The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-03-04


what brought you to the point Of con-
secrating your life to God? Surely
that was not fear! Il am aware, of
course, that there is a proper, cody
fear, reverence. and that the Scrip
lures declare it-"The fear rever-
ence) Of the Lord is the beginning Of
wisdom" psalm cxi, 1O). But this is
not the fear of eternal torment, which
tends to drive out love. How could
we love or esteem or truly worship
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, but 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 as set forth
in your Scripture Studies did my
heart ever come to the proper attitude
of surrender to the Lord. Then l was
glad to give him my little all, and
wished 1t were more" The next day,
passing from the hotel to the audi
forum to q question meeting. this gen.
tleman put a slip of paper into my
hand, which supposed was a ques-
ton, and l thrust into my coat pocket.
On the platform / drew it forth as one
of the questions to be answered, and,
to my establishment, found it was a
check for $1,000. The man had not
been asked for one cent; but the Love
of God had captivated his heart and
gotten cOntrol-not only of it. 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: j met with Conven-
ton 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. l will
not attempt to tell you how wicked
man / was before got your literature.
My dear wife here, an earnest MethO-
dist. said to me, John. John. you will
surely go to hell" | replied to her,
Mary. l know it. l know it! And.
Mary, l am determined that | will de-
serve all that | get. | am not going
to hell for nothing One of your tracts
came to my desk in my store. l said
that this was different from anything
ever understood respecting the teach
ings of the Bible. 1t seems more God
like and more rational. | sent to you
for various Bible Students Helps. The
result, dear Brother Russell. is that the
Love of God has constrained me. has
conquered me. in a way that the doc
trineS of devilish torments could not
influence me. Now / see the true
teaching of Gods Word. l can honor
him and worship him and take pleas
ure in laying down my life in his serv-
ice. l have made full conservation
of everything. For time l sent you
$50 check every month; but, Brother
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 filled and Overiowed my heart,
it brought me to see that / must love
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
trincs of eternal torment in different
churches and yet committed murder.
Those men. under Gods providence,
received some of our literature-"Scrip-
ture Studies''-and were cut to the
heart when they learned Of the Love
Of God, as expressed in the Divine
Plan of the Ages. To be brief: A
knowledge of the Love of God made
such 4 change liz the hearts and lives
OF those three murderers that the
prison-keepers took knowledge Of them
that they had been with Jesus and
had learned Of BIN. BY and by they
were paroled and today two of them
are preaching the Gospel of the Love
of God. seeking to bring their fellow
men out Of the condition of darkness
and sin into the glorious sunlight Of
Divine Love and Truth. Having tried
the Gospel of fear and damnatiOn and
torture for sixteen centuries: having
seen that under this teaching there are
more blasphemy and general wicked
ness than even IN the heather world,
IS 1t not due time to give the true
bread and water of life to the hungry
| and thirsty ones who, for lack Of it,
are searching the earth and many Of