The Mankato free press., 1909-09-03
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

~. aug. hS 10
sues Of life, death and hereafter are
all in the hand or power of the Lord He
took counsel of none of US, and holds
himself fully responsible. declaring
that all of his purposes shall be ac-
complished, and that his Word that
has gone forth shall not return to
him void, but shall accomplish that
which he pleases isaiah lv. 10. III.
He owed us nothing in the begin
ming, and will be under no obligations
to us in the end. We are his debtors
for all that is profitable or enjoyable.
He is a rich King and Father and is
able and willing to do exceedingly
abundantly for us, his creatures-more
than we could have asked or thought.
But he has his own way for doing
this, which. in the end. will be seen
to be the best way. His ways are
in clouds and darkness" writes She
prophet; and the poet answers. yes,
"God moves in mysterious way
His wonders to perform
The Gift of God.
Eternal life is 1.-The gift of God" for
all of his creatures who will take it
on his terms; and for all others he
declares. The wages of sin is death"
the blotting out of life. And who
cannot see that this arrangement to
destroy all who will not use life in ac-
cord with the Divine will. is really a
To 70 Gfa ppnoSod TO
his will and law Of righteousness
would be disgrace to God and an
injury to the holy as we'll as to the
unholy. God gave our race life in
Adam. but as he had foreseen, they
lost it by disobedience and came under
the penalty-death. AS he purposed
before the foundation Of the world. he
in due time sent his Son to be The
Lamb of God which taketh away the
sin of the world" AS such Jesus
died. 1.-The just for the unjust" ''tast-
ing death for every man" (Hebrews
ii. 81. This glorious purpose God set
forth to Father Abraham in his oath
bound covenant, of which the Apostle
writes in Hebrews vi. 1920.
The context shows distinctly that
the Apostles and the early Church
drew comfort from the Oath-BOund
Covenant, and clearly implies that this
same comfort belongs to every true
Christian down to the end Of this age
to every member of the Body of
Christ The Apostles words imply
that Gods promise and oath were in
tended more for us than for Abraham
more for our comfort than for his.
Note the Apostles words: THAT by
two immutabIe things 1.-TWO unalterable
thingsl. in which it was impossible for
God to lie, we the Gospel Church)
might have a strong consolation, (we)
who have fed for refuge Ito Christi.
to lay hold upon the hope set before
US"
Assurance of Almighty's Oath.
Doubtless Abraham and all of his
family, Israel after the flesh. drew a
certain amount of blessing and en-
couragement from this Covenant or
promise and the oath Of the Almighty,
which doubly sealed it, which gave
double assurance of its certainty Of
accomplishment; but the Apostle in
Inmates in the words quoted. that
Gods special design in giving that
Covenant and in binding it solemnly
with an oath, was to encourage Spirit
ual Israel-to give us firm founda-
tion for faith.
God well knew that. although 5000
years from his own standpoint would
be but a brief space. "as watch in
the night" nevertheless to us the time
would appear long. and the strain upon
faith would be severe; hence the posi-
tive statement and the still more de-
liberate oath that bound it. We cam
not but wonder at such condescension
upon the part of the great Creator
that he would stoop to his fallen crea-
lures and, above all, that he should
condescend to give his oath on the
subject.
Our Lord Jesus was the great heir
of the Abrahamic promise, and the
faithful of his conSecrated people Of
this Gospel Age are declared to be his
joint-heirs in that promise, which is
not yet fulfilled. For it's fulfillment,
AOI OAi9 lhe Is WdltiuS, dS luC
Bride or fellow-members of the Body
of Christ, to be participants with the
Lord in the glorieS implied in the
promise, but additionally. the whole
creation the entire human family is
grooming and Travelling in pain to-
gether waiting for the great fulillment
of that oath-bound promise or cove
nant (Romans viii. 1929.
Those who follow the Apostles argu-
ment and realize that we as Christians
are still waiting for the fulhllment Of
this promise. will be anxious to know
what are the terms of this Covenant
which is the hope Of the world. the
hope of the Church. and the object Of
so much solicitude and care on the
part of God. in that he would promise
and then back his word with an oath.
We answer that every Christian
should know what this promise is,
since it lies at the very foundation OF
every Christian hope.
How can this hope be an anchor to
our soul in all the storms and trials
and difficulties of life. in all the op-
position of the world. the flesh and the
Adversary. if we do not know what
fhe hone is. If we have not even rec
OgnlZeQ the promise upon which this