The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-10-27
RESCUED FROM
CURSE OF GOD
Continued From Page Six.

severe, although 1t Is just.
"No More Curse"
The statement Of our text is OF itself
q contradiction Of the eternal torment
theories. A similar contradiction Is
the declaration Of the Lord through
the Prophet that Sheol [Hades. the
tombl shall be destroyed. (Hosea
13:14.) These comforting promises
apply to all men. All go down to
Sheol, Hades, the tomb. All are under
the curse: and the destruction of
Sheol clearly signifies the release of
humanity from dying conditions and
from the tomb. In other words, these
two declarations are the equivalents
Of the promise of the Bible that there
shall be a resurrection Of the dead,
both Of the just and the unjust"
But let no m suppose that the de-
struction Of Sheol will be an instanta-
neous work. The curse Of death has
been upon Il race for Six great Days
of a thousand years each. Gods prop
osition In the Bible is that In the Sew
enth Day, the Day Of Christ, also a
thousand years long, the curse shall be
gradually removed. Not until the close
Of Messiah's thousand-year Reign will
there be no more curse. Not until then
will Sheol, Hades, the tomb, have been
destroyed.
The reign Of Sin and Death and their
ravages upon our race are matters Of
history. The Reign of Christ, the
Reign Of righteousness, the Reign Of
life, the uplifting Of humanity. are
matters of prophecy. Those who believe
the Bible to be the inspired Word Of
Jehovah may well rest their faith i'm
plicitly upon these prophetic assur-
ances. Those whose faith in the Bible
has been undermined by the Adver-
sary's work along the lines Of Higher
Criticism are without chart or rudder
IN a sea Of doubt. They know not God
and have NO message from Him. Their
guesses would naturally be as widely
different as their brains.
The Context Westey's Favorite.
John Wesley came into prominence
at a time when the teachings of John
Calvin had saturated theology. Less
logical than Brother Calvin, Wesley
had a more tender heart. He could not
answer Calvin's position, which was
fortified by numerous texts telling
about "the Elect" the very Elect"
and the necessity of making ones call
Ing and election sure. Wesley's loving
soul especially rebelled against the
thought that the non-elect should have
been predestinated to their fate before
the world was created. He could not
dispute CaIVin's logic, yet he felt that
1t was an aspersion against the Divine
character, which made God to appear
Satanic in the extreme.
While agreeing with Calvin that all
except the sanity would be everlast-
ingly tortured, Wesley claimed That
even If God ~foreknew the number Of
the insanity and had fo~reordained
their torture, there must have been
some option left with them. He ran
sacked the Bible to find some proof
text supporting this theory. He found
and especially rejolced in the verses
preceding our text. They pictured the
New Jerusalem-the Messianic King
dom in its glory. They show q river
Of the Water Of Life proceeding from
the Throne Of the New Jerusalem.
A little further down in the same
chapter, the blessed declaration is made
that In that glorious time of the future
the Spirit and the Bride shall say,
Come, and he that Is athirst may come,
and whatsoever will may take of the
waters Of life freely.-Rev. 22:1-3, II.
"Ah," said Brother Wesley, that
tells Of free grace" He perceived that
these things belong to the Truth. He
trusted that the time would come when
the Church would conquer the world
with the Gospel Message, and when
these prophecies would be fulfilled, and
there would be no more curse.
We perceive now that both of these
brethren, Calvin and Wesley, had
grasped precious truths; and that these
merely needed to be harmonized, In
order to give III the full truth on the
subject Of Gods purposes. Brother
Calvin was quite right that only the
Elect are 70 be saved during this Cos
pei Age. Brother Wesley was equally
right that eventually Free Grace will
prevail, "
And every creature, bond and free,
VIII hail the glorious Jubilee"
The connecting links are furnished
us in the Scripture which tells that
before Messiah's Kingdom may be es-
tablished, the Church must be COM
and glorifed. The Election
then ended, Free Grace will begin.
The Election ap%pertains to the Church
Of the F1rEt-borns," and wisely guards
only copies Of Gods dear Son
shall be associates with Him In His
Kingdom aud share its gIories.
t-.> There 10 No Bride Now.
Bible students should note carefully
the Church during this Gospel
Age Is not aclassed as the Bride of
Christ. Hear st. Paul: "I have espous-
ed you to one Husband, that L. may
present you as a chaste virgin to
e Corinthians 11:2) Hear
what Jesus says to His Betrothed: II
come again, and receive you unto
Myself."-John lab.
Note the parabolic picture Jesus
gives Of the end Of this Age. (Mat-
thew 25:1-12.) In it He likens the faith
full, betrothed ones to wise virgins,
who will enter in with the Bridegroom
to the marriage. He informs US that
then the door to that position Of honor
will be shut, The number OF the Elect