing. He was manifest before us in the man, the Holy One of God; justified; sealed by the Holy Ghost as the sinless One in the midst of all the sin and darkness. God was then seen, or made visible, to angels, not merely as the Jehovah of Israel, but God revealed and preached to the world—the Gentiles. Thus revealed, God was believed on in the world, and, as man, received up into glory. The whole character, too, of God visibly seen in the Son. Let us, with holy reverence, remember that he that hath seen the Son, hath seen the Father also.
27. “W. F.,” Miles Platting. A christian printer will be at liberty, surely, to print sermons or tracts for any one, in his business, providing they are not unsound in doctrine. No Christian, for the sake of his trade, would spread what is false.
Surely a child of God, truly desiring to own the Lord with His brethren around the Lord’s table, should be welcomed there. Those around the table, or gathered to the Lord, are responsible to be satisfied that he is a child of God, and in sincerity desires to own the Lord. It may be some time before the brother fully understands the solemn step he takes. The thousands gathered to the Lord in Acts 2, and onwards, did not at once know its full separating character. We all need in these matters lowliness of mind, faithfulness, and largeness of heart.
28. “R. G.,” Grangemouth. No doubt there is a distinction between the terms, “the first man” and “the old man,” or evil nature. The first man, Adam, existed in a creation made for him before the fall, or before he had a fallen, evil nature, called the old man. At present it would not be strictly correct to say “all of the first man is set aside;” just as it would not be correct to say that the sin of the world is now put away by the sacrifice of Christ. We know this will be in the new heavens and the new earth, by that one sacrifice.
So, in the purpose of God, all of the first man is set aside, but in the reverse order of creation and the first man. In Genesis we have, first, creation; then the body of man; then the spirit. This order is reversed in the last Adam. He was raised up from the dead; we derive even life from Him. He breathed on them. Thus it is the spirit first; then, by-and-by, the redemption of the body (Rom. 8:2323And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. (Romans 8:23)); then, lastly, the creation—new heavens and earth. Thus, if we go on to that scene, there is nothing of the first man restored, but all new, even the very earth we now tread on.