Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-05-07
Pastor Russelrs Discourse at Brook
Ign Tabernacle.


age of restitution just In advance OF
us, the blessings of which the Scrip
lures assure US VIII be for all the fam
lilies OF the earth (Acts lii 1920
But we remind you that the high call
irg, the election OF this Gospel Age.
guarantees To those who make the
Voto Of conservation to the Lord. and
who perform 1t faithfully. Il still great
er blessing than earthly restitution
and heavenly spiritual nature with
glory, honor and Immortality and par
ticipation In the Divine nature. God
Is now justifying believers through
faith. in order TO give them an oppor-
tunity to consecrate themselves. to
make their vows unto the Lord and to
show their love and loyalty by keep
ing these vows. In view of this who
will say that God has not attached n
great blessing TO this vow OF conse-
cration-to all those who present them
selves In sacrifice to him?
How Vows May Assist.
The will is the proper ruler of hu.
man life; but the fact Is that a great
many people are without this ruler
and guide as respects the higher things
OF life. Early in life the will usually
decides for name and honor and
wealth, To be secured us honestly and
as easily as possible. The will repre-
sents the sentiment of our strongest
or preponderating characteristics or
mental qualities. In majority of
people these are not the highest quail.
a -, - 81, N..s
est Selfishness. acquisltiveness, com
batlveneSs. destructiveneSs and animal
passion lie at the base of the brain and
are usually persistently cultivated. en-.
couraged and gratifed. with merely
certain limitations of decency, honesty.
responsibility. associating with them
as Il veneer.
A chronological examination of the
head shows other higher and nobler
qualities of the mind in every case, but
with many the upper stories of the
mind are comparatively unfurnished
and unoccupied. The owner of the
frame lives almost continually In the
cellar. Why is this so? Because the
lower organs have to do with the
necessities OF every day life. And the
owner OF the brain often finds It incon.
venient TO consult the higher elements
or his organism, because these usually
through conscience would be Inclined
TO repyore his course OF life. His jus-
tice would frequently forbid CONNER
cial transactions which his lower ma
ture desires to put through His benev-
olence. his spirituality. his generation
for God and his Word. II allowed TO
speak, would thwart his selfish plans
and resolutions.
What such n man needs 10 do is to
make roIc 70 himself that he will
seek TO live In harmony with his own
convictions-that he will not allow the
baser qualities OF his nature TO rule
him. but Will regulate those qualities
by the noblest and best sentiments OF
which he is possessed. We suggest
that this vow be TO himself. because Il
could not be vow TO God Gods Lao
commands his best. and In living accord
Ing TO any other standards he is living
In violation To the Divine Law written
In his very constitution. represented In
the organs OF his brain True. our
fallen brains are not perfectly bal
anced. nevertheless. measure OF the
Divine likeness is TO be found In every
human brain not idlotic
II the whole world could come TO ap-
preciate these facts and II each person
would roo TO himself TO live his own
very best-according 10 his own high
est ideals-in full harmony with the
measure OF the Divine likeness which
he possesses. the world would straight
way be comparatively n Paradise.
True. many things would still he
amIss. but the will. the most important
factor. II right with God, would bring
measure Of peace to every heart, to
every home. to every land.
A New Heart Needed.
Create within me a clean heart. O
Lord. and renew right spirit with.
In me" psalm II. 1O. The man or
woman who begins reformation OF life
by roicing to himself to live according
to his best natural ability Will nnd
himself disappointed still; because of
the impossibilities or harmonizing ali
the various qualities OF his mind under
present conditions connected with the
reign of Sin and Death In the world.
He Will find that to piH may be pres
emit with him. but to perform the will
or his nobier mind will be an impossi-
bility; because through heredity, and
through commercial customs, and
through his own habits of life, his
lower organs are fully developed and
stronger In their combination. while
the organs representing his nobler sen.
timents are relatively weak, inexperI-
enced and out OF accord with the Sin
and Death conditions which prevail on
every hand
Is Ii asked why this is so? The
Scriptural reply is that we were born In
sin and shapen In iniquity; and In sin
old our mothers conceive US psalm II.
%. The Bible tells us Of the origin OF
sin In the disobedience of Eden. II
tells us of the sentence of sin. And
we see how that sentence has bound
and enfeebled our race ON It's way to
the tomb. The effort to live righteous
~ soDerly and justly In this present
world Is so great that If there were no
ruture prospects. no Divine promises
or future life. we might well consider
as the Apostle suggests, whether we
might not better eat. drink and be
merry and die. rather than fight con-
tinual warfare against so heavy an odds
Give the win to God.
The Scriptures inform us of the nj
vine pity for our race In its fallen con-
aition' yea, that God perceived all of
our distressed conditions before he Gre
ated US and even then planned a rem.
edy, THE Lamb slain from before the
OF the world" The Rihlo