A Live Topic Discussed by Traveling Ministers This booklet can be found in R2392-R2399, December, 1898, entitled, "The Bible Versus the Evolution Theory," with the exception of the last section reprinted below.
Evidence that the Heads and Brains of Modern Men are Smaller than were those of the Ancients Popular Science Monthly , for December, 1898, in an article discussing "Brain Weight and Intellectual Capacity" furnishes the following items.
Discussing the average of brain weights furnished by various doctors, some claiming 49 ounces and others as high as 55.4, it says, "If we strike a balance between the highest and the lowest of these estimates, the mean will be 52.2" ounces . Then, after reminding us that the brain of Daniel Webster was but 53.5 ounces and that of the celebrated Frenchman, Gambetta, weighted less than 41 ounces, it quotes and comments thus: "The St. Louis Globe Democrat of November 13, 1885, gives an account of some excavations on the Mount Ararat farm, east of Carrollton, Illinois, where the bones of thirty-two Indians or mound builders were unearthed. 'They were not a diminutive race, as some people have supposed, some of the thigh bones being sixteen inches long, and some of the skulls twenty-four inches in circumference. 'A skull having a circumference of twenty-four inches means a head that measured from twenty-five to twenty-six and a half in life, when the cranium was covered with skin and muscles. The average head of white men in New York today is only twenty-two and a half inches round. So the culture of the white race for centuries has not developed their heads to near the size of those of the uncultured mound builders who inhabited America many centuries ago.
"The Engis skull is one of the most ancient known to exist, and belonged to the stone age, or about the same time as the Neanderthal skull. Professor Huxley describes it as being well formed, and considerably larger than the average of European skulls today in the width and height of the forehead and in the cubic capacity of the whole.
"These facts all conspire to prove that the cultivation of thousands of years has not increased the size of human skulls. In 1886 we measured many of the skulls unearthed at Pompeii, the remains of Romans who lived nearly two thousand years ago, and we found them on the average larger in every way, but especially in the forehead, than the skulls of Romans of this century.
"In the museums of Switzerland we measured in 1887 several skulls of the ancient lake dwellers of that country, and found them larger in all respects, but particularly in the forehead, than those of the Swiss people of the last fifty years.
"The average circumference of the skulls we measured in the catacombs of Paris was twenty-one inches and a half, which is about an inch more than that of Parisians who have died within the past fifty years."
We submit that these evidences attested by the savants of our day, very generally believers in the Evolution theory, do not uphold their contention. Rather, they agree with our view, the Scriptural one, that originally man had greater capacity than today, while today we have larger education 'knowledge has increased, capacity has decreased.
This article can be found in Reprint R2404 – R2407, December, 1898, entitled, "Gathering the Lord's Jewels."
With the exception of the last paragraph and poem, printed below, this article can be found in Reprint R2441-R2442, April 1899, entitled, "The Good Shepherd, The Christ."
The great Good Shepherd of the everlasting future who will care for all who will become his true sheep and follow his call will be the Heavenly Father, and associated with him in the care of his flock will be his sons: Christ the Only Begotten and his "brethren," now the "little flock." Heb. 2:10; Jas. 1:18; Rev. 14:40
"Lift up your heads, desponding pilgrims; Give to the winds your needless fears; He who hath died on Calvary's mountain, Soon is to reign a thousand years.
"A thousand years! earth's coming glory!
'Tis the glad day so long foretold;
'Tis the bright morn of Zion's glory,
Prophets foresaw in times of old."
This article can be found in R2524'November, 1899, and R2593 – R2597, March, 1900, entitled, "Which is the True Gospel?"
O zealous friend of missions and men! Thy questioning lines reveal A Martha's care for the Master's cause Not needful for thee to feel.
Your verse declares that heathendom wails, And eagerly "pleads for light;" While Christian prayer and denial fails To rescue their souls from blight.
You say, "They cry on misery's brink For succor within our power;" "Yet twenty-nine hundred heathen sink Into Christless graves each hour."
Are you more wise than the Father, who gave To justice his cherished Son? Or has the Lord of a conquered grave Abandoned his work undone?
Doth God depend on fallible men To publish "The Only Name?" And, if they fail, can his love condemn The helpless to endless flame?
Hath He, who claims all silver and gold, Ordained that my scanty store Must win a soul for the upper fold Or sink it forevermore?
Hath He, before whose radiant face The heavens and earth shall flee, Consigned the fate of a blood-bought race To mortals like you and me? [HG341] Tell us, O Christ, who suffered such loss; Have billions of untaught slaves Been wrecked in sight of thy bloodstained cross And perished in hopeless graves?
Creeds answer, Yes! but reason cries, No! And reason and truth agree: No jot can fail of that word, I know, "I will draw all men unto me!"
When all are drawn by wooings of love And knowledge and duty blend, Then only they who rebellious prove Will merit a traitor's end.
God hasteth not the centuries sweep All obstacles from his path. His gracious plan worketh wide and deep, While slow is his righteous wrath.
His glory yet shall cover the earth As waters o'erspread the sea: Each soul shall learn of the Savior's worth And blood of atonement free.
"Good will to men! Blest echoes that thrill His 'first-fruits' with rapture grand' "Shall be to all," when on Zion's hill The "Bridegroom" and "Bride" shall stand.
God works by means, or worketh alone, As serveth his purpose best; By finite hands makes his power known, Or showeth his arm undressed.
O brother mine! no longer repine, Nor question God's love and might. He sips the cup of a joy divine Who readeth the lesson right.
"And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom the heavens must retain until the times of restitution of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." Acts 3:20,21.
That our Lord intended his disciples to understand that for some purpose, in some manner, and at some time, he would come again, is, we presume, admitted and believed by all familiar with the Scriptures, for, when he said, "If I go, I will come again" (John 14:3), he certainly referred to a second personal coming .
Quite a number think that when sinners are converted that forms a part of the coming of Christ, and that so he will continue coming until all the world is converted. Then, say they, he will have fully come.
These evidently forget the testimony of the Scriptures on the subject, which declare the reverse of their expectation that at the time of our Lord's second coming the world will be far from converted to God; that "In the last days perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God" (2 Tim. 3:1-4); that "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived." (2 Tim. 3:13) They forget the Master's special warning to his little flock: "Take heed to yourselves lest that day come upon you unawares, for as a snare shall it come on all them [not taking heed] that dwell on the face of the whole earth." (Luke 21:34,35) Again, we may rest assured that when it is said, "All kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him," when they see him coming (Rev. 1:7), no reference is made to the conversion of sinners. Do all men wail because of the conversion of sinners? On the contrary, if this passage refers, as almost all admit, to Christ's presence on earth, it teaches that all on earth will not love his appearing, as they certainly would do if all were converted.
Some expect an actual coming and presence of the Lord, but set the time of the event a long way off, claiming that through the efforts of the Church in its present condition the world must be converted, and thus the Millennial age be introduced.
They claim that when the world has been converted, and Satan bound, and the knowledge of the Lord caused to fill the whole earth, and when the nations learn war no more, then the work of the Church in her present condition will be ended; and that when she has accomplished this great and difficult task the Lord will [HG342] come to wind up earthly affairs, reward believers and condemn sinners.
Some scriptures, taken disconnectedly, seem to favor this view; but when God's Word and plan are viewed as a whole these will all be found to favor the opposite view; viz., that Christ comes before the conversion of the world, and reigns for the purpose of converting the world; that the Church is now being tried, and that the reward promised the overcomers is that after being glorified they shall share with the Lord Jesus in that reign, which is God's appointed means of blessing the world and causing the knowledge of the Lord to come to every creature. Such are the Lord's special promises: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne ... And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." Rev. 3:21; Rev. 20:4 The Apostle (Acts 15:14) tells us that the main object of the gospel in the present age is "to take out a people" for Christ's name, the overcoming Church, which, at his second advent, will be united to him and receive his name. The witnessing to the world during this age is a secondary object.
Isa. 55:8-11 A further examination of God's revealed plans will give a broader view of the object of both the first and second advents; and we should remember that both events stand related as parts of one plan. The specific work of the first advent was to redeem men; and that of the second is to restore , and bless, and liberate the redeemed. Having given his life a ransom for all, our Savior ascended to present that sacrifice to the Father, thus making reconciliation for man's iniquity. He tarries and permits "the prince of this world" to continue the rule of evil, unto after the selection of "the Bride, the Lamb's wife," who, to be accounted worthy of such honor, must overcome the influence of the present evil world. Then the work of giving to the world of mankind the great blessings secured to them by his sacrifice will be due to commence, and he will come forth to bless all the families of the earth. Heb. 9:24,28; Acts 15:14; Rev. 3:21 True, the restoring and blessing could have commenced at once, when the ransom price was paid by the Redeemer, and then the coming of Messiah would have been but one event, the reign and blessing beginning at once, as the apostle at first expected. (Acts 1:6) But God had provided "some better thing for us"'the Christian Church (Heb. 11:40); hence it is in our interest that the reign of Christ is separated from the sufferings of the Head by these eighteen centuries.
