1885 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

lood," by "better sacrifices" than those (Heb. 9:12 and 23), "whenHe offered up himself" (Heb. 7:27) "a ransom for all." Thus seenthe security of the New Covenant rests upon the cancellation of thepenalty of the original covenant violated by Adam ourrepresentative. A corresponding price, i.e., a ransom, is the onlycomplete settlement of the old case which would admit of a newcovenant being entered into with us. Hence the importance ofrealizing the RANSOM price given by the man Christ Jesus, themediator of the New Covenant, before we can appreciate fully itsblessed provisions. The man Jesus was not only a better sacrificethan bulls and goats, but His better sacrifice became the "surety of abetter covenant." Heb. 7:22.Notice that by the provisions of the New Covenant the sinnersreleased from the penalty of the former violated covenant, will notonly have a new trial, but will, in addition, have restored to themthe original perfections of being, whereby they shall individuallyhave as full an opportunity of rendering obedience, and meritinglife everlasting, as Adam their representative had under the firstcovenant. And their trial will be backed up by the lesson learnedfrom Adam's disobedience and their own experience under sin.This is indicated in the promise of the New Covenant--"I will putmy law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts." Thus itwas with Adam; he needed not to have God's law written on tabletsof stone, for his instruction, because his very being was permeatedwith that law. His mind (spirit) was in harmony with God's mind(spirit). Sin had not warped and twisted his judgment and madewrong to appear right. Malice, selfishness and pride had not at thattime displaced righteousness and love, the image of God in whichhe was created. And not only was his mind in harmony with God,but his body also. He had then none of the physical imperfectionsR789 : page 5and tendencies to evil that now so hinder and incapacitate, forperfect obedience to God: So deeply was the Law of God originallywritten in the perfect human organism that even the past sixthousand years of degradation, sin, ignorance, superstition, andmisery has not entirely blotted out that law; and to-day even themost degraded savages give evidence of some appreciation of rightand wrong, even without the written law. "These having not the[written] law," "show the work [or give evidence] of the law,written in their hearts ...their thoughts the meanwhile accusing orexcusing." (Rom. 2:15.) This glimmer of conscience, often sodistorted by superstition and error as to lead into deeper error,serves to illustrate what it would be to have the full Law of Godclearly and deeply written in the heart.But, moreover, the word "heart" is used to represent the center ofaffections, hence the promise of the New Covenant is not only togive mankind an intellectual knowledge of the Lord, so that theyshall need no further instruction one of another, but the law will bedeeply and lastingly engraven in the very center of the affections of