The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-19
PASTOR RUSSELL'S
DISCOURSE ON
PENTECOSTAL
BLESSINGS
GREAT WHITSUNTIDE SERMON
AT ALBERT MEMORIAL
HALL

Christ, until first their sins had been
Then they could be accept
ed in Christ on the terms which the
Father has appointed.
Those very disciples who received
the blessing in the upper room on Pen
tecost, had forsaken sin, had become
Jesus disciples, had made full conse-
Grafton of all their earthly hopes and in
terests, had been accepted by the Lord
Jesus, and he had put his Spirit upon
them, enabling them to do many mighty
works in his name. However, it was
one thing to do mighty works through
his spirit, or power, and another mat
ter to possess that spirit inherently
to act directly as agents of Divine ia
vor instead Of indirectly. 1t is In har-
mony with this thought that we read
that after our Lord breathed upon
them the holy Spirit. symbolically i'm.
parting his Spirit. and commissioning
them as his representatives to preach
the Gospel, he told them. nevertheless,
to tarry at Jerusalem until they were
endued with power-the holy Spirit
until the Father should recognize them
directly as his ministers and ambassa-
doris.
From the standpoint Of Divine JUS
tice, the Apostles and believers were
still under the sentence Of death as
sinners at the time of our Lords DEATH
at the time of his resurrection, at the
time Of his ascension. Then he said
to them. 1T is expedient for you that
go away. for if go not away, the
Comforter will not come unto you"
John xvi, y. After the forty days,
invisibly present with his disciples.
except on a few occasions for few
moments each. our Lord assembled, and
after ten days the holy Spirit from
the Father came upon the waiting
household of faith. 1t evidenced to
them the fact that their sins had been
forgiven for Christ's sake, that they
were justified freely from all things
through his sacrifice. and that their
conservation to sacrifice themselves
had been accepted Of the Father. and
that henceforth they might count
themselves as ''joint-sacrifcers with
Christ" members of his Body" mem
bers of 1.-The Church of the First-b born.
whose names are written in heaven"
members of the seed of Abraham"
Galatians iii, 29l.
Keys of the Kingdom.
The Master in speaking to st. Peter
assured him that to him were commit
ted the Keys of the Kingdom of Heav-
en-, which signifed that the way into
the Kingdom at that time had not yet
been opened, and that Peter would be
honored by being the Lords servant
to do the opening work There were
two of these keys" and therefore
there were two opening works to be
accomplished.
The Church. under Christ her Lord,
is Gods kingdom. not yet set up or es-
tablished lin power and great glory
not yet finished or inaugurated. The
work of this Gospel Age is to "call'
or invite such as have a hearing ear to
become joint-heirs in this Kingdom.
for which he taught us to pray. Thy
kingdom come thy will be done on
earth as it is done in heaven" So
many as genuinely accept this heav-
emily calling. this high calling" to glo-
ry, honor, and immortality. are proba-
tionary members of the Kingdom of
Heaven. Such are Scripturally ex-
horted to continue faithful to their
Of h,,c ,nl- n
their calling and election sure to a
place in this glorious Kingdom. which
will be inaugurated at the second COM
ing of Christ. But the Lord instructs
all saying. "Sit down first and count
the cost" duke xiv, 2S); but if any
man draw back. my soul shall have no
pleasure in him" (Hebrews X. 3Sl.
All who are thus spirit begotten (by
the holy Spirit. John /. IS, during this
age are promised a spirit birth, to
spirit-being in the resurrection. We
read, 1T is sown in corruption; it is
raised in interruption 1t is sown in
dishonor; it is raised in glory: 1t is
sown in weakness; IT is raised in pow
err: 1t is sown an animal body; it is
raised a spiritual body. . For this
l say. brethren. that flesh and blood
cannot inherit the Kingdom of God;
neither doth corruption inherit incor-
ruption" Il Corinthians XIV. 42-44. 50).
The entire period between the first ad-
vent and the second advent of our Re-
deemer is set apart in the Divine Pro-
gram for this great work of selecting
from amongst men the little flock"
such as shall be counted worthy of
these honors on the spirit plane. and
the privilege of participating with Mes
siah in his great work of the next age.
To the Jew First.
Only Jews received the Pentecostal
blessing. The Gentiles were excluded
for three and half years thereafter
IN harmony with Divine promise
made to the Jewish nation. Then came
the time for a similar privilege to be
extended TO the Gentiles, and the rec.
ord informs us that Cornelius was
the first Gentle to be received into
spiritual relationship with God. He
was a good man, and had been a good
man for years; he prayed often, and
gave much aims TO the people, but
until then, the middle wall of partition