The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1910-08-11
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
I tabernacle

today addressed very large meeting
Of Bible Students In CeIoron Audi
forum. The occasion was a General
Convention OF Bible Students. The
audience was estimated at nearly
5000 Taking for his text the above
words. the speaker said:
The Bible. TO be understood. must
DC viewed from It's own standpoint
This. as Bible students. we are learn
ing more and more particularly every
day. In the past we have read our
Bibles "up-sidc-down." Many read az
duty; others as Il sort Of charm that
would placate Divine Justice and
bring US Divine favor Now we are
learning to read the Bible In q COM
nonsense way, and to use our reason
ing faculties in connection with It's
statements and prophecies. AS a con-
sequence, while others are falling from
the faith-some into lnfidclity styled
Higher Criticism and Evolution; 9TH
ers into fanciful wrestingss of the
Word OF God-we are coming 10 appre
ciate the Bible az the most safe and
1ngIy our faith in God increases-faith
In his Wisdom. Justice, Love and Pow
er to accomplish all the good purposes
which he purposed in himself before
the creation of our race. Correspond
fngly, too, we are coming to appreciate
more than ever the value Of the great
Redeemer and of the great sacrifice
in rrht Ln Of nj
vary. We are coming to see the truth
OF what we once considered poetic
license when we sang,
There's a Wilderness in Gods mercy
Like the Wilderness of the sea-
We are seeing more clearly as the
days go by the meaning of the Scrip
Sure which declares that eventually
the Redeemer "shall see of the travail
of his soul and be satisfied" We per-
ceive now that the little handful of
saints walking in the Masters foot
steps from Pentecost to his Second
Advent and sharing in the First Res
direction" is not the end of Divine
Love for our race. but merely its be-
ginning-"A f1rst-fruits unto God of
how seeing that, according to the Di-
vine purpose the calling and election
OF the Church to the spirit nature,
TO the divine nature, must be COM
pleted before the second step In the
great Divine Plan Of Salvation begins
the recovery of the world from sin
and death conditions. to human per-
faptioD and Paradise raStorad
"let Dead Bury Their Dead"
No Bible topic requires more careful
discrimination in its study than does
the subject of death This is mainly
because of the general confusion Of
Mind which came upon Christendom
during the long centuries of the
Church's comparative darkness, when
Bibles the Lamp Of God upon the
Christians path were scarce, and
when few could read the truths Of
priceless value, that were chained to
lecterns. In consequence of this con-
fusion we hear intelligent people talk
ignorantly and stupidity respecting
death. They make confusion worse
COMPOUNDED by telling US of Adams
spiritual death and discussing nat
ural" death and 1.-The death that never
uies." etc, etc.
hTQ get the Bible view Of death we
need to brush away such foolish bah
billings and confine ourselves to Bible
Language and the rational thought con-
nected Herewith. For instance. ac-
cording to the Bible, there is no nat
0rai death"-it is not natural for man
to die. 1t is according TO the Bible ar
Fangement and mans nature that he
should Twelve eternally, as do the
angels. if obedient to the Divine COM
mands. Death. therefore. is the I'M
natural thing! Do we think of angels
as dying. and of heaven as filled with
cemeteries? Have they doctors and
undertakers there? Surely not. Yet it
would be just as proper TO speak Of
natural death amongst the angels as in
respect TO men.
The term spiritual death so frequent
y used respecting Adam and his fall
is wholly unscriptural. No such ex-
preston is found in the Bible; neither
such thought. Adam could not die
a spiritual death. because he was not
spirit being He was an earthly be
ing-not an angel. but a man. As the
Scriptures declare of Adam. Thou
madeSt him Il little lower than the an
GELS: and crowneSt him with glory and
honor, ana didSt set him over the works
If thy hands,: over the beasts Of
he field the fish Of the sea and the
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