The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-06-07
PASTOR RUSSELL
HOMEWARD
BOUND
"As the Waters Cover the
Great Deep" Isaiah xi, q.

tailed or great blessings in not sooner
noticing this fact. We stood, as it
were, with our backs toward the East,
looking for the sun to rise in the West;
we were looking to our own efforts to
convert the world, rather than looking
to the Lord from whom alone must
come the help. Hence the glow in the
East had assumed considerable proper
tons before we noticed it-and many
Of our brethren are still looking to the
West, and angrily refuse to turn and
follow the dawn of the New DISPENSE
ton, which now may be so clearly
seen by the eye of faith.
Let us note well the Apostle Peters
words, assuring US that the vision he
had on the Mount of TRANSPORTATION
made deep impression upon him. He
tells us, nevertheless, that 1--WE have
also a more sure word of prophecy;
whereunto ye do well that We take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a
dark place until the day dawn, and
the day star arise in your hearts'-the
"pGrOusiG" presence) of Christ, the
Morning Star"
knowledge a Necessity.
But admitting the promise of the
Scriptures that the knowledge of the
Lord shall be worldwide and ocean
deep-that every creature shall be
brought to an accurate knowledge of
the truth, In due time q Timothy ii,
40, wherefor is the necessity for this
Is knowledge really indispensable to
salvation? Is 1t not written in the
Scriptures of the Apostles Peter and
John, that 1.-The people perceived that
they were ignorant and unlearned
men?" If their ignorance and lack of
learning did not hinder them from hav-
ing Gods favor, and obtaining saliva
ton through Christ, and even obtain
ing Apostleship, why should so much
stress be laid upon knowledge? Does
God really care for knowledge? Has
he predetermined that all who would
be in his favor must be educated, and
that he cares naught for the ignorant?
Do we not read to the contrary that,
"Not many wise men after the flesh,
not many mighty, not many noble, are
called; but God hath chosen the fool
ish things of the world to confound the
wise" q Corinthians /, %, %. Hath
not God chosen the poor of this world
rich in faith" James Ii, 81
Very true, we answer. With God
the wisdom of this world is foolish
ness, and with this world, the wisdom
of God is foolishness. knowledge may
therefore be viewed from two stand
points. So far as worldly knowledge
commencing any man or woman to
God, or making any man or woman
more fit for divine favor, we believe
the contrary to be true. Unwillingly
we are forced to the conclusion that
the great colleges of the world are the
most destructive agencies In the earth,
as respects the Divine revelation, the
Bible, and the true knowledge of God,
which is essential to salvation and
eternal life. We therefore sharply dis
criminate between earthly knowledge
and heavenly knowledge, and between
the wisdom of men and the wisdom of
God.
Our Lord Jesus gave us the key to
this question of the Importance of
knowledge in relationship to our at
tainment of eternal life He said, in
praying to the Father, "And this is
life eternal, that they might know
thee, the only true God. and Jesus
Christ, whom thou hast sent" John
xvii, 81. Only such as attain to this
knowledge may have eternal life. Con-
eeQuently we see at glance that re-
markably few of our race have thus
far attained to the degree Of knowl-
edge which God would be pleased to
recognize. At first this might seem
peculiar to us; we might say to our
selves or to others, Why does not God
give it out freely to all? The reply of
his knowledge freely now to certain
class, and that by and by he will give
1t to all the families Of the earth. This
essential knowledge Is promised to
the faithful in the world, He that seek
eth findeth, and to him that knocketh
1t shall be opened. 1.-THE secret of the
Lord is with them that reverence him.
and he viii show them his Covenant
BLESSED are your eyes, for they see
and your ears, for they hear" Such
with the Lord Jesus are indeed taught
of God In the School of Christ, and
may truly grow in grace and knowl-
edge.
A distinction should be observed in
knowing about God, and knowing God
himself. 1t is not sufficient that we
should recognize God as the Almighty
Creator, for devils also believe that.
On the other hand, to be intimately
acquainted with God means that we
must come into intimate fellowship
with him, and this means that we
must come unto the Father through
the Son, by faith. By thus coming to
our heavenly Father by an acquaint-
ance with his Word, and through an
appreciation of his glorious work, past
present, and future, we get view OF
the lengths, and breadths, and heights
and depths of love divine. all love ex-
ceiling" In proportion as we behold
the outline of the Divine character
we perceive our own deficiencies and
try the more to rid ourselves of them
and at least manifest to the Lord that
our hearts are in harmony with the
principles of righteousness.
The Sun of Righteousness.
Very appropriately the Scriptures
speak of the present as a nighttime
They tell us that now Darkness Gov
ers the Civilized earth, and gross
darkness the people Heathendom).'
They assure US that now Gods people
need the lamp of Divine revelation tc
guide their footsteps until the day
dawns. They assure us, however, that
the morning will be ushered in by the
great Sun of Righteousness-the Christ
the Messiah, Prophet, Mediator, King
of Glory.
Now is the Church excluded from
this work of shining upon and enlight
ening the world and scattering its
darkness. The Master gave us to un
derstand that the Church with himself
will constitute the Sun Of Righteous
ness, which will then arise with heal
ing In its beams. Thus in the parable
of the Wheat and Tares, he pictures
the entire work of this Gospel Age and
It's contamination, which he styles
1.-THE harvest-the end of the age
His word respecting the separation OF
the wheat from the tares is that the
wheat shall be gathered into his barr
changed from the earthly to the
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