The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1909-12-04
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
tabernacle

uelt II a OtuuAA anu COuSlStenCl
10 the Bible which many overlook. t,
their own confusion. Failing to right
ly divide the Word of Truth Ill Tim
othy Ii, l5l, failing to discriminat,
between the consecraled believers ant
nominal believers of the world. which
the Bible everywhere recognizes. has LED
TO this confusion. To the logically-mind
ed thus confused, the Bible is an unrea
sonable Book, Inconsistent with facts.
These matters are well illustrated IN
our text, which was addressed. not tc
all mankind. nor to merely nominal
ChriStians-b but to Christians, in God
the Father and IN the Lord Jesus
Christ" as the Introduction shows.
This word in means something more
than is generally appreciated. Note
the Sayior's words, IF a man love me
be will keep my words: and my Father
VIII love him, and we will come unto
hil and make our abode with him.
Il AN in my Father, and We In me and
| iTyou" tJohn xiv, 20. 23i. The whole
testimony Of the Scriptures is that
those who attain to this glorious one.
ness with the Father and with the Son
r in all but a little flock" and
amongst them are mot many great,
not many wise, not many learned"
II is to this class alone that the Scrip.
lures are Unconstitutional TO some
extent including a justified class sup.
posedly approaching this sanctlted
condition, These may well be inform.
ed by the Apostle that they should lin
everything give thanks" when in full
harmony with the Divine will.
But note the confusion of attempting
to apply these words TO the world In
general, What has the world TO be
thankful for-from its own standpointi
1t knows not what Gods future IL
poses are, which, therefore. cannot en-.
ter into its consideration. And with
out that knowledge of coming blessings
life is often so little appreciated that
self-destruction Is preferred. Undoubt.
eddy the number Of suicides would be
far greater than 1t is, were 1t not for
a certain fear or dread that the future
might be more terrible than the present.
The average man, heather and civ.
ilized. knows that his coming into the
world was without his consent. He
eats and drinks and sleeps and labors,
because these are necessities. He has
headaches and h%eartaches, and every
other kind. Altogether his experience
Is "of few years and full of trouble"
His chief pleasure is in hoping for and
striving to attain pleasure. And when
the cup of supposed happiness is in
his hand, the gall Of bitterness is found
mingled with it. and its dregs are
sorrows. Can such a man be thank
full? especially If he has been taught
the doctrine Of the dark ages" re-
speeding the future-that when he
shall die be will either be ushered
into a Purgatory Of centuries or tor
ture lndescribable. or, worse still, that
his lot will be to suffer endlessly-un-
less be should be one Of the saints,
which he we'll knows he is not. and
which we all know, as the Bible de.
clares, are but few" Surely to call
upon such people for thankfulness to.
God would be an absurdity. And 1t is
to the credit Of the Scriptures that
they are not thus absurd. and that our
towt 10 odIrougaI not 20 thoga rubo
constitute the masses, but to the 'lit.
tie fock"-the saints.
Groaning Creations Hope.
Before proceeding to apply our text
to the class to which it is addressed
the saints, we pause to consider the
hope of the world in general, as set
forth In the Scriptures. The knowl-
edge of this hope is not granted to the
world. but to the saints-that they
might know, might appreciate, the graz
cious purposes of God toward mankind
In general; and that they might under
stand also the Divine intention respect
ing their cooperation with God In the
blGooAhbo ht pun ppoto W bAlhb tNthNh
ally to all the families Of the earth.
The explanation of the sorrows Of
the world is given In the Bible; which
tells US that sin lies at the door and
that the mental, moral and physical
blemishes which humanity such
distress are incidental to the penalty
pronounced against sin; namely, death.
1.-THE soul that sinneth, it shall die"
Because Father Adam when on trial
representatively for his race sinned
and came under sins penalty, "Dying
thou shalt die" therefore all his chill
dren sharing in his l~mperfections are
likewise imperfect-sinners as st. Paul
explains (Romans v. 12). Thus, dur
ing sixty centuries, approximately
twenty thousand millions Of Adams
children have been "born in sin and
shapen in inlqulty." and have come
into the world condemned and dying,
mentally, morally and physically.
Divine sympathy exercised toward
this race Of sinners provided a Savior,
"who for the JOY that was set before
him" sacrificed bis life-for the world
John III. 1G. "Jesus Christ by the
grace Of God tasted death for every
man." Then instead Of dealing with
the world, instead Of saving the world.
instead Of setting up the promised
Kfnpdom 70 HESS the world the Say.