The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-05-03

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 Gross 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 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.
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. Jkindrcds, 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, and 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
prisOn-house of death, from which
there is no escape. except by and
through the Son OF God. His sacri-
flee 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 Nil
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 Blble,, where the dead
know not anything" they merely wait,
or as the Scriptures declare. they
''sleep in the dust OF the earth" The
Redecmer's authority over them is
beautifully symbolized in his own
words, II am he that was dead. and
behold. I am alive forevermore, and
have the keys of death and of the
| grave" 0Rcvelation |, 49, lie will 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
fun 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 its
primary sense-a message of good
tldings 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
graves who shall come forth, every
man In his own order"
AS ! beheld in your city the great
amphithenter which once witnessed
the terrible sufferings of some of Gods
faithful ones in the past; and again,
as l viewed the room once used as
torture-chamber in the days Of the
Inquisition, / said, Thank God for the
blessings OF light and liberty, which
belong TO our day, and yet l reflected
that even though they be different in
form, there must needs be "iery trials"
for every true child of God, for it Is
the will OF God that all should be thor