h it offers and imparts.

8. God has sent this word, Paul says. Its origin and conception is not
with man. It is not the edict of the Roman emperor, nor the command of
the high-priest at Jerusalem. It is the Word of the God of heaven. In
it he speaks. He will have the message preached by poor human beings
as a power unto happiness and salvation, both in name and reality.
Such the Law never was. Paul says (Rom 1, 16): "I am not ashamed of
the Gospel: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one
that believeth." And God himself has bound up with it our salvation
when he manifests himself in the voice heard from heaven at Jordan,
saying of Christ, "This is my beloved Son"--who is to be heard.

9. God desires Christ's Word to be heard. Otherwise expressed, his
command is: "Here ye have the Word of peace and salvation. Not
elsewhere may you seek and find these blessings. Cling to this Word if
you desire peace, happiness and salvation. Let befall what may,
crosses, afflictions, discord, death--whether you be beheaded, or fall
victim to pest or stroke, or in whatever manner God may call you
home--in it all, look only upon me, whose Word promises that you shall
not die, what seems death being but a sweet sleep, ay, the entrance
into life eternal." Christ says (Jn 8, 51): "Verily, verily, I say
unto you. If a man keep my Word, he shall never see death."

Note, it is the keeping of the Word on which Christ lays stress.
"Keeping" is holding fast to the promise, feeling and all senses to
the contrary, doubting not the truth of the message heard. For he who
promises is not man; it is the Lord of heaven and earth and all that
in them is, who has to this moment controlled and preserved the same.
One hundred years ago, what were you and I and all men now living but
absolutely nothing? How and from what was creation effected when there
was nothing to start with? "He spake and it was done"--that was
created which before had not existence--declares Psalm 33, 9, quoting
from Genesis 1; "he commanded, and it stood fast."

10. Being the Word of God, the Gospel is an entirely different thing
from man's word, no matter though it be spoken by a mere man or even a
donkey. Therefore, let there be, now or henceforth, discord, terror of
sin; the menace of death and hell, of the grave and corruption: come
upon you what may--only press to your heart this Word that Christ has
sent you a message of salvation--of redemption, of triumph over