Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-02-24


derstanding Of God! Only those who
are adherents to the declarations Of
the Bible that God Is Love- that His
mercy endureth ever, that He is like
plying father, that He Is the God
Of All Grace, the Father OF Mercles,
the length, breadth, height and depth
Of whose Ioying-klndness we cannot
measure only such have the asBur-
aneas which enable them to Offset the
horrible theories Of our creeds fOrmu-
lated in a darker past and which told
us more horrible things respecting our
God and His treatment Of mankind
than our poor heather brethren ever
imagined.
The Key Of the Divine Word.
But NOW the better day is dawniugl
We are seeing the glorious outlines Of
the Divine character in the Divine
Plan as never before Our hearts first
led the way and rebelled against the
dictum Of our fallaclous reasoning.
And now, in Gods due time, when
nature is yielding up her secrets and
chemistry Is making the world anew,
behold, the key TO the Divine Word is
thrust into our hands, unlocking It's
mysteries and explaining It's parabOllc
symbols 10 our astonlshed falthl But
alas! meantime many Of the brightest
minds Of the world have rejected the
Bible, many Of them even denying the
personality OF the Creator; and 80 far
have these gone In the substitution Of
human wisdom for Divine Revelation
that II seems impossible for them to
return to the paths Of faith.
Now, however, Is the time for all OF
those who have hungerlng and
thlrstlng after God and His righteous
ness TO begin afresh the study Of His
Word IN the light Of the morning OF
this New Dspensatlon. Not only Is
this necessary for our own comfort
and establishment, but It is necessary
also IN the interests Of others before
whom we stand as bulwarks OF the
Truth, having on the whole Armor Of
God, the Helmet Of Salvation the
Shield OF Faith, the Breastplate Of
Righteousness, the Sword OF the splr.
necessary for self-protectlon and
for the aid Of all who "are feeling
after God II htply they might find
Hlm."-Acts xvii a.
Knowing Our God.
Our Redeemer declared, '"Thls Is life
eternal, that they might know Thee,
the only true and living God, and Je-
aus Christ, whom Thou hast sent"
Evidently the great Teacher had IN
mind the thought Of our text-not
merely knowledge about God, but an
acqualntanceshlp icih Him, such as
can come only through fellowship
Of spirit and an understanding Of the
Divine Program. None, however, are
permitted to come TO such intimate
knowledge except as they shall mani.
fest heartloyalty. Each step Of prog
ress In our loyalty to God brings that
attitude Of mind which is pleasing to
Him and which, when thoroughly
demonstrated, VIII be rewarded with
everlasting life. Thus knowledge n
intimately bound up with our eternal
prospects.
Barth's teemlng millions know not
God. Even those portions called Chris
iian worship the true God with but
slight appreciation Of His true charac-
ter None OF these, therefore, are In
tho condition to claim everlasting life
according TO the teaching Of the Mas
tor. They are the non.elect, In contrast
with the faithful few, who are Scrip.
turally styled Goods Elect" "the Very
Elect" and who are urged TO make
their calling and election sure by per-
seyerlng loyalty even unto death.
In our blindness Of the past, assum.
Ing that all the non-elect would be con
signed to an eternity Of torture, we
have published IN our missionary re.
ports that ninety thousand every day
10 down into death, into Chrlstless
graves and, by Inference, into eternal
torture. Alas, how misunderstood and
how unintentlonally mlsrepresented
has been our gracious Father the God
OF All Grace, the Father Of Mercies
Now we read His character In falror
lines as we perceive that the fulfil
ment OF His great and wonderful
plan for tho salvation OF the world Is
merely beginning that the election Of
the Church TO be the Bride Of Christ
and joint.helr with Him Ia His glorl.
GUS Kingdom merely marks the time
for the setting up Of that Heavenly
Kingdom, tho rule Of which Il 10 bring
such blessing ana opportunities TO man,
Kind the nOn-elect Now we perceive
that FOR thousand years the Elect, ON
the heavenly plane Invisible TO men,
"llke unto the angels" will live and
reign with Christ Qeyeatlon Xxx, A for
the blessing OF the non'elect- for their
uplifting from conditions Of sin and i'm
perfection back 10 the glorious heights
Of the Image Of God In the flesh, lost
by Adams dlsohedlcnco aud redeemed
| by our Savior on Calvary, and TO be re-
stored TO Adam and an his children
found willing 10 receive Il on Divine
terms
In view OF these thlngs, how reason.
able that We nnd the Apostles and
Prophets exultlngly polntlng forward