The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-07-15

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lRAsI9R RUsSELD) slams /, %.
Whatever our
creeds have said to the effect that
anyone declining the drawing and In
vitation of this Gospel Age would SUI
fer eternal torture, we are glad that
the Bible says nothing of this kind.
Gods Word holds out specially glo-
rious reward for those who now re-
nounce the world and become true.
faithful, footstep followers Of Jesus.
But nowhere do the Scriptures de-
clare the unreasonable proposition
that any declining this offer of joint
helrship with Jesus In His Kingdom
and Its terms in the narrow way must
on account of this rejection suffer
eternal torture. How unjust would
such proposition below ungodlikeI
How did we ever SO seriously blunder?
Tho Transforming Work.
Note the class the apostle mentions
as undergoing the transforming infu-
ences, preparing them for share In
the Kingdom glories. He declares In
the context that those to whom he
wrote were once alienated from God,
enemies in mind by wicked works, yet
now reconciled. All, as every Chris
tian knows. there Is wonderful,
Transforming influence In the Message
Of the love and grace of God. And
it is this that st. Paul here declares.
Jesus first of all through His death
as satisfaction Of Justice made pos
sible the acceptance of the alienated,
condemned ones. Next the Message Of
Divine Grace, the call to be sons of
God. reached the hearts of many and
captured them. The Message not only
works in their hearts to ,Dill. but works
powerfully also in their bodies to do,
to the extent of ability, the will Of
God. And it is these that the Apostle
| declares the Redeemer will present be-
fore the Father holy. unblameable.
| The transforming work now pro-
4 crosses in their minds, in their hearts,
and all the faithful will share in the
First or Chief Resurrection-"ch changed
In moment. in the twinkling OF an
| eye" to perfection on the spirit plane.
I'VE shall be like Him, for we shall
see Him as He Isl But the Apostle
reminds us in the succeeding verse
that all this glorious outcome is de-
pendent-it all hangs upon the word II
If we continue In the faith; If we
are grounded and settled. and IL we
be not moved away. from the hope
which we have received.
The Apostle reminds us that this is
not special. private Message, but the
very Identical one Message, the one
Gospel, the one faith once delivered
to the saints"-and proclaimed for
By this he did not mean to say that the
Gospel had been preached in heather
lands Indeed, although more than
eighteen centuries have passed, the
Gospel Is not yet preached to every
creature under heaven. What St Paul
did mean is that the Gospel. which
originally was confined to the Jew, was
from the days of Cornelius, the first
Gentle convert. open to all people of
every nationality under heaven-to all
who had the hearing ear and appreci-
alive heart. But alas. how compare
lively few are in such attitude of mind
as to be appreciatiye of Gods grace!
Only the few, "a little flock" have
been found. as God foreknew and as
Jesus foretold.
The Future Program Different.
But God is interested In our entire
race. He did not provide the redemp-
ton merely for the sanity ones whom
He specially loves and Is now drawing.
On the contrary. Jesus Christ, by the
grace of God, tasted death for every
man" (Hebrews Ii, 81 Hence it does
not surprise us that Gods Plan, which
begins with the calling of the sanity
few, by no means ends with them. In
deed their calling and election is with
view to the blessing eventually of
the non-elect, the unwilling, who now
have ears but hear not. and eyes but
see not.
These, the Bible tells US. are soon 10
be dealt with in a different manner.
Force is to be used. The power of
the Messianic Kingdom will bind Satan
for thousand years and will restrain
evil. Divine Power will also let loose
all the glorious agencies OF Truth
righteousness, light. until the whole
earth shall be filed with the know.
edge Of the glory of God as the wa
tiers cover the great deep; and until
none shall need to say to his neigh.
Dor. Know thou the Lord. because all
shall know Him. from the least of
them to the greatest I'm that day
the righteous shall flourish instead
of the wicked In that day evil doors
will suffer stripes-and, If they do not
repent. they will be cut off in the Sec
ond Death: whereas all the righteous