Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1912-12-28

moved, and when God through the
Messnnic Kingdom "will wipe away
all tears from of all faces" isaiah
XIV, 81 II proclalms, as Jesus did,
glorious prospect for all who desire to
come into harmony with God; and
! Just penalty, or stripes, upon all those
who sin wilfully against light and
knowledge and opportunity, 1t pro-
claims that New Day Is dawning, in
which the Lord will give "beauty for
ashes, and the oil Of Joy for the spirit
Of heaviness."
The True Gospel includes the Cos
pei of the Kingdom the Divine
arrangement now is for the selection Of
the Kingdom class from amongst men,
to be heirs Of God and jolnt-heirs with
Jesus Christ IN His Messlanic King.
dom. 1t proclalms the honorable work
Of the Church as the Kingdom Of God
by and by, to judge, rule and bless all
the families Of the earth It proclaims
also that the number who will attain
to this Kingdom glory is limited-a
Little Flock, to whom II will be the
Fathers good pleasure to give the
Kingdom. duke xii, 82) 1t exhorts
the making OF "our calling and elec-
ton sure to q share In that Kingdom.
10 Gospel Preaching LosioSl7
Let us notice the worlds viewpoint,
which causes the Gospel Message to
appear foolish to them. To the world
ly-wise It looked very foolish, Indeed,
for Jesus to go about Palestine with
twelve disciples, performing some mir
acles and inviting chiefly the poor to
become His followers, leaving business
and other pursuits. "Ah," says the
world, "how impractical was Jesus,
and how foolish was His message A
business man would have laid a good
foundation for his work by making
friends with the Scrlbes, the Pharlsees
and the Doctors OF the Law, and utillz-
ing their influence with their hold upon
the people"
But, we ask, how then would the
Scriptures have been ful6lled2 Who
would have crucihed Christ, or have
caused His death2 There would have
been no reconciliation possible for man
kind. Il is well for us that Jesus did
not follow the suggestions Of worldly
wisdom. Truly "the wisdom Of this
world ls foollshness with Cod" even ~
the Wisdom Of God is foolishness with
the children Of this world.
Il is because worldly wisdom got In
lts hold In the Dark Ages that the Cos
pei has been perverted 80 greatly
Great human institutions have arisen,
mighty and powerful, through mans
cunning. Priestcraft and statecraft
have made the professed Church OF
Christ one Of the greatest business In
stltutlons on earth Not more, but
less, of human wisdom is what we
need; and not less, but more, Of Divine
Wisdom and instruction from the Bible.
Why II Seems Foolish.
From the worlds standpoint 1t seems
foolish that God should invite any to
do right and to be His servants. 1t
seems weak for God Of all power to
entreat, where He could command and
enforce obedience. Earth's kings, hav-
ing the power, would enforce their
commands; In fact, everybody, as a
rule, executes his own will. How
strange, therefore, It appears to the
world, that It should be otherwise with
the Almighty
The Bible, however, gives the infor-
nation. God wishes to select n special
class OF special servants To test their
loyalty, there must be opportunity for
them to resist Him and to refuse obedi.
ence. God causes His Message or in
yltntlon to pass on to others also, that
thus He may find the peculiar people
who prefer to do good rather than evil
to such nm extent that they are willing
special work which lie designs the
Church to accomplish requires such
loyal, faithful souls as thcse-men and
women glad to sacrifice their lives in
the service of the Lord, His cause and
His brethren The class He seeks count
not their lives dear unto themselves"
God carries the proposition stlll
further, however, ana puts this special
cluss to peculiar and severe tests, that
the trial Of their faith and obedience.
being more precious than that Of gold.
may be found acceptable unto His
pleascment-eye eventually.
Prosecutions trlbuIatlons. attacks
from the world, the flesh and the Ad.
ycrsary, are permitted to come against
these to test their loyalty. None Of
these things are what the world would
expect and TO tell the world OF these
is to relate what seems to them fool.
ishness They cannot see why conse-
Grated people OF God should suffer re.
proofs for righteousness sake. for
Truths sake,
But all these matters are clear aud
plain TO those who are taught OF God
TO those who have learned that the
Church Is being selected from amongst
mankind Tor a very special work OF
God, This makes It appropriate that
their loyalty be tested TO the limit in
order that they may be counted worthy
Of the glory, honor and immortality"
which God has for those who love Him.
BY and BY It viii Bo Different
The Divine Plan outlined in the nj.
bile is different The procedure under
Mcssiuh's Kingdom and dealing with