Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-12-17

ing. MAJ. osl-o
Said Pastor Rus
sell;-Slx thousand years ago IN Eden our
Maker, when Justly sentencing his dis
obedient children TO death. intimated that
ultimately the Seed OF the woman would
br,iise the serpent's head This mysteri-
Gus promise was the first intimation OF
the Divine mercy which our gracious
Creator had purposed In himself from
before the foundation of the world. Ever
noble, kind and gracious. our Creator re-
strained hts mercy for the good OF his
creatures-that we might learn 10 appre-
ciate the exceeding sinfulness OF sin. For
the good OF the angels also. that they
might know OF his Justice, as well as OF
his Wisdom and HIS Power. God insisted
upon dealing with his creatures from the
standpoint OF exact Justice. They had
sinned and had thereby forfeited all claim
upon the eternal life given them condi-
tionally. Eternal torment. as we have al
ready seen, did not, in any sense OF De
gree. enter into the Divine intention. HIS
sentence upon man, plainly stated. was
Owing thou shalt die" not. Living thou
s alt live in torment. The soul that
sinneth, Il shall die" God INTENDED to ex-
emplify in his dealings with our race a
principle OF Divine government TO be
made operative everywhere. and Ultimate
~ amongst all his creatures on the spirit
plane. as well as upon the earthly.
Gods message through Enocl was the
first mention made in the Bible of the
great Messenger of the Covenant. Mes
siah, although at that time the Covenan'
had not been made. Enoch declared, BE
hold, the Lord cometh with myriads Of
his holy ones TO execute Justice in the
earth"-to grant mankind another trial
another opportunity for everlasting life
God thus intimated the ultimate accom-
plishment OF Atonement for Adamic SIN
and the resulting blessings upon Adam
and his race.
Next, Abraham was the recipient Of q
special promise which further revealed
that the great Messenger of the Covenant
who would bless the world would be OF
Abrahamic stock Later. 430 years after
the Abrahamic Covenant of general bless
ing, God entered into a special Covenant
with the nation Of Israel. 10 the effect that
II they kept his Law, the Aprahamic bless
ing would be fulfilled through them-they
would be Gods agency or channel for
the blessing OF mankind. For centuries
they endeavored to fulfill the require
ments of their Law; but. since that Law
represents the full possibilities Of per-
feet humanity, the Israelites were unable
to meet its requirements. Hence. so far
from blessing all nations. they were un-
able even 20 maintain themselves In q
blessed state.
A New Covenant and Better Media
tor.
When Israel came, TO realize the hope
lessness of their ever keeping the Law
and thus proving their worthiness of eter-
nal life and their preparedness to be
Gods channel of blessing TO others. they
were. naturally. discouraged Later, God
through the prophets Informed them that
their Law Covenant was merely fore
runner and type of n better Covenant
which he would effect for them IN his
own due time Their New Covenant
would have better Mediator than Moses
"a more capable one. This message was
sent through Moses himself who declared
to the fathers. "A Prophet shall the Lord
your God raise up from amongst your
brethren like unto me II am his type, but
he will be much greaterl; and It shall
come to pass that whoever will not obey
that Prophet shall be destroyed from
amongst the people (Acts 3:23).
II a New Covenant was to take the
place OF the old one and a New Mediator
was to take the place of the old mediator,
there would of necessity be better Priest
Z to take the place of the Aaronic priest.
and better sacrifices" to take the place
OF those Of the Law Coyenant. These
things were intimated, here a little and
there a little. throughout the prophecies.
Gradually Israel began to lock for and TO
long for the promised Messiah. the Mes
senger and Mediator of their promised
New Covenant. He must be great indeed
if he would be greater than Moses. He
must be wise IL Solomon was but his
type. What kind OF better sacrifices"
than those OF bulls and goats he would
offer they were perplexed to know; but
in Melchisedec they had fore-fgure OF
how the great Messiah would be- not only
typical Priest and antitypical King, all in
one person; for these various duties and
offices and their blessing would center in
Messiah.
Finally came the time mentioned in our
text when the Lord declared that this
great kingly. priestly antitype Of Moses
would shortly appear. He is styled the
Messenger OF the Covenant-the New
Covenant; the One OF whom they had
been delighting to hear Nevertheless.
with the blessings he would bring 20 the
world through Israel, there would be test
ings OF faith. obedience. character The
Messenger of the Covenant would sud-
denly come to the Temple,
This is the testimony OF the last OF the
prophets. Malachi. Nevertheless. several
centuries elapsed with no manifestation
OF Messiah's glorious Kingdom and
Israel's New Covenant. Had God forgot-
ten his promises 20 Israel?
Then in 1sraeFs history there came in
a parenthesis, as Il were. AS a nation
they were cast off from Divine favor for
a length Of time equal to that in which
they had enjoyed Gods favor. Now that
duplication or double of experience has
been fulfilled. as was predicted by the
Prophets jeremiah 1913; Zechariah. s:l2;
Isaiah 40:1. g The double has passed and
the time for the Mediator 20 Inaugural 70
Israel's New Covenant has arrived.
Shortly the great Messiah VIII be re-
vealed TO the eyes of understanding of an
expectant world but viii be invisible to
the natural sight. His Kingdom viii be
everywhere. IN full exercise Of heavenly
powers, yet men viii not be able 70 say.
10. here. or 10. there. The nearest APP
proach to the glorious invisible Kingdom
Will be through the earthly representa-
lives of the New Standardization,
Isaac and Jacob. The New Covenant viii
be inaugurated with Israel. under these
princes Of the past; and they. under Di-
vine direction and backed by Divine
power. VIII establish a Kingdom Of
Righteousness in the world The Joy Of
the Lord win come 70 every obedient
Israelite; and all mankind viii then seek
to become Israelites and to come under
the New Covenant relations.