Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1910-01-15

Man Whom fie fiath OrdaIned (Acts xyn,
80. 3I). |
ooCSs-s-.-s-s-s.s-s-s-.-s
enant. but nevertheless he made it a
great blessing to them-a means of i1I-
struction. which. as we have seen. ulti-
mately prepared several Thousand to
be of so ripe a condition of heart as
to be ready for the Savior and become
his disciples. The Jew then had this
advantage over the Gentle up to that
time. He had Gods promises. He
knew the Law of God He was profit
ed by striving to do the impossible
thing of keeping it perfectly Had
God not chosen the nation Of Israel to
bring them under the schooling pro-
cesses OF the Law Covenant Galatians
iii. III be would have ~winked' at
their ignorance. etc. as he did with
the transgressions of other nations up
to that time.
"Now Commandeth All Men,"
What is the secret OF this change on
Gods part-from winking at the sins
and imperfections of the world to com
manding them to repent? If it was
just to wink at their sins for thou
sasids of years. why did not God con
tinue to wink at them? The Apostle
answers the question. telling Us that
ibis change in Gods dealing which
sent forth the message that the world
should repent was based upon the fact
that his eternal purposes had by that
time reached the stage of development
which justified such a message. The
Son Of God had left the glory of the
Father which he had before the world
was; he had humbIed himself to be-
come a man. AS the man Christ Jesus
he had been obedient to the Heavenly
Fathers wish and had laid down his
life sacrificially- it might first
benefit consecrated believers during
this Gospel Age; secondly that it
might bless the world of mankind
during the Mllennial Age.
For a time these good tidings were
confined to the Jewish nation. but
three and half years after the cruci-
HAUL LIE lltllt III ISi dCl ltFOi ~
specting the message came to an eud,
and then the good tidings of great joy
was permitted to go to all the Geutiles
on the same terms that the Jews had
enjoyed.
The Gospel or good news" consists
of the information that God in his
mercy has provided that the death sen
tence upon Adam and his race shall
not be perpetual; that there shall be
a resurrection of the dead. both of the
just and of the unjust; that the pro-
vision for this has already been made
in agd through the death of the Re-
deemer. is it inquired what adyan7
tage would there be in a resurrection
of the dead il Herewith all were to
be placed back just where they are
at present? The answer is that there
would be 10 advantage in such res
direction If the Jew could not keep
the Law. and if the very best-inten-
toned Of the Gentiles have found them
selves to be imperfect and their efforts
to staud approved before God in the
present life to be failures. what good
could result from merely awakening
them from the sleep of death? Would
it not be wiser and better everyway
to let them perish like the brute beast?
We answer that Gods Word reveals
very grand outcome TO his Plan of
Scripturally used. signifies much more
than to be merely resuscitated. II sig
mites awakening and more-uplifting
out of all sin and death conditions, up.
up. up to perfection-to all that was
lost by Father Adam aud redeemed in
the Calvary sacrifice.
"Ged Hath Appointed Day."
This, then, is the meaning of the
Apostles argument. BY providing the
Lord Jesus Christ as the Redeemer of
the Church aud the world God has
made possible a fresh trial or judg-
ment for Adam and his race. Adam s
first Judgment or trial day was in
Eden There he lost everything by his
disobedience and brought upon him
self and all of his race Divine sentence
to death. Christ has appeared that be
might redeem Adam aud his race. for
the very purpose of giving them in
diridUally another full, fair trial or
Judgment for life everlasting or death
everlasting.
That general Judgment day men
toned by st. Paul in our text is neither
a damnation day nor twenty-four
hour day. 1t is the thousand-year day
of Christ-tbe period of his mediatorial
reign, in the which Satan will be
bound. all evil influences be removed.
and the light Of the knowledge OF the
glory of God be made TO fill the whole
earth. st. Peter reminds us. beloved.
be not ignorant of this one thing, that
one day with the Lord is as a thou
sand years I'll Peter iii. 81. This is
the key to the expressions, "The day
Of Christ" 1.-The day of Judgment"
etc. The MilleDDiai day will be a day
of judgment or trial in the sense that
all mankind. the living and the dead.
will then be brought to full knowledge
Of God and to full opportunity to re-
gain by resurrection processes a COM
plete upIift from all weaknesses. I'M
perfectious. etc. VIII y have resulted
from our share in Adam's sin aud our
own weakness and ignorance. Sins to
the exteut that they were willfui will
to the same extent be punishable and
receive "just recompense OF reward"
(Hebrews Ii. y. Every good endeayor
will be rewarded and every sbortcom-
ing will be punished.
From this standpoint we see the