PASSING along one of the busiest streets of Berlin, the writer noticed a large lorry standing opposite a new shop. The man in responsibility, with his assistants, was unloading a large crate without a covering, containing a large and handsome sheet of plate-glass, valuing several pounds. Through gross carelessness and unwatchfulness the crate was allowed to fall about two inches upon the hard side pavement. In a moment the glass, which had been manufactured and conveyed with so much care to its destination, was shivered to atoms! Complete dismay was at once pictured on the faces of the men who had done it, as a large crowd gathered and gazed upon their careless handiwork!
What was to be done? It was at once patent to all that to attempt to put the pieces of broken glass together again was worse than useless. Anyone who attempted it would only have exposed his utter folly, and have become the laughing-stock of all. The only possible way of remedying the matter was to cast away the broken glass and to fetch a new sheet altogether to fit the shop window, which no doubt was shortly done.
What a striking picture is this of the fall of man! God’s masterpiece on earth—innocent, without a flaw, but responsible, His creature man, through unwatchfulness and carelessness, fell. And great and complete indeed was his fall, it was utterly irremediable. God has abundantly shown the folly of all in attempting to put fallen man right again. He is morally shattered in the very depths of his being, and all the devices of human wisdom are expended in vain to make him fit again for God. It were ten thousand times easier to accomplish the impossible task of making a clean sheet of plate-glass, without flaw, out of a thousand fragments, than to make the, so to speak, morally-shivered fallen sinner meet for the holy presence of God.
Therefore we ask again, What was to be done? Thank God, He has forestalled us with the answer. Man’s extremity is God’s opportunity. What we could not do, He has done, and that in His own way, for His own glory. Man’s case was irremediable, so God has displaced him. He has introduced another Man, a Man after a new order—Christ. When the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son. Satan sought to wreck that Man also, but was powerless. He morally shattered the first man, but Christ was proof against his greatest efforts. No sin was found in Him; He was the holy, sinless One. On Calvary’s cross He met and bore the whole judgment of God against sin, and annulled the power of Satan, bringing infinite glory to God. And God raised Christ from the dead, and gave Him glory.
Adam fallen, to whose race each of us belongs, is completely and irretrievably shattered, and God has set him aside once and forever. The cross was the end forever of Adam and his system. God has begun over again. He had One in reserve, whom in due time He brought forth, who glorified Him, and whom He has glorified. And now He presents Him, Christ, His Son, as the Object of faith. Would you stand before God? Would you dwell in His blessed and glorious presence for eternity? There is but the one way. It is by and in Christ. Your sins and your works condemn you, you yourself are a wreck—complete, irretrievable. God has given you up, and displaced you by another. You can only stand before Him in Christ, and it is only through what He has done that you can dwell with God. Your sins and your sin preclude you absolutely from His presence, but “to him (Christ) give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins” (Acts 10:4343To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. (Acts 10:43)); and “God hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)). “Of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:3030But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: (1 Corinthians 1:30)).
In a few words, man in Adam is fallen, shattered, utterly ruined, lost. God has sent His own Son, Jesus, who bore the whole judgment of sin, and died; and God has raised and highly exalted Him, a present and everlasting Saviour for every one that believeth. Are you one? If so, follow Him now till He return.
E. H. C.