The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 289

;

ADAM NOT INNOCENT, BUT HOLY Yet altho holy, stand

Adam

did not remain what he was, he did not

without an aim in

still

249

Take,

life.

e.g.,

the difference be-

tween him and God's child. The latter possesses an unlosable treasure, but Adam's was losable, for he lost it. Not that he was less holy than the saint for this has nothing to do with it. Let us illustrate. Of two dishes, one is fine cut glass, hence ;

breakable

the other coarse glass, but unbreakable.

;

now more whole than more whole? its

the former.!*

Of course not;

wholeness has nothing to do with

its

Hence the

being breakable or not.

was losable does not touch the question er one is holy, or yet to be

made

losableness of the treasure, but

How this holy

fact that

its

Adam's

being

treasure

Whethdepend upon the

of holiness at

holy, does not

upon

all.

lost or not.

Adam was

development of

We may not inquire

not know.

the latter

Is

Or can the former be made

after things

to be effected we do God has kept from us.

sinners we can no more conceive of such sinless development than of the unfolding of the heavenly glory of God's children. Confining ourselves closely to Scripture, we know, first, that

As

man would not have died second, that as a reward for his work he would have received eternal life, i.e., being perfectly able from moment to moment to do God's will, he would always have desired and loved to do it and for this he would have been rewarded sinless

;

;

continually with larger measures of the life and glory of God.

We

compare the contrast between Adam's condition and ours between the royal child born possessor of vast treasures, and a child of poverty that must earn everything or have another to that

to earn

it

for him.

The former

lacks nothing, altho he has only

toys to dispose of; for his father's whole estate

is his. Growing he does not become richer, for his treasures remain the same but he becomes more conscious of them. So Adam's treasures would never have increased, for all things were his, only as his life gradually unfolded would he have had more conscious enjoyment

up,

of his riches.

Hence

original righteousness does not refer to

development,

nor to his

condition,

but to his

state ;

Adam's

degree of

and that was per-

fectly good.

All those unscriptural notions of Adam s increase in holiness spring from the unscriptural ideas which men, tempted by pantheistic heresies,

have formed of

holiness.

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