The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-05-02
From Scriptures,

llASl9& RQSsElll Ages, we would
fFT7f7- have asked, We're
alI 81 the 1900 who persisted sdiafsf
And assured that very few of them
would have claimed to lie saints, We
would have concluded that all the re
mainler plunged down to Catholic
lPurgatory of terror. or worse, to a
Protestant hell OF eternal torture.
Even the tales of their great gni.
lantry aud heroism would not have
altered the decision which would have
hung on the question. Did they con-
fess Jesus in word and deed: We
would have asked. We're they church
membersf This is the same argument
used respecting the 10000 heatilen
who die every day in tue year, going
down Into Cllrlstless grdres," the "Lon.
don Missionary Society" truly says,
but means md IS understood to mean
into christless eternal torture!
Now. how different! New I'VE see
that 4 falthfgBelect Churchls being
selected dntins this Age: that IN the
next Age they with Jesus may assist,
bless, uplift all the non.elect to an
earthly salvation TO human perfection,
in tile new Paradise artl-which
Messlahs Kingdom VIII usher Ia.
Thus. only the tilfallV Hicked will
ever he annihilated,
But our old errors die hard; because
We have twisted the Bible to ut them.
For instance, let us consider st. Pet
er's words:-"Chtist also hath once
suffered for sins, the Just for the un-
just, that He might bring us to God,
being put to death In the flesh, but
quickened in the spirit. by which two
experlenees-death and resurrection
He preached unto the spirits in prison"
q Peter III. IS. 19.
This text has been made the basis
for some very peculiar presentations.
The difficulty in every. case seems to
be the failure to remember that the
Bible always and everywhere teaches
that the dead are really dead, that
they willrknow nothing until the resur!
rectlon. Therefore. 1t would be i'm.
possible to preach to the tlead humans.
Spirits Once Disobsdisnt
ST. Peter tells US the time of the dis.
obedience OF these spirits-"in the days
of Noah, while the ark was preparing"
Turning to Genesis vi, Is, we find
there the cause OF the disobedlence OF
these nngels who for time had been
permitted to see what they could do,
for the uplift OF humanity. or. 7ather.
permitted to demonstrate that the
downward tendency OF sin Is Incur
able except in the manner which God
mas already arranged for through Mes.
siah and His reign OF 900 years.
The particular sin of those angels
was TINT when they were granted
the privilege OF materlallzing-of tax.
ing human bOdies-for the sake OF help.
Ing and instructInG mankind-they mis-.
used this power and took to themselves
wives.
The offspring OF this improper union
were giants" both physically and
mentally superior to the fallen human
family-"men OF renown." The race
thus in several centuries became 80
corrupt that apparently only Noah and
his family were left uncontanhnnted.
1t was then and there thatGod I'm.
nr4soned these spirits cangels, who
kept, not their fitst estate. and arc
therefore called fallen angels. devils.
demons. They were not Imprisoned In
some far-otf world called hell, nor are
they engaged there in stocking fires.
The record Is that God cast them
down, that they might not longer ass0.
clate with the holy angels. but must be
reserved In tartarIs-our enrth's atmos-
pherc.%Jude G; II Peter Il. 4. %.
When imprisoned or cutoff from the
privilege Of naturalization, many of
the fallen spirits continued their active
opposition to God. like Satan, and are
spoken of as his angels.
How Jesus Preached In poath.
Here arises another question: II
Jesus really died, as the Scriptures de.
clare; II "He poured out His soul unto
death" and mad. His soul an Offering for
sin" nnd HIS soul was not raised from
the dead until the third day after His