The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-06-07
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

Brooklyn, N. Y, June 5.-Pastor Rus.
sell returned from his European trip
just in time to keep his appointment to
speak in Brooklyn's largest auditorium,
the Academy of Music. His topic was
"JERUSALEM," from the text, Com
fort ye, comfort ye my people, saith
your God. Speak ye comfortably to
Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her
appointed time is accomplished, that
her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath
received of the Lords hand double for
all her sins" isaiah xl, /, y. AS had
been anticipated, the crowds were too
great for accommodation at the Tab
ernacle. The spacious Academy of
Music was crowded. with large num-
ber of ministers and other men on the
platform. After announcing his text
the speaker said
Chrlstendom, with united voice, ad.
mits that all of the Divine Revelation
came to and through the Hebrew peo-
pie. Listen to the argument of the
Apostle Paul, What advantage then
hath the jew? or what profit is there
VI h hutn tNtlN way
chiefly, because that unto them were
committed the oracles of God"--the
Divine message respecting the Divine
purposes, present and TO come. The
Apostle again informs us that the
entire Gospel message was briefly
comprehended in the Creators promise
to Abraham, "In thy Seed shall all the
families of the earth be blessed'' Gala
tians iii, 81.
"To the Jew First"
1t was the most natural thing imagi-
nable for the Jewish Nation to suppose
that the giving to them of the Law at
Mount Sinai, through the mediatorship
of Moses, was the fulfilment Of the
promise to Abraham Nevertheless
they were mistaken
Israel's Mediator. and the sacrificing
priests, and the sacrifices they offered,
and their Tabernacle, with its Holy
and Most Holy, and the Temple, and
all the features of the Law Covenant
were types or foreshadows of the bet
ter sacrifices" higher Priesthood, bet
ter Mediator, and glorious blessings OF
eternal forgiveness and reconciliation
yet to be accomplished. Nevertheless
the period of Israel's types was not
| wasted. Not only were the types there
given, but at the same time Il special
class of agents were selected: Abra-
ham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the Proph-
cts and worthy ones of that age, holy,
consecrated to God, and accepted as
agents qualified for the Kingdom con
dltions OF these the Scriptures de-
clare, "rhey fell asleep" They are
still asleep in the dust of the earth,
awaiting the glorious resurrection
morning. and grand share then with
Messiah in the work then to be ac-
complished. In their lifetime, they
were styled the Fathers, because Mes
siah was fOretold to be OF the poster
ity of Abraham, and also 'David's
Son"
But other Scriptures. without con
tradicting these statements, show MS
distinctly that "David's Son" and
"Abrnham's Seed" is to be Lord and
Father Of both David and Abraham.
Thus we read, "Instcad OF thy fathers
shall be thy children. whom thou
mayest make princes In nll the earth"
! psalm xiv, lGl. Dayid's son, Messiah,
will be David's father, or life-giyer,
when he Will raise David from the
dead. Similarly he will be the father
of all of those ancient worthless; and
as Duvld's Lord, and Lord of lords,
1t will he his pleasure TO appoint to
Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all Of he
Ancient Worthless, and Prophets, and
faithful ones glorious share with
himself in the great Messiunic King
dom, which he Is about to set up for
the ruling and blessing OF Israel and
all the nations of the earth. VIII not
this be n grand huuor to Abraham and
his Seed! Could we expect that the
Almighty would honor and use In such
Il high position any except the faith
make these Ancient Worthless princes
In all the earth" MS representatives OF
his invisible Kingdom, will not this
mean honor and dignity to the Jews
first?
Comfort Ye My People"
Our text is one of three declarations
In the Old Testament, which assure
MS that there is double" connected
with Israel's history. That Is to say
Jewish history naturally divides itself
into two cXacty equal parts; the first
OF which was n time OF favor, inter
mingled with dlsclplineS, but favor
nevertheless The second Of these
parts has heen one OF disfnvor and
exclusion from Divine fellowship. As
foretold by the Prophet, Israel fol
many centuries has hcen without
prophet, or priest, and without ephod
and without communion with God
whereas, at one time they were Gods
favored people They now, according
to their own admission, are so thor
oughly rejected that they have no com
munlcation whatever, W light to shine
upon their pathway, The prophets
words have been fulfilled, Let thell