Milford chronicle., 1909-04-30
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

Brooklyn, n Y, April 25.-Pasto
Charles T. Russell, preaching today in
the Brooklyn Tabernacle, said:
The first thought connected witt
this text, dear friends, is the peculiar
ity of the fact that the God of all
grace, the Almighty. the All-Wise. the
Adjust, should have love for the
world of mankind. 1t would surprise
none Of us if the Apostle had written
that God greatly loved the holy angels
and that he would do any and every
thing for their protection and blessing
We would have said, 1T is just like
him. OF course he would do so. They
have always been loyal, always been
true hey are noble images Of him
sci. character" If the statement
had even been that God so loved his
saints that. blemished by the imper-
fections of the flesh, he had accepted
them through the merits of Jesus sac
rifice and counted them as perfect and
entire in him, this would have caused
greater surprise than Gods love for
the angels. And yet we would have
said. Yes, it is just like our heavenly
Father to be abundantly gracious and
to remember the sins and iniquities no
more against those who have fully
turned to righteousness and by faith
have been covered by their Redeem
er's Robe of Perfection"
Condemned Sin In the Flesh"
If our text were the only one of
Scripture to the contrary (but it is
not. it would be an utter refutation
to the blasphemous doctrine of eternal
torment as the Divine purpose toward
mankind The thought that God Gre
ated our race with the foreknOwledge
and prearrangement that the over
whelming majority (all except the
sanity "elect'D must spend an eternity
of hopeless torture. is thoroughly out
of accord with reason. as well as con-
Trajectory to our text. God so loved
the world" Does love plan torture:
Does loving provision not imply wis
dom in the use of power. that the crea-
ture may not be injured, if he shall
not be benefited by the program? Is
it conceivable that he who commands
US to love our enemies and to observe
toward them the Golden Rule would
himself ignore that Rule and injure,
not merely his enemies. but also the
ignorant. the superstitious. the great
masses Of mankind-of whom the
Apostle declares. The God Of this
world hath blinded their minds?" QI
Corinthians iv. A.
Let us have done with such night
mares. such doctrines Of demons" as
he Apostle styles them. Let US begin
o know our Creator, our heavenly Fa-
her, for such knowledge is a step to-
ward love for him. and hence toward
ife eternal for ourselves. 1t was our
lear Redeemer who said. This is life
ternal. that they might know thee. the
'nly true God. and Jesus Christ, whom
hou hast sent" (John xvii, 81. Not
'nly the world perishes because o.
ack of true knowledge Of the Creator.
,ut many Of Gods people are similar
Y hindered. AS the Scriptures declare,
My people are destroyed for lack Of
Hosea iv. g..
It Should be understood by all that
iod's Love for mankind. as we'll as
Divine Justice and Wisdom. prepared
mans penalty-"The wages of sin is
cath" Romans vi. 81. 1t is in full
armOny with this that we know
rhen the Lord drove our first parents
ut Of the Garden Of Eden and placed
be cherubim with flaming sword to
revent their return thither. 1t was
lerciful provision, because had they
ontinued to have access to the trees
f life and thus to continued existence,
would have meant everlasting life
IT sinners. And to give sinners eter-
al life and to perpetuate a condition
T sin, rebellion. anarchy, in the uni
erse to all eternity would have been
to the Divine Character
nd Government. as well as injurious
his creatures. Goo determination.
lerefore. from the very beginning
as that be would have a clean uni (
erse. and hence the law. The soul
lat sinneth. it shall die"-a law which {
timately must prevail as respects the :
lien angels and Satan. as well as in s
spect to mankind
Thus we have the assurance that ul- S
mately nothing shall mar the har- I
ony Of the universe. What the Scrip t
res point out respecting the future Z
III prove true. "And every creature
hich is in heaven. and on the earth
Id such as are in the sea. and all that t
e in them, heard ! saying, Blessing v
Id honor, and glory, and power, be y
ito him that sitteth upon the throne, u
ID unto the Lamb for ever and ever" G
evelation v. 13l. Thus the time will il
me when sin and all who love sin d
IN be destroyed and when, as a con- v
quence. tine Scriptures assure us, Il
here shall be no more death, neither
rrow, nor crying, neither shall there
any more pain; for the former Il
ings are passed away. And he that ~
{ upon the throne said. Behold. make =
things new" Revelation xxi. 4, 81. =,
"That He Gave His Son." IL
Gods love for sinners. as we have IL
IN. was so great that he ioOuld not c,
Oi0 them 10 hare everlasting life. be- y
use that would mean to them ever IN