The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-08-26

skepties. who like myself have lose'
their way. and sympathy, too, for tho
great mass OF mankind, who have
never known God!
Perhaps can appreciate better than
some others of the Lords people what
1t means to be without God and with
out hope In the worid"-how lonesome.
how solitary the way. how aimiess the
wandering, how bitter the disappoint-
ments that find no solace In hope of Il
better day! / am persuaded that man
kind need more to be instructed and
encouraged than to be brow-beaten.
threatened, alarmed. At any rate. the
decreasing church attendance, IN spite
OF operate music and sensational
topics, proves that the masses OF the
people refuse longer TO be scared into
the Heayenward road by threats OF
eternal torment
And do not NIL Christian ministers 10
some extent discern this? Is not this
:he reason some Of them give for dis.
continuing to preach the creeds of
darker time: Is not this the reason
that, IN defiance Of the creeds. and In
contradiction thereof, every funeral
service Is embarrassing affair to
make out that the deceased Is Il saint
and gone to Heaven. even II his life
has been discreditable, and he has
never made even a profession Of Chris.
tinnity? Such MISUNDERSTANDING one
standard and preaching an0ther-are
bringing Christianity into reproach
Fraud is the word which in the con.
ception of many fits their own for
malism and that Of Others. They recos
nize the Apostolic picture Of our times
Having II form OF god!incss, but de
nying its power."-2 Timothy 80.
Tho Love Of Our Text.
The entire Bible tells us Of Gods
Love and sympathy. Only II few texts
twisted. mistrnnslated, or interpolated
during tue Dark Ages, even seemingly
contradict the great statement that
God Is l.ove-the very essence and EN-.
b0diment OF this sranlest OF all ele-
mcntS of character. Our text Is one Of
these loving tributes to the Heavenly
Fathers mercy and grace. It is one.
therefore, which especially appeals to
the worldly. the unmindfui Christian
and the repentant sinncr-"GOd 50 low
Ell the world that He gave His Only
Begotten Son, that whatsoever believeth
lin Him should not perish, hut have
Everlasting lie"
Yet see how we have twisted this
good Word Of God to make out of 1t
| something evil. We seized upon the
word perish. knowing well that it signl-
tics to destroy. to annihllate. to render
lifcless. Satan persuaded us that such
Il penalty would not sufficiently terrify.
and not rapidly enough fill the rolls
Of church membership. He induced
our forcfathcrs. through the doc
| trincs Of demons" TO say that perish
here means the reverse Of what 1t
means IN ordinary c0nvcrSation-tlLati It
means to 20 to endless woe. to he met
by tire.proof devils. and he confined
TO MI eternity III horrible Sutfprin.s.
us until we did not even think Of ques.
tioning his lies and absurdlties.
If any one suggested that perish
means 10 destroy, the Adversary would
stir up persecution. AMI brand such
une hereto. If the hereto asked
how any one could he tortured forever
IN fire and not he consumed, lie was
denounced rs both Il fool and Il knavc
FOR not approaching the fact that God
could Inject life into the poor sufferer
for the millions upon millions OF years
Of eternity.
How foolish We were. How stupid
not to see the origin Of such nonsense
not to perceive the simplicity Of
Gods Word that the penalty upon stu.
nrrs was to prrish-not to see that
iGoi sent His Son TO redeem man from
his periShing condition. and to open up
for Adam and ati Is race way to life
everlasting life,
| Quite true. this life can come only
through the L.ife-.iver. the Rcdeemcr.
| Quite true. hone cam receive 1t tn ign0-
rance, and comparatively few see with
the eyes Of their understanding or hen,
with the ears Of their understanding
the Message OF grace In the present
time. But Gods provision through
ithrist IL u resurrection for the dead
not only the just. who now by faith
are justified. but also the unjust, who
are still aliens. foreigners, strangers
from God.
1.-THE Gospel Of the Kingdom"
Thus It Is that by Divine arrange.
ment n0ue can now understand the
| Divine Plan for human salvation from
rarlshlng. except as they come TO un.
AerstaHd respecting the kinG.!om--that
God has promised that the Redcemer,
who purchased the world by His sncri.
flee. Shall become the worlds Great
High Priest. Prophet. and King. and for
a thousand years grant to Adam and
his family the blessed opportunity Of
knowing and accepting the Divine
terms whereby they may be saved
from periShing, from DEATH whereby
| they may hc fully rpsurrcctcl raised