This period between the first and second advents, between the ransom of all and the blessing of all, is for the trial and selection of the Church, which is the body of Christ; otherwise there would have been only the one advent, and the work which will be done during the period of his second presence, in the Millennium, would have followed the resurrection of Jesus. Or, instead of saying that the work of the second advent would have followed at once the work of the first, let us say, rather, that had Jehovah not proposed the selection of the "little flock," "the body of Christ," the first advent would not have taken place when it did, but would have occurred at the time of the second advent, and there would have been but one. For God has evidently designed the permission of evil for six thousand years, as well as that the cleansing and restitution of all shall be accomplished during the seventh thousand.
Thus seen, the coming of Jesus, as the sacrifice and ransom for sinners, was just long enough in advance of the blessing and restoring time to allow for the selection of his "little flock" of "joint-heirs." This will account to some for the apparent delay on God's part in giving the blessings promised, and provided for, in the ransom. The blessings will come in due time, as at first planned, though, for a glorious purpose, the price was paid longer beforehand than men would have expected.
The Apostle informs us that Jesus has been absent from earth, in the heaven, during all the intervening time from his ascension to the beginning of the times of restitution, or the Millennial age'" whom the heaven must retain until the times of restitution of all things," etc. (Acts 3:21) Since the Scriptures thus teach that the object of our Lord's second advent is the restitution of all things spoken, and that at the time of his appearing the nations are so far from being converted as to be angry (Rev. 11:18) and in opposition, it must be admitted either that the Church will fail to accomplish her mission, and that the plan of God will be thus far frustrated, or else, as we claim and have shown, that the conversion of the world in the present age was not expected of the Church, but that her mission has been to preach the Gospel in all the world for a witness , and to prepare herself under divine direction for her great future work. God has not yet by any means exhausted his power for the world's conversion. Nay, more; he has not yet even attempted the world's conversion.
Those who claim that Jehovah has been trying for six thousand years to convert the world, and failing all the time, must find it difficult to reconcile such views with the Bible assurance that all God's purposes shall be accomplished, and that his Word shall not return [HG343] unto him void, but shall prosper in the thing whereto it was sent .(Isa. 55:11) The fact that the world has not yet been converted, and that the knowledge of the Lord has not yet filled the earth, is a proof that it has not yet been sent on that mission.
Glancing backward, we notice the selection or election of Abraham and certain of his offspring as the channels through which the promised Seed, the blesser of all the families of the earth, shall come. (Gal. 3:16, 29) We note also the selection of Israel from among all nations, as the one in whom, typically, God illustrated how the great work for the world should be accomplished, their deliverance from Egypt, their Canaan, their covenants, their laws, their sacrifices for sins, for the blotting out of guilt and for the sprinkling of the people, and their priesthood for the accomplishment of all this, being a miniature and typical representation of the real priesthood and sacrifices for the purifying of the world of mankind. God, speaking for the people, said, "You only have I known of all the families of the earth." (Amos 3:2) This people alone was recognized until Christ came; yes, and afterwards, for his ministry was confined to them, and he would not permit his disciples to go to others, saying, as he sent them out, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not." Why so, Lord?
Because, he explains, "I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." (Matt. 10:5,6; Matt. 15:24) All his time was devoted to them until his death, and there was done his first work for the world, the first display of his free and all-abounding grace, which in "due time" shall indeed by a blessing to all. When the called-out company (called to be sons of God, heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord, who have made their calling and election sure) is complete, then the plan of God for the world's salvation will be only beginning.
Not until it is selected, developed, and exalted to power, will the Seed bruise the serpent's head. "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly." (Rom. 16:20; Gen. 3:15) The Gospel age makes ready the chaste virgin, the faithful Church, for the coming Bridegroom. And in the end of the age, when she is made "ready" (Rev. 19:7), the Bridegroom comes, and they that are ready go in with him to the marriage, the second Adam and the second Eve become one, and then the glorious work of restitution begins. In the next dispensation, the new heaven and the new earth, the Church will be no longer the espoused virgin, but the Bride; and then shall "The Spirit and the Bride say, Come! And let him that heareth say, Come! And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." Rev. 22:17 The Gospel age, so far from closing the Church's mission, is only a necessary preparation for the great future work. For this promised and coming blessing the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, waiting for the manifestation of the sons of God. (Rom. 8:22,19) And it is a blessed fact that free grace in fullest measure, not merely for the living but for those who have died as well, is provided in our Father's plan as the blessed opportunity of the coming age.
Some who can see something of the blessings due at the second advent, and who appreciate in some measure the fact that the Lord comes to bestow the grand blessing purchased by his death, fail to see this last proposition; viz., that those in their graves have as much interest in that glorious reign of Messiah as those who at that time will be less completely under the bondage of corruption, death. But as surely as Jesus died for all , they all must have the blessings and opportunities which he purchased with his own precious blood. Hence we shall expect blessings in the Millennial age upon all those in their graves as well as upon those not in them; and of this we will find abundant proof, as we look further into the Lord's testimony on the subject. It is because of God's plan for their release that those in the tomb are called "prisoners of hope." What is, and is to be, their condition? Did God make no provision for these, whose condition and circumstances he must have foreseen? Or did he, from the foundation of the world, make a wretched and merciless provision for their hopeless, eternal torment as many of his children claim? Or has he yet in store in the heights and depths, and lengths and breadths of his plan, an opportunity for all to come to the knowledge of that only name , and, by becoming obedient to the conditions, to enjoy everlasting life? We read that "God is love," and "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish." (1 John 4:8; John 3:16) Would it not seem that if God loved the world so much he might have made provision, not only that believers might be saved, but also that all might hear in order to believe?
Again, when we read, "That was the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world" (John 1:9), our observation says, Not so; every man has not been enlightened; we cannot see that our Lord has lighted more than a few of earth's billions. Even in this comparatively enlightened day, millions of heathen give no evidence of such enlightenment; neither did [HG344] the Sodomites, nor multitudes of others in past ages. Jesus Christ, by the grace of God, tasted death "for every man." (Heb. 2:9) But if he tasted death for the one hundred and forty-three billions, and from any cause that sacrifice becomes efficacious to only one billion, was not the redemption comparatively a failure?
And in that case, is not the Apostle's statement too broad? When again we read, "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to ALL PEOPLE" (Luke 2:10), and looking about us, see that it is only to a "little flock" that it has been good tidings, and not to all people, we would be compelled to wonder whether the angels had not overstated the goodness and breadth of their message, and overrated the importance of the work to be accomplished by the Messiah whom they announced.
Another statement is, "There is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all." (1 Tim. 2:5,6) A ransom for all? Then why should not all the ransomed have some benefit from Christ's death? Why should not all come to a knowledge of the truth, that they may believe?
Without the key, how dark, how inconsistent, these statements appear; but when we find the key to God's plan, these texts all declare with one voice, "God is love." This key is found in the latter part of the text last quoted' "Who gave himself a ransom for all, TO BE TESTIFIED IN DUE TIME." God has a due time for everything. He could have testified it to these in their past life time; but since he did not it proves that their due time must be future. For those who will be of the Church, the bride of Christ, and share the Kingdom honors, the present is the "due time" to hear; and whosoever now has an ear to hear, let him hear and heed, and he will be blessed accordingly. Though Jesus paid our ransom before we were born, it was not our "due time" to hear of it for long years afterward, and only the appreciation of it brought responsibility; and this, only to the extent of our ability and appreciation. The same principle applies to all; in God's due time it will be testified to all, and all will then have opportunity to believe and to be blessed by it.
The prevailing opinion is that death ends all probation; but there is no Scripture which so teaches. Since God does not propose to save men on account of ignorance, but "will have all men to come unto the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4); and since the masses of mankind have died in ignorance; and since "there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave" (Eccl. 9:10); therefore God has prepared for the awakening of the dead, in order to knowledge, faith and salvation. Hence his plan is, that "as all in Adam die, even so all in Christ shall be made alive, but each one in his own order"'the Gospel Church, the Bride, the body of Christ, first; afterward, during the Millennial age, all who shall become his during that thousand years of his presence (mistranslated coming), the Lord's due time for all to know him, from the least to the greatest. 1 Cor. 15:22 We see, then, that the general salvation, which will come to every individual, consists of light from the true light, and an opportunity to choose life; and, as the great majority of the race is in the tomb, it will be necessary to bring them forth from the grave in order to testify to them the good tidings of a Savior; also that the special salvation which believers now enjoy in hope (Rom. 8:24), and the reality of which will, in the Millennial age, be revealed also to those who "believe in that day," is a full release from the thraldom of sin, and the corruption of death, into the glorious liberty of children of God. But attainment to all these blessings will depend upon hearty compliance with the laws of Christ's Kingdom, the rapidity of the attainment to perfection indicating the degree of love for the King and for his law of love. If any, enlightened by the Truth, and brought to a knowledge of the love of God, and restored (either actually or reckonedly) to human perfection, become "fearful," and "draw-back" (Heb. 10:38,39), they, with the unbelievers (Rev. 21:8), will be destroyed from among the people. (Acts 3:23) This is the Second Death.
