1. The Eternal Purpose
The Eternal Purpose (1906)
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The Eternal Purpose
—The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein... He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered.”
Psalm 111:2, 4
INDEX
Dedication
Page 5
Poem
Page 6
Preface
Page 7
Chapter I
Page 8
Introduction
God’s Purpose Definite and Sure.—The End and the Means Worthy of the Divine Attributes and Character.—The Eternal Purpose as Broad as Creation.—The Foretold Consummation.—The Eternal Purpose Includes the Plan of Human Redemption.—The Time Allotted for its Accomplishment.
Chapter II Page 13 The Material Creation
A Glorious Reality.—Not Made in Vain.—The Physical Basis and the Intelligent Superstructure of God’s Eternal Building.—The Eternal Power and Divinity Manifested in the Physical Creation.—Behold the Heavens.—An Astronomer’s View.—Faith the Only Reasonable Conclusion.—Creation a Finished Work.— God’s Oath by the Stability and Permanence of the Heavens.—God the author of All Natural Law.
Chapter III Page 35 The Great Designer and the Great Executor of the Eternal Purpose
The Divinely Suggested Inquiry (Prov. 30:4).—A Written Revelation Supplements That of Nature.— God’s Testimony of Himself.—God Introduces His Son.—The Son’s Testimony of the Father.—Further Testimony of the Son.—The Office and Glory of the Son.—Does the Glory of the Son Eclipse That of the Father?—The Legislative Executive and Judicial Functions of the Divine Government.—The Glory of Jehovah’s Name and of His Son’s Name.
Chapter IV Page 62 The Intelligent Creation
—The Whole Family in Heaven and in Earth.” Eph. 3:15.—In the Many Mansions.—Superior Glory of the Intelligent Creation.—Man the Image of God.—God’s Ultimate Purpose for Humanity.—The High Calling of God’s Elect.—Terrestrial Glory and Celestial Glory.—What May We Know of the Angels?--Their Dwelling Places.—Are They Spirit Beings?—Probation of Angels.—Thrones, Dominions, Principalities in Heaven and in Earth.—The Temporary Organization Under the Son of God.—Nature of the New Social Order.—Co-workers with God.--Superiority of the Son of God to Angels.—Comparison and Relationship of Angels and Men.
Chapter V Page 91 The Divine Law
The Divine Law.—Material and Spiritual.—Its Central Idea.—Its Purpose.—Its Philosophical Complexity.—The Perfect Law of Liberty.—Its Rewards and Penalties.
Chapter VI Page 104 The Invasion of Sin
Sin.—Whence and how it Came.—The First Sinner.—His First Estate.—His Sin.—Prophetic Testimony.—The Final Penalty Delayed.—the arrest and Imprisonment.—The Day of Judgment.—the Foiled Purpose.—Renewed Rebellion.—Another conspiracy.—Foiled Again.—chains of Darkness.—Still Active and Rebellious.—Another Conspiracy.—The Man of Sin.—The Binding of Satan.—Loosed for a Little Season.— Why?—Satan and his Host Involved in a Common Overthrow.—Iniquity Shall Not Rise Up a Second Time.— Consequences of this Invasion.
Chapter VII Page 122 The Priesthood of the Son of God
Significance of the Priestly Office of the Son of God.—The Government Upon His Shoulders.—The Priest and also the Sacrifice.—The Melchisedek Type of the Priesthood.—The Anointing.—The Tried Stone.—The Priestly Office Before and After Sin.—The Aaronic Priesthood.—Atonement for Sin and for Uncleanness.— The Anointing and the Cleansing.—Exaltation of the High Priest.—The Subordinate Priests.—What Think Ye of Christ?—Whose Son is He?
Chapter VIII Page 146 The Great Salvation
Breadth of the Great Salvation.—Salvation Out of Zion.—Where is Zion?—God is Known in Her Palaces.—Miniature Zion.—The New and the Old Contrasted.—The Day of Judgment.—The Reigning Zion.-The Great Deliverer.—The Great Deliverance.
