Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1912-02-15

message for ua? the arrangement is that
the pastor shall spend fun week in this
district and be at Madras next Sunday
OF course, he will be speaking every day
and although this Will be done through
an interpreter. the natives are keenly
alert to hear what they call Gods Love
Message. Addressing large crowd UNI
der rather unfayorable circumstances,
the pastor SAID:
l have chosen as my text on this occa-.
sion the message OF the angels at the
birth of our Redeemer Fear not! Be
hold. We bring you good tidlngs of great
JOY which shall he unto all people"
Q4uke ii,1O) feel that / am not entirely
stranger to many of you. nor you to
me. For considerable time / have seen
regular reports sent in from this district
to the International Bible Studeats ASSOC
cation. of which | have the honor of be-
Ing president. These reports Informed us
OF your growing love for God and for the
message of His grace set before us in
the bible. Everything of interest that
transpires amongst you here is promptly
reported to us-the numbers who attend
the meetings. the numbers of adults i'm
mersed and the numbers of children con-
secrated by their parents.
These reports in turn are published to
the bible students all over the world.
We want you to know of the Christian
love of these children of God OF various
nationalities who are represented by the
committee now before you.
Father of Mercies.
Two days ago. on the Island of Ceylon,
my attention was drawn to the tomb OF
the good Bishop Heber. Immediately to
my mind came the words:
What though tho spicy breeZes
Slow soft DER Ceylon. Isle.
And every prospect pleases.
And only man is yile,"
From childhood had sung those words,
and finally found myself on Ceylon's isle.
But am not sure but that the dear
bishop exaggerated a little the vileness of
the human types of this vicinity. Poverty,
indeed, i see on every hand, and II vile
ness be measured by our great Creator
by lack of wealth. then certainly you are
Vile In comparison to some more wealthy.
But can we really believe that this is the
Divine standard? Shall we not rather be-
lleve the words of jehovah Man looketh
upon the outward appearance, but God
loolleth upon the heart 2"--l Sam xvi Z.
l am not here to iatter you--to say that
poverty is a proof of purity OF heart. On
the contrary. 1T is my duty minister
of Christ to declare that there is none
righteous. no, not one. But | may say to
you that. admitting that all men have
signed-some in ways more peculiar to
one nationality and some to another-it is
ment for sins and the fact that the
blood" the sacrifice, of Jesus Christ our
Lord. cleanscth us from all sill" Neither
is there salvation IN any other.
L believe therefore. that | cannot do bet
ter than to relate to you the "Old. Old
Story" of the love of God manifested in
Christ, the Redeemer. My text tells that
old story in precious words of life which
had well-ngh been lost during the darker
ages and since: for many of you may be
surprised to know that the vast majority
of people in Christian lands have very
slight conception OF the love of God. In
deed. L am sorry that it is true, but the
faith of many Christians. as expressed in
their creeds, is more terrible, more Coo
dishonoring than are the beliefs OF any
heathed in thu world. to the best of my
knowledge. 1 am glad to tell you, how
ever, that really very few people in Chris
tian lands now believe their own creeds.
Note its terms of a blessing intended of
God for every creature. Two thousand
years before the angels uttered those
words God gave the same Message of hope
and joy To Father Abraham. Let those
of this audience who are Mohanmedans,
as well as others, call to mind the prom
Use To which 1 refer II was the promise
with the oath. God foreknowing that the
flllil,nent of the promise would be long
delayed made oath to it, so that all who
trust In iilm might have the consolation
of that promise. And what is the prom
Use. God said to Abraham, I'm thee aud
IN thy seed shall! all the families of the
earth be blessed.
The Divine Purpose looked down to
Messiah and saw in Him the real Seed of
Abraham through whom eventually Divine
Power Will be exercised and Diving Grace
be shed abroad amongst men. However.
according TO the Scriptures, the Messiah,
the Deiverer. is composite-composed OF
numerous members. Each one of these
members must be tested and proven In re-
spect to his loyalty to God and to the
principles of righteousness before he can
attain TO his glorious reward of the d.
vine nature. God has foreordained how
many shah constitute this Messiah com
pany and what shall be their character
qualifications.
They must be so loyal to God and to
the principles of His righteousness that
they Will gladly sacrifice every earthly
interest, yea, life itself. for this 1t will
be readily seen that there are not very
many of such devotion as this in the
whole world.
But mark you well-the selection OF this
special class does not involve the mon
elect" in eternal torment nor In any eter-
nal disaster On the contrary, the gath
eriny of the elect" should be regarded
as an assurance on Gods part of the full
filment of His larger promise. that through
these sanity ones, the Nlessianic Body
great blessings are to be showered upon
Abraham's natural seeo. yea. and upon
all the families of the earth.
The blessing of the world will be Resti-
tuition (Acts Iii. 1920 IT, as the Evolu-
tionists tell u.s. the bible theory that mar
was created in Gods image is wrong ano
he is really the offspring of an ape. the1
Restitution would be the worst thing tina,
could possibly come to mankind.
Ona-third Of yInp,and,s telegranl, m.