The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1910-03-05

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questions difficult to answer or dodge
Gods Love ~constraineth Us.
/ ask you, dear readers. Were yoI
constrained TO become children Of Coo
and TO render to the Lord the homag,
and the obedience Of your live,
through fear or through love? | an
not asking you whether you never
have feared; but l am asking YOU
what brought you to the point Of con
s~ecrating your life to Godg Surely
that was not fear! l am ware OF
course, that there is a proper, gOdly
fear, reverence, and that the Scrip.
lures declare 1.-THE fear (rever-
encel Of the Lord is the beginning OF
wisdom psalm cxi, 100. 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, but is taught by the precepts OF
men," AS an Illustration: At a Bible
Students Convention not long ago in
Ohio a 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 a Christian at all.
occasionally l went on sprees; some
times l gambled and drank. etc. etc.
Not until | received a knowledge Of
the true character Of God as set forth
In your Scripture Studies did nv
heart ever come to the proper attitude
or surrender to the Lord. Then | was
glad to give him my little all. and
wished It were more" The next dav.
passing from the hotel to the audi
forum to a question meeting, this gen.
tleman put a slip Of paper into nv
hand, which l supposed was a cues
ton, and | thrust into my coat pocket.
On the platform l drew it forth as one
or the questions to be answered. and
TO my establishment, found 1t was a
check for $1,000. The mar had not
been asked for one cent; but the Love
or 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; / met with a Conyen.
ton OF Bible Students In Chattanooga
some five years ago. A gentleman at
who introduced himself to me
saying that he was from Mississipni
and that he had become deeply inter
ested In my presentations of the hars
mony Of the Word Of God. He said
In substance: Brother Russell. | win
attempt to tell you how wicked a
was before ! got your literature.
My dear wife here, an earnest Metho-
DIST said to me, John, John, you will
surely go to hellP l replied TO her.
Mary, / know It'll l know It'll And.
Mary, am determined that l will de-
serve all that l get. / am not going
70 hell for nothing One Of your tracts
to my desk in my store. | said
that this was different from ANYTHING
ever understood respecting the teach
lngs OF the Bible. 1t seems more Cod
IKE and more rational. l sent TO Won
for various Bible Students HELPS. The
result, dear Brother Russell, is that the
OF God has constrained NE. has
conquered me, In a way that the doc
-rines Of devillsh torments could not
influence me. Now / see the true
teaching Of Gods Word. | can honor
i'm and worship him and take pleas
Ire In laying down my life in his serv.
have made a full conservation
everything. For a time | sent you
| $50 check every month; but, Brother
RUSSELL, that was In the nature of con
iclence-money, because the most prof
table feature Of my store trade was
he sale Of liquor to the Mississippi
negroes. Those checks stopped. be-
'ause, as the grace Of God more and
more filed and overlooked my heart.
I brought me TO see that l must love
ny neighbor as myself and do injury
o none. That is all gone now. Brother
russell, and my whole life is devoted
o the service Of God and my fellow
nen."
Three murderers confined in the Co.
umbus, Ohio, Penitentiary had from
childhood been trained in the doc
rines Of eternal torment In different
'hurches and yet committed murder.
Those men, under Gods providence.
eceiyed some of our literature-"ScrIp-
ure Studies"-and were cut to the
when they learned Of the Love
4 God, as expressed In the Divine
Ian OF the Ages. To be BRIEF; A
'nowledge Of the Love Of God made