The Pauper
A PAUPER is one who is dependent upon charity. He has nothing that he can claim as an absolute right. Even a pauper may enjoy a short season of pleasure only to turn again into the pathway of sadness. The sixty centuries of human history show that the entire race has traveled the pauper's way and in the course of time these have filled a pauper's grave.
Of the many billions of people who have lived upon the earth few have ever even claimed ownership of land. The masses have tilled the ground as serfs and have been oppressed and denied their just privileges amongst men. They have fought the thorns and thistles, battled with wild beasts and reptiles, desperately resisted the locust and the palmer worm, suffered from extreme heat and bitter cold, half clad and less than half fed, only to find at the end of their way that all their labors have been in vain. Of the small substance resulting from their laborious efforts the most thereof is taken by tax-gatherers, and that which remains for sustenance of the body is but a beggar's portion. They have suffered at the hands of tyrants and oppressors, have been compelled to engage in unrighteous wars, have mingled their tears of bitterness with their warm blood, have been ravaged by disease,
sickness, and pestilence, and have suffered great bodily pain and mental anguish; and then yielding to the relentless opposition have given up in despair, and with broken hearts have fallen in the dust.
The prophet of God saw this condition and under inspiration wrote: "So I returned, and considered all the oppressions that are done under the sun; and, behold, the tears of such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter." — Eccl. 4:1.
A few, by violation of the laws of God and men or by reason of circumstances taken advantage of by them, are found to possess large areas of land from which much revenue is reaped. They possess houses, oil fields, mines, and great herds and flocks. They exercise control over their fellow men by means of coercion and oppression and in turn receive many empty plaudits from others, but in due time all their substance is swept away and they go down to death dishonored and unsung. They enjoyed their earthly substance only for a time and these things make them often even worse than paupers. "There is a sore evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept for the owners thereof to their hurt." — Eccl. 5:13.
From the day of Eden until now no man with full rights has walked the earth, except one. That one exception was Jesus of Nazareth; and even he was " a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief", because he came to earth and bore the sins of the people that they might have an opportunity for deliverance from their oppressors, be reconciled to God and then enjoy everlasting life.
Much has been written and said about great men, but no truly great man has ever lived on the earth aside from Jesus. All have been paupers. Whether a man has for a time possessed much of this earth's goods, a good name, fame, and reputation, these have quickly perished. Whether he be rich or poor, small or great, in the minds of men he soon comes to nothing and learns that all is vanity. All have stood in the pauper's line and taken their turn. "As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand." (Eccl. 5:15) "For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out." —1 Tim. 6:7.
One of the inspired witnesses of Jehovah, observing that all men are paupers and all their efforts are but vanity, and knowing the reason why, saw and wrote that man's only hope is to be reconciled and returned to a harmonious condition with Jehovah God. Hence he said: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." —Eccl. 12:13.
It is manifest that man can not keep the commandments of God until he knows those commandments. Satan, the common enemy of man, for many centuries has kept mankind in the darkness as to the commandments of God. Now great light has dawned upon the people and God's due time has come when men may see more clearly than ever heretofore. Now it is possible to learn why Prince Adam became a pauper, why all the humankind have suffered as paupers, and also to learn of God's gracious way to reconcile and bring back the pauper race into full harmony with
himself. God has a way to reconcile man to himself. His purpose is to give all men an opportunity to know concerning that way. "This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." —John 17: 3.
The Deflection
How long Adam and Eve enjoyed the blessings of Eden the Scriptures do not disclose. The time was ample, however, for Adam to fully inform Eve of God's wish concerning their conduct there. This is proven by the speech of Eve to the serpent concerning eating the fruit. The time of their sojourn there was ample to permit them to show their appreciation of God's loving-kindness toward them, had they been so disposed.
Gratitude is the state of being thankful or grateful. When one receives a good gift from another and is unthankful there is something wrong in the heart of the one that receives. Gratitude is the first step in the exercise of true love. Where there is no gratitude on the part of the receiver of a gift toward the giver selfishness has control over the receiver. Selfishness is the very opposite of love. The laws or rules of action for the government of God's intelligent creation never change. They are eternal. For this reason it is certain that it would have been pleasing to God for Adam to have shown gratitude to God for all that he had received at the Creator's gracious hand.
Upon this point the Word of God is explicit. "Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves: we are his people, and
the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." (Ps. 100:3-5) "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, 0 Most High." (Ps. 92:1) "Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence." — Ps. 140:13.
