The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-08

he
SRASIQR RQSSElgI plague, that which
consumeth [be-
forel the eyes, and causeth sorrow Of
heart" His topic was chosen in har-
mony with the general movement
against consumption, the white plague,
which he declared is annually sweep
ing more millions to the grave than
are all the wars of all the world.
True, the Pastors Divine commits
sion is to preach the Gospel. Never
theless, since the Gospel is the Goo"
Message Of the Divinely arranged re-
covery from sin and death, he constd-
cred it e~minently proper to call atten-
ton to the ravages of the white plague
as a part of the penalty Of sin. He
would not in this be understood as
meaning that all Consumptives are
especially sinners. Some of the most
sanity Of Gods people have died Of
consumption and other ailments. The
Redeemer Is credited with having died
of a ruptured heart. q disease not un-
known to medical practitioners.
The speaker declared that much con-
fusion prevails amongst Christian peo-
pie respecting sickness and health. It
seems only logical for us to reason that
God wishes His creatures to be healthy
and happy always, especially such as
seek to live in harmony with Him.
; True, we have received the Bible in
struction that sickness is a part Of
death; that death is the Divine curse,
or sentence, or penalty, for sin; that
sin entered the world through the dis
obedience of our first parents; and that
all mankind therefore are under the
curse, or sentence of death, of which
sickness is merely a forerunnner-the
dying process.
Still it seems natural for US to think
that after we turn from sin and con
secrate our lives to God, He would re-
lieve US Of the penalties Of sin and re-
store us fully to His original favor-to
human perfection and to everlasting
life and to happy conditions. When we
find that some of the best of Gods
people, including the Savior, the Apos-
ties and the Prophets. have suffered,
even unto death, and that none are i'm
nun from this penalty, a p%erplexity
takes possession of Il minds which
only the Bible sets straight.
The Old Covenant and the New.
God first announced to Abraham His
ultimate purpose of blessing the world
releasing them from the curse of sin
and death. He did not explain how
this would be done, except that it
would be accomplished by Abraham's
posterity, or Seed. Four hundred and
thirty years later God proposed to the
Israelltes that II they wished to inner
it the Promise made to Abraham, the
door was open for them. God entered
into a Covenant with them at Mount
Sinai, through Moses, the mediator.
In that Covenant God agreed to GER
tain things, and Israel to other things.
Israel agreed to keep the Divine Law
perfectly; and God agreed that If they
would do so, He would bless them with
everlasting life, and open the way by
which they might be the saviors of the
world, to help all out from under the
curse and back to the favor of God.
But Israel failed to keep the Divine
requirements perfectly, as God fore
knew they would. Hence they never
gained everlasting life for themselves,
but died like other men. Hence. also,
they were not able to be the worlds
uplifters from sin and death. Later,
God explained to them that a greater
than Moses would come; namely, Mes
siah, who would sc help, strengthen
and uplift from sin and death a select
Seed of Abraham that such, with Him,
would be Qualified to constitute the
Kingdom OF God-the ruling power
which God would use in putting down
sin and Satan, ignorance and wrong,
and in lifting up mankind under the
Law Covenant renewed.
Our text Is a part Of Gods message
to Israel, in which He assured them
that IL they would keep the Law they
should have all the blessings Of Hit
favor in their earthly lives; but if
they were 6isobedient, various sick
nesses would come Upon them as
ch~astisements. AS for the other ma
lions of the world, they were not In
covenant relationship with Gcd, and
were subject to the mutations of their
dying condition.
Only with the Israelites was con-
sumption specially stated to be the
penalty for sin, and only the Israelites
were promised immunity from these
sicknesses or condition that they
would live in obedience to the Divine
Law. God never bad any such mr.
rangsEnene with any other peorIe.
They are sI sinners all under SEN
renee OF death, all dying, Justly. NJ.
garG1leSS OF whether it he u more Grad
eal wearing ont, or instantaneous
deafh-whether it he by hunger. acci-
Dent white plague black plague, or
other ailment.
Butt should mot the followers of Christ
sxpecE exemption? some inquire. We
answaE No! Quite to the contrary,
these enter into q special Covenant OF
HacTffce-surreEdering or resigning all
their claim to am earthly life, earthly
EEopaas earthly joys. i'm exchange for the
n . ~ EE - OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES