The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-05-02
Miscellaneous

ester Automobile School, Rochester,
N Y. 4-2S-1mo
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
sn 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 fidingS Of great joy to all
people"S 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 In 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 Delay7
Some, perhaps, would answer, Sure
ly, II 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 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 II this
time.
We reply that this Is no argument
whatever. The same God delayed tc
send his Son, delayed the sacrifice or
Calvary for more than four thousand
years after sin had entered the world
And yet, according to the Scriptures
the merit of the sacrifice of Christ Is
not merely intended to bring blessing
to those who have lived since Calvary
but also to all nations. kindreds, peo
| Piles 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, and all of his children
have shared In the blighting effect OF
that sentence through heredity. Not
| only has our race been growing weak.
er, mentally. morally, and physic ally
but by the thousands Of millions, they
have dropped into the tomb, the great
prison-house 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
lennial 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 Bible), where the dead
know not anything" they merely wait
or as the Scriptures declare. they
"sleep in the dust Of the earth" The
Redeemer's authority over them is
beautifully symbolized In his owl
words, II am he that was dead, and
behold, / am alive forevermore, and
have the keys Of death and Of the
grave" Revelation l, 1S). He will ex
ercise his keys of authority and deliver
all of the prisoners from the power OF
the tomb, and additionally from al
the weaknesses and imperfections In
cidental to the sentence. He viii
bring the willing and obedient back Il
| full human perfection, and to all tha
was lost In Adam and redeemed by
Jesus. This, we declare. according Il
the Scriptures, is the Gospel in iti
primary sense-a message of "goof
tidings Of great Joy which shall b,
unto all people" that in the "Seed O.
Abraham, all the families Of the eartl
shall be blessed"-not only the living
at the time Of the establishment o
the Kingdom, but all that are in thei
graves who shall come forth. sever!
man In his own order"
AS | beheld in your city the grea
amphitheater which once witnesse,
the terrible sufferings Of some of God
| l.n