Milford chronicle., 1909-05-14
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL.
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

II L.
IS in excellent health.
Assuredly our text has never yet had
q fllhumeuL but just as surely it shall
be FULFILLED. FOR the mouth Of the Lord
hath spoken it; yea, more, hath de-
Clared that ultimately every knee
shall bow and every tongue confess
Messiah 10 the glory Of God the Fa-
ther Some time ago in our Sunday
School hymuals a very popular melody
was entitled SHOWERS OF BLESS
NGs" and prayed, Let some drop
pings fan upon me" This truly ex-
presses the Christians experience In
the present time. The Lord permits
his people 20 have sunshine, cloud and
shower for their refreshment, for
their development Nevertheless the
showers OF refres hing never seem to
come with sufficient frequency, and
we continually rejoice In the hope that
''stiH there's more to follow" What a
contrast, therefore. is suggested by the
words of our text-a downpour Of
truth and grace which win produce
food Of righteousness and knowledge
Of the Lord worldwide and ocean
deep.
When win this be- and how win it
come TO pass. are the incredulous in
qulries. 1t seems too good to be true
that, after a reign Of sin and death
lasting for six thousand years, so won
derful a change is TO be brought about!
1t seems too great a miracle to be ex-
pected that, after the struggle of
Truth with Error Of Righteousness
with Sin for long centuries, the time
should ever come when Righteousness
and the knowledge of God should OBJ
tain so complete a victory, so thorough
a mastery of the world! When we
consider the united energies Of Chris
tendon during the last century to
spread the knowledge Of the Lord
amongst the heather and the results
during the last century in spreading
the knowledge Of the Lord throughout
heathendom, the Scriptural statement
seems incredible. When we reflect
that a century ago there were six hun
dred millions Of heather and that now
there are twelve hundred millions. we
ask ourselves by what miracle 1t could
ever come to pass that the knowledge
Of the Lord should ever cover the
whole earth as the waters cover the
mighty deep.
THY Kingdom Come"
The Scriptures answer our query
and explain the entire situation. They
tell US that the worlds conversion |
comes not by might nor by power of
man, but by my spirit. saith the
Lord" The Bible tells us that during |
this Gospel Age God has poured out |
bis holy Spirit upon his servants and I
upon his handmaids and upon these /
alone; but they tell us also that with |
The end Of this Age and the dawning |
)f the new dispensatiOn the Lord will |
pour out his spirit upon all flesh. /
After those days, saith the Lord. ] /
viii pour out my spirit upon all flesh"
But what viii be the cause of this
,hange I'm the Divine program which
he Almighty has foreknown from of
I'D and foretold through the prophets?
Evidently it is not a change Of the
Divine purpose or intent but merely
change in the Divine operation. for
known unto the Lord are all his
works, from the foundation Of the
world" A lesson we all need to learn
8 that as, in human operations, time
md order are observed. so likewise
hese are elements in the Divine ar
In the construction a
oundation is the first requisite. and
he roof or capstOne and the finishing
Ouches mark the completion of the
Office. So I'm the Divine arrangement
'ariOus ages mark various degrees Of
development in the Divine purpose
nd not until the finishing touches
hall have been given viii the glories
( the architect and builder Of crea-
Ions wonderful temple be manifested
We are at present in the formative pc
lOd God has begun the great work
( which he prophesied Of old. Mes
iah has come. has died for the sins
I men, has arisen from the dead and
cen highly exalted the Church. spir-
ual Israel, gathered from natural Is
ael and from all the families Of the
arth, a little fock," has been in
rocess Of selection for nearly nineteen
Soon it will be completed
be predestinated number possessing
he foreordained quality Of character,
copies Of Gods dear Son." will have
cen found and tested and developed
nd polished and fitted and prepared
u the glorious position to which they
ave been called as Messiah's Bride
nd joint-heir in his Kingdom. Then
ie King and Queen Of the Millennial :
.ingdom, being In readiness for their
ork. a great change in the Divine
sogram Of earth win take place.
Satan Shall Be Bound.
The Scriptures most distinctly teach
at we are under the reign Of the
Prince Of this world" Satan. and
at our Lord at his Second Coming
power and great glory viii bind or
strain this strong one and overthrow
8 empire, which is not OF Divine au-
....r-.r4r.r. ]