The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1912-02-14

message for us? The arrangement is
that the Pastor shall spend full week
in this District and be at Madras next
Sunday. In his address the Pastor said !:
have chosen as my text on this oc-
+ casion the Message Of the angels at
the birth of our Redeemer-"Fear not!
Behold, we bring you good tidings Of
great Joy, which shall be unto all peo-
pie" duke ii, 1O) I feel that l am
not entirely stranger to many Of
you, nor you to me. For consider
able time l have seen regular reports
sent in from this District to the Inter
national Bible Students Assn, of which
I have the honor Of being President.
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 repre-
scented by the Committee before you.
The Father Of Mercies.
Two days ago, on the Island of Cey-
Ion, my attention was drawn to the
tomb Of the good Bishop Heber In
media tely to my mind came his words:
What though the spicy breezes
Blow soft DER Ceylon's Isle,
And every prospect pleases,
And only man Is vile!
From childhood had sung those
words. and finally found myself on
SCeylon's ISLE But l am not so sure
but that the dear Bishop exaggerated
little the vileness of the human
types of this vicinity. Poverty, in
deed, l see on every hand, and, if
vieness be measured by our great
Creator by lack Of wealth, then GER
tainly you are vile in comparison to
some more wealthy. But can we real
~ believe that this is the Divine
standard? Shall we not rather be-
lieve the words Of Jehovah. Man
iooketh upon the outward appearance
but God looketh upon the heart?
| am not here to flatter you-to say
that poverty is proof OF purity of
heart. On the contrary, it is my duty
as a minister Of Christ to declare that
there is none righteous, no. not one.
But may say to you that, admitting
that all men have sinned-some in
ways more peculiar to one nationali'
ty and some to another-it is ours to
point out the need Of an Atonement
for sin and the fact that 1.-THE blood"
sacrifice "of Jesus Christ our Lord
cleanseth us from all sin"-"Neither is
there salvation in any other"
Now Look at Our Text.
Note its terms of blessing intended
of God for every creature. Two
thousand years before the angels at
tered those words God gave the same
Message of hope and joy to Father
Abraham. Let those of this audience
who are Mohammedans, as well as
others, call to mind the promise to
which | refer. 1t was the promise
with the oath. God, foreknowing
that the fulflment of the promise
would be long delayed. made oath to
it. so that all who trust in Him might
have the consolation Of that promise.
And what is the promise? God said
~ Abraham, I'm 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 Di
vine Grace be shed abroad amongst
men. However, according to the Scrip
lures. the Messiah, the Deliverer, is
Tn nf
members. Each one of these members
must be tested and proven in respect
to bis loyalty to God and to the princi
pies of righteousness before he can at
tain to his glorious reward Of the d.
vine nature.
But mark you well-the selection of
this special class does not involve the
'non-elect" in eternal torment nor in
any eternal disaster On the contrary.
the gathering of the elect should be
regarded as an assurance on Gods part
of the fulfilment of His larger prom
Use, that through these sanity ones.
great blessings are to be showered
upon Abraham's natural seed, yea. and
upon all the families of the earth.
The blessing Of the world will be
Restitution. (Acts iii. 1921 If. as the
Evolutionists tell us. the Bible theory
that man was created in Gods image
Is wrong and he is really the offspring
of an ape. then Restitution would be
the worst thing that could possibly
come to mankind. But the Bible IS
quite right; namely. that man was ere.
ated perfect and upright-in the image
and likeness Of God, and that restifu-
tion will be the worlds blessing.