Thus we see that all these hitherto difficult texts are explained by the statement'" to be testified in due time." In due time , that true light shall lighten every man that has come into the world. In due time , it shall be "good tidings of great joy to all people." And in no other way can these Scriptures be used without wresting.
Paul carries out this line of argument with emphasis in Rom. 5:18,19. He reasons that, as all men were condemned to death because of Adam's transgression, so also, Christ's righteousness, and obedience even unto death, have become a ground of justification; and that, as all lost life in the first Adam, so all, aside from personal demerit, may receive life by accepting the second Adam.
Peter tells us that this restitution is spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets. (Acts 3:19-21) They do all teach it. Ezekiel says of the valley of dry bones, "These bones are the whole house of Israel." And God says to Israel, "Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I ... shall put my [HG345] spirit in you, and I shall place you in your own land; then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord." Eze. 37:11-14 To this Paul's words agree (Rom. 11:25, 26) "Blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles [the elect company, the bride of Christ] be come in; and so all Israel shall be saved," or brought back from their cast-off condition; for "God hath not cast away his people which he foreknow." (Verse 2) They were cast off from his favor while the bride of Christ was being selected, but will be reinstated when the work is accomplished. (Verses 28-33) The prophecies are full of statements of how God will plant them again, and they shall be no more plucked up. "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, ... I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up. And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord; and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return unto me with their whole heart." (Jer. 24:5-7; Jer. 31:28; Jer. 32:40-42; Jer. 33:6-16) These cannot merely refer to restorations from former captivities in Babylon, Syria, etc., for they have since been plucked up.
Though many of the prophecies and promises of future blessing seem to apply to Israel only, it must be remembered that they were a typical people, and hence the promises made to them, while sometimes having a special application to themselves, generally have also a wider application to the whole world of mankind which that nation typified. While Israel as a nation was typical of the whole world, its priesthood was typical of the elect "little flock," the head and body of Christ, the "Royal Priesthood;" and the sacrifices, cleansings and atonement made for Israel typified the "better sacrifices," fuller cleansings and real atonement "for the sins of the whole world," of which they are a part.
And not only so, but God mentions by name other nations, and promises their restoration. As a forcible illustration we mention the Sodomites. Surely, if we shall find the restitution of the Sodomites clearly taught, we may feel satisfied of the truth of this glorious doctrine of Restitution for all mankind, spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets. And why should not the Sodomites have an opportunity to reach perfection and everlasting life as well as Israel, or as any of us? True, they were not righteous, but neither was Israel, nor were we who now hear the gospel. "There is none righteous; no, not one," aside from the imputed righteousness of Christ, who died for all. Our Lord's own words tell us that although God rained down fire from heaven and destroyed them all because of their wickedness, yet the Sodomites were not so great sinners in his sight as were the Jews, who had more knowledge. (Gen. 19:24; Luke 17:29) Unto the Jews of Capernaum he said, "If the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day." Matt. 11:23 Thus our Lord teaches that the Sodomites did not have a full opportunity; and he guarantees them such opportunity when he adds (verse 24), "But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom, in the day of judgment, than for thee." The character of the Day of Judgment and its work is shown elsewhere.* Here we merely call attention to the fact that it will be a tolerable time for Capernaum, and yet more tolerable for Sodom; because, though neither had yet had full knowledge, nor all the blessings designed to come through the "Seed," yet Capernaum had sinned against more light.
| *See Vol. 1, MILLENNIAL DAWN, "The Plan of the Ages." |
And if Capernaum and all Israel are to be remembered and blessed under the "New Covenant," sealed by the blood of Jesus, why should not the Sodomites also be blessed among "all the families of the earth?" They assuredly will be. And let it be remembered that since God "rained down fire from heaven and destroyed them all 'many centuries before Jesus' day, when their restoration is spoken of, it implies their awakening, their coming from the tomb.
In "due time" they will be awakened from death and brought to a knowledge of the truth, and thus blessed together with all the families of the earth, by the promised "Seed." They will then be on trial for everlasting life.
With this thought, and with no other, can we understand the dealings of the God of love with those Amalekites and other nations whom he not only permitted but commanded Israel to destroy, saying, "Go smite Amalek and utterly destroy all they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." (1 Sam. 15:3) This apparently reckless destruction of life seems irreconcilable with the character of love attributed to God, and with the teaching of Jesus, "Love your enemies," etc., until we come to recognize the systematic order of God's plan, the "due time" for the accomplishment of every feature of it, and the fact that every member of the human race has a place in it.
We can now see that those Amalekites, Sodomites and others were set forth as examples of God's just indignation, and of his determination to destroy [HG346] finally and utterly evil-doers: examples which will be of service not only to others, but also to themselves, when their day of judgment or trial comes.
Some, who are willing enough to accept of God's mercy through Christ in the forgiveness of their own trespasses and weaknesses under greater light and knowledge, cannot conceive of the same favor being applicable under the New Covenant to others; though they seem to admit the Apostle's statement that Jesus Christ, by the favor of God, tasted death for every man. Some of these suggest that the Lord must, in this prophecy, be speaking ironically to the Jews, implying that he would just as willingly bring back the Sodomites as them, but had no intention of restoring either. But let us see how the succeeding verses agree with this idea. (Eze. 16:49-63) The Lord says, "Nevertheless I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant. Then, thou shalt remember thy ways and be ashamed, when thou shalt receive thy sisters ... And I will establish my covenant with thee, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord; that thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, SAITH THE LORD GOD."
When a promise is thus signed by the Great Jehovah, all who have set their seal that God is true may rejoice in its certainty with confidence; especially those who realize that these New Covenant blessings have been confirmed of God in Christ, who hath sealed the covenant with his own precious blood.
To this Paul adds his testimony, saying, "And so all Israel [living and dead] shall be saved [recovered from blindness], as it is written, 'There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. For this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins.' ... They are beloved for the fathers' sakes; because the gracious gifts and callings of God are not things to be repented of." Rom. 11:26-29 We need not wonder that Jews, Sodomites, Samaritans, and all mankind, will be ashamed and confounded when in his own "due time" God shows forth the riches of his favor. Yea, many of those who are now God's children will be confounded and amazed when they see how God so loved THE WORLD, and how much his thoughts and plans were above their own.
How different is this glorious plan of God for the selection of a few now, in order to the blessing of the many hereafter, from the distortions of these truths, as represented by the two opposing views, Calvinism and Arminianism! The former both denies the Bible doctrine of Free Grace, and miserably distorts the glorious doctrine of Election; the latter denies the doctrine of Election, and fails to comprehend the blessed fullness of God's Free Grace.
The day of trouble will end in due time, when he who spake to the raging Sea of Galilee will likewise, with authority, command the raging sea of human passion, saying, "Peace! Be still!" When the Prince of Peace shall "stand up" in authority, a great calm will be the result. Then the raging and clashing elements shall recognize the authority of "Jehovah's Anointed," "the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together;" and in the reign of the Christ thus begun "shall all the families of the earth be blessed."
Then men will see that what they attribute to evolution or natural development and the smartness of the "Brain Age" was, instead, the flashings of Jehovah's lightnings (Psa. 77:18) in "the day of his preparation" for the blessing of mankind.
The Bible account of man's creation is that God created him perfect and upright, an earthly image of himself; that man sought out various inventions and defiled himself (Gen. 1:27; Rom. 5:12; Eccl. 7:29); that, all being sinners, the race was unable to help itself, and none could by any means redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him (Psa. 49:7,15); that God in compassion and love had made provision for this; that, accordingly, the Son of God became a man, and paid man's ransom-price; that, as a reward for this sacrifice, and in order to the completion of the great work of atonement, he was highly exalted, even to the divine nature; and that in due time he will bring to pass a restitution of the race to the original perfection, and to every blessing then possessed. These things are clearly taught in the Scriptures, from beginning to end, and are in direct opposition to the Evolution theory; or, rather, such "babblings of science, falsely so called," are in violent and irreconcilable conflict with the Word of God.
The Pharisees at the first advent made the mistake of supposing that the Kingdom, which Christ proclaimed, would be a visible kingdom, composed of himself and his followers in the flesh; and seeing no army or other evidences of temporal power for the establishment of an earthly kingdom, they thought to expose the hollowness of our Lord's claims before his followers, by asking him the question, When will your Kingdom of God appear, when will we see it? Mark well our Lord's reply, which, if the Pharisees had [HG347] understood it, might have been a great revelation to them. He answered, "The Kingdom of God cometh not with observation." How strange they must have thought this answer! The Kingdom of God, then, would be a Kingdom which could not be observed or seen; an invisible kingdom. But our Lord continued the explanation and increased their perplexity by adding, "Neither shall ye say, Lo here! or, Lo there!" Then our Lord gave the key to the matter by adding, "Because the Kingdom of Heaven is [to be] in the midst of you." That is to say, when the Kingdom of Heaven shall come it will be amongst mankind, everywhere present but wholly invisible; so that they cannot observe it with the natural eye, nor can they point it out or locate it, altho it will be everywhere present amongst men, an omnipresent and omnipotent rule or reign of righteousness. In our Common Version the true thought is obscured by the words, "within you," which would better be "among you." Anyone, however, can see, that it could not have been our Lord's intention to say that the Kingdom of God was then or ever would be within the hearts of the class addressed, and which elsewhere he styled "hypocrites, whited walls and sepulchers, full of all manner of corruption."
