The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-01-17

OF the world. He declares that these
things God purposed in himself before
the foundation of the world. The
creative processes, which have been
| operating for thousands of years, were
all surely elaborated in the mind of
Jehovah before the creative work be-
gan. In that purpose angels had a
| part-of how many grades we may
not surely know, but they are various
| ly designated In the holy Scriptures as
angels, principalities and powers"
Later came the creation of man, "a
little lower than the angels" and
crowned with earthly honor, dignity
and power, in the image and likeness
of his Creators glorious power.
These creations varied not in degrees
| Of perfection and imperfection. Each
was perfect on its own plane. Each
intelligent creature was a free, moral
agent, and hence, whether on the an
gelic or human plane, was created in
the likeness of God, unblemished, but
with different capacities and abilities.
| Almighty God. infinite in Wisdom,
justice, Love and Power, purposed the
orderly exercise Of his infinite powers,
as a great Father, DESTROYS of giving
1 life and happiness to his creatures.
These intelligent ones were desig
mated "Sons of God" so long as they
maintained their attitude of perfect
loyalty to him, their Creator and Fa-
Their. Not only was 1t the Divine
intention thus to give pleasure to
millions of creatures to be created, but
it was also the Divine will to manifest
to his creatures his own greatness and
the perfection of his own goodness
that they might enjoy him and he en-
Joy them everlastingly.
We are not to understand that AL
mighty God was lonely in that great
Eternity before creation began. On
the contrary, human loneliness is
largely because Of human deficiency
| What we lack we seek for in others
But the great Jehovah lacked nothing;
he was complete in himself; he needed
not companionship to complete or to
supplement his happiness. 1t was his
| pleasure to create that his creatures
might have joy by rejecting as
whole his Divine qualities implanted
in their. constitutions.
The wreck of the human race pro-
duced by sin he well foreknew. Nor
did this wrecking of human hopes de-
feat, nor was 1t in danger of defeating,
the Divine purpose 1t merely demon
strates to angels and to men the graces
of the Divine character and shows unto
all the more fully the qualities of God
proper to be appreciated and copied.
The Seven Sealed Scroll.
When God would illustrate to US his
own great personality. when he would
show to his creatures how he is work
ing all things according to the coun-
sci of his own will. he pictured 1t sym
bolically In the Book of Revelation
In that vision the Throne of the Eter-
nal One is graphically portrayed as the
seat of Divine power and authority
| for the Universe, with angels as minis
tering spirits. Then is described a
scroll, in the right hand of Jehovah
in Divine power and keeping. That
scroll, written inside and outside, was
"sealed With seven SEALS" represent
ing the complete secrecy of the Divine
purposes related in that scroll From
before the foundation of the world it
had been in the hand Qn the power
Of the great Eternal He had given
hints respecting it and had caused it
to be symbolized in the Law and to
some extent to be described by the
Prophets. But still it was a Hidden
Mystery, because the prophets under
stood not the things which they wrote;
nor could any understand them until
the Fathers due time," which he had
| purposed in himself.
Not only was the Divine Program
thus sealed and safely secreted, but it
was the Divine determination that it
should be given only to the one who
would demonstrate his worthiness to
be Jehovah's honored Agent for the
carrying out of those purposes-pre-
destinated before the world was. The
honor of being the Agent, the Repre-
sentative of Jehovah, to carry out the
Divine purposes, should be disclosed
in advance only to the one who would
demonstrate his worthiness to be the
great Messiah, the great Deliverer,
the great Prophet. Priest. Judge, King
| of Israel.
High as the Redeemer stood in the
Divine counsels and fellowship before
he came into the world to be mans
Redeemer. it was not then granted
even to him to know all the mysteries
of the Divine Program. But by vir-
tue OF his high station, his perfection,
his obedience. the privilege was given
to him first to become mans Redeem
er, at the cost of personal humiliation
and death, and then, If faithful in this
redemptive work, it should be his to
be glori1ed, exalted to the divine ma
ture, and to execute the Divine Pro-
gram to its completion. First, he
must manifest his devotion and loyal
ty to the Father, ere he could be trust
ed even with the knowledge of the
Divine Program.
"Worthy Is the Lamb"
All this is declared in the account
Revelations ". The proclamation
was made, Who is worthy to receive
the scroll and to break its seals and
to execute the wonderful purposes of
God? None was found worthy Final
ly, one demonstrated his worthiness-
he left the courts Of glory, he hum
bled himself, he was made flesh"
More than this, being found in fashion
as man, he consecrated his all to the
doing Of the Fathers will, even unto
death, the death of the cross. Where
fore, says the Apostle, God also high
ly exalted him" and gave him stand
Ing rank. title above all others
philippians ii. Z, 81. He commission
ed him to execute all the Divine pur-
poses and to him he handed over the
scroll with the privilege of opening its
seals and comprehending to the full its
message.
In the symbolic picture John saw a
freshly slain lamb at the same time
that the angelic messenger declared
that the Lion of the tribe of Judah
had prevailed. Jesus proved himself
worthy and therefore the privilege of
understanding the things of the Divine
Plan, and the privilege of executing
them rightfully belonged to him. The
Lamb slain represented the work of
Jesus from the day he was thirty
years of age and made his consecra-
ton. There he became dead to self
and to the world. When he success
fully finished this great contract, he
cried on Calvary, at is finished"