Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-06-28

tIttuS HuNt Sdlu " lue tlleGI tuhl
anyone declining the drawing and in
vitation of this Gospel Age would suf-
fer eternal torture, we are glad that
the Bible says nothing of this kind
Gods Word holds out a specially glo
rious reward for those who now re-
nounce the world and become true,
faithful, footstep followers of Jesus
But nowhere do the Scriptures de-
clare the unreasonable proposition
that any declining this offer of joint
helrshlp with Jesus In His Kingdom
and its terms In the narrow way must
on account of this rejection suffer
eternal torture. How unjust would
such q proposition be-how ungodlike!
How did we ever so seriously blunder?
The Transforming Work.
Note the class the Apostle mentions
MS undergoing the transforming infu
ences, preparing them for a share in
the Kingdom glOries. He declares in
the context that those to whom he
wrote were once alienated from God,
enemies in mind by wicked works, yet
hCh lNNOINllCNs ALL ds tNClt Slil
tian knows, there is a wonderful,
transforming influence in the Message
of the love and grace of God. And
it is this that st. Paul here declares.
Jesus first of all through His death
as satisfaction of Justice made pos
sible the acceptance of the alienated,
condemned ones. Next the Message of
Divine Grace, the call to be sons of
God, reached the hearts of many and
captured them. The Message not only
works IN their hearts to tcill, but works
powerfully also In their bodies to do,
God And it is these that the Apostle
declares the Redeemer will present be-
fore the Father holy, upblameable.
The transforming work now pro
crosses in their minds, in their hearts,
and all the faithful will share in the
First or Chief Resurrection-"cha
in moment, in the tWinkling of an
eye" to perfection on the spirit plane.
I'VE shall be like Him, for we shall
see Him as He is" But the Apostle
reminds us in the succeeding verse
that all this glorious outcome is de-
pcndent-it all hangs upon the word il
if we continue in the faith; if we
are grounded and settled, and If we
be not moved away from the hope
which we have received.
The Apostle reminds us that this is
not special, private Message, but the
very identical one Message, the one
Gospel, the one faith once delivered
to the saints"-and proclaimed for
every creature which is under heaven
BY this he did not mean to say that the
Gospel had been preached in heather
lands. Indeed, although more than
eighteen centuries have passed, the
Gospel is not yet preached to every
creature under heaven. What st. Paul
did mean is that the Gospel. whit 1
originally was confined to the Jew, was
from the days of Cornelius, the first
Gentle convert, open to all people OF
every nationality under heaven-to al
who had the hearing ear and appreci-
alive heart. But, alas, how compare
lively few are in such attitude Of mind
as to be appreciative of Gods grace!
Only the few, "a little flock" have
been found, MS God foreknew and as
Jesus foretold.
The Future Program Different.
But God : interested ia our entire
race, He did not provide the redemp-
ton merely for the sanity ones whom
TIa SDeriolIv loves and Is now dro1r-ino
On the contrary, Jesus Christ, by the
grace of God. tasted death for every
man" Nebrews il, o. Hence it does
not surprise US that Gods Plan, which
hnrins with the callinn of tho saintIr