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The Purposes of the Incarnation. many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation.” A similarity is suggested.^ It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judg ment.” Over against that dual appointment stands, So Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a second time, apart from sin, to them that wait for him, unto salvation.” There is a strange differentiation in the ending of the two declarations. We would expect that it would be written to complete the comparison, thus, it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment; so Christ also, having been once offered to bear the sins of many, shall appear a sec ond time, apart from sin, unto judgment. That would seem to be a balanced comparison, but the writer does not so write. This very difference unfolds the meanings of the first and sec ond advents. It is appointed to men to die,—He was offered to bear the sins of many. After death judgment, He is com ing again unto salvation. As the first advent negatived the death appointed unto men, the second advent will turn the judgment into salvation. “It is appointed unto men once to die.” It is often some what carelessly affirmed that men must die. While admitting the truth of this statement we inquire, why must they die? Science can no more account for death than it can account for life. It has never yet been able to say why men die. How they die, yes; why they die, no! I will tell you why. Death is the wage of sin. Science will admit that death comes by the breaking of certain laws, but Science will use some other word than the word sin. “It is appointed unto men once to die,” by the fiat of God Almighty because they are sinners, and no man can escape that fiat. But He was offered by God to bear the sins of many. That was the answer of the first advent to man’s appointment to death.
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