The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-08-13

absolute clearness matters once foggy.
This, he claimed. does not signify
that our forefathers were less loyal to
God, nor less logical in the operation
of their minds. 1t does, however, agree
with the Scriptural declaration that
we are living in the time when the
wise of Gods people are to understand
the Message previously more or less
hidden, but now, in due time. to be
revealed. Revelation K, Z.
The logical thought which appeals
most strongly to every mind is that
good works must be the basis Of Divine
favor and bad works the basis of dis
favor This led up to the child-sum
mary of preaching, namely. BE good
and go to heaven; be bad and go to
-" Our Catholic friends, said the
Pastor. carry the matter of good works
to such an extent that they claim that
some have laid up such surplus of good
works aud Divine favor therefor that
they are able to appropriate some OF
these to others; hence the claim that
they may be appealed to in prayer and
may give of their merit to others as
bounty or donation.
The Scriptural proposition is plain:
it is that no man is perfect, that all
through the fall are impaired in mind
and body. SO that none can do perfect
works Their very best works would
be unacceptable to God-imperfect. In
stead of ignoring their imperfectons
God provided Redeemer, whose ODE
dience unto death He accepts as sac
rifice for the sins of Adam and his
race. Evidently all imperfections OF
word or act resulting from that disc
bedience and fall will be completely
forgiven. The race will be reconciled
to God. Divine blessings will come to
humanity and the earth, instead Of the
curse now resting upon them. The ef
feet will be to give all mankind the
fullest opportunity for rising up out of
sin and degradation, imperfection, sor-
row, death, alienation from God, ig-
norance, superstition. etc. back to the
full perfection that Father Adam pos
sessed at first
But in order to regain all those bless
ings lost each member of the race will
be required to appreciate the privileges
of life eternal and Divine favor and
will be obliged also to show his ap-
probation by striving against sin and
cooperating with the Savior In the up
lifting arrangements which will pre-
vail for a thousand years, during the
Messianic Kingdom.
Present Age Salvation by Faith.
1t Is in the present Age only that
salvation is to be by faith and not by
works. True, the world in the next
Age will not be faithless while making
their progress in good works and being
Judged according to their works They
will be full of faith, but there will be
abundant basis for faith. knowledge
will make their pathway clear as day.
Demonstration will prove to them such
things as Gods people in the present
time must accept by faith-"For we
walk by faith and not by sight"
This Gospel Age. from the time OF
Jesus first advent until the second
advent, Is the Age of Faith in CON
trast with the unsuccessful Age of
Works preceding and the to-be success
full Age of works to follow. The Pas
tor showed that during the Law Age,
from Moses to Jesus. the requirement
was works. He that doeth these
things shall live by them" (Leviticus
xviii, 8; Romans K. 81 Israels failure
was because of inability to do things
perfectly-the things contained in the
Law given to them at Mt Sinai.
The New Law Covenant, which will
be inaugurated by Messiah's Kingdom
will be on exactly the same lines as the
old one, namely. works: He that do
eth these things shall live by them. !"
The difference will be that Christ Him.
self will be the Mediator of the New
Law Covenant. both able and willing
to render all necessary assistance to all
who will come back into harmony with
the Father by Him. On the other hand,
Moses, the mediator of the old Law
Covenant, while ever willing to help
his people, was not able to do so, be-
cause his mediation was based upon
only typical sacrifices of bulls and
goats and not upon the real sacrifice
Of Christ, which alone is able to make
full satisfaction for sin.
I'VE Walk by Faith and Not by Sight"
The Apostle was here discussing the
terms and conditions by which God is
willing to accept the Church class Of
this Gospel Age. These, in the Scrip
lures, are called the Elect or select
ones of the race. God is calling and
drawing these out Of the world for a
special purpose and under special con-
dit1ons, one of which is that only such
as have great faith can belong to the
select class.
There are some so born, under the
fallen conditions, that they have great
difficulty in experiencing faith, even a
little. and only after thorough train
ing could they exercise great faith, by
experiencing that transformation Of
the mind of which st. Paul tells US.
(Romans xii, ~ These are not
to be blamed for having been born
under less favorable conditions than
some others. And so God has made pro-
vision for all such to come to knowl-
edge of the Truth and not merely to a
faith In 1t, that they may be saved.
There are others more favorably
born, so far as their mental makeup
is concerned, who have been unfa-
vorably born as respects environment
and place. Born In heather lands,
where they heard nothing Of the Mes
sage of Gods grace, or where they
heard 1t under such unfavorable cir
cumstances that they could not appre-.
ciate it, these must indeed lose the spe-
ciaI favors Of this Age, which go only
to those who do exercise faith; but
they are not forgotten nor left out OF
the Divine Plan, but will share In the
general blessings coming to the world
through the Redeemer's Kingdom.
"Work Out Your Salvation"
The favored. class who hear the Mes
sage Of Divine favor, speaking peace
through the sacrifice Of Christ, assur-
ing them of the Heavenly Fathers
willingness to forgive their sins and
receive them as members of the Body
Of Christ, are obliged to receive this
Message by faith. What Is there to
prove that Jesus died and rose againf
This must be received by faith. What
is there to prove that the sacrifice
which Jesus made met with Divine APP
prevail and that as a consequence all
that come unto the Father through
Him as their Advocate will be accepted?