The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-27

cording to the counsel of his own good
WILL for the comfort and salvation of
as many of his creatures as will ac-
cept his favors, after being brought to |
q knowledge of the truth respecting |
them. The church is now comforted |
during this gospel age Saved to the |
highest plane of the heavenly nature) |
and during the coming age the world |
is to be comforted and saved to the |
human nature-as many as will. For |
the world this means the glorious OPP |
portunity of the mediatorial reign of
Christ which will constitute their time
of restitution, uplifting, resurrection to |
all that was lost in Adam and re-
deemed by the precious blood of
Christ -(Acts 3:1921.)
"Comfort-With These Words"
In order to appreciate the meaning
of our text we must consider the
words of the Apostle preceding it, be-
ginning with the thirteenth verse. He
declares, ST would not have you to be
ignorant, brethren, concerning them
which are asleep, that We sorrow not,
even as others which. have no hope"
All Christian people agree that the
word sleep here refers to those who
died. They are not asleep in heaven,
| OF course, for there all is wakefulness
and intelligence and joy. They are
not asleep in purgatory, of course, for,
according to our Catholic friends, sleep
there would be an impossibility. They
are not asleep in an orthodox hell, for,
according to the description given by
Protestants, none could sleep there.
Where, then, are those who are
| "asleep?" st. Paul says that we should
not be ignorant concerning them
Have we not been ignorant in the past
l-foolishly ignorant? We have ignored
| the Apostles words entirely. We have
refused to believe that any are asleep
and claim that all are awake. alive-a
few in heaven, the many in purgatory
| or eternal torture.
But st. Paul was right The entire
| Bible teaches that all who Idle fall
asleep Thus we learn of st. Stephen,
the first Christian martyr, that he ''fell
| asleep" (stoned to death). We read OF
the good and bad, kings and peasants,
telling asleep in death. We read that
King David slept with his fathers
some of them good, some of them bad.
We read that Abraham slept with his
fathers-some of them heather. The
Bible tells US where they sleep and that
they will all be awakened from the
sleep of death in due time-in the
| thousand years. The Prophet declares
that MANY that sleep in the dust of
the earth shall awake. some to life
everlasting and some to shame and
lasting contempt" Daniel xii, %.
Those who will be awakened from
the sleep of death unto resurrection of
life will be the blessed and holy, the
sanity, who will be associated with
Messiah the blISQOm WOrk 1Or the
blessing and uplifting Of the non-elect.
Those who will be awakened from the
sleep of death to shame and age-last-
ing contempt will be the nonelect
world. Their shame will be in proper
ton as they have enjoyed light, know,-
edge and opportunity and have failed
rightly to appreciate and use these.
They will have contempt from their
fellows, in proportion as their short
comings Of the present time will be
1t III o,f a
, amongst men will be awakened to that
. shame and age-lasting contempt. But
! their case will not be a hopeless one.
: Much of their weakness and derelic-
ton were the result Of Adams trans
erosion and the sinful conditions
|. |. which have resulted, including unfa-
, vorable environment. God has pro-
vided in Christ redemption for all fro1f
the sins and weaknesses resulting
/, from Adams disobedience and thus
an individual trial under favorable
I conditions-for life everlasting or dealt
4 everlasting.
. All who will render obedience to thu
y laws and regulations of Messiah:
: Kingdom will begin to rise up. up. up
i out of their fallen, degraded condition
: of sin, and be brought back to all tina
,. was lost in Adam and redeemed a
!; Calvary. In proportion as they WI
: | retrace their steps and come back int
q Divine fellowship their shame will de
I crease and their contempt also. Final
f 1v in the contamination of that age al
" who will may have attained fuH res
: toration and regeneration ana free
Q dom from shame and contempt. IN
e unwilling and disobedient and rebel
e lious will be destroyed in the Secon'
d Death-'twice dead. plucked up by tn
r roots''-without hope of any 1urtne
r resurrection or restitution
9 nComfort With These Words"
e Ct paul urges that Christians shout
't not be ignorant concerning those wh
, are asleep-that they SORROW not eve
as others who have no hope 1t
= bad enough to think of millions OF IN
:. heather as being totally extinct, nope
- Iesslv dead. without any prospects of
resurrection. The same would be tru
resnecting our neighbors and friend'
!. narents and children. brothers ana SIS
tiers. who are not sanity, who are nc
:, in "Christ Jesus" who are not walk
- ing after the spirit. who are not heir
"a of God and joint-heirs Win 1esu
= Christ our Lord. And if it would De
- sore trial to think of them as utterl
. destroyed in death and without nope z
- resuscitation resurrection. now inuc
- worse would it have been when, IN on
;s misunderstanding of Gods plans.
is thought of them as being in elthe
q P,1rgatory or eternal torture. Sucn
n false couception of the divine plans
"a even worse than to believe them with
s. out hope and extinct
sr The Apostle proceeds to point OF
le the basis of this hope in these woro'
m sIf we believe that Jesus DIED and ros
Of again. even so them also which slee
in Jesus, will God bring Grom tn
dead) with (by) him" q Thessaior
ians 4:14). So, then, the resurrectio
10 hope is the Christian hope. and tn
E. basis OF the hope of this resurrectio