Pleasantville weekly press., 1911-01-14

- One. His qualities
GaaASIoRE and attributes ther
were the same as
they are now. for the Scriptures declare
his unchangeableness-" same yester-
day, today and forever"
Moreover, the completeness of the Di-
vine perfection is such that companion
ship was not necessary to the happiness
of Jehovah. The only one who inhabiteth
eternity is self-centered The creation OF
angels and Of men was indeed his pleas
use, because, benevolently he desires to dc
good to give capacity for pleasure and
to afford 1t opportunity for qualification
Furthermore. the highest good Of his crea-
lures called for an exhibition to the full
of all the elements of the Divine charac-
ter-Divine Justice, Love, Power and Wis
dom. The scope of the exercise of Divine
power is the Universe but it is difficult for
our finite minds to comprehend the mean
ing of his word-Universe.
Astronomers tell us that by the aid oi
photo astronomy they can see nearly 125,
100000 suns-soar systems like our own
with supposedly more than a billion OF
worlds more or less like our earth. These
we may assume, are in process Of develop
ment, are in preparation for inhabitants
whom the great Creator will in due time
provide. From Scriptural standpoint, how
ever, the great work of Creation began
with our earth. What boundless thought
we have in the bare suggestion that the
billion worlds are to be peopled, and that
the lessons of righteousness and sin, OF
life and death eternal, now being taught
to humanity. will develop the teachers and
instructors In Righteousness for all those
worlds.
1t Is not necessary to assume that in all
of those worlds there will be similar ex-
periences to those which have come to our
earth-the reign of sin and death, a Re
deemer, redemption, a restitution, etc
In this connection Pastor Russell believes
we. should consider that there is a depth
of meaning to the Apostles words, 1--WE
are made a spectacle unto angels and
unto men"-the great spectacle of sin,
degradation and death, exhibiting justice
on the one hand, and the further spectacle
of redemption and restitution manifesting
love Divine on the other hand. We should
consider this notable object lesson in the
instruction in righteousness, not only OF
the angels and of men, now its witnesses,
but also a great lesson for the uncreated
millions of inhabitants of all the worlds
of the Universe; and indeed there may be
many times a billion worlds, for astron-
omers admit that there is no end of space,
so far as human powers can discern. and
no end of worlds filling that space How
who inhabiteth eternity. whose name is
Jehovah and who from eternity to eterni-
ty 'is the self-existent GodI'
The Permission of Evil.
From only one standpoint can Divine
Wisdom and Love be discerned in con-
nection with the history of mankind. 1t
must include the Age about to be ushered
in-the period of Messiah's reign of right
eousness; the time in which every mem
Der of Adams race, sharing the penalty
of sin and death because inheriting his
weaknesses, will be set free from these;
the time when the full knowledge of the
glory Of God shall be granted to every hu-
man being; and when a full opportunity
will come to each by obedience to gain life
everlasting
The lesson thus far taught Is the good
ness and the severity of God-his goodness
in bringing US into being, and his severi-
ty in the punishment of father Adams
willful transgression also, to both men
and angels, Justice. answering Justice.
The next lesson will be, that God is love.
The foundation for these lessons is al
ready laid in the Ransom sacrifice of Je-
sus, through and on account of which he
becomes the worlds Redeemer and Re
storer. A few can believe this message
by faith; but not many have-~the ear of
are able to appreciate this great fact at
the present time.
But. said Pastor Russell, that which is
now secret and understood only by the
few is shortly to be made manifest to ev-
cry creature In heaven and In earth. All
will then see and be able to appreciate
the great fact that the redemption accom-
plished by the sacrifice of Jesus Is world
wide and means a full deliverance from
the sin-and-death condemnation, which
passed upon Adam and all of his race, to
all who will accept the same as a gift
from God The remainder will he destroy
in the Second Death"
The Scroll With Seven Seals.
The Divine purpose originally known
only to Jehovah himself, was indeed de-
clared through the prophets and in the
Law, but those who declared 1t understood
not their own visions and prophecies. Not
until Jesus appeared and received the
amounting of the holy Spirit at his bap
tism did the Divine Plan begin to be un-
folded; and then 1t was unfolded to Jesus
through the holy Spirit which came upon
him, witnessing his conservation to death
and begetting him to a new life, beyond
the vail
This is shown symbolically in the pic
ture of Revelation. During the time pre-
Jesus the announcement was made ev-
erywhere. .'Who is worthy to take the
scroll and to unloose the seals thereof?'
none was found worthy Many were
found perfect, but something more was
required-the testing and demonstration
of loyalty to God, even unto death, even
! the death of the cross. Until Jesus came
into the world and vowed his conservation
to death, no one had been found worthy
even to understand the great Plan of the
Ages which Jehovah God had purposed In
himself before the foundation of the
world. AS soon as Jesus made his conse-
grafton and began his work. to him the
scroll Of the Divine Purpose was com
mitted and the announcement was made,
worthy is the Lamb that was slain to
receive honor and dominion and might and
power Revelation " 81. And to him
was given the scroll with full authority
to read, to understand and to fulfill its
glorious prophecies, which specially re-
lated to the blessing Of our race.
In the opening of this scroll, in the re-
vealment of the Divine purpose, Gods
and to men-the love which he had be-
fore he began his creative work, but
which there was no intelligent creature
to understand; the love which God had
even when he permitted sin and death to
mar the happiness of Eden-the love
which neither angels nor men could fully
see and appreciate during all the centuries
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