Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-05
everlasting suffer

ings.
THE BLESSINGS OF THE LORD.
Having considered the divine explanation OF
the curse of sin and death upon the world ana
having found 1t true to all the circumstances
and facts. let us with confidence turI 10
the same record, the Bible, for an explanation
of what blessings God has in reservation for
the saints and also for the world In general
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich.
The blessing of the Lord has, to some EXTENT
come to the church. but f. is a blessing only re-
ceivable by faith. 1t is not the reai Diessins,
but. the scriptures declare, a roretAsie, an
earnest" of the coming inheTl- ance OF DAesslne.
This foretaste is very precious TO ali OF uhe
Lords saints, giving them a feast ana JOY ana
comfort under the most trying elrcunstahSes "a
he present life. 1t is indeed The peace OF God'
which passeth all understanding, ana Whlen
rules in their hearts. as st. Paul salu 10 tne
little flock" Of i44,OOO VINO are h1 Ene,as,a
- he church of Christ, which Is his bouy'
These believers in Gods promises ana arrange
ments for the blessing Of humanity throusn lns
merit Of Christ's death and by the power OF
tile millennial kingdom may therein rejoice IN
advance. 1t is not the in1imatlon, however,
that the church shall keep the restlu'ton 49,
leges. These credited to them SO tnAl tney
may have something to offer sometnlhg ~
sacrifice" BY faith they receive earthly rights
and restitu ion blessings and privileges, as 'uOu
gist tbroupb the Lord Jesus. BY faith they
make a sacrifice or surrender of these rights.
BY faith. in return the receive the oesettlhs
of the Holy Spirit, to the divine nature ana
to loin-heirship with Christ their Lord and re
deemer in the millennial Kingdom Iney are
content not satisfied. They rejoice, though on
II be in trihulation. Their assurance Is that
nreseut tribuIafions are working patience, expert,
ence hope and preparing them Tor the Actaul
glories (which God hath in reservation lor hone
for the actual salvation or deliverance, he
blessing of the Lord which maketh rlch az
the coming of Lord, when the saints snaIi
be united to Him most graciousy as repre-,
seuted by the scriptural figure OF bride united
TO a bridegroom. The marriage OF me Lamp
wifi come for his wife will have made herseli
ready.-Rev. 1881
LET ms glance backward and note the earliest
reference of the scriptures as the earnest 1Ou'
given intimations of coming Dressings
(O Shortly after the fall the Lord oeclare9
that ultimately the seed OF the woman ana
1her posterity) would bruse the serpents heau
would utterly destroy sin, would triumph over
> Later on Enoch prophesied that Messiah
would come and grant the world Iresn u,I
for life or death Jude u Inc .srn,1ah The
one man Adam: and his failure ana lts penalty
effected the condemnation OF his entire race
because all are imperfect and hence SINNER ~
The promise of Messiah. who would grant the
world a fresh trial was indeed rainbow OF hop$
to those who could receive 1t.
really definitely outlined the channel or tne
blessing which he purposed ultimately 10 give
maketh rich" Let US examine this prophetic
outline of coming blessing.
The promise made to Abraham was this, I'm
thee and in thy Seed shall all the tsm atS,D %
definite something tangible. This promise was
renewed to Isaac, also to Jacob; and, later on
at Jacobs death, il passed to all of his poster
ity, the nation of Israel In due time, in ful-
fillment of this promise Moses, as its mediator.
instituted the Law Covenent between God and
Israel Under that Covenant 1t stipulated
that in order to inherit eternal life and all the
3 blessing which Adam possessed and lost. and in
order to inherit the promise made TO Abraham
of the privilege of blessing all the families OF
the earth, the Divine Law must be kept fnvio-
late. God must be loved with all the heart,
mind, soul, strength, ard the neighbor must be
loved as oneself. Moses Mediator of that
Covenant might render every assistance he
capable of to that nation; bur. alas. himself
fallen man. imperfect. he unable TO lift
Israel ont Of sin and degradatiOn-unable 20
bring them to that state of human perfection
which would enable them to keep that Law
Covenant and inherit its blessingsl As God
forekrsw, Israel failed to keep their part If
, he justified - number Of discouraged Israel
ttes continued TO hope for blessing through the
Ahrahamic Covenant; end, later on, the Lori
revealed 70 them that In due time he would
make a New Uswl Covenant with them. and
that Messiah would he its Mediator.-,Ter. 1881.
! The promise Of New Covenant implied. as St.
Paul points ont. that God knew that the Law
Covenant would not bring to Israel the hoped
for blessings. Thenceforth their homes centered
in the New Covenant. under which the Lord
sins and take away their stony heart and give
them a heart Of flesh. and that they should be
his neonle Confirmatorv to this thought was
. the message sent 70 them through Malachi the
prophet. assuring them that the messenger Of
the Covenant 1.-THE servpnt of the Covenant. the
Mediator If the Covenant whom they delghted
in. the one they honing for. would ere
long como tn his nco0le. But the pronhet init
melted that few Of thero would he ready to
ceive him. He said, ''Who shall stand when he