It will be remembered that to constitute a gift, three things are necessary, a donor, a donee, and something which the one can bestow and the other receive. It may well be asked also, how and why it was that God gave us grace "before the world began," if we were not then in need of His grace? And how could we need that, or anything else, if we had no being? God, through His prophets, may have had reference to such a state of things as we are now considering, when He said: "Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money."-Isa. 52: 3. If we are of those who were engaged under Satan, in that rebellion of his, it may with all truthfulness be said of us: "Ye have sold yourselves for nought." And if we are saved through Jesus Christ, it is equally true that we "shall be redeemed without money."

These things pertain to the mystery mentioned by Paul (and are worth searching out with all diligence), when he says: "And to make all men see what is the fellowship of THE MYSTERY, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ."-Eph. 3: 9. "Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."-1 Pet. 1: 20.

Note, Paul says "the MYSTERY was hid FROM the beginning of the world," but says nothing as to whether it was generally known before that or not. Peter says that Christ (as a lamb without blemish) "was foreordained BEFORE the foundation of the world." From all which we may infer that the things which have been "hid in God" (that is, by him concealed from us), from and since that time, as well as the most important fact for us to know, that a sacrifice for our sins was provided, were, or at least may have been, well known before the creation of Adam and Eve here. But more of that hereafter. I will, however, submit one question for the reflection of the reader just here. Christ was "in the world, and the world was made by him, and THE WORLD knew him not."-John 1: 10. Then, what does the following Scripture mean: "And in the synagogue there was a man, which had a spirit of an

unclean devil, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art; the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace and come out of him. And when the devil had thrown him in the midst, he came out of him, and hurt him not."-Luke 4: 33 to 36.

In support of the proposition that the covenant now under consideration was made before the creation of the world, a cogent argument may be drawn from the following words of St. Paul: "In hope of eternal life, which God, that can not lie, PROMISED before the world began." Tit. 1: 2. Then God made that promise. To whom was it made? The most natural inference from this verse, considered alone, would be that it was made to man directly; but viewing this passage in connection with others already noticed, we must conclude that the apostle here refers to the "covenant" which was made between the Father and the Son for our benefit; and if so, we have the direct and positive evidence of that great apostle that it was made "before the world began." We are assured by the blessed Redeemer, that on the great day for which all other days were made, those who are found faithful shall receive the royal invitation: "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world."-Matt. 25: 34. By the expressions here used, are we to understand that the kingdom, which was prepared for the redeemed on earth, was made at the same time the world was or before? It could not have been prepared since, or it would not have been in readiness "from the foundation of the world." It certainly was not made at the same time, for we have a full account, in detail, of all that was then made, and nothing is there said about the "kingdom" mentioned in this text. Furthermore, if the commonly received opinion as to the nature of man is true, there was no necessity for such "kingdom" then; for Adam had not fallen, and was not subject to death. He was well provided for in Eden. If the theory of the writer is true, the preparation for such

kingdom was a necessary part of the covenant for our redemption, and was therefore included in it. This view accords strictly with the language employed here, and with other Scriptures on the same subject, as well as with natural reason. Had we not better, therefore, so construe it? In the ever memorable prayer of the Savior to the Father on the night in which he was betrayed, he says: "I have glorified thee on earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was."-John 17: 4, 5. The Redeemer of the world had; as we are here by himself informed, glory with the Father before this world existed, and we also learn from the same remarks, that the Father had given him charge of the work which he was then bringing to a close; a work of no less magnitude than the redemption of those whom the Father had given him of this world. Was not the work which he had finished that of giving the "eternal life" which God had promised "before the world began?"

If so, this was done pursuant to agreement between the Father and Son; of course, one could not have assigned a work to the other, and the latter have accepted the charge and accomplished the work, without concert between them. That "eternal life" was promised "before the world began." By whom was it promised? By God the Father clearly. To whom? The Son, as has been shown. For whose benefit? That of fallen man, as all believe. Where and in what condition was man then? Intimations from Revelation have been given already in answer to this question, but we hope to look into that branch of our inquiry more fully presently. It is expected that all who have examined the authorities cited in this chapter are satisfied, that after Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven, and before man was placed here, a covenant was made for OUR redemption, and in that confidence I here bring this chapter to a close.

CHAPTER X.

Covenant of Redemption—Condition of Fallen Angels-They as likely to Repent as we―Their Case Compared with ours— World Created by Jesus Christ-To Destroy the Works of the Devil— What Works of His are to be Destroyed-Lost Spirits to be Reclaimed-Who were Deceived by Satan-How far he is Chargeable - What Man is-Hopeful Future When the World was Created—Its Perishing Nature—Better Adapted to a Temporary Use on that Account― Why it is so— What if Man had not Sinned-God never Disappointed.

HAVING argued in the preceding chapter (and with what success each reader is left to judge), that after the fall of Satan and his followers, and before the creation of this world, there was an agreement between God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, by which pardon was to be offered to the fallen, on terms, I now propose to inquire whether it is true: "That pursuant to that divine covenant, and for the purpose of carrying it into effect, this world was created or adapted to its present use, and God "made” man and placed him here for probation."

It is universally conceded to be a legitimate mode of reasoning to begin with cause and trace it down to effect; or to start from things known to exist, and search out the producing cause. If any reliance is to be placed on the Bible writers, there was, at some time, and on some account, some sort of discord in heaven; and Satan and others, who were, previous to that time, angelic beings, were expelled from the immediate presence of God, and were put in a condition which is painful and tormenting, and where they were surrounded by the gloom of night and overwhelmed with black despair. These were all creatures of the same God who made us. They were misled,

if not deceived, by the same arch deceiver who beguiled and deceived our first parents. And the Bible represents the great Author of the revelations, promises, and threatenings therein contained, as having wisdom, power, and mercy, with no bounds except those by His own divine attributes affixed to each other.

These fallen spirits are also represented as rational beings in a degree far above our own. If so, is it any less likely that they would regret their folly in suffering themselves led so far astray by a created being, such as themselves, and repent of their wickedness, committed under such circumstances, than that we shall bewail the folly of our first parents, and repent of our complicity with, on account of having descended from them; or, to put the case nearer in its true light, is it more reasonable that we, if newly created beings, should repent of our individual sins, committed in obedience to our natural desires, and under the direct and immediate influence of Satan (a being above comparison with us in wisdom and power), than that they should repent of their wickedness and sins, which were committed against their natural proclivities? But it is assumed that God has no compassion or sympathy for them. Where do we find sufficient evidence of that? Why should His tender mercies not extend to them? They were not altogether without excuse. Adam, from whom it is said we inherit our evil dispositions, offered an excuse, which was not wholly unfounded, for his transgression. When called to account for his disobedience, he said: "The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." eat."-Gen. 3: 12. In that, he is sustained by one of the latest inspired writers: "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression."-1 Tim. 2: 14. He did not give any pretended reason in justification of himself; but owned up, like a man should, "I did eat," desiring the fact that his wife, whom he dearly loved, had given him the fruit, should be considered only in extenuation of his crime. He was, therefore, rather misled than deceived. That the angels who followed the lead of Satan