The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-11-29

comparison wodld be the mutr.itl hdr
vests of earth, which would merely en-
courage and stimulate the bringing into
being of larger numbers of our race tu
experience those turturcsY If these
things he true. rather should we give
thanks for famine and pestilence,
which would oDllterate our race en-
tirely and thus save future thousands
of millions from the horrors of eterhA!
torture. These thoughts will come t.
all intelligent beings sooner or later,
We bring them forward now, in order
that we may offset them with the
Truth-that we may show the fallacy
Of these doctrines of devils" AZ st
Paul designates them q Timothy iv. ~.
We bring them to your attention so
that we may not only demollsh them,
but give you instead the true. satisfac.
tory portion, the Truth the Bread that
came down from heaven to give life
eternal. not merely to the sanity few
Of the Church. but to mankind In gen.
eral. Those who get the proper view
Of our Creator and of his glorious Plan
for human salvation will be forever
protected from such fears and doubts
respecting Divine goodness. Getting
the proper view of the Heavenly Fa.
theirs character. through the discern
ment Of his Plan Of the Ages for spir'
itual Israel. natural Israel and the
world In general. they will hereafter
be able to celebrate every Thanksglv'
ing Day much more abundantly. much
more int"lllgently. much more happily
than any In the past. More than this.
to these every day will be happy day
If. rightly exercised by the goodness of
God. they shall give him their hearts.
Then truly they may say.
20 happy day that fixed my choice
on thee. my Savior and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice.
And tell its raptures all abroad"
Gods Mercy Endureth Forever.
In the Psalm from which our text Is
taken the Prophet David repeats this
sentiment Of Thanksgiving to God be-
cause of the ever-c0ntinuance of his
mercy. twenty-siX times. Our English
translation does not give us the exact
thought, however. Properly translated
II would read. 20 give thanks. for his
mercy endurpIn ever" The word errr'
more nearly represents the thought of
the Hebrew. which signifies not for
erer. but to completion. AS long as
there Is any use for mercy, Gods mer.
cy will continue. When the great Di-
vine Program shall have been accom-
plished when every creature In heav.
en-. and In earth. and under the earth,
shall be heard saying. Praise and glo-
ry and honor. dominion and might be
unto him that sltteth upon the Throne
and unto the Lamb forever" tRevela-
ton v. l3,. then there will no longer
be need for mercy; mercy will have
accomplished Its work.
Mercy signifies the setting aside of
| Justice in some manner, for some rea-
| son. Justice is the foundation Of
| Gods throne-the foundation Of the
Divine Government. Justice had CON
| troll of Father Adam and offered him
eternal life In an Eden home, as re-
ward for obedience; or death, eXtinc-
tion, as the penalty for dlsobedience.
As Divine Wisdom had foreknown,
man disobeyed and the penalty of JUS
tlce, "Dying thou shalt die" was exc
cuted. Through heredlty all Of Ad
| ANS race became involved-all inher-
tied sinful tendencies and dying con-
stltutlons.
For more than two thousand years
death relgned under the edict of JUS
tice, and our race as whole were sub
ject to II. A little later the Law Cow
enant was made with lsrael-one ma
tlon out of many. 1t seemed to offer
mercy, but did not They were placed
under the Law and were merely offer
ed eternal life If they could keep the
Law-which they could not keep, be-
cause of inherited blemishes, moral
and physical.
1t was over four thousand years
from the time Justice struck the fatal
blow, until Divine mercy stepped for
ward with the healing balm. Gods
mercy Is his love In active operation
for the relief of the condemned. Al
though God Is Love. and hence must
always have been loving and kind and
merciful Of disposition, yet this quail
ity of his character was held In re
strnlnt as respects condemned men fol
more than forty centuries. SO the
Apostle explains saying, Herein was
manifested the love OF God, In that he
sent his only-beCotten Son into the
world that wh0socver believeth In
him should not perish, but have ever
lasting life" Il John iv, o; John ILL., 16)
But meantime the darkness of sir
and the Misrepresentation of Divine
character by the Adversary had so op
Grated upon the fallen race that-eyeS
had they, but they saw not ears had
they, but they understood not hearts
had they, but they comprehended not
the message of Divine mercy, They
fulfilled the Scriptures In Staying the
One sent for their relief. And they
have misunderstood slandered, ma
llgned. KILLED. his followers the few
blessed with the hearing ears and the
understanding hearts and the eyes oi
faith, These few constitute what tn,
Scriptures designate the true Churcl