Adam was not grateful unto God for all he had received at the Creator's gracious hand. When the test came to him he preferred to exercise selfishness rather than love. Had he manifested love for God he would have obeyed him. Adam was not grateful toward God, which means he was unkind and unfriendly in his actions toward Jehovah. To love one means to be one's friend at all times. (Prov. 17:17) What took place in Eden proves that these conclusions are correct and that Adam was not the friend of God. In substance God had said to Adam: 'I have made this earth for you. I have created you and placed you in this beautiful garden of Eden. Behold its glory! I make you the caretaker over it. I have created and given you a wife to be your companion. I have given you dominion over the earth. Everything in this wonderful place is yours to use for your pleasure and comfort. There is just one exception, and that is concerning the tree of knowledge of good and evil. "Thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."' That was a small thing for God to ask of Adam compared with what God had done for him. That commandment furnished the opportu-
nity to test Adam as to whether or not he would show his love for his great Maker and Benefactor or whether he would exercise the faculty of selfishness.
Lucifer was the overlord of man. Being a spirit he was not visible to man; but he held conversation with man, Lucifer was filled with pride and ambition because he had a desire to be like the Most High God and to have a separate dominion of his own. (Isa. 14:13,14; Ezek. 28:13-18) His ambition was to control man and have man to worship him instead of God and this he could accomplish only by alienating man's affection from God. He employed the serpent through which he spoke. Through this instrumentality he approached Eve and induced her to believe that God had lied to her and Adam, and was keeping away from them something they should have. Eve said to him: "But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." (Gen. 3:3) To this Lucifer replied: "Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." —Gen. 3:4, 5.
Eve, seeing that the fruit was good for food, pleasant to look at, and to be desired to make one wise, took the fruit and ate it in violation of God's commandments. It does not appear that Adam was present during the conversation between Eve and the serpent. It is reasonable to suppose that when he did appear Eve told him, in substance, of that conversation. She would therefore say to him: 'Adam, your Father is a liar. I have been told by Lucifer through the serpent that he is a liar and now I have proven it by
eating this fruit. I find it to be good, and I am unharmed and am still alive.'
Had Adam manifested love for God he would have said to Eve: 'My Father is not a liar. He could not be a liar. Why should he want to lie to us? Behold this wonderful earth he has made and this marvelously beautiful garden which he has given us for our home. He made us and put us here to represent him. He has given us all these blessed things to enjoy for ever if we will only obey him. He told us not to eat of that fruit. He has some good reason for asking us not to eat of it. Why should we doubt him for a moment? He has shown his great love for us and now we must show our love for him. We may be sure that when he sees fit to let us eat of that tree he will have us do so.'
Had Adam taken such a course and had Eve repented of her wrong and sought forgiveness at the hands of Jehovah, God might have had some way to cleanse her. To Adam he had given the command and Eve had heard it from Adam. Adam was the head and the great responsibility rested upon him, and Eve being a part of him he was responsible for her acts, and had he taken every possible step to rectify the wrong Eve had committed the result would doubtless have been different. Adam took the very opposite course. He heeded his wife in utter disregard of his gracious Father's command. From that day until now every man who has acted against his own reasonable judgment and, in violation of his conscience, has yielded to the influence of a woman, has gotten into trouble. It has been extremely difficult for men to learn this lesson, due largely to the fact that they have
not heeded the Word of God. Adam yielded to his wife's suggestion and wilfully violated God's law by eating the forbidden fruit.
It has been suggested that Adam's great love for his wife induced him to violate God's law and that therefore he is in a measure excusable. But did Adam love his wife? No, he did not love her. When a man truly loves one he looks after and safeguards the interests of that one. Had Adam really loved his wife he would have said: 'You have done a great wrong, Eve. Come now, I will seek our Father's face and beg him to cleanse you from this great wrongful act.' Adam's lack of love for God and lack of love for his wife, and his selfish desire, moved him to violate God's law. His act and conduct show that he reasoned thus: 'If Eve must die, I will be deprived of her, and without her I can not have so much joy and pleasure in this beautiful garden and I do not want to be separated from her. I will take my chance with her.' The motive prompting him to do that was selfish. He preferred rather to become a pauper with Eve than to be a prince and remain in harmony with his great and loving God. He chose the selfish and not the righteous way. He showed ingratitude to God for all he had received at his gracious hands. He was unthankful and selfish and by his act proved that he was not God's friend. He became unrighteous and by his wrongful act alienated himself from God and thereafter could no longer dwell in the presence of Jehovah. Only the righteous can dwell in his presence. —Ps. 140:13.
