The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-03-09
Hope for the Antediluvians.

Hope for the Antediluvians.
There is the same hope for the ante
diluvians as for all the remainder of
the human family-tle hope of the res
direction of the dead. This means not
merely a hope Of being awakened from
the sleep of death, but a resurrection
hope. a hope of restitution, a hope of
return, if they will, to the full measure
of human perfection, the image of God
in the flesh. This hope as we have
seen on previous occasions, rests first
Of all on Gods gracious promise that
all the families of the earth shall be
blessed in Abraham's seed. Secondly,
it rests in the Bible assurance that
Jesus is the head, and the church the
members of that spiritual seed of
Abraham, which soon, as the elect of
God, will be completed INC glorified.
In the Messianic kingdom this great
seed" will accomplish the blessings
foreordained. ST. Paul emphasized
this, saying, ''If We be Christ's, then
are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs &C
cording to the promise" made to Abra-
ham, in thy seed shall all the nations
of the earth be blessed" Genesis %:
IS; Galatians 3:29-16).
The Fallen Angels Punished.
On next Lords day we will inquire
of Gods wonderful book, the Bible,
Just what penalty divine justice has
imposed upon satan and his associated
angelic rebels. l viii reach all who
desire through the hundreds OF w
papers which publish my sermons
weekly. If you are not in touch with
any OF these, drop me a postcard to
Washington temple Or Brooklyn tab
ernacle. | remind you now, however,
that the Bible assures us thai Noah
and his family We're of pure Adamic
stock, in the words, Noah was a Just
man and perfect in his generations
Divine Patience Manifested.
AS We review the situation, we are
amazed at the exhibition given us Of
divine patience. We are reminded Of
st. Peters words that God is not will
ing that any should perish. How easily
He could have blotted out of existence
our first parents and have created an
'Nt'N' f'''i li'" hSIi L u ilhS t
hindered satan from presenting the
temptation! How easily He could
have warned the angels against a
course of disobedience, and, if neces-
sary. have shown them His power at
any time!
These incidents Illustrate to us a
general principle of divine character
and dealings. God wishes not to have
the V and the earth populated
with evil beings. Creating angels and
men in His oWn image and likeness,
on different planes, He desires them
to maintain their own station, and in
loving loyalty to learn to trust His
wisdom, justice, love and power.
Moreover, He does not wish to have
any children or servants in all His
domain obedient merely because of
fear, merely because of ignorance.
Jesus words give us the key to the
heavenly Fathers character in this
respect. He says, the Father seeketh
such to worship Him as worship Him
in spirit n in truth. (John 4:23).
God had indeed a glorious dominion.
before sin entered the world. And He
could, of course. have hindered any
spread of the disloyal ambition of
satan by destroying him. or He could
have coerced him into obedience as a
slave. But such he desires not. God
most evidently has the very highest
ideals in respect to His government
II all of His subjects. All His work
is perfect, and He will not allow it to
get away from the perfection in which
He created His intelligent creatures.
Every variation from the perfection,
therefore. must be the result of dis
obedience; and the unalterable law is
hat the disobedient shall perish.
Mans Experience a Lesson.
We may say, then, that God not only
forekneW hat the conditions under
which nan was created would result
in temptation, in sin; but without
causing the temptation, and without
giving any excuse for the ~disloyalty.
He determined to permit it. Some sup
pose that the permission is to be ever
lasting, but the scriptures assures us
to the contrary. The reign of sin and
death He purposed to pero-it for six
thousand years. Then by ringing in
the Messianic kingdom He purpose to
abolish sin and death, lifting to human
perfection the willing and obedient and