Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-07
~ ~ ,PLYMOUTH-BET 81
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1 4fassS8 BROOKLYN Ii AeERNAcLE 4


sword to keep the way to the Tree Of Life2
We reply that all Of the experiences Of the
wisest Of mankind corroborate the Divine de-
cision that II was wisest and for the best in
terests of Adam and his children that the curse.
the sentence should affect him in all OF his
relationships Of life and particularly in respect
to his esrthly home. Cursed is the earth for
thy sake. Thorns and thistles shall 1t bring
forth unto thee: In the sweat Of thy face
shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the
ground; for ont Of 1t vast thou taken; for dust
thou art and unto dust shalt thou RETURN
(Gen.. 3:1s)
To whatever extent humanity has succeeded in
evadlng this Divine decree. the result has gen
orally been disastrous. Where riches have ac-
cumulated, whether by fair means or foul, the
influence generally has been unfavorable TO tia
accumulation and his children. because IL re-
lieved him Of the necessity of labor, of toll. OF
sweat Of face. And the consequences have gen
orally been injurious. The children Of the rich
! are rarely saints. They frequently profll-
gate. The fact that II is unnecessary for them
TO toll gives them the use Of their tongue for
other purposes And the fallen condition OF
/ man, mentally, morally and physically, inclines
away from God and away from righteousness.
True, some Of the rich noble and use their
time in benevolent enterprises, etc. and their
means for public benefactIons Such, however,
rise above their surroundings and above the
| natural tendencies of their nature But ii will
be found that such not idle; and, whether
the sweat Of the face be the result Of labor I'm
the mill, in the mine, in the office. in the
Study. or in the bank clipping coupons, 1t is
labor all the same and has its beneficial quail
| ties.
LFIsHNEss-MEANNEss
The battle for bread which started when our
f1rst parents were thrust out Of the Garden Of
Eden and obliged 10 labor for their susrenance
is battle which has kept up ever since IL
has had the effect Of developing and more
In the human mind that evil quality called
greed and selfishness. Ii has had thes effect
OF making our ignoble. mean Father
Adam. as the bread-winner Of the family surely
lad noble and generous qualities of heart and
a great love Tor Mother Eve: vet one couI5
imagine that. as age advanced upon him and he
became six or seven hundred years old the toll
| connected with his battle with the thorns and
| thistles was the more severe and that This
would. OF necessity, make him the more careful
| the more frugal. even, perhaps, to the extcnr
OF parslmony and meanness. Similar experiences
| CuItlVated the same quality in all of his chill
dren, and the habit grows upon us that NOT
merely are those who have the barest of neces-
stiles impelled TO be stingy and close but even
1 those who come into Possession Of fahulora
wealth have this parsmony ingrained I'm their
very being so that their only pleasure in Ifs
| appears 10 be In noting the increase of their
millions. We are not specially blaming the-r
nor ybody, for this condition Of things we
are noting the fact here that thus selflshness
entered the world and that meanuess has he
come the ruling. the predominant ouaIitv 20
the human mind. "
We may indeed see a blessing in the Divine
| provision OF this condition Of things Were ~
rot for selfish ambition and pride what ,rorid a
| become OF the race. under the reign of ssfhs
prince OF this world:" II every man. upon OBJ.
| tanning competence, were to SIT down and Ia
| satisfied where would be the worlds progressi
HOW could 1t carry on great projects of life
tne Puoilc utilities the public charities? some
great human machine we call civilization Crr
! socialist friends may tell rs that love ana
Dehevoience should actuate the human mind to
| all these things for the public benefit We are
ready to ADMIT that such would be a very ideal
| condition, so far the rich are concerned hut
WY vi should we expect more Of the rich than
| OF the poor as respects love and willingness Ia
/ lay down life and pleasure and wealth and com
| Tort TO their fellow-men7 Our Lord puts the
faithful in that which IS least would he fa1tberI
also In the greater things" The poor man or
| woman who Is found 10 be very generous and
tSI, s 6f,ptTI to To-. hi; fries and neghbOrs 8
| proOaoly use his wealth for the public benefit
But alas! we find comparatively little OF nm
this being true, love could not be the motive
power OF the world under present rondItiors
Hence the selfishness which now turns the
mneels Of human progress is the only power for
PARADISE TO BE RESTORED.
