The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-12-25
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
auence 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 il in any other light; hence the
general perpleyity 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 If its misunderstood teachings.
But now in the dawning Of the New
Dispensation the Word of God is shin
ing as never before; one passage lliu-
minating another. our fear gives place
to r%everential love and filial 1--WE 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 a penalty
for sin, we find a 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 n perfect right to de-
stroy him in death when he refused
the blessing Of life eternal on the
terms Of obedience. Seeing this, how
reioiced 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 rs the opportunity
Of eternal life through the resurrec'
ton.
II was another part Of the Divine
Judgment against our race that, in
stead of the death penalty coming in
stantly upon Adam and Eve, 1t 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 Christ's sacrifice, they might
profit by It the more. The same princi'
pies apply to all Of Adams p%Osterity
'The whole creation groaneth and ira.
vaileth in pain together until now -
waiting for the manifestation Of the
sons Of God" ROmans viii, %, 19). They
are waiting for the establishment Of
Christ's Millennial Kingdom under
which they shall have a full opportu
nifty Of coming to a knowledge Of th'
Truth.
This is Gods provision for the worlC
in general. What God did for the lit
tie nation OF israel during the Jewisl
Age, and what he has been doing TO
Spiritual Israel since PentecOst, in thi
Gospel Age, are matters separate an
apart entirely from his general deal
ing with the world Of mankind. Th,
natural and the spiritual Seed of Abra
ham are exceptions to the rule. The.
have been granted special privilege
and blessings not granted to the worl,
in general-natural Israel under tn
Law Covenant and spiritual Israel III
der the Abrahamic Covenant. Fror
these two nominal Israels special lover
comersr have been chosen or elected
These shortly, in association with tn
Redeemer, will constitute the kingdoI
Of God. The overcomers Of spirituI
Israel, becoming the Bride Of Chris
by resurrection change" TO the hea'
emily nature, viii be Ike him and shar
his glory and constitute the KingdoI
class in the highest sense. The owe
corners Of natural Israel, resurrecte
to the perfection Of earthly natur
will constitute the earthly phase Of Il
Millennial Kingdom. Mankind ma
see and have intercourse with thes
but will not see nor have direct int
course with the glorihed Christ, Hea
and Body-the King Of Glory.
God Will Judge His People.
= SO far as the world is concerned,
r has been under the n general Sc
> tence Of Divine Justice, dying thC
shalt die" But so far as natural al
spiritual Israel are concerned, they ha'
been dealt with as freed from the orr
e inal sentence and on trial for life
death afresh under Gods Judgmen
or disclplines. Thus II II written, ~
r hovah will judge his people" Not
under these judgments have undo
atoOd tbam-not all werp In tho coDt