January 1, 1903 to be made fit, to be made meet for the inheritance of the saints in light—the divine nature. These chastisements or corrections are in the nature of instructions and tests necessary for our development for the higher plane of life to which we have been called. Our Lord Jesus, for instance, was a son of God, and, if a son, then, as the Apostle says, he was chastened, “for what son is he that the Father chasteneth not? If ye be without chastisement, ... then are ye bastards and not sons.” (Heb. 12:7, 8) Our Lord Jesus was a true son, and hence had his share of chastisements. “The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed.” (Isa. 53:5) While these chastisements and stripes were necessary for our redemption, they were necessary also to our Lord’s preparation for the high station of glory, honor and immortality to which he was called. Thus we read that “he Vou. XXIV ZION’S WATCH TOWER (16 -20) learned obedience by the things which he suffered.” (Heb. 5:8) The sufferings or chastisements or corrections were necessary to his glorification. And so it is with us, his brethren: our sins are graciously covered through the merit of his sacrifice; by faith we are accepted as every whit whole, and by faith our sacrifices are accepted, “holy, acceptable unto God.” (Rom. 12:1) Our chastisements, therefore, are not in the nature of penalties for the weaknesses and imperfections of the flesh, which Jesus has graciously covered for us; but our standing as new creatures is on the perfect plane, and the majority, at least, of our chastisements, like those of the Master, our elder Brother, are disciplinary, and to the intent that we may be ultimately complete in him, meet for the “inheritance of the saints in light.” ALLEGHENY, PA., JANUARY 15, 1903 No. 2 VIEWS FROM THE WATCH TOWER INFANT DAMNATION STILL BELIEVED The movement for Presbyterian Creed revision, it should be remembered, is amongst those of the Northern Synods only. The Southern Presbyterians constitute a totally separate body of Presbyterians. (There is only one body of Christ.) In this connection note the following comment from the columns of the Southuestern Presbyterian in criticism of a published communication. The editorial note follows:— “Note by the Editor in Charge.—The statement in the above communication, that ‘our church as a whole doth verily believe’ that it ‘is taught in God’s Holy Word that all infants dying in infaney were given by the Father to the Son in the councils of the Deity before the foundation of the world, as a part of the reward of his atoning sacrifice,’ is wholly unwarranted. The church’s belief is found, not in the deliverance of one Assembly, but in its Standards alone, and not until these are changed is any one warranted in saying that the church believes in the salvation of all infants dying in infancy. As the Standards are now, they are absolutely silent on that question, because the Scriptures are silent on it. We may hope that it is so, but the Scriptures do not declare it. When the Psalmist says: “The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies’ (Psalm 58:3), it does seem to imply the possibility that the children of the wicked perish with their parents, “But our Standards do neither affirm or deny it. They only affirm, as the Jackson Assembly declares, that the elect who die in infancy, ‘are saved in a different manner from adult persons who are capable of being outwardly called by the ministry of the Word,’ leaving it an open question whether the children of the wicked are saved or not, inasmuch as this is one of the things of which Moses says: ‘The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children, that we may do all the words of this law.’—Deut. 29:30.” Closely in line with the above is the following from the yaterial columns of the Central Presbyterian, (Richmond, a.}i— ‘Presbyterians are becoming united on the old subject of limitation of the atonement. In relation to the merciful inclination of God, it was unquestionably co-extensive with our race. In relation to his justice, it was designed for believers exclusively. The whole trouble has always been due to our incapacity to reconcile the sentiments and purposes of an infinite being. The Bible does not confound them. It assures us that ‘God does not willingly afflict’ his people, and yet he does afflict them. Of course, he may unwillingly destroy his enemies. But we cannot comprehend such facts, any more than the modes of divine justice.” These editors, be it remembered, are advanced thinkers, too, as compared with the masses of their readers. How sadly they lack the “key of knowledge!” (Luke 11:52) Referring to the Scripture quotations of the first (Psa. 58:3); how evident it is that it is true—that heredity marks everybody, more or less, from birth! The difficulty is a certain theological theory, which has no Scripture foundation—which claims that every infant is immortal and that the present life, long or short, favorable or unfavorable, constitutes the only chance ever to be enjoyed for reforming character and becoming fit for a happy eternity, and hence that children of the wicked, conceived and born in sin and depravity (as are all mankind, more or less), are unprepared for an eternity of bliss, and, hence, must spend that eternity without bliss—in pain and horrors. Grant the false premise and it does not take long to reach this conclusion. But let these same reasonable men rid their minds of TV—25 the false premise and go by Scripture alone, and they would have no difficulty in reaching a reasonable and Scriptural view of the subject. They should note that no infants are born immortal, but that the truth is as the Scriptures declare, God “only hath immortality.” Then they will be prepared to see that death does not mean life; and that destroy does not mean preserve: that when God declared, “All the wicked will he destroy,’ he meant it. When he declared, “The soul that sinneth it shall die,” he meant it. The penalty upon father Adam and through him upon all his race is a death penalty; and children and all die because of Adam’s sin (Rom. 5:12) ; and the worst, therefore, that could befall the children of the wicked would be —death. Now, then, what is the Scriptural hope for the children of the wicked? We answer that it is exactly the same as for the children of the saints, viz., that Christ Jesus our Lord tasted death for every man when he tasted death for Adam; _because all were under Adam’s sentence of condemnation to death. It wag one man’s sin of disobedience that brought the penalty upon all; and, consequently, the ransom of the one was the ransom of all; as it is written: ‘He is the propitiation [satisfaction] for our sins [the church’s sins], and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” The children of the wicked were, therefore, redeemed in the most absolute sense;—from the entire condemnation of death. Indeed, none but sinners were redeemed, for “Christ died for the ungodly ;” —all are ungodly, all sinners; hence, all die, and all need to be redeemed, else they would have no hope of a resurrection. In the Millennium (the resurrection age) infants of believers would have a little the start of infants of unbelievers, in that they will have less depraved organisms when awakened ; but under the grand raising-up processes then at work, such disadvantages would soon be overcome, and all will be brought to a full knowledge of the truth and to full opportunities for complete restitution (Acts 3:19-23) back to all that was lost by father Adam for himself and all his posterity. In that day it shall no more be a proverb that the fathers ate a sour grape [sin] and all the children’s teeth are set on edge; for then “every man [who shall die] shall die for his own iniquity’—‘“the soul [person] that sinneth it shall die.”— Ezek. 18:2, 4; Jer. 31:29, 30. How reasonable are God’s ways! and how plainly they are stated in the Word,—for those who have the eye and ear of faith;—to those who are hearkening to the divine Word rather than to the creeds of the dark ages. In respect to the second quotation: It shows how confusing and unsatisfactory error is to its warmest votaries. Honest minds and good hearts strive in vain to reconcile the idea of justice and good sentiments and purposes with the creating of millions of creatures, with the foreknowledge that for any cause their existence would be everlasting misery,— torture. The marvel is that intelligent men will stick to such inconsistencies—simply because they are old and hoary. Why is it that they cannot go back to the still older theory of the Bible,—beautiful, simple, reasonable, grand? It is because Satan is blinding them with fear ;—fear that good, reasonable, just thoughts toward God and interpretations of his Word are delusions of the adversary? Ah, yes; the Lord foresaw it all, and declares, “Their fear toward me [is not of me; I have neither done nor said anything to merit such sentiments, but] is taught by the precept of men.”—Isa, 29:13. THE BIBLE DEFENDED BY PROF. G. F. WRIGHT, LL.D. “Since the Bible is a revelation through the medium of human language it must be interpreted in accordance with accepted literary standards. It is addressed to persons who are [3133]
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