The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-04-07

hath spoken by the mouth Of all hi, holy |
prophets since the world began. "-Acls ii.
1921.
answer. Comparatively few of the
missionaries are able to hold their own
in argument with intelligent people in
India, China, and Japan. There is no
danger of their converting those peo-
pie. There is more danger of their
losing their own faith in the Bible,
because of their misrepresentation of
some of its teachlngs-respecting the
mission OF the Church, the hope Of the
Church and the hope of the world!
Missionaries are, thus handicapped!
Full Of commendable zeal they leave
our shores to tell the heather that
their forefathers have gone to eternal
torment and that they are going there,
too, unless they accept Christ. 1t is
rude awakening to be asked
where hell is? and why God should
have condemned them and their fore
fathers to such a horrible eternity?
and how this could be true and vet he
be a God of pity, compassion, Love?
The heather ask, Why the different
denominations-the different theories
Of the terms of salvation-by Water,
by Election, by Free Grace by joining
the Church, etc. The missionary, Who'll
ly unable to answer the adult native,
gathers children about him, starts a
school and does all he is able perhaps,
to justify his presence in a foreign
land-helping the sick and doing many
other acts of kindness which are very
commendable, whether from religious
or humanitarian standpoint.
Preach the Gospel to All Nations.
Our Lords instruction was that his
people should preach the Gospel in all
the world for a tcitneSS-not to convert
all the world. but for "ioitness' to all
the world. The mission of the Gospel
is to select the Kingdom class, little
flock" The first opportunity to be-
come members of this Royal Priest
hood was offered to the Jews and, aft
er the gathering of a remnant from
them, and after their national rejec-
whole world irrespective of national
lines, boundaries or language-any-
body, everybody having the hearing
ear" was to be instructed respecting
Christ and the opportunity of becom-
ing his disciples by full conservation
of mind and body, time and talent,
even unto death. These were to be
promised the reward Of share in the
First Resurrection, to be members of
the Royal Priesthood which, during
the Millennial Kingdom of Messiah,
will bless all the remaining families
of mankind-all the non-clect.
We are not complaining about the
failure to convert the heather! We
are not fauting the missionaries! We
are taking the Bible stand that all of
Gods purposes are being accomplish
ed: that Gods Word is accomplishing
that whereto it was sent" isaiah lv,
! IL; that it was not sent to convert
the world but to gather an elect
| sample or "firSt-fruits" from all ma
lions Revelation xiv, n. Let cirilismJ
| influences continue in heathendom. as
! well as in Christendom. But let all
! Christians. missionaries and others
know assuredly that their labor is not
in vain if they are seeking for the
Lords jewels to the best of their abil
! ity. am in touch continually with
! laborers in India and Africa and well
know that the pure Gospel of Christ
is not greatly affecting their teeming
millions. But the Gospel Of the King
dom is seeking out. blessing, sancti
flying, happfying, encouraging some
here and there; some. who have ears
Of faith to hear, eyes of faith to see
and obedient hearts to obey the 'calr
to suffer with Christ and by and by
TO reign with him for the effectua
blessing of all the families of the
earth, by uplifting the willing ou
of their present conditions of sin ant
degradation and death.
The Millennium a Necessity.
We have shown the value and nee
essity for the doctrine of the Millen
nium-that all Christians who woult
hold fast to their Bibles as a faith
anchor and who would make progress
In their study of the Word and b'
ro-laborers with God in the gathering
of "the elect" need to see that tn,
elect only are now called to be heirs
Of the Kingdom for which we pray
"Thy Kingdom come" They need t.
see that that Kingdom is Gods provi
sion for the future blessing of the non
elect. They need to see that the Bibl
does not teach, as many of them sup
pose. that the saints are called of Go,
to sit in the heavenly balcony anC
look over at the non-elect in eterna
anguish, and hear their cries.
Next let us note that the Millennium
itself is an absolute necessity for tn
world, according to the statistics o
the worldly-wise. Many college pro
fessors and ID. DIS are inclined t.
speak glibly of the Second Coming o
Christ being far in the future-"fift,
thousand years yet" say some Blu
evidently these learned gentlemen hav
not used their educational advantage
In connection with such statements
Any school boy can figure up what tn
population of the earth would be on
thousand years from now, taking tn
present population as per the censu
at sixteen hundred millions and tn
ratio Of increase as shown by the cen
sus reports at per cent in ten years