The Pleasantville press., 1912-12-25
THE PLEAsANTvIIE PRESS WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25 1912

ness Will De COMING nearer 10 uumdu
perfection. Thus will be fulfilled,
through Christ, the gracious promise
that God shall wipe away an tears
from all faces" and there shall be no
more curse, neither sorrow. nor sigh
ing. nor crying: for the former things
shall have passed away"
Many Stripes and Few Stripes.
The Bible clearly indicates that the
Adamic condemnation against our race
will be fully offset by the merit OF
Christ's sacrifice. But on the other
hand. it tells US that every transgres-
sion which is not purely of inherited
weakness is charged to the account OF
the transgressor and must be met by
him. Jesus emphasizes this lesson,
saying. He that knew his Masters
will and did it not. shall be beaten
with many stripes: but he that knew
it not and yet did things worthy Of
stripes. shall be beaten with few
stripes" Some of these stripes, or
punishments. may indeed come to the
transgressor in the present life; and
if so. he does well to profit by them-
But whether in the present life or in
the future life. every wilful transgres-
sion will receive "a just recompense of
reward" The difficulty with our theo-
ries of the Dark Ages on this subject
has not been that they taught a pun
ishment for sin: but that they taught
an unjust penalty. dishonoring to the
Creator and stultifying to the believer.
The Records of WilfuI Sin.
1t is mistake to say that increasing
sins would increase the pangs OF con-
science and that thus each would be
punished. We know to the contrary
that many. as they become stepped in
sin, lose all sensibility. st. Paul cor
roborates this thought. saying Of some
that their c0nsciences become scared"
-callOused.
God provided that each individual
shall keep a record in himself of bis
own moral obliquities. Each violation
of conscience weakens the character.
Character weakened. degraded. can be
reconstructed only with proportionate-
" great difficulty. Thus some. during
the period of Messiah's Kingdom. will
be struggling against weaknesses
which they brought upon themselves,
aside from those of Adamic heredity.
The assistance from the Royal Priest
hood will be proportionate to the
Adamic weakness. contrary to the hu-
man will. Outside temptations will
be gone Full knowledge will be there;
but character will be the thing of para
mount Importance as determining who
will attain everlasting life.
Our Redeemer gave suggestion
along this line when He said to the
Pharisees, How can ye escape the
condemnation of Gehenna?" Matthew
xiii 49,, The Valley of Hinnom (Ge-
henna, outside Jerusalem. where the
offal was finally destroyed. symbolical-
ly represented. the Second Death. as
explained in Revelation Xxx. IA. Jesus
did not condemn the Pharisees to the
Second Death His mission to the
world was not to condemn men; for
they were condemned already-under
the Adamic condemnation. The Son
of Man came mot to condemn the
world; but that the world through
Him might be saved" John iii. I'D
At the time He spoke these words re-
specting the Pharisees. He was laying
down His life on behalf of all the chill
dren Of Adam. They could not forfeit
their share in His resurrection work
hot had MI fod
and they had enjoyed their share Of
the Redeemers favor
The import of the Redeemer's words,
therefore, was that He perceived in
them so much of dishonesty and hard
ness Of heart that He prophesied that
they would have a hard time to reform
character. even under the favora BILE
conditions of the Millennium. They
had seen the Master, heard His teach
ings. witnessed His miracles. and must
have been reasonably convinced that
it was holy power which operated In
Him. When. therefore. in bitterness of
spirit they declared that His miracles
tan, they were well-nigh without excuse.
1t could hardly be supposed that such
perversity of spirit was the result
either of ignorance or of Adamic weak
ness. Evidently there was great will
fulness associated with it, Hence the
Master declared that persons who
could thus attribute to Satan things
which they recognized as good. pnre
and holy, must have greatly perverted
their consciences They will be oblig-
ed to suffer stripes accordingly. and
will have proportionately great difficult
ty In bringing themselves into harmo-
ny with the requirements of the Mes
sianic Kingdom
"Preach the Word"
All Of Gods people are preachers
The begetting Influence Of the Holy
Spirit is the only ordination necessary.
and without it no one has Divine au-
thority to preach. Preaching. in its
broad sense, means to declare. to make
knoion. Gods Book makes no division
Of His people into clergy and laity.
'.He that hath NY Word. let him speak
NV Word faithfullv' saith the Lord