| we have already seen that II Is necessary, IN
| viewing the Divine dealings with humanity to
keep in memory the future outcome of Gods
plan. Otherwise the permission of 5000 years OF
the reign OF sin and death would be entirely
unreasonaDie 10 US, inconsistent with Divine wis.
dom. Justice, love and power But keenlng an
| memory the fact that 1t is the Divine burmese
70 reclaim man from his fallen condition Of i'm.
perfection OF mind moral and physique ana
! hat 1t Is the Divine intention 10 make the en-.
| tire earth Garden Of Observation-Disclosures
1 TINS bLulupOmIs Ine permission OF evil ha
| clearly understood and appreciated as a master.
stroke Of Divine wisdom
As one illustration of this. suppose that sin
/ had not entered into the world had the birth
of humanity been as slow as I'm the case ~
Adams immediate children Whose birth rae
was probably ah'' one a century, how long
| would II have req red to people the earth? But
i in HIS fallen condition and state as mart Of
| the result OF the fall the sorrows and con.
eeptions Of motherhood were greatly multiplied
/ tGen.. $3.50. so that during the period Of 7Ool
years sCfNciency of the human family win
have been born to properly fill'it. Moreover the
Eubduing OF the earth hes under Divine fore
| arrangement been accomplished by convict labor
for are not all mankind convicts serving ont a
| death sentence? And Is not our Creator permit.
| ting man, for HIS own good. TO battle strenu-
ously with the unfavorahe conditions prevail.
/ ing in the earth? And does not this battling
serve 10 c-licken man I'm HIS mental qualities
even though this quickening be chiefly along
Furthermore. as we have heretofore seen. the
| reign Of sin and death amongst mankind msde
II possible for God. on the one hand. to show
/ the severity of His Justice in permittin@ ms 70
| die TINS. grooming creation. Travelling n
main" and II made possible the exhibition Of
HIS love IN the providing NJ the Receenner. who
| bought with His prccious blood. Further Re
II remembered. T. served rs the occasion for ire
testing Of Tucifer. the nroving of the dislov-
/ altv whom 10 hecsus Sntan. the adversary II
God. AdditicnaIlv It furnished the cnDortune fest
90 the Loyalty or disloval'v 81 AL The ange's
~ heaven. recorded in Genesis e. Jude S and
/ III Peter. pa. have nrevfnTslv seen.
THE MYSTERY OF GOD
| And now come. dear friends.S to that fea-
| ture Of the great Divine plan which Is pecu-
Iiarly interesting to us-to who Bible
students; TO US who are disciples OF Jesus; 10
ms who have given our all to him; to us who
are trusting that he has accepted US as mein-
bers Of the Body OF Christ" as members Of the
Bride the Lambs Wife, and his Joint Heir In
the Kingdom. without the permission Of sin
there would have been no such opportunity as
we now enjoy of experiencing a change" OK
nature from earthly TO heavenly-human 10
Divine As our Lord could not have left the
heavenly glory to become aman and to suffer and
to die the inst for the unjust unless there had
been sin in the world: unless sinners had needed
redemption so likewise we would have had no
opportunity or privilege Of Joining with orr Lord
in His sacrifice Of Himself! Indeed. had there
been no sin to conquer. to down. to overthrow,
there would have been need for Christs
MsdfatoriaI Kingdom-for Christ's reign OF
righteousness. Had there been no fallen condi-
tion of humanity in sin. in degradation, there
would have been no work for the royal priest
hood to accomplish during the times Of resti-
tuition" during the existence of the Millennial
Kingdom. So. then. while approaching the ter 4
rible devastation Of sin in the world. its terrible
consequences upon the human family, we See
behind the glorious advent Of our Lord in King
dom power a full recovery Of the race from all
that was lost in Adam and redeemed on Cal
vary. From this standpoint have a glimpse
Of the length and breadth and height and depth
Of the love and justice. the wisdom and the
ROVER Of our God. From this standpoint
worship and adore Almighty Creator and
our precious Redeemeri From this standpoint
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