Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-01-25

Rtb,e. after telling us of the completion of the
church. now espoused to the Lord and after
her marriage or union with Him at His second
coming as THE Bride, the Lambs wire.
tells that then ''the Spirit and the Bride shaii
saw Come snd whatsoever will may come anu
take Of the water of life freely
All yes, we failed disastrously to keep the
Apostles command. Study to show thyseif
approved unto God. a workman that needeth not
to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word or
TRUTH e Tim. 2:15). We failed TO thus divide
the truth and to note the portion applicable
now and the other portion applicable during the
millennium. Thank God. we are not yet too old
TO learn. We surely have been thoroughly SICK
ened by our mistaken Interpretations or the
mast which made nonsense of both the doctrines
election and free grace-and worse than this,
DETAINED and villified our Heavenly Father the
"God of all Grace"
terms Of the divine election Of the church are
in every sense of the word without partiality,
except as regards character and faithfulness
Those now called with the heavenly calling to
he OF ''the elect are indeed invited to eternal
life on the spirit plane, to be like unto the
angels. but more exalted, while the opportunities
to be granted to the world in general during the
/ millennium win be Inferior earthly, restitution-
ary-yet grand (Acts 3:19-21. But this differ
ence Of reward is counterbalanced by the severer
trials and testings of those now called to be OF
the elect. They must walk by faith and not by
sight. They must take mp their cross and fol-
low the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. They
must count their lives not dear unto them. hut
willingly sacrifice their earthly interests that
they may be participators with their Redeemer
in glory. honor and Immortality. and in his
great work OF the millennium-the blessing OF
the world Of mankind with a mental. moral So
cial and physical uplift.
These are urged to present their bodies living
sacrifices holy and acceptable TO God and their
reasonable service. from. 1871. These have
the promise that IL they suffer with Christ In
the service of Righteousness in this evil time.
when faith and obedience at a premium
they shall also reign with him in the day of
HIS glorious revelation for the blessing OF the
world As ST. Paul expresses II. ''These now
have fellowship with Christ's sufferIngs that
they may have part in his resurrection-the
First Resurrection-to spirit nature and glory"
Phil. 3:1ol.
Cannot we all. CongregatiOnalists Presbyte-
rians and Methodlsts, and all others OF GODS
people. unite one body, upon this scriptur-
al hypothesis? Are we not satisfied with the
terms of this election-that they are sufficient
ly stringent to exclude all except the SANITY :
Hearken TO the apostles declaration, which
we once so grievously misunderstood: He says
of Gods election, ''Whom he did foreknow he
also did predestinate to be eOnformed TO the
image Of His Son. In other words. when
our Heavenly Father foreknew and preaeter-
mined to gather an elect church as the Bride
OF Christ He also predetermined that none
could be members Of it unless they attained
through faith and obedience in the School of
Christ oharacter-likeness Of Jesus-heart like
TO Him-hence as nearly as possible an
obedience Of the flesh TO his law. Surely no
one viii, claim that any but little flock has
ever attained TO this honOred condition, hence
our former ideas respecting the nOn-elect would
consign the majority OF our families, neigh
bore friends and all the heathen to endless
woe But now how differently Gods
Word that the elect class is selected In advance
that in Gods due time, with the Redeemer.
II may bless every creature with fullest oppor-
tunity to return to human perfection in Par-
adise regained-restored during the Millennium.
This proposition of the scripture incluNs those
who have gone to the prison-house of death
into Sheol into Hades, both the evil and the
good. All shall then know, from the least
TO the greatest that ''Jesus Christ by the
grace OF God. tasted death for every man."
I address you. dear friends, not from a secta-
rian standpoint but from federation stand
point; yea. more thsn this. from the standpoint
OF those who desire TO be dpctrinally well
outwardly. in agreement, with the Lord and
with each other. Have we not. in this beautiful
election of the Bible the basis for the grandest
Of all hopes. the highest OF all ambitions-to
hbe ''heirs OF God and joint-heirs with Jesus
Christ Lord?''- Can we want more than this
for ourseIves7 And does 1t not enhance the
glory Of this prize to have the prospect OF con-
auering the world for Jesus and for the Father
during the millennium. In the only way In which
II ever can be eonduered-God's way!
Il II not for this Kingdom that our Redeemer
taught us TO pray THY kingdom come; thy will
be done on earth II is done In heaven?" Us it
not for this kingdom that he Taught ms TO wait.
saying. Fear not. little flock; IL is your
Fathers good pleasure to give yOu the king
dom &" (Iukp 1882 Is IL not for this kingdom
that the world waits? "T'nto him every knee
shall how and every tongue confess" ''The
knowledge Of the LORD shall fiji the whole
earth IAN shall know him from the least to
the greatest" "And Il shall come to pass that
every soul which will not hear that Prophet
shall be DESTROYED from amongst the neople.
(Acts 3:23l. Shall we, then. stop merely with
an outward federation or confedHracy2 Shall VIC
NOT rather white hearts and hnads e~d hands
along the lines Of the divine promise given to
us-"Jn thee and in hty seed shall all I'll" f"-ni-
lies of the earth he blessed