Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-04-27

PRoOKLYN, n. Y, April 2S.-Pastor Charles
7. Russell, preaching today a. the Brooklyn
The first thought connected with this dear
friends is the peculiarly Of the fact that the
God Of all grace, he Almighty the All-Wise;;
the apostle had written that God greatly loved
! the holy angels and that He would 90 any
| ing We would have said, at is just like
Him. OF course He would do So They have
always been loyal always been true. They
are noble images Of Himself in character
loved his saints that. blemished by the imper-
fections OF the flesh, He had accepted them
through the merits OF Jesus saerrSe qnG t5is
would have caused greater surprise than Gods
love for the angels And yet we would have
to be abundantly gracious and to remember
the sins and iniQuiyfes no more against those
who have turned to RICH; eOusness and by falth
have been covered by their Redeemer's robe Of
'"coNDEMNEDs SIN IN THE FLESH
II this were the only text Of scripture to the
contrary (but L is not); II would De an utter
specting the divine purpose toward mankind
| The thought that God created our race with me
foreknowledge and Encouragement that the
elect" must spend an eternity Of hopeless
torture. is thoroughly out OF accord with Eea;
70 loved the world. Does love plan torture?
/ Does loving provision not imply wisdom in the
injured he shall mot Se Senetted by the
program? Is It conceivable that He who COM
towards them the Golden Rule would himself
ignore that rule and inJure, not merely his
eenemies. but also the ignorant, the supersu-
/ iious.1 the great masses Of mankind-of whom
/ the apostle declares The God Of this world
hath blinded their minds''?
Let have done with such Nightmares, such
''Goctrines- of demons" as the apostle styles
them. Let us begin to know our creator our
towards love for Him, and hence towards life
eternal for ourselves IT was our dear re. re.
they might know thee the only true God, and
Jesus Christ. whom thou hast sent" John
r'S. Not only the world Perishes because t OF
many of Gods people are similarly hindered
As the scriptures declare, MY people are de-
II should be understood BY all that Gods love
for mankind. as well divine Justice and
Of '' sin is death" from. s:2s5 1t is in fnli
harmony with this that we know when the
/ Of Eden and placed the cherubim with flaming
/ sword to prevent their return thither was
a merciful provision. because had they contin,
ued to have access to the tree OF life, and
thus to have continued existence. It would
have meant everlasting life for sinners. And
condition OF sin, rebellion, anarchy, in the uni
verse to oil eternity would have been discredt-
as wen as injurious to His creatures. Gods
! de ermination, therefore, from the very begin
verse, and hence the law. the soul that sin
meth It shall die'-a law which ultimately
/ must prevail as respects the fallen angels ana
Satan, as well as IN respect to mankind.
| Thus we have the assurance that ultimately
nothing shall mar the harmony Of the universe
! future win prove true and every creature
which is In heaven, and on the earth and
them, heard I saying. Blessing, and honor, and
| glory. and power, be unto him that stitch
upon the throne and unto the Lamb am for for ever
come when sin and ali who love sin will be de-
stroyed and when; as a consequence. the scrip
aSy @ore pain fo the former things are
s aid Behold. / make ali things new" (Rev.
THAT HE GAVE HIS SON."
Gods love for sinners. we have seen,
was so great that He would not allow them
to have everlasting life. because that would
mean to them everlasting imperfection and
| Their step that the Lord took-and hence shows
still further love. He not only had the
range for their eternal sufferings through q
perpetuetion Of life out Of harmony with
Himself. but He had the active love which
| arranged for their recovery out OF sin ana
death conditions, as stated by our text.
He gave his only begotten son." How?
Nhon7 where? What fort We answer. He
ala not give His only begotton Son to suffer
eternal torment for US. Thank God. no! yet
II eternal torment had been the sinners pen
| atty, Gods Son could not have been their Re
deemed except by paying that awful price.
As we have seen. however, the penalty was
| not that but death penalty-"Ihe soul that
| snneth, II shall die" Geek. 1870; Dying
thou shalt die" The wages of sin is DEATH"
God save His only begotten Son to die for
our sins that He might bring US back to God.
: Our Lords death on Calvary was the suffi-
Client price for the sins OF the whole world
although He did not apply that price directly
| to the world. but to believers of this present
time; and Indirectly through the consecrated
| believers, the bride OF Christ, II Will be ap-
piled to mankind in general, thus permitting
the church class to 'fill up. that which was
behind Of the Affections Of Christ" and to
share with Him In the sealing OF the new
covenant for Israel and through Israel FOR the
world. Behold, the days come, saith the
! Lord that l will make a new covenant with
the house of Israel and with the house Of
/ Nor should we understand that God com
PEELED His only begotton Son to die for us,
but rather, as the Scriptures inform us. He
set before Him great prize, so that Jesus
| counted Il all joy to lay down His life that He
might be the heavenly Bridegroom to the
church and be the Mediator of the new cove
nant for Israel and the world of mankind.
How wise; how just, are Gods arrangements!
Though He possesses all power, yet He would
the most humble Of His creatures. much less
| the rights of His only begotten Son. our Lord.
LEFT THE HEAVENLY GLORY.
The Scriptures inform US that it was in &C
| cord with the Fathers arrangement and the
| giving His Son that he made to Him the
| proposition to become mans Redeemer and
| uplifter and the head of the church, to re-
ceive glory, honor and immortality. 1t was
in view of this proposition as a whole that
we read Of our Lord that He. For the Joy
that was set before Him, endured the cross,
! desrising the shame. and is set down at the
right hand of God" (Heb. 12:2) Again,
| who gave himself a ransom for all, to be
| testified in due time" Il Tim. 2:s) He left
| the heavenly glory and took upon him the
| human nature and, as the man Christ Jesus
gave Himself as the ransom for all.
WHOSOEVER BEL1EVETH IN HIM.
Gods love is not only large and broad. but
| II is also deep and wide. In blessing man.
kind He proposes the largest blessing posi-
! BILE in the wisest manner. He Will not justify
| the heather in his ignorance nor justify wilful
rebels He limits His favor by two condi-
| tions:
"a The blessing through His Son shall go
! only to those who intelligently know OF II ana
| by faith accept it.
Cs) 1t shall be available only to those who
desire to come into harmony with Divine laws
as obedient children.
| This presents a difficulty to our minds until
| we come to understand what the Scriptures
| call the Divine plan Of the ages. Until we
| unde rstand that plan are inclined to find
! fault with the Divine arrangement and with
J ourselves and with felow-C Christians and gen
! orally to be uncomfortable and disappointed
in proportion to the largeness of our hearts
/ and our interest in Gods character and in
| humanity. We find fault with ourselves and
| others that the world has not long ago been
| evangelical and made acquainted with God
| We fault God that He is allowing the heather
| TO go down into death at the rate Of ninety
thousand per day, with no knowledge OF the