The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1913-08-09

to the ground; for dust thou art, ana
unto dust shalt thou return."-Genesis
SIT, 10. #. @
The whole world knew that 1t was
dying; and not even a suggestion Of
reversal of the curse was made up to
the time Of Abraham. Then, for the
first time, God declared it His purpose
to bless all the families of the earth,
which implied the rolling away Of the
curse. This blessing, the rolling away
of the curse, was to come through
Abraham's Seed. 'In thee and in thy
Seed shall all the families of the earth
be blessed" st. Paul declares that
this Seed is The Christ-Jesus the
Head, and the Church His Body.-Ga-
latians 3:16. %.
But the Apostle explains that even
this statement to Abraham was more
OR less indistinct: it did not bring the
matter clearly forward and give posi-
tive assurance Of everlasting life. St
Paul declares that this was accom-
plished through Jesus, more than 4,O00
years after the fall. He declares that
Christ brought life and Immortality to
light through the Gospel.-2 Tim. ITO.
Now we may see that this promise Of
Immortality, deathlessness, death-proOf
existence, is a very much grander one
than we ever supposed. Immortality
is quality Of life which thus far is
possessed only by Jehovah God and by
His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Moth
ing in the Scriptures indicates that
even the angels possess death-proof
bodies. On the contrary, the Bible
teaches that Satan, one of the very
highest angels, Is to be destroyed.
This shows us that this immortal,
death-proof quality is not possessed by
the angels. Their everlasting life de-
pends upon the Divine covenant that,
so long as they are in harmony with
God, He is pleased to perpetuate their
lives in a most joyful condition.
The Bible assures us that only the
elect Church will ever attain the i'm
mortal quality peculiar to the Father
and to the Son. This promise Of
"glory, honor, Immortality" is made
merely to the sanity Church, and is
to be attained in the First Resurrection
by those found worthy. "On such the
Second Death hath no power. "--Rev-
elation 20:6.
But our Lord Jesus not merely brought
to light immortality as Gods gift to
the Church. The Gospel Of JESUS
brings to light hope Of everlasting
life to the non-elect world-to so many
Of them as, under the light Of the
knowledge of the glory of God during
!, the coming MiIlennial Age, will fully
respond and be of those who will bow
the knee and confess with the tongue
! the great King, and be uplifted to
human perfection by the arrangements
of His Kingdom. For these God has
! the same everlasting life that He has
already given to the angelic hosts.
| This everlasting life Of the future is
usually styled Immortality; for it will
| be deathless life-a life free from the
| imperfections Of the dying condition.
But the Immortality Of the Bible, which
! is for the Church alone, is separate and
! distinct, and elsewhere described as
''the Divine nature."-2 Peter Ia.
AS we NO" SOBER up
This Bible presentation of the matter
that Gods proposition is life or
death-we are beginning to see Is most
reasonable, most logical. Furthermore,
His proposition is that when His Plan
will have been completed, none shall
have life at all who will not have it in
perfection. He desires not to have
mental, moral and physical cripples
! and degenerates in His Kingdom. He
! will give all the fullest opportunity for
recovery through the Redeemer and
the Messianic Kingdom. All who will
t not be obedient to the Divine arrange
ment will be everlastingly destroyed,
| as thorns and thistles are destroyed,
and as uncomfortable wild beasts are
destroyed. This is the Divine Word on
the subject.-2 Peter PIP; Isaiah 33 IL.
Thus eventually God will have a
clean universe in which His Will shall
be done on earth even as now it Is done
in Heaven. Eventually every knee
will bow, and no one need any longer
say, "Know thou the Lord; for all
shall know Him, and love Him, too.
Then the darkness, ignorance, super
stition, which has blinded us will be
past. Then our great Creator will be
seen to be our very best Friend, the
Father of Mercies, the God of all
Grace. Perhaps, indeed, we shall love
righteousness and appreciate our God
all the more because of the previous
ISLANDERS of the Adversary, which for
5000 years have misrepresented Him.
/ Undoubtedly the Divine Wisdom,
Justice, Love and Power will be more
clearly seen by both angels and men
as the result of the Divine permis-
sion of the reign Of Sin and Death.
Without this permission of sin we
would never realize the absolute JUS
tice Of God in allowing our race to go
down into death and in rescuing us in
so wonderful a manner-by the send
ing Of His Son to die for us, paying
the Redemption-price of Adams penal
ty, "Dying, thou shalt die" We never
would have seen SO clearly the height
Of Divine Wisdom, nor the depths of
Divine Love.
| Even the Power of God, manifested
In the wonderful display In the heav-
ems every night, is more wonderfully
shown by reason Of the permission
OF sin. Even the Wisdom and Power
of God shown forth in the human or
ganism will be added to by reason Of
the nermisSion of sin How SO ia Al