The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1910-05-27
PULPIT.
PASTOR RUSSELL'S
DISCOURSE ON
PENTECOSTAL
BLESSINGS
GREAT WHlTSUNTlDE SERMON
AT ALBERT MEMORIAL
HALL


ooO.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
rather has appointed.
Those very disciples who received
the blessing In the upper room on Pen.
tecost. had forsnken sin. had become
Jesus disciples. had made full couse.
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. IL 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
endu"d with puwer-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 aud believers were
still under the sentence Of death as
/ sinners ut the time of our Lords death.
! al the time OF his resurrection. at the
time OF his ascension. Then he said
To them. 1T is expedient for you that |
Z I ha
! Comforter will not come unto YOU"
| John xvi, ~. After the forty days.
invisiby present with his disciples.
except on Il few occasions for q 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 10 sacrifice themselves
had been accepted OF the Father. and
that henceforth they might count
themselves as "joint-sacriticers with
Christ" members OF his Body" men,
bers of 1.-The Church of the First-b born,
whose names are written In heaven"
members Of the Seed of Abra M
Galatians Iii. POI
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 signihed 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 in power and great glory
not yet finished or inaugurated. The
work of this Gospel Age is to "call''
or invite such as have 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 il 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
vows of conservation. and thus make
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" luke xiv. PSI; but If any
man draw back. my soul shall have nc
pleasure in him" CHebrews x. 3S,.
All who are thus spirit begotten (by
the holy Spirit. John l. 49, during this
age are promised 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: Ii is
sown in weakness: ii is raised in pow
er: 1t is sown an animal body; it is
raised a spiritual body. . . For this
| say. brethren, that flesh and blood
cannot inherit the Kingdom of God
neither doth corruption inherit incor
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 donors on the spirit plane, anC
; the privilege of participating with Mes
siah in his great work of the next age
To the Jew First.
Only Jews received the Pentecosta
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 similar privilege to b'
extended to the Gentiles, and the rec
ord informs us that Cornelius was
the first Gentle to be received int
spiritual relationship with God, He
was good man. and had been gooC
man for years; be prayed often. ant
| gave much aims to the people bu