The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-26
PEOPLES PULPIT.
PASTOR RUSSELL'S
DISCOURSE
The Overthrow of
Satan S Empire

mind, thoughts and will Of men. He
warned all against occult influences of
every kind, urging that the human will
should be preserved and should be
submitted only to the Almighty, and to
him alphabetically in accordance
with his instructions in the Bible.
Overthrow of Satan's Empire.
Satan, through false doctrines
doctrines of devils has entrenched
himself in the superstitions and preju-
dices, not only of the heather, but also
of the civilized. The creeds of the
Dark Ages evidenced the fact that he
had much to do with their formulation.
His false doctrines. antagonistic to the
Bible, have been palmed off upon us
as veritable Bible truths-just as Satan
endeavored to twist and misapply the
Bible to Jesus in his wilderness temp
tation mark /, 13). Thus Satan has
caused gross darkness to cover the
heather and considerable darkness to
cover the civilized earth. But we are
in the morning of the New DISPENSE
ton, which is to bring so much bless
ing to the world of mankind in the
opening of the eyes of mans under
standing, and in physical blessings and
comforts. AS q result we have the
wonderful conveniences and appliances
Of steam and electricity, the printing
press and the electric light, as instead
of the tallow candle and quill pen of
the past. Whatsoever doth make
manifest is light and special light is
due also at this time to Gods conse-
Grated people. The illumination now
granted to the eyes of our understand
ing as Christians, through Bible study
helps, is intended to be for the Chris
tan what the arc-light is in nature.
MANS subserviency to Satan is an
unwilling captivity. Even those who
realize their bondage do not generally
recognize by whom they have been
enslaved. But gradually the bonds
are breaking as we near the time of
Satan's overthrow. According to the
Bible our Lord at his Second Advent
| will bind the Adversary for a thou
sand years that he may deceive man
kind no more. Meantime all the bless
ed influences of light and Truth and
grace will be let loose in the world
and as a result, the knowledge of the
/ glory of God shall fill the whole
earth Instead of the darkness OF
the night of sin and death there will
be the morning of joy and gladness
and restitution and blessing. The sun
| of Righteousness will arise with heal
| ing in his beams OF that glorious
day Saint Peter spoke, saying, Times
of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord, and he shall send
Jesus Christ, who before was preach
ed unto you, whom the heavens must
retain until the Times of Restitution
of all things which God hath spoken
by the mouth of all the holy prophets
since the world began (Acts iii, 19-2D
Satan's destruction, according to the
Bible, will not be consummated unit
after the MILLENNIAL KINGDOM
OF CHRIST shall have accomplished
its glorious work of uplifting human
ity out of sin and death conditions t
full human perfection and the image
of God. All the unwilling and dis
obedient will be counted as servants
of Satan and will. with him, be de
stroyed in the Second Death-extinc
tion-from which there will be no re
demption or recovery.
Great Missionary Work.
1.-THE missionary work of bessin!
and uplifting all the families of tn
earth is appointed of God for the Mil
lennial Kingdom-and. thank God. tn
evidences are that it is very near, yea
in a sense, already beginning. 1t
blessings are intimated by the wonder
full progress of our day. Everythin;
waits until the predetermined numbe
Of Missionaries shall have been calle'
and schooled and tested and foun'
worthy of the great and honorable
work. The qualification is that eacl
must be copy of Gods dear Som
so far as heart intention is concerned
Then these Missionaries will be glori
fed like their Lord, on the spirit PLAN
and with him they will constitute tn
Kingdom of Gods dear Son. whicl
world and bring to pass all that th
Lord our God has spoken, and NOR
than we could have asked or thought.
christian people have no need Il
upbraid themselves on the score tina
the missionary efforts of eighteen cen
turtles have accomplished comparative
ly little. They have no need TO be dis
couraged with the fact that the censu:
returns show that in the past century
of the greatest missionary endeavol
the proportionate numbers of the hea
then have doubled (six hundred mil
lions century ago-twelve hundred
millions today. This is all as Goo
foreknew and intended. God did moi
purpose the conversion of the heather
during this age. but commissioned his
people to preach his Gospel to every
nation for tCitneSS. that the Elect Mis-
sionaries for the future work might
be gathered from every country, peo
pie and tongue. Gods will has been
lone. The Adversary temporarily mis-
led the Church into a misunderstood
ing of her mission. He sought to have
us lower our standard of saintship, in
order TO increase the Church far and
near. He sought to oppose the Divine
will by lowering the standards of
saintship so as TO include the masses