Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-02-23
PEOPLES
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.


vention." The large audience seemed
deeply interested. He said:-
Some apply the first text only and
think Of the Divine Program as being
merely an endeavor to rescue mankind
from sin and death to righteousness
and eternal life in the present time
Such as hold this view are much con-
fused. because it must be acknowl-
edged that comparatively little has
been done. or is now being done. for
mans uplift. After six thousand years
1t is still true that The whole world
lieth in the Wicked One:" Darkness
covers the earth and gross darkness
the heathen." In order to have any
confidence at all in this theory those
who hold it are obliged to greatly low
er their standards. They are forced to
hope that God will admit millions OF
unfit people, crude, rude. ignorant and
wicked to eternal life and happiness.
or perchance provide for them Pur~a-
tOrial experiences, to make them fit.
righteous and acceptable for life etpr-
nal. AS whole Christian people are
greatly. bcwidcrpd The tendency of
their bcwilGerment is toward doubt,
skepticism atheism.
The other view briefly stated is that
God never intended The salvation of
the world. Int merely thp salvation Of
the Church, elect according To tat fore
knowledge Of Ccd Through mnctilca-
ton of the Spirit and belief in the
Truth. Those who hold this theory
have great confusion also. because itF
seems incomprehansiblp that GOG/
would make 10 provision for thou
sands of millions" of Adams race. but
arrange for them 10 be born in sin.
shapen in iniquity, and to go down to
the tomb Tor worseI without a clear
knowledge Of God and his purposes
and will respecting them.
As we have already frequently set
forth, both Of the described theories
are erroneous. The Scriptures set
forth two salvations, entirely separate
and distinct, They are different as re-
spects time, In that the one salvation
began to be spoken by our Lord" at
his First Advent. and began to be APP
plicable to his Church at Pentecost,
and will wholly cease at his Second
Coming in the end of this Age. The
other salvation neither applied before
our Lords First Advent nor during
this Gospel Age. but will apply to all
mankind, except the Church, during
the Millennium-the thousand years
of the reign Of Christ and the Church.
specially designed for the blessing of
the world and it's uplifting out of sin
and death conditions.
These two salvations are distinctly
different as to kind, as well as respects
their plan Of operation. The salvation
of the Church during this Gospel Age
since Pentecost-means not only
deliverance from sin and death cOndi-
lions to eternal life, but provides that
the eternal life will be on the heaven
Ny or spiritual plane and not on the
ca 'thly or human plane of existence
Thus the Apostle declares that our Fin
heritance is incorruptibIe and undo
filed and fadeth not away and Us re-
served in heaven for us, who are kept
bv the power of God through faith
unto salvation" q Peter /. 4, 81. Our
Lord also told that in the resurrection
we shall be like unto the angels. The
ApostIe also declares that ultimately
we shall be partakers Of the divine
nature and like our Lord and Redeem
er.
Hence, all who participate in this
salvation Of this Gospel Age are Scrip
turally spoken of as New Creatures in
Christ Jesus, whose citizenship is in
heaven" These are assured that al
the Lords Second Coming they viii
constitute the First Resurrection class
They are guaranteed that only thu
blessed and holy will have part there
in. and that all participating in tina
First Resurrection will be Roya
Priests unto Cod and unto Christ, an
reign with him a thousand years (ReV
elation Xxx. O.. They are assured tina
the transformation of mind whic
they now experience through the b'
getting of the holy Spirit will. in the
resurrection. result in a complet
transformation, providing them wit
spirit bodies. Thus it is written (
ness; it is raised in power: 1t is SOW
in dishonor: it is raised in glory; 1t
sown an animal body; it is raised
spiritual body q Corinthians XIV. A
Az. OF those who will share in Il
Church's salvation the Apostle say
"We shall not all sleep, but must 6
be changed" because flesh and blo'
DE- cannot inherit the Kingdom of Go,
Il Corinthians XIV, 90, 81.
The worlds salvation which will f
low will be wholly different from tn
1t will not include a change Of natu
from earthly to spirit nature. 1t W
mean a rescue from sin and death
the earthly perfection Of the Origin
man, in the image and likeness
his Creator. and surrounded by
cry necessary blessing for his CO
fort. Human perfection and the &c
home were lost through disobediel
to God. The Divine arrangement
g nr6'c