Conscience is that faculty of the mind by which the creature realizes and distinctly perceives or ap-
preciates that the course of action taken by him is right or wrong. (Rom. 2:15; 2 Cor. 1:12; 1 Pet. 3:16) Before man ate the forbidden fruit he knew it was wrong, because God had told him so. (Gen. 2:17) He also knew that both he and his wife were nude and they were not ashamed. —Gen. 2: 25.
When Adam and Eve had taken the course of action by eating the fruit in violation of the law they distinctly perceived and appreciated that they had done wrong, and a realization of their nakedness was evidence to them that they had done wrong. Their conscience smote them. They tried to hide their nakedness. They were fearful and hid themselves. They possessed the faculty of mind, of course, before committing the act, and now that faculty of the mind began to manifest itself because of their wrongful act. But there was no expression of regret because of their ungrateful deed and act of rebellion. They sewed fig leaves together and covered their nakedness. Their act of covering their nakedness in no way indicated that they had been lifted to a higher realm of thought, but it shows that their conscience condemned them as criminals. (Gen. 3:7-10) They also showed fear, which is another evidence that their conscience condemned them and they knew before God they were wrong. The clergy have time and again said that they exercised their sexual functions and that this was what was meant by violating God's law. Such a conclusion is worse than absurd. The Scriptures clearly show that this was not what they did. The Scriptures plainly show that God had forbidden them to partake of this fruit and that their act in doing so was that which
was wrong because it showed rebellion and disloyalty to God.
On the same day God called them to account. There was no expression of regret on their part nor manifestation of repentance. They began to offer proof tending toward excuse or justification. The woman blamed the serpent for her wrongful act. The man blamed both the woman and his Creator. Had Adam loved his wife he would not have attempted to cast the blame upon her. Had he loved God he would not have reproached him for giving him his wife. "And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." (Gen. 3:12) The inference to be drawn from this statement of Adam's is that if God had left Adam alone in the garden and not given him the woman the wrongful act would not have been committed, and that therefore God was at least partially responsible for the wrong. The Devil has ever tried to induce men to believe that God is responsible for the sufferings and woes of humankind. Doubtless he made that suggestion to Adam at the time and Adam cast the blame upon his wife and upon God. This proves conclusively that Adam did not express any regret or sorrow for having displeased or grieved his Creator.
The act of sin and rebellion on the part of God's creatures could not go unnoticed or unpunished. Punishment should follow swiftly or God's law would be a nullity and his government a farce; and sin now begun would wreck his universe. God proceeded to enter judgment against man in harmony with the law which he had announced, that death would result from their sin. In connection with this judgment be it
noted that the woman had assumed a superior position and had run ahead of her husband and defied the law of God. Being a part of Adam she must suffer the penalty of death, and before that was in force completely she must suffer some things additional. She must be subject to her husband and in sorrow she must conceive and bring forth her children.
Adam and his wife, under the terms of the judgment, were to continue to exist for a time and during that existence they must be deprived of the peace and joy of life. By their wrongful act their right to life was forfeited, and within the allotted time provided by the law, and by the judgment under the law, they must return to the dust of the earth from which man was taken. The judgment provided that they must leave their perfect and happy home and go out into that part of the earth that would produce thorns and thistles. Against these they must battle to get their bread, and eat it in the sweat of their face, and thus continue until the judgment should be completed in their death. While the penalty was death, the method employed to enforce that penalty shows that God did not intend that they should die instantly. For this reason he drove them out of the garden of Eden.
He who had been a stately prince must now go forth into an unfinished earth and thereafter lead a pauper's existence. His control over the animals was now gone and they became his enemies from that time forward. Being expelled from Eden, a guard was set at the entrance to prevent his returning and eating of the fruit of the tree of life. Shorn of his power and authority, alienated from God and branded as a criminal, which indeed he was, he went forth from
the land of his once happy home to fill a pauper's grave. (Gen. 3:15-24) Amongst other things the judgment contained these words: "So he [the Lord God] drove out the man." This shows that Adam did not willingly leave after the judgment was pronounced against him, but was compelled to go, and that he went forth a convicted criminal forced to act in obedience to orders.
