The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-07-19
PEOPLES PULPIT.
Sermon by
CHARLES T.
RUSSELL
Pastor Brooklyn
Tabernacle.

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Sunday. July 10.-Pastor Russell of
Brooklyn Tabernacle. New York,
preached today from the above text.
He said in part:-
In order TO use a telescope to ad-
vantage we need first to obtain
proper focus on the object to be ex-
amined And so 1t Is with the Divine
Plan and Purpose. Looking at 1t 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
result the Divine Plan has blurred
and indistinct appearance to our sight.
The various word-pictures. symbols.
types, allegories and plain statements
Of the Scriptures without this focusing
together, make a very unsatisfactory
Of Christ, one that is unsatisfactory to
everybody. one that the learned of our
day have repudiated entirely-an am
biguous collation. that Is a 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 as seen by the
Apostles In the early Church.
international Bible Students Associa-
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 careful endeavor to speak where
the Word Of God speaks and to be
silent where 1t 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 enlightening, 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 a
falling away and darkening of the I'M
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
slabs reign.
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 still different recon-
ciliation-"God through Christ recon-
Cling the world unto himself Gil Co
rinthians v. 1917. 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 l 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
ly. spiritual conditions and joint-heirs
ship with Christ in his Kingdom; the
other to an earthly Inheritance. to
earthly perfection and life everlasting
and an Eden that is to be worldwide
Paradise restored. Gods footstool
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
tons 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 iv, 12l. Only
those who take up their cross and fol-
low the Lamb through evil report and
good report faithful unto death, can
now be spirit begotten; in the resur-
rection, these will be spirit-born, mem
bers of the Bride of Christ the Lamb,
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 to
pour out upon humanity great bless
ing; about to pour out his holy Spirit
upon all classes; about to establish the
Kingdom of his dear Son for which we
pray. "Thy Kingdom Gomez" about to
cause the knowledge of the Lord to fill
the whole earth: about to give to every
son and daughter of Adam one full.
fair. righteous onnortunitv TO come to
a knowledge or the truth that rney
may be saved.
If the knowledge of Gods grace has
proven to be grand. glorious, inspir-
ing message to the sanctified In Christ
Jesus, the Church of this Gospel Age,
called to the heavenly calling, will not
the message of reconciliation to the
world, In due time, likewise bring to
the world comfort, joy, blessing as
they shall be invited to the earthly
portion-to full restitution to human
perfection-to all that was lost by
Adam and that is to be recovered by
the sacrifice of Jesus. No wonder the
Scriptures assure US that the night of
weeping is nearly over and the morn
ing of joy already dawning! No won
der the Apostle declares that "the
whole creation groaneth and travaileth
in pain together" and that they are
waiting for the manifestation Of the
sons of God" Rom. viii. %, 1917.
The work Of this Gospel Age has
been the calling. the testing. the prov
ing, the fitting. the polishing OF these
sons Of God for the glorious heavenly
state to which they have been called.
The Apostle urges that however hum
BILE the position Of Gods saints in the
present life. I'VE know that when he
shall appear we shall be like him, for
we shall see him as he is" When he
shall appear in his glory we also shall
appear with him. When he shall reign
as the King Of kings and Lord Of
lords, when to him every knee shall