The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-08-25
Friday, August 25. 1911

tudL lSdF Or tcTTOT WHICH ltduS tucm
to think of Him as great Demon,
who has provided for their eternal
torture.
The same principle operates in the
minds Of people born in civilized lands.
There is fear. dread respecting the
future. a dread which takes hold also
upon things of the present life. This
fear toward God. the Scriptures de-
clare, is wrong. saying. Their fear
toward Me is taught by the precepts
of men," Elsa. 29:l3) These precepts
of men are represented in our various
creeds. all Of which claim to be the
Word of the Lord. but all of which are
the product Of fearful. human minds.
Gods Word does not uphold q single
creed Of ChristendOm. nor does sim
gle creed of Christendom uphold Gods
Word They all contain certain ele-
ments Of Truth. around which great
masses of error have gathered. How
ever, If only such as cOnscientiously
believe every feature of their creeds
should remain with them, and If all
fearlessly. the creeds would be found
to have very few worshipers. They
are fetishes of idol worship. surely dis
pleasing TO the Lord. Let every one
oppose this fear which has done so
much to discredit God and His Word
and so much to turn the hearts and
minds Of the best people in the world
away from God and the Bible.
"Where Art Thou, Sinner"
While our first parents hid from God,
and all of our race have the same dis
position because of fear, God, never
theless. has not hidden from his crea-
lures. As He called after Adam, say
ing, where art thou?' and brought
Adam forth from his hiding place, so
in due time all of Adams children will
be pursued by His grace and mercy
until all shall come to know of the love
Of God which passeth all human un-
derstanding
. We are not informed that our first
parents afterward hearkened to God
and repented of their disObedience.
We merely know that they could not
retrace their steps. The sentence of
death upon them was enforced. They
were driven out of Eden-away from
the DEMONSTRATING fruits. The Divine
sentence against them was. Dying,
thou shalt die" Gradually the dying
process operated against the perfect
man until, after nine hundred and
thirty years of struggling, he sue
cumbed-he was dead. The Divine
sentence against our first parents de-
scended to their posterity. AS God
said to Mother Eve, 81 will greatly
multiply thy sorrow and thy concep-
tion," so has it been with all Of her
daughters
And God said to Adam. I'm the
sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread
until thou return unto the ground from
whence thou vast taken" So Adams
sons also have contended with the
thorns and thistles, and. in sweat of
face, have labOred for sustenance,
gradually succumbing to the cares of
human life-dust to dust returning.
But as God called after the sinner in
Eden, so He has called after the sim
ner since. but remarkably few have
had the hearing ear.
Amongst those mentioned in the
Bible who heard the voice of God and
obtained reconciliation, we remember
Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
and all the prophets. the Apostles,
etc. But the masses of mankind have
not at any time been ready TO hearken
to Gods voice. Fear has driven them
further and further away from the
Only Name. The question is proper
er the sinner? How long will the sin
ner continue to be fearful of his Crea-
tor, and continue to go further from
Him? And is God calling as loudly as
Divine Justice, Wisdom, Love and
Power can call? If not, why not?
Why Not Call More Loudly?
Gods call was greatly increased in
the days Of our Savior and since.
Men have heard of Gods love and
mercy and His invitation to become
reconciled to Him, but many still be-
lieve in the teachings Of the Dark
Ages. regarding eternal torment, which
tends to drive them to fear and away
from God. The Apostle declares what
we. as Bible students. more and more
appreciate, namely, that it is the Lore
of God that cOnstrains, that makes us
happy, that brings "the peace of God
which passeth all understanding" On
the contrary, as st. Paul declares. the
doctrines of devils bring fear. torment
ing dread, and cause men to hide
from God. Many, unquestionably, in
the past have attended church serv-
ices, not because Of love for God, not
because of any truly worshipful spirit,
but from fear, and in hope that by
thus rendering some outward homage
to the Name Divine they might escape
torture in the future.
We are not for a moment to think
of such people as hearing the Divine
Voice. They are serving as are the
heather, who have never heard Of the
true God, in any sense of the word.
We may be inclined to wonder that
our Almighty Creator has apparently
pursued the human family with His
voice Of love and mercy and invitation
to reconciliation for so long, in so