The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1914-06-30

hibitiOns that will
extend throughout
NRASlQkskUSSELAjI the principal cities
of the United
Kingdom and the Continent-Pastor
Russell IL on the Atlantic homeward
bound. While abroad the Pastor also
lectured In many cities. and was the
principal speaker at General Conyen-
t1on of the International Bible Students
Association held In the British Metrop-
OILS Today the Pastors text was. Even
when we were dead In sins. God hath
Quickened US together with Christ -
Ephesians 2:5.
The Pastor began with a review of
the trial of Adam In Eden. He proved
conclusively that our first parents were
created perfect In the image and like
ness of their Creator. Adam disobeyed
God. and thus brought upon himself
and all his posterity the sentence of
death, "Dying. thou shalt die" 80
death passed upon all men,; for all
men are members of the race of Adam.
All are under the curse of death. which
came upon the world as the result of
sin.
The speaker also showed that we
we're not condemned personally, for
we were not on trial personally. Fa-
Their Adam alone was on trial. and
when he failed be was sentenced to
death. Gods great Law declares that
''all unrigbteousness is sim; that 1.-The
wages of sin is death; and that 1.-The
soul that sins shall die" Adams chill
dren were born In sin born after his
fall from perfection. Therefore it nat
nrally follows that they partake of i'm
perfection: and if the perfect man did
not keep Gods perfect Law. how could
imperfect men keep it?
Having demonstrated that all man
kind are under the curse Of death by
reason of Father Adams disobedience.
the Pastor next discussed the PROPOSE
ton which the Bible sets before the
race That proposition is not qnes-
ton of Heaven or Hell. but one of life
or death eternal. TO those who are In
harmony with God, who delight to do
His win, he is pleased to give life
everlasting But to those who are not
In harmony with Him He has decreed
to give death eternai--they shall not
have any place whatever in all His
Universe.
For instance. Gods provision for the
angels was that since they were per
feet, they should. If they maintained
their perfection. live everlastingy
From Gods standpoint. to live ever
: lastinglS-the only way that He would
have His Intelligent creatures live at
all-is to live happily. to enjoy life. to
live In pleasure. All the holy angels
are happy. perfect and blessed; for
they have not transgressed the Law
OF God. So then. the speaker contin.
ued. we see why the Scriptures teach
that mankind are under the sentence
Of death. In fact. the Bible speaks of
3 all mankind. the world in general. as
a dead world-not that there are no
people who are active. not that all
have gone down into the tomb. but
that those who have entered the grave
have merely preceded the others to the
place whittier all are going. because of
the one sentence upon all.
Gods Loving Purpose.
The Pastor next showed that, &C.
cording to Gods righteous Law, man;
kind are now unfit to live under the
perfect conditions which He has pre-
pared. Even with the best Of inten-
tons, imperfect beings continually
make trouble for themselves and 9th
ers. In the present imperfect condi-
ton Of the race, humanity would make
trouble wherever they might be. This
is contrary TO the Divine will; God
, purposes TO have u Universe I'm which
everybody shall be happy, everybody
good. every body perfect.
With some the question might arise,
"Why did God make US imperfect
The speaker. after propounding the
question. then answered it: The Bible
declares that Gods work is perfect
deuteronomy 32:4.) Humanity in their
present imperfect condition are not
Gods work. God made Father Adam
perfect After Adam had become a
sinner and had brought the curse of
death upon himself. he propagated
race by the law of nature Therefore
all OF bis posterity were born In sin.
and for six thousand years have been
falling. sinking lower in degradation.
This is the Seriptural explanation Of
human imperfection; this is Why the
very beat Of the race cannot do per-
fectly.
The Pastor then declared that God
does not expect humanity to do per
fectly now. In their present fallen
condition The Creator gave the Law
to Israel for the very purpose of show
ing them, and incidentally proving TO
all men. that by the deeds of the
Law no fesh can be justified in His
sight" God has decreed that none
but the perfect shall have everlasting
life, for none but the perfect can keep
His righteous Law He has proved
copclustyely that no fallen human be-
ing can keep that Law. Therefore none
of US could have everlasting life II
God had not done something for US.
The story OF what our gracious Crea-
tor has done is the ''old. old story. OF
Jesus and His love"-and the Heaven
iy Fathers love. also
In the past we have failed to realize
that God is Love. even though we
read God so loved the world that
He gave His Only Begotten Son,
that whosoerer believeth In Him
might not perish. but have everiast-
ing life" The proper thought is not
that which is frequently given to chill
dren, and frequently held by older per-
sons-that God Is angry with us, and
that He was about TO send the entire
race to eternal torment. when Jesus
stepped In and saved US from so ter
rfble a fate This view makes our
Heavenly Father appear most nnloving
and unjust. 10 that when He knew
that we were imperfect and therefore
could not do perfectly. He held Us ac-
cOuntable for what we could not do
All Bible students are getting rid of
this wrong conception Of the Almighty
Jehovah.
The right thought is that from the
very foundation of the world God had
a loving purpose In respect to man
kind. He knew that the race would
sin, but He also knew how In His
great Wisdom He could override the
experience of these six thousand years
of sin and death. so that good would
ultimately result IL God had not per-
mitted sin, men would not have known
how wrong 1t Is and what evil condi-
Hons 1t promotes. Adam probably had