The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-12

after Evolution. with its companion,
teaching of Higher Criticism-that the
Bible is thoroughly unreliable. We are.
living now in time Of great falling
away from the faith few intelligent
people any longer believe in the Bible.
Our colleges and universities-and, sad.
to say, our theological seminaries-are
busy turning out unbelievers-infidels
Nor are these people wicked or immor-
al in their uDbelief; they are as we'll
meaning as ever, but have lost their
way, They reject the Bible because
they believe it to be the foundation OF
the various inconsistencies in theiI
creeds; they are stumbling for lack of
knowledge; they cannot believe that
mans hereafter is one of centuries OF
suffering, or of eternal suffering.
Seeking the Old Paths.
The Lord, through the Prophet Jere-
miah. tells his people to Inquire for
the old paths" and this is the apprO-
pirate lesson for eacn Of us. We do,
indeed, need to discard the creeds of
the past, not because they contain
nothing Of truth, but because error
commingles in them to such a degree
as to make them perversions of truth
as q whole. We need to take off the
creedal spectacles with which we have
hitherto been studying Gods Word,
and come to the Bible afresh, to hear
its message. Thus coming, many Of
us have been surprised az we have
found it's purity and consistency and
harmony with itself. We have already
intimated the Bible view of mans
death sentence. and the Bible presen-
tation that Christ died for our redemp>
ton, and the Bible assurance that as
a consequence, in due time" 1.-THE
knowledge of the glory Of God shall
fill the whole earth" We have also
the Bible assurance that not merely
the living will profit by the provision
Of Gods grace, but that "all that are
in their graves shall come forth" ia
share in and to be blessed by the IA,
vorable conditions which God will by
and by inaugurate.
The Bible declares that the penalty
for sin is being experienced by hui
mainly at the present time-the death
penalty-and that the redemption price
Of Christ's death is sufficient for the
sins of the whole world. 1t declares.
that on account of this redemption,
ultimately the resurrection of the dead
shall take place-"all that are in their
graves shall hear the voice OF the Son
Of Man and come forth" 1t is be-.
cause Of the Divine intention that,
there shall be resurrection Of the
dead that the Bible everywhere, both
In the Old and New Testaments, speaks
Of those who have died, both good and
bad, as being asleep" and the prom
Use is that They that sleep in the
dust of the earth shall awake"
Nor will they come forth to similar
conditions of sorrow that now sur
round us ALL On the contrary, tn.
First Resurrection is to be composed
of the holy. the sanity. and they ar.
to be associated with their Redeemer
as his Bride and Consort, to assist il
delivering and restoring mankind
Later the imperfect, who have not hao
their full trial. the great mass of man
kind, will be brought forth, that they
may learn the ways Of Righteousness
that they may learn to know God. and
Jesus Christ. and In due time be up
lifted out of the conditions of sin anG
death. Then will come the time men
toned in our text. The Hereafter fol-
the world. How joyful is the mes
sage. There shall be no more death
neither sorrow. nor crying. nor dying
for the former things have passed
away" All, how different is God't
proposition of a general uplift of the
worthy and their assistance back ia
perfection-to all that was lost in
Adam. How different is this from the
doctrines of demons" which have
perpleXed us, which have divided
the Church Of Christ into numberless
sects and parties. and which have al
most driven us from Christ and thu
Bible.
Life, Not Immortality.
Thus we see that Gods provision Ii
Christ for mankind is that each indi
vidual member of our race may yet. i
he will, attain to everlasting lif,
through the merit of Christ's sacrifice
and through the operation of his King,
dom. Each may attain to all that WA
lost in Adam and redeemed at Car
vary; namely, human perfection ana
Edenic blessedness Eut additionally
note the blessings which God has pro
vided for the Church--a spiritual bless
ing, change OF nature. These are
called out now from amongst men
that they might be kind of first
fruits unto God of his creatures
! Games /. 49,. These are TO be "rOya
priesthood" associated with Christ
now in the priestly work of sacrificing
presenting their bodies living sacrh
fees. holy and acceptable to God
which is their reasonable service Ane
when the sacrificing shall be finished
they are to be joined with Christ in
the glories of his Kingdom. and shar"
with him in the work of blessing man
| kind. These are the "elect" who, In
Gods providence shall by and by up
/ lift and bless the non-elect. These are
| the ones to whom will come the prom.
Used "glory. honor and Immortality
| Our Redeemer brought TO light, life
| eternal for the world. and he also
brought to light Immortality for thu
| Church.