When the right conception of our Lord, in his glorified condition, is gained, and when the Apostle's statement is remembered, that his Church shall be like him, and "see him as he is ," it is comparatively easy to understand that the entire glorified Church will be as invisible to the world as the Heavenly Father is, and as our Lord Jesus was after his resurrection; and when it is remembered that this Church constitutes the Kingdom of God, the "royal priesthood," which is to rule and bless the world during the Millennial age, our Lord's words to the Pharisees are quite intelligible, "The kingdom of God cometh not with observation, neither shall ye say, Lo here! or, Lo there! for behold the Kingdom of God is in the midst of you"'a present but invisible authority, government, rule of righteousness.
The Apostle Paul was the only one of the disciples who saw our Lord "as he is."
He tells us that the Lord's real spiritual presence, so far from being fleshly or human-like, shone with a brightness "above the brightness of the sun at noonday." Acts 26:13; 1 John 3:2; 1 Tim. 6:16
Acts 17:18" Concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question." Paul, Acts 23:6; Acts 24:21 "And when they heard of the resurrection of the DEAD, some mocked; and others said, we will hear thee again of this matter." Acts 17:32 If our wayward loved ones who died out of Christ are already in "the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone," and the righteous dead are already in bliss, why do the Scriptures say, "The Lord knoweth how to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished," and "If there be no resurrection of the dead, then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished"? Rev. 20:15; 2 Pet. 2:9; 1 Cor. 15:13-18 If those who have "fallen asleep" have already "gone to their reward," why did the Master himself say that they should be "recompensed at the resurrection of the just," when the Son of Man shall come in His glory, when every man shall be rewarded according to his works? Luke 14:14; Matt. 16:27; Rev. 11:18 If God's faithful are to be crowned at death, why did the apostles say that their own crowns were "laid up" for them until "the Chief Shepherd shall appear"? 2 Tim. 4:1,8; 1 Pet. 5:4 If they are already in the presence of God and singing His praises, why does "The Sweet Singer of Israel" say that "In death there is no remembrance" of God, and "The dead praise not the Lord"? Psa. 6:4,5; Psa. 115:17 If the prophets and other ancient worthies were taken to heaven at death, why did Jesus say during his ministry, "No man hath ascended up to heaven," and Peter at a still later date declare, "David is not ascended into the heavens"? John 3:13; Acts 2:34
If the apostles were to go to heaven immediately at death why did Jesus say to them before his ascension, "Whither I go ye cannot come," but, "If I go I will come again and [then] receive you unto myself"? John 13:33; John 14:3 Our message like that of the apostles is Jesus the only Redeemer, and the resurrection the blessed hope, to be obtained through faith and obedience.
Is there not danger of getting mixed up by taking the "say so" of men? and is it not our duty to demand and seek a "Thus saith the Lord" for all that we accept as truth on religious subjects? And, will not the reader resolve to do this hereafter?
A flood of light on many Scriptural questions can be obtained from a pamphlet entitled, What Say the Scriptures About Hell? It examines every text of the Bible containing the word hell , and assists the Bible student in "rightly dividing the word of truth." We will be pleased to send you a sample copy free. This should be followed by a studious reading of The Plan of the Ages, a veritable "Bible Key," opening to the consecrated children of God "hidden treasures" of divine [HG348] grace, now meat in due season for such as are hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
[Reprinted from the Pittsburgh Gazette, Dec. 7, 1903]
Pastor C. T. RUSSELL addressed a full and attentive house yesterday as usual, at Bible House Chapel, Allegheny. His text and address follow: "My plans are not your plans, neither are your methods my methods, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my methods higher than your methods, and my plans than your plans." Isa. 55:8,9 Doubtless you will all be surprised to know that today's service is to be in the nature of a continuation of the debates which closed in Carnegie Hall, Allegheny, a month ago.
Dr. E. L. Eaton, Pastor of the North Avenue M. E. Church, is present before you this afternoon representatively. I hold in my hand a copy of a letter written four days after the closing debate at Carnegie Hall, to a minister, who in turn read it to a congregation at Duquesne, Pa., on the Sunday following the close of the debates. The letter is therefore not to be considered a private one. Indeed the utterances of public men on public questions are never to be considered as private.
The letter is doubly interesting, proving, as it does, first that the debates awakened thought and study and inquiry on the part of at least some of the ministers of this vicinity; and second, in that it clearly indicates that Dr. Eaton's views have been considerably modified on two important subjects, future probation and the wages of sin. You will be surprised by some of the gentleman's candid avowals. We will proceed to discuss the difficulties which seem to trouble him, hoping thereby to meet and to answer difficulties which may be troubling other conscientious souls.
We will read the letter as a whole, and then take it up for critical examination by sections. To facilitate this, we have numbered Dr. Eaton's statements by paragraphs. The letter reads:
"Dear Brother: "I thank you for your kind letter. You discuss two important propositions, Probation after Death; and Eternal Death.
(A1) "Concerning the first: God will give all his creatures a fair chance; if they have not a fair chance in this life, he will provide them a fair chance somewhere and sometime. But it is to be remembered [HG350] that he is the one who decides whether they have a fair chance in this life or not. It is impossible for us to say. I prefer to leave that question with him. Now, if the heathen, idiots and children do not have a fair chance in this life (as it seems they do not), and if they need a probation, or if a probation is necessary for them in God's plan, then he surely will provide one.
(A2) "All I know about it (and all any one knows about it), is that if God intends to give anybody a probation after this life, he has not informed us of it.
(A3) "Paul tells us in the 1st and 2nd chapters of Romans, that the heathen have so much light that 'they are without excuse'; and Peter told Cornelius, 'I now perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but that in every nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him. 'Those texts seem to me to teach that all the adult heathen in the world have light enough to be saved if they will.
(A4) "Then why send missionaries? Because our Lord commanded us to 'Go. '(B1) "Your other question concerns Eternal Death. In Matt. 25:46, it is called Everlasting Punishment; in Rev. 20:10, it is called the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, in which the beast, the false prophet and the devil were tormented day and night for ever and ever. In Rev. 21:8, we are told that murderers and fornicators and sorcerers, etc., shall have their part also in the same Lake of Fire and Brimstone, to be treated in the same fashion as the beast and the devil. It is also said in this last verse quoted, that 'this is the Second Death'. Now the question is whether 'the Second Death' means a state of conscious existence and suffering or annihilation.
(B2) "That it does not mean annihilation is evident from these facts: "The word death does not necessarily mean annihilation. The unregenerate are always spoken of in the Bible as dead. 'Let the dead bury their dead, 'which I take it means, Let those who are spiritually dead, bury those who are physically dead.
'Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead.' 'Dead in trespasses and in sins.'
(B3) "Now if death does not ever mean annihilation when spoken of the soul, why should we conclude that the 'Second Death' does necessarily mean annihilation?
(B4) "The Second Death, I take it, is similar to and but a continuation of the experiences of the Rich Man in Hades, which the American revision tells us was 'anguish''that is soul torture, not physical torture, regrets, remorse, stinging remembrances''Son, remember, 'etc.
(B5) "Death is defined as 'the absence of that life to which it stands opposed. 'Physical death is the absence or negation of physical life; spiritual death is the negation or absence of spiritual life; eternal death is the negation or absence of eternal life.'
(B6) "Now then, what is eternal life? Certainly not immortality, for we inherit a 'living soul,' a soul whose nature it is 'to live' and in that sense therefore we are immortal. Immortality is not a gift conditioned upon faith in Christ. It is the inheritance and common property of the human race. Even demons are immortal; multitudes of beings, both human and satanic, are immortal. But they have not eternal life. That is conditioned upon faith in Christ. Those who have not faith in Christ as the Savior have not eternal life. Therefore the negation or absence of eternal life is eternal death. 'The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life.' Here eternal life stands over against eternal death, but it is simply called death.
(B7) "Now, when we inquire what life is, and learn that life is always communication with our surroundings, correspondence with environment, and that therefore eternal life is correspondence with our spiritual environment, or, as Jesus defined it''To know God and Jesus Christ whom he hath sent''then it follows that eternal death, 'the Second Death,' is the eternal absence or negation of any power or privilege of communication with God, regret, remorse, anguish, bitter remembrances; spiritual life, righteousnss, peace, joy, hope, love, all gone forever out of the soul; that it is, all that, to sink into the awful night of 'the Second Death'; that it is, all that, to go into eternal death.
