The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-03-29
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

bOSlOH, MASS, MdIGH 20. AS CHVlS-
tendon celebrates the resurrection of
the Lord Jesus Christ. it is appro-
pirate that our hearts and rninds
should mteligently grasp the sign!ii-
cance OF the event commcmoratcd. st.
Paul laid grcat stress upon the resur-
rection of the dead. declaring that IL
there be no RESURRECTION of the dead
ali those whom we counted as asleep
would never have an awakening, and
consequently would he as dead as are
brute beasts. Note his emphatic state
ment to this effect Il Corinthians XIV.
12-1SD. For here as elsewhere his
words contradict the thought that the
sanity dead pass Immediately to glory
and the insanity to purgatory or to
eternal torture.
According TO the. Gospel of Christ,
of which st. Paul declares that he
was not ashamed, the dead are TO be
esteemeHAss S though they were asleep
at rest from all the commotion and
turmoil and strife, ignorance and su-
perstltion and sin and trouble incident
10 the present reign OF sin and death
They have truly entered into rest,
whether they were saints or sin
ners. When the time for their awak-
cning shall nave come In the Millen-
nlal morning Of Christ's reign OF right
eousncss surrounding conditions will
be very different from what they are
today, thank God! Then Satan will
be bound, the Bible assures us Qtev-
elation XX. 1-3). and the ignorance and
superstition seliishness and crime,
which have for centuries marked his
reign will gradually draw to close,
for the glorious Messiah King will not
permit them. His reign, on the con
trary, will be marked with the true
enlightenment OF all mankind; and the
result will be. as forctold; namely,
Every knee shall bow and every
tongue confess TO the glory of God"
Qsaiah xiv. 23l.
Gradually the world will he brought
10 an Edenic condition, in harm0ny
with the Divine promise. Indeed, this
work may be said to be already be
ginning. Already, by artcsinn wells
and irrigation processes aud highways
OF travel and good roads and inteli-
gent cultivation OF fields, the earth be-
gins TO bloom and the wilderness and
solitary place to be glad, nS fOrctOld
by Isaiah the prophet Qsaiah Xxxv, ~,
Under thcse blessed conditions IAN
that are I'm their graves shall hear the
voice Of the son OF man aud shall come
forth Goln V, 2S, 20)-not all at once,
hut Every man In his own order" Il
Corinthians Xv. 30. The sanity be-
levers, who alone are fully plea sing
TO God, will come forth In the First.
or chief, or preferable, Resurrection
come forth perfect on the spirit plane.
ike unto the angels and like unto their
glorihcd Redeemcr, TO he his joint
heirs IN, his Mlllcnninl Kingdom and
It's great work OF rcsuscilating. in-
structing and ruling and uplifting all
the "gronuing" families of the earth
Womans viii, 22l. Thus viii he ful-
filled Gods promise to the spiritual
Seed OF Abraham, "ln thy Seed shall
all the families of the earth he bless
ed" Galatians III, 2N, Gradually, after
dealing with the living nptions to some
extent. the sleeping world VIII bc
awakened, "lIvcry mnn Ia his own
order" q Corinthians yv, 23l
our Lord assures us that all except
the sanity few will come forth from
the tomb that they Way hive Il resur
rection-a raising up out Of sin and
- t..I,l ,lg... 4,
the image of God that was lost by
Adam; aud that eventually, if willing
aud obcdicnt. they win receive Gods
gin Of eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord But the rebelliuuS under
those favorable conditions, we are as
surcd viii he cut OF from lifc entirely
IN the Second Dcnlh tActs ill., 1929.
In speaking % the worlds rcSurrec
iion our Rrdrrmcr designnlos IT n res
direction 10y Judgments Cl,cv. Yer Johl
v, 2S, 29 Mcsslahs righteous ludg
ments win then bc abroad In the
world The light Of knowledge win bC
ps Clrnr ns the noon. day sun Every
good deed and cudcavor viii receive
is reward ANA eNery wlfully cvi
decd MI, receive chaotisemcuts, cor
rccuons. e. the intent that lhcy may
learn Br advantages Of the way OF
holiness mud po up thereon 10 life ctcr
nal, which HE willing anu obcdicnt
max rcpch 10y the close Of the Milen
MAI Age,
Through the prophet Daniel, th,
Lord declares that many of the world
~ who now sleep "a the dust of til,
earth shall come form unto shame an,
lasting oontrmpt We can readily real
ize thc shame that win be- theirs whcI
the light uf fuli knowledge shall pre-
vail aud all OF theIr,pnst shall stan,
revealed 10 themselves aud to other
in lts true culors We can Well nm
dersiaud that this VIII bring contcmp
10 many uoW highly esteemed amongs
men Hut We can rejoice in tn
thought that the MlIcnulnl Kingdom
,hen to he IN power will deal gracious
~ with All The stripes of pui ish