The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1910-06-14
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL.
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

ATTENTIVE audiences. we report MS
discourse from the text. II, the Lord
thy God am IL Jealous God. visiting the
iniquities of the fathers upon the chill
dren unto the third nnd fourth genera
ton of them that hate me: aud show
ing mercy unto thousands of them that
love me and Keep my commandments"
deuteronomy v, o, 10,. A report of
the discourse follows
No one of experience can question
the fact that our text is corrOborated
by all our experiences, in life. How
ever unjust some may claim Il to be
that the children SHOULD inherit the
weaknesses resulting from parental
designations and violations OF the Di-
vine law, the fact remains that how.
ever atheism may question the exist
ence of God or inddeiity doubt the
inspiration of his Word. no one can
question the two facts of this text, a.
that sin and its penalty can be inherit
I'd and C2l the fact that God is merci-
ful to such as renounce sin and turn
70 him and seek to walk according to
his direction. However these bless
ings upon evil doers and their children
and these blessings upon well doers
and their posterity may be termed
natural laws and laws OF heredity, IL
does not alter the fact. because the Al
mighty ~ the one who made these
laws of heredity.
Under the delusion handed down to
us from the "dark ages"-that God
had condemned to eternal torment all
the children Of Adam because OF his
sin--we are all inclined properly
enough to feel rcbelllous against any
such matter and TO assert that from
the standpoint OF human reasoning
II would bc entirely unjust to torture
the posterlty of Adam etcrnally for
his transgressiOn-" original sin." But
as we get the eyes OF our understand
ing opened to see what Is the real
penalty for sin. that it is death, ex
tinctlon, and that our perfect parents.
fully Informed respecting the divine
will. were cupabc. worthy of death.
and when we learn further that what
ever is enjoyed 10y Adams posterity
in the way of life. however disad-
vantageous the conditions, Is so
much Of divine lcnlency aud mercy
and comes so much short of being
the full penalty. death. extinction
then we begin to see chat life under
any conditions aud disadvantages is
still boon. better thGn extinction.
In Wrath Have Mercy, Lord.
Recognizing tho wrath OF God ms
manifested IN the death penalty mot
in nm eternity Of tortureI we can see
that tn Scriptures everywhere de-
,lGrc that the wruth OF God Is resting
upon our race; that every mcmher Of
II is subject TO this very penaity which
came upon father Adam aud has been
ENABLED upon all OF his posterty
The Almighty Ctcator did not walt
for MS 10 cry out for his pity md
commission. but from the very be
ginning. forcknowing our fall into sin,
he had the plan arranged for our 60
flemption and ultimate recovery from
this condition Of wrath. curse. death,
We are Informed that our Lord Jesus
was the Lamb OF God stain from the
foundation of the w0rld-in the Divine
purpose and nirlng"mcnt though only
now being made mnnlfcs, 10 the
Church and shortly 10 the world THUS
viewed there has hccn no Injustice
prnctsod against our race IN permil
ting the children 10 share with their
father Adam in his penalty, Rather
They had esteemed II aud do esteem II
better than the sentence Itself ana
Furthermore IN the lords provldcnccs
the worlds present experiences Ia the
fail and later on Ia the recovery from
the fall ~ the huuds of the great Re
drcmcr during the Millenuinl Age. Is
10 prove a lesson. Il srhooIng, In the
exceeding sinfuIncss OF sin. which the
race as "a whole will never forget and
ont of whlah many tn0w the Church
la,cr on the world viii draw lessons
~ wisdom aud grace
Looking stIll more deeply into the
Divine Pan ns Il is revealed In the
Lords Word for those who are his
psalm XIV. III. we find n particular
reason why II WAS not only advisable
hut necessary thal this law Of hcrcdltS
should operate IA our race, even though
Il brought IN It's tirIIu terrible liSt OF
experiences 10 our race, The reason
for this is based upou one clcmcnt OF
the Divine characicr Justice "a" NcrS
element which at Que time we sup
posed wns violated by this law oI
hercdity As our eyes open to the
teaching of the Scriptures We perceive
that II God had mol permitted his Law
of hercdity 10 operate. Int hnd per
miited each individual OF the race L
eotnn forth IN nprfpctiou mud ia stuut
IN individual trial such ms father Adam
was subject TO. Il would doutlles
have Inepnl that ai lcasl onc-liaf o
the race. possibly more. would hay,
deliberately choscn II course Of sin n
father Adam chose a. 40 expect NOR
than one.hnlf TO bc oi'cdient would b
unreasonable. Rather, from wlInt w
see about us In the experiences or lie
we would have hcen table 10 conclud
L. ...I .sif nor