The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1909-12-08

Sunday, November 29.-Pastor Rus
sell Of "Brooklyn Tabernacle preach I
ed today from the above text. lie SAID
There is beauty and consistency
in the Bible which many overlook. to
their own confusion. Failing to right
" divide the Word of Truth" Oil Tim
othy Ii. 15,, falling TO discriminate
between the consecrated believers and
nominal believers Of the world. which
the Bible everywhere recognizes. has led
to this confusion. To the logically mind.
ed thus confused. the Bible is an unrea
sonable Book. Inconsistent with facts.
These matters are well illustrated In
our text. which was addressed. not to
all mankind. nor 10 merely nominal
Christians but to Christians. in God
the Father and In the Lord Jesus
Christ" as the Introduction shows.
This word in means something more
than Is generally appreciated. Note
the Saviors words. III n man love me
he will keep my words: and my Father
will love him. and we will come unto
him and make our abode with him.
81 am in my Father. and ye in me and
| In you" tJohn xiv. 20. 81. The whole
testimony of the Scriptures Is that
those who attain to this glorious one.
ness with the Father and with the Son
are In all but little flock" and
amongst them are mot many great.
not many wise. not many learned.
II Is to this class alone that the Scrip
lures are ddressed-though To some
extent including a justified class sup
posedly approaching this sanetiiied
condition. These may well be inform
ed by the Apostle that they should I'm
everything give thanks" when In full
harmony with the Divine will.
But note the confusion of attempting
to apply these words to the world In
general What has the world TO be
thankful for-from It's own standpoint
II knows not what Gods future pur-
poses are, which. therefore. cannot en-
ter into its consideration. And with.
out that knowledge of coming blessings
life Is often SO little appreciated that
self-destruetion Is preferred. Undoubt-
eddy the number of suicides would be
far greater than II Is. were II not for
q certain fear or dread that the future
might be more terrible than the present.
The average man. heather and civ
ilized. knows that his coming into the
world was without his consent. He
eats and drinks and sleeps and lnbors,
because these are necessities. He has
headaches and heartaehes. and every
other kind. Altogether his experience
is .'of few years and full of trouble.
His chief pleasure il in hoping for and
striving to attain pleasure. And when
the cup" of supposed happiness Is IN
his hand. the gall of bitterness IL found
mingled with It. and It's drcgs are
sorrows. Can such n man be thank
full? especially II he has been taught
the doctrine OF the dark ages" re-
speeding the future-that when he
shall die he VIII either be ushered
into q Purgatory of centuries or tor
ture indescribabie. or. worse still, that
his lot will be to suffer endlessly-un-
less he should be one OF the saints,
which he well knows he is not. and
which we all know, MS the Bible dc.
clares. are but few" Surely to call
upon such people for tbankfulness TO
God would be an absurdty. And 1t Is
to the credit of the Scriptures that
they are not thus absurd, aud that our
text is addressed. not to those who
constitute the masses. but to the lit
tie fock"-the saints.
Groaning Creations Hope.
Before proceeding to apply our text
to the class to which II Is addressed
1.-THE saints, we pause to consider the
hope of the world In general. as set
forth In the Scriptures. The knowi.
edge of this hope is not granted 10 the
world. but to the saints-that they
might know. might appreciate. the gra-
cious purposes of God toward mankind
in general; and that they might under
stand also the Divine intention respect
Ing their cooperation with God In the
blessings he purposes 10 bring eventu-
ally to all the families of the earth.
The explanation of the SORROWS of
the world Is given In the Bible: which
tells us that sin lies ut the door and
that the mental. moral and physical
blemishes which cause humanity such
distress are Incidental 10 the penalty
pronounced against sin: namely. death.
THE soul that sinneth. 1t shall die"
Because Father Adam when on trial
representatively for his race sinned
and came under sins penalty. Dying
thou shalt die" therefore all his chill
dren q airing in his imperfections are
likewise imperfect-sinners, MS ST Paul
explains (Romans V. 12i. Thus. dur
ing sixty centuries. approximately
twenty thousand millions of Adams
children have been born In sin and
shapen In iniauity." and have come
into the world condemned and dying
mentally. morally and physically.
Divine sympathy exercised toward
this race of sinners provided Savior.
"who for the JOY that WAS set before
him" sacrificed his life for the world
(John Iii. t6i. Jesus Christ by the
grace of God tasted death for every
man." Then instead of dealing with
the world. Instead Of saving the world,
instead OF setting up the promised
Kingdom to bless the worid. :aa Saw
for did something else. And this
which he has been doing from the
time of his death until now the AHos-
tie explains TO us Is n mystery" Il
Corinthians XIV. 81: Ephesians |, .;
Romans ii. 25,. The mystery of
God" the world does not understand,
because God prefers to keep the mat
ter mystery from them. But THE
secret of the Lord Is with them that
fear him and he will shew them his
Covenant psalm XIV, lA.
"The mystery" is. that God purposed
that the blessing Of the world should
be accomplished by our Savior alone.
but In association with select class
Of saints gathered out of the world
and specially taught and prepared in
the School Of Christ during this age
Not only Is this feature Of the Divine
plan SeetrturoIlx Had s.sk., .,,,,.....