(B8) "This seems to be the state of the case so far as the Word of the Lord reveals the Divine purpose. If God intends to annihilate the lost soul at some far-off period of eternity, he has not told us so.
(B9) "It may be the legitimate result of sin to work the soul's entire overthrow, to cause the soul to degenerate until it is utterly extinguished. For myself I heartily hope that such will be the final outcome of incorrigible and apostate souls; but if so, we are not informed; and for the present, we must declare only what God hath been pleased to reveal. Beyond that we are not authorized to give public utterance when preaching the Gospel. It would please me if you thought it worth while to let me know how far these sentiments coincide with your own.
Fraternally yours, "E. L. EATON"
It is not surprising that a bright, strong mind like that of Dr. Eaton should not at once get clear of the difficulties which have enshrouded these subjects for more than fifteen centuries. It is a mark of great [HG351] progress to note in the above that the gentleman has been touched with the Truth, and that the only difficulties remaining are mental entanglements with the theories of the dark ages, which he erroneously fancies to be the teachings of the Word of God. We were once in the same condition, and can appreciate the situation thoroughly. It is certainly a long step in the right direction to have the gentleman's assurances of the first paragraph, that if the heathen, idiots and children do not have a fair chance in this life, and if they need a probation, God will surely provide one. It is a further strong admission that, in Dr. Eaton's judgment, it seems that these, who constitute so large a proportion of humanity, seem not to have had a fair chance or probation in this life.
The last paragraph also is encouraging. The gentleman's large heart properly rebels against the ungodly, unscriptural, satanic teaching that all who do not secure divine favor in this present life will experience an eternity of suffering – torture. We draw attention to the gentleman's words to the effect that he is not informed respecting the final outcome of the incorrigible. We hope that he will give the subject still further Scriptural investigation, and become thoroughly informed as to what is therein written on the subject. We agree with his words, "for the present we must declare only what God has been pleased to reveal." It is because, therefore, God has not yet revealed to Brother Eaton, that he is not yet ready to speak forth, as it is because God has caused us to know something of the lengths and breadths and heights and depths of his love, a gracious plan of salvation, that we can and do declare most positively the divine plan in respect to the heathen, etc.; that "God will have all men to be saved [from destruction, from the grave] and come to a knowledge of the truth ... to be testified in due time." (1 Tim. 2:4-6) It is because God does clearly reveal it, that we can declare with assurance that "all the wicked will he destroy" (Psa. 145:20), and that "they shall be punished with everlasting destruction" and not with everlasting torture, either mental or physical. 2 Thess. 1:9 Let us now take up Dr. Eaton's statements seriatim. The first proposition respecting Probation after Death, we indicate by the letter "A," the second proposition on Eternal Death by the letter "B."
(A1) We agree most heartily with this statement, that it is not for us to decide respecting the divine plan and to tell the Almighty what he shall do and what he shall not do for us and for all. It is for us rather to be "swift to hear and slow to speak." But what do we hear as we hearken to the voice of the Lord through his Word? We hear that which is in full accord with all the facts as we see them about us every day, and as we read them in history, namely, that there was a chance given to father Adam and mother Eve in Eden, and that they lost that chance by disobedience, and that the penalty for that disobedience was death, which affected not only themselves mentally, morally and physically, but also affected their as yet unborn posterity, not miraculously, not theoretically, but in a natural way, the degeneracy of the parent necessarily implying the degeneracy of the offspring, because the stream cannot rise higher than its fountain. Thus the Scriptures declare in figurative language that the "fathers ate a sour grape [of sin] and that the children's teeth are set on edge." (Jer. 31:29) And in plain language the Apostle declares'" By one man's disobedience sin entered into the world and death as the result of sin, and so death passed upon all men because all are sinners"'" born in sin and shapen in iniquity; in sin did my mother conceive me." Rom. 5:12; Psa. 51:5
As this curse included every member of the human family, there was not a member of the race able to redeem his brother or to give to God a ransom for him. (Psa. 49:7) But in due time divine mercy and clemency operated toward the condemned and smitten race to provide for its members a hope of life, an opportunity of regaining what father Adam had lost by disobedience. All Christians recognize the redemptive work of Christ, but all do not see how far-reaching, how comprehensive, is the atonement effected by the great sacrifice for sins. Christians in general hold the truth that the benefits of Christ's death are imputed to those who believe and act upon their belief, so as to seek harmony with God through the Savior. But undeniably the number of those who have believed in the Lord Jesus has been infinitesimal as compared with the whole race.
Naturally, Christian minds are exercised upon this subject of what would become of those who do not now believe on the Lord, who cannot now believe on him, because of infancy or lack of mental capacity, as with the idiot, or others who fail to obtain a knowledge of the only name given under heaven or amongst men whereby they must be saved, the great world of mankind in general, called by the Jews, Gentiles, and by the Christians, heathen. The actions of different minds upon this subject have yielded different answers, which have been reflected in the various creeds [HG352] of Christendom today. The answer of John Calvin was election, that God was passing by the majority of Adam's children, and was merely electing or choosing a few. The answer of John Wesley was that he did not see how the heathen had been or could be benefited, but that he took for granted that God in some way was dealing with all, and that the heathen would have a fair chance and a fair representation in the future life. The answer of others has been and is that the whole subject is complex, confused, and that they cannot understand the conflicting teachings of the Scriptures on election and free grace, some passages seeming to speak most positively of the election and the very elect and the making our calling and election sure, and declaring that no man can come unto the Father except through the Son, and that no man can come to the Son except the Father draw him; while other passages declare that whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely.
The mistake made by these searchers after Truth has been that they leaned too much to their own understanding, and sought and taught their own wisdom rather than the wisdom of God as revealed in his Word. Furthermore, it is possible that God permitted a great deal of ignorance respecting his plan until the present time, the harvest time, the time when the mystery of God, we are told, will be finished at the sounding of the seventh trumpet. (Rev. 10:7) In any event those who do now see the Word of the Lord harmoniously have a great blessing and a great joy, inspiring still greater confidence than ever before in God's Word, in the character of God and in the fulfillment of all the exceeding great and precious promises of his Word.
Our text bids us beware of measuring the divine character, the divine plan and method by human standards; it cautions us to take close heed to the direction of the Lord's Word if we would understand his plan. It is in full agreement with the statement of the Apostle (1 Cor. 2:4-8), that the Lord's ministers are not to expect that their message shall be with words that will entice the world and be in accord with the wisdom of this world, but that we are to seek for and to present in the name of the Lord the wisdom which cometh from above. We are not, therefore, to inquire what do the majority think respecting the questions we are discussing. We well know that all the various theories of men, purporting to be the plans of the Almighty, are terrible for their cruelty, injustice, superstition. The various creeds of Christendom and of heathendom have taken the forms of the molds in which they were cast, the depraved judgments of fallen men. We rejoice that God's methods are different, that God's plans are different, not lower but higher, as our text declares, as much higher as the heavens are above the earth.
Looking into the Word of God from this standpoint, expecting the divine plan to be nobler and grander than that of fallen humanity and of Satan, the great deceiver, we do find what we seek. We find that the heavenly plan shows us that the reason the Lord has not in the past, and does not now, exert his great power for the restraint of evil, and to cause the knowledge of the Savior to reach every creature, and thus to give every creature a full chance of obtaining salvation through faith, is that his plan is broader and deeper and higher than this. He shows us that he is now electing a peculiar class, in all but a "little flock," to be joint-heirs with the Redeemer in the great work of blessing and restitution. (Acts 3:19-21) He shows us that the world in general is getting lessons of experience with sin, learning something of its exceeding sinfulness and the bitterness of its every fruit. He shows that these will be to their advantage in the future, when they shall be brought to an experimental knowledge of the blessings of righteousness, and that by possessing this knowledge mankind will be the better prepared to choose righteousness and obedience and thus to choose everlasting life through Christ.
The Scriptures show us, too, that the call of the Church "to be partakers of the divine nature," and sharers of the Kingdom is not hindered, but advantaged by the permission of evil in the present time: that evil now serves to discipline, chasten, fit, prepare, polish the "living stones" of the future glorious temple for the various positions they are then to occupy in the divine service, the blessing of all the families of the earth according to the original promise. (Gal. 3:16,29) They show us, too, that this election at the present time of the little flock means, not the relegation of the remainder of mankind, the non-elect, to torment, but, on the contrary, the blessing of the non-elect; and that this blessing will come as soon as the Church shall be complete and glorified, which will be in conjunction with the establishment of the glorious Kingdom of Messiah, for which the Lord's people have been praying, as taught by the Master, "Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven."
