Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1909-09-17
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle

pear to reason upon every other sub.
iect except religion. Approach a man
upon any matter OF Industry or sO,iai
progress or political economy or finance
and we dnd him reasonably alert TO
the general law Of cause aud Eject.
but when Il comes to religion the same
man refuses to recognize or follow
such laws To Illustrate; Il a thou.
sand religious men and women were
asked To give some general outline OF
the Divine Plan under which humanity
Is being dealt with by the Almighty
Nine Hundred aud Ninety Nine Of
them would look ~ you In blank as.
tonish.uent as though II were absurd
60 suppose that God would rouiurt his
affairs along the zines ~ order. reason
and common SENSE CAUSE aud Eject.
On tllr contrary 'bc Scriptures rvrrv-
whore huld hat uur Cr'utur is system.
atically ordering t.r uGLiie' of earth
and rworklng al Things according 10
the counsel ~ his uwu wiz tEphe.
SLAMS !. ~,
OF fAfN Wv lNNN Nilf NflllN 2 MlNANTN
into three great rporhs which our
common version Bible drsignites as
-'lporlds" The iirst of these. hp says.
lasted from the creation Of our FIRST
parents 20 the food. Tho hood was
tire harvest time. the reaping time of
that epoch. Il was the conclusion 10
the course OF sin which be tells Us.
there prevailed. And only eight per.
sons. Noah and his family were car
ried over as a nucleus for another great
spOcb or world" which 81 Peter
calls. "The world that now f." aud
which ST. Paul calls. "This present
evil world or epocn. aud Ut which
Jesus states. "My kingdom l. not ~
this world lepochI." while again he iu.
forms us that Satan Is "thc Prince W
this world"
Certain things have been IN prog.
Bess-certain great instructions and
blessings from the Almighty durlug
this long period - over Furty.three
Hundred years This present evll
world" or epoch Is TO have u harvest
time aud its affairs are to be- as thor
ougbly wound up, completed. as were
the Affairs ~ the world before the
dood" Then a new epoch or world
10 come" will dawn. the character OF
which IL clearly dellneatcd In the
Scriptures as being very contrary ev.
eryway 10 ihaf of "thls present eyll
world" Il will be The world Ia
come. whereof we speak the new
epoch. nguratvely said To have "A new
heavens and a new earth" Ia which
the Lord will dominate human affairs
His elect Church OF The presout time
associated with him as his Bride. will
constitute the new heavens" or new
spiritual domination under which hu
man regeneration will bring the new
earth" Under that new dlsnenmtion
everything win be In accord with the
character OF It's King, the Prince of
Light and Righteousness, Just as the
conditions of the present evil world"
are In harmony with the characters.
tics OF the Prince OF this world who
BOW worketh IN the hearts OF the chill.
dren OF disobedlence" Prince OF
Darkness"
"Ths World That Was"
The "world" or epoch which ended
at the nood accomplished a great work.
II was durug that period OF Sixteen
Hundred and Fifty-six years that God
ant tested Satan by permitting him TO
have an opportunity TO show the trai,
torous attitude Of his heart In connec.
tion with our hrst parents. Desiring
10 establish himself as an Emperor over
earth. separate and distinct from the
Empire ~ jehovah Lucifer became
Satan. Gods Adversary, aud has since
eontinued In his opposition 10 the III
vine will our hrst parents, through
satan's lle were led into disobcdience
81 God, which resulted in the death
sfHirHoe ou Adam and bis race sub.
sequently for centuries the holy angels
Eere allowed to have Intercourse With
fallen men, with view to helping
them back into harmony with God,
aot that God expected any such re-,
suits. for he already foreknew that
there could be no recovery of human.
hy. except through the merit of the
Rsdeemer. whose sacrifice would pur-
vhase the world aud whose reign as
the king Of kings and Lord OF lords
would ultimately restore the willing
aud Obedient OF the race. But the am
gels 10 all eternity might have sup
passed that AN easier way OF saving
men was possible, that II permitted
they could educate, assist aud uplio
mankind out % sin and death coudi-
tions back 20 harmony with God. God
not only desired TO show that ali such
results were impossible but also he
deslred 10 use the opportunity TO test.
10 prove. the loyalty, the faiShfulness
~ the angelic hosts
Amongst The liberties granted 20 all
the angels az thar ume was the pow
o. "a materiallze- 70 assume human
forms. We peed not stop TO discuss
the possibility of thls. Tor we are ad-