The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-01
1.-THE HOUSE OF GOD
AND THE GATE OF heaven
BETHEL TABERNACLE CHURCH.

Brooklyn, New York, Jan. 31.-Pas-
tor Russell to-day addressed large
congregation in Brooklyn Tabernacle,
otherwise known as Plymouth Bethel,
from the text, ''Tghds is none other but
the house of God and this Is the gate
of Heaven-Bethel / will make there
an altar unto God, who answered me
In the day Of my distress, and was
with me in the way which 1 went"
(Gen. 2S:17; 35:1-3.) The speaker said:
1t is very customary in our day to
speak of buildings such as this in
which we are meeting as churches, but
this is contrary to the Scriptural
usage and, we believe, has its disad-
turally used, signifies a congregation
Of the Lords people, and has no ref
erence whatever to the place in which
they meet. Wherever two or three
meet dn faith in the name OF their
Lord and Redeemer, he declares that
he is in their midst; and the Apostle
assures us that they would constitute
an Dcclesia, Church, a Congregation
of the Lord. Thus in this city and else
where there are numerous congrega-
lions or: ecclesias Of Gods people; yet
as a whSse, there is only one Church
or company, in the sense that all
Christians are brethren, and One is
their Lord, Head, Master.
In speaking of this meeting-hou as
Brooklyn Tabernacle we have in mind
the thought of the Apostle when he
suggested that the Church in glory
will constitute the Temple of the Liv-
ing God, but that the Church on this
side Of the vail still in the hesh was
typtned by Israel's tabernacle of the
wilderness. SO, dear friends, let us
more and more have this same thought,
namely, that our present condition as
the Church of Christ. with all of its
blessings and mercies. is merely a
temporary one, merely a foreshadow.
ing Of the blessings we hope to share
when the gathering of the Elect
shall have been completed. when the
last member of the "Mect," the Bride
OF Christ shall have finished his trials
and testings and been accepted and
counted worthy of a share with the
Bridegroom in the heavenly glory,
honor and immortality. and in the glo
rious work Of the Millennium-the up
htting of the world Of mankind.
Under another figure each member
Of the Church Of Christ Is living
stone taken from the quarry OF human
ity by the call OF God. Each conse
Grated one is receiving the chiseling
toolfng and polishing necessary to fiji
glorious Temple beyond the vail. Like
6olomon's temple. its type, 1t will come
together in the resurrection morning
In an orderly. quiet manner, With
out the sound of an hammer" Then
beyond the vail. the Capstone. Jesus
shall be brought on and the glory OF
the Lord shall I'll! the Temple. Thence
forth the Tabernacle condition will be
no more. The New Dtspensatdon viii
be ushered in and the Kingdom OF
Gods dear Son. through which all the
families of the earth shall be blessed
with knowledge Of the Lord, will be
inaugurated. ITO him every knee
must bow and every tongue confess"
Bethel, the House Of God.
But, following our text. We remind
you that this building is still more
widely known as Plymouth-B Bethel
Forty years ago that renowned, noble
hearted man. Henry Ward Beecher
dedicated this House, giving it the
name Bethel. As you all know this
name signifies Gods House-Beth be
ing the Hebrew for house and FL fol
God. Let US never lose sight of the
significance of this name. for the
thought OF it will bring a blessing t.
us every time we assemble. Yea. more
than this, it will bring a blessing t
the tens Of thousands who read weekly
these Plymouth Bethel sermons Al
though but few of them can assemble
with US In the letter to join in worship
many OF them write to me that the,
are VITA us in heart and fellowship
with the Father and with the Son anG
through the Holy Spirit. and that they
too. are hoping that the present tab
ernacling of Gods Church in the flesh
will ere long give place to the Temple
condition OF glory, honor and immor
tally.
1 remind you Of the origin of ths
word Bethel; that when Jacob, ths
grandson OF Abraham, fed from home
from the anger of his brother Esau
he slept the first night OF his journe,
in certain place with 4 stone for his
pillow Towards morning he had s
dream OF unusual significance, which
NE accepted as a vision from the Lort
the Lord confirming that thought
He dreamed that he saw a ladde1
erocted upon the earth and reaching
to aeasen- Asceading and descendiu,