Then will come the free grace, every creature small and great shall be caused to know of the love of God and the mercy which he has provided for all in and through the Lord Jesus. Then the river of the water of life will flow freely from the glorified Church, the New Jerusalem, and all will be invited to partake of it' [HG353] "whosoever will, may take of the water of life freely." The Scriptures show us that the very class which will then invite the world to the water of life will be the glorified Church, the Bride, co-operating with the Spirit, the power of God, for is it not written, "The Spirit and the Bride shall say Come, and whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely"? But now we must wait, because as yet there is no Bride; she is in process of selection. It is ours to enjoy present privileges and to make our calling and election sure to a place in that Bride class, by faithfulness to our call and consecration.
(A2) This no doubt expresses Brother Eaton's view of the matter: when a man does not see a thing himself he is very apt to conclude that nobody else sees it; but we totally disagree on this point, and assert that the Scriptures do most positively teach a future probation. Let us examine a few of the many Scriptures applicable to this point, beginning back with the promise made to Abraham that in his seed all the families of the earth should be blessed. Take the Apostle Paul's interpretation of this, namely, that Christ and the Church are the seed of Abraham.
Note what the Scriptures say respecting the way in which the world will be blessed under the Millennial Kingdom, that then the knowledge of the Lord shall fill the whole earth as the waters cover the great deep, so that none shall need say unto his neighbor, Know thou the Lord, for all shall know him from the least even unto the greatest. (Jer. 31:34) Is that promise fulfilled in the present time? Surely no sane person would so claim.
If not fulfilled in the present time, has it been fulfilled in the past? Surely not!
Were there not forty centuries before our dear Redeemer came at all, and could the people of those forty centuries be blessed by him or by his redemptive work or by the preaching of the Gospel which he began to preach? (Heb. 2:3) Surely not! and if not, then those promises are as true as ever, backed by the name and power and wisdom and justice and love of the Almighty Creator. That promise, then, is God's assurance of a future probation to the great mass of mankind, the hundreds of millions who have died without hearing of the only name given whereby they must be saved.
We might multiply references did time permit. Take two more merely as a sample. Note the words of John 1:9; which declare Jesus to be "the true light which lighteneth every man coming into the world."
Can any one reasonably claim that Jesus has enlightened the idiots, the heathen or the infants? Surely not! If, then, this be a true statement, that in the divine plan Jesus is to be the light to lighten every man, when will it be? Surely it must be a future enlightenment; the one which is mentioned in the Scriptures, in which our Lord is figuratively represented as the Sun of Righteousness which shall arise with healing in his beams. That Sun of Righteousness will rise in the Millennial morning, that will be the Sun of the new day, the Jubilee of earth.
We are still in the time when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people. The light shines into the hearts of only a few as yet, but God's promise that it shall enlighten all is a firm anchor to our faith that a probation will be granted to every member of the race; an opportunity to choose between the light and the darkness, between harmony with God and sin. The other proof which we offer at the present time is the Scriptural statement that now the Father is doing the drawing, and that he draws only the elect (John 6:44); and the further Scriptural statement that when in due time Christ shall be lifted up, when Head and body shall be glorified in the Kingdom, the Christ will draw all men unto him. John 12:32
We do not mean to say that all men will come into a condition where they will be everlastingly saved. We are not preaching Universalism, but merely a universal opportunity which must be decided by each individual for himself, and which cannot be decided in the dark, in ignorance, a decision in which knowledge of the Truth is a prerequisite. As the Father now draws some who rejoice to yield their wills and to come into heart harmony with the present call to joint heirship with Christ, so likewise when in due time Christ shall fulfill his promise, "I will draw all men unto me," it will still be optional with those drawn whether or not they will respond heartily.
The power and authority of the Kingdom will be such that every knee must bow and every tongue confess, but this is not sufficient, and in order that they may have the eternal life at the close of the Millennium, it will be necessary that all shall come into heart-harmony with the Lord and all the principles of righteousness. So, then, what Brother Eaton and others do not see yet, we hope they will be able to see soon; and meantime we rejoice that their inability to see does not in any wise make void the divine purpose, as our context declares, "My word that goeth out of my mouth shall not return unto me void, but shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall [HG354] prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." (Isa. 55:11) It is now prospering in the work of selecting the Church, the Bride, and by and by it will prosper in the work of blessing all the families of the earth with a knowledge and opportunity through the glorified Christ.
(A3) Brother Eaton wholly misapprehends the Apostle Paul's argument in Rom. 1 and 2. The Apostle's argument is that God is not chargeable with any injustice done toward the degraded heathen; that it is their own fault that they are so extremely degraded; that they are "without excuse" for being so degraded. He goes on to show what the Scriptures elsewhere point out, that man was originally in God's likeness, and that such great degradation as we see manifested in some of the heathen peoples came about through disregard of the simplest principles of righteousness, the laws of which were distinctly written originally in man's very nature. What knowledge they did have of God did not exercise them properly. On the contrary, giving themselves over to fleshly desires, which the light of nature taught them were improper, they became more and more bestial and degraded, and more and more obliterated the original lines of character which were perfect in our father Adam and measurably developed even in father Noah. The Apostle is not at all talking about the rejection of Christ by these heathen, for they had never heard of him, had never had the offer of salvation in any sense of the word; but, as he elsewhere declares, they were "without God, having no hope in the world" up to the time that some of them heard of the "only name given under heaven by which we must be saved," the "great salvation which began to be preached by our Lord." Heb. 2:3
As for Peter's words to Cornelius: Again Brother Eaton seems to misapprehend the meaning of the record, which neither says nor means that Cornelius had previously been saved, as a Gentile, because of his reverence, prayers and alms.
On the contrary, the record clearly shows that this was the beginning of the extension of the Gospel, the divine favor, beyond the nation of Israel to those of all nations who were in the condition to be called to the marriage supper as members of the Bride of Christ. Previously Cornelius, as well as all of the Gentiles, were "without God and without hope in the world," except what centered in the promise to Abraham, namely, that through his seed a blessing should ultimately come to all nations. The Apostle Paul shows this clearly when reasoning upon the favors and advantages accorded to the Jews he says, "What advantage then hath the Jew [over the Gentile]?" He answers, "Much every way, chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God," the Law, its types and shadows, and the gracious promises sent through the prophets. Rom. 3:1 Our Lord showed how distinctly this favor was toward the nation of Israel up to a certain time. At the beginning of his ministry he sent forth his disciples, commissioning them to go only to the Jews, "to the lost sheep of the house of Israel," specially instructing them not to go to the Gentiles, nor even to the Samaritans. (Matt. 10:5) And even after Israel was nationally given up because of the rejection of the Messiah, divine favor and apostolic teaching was confined to the favored nation of Israel for three and a half years after the cross, up to the full end of their "seventy weeks" of promised special favor. (Dan. 9:24) Those seventy weeks had just ended at the time of Cornelius' conversion; the time had just come when the message of divine favor might go to the Gentiles, and therefore Gentiles might be received into relationship with the Lord on the same terms as the Jews, faith and obedience'" the middle wall of partition" shutting them out of these privileges, having been broken down. Eph. 2:14
It should be distinctly noted that the Apostle Peter was surprised at being sent with the Gospel to Cornelius, and that it required a special revelation from the Lord to induce him to go. Furthermore, be it noted that the other believers were equally unprepared for this great change in the operation of divine favor, which permitted it to go to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews, because Peter was called in question by a council of the other apostles and of the faithful in general to know why he had preached the Gospel to the Gentiles. Peter defended his course by showing that under the leadings of divine Providence he could have done nothing else, and all the brethren rejoiced then, considering this an evidence that the time had come for the call to divine favor to be extended also to the Gentiles.
But note, further, that although it is written of Cornelius that he was a good man, that he prayed and that he gave much alms, etc.; nevertheless, he could not be saved by these works, he could not be accepted of God nor be begotten of the holy Spirit by reason of the best of character and works. Justification could come to him only by faith in Christ. "There is none righteous, no not one," Jews or Gentiles; and hence none could commend himself to God nor be granted the privileges of adoption and begetting of the holy Spirit. Cornelius, as well as every other one who experiences the great blessing of this age, must first of all [HG355] be justified by faith in the precious blood. It was necessary, therefore, that Cornelius should be made acquainted with the great transaction at Calvary, and that he should recognize Jesus as his Redeemer, before he could be justified or adopted.
Hence it was that Peter was sent to preach to him; not to tell him that he was a moral man, for he was a moral man, not to tell him that he ought to pray, for he did pray, but to tell him what he must believe, to give him a basis of faith and thus a basis of justification. Cornelius could not have been saved without this knowledge in the only sense that there is any salvation during this Gospel age. He could not have received the begetting of the holy Spirit and entered into relationship with God as a member of the Church of Christ, which is his body.
This is the plain statement of the matter as set forth in Acts 11:14. The angel expressly told him the necessity for sending for Peter and the object of Peter's coming; that he would "speak unto thee words whereby thou and thy house shall be saved."
