INCARNATION, The, C. H. Cayce There is a precious sweetness in the thought that the Word was made flesh. We are all poor sinners, having violated God’s law in Adam. When Adam sinned, we all sinned in him, for we are only Adam multiplied. Now, that the law of God has been violated, if we ever enter the portals of eternal glory the demands of that broken law must be met. The law must be satisfied. All the debt we owe to divine justice must be paid. Not only so, but there must be righteousness for us. As we have broken the law, we are already guilty; so we can have no righteousness of our own to plead that is sufficient to [pg 100] recommend us into the favor of God. All this being true, the law must be kept by one who is just like the one that violated it. The penalty of the law must be paid by one , and the demands met in the person of one, who is just like the one who violated it. We could not satisfy the law. We could not do that which would take away our guilt. John realized something of this, we think, when in the Spirit on the isle of Patmos. He says, “I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon,”— Rev. 5: 2,3,4. This language surely signifies that John realized the utter inability of sinful man to satisfy the demands of divine justice. But while we were not able to do this, thanks be to the blessed name of the Lord, there was one who stooped so low as to come into this world, in the likeness of sinful flesh, who was able to do all this for us. “And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof.”—Rev. 5:5. This language surely refers to Jesus. He was the Lion of the tribe of Juda. He was of the offspring of David. He was kin—of the family of David; he was of the tribe of Juda. “I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.”— Rev. 22:16. Here the Saviour tells us plainly that He is the offspring of David. He had a body like ours, subject to suffering, sorrow, and pain; His body was like ours in every respect except sin. His body being just like ours in every way except sin, it was just like the body of Adam was before he violated God’s law. Oh, how much He was adapted for the work He came into the world to do. Well might he say, “Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me,”— Hebrews 10:5. Read the entire chapter. How did the Lord prepare His body? He was conceived of the virgin Mary by the overshadowing of the Holy Ghost, and born of her into this world. Being born of the virgin Mary, begotten by the power of God, He was verily man and truly God. Thus he passed by the nature of angels and took upon Himself the seed of the seed of Abraham— taking upon Himself a body of flesh and blood. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.”—Ga. 4:4,5. He was made of a woman— hence He was the son of Mary. As such, He is called the son of man. He was kin to mankind, being made of a woman, born of a woman. [pg 101] It was necessary that the law be kept and its demands met by one who is like the one that violated it; it must be done by one who is kin to the one who violated it. In this we see how that Jesus was “prepared” to do the Father’s will. Blessed thought! He was capacitated to redeem us from all iniquity, that we might receive the adoption of sons. But now after we have received the Spirit of adoption, after we have been born of God, we have so many trials and difficulties to endure here in this low ground of sorrow that we that sometimes feel almost ready to surrender. Our sorrows and bereavements are so great sometimes that we feel like giving up in despair. But, oh, blessed Jesus is suited to our case again. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, het without sin.”— Heb. 4:14,15. Oh, how glad we are that we have a high priest who can be touched with the feeling of our infirmities. “He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”— Isa. 53:3. As He was a man of sorrows, He was surely in possession of a body of flesh and blood, a body like ours, subject to suffering and sorrow. As he endured sorrows and was acquainted with grief, He can and does sympathize with us in our sorrows and griefs. Oh, what a precious Saviour, High Priest and Friend we have in Jesus. “Forasmuch then as the children were partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels, but he took on Him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.”— Heb. 2:14-18. Blessed Saviour! He took part of flesh and blood—he took on Him the seed of Abraham. No one can deny that Jesus had a body of flesh and blood without denying the plain statements of Holy Writ. How glad we ought to be that we have such a Redeemer as Jesus is. He was made like unto his brethren. They were of Adam’s race, so he took upon Himself a body like ours, sin excepted. Yet He bore our sins. Our sins were all imputed to Him, and His righteousness is imputed to us. Precious Saviour, how sweet and adorable is his name! Thou didst pass by the nature of angels, and come down here into this world, and take upon thyself a body like ours, and bear all our sins in thine own body and put all our sins away by the sacrifice [pg 102] of thyself. And now, having done all this for us, thou hast arisen from the dead and ascended to glory, there to appear in the presence of God for us, to intercede for thy people according to the Father’s will. Oh, blessed Redeemer, thou knowest when we are tempted and when we need thy prayers. Then thou wilt pray or intercede for us when we are in need. The Primitive Baptist. August 14, 1906.