Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-11-24
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL.
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.


sell. of Brooklyn Tabernacle. preached
today to crowded house from the
above text. He said
No other book treats the matter Of
human woe and sorrow in the wise.
tender. sympathetic. helpful manner Of
the Bible. 1t assures us that however
cold. heartless and disappointing the
world may be and our friends may be.
or those from whom we may have ex-
pected better things. we have. never
theless. God of sympathy-a God of
love. No heather religion knows any
thing of such God. With them Gods
attributes are merely more or less OF
ferocity. Their gods are to be placat-
ed and worshipped from fear of what
lures. The God of the Bible assures
us of his love. his sympathy. In all OF
our distresses-his interest in our af-
fairs and his provision for the ulti-
mate welfare Of all those who will
come into the attitude Of loving right
eousness and hating iniquity-the only
proper attitude of heart. the only one
which he can approve and bless with
everlasting life.
A Night Of Sorrow ard Death.
The Scriptures point out to us what
we recognize to be the truth-that the
and curse Of death for SIX thousand
years. Appropriately our text de-
scribes this period as a dark time Of
hard. blighting experiences. night
Of weeping-of sorrow. In harmony
with this figure 1t declares that dark
ness covers the civilized, earth and
gross darkness the heathen."
Not alone does this condition affect
those who are In alienation from God
through ignorance and superstition
and the power Of sin. but 1t affects
also those who have accepted the
grace of God. who have turned their
backs upon sin and who are seeking
to walk in the narrow way, in the
footsteps of Jesus. Well does the
Apostle say. The whole creation
groaneth aud travaileth in pain to-
gether until now. And not only they.
but ourselves also. which have the
first-fruits of the Spirit. even we our
selves grOan within ourselves. waiting
for the adoption: TO wit. the redemp-
ton of our Body."-the Body Of which
Jesus is the Head or Chief and we
are symbolical members or an under
priesthood URomans viii. -. 23,.
There is difference. however. be-
tween the Church and the world in this
groaning. us suggested by the Apos-
ties words. The world groans aloud
without alienation. and even its wait
ing for the manifestation Of the sons
Of God is II waiting in ignorance: for.
being out of touch with the Eternal
One. they know not of his gracious
purposes and arrangements-for these
are kept secret from all except his
Sanctihed ones. THE secret OF the
Lord is with them that fear (rever-
ence, him and he will show them his
Covenant" psalm XIV. III. These
who possess the secret Of the Lord
sorrow not as others who have no
hope" Il Thessaionians iv. 49,. They
''grOan inwardly" and wait for the glo-
brethren. members of the symbolical
Body of Christ. by participation in the
First Resurrection. The hopes of these
must be realized first. before the bless
ing can come to the "grOaning crea-
ton" in general. The latter are wait
ing for the manifestation of the sons
of God; namely. the Church In glory.
A Light In a Dark Place.
The Bible represents itself as being
the candle Of the Lord. the lamp of
Divine Truth and enlightenment. But
it tells us that its light is not for the
world-either now or at any time
future Its light is only for those who
by faith and obedience unto consecra-
ton seek to walk in the footsteps of
Jesus. They need the light. God pro-
vides it for them. These are repre-
scented by the Prophet as saying to the
Lord. Thy Word is a lamp unto my
feet. and a light unto my patti" foot
steps, psalm cxix. 1851. This light
evidently does not shine far into the
future. but enough for each onward
step as it becomes due.
st. Peter amplities the same thought
After telling us of the assurance which
he himself and his associates had upol
the Mount of TRANSPORTATION whel
they beheld 1.-THE vision" (Matthew xvii
10, of the Lord miraculously trans
formed and with him Moses and Ell
jah and heard the voice from heaven
it was forceful to their minds a
teaching the coming Of our Lord Il
glory. in due time. Nevertheless. say
the Apostle. honoring the Bible abov
any vision. We have a more sur
word of prophecy: whereunto We d.
we'll that We take heed. as unto ligh
that shineth in Il dark place. until tn
day dawn. and the day star arise
III Peter /. 81. indicating that tn
morning is at hand and that the Sui
of Righteousness will soon fulfil 1t
mission of blessing all the families o
the earth.
But Why Is This Thus?
Why does God permit the reign o