Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-03-01

IN doing goal that not one or the latter class
| can be spared from the ranks OF the service W
righteousness
A. the Master did not give his time 10 TEN
perance reform. nor social reform, nor political
reform but did give his time 10 the instrrr tlol
Of the people In the doctrines OF the divine
| Word so let MS he intent to follow his IN
| structon in this matter. not teaching FOR doc
trincs the precepts OF men. put the worn ~
ing unto the people the Scriptures and assist
ing them 10 see the length and breadth OF
teachers Of the aMster' day hated Jesus and
his disciples for tho cause, because n"S
taught the people" end prosecuted them ne
cause they did not walk in the beaten paths or
hated without cause; 81 we may expect 'tha'
the scribes pharisees and doctors OF inc
law TODAY will be grieved because the people
are taught, because the Eight Of the knowl-
edge OF the glory Of God shining in the face
of Jesus Christ. is presented TO the people as an
incentive to love and obedience instead
of the doctrine OF eternal torment. II matters
not that al the educated ministry today well
know. and would not for moment deny.
their disbelief in toe doctrine Of eternal tor
ment. if cross questioned: nevertheless many
Of them hate us and oppose us, because We
show the people the true interpretations or
Gods Word and lift before the eyes of thter
: understanding q God of love. Just, mercltul.
rigf teous altogether capable both In wisdom
: and power TO work out all the glorious desigr"
which he ''purposei in himself before the foun-
daton Of the world" We presume that some
allowance should be made for the opposition %
truly noble Christian ministers against tue
Gospel of the grace of God; they fear to have
! the truth told them for several reasons;
| /. They perceive that the teachings OF rhe
doctrines Of purgatory and eternal torment
has not had a samctifying influence upon
mankind. in all the sixteen centuries in when
these have been preached. They fear that TO dC<'
ny these doctrines would make n bad matter
worse. They fear that If the Gospel OF the
love of God and Of the Bible does not teach
eternal torment for any and this fact were
made generally known. the effect upon the world
WOud be 10 increase its MiCkednpSS. to max.
life and property less secure than and to
fill the world still more than now with bias
phemies
p They fear also that certain amount. OF
discredit would come to themselves because.
knowing that the Bible does not teach eternal
torment according 10 tie Hebrew and Grerx
original. they secreted the knowledge from the
people. They fear that this would forever dis
credit them with their hearers. Hence they still
outwardly lend their influence to the doctrines OF
eternal torture. which they do not believe. and
feel angry towards us because we teach the
people the truth upon the subject which thay
know will bring to them hundreds OF questions
difficult tn answer dodge.
GODS LOVE CoNSTRAINETH Us.
ask You, dear readers. were you constrained
to become children Of God and to render to the
Lord the homage and the obedience of your livcS
through fear through love? ] am not ASK
7 am asking YOU what brought yoI 10 the point
of consecrating your life 10 God? surely that
was not fear! am aware, of course. tnet thera
is proper godly, fear. reverence and that the
the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. - Psa,
I1i:10 But this Is no. the fear of eternal tor
mcnt. which tends to drive out love. Low could
we love or esteem or truly worship sod pnr
posing the eternal torment Of MS creatures from
before their creation?
could give you manv proofs 2t the power
Of love over the human heart. in contrast win
the ungOdly fear of the error. 'iod says TO W.
in many words. Their fear toward me IS
not of me, but Is taught hv the lfcccepus or
men," As nm illustrations: At a Bible students
convention not long ago in Ohio, we'll dressed
gentleman in attendance told me Of how his
heart had been tOuclcd With cur presentations
o. TIE
tleman put a slip Of paper into my hand, which
He said. For years have ',su.a member or
the Presby terrain church without being really a
Christian at all. Occasionally went III sprces.
sometimes | gpnbed and drank, etc. MOI untlI
I received a knowledge OF the true characttT
of God aS set forth IN your Scripture studies
did Inv heart ever come to the proper attitude or
surrender to the Lord Then was glad TO give
him my little all anj wished II were more
ThA next day, passing from the hotel to the
auditorium. 10 a question meeting this gen
tleman put a slip OF pepr into my hand. which
| supposed was q question and thrust INTO my
coat pocket On the platform ] drew il fortb
of the questions TO be answered ana Il
MY establishment, found il was a check for 81
UO0 The had not been asked Tor on"
cent but the love of God had captivated his
, heart and gotten control. not only OF IL, bui
of his pocket book and all. He wished TO show
the Lord his appreciation Of the love divine.
the length and breadth and height ana depth OF
which he now comprehended as never before.
Another case: I met with a convention OF
Bible students in Chattanooga, some five years
ago A gentleman attended who introduced
himself to me saying that he from Mis-
sissippi and that he had become deeply inter.
ested in my presentations of the harmony OF
the Word of God. He said in substance:
Brother Russell. / will not attempt to tell
You how wicked man | was before I got
your literature. My dear wife here. earn
est Methodist. said to me, John. john you
will surely go TO hell" ! replied to her;
Mary | know it. | know 1t! And Mary.
am determined that I will deserve all that
get l not going TO hell for nothing.
One of your tracts came to my desk In my
store. said that this different from
anything l ever understood respecting the
teachings Of the Bible. 1t seems more God
like and more rational. will Investigate.
sent to you from time TO time for various
Bible Students Helps. The result, dear Broth
or Russell. Is that the love of God has con
strained me- has conquered me- in way that
the doctrines Of devillsh torments could not
influence me- Now | see the true teaching
OF Gods Word l can honor Him and worship
Him and take pleasure in laying down my
life in His service. have made full con-
secration of everything For time ] sent
you a $50 check every month; but. Brother Rus
SELL that was in the nature Of conscience
money. because the most profitable feature Of
nv store trade the sale of liquor to the
Mississippi negroes. Those checks stopped be-
cause, as the grace OF God more and more
filled anu overlooked my heart, II brought me
to that l must love my nelgnDOr as lnySelI
snd do injury to none That is all gone now.
Brother Russell and my whole life is devoted
to the service Of God and my fellow men"
Three murderers confined in the Columbus.
Ohio. penitentiary had from childhood been
trained in the doctrines OF eternal torment in
different churches and yet committed murder.
Those men under Gods providence received
some of our NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Studies-and
were cut 10 the heart when they learned Of
the love of God expressed in the divine
plan Of the ages. To be brief a knowledge
of the love Of God made such change in
the hearts and lives of those three murderers
that the prison keepers took knowledge Of
them that they had been with Jesus and had
learned of Him. BY and by they were paroled
and today two of them preaching the
gospel of the love of God. seeking to bring
their fellow out Of the condition OF dark
ness and sin into the glorious sunlight of
divine love and truth. Having tried the gos-
pei Of fear and damnatiOn and torture for
sixteen centuries: having seen that under this
teaching there is more blasphemy and general
wickedness than even in the heather world.
Is It not due time to give the true bread and
water Of life to the hungry and thirsty
who. for lack Of 1t searching the earth
and many Of them falling into higher criti-
cism. infidelity and other deusions peculiar
to our day.
Let ms resolve, my dear bearers that our
misunderstanding and misrepresentation TO 9TH