Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-27

worthy OF a blessing amongst the faithful Of
the first class now being selected pass at
death to the tomb-to the prisOn-house of sheol.
hades. where there Is wisdom, knowledge or
device. as the scriptures declare. (Eccl. s:1O.)
now being dispensed. Gods love and mercy pur-
sues after these through Christ. and in their
interest the millennial kingdom will be estab-
lished. Under its domino ton Satan will be
bound. every influence of evil Will be restrained
and every good influence will be brought into
activity, TO the intent that all those at present
non-elect. and unworthy Of the present saliva
ton, may be brought to a savable condition
through the rewards and punishments (judg-
ments) Of the millennial age. The result Of
the purifying influences Of that time upon the
willing and obedient Will be full human per-
lection and the reward Of everlasting life in
paradise restored. worldwide under the whole
resist Gods grace and merciful provisions. will
be eternal deHth-extinction-t second death
-Gehenna. (Rev. 20:1-15.)
CHARACTER PREREQUISITE
The Bible, in harmony with sanctified common
sense. teaches that character is a prerequisites
of divine favor and eternal life. Whoever is
called during this gospel age and fails to de-
velop character. will fail to attain the reward
of life eternal. Similarly. in the worlds trial
character will be the test. All the influences
OF the great kingdom OF Messiah win be exer-
cised with view to the development OF char
acter. and only those properly exercised thereby
will get the reward of earthly life eternal
The question properly arises here, What kind
OF character will meet with the divine ~
proval and be granted the reward of life ever
lasting? We answer that God has but one
standard, which is fully set forth in the Scrip
lures. The law Of God is the standard. That
Law standard is Thou shalt love the Lord, .hy
God, with all thy heart. with al thy mind with
all thy being, with all thy strength, ana my
neighbor as myself" As our Redeemer testi-
fled, on these two commandments hang all the
law and the prophets-all the divine blessings
and promises and covenants are TO those who
develop the character here described. II any
come short of this character in any degree,
he cannot have the life eternal, whether his
trial be as a member Of the church Of Christ.
whether II be as part Of the world during the
Millennial age. There is no middle ground.
WORLD ACTUALLY ATTAINS.
The Scriptures show a difference between
Gods dealings with the church in this age,
and the world in the next age, even though
ter for both. During the Millennium, when
everything will be favorable to human uplift,
during the "times Of restitution Of all things
which God hath spoken by the mouth OF all che
holy prophets since the world began" actual
obedience to the divine law, and actual attain
ment Of this standard Of character, will be re-
quired. Not all at once, however. Tie pool
world, 'born in sin and shapen In iniquity''
in sin did their mothers conceive them-are
prone to Gin as the sparks TO ny upward =
stepped in degradation, will require years, II
not centuries Of determined resistance Of sin
and cultivation of the principles OF righteous
ness to develop in them absolutely the character
required By the divine inw-love supreme for
God and love for the ne1ghbor as for oneself.
During the Millennium the weaknesses and i'm
DerfectiOnS of the race VIII be conceded the
great teacher, Christ and the church-Jesus
the head and the church His members. The
more degraded the will, the more undermined
the character, the more perverted the conscience
and Judgment the more difficult will be the
ascent of humanity from the horrible pit Of sir
and death, even with the assistance or the Re
deemer. The less degraded the mind, the less
perverted the conscience, the stronger the viii
for righteousness, the ensier would be the as
cent along the highway Of holiness, OF which ]
is written, The redeemed shall walk thereon "
lisa. 35:s.) The laggards Will receive the
'stripes" Of correction for their assistance, the
jealous will receive the smiles and blessings OF
the great High Priest, the great Teacher and
Mediator like unto Moses, Of whom 1T is written
"And Ii shall come TO pass, that every sou
which will not hear (obey) that prophet, shall bc
destroyed from among the people," (Acts 1913.
