e footfall of God was heard amid its
bowers. The hour that He joined their company was that of supreme joy.
But man sinned, and then the presence of God was shunned. That which
was delightful before is painful now. Such is the principle of
congeniality; and such the consequences of sin--to make of heaven a
hell. This fact alone should teach us that it lies not within the
limits of divine power to make a heaven for sinful men. Separation from
God is hell; and with the soul defiled by sin, union is worse than
separation.

After the fall of man he could no longer stand in the immediate
presence of God, as he was wont to do before. Sin can not approach the
divine presence, hence he needed a mediator, one to stand between him
and an offended God, through whom he might again be heard and blessed.
Mediators of an imperfect and typical character were had in that age of
preparation for the coming perfection. But where could a perfect
mediator be found to stand between an offended God and rebellious man?
Where in all the universe could one be found the friend and equal of
both parties? Where could one be found that could stand on equality
with God, know what was just and right in regard to Him, and, at the
same time know the weaknesses, the wants and the rights of man? Where
was one who could poise with one hand the scales of God's justice and
gather fallen humanity to his bosom with the other? The boundless
dominions of God contained not such a being. Man could not thus act,
for the best of men are themselves sinners, and can approach God only
through a mediator. The best of men know nothing of God's side of this
matter, and they fall below equality with Him, as the earth is below
the stars. An angel could not stand between God and men, for he can not
descend to equality with fleshly natures, to know their weaknesses and
their wants; nor can ascend the heights of divine perfection till he
knows the mind and the rights of God. In the Divine Logos, and the
Divine Spirit we find, in a sense, equality with God, but no equality
with men. How, then, is this great problem, that on which the world's
salvation turns, to be solved? The human and the divine must be
blended. They must meet and dwell in one. This is accomplished, not by
lifting the human up to the divine, but by bringing the divine down to
the human. God glories in condescension.

The Word that was in the beginning with God, that was God in His divine
attributes, became fl