The Washington herald., 1914-12-21

The Lords people. awake and looking
In the right direction, already perceive
That we are In the dawning OF the Mil
lenniun1-that the blessings which have
come to the world during the past forty
years are MIllennial blessings, fore
CLEANS Of still greater favors soon to
be poured out These Millennlal bless
tngs have not brought proper responses
In human hearts. Instead Of gratitude,
| the spirit Of selfishness has begotten dis
content. covetousness. which will short
ly eventuate, as the Bible tells, with
/ every mans hand against his neighbor
| and against his brother-EZekieI 3s:3I:
Zechariah $40.
CT Came Not to Send Peace"
But do the Scriptures contradict them
selves? What did the Great Teacher
mean when e declared, Il came not to
send peace on the earth. but a sword?'
CMatthew 1O:34) He referred propheticaI-
ly to the effect which His gracious Mes
sage Of love and favor would produce in
/ the world during the reign OF Sin and
/ Death. He well knew that the Prince Of
Darkness would oppose all Of His fol-
| lowers as we'll as Himself. He sent forth
His followers unarmed. like Himself. TO
| be peacemakers to follow peace with
| all men, and holiness. without which no
man shall see the Lord" He counsel
| led His followers that "he that taketh
the sword shall perish by the sword
Matthew 26:52.
/ But their Message OF peace, love and
the coming Kingdom seems to anger the
world-not merely the vicious, the un-
godly. but the worldly professors Of god
| illness who have schemes, plans and the
| cries of their own to work out which
are contrary to the Gospel Message. The
darkness, more or less mixed with sell
| ishness, hsteth the light, the Truth. the
Love of God neither cometh to the light.
lest its deeds Of selfishness. selfish am
bition and hypocrisy should be made
manifest.
The Master knew what the effects OF
| His Gospel Message would be in the
world He knew that only those who
would compromise His message could
possibly live at peace-that all who
would be loyal and faithful to Him
| would be traduced. slandered, perse-
cuted-''beheaded." either literally or hE-
| uratiyely. His words, therefore. were
prophecy respecting the tTibulations
which all His footstep followers would
surely have.
More than this. His words were a
| prophecy respecting the nations What IS
| 4 that has brought US to our present de
| gree OF civilized savaEeTy? "hst y u
that makes OF every business Corporduon
buccanesr seeking the destruction. OF
every competing financial craft? What
l is II that has shaTpened the Wits OF hu-
7 mAnity to such an extent that the MAJ
| jOrity find Il difiCult to be honest De-
cause they see 50 many opportunities Tor
4 dishonesty, while II ID Impossible Tor law
makers TO make new iaEs Win sSe ,I,nnfasnt snGnt
/ methods CT circumventton!
| In a certain sense the doctrines of
Christ art responsible for all this The
lowers free and ignt which He and they
! let shine upon a darkened world. re-
| ceived in part into unsanctifed hearts
and minds. have given wisdom that. mis-
applied. We call cunning and craft. The
proof Of what We say Is found In the
| fact that ether nations than those that
Christianfty are still quite in the back
ground Only now. as Christian Civiliza-
tion in a perverted form is reaching these
Deoples, are they awakening and oecom-
dom. dor |O''
Perplexed and confused. many NAV
ask. What. then. is the hope Of the tul-
our Master, who declared that He was
not the Prince Of this Age, also declared
that His Kingdom of the next Age Will
Glory: and that although its initial mani
festation will he with clouds. darkness
and Time of Trouble such as never be
fore has been. nevertheless His Reign
will be glorious, triumphant and eternal
HE shall reign until He hath put all
enemies under His feet Unto Him
, every knee shall bow and every tongue
confess"
Immanuers victory means the over
throw of sin-the crushing Of the Ser
pPents head Al the very beginning SnE or
bound: and following its close he shall
be DESTROYED in the Second Death, to-
ness after theV W shall have had full oP-
portunity for recovery from the snares
OF sin and death Then the whole world
scriptuTes H tGesH'Ii declare lar There shall be no
more signing. no more dying-an the
former things Of sin and death shall have
passed away.-Revelation 2l:L
Good VIII Amongst Men"
The attainment Of the condition of good
will amongst men will mean the attain
ment Of human perfection. God Is Love:
an earthly image Of God. love must have
been the predominant quality OF their
characters: What We see of selfishness
OF life's customs are in line with II and
continually increasing its weight and Its
hold upon us. But with the new King
the glorious uplifting and transformation.
Gradually, during the thousand years OF
Messfah's domination of the world the
ent and the beauties Of holiness and
love will be shown In contrast.
Restitution rewards will lift all the
willing and obedient up out OF sin and
selfishness to holiness and love. Then.
with love the very essence OF mans be-
ing. good will towards men will every
where prevail: for the Divine Law, al
most effaced through the reign Of Sin.
will be rewritten in the human constl-
tuition. The upward move resurrection,
uplifting, regeneration, will go rapidly
on. Meantime. generation after gen
Grafton shall come forth from the tomb,
and enjoy similar experiences Finally
all shall have come forth; for the Love
of Uod made this provision through the
death of our Redeemer.
Finally, dear friends how glad we
are that this Is true, How glad we are
that the terrible falsehoods palmed OF
on US during the Dark Ages respecting
God Of hatred and a Hell of everlast-
ing torture are not true, How glad we
are that Messiah's Kingdom will be .
Kingdom Of Peace-after the great time
of trouble