The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-08-17
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
| abernacIe.

Lynn. Mass. August 1i.-pastor
Russell of Brooklyn Tabernacle spoke
hero twice today to large and atten-
tive audiences. We report olr of his
di.Scours,s from the above. He said in
part
My text is one OF tic strongest %
those which once we enormously mis-
understood to teach the eternal tor
ment of the non-clect. Coming to the
text with cur minds filed with the
wrong impressions respecting the
character Of the Almighty Creator and
respecting his purposes toward hui
manity ii is easy for us to misundCr-
stand the words of st. Jude. So deep
~ were the erroneous thoughts i'm
pressed upon our minds from child
hood that. irrational though they were,
we considered them fundamental the
ology. In like manner we wrCsted to
our own confusion and injury many
Scriptures. reading into them what
they do not say and ignoring what
they do say. As for instance. the
messages Of Holy Writ to the effect
that "all the wicked win God Destroy:
that "thc wages OF sin is death; thai
"the soul that sinnoth. It shall die:
that there Is no eternal life out Of
Christ. All these and others we warp
ed and twisted away from their beau.
tiful and simple teaching, and made
out of them doctrines of devils" with
which we alarmed ourselves and those
committed to our instruction.
We thank God that gradually the
eyes of our understanding are open
ing to discern the great Truth that the
testing of the Church in the present
Age and the testing of the world at
large in the coming Age will be as to
worthiness for eternal life or WORTH
ness of etcrnl death-evcrlasting de-
struction-thc Second Death from
which there will be no redemption, no
resurrection. no recovery. AS st. Peter
declares. Those who enter into 1t will
be. like brute beasts. made to be taken
and Observation-Disclosures.
Sodom's Guilt and Punishment.
Sodom and surrounding cities were
profigate and licentious to the extreme
and Divine Justice dccreed thu their
course must not continue. 'ut that
they should be made an example Of
q lesson to others of the Divine dis
pleasure against all such licentious-
ness. Accordingly we read that fire
a M
heaven to the utter destruction of those
cities, the place of which is now mark
ed by the Dead Sea. The SodomiteS
were obliterated and only their name
and history have come down to us.
I Their utter destruction by eternal fire
or heavenly fire raned upon them was
complete destruction. Their expert
ence pictures forth the utter destruc-
ton of all whom God will finally re-
ject as unworthy Of eternal life. Not
that fire and birthstone would be rain
ed upon all. but that utter destruction
will come upon all disapproved by the
Almighty. Who thinks that St. Jude
meant that the fire that destroyed the
Sodomites was an eternal one? Who
ever thinks that it is still burning as a
literal blaze should take Il look at the
picture of the Dead Sea and note that
there are no fires there. The thought
is that the fire. which is n symbol Of
destruction, did its work thoroughly.
completely. leaving not vestlse Of
these condemned to destruction.
| The SodOmites all went to hell-to
the Bible hell-to the state Of death
But they did not go to the hell which
was manufactured by our forefathers
during the dark ages-a hell Of eternal
torture. We have Bible testimony on
the subject. which we will produce.
They are unconscious now like the re-
mainder of the dead, waiting for the
resurrection. And the resurrection OPP
portunity will come to them. as well
as to all the remainder OF Adams
race: because they. as well as all 9th
ers, are redeemed by the precious blood
Of Christ-by the sacrifice which he
| finished at Calvary. This is not spec
ulative. We have the words of the
Master himself Oh the subject. Let us
take our information. our wisdom from
the proper quarter. Then cur doubts
and fears will speedily fee away.
Not a Second CHARGE.
We will produce the Bible testimony
| showing that the SuGOmitpS will be re
leased and come forth during the me
diatorial reign of Messiah to enjoy n
| share of the blessings then TO be pour.
ed out upon Israel and the world; and
to have an opportunity of coming into
harmony with God and gaining eternal
/ life. But we know that straightway
somebody will say. No. Pastor Russell,
| that would be Il second chance. and
God has nowhere promised second
chance to any. Furthermore it would
be be-ittleing to the Divine Govern
ment to suppose that God, after giving
one fair trial to IL man and reaching a
decision would conclude to give him
another trial. as though Divine Justice
were unable to determine the WORTH
ness or unwOrthiness OF the individual
for eternal life in one trial or testing.
We fully agree with this sentiment.
! but call attention to the fact that the
SOdOmiteS did not enjoy one trial for
! life. They and all mankind were
'born in sin. shapen in iniquity; in sin
did their mothers conceive them. 4"