The Detroit times., 1910-08-19
PREACHING TO THE DEAD.

Tor Russell. OF the Brooklyn Taber-
hacie. today addressed very large
nesting OF bible students In Celoron
uutorium. The occasion was gen.
frhl convention OF bible students. The
udience was estimated at nearly 5000.
Taking for his text the above words.
|he speaker said:
The bible to be understood. must be
levied from Its own standpoint. This.
bible students, we are learning more
ma more particularly every day. In
he past we have read our bibles up
|ide- down" Many read as a duty: 9TH
|rs as a sort OF charm that would pla-
ate divine Justice and bring us divine
.vor,. Now we are learning TO read
he bible In common sense way, ana
% use our reasoning faculties in con-
fection with It's statements and pro-
|hecies.s As consequence. while 9TH
INTO inndelity styled higher criticism
nd evolution; others into fancifui
krestings Of the word OF God--we are
omins To appreciate the bible as the
most safe and sane book In the world
ForreEpondin our faith in God In
reases--faith In His wisdom, JUS
ice. love and power 70 accomplish al,
n himself before the creation OF our
nee. Correspondingly. too, we are
oming to appreciate more than ever
PIE value OF the great Redeemer and
accomplished at Calvary. We are COM
hg TO see the truth of what we once
Considered poetic license when we
a M 49,. . n,.,o,, :, cod. marcy
Like the Wilderness of the sea"
We are seeing more clearly as the
avs no by the meaning OF the scrip
ure which declares that eventually
ne Redeemer shall see OF the travail
His soul and be satisfied" We per-
Give now that the little handful or
aints walking In the Masters foot
feps from Pentecost to His second ad-
|ent and sharing in the FIRST resur-
ection" In aot the end OF divine love
pr our race, but mertly Its beginning
k,rts" Games /. 49,. We are now see
rg that. according TO the divine pur-
|ose. the calling and election OF the
hurch TO the spirit nature, TO the d.
Inc natu>e. must be completed before
he second step I'm the great divine plan
salvation begins--the recovery OF
he.-world from sin and death condi-
ons, TO human perfection and Para
ise restored.
sLet Dead Bury Their Dead"
No bible topic requires more carerul
iscriminatlon In its study than does
ne subject OF death. This Is mainly
ecause OF the general confusion CT
Ind which came upon Chrisf~-@@asa
uring the long centuries or the
hurch's comparative darkness. when
t1}es- -ia+r-r-,f- eIeta- .-rer-+As-G tr.e-
ans PATH were scarce and when few
buld read the truths OF priceless value
hat were chained to lecterns. In con-
Fuuentc oil tnlS CONFUSION we near IN
ellgent people talk ignorantly and
upidiy respecting death. They make
pnfusion worse COMPOUNDED by tell.
hg us of Adams spiritual death and
DISCUSSING natural" death and the
cath that never dies" etc, etc.
To get the bible view OF death we
eed to brush away such foolish bah
Kings and confine ourselves to bible
CnEuage and the rational thought con-
etted Herewith. For instance. ac-
brdfng 10 the bible. there Is no nat
ral death"-it Is not natural for
hbie arrangement and mans nature
hat he should Twelve eternally. as
b the angels. II obedtent to the d.
nnaturaI thing, Do we think OF an
bis an dying, and OF heaven as allied
nth cemeteries? Have they doctors
nd undertakers there! Surely not!
eft IL would be Just as proper TO speak
natural death amongst the angels
IN respect to men.
The term spiritual death so frequent
used respecting Adam and his fall
ression Is found In the bible: neither
|lch a thought. Adam could not die
spiritual death; because he was not
hg--not an angel. but man. As the
.riptures declare OF Adam. Thou
badest him little lower than the an
forks OF Thy hands" "over the beasts
X the field. the fish OF the sea and
he fowl OF the air" Hebrews u. a;
II is, therefore. absurd for us to
Epntinue longer to speak OF Adam dy-
R q spiritual death. while admitting
bat he was not a spirit being; IL Was
Heath, however. did include the grad
Kal processes OF decay, and affected
lot only his bones and muscles, but
lso his prains-his every mental and
horaI quality. The sentence, Dying.
hou shalt die" took hold OF him as
In entirety: hence we ind. as the
|rriptures declare. that there Is mons
y. morally or physically right. All
lave sinned All come short OF the
Blory OF God In which Adam was Gre
tied From the moment OF disobe-
Hence and divine condemnation Adam
Ind his race have been judicially dead
IND gradually going down. down,
own. In degradation and into the
pmb.
Speaking OF the dying race from the
idicIal standpoint our savior called
hem all dead. He declared that none
as even a reckoned life. except such
by faith accepted Him as their life
tiver-Savior His words are. He that
ath the Son hath life; he that hath
OF the son shall ,n not see NE re- but 1.-THE the
|L 36). Speaking to one who believed
In Him. the Savior said. Let the dead
ury their dead" go thou and preach
ignt standpoint Ills meaning Is evil
snt.a let the dead. the condemned
Ind legally dead world. look out for
ks own affairs. you become one OF NY
followers and carry MY message OF life
Ind hope 10 as many as have ears to
edri"
"Dead In Trespasscs and sim"
Thus the whole world OF mankind
through heredity through Inherited
Weaknesses. through participation I'm
Inc sentence that came upon father
Irespasses and I'm sins-not one OF the
lace fs worthy OF eternal life upon the
kn1y terms and conditions which God
Ian offer--namely. perfection and obe-
Hence to the divine standards.
Jesus preached the gospel amongst
Ihase iudIciallY dead through treHpass--
IN and sins few had the hearing ear
Ind accepted the good message and
lave their hearts to God and accepted
lie terms of dlscipleship--to walk I'm
Ehe Masters footsteps in the narrow
yay faithfully unto death--willing ly
kfyering. specifically. their little all in
HE service of God, Hts truth. His
Ills people. These few.
hs we have seen, the Savior recog-
|bjzed as having life--as having pass
Ia from death unto life John v. 24):
legal one. Actually. according to the
iesh they were still imperfect, fallen,
|iying But by divine arrangement
Mar new minds. their new Wills were
4ocsoted Of God in Christ and their
lean ignored as dead, and they were
besdtten ny God OF the Holy Spirit as
m d. A>1