Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-05-07

same 9OBpei Inat was neTotQeO Dy lne
angels on the night OF our Lords birth
In the words, Behold we bring you
good tidlngs Of great Joy, which shall
be unto all people, for unto you is
born this day in the City of David
Savior [Iife-GiverI. which is Christ
the Lord duke II, lOl This version
Of the Gospel. a good message, and
for all mankind, corresponds exactly
with the frst statement of the Gospel
made By God to Father Abraham. say
ing: In thy Seed shall all the families
Of the earth be blessed" tGen. xii, 2, -.
Nor should this surprise us-that a
loving and gracious Creator, who knew
the end from the beginning. created
the human race with the full fore
knowledge that Father Adam would
be disobedient, and that his life would
be forfeited, and that all his children
would share In his mental. moral, and
physical decline, even unto death!
Why should it seem strange that this
God, this All-Wise Creator should plan
an opportunity for the complete recov-
cry from the effects of sin and death
for all mankind? why have we al
lowed our minds to refuse the message
sent to us through the angels respect
ing the good tidtnOS of great tOg to all
pe0ple"f why have we allowed the Ad-
versary to make US think for one mo-
ment that our God, instead of being
gracious, loving, and kind. and helpful
to his creatures, has, on the contrary,
made provision for their eternal mis-
cry? why have we allowed ourselves
to believe from this standpoint that
our Creator was the greatest demon of
all demons-not only that he has pow
er, but that he chooses to use that
power for the eternal torture of his
creatures. who were not even given a
choice as respects their creation?
All, my dear friends. with tears and
in sack-cloth. we should confess TO our
blindness i'm the past respecting the
true character of God. Humbly should
we beg forgiveness for having misrep-
resented the Holy One of Israel. But
he knows that we did this in ignorance.
and he is both gracious and generous
TO forgive us our trespasses. and to
cleanse us from all iniquity according
to his gracious arrangement for us,
which centers in Christ Jesus our
Lord.
Why the Long Delay?
Some, perhaps would answer, Sure
ly, if the "Cross of Christ" means the
blessing of all the families of the
earth, the fact would have been dem
Onstrated somehow during the nine
teen centuries since The fact that
only a comparatively small number
have accepted Christ and been blessed
is therefore the ground for the belief
that God is merely seeking out of the
world an "elect" "little flock" Surely.
If he had been seeking to convert
the world, he could and would have
made much more progress in that di-
rection than has been made. in all this
time.
We reply that this is no argument
whatever. The same God delayed to
send his Son. delayed the sacrifice on
Calvary for more than four thousand
years after sin had entered the world.-t
And yet. according to the Scriptures.
the merit of the sacrifice of Christ Is
not merely intended to bring blessing
70 those who have lived since Calvary,
but also to all nations, kindreds, peo
pies and tongues from the day Of
Adam to the end of the Age.
According to the Scriptures, the /.
death sentence was pronounced against /.
Father Adam, ana all Of his children |
have shared in the blighting effect Of /
that sentence through heredity Not /
only has our race been growing weak
err mentally. morally, and physically, |
but by the thousands of millions. they |
have dropped into the tomb, the great |
prlson-hous of DEATH from which /
there is no escape. except by and |
through the Son Of God His sacri- |
fee for the sins of the whole world |
secures to him the right to the control |
of Adam and his race. This control |
the Scriptures assure us. Christ will |
assume and exercise during his Mil /
lennal reign, During that thousand |
years all the families Of the earth will (
be blessed, as promised.
Meantime. in the grave (sheol, hadeS, /
the hell Of the Biblel, where the "deud I
know not anything" they merely wait.
or as the Scriptures declare. they (
''sleep in the dust Of the earth" The [
Redeemers authority over them Is /
beautifully symbolized In his own 7
words. u am he that was dead and /
behold, / am alive forevermore. and [
have the keys Of death and OF the I
grave" Revelation I. lS. He viii ex- /
ercise his keys Of authority and deliver /
all OF the prisoners from the power Of /
the tomb, and additionally from all |
the weaknesses and imperfections In |
cidental TO the sentence He will |
bring the willing and obedient back TO |
full human perfection, and TO all that (
was lost IN Adam and redeemed by |
Jesus This. we declare, according to |
the Scriptures. Is the Gospel In It's I
primary sense--a message OF good /
tidings Of great Joy which shall be /
unto all people" that In the seed OF /
Abraham. all the families OF the earth |
shall be blessed"-not only the living |
at the time OF the establishment OF /
the Kingdom. but all that are In their (
,,,.o x,,s x,ho shall aotna forfh snVprV /