The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-12-24
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

Sunday, December 19.-Pastor Rus
sell spoke today from the above text.
Brooklyn Tabernacle was crowded
with an attentive audience, as usual.
We report the discourse. as follows:
Only those who come to an advanced
degree of knowledge Of Gods Word
can realize how Divine judgments are
all good-all blessed. Under the in
huence of the fog of superstition, not
understanding Alright the teachings of
the Scriptures, supposing that they
taught eternal torment for the great
majority of our race. we feared God,
rather than loved him. We dared not
say that such a judgment was wrong.
malicious. devilish. yet we were unable
to see it in any other light; hence the
general perplexity Of Christendom, and
the general alienation of heart, and
many intelligent minds driven to In
fidelity, and the dislike to think about
God and his supposedly terrible pur-
poses respecting our race and the gen.
eral awe respecting the Bible and the
fear of its misunderstood teachings.
But now in the dawning of the New
Dispensation the Word of God is shin
ing as never before; one passage illu
minating another, our fear gives place
to reverential love and filial awe. We
begin to understand that the torment
doctrines which we received are who'll
" foreign to the Divine character.
which. on the contrary, is distinctly
marked by Wisdom, Justice. Mercy
and Love toward all. We find our
selves now in agreement with the
Scriptural declaration that Gods judg-
ments are righteous altogether" and
we delight in them. Instead of a judg-
ment of eternal torment as penalty
for sin, we find judgment or SEN
tence of death. We agree to the right
eouSness of that verdict or judgment.
God had the right to demand of his
creature the obedience he was able to
render. He had a perfect right to de-
stroy him in death when he refused
the blessing of life eternal on the
terms Of obedience. Seeing this, how
rejoiced we are to note the Divine
Mercy in the Plan of Redemption for
the sinner and his offspring through
the sacrifice of Christ. AS a result we
have good hope in his judgments; for
him who once judged us worthy OF
death has with equal Justice redeem
ed US and granted US the opportunity
of eternal life through the resurrec-
ton.
1t was another part Of the Divine
Judgment against our race that, in
stead of the death penalty coming in
stantly upon Adam and Eve, it came
gradually, that through the processes
of gradual dying they might the better
learn the lesson Of 1.-The exceeding sin
fulness of sin''-to the intent that, when
granted the new trial secured by the
merit of Christs sacrifice, they might
profit by it the more. The same princi-
pies apply to all of Adams posterity.
"The whole creation groaneth and ira
vaileth in pain together until now = =
waiting for the manifestation of the
sons of God" (Romans viii, 22, 19). They
are waiting for the establishment of
Christ's Millennial Kingdom under
which they shall have full Opportu
nifty Of coming to a knowledge of the
Truth.
This is Gods provision for the world
in general. What God did for the lit
tie nation Of Israel during the Jewish
Age, and what he has been doing for
Spiritual Israel since Pentecost, in this
Gospel Age. are matters separate and
apart entirely from his general deal
ing with the world of mankind. The
natural and the spiritual Seed of Abra-
ham are exceptions to the rule. They
have been granted special privileges
and blessings not granted to the world
in general-natural Israel under the
Law Covenant and spiritual Israel I'M
der the Abrahamic Covenant. From
these two nominal Israels special "over-
corners" have been chosen or elected.
These shortly. in association with the
Redeemer, will constitute the Kingdom
of God. The overcomers of spiritual
Israel. becoming the Bride of Christ
by resurrection change" to the heav-
emily nature. will be like him and share
his glory and constitute the Kingdom
class in the highest sense. The over
Corners of natural Israel, resurrected
to the perfection of earthly nature,
will constitute the earthly phase of the
Millennial Kingdom. Mankind may
see and have intercourse with these,
but will not see nor have direct inter-
course with the glorifed Christ, Head
and Body-the King of Glory.
God Will Judge His People.
So far as the world is concerned, it
has been under the one general SEN
tence of Divine Justice. dying thou
shalt die" But so far as natural and
spiritual Israel are concerned, they have
been dealt with as freed from the orig
inal sentence and on trial for life or
death afresh under Gods judgments
or discipline Thus it it written, "Je-
hovah will judge his people," Not all
under these judgments have under
stood them-not all were in the condi-
ton of heart to receive their instruc-
tions. "The secret of the Lord is with
them that fear him; and he will show
them his Covenant" psalm XIV, IA.
Thus, during the Jewish Age. Israel
often lapsed into more or less of dark
ness and idolatry and failed to see
their special privileges and relation
ship to God under their Covenant. But
amongst them were the few faithful
VINO WITH the eye of faith diScerned