All the reformation must be made during the
allotted time-the thousand years Of Christs
reign. Sin must be put down-not only outward
sin but inward sin, in the very thoughts
and intents of the heart Sin must be eradl
Gated, even to the extent Of the destruction OF
the willful sinner in the second death.
Who cannot from this standpoint the
value Of every act and word and thought, not
merely to the church but also to the world OF
mankind in general. II the thieves and liars,
and evn doors in general, would realize that
they either making character or undermining
character every day, what helpful influence II
would have upon the social and political and
financial life OF the world! The effect would DC
the very reverse Of that which Is made BE-
the false Interpretation Of our Lords words tc
the thief, which we are seeking to correct.
II every pernicious word uttered were realized
to be $ much Of undermining influence II
every pernlcious thought weer similarly recog
nized, with what carefulness would mankind
come to guard their thoughts and their words,
well their deeds. They would be attentive
to learning the great general lesson set forth In
the scriptures, and also In the book Of nature.
namely, Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall
be also reap" Who shall say that there would
not be less sowing OF wild coats IL all were
assured that proportionate crop would be un-
avoidably reaped, and that no mere prayer OF
sfODpu
to heavenly glory to the one who had lived q
life deserving depreciation and punishment.
FORGIVENESS OF SINS.
Some may inquire, Does not this presenta-
ton of ''just recompense OF reward to every
soul of man that dOeth evl'' set aside the scrip
tural doctrine Of the forgiveness Of sins?
No. answer, but II is important that we
note here which sins are forgiven and forgivA.
BILE, and which must be punished. Original sin,
Father Adams disobedience, brought imperfec-
ton to all Of his children. and since Gods pro-
vision was to give eternal life only to the per
feet therefore all Of Adams children shared
with him justly his death sentence. That is the
sin for which Christ died, and which is for
givable II Christ had not redeemed Father
Adam and his race from the death sentence,
there would have been no hope of future life,
no hope for a resurrection OF the dead. Mans
condition of death would then have been the
same that Of the brute beast, for whose eter-
nal life no provision was ever made. The for
giveneSs Of sin, therefore, is a great boon to
our race, a great favor. granting men the IOppor-
tunity to be brought back to perfection, free
from condemnation to death.
But the forgiveness Of sins includes more
than merely the divine permission that man may
be uplifted out Of the death sentence. 1t In
cludes all those weaknesses which we have in
herited from our forefathers, and which we
have not the strength to resist. But the merit
Of Christ's sacrifice does not cover wilIful sins
on the part Of any. Here the difficulty arises.
because sins are often partially the result IF
ignorance, and weakness, and partially the re-
suit Of wiilfulness. And only the Lord is able
to differentiate and judge in such cases 10
what extent stripes, punishments, are neces-
sary, and TO what extent the culprit may have
full and free forgiveness. The apostle, how
ever. while exhorting Us not to judge an
other but 10 leave that TO the Lord, exhorts
that each judge himself soberly, and not to
make too many allowances for his weakness and
ignorance and imperfections, but to bring HIM
self to high a standard as possible Of ODE
dience to the divine requirements.
During the Millennial age allowance will be
made for the entire human family by the Re
deemer. Weaknesses and imperfections will be
overlooked in some because of heredity that
would not be overlook and left unpublished in
others. Each individual viii be judged accord
ing to his own personal conditions and endeav-
ors, but the helpful and uplifting influences
will extend TO all.
THE CHURCH'S TRIAL Now
We must not leave this subject without brief
ly sdverting to the conditions Of our trial, the
church's trial, in this present age. Whoever
comes now 10 a knowledge OF the truth, to a
realization Of mis- responsibilities to God, to the
begettng and amounting Of the Holy Spirit and
it's enlightening influences-such trial
for life eternal or death eternal and will have
no part or lot with the world Of mankind in
These also are on trial for character. With
these also the divine standard set forth in the
law OF God is the rule of measurement. Who
ever of the churct. would obtain eternal life