The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-05-27
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

Memorial Hall. recognized as the
largest modern auditorium In the
world. was crowded today to hear Pas.
tor Russell of Brooklyn Tabernacle
New York. on "Pentecostal Blessings"
Many OF the most prominent stalls and
boxes are owned by the nobility,
many of whom occupied them. while
others, unable to attend. graciously
granted permission for their occupan.
cy by others; but hundreds were turn.
ed away. The meeting was held un.
der the auspices OF the international
Bible Students Association" The
speaker said
II is appropriate that on this day,
celebrated and recognized as the an.
niversary OF pentecost. we should con.
slider the import. and have well in
mind what we celebrate. therefore
take as my text. the words of st. Pc
ter explanatory of the occasion: This
is that which was spoken by the
Prophet Joel: And 1t shall come to
pour out my Spirit upon all flesh; and
your sons and your daughters shall
prophesy, and your young men shall
have the vision which your nncients
dreamed OF: aud ON my servants and
on my haDdmnldens | will pour out In
those days my Spirit. and they shall
proclaim" Il give you preferred
FRO lnt Yer
St Peter declares that the outpour.
ing of the holy Spirit upon the waiting
believers ut Pentecost was mentioned
by Joel the Prophet. but he does not
say that all of the prophecy was full.
filed there and then. AS II matter OF
fact we know that the holy Spirit was
not then. poured out on all flesh; 1t
was poured out merely upon Gods
servants and hand. maidens. A care
full inspection shows us that there are
two parts to the prophecy-Ub All flesh,
and q, Gods servants and hand maid
ems. The order of the blessing Is also
stated II will come upon all flesh
after those days. but upon the servants
and hand-maidens in those days The
days mentioned evidently refer to this
Gospel uge-trom Pentecost to the sec
ond coming of Christ.
In this period. OF now nearly nine
teen centuries. Gods holy Spirit has
been granted to his faithful ones. and
to these alone. Only the fully conse-
Grated have been accepted of the Lord
as living sacrifices. and only such have
been begotten OF the holy Spirit. that
they may be new creatures in Christ"
During all this time. the world has
been unreognized so far as the holy
Spirit is concerned. Indeed. the Apos.
tie after PentecoSt went still further
and declared that the whole world
lieth in the Wicked one" The only
in the case OF Felix. to "reprove
the world of sin and righteousness. and
of coming Judgment" our text de.
clareS, however. that the time is com
ing when the world will receive a
share of the great Divine blessing,
which was fully assured by the death
Of Christ. But its time OF favor will
be "dttCr those days"-after this Cos
pei Age shall have come 10 an end;
lennial Age. shall have come. Let us
note first the blessings belonging TO
this Gospel Age. in which we are spe-
cially Interested. and subsequently let
us notice the blessings that God has
promised shall come to all mankind.
The Church's Penteeost.
1t Is not sufficient that we say that a
PenteCOstal blessing came upon the
followers of Jesus in the upper room
at Jerusalem, totally different from
anything that had been known In the
world before We want TO know why
it was so: and il II blessing. why 1t did
not come sooner toGod'S people? We re.
member Abel. Enoch. Noah. Abra ham
Moses, Daniel. the Prophets; we rec
ognize the fact that they were grand
characters, aud, as ST. Paul said
They had this testimony that they
pleased God" Yet there was no Pen
tecostal outpouring in their day. mol
until the age of man in the world was
more than four thousand years. why
was this We answer that God has
his own times and seasons for the va
rious features OF his work.
We recall the words of our Lord Je
sus. respecting his fOrerunner, Verify
| say unto you, Among them that are
born OF women there hath not risen t
greater than John the Baptist; not
understanding he that is least in thu
Kingdom ~ heaven Is greater than he
(Matthpw Xi III. Why could not John
and others Of the prophets preceding
him, enter in aud enjoy this Gospel ia
vor? We answer. in the language o
ST. Paul God having provided som,
better thing for us. that they wit
us should not De made perfect" tie
brewS ST. 4Ul. our Creator has Erea
gifts 10 dispense 10 our race through
the Rrdeemer, and II Is for him to de
termne the times aud the seasons TO
the dispensing OF these blessings, anC
10 whom they shall go According TO th,
Divine arrangement, the Redeemer haC
first 10 die as mans RunsOm-Price
before any Of the race could come bacl
into full relationship with the Creator
II Is trup that nv faith Abraha ant