Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-01-08
PEOPLES
sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

AFA~a@a@a~e-a~e-e-esa y
Richmond, va, Dec. 26.-Pastor Rus
sell of the Brooklyn Tabernacle preach
ed here today to a large and attentive
audience from the above text. He
said:
There is an appropriateness in the
general Joy Of the Christmas season,
even though some Of 1t is not wisely
expressed The happy custom Of Civ
ing tokens Of love and friendship pre-
walls everywhere the story of Jesus
has gone. Even the alms-houses and
prisons make special provision that the
day which celebrates the Savior's birth
may, so far as possible be a happy
one, joyous one, to all mankind. The
poorer Of our citizens and the unfor-
tunate Of slender means are often
kindly remembered by their more high
ly favored relatives and neighbors.
Surely this is as It ought to be. Some
may have been injured by receiving
bounties. but few. If any, have ever
been other than blessed i'm the giving
of them. Herein we see corroborated
the Savior's own words, ut is more
blessed to give than to receive" 1t is
gOdlike to give.
Our text tells us of Gods great Gift;
and although 1t is evident that our
Lord Jesus was born about October
ck Of nnna,,,ta.. 4, Do
makes no material difference, for it is
the great fact that we commemorate,
and not the particular day of it's occur
renee. Let us consider today, the
great gift Of Gods love which the
Apostle refers to as 'the unspeakable
gift' Oil Corinthians tx. 15). AS we
discern something of its length and
breadth and height and depth, our
amazement is the more, our JOY In
creases, ana we have the more desire
TO be likewise generous with all with
whom we have TO do, especially with
all who are less fortunately situated
than ourselves, either in temporal or
spiritual matters.
All men realize. to some extent at
ANAoAg NhNAA I'LL nave
sinned and come short Of the glory of
God. Mems thoughts toward God
seem to run along the lines of fear;
unworthy of Divine favor, they fear
Divine wrath. So it was with the
shepherds as related In our context
When the angel Of the Lord appeared
to them to announce Messiahs BIRTH
fhnxr faopn1 ho
an angel or messenger come to them,
except to render some denunciation or
TO foretell some catastrophe? 1t was,
therefore, that the first words OF the
messenger were, Fear not" SO in
approaching mankind in general with
Gods message to sinners 1t Is apprO-
pirate that we begin by saying, Fear
not! The God we preach unto you is
not a demon seeking your injury and
your torment. He is a God of Wis |
dom and Justice and Love with all |
Power to carry to successful conclu- |
sion his Wise Just and Loving Pro- |
gram respecting our race, (which he |
in himself from before the |
foundation of the world (Ephesians /, |
8. ~.
Satan has used this human tendency |
OF fear as a lash wherewlth to drive
man away from God, and from the |
Bible, his Revelation, We are not,
therefore, TO accredit TO our fore
fathers the viciousness of character
which seems TO be implied in the
creeds OF the dark ages" handed
down to us; rather we are to credit
those vicious misrepresentation OF our
Heavenly Father to the great "Father
of Lies" He II Is who In the dark of
the past planted the seeds Of what the
Apostle terms doctrines Of devils" Il
iv. ID, We thank the Lord that
we are getting our eyes Of
opened 20 recognize the
true character OF God aud Jesus Christ
whom he hath sent, aud who is his
express image,
IIark TO the Lords message through
the prophet Isaiah, Foreseeing our es-
from himself and our en-
slavement by the Adversary, he tells
as In so many words, Their fear to-
ward me is not of me, but is taught by
the precepts OF men-Os inspired by
our adversary, the devil Qsaiah xxx,
l3l.
Gods Christmas Gift,
Intending from the FIRST not to aban,
Ion his fallen human creatures TO ut
.er destruction, the Father purposed
n himself. In advance, the great Plan
Il Salvation now In progress, From
before the foundation OF the world he
that Jesus should be the
.amb OF God 10 take away the sin OF
he world and eventually TO bring all
he willing and obedient back TO har-
nony with himself, so that only the
gilfully wicked would experience the
rages OF sin. death-"Second Death"
hut God has due time Tor every fea-
lre OF his great Plan. Four thousand (
ears sped by before Il became 'due {
me" 10 send the Only Begottcn Son
- tha ,enrld fo redeem al "In iho !