The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-08-26
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL.
Pastor Brooklyn
! tabernacle.

|
here twice today to large and atten.
tive audiences We report one OF his
liscourses from the above. He said In
part
My text is one OF the strongest OF
those which once we enormously mis-
understood TO teach the eternal tor
ment of the non-elect. Coming to the
text with our minds filed with the
wrong impressions respecting the
character of the Almighty Creator and
respecting his purposes toward hui
mainly IT is easy for us to misunder-
stand the words of st. Jude. So deep.
ly were the erroneous thoughts i'm
pressed upon our minds from child
hood that. irrational though they were,
we considered them fundamental the
ology In like manner we wrested TO
our own confusion and injury many
Scriptures, reading into them what
they do not say and ignoring what
they do say. AS, for instance, the
messages OF Holy Writ to the effect
that "all the wicked will God destroy;
1.-The soul that sinneth, II shall die;
that there is no eternal life out of
Christ. All these and others we warp
ed and twisted away from their beau
tiful and simple teaching, and made
out of them doctrines Of devils" with
which we alarmed ourselves and those
| committed TO our instruction.
| Wy h<
eyes Of our understanding are open
ing to discern the great Truth that the
testing of the Church in the present
| Age and the testing of the world at
large in the coming Age will be as to
! worthiness for eternal life or WORTH
ness of eternl death--everlasting de
struction-the Second Death from
which there will be no redemption, no
resurrection. no recovery. AS st. Peter
declares, Those who enter into II will
be. like brute beasts, made to be taken
and Observation-Disclosures.
Sodoms Guilt and Punishment.
Sodom and surrounding cities were
profigate and licentiouS to the extreme
and Divine Justice decreed that their
course must not continue, but that
they should be made an example Of
a lesson to others OF the Divine dis
pleasure against all such licentious-
, ness Accordingly we read that fire
land birthstone were rained from
heaven TO the utter destruction Of those
cities. the place OF which is now mark
ed by the Dead Sea. The Sodomites
were obliteratcd and only their name
and history have come down to us.
Their utter destruction by eternal fire
or heavenly fire rained upon them was
a complete destruction. Their expert
ence pictures forth the utter destruc-
ton OF all whom God will finally re-
ieCt as unworthy Of eternal life. Not
that fire and birthstone would be rain
ed upon all but that utter destruction
will come upon all disapproved by the
Almighty. Who thinks that st. Jude
meant that the fire that destroyed the
SOdomites was an eternal onei Who
ever thinks that it is still burning as
literal blaze should take a look at the
picture Of the Dead Sea and note that
there are no fires there. The thought
is that the fire, which is a symbol OF
destruction, did its work thoroughly,
completely, leaving not vestige OF
these condemned to destruction.
The Sodomites all went to hell-to
the Bible hell-to the state OF death
But they did not 60 to the hell which
was manufactured by our forefathers
during the dark ages-a hell Of eternal
torture. We have Bible testimony on
the subject, which we will produce.
They are unconscious now like the re-
mainder of the dead, waiting for the
resurrection. And the resurrection OPP
portunity will come to them. as well
as to all the remainder Of Adams
race; because they. as well as all 9th
ers, are redeemed by the precious blood
Of Christ-by the sacrifice which he
finished at Calvary. This is not spec
ulative. We have the words OF the
Master himself on the subject. Let us
lake our information. our wisdom from
the proper quarter. Then our doubts
and fears will speedily fee away.
Not Second Chance.
we VIII produce lut blDIe testimony
showing that the Sodomites will be re-
leased and come forth during the me
diatorial reign OF Messiah to enjoy a
share OF the blessings then to be pour
ed out upon Israel and the world; and
to have an opportunity Of coming into
harmony with God and gaining eternal
life. But we know that straightway
somebody will say, No, Pastor Russell,
that would be second chance, and
God has nowhere promised a second
chance to any. Furthermore 1t would
be be-littleing to the Divine Govern
ment to suppose that God, after giving
one fair trial to man and reaching a
decision would conclude TO give him
another trial, as though Divine Justice
were unable to determine the WORTH
ness or unworthiness OF the individual
for eternal life in one trial or testing.
We fully agree with this sentiment
but call attention 10 the fact that the
SOdOmites did not enjoy one trial for