Outside of Eden and without the protection of God, Adam and Eve could hope for shelter and protection from no one. They knew not when their lives might be taken away from them by accident or by the wild beasts now their enemies. Their condition was anything but a happy one. Their communion with God was now cut off because God had turned his face against them and they had no privilege of prayer or other means of communication. There is no reason, however, to conclude that they felt any great sorrow for their wrongful act. There is nothing whatsoever in the record to indicate that they felt or expressed any sorrow. The silence of the record upon this point must be taken as strong presumptive evidence that the attitude of Adam was that of indifference. He seems to have forgotten God and turned entirely away from him and gone forth without hope.
There is some evidence that Eve had a small measure of faith but no expression of regret. When her son Cain was born she said: "I have gotten a man from Jehovah." (Gen. 4:1) The fact that she coupled the name of God with the birth of her children would indicate that she had not entirely put God out of her mind. When her son Seth was born she said: "God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom
Cain slew." (Gen. 4:25) It must be kept in mind that at the time God pronounced sentence upon man, among other things he said to the serpent: "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." (Gen. 3:15) This would be a basis for Eve to have some hope that she might bring forth a seed that would accomplish something toward the punishment of the evil instrument that had connived at her downfall and she might have had a faint hope that some day she would profit thereby. But the record does not indicate that Adam cherished any expectation or hope of returning to Eden and to harmony with God.
The thought is often expressed by those who do not seem to have carefully reasoned upon the Scriptures that Adam and Eve were comparatively innocent of any serious transgression because of their ignorance and lack of experience. Thus reasoning, such have concluded that the expulsion from Eden and sentence to death were harsh and severe. Such a conclusion is not warranted by the facts. The majesty of God's law had been trampled upon. This had been done by perfect creatures after having been fully advised of the consequences. God's entire government was now involved and for him to treat lightly this deliberately wrongful act would be to deny the majesty of his announced rule of action. Lack of experience constituted no extenuation. Man was possessed of all the faculties of a perfect creature and had received the direct command from his Creator what he must and what he must not do. The punishment must be in harmony
with the law announced and was therefore neither harsh nor too severe.
The thought has often been advanced that Adam and Eve had great love for each other and that their suffering was somewhat alleviated by reason of their mutual love for each other and that they mutually bore each other's burdens. Such a conclusion is likewise without support in the Scriptures. The woman could have had but little respect for her husband after he contemptuously referred to her as 'the woman thou gavest me'. Placing the blame upon his wife for his own deliberate and wrongful act would not inspire her with much confidence and trust in him. Nor would the presumptive act of Eve in deciding a vital point, and acting thereupon without consulting her husband, have caused him to have much respect or love for her. When they left Eden they went forth as paupers with ill feeling in their hearts. Outside of Eden, and suffering the continued hardships which they were compelled to endure, it is almost certain that there was often strife of words between them, and mutual recrimination, and probably physical combats. Few men and women have ever understood the proper relationship between husband and wife, and this is one of the chief reasons for so much unhappiness in the marital relationship.
It was under these adverse conditions that Adam and Eve begot and brought forth their children. The power and authority to multiply was given to the perfect man but was not exercised until he became imperfect and was outside of Eden. The judgment entered against them had deprived Adam and Eve of the right to life; consequently their children would be
born without the right to life. Added to this would be the prenatal influence upon the offspring, which would be specially adverse shortly after leaving Eden. This may have had something to do with the wicked disposition manifested by Cain, their first son. It is well known that the mental condition of the parent at the time of conception and during the period of gestation is reflected in the child. This being true, Cain was doubtless begotten and born while bitterness was in the hearts of his parents. Probably they were more reconciled to their condition by the time Abel was born. It is reasonable that there would be intervals of time when they would be more kindly disposed to each other. Men have learned this by experience. But necessarily all the children of Adam and Eve would be born imperfect because the imperfect parents could not bring perfect children into the world. Being imperfect they would be disapproved by the Lord. That which is unapproved stands condemned before Jehovah. For this reason all the children of Adam and Eve were born under condemnation, therefore sinners. Upon this point it is written: "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Rom. 5:12) "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." —Ps. 51:5.
