Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-06-11
PEOPLES PULPIT. f.
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL.
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

Brooklyn. n. Y. June 5.-Pastor Rus
sell returned from his European trip
just in time TO keep his appointment to
speak in Brooklyn's largest auditorium,
the Academy of Music His topic was
"JERUSALEM." from the text. Com
fort ye, comfort ye my people. saith
your God Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem. and cry unto her that her
appointed time is accomplished, that
her iniquity Is pardOned; for she hath
received Of the Lords hand double for
all her sins" isaiah xl. /, p. AS had
been anticipated, the crowds were too
great for accommodation at the Tab
ernacle, The spacious Academy of
Music was crowded, with a large num-
ber of ministers and other men on the
platform. After announcing his text
the speaker said
Christendom. with united voice, ad.
mits that all of the Divine Revelation.
came to and through the Hebrew peo-
pie. Listen to the argument of the
Apostle Paul. what advantage then
hath the Jew? or what profit is there
of circumcision? Much every way;
chiefly. because that unto them were
committed the oracles of God"-the
Divine message respecting the Divine
purposes, present and to come. The
Apostle again informs us that the
entire Gospel message was briefly
comprehended in the Creators promise
to Abraham. I'm thy Seed shall all the
families of the earth be blessed' (Gala-
tians Iii, 81.
"To the Jew First"
1t was the most natural thing imagi-
nable for the Jewish Nation to suppose
that the giving to them of the Law at
Mount Sinai. through the mediatorship
of Moses. was the fultilment Of the
promise to Abraham. Nevertheless
they were mistaken
Israels Mediator, and the sacrificing
priests. and the sacrifices they offered,
and their Tabernacle, with its Holy
and Most Holy, and the Temple, and
all the features of the Law Covenant
were types or foreshadOws of the bet
ter sacrifices" higher Priesthood. bet
ter Mediator. and glorious blessings of
eternal forgiveness and reconciliation
yet to be accomplished. Nevertheless
the period of IsraeIs types was not
wasted. Not only were the types there
given. but mt the same time a special
class of agents were selected: Abra-
ham. Isaac. Jacob. and all the Proph-
cts and worthy ones of that age, holy,
consecrated to God. and accepted as
agents qualified for the Kingdom con-
ditions. OF these the Scriptures de-
clare, 'They fell asleep" They are
still asleep in the dust of the earth.
awaiting the glorious resurrection
morning, and grand share then with
Messiah in the work then to be ac-
complished. In their lifetime, they
were styled the Fathers, because Mes
siah was foretold to be Of the poster
ity Of Abraham. and also "David's
Son."
But other Scriptures, without con-
Gradicting these statements, show us
distinctly that "David's Son" and
"Abraham's Seed" is to be Lord and
Father Of both David and Abraham.
i
shall be thy children, whom thou
mayest make princes in all the earth
psalm xiv. 16D. DRvid's son, Messiah,
will be David's father, or life-giver,
when he will raise David from the
dead. Similarly he will be the father
of all of those ancient worthless; and
as David's Lord. and Lord of lords"
H. nj 70 fnf m
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all Of the
Ancient Worthless. and Prophets, and
faithful ones glorious share with
himself in the great Messianic King
dom. which he is about to set up for
the ruling and blessing of Israel and
all the nations of the earth. Will not
this be a grand honor to Abraham and
his Seed! Gould we expect that the
Almighty would honor and use in such
a high position any except the faith
full? Surely not. When Messiah shall
make these Ancient Worthless princes
in all the EARTH" as representatives of
his invisible Kingdom. will not this
mean honor and dignity to the Jews
first?
"comfort Ye My People"
Our text is one-of three declarations
dn the Old Testament. which assure
us that there is a double" connected
with Israel's history. That is TO say.
Jewish history naturally divides itself
into two exactly equal parts; the irst
of which was time Of favor, inter
mingled with disciplines, but favor
nevertheless. The second OF these
parts has been one Of dlsfavor and
exclusion from Divine fellowship. AS
foretold by the Prophet, Israel for
many centuries has been without
prophet. or priest and without ephod
and without communion with God:
whereas. at one time they were Gods
favored people. They now. according
to their own admission. are so thor
.oughly rejected that they have no com
munication whatever. no light 70 shine
upon their pathway. The prophets
words have been fulfilled. Let their
table become a snare before them: and
that which should have been for their
welfare. let 1t become trap. Let
their eyes be darkened. that they see
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