River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1914-11-12

] with all war. Many have seen only
small portions of the Divine Plan. and
so have failed to grasp the great
lengths. breadths. heights and depths
of Gods great Purpose But whoever
has an understanding of the great
Plan Of God will ever after be able
rightly to appreciate and to locate not
only the events Of today. but also ev-
erything that is coming; for the Bible
outlines the history of man..
The Scriptures clearly teach that our
earth is the only rebellious province in
all Gods fair creation In this little
planet God has permitted sin to take
Its coufse-to bud. to blossom. to bring
forth its fruitage-that both men and
angels may see the dire results of op-
! position to the Divine Government.
The Bible tells us how this world be-
| came rebelliouS. 1t tells us that God
did not create mankind imperfect. as
we are today. Man was created per.
feet. an earthly being-in the image
of his Heavenly Creator. in the sense
| of having a moral character but limit.
ed to earthly conditions This perfect
man was placed in a perfect home, in
| every way adapted to his needs. This
Eden was especially prepared for him.
and he was to enjoy it. But he was
| the king of the whole earth; and there
fore his Creator instructed him that.
| as his family increased, he was to sub
! due the earth and develop it. Had
mankind remained in harmony with
God. the whole world would have be-
come as Eden.
! God foreknew just what would &C.
cur, however He foreknew Adams
sin and fall, as well as the mental,
moral and physical degeneracy which
| would result from the disobedience of
our first parents. He foreknew our
weakness and imperfection, our at
| tempts at moral, religious and mental
| reform and at mental and physical
health. Yet He permitted all this to
| come to pass.
Sin entered the world, and has con-
| tinued to rest upon the human family
| for six thousand years. This curse of
sin and death is upon mankind Gods
penalty for sin is death, and whether
| it comes through pestilence. famine,
war or by slower processes, matters
| little. There is no one so stupid but
that he can see that the whole course
of human history has been a reign of
| Sin and Death.
| Why God Has Permitted Sin and Death
The Bible tells us that God has per-
mitted this condition to continue for
the past six thousand years as great
lesson on the exceeding sinfulness of
sin and on the utter hOpelessness OF
any other help than that which He
Himself has provided. For six great
Days of thousand years each-from
Adams time until now-Sin and Death
have reigned over the race. These
are mans work Week, in which he
has been peEnsttted to try everything
he could imagine for his own relief
from sin and its penalty-death.
And now, after the Week has drawn
to a close, what do we find? Mankind
are still fundamentally, morally,
physically. So far from gaining life
for our race, all our efforts through
doctors, scientists. etc., have accom-
plished practically nothing. Yea, our
most learned physicians and special
lists tell us that the world is on the
verge Of collapse. They say that at
the present rate of increase there
would not be, In a hundred and sixty
years from now, enough sane people
in the world to care for the insane.
They tell US that various diseases are
increasing SO rapidly as to endanger
the existence of the race in very
short time; and this in face of the fact
that sanitary conditions are made
necessity, even to the extent of provid-
ing individual drinking cups.
Our only hope is in God; and He has
arranged that His blessing shall come
through Messiah's Kingdom when our
race shall have reached its limit.
Mans extremity will be Gods oppor
tunity. In the great Seventh Day Of
mans work Week, the antitypical
Sabbath, Messiah will, in association
with His Church of this Gospel Age,
set up the Divine Kingdom amongst
men-a spiritual Kingdom, not an
earthly one, ruling, blessing and up
lifting mankind. For a thousand years
this work of uplift will progress, un
til all the willing and obedient will
have attained again the lost likeness
Of their Creator and all the unwilling
and disobedient will have been cut off
from life in the Second Death.
1.-THE Times Of the Gentiles."
Another great lesson which God has
been teaching mankind during the
reign of Sin and Death is the fact that
they are incapable of establishing such
a government as is necessary for real
blessing and uplift of the race. For
time He appointed the nation Of
Israel to be His typical kingdom, Sc
lecting King David and his posterity
to constitute the royal family. The
last king Of David's line was Zedekiah.