The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1912-01-30

n s b ity. For ef1cien-
CT they divided,
ARASIDR RijSSElill some giving more
S = = : = attention to one
and others to another phase Of mis-
sionary interest. They seemed well
pleased with the treatment accorded
them. Pastor Russelrs address to the
Chinese in their fine City Hall Auditori-
um was both helpful and encouraging.
He declared that he came as a follow
er Of Jesus and friend to all human
ity. He directed special attention to
the words of st. Paul, applicable to
humanity In general and at the pres
emit time specially to the Chinese:
1.-THE whole creation groaneth and
travaileth in pain together until now
waiting for the manifestation Of the
sons of God" Romans viii, 22) Chi
mas war experiences in recent years
have been severe trials, particularly to
a people Of their temperament-peace-
preferring, gentle, courteous to each
other and to foreigners
Pastor Russell feared for them ter
rible experiences with anarchy; but
they viii have 1t merely In advance Of
other peoples-to all OF whom it Is
coming as result Of discomfort, In
spired by greatly increased knowledge,
combined with selfishness. The hope
for all is In Messiah's Kingdom, now
near at hand. Those who most quick
~ learn faith in God and justice and
mercy toward others will soonest
share the coming blessings. Some Of
us already share those coming bless
ings by the exercise Of faith in the
glorious promises of the Bible. The
Pastor had been told that their courte-
sy Of manner arose, not from love and
sympathy, but from law and custom
centuries old. He could not judge the
heart, but had sincerely wished that
some Of the favored race Of so-called
| Christendom possessed in a larger de-
gree some Of the admirable traits Of
the Chinese, their respectful demeanor,
quiet courtesy, their civility and en-
ergy.
It shall not be my mission, he said.
| to urge you to become identified with
any sects or parties of Christendom,
nor to recommend to you any OF their
creeds. Nevertheless. In all Of those
creeds there is more or less Of the most
wonderful truth which ever came to
the ears of humanity. but, alas! In a
darker period it became so mixed with
human tradition as to be today dishon-
oring to God, offensive to the intelli-
gence of many, and thus an offense to
those who still accept those creeds.
can readily see reasons why you have
not been more Influenced by Chris
tianity. You felt that you had as
good or better than has been offered
you. Very properly your heads and
hearts refused adherence and worship
to One whom you were told had fore
ordained whatever comes to pass, had
foreordained the eternal torment OF
your ancestors and of all mankind ex-
cept mere favored few. 1t is to your
credit that you were not attracted by
such a message, nor driven by such q
fear.
i The God Of All Grace.
I may never again have the opportu-
nifty of addressing you; let me there
fore tell you now Of another Chris
tianity, Of which probably you have
never before heard, from the same BIZ
BILE used by the missionaries here and
confessed by US all to be Gods Mes
sage, but at present very different
Message from that which my brethren
/ confess. / call them. brethren" be
cause assume that they are sincere in
their presentations. / once held SINH
lar views. I once preached also the
damnation and eternal torture Of al
who do not accept Jesus in the present
life and become His footstep followers
should be sympathetic toward them
and am. Nevertheless, this must not
hinder me from using this opportunity
to make known to you the clearer light
that now shines upon Gods Word
1 find that the darkness of error which
beclouded my eyes Of understanding
came from the creeds and that the Bi-
BILE most beautifully and most simply
presents God Of all Grace, a Father
Of Mercies, from whom cometh every
good and every perfect gift, and with
whom there Is no Yariableness, neither
shadow Of turning James !. I'D
know from my examination Of our re-
ligious books that the Bible alone pre-
sents this God Of kindness, compassion
and sympathy. All other gods are full
Of pride, anger, hatred. malice, and all
need appeasement to avert their fury.
The God Of the Bible, the true God
Of Christianity, Is ALLOWING, All-Kind
Ever Merciful. and tells US so. 1t is q
great fallacy which declares that He
has damned humanity to a hell Of tor.
ture at the hands Of fire-proof demons
On the contrary, the Bible declares that
the wage or penalty OF sin Is death, and
that this is the explanation of the gen.
eral prevalence Of human weakness
and frailty, mental, moral and physical
death. In our text st. Paul tells uf
that the whole creation-all mankind
are groaning and Travelling In pain now
because Of sin and its death penalty
This has been in progress for six thou
sand years. 1t comes not through Di
vine persecution of His creatures, but
by natural laws of heredity passing on
the weakness, mental, moral and phys
tcal, from parent to child, from genera
ton to generation, by law Of nature
God has simply permitted this Law tC
take its course in disobedient man.
Dees God Pity usf
You may perhaps ask me If the God
who is loving, generous and kind does
not pity humanity in its present dying
condition, even though we have come
into this state through the violation OF
Divine law. Could not God Of Love
do something for our aid?
That, my dear friends, is exactly
what wish to point out. The Bible
declares that the Divine Law broken
its sentence must stand unless in some
manner justly satisfied. II a perfect
man could be found, willing to sacri
ice his life in reparation for father
Adams disobedience and forfeited life
then God could be just and accept tht
sacrifice and allow Adam and the re
mainder OF his race to go free from
the death sentence. But no such per
feet man could be found. There Il
none righteous, no, not one. All were
born in sin; none therefore could give
| to God a ransom for his brother, as the
Scriptures declare. psalm Xix, T..
What then? God hguratively repre-
sents His sympathy. saying that HI
looked down to see our condition ant
BE hearkened to the groans Of the
prisoners Of sin and death. He behelG
that there was none that could pity
or succor because all were under sen
tence Then His own eye pitied and