Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-24
PARADISE RECLAIMED
The Tree of Life in the Paradise
of God.

SYRACUSE, N. z, Aug. 22.-Pastor Russell,
Of Brooklyn Tabernacle, preached here twice to-
day to large and attentive audiences. One Of
the diseourses was from the text, verify I
say unto thee today, Thou shalt be with me
In Paradise. Luke, 23-4S.
Paradise is another name for the Garden Of
Eden, the abode Of bliss. 1t lost through
the sin Of our first parents, but the gracious
promise Of our great Creator is that this con-
dtion Of earthly bliss shall be re-established-
not merely in a little corner OF the earth, but
that the whole earth shall become the Paradise
Of God Heaven is Gods throne and the earth
is His foOtstool, and He assures us, will
make the place Of My feet gloriOus''-'in due
time How this will be accomplished is the
gospel message.
The Divine promise to Father Abraham that
all the families OF the earth should yet be
Of mans full restoration to Divine favor-as
before he had sinned and before he fell; before
Paradise was lost; before came under
the curse or sentence OF death. The Jews hoped
that Messiah would come and constitute their
nation the earthly kingdom OF God and re-
establish Paradise with Palestine as its center
They expected that under His wise ministra-
tiOn, using their nation His instruments the
Divine law would extend to all. and by bring
ing all people into harmony with God, would
gradually bring back all to the Paradise state.
IL In full harmony with this expectation
member him when he would come into His
kingdom-the kingdom whose dominion would
establish Righteousness In the earth and thus
convert the world. under Divine favor. into
the Paradise Of COD. Our Lords answer was
that verify, truly, bis request would be granted
the thief would yet be with Him In Paradise.
Gods kingdom has not yet come TO earth. and
II delays until a certain work for the church
be accomplished.
nation OF Israel Gods Kingdom in the highest
sense Of that word, though II will be actively
identified with the heavenly kingdom as Its
All 18th pfakf DrNrfa
God IL selecting a new nation, spiritual Israel.
from every nation, people. kindred and tongue
He gathered from Israel such as were sanity
and ready for the kingdom, and since then He
has been taking out from other nations enough
elect church. These win constitute the
kingdom per Sc and II cannot be set mp or es-
tabllshed IN power until this election or selec.
tion shall have been completed and the elect
changed" or glorified on the spiritual plane
by the power OF the first resurrection.
Paradise or the Garden OF the Lord, not only
represents that earthly condition which Will be
restored for the benefit and blessing Of the nat
ural man, the reward OF his obedience to the
rules OF Immanuels kingdom during the millen-
niaA age, but 1t also applies In figurative sense
TO the glorious and heavenly position which God
has in reservation for the church. Thus we read
In the book OF Revelation that the Lord has
promised to the OvercOmers Of the church that
ITO him that overcometh will give to eat OF
the tree Of life which is IN the midst OF tho
paradise OF God."-ReV. 81.
This is a grandly beautifuf and symbolic mes
sage and promise assuring us OF the happiness
and heavenly bliss in eternal life condition OF
all who faithful followers OF Christ in the
present age-walking in JesNs- footsteps In the
narrow way. The Book OF Revelation pictures
the history of this Gospel age down into the
Millennial age and shows Paradise re-estab-
lshed with the heavenly city. with the glori-
fled church as its center or capital. The river
OF life is pictured as flowing from under the
throne. On either bank OF its crystal waters
OF truth and grace grow the trees OF life, after
will all be Paradise. The completeness Of bles-
sedness will first be manifested in the~church
on the spiritual plane. and, secondly, II Will be
manifested in the ancient WORTHLESS on the earth
ly plane-perfected Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
and all the holy prophets, the earthly represent
atives OF the heavenly kingdom. Gradually the
Paradisaical condition shall fill the whole earth
The wilderness shall blossom as the rose and the
solitary places shall be glad and streams shall
break forth in the deserts, as we read in
Isaiah IS. The morally lame shall learn to
walk in the paths Of righteousness. Yea, theV
shall leap for JOY, they come to q knowI-
edge Of the grace and goodness Of God The
worlds eyes OF understanding shall be opened
and their deaf ears shall be unstopped thar
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 hut
the evils doors shall be cut off in the second
death Gradually the boundaries shall be spread
abroad until, In the end OF the Millennium they
shall include the whole earth. Gradually the
numbers enjoying Paradise shall increase until
Of Adam shall experience this blessed privilege
OF Gods love and mercy through Christ
st. Paul, like John the Revelator, was caught
also TO Paradise in vision and saw the glorious
things OF the future age, which he was not per
mitted to explain to us. because the due time
had not yet come. Neither John the Reve-
OF the Paradise condition. He could merely give
us a few symbolical hints or suggestions re-
specting the glories OF Paradise restored
We have already noticed that Paradise was
through dfGOhpdiarra NJ fha haav
emily command. Life and Eden bliss and d.
vine 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 10
the loss Of all. Indeed, under the demoralizinK
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 wherewith he loves US pro-
vided for mankind a recovery from the
tence OF sin and death. while he made no pro-
vision for future life for the brute creation.
Gods provision for mans recovery from the
sentence Of death is the story OF the Gross
Of Christ" Because a man had sinned the re-
deemer must be a man; because the penalty
was human death. the perfect man must die
for the sinners release from death sentence
conditions up. up, up to fellowship with God
and eternal life. Because the race of Adam
inherited naturally his mental. moral and
terity were worthy OF eternal life. But, in
the divine arrangement as Adam had lnvolv-
ed all Of his children and their Paradise home
in the wreck OF sin and death, so a redemption
has been effected through Christ. The great
work of Messiah will therefore be the restora-
ton of the world to all that lost in Eden
and redeemed at Calvary. The work Of res
toration, st. Peter tells US. has been spoken
OF by the mouth Of all Gods holy prophets
since the world began'' and divine plan chang
not. Sin is still objectionable to Goodwill
always be And the divine sentence is that
no sinner may have eternal life: hence the Of
fer OF divine grace Is merely that all who will
may have divine assistance, resurrection, res
toration, uplifting out OF sin and death condi-
lions 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
3:23.
Furthermore It is the divine arrangement.
and just one, that any good and noble deed
of the present life works a measure Of charae-
ter development which will be assistful In
the future life, enabling the faithful ones TO
mount up the sooner to the full perfection OF
earthly life. CorrespOndinEly. every willful sin,
every violation OF conscience, and principle,
works a defiloment and impairment OF man
hood which, likewise will have its effect In
the future life in the difficulty OF rising out
OF degradation to the heights Of divine per-
lection and approval and everlasting life. II
all mankind could appreciate these facts what
an influence II would have IN restraining. gov
erning and developing self-control and true
manhood.
Does some one inquire TO why He who re-
deemed Adam, HIS Eden home and all his race,
and who purposes q restoration Of all-why He
has not begun to work during the 1900 years