Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1910-01-15

Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
T tabernacle.

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| C. I. Russell OF Brooklyn Tabernacle.
New York preached twice here today
| TO large and very attentive audiences.
| We report one of his discourses from
the above text. as follows
| The word "Uinked'' in our text is
used iD a figurative sense to signify
attention. to. that long period of time
| from the food to the First Advent of
| our Redeemer. During those twenty
| five hundred years the world of man.
kind lay iu ignorance and weakness
and vice. but. as our text declares.
God took no notice of it as a whole.
He gave his attention entirely to the
little nation of Israel. the descendants
of Abraham. with whom be made Il
special Law Covenant. Israel entered
upon great schooling period; first
in condition OF peonage In Egypt;
and later. under the command OF
Moses. passing from Egypt to Canaan,
with a wandering of forty years ip
the wilderness: till later under Judges,
and then under kings, etc. God did
not wink at sin amongst the ISraelites.
whom he adopted as his peculiar peo-
ple'' under the Law Covenant mediat-
ed by Moses. We read that every dis
obedieBce received a lust recompense
of reward lHebrews ii. y. Stripes.
punishments. capfiyities under Divine
supervision and predicted through the
prophets. was the portion of the cho-
sen people Of the Lord. Obedience on
their part brought blessing and dis
obedience and idolatry sought chas-
tisemeufs-God winked at nothing as
respects his chosen people.
1t first glance this is perplexing.
Not understanding the Divine Plan we
would be inclined to expect that the
favored nation would be excused more
than others-that 1t would be the peq-
pie whose imperfections would be
winked at But not so; Israel was
chosen for purpose. And in order TO
prepare them for their mission and 10
fit thsaa TO fill it. the Lord chastened
and scourged them for their sins. and
thus educated and assisted them more
than others out of degradation. As a
result. when our Lord came into the
world to be mans Redeemer. Israel.
under the chastising. scourging. in
| structing experiences of many centu-
rfes, was by far the most advanced
nation in the world along religious
lines.
Thus 1t was that when the Redeem
er presented himself. some. "a REM
nant," were .tIsraelites indeed" and
ready to receive him-fve hundred
during his earthly ministry and sey-
crai thousand more at the following
Pentec0stal season. 1t is but reason
able to suppose that no other nation in
the world would have furnished any
such numbers ready of heart for Mes
siah. and conseeFated fully to him.
Note, for instance. that ST. Paui's
preaching to the Athenians on Mars
Hill apparently touched not single
heart nor head.
The Justice of the Wink.
The Almighty informs us that jus
tice is the very foundation of all of his
dealings. He cannot be less than just.
although through Christ be has pro-
vided to be more than just-that is.
loving and merciful There must have
been a justice in this winking men,
toned by the Apostle. What was it!
The Apostle explains that owing to
death sentence that was upon the
world in general. and no provision hay-
ing yet been made for redemption
from that death penalty and a resur-
rection deliverance. it would have been
illogical for God to give laws to the
world of mankind commanding repent
already condemned to death. the ex-
treme penalty of the Divine Law. No
more could be done TO them than de-
stroy them. however bad1.they lived.
And nothing that they could do would
make them deserving Of eternal life.
So long as that death sentence rested
upon tbem-and- no prosnect was Of
fered even of release from it. God let
them alone. and justly enough wink
ed at their impeFfection and did not
lay 1t specially to tAeir charge.
With the Jew it was different. God
instructed that nation through the
Law and the prophets and the chasten-
ings for their wrong doings. and thus
prepared in them little flock of
"Israelites indeed ready for spiritual
things. Additionally he wished TO use
them and their experiences as types
or lessons for Spiritual Israel vet fu-
ture. These types. under the guidance
Of the holy Spirit through the New
Testament. have constituted very help
full lessons to the Church Of this Cos
pei Age-Spiritual Israel-"For the
Law Covenant was a shadow OF good
things coming after it."
But before having this dealing with
Israel. God made a Covenant with
them. promising them life-eternal if
they would obey. They gladly ac-
cepted the proposition and strove to
live righteously. strove to keep the
Law. They did not gain eternal life
under the Law. because they could
not keep it: not that the Law was de-
fectiye, but that they, like all other
members of Adams fallen race. were
imperfect. God knew of their weak
ness and allowed them to be disap-
pointed In the outcome of their Coy