The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-05-13

Tue tuu lIOul Nnc DCEluulub, tItdlPu
The human race with the full fore.
knowledge that Father Adam would
be disObcdient, and that his life would
be forfeited. and that all his children
would share in his mental, moral. aud
physical decline, even unto death!
Why should 1t seem strange that this
God, this All-Wise Creator should plan
an opportunity for the complete recov-
cry from the effects of sin and death
for all mankind? Why have we al
lowed our minds to refuse the message
sent to us through the angels respect.
peOpIe"f Why have we allowed the Ad-
versary to make us think for one mo-
ment that our God. instead of being
gracious, loving and kind, and helpful
to his creatures, has, on the contrary,
made provision for their eternal mis-
cry? Why have we allowed ourselves
to believe from this standpoint that
our Creator was the greatest demon Of
all demons-not only that he has pow
er but that he chooses to use that
power for the eternal torture of his
creatures, who were not even given a
choice as respects their creation?
All, my dear friends. with tears and
In sack-cloth, we should confess to our
blindness in the past respecting the
true character of God. Humbly should
we beg forgiveness for having miSrep.
resented the Holy One of Israel. But
he knows that we did this in ignorance,
and he Is both gracious and generous
to forgive us our treSpasses, and to
cleanse us from all iniQuity according
to his gracious arrangement for us,
which centcrs in Christ Jesus our
Lord
Why tho Long OeIay7
Some. perhaps. would answer. Sure.
ly, if the "Cross of Christ" means the
blessing of all the families of the
earth. the fact would have been dem
onStratcd somehow during the nine
teen centuries since. The fact that
only a comparatively small number
have accepted Christ and been blessed
is therefore the ground for the belief
that God is merely seeking out of the
world an "elect" little flock" Surely,
If he had been seeking to convert
the world. he could and would have
made much more progress in that di-
rcction than has been made. in all this
time.
We reply that this is no argument
whatever The same God delayed to
send his Son. delayed the sacrifice on
Calvary for more than four thousand
years after sin had entered the world.
And yet, according to the Scriptures,
the merit of the sacrifice of Christ Is
not merely intended to bring blessing
to those who have lived since Calvary.
but also to all nations, kindreds. peo-
pies and tongues from the day of
Adam to the end of the Age
According to the Scriptures the
death sentence was pronounced against
Father Adam, and all Of his children
have shared in the blighting effect Of
that sentence through heredity. Not
only has our race been growing weak
er, mentally, morally, and physically,
but by the thousands of millions. they
have dropped into the tomb, the great
prison house Of death, from which
there is no escape, except by and
through the Son of God. His Sacri-
fee for the sins Of the whole world
secures to him the right to the control
Of Adam and his race. This control,
| the Scriptures assure us, Christ will
| assume and exercise during his Mil
lennial reign. During that thousand
years all the families Of the earth will
be blessed, as promised.
Meantime. in the grave (SheOl, hddes,
the hell of the Bibe', where the dead
know not anything" they merely wait,
or as the Scriptures declare. they
'sleep in the dust of the earth" The
| Redeemer's authority over them is
beautifully symbolized in his own
words. II am he that was dead. and
behold, | am alive forevermore, and
have the keys of death and of the
grave" Revelation /. 49, He will ex-
ercise his keys OF authority and deliver
all of the prisoners from the power of
the tomb, and additionally from all
the weaknesses and imperfections in
Cidental to the sentence. He will
bring the willing and obedient back to
full human perfection, and to all that
was lost in Adam and redeemed by
Jesus This. we declare. according to
the Scriptures, Is the Gospel in its
primary sense-a message of good
Udings of great joy which shall be
unto all people" that in the Seed of
Abraham. all the families of the earth
shall be blessed"-not only the living
at the time of the establishment of
the Kingdom. but all that are in their
graves who shall come forth, every
man in his own order"
AS | beheld in your city the great
amphitheater which once witnessed
the terrible sufferings OF some of Gods
faithful ones in the past; and again
as | viewed the room once used as a
torture-chamber, in the days of the
lnquiSitiOn. / said, Thank God for the
blessings of light and liberty, which
belong to our day. and yet reflected
that even though they be different in
form, there must needs be fiery trials
for every true child of God. for it is