The Norfolk weekly news-journal. (Norfolk, Neb.) 1900-19??, 1910-07-22
Sermon by
CHARLES +.
RUSSELL,
Pastor Brooklyn
! abernacIe.

prcHchcu lOudN from Inc bpONe text
lie said in part
In order to use telescope TO ad-
vantage we need first to obtain II
proper focus ON the object to be eX
nmincd. And so 1t is with the Divine
Plan and Purpose. Looking at it with
the eye of faith through the Telescope
of Gods Word, adjustment of the TO-
Gus is necessary. This focusing of the
Word, Christian people in the past
have very generally overlooked. AS n
result the Divine Plan has II blurred
and indistinCt appearance to our sight.
The various word pictures, symbols,
types, allegorics and plain statements
OF the Scriptures without this focusing
together, make Il very unsatisfactory
and nondcscript matter of the Gospel
of Christ, one that is unsatisfactory to
everybody, one that the learned of our
day have rcpudiated entirely-an am.
biguous collation. that is source of
veXation to millions of Gods conse
Grated people. The difficulty is that
the Telescope was tempered with dur
ing the dark ages and the proper TO-
Gus was lost. Since then Christian
people have feared to readjust it. They
have gloried in the fact that they never
changed the focus. However, they
have overlooked the fact that some one
else did change it for them long ago
and that the unsatisfactory view we
have gotten is the result of this and
is entirely out of accord with the clear
and beautiful vision of Gods Grace
and Truth and Mercy and Love and
Wisdom and Power ms seen by the
Apostles in the early Church.
International Bible Students Assoca-
ton.
Some of us, dear friends instead of
throwing away the Telescope of the
Word of God, are taking pleasure in
cleaning the lenses of the dust of
the dark ages and adjusting the focus
by Il careful endeavor to speak where
the Word of God speaks and to be
silent where it is silent, and to bring,
as the Apostle suggests, our every
thought into captivity to the will of
God in Christ as outlined in the Bible.
The result, we all can testify, is not
only comforting, but happifying; not
only enIightening, but refreshing.
Truly, as the Apostle suggests. we
have come to "Times of Refreshing
from the presence OF the Lord" And
all this, we perceive, is exactly what
the Scriptures foretOld, namely, that II
falling away and darkening of the UNI
Outstanding would follow the death of
the Apostles, but that in the end of
the age the darkness would begin to
scatter before the oncoming light of
the Sun of righteousness, in the morn
ing of the New Dispensation of Mes
siahs reign.
In accord with all this, note the fact
that for centuries we have been over
looking certain Scriptures while ac-
cepting others. We accepted the Apos-
ties statement in our text respecting
the reconciliation of the Church, but
we overlooked entirely other Scriptures
which speak of a still different recon
cilation-"GOd through Christ recon
Cling the world unto himself" Oh Co
rinthians V, 49, We should have noted
the difference between the Church and
the world in this and many other pas
sages of Scripture We should have
remembered the Lords words, "Ye are
not of the world, even as | am not of
the world" We should have seen that
the salvation and reconciling of the
Church is one thing and the salvation
and reconciling of the world is quite
another thing; that these are two diff
ferent salvations-the first to heaven
~, spiritual conditions and joint-her
ship with Christ in his Kingdom; the
other TO an earthly Inheritance, tC
earthly perfection and life everlasting
and an Eden that is to be worldwide
Paradise restored, Gods footstoo
made glorious.
Gods Purposes to Be Accomplished.
Nevertheless nothing has been lost
No feature of the Divine Plan has
been thwarted, for these two saliva
tions do not progress at the same time
During this Gospel Age none are
saved, nor DESTROYS to be saved, except
those drawn of the Father" "called
of God" These have been privileged
to approach God through the Son
whose name is 1.-THE only name given
under heaven or amongst men whereby
we must be saved" (Acts ", 12). Only
those who take up their cross and fol
low the Lamb through evil report and
good report, faithful unto death, car
now be spirit-begotten; in the resur
rection, these will be spiritborn, mem
bers of the Bride of Christ, the Lambs
Wife and joint-heir with him in his
Kingdom. 1t does not matter to the
remainder of mankind that they have
been allowed to remain in ignorance
OF the great fact that God is about tC
pour out upon humanity a great bless
ing; about to pour out his holy Spiri
upon all classes; about to establish thu
Kingdom of his dear Son for which W,
pray, Thy Kingdom Gomez" about t.
cause the knowledge Of the Lord to fiji
the whole earth; about to give to ever,