Now, does it lie with any uninspired man to contradict this? And all the facts of Scripture concur with this, that although Cornelius was civilized and moral, a good Gentile, he needed to hear about the blood of Christ and exercise faith in its efficacy before he could be saved; and yet it has been openly stated by Dr. Eaton, that other heathen less advanced than Cornelius, both in civilization and morality, could be saved without so much as hearing of the "only name given under heaven and amongst men whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Let us stand fast by the Word of God. Those who do so will find it indeed a firm foundation for reasonable faith; those who are careless in the study of the Word will make shipwreck of true faith, only to find themselves confused, bewildered, entangled by the philosophies and traditions of men.
(A4) Brother Eaton evidently realizes that the logic of his own argument is against him, and by this statement he seeks to parry it. He perceives that if the heathen, without a knowledge of Christ, are subjects of divine grace, so that they could be saved or lost upon the same conditions as affect those who have a knowledge of Christ, then there could be no object in sending them missionaries.
We answer, that our Lord Jesus stated the object of the preaching of the Gospel to be "for a witness unto all nations." He had previously told his disciples not to go to the outside nations, the Gentiles, but to confine their efforts to the Jews; but after his resurrection he gave them to understand that this limitation of preaching to the Jews only would expire, and that ultimately the message of the Kingdom, selecting the "little flock," would be a witness in all the world, and that those obeying the Gospel should be as candles set upon a candlestick, to shine in the darkness all about them, to "witness" to the Truth and to honor the Father in their words and deeds.
The Scriptures nowhere give a suggestion that the world in general is on trial at the present time for life or death everlasting. True, there is a general law of retribution in nature under which whatever crop a man sows he will reap. Whether this be a sowing of corrupt seed or evil practices, or of good seed, moral deeds and kindnesses, each will bear a fruitage in the heart. Consequently, whether the person ever heard of Christ or not he will receive a natural punishment in this life, wholly outside of the eternal rewards which the Lord more directly dispenses.
And this advantage or disadvantage will pass with him to the world to come.
Now is the time for judgment or trial, or testing or proving for the Church. It is her day of judgment, and hence the Apostle says, "If we sin wilfully, after that we have received a knowledge of the Truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful looking forward to judgment and fiery indignation which would devour us as adversaries." But as for the world, its day of judgment, trial, probation, testing, is in the future, as saith the Scriptures, "God hath appointed a day [future] in the which he will [future] judge the world in righteousness [giving to each one a fair, just, righteous opportunity for attaining life everlasting] through that man whom he hath ordained"'the Christ. Acts 17:31
That judgment day of the world is the Millennial day, a thousand-year day; and before it opens, God is preparing the Church, the Bride of Christ, to be his associates not only on the throne as rulers of the world, but also as judges of the world, as the Apostle declares, "Know ye not that the saints shall [future] judge the world?" Yes! we are glad that the world is to have a great judgment day, and that it will be a righteous judgment; all the conditions accessory to it will be fair, even handed, that mankind will have as favorable an opportunity for accepting righteousness and truth as of accepting unrighteousness and error, which now are so greatly in the ascendant.
We are glad, too, that during that judgment day Satan shall be bound that he may deceive the nations no more, and that all the influences which make for righteousness will be let loose upon the world, that it may come to a knowledge of the Truth, and that all [HG356] who do come into accord with the Lord may be restored in those "times of restitution" of which all the holy prophets have spoken. Acts 3:19-21 Surely if we had done all we could do in Christian lands, it would be fully in accord with the Master's Spirit and Word that we should go from nation to nation and from people to people to give the message of his grace to all. But it is not consistent with his plan that we should neglect the better fields of Christendom to go to the other more ignorant fields of heathendom. When we look about us in Christendom amongst those who have named the name of Christ, and behold great ignorance of the Lord and of his Word, great blindness respecting his character and his plan, we believe we are acting in line with the letter and spirit of the Lord's instructions when we preach the Gospel to those still in great darkness, that peradventure the eyes of their understanding may be opened, that they may see out of obscurity the grace of God, and thus be able to make their calling and election sure to a place in the Kingdom.
These matters are not as though the heathen would never have the chance in the future, and therefore that the better opportunities amongst the civilized should be neglected on their account. On the contrary, we should be co-workers with God; and since his work is declared to be the selection of the "little flock," this must be our work. The most, therefore, that we could hope to accomplish now amongst the heathen would be to find here and there a hearing ear for the Gospel of the Kingdom, that here or there a few might be found "meet for the inheritance of the saints in light;" but we believe that all who have had experience in this matter will agree with us that there are more opportunities amongst the civilized than amongst the heathen.
All this is emphasized by the fact that we are no longer in the sowing time, but dispensationally have reached the reaping time, "the harvest" of this age. Very soon great and omnipotent forces will be at work plowing and sowing for the great restitution blessings and developments of the Millennial age, the "times of restitution of all things." But now is the time for the gathering of the "wheat," the fruitage of the past sowing; now is the time for the ripening of the Lord's people, of the "wheat" class, and gathering them into the barn; and those who understand this will understand the necessity for laboring where the "wheat" is, rather than where no sowing or little sowing has been done.
We come now to Brother Eaton's second proposition (B) respecting Eternal Death. We agree with the first feature (B1), that the term "everlasting punishment" of Matt. 25:46 is the same represented in the Lake of Fire and Brimstone of Rev. 20:10; 21:8; and that the general name of this catastrophe is specifically given as the "Second Death." To us there seems no reasonable question as to whether or not the Second Death means future life or annihilation.
The word death itself stands for the opposite of life. The "punishment," "the wages of sin, is death." (Rom. 6:23) Wilful sinners, after having a full and fair opportunity, will experience this wage or punishment, which will be everlasting.
There will be no resurrection from the Second Death, no restoration in any sense or manner. It is a finality.
This is called the Second Death in contradistinction to the first death. The first death was a death of the soul'" The soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Eze. 18:4) "Death passed upon all by one man's disobedience." (Rom. 5:12) That first death, sometimes called the Adamic death, which has laid hold upon the entire human family and has borne its victims down to the tomb for six thousand years, that first death was a total extinction of being, and would have been everlasting, had it not been for the redemption accomplished by our Lord Jesus. By the grace of God he died for us'" tasted death for every man." Thus the first or Adamic death was annulled and turned into a "sleep," until the Millennial morn of waking. Some of mankind have slept for a longer and some for a shorter period of time, father Adam for more than 5,000 years. The great awakening time will come when the night of sin and dying shall give place to the morning of resurrection and living again.
This glorious Millennial morning is prominently held out before us in the Word of God as the grand climax of the divine plan of redemption "from the power of the grave." Of the Church it is written, "The Lord will help her early in the morning." (Psa. 46:5) And again, speaking of the whole world of mankind, the Prophet declares, "Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."
Some may query that if God had mercy upon the race so as to redeem us from the Adamic sentence, and turn it into a sleep from which there will be a glorious morn of awakening to forgiveness, and blessed opportunities for return to divine favor, then possibly there will be also a redemption from the Second Death, and thus another opportunity granted to those [HG357] who sin willfully against light, knowledge, etc. We answer, No! The Scriptures are most positive upon this point. "Christ dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him." Those who die the Second Death shall be "punished with an everlasting destruction," "be destroyed without remedy," perpetually; they "shall be as though they had not been."
(B2) We agree that the word death, like any other word, may be used in a figurative sense, and that it is used so at times. Nevertheless the primary intrinsic meaning of the word death is the cessation of life, none-existence; and therefore whenever the word is used figuratively this thought of utter extinction and cessation goes with it.
Brother Eaton remarks that the unregenerate are always spoken of in the Bible as dead. Yes, we answer. The Scriptures declare that the Adamic death sentence holds over every individual of the human family unless or until he accepts of Christ. The Scriptures consistently teach everywhere that "the wages of sin is death;" that wage is charged up against every member of our race, but "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." The meaning is clear, namely, that none of those under sentence of death can have eternal life unless they come into relationship with Jesus, the only Lifegiver. Hence the wicked can never get life. The gift of God, eternal life, is only for those who come into accord with him through Christ. Others are deprived of this boon, and the wage of sin, death, rests upon them and will never be lifted: hence they cannot suffer, but will "be as though they had not been." Another Scripture quite to the point is, "He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life, but the wrath of God [the curse, death] abideth on him." 1 John 5:12
Brother Eaton gives rather a ludicrous interpretation to our Lord's words to the young man who proposed becoming a disciple at some future time, after his father's death. Our Lord said to him, "Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:59,60) Brother Eaton says he understands this to mean, "Let the spiritually dead bury those who are physically dead." We wonder whether Brother Eaton as a public minister has ever buried any of the physically dead, and whether therefore he considers himself spiritually dead, because he did so. His interpretation is extremely ludicrous, surely. We do not wish to intimate that the gentleman is deficient in mental acumen, for he is a brilliant man. We do wish you all, however, to notice the difficulties and inconsistencies with which erroneous theories entangle their holders. The text in question is very simple, very plain from the Scriptural standpoint and from no other. The Lord meant that the young man who believed on him and was desirous of being his disciple should consider himself as figuratively risen from the dead, as no longer one of those dead in trespasses and sins, but as one who had laid hold upon the Life-giver and now, as a branch in the vine, was drawing life and sustenance from Christ. His father not being thus united to the Life-giver, but still a member of the Adamic race, still therefore under the curse of death as the wages of sin, would find plenty of others similarly dead in Adam to perform the necessary services down to the very last. Our Lord's suggestion, therefore, to the young man meant that he as one figuratively risen from the dead and alive through faith in Christ, and hoping to have that life perfected in the First Resurrection, should live and act in all the affairs of life from this new standpoint.
