The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-01-14
Sermon by
CHARLES r.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
abernacle.

preached here twice today To large au' |
dicnccs. The Auditorium of world
wide celebrity for It's size and excellent
acoustics. afforded the immense audi
cnce Il superior opportunity to hear
Pastor RusSCll's discourse I'm the after
noon. We report his evening discourse
based on the foregoing texts. He said
The opening of Il New Year Is lik"
the opening of new ledger. II Is al
favorable time for determining what
should be disposed of in the profit ANA
loss account and for putting into clcc,
resolutions governing the New Year
The fact that thousands Of resolutions
will be made ut this season only to he
broken later under the impact of temp
tation, should not discourage us from
making such resolutions ourselves and
advising the course to others. The
man or woman who makes no Rcsolu
lions or Vows makes little progress 81
character building. Poor. fallen human
nature needs all the bands aud braces
and supports which wcll-dlrcCtcd viii
can give It, We are not advocating
hasty, and sometimes unreasonable.
vows and resolutions and pledges
thoughtlessly taken. What we do nd
vocate is thoughtful, rational sitting
down and counting the cost, and then
and there resolving with the fun
strength of the character, with the full
determination of the mind. to pursue
the way which deliberate Judgment
tells one is the proper course.
A Christmas Vow or Resolve.
A Christian. like other men, can be
benefited by such Resolves to himself
which should be sacredly kept, in pro
portion as he respects himself and
would be respected. These Resolutions
may apply to sundry affairs of life
his home, his business, his personal
habits, etc. But when the Christian
comes to consider his highest interests,
he at once recognizes that they are
those by which he Is related to his
Creator and his Savior At the very
beginning of his Christian experience,
after he had longed for Righteousness
and turned from sin; after his eyes
had seen Jesus as his RedCemer; after
his ear of faith had heard that he was
reconciled TO God through the death
of his Son and had forgiveness of sins
through faith in his blood-then came
to him the most important moment OF
his life. For God, through his Word
invited him to make full conseCra
ton OF himself Including every earth
ly interest and affair to the Lord and
his service.
The proposition, in the language OF
the Savior, was that he should take ~
his cross and follow Christ; and thai
as reward he should have in the
present life tribulation from without
but the peace of the Lord within, anC
In the future life experience share
in the First Resurrection. That change
to glory, honor, immortality, the Di
vine nature, means Joint heirship Will
his Redeemer in his great Office anC
work as the Mediator between Coo
and the world during the Millennia
Age. The terms are clearly stated,
self-denial, cross-bearing, service fol
Christ, faithfulness unto death. Th,
rewards also, as clearly stated, ar
crowns of life and membership in the
Royal Priesthood, Il seat with the Lore
in his throne. an opportunity of bein.
one of the judges for helping and up
lifting mankind during the Millennium
While stating the conditions clearl'
and distinctly, through his Word the
Lord did not urge conservation, bu
said rather that each should sit dowl
first and count the cost. After havnI
counted the cost. whoever chose to aC
cept the proposition did so by maxim:
a Vow unto the Lord-a ConSecratiol
Vow of full submiSSiOn-the full sur
render of the will This was to th
intent that thereafter not only tin
conduct of life, but the words of TIT
mouth and the meditatOnS of the hear
should he acceptable to the Lord. hi
comprehensive Vow is symboized il
baptism. which, rightly understood, n
explained by st. Paul, is baptism
into membership in the Body of Chris
dhe Church,, and this by baptism o
immersion Into Christs death"
Only such rs make this Vow are nc
ceptCd at all as members of The Christ
and anointed with the holy Spirit. |
is respecting this Vow that st. Pau
urges, In the words of our text, IL he
seech you, 0ustiiied brethren, by III
mercies of God, that We present you
bodies living sacrifices, holy, accepta
BILE to God, and your reasonable sery
ice" our contract with the Lord j
entered into, made secure, by the Wow
of Conservation, and the remainder q
life is merely n testing of the cOnSC
Grated one, to determine to what dc
gree he really meant the Vow; to wha
degree he uses his every endeavor t
be dead to the world, dead to self, dea
TO all earthly things and Glire towar
God and the interest of the MillenniH
Kingdom To which he has conseCratc
himself as "member" of the Body q
the Mediator of the New Covenal
Jeremiah XXI 81; Galatians, iii, 29,
"a Will Pay My Vows"
Let no one lightly undertake Vo'
unto the Lord. 1t carries with
weighty responsibilities. II would h
better every way that none shout
take the Vow without first understand
ing the matter and entering fully int
the spirit of the resolution he make
once made ana accepted by the Lor
thrnnUh tho hmm RI tinn of the hol