Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-05-14


after Evolution. with It's companion
teaching Of Higher Criticism that the
Bible is thoroughly unreliable we are
living now IN a time Of great falling
away from the faith; few intelligent
people any longer believe in the Bible
Our colleges and uniSersities-a and sad
to say. our theological seninaries-are
busy turning out unbelievers -lnfidels
Nor are these people wicked or immor-
al IN their unbelief; they are as we'll
meaning as ever. but have lost their
way. They reject the Bible because
/ they believe 1t to be the foundation Of
| the various Inconsistencies 10 their
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 appfe-
pirate lesson for each Of us We do.
indeed. need to discard the creeds Of
the past. not because they contain
nothing Of truth. but because error
commlngles in them to such degree
as to make them perversOns OF truth
as a whole. We need to take off tire
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 as we have
found its purity and consistency and
harmony with Itself. We have already
| intimated the Bible view of mans
death sentence. and the Bible presen-
tatlon that Christ died for our redemp-
ton. and the Bible assurance that as
consequence. in due time" the
knowledge of the glory CT God shall
ill the whole earth" We have also
the Bible assurance that not merely
the living win profit by the provision
OF Gods grace. but that "all that are
in their graves shall come forth" to
share In and to be blessed by the fa-
vOrable conditions, which God will by
and by inaugurate.
The Bible declares that the penalty
for sin is being experienced by hu-
manity 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 he a 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
ise 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. the
First Resurrection is to be composed
of the holy, the sanity. and they are
to be associated with their Redeemer
as his Bride and Consort. to assist In
delivering and restoring mankind.
Later the imperfect, who have not had
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 and
death Then will come the time men
toned in our text. The Hereafter for
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 Gods
proposition Of general upiift of the
worthy and their assistance back TO
perfectlon-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 aud the |
Bible.
Life. Not Immortality.
Thus we see that Gods provision In
Christ for mankind is that each indl-
Vldual member of our race may yet. il |
he will, attain TO everlasting life
through the merit OF Christ's sacrifice,
and through the operation OF his King
dom. Each may attain TO all that was
lost IN Adam and redeemed at Cal
vary; namely, hVman perfection ana
Edenlc blessedness But additionally.
note the blessings which God has pro-
vided for the Chureh-a spiritual bless
ing. a change OF nature These are
called out now from amongst men,
that they might be kind OF trst-
fruits unto God of his creatures"
CJames I, lSl. These are TO be royal
associated with Christ.
now in the priestly work Of sacrificing,
their bodies living sacri-
hces. holy ana acceptable to God,
which Is their reasonable service. And
when the sacrificing shall be finished,
they are 10 he Joined with Christ In