The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-08-28


deaf ears shall be unstOpped. that they
may hear and see the goodness and
mercy, the justice and the love OF our
God. The willing and obedient shall
eat the good of the land, but the evil
doors shall be cut on in the Second
Death. Gradually the boundaries will
be spread abroad until, in the end Of
the Millennium, they shall include the
whole earth. Gradually the numbers
enjoying Paradise shall increase until,
in the end Of the Millennium, the en-
tire race of Adam shall experience this
blessed pririIege of Gods love aud
mercy through Christ.
st. Paul, like John the Revelator.
was caught also to Paradise in vision
and saw the glorious things of the flu
ture age, which he was not permitted
to explain to us, because the due time
had not yet come. Neither was John
the Revelator permitted to reveal fully
the particulars of the Paradise condi-
ton. He could merely give us a few
symbollcal hints or suggestions respect
ing the glories of Paradise restored.
Redemption Through Christ.
We have already noticed that Para
disc was lost by sin through disobedi-
enc of the heavenly command. Life
and Eden bliss and Divine favor and
fellowship were all lost to Adam and
to us, his children, under the death
sentence. There was no hope for any
of us any more than for the brute
beast, for while the latter was born to
die. man, created with possibilities of
life eternal, was sentenced to the loss
of all. Indeed, under the demoralizing
influences Of sin and death we find
many Of the human family really more
degraded than the brute creation and
apparently less worthy of Divine favor.
But God, rich In mercy. in the great
love wherew with he loves us, provided
for mankind a recovery from the sen
tence of sin and death, while he has
made no provision for future life for
the brute creation.
Gods provision for mans recovery
from the sentence of death Is the story
Of the 'Cross Of Christ" Because a
mar had sinned the redeemer must be
a man. Because the penalty was hui
man death. the perfect man must die
for the sinners release from death sen,
tence-to uplift the willing out Of sin
and death conditions up, up, up to fel.
lowship with God and eternal life. Be.
cause the race of Adam inherited nat
urally his mental, moral and physlca.
defects, therefore none Of his poSterlty
was worthy of eternal life, But, in the
Divine Arrangement as Adam had in
volved all of his children and theil
Paradise home in the wreck of sin and
death, so a redemption has been effect.
ed through Christ.
The great Work Of Messiah will
therefore be the restoration of the
world to all that was lost in Eden and
redeemed at Calvary. The work OF
restoration, st. Peter tells us, has
been spoken Of by the mouth Of all
Gods holy prophets since the world
began" and win be accomplished by
Messiah at his Second Coming (Acts
Ill, 2n. But the Divine Plan changes
not. Sin is still Objectionable to God.
will always be so. And the Divine sen.
tence is that no sinner may have eter.
nal life; hence the offer Of Divine
Grace is merely that all who will may
have Divine assistance, resurrection
restoration, uplifting out Of sin and
death conditions to perfect conditions.
But these things will be accomplished
only in those who are willing and
Obedient. Only such shall eat the good
Of the land-the fruits OF Paradise
(Acts III, 23).
Furthermore It is the Divine arrange
ment, and a just one, that any good
and noble deed OF the present life
works a measur Of character develop
ment which will be assistful In the fu-
ture life, enabling the faithful the soon.
er to mount up in the full perfection
Of earthly life. Correspondlngly every
wilful sin, every violation Of con
science and principle, works a denle-
ment and impairment Of manhood,
which. likewise, win have its effect in
the future life In the difficulty Of ria.
ing out OF degradation to the heights OF
Divine perfection and approval and
everlasting life. II all mankind could
appreciate these facts what an in.
iuence It would have In restraining,
governing and developing self control
and true manhood
The Divine Program.
Does some one inquire as to why
he who redeemed Adam, his Eden
home, and all his race. and who pro-
poses a restoration Of aIl-why he has
not begun this restitution work during
the eli nteen hundred years since the
sacrifice Of himself1 The Scriptures
answer that another feature u the
Divine program is being carried out
The Lord Is gathering the ''e,ert''
Church from Israel and all the ma.
lions 10 be Messiah's assistants IN his
Kingdom and the gracious work Of
uplift-resurrection restitution This
ELECT" Church class first selected Is In