Similarly the words, "Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead," signify that any one of the condemned world who would have the hearing ear and who would respond, might be counted as obtaining life through faith in Christ, as beginning the new life, which will be perfected in the First Resurrection. The remainder, such as have not accepted Christ, are still in their sins, still under the penalty of their sins'" Dead in trespasses and in sin."
(B3) We must wholly disagree with this statement, and again point out that the death of the soul is the very thing that is mentioned in the Scriptures as the penalty for sin: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die;" "God is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna"'the Second Death.
(B4) We had hoped that Brother Eaton by this time had seen the true meaning of the parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, but it seems not so. We have not the opportunity here of dealing with this parable, but remind you that we have a free pamphlet dealing with it and kindred topics, to which you are all quite welcome, and which we believe will be found helpful to every earnest seeker after Truth on this subject, as it is presented to us in the Scriptures.
(B5) We agree to this statement that death is the absence of life. And when the word death is used in a figurative sense it signifies the absence or destruction of that figurative life.
(B6) We cannot avoid a certain measure of sympathy for our Brother in these confused and confusing statements. He first says that eternal life is "not immortality," and in the same sentence declares "therefore we are immortal." We agree and disagree [HG358] as follows: Everlasting or eternal life simply signifies a life which may last forever, without indicating why or how it shall be perpetuated. Thus Adam had everlasting life before he sinned, but forfeited it by disobedience to God. Satan had everlasting life, a life which God was pleased to maintain and continue forever upon certain conditions, and a life which God has not yet cut short, although the conditions of obedience have been violated, a life, however, which the Scriptures inform us will terminate. The record is that Satan shall be cast into the Lake of Fire (symbolic of destruction), which is the Second Death; and again the record is that "For this purpose Christ was manifested, that he might destroy death and him that hath the power of death, that is the devil." Heb. 2:14 The death mentioned in this last text is the Adamic death, which is to be destroyed as a result of Christ's redemptive work and his Kingdom reign and the restitution work which it will accomplish for all who will come into harmony with him: as says the Apostle, "He must reign until he shall have put all enemies under his feet [into subjection]; the last enemy to be destroyed is death," Adamic death, not the Second Death, which is to last eternally and from which there will be no awakening or resurrection. Thus we see that lasting life is life which may last perpetually in accord with the divine arrangements, supported and supplied by divine power.
Now let us consider the word immortality. It is a much higher and much stronger word. It signifies to be death-proof, to be incapable of destruction. Men certainly have not been incapable of destruction, as the whole history of the past six thousand years demonstrates. "Thou turnest man to destruction." (Psa. 90:3) Nor will the revival of man's life in the Millennial age make him immortal or incapable of destruction, for again the Scriptures declare speaking of the Second Death, "They that will not hear [obey] that Prophet, shall be cut off from amongst the people." Acts 3:23 Neither can it be that the angels are immortal or proof against death, destruction, if the Creator for any reason should deem them unworthy of the continuance of the grace of life; for Satan was one of the angels, one of the chief of them, and we have the clear record, as we have already seen, that he is to be destroyed. Then all failing to maintain their proper standing with God would be subjects for destruction. In view of this it does not surprise us to find the Scriptural statement that "God alone has immortality, dwelling in light which no man can approach unto." (2 Tim. 6:16) Neither does it surprise us to find that this quality of immortality was bestowed upon our Lord Jesus after he had demonstrated his loyalty to the Father by the greatest of all tests, his "obedience unto death, even the death of the cross." It is written, "As the Father hath life in himself [inherent immortality], so hath he given unto the Son to have life in himself [inherent life, immortality]," and that he should give this life unto whomsoever he would. John 5:26 We are indeed surprised when we learn that those to whom the Lord proposes to give the immortality were once "children of wrath, even as others," of the human family, but who have accepted God's grace in Christ and have become followers in the steps of their Redeemer. The Apostle corroborates this testimony, and in explaining the first resurrection (1 Cor. 15:42-44,51-54) shows us clearly that the reward of the overcomers, the body of Christ, the "Bride of Christ," will consist in part of their being made immortal. Hence he exhorts us to make our calling and election sure, seeking "for glory, honor and immortality." Immortality, therefore, is the peculiar possession of the divine nature, far above that of angels, principalities and powers, and every name that is named. And so the Apostle Peter points out to the Church now being called and chosen, that God has "given unto us exceeding great and precious promises, that we might become partakers of the divine nature"'of immortality. 2 Pet. 1:4
(B7) Brother Eaton's general confusion on the subject of life and death, and his failure to hold to his own premises that death is the absence of life, the opposite of life, continues to get him into mental confusion and difficulty, and leads him to make woefully absurd statements, which assuredly he would have preferred to avoid. We urge upon him, and upon the many who are similarly confused by unscriptural definitions based upon human theories and traditions, to leave the confusing errors, and to lay hold upon the plain, simple statements of life and death as set forth in the Bible. The conditions of life eternal are not heathenish ignorance of God, but to attain that life means to come to a knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ whom he hath sent. The Second Death will be the utter extinction of being, as already pointed out. It will indeed be an eternal absence or negation of any power or privilege of communication with God or with spiritual life or righteousness or peace or joy or hope, etc.; but for the same reasons it will be the [HG359] absence of all other sentiments and feelings. "They shall be as though they had not been." To be blotted out of existence is of itself a terrible penalty, a great loss, the loss of all the glorious things which are the rewards of obedience to God.
(B8) The failing is not with God or with God's Word, but with those who neglect the study of the Scriptures, or who, studying them, look upon every passage through the distorted glasses smoked with the ignorance and superstition of the dark ages. God has told us of his intention to annihilate the wicked; he has used over and over again the most positive and emphatic language, "perish," "blot out," "die," "destruction," to indicate this, and additionally in symbolic language has used the strongest figures known to the human mind, namely, "fire and brimstone," a mixture which the whole world has agreed is the most deadly to every form of life within the range of human knowledge. The difficulty is with the minds of men; they have formed conceptions of the Almighty and his purposes which are untrue, such as they would be ashamed to have applied to themselves; and under the strength of these mental delusions and hallucinations, conjured in the dark ages and fastened upon the minds in infancy as being the teachings of God's Word, they have made all these words which signify destruction and annihilation, a total obliteration, to mean the very reverse, preserve, consciousness, etc. Who can help people who are so blinded? No wonder the Apostle prayed to the Lord for the early Church, that they might have "the eyes of their understanding opened, that they might comprehend with all saints the lengths and breadths and heights and depths of the love of God which passeth knowledge." Eph. 3:18,19
(B9) This last proposition shows that our Brother's case is not a hopeless one, that he does see the reasonableness of the very proposition which the Scriptures outline, and that he acknowledges that it would be the most desirable thing in his own judgment. We pray for the breaking of the shackles of error which hitherto have been holding him, and hindering his clear conception of the divine character and the great and wonderful plan of God, which, as the heavens are higher than the earth, are so much higher than our natural ways and thoughts, as declared in our text. Yea, we pray this for all "Israelites indeed," with the assurance that our prayers and our labors shall be answered.
"Tell the whole world these blessed tidings; Speak of the time of rest that nears: He who was slain on Calvary's mountain Soon is to reign a thousand years.
"What if the clouds do for a moment Hide the blue sky where morn appears? Soon the glad sun of promise given Rises to shine a thousand years.
"A thousand yearsl Earth's coming gloryl 'Tis the glad day so long foretold; 'Tis the bright morn of Zion's glory, Prophets foresaw in times of old."
This magazine is religious but not sectarian. It is devoted to the investigation of all Bible subjects, in the interest of the truth only. With charity toward all, it is in bondage to no party, system or creed, but to Christ alone. It recognizes all consecrated believers in Christ's atoning work, as members of the one and only Church established by our Lord and the Apostles.
Its principal object is to preach the "Gospel of the Kingdom," and the work to be done in and by the Kingdom of God, under Christ, who, by his death and resurrection, became Lord both of the dead and of the living (Rom. 14:9); and to assist those who are striving to make sure their calling and election to a ruling place in that Kingdom (2 Pet. 1:10,11) by being conformed to the image of God's dear Son (Rom. 8:29)'changed from glory to glory of character by the spirit of the Lord. 2 Cor. 3:18 WITH me there walks a Presence Unseen to mortal view, Hearing each word I utter, Looking at all I do, Watching to see what power The Truth to me will impart, Longing to see His image Growing within my heart.