The Penn's Grove record., 1911-01-13
Gods Covenant Of
the Law
By PASTOR RUSSELL
Of Brooklyn Tabernacle

would bruise the serpent's head. This
hidden promise was the first intima-
ton Of the divine mercy which our
gracious Creator purposed in himself
from before the foundation Of the
world. Ever noble, kind and gracious,
our Creator restrained his mercy for
the good of his creatures-that they
might learn to appreciate the exceed:
ing sinfulness of sin. For the good OF
the angels also, and that they might
fully know of his justice, as well as
of his wisdom and power, God insist
ed upon dealing with his creatures
from the standpoint Of exact justice,
They had sinned and thereby had for
feited all claim upon the eternal life
which he had given them conditional
ly.
Eternal torment, as we have already
seen, did not in any sense or degree
enter into the divine intention. His
sentence upon man, plainly stated
was, Dying thou shalt die" not, Liv'
ing thou shalt live in torment. 1.-THE
soul that sinneth 1t shall die" (Gene
sis II, IT; Ezekiel xviii, ~. God in
tended to exemplify in his dealings
with our race a principle of divine
government to be made operative
overwhelmingly among all his
creatures on the spirit plane, as wei.
as upon the earthly.
Israels experiences of tribulatior
and bondage in Egypt were probably
necessary to prepare them for Gods
great proposition-that they should
keep the law and as a reward have
life everlasting. AS it is written, "He
that doeth things shall live by them"
(Leviticus xviii, 81. Israel greatly re
toiced in this manifestation of divine
preference for them more than for all
ethers of humanity. The law covenant
was mediated. The sacrifice of bulls
and Of goats made a typical atone
ment for them for a year, so that they
might enter into the covenant rela'
tionship with God. But when they at,
tempted to keep the law they were
disappointed. They failed. The law
of God being the full Of a
perfect mans ability, and the Jews,
like other men, being imperfect, found
that they had undertaken an impossi.
bility.
Not a Jew kept the law perfectly.
Not a Jew, therefore, gained eternal
life during the first year. But God,
oreknowing this, had made prepare
ton for a repetition of the atonement
day every year, SO that the people
might continue striving to attain eter-
nal life. Year after year, century
after century, they failed, and dis
couragement took the place Of hope.
God was teaching them a great lesson
respecting the need of better sacri-
fees than those of bulls and of goats,
and also teaching them that there is
no other means of justification in his
sight. They got blessings under the
covenant-educetional blessings, but
not the blessings hoped for, not life
eternal. Hence they were not in a
position to become, as they had hoped,
a national Messiah, a national seed Of
Abraham, for the blessing of all the
nations.
The f1rst-begotten of the Father, as
his glorious agent in the great work
of creation, had the honor granted
him of becoming the great messenger
of the covenant, the great prophet,
priest and king Of Israel, the great
Michael of Daniel xii, 1. But there
were tests connected with his attain
ment of this high position: % By
faith he must lay aside his heavenly
glory, IN obedience to the Fathers
will to become a man-not a sinful
man, but a perfect man-holy, harm
less, indebted, separate from sinners.
(2) Thus prepared to become the Re-
deemer 1t was his privilege to make
full conservation Of his earthly inter
est and the Fathers pleasure to beget
him of the holy spirit at Jordan to the
spirit nature on the highest plane.
For three and a half years his sacri-
fee burned upon the altar. It was
indeed better than the sacrifice of
bulls and goats, for 1t was a CORE
spending price for Adam; an eye for
an eye, a tooth for a tooth; a mans
life for a mans life. (3) When Jesus
had thus SCIENTIFICALLY parted with his
earthly life he experienced a resurrec-
ton change from human nature to
spiritual, like what he "a originally,
only higher and more glorious. Thus
he was at once both a sacrifice and
the spirit-begotten priest who offered
that sacrifice.
Then why did he not at once begin
his great work as prophet, priest,
king and new covenant mediator for
Israel and through Israel for the
world? 1t was because there was to
be more than one sacrifice in the
divine plan on the day of atonement.
When this bride class shall have
completed her sacrifice in and under
the merit Of the great priest, then
every arrangement for the blessing OF
Israel as Abraham's seed and of all
nations through Israel will have forth
with commenced. Thus seen the reve-
lation of Israers great messenger Of
the new covenant is very important
not only to the Jew, but also to tho
world of mankind, who must receive
their blessings under Israel by a com
pliance with the same law cove
nant.