Milford chronicle., 1909-07-09
PEOPLES
Sermon BY
CHARLES r.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle


Cs-s-s-'-'-.-s-'-s-'-'-s- Q
BrooHyn, s.. g.. July 4.-Pastor Rus
sell preached today at Brooklyn Taber-
nacle to 2 large audience. He said:
The words Of our text have been re-
pcated IS Christian people Of ali na-
uonalidcs for centuries. You recognize
them as 3 portion Of what is generally
termed tile Lords prayer. given TO the
Lords followers as a model in answer
TO the request of the Apostles, Lord.
teach Us to pray" The fact that our
Lord iusructs us to pray for his king
dom to come. implies several things.
O That # was not already here. (2'
That it is part of the divine provision
that in due time the Dominion of the
Highest shall be established among
men. (3l That this is one Of the chief
desiderarums for Gods people and for
humanity.
Our Lords Parallels.
Tt surely has not escaped the atten-
tion of every Bible student that nearly
all of our Lords parallels are more OF
less closely Identified with this King
dom thought The majority Of them
open with such expressions as, The
Kingdom Of heaven is likened unto'
etc. If we keep in memory that it is
a Kingdom Of priests that is to be es-
tabHshed, otherwise called a Royal
Priesthood. an viii be plain. Our Lord
Jesus. after he had paid our ransom
price, after he died the just for the
unjust. as our sacrificing High Priest
ascended up on high to be our King; to
be Priest upon his throne. And sim
fairly he is now calling for an under
priesthood, willing to follow his eX-
ample Of self-sacrifce in the present
life. These in due time he will glorify
with himself. giving them share in
that Royal Priesthood as Priests upon
the throne Of the Millennial Kingdom.
Thus he promised, ITO him that over
cometh will grant to sit with me in
my throne, even as overcame, and
am set down with my Father in his
throne" Revelation iii, %.
II all Christian people could realize
that their "high calling" Of God is
not calling away from eternal tor
ment but calling, or invitation, to
association with Christ I'm his great
Kingdom, which shall ultimately rule
the world. under the whole heavens"
they would read the Bible with a fresh
interest; it would soon be to them a
new book.
Glance at some Of the parallels. Note
how they give snapshot pictures, of
the Church's experiences, not only I'm
the future, but especially in the pres
ent time Of development and prepara-
ton and testing -picturlng the trying
experiences necessary for attaining the
Kingdom. In other words the Church
while on trial. is the embryo Kingdom
the probationary Kingdom class. This
is the enlistng time. the testing time
the proving time, and none viii be ac-
counted worthy 10 share in the actua
glories and privileges of the coming
Kingdom of Gods dear Sol" except
those who now demonstrate not only
loyalty but loving devotion TO the
Lord, to his Truth to an who are bis
to the extent of laying down their
lives for the Truth and for the breih
ren.
Note the parable Of the sower and
that the message sown is the good
seed Of the Kingdom" Note that the
ripe wheat developed from that sow
ing is denominated the children of the
Note that the gathering of
the wheat into the barn-by the resur-
rection change, to the heavenly state
-is still associated with the though. of
the Kingdom in 1he words, Then shall
the righteous shine forth as the sun
IN the Kingdom Of their Father Now
they are eyl0rted 10 shine forth their
light as ta,low-caudles, that they may
'show forth the praises Of him who
called them out of darkness into bis
light" If unfaithful in
shining forth the light under the pres
ant conditions of prevalent darkness. (
they will not be esteemed worthy of a
place with the glorifed faithful in the /
Kingdom which viii shine forth as the /
sun
Note in the parable Of the net cast
nto the sea. which gathered fish Of 1
-arious kinds. that the net represented (
he nominal church of this present (
ime. which In due time is drawn
shore, the fishes caught separated.
md those suitable for the Kingdom are
as gathered in baskets,
while the unsuitable are represented as
,eing cast back into the sea.
Notice the parable of the pearl Of
reat price. which represented the
blessings and privileges, and
ould be obtained only by the selling
L all that was possessed; that thus
he Lords followers who desire
hare in his Kingdom are to reckon
hat no sacrifice IS too great to make
3 attain that blessing-indeed, they
re to know that the Kingdom can be
ttained at no less cost than the sur
ander Of all their earthly hopes and
inns
Note the parable Of the pounds ana
llents. which represented our Lords