our first parents lost the image of God through their
disobedience, and it is also evident that this image of God has never
been regained through the first Adam. The word of God plainly teaches
that Christ, the second Adam, is the image of God, and by the power of
his redemption grace, he will restore this image to every son and
daughter of Adam's race who will meet the conditions for the same. The
first Adam is depraved and a sad failure. He has no power within himself
to change his moral condition. The second Adam (Christ) is a glorious
success. He possesses all the moral characteristics of purity and
holiness that the first Adam did before the fall, and also has the power
to impart this image of God to all who come to him.

The image of Adam is entailed upon the race through the fall, and
evidently, though mysteriously, affects mankind through the natural law
of generation. The image of God is provided for the race through
redemption in Christ, and is imparted to each individual through the
divine law of regeneration and its accompanying grace. It is compatible
with the word of God, with reason, and with observation, that every
child born into this world through the natural law of generation, very
early in life in a greater or lesser degree manifests some of the
characteristics of this image of Adam. Just how, when, and where the
child partakes of this nature would be a subject of conjecture and
speculation. The psalmist says he was conceived in sin and shapen in
iniquity (See Psa. 51:5.) and according to the condition of the
unregenerate world this is as true today as it was in the days of David.
The innocent child, of course, is not accountable for this inward
condition of its nature, but as it grows to the age of accountability it
becomes an easy prey to the powers of sin because of this condition.
While innocent, it is unquestionably acceptable in the sight of God and
comes under the provisions of the redemption of Christ unconditionally:
for "sin is not imputed where there is no law."--Rom. 5:13. The apostle
says "I was alive without the law once; but when the commandment came,
sin revived, and I died."--Rom. 7:9. He no doubt had reference to the
innocent period of his life. The principle of sin was in his nature, but
"without the law sin was dead"; it had no power to bring him into
condemnation. As soon, however, as he became able to know what the law
required of him, sin revived and made him a transgressor by