Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-05-11
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
tabernacle.

mortal Hall, the largest and most re-
nowned auditorium in the world. hav-
Ing a capacity of ten thousand, was
crowded this evening to hear Pastor
Russell. of the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
New York, who delivered an address
on THEREAFTER" under the au-
spices of the international Bible Stu
dents Association" Taking the above
text, he said
Mankind instinctively look for and
believe in future life; to the MAORI
ty of minds it does not seem logical
that death ends ALL So surely as we
believe our Creator to be all-wise. we
must assume that he has some pur-
pose in connection with our race. not
attained as yet, something beyond the
capacity of attainment in the present
life, under present conditions. Even
without Divine revelation, therefore.
we would be justified in anticipating
a life beyond the tomb but specula-
ton upon such an important subject,
of such vital interest, is not necessary.
We are glad that our Creator has
given us in the Bible clear intimatiOns
respecting his purposes, in relation to
mankind in the future. Nevertheless
these purposes were kept secret, not
revealed until the first advent Of our
Redeemer Thus the Apostle declares
that Christ brought life and immor-
tally to light through the Gospel" 1t
was invisible before, not brought to
light, and it's terms and conditions
could not be clearly discerned.
Without any Divine revelation, we
see a sufficiency on every hand to
cause establishment and to call anX-
iously for explanations. We see the
world Of mankind weak and depraved,
signing, crying and dying 'Transi-
tory" is written upon everything hu-
man. The Scriptures assert that we
of today are living under "a reign Of
sin and DEATH" and that this dominion
has lasted for over six thousand
years. Why are these things so? Is
it not true that there is but the one
God? Is it not true that his creatures
on the spirit plane are perfect, that in
heaven there is neither signing. nor
crying, nor dying? There is no reign
of sin and death there, no hospitals
no asylums, no jais. no penitentiaries
all is harmony, perfect, pure, in full
accord with the Almighty. Why are
conditions so different on this earth OF
ours?
Because One Man Disobeyed.
The Bible alone offers us an eXplana
ton Of the situation. 1t tells us that
God created our race as pure, as per
feet, as holy, as happy as the angels
and that he placed our first parents il
Eden, surrounded with everything
beautiful and desirable. 1t explain:
that our fall from that perfection int
mental, moral and physical decrepi
tude came as a result of disobedienc,
to God 1t explains that the wage
of sin is DEATH" that the soul tina
sinneth, it shall die" that all the soul
produced by Father Adam and Moth
er Eve are dying souls, in consequence
of our sin-inheritance. This is bat
enough. sad enough; and, as was in
tended. our hearts cry out after tn
living God, for his mercy and compass
sion, that he would save us from deatf
save us from destruction. The answe
Of Divine Justice is, that we are unf
to live-that our Creator graciously d.
signs that sinners shall not be immo
tai. But hearkening, we hear me-
sage assuring us that God has locke
down in compassion and heard til
groanings of the prisoners" He for
knew our helplessness under the reig
Of sin and death, and in his Plan mao
provision for our case in advance-"b
fore the foundation of the world
After four thousand years Of tn
reign of sin and death. exhibiting d
vine Justice without mercy, our Or
ator revealed the wonderful feature
Of his Program. He sent forth b
Son, that he. by the grace Of Go
might taste death for every man"
not for the Elect Church merely, b
for all the families of the cart
Hence it is written that Jesus "ga
himself a ransom for all;' and agai
that HE is the Precipitation (satisfa
tion) for our sins the Church's) al
not for ours only. but also for the 81
Of the whole world"
So, then, the death penalty pr
nounced against our race, which woJ
have reduced Adam and his posterity
the hopeless condition Of beasts.
respects eternal life. God had alrea
Intended to set aside through the s
riice of Christ. Nevertheless. he
lowed sin and death to reign fr
Adam to Moses, and from Moses
Christ and from Calvary TO the Or