The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-05-16

London, Eng. May 18TH Albert
Memorial Hail; recognized as the
largest modern auditorium III the
world, was crowded today to hear Pas
tor Russell Of Brooklyn Tabernacle,
New York on costal Btess lngs.
Many ofthe most ptominentst and
boxes are owned by the nobility.
many Of whom occupied them. while
others. unable 10 attend. gtaciously
granted permission for their occupan-
cy by others; but hundreds we're turn.
ed away The meeting was held IN.
der the auspices Of the international
Bible Students Association" The
speaker said.-
It is appropriate that on this day.
celebrated and recognized as the an
niyersary Of Pentecost. we should con
slider tie import. and have well in
mind what We celebrate. ! therefore
take as my text, the words Of st. Pc
ter explanatory Of the occasion 'This
! IS that which was spoken by the
Prophet Joel: And it shall come to
pass in tie last days. saith GOd.1 will
pour out my Spirit upon alli flesh; and
! your sous and your ds hters shall
prophesy, and your yoLfes men shall
have the vision which your ancients
dreamed Of; and on my servants and
on my handmaidens / will pour out in
, those days my Spirit. and they shall
proclaim q give you a preferred
translation -Acts Il, 1918.
st. Peter declares that the outpour.
ing of the holy Spirit upon the waiting
| believers at Pentecost was mentioned
by Joel the Prophet. but he does not
say that all Of the prophecy was ful.
filed there and then. AS matter Of
fact we know that the holy Spirit was
not then poured out on all flesh; 1t
was poured out merely upon Gods
servants and hand.maidens A care.
full inspection shows us that there are
| two parts to the prophecy ~ All fesh,
and (2) Gods servants and handmade
| ems. The order of the blessing is also
stated. 1t will come upon all flesh
after those days. but upon the servants
and hand.maidens IN those days. The
days mentioned evidently refer to this
Gospel age-from Pentecost to the sec
ond coming Of Christ.
In this period, Of now nearly nine
teen centuries, Gods holy Spirit has
been granted to his faithful ones, and
to these alone. Only the fully conse-
Grated have been accepted of the Lord
as living sacrifices, and only such have
been begotten of the holy Spirit. that
they may be new creatures IN Christ"
During. all this time, the world has
been unrecognized SO far as the holy
Spirit is concerned. Indeed. the Apos-
tie after Pentecost went still further
and declared that 1.-THE whole world
lieth in the Wicked, One" The only
action Of the holy Spirit must be. as
in the case OF Felix. to "reprove
the world Of sin and righteousness, and
Of coming Judgment" Our text de
clares, however. that the time Is com
ing when the world will receive a
share Of the great Divine blessing.
which was fully assured by the death
Of Christ. But its time Of favor will
be ''atter those days"-after this Cos
pel Age shall have come to an end;
after the New Dlspensation, the NH
lennIal Age, shall have come. Let us
note first the blessings belonging to
this Gospel Age. in which we are spe-
cially interested, and subsequently let
us notice the blessings that God has
| promised shall come to all mankind
The Chureh's Pentecost,
tits not sufficient that we say that q
Pentecostal blessing came upon the
followers Of Jesus in the upper room
at Jerusalem. totally different from
anything that had been known in the
world before! We want to know why
it was so; and If a blessing, why,it did
not come soonerto Gods people? We re.
member Abel, Enoch. Noah, Abraham,
Moses. Daniel. the Prophets; we rec
ognize the fact that they were grand
characters. aud, as st. Paul said
"They had this testimony that they
pleased God" Yet there was 10 Pen
tecostal outpouring In their dry. nor
until the age Of man in the world was
more than four thousand years, Why
was thIs2 We answer that God has
his own times and seasons for the va
rlous features OF his work.
We recall the words Of our Lord Je-
sus, respecting his forerunner. verify
| say unto you, Among them that are
born Of women there hath not risen
greater than John the Baptist; not
withstandlng he that is least In the
Kingdom of heaven is greater than Sse''
(AIatthew Il, III, Why could not J6ln,
and others Of the prophets preceding
him, enter III and enjoy this Gospel fa-
vor? We answer, in the language OF
st. Paul. "God having provided some
better thing for US, that they wIthou:
us should not be made perfect (He-
brews ri, 4O,, Our Creator hasgreat
gifts to dispense to our race through
the Redeemer, and It is for him to de-
termine the times and the seasons for
fha fl,snensInp az these blessings. and