1889 Watch Tower - A2Z.org

living faith in the true Word of God, and vital godliness, are todayat an immense discount among the loudest professors ofChristianity. And thinking men of the world--and the thinkersare fast multiplying--are beginning to see, in the light of a bettercivilization, that this monstrous blasphemy of eternal tormenthas no foundation in common sense and that it can in no sensebe compatible with their natural ideas of morality and virtue andgodliness: and, say such, if the Bible teaches this doctrine, as allbranches of the church claim, the Bible must be a bad book, andthe God of the Bible, if there be such a God, is unworthy of loveor worship, or even respect. And some to whom nature andreason whisper, There must be a God, conclude that nature andreason are the only channels through which he may be known ortraced. And thus the thinking and nobler minded of the worldare driven to Infidelity and Atheism; and the ignorant and thecredulous, while they still fear that eternal torment may be areality, are generally willing to incur the unlikely risk ofrealizing it, that they may enjoy the pleasures of sin while theopportunity lasts. And the heathen nations never have been andnever will be influenced by it.Such, in brief, have been the results of the doctrine of fear. It hasrepelled the world from God, and reduced (nominal) Christianityto sham and hypocrisy, and stimulated vice and immorality tothe crimes of treason against God and persecution of truth andvirtue.But let us now consider, on the other hand, what power there isin the spirit of love and of a sound mind. A sound mind is areasonable mind, a mind governed, neither by fickle impulse,nor by superstition, fear, prejudice, nor any other than thenoblest faculty which God has given it, namely reason. Andreason, if not perverted by pride, or prejudiced by false teaching,leads directly to the fountain of truth in God's inspiredRevelation (See, M. DAWN, Vol. I., Chap. iii.); and to one soled, faith in the inspired revelation of the omnipotent God is amost reasonable thing. This reasonable faith, rooted andgrounded in the divine testimonies and promises, calls intoexercise all the noblest faculties of our moral nature and centersthe affections upon the great Author of all truth, whom to knowis to love and worship and adore. And this faith, working bylove, purifies the heart and transforms the character into theglorious likeness of the blessed God.Such is the power of love and of a sound mind. It serves Godfrom purest filial love and gratitude, and the only fear it knowsis that filial fear of failure to fully manifest love andthankfulness, which is the fear mentioned by the Psalmist(111:10) as the beginning of wisdom. Perfect love casts out allservile fear, and brings the studious and devoted servants of Godinto active co-operation with all his benevolent plans for theblessing of all his creatures. This is the kind of service God