The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1909-09-28
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

ho0h0dJs sept AO.-OOuDC 6OOA
we must consider for the benefit of
fellow Christians what the Bible has
to say respecting the Day of Judgment.
For the present we suffice ourselves
with the general explanation that this
term Day of Judgment has been seri-
ously misconstrued by theologians and
by the public. 1t has been used out
of harmony with the Scriptural usage.
1t has been used out of harmony with
reasonable. logical deductions. The
term Day of Judgment is generally
understood to mean Day of Sentence
or Day of Doom. In fact. Doomsday
is frequently used as synonym with
out the slightest warrant The term
Day of Judgment signifies the Day of
trial or testing; as in our text we read
that men shall give an account in the
Day of Judgment for every idle word
The proper thought on the subject of
judgment from the Bible standpoint
is this: God created our first parents
innocent. perfect, and placed them on
trial. Their Day of Judgment was In
Eden. How long it would have lasted
had they remained faithful to God we
are not informed, but as soon as they
had disobeyed the Divine command.
their day of trial or judgment was
ended, and the sentence. dying thou
shalt die" began to be inflicted. The
Judgment or trial of Adam was over.
and since all Of bis posterity share his
imperfections and are equally I'M
worthy of life on that account. there
fore the sentence of sin. dying thou
shalt die" rests upon every member
of the race. just as though each lndl-
vidual had been on trial in Eden and
had lost In the trial with father Adam
This matter st. Paul clearly enunci
ates, saying. by one mans disobedi-
ence. sin entered into the world and
death as the result Of sin. Thus death
passed upon all men. because all are
sinners (Romans v. 12).
This being true, how comes it that
there is any mention made in the Scrip
lures of another Judgment day. If
all mankind already are judged un-
worthy of eternal life and worthy of
death everlasting, why should there
be any furf her judgment? The Bible
answer to the question Is that there
would have been no reference TO fu-
ture Judgment day had it not been
that God had provided Redeemer.
Christ Jesus, by whose merit the first
penalty against our race through Adam
will eventually be abrogated. set aside.
In. consequence of the setting aside OF
the first sentence of death a second
trial or Judgment will be opened to
every member of the race. The first
trial or Judgment was Of one man
adam for all of his race. A second
trial or judgment, secured by the Re
deemer. will treat Adam and all of
his race individually; granting them
each an individual or personal trial,
hence unlike the first trial in Eden.
which was of one man and for the
race. This second trial has not yet
been provided for our race. except in
the sense that it has been prepared for
and promised-"God hath appointed
day in which he will judge the world
in righteousness" That day will be
the Millennial day-a thousand years
in length. 1t will be the worlds trial
day or time of individual testing.
whoever of the world comes to
knowledge of the fact that God has
provided such future trial. such
future opportunity of obtaining eternal
life. is on notice at once that every
intelligent act of his in the present life
will have a bearing upon his prospect
for eternal life in the future. II now
he uses wisely the opportunities of the
present life he may upbuild for him
self a measure Of character. self-con-
troll. etc. which will prepare him for
a more honorable place during the Mil
lenniaI Kingdom and make his prog
ress there the more rapid and the more
easy. Or. on the contrary. by degrad
ing himself in the present life he may
undermine his character and. during
the Millennial Day of judgment (triaD
find himself so much lower in the hui
man scale and have so much further
to advance out of sin and death con-
ditions into the condition of perfection
and everlasting life.
The Church has her judgment day in
the present life-during this Gospel
Age. All consecrated believers. begot-
ten of the holy Spirit, are now on
trial for everlasting life or for ever
lasting death as new creatures in
Christ Jesus" If such do not comply
with the conditions of their consecra-
ton, but draw back to sin. their trial
will be in one sense useless and the
sentence of utter destruction will rest
upon them-.'the Second Death"
Idle Words-Pernicious Words.
The context shows that our Lord in
our text addressed. not his disciples
but the worldly. the Pharisees. Doubt
less the same principle applies to the
Church. Every idle or pernicious word
of ours has its weight. has its infu-
ence with ourselves and with. others.
Those who are rightly Informed re-
speeding the Lords will in such mat
tiers. the Lords consecrated people.
have a great responsibility response
.dlity of what effect their words ano
influence have upon others. Our words
whether written or spoken. exercise
an influence upon the minds and
thoughts of others. Frequently they
90 from one to another and thus. If
pernicious. evil is spread far and near
and the word once uttered cannot be
recalled. Some one has wisely said
that Error can get around the world
while Truth is getting its boots on. Oh.
the power OF sIanderous word. oh.
the power of an insinuation. Yea,
even of shrug of the shoulder! Who
does not know it? Who is una ware of
the fact that this is the practice of the
world daily; and alas. the practice also
of many of Gods people-professing
Christians, The bitter word of sar-
casm or insinuation is shot out often
unthinkingly. but the terrible poison
goes from heart to heart and fresh
abroad. which lifetime of holy living
cannot fully counteract.
On the contrary. what u power the
tongue has for good, using the word
tongue here in it's broad sense, repre-
senting not only words spoken, but the
words written and printed. AS an H.
Iustration: What speaker or writer has
ever done more to help poor humanity
than the Prophet David in the inspired
Psalms which he wrote? Truly. as
Solomon has said, "A word fifty spoken
is like apples of gold in pictures of sill
yer proverbs XIV, III. As for the
Church. the Lord has indeed agreed
that be WI not judge the Church ac-
cording to their words and their deeds
entirely, but according to their spirit.
their intention. their will. their energy
their zeal for him and his Truth NeV-