The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-09-26

at the Boston Theatre aud witnessed
that vast concourse of intelligent peo-
pie. AS looked at them ] asked my
self the question | am now asking you,
How is 1t that such crowds attend
your services, even in this sultrys sum
mer weather, when the summer 're-
sorts and seashore pleasures would
call them elsewhere, and while many
of our leading and able ministers, sup
ported by talented chors. have small
attendance--twenty, forty. fifty or so!
What is your explanation
replied. MY brother l believe we
are witnessing fultiment of the
Scripture which says. There shall be
n famine in the land. Not n famine
for bread, nor famine for water. but
a famine for the hearing OF the Word
of the Lord (Amos viii, ~. The pub
lie are getting their eyes too widely
opened to ever again respect the Coo
whom Brother Calvin pictured-a God,
Wise and All-Powerful, but tbor4
ougbly unloving, who foreordained and
predestinated sanity handful to
glory, and the insanity thousands OF
millions to an eternity of torture. We
once believed those things, but the
new morning of Gods grace in Christ
Jesus is gradually scattering the dark
ness.
Neither can we longer believe with
Brother Wesley that our God is good
and loving, and would like to save ev-
erybody if He could, but was unwise
in His creation of man, and is lacking
in power to direct the matter now.
The people are hungering for some
thing better-for something consistent
and rational and i'll accordance with
the Bible declaration, that Divine JUS
tice, Wisdom, Love and Power are CO.
ordinate-that God is Love, and is as
Just and wise and powerful as He is
loving. The people need to be shown
a theology which will accord with this
Divine character and with the Divine
statement that known unto the LORD
are all His works from the beginning
of the world and again: My Word
that goeth forth out of My mouth shall
not return unto Me void, but shall ac-
complish that which please, saith
the Lord. and shall prosper in the
thing whereto / sent It,. "
Bible Doctrine Of Election
Christian people need to believe the
Bible doctrine of Election. but must
see IL in q different light from that
which Brother Calvin threw upon the
subject They must see election from
the Bible standpoint-the election of a
sanity Church, little flock" "a roy
al priesthood, Il holy people" to be the
Bride of Christ, and His joint-heirs.
They must see that this elect Church
with the Redeemer is Gods appoint
ed channel for the blessing of the non
elect world They need to be shown
clearly that the sanity few, gathered
first from the Jews, but subsequently
completed by additions of those of
sanity character Of all nations, are
with Christ to become the great Seed
OF Abraham. the great Messiah. Abra-
hams spiritual Seed "like the stars
of heaven" 1t must then be shown
why this spiritual Seed has been call
ed" elected" selected from amongst
mankind--that it is for the very pur-
pose of blessing the n0n-elect, the
masses of Adams race, in harmony
with Gods promise to Abraham-'1n
thy Seed shall all the families Of the
earth he blessed"
st. Paul refers to this spiritual Seed,
| saying, "And to thy Seed. which is
Christ" and "If We be Christ's. then
are We Abraham's Seed and heirs
iii, 16, 29). All these are Heirs Of the
great promise that has not yet been
fulfilled The fulliment waits until
the completion of n foreordained mum
Der, an elect 'Iittle flock" of the saint
| ly few. Then these, changed by the
human nature to divine nature QI Pc
ter |, ~. will constitute the glorious
Kingdom Of Messiah The Kingdom
blessings will go first to Abraham's
natural seed, and through them to al
nations.
| ppu - ~ Sitult oO Riaho
that, II seen by men, it would be rev
erenced. Gods Plan of Salvation is 81
grandly beautiful that, when rightly un
derstood and comprehended, 1t proves
more fascinating than any novel.
The world has been kept away from
God and from the Bible by the machi
nations OF the Adversary He has hat
much to do with the formation of ou
creed idols. Seeing men breaking iva.
from error, in the Reformation time
and cropping after the Truth, Satan pre-
sented himself las an angel of light
and misguided our fathers into the for
nation OF their various creeds. Thi
Ia corrobornted by st Paul's words
THE god of this world hath blinded
the minds OF them that believe not
lest the glorious light OF the goodness
of God, as il shines in the face Of Jesu
Christ our Lord, should shine int,
their hearts III Corinthians lv, A.
The Adversary did not wish us to Sc
with "the eyes of our hearts" the glori
GUS character of our Creator, His low
FOR mankind and His to,Iopioua rrOviafnI