Of course the children of Adam and Eve were not on trial nor directly embraced in the judgment entered against Adam and Eve, because they were not born at the time the judgment was entered. The judgment of God, however, took away from Adam the right to the dominion of the earth and the right to life. It
was therefore impossible for him to transmit to his children the right to life or the right to dominion, hence condemnation resulted to them by reason of being born imperfect. The clergy have taught that Adam's children were involved in the transgression, trial, and condemnation of Adam, and that Adam's sin was imputed to them and that therefore God condemned these children before their birth. That contention, however, is not supported by the inspired record. "Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come." —Rom. 5:14.
This definitely settles the matter that the children of Adam and Eve were not condemned in the judgment because of sin like unto Adam's, but their condemnation was the result of being born of imperfect parents who were then under the sentence of death and undergoing the sentence. They were sinners by inheritance.
Adam was created in the image and likeness of Jehovah and was created perfect. After his sin and expulsion from Eden he begot children. These children were begotten in the likeness of Adam, the pauper or imperfect man. They were not begotten in the likeness of God. The seed of evil was in them. That condition has existed at all times and all children have been born evil. Aside from Jesus there has never been a child born that has been free from bodily weakness or from the taint of evil.
Although there is nothing to indicate that Adam had a hope of being permitted to return to Eden, the record indicates that he would have done so had he
not been prevented. God placed at the east of Eden, which was evidently the only entrance, cherubim and a flaming sword which turned every way to prevent Adam from returning and partaking of the tree of life. Among the reasons why Adam could not return to Eden were: (1) the divine judgment entered against him, which was final, and from which there was no appeal and which was enforced by his expulsion; (2) the ingratitude of his heart toward God and the lack of regret for his wrongful act; and (3) his desire for things sinful, which was greater than his desire for things that were right. Even if it had been possible to remove the judgment, the ingratitude and desire for sin would still stand in the way. This is strong proof that the way of reconciliation to God when opened can be successfully pursued only by those who have a desire for righteousness and who have gratitude and love for God.
But what was to be the ultimate end of man? He was outside of Eden with the sentence of death against him being gradually enforced. Before their being completely executed the purpose of God was to permit Adam and Eve to bring forth children. What would be the effect upon this offspring and what would be the final destiny of these children? Would their offspring go on the downward road until all would be completely exterminated? What effect would sin have upon the angels of heaven? Sin on the earth must have an effect upon the living creatures of God's realm beyond the confines of the earth. Again the clergy, by false reasoning and by the influence of the enemy Satan, have arrived at the wrong conclusion and mistaught the people on this point.
For many years they have taught that the life of man is not extinct at death, but that man continues to live on, and that all those who will not reform will be shut up in a separate place of terrible misery, and there be tormented by living creatures in other parts of Jehovah's realm, and this to continue with no hope of ever being relieved.
It is manifest from the judgment of Jehovah that the ultimate end of the human race must be destruction unless God, in the exercise of his loving-kindness, should intervene in man's behalf. It is manifest that if reconciliation is ever to be effected between God and mankind the initiative must be taken by Jehovah and he must make it possible for man to return to him.
Would God do something in behalf of the pauper race? God has not left us in darkness on this point. He has permitted mankind to have a long and bitter experience with sin, and now after sixty centuries is making it so clear concerning his plan and purposes that all men can understand that he has provided a gracious way of returning man to himself. It is true that for 1900 years now those who have consecrated themselves to do the will of God, and have faithfully performed that covenant so to do, trusting in the merit of his beloved Son, Christ Jesus, have understood in a manner God's way of reconciliation. The mass of mankind, however, have gone on in darkness.
God had his plan of reconciliation from the beginning and knew all the minutiae of its execution, because it is written: "Known unto God are all his works, from the beginning of the world." (Acts 15:18) But only those who have been devoted to Je-
hovah have had an understanding of his gracious provision. The good message of reconciliation has been preached by a few through the centuries past, but this good news has been hid from the mass of mankind. Concerning this it is written: "If our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them." — 2 Cor. 4: 3,4.
A knowledge of God's gracious provision for reconciliation must be had by man before man can comply with the terms thereof. It has been and is the policy of Satan the enemy to keep men blinded concerning God's gracious provision. To this end Satan has employed the ambitious clergy to teach false doctrines and to give man the wrong conception of himself and of his origin and his destiny. Amongst other things they have taught that man is not wholly a human creature but is part human and part divine. This is one of the stumbling stones that must be removed, and it is now being removed that the people may see how God can be just and the justifier of mankind and how he can consistently reconcile mankind to himself and restore to himself all who are obedient to his righteous laws. By and through his Word alone can it be determined what man is and what man's relationship is to his Creator.
