The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-03-17
Ey afritl +5ostlE1eifssntp with 6ur Bord,
the King Of kings and Lord OF lordsi

SA hASAe59 SIA0 4SNAU Va 1UEO51 .
Ehpiat's A~tonenaent.
Both the thieves crucified with our
Lord lost their right 10 the original
Eden, NJ Paradise, Of God through pa.
ther Adams disobedience, as did We
all. Both those thieves were born Hin
sin, shapen lin iniQuity and In sin did
their mothers conceive them, as with
us all. Both thieves were redeemedeby
the precious Blood o5f Christ, as were
we all; for Jesus "by the grace fof
Cod tasted death for every man.; "'Ee
is the Precipitation for our sins 1.-THE
Chureh's sinsl; and not for ours only,
but also For the sins Of The whole
world. "--Hebrews 20; d John 90.
Thus, tas we have sesn. the Redeerier
has made provision for both OF those
thieves, as we'll as for all Of us-allsof
Adams Eace-to be recovered from The
sin and Death conditions of the fail,
and restored to Paradise. The Church,
called during this Gospel Age, may
reach The spiritual Paradise, Or high
est condition of holiness and happiness.
The two thieves and the remainder III
mankind will have their oppprtunity
during the Millennium. Their 6pportu-
nifty VIII be Tor o return to earthly life,
perfection and happiness, and to an
earEhly Observation-Disclosures. How much
grander q work will thus result from
our Lords death than we had previous.
lysupposed!
- .-rr N .a,..- -A.
Let none suppose. however, that
these two thieves will enter Paradise
on the same footing. While both were
guilty OF robbery, they we're evidently
dissirnilar in. the condition OF theil
hearts. The one was hardened. as evi
denced by the fact that he, could speak
so radely to the Redeemer. whose face
bespoke E~antleness, purity and limo
cence Of crime. "If Thou be the
Christ, ave Thyself and us" Duke
2 1907 Such cruelty implied a deep
degradation OF Tnfnd@implied that lie
was sin-hardened.
And yet we must remember that 9th
ers Of the multitude standing by used
similarly cruel language. We must
remember. too. that there are many
thieves who are not caught; and that
there are many, perhaps as morally
wrong, as evilly intentioned. who, for
fear Of the consequences, never com
rnitted the wrongs. We q even sup
pose that some Of the Scribes and
Pharisees and Doctors of Divinity OF
those days were in Gods sight much
worse than the i%mpenitent thief-mur-
derers at heart and in deed. Yet or
the latter st. Peter declared. II wot,
brethren. that through ignorance We
did it, as did also your rulers when
you crucihed the Lord Of Glory. IRE.
pent We therefore and be converts =
Acts 3:15:19.
An Earthly Paradise.
Ignorance. superstition and inherited
depravity all bore down upon the i'm.
penitent thief to a degree which we
are not capable Of properly estimating.
The Lord will judge him-both thieves
all mankind. The penitent THIEF will
unquestionably have a twofold bless
ing: first, he will be blessed for his
PSBlJShb NttlbOAS va EA4huA SCSOA0s AC
will be blessed for his .faithfulness in
expressing that penitence and in show.
ing mercy to our Lord in His distress.
Our Lord declared that even o cup OF
cold water given to the least Of His
disciples shall have its reward. Sure
~ It wfft-be IN h~urnuonys then. unar the
penitent thief will have d reward for
his defense OF the Master.
That reward will consist. first of all,
In the blessing Of his own heart
| through the action therein Of the mer'
ciful sentiment. 4 reward will come
to him in proportion to the ~exigencies
Of the occasion and the greatness OF
the One whom he loved. II the one
who favors a righteous man will re-
ceive a righteous mans reward. and
the one who favors a prophet will re-
ceive q prophets reward, surely the
one who favored the Redeemer will
receive d special reward, such as the
Redeenner might be expected to grant.
The penitent thief manifested not
only sympathy, but honesty. He said
to the other, who rallied at the Lord
"Dost thou not fear God, seeing thou
art in the same condemnation? And
we indeed Justly: for we receive The
due reward for our deeds; but this mar
hath done nothing aniss." Iuke
23:40. ALL 1t is entirely in keeping
with the general teachings Of the
Lords Word that the honcst-heartec
and the nlerciful shall have specia
blessings. Those blessings cannot
reach them In the grave. and 1t is no.
always that just returns reach the de
serving in the present life. Virtue II
not always It's reward.
Our Lord declares the truth OF ths
subject. assuring us that such shall bt
'recompensed at the resurrection ol
the just" That Is TO say. when tIt
just. the justified. the Church. shall
have been awakened in the First Res
direction. and when the Heavenly
Kingdom shall have been established
amongst men. and the general awak
ening Of the world from the sleep u
death shall gradually follow. then 81
cry good and every evil word. every
good and every evil act. will be recon
pensed-in Paradise. :
Let III be glad and rejoice that thu
Divine arrangement is a Paradise
an earthly Paradise. possible to ever,
member OF the race; and a Heavenl,
Paradise. possible to every member {,
the Spirit-begotten Church: and tina
the alternative of Paradise Is not eter
nal torment, but everlasting destruc