Chapter IX Page 161 The Plan of Redemption
For Humanity Only, and Why.—Subjected in Hope.—Justly Condemned.—In Love and Mercy Redeemed.—Relationship of the Plan of Redemption to the Eternal Purpose
Chapter X Page 170 The Mystery of God
The Mystery Hidden.—Revealed.—Illustrated.—Finished.—To What Intent?
Chapter XI Page 288 The Time Appointed
The Great Periods in God’s Purpose.—The Lesser Periods.—The Last Day.—The Jubilee.—Time Chart
Chapter XII Page 199 The Week of Human Probation
Its Times and Seasons.—Its Glorious Hope
Chapter XIII Page 208 The Coming Kingdom of Christ and Its Orderly Procedure
Purpose of the Present Testimony concerning it.—The Plan Outlined.—A Great Week.—A Sabbath and Its Great Work.—The Six Preparatory Days.—The Fifth World Empire.—The Lost Inheritance.—Nearness and Blessedness of the Millennial Sabbath.—Our Present Location.—Circumstantial and Chronological Evidence.—Significance of Present National Perplexity.—Last Times.—Manifest Wisdom of Divine Providence.—The Binding and Loosing of Satan.—Service of the Present Witness to all Nations.—The End, the Harvest.—Solemn Significance of the Kingdom at Hand.—A Closer View.—The Embryo Kingdom, Nominal and Real.—God’s Times and Seasons.—The Secret Harvesting.—The Reapers and the Garner.—The Order and Office of the Established Kingdom.—The Glorious Appearing of the Kingdom.—The Earthly Phase of the Kingdom.—A Great and Rejoicing Multitude.—A Weeping and Wailing Multitude.—The City Which Hath Foundations.—Cooperation of the Two Phases of the Kingdom.
Appendix Page 235
Dedication
To
The Almighty Creator
and
Sublime Sovereign
Of the Universal Dominion
and
To the Adorable Chief Executive Thereof
Is reverently dedicated
This humble effort to make all men see the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose
Which he purposed in Christ Jesus, our Lord.
In grateful recognition
of His
Loving Kindness and his Tender Mercies
—I see the crowds of earth go by,
I hear the world’s loud trumpet call;
Though through its midst my path doth lie, Yet I must live above it all.
—The sorrows of the daily life,
The shadows o’er my path which fall,
Too oft obscure the glory’s light,
Until I rise above them all:
—Until upon the mountain height,
I stand, my God, with thee alone,
Bathed in the fullest, clearest light
The glory which surrounds Thy Throne.
—Here hushed are all the sounds of earth
The laugh of pleasure, moan of pain;
The vain deluding shouts of mirth
Here fall upon my ear in vain.
—Calm in Thy secret presence, Lord,
I rest this weary soul of mine;
Feed on the fullness of Thy Word,
And die to all the things of time.
Preface
The fullest proof of the divine inspiration of the Sacred Scriptures is furnished in the —Eternal Purpose” of God which they reveal, and in the divine unction which accompanies that revelation to the believing soul that is prepared to receive it.
The writer did not first comprehend, and then labor to set forth that purpose. Instead, each succeeding chapter represents the order of inquiry, and the carefully sought and gratefully received testimony of the inspired Word in reply to those questionings.
It has been a joyful, though laborious, task to give expression to the almost overwhelming glory of this blessed testimony. May He who hath chosen the foolish things (in the world’s estimation) to confound the wise; and the weak things to confound the mighty, that so no flesh should glory in his presence, carry the conviction of the truth of his glorious revealed purpose to every sincere and spiritually hungry soul to whom his providence shall bear this message.
The writer also desires gratefully to acknowledge the valued helps cited and quoted in this work, and most earnestly commends them to the fuller perusal of the studious reader.
—The Eternal Purpose— Which God Purposed in Christ Jesus, Our Lord.”