The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-03-01

WOuId forever dlscfpuJt tDem VIII
their hearers Hence they still out.
wardly lend their Influence to the doe
trlnes OF eternal torture. whith they
do not believe, and feel angry towards
us because we teach the people the
Truth upon the subject. which they
know will bring to them hundreds VI
questions difficult to answer or drtge
Gods Love Constraineth Us.
ask you, dear readers, Were you
constrained to become children of God
and to render TO the Lord the homage
and the obedience of your lives
through fear or through lover am
not asking you whether you never
have feared; but ! am asking you
what brought you to the point Of con-
secrating your life to God? Surely
that was not fear! ] am aware, Of
course, that there is proper, godly
fear, reverence, and that the Scrip
lures declare it-"The fear rever-
ence) Of the Lord is the beginning Of
wisdom" psalm cxi, 10). But this Is
not the fear of eternal torment. which
tends to drive out love. How could
we love or esteem or truly worship a
God purposing the eternal torment Of
his creatures from before their crea-
| ton?
could give you many proofs Of the
power Of love over the human heart,
In contrast with the ungodly fear Of
the error God says to us In so many
words, Their fear toward me is not
of me, bat is taught by the precepts Of
men," AS an illustration: At Bible
Students Convention not long ago in
Ohio well-dressed gentleman in at
tendance told me of how his heart had
been touched with our presentations of
the
Love Divine, all love excelling."
He said, For years l have been a
member of the Presbyterian Church
without being really Christian at all.
Occasionally l went on sprees; some
times / gambled and drank, etc, etc.
Not until l received a knowledge of
the true character of God ms set forth
In your Scripture Studies did my
heart ever come to the proper attitude
VI litDhNl W iuC i@Osh lhtD L was
glad to give him my little all, and
wished It were more" The next day,
passing from the hotel to the audi
torium to question meeting, this gen.
tleman put a slip Of paper into my
hand, which ! supposed was ques-
ton, and i thrust into my coat pocket.
ION the platform drew 1T forth as one
OF the questions to be answered, and,
to my astonlshment, found it was a
check for $1,000. The man had not
been asked for one cent; but the Love
of God had captlvated his heart and
gotten control-noI only of 1t, but of
his pocket-book and all. He wished to
show the Lord his appreciation of the
Love Divine, the length and breadth
and height and depth, of which he now
comprehended, as never before.
Another case: met with Conven-
tion of Bible Students in Chattanooga
some five years ago. A gentleman at
tended who introduced himself to me
saying that he was from Mississippi
and that he had become deeply inter-
ested in my presentations of the har-
mony of the Word Of God. He said
In substance: Brother Russell, will
Tot attempt to tell you how wicked a
man l was before got your literature.
My dear wife here. an earnest Metho-
dist, said to me, John, John, you will
surely go to hellv I replied to her.
Mary, j know it! I know it! And.
Mary. i am determined that will de-
serve all that get. l am not going
to hell for nothing One Of your tracts
came to my desk In my store. said
that this was different from anything
ever understood respecting the teach
ings of the Bible. 1t seems more God
like and more rational. i sent to you
, for various Bible Students Helps. The
result, dear Brother Russell, is that the
i, Love of God has constrained me. has
conquered me, in a way that the doc
trines of devilish torments could moi
Influence me. Now / see the true
, teaching of Gods Word. / can honor
him and worship MIN and take pleas
ure in laying down my life in his serv
ice. / have made full consecratior
of everything. For time l sent you
, $50 check every month; but, Brothei
Russell that was in the nature of con
. science money. because the most prof
: table feature Of my store trade was
, the sale of liquor to the Mississippi
, negroes. Those checks stopped. be
: cause, as the grace of God more and
more filed and overilowed my heart
1t brought me to see that must love
my neighbor as myself and do injury
to none. That is all gone now, Brother
Russell, and my whole life is devoted
to the service of God and my fellow
men,"
! Three murderers confined in the Co
lumbus, Ohio, Penitentiary had from
childhood been trained in the doc
, trines of eternal torment in different
/ churches and yet committed murder
Those men, undeT Gods providence
received some of our literature-"Scrip