The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-05-28
Sermon by
CHARLES I.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

CATION, composed chiefly of those &C
Quainted with him through his books
on Bible Study. He spoke through an
interpreter. He said in part:
AS many of you are aware we have
Just passed the anniversary of Cbrists
ascension. We recall that following
our Lords crucifixion he arose from
death on the third day. He remained
with his disciples during forty days,
although he manifested himself to
them only a few times and then very
briefy-probably seven manifestations
in all, and of but a few moments each.
The work of those forty days was
primarily to demonstrate to the Apos-
ties, and through them to his follow
ers throughout the Age, that he who
redeemed US through the sacrifice OF
himself is not dead Saviour but q
risen one. Secondly he wished them
to understand that as he had left the
spirit condition and humbled himself
to take the bondman's form for the
suffering Of death, he resumed his
spirit nature in the resurrection and
was no longer flesh and blood. He
wished them to know that flesh and
blood could not inherit the Kingdom,
and that the Divine calling to them as
his disciples was that they lay down
their lives in his service so that In due
time they also might experience
share in his Resurrection to spirit ma
ture, glory and honor In his own per-
son he illustrated what the Apostle
explained will be the experience of all
the faithful saints Of this Age-he died
and was buried in weakness, he was
raised in power; he died and was bur-
led in dishonor, he was raised in
glory; he died and was buried a nat
ural body, human, he was raised a
spirit body, Divine q Corinthians XIV,
42-44).
These great lessons required time,
and evidently the forty-day period was
none too long. The apostles were con-
WINGED at once that their Lord was no
longer dead. He had appeared to them.
He had manifested himself at various
times and In various forms-as a trav-
eler, as gardener, with wounded
hands and feet, and otherwise; but, as
he declared, "They were slow Of heart
to believe all things written in the
Law and prophecies concerning him."
They were disappointed that he did not
stay with them as previously when he
was ''the man Christ Jesus" They
were amazed when he came into the
room where they were assembled, the
door being shut and securely barred.
They knew that no human body could
thus come In, and yet so he appeared.
And when the interview was ended he
vanished. He walked not away, but
vanished. They looked for him fire.
quently, but he disappointed them-nOt
manifesting himself for more than a
week several times. They could not
understand spiritual things because
they were but natural men, even
though consecrated to the Lord; they
had not yet received the holy Spirit,
and hence were slow to learn spiritual
lessons John vii, 39).
without Me We Can Do Nothing"
Toward the close Of the forty days
the apostles were not only perplexed
but dispirited. The Messiah with
whom they had hoped to reign had not
only been crucified, but now, in Resur-
rection, he had been SO changed that
they were at loss how to understand
matters. They concluded to give up
the entire proposition and to return to
their secular business. The leaders
were the first to so decide-Peter,
James and John. They took back their
boats, nets, ETC., and resumed the old
business partnership on the Sea Of
Galilee. Now came the opportune mo-
ment for our Lord to teach them a
great lesson respecting his power as
spirit being; that it was no less than
as "the man Christ Jesus" he had fed
the multitudes and miraculously filed
their nets with fishes at the beginning
Of his ministry.
1t was a part of the Lords provi-
dence that they caught nothing on the
first night. In the morning they saw
a man upon the shore who inquired if
they had fish. They replied that they
had toiled all night and had caught
nothing. The stranger suggested drop
ping the net on the other side Of the
boat and, without specially reasoning
that the little boat was continually
turning about anyway, they obeyed
him. Forthwith they found their net
choked with fishes. The lesson was
sufficient. The apostles knew at once
that the stranger on the shore could be
none other than their Master, who had
adopted this new form of manifesting
himself They could scarcely wait to
reach the shore. st. Peter, impatient
of delay, swan to his Master, fearful
that he would disappear again before
he could reach him. When ashore
they found that the Master had mirac-
ulously provided a fire and fish and
that their breakfast was ready We
read that "None Of them burst ask him
who he was, knowing that 1t was the
Lord"-knowing by the miracle which
he alone could work, but not knowing
by any wounds in hands or feet, nor
by any exact reproduction of his gar
ments, which the soldiers had parted
amongst them.
The lesson needed had been taught.
The disciples had learned the force of
the Masters words, without me We
can do nothing" They learned that