The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-03-11

what brought you to the point OF con-
secrating your life to God2 Surely
that was not fear! l am aware, OF
course, that there is proper, cody
fear, reverence, and that the Scrip
lures declare 1.-THE fear Crever.
enceJ of the Lord is the beginning OF
wisdom" psalm cxi, 10). But this is
not the fear OF eternal torment, which
tends to drive out love. How could
we love or esteem or truly worship
God purposing the eternal torment OF
his creatures from before their crea-
ton?
| could give you many proofs Of the
power OF love over the human heart,
In contrast with the ungodly fear of
the error God says to us In so many
words, Their fear toward me is not
OF me, but is taught by the precepts Of
men" AS an illustrations: At Bible
Students Convention not long ago In
Ohio a well dressed gentleman IN at
tendance told me OF how his heart had
been touched with our presentations OF
the
IJDNe DlNlnc, VII iONc tACelllHk'
He said, For years / have been a
member OF the Presbyterian Church
without being really Christian at all.
Occasionally I went on sprees; some
times l gambled and drank, etc, etc.
Not until ! received a knowledge Of
the true character Of God as set forth
In your Scripture Studies did my
heart ever come to the proper attitude
Of surrender to the Lord. Then ! was
glad to give him my little all, and
wished 1t were more" The next day,
passing from the hotel to the audi
forum to question meeting, this gen.
tleman put slip Of paper into my
hand, which l supposed was ques-
ton, and l thrust into my coat pocket.
On the platform l drew 1t forth as one
of the questions to be answered, and,
to my establishment, found 1t was a
check for $1,000. The man had not
been asked for one cent but the Love
of God had captivated his heart and
gotten control-not only Of it, but Of
his pocket-book and all. He wished to
show the Lord his appreciation Of the
Love Divine, the length and breadth
and height and depth, Of which he now
comprehended, as never before.
Another case: met with a Conven-
ton of Bible Students in Chattanooga
some five years ago. A gentleman at
tended who introduced himself to me
saying that he was from Mississippi
and that he had become deeply inter-
ested in my presentations Of the har-
mony of the Word Of God. He said
in substance: Brother Russell, will
not attempt to tell you how wicked a
man was before l got your literature.
My dear wife here, an earnest MethO-
dist, said to me, John, John, you will
surely go to hellv l replied to her,
Mary, / know it! l know 1t! And,
Mary, l am determined that will de-
serve all that I get. / am not going
to hell for nothing One of your tracts
came to my desk In my store. said
that this was different from anything
I ever understood respecting the teach.
ings Of the Bible. 1t seems more God.
like and more rational. sent to you
for various Bible Students Helps. The
result, dear Brother Russell, is that the
Love Of God has constrained me- has
conquered me, In way that the doc
trines Of devilish torments could not
influence me. Now l see the true
teaching Of Gods Word. l can honor
him and worship him and take pleas.
ure in laying down my life in his serv.
Ice. l have made full conservation
Of everything For time I sent you
a $50 check every month; but, Brother
science-money, because the most prof
liable feature Of my store trade was
the sale Of liquor to the Mississippi
negroes. Those checks stopped, be-
cause, as the grace Of God more and
more filled and overfiowed my heart
It brought me to see that l must love
my neighbor as myself and 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 Co
lumbus, Ohio, Penitentiary had from
childhood been trained in the doc
trines Of eternal torment in different
churches and yet committed murder
Those men, under Gods providence
received some Of our literature-"Scrip
ture Sunderland were cut TO the
heart when they learned OF the Love
of God, as expressed in the Divine
Plan OF the Ages. To be brief:
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 then
that they had been with Jesus anG
had learned Of him. By and by they
were paroled and today two OF then
are preaching the Gospel Of the Love
Of God, seeking to bring their fellow
men out Of the condition OF darkness
and sin into the glorious sunlight OF
Divine Love and Truth. Having tried
the Gospel OF fear and damnation ant
torture for sixteen centuries: having
seen that under this teaching there are
more blasphemy and